Whiskey Witches, F.J. Blooding [ap literature book list .TXT] 📗

with a weapon that was physical, but also imbued with demon magick. Earthly and ethereal. She followed Dexx back to the inn, racking her brain. Quick, easy. Something she could whip up quickly for immediate action.

This had to end tonight. The killings had to end. The gate had to remain closed. She had to ensure the angels had zero reason to interfere in her life ever again.

She paused on the step leading to the front door of the inn and drummed her fingers against the white pillar supporting the porch roof.

Dexx came up around her and leaned against the banister, so close his body heat penetrated her thin shirt. “Bullets.”

Paige bit both her lips before she spoke. She’d never made bullets. “How do we get the magick on them?”

He lifted one shoulder. “Your department.”

“Same way he did with his knife,” Balnore said.

“Right, but I didn’t actually have anything to do with that. I found it this way. But, oh, shit. Wait. My knife.”

The light dawned. “We already have our weapon.”

Balnore shrugged. “It’s possible. Though it wasn’t created by you, so do we want to wager our lives on it?”

“I want this over tonight.”

“You’re being a bit hasty, love.”

“Would you stop calling me love?”

Lucius’ face curled up in frustration. “It’s a matter of speaking.”

“I don’t care.” She turned to Dexx. “How soon can you be ready?”

“Plan?” the hunter asked.

“No plan. Just end this shit now.”

“Bad plan.”

“Who cares?”

“Those who’d prefer to remain among the living. Bal’s right. You’re being hasty.”

She ground her teeth. “I’m tired of fucking playing. I’m tired of being played with. I’m tired of these asshats thinking I’m a goddamned toy!”

“Let’s think about this.” Dexx set his hands on her shoulders. The wind rippled his loose blue t-shirt. “This isn’t like you.”

“Yeah, well, being ‘like me’ hasn’t helped much.” She pushed passed him, evading Balnore as well.

“So now it’s time to be an idiot?” Balnore asked, following her through the door.

Dexx’s tongue clicked, but nothing else was said.

Paige unlocked her room and stepped inside. “Will somebody give me something we can do?”

“Fine.” Lucius halted in the middle of the room. “I may not be magickal, but I can provide a shield in the same manner you provided me with the witch.”

Paige pursed her open lips, scrambling to recall. When she did, she snorted. “You were possessing me, and you fucking hid behind me.”

“Precisely. Now, I believe I can do something similar, though without possessing you.”

“That would be great.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Dexx stared at her like she’d grown a second nose. “This is a bad idea.”

Paige held her hands palms up at shoulder level. “Come up with a better one. We need to go find Sven. He’s probably using demons as a shield like he did in town. He crawled into me, Dexx. He used my gift to summon.”

“Oof.” Dexx clanked his front teeth together. “Well, shit. We need to test to see if his idea will even work.”

With a sigh, Paige stood in front of Lucius. “Okay. Shield me.”

Lucius winced. “It was a brilliant plan inside my head.”

“Then get it outside your head. That’s where we need it.” She crouched, reaching deep inside herself where her powers resided. “Bal, I’m attacking you.”

“Oh, great,” he said. “So I get to defend myself from you while keeping myself from possessing you. How thrilling.”

Paige rubbed her nose and glared at him.

Lucius shook out his shoulders and closed his eyes.

It was as if she’d put on noise-canceling headphones. The edge, the irritation she’d felt ever since releasing Lucius from her body eased. Her nerves settled like the hairs on her arms. She swallowed and breathed.

She fueled the air with the power of her frustration and rage. Fire leapt in her hand. With a flick of her eyebrow, she hurled it to Balnore.

He waved his fingers and the fire evaporated into smoke. “Perhaps we shouldn’t play with fire in the inn. I doubt Fanny would appreciate it.”

Right. “Okay. Well, I can tell the shield’s there. It helps. I can concentrate. Did you feel the need to possess me?”

The corners of his mouth drooped. “No. This is quite a relief.”

Lucius opened his eyes.

The edge crept back.

“It’s not as easy as I’d hoped, but I think I can keep it up as long as I can concentrate.”

“Excellent.” Paige clapped her hands. “We have a weapon. We have a way to protect me. Now all we need is their location.”

Balnore stared at the ceiling. “I’m going to regret this, but we found him. Lucius and I did.”

“Seriously.”

He nodded.

“And you didn’t tell us before? Why?”

Bal took in a deep breath, his lips flat. “You’re being reckless.”

“That’s my choice. Where are they?”

Bal looked away. “In a warehouse outside of town a way.”

“What are we waiting for?” She made a beeline for the door, hopping down the stairs. This was the best chance they’d had in days. She was eager for a little pay back. They all piled into Jackie.

“So, do we have an address?” Dexx asked, the keys jingling as he put them in the ignition.

“There’s a large building,” Lucius said from the back seat.

“The old paper mill,” Balnore added. “That’s what we were going to tell you earlier, that we discovered where the demon population was hanging out.”

“The paper mill?” Paige asked. “Okay. So, large area. They’ll be inside. Lots of places for them to hide.”

“We could pause and plan better,” Balnore offered.

She sent Balnore a dirty look over the seat. “Or not.”

Dexx snorted, starting the car.

“Okay. Well, I’ll deport demons back to Hell. That should level the playing field. Then, we go after Sven. We need to end him and get that key.”

“Sounds achievable, I guess,” Balnore said.

“And what will you be doing?” Paige asked.

Balnore was silent for a long moment as Jackie rumbled around them. “Staying not dead.”

Dexx took them out of town and down a highway Paige hadn’t been on before. Course, it was dark, so who knew? Maybe she had? He parked in the tall weeds along the road.

The tall paper mill stood like a zombie over a scene of broken pallets and rusted trash bin carcasses.

“Oh, look,” Dexx said, puffing his cheeks as he released a breath. “They left the light on for us.”

They had, which was great. Otherwise? Well, it would have been a bit more difficult.

Dexx got out walked to the trunk.

Paige joined him, thinking of the spells she could use, the magicks. “It’s been a long time since I did magick.”

“Oh-ho. This is going to be great.”

Paige shoved her hands in her back pockets and raked her teeth over her top lip. “Oh my god, yeah.”

He opened his mouth, but closed it. “Just do me a favor.”

“Yeah, what?”

“Don’t die until we’ve had sex.”

She snorted with laughter. “Really?”

“Really. Come on. I’m being serious.”

She tried to push the smile off her face, but failed. “It’s hard to tell with you.”

He gripped the sides of her face, his lips hovering over hers, all humor gone. “I’m being very serious, Paige. I want you. I need you. And if you die out there before I’ve even tasted you…” He trailed off.

Paige stared up at his shadowed face. “Dexx, I—”

“I know,” he whispered. “But I don’t care.” He released her. “You die before we have sex, I’m bringing you back through a Voodoo priest.”