Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom

Chapter Four

“Oh.” Although the information was hardly news, it was still sobering. “And the Hunters you do have,” I pressed, “I suppose they’re otherwise occupied?”

“Si.”

“Shit.” And then, “Sorry, Father.”

His low chuckle seemed to wash over me, and I wrapped myself in a sudden, unexpected memory. Me, laid up with the flu, propped up in my dorm-room bed with a box of tissue and a jar of Vicks VapoRub. And Father Corletti, sitting beside me, the flimsy cot buckling even under his negligible weight, as he told story after story of life within the Forza Scura. Serious business, he’d said. God’s work. But still, he was able to find a bit of humor. And by the time my cold had disappeared, I was more eager than ever to get back to my training.

Father Corletti had been the closest thing I’d had to a parent, and until Eric, the Forza was the only family I’d known. So if Father needed me to drop everything and go kill demons, I would. I might not like it, but I’d do it.

“You will not be completely alone,” Father said, and I fought a smile. He’d always had an uncanny ability to read my mind.

“Okay,” I said. “Who?”

“An alimentatore,” he said.

“You’ve got a spare alimentatore, but not a Hunter? Sounds like the Vatican human resources department isn’t exactly doing a stellar job of keeping the proper balance among employees.”

“Katherine ...”

“Sorry.”

“He will meet you at the cathedral tomorrow at noon.”

“Fine,” I said, knowing not to push. “Fine.” Then I thought about it a bit more. ‘Tomorrow? It’s the middle of the night here. You mean later today?” I knew he did. “How are you getting him here so fast?”

“He is already there.”

“Already—”

“You will learn what we know tomorrow. In the meantime, rest ... and conserve your resources. I fear that you shall need them.”

Once again I held the handset out and stared at it, only this time I wasn’t glaring. This time I was completely befuddled. “You knew about this? You already know what’s going on here? Dammit, Father. Don’t you dare make me wait until tomorrow!”

“Child, now is not the time.” He paused, and I held my breath, thinking foolishly that he might change his mind. “You have of course kept up with your training?”

He’d turned the statement into a question. And though his tone was casual, I could tell the query was completely serious.

“Sure,” I lied. “Of course I have.” Like hell, I have. The only physical training I got these days was chasing a two-year-old, and my most recent mental exercise consisted of debating Allie about just how slutty the gotta-have-it outfit of the moment really was.

Not exactly at the top of my game, I had to say.

“Good.” 

That one word scared me more than anything else he could have said. “Father, I know you won’t tell me everything, so I’m not even going to try. But—”

“Goramesh,” he said, the demon’s name turning my blood to ice. “We believe he may have come to San Diablo.”

I stared at the phone once again, and this time realized my hand was shaking. Goramesh. The Decimator. One of the High Demons.