read the script. I will translate if you like, or my dad can do it.”
Her father grinned, flashing his deadly and shark-like teeth.
Smith nodded. “We trust your translation, Benny. Please proceed.”
She squinched her eyes shut for a moment and then began. “All right. Well, the suspect is looking for a demon, a very specific demon.”
Argyle was suddenly all business. “What demon?”
“A demon with a soul. The question is why that woman?”
Smith lifted his head. “She isn’t the first. She is the seventh woman born on the same day to be killed in that particular way. The others were out of our jurisdiction, so it took most of the day to find them. The ladies were all the same age, within one week.”
Benny whirled when she heard her father growl. “No.”
Her mother placed her hand on his, but he continued to flex his muscles in agitation and the fan-like crest rose out of his dark hair.
Tremble whispered, “What is he doing?”
Benny scowled. “He is angry, but I don’t know why.”
Through clenched teeth, her father asked, “All born here thirty years ago in the ninth month on the twenty-third day, give or take?”
Her mother gasped. “Harcourt, you didn’t!”
He nodded grimly. “I did. I mirrored Benny’s soul on the other eight girls in the nursery.”
Benny felt sick. “You have to be kidding.”
Her father came to her and held her tight. “I wanted to protect you and that was the only way I knew how. Your power signature was distinctive, even when you were a baby.”
Smith asked, “You are thirty? You don’t look thirty.”
The sound he made immediately afterward indicated one of the others had struck him.
“Why not just a shield?” She mumbled it against his chest.
“Magic is too noticeable. The other girls were all healthy with young parents, so the likelihood of them moving was strong.”
“They died because of me.”
His hand stroked her hair, and he murmured to her as he had when she was a teenager. “No. They died because someone is trying to kill you, or at least part you from what is rightfully yours.”
“Ripping a soul from a demon. Why would someone do that?” She let him continue to hold her. It was for his need and not hers. He could not defend her in the wide world, but he could offer her comfort here.
He sighed. “I do not know about other demons, but if they took your soul, you would have to attach yourself to a more powerful demon of the zone for protection. You would become a slave.”
“We will not let that happen.” Tremble’s voice was determined.
Argyle pitched in. “Do you know who the other woman is?”
Benny eased away from her father. He shook his head.
She swallowed. “I can find her. If she is carrying a mirror of my soul, I can get a location.”
Her mother nodded and got a map. She flipped it out on one of the long tables and moved around the room collecting scrying equipment.
Smith asked softly. “What is she doing?”
“She is setting up a search map.”
Her mother laid out the tools and beckoned for her to come close. “All right, sweetie. First, you know what to do.”
Sighing, Benny took the bucket that her mother handed her and walked away from the crowd. Throwing up before working was an important part of scrying. She literally had to be hungry in order to track her prey. Her mother’s bloodline had some creepy hunters in it, and her talent for all magic came from the maternal side of the family. Raw energy and power came from her dad’s ancestors.
Once she had completed her purge, she rinsed out her mouth, washed her hands and face, and she glared at herself in the mirror before coming to a conclusion. This was going to take a lot of power, so she was going to have to drop a minor bit of glamour that she had been using since she was in kindergarten.
It took more effort to pull the glamour off than it did to keep it in place, but she needed every bit of access to her soul in able to create the template to
Her father grinned, flashing his deadly and shark-like teeth.
Smith nodded. “We trust your translation, Benny. Please proceed.”
She squinched her eyes shut for a moment and then began. “All right. Well, the suspect is looking for a demon, a very specific demon.”
Argyle was suddenly all business. “What demon?”
“A demon with a soul. The question is why that woman?”
Smith lifted his head. “She isn’t the first. She is the seventh woman born on the same day to be killed in that particular way. The others were out of our jurisdiction, so it took most of the day to find them. The ladies were all the same age, within one week.”
Benny whirled when she heard her father growl. “No.”
Her mother placed her hand on his, but he continued to flex his muscles in agitation and the fan-like crest rose out of his dark hair.
Tremble whispered, “What is he doing?”
Benny scowled. “He is angry, but I don’t know why.”
Through clenched teeth, her father asked, “All born here thirty years ago in the ninth month on the twenty-third day, give or take?”
Her mother gasped. “Harcourt, you didn’t!”
He nodded grimly. “I did. I mirrored Benny’s soul on the other eight girls in the nursery.”
Benny felt sick. “You have to be kidding.”
Her father came to her and held her tight. “I wanted to protect you and that was the only way I knew how. Your power signature was distinctive, even when you were a baby.”
Smith asked, “You are thirty? You don’t look thirty.”
The sound he made immediately afterward indicated one of the others had struck him.
“Why not just a shield?” She mumbled it against his chest.
“Magic is too noticeable. The other girls were all healthy with young parents, so the likelihood of them moving was strong.”
“They died because of me.”
His hand stroked her hair, and he murmured to her as he had when she was a teenager. “No. They died because someone is trying to kill you, or at least part you from what is rightfully yours.”
“Ripping a soul from a demon. Why would someone do that?” She let him continue to hold her. It was for his need and not hers. He could not defend her in the wide world, but he could offer her comfort here.
He sighed. “I do not know about other demons, but if they took your soul, you would have to attach yourself to a more powerful demon of the zone for protection. You would become a slave.”
“We will not let that happen.” Tremble’s voice was determined.
Argyle pitched in. “Do you know who the other woman is?”
Benny eased away from her father. He shook his head.
She swallowed. “I can find her. If she is carrying a mirror of my soul, I can get a location.”
Her mother nodded and got a map. She flipped it out on one of the long tables and moved around the room collecting scrying equipment.
Smith asked softly. “What is she doing?”
“She is setting up a search map.”
Her mother laid out the tools and beckoned for her to come close. “All right, sweetie. First, you know what to do.”
Sighing, Benny took the bucket that her mother handed her and walked away from the crowd. Throwing up before working was an important part of scrying. She literally had to be hungry in order to track her prey. Her mother’s bloodline had some creepy hunters in it, and her talent for all magic came from the maternal side of the family. Raw energy and power came from her dad’s ancestors.
Once she had completed her purge, she rinsed out her mouth, washed her hands and face, and she glared at herself in the mirror before coming to a conclusion. This was going to take a lot of power, so she was going to have to drop a minor bit of glamour that she had been using since she was in kindergarten.
It took more effort to pull the glamour off than it did to keep it in place, but she needed every bit of access to her soul in able to create the template to
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