by Maya Daniels
“You could’ve parked at home,” I tell Remi when she gets out of her car.
“I could’ve, but someone needs to keep an eye on your suicidal ass.” She grins, not very nicely. It’s more like a wild dog baring its teeth and that makes me laugh.
“Good point! Let’s go.” I turn and start walking.
“The zoo? Really, Sap?” Jez asks, skipping next to me and slipping her arm through mine like we’re out for a stroll.
“They have piranhas.” I smile broadly at her and feel her shiver, which only makes me laugh harder.
“Piranhas?” Remi repeats breathlessly behind us.
“Oh, come on guys, really? Of course, piranhas. Who’d be stupid enough to look there? Huh?” I ask, exasperated.
“You, obviously, mate,” Faith chirps.
“Plus, no more goons to try to swim with them, either,” I point out.
As I say that, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and Lucifer slows his steps next to me. It feels like we’re being watched. I stop in my tracks, my gaze roaming the area to see if I can spot anyone, but other than the lights in the parking lot, everything is dark and gloomy.
“I knew we should’ve told the fairies to come with us,” Jez whispers next to me.
“We just yelled enough to wake the dead. Now you’re whispering?” I arch my eyebrow, glancing down at her. She snickers like this is some joke. “Come on. Let’s get inside,” I tell them and start running towards the entrance. I’m not going to stand here and play games, no matter who’s watching us. I’m going to grab what we came here for, then we are leaving. End of story.
Lucifer doesn’t need to be told twice. He’s one step behind me, guarding my back as we race towards the zoo and its entrance.
Before I even reach the gates, I hear a click and they swing open, allowing us to enter without slowing. I look over my shoulder at him and he solemnly nods, answering my unspoken query. I fill my lungs with the air and energy that surrounds this place. It’s like food for the soul, even if mine is hanging around the angel’s neck. Animals shuffle around as we pass noticing our presence.
I stay close to the shadows and go as fast as I can without full-on sprinting so I don’t startle the animals. If anyone is following us and we did that, it will be like putting a neon sign over us with an arrow pointing our way. I can’t sense anyone except us and the animals, but the feeling of being watched is still there like a dark cloud on a sunny day; there’s no way not to notice it. Everyone else follows without a word. If anyone sees Remi’s frown, I’m sure they’ll be running for their lives. I think after the incident in the dark realm, this has become personal for her.
Skulking like thieves through the paths between one habitat and the next, we near the tanks where the piranhas are kept. As they come into view, I slow down before stopping completely. Lucifer bumps into me and my body erupts in goosebumps. His masculine chuckle tells me he is all too aware of how I react to his touch. I elbow him in the stomach. I won’t lie, his grunt is very satisfying so I can’t help but grin, and when he scolds me for it, I only widen my smile.
“You guys keep an eye out, and I’ll go grab them,” I whisper-yell.
“Wha-what?” Jezzinta stutters. “In there with the piranhas?” She points a shaky finger at the tank where the gray fishes swim in without a care in the world.
“Fish. Remember?” I jab a finger first at the fish then at myself.
“That fish eats fish like you,” she says angrily and I snicker.
“They won’t, I promise. I was in there once already, hiding the potions. We’re best buddies now.” I smile halfheartedly.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this whole thing. Whoever is watching us is making me swallow thickly like I’m ready to hurl all the chocolate I ate.
“When I’m in the water, remove the concealment on them,” I tell Lucifer, and without waiting on more debate, I square my shoulders and stride towards it like it’s the middle of the day and I’m sightseeing.
My stroll is accompanied by many complaints.
“Oh, dear goddess. She’s nuts!”
“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“Witch, get your ass back here.”
“I’m going to strangle her.”
“Something is going to happen. Get ready.”
Meda’s words stop the charade, and I sprint towards the tank. No way am I going to wait to see what happens next. Grab the potions and get the hell out. That’s my plan. I knew I should’ve come here with just Lucifer, but too late now.
As I near it, I pull the water around my head like a bubble and, without thinking twice, I jump and dive in. Maybe I should’ve taken my shoes off, but that’s hindsight now. My jeans and t-shirt make it harder to swim, but that can’t be helped. I’m sure whoever is out there wouldn’t wait for me to change into a bikini.
I push harder with my feet to get to the bottom of the tank. The fish are swimming, ignoring my presence like I’m not even there. I turn my head to see if I can spot the others, but I can’t see anything else, just little dark fish eyeing me as if they don’t know what to make of me. I hope Lucifer remembers to remove the concealment or I won’t be able to get the potions. As if reading my mind, the water in front of me shimmers, and the beautiful box I placed here not long ago appears. With new determination, I kick my feet harder, snatching the box as soon as I get close enough and hugging it to my chest.
The same moment, the water shimmers again. Wiggling in the water, I spin each way to find out what caused it. There is nothing but algae and fish here. Strange; I could’ve sworn it shimmered. Maybe it was a residue from Lucifer’s power.
I flip so my feet are pointed down and shove with all my might towards the surface. As my body propels upward, the water glistens with a greenish hue that makes my heart stop, and like in slow motion, I watch as the fish that were swimming aimlessly a second ago turn, their entire focus on one thing only: me. Well, fuck!
I kick and use one arm to pull the water around me in hopes I’ll get out of here before I have to hurt the piranhas or they hurt me, but nothing in my life is ever that simple. Like the predators they are, all of them shoot like bullets towards me, overwhelming me with their sheer numbers alone. Their sharp, pointy little teeth don’t help, either. Panic hits me so hard that without thinking, my power collects in my chest and explodes out of me like a sonic boom. The water around me is red, painted in my blood from the bites they manage to take out of me. It hurts like a bitch, but I can’t dwell on that or they’ll finish what they started.
Hoping I only stun them and not kill them, I kick as fast as I can. As I near the surface, an arm reaches inside the red water, pulling me out as if I weigh nothing. The next thing I know, I’m looking at a pissed-off angel who could be either angry or worried, but there’s no mistaking the pissed-off women hovering near him, all yelling all the ways they can personally kill since I have a death wish. Apparently, whoever is watching us is no longer a concern.
“Oh, dear goddess. They ate her,” Jez says faintly, and I snort.
Well, I try to snort, but it sounds like a whimper. That little sound is all it takes for everyone to run towards the cars. Lucifer carries me like a baby cuddled to his chest. I want to protest because I’m a badass and all that, but those little suckers did a number on me, so I only moan and curl up more, breathing in Lucifer’s calming scent. His arms are glowing, probably in his attempt to heal me, which is something I’m on board with for sure. My blood is running down his chest, and for some stupid reason I think, Oh, no, we’ll leave a trail, which is definitely ridiculous since the tank is full of bloody water and whoever screwed with the piranhas already knows we drove here. Our two cars are the only ones in the parking lot. Subtle we are not.
Regardless of all that, I lift my head even though it weighs a ton, glancing over Lucifer’s shoulder to see how much of a blood trail we are leaving. A frown lines my lips. Saplings of new trees are growing, and they weren’t there when
we arrived. As he runs, before turning a corner, I notice more of them following our path. Shit! I’ve lost so much blood that I’m hallucinating. I hear Remi say something and Lucifer grunts, but I don’t understand a word. With that last thought, just as I see the cars ahead of us, I do the only thing a badass would do: I pass out from the blood loss.
Chapter 17
Lucifer…
Whoever is here, they’re hiding themselves too well for my liking. I know they’re here, but I can’t see them. Going along with Alexia’s plan to retrieve the potions and get out without harming any humans did sound nice, but this goes beyond anything I expected. I have grown soft and careless. With that thought, my power blasts around me until the witches stumble from it, but I have no time to stop because Alexia is bleeding out in my arms. To their credit, they say nothing, just right themselves and keep moving. The whimpers coming from the woman in my arms break my heart. She is a tough little creature and hearing her like this makes me want to level this planet and everything in it. Another blast bursts from me and Remi stumbles, falling to her knees without a single complain. She pushes off the ground in one smooth move and keeps running.
“Try not to kill us while you’re at it,” she says breathlessly and I grunt to acknowledge her.
We are jogging by a bear habitat when Alexia stirs in my arms, peering behind us. Then she goes limp and my breath stops. Pressing her tighter to my chest, I don’t stop running because I can see the cars ahead. I’m trying to hear a heartbeat from her—anything to tell me she has only passed out and is still alive. It’s a faint thump on my skin, but I feel it.
“I’m taking her with me in your car, Remi. You can drive, but someone needs to take her car,” I huff. Not because I’m out of breath, no. It’s because I’m scared out of my mind for Alexia.
“On it,” Faith says as we exit the zoo, and she veers off, heading for the Mustang.
“Faith!” I call out, throwing her the keys I pull out of Alexia’s pocket, and without missing a beat, she snatches them out of the air.
As we reach the cars, an eerie green glow lights the darkness surrounded the parking lot , the same glow I saw in the water before the piranhas attacked Alexia. Shadows form and my mind races to find a way for us to escape this place without anyone else coming to harm. I already know that despite her condition, Alexia would hate for anyone else to be injured.
“Get in!” I thunder at the witches, who stop to stare at the magic forming around us. They scramble as fast as they can to jump in the cars, and I crawl in the back seat with Alexia on my lap.
“Don’t just sit there, Remi, drive. I’ll put up a shield,” I tell her.
My power surges, encompassing both cars in a bright golden glow, and I can hear the shadows hissing as we head straight for them. When my power and their magic connect, it feels like I was dumped into a sewer. It’s nasty and sticky. It’s disturbing when it connects with my own power, but I grind my teeth and push harder so that the cars can get past it easier. Evil, red glowing eyes watch with hunger through the windows, but I can’t make out what they are. Tiamat is pulling out the big guns now that she’s lost the warlocks.
I crane my neck to see if the Mustang is following and breathe a sigh of relief. Faith is right on our tail. After a minute of struggling with the evil pulling on my power like a popped bubble, we exit the eerie green glow and I sag in the seat. As Faith exits, I finally take a breath for the first time since I saw Alexia’s blood in the water.
“Are you clear?” Meda speaks for the first time since we left the house.
“Yeah I think so,” Remi answers, looking at me through the mirror.
I nod my head but I can’t talk right now. I concentrate all I have on Alexia. I must heal her before she bleeds to death. As I take a breath to start healing, I stop dead in my tracks. Before my eyes, her wounds close up. The blood has stopped flowing and only the rips in her clothing stand witness to her injuries. How is this possible? Is she healing herself? My heart races at what this could mean. She cannot be mortal if she’s self-healing. This could be a game changer. Does she know she can do this? I don’t think so. She would’ve said something, I’m sure. That leaves me wondering. Should I tell her? Or should I tell the witches?
“Oh, thank the Great Mother. You healed her,” Jezzinta breathes, twisting in the passenger seat to see Alexia better.
I don’t say a word, just nod my head. My mind is still whirling with the implications of this. Maybe I should’ve spoken to Inanna more before I tried to fight her. Alexia is making me act out of control and I am not thinking clearly. I shall go visit Inanna again after I make sure the witch gets some rest. It’s not just the path that has changed for Alexia. They have changed her, and I cannot be certain she will like it.
Just as when we were going to retrieve the potions, the city flies by and I don’t pay attention to it as I stare out the window seeing nothing. Humans, like a blur of annoying insects, go on with their mundane lives not knowing the woman in my arms has fought hell and heaven alike to do right by them. They’ll never know it, either. They will continue praising gods that have better things to do than listen to their cries for help, unless there is an offering they can use to their advantage. It is not lost on me that I was in that category, too, until the witch walked into my realm like she owned it, demanding I do what she wanted.
I smile, looking at her beautiful face resting on my chest. There is blood everywhere, but that only makes her more alluring. She is unlike anyone I have ever met. Woman-child. Fearless like a goddess, yet the simplest things make her heart melt like a youngling. Of course, I would not dare say it to her. I have trouble getting the stubborn witch to let me into her heart, and I do not need more complications in that battle of wills. It’s a battle I will win.
The car slows and I look away from her to see the reason for it. I’m on alert, but there is nothing there. The witches drive like bats from hell, all of them, and soon we turn onto the path that leads to the cottage. As we pass the wards, I can tell that they are somehow weaker. I felt it when we were leaving, too, but didn’t say anything so as not to worry Alexia more. No wonder Tiamat tried to attack her. She has found a way in.
As we near the house, I let the power flow from my body and place a shield around the wards already there. It should keep us protected for now—at least while we are here, which won’t be for long.
“I’ll get things ready so we can clean her up.” Jezzinta jumps out as soon as the car stops and rushes inside.
“I’ll get tea ready.” Meda bolts after her.
“You didn’t heal her.” Remi’s words slam into me like a bull. She hasn’t even unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Of course I did”
“Don’t play games with me, Lucifer. I might not feel your energy but I sure as hell feel hers. She healed herself. I felt it.”
“I do not think she knows this,” I say, defeated.
I cannot lie to Remi. She is too aware of Alexia, almost like a guardian of her life-force.
“No, I don’t think she does, and I’m not sure we should tell her, either,” she muses, more to herself than me.
“You will hide things from your sister?” I mock her halfheartedly. I actually agree with her on this.
“I’m not hiding shit, angel. I’m just going to play dumb unless she asks outright,” she huffs.
“I cannot disagree with this,” I tell her honestly.
“Well, I don’t know what your reasons for not telling her are. Mine is very simple. If she knows, she’ll use it as a joker in her argument so none of us go with her. That shit ain’t happening, I’ll tell you that much.”
“I thought manipulation was the gods’ and angels’ way of dealing with things.” I can’t help but laugh, and she chuckles as well.
“Yeah, yeah, but to deal with this jackass, we mortals must learn your ways, too. She needs us. Not to save her from others. She needs us to save her from herself. If our lives are needed for her to finish this jour
ney, we will all gladly give them, no questions asked.” She points at Alexia and shakes her head sadly.
I cannot argue with that sentiment, either. I’m sure there would’ve been a lot more words exchanged, but we both stop and exit the car when we see Inanna standing at the doorway, waiting on us. I’m sure she heard our exchange and my gut twists. Why is she here? This cannot be good news. Cradling Alexia’s body close to my heart, I prepare myself to face her, dread making me drag my feet.
Chapter 18
Alexia…
I can’t remember the last time I’ve slept this well and the bed has felt this comfortable. Wiggling contentedly, I burrow deeper into it and sigh. The grunt I hear is not something I expect, so I freeze. Slowly, as though from a distance, voices trickle to my ears and I can’t understand them at first. Breathing evenly, I play possum until I know where I am and who’s here with me.
As I control my breathing, the voices get louder and clearer until I can hear everything.
“So you decided to come here?” Lucifer says angrily.
“Of course I decided to come here. You are forgetting that she is part of me. She has a destiny she must fulfill. It’s not up to you or me to change that, no matter how much we wish we could,” Inanna answers.
“Do we know this for sure? I mean, it’s not like Tiamat left us alone until now. Are we sure she actually sent her minions through a portal here, where there are billions of humans?” Remi’s voice is rising with each word like she can’t help herself and she practically screams the last words.