“You overheated it.” He poked at the hardened plastic and gave me a callous look. “How many souls did you hold in here?”
I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t that many.”
“Lana?”
“Twenty.” I cradled my injured wrist, hoping a little sympathy would soften the blow. “I had to.”
Warren’s eyes bulged. “My greatest invention, my masterpiece, and you had to go and botch it by not following the safety guidelines.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “You asked me to test it in the field.”
Warren tsked and walked away from me toward his workshop tucked in the back corner of the garage. “Guess I learned my lesson.”
“You’re welcome.” I huffed and hefted my axe up higher on my shoulder before entering the lobby through the garage entrance.
Charlie glanced up from the front desk as I headed for the elevators. He pressed his lips together and looked back down at his desk without a hello. His friendliness had expired about the same time Holly’s had, but I’d ignored it for the most part.
My tolerance threshold just wasn’t up for it tonight. I curled back around and stopped in front of him, slapping my good hand down on the counter.
Charlie looked up with a sour expression. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, you can,” I said with forced cheer. “I’d like to submit my thirty-day, move-out notice. Do you keep those forms down here, or does Holly have them stashed in a nest somewhere?”
Charlie’s wings bristled, but he opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. He gave it a quick glance and then slid it across the counter to me. When I reached for it, he held on until I looked at him.
“You won’t find a decent place in the city without Holly’s endorsement. You realize that, don’t you?” He almost looked sorry for me.
I snatched the page out of his hand and smiled. “Who says I’m going to live in the city?”
Chapter 25
“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” —J. R. R. Tolkien
On a scale of one to fuck my life, I’d been hanging around a solid eight for the past few days. It seemed so incredibly unfair that I would have to go through the trouble of saving a bunch of fancy souls and bringing down the soul traffickers responsible just to turn around and face uncertain judgement from a bunch of jerks who thought they were better than me.
It wasn’t lost on me that Tasha was facing down that same demon. But I had good reasons for the actions I was being reprimanded for. Did she? I really wasn’t sure now, and I felt like every bit the jerk Ridwan was for not bothering to ask.
My mind kept circling back to her while I prepared for my meeting with the council Wednesday afternoon. I shuffled around the condo like a zombie, digging through my closet in a quest to find something that invoked innocence. I discovered a blue blouse and held it over my chest in front of the mirror on my dresser.
Bub stepped in behind me, placing a kiss on my bare shoulder. “Is that what I’ll be tearing off of you later tonight, my love?”
I sighed. “Maybe I should wear black. It’s only appropriate for a funeral.”
“Stop that.” Bub turned me around and lifted my wrapped hand to his lips for a kiss. Then he tucked a rolled up piece of parchment in my fingers. “I know you have Morgan’s tricky necklace somewhere around here, and now you have an incantation slip to open a portal into the mortal realm.” He tilted his head from side to side with a frown. “Ideally, if it comes right down to it, I’d prefer we use that to squeeze the houseboat through to the other side. That would be much preferred to having to scrounge about amongst the humans until we’ve gathered our bearings.”
I grinned. “Do you even know how to scrounge?”
“No, but I’m quite effective at possession, being the prince of demons and all.” He wagged his eyebrows. Then his face turned serious. “I’ll await your call at the manor. If the verdict is an unpleasant one, and if you can get away without using the incantation, meet me at the houseboat on the Styx and we’ll be on our way.”
“What if I do have to use the incantation?” I asked with a frown.
Bub shrugged. “Then meet me at the houseboat anyway. I’ll have our things ready just in case, and we’ll depart together to begin our new life as amateur scroungers.”
A nervous thrill shot through me. Could we really do this? Just run away and never return to Limbo City? It hurt to think on it for too long, and I really hadn’t until now.
“The hounds—” I began, glancing over to where they napped on the bed.
“The pups are plenty big enough now to part from their mother. I’ll bring Saul and Coreen with me to Tartarus.”
My forehead throbbed as I thought of Kevin and how betrayed he would feel. Would he understand? Would Gabriel? Would Naledi be able to track us down and bring us to justice, being connected to the very glue that held both worlds together? Would she do that on the council’s behalf?
My chest ached as I thought of all the things I would have to leave behind, of all the places I’d never be able to see again. After everything, was this really what it all came down to?
Bub reached down into the black jewelry box on my dresser and pulled out the crystal bands Kevin had tracked down for me. He held them up against the blue blouse still draped over my chest. “You should wear these. You’ll look like a princess, and what sort of heathen would sentence a princess to death?”
“What sort of angel, you mean,” I grumbled under my breath as I stepped into the closet to change.
The day had slipped away too soon, and I hated that I couldn’t give those I cared about a proper goodbye. It would be too risky, and there was the voice in the back of my head that kept insisting it wasn’t necessary. Everything was going to be fine. That voice had been progressively shrinking, but it was still there, and it held fast to the only bit of sanity I had left.
The only goodbyes I could manage without alerting the world were to the helljack puppies. I gave them each a full-body scratch and smooshed their slobbery faces in my hands so I could kiss the spot between their ears without having them lick my makeup off.
Kevin watched the interaction from the front door, holding a lead in each hand. “Jesus, Lana. I’m just taking them for a walk.”
“I know.” I picked at the puppy hair clinging to my slacks. “Just needed a little good luck for my debriefing with the council.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him what the meeting was really about.
“I still don’t see why Jenni can’t do that.” He looked annoyed on my behalf, though not for long when I surprised him with a hug.
“Can never be too lucky,” I said as he pulled away with a startled look.
“Okay then. See you later.” He clipped on the helljacks’ leads and left before me, blinking stiffly and shaking his head.
Gabriel wouldn’t have thought twice about me hugging him, but Holly had sent him off on some menial cherub task for the Board of Heavenly Hosts. I was pretty sure it was an attempt to keep him occupied while they dealt with me. That was a comforting thought.
When I left the condo to head to Reapers Inc., I found Abe waiting for me in the lobby. He was back in his standard issue armor, but the look on his face said he wasn’t too happy about it. His cheeks colored with shame as he approached me. “I’m here on the council’s orders,” he said under his breath, sending Charlie an unfriendly glance over his shoulder.
I nodded. “I figured as much. Don’t sweat it. I’m not making a run for it or anything.”
“Are you sure?” he whispered. “Because it would be their own fault for sending a guard who’s already lost you once before.”
I grinned. “It’s okay, Abe.”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “All right then, but just so you know, if you change your mind, I didn’t see anything.”
“I appreciate that,” I s
aid as we crossed the lobby and headed outside.
We took the travel booths through the city, and Abe and I walked inside Reapers Inc. together. Ross spotted us in the lobby and called Abe over, leaving me to ride up in an elevator by myself. I guess they figured if I’d made it this far without a fight, I was here to stay.
My heart hammered away as the elevator ascended. I could feel the thrum of my pulse pushing against my temples, and my breath was much too labored. If I didn’t get it under control soon, I was going to hyperventilate.
The elevator jolted as it came to a stop on the thirty-seventh floor. From Jenni’s curt attitude, I hadn’t expected another pre-meeting. My bubble of hope was popped when I found Naledi waiting for me instead.
“Not a word,” she whispered, stepping into the elevator beside me. She pushed the button for the seventy-third floor and the car began to move again.
I opened my mouth to ask what she was doing on the torture level, but she cut me off. “Remember those special coins Winston designed to take you to the throne realm from anywhere?”
“The ones the council deemed illegal?”
“Yes.” She gave me a pointed look. “He also had one he liked to use to go wherever he pleased, even after the travel booths went into effect. Looked just like the regular coins with Cernunnos’ stag emblem and everything.”
“Sounds like Winston.” I smiled sadly, remembering all of his shenanigans.
“You’re going to need it,” Naledi said. She bumped her shoulder against mine, and I felt a weight drop in the pocket of my slacks.
At the same time, a weight dropped on my heart. Naledi had visions of the future. If she’d seen something that made her believe I would need a speedy escape route today, then this whole meeting was a pointless waste of time.
The ghost market had been taken down, and I should have been proud of that accomplishment, but I could already see the ways Ridwan would discredit me. Not all of the missing souls had been accounted for, and Maalik had taken charge of the mission in the end. Even if that fact wasn’t revealed, his broken wing would reveal his involvement at the very least.
The elevator dinged as we reached the council floor, and I fumbled for the down button. Naledi’s hand snatched mine and she shook her head as the doors slid open.
“Not yet,” she whispered. “You’ll know when it’s time.”
I swallowed and ran a hand over my forehead, wiping away the sweat that had begun to bead across my brow.
Parvati exited the conference room at the end of the hallway and waved her two left arms, luring us closer. Her smile was warm and inviting, and I wondered if she already knew what was to become of me.
“Good afternoon,” she said sweetly, directing us inside the room and to a pair of open seats.
I scanned the room and found Maalik. His right wing was bandaged and folded in against his back at an awkward angle. The circles under his eyes made me wonder if he’d slept at all since the battle on the sea, and when his gaze met mine, a hopeless despair settled in my stomach. He was prepared to watch me die today. He’d already convinced himself there was nothing he could do to change that.
“What is the soul doing here?” Ridwan said, reclining in a chair at the end of the table. “We have not approved a new committee as of yet. She has no vote.”
“She’s not here to vote,” Jenni said. She sat at the opposite end of the table, her index and middle fingers rubbing one temple as she glared at the angel. “She’s here to witness, as the soul on the Throne of Eternity, which is her right.”
Ridwan snorted and his wings fluttered against the back of his leather seat.
I took a long look around the table, trying to translate all the different expressions. Holly and Cindy had a self-righteous air about them. Typical. Their smugness contrasted with Meng Po’s weathered smile. She waved to me from her corner of the table.
“Jai Ling prays to the ancestors for you today,” she said.
I swallowed and nodded my thanks, letting my eyes move on to Kwan Yin. Her statuesque face revealed nothing new, which made the Green Man’s wild grin all the more alarming.
“I call first order of business,” he said, sitting up tall in his chair.
Ridwan slammed his fist on the table. “We already have a first order of business.”
“I called it first, so you’ll have to wait,” the Green Man insisted.
“Get on with it then,” Ridwan said through clenched teeth. His face was swollen with rage, as if the idea of me living for five minutes longer vexed him beyond all reason.
The Green Man cleared his throat and folded his hands over the table. “The negotiation of the century has concluded with a beneficial outcome for all. The Sphinx Congress has been disbanded. Their seat and territory have been surrendered to the authority of the Summerland Society.”
“Now wait just one minute.” Ridwan stood, pushing his chair back and into the wall. “You haven’t approved any of this with the council—”
The ivy stretched across the Green Man’s chest tightened as he took a deep breath. “You are still new to this council, so we will pardon your ignorance of negotiations that began decades before your arrival. However, your ignorance of subcommittee structure is a bit disappointing.”
Ridwan began turning colors again, but Maalik spoke first. “Please, brother. A shouting match will not change the truth he speaks.”
Parvati nodded in agreement. “As long as a subcommittee does not exceed three seats on the council, they are free to merge and divide as they see fit.”
Ridwan breathed in through his nose and pulled his chair back to the table. “It does not matter what committee Horus is on. He is still suspended from the council until his hearing.”
The Green Man’s smile broadened. “Horus has resigned from the council. Athena will be taking his place.” He clapped his hands, and the conference room door opened.
The goddess of wisdom and weaving stepped inside, drawing a series of surprised gasps. Her eyes scanned the room, lighting playfully when they found me. She took an empty chair and smiled blankly at Ridwan as his face twisted again. I wondered if it was possible for an angel to have a stroke.
“Now,” the Green Man said, turning back to Ridwan. “Do you have a second order of business you’d like to propose?”
Chapter 26
“Everyone suffers some injustice in life, and what better motivation than to help others not suffer in the same way.” —Bella Thorne
I dry heaved over the sink in the tiny bathroom off the lobby. I thought I’d make it home to have my meltdown in peace, but things just hadn’t worked out that way.
I was alive by the grace of one vote.
I was never shopping anywhere but at Athena’s again. I was going to set up a shrine to her in the living room of the new manor. If Bub and I were able to make babies, I would have named them all after her.
My manic joy was only staled by the fact that Tasha was next. And she didn’t have near the allies I’d made. But what could I do? I thought of the guilt-stricken face Maalik had given me in the meeting, and then caught sight of myself in the mirror and realized I wore that same hopeless, all is lost expression. Pathetic.
I pressed my back against the closed bathroom door and slid down to the floor, gasping when the coin in my pocket clanked against the tile through my pants pocket.
Naledi had been wrong. How was that even possible? It sent a shadow of doubt through me. Would Ridwan demand a second vote? Would Athena change her mind? Why would Naledi think I’d need it if the vote was going to be in my favor?
You’ll know when it’s time.
I pulled the coin out of my pocket, along with the incantation slip Bub had given me. Morgan’s stone necklace was cool against my chest, hanging hidden beneath my blouse. I fingered it through the thin material, giving it a twist and fading from sight.
I was pretty sure this was a terrible idea. But I was also sure that it was the only way I’d be able to live with myself.
I stuffed the coin and incantation back in my pocket before I left the bathroom. Then I followed a dinner cart into an elevator and rode with it up to the seventieth floor.
Tasha had been right. They only seemed to serve bread and bean soup to the prisoners. I followed the cart down the hallway to her cell, trying to stay a safe distance back in case my nervous mouth-breathing alerted the waiter.
The nephilim delivered Tack’s meal first, giving me a few precious seconds alone with the cart. I took the coin and the incantation out of my pocket and fingered open the roll on Tasha’s tray, shoving the items inside as far as I could without mashing the roll too badly. Then I stepped out of the waiter’s path as he came out of Tack’s room.
He took Tasha’s tray and approached her door with more caution, unlocking the small slot under the window and shoving the tray through as quickly as possible. When the tray smashed against the window, raining bean soup down the glass, I understood why.
“Ungrateful bitch,” the nephilim mumbled as he wheeled the cart away.
I waited until he’d disappeared before tapping softly at the window, straining to see Tasha through the fog of bean goop. “Tasha,” I hissed. “Come on, I don’t have a lot of time.”
Fingers wiped through the mess on the window, and Tasha’s angry eyes glared right through me. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Lana,” I whispered.
“What the hell do you want?”
“You need to get out of here.”
“You think?” She rolled her eyes and rubbed at the glass some more, moving around to see if she could catch a glimpse of me.
“The bread. Find the bread the waiter just brought you.”
“What the fuck kind of joke is this?” She glanced down at the floor around her feet for a minute, as if she was sure I was just screwing with her for the fun of it, but then she found the roll and held it up to the window. “What now? Should I turn in three circles or click my heels maybe?”
“There’s a skeleton coin in there that will get you out of that cell, and an incantation slip that will get your yacht over to the mortal sea.”
Ghost Market (Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. Book 6) Page 17