Smoke and Ashes by Tanya Huff Page B

smiled. “The sex was great, though.”
    Tony stared at her with as much astonishment as he had the energy for. “And that makes everything okay?”
    â€œWell, no, not okay; but it puts it in perspective, doesn’t it? So,” she continued before Tony could respond, “assuming that he’ll try it again as soon as he’s used the convergent energy to open a new hole, how do we keep these minions of his from killing me?”
    â€œAnd releasing a Demonlord into the world.”
    â€œThat’s part two. You’ll excuse me…” Her hand moved around from the tattoo to the scratch. “…but I’m more concerned about part one.”
    Since keeping Leah alive would keep the Demonlord out, Tony decided there was no point in calling her on that. They needed a plan. And while they were planning…“Can he hear us?”
    â€œNo. He says he gets impressions of my life, but our only real conduit is sexual energy.”
    â€œGood.” Hang on. “He says? You have conversations?”
    â€œSometimes, when he’s right up by the gate, I enter a meditative state and we talk.”
    â€œSometimes?”
    â€œPostcoital.”
    Why did he even ask? “All right, we’re not totally helpless; I dusted the demon with the arm.”
    â€œAnd got knocked on your ass,” Leah reminded him. “It’s been what? Three and a half hours, and you’re still too wiped to get it up again.”
    â€œI could so…” Actually, no, he couldn’t. Not even thinking of Lee in his motorcycle jacket and chaps got a response.
    â€œThat was a metaphor, Tony.”
    Her expression suggested she knew what he’d been thinking. He could feel his ears go red. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve got time to recover…for another Powershot,” he added hurriedly as she grinned. “It’ll take him a while to get another minion through, right? So we just have to stick with the original plan. We find out where the weak spot is, and you teach me how to close it down.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œIf Ryne Cyratane is sending demons through to kill me, my going anywhere near the weak spot would be like waving a steak outside a lion’s cage. It might provide enough incentive for a breakout—resulting in a really bad time for the steak.”
    Tony fought his way through this second metaphor—which was, at least, not about sex. “Fine, you don’t have to go near the weak spot. You tell me where it is, teach me what to do, and I’ll deal.”
    â€œIt’s not that simple.”
    He sighed. “It never is. All right, what do we do? How do we stop your Demonlord from opening the gate?”
    â€œWe keep me alive.”
    â€œYeah, I got that.”
    â€œSeriously, that’s all we have to do.” She reached out and touched his arm. “I teach you how to send the demons back without destroying yourself, and every time one shows up, you zap it.”
    â€œThat sounds simple. Or not,” he amended when her expression threatened bodily harm.
    â€œOne question: what’ll the demon be doing while I’m zapping?”
    â€œTrying to kill me.” Her expression added a clear and succinct You idiot.
    â€œOr trying to kill me, and you can’t stop it because, guess what—oh, yeah—it can kill you, too. I’m thinking we need some backup.” Leaning forward, he could just barely reach his jacket hung over the back of a kitchen chair. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, turned to Leah, and grinned. “Who you gonna call?”
    She looked confused. “I’m not calling anyone.”
    He sighed. “No one watches the classics anymore.”
    Â 
    â€œNelson.”
    â€œNice phone manner, Victory. You always bark at your clients?”
    â€œGood to hear you’ve regained consciousness, Tony.”
    â€œI