“Do you think something escaped?Maybe a demon?”
“Rick and I weren’t aware of any breach from our hellmouth, and we followed up with a few witches in our network.No one is aware of any escapees.However, the Hecate from New Orleans passed on some interesting information on the properties of sulfralite, properties that are leveraged by the vast community of voodoo practitioners in her area.When sulfralite enters your bloodstream, it has a toxic effect on the nervous system.It makes you tired, disoriented, and extremely vulnerable to suggestion.In high doses?—”
“It can put you into a coma.”
“Exactly.I don’t think your sister is unconscious because of the stab wounds.I think the sulfralite in her bloodstream is keeping her from healing.And I believe your vampire may have been infected with the same stuff.It’s very possible that Alex is combining the natural properties of sulfralite with the power of the dragon fae amulet to perform some serious mind control on his victims.”
“So who did the infecting?You said this stuff is rare.I assume Alex couldn’t get it on any street corner.”
Grateful shook her head.“The New Orleans witch said there’s only one way to get it.You must conjure a demon from the underworld and ask it to bring the element into our world in hand.As you might imagine, that is risky magic and only delivers a limited amount.Ripping open a portal to the underworld dimension requires a blood sacrifice, and the one performing it better be up to the task of controlling what passes into their realm.”
Silas’s stomach twisted.She’s dating a demon, Logan had said.He hadn’t seen Soleil for weeks and suddenly she shows up in his bedroom.She gives him a list of healers possibly helping Alex, but by some miracle, Alex always seems one step ahead of him.What if the demon was the source of the sulfralite?What if Soleil was under his spell?
“Does sulfralite work on all supernaturals?”
“Only the ones who have remnants of human DNA.Vampires, because they were once human.Werewolves and other shifters who were born human.Witches like me.”
“But it wouldn’t work on a fae?”
“Fae, sprites, leprechauns.Anything born or created supernatural is immune according to my source.”
“Humans?”
“Susceptible, although New Orleans said sulfralite is frequently fatal to humans and therefore has limited applicability.Infected humans are often mistaken for zombies until they kick the bucket.”
Silas groaned.Grateful stood and set her hand on his shoulder.“What’s going on, Silas?You went green on me.Do I need to get my medical bag?”
“Can you save my sister?”Silas swallowed the lump in his throat.He could think of several reasons Alex might put that shit in Laina’s body, and none of them were good.
“I can.There’s a spell that will extract sulfralite from the body, but it requires a feather from an angel.”
“An actual heavenly angel?Are they real?”
Grateful shrugged.“I’ve never seen one.Luckily, New Orleans has a feather she’s willing to lend me in exchange for a future favor.I’m heading down there tonight.If everything goes as planned, I should be able to heal your sister by the end of the week.”
He reached across the desk and squeezed her hand.“Thank you, Grateful.I don’t know what I would do without you.You know you can always count on me, don’t you?For anything.”
“Careful.I may take you up on that, and it will almost certainly involve babysitting.”
Silas smiled.“I’ll take care of the little guy.How hard could it be?”
Grateful closed her eyes for a moment, then gave a slight shake of her head.“I’ll be in touch.”She adjusted her yoga pants and smoothed her tunic-style T-shirt on the way out the door.He noted she took the vial of sulfralite with her.Good thing.He didn’t want the responsibility of guarding the stuff.
Leaning back in his chair, he thought about what Grateful had said.Sulfralite came from demons.Soleil was dating a demon.Influenced or not, something was up.Tonight he wouldn’t scrutinize the next healer on the list.Tonight he’d follow Soleil.
Meredith refused to be marginalized.After what happened to her family, she had the same right to take revenge on Alex as Silas did.She’d thought they’d had a breakthrough yesterday when he handed her the surveillance equipment.It seemed like he’d fully accepted her partnership and wanted the help.Only today, Silas had been distant and secretive, avoiding her at every opportunity.She hadn’t become a detective by allowing things to go unnoticed.After tailing him all afternoon, her effort paid off when she caught him crossing the parking lot to the unmarked vehicle.
“Hey!I thought you were going home for the night.Don’t you think you should take your own car?”
He groaned and tipped his head back, rolling his eyes toward the heavens.“There’s something I have to do, Meredith.Alone.”Silas refused to meet her gaze.
She planted her fists on her hips.“Because you don’t need my help, just like you didn’t need me last night when that vampire staked himself?You’re cutting me out again, aren’t you?I thought we were beyond this!”
He sighed, staring down at his feet.“No, I’m not.You have as much right to revenge on Alex as I do.If you must know, I’m taking the night off from Alex-hunting.”
“Then why are you standing next to the Family Truckster?”She tapped the side of her fist against the Ford Transit.“I have to warn you.Every time you drive this thing, your sperm count drops.You’re flirting with disaster here.”
The corner of Silas’s mouth twitched.The guy had perpetual stubble thanks to his werewolf genes, and the effect was annoyingly sexy.She internally slapped herself for noticing.
