Okay, so I didn't do this yesterday. But...I'm back today.  I know most people are used to reading romance from me.  I also write paranormal under F.D. Davis.  But for this story I wanted to introduce those of you who are not familiar with that side of what I write to my first ever demon. I loved, loved, loved writing Vulcan. This excerpt is the first chapter.  If you have any interest in reading the rest it's available in eformat from Amazon and B&N

Dyanne

AKA

F.D. Davis

                                                THE GOOD SIDE OF EVIL

 

          Vulcan’s tongue was shoved as far down Tatiana’s throat as he could get it and his hand was shoved up her skirt and inside her velvet wetness. She was moaning her desire and with his opposite hand he moved to unzip his pants and give them both what they wanted. Moving so that his back would be the one pressed against the kitchen countertop he caught a glance at the face frowning at him in the massive refrigerator in his doublewide custom built RV. Instinctively his hold on Tatiana loosened as he turned to glare at Bodie.

          “Don’t you ever do anything else? And in the kitchen no less. You have a bedroom, try using it.”

          “Shit,” Vulcan cursed letting go of Tatiana to square off with Bodie. “What the hell are you doing here and why do you always insist on showing up without an invitation?”

          “I don’t need an invitation. Try me demon and I’ll smoke your ass.”

          A low growl began in the base of his throat and traveled upward coming out with fire and some smoke. Vulcan was pissed. Hell, he knew good and damn well he was a demon. He’d been born one, had lived as one for several hundred years. but still the arrogant, disrespectful way that Bodie called him one made him forget that and want to lash out at her to defend his very birth. He was able to control his baser tendencies most times, at least at the times he chose.  She was the proverbial thorn in his side.

          “Have I told you lately I’m getting a bit sick of this shit? I’m a part of the team. How many years will it take for you to understand that? Like it or not and don’t be too quick to think you can ‘smoke’ me because I can assure you it won’t be going down like that.” He glared for a long moment at Bodie, angered that he’d allowed traces of his European accent to slip into his speech. The 6’2” woman standing there glaring at him was the only woman in the world who could touch him on every level.  He didn’t like it and never had. He allowed his gaze to roam over her voluptuous body irritating her in the process. He watched in amusement as color tinged her olive complexion and the muscle in her right jaw jumped noticeably. Tatiana squirmed a bit and Vulcan knew she was backing away. She tried not to show it but she was a bit afraid of Bodie. Hell, who in their right mind wouldn’t be? Tatiana was tall but still several inches shorter than Bodie and about twenty pounds lighter. If it came down to a fight there was no doubt who’d win. Then again, Bodie was a trained fighter Tatiana wasn’t

          Before moving his fingers to angrily rezip his fly, Vulcan pressed his lips once more against Tatiana’s before turning to glare at Bodie. Damn woman, she pissed him off every damn time he saw her. What the hell was wrong with her anyway? Sure he knew she had a chip on her shoulder, a big fucking chip. And an even bigger one where he was concerned. She was a bad ass demon hunter, a member of the Carnivale Diabolique elite guardian squad.

          Well, fuck that shit. So was he. If she couldn’t deal with the fact that he was a demon then fuck her, he’d pulled her ass out of scraps more than once. If he didn’t know his true worth to the team he might have gotten a complex. But he did know his worth. Regardless of all their bluster and magical powers Vulcan had his powers as well as something the others didn’t posses. He was the only one of the team that could step foot in the demon world.

          A smile slipped across his face and he nodded in understanding. That was more than likely why Bodie was here. She needed a little reconnaissance and hated to ask. She hated asking for anything. Whoever had shagged her after him had fucked up her mind but good. It was obvious Bodie wasn’t going to speak so he did.

          “I asked you already to state your business. If you don’t have any business then I’ll go back to mine.”  He grinned in Tatiana’s direction and moved toward her shoving his hand back under her short skirt and his tongue in her mouth.

          “You’re disgusting,” Bodie said finally deciding to speak.

          He ignored Bodie’s words and continued kissing Tatiana.

          “I thought you were sleeping with Jessica,” Bodie remarked.

          Now what business was it of Bodie’s to keep tabs of who he was screwing? He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “I am sleeping with Jessica if that’s any of your concern and before you ask, yes, I’m also screwing Ariel. But we do have an extra bedroom here if you’re interested.”

          “You’re disgusting.”

          “You’ve already said that.”

          “Then it bears repeating.”

          Rolling his eyes Vulcan returned to kissing Tatiana knowing it wouldn’t be much longer before Bodie blurted out her reason for being there.  He moved his fingers purposefully inside Tatiana and tweaked her clit bringing out a moan from her and a disgusted grunt from Bodie.

          “I need your help, okay.  I think a riff has opened up in, No Town Illinois and I need someone to check it out.”

          “Someone,” Vulcan teased as he began kissing Tatiana’s neck.

          “I need you, you demon piece of shit.”

          “You say demon like that’s a bad thing. There are some that believe demons to be the fallen angels.” Vulcan paused a moment to give his words a chance to register. When Bodie’s eyes widened, he smiled and continued. “I am not just ‘a demon.’  I am a Quattrollieum demon.”

          For a long moment Bodie glared at Vulcan until curiosity got the better of her. “I thought you were born of a demon of war and a pleasure demon. Where did the Quattrollieum stuff come from?”           

          “In order to describe my powers you would need to know my proper name. That is my proper name.”

          “What the hell does it mean?”

          “It means that at my birth others came to pay homage and gifted me with a portion of their powers. It means that I can do many things. It means I have the gifts of many demons, not as great as the original but still I have them. I am Quattrollieum and there are very few of us.”

          “And your father is just a plain pleasure demon and your mother is a demon of war?”

          Vulcan gave a short brittle laugh before gazing at Bodie and holding it. “You would be unable to pronounce the proper names, so I simplify for human. My mother is called a Yasaroiro Demon and my father is a Nanewequa.”  A half smile graced Vulcan’s lips as he watched Bodie. “And that’s the shortened version.”

          “I could care less what kind of demon you are. You’re still a demon and I still need your help,” Bodie replied.

          “And if you need me I think you’d better adjust your damn attitude. You knew I was a demon when you brought your ass here.  This,” he said finally pushing away from Tatiana, “belongs to me. This is my domain. I am master over it. If I didn’t take this shit from Kolliadon I’m damn sure not taking it from you. Show some respect.”

          “Why don’t you show me some? Screwing someone right in front of me, that’s no respect for you, Tatiana or me.”

          Vulcan narrowed his eyes. Bodie was really pissing him off big time. If she had an axe to grind let her do it in someone else’s backyard. “You came uninvited into my home while I was in the middle of taking care of my own damn business.”

          “You could have stopped.”

          “And you could have knocked.”

          “Hey, Bodie, listen you go ahead and talk to Vulcan. The mood’s pretty much ruined anyway,” Tatiana said standing and sighing in annoyance as she looked in Bodie’s direction. When she glanced at Vulcan she gave him a smile and sashayed off.

          “Tell me something, Vulcan. How in the world do three women allow you to sleep with all of them?” Bodie asked.

          “First off we do very little sleeping. Second it’s my house my rules.”

          “There’re all lesbians?”

          “I don’t do lesbians.” He stopped. “You should know that. One woman in my bed at a time…for now.  But I’m not going to even begin to lie and tell you that one woman can ever satisfy my appetite.” He held her gaze. “Understand?” He saw her swallow. “It’s nothing personal. I am part pleasure demon.” he said more softly.

          “Yeah and I’m a demon hunter.” Bodie sighed, walked from the kitchen and sat on a beige divan stretching out her legs. “This is wrong on so many levels. I have so many reasons to not trust you. Every time I have to ask for your help it feels like I’m selling a little piece of my soul.” She glanced down the hall toward the bedrooms. “And don’t think I can’t sense that you have a barrier around all three of them. I know they’re not human.”

          “Are they demons?”

          “I’m not sure what the hell they are and that’s what bothers me about all of this. You say you’re on the team but you have too many secrets for my taste. All of the other guardians stay close to the Carnivale. But not you, no you always have to have a place so far out that it takes time to find you. Besides that, you cloak your whereabouts.”

          “If that’s true I don’t do a very good job of it because you always find me.” Vulcan stared into Bodie’s eyes. “Or perhaps I don’t cloak myself from you, Bodie.  Perhaps I want you to be able to find me if you need me.”

          “You’re up to something and I know it. It has to do with the women. I’m not stupid and neither is the council. They allow you liberties because so far you’ve done as they’ve asked. So far you appear to be on our side.”

          “They allow me liberties because first and foremost they can’t control me. And secondly, I make them nervous. After all the years of working with them, they still flinch in my presence.”

          “If you’re so uncomfortable why do you stay with the CD?  Besides, you and Anuru are good friends.”

          “But what about you, Bodie?  I’m still a demon to you.  Like you, Bodie, I’m not stupid. I live away from the Carnivale to bring peace of mind to you.”

          “Bullshit. You’re up to something.”

          “Is that the reason you burst in here, to see if you could catch me up to something?” Vulcan lifted his chin a bit and pierced past her block.  “Ahh so I see. A couple of demons came out on your watch and you’re ticked. Now you want me to go and find them.” He waited. When she didn’t answer he continued. “You’re aware aren’t you that every time I return to the demon realm I put myself in danger?”

          “I’m aware.”

          “And you just don’t care is that it?”

          “You’re expendable. We all are.”

          “So it’s like that?”

          “It’s like that.”

          “No, it’s not like that.  If it were, the council would have never made me a guardian. You should be thanking me for joining the fight. Should Kolliadon ever come you’re going to need me and you’re going to be begging me to bring more demons into the battle.  Nothing is ever as it seems Bodie.  There are as many sides to evil as there are many sides to good. At times the two are interchangeable. It can take one deed to make the good turn evil and one to make the evil turn good. Think about that, Bodie. Your harsh judgment of me is a slow slide into hell. Judge not lest ye be judged. And if it were I doing the judging I would pronounce you evil. If you had the ability to bring forth fire from your body you would roast me where I stand. But look at me, I have that ability and I allow you to live unscathed from the fire that burns within me.”

          Rubbing his hands together Vulcan studied Bodie then he steepled his hands lacing the fingers together and came to a decision. He’d help her. He always did. “What’s my assignment?”

          “Find the two demons that escaped me. I can’t give you a lot of information. I only sensed them. But a dozen reports that can’t be anything but demon activity has me worried. There’re cloaked as usual.” Bodie paused and smirked at Vulcan. “You should know all about that. That’s what you demons prefer.  I want you to find out where the riff is and close it. It would help if you can tell me what kinds of demons are streaming out and if they’re planning something big or if this is just some low level demons escaping like you did,” she stopped.

          “Baby, I was never low level and I never escaped. I left.”

          “And just like that decided to go all good guy?”

          “I never told anyone that I’d gone all good guy. I have enemies in the demon realm and for now it suits my purpose to work with the Carnivale. The enemies of my enemies are my….well let’s say, you’re ‘Not’ my enemy.”

          “So you’re not working with us to help us to save the world?”

          “Not exactly. But if the world gets saving while I do my thing, cool.” He gave her a hard look. “For now lets say it suits my purpose as well as yours that no demon finds a portal to slither through.”

          “Are you afraid?”

          “Do I look afraid?” Vulcan asked calmly his tone underlying his annoyance. No other woman could anger him the way that Bodie did. Then again no other woman could... He licked his lips and gave her a long hard look.

          “Don’t go there, Vulcan, not even in your thoughts or I will and I mean will, ice your ass.” Bodie gave him a look and got up from the divan touching her finger tips to the pieces of Egyptian art scattered about Vulcan’s massive RV. Her breathing was rapid, she swallowed several times wishing that she could keep it from Vulcan but she couldn’t.  He was a high level demon with powers she’d never witnessed in anyone else and powers he’d never shown even in battle. But the powers were there just the same, raging just beneath the surface being contained by Vulcan. She was so aware of his powers that she’d not even needed her telepathic abilities to know that he was the best weapon they had in their arsenal against evil. Now if only she could trust that the power would be used in the fight for good. But she wasn’t. Like Vulcan said good and evil were both sometimes just different sides of the same coin.

          “How soon can you leave, Vulcan?”

          “Give me a day or two.”

          “I was thinking more like an hour or two.”

          “Well you thought wrong. I have to make sure my ladies are safe while I’m gone.”

          “I’ll take care of them.”

          For the first time since Bodie’s arrival Vulcan laughed.  The thought of leaving his ladies with Bodie was a joke, something he’d never do in a million years. She was spiteful and vengeful on a good day, who knew what she was like on a bad day. Well, he did for one. And he’d never leave them in her care not if he wanted to come back and find them in one piece, alive, and well and breathing on their own.  “No, thanks, I’ll take care of them. I’ll get back to you when I have info.”

          “You’re afraid I’ll hurt them?”

          Vulcan grinned not bothering to answer.

          “I wouldn’t hurt them.”

          “I’m a demon not a fool. Besides, if we’re to use the Carnivale as our cover I can’t just walk away.  I have fans that come religiously to see me perform.”

          “Lockridge will give you the time off that you need.  Why do I have to explain this? You know the deal. You don’t get to pick and chose when you work. You work when a demon appears or hopefully before one appears.”

          “Lockridge is not my master. I told you I will do my show and take necessary precautions to ensure the ladies are here when I return.  These demons got out on your watch, Bodie, not mine. Either take what I offer or leave and ask for another guardian to help you.  Ask Anaru, he’ll help.”

          Bodie gritted her teeth in anger wishing the council didn’t give Vulcan such a wide berth. “Fine, two days,” she snapped.  “You’d better hope nothing really bad jumps off or the council is not going to hold you in such high esteem. Your ass is going to get called on the carpet like anyone else if you screw this up.”

          “See you later, Bodie, and next time please knock before entering my home.” Vulcan stood wondering if Bodie would leave without a fight or a parting remark. When she vanished without either he knew she was seriously worried.

          If the Intel he’d been receiving was correct Bodie and the entire Carnivale had a reason to be worried. Vulcan had been getting some serious vibes for a few months that things weren’t right. His ladies had said things to him that alerted his senses and he’d stepped up the patrol. A long heavy sigh filled the spaces in his chest cavity but he refused to allow it to come out. Sighing was useless and he generally only gave into it when Bodie was around. She pushed so many buttons in him, the same buttons he’d once wanted her to push.

          Regardless, the sigh came out unbidden. Bodie was right. He’d better not go down that road.  He needed to do as he‘d said and make sure his ladies would be safe. They were his personal charges and he’d hate to go into a killing frenzy if someone did something to hurt one of them. They belonged to him and he’d fight to the last breath to protect what was his.

          A chuckle slid out. He was sort of like his mother on that point. She was a true Yasaroiro, a one-hundred-percent- warrior-demon, kick ass, take no prisoners, kill with finesse and drop you where you stood demon. He wondered as he’d done a million times how his father had ever found the courage to approach her. It wasn’t as though his father was without skills and powers but his main attribute was giving pleasure. He was a Nanewequa demon and Vulcan was a combination of the both with some serious DNA from all the demons past in his family. They’d found a way to instill the attributes of all the ancient ones to keep them strong. Oh yes, he had powers that no one was aware of, powers he’d never allow them to see. They knew what they needed to know about him and that was enough.

          Besides giving his allegiance to the guardian team Vulcan enjoyed his work with the Carnivale Diabolique. Being a fire-eater who also swallowed swords for the amusement of the paying customers in order to keep his cover suited him. He was good at it and it was something he did with finesse and little effort. Though he made a big spectacle, lights, cameras, action that sort of thing, he could have done his act in the dark. He’d been ordered to keep things low key, stay out of the human radar, blend in as it were.  

          And that was when the trouble stated. Taking orders was the last thing Vulcan planned to do. So he’d made his act the most visited in the whole damn Carnivale. Perhaps he was being a bit ornery. He wouldn’t deny that possibility. After all his being a demon by it’s very nature meant that within his makeup it contained many traits that on occasion Vulcan had tempered, malice, deceit, greed, envy, vindictiveness. He had them all and each day he did battle with one of them. Then of course there was Bodie who’d accused him of male bravado and cockiness. If it had been possible to have been with any woman and remain faithful it would have been Bodie.

          As the women strutted back into the room Vulcan smiled. One by one he observed them. When Vulcan had his charges lined up he looked at each of them in turn. “When the show is over tonight I do not want you returning home until I come for you.  I do not want you hanging around the Carnivale either. No matter how nice they treat you, you have to be wary. They are not family. I will send you away until it is safe for you to return.”

          “Where are you sending us?” Ariel asked.

          “I can not tell you that. I need to know you’re all safe.”

          “But why can’t we know?” Ariel insisted on asking again.

          “If you don’t know you can’t accidentally tell anyone.” He gave the women a small smile and shrugged. “Sorry, but that’s the way it has to be. We’ll do our show tonight then we’re all going to leave here for a few days.  I have a mission and so do you.”           

          “Yeah something dirty. Bodie treats you like a piece of shit and us as well. But anytime she wants a job done that will more than likely get someone killed she comes to you. Why does she come to you so often to do jobs if she hates you so much? Is she seriously wanting you dead?” Jessica asked with her hand on her hip and the other resting on Vulcan’s inner thigh.

          Vulcan couldn’t help but laugh. The answer to that question was yes; Bodie wanted him dead and had for a very long time. Some of the blame was his. He could have and should have told her what he was before taking her to bed, before she fell in love with him. But hell that had been years ago and he’d cloaked what he was out of past knowledge of humans, not out of malice. The same for his charges, she’d kill them without batting an eye if she knew for sure they were demons. The women didn’t even know that all these years he’d kept them cloaked. Part of their cloak came about when he made love to them. They went about their business thinking that humans at the Carnivale were so used to different creatures that they didn’t care how they looked. He’d wanted to shield them for as long as possible. He didn’t want to tell them that prejudices existed on all level and in the mortal world when it concerned demons it was some truly foul shit. As near as he could figure the shield lasted a month or so. The information was vital to Vulcan so he could gage how long he could leave the women. He sighed. He’d have to tell them eventually. They had a right to know.

          Humans and many other creatures wanted to label demons, give them a certain look, a race, horns and bulging eyes. When the plain simple truth was that each person that looked upon a demon saw what they wanted to see.  Most demons did have some birthmark that would scream, not human. That was the danger in them being uncloaked. If a demon had… say a tail… for instance, the human would automatically perceive him with horns he didn’t have and things would happen, words spoken, anger and there you go, another dead human.

          Rarely did Vulcan reveal his true essence to anyone, not even to his charges. He was like a chameleon able to change to whatever was needed with no more than a thought, able to hold a million different images simultaneously. He’d never understood why the human race was so hung up on its origin, its race. They were all the same species, weak, selfish beings that required the protection from such as him, but would be the first to take up arms against him if they knew what he was.

          Vulcan shook his head slowly as he realized he’d contemplated much too long. His charges were anxious, taking their cue from him, wondering if things would go wrong, if Vulcan would return for them. He had to assure them this was mainly a scouting mission just to find the riff connected to the portal and see who and what caused it.  If it were an easy job he’d take care of it, if not he’d plan maybe calling in the Calvary. But for now the women had little reason to worry.  They were relatively safe.

                                                               

                                                 t