Page 59 of Demon Unleashed

Zoltan motioned to a sign for a parking lot. “See those two vans parked in the corner? They can shield us.”

Enya nodded, and together they walked to the lot. Nobody took any notice of them when they walked into the narrow space between the vans. Enya assured herself that nobody saw them standing there before she made herself and Zoltan invisible.

Minutes later, they arrived at City Hall, followed another visitor inside, then stepped over a cordon, bypassing the metal detector, and found themselves in the large entry hall of the building. Without saying a word, Enya pointed to the sign for the restrooms, and it appeared that Zoltan understood, because he nodded.

Down a short corridor, a small foyer opened up, showing a door for the men’s room and a second one for the ladies’ room. Nobody was around.

“Okay, we’re visible again,” she said.

“What now?” Zoltan asked.

“Tessa’s office is one floor up. You can come up to the second floor with me, but it’s best if you don’t come in with me.” They started walking up the staircase. “Hamish might be there, and there’s a chance he’ll recognize you. I believe the two of you had run-ins before.”

“The mayor’s husband?” Zoltan asked. “Yep, we’ve met. He thwarted my plan to make somebody else mayor of Baltimore.” He shrugged. “No worries, I’ll stay out of his way.” Arriving on the second floor, he pointed to a sign for the restrooms. “When you’re done, look for me back there.”

“Okay.” She was already turning toward Tessa’s office when Zoltan pulled her to him and kissed her. She couldn’t help but respond to him.

When he released her a few breathtaking moments later, he said, “Just so you won’t leave without me.”

“Not a chance,” she murmured, feeling her cheeks flush.

“Good.”

Her heart still beating excitedly, Enya walked toward the mayor’s office and entered the ante office without knocking. Collette, Tessa’s assistant, sat at her desk, sorting a mountain of envelopes. She looked up.

“Oh, hey, Enya,” she said with a friendly smile.

“Hi, Collette. Is Tessa in?”

“She’s pretty busy right now.” Collette had been working for Tessa since before she’d become mayor, and was very protective of her and her time.

Nevertheless, Enya had to press her today. “It’s important. I need just two minutes of her time.”

Collette sighed, then pressed a button on her intercom. “Tessa, Enya is here to see you.”

“Enya?” came Tessa’s reply, then the door was ripped open and Tessa stood in the doorframe. “Where on earth have you been? Everybody is looking for you.”

Enya walked toward her. “Tell you later, but I need a favor now.”

Tessa was already pulling Enya into the office. “No calls or visitors, Collette, thanks.” Then she shut the door and hugged Enya. “The guys are beside themselves. You didn’t come home. They couldn’t reach you on your cell. Have you spoken to them? What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you everything later, but there’s something more important right now. Remember the day you were drugged by the demon?”

During the election for mayor, the demons had tried to harm Tessa and help another candidate who would have divided the racially-charged city even more. The demons had gone as far as painting Tessa as a drug addict to get her to bow out of the race. But Hamish, who’d been assigned to protect her, had saved her just in time after the demons had administered an overdose of heroin.

Tessa furrowed her forehead. “I don’t like to think back to it, but I do remember it. Why?”

“Would you recognize the demon who drugged you?”

“I’ll never forget his face.”

“Good.” Enya whipped out her phone and navigated to her photo app. “I’ll show you several photos. If the demon who drugged you is among them, point him out, okay?”

“But—”

Enya turned the display to show Tessa the first photo.

Tessa gasped. “Oh my God, you photographed demons?”