had to make the first move to get closer to her, even when it was something as simple as sitting down on a barstool next to her.
The fact that she was swaying out of reach, keeping her distance, was proof enough for me.
“Shock! What’s wrong with you?” I reached out and drew her into the bar.
Shock stumbled against me, her hands clenching involuntarily into fists as her entire body spasmed. “Upstairs now, Allay. Or there’s gonna be fireworks.”
I looked over my shoulder and down the street as cars flowed by. It was hard to sense other demons when Shock, with her abrasive signature, was so close to me. “Is someone after you?”
Shock shuddered hard, clenching her jaw until she couldn’t answer. Everyone in the bar was watching, except for a few yahoos in the back shouting over their pool game. But for now the most animated expression was mild interest. Patrons staggered in dead drunk often enough that Shock’s condition wasn’t remarkable. The Den was known to give away cups of great coffee after midnight.
Lolita came out from behind the bar. “Need help?”
“I’m not sure.” I half dragged Shock farther into the bar, toward the inner door that led to the stairs to my apartment on the second floor.
Lo approached and took only one look at Shock’s rigid expression, blurting out, “That looks like an overdose. I’m calling 911.”
“Shock doesn’t do drugs. You know that.” I couldn’t let Lo call the EMTs. Demons could make their bodies appear any way they wished, but Shock was somehow losing control of herself. “I’m taking her upstairs. Maybe she’s just been scared by something,” I added to appease my bartender. “Maybe . . .”
Lolita shook her dark curls. “ Rape? ” she mouthed in concern, taking Shock’s arm to help her.
I gave Lo a stricken look over the top of Shock’s hunched head. The way she was holding on to herself, shoulders tight, knees together, it did look as if Shock had been violated. But a human couldn’t have hurt her—it must have been another demon.
Drawn to my surprised distress, Shock latched on to my arm. Her aura flared as she tried to stop herself from absorbing my energy, but her favorite emotion was too tempting.
“I’ll take her up!” I insisted, pulling Shock away from Lo. “Stay with the bar, Lolita.”
Lolita glanced back at the now avidly interested patrons. The music was drowning out our words, but clearly there was something wrong with Shock. I felt the tottering of the semiprofessional wall I had erected to keep everyone from asking questions so I wouldn’t have to lie to them. I liked being their confessor, but for that to work, my own life couldn’t intrude.
Lo turned to face everyone, her hands on her hips. Though she reveled in breaking down boundaries in every way possible, she protected my right to privacy. “You’re supposed to be drinking, not gawking at us,” she called out to Jose as she returned to the bar, asking if he wanted another.
The door to the stairs closed behind me, shutting out most of the sounds in the bar. It was a good thing demons were strong, because I had to drag Shock up every creaking step to my apartment door. As soon as it slammed shut behind us, I demanded, “Shock, what’s wrong?”
Shock stuttered, hardly able to move her lips, “Birthing . . .”
“You’re not going to—”
“Split. In two.” Shock grimaced at me, her face rippling with the pulsing of her aura. “Not safe. The demon . . . It’ll attack me.”
“Holy shit.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I repeated myself several times as I helped Shock across the slanting floor of my kitchen. It was big enough to hold an old-fashioned Formica-topped table with matching green vinyl chairs, and had a frosted window over the sink facing an airshaft. There was a coffeemaker for when I had visitors, but no microwave, toaster, or any of the usual food
The fact that she was swaying out of reach, keeping her distance, was proof enough for me.
“Shock! What’s wrong with you?” I reached out and drew her into the bar.
Shock stumbled against me, her hands clenching involuntarily into fists as her entire body spasmed. “Upstairs now, Allay. Or there’s gonna be fireworks.”
I looked over my shoulder and down the street as cars flowed by. It was hard to sense other demons when Shock, with her abrasive signature, was so close to me. “Is someone after you?”
Shock shuddered hard, clenching her jaw until she couldn’t answer. Everyone in the bar was watching, except for a few yahoos in the back shouting over their pool game. But for now the most animated expression was mild interest. Patrons staggered in dead drunk often enough that Shock’s condition wasn’t remarkable. The Den was known to give away cups of great coffee after midnight.
Lolita came out from behind the bar. “Need help?”
“I’m not sure.” I half dragged Shock farther into the bar, toward the inner door that led to the stairs to my apartment on the second floor.
Lo approached and took only one look at Shock’s rigid expression, blurting out, “That looks like an overdose. I’m calling 911.”
“Shock doesn’t do drugs. You know that.” I couldn’t let Lo call the EMTs. Demons could make their bodies appear any way they wished, but Shock was somehow losing control of herself. “I’m taking her upstairs. Maybe she’s just been scared by something,” I added to appease my bartender. “Maybe . . .”
Lolita shook her dark curls. “ Rape? ” she mouthed in concern, taking Shock’s arm to help her.
I gave Lo a stricken look over the top of Shock’s hunched head. The way she was holding on to herself, shoulders tight, knees together, it did look as if Shock had been violated. But a human couldn’t have hurt her—it must have been another demon.
Drawn to my surprised distress, Shock latched on to my arm. Her aura flared as she tried to stop herself from absorbing my energy, but her favorite emotion was too tempting.
“I’ll take her up!” I insisted, pulling Shock away from Lo. “Stay with the bar, Lolita.”
Lolita glanced back at the now avidly interested patrons. The music was drowning out our words, but clearly there was something wrong with Shock. I felt the tottering of the semiprofessional wall I had erected to keep everyone from asking questions so I wouldn’t have to lie to them. I liked being their confessor, but for that to work, my own life couldn’t intrude.
Lo turned to face everyone, her hands on her hips. Though she reveled in breaking down boundaries in every way possible, she protected my right to privacy. “You’re supposed to be drinking, not gawking at us,” she called out to Jose as she returned to the bar, asking if he wanted another.
The door to the stairs closed behind me, shutting out most of the sounds in the bar. It was a good thing demons were strong, because I had to drag Shock up every creaking step to my apartment door. As soon as it slammed shut behind us, I demanded, “Shock, what’s wrong?”
Shock stuttered, hardly able to move her lips, “Birthing . . .”
“You’re not going to—”
“Split. In two.” Shock grimaced at me, her face rippling with the pulsing of her aura. “Not safe. The demon . . . It’ll attack me.”
“Holy shit.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I repeated myself several times as I helped Shock across the slanting floor of my kitchen. It was big enough to hold an old-fashioned Formica-topped table with matching green vinyl chairs, and had a frosted window over the sink facing an airshaft. There was a coffeemaker for when I had visitors, but no microwave, toaster, or any of the usual food
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