Finally after another few minutes of arguing, Mr. and Mrs. America decided to call a halt to the bickering. Yay, for the ones who were unfortunately blessed with ears.
Austin and Sarah sat on the couch side by side, both appearing angry at the world. Austin reached out to put a hand on Sarah’s knee, and she immediately swatted it off. Uh-oh, trouble in paradise.
Tally dipped and bobbed as he came over to my chair, smelling like a bottle of whiskey.
“Jeez, Tally, how much did you have?”
“Jest a whittle itty bit. Not even”—he hiccupped—“a teaspoon.”
Lightweight. He flew around in dizzying circles. One of his wings wasn’t beating in synch with the other. I plucked him out of the air and sat him next to me. “Sit down before you get hurt.”
He crawled over my hip and sprawled on my thigh, gazing up at me like he would the stars. “See. Told you.” Another hiccup. “Evil Demon Queen, my booty.”
I grinned down at him. Of course the bowtie-wearing therapist would say, “booty.” I glanced over at the too quiet couple. Austin stared at me with a strange expression on his face, and Sarah shot daggers at her boyfriend’s profile.
“So,” I said, giving Austin a pointed look. “I’m assuming you know where the key is or at least the general vicinity? Or will this be like an ongoing scavenger hunt?”
That got Sarah’s attention. Her gaze swiveled to me, as her boyfriend said, “I don’t know as of yet.” Sarah’s shoulders sagged, a look of relief crossing her face. More than just a little bit was off with this couple. “It’s been a long day. We’ll discuss a plan tomorrow morning.”
I watched him as he slowly stood. Interesting. But then again, I’d been saying that a lot about this man. He just lied to me. Surely, he would know no matter how strong his powers were, the Queen of Demons in her true form could sniff out a lie no matter how well delivered. His whole posture screamed he knew precisely where that key was, but why he didn’t want to say was beyond me. I would kill him now, but a vow was a contract. One if broken could forfeit my life. My fingers tapped on the armchair, as I bade them a goodnight. They would sleep in one of my guest bedrooms. Together. My stomach rolled with an emotion I refused to identify as I watched them walk out of the room.
Not wanting to focus on unnecessary emotions, I concentrated on my feet. Yeah, they were tiny little things, and the second toe was freakishly larger than the big toe, but they were my feet. I wiggled my toes with glee. I still couldn’t believe I was in my own shell. If I kept a journal like Tally had begged me to do, I would write in really girly handwriting with extra loops that this was the best day ever. Who’d have thought I would ever get my body back? I knew for certain why my father had confiscated it now. The power strumming through me almost made me giddy. He had every right to be terrified one day I would overthrow him. Maybe if he’d given me hugs or words of encouragement instead of nightly beatings, we wouldn’t be here right now. Regardless, I would never be weak again. I could protect myself now.
I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. What was I doing? This wasn’t how a queen, much less a Demon Queen, acted. We didn’t long for affection or pretty words. We were supposed to be all snarls and deadly weapons. Ugh. This was why I needed a therapist. Too bad the one who had shoved his way into my life was now drooling on my thigh, and he wasn’t here to try and help me with my weakness, but to exploit it. He wanted me to dig deep and find the good in myself and then put it on display. Ugh. No thanks. I didn’t need to think of my feelings, and why I was feeling this way. I needed to bury that shirt. Deep. He was going to be so disappointed in me when I had to kill the Power Eliminator. Maybe I would be disappointed, too, but I would fake it. The warmth from the fire made me yawn. It had been a long day. I was just about to doze off when the sound of someone tip-toeing woke me.
I opened one eye to see Austin heading for the couch. One corner of his lips lifted.
“I’m going to sleep here tonight.”
I closed my eye. “I didn’t ask.”
I could smell his scent from here. The smell of warmth and sunshine made me feel even more relaxed. Turning my face toward the fire, I wondered why anything about my enemy would make me feel safe, especially when there was something not quite adding up about him. From the moment he saw me in my true form, something in the atmosphere changed. My mind turned with possibilities, and just as soon as I latched onto something that could be of importance, sleep dragged me under.
Chapter Thirteen
The three of us slept all night by the roaring fire. It was the best sleep I’d gotten since I was eight years old. After my body had been stripped from me, it was almost uncomfortable to sleep. Being in someone else’s body was like going into someone else’s home. You used all the amenities, but it just wasn’t the same as sleeping in your own bed or taking a hot shower in your own bathroom, but last night was different. I got a full eight hours of magnificent slumber and might have slept more if it hadn’t been for Sarah and her loud screeching.
I awoke when she slapped me across my face. “You nasty, dirty whore!”
Um … what? She reared back a hand to slap me again when I disappeared to reappear right behind her. A trick I could do when I didn’t have my shell, but with my shell, I was so much faster. In the blink of an eye, I had her back pressed into my chest and an arm around her throat. Austin jumped to his feet. His hair was tousled from sleep, and his eyes darted back and forth from his precious girlfriend to me.
“If you ever touch me again, I will kill you. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve your wrath, nor do I care, but hear me now, the next time you lay a hand on me will be your last. Do you understand?”
When she didn’t answer, I tightened my grip until she gurgled, “Yes.”
I let her go, and she ran, stumbling to her boyfriend. She threw her arms around his middle. “When you didn’t come back to bed last night I thought … I thought you and that demon …”
It took Austin a minute before he wrapped his arms around her stiffly to return the hug. When he patted her back, it seemed like he was just going through the motions. I glanced over at Tally, who must’ve woken up early this morning because he was looking as fresh as a daisy in his powder-blue suit. He skipped the bow tie today and sipped coffee through a straw, as he studied the couple before us. Obviously, they had issues, but I didn’t see him scribbling things on his yellow notepad about them. Which reminded me, he left those in my desk drawer. I needed to get out of this room before I murdered Sarah. I could excuse myself and go see what he wrote about me. It would give me a better understanding of how far I’d come and how far I’d yet to go. Or if I was totally unfixable. Leaving the awkward couple, I headed towards my office. Rifling through the drawers, I came across three legal pads. What. The. Heaven. Was. Going. On?
“Tally! A word please.”
The fairy flew into my office. “You know something is really off with those two. I haven’t figured it out yet, but when I do—” He stopped talking when he saw what I held. “Hey! Those are confidential.”
“Hmm. Sure. Can you tell me why you drew various cartoon characters on these notepads from SpongeBob Square Pants to”—I flipped the pages—“Mickey Mouse and friends?”
He gave a little shrug. “I’m not a real therapist.”
“You think?” My voice somehow managed to remain calm. “So, Ariana and the Fae King sent you here to help me work out the kinks, and you’re not even legit? Unbelievable.”
I was beyond mad. I couldn’t believe this little twerp came into my domain and lied to me.
“First of all, I never said I was a therapist.” He was right; I just assumed. “I might have compared myself to one, but if you think back, it was you who came to that conclusion.” His hands landed on his narrow hips. “And who said I’m not helping you work out the kinks? I might not be certified, but I’m damn good at what I do.”
I held up a picture of Goofy. “Yep, you totally missed your calling.”
&
nbsp; “Is this really necessary right now? We have bigger issues.”
“Like how I’m trying not to murder you?”
He landed on my desk, where he began to pace. “No, like those two in there. Something is totally off. It’s not just a lover’s quarrel, and now we’re off to find the key with them?”
A voice cleared from the doorway. Both Tally and I jerked our head towards the intrusion. There stood Austin, leaning in the doorjamb, looking like an ice cream cone. The kind that was so good it had all the kids racing after the ice cream truck just for a lick. He stared at me with a smirk on his face. He knew how good looking he was. Dang him.
“You’re right. I say we kill him now.”
The smirk dropped. Mission accomplished. He strolled into my office without an invite. “Couldn’t help but overhear that last comment. My relationship with Sarah is none of your business.” He was looking at me when he said that, which was so unfair because it was the freaking fairy who had been gossiping.
I held up both hands. “Hey, bud, I couldn’t give a rip. I could not care less about whatever craziness it is that is going on between the both of you, as long as it doesn’t affect me. And as long as your girlfriend remembers to keep her hands to herself, then we shouldn’t have a problem.”
The Fairy held up a hand. “I’m sorry the queen was concerned about your relationship. I’ll have a word with her, and it won’t happen again.”
Wait. What? I started to flick the pest across the room but he was learning. Dang him, too. He flew over to a bookcase and stuck his tongue out. Real mature that one, and some higher up thought he could help me? That was hilarious.
“Also, none of our business, you say? You know what would help? If you would discuss all of your non-problems somewhere more private. Now, if we’re done with this, would you mind if we start discussing the key? Last night, you were raring to go. Let’s get back to that kind of motivation. The sooner we find it, the sooner I can get rid of you.” I gave him a wink, trying to amplify that last part, just in case he didn’t understand my real meaning. He gave me a grin, as his eyes raked over my body. Nope, he understood what I implied, and from the gleam in his eye, I would say he was happy to accept the challenge. Good, the gauntlet had been thrown. The lines drawn. Now, I just had to stay ahead of the eight ball and come up with a plan that would make sure I kept my body.
Austin’s arms made a sweep, as he executed a mocking bow. “Your highness, if you would please come back into the living quarters, so we can discuss the key?”
Tally laughed, and I threw his pad with cartoon drawings at him because I can be mature, too. I really should be madder at Tally but I wasn’t. I probably did jump to conclusions, and the truth was Tally had helped me more than probably he even realized. My anxiety had lessened since he came into my life. Tally settled down on the edge of my desk and reading my emotions, gave me a salute. Austin walked towards me and extended a hand to help me up from my seat like I had seen him do for Sarah. I stared at his outstretched hand like it was a viper. I stood up without his aid and skirted around him. His laughter followed closely on my heels. That was super weird.
After we all found a seat in the living room, I asked Austin, “So, where do you think this key is?”
Sarah started fidgeting with her sweater sleeves, casting glances at the rest of us. Austin reclined into the couch cushions, where he put an arm around Sarah. His fingers mechanically trailed up and down her arm. “I believe the witch community currently has it.”
My eyebrows rose at his statement. That’s it? Surely, he had more to go on than this.
“I’ve got it narrowed down to a couple of covens,” he said.
Sarah crossed her legs and then re-crossed them. She scooted back farther into the couch. She was clearly uncomfortable, but Austin’s lazy hand motions never stopped caressing her arm. He stroked her like he was petting a cat, never noticing this particular long-tailed cat looked like she was in a room full of rocking chairs. Tally had his typical thinking face on. His forehead was lined with a few wrinkles, as he assessed the situation.
What in the ever-loving hey was going on? Finally, Sarah broke the silence. “I think I might know where the key is.”
Austin’s face registered shock. “You do?”
I hid my smile as his words rang untrue. I needed a margarita and a bowl of popcorn. I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but I had a feeling it was going to be entertaining.
Sarah bit her lip, and just the right amount of water filled her eyes. “My sister has been talking about the key recently. More and more. I think her coven has it in their possession.” She reached out a hand and placed it across Austin’s heart. I knew I should have popped popcorn. “I wanted to tell you, cuddle bear, but she made me swear to secrecy.”
Austin nodded in understanding, but his eyes conveyed something completely different. He looked like a hunter stalking his prey. “Can you give me more details?”
She shrugged. “Just that her coven has it. I don’t see why it matters, though.”
Surely, she couldn’t be that stupid. Tally cleared his throat, but before he could say anything, I gave him a subtle shake of my head. I was dying to see where this was going between Barbie and Ken. Could the Dreamhouse be collapsing? What would Skipper do? She’d need therapy from a fake therapist just like me. I folded my legs up underneath me and leaned forward. My eyes darted back and forth between the lovebirds. I felt like I was watching the Titanic right before it hit the iceberg.
She rested her head on his chest. “I mean, who cares?”
Austin’s voice was monotone, but he tensed like a tightly coiled spring. “Your sister and her friends, do they plan on opening the portals soon?”
“I think she’s already had a trial run. The other day on the phone she had mentioned something about The Battery. She just bought a house close to the portal for the convenience, and she might be having another get-together tonight, but again, who cares?”
Tally huffed. “I can’t take it anymore. Sarah, you know your boyfriend is looking for the key. You were in the room when Carmen and Austin made a deal to find the key, so I’m not entirely sure why you keep saying who cares. Obviously, everyone in this room should care.”
Sarah cocked her head to the side like a golden retriever.
“Tally, don’t bother. You’ve lost her somewhere in the translation, which seems pretty easy to do.” Against my better judgement, I found myself asking Sarah, “Are you saying you don’t care if your sister and her little witch friends open portals and simultaneously let hordes of evil supernatural beings over?”
Her eyes flashed to me. “Oh, please, like you have some sort of moral compass. Besides, my sister is one of the smartest witches there is, and she has a plan to bespell everyone she chooses to allow over. They will all be her slaves. She will be the most powerful witch ever to have lived.”
Tally rolled his eyes at the stupidity of her words. “And yet she has let you out of her sight.”
He had a point. I would never let Sarah know anything I wished to keep a secret. The second she was riled, which seemed to be all the time, she would spew loads of info.
I made eye contact with Austin. As we stared at each other, I realized two things. One, he had chosen Sarah to be his girlfriend for a reason, and love at first sight wasn’t it, and two, he was way more conniving than even I realized. What an endearing quality. Good for him. The only one in this room who didn’t know this yet was poor Sarah, who was currently drawing little hearts on his chest with her finger. Ugh. Gag city. As she whispered something to her “cuddle bear,” I decided I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Oh, for crying out loud. What is the point of this? Did you seriously date Mary over there for how long, Mare?”
Sarah’s head popped up from Austin’s chest. “Three weeks,” she snapped, “and we’re in love.”
“Um. Sure.” I looked at Tally. “Three weeks and he was already promoted to cuddle bear. Can you imagine wh
at he’d be called if this sick rendition went on much longer? Snooky ookums or honey cake, perhaps?” I dry heaved a little. “Anyways, wasn’t there an easier way to extract information than this …” I gestured, pointing at both Austin and Sarah. “Maybe a slightly less nauseating way?”
“What are you suggesting?” Austin spat. “I would never beat a woman. I’m not a demon.”
“I never suggested that, you son of a bench.”
Poor Sarah glanced at us both with confusion. I stood up from my chair, and he stood up from the couch. The tension was thick as we both squared off at one another.
“I would personally rather have a stranger beat me to get information than have someone lie to me, use me, and trick me into falling in love with them.”
“Like demons even know what love is!”
“You know I have loved. I loved my mother dearly. You saw it first hand down in that cave, but go ahead spew your hate. You couldn’t possibly make yourself look any more judgemental.”
Sarah stood up and shouted, “Can someone please tell me what is going on?”
Tally said, “You’ve been scammed, buttercup. Your cuddle bear used you to get information about the key.”
Tally gave me a wink, and I couldn’t help but grin. I had to be careful, or I’d get used to having him around.
When Sarah started gasping like a fish out of water, Tally shooed me out of the room. I begrudgingly headed to my office and shut the door. There was so much drama happening, and I was missing out. Things were about to get ugly, and as much as I despised Sarah, I really didn’t want to sit in another room while I listened to her wailing. I wanted a front-row seat. Up close and personal. I wanted her tears to hit me. I smiled to myself. Yep, I was definitely evil. An earth-shattering shriek from the other room had me squinting. Three weeks they were together, but she sounded like her world was falling apart. That I didn’t understand. Yeah, Austin was out of this world hot, but three weeks? Come on.
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