The Soul Game

by McQueen, K. T.

  ‘Why are you still up?’ Joy asked as she made drinks. He moved behind her to wrap his arms around her.

  ‘A nice bookstore owner made me tea and scones and we talked about books.’ Mike smiled. ‘I didn’t realise how late it had gotten.’

  ‘Must have been an interesting discussion,’ she said, handing him his coffee.

  ‘It was. You wouldn’t believe the size of the cat he had. This huge ginger monster with an attitude to boot.’ He laughed. ‘How was your shift?’

  ‘Busy,’ she said. ‘Didn’t think I was going to get away when this hen party came in. Completely off their faces and talking about some club by the canal.’

  ‘Weird,’ he agreed and sipped his coffee, pulling her close with his other arm. ‘Do you have to work in the morning?’

  ‘Just tomorrow evening.’ She shook her head. ‘I can sleep in.’

  Mike wondered if the clubs were bringing in humans on purpose. Then she leaned in close. The feel of her mouth on his neck was more than enough of a distraction from his thoughts.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: MAËL

  He left her sleeping and got ready as quietly as he could. Sparky had given him some things to think about but he still had to make sure his employers didn’t know he suspected them of anything underhand. He wasn’t sure he did suspect them of anything. But he felt on the edge of knowing something he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  Ginger called at lunch time to invite him to the company lecture from the author T.G. Master. His travel and hotel would be taken care of, but he was required to attend. Two nights away in another city. Not worrying about finding the next bookstore, and hopefully, the Demons sniffing around his apartment would follow him and leave Joy alone. Ginger emailed him the details and booked his train tickets. He didn’t have to do a thing except turn up. Where, she said, he would get to meet several influential people within the company.

  He nipped into Sloan’s to pick up a new suit. Something smart but casual Ginger told him. And spotted a copy of the book near the register, a blue piece of paper marking the page.

  ‘How are you finding it?’ he asked the man behind the counter.

  ‘I’m enjoying it, sir, will there be anything else?’ he seemed nervous.

  ‘I only ask because it’s my job to sell the book to the bookstores. If you’re interested there will be tickets coming soon for one of his lectures in the area. The author I mean. I could drop in when they become available?’ Mike smiled, handing over his card for payment.

  ‘Those things are meant to sell out faster than a Justin Bieber concert,’ the man said.

  ‘Justin Bieber concerts sell out?’ Mike teased. ‘I get a few advanced tickets; most will go to local bookstores for promotions. But it’s up to me how I distribute them. I thought if you liked the book you might want to see the author do one of his famous talks.’

  ‘That would be amazing,’ the man said. ‘Please let me know when they’re available.’ He handed over Mike’s bag.

  ‘Thank you.’ Mike smiled and left, not witnessing the argument that occurred in the store after the door closed behind him.

  He had one more stop to make before he headed home, and he hoped the store would take his remaining stock.

  CHAPTER THIRTY: RED

  Task: Convince someone to lend you their car, whether you can drive or not, just to feel what it’s like to drive or sit in the seats. If you can convince them to hand over the keys you have completed the task and do not actually have to drive the car unless you really, want to.

  Heather wondered whether the red mini counted, she was already borrowing it from her aunt and it had taken some convincing. The last time she’d driven her aunt’s car she’d ploughed straight through a farmer’s field and into a haystack. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances. A kid on a pony, three sheep, two ducks, and an icy patch. Plus, she’d only had her license for a short time and her aunt’s car had been a lot more powerful then. But deciding she’d done that convincing before she got the book she daren’t risk not attempting the task.

  Reading the players’ stories as she ate breakfast she fealt inspired and got dressed and ready to go out. She had intended on not doing much more than sitting around the house and reading. But the book had other plans.

  She struggled to find somewhere to park. The streets were heaving and she was going to have difficulty moving through the crowds let alone convincing someone to let her drive their car. On her third pass, she spotted someone pulling out and slipped into their still warm space. The mini was ideal for this type of driving and she loved its convenience.

  She wandered the stores and realised the shops were beginning preparations for a local festival, they had offers on and had done their windows up. They were incredibly pretty but she had no idea what the hell the festival was about; despite being invited to attend in just about every store.

  Sitting in a cafe at the back of one of the larger stores she ate a quiet lunch, sipping tea and watching shoppers coming and going. They all seemed super busy and preoccupied. She couldn’t even get the waitress to say more than a few words. She figured she ought to be out on the street anyway.

  Wandering up and down, she checked out the displays in the window, trying to look like she was enjoying them as much as the locals. Cars switched places and few people loitered long enough for her to strike up a conversation.

  ‘How long are you going to be?’ she heard one guy yell over his engine; two screaming kids in the back.

  ‘I just got here, sorry mate,’ the other guy yelled back.

  ‘Jesus, all I need is to pick up their medicine,’ the first guy yelled. Heather wandered over.

  ‘Have you tried the church car park?’ the second guy suggested.

  ‘Yeah completely full.’

  ‘Aw sorry, look I’d help but I have to get to a meeting.’ he gestured to the top floor of the shop he was parked in front of.

  ‘Alright mate, no worries, guess I’ll keep looking.’

  ‘Hi,’ Heather called across. ‘Maybe I could help?’

  ‘How exactly?’ the guy was fed up. ‘I have to pay by card and give my details to get the meds, you can’t get them for me.’

  Heather suspected this was going to be harder than she’d hoped.

  ‘How about I sit in the car with your kids whilst you nip in. I can park up if space becomes available.’

  He sighed. ‘Thanks but it’s not an easy car to drive.’

  ‘I know, I have one just like it at home, except green,’ as if the colour mattered. ‘Mine always confuses people when they try to stick it in reverse.’

  He grinned. It was a problem with the model.

  ‘But hey no worries, I drove around five times before I found a spot.’ She grinned and went to walk away.

  ‘How can I trust you?’ he called after her.

  ‘Hold my phone?’ she suggested. ‘My whole life’s on it.’

  That was the moment one of his kids chose to scream from the back seat.

  ‘Sure, I’ll be quick, I know the pharmacist.’ He took his seatbelt off and she dashed around to the driver’s seat.

  ‘It’s not contagious, is it?’ she asked, handing over her phone.

  ‘Ear infection,’ he told her.

  ‘Okay.’ She smiled and hopped in, turning to introduce herself to the kids as he ran into the pharmacy. She’d accomplished another task and was feeling supremely happy until the older kid threw up. She spent the next five minutes cleaning up and trying to get him to drink the juice she found in the baby bag.

  ‘What’s going on?’ the guy asked.

  ‘Your son threw up. I’ve cleaned the best I can with what you had in here but I’m afraid it’s probably not enough.’ His head sagged. ‘Sorry,’ Heather whispered.

  ‘No worries, they go back to their mother on Friday.’ He shook his head before handing over the phone. ‘Thanks, I really appreciate it.’

  ‘No worries, I hope they feel better soon.’

 
; ‘Me too.’

  She waved as they drove off and headed back to the mini.

  Back home she made a stew. It would be gorgeous with the crusty bread she’d picked up. The house was getting colder so she set a fire in the log burner and stuck a movie on. It seemed like the ideal way to spend the rest of the evening. And it didn’t take long before she was in pyjamas and curled up.

  It was a shame the door knocker sounded half an hour into the film and she was forced to go answer it. She had no idea who it could be as her aunt’s friends were aware she was away. Unless one of them had been told to check up on her.

  ‘Hi.’ The guy from the car stood bathed in the gentle light of the outdoor lantern holding a bottle of wine. ‘I asked around a bit. I felt real guilty about the vomiting and wanted to apologise.’ He held the bottle out to her.

  ‘Thanks. You didn't have to though.’ She was a little creeped out that he’d gone to so much effort. And a little aware that she was wearing old pyjamas and huge red socks.

  ‘I wanted to. I thought you might let me take you out for a meal to apologise.’

  ‘There’s no need, I was doing you a favour. You have no control over your son’s ability to vomit. I appreciate the wine, though.’ She smiled as she all but pulled it from his arms. She realised she was getting a little bolder.

  ‘It would just be to the local pub, a bunch of us are getting together and I thought you might like to join us.’ He did seem eager.

  ‘I don't know what I have planned tomorrow, I’d love to say it was a completely work-free holiday but it isn’t,’ she pouted. ‘Could I perhaps take your number and let you know?’

  ‘Sure,’ he smiled.

  She was sure she wouldn’t be going; she was only here a couple of weeks and didn’t think she needed a new social life.

  Task: Sex is your all-consuming desire today. You must have it today, somewhere, somehow and before midnight. Perhaps there is someone you fancy but have been too shy to approach or you want something you’ve never had the guts to try. Perhaps you could even attempt a sex marathon.

  Half past midnight found her groaning, she was going to have to phone him and ask him for the details or come up with some other way of attempting her next task. She didn’t have a boyfriend and she wasn't forward going. Well, at least he was separated? Single? She thought that’s what he had been implying when he’d said about the kids going back to their mother’s.

  She texted him first thing the next morning, half expecting him not to answer, but less than a minute later he’d responded with a ‘Great’ and all the details she needed to get there. She was going to make a total fool of herself but spent almost the entire day preparing. She managed to get a cancellation appointment with a local beauty salon and spent the morning being washed, snipped, waxed, and pruned. They were an efficient bunch. If they could accomplish two tasks at once they would. By the time she was done she felt a little raw and drove home to choose an outfit.

  Dressed in jeans, long boots, a cream jumper and wide belt, she was ready. She’d decided on a local cab company so she could have a drink or two to bolster her nerve, and it wasn’t long before she heard the horn beep in the driveway, summoning her to her chariot.

  The pub sparkled with fairy lights. It was pretty and she couldn’t help but wonder what it looked like at Christmas in the snow. She walked across the gravel to the door, butterflies churning in her stomach. There was a strong possibility she was about to make an absolute fool of herself.

  They greeted her warmly and insisted she try the local beer. Sipping appreciatively, letting the conversation go on around her and laughing when they laughed or smiling when they shared something. When it was time to eat, they moved the glasses and shuffled about till everyone could fit their plate on the long wooden table.

  The conversation carried them through the night. Their corner of the room getting louder and louder. She liked this group’s easy welcome and friendly banter. They obviously got together often and she found herself asking questions she perhaps shouldn’t have of people she’d just met.

  ‘What about you?’ a guy called James asked, his smile warm, his jumper stripy, and his beard long.

  ‘Me? I...er...no, no boyfriend right now. Broke up with my last boyfriend about four months ago. It just wasn’t going anywhere good.’ Heather grinned, there was something about that beard.

  ‘And the charms of Mr. Vomiting kids here didn’t perk your interest?’

  ‘Aw come on James, you know I'm spoken for!’ Mr. Vomiting kids was called Mark and had mentioned several times how he was certain he and his wife would be back together by Christmas.

  ‘Gosh...vomiting kids.’ Heather moved her hands up and down as if weighing a life with them and without, and pulled a face.

  The others laughed and Mark went a little red.

  ‘Seriously though I was just helping him out. It was absolutely packed yesterday in town, you guys take this festival thing seriously,’ Heather continued.

  ‘The long-standing locals do that’s for sure, most of us are interlopers. It’s an easy commute into the city and the house prices are a little better.’ Mark grinned.

  ‘Ah, I see.’ Heather nodded before indicating she was going to the bar.

  James followed to help with the drinks.

  ‘He won’t get back with her you know; he just doesn’t realise it yet. She’s already moved on.’ James leant close making her unavoidably aware that he was wearing a warm spicy aftershave. She couldn’t help but breathe it in. ‘He’s certain she’ll change her mind. But she thinks he’s being deliberately difficult.’

  ‘Can’t they talk it out or something?’

  ‘She stopped trying to talk to him months ago, now the most conversation they have is when they hand the kids back and forth.’ They shared a grin that said more than words could. Heather wouldn’t be the one to help him move on. She needed a quicker fix than that if she was going to complete the task.

  ‘What about you then? Is your other half at home with the kids?’ she knew it was an obvious question but the grin she got back told her he didn’t care.

  ‘No kids, no wife, no girlfriend.’

  ‘Cool’ was all she could manage.

  They returned to the table with the drinks but there was a new tension. A frisson of electricity that hung above the table between her and James. Despite their conversation getting more intimate and exploratory, it was last call before James was ready to go home. He was quite drunk and staggered out into the cold to fall into a taxi. Although Heather followed him laughing she only went to make sure he made it in one piece.

  She waved after the cab before considering her options, she’d tried, she would get five points or...

  Spinning on her heel she shouldered her way back through the door and almost took out the guy coming in the opposite direction. They were so close as he pushed her back out the door that a kiss wasn’t unexpected. If she hadn’t been on a mission she would have pulled back and slapped him as hard as she could. But behaving out of character she allowed him to continue their movement to the side of the pub, where, after his fumbling attempts to get his hands on her skin, she took control.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: ABADDON

  ‘Do you think he’s going to figure it out?’ Stan asked.

  ‘I’m a showman! How will he be able to tell I’m not what I say I am? He’s probably expecting some kind of Demon.’ T.G. Master said. ‘It’s not like he can’t spot another Demon.’

  ‘Yes, but half the sodding company are full Demons. We’re going to be packed into that hotel.’

  ‘It’s surprising how many are trying to be more human whilst working for Demon companies.’ T.G. Master said. ‘Mike is not the only one.’

  ‘That’s because it’s easier to get a job with a Demon company, we’re less inclined to do background checks,’ Stan said. ‘Besides, there are very few who try as hard to keep their darkness under lock and key as Mike.’

  ‘It’s sort of impressive, isn
’t it?’ T.G. Master said.

  They were reclining on sun beds by the pool of the hotel. It was human-owned but bought with ill-gotten gains. They asked far fewer questions than most other hotels.

  ‘I worry about when he can’t keep it under control.’ Stan sighed. ‘It’s like he’s denying he’s a Demon.’

  ‘He is trying to deny it.’ T.G. Master said glancing over. ‘He wants to be with that woman. If humans do believe we exist, they want it to be under their control.’

  ‘So many fail to see what’s in front of their faces,’ Stan interjected.

  ‘He’s so much like his father it’s scary.’

  ‘You’re scared of his father?’ Stan asked, surprised.

  ‘Yes.’ T.G. Master said. ‘Every Demon should be. He might have been quiet over the past hundred years or so but you just know he’s plotting something. It’s always about the great game. But if you aren’t backing him you might as well be the lowest of the low for the impact you’ll be allowed to have.’

  ‘But he lets us get on with our thing,’ Stan argued.

  ‘Sure, so long as ultimately you’re supplying him with souls and favours.’ T.G. Master laughed. ‘You don’t think he isn’t paying attention, do you? Those higher-level Demons keep an eye on all of us, on everything we do and report back to him.’

  ‘So they know what you’re planning?’ Stan asked, incredulously.

  ‘Not so far.’ T.G. Master glanced around. ‘But if they find out before we make a move we’re done for.’