Ruby Shadows Read online

  “What? What?” Taylor was bouncing excitedly on my Grams’ faded floral print couch and Addison was looking at me intently.

  “When the Demon Council was giving me over to Druaga—”

  “That’s the pig-headed hotel manager, right?” Taylor said.

  I nodded. “Yeah. So anyway, when they were handing me over, he said I had lost my innocence and half my soul since the last time he’d seen me. I didn’t think about it at the time since I was so freaked out but then…”

  “Then Laish appeared and stabbed the evil pig-headed bastard with a weapon that requires you to have a soul to use it,” Addison said. And before that, he closed a door that required Gwendolyn’s soul signature.”

  “Oh my God.” Taylor’s face went paper pale. “He literally stole your soul! Just like in all the old stories about demons.”

  “No—he only stole half.” Addison looked at me excitedly. “You know, I think Taylor is right—I think he had a reason for everything he did.”

  “Oh crap…” I put my head down between my knees, feeling suddenly light-headed.

  “Gwendolyn, hon? Are you okay?” Addison hopped up to rub my shoulders.

  “I’m fine…fine…” I whispered. But I wasn’t. Not at all.

  “Give her a minute,” Taylor said anxiously. “She just found out she got soul-napped. Or halfway soul-napped anyway. Is that what you’d call it?”

  “I don’t know what you call it when you find out a demon who says he loves you steals half your soul.” Addison sounded grim.

  “Well, at least we know he stole it for your own good, don’t we?” Taylor asked me. “I mean, so he could close that door for you and you wouldn’t have to go too near that awful pit yourself?” She shivered and I knew she was remembering the Abyss—she had nearly slipped into it before I could pull her back to the Mortal Realm.

  “It’s not that,” I said. “If it was only that I wouldn’t feel so…so…” But I didn’t even know how I felt myself. A memory had just popped into my head—one I’d either forgotten or tried to suppress. It was the brief vision I’d had when Laish and I were making love—the golden cord that was tied around my heart which had, as he finished in me, also tied around his. Suddenly my grandmother’s voice came back to me.

  “I knew when I met your grandpa, you know. I knew he was the one I’d been waiting for. And on our wedding night, when I finally gave myself to him…it was like a golden cord, binding us together.”

  “Oh my Goddess,” I whispered. “Oh my Goddess.”

  “What? What is it?” Taylor was up now too and both she and Addison were bending over me, worried looks on their faces.

  “I have to call Laish,” I said thickly. “I have to summon him right now and find out if…if what I think happened really happened.”

  “What do you think happened?” Taylor asked. “Is it really bad?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I won’t know anything until I talk to him.”

  “Should we go?” Addison asked practically. “I’m guessing this is going to be a private conversation.”

  “Yes, I’m really sorry but you’re right. I need to do this alone.”

  “Is it safe?” Taylor bit her lip, looking worried. “You won’t be putting yourself into danger, will you Gwendolyn?”

  “No danger,” I assured them. “I just need to get answers.” Taking a deep breath, I got up and smoothed down my skirt. “Thank you so much for coming over. I promise I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I get this all figured out.”

  “Well, all right.” Addison and Taylor began getting their purses and getting ready to go. “But if you need us, call us. I mean it—anytime,” Addison said.

  “Thanks.” Impulsively, I hugged them both. They hugged back, returning my gesture of affection warmly. When I pulled out of the three-way embrace, I found my eyes were wet. “You guys are good friends,” I said. “Thank you for being there for me.”

  “Well, we supernatural chicks have to stick together, right?” Addison grinned at me.

  “Right,” Taylor chimed in. “It’s not like we can meet other people like us by joining a book club or anything.”

  “You’re right about that.” I swiped at my eyes and laughed. “Okay, I need to go do this summoning now. Before Grams and Keisha get back.” My Grandmother had taken my little sister to a doctor’s appointment and they were due back in the next hour.

  “Got it. We’ll get out of your hair.” Addison smiled at me again. “Just remember—call as soon as you can. Taylor and I will be on pins and needles waiting to find out what’s going on.”

  “I will,” I promised.

  “Oh, and while you’re at it, see if you can find out what happened to that angel girl you rescued,” Taylor said. “I know you said the magic sent her someplace safe but I can’t help feeling worried for the poor thing. I hope she’s okay.”

  “I hope Eryn’s all right too,” I said earnestly. “And I promise I’ll try to get some answers about her when I talk to Laish.”

  “After you get your own answers,” Addison said.

  “Exactly,” I said, grimly. “For right now I need to get his demon-ass on the line and find out what the Hell is going on.”

  I just hoped he would answer my call.

  * * * * *

  Laish

  “Mon ange, how very nice to see you again.” I smiled at my little witch, speaking through the magic fire she’d used to call me to her.

  “I need to talk to you.” I could see her frowning through the flames but I knew she couldn’t see me. “Where are you, Laish? Why aren’t you answering my summons?”

  “I am answering your summons,” I said patiently. “I simply cannot come to you as easily as I once could for…various reasons.”

  “Well, I really need to talk to you. Face to face.” She was frowning and she had one hand planted on her lush, rounded hip. “Now.”

  “If you want to see my face one of us must come to the other,” I told her.

  “What? Why?” she demanded.

  “I will explain it later. When I see you,” I said. “Now, would you rather that I come to you and meet you at your grandmother’s house or do you wish to come to me?”

  She bit her lip. “I don’t know if having you here is a good idea. Grams is glad I came back safe but I still don’t think you’re on her list of favorite people.”

  “Understandable,” I said evenly. “After all, I did take her granddaughter’s innocence.”

  “Um…” Gwendolyn looked uncomfortable. “She doesn’t know about that. I didn’t tell her.”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “Why, Gwendolyn—have you been lying to her?”

  “No,” she said defensively. “She didn’t ask and I didn’t tell. We’ve just been sort of…skirting around the issue.”

  “Technically, she never needs to know, I suppose,” I remarked. “After all, it’s not as though your powers have lessened any as a result, have they?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “See, that’s one of the things I want to talk to you about. Along with the fact that you were able to close that door to the Abyss and use the thrak to kill Druaga.”

  I spread my hands though I knew she couldn’t see me.

  “If you do not wish to meet at your grandmother’s house, perhaps you could come to me.”

  “That depends. Where are you?”

  I gave her the address of my estate on Siesta Key. “It is just outside of Sarasota,” I said. “To get here…”

  “I’ll just use the Maps ap on my phone—I can find it,” she said. “All right, I should be there in an hour or so. But I still don’t understand why you can’t just appear so we can talk.”

  “All will be made clear in time,” I promised her. “And I am glad you are coming to visit me—I have an old friend staying at my place I think you will be glad to see.”

  “Who?” she demanded. “What old friend?”

  “You’ll find out. I will see you soon, mon