by Raquel Lyon
“Listen to me, boy,” he growled. “You will heel, or suffer the consequences.”
“This is how you treat me?” I sneered. “After all our family have done for you? Generations of Lovells have sat on the Assembly’s council, and Sebastian will not be pleased when he hears about my treatment.”
I was none too pleased about it either. Whatever spell had swept me off my feet still held me fast in the chair, and judging by the way my feet were turning numb, it wasn’t about to let me go anytime soon.
“Must I remind you that no one is above the law… even a mighty Lovell? Imagine what it would do to your family’s reputation if your cousin were tried for his cross-dimensional crime.”
Christ, they knew about that, too? This meeting was going downhill fast, and I had no idea how to slam on the brakes. “He did what he did to save me.”
“A crime, nonetheless.”
“You can’t be serious. Everyone knows about the secret handshakes and how a blind eye is turned for little misdemeanours made by friends of the Assembly.”
“I know of no such eye and can assure you that I am perfectly serious. So much so, that I will personally oversee your cousin’s arrest, should you decline our offer. Justice would need to be seen to be served. I’ll give you a second to think about what it would mean to have him languishing in jail, and you banished out there.” He angled his head over his shoulder. “Rather a lot of Lovells have been lost in recent years, have they not? Very few of you left, so I hear. Losing both of you would surely mean an end to your family line. And imagine that, the mighty Lovells wiped out forever. Of course, you have the power to prevent any unpleasantries and make all this go away by agreeing to our terms.”
He leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands on the desktop. The holier-than-thou glint in his eye didn’t even need to be there. The bastard had me, and he knew it. Pompous prick. Taking a strike at me was one thing, but to threaten the family… There really wasn’t any choice to be made. Whatever the deal was, I couldn’t see the people I loved suffer.
I exhaled a breath of frustration. “What’s the deal?”
A self-satisfied smile crept across his face as he revelled in his triumph. “The deal is, you help us and we forget your little trip to Hell and, by association, your cousin’s subsequent involvement in your return.”
“Help you how?”
“Why, by doing what you do best, naturally.”
I had to admit that I was a little confused and lost control of my smart mouth. “Lately, that would be catching rabbits. How many do you need?”
A marked amount of jaw-clenching preceded the stare Yanis fixed me with as he leaned over the desk. “This is not the time or the place for flippancy, Mr Lovell. Do not imagine for one minute that I will hesitate to carry out my threat.”
His reprimand sank my ego a little deeper into the chair. “Well, I can’t think of anything else I’m good at. It’s not like I have a trade.”
“Then you are mistaken. I was referring to your time served for the Devil. I heard you were an excellent demon hunter—one of the best, in fact. To complete your quota of captured souls was a feat in itself. Most fail to do that alone, and you succeeded in record time.”
Oh, that. “I was well motivated.”
“Indeed. As you should be now.”
“I get the message. Go on.”
“Well, as you know, we at the Assembly are committed to the safety and secrecy of our community, but there is someone threatening that security whom we have been tracking for some time, and has so far proven elusive.”
“And you want me to find him and take him out? No problem. I can do that.”
“Excellent. We presumed it would not prove too arduous a task for a man of your talents.”
No, it wouldn’t. One demon was nothing. I could almost do it in my sleep. If that was all they wanted, I’d have the job done today and be home by nightfall. And yet, something about the request still grated on me. “You mentioned that the whole of the Assembly has until now failed to complete the job. What aren’t you telling me? What’s so different about this mark?”
“The tactics involved, and the fact that we have yet to identify the culprit. Their use of others to do their dirty work leaves us with very little to go on. We have, however, drawn the conclusion that they appear to be amassing an army.”
“An army? To do what?”
“That remains unclear. It could be a simple case of empowerment or something much more sinister—eyes on the top job and a takeover of Hell itself, for instance.”
“Big ambition. But why would you care about Hell? If that’s what they’re up to, why not just leave them to it? Let the Devil clean his own house and the lot of them fight amongst themselves.”
“We’d be only too happy to, but for one thing…”
“Yeah? And what’s that?”
“Well, apart from a small portion of Supes, the rest of the army is… human.”
I couldn’t prevent a derisive breath from puffing through my lips. “Human? Are they deluded? Humans would fall like flies in a battle.”
“Precisely. And, as you well know, it is also our duty to protect the humans and preserve the balance between our worlds. This demon risks exposing our community. Reports of missing humans are at the highest they’ve been in decades, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the cover-ups. It must be stopped.”
“Understood. Just tell me where to find him.”
“Now you see, there lies the problem. Each time we discover a lead, the trail ends in a pile of dust and goes cold.”
A pile of dust? My memory flashed an image of the remains Saul left behind when his soul-sucking was complete. “Are you saying…?”
“We consider it to be a notion that gives credence to our takeover scenario. It is entirely feasible that the Devil has got wind of a planned coup and has sent your replacement to wipe the demon followers out.”
“Then why do you need me? If someone new is on the case, they’ll get to the main man soon enough.”
“Not in this case. As you are all too aware, they do not decide whom they kill. They follow a specific schedule of Hell escapees, which is never deviated from. Our intelligence has deduced that whoever is behind this is not an escapee and is therefore immune from the Devil’s reclamation. It is making no difference as to how many demons are eradicated. More are quickly recruited to replace them. Therefore, it is their leader who needs to be stopped. You must find their stronghold and take them out. We thought this new man might lead us there, but he has proven as wily as the leader. Hence why we drew the conclusion that the best man to track him would be the last man to hold the position and complete the job.” His gaze lingered on me for a second before diverting over to his colleague and turning to a frown.
“How is that intel coming along, Parker?”
“Travers says it will be sorted by the end of the day, sir.”
“It had better be.” Yanis’s focus returned to me. “Mr Lovell, do I have your agreement?”
I had no inclination to go into the whole demon-chasing thing again, but what choice did I have? “Yeah, I’ll help you.”
“I thought you might. Report back here in the morning.” He stood as he spoke and swept a hand towards the magically reappearing door.
The gripping sensation slackened from my body and allowed me to flex my toes. Clearly, I was being dismissed, and it wasn’t something I’d be losing any sleep over. The darkness looming behind the walls had chilled my spine to a point where I was longing to see daylight again, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
I willed my tingling legs not to buckle and make a fool of me as I rose and headed for the door. The jolt of Yanis’s voice almost caused them to fail.
“Oh, and Mr Lovell… We’re counting on you. Do not let us down.”
Chapter Five
Sleeping outdoors was not conducive to a restful night’s sleep, and I had a hunch I’d need to be on top form and
grab all the Zs I could if I were to get the job done and the Assembly off my back, as soon as. Besides, I had no clue when the next time I might feel a soft pillow under my head might be—even one that smelled as musty as an old mop through lack of use. So, I’d snuck to my room, right about midnight, in a bid to get my head down. The movie, however, wouldn’t leave me be, and crept into my dreams determined to give me a hard time.
She was there again, on the roof, her blonde hair wet from the rain pelting down from a thunderous sky. It stuck to her face and dripped water into her eyes as she shook her head and screamed at me for being stupid. She always told me how stupid I was, but I called her stupid right back. It was kind of our thing. Neither of us truly meant it.
Sirens wailed in the streets below, and the wind battered my ears as she shouted for me not to go inside, that it was too dangerous. The demon we were tracking could wait until he wasn’t surrounded by a posse of like-minded comrades in the nightclub we were standing on. I goaded her by saying that if she was too much of a pussy, she could wait it out, and I'd be back before she knew it. Then we’d celebrate in style.
I expected her to take the bait and follow me, but instead, I leapt from the roof leaving the sound of her protests to fade into the night. I didn’t think it through. I had a demon to kill, and the sooner he was dispatched, the sooner I could move on to the next one and get one step closer to home.
I made a mistake. I admit that. I should have listened to Charlotte and not gone in, and I would certainly have heeded her warning if I’d understood that it would be the last I would ever see of her.
I bolted upright, and my eyes opened to the sight of Sophie staring down at me. It used to be a sight I craved. Her morning smile was bright enough to wake every part of a man. I could picture the scene now: the red tones in her hair glinting in the morning sunlight as it splayed out across the pillow, her soft leg wrapped over mine, and the look of love in her eyes that hinted at a morning wake-up that would remain etched in my memory all day. The times I’d seen it weren’t nearly enough. After my return, Sophie hadn’t understood the struggle churning inside me or the way I’d had to blink away the image of another woman’s face to see only her, and I couldn’t deal with the deception. I’d put an end to the temptation of her presence by sleeping outside with a furry bedmate instead.
I longed to see that smile again. Too bad, she wasn’t smiling now.
“It happened again,” she said. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nope,” I answered. “It was nothing. Stupid dream. How long have you been here?”
“Long enough to hear you say another woman’s name with more passion than you’ve shown to me in weeks.” She folded her arms and cocked her head with an expression that told me I wasn’t going to be let off easy. “Who the hell is Charlotte?”
“Charlotte? I don’t know any Charlotte,” I lied. “My brain must have made the name up.”
“Oh, really? Well, your brain seems awfully fond of her.”
I pushed out of bed and shucked on my jeans. Sophie was right. My brain was fond of Charlotte, but the man whose memories it contained wasn’t me anymore, and if I didn’t banish the stranger from my subconscious soon, he was sure to ruin any chance I had left with the woman I truly loved—the woman who was now watching my every move far too intently for comfort.
“I can’t control my dreams, Soph. Whatever it was, it was nothing for you to worry about,” I said, zipping up my fly and heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth in the hope that she would take the hint and leave.
I should have guessed I wouldn’t be that lucky.
“But I do worry,” she said, following me, and then standing in the doorway. “You haven’t been yourself in ages. I want to know what’s wrong.”
What was wrong was that I’d spent three years of my life in another man’s shoes, and they’d blistered my feet so badly that I couldn’t walk normally anymore.
“You already know,” I said through a mouthful of foam.
“No. I don’t. Because you won’t talk to me.”
I rinsed, spat, and dried my face, then threw the towel in the sink with frustration. I didn’t want to have this conversation again. “We’ve been through this before, and I’ve nothing new to add,” I said, pushing past her and striding into the bedroom.
She spun around, hot on my tail. “Yes, you have. There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“You know me. Never was the talkative type.”
“That’s not an excuse, Con.”
I let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry, Soph. I wish it could be different, and it will be… soon. I promise.”
“When?”
It was a fair question, and one I wished I knew how to answer. “Soon.” Sooner, if she let me get on with whatever the damn day had in store for me.
I hooked a T-shirt over my head and grabbed my jacket. “Did you come to my room for any particular reason or just to give me a hard time?”
She lowered her lids and turned from my gaze. When she spoke, I knew why.
“I came to tell you that Seb’s home and there’s some breakfast if you want it.”
She was lying. Not about the breakfast part. I’d smelled the toast and the sausages under the grill as soon as I’d opened my eyes, and for once, a human breakfast sounded good. But I could also smell Seb’s scent, and she knew without question that I’d be able to. There had been no need for her to bring the news. It crossed my mind whether she made a habit of checking my room of a morning, just to see if I was there. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she did. I knew she missed me, but I kept my question inside.
“Thanks. I’ll go grab a bite and say hello.”
I tripped down to the kitchen and arrived before Sophie could start drilling me again. Seb’s blond head was already bent over the breakfast bar as he tucked into his sausage and eggs. I stuffed mine between two pieces of bread as I ran through excuses in my head to explain my upcoming absence. Seb rendered them all irrelevant by speaking first.
“Sophie tells me you had visitors. I half expected to come home and find you in jail. How is it that you are not? I cannot believe they agreed to turn a blind eye.”
“They didn’t… yet.”
“Explain.”
I swung my leg over a stool at the breakfast bar and took a bite of my sandwich as I considered lying, but Seb knew me too well for me to pull the wool over his eyes. “They’ll drop all the charges against us after I’ve done them a favour.”
“What favour?”
“Just a small job. Nothing I haven’t done a thousand times before.” Literally. I swallowed. My sandwich needed something. “Pass the ketchup.”
Seb’s turquoise eyes watched me suspiciously as he pushed the bottle towards me. “Details, bro.”
Relenting, I disclosed what little information I had as I finished my meal and poured a cup of coffee, notably omitting the threats made against each of us if I didn’t come through with the goods.
“They had no right to ask you to do that,” Sebastian said, moments later. “Why on earth did you agree?”
“To get them off my back—off our backs. ‘Lie low,’ you said. ‘Wait until I can put together a plausible explanation,’ you said. Well, too late. That idea’s redundant. They know about me, and the shit’s already hit the fan. All I can do now is play along, unless of course you’re about to jump in with an alternative, but seeing as it’s taken you weeks to come up with precisely zero, I can’t see that happening any time soon. And to be honest, I don’t see how waiting for a miracle is any better than what’s on offer.”
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” Seb said, his tone beginning to grate on my nerves. He hadn’t even offered me the courtesy of looking at me as he continued to read the morning paper during our conversation.
“Why don’t you just come out and say it, huh? You hate not being in control, and you don’t trust me to get the job done. In your eyes, I’m still your little cuz,
following in big cuz’s shadow.”
“It’s not a question of trust. I lost you once, and it’d kill me to lose you again.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said.
Finally, he looked up at me from under his brows. “Then why are you putting on your jacket?”
“I’m going somewhere now, yes, but I’m coming back. It’s one demon, not stopping a fucking apocalypse, and it’s not like I don’t have the experience.”
“You can’t guarantee coming back,” he said, folding his newspaper. “One demon the Assembly have failed to stop does not sound like a walk in the park. You’ll need help.”
Was he seriously thinking what I thought he was thinking? “I can manage on my own.”
“Listen. Why not hang fire until tomorrow? Cousin Arta called to say he’ll be paying us a visit. He wants to introduce us to his new mate. I’m certain he’ll be happy to leave the ladies to get to know one another while we help you out.”
“I don’t need help.”
“Con, it’s my job to take care of you, and family stick together.”
“Not this time, bro. This time I’m taking care of you.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Only that if I don’t go through with this, it won’t just be me who suffers. You’re going down, too.”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, yes, they would.”
“In that case, I’m definitely coming.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Are you disobeying your alpha?”
“Yes, but only because I’m answering to higher orders.”
“Ones issued without my permission.”
“You weren’t here.”
“I had business to attend to.”
“So do I. And here’s the thing… It was me they asked, not you. ‘The best man for the job,’ they said. Me. So have a little faith for once. You see to your business; I’ll see to mine, and I’ll see you on the flip side.”