by Cindi Madsen
I snuggled closer and batted my eyelashes at him. “But if I was, don’t you think I’d choose someone like the Grand Duke of Hell instead of some”—I made a disgusted face as I jerked my thumb at Tristan—“peon who’s got absolutely nothing to offer.”
I lifted my nose in the air, doing my best haughty royalty impression.
Abigor’s face screwed up like he was thinking hard and, unfortunately, not quite completely convinced. I was pretty sure we had an audience, but I was too anxious about what Abigor would do if he didn’t believe me to check.
I ran my hand down his chest to his abs, which while rock-hard, didn’t do anything besides fill me with revulsion and resentment. I hated touching him. Hated that he thought I was his. I wrapped my arm around his lower back and led him a few more steps away from everyone. “I just need time to get over my broken heart.”
“And when you do, then we’ll be together,” Abigor said. Definitely not a question.
Who knew the underworld’s top warrior would be so needy? I swallowed my pride and nodded.
The fury in his face faded, and his posture relaxed. Then he puffed his chest and turned toward the class and bellowed, “Stop staring and pair up! We’ve got a lot of work to do to get you sorry excuses for Tempters in shape.”
I started over to the rest of the students, but Abigor caught my hand. “You’ll be working with me or another female. I will not stand for anyone else putting their hands on you.” His grip tightened, squeezing so hard I thought the bones in my hand were going to snap. “Just so we understand each other.”
The threat in his voice was impossible to miss.
So was the glare he shot Tristan.
Since Abigor undoubtedly expected me to walk home with him, I didn’t dare exit the front door. After a bit of exploring I found a deserted corridor with a back exit. The door hinges screeched, and I winced, waiting a beat or two before pushing outside.
I wonder if there’s any WD-40 lying around in a janitor’s closet? The good thing about growing up without a man around and no money to pay a professional was that Mom and I learned how to fix things ourselves. I was planning on using this exit a lot, and it would be far more covert if it didn’t cause that horrible noise every time.
After checking that the coast was clear, I rushed to the wrought-iron fence, and while I still couldn’t do the launch thing Tristan did, my climb over the top was getting smoother.
A giant crow flew off one of the spires of Hell High, swooping overhead and landing on a nearby tree. As I walked along the crude path, the crow flew along with me, hopping from branch to branch. He didn’t caw all loud and obnoxious like the crows here tended to do, but he was totally creeping me out.
“Shoo!” I yelled, waving my arms at him.
He remained on the branch and inclined his birdie head. He was staring at me like I was crazy. And I felt like I was. I reached up and rubbed my temples. That encounter with Abigor this morning had me all kinds of paranoid.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, I spun around.
“Tristan. Hey.” I wasn’t sure he’d come since we hadn’t had the chance to discuss a clear-cut plan, but I’d hoped. The stress of the day melted away, and I half skipped, half ran in his direction, intending to wrap my arms around him in a giant hug.
He held up a hand, bringing me up short. “Lily, we can’t do this anymore. Yesterday was a mistake.”
His words effectively robbed me of my excitement, leaving a throbbing ache in the spot where my heart should be.
“I knew it was a mistake, too, and I let my…” He glanced at the ground before his gaze returned to me, the green in his eyes standing out against all the black and gray.
“We’ll just stay hidden. Be more careful. Not talk at all at school.” My words sounded desperate. Probably because I was desperate.
He shook his head. “Abigor was so furious at you this morning. If he hurts you because of me—”
“He won’t. He’s too scared of my dad.” Dread settled over me, a tight vise that flattened my internal organs. “But he would hurt you.” As much as I hated it, Tristan had a point. We should stop before someone got hurt.
I stepped toward him, planning on at least giving him a goodbye hug that would hurt like a bitch, but he backpedaled.
“Just stay over there. I can’t think straight when you’re close.” He plowed his fingers through his hair, the sandy brown waves sticking up in front and giving him a disheveled, ridiculously hot edge that I was never going to get to further explore. “I don’t think you even need to complete Tempter Training. You’ve already got it down.”
I clenched my jaw against the sadness clogging my throat, not wanting to be the pathetic girl who cried over a guy she barely knew. “I guess I’ll go to Earth right now then and see how many souls I can drag down here. I’m the daughter of the devil—I might as well embrace it, huh? Just accept the fact that I’m doomed to ruin people’s lives and marry some psycho demon warrior I hate.”
Tristan’s shoulders slumped, and he shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I want you to make it through this year and go back to Earth and never have to come here ever again. Make sure you do that for me, will you?”
How was I supposed to survive another 346 days without talking to him? How was I supposed to see him in school day after day but never get to share another joke or smile? It would be a whole new level of torture, and it would’ve been better if we’d never talked in the first place.
If yesterday had never happened.
Tristan jammed his hands into his pockets and looked around, everywhere but at me. He scuffed the ground, sending a gray puff of dirt through the air.
As hard as I was trying to understand, the way his eyes avoided me pricked my defenses. “What? You’re afraid if you look at me, I’ll compel you to stay?”
He finally looked at me, jaw set, clearly irritated I’d dared to go there. His gaze held mine for a couple seconds, and then he said, “Goodbye, Lily.”
I dug my nails into my palms, focusing on that instead of the pain lancing my heart. “I’m not saying goodbye. It’s stupid. I’ll see you tomorrow. You sit right next to me.”
I thought he’d say more. That he’d take the bait and we’d have it out. Yell. Fight. Something.
But he just turned and walked away, disappearing into the copse of trees.
My knees threatened to give way, so I leaned against a nearby tree and stared into the red sky. The giant crow that had followed me out here was perched on the branch above my head, looking down on me with an annoyingly curious expression that birds shouldn’t be capable of.
“Go away!” I slammed my fist against the tree trunk. “Leave.”
He cocked his head but didn’t move.
I slid down the rough bark of the tree and flopped onto the ground, planning to wallow in self-pity for the rest of the night.
Then I got extraordinarily pissed. At Tristan. At Abigor. At Dad for forcing me here against my will.
“I hate this place,” I screamed. Fiery energy sang through my veins, searing yet pleasant, and I slammed my fists down at my sides. The ground rumbled beneath me, and a crack went through the tree opposite the one I was leaning against, revealing the tiniest bit of pale bark beneath its craggy surface.
The crow unfolded its wings and lifted into the air. So that was the trick to getting him to leave me alone. All I had to do was create a minor earthquake—or hellquake. Whatever. I’d created it, and it felt good.
But then an icky sensation replaced my momentary buzz, because once again I’d proven that I was my dad’s daughter. That I had some kind of freaky power I shouldn’t have.
My head pounded, and the urge to take a nap crashed into me.
No wonder Tristan wants to stay far, far away from me. I leaned my head back on the tree, back to being all mopey again. I’m such an idiot. Thinking I could have some great romance in Hell. That I could be happy in a place like this.
I told myself
that I’d made it this far, and that I’d take it a day at a time.
The hardest part was going to be forgetting about Tristan and this strange feeling that if we’d met under different circumstances, we could’ve had something amazing.
Nineteen
That whole so close, yet so far away saying? Yeah, I freakin’ hated that saying. It was the stupidest, worst, most annoying saying ever.
Every day as I passed Tristan in the halls, I thought it. He was completely stone-faced, too, not even a hint that we’d ever shared anything. No lingering looks, no small, secret smiles. After two weeks I told myself I didn’t care anymore.
But as I watched him walk away from the school Friday afternoon, staring at the way his muscles stretched his T-shirt as he moved, my traitorous heart screamed otherwise.
I sulked all the way to the castle. I used to think it was creepy how Dad was always right there when I came in, either in the foyer or in his favorite chair, flipping through files like his job was completely normal. But lately he was actually giving me space. Abigor was giving me space, too. Not so much during class but other than that, he kept his hands off and only hinted at our betrothal here and there. And Tristan was also giving me—you guessed it—space. I had so much space I could hop in an alien aircraft and go to town.
When I first arrived, I would’ve loved it, but I was actually starting to miss talking to the father I’d hated all my life.
Man, I was totally cracking up.
Dad came down the gilded staircase, fidgeting with the knot on his red silk tie.
Jump back, he’s mixing it up. Not that red was a big stretch, but maybe it’d be a gateway color.
He hit the bottom step and held out his arms. “The tailor delivered this suit yesterday. What do you think?”
“That it looks the same as every other one of your black suits. Don’t you get bored of wearing the same thing?”
Dad pointed to the diamond stud tie tack. “This is new.” He flashed matching cuff links. “And these.”
“Blingy. What about a navy-blue suit? Maybe pinstripes? Or gray?”
He frowned. “People expect black.”
“Well, no need to disappoint your clients. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Weird. Now I was doing it, treating his job like a normal job.
“I’ve got to go away for the weekend. I’ve put it off as long as I could, but I just can’t put it off anymore.”
“Yes, I suppose you’ve only got so long to ruin someone’s life before one of those pesky angels swoops in and saves them.” Okay, this whole exchange was going down an odd path, and I was back to wanting space. Sounded like I was getting it, too, so yay. I grabbed the banister and moved to go upstairs.
“I’m telling you this because I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
A tiny ray of sun broke through my stormy mood. “I get to go to Earth for a while?”
The frown returned. “No. I’m saying that either Baal or Abigor is going to come stay at the castle and keep an eye on you.”
My heart clutched, and all my anxieties surged forward at once. One thing I’d learned was that Dad reacted better to calm, straightforward conversations, so I did my best to school myself. “Dad, I don’t need a babysitter. I can stay here all by myself.”
“With how down you’ve been”—he sighed and pursed his lips—“I’m also worried you’ll think it might be a good time to attempt an escape.”
“Even if I did, you’d just drag me back.”
“Yes, but it would be inconvenient, and I’m very busy. Besides, I worry about your safety. I don’t exactly have the most trustworthy staff, and despite making an example out of the one person who dared to cross me regarding you, I can’t risk someone using you against me or injuring you beyond what I can heal.”
People here still hated me enough that I was in danger without his protection. My life just kept getting better and better.
“Fine,” I said. “I choose Baal.”
Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “Abigor will be so disappointed. And I thought that Baal—how did you put it—‘is a total creeper.’”
“Both of them are. But at least Baal doesn’t think he owns me.” The image of Baal, spider form, popped into my head, and I shuddered. “What about Grim? Can’t he stay here? Or I can stay with him.”
“Charon lives in a tiny house by the river. I thought you didn’t like the water.”
“I don’t. Mostly because I feel like someone’s going to jump out of it and drag me to Hell. But since I’m already here and all.” I shrugged. “Anyway, I’d rather stay with him than deal with Baal or Abigor.” I thought of Grim, of demons hurting him to get me. “Wait. Would I be putting him in danger by staying with him?”
Dad’s laugh echoed through the foyer. “Charon’s one of my most dangerous men. You’re the only one who’s unafraid of him, and that silly nickname you call him by…” He shook his head as if he couldn’t deal. A contemplative crinkle creased his forehead. “He adores you, too, so he’d also obliterate anyone who dared mess with you.”
I couldn’t imagine Grim hurting anyone. “If he’s one of your best guys, why does he have the most boring job?”
“He enjoys traveling. He sees glimpses of the other world and meets interesting people from all walks of life. Many members of my hoard would love his job.” Dad ran his fingers along his jaw. “If I’m going to allow you to stay with Charon, you have to promise me you won’t try to cross the river.”
“I promise.” Anything to avoid spending the weekend with a gropey demon or spider-frog lackey.
Dad’s gaze bored into mine. “Swear on your mother’s life that you won’t try to escape.”
“Is that really necessar—”
“Swear it, or I’ll have Baal come over.”
I rolled my eyes to ensure he got how exhausting he was. “Fine. I swear on Mom’s life that I won’t try to escape while you’re gone on your trip.”
A shock roared through me, seizing my muscles, and I gripped the banister to keep from falling. It only lasted a second or two, but by the time my limbs could move again, they were shaky. “Whoa. What the hell was that?”
“You just made a deal with the devil. The physical side effects help convey how serious and unbreakable it is.” Dad’s gold watch caught the light as he checked it. “Now, hurry and pack a bag, and I’ll take you to Charon’s on my way out.”
That heavy forewarning hung over my head, which was a bit on the swimmy side, and as I headed to my bedroom, I felt the tether that bound me to Dad. I should’ve known better, but it was too late to undo now, and I wasn’t planning on escaping anyway. It would take way too much effort just to be dragged back kicking and screaming. Who had the energy for that? Plus, I’d made sure to add the “while you’re gone on your trip,” in case escaping later became a viable option.
I threw clothes and necessities into my backpack, anticipating my slumber party with Grim. The fact I was more excited to hang out with a one-eyed skeletal dude instead of spending time in a castle with a handsome warrior should probably make me worry about my mental health, something that seemed increasingly shaky lately.
Hmm. They should do a Bachelor: Hell edition.
A few of those guys who go on that simply to sleep with as many women as possible deserve to end up here anyway. Not to mention the fame-seeker women who’ll pretend to care about the guy, all in the name of fame.
And now I was thinking like Dad. Apparently being here was rubbing off on me more than I wanted to admit.
“…and if you’re going to be gone for long, call Baal,” Dad said, finishing his lengthy list of instructions, as if I were a five-year-old who needed constant care.
Grim bowed his head. “I’ll take good care of her, My Dark Lord.”
“I know you will.” Dad hugged me, and I tried not to stiffen even though it was my natural instinct. “Be good while I’m gone.”
“And here I thought you wanted me to be bad.”
Da
d pulled back, pride radiating through his features. Great. I didn’t want him to be proud of me. I really was losing my touch.
With a snap of his fingers he was gone.
“I guess that means he doesn’t need to travel by the river?” Dad could teleport around Hell and on Earth he appeared and disappeared, but I didn’t like the thought of such a direct line from here to there.
“Not unless we’re short on souls and his power drops too low,” Grim said. “Hasn’t happened for about two-thousand years. He’s the only one who can do it, though. He can summon any demons, whether or not they’re topside or in the underworld, and once in a while one of his men will contact him if they need a quick portal. But the rest go through me, and only if His Royal Darkness sanctions it.”
He raised a suspicious eyebrow that stretched his empty eye socket bigger. “Wait. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. Dad made me swear on my mom’s life that I wouldn’t try to escape, so you don’t have to give me that look. I’m going to behave like a perfect angel.” I gave him an innocent smile and clasped my flattened hands together.
Grim’s posture relaxed, and he slumped into a big recliner in the corner of the living room. “So, what do you want to do?”
“I guess going to a movie or the mall’s out?”
A crooked smile spread across his face. “I can see why having you here makes your father so happy.”
“Happy? If he’s happy now, I’d hate to see what unhappy looks like.” I flopped onto the black leather sofa across from his chair—anyway, I hoped it was leather. It looked suspiciously scaly.
“No, you absolutely don’t want to see unhappy. It can get quite…messy.” Grim shuddered. “He might not be very good at showing it, but he loves you.”