“Sure, I’d probably need to be able to touch her, but I can do that.”
“You must remember that if Cassidy gets caught in a vision. Being able to limit her involvement could save both of you.” Sorren said. “We should expect our adversaries to use our weaknesses. Cassidy’s talents are much more widely known than yours. Moran will try to use her magic against her.” He stood. “I need to go prepare for our demon hunter. I’ll see you all later tonight.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I’D NEVER MET a demon hunter before. I’d seen movies, so I guess I was thinking of someone who looked like a cross between Van Helsing and Blade. Taras Mirov didn’t.
Mirov was about five and a half feet tall and muscular. He didn’t look like he worked out at the gym.
His kind of build came from a grueling military regimen and hard physical labor. Mirov had sandy blond hair, cut short. His eyes were light blue, cold and unreadable. I put his age at early thirties, give or take a few years. He wore an olive green jacket and fatigues with a black t-shirt and heavy lug-soled boots.
“I’m here to take care of your problem,” he said when Sorren met him at the door. Mirov’s English was good, but his accent was thick. He carried himself like a soldier. Hard to change old habits. He shrugged out of a battered backpack as he entered. I couldn’t see any weapons on him, but I was betting he was armed to the teeth.
It was close to ten o’clock, and we had driven out to Sorren’s house in the country, a short way beyond the city limits. It was one of many homes he owned around the world, he had told me, acquired through third parties that kept his name – and therefore questions about his age – out of the public record. The house was newer than antebellum, but not by much. By Charleston standards, it was small as former plantations went. The fields held thoroughbred horses, not crops. A small but very loyal and discreet staff meant Sorren was insulated from the day-to-day management, making it easy for him to stay out of sight.
In the time I’d been working with Sorren, I’d only been to the house once or twice. It was old and grand, decorated simply and tastefully. Comfortable, but with very few personal touches. I wondered if Sorren didn’t go in much for knick-knacks, or whether over the centuries, things become a burden and mementos hold too many memories. Or maybe, this was just a safe-house and his real home was elsewhere.
There were some questions you just didn’t ask your vampire boss.
Sorren showed Mirov in to the living room, where Teag, Lucinda, and I were already seated. Mirov did not wave or make a move to shake hands. All business.
He did, however, accept a cup of tea. Sorren had made it the Russian way, in the large antique samovar that sat on the dining room table. It was a gesture of respect, and it made me see Mirov as more than just a hired gun.
“Your trip was uneventful?” Sorren asked, taking a seat and gesturing for Mirov to sit down.
Mirov shrugged. “Fortunately, yes. Eventful is usually a bad thing,” he said, allowing a faint smile.
Sorren made introductions and recapped what we knew thus far. Teag, Lucinda, and I added our details. Mirov listened intently, not speaking until we had all finished.
“So you’re not completely sure yet where the demon’s made his nest?” he asked.
Teag unrolled the map of the old Navy yard. “The bodies have either been found near or within the grounds of the Navy yard, or were men who had some kind of connection to that location. And we’ve got evidence that Moran was using one of the buildings at the abandoned storage facility, so that’s our starting point, and probably the demon’s lair.” He shrugged. “I just don’t want to assume anything until we have evidence.”
“It also aligns with the coordinates the Alliance supplied of where we’ve seen a spike in supernatural activity,” Sorren supplied.
“And that entire area has had enough death, misfortunate and betrayal to give it monumentally bad mojo,” I said.
Mirov chuckled. “Bad mojo? I would say so.”
Up close, Mirov reminded me of a stray dog that had been in too many fights. Lean, wary, constantly ready to react, with the scars to show for a life on the rough side. Mirov’s hands and arms had a number of old cuts and burns, plus something that looked like a nasty bite. The puckered skin of a severe burn went down his neck and peeked out at the collar of his shirt. His short hair barely covered another old scar, a large one, on his scalp.
“Can we get into this Navy yard for another look?” Mirov asked, studying the map.
“Yes we can, but whether we should or not is another matter,” Sorren said. “The police have stepped up patrols because of the number of bodies found.”
Mirov looked mildly amused. “I’m not worried about your police.”
“It would be inconvenient if you were spotted, or detained,” Sorren noted.
Mirov shrugged as if that outcome was unlikely.
“I’ve been into the area twice with Teag and Cassidy,” Sorren said. “Both times, we were attacked and had to fight our way out. The violence escalated between the two attacks. I don’t think you’ll be able to get in and stroll around without attracting attention, and that will tip Moran and the demon off. We could lose our chance.”
“The fact remains, we haven’t located the demon’s nest with certainty. You think it’s in the storage facility or somewhere close. But that’s four large buildings—and there’s not much room for error unless we can pinpoint his location. It’s already risky to go to him in his home territory,” Mirov said. “Better for us if we can draw him out into the open.” He shook his head. “The area is too big to go in without knowing his location. Too much room for error.”
“I’ll go,” Sorren said. “I’m faster and stronger, and harder to destroy.” He gave Mirov a lopsided grin.
“You’re good, Taras, but you’re still mortal.”
Mirov gave another shrug. “Fine by me. Get an address, and we can pull down satellite pictures at street level.” He smiled. “I love the Internet.”
“I’ll check the area around the storage unit,” Sorren said. “Confirm the layout, check for any recent activity.” He must have seen my look of concern, because he shook his head.
“No, I’m not going to try to enter any of the buildings… I don’t want to alert them too early,” he added. “But if we’re going to war, we need to know the lay of the land.”
Mirov leaned forward. “When do we strike?”
Sorren frowned. “When we feel we’re ready. Soon, but not quite yet.” He paused. “Did you bring what I requested?”
Mirov nodded and opened his backpack. He took out several items wrapped in cloth and tied with twine. As I looked closer, I saw that the twine was unusual, made of many-colored strands and each knot was sealed with wax. I glanced at Teag and he nodded. The bindings were magical.
Teag moved the map aside, and Mirov laid the wrapped pieces on the coffee table.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Unwrap them. See if the objects will accept you.”
He slid two of the packages toward me and two toward Teag, then watched us, waiting. I glanced at Sorren, who nodded reassuringly.
The first package I picked up was wrapped in a piece of suede. I snapped the wax seal and felt a tingle of magic. The twine fell away, and the suede opened to reveal a ring with a tiger’s eye stone.
“The ring affects your inner sight,” Sorren said. “It gives you greater control about what you see and when you see it. It can bring you clarity, and allow you to shut down your sight if you don’t want to be affected by visions.”
Handy, that. I took a deep breath and picked up the ring, expecting to be floored by a vision. It felt warm in my hand, and I felt a glow of well-being and strength. Warily, I slipped it onto my finger. Then I closed my eyes and focused on the ring, willing it to keep me from seeing visions. Before I could second guess myself, I put my hand down on the second package and felt… nothing.