“Thanks, guys. Ada, I’ll need you to put the two protection spells on her, okay?” Ada nodded. “Before she leaves the loft again.”
I sat down, and Brennan left, then came back and set a cup of coffee and a slice of cake in front of me. “Eat.”
“You are so damn bossy,” I muttered. Stone laughed, and Ada jokingly asked where hers was. Brennan sat next to me, making sure I ate.
“Whatever, Molly. Just eat the freaking cake.”
“I don’t need anyone to take care of me, you know,” I said, digging into the chocolate cake.
“Yep. I know.”
I finished the cake, slugged back the coffee. “She’s going to be in her room for a while. Leave her alone. She’ll come out and meet everyone officially when she’s ready,” I said. I stood up. “I have to–”
I didn’t get to finish what I was saying. One of the Guardians, the beings who escort supernatural souls to the Nether upon death, swooped into the loft out of nowhere.
My team jumped up. Brennan knocked over his chair in his haste and surprise, leapt, of all places, between me and the Guardian. Ada and Stone stared. I could feel the fear coming from them. From Brennan, nothing but determination as he stood in front of me.
I crossed my arms and watched the Guardian. I’d gotten used to this one. She’d followed me around all night the night Nain died, summoning her sisters every time I’d killed again. She’d sat by my bedside in the hours afterward, refused to sever my tie to the mortal world. I was still pretty pissed with her for that last one.
“Eunomia,” I said in greeting. “I haven’t killed anybody yet.” I put my hands on Brennan’s arms, gently pushed him aside.
“The night is still young, demon girl,” she said cheerfully, landing on her feet next to me. I glanced at my team. I was used to seeing the Guardian, but they were not. The last time they’d seen her, she’d been there with her sisters, performing the ritual that would free Nain’s soul of its Earthly ties.
I tilted my head toward her. “Please tell them no one is going to die.”
She looked at the team, as if she’d just noticed them. “You’re all safe. This is a social call.”
They stood, still as statues, staring at her, then back at me, then at her again. She laughed. “Perceptive friends you have.”
“Huh?”
She rolled her eyes at me, winked at the team. “Come talk to me.” She fluttered into my office.
“I need to go beat someone up,” I grumbled.
“Shocking. You never do that kind of thing,” she said. I closed the office door behind us.
“What’s up?”
“How are you holding up, devil girl?” she asked me, settling into one of the chairs.
I shrugged, plopping down into my chair. “I want to die. Same as before.”
She watched me. Blinked. She reminded me again of a deadly bird. She cocked her head. “I lied out there. I’m here on business.”
I stilled.
“Not that kind of business,” she said, waving at me. “They’re not going to die. Don’t worry.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“I’m here unofficially, of course. I am not supposed to interfere. I don’t know why I keep doing so on your behalf.”
“Because I’m so much fun,” I said.
“Yes, that must be it.” She paused. “Anyway. We’ve been having issues, as you would say, in the Nether.”
“That sounds bad.”
She nodded. “For some reason, the gate between here and the Pit is weakening.”
“Um. You’re going to have to explain that to me.”
“Oh, right. Forsaken demons,” she muttered.
“What’s a forsaken demon?”
“You.”
I gestured that she should continue. She sighed. “Forsaken demons are those demons who live here, among mortals. There are not many of you.”
“Demons prefer the Nether,” I said, repeating what Nain had told me a long time ago.
“Right. Forsaken are usually those that were born here, whose ancestors came here by choice or accident before the gateways were sealed. They are trapped here.”
“Because traveling between here and the Nether is not possible, unless you’re an immortal or whatever,” I said, again repeating what Nain had told me.
She nodded. “That is usually true.”
“Usually?”
“Forsaken demons have no way of getting back to the Nether, at least, not until they face their final judgment. Eternal punishment for leaving in the first place.”
“Harsh,” I murmured.
“The Lord of the Nether is a harsh being,” Eunomia agreed. “And the gods decided, a very long time ago, that demons from the Nether should not be allowed to come here, either. They closed all of the gateways between here and the Nether, and now, as you say, only immortals like myself can come through.”
“Okay. But you said that the gateway between here and the Pit, whatever that is, is weakening.”
She nodded. “The Pit is the area of the Nether where the worst, most deranged gods and demons are exiled to. It is our version your mortal prisons. It is a terrifying place, guarded by the strongest and most trusted demons the Lord of the Nether can find. The Fury Tisiphone is in charge of keeping the gate secure.”
“And when you say that the gateway between them and us is weakening….”
“I mean that they will make their way here, demon girl. We are working to repair whatever it is they’ve done to make the gate weaken, but it is not going well.”
I took a deep breath. This could not be real. Couldn’t be.
“It’s real,” Eunomia said.
“Okay. Well, so, what? There’s one gateway weakening. Tell me it’s in Siberia or something.”
“There are gateways that end in other areas. A couple in Europe and Asia, one in Antarctica, and one that connects the Nether to Detroit,” she said.
“Lemme guess which one is weakening,” I muttered. “Why is there even a gateway to here at all?”
“It has less to do with Earthly locations than locations in the Nether. Each sector had a gateway. Detroit just happens to be where one of those sectors needed a gateway.”
“Lucky us.”
Eunomia watched me. “I do not think it is an accident that this particular gateway is the one being tampered with,” she said.
I was silent.
“Whoever sent the demon Astaroth after you is becoming impatient,” she continued. “Clearly, it was someone from my realm.”
I nodded. “Can we find out who?”
“We will. I promise. But your foremost concern now should be that gateway.”
“What am I supposed to do if it opens?” I asked, jumping up and pacing back and forth behind my desk. “You just said that the worst of demonkind is on the other side of that gate.”
She gave me a steely look. “Do what you do best. Destroy them. You won’t be alone.”
I just looked at her, then continued pacing.
“Tisiphone has been working to guard the gate as well. With her and the demon guards watching on our end, and you on your end, we should be able to contain any problems before catastrophe.”
“Oooookay. The Furies. I know I’ve heard of them. They’re like the…what?”
“They are the next step in judgment of the dead. My sisters and I collect the dead. The Furies bring the dead before Lord Hades, and he makes his final judgment. Then the Furies take the soul for its punishment.”
“Sounds like a fun group.”
She just looked at me again, a kind of half-grin on her face. She was kind of creepy, really. “Yes. Fun. Too serious for their own good, always with the punishment and torture. Except Tisiphone, maybe. The other two are the punishers. Tisiphone is more of a warrior.”
We were quiet for a bit as I tried to wrap my brain around all of it. “You really are just a ray of sunshine, E,” I finally said, plopping back down into my chair and shaking my
head.
She laughed then, a light, tinkling laugh that should have been completely out of character for what she was.
Here’s the thing: she was the last thing the soul saw on this plane of existence. She escorted them to what was beyond. Some, the really, really good among us, went straight to whatever qualifies as heaven. The rest of us, the ones who have things to answer for, go to the Nether for our final punishment. Demons, like me, never leave.
We are the worst of the gods’ creations. There is no happy ending for us. Once our mortal lives end, we are punished according to the Lord of the Nether’s judgment. And then: nothing. Our existence will end in pain and punishment.
I had a hell of a punishment ahead of me someday.
But she wasn’t scary. Creepy, yeah. Always. But there was a beauty, a purity, to Eunomia that made me feel safe with her, despite what she was. Maybe it was just a sign of how messed up I was that one of the beings I trusted most now was an agent of the Lord of the Dead.
“Well, think of it this way: it will occupy your time,” she said.
“Sure. Hey! Do you suppose this means an early, you know,” I gestured, drawing a line across my throat, “for me? Like maybe they’ll come through soon and we’ll battle and that will end me? Because that would be awesome.”
She shook her head. “I have the feeling you have much more ahead of you, dear girl.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
We sat in silence for a while. “I need to go take care of a vampire,” I finally said.
“I’ll come with you. The look in your eyes tells me an escort will be necessary.”
I nodded. We stood, and walked through the loft. I waved to my friends, stalked with the Guardian out into the night.
I headed to my car. “Keep your crazy machine to yourself,” Eunomia scoffed. “I’ll meet you there.” And with that, she winked out of sight. I got in the Barracuda, gunned the engine, cranked up the stereo. Bash and Dahael were already waiting in the back seat, along with three other imps. I still hadn’t learned all of their names.
“Shall we go destroy a vampire?” I asked them as I squealed out of the parking spot.
“I love destroying vampires,” Dahael said with a dreamy tone to her voice as she clung to the back of my seat.
Bashiok nodded. “Satisfying,” he said in agreement.
I felt my rage surging through my body. Alive. I would enjoy removing this vampire.
I did the only thing I knew how to do anymore.
Destroy.
I didn’t really give Reynes much of a chance. Once I cornered him in the alley where he was stalking a girl, it was just a matter of leaping onto him and going to work with my knives.
I felt a little thrill when he saw me, recognized that his death would come at my hands. “This is for all of those girls in your neighborhood,” I growled.
He was dead before he even had a chance to fight.
Eunomia fluttered down, waited for her sisters, and they worked together to free the vampire of his Earthly bonds.
“Must you be so messy, demon girl?” Eunomia asked as she helped her sister cut the soul’s tie to the mortal plane.
“Just be happy I left more than ashes this time,” I muttered.
She rolled her eyes, shouted a “see you later” at me, and she and her sisters blinked out of sight.
The imps and I got back into the car and drove home. I checked in with Shanti, got her another cup of blood. She was settling in, but not yet ready to face anyone. I wanted to go up to the roof, hit the bag for a while, but I felt like I should keep an eye on her. We wouldn’t want to leave her door unguarded. She might have a hankering for a midnight snack while everyone was sleeping.
I kicked my shoes off and sat in the leather armchair that had been Nain’s. It didn’t face the television like the rest of the furniture. It faced the wall of windows that looked out over the city. I sat, and looked out, and waited for another night to pass.
Chapter Three
The next morning, I introduced Shanti to the team. I gave her more blood, and then left her in Ada and Stone’s very capable hands. I spent a couple of hours in meetings, then begged off, and had Brennan cancel the rest of the day’s appointments.
There was somewhere I had to be.
I headed out of the loft and walked toward Midtown. I found the parade route, and I leaned up against a tree in a mostly empty spot. I heard jazz music in the distance, the cheers and shouts of the revelers. It wasn’t long before the parade started. First were the bands, and between them were people, in groups or singles, in costumes. They carried signs, each, in its own way, telling the Nain Rouge to get out of the city.
The annual Marche du Nain Rouge. Detroit tradition. The Nain Rouge was a harbinger of doom, the fairy tale went. This parade would keep him away for another year, banish his brand of evil from the city so we would be safe.
They could not have had it more mixed up if they tried.
I didn’t even know why I was there. The last thing I wanted to see was a bunch of clueless Normals making a joke and a party of someone I’d known to be their biggest protector. He had his own motives for doing so, and I only understood some of them. It didn't change the fact that they had no idea how many times Nain had saved them from disaster, how many men and women had come home at night because he’d interceded at the right time. And the fools wanted to be rid of him.
They had their wish, clueless though they were.
It was just good for them that I was not the spiteful type. I wouldn’t leave them to fend for themselves, no matter how badly I wanted to right at that moment.
And I wouldn’t incinerate them, despite my inclination to do just that.
Idiots.
I watched for a while, still not even sure why I was there. Watched the bands, the costumed morons. Soon, I sensed Brennan not too far behind me. I took a deep breath, forced myself to try to be nice.
I just wanted to be alone.
He came and stood next to me, hands shoved deep into his pockets. The day was sunny, but cold, the kind of late winter day that just screams “Michigan.” Winter holds on, even though it looks like spring.
We watched the parade in silence for several minutes. So many people dressed up like the infamous “red dwarf.” None of them even close. I could feel sadness, irritation from Brennan.
“We used to come to this when I was a kid,” Brennan finally said. “He got a kick out of it.”
“Well, it was all about him, after all,” I said, smiling despite the pain.
“Yeah. The costumes cracked him up. We even dressed up one year and marched in it.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t talk anymore around the lump in my throat. An image of Nain, Brennan as a gangly teenage boy, laughing and joking around watching these fools mock Nain…it was just too much.
“You probably shouldn’t be here,” Brennan said softly, watching me.
“I have to. I can’t explain it,” I said. I adjusted my dark sunglasses to make sure they covered my eyes.
He sighed. “Okay. I should probably get back and help Ada keep an eye on Shanti,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t just want to come back?”
I shook my head. “I’ll stay a while.”
“Don’t hurt anybody,” he said, starting to stroll away.
“You never let me have any fun,” I muttered, and I heard him chuckle as he walked away.
The parade had passed me now, and I followed the sounds of merriment to the end of the parade route, where the attendees were hanging out. The music played on. Kids ran between groups of adults who were, at this early hour, in various stages of inebriation.
I leaned up against a tree and stared at one of the event signs. A grotesque little red dwarf decorated it.
I’d never known that form, of course. But I had a feeling that wasn’t what the Nain Rouge had really looked like.
I could feel other people with power here besides me. I glance around, and I saw several
familiar faces. Shifters, a few witches, two werewolves. Decent people. Each gave me a respectful nod as they felt my eyes on them. I nodded back at them, touched that they’d thought to come to this stupid event today.
I watched as another Normal stood up to make a speech about how great the city was, and how it was going to come back, stronger than ever, thanks to the community.
I had my doubts, actually.
“Molly Brooks?” A deep voice said behind my left shoulder.
I was getting out of practice. No one snuck up on me anymore. I turned, glanced at the stranger.
He stuck his hand out. “I’m Chief Jones, Detroit Police,” he said.
I repressed a groan. This shit, I did not need right now.
“Chief,” I said, shaking his hand very briefly.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” he said, crossing his arms as he stood next to me and watched the revelers.
“Are you?”
“Not where I’d expect to find the Nain Rouge’s widow,” he said quietly.
I looked at him. Felt for him.
“Ah,” I said, nodding. “Shifter.”
I felt surprise from him. “What?”
I raised my eyebrow at him. “Please don’t try to lie about it.”
“I won’t, but….how? This thing was supposed to be able to mask what I am,” he said, showing me an amulet with a silvery gem. Irritation, worry washed over me like a wave.
“It was doing a good job. I didn’t pick it up at first,” I reassured him. “So, what do you want?”
He watched me for a minute, sizing me up. Shook his head. “You are scary.”
“So I’ve heard. Good thing I’m one of the good guys. Relatively speaking,” I said after a small pause.
The chief chuckled, and we stood there a while. I looked him over behind my glasses. He was supposed to be in his mid-40s, but, as with all shifters, he looked much younger than that. Tall, broad. Dark brown eyes, hair buzzed close to his scalp.
He glanced over at me again, tearing his gaze from the revelers. “You know the official word. I’m supposed to be investigating you for all of those deaths last October.”
“And the unofficial word?” I asked, crossing my arms.
Broken: Hidden Book Two Page 3