The Entity Within (8 page)

“You can have him,” Zoe said.

“I don’t need your permission to get Damon.”

“Get him? I thought you said you already had him,” Zoe challenged her.

“I lost Nick to a cupcake maker. I am not about to lose Damon to a witch.”

“I already said I don’t want him,” Zoe assured Tanya.

“Yeah, right,” Tanya scoffed. “Every woman wants Damon.”

“Not the smart ones.”

“Are you saying that I’m stupid?”

“I don’t know you well enough to make a determination like that,” Zoe said in her best demure voice.

“Well, I know you well enough to know that I don’t like you,” Tanya retorted. “You act like you’re better than anyone else.”

“You should be relieved that I’m not interested in Damon.”

“It’s not like you’d be any real competition,” Tanya said. “I mean, look at you. There’s no way you could compete with this.” She pointed to her model-thin body. “Unless you used black magic.”

“I don’t do black magic.”

“You’re a witch. Witches do black magic.”

“Not all witches.”

“Maybe black magic doesn’t work on vampires. I’ll have to ask Pat about that.”

“Who is Pat?” Zoe said.

“He runs Pat’s Tats Body Art Salon and he knows everything.”

“Is he a vampire, too?” Zoe asked.

“Of course.”

“And a Demon Hunter like Damon?”

“No,” Tanya said. “No one is like Damon.”

Zoe’s curiosity was aroused. “What do you mean by that?”

“He’s special.”

“Because he hunts demons? What made him get into that line of work?”

“Why do you want to know?” Tanya asked suspiciously. “Because you’re a demon’s BFF? Is that why you unleashed them?”

“I didn’t even know demons existed until a few hours ago,” Zoe said.

“Then you’re the one who is stupid, not me.”

“Maybe I am,” Zoe muttered. She certainly didn’t feel like she’d made a brilliant move here. She for sure had not landed somewhere safe and secure. No way. Instead it felt like she’d left one bad situation back in Boston for another one here in Chicago’s Vamptown.

With her librarian background, Zoe was an excellent researcher. She should have learned more about their new location before moving. But there hadn’t been time. They’d had to leave in a hurry and this mess was the result.

Zoe didn’t like to hurry. She liked to be thorough and precise, although there had been times in her life when she’d taken a leap of faith. A very few times. And they’d all ended badly. Which should have been a warning about moving to Chicago.

But Zoe had thought she’d be leaving all that behind. Yes, she was still a witch. There was no leaving that behind. It was as much a part of her as her height or her long dark hair. Wait, she could cut her hair or dye it. But there was no changing the fact that she was a witch. She could change what she did with that ability, however.

The last time she’d taken a leap of faith, she’d hooked up with Tristin Winters. She’d fallen for him big time. As a professor specializing in the paranormal, he’d been comfortable in her world before he knew there was anything unusual about her, aside from her bicolored eyes.

He’d said he loved her. That she was the woman he’d been waiting for his entire life. Her mother, who’d still been alive when he’d proposed, had warned Zoe to take her time and not do anything rash like tell Tristin that she was a witch from a long line of witches.

No human was supposed to know.

But Zoe had trusted Tristin. She didn’t see how she could say yes to his proposal if he didn’t know the truth.

So she’d told him. He’d taken the news incredibly well. And he hadn’t made any demands on her. Not at first.

Tristin had been subtle at first. He’d been solicitous and sweet. Concerned and candid.

No one outside of her family and her coven knew Zoe was a witch. She’d never said a word to anyone else. It’s not like the admission was a great conversation starter. Besides, it broke the covenant of their coven to reveal to a human the fact that she was a witch.

Tristin got that. He understood her. Or so she’d thought.

He’d requested her help when there had been drastic cuts in funding for his department at the college. When he’d wanted her to help him in the stock market, he’d told her about his earlier trips to research the legends of Nepal and how he wanted to donate money to build schools there and help more of those in need.

She hadn’t agreed at first but had eventually taken another leap of faith and done it. A sign of how much she’d trusted him. That trust had been completely misplaced.

She didn’t learn that fact until her mother’s death. Even now, two years later, she missed her mother and felt the loss like a huge void within her. The dark side of magic had resulted in her mother dying and Zoe vowing she’d never use magic again.

Tristin’s compassion and understanding had only lasted a few days before he wanted her to cast another spell to increase his finances—for the greater good, he claimed. When she refused, he’d been furious and she’d broken their engagement.

Gram had stepped in and zapped Tristin with a memory spell to make him forget the fact that Zoe was a witch.

The entire experience had been a lesson very painfully learned. When their coven had eventually learned that Zoe had confided her secret to a human, they had been very angry with her. Zoe had been put on probation. Gram’s run-in with the motivational speaker had been the last straw as far as the coven was concerned. Like vampires, witches preferred to stay under the radar. The Adams witches currently had two strikes against them. A third could be disastrous. So they’d been sent away.

Not that there was any danger of history repeating itself. Zoe didn’t trust Damon at all. Besides, he already knew she was a witch. He clearly had a thing against her kind. But if he knew that she’d once trusted her deepest secret to a human, he would most likely accuse her of being willing to reveal the fact that she was living among vampires, insinuating that she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Which wasn’t true.

It belatedly occurred to Zoe that the surveillance cameras were working. “We’re being watched, aren’t we?”

Tanya looked around. “By the demons?”

Zoe pointed to the surveillance camera in the corner of the living room up near the crown molding.

Was Damon watching? Had he heard what she’d said about him? She tried to remember exactly what she had said.

“So tell me more about these demons you unleashed,” Tanya said.

“I didn’t unleash them.”

“Right. The story is that your grandmother unleashed them.”

“It’s not a story. Did Damon send you over here to interrogate me?” Zoe demanded.

“What if he did?”

“Then I’ll tell you the same thing I told him.”

“The same story you made up.”

“It’s not a story. It’s the truth.” The expression on Tanya’s face clearly indicated that she didn’t believe Zoe. “Why would I want demons hanging around?”

“Because you’re a witch.”

“And all witches call upon demons?”

“I don’t know. You’re the first witch I’ve ever met,” Tanya admitted.

“Then let me be the first to assure you that witches do not want demons around. Witches aren’t evil.”

Tanya just gave her a look.

“Okay, so maybe somewhere on the planet there are evil witches,” Zoe said. “But
we
aren’t. We’re good witches.”

“Now you sound like Daniella.”

“She’s not a witch,” Zoe said.

“I know that. But she plays the songs from that musical
Wicked
when she’s making cupcakes.”

“I met her. She seems very nice.”

“I’m the one who saved her, you know. When she was trapped down in the tunnels, I mean. I escaped and got help.”

“What do you know about the tunnels?” Zoe asked.

“That’s where the demons are right now. Bootleggers trying to smuggle alcohol during Prohibition built the tunnels. Not that I was alive during that time. I was turned in the ’50s. Not my fifties, obviously. I was turned at the peak of my beauty. You’re already past yours.”

“I’m only twenty-eight,” Zoe said.

“Yeah, but your eyes are different colors. That’s weird.”

“This coming from a vampire who runs a tanning salon,” Zoe retorted.

“I don’t run it, I own it.”

“Well, that’s an entirely different matter then,” Zoe said sarcastically.

“Right. I know. I’m a business owner. A member of the Vamptown Council,” Tanya bragged. “And the other business owners are not happy that witches have moved in. We don’t want your kind here.”

For a second, Zoe thought the growl came from her before realizing it emanated from Bella, who’d strolled into the room to sit at Zoe’s feet.

“I don’t like cats,” Tanya said. “They sneak up on you.”

“I don’t like vampires,” Bella said. “They sneak up on you and suck you dry.”

Tanya growled.

Bella growled louder.

Tanya tried to reach for Bella but the protection spell prevented her from touching the cat.

Bella stuck her dainty pink feline tongue out at Tanya.

Zoe was tempted to do the same.

“That’s black magic right there,” Tanya said, glaring at Zoe. “I say we torture you to get you to remove the demons and then we get rid of you. Or maybe the demons could kill you first and then Damon can kill them. I like that idea.” Tanya paused to look at the camera and preen a bit. “It’s brilliant. Right, Damon?”

“No, it’s not,” he said from right behind her.

Chapter Eight

“What are you doing here?” Zoe said.

“Preventing Tanya from torturing you,” Damon said. “Although there is something to be said for a good catfight.”

“I find that comment offensive,” Zoe said.

“As do I,” Bella said. “Although back in the day at court I was known to battle a lady-in-waiting or two. But those days are over.”

“Her cat talks,” Tanya said.

“I know,” Damon replied.

“That’s black magic,” Tanya continued. “Evil stuff.”

“It’s not black magic,” Zoe corrected her.

“Like you’d admit it if it was,” Tanya scoffed. “You can’t trust her.”

“I already know that,” Damon said.

His comment aggravated Zoe no end. Granted, it was nothing new. Damon had told her more times than she could count that he didn’t trust her. But saying it in front of Tanya made it worse somehow.

Remembering what had happened the last time she’d felt intense dislike, Zoe deliberately tried to play it cool. Yes, she had a protection spell over her now, but even so she had no desire to tempt fate. Being possessed by a demon and levitating once was one time too many in her book.

If only they could figure out what had happened to the mysterious spell book that had unleashed the demons in the first place. But it was hard for Zoe to concentrate when she had to deal with angry vampires in her living room. Her rented living room.

“Thanks for your help, Tanya, but I can take it from here,” Damon said.

“I think I should stay,” Tanya said. “What if she tries her black magic on you? It would be safer if you had someone like me to watch your back.” She ran her fingers over his shoulder and down his back.

“I appreciate the offer,” Damon said.

“I’ll bet you do,” Zoe muttered.

“But I’ll be fine,” Damon said. “I’ve dealt with demons, after all.”

“What if she calls up a bunch of demons to attack you?” Tanya said.

“I’ll hack their hearts out,” Damon said,

“And hers, too?” Tanya pointed to Zoe.

“Sure,” Damon said.

“You and what army?” Bella growled.

“That cat of hers is dangerous,” Tanya warned him. “Maybe she’s really a demon in a cat’s body.”

“And maybe you’re a demon inside a vampire’s skeletal body,” Bella shot back.

Tanya showed her fangs.

Bella yawned before lifting her left paw to daintily wash her face.

“We don’t have time for this right now,” Damon told Tanya. “Leave.”

“This isn’t over,” Tanya hissed before stomping out on her four-inch-heeled boots.

Zoe wasn’t sure if the female vampire was speaking to her or to Bella. Not that it mattered. Zoe knew that neither of them was on Tanya’s buddy list. Zoe didn’t know why Tanya was so upset with her. She could understand being miffed with Bella, but Zoe had tried to be polite. She’d even assured Tanya that she was welcome to Damon.

Which brought Zoe’s attention back to Damon and the self-satisfied look in his dark blue eyes. “You heard our conversation, didn’t you,” she said.

“Of course I did,” he replied. “I was standing right here.”

“I meant before. Your cameras were spying on me.”

“You seem to enjoy talking about me,” Damon noted with a smirk.

“Tanya does. Not me.”

“So you say.”

“I told her she was welcome to you,” Zoe reminded him.

“I know you did.” He sent her a reprimanding look. “You shouldn’t lie.”

“I didn’t lie,” she shot back.

“Come on. We both know you did.”

Zoe pulled her hair away from her face in exasperation before letting it fall loose again. “I do not know where that mysterious spell book went.”

“I wasn’t talking about the book.”

“What then?” she said.

“You saying you’re not interested in me.”

“Conceited much?”

He grinned and shrugged.

His movement drew her attention to his broad shoulders. Damon might be sexy but he was definitely off limits. Okay, he was
definitely
sexy, and he got to her in ways she had not expected. Even now, she felt the spark between them. Maybe it was a vampire thing but she suspected it was a Damon thing. She didn’t want to jump Nick and have sex with him the way she did with Damon.

She could tell by the knowing look in those damn bedroom eyes of his that he realized she was attracted to him, despite her best efforts to hide it.

She pointed to the camera in the corner. “We are not having this conversation.”

“Fine.” He leaned closer until his warm breath brushed her ear. “Talking about sex is overrated. Doing it is much better.”

She stopped herself from giving a soft moan of excitement, but it took a lot of effort.