Page 344 of Castings & Curses

Oh fuck. Oh fuck.

People who played with demons thought it was a fun thing until a real one showed up. She knew that first hand. Everyone in the room was at risk.

She shoved Avery and Cappelli toward the door.

“Get everyone out. Now.”

Cappelli’s eyes met hers and awareness made her eyes snap hard. "Fix it," she hissed. “James was my partner. It can’t go down this way.”

“He was mine too. Once.”

Without another word, she pushed her way out the back door, ordering the technicians outside until further notice.

Devi closed her eyes, her stomach knotting up in a combination of nerves and her impending change. She would have to fuck with her on a full moon. All she could do is try and keep her wits about her. As if she could do anything else.

She was going to have to talk to Avery about his unfortunate timing. It was hard to do human shit when you had an over eager ocelot trying to claw her way out of her skin when they had a standing appointment.

Full moons sucked.

Red eyes glowed out of the shadows of the box and a dark chuckle laced with hellfire curdled the air. A familiar form took shape, her smooth features framing eyes that burned bright in the murky darkness of the diner.

“You.”

“Hello, pet. No, wait...” The demon held up one elegantly manicured finger and swirled it through a puddle of blood that had congealed on the table. Bringing to her lips, she licked it off, savoring the flavor. “That would be, detective now, wouldn’t it? What do they call a familiar afraid of getting a little too close to the fire?” She elegantly wiped at her mouth with a paper napkin. “Ummm. Nothing like a little terror to make it zing. Don’t you agree?”

Devi growled, her cat waiting for the change to push her way through. The bitch had fucked with her once. She wouldn’t let her do it again.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh…catching up on some unfinished business. How about you?”

“Right. Now, how’s about you get back in the box so we can call it a day?”

“Oh…I’m not quite done yet.”

“I think you are.” The blade in her pocket burned bright and she longed to just bury it in her and light the whole thing on fire.

“How is the moon tonight, Devi? Do you find it scintillating?” The demon’s eyes burned bright as she sashayed toward her, swinging her hips with every step. The maroon suit would have looked ridiculous on just about anyone else, but with her chestnut hair and curvaceous build, Gambian was able to pull it off and look damn sexy in the process.

It was also a ruse.

“Your old partner... James, was it?” The demon paused, deliberately avoiding another puddle of blood that streaked down the floor. “He dug the box up for you. How quaint.” She glanced over at Devi, her blood red lips curving up into an evil smile.

“For me? Now why would he do that?”

Unless she’d been spinning lies.

Gambian chuckled, her laughter making the hair on Devi’s arms stand at attention. “He knew we had unfinished business, you and I. Well…we are practically related. Our families have been working together for centuries. It’s only right I made you see just how wrong you were by running off to play detective.”

“Fuck you.”

“Ah. Now that’s the spitfire I remember so well. And I thought that insipid Kate ruined you forever.”

“Don’t talk about Kate,” Devi ground out, her jaw locking in frustration.

“Whyever not? You’re not still together, are you? I thought you had higher aspirations than being someone’s pet kitty?”

She sauntered closer, kicking something that squelched out of her way.

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