As usual, Trina Heart had the last word.
Of course, nothing could be that simple.
“We need to go inside the house and collect evidence,” Quentin commented.
“Why?”Grevin asked.
“Because, somehow, I need to check where Braed might have gone.The magic in the house should lead me there.We still need to take him into custody and find out if he had accomplices, and we only have Nikko’s word that Brenton is all right.”
Grevin sighed.“I just want to go home.”
“Do you want me to send you?”Grevin had earned a free ride home.
“No, I’ll come with you into the house.I need to put everything I rose back into the ground, and I have to tell your bounty hunter friend about the humans.There might be bounties on them that we can collect.I’m willing to split the money.”
“Sounds fair,” Quentin agreed.After all, Grevin still had that steep bill to pay.“Do you think they’ll dismiss your fine over this?”
“Probably not.”Grevin scowled.“It will be a fight I probably won’t win.Once they get their hooks into you for money, they rarely let you free.”
“Hmm.”Quentin didn’t have a counterargument.That had been his experience also whenever he had a fee to pay.“I have a question for you, Grev.”
“What?”His weary tone told Quentin his friend had just about tapped out his social battery.
“How was the demon able to attack Glenn and then jump into the dean?”
“It has to do with the power of the demon.I suspect that one of the reasons he left Hafrey so easily was that he would burn out his host if he remained in their body for too long.Powerful demons can remain outside a host for short periods of time.I suspect he was supposed to kill the first few people who entered the house to whittle down the enemies before jumping back into Dean Mearson’s body.”
“Possession is so complicated,” Quentin complained.
“Then don’t get possessed,” Jaks drawled.
“He can’t,” Grevin interjected.“Haven’t you seen the anti-possession runes under his arms?”
“How did you see them?”Jaks growled.
“I placed them.”Grevin raised his hands placatingly.“I deal with demons all the time.I didn’t want one to possess Quentin if one ever escaped.His power level would be catnip for them.”
Jaks frowned and turned to Quentin.“Why didn’t you mention this?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t take it well.”
“I would for your safety,” Jaks argued.
“Really?Is that why you haven’t stopped growling?”
Jaks sniffed.“I don’t like surprises.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time I want to jump you,” Quentin said.
“No need to be mean.”Jaks wrapped his arms around Quentin.“Do you really have tattoos under your arms?”
“Yes, and they stung like a bitch.I hide them with magic, which is why you’ve never seen them.”
The door to the house creaked open, and a waft of brimstone choked the air.Quentin coughed at the pungent aroma.He didn’t know how necromancers handled the stench while summoning.
One by one, they cautiously entered the manor.The floors were surprisingly polished to a high sheen for a house that looked questionable in the misty light.
“Oh, you made it,” Brenton came through a swinging door with a sandwich in one hand.
