by C. L. Coffey
“I still don’t like it,” Cupid said. He folded his arms. “There’s also no guarantee we would be successful with the exorcism, either.”
“We have to try,” Leon pressed. “These are men and women in a position of responsibility, acting under somebody else’s control. If it is too late for them, the least we can do is to reward them with the dignity of their bodies no longer committing atrocities.”
“And what about those of them who aren’t being possessed?” Cupid asked.
“If they have acted on their own free will, then they will be put before a judge and punished appropriately,” Leon said, steadily.
“I still don’t like it,” Cupid responded, remaining just as firm.
“You don’t have to like it, but that’s the way it is,” Leon shrugged, before folding his own arms. “I am not going to let anyone give the good men and women who uphold the law and do their jobs a bad name, or have their reputations tarnished and their lives put at risk.”
“And what about your lives?” Cupid demanded, gesturing to both Leon and Joshua. “There may be angels in New Orleans, but only I know how to perform an exorcism. What if I can’t get there in time?”
“We’re still working out the details, but we’re not going to stand idly by.”
Just like that, we were in a standoff. I couldn’t help but be a little bit impressed at Leon’s stubbornness. It wasn’t that long ago he had found out what we were and had been kowtowing at our feet. “We need to work together on this,” I silently told my leader. “We need their help like they need ours. There has to be some way to compromise on this so we can come up with something that will help us both out. They’re going to do this by themselves if we don’t.”
Cupid looked to me, his hard expression finally softening into the friendly face I was accustomed to. “There is no precedence for this. I don’t know what to do.”
“Let’s work out the details,” I suggested, aloud. “How many police officers are we looking at?”
“About fifteen hundred,” Joshua responded. “Give or take.”
I could see Cupid’s face hardening again, so I jumped in before he could resist. “What were you thinking of doing to check all of them?”
Leon shook his head. “Look, it’s a large amount, but it’s manageable if we do it in stages. This particular precinct has about one hundred uniformed staff, and a quarter of those fell directly under Asmodeus. We want to focus on them first. That’s enough to go with right now.”
“Twenty-five people isn’t a lot for starters,” I assured Cupid. I could almost see the cogs turning in Cupid’s head. “Joshua is my charge and it’s my duty to keep him safe. I’d rather we did something that we could all agree on, because it will make my job a hell of a lot easier,” I pointed out.
Finally, Cupid sighed, nodding. “Fine, but only on the condition you only check when Angel is here,” he said, looking at Leon and Joshua. When they nodded, he turned to me. “And if any of the Fallen are revealed, you must contact me straight away.”
“I will,” I promised.
Cupid sucked in a long breath before releasing it slowly, running his hand through his disheveled hair. “You cannot take any risks. It’s too dangerous.”
“We won’t,” Leon confirmed. “I have a family I want to return to, as do my colleagues.”
“When you are finished here, we should talk some more,” Cupid told me. He disappeared, leaving me with the two detectives.
“Thank you,” Leon said to me.
I frowned. “If Michael was still here, I bet he wouldn’t have let this happen. Just to be clear, I actually agree with Cupid on this: this is too dangerous for the both of you. You’re mortal.”
“So are the people of this city,” Leon retorted.
Not all of them… There was a reason I hadn’t mentioned that when Cupid had been here. If either had realized how many Fallen and nephilim we were facing…
“We should wait until after the Ball to make a move,” Joshua said, suddenly. “That’s when they’re making the announcement, right? That way people shouldn’t be too suspicious?”
“Ball?” I repeated.
“The NOPD’s Winter Ball,” Leon explained, shooting Joshua a puzzled look. “I have around two week’s grace as the acting Lieutenant to find any evidence to officially launch a taskforce into investigating Asmodeus.”
“What can I do to help?” I asked. Two weeks wasn’t long at all.
“For now, I need you to stay out of this office,” Leon replied, looking apologetic. “Even though you have a valid reason for being here, it lacks….”
I sighed. “Credibility?” While I agreed it was marginally better than declaring I was an angel, Joshua’s reasoning for my visits to be official was because he had declared I was psychic.
Leon nodded.
“We should get going then,” Joshua announced. I looked over at him, frowning. The whole reason we had come was because we needed to tell Leon about the conversation with Ty. “There’s something I need to ask you,” he added, shooting a glance a Leon. Whatever was communicated silently between them, it resulted in Leon nodding, a small smile on his lips.
“Is everything all right?” I asked as Joshua ushered me from the room. “We were going to tell him about the number of Fallen in the city.”
“Like you did with Cupid?” Joshua looked up and down the corridor before slowly shaking his head at me. “This isn’t the place to have this conversation. We don’t know how many people can hear us, nor who we can trust just yet.”
“Then let’s have this conversation on the way to the morgue,” I suggested.
“The morgue?” Joshua repeated. “Do we really need to go there?”
I could understand Joshua’s reluctance. The coroner, Dr. Henry Miller, was an Angel of Death. Unfortunately, it seemed that the only thing that scared Joshua was the Grim Reaper. Even though doubling up his role as coroner, Henry only escorted souls that had already died to Saint Peter. Like all angels, Henry didn’t take lives, but that didn’t stop Joshua feeling any less nervous around him. While I believed that Henry followed those rules, I was also certain he was aware of exactly who the Fallen and the nephilim were in the city and hadn’t mentioned any of it to anyone.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “Can you go there now, or are you busy?”
Joshua regarded me carefully. “I am never too busy for you, darlin’,” he assured me.
I followed him back outside to his car, waiting patiently for the air-conditioning to drop the temperature of the sauna to a level Joshua was comfortable with. As soon as we pulled away from the precinct, I turned to him. “Are you okay to have this conversation and drive?” I asked him.
Making a point to keep his eyes on the road, Joshua reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. “I’m good at multi-tasking.”
I rolled my eyes. Joshua had an annoying habit of looking at me rather than keeping his eyes on the road when he was driving. I didn’t care how many advanced driving courses he had been on, I was the one guaranteed to survive a car crash, not him. “Aside from the fact that Cupid disappeared before I could tell him, if he’d have found out just how many of the Fallen were in New Orleans, not only would he have completely put a stop to Leon’s investigation, but this place would have been swarming with dozens of seraphim and I’m willing to bet they would take every Fallen and nephilim out without any hesitation.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” Joshua asked.
“Not with the Fallen, but the nephilim are also half-human. Ty’s not so bad that I’d want him dead, and I hope the same would apply to many of the others. Ty is already concerned that the angels are hunting the nephilim and while I have every intention of telling Cupid, I want to know what we’re up against first.” I shifted back into my seat and frowned. “For all we know, this could be a huge coincidence and we just have a serial killer.”
“Just a serial killer?” Joshua let out a dry laugh. “I don’t know which I’d prefer.”
At that point, neither did I.
“So… About that real date I mentioned?”
I blinked a few times as I stared at Joshua in confusion. “To the morgue?”
“No, to the Winter Ball,” Joshua said taking his eyes off the road to grin at me. “Will you be my plus one?”
“If you’re still alive by then,” I grumbled.
Joshua shook his head, but returned his attention to what was in front of us. “It’s a Black and White event, so you’re going to need a dress,” he continued. “But I’d really like you to come with me.”
I pursed my lips. The idea sounded very tempting, but we were still trying to respect the rules. While Joshua and I were officially dating, we hadn’t told anyone at the convent. Michael had explicitly stated that humans and angels couldn’t be in relationships, and by extension, we couldn't sleep together. Mama Laveau, who apparently wasn’t a hundred and something year old voodoo queen but a rogue virtue, had said it was a covenant – rules set by the angels themselves. Until I could work out what was true, we hadn’t ventured past second base, which somehow, we were both currently okay with. When the other option was me becoming one of the Fallen, we had to be. How long we would both continue to feel that way was unknown. Needless to say, we were keeping the relationship quiet – and that included no flaunting it in front of the angels.
As though he could read my mind, Joshua raised my hand and pressed his lips to it. “We can tell Cupid that’s when the Captain will be announcing the taskforce and Leon’s promotion – which it will be – and it would be a good idea to keep you around, just in case. Of course, I intend on treating you like a princess.”
“I don’t need to be treated like a princess. Just a girlfriend,” I smiled.
“I know you don’t, darlin’, but that’s exactly how any girlfriend of mine is going to be treated,” he assured me. “Provided she says yes, of course.”
“I don’t know,” I teased. “I was expecting some corny chat-up line.”
“Not on this one. I want you to know I’m being serious.” He glanced back at me, his blue eyes dark. “So, providing the world doesn’t end in the next two weeks, will you go to prom with me?”
I laughed and nodded.
CHAPTER FIVE
Offense or Defense?
The drive to the morgue was a short one, even with the mid-morning traffic and navigating the one-way systems. The last time I had seen the streets this quiet, Hurricane Tabitha was bearing down on the city. Depressingly, there was an obvious lack of Christmas decorations adorning the buildings. It might have been the beginning of December, but normally, this city liked to go big when it came to Christmas.
Only it wasn’t normal in New Orleans right now.
Michael had once said the city was full of fighters. They’d come together through hurricanes, oil spills and tragedies. Yet, this was the first time they’d encountered terrorism. Or alleged terrorism. I let out a heavy sigh. The city was a mess and it was partly my fault.
Something green appeared in front of me and it took me a second to refocus and discover the twenty-dollar bill being waved in my face. I leaned my head back to arch an eyebrow at Joshua.
“I’d offer a penny for them, but I know they’re worth more than that,” he shrugged.
“Cute,” I muttered, pushing his hand – and the bill – back towards him.
“And yet you’ve not noticed that we’re parked,” he pointed out, slipping the money back into his wallet.
I looked up at the non-descript salmon pink building in front of us. No, I hadn’t noticed we were already at the morgue, and yes, I had spaced out a little – but I wasn’t going to admit that one aloud. Then I sighed again. “I was just noticing how there weren’t as many Christmas decorations up as usual.”
“All things considered, I’m not surprised,” Joshua said. “But it is December, and not Christmas.”
“You…” I narrowed my eyes. “You really are a Scrooge, aren’t you?”
“No,” he responded calmly. “If it was Christmas, then maybe I would be a Scrooge, but it’s not Christmas: it’s December. More to the point, my birthday is in December, not Christmas.”
Something large and heavy plummeted into my stomach, pulling my heart with me. It was nearly Joshua’s birthday and I’d nearly forgotten. Nearly. There was still time to get him something, but what did a girlfriend get her boyfriend for his birthday? Hell, it was Christmas in three weeks. What the hell should she get him for their first Christmas as a couple?
Suddenly tackling the Fallen in the city seemed a lot simpler.
“Darlin’, that wasn’t a hint, so stop looking so panicked,” Joshua laughed. “I’m merely stating that December is the month, and not Christmas day.”
“Maybe,” I mumbled, mentally adding ‘presents’ to the list of things I needed to accomplish.
I followed Joshua into the morgue, annoying Henry’s grumpy secretary, who had to disappear into the back to locate him. The morgue was bright and cheerful, with filtered sun streaming in through the blinds, almost unnoticeable with the bright lights in the room. Like every time we had been here previously, we were the only people present, but I was taking that as a good thing. It took some time before Sheila returned. She grunted something about going through and finding Henry ourselves, and lowered herself back behind her desk.
I’d been to the morgue several times now, and even though the building was becoming more familiar with each visit, I still didn’t feel comfortable. It wasn’t that the dead creeped me out (don’t get me wrong: I do not like being around the bodies at all), but more that knowing that for every body there was, there was a family suffering. Or worse, there was no one.
I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, and hurried along the corridor to where Henry’s office was located. Henry was at his computer, but waved us in when he spotted us at the door. “And how can I help one of New Orleans’ finest, and her charge?”
I blinked a few times. I had a way to go before I earned that title. “We’d like to talk to you about some of the recent deaths,” Joshua responded instead, as I took a seat. I wasn’t surprised when Joshua lurked behind my chair, rather than taking the other one in front of Henry’s desk.
The action didn’t go unnoticed by Henry. The Angel of Death rose to his feet and walked over to a cabinet, plucking out a lollypop stick – I had to learn the proper name for them – from within. He moved in front of his desk, and then nodded at Joshua. “Open wide, please.”
“Why?” Joshua asked in alarm.
“I want to check if everything is okay,” Henry explained, patiently. “You experienced severe trauma, and while your bruises are fading, your voice sounds gruff.” Although he didn’t look comfortable, Joshua allowed Henry to shine a torch into his mouth and perform a visual inspection. Moments later, Henry threw the stick into the trash can and returned to his side of his desk. “I cannot see anything, but I suspect the damage is further down. While the injury is likely healing, I would still recommend you see a doctor.”
“I just have,” Joshua pointed out, folding his arms.
Henry raised his shoulders. “Very well.” He then leaned back into his chair, resting his elbows on the arms. “You said you were here to talk about some recent deaths? I assume this is regarding both Ramsey Senior and Junior?”
The mention of his name sent a shudder running down my spine. The body of Alexander Ramsey Snr was being used by one of the Fallen, Valac. I’d killed him a month previously, but not before he had killed Michael. His son, a nephilim, had been killed shortly afterwards – though not by me!
“Not really,” I said. “I have been told that there have been seven nephilim killed in the last few weeks. I would like the details.”
Like a switch had been flicked, Henry’s dark eyes went cold. “Why?”
I glanced at Joshua, who was frowning, probably remembering what had happened to him the last time I had upset an angel, and then glanced back at Henry. “
Because I want to know who is behind it,” I told him, calmly. “There’s someone, or something, out there attacking nephilim, and I want to know if I need to be worried.”
“I would say if there is anything causing unnatural deaths, you should be worried,” Henry responded. He turned his attention to his computer and began clicking away in silence. Figuring it was better to bite my tongue, I kept quiet. Several minutes passed, an awkward silence filling the room. It seemed Joshua felt the same way too, his hand settling on my shoulder. Finally, Henry straightened. “I have emailed all the relevant reports to Joshua.”
“Thank you,” Joshua told him.
“Was that all?” Henry asked, turning his attention back on me. I nodded. “A word of caution, before you leave: I think you will find your suspect a little closer to home than you would expect.” I narrowed my eyes but didn’t respond, instead leaving his office right behind Joshua, hoping he was wrong.
We both waited until we were outside in the heat before speaking. Whatever Joshua said, I didn’t catch – his voice was drowned out by Cupid’s. “Darell is here.”
“I’ll head back,” I assured him, focusing back in on Joshua. He was frowning.
“You spaced out again.”
“I was talking to Cupid,” I corrected him.
Joshua’s mouth fell open, and then his eyes widened. “Wait; is that what you’re normally doing? Talking to another angel instead of retreating into your own head?”
“What?” I asked. Quickly realizing what he was asking, I shook my head. “Not at all. That’s the first time.” When Joshua’s brow furrowed further, I inhaled in a long breath of the muggy air. “It’s an angel – singular, not plural,” I explained. “And that angel is the leader of the House, in this case, Cupid. But I promise you, that is the first time I’ve done this with you. Normally, I do space out and let my mind wander,” I admitted, giving him a sheepish smile.