7even Circles: Moon Is Calling (7even Circles Series Book 1) Read online

  Her persistent would-be suitor Ari hadn’t come by either. Sometimes he would be gone for a couple of days. The last time, he was gone for almost a month. Not that she was keeping track of him comings and goings. That would be almost stalkerish.

  “Order up!” Jerry called out, making her come back to the present.

  She was glad to be working. She picked up the order and carried it to her customers. When she turned around, she thought she saw a man standing in the doorway. She blinked and the man was gone. That was strange. She looked out the window, but it was too foggy and dark to see much. It gave her the shivers. As she walked back to the counter she heard her boss cursing.

  “Where’s that damn busboy?”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked Leeza as she returned with dirty dishes.

  “Tim hasn’t gotten in yet. It’s not like him to be this late for work, and Jerry is fit to be tied.”

  “Is he sick?”

  Leeza shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. The last time I saw him was last night. Jerry had him closing up and he was supposed to take the trash out first thing this morning before we opened.”

  Cass agreed with Leeza, it wasn’t like Tim to not show up. She leaned over the counter to talk to Jerry.

  “Hey Jerry, can I help you?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, could you take the trash out back, it’s starting to smell and all I need is for an inspector to come through and see that. We’d be shut down.”

  “No problem, I’ve got it. Leeza, table four just needs their bill. If you could give that to them while I’m out back I’d appreciate it.”

  “Absolutely, honey.”

  Cass walked through the kitchen and grabbed two full bags of garbage. She wrinkled her nose. Jerry wasn’t lying; the bags were starting to smell really bad. She unlocked the back door and dragged the bags outside into the alley. What the Hell was in there? It was heavy as Hell. It wasn’t like Jerry to let the bags get this full. She had to make two trips to just get them all outside.

  She stopped by the dumpster and let go of the bags to reach up and open the lid. She hefted the first bag and struggled to get it up to the opening. She had to lift from the bottom and raise it up. She felt something sticky on the bottom of the bag. Great—there was a tear in the bottom of the bag, and it was leaking something.

  Just when she got part of the bag on the lip of the dumpster, something fell out and hit her shoe. She looked down, and shock hit her as she saw a bloody hand by her toe. She dropped the bag and jumped back. The tear in the bag gave way and more of its contents came out. Another hand and a head rolled out. She felt bile rise up and she couldn’t stop from falling to her knees and throwing up. She heaved until nothing else was left in her stomach.

  She was shaking so bad she didn’t think she could stand up. She looked over at the head and suddenly she recognized the buzz-cut on it.

  “Tim.” She started to crawl toward the door, but booted feet appeared in front of her. She looked up.

  “Hello again, Cassandra.”

  It was that creepy guy from a few days ago. “Who are you?”

  He knelt down in front of her. “The last person you will ever see.” Then he hit her hard in the face, everything faded to black. Her last thought was that she would never know who her parents were.

  *****

  “Are you sure this is the right place?”

  Father Raphael glared at his companion as they got out of the church station wagon. “She said we could contact her here.”

  “I can’t believe you just let her leave like that.”

  “I didn’t know who she was, Michael. By the time I realized it, she was already gone. If she hadn’t called back…”

  “What’s happening?” Michael pointed to the police tape barring people from entering the diner.

  “I don’t know.” Father Raphael watched as a distressed waitress was brought out, escorted by several policemen. They got her to an ambulance just as she collapsed.

  “I’ll find out.” He made his way to the ambulance.

  “Can I offer my assistance?” Raphael asked.

  One of the cops nodded. “Thank you, Father. We need to get to the alley in the back to help in the search.”

  “The search for what? What happened here?”

  “One of their employees was murdered, and another is missing.”

  He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. “Who—who was murdered?”

  “A busboy named Tim Richards. Did you know him?”

  “No, this is the first time I’ve been in this area.”

  “I need to go. Could you offer the girl some comfort? The person missing is her best friend.”

  “Sure.” Father Raphael walked over to the open doors of the ambulance. He could hear what they were saying as a cop questioned the girl.

  “Cass went to take the bags in the kitchen to the dumpster to help Jerry out. Oh God, Tim. Who could do such a thing? I’m so scared for Cass.”

  “How well do you know this—Cassandra Adira Knight?”

  “She’s worked here a couple of years now. She’s always been a good friend, helping anyone who needs it.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “I—I don’t know. She never said, only that it’s within walking distance.”

  “Your boss doesn’t have her listed as an employee.”

  “Well, none of us get a salary. Jerry doesn’t make enough to afford to pay regular salaries. We work off of tips.”

  “How come no one can tell us where she lives?”

  “I don’t know—”

  “Excuse me, Officer, may I offer a prayer with the young woman?”

  The cop looked frustrated to be interrupted, but he nodded. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”

  Father Raphael managed to get up into the ambulance and sit across from the woman. He reached out and took her hands. He could feel everything she felt: fear, regret, sadness, and anger. He used his abilities to soothe her.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Leeza.”

  “I’m Father Raphael. Tell me what happened, child.”

  “My friend, Cass, went to take the trash out to help Jerry. Our busboy didn’t show. She never came back inside so I went outside to see if she needed help. The bags were on the ground and one was torn open. It had—it had.”

  “You don’t have to finish.”

  “It had Tim, parts of him, chopped up. His head and hands had come out of the bag. I screamed and screamed. Jerry came out and had the sense to call the police. He called out for Cass, but she was gone. I think the police think she had something to do with Tim’s death, but they’re wrong. Cass would never...”

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t. She seemed kind.”

  “You met her?”

  “Once, briefly. She came to my church, Saints of Adira.”

  “Adira? That’s her middle name.”

  “I know. She approached me seeking answers about her past, and I came here tonight to talk to her. Do you know where she might have gone? It’s possible she was frightened at what she found and ran away.”

  “Cass wouldn’t do that. They found evidence of her vomiting, and I found her cross close to the door. I think she was trying to come back inside but someone grabbed her.”

  “Cross? Could I see it?”

  Leeza pulled a silver strand from her pocket and handed it to him. When he touched the cross, he could feel fear, so strong. His abilities faded. He needed to get this to Michael. “Could I hold on to this? I promise to return it to Cassandra when she is found.”

  “Cass.”

  “What?”

  “She likes to be called Cass.”

  “Of course.” He moved to step down from the ambulance.

  “Father?” Leeza stopped him before he left.

  “Yes, child?”

  “Do you think she’s okay?”

  “I don’t know, but I can’t imagine anything else other than her returning to us safe a
nd sound.” He needed to believe that she hadn’t suddenly appeared back into their lives out of the blue, only to be taken from them like this. He had to keep faith that her destiny would still be fulfilled.

  Chapter 5

  Father Raphael walked around the corner across the street from the diner. Michael was waiting for him. “What did you find out?”

  “One of the busboys was killed. He was cut up and placed in trash bags. Cassandra carried the bags outside to the dumpster, not knowing what was inside. When she didn’t return inside to the diner, her friend went out looking for her. She was gone but her cross was found.” He handed the cross to Michael.

  Michael closed his eyes. Raphael knew Michael would feel more than he could. His powers had faded tremendously over the years. The more Raphael used them to heal people, the more it weakened him, making him age. The more he aged, the weaker he and his power grew. Michael had just returned to the Earthly plane and had his full powers.

  “She was taken by a demon. I see images of him and her fear of him.”

  “Where is she, can you see her?”

  Michael shook his head. “No, the demon just now knocked her out. I can’t read anything else until she wakens.” He turned and pushed Raphael behind him as a figure in leather approached.

  “What do you want, demon?”

  “Demi-demon, actually. I want to know what you’re going to do to get her back.”

  “Get who back?” Raphael asked, stepping around Michael to face the stranger.

  “The girl, Cass Knight. She was taken by a demon, wasn’t she?”

  “Why do you care?” Michael crossed his arms over his chest.

  “This is my turf. I don’t like other demons coming here and messing with what I worked hard to build up.”

  “How do you know Cassandra?”

  “She’s a waitress in the diner I eat at all the time. I’ve known her a few years now. I consider her a friend.”

  Michael snorted. “A demon has a friend? Not likely.”

  “Ease up, Michael, he may know where she was taken. I’m Father Raphael, and this is Michael.”

  “I’m called Ari.”

  “We don’t need him, Raphael.” Michael was not pleased.

  Raphael didn’t listen to him. “Do you know this area? Where would a demon who has limited time on the Earthly plane take her?”

  “He can’t be trusted! Nothing he says can be taken for truth.” Michael began pacing.

  Ari ignored him. “He only has a couple of hours left depending on when he arrived, to get the job done. He’s going to have to make it a ritualistic death if he wants credit for killing the Child of Light.”

  Both Michael and Raphael froze. “How do you know about the Child of Light?”

  “Stories I’ve heard through the years. The moment I met Cass, I knew those stories were true. Except for some reason she doesn’t know who or what she is. That was stupid of your people, to let her go untrained all these years.”

  “That was not our fault!” Michael growled out.

  Ari ignored him. “Look, the demon will need to get some personal items of hers to present to the boss, and he’ll have to take her to a demon altar to spill her blood as a sacrifice. I know where she lives, so we should try there first. Maybe we’ll catch him.”

  “Why would you help us?” Michael was suspicious. So was Raphael. He looked the other man up and down. If Michael hadn’t sensed him, he probably wouldn’t have realized right away that the man was half demon.

  “I know Cass. She can be a sarcastic pain in the ass, but she cares about people. She doesn’t deserve to die. That will happen if we don’t work together to save her.”

  They had no choice. If they were to get Cass back alive, they had to listen to the half-demon, but that didn’t mean that they would completely trust him.

  “Lead the way.”

  *****

  Cass hurt all over. She tried to sit up, but her arms and legs were spread out and tied to something. She opened her eyes in panic. What happened? Where was she? The last thing she remembered was finding Tim—or pieces of him—in the garbage bag. Then that creepy guy was there in the alley.

  “Good. You’re awake. I would’ve hated having to start without you.”

  She looked to her side and glared at the man. “Who are you?”

  He came closer to her. “I’m Drey.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “I want you to die so that I can earn my place next to the Channel.”

  What the Hell was this guy talking about? He was fucking crazy. “What’s a Channel?”

  “The Channel, the lead demon of the inner circle. I’ve been working my way closer and closer, deeper and deeper. You will be the sacrifice I need to reach my goal.”

  “Holy Hell, you’re crazy!”

  He chuckled. “Hell is right, little mutt.”

  “Let me get this straight, you plan to kill me as a sacrifice to the Devil?”

  “Pretty much.”

  She shook her head; maybe this was a nightmare. Please God, let her be dreaming. She yanked on her arms and legs, but the ties were too strong.

  “Look, you need psychiatric help. Just let me go and when the police come I will make sure that they send you to a great psychiatric ward. There are nice doctors and nurses who know how to help you.” She didn’t really care where they sent him, as long as it was as far away from her as possible.

  He snorted. “Cassandra, you don’t even officially exist. You have no one, no boyfriend or roommate. I’ve been watching for a while now. There is no one waiting for you who cares what happens to you.”

  She knew he spoke the truth about not being in the system. Even the foster-care system had her listed under a different name. He was wrong about one thing, though—Jerry and Leeza would care if something happened to her. They wouldn’t know how find her, but how did he know that? She must have asked that out loud, because he was answering her.

  “I know a lot about you. Once I found you I checked on your history. You were found wandering the streets without any memories, taken to orphanage and given the name Amanda Forrester, then fostered out to many different homes. You ran away to live on the streets. I wouldn’t have been able to find you if I hadn’t just happened to walk into that diner one night. It was luck, pure luck, that I found you at all. Watching and listening to you, I learned that you had no idea who you really are.”

  ‘Stalker’ didn’t cover this guy’s insanity. She wanted to chalk him up as just crazy, but he knew more about her than anyone else. “Do you know who my parents are?”

  “Your mother was Laura Knight, half-human, half-air demon. We don’t know which Arkangel fathered you.”

  She shook her head in denial. This couldn’t be right. She wasn’t a demon. She’d been called a bitch a few times in her life, but she liked to think of herself as a nice person. She just needed to find a way to escape. Cass let her captor keep talking his nonsense so that she could concentrate on her surroundings.

  “I have to earn my place next to the Channel, and killing the Child of Light will get me that coveted spot.”

  “Did you kill Tim?”

  “The human male at the diner was in my way. I came in to grab you, but he walked in on me and surprised me. I cut him. I couldn’t stop; once a blood demon senses blood, it’s nearly impossible for us to stop until our target is dead.”

  “You cut him up and stuffed him…” She couldn’t finish her thought. It was way too disturbing. Poor Tim.

  “I had to clean up quickly because people were milling around the front entrance. I grabbed the trash bags because it was the first thing I could think to do.”

  “Please, just let me go.”

  “Beg. I like it when women beg.” His hand trailed down her half-torn clothes. He cupped her breast, squeezing it painfully.

  At least he hadn’t tried to rape her up until that point. She spit on him, which made him slap her in the face. It stung badly on one side and she
knew her eye on that side would be swelling shut.

  “I’ve got to get a few more items, and then we’ll be ready to start.”

  “Help! Someone please help me!”

  He chuckled as he walked away. “Go ahead and yell, beautiful. No one is going to find us.”

  She had to get loose or she knew she would die this night.

  *****

  “This can’t be it; it’s an old abandoned building. It doesn’t even have power,” Father Raphael protested, appalled.

  “This is it. Her place is on the top right, off the fire escape.” Ari led the way up, rolling his eyes at Raphael’s hesitation. They should have left the priest on the ground. He went to her window and didn’t hesitate to raise it up. He looked down at the coin when it spun and then fell on its side.

  “Is breaking in really necessary?” Michael asked.

  “Yes, it is.” Ari had no patience for Mr. Angel and his Father. He entered the apartment. Nothing seemed to be disturbed.

  “She lives here? Are you sure? There’s no power and no food in the refrigerator.”

  Ari opened the cabinets, pulling out canned food. “She eats from cans if the power is out, or she’ll eat at the diner.”

  Michael shook his head. “Maybe she got scared and took off. She might not even be in the city anymore.”

  Ari walked to the corner and knelt at the loose floorboard. “She would’ve come back for her money if she planned to skip town.”

  “How well acquainted are you with Miss Knight?” Father Raphael asked suspiciously.

  “We’ve been friends a while.”

  “You said that the demon would come here to get something personal of hers for the ceremony, but nothing has been touched.” Father Raphael went to the window.

  “The only other place that she might have left something personal of hers would be the diner. She spends most of her time there.”

  “That place is swarming with cops, he won’t be able to get in.”

  Ari shrugged. “Demons are persuasive. If they want to get into a place, they’ll get in.”