“The wendigo,” I breathed.
“You know what it is?”
“Yeah. I almost went berserk myself. But I thought it was just me, the Chosen Host thing. I almost tried to eat Doc.”
“Jesus.”
“But he gave me a potion that’s working really well.” I looked up at Erasmus hovering in the doorway. “I wonder if Doc could somehow cast a spell over the whole town. Go find out.”
His eyes were blazing. “Now?”
If he thought I’d still be up for some kitchen table sex, he was out of his mind. “Yes, Erasmus. Now!”
“Beelze’s tail,” he grumbled and promptly vanished.
“What does that even mean?” said Ed.
“Forget him. Do you want some water?”
“Stronger.”
“Coming up.”
I ran back to the kitchen and got down some bourbon from the cupboard. I sloshed some into a glass and ran back out.
Ed knocked it back. He stared at the empty glass. It looked small in his large hand. “I’m not supposed to drink while on duty, but screw that.” He twitched his gaze toward me. “You almost…attacked Doc?”
I swallowed. The memory was still very fresh. “Yeah.”
“What is this thing again? A wendigo? I think I’ve heard of that.”
“It’s an Algonquin thing. In a famine, you turn into one if you eat human flesh. I’ve seen it. I was face to skull with it. And then I was taken over with this overwhelming need for human meat. Before I could kill it, it got away.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t. Kill it, I mean.”
“I could feel its emotions. It was so sad. And so ashamed. I almost felt sorry for it. But I could also tell it wanted to eat me.” I rubbed my temple. “These things are getting stronger. It’s because of Halloween.”
“What do you mean?”
“Erasmus says that there’s power in the world that most people can’t connect to. But talented witches and, I guess, people like me can. This power gets strongest at the solstices. But Halloween sort of haywires or hijacks it. It’s a dangerous time for people like me because creatures get stronger and mages get weaker. At least that’s what I got out of it.”
“So Halloween’s bad?”
“Very bad. The closer we get the worse the Booke will be. So I really have to get it destroyed before Halloween.”
“How are you going to do that?”
I turned to Ed and took his hands. “I’ve decided to travel to the Netherworld. There’s a being there who’s strong enough to destroy it.”
“Do I want to know?”
“Uh…probably not. And…he’ll want my soul in exchange.”
“Kylie!” His hand tightened on mine.
“But that’s why I haven’t left yet. I’m trying to get the coven to figure out a way for me to do that and not leave my soul behind.”
He let me go and fell back against the chair with a sigh. “Well…are they any closer to achieving that?”
“I just started Doc thinking about it. Erasmus and I…well.” I gave a nervous laugh. “We went on a date.”
Ed made a sound between a snort and a laugh. “With all this going on?” He threw up his hands. “Hell, why not? And how was that?”
“It was nice,” I said defensively, not meeting his eyes.
“Wow,” he said softly. “You are really into that guy. Did our time together mean nothing at all?”
I rested my hand on his shoulder. “Of course it did. I treasured our brief time together. And if it had been right, I would have pursued it. But there was always something about Erasmus…”
“I didn’t have a chance, did I.”
“If he hadn’t come into my life, you would have. I’m sorry, Ed.”
He slouched in the chair. “That’s all right. I kind of see what you mean. Shabiri is kind of a bitch but… She has her moments.”
I couldn’t help but stare at him. I finally blurted out, “Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously. I’m surprised you’d even say that to me.”
“Yeah, sorry. Demons, huh? What are you gonna do?”
There was a pensive look on his face, sort of wistful. “There’s a…sadness about her. It’s hidden there beneath her sarcasm. I can tell a defense mechanism when I see one. We’ve had…talks.”
“Talks. About what?”
“About being a demon. About what it means to her.”
I would have liked to hear that conversation, but I suspected it was pretty personal. For Ed’s ears only. He looked uncomfortable mentioning it, so I didn’t pursue it.
Ed stared thoughtfully at the cold fireplace. “Halloween is less than a week away.”
Change of subject. Okay. “I know. And Baphomet is still out there. Plus, Reverend Howard came over telling me people have started reporting strange goings-on, like flying beasties and zombies.”
“Uh oh.”
“I don’t know how to prevent people from seeing that. I’m surprised more people aren’t calling your station to complain.”
“I did get a call or two about a possible UFO and a flying creature—which I’m sure was your favorite Goat Guy. And then there was the damage he inflicted.” He frowned. “We were able to call it a gas line explosion. People are dead.”
“I know. I gotta stop it, Ed. This Booke has got to be stopped for good.”
“Look. When the coven meets again, will you invite me? I want to have a say in this. If you go to this Netherworld, then I want to go with you.”
“That’s sweet of you. But I get the impression humans aren’t welcomed there.”
“You’re going.”
“That’s different.”
“Why is it different? Because I’m not some demon?”
“You know why it’s different. I’m…I don’t know. Sort of…in between worlds. The Booke is drawing me in.” I couldn’t help but turn my head to gaze at it.
“Dammit, Kylie. I sure hate that this has happened to you.”
“You and me both.”
He slipped his arm around my shoulders and I leaned in against him. Of course it was at that moment that Erasmus returned with Doc.
“Am I interrupting something?” said Erasmus nastily.
“No,” I said nastily right back. Then I ignored him and looked at Doc. “Doc, Ed just told me—”
“Yes, Mr. Dark explained. I think that we can spread the spell to encompass the village. It might have some adverse reactions—”
“But not as adverse as cannibalism, right?”
“You make a good point.”
“And anyway,” I said. I couldn’t help but walk to the window and peer out again. “It’s only temporary until I kill that thing.”
“We’ll have to make the potion to work as a fine mist…” He began thinking of the problem and started pacing.
I was imagining something like a crop-duster, but I didn’t think we knew anyone with a small plane. “Maybe I should just send up the Bat Signal,” I said. I got out my phone and clicked the first member of the coven.
* * *
Erasmus paced, and I could’ve sworn he was scorching my floor. I tried once or twice to mention it but there didn’t seem to be a point anymore.
The door burst open and Nick, our Goth-lite barista with dyed black hair and black fingernails, stood panting in the doorway. “What have I missed?”
I leaned against the counter. “All of you Wiccans have to come up with a protection spell so Erasmus and I can go to Hell.”
His gaze flicked toward Erasmus, who was still pacing. “Uh…okay. Why?”
“Because he and I are going to the Netherworld to ask Satan to destroy the Booke of the Hidden for good.”
He bit his lip and his brows moved upward. “S-Satan?”
“The one and only.”
“Right.” He reached for a chair behind him and sat. “Because this isn’t freaky enough as it is.” He glanced at Ed and did an automatic chin raise toward him.
“We, uh, also have to stop the cannibalism that might be going around,” I said.
He wilted. “I spoke too soon.”
Seraphina, our middle-aged boho witch, hit the open doorway next. “Nick? How did you get here? Your car isn’t in the parking lot.”
“Oh, I ran. I forgot. Jeez, I hope no one saw me. I think I was on all fours.”
There were times that I forgot he was a werewolf. A black, Goth werewolf.
“And Doc? Did you also…run?”
“No, Mr. Dark brought me in a most unconventional way.”
She took off her jacket, hung it by the door, and faced us with arms folded. “What’s the emergency?”
I held a hand up to Doc. “I’ll field this one. There’s a wendigo on the loose and it made me feel a little cannibalistic, so Doc hurried here to give me a potion…before I tried to eat him.”
Doc smiled and shrugged.
“Oh my goddess,” she said.
“But after that, we came up with a plan to destroy the Booke.”
“I am against it,” put in Erasmus.
“So noted in the record. He and I are going to the Netherworld to ask Satan to destroy the Booke.”
She cocked her head, her mouth open. She walked sedately to one of the wingbacks and sat, folding her hands on her thighs. “You’re just going to ask him? And what does he get in return?”
I took a deep breath. “My soul.”
“Kylie!” She was on her feet.
“Everyone, relax! I’m not going to give it to him.”
“I fail to see how you will avoid it,” growled Erasmus.
“By some clever maneuvers, spells, and…stuff. Right, Doc?”
“Right. We’ll have to put our heads together and do some digging to find all the protections we can. And we have to find a way to disconnect Mr. Dark from the book before you go.”
Nick stood. “Can we do that? Should we do that?”
“Yes!” I said sternly.
Doc walked over to Nick and rested his hands on his shoulders. “Son, we’re going to have to. And we’ve got less than a week to do it.”
“Of course,” he said. “Why not? Everything has a deadline. But we’re gonna need Jolene.”
“She’ll be here,” I said. Jolene, our teen-aged computer geek. She was also my part time employee.
Jeff—my ex from California, who was also now a blond werewolf—walked upright and not the least bit wolfy through the door and looked around. “What’s going on?”
“Kylie’s going to the Netherworld to talk to the Devil,” said Nick in a rush. “I just really had to say that out loud.”
“What?”
Erasmus charged him, grabbing his arms. “You have been her lover. Talk some sense into her!”
“Who, me?” He shook Erasmus off him. “Kylie is her own person. You can’t talk her out of anything.”
Erasmus growled and bared his teeth. “I won’t be a party to this!”
“Erasmus!” I grabbed his sleeve before he could tear away. “I’ll be all right. You’ll be there.”
“Don’t you understand? I can’t protect you. He can wipe me away like a speck of dust.”
That took the wind out of my sails. “He can, huh?”
“He is the most powerful being on that world. On nearly every world. That’s why He has the power to destroy the book.”
“Okay. Well…we’ll take that into consideration.”
Jeff folded his arms and made a disgusted sound. “What are we doing really?”
“Mr. Chase,” said Doc, “we are doing as Kylie said. We are looking at finding spells and potions to keep her safe.”
“From the Devil? Is that possible?”
Nick waved his hand. “That’s what I was saying.”
The door slammed opened, the bell above jangling wildly.
“Did I miss anything?” asked Jolene.