I nodded and downed the rest of my beer. “You’re welcome, but I think that has more to do with the assignment finally being over. We only ran into one demon today,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t ask for any details.
I waved my empty bottle at Xaphen. He huffed and jerked a bucket down from a shelf. After loading it with several bottles and a mountain of ice, he set it between Amy and me.
“On the house,” he said, giving Amy a stern, fatherly glare that suggested this wasn’t her first night of heavy drinking.
“Wow, thanks Xaph,” I giggled, feeling fuzzier than I would have if I had eaten dinner, or lunch for that matter. In times of crisis, food is the first thing I forget. I’m queasy enough without hot wings and lasagna waging war on my intestines.
“So, are you all ready for Friday?” Amy asked as she pulled a bottle from the bucket.
“Halloween? Gabriel will probably drag me off to some lame costume party. Unless, of course, he has plans with you.” I blushed and reached for another beer.
I was still getting used to Gabriel having a girlfriend. There was a small pinch of jealousy, but not the romantic kind. Who was going to get tanked and watch John Wayne save the day with me now?
Amy leaned back in her stool and grinned at me. “You mean he really didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“I asked him to let me tell you, but I didn’t think he would be able to keep it to himself,” she laughed, looking tickled that Gabriel had honored her request, and stroked her tail fondly. I just wished she would get it over with and let me have it. My shitty surprise quota had already been reached for the week, hence the beer and immediate vacation.
“Do tell,” I groaned and rested my forehead on the bar.
Amy raised an eyebrow and tilted her head like a confused puppy. “Council Lady Cindy Morningstar was so pleased that you put such a prompt halt to Caim’s demon recruiting that she’s offering an all expenses paid weekend getaway for your team to my new chateau. Gabriel really didn’t tell you?” Her gaze drifted off, making her look lost in whatever la-la land Gabriel had been visiting at Meng’s earlier.
“The Inferno Chateau? This weekend?” I paused, waiting for a punch line that never came.
Amy swiveled her stool around and crossed her legs. “I know it’s a little early in his term, but perhaps Maalik could take the weekend off and join us.”
“You’re serious?” I laughed and twisted the top off another beer. “Well, hot damn. I guess I better start packing.”
“Don’t forget an evening gown. We’ll be dining with the Hell Committee Saturday.” Amy giggled and pulled at one of her coppery curls. “At least Ms. Morningstar doesn’t mind my taste in men. I do hope Gabriel has a good time.” She bit her bottom lip and gave me a worried frown.
“He’ll have a blast. We all will.” I gave her a reassuring smile and bottomed-up my second beer. “I’ve got a few things to take care of in the morning. I better take off. Thanks for the drinks.” I nodded to Xaphen and pulled my jacket off the barstool.
“See you Friday,” Amy laughed, pulling the bucket of remaining beer closer before her dad could snatch it off the bar.
Outside, a heavy fog wove around the buildings, illuminated by scattered circles of light cast from the street lanterns and flickering candles melting inside carved pumpkins perched on every other stoop. Halloween had an eerie charm to it in Limbo City. Of course, we didn’t have trick-or-treaters, what with the no child souls rule of the Fates. But we did have some pretty kick-ass parties. I’d been going to them for three centuries though, so missing out this year for a weekend getaway to Hell wasn’t a problem.
With all the demon attacks I’d been through recently, you would think Hell would be the last place I’d want to go for vacation. But the demons interfering with my work were rebels, no longer welcome in Hell. Most of them were probably gone by now anyway. If Grim was telling the truth, the island was destroyed already. I hoped Seth and Caim went down with their legions, but somehow, I doubted it.
I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my leather jacket and headed down Morte Avenue. A cool breeze hushed past me, stirring the fog like cotton candy. I made a left on Ghost Alley and ran smack into a hooded figure.
“Excuse me,” I groaned, feeling ridiculous for being spooked until the figure reached out and snatched my wrist with a massive hand, jerking me behind a building.
“What the fuck!” I flailed my arm around, failing to free myself, and lifted a leg to kick my captor in the groin. He grunted and slammed into the brick wall behind him.
“Lana,” he sputtered.
I ripped back the hood of his robe and found Horus gasping for breath.
“What’s wrong with you?” I stepped back and rubbed my sore wrist, glaring at him with more annoyance than fright now.
“I,” he whispered, struggling to catch his breath. “I need to talk to you.”
“In an alley at night?” I snorted and folded my arms before taking a step back to glance out at the still empty street.
Horus stood up taller and pulled the hood of his robe up to cover his face again, making him look more like a fellow reaper than a god.
“I know about Wosyet,” he whispered.
I took another step back and pulled my jacket around tighter as I fought to keep my face neutral. This was no time to make assumptions.
“What about her?” I huffed.
“She was at the hospital today. Wasn’t she?”
“So you’ve talked to Grim. Why are you bothering me?”
“I haven’t seen Grim since this morning.” Horus leaned in closer. I squeezed my hands into fists and widened my stance, ready to bolt if he turned out to be as corrupt as his psycho girlfriend.
He took in my posture with a confused frown and edged back to a comfortable distance. “I went to see Josie. Wosyet’s been known to experiment with hellfire and every other drug that crosses the sea. When Anubis told me she never arrived in Duat, I knew she was the one leaking information to Caim for Seth. Just like I knew she would try to get the soul herself this time. Seth doesn’t take failure lightly,” he sighed and rubbed a hand over his jaw.
“So she was there. That still doesn’t explain why you’re lurking around in an alley, waiting for me.” I folded my arms again and leaned against the opposite wall as a small crowd of souls shuffled down the street, heading home from a costume party. A playboy bunny rode piggyback on a generic Dracula, while salt and pepper shakers wobbled behind them, tripping and giggling like drunk school girls.
Horus waited for them to pass, and then set his eyes into me. “No one’s seen her since she left this morning, and Seth has disappeared now too. When Grim finds out, he’ll notify the council, and I will take Seth’s place.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” I sucked in a chilly breath and hugged myself tighter. Horus wouldn’t be sharing so much vital information if he didn’t have a point to make. I just hoped he made it soon.
Drops of condensation flicked off the edges of his robe as he pulled out a silver disc the size of a dessert plate and a small bag of jingling coin. He handed them to me.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking the silver compact and bag of coin with a frown.
“A token of my appreciation and a job offer.”
“Job offer?” I made a face and tucked the bag of coin in my pocket. A brass clip on the edge of the compact flicked open to reveal a delicate set of six ivory bracelets. “These aren’t for Josie, are they?” I snapped the disc shut and shoved it at him. “I already have a job.”
Horus glared down at me and lowered his voice. “I know what you are.”
“And now I know what you are too,” I hissed.
The bracelets were old magic. I’d seen them before, but only in pictures of expired academy text books. They were for tracking souls, and Grim had only allowed their use for half a century. After it was discovered that the bracelets absorbed enough faith from the soul’s previous life to ca
use interference with its current life, they were outlawed by unanimous council vote.
Horus cleared his throat. “Grim hasn’t been just picking out souls of ancient Egyptian descent. He’s been picking out the most beloved pharaohs of Ma’at. That last soul was one of my very first descendants. If my son can help Eternity, then so be it. But I won’t have him trapped in some prison of Grim’s for a millennium or longer.”
I dropped the compact and stared at him, too shocked to pretend I didn’t know what he was talking about anymore.
He smirked and tilted his head back to squint at me. “You think no one’s noticed Khadija’s absence but Muhammad? You skip around here, posing as a low-risk harvester, and yet you know of her. Explain that one to me? And while you’re at it, explain why Grim promoted you before Josie? You know I suggested her for the task? She’s been working her ass off for decades to get a promotion, and a slacker like you gets bumped up instead. How long do you think you can hide from the council? From Seth?”
He bent over, picked the compact up off the pavement, and handed it back to me. “I can help you just as much as you’re going to help me.”
“What do you want?” I whispered, squeezing the compact to keep my hands from shaking.
“Go to work, like usual, and next time you come across a useable soul, put one of these trackers on it. When my term is up, I will leave here with my son. The disc in your hand tracks the souls and charts their current locations and life spans. It will be up to you to bring Grim a replacement again, I’m sure. Next time, your search should be much easier. See, I told you I could help you too.” Horus sighed and shook more dew drops off his sleeves. If the fog got any thicker, they would have to shut down the harbor for Halloween. Grim would have a fit.
“Why didn’t you just talk to Grim about this?” I shoved the disk in my pocket, next to the bag of coin that was feeling more and more like a bad idea.
Horus cleared his throat. “You know as well as I do that Grim would have me exiled from Limbo if he found out I knew his secret. Look how long it’s taken him to replace Khadija. No, this is something you must do on your own. Don’t even tell Josie.” He gave me a stern frown. “And I won’t tell her any of your secrets either.”
I frowned right back at him. Dew dripped from my eyelashes, but I refused to look away. He might have been a god, but this staring contest was mine. “And if Grim figures it out?”
“Well, we just won’t let that happen, now will we?” He stepped out of the alley and took wide, fierce steps down the street until the fog engulfed him and I was alone again.
He hadn’t said I killed Wosyet, just that he knew she was at the hospital. And he hadn’t said what I was, just that he knew there was something different about me. Maybe he knew what he was talking about, but then, maybe he didn’t.
I dug the compact out of my pocket and opened it again. I was risking my ass either way. What was the difference? But at least with the bracelets, it would be easier to find a replacement if Horus did make good on his threat to take Winston at the end of his term.
Decisions, decisions.
Chapter 29
“Work out your own salvation.
Do not depend on others.”
-Buddha
Flora, the Roman goddess of blossoming flowers, owned one of three flower shops in Limbo City. Flora’s Power Flowers. I thought it sounded too aerobics class to be tasteful, but you wouldn’t catch me saying that to her face. Goddesses had some pretty skewed ideas about revenge.
It took me an hour of digging through shelves full of cheesy figurines and music boxes before finally finding a stuffed animal remotely close to Winston’s saber-toothed tiger. Flora’s part-time clerk, Buttercup, giggled as she rang me up.
“That’s so cute, getting your boyfriend a stuffed animal.” She paused and pressed a finger to her pastel cheek. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a reaper do that before.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s a chew toy for my dogs.”
“Dogs?” She giggled again. “Shouldn’t you be getting more than one then?”
“No, I’ll come back for another one next week.” I took the paper gift bag from her and smiled at her puckered brow before ducking out of the dewy shop.
The fog had eased up, letting morning sink in with a bright clarity. It wasn’t even seven o’clock yet, but I wanted a chance to talk to Grim before his office exploded with phone calls and angry council members.
“Hey, Ellen. Is Grim in his office?” I folded my arms over the high counter of the front desk.
“Is he expecting you?” She gave me a strained smile. Ellen seemed on edge when I was around lately. I didn’t blame her. I’d bring her an apology gift when I got back from my vacation.
“Probably not. I’ll wait if you want to announce me.” I stepped back from her desk so she could intercom Grim.
The bulletin board outside the conference room had been cleared of all the ferry attack articles, and a new headlining story had been tacked in the center. I cocked an eyebrow as I made out a tiny picture of myself and Josie at Coreen’s memorial service, with Seth sitting behind us. The featured article picture was a close up of Coreen’s statue, titled: Fellow Reaper Loses Life to Save Eternity. Figures she would hog all the credit, even beyond the proverbial grave.
“Go on in, sweetie.” Ellen gave me one of her puppet smiles and dug a candy bar out of her purse.
I brought the gift bag into Grim’s office. He sat behind his desk, reading over documents and periodically jotting down his signature with a feminine flourish.
“What now, Ms. Harvey?” he groaned and glanced up from his paperwork to scowl at my outfit as I sat down. I had left my robe at home, and wore a pair of knee-less jeans and a black sweater. Hey, I was on vacation.
“I’m taking a few days off. I wanted to let you know in person. Also, I was wondering if you might consider switching Kevin’s apprenticeship to Josie. She’s a generation above me and ten times more qualified to give Kevin the proper training he deserves. Besides, they work well together.”
Grim dropped his pen and laced his fingers together to form a cradle for his jaw to rest in. “You would just love that, wouldn’t you? Then you could get out of that class I have you signed up for.”
“I’m suggesting this for Kevin’s sake,” I half-lied.
Grim sighed and shook his head. “I’ve already made my decision, Lana. You’re going back to the academy. It’ll be good for you.” The phone on his desk rang, interrupting the lecture. Grim sighed and snatched up the phone.
“What’s that? Are you sure?” His face twisted into an unsettling mass of lines, pulling the corners of his lips down into a loathing frown. “Notify the rest of the council. I’m holding a conference in one hour.”
He slammed the phone down, and then ripped it off his desk and heaved it at my head. I ducked and pulled my knees up to my chest, curling into the stiff guest chair. The plastic box smashed into the far wall and squealed its last ring before crushing into a dozen pieces on the floor.
“You just had to kill her, didn’t you?” he hissed, keeping his voice low, since Ellen had obviously heard the commotion. “Seth’s gone,” he growled.
“Well, at least the council will be convinced he was involved now.” I pushed my legs back down and tried to look less like a cowering dog.
“I already knew he was involved,” Grim whispered angrily. “And now we’ve lost our chance to contain him. At least he doesn’t have an island to hide on now.”
“So Winston agreed to work for you then?” I tried to steer the conversation in a less violent direction.
“Winston?” Grim gave me a menacing glare. “You’re on a first name basis with my new soul?”
“Well, we had an interesting encounter. I doubt he’ll be forgetting me.” I pulled the gift bag into my lap.
Grim smirked and scooped up a stack of files off his desk before standing. “He forgot you five minutes after you arrived. Lady Meng fixed up a nice batch o
f tea for him and Khadija.” He laughed as my shoulders slumped. “Why else do you think I allowed Meng on the council? And in place of a Hindu representative? Everything I do is for good reason, Lana. You’ll do well to remember that.”
Winston being gone was bad enough, but Grim wiping away Khadija’s memory crushed me in a way I’d never been crushed before. I felt like a three-year-old that had just been told someone intentionally ran over the Easter Bunny. It was my turn to have a tantrum. I dug my fingers into the paper gift bag and flung the stuffed animal at Grim. He caught it and chuckled again, giving me an amused sigh, the kind a grandfather would give a pouting child.
“Have a nice vacation. I think you’ve earned it.”
I stood and ripped the gift bag into pieces with a frustrated growl before storming out of his office.
Ellen gave me another fake smile as I stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the main floor. When the doors slid shut I pressed my forehead against the cool metal and sighed.
Maalik had used a coin to reach Khadija through the elevator. But if Grim had stripped away Winston’s lives, there was no telling what his current name was, and no way for me to find him. It was probably best that I didn’t. Seth might have disappeared, but he still had plenty of spies. And if I could find Winston, so could they.
I tucked a curl behind my ear and composed myself before the elevator doors pinged open on the ground floor.
Maalik waited in the lobby, wearing one of his formal robes. His curls were sleek and oiled.
“Lana?” He blinked a few times, confused to see me at Grim’s office so early. “Grim called a conference. Are you okay? You don’t look so good.” He reached for me, and then stopped to glance around the lobby before stepping into the elevator and pushing a random button.
“Sorry I didn’t come by last night. I had to escort Khadija on to Fidaws Pardis. And then Muhammad asked me to stay the night. I can’t refuse the prophet.” He gave me a sheepish smile and wrapped his arms around me. I didn’t return the hug. Not being seen in public with me was probably a good idea, but it didn’t hurt my feelings any less than him not showing up the night before to check on me.
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