No Rest for the Wicca Read Free

murmured. “You’ve got the moves, all right.”
    You think that’s good. Just wait .
    While the daemon fiddled with my bra hooks, I reached into my jacket pocket and removed three spikes. As his flabby lips closed over one nipple, I pirouetted away. Before he could realize what had happened, I sprang upward, where I gripped the curtain rod just below the portal’s mouth. I swung myself onto the cornice right next to the drapery. Thank God I worked out daily. It kept my weight steady, so the small ledge would support me. Another thrust into my jacket pocket, and I held my gilt-edged hammer aloft. I positioned the spike off to the left of the portal, and swung.
    Clink! The point tapped neatly into place.
    “By all I hold holy, I chasten you, Daemon. Enter your eternal plane. Begone from this place.”
    You little tart, you tricked me , he snarled.
    “Yeah, it’s all part of the full-service. No extra charge.”
    His lips cut back from black gums, teeth shaped like mini-razors. You play dirty. I like it. We’d make a good team. Come with me, temptress.
    “What a kind offer, but I kind of like this realm, Phenor.”
    Ah, you don’t know what you’ d be missing.
    “Oh, I think I do. And I’ll pass.”
    Are you sure? Take a chance, come with me, temptress. If you stay here—let’s just say you have no idea what’s in store for you.
    For some strange reason those words sent a tingle slithering along my spine, but I shrugged it off.  “Hey, I didn’t realize daemon s had the gift of prophecy . Don’t take this personally, but I’ll take my chances here, thanks.”
    As you wish, beauteous one . But if you should change your mind…
    The daemon leapt upward, and just as his icy fingers brushed against my cheek, I hammered in the second spike.
    “Begone from this plane. Leave this place in peace, and never return.”
    I felt the daemon’s hand brush against my breast, and I whirled, hammer held high. “Definitely a pervert,” I muttered, and held out the third spike. “Now, you know what happens if I hammer this in, dontcha? Your spirit will be caught between two worlds. And according to daemon law…”
    A daemon spirit caught between two worlds is subjugated to the one who destroyed it. I would be his slave forever…no thank you!
    I felt a hiss of air, a sharp burn at the back of my neck, and I saw the black shadow fold itself into a ball. It slid through the gray portal with a soft whoosh of air. I brought the hammer down hard, pounding the third spike into the wall. I lifted my head, sniffing the air.
    The black energy faded. The daemon was contained inside the portal.
    I gripped the rod and swung myself back down to the floor. A profound sense of relief suffused me, and I knew my mission had been successful. I slipped my hammer back inside my jacket, went back through the study into the foyer and over to the front door.
    On the porch, Zandor paced back and forth. He looked up anxiously at me.
    “Is it over?”
    I nodded. “Feel free to move the family in, now. This place is daemon-free. Present company excluded, of course.”
    His scaly face lit up with relief. “Oh, thank you, Ms. Hawkes. What a relief. You’ve no idea—“
    I held up my hand. “I do, but save it. It’s all in a day’s work for me. But if you really want to thank me, a nice letter to my supervisor wouldn’t hurt.”
    “I really want to show my appreciation.”
    “Thanks, but it’s not necessary. All part of the job.”
    “You went far above and beyond your duties just being in the same room as Phenor.”
    “Yeah, I know. You didn’t warn me he was a letch. Bastard propositioned me.”
    “All the more reason you should take a reward. How about some eye of newt and some sprigs of thyme?” Zandor insisted.
    “No, really…”
    He pulled open his jacket, revealing green and orange striped lining so bright it could blind a bat. From an inner pocket he withdrew a beautiful silver blade, clean, shiny. He waved it enticingly in