Dreams of Fire Read online

  The half-circle of flames died and Kara allowed her whip to dissolve. The woman in black turned to her and yelled, “What the hell was that?”

  “I’m sorry! I was just trying to help.” Kara replied.

  “One Hound was bad enough! I didn’t need a second! And you didn’t just endanger us you put them in peril, too!” she continued as she pointed at the Santos clan inside.

  “All right, you’ve made your point. Here, let me heal you.” Kara said as she reached for the woman’s wounded arm. But she only jerked her arm away.

  “I’ll be fine.” the woman said as she stalked back to the mansion.

  Kara was taken aback by her curtness but had to admit the woman had a valid point. In trying to help, she had only thrust them into further danger. People could have died if she and the demon-hunter had failed to neutralize the threat. Kara watched regretfully as she entered the property and disappeared in the crowd once more.

  Kara didn’t see her for the rest of the night. After the momentary panic settled down, she mingled with the other guests but always kept an eye out for the mysterious woman in black. She wanted to apologize for what she had done, but the woman was nowhere to be found. Kara asked a few of the guests where she went but none were sure where she had gone. When it became clear she would not see her again, she politely took her leave and exited the party. Kara stepped out onto the street and hailed a taxi which took her back to her apartment.

  Chapter Two

  Kara Hartman District Wharf, District of Columbia, Present

  The morning after the Santos party, Kara awoke to the chiming of her alarm. With her eyes still closed, she reached toward her nightstand and felt for the clock. She pressed the button to silence it, then rolled to her back and opened her eyes. Kara yawned and stretched her arms. Then she kicked off the covers and walked to the kitchen.

  She got some coffee started; then while the machine percolated, she wandered into her studio to do some quick studies. Kara sat down at her desk, opened her sketchpad and retrieved a pencil from the cup. She pulled out some reference photos from her bag and began sketching lightly. Her rapid strokes covered the page in seconds—light, tentative marks at first then as she found the edges and the contours, the forms materialized. Her marks became darker and more assertive as she filled in shadows and brought forth volume from flatness. The rectangle she had drawn was now a cylinder with ridges, the inner curves defined by gradients of dark and light. She found the sharp edges of the cornices and the dentils and carved with shadows the floral patterns of the friezes. It was all instinct now and as she continued to draw, her mind began to wander.

  Kara thought about the party from the night before. She thought about the elegance of the Santos estate and the atmosphere of the celebration. Kara turned to a clean page and began to sketch people dancing beneath the glow of paper lanterns. She sketched their laughter and smiles as they swayed in-hold. She drew the guitarist who strummed on his guitar and sang passionately to the crowd. Then finally she thought about the demon-hunter, the beautiful mysterious woman she had met at the party.

  Kara ignored the chiming of the coffee machine as she turned to another clean page of her sketchbook. She began with her dark, simmering eyes then found her way to the edge of the woman’s face. Kara drew the graceful curve of her cheek which flowed into the outline of her lips. She drew the lip ring near the corner of her mouth and filled in the shadow beneath her lower lip. Kara found the edge of her chin then swung her pencil up to form the jawline. Her marks became freer and more rhythmic as she drew the flowing dark tresses of the woman’s head. She broke off from a lock of hair and dabbed her pencil tip against the page to draw her freckles. Kara worked her way across the cheek until she found the nose. She shaded the inner contour, then the left nostril and erased a single point for the piercing. She darkened the shadows around it and blended out the graphite to make it shine. Kara followed the contour of her hair which took her to the shoulder and the wrinkles of her leather jacket. She darkened the cheeks just a touch, then found herself lost in the eyes once again. The eyes were now black as night; elegant dark orbs that arrested Kara and melted her with their heat.

  Kara dropped her pencil on the desk and laughed at herself. Their paths had only intersected for a moment and now they would most likely never meet again. Why would a demon-hunter have anything to do with a painter? Yet here she sat reminiscing over a single night when a woman enveloped her with those smoldering eyes.

  Kara pushed her sketchpad away and retrieved her morning coffee from the kitchen. She sipped the hot beverage leisurely by the window and watched the waters of the Potomac drift by. When she was done, she began to get ready for the studio. After she gathered her supplies, she reached for her phone but found it wasn’t in the usual spot. Crap! Kara frantically searched all over her bedroom, living room and kitchen but couldn’t find it. Then she remembered. She must have left it somewhere at the Santos estate. After all the craziness of fighting off that massive Hound, no wonder she had forgotten it. Kara had no choice but to go back and get it.

  The morning was bright but chilly as Kara made her way to the Santos residence. She stepped off the Foggy Bottom Metro then hailed a taxi which took her into the historic district of Georgetown. Kara looked out the window and saw the long shadows of trees that surrounded the mansions on either side of the narrow streets. The sun glinted off the high arched windows and shone brightly against their brick façades. When the taxi pulled up to the mansion, Kara paid the driver and stepped out. A cool breeze blew through her short blond hair as the taxi drove away.

  Kara walked up the brick steps, entered the gate then crossed the manicured lawn. She passed the elegant fountain and ascended the steps of the portico. In the shadow of the immense property, she reached up and rang the doorbell. After a few moments of silence, Mrs. Santos answered the door wrapped in a white bathrobe.

  Diane Santos stood at the entrance and greeted Kara with a warm smile. The wrinkles at her eyes did nothing to tarnish her beauty but somehow enhanced it.

  “Buenos Días, Kara.” she said cheerfully.

  Kara grinned. “Good morning, Mrs. Santos.”

  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” said the matriarch.

  “I think I may have left my phone here at the party last night. Do you mind if I look around?” she asked.

  “Not at all, sweetheart.” Diane replied as she stepped aside.

  “Gracias, señora.” Kara stepped once again into the pristine foyer as Diane shut the door behind her. She followed the matriarch beneath the crystal chandelier through the short corridor and into the bright dining room.

  “Thank you so much, dear for helping Selene fight that hideous demon last night. We were all so terrified of that creature.” Diane said.

  “Not a problem, Mrs. Santos.” Kara replied.

  “I do not think my husband told me you are a mystic.” said Diane with her eyebrows raised.

  “He was…unaware.” Kara responded nervously. “I guess I just keep that side of my life private. Umm, do you think you could call my cell phone?” she asked.

  “Of course, darling.” the matriarch pulled her phone out of a pocket in her robe and Kara gave Diane her number. She called her phone, but Kara could not hear the chiming anywhere.

  Kara entered the living room and began searching for her phone immediately. She peeked in between the cushions of the couch and scanned all the tables but found no sign of it. Then she walked up to the fireplace and searched along the mantel, but still no luck. She saw Mrs. Santos also poking around in her periphery vision. Kara sighed in irritation. She had to get to the studio soon. There was plenty of work to do, and it wouldn’t just paint itself. Daniela must be blowing up my phone wondering where I am. She peered behind a lamp and looked under the table but her phone was nowhere to be seen.

  Kara walked briskly across the living room and slid back the French door. She stepped out onto the deck to find all the tables from the night before cleared a
way. The expansive backyard stretched out before her with no hint of the party from the night before. The outdoor dance floor was empty and no litter interrupted the perfectly green grass. Kara walked around the corner of the house and heard the familiar chiming of her phone. She came to an elegant trellis that stood upon the railing and instantly saw her device on the floor beneath it.

  With a sigh of relief, she snatched up her phone and activated the home screen. Kara noted with alarm that the battery life was at 32%, and on top of that was a long list of notifications from Daniela: three missed calls, and four text messages all inquiring about her whereabouts. Kara texted Daniela and explained she was at the Santos estate and had just found her phone which she had misplaced the night before. She told her not to worry and that she would arrive at the studio soon. Then she plugged her phone into a USB stick and tucked her device safely in her bag.

  Kara reentered the living room and slid the door shut. The matriarch turned and saw her instantly.

  “I found it, Mrs. Santos. So, I’ll be on my way now,” Kara said.

  “Very good, darling. I will walk you to the door,” said Diane.

  “That’s okay. I can show myself out.”

  “All right. Have a good day, Kara,” she said as she waved farewell.

  “You too, Mrs. Santos.” Kara waved back and walked briskly to the foyer. She was almost to the door when a voice called out from behind and above her. “Hey!” Kara thought she recognized the voice as she turned to see who it was. She looked up and saw the woman in black descending the stairs. Her gait was slow and poised like a cat balanced on a narrow ledge. The sun glinted off her piercings and Kara found herself lost again in those dark eyes. Her fingertips moistened with sweat as she approached. “Hey. You’re the girl from the party last night, aren’t you?”

  Kara grinned. “Yeah.”

  “Sorry I snapped at you. I know you just wanted to help,” the woman said as she met Kara at the foot of the stairs.

  “No. You’re totally right. I shouldn’t have intervened.” Kara said.

  The demon-hunter grinned. “It’s okay. But if you see me battling demons out in the street, please just let me handle it. I’m a professional.”

  “Copy that. So, I take it the Santos’ hired you for security last night?”

  “Yeah. I’m a mercenary. My name is Selene by the way,” she said as she extended her hand.

  “I’m Kara. Nice to meet you.” They shook hands. “I bet someone of Santos’ status just paid you handsomely for services rendered.”

  “Indeed.” Selene said with a smile.

  “I will expect a handsome commission.”

  The demon-hunter laughed. “Maybe I can repay you with lunch this weekend.”

  Kara was surprised but did not allow her face to show it. “I’d like that.”

  They pulled out their phones and exchanged numbers.

  “I have to run to the studio now, but I look forward to seeing you.”

  “All right, see you.”

  They waved goodbye as she left the property.

  Kara did not have to wait long for Selene’s text. She arrived at her apartment on Friday evening when her phone chimed in her pocket. Kara hung her bag and coat and plopped herself down on the couch. Thick bars of golden-orange light flooded in through the windows as the sun set over the Potomac. Kara slipped her phone out of her pocket and saw Selene’s message. It read: Meet me at Charlie’s. 12:30 tomorrow. She followed up with the street address.

  I’ll be there, Kara replied. But as soon as she sent the text, a thought struck her mind. What if I have to cast magic around her again? She’s a demon-hunter after all. Surely, she’s gained enemies through her line of work. But then she remembered her promise to let Selene handle all the demon-hunting. Kara didn’t want to fight demons any more than Selene wanted her to. Worked for her.

  The following afternoon, Kara found herself standing across the street from the bar. She waited to cross as the traffic zipped by. When the pedestrian light winked on, she walked briskly to the other side with a crowd of people.

  Charlie’s was a hole-in-the-wall bar with steps that led down from the street. Kara descended the stairs and entered through the narrow door beneath the neon sign. Immediately when she entered, the aromas of steaming hot food mingled with cigarette smoke filled her nostrils. The sharp crack of cue sticks punctuated the gentle chatter of the bar. Kara walked past the billiards tables on her right and cast her eyes around the room looking for Selene. She paused before the sparsely occupied tables and saw Selene turn and wave to her from across the room. Kara smiled and waved back, then walked around the tables until she reached the bar.

  She took a stool next to Selene who already had a glass of whiskey in her hand. “Hey there.”

  “Hey.” Kara replied. She looked at the bartender and ordered a glass of Moscato.

  “Oooh. So classy,” Selene said. The bartender who was a tallish, lanky man of fair complexion poured a bottle of wine into a glass and slid it over to Kara.

  “I am indeed,” she replied as she took a sip.

  “So, I don’t think I’ve asked you yet. How do you know the Santos family?” Selene asked.

  “They recently bought one of my paintings. It’s the one hanging over the mantle.” Kara replied. Selene’s eyes went wide with astonishment.

  “No way. That one? I saw it when I arrived. It’s gorgeous.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Where’d you study art?” Selene asked as she took another sip of whiskey.

  “I was privately tutored. During the summer recesses at the Academy I went back home and studied non-magical subjects. Art was always my best class,” Kara said.

  “The Academy? You mean The Academy of Mystic Arts?” Selene inquired.

  “Yeah. That’s the one.” Kara tipped her glass at her mouth and sipped some of her wine.

  “Wait. That’s the same school where Charlotte Grey studied.”

  At the mention of Charlotte’s name, a painful memory stabbed at Kara’s heart. She looked away and gazed into her wine glass. “Yes. It is,” she said quietly. For a moment, she fell silent as an image of her best friend in chains flashed through her mind. Charlotte’s ominous vow echoed in her thoughts. Selene noted the distant look in her eyes, but before she could say anything Kara spoke again. “What about you? Where did you study magic?” she asked.

  “Well, when I first started out, I had to teach myself. My power manifested at thirteen, but my parents have no magical talent. So, my grandmother gave me a spell book and I started practicing all on my own.” Selene paused and smiled. “God, I can’t count how many times I set the patio on fire because I messed up on a spell.”

  “Ah. So, you’re a demon hunter and an arsonist.” Kara took another sip of her Moscato.

  Selene laughed. “Yeah. I’m a bad girl!”

  “And how do you know the Santos family?” Kara asked.

  “Armand Santos hired me for security at the party. The Santos family is involved in some kind of feud with another family. He had reason to believe someone would make an attempt on his son’s life that night so he gave me a call. I had nothing to do and I know they’re a very well-off family. So of course, I said yes.”

  Just then, a waitress exited the kitchen while she levitated five plates of burgers, wings and fries over her palm. The steaming dishes floated on a translucent cloud of shimmering green light as the waitress walked toward the tables. “This is a mystic bar?” Kara asked in surprise.

  “Yeah. You didn’t know?” Selene raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

  “No, I had no idea. I just moved out of my parents’ house in Bristow and got an apartment at the new waterfront to be closer to work.”

  “At the waterfront! Fancy. Why don’t you tell me about it over some food?” Selene replied. The aromas that wafted out of the kitchen triggered Kara’s appetite and she wholeheartedly agreed.

  They placed their orders with the bartender and within minutes, Kara was
telling Selene about her new apartment over a plate of fries covered in melted cheese and bacon. She told her about the restaurants on the street below and the view of the river from her living room. As Selene listened, she was charmed by the simplicity of her existence. Everything about her seemed so soothing and stable. Kara went on to tell Selene about her art and her studio in Georgetown. She talked about her artistic influences and sources of inspiration.

  In return, Selene regaled Kara with tales of her magical duels and demon-hunting adventures in New York. Kara was enthralled by her stories of battling demons in Times Square as Selene devoured a giant burrito. Selene told Kara about her mentor, Chenzen and how he trained her in combat magic. The hours passed like mere minutes and before Kara knew it, it was 3:45. She looked down at her phone and gasped at the time.

  “I’m so sorry, Selene. I have to go get some prints made,” Kara said.

  “It’s fine. We can pick this up another time,” Selene replied.

  “Yeah, definitely,” said Kara with a smile. She wanted to stay but her work had to come first. Reluctantly, she rose from the stool and gathered her things. They said their goodbyes and Kara rushed out the door.