He had given me a spare key a while back. Things were really messed up for me right then, but I needed a room I could use in order to send the message to Matilda. I had been stupid thinking that Alexis would spare Ricky. She was planning to hurt him the moment she had him.
Ricky lived in Chelsea in a very posh apartment. The doorman looked at me strangely when I let myself in and waited for the lift. I kept tapping my foot until it arrived, sensing that he suspected I wasn’t one of the residents. I had the key, so he could go to hell.
Hot guilt soared through me when I unlocked the door and saw all his things everywhere, the perfectly polished shoes, colourful ties and his elegant coat. I ran my hand over it, clenching my teeth. What happened in Gjöll shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
A few minutes later I walked into the spacious living room. Ricky had some herbs, mixtures and books in the spare room, and I had to hurry. Matilda didn’t have much time. She would have sensed the danger, but I needed to give her a heads up.
I dropped my jacket on the sofa and was just about to head to the spare room when I saw an envelope with my name on the table.
I instantly recognised Ronan’s writing, so I tore it open and started reading it.
Maxine,
Ricky’s wound was infected. Your friend’s sister helped me transport him out when we didn’t hear from you.
There is a demon that I know in one of the private clinics outside London, so we transported him there straight away.
Right now he is under the supervision of a mongrel. It’s a private hospital in Reading, but I have been told that he hasn’t got much time. His wound is serious and he is dying. Sid, a friend of mine that’s looking after him, advised the girl that Ricky needs a reversal spell.
The blade of the machete was stolen from Lucifer’s quarters. You understand how sensitive this matter is, but no one can do anything else for him, until someone gets the reversal spell directly from hell.
My son has refused to come with me. The human girl who was under Alexis’s spell stopped talking. My son is looking after her, but some of his followers want him dead. Apparently he promised them immortality.
You know what to do. You must get that spell and Ricky will be saved. Alexis is going after your child. She knows where she is and she won’t stop until she gets what she wants.
I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but Summer’s future was doomed the moment you gave birth to her.
Forget about her and save yourself.
Yours
Ronan.
Chapter 3
“Through me you go to the grief-wrecked city. Through me to everlasting pain you go. Through me you go and pass among lost souls.” ―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
I refused to believe that Ronan had advised me to forget about my baby girl. He always believed that I’d made a mistake keeping her, but Maxine Brodeur wasn’t the kind of person that could simply give up. I didn’t know how, but Alexis had disabled Ronan, and that must have left a permanent mark on his magic.
He was scared, aware that if he continued helping me he could be summoned down to hell too. I didn’t blame him that he was ready to wash his hands of this. After all, Summer was my problem, and she was no longer a secret. I thought about Ricky—his time was running out too. There was no way I would let him die alone. I was going to get that spell, no matter what.
I picked up the letter and tossed it away in the bin, then took a few deep breaths. My stomach was empty and I couldn’t even remember the last time I ate. Food was supposed to distract me from the decision I had to make and Ricky’s fridge was full. I took some chicken and pickles, then sat at the table and tried to eat.
After my body was fuelled with necessary energy, I went to Ricky’s office and started moving books and potions back to the living room. I boiled water and set up flasks and herbs on the table. Soon the brewing mixture of a demonic elixir was bubbling in a small pot that I found in the kitchen, releasing a pleasant smell around the property. I added sage, rosemary, blood from a healthy human and whispered the formula that Matilda had taught me during the couple of weeks that she’d stayed with me in the cottage.
The strong power stirred inside me, spreading deep down into the core of my demonic soul. I shut my eyes, aware that the floorboards underneath my feet started to shake. I needed to calm down and concentrate on the connection. It was impossible for me to get in touch with Matilda through letters or phone calls. As soon as she realised that Summer was in danger, she became unreachable. She would be aware that she needed to be on the move.
Sweat dripped down my face, and on my fingertips small flames began to appear. The warmth filled the room, and the crackling sound coming from the pot indicated that my potion was ready. I stared at the red liquid, aware that my throat was burning. I hadn’t had magical tequila since that night in the pub, before I entered Gjöll. This wasn’t going to taste anywhere near as good, but that was not the point. My child was in danger and I was willing to do anything to save her, even if that meant I had to poison myself to see her again. My addiction would probably hunt me down each day, but I wasn’t going to worry about it now.
I counted to five and then drank the contents of the pot. As soon as the liquid touched my lips the temperature adjusted itself, so it wouldn’t burn me. I waited, ten, twenty seconds, hoping that the connection would somehow get established. Normally Matilda’s echo would show up in front of me, but this time nothing happened. This could mean only one thing.
Alexis must have gotten to her already or something happened and she had purposely disconnected her magic. As a Warlock, she would have sensed that something was off. I used the same formula once in a while to make sure that Summer was all right and it always worked. Minutes of silence passed, and I was growing anxious and worried about people that meant so much to me. Matilda was too skilled to fall for Alexis’s trap.
Then a moment later I heard a knock on the door that startled me. I dropped the elixir and its contents spilled on Ricky’s fancy carpet.
My heart gave me a kick, as I sensed there was a demon outside the apartment, a very powerful upper level demon. I scratched my head, wondering what to do. No one apart from Zach knew that I was staying here. The connection between me and Matilda was gone. My mind started racing and I knew that I should have tried to find Matilda straight away. Now, my child’s safety was compromised.
I paced around the room, rubbing my face as the knocking persisted. I was too scared to check who was so eager to see me so late at night. I didn’t care if it was Rodriguez or a tooth fairy, because I wasn’t planning to answer the door anyway. The image of bloodied Ricky passed through my mind. I shook my head, trying to pull myself together. It wasn’t too late. I could still save them both.
Eventually whoever was behind that door was gone. I didn’t sense anyone anymore. I sat on the floor and hid my face in my palms, trying to think if there was anything else that I could do. Moments passed and the hair on the back of my neck rose. I sensed the vibrating energy of another being. Suddenly I felt someone standing beside me.
I should have reacted, but right then my body refused to obey me. My limbs felt heavy, and my head throbbed with pain. Something must have happened after I drank that potion, something that changed my magic. My emotions felt suppressed. I didn’t feel like there was any point in carrying on. Matilda was willing to protect Summer, but at what cost? What if Alexis had already captured them both?
Slowly I forced myself to lift my head. There was a demon in Ricky’s living room. I recognised him vaguely. He was part of my memory that Keres imprinted in my head a couple of weeks ago. His name was Morpheus.
“How did you get in here?” I asked, getting up abruptly and backing away from him. He looked exactly as he did in the dream—those dark eyes were mesmerising, stunning, and staring at me with gripping curiosity. He looked slightly older. He must have adjusted himself to years that passed, so I would recognise him.
“We b
oth want the same thing,” he stated, shoving his large hands inside his pockets. There were patches of grey hair at his temples, but I refused to believe in his illusion. Demons didn’t age in hell. Maybe I added the wrong ingredients to the potion that I had drunk earlier, and now I was simply hallucinating. “Lucifer has sent me here to take care of Alexis, a dying demon. She has caused too much trouble for him on earth and in hell.”
I blinked rapidly, wondering if I should punch myself. My mind was so screwed that I couldn’t tell if this was happening for real or was a dream. Ricky’s apartment was protected by wards, and only I could get inside.
“You were with my mother when I was a baby. I saw you in a dream,” I whispered, certain that I was starting to lose it.
He smiled, and mischief flickered in his eyes. He seemed pleased that I recognised him. “Let’s not talk about that. I’m here because Lucifer himself asked me to interfere in this matter. Alexis had escaped from the hell pits; someone betrayed the order and helped her avoid execution. I’m here to make a deal with you because we both want the same thing.”
His energy collided with mine, but I wasn’t going to be fooled by him. Lucifer would go through the head of the faction. He wouldn’t send a demon to deal with me. This wasn’t how things worked in hell.
“How did you find me?” I asked, making sure there was a safe distance between us.
“We’ve been keeping an eye on you for years, Maxine Brodeur. After your last encounter with Alexis, we thought it was time to get involved,” he said, like this would explain everything.
“We? Who is ‘we’?”
“Your questions aren’t relevant at the moment. The time will come when everything will be clear. Right now we have to concentrate on Alexis. I’m here to make a deal with you in exchange for your soul.”
I wanted to laugh, but Morpheus didn’t look amused. On the contrary, he was perfectly serious. This demon couldn’t have been sent by Lucifer himself. The lord of the underworld wouldn’t care about me. Why would he?
I was just a mongrel. A second later, the tiny voice in my head reminded me that I was also the mother of an illegitimate royal baby. A special creature that meant a great deal to Lucifer himself.
“And why would I give up my soul willingly?” I asked him, folding my hands over my chest.
“The dark lord has learnt the truth about your child, but he’s willing to spare her soul in exchange for yours. Alexis needs to be stopped and your business partner has been poisoned. I’m here to offer you a deal, Maxine Brodeur. You can save them all if you’re willing to work with me.”
His words paralysed me for a split second. Lucifer wanted to help someone so insignificant as me, even though I broke his rules. The dark lord was protective of his own interests. Summer meant everything to me, and I had no idea how the hell he found out about her. The reversal spell could only come directly from Lucifer. This was my chance; I could save Ricky if I agreed to Morpheus’s terms.
I swallowed hard, thinking about his proposition. This was it, the moment when I realised that I’d fought so hard to keep the secret that had never been a secret to begin with.
“How long has he known?” I asked, in barely a whisper.
“From the beginning,” Morpheus replied with that strange, softer tone of voice.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I had so many questions. I didn’t understand how I was still alive if Lucifer knew about Summer from the very beginning.
“So I was being watched? But why? What is your connection to my mother?”
“Your mother was special. After our paths crossed. She had done me a favour, and I’ll always remember what she sacrificed for me,” he explained, still not giving me anything concrete. Mum was an amazing human, but she knew about demons. I remembered everything from that dream. I knew that she was in love with the demon that now stood in front of me, ready to bargain over my soul.
I ran my hand through my messy hair, pacing around the room. This was it, my very end, but I still didn’t understand why Lucifer himself wanted me.
Hell wouldn’t let Arthur go public with the fact that he fathered a child. None of this made any sense, but regardless, I was willing to do anything to stop that crazy bitch from getting to my daughter.
“Hell is willing to spare the child in exchange for my soul? That’s all Lucifer is willing to take?”
“Yes, it’s the offer that I have been asked to present to you,” Morpheus stated, moving closer. His energy hit me hard, and it stayed inside me, bonding us closer. I couldn’t explain what was happening, but I didn’t want to break the connection. My thoughts were frantic, and there were so many questions.
I didn’t want to believe in anything he was saying. Hell couldn’t have known. No one apart from Ricky, Ronan and then Matilda knew that I was pregnant.
“And what if I refuse your offer?”
“Then I have to take you with me downstairs,” he announced with a blank expression on his face. “But we both know that you can’t refuse it. You need to protect your mongrel child and you need to save your friend.”
He was implying that my future was already doomed, that there was a place for me downstairs regardless. I didn’t want to believe that my sacrifice didn’t matter at all.
“I want answers. I want to know what happened to my mother before I agree to anything,” I said, refusing to believe his lies.
There was no doubt that this demon was from hell, that he was somehow connected to Lucifer.
“You will understand everything when the time comes, but right now I need to know—are you agreeing to the terms of this deal?” he asked, and his eyes gleamed.
His energy was powerful, spreading around like a wildfire. I thought for a split second I saw beyond his charm. It seemed like his eyes weren’t really grey, but green. My vision went slightly blurry, and spots of magic were vibrating around me. I had to blink and that illusion quickly went away. Maybe this was how Morpheus looked, and I was failing to recognise the past.
I had no choice. Ronan had given up; he was too scared to go after Alexis. Ricky was dying and I was on my own.
“The dark lord may take my soul,” I finally said, aware that some day I would have to face the consequence of my actions. Summer could live, but not with me.
Morpheus smiled and placed his large hand on my arm. The magic flew through me and my doubts went away in an instant.
“The Forgotten Street, that’s where you have to head next in order to find the Warlock. Alexis will be hunting for her there too. Your friend Matilda is seeking allies with her own kind,” Morpheus explained. I nodded, reasoning with my choice. I wished that I could go back to Gjöll and change the past, make sure that Alexis hadn’t gotten in Ricky in the first place.
“The Forgotten Street? How do I get there? Can’t you give me more than that?” I asked, unaware that something like that even existed. Matilda had explained many times that Lucifer had slaughtered Warlocks and there weren’t many of them left on earth. On top of that she would have tried to get in touch with me if she thought that others would fail her. Maybe that’s what happened. She sensed Alexis and hid somewhere no one would find her.
“You will find the way, but first you need to prepare yourself to face your enemy,” Morpheus explained.
Great, so as usual, that cunning old bastard was willing to help me, but I had to figure out the rest myself. It looked like my life didn’t mean much to the dark lord. All he wanted was the results.
“Anything else that I should know?”
“Don’t trust other Warlocks. They will try to stop you from reaching your goal. Pay attention to people around you and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
I sighed loudly, thinking that finding Alexis would be much more difficult than I expected. Warlock’s magic was powerful, and I certainly wasn’t prepared to test its consequences on me or my daughter. My eyelids became heavy, and I felt very tired. I walked to Ricky’s sofa and sat down, yawning. A second late
r, I opened my eyes and Morpheus was gone. I noticed a black business card in the palm of my hand.
I, Maxine Brodeur, give my soul away to the dark lord freely and willingly.
I stared at the beautiful writing, and reality hit me like a brick wall. My future was already painted for me. I could save my child, Ricky, and stop Alexis, but there was always a price for magic.
I had made a deal with the devil himself, knowing that this might have never happened if I’d made a different decision two years ago.
Chapter 4
“Deceit, though, is specifically a human wrong, and hence displeases God the more. Liars are therefore deeper down, and tortured worse.” ―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
I didn’t know how long I stayed on Ricky’s sofa, going over and over what happened just a moment ago. Morpheus was most likely a real demon that arrived straight from hell, although I wished that I had imagined him.
When I finally got up, my balance was off. My thoughts were racing and more questions were tangling in my head. Once the dizziness passed and I was standing steadily on my feet, I went back to check the content of my elixir.
I needed to make sure that I hadn’t mixed up any vital ingredients. Many elixirs that were brewed incorrectly could have caused hallucinations. Morpheus was an upper level demon, and right then I wasn’t sure what to make of him. He couldn’t have been my father. Maybe Ricky was right after all. Keres must have implanted that memory inside my head for a reason. The past few weeks were tough, because I had been convincing myself that I’d finally learnt the identity of my real father. But now I wasn’t so sure.
It was around midnight when I sat down in front of Ricky’s computer. I found it funny that he actually owned one. As a full-blooded demon he didn’t get on with technology, but his apartment was filled with all sorts of gadgets. Tears welled in my eyes. I missed him like crazy, missed the fact that he wasn’t here to tell me off again as usual.
Doomed Cases Series Box Set Page 48