Demonically Tempted (Frostbite 2)

Chapter Twenty-One

By the time I finished telling Max about what happened with the demon and how he possessed Lizbeth plus many other people, he had paled and appeared on the verge of being ill. I thought it best not to include him in the next bit of my journey and had him drop me off to my car.

After a short drive, I arrived at the Lichterman Nature Center and strode on until I came to the bridge that stood over the lake. The sunny day I could appreciate, and the view was pretty enough, but my mood was too raw to enjoy it like I normally would.

I leaned over the railing, peering down into the murky water. I unwrapped the mirror and placed the black silk into my back pocket, just as my phone rang.

Keeping the mirror in my hand, I used the other to reach into my jeans and grabbed my phone. I raised it to my ear. “Hello.”

“Seems like someone is right up there with Luke Skywalker,” Zach said, amusement rolled off his tone. “You sure know how to fight off the dark side.”

I chuckled softly. “Apparently.”

“Where are you now?” he asked, his tone firm. “Max said you had something to do, but you could have called me. I would’ve gone with you.”

“Oh, just some more shit to take care of, but it’s nothing I couldn’t do alone.” I held the mirror over the railing on the bridge, then let go, watching it fall into the river with a splash. The mirror floated on top for only a split second before it sank. “But I’m done now and am heading home.”

“Good.” He paused and finally said, “Are you all right?”

I considered that, and thought it sweet he worried. “I’m not sure what I am. I think I need a bath, some sleep, then I’ll figure it all out.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he corrected.

No matter that Kipp had vanished into the Netherworld. No matter that my heart broke into a thousand pieces. And no matter that demons were quite real and I just had a personal introduction to one, I had my friends. Zach was among them. “That sounds even better.”

He hesitated again “Listen, I hate to do this now, but we have another case to get going on. Max said you can take tomorrow off to rest up and I know there’s a lot going on with Kipp, but duty calls.”

As much as I could’ve said more important things mattered. A job was a job. If Kipp was merely a human lover, I couldn’t put my job on the back burner to sort out my personal life and I wouldn’t do that now. “Tell Max I appreciate the day off and I’ll be at the station the day after tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” His voice cut out indicating he’d received another call. A scuffle came telling me he had glanced at the caller id, then he said, “I have to take that call, but get some sleep today.”

“Bye,” was all I said, then hung up.

I stared down into the water seeing nothing of importance. The mirror was now at the bottom of the lake where it’d stay. This business with the demon was over, and I hoped it’d remain that way. While I didn’t mind helping ghosts, I didn’t want a permanent position in fighting evil.

With a final look, I strode toward my car and was on the road in a jiffy. After being in a hurry for the past days, I drove below city limits, and the wind breezing through the window ruffled my hair.

Peace.

The drive was simply too short since it was the most relaxing thing I’d done in days, and as my condominium came into view, my heart clenched reminding me that Kipp wouldn’t be there.

Exhaustion couldn’t even allow tears to form. Emptiness touched my soul. Maybe after I slept, I’d cry again, shed more of the emotions that I knew were hidden. For now, I was the shell of the woman who once cared.

I pulled into my parking spot, exited the car, and headed toward the door when suddenly police sirens drew closer.

Just as I wrapped my hand on the

door handle, a car tore into the parking lot and squealed its tires. I turned around to see Eddie practically throw himself out of the car.

“You need to come with me,” he said, breathless.

I gasped as he reached me and wrapped his hand on my arm. “No way. I’m done in and going to bed.”

He yanked me forward. “No time. Come now. It’s about Kipp.”

I dug my heels into the ground, pulled my arm away and refused to move. “You’ve seen him?” I realized immediately how stupid of a statement that was since Eddie couldn’t see ghosts and added, “What about him?”

Eddie wrapped his arm around my waist, ignoring my struggles and questions, and ran us both toward his car. He opened the passenger side door, tossed me in, then sprinted in front of the hood and got into the car. He slammed into gear and tore down the road.