His Magic Touch

Cynthia Cooke

Eight years ago, demon hunter Trent Drouillard left his family to keep them safe--but a demon still found them. He must protect his daughter…but first he has to convince Sera, his ex and mother of his child, to let him back into their lives. And maybe he can make her realize that he never stopped wanting her…

Trent once made Sera feel so cared for, so loved…and then he disappeared. Now that he’s back, she doesn’t know how to feel…Except she can’t deny her body’s rekindling desire for him, especially after a sensual dream reminds her how much she craves his touch. Can Sera open her heart to Trent again to save her family and the passion she thought she’d lost forever?

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter One

Trent Drouillard’s stomach turned as he approached the door. Evil he could face. Restless spirits and angry demons he could handle. Sera Barnhardt with her big brown eyes and bouncy, soft curls? No way. He had to, though. He had to face her well-deserved fury. Worse, he had to convince her to trust him when there was no reason she should.

If she didn’t, their daughter would die.

He stood in front of the door of the small cottage in a small town in a Louisiana Bayou and swallowed the frustration building within him. He’d sacrificed his life, his family, and yet, no matter how far he’d run, the demon still found them. Trent looked over his shoulder, reaching with his senses, searching for the demon’s presence. He was close.

Trent took a deep, calming breath, then reached forward and rang the bell. He listened impatiently to the sound of footsteps moving within the house. Over the years, he’d watched from a distance this place grow from cold and empty to teeming with life. Exotic tropical plants lined the walk to the front door. Off to the side, a hot pink bicycle with its metallic streamers flowing out of the handlebars lay on its side in the grass, waiting for Aimee to come home and take it for a ride. A sign of innocence soon lost if he couldn’t save her.

With a pang of regret, he remembered the big smile brightening her face, the tinkling sound of her laughter ringing through the air the first time she’d ridden it. He’d watched her, unseen from his car, wanting to scoop her up and spin her around. But he didn’t dare. A few stolen moments at a time was all he’d ever been able to chance.

The door opened. Sera stepped into the doorway, her beautiful brown eyes widening in shock, her luscious mouth falling open. He caught his breath, hoping to still the anxiety hammering inside him.

After all this time, the sight of her still weakened him. Her sweet scent filled his nose and spread like warm molasses through his being, drawing him to her. He took a step back, trying to distance himself before he lost control. His heart quickened in his chest, he clenched his fists at his sides to keep from moving a muscle, from pulling her soft body up against him.

“Trent?” The voice that had haunted his nights all these long years pierced him.

He forced a wide, cocky grin. “Hello, beautiful.”

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her tone sharp, her gaze icy.

“I wanted to see you…and Aimee.”

Her face paled. The sharp scent of fear rolled off her in waves. The sound of her heart ramping up to a wild staccato pounded in his ears.

He held up both hands. “Don’t worry. I just—” Miss you. “I need…”

Her mouth closed abruptly, thinning into a straight line.

He stepped forward again, opening his arms at his sides in a welcoming gesture. “I know this must seem out of the blue.” What could he say to put her at ease when he was nowhere near at ease himself?

Her eyes narrowed.

“It’s been a long time and…” The words he couldn’t say choked him. You’re in danger. Aimee is in danger.

Anger sent color rushing back into her cheeks. “What is it you want, Trent?”

“I need to talk to you about Aimee.”

“What about her?” Her knuckles whitened as she clutched the edge of the door. “You have about thirty seconds before I completely lose it. Talk. And talk fast.”

“She’s in trouble.”

“How would you know anything about Aimee? You haven’t seen her in eight years.”

“Trust me, I know.”

Sera blew out an exasperated breath. “Twenty.”

“Aimee needs me. You need me.”

“Like hell.”

“She’s in danger. You haven’t given her the amulet.”

Surprise, then skepticism wrinkled Sera’s brow. “How would you know that? Have you been watching us?”

He stiffened under her direct gaze. “Does it matter? Aimee needs my protection.”

“Taking care of my daughter is my responsibility. You gave up that job when you walked away from being her dad.”

Trent stiffened. Low blow and from her perspective one he deserved, but she was wrong. “Are we going to stand out here all day and become a spectacle for the neighbors, or are you going to invite me in and listen to what you’re up against?”

A moment later, two women pushing baby strollers turned the corner and walked past the house, their eyes riveted on them. Sera gave them a halfhearted wave, then turned back to him with suspicion darkening her eyes.

“Come on, Sera. Give me a break.”

“You don’t deserve a break and time’s up.” She stepped back and slammed the door so hard the front windows shook.

Damn, but she was even more hot-tempered than he remembered. “I will protect my daughter.”

Nothing.

“Give Aimee the amulet. The demon can’t touch her if she’s wearing it.”

Trent dropped his head against the front door, knowing she was standing on the other side. He could hear her shifting from foot to foot, could hear the pounding of her heart, her blood rushing through her veins. His gift. His curse.

For a moment, he wished he could touch her and hold her like he used to, then maybe she’d listen to what he had to say. Maybe she’d believe the unbelievable. But she was afraid. Not of the demon he knew was close by. She was terrified of him—the father of her child. The man she’d once promised to love forever.

But her fear didn’t matter. He would protect his daughter whether Sera helped him or not. They could do this the easy way or the hard way, but either way, he was taking Aimee.

Sera waited until she saw Trent drive away, then rushed out to her car and drove quickly to Voodoo Mystique. If anyone on the planet knew what that man was up to, it would be Mary. She pulled around back of the store and ran in through the delivery entrance.

“Mary,” she called, as she entered the empty shop.

Mary sat at a table by the window, worry lines creasing her brow as she flipped over a tarot card and set it on top of a row of others. “They’ve been saying the same thing all day. The threat I’ve warned you about draws near.”

Fear needled Sera as she stared down at the cards spread neatly across the small table.

“He’s here now,” Mary whispered.

“I know. He just left my house.”

Mary looked up at her, surprise widening her eyes.

“Trent,” Sera whispered through the tightening of her throat. She still couldn’t believe it, after all these years, he’d just shown up and damned if he didn’t look better than she remembered.

“No, not Trent,” Mary muttered, shaking her head. “He’s not the threat.”

Sera slapped both palms down on the table. “Of course he’s a threat. The man has been missing in action for eight years and suddenly he decides to show his smug face? I’d say that’s a threat.”

Mary pursed her lips and placed a hand over Sera’s. “He can help you fight the demon who seeks Aimee. Listen to what he has to say. Let him in.”

Sera yanked back her hand. “Demon? What would a demon want with Aimee?” Ridiculous. “Besides, there are no such things as demons.” She’d heard Mary talk like this before, but had never paid much attention to her ramblings. But now? Now she was talking about Aimee. Uneasiness twisted Sera’s insides.

Mary leaned forward, her fear-filled gaze capturing Sera’s. “I’ve told you for years she’s different. She’s special.”

“Of course she’s special. She’s my baby.”

“Magic is in her blood. It makes her desirable and easy to find. You won’t be able to protect her on your own.” The look in Mary’s eyes, the tone of her voice…she was dead serious.

A shiver shook Sera. “You’re scaring me, Mary.” She turned away from her aunt, her gaze moving over reptile heads that stared at her through cold, glassy eyes. Voodoo dolls hung suspended from the ceiling by the hundreds, and apothecary jars of powders and herbs lined the shelves of the shop.

Why was she surprised her aunt had finally lost it? Look where she spent all her time.

Sera inhaled a sharp breath. “Mary, Aimee’s smart, beautiful and talented, but she can’t do magic. No one can.”

“You can’t deny her blood heritage. That’s why you must listen to Trent. He is here to help you. There’s a lot about him you don’t know.”

“And why exactly is that? Perhaps because he never let me know anything about him. He’s never kept in contact, has never been worried about his daughter before, and now suddenly he has to protect her? I know all I need to know about Trent Drouillard. He can’t be trusted. He has never been there for me or for Aimee.”

Mary leaned back in her chair, her gaze narrowing. “Hasn’t he?”

Sera bristled. “Yes, he’s provided for us financially.” Handsomely, in fact. Their cottage was paid off. Life for them was good. Lonely, but good. “But that doesn’t mean I owe him. He was the one who abandoned us. I wanted him to stay.” Her voice broke over the words, and tears burned behind her eyes.

Tears of frustration and outrage. Tears she wouldn’t let fall. She’d shed enough tears over that man.

Sera flung her arms wide. “Why am I having to defend myself to you? You are the one person I thought would be on my side.”

Mary sighed, her dark eyes softening. “I am on your side. But turning your back on the one person who can save Aimee is not the answer. You have to see him. You have to listen to what he has to say. You have no choice here. Do it for Aimee’s sake.”

“Of course I have a choice. It’s my job to protect my daughter. I’m not going to let him waltz in here and worm his way into her heart only to leave her in shambles when he waltzes out again.”

Mary’s lips pursed. “Is it her heart you’re worried about? Or yours?”

Sera stiffened and looked away. Her aunt had always been able to read her too easily.

“Sera, what matters here is that Aimee’s in danger and Trent is the only one who can protect her.”

Why did everyone keep saying that? What proof was there other than a picture on a tarot card?

Bells tinkled throughout the shop as the front door opened. Trent strolled in, acting as if he owned the place, as if he’d never been gone. Sera’s eyes widened and dread turned her stomach.

For the first time she noticed his faded blue jeans and worn black leather jacket, probably the same clothes he’d left with. His shaggy blond hair was overdue for a trim and he hadn’t shaved in a few days, but that only made him look more appealing. And more dangerous.

Mary stood and reached out her hand to him, a large traitorous smile on her face. “As I live and breathe.”

“Hello, sweetheart,” Trent said, his blue eyes sparkling as he kissed her cheek.

Sera’s insides twisted and burned. She clenched her hands, certain that if she stared at him much longer she would self-combust.

“What are you doing here?” she said through gritted teeth.

“I thought neutral territory might make it easier for you to listen to what I have to say.”

Neutral? Hah! “Sorry. I’m not interested.” Sera stood.

“Are you going to let your anger at me endanger our daughter?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Our daughter is not in danger. This is some ploy you’ve made up. Some game you’re up to, and I’m not playing.”

“For chrissakes, Sera. Wake up!”

She stood stiff as a board, sputtering. Her wake up? Her? She was the only sane one in the shop. She couldn’t speak. Refused to speak, and instead gnawed on her tongue until she tasted blood. And then adrenaline surged through her system. “Get out!” she demanded, flinging her arm toward the door. “You are not seeing Aimee.”

In two steps, he was on her. Before she could think, he had her in his grasp. He pulled her up against his hard chest.

“No,” she blurted, placing her hands between them, trying to brace herself as his spicy scent overcame her. She couldn’t breathe. Anger, heartache and betrayal rose in her throat and choked her. With a twist of pain, she remembered his smell, his touch, and how safe she’d felt in his arms. Once she’d thought nothing or no one could destroy what they’d had together.

And then he’d left her.

She pushed against him, a roar of outrage building within her. Then his mouth crushed hers. In a blinding rush of shock and humiliation, she cried out against his lips. But he held on tighter, pulled her closer.

And then the images came.

Nightmarish images of blood and pain: Black waters sloshing against the knees of bald cypress trees as a man pushed a young girl into the water, again and again. The head flying off a beautiful burnt-orange rooster, its blood seeping into the dirt at her feet and splattering across her white shoes. A man with emotionless, coal-black eyes smiled as a trickle of blood seeped out the corner of his lips. And Aimee, crying as he came toward her, a wicked knife raised high above his head.

Sera jerked free from Trent’s grasp. She rubbed her lips and swiped at the tears streaming down her face. “What did you do to me?”

“I’m sorry, chère. But I had to show you the truth. You need to know what we’re up against. It’s not pretty, I know. But I had to get you to listen.”

Disgust filled her. “Who are you? What are you? How did you do that?”

Pain slashed through his eyes. “I’m a demon hunter. I was born one. I can see them, sense them, just as they can sense me. I had hoped you’d never have to know. But after Aimee was born, I knew we were in trouble. Demons can smell the blood of those like us. As a baby, she was too young to be detectable, but they could have found me. I couldn’t chance bringing them to her door.”

Sera stared at him. The only man she’d ever loved was certifiable. “That’s insane.”

“Maybe, but it’s my life. And it will be Aimee’-sif I can keep her alive. Aimee will grow up to hunt demons, she will have no choice. She will hunt or die.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Am I? Has Aimee been having night terrors lately?”

Sera stared at him, a worm of doubt and fear wiggling through her. “All kids have nightmares.”

“Night terrors so bad she has to sleep with you or she won’t sleep at all?”

“How did you know about that?” Sera turned accusing eyes on Mary. “Did you tell him?” She turned back to Trent. “Is that why you’re here? Why you’re spouting all these insane notions?”

“They’re not dreams, Sera. They’re visions. The monster she sees in her sleep is the demon who has found her. She’s getting old enough to put out her own scent and they’ve been able to pick it up. I had hoped the amulet would have given her more time to be a kid, to be normal before I had to come for her. I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean, come for her?” Sera’s heart lurched in panic.

“She needs to be trained. She needs to know how to protect herself. She needs to come with me.”

“You are not taking my daughter anywhere.” Tears sprung to Sera’s eyes. God, no. This couldn’t be happening. She looked to her aunt for assistance.

Mary stepped forward and placed her hand on Trent’s arm. “You can’t just take Aimee and run. You must stay and fight. You must protect the ones you love.”

The cloying scent of sandalwood incense filling the shop grew stronger, making Sera’s head spin. She looked at Mary, at Trent, and felt the walls closing in. Sera didn’t believe in voodoo or demons, but was she wrong? Was there really a demon after her baby? Would Trent really steal Aimee away from her? Nausea made her knees weak.

“I need to get back to my daughter,” Sera said and clutched her stomach. She had to get away from him. She had to get to Aimee. “She’ll be home from school soon.”

“I’m going with you,” Trent said.

“No!” Sera stepped back from him. “Don’t come anywhere near us.”

Sera felt Mary’s gentle touch on her arm and turned to her aunt. “Don’t take this threat lightly. Trust Trent. This demon wants her blood.”

A chill moved through Sera, shaking her to the core. She ran from the shop, rushing home, driving faster than she should have down the small tree-lined street. She checked her rearview mirror constantly, hoping Trent wasn’t following her. She couldn’t deal with him. Not now. Not ever.

She looked at her clock. Two thirty-nine. The bus should have arrived at two thirty-five. Four minutes, nothing could have happened in four minutes, right?

This demon wants her blood.

Crazy. The whole thing was insane. And yet, Sera couldn’t help bolting from the car and running toward the house. She needed to see her daughter, to hold her and assure herself that Aimee was okay. That they were okay and all was right with the world.

But as soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, she knew something was wrong. The house was too quiet. Too still. “Aimee?” she called, though she knew Aimee wasn’t there.

Panic welled up inside her. Unjustified, but overwhelming. Sera looked once more at her watch. Six minutes late. Six. You could set your watch by those damn school buses. Had it already come by? Had Aimee gotten off and gone next door to Hanna’s? Had she come home at all?

Her heart was thudding painfully, stealing the breath from her chest. Had the demon been waiting for her?

Stop it! There was no such thing as demons.

Sera rushed to the phone to call Hanna’s mom and the school, but before she could dial, the door bell rang. She bolted toward the door and pulled it open, hoping to see her daughter’s smiling face.

But instead Trent stood at the door with a squirming puppy in his arms.

“What are you doing here?”

His smile was halfhearted. “You know why I’m here. And this little girl is going to help me.” He set the puppy down and held tight to the leash.

“Now’s not a good time.” Sera’s eyes scanned the street over his shoulder, searching. Aimee’s bike was still lying in the grass under the tree. There was no book bag on the porch, no sign that she’d come home and then left again.

Trent’s gaze narrowed. “Where’s Aimee?”

“I don’t know.” Sera’s voice broke. She looked at him and almost lost it. “She isn’t here,” she whispered through a tight throat. Then she heard the roar of the bus’s diesel engine coming up the street. Relief bubbled up inside her and she swayed against the door.

“The bus. Oh, God. It’s just late,” she said, more to herself than to him. She’d panicked, which she never would have done on a normal day, on any other day that Trent wasn’t standing on her doorstep babbling about demons. Annoyance surged through her as the bus pulled to a stop outside the house and Aimee climbed down the steps and ran toward them.

“Oh, my gosh, look at the puppy,” Aimee squealed, and dropped to the ground at Trent’s feet. “What’s his name?”

Trent grinned down at her. “Her name is Shirley.”

The small black puppy covered Aimee’s face with sloppy puppy kisses.

Sera stood there fuming and at a complete loss as to what to say. How was she supposed to introduce Aimee to her father when he’d never even bothered to write, or call, or visit? And now he shows up with a puppy? The bastard. She could rip his eyes out.

“She likes you,” Trent said.

“Is she for me?” Aimee looked up at her mother with hope shining in her eyes.

Sera stiffened, then sucked in a deep breath. She stood frozen as she waited for Trent to say the dog was his, but he just stared at her little girl, at their little girl, with his face looking awestruck.

“Aimee, why don’t you take the puppy inside while I talk with Mr. Drouillard, okay?”

Aimee beamed, scooped up the puppy and hurried inside.

Sera pulled shut the door behind her, then turned back to Trent. She couldn’t deal with him right now. After the trick he’d pulled on her at Mary’s shop—the things he’d shown her, what Mary had said and then her scare with the bus, she needed to sit down, regroup, think. Make a plan. A plan that didn’t include him.

A plan that didn’t include him trying to take her daughter away from her.

“I can’t believe how big she is. How beautiful,” Trent said, his voice rough.

“Yeah, well that’s what happens when you aren’t around for a while.” A long while, she thought bitterly.

His eyes darkened. “It was better that way for both of you. I explained why.”

His audacity sent a line of fury coursing straight down her spine. “No, it was better for you, Trent. We were a complication you didn’t need or want, but you’re not taking my child away from me. Not now. Not ever.”

He rocked back on his heels. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. It’s just…” He paused, as if searching for the right words. “I know what’s coming after her. Next time she might not be on that bus. I can’t let you face what’s coming alone. She needs to be trained to protect herself and you need to learn that there really are monsters hiding under the bed.”

Sera’s stomach dropped and something distasteful caught in her throat.

“I don’t believe you,” she whispered. But for reasons she didn’t understand, she did believe him. She just didn’t want to.

His blue eyes locked onto hers and her stomach tightened. “Now, are you going to invite me inside and introduce me to my daughter?”

Chapter Two

Trent placed a hand on Sera’s arm as he stepped up beside her onto the doorstep. He looked down into her gorgeous eyes and thought—it will be all right. Trust me. The words pulsed through his mind. He inhaled sharply and pushed them toward her, hoping to influence her thoughts.

For a second, she relaxed, then she pulled away from him, breaking eye contact. She was still hurt. He didn’t blame her. He just hadn’t expected there to still be so much fire between them—pain from his betrayal, sadness for what might have been, anger for making her feel it all again, and beneath it all the burning embers of a passion that had consumed them both.

He had to help her without being sucked back into her world. He couldn’t stay now any more than he could have stayed then. The danger was still here, if anything, greater than before.

He followed her into the house. “I can help you. If you believed that, it would make this easier.”

Her eyes flashed. “Nothing could make this easier. You can’t come and go from Aimee’s life whenever you please. You can’t make her love you and then abandon her again.”

He stiffened at her words. That wasn’t why he was here. That wasn’t what this was about. “Do you still have the amulet?”

She nodded without looking at him and left the room. He had to get her to calm down. Aimee would never trust him if she sensed her mother’s animosity.

He walked toward the large back window and watched Aimee playing with the puppy in the backyard, a huge grin on her face as the puppy chased its tail.

For reasons he couldn’t understand, a demon was close by in a Podunk town of less than a thousand. A demon who never should have found Aimee. Trent closed his eyes and reached with his mind, searching for the demon. He was close. Trent could feel him. Worse, Trent could smell him on Aimee. He’s already made contact.

A few more days and Trent would have been too late.

A rush of anxiety filled him. He felt drawn to Aimee in a way he hadn’t expected. As he watched her play, he allowed himself the luxury of wondering…what if?

Sera returned, the amulet dangling from her outstretched hand.

He took it from her. “The demon won’t be able to touch Aimee if she’s wearing this.”

“Fine, I’ll put it on her and then you can go.”

Resistance and distrust rolled off of her. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the frustration growing within him and decided to try a different tactic. Knowing he was plunging into dangerous waters, he asked, “Isn’t Aimee the least bit curious about me?”

Sera’s eyes darkened, her mouth hardened. “We don’t talk about you. As far as she’s concerned, you’re dead.” Anger seeped out of her pores, so thick he could almost feel it.

He scraped his hand along his jaw. “Ouch.”

“What did you expect, Trent?”

What had he expected? Certainly not to feel so…attached to Sera and their daughter. Part of him wanted what he’d always wanted: To stay and put the hunting behind him, to be a part of their lives, to take care of them. But Sera was right; he’d given up that option a long time ago. For good reasons.

“I want you to be safe,” he said, softer than he intended.

“We’re fine.”

“You are now.” He slung his pack off his shoulder and unzipped it. “But give it a day or two, even a week, and you might not be so sure.”

“What are you doing?” she asked, eyeing his pack nervously.

He pulled out a stack of candles and some powerful juju.

“No way,” she said, taking a step back. “You are not spreading voodoo around my house.”

A musky scent filled the air. She crinkled her nose.

“Come on, chère. Be reasonable. This one’s been blessed for protection.”

Sera glanced out the window at Aimee throwing a ball to the puppy, then back down at the pack. “This isn’t negotiable. She’s already plagued with nightmares, what do you think will happen once she sees that stuff?”

“Voodoo is a part of your heritage. Her heritage. You may go to Mary’s shop and pretend it’s not a part of your life, but it is and it always has been. It’s nothing to be afraid of. And we need it. We have to use everything in our arsenal to fight this beast.”

“We’ll have to find another way. A different way.”

Trent swallowed his mounting frustration. “Okay, if you’re against bringing voodoo into the house, then we should leave. We’ll go to my place in Tennessee.”

Sera’s eyes widened. “And how long do you expect us to hang out at your place?”

“As long as it takes for this demon to lose her scent. The amulet and distance should do the trick.”

She crossed her arms against her chest. “There must be another way.”

“Stubbornness doesn’t suit you.”

“If it’s okay for us to go to ‘your’ place in Tennessee now, why wasn’t it then?”

“My house isn’t a long-term solution, it’s an extreme measure. You have a demon after you.”

Sera shook her head. “Aimee has friends here, a life here. She’s on the soccer team and she’s in the school play. I’m not uprooting her just because you and my aunt have seen a few signs that say a demon is coming—a demon I’m not even sure I believe in.”

He placed a gentle touch on her arm, willing her to listen to him, to believe. “Whether you believe in this demon or not, he is real and he is coming after Aimee.”

Sera flinched and pulled away from him. “Fine.” She looked out the window once more. “I’ll allow the voodoo, but we’re not leaving.”

How could she be so resistant to his mental suggestions? If she wouldn’t pull away from him every time he touched her, perhaps he’d make more progress. He picked up his pack and walked down the hall toward Aimee’s sweet scent, toward her room.

Sera stayed right on his heels. This would not work if he couldn’t get her to trust him. She’d grown hardheaded over the years, or maybe it was just him she was resisting. She’d built a powerful wall around herself, blocking him.

He stepped into his daughter’s pink and frilly room and stood in the doorway. “Cute.”

She didn’t say anything, just watched him warily.

“You’re a good mom, Sera.”

She stiffened.

He gave her his melt-them-in-their-pants smile. “Thank you.”

“For what?” she snapped, totally unfazed by his charms.

“For doing what I couldn’t. For raising our daughter. I know it couldn’t have been easy raising her alone.”

Her brown eyes narrowed. “Stop trying to butter me up, Trent. Let’s get this over with. I want you out of my daughter’s room, out my house and out of our lives—once and for all.”

Stung, he turned from her. This was going much harder than he thought it would. He walked over to the large window that looked out onto the backyard. He strung slips of gossamer silk with bells tied to the ends across the top of the window. Beneath them, he lit a candle, poured some oil into the burning wax, then set an especially large juju bag sewn in the shape of a brightly colored dog next to it.

“And what is all that supposed to do, other than cause a serious fire hazard?”

“Consider it an early-warning detection system.”

Sera stared at the candle and shivered.

“What’s going on? And what’s that smell?” Aimee asked, crinkling her nose as she walked into the room.

“Aimee. This is…an old friend of mine. Mr., uh, Trent.”

He turned to Aimee, his mouth suddenly dry.

“Hi,” Aimee said, and approached him. “I like your dog.”

“Thanks.” Trent sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him.

Aimee took a step toward him, but remained standing. He tried not to let her rebuff bother him. It was exactly what she should do for an old…friend of her mother’s. She didn’t know him.

He cleared his throat. “Aimee, I came here for a reason today.”

Her gaze swung to the bells and the juju sitting in her window. She turned big wary eyes on him.

“You see, your, um…daddy wanted me to give this to you.” He held out the amulet dangling from a chain, a ring of brightly colored gemstones circling a polished silver center.

Aimee looked at it, but didn’t touch it. Instead, she walked past him toward the dog-shaped juju.

He glanced up at Sera, whose surprised gaze followed Aimee. “Aimee, don’t you have something to say to Mr. Trent?”

“I don’t remember my daddy.” Aimee’s voice sounded small and vulnerable, twisting something deep in Trent’s chest.

“He loves you very much,” he said, his voice tight. “He carries your picture around with him everywhere. Pulls it out for anyone who’ll listen and tells them all about his beautiful baby girl.”

“Really?” Aimee asked, suddenly interested enough to turn back and face them.

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” He brushed his hand across his chest.

“Then how come I never see him?”

Good question. “Well, you need…”

Sera stepped forward. “Aimee, we talked about this. About how your daddy’s work took him far away for a very long time. We’re not sure what’s happened to him. We think maybe he got lost.”

Aimee turned back to him. “Is he? Is my daddy lost?”

Trent stared into her beautiful blue eyes so much like his own and wanted to deny it. To shout from the rooftops that no, he was right there, and he was never going to leave her again. But could he guarantee that? Could he stay? Would it be fair for her to grow attached to him, only to have him leave her once more? He looked up at Sera and saw the stark fear in her eyes.

No, he wouldn’t hurt his child. Not again. Sera was right. He wasn’t here for the long haul. No reason to take Aimee’s heart with him when he left.

“Your daddy has a very dangerous job and he stays away to keep you safe. This necklace was your grand-mère’s. I know she would be real happy if you wore it.”

“My grand-mère is dead.”

“Yes, sweetheart, I know.”

Sera walked forward and took the necklace from Trent’s hand. “How about we see how it looks, okay?”

Aimee nodded and Sera clasped it around her neck.

“It looks beautiful,” Sera said softly. “Go see for yourself.”

Aimee ran out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.

“Thank you,” Trent whispered, surprised by how hard that was. “I thought all girls loved jewelry.”

“It depends on who’s giving it to them. They don’t have to be grown up to know not to accept gifts from strangers.”

“I’m hardly a stranger.”

“To her you are. To both of us.”

His eyes caught hers, and for a moment, it was just the two of them. No demons or excuses or secrets. “So I got lost, eh?”

“It was the best I could come up with.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again, and he genuinely was. Fighting demons was in-your-face and dangerous, but at least you could see them coming; you could predict what they wanted and how they would act. But raising kids? Now, that was like walking an emotional minefield. One wrong step and boom.

Sera stared at him, one eyebrow raised.

“I should have realized how hard this must have been for you.”

“What, you mean being run out on? Don’t know why that should be a toughie.”

He stood. “You got someplace I can rest up for a while?”

Sera stiffened.

“I won’t make things any more difficult than they need to be. But I have to stay here to protect Aimee.”

Sera nodded and led him into the guest bedroom. “A couple of days, that’s it.”

“That’s all I’ll need.” He shut the door as she walked away and hoped for both their sakes he wouldn’t need more than that.

For a second, Sera had felt sorry for him. As she’d watched Trent with Aimee, a part of her had wanted to tell her daughter the truth. That standing right before her was the daddy she’d always asked about. How many times had Sera wished he’d contacted them, or just come back?

But she knew better. She knew he wouldn’t be staying for long. It would be better if Aimee didn’t grow to care about him. Better for them both.

Sera let out a deep breath. How was she going to function with Trent in her house? Every time she looked into his eyes, she couldn’t help remembering…feeling everything all over again.

And when he’d kissed her in Mary’s shop? The touch of his lips against hers sent her heart lurching with an old familiar ache she thought had long since healed. And then the images came, nightmarish and frightening. How had he done that? Were the images real? Were demons real?

She’d grown up in the swamp. Her aunt owned the local voodoo shop. Folklore had been a part of her everyday life. Then there were the whispers in town that Mary was a witch, a priestess who did more than just sell sour-smelling candles and ugly dolls. But Sera hadn’t believed it.

Hadn’t wanted to.

But was it all really true? Could there possibly be a demon after her baby? She shivered as the image of the coal-black dead eyes surfaced in her mind. An image planted there by Trent’s very warm lips. She shook the thought away. Why Aimee?

Demon hunter’s blood.

Aimee was a tough little girl, always had been, but a destined demon hunter? No way. Sera gave an uneasy laugh, wondering what her God-fearing mother would have thought about that?

Her parents had died in a car crash when she’d been a teen. She’d always thought that was why she’d fallen so hard for Trent. He’d made her feel taken care of, loved. But it had all been a charade. He hadn’t been the man she thought he was. He hadn’t been there when she needed him, and he hadn’t loved them enough to stay.

Spine stiff, she walked into the kitchen and set the kettle on the stove. She thought about Trent sleeping in her guest room and shook her head. How did this happen? And how was she going to get through the next few days with him here?

Once the water boiled, she filled the porcelain teapot and took it into the living room to watch Aimee and her friend, Hanna, from next door play with the puppy. She settled on the love seat, and poured herself a cup of hot tea from her mother’s tea set. It was a self-indulgence she loved, and a comfort she fell back on in times of stress.

But nothing could soothe her nerves right then. Usually when she sipped orange spice tea from the dainty cup while watching her child play, she could almost convince herself that their lives were normal. Happy. Fulfilled.

That they weren’t alone.

Almost.

“Hey,” Trent said as he walked into the room and slipped into one of the chairs next to her.

No, definitely not alone, though right then she wished she were.

He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the worn knees of his jeans. He looked relaxed, but she could tell by the tightness in his jaw that he was primed and ready for action. And it scared her.

“I know this is all very difficult. And again, I’m sorry.”

For breaking my heart into a million pieces and running away? Or for coming back and turning my world upside down? “You keep saying that.”

He smiled, and the sight of it tweaked her heart. “I know.”

She held his gaze with her own, one eyebrow raised…waiting.

“The last time I was here—”

Sera closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to think about the last time he was here, the things he’d said, or the way he’d left her.

“When you told me about the baby, I knew she’d be special, that she’d need extra protection. I wanted to be able to do that.”

There he went again, talking about Aimee being different. “But you didn’t. You left. You weren’t here. Okay. There’s no going back and changing that. I don’t want to talk about this.”

“We need to talk about it. About us.”

She set down her tea and stood. “There isn’t any us.”

He stood, too, effectively blocking her escape. “Isn’t there?”

“Not anymore.”

He placed his hands on her arms and held her. His warmth seeped into her skin, bathing her in a wash of calm. In fact, that seemed to happen each time he touched her. She tried to pull back, to break free, but his grip tightened.

“I should have come back sooner. I know that.”

He was so close she could smell his warm breath fanning her face. Her knees weakened. He raised one hand and grazed the pad of his thumb gently across her cheek. Even though his touch was warm and gentle, a shiver moved through her. Of fear? Desire? Trepidation? She wished she knew, but her emotions were a tangled mess.

“It’s been eight years,” he whispered, the low timbre of his voice caressing her nerves. Her anger dissipated, replaced by a warm feeling of trust.

He was doing this to her. Somehow he was twisting her emotions, turning her inside out.

“Eight years and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you out here in this bayou all by yourself.” He moved closer.

Her breath caught in her throat as heat flooded through her. “I’m not by myself,” she protested, suddenly panicked. “I have Aimee. We don’t need you. We don’t want you.”

She pulled free, then looked up at him, wide-eyed as the false sense of security fell away and her anxiety returned full force. “What have you been doing to me?”

He took a step back and cocked his head to the side, his forehead wrinkling with confusion.

“Can you affect my feelings?” It was crazy. She knew it sounded crazy, but every time he touched her…“How were you able to put those images in my head? Back at Mary’s shop.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “You needed to see the truth.”

“I asked how.”

“I told you before that I’m…different. Aimee’s different. It’s in our blood.”

He’d told her, but she hadn’t believed him. Now she wasn’t so sure. Her head was spinning. What exactly did he mean by different? How different?

He sighed. “I never meant for any of this to happen. The first time I saw you working behind the counter of Mary’s shop, I was drawn to you. You were so innocent, so unaware of the effect you had on me. I should have stayed away, but every moment I was with you, you pulled me in deeper. Before I’d realized it, I’d fallen in love with you. Do you remember?”

She stepped away from him. She wouldn’t go there, wouldn’t let him pull her back to that dark place. The emptiness she’d felt after he’d left had created a hole in her that had never healed, had only been buried. No, she wouldn’t remember.

“I knew it couldn’t work, but I couldn’t make myself stay away from you.” He stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

Why was he saying all this? What did he want from her? Fear rolled off of her. It seemed that with just a touch, he could influence her emotions. Was that possible? Was that what he’d done to her back then? Was that why she’d fallen so hard for him? Why she’d needed him so much?

Why she’d let him back in now?

“I wanted to make it work,” he continued, sounding honest and sincere. Everything she knew he wasn’t. “But then the unthinkable happened.”

She followed his gaze out the window. Aimee.

“I was a fool to think I could be normal. Worse than a fool to believe I had a right to put you and Aimee in danger by staying.”

“What’s different now?” her voice broke.

“Now it’s Aimee who is drawing the demons. Aimee is the prey.”

Sera shivered.

He took her hand in his. Warm. Comforting. She should pull away and run. But she didn’t.

“I was born into this life. I didn’t choose it. You think I wanted to leave you? To leave our daughter? Our life here? I had no choice.” He pulled her up against him. They were touching, her thighs against his, her stomach against…

Her body hummed. Were her feelings real, or was he creating them? She didn’t know anymore. She closed her eyes to hold back tears that threatened to overwhelm her. “Stop it, Trent. I want my feelings to be my own.”

“They are your own,” he whispered. “I still care about you and you still care about me. That’s why we’re so potent together.” He released her and moved back a step.

And she wanted to pull him back. He was right, they’d always been something more together than they each were on their own. Her eyes met his, and it took all her strength to hold on to her resolve. “You made your choice a long time ago, whether you believe you did or not.”

She couldn’t take much more. She felt cut open and exposed. Raw. But she had to focus on what was important. Aimee. She collapsed back down onto the love seat and took several deep breaths to steady her nerves.

He sat down next to her, thankfully keeping a respectable distance between them. It didn’t help that she could still smell his musky scent, sense his warmth, see his passion for her burning in his eyes.

He wanted her. Still.

She turned from him and watched her…their daughter playing outside the window, looking no different from any other eight-year-old girl. Sera had to know. “You said Aimee was different.…How?”

“It starts with the dreams. If a demon has caught her scent, she will dream of him, nightmarish images she won’t understand. When she’s older, her range will grow farther. She will be able to sense the demons before they are anywhere near her. But they will also be able to sense her.”

A chill shook Sera to the core. She rubbed her arms, trying hopelessly to warm herself. “And affecting people’s emotions? Putting images in their heads? What about that?”

“That talent is mine. We won’t know what special gifts, if any, Aimee will develop until she’s older.

“Are there others? Demon hunters, I mean.”

“More than you would think.”

Sera’s stomach churned. “I don’t want this life for her.”

“I know. Listen, this is a lot to take in. Sit back and relax. Enjoy your tea. I’ll watch Aimee.”

Doubt rushed through her. “That’s all right. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Here…” He stood and pushed a throw pillow toward her. “Rest. I’ll go out back with Aimee and Shirley and their friend.”

At that moment, Sera yawned. She was exhausted, she thought as her eyelids drooped. “Shirley?”

“Her new puppy.”

“Hers? No. We don’t want a puppy.”

He leaned down and laid a hand on her arm. “The puppy is special. She can protect her.”

Sera wanted to laugh, but she didn’t have it in her. She was out of her element and unfortunately would have to trust this man who’d taken so much from her. But only as long as it took to discover if what he said was true, and what it would take for her to learn how to keep Aimee safe.

On her own.

♥ Uploaded by Coral ♥

Chapter Three

As Sera rested on the sofa in the living room, a breeze whispered across her cheek from an opened window. Under heavy lids, she watched Trent dump supplies from his pack onto the table. In a matter of minutes, he had put what looked like herbs, bones, powders and God-knew-what-else into small leather pouches and tied them tight with leather straps. He then went around the house, placing a bag in each room.

Anxiety pulled at her insides. She sat up and rubbed the fatigue from her eyes. “Is that really necessary?”

“That and a white candle under each window.”

“I don’t understand how some dirt and wax can stop a demon.”

“Oh, it won’t stop him,” Trent said, coming closer to her. “This will just make the house a little more inhospitable for him.” He placed one of the bags on the windowsill behind her, leaning so close the musky spice of his cologne seeped into her senses, evoking images she’d rather not think of.

“I’ll stop him,” he said with a confident grin.

And when he looked at her like that—so self-assured and full of confidence she remembered why she’d found him so attractive all those years ago. And why he still appealed to her now. She shook the thoughts away and twisted her lips with skepticism. “And how exactly are you supposed to stop a demon?”

He stopped in front of her now, and damn if he didn’t have an impressive chest and strong wide shoulders. If a human was after her daughter, she didn’t doubt for a second that those rock-hard biceps could handle anything that came along.

But the threat wasn’t human.

Trent eased onto the sofa next to her, his weight tilting her in his direction until they almost touched. His body heat reached out to her, making her yearn to lean closer.

He brushed her hair away from her face. She froze, knowing she should jump up and go, but instead she found herself unable to move.

“You know,” he said softly. “I’ve missed you.”

His gaze caught hers and she read his intent in his eyes. He wanted more than to make sure she and Aimee were safe. He wanted her.

Her heart raced. Her palms felt damp. Damn.

Hunger emanated from him, she could see it in his gaze, feel it in his touch. Her temperature rose, making her skin flush. He placed his hand on her shoulder and slid it slowly down her arm. “We were always good together, chère.”

She tried not to think about how good, and yet her body remembered and responded. “Trent,” she whispered, but knew it was no use. His lips pressed gently against hers, barely touching her, yet leaving her breathless. Leaving her wanting more.

“We should work on our protection circles,” he murmured against her lips.

Yes, protection circles. But instead of taking the out he offered, instead of pulling away like any rational sane person would do, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

“Later,” she murmured. Right now, she didn’t want to think about juju spells, protection circles or demons. Right now, she wanted to think about his hands on her breasts. He’d always had a magic touch, his hands warm and gentle, knowing exactly where and how to caress her.

Time hadn’t changed that. His hand moved up the inside of her arm, down her side, across her breasts. Her nipples tightened, extending, longing for his sweet touch, for the gentle pull of his lips.

She was surprised by how strong her desire for him was. She’d been so lonely. Would it hurt to have just a moment of bliss? Even if she knew it couldn’t last? Even if she knew it was wrong?

A soft sigh escaped her lips as the insistent tingle started between her legs. It had been too long since she’d allowed herself to feel like a woman, to want and need.

And she wanted Trent now.

Even if it was only for this one time.

She let her mind wander back, remembering how she had felt nestled in his arms, lying beneath him, moving in a slow, steady rhythm as the pressure inside her mounted, growing, pushing her toward the edge of complete fulfillment.

There had only been two other men over the years since Trent had left her. But they hadn’t been able to make her feel the way he had—safe, secure, loved.

And completely satisfied.

No one had come close to touching her the way he did, with the pads of his fingers, the breadth of his palm, the gentle tips of his nails. But it was so much more than a physical touch; he touched her inside, too. She sighed and shifted, trying to find relief as the pressure built within her.

Yes, she remembered. Even now, she could feel his feathery caress moving up her thigh. She smiled, her lips spreading in a grin as a desire-laden purr filled her throat.

His light touch turned to long, firm strokes.

“Trent,” she murmured, and his lips were on hers, hard and demanding. She opened her mouth as his tongue pressed inside, possessing, conquering. As she lost herself in his taste, she knew she shouldn’t be doing this. She was letting her loneliness, her desire, overrule her good sense. She wanted to resist, but she couldn’t.

For all she knew, he was manipulating her thoughts. She shouldn’t give him that much power over her mind, her body. She shouldn’t let him in. But then his hands were under the waistband of her pants, moving downward. His finger found her moistness, and slipped inside, and all logical, rational thought disappeared. She groaned and shifted, allowing him in deeper. It had been so long, and it felt so good as he pulled out and pushed in, again and again.

“Trent,” she whispered, his name rolling off her tongue.

Tension tightened the nub between her legs. If he didn’t touch her there, if she didn’t find some relief soon, she would scream.

“Trent,” she called again, and shifted, then reached down to move his hand where she wanted it, but his hand wasn’t there. He wasn’t there.

“Trent?”

He’d left her again. Left her wanting…left her needing. Her eyes flew open and she was lying on the sofa.

Alone.

Embarrassment inflamed her cheeks. Had she imagined the whole thing? Had she been dreaming? Or had he done this to her? Had he somehow implanted himself in her thoughts, her mind? The thought sent a rash of chills coursing down her arms.

Quickly, Sera sat up. She heard him laughing and sought the source of the sound. He was in the backyard, pushing Aimee on the swing.

He wasn’t even in the house.

Sera’s stomach turned. She’d dreamed the whole thing, and the worst part was, even in her dream, she’d been left wanting more. Wanting that sweet release. Wanting Trent.

He laughed again, and the sound of it filled her with an overwhelming need to lie in his arms, to rest her head against his chest and feel the warm rumble within.

No. She would not, could not have him. Even by continuing with these thoughts, she was rushing toward a precipice where this time the fall just might break her. She couldn’t chance giving herself to that man only to have him rip out her heart and leave her once again. She’d be a fool, worse than a fool.

She stood, moving away from the sound of his laughter, and walked into the kitchen ready to do anything that would take her mind off him. She walked into the room and stopped, her hand rushing to her lips as a small cry escaped her mouth. A small brown leather pouch sat next to a burning white candle on the windowsill.

Sera took several deep breaths and tried to pull her thoughts together. She ignored the pouch and what it might mean and busied herself with making dinner, trying unsuccessfully to keep her mind on the simple task rather than on the restlessness building within her.

Trent always had a way of consuming all her thoughts. Here he’d only been back in her life one day and already her nerves were shredded and nothing was as it should be. Another day of this and she might lose her sanity completely. With fierce determination, she focused on making pasta and a salad, trying desperately to shut him out of her mind.

Sixty minutes later with the table set, spaghetti on the stove and bread in the oven, she walked back out into the living room to check on Aimee and Trent. Trent had set up an expandable folding pen in the corner and Aimee was lying inside sound asleep with one arm curled around the puppy.

Trent sat on the sofa, watching them. “She’s adorable,” he said quietly.

Sera tried not to smile, but she couldn’t help herself as the puppy started to snore. “They both are.”

She approached the pen. “Aimee,” she said softly as she pulled open the side of the pen and crouched down. She shook her daughter gently. Aimee groaned.

A spike of alarm shot through Sera. Something was wrong. Aimee’s skin was too pale, her breathing a little too shallow.

“Aimee, are you hungry?”

Aimee’s eyes cracked open. She shook her head, then pulled the puppy closer. Dark purplish smudges tinted the pale skin beneath her eyes. Sera frowned, then placed her hand on Aimee’s forehead. She turned to Trent. “She’s burning up.”

Trent launched to his feet.

Aimee pushed her finger into her mouth, and Sera’s eyes widened as she saw the purple-black tinge of her skin. “Aimee, what happened to your hand?”

“I pricked it on the spindle at play rehearsal.”

Sera pulled the small bandage off Aimee’s finger and she and Trent examined the cut. “That looks more like a slice than a prick. What was Mr. Purdue thinking?”

“Don’t be mad at him, Mommy. He felt really bad about it.”

“I’m sure he did,” Sera muttered. “Did he put the antibiotic cream on it?”

Aimee nodded. “I went to the nurse and she took care of me real good.”

Sera turned to Trent. “It looks like she has some kind of infection. I’m taking her to the hospital.”

Sera pulled Aimee onto her lap, but before she could stand, Trent lifted Aimee up into his arms. “Grab the puppy and her leash.”

Sera nodded, grabbed her purse, the puppy and her leash, made sure the oven and stove were turned off, then ran out of the house, locking the door behind her. Trent rushed to his car and opened the back door. Sera locked the dog in the small dog crate before strapping her and Aimee both into the back seat, then climbed in next to them.

“It’s on Market,” she said to Trent through a tight throat.

“I remember.” The engine roared to life and they rushed toward town.

“Aimee, after you pricked your finger, what did Mr. Purdue do?” Trent asked, trying to sound casual, but Sera could hear the tension in his tone.

“He gave me some napkins, then sent me to the nurse.”

“Did he keep the napkins?”

“The ones with the blood on them?” Her voice quivered.

“Yes.”

“No. Why would he do that?”

“He wouldn’t, sweetie,” Sera said. She didn’t like the fear in Trent’s eyes, nor the overwhelming feeling that perhaps this wasn’t an accident. But before she could question him, Aimee’s small body started trembling as chills rushed through her.

Sera swallowed her tears and put on a brave face for Aimee as they rushed into the small hospital.

“Mrs. Barnhardt, what’s the matter with Aimee?” Nurse McKinley asked from behind the front desk.

“I don’t know,” Sera said, a little breathless. “She has a high fever and chills. And her hand’s turning purple.”

“Follow me,” the nurse said, and they rushed down the hall.

Trent stayed in the lobby, painfully aware of how uncomfortable he felt. He was Aimee’s father. He should be back there with her. But Aimee didn’t know that. And neither did anyone else.

He sat in an empty row of chairs. Luckily they were in a small town where everyone knew everybody. Had they been in New Orleans, they could have sat in the hospital lobby without being seen for hours.

There’s something to be said for small-town life.

Still, he couldn’t stand sitting there by himself, waiting, wondering. Was she okay? He’d just found his daughter again, he wasn’t ready to lose her. He got up and wandered back the way Sera and Aimee had gone, but a nurse told him to return to the waiting room. He couldn’t tell them the truth, not until he’d told Aimee.

If he told Aimee.

He left the hospital and went out front to call his contacts back home. Perhaps they could give him more information as to what this demon was up to.

After an hour or so, Sera came to get him. He stood as she walked toward him, her face ashen. A fist of fear unlike anything he’d ever felt clutched his gut. “What is it? How is she?”

“Lucky we got her here so quickly. She has something called bacteremia. She’s on intravenous antibiotics now.”

“What is that? Exactly.”

“Blood poisoning. There must have been some nasty bacteria on that spindle at school.”

That or something else. “Have you met this Mr. Purdue?”

“Once or twice. He’s new in town. Seems like a nice man.”

“They always do.”

Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “You’re not saying…”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“But why?”

“In my opinion, he’s decided to perform the ritual that will bind him to her.”

“What does that mean?” she hissed under her breath, then quickly glanced around them. “Explain.”

“It means I could have been wrong. He might not want to kill Aimee. He might want her body as a host.”

“A what?”

“To live inside her.”

Sera’s eyes widened and she shuddered. “For what purpose?”

“Any number of reasons. Demons can live inside hosts for years. You’d never suspect. Never know.”

“And Aimee?”

“She wouldn’t know, either, not until he decided to take over.”

“But you’d know.”

“I would know.”

“Is that what he’s done to Mr. Purdue? Is Mr. Purdue a host? And if he is, why then would the demon want Amy? He already has a host.” Her voice rose an octave, sounding shrill.

“Honestly, at this point I don’t know what the demon is after.”

“They just walk around taking over people’s bodies and no one ever knows?”

“He won’t succeed, Sera. I won’t let anything happen to either one of you.” His eyes met and held hers, and for a short moment he felt her trust him. He felt her giving in and allowing herself to believe him. Then the gates came crashing down once more.

“I’m going back to check on Aimee.”

“Can I…can I see her?”

She hesitated a moment, her eyes searching his. Then she nodded. Relief stronger than he’d expected filled him as he followed her down the cold white hall. As he entered Aimee’s room and saw her small form lying on the bed, an IV inserted into her hand, her pale skin marked by purplish shadows beneath her eyes, he was overcome with heart-wrenching anxiety. In that moment, he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave her again.

“I need to be with her,” he said. “To keep her safe. No matter what it takes. No matter who stands in my way.”

Sera didn’t say anything, but he could see the doubt in her eyes before she turned and brushed the hair back off Aimee’s forehead. Sera kissed her gently. He didn’t want to live without either of them again. He’d make Sera see that. Something had to change.

He had to change.

In the dead of the night they brought Aimee home. It felt good to have her safe in his car and out of that hospital where so many people were coming and going. As Trent picked up Aimee and carried her into the house, she wound her arms around his neck, and broke his heart. How could he have missed this all these years?

He carried her into her pink, frilly room and tucked her into her bed. He and Sera both stood in the doorway watching the steady rise and fall of Aimee’s chest. “She needs her rest. Then we need to get going. We can’t chance staying here any longer.”

“She’ll be devastated about the play, about leaving all her friends. Why did this have to happen to her?”

“Shh. Come on.” He left Aimee’s door cracked as they walked back into the living room and sat on the sofa. “You should get some sleep, too.”

“Like I could sleep. What are we going to do now?”

“This was too close a call. We can’t take any more chances. We have to go to my house. I have people there who can help us.”

Sera sat silent for a long moment, then turned to him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I should have believed you. Maybe if I’d listened…”

“It wouldn’t have made any difference. He got to her before I got here. I was too late. I should have come sooner.”

“Trent.” She placed a hand on his arm. She was about to say something, and he knew what the damning words would be. He never should have left them.

With a great deal of effort, she composed herself. “How long will we need to stay away?” she finally said.

“I’m not sure.” Fatigue washed over him, and he leaned back into the sofa. “Until the threat is gone. We might not be able to come back here again. Ever.”

Sera closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Why don’t you sleep? We can discuss it after you’ve rested.”

“You’ll be right here?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I…” She looked away. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“You don’t have to. Not anymore.”

Her surprised gaze met his and held it.

“Sera, I know I don’t deserve it, but if you’ll have me, I’d like to get to know you again and to get to know my daughter.”

“But I thought…”

“If she wears her amulet at all times, it would probably block her presence from them for another five years, by then she’d be old enough to know what to expect, to be able to fight them. I know it’s selfish but I don’t want to lose another five years. I can protect you both, and teach her what she needs to know.”

Sera’s expression froze. “Are you saying that this one just might be the first? Of how many?”

“I don’t mean to scare you. But yes. That’s why she needs to know who she is, and what she can do to protect herself.”

Sera dropped her head into her hands.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “And you need to know, too. What to look for and how to protect our daughter.”

She shook her head. “It’s too much.”

“I know.” And he did know. He wouldn’t wish this life on anyone, and now his precious baby girl was going to have to come face-to-face with her worst nightmares. He pulled Sera into his arms and held her tight. Not just to comfort her, but to comfort himself. They’d come close to losing their daughter tonight. Too close. And that was something he couldn’t live with. Maybe together they’d have a chance of making something good out of all this.

Just then the phone rang. “Who on earth could be calling at this hour?” Sera said. Trent tensed, knowing it couldn’t be good. She picked up the handset from the receiver next to them and held the phone so he could hear. “Hello.”

“Sera? This is Nurse McKinley. I’m sorry to bother you, but I was hoping to catch you before you went to bed.”

“You did. Is something wrong?” Sera’s voice wavered with fear.

“No, not at all. It’s just Dr. Gibbons had some questions about Aimee’s blood work. Would it be all right if she came back in later today to give us another sample?”

“Well, yes. Of course. Are you sure everything is all right?”

“Absolutely. Don’t you worry yourself. She’ll be fine.”

Sera sighed with relief. “All right. We’ll see you in a few hours. I’d like Aimee to get some sleep first.”

“No problem. Thanks, Sera.”

Sera replaced the handset in the base and turned to him. “What do you think that’s all about?”

“I’m not sure, but something doesn’t feel right about it.”

“Dr. Gibbons has been my doctor for my entire life. And Aimee’s, too. I trust him completely.”

“Still, I’d feel better about this if we went to see my doctor in Tennessee.”

“You said her blood…your blood was different. Any chance those differences show up on blood tests?”

“None.”

Sera shrugged and stood. “Well, I think it’s best we find out what the problem is sooner rather than waiting until we get to Tennessee. Who knows when that will be? Are we driving or flying?”

“Driving.”

She sighed. “Great.”

“It would be better to wait, Sera. For all we know this doctor could be the demon.”

“No. Not Dr. Gibbons. Besides, I thought you can…smell them.” Her lips twisted in revulsion as she said the word.

“What, you mean like some demonic bloodhound?”

“Well, yes, since you put it that way.”

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed back to see Dr. Gibbons or maybe I would have.”

“Well, I can assure you, he is the same sweet doctor he has always been.”

He could see her grasping, trying to hold on to what she’d always believed was true. But the point was, she couldn’t know who was and who wasn’t a threat. And from this point forward, she never would be able to again.

“Sera, you need to trust me.”

Her lips thinned. “Sorry, but I don’t take chances where my daughter is concerned.”

“And neither can I. You’re going to have to trust my judgment, and believe in what I do. She needs me. You both do.”

“Really.” Sera stiffened, her back going ramrod straight. “There are things about parenting you are just going to have to trust my judgment about. And, yes, I needed you once. But I had to learn to get by on my own. You taught me that.” She turned to walk out of the room.

He had to make her see reason. In two quick strides he was standing in front of her, pushing her up against the wall. His body pressed against hers. His head dipping, his lips inches from her lips. His hot breath on her cheek.

“I’m sorry I hurt you. I know you think you can, but you can’t manage this on your own. You need me to help you.”

Sera gasped, then tried to shake her head, to deny him, to stop this before it went too far, but then his lips crushed hers. His tongue swept inside her mouth. And it was as if he’d never left. As if the past eight years had never happened.

She whimpered, melting, as his taste filled her. She swayed. Reaching up, she gripped his shoulders to keep from falling. Only she was too late.

There was no turning back from this free fall.

“Trent, no.…II”

“You want me as much as I want you.”

“No,” she denied, even as the hard ridge of his desire pressed against her stomach. “I don’t.” But she did, and she couldn’t stop herself from pressing up against him.

He gasped a breath, pulling her close, his eyes hooded with longing.

Her body trembled.

Heat coiled inside her.

His lips trailed down the column of her throat.

She moaned, then pulled away. “This has to be about more than sex. We have to be about more than sex. Aimee deserves more than that from us, Trent.”

“We can be,” he breathed. “We will be.” His lips fell over hers once more.

She pushed her hands up under his shirt, pulling it over his head. Instantly, her hands went to his chest, her fingers soothing the hard muscles and seeking the peaks of his nipples. They hardened beneath her touch.

Trent let loose a throaty moan. He pulled her T-shirt over her head and expertly unclasped her bra, then dipped his head, taking her breast into his mouth.

Unrelenting heat swept through her and she swayed on her feet. She grabbed his shoulders for balance and tilted her head back to grasp at a desire-filled breath.

This was Trent, who could touch her like no other. But no matter what he said, what he promised, he wouldn’t stay for long, and she wouldn’t be able to count on him to care about how she felt. But this time she knew that going in. She wouldn’t let herself care about him, and she wouldn’t expect him to stay.

But right now he was the only one there for her, the only one who could help them, and he was right, she had to trust him when it came to Aimee, even if she knew he’d break both their hearts.

But maybe this time he would stay?

No. She wouldn’t think that, wouldn’t let herself believe it, not even for a moment. Right now there was only one thing she wanted from Trent Droulliard and it was within her grasp. And even though she knew she shouldn’t, she unzipped his pants and reached inside.

God, but he was irresistible to her. The fire. The ache. The need sweeping through her body overrode her mind in a heated tidal wave of desire. And then all thoughts went away, and all she could do was feel, and surrender to his touch.

Chapter Four

Sera stirred in Trent’s arms on the sofa. She lay there, burning this moment into her memory—what it felt like to lie nestled up against him, her head resting on his warm chest, the steady sound of his heart beating in her ear. She inhaled his spicy male scent and knew she’d miss that most of all.

Now that she had a taste of him, it would be even harder to live without him this time. To go back to her lonely-

Shirley growled from her pen in the corner. Sera lifted her head, trying to make out the dog in the gloom. Furious barking filled the room. Trent bolted upright. The pen crashed to the floor as Shirley jumped over the top of it. Aimee screamed from the other room.

“Aimee,” Sera choked out as fear squeezed her throat.

Shirley jumped up onto the coffee table, sending Sera’s mother’s porcelain tea set shattering across the floor before bolting out of the room and down the hall.

Sera ran after Trent into Aimee’s room. Trent flipped on the light as Shirley jumped out Aimee’s open window, barking furiously as she disappeared out of sight. Sera’s shocked gaze swung to the rumpled covers on the empty bed and the juju dog lying on the floor.

Aimee wasn’t there.

A cold fist of fear numbed her heart, then spread through the rest of her body, her arms, down her legs, muddling her mind.

“Damn!” Trent exploded. He rushed past her, back into the living room.

“What’s happening?” she screamed, following him.

Trent stepped into his jeans and pulled his shirt over his head. “Don’t worry. I’ll find her.” Determination filled his voice while desperation hardened his jaw.

I’ll find her.

Tears rushed to Sera’s eyes as the knowledge broke through the numbness and slammed into her chest. “Where is she?”

Trent scooped her clothes up off the floor and pushed them at her. “Get dressed. We’ve got to go.”

She pulled on her jeans and shoved her arms into her shirt. How could this have happened? How could her baby be gone? It wasn’t real. Couldn’t be real.

Pain sliced through her chest, searing her heart, making her fold into herself. Her fault. She didn’t believe in demons. Not really.

“Come on!” Trent grabbed her hand and pulled her through the house.

“What about the juju? The candles?” she asked, trying desperately to understand something she’d never be able to comprehend.

“I thought they would stop him. I can’t believe he could grab her with her wearing the amulet.”

“Oh, God. She wasn’t.” Sera pulled the amulet still sealed in a plastic bag out of her purse. “They took it off her at the hospital.”

His lips thinned, and she could sense the rage rippling through him.

“Can you sense him?” she asked.

“Faintly.”

She could hear the fear in his voice, and it made her that much more terrified. He was all she had to believe in; if she lost her faith in him, then she truly was lost.

“Look!” She pointed far down the street. Shirley was running as fast as her little legs would carry her, chasing something she couldn’t see.

“That’s my girl,” he said. They jumped into the car and sped up to catch the dog. “She can smell the beast even better than I can.”

Sera turned to him. “Seriously? How would she even know to go after them?”

“That’s what she’s been bred for. Her mom is a master.”

Sera stared at him wide-eyed. And here she thought he had brought the dog to worm his way into Aimee’s heart. Embarrassment warmed her cheeks. “But Shirley’s so young,” she said in astonishment.

“And good.”

Hope filled Sera, though she knew it was crazy. Putting her hope in a little bundle of fur that would most likely tire of the chase at any moment and drop was stupid. But at this point, what choice did she have?

The nightmare that Trent and Mary had warned her about was true. There really were monsters, and one had taken her baby. She swiped at the tears in her eyes. She couldn’t go on without Aimee. She couldn’t do it.

Trent reached over and grabbed her hand. “We’ll get her back, I promise.”

She grasped onto the hope he offered, even though she realized he couldn’t offer her any guarantees. Not really.

“I shouldn’t have left you.” Trent’s voice was full of anguish. “This was exactly what I was hoping to avoid, and instead I’ve made things worse. Now she has no idea who she is and how to protect herself. All she knows is some evil son of a bitch has taken her. And that she’s all alone.”

“No, she’s not! She’s not alone. She knows we’re coming for her. She must.”

“You. She knows you’re coming for her. She doesn’t know anything about me. She doesn’t even know—” His voice broke, and he swallowed hard.

Sera squeezed his hand tight. “She will. We’ll tell her everything as soon as we find her. And we will find her.” Now she was the one offering empty guarantees. But she didn’t care. They would make them true. They had to.

He turned to her and the suffering in his eyes broke her heart.

“Stop it,” she demanded. “If you don’t believe we can save Aimee, then we won’t. You have to believe because I have to believe in you. Do you understand? I need to trust you. I need to know you won’t let us down.”

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded, and was about to say more, but up ahead, the puppy turned down a dirt road Sera had never been down before. They moved at a crawl, pacing the tiny dog, but Sera’s heart pounded in her chest as if she was running for her life.

Soon they came to a shack at the end of the road. The old structure was built on stilts that jutted out over the water. Trent stopped the car as Shirley bolted toward the open door.

“Do you sense anything?” Sera asked.

Trent shook his head. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

They hurried forward, moving toward the shack as Shirley rushed inside. Something crashed. Wood splintered. A high-pitched yelp broke the stillness of the early morning air.

“Oh, my God, Aimee!” Sera bolted after the dog. Trent yelled a warning, but it was too late. She burst into the shack, then grabbed hold of the doorway, teetering on the edge of a gaping hole in the wooden floor.

Just below her, Shirley treaded water furiously, as the murky swamp lapped at the stilts beneath the house. The puppy’s little paws paddled desperately. Her snout crinkled as a growl rumbled through her.

“Trent, something is in the water with her!” Sera called.

Trent dropped to his belly and stretched over the jagged edge of the broken floor. His hand shot out and he grabbed the dog, launching her through the air just as the snapping jaws of an alligator broke the surface.

Sera caught her, instinctively pulling the pup against her chest. Her shirt immediately soaked through with foul swamp water and blood.

“She’s bleeding, Trent.”

The puppy’s side had been split by a shallow slice. Either from the fall, or from sharp, gnashing teeth, she couldn’t be sure.

Trent carefully got to his feet and looked at the puppy’s wound. “She will be fine as soon as we get her stitched up.”

“Where’s Aimee?” Sera stared down into the water, as terror rushed through her.

“This was a trap. For me.”

He pointed to the shirt floating in the water. “He left that there, hoping I’d follow his scent. He must have sabotaged the floor.”

A lump filled Sera’s throat. What were they dealing with? “We have to find her.”

They hurried out of the shack and back onto the road. Sera held the puppy in her arms. Trent stood still, his head cocked to one side. Shirley whimpered.

“Do you sense anything?”

“Not from the demon, but I’m getting something from Aimee.”

Hope surged through Sera. “What?”

“Fear.”

Sera’s stomach lurched.

“She’s close and she’s still alive. Let’s focus on that.”

He gestured down a path that led along the water’s edge. “She’s down that way.”

Sera followed his gaze down a small path leading through the woods. “If you can sense her, can Aimee sense you?”

“I doubt it. She doesn’t know what to focus on. But he can. That’s what worries me.”

“Then, stay here,” Sera insisted. “Let me go first. We can’t afford to walk into another trap. If he can feel you coming, then he has the upper hand. I’ll find out where he has her and what he’s doing, then I’ll come back for you.”

Doubt filled Trent’s eyes.

“Come on, Trent. You know I’m right.”

“I know it’s dangerous. You don’t know the first thing about how to protect yourself from a demon.”

“I’m a mom. I’ll face anything to protect my daughter.”

She followed close behind as he hurried to the trunk of his car and opened it. She locked the puppy in her cage, then took the walkie-talkie he handed her. “Take this and tell me everything you see. And if he finds you—” He handed her a wicked-looking knife. “Use this. Don’t be squeamish. He may look like someone you trust. But he isn’t. Remember that.”

Sera stared at the heavy serrated blade in her hand, and felt the first doubts trickle through her.

“Don’t let him see you. Promise me, Sera.”

“I promise.”

“You’ve got five minutes, then I’m coming after you. Now, let’s go save our daughter.”

Sera ran down the path though the woods without looking back. Within moments, she saw another hunting shack on the banks of the swamp. As quietly as she could, she stepped up onto the dock that ran alongside the shack and extended out into the water. She peered through the window and smothered a gasp. Aimee was inside with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands and feet were bound and a gag covered her mouth.

She couldn’t let Aimee see her. She ducked down and gasped a deep breath. She took another quick peek and saw Dr. Gibbons move in front of the window. He stopped next to Aimee and drew his thumb across her forehead, leaving it streaked with blood.

Sera crouched down as bile rose up in her throat. She shoved her fist against her mouth to stop from crying out. Not him. It couldn’t be. Had he been lying to her at the hospital the whole time?

She stiffened as anger surged through her, and she fought down the urge to run into the shack and attack the bastard. She trusted him and he’d stolen her daughter. Adrenaline pumped through her. She could take him. She would take him.

If he were human.

She took another steadying breath and crept away from the shack, careful not to make a sound. When she was a safe distance away, she called Trent on the walkie-talkie and told him what she’d seen.

“Stay there, Sera. Wait for me. I’ll be there in a second,” he said, his voice crackling over the radio.

“All right,” she whispered. But she couldn’t get the image of her daughter’s tear-streaked face out of her mind. What if he was hurting her right now? She had to know what was happening. She hurried back to the shack, back to the window.

But Aimee was gone.

Sera ran around to the front of the shack and skidded to a stop.

“Hello, Sera,” Dr. Gibbons said, and smiled. He was standing in dirty brackish water up to his thighs, holding a frightened Aimee in his arms.

“What do you want with my daughter?” she asked, still unable to believe what she was seeing. This man delivered Aimee. He brought her into the world and had taken care of the two of them their whole lives. Surely Trent was wrong. Please let him be wrong.

But as she saw coal-black eyes shining in the predawn light, she knew the ugly truth. Dr. Gibbons was gone and a demon was about to kill her baby. She’d seen this moment, seen it in her mind the day Trent had kissed her back in Mary’s shop.

The demon started chanting in Latin and lowering Aimee into the swamp water, as if Sera weren’t even standing there. As if she was powerless to stop him.

But she wasn’t.

She felt the weight of the demon dagger in her pocket. From a distance, she heard Trent calling to her. Aimee screamed behind her gag, her eyes pleading for help. Sera looked for Trent but couldn’t see him. She couldn’t wait any longer.

She pulled the knife and jumped, throwing herself off the dock and onto the demon. She knocked him off balance, the knife grazing his shoulder. He dropped Aimee and she sank beneath the surface.

Sera frantically reached for her, pushing through the water. Fingers grasping, she touched Aimee, but before she could grab hold, the demon backhanded her with a dizzying blow that sent her flying back toward the dock. Brackish water filled her mouth and burned her eyes. She pushed to the surface, struggling once more to find her footing.

The demon yanked Aimee back out of the water and raised a knife high above her head, all the while whispering…chanting.

He was going to kill her. Sera hadn’t been fast enough or strong enough to stop him. Anguish rose in her throat and choked her.

In stunned horror Trent saw Sera fall below the surface. The demon raised the knife high above Aimee’s head, and Trent knew he had mere seconds. He dove off the dock. A wide smile cut across the demon’s face as he dropped Aimee and turned, pointing the knife toward Trent.

Trent twisted in midair, trying to avoid the blade. As he hit the demon, the knife slid easily into his skin. A burning sensation spread through him as he and the demon rolled beneath the water.

Trent grasped hold of the demon’s neck and squeezed. They struggled until the pressure in Trent’s chest was too much to bear. He pushed to the surface and gasped a deep breath. The demon thrust the knife at him again. Trent turned, going under once more as the knife sliced though his arm.

Suddenly, Sera was there, thrusting the demon dagger into his hand. Trent crouched under the water, holding his breath until he thought his lungs would explode, then, as the demon drew near, he launched himself upward, slicing the dagger across the demon’s neck. The demon threw his head back and let out a roar. Black smoke poured from the wound and filled the air, as the body crumpled into the swamp.

Trent turned and saw Sera struggling to get Aimee up onto the dock. He rushed toward them. Sera pushed the water out of Aimee’s chest, then breathed into her mouth.

“She’s not breathing,” Sera cried as he reached them.

A deep well of agony surged through him. He took over, giving Aimee CPR while Sera struggled to catch her breath. Aimee jerked, then water spilled from her lips as she coughed and started to cry.

“It’s okay, baby. We’re both here. Nothing or no one can hurt you now,” Sera crooned, tears rolling down her cheeks as she held Aimee in her arms and rocked her gently.

“You really should get some rest. The demon is dead,” Trent said.

Sera smiled as giddy relief filled her once more. “I know. I just can’t seem to take my eyes off her.”

They were lying in Sera’s bed with Aimee tucked between them. Neither one of them would be leaving her side for the rest of the day.

“I had the nurse double-check Aimee’s tests. There was nothing wrong with them, the demon just wanted to make sure we weren’t going anywhere.” Trent pulled a strand of Aimee’s hair through his fingers, touching it as if he’d never felt anything like it before.

So much warmth filled Sera’s chest, she ached with it. “And the pinprick on her finger was really just an accident?”

“Looks like it.”

“I never would have believed it was Dr. Gibbons.”

“Like I said, demons can be dormant in their hosts for years and no one ever suspects.”

“Until they have a reason to surface?”

“Exactly.”

“So there is no more threat, then?”

“Not right now.”

Sera bit her lip. “Then, I guess you’ll be leaving soon?” She cringed as she heard the tremor in her voice.

“From what I hear there’s something big going down with the demon Kafu.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“No, he’s a nasty one. What’s worse, the priestess and her cult who we suspect of trying to raise him don’t live too far from here.”

“A voodoo priestess?” Fear skittered down Sera’s back. “Aimee and I will leave. Move across country. Anywhere.”

“I was hoping you and Aimee might like to come home with me.”

Sera grew very still; she was afraid even to breathe, as if breathing or moving would somehow take his words away. She wanted to go, wanted to be with him. Her heart ached with the hope of it, but if she did, and he left them all over again.…

“It’s different from here,” Trent continued. We don’t have swamps, we have horse farms. Aimee would like it.”

She brushed her hand across her daughter’s. Aimee would love it. They both would. Which would make it even more horrible if they had to leave. “I think she took the news about who she is, and who you are, really well, don’t you?”

“She’s tough. She’s going to be okay, Sera.” Trent carefully pushed himself up until he leaned against the headboard. “Sera, I don’t want to do this alone anymore. I almost died today, would have died, if not for you.”

“You mean you would have died if I hadn’t made you go to the hospital and get stitches.”

“Who knows how many more demons could be in this town.”

Sera laughed. “Oh, yeah, our little neck of the swamp is just a hotbed of demon activity.”

“Well, it is kind of dark, dank and moldy. Prime demon-breeding territory. Not to mention that voodoo priestess and her cult. All the more reason you should come with me.”

Sera sighed. “I don’t know, Trent.”

He took her hand and held it across Aimee, who was still sleeping peacefully. “I don’t want to waste another minute wondering what if things had been different. Alone we are vulnerable, but together we’re a family, we’re invincible.”

He slid off the bed beside her, then took her hand once more and dropped to one knee. “I love you. And I love Aimee. I always have. I never should have left, Sera. Will you marry me?”

Sera’s throat tightened as tears brimmed in her eyes.

“Say yes, Mom,” Aimee said, her eyes wide open and a huge grin splitting her face..

Surprised, Sera laughed. She certainly couldn’t say no to both of them.

“Yes, Trent, I’ll marry you.”

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ISBN: 978-1-4268-4530-7

His Magic Touch

Copyright © 2009 by Cynthia D. Cooke

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