I threw my coffee on the flames and looked for anything else I could throw at them. When I saw the fire extinguisher under the old wooden desk, I grabbed it. By the time I turned around, Marilyn had put the fire out. I’d singed her red-velvet curtains, and the wall had scorch marks. When I opened my mouth, my cell phone rang again. Whoever kept calling was about to get an earful. “What,” I huffed into the phone.
“Where are you, Paldon? Your car is near your office, but you aren’t there,” Ryker said.
“Don’t you pull your alpha voice on me. I’m meeting with someone about my magic, and you interrupted me. I told you I would be back to the pack house tonight. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to clean up from a fire I started because you distracted me.” The smell of singed fabric filled the room.
“Are you okay?” I could hear the concern in his voice.
“Yes, but I need time to figure this all out.”
Ryker said goodbye before he hung up. Marilyn had her hands on her hips and was staring at the wall of scorched things.
“I’m sorry. I can pay to replace that.”
“You weren’t lying when you said you couldn’t control your magic at all.”
“I said we should go outside,” I reminded the elder witch.
She waved her hand over the wall, and the scorch marks disappeared. “Well, I guess it’s time to buy some new curtains. Now maybe we should move outside to work on your magic a little more. Also, I recommend silencing your phone.”
Marilyn locked up her shop and led me to the back alley. It was the same alleyway my firm was on, but it looked different.
“I have this section under a spell. Nobody will see you using your magic.”
I hoped I wouldn’t be able to kill anyone, either.
“Light the candle, Paldon,” Marilyn commanded. She had brought it with her.
I closed my eyes and pulled from the fiery ring of magic in my mind. Each time I looked for my magic, it became easier. With the magic warming my veins, I held up my hand and pointed at the candle. A flash of bright fire came from my palm and went toward it, but instead of lighting it, my magic fire hit the candle with so much force it blew up. White wax snowed on the alleyway. I added another item to the list of things I had to pay for. At the rate I was going, I would be in deep debt by the end of the night.
Marilyn produced another candle.
“Umm, can we go with something that won’t cost me any money if I blow it up?”
“No,” was the only answer I got as she set the second candle on the ground.
The stars twinkled. The Florida sky was clear, and the full moon lit the alleyway. A black cat caught my attention. “I thought you said I couldn’t hurt anything back here.”
She waved her hand at the cat. “Don’t worry about Frank. He can run faster than your fireball.”
You didn’t see the twenty demons I blew up earlier. I closed my eyes again and pictured the ring of fire. The magic wrapped itself around me, the black glitter swirling around my body. I concentrated on the candle and let my magic flow. The white candle vanished. White wax didn’t fall from the sky like the previous time, but the candle had gone missing.
“Umm, do you know what happened?”
Marilyn didn’t answer right away. Her eyes were still on the pavement where the candle had stood a second ago. “I was sure you was part of the underworld. I can sense the darkness off of you. But your magic is different.”
I shifted from foot to foot, my high heels clicking on the ground. Not sure how much I should share, I said, “I know my magic pulls from the underworld. I don’t have control over it.”
She waved her hands and produced another candle. “Magic of the underworld can blow things up and start fires, but that is the limit. You made something vanish. You sent the candle somewhere, so you had to have used another type of magic. What were you thinking when you sent your magic to the candle?”
The magic had taken over my body, and I only thought about the ring of fire in my mind. “The only thing I was thinking about was my magic.”
Frank the black cat paced behind Marilyn and reached up to put a paw on her leg. She looked down and shook her head at the cat. He looked like he rolled his green eyes before he jumped back onto the windowsill.
“You need to clear your mind. Don’t think of anything other than lighting the candle.”
For the third time, I closed my eyes, and the black glitter swirled around me like a warm blanket. I visualized the candle flame in my mind and let the magic fly from my hand. When I opened my eyes, the candle flickered.
Marilyn had me light the candle a few more times. With each pull of my magic, it became easier. Before, I’d fought for my magic to stay buried deep down. As I released the power, the magic coursed through my body. With each time I tapped into my magic, I expected my body to become tired. Instead, my magic wanted to come out. A continuous black cloud of glitter floated around me. I no longer needed to picture the ring of fire. My magic sat on the tip of my finger waiting.
Marilyn waved her hand, and a thirty-foot oak tree appeared in the center of the alleyway. With a snap of her fingers, she placed a candle on one of the branches then whispered something I couldn’t hear to Frank. The cat jumped off the ledge and sauntered down the alleyway.
“Light the candle and don’t kill the tree.”
I focused on the candle. Green leaves covered the tall tree. The magic was already on the tip of my fingers, but seconds before I released it, something attacked my back, and claws raked down my skin. I was so concentrated on my magic and the candle that I’d heard no one come up behind me. I let the black magic around my body free, and black glitter with a hint of fire filled the alleyway. The force at which I blew my magic out flung whoever had attacked me against the wall.
When the glitter fell to the ground and the smoke from the fire decreased, I looked for Marilyn. She lay on the ground, Frank next to her. His tail was bent, and blood ran from his little head. But the sound of a man crying for help had me looking down the alleyway. The magic enclosure was no longer in place.
The once-green oak was only a pile of ash. I’d destroyed everything around me. Marilyn sat up, and I ran down the alleyway toward the man who’d cried for help. When I reached him, my heart broke. It was Marty, who lived in the alleyway. Every so often, I would bring him breakfast or lunch. He was a retired Marine. I’d tried numerous times to set him up with programs, but the alley was where he wanted to be.
He had his hands over a hole in his leg, blood covering it.
“Marty, keep holding it. I’ll call an ambulance.” I reached for the phone in my pocket, when someone wrapped their hands around my arm.
“Wait,” Marilyn said.
“He needs help, and this was my fault.” My hands shook at the thought of how I’d hurt someone. My magic had destroyed everything in the alley. It seemed more destructive than anything positive. I didn’t need to learn how to use my magic—I needed to learn how to make it go away. Lucifer had taken the scar off my face, so maybe I could talk him into taking the magic back.
Marilyn crouched down next to Marty and placed her hands on his wound. She chanted in a language I had never heard before. White light glowed from her hands as Marty’s wound healed. When she finally pulled away, she collapsed.
Marty stared at his leg for a few moments. “What are you guys?”
We no longer needed an ambulance, but we couldn’t have Marty telling any of his friends what happened. I dialed the one person who could wipe a mind and make the matter go away. He could also help me carry Marilyn into her shop. Frank sat on the pavement, glaring at me with his broken tail swishing back and forth.
Archer picked up on the first ring. “Hey, girly. Already need me to come to save you from the big, bad alpha?”
“No, I need you to meet me in the back alley of my shop. I need your mind-erasing skill.”
“Wait one second. I will not erase Ryker’s mind.”
I couldn’t hold b
ack the huff. “Just get down here.”
In like true vampire fashion, Archer arrived two minutes later. Marilyn was still lying on the ground, and Marty was staring at his leg. But my vampire friend didn’t arrive alone. He had brought Michelle with him. Michelle tapped Marilyn with her shoe, and Frank hissed at her. Archer dropped his fangs and snarled at the cat.
“Stop!” I screamed and gestured at Marty. “Erase his memory of the past twenty minutes.”
Archer’s fangs were still down as he touched Marty’s head. Marty tried to scoot back, but Archer was faster.
When Archer let go, he turned his eyes on me. “You need to learn how to control yourself.”
“Can we talk about this inside? Help me get her back in the shop. If we can’t bring her back, I will have to call Ryker.” How will I explain that I might’ve killed another person?
Archer didn’t say another word but bent down and picked up the elderly witch and carried her into the shop. Michelle followed behind. Frank kept a close eye on the vampire as we walked toward the door.
When we were inside, Archer laid Marilyn on the table. “What now?”
Luckily, we didn’t need to figure that out, as Marilyn’s eyes fluttered open, and she surveyed the room. When she slowly sat up, I rushed to her side. Frank jumped on the table and sat on her lap.
“What happened?” I asked as I rushed to get her a cup of tea.
Marilyn pushed the blond locks from her face. “He was sicker than the wound in his leg. The healing drained all of my energy.”
Frank jumped off her lap, and Archer helped her off the table. She sat in the chair from earlier and sipped on the tea I’d grabbed from the desk area.
“Did you do that too?” Archer asked as he looked at the frayed curtain.
The failure started to set in, and I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. “It was an accident.”
Archer smirked and asked, “Like the twenty demons you blew up earlier today?”
Michelle snickered. “She popped them like balloons.”
I went to answer, but Marilyn spoke. “Archer, thank you for your mind clearing. I hadn’t realized how powerful Paldon’s magic is. Can we have time alone so we can discuss a few things?”
Archer might act like a kid and pick on me, but he would do anything to protect me. He searched my face for an answer.
“It’s okay, Archer. Marilyn won’t kill me.”
Michelle gave me a hug before Archer wrapped her in his arms and left in a flash.
Marilyn looked down at her cat and patted his head before she motioned for him to go to the other room. She reached for her cup of tea and turned it around a few times before she turned her purple eyes on me. “I could feel the dark magic in you, but you did not mention you were the daughter of Lucifer.”
I glanced at the red book, which was lying on the floor. Why does my life get turned upside down every ten years? “Why would it matter if I was Lucifer’s daughter? The magic all comes from the same place.”
With a snap of her fingers, the red book appeared in her hands, and she flipped a few pages to a picture of a burning pit of fire. “This is where the magic from the underworld comes from. With certain pledges, anyone can pull from it.” Then she flipped to the back of the book and pointed at a picture of a dragon breathing fire, a demon with fire in his palms, and fire coming from the walls. “This is where Lucifer’s fire comes from, and rumor has it so does the fire of his children. When you pull magic from the first ring, it can light something on fire or blow it up. You have more power than anyone can understand.”
“Can you teach me how to control my magic?”
Marilyn tapped her fingers on the table. “Why hasn’t Lucifer taught you how?”
“I didn’t find out about dear old Dad until today. First, Atieno showed up at my office and demanded I go into council protection. I refused, then when I went home, I found my friend Michelle with two trolls and a possessed wolf. When we cleared that mess up, twenty demons showed up in my house, and I let my magic out for the second time in my life and eliminated all the demons.” I finished by telling her about Lucifer saying I needed to find my mom and that she might be behind everything.
“I can’t deny what your father said about having a healthy sex life. Everyone knows he’s a playboy.”
The issues from the day and using so much magic were making my head throb, or maybe I needed another cup of coffee. As if the old witch had read my mind, she snapped her fingers, and a delicious cup of coffee was in front of me.
“I don’t even know where to start on finding my mom. And what happens if I’m attacked again? My magic is uncontrollable.”
Before Marilyn could reply, the room filled with the smell of brimstone, and red glitter floated around. I closed my eyes, thinking my magic was coming out again, but it wasn’t me. A figure formed in a corner, and a woman took a step forward out of the red glitter. She had long black hair in a braid, and she was at least six feet tall. A silver sword hung on her hip. With a wave of her hand, the glitter and smoke dissipated. Her fingers tapped the handle of the sword. Her nails were long and red. I didn’t know if I could stop whoever had appeared in Marilyn’s shop, but I knew we both might die.
Chapter 6
“You’re kind of small to be Lucifer’s daughter.”
The very intimidating woman dressed in tight red leather took another step toward the table. I pulled on my magic and hoped I wouldn’t blow up everyone in the small room. My black magic circled around me.
“Oh, how cute. You think you can hurt me.” The uninvited guest grabbed a chair and turned it around before taking a seat. “Dad said you needed my help. Well, he said my new sister was on a mission, and you would need to figure out who your mother is before she ends the world. So, I figured I would come to see you first before the rest of your siblings come to meet their new sister. It’s not very often we find a new sibling.” She grabbed my cup of coffee and took a sip. “That’s good. Now, since I came first, I’m your favorite, right?”
I looked across the table at Marilyn. Her cheeks were still pale from her earlier, and her strength clearly hadn’t returned from using her magic. Frank stood on the table with his fur raised and his tail crooked.
I wished I could somehow fix his tail, but first I needed to figure out who had appeared in Marilyn’s shop. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Wrath. Now, am I or am I not your favorite sister?”
“Umm... you mean Wrath as in the deadly sin? Or did Lucifer name you after the seventh deadly sin?” The pulse in my head throbbed. Killing the second to the Mystic Ash pack, dealing with my dad, then almost killing Marty was about all I could take in one day. Suddenly learning I had a sibling was getting to be too much. I almost thought one of the deadly sins had sat down at the table.
“Of course. I’m Wrath, in charge of anger and violence.” Her eyes sparkled when she mentioned anger. “Your other sisters are the other six deadly sins. Yes, you also have other siblings, but the seven of us are the coolest since we help keep the balance in the world. Now, when I came in”— she turned her attention to Marilyn—“you were talking about how much our father is a playboy. So, I’m here to help protect you and find your mother.”
Marilyn pulled Frank into her lap and ran her hand across his back. His green eyes were still glaring at me. “Your father is a playboy, but with the strength I witnessed earlier, whoever her mother is also has powers of some kind, and she must’ve had help if she hid Paldon from Lucifer by wiping her out of his and her brain.”
I ignored my phone vibrating in my pocket. I knew it was Ryker. His minions watching outside had probably called and reported an explosion in the alleyway. “Okay, where do I start? Who do you think could be my mom?” Sadness washed over me as I realized I never knew my mother or father—and I’d found out my mother might be my demise.
Wrath leaned back in the chair and watched Marilyn. “My list of ideas is a mile long. We also have to think about so
meone who might have taken Paldon when she was born and hidden her from Lucifer and her mom. We need to figure out who would benefit by having the souls released from hell. Who do you have in mind?”
Marilyn flipped the pages of the book to the image of the wolf from earlier. Symbols, not letters, filled each page of the book. “The prophecy said the white wolf has the power of the gods. Well, we know one of your parents is a god.”
Wrath tapped her red nail on the table. “Only Lucifer’s kids with immortal mothers can pull from the ninth ring.”
Marilyn pointed at the picture in the book. “I would have to guess your mother is a demon, a fallen angel, or a shifter.”
“Nope on the shifter. Lucifer said he saw an image of her being turned by the current North American leader when she was a pup. I know it is a far stretch, but her mother could also be human. Dad had a girlfriend around the same time who was human. The person could easily wipe a human’s brain and take the child and put it where they want.”
My stomach dropped. How could Joseph have hidden my past and turned me? I couldn’t stop the growl that came up. I wanted to head to Georgia and take the alpha out. Who knew what else he had done to people over the years? “Lucifer saw Joseph turn me. Why didn’t he say anything, and furthermore, would my powers be this strong if my mom was human?”
“Down, dog.” Wrath smirked. “Our father likes to leave important information out. He thinks it’s fun for us to learn on our own. We will head to the North American pack and take the head off the alpha. I will let you kill him, but I want the head. I need a new piece over my mantel. As for your powers, they might be stronger with a human mother. None of Lucifer’s other children have human mothers, so I wouldn’t know, but Dad’s DNA might take over without having to fight with another supernatural power.”
“‘We.’” I didn’t know about having one of the seven deadly sins following me around. It sounded kind of like I would be bringing more bad juju into my life. I ignored the part about killing anyone or mounting their head. Ditching Wrath as soon as possible was the next item on my agenda.
Hell’s Key: Siblings of the Underworld, Book 1 Page 5