by Jen L. Grey
So that’s why. At least there is a plausible explanation. They need me. “So … that was a show of good faith?”
She laughs so hard it echoes against the walls. “Dear child. Do you think we really need to show you any sort of the thing?” She sniffs and wipes a tear away that has slipped from her eye. “Thank you. I needed a laugh like that. Anyways, no. I just wanted to make sure you were in good health for your assignments.” She motions toward the ground. “Living down there would be hard for you to keep your sanity and do what needs to be done.”
It still amazes me our community follows these people without question. Whenever I was younger and still didn’t realize how deep their blind loyalty ran, whenever I spoke even slightly ill of the council, other reapers would look at me like I had two heads. “I already have a job, but thanks for the offer.” Now that I don’t have to reap, I don’t want to be tied to them in any way. I stand and begin my trek to the door.
Despite being older, she jumps in front of me, blocking my path. “You do realize that a warrant can be issued again very easily.”
Shit, this is how it’s going to be. I don’t have a choice. The normal past few days are gone, and the chaotic mess of my life is coming back tenfold. “So, you’re saying I don’t have a choice?”
“Sweet, girl. The council cares for each and every one of our people. We want everyone to have choices so of course you do.” She forces a smile at me.
The stench of decay and mildew pour off her. I have to force myself not to stumble back, but shivers are coursing through my body. “So, it’s either work for you or rot in a dungeon.”
“You will get good pay working for us. We will start you out at four thousand a month and after you retrieve the four artifacts, we can renegotiate your contract.” She pats my shoulder and takes a step back. “I do hope you make the right decision.”
Four thousand a month. That’s more than I could make in two months doing things the way I am now. I bet she knows it, too. “So, how long do I have to think?”
She glances down at her watch. “One more minute.” She holds her head up high. “There are important things at play and our time is winding down. We need these items fast and need you focused.” She takes a deep breath and stares into my eyes. “Can we count on you?”
Like I have a choice at the end of the day. If I don’t accept, I’ll get thrown down in the dungeon before I can make it out of this room. And they’ll make sure I can’t escape this time. They are smarter than that. “Yes, I accept.”
“I knew you were a smart girl.” She nods. and her shoulders sag a little. “We need you to find the Vial of Angel’s Breath. Are you on it?”
Of course she does. “Yeah, I’m on it. Just need to find a realm jumper.”
“Good, figure it out and fast.” She crosses her arms. “Shouldn’t you be getting to the hospital to check on your father?”
Well, what a nice way of saying I can go. She’s the one who stopped me in the first place. “Yeah, I would like to.”
“Then go on.” She raises her arm to the door. “Your first check will be deposited into your account by the end of the day.”
Sweet, I could use the money. I’m sure she knows it, but I’ll be damned if I show it. “All right, thanks.” I turn and open the door.
“Oh, and Christina.” Her tone is sharp.
I pause and take a deep breath. I was almost scot-free dammit. I turn and steady myself for the last confrontation.
She lowers her head and looks up through her lashes, her eyes narrowed. “I hope to see you soon. Real soon. Do I make myself clear?”
Why does the council feel as if intimidation is the way to make me behave? I hate that it has worked for as long as it has. The next words out of my mouth won’t be the smartest, but I can’t help them. “Crystal.” I spin back around and walk out the door, making my way to the front of the house.
It’s strange walking in the house alone. I’ve always had a butler, my parents, or someone else next to me the whole time. I head down the hallway and hurry to get Charlie, so we can get out of here. I need to get away before something changes and they decide to lock me up, or worse. Soon, I come across the room they had put Charlie in and I open the door.
He’s sitting in a chair playing on his cell phone. He glances at me when I step into the room. Standing up, he puts his phone in his back pocket. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I bite my bottom lip and look around. “But let’s go. I’ll fill you in while we are in the car.”
“Not going to complain on that suggestion.” He walks through the door and soon we are outside the house.
It’s strange no butlers show up, but we don’t cross anyone. It’s almost as if they let us out of our own accord. That’s strange and I don’t know why they would.
We both slip back into Charlie’s car, and soon he’s pulling out of the driveway. As he turns onto the main road, he glances at me. “Spill.”
“Let’s just say I was given a choice to get stuck back in the dungeon or work as a retriever for the council.” All the stress is soaking back into my bones. “They need the vial of Angel’s Breath as soon as possible.” How the hell am I even supposed to get it without Becca? It’s not like I can transport there myself.
“Of course, they do.” He hits a hand on the steering wheel. “I wish they’d just leave you alone for once.”
I snort. I can’t help it. Those are words I never thought I would hear him mutter.
“You’re laughing at a time like this?” His eyes are wide, his forehead is creased, and his eyebrows furrowed. “What in the world could be funny right now?”
“Oh, come on.” I lean over and bump my shoulder into his. “Did you ever think you would be upset that the council was picking on me?”
He reaches up and rubs his chin. “Fair point. I don’t know when, but at some point, in the past few weeks, I have started to care.” He licks his lips and points at me. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Not sure if that’s possible, but I’ll try.” I sure hope it doesn’t change. I don’t know what I would do without him now. He’s become the one constant in my life and it’s kind of a scary fact.
The rest of the ride is done in silence. I still don’t know what I’m going to do since I can’t freaking get ahold of Becca. This is turning into a huge nightmare. Now the council is going to be on my case to get this done, and I can’t get ahold of the one person who can get me to the realm. What am I going to do?
We pull up to the hospital and my stomach gets a little upset. I don’t know what to expect. Is my Dad okay or in bad shape? I’m not sure what I’m going to see when I walk through his room door and that makes this even harder for some reason.
All too soon, Charlie finds a parking spot and we’re walking into the building. It’s a large, white building with five floors. We walk in the main double doors that slide open.
There is a receptionist at a huge desk. I make my way to her and smile. “Hi, I’m wondering which room Frank Malone is in?”
She begins punching keys and looking at the screen. After a few seconds, she turns to me. “He is in room 302 which will be the third floor. If you walk straight down the hall, there will be an elevator that will take you right to the area you need to be.”
“Thank you so much.” All right, let’s get this over with. I glance over at Charlie. “Let’s do this.”
It doesn’t take us long to find the elevator and I press the button. It’s crazy, but I’ve never been to this place before so I’m not sure what to expect.
“You okay?” Charlie’s eyes are filled with concern.
The last thing I want to do is worry him. “Yeah, just a little antsy.”
A ding echoes and the elevator doors open. We enter and ride up in silence. When the door opens, there is a large nurse’s desk right in front, with hallways on both sides.
We step out on the floor and follow the signs for rooms 300-310. That’s when I notice there is a large c
ouncil guard hovering outside one of the rooms.
“Uh, Chris,” Charlie grabs my arm.
My heart skips a beat. Did he just call me Chris? I don’t think he’s ever called me by my nickname.
He pulls me close and leans down to my ear. “That guard is outside your dad’s room.”
What the hell? Why would a guard be outside his room? That makes no sense. I pull away from him and make my way toward the room.
The guard steps in front of me. “I’m sorry. This room isn’t accepting any visitors.”
“I’m not a visitor.” I lift my head up and glare. “I’m his daughter.”
“Oh, yeah. I recognize you.” The guard wrinkles his nose. “I guess you’re allowed in.”
Guess? I’m his daughter for crying out loud. I walk past him and open the door.
Charlie follows behind me, but the guard steps in between us.
He points at Charlie. “You are not family so you’re staying out here with me.”
“Hey, he’s with me.” What is this guy’s problem?
“Orders from the council.” The guard raises an eyebrow. “I respect and obey them, unlike some people here.”
Shit, he’s a diehard, which makes sense since he’s a guard, so he’s not going to budge. I wish things were different sometimes. I grit my teeth. “I’m sorry. I’ll be just a minute.”
“Take your time.” Charlie gives me a small smile and a wink. “I’ll be out here keeping this guard here company.”
I mash my lips together trying not to laugh. I sure hope he keeps him company. “You do that.” I turn around and head into the room, not sure what I’m about to see.
As I walk into the room a loud beeping pulses through the room. I turn the corner and find my mother standing at the edge of the bed, with a hand on her face, and the other over the railing touching dad’s arm. I almost feel as if I’m interrupting a private moment, but she had asked for me to come. “Hey.”
She turns my way and drops the hand away from her face. “You’re here.”
“Yeah,” this is so awkward. “Sorry it took so long. I got here as fast as I could.”
There is a silence that hangs in between us. I glance down at Dad. His face is bruised on one side and there is a small cut on his right cheek. “How is he?”
“He’s actually okay. Just a little bruised and banged up.” She lets out a shaky sigh. “It could have been a lot worse, but he’s doing okay. He should be able to go home tomorrow. They just wanted to make sure he didn’t have anything worse or internal bleeding.”
So, he’s fine. They just wanted to make sure, but they suspect it’s all good. So why in the world is there a guard outside this room? It doesn’t make sense. The council has to be involved. Did they cause the accident? Was that a way to force my hand to find the Angel’s Breath? “Did someone from the council come by and talk to you? I mean is that why there is a guard out there?”
Mom’s face goes pale. “Honey, everything is okay. You don’t need to worry about us.” She walks over to me and pats my arm. “They did tell us you were taking an official job with them since you’re finding those artifacts with them.” She smiles at me.
It’s been ages since my mom has displayed any kind of affection toward me. I’m not sure how to react. “Yeah, they did, and I accepted.”
“Good.” She gives me a small half hug. “I’m proud of you.” She takes a step back, her face worn. “That’s what you need to focus on. I’ll take care of your dad. Worry about getting the Angel’s Breath.”
Who is this person who has taken over my mother’s body? I’m not sure I want her to leave. “Don’t worry. I’m focusing on it. They’ve told me they need it soon.”
“I’m sure they do.” She nods. “It’s important.” She rubs her forehead. “Oh, how is your apartment? Do you have everything you need?”
“Well…” Charlie says I should begin letting them see the real me. I guess this is my first chance. “I found a couch in the trash. It really is in good shape. My neighbor was just getting brand new furniture.”
Mom nods her head. “I remember your father’s and my first couch. It was when we first got married. We got it from the thrift store.” She laughs. “It had polyester upholstery and fringe at the bottom. We thought it was so cool.”
I would never have imagined my parents doing that. They’ve always seemed so straight laced and proper. “Oh, my god. Whatever happened to it?”
“Huh?” She shakes her head and frowns. “Oh, we realized we were being childish and common. What type of Malone would buy something like that? We were so ashamed and embarrassed. We had to sneak it out in the middle of the night so no one saw that atrocity.” She rubs a hand down her face and shakes her head. “I must be out of it to ever tell you such a thing. Just forget I ever said anything.”
Oh, there she is. The real mom is back. “Don’t worry. I don’t even remember what we were talking about.”
“I wish I didn’t.” She huffs. “You need to get a new couch pronto. Now that you have money coming in from the council, I expect you to do it tomorrow.”
Well, now that I know Dad is okay, I think it’s time for me to go. “Well, I need to begin hunting down the Angel’s Breath so if you and Dad are okay, I’m going to go.”
“Yes, that’s an excellent idea. You should get on that.” She runs a hand through her hair and walks back over to the bed. “And please, be on your best behavior.”
I need to get out of here and fast. I think I have whiplash from the change in her personality. As I’m heading out the door, something shiny catches my eye hanging from the door handle. I walk over to it and realize it is a necklace I gave Beth for her tenth birthday. It is silver and is her half of a heart that says best friends. There is a note attached to it. It says Did you lose something? - Damien
Shit, he knows I don’t have the crystal. Is that why Becca hasn’t called me back?
Chapter Four
As soon as I get out the door, I rush past the guard not wanting to talk with anyone. I have to get this figured out, now that I have the council and a demon on my ass. Just a normal day in my life.
When I get to the elevator, I press the button and wait a second before pressing it again. Is this damn thing ever going to come?
“Uh….” Charlie leans against the wall in front of me. “Did you forget someone?”
Holy shit. How did I forget he was here with me? “Uh… nope. I figured you would follow me out.”
He tilts his head and raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
I should banter with him, but I don’t have it in me. What if something has happened to Becca? Oh, God. How could I live with myself? I left her in his care.
“Chris,” his face smooths out and he leans towards me, his body tensing, “what’s wrong?”
Now isn’t the place to discuss it. There are nurses and people passing by. “I’ll tell you in the car.” I’d hand him the note now, but he would get all over protective and make a scene. Right now, we need to get out of here with as little attention as possible.
The elevators open and I rush in, pressing the bottom floor. How the hell am I going to get both artifacts? Within minutes, we are getting back into Charlie’s car and pulling out of the parking lot.
“Spill.” He turns on the road that takes us back to our apartment.
“When I was leaving the room, I found something.” I lift up the note.
“What is it?” He glances at it. “What does it say?”
Once I say these words, it’ll be real. Yes, it’s real now, but when you share this burden with someone it brings it to a whole different level. You can’t even pretend there isn’t an issue once you say those words. So, I take a deep breath. “It was from Damien. He knows we lost the Earth Crystal.”
“How in the hell could he know that?” Charlie runs a hand through his blond hair, messing it up.
“Damien is a demon, so I’m sure he has eyes and ears everywhere.” A shiver runs through me. Could
we be followed and have no clue?
We pull into the apartments when my phone rings. I grab it out of my pocket and look down at the number. It’s Paul, one of my clients. “Hello?”
There is loud a television in the background. “Christina, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me.” I roll my eyes. He called my cell. Who does he expect it to be?
“Oh, good.” He clears his throat. “I … uh…. I need your help. Are you free?”
In all reality, I don’t have time for this, but I don’t trust the council when they say they’ll pay me. I don’t think they will until I show them some results, and I need some money for gas and food. I can’t go long without those necessities. “Yeah, are you needing me now?”
“Yeah,” his tone is loud and eager, “now would be perfect. Come on over to my place.” He disconnects the line.
Oh, dear Lord. What have I gotten myself into?
“Do you have a job?” Charlie pulls into a guest parking spot next to the car I’m borrowing from him.
“Yeah, I need to get over there now.” That’s the one thing about my job. They need their things right then. It can never wait.
“Well, I would hate to make them wait any longer.” He laughs. “Call me when you’re done so we can figure out everything else, okay?”
And there it is. We are back to saving our asses. “Will do.” I open the passenger door and get out of the car. I grab the keys from my pocket and walk over to my car. Or at least I like to pretend it’s mine. I open the door and climb in, taking off toward Paul’s.
My mind tries to wander back to my mom, Damien, Becca, the crystal, and the Angel’s Breath, but I try to keep it all at bay. Will my life always be sideways? It would be nice, if for once, it would calm down.
All too soon, I pull into a large, two story house. It’s not anything like my parents’ house, the one I grew up in, but still bigger than an average reaper’s. I get out of the car and walk up to the front door and ring the doorbell. Something tugs at me, like maybe I should go, but after my day, I’m probably being paranoid.