Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Penn returned home with me. We didn’t say much in the car, just stopped for some take out. KFC and Ivars—an odd combo, but I wanted chicken and she wanted clam chowder, so we decided to get both. Finally, at home, we set the food on the table, then dropped into chairs.

I looked at Penn. “You saved our ass today.”

She shook her head. “No, but I gave you a direction in which to look.” She leaned forward, pulling the food bags to her. “I’ll set out the food.” Pausing, she added, “Look, I doubt if the demons will be coming after you guys today…or tomorrow. They’ll know you’re prepared and because they have this massive plan, Brim Fire will probably send out scouts to see what you’re going to do, first.”

“Well, that’s…mildly comforting. I’ll get the plates.” I pulled out two plates and some silverware. I had always loved black dinnerware, and had managed to find a black toile pattern from Royal Stafford England.

When I was young, I always swore that one day I’d have nice dinnerware and tablecloths and real linen napkins. And so, I did. It felt oddly disparate from my job, or my usual style, but it also fit the side of me that had grown up hating the poverty we lived in. My style was a little minimalist, but what I did have, I’d bought to last and to make me happy.

As I set her plate in front of her, Peggin smiled. “I think I’m going to like having a roommate, and of all the roommates I could have, I’m glad it’s you,” she said. “Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?” I opened the cat food and fed the cats. Murdoch was eyeing the table and the food cartons, and Jangles was yowling her head off in front of the cupboards. “I’m coming, I’m coming!”

“They’re insistent, aren’t they?” she asked.

“That they are.” After setting down their dishes, I returned to the table.

“Thank you for making me feel useful. I’ve been feeling down because my shop’s not doing better,” Penn said. “To be able to help you, it makes me feel better.”

I sat down, trying to figure out a way to say what I wanted to say. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about that.” I placed a drumstick and thigh on my plate, then added a piece of fried cod. We had also bought two large cartons of chowder. “I know you like to help people, but I’ve seen you fork out goods for free, even if the client can pay.”

She sighed and placed several pieces of fish on her plate, along with fries and a bowl of the chowder. “I hear you, I do. But to be honest, even if I had that money, I’d be short. The economy’s rough, and most people who come into my shop make small purchases—some incense or a small crystal or a couple books. I’ve been thinking of closing the physical shop, and taking it online. Then I could rent a small space to store the merchandise and forego the rent on the shop.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” I said. “We could even get a bigger shed for the backyard and you could store everything there. We could find a twelve-by-twelve shed for fifteen hundred, if we really look.”

She swallowed a spoon of the chowder. “You wouldn’t mind? I’d need to stay here longer than you might want—I can’t find a place with room for it in the yard. At least, not in my price range.”

I nodded. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.

“What about if we forego all that thought, and you become my permanent roomie? I mean, until you want to move on, or get married?—”

Penn snorted. “ Marry ? I’m not likely to get married any time soon. I haven’t dated in over a year. I doubt we’ll have that to worry about.”

“You’re gorgeous, and men think you’re hot—” I started to say but she waved off my comments with her fork.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t, but I haven’t found anybody who I think could handle my quirks, and I’m not willing to compromise who I am. I can adjust, I’m willing to give in on some things in my life, but my essential self? Nope. I won’t dim my shine for anybody. Most of the men I’ve dated had ego issues. They couldn’t handle strong women, even though they said they could. And my Fae heritage? I don’t tend to settle down with one partner.”

I nodded. “I remember a few of those dates. You didn’t lose much when you broke up with them.”

Penn was right. I’d watched her dating history and it wasn’t as bad as Dante’s, but it hadn’t been pretty. It wasn’t her fault.

It seemed that she attracted guys who desperately wanted to impress her. But, instead of being who they were, they pretended to be more successful and intelligent than they were. One went so far as to pretend to like all the same things she liked, but that was a spectacular disaster. What they neglected to think about was whether she was the right woman for them .

“I have picky tastes, but I’m good by myself. And some day, I might meet the right person.”

“Well, Lazenti seemed interested,” I said, grinning.

“You did not say that!” She snorted. “He seemed nice enough but I’m not into vamps. I don’t like blood sports, I’m not into necrophilia?—”

“You didn’t just say that !” I countered. “He’s not really dead…kind of.”

“Um hmm, tell me another.” She sighed. “All right, I assume you want to be alone to read the information about the Arosien Clan?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I think so. But I’ll tell you what I find. I need to see whatever’s there by myself, first. Meanwhile, you ready to move tomorrow?”

“At ten am, like we planned,” she said.

We continued to eat, but in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about that file in my backpack, and what was on it.

Penn returned to her home to finish packing, so I settled in the rocking chair with the file Sophia had given me. She’d also sent me an email with all the information in it, but I wanted to sit with the actual papers first.

Murdoch curled up by the fireplace, while Jangles curled up in the chair beside me. I stretched out my legs onto the ottoman and then, taking a deep breath, I opened the file.

There wasn’t a lot of information, but at least Sophia had managed to scrounge up some details, and she’d compiled them into one document. Sipping a mug of hot cocoa, I began to read.

The Arosien Clan is considered higher up in the hierarchy of Demonkin—higher nobility, though they aren’t at the top of the race. A large clan, they’re well-trained and their clan is run in a paramilitary manner. The nobility is immune to whatever rules apply to the masses, except for making attempts on Lord Alexsan’s life.

Lord Alexsan is the topmost general in the Arosien Clan, and he’s always on the move to make inroads on the human realm. The Arosiens’ love for power is combined with their love for money and status. They’re highly aesthetic, and are magnetic in their attraction. A number of incubi and succubi come from their clan and they interact freely with humans and other mortals, while trying to keep their nature secret.

The Arosien Clan has had more interactions with mortals than almost any other clan in the UnderRealms. They’re smart, cunning, and they generally take advantage of whatever—and whomever—they find, utilizing their glamour to achieve their desires.

However, they’re quick to anger and have long memories. They’re also considered among the more ruthless of the Demonkin.

As to their powers, Arosiens, unlike many other demons, have inherent magical powers but they’re all connected to the element of air, and many theorize this is because of their exceptional intelligence. General abilities include being able to glide to the ground from a fall, conjuring strong windstorms or gentle breezes, acute hearing, and the ability to catch scents on the wind. Arosiens are also talented at sensing, seeing, and talking to spirits—from the spirit world, the astral realm, and the etheric realm.

Arosien males are known to interbreed with humans, using their magnetism to attract partners. But they do not care for their half-demon offspring, often leaving the mothers in the lurch. Family connections are through title and heritage—and the maternal side accounts for more than the paternal in the case of full-bloods.

Little is known about their goals with regards to the mundane world, but more sightings have been noted, and there are thought to be hundreds of Arosiens living in disguise in the world today.

I set down the document and tried to process what I’d read.

Given my father had left my mother before she knew she was pregnant and never once came back to check on her, it jived with what I’d read. And from what it sounded like, I wouldn’t be welcome in their culture, so that squashed any thoughts I’d ever had about seeking them out to learn about my heritage. But the powers fascinated me. I hadn’t showed any indication except…well, I had heard things others hadn’t, and my sense of smell was heightened. And, if Seton was right, and some of my powers were beginning to emerge, it gave me an idea of what I might be in for.

I put the paper down and jotted down a few questions so that I could ask Seton for insight. After that, I glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten-thirty by now, and it had been a long, long day.

“Come on, munchkins,” I said. “ Pss pss pss . It’s bedtime.”

Murdoch purped and jogged over to me, and Jangles leisurely stretched, then padded her way toward the bedroom. I stripped, then took a quick shower, wrapping my hair in a bathing cap so that I wouldn’t have to dry and style it. After the rinse off, I slid under the covers, set the alarm, and was fast asleep before I could even mull over the day.

Next morning, Dante called me. “I’m heading toward Penn’s now. I left Lazenti at my place. He can’t go out since it’s daylight. He was a surprisingly polite guest. I woke up and he’d cleaned house all night, and then made homemade bread. He also made breakfast buns for me. When I peeked in the guest room, he was asleep. Or whatever it is vampires do in the daytime. Can I keep him, Mom?”

“I think they recharge,” I said, laughing. Sobering, I said, “What do you think? We can’t turn him out in the cold, and if he’s been marked by Demonkin, they’re going to be looking for him.”

“Should we take him on? He wanted to work for us.”

“What do you think?” I asked. “If he tells us who he was before he was turned, and if we make him pledge under a magical loyalty oath, it might be okay. Let’s talk to Sophia, Carson, and Orik about it first. I’ll call Sophia, you call Carson, and we’ll talk to Orik when we’re moving Penn’s things over.”

“Sounds good. I’ll stop and get coffee for all of us. What do you want, and what do you think Penn wants?”

“I want a quad shot caramel latte. Penn loves mochas—probably a quad shot. Thanks!” I was about to hang up when I noticed Penn had texted me. “Hold on a second.”

i’m providing breakfast and lunch. so come with appetites.

thanks. dante’s bringing coffee. see you in a bit .

“Hey, Dante? Penn’s making food for us. So, bring the coffee but don’t worry about food.”

“Great, see you in a bit.”

I dressed for grunge work—old jeans, a light tank over a thin sweater, so I could take off the top layer if I got too sweaty, a pair of sturdy sneakers. I braided my hair and, with a light face of makeup, fed the cats and headed for Penn’s.

Penn was waiting with a folding table covered with sausage muffin sandwiches, pigs in a blanket, donuts, and a fruit bowl. Dante arrived ten minutes after I did, coffee in hand, and Orik showed up five minutes after that.

“Sorry I’m a little late,” he said. “The girls were driving Hilda nuts this morning.”

“How’s that working with her on bed rest?” I asked. The raise I had given him would help but I knew it wouldn’t be enough.

“Well, her mother showed up. She’s immediately taken charge. And she’s offered us some money to make up for the money Hilda’s losing by not working right now.” He grimaced. “She’s nice enough, but she’s a true Norsewoman, and she’s stern. She’s curtailed my gaming nights. She said if Hilda can’t have fun, I need to stand by her and help instead of spending a couple evenings with my buddies. I guess she’s right.”

I laughed. “If you’re looking for sympathy here, don’t. I agree with her.”

“So do I,” said Penn. “Hilda works harder than you do, I’ll bet.” She winked at Orik, who blushed.

“You’re right. I’ll quit complaining. My wife not only works a full-time job—when she’s not laid up—she also takes care of four rambunctious children. I take over when I get home but…Well, having Ana around will be a relief.” He looked around. “What do we do first?”

“We eat. Then we start loading up the cars. Dante’s bringing a van to make moving the furniture easier. We’ll take all the boxes over to the house first, then we can finish with the furniture.”

Penn had labeled everything with “bedroom” or “office” or “family room” on it, which would make it much easier. She also had labeled the fragile stuff accordingly.

After we ate, we started in on the work. By noon, we had most of her items over at the house. After lunch, we’d tackle the furniture.

Penn had called for pizza, and as the boxes arrived, she brought out paper plates and napkins. “Again, thank you so much.”

“Hey, if we can’t help a friend in need, then we’re pretty pathetic friends,” Orik said. “Pizza…yum.” He helped himself and then sat on the sofa. “So, how’s business?”

Penn frowned. “Not good. I’ve decided not to renew my lease on the shop when it comes due next month, and instead revamp and open as an online store. That will be easier and give me more time for other things.”

“Like helping us,” I said. “Penn’s been such a help that I think we should bring her in when we need magical consults.”

“I like that,” Dante said. “Oh, Orik, what do you think about taking Lazenti on? Kyann and I were discussing it this morning. Penn, could you create a magical oath that would bind him to the rules?”

She thought for a moment, chewing on a slice of sausage-pepperoni pizza. “I think I could. It depends on whether he’d be willing to accept it. Otherwise, if I forced it on him, it would be considered a geas and then he’d have a reason to come after me. And the last thing I want is to have a vampire on my tail.”

“Do you think he has an ulterior motive?” Orik asked.

“Of course he does. He’s a vampire . But I think the knowledge that some demon’s been tracking him scared him enough to behave,” Dante said.

“Dante’s right. I’ll go call Sophia. If any one of us says no, then the issue’s off the table.” I went into Penn’s bedroom and, sitting on the bed, called Sophia. After I told her what we were thinking, she surprised me.

“I think it’s a good idea. Not only was he a PI—or at least he says he was—but he would give us an inside track to the vamps, and that could be useful. I’d say go for it,” she said. “Now, I have to get a move on. I’m meeting my gentleman friend for a matinee at the Paramount.”

“What are you seeing?” I asked.

“A performance of Chicago. The Broadway cast is here for two weeks. I have to finish dressing.”

“Have fun,” I said, hanging up. I returned to the other room. “Did you talk to Carson, Dante?”

“He’s in. He likes Lazenti.”

“Sophia’s down with it. So, Orik, what do you say?” I asked.

Orik shrugged. “If everybody thinks he’ll fit in, I’m not going to stand in the way. But I would like him to take that magical oath if he’s going to be around us that much. I do have four young ones, you know. Soon to be six.”

“We’ll tell him that’s the condition if he wants to work with us,” I said. “I think we’d all feel better with that. Okay, let’s finish lunch and get the last of Penn’s things out of here.”

Two hours later, the apartment was empty, and we all pitched in to help her clean it. Penn was neat, so it only took another hour to bring it to a state where she would get her security deposit back.

As we looked around, she sighed. “Well, this is it. My life is taking a big shift, but I’m ready for it.”

I was about to say something appropriately pithy, but my phone rang. I frowned. Carson was calling. “Hey dude, what’s up?”

Sounding tense, Carson said, “Get down to the office right away. We have a problem. Don’t ask questions, just get here.”

I glanced at the others. “We have to jam. Carson’s at the office and he says there’s a problem. Let’s go.” Turning to Penn, I added, “I’ll meet you back at the house. Can you feed the cats tonight, if I’m delayed?”

She was carrying her parrot’s cage. For once, the featherhead was quiet. “Of course. I’ll see you later.”

As we headed out the door, I hoped that the problem wasn’t Lazenti, because I hated being wrong about my instincts.