Darker Days

and ground her teeth. All tells that there was something pressing on her mind.

I nodded and glanced away, bracing myself for the lecture. Actually, I kind of looked forward to it. This was painful—forcing small talk. While a part of me wanted to get away with running off half-cocked to Flankman’s, a bigger part wanted something other than what happened between us earlier to focus on.

“We think you’re right about Lust. Bindle Barnes must have been affected. I know he’s always—had a thing for me—but he’s never spoken out of line like that, much less gotten grabby.”

“The whole thing was way disturbing…” The truth was, I’d probably never be able to scrub the scene from my memory. I was scarred for life.

“It would explain his behavior.” She laughed. “I believe that was the only thing keeping your father from shredding him limb from limb.”

A few moments of silence ticked by. When I didn’t say anything, she continued.

“About Lukas… I know you’re—disappointed,” she said. “But I did—”

I held up my hand. “I love you, Mom. But you’re right. I am disappointed. I put you on this kind of pedestal and seeing you fall off…”

“That’s not fair. I’m only human, and I make the choices I feel are right. They’re not always easy, and sometimes it sucks, but that’s what being an adult is.”

“I just—could we not do this now? Shop talk only. Agreed?”

I knew she was hurt, and I felt bad about it, but I needed a little time. She was my idol. My superhero role model. I knew I was too old to think that way, but there it was. I’d just been told Santa Claus didn’t exist. That took a bite out of your butt in the worst possible way.

It was obvious she wanted to say more, but instead nodded. After a deep breath, she said, “So, I’ve been talking to some people.”

Talking to some people. That was a loaded statement coming from my mom. It could mean anything from chatting up the neighbors about strange sounds at night to chaining a demon down and jamming quartz splinters under its nails to get information—all without misplacing a single hair.

“The last time you said that to me, I had to come pick you up in The Pit because you’d insulted the leader of the local were coalition by suggesting he go fetch you something.”

And she wondered where I got the attitude from?

She rolled her eyes. “Something feels off about this one.”

“Off? What do you mean?”

“This is the Seven Deadly Sins we’re dealing with here. Don’t you find it odd that they’ve been keeping a low profile?”

“The phone’s been ringing off the hook,” I pointed out. “And what about Flankman’s? That’s your idea of low profile?”

“It’s all been petty things. And Flankman’s could have been a thousand times worse. It should have been a thousand times worse. Remember Lukas telling us about the 1959 riots? Nothing even remotely close to that has happened. I believe what we’re seeing is simply a side effect of the Sins being in the area.”

“Like the zombie in The Ledges…”

“Exactly.”

“Or, maybe they’re staying off the grid so they can focus on finding a witch. Once they’re bound to the human bodies, they’d have an eternity to chase chaos with a side of mayhem. Lukas told me they found out about the spell to free themselves right before going back in the box last time. They know about it now, so it makes sense that their approach is a little different this time around. They’re shooting for total freedom from the box. He says he thinks they’re testing us to find out what our weaknesses are. If they take us, the Darkers, out then we can’t stand in their way and they’ll be free.”

“Maybe,” she said. I could see the wheels moving, though. She didn’t think it was that simple. And she was probably right.

Because there really was no such thing as simple. No black and white—only different shades of gray. In our line of work you had to remember that everyone—human and demon—had an alternative motive or hidden agenda.

“So we’ll need to step things up. Beat them to the punch—whatever it is they’re up to.”

“Jessie—”

“I can handle myself. Please. One. Just let me go after one.”

“This is not like our normal cases.”

“Normal? Ma, I know you’re desperate to introduce normal into my life, but it’s time to face facts. We’re not normal. I’m not normal—and I like it that way. Last week, I evicted a nest of hell hounds in the park, got a twelfth century ghost out of the record room in town hall, and two days ago I went shopping with a witch and a necromancer. What about that screams normal to you?”

Silence.

“What about the box then? We need it to capture the Sins. I can track that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Cause that’s so much better. Don’t you think the Sins are guarding the box like Fort Knox?”

This was getting me nowhere. I needed a tactic change.

“Lukas has amazing control. Today went fine.” No reason to tell her about our little run in with Vida yet. It wasn’t like I was withholding helpful information. “At least let me take him back to school tomorrow. Just in case we can’t help him, he deserves to live a little while he can.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Since when do you consider attending school living?”

“Cooping him up here at the office is only going to make him stir crazy. Hasn’t he been cooped up enough?”

She thought about it for a moment. “It would help to know he was being watched. It’ll be hard for me to keep an eye on your father and Lukas while searching for the Sins, and we’re running out of time.”

“Exactly.” My superior negotiating skills hard at work. I was the master. “And technically, he’s in the same boat as Dad. The Sins are going to need him in order to follow through if they find a witch.”

“I can’t say I’m happy about my teenage daughter toting around the incarnation of rage.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Your father won’t like it.”

“I love Dad, but it’s you and me out here. It always has been. We have to be able to rely on each other.” It was a low blow, but I was desperate. If Lukas was right and the Sins were testing us, I had a strong feeling Vida, as well as the others, would make another appearance at school. All I’d have to do is take one down, and Mom would see I could handle things fine on my own. “I’ve been helping you out here for years. You trained me, and I’m careful.”

“Says the girl who does more property damage than a rampaging poltergeist.” She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “You can take Lukas with you tomorrow. I’ll take your father out and search for the Sins while we wait to hear back from Cassidy about a Wells witch—but Jessie, be cautious. It doesn’t look good. I can’t spend time searching, and you seem to be… Remember there’s a better than average chance he’s going back with the others.”

“No worries. He’s a client—I’m just trying to make good on our deal, that’s all. We said we’d help, so we need to try.”

She said nothing, but I could tell by the look on her face she wasn’t buying it, which annoyed me.

Lukas was narrow-minded and annoying. Sure, he was nice to look at and had a voice that could make an Eskimo melt, but he was a client. Just a client. The idea that I could be getting attached to someone like that was insane.

Absolutely insane.