Page 31 of Dead Air (Moon Murder Mysteries)

Twenty

He had already committed heresy by negotiating with two white witches. Even worse, one was a sun god. But Cenn hadn’t compounded his sins by sharing the demons’ best trade secrets.

Many believed demons to be omniscient and able to appear anywhere at will but Niall was closer than MacIlwraith or Oglethorpe would ever suspect with his radio comparison.

Demons got their information from an ancient form of intelligence gathering that resembled an old-fashioned switchboard.

They listened to the ether around them for the mention of a name, then followed it back via memory as far as necessary, branching in any direction the conversation was carried, from person to person.

Apparition worked in an almost opposite manner and depended on absolute silence—dead air—so a demon could find those brief instances when the veil thinned to a vapor it could easily slip through.

He’d shared the gist but Cenn had left out a few crucial details, in case MacIlwraith attempted to travel by dead air himself.

First, you had to be fast and know exactly where you were going or you could get stuck in the void, where time stopped, and come out, hours, days, or years later if you screwed up. Or, you could get stuck and never come out and waste away from the exposure to the slow cold.

There was also the risk of being attacked by any of the dark elements that inhabited and passed through the void or bringing them back with you.

Cenn was particularly good at rounding up stray sluagh and releasing them on the light side of the veil so they could wreak havoc and confuse the ghost hunters and UFO enthusiasts.

Unlike his pet hellhounds, MacIlwraith had yet to master traveling through the veil and Cenn wasn’t going to offer him any tips and tricks.

Thankfully, Cenn could easily navigate time and travel on both sides and knew where to find Hugh Dùbhghlas at that hour.

The old warlock lived in an opulent eight bedroom “cabin” that he had converted into his lair.

From the outside, Hugh appeared to be an eccentric former lobbyist who was absurdly patriotic and in love with his guns.

Inside, Hugh hosted the occasional guest and kept a menagerie of twisted sídh—cursed creations, pets, and minions—confined to the bedrooms, employed as servants, and locked in the basement’s cells.

The warlock didn’t sleep or have a bedroom, but a cavernous chamber, built into the side of the mountain.

There, he poured over dark manuscripts, brewed potions, and practiced all manner of dark magick, including necromancy.

At the moment, Dùbhghlas wasn’t in his chamber reclining in his great iron throne with its many opal-eyed snakes. He was enjoying a solitary candlelight dinner by the fire and had shut his eyes to inhale the rich berry fumes of a Malbec.

“I thought you’d like an update,” Cenn said, stepping out of the shadows behind the dining room’s door.

Dùbhghlas hesitated for a moment, the glass hovering in front of his mouth.

He set it down and wiped his lips with a napkin before draping it over his plate.

“You could have called or left a message in smoke. What’s so important that it required an in-person meeting?

” he asked as he rose, preferring to be eye to eye instead of having to look up to a demon.

“MacIlwraith and Oglethorpe have arrived, as you intended. As did the rapist and the poachers but I dealt with them.”

“I thought you would appreciate the assistance,” Dùbhghlas said airily, earning a sharp hiss from Cenn.

“You were impatient. I didn’t appreciate your meddling. I work at my own pace, you don’t fuck with my process,” he scolded, worrying Dùbhghlas.

“Did you make the trade with the ranger?”

“Niall Gilpatrick’s soul is mine,” Cenn growled as he advanced on the warlock. “Did you think I’d let something that pure and vibrant slip through my fingers?”

“And what about Oglethorpe and his protégé?” Dùbhghlas’s face pinched with loathing, making Cenn smile.

He allowed Dùbhghlas to see his delight and his malice. “MacIlwraith is a lot more than a protégé! He’s an honest to goodness demigod. It’s been ages since we’ve had a new one and MacIlwraith is far more powerful than you know.”

“I would have thought that the mighty Cenn Cruach would be able to handle a baby demigod and an old white witch,” Dùbhghlas taunted.

“That was your plan, wasn’t it?” Cenn whispered as he attempted to read Dùbhghlas’s thoughts but the warlock was hiding them.

No matter, Cenn had finally seen the battle for what it was and had found the high ground.

“You knew they’d race in to rescue the ranger and you predicted I’d put an end to your nemesis and his new sun god or they would defeat me, giving you Gilpatrick’s soul to groom and all the spoils of killing a demon without getting your hands dirty. ”

Dùbhghlas chuckled, nodding as he crossed his arms over his chest. He wanted to appear pleased but his posture was a bluff. His body temperature was rising and Cenn could hear Dùbhghlas’s heart slamming in his chest. “I never thought I’d live to hear a demon complaining about a dirty deal.”

“How’s this for a dirty deal?” Cenn said with a threatening purr, his hand curling around Dùbhghlas’s beard. “I made my own deal with the young god and Oglethorpe. I’m going to help them! ” he boasted and laughed when Dùbhghlas’s eyes flared and he gasped.

“What kind of a deal? No god would promise his soul to a demon. Oglethorpe would never allow it.”

“Of course not!” Cenn confirmed readily. “We didn’t need to because I already have your soul coming to me. I can do far more with that if I stay out of the way or possibly assist them in their efforts.”

“ You would help this new Dagda?” Dùbhghlas shouted furiously. “He would cover the world in light and rid it of the darkness you feed upon!”

Cenn held up his hands. “I was facing a choice between you ,” he said with a pitying chuckle, shaking his head.

“Or a chaotic young god with obscene abilities, an experienced white witch you’re afraid to face on your own, two hellhounds , a changeling with his own baffling powers, and two federal agents.

I saw an immediate threat to my own existence and an opportunity to teach you a lesson. ”

“What lesson would that be?” Dùbhghlas asked weakly and Cenn stared him down, letting the tension stretch before he smirked.

“You don’t fuck with me and you don’t fuck with my process.

” He shoved Dùbhghlas back, making him stumble into the mantle.

“You thought you could outsmart me by dangling Dudley Do-Right in front of my nose. You found the perfect bait for a threefold death and had caught me in a trap I couldn’t escape. ”

“You knew?” Dùbhghlas was dumbfounded. His thoughts and emotions were now naked and Cenn could hear him scrambling to catch up and find a way to regain the advantage.

“I was on to you as soon as I learned that Gilpatrick had already died. No one’s supposed to know about demons and the threefold death but I realized you’d found out and that Gilpatrick would be teed up once I took his soul.

And knowing you as well as I do, I understood that a simple, wholesome ranger was nothing compared to Cenn Cruach and the power you’d gain by giving me a threefold death. How could you resist?”

“Exactly!” Dùbhghlas nodded quickly. “Would you fault me for learning all the rules before dealing with a demon as wise as the mighty Cenn Cruach? I would never seek to offend you, Lord Smoak.”

“I’m not offended. Honestly, I’m flattered and I do appreciate the effort.

And you have no idea how entertaining it’s been, tempting the ranger into giving me his soul.

” Cenn groaned orgasmically, because Dùbhghlas didn’t need to know that Niall had given him free use of that glorious soul without making any kind of trade.

That was the true beauty and magick of sharing.

“Whatever they’ve offered you, I can do better,” Dùbhghlas said with far more bravado than he possessed.

“I don’t think so…” Cenn made his eyes glow brighter, allowing Dùbhghlas to see how deeply pleased he was about the warlock’s impending demise.

“All I have to do is keep the ranger alive until they’ve dealt with you.

MacIlwraith and Oglethorpe live to fight another day but I get to keep the ranger, that big, dark, dirty soul of yours, and all the power and knowledge you’ve gathered over the course of your perfidious existence. ”

“You would take their side? I would be a far more useful ally than MacIlwraith. How long before he’s strong enough to take you on his own? How do you know he won’t change his mind and sic his hellhounds on you?”

“Weren’t you hoping he’d sic those hellhounds on me? Isn’t that why you sent me to the top of that mountain without my army to protect me?”

“I never imagined they’d be strong enough to defeat Lord Smoak, Father of Demons .”

“You lie,” Cenn countered and wagged a smoky finger, then twirled it next to his ear. “I hear the excuses and the flattering titles spewing within that twisted brain. It screams with your scheming and treachery. You are loyal only to your own demons and you still think you can outcon the king.”

“What if I release you from our deal?” Dùbhghlas blurted, raising his hands and clasping them.

“My quarrel is with MacIlwraith and his mentor, truly! I did seek the deal with you so I could gain your power, but only so I could put an end to them. Don’t you see?

I do not seek the powers of the great Cenn Cruach for my own glory, but to rid us all of their light. ”

“Why should I accept? I could do that myself with your soul in my pocket? Unlike you, I have all the time in the world and I find your little feud entertaining.”

“I could still win! I could defeat them, even if they have your help, and have your soul if you fall in battle,” Dùbhghlas said with a defiant laugh.