“What the fuck happened to him?” Zach asked when he approached, staring down at the unconscious prince. The party upstairs was slowly coming to an end. Some demons were leaving, and Watchers were probably still searching for Berith. Part of me didn’t believe that I summoned the gates again, tossing Berith down. He was one of the greatest demons in Hell, and I was just a mongrel girl.
“I had to knock him out with magic. He was going crazy. He saw me when I threw a demon down to the pits. It all happened so fast and I kind of lost it,” I explained as quickly as I could, conscious of the fact that we had to transport Arthur to the car without being noticed.
Zach dragged his hand through his hair. There was no time to ask questions. We had to move.
“What do you want me to do?”
“We can’t carry him outside. Too many humans could recognise him. Can you bring your car around?”
“Fine, but we have to do this swiftly; this place is riddled with bouncers,” Zach pointed out and I nodded, pulling my hair in a ponytail. Ten minutes later I splashed some black potion over Arthur’s face, so he looked like he’d been in a serious fight. Then we carried the poor bugger to the car. Luckily no one on the street paid attention to us. I started to breathe again when Zach put his foot down on the accelerator and we were moving through the stream of traffic. My heart was still pounding uncontrollably in my chest.
“What the hell were you doing there in the first place? I have been calling you for the past several hours. It would have been nice to know that you were still alive,” Zach said shaking his head, glaring at me from the front mirror.
“I was doing my own thing tonight, but nothing went according to plan. Arthur must have followed me all the way here. He saw me sending someone down to Hell. And as you can see, he freaked out,” I said, not even knowing how I didn’t sense him earlier on. I was in so much trouble. Arthur had heard me talking about Summer. He realised that I had been lying to him.
“Someone? Who?”
“Berith, one of the most powerful demons in Hell. I thought that he could help me, but in the end, he laughed at me. I went crazy and accidentally opened the pits.”
Zach shook his head, barely comprehending what I said. Part of him was glad that I was still alive. Arthur was not going to stay calm once he woke up. Things were never going to go back to how they were in the past.
“So, have you figured out where we are going to take him?” he asked, after a moment.
“Ricky’s apartment. I have to be there when he wakes up,” I said, not really sure if Arthur would be willing to listen. I had to reveal to him that Summer was locked up somewhere out there with Alexis. I didn’t want to think what that stupid bitch had done to Matilda.
“I’m disappointed, Flower. We were supposed to be a team,” Zach said, after some time.
I rubbed my hands over my thighs aware that I had made a mistake. I should have realised no one at that party would take me seriously. I caused too much damage to even consider applying for a relief license. Besides, no demon in the right state of mind would grant it to a royal anyway.
“I panicked when things didn’t go to plan after Langston,” I admitted, not knowing how to apologise to him. Zach glanced at me again but didn’t say anything else. He was angry that I dismissed him so easily. We were stuck in traffic for a bit, and I kept wondering how I was going to explain to Arthur that his beloved daughter was unreachable, that he may never see her. Earlier on I made him a promise that, according to him, I never intended to keep.
Zach drove inside Ricky’s underground car park. Arthur was heavy, and we had to carry him to the lift aware that humans would ask questions. Arthur’s entourage was going to look for him. He rarely went out without them.
“I need a drink. Please tell me that Ricky has some alcohol in his place,” Zach said, once we were in the apartment. Luckily Ricky’s neighbours weren’t in and no one had seen us. We placed Arthur on the bed. We were both breathing heavily, staring down at the unconscious prince.
“There is a small bottle of whiskey in the kitchen,” I said, trying to keep it together. Arthur was waking up.
“What are you going to do with him?” Zach asked still standing by the door and not moving.
“I have to tell him everything. I have been lying to him for too long,” I said, feeling on edge.
Zach disappeared in the kitchen to get a drink and I was left alone with Arthur. My hair was getting in the way and I was sweaty. Arthur opened his eyes after a few minutes and noticed me. His thoughts were murky, and his pulse was racing away. There was no point pretending that he didn’t see me using my abilities. It was time to reveal the whole truth to him. He was going to be the first royal to learn the truth about the demonic world.
“Arthur, are you all right?” I asked. Zach came back, holding a glass; he gestured for me to take a sip, but I refused.
“You.” He pointed and moved to the other side of the bed, as far away as he could. “I remember everything. Where the hell did you take me?”
“We had to bring you to Ricky’s place. I have been staying here for a bit,” I mumbled, releasing some calming vibes, although I had no idea if that would help at all.
“What are you? Some kind of witch?” he asked, widening his eyes, moving slowly to the other side of the room.
I took a deep breath, wanting to share with him everything that happened in the past several months. That could save us time, but Arthur refused to touch me. Zach was watching both of us in silence.
In the end I had no other choice and started telling him about the world beyond the one that he knew so well for over twenty-six years. He kept interrupting me through the story, and when Zach added his two cents, he was ready to punch him. I had a feeling that it was going to be a long night.
Both Zach and I knew that Arthur couldn’t just leave. His new knowledge came with responsibilities.
“Unbelievable. So, this demon has our daughter?” Arthur asked. “How could you let her kidnap her in the first place?”
“Hey, pretty boy, be careful. Maxine did everything she could to protect her. That crazy bitch kidnapped your brother, too. Thanks to Maxine, he’s still alive,” Zach said, and came closer, like he wanted to shield me with his body.
“And you knew about her? You knew that these demons are controlling us?” Arthur shouted toward Zach. Now after seeing what Arthur was going through, I suspected that Zach was glad that he found out the way he had. Our relationship had taken a turn, but then we came back stronger. I was glad that he was willing to protect me, but this was my own battle.
“Trust me, man, I was in shock, too. My sister had run away from home with a demon. I haven’t seen her in six years. You need to understand that Maxine has a soul, and she is trying hard to save her child,” Zach shouted, and the vein on his neck pulsated dangerously fast.
Arthur looked away, clenching his fists, not saying anything for a while. I was done with my part of the story.
“Lies, so many lies. I loved you … so much that you can’t even imagine,” Arthur said finally with that bitter and sad tone of voice. My heart was shattered, because I understood how much I hurt him. “And then I read that damn letter and discovered I was a parent, that I had a daughter.”
“Arthur, I made many mistakes, but I had good intentions. Summer was precious, and I made these decisions to keep her happy,” I said, pushing the tears away. “Alexis has her, but I’ll find her. This isn’t over.”
Arthur laughed, and he sounded like he still didn’t believe me.
“So that demon Alexis, she’s dying, and she thinks that our daughter can help save her?”
“Yes, that’s pretty much it. She is fixated on royal blood and believes that Summer could heal her. That’s why she kidnapped your brother,” I explained.
“And you think you can stop her, Maxine? Have you got a plan?” he demanded, taking a step toward me. I swallowed hard, knowing that I couldn’t keep lying to him any longer. Everything I had d
one in the past weeks failed, and I didn’t know what else to do.
“I’m working on a new plan, Arthur,” I whispered, not believing in myself anymore. Arthur had heard me outside the club, when I was begging Berith to help me. We both knew that I didn’t know what else to do, that I was lost.
The silence stretched for minutes.
“I need to go. I can’t be here pretending that you will get our daughter back. I’m planning to find her myself,” Arthur finally said.
I blocked his way, worried that he was going to go out with this new knowledge and do something very stupid. He didn’t realise that he couldn’t trust anyone anymore.
“Please, Arthur, I’m begging you, leave it to me. Alexis is dangerous. You will get yourself killed,” I said, not wanting to use violence against him, but maybe this was the only way. He smiled, but it was a dark smile, one that I had never seen before.
“You’re a demon who has supernatural powers, and you don’t know what to do. That speaks for itself, Maxine. I’m leaving, so don’t try to stop me,” he stated, and he passed through the door.
We were done. I couldn’t keep him here against his will. He was right—I was a demon who kept failing every step of the way. I learnt that there was always a price for magic, and now I was paying mine.
Chapter 29
“Light rays that enter amber, crystal, glass,
display such a luminescence that, from when they reach,
than are there wholly, there’s no pause.”
―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
Zach walked up to me and sat beside me. Neither of us said a word; we let the silence speak for us. Arthur was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. I was responsible for his misery. Time was running out, and I had no idea what else to do. Summer was alive, so there was still a chance to bring her back.
“Your Prince Charming is scared. Trust me, he won’t say a word. Besides, people will think he’s lost his mind,” Zach assured me, but his statement didn’t make me feel better.
I had to get up and pull myself together. There were people who cared about me, and it was time to reach out for help. Zach was here for me, and I couldn’t pretend that I could keep going it alone.
“I need to speak to Paul,” I said.
“I’m with you a hundred percent, but maybe we should sit down and think about what’s next,” Zach said, taking my hand and squeezing it.
I was stubborn, and I hadn’t been willing to take any advice on board. It was time to change that and listen to others. Matilda had offered her help, and then Paul and Cyril came to my rescue. I wasn’t alone, and I needed to stop acting like I knew it all.
I stood up and went to Ricky’s bedroom, not responding to Zach’s suggestion. Ricky had his old rucksack under the bed, so I pulled it out and started putting all my potions inside it. After a while Zach joined me. He was apprehensive about my plan of action. My magic had failed me, causing more damage than good. Maybe it was time to let it go and use my head instead.
“There is no time. I have to find Summer before Alexis strips her down from her sleeping charm,” I insisted, knowing that it might be too late already. Alexis must have found a way to remove the sleeping curse. I used to sense Matilda’s presence, and there were hints now and again, but lately I felt nothing. That meant only one thing: she was either dead or locked up in a place unreachable by any magic.
“Where do you want to go?”
“To Paul’s. He must know something. I can’t keep sitting here and pretending that I know what I’m doing,” I said, thinking about Morpheus. He hadn’t shown up, and I had no idea if he still wanted to help me.
I grabbed the rucksack and then crossed Ricky’s hall. Zach was walking behind me. I hoped he had his gun.
“Flower, wait, let’s talk about this.”
“Zach, please, I need to get to him. Everything—” I stopped midsentence, opening the front door. There, with the keys in his hand stood Ricky, and behind him was Emma, Zara, Nameless, and Paul. My heart exploded with joy. I gasped out of shock as Ricky pulled me against his chest, squeezing me as hard as was possible. For a split second, I thought I was hallucinating, that this was too good to be true.
“Motherfucker,” Zach whispered behind me.
Ricky was real, his arms, his body, and even his cologne. It was a miracle.
“Max, fuck. I’m so glad you’re here. Paul showed up with the reversal spell and then woke me up in the hospital. Things were a little foggy at first, but then I remembered everything, and I had to see you right away.” He was saying to me. Oh god, it was so good to have him close again.
After a moment I pulled away from him and grabbed his face. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. Everyone else was watching us. I suddenly couldn’t stop the flood of emotions running through me. I had always said that I would never break in front of Ricky, but I was so shocked that I couldn’t stop crying.
“Are you real? Please tell me that this is real, that this isn’t some kind of fucked up dream.”
“Zach,” Zara whispered, standing behind Ricky. She was staring at her brother, and she seemed healed.
“It’s not a dream, Max, so get yourself fucking together,” Ricky said, and a second later, Zach grabbed Zara and began hugging her tightly. I read her emotions. There was nothing wrong; her thoughts and memories were in working order.
“But how? You were in the clinic in Reading, and that wound—”
“I had a visitor last night, Max,” Paul explained, unexpectedly. “Someone left me a message. Inside the envelope was a spell that came directly from Lucifer’s quarters. I didn’t want to waste time, so I went to Reading, hoping that this wasn’t some kind of hoax.”
Emma was clapping happily, and Zach was still holding Zara close. I didn’t understand any of it. Only yesterday, everything was falling apart, and now I had my friends in front of me.
“Ricky’s curse must have been somehow connected to Zara’s, because she was all right as soon as he was healed,” Nameless pointed out, looking at me. “Do you have any idea who sent the spell to Paul?”
I thought about this for a second. Morpheus, he was the only person who could have visited Paul in the middle of the night.
Did he help me, just so he could have my soul? I had no idea what to think. Ricky was looking at me expecting answers, so was everyone else.
“I don’t know,” I said, suddenly feeling like a coward, but these were my friends. People who cared for me, so it was better that they didn’t knew I had made a deal with the devil in order to save them. “But that’s not important. Zach and I were just heading over to see you, Paul. I’ve lost my connection with Matilda, and Alexis is keeping Summer locked up in a tower, somewhere in the underworld. I saw her in a vision, on an island.”
“Max, we are all here for you. You won’t be going anywhere alone. We are in this together,” Ricky said, and everyone around him nodded in agreement. I glanced at Zara and Zach.
“Together, Flower,” he reminded me, squeezing his sister’s arm. Even Nameless seemed happy to be part of this gang. Whatever, I couldn’t let them follow me to the underworld. It was a suicide mission.
“I appreciate it, but she’s my daughter, and you have all done enough,” I argued, going against what I’d admitted to myself earlier, that I didn’t have to do this alone.
“Really? You’re still going to argue with us, even after everything that’s happened?” Ricky asked, consequently letting me know that he was going anyway.
“Listen to him, Maxine. We are here to help,” Emma added, determination in her voice.
“Last time you nearly died, Ricky, and Zara was affected, too. Besides, I don’t have a plan. I don’t really know what I’m doing,” I said, feeling like the biggest fool on this planet. My friends were willing to risk their lives for me, but in the end I was useless. Everything I’d done so far had gotten me nowhere.
“The island that you speak of, it’s in the underworld,” Paul said, and everyone l
ooked at him, stunned.
“Underworld?” I repeated, already knowing that Alexis was capable of taking my daughter downstairs.
“It’s part of Purgatory, an island in the middle of death lake. The Dark Lord uses it sometimes for tortures and hearings,” he explained, and I was suddenly seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
“There, Maxine, now we have a plan,” Zach said. “But now we have to figure out how to get there.”
I started thinking about my options, aware that it was a huge risk. Ricky had nearly died, and now Paul, Emma, Zach, Nameless, and even Zara were willing to join me, regardless of how dangerous this whole mission was.
“They all want to help you, Max, and you can’t stop them,” Ricky said, placing his palm on my shoulder. Emma beamed like this was the best day of her life.
I clenched my fists, as frustration showed its claws. I only just got Ricky back, and now I wasn’t willing to lose him again. The tiny voice in my head reminded me that I had to accept the true value of friendship and love. These people wanted to help me, and they didn’t care about any danger. Morpheus had sent me a silent message. He must have delivered the reversal spell to Paul. He fulfilled part of our deal by giving me Ricky back. Now, I had to save my daughter with the help of my friends, who had no idea that, in the end, I had to sacrifice myself, too.
“Fine,” I agreed, knowing I needed to open the gates to the underworld. It was the only way to get Summer back. “But we have to go back to the alley where I saved Emma for the first time.”
“Good call, Max,” Paul nodded, and Ricky patted me on the back.
Ten minutes later we were all outside, heading toward the city. I wondered why I hadn’t thought about Purgatory before. I’d read about it and knew that Alexis could complete her transformation in a remote part of the underworld.
We couldn’t all squeeze into Zach’s car, so we took the tube to Brixton. People were staring at us in the underground. Ricky was standing close, while I went through everything that happened in the past several weeks while he was absent. I felt a little guilty that I didn’t focus more on the business. We probably had lost a number potential clients, but I knew Ricky could get us back on track.
Doomed Cases Box Set: The Complete Collection Books 1- 4 & Prequel Page 69