Playing With Fire by C.J. Archer Page B

world it has no form. It may be seen as a smoky haze or a ripple of air, but nothing solid."
    "We saw the air shudder as it moved," I said.
    Samuel nodded. "So you're saying it took on another form between then and later when Tommy saw it in the woods?"
    "I see." Jack leaned forward. "It did look different to me that second time too. Remarkably so."
    "What did it look like when you first saw it, Mr. Langley?"
    Jack described the hairy creature, the claws and a face that was neither human nor animal. I shuddered at the image, thankful that I'd not been able to see it. I would have been terrified out of my wits.
    "What about later, in the woods?" Mr. Beaufort prompted. "What did it look like then?"
    Tommy and Jack glanced at Sylvia then me. "Why do I get the feeling you're about to say something I won't want to hear?" she asked.
    "They avoided answering this question directly at the time," I said to our guests. "Go on, Jack, you'd better tell us now."
    "Perhaps the ladies should leave the room," Samuel said.
    "Gladly." Sylvia rose. "Come Hannah, Mrs. Beaufort, Miss Moreau. We'll find something more suitable to do."
    I could see that Mrs. Beaufort and Miss Moreau weren't too keen to leave and nor was I. "The demon concerns all of us, Sylvia," I said. "We need to listen to what Mr. Culvert has to say about it."
    She pouted and sat back down.
    Mrs. Beaufort gave Sylvia a comforting smile. "I know it's a disturbing topic, but after what I've seen, I don't frighten easily. You get used to it."
    Mr. Beaufort patted her hand, and she turned it over, palm up, and clasped his.
    Sylvia picked up her embroidery and tugged hard on the needle. "I doubt I'll ever get used to it. Continue, Tommy. You were about to describe what you saw in the woods."
    "I'm not sure I should," he said, watching her. "I don't want to upset you, Miss Langley."
    "I'll describe it," Jack said. "Syl is always upset with me so it makes no difference. The demon had changed markedly since the first time I saw it. It walked and ran upright like a human, and it had lost all its fur. It sported skin and the body was definitely that of a human. Of sorts."
    "Was it clothed?" Sylvia asked.
    "No."
    She screwed up her nose. "How awful."
    "That's not the awful part. Its face was human, albeit…odd. Like the features didn't fit together. Its nose was too small, its mouth a mere slash, its eyes a strange yellow color, and the face much too big. It was difficult to tell if it was male or female."
    "How tall was it?" Mr. Culvert asked.
    "About as high as my waist when I'm standing."
    Mr. Culvert sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin. "Interesting."
    "So what do you think?" Jack asked. "Does it sound like a demon you've seen?"
    He blinked. "Oh, no, the thing about demons is that no two look alike. Not when they become visible, that is."
    "When they become visible?" I asked. "I don't understand. How does it become visible?"
    "I don't think George has explained it very well," said Mr. Beaufort patiently, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "He has a habit of leaving out important details that he forgets the rest of us aren't aware of."
    "I have a lot on my mind," Mr. Culvert said. "Go on, Jacob, you explain it since you think you're an expert now."
    "Very well. There are several types of demons, but they don't all become visible to us immediately upon entering our realm. In some cases, it just takes time before it makes an appearance in its true state. For others, it may take exposure to extreme cold or extreme heat. Those types do not change form. They are what they appear to be, neither human nor animal, but something else entirely. That sounds like what you described when you first saw this demon in the trench, Langley. Except yours changed, and that's the other type of demon. Those do change form, but usually only once. They may turn into an element—fire or water—or even an inanimate object if they've accidentally consumed one thinking it's sustenance. There is a small but