red and jaw tight. “Stop! Whatever it is you’re doing, stop.”
Van came around to stand above us. There was no pity in her eyes. She was joined by the two women from the counter. “It’s not me. This is his doing. He intended to hurt me.”
I grabbed the edge of the table and hefted myself up, hoping I looked as helpless as I felt. “I’m begging you. Make it stop. This is a demon, but Jax is in there. We have no idea what this is doing to him.”
Seconds ticked by. If she didn’t do something soon, I’d be dreaming up my own version of harm. Finally, Van nodded to the woman on her left, a tall redhead with a pinched face and designer duds. She waved a hand and whispered something I couldn’t quite make out, and Azi gasped. Jax’s body went nearly limp.
“Stay down,” I said. “Because I doubt they’ll make it stop if you pull that shit again.”
Thankfully the demon listened. Azi stayed down, curling Jax’s fists tight. You didn’t have to be a demon whisperer to know the nasty things going through its head. Considered royalty where it came from, this had to be one hell of a pill for the thing to swallow, being taken down and controlled by a spell.
“Thank you,” I said to the redheaded woman. To Van, I added, “Could I please talk to you? Alone?”
She didn’t move. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but it almost looked as though the women flanking her grew a little taller.
“Really? What could I possibly do to you?” I spread my arms wide. “In here? After your little magic trick took down something like him?” I pointed to Jax.
It took a minute, but Van finally nodded, leading me away from the group. When she stopped a few feet away, I gestured to the door. What I had to say needed to be away from all prying ears.
Once the door closed behind me, and the tiny bell at the top jingled cheerfully, I sighed. “You don’t know me, so you sure as hell have no reason to trust me, but I need your help…” I eyed the building. What I had to tell her needed to remain between the two of us.
“They can’t hear anything we say, if that’s what you’re worried about. Even the demon. Magic,” she said with the smallest hint of a grin.
I let out a relieved breath. “Good. So, will you help me?”
“By giving that thing in there Sadie’s stone?” Her expression was stony, eyes narrowed and jaw tight. Van had seen things. She came across as average on first glance, but there was hardness to her. Scars that had shaped her, had fostered caution. I, more than anyone else I knew—other than Jax—understood her reluctance. We were similar, and under different circumstances I could see us getting along.
“I don’t want you giving the stone to the demon. I want you to give it to me.”
She snorted. “Because giving it to the demon’s whore is so much better?”
A burst of anger flared, but I stuffed it down and focused on my goal. Jax. “That guy in there? The one whose skin that demon is wearing like a Santa suit? He’s my entire universe, and I want him—I need him—back.”
“What’s that got to do with my sister’s stone?”
“It’s crazy powerful. You said so yourself. I think I can use it to banish the demon and save Jax.”
Van glanced through the window, gaze settling on Jax’s body. “What exactly are you basing this theory on?” She stuffed both hands into her pockets and turned back to me. “You’re…something. I can feel it. There’s a hum about you, I’m just not sure what it is. But you’re not a witch—that much I’m sure of. You have no actual power. How do you expect to wield the stone to banish a demon from a man’s body?”
I shrugged, feeling slightly less confident about the whole thing than I had before. I had no idea how I was going to do it, I was only sure that there had to be some way I could. “Well, if you put it that way…” I had to do this. Had to win her over. If I couldn’t wield the stone, then maybe she could. Maybe she would… “You’re right. I’m not a witch. Wouldn’t know the first thing about pureeing toadstool and serving up lizard tongue—”
“We don’t do that.”
“Whatever,” I said. “But I am something. Someone. Someone who