Page 18 of Hell’s Half Acre

Luke had known none of that.

And now…

“Why would one of your siblings free the demons?”

“’Cause, Fuck you, Ken.”

She laughed out loud at the pet phrase Luke used to explain any situation where someone just wanted to screw with someone else’s life for no reason. Or whenever someone held a petty grudge or jealousy and acted out like a spoiled child against another.

That phrase particularly applied to her ex. “I’m beginning to think we should change that to ’Cause, Fuck you, Bert.”

Luke shook his head. “Too specific. Ken is ubiquitous and is an empty-headed doll with no balls. Harmless prick who can do nothing but irritate those around him. I’ll stick with mine, if you don’t mind.”

“Works for me. But I don’t see why one of your siblings would care enough to free the demons.” She cringed as those callous words left her lips. They were a lot harsher than she’d intended. “I mean⁠—”

“It’s okay, Sorcha. You can’t upset me. I’ve suffered enough real barbs and vicious asses in my life to know when someone speaks without intending to let blood. And to answer your question, they’re petty animals. So long as I’m not locked in one of my father’s pits, suffering, they’re pissed off about it and think that I somehow have it better than they do.”

She would say he was paranoid, but she knew better than to question him when it came to evil. Sadly, he was the expert and knew the real terror that stalked the world.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply.

Sorcha was confused by that. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to home in on one scent so I can track them.” He growled low in his throat. “Totally useless. I can smell all the closet demons mixed with the scent. I can’t pinpoint one distinct smell or tell who any of it belongs to.” He glanced to Helly who was now lying down on the sofa. “Have you any way to find Envee?”

“Not really. But she most likely will be looking for ice cream. It was the one thing she really wanted.”

Sorcha winced. “There are a lot of ice cream and grocery stores in Savannah. Any idea where to start looking?”

Helly shrugged.

Luke turned on his police scanner. “If they start acting up, SPD will be the first to know.” Letting out a long breath, he sat down in the chair across from the couch. “Since I have no leads yet, why don’t you go home and get some sleep? No need in both of us sitting here, bored.”

Sorcha listened for a few seconds to a number of routine calls. Nothing that sounded like anything demon related. Just drunk and disorderly, a domestic call, and someone who was skinny dipping in public.

He was right. It was getting late. There was nothing to be done at the moment. If he couldn’t track them…

She was useless. “All right. I’ll head home. If anything changes, call me.”

Luke laced his fingers behind his head and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “I will.”

Helly sent her a finger wave. “Night, Sorcha.”

“Night, Helly.” She left his apartment and headed back to the garage. There was a small door in front of his car that let out into the courtyard of the old Victorian home that had been converted into their offices. It was eerie to be out in the courtyard at night.

The crescent moon above cast very little light and since it was their offices, there wasn’t much in terms of landscape lighting. Other than the dim blue lights inside the inground pool.

Using the flashlight on her phone, she made her way to the wooden gate that opened out onto Oglethorpe Street or O Street as it was called by locals.

What she hated most about walking alone around here…all the ghosts she saw this time of night. The ones in the IA offices didn’t bother her as much as the ones she saw in the cemetery across the street from where she parked her car. Those who’d died before their time—like her sister—who were haunted by all the things they never got to do.

It was hard to see them. Especially the children. Of all the powers to have, this had to be among the absolute worst. Why couldn’t she have telekinesis?

Precognition. That one would have allowed her to warn her sister to stay home that fateful night. Not that Siobhan would have listened. She’d been terribly hard-headed.

You worry too much, Sorsh. We’re young. Live in the moment. Embrace this time because it’s all we get. Once gone, it’s gone. You can never get more hours in a day or years in your life. This is our time to shine and make the world our own.

Carve your name in it. Let everyone know you were here.