The Demon Within (A PeaceKeeper Novel Book 1)(38)

A shiver shook him, and his eyes remained fastened on her double. Caly couldn't tell if it was revulsion or distrust, but sparks practically swirled in the air between them. She knew his past, knew demons had destroyed his life, but wondered if it wouldn't take a demon to put it back together.

From under her lashes, Brie smiled up at Jarred. "Caly-" she cast her a glance out of the corner of her eye, looking for confirmation. Satisfied at what she saw, Brie turned her gaze onto her prey, "-has generously offered me a place to stay."

"The hell you say." Jarred jumped back as if being a demon were contagious. Giving her wide berth, he circled Brie and stalked toward Caly on stiff legs. "You can't be thinking of letting her into the house. She's a demon. She'll murder us or worse," he turned to look at Brie over his shoulder, "turn us over to her friends for sport."

Caly opened her mouth to defend Brie but shut it when Brie stormed toward them, a narrowed, dangerous look on her face that didn't bode well for Jarred.

"Listen here, buddy." She poked him in the chest. "I don't know what your problem is, but not all demons are alike. It's attitudes like yours that get people killed."

"It wasn't my attitude that destroyed my life. It was demons."

"So you blame all demons for the crime of one." She jabbed him again, fire dancing in her eyes. "Then I'd best kill every human I see as your kind has killed more than a fair share of my family."                       
       
           



       

A sneer crossed Jarred's face. "Can demons have family? I'm amazed. I thought they were hatched."

"Jerk."

"Demon."

"Oh, that's original. I-"

"Enough." Caly shouted to be heard over their bickering. She stared at the two of them in disbelief, repressing her amusement at their antics. "What the hell has gotten into the both of you?"

They glared at each other, neither backing down. She wondered if either would survive the night. "Brie, Jarred is a friend of mine. I expect you to treat him as one."

Jarred smiled and dropped his hands to his sides. "I knew you'd come to your senses."

Caly turned slowly. "I'd never do anything to endanger the crew. I thought you knew me better than that." She placed her hands on her hips. "Since the two of you get along so well, I expect Jarred to be the one to help fix the space above the barn into an apartment. No bloodshed."

Caly shook her head and strode toward the underside of the bridge. Too much time had passed. The place was abandoned. She sensed nothing in the darkness anymore, no leads or clues.

Caly bet that Henry knew nothing about his girlfriend's connections or that she had sent reinforcements to follow him. Henry must have spotted the demons and attacked. He would never voluntarily work with a demon.

He was also a damned good fighter. Took out a few, too, if the scuffle was any indication. Since she found no body or large amount of blood, she'd guess he managed to escape. As she paced, her boot connected with an object, sending it spinning off into the street with a clatter. Caly retrieved the item.

Henry's phone.

It was destroyed almost beyond recognition. The only thing intact was a metal back plate with his name embossed in reverse. The metal was added as a precaution, a kind of last resort weapon. Pressed against a demon's skin, the flesh would burn and leave the attacker branded with Henry's name.

A burned scent hovered, faint but very distinct on the phone, and she flinched away from the overly sweet stench of dead demon. Henry had taken out at least one in his fight.

She placed the pieces of his phone in her pocket and faced the rest of the crew. "We're wasting darkness. Let's get back to the house. We have to assume they followed Henry to the farmhouse. They'll either come for a fight or try to lure us out. Either way, Henry has outlived his usefulness. I doubt they plan on keeping him alive much longer."





Chapter Twenty-two





In the hour since they'd returned, Caly occupied herself by cleaning her weapons while she waited for a demon attack or the sun to rise, whichever came first. The monotonous work allowed her mind time to think. She went over and over her problems, relentlessly trying to work out an acceptable solution for both the Fallen and Ruman.

Ruman's defense of her in front of everyone shocked her. He just plain confused the hell out of her. Anyone who said women were difficult to understand didn't know men. They could hardly spend time in the same room without coming to blows. Or kissing each other. One touch and her knees weakened. He was an Achilles' heel she couldn't afford.

Arguing erupted from outside.

Again.

Curiosity finally got the better of her. She set aside the whetstone and knife, then stood. The window in the kitchen gave her a clear view of the yard. Although dark, the barn's spotlight illuminated the area.

Two figures stood inches apart, arms waving, shouting at one another. Apparently, neither needed air to breathe.

Though fed up with the bickering, Caly couldn't help be amused. She slipped out the front door and quickened her pace when Jarred bumped into Brie. They might not have weapons, but those two were ready to take each other out.

"Caly, tell this human he's being unreasonable." Brie glared at her and crossed her arms.

Jarred clenched his fists, his body vibrating with rage. He leaned closer to Brie as if he thought he could intimidate her into seeing things his way. "If you'd stop being so difficult, we could've been done by now."

Mouth open in shock, Brie spun to face him. "Me?" She waved her arm in the barn's direction. "You're the one-"

"Enough." Caly cleared her throat and tried to remain stern. "Jarred. Get the bed inside."

Jarred dropped his arm and swung around. "But she-"

Caly held up a hand, allowing her annoyance to creep into her eyes. She turned away from him. "Brie, take a time out."

Jarred spun with a huff, his shoulders so stiff that when he walked away, she wondered how his shirt didn't split.

"I don't know how you can stand being around humans. They're so … difficult." Brie groped her pockets for a pack of cigarettes then froze. "Ah, no offense. I obviously didn't mean you."                       
       
           



       

"None taken." Caly smiled, amused that Brie was so flustered she forgot herself, becoming the girl Caly once knew.

When her search came up empty, Brie sighed. "I don't suppose you have a smoke?"

"Sorry." Caly's feet took her to the well-used trail behind the barn. Even with the limited night sky, she marveled at how crisp and defined everything looked. With Brie at her side, she didn't feel like such a freak. Brie accepted her, faults and all, without question.

"How can you stand it?" Brie's voice sounded hesitant, like she really wanted to know but was afraid to ask.

"Stand what?"

"Living with them? Living like them?" She looked away in the darkness, but not before Caly caught the yearning.

Caly's mind went blank. How does a person explain humans with their ephemeral emotions and erratic actions? Demons lived by a whole different set of rules. "What alternative do I have? I'm different. No matter where I'd go, that wouldn't change."

With a glance back at her house, Caly resolutely turned away. "The group back there knows the truth. They might not understand everything, but they treat me like one of their own. They force me to be better."

Caly looked at Brie and smiled. "They're my friends."

"Friends?" Brie didn't sound sad, only curious and that made Caly realize just how different her life was in the other world.

"You could stick around and find out."

Brie shrugged and looked away. "Maybe."

A short silence followed. The pull between them was relentless, like a person dying of thirst with water within reach. For a distraction, Caly asked the question that had always bothered her. "Where did you go after the separation?"

"Into hiding." Brie swatted away a branch, her face impassive. "I watched you from a distance for a while, but the old goat didn't give me a chance to get close. Maybe it was for the best. I'm not sure I could've pulled away again."

Caly looked down at her hands. They were clenched so tight, the pads of her fingers grew numb. Brie had been her best friend. Her confidant. Caly knew they'd needed to separate, but she missed the lonely girl she used to know. "You went back to your kind."

An amused laugh escaped Brie. "You could say that. I found a little band that accepted me." She gave Caly a look out of the corner of her eye. "Kind of like your group back there. We don't fight like you, but we're trying to find a way to live together in peace with the humans. As you might guess, we're not popular amongst the demonkind."

"No, I guess not." A sad smile curved Caly's lips. The human in Brie, a parting gift from their joining, made her want things that she couldn't have amongst the demons, made her care when she couldn't afford the sentiment. Caly could commiserate.