Wasteland

by Lynn Rush

  “Gage will stay with you to help you assimilate to the twenty-first century. You’ve been gone a long time, son.”

  “Indeed.” He should know. He put me in confinement, and it was beyond my control I did not obtain my last Mark.

  “Do not make me incarcerate you again by failing to retrieve young Jessica, do you understand?”

  An icy shiver slid down my spine. “Yes, sir.”

  A click, followed by two brief tones indicated the end of the call. I clicked the phone off and pivoted in the stiff chair. With a flick of my wrist, I tossed the device Gage had called an iPhone onto the bed across from where I sat. The thick, flower-printed blanket swallowed up the fascinating contraption.

  I burrowed my toes into the plush carpet and tunneled my fingers through my hair.

  Master never checked up on me while on assignment. The babysitters called in updates. His added interest and his assigning a six-hundred-year old demon as my shadow meant something. Had to. Jessica must be more than a routine soul harvest.

  The flicker of the muted television broke through the darkness. I’d stared at the little box mounted on the wall all night, learning more about the pop culture of this decade. Frankly, I was intrigued. Society today tolerated much more than before my punishment.

  My human side longed for a normal life, to experience the new world surrounding me, but my demonic contract denied that pleasure. Any failure on my part to secure the Mark identified by Master and his mystics was punished with confinement—after fifty years of flesh melting flames.

  After a full twenty-four hours of eating, sleeping, and enjoying the use of my senses, I refused to go into absolute darkness again. No, I would get this Mark for Master and become acquainted with this strange era.

  I rubbed the black crescent inked over my heart, Master’s symbol of his ownership. Sold to him by my mother, contract signed in her blood. I ground my teeth at the thought. Trapped for eternity because of her.

  I bolted off the chair, strode across the large hotel room to the window and heaved the curtains open. I blinked through the explosion of blue lights floating in my vision and took in the sights. Late afternoon sun bathed the quaint town with its piercing rays. At least Master let me live in luxury while on this assignment. From the top floor, south side of town, I had a complete picture of the city.

  Signot, Arizona. Population five thousand.

  I faced the quiet room. The food service tray, filled with empty plates sat at the foot of the bed. I patted my bulging stomach. The food had improved over the centuries. The bathroom door in the corner was cracked open, and I stared in awe at the luxury of the indoor plumbing. Hot water by command.

  Very civilized.

  I gripped my neck and kneaded the cramps. My bare back absorbed the sun’s heat spilling through the window. Despite the comfortable wood-framed bed, which occupied much of the room, my muscles remained stiff. I closed my eyes, willing myself to relax. Beka’s image flashed, demanding I open them wide again.

  Her beauty led to pleasurable, yet torturous, dreams. Even now my body responded to the thoughts, immediately recalling how she felt so close to me at the club.

  Agonizing reminders of what I would never have.

  “David,” Gage yelled through the door and pounded. “Let’s go.”

  So much for my peace and quiet.

  I snatched the cream t-shirt from the back of the desk chair. Guiding the cloth over my head, I slid it over my chest, covering Master’s brand.

  I have to find a way out of the contract. Somehow. Some way.

  “David.”

  The bed sagged beneath my weight as I sat on the edge and laced up my combat boots. No need to hurry for Gage.

  I brushed my hands down my chest, smoothing the soft, cotton shirt. According to the TV shows and movies I’d watched over the last twenty-four hours, the wardrobe provided by Master’s staff enabled me to resemble a modern human male. I’d refused to cut my dark cover of hair and wear those strange shoes called flip-flops, though.

  I stood and held out my arms in front of me. Even after sitting in complete darkness for so long, my skin was bronzed much like the desert dwellers of this town.

  Strange.

  I meandered to the door and leisurely opened it. Gage stood, palms resting on each side of the doorframe. The blood vessel on his left temple twitched, and his face held a red tint not quite as dark as his demonic skin.

  His outfit resembled mine, yet his sable, short-sleeved cotton shirt had a gray print on the right sleeve. Faded blue jeans and flip-flops topped off his human disguise.

  “Don’t keep me waiting again, half-breed.”

  I resisted the urge to laugh in his face. A fight would prove counterproductive, though a contest would ease the tension of my knotted muscles. The woman from the bar and then Master’s phone call had unsettled me so deeply I needed an outlet. One that would sate my demon for a spell.

  Gage released his grip on the doorframe and let me pass. Without a word, I barreled down the hallway. Closed doors lined the beige walls. The thick carpet dulled my heavy footfalls as I made my way to the open space in front of the elevators.

  Still uncomfortable stepping into a box secured by mere cables eleven stories up, I veered in the direction of the stairwell. I needed the exercise anyway.

  “I’m not taking the stairs,” Gage said.

  I stopped, hand resting on the door handle. “I’ll meet you downstairs, then.”

  The corner of Gage’s mouth cocked upward, and he pinned me with a stare. “Don’t be a baby. Get in.”

  The metal handle groaned beneath my grip while I contemplated his directive. Damn him. He was right. If I was to assimilate, I should work to conquer the fear of confined spaces.

  I joined him in the elevator. The doors rolled shut. Within seconds, the platform fell out from beneath me and my stomach roiled.

  “So, since she is an orphan, I checked county records and conned one of the workers into letting me peruse some files,” he said.

  The calming music piping through the ceiling was of no aid to my tense stomach. I stared at the blinking box that indicated which floor we’d passed. Level one couldn’t come fast enough. “Conned?”

  Gage’s tongue swiped over his lips, and a wicked snicker leaked out. He resembled a miniature devil when he did that. Only missing the horns. He relished being a demon way too much.

  “Just turned on my charm, took her out to a fancy dinner, then warmed up her bed real nice.” He laughed. “She was putty after that. Too bad I found nothing on Jessica.”

  “Gage.”

  “Hey, anything to help a brother out.” He turned and studied his reflection in the mirrored wall beside him. “Take the final step and you can do little things like that. Anything you want you can do.”

  “Back off. Four hundred years you’ve been telling me that crap.”

  “Just give in, David. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “No.” The claustrophobic box stopped with a jerk. The doors rolled open, and I marched out with Gage close behind.

  “Your momma was a whore, signing a contract for her first born just to get rich.” Gage laughed. “And she died during childbirth. How fitting.”

  I gave the lobby a peek. Empty enough. With blurring speed, I backhanded Gage’s face.

  “Hey.” His voice echoed off the vaulted ceilings and bounced off the tiled floors. He pinched his nose to stop the crimson flow. Tears welled, and he grumbled.

  “Told you not to ever mention my mother.” I strode to the valet and handed him my ticket. When he eyed Gage, I said, “He is fine. His disease is no longer contagious.”

  The overweight valet’s mouth curved downward, and he shuffled back.

  Gage moved in my path, one hand on his nose, but the other pointed, his finger aimed at my chest. I jerked it backward, crackling knuckles. His dark eyes flared with a challenge.

  My demon stirred. “Are you sure you want to issue challenge to me, Gage?�
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  He held my gaze a long breath but diverted it to the slick, marble floor.

  “Wise choice.” I released his hand and sidestepped him, my heart strumming. What my mother chose to do wasn’t up for discussion with anyone.

  It hurt too much.

  Ten minutes later, I maneuvered the SUV, into a parking lot four blocks from Club Noir. We made our way to the establishment, bathed in the golden rays of the setting sun. The feverish heat, however, had not receded with the sun. Trickles of sweat slithered down my spine and dampened my neck beneath my hair.

  “You look more comfortable tonight than last.” Gage stared straight ahead, his jaw tight as we walked past the empty stores near the club.

  “I was not very productive yesterday, but Master’s plan to tempt me didn’t work. He’d rather me be demon fully or in solitary, wouldn’t he?”

  “Indeed.”

  “Why?”

  “You cannot be killed. Yet you choose not to join him.”

  “My contract demands I be his runner. Collect his demons for him. Not join him.”

  “What you are doesn’t make sense, but your mom made the deal with Lucifer himself. No one can override that. Not even Master.”

  No wonder Master threw me into solitary so quickly. I scare him. I didn’t try to hold back a smile.

  Gage pocketed his hands and threw a glance my way. “Is it terribly painful if you don’t gather the Mark you’re assigned to get?”

  My spine straightened like a rod had been shoved down my back. “Put it this way, I’d rather be in solitary a millennia to avoid the burn.” I pointed to the right. “Turn at this light?”

  “Yes. You’re learning the town.”

  “I went exploring during the day. It is very small, but relatively easy to navigate.” We turned the corner, following the sidewalk past a dimly lit hardware store. Cars buzzed by, and we passed an elderly couple strolling down the sidewalk.

  “I heard the first fifty years your flesh melted off, except for your brand, of course.” Gage laughed.

  I glared. “Glad to amuse you with my suffering.”

  “Your flesh truly burned off?”

  “Not literally. But yes. It felt like it was ablaze.”

  “I was in France at the time, but I heard gruesome stories.” He grimaced. “I didn’t believe it at first. But with Master, you never know.”

  I huffed.

  “And you didn’t grab the demon because . . . ”

  “She was killed in a fire before I could get to her. It wasn’t even my fault, but still, I didn’t get the demon in to Master, so I paid the price.”

  Gage reached for my chest. I snatched his hand before he made contact. “Why do you insist on touching me?”

  “I wasn’t going to. I was just pointing to your chest, where your brand is.”

  “And.” I shoved his hand to the side. “Your point?”

  “I can’t believe you’ve held out so long.”

  “There has to be some way to be freed of my contract.” Now that I had my wits about me more this evening, I would find answers.

  “Still on that pointless quest, are ya’? You know Master’s aware of your sneaking around, don’t you?”

  “Again, your point is. . .”

  “He just laughs. There is no hope for you, David. We’re all damned. You in particular.” He tossed me a sideways glance. “You should just accept your fate.”

  “Never.”

  CHAPTER 4

  At least tonight the women grinding to the music didn’t trigger my beast so easily. I’d been out of the darkness long enough to tolerate the assault of stimuli on my senses better.

  Although the fair-skinned females still brought my body to a scalding level more times than I would have liked, I remained focused, searching for the Mark of Elpida. I had to. Something deep inside me told me finding this Mark meant more than a soul for Master. Gage hovered, like the annoying peon henchman he was, but proved useful helping me assimilate as Master said he would.

  I rested my elbows on the round table, staring at the sea of swaying people on the dance floor and ran my finger across the top of my cool glass. Most women wore shirts exposing their backs, but I had yet to see the Mark of Elpida.

  “So, you enjoy babysitting?” I asked Gage.

  He grunted, sat straight, and peered over my shoulder. “Hmmm. I think I see my next bathroom rendezvous.”

  “You’re sick.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair and patted down the front of his t-shirt. “Horny is more like it. I’ll go check and see if she’s got a tattoo on her back or anywhere else.” He gulped the last of his drink and stood, tucking in his shirt. “Enjoy your time of solitude, watching what you can’t touch.”

  Gage paraded away, parting through a ring of three young females toward a tall, raven-haired woman who wore an equally dark leather outfit. A silver zipper ran from the point of her cleavage and followed a curvy path to the hem of her short skirt.

  I studied the ice cubes floating in my caramel-colored drink. The table wobbled when I shifted my weight to the side and the candlelight flickered. I stuck my forefinger in the frigid drink and dunked the ice, fighting to hear my thoughts through the thumping bass pounding around me.

  I should be searching for Jessica, but with Gage distracted, I’d rather sit for five minutes and not worry. Get lost in the music I was becoming familiar with.

  “Want to dance?”

  I turned and met the sultry-eyed stare of the blond beauty from the previous night. Beka. I clutched my glass and focused on my breathing to keep my heartbeat steady and the demon’s claws at bay.

  “It’s not as busy as last night.” She strode behind me and stood next to the table, leaving a subtle scent of lilac in her wake. She was so tall I had to look up, and I wasn’t a short guy, even sitting. Her long, ivory legs ended in sparkling stiletto heels. Each muscle flexed as she shifted her weight to her right leg.

  My body tensed. “No. It is not as busy.” I focused on my glass, trying to wipe her short, skirt and snug tank top from my memory. Long, muscular arms and pale skin went on for miles. Master must have sent her to tempt me. To see if I would give in. He’d done it before.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw her move. She eased into Gage’s vacant seat and rested her elbows on the table. The ends of her shiny hair settled on the smooth surface. She clasped her fingers together and fixed her emerald gaze on me.

  “You were in the alley last night.” She angled forward, her plunging neckline exposing the top of her breasts.

  I diverted my focus to my drink, wiping the sweat from the glass with my thumb. The pounding bass resonated through my mind, scattering my thoughts.

  “I knew it. Where did you go? I tried to see you.”

  “You were safe, so I left.”

  She raked her teeth across her bottom lip and leaned forward but stopped. “I’ve never seen you in here before yesterday. New to town?”

  I stared into her eyes. She inclined her head as if encouraging me to speak. The blood in my veins flowed hotter than the Mohave Desert sands. Her long, slender fingers circled the rim of the cup holding the flickering candle. What would it be like to twine my fingers with hers? To feel them touching me as we—

  “Are you okay?”

  I coughed through the bundle of nerves choking me. “Yes. I am new to town.” I scooted my chair back. “I should be leaving now.”

  “Why? It’s early.”

  “I’m sorry. I need to leave.” Actually, I should stay since I hadn’t located my Mark. I’d guessed the other women here weren’t Jessica by their age alone. Not sure how a fifteen-year old girl got into a dance club such as this. But I followed Master’s instructions, hoping to avoid the flesh-burning consequence of missing my Mark.

  “At least dance with me before you leave,” she said.

  Temptress. A trap planted by Master, himself. I had to stay strong, yet I could not stop staring at that graceful female. Above the scent
of sweet liquor and human sweat hanging thick in the establishment, a trace of her lilac scent wrapped around me. The demon demanded I draw her close and taste her lips. The sting of my fingernails biting into my palm dragged me back to the moment. I should learn more about her, so I knew my enemy.

  So I told myself.

  If Gage asked, I would tell him my suspicions of her. I dipped my head, agreeing to a dance. Her eyes went wide, and she stretched for my hand. I jerked it back and stood, gesturing for her to lead. She rose to her feet, her eyes meeting mine.

  My pulse strummed in my head louder than the bass thumped. I wasn’t sure I knew how to dance to this type of music, but I’d been watching people for over an hour. Hopefully something sunk in.

  She led through the crowd with the grace of a swan. People often patted her shoulder and said hi while we made our way to a space for us to dance. She turned toward me, a smile filling her face. Her eyes shone beneath the probing lights, and her body began to sway to the music.

  I followed her motions, keeping two feet between us. Didn’t matter, though, the sizzling heat radiating from this beauty had tripped every nerve in my body. It was Sunday night, so the diminished crowd made sense. Fewer people to bump into and aggravate my demon. Beka’s gaze fastened on me and everything else faded from existence. Her eyes moved slowly, as if taking in every detail of my face, but paused at my mouth. She grazed her teeth over her bottom lip.

  The demon stampeded within my chest, and I physically tensed to restrain him. Her gaze continued to sweep down my body before making eye contact with me again.

  Within a minute of beginning our dance, the song blended into a slow harmony of subtle tones and pitches. Partners stepped close to one another. Two hands slid up my chest, encircled my shoulders and clasped behind my neck.

  That elicited a shudder and a gasp.

  “One more dance?” She focused on me, her lips puckered out. “That song was half-way through, so it doesn’t count.”

  “I should g—”

  “Just one.”