Page 26 of Infernal Hearts

I nod, thinking of our choices for a second. “Might as well try the real Dr. Blackwell first in case the police missed anything.”

Jason’s head jerks back as his brow furrows. “Real?”

“You know. The kind that deals with my kind. Not the one who deals with chopping dogs’ balls off.”

“Very funny. Don’t tempt me to cut yours off while I’m at it.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time. They’d just grow back anyway.”

“Know from experience?”

I wink. “Another warlock.”

For once, he actually laughs this time. He takes a breath and shifts in his seat. “Any idea why your powers don’t work on me?”

“Not a clue.”

“Your Maker never warned you about this happening?”

I scoff. “He always kept secrets from me, teaching me little tips and tricks bits at a time, but he kept most things to himself. I didn’t even really know what I was getting myself into when I signed up to become a demon. All he promised me was a long life full of wonders.”

“The real wonder is how you survived this long without breaking at least a few of his rules. You definitely don’t seem like the type to listen to anyone.”

“You can’t disobey your Maker. Their word is law.” I laugh bitterly. “The thing he was adamant about was his dying wish. ‘Find your brother,’ he says. Not like I’ve seen a hair on his head since the forties, and not sure why it’s such a big deal, but maybe my Maker was looking out for me. Knew we’d be stronger together.”

His eyebrow cocks. “Not even a hint of where to go? Anything at all?”

“Nope. Dane left a long time ago, tired of Magnus’s bullshit. He wanted to go find his own answers, away from being sent on errands and brokering deals on behalf of a lazy old man. Honestly not sure how he broke from his control, but good for him. I got this necklace in L.A. that helped me sense other incubi, so that’s what brought me here, but it got ripped off when I got attacked.”

The reality is starting to set in that I may not actually find him. That I might actually die. It’s the worst kind of dread, all these thoughts that won’t stop, but I don’t want to let on to Jason that I’m starting to doubt our abilities to figure this out. It wouldn’t do anything but make him feel worse about his dad.

“I’m surprised you’re telling me all of this,” he admits.

“It never really came up, and I don’t particularly like thinking about it, but I figure you should at least know a few things about my kind before we really start working together. But we’re an endangered species. Can you blame me for being a little secretive?”

“Not really. Plus he kinda sounds more like a pimp than a mentor.”

“You wouldn’t be entirely wrong.” Although I know I shouldn’t sound so ungrateful. “He cared for us in his way, but it wasn’t in a fatherly way. It was more in a controlling way.”

“There’s a lot of danger out here for your kind. Hunters, mostly. They’re pretty easy to find once you get far enough from most major cities.”

My mind wanders to all the hunters I’ve stumbled across over the years, only to turn them into my playthings. “I’ve never been worried about their kind, and I don’t think Dane would’ve been caught. He was always smart.”

“You almost sound like you admire him.” His voice is soft but tinged with judgment. “I’m glad you’re telling me something about your ‘family.’”

“I wouldn’t call it a family.” I chuckle lightly. “He could have figured anything out but just wasn’t as good with people as I am. I’m a smooth talker. He was an intimidator. Fight first, ask questions later. Beat them into submission. That was never a path I wanted to go down.”

“No, you’d just rather fuck them.”

“Stick to what you’re good at.” I wasn’t sure if he meant that sarcastically, but I figured taking it a step further would work either way.

The road winds through the deep green forest, full of towering pines and lush foliage, plants climbing the steep rocks as far as the eye can see. A small river runs along the road beside us, crystal clear and peaceful. I close my eyes and focus on the sound of the water rushing over the smooth stones. It really is beautiful up here. Eventually we get to the top of the hill where a large house sits in a small clearing.

It’s not anything out of the ordinary—a little more modern than Jason’s cabin slash office, but it’s definitely not a glass doctor’s office that I’d expect to see back home. Steel beams are replaced by pine trees, loamy soil in place of asphalt. It’s unassuming and homey without a sign or anything to mark it, almost like you’re going to a hermit in the woods instead of someone with a degree from Johns Hopkins.

We get closer, and only one car is parked out front. By the way Jason’s body tenses up when he sees it, I know this isn’t going to be good.

Chapter Five

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