The Entity Within

“So what are we talking about?” Bruce asked as he handed one teacup to Pat and took the other for himself before carefully setting the tray down.

“Demons.”

“Great.” Bruce grinned. “Demons or the straight-to-DVD sequel Demons Two?” Seeing everyone’s confused look, he said, “You’re talking about movies, right?”

“No, we’re talking about the demons in the basement,” Damon said. “Or the tunnels, to be more accurate.”

Bruce leaned forward with excitement. “Real ones?”

“Yeah.”

“Shut the door,” Bruce said.

“We have,” Damon said. “The demons are locked in the tunnel. For now.”

“For now?” Bruce repeated, suddenly nervous. “What do you mean by that?”

“They will find a way to get out sooner or later,” Damon warned.

“How soon?” Bruce bit his lip.

“There’s no telling, which is why I have to find that damn book,” Damon said. “The witches are the key.”

“There are two of them and only one of you,” Bruce said.

“Which means you’ll need help when you move in with them,” Pat told Damon.

“Who said anything about moving in with them?” Damon said. The truth was that he hadn’t actually formulated a plan yet. He’d been too busy fighting demons on the street and trying to locate the rest of their putrid kind.

Pat raised one gray eyebrow. “Did you have another plan in mind?”

“No.” Damon had to admit that moving in made sense. Keeping closer tabs on the witches was the only way to monitor the situation. Clearly relying on the surveillance cameras was not sufficient—things could change in an instant.

“At least Zoe already knows you are a vamp,” Pat said. “That should be helpful.”

“Helpful for what?”

“Dealing with her,” Pat said.

“Did you bring Zoe’s laptop so I can go over it?” Neville asked.

“No. I was sidetracked when she tried to kill me.” Seeing their startled looks, he explained. “She was possessed by a demon at the time.”

Nick frowned. “And you’re only telling us this now? You didn’t think it was worth mentioning before?”

“It’s been taken care of,” Damon said. “Her grandmother put a protection spell on her and Zoe did the same.”

“Who’s watching the witches now?” Nick said.

Damon pointed to the screen. “I sent Tanya to stay with them.”

“Heaven help us all,” Bruce said.

Chapter Seven

“So you’re a witch, huh?” Tanya gave Zoe the kind of dismissive look that the Dark Queen specialized in throughout the movie Snow White and the Huntsman. Tanya had been giving Zoe that look since Gram had made the mistake of inviting her in. After that, Gram had quickly returned to her own room, leaving Zoe to deal with their “guest.” “Show me something witchy.”

“So you’re a vampire, huh? Show me something vampy,” Zoe countered.

Tanya snarled and bared her fangs.

“Okay, then.” Zoe took a quick step back. “That was fun.”

“What’s the matter?” Tanya taunted. “Are you afraid of me?”

“No,” Zoe lied. “That’s not it at all.”

“Then why did you step away?”

“I don’t mean to be rude but you could use some breath freshener,” Zoe said.

“Like I’d believe anything a witch told me.”

“You don’t know a thing about me,” Zoe said.

“I know all I need to know. If you think you can sell your wares here in Vamptown, you are sadly mistaken. I’m the owner of Tanya’s Tanning Salon.”

“Tanning beds are dangerous.”

“So are vampires.” Tanya bared her fangs again.

“Maybe you’d like to try one of my moisturizers…?” Zoe suggested.

Tanya was highly offended. “Vampires don’t age. We don’t get wrinkles. That’s why my boyfriend turned me. To keep me beautiful and young. So don’t think you have a chance with Damon.”

“Damon?”

“That’s right. Keep your witchy mitts off him.”

Zoe recalled licking his wrist. Remembered the taste of his skin on her tongue. She replayed the moment she’d sat on her bed and he’d leaned over her. “What did he tell you?”

“Everything.”

The fiend. Zoe wanted to kick his vampire butt. Damon had some nerve talking about her to this slutty female vampire.

Okay, so Zoe had no idea if Tanya actually was slutty, but she sure looked the type. Skinny but oozing sex in a tight tank top, spandex micro-mini, and stiletto black boots. And yes, given her librarian background, Zoe should know better than to judge a book by its cover. But if Tanya walked like a slut and quacked like a slut, Zoe felt justified in labeling her one. Besides, the female vampire had been rude since she walked in.

“If it was up to me, I’d let the demons get you,” Tanya said, flipping her hair over a tanned shoulder. “Not that I’m really here to protect you. I’m here to make sure you don’t do another witchy thing to make trouble. Damon sent me.”

“You can have him,” Zoe said.

“I don’t need your permission to get Damon.”

“Get him? I thought you said you already had him,” Zoe challenged her.

“I lost Nick to a cupcake maker. I am not about to lose Damon to a witch.”

“I already said I don’t want him,” Zoe assured Tanya.

“Yeah, right,” Tanya scoffed. “Every woman wants Damon.”

“Not the smart ones.”

“Are you saying that I’m stupid?”

“I don’t know you well enough to make a determination like that,” Zoe said in her best demure voice.

“Well, I know you well enough to know that I don’t like you,” Tanya retorted. “You act like you’re better than anyone else.”

“You should be relieved that I’m not interested in Damon.”

“It’s not like you’d be any real competition,” Tanya said. “I mean, look at you. There’s no way you could compete with this.” She pointed to her model-thin body. “Unless you used black magic.”

“I don’t do black magic.”

“You’re a witch. Witches do black magic.”

“Not all witches.”

“Maybe black magic doesn’t work on vampires. I’ll have to ask Pat about that.”

“Who is Pat?” Zoe said.

“He runs Pat’s Tats Body Art Salon and he knows everything.”

“Is he a vampire, too?” Zoe asked.

“Of course.”