Alton pulled Ginny close after they crawled back into bed. It wasn’t even four yet—too early to get up, too late for any really restful sleep. Unfortunately, he was way too wired to sleep at all. The images from the battle they’d just fought kept flitting through his mind like scenes from a movie—Dax covered by demons with the demon king sucking his energy or life force or whatever out of him, Eddy held against the wall by the mass of demons, and Ginny, his beautiful Ginny, spinning and twirling like a dancer, striking out against the demon king as if she enjoyed every minute of the fight.

Thank goodness she’d chosen to stay, not only because he couldn’t bear to lose her, but because it was painfully obvious she was the best weapon they had to defeat the threat posed by the demon king.

A shiver ran along his spine. He hated to think of the danger this could expose her to. The thought of Ginny battling that monster…He wrapped his arms around her and held her even closer.

She nuzzled his chest and planted a kiss above his heart. “I thought you were asleep.”

“You’re kidding, right? I only came back to bed so Eddy and Dax would try and get some sleep.”

Ginny sighed. “I know. I’m worried about Dax. Whatever that thing is doing to him, it’s not good. He looks awful.”

“Dax will be fine. Once he gets back to Evergreen and takes a day to catch up on food and sleep, he’ll be himself again.” At least Alton hoped that was true. The demons were growing stronger by the day, but there were only four warriors armed with crystal, and they were all tired and frustrated. And Dax! What had the Edenites been thinking, to send one man against demonkind? Poor Dax hadn’t had a chance on his own. Alton wished there was some way to contact the Edenites, to find out if they had any ideas how to vanquish the demon king.

That strange creature was, after all, one of them, an inhabitant of Eden, so evil he’d been kicked out and exiled to the void. Too bad he hadn’t stayed where he belonged.

Ginny’s fingers swept along Alton’s flank and settled on the curve of his butt. Arousal seared him with her touch and he felt himself stir in response. They’d made love for hours last night. He’d been worried about her, wondered if she might be too tender this morning to…Nine hells! What was she doing?

She’d scooted down his body while he’d been lying here worrying. Now her soft lips trailed across his belly and lower, to the sensitive crease between his thigh and groin. Her tight curls brushed the length of his cock as she nibbled and kissed her way around all his suddenly alert parts.

Warm, wet lips traced a path over his belly, down to the base of his erection. He fisted both hands in the soft blankets and groaned when she trailed kisses his full length, all the way to the weeping tip.

“Ginny? What the nine hells do you think—” He gasped as her lips encircled the crown and she drew him deep inside the sleek, wet heat of her mouth. Her tongue and lips and teeth held him in place, and all conscious thought disappeared like demon mist on the wind.

She knelt between his thighs and curled her slim body in a graceful arc to take him in her mouth. One hand cupped his sac while the other encircled the base of his shaft, holding him in place so he wouldn’t choke her with an uncontrolled thrust of his hips.

As if he had any control left! Her mouth was so perfect, the sensation of full lips, stroking tongue, and sharp teeth taking him right to the edge where she held him on the precipice, teasing and tormenting him until he knew he couldn’t take any more.

Carefully she rolled his balls within their sac with one hand. With the other, her long, strong fingers applied pressure around the base of his erection—just enough to keep him from coming, even if he’d wanted to.

He didn’t. Not yet. Not until he’d found his place deep inside Ginny. She slipped him out of her mouth and blew a soft breath of air across his damp tip. He shuddered and arched his back, but met only the chill morning air. He heard the sound of tearing foil and almost lost it when her fingers wrapped around him once again and held him still.

Slowly Ginny rolled the condom over his sensitive length.

Then she was moving over him, straddling him, sinking down on his erection and taking him deep inside. Her sleek thighs locked against his hips and powerful vaginal muscles rippled over his full length, drawing him in, taking him home.

Ginny was his home, the one woman he would ever need, the only one he could ever love. Now, with her thoughts and heart open, he shared her deepest needs, her fears, her love.

Last night had been their debut, their first time together with the knowledge they loved each other. Today was a confirmation, the proof that what they’d felt before was real and true, that they could fight the evil facing them, so long as they faced it together.

Alton wrapped his arms around his lady love and rolled her over. She smiled up at him as he filled her. Her thoughts, so simple and yet profound, filled his mind.

I love you, she said. I will always love you.

As I love you, he replied. And then her body tightened in his arms and he set himself free to join her. Together they soared, and together they tumbled over the edge.

 

Ginny was the last one into the kitchen after finally crawling out of bed and taking a quick shower, but she’d slept so soundly after making love with Alton she hadn’t even heard him get out of bed. As revved up as she’d felt after the fight with the demon king, she hadn’t expected to sleep at all.

Dax looked up from his newspaper. “G’ morning. Alton’s out on the deck.”

Ginny nodded and poured herself a cup of coffee. “Where’s Eddy?”

“Talking to her dad. He’s going to drive up the mountain and meet us near the portal.” Dax shoved the paper across the table to Ginny. “People are beginning to notice things.”

Ginny looked up from her cup. “What kinds of things?”

“Strange animal behavior, birds attacking pets and people. They’ve discounted rabies. Now they’re talking about some new virus, or maybe toxic poisoning of some kind. So far no mention of demons. Are you sure you and Alton can handle stuff here if we leave?”

Ginny glanced at the paper. The articles were small, more like stories used as filler. At least they hadn’t made the front page. “We’ll be fine. You need to get stronger. You still don’t look like yourself.”

“He’s not.” Eddy stepped out of the bedroom, leaned over, and kissed Dax on top of the head. “I got into bed naked after the demon fight this morning, and all he did was hug me, roll over, and go to sleep. I’m definitely concerned.”

Ginny snorted. “I imagine so. Did you call nine-one-one?” She slapped her hand to her forehead. “Crap. That reminds me. I need to call Shascom and tell them I’m not coming back to work.”

Eddy pulled Ginny’s cell phone off the charger and handed it to her. “Do it now. I have a feeling today’s going to be really, really busy for you guys.”

She took her phone out to the back deck. Alton was sitting on a long, low bench beneath the shade with HellFire on his lap. Ginny leaned close, kissed his cheek, and sat beside him.

“I need to call work and give notice, effective today.” She punched in the numbers and made her call. It took no more than a couple of minutes to end a career she’d spent the past seven years building. When she completed the call, she stared at the phone in her hand.

“You okay?” Alton slipped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close.

“I am.” She leaned her head on Alton’s shoulder and thought about how it felt to be unemployed after so many years on the job. It felt weird, to be honest. She’d once seen her job at Shascom as the door to her future. A good, solid job with a steady income and hours she could count on, maybe going back to school to study law enforcement if she could save enough money.

She wondered how fighting demons compared to life as a sheriff’s deputy. “My supervisor said if I ever decide to come back, to let him know, that he didn’t want to lose me. That was nice of him. I need to stop by next time I’m in town and fill out some papers and empty out my locker, but that’s it.”

Alton planted a kiss on her temple. “Thank you. I know it wasn’t an easy decision, but we need you. I need you.”

Ginny leaned back so she could look him square in the eyes. “I need you, too. You’re right. It wasn’t an easy decision. Thank you for understanding that.” She stared off into the distance a moment and then she flashed him a wide smile. “It was my only choice. I love you.” She grabbed his hand and stood up. “C’mon. We need breakfast, and then we need to get moving.”

 

Ginny’s cell phone rang as she was turning onto Highway 89. Alton took the call while she watched for the exit leading to the vortex at Red Rock Crossing near Cathedral Rock.

Alton’s burst of laughter had everyone staring at him. By the time he ended the call he was wiping tears from his eyes.

Ginny turned left onto the narrow road that led to the vortex. “What’s so funny?”

“That was Dawson Buck, the veterinarian we met the other day.” He turned in the seat so Eddy and Dax could hear him. “I used a mild compulsion on him so I could explain the demon possession without raising too many questions, but he’d had a clinic filled with demon-possessed pets. Once the animals were caged, though, the demons fled. I asked him to let us know if he had more brought in.”

“And?” Ginny slowed down as the road narrowed.

“And, he’s figured out a way to catch demons, but now he doesn’t know what to do with them.”

“What? How?” Dax leaned forward.

“He says he’s using his shop vacuum. When the demons slip out of a caged pet, he’s somehow sucking them up into plastic bags and popping them into the freezer. He said they turn into little black ice cubes, but he’s not sure if they’re dead. He wants us to stop by later and take care of them.”

Eddy giggled. “Demon cubes? Wonder how they’d taste in a margarita? Run them through the blender with a little tequila, add some triple sec and lime juice, salt around the rim of the glass…”

Ginny pulled up to the park entrance, paid the fee, and drove on in. She went as far as she could, parked the Yukon, and turned in her seat. “Don’t demons have issues with salt?”

Shrugging, Eddy turned to Dax. “I don’t know. Is salt a problem for you?”

“Only if there’s not enough on my steak.” Dax unfastened his seat belt. “What are we looking for at this vortex?”

“He can be such a poop.” Still laughing, Eddy got out of the SUV and gazed at the surrounding country.

Alton and Ginny joined the two of them. Ginny glanced at a map she’d picked up in one of the local shops. “This way.” She grabbed Alton’s hand and tugged him down a trail that followed the creek.

“Actually,” Dax said, “demons do have issues with salt. It’s a pure substance, whereas demons are impure beings. If you’re in fear of demons, make an unbroken circle of pure salt around the interior of a room or around your bed when you’re sleeping. They can’t cross it.”

“Now he tells me.” Eddy snorted. “Why didn’t we do that last night?”

“Because demons aren’t supposed to be able to do what they did last night. They shouldn’t have that kind of strength in this dimension. Not without an avatar.” Dax hugged Eddy close as they walked. “I’m sorry. I really am. We have to quit underestimating the bastards.”

Ginny turned and walked backward a few steps. “Well, obviously demonkind has interacted with humans before, or we wouldn’t have so much mythology about them. Someone, somewhere had to learn the stuff about salt keeping them away. Every religion has demons.” She laughed. “Where would Hollywood be without demons?”

Dax nodded. “Occasionally a demon will manage the crossing from Abyss to Earth and maintain his demon form, but it’s a rare occasion; it takes an unusually powerful demon with old skills, and they’ll try to possess someone as quickly as possible before getting sucked back into the void. What’s happening now is unprecedented, the way they’re coming in such huge groups, the evolution of their abilities. The demon king, or whatever the hell he is.” He shook his head. “I wish we had more information. It’s like the rules keep changing but no one has thought to update the playbook.”

“Just like a man,” Eddy said, hugging his arm. “Human for just a few days and he’s already making sports analogies. Don’tcha love it?”

“Playbook or not, they’re definitely stronger at night. That’s when we’re seeing them without avatars.” Alton glanced around. “I wonder where they go during daylight?”

Eddy gazed up at the clear sky. “They appear to be in the birds and other animals during the day. I wonder if they leave the avatars behind now, once it’s dark? Could the ones that came after us last night have spent the day inside animal avatars?”

Ginny shuddered. “That makes way too much sense.”

Alton stopped everyone with a wave of his hand. “Do you feel anything here?”

Ginny was the first to look at him with a big smile. “It feels good. Almost as if we should all be happy.”

Eddy frowned. “You’re right. How weird. Usually when we get close to a vortex, I begin to sense demonkind and I get really anxious.”

Dax stepped closer to the creek. The cliffs rose high above them at this point, blocking the view of the beautiful monument known as Cathedral Rock. “The vortex is here. I sense it, but there’s no scent of demons. Interesting. They’ve been at every single one we’ve found so far.”

Alton hugged Ginny. “Ginny can answer your questions.”

“Me? How so?” She frowned at him.

“Remember what you said about girl vortexes? That this one is known for its feminine energy? Only goodness exists here.” He leaned close and kissed the frown off her face. “And we all know how sweet you women are. Filled with nothing but goodness and light.”

Laughing, Ginny stepped close to the wall of the cliff. “Obviously he doesn’t know me very well.” She slanted a look at Eddy. “Or you, either. Goodness and light. Right.” She ran her hand over the cliff, searching with all of her senses for the portal. She really wanted to find it on her own, if only to prove to Alton that she was learning to handle her new skills.

Her hand slipped through the stone. “It’s here,” she said. She reached for DarkFire and pulled the sword free of her scabbard. The others unsheathed their swords. Together, they stepped through the portal and into the heart of the vortex.

 

Alton wasn’t certain what he expected, but the tiny cavern with only two small portals wasn’t it. One led directly to Bell Rock, just a few miles away. The other appeared to link to Lemuria. There was no scent of demon, no sign of other gateways to other worlds. Just Lemuria and Bell Rock.

“I expected more,” he said, holding HellFire high to search for other portals. “Cathedral Rock feels so powerful, but there’s not much here at all. I wonder why?”

“I can answer your question.”

“HellFire?” Alton turned the sword so that the crystal blade faced him. Not that HellFire actually had a face or even a mouth or brain or anything else remotely functional, but he always felt better conversing with the spirit that lived in the crystal if he was looking at the blade.

Go figure. “Explain, please. I’m curious.”

“During the last eruption of Mount Shasta, when the people of Lemuria relocated to Sedona, this portal was put in place as a secret route back to Lemuria. It was used by members of the Council of Nine.”

“But how could they go back? Wasn’t Lemuria destroyed by the eruption?”

“No, Alton. That fear was propagated by your father and other members of the council. Lemuria is not in the same dimension as Mount Shasta. The volcano’s eruption had no effect on your world, only on the exterior portals. There was no reason to leave your home.”

Alton’s legs felt like they might fold beneath him. He leaned against the cavern wall and stared at the glowing blade. Eddy, Ginny, and Dax waited silently while he tried to figure out exactly what HellFire was telling him. “Why?” he asked. “It doesn’t make any sense. Why would my father want to uproot an entire people, move families and all that was familiar to them to this place in the desert?”

“Your father wasn’t always the head of the Council of Nine. The move to Sedona was entirely political, all designed to strengthen his position as chancellor. It had worked for him before when Lemurians abandoned their sinking continent. He used that first move and the chaos that ensued to subjugate and then purge the women warriors from Lemurian society, as well as usurp the power of the man who was then the leader—his own father.”

“I’ve never heard any of this. Couldn’t anyone stop him?”

HellFire’s glow pulsed and faded. “Your father rules by fear and lies. Lemurians love debate, but they are a trusting people. No one questioned him. He stepped into the role of leader by virtue of his forceful nature. The move unsettled the status quo and further strengthened his position. Now no one risks crossing him.”

Alton straightened up. “Why haven’t you said anything about this before?”

HellFire shimmered. “We may only give knowledge in its proper time. I am sorry. There are powerful limits on what we may share.”

“Well, shit and nine hells.” Alton glared at the blade. “If that’s true, someone has to stop my father. He’s the reason our people won’t join the fight against demonkind, isn’t he?”

HellFire pulsed a brilliant blue and fell silent. Alton stared at the gateway to Lemuria. Only a few steps and he could be home. He could find out for himself what lies his father was spreading.

Ginny wrapped her fingers around his forearm. “Not now, Alton. Wait until we speak with Taron. He’ll meet us at the Bell Rock vortex in a few hours. Dax needs to go back to Evergreen, not to Lemuria.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her close. “You’re right. That doesn’t mean I don’t intend to have a heart-to-heart discussion with my father. He has a lot to answer for.”

Dax clapped a hand on Alton’s shoulder. “I agree. It’s beginning to sound as if he’s using his position for the good of Artigos, not for the good of Lemuria.”

“I think you’re probably right.” Alton took another look around the small cavern. He couldn’t think about his father right now. Didn’t want to even consider some of the terrible things he’d done, and for what? What was his motive? Why would one man force an entire civilization to pack up and move? Of course, Alton couldn’t figure out how he’d convinced them to do it, either. None of this made sense and his mind seethed with questions, but Ginny was right. This was not the time. He stared at the two portals for a moment, then turned to Eddy and Dax. “Do you want to go straight through to Bell Rock from here?”

Dax glanced at Eddy. She shrugged. “We might as well,” she said. “Dad will be on Mount Shasta to meet us in about an hour. It’ll take us at least that long to walk down the mountain to the spot where he’ll be.” She turned and hugged Ginny. “You guys be careful, okay? And call me as soon as you talk to Taron. We’re all going to be really anxious to hear what he’s got to say.”

Ginny grabbed Alton’s hand. “Let’s go with them. At least as far as Bell Rock.”

Alton nodded. “Sounds good. Do you have everything you need?”

Eddy patted the bag hanging from her shoulder. “All in here.” She grabbed Dax’s hand and stepped through the portal. Ginny and Alton followed right behind them.

Within a few steps they’d popped out into the energy vortex in Bell Rock. The difference was noticeable the moment they left the purely feminine energy of the vortex at Red Rock Crossing. Here, where masculine and feminine energy was in balance, there was neither a sense of joy nor fear. Instead, Alton felt energized and ready for whatever he might need to face.

“The seal is still holding.” He ran his fingers over the melted stone that marked the portal to Abyss. “I closed this the first day I arrived.”

Dax sniffed the air. “There’s no sulfur stench at all. They haven’t made a new gateway.”

Eddy gazed around the large cavern. “I don’t see any others that might lead to Abyss. Ginny, you closed the one in Boynton Canyon, right?”

Ginny nodded. “I did.”

“Okay, that’s Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon, and the one at the airport. There wasn’t a portal to Abyss at Red Rock Crossing, so unless there’s a vortex we’re missing, that should be all of them.” Eddy looked from one to the other. “Agreed?”

“Which means the only demons we should need to worry about are the ones that are already here—and the demon king, who doesn’t appear to need a portal, which is just plain scary.” Dax took a deep breath. “So, how many is that?”

“A bunch,” Alton said. “Hundreds, at the most, a dozen or so at the least, including the demon king. There was a huge flock of possessed birds that got away, though we did kill an awful lot of demons early this morning.”

“Yeah, but the vet is still seeing possessed animals at the clinic,” Ginny added.

Alton agreed. “We need to get over there. I can’t wait to see how he’s catching and freezing the bastards.”

Eddy stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “You do that. I’m taking Dax home. We’ll be back in a couple of days. Sooner if he’s feeling better or if you need us, but call as soon as you talk to Taron.” She turned and gave Ginny a big hug. “And be careful. Don’t take any chances.”

Laughing, Ginny hugged her back. “You’re kidding, right? You’re leaving me here with this crazy Lemurian to hunt demons and telling me not to take chances? A little late for that, don’t you think? Go. Now. Give your dad a big kiss for me. Dax? Get healthy and come back.” She gave Eddy a slight shove toward the portal to Mount Shasta.

Dax grabbed Eddy’s hand and they stepped through the gateway and disappeared. Ginny stared at the pulsing color that marked the portal and sighed. “She’s the best girlfriend I’ve ever had.” She leaned her head against Alton’s shoulder. “But I realized today, you’re my best friend. You know me even better than Eddy does.”

Alton wrapped his arm around her waist. “Thank you.” He kissed the top of her head. “I feel the same about you. It’s a good feeling, but I understand your feelings for Eddy. Though Taron is my oldest male friend, I’ve grown closer to Dax because of what we’ve shared. I worry about him. He needs to regain his strength before he fights the demon king again.”

Ginny tugged his arm and turned toward the portal that would take them back to Red Rock Crossing. “I know. I just hope the demon king hasn’t followed him back to Evergreen.”

Alton stared at the portal Eddy and Dax had just passed through. He took a deep breath and let it out in a long, slow sigh. Reassured there was no stench of demon about, he followed Ginny through the portal that would take them back to the Red Rock Crossing vortex at Cathedral Rock.

 

They checked the vortex at Cathedral Rock one more time. Nothing at all. No sign of any other gateways beyond the one to Bell Rock and the other to Lemuria. Ginny felt Alton’s anger even without telepathy—thank goodness they wouldn’t be seeing his father anytime soon. She didn’t want to think about what that meeting would be like.

They left the vortex and walked the short distance back to the Yukon. It was cool and clear out today. The air smelled fresh and clean. No scent of sulfur, no hint of demons.

Ginny stopped beside the car door. “We’ve got time to go see the vet.”

Alton nodded, but it was obvious his mind was on other things. He climbed into the passenger seat without a word. Ginny got in beside him and stuck the key in the ignition. Before starting the engine, she turned and stared at him until he raised his head and returned her steady gaze.

“Alton, you’re not your father,” she said, shaking her head for emphasis. “You have no control over the things the man has done, and no reason to feel guilty about his misdeeds.”

He looked away, stared straight ahead, and sighed. “I can’t believe he is so obsessed with power that he’s willing to destroy an entire civilization. I don’t understand it. He’s got to be stopped, Ginny. Whether he’s my father or not, the man has to be stopped.”

She stared at him long enough that he finally tilted his head and looked at her once again. “I agree, Alton. And I imagine you’re going to be the one to stop him. I just don’t want you to feel guilty for doing what has to be done.”

“Thank you.” He reached across the console and wrapped his fingers around her arm. “If you’re beside me, I believe I can do anything.” His lips quirked up in a half smile. “Now let’s go check out Dr. Dawson Buck and his demon cubes.”

It was almost noon by the time they reached the clinic. Ginny parked in the back and she and Alton walked around to the front door. The CLOSED sign was up. “They must shut down for a lunch break.” She knocked sharply on the door.

Dawson Buck opened it almost immediately. Ginny’d forgotten how attractive the man was in his own quirky way. He was tall and lean with unkempt, shaggy dark hair, neatly trimmed beard, and a definite twinkle in his dark blue eyes. The creases beside his mouth and the laugh lines around his eyes said a lot about his sense of humor.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, stepping back and inviting them in. “This is good timing. The staff’s gone to a luncheon for one of my employees. A bridal shower.” He laughed. “Thank goodness they don’t expect me to show up.” As he talked, he headed toward the kennel in the back of the clinic with Ginny and Alton right behind him.

There was a large chest freezer against one wall. “I have this for animals that need to be preserved for testing, or for the occasional client who wants their pet stuffed or freeze-dried.”

“Freeze-dried?” Ginny shook her head. “Stuffing Fido is bad enough, but freeze-drying?”

Dr. Buck chuckled. “It sounds a bit macabre, but they actually look okay when they’re done right.” He raised the lid on the freezer and pulled out a cardboard box. “I’ve been keeping the little bastards in here.”

He opened the box. Inside, baggies filled with little black chunks of ice were neatly stacked in rows.

“Wow.” Alton shook his head. “That’s fantastic. You must have fifty or sixty of them.”

“You’re good. Fifty-seven, actually. I got the last one yesterday. Haven’t had any new patients brought in today, and neither have any of the other vets in town, or the animal shelters. Everyone’s aware of the strange animal behavior and we’re all sort of keeping up with each other, though I haven’t mentioned demons.” He laughed and shook his head. “Enough of my peers already think I’m nuts without that. I’m wondering, though, if we’ve got most of them.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice.” Alton reached for one of the baggies and set it on the tile counter. “Let’s see if this works.” He carefully opened the sealed plastic bag and dumped the frozen demon in the sink. It clunked and rattled just like a regular ice cube.

Ginny drew her sword as Alton pulled HellFire out of the scabbard.

The vet stepped back out of the way. “Where the hell did those come from? I didn’t even see them when you walked in.”

Ginny flashed him a quick grin. “They’re magic,” she said. “You can only see them if they want to be seen.” She almost giggled when Dawson Buck merely nodded, as if magic made perfect sense. Of course, in her new reality it did. She wondered if Alton’s compulsion was still working on the man.

DarkFire flashed a brilliant violet light over the frozen demon. All its demonic features were exposed, twisted and frozen in a dark parody of evil.

The vet hissed a soft curse and stepped back. “Holy shit. If I’d known how nasty they looked, I might have thought twice about trying to catch them.”

“They’re definitely ugly.” Ginny held DarkFire in place, almost mesmerized by the disgusting creature lying frozen against the white porcelain sink. “They only show their true colors in the glow from my sword.”

“Let’s hit this together and see what happens.” Alton’s words snapped her back to the present. He touched HellFire’s sharp point to one side of the frozen demon. Ginny tapped the other side with DarkFire’s tip. The demon sizzled and burst into a shower of blue and violet sparks and sulfur stench. The steam dissipated almost immediately. Only the foul odor remained.

“Now that we know that works…” Alton shoved the box toward the vet. “Doctor Buck, why don’t you open the bags and dump them in the sink. We’ll get rid of all of them before your staff returns.”

“Call me Dawson, and there’s no rush. Lunch is at a good Mexican restaurant that serves the best margaritas in town. I don’t expect anyone to show up for a couple of hours. Besides, they’ll all be next to worthless when they get back.” He grinned. “I’ve left the afternoon schedule free.”

Ginny glanced at Alton and they both cracked up. All Ginny could think of was the demon margarita Eddy’d been joking about earlier, as one after one they sent the frozen demons sizzling and sparking away to the void.

Ginny zapped the final demon with DarkFire and carefully slipped her sword back in the scabbard while Alton cleaned up the used baggies. They reeked of sulfur.

“Throw them in here. This is for toxic waste.” Dawson opened the lid of a heavy-duty waste can and Alton threw all the used baggies inside.

“I want to see how you trapped them.” Alton rinsed his hands off in the sink. “I’m really impressed. I never would have thought of using a vacuum.”

Dawson dragged a big shop vac out from under the counter. “I just stick the possessed animal in one of the smaller pens. It only takes a minute or two before the demon realizes it’s trapped, and it pops out of the critter. I imagine they’re looking for an animal that’s not caged, but the minute I see the black mist hovering in the air, I suck it up with the vacuum, grab a baggie, put it over the nozzle and reverse the airflow. That blows it into the baggie, I seal it shut and toss it in the freezer.”

“Amazing.” Alton slapped him on the shoulder. “Be sure and call us if you come across more. Ginny and I can come back and get rid of them.”

“Sounds good.” Dawson shoved the vacuum back under the counter and walked them to the door. “Can you tell me what’s going on? Where they’re coming from?”

Alton shot a quick glance at Ginny. Silently, she replied, He deserves to know, don’t you think?

I agree.

Alton paused by the door and gazed out at the quiet street that ran in front of the clinic. His thoughts were wide open to Ginny, the fears he had that this could all end if the demon invasion were successful. He looked directly at Dawson when he explained what they were involved in.

“The balance between good and evil is tipping toward darkness as demons move into this world. Ginny and I are part of a very small group fighting demonkind. We’ve closed the local pathways into Earth’s dimension, but the battle’s far from over. We can’t let any of them escape, and those we’ve not caught are growing stronger by the hour.” He placed a hand on Dawson’s shoulder. “Be careful. They’ve already possessed at least one man we’re aware of. Be alert when you’re around them.”

“Why are you keeping it secret? Shouldn’t the army be brought in?”

“We can’t risk it,” Ginny said. “They’d come in with guns blazing. Every death in the fight against demonkind, even of cats and birds and dogs, means another soul lost and more energy for the demons.”

“Imagine the panic,” Alton added. “People would see demons in everything. It would feed right into the demons’ plans. They thrive on chaos.”

Ginny laughed and bumped him with her hip. “Imagine explaining you.” She smiled at Dawson. “Alton’s not human. He’s actually from another dimension. One of our guys is an ex-demon in a human body. I’m not fully human, and there’s a dog hosting the spirit of a will-o’-the-wisp that can communicate telepathically.”

Dawson’s eyes got bigger with each little bit of information they shared. Finally he sat down on his desk and started to laugh. “I was going to say thank you for trusting me, but now I’m wondering if I really want to know all this. My staff already thinks I’m nuts. Harmless, but nuts.”

Dawson held out his hand to Alton. “I’ve got a million questions that I hope you’ll be able to answer for me someday. I promise to keep all this to myself.” He laughed again as they shook hands. “Hell, if I tried to tell anyone what you’ve just told me, they’d have me committed. I wouldn’t believe a word of what you’ve said if I hadn’t seen those little bastards myself.”

He stood and walked them to the back door of the clinic. “You’ve got my number. If there’s anything at all I can do to help, call me. Anything. I mean it.”

Dawson closed the door behind them and Alton and Ginny walked back to the Yukon and took their seats.

“I’m glad we told him,” Ginny said. “I don’t think he’ll say anything.”

“I agree. Sometimes you have to learn to trust people.” He caught Ginny’s eye and she smiled at him. They were both living proof that trust didn’t always come easy.

“What next?” Ginny stuck the key in the ignition.

“I think we need to check with Markus.”

“Markus? What for?” She backed out of the parking place and headed toward the neighborhood where her aunt and cousins lived.

“Because we’re secret government agents and we need to keep him informed. Besides, there’s a really good taco stand on the way to his house.” He flashed her a bright smile. “Unfortunately, I don’t think they serve margaritas.”

“Gotcha.” She pulled a pout. “I just hope I’ll survive.”

“I hope we both do,” Alton added.

She turned her head and caught him looking at her. He wasn’t smiling anymore.