by Nicky Graves
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. “You promised you wouldn’t leave the pod.”
Ranger stood just beyond Lawson, eyeing Vance’s outfit with a full grin.
“I have two crystals who don’t give a damn what I promise. Wiltone has my memories. She wanted happy juice.”
“Then tell her no.”
“I don’t know if you understand this yet, but I have no control over the stones. They do what they want.”
He muttered something under his breath.
“What?” I asked.
“Sometimes I wonder how you can possibly be Azrael’s daughter.”
His words stung.
“Because I’m not strong and ruthless like him?”
“You should have his strength. You should be able to control the stones.”
“But because I can’t, I’m weak and unworthy of being the heir? I hate to break it to you, but I already know this and yet I can’t do a damn thing about it. I’m stuck in a situation I didn’t choose and in a world I didn’t know existed until a few months ago. So, yeah, I’m weak. Azrael’s daughter is a dud.”
Ranger stepped between us. “Let’s take a moment and cool off. We’re all under a lot of stress right now.”
Lawson turned on his heel and walked to the bar. Raven set down a beer in front of him and then let her hand rest on his. He didn’t pull away from her touch.
“Dude, what are you wearing?” Ranger asked Vance.
Vance glared at Ranger. “Don’t you have to get back to the underworld and your family? Oh, that’s right. They don’t want you.”
Ranger took a step toward Vance. Countering the movement, Vance maneuvered behind me.
Great. Vance was using me as a shield while Lawson and Raven spoke in hushed, intimate tones. Was Lawson the one Raven was seeing? The one that kept the others away from her?
The realization stung. Yes, I liked him. And after all of that crap about reapers not being in relationships, he was in one himself.
I ripped my gaze away from them.
“Did you find out anything about the other stones?” I asked Ranger.
“We’re waiting to hear back from someone.”
“Then I’m heading to my pod,” I said, taking one last glance at Lawson.
“Why don’t you come over to my pod and we can wait together?” Ranger suggested.
I knew he was just trying to be nice, but after the stress of the last few days—plus the fact that I hadn’t slept decently since before my prison stint—I needed to recharge my mind and temperament.
“No, I need to be alone, but thanks.”
Wiltone and Treble returned inside of me without comment or argument. They must have sensed my need to get away.
I left the bar and returned to my pod, only to remember that I had a folding chair and nothing else.
Wonderful.
Forgoing the chair, I sat on the ground with my back against the wall and my feet stretched out before me. I was hungry and tired. It made for an uncomfortable few minutes before I nodded off to sleep.
20
I knew something was different before I opened my eyes, but I wasn’t sure what until I sat up and looked around me. For one thing, I was on a bed—and I wasn’t sure who it belonged to. For another, I was unsure of where I was. This wasn’t my barren pod.
Wiltone bounded into the room with a grin. “Well, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Your pod?”
“This is my pod?” I asked, wondering where the furniture had come from. And it wasn’t just the furniture that looked brand new; so did the accent pieces and decorations that filled the bedroom in pale blue and green tones.
“I thought this place could use a bit of a spruce up.”
“How long was I sleeping?”
“About ten hours.”
I swung my feet off of the bed. “You did all of this in ten hours?”
She nodded.
“Where did the furniture come from?”
She smiled, and it wasn’t quite the innocent smile I had hoped for.
“Did you steal it?” I asked.
“No. I swear!”
“Do I owe anyone money?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
I really didn’t want to play twenty questions, especially not with my stomach protesting the lack of food. It growled and squealed in agony.
“There are muffins in the kitchen,” she said, reading my mind.
“What kitchen?”
“Your kitchen.”
I padded through the pod, noticing not just furniture had been added. Extra rooms were added as well. There was a kitchen, bathroom, and a very pink room.
“This one is mine,” she said happily as I looked into the Pepto-shaded room.
“How did you get plumbing?” I asked. “I thought I was supposed to get a contractor.”
She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “I took care of everything. I can be very persuasive.”
“Please don’t tell me how you were persuasive,” I said, thanking the stars I didn’t know any of this was happening while I was in my dreamless state.
Finally, a home. I was afraid it was too good to be true. That this would all be snatched away by someone else who wanted me locked up or dead. My growing number of enemies was becoming a problem.
But this would be my sanctuary.
“You’re welcome,” she said, reading my thoughts again.
“You need to stop doing that,” I said. “It creeps me out.”
“I can’t. It’s just something that happens during bonding. You really like him.”
“Who?”
She gave me a flat stare, although her blue eyes twinkled. “You know who. Why don’t you just tell him?”
“He gave me the ‘don’t get into a relationship’ speech. And I think he’s dating Raven.”
“The succubus,” Wiltone said with a secretive smile. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be with a succubus or incubus.”
“You’ll have to wait until I’m dead to find out.”
“Don’t be such a party pooper. You never know. You might change your mind someday.”
“It wouldn’t matter if I did or not. Treble’s inside of me.”
“I’ll get you both to loosen up.”
“Once I don’t have to fear for my life, I’ll be happy to loosen up.”
Wiltone thought for a moment. “I guess we don’t have a choice.”
“A choice on what?” I lost grasp of the conversation as I poked around the kitchen, peering into fully stocked cupboards.
“We have to go to the demon realm.”
I glanced at her. Was she serious? “While that is a choice, it’s a bad one. If the demons don’t accept Ranger, they certainly won’t like me.”
“But they’ll like me. Everyone does.”
“I have no doubt about your ability to make people like you, but we’re stuck together and they won’t like me.”
“You worry too much.”
“And you don’t worry enough. Either way, it’s not like Treble would allow it.”
“He will.”
“He won’t.”
“Treble, come on out,” Wiltone said. “We need to talk.”
I wasn’t surprised when Treble didn’t make an appearance at her summons. She tsked and disappeared, leaving me to the muffins sitting on the counter. I grabbed one and wandered to the living room to try out the new furniture. I sat on a fluffy moss-green chair with matching ottoman.
Kicking up my feet, I thought that if this was my hiding place, it was pretty awesome.
But I would need clothes and—
“There are clothes in your closet,” Wiltone said, appearing in front of me. “Treble is being stubborn.”
“He’s always stubborn.”
“I’ll get him on my side eventually. Until then, go check out your closet. I handpicked everything.”
She seemed way too happy, which made me suspect I’d
hate whatever I found.
“Stop being negative,” she said.
“Stop listening to my thoughts.”
“I can’t. Now, go pick out an outfit.”
Wiltone steered me to a walk-in closet stuffed with clothes, mainly of a pink hue.
“Isn’t it amazing?” she asked as she giddily skipped inside, eyeing all the selections that would look more appropriate on a Barbie doll than they would on me. “I took your measurements last night, so everything should fit.”
“I feel violated,” I said.
“Oh, shush.” She pulled out a white top and a pink skirt.
“I don’t do pink. Or skirts.”
She studied me for a moment and then shook her head. “You’re just afraid.”
“Afraid of pink skirts?”
She nodded. “You hide behind jeans and T-shirts.”
“They’re comfortable.”
“So are these,” she said, holding the outfit out to me.
“I’m not wearing it.”
“Chicken,” a voice came from behind me. I spun around to find Vance, who was no longer wearing Raven’s clothes, but jeans and a black shirt. He wasn’t wearing his leather jacket this time.
“How did you get in here?” I asked.
“Easily. I walked in because you like me,” he said with a smirk.
I raised a brow.
“It’s true,” Wiltone said. “Otherwise, your pod wouldn’t have let him inside.”
“I’m on the fence about him,” I said. “If I had regular human blood, he’d have killed me by now.”
“I don’t kill anyone,” he said. “Well, not anymore. Just a nibble here and there. Like a sample.”
“I don’t believe you. But either way, go away. After I change into something that’s not pink, I have to check in with Lawson and Ranger. We have to look for another stone.”
“They left without you,” Vance said.
“What?”
“What about that didn’t you understand?” he asked.
“How do you know they left without me? Where did they go?”
“Saw them at Charlie’s about an hour ago,” he said. “They were asking around for demons willing to take them to the realm.”
“Why wouldn’t they take me with them?”
“Do you really need an answer to that?” Vance asked.
No, I guess I didn’t. They would always see me as the newbie reaper who only got herself into trouble. I was a liability. Lawson had already said I was a sad excuse for Azrael’s daughter. That still stung.
“I know what will cheer you up,” Wiltone said, plunging into the depths of the closet. She returned with pair of glittery high heels.
“If you can read my mind, you know what you can do with those,” I said.
She smiled at the shoes. “They’re so pretty. They’re bound to make you feel better. Just put them on and see for yourself.”
Vance grinned. “Go on, little bite. Let’s see if you can walk around without breaking an ankle.”
I’d rather chuck them at his head.
Wiltone laughed. “Oh, go on,” she said.
“I have more important things to do than trying on shoes. If Lawson and Ranger went to the demon realm, then we have to go too.”
“I hate to break it to you, but they don’t want you there,” Vance said.
Wiltone nodded. “He’s right.”
“I don’t care if they don’t want me there,” I lied through the sting. “I’m going.”
“Not going,” Treble said, blustering as he emerged in a puff of blue smoke. “Not going, I say.”
I wanted to cry. Not only did Lawson and Ranger abandon me, but I was getting no help from the stones.
“That’s not true,” Wiltone said. “I helped you.”
“Yes, you did,” I said. “But I need help beyond accessorizing me or the pod. Although, I do think you did a great job on the pod.”
She beamed.
Since no one seemed to be truly listening to me, and it didn’t look as though I had any clothes to wear besides what I was wearing, I decided to leave.
But where was the demon realm? I had no idea how to shift to it or what portal would take me there.
So, I went to Charlie’s. Unfortunately, everyone followed me. It was like a supernatural parade of rejects.
“Vance, I know you’re up to something,” I said as he fell in step with me. “You might as well tell me what it is.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“If you’re not trying to bite me, then you’re trying to get rid of me. So why are you here?”
“For the alcohol,” he said, and then he grinned. “And the succubus.”
“You know what I mean,” I said. “You came to my pod for a reason. And I thought Lawson and Raven might have a thing.”
“Lawson is dreaming if he thinks that. A succubus like Raven will never be satisfied with one man.”
“Why not?”
“Just like I need to keep feeding on blood, a succubus feeds off sexual energy. Your guard dog doesn’t have that much energy. He’s too vanilla.”
“And you’re not?”
He leaned in. “I’m thirty-two flavors and then some. Care for a sample?”
I rolled my eyes and pushed past him to the bar. It was busier than it had been previously. I squeezed in between two men who I suspected were reapers, but I had been wrong in the past. I flagged down Raven.
“Back for happy juice?” she asked.
“No, I’m looking for Lawson and Ranger. I heard they were looking for someone to take them to the demon realm.”
Raven hesitantly glanced around before saying, “Meet me in the back. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
I received curious stares from the two men flanking me.
Ignoring them, I walked to the back. But before I could get to the door, Treble steered me back to the bar.
I sighed. “Raven, I guess I do need happy juice. But a small glass.” Nothing like a liquid breakfast.
Once Raven handed it to me, I then proceeded to the back with the glass. Vance was the first inside and made himself comfortable on a worn couch. I had thought the back of the bar would be an office or maybe storage. But it was more like a living room that hadn’t been cared for or cleaned in a century.
I sat on a chair that had tufts of stuffing coming out of the arm.
Treble brought the happy juice to my lips. The guy had a one-track mind, and it was all about satisfying his taste buds.
Wiltone glanced around at the worn furniture with an upturned nose. “This place is gross. I don’t want to sit on anything here.”
Vance patted his lap. “I have a place for you to sit.”
“Don’t,” I warned Wiltone just as she was about to comply.
Vance frowned at me. “I was just being polite.”
“You always have an ulterior motive; it’s never about being polite,” I said. “Why are you even here?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Which are?”
He gave a halfhearted shrug and avoided eye contact, which meant he was up to no good. It didn’t surprise me.
“I can make him talk,” Wiltone said.
“I’d like to see that,” Vance said.
“I would not like to see any of it,” I said. “It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s up to something, and I know it’s probably just going to make my life more difficult. I don’t need to know what it is.”
“You don’t know anything,” he muttered.
“Then tell me why you’re here.”
He scowled at me.
Raven hurried in. “I only have a minute, but Lawson and Ranger told me that if you stopped by, that I should lie and say that they didn’t go to the demon realm.”
“But they did. So why are you telling me the truth?”
“Neither of them is welcome in the demon realm. They’re going to get hurt or worse.”
“And you’re telling me
this because I’m supposed to save them?” I asked to which Vance snorted.
“I tried to stop them,” Raven said, “but they wouldn’t listen. You have to go and help them.”
Again, Vance snorted.
“Do you know where exactly in the demon realm they went?”
She nodded. “They think they found information on the location of the black stone.”
“We will not go, I say,” Treble said as he grew agitated. The blue smoke rippled in waves.
Wiltone glanced at Treble. “Do you know who holds Basole the Black?”
“You will not get Basole the Black,” Treble said, turning to me. “Not you. Not anyone.”
“Why not?” I asked.
Treble didn’t say anything.
Wiltone closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she said, “It is as you suspected. Basole the Black is held by Lucifer.”
We all stared at each other.
“And Lawson and Ranger know this?” I asked Raven.
“I think so,” she said.
“And they went anyway?” I questioned, standing.
She nodded. “They said that they had no choice. They said if Azrael gets the black stone, it would be worse than anything Lucifer could do to them. If Azrael has that kind of power, he’d be crazy scary.”
“The blank reapers will love Azrael even more,” Vance said.
“Have you seen a blank reaper?” I asked.
“A few times,” he said. “They don’t hesitate to kill.”
“Like vampires,” I said.
“Vampires have to feed. They have to fulfill a need. Blank reapers kill without reason, thought, or motive. Azrael will have a strategy. And, guaranteed, whatever it is will strengthen his position and weaken yours. If that means wiping out a country so you’re distracted with the pull of death, then he will do that.”
I never thought about that. But Vance was right. Azrael killed his own reapers. And he had a world of mortal pawns at his disposal. He’d use them if he had to.
“I hate this,” I said. “But now I only have one option. And that’s to go into the demon realm.”
Unfortunately, fear kept me rooted to my spot. Either that or it was Treble.
“We will not go, I say.” Treble crossed his arms.
“We will go,” Wiltone argued. “Because we have to. You know we have to.”
Treble didn’t say anything, just gave Wiltone a mutinous look.