by Brux, Boone
“Good idea.”
Her good idea must have been meant for me, because she remained in place, watching the water. Every so often, she’d flinch or make an icky face, driving home the fact that only a thin layer of wood separated us from certain torment. We kept the lights on even past the abyss. She seemed to be having such a good time surveilling the water I didn’t have the heart to shut it off. Finally, she gave up her watch and flipped the switch. I inched forward. Thankfully, Styx was once again dark, its secrets and terrors hidden.
With only a little time left until we reached the junction, we relaxed on the couch and chair. Every few minutes I’d stand and make sure we were going in the right direction, but for the most part, I had this steering thing down and just needed to make sure nothing new had cropped up in the middle of the river.
“I’m going to bring a magazine next time,” I said, propping my feet up on the coffee table. “And maybe some snacks.”
“We didn’t have a whole lot of warning this time.” She mirrored my actions and flopped her arms over the sides of the chair. “I wonder if my tablet would work down here. I could crush some candy, jam some cookies, and pop some pandas.”
“You know, once you get past the possible loss of life and soul, this is kind of the perfect job.”
She arched a brow at me. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” I held up my fingers. “Great pay, basically you’re your own boss, vacation time.” I lowered my hand. “And think about it. I could do this job any time because we return at almost the same moment we left.”
“True, but I think it would get lonely here if you were doing it by yourself.”
A snort murmured from me. “What I wouldn’t give for some alone time. Just think, if the kids were driving me nuts I could lock myself in the bathroom, pop down here, do a few runs, and dash back, calm and rejuvenated.” Now that I thought about it, maybe I should suggest it to Tabris. We’d figured out the spotlight thing, eliminating any major threats from the lost souls and I had Hulk to help get the passengers out. Sure, there was some danger, but a lot of benefits. “I always say I wish there were more hours in the day, and well I’d actually have more hours, since this job literally takes no time.”
“It sounds good in theory.” Mara lowered her feet to the ground and sat forward. “But remember what happened to Katrina. Styx is for the dead and to my knowledge; you don’t fall into that category—yet.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” I’d definitely been exhausted in a soul-weary way after our first venture into the netherworld, and already I could feel the river’s pull, draining me. “It’s probably better to get Charon—”
“Hello,” said a female voice, cutting off my reply to Mara. “Are you there?”
“Tell me I’m hearing things,” I said.
Mara shook her head. “Then we’re both hearing things.”
“You-hoo,” the voice called again.
Simultaneously groaning, we both stood.
Chapter Sixteen
A hundred feet off the left side of the ferry stretched a thin sandbar. I was fairly certain that hadn’t been there last time we ferried. Standing on the sandbar was young woman. She had long dark hair, and wore an orange and white short set, but her feet were bare. When she spotted us, she waved and smiled. “Hi.”
We both returned a weak wave and gave an even weaker, “Hi.”
“I was wondering if you could give me a ride.” She shuffled along the stretch of sand, keeping up with us as we glided past. “I’m not sure how I got here. One minute I was talking to a cute guy on the river bank and the next thing I knew I was here.”
“You were waiting for the ferry?” I mentally slowed the boat.
“Yes.” She smiled and held up her hands. “And then pop. Now here I am.”
“Just a second.” I glanced at Mara. “What do you think? Is it a trick?”
“Oh, I definitely think it’s a trick.” She scowled at the young woman, and I could see the conflict in Mara’s expression. “But I’m not sure what kind of trick.”
“Do you think since the banks are full the souls are now popping all over the netherworld?” Talk about adding pressure to the job. Not only were souls materializing on the physical plane, and were free for demons to snatch up, now they were scattering throughout the Underworld. “Why didn’t she return to the human world? There’s still a lot of room. I think.”
“It doesn’t make sense.” Her gaze narrowed and she lowered her voice. “Remember what Hal said?”
I racked my brain, trying to recall his pearls of wisdom. “Don’t pick up hitchhikers.”
She nodded. “Exactly.”
“But this is coming from Hal.” Propping my fist on my hip, I copped a bit of attitude. “He also said to look up.”
My smile faded and we both tilted our chins upward a second before something large and pointy dove at us. I shrieked and hit the deck. Mara ducked too, without the wussy cry.
“What the hell was that?” I shouted.
“Oh, no, you didn’t.” Mara jumped to her feet and glared upward. “That was a demon, straight out of Hell.”
My blood turned to ice and I struggled to a half-standing-half-hunched position. Another scream filled the air, and we spun to see the woman on the sandbar transform. Leathery black wings sprouted from her back and her orange and white short set changed to reddish brown scales. Even from a hundred feet away I could see her yellow eyes glowing in the dim light.
“Oh, crap.” I could barely speak. Every time I tried my words, breath, and spit lodged in my throat. “Oh, crap,” I said again, rounding out my eloquent summation of our situation.
The demon shot into the sky, joining its partner. They circled overhead once before dive-bombing us. I flattened my body against the deck but Mara didn’t move. Her head swayed, watching the creatures’ course.
“What are we going to do?” I climbed to a crouched. “We need one of those mirrors you and Cam used against the demons in Hall D.” I swallowed hard, keeping my gaze locked on the demons. “Or a really—really—big cross bow.” Not that I knew how to use one, but if they got close enough, at least I could stab them with the arrows. I pointed to the white poles we used on the lost souls. “How about the spears?”
“I’ve got this.” Like the first time I’d met her, Mara’s voice poured over me. But now the tone sent a shiver down my spine. Very slowly, she faced me. Her green eyes glowed, pale and icy, but yellow flames flickered in their depths. “You should probably step back.”
Even if I’d wanted to stay, my mind forced me away. With each step I took, she changed. Her clothes seemed to melt from her body, replaced by a ginormous set of black wings, and small black horns. Instead of scales like the other demons, her skin looked like red leather. A thin tail, resembling a braided whip, curled from her lower back and wrapped around her leg. As demons went, she was the prettiest and least terrifying I’d seen. Her eyes settled on me.
I gave her a strained smile. “No wonder you liked those red pants so much.”
The corner of her lip pulled up, revealing a white fang. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.” I slid to a squat, sitting on my heels, with my back pressed to the bridge wall. “I’ll just—I’ll just wait here.”
She crouched and launched into the air. My heartbeat so hard I could feel it in my throat. I cupped my hands over my mouth and stared at the sky. But I’ll be honest, at that point I couldn’t really focus on what Mara was doing. Panic raced through me, attacking my thoughts and dredging up the worst possible scenarios. What if they killed her, or whatever demons did to each other? Not only would I lose my friend, but probably my soul. Those creatures would be on me and my shipment of tasty souls like a fat chick on a cupcake.
Fire exploded above me, pulling me out of my what-if frenzy and drawing my gaze back to Mara. The two demons circled like sharks. She hovered in the center, her wings lazily flapping. Her arms were held out to her side and in each h
and she held a ball of fire. It was difficult to get a clear view of her face, but I think she was enjoying herself, and was maybe even goading them to attack.
Though I’m not Catholic, I made the sign of the cross: forehead—chest—shoulder—shoulder. Out of habit I muttered, “Spectacles, testicles, wallet, watch. Amen.”
My dad used to perform that every day before he left for work to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. It might not have been a straight up prayer, but I think God understood that I wanted him to keep me safe.
One of the demons dove at Mara. I screamed and she spun, nailing them with one of the fireballs, making its body light up like a torch. The demon screeched, tucked its wings, and spiraled into the river. No way did I think that thing had given up. It probably needed to cool off and would be back in a second.
I rose and scanned the river. If I saw it take flight again, I’d warn her. I might not be able to do much more, but I didn’t have to cower in the corner. More fire burst above me, but this time she missed her target. The demon attacked. Mara easily avoided the exposed talons by dropping several feet before flaring her wings again. With another push, she took off after her prey. The demon screeched, spinning in an effort to escape the fiery volley.
They swooped through the sky, progressively putting more distance between them and the ferry. I continued to scout the river but kept glancing toward Mara. Pretty soon they were pinpricks on the horizon and every so often the sky lit with a small explosion.
I gripped the top of the half-wall, willing her to put an end to the demon and get back to the ferry—and to me. All right, so being the ferryman was not the perfect job for me. If I couldn’t handle a couple of demons, which I couldn’t, then somebody more capable needed to man this vessel, and be responsible for getting those souls safely to where they needed to be. I’m a big enough person to admit that person wasn’t me.
Splashing water sounded to my right. My head whipped in that direction in time to see the black talons claw at the pontoon. The first demon dragged his scaly body out of the river and crouched on the float. It extended its wings and shook them. The edges were frayed from being set on fire but as I watched, the membrane repaired itself. I didn’t think the demon knew I was there—had prayed it didn’t, but then it stood and glared at me. Cracked lips drew back exposing its black fangs, and it hissed at me. That single noise said a whole lot of things I didn’t want to hear. I’m going to eat your soul. There’s no escape. Hope you enjoyed your life because it’s over. And I’m fairly certain there was something about my ample thighs too.
My mind raced but my body wouldn’t move. Why hadn’t I grabbed one of the spear poles when Mara had them both in the air? Its gaze locked onto mine and I suddenly felt like I was being pulled into a black void. I managed to close my eyes and the sensation faded some. I grabbed my pendant and rubbed, freeing me completely from the demon’s hold.
I opened my eyes, scanning the bridge for something to fight with. I could rip the handle off the kegorator but even in my panicked state I didn’t want to do anything rash. If we survived, I’d need a cold one. Eight-track tapes or cassettes weren’t going to help unless I wanted to sing the demon into submission. If I were Jason Bourne I’d be able to disembowel the beast with one of Charon’s girly magazines and a Ziploc bag. But I wasn’t.
Instead, I held the wheel and kicked at one of the spindles sticking from it. My hand slipped and instead of breaking off a viable weapon I received another punishing bruise, this time on my anklebone.
“Mutha!” I grabbed my leg and hopped around, unable to care if there was a demon ten feet away. “Fargen—fricken—fracker.”
I’m renowned for my creative and colorful use of F-words that weren’t actually swearing, and at that moment, the netherworld was getting an earful. I grabbed the wheel, intent on giving the kick another try despite the high odds that I’d be injured again, but my knee halted mid-lift.
The demon landed with a heavy thud on the wall. With its wings fully extended, its talons curled over the side and dug into the dark wood. At that point, any pretense of cool and collected evaporated. A blood-curling cry I didn’t know I could produce exploded from me. In turn, the demon screeched. As I backed away, the thing hissed at me again. Time seemed to slow, even though time didn’t exist there, and my life passed before my eyes. In the next second everyone I loved, and who loved me, would be ripped away. The demon crouched, preparing to lunge. I wanted to scream again, but nothing could get past the block of fear clogging my throat.
I think it smiled at me, if it could be called a smile, and then launched from the wall. I did scream then, crossing my arms over my head and dropping to the deck. However, no collision came. Only a loud thud, the rush of wings, and a demon’s scream.
Keeping my arms over my head, I lifted my chin and peeked up. The demon was gone. Slowly, I lowered my arms but remained crouched. Was it some kind of cruel trick? Was it toying with me? If I stood, would it attack me from behind?
After another minute and still no demon, I braced my hands on the floor and began to stand. Out of nowhere, Mara dropped onto the bridge, still decked out in her demon persona. I screamed again and fell onto my rear end.
She grinned at me. “That’s right, bitches, you’ve just been Jimmied!”
Though I loved her enthusiasm for which she used our new favorite word, her fanged smile and the whole demon persona was more than a little intimidating.
“Holy crap, you scared me.” I stood, unsure if transforming to a demon also changed her attitude, or if she was still the same Mara I knew. “So, they’re gone?”
“For now.” She sashayed toward me, stopped, and propped her hands on her hips. “I’ll admit…” She inhaled. “That felt good.” Her wings expanded behind her. “It’s nice to stretch my wings sometimes.”
“That was quite a stretch.” My eyes tracked up and down her body, lingering on her horns. I nodded. “Cute.”
“Thanks.” She smirked. “Want to touch them?”
I snorted. “Duh.” I took a step, but stopped. “You’re not going to set me on fire or possess me, or something demon-spawnish are you?”
“No, but thanks for thinking I could.” She tipped her head. “Go on, I won’t bite.”
The horns were about eight inches long and twisted once in the center and again at the tip. Though the ends weren’t sharp like needles, they certainly could do some damage. Small striations ribbed the horns but other than that, they were smooth. I lowered my hand. “Those are so badass.”
She turned and flared her wings. “Check these out.”
I ran my hands over the leathery ridges along the top. They were thick, and I could feel the strength in them when they flexed. “Don’t you miss these?”
She folded them against her back and turned to me. “Yes and no. They’ve been a part of me for six-thousand years.” The reddish hue of her skin faded to pale pink, then to her tan skin tone. The horns, tale, and wings shrunk until they’d disappeared, and Mara’s clothes reformed. She was human again. “But having wings also means I’m part of something I don’t like.”
“You mean demons?”
“Yeah, and evil.” She held her arms out. “When I’m like this things are easier.”
It was difficult for me to understand how she felt. No doubt there was a constant pull between her demon self and working for GRS. “What do you mean, easier?”
Her shoulders lifted in a single shrug. “Easier to know the right thing to do. That’s why I like being in human form on the physical plane. For Cam, it’s difficult to connect to the heavenly realm when he’s human. The sensations and temptation block his angelic radar so to speak.” She gave me a sad smile. “But for me it lessens the pull of the Underworld. Decisions are easier to make and paths are more clearly defined.”
“Wow.” I shook my head. “I never realized how hard it was for you.”
“Meh.” She waved away my empathy. “It is what it is.”
“Which is a
lot. I have a hard enough time staying out of the fast food drive-thru. I’d be a maniac if I were a demon. Make every wrong choice. Choose the easiest path. Only consider my needs. Actually, that doesn’t sound so bad.” I smiled. “Maybe just once a month or so.”
“You wouldn’t be a maniac.” Kneeling, she picked up one of the speared poles. “You’re too good by nature.” She rose and shoved it into the holder on the mast. “Too perky.”
“Perky?” Never had that been a word used to describe me. “I think I take offense to that.” I walked to the other pole and picked it up. “I’m dark and complex.” That was the description my daughter used about herself. From Mara’s snort, it was obvious she didn’t agree. I shoved the spear in its holder. “Can I ask a personal question?”
“Of course.”
I turned to her. “How did you become a demon?”
“Kidnapped.” Her lips pressed into a thin line and her gaze skated to me. Clearing her throat, she folded her arms over her chest. “Ironically, by a demon named Mara.” As if remembering that awful time in her life, her features pinched and then relaxed again. “He’s the one who tempted Buddha—a real bad guy. He kidnapped five females, locked us in the bowels of Hell, and turned us into demons.”
“That’s horrible.” I wasn’t sure how to reply to her startling revelation. “So sorry” sounded lame and didn’t scratch the surface of how I was feeling. “How long did he keep you there?”
She lowered her arms and absently shook her head. “I don’t know. A thousand years. Two-thousand. Long enough to change our way of thinking and believe Mara knew best.” She sneered. “Long enough not to rebel against him.”
The very idea of what she’d gone through made my heart clench. Silence stretched between us while I struggled to wrap my head around everything she’d told me. Now that I’d had the great displeasure of encountering true demons, the idea of being locked in the worst part of Hell for a thousand years was comprehensible.