missed since it was beside a sex shop with super-bright neon lights that promised every type of condom known to man. An insistent thud of music came from the small clubs all up and down the street. The spring night was slightly cool and pleasant on my skin.
“Where the hell is he?” Daniel glanced down the sidewalk as people moved past.
“I don’t know,” I replied tartly. “Maybe he had to clean up after someone trashed his club.”
“Yeah, Z, he’s doing that cleanup himself,” Daniel said sarcastically. “He‘s wielding a broom right now. Dev is so hands-on. You weren’t there, baby. You were up talking to Harry, getting us a place to call a demon. He had like twenty maids working less than ten minutes after he made a call. It’s like he had a plan in place just in case I went berserk.”
I didn’t doubt that. Dev was a big planner. He always thought ahead. It wouldn’t surprise me if I discovered that Dev kept a playbook in his office for things like Daniel going into a rage and destroying half the club. I chose not to mention that to Daniel. He had felt bad enough when he’d finally gotten his beast under control.
Once we all decided that we were going to deal with Daniel’s heart problem, we didn’t want to wait to get started. Dev and Zack made our travel arrangements and Christine and Nim were working out the long-distance rates for our little call. Midnight was approaching and we’d divided up the list of things we needed for the ritual. Lee and Zack were at my father’s with Christine and Nim, making sure the place was secure while the witches drew the circle. Daniel, Dev, and I were getting the proper herbs and…stuff I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it did. Neil was out getting Stewart a little gift because one doesn’t call a demon without having a thoughtful gift on hand. It tended to piss the demon off if he got nothing out of the experience.
So we were in the doorway of the small used bookstore that acted as a front for a creepy weird witchcraft store waiting on Dev, who’d had a mysterious errand he had to run. I let the music from the club across the street flow over me. The Granada was a renovated movie theater and it reminded me of my all-too-brief time in college with Danny. We’d gone to a few clubs to see friends of ours play. We’d been young and in love and he’d been human. Sometimes I felt like that time happened to a different person.
Daniel slung an arm around my shoulders and tugged me close. He kissed my forehead. I glanced up and he was watching the young people walking by. They were chatting and laughing, and many of them were half drunk. They were enjoying their lives.
“You should be doing that, Z.” Danny’s voice was melancholy as he watched the men and women stroll down the road. “You should be running around on a Saturday night partying with your friends and having a good time. You shouldn’t be trying to call a freaking demon so you can go find another one.”
I grinned up at my husband. “Danny, how old do you think I am? I’m twenty-eight. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not exactly retirement home time, but I hardly think I’d be out clubbing every night. If I wasn’t getting ready to call a demon, I’d probably be studying for a job.”
He shook his head. “I was just thinking of what you and Dev would be doing if I wasn’t around.”
Wrinkling my nose, I gave the question a little thought. “Well, I would probably be on the run from vampires who want to munch on me or make a quick buck selling me to older vampires who would munch on me. As for Dev, he’d be dead because he was trying to stop the vampires who wanted to munch on me.”
“I would be, lover.” Dev snuck up behind us. “Daniel and I are the only ones allowed to make a meal of you. I would have proven that point tonight had anyone allowed me to use my flamethrower.”
He was incredibly dapper in black slacks and a snowy white dress shirt that was open at the
“Where the hell is he?” Daniel glanced down the sidewalk as people moved past.
“I don’t know,” I replied tartly. “Maybe he had to clean up after someone trashed his club.”
“Yeah, Z, he’s doing that cleanup himself,” Daniel said sarcastically. “He‘s wielding a broom right now. Dev is so hands-on. You weren’t there, baby. You were up talking to Harry, getting us a place to call a demon. He had like twenty maids working less than ten minutes after he made a call. It’s like he had a plan in place just in case I went berserk.”
I didn’t doubt that. Dev was a big planner. He always thought ahead. It wouldn’t surprise me if I discovered that Dev kept a playbook in his office for things like Daniel going into a rage and destroying half the club. I chose not to mention that to Daniel. He had felt bad enough when he’d finally gotten his beast under control.
Once we all decided that we were going to deal with Daniel’s heart problem, we didn’t want to wait to get started. Dev and Zack made our travel arrangements and Christine and Nim were working out the long-distance rates for our little call. Midnight was approaching and we’d divided up the list of things we needed for the ritual. Lee and Zack were at my father’s with Christine and Nim, making sure the place was secure while the witches drew the circle. Daniel, Dev, and I were getting the proper herbs and…stuff I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it did. Neil was out getting Stewart a little gift because one doesn’t call a demon without having a thoughtful gift on hand. It tended to piss the demon off if he got nothing out of the experience.
So we were in the doorway of the small used bookstore that acted as a front for a creepy weird witchcraft store waiting on Dev, who’d had a mysterious errand he had to run. I let the music from the club across the street flow over me. The Granada was a renovated movie theater and it reminded me of my all-too-brief time in college with Danny. We’d gone to a few clubs to see friends of ours play. We’d been young and in love and he’d been human. Sometimes I felt like that time happened to a different person.
Daniel slung an arm around my shoulders and tugged me close. He kissed my forehead. I glanced up and he was watching the young people walking by. They were chatting and laughing, and many of them were half drunk. They were enjoying their lives.
“You should be doing that, Z.” Danny’s voice was melancholy as he watched the men and women stroll down the road. “You should be running around on a Saturday night partying with your friends and having a good time. You shouldn’t be trying to call a freaking demon so you can go find another one.”
I grinned up at my husband. “Danny, how old do you think I am? I’m twenty-eight. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not exactly retirement home time, but I hardly think I’d be out clubbing every night. If I wasn’t getting ready to call a demon, I’d probably be studying for a job.”
He shook his head. “I was just thinking of what you and Dev would be doing if I wasn’t around.”
Wrinkling my nose, I gave the question a little thought. “Well, I would probably be on the run from vampires who want to munch on me or make a quick buck selling me to older vampires who would munch on me. As for Dev, he’d be dead because he was trying to stop the vampires who wanted to munch on me.”
“I would be, lover.” Dev snuck up behind us. “Daniel and I are the only ones allowed to make a meal of you. I would have proven that point tonight had anyone allowed me to use my flamethrower.”
He was incredibly dapper in black slacks and a snowy white dress shirt that was open at the
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