I’d prefer that the families were able to get the bodies of their loved ones back, but unfortunately, when a demon takes over a human body, the only ways to expel the demon are impalingthrough the eye or beheading. And both of those methods result in the kind of dead body that would make a cop take notice. (Technically, beheading just removes the head; the demon can still animate the body. But since headless bodies tend to attract unwanted attention, the demons always skeedaddle. Well, nine times out of ten, anyway.)
“Daddy’s on his way,” Allie said, then shoved her phone into the back pocket of her jeans “Can I stay the night at Mindy’s?”
I had to hide a smile. No matter what else had changed, at least I knew she was still a teenager at heart. A teenager in a world filled with demons.
I frowned. I’d already talked that over with Laura, and a sleepover was already the plan, but that was before the two demons had attacked us in the backyard.
Apparently, Allie picked up on my hesitation, because she sighed in her trademark Teenage Girl Sigh and said, “Come on, Mom. You know we’re probably done. I mean, three demons in one day? That’s a really high count for a town this small.”
Her brow furrowed, and she tilted her head to the side as she added, “Although, we were in Italy for a pretty long time. I know Eddy nailed a few, but I don’t think he went patrolling every night the way you and Daddy used to. So I guess there could be more. Maybe a lot more.”
Her eyes met mine as she nodded slowly. “I mean, think how many people probably died at Coastal Mists while we were gone. Not all of them could be inhabited, but still…”
I frowned. She wasn’t wrong. Death came regularly to the nursing home.
“And there’s also—oh!” The word was so sharp that for a moment I thought she’d seen another demon. But no, she’d just seen the error of her own ways, because she suddenly stood up straight and started to shake her head. “But I’m sure it’s totallysafe now. It’s not like demons are going to flock to Mindy’s house, right?”
She glanced at Mindy, who helpfully said, “Um.”
“Because why would there be more in the neighborhood?” Allie continued. “Especially since we just took two out, and that other one’s got to be laying low for the rest of the night at least.”
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. Then I gave her the Mom Stare.
“Please.” She combined prayer hands and puppy dog eyes. “We’ll be inside, and Mindy can take care of herself, too. And Aunt Laura has holy water and pepper spray.”
“That’s right,” Mindy chimed in. “Plus, I trained every day with Cutter while you guys were gone, and I?—”
I held up a hand. “All right, all right. You can—wait.Three?” I looked between the girls. “What do you mean three demons? What other one?“
They looked at each other, and Allie bit her lower lip, always a sign that she was contriving a story.
“Allie...”
She shrugged. “It’s no big,” she said. “At least, it’s not anymore. I mean it all turned out just fine.”
“You’re not giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling. What happened?”
“Yeah, what did happen?”
I turned around to find Laura walking up behind me, her gaze fixed on Mindy, who swallowed rather dramatically.
“Allie nailed the demon that got away,” I explained. “But I’ve just learned that there was another demon in the mix somewhere.”
“What?” In an expression that must have mimicked mine, she looked at all three girls in turn as well. “What’s going on?”
“It really wasn’t that big a deal,” Eliza said. “We were walking on the boardwalk at the beach—it’s a really nice beach here, Ihave to say. I mean, I love San Diego, but it’s so pretty here, and so much less crowded. I really think that you could?—”
“Eliza!”
“Sorry, sorry. Anyway, we were walking along and some guy who looked like he’d been living on the streets came up to me. And he asked if I was the one who was new.”
“New?” Laura asked, getting there before I did.
“No idea,” Eliza said. “But he seemed nice enough. But then?—”
“But then we noticed his breath,” Allie said. “Because he turned to me and got in really close. Putrid, you know. Like he was rotting from inside. And then he said that he wasn’t a threat to me.”
“Hewhat?”
