Page 75 of Higher Demon

“We’ll come with you.” I seize Marc’s arm and tug. The farther I get him from Connor right now, the better.

In the open-plan kitchen-living room, I sink onto the couch and try not to be nervous. It’s hard, because Marc has paced over to the window and is staring out into the darkness. Or maybe just at his own reflection. I don’t know, but my heart hurts for him. He just found out his friend died.

Kieran potters around in the kitchen, starting the coffee machine and getting mugs out, and half of me thinks I should go help him, but I don’t know the kitchen well enough to be of any real use. The last few years, since this house got built and they moved in, I haven’t had a lot of time to visit. That’s sad, now that I think of it. I need to make more time for my family. What if it was me finding out that something had happened to Con, or Gabe, or even Kieran or Tom? Regular video calls aren’t going to cut it then.

Connor comes out of the bedroom and hovers in the middle of the room. “Gabe’s coming.” He eyes me and opens his mouth to say something, but Uncle Norval chooses that moment to appear.

“I’m here,” he announces. “Sorry I’m late. Daniel asked me to update Josh and Ewan. And then I had to talk the other ghosts out of joining us. I didn’t think you’d want a crowd.” He looks around. “What did I miss?”

“We’re waiting for Gabe.” Thankfully, Gabe and Tom live in the house next door, because now I have to keep Uncle distracted so he doesn’t accidentally slip and tell Connor about me and Marc.

“You don’t have to be here,” Connor tells Uncle, as if Uncle Norval ever leaves when something interesting is happening.

“Yes, I do,” Uncle replies, like I expected. “I have to keep an eye on Ian.”

Shit. Connor’s eyes narrow and shoot toward me, but before I have to come up with some stupid excuse, the front door opens and closes.

“Hello?” Tom calls, and a second later he and Gabe appear in the opening to the hallway. “Ian, I love you, but we could have seen each other again tomorrow,” my almost-brother-in-law jokes, his brown eyes warm.

“Yeah, well, I’ve missed you all.” It’s weak, but it’s the closest thing to funny I’ve got right now.

“What’s going on?” Gabe asks in his steady, calm way. He’s such a typical gatekeeper—it would take an impending apocalypse to shake him. I know because that’s the last time I saw him get truly upset. He’s the reason all American gatekeepers come here to Illinois for the last part of their training.

Kieran brings a tray of steaming mugs over, and as I take one, I send up a prayer to any deity that may be listening that this isn’t going to be as bad as I think it will.

Gabe and Tom sit with me on the couch, and Kieran drags Connor over to an armchair. It’s obvious—to me, at least—that Con doesn’t want to sit while Marc is still standing, but finally he gives in to Kieran’s insistent yanks and perches on the arm of the chair.

“Well?” Con says impatiently. “You’ve woken us all and dragged us here. What’s the big problem?”

Marc turns and looks at me. “Tell them about the Highetts.”

Chapter28

Marc

I sit silentlywhile Ian tells his brothers about the Highett family. At one point he has to shout to be heard over Connor’s outrage, but I still don’t step in.

My thoughts are tumbling in every direction as a thousand puzzle pieces I never knew were missing slot into place. Overriding it all is my grief. Titus, dead. Murdered in his own home for nothing more than asking a few questions.

Murdered to protect someone’s secrets.

Secrets that can’t mean anything good for humanity.

“…and then Marc asked Titus to be more direct in asking around,” Ian concludes. He glances over at me uncertainly. “The adiut—Wist—came tonight to tell Marc that Titus has been killed.”

I see it, the instant they begin calculating what that means. Tom catches my eye.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he says softly, surprising me. But not as much as Connor, who looks up and nods.

“Yes. I hope your friend didn’t suffer.”

“Thank you.” The words come out a little more stiffly than I intended, but then, I never expected to be thanking Connor for anything. “Titus’s assistant, Lorn, was an adiut spirit who witnessed the murder. They were fortunate to remain unseen by Vestia—the attacker—and immediately after went to tell Wist what had happened, in the hopes that they could get word to me.” I stop and clench my teeth, then take a breath. “That happened about twelve hours ago. Wist told me that while they were making arrangements to find me, they learned that when Lorn returned to Titus’s home, they and the other three staff in residence were also killed. The house was burned to ashes.” I try not to think about how much that would have hurt Titus. He took such pride in his home.

But Titus isn’t alive anymore to care, and I need to focus on the matter at hand—and on avenging him. Later, when this is settled, I’ll see if I can salvage anything from his garden. It’s the least I can do.

Vestia will pay for this in blood.

“At that point, Wist abandoned all hope of making careful arrangements and went through the first gateway they could find. When they couldn’t sense me here, they decided Skye would be the best way to get help.”

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