by Alexie Aaron
“Husband,” he said slowly. It seemed to waken him from his ire. “Assassin with a husband.”
“Three children,” Mia added, turning around.
“You’re worried about being alone with me, aren’t you? This is why you voiced husband and children. It’s more for you than for me. What do I care?”
“You don’t want to defile yourself with a lice-ridden married woman with children,” Mia said, pushing thoughts of submission into his head.
His eyes flashed in realization that she had entered his mind. He backhanded her.
Mia staggered backwards, but she didn’t fall. She raised her chin and prepared for another slap that didn’t happen.
“Forgive me,” he said.
Silently, he walked her up stone steps and shoved her into an open door and closed it, taking the key with him.
“Geeze, Cooper, what have you gone and done now?” she asked herself. “Would it be so bad to be kind to him? Not everyone wants your body,” she reasoned. “He wasn’t going to rape you. He’s noble. He’s just trying to sort all of this mess out when the simplest solution would be you at the end of a blade.” Mia closed her eyes, drew her feet up, curled up into the chair, dropping her head down and covering it with her arms.
The door opened.
“That hardly looks comfortable,” Altair said.
“How is it you’re here?” Mia asked in amazement. Tears of relief and joy fell down her face.
“You’ve really mucked things up,” he said. “You’ve brought back someone that everyone wanted to forget.”
“Ruax? It was the headache. He’s the demon that gives humans migraines, headaches, tumors…”
“Aby thought you’d worked it out. The important thing is that you didn’t tell Ruax. To know his name would bring back all his demonic power.”
“You mean there’s more?” Mia asked, stunned.
“Mia, you know how the angels are frightened of Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Ruax is Hell’s equivalent. What happened to your face?” he asked, placing his cool hand on her bruised cheek.
“Not half what I deserved, I assure you,” she dismissed. “I’d like to tell you everything and get your counsel.”
“Give me your memories,” he said, placing his forehead on hers.
As curious as she was, Mia withheld seeking out his memories. She didn’t want to offend him as she had Abigor.
Altair released her.
“Why are you here?” Mia asked.
“I’m one of the ones who exiled Ruax. If he were to find that out, Mia, he would destroy me.”
“How?” Mia asked.
Altair tipped his head sideways and said, “Think.”
“He’s a mind eater and a mind reader. He knows your secrets.”
“You could have also read my secrets, but you didn’t even try. Should I be offended?” Altair asked.
“I value your friendship.”
“Nah, you’re in love with me,” Altair said. “For the record, I’m not interested.”
Mia sputtered, “I am not!”
Altair laughed. “Sorry, Mia, I had to get your spark back. The fallen are not going to respect a compliant misfit. They want to see controlled chaos.”
“Am I headed to a demon court?” she asked.
“No. But you’re going to be questioned privately by Lucifer and his generals.”
Mia paled.
“And if they find that you planned this, they will punish you.”
“I didn’t plan this.”
“From what I could see, you did everything you could to not get involved, and when it was impossible not to, you behaved responsibly but foolhardily. You should have killed Lamia.”
“I thought I could save her.”
“She’s here.”
“What?”
“Not in her beast form. Evidently, she went looking for Ruax. She assumed he was on the boat, maybe inside of you. She didn’t know about your penchant for green chalk. The people on the boat thought she was attacking. Murphy killed her earthly body by exploding a large amount of C4. The island is basically gone. It’s just a shoal with a burning hole in the middle.”
“The boat?”
“We don’t know.”
Mia unzipped her Kevlar vest and sighed; the tattoo was still there. “Ted was on the boat.”
“You really didn’t adequately thank me for that interdimensional communication device.”
“You want my firstborn?” Mia asked, lifting her eyebrow.
“No!” he said, acting horrified. “Not until he’s had his vocal chords removed.”
“I guess that’s his superpower.”
“He asks too many questions, and he’s so dogged about it.”
“He’s with my parents and godfathers right now. I miss him and Varden,” Mia said.
“I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll do my best to get you sprung.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Do you want to wait here or in Aby’s apartments? There, you can practice your Demon by conversing with his 108 concubines.”
“I’ll stay here,” Mia said.
“Mia, Aby is a lot of things, but he rarely has ever lifted a hand to a female of any species in thousands of years. You must have really pissed him off.”
“I’m sure he’ll get over it,” Mia said.
“I’m going to leave this door unlocked. The bathroom is down the hall, second door on the right.”
“One doesn’t think about bathrooms in Hell.”
“No, they don’t, do they?” Altair said thoughtfully and left.
Mia walked around the cell for a few minutes. She walked out the door and down the hall to the bathroom. What she found wasn’t what she was used to in the western world. She used the facilities and walked to the ornate dresser and poured water into a washbowl. She washed the saltwater and residue from the pink fog off her exposed skin.
A Cambodian woman walked in wearing golden robes. She stopped and stared at the mess that was Mia and clapped her hands. “Take her, wash her, dress her, and deliver her to me, with shoes.”
Mia was too tired to protest.
~
The storm raged overhead. Ted had lost some of the tinnitus and was able to modulate his voice better. Burt and the Callens were once again pouring over the collected information. They were making plans to continue the treasure hunt as soon as the Azure could make port.
Ted was typing into his laptop. Kevin looked over his shoulder and asked, “Is that code?”
“Symbols mostly. You see, now I’ve been informed there are twelve dimensions, I need to see if I can prove it mathematically.”
Mason looked up. “Dude, it’s magic not logic.”
“If it exists, it can be proven,” Ted said stubbornly.
“Leave him be, Mason,” Burt said. “It’ll keep his mind off what is worrying him.”
“Speaking of worries,” Patrick voiced. “I wonder who will show up first, Murphy or Mia.”
“Does it matter?” Ted asked, glaring at Patrick.
“The way I see this, either way, it’s going to bring on a lot of noise. And I’ve got a migraine from your loud voice,” he said to Ted. “If Murphy comes back before Mia, he’s going to be loaded for bear at her leaving him behind. She’s going to go ape shit when she finds out that he blew up a beastie that we promised not to mess with. Sure, Ted, you, Burt, and the ghosties did a fine job keeping her mitts off this ship, but we all knew that we were either going to drown or be served up as supper. The question is, will Mia see it that way?”
“What’s the noise if she comes back first?” Ted asked.
“The sex. We’re going to have to listen to Martin sex. Come on, lad, you enjoy it way too much.”
Ted went crimson.
Burt laughed. Mason lightly banged his head on the desk. Patrick stared down Ted before saying, “You lucky bastard.”
~
Mia stared in the mirror and no
dded in appreciation. She had never looked more feminine and fierce at the same time. A stunning woman with the darkest skin Mia had ever seen handed her a gown made of chain mail. She drew the tunic over Mia’s head and adjusted the chain so it flowed and supported Mia’s top-heavy figure.
“If only Ted could see me now,” she said in Demon.
“Who is this Ted?” the woman asked.
Mia pointed to her tattoo. “My husband.”
“He is sharing you with Abigor?” she asked.
“I hope not,” Mia said in English.
The beauty provided Mia with slippers before asking Mia to follow her.
Mia did so, interested in what was going to happen next.
The woman Mia met in the washroom sat on a throne of cushions, yet her posture was amazing. She looked Mia up and down. “You will do.”
“I will do what?” Mia asked in Demon.
The only surprise the woman showed was a brief flicker in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I meant that you were presentable. Are you not the woman that my lord brought in over his shoulder?”
“That would be me,” Mia admitted. “But I was tossed in a cell. I’m baffled by the pampering you have given me.”
“I too am baffled. Are you not his human lover?”
“I’m more of a human thorn in his side,” Mia admitted.
The woman smiled widely. “Oh my, that is a relief. I told my ladies to make you as beautiful as they could, so I could see if you were prettier than I.”
“Obviously, I’m not,” Mia said. “Your handmaiden is more beautiful than me, as are most of the others I have seen.”
“Why did my lord bring you into his apartments then?” she challenged.
“I don’t really know. Except, I’m in a lot of trouble, and he may have been trying to protect me.”
“He has a kind heart but a vicious temper,” she warned. “If you stand across from him in battle, prepare to die.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Mia lied. “Speaking of battle, you wouldn’t have seen a small sword - a dagger, if you will, a small knife - or my boots anywhere?”
The woman looked at her handmaiden who shook her head.
“I’m afraid not,” the golden woman said.
“Thank you. I’m Mia…”
“Cooper Martin,” Abigor finished from behind her.
Mia dropped to the ground as did the other women. She kept her forehead pressed to the floor.
“Leave us,” he commanded.
Mia stayed prostrate. She heard the others scurry away. Her heart hurt for the head concubine. She was sure the indignity of the running away wore on the woman.
“Mia, rise to your feet and place your hands out, palms up.”
Mia did so. She waited until she had enough nerve to raise her head and make eye contact.
Abigor’s pupils were widened with lust. “She lied, and you lied,” Abigor said. “Give me permission, and I shall put a beautiful daughter in your belly.”
Mia had to think quickly. “Your daughter would be a Nephilim crone. I cannot do that to her. I have crone genes running through my body. Thank you for your offer.”
“Who did this to you?” Abigor asked. “Surely not Michael.”
“Raphael. He did it to save my life. There was an imbalance.”
“It’s all my fault for existing,” Abigor said, his eyes gleaming. “They built you to kill me. Michael kills the demon in you, and Raphael fills the void with crone.”
“I’m the Mia potato head. Put wings on. Rip them off. Put another set on…”
Abigor moved closer.
Mia, who was nervous, babbled, “A Mia nesting doll, open me up, rip out the demon, put in a crone.”
He took her face in his hand and looked into her eyes. “Have you come to kill me?”
“No.”
“Have you come to kill Lucifer?”
“No.”
“Why have you come?” he asked.
“I needed help,” she admitted.
“My help?”
“I didn’t know you were here.”
“You wouldn’t have known, would you?”
“Search my thoughts. I give you permission to enter my mind house.”
“No. Not necessary.” He led her to the chair. He sat down and pulled her onto the arm. “There, now I don’t have to look down at you.”
“Thank you,” Mia said, very uncomfortable by the closeness. Abigor wasn’t predictable.
“Tell me, who did you think was going to help you?”
“You see, my son sent Mbengar to the pit. It was a big mistake; it was supposed to be Aosoth. Anyway, Mbengar told me of his humiliation by the keepers of the pit. I thought that they could help me sort out the demon-with-no-name, or kill me. Either way, he wouldn’t be set loose on humankind. He intended to use my cousin as a vessel. I saw an immediate danger, and I had to act.”
“So, you volunteered to be his vessel.”
“As long as he called off Lamia.”
“But he didn’t.”
“That was my error. I thought all demons were honorable.”
“He’s a fallen. He used to be an angel. He can lie with impunity.”
Mia’s mouth dropped open.
Abigor felt for her. “My poor creature, were you under the understanding that angels didn’t lie?”
“I feel so embarrassed.” Mia popped off the chair and faced him standing. “I feel humiliated, used, and angry.”
“Angry enough to change sides?” Abigor asked quickly.
Mia didn’t answer.
“Mia, answer me.”
Mia turned back to the handsome demon. “But not all of them lie, and not all of you tell the truth.”
“Yes. Are you going back up on your fence?”
“I don’t know. Kind of hard to straddle a fence in this dress,” Mia said. “It really is something, isn’t it?”
“But you didn’t think of me when you saw yourself, did you?”
“No.”
“Tell me, how can he have your heart? He has no armies, no gold, and he looks like a hawk.”
“He does not. You don’t really want me forever, do you?”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink. I’ve feared you since you’ve been born.”
“There’s that. What if I fell back into programming?” Mia said, drawing her finger across her throat.
Abigor laughed. He clapped his hands. The handmaiden came running.
“Give Mia clothing fit for a warrior knight. I shall not ravish her today.”
The woman nodded and left.
“Mia, I’m not sure what will be decided, but I’ll not have you die dressed as a concubine when you are a warrior.”
“Thank you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Daniel Crocker wasn’t a tall man. He wasn’t necessarily a strong one either. He became captain of the Devil’s Pride because of his intelligence, expert swordsmanship, and he was the best marksman in the Caribbean. He could shoot anything from a cannon to a harpoon and not only reach his target but hit it the first time. Moving ships, whales, and birdmen were tricky things, but they were no problem for Crocker. He could judge speed, wind, and intent in minutes. Because of this, the crew had elected him captain. He brought them riches in life, and in death, he continued to make the Devil’s Pride one of the strongest of all the ghost ships.
“Capt’n we pulled a farmer from the sea. He says he destroyed Lucifer’s Lip,” the quartermaster reported.
“We did see a boat there when we cycled into the real world,” Crocker said. “It’s possible this has happened. Set course for the island, but stay in this realm.”
“I think he’s touched,” the quartermaster said and explained, “He said he’s been to Hell.”
“We’re all going to end up in Hell, but if he’s escaped Hell, then he is a most valuable commodity. I’ll talk to him as soon as we verify that the island is gone.”
“Yes, Capt’n.”
Crocker
resumed dressing for the day. He chose an embroidered waistcoat he bought with the bounty on the birdman he had harpooned. The demon ship The Risen paid well for these creatures. They liked them alive, but they still paid, even if they were dead. The demons hated the birdmen.
~
Mia had returned to her cell. The door was kept open to let her know that she was still a guest of Abigor. She could move freely in his castle apartments. Mia wore his colors. A page uniform had been adapted to fit her. The trousers closed with four buttons, and there were no pockets. She wore a linen shirt that she had cut two long vents into the back of. She wore a vest that attached at her neck and buttoned in the front. Over this, she wore the striking black and blue uniform coat of the house of Abigor. Her boots had not been returned. Instead, she pulled on black leather boots that someone had laboriously shined for her.
Aside from the shears that were briefly loaned to her, she had no weapons. She contemplated secreting the shears in her boot but decided to lay them on the table in sight of all who entered the room. She would not be caught with a concealed weapon by Abigor again.
Her white hair, that had been washed and perfumed previously, still bore the styling of the concubines. A length of gold had been braided into the crown of her hair and fell down her back. It was a contradiction of styles. The knight who was also a woman, perhaps Abigor’s woman, no one would dare speak about their time alone.
“Mia, it’s time,” Altair said, standing in the doorway.
Mia turned around and glanced at the shears briefly but let them lie on the table.
“My word, what a transformation,” Altair said. “You look like a Botticelli painting.”
“Altair, I find myself in this perpetual state of others dressing me. I’m not a doll.”
“Would you prefer to show up in front of the fallen royalty dressed as a gutter rat?” he asked.
“At least it would be honest.”
“Aby’s women have done this because they want you to live and leave the house of Abigor. This is a good thing.”
“Very well, lead the way,” Mia said.
They walked out of the apartment and down the stairs. The doors were opened for them. Mia and Altair walked the cobbled streets down past the riverfront café where she had originally met Lucifer. They climbed the steps leading to the prison but stopped just outside the tall doors.