Page 89 of Rogue Witch

I answer by shifting—and immediately catch the demon’s scent. I bound past the vampire, leap over the backyard fence and land in lush grass that needs to be mowed. An instant later, the vampire lands behind me with only a whisper of movement in the grass. A light from a lamp in an upper room casts the barest of light in the yard. I scan the area but see no sign of the demon. Where the hell is the creature? I creep forward. The demon has been here. The damn thing has eluded me all the way from The Academy.

I catch the scent. The demon is close. I creep toward the rear of the yard. A shadow moves in the far left corner. What shape has the demon assumed? Another shift in the darkness. The creature is trying to hide in the shadows. What demon can so easily blend in shadow? I discern movement, the outline of a human body. Did I really see something or is that just my eyes playing tricks on me? I definitely smell the creature. Though I’m not certain what I’m smelling.

Carter creeps alongside me. We near the far corner. I get the impression the creature believes it’s invisible in the murk of darkness. Yes! That is definitely movement. Carter leaps forward. I halt, startled by his sudden attack. He lands on the thing and an unearthly growl emanates from the demon. They roll across the lawn, vampire and a man-size silhouette. I gauge a way to bite the demon, but Carter is wrapped around the thing like an octopus.

The vampire growls and sinks his teeth into the demon’s shoulder. The demon thrashes and I see an opening at its feet. I leap forward and close my jaw around a muscular leg. My teeth penetrate soft tissue, then clamp down on nothing so hard my head jars. I shake my head and snap at the demon’s feet, but the shadow figure disappears. Carter collapses onto his back breathing so heavily, I’m afraid Leilah will hear.

I scan the yard but no longer smell or see the demon. I shift into human form and pin Carter with a glare as I demand in a low voice, “What the hell happened?”

He pushes to a sitting position and drops his head between his knees, still breathing heavily. “I don’t know,” he pants. “It just disappeared.”

“The object wasn’t to kill the creature,” I hiss. “We needed to interrogate it.”

He lifts his head. “When is the last time you interrogated a demon?”

Not that long ago, by my standards, a hundred years. But I say, “Why did you kill it?”

He stands. “I meant to incapacitate it.”

“Good job,” I mutter.

“What else would you have done but bite it, wolf?”

This is why wolves hate vampires. They’re arrogant dicks.

“If you think you can catch a Shadow demon then, by all means, I’ll leave you to it, next time,” he says.

“Shadow demon?” I exclaim.

Surprise flickers on his face. “You didn’t know?”

“I thought they were myths.”

Rumors that circulated during and since the Shadow War spoke of abominations such as Shadow-infected Margiddians mating with demons. Though rare, Margiddians and demons do mate, and their offspring vary from almost-human to near demigods like Kelvozaun, who is imprisoned in Belyy Rassvet, the White Dawn Russian prison, one of the half dozen Margiddian prisons in the world. During the war, however, rumors of half demon, half-infected Margiddians brought to life the rumor of a demon that was more shadow than corporeal. These rare demons can’t infect like Shadows, but are said to possess the ability to project fear. I hadn’t experienced that, but perhaps the demon’s effect varies by person? They are also believed to be able to possess a body like old-fashioned Christian demons are said to do.

“What happened to the demon?” I ask.

Carter shrugs. “No idea.”

“Then it isn’t dead,” I say more to myself then him.

“Doubtful,” he replies. “I didn’t do any real damage to its body.”

If what the demon has can be called a body.

“It could still be nearby.” I scan the darkness, but my human eyesight can’t compare to my wolf eyesight.

The pad of footsteps on the front porch causes me to snap my head in the direction of the gate I leapt over. The vampire freezes. The front doorknob turns and at least two people enter the house. Carter and I both head for the back door. I reach the house and take the half dozen stairs two at a time. I grasp the doorknob and find the door unlocked. I look over my shoulder at Carter and press a finger to my mouth in a “stay quiet” command. He nods, and we slip inside.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

RAITH

Like Blade, I borrowed a nondescript car, my assistant Rebecca’s Hyundai, as my McLaren would stick out like a sore thumb in this middle-class neighborhood. I spot the unmarked police car parked across the street half a block before Crowe Potionary. The two police officers act as if two men sitting in a parked car at twilight is normal.

I turn right at the next corner and spot Blade’s Camry parked at the curb. I take the next right and park Rebecca’s Hyundai sedan one block up. Two minutes later, I jump the back yard fence in time to see Carter enter and close the potionary back door. What is he doing here? I race across the yard to the steps and burst into the kitchen. Carter halts at the basement doorway and looks over his shoulder at me.

“Leilah, no!” Blade shouts from the basement.