Page 13 of Demon's Obsession

Dakata’s growl was purely visceral, a warning to Silas to keep away, despite everything. He didn’t want this…he didn’t.

Then why are we heading to the club? He’s singing to us.

He didn’t answer. It was pointless, and he needed to conserve his energy for what was coming.

When the car slowed in front of the club, Dakata groaned at the length of the queue when he’d not planned for this. Silas’s voice floated out of the cell phone as he didn’t say a word to Miller and exited the car while it was still moving.

He ignored the long queue and walked up to the bodyguard, the same one as the week before. “I need in now!”

He eyed Dakata with wariness. “Ticket?”

“Don’t fuck with me, get Branson.”

The guy moved at a snail’s pace, rising to his formidable height, only he wasn’t anywhere near Dakata’s size. He was more than capable in either form of crushing the shifter if he got in his way.

“Do it,now.”

Whatever he saw in Dakata’s eyes got him nodding and pushing open the door. “Go.”

He shoved through the crowd at the last dying notes of the song. When he pushed his way to the stage, growling and snarling, still clutching his cell phone, it was empty.

The sound of fabric ripping and the deafening roar blocked Dakata’s curse as his demon let everyone know he was pissed.

Chapter Nine

Silas

Jennifer’s gift had been the boost Silas’s own soul had been needing to help propel the emotions behind his songs. He waved at the girl and her friends who were crowding near the edge of the stage, but as always, he looked for someone to sing to. Someone who needed him.

A slightly older man stood out, not because of the cut of his suit or the flash of silver around his wrist indicating an expensive watch. No, it was the slump of the man’s shoulder’s that called to Silas’s soul, the despair that seemed to hover likea cloud around the person who was like an island in a sea of people. Not even waiting for the man to catch his eye, Silas closed his eyes, focused on that man’s spirit, and sang, just like he did every night.

Three songs, that was all he sang. That was all he did on any night. Many people weren’t aware that the songs of dryads could be as potent as the ones sung by sirens—addictive to the point that the goodness was overshadowed by a mortal’s need to hear more and more and more.

The effect only applied to non-paranormals—paranormals likely heard the song just like they would any other—but for humans whose souls craved goodness and that special something, even if they weren’t aware of it, Silas’s song could be like a drug. However, like anything addictive, in small doses, Silas’s songs healed the spirit, soothed the soul, and relaxed a person’s body as they wound down after a busy work week.

Three songs. No encores. Silas had just disappeared off the back of the stage at the end of the last song, feeling better, both for himself and for what he’d done. His target for the evening, indeed, everyone in the club appeared to be in good spirits, and Silas was thinking about pizza. Branson would’ve left his cash in an envelope at the door.

He was halfway down the corridor, heading for the front door, when he felt the shift in the air as if someone had slapped his soul and then bodily shook him.The demon’s near.Silas wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he could feel it.

The energy was more intense than the week before. More confused. Conflicted. Whereas the previous time Silas had seen the demon, he’d picked up that the being hadn’t even wanted to be in the club, it was as if this time the demon was in two completely different minds about his presence and where he was.

Without thinking, Silas ran towards the front door of the club. A loud roar filled the air and people started screaming, and then they were running through the club, heading for the same door.

Demon rampage?

Why?

Silas understood more about the demon’s duality now, thanks to Dougal, but he couldn’t understand why this particular demon was unleashing his anger on the clubgoers.I just spent all that time helping them feel good, too.

Silas had to help. It was in his nature. Touching the sprig of leaves in his hair for a power boost, he reached the end of the hallway, and instead of dashing outside, he pushed his way back into the club. It was chaos, and Silas worked quickly, helping people stay on their feet, assisting them to find the door, where poor Lucas was swamped trying to help them, too.

I’ve got to calm him down.Somehow Silas knew he was the only one who had a chance of doing it. Above the heads of the frightened clubgoers, he could see the head and chest of the demon, standing in the middle of the empty dance floor, pounding his chest and roaring loud enough to shake the rafters.

He has totally lost the plot.Silas pushed forward, trying to dodge the sensible people who were still attempting to leave.

“Silas, no, you can’t go in there.” A tug on his arm pulled him to a stop. It was Jennifer. Her perky hairdo was in disarray, and someone had ripped the sleeve of her top. “He’s going to eat someone, we’ve got to leave.”

“He won’t hurt me.” Okay, that could be a lie for all Silas knew. If he could get close enough… But Jennifer had a death grip on his arm. Silas spotted the downtrodden man he’d sung for earlier, still sitting on a stool close to the door. “You, sir, excuse me. You, in the suit jacket. Yes, you,” he added when the man looked up. “Would you mind taking care of this sweet lady? She needs help to be escorted outside. If you could perhaps…”