Two Parts Demon Read online

  The chairs elevated slightly, and Benny and her family were whisked away to a large room where there were no doors, no windows and no way out.

  Benny’s heart was pounding as the chair freed her. She ran to her parents and hugged them both. Her father squeezed her and then held her back with his hands on her shoulders. “A demon king, huh?”

  She chuckled. “Did you expect anything else?”

  Freddy barked, and Benny’s mother picked her out of the bag, laughing as her face was licked frantically.

  The tiny three-pound dog greeted both of the Gangers with enthusiasm.

  Benny’s father smiled slowly. “You brought Freddy here?”

  Benny grinned back. “I brought Freddy here.”

  Freddy wiggled back to Benny, and Benny put her back in the purse. It was nice to have a friend who was portable now and then.

  Harcourt looked at her entourage. “So, you have made it official.”

  Lenora laughed. “It is a binding spell. Well done, Benny.”

  “Thank you.”

  Her mother went from one man to another, hugging them in welcome. “Welcome to the family, boys.”

  Benny grinned when her father went over and shook the hands of her collection of demons.

  Her mother whispered, “What is the plan, Benny?”

  “Well, when you two were taken, I made a few calls and I chatted with Minny. She is going to start hauling us out of here in the next ten minutes.”

  Argyle scowled. “We have only been in the zone for three hours.”

  Lenora shook her head. “Time moves differently here. One hour is three in the normal world. You have been here for nine hours.”

  “Right. We need blood from Yomra on the way out.” Benny rubbed her nose.

  Lenora raised her brows in surprise. “Really?”

  “Minny figured out a way to keep this from happening again. I think we should take advantage of all her hard work, don’t you?”

  Harcourt chuckled. “If she worked something out, we would be foolish not to. Her pedigree is nearly as convoluted as yours, Benny.”

  Benny grinned and turned to the agents. One by one, she kissed them and infused them with her strength. She had enough power with her to transport them all out of the demon zone, but she needed that blood to keep this from happening again.

  Lenora held onto her husband and asked Benny, “What is the sign?”

  “We are waiting for music and fire.”

  Her father gave her a serious look. “Do you have a plan for getting out of here?”

  “Of course. You will know it when you see it.”

  Chapter Nine

  It was easier to stand with Tremble holding her than by herself. His body heat sank into her, and his fey blood sparked the air with the scent of fresh leaves.

  Benny stood with her eyes closed, waiting. The first note rang out, and she started to move.

  “It’s happening. We need to get ourselves to the street as quickly as we can.”

  She reached into the pocket of the bag and withdrew the scrap from the gown of the goddess of death. Benny stepped away from Argyle and wiped the wall in a wide arc. She tapped the fabric to the stone, and it shattered. She put the scrap back in her bag and lifted Freddy into her arms.

  “Let’s go. He will have felt that.”

  Their group surged out the door and headed for the dining hall. The path to the front door was clear, and the first words of Minerva’s song were reaching them.

  Yomra charged through the wall toward them, claws out. “You shall not leave.”

  Freddy growled, and Benny launched her through the air. Freddy went to full hellhound mode, three feet high and all teeth, wreathed with hellfire. She went for his leg and grabbed it, pulling him to the ground.

  Argyle and Tremble held his arms down while Benny grabbed for the vial in her cleavage. Smith ushered her parents past them and toward the front doors.

  It left her free to do what she needed to do.

  Yomra was fighting hard, so she grabbed the knife on her thigh and cut the blue skin at the elbow. His blood was sluggish, but she got a few drops into the vial before his skin closed. She sealed the vial and reached for another.

  “Hold him.” she stabbed into his side and collected more blood. “Damn, he heals fast.”

  Yomra was muttering at her in the demon language, and he hissed when she went in for a third strike. “This is going to have to be enough.”

  The third vial went into her clothing, and she looked her ancestor in the eyes. “Thank you for your help. I just need you to sleep now.”

  She held her hand over his nose and mouth, applying a sleep spell that should work on demons. It wouldn’t hold him long, but it should give them the time they needed.

  She kept her finger on his pulse, but it was his erection flagging that proved he was unconscious. She got to her feet and sheathed her knife. “Let’s go.”

  Argyle smiled. “That was different.”

  Freddy resumed her more portable form, and Benny scooped her up. “Well done, Freddy.”

  Freddy yapped excitedly and wiggled in the bag.

  Benny, Argyle and Tremble ran for the door. The other three were waiting at the door, and Minerva’s song was getting stronger. A heavy rhythmic thudding was also getting closer. There were shouts of confusion and fear, which were not in keeping with the demon zone.

  Harcourt opened the door, and he cracked one of the guards in the jaw while kicking the other. Benny had never seen her father in action, and she could see what Lenora saw in him.

  The thundering grew louder, and down the street, a wave of horses could be seen, flanked by fire.

  Tremble gasped. “Where did those come from?”

  Benny blinked. “They live at our place.”

  The first of the horses skidded to a halt in front of her. It nudged her in the chest, and she didn’t waste time. She gripped the withers of its mane and pulled herself up and onto its back. Everyone else was doing the same, and when they were all mounted, the fire gathered them up and kept them from being pursued by demons.

  They galloped through the main street, past the shocked demons occasionally visible through the flickering flames.

  Yomra’s blood was still scalding hot in the vials. Benny shifted, but she didn’t move them. The last thing she wanted was to drop the blood that she had risked her life to get.

  The pale horse under her had a familiar feel. She moved easily with it as it rounded corners and sped on the straightaways. The walk that had taken hours was accomplished in a matter of minutes with flames guarding their backs.

  The gate loomed in front of them, and the horses poured on the speed. She could hear Yomra’s howl behind them, and she held her breath as they passed through the gateway, with fire sealing it shut.

  Minerva was sitting at a picnic table, sweating with a gargoyle next to her fanning her with his wings.

  “Benny, did you get it?”

  Benny dismounted and pulled the vial out of her bra. “I got three of them just in case.”

  “Excellent. Here is the salve.” Minerva put it on the table and unlatched the top. She frowned and looked around. She pointed at a tree. “You, I need a stir stick.”

  A twig snapped off and came flying toward her. She caught it and set it aside. Minerva withdrew an empty vial, and she jerked her head at Benny. “Okay, spill.”

  Benny pulled the onyx and obsidian dagger, slicing her forearm. She filled the small vial and handed both it and Yomra’s to Minerva.

  Her friend stirred the two bloods into the salve, and then, she handed it to Benny. “Strip and put it everywhere.”

  Benny looked at the agents, and they grinned. With care, she set Freddy down on the ground and put the vials in the bag next to her. She used a spell to remove her clothing before smearing the goop all over her.

  The tingle of being surrounded by magic was a little weird, but Benny kept going u
ntil she had covered everything, including the soles of her feet.

  Minerva held her hands out. “From the beginning of this blood to the last vessel and all beyond her, this cuts the ties and leaves the power. None may call upon the binding of bloodline, forward or back.”

  Benny began to tingle, and she was lifted through the air. To her surprise, she could see the same happening to her father.

  Fire burst into being around her, a hot violet that didn’t touch her. She was slowly lowered to the ground as the fire flickered and burned out. Her father was sitting on the grass a few feet away.

  He looked over at her. “I am free.” He laughed and reached for her mom, pulling her down to the grass and covering her face with kisses. “I am finally free.”

  Benny leaned up on her elbows and giggled. Even naked and covered with salve, she felt good.

  Minerva grinned. “You can get dressed now. The fire burned off the salve and your attachment to Yomra.”

  Argyle was holding his hand out to her, and she smiled when he removed his shirt, draping it around her and doing up the buttons. “I think you have engaged in enough magic for one night.”

  She smiled and leaned against him. “I would say it was enough for a lifetime, but that is exhaustion talking.”

  The pale horse shivered and stamped its feet.

  Tremble cleared his throat. “The horses say they will take us home. I am guessing they mean the manor.”

  Benny nodded. “Home sounds really good right now.”

  She moved away from Argyle and walked to Minerva. She hugged her. “Thank you so much for today.”

  “That is what friends are for. You can ask anytime. Well, any time after Wednesday. I still have that negotiation to take part in.”

  Benny squeezed her. “We need to go for coffee soon.”

  Minerva started to shiver, and soon, she was laughing. “Coffee would be great. I will call you after Wednesday.”

  “Please.” Benny gave her a final squeeze before letting her go.

  “Now, get going. You need to lock in that binding spell before dawn tomorrow.”

  “Or what?”

  Minerva grinned. “Ask your mother.”

  Everyone was already mounted except for her. Freddy was sticking out of the pouch that Lenora was carrying. Benny hauled herself onto the back of the pale horse, and their herd wheeled and galloped out of the park.

  Goblins were having cookouts all over the park, each fire a different colour. Benny realised that Minerva had called in a distraction that kept their tinkering with the gate to the demon zone from alarming the locals. It was about the same time that she figured out where she knew her horse from.

  She leaned over the pale neck and whispered, “You are looking wonderful, Pooky.”

  He snorted and poured on the speed.

  When she looked back, Tremble’s face was glowing with excitement. There was something about this predawn ride that was getting him all worked up.

  Argyle kept looking east, and when they finally thundered to a stop in front of the manor, she dismounted to open the door for him as quickly as possible. Light was stroking the ground near the drive, and he made it inside before it struck with full force.

  She didn’t blame him. Being blinded by the sun wasn’t any fun.

  Benny stood in Argyle’s shirt as the rest of her family made it into the house. The horses reared, plunged and headed for the open space behind the house.

  Her parents held hands and headed upstairs for some privacy. Benny padded to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee.

  Freddy hopped down the stairs with a wild look in her eyes. She transformed back to human in the doorway to the kitchen. “Dude, I just saw your parents naked...again.”

  Benny grinned and gestured for her to take a seat next to Smith and Tremble at the counter.

  “Okay, who wants breakfast?”

  Three hands were raised, and Benny sighed in relief. Things were finally getting back to normal. She scrubbed her hands and started making breakfast.

  Freddy got up and grabbed dishes and cutlery. “Do you feel any different?”

  “Lighter, if that makes sense, like I just took off really tight underwear. I feel like I can breathe now.”

  She filled a sheet pan with bacon and slipped it into the oven. She crossed the room and pulled out a loaf of bread, popping four slices into the toaster before heading to the pan she was heating on the stove.

  She took the orders for eggs and pulled the bacon out before buttering the toast and stacking it. Once the next batch of toast was in process, she cooked the eggs in rapid succession.

  Breakfast was ready in ten minutes, and they were all sitting, sipping coffee and enjoying a well-earned silence.

  There was enough bacon left for her parents when they came down, wearing robes and relaxed expressions.

  Lenora came over and kissed Benny on the forehead. “How long will the binding last, Benny?”

  Benny paused. “I think it is for life. I would have to check the book.”

  Lenora paused. “The book?”

  “Yeah, it has been a while since I had to do any potion making.”

  Her mother nodded but looked worried. “Which flask did you use?”

  It seemed like an odd question. “The one with your initials on it.”

  Her mother grabbed her, hauled her out of the room and whispered frantically in her ear. When her mother had briefed her as to the ramifications of that particular flask, Benny’s palms got sweaty.

  There was no problem as long as she consummated the union within a week of drinking the potion. If she went beyond that, they would all experience agonizing pain and be completely useless until the joining was completed. It was better to lock in the union and take the pressure off.

  She steeled herself and went to fulfill a promise. “Smith, come with me.”

  He got to his feet with a curious expression.

  She smiled. “I made you a promise.”

  He was at her side in an instant.

  Chapter Ten

  “What brought on this sudden decision?” Smith blinked as she unbuttoned his shirt. Her bedroom looked a little weird with a shifter in it but Benny was willing to get used to it.

  Benny glanced up at him through her lashes. “First and foremost, I made you a promise in the demon zone. I hold to my word. Second, when you showed your demon, it was an incubus, so sex is high on your personal agenda. Third, my mother just informed me that the vessel I used for the spell was originally designed to enforce arranged marriages. It was the gag gift that they had gotten to make sure that she and my father left their studies long enough to consummate their union. If I don’t have sex with all three of you in the next five days, we are all going to suffer.”

  She unbuckled his belt and stroked him through the fabric of his jeans.

  He swallowed. “You seem to know what you are doing.”

  “My great grandmother is a succubus. I had a far more thorough introduction to sex talk than you could imagine.” She stroked his chest and pulled his head down to her, kissing him and nipping lightly at his lips.

  He growled, and she felt his hands on the shirt, peeling it away from her until his warm palms were stroking her skin.

  She sighed and leaned into his hands as he familiarized himself with her skin. The shirt she wore soon hit the floor, and she was left in bare feet as he started to kiss the side of her neck.

  Jessamine floated in, paused with her eyes wide and floated back out again.

  Smith lifted his head and made a face. “You still taste like whatever that was you were covered with. I think a shower is in order.”

  She smiled. “I do believe you need to be naked to properly shower.”

  He grinned. “I do believe you are correct.”

  She grabbed him by a belt loop and hauled him into her en-suite bathroom. The shower was large enough for four of them to stand in.

  “Al
l right, furball. Strip.”

  He chuckled and removed his shoes, socks, jeans and underwear. When all he was clothed in was glorious golden skin, she sighed happily.

  She stepped into the shower and scrubbed her hair, her skin and, then, she asked the age-old question, “Will you wash my back?”

  He was behind her with a shower puff and a sincere desire to get every inch of her squeaky clean. When her back was clean, he turned her and went over her front with attention to all the details.

  When he lifted her and pinned her against the shower wall with his body, she was more than ready for him to join her in the most basic of fashions.

  He rocked into her over and over. She clawed at his shoulders when she came. Finally, he roared his own satisfaction a moment before he bit her to hold her still while his hips jerked. She hissed at the pain, but it was part of mating with a shifter.

  A need for knowledge of his true name, his soul name, burned with the rest of her, inside and out. The spell caster within her needed the true name for protection and she wanted to protect him. She wanted to protect all of them.

  When he let her go, she stroked the wet hair out of his eyes and smiled. “Can I know your true name now?”

  He blushed. “Andrew. William Eric Andrew Smith.”

  “Oh, those are good names for a mom to yell.”

  He laughed and eased her down the wall until she was on her feet. “They were indeed.”

  She stood, and she should have been woozy, but her bloodline was a little on the robust side. Kyria had once told her a tale of taking a regiment of warriors without once lying down, and while Benny wasn’t proud of the comparison, she was ready for another lover.

  She sighed and stroked his chest and neck, enjoying the feeling under her hands. “Okay, towels for everyone, and I will find a guestroom for you to crash in.”

  He sighed. “Will you join me?”

  “Eventually. I want to join with Tremble before I get some rest though. Will that bother you?”

  “If you come in smelling of sex and my partner? Surprisingly no.” He frowned as if the thought didn’t disgust him. The confusion that crossed his face was adorable.