I smiled and nodded as I watched sparrows flitting around above me. “It’s gorgeous. Was there even a cave here when you started?”
“It was a spring originally. This area had never been planted before, which is why one of the bigger vineyards hadn’t bought the land. I knew if the girls’ idea was going to work that I needed to be underground to push the magic up into the soil. Now the former spring is a waterfall and part of the water is piped up from the basin to storage tanks to water the vines while the rest keeps the grotto alive.” The proud tone of his voice was justified.
“You did good. Really. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He smiled widely. “We should probably get back. My assistant is going to get grumpy if I’m gone much longer.”
We turned and started to walk out, our heels making muted ticking noises that were tiny in comparison to the other sounds. “Andrew? He sent me down here. He said you were giving a tour.”
Creede let out a sound that was close to a growl, but with amusement underlying it. “I don’t know whether to give him a pink slip … or a raise. He knew damned well I don’t give tours of the grotto. And he knew what I was down here doing.”
“And that was? What kind of spell did I totally destroy?”
“It wasn’t a spell. It was a purification ritual.” He must have seen my furrowed brow, because he elaborated while we walked down the dim tunnel to the outside: “Despite what it may look like, I don’t do well at public gatherings. There was a reason why George Miller was the front man of the company. I have horrible stage fright.”
That surprised me. “You looked totally natural up there. Confident, charming. Really.”
He put a hand low on my back to help me get my footing on the steep path up out of the cave. It tingled nicely and I had to struggle a little to keep my mind on the conversation. “Thanks, but it’s all an act. That’s what a purification ritual does. I did one right before I went onstage. It takes all the negative emotions—like fear, frustration, and aggression—and casts them off so I can function and appear calm. I’ve been dispersing those feelings into the soil for months now so the staff doesn’t realize what a wreck I’ve been with George gone. The plants don’t care whether energy is negative or positive, like a body doesn’t care whether a sugar is honey or processed white granules or even fruits and vegetables. It’s all broken down the same.”
“And you had to do another one right after you spoke? Wow, you really do have stage fright.”
Now he chuckled and there was a low, nervous, but satisfied edge to it that made me shiver. “Actually, this particular ritual was for a different kind of emotion. I saw you in that dress and suddenly couldn’t concentrate for shit. Have I mentioned you look absolutely amazing?”
Um … oh. I was glad for the dark that enveloped us. It hid my blush.
“My speech was supposed to go on for another five minutes. Fortunately, I’d warned Pam and Sam that I might have to cut it short if my nerves got to me. They made it look natural.”
“So you were getting rid of…” I couldn’t finish.
He did it for me. “Lust. Yep. And when the object of a particular emotion steps inside the circle … well, you got to see the result. Good thing it wasn’t anger. We might have leveled the place.”
“But I didn’t step inside the circle. I was really careful of that.”
We were back at the main building and he held open the door for me. “The grotto is the circle. The smaller one is just the bull’s-eye, because I don’t feel like walking all the way around the whole chamber to light candles every time.”
Oops. “Sorry.”
The light caught his face and I could see that he was grinning. There was a teasing lilt in his voice. “Don’t be. This way had a much more … satisfying effect.”
I hit him in the bicep lightly because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. We entered the house, expecting to find the party still going strong. We’d only been gone about fifteen minutes. But there was utter silence in the main entry, and the sound of sirens and shouting came from the next room. Adrenaline took over and we hurried to the tasting room.
People were crowded around a flat-screen television, staring at a news report. The camera moved from a broad scene of an explosion of some kind to the reporter on the scene. “The devastation is horrendous, Chet. The perimeter wall is gone, as are two of the inner walls. There are already five confirmed dead among the joint police and federal task force, but authorities believe that the number will go much higher once they get inside.”
The words “joint police and federal task force” made my stomach lurch and I dug my fingers into Creede’s arm as icy threads of panic raced up my spine. The news team cycled around to the top of the story. The camera switched to a serious woman in a yellow suit jacket. “For those just joining us, there’s been a series of explosions at the State Paranormal Treatment Facility outside of Santa Maria de Luna. There are reports of escaped shape-shifters and vampires. Residents are being advised to lock their doors and move to non-windowed rooms, and the governor has activated all EMTs, mages level seven and above, and A and C card holders. Available warrior priests are urged to check with their seminaries for instructions and all vacations or other non-medical leaves have been canceled for National Guard and police agencies. News Twelve has exclusive footage of the explosions due to an embedded reporter who was accompanying the local police to the scene. Bob, we’re back to you. What can you tell us?”
Creede started to pull away from my grip. “I’ve got to go. Stay here and be careful.” He gave me a quick kiss on the mouth and I saw Dawna’s eyebrows rise with interest before she looked back at the TV screen.
I followed Creede out of the room and grabbed his arm to stop him. “Where do you have to go? What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got an A and C card. I could lose my license to practice magic if I don’t get my ass out there.”
I didn’t even know what an A&C card was. He must have seen it in my face. “Mages level six and higher who want to profit from their magic have to register with the state. Like paramedics, if there’s an emergency, we are required to ‘assist and control.’ A and C. I’m an eight, nearly a nine. So I’ve got to go.”
“I’m going with you.”
He sighed and dropped his head. “No, you’re not. You don’t have a card and you have fangs. That’s not a common attribute of the good guys. There will be way too many trigger-happy cops out there.”
Every single thing he said made perfect sense. “I’m still going. Whether with you or behind you. Besides, do you really want to take your Ferrari to the scene of a battle? We could take the rental. I bought the extra insurance on it.”
He crooked his finger and turned. “Walk with me.”
I fell in step beside him and we went out into the cool, still night. It was so lovely here and I hated that it was ending this way. But the adrenaline rush told me that I was looking forward to it, too. I’m just weird. “You know I’m right.”
“No,” he said with a sad sort of laugh. “I know you’re too stubborn to play it safe. We can’t take your rental because my car has special plates. I can speed and get an escort with the activation in effect. But you’re right that I don’t want to leave my car there for it to get destroyed. So, you’ll come with me and then drive it back here. I can hitch a ride back with the police when the crisis is over.”
If he knew how likely it was that I wasn’t going to go through with that plan, he had the sense not to say it out loud. “Let me grab my stuff on the way. These shoes are killing me.”
Creede’s low-slung red chariot was in a cluttered garage next to the main building. I waited until he backed out before I got in. It might have been an emergency, but I could still appreciate the luxury and power of the car. He raced the engine and checked the fuel level, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “Remind me when we get closer to check the gauge. I might have to stop and fill up.” I nodded as he put the Ferrari in gear.
Before he could step on the gas, the door of the winery opened and Dawna and Emma came racing out. “Where are you guys going?” Dawna sounded panicked, probably because she had already guessed where we were going.
I rolled down the window and shrugged. “Where else? Into the maw of disaster like normal.”
Emma clutched my arm. “You can’t, Celia. You didn’t wait long enough to hear the whole story. It’s not just a crime scene. The explosion opened a rift between the dimensions. Lesser demons are coming out of the rift.”
Creede’s jaw set and his eyes narrowed. “Then I’d better get moving. Get out, Celia. To hell with the car.”
I turned my head and put a hand on his already tense and twitching arm. “John. With my knives and my strength, I’m more than a match for lesser demons now.” He looked at me for a long moment and I could hear his teeth grinding. I felt the moment he accepted my statement as truth when his arm relaxed just a bit. I gently removed Emma’s hand from my dress and handed her the spare key to the rental. I don’t know why there were two on the ring, but I’d checked and, sure enough, they both opened the door and started the engine. “You should be safe at the spa. Call Warren and make sure Kevin’s and Amy’s cells have extra security. If either can still be called by the demon, they’ll be in danger.”
Dawna gently pulled Emma back. Her eyes were frightened, but she nodded firmly. “Go. Do what you have to and try to make it back safe.”
I noticed the word “try” in there. It was all any of us could do. Emma’s face was stricken as Creede and I roared off into the darkness, but I couldn’t fix that. I could only hope that since she hadn’t been called yet, the demons couldn’t reach her. Yet. Everything depended on keeping the demons at the prison site and closing the rift.