door. The kid who’d been fried had been dragged off. And I’d wanted to kick him in the balls a few times.
“It’s me,” I told the car. “Shut down automatic defenses.”
“Automatic defenses disengaging, darling.”
“Don’t get fresh. I don’t do tailpipes.” I grabbed the handle and the door unlocked for me. I slid in, shut the door, and buckled up. A few moments later, I had my sunglasses on. The car thundered down the road. The rest of my business, I could handle from the San Clemente Island compound.
I passed L.A., cruising twenty-something miles due south to the Shoreline Aquatic Park lay between the Long Beach Arena and the Downtown Shoreline Marina. The park was a boot-shaped peninsula in the Pacific where the Los Angeles River emptied into the sea. The golden sun hung high overhead. The sea glittered with sunlight. Sailboats caught the wind, slicing the waves. I took my usual shortcut across the bike trail. A couple of pudgy feminists in too-tight shorts and “Women Rock” tees pulled off the trail, screaming insults.
I smiled in passing. “Ah, sweet discord, it just makes me feel so alive.”
I saw well-maintained grass inland on my right. On the left lay a line of small boulders edging the sea. Less than a minute later, I reached a pier lying less than a hundred feet from the hill lighthouse. The white brick structure was capped on top by glass and a red latticework. I pulled onto the pier. The tires made rhythmic thunking sounds.
Approaching the end of the peer, the car entered an unseen summoning circle drawn in ultraviolet paint. A blaze of magical blue light surrounded the Mustang. The arcane energy vortexed and pressed in to get a taste. I felt a lick on my skin as the magic searched for demon DNA. I wasn’t demon-born like the rest of my clan, but the Old Man had keyed me into the circle long ago.
Passing inspection caused the light play to die, and the water to froth at the end of the pier. A polished, flat-topped coral ramp rose out of the ocean, stirring up silt. The coral fitted itself against the pier, giving me way down to the surface of the water. The rest of the sea road was barely submerged. At night, it rose much higher. By day, the magic kept a lower profile.
I fed raw magic into my Demon Wings tattoo, extending the spell with more power to cover the Mustang too. This would keep anyone from seeing a car driving on the ocean. There were human-built amphibious car/boats that could ride the sea without magic. I cloaked myself anyway, preferring privacy to public gawkers—and maybe distant snipers.
The thirty minute crossing passed without event, with the road behind me sinking to the ocean bed when no longer needed. A crescent cove came into view, lined with residential boats, yachts, and powerboats. Just beyond lay a little marina. Beyond that, Avalon City, home to around 4,000 people. The place was a notorious tourist trap with shops, restaurants, and bungalow style hotels. As designed, the magic road bypassed the Avalon Casino, swerving right to an area of empty beach. A demon spell averted any watching eyes in the area as the road rose to lift and drop, depositing me well ashore on a dirt road.
The new road didn’t look like much. That was the point. When activated, it brought travelers to the Lauphram Clan House. Those not of the clan would never find the way. Sure, a nearby rock had a rune sign carved into it, but the symbol needed a keyed-in presence to activate it and the second demon road.
As my Mustang neared the rock, aqua-tinted light spilled out, washing across my skin. Though not demon-born, I was keyed into the system. The light recognized me. The dirt road changed, becoming paved. Several illusionary trees actually pulled aside to no longer block the new direction of the road’s bend. The trees moved behind me, back to their old places, as I
“It’s me,” I told the car. “Shut down automatic defenses.”
“Automatic defenses disengaging, darling.”
“Don’t get fresh. I don’t do tailpipes.” I grabbed the handle and the door unlocked for me. I slid in, shut the door, and buckled up. A few moments later, I had my sunglasses on. The car thundered down the road. The rest of my business, I could handle from the San Clemente Island compound.
I passed L.A., cruising twenty-something miles due south to the Shoreline Aquatic Park lay between the Long Beach Arena and the Downtown Shoreline Marina. The park was a boot-shaped peninsula in the Pacific where the Los Angeles River emptied into the sea. The golden sun hung high overhead. The sea glittered with sunlight. Sailboats caught the wind, slicing the waves. I took my usual shortcut across the bike trail. A couple of pudgy feminists in too-tight shorts and “Women Rock” tees pulled off the trail, screaming insults.
I smiled in passing. “Ah, sweet discord, it just makes me feel so alive.”
I saw well-maintained grass inland on my right. On the left lay a line of small boulders edging the sea. Less than a minute later, I reached a pier lying less than a hundred feet from the hill lighthouse. The white brick structure was capped on top by glass and a red latticework. I pulled onto the pier. The tires made rhythmic thunking sounds.
Approaching the end of the peer, the car entered an unseen summoning circle drawn in ultraviolet paint. A blaze of magical blue light surrounded the Mustang. The arcane energy vortexed and pressed in to get a taste. I felt a lick on my skin as the magic searched for demon DNA. I wasn’t demon-born like the rest of my clan, but the Old Man had keyed me into the circle long ago.
Passing inspection caused the light play to die, and the water to froth at the end of the pier. A polished, flat-topped coral ramp rose out of the ocean, stirring up silt. The coral fitted itself against the pier, giving me way down to the surface of the water. The rest of the sea road was barely submerged. At night, it rose much higher. By day, the magic kept a lower profile.
I fed raw magic into my Demon Wings tattoo, extending the spell with more power to cover the Mustang too. This would keep anyone from seeing a car driving on the ocean. There were human-built amphibious car/boats that could ride the sea without magic. I cloaked myself anyway, preferring privacy to public gawkers—and maybe distant snipers.
The thirty minute crossing passed without event, with the road behind me sinking to the ocean bed when no longer needed. A crescent cove came into view, lined with residential boats, yachts, and powerboats. Just beyond lay a little marina. Beyond that, Avalon City, home to around 4,000 people. The place was a notorious tourist trap with shops, restaurants, and bungalow style hotels. As designed, the magic road bypassed the Avalon Casino, swerving right to an area of empty beach. A demon spell averted any watching eyes in the area as the road rose to lift and drop, depositing me well ashore on a dirt road.
The new road didn’t look like much. That was the point. When activated, it brought travelers to the Lauphram Clan House. Those not of the clan would never find the way. Sure, a nearby rock had a rune sign carved into it, but the symbol needed a keyed-in presence to activate it and the second demon road.
As my Mustang neared the rock, aqua-tinted light spilled out, washing across my skin. Though not demon-born, I was keyed into the system. The light recognized me. The dirt road changed, becoming paved. Several illusionary trees actually pulled aside to no longer block the new direction of the road’s bend. The trees moved behind me, back to their old places, as I
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