Free Demons in My Driveway by R.L. Naquin Page A

close behind. “You’ve dealt with demons before?”
    I gave her a rueful smile. “Have I got a story to tell you.”
    * * *
    Sitting on my couch across from me, Talia, queen of the demons was nothing like I would have expected. For one thing, when I told her the story about what Sebastian had done when he was here, she was horrified. For another, that horror manifested in six new sets of eyes flying open along the ridges of her gorgeous cheekbones.
    “I did not authorize any physical contact or killing,” she said. Her voice had a sharp, chilly edge to it that gave me shivers. “There are strict rules governing an incubus visitation on your plane. Why didn’t your local O.G.R.E. squad deal with him?”
    Riley snorted, but stood otherwise silent keeping an eye on the room from the hallway. If Talia took it in her head to kill me all of a sudden, I supposed he’d tackle her. Or something.
    “There wasn’t an O.G.R.E. team at the time.” I sighed, knowing I’d have to explain that to her too. “Several women died horrible deaths. And the damage to my friend Sara is only beginning to manifest itself.”
    Talia pursed her lips in thought. “I would like to meet this Sara, if she will see me.”
    I frowned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ll talk to her.”
    “No, I’ll talk to her.” Maurice had been hovering in the kitchen, listening. Before I realized he was gone, he took off after Sara and the kitchen door slammed shut behind him.
    A minute later, the front door banged open, and Kam stood in the doorway, breathless. “Come outside. Hurry.” Her ponytail whipped around and she disappeared into the yard.
    Kam, Riley, Talia and I piled outside, stumbling over each other. My driveway was a mess of blood and gore. I hadn’t noticed the streak of blood down the side of Kam’s face.
    One of Lionel’s dwarfs sat on the gravel, dazed, cradling his left elbow, a swollen lump over one eye.
    The other dwarf, Salgo, was not so lucky.
    His small body lay still with his face in the grass, one leg at an impossible angle, the other ripped from the hip socket and lying a few feet away. Lionel’s beautiful face sagged on one side, as if the skin were about to slip off the bone.
    Darius was nowhere to be seen.
    “What the hell happened?” My voice came out small and breathy.
    Riley bolted down the steps to the dwarf, checking him for life. He shook his head at me, then turned the body over on its back so he could check for a stranded soul stuck inside.
    He pressed his reaper ring against the man’s lips and tugged until the trapped soul came free. It drifted out in a single strand, then absorbed into the soul stone of Riley’s ring.
    Kam stared at the portal, her eyes wide. “It just came out of nowhere. No warning. It didn’t stop to look around or anything. It attacked before we had time to react.”
    Talia placed her hand on Kam’s shoulder, her voice soothing. “What came out? What did you see?”
    Kam shrugged. “I don’t really know what it was. Hairy and snarly, like a werewolf. But, you know, not a werewolf.”
    I frowned. “Like in Wales. They said a portal opened and a werewolf was wandering around. But it’s nowhere near a full moon, and this is a demon portal.” I turned to Talia. “Have you got something like that?”
    “There’s a family of demons called aswangs. Some could fit that description, I suppose. But I don’t understand what one would be doing in this world.” She stepped toward the portal. “Where did it go? Did it return to my world?”
    Lionel pressed his fingers against his face, trying to steady the skin. “No. It ran toward the woods, then veered off, as if it hit a wall.”
    “It must’ve hit the fairy ring. It goes partway into the woods,” I said.
    “That would do it.” He let go of his face, but the skin slipped again, so he had to put his hand back. “Your man Darius took off after it.”
    I glanced at the sky. It was afternoon. Sunset was hours away,