Songs of Love & Death

There was nothing wrong with her willpower. She fixed my brother with a basilisk stare. “I’m in better shape than you, Charles. You saved my life, for which I’m suitably grateful, but you’re so tired you’re a menace to society until you get at least twelve hours’ sleep. Now give me some nice drug to dull the pain and go home.”

Unlike me, Charlie knows when argument is pointless. “Yes, ma’am,” he said meekly. “But I want you to stay with her tonight, Dave. Just in case.”

“Will do.” Not that he needed to ask. No way would I leave Bethany alone after an attack by a demon.

Charlie zipped up his first aid gear. His scrubs were bloody, and not just from Lady Beth’s injury. Wearily he got to his feet, almost falling. I caught his arm. “I’ll call you a cab.” He didn’t argue about that, either.

I helped Bethany onto the sofa and refilled the electric teakettle. Since Charlie was gray with fatigue, I carried his backpack outside. “Thanks for coming,” I said as we reached the sidewalk. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

“Lady Beth won’t be with us forever, Dave,” my brother said quietly. “She’s very old. If you hadn’t bandaged her up and called me, we could have lost her tonight.”

“I know,” I said brusquely, not wanting to think of a world where there wasn’t a Bethany Sterling to laugh with. I’d had my share of age-appropriate girlfriends, but none were as easy to be with as Lady Beth. Or as much fun. “But this wasn’t her time.”

“For which I’m glad. But her time can’t be too far off.”

I knew that, just as I knew that her inevitable death would devastate me. But pain was better than not caring.

A cab turned down the quiet residential street, and I raised an arm to flag it down. My Guardian abilities included summoning taxis as well as finding parking spots. When I need a cab, the nearest available cab will suddenly decide to turn my way. Clearly, I was born to be a New Yorker.

After sending Charlie home, I climbed the steps back to the brownstone. I’d make Bethany her tea, then roll out a sleeping bag in her bedroom so I’d know if she took a turn for the worse. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d stayed here.

Lady Beth had not only recovered enough to make a pot of tea, but she’d also changed into a fancy black sweat suit with sequins scattered around the shoulders and long sleeves that covered her injured arm. It was a dressy version of the sweats she wore when we exercised together. A couple of times a week, we’d go to Battery Park at dawn, summer or winter. She’d walk along briskly while I ran, circling back regularly to catch up with her again. When we’d both had our fill of exercise, we’d grab bagels or croissants or a hot breakfast. Good times.

I frowned. “What are you up to, Bethany?”

I can make hardened drug dealers tremble with that frown, but she just said calmly, “We have to go after the demon tonight, David. The assault created a link between her and me. She is preparing to go out and feast on as many lives as she can claim before she’s stopped.”

“She almost killed you!” I exclaimed. “You’re in no shape to go after a demon. Get some rest. I can find her without your help.”

“You can find her, but I don’t think you have the power to take her down on your own. Neither do I, but together—we have a chance.” Bethany poured tea, this time without adding any single malt. “We must act quickly. If the entry on magematrix.net is correct, there will be many more deaths by morning, because killing is ecstasy for a sex demon who has taken on flesh.”

I felt a cold chill, the kind that says something really bad was about to go down. “Do you think that stealing high-octane Guardian energy from us gave her what she needed to get a body?”

“I believe that’s exactly what happened,” Bethany said soberly. “Now she can cause tremendous carnage, and we’re the only people who might be able to stop her.”

In other words, duty called. Lady Beth was a fragile, precious old lady, and every instinct I have screamed to protect her. But she was as much a hunter as I am, and we were both sworn to stop evil whenever possible.

“Okay, we’ll go get her.” I pulled my gun from the shoulder holster and did a ritual check to be sure it was in firing condition. It always was. “Will regular bullets stop her? Silver bullets? Something else?”

“Her body is human and vulnerable. It’s her mental power that is dangerous.” Bethany bit her lip. “She will have acquired the body of a beautiful, desirable woman. You might have trouble bringing yourself to attack her.”

My mouth hardened. I take no pleasure in the prospect of killing people, especially not a woman, but I’d do what was necessary. “Is there any way to drive her out of the body she’s taken over so the original owner can regain possession?”

Bethany sighed, her years showing in the near translucence of her pale skin. “I simply don’t know, David. All we can do is try.”