the ripe age of twenty-nine, normal wasn’t in her future, either.
“The salt will stop a demon from snatching Abby’s body. She hasn’t been dead for long. After an hour or two”—Moira honestly didn’t know how long, Rico had only told her to guard the recent dead because they could be summoned—“it won’t matter, because the demons won’t be able to inhabit her. Sort of like animals who only eat fresh kills.” She guessed.
Jared shivered.
“What about Lily? Where is she?”
Moira looked around the area. The ocean waves, less than a hundred yards west and a hundred yards down, crashed unseen against the rocks. In different circumstances they would have soothed her, reminded her of the west coast of Ireland, the only place she’d had peace.
“I’m going to call someone to pick up Abby’s body,” she said. Damn, she dreaded making this call. The minute Father Philip had told her Anthony was in Santa Louisa, she knew she’d have to make contact eventually. She’d be lucky if he didn’t kill her. If he weren’t such a damn high-and-mighty ethical demonologist, he wouldn’t hesitate to slit her throat and blame it on her demonic soul.
“My dad will have to come out,” Jared said, staring at Abby’s body. “I can’t believe she’s dead.”
“Your dad doesn’t understand what’s happened here.”
“What does he need to understand? We found Abby dead! He’s a cop. He’ll call the crime scene people, find out who did this. Find Lily.”
“Who did what? Come on, Jared! I told you how these people operate.”
He was torn, Moira saw the conflict and confusion in his pained expression, but she wasn’t about to sugarcoat the truth.
“Yes, we need to find Lily,” she said. “I don’t know if they have her, but if they do we have to try and save her. If they don’t, we have to find and protect her. I’m with you on that, Jared. But this”—she gestured toward the partially obliterated occult symbols—“needs someone who specializes in … this,” she ended lamely.
Moira no longer wanted Jared here because she feared Fiona’s minions would return. He could hardly be expected to defend himself against magic he didn’t understand, and she couldn’t protect both him and herself. Not against Fiona’s coven. If there was more than one magician, Moira would have her own battle to wage. And she could not let them take possession of Abby’s body. The girl deserved a proper burial— after she was cremated into three pounds of ash.
But Moira also couldn’t let Jared search for Lily on his own … what if Fiona’s coven was watching? They didn’t have to be too close, there were other ways … She shivered. “Trust me.”
Jared scowled. Trust her. Right . She barely knew him. He’d frequented an online message board about supernatural phenomena, but he was in no way prepared for this.
Jared bent down and picked up two articles of female clothing. Jeans and a pale pink sweater. He looked ill. “Lily was wearing this sweater today.”
A distant scream pierced the night. Moira jumped. It came from the woods, far on the other side of the road. Then there was silence, which sounded even worse.
“Lily!” Jared exclaimed. “I have to find her. I’m sorry, Moira, I—she must be terrified.” He ran to his truck, ignoring her protests that he shouldn’t go off alone.
His truck was driving away when she whispered, “Don’t leave me.”
The wind whipped up from the ocean, salt air stinging her cheeks. She felt as though she was being watched, but there was no place nearby to hide … No one was watching, no one was here. But telling herself that did little to alleviate her rising panic.
She shook her head, thinking herself foolish, and looked again at poor Abby. She wished she had Rico or Father Philip here to tell her what to do.
Anthony . She had to bring him in. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Father Philip.
She was surprised when he answered the phone himself
“The salt will stop a demon from snatching Abby’s body. She hasn’t been dead for long. After an hour or two”—Moira honestly didn’t know how long, Rico had only told her to guard the recent dead because they could be summoned—“it won’t matter, because the demons won’t be able to inhabit her. Sort of like animals who only eat fresh kills.” She guessed.
Jared shivered.
“What about Lily? Where is she?”
Moira looked around the area. The ocean waves, less than a hundred yards west and a hundred yards down, crashed unseen against the rocks. In different circumstances they would have soothed her, reminded her of the west coast of Ireland, the only place she’d had peace.
“I’m going to call someone to pick up Abby’s body,” she said. Damn, she dreaded making this call. The minute Father Philip had told her Anthony was in Santa Louisa, she knew she’d have to make contact eventually. She’d be lucky if he didn’t kill her. If he weren’t such a damn high-and-mighty ethical demonologist, he wouldn’t hesitate to slit her throat and blame it on her demonic soul.
“My dad will have to come out,” Jared said, staring at Abby’s body. “I can’t believe she’s dead.”
“Your dad doesn’t understand what’s happened here.”
“What does he need to understand? We found Abby dead! He’s a cop. He’ll call the crime scene people, find out who did this. Find Lily.”
“Who did what? Come on, Jared! I told you how these people operate.”
He was torn, Moira saw the conflict and confusion in his pained expression, but she wasn’t about to sugarcoat the truth.
“Yes, we need to find Lily,” she said. “I don’t know if they have her, but if they do we have to try and save her. If they don’t, we have to find and protect her. I’m with you on that, Jared. But this”—she gestured toward the partially obliterated occult symbols—“needs someone who specializes in … this,” she ended lamely.
Moira no longer wanted Jared here because she feared Fiona’s minions would return. He could hardly be expected to defend himself against magic he didn’t understand, and she couldn’t protect both him and herself. Not against Fiona’s coven. If there was more than one magician, Moira would have her own battle to wage. And she could not let them take possession of Abby’s body. The girl deserved a proper burial— after she was cremated into three pounds of ash.
But Moira also couldn’t let Jared search for Lily on his own … what if Fiona’s coven was watching? They didn’t have to be too close, there were other ways … She shivered. “Trust me.”
Jared scowled. Trust her. Right . She barely knew him. He’d frequented an online message board about supernatural phenomena, but he was in no way prepared for this.
Jared bent down and picked up two articles of female clothing. Jeans and a pale pink sweater. He looked ill. “Lily was wearing this sweater today.”
A distant scream pierced the night. Moira jumped. It came from the woods, far on the other side of the road. Then there was silence, which sounded even worse.
“Lily!” Jared exclaimed. “I have to find her. I’m sorry, Moira, I—she must be terrified.” He ran to his truck, ignoring her protests that he shouldn’t go off alone.
His truck was driving away when she whispered, “Don’t leave me.”
The wind whipped up from the ocean, salt air stinging her cheeks. She felt as though she was being watched, but there was no place nearby to hide … No one was watching, no one was here. But telling herself that did little to alleviate her rising panic.
She shook her head, thinking herself foolish, and looked again at poor Abby. She wished she had Rico or Father Philip here to tell her what to do.
Anthony . She had to bring him in. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Father Philip.
She was surprised when he answered the phone himself
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