On Pins and Needles: Sierra Fox, Book 3 (35 page)

“You can stop drooling now.” I had to laugh at her.

“Oh, sorry, I’m not checking him out. Really, I’m not.” She seemed to be babbling. “At least I shouldn’t be. He’s your boyfriend and all.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first woman to check him out, or the last.” I could deal with all the attention he would no doubt always attract. “Come on, let’s knock on the door and see what happens.”

As we walked onto the property, I noticed the lawn wasn’t as well kept as the houses on either side. It wasn’t anything drastic but small details like the grass being a little too long and the shrubs too high.
 

The house itself looked more like a mini-mansion—a two story, charcoal rendered block with large front windows and a flat roof. A wide cobblestone path led straight to the door. The front door looked to be tall—maybe over two meters high.

The door knocker was an ugly gargoyle but I figured it was just for decoration because a doorbell was situated to the side. I pressed it and the same singsong noise I’d heard while on the phone with Maya chimed inside.

“This house doesn’t feel as creepy as Carleen’s did, but there’s definitely something demonic nearby,” Lavie whispered. “The place is buzzing with it.”
 

I was glad for her instincts and couldn’t help but get a little nervous every time I glanced at Gareth’s empty vehicle. He had to be inside the house too, but what had Maya done to him?
 

When the door opened and Jonathan appeared, I wasn’t surprised.

“I was wondering where you were staying,” I said. “You’re a hard man to find.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Sierra.” He licked his lips and the black gleam in his eyes confirmed this wasn’t the same Jonathan who stumbled into my office the day before to warn me about his accomplice. “Why don’t you come in?”

Lavie cringed and stepped closer, taking my hand.

“Why did you bring
her?
” He made a face and the horrible gaunt features I noticed whenever I looked at him too closely consumed his boyish charm. He was also wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

“She’s my friend,” I said, squeezing her hand. “You didn’t expect me to come alone, did you? I want to get my sister away from you people, but I’m not stupid.”

“Wasn’t your dog in the van with you?” His eyes glistened.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He stepped closer and whispered near my ear, “I saw him kiss you.”

“Back off, Jonathan.”

He shrugged. “The more the merrier, I suppose. Now, stop letting the cold inside and come meet Maya. She’s been waiting for you.”

We took our time stepping into the house and when he closed the door, it felt as if he was sealing us into a crypt.

Jonathan stepped past me and I could smell his body odor. On some level, I felt sorry for him. Personal hygiene was something the real Jonathan never had a problem with. Yet now, he didn’t seem to care about anything. His dark hair had grown uneven and he hadn’t shaved for days.
 

The predatory gleam in his eye made me uneasy.

“Personally,” he said, lowering his voice. “I think she’s too eager to meet you, and maybe even premature. You’re not ready for this yet.” He ran his fingers over my arm and I shook him off. “You’re not as ripe as we need you to be.”

“What are you whispering about, Jon?” a female with a British accent called. This had to be Maya.

He jumped but collected himself instantly. “Nothing, I was just bringing her to you.” This subordinate act was something I hadn’t expected. What lowly demon possessed him and allowed this woman to order it around? Did this mean there were ranks within Legion? It might even be why Jonathan had been able to hide what was going on when we were together. It wasn’t until recently that he started acting like Jekyll and Hyde.

“Good.” Maya stepped into the terracotta-tiled foyer, her heels clacking against them. She was a beautiful slender woman of average height, with high cheekbones, a narrow nose, and caramel-colored eyes. She wore makeup that highlighted all her best features. She had curves in all the right places and long legs. The fitting blue dress clung to her, ending just above her knees, and her hair—a black glossy curtain—framed her back and shimmered like oil every time she moved. “Come along, we’ve got some business to attend to and I don’t want to waste any more time than we already have.”

This is the killer from the last crime scene.
 

“Where’s Willow?” I asked, stepping forward and taking Lavie with me.

“She’s waiting for you.”

I narrowed my eyes, not believing this bullshit hostess. Why did she bother? I already knew what she was capable of. She’d viciously killed innocent girls, and even admitted trying to run me over. So why pretend now?

“My, who’s your little friend?”

“She’s a demon hunter,” Jonathan answered. “And not a very good one, from what I hear.”

Maya threw her head back as her laughter echoed around us. “Ah, you are a clever one. Bringing a demon hunter into a house that will soon be the hub for an entire demonic Legion is truly adorable.” She looked me up and down with harsh, assessing eyes. “I really wish I could keep you.” She pouted. “But without you, there is no Legion. So, come on. Let’s get started.”

“Not until I make sure Willow’s all right.”

“If you want to see her, you have to follow me.” Maya didn’t wait for a response, instead disappeared into the next room. The clacking of her heels echoed behind her.

Jonathan pushed his way between me and Lavie, throwing an arm over each of our shoulders and encouraging us to move. “She doesn’t like to be kept waiting, which is why you’re here in the first place. So, let’s go and see what she wants to show you.”

Lavie and I had no choice but to keep moving past the foyer and into an open plan kitchen with shiny chrome finishes. I noticed a puddle of blood congealing under the dead body of a middle-aged woman near the sink seconds before the stench hit me. Her neck sat at an awkward angle, but there was no denying the bite marks on her throat or that she’d been dead for a while.

Jonathan urged us forward and didn’t stop until we reached a glass sliding door spanning across an entire wall. He motioned for us to step into the dark entryway adjacent to it.
 

I glanced at the latch on the glass and noticed it wasn’t locked, but it was closed and I doubted Papan would be able to get inside without shifting. We didn’t need him to use extra energy on shifting multiple times when they obviously knew he was here.

“Come on, get down there.” Jonathan grabbed Lavie’s arm to get her moving and when her hand slid out of mine she missed a step, falling right into him. He lost his balance and they both disappeared into the black opening. I knew they’d reached the bottom when I heard a loud thump.

I wasn’t sure if Lavie’s clumsy nature had propelled them into the abyss, or if she’d done it to give me enough time to open the door for Papan, but I appreciated the opportunity. I raced over and slid it wide enough for a wolf to slink past. Though I sneaked a quick look at the patio outside, I couldn’t see him.

Stay safe, Papan.

“You clumsy bitch,” Jonathan was saying as I rushed down the stairs.

“You made me lose my step.” Lavie was using his body to get to her feet and in the process kneed him in the crotch. “I didn’t mean to fall down a flight of stairs!”

The satisfied grin on her face confirmed otherwise. She hadn’t liked Jonathan from the moment she met him. And now, even as she rolled her shoulders and rubbed her left wrist, she looked gratified.

She’s good.

Jonathan stood. “Come on, you two.” He took a step and winced, limping a little. It looked like he’d either twisted his ankle or hurt his foot. Then again, a crotch blow could make any guy walk funny. I didn’t care, but it was good to know he wasn’t at full strength anymore. He could heal others, but could he heal himself?

“Look who’s here to see you,” Maya was saying from farther inside the room.

In spite of the coziness of this rumpus room, my skin crawled. Nothing good ever happens in basement levels. With the lights off and the natural light blocked by black tarps stuck in front of the two long windows, I had a feeling we were headed into some bad stuff.
 

“Hurry up!” Jonathan grabbed a hold of my elbow and dragged me along with him.

Lavie trailed behind but I could see her from the awkward angle Jonathan had me in. She was looking around the claustrophobic space a little too closely. What could she see or feel that I couldn’t?

I let Jonathan drag me the rest of the way, noticing there wasn’t much clutter in this basement. A pool table had been pushed against the far wall, several bean bags were thrown underneath it, and a couch was pressed against the adjacent wall. A stack of plastic tubs filled with an assortment of tools sat in one corner. But there was hardly any dust or cobwebs covering anything, and definitely no mess to slow our movements. I suspected the rumpus room spanned the length of the house above it and had once served as a comfortable games area.
 

We turned a corner and the glow of candlelight sharpened everything.

My heart sped up when I looked ahead and spotted an upside down pentagram carved into the polished concrete floor. The round canal—encircling the star and connecting the five points—was scored deep enough to make a trench.

“Sierra!” Willow called, making a move towards me.

Maya caught her arm. “Uh-uh, I don’t think so. You need to stay right where you are.”

“Are you okay?” I asked. It was good to see her, and even though we were lambs to the slaughter, at least she was all right.
 

She nodded and actually didn’t look hurt in any way.
 

“Why wouldn’t she be? She surrendered willingly,” Maya said, patting the back of Willow’s hand. “She’s a good girl, just like her father said she was.”

“Is it true?” I asked, meeting my sister’s gaze. “Did you come here on your own?”

She lowered her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me. After losing my friends, I didn’t want you to be in danger too. You were all so willing to risk your own lives for me. I…I couldn’t let you.”

Yet here we were. “What did you do to Oren?”

“I used the poltergeist power to knock him out,” Willow whispered. “I didn’t hurt him too bad, did I? I made sure he was breathing before I left. He looked okay.”

I pursed my lips. This was turning out to be quite the reunion.

“Enough chatter, we need to get started.” Maya pulled on Willow’s hand until she was standing at one of the inverted ends of the pentagram.
 

“What are you doing to her?” I asked, moving forward.

Jonathan pulled me back. “I don’t think so.”

“Relax. This is all part of the ceremony.” Maya raised Willow’s left hand and turned it over. She then plucked a small scalpel out of nowhere and cut a horizontal line along the underside of Willow’s wrist. Blood swelled instantly and Maya held my sister’s arm over the point of the star until droplets dribbled over it. The blood seemed to be falling a lot faster than was naturally possible. “There, now you’re in your place.”

Willow tried to take a step but couldn’t move. “What have you done to me?”

“Everyone’s got their point on this star. This just happens to be yours.” Maya turned to Jonathan. “Leave the lovely ladies for a moment and get me the next point.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave them unattended—”

“Jon, just do it! Seriously, where are they going to go? They obviously came here for the girl and the policeman, so they’re not going to run now.” Her caramel eyes were extra shiny in the candlelight, and filled with menace. “Are you, Sierra?”

I shook my head.

“Didn’t think so,” she said with a smile. “Bring me the next one.”

Jonathan looked me in the eye before releasing my elbow and stepping away. He blended into the shadows behind the pentagram. The golden glow of the black candles at each point made everything hazy and I couldn’t see who—or what—was hiding back there.

“What the hell are you doing?” Gareth made a move to shove Jonathan and managed contact before Jonathan punched him square in the face.

“Just get in place,” Jonathan spat, yanking Gareth back to his feet and throwing him onto one of the points behind Willow.
 

Maya stepped up to Gareth and slowly turned him around so he was not only facing the pentagram, but also staring right at me. She ran the back of her hand over his face. “Look who has come to rescue you,” she teased. “I bet you never thought a policeman would need to be saved by a girl.”

“Sierra, what’re you doing here?” His nose was bloody from the punch Jonathan had just delivered, and there was some dribbling from the side of his mouth too. His right eye was already swollen shut. At least it looked like he hadn’t given in without a fight.

“I wanted to ask you the same thing.”

Maya walked around him. “You can’t imagine my surprise when I found out this one had magic inside him. Thank you for bringing me another perfect point.” She slashed his wrist the same way she had Willow’s and dribbled droplets of his blood over the annex of the star. “That’s two points taken, three to go.”