“Are you going?” Mindy asked. She’d slowly gotten caught up on everything going on around us and was now aware of how dangerous Governor Boggs was.
“Yes. I can’t really say no—not without knowing why he wants me there.”
“You’re not going without me,” Abel said.
“Nor me,” Cole said.
I shook my head. “Cole, you definitely aren’t going. You should be home, in bed. Besides, you need to stay completely out of his sights. You have to be able to continue monitoring him, and if he knows you work for me, the chances of you being found out are much, much higher.”
“I wasn’t aware I was working for you.”
Even though I could tell he was joking, I still felt my cheeks flush. “Of course not. Sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
“Hey, don’t sweat it,” Cole said. “I see what you’re saying. Please be safe, though, and I’ll be listening from home with my equipment. Maybe I can keep Abel posted on anything odd that might be happening—give you an opportunity to get out, if necessary.”
“Thanks. That would be great.” I turned to Mindy. “Are you okay with holding down the fort?”
She nodded. “No problem. You’re just as miserable as I am.”
I nodded. Yes, I was. Luckily, calls had stopped coming in once the sun came up. I’d only missed one after Abel made me turn my phone on silent.
***
I was just about to head to the governor’s mansion when Mindy got called on a job. I knew she was exhausted, but she was definitely proving herself to be hard-working and to have a lot of grit. I knew things would be okay while I was gone.
Abel and I hopped in my car and headed up to Salt Lake, with Abel driving. I tried to get some rest. When we got to the mansion, a guard instructed us to park in front and leave my car unlocked. Weird request, but we complied, knowing they wouldn’t steal anything—or even the car. And if they tried to steal it, I’d just buy a new one. The thing was falling apart.
Mrs. Boggs let us into the mansion with a big smile and a warm hug. She and I had been texting quite a bit lately, and it was good to see her again. It was especially good to see her alive.
Governor Boggs wasn’t far behind her, and the amulet warmed at my throat in warning. Something told me that this hound was never good. How had he wormed his way into so many hearts to get elected? I had no idea.
He invited us to sit on the couch in the usual sitting room and surprised his wife by dismissing her. Mrs. Boggs gave me a confused expression where her husband couldn’t see, shrugging, and I gave her a little wave, glad she wouldn’t be there for whatever conversation was about to happen.
Governor Boggs leaned forward, setting his glass of water on the coffee table between us. He clasped his hands, resting them on his knees, his gaze not leaving mine.
“We are prepared to offer you a bargain.”
“We who?” I asked.
“Lord Kenan and his hounds.”
“What sort of bargain?” I didn’t intend to accept it—nothing this guy could do or say would convince me that I needed to help Lord Kenan—but still, I wanted information. Abel had frozen at my side, and I could feel the daggers of hatred he was sending the governor.
“Turn yourself in to Lord Kenan, allow him to command you and the amulet, and he won’t attack this country. He won’t attack you. He’ll leave your loved ones alone. And he will stop these plagues.”
I chuckled. “He can’t stop the plagues any more than I can.”
The governor raised an eyebrow. “So, they really are happening because of you.”
I didn’t see any point in arguing or agreeing, so I didn’t say anything.
“Lord Kenan wants you, Lizzie. He wants you at his side.”
Abel shifted—so subtly, it didn’t draw the governor’s eye. But I knew him well, and I could tell he was exerting a ton of self-control not to kill the governor right then and there. Props to the man for not following through on that.
“He’s not going to convince me,” I said. “He’s already tried his powers once. If I’m not mistaken, they won’t work on me again.”
“He’s hoping he won’t have to use magic. He’s hoping you’ll choose him instead.” Governor Boggs leaned back, draping an arm across the back of the couch, his eyes not leaving my face. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s exceptionally attractive.”
“I’m not going to lie and tell you he’s not.” I set my hand on Abel’s knee, partly as a show of possession, but also to calm him down. “I’ve already got what I want, though.”
“And you’re officially saying no to his generous offer?”
I snorted. “Generous? What part of his offer was generous?”
Governor Boggs smirked at me. “All of it. You don’t understand the power he has. He’ll destroy you. He’ll destroy everything you love. He’ll destroy this country on his way through it to reach you.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I’m not worried.”
And for once, that was true. I didn’t have a lot on my side, but what I did have was encouraging. I knew the people who worked with me were powerful and smart. But more importantly, they were loyal and wouldn’t betray me. That was more than Lord Kenan could say.
“Very well.” He dropped his arm and pulled out a phone. “Now that you’ve turned down his offer, I have his permission to proceed with the second phase of our plan.”
“And what would that be?” I asked.
The governor laughed. “Yeah, I’m not going to tell you. I’m not stupid.”
My amulet warmed even more, drawing my attention to the danger of the situation I was still in.
All efforts at friendliness vanished as he stood, his eyes darkening. “It would be better if you were to leave right now.”
I rolled my eyes, feigning annoyance. “I can tell when I’m no longer wanted.”
Despite my flippancy, the amulet was screaming at me to either kill him or get out of there. I knew I couldn’t kill the governor of Utah right then without serious repercussions, so getting out had to happen.
Abel grabbed my arm when I turned to go.
“You’re leaving him like this? No fight?”
My gaze shifted to the governor’s and back to Abel’s. “Yes. I am.”
The governor’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You’re smarter than I thought you were.”
I snorted again, sending him a withering glare before pulling Abel to the front of the mansion. My car was waiting out front, keys in the ignition already. Abel and I hopped in, me behind the wheel, and we pulled away.
“What are the odds they just put bugs all over my car?” I asked.
“Extremely high.”
“Then we can’t talk until we get it searched and cleaned.”
Abel nodded. I could tell he was still disappointed from my decision not to off the governor while I had the chance. His curiosity and frustration would have to wait until I’d taken my car to a shop, though.
Making a spur-of-the-moment decision, instead of paying to have someone dismantle and pull every bug out of the sedan, I drove to a dealership and traded it in. Quicker than I expected, Abel and I left in a shiny gun-metal SUV. I’d wanted one for a couple of years, and this seemed like the perfect time to make the purchase.
As we pulled out of the dealership, I couldn’t help but laugh maniacally.
“What’s so funny?”
“Governor Boggs will be monitoring and stalking my car, not knowing it’s no longer mine. They’ll figure it out soon enough, especially when they realize where we were for so long, but in the meantime, this is going to be awesome.”
Abel turned to face me, resting his arm on the back of my seat and staring at me. “Now can you tell me why you didn’t kill him?”
“You would have recognized it if you hadn’t been so mad the whole time. But you noticed all the cameras in the room, right? Guards and employees wandering the halls? His wife there? What do you think would have happened if I killed such a high-ranking
politician? No one would listen to me. The vast majority of people aren’t even aware that hounds exist. If I killed him, I would be in prison faster than you can say . . . well, prison.”
It wasn’t very original, but I wasn’t in the mood to be creative.
Abel nodded, his expression darkening. “Good point. And you’re right—I should have seen that.”
We drove home in silence, me contemplating the stupid offer Lord Kenan had passed to me through Governor Boggs. I couldn’t believe he wanted me to go work with him. And without him even doing anything to try to sway me. No money, no promises of power, nothing. Of course, he wouldn’t have been able to sway me, but still. It was insulting.
We finally got back to my house, and I did my best to focus on the Russells, making sure they were as comfortable as possible despite all of the lice. Abel was as silent as I was, his thoughts obviously somewhere else. I couldn’t help but wonder where, but didn’t pry. He’d eventually tell me what was on his mind.
When we were finally alone again, he confided in me what he’d been considering.
10
Abel took me in his arms, giving me a hug before quickly releasing me, stepping a foot or two away. “Sorry, I can’t handle the lice. I know it’s not your fault, but I can feel them practically jumping back and forth between us when we’re close to each other.”
I was so exhausted, a giggle burst out before I could stop it. Then many followed after. Soon, I had tears rolling down my cheeks from laughing so hard. I rubbed my eyes when the fit finally ended, noticing that at least my laughing had made Abel loosen up a bit, even if he hadn’t lost control too.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “What’s up?”
“I’m going underground for a few hours tonight. I need to monitor what’s happening in other circles. See if I can figure out how people are feeling where you’re concerned. If we can’t get them to join us—really join us—we need them to leave so they don’t join Lord Kenan.”
Excellent point. “How long will you be gone?”
“Until around midnight.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
***
Abel was gone four hours, and when he returned, he seemed hopeful. I loved seeing that expression on his face. It had been a while since it had been there. He pulled me into his arms, tucking me up against his chest as he related what he’d learned, obviously not caring any longer about the lice jumping back and forth between us.
“I found some demons that have been on earth for nearly as long as the fire vampires. I’ve worked around them several times over the past few years. Now, what makes them unique is this—they have zero loyalties to anyone or anything. You can’t sway them at all. Nothing works on them. No briberies, no threats, nothing. It’s part of their magic and their genetic makeup.”
“That’s crazy. And fortuitous.”
He nodded. “I dislike being around them—their methods of resolving situations aren’t my favorite—but I’m hoping if we can convince them to fight for us, they won’t fall under Lord Kenan’s spell.”
“But . . . if you can’t sway them to do anything, how are you going to convince them to fight for us?”
“They have to choose to do it. Without any promise of reward.”
“I don’t know, Abel,” I said. “How much risk should we take? I mean, if they can choose to fight for us—and I’m doubtful that’ll happen, given their ‘genetic makeup’—that means they can also choose to fight for Lord Kenan. How can we be positive they won’t fall under his influence?”
Abel’s mouth set in a thin line before he responded. “Because their species has been around for thousands of years. They knew him when he was in power before, and they didn’t join or fight against him then either.”
“Okay . . . so, how are we supposed to get them to fight him this time?”
“We present our situation and hope they recognize how serious everything is. And we promise them we’ll help them in return if they ever need it.”
I wasn’t sure it would work. It sounded an awful lot like trying to sway them, and Abel had just said they couldn’t be swayed. Besides, I hated all the loose ends and threads that would need to be tied and remembered and kept track of. Making an oath with the ifrits had been unnerving enough.
When I voiced my concerns, Abel nodded.
“I know. I feel the same. I’ll keep in touch with them, just in case, and I won’t promise them anything.”
We ended our conversation, finally ready to sleep. I wasn’t sure how much I’d get with lice everywhere. It was so disgusting and so uncomfortable.
And, as I suspected, that night was one of the worst so far. The frogs hadn’t been able to get into the house once we figured out how to trap the drains, but there was no way we could’ve kept lice out. They were too small. They came in everywhere. All night long, I felt them on me, in my hair and in my bed. I itched so badly that I probably only got twenty minutes of sleep the entire night, despite only sleeping two hours the night before.
Regardless of what plague was coming next, nothing could be worse than the lice.
11
When I got up the next morning, dead lice were everywhere. There were so many of them, we had to sweep and vacuum multiple times. It was revolting. I couldn’t imagine how the rest of the population was handling this. I cringed to think of the sorts of messes little kids make for their parents without adding millions of tiny bugs to the mix.
The one good thing was that the minute the plague ended, all of the lice died. Every single one of them. The itching stopped immediately, and nothing could describe the relief I felt. Holy cow, it was heaven.
Of course I wasn’t quite prepared for the swarms of flies that came after. Like the lice, they seemed to find ways into the house that we couldn’t see.
Not only that, but just like flies do, they started multiplying like crazy. Food that sat out more than a minute or two had hundreds of maggots hatching in it immediately. The eggs were so plentiful, we could see them everywhere. I wasn’t sure how they were being laid and hatching so quickly—it must have been part of the magic behind the curse—but there was nothing I could do to keep them away from food.
We did find a couple of things the flies didn’t seem to be attracted to. Chocolate and candy, mainly. So that whole day, the only thing I ate was sugar. My pancreas was going to die after just that day, I was sure of it.
The flies were horrendous. They buzzed around me, landing on my face and in my hair, angry whenever I swatted them away, heavy and frustrating and loud and zooming into my mouth whenever it was open to talk or eat or drink. I actually found myself wishing for the lice again.
It drove me mad—crazy enough to leave the house, anyway. And I was surprised to find the flies weren’t nearly as frustrating outside as they had been indoors. Maybe because they found enough to entertain themselves with and didn’t need to land on me constantly.
Abel and I had only been standing on my porch for a couple of minutes when Mrs. Russell ran over, tears streaming down her face. I jumped from my porch to meet her.
“What’s the matter?”
She only could shake her head in response. She took me by the hand, motioning for Abel to come, and led us to her house. According to the globe, the next hound was due to arrive in about an hour, so it was just as well that we were there.
The news was blaring from her TV in the living room, and she motioned for us to sit down. I was surprised by how little the flies seemed to bother her, despite the fact that they were flying around her just as much as they were me. They landed on her and buzzed around without her even flinching or trying to swat them away. Whatever upset her obviously made the flies inconsequential.
Her focus was solidly on the TV, so I turned my attention there too.
A local news reporter was talking. “Thousands of people are flocking to a little Utah town called Goshen, thinking they’ll find refuge from these incidents that are eerily similar to
the plagues of Egypt.” The news reporter’s expression was grim—that surprised me. The other day, all reporters had been mocking a man who’d said we were being cursed by the plagues of Egypt. She said, “We’re joined by our own reporter, Dean Olsen, who is live in Goshen.”
The woman disappeared, replaced by a man standing in front of a little town that I’d only been to once. I could tell he was uncomfortable, and immediately knew that people who’d gone there were mistaken. Thousands of flies flitted in and out of view.
“Thank you, Nadine. And no, Goshen, Utah, is not the place of refuge these good people thought it would be.” The camera panned out, showing the rest of the city. It made my heart break to see the thousands and thousands of people who had fled there, hoping that like in Bible times, they’d find peace and refuge from the plagues.
Unfortunately for them, these weren’t really the plagues of Egypt. They were a curse on me for failing to obey the deadline I had been given.
I looked at Mrs. Russell. Her face was stricken. “It’s so horrible,” I said. “I feel so bad for them.”
She shook her head. “That’s not why I brought you here. It’ll be back on in just a minute.”
“Something else?”
She put a finger to her lips, and I turned my attention back to the TV where ads had started playing.
We didn’t wait long. The moment the second ad started, Abel gripped my hand, leaning forward and glaring at the TV.
“Dorothy Elizabeth Ashton,” a man’s booming voice said. “Innocent Fire Impeder? No. To the people of Utah and every surrounding state, Miss Ashton is a plague and a danger. She has single-handedly brought hellfire and damnation on our innocent citizens in the form of blood, frogs, lice, and more.
“She was hired to protect us, and instead, she has caused—and is causing—the deaths of hundreds, and the misery and discomfort of millions upon millions. Governor Boggs is pushing to have her removed from her position and sent to a place where she can’t hurt us anymore. We urge you to call your local representatives, to call your police force and firefighters and tell them you refuse to have her help us anymore.
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