by C C Solomon
Felix squinted his eyes in suspicion but headed out without question. “Don’t be long.”
Azrael waited until the door clicked and then swiped their hand in the direction of the door.
“What’d you do?” I asked.
“Soundproof us.”
I raised my brows. Did the angel think Felix was going to hang around and eavesdrop? Or maybe someone else? This must have been serious. I moved over to the loveseat and sat down. “What’s up, angel?”
Azrael walked over to me with a somber look. “Have you noticed a change in Felix?”
I poked my lower lip out, confused. “Uh, no? Should I?” I thought about it then remembered something. Lately, his physique had been top notch. It was impressive actually. “Oh, yes.”
Azrael sat on the couch with a wide-eyed look. “You have?”
I nodded quickly. “He has been going hard at the gym. His body is ridiculous.”
Azrael rolled their eyes and swore. “So, I take it as a no? He doesn’t seem darker to you?”
“Assuming you aren’t talking about his tan, then no. I mean, sure he got a little ballsy with Monica, but I think we all know she deserved it. For all I know, he’s just coming into his true self. The type of guy he was before you guys swiped our minds.”
“I’m being serious, Francesca. Perhaps you haven’t noticed because you haven’t been around him as much, but the others do. Some days, he’s that old lovable guy that seems just a little out of whack. Then the next moment, he’s this smart mouth, arrogant, rude and sometimes cruel person.”
I let out a breath, racking my brain of my moments with Felix. The closest thing to arrogance I’d noticed was him being more assertive in his attraction to me. But I liked that. “He seems more confident. That would make sense. He was a hitman. He’s just getting his swag back.”
Azrael massaged the bridge of their nose. “Yeah, and hopefully not killing anymore. Do you know he’s not teaching anymore?”
“No, I thought he was on summer break. He told me he liked it. He lied?”
Azrael gave me a pointed look. “See, he’s not himself. He finished the school year, but announced he wasn’t coming back. He joined the police force instead. Said he was tired of teaching brats.”
That didn’t sound right. It was just the other day that he told me he loved teaching. I made a face of disdain. “While he’s right, kids are brats, but that doesn’t sound like him. When was this?”
“Yesterday. It’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
“Maybe it’s this place then. Maybe it's affecting him.”
“Possibly. Or maybe it’s because he’s half-demon? And now that it has been allowed to be let loose, it’s gaining ground.”
“He was always part demon. The only thing that changed is him being in this town.”
Azrael growled in frustration. “Before the mind wipe, he was like this to a degree, but there was something that held him back from going too far over.”
Intrigued, I scooted to the edge of my seat. “What?”
The angel’s eyes softened. “His love for you.”
I lowered my shoulders, at a loss for words and unsure how I felt. At first, I was the bad influence. Now they were saying I actually was good for him?
“Then, when we took his mind, Faith and the others helped him fall on the side of angel versus the demon side. But when we returned his memories, things slowly began to change. Especially since he was held in the hell dimension when Alister captured him. That could have triggered his dark side. He mentioned to me that he’d never gone to the hell realm before. He’d always meet with Alister in the human world.”
“Shit,” I whispered. I hadn’t even thought about that. “So, you think he’s going evil. Maybe this town is another catalyst to make that happen? We need to get him out of here. But, wait, it’s not affecting me. I feel like I’m becoming nicer.”
Azrael raised their brows and looked away as if they were struggling with that realization. “Maybe this place makes people the opposite of who they are.” Jerk.
“Well, rest assured he won’t go to the dark side. He’ll just be a jerk from time to time. The angel side will keep him good.”
“Or get swallowed up by the demon side.”
That was new. “Can that even happen?”
“Not to you. But he’s part angel. It’s a tricky balance. After all, Satan used to be an angel.”
Now that thought terrified me. Felix as a demon was not what I wanted. Sure, there were a precious few full-on demons who weren’t totally nasty like Nadia, but that didn’t mean that would be the case for Felix. And while I was still coming to terms with being part demon myself, it didn’t mean I wasn’t worried. Demons were considered the lowest of the low. I didn’t even want the fae to know I was so tainted. Most of them had hated that Misandre had worked with Alister. Yet another reason why her death was not mourned. As much as I hated angels, I hated for Felix to be a full demon even more.
“What do we need to do?”
Azrael tossed their hands out to the side. “Keep an eye on him and get him out of here sooner rather than later just in case there is a connection.”
“I think we all need to get out of here.”
Azrael paused. “Just make him keep loving you. Don’t break his heart.”
I wanted to laugh, feeling suddenly exhausted because I wasn’t certain this was going to work. I wanted to be Queen of a fae realm, and I was beginning to suspect that my draw to that decision was the fact that somewhere in my mind, I still remembered that I was a fae princess with a kingdom of my own. How much did I want my past? And did that outweigh my attraction to Felix? “I can’t commit to a relationship right now. I have goals.”
The angel stood up with a look of disappointment. “Well, if you can’t, then we might eventually lose the Felix we know and love. All because he had to go to hell to save you. Think about that when you run after your goals.”
Chapter 12
Carlos jumped up when he saw me. He looked the same with kind eyes, gray hair, and a trimmed goatee. He appeared to be in his late fifties, but he was fit and stylish, which gave him a youthful vibe.
He opened his arms and gave me a tight hug, smelling of cigars. One of his few earthly vices. “Good to see you again, my dear,” he said in a jolly voice. He let me go and ushered for me to sit beside him. “I’d love to catch up, but I know we must get the serious talk over with first. They told me you were attacked by a shapeshifter.”
I nodded swiftly. “Well, I thought it was a shapeshifter, but it was cold so maybe it was a demon.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t a shapeshifter.” He looked over to Felix then back to me with concerned gray eyes. “You’re both half-demon, and as such, you attract dark things. I suspect what you encountered was a doppelganger.”
I blinked rapidly. I knew nothing about doppelgangers except that they were like unrelated twins, but something told me this just wasn’t a stranger who looked like me. “Where did it come from?”
Carlos shrugged. “Who knows? But she is not human. More of a spirit, and typically they are harbingers of bad things to come.”
I snorted. “Yeah, like a stabbing.”
“If I were a betting man, I would say that killing Alister is slowly bringing out all the freaks who gravitate to the energy of a half-demon. As a hybrid, for lack of a better word, you’re special. Some would want to consume your energy.”
“Fun. So, you’re saying Alister was protecting me all this time?”
Felix shifted in his seat with a grimace at each mention of Alister’s name.
Carlos glanced over at him with understanding eyes, then back to me. “In a way, yes.”
“Will it come back?”
“Absolutely. It will try to kill you again. It wants to be you. Once you die, it would become you.”
“Screw that.”
“Indeed. Even if it doesn’t kill you, its very existence is problematic because it still means other trouble is m
eant for you.”
I rubbed my face in frustration. “So, how do we get rid of it?”
Carlos waved a hand to the side. “Kill it like you do anything else. If you see it again, just go for the kill. No questions. Of course, killing it won’t be easy since it’s actually a spirit, just in solid form.”
Azrael took a seat at the dining table next to the kitchenette. “Do we just exorcise it?”
“In a manner. The key is to use magic in your killing of it. If you use a sword make sure it’s laced in magic.” He glanced back over to me, his eyes now seemingly darker. That couldn’t be good. “Now, let’s talk about the bigger reason I’m here.”
I raised my brows and touched my collarbone, pretending to be insulted. “I’m sorry, me being attacked by a doppelganger wasn’t a big issue?”
“Of course, it is and I’ve explained what to do. It’s probably wise to keep people around you at all times. Before you got here, Faith and Felix told me about the child demon attached to you. You will see more such things. Some mean to do you harm, others not.”
Great, I would need a chaperone for who knows how long. How was I going to explain that to the fae? What excuse could I use for the amount of demons coming my way?
As if reading my thoughts, or perhaps my face, Carlos spoke again. “I know you are worried about your chances for the fae throne. I’ve learned a few things about you recently, which I came to share as well.”
Well, that was exciting news. “Do tell.”
“Apparently, you are a princess, my dear. You were raised under a Queen of an Unseelie court. So, I suppose, it’s in your blood to want to run a court yourself.”
I lowered my shoulders. If this was all the news he had, he was too late. “Monica told me that.”
He swung his fist across his body in mild irritation. “Of course, she would steal my thunder. Did she tell you why you aren’t a princess now?”
I shook my head. “Guess she’s decided to dole out info piece by piece to keep me at her beck and call.”
Carlos rubbed his chin. “Wouldn’t be surprised. Well, let me say this. You have an older half-brother. I don’t know his name. I can’t narrow down the exact court you came from yet, either. What I do know is that you lived in northern Florida with your mother and father. Your brother must have remained behind with his biological father, who was a fae King. Now, I’m just guessing, but your mother probably raised you as the King’s biological daughter, and then, when you were twelve, he found out the truth and sent you and your mother away to the human realm.”
That made sense, and now I had a whole other thought in regards to Marcus. Was he my half-brother? Who exactly was he to me?
“Your mother married a man later on named Emmett Ross. I don’t know if he was your biological father, the demon, or an adoptive human father. I can’t find anything about him doing anything extraordinary or criminal. He seemed to be a regular, law abiding citizen. He volunteered in the community and seemed to have been a good man. I’m sorry to say he died of cancer thirteen years ago. This is why I was doubtful he was your biological father. A demon wouldn’t die of such a thing. I am searching for your parents now. Finding your brother is more challenging. Fae, especially Unseelie, do not like outsiders.”
I took in a breath, feeling finally hopeful that I was getting closer and closer to my identity.
Carlos patted my knee in a comforting manner. “I will keep looking as long as it takes to find who you are and how to get your memory back. Monica, I’m sure, shared that your memory of who you once were was probably wiped before we came along. It’s how you ended up with Misandre. If you were going to join a fae court again, it would make the most sense to find a Western connected court. But you went to whoever solicited the best offer. Misandre seized that opportunity, and I would not be surprised if she knew exactly who you were. You are a warrior faerie, and that came ingrained in you from your lineage. More importantly, what you are makes it hard for you to be a ruler in the fae world.”
I nodded. I figured that much seeing as faes hated demons who they thought were tainted, uncivilized and untrustworthy. Which was mostly true. “Yeah, with me being half-demon. It’s not a good look.”
He looked down at the hardwood floor, shoulders slumping. “Not just that. You can’t keep your dynasty going.”
I scrunched my face in confusion. “What do you mean?”
When he looked back at me, his eyes were pained and he clasped my hand in both of his. “You can’t have children.”
What?
“Neither can Felix.”
That stung. While kids had never been on my mind, I hadn’t ruled them out. Especially, if I was coming for a throne. Who would want a queen who couldn’t keep a dynasty going? It was the reason that Misandre’s leaving had caused this competition. She never had any more children after humans killed them long ago.
Felix let out a heavy sigh after a period of silence. “Well, I guess it’s for the best. Kids can be annoying.”
Now that was not a Felix thing to say. Aside from his flirting more than normal, I hadn’t noticed much of a change before in Felix. Was I so self-absorbed with my own issues that I missed what was happening with him? I looked over to him, sitting on my other side, but his face only gave off a mild sadness as if he just learned he’d have to wait another ten minutes for the train to come, not some life devastating news. That was not what I expected him to say. He was a freaking teacher, after all. He was also patient and kind. He’d make a great father. I shook my head of the thought. I was going into fairy tale thinking again. I glanced over to Azrael, who gave me a pointed look. Clearly, Felix’s uncharacteristic response was a solid example of this growing darkness that the angel mentioned.
Carlos squinted his eyes at him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Azrael had already spoken to him about Felix’s change, if that’s what you would call it.
I rolled my shoulders back trying to comprehend what Carlos was telling us. “Why can’t we have kids?”
Carlos looked back at me, eyes shifting to sympathy again. He was a much kinder angel than the others. It’s why I always looked at him like family. He was just easier to like than the cold Monica or that smart-ass Azrael. It was also probably why I took him for granted and easily ran away. “It’s natures attempt to prevent ongoing angel and demon bloodlines.”
“So, we’re freaks of nature? And this is nature’s way of stamping us out?”
“I’m sorry, my dear, but it seems so. Angels and demons aren’t supposed to have kids. In most cases such children don’t come to term. The few that make it are anomalies.”
“Any chance the big guy or gal upstairs could make an exception for some do-gooders like us?”
Azrael choked back a laugh, and I cut my eyes at them.
“Problem? Felix is a member of the Six and I helped fight the evil soulmates and took out a demon King. You’d think that would earn us some brownie points.” It wasn’t my fault I was born like this. I felt shafted. Maybe I had wanted kids, regardless if I was to carry on a fae dynasty. I could live my life simply and still have wanted that possibility. A part of me felt sad at that.
The angel waved a dismissive hand at me. “It doesn’t work like that. Felix was made a Six to serve a purpose. He has no choice but to do good. And you doing good is no more than anyone else who risked their lives in battle.” I huffed and crossed my arms. “Rude much? Can’t a girl have some hope?”
Felix nodded, giving me a gentle smile that brought me back to the Felix I knew. “Of course, you can. We both can. I’ll find a way to give you kids if that’s what you want.” He gave me a quick wink and I cocked an eyebrow in return. I wasn’t sure how he planned to pull off a miracle, but I was intrigued to find out.
“Well, thanks for sharing all your news. Keep up the good work of finding out who I am while we try to go rid a town of weird skin melting demons and fight off a doppelganger, and I find a way to set a child demon free and win a fae throne.” I swung my arm a
round the room, pointing at everyone. “And let it be known, that none of these things I have to do are paying gigs. If we can’t stop what’s going on in that town by the end of this week, I’m out. I have campaigning to do.”
Carlos chuckled, leaning back comfortably in his seat. “Over-dramatic as always, my dear. I have absolute faith things will work in your favor. This demon child, have you thought of asking him about the melting demons? He knows when they are out, so perhaps he knows more information about them to help you catch them?”
I dropped my mouth open and scratched my head in disbelief. “You know, I normally think I’m a smart woman but then you say the obvious thing that I never think about and I feel like an idiot.”
“Me too,” Azrael grumbled, rolling their eyes. “Assuming we can trust a demon, that would be a great start.”
Well, time to go have another chat with a demon.
I tried to call Tim like I had last time but he was a no show. I guess he felt he’d come when he wanted. So, since he was being a little jerk, I’d have to force him to show up by conjuring him.
Like I said, conjuring a demon was never my specialty and working for Alister, I never had to. Carlos gave me a conjuring spell to use but said it would require some form of blood sacrifice, specifically the killing of an animal. The more powerful the demon, the higher in the food chain the sacrifice had to be. Since the demon was just a child, I was hoping a mouse or rat would do.
Carlos left us for the night and the four of us gathered in a wooded area still in town. Felix procured a small field mouse he trapped in a box.
Faith let out a breath and rubbed her arms as if chilly from the comfortably warm night air. “Anyone else feel bad about killing Mickey over there just to make the equivalent of a phone call?”
Felix shrugged. “It’s for the greater good.”
“Of course, you’d see it that way, Mr. Give-up-a-toe.”
I snorted. Did I mention that when Alister put a non-removable tracking ring on me, Felix gave up his pinky toe to make a spell to remove it? It worked but I felt guilty about his sacrifice.