Personal Demon (Otherworld 8)

I didn't know whether he could understand me. He glanced my way, but that might only have been a reaction to my voice.

"Have you gone through the bathroom yet? That's where it seems to have started, whatever it was."

A soft grunt, and he walked that way. So he could understand me.

I started following, then heard the squeak of the front-door knob. Karl's head swung up, ears swiveling.

I grinned. "Seems like someone's home and we've all been worrying for nothing."

The door opened. I started forward. Karl lunged and grabbed my hand in his teeth, fangs pressing into the skin, but careful not to break it. When I looked over at him, he flared his nostrils. I was about to pull away, when he flared them again, making a show of sniffing the air.

Whoever was in that hall wasn't Jaz or Sonny. I was about to dive into the bathroom with Karl when a voice called, "Faith? Is that you?"

I pulled away from Karl. He snapped to get my attention. I shook my head and started to close the door behind me. He lunged into the opening. Then he backed up, leaving a paw in the gap as I pulled shut the door.

Guy walked in. He wore a blue paisley shirt and smelled of cologne, as if he'd been heading out to hit the clubs, take a break from worrying about Jaz and Sonny.

"It is you," he said. "I thought I heard your voice."

Karl's paw vanished into the bathroom. I left the door as it was, so he could get it open, and moved into the living room.

"I heard someone coming in and thought it might be the guys."

"Sorry," he said.

"I know I probably shouldn't be here, but I thought maybe it would be easier to pick up a vision when I was alone."

"Was it?"

I moved to the sofa, making him turn his back to the bathroom door. "I caught flashes. Nothing relevant. But I'd like to keep trying."

He didn't take the hint, just told me to go ahead and he'd poke around looking for clues he might have missed. A dark shape passed the partly open bathroom door, Karl changing position to keep an eye on Guy.

Guy checked under the sofa.

"So no one's heard anything, I take it?" I said.

He shook his head and moved to the entertainment stand, searching it. I crossed to the door, struggling to think of a way to get him out of here. When I turned, he was in the middle of the room, looking around. His gaze fell on the bathroom door.

"I suppose I'll take off, then," I said. "Try to get some sleep."

I was about to ask him to walk outside with me, claim the neighborhood made me nervous, but he beat me to it, adding, "I should probably go too. This isn't helping. It's just..." He rolled his shoulders. "Making me feel useful, I guess."

I nodded. "Same here. Better to rest and clear our heads."

We headed downstairs. I planned to call for a cab, then circle the block in it and return for Karl.

But Guy, surprisingly, wanted to talk. Obviously he was worried and tense and, like many people under stress, he reacted by talking. He explained what the others were doing to hunt for Jaz and Sonny, then he told me some of their theories, then gave more details on their recent attack by the Cabal goons. Any other time, I'd have made the most of his loquacious mood, but all I

kept thinking was How do I get out of here? before Karl shot out the front door after me. When Guy finally did pause enough for me to say, "Oh, I should call that cab," he put out a hand to stop me.

"I'll give you a lift."

"Oh? Uh, sure. Where are you parked?"

"Just down the road."

He put his hand on my elbow and started leading me along the darkened sidewalk. "I want to stop by the club first, grab my stuff."