CHAPTER SEVEN
MADE DEMONS
Rosie waited until everyone was accounted for at the dinner table. Grieve, herself, and fourteen warriors. They were missing only Sheridan O’Malley and Torn Finngarick.
She stood up at the end of the table. “I’d like to ask you if you want the good news or the bad news first, but honestly I don’t know if the news is good or bad. Well, there is some good news for sure. You’re all really good-looking. I mean beyond Abercrombie and Fitch good-looking. We’re talking perfect.”
The hunters glanced at each other with half-hearted attempts at being surreptitious and said nothing, but silently agreed. They were a right attractive lot.
“The dubious news, and I think most, if not all of you have already figured this out; the serum that originated with Deliverance, intended to allow you to travel the passes for a limited time, has mutated and altered your constitutions. You’re no longer elf or human or whatever you were before. You’re either demon or you’re a damn good imitation.”
There was a murmur among the D.I.T. hunters.
“We don’t know if this is temporary or permanent. Monq will be looking into it, but he may not be able to tell. Since we don’t know, you’ll need to continue to keep your homing devices and weapons with you when you’re working.”
“How does this affect us? Exactly?” Fratmos Dracomb asked from the other end of the long table.
“Fountain of youth, Mo. So long as you’re in this state, you’re not aging.” Another murmur grew in a crescendo of sound, but abruptly died when Rosie began speaking again. “Sounds good on the surface, but if this turns out to be a permanent change, you’re going to look the way you look today when your siblings die of old age.”
That was met with stunned silence.
“Did they know this could happen? In the lab, I mean?” The question came from Stokes Wyvern, known to teammates as ‘Y’. He was a twenty-two-year-old first draft round recruit who was exceptionally talented at, well, everything. The vampire hunting division wanted him, but Rosie got him. Thanks to Simon.
Rosie shook her head. Even though she wasn’t a hundred percent sure that Monq hadn’t suspected risk, she said, “Was an accident, Y. Pure and simple. No intention here. Now that it’s no longer a risk, but a result, the serum will be destroyed along with the formula and the research that went into developing it. You’re valued by Black Swan as assets. Yes. But you’re also valued as people. This isn’t something that would have been allowed if we’d thought there was this possibility.
“You fifteen, possibly sixteen, are the only ‘made’ demons in existence. And you’re all there will ever be.”
The hunters looked at each other. It was evident to anyone in the room who was the least sensitive that the air had gone heavy.
“What other changes do we have to look forward to?” Miles Torquezvilla didn’t look especially happy about the news so Rosie took the question to be sarcastic.
She sighed and looked at Miles for a few beats. “I don’t believe there will be more physical changes. As to the rest, personality in particular, I hate to ask this, but I’m going to have to request that you keep an eye on each other. We don’t anticipate anything, it’s just a precaution, because we have no history to draw on. You’re a first. And you’re unique.
“We’re going to spend the night here at the Abbey tonight and tomorrow so that you can get used to the idea and so that we can monitor you as you practice your new abilities. You’re no longer confined to your dimension of origin. You can pretty much do anything you want. So, on that note, we can only hope that each of you has a deeply embedded ethical compass. One that is so much part of who you are that it will enable you to rise above the temptations that await. Let character guide your behavior as you prepare to disprove the notion that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
“You are powerful now. I hope you’re ready to make a commitment to use that to serve the best interest of all worlds, all creatures, everyone everywhere. Because unlike demons, who were designed according to a grand scheme, with a specific guiding purpose, you’re free agents.”
Again, the hunters silently looked around at each other.
“You’ve heard that Black Swan peeps are calling you the Wild Bunch?” That got smiles and nods for the first time. “That’s all well and good. Let’s just make sure they never call us the Crazy Bunch. Or the Evil Bunch.”
“We all took an oath to Black Swan, Rosie,” Deck said. “It’s our first priority and we serve regardless of what form we’re in.”
The swell of verbal agreement crested then waned.
“I’m hoping none of you ever loses sight of that. A demon’s life can be long. Let’s make sure your commitment is strong enough to endure if your life turns out to be centuries instead of years. If you use this turn of events well, I’ll be your biggest fan. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to step in. You do not want that to happen.”
The room fell silent as a tomb while they contemplated the possibility of living for centuries along with the possibility of being ‘corrected’ by Rosie. They didn’t know exactly how powerful she was, but each suspected she was capable of making good on her threat.
Mo cleared his throat. “Is that, ah, likely? The part about living for centuries?”
“If this effect proves to be permanent? Yeah. Definitely.” Rosie cleared her own throat. “Also, and I’m not doing a unit on sex education, but this needs to be said as a side note for the gentlemen. When it comes to female demons, it’s a buyer’s market. They’re rare and in demand. Only the luckiest males end up with mates of their own kind. Point is, you’re going to need to seek out companionship with other species and I’m including people in that. And some, um, adjustments will need to be made regarding, um, technique. Because you’re a lot more powerful now. And you do not want it said that you loved somebody to death.”
A louder murmur rippled through the hunters talking to each other in quiet, but animated ways.
“Questions?”
“Yeah.” Everybody turned to look at Blue Winterlast. He was part werewolf like Glen. He was also one of the prize graduates that Rosie had snagged out from under the vampire hunting division. “If female demons are that rare, and we have two…” Everyone turned to look at Shivaun, which immediately brought a rosy blush to her vivid coloring. “Are they going to be spending all their time fighting off the boy demons?” He flicked a glance at Shy before saying, “Is that what happened with Sheridan? Some random demon thought she was an available bachelorette? Is it safe for them to be out running around the passes?”
Rosie’s nostrils flared. For a second she wondered if it would be better to let Glen have the too-smart ones. “That’s a lot of questions. I’ll say this. There’s not going to be any elemental party that Shivaun couldn’t get an invitation to if she wanted to go.” There was cautious laughter because the other hunters weren’t sure yet where Rosie was going with that. “She’ll be in demand if she wants to be, but nobody is going to take advantage of her. Part of what we’re doing here for the next day and a half is schooling all of you up on how to take care of yourselves. All of you.
“She’s going to be a curiosity out there, but so will you, Blue. If you’ve retained any werewolf traits, you’ll be one of a kind. We won’t know how this is going to shake out until we start rattling and rolling. Right?”
“One more question,” Blue persisted.
“Sure,” Rosie said.
“You said all the lab info on the serum was going to be destroyed.”
“Yes. It is.”
“What about the weapons that were developed to help us take down demons? They could be used on us.”
“That’s a good point. I’ll have to discuss with Simon whether or not the advantage of having an upper hand is worth the risk of having the technology fall into the wrong hands.”
Rosie watched the hunters give each other looks that said they weren’t thrilled with the idea. “I’m making an educated guess that there will be a lot of questions tomorrow when you start figuring out how to use your new tool kit. Don’t be shy about asking. No matter what it is.
“Alright. Everybody is here except Finngarick and Sher O’Malley. Look around. These people are going to be your closest friends and family for, well, as I said earlier, we don’t know how long. But the fact is, they’re the only creatures in existence who are like you. Goes without saying that means you share a bond.
“Let’s do a little in-the-family experiment.” Rosie motioned toward the candelabras that sat end to end running down the center for the entire length of the table. The candelabras were made especially for Black Swan with insignia to specifications. Three candles each. Eight inches high with candles. “Reach out and touch the candle flame and tell me how it feels.”
Mo laughed. “It’s a trick, right? Some kind of trust test?”
Rosie grinned. “If you like.”
He shook his head, wiped his hand on his thigh, and passed his index finger through the flame in front of him. As the others watched, his hand returned for a second pass, lingering. He sat back, stared at the flame for a couple of beats, then held his entire palm over it while the others asked questions.
Without moving his hand, he said, “It’s warm but in a pleasant way. Not like fire. Like summer sun.”
“Not burning?” Rosie said.
He smiled and shook his head again. “No.”
The others scrambled to try it themselves. Instead of shoving people out of the way, four went over to the fire and put their hands over the flame there.
Mo looked at Rosie. “What else?” he asked simply.
Rosie was pleased to see that the hunters, at least some of them, were accepting the news with grace and even a sense of adventure. “It’s a whole new world, gentlemen. And lady. Meet me out on the field in the morning after breakfast. Eight o’clock. We’ll get started.” She waved her hand as if to indicate that she was finished, but then turned back. “By the way, I notice that you haven’t touched dinner.” The hunters still at the table looked down at their plates as if they’d either forgotten food was there or forgotten whether or not they’d eaten. All appeared to be ambivalent. “As a courtesy to the kitchen, let me take a survey. Any of you who actually intend to eat breakfast, raise your hands.” When she got no takers on breakfast, she said, “Juice?” Nothing. “Coffee?” Nothing. She turned to Grieve. “Well, there you have it.”
Around nine o’clock Torn got a text from Rosie.
Rosie: I’m told your lady is back where she belongs, which means it’s time for both of you to get back to work. Meet us at the Abbey tomorrow morning at eight. We’re taking the kids on a field trip. Get Sher up to speed and come ready to be teacher’s helper.
Torn: Will be there. Tell Shy that Sher is fine.
Since they had no interest in sleeping, the hunters spent the rest of the night discussing their rebirth as demons. Even those who were slower to get their heads around the concept were beginning to fantasize about the possibilities of long lives, if not virtually immortal, and being more powerful in a way that comic book superheroes could only fantasize about.
After the experiment with fire, they decided to try a few others on their own. What began as taps on the biceps escalated to a full-on brawl between Blay McCaul and Tread Phillips. It was an odd spectacle to see two Black Swan hunters laughing while each was doing his best to see if it was possible to inflict damage on the other. They bit, pinched, punched, slapped, kicked, and finally stabbed each other with the knives that hadn’t been used to cut meat at dinner.
Still laughing, they fell into big leather chairs.
“That would have come in handy when I was hunting vampire,” Blay said.
Tread nodded. “I’d bet my own life that my partner would still be alive.”
“Maybe they’ll loan us out.”
“Dunno,” Tread said. “But I’d do it.”
Deck interjected. “We don’t know for sure that demons are immune to the vampire virus.”
“Yeah,” Blay said. “But if…”
Like the hunters hanging out at the Abbey, Torn and Sher had no need for sleep. After several hours of lovemaking and reveling in the transcendent delight of being reunited, Sher said, “So what ‘things’ did Rosie call everyone in to discuss? And why are you no’ there with them?”
“I asked to stay behind just in case you showed up.” He shook his head slightly. “Truthfully, I did no’ think there was a chance of that happenin’.”
“You must’ve. Or you would no’ have asked to stay.”
He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “Maybe.”
“Do I need to hear what she’s talkin’ about?”
“Aye. I can catch you up to speed.”
When he didn’t say anything more immediately, she pressed. “Well?”
“You have no’ told me how you came to be here. Or what ’twas like where you were.”
After she’d told the entire story with as much detail as she could remember, he said, “You left the necklace behind.”
“Aye.”
“But you knew how to return here.”
“Aye.”
“So, you know how the demon kept insistin’ that you’re like him?”
She answered slowly. “Aye.”
“’Tis ’cause ye are.”
She stared for a few beats before laughing. “’Tis no’ the time for your infamous sense of humor, Finngarick.”
“Wish I was jokin’ now, love. But ’tis the truth. You said yourself I look different.”
“Aye, but…”
“Sher. Search your heart. You know ’tis true.”
She took in a deep breath that hitched twice, all the while staring into his too-blue eyes to make sure she was discerning honesty and not playfulness, but he was right. In her heart she already knew the truth, but wasn’t ready to confront it.
“Shivaun?” He nodded. “What does it mean?” she whispered.
“So many things. Things we have no’ even thought of yet. If ’tis permanent. There’s a chance ’tis temporary. Guess we’ll have to wait to see. But if ’tis permanent, it means we’re goin’ to live a long long time. And we’re no’ gettin’ older. It means we can come and go from this world like we were created elemental. Do no’ know what all else, but your sister and Deck and I discovered some things on our own…”
“Show me.”
“Now?”
“You busy?” she challenged.
It was the middle of the night, but that made no difference in the passes. There was no night and day in the passes. Whether it was midnight or noon at the jump-in point or the final destination, the passes in between were always the same murky gray, lit by some unnamed source that was not the sun.
He grinned, loving her fearless, moxie response to a change that might have thrown a lesser person into a state of stupor.
“Ne’er too busy for a date with my girl. Let’s go see what there is to see.”
She suppressed a girlish squeal. Barely. “A date? I’ve heard about dates.”
“But you’ve ne’er been on a date before?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You know I have no’. You just love hearin’ that you’re the first at… everythin’.”
He chuckled. “I do. I really do.”
“’Twill be the best date ever. You know why?”
He loved that she sounded a little breathless in anticipation. “Why?”
“’Cause Shivaun and I love nothin’ more than exploration. That’s why we spent our time away from home growin’ up. There was always somethin’ new to see in the Forest.”
Torn cocked his head and nodded. “Well, in a sense, this is custom made for you. ’Cause I suspect the exploration may be endless.”
Grinning she said, “Stop your dawdlin’ then.”
“I’m no’ dawdlin’. I’m appreciatin’ my mate’s astoundin’ beauty.”
“Well,” she said, “in that case, you can dawdle for a minute.”
He laughed, but grew more serious when he pulled her into his arms for a quick standing snuggle. “I can tell you this. We’re makin’ a change in how we do things. I’m no’ goin’ first anymore. I’m goin’ where you’re goin’. No one’s goin’ to grab you away while I’m no’ payin’ attention.”
“’Tis no’ likely. I can find my way back. No matter what.”
“If I did no’ believe that, we would no’ be steppin’ into the passes again.”
They repeated the initial exercise that Torn had done with Deck and Shy. He told her how to let her focus go slightly off so that she could see the misty geysers Rosie called slips.
“They open and close. Sometimes quickly. So we need to be holdin’ hands when we go through one of these.”
“I have no objection to holdin’ hands.”
He smiled. “Pick one.” She looked around and pointed. “Okay. When you step in, picture the portal underneath St. Patrick’s. I’ll follow you. Do no’ be afraid to go fast. I’ll keep up.”
She laughed. “Oh. Will ye now?”
“Okay, Sher. Kiddin’ aside. Do no’ leave me behind.”
She smirked. “No’ today.”
“What I heard was ‘not e’er’.”
“They say people hear what they want to hear.”
“Promise you will no’ be separated from me.”
She could tell the teasing had turned to anxiety. “Glued to your side, Sir Finngarick.”
He smiled. “Holdin’ you to that. Give me your hand until we’re inside. Then I’ll be right behind you.”
They stepped in together.
As Torn had instructed, Sher pictured the portal underneath St. Patrick’s, just as she had pictured the house in Dublin when she escaped Lyric’s lair, and immediately she knew how to go.
The passes make up a system of elemental transportation that is a paradox. Like the mechanics of planetary rotation and moon tides, it functions perfectly, never requiring maintenance or repair. Yet according to the current human understanding of physics, it is utterly impossible.
The passes are always in motion. The grid path that lies in front of an elemental traveler constantly adjusts to plot the intended route to reach the destination in the quickest and easiest way.
The trip from the Dublin house to the portal under St. Patrick’s was accomplished in four seconds. When they stepped into the stone alcove where the portal could be accessed, Sher said, “That was…”
Torn grinned. “Awesome? Wait till you see this.”
He motioned for her to go through the portal.
She stopped dead still on the avenue that lay before her and turned wide eyes to Torn, who laughed. “I know. We had the same reaction.”
“Where did all these, em, creatures come from? And why did we no’ ever see anyone here before?”
“They were here all along. We could no’ see them because they’re movin’ faster than we were able to see. Truth is this, Sher. Simon’s project ne’er would have got off the ground if it was no’ for this ‘accident’ that made us as we are now.”
She turned back and ‘people’ watched for a bit. “Like that sayin’. You have to fight fire with fire.” He nodded. “Why are they starin’ at us as they go past?”
He shrugged. “No clue. Unless ’tis because we’re starin’ at them.”
They both laughed.
“What did you do next with Declan and Shivaun?”
“We went to see Rosie.”
“In America?”
“Aye. New Jersey. We ended up in her bedroom and we got a scoldin’ for it. She said there are rules about breakin’ in on people’s expectations of privacy and I guess she has a point.”
“You guess? She was no’, um…”
“No. No. She was alone, but no’ fully dressed.”
“Oh.”
Torn chuckled. “Deck was dumb enough to say that he likes lavender lingerie.”
Seeing his mate’s glare, Torn’s mirth quickly dropped away. “I did no’ say I like lavender lingerie. And o’ course I do no’ have any interest in other females underclothin’.”
“So you found your way to Rosie’s home in New Jersey. Busted in on her. Then what?”
“She confirmed our suspicions.”
“That we’re demons?”
“Aye.”
“Then what?”
“She said she needed to gather all the hunters together for a chat. And she promised me that if you were no’ back in two days, she’d go fetch you herself.”
“But I was.”
“But you were.” He smiled. “That’s when I begged off goin’ to the Abbey.”
Sher looked out at the busy promenade. “Can we go explorin’?”
“I want to say aye, but I think we should exercise reasonable caution and hear Rosie’s briefin’ first. I’m all for adventure, but ’twould no’ be smart to set off into the unknown dumb as babies and completely unprepared.”
“Stuffy. Stuff. Stuff.”
Finngarick blinked at that. “Is that some sort o’ weird New Forest expression?”
“’Tis what I’ll be callin’ you when you leave your bold at home.”
“My bold,” he repeated drily.
“Aye.”
“You are no’ accusin’ me of cowardice.”
She sniffed and looked around before saying, “No’ as such.”
“NO’ AS SUCH!” Torn’s eyes blazed in a way that made Sher pull back. She could swear for a second his breath was heated.
“Calm yourself, dragon. I would ne’er make such a suggestion. I’m just sayin’ ’twould do no harm to take a peek inside one of those doors.”
Torn shook his head. “Be mad if you want, but no. There’s no fun in adventure when it ends without survivin’ to tell the tale. Do you grasp what I’m tellin’ ye?”
Sheridan, who was much less experienced in the world than Finngarick, slowly began to recognize the wisdom of that. “You’re sayin’ the worst that could happen in the New Forest is bein’ chased by a ragged-tooth bear. And the passes are uncharted jeopardy.”
Torn began to relax, seeing that she would accept reason. “Exactly. I like that you’re a thrill seeker. But there’s a fuck all difference between bravery and foolhardiness.” He ran a hand through his hair searching for the right thing to say. He didn’t want to discourage her sense of adventure. And he didn’t want to leave the impression that he was a pussy either. When he looked up, one particularly curious demon had slowed down. He’d given Sheridan the once-over, then did it twice and was going for three times. “What the fuck are you lookin’ at?”
The demon smirked, looked at Sher again, then decided to move on.
Finngarick took in a deep breath. He wasn’t used to explaining his behavior. In fact, heretofore, he’d mostly had a firm policy against it. But that was before.
“Havin’ a hard time tryin’ to find the right way to say this.”
“Why?” Sher’s expression softened. “’Tis just me. Anythin’ can be said ’tween you and me.”
He nodded. “Before you, I would no’ have hesitated, because I just did no’ care. For the first time in my life I have somethin’ to live for. And I plan to be livin’ and enjoyin’ it for a very long time.” He pushed her very red hair away from her neck and traced her ear with his thumb.
“You got another way to thrill me?”
His smile widened into a grin made all the more salacious by his impossibly white, impossibly perfect teeth. He stepped in so close that their bodies were touching. She inhaled the seductive scent of demon musk and, for a minute, thought she might be a little dizzy with buzz. That was new.
“I’d thrill you right here against this wall that might or might not be stone in the middle of where’er, whate’er, this is if ’twould no’ draw a crowd. But everybody seems far too interested in you. And that makes me nervous as a cat.”
He pulled her into a kiss that began as playful, but turned steamy in seconds. When he smelled the scent of her arousal, he said, “Let’s get out of here. Nothin’ in the passes could compare to bein’ alone with you.”
She pulled away giggling, then before he knew what was happening, stepped around and jumped on his back. “Give me a ride.”
He hooked his forearms behind her knees so that she would be secure for a piggyback ride to break all previous records. They traveled straight back to the Dublin house, bypassing the portal, making use of Finngarick’s newly acquired strength and speed that were impressive even by demon standards.
At eight o’clock the following morning Torn and Sher appeared in the great hall out of thin air. The hunters gathered there did not gasp or shriek, which was the typical human response to people suddenly appearing out of thin air. Instead, they seemed to take it in stride and acted as natural about it as if they’d been demons for ages.
The one exception was Shy, who put on an excited burst of speed to rush her sister and attack her with a big squeeze of a bear hug. “Was so worried,” Shivaun said. “Did that thing hurt you?”
Sher shook her head. “No’ at all. He wanted to teach me guitar.”
“What?” Shy blinked.
“Aye. He’s a music demon, I guess. Claimed that he could make me fall in love if he sang to me. But he has compunctions. He said he would no’ do that because it would no’ be real. Or somethin’ like that.”
“Oh. Well. So you ne’er felt like you were in danger?”
Everyone had drawn close and was gathered round to overhear the conversation by that point.
“No. I ne’er felt like he meant to harm me. Just keep me. And, o’ course, I did no’ want to stay. So we argued about that. Constantly. And food. We argued about food because I was no’ havin’ any. He said either I was a demon or I needed to eat. I guess he was right about that. I had the feelin’ that he enjoyed the arguin’. Maybe he’s lonely?”
“Hmmm. Could he no’ seek out others like himself?”
“Aye. I suppose.”
“So how did you get away?”
“He’d put my bow on his wall in a case that looked like glass. I guess it was some kind of magic spell. He was sittin’ there playin’ his guitar like everythin’ was fine. No’ like he was holdin’ someone against her will. And all of a sudden the whole thing made me mad. I grabbed his guitar out of his stupid hands thinkin’ that I did no’ want to hear that anymore. I smashed it against the case thing on the wall. The guitar did no’ break, but the case disappeared. I picked up my bow and threatened him.
“But when I did that, I could see the way out. It was strange. I was askin’ myself why I had no’ seen the way out before. He had my necklace, but when I stepped into the passes, I found I did no’ need it. I just knew the way back to the house in Dublin.”
She stopped and smiled at Torn, only then realizing that she’d drawn a small crowd that was enraptured by her tale of escape. Not being used to public speaking, she immediately became shy.
Rosie, who’d caught most of the story standing back at a distance, said, “You see? The O’Malleys can take care of themselves.”
One by one the hunters welcomed Sher back.
“You sure he’s not coming after her?” Blue asked Rosie.
“I’m not sure about that,” Rosie replied. “But by the end of the day, I’m going to feel pretty good about Sher and Shy being equipped to handle whatever jumps up.”
The twins looked at each other and had a silent dialogue that only the two of them were privy to. After another brief hug, Sheridan turned to take Torn’s hand and interlaced her fingers with his.
“Let’s get started,” Rosie said.
They began by discussing the difference between slips and portals.
“Come on. We’re gonna take a field trip. Buddy system. Your partners are your buddies.
“We’re going to Edinburgh via a slip. Then we’re going to access one of the portals under the Walter Scott Monument. Stay close. If we get separated, come back here. If you didn’t want dinner or breakfast or juice or coffee, you won’t need your necklaces today. But I want you to be in the habit of having them with you. Everybody got your homing device?”
They all nodded assent.
“Save your questions. When we get to the portal at Edinburgh, we’ll stop and talk.”
The hunters didn’t bother to feign sophistication. They gaped openly when the portal opened into a busy elemental thoroughfare.
“Where did all these…?” Rosie heard one of the hunters begin to ask.
She smiled. “Elementals. There are angels, demons, sylphs, gnomes, and, well, you know the list.” They didn’t necessarily know that list, but she continued anyway. “When we were figuring out how you were going to chase down intruders, I guess I overlooked the limitations in your internal gauge calibrations. Elementals’ vibrations adjust to circumstances and environment automatically. You couldn’t see the activity because they were moving faster, too fast for you to follow physically or visually. Like I said, this is a shakedown cruise. We’re figuring it out one mistake at a time.”
“Real encouraging,” Blue muttered to his partner.
Rosie looked at Blue. “I hope the biggest hurdles are behind us. But if not, we’re in it together. Wish I could tell you something more conclusive.”
“Hey,” Mo said. “We’re pioneers. And eternal youth isn’t all bad. Preserving this fabulous form forever is worth a couple of hiccups.” When he struck a couple of bodybuilder poses, his partner shoved him so that he lost his balance.
“Seriously,” Deck leaned toward Finngarick, “the curiosity seems to be focused on our partners.”
Torn’s keen awareness had come to the same conclusion. “I know. We’ll talk to Rosie about it later.”
Deck nodded.
“Okay.” Rosie clapped her hands. “Here’s your first assignment. Go to your elementary school library.” While she talked she handed out hundred dollar bills. One to each hunter. “Take a book, but leave a hundred dollars with the librarian. Since you’re staying with your partners, that will be two library stops each. And this is important, so listen up. Do it without causing a stir.
“Just before you step into Loti Dimension, you’ll have an opaque view into the world you’re about to enter. Like a thin veil between you and the destination. Check and make sure you’re not going to surprise anybody. If you are, move around until you find a secluded spot. Or moment.”
She looked at her watch. “Meet back at the Abbey in two hours. Anybody want lunch today?” Everybody shook their heads. “Alright. Consider this a bonding exercise with your partners. You’ll get to figure out traveling like demons and see where your partner went to school as a child. Win. Win.”
“Questions?”
“Yeah,” Blue said. “Are we likely to encounter any other, ah, elementals who’d want to interact with us?”
“In a confrontational way?”
“Well, that, or even, ‘Hey. Haven’t seen you around. What kind of demon are you?’ sort of way.”
She pursed her lips. “That’s a probability. I don’t have a count. I’m not sure anybody does. But if I had to guess, I’d say that there are no more than a thousand elementals altogether. Not so many that everybody doesn’t know everybody else, at least on sight if not personally. New demons don’t happen very often. Sixteen new demons is a veritable population explosion that’s bound to cause a ripple.
“Like people, some are more outgoing, more social, than others. If you’re approached by other elementals who want to know who you are and what kind of demon you are, just say, ‘I’m a newbie. I work for Rosie Storm and I’m on a time-sensitive errand. Catch up later?’ and keep moving.
“If your change turns out to be permanent, eventually you’re going to know everybody. Annnnnnd what they’re up to. That’s going to make your D.I.T. job a piece of cake. Word will get around that Loti Dimension is patrolled by sixteen demons who are serious about keeping the mischief confined to the natives.”
“So everybody knows you?” Asked by Bailey Cruz, one of the young recruits that Rosie stole from the vampire hunters.
“They do.” She nodded. “Because my genetic makeup is more or less, um, unique.”
“What if they speak a different language?” Bailey asked, growing either bolder or more curious.
Rosie snapped her fingers and hit her head with the heel of her hand. “Forgot about that. You can speak every language.”
The hunters looked shocked.
Finally Shivaun cleared her throat and said, “Every language?”
“Yeah,” Rosie nodded. “Every language in Loti Dimension and every language in every dimension.”
Mo looked at his partner and grinned. “That’s a good trick.”
“Indeed it is,” Rosie said. “Use it wisely. Those of you who were vampire hunters, remember you’re not just warriors anymore. Now you’re diplomats first.”
The Northern Irish village of Dunkilly had a single campus for primary and secondary education and it didn’t look particularly well-funded. Sher had sensed Finngarick tense when Rosie had said to collect a souvenir from childhood. She said nothing about it, but resolved to make sure he knew he was supported.
School was closed when they arrived. So being seen wasn’t an issue. Neither was the fact that the lights were out, because they discovered that, among other amazing enhancements, they could see in near-dark conditions.
“What book would you like to get?” Sher asked.
“Does it matter?” She shook her head. “Well, then.” Without taking his eyes away from her, he reached out to the stack standing on his right and withdrew a book. He handed it to Sher and smiled. “What did I choose?”
She looked down at the book cover. “Cú Chulainn. Suits you.”
Torn cocked his head. “Suits me?”
She beamed. “A great Irish legend. Like you.”
His first reaction was to accuse her of joking, but he could tell by reading her energy that she was not. She actually believed him to be special. And the knowledge of that almost knocked the wind out of him. Torn had known he’d been mightily blessed the day he realized Sheridan O’Malley was his mate, but he’d never expected to be compared to a great hero, admired on such a grand scale by anyone.
He couldn’t prove that he was a few inches taller, but he felt a few inches taller.
“Sher. I’m no’…”
She pressed two fingers to his lips to shush him. “You’re far more than you give yourself credit for. And I can prove it.”
Torn chuckled. “How can you prove it?”
“Where’s the pub?”
He smirked. “What makes ye think there’s a pub?”
“My tutor told me. There’s a pub in every village.”
“Well, she’d be right. Why do ye want to go there? I fear you’ll find that people do no’ think as much of me as you do. And I’m no’ sure I want you to see that.”
“Trust me. I know what I’m doin’.”
“Very well. I find that I have a very hard time sayin’ no to you.”
She laughed and took his hand. “Old school. Let’s walk.”
“Whatever you say.”
It was an easy ten minute walk to the pub in the late afternoon. The work day had ended for most people, but it was still light out. They passed a few people on their way who stared unabashedly. Some looked confused, like they were trying to remember how they knew Torn, but couldn’t place it.
The pub was noisy, smoky, and crowded.
“Show me a peer.”
“A peer?”
“Somebody close to your age.”
Torn looked around for a minute and then pointed to a man standing at the bar.
“What’s his name?”
“Arlan.”
“Who was he to you?”
Torn shrugged, but Sheridan’s mate sense read the pain he was covering up.
“Just another kid who made me want to be someplace else,” he said.
“Was he liked by the others?”
“Liked?” He smiled ruefully. “Oh, aye. He was thought to be the sauce by young and old alike.”
“And that means…”
Torn glanced away. “Golden lad. Ringleader. Respected family.”
“Very well. Come on.”
She started toward the bar where Arlan was hunched over a pint.
“Wait!” Finngarick grabbed her and pulled her close enough so that he could talk into her ear and only she could hear. “I’m no’ lookin’ for a reunion with,” he glanced toward the bar, “that fucker.”
Sher’s eyes danced. “Well, you can no’ always get what you want. I sense you’re havin’ a hard time trustin’ me and that can no’ be helped. But you will come with me like it or no’.”
Torn pulled away and set his jaw, trying to decide whether he was going to let her have her way or not. “Since it seems all fired important to ye, I’m goin’ along with ye this time. But do no’ make a habit of tellin’ me what I will or will no’ be doin’.”
Sher smiled, batted her lashes, and got on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Understood.”
Arlan was leaning against the old worn bar with both elbows when Sher approached on his left side.
“Arlan?” she asked brightly.
He turned his head toward her. “Do I know you?” His gaze flicked to Torn standing behind her, slightly off to the side. As Arlan’s gray eyes traveled over Torn, Sher thought she saw a flicker of recognition.
“I’m Sheridan O’Malley. My mate and I are in town for a few minutes and I asked to stop into the pub. He grew up here. Torrent Finngarick? You remember him?”
Arlan looked past Sher again. “Finngarick?” He ran a hand over a day’s growth of bristle on his weathered face. Sher couldn’t help thinking he looked so much older than Torn. “Aye. You look, em, different,” he said to Torn.
“I am different,” Torn supplied.
Sher cast a warning look his way and he shrugged.
“Let us buy you, em,” she looked at the special of the day, “a cod and cabbage supper. Maybe another pint.” He looked down at the pint he was working. She pointed to a snug in the corner. “We could sit over there. Catch up a bit durin’ the short time we’re here?”
Arlan looked at Torn again and took a sip from his mug before saying, “I might do with supper and another pint.”
“Very nice of you,” Sher said. “Let’s grab the table before somebody else gets it.”
Arlan snorted at that. Sher supposed that meant the pub wasn’t expecting a big crowd for dinner. She told the bartender to bring over one supper and three pints then waved for Arlan to lead the way.
Torn held her back when she started to walk after Arlan. “We do no’ have any money.” He raised a well-shaped eyebrow.
After pursing her lips in thought, she said, “I’ll go to the ‘ladies’ and get some,” she offered. Torn shook his head for several beats before nodding. For an odd combination of gestures, he made himself clear.
When they were seated, Sher turned to Arlan. “So what have you been doin’ since school?”
“Fishin’ with my da. And my grandda on days when he’s up to it.”
“That’s nice. A family business. Bet it’s excitin’.” Arlan looked at Sher like she must have escaped the looney bin. “Is that what you always wanted to do?”
Arlan shrugged and looked around the room. “Suppose.” It was evident that Arlan had never thought about what he might want to do. And there was a good chance no one had ever asked him that question before.
“Well, what else have you been up to? Done much travelin’?”
He glanced at Torn then looked at Sher. “Went to Derry once.”
“That’s an adventure.”
“Oh, aye, ’twas.”
Sher waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she said, “Soooooo. What do you do for fun around here?”
“I do no’ spend a lot of time contemplatin’ fun. I work. I have my pint and my supper. I go home. One day becomes another.”
“Well, no matter. You’ll always be better than Finngarick here. Right? At least there’s that.”
A little light came into Arlan’s eyes. He looked at Torn. “Aye. There’s that.”
Sher sighed then elbowed Torn. “I need to run to the ladies’,” she said pointedly.
He let her out, sat back down, and passed time silently with a man who’d helped make his childhood a bitter memory.
Just before Sher returned, Arlan said, “Somethin’ wrong with your pint?”
Torn looked from Arlan to the mug in front of him then back to Arlan. “Aye. Like everythin’ else in this town, it blows.”
Sher appeared before Arlan could think of an answer. She placed Irish pound notes on the table and said, “Arlan. ’Twas so nice to meet you. Sorry we have to go, but time’s up. Enjoy your supper.” She smiled. “And your life. Such as it is.”
Outside in the street in front of the pub, Torn said, “What in Paddy’s name was that about, Sher? He’ll always be better than I?”
It was dark and the evening air was chilly in the North Sea town of Dunkilly, but Torn and Sher were no longer susceptible to discomfort because of weather. Nor did they have any trouble seeing each other’s faces as if it was light of day.
Sher cocked her head. “Do you no’ get it, love?”
Torn’s brows came together and tiny lines formed, but they were temporary because he was beyond the vagaries of wrinkles. “Get what?”
“Arlan is just a small samplin’ of the town that did you wrong, the first one we happened on. We would find a similar story amongst the others if we had time and inclination to pursue it. The fact is that Arlan works on the family fishin’ boat every day then hunches over a pint alone at night. He’s ne’er been more than two hours away from home. He’s ne’er done a single thing that would make a lastin’ impression on the world.
“You, on the other hand, have been all over the world as a human and across dimensions as a demon. You’ve battled the monsters that people like Arlan do no’ even know exist and done your part to keep the world’s residents safe at night. Done so many things. Seen so many things.” She grinned. “And ye have me.”
As Sher had talked Torn felt his chest swelling with self-esteem and gratitude. She was a hundred percent right. He’d gladly live through every minute of his life again if it would bring him to that exact moment when he stood on the street outside the pub in Dunkilly looking into the face of the most precious treasure imaginable.
He didn’t trust himself to speak, but showed her how he felt by pulling her into a kiss so fervently felt, long, sweet, deep.
“’Tis your turn. Did you go to a school with a library?”
She laughed and shook her head. “We had a school and the school had books. No library as such, but it’ll do.”
“I can no’ wait for you to show me your home.”
“You’ll love it.”
He nodded, cupped her face with his hands and ran a thumb over her cheek, just for the pleasure of touching and marveling at what a wonder she was. “I know I will.”
All the hunters made it back to the Abbey with a show-and-tell souvenir except for one hunter who found a convenience store in the location where his elementary school had been.
“That’s a valuable lesson,” Rosie told the group. “Razz, what did you picture when you traveled through the passes to get to your elementary school?”
“The school,” he replied.
“But when you arrived it wasn’t there.” He nodded. “So your internal navigation system led you to the location where it had been. I don’t know that you’ll ever need that tidbit, but if it turns out that you’re perma-demons, at some point you might need to know that’s how it works.
“Anybody hungry yet?” They shook their heads. “Sleepy? Thirsty?”
“Horny,” said Mo.
Rosie laughed. “That doesn’t go away. As long as you’re not feeling any of the other physical drives, it’s safe to say you can travel like a born elemental. But if you ever feel the slightest craving, put yourself on the D.L. until we sort you out.
“Although, an occasional desire to eat may not mean you’re reverting. Some demons may go for hundreds of years without eating and then suddenly have an inexplicable desire for, say, meatloaf.”
Torn shook his head. “If you say so.”
Rosie chuckled. “Or whatever. Next we’re going to talk about other environments. As you know, when you went through training as people, you were told never to chase a target into another dimension. You were cleared to go into the passes, but not beyond.
“Now you’re going to be cleared to go anywhere, but we need to work up to it. There are a lot of other realities out there and some of them will seem, well, surprising? I believe you’ve gone through a total transformation. You don’t just have demon bodies. I think you have demon minds as well. If I’m right about that, new environments won’t be frightening, alarming, or disturbing. It won’t seem more unusual to you than traveling to the Amazon rain forest or the Grand Canyon or the Tunisian desert. These places are vastly different, but you take the change of landscape or weather or culture in stride.
“I think that’s the way you will view the new experiences that will unfold for you, when you begin interdimensional travel. Whether I’m with you or not, anytime you feel threatened, launch yourself into the nearest slip and think about home.
“For the next hour or so my friend, Kellareal, who is an angel, is going to talk to you about the general comportment expected of you now that you’ve joined the community of worldwalkers. After that, we’re going to go exploring.”
Sher looked at Torn and grinned. He shared her smile, loving that the idea of new experiences delighted her so much.
That evening sixteen hunters saw things they couldn’t have imagined were possible. They petted dragons with shiny scales of emerald green and cobalt blue. They walked over lava fields without harm in a world with an orange sky. They stood on a windy plateau and watched a battle between Vikings and Angles in a world that was twelve hundred years behind Loti Dimension.
Every new experience was more stunning than the last.
When she believed they’d had a sufficient sampler of life as a demon, she said, “Meet me back at the Abbey,” and disappeared.
When the hunters, all sixteen, returned feeling powerful and powerfully pleased with themselves, they found the dining table and chairs had been replaced with comfortable lounge furniture.
“Take a seat,” Rosie told them. “Congratulations. You passed the test. If you could find your way home from Breitlingen Dimension, you can get back here from anywhere. Consider yourselves certified.
“Now. About today. Thoughts?”
The hunters looked around at each other.
Deck was first to speak. “I understand why you have a concern about how we use this, ah, ability. Being able to do anything is…”
“Let’s fill in the blank. Seductive? Tempting? Overwhelming? Dizzying? Mind blowing?”
The last choice made a few of them chuckle.
“Aye,” Shivaun said. “All of that.”
Rosie turned to her. “I’m sure it makes adapting to the world outside the New Forest seem easier.”
Shivaun nodded. “Do we, em, Sheridan and I have any special concerns?”
Rosie cocked her head. “What do you mean?” The question was reflex, but before Shy could answer, Rosie took her meaning. “Oh!” She shook her head vigorously. “You can’t be forced to do anything you don’t want to do by another elemental. And the males are not stronger than you. As I said earlier though, you, as a single female demon, can be the belle of the ball if you want.”
Shy raised her chin like she was thinking that over.
Rosie went on. “I’m thinking that Black Swan doesn’t need to support the expense of maintaining residences. You can work your districts from here as easily as anywhere. So I’m recalling all of you to the Abbey. From now on it will be home base and also home if you want. Of course, if you want to maintain a separate place, on your own farthing, be my guest. I’d just ask that your main residence be here in Loti Dimension.” At that several of the hunters grinned at each other as if to say, ‘Life is strange’. “Move your stuff back here today.” Almost to herself, she said. “I guess we can let the kitchen staff go.
“Other thoughts?”
“If we don’t need to sleep and don’t need rest,” Razz said, “are we supposed to work all the time?”
“No. Of course not. You still need free time just like before. Only now you’ve got a much broader range of choices on how you’ll spend it.”
Torn leaned into Sher and whispered in her ear, “Got unlimited ways to thrill my girl.”
Sher gave him a smile that said she was imagining couplings with a gorgeous redheaded demon in a hundred different ways in a hundred different worlds and she found that, as a demon, her imagination had expanded to keep pace with her newly acquired worldwalker abilities.