Releasing the Hunter

Chapter 13

The tempting smells of hot food drifted to Ivy’s nose as she made her way out of the bedroom and back to the living room. Ronan was already seated, eating something that smelled delicious out of a white cardboard box.

He gestured toward the rest of the smorgasbord spread out on the table. “It’s from this Thai restaurant down the block. Eat it. It’s good.”

She was hungry enough that she didn’t see the point of arguing. She grabbed a box, some chopsticks, secured a comfy spot on the floor and dug in.

They ate in silence and she didn’t look at Ronan until she was done her food. She tossed the empty box onto the table, then pinned him with her gaze. He glanced up at her from shoveling noodles into his mouth.

“I want to know more about this key.”

He nodded and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’ve set up an appointment with a contact of mine. She’s a demonologist and knows everything there is to know about King Solomon and his grimoire.”

“When?”

“In an hour.”

She stood and started back toward the bedroom. “It’ll give me time to sharpen my knives.”

“Ivy...”

She stopped but didn’t turn around to face him. “We don’t need to talk about it. It doesn’t matter.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I lied to you. And I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” Then she kept going into the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind her. She leaned against the wood and fought back the hot prickles at the corners of her eyes. She wouldn’t let the tears fall. And she’d be damned if she ever let Ronan see her cry, especially because of him.

She balled her hands tightly, digging her nails into her palms, and took in a few deep breaths. She would put on her mask and show him it didn’t matter, that he didn’t matter. It would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but she’d do it, just as she always had.

Forty-five minutes later, they were back in the truck, racing down the highway toward San Francisco State University. Ronan’s contact was a woman named Quianna Lang who was a professor in the humanities department. Supposedly, she was a guru on all world religions, with a slant toward demonology.

They parked in visitor parking and crossed the campus to the gray humanities building. They went in and up to the fourth floor to Quianna’s office. Ronan knocked on the closed door.

“Come in,” a youngish female voice sounded from within.

Ronan opened the door and he and Ivy stepped into the cramped office. The woman behind the desk stood and came around to them. She was a petite woman, with a warm smile but cold, hard eyes. Ivy wondered what she’d seen in her life to give her that fierce gaze.

“Ronan.” She embraced him with a familiarity that almost grated on Ivy’s spine. She shook off the feeling and met the woman head-on.

“This is Ivy Strom,” Ronan said. “Ivy, this is Quianna Lang.”

The little woman held out her hand to Ivy. She shook it and Ivy noticed Quianna had a firm, solid grip even with her dainty-looking hand. “It’s a pleasure, of course, to meet you, Ivy. I’ve heard a lot about you and your family.”

Ivy just nodded, unsure how she felt about the woman. She gave Ivy an unsettling feeling. Like she’d just walked through a cold spot or someone’s restless spirit.

“I met your father once.”

“Really?” Ivy cocked one eyebrow.

“Yes.” Quianna sat on the edge of her desk, and then turned to regard Ronan. “So why the meeting?”

“We need to know all you know about Solomon’s grimoire and the key to the chest that supposedly holds it.”

Quianna’s face paled. “Are you serious?”

Ronan nodded. “Supposedly Quinn Strom has the key.”

“And?” She looked from Ronan to Ivy and back to Ronan.

“And the Crimson Hall Cabal have hired this one—” she gestured to Ronan “—to find it and bring it to them,” Ivy added, loving that the little demonologist just fixed Ronan with a lethal stare worthy of any deadly hunter. She was impressed.

“You dumb ass.” Quianna slid off the desk and went toe-to-toe with him, although she was a good seven inches shorter. “You can’t give them the key. If they find the chest and open it, you can’t even imagine the power that will be unleashed.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit overdramatic?” he asked.

Quianna swatted Ronan on the side of the head. “Don’t you think you’re the dumbest man on earth?”

Ivy broke out into laughter. To see the little spitfire cuff a big man like Ronan had tickled her silly. Because the look on his face, one of astonishment, was priceless to see.

Quianna turned to Ivy. “You seem like an intelligent woman. Can’t you talk some sense into him?”

Ivy put up her hand in defense. “I don’t own him. He’s his own person. I just want to find my brother. I don’t really give a shit about the rest of it.”

“Well, you should.” She sat back on the edge of her desk. “Did you ever stop to think why your brother disappeared? Maybe it was to hide the key. To keep it from evil hands, like the Crimson Hall Cabal.”

“Do you know where he went?” Ivy stepped toward her, suddenly frantic to know something, anything. Any tiny straw would do to grasp.

Quianna shook her head. “I don’t. And even if I did, I don’t think I’d tell either of you.”

Ronan sighed. “Qui, just tell us about the key. Let us deal with the morality of finding it.”

She looked at him, then at Ivy and shook her head. “I don’t think either one of you would know morality even if it hit you in the face.”

Ivy had to admit she was probably right, but she certainly didn’t like to hear it so simply stated. As if it was obvious just by looking at her. “Look, lady, you don’t know me, so keep your opinions about my character to yourself.”

Quianna frowned, then shrugged. “Fair enough.” She slid off the desk again and went around to slump into her high-backed leather chair. She spun it around to her bookcase, pulled out a huge black-encased tome and slammed it down on her desk. She flipped through the pages. Then, settling on one, she turned the book around and slid it toward them. “This is what the key looks like.”

Ivy and Ronan gazed down at the open book. On the left page was a pencil drawing of an elaborately decorated key, not unlike something from the past. A skeleton key. On the opposite page was a drawing of a plain wooden chest.

Quianna tapped the paper. “This chest supposedly holds the grimoire that King Solomon used to conjure his demons.”

“Where’s the chest?” Ronan asked.

“Nobody knows.”

“So essentially the key is useless unless you know where the chest is,” Ivy stated.

Quianna met her gaze, and there was something inside her cold gray eyes that sent a shiver down Ivy’s back. “Theoretically, yes.”

“Thanks for the info, Qui.” Ronan looked at Ivy. “Let’s go.”

Ivy nodded and followed Ronan to the door. Before they crossed the threshold, Quianna gave them a warning. “You don’t know what you are messing with, Ronan. You think you know what real evil looks like? You have no clue. Those who open the grimoire will be cursed for life.”

Both Ivy and Ronan looked over their shoulders at the professor. She’d risen from her chair and was staring after them with a look of determination on her thin pale face.

“Give the key to the cabal and you risk your immortal soul.”

“Too late,” Ronan said. “I lost it the night I was turned into a demon.” He swung back around and left the office.

Ivy watched him go, not fully realizing until this very moment how damaged he was from being turned into a cambion. She knew he struggled with it, but had no clue how much he loathed his very existence.

And now she understood his motives for wanting to find her brother. He was going to trade the key for something that would turn him back into a full-blooded human. She didn’t blame him for it. She’d likely do the exact same thing.

“He’s going to need your help, Ivy,” Quianna murmured. “At the end.”

“What? Have you seen the future?”

“Yes, actually, I have.”

Ivy frowned. “I’ve never met anyone with that ability before.”

“Yeah, well, now you have.” Quianna sat back in her chair and cocked one eyebrow at her. “Believe me, if I could turn it off, I would. The future isn’t looking too good. I can’t tell you more than that.”

Unnerved, Ivy nodded to Quianna, then walked out of the office to follow a man she was just beginning to understand but couldn’t be more confused about.