“Aria? What are you doing here?” He rushed toward her and pulled her into a hug.

  “I’m here to see the sin eaters…and, I’m helping with a case. I’m sort of an assistant to Harry Storm, the private investigator.”

  He broke into a wide grin. “That’s awesome. I’m glad.”

  “What about you? What are you doing here?” she asked him.

  The bouncer cleared his throat and held the door open. “Dr. Volgens, she’s waiting for you.”

  Ben held up his hand in a gesture, indicating he’d be coming soon. He faced Aria again. “Well, Kyra finally forgave me for that stunt I pulled, but she’s still with the kids at her parents’ house. They’re coming back to Miracle Falls after Thanksgiving, and I can’t wait. But my clinic hasn’t been doing well since all the rioting and fighting, so I’ve had to take on personal calls, travel to wealthy clients who need my services—both as a medical doctor and a healing wizard.”

  Aria nodded. “No wonder Susan asked for you. It’s for her brother, right?”

  The bouncer groaned. “Can you hurry the hell up?”

  Ben said, “Yeah. He’ll be okay. I’ll see to it. Let’s catch up soon, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  It looked like Ben was just about to introduce himself to Clare, but the bouncer had murder in his stare. The doctor whispered goodbye and shuffled past them, slipping into Susan’s office and closing the door behind him.

  Clare fell in step with Aria as they headed downstairs. “Who was that man?”

  “A friend. Like family, really. He has two beautiful children, and I used to take care of them.”

  Clare’s eyes lit up. “I can see it.”

  “See what?”

  “What a wonderful mother you’d one day make.”

  Aria’s cheeks burned. “Thanks, Mom. So, ready to help me practice this?” She handed her the page with the Summoning spell.

  “We don’t have a choice, do we?”

  “Afraid not, but as long as you’re with me, we can do this.”

  8

  Harry

  He wondered if Aria fared any better than him tonight. He had screwed up with Cedric and the blood, but at least Vern was a man of his word. His brother would help get this back on track. He only hoped that it would be done quickly.

  He parked his ’77 Maverick in the half-filled lot next to Hecate’s House. Aria didn’t answer her cell phone, but he wanted to try and catch her in time to break the news to her. He had failed. Ugh. The thought of using that word made his stomach churn. He didn’t want to be a failure, and he certainly didn’t want to let Aria down. She needed a sample of Cedric’s blood for the Undoing ritual, and he needed Cedric to lift the Imperare curse once and for all.

  He got out of the car and stuck his hands into his pockets, eyeing the club entrance just ahead. There were only a handful of people in line to get in, and Harry got through with ease. He scratched his dark, well-trimmed beard, remembering how Aria had complimented him a couple of times. Of course, he’d swing right by and be admitted into Hecate’s House—he looked damned good.

  As he passed a gaggle of women and a couple of waiters, he spotted the manager’s office up on the balcony level on the second floor. He headed upstairs and went for the office door, careful to keep his distance as he addressed the bouncer standing guard.

  “Hey man, I’m looking for my friend, Aria Knight. I think she may have been to see Susan.”

  The bouncer let out a low breath and then clenched his jaw. He finally asked, “Do you mean that annoying lady with the dark hair and her weird ass mother?”

  “Yep, that’s them.”

  The office door opened, and Ben Volgens stepped out. His eyes widened at the sight of Harry. “Hey, you just missed Aria. How are you, buddy?”

  Harry held up a hand to prevent the good doctor from giving him a bro embrace. Harry wasn’t the hugging type. “Eh, it’s good to see you too, Doc. How’s that wife and kids of yours?”

  “Good! They’re coming back to Miracle Falls soon, thank God.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Ben leaned in and whispered in Harry’s ear. “Are you still dealing with the curse? Do you have its effects under control?”

  The bouncer stepped in between them and gestured toward the downstairs area. “Can you take your conversation down there? Or outside? Damn!”

  Ben broke into a sheepish expression. “Sorry, Jay.” He took out a business card from his suit pocket and handed it to Harry. “Call me if you need me. And for you and Aria, no charge. You’re my friends.”

  Meh. Friend was a little too strong of a word. Harry took the card anyway. “Thanks…buddy.”

  The doctor gave a goofy smile. “See ya.”

  “Bye.” He watched Ben head downstairs. He then turned and faced Jay, the bouncer. “Can I slip in and talk to Susan really quick?”

  Jay crossed his bulky muscled arms. “No.”

  “Okay, fine.” He’d just have to catch up with Aria and Clare at the hotel.

  He turned on his heel and exited the club. He snorted a laugh at the last few people still making their way in for a late night of dancing, drinking, and subtle magic. Places like these used to hold an allure for him, but nowadays they just didn’t seem as lustrous.

  Just as he was passing the alley, he heard a muffled cry from the darkness. It sounded like a woman. He paused and peered into the alleyway and saw two figures physically struggling.

  “Help!” the woman cried out.

  A mix of anger and adrenaline kicked in, and Harry sprinted down the alley. It was probably some asshole who couldn’t take no for an answer. He reached them just as the man had slammed the woman against the brick wall. Harry launched himself against the man, intending to run into him and tackle him to the ground. However, the man moved with inhuman speed and maneuvered himself in a way that allowed him to grab Harry mid-tackle and fling him across the alley into the opposite wall.

  Harry groaned as he smashed into the wall, getting the air knocked out of him. He landed into a pile of garbage. “What the hell?”

  “Stop!” the woman cried out. The guy held her by the neck with his right hand and turned to glare at Harry as if sizing him up. His elongated canines glistened with saliva.

  A vampire.

  Guess he didn’t think too much of Harry, because he faced the woman again and moved in to take a bite.

  Suddenly out of nowhere, a man in black rushed in with black, fingerless gloves and glowing hands, and delivered a hell of a punch to the Vampire’s head. The vamp screeched, his silver-blue eyes regarding the man in black cautiously.

  The man stepped in between the vamp and the woman, who stood against the wall, frozen in fear. The vamp made his speed move again, almost moving too fast for Harry’s eyes, and slashed at the man with his sharp fingernails. The man backed up a bit and grunted but didn’t retreat.

  Harry had an Oh Shit feeling in the pit of his stomach when he felt the electric tingle of the dark magic rising inside him. It frightened him, though part of him wanted to tap into those powers. He wanted to show the vamp that he was indeed a threat.

  The vamp rushed in again and grabbed the other man by the shoulders, throwing him down the alley. Harry felt a burning sensation rise from his stomach all the way up to the back of his throat. Either, he was going to do some magic, or he was going to be sick.

  “Looks like you’re in a bit of a mess.” The ghost, Sola, slowly solidified next to Harry. Only he could see or hear her, much to his chagrin.

  “Go away, Sola. I’m busy.”

  His hands shook as the vampire darted in his direction, bearing his fangs. Harry opened his hands, and a burst of yellow energy shot out, hitting the vamp square in the chest. Instead of screaming out in pain, the vampire let out a low groan before doubling over and vomiting blood, and God knew what else.

  “Hmph,” the ghost said, closing the gap between them. Harry swore he could feel her breath against his cheek. How could a spirit breathe?

  He motioned toward the frightened woman, who still stood against the wall and looked like she wasn’t sure what to do. “Get out of here. Go! We’ll take care of him.”

  “Thank you,” she said in a broken but grateful voice before bolting down the alley and turning the corner.

  The man in black limped back toward them, his hands aglow again with magic. He made a diagonal downward strike with his left hand, and an electric blue light flew forward and hit the vampire in the legs. This time the monster did cry out in pain as he collapsed to the floor.

  “Finish him, Harry,” Sola whispered into his ear. “Unleash your magic.”

  Harry felt what he could only describe as some force field enveloping his torso and clamping down. His entire body felt like it was on fire. If he didn’t control this, it would control him. And he’d rather die than go through something like that again. He balled his fists and fought back the dark magic. He ignored the vamp, who quickly crawled away just as the man in black reached them. At first, the other man looked torn between helping Harry and chasing down the vamp, but then he approached Harry with his hands raised in a gesture as if calming a caged animal.

  “Sir,” the man said in a steady voice, “are you okay?”

  “Tell him to piss off, Harry. He’s no good for you.” Sola walked around Harry and toward the man, eyeing him with disgust.

  Harry felt blood trickle down his nose. His heart pounded in his chest, and his head ached, but he had the upper hand and began forcing down the dark magic. “Y-yeah. I’m okay. The vamp hit me hard.”

  He didn’t look like he believed Harry. “My name’s Miguel. I think I can help.”

  “No…it’s okay…”

  Miguel opened his gloved hands which shimmered with magic. He slowly raised them toward Harry, and for some reason he flinched.

  Miguel halted. “It’s all right. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  The dark magic rose inside Harry again, this time feeling as if it would squeeze his heart and make him drop dead. The pain caused his eyes to water. All he could do was give Miguel a quick nod.

  The man proceeded with his shimmering hands, laying them on Harry’s head. There was a bright flash of light, and Harry immediately felt a cooling sensation rush throughout his body, like taking in an ice-cold drink on a hot day. The darkness inside quelled. It was still there, as long as Harry was cursed it would be there, but at least for now it was repelled. Sola had disappeared. Either that, or she was watching them from a dark corner.

  He shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut and then opening them again. He eyed Miguel up and down, noting that he looked no older than thirty, clean-cut, and definitely didn’t strike him as the vigilante type. Either way, the man saved his ass tonight.

  “Thanks. I’m Harry.” He held out his hand.

  Miguel reached out to shake his hand but hissed and bent over in pain. “Sorry, we couldn’t have met under better circumstances, Harry.”

  Harry offered Miguel his arm and managed to get a look at the slash across his torso. The vampire’s sharp nails went through the man’s light jacket and shredded his skin. The wound went diagonally from the top of his rib cage to his stomach. There was a mixture of blood and some kind of green substance as if the wound was either poisoned or infected.

  “That looks nasty. Need me to drive you to the hospital?” The last thing he needed was some do-gooder dying in his arms.

  Miguel shook his head, but he still let Harry help stabilize him as they walked in step together. “No, no hospitals.”

  “Yeah…right. I imagine you don’t want anyone knowing of your late-night vampire hunting. Hey, that thing you did to me with your hands, why can’t you heal your wounds?”

  They exited the alley and headed toward the parking lot. Harry would shove him into the car, take him to the nearest hospital, and then let him be their problem.

  “I heal magical ailments, not physical ones. But I know someone who’s a skilled alchemist. She’ll heal me.” Miguel hissed again and gritted his teeth.

  “Okay, fine. My car’s over there. Where is this healer?” Damn, too bad Benjamin Volgens wasn’t still around.

  “El Nido Mexican Restaurant, about ten minutes north, off of Broadway.”

  Harry unlocked his car and helped ease Miguel in. “Hey, getting whacked by vampires makes me hungry too, but don’t you think we ought to get you patched up first?”

  Miguel glared at him. “I see you’re a comedian.”

  Harry hopped into the driver seat and started the car. “And without me, you’d probably be lying in that alley. Let’s go get you fixed.”

  He pulled out of the parking lot and sped down Broadway, mindful of his speed only when he came across an LAPD squad car. The streets were nearly empty because of the time of night, though he knew to avoid other routes because downtown nightlife was alive and bustling.

  They made it to El Nido in seven minutes. Harry rushed out and went over to help Miguel out of the Maverick. At this point, the man was wheezing, and Harry had to fling Miguel’s arm across his shoulders and hold him by the waist so that he wouldn’t stumble or fall.

  The restaurant lights were dimmed, but he could see an elderly woman with gray hair wearing an apron still inside, wiping down tables. Harry steadied himself as he approached with Miguel hanging on him and knocked on the door.

  The woman inside looked up, at first with an irritated expression. However, when she saw Miguel, a mixture of recognition and fear flooded her eyes and she rushed over to unlock the door.

  “Oh my God! Miguel!” She quickly closed and locked the door behind them.

  “Tía Lupe…I need an elixir.”

  Lupe wrung her hands and looked like she would either burst into tears or whack Miguel. “I can’t believe you went out again!”

  Harry helped Miguel into the nearest booth. “This happened about twenty minutes ago, so you need to help him immediately.”

  Lupe cursed in Spanish and rushed behind the counter and into the kitchen area.

  Miguel shuddered. “Thanks, Harry.”

  He felt like he needed to leave, but it was probably impolite to not stick around to at least see if the old woman could heal him. If required, Harry could at least call 911 and then head out.

  “Do you need something, Miguel? Is there a first aid kit here?”

  “I’m okay.” He let out a low breath and unzipped his thin, black jacket. He grunted in pain as he removed it.

  Harry stared at the collar around Miguel’s neck and let out a chuckle. “This is some next level shit.”

  Miguel faced him. Sweat beaded down his face. “Never seen a priest before?”

  Harry smirked and slid in across from Miguel. “Not a vampire hunting one.” Maybe he would stick around.

  There was a clatter of pots and pans from the kitchen area, and Lupe cursed again in Spanish. She emerged and dashed back toward them, carrying a steaming mug of liquid. She set it down in front of Miguel.

  “Toma,” she commanded in Spanish. Miguel obeyed, and she went back over to the counter and returned with a small glass jar. She opened it and began applying some sort of salve to his wounds.

  As Harry watched Lupe work her magic, he remembered the “deal” he had made not too long ago. He was hanging by a thread, about to lose grip of his mind and his soul. He prayed that if he was given the strength to make it through, he’d repay God, or the Universe, or whoever was up there listening. Well, looked like the Supreme Being came to collect on that promise. Clearly, helping a foolish cleric avoid death was the price he needed to pay.

  “Heh,” Harry said, observing with fascination at how quickly Miguel’s wounds began healing. “Looks like I just did your God a solid. He helped me out once, and I just repaid the favor. Not too shabby.”

  Lupe stood and closed the salve jar. She eyed Miguel with extreme disapproval. “Thank you, sir, for saving my nephew’s life.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Harry said, reaching into an abandoned bowl of tortilla chips.

  “I’m sorry, Tía,” Miguel said in a low voice.

  Lupe inhaled a deep breath then let it out. “So…did the elixir work to your liking, mijo?”

  “Yes.”

  “No pain?”

  “No. In fact, I feel better than ever.”

  “Good.” She leaned over and smacked the back of his head with her open palm.

  “Owww!” he recoiled.

  Harry snorted a laugh. “I like your aunt. A lot.”

  Lupe rounded on her nephew. “Playing vampire hunter will get you killed! What would your parents say if they were alive to see you?”

  “Fair question,” Harry said, grabbing another handful of chips and munching on them.

  Miguel glared at him. “Stay out of this.”

  Lupe sighed. “I’m sorry, where are my manners…I’m Guadalupe, welcome to my restaurant…” She jabbed her thumb in Miguel’s direction, “and this is my addled nephew, Miguel, who should be praying and preaching, not fighting vampires. Dios Mío.”

  “Nice to meet you. Harry Storm.”

  “Would you like something to eat? It’s the least I could offer.” Lupe said.

  Miguel said, “No” at the same time Harry said “Yes.”

  They both stared at each other. Looked like Padre wasn’t very keen on having him hang around.

  Lupe grinned at Harry. “I have some enchiladas in the fridge.”