Chapter 1
A faint buzzing pulled at her mind, tugging her back to consciousness. She took a sharp inhale, her body bowing as she drew in the needed oxygen to her body. Rolling on to her side, she began to violently cough, the sensation familiar as she returned to her body once again. That burning in her throat had her scrambling up, tripping over her feet and falling to the floor with a pained grunt.
Ignoring the buzzing sound as it began again, she crawled rapidly as her knee ached from the fall. She willed her body to hold on a little more as she kept her focus on the floor and moving forward. Her fingers hit the porcelain bowl and she pulled herself over just as the wave of bile poured into the bowl. Tightening her grip, she held on for dear life as she dry heaved for several minutes, before slumping down to lay beside the toilet.
The buzzing sound began for a third time and she fumbled for her phone, digging it out of the back pocket of her jeans. Answering and putting it on speaker, she dropped it on to the tiles beside her as she rolled to her back. “What?” she asked in a raspy whisper, her throat aching.
“Hello to you too, sunshine. Have you finished the case you were on?” The male was far too chipper for how she was feeling at the moment. She also hated when he called her sunshine.
She winced as she swallowed several times, her fingers moving to rub over her neck to try and help ease the ache. “Almost done. I’ve weakened its psychic hold, but it still has a physical presence here,” she whispered, her throat feeling like it was being rubbed raw by sandpaper.
Shakily climbing to her feet, she only half heard what the man on the phone said as she leaned against the sink counter. She filled a glass of water, downing it quickly. The cold water began to soothe her throat and she filled the glass again. “Would you shut up for like five minutes already? You know I am not mentally functional enough for full conversations right after…” she grumbled, leaning on her arms as she sipped the water.
Chuckling came through the phone, before her phone pinged. “Fine, just hurry up. You have a new job. Just sent you the details. Client is desperate,” he replied.
Groaning, she finished the water and filled it again. “You know I am not the only hunter out there, Daryl,” she groused.
“No, but you are the best and they are paying well,” Daryl stated.
“And there is the real motive. I am not your bloody cash cow, asshole,” she said angrily, slumping down to sit on the floor.
“You enjoy the work, so chop chop,” he joked, making her narrow her eyes at her phone. “I’ll give you a two week break after this one.”
“Moooo..” she muttered sardonically. She harshly tapped her phone, ending the call before laying out on the cold tile floor. A low groan escaped her lips as she stared at the wall
Daryl had said she enjoyed the work, and that was partially right. No one truly liked dealing with the supernatural, especially demons, which was her specialty. The migraines, the nausea, the lack of energy after each battle would make anything think she was crazy to keep going. However, she also got to see the result of her work.
Seeing those she helped recover made up for all the discomfort and danger she went through. So, she might not exactly like the work, but she wasn’t going to stop.
***
She woke up some time later, rolling over on to her back with a groan as she stared up at ceiling. She tried to will herself to stand, but she felt drained. That last fight had taken a lot out of her. But she couldn’t stay down too long. She still had to finish the job.
Slowly pushing herself up, she stumbled over to the painted symbol on the floor. She studied the edge, grabbing out a handful of herbs from a nearby bowl. Holding them over the symbol, she rubbed them between her fingers as she murmured softly. As the herbs fell, they swirled and collected in the middle of the symbol. Her eyes began to glow and she felt the exhaustion slide away as the aches in her body dissipated. Letting out a painless breath, she collected her bag with her tools inside.
Scooping up her phone from the bathroom, she called Daryl as she left to finish the job. “Alright, jerk, share the details of the job,” she ordered when he answered.
“What, finished already? You must have recovered quickly,” he said, the sound of papers rustling signalling he was at his desk.
“Not finished, but might as well learn about the next job while on the way to finish this one. So, quit wasting my time and get on with it,” she snapped at him.
He clicked his tongue. “Sheesh, you’re cranky today. Maybe you should go to a bar after and find someone to fuck the angry out of you, or at least pull the stick out of your ass,” he joked.
She stopped short on the sidewalk, tilting her head back to stare up at the night sky. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before ending the call. Talking to him was bothering her and she needed a clear mind for what she needed to do. Slowly rolling her head side to side, she silenced her phone and continued down the street.
It was a thirty minute walk to the client, but she used the walk to get herself in the right mindset. Pulling out a small box outside the client’s home, she took out and spread a line of sage ash on her forehead. Murmuring a quick protection spell while rubbing her bloodstone necklace between her fingers, she knocked on the door.
Her eyes took in the haggard look of the woman who answered. The fact she was able to answer the door was a good sign. It meant that her energy was not being pulled from her as easily. “Has the room been prepared?” she asked.
The woman nodded, stepping back to let her enter. “Yes, Miss Olfstein,” she replied. “Everything you requested is waiting for you inside.”
“Please, I’ve told you to call me Devyn,” she said, giving her a small smile. “You may go rest and I’ll handle it from here. You’ve been drinking the tea I provided?”
“Yes, I made sure to drink it as requested,” she answered, closing the door.
“Good,” Devyn said, pulling a necklace from her bag. “Wear this, and stay in your bedroom. Do not leave the room, no matter what happens.” She handed over the necklace and watched the woman put it on as she walked down the hallway before she turned to move down to the prepared room.
