by C. L. Roman
“What does it matter?” Seth opened his door. “They can’t see me, anyway.”
“Well, don’t be surprised when these people can.” She closed the elevator gate and pushed the up button.
“Um, okay.”
“Just don’t freak out is all I’m telling you.”
“Now I’m freaked out. What aren’t you telling me?”
“Cecily hires people like me.”
“Valkyries?”
The elevator lurched to a stop. Kai opened the gate. “No, I’m the only Valkyrie, but there are two angels.”
He dropped his jaw. “What?”
“I know that’s not Kai,” the loudspeaker blared. “Kai knows not to keep my cars out past her shift. This must be her body double who better get her little ass in my office.”
Kai and Seth walked to an upstairs office with large windows on two sides. Kai ignored the stares and nodded to a few people. Two angels worked on a car engine. Their wings were tucked in, but they both had a glow that always surrounded them. Seth stared at someone using a cross beam for pull-ups. That wouldn’t have been strange, but Kai knew the guy’s tail and horns concerned Seth.
“What is that?” he whispered.
“You mean Pat? He’s a low-class demon. But don’t worry, he’s harmless unless he catches you cheating at cards or you wear something shiny.”
A werewolf shifter sniffed the air and growled at Seth. Kai prayed her wouldn’t shift. How would she explain that? “Nate calm down. He’s a friend.”
Nate snorted.
Seth stopped and stared. Kai tugged his sleeve. “Come on. Stop staring.”
“Close the door behind you, Kai. You better have one great explanation.” A lady nodded as they walked inside.
They sat on a black leather couch opposite a tawny-skinned, older lady with bubblegum pink dreadlocks piled high on her head in a bun. Bright red-orange lipstick colored her full lips, and long eyelashes flashed when she blinked. Three pairs of gold hoops dangled from her ears and a single tattooed teardrop sat just below her right eye. A sickly-sweet smell covered the stale odor of cigarettes and perfume.
“I can explain,” Kai started.
Cecily held up her hand to stop Kai. “First tell me about this tall drink of water you brought with you.”
“You can see me?” Seth asked.
“I’d like to see more of you, but I don’t get off work until later and the last time I fooled around in my office, one of my lovely idiots put it on YouTube.” She walked around to the front of her desk and sat on the edge with crossed arms.
Seth looked to Kai. “How can she see me?”
“She’s djinn.”
“You mean like a genie?”
“Well, I’m not like the big blue guy from the movie, but I have similar powers.” Cecily chuckled. She nodded to Kai. “This had better be a good story or you’re paying for whatever extra gas you used.”
Kai put her feet on the coffee table. “Have you listened to any news this morning?”
“I caught a little on my way in.” She paused and stared at Seth. “Shit. He’s the cop who got shot yesterday? Odin wants him?”
“Yes, and yes.” Kai pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Why in the hell did you bring him here? This is not Valhalla.”
Kai sat forward, dropping her feet to the floor. “Don’t you think I know that? I took him there, but the idiot came back after someone attacked me.”
Cecily sat on her desk, dangling her feet. "Someone attacked you? Who did it? Why?”
“I don’t know who, but I know why. They got my key.”
“You’re shittin’ me. Well, you’re up the creek.”
“Tell me about it.”
Cecily turned to Seth. “And you, why did you come back?”
“She needed help. I wouldn’t let her fight by herself. Those guys were on motorcycles and they outnumbered her.”
“Motorcycles?” Cecily asked. “What kind?”
“Ducati,” Seth and Kai said together.
“And they were guys?” Cecily looked between Seth and Kai.
“I don’t know. I only saw one. Midnight dark skin and bright almost crystal blue eyes. He had an accent.”
“An accent? Like what kind of accent?”
“Like Bob Marley.”
Cecily got off her desk, went to the intercom, and called for Pat.
“Do you know these guys?” Seth asked.
“Maybe.” Cecily took a drag from a purple vape that lit up as she inhaled. She sat it on the edge of her desk. The smell of strawberries tickled Kai’s nose.
Pat slinked in, out of breath. “Whatcha need boss lady?”
Pat stood in the doorway. His slanted eyes never settled on anything for more than a second. His short, sandy-blond, curly hair reminded Kai of a young boy she once knew. Pat’s tail danced behind him. He used glamour to hide it except when he was with friends. The smell of pheromones tickled Kai’s nose. She noticed Cecily sit straighter and her pupils dilated as she watched Pat. This was something new. Was there something between them? She made a mental note to ask about that later.
“Did you know your cousin was in town?”
“N…n-o I d…no, I didn’t.” He edged his way to her desk.
“Pat you’re a terrible liar. How long have you known?”
The demon looked around, paused on Kai’s face, then stared at his feet. “He c…c-ame here about six months ag…g-o.”
“Shit fire. You’ve known he was in town that long and you didn’t tell me?” Cecily stood next to him.
“What does this have to do with Pat’s cousin,” Kai asked.
“Has he been in contact with you?” Cecily stared at her employee. “Is that how you knew he was in town?”
“Who is your cousin, Pat?” Kai asked.
“All the d…d-emons know when he gets here.” Pat lowered his eyes and licked his lips.
Cecily shook her head. “You could have told me.”
“I d…d-idn’t th…think about it, Mistress.”
Cecily stomped her foot. “We’ll discuss this later. Get out of here.”
Pat backed out of the door.
“Pat,” Cecily called after him. “Give it back.” Cecily walked to the door with her hand out. Pat’s hand reached around the door jamb and put the purple vape in her hand. “He is the slickest thief I know. If he wasn’t smoking hot when he was strapped down, wooee. When he’s spread eagle and helpless I get all kinds of—”
Kai and Seth gawked. She didn’t need to ask for any further details now.
Kai snarled her upper lip. “I think I just threw up in my mouth.”
Cecily winked. “Hey, I have some intense needs and not any ordinary being can handle me.”
“I take it you know who I’m talking about then,” Kai stated.
“Yep. I know the bastard.”
“He’s a demon?” Seth asked.
“He’s Lucifer’s second in command.” Cecily took another drag. The smell made Kai sneeze. Cecily waved her arm clearing the smoke. “You don’t like strawberries?” She opened her drawer and pulled out three more vapes. “I’ve got vanilla, chocolate, and banana. I was going for a banana split kind of thing.” She winked at Seth.
“I don’t like any smoke,” Kai told her. “How do you know Pat’s cousin?”
Cecily rolled her eyes.
“Remember that hook-up I had last year in Vegas?”
“You mean the one that stiffed you with the hotel bill?”
“That’s the one. His name is Winston and if he has your key, good luck getting it back.”
“I have to get it back. Besides what would a demon need with my key? He can already cross realms and dimensions.”
“I promise you, he didn’t steal it for himself. He doesn’t need to. Lucifer likes to put on a show for people. So, he lets Winston do side jobs to show off. He’s good. Real good. But he doesn’t work for free. Whoever hired him has money and a lot of it.”
&n
bsp; “This is making my head hurt.” Seth moved to stand but fell against the couch.
“Whoa, there dude.” Kai helped him sit. “Remember, you’re dead. You don’t even belong here anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure because I’ve never had anyone stupid enough to cross back over.”
“Well, excuse me princessa. Next time, I’ll just let them kill you.”
“They weren’t there to kill me.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Enough.” Cecily slammed her chair against the back wall and walked to the coffee table in front of Kai and Seth. “You two argue like lovers.” They looked at each other and sneered. “If Winston is the one who took your key, he won’t be leaving soon. His MO is to stick around after he finishes a job and enjoy the local delicacies.”
“Like food?” Seth asked.
“No.” Cecily smacked him on the side of the head. “Blondes and redheads are his favorite. You need to think quicker.”
Seth rubbed his head. “Sorry. This is all new. I’ve never been dead before. I never knew you people existed before.”
“‘You people’? You’re Latino. You can’t be a racist,” Kai said.
“I’m not. I don’t know how you identify yourselves. Do I call you Paranormal Americans?”
Kai and Cecily laughed. “I’m just giving you a hard time,” Kai said. “We’re not that complicated.” She turned to her boss. “Do you know where we might find Winston?”
Cecily went to her desk, wrote on a card, and handed it to Kai. “Go to this address. Tell them I sent you. If he’s still in town, this is where he’ll be.”
“Thanks,” Kai said. “Can I take the same car?”
“I guess. Just keep track of the miles. It’s coming out of your paycheck.”
Five minutes later, Kai and Seth sat in the muggy cab headed out of the garage.
“Where are we going?” Seth asked.
“Madam Liberty’s.”
“Huh?”
Kai snickered. “Don’t worry about it. It’s hard to explain. You’ll just have to see it for yourself. But whatever you do, do not make eye contact with any of her girls. They’ll take that as an invitation and they are very aggressive.”
The last thing she wanted was to see any of Liberty’s girls hot and heavy with Seth. She wanted to do that herself.
Chapter Five
Kai pulled out of the garage and turned left, cutting off two competitor taxis. Both drivers leaned out their windows and shouted obscenities. Kai shared her emotions with her middle finger and increased speed.
“I see you make a lot of friends.”
“Nice drivers get run over. For someone who grew up here, you should know that.”
Seth shrugged. “Where we headed?”
“Broadway and Wall Street.” Kai lifted her coffee cup, finishing the last, cold, bland swallow.
“Trinity Church? We’re headed to Trinity Church?”
“Yep. Can you think of a better place to hide a brothel?”
“Madam Liberty’s is a brothel?” He rubbed his shoulder, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Kai noticed he held his breath. “Hey, are you okay? Dude, what’s going on?”
Between sharp inhales, Seth told her he didn’t know, but the pain in his shoulder felt like a hot poker.
She turned down an alley, stopped the car, and felt his clammy skin. “Dude, you’re burning up. How long has it been like this?”
“Since we left the garage.” He blew out a big sigh.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He put his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. Kai stared, unsure what to do. Slowly, his breathing normalized.
“It’s getting better. I think I’m okay now.”
She waited another minute and then continued driving. “I still can’t believe you came back. I have no idea what’s happening to you.”
“I’ll be okay. It’s fine. Don’t worry. Now tell me about Madame Liberty’s.”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“No, but I think it’s for the better. Will they be able to see me?”
“Yes. Madam Liberty runs an entertainment house for particular clients. Clients with unique preferences.”
“Like what kind of preferences?”
“She caters to those of us who are, how did you put it? Oh, yes, Paranormal Americans.”
“I really don’t want to know about this, do I?”
“I bet you can use your imagination and figure things out, but if Cecily is right, and it is Winston, he will either still be there or will have visited. Everyone stops at Madam Liberty’s.”
“And this is at Trinity Church?”
She slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian too engrossed in the music from his headphones to pay attention to red lights. The kid adjusted his beanie, waved at her, and flashed a toothy grin. “It’s not at the church, just next to it.”
“How did that happen?”
“Liberty sneaked in during the reconstruction after the first church burned to the ground.”
“That was over two hundred years ago!”
Kai harrumphed. “So? What’s your point?”
“This Liberty person has to be over two hundred years old.”
“Oh, she’s older than that.”
Traffic stopped. A group of demonstrators blocked the intersection. They carried signs expressing outrage over a new city ordinance. A few rode by on roller blades and bicycles. All of them spewing hateful epithets against the city government or anyone fool enough to disagree with them.
“I hate summer,” Seth grumbled. “As the temperature goes up so does the crazy. My job was three times harder during the summer.”
“Yeah, because no one likes to be hot and they’re pissed off because they can’t get out of the city.”
“I can’t remember the last time I had a real vacation.”
Kai watched him stare out the window. She never spent this much time with the charges. It wasn’t right. Ignoring the will of Odin insured she’d never leave this realm. If Seth didn’t cross to Valhalla soon, there would be a high price to pay.
He laughed at a handful of children playing in a fire hydrant. His cheek dimples matched the one in his chin. His carefree, belly laughs reminded her of fading thunder at the end of a storm. She laughed with him when two girls broke a water balloon on one boy’s head. For a second the tension in her shoulders eased and her lungs filled.
“What is Madam Liberty?”
“She’s a chuiael.”
“A what?”
“A chuiael, a Hindu succubus.”
Seth dropped his jaw.
The parade passed, and traffic resumed. Kai found a parking spot two blocks away from the church.
“We’ll walk from here.” Kai grabbed a bag from the trunk. “Remember, don’t look her girls in the eyes.”
“What are you dragging me into?”
“Don’t forget it was your choice to come back. I didn’t ask you.”
“Does anyone do nice things for you?” He crossed his arms over his chest and rested against the car.
“Not without wanting something in return.”
“Maybe I can change that for you.” He slid his hand under the strap of her messenger bag and slid it down. Kai hesitated but acquiesced when he smiled. Those dimples would get her in trouble.
“Be careful with that. It’s got some stuff we might need.”
He snickered. “And I’m sure they are all properly registered and legal.”
“Okay, sure. We’ll go with that.”
They continued walking. Kai turned her head to watch Seth and bumped into a man walking toward them. “Excuse me,” she muttered and glanced over her shoulder to see a man with black facial hair duck his head to see her.
“No, excuse me,” he said.
She stopped and watched him walk away. He seemed familiar, like a memory shadow that’s always there,
but hard to name.
At the church a pillar with a Virgin Mary figurine, next to the John Watts statue, stood guard over a grave. Kai bent the virgin over and a tunnel opened with a staircase leading down into the ground.
“This is the way to Madam Liberty’s?”
Kai nodded. “Follow me.”
Once they cleared the entrance, Mary teetered back in place. Wall sconces blazed, and the smell of sulfur circled around them. Jazz music and laughter echoed from the bottom of the stairs.
Kai knocked on the door in front of the last stair. A peekaboo door opened at the top and a big eye scanned them. “We’re here for the nightly special,” she said.
“Who did you bring with you, Kai?” a deep mumbled voice asked.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s a nobody.”
“The Madame doesn’t take kindly to zombies.”
“He’s not a zombie, and I said he’s with me and not anybody special.”
Several locks clanked and groaned. The door opened, and a winged sprite dressed in a tuxedo welcomed them inside. He landed on Kai’s shoulder and planted a tiny kiss on her cheek.
“How ya been girl?”
Seth gaped at the small creature.
“Close your mouth, son, you’ll gather flies.”
Seth shook his head, closed his mouth, and said nothing.
“I’ve been busy. And the last time I came, Liberty wasn’t thrilled with me.”
“Oh, don’t mind her. You won fair and square. Liberty doesn’t like to lose. You made her look bad in front of an important customer.”
“It’s not my fault I learn games fast. I’ve been around a long time too.” The sprite held up its fist for a bump.
“I’m not here for games tonight. I’m looking for someone.”
“Aren’t we all girl?”
“This would be a recent guest. A demon, a high-ranking demon, onyx skin, and sea-blue eyes.”
The sprite hovered in front of Kai’s face. “Kai, you don’t want anything to do with Winston. If that’s why you’re here, I won’t let you stay.”
“Hamlet, don’t be that way.”
“You never listen to good advice. Winston is not good news.”
“I know, but he took something of mine and I need to get it back.”
“What’s going on here, Hamlet?” A loud, boisterous woman sauntered up to them, looked Kai up and down, and spat at her feet. “You are not welcome here.”