We followed Warren down the hall to his condo, which was as immaculately designed and decorated as my own. Holly was making a killing off her tenants, but at least she made the place worth it. Warren took a key from the pocket of his robe and unlocked one of his spare rooms. Inside was practically a different world. He really had gone legit. All the way to the bank.
The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with glass cabinets holding a wide array of knives, swords, maces, and even a flail, with a ball of shiny spikes dangling from its grizzly chain. The uppermost shelves held hundreds of worn volumes with spines labeled in Latin and Hebrew. Pressed against a far wall, I recognized the beat-up trunk that had once held my axe. The trunk had originally been Warren’s whole store. His business had come a long way.
“See here?” He opened a glass cabinet and retrieved a golden spear. He ran a finger along the edge of the crystal tip. “This is a prototype of what the central guard will be carrying. As we speak, Holly is on her way to the holy city to ask for blood from the lamb to anoint them with.”
“So Jesus is in on this, too?” Josie asked.
“Well, not yet, but he will be. Horus is consulting with the Sphinx Congress about a contribution to aid against the Duat rebels as well.” Warren placed the spear back in its cabinet and stood back to admire his collection.
“You know, I think I’m going to enjoy being neighbors with you.” I folded my arms and smiled.
“And I, with you.” Warren’s wings fluttered, a happy movement that always gave me the urge to toss bread crumbs.
Holly House had more benefits than I could have ever hoped for. Things were looking up for a change. I decided that thanking Maalik wasn’t entirely out the question anymore.
Chapter 11
“God made Cabernet Sauvignon
whereas the Devil made Pinot Noir.”
-Andre Tchelistcheff
My first night in the new condo felt entirely wrong. I had lived at the Coexist Complex for such a long time that it was hard to sleep anywhere else. I woke Sunday morning, tangled up in bed sheets from all my tossing and turning. The bed was plenty comfortable. I just needed to relearn how to relax. I didn’t think it would take too long at Holly House though.
The room I had chosen was at the end of the hall. It was painted a soft gray. A large window, running along the same side of the building as the living room windows, filled most of the far wall. It was hung with green curtains, embroidered with a fancy ivy design that matched the bedspread. A white sofa rested in front of the window, and a matching chair was placed on the opposite side of the bed, near the closet and bathroom doors. A large, oak wardrobe dresser was pushed up against the wall by the door leading into the hallway. It was a majestic setup, and I was sure I would be sleeping better eventually.
My ease at Holly House grew steadily as the day progressed. I decided it would be fun to prove Josie wrong, so I called her and Kevin and invited them to the first real dinner party I had ever hosted. The rest of the guest list included Jenni, Maalik, Gabriel, Amy, and as a special thank you for helping Maalik move my furniture, I even invited Ridwan.
I had to make a call down to the front desk to make sure inviting Amy, Gabriel’s demon girlfriend, wouldn’t be a problem. After an awkward pause, Charlie told me that would be fine and that he would put her down on my list of accepted guests for future reference.
After finishing my phone calls, I set to work preparing a feast fit for a crowd of angels, demons, and reapers, oh my. I wasn’t big on cooking, but ordering pizza was out of the question. I did know how to do up a mean Cornish hen. I was thankful Kevin knew this as well. Josie had him do my grocery shopping while she packed my things at the old apartment.
After stuffing three hens and popping them in the oven, I fixed a giant bowl of salad and set it in the fridge. Apple pie was next on the list, a favorite of Saul’s, my late mentor. The last time I had made an apple pie was the week before he had died. I just didn’t feel right making his favorite without him being there to enjoy it with us.
I put the pie in with the hens and was about to peel some potatoes when the doorbell rang out its church bell tune. The party didn’t start for another hour, but Maalik had promised to come by early to help.
“About time,” I said, letting him in.
“Sorry, Ridwan needed a little help picking out a robe for dinner. I think he might actually be excited about coming over tonight. He hasn’t gotten out much since we moved to Limbo,” he said, taking the potato peeler from me. “The hens smell divine. Let me finish up in the kitchen while you get ready.”
“Okay.” I smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek.
I didn’t have to worry about Maalik. In fact, it was probably better that he put the finishing touches on dinner. He was like Rachel Ray from Hell. And that had gotten him out of hot water with me more than once. He made a caramel cake that could even make an apocalypse seem bearable.
I slipped away into my new bedroom. I really liked that it was closed off from the rest of the condo. It gave me a sense of seclusion that I had never had in my very long stay at the Coexist Complex. The closet was smaller, but Josie had done me the favor of packing up the articles she deemed least stylish and had Maalik put them in storage with my furniture. She had enough sense to leave my favorites in the reduced wardrobe.
I rummaged around until I came across a snug, blood-red slip dress with a collar high enough to hide most of the black handprint on my neck. There was no telling how long I would be adjusting my style around the nasty reminder that I was a wanted woman. At least Josie had saved me a little trouble by moving all my turtlenecks and scarves to the front of the closet.
I took the dress into the master bath attached to the bedroom and hung it on the back of the door. It was time to try out the new shower. The glass and tile stall was three times the size of the one in my old apartment. It was just the right size for an angel to expand his wings to maximum capacity. I smiled, knowing this meant Maalik would be staying over more often.
I only had an hour until my guests would arrive, so I stripped down and turned the faucet on as hot as it would go. My muscles were still throbbing, and I would have made a deal with Lucifer himself just to be comfortable again.
The shower had an adjustable head in every corner, and a waterfall cascaded down the tiled back wall. It seemed a little overkill, but I supposed the angel and nephilim residents enjoyed the elegant birdbath effect. Maalik would too. Just imagining him in the shower sent a chill over me, despite the steaming water.
I toweled off, thanking Khadija that my aches and pains had subsided at least a little. Slipping into the little red dress, I turned to examine myself in a full length mirror that sat in the corner of the bathroom. There was only a dull throb in my shoulders now and an itchy sensation circling my neck. I wasn’t sure if it was more from the silly scarf collar of my dress or the burn. I combed my curls out and ran a handful of gel through them before gently sliding on the crystal bands Saul had given me when my apprenticeship ended. They added a nice touch to the ensemble and drew some attention away from my neck. I dabbed on a little lipstick and slipped into a pair of black heels.
I headed back into the bedroom and stopped to give myself a pleased smile in the giant mirror anchored in the center of my new wardrobe dresser. Well, it was mine for the time being anyway. I was still getting used to all the new furnishings in the condo. They were nice, of course. Holly only worked with the best decorators in Eternity, but it felt strange to be surrounded by things I hadn’t picked out myself.
Maalik turned to watch me walk out of the bedroom. He had an apron tied around his waste and a spoon in each hand. He nearly dropped them when he saw me.
“Wow.” He blinked a few times. “You really look the part of a classy hostess.”
“Well, that’s what I was going for.” I laughed and joined him behind the stove.
In the short time it had taken me to get ready, Maalik had whipped up a creamy potato soup,
glazed carrots, and a batch of to-die-for stuffed mushrooms. The hens were cooling on a silver platter with bits of rosemary tucked under here and there.
“The pie should be done any second,” he said, shooing me away as I snatched an unguarded mushroom. “Why don’t you set the table and call downstairs to order some wine. I think maybe a vintage cabernet would go nicely. Perhaps a bottle from Jannah, the Khadija countryside. Eighteen forty-three sound good to you?”
“Holly has room service here?”
“Haven’t you gone on the tour yet?” Maalik raised an eyebrow at me over his shoulder while grinding some more pepper over the potato soup.
“I’m saving it for tomorrow,” I said, picking up the phone. I dialed zero and was greeted on the first ring.
“Front desk, how may I help you?” Charlie was in a perpetually good mood. I ordered three bottles of wine and tried not to cry when he gave me the price.
“The wine is my treat,” Maalik said, noticing my horror-struck look that was quickly wiped away with resentment.
“Isn’t everything these days?” I snapped.
The doorbell rang, squashing the potential argument. Josie, Kevin, Gabriel, and Amy spilled into the dining room, giggling in their formal wear. Well, except for Gabriel. He looked downright grim in his wrinkly white robe, like he would have rather been in drawstring pants, eating Cheetos on the couch.
“Have a seat. The wine is on its way,” I told them.
“I hope you ordered enough,” Gabriel grumbled.
“What’s your beef?” I folded my arms.
Amy swatted her rude angel’s arm. “He’s just fussy because he had to dress up. But doesn’t he look charming? And don’t you,” she said, turning her attentions away from Gabriel’s scowl. “Well, give us the grand tour.”
Amy was handling Holly House better than I had expected. I imagined Gabriel or Bub had already filled her in on the minor details of my demon dilemma. As soon as I finished showing off the new pad, the doorbell rang again. The tune seemed to change throughout the day, but it still retained its church-like quality. I wondered if that would bother Gabriel when he crashed over. He didn’t like being reminded of his duties while he was recovering from a hangover. Of course, his drinking habit had diminished somewhat over the past few months. Amy had really done a number on him.
I answered the door for Jenni and Ridwan, the last of my guests, and just in time. Charlie followed them in with our wine.
“Enjoy, Ms. Harvey,” he said with a small bow and placed the bucket of iced wine on the table before leaving.
“Ms. Harvey.” Josie smirked and pulled a bottle from the ice bucket. Her eyes bulged. “You ordered a vintage from Jannah?”
“It was Maalik’s choice.” I handed her a glass to fill.
“Of course.” she laughed and held her breath as she poured, like wasting a single drop would be a sin. With a price like that, drinking a single drop should have been a sin.
Soon enough, the table was set and we gathered around to begin our feasting. It was a pretty, if not snooty scene. Fine china and glitzy company generally had a nerve-wracking effect on me, but I found myself all too comfortable with it my new home. I would have given anything for Saul to see me now, sitting around the dinner table with council and committee members, dressed up like little democracy dolls. And in my own home, no less. I could just see him clutching his belt buckle and tucking his face into his hat so he could laugh himself silly.
“What’s so funny?” Ridwan’s eyes had followed me with a curious skepticism from the moment he had shown up. He wasn’t a fan of mine and often complained of the times Maalik neglected his council duties to “entertain the reaper” as he put it. I was surprised he had accepted my dinner invitation at all, but maybe he was giving me a second chance. Then again, maybe he had a hidden agenda. I couldn’t think of a politician who didn’t these days.
“I was just thinking of my mentor, Saul.” I smiled at Ridwan and spread a cloth napkin across my lap.
“Saul Avelo, yes?” Ridwan took a dish from Maalik and piled his plate with carrots.
“The one and only.”
“Doesn’t he have a memorial at the park, like Coreen?”
“He does.” I passed him the potato soup, praying he wouldn’t take the conversation south. Stabs at my dead mentor were grounds for decapitation in my book, and I had really been hoping for a peaceful, blood-free evening.
“And wasn’t that Hare fellow who got himself terminated for stealing souls in your generation?” Ridwan asked next, throwing everything in a new and twisted direction.
“Yes, I believe he was,” I answered sourly.
“So you knew all three of the deceased reapers intimately. Isn’t that something?”
“I wouldn’t say I knew them intimately. Coreen and Vince were barely acquaintances.”
“Vince. Yes, that was his name.” Ridwan gave me a vicious grin before turning his attentions back to his plate. His creep factor had just doubled. I wouldn’t be inviting him to dinner again any time soon.
“Have you visited Saul’s memorial lately?” Maalik picked up where Ridwan had left off.
I thought my eyeballs would fall out onto my plate. What he was really asking, and thank Khadija no one else knew, was if I had been to Coreen’s memorial to see Winston. He had a lot of nerve, and I’d tell him that much and more once everyone was gone.
“At least once a year,” I answered, silencing him with a Medusa glare. The tension was beginning to spoil my appetite, and I couldn’t have that. There were stuffed mushrooms to massacre yet. A diversion was in order.
“Jenni, have you decided which unit you’re going to apply for?” I asked.
Jenni froze, a forkful of hen held halfway to her polished pout, but she set it back on her plate, now that she was the new discussion target. “I don’t know just yet. I’m eligible for every unit now, so I guess I’ll see where I’m most needed at the placement ceremony.”
“You’re quite the role model for the younger reapers. Why didn’t you take an apprentice this year?” Amy asked.
“Apprentices thrive best in a freelance environment.” She blushed the instant the words escaped her. “No offense, Lana. Kevin is the best of his generation, and I think spending his apprenticeship in a unit could serve him well in the long run. He has certainly proved he can handle himself.”
“Thank you.” Kevin beamed and gave me a proud tilt of his chin.
“It was rather unexpected when Grim turned over Coreen’s assignment and apprentice to you last fall.” Ridwan jumped back in with the subtly ruthless remarks.
“Yes, it was,” I agreed. “But he was in a pinch, and my team and I finished the assignment with great care.”
“I’m surprised you went back to low-risk freelance work.”
“I wanted to take a few classes first to brush up on my skills.”
Josie’s face lit up like a firecracker at that. She covered her mouth and pretended to choke to keep from laughing. I could have joined her. Brush up on my skills? Yeah, right. I was back in school because Grim was paying for the mentoring course I needed in order to train Kevin, and Horus was threatening to spill my beans if I didn’t make it on the Posy Unit to do his dirty work. I just wanted to get through one year without anyone finding out I was a freak of nature, worthy of beheading.
Okay, it wasn’t nature’s fault. It was circumstance. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when Khadija was handing out soul matter to the eighth generation of reapers. It wasn’t my fault she decided to give me a little extra. I didn’t even know what she had done until last fall.
“So what’s this I’ve been hearing about a Nephilim Guard?” Gabriel asked, still sporting his scowl. He might have been in a pissy mood, but he still had my back. He gave Ridwan a sideways glance and crinkled his nose, like the angel’s tasteless remarks were stinking up the room.
“The Nephilim Guard is a newer project of Grim’s,” Maalik answered Gabriel,
mirroring his sour glance at Ridwan. “The offspring of the fallen have long hoped for permanent residency in Limbo City, and they may have very well found it.”
“It’s disgraceful.” Ridwan stabbed a mushroom. “They deserve no place in this world. They’re merely the product of betrayal and demonic lust.”
“They didn’t choose to be illegitimately born, you know.” Jenni was heated now. Her fork clanged on her plate and she squeezed her fists together, pure poison spreading across her face. “Excuse me. I need to visit the ladies room.” She stood and hastily made her way down the hall.
I had heard a rumor or two about Jenni’s involvement with an underground association of reapers working towards deityship rights. We were already one step ahead of the nephilim. We at least had permanent residency in Limbo. But everybody wants more. I guess it’s the human soul matter in us. Jenni supported the nephilim’s cause, probably because she was hoping the nephilim would support hers. Now that they were becoming our equals, who knew where the balance would fall. Perhaps they would remain content with the bone Grim had thrown them. Then again, if you give a mouse a cookie…
Ridwan gave Jenni a cautious frown when she returned to the table. Luckily, he kept his prejudiced opinions to himself for the rest of the evening. We drank and ate and drank some more, until we were all fuzzy in the head, full in the middle, and giggling senselessly at every foul joke Gabriel could bring himself to recall.
Even with the mildly stinky company of Ridwan, I decided the evening was an overall success. If I didn’t think too hard about the details of my situation, I could actually enjoy this lifestyle. Strange as it sounds, especially for being over three centuries old, it was the first time I really, truly felt important, like a valuable member of society. It was a good feeling, but at the same time, a little scary. Being noticed by those in power also made one a target for those opposing the ones in power. The charred remains of my old apartment could attest to that.
2 Pocket Full of Posies Page 6