by Kimbra Swain
“That's great! It's not every day that royalty visits,” he said.
Slowly I turned and locked eyes with Matthew Rayburn. My fury flared as Levi stepped between us. “Grace, no,” he said firmly.
“What do you know about that?” I questioned the preacher.
“Forgive me, Miss Bryant. I thought you were aware that you weren't alone in this town,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I pressed.
“Perhaps you should visit us on Sunday and find out,” he replied. He smiled at us both as he walked away, exiting out a side door.
Levi and I stood alone in the lobby of the funeral home.
Utterly confused, I looked to Levi. He shrugged, “Hell, if I know.”
We drove home, and Dylan sat in my lap. It was awkward because the urn was lighter than I expected. When we got to the house, a large raptor circled above the trailer.
“What is that? A hawk?” Levi asked looking up at it.
“Probably a buzzard. He will snatch Rufus up,” I joked. “Let's take Dylan inside.”
I sat the urn down on the counter, staring at it. “You gonna leave it there?” Levi asked.
“I don't know what to do with it,” I replied. “I just can’t believe he left it to me. What the hell?”
“He would be happier in your bedroom,” Levi said.
I slapped him on the arm. “Do not disrespect the dead,” I told him with a smile. “But you are probably right.”
Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the urn. Shocked by the contents, I knocked the urn over as I backed away from it. Levi lunged to catch it as it hit the floor and rolled.
We both stood in shock.
The urn was empty.
“No, Dylan! What did they do with his ashes!” I screamed.
Picking up my cell phone, I dialed the last unrecognizable number that called me. “Bro. Rayburn, I don't know what kind of joke you are pulling on me, but it isn't funny,” I shouted through the phone.
“Miss Bryant, what's wrong?” he asked innocently.
“The fucking urn is empty!” I screamed.
“Grace, calm down,” Levi said.
“Don't you tell me to calm down. He was a good man, and he can't even be left alone in his death!” I sobbed.
“I assure you, Miss Bryant, I don't know why it is empty. The urn was sitting on the table when I arrived at the funeral home this morning,” he explained. “I will make some calls.”
“You do that!” I said hanging up. I dialed my lawyer.
“Lysander,” he answered.
“Did you know that in Dylan’s will he left his ashes to me?” I asked bitterly.
He laughed, “No, I wasn't aware of that Grace.”
“What’s so funny?”
“You. You stay riled up all the time,” he said.
“They gave me the urn at the funeral home. It's empty, Lysander!” I screamed at him too.
“Empty?” he sobered.
“Yes, as in not even ash residue in it. Someone stole his ashes, Lysander!”
“I'll make some calls,” he said.
I threw the phone at the wall. Thankfully trailer walls aren’t solid so it only cracked the screen.
Nothing would stop me from killing my entire bottle of Crown. Throwing open the cabinet, I screamed, “Where is my mother fucking Crown?” I spun around on Levi.
“I swear I didn't touch it!” he said, throwing his hands up.
I stomped to the closet outside his bedroom, rambling around in the bottom. The hidden bottle I had was gone, too. I stood up staring at the closet, and on one of the hangers, Dylan’s leather jacket hung from the night we spent together. I didn't remember hanging it up. He must have hung it up when he left which meant he left it on purpose.
“Oh, Dylan,” I muttered as I touched the soft leather sleeve. Levi peeked around the corner at me. “His jacket is in here.”
Yanking it off the hanger, I pressed it to my nose. Worn leather, musk and peppermint. With one sniff, I was drunk with memories. Hunting moonshine stills in backwoods hideouts. Lunches at the diner. Locating missing people, pets and livestock. Long discussions about creepy crawlies. Sitting in his cruiser talking about nonsense. Late night phone calls. A rigged game of pool. One wonderful night.
Mindlessly, I walked to my room collapsing on the bed. I covered myself with the jacket and got lost in the memories.
I awoke in the darkness as I heard the front door rattling. Reaching under the mattress, I pulled out a Glock that I kept hidden there, just in case. I guess the cops search wasn’t very thorough. As I looked into the living room, Levi stood at the door shaking the handle.
“Levi, honey, what are you doing?”
He didn’t respond to me, but kept rattling the door. Crossing over to him, I jerked his hand off the door.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Dublin?” I asked.
He turned to look at me with blazing red eyes. I slapped him hard, and he yelped. His eyes met mine again, and they still burned, but at least they were blue.
“That fucking hurt, Grace! What the hell?”
“Demon,” I said.
“Huh?”
“He’s out there calling to you. Let me go talk to him. Whatever happens, you stay inside this trailer. Dublin, the moment you step out there, he will take you. Do you understand?” I said.
“Yes,” he hung his head. I ran my hand through his shaggy hair, kissing him on the forehead.
“I’ll take care of it,” I said slipping Dylan’s jacket on. I tucked the Glock in my waistband.
Slowly, I stepped off the wooden deck to the grass, staring at the cloud of black smoke swirling in front of me. It coalesced to a dark figure of a man with dark features and black eyes.
“Well met, Queen of the Otherworld. I would like to bargain with you,” his sultry voice said. Demons, I supposed, needed sexy voices to attract their prey. Fortunately, I was not phased and had my own sultry. This was a game I knew how to play.
“Good evening. I will bargain for only one thing with you, demon,” I replied.
“For the boy? My vessel?” he asked.
“Indeed. I am aware that you have a claim on him, however, I have since made him my bard. He belongs to me. But in good faith, I am willing to compensate you for him,” I said.
The black smoke ceased to swirl, and his form took complete shape into a man in a black suit from shoe to tie. His face was appealing. His eyes were seductive. If I hadn’t known what he was, I’d say he was handsome.
“Gloriana, do you offer yourself to me? You would make an exquisite mate. I would shower you with gifts as you’ve never seen. Wealth beyond your imagination. Protection from your family who disowned you. You would be my queen,” he said.
“If that’s your offer, I’m going to decline,” I said.
“It was not part of the bargain for the boy, but an offer nonetheless,” he said.
“No, thanks. I’m good here,” I replied.
“You live in such squalor. Why? When you are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes upon,” he stroked my ego.
“My home is just fine, and there are beautiful creatures all over this earth. You should get out more. Actually, that’s the problem, isn’t it? A witch and her coven summoned you. How long have you been bound to hell?” I asked.
“For too long, but I know who you are and my offer still stands, as it will forever,” he replied.
I held up my hand with the engagement ring. “I’m already taken,” I replied.
“I assure you that the boy cannot do the things I could do to you,” he said as he swooped up to me. His breath in my face smelled like red hot candies. The black pupils of his eyes receded revealing crimson irises. His hips twitched to one side drawing my eyes to his nether regions.
Clearing my throat, I said, “I dunno. He’s half my kind, and when he takes off his shirt, I wanna lose my panties.” However, I honestly trembled at his closeness and how seductive this guy’s his
power felt. The cold tendrils of power felt familiar, much like my own. Instead of the cold bleakness of ice, his was a depth of darkness like a black hole swallowing everything around it.
He lowered his head to my ear and said, “I could do so much more to you. Pleasure like you’ve never known. The men you’ve had are nothing compared to me. I am your equal, Gloriana.” His sexy power enticed me, as my heart began to pound in my chest. His eyes locked with mine, and I stood stunned by his beguiling glory. As the demon reached out for my hip, the raptor circling above us split the night with a shrill call. The noise shook me from his seduction.
“Actually Shanaroth, I am not bound for hell,” I smirked. He stepped back from me upon hearing his name.
“Who told you my name?” he snarled.
“Shanaroth, demon of hell, spawn of Satan, fallen brother, you are not welcome here,” I said his name for the second time.
“Do not do this, Gloriana! I beg of you. I will do anything you wish,” he begged as he continued to back away from me.
“You will never touch Levi Rearden as long as I live. Seek your retribution as you see fit on the coven, but he is mine! Be gone, Shanaroth!” I screamed his name, and a flaming portal to hell opened and swallowed him up. “I’m sure I’ll pay for that one day,” I muttered to the night.
As I reentered the trailer, Levi still looked terrified. “How did you do that?”
“I banished him using his name,” I said simply. “You are safe for a while.”
“How did you find out his name?”
“The day after you arrived. I made a few calls and was able to determine who had recently been released from hell. I had several candidates, but when he transformed to something more human out there, I knew which one it was, beguiling little twat. Let’s not speak his name again, okay?” I said.
“Okay,” Levi said hugging me. He smelled like sweat.
“Dang. You alright? You smell like you ran a mile then cut my grass!” I said.
“I just got so nervous, because I didn’t want to be a flesh bag for a demon,” he said.
“I’ll never let anyone take you, Levi,” I said. “Jeremiah knew I could protect you. That’s why he left you with me. I don’t think he intended for me to become so attached to you, but it only reinforces my ability to protect you. Tomorrow, we are getting you a tattoo,” I said.
“Yes!” he said pumping his fist. He took a cold orange soda out of the fridge and guzzled it. “He put the full court press on you out there. A taste of your own medicine, yeah?”
“That’s not funny, Levi Rearden. But yes, he did,” I said.
“You didn’t even flinch though,” he said.
“I was flinching on the inside,” I replied.
“That’s funny. I know it’s the middle of the night, but can I get a shower? I’ll even walk through the house without my shirt off,” he teased.
“I suppose, but you can leave your shirt on,” I said. “I’ve had enough temptation for one night.”
“You okay?” he asked.
“I will be, eventually,” I said nuzzling the collar of Dylan’s leather jacket.
He looked sad, but hustled off to his room to grab stuff for a shower. As he went back by I said, “I’m thinking we need a new trailer so you can have your own bathroom.”
“We don’t need that, Grace. We are engaged. We will be sharing the same room once we are married,” he grinned.
“Get in the shower, Dublin!” I ordered him, but laughed at him in the process.
Curling back up in the bed with Dylan’s jacket, I drifted off to sleep listening to the shower run in the bathroom.
I woke up to rain falling on the roof. The sound was delightful as I drifted in and out of sleep. In the past week, I haven’t slept well, but finally my body rested. There was plenty to do especially now that I could get out of the trailer and track down the wolves.
Coffee brewed in the kitchen, so Levi must be up. I left Dylan’s jacket on the bed. If I kept wearing it around, I’d never get over it. When I entered the kitchen, it was empty. Only the coffee brewed.
“Rufus, did you start the coffee?” I asked him as he wagged his tail below me. I poured him some food and myself a cup of coffee. Going out on the porch, it was cool, and the rain stopped. I wished I’d brought the jacket. After a few minutes, I heard Levi getting a cup of coffee. He joined me on the porch.
“Thanks for making the coffee,” he said.
“I didn’t make it,” I replied.
“I didn’t make it,” he said.
I looked at him trying to figure out what kind of game he was playing. Shrugging it off, I said, “Rufus made it.”
He laughed as he sipped. “Do I get my tattoo today?” he asked.
“Sure. We will go down and see the local artist. Her name is Brittany Arizona. I think you will like her,” I said.
“Hmm,” he replied. “Grace, I think I’d like just about any girl right now.”
“Well, when we get done with the tattoo, we can go to the diner. Maybe Miss Ella will show up,” I teased him.
“If she doesn’t, I’m going to meet your neighbor,” he said.
“Bethany will oblige you. I’ll give you some cash,” I said.
“I need to get a job or something,” he replied. “I need something to do before I go crazy.”
“Well, Mrs. Frist said she would pay you to do some odd jobs around her house, but I assume that meant you doing sexual favors for her,” I said.
“Yuck, she’s old,” he gagged.
“I’m old, Levi,” I replied.
“Yeah, but you are hot,” he said.
“Never underestimate the power of an older woman,” I said.
“No, Grace! I’m not doing favors for Mrs. Frist,” he said.
“She owns a lot of land with horses and cows. She probably needs someone to help with it,” I explained. “You have experience with that from back home, right?”
“Yes,” he muttered. “Do you want me to work for Mrs. Frist?”
“Hell, no. I’m just giving you options,” I replied.
“You could just help me,” he said.
“I’m already room and boarding you,” I smirked ignoring his implication.
He sighed. A long, frustrated sigh.
I got up and joined him on the steps which didn’t have railings so it was big enough for us to sit beside each other. “Levi, I know I joke about it, but you don’t want even a casual fling with me. I promise, we will find you someone. You are the type that wants to fall in love. I bet you get that from your father. I’m the type that crushes hearts, and I never want to crush yours,” I explained.
“I know, Grace. You still love Dylan even though he’s gone,” he said.
“You are a damn romantic. You know that, Dublin?” I teased.
“Yeah, I suppose I am,” he sighed again. I leaned into him, bumping him a little. I barely touched him, but he almost slid off the step. His coffee sloshed around in his cup.
“Oops! Sorry,” I said.
He laughed. It was good to see him smile. I needed to find him a woman quickly. The poor boy needed to swap gravy.
We entered the tattoo parlor which was on the end of the strip mall from the Food Mart. A sweet, dark haired woman greeted us. As she smiled, two deep dimples formed on both sides of her mouth. Her eyeliner drawn to a point gave her entire face a feline look.
“Hello, Grace! Have you come to get more work done?” she said.
“No thanks, Brittany. My arm tattoo is plenty. This is Levi. He would like to get an arm band,” I explained.
“Welcome, Levi. I’m Brittany Arizona. Let’s talk about what kind of design you want. Grace, did you bring your ink?” she asked.
“Yes, I did. I’ll be paying for it,” I said sitting down in the waiting area. Picking up a magazine, I sat back while she and Levi discussed his tattoo.
He finally decided on a shoulder tattoo instead of the arm band. It had a circular triquetra surrounded by kn
otwork with jewels. He wanted the jewels to be green.
“May baby?” I asked.
“We are engaged, and you don’t even know my birthday,” he teased me. “Yes, I was born on May 17th.”
“Well, I be damned, and call me St. Patrick,” I said.
He laughed as Brittany got to work. “I’m going down to the Food Mart and get a cold drink. You want one?”
“Yes, please,” he said. I heard him explaining to Brittany that we weren’t actually engaged as I left the parlor.
Walking up the sidewalk, the cool air blew after the rain. I had left Dylan’s jacket at home, but every moment I wished I had it with me. The Food Mart seemed empty except for the workers. I grabbed a couple of drinks from the coolers at the check-out lane.
When I placed them on the belt, I looked up to see that my favorite gossip fly, Mable Sanders. “Howdy, Mable, how ya been?”
“I’m great. It’s good to see you, Grace. You know, none of us thought you killed those kids,” she said.
“Well, of course, I didn’t,” I said.
“I’m sorry about Dylan,” she added.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “Yeah, I don’t want to talk about that.”
“He was such a good man. I just knew the moment he decided to move on from Stephanie that you and he would hit it off,” she continued to talk about Dylan as I became increasingly uncomfortable.
“You know, I told you about him calling you trailer trash, but he was talking to the boys when he said it. I imagined he was just saving face, because he liked you so much,” she said as I handed her some cash. “You okay? You look pale.”
“I just don’t want to talk about Dylan,” I said.
“Well, how about we talk about Troy Maynard and that woman from the state? You know, they were doing the hanky panky?”
“Yes, I heard,” I said.
“Well, I think they still are, because I saw them in the parking lot here last night. She got in his car, and it was real late. I was locking up. The windows got all steamed up. Lord knows, why they couldn’t get a room or go to his house,” she said.
“That is interesting, Mable. Did you see them leave?”
“Yes, in fact, she got out of the car cussing him up a storm. She stomped off in a hissy fit, and Troy made a beeline out of the lot. She got in her car and left, too,” Mable said.