“Get your coat. We need to go now. We may have something,” I said, and walked off, not waiting for him to follow me.
Chapter Eighteen
“In each fire there is a spirit; Each one is wrapped in what is burning him.” ― Dante Alighieri
I kept thinking about my drunken mistake, and my gut filled with guilt whilst I walked downstairs with Zach. Our drive was going to be filled with an awkward and uncomfortable silence. It was time to think about other means of transport. Maybe I should buy a motorbike to avoid situations like this in the future.
The woman on the phone was vague and I wasn’t sure if it was wise to believe anything that she said. The bottom line was that the prince was missing and there was no reason for him to be around some hooker. This just didn’t make any sense, but we didn’t have anything else, any other leads.
Zach was hard to read today, and I struggled to focus through the rushing tide of heat that blossomed through my system. I couldn’t deny that there was something about his domineering personality that appealed to me. I guess it’s some weird human trait harking back to cavemen, some me-man-you-woman type thing. Today he wore black jeans and a white shirt with stripes. His gun was strapped around his back, and even after my eventful night I was still kind of turned on.
On the other hand, even though what happened between Zach and me back in his house was a mistake, I bloody loved every second of it. Maybe we had gotten off on the wrong foot, but that sizzling attraction between us was still stirring the air, tempting me to make a move.
“Are you all right? You seem quiet,” Zach said after some time. The car stopped at a traffic light, and his eyes shifted over to my face.
“I’m fine, had a rough night last night,” I said, wondering how the hell I could believe that Arthur would show up in an obscure bar in the middle of the night, just so he could talk to me.
I was stupid and emotionally vulnerable. It was time to go on a detox; I finally hit the rock bottom of my miserable life.
“We should go out, Flower, after this whole case is solved and the young prince is back to his aunt’s nest,” he said, with that playful tone of voice. I exhaled sharply and looked at him, realising that he just asked me out on a date.
“Go out? As in, on a date with you?” I repeated, just to make sure that we were on the same page.
He smirked casting one of his hot looks in my direction. The truth was that I didn’t really know him, but I believed that some other demon had tampered with his mind. After all, he was able to sense that I was different, not completely human. Our last conversation worried me, and I needed to be careful with charms when he was around.
“We both know that you want me, Flower. A couple of nights ago you humped me dry and who knows what would’ve happened if we weren’t interrupted.” He chuckled, smoothing the steering wheel. “My mother has been telling me for years that I should settle down; maybe that’s me and you. I mean we have chemistry.”
I was shocked that he was so forward with me. Three nights ago, he was ready to kill me in his own home and now he wanted to date me. I just couldn’t get my head around it.
“Want you?” I questioned him, laughing, suddenly aware of the warmth building in my chest. “You were the one dry humping me, Detective. Besides, who said that I would want to go out with you in the first place?”
“I can make you forget about your prince. Once I jump your bones, you won’t go anywhere else, Maxine,” he said darkly, with that tone of voice that had my insides turning to a mush.
“Gee, can you be any more arrogant?”
“I’m just speaking the truth, suggesting something that is obvious. We’re attracted to each other, don’t deny it, and I promise you, you’ll never think of another man again,” he said, his eyes on me studying my reaction.
I hated the fact that he was bringing Arthur into this awkward conversation. He had no idea what I gave up, what happened between us in the past. Things were still complicated and I didn’t want to jump into yet another doomed relationship.
“Stop calling me Flower, arsehole. You won’t get to go out with me if you keep talking about the wrong prince. Besides, I’m not looking for anything, and I won’t go on a date just because your mother is expecting you to settle down.”
“It’s not a lifetime commitment and I’m not doing this because of my mother. You’re hot and something tells me that we could enjoy each other’s company on a whole new level.”
Really, he was delusional, but the images of us together kept moving in front of my eyes. Zachary was a human and sleeping with him was too risky. I made one big mistake last night. The streets were monitored by Watchers and I bet that my name was back on their radar.
“I’m sure we would, but I don’t think it’s a good idea, Detective. I have too much shit on my plate and I don’t want to complicate things between us,” I muttered, knowing that a one-night stand could get me into a lot of trouble. Demons liked spreading rumours, and I was running a business, trying to keep away from hell’s affairs.
“Sex would make you forget, Maxine, and I’m good with making women forget. Stop denying yourself a basic need that I can help you with,” he purred.
He stopped the car several moments later. Zachary Quinton just proposed to fuck my brains out and I said no. After all, sex changed things between people and I had a tendency to hang on to people that were giving me attention.
It amazed me how quickly he could forget about the pending investigation and talk about sex like this as if it was perfectly normal. Humans honesty amazed me at times.
“Don’t worry, we can discuss this later, when you’re less tense, Maxine.”
I rolled my eyes and looked around the housing estate that stretched in front of us. It was cold, and dry freezing wind blew through the streets. I wouldn’t want to get stuck in this part of the city if I were the missing royal. George wasn’t one of the most responsible people that I knew, but he wouldn’t just get involved with a hooker. He liked partying and, as far as I knew, he could pick and choose the ladies interested in him.
We walked for five minutes, until we found the right apartment block. Mr. Detective, who claimed to be the leader, managed to convince some old lady on the fifth floor to let us into the building. We called the lift and Zach pressed floor nine. Demonic energy began coursing through my veins as we moved higher. I suspected that the effects of magical tequila were still colliding inside my bloodstream, confusing my sharp senses. I was pretty much still hungover, suffering after my drunken party at the bar. This neighbourhood was very human, but we had to be ready for anything.
We found Jessica’s apartment several minutes later. I inhaled the strong smell of sandalwood and other rare herbs. It seemed that there might be an illegal production of potions going on behind the closed door. The woman that we were looking for was a hooker, and a human, so that just didn’t add up.
After a few minutes of banging at the door, I figured out that the apartment was empty and the girl was either already dead or missing. I tried the doors; they were unlocked so I walked inside.
“We need a warrant. We can’t just walk into her apartment like that,” Zach told me.
“Then go ahead and get one. I’m going in,” I said and carried on. We were running out of time and this wasn’t the time to follow his police rules.
The apartment was small and dark. The fumes from the brewing elixirs drifted in the air. A human couldn’t have known about stuff like that. I suspected that a demon had been here, running the whole show. His energy was strong, and I recognised the scent. It belonged to someone that I’d met in the past, but couldn’t remember where and when.
“Jessica!” I called out, just to be sure the apartment was empty. The curtains in the living room were drawn. There was an old sofa in the corner that smelled of sex and sweat. Zach obviously couldn’t stay away, and he strolled in after me, looking around.
“Blood, still fresh. We might have just missed them,” Zachary pointed ou
t, touching the soaked carpet with his fingers. My mind was racing all of a sudden, as I tried to pinpoint if George had been kept here as a temporary measure, considering all the crazy possibilities.
The table in the living room was filled with flasks, dried herbs and blood. There were some pots placed on a gas heater. The liquid inside smelled of lavender, but when I dipped a spoon in it, the metal melted instantly. The consistency, the light smell and the strength told me that someone was trying to create Second Chance Potion, but couldn’t quite make it right. The elixir of life, the one that gave energy to the broken soul. Royal blood was part of this complicated recipe and I had a feeling that a significant amount of George’s blood was already brewing inside the pot. I had studied a couple of books in the past, and I knew that this kind of thing was supposed to give strength and power to the half demon, someone like me.
“What the hell is this crap? Did the woman on the phone mention that her friend was into some satanic rituals?” Zach asked, lifting a dead snake off the floor that I only noticed as he pointed it out. This wasn’t good. Humans were oblivious to our world, and Zach wasn’t even supposed to be aware of the strong magic in the apartment.
“I don’t know, but this doesn’t look good,” I said, smelling the other flasks. Some of them were filled with mongrel’s blood that was more than likely obtained illegally. Jessica was in a right mess, but I suspected that she wasn’t part of it anymore. A demon that had George was using her apartment as a lab.
Zach went to look around, leaving me alone with my racing mind. Whatever George was part of wasn’t good. Now it was quite clear why Lucifer wanted to find him so urgently.
“I might have something here,” Zach shouted from the kitchen. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and headed to see him. He was looking at a calendar that was tacked to the wall. Today’s date was circled with dried blood and there was a note next to it.
“Cemetery, 4 p.m., don’t forget girl,” I read it aloud, leaning over Zachary. A second later, he was typing something into his phone. I didn’t understand why all the humans were so obsessed with technology these days. I hated having my phone on me all the time.
“There is a cemetery close by, at least a mile away,” Zachary stated, looking at what seemed a map on his phone. I checked the time. It was half past three. I didn’t want to leave such dangerous potions near humans, but we had to get down to the cemetery to check the next lead. Maybe Jessica was meeting someone there, maybe she was still alive.
“All right,” I agreed, thinking that this was a bad idea. If that demon was planning something at the cemetery then I had to make sure that Zach was out of sight. His mind had already been pushed to it limits, thanks to his mystery demon tampering with him, and I couldn’t risk exposing him to anything that couldn’t be physically explained. Sometimes demons used the human energy that remained in corpses to find an alternative way down to hell. Mongrels weren’t allowed downstairs because they were classified as second-class citizens. Watchers were responsible for taking care of order on earth, and at times if any mongrel pushed their luck and did something that exposed the demonic world, the Watchers stepped in and dragged them down to hell for interrogation. They had their ways of punishment, and no one really knew what waited for mongrels down in hell.
Zach took some photos with his fancy phone, probably for the evidence. The police were going to swab the place. I suspected that eventually Watchers would show up. They were also responsible for keeping humans from knowing about the other world, from any supernatural exposure.
The blood on the floor belonged to Prince George too, but I didn’t need to tell Zach. My head was hurting, as my overactive energy rolled down my spine. There was a possibility that I could be called down to underworld to provide a full report of what I had discovered. This wasn’t something that I wanted, but Zach was pumped. He wanted to check the cemetery.
We left the apartment several minutes later. Zach called for backup; his team of officers were going to sweep the place for evidence. He seemed positive that the prince was close by.
It was already getting dark and the temperature was quickly dropping. The housing estate seemed deserted, immersed in a gloomy silence. It seemed like the humans were sealed in their cosy houses, compelled to stay in tonight. Those familiar bad feelings kept stirring my guts. Normally I wouldn’t pay attention to these odd sensations, but Zach was agitated too. The homemade lab led me to believe that we were dealing with someone very powerful, someone that had nothing to lose.
It had gone completely dark by the time we reached the cemetery, after walking for what seemed hours. The gate was open and an absolute silence had descended over the area, sending chills through my body.
“Where to?” Zach asked.
“Let’s look around; if she is still alive she must be here somewhere,” I said, concentrating on the emotions nearby. I sensed at least two people further up, between the graves. Zach and I spread out, crossing the pass and the creepy graves. I was never a big fan of being around dead people. I still remember staring down at my mother’s sullen dead face in the church, trying to grasp the reality that she was long gone.
The air buzzed with electricity, and my breath became laboured. A moment later I felt a wet patch on the back of my neck. The small drizzle quickly turned into a heavy rain. I got soaked within seconds, shaking with cold and unexplained exhaustion. Thunder and lightning lit up the sky and the tiny sparks of power somehow alerted me to the presence of a demon.
Then I felt it. Someone was high on magical charms, filled with advanced elixirs. It was a male human; his circulation was poor and his mind completely confused. A second later I saw a figure beyond the steep hill several meters away, standing by a tomb. It took me a moment to recognise a human woman. She was staring down at someone else. That other person was below, like he was in a hole or an open grave, and it looked like he was digging something in the ground.
The rain was pouring down heavily and I had to keep wiping the water off my face see more clearly. Zach joined me when I lowered myself down, hiding behind an old tombstone filled with unlit candles.
“There is someone down there, possibly two people,” he said, narrowing his eyes and pushing away his wet curls. It was difficult to see exactly what was going on in front of us, even with my excellent vision. The rain blurred out most of the view and I was hoping to sense a demon, someone that was tampering with the two humans by the tomb.
“We should move closer, but we don’t want to scare them,” I said gathering the energy inside me. Zachary took out his gun and readied it.
“The woman out there is probably the girl from the apartment,” he said quietly His agitation grew, and suddenly it shifted into red hot anger. Pure fury hit me hard, turning my stomach upside down.
“You two turn around now. Slowly or I’m going to blow your heads off,” shouted the stranger’s voice behind us.
Slowly Zach and I did what we were told. With heavy rain obscuring my vision, I could still see that we were surrounded by three human men, all of them high on drugs. That’s who I sensed just a second ago, but I was still filled with magical tequila that dulled down my abilities. One of them was holding a gun, and he looked like he wouldn’t hesitate to fire. A second later, the woman further down had spotted us. I turned my head just in time to see the young human climbing out of the hole with a shovel in his hand, noticing all of us for the first time. There was no doubt that it was the missing Prince George.
Chapter Nineteen
“If you follow your natural bent; you will definitely go to heaven” ― Dante Alighieri
Zachary cursed under his breath but didn’t drop his gun. I had to make a split second decision, either to use my powers to get these morons out of my way and keep chasing after the prince or let him disappear. I didn't think that these men were in any way linked to the missing royal. Their thoughts would give them away otherwise. Questions kept rushing through my mind. There was no way that my excellent vision could h
ave misled me. Prince George was at the cemetery, most likely under the influence of the human woman from the apartment.
“I’m a cop, you fucktards, so I suggest you drop that gun and walk away,” Zachary shouted. Yeah, he wasn’t really helping the situation. That insult only made the guy that was holding a gun even crazier. On top of that, I saw he just said in his thoughts that he hated cops.
I glanced back, seeing that Jessica (well, I was certain that Jessica was somewhere in the body of a demon that was likely controlling her) was shouting and pointing at the prince to move. I chewed on my bottom lip, concentrating on the strong current of my demonic power, calculating the risk of using it against humans. The burst of energy made the tiny hairs on my body rise.
The man with a black moustache and long untidy hair, the one holding the gun replied to Zach, “I don’t believe you, arsehole. My sister’s grave was vandalised. We caught you and now we’re going to deal with you accordingly.”
My skin was itching to hit them with a strong bolt of energy, but I couldn’t let myself be exposed. This whole situation was beyond comical. The rain kept pouring down, and I couldn’t see well through the streams of water. There was another demon in the vicinity. I felt him or her leading the prince away from the cemetery.
Zach’s anger escalated and he gripped his gun tighter. He was ready to shoot these idiots and I couldn’t let him do that. His career would be on the line and I still wanted to live.
“You fucking arseholes, you will be rotting in prison for obstruction of justice. We are on a case here,” he shouted furiously. Then too many things happened all at once. First someone—and I had no idea who—fired a gun. Then a loud terrifying scream spread over the whole cemetery. I struggled to remain on my feet, suddenly showered with waves of my own light energy. I was able to gather it from earth, from every living being, from water that ran underneath the grounds, from leaves and plants. I felt it surging through me, igniting my demonic soul to action.
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