“Yes, I am,” she agreed.
I bit back a laugh. That cat was something else. There was a knock on the office door, meaning our time was up and Evie had a patient coming in soon.
“I’ll see you next week,” I told Jezebel, moving forward to scratch behind her ears.
“That’s good,” she purred. “Not as good as Rainer, but still good.”
“I saw Rainer recently,” I remarked as I moved to the door.
“You didn’t tell him about our therapy sessions, did you?” Jezebel asked in a panic.
“Of course not,” I assured her.
“Good,” she said with a sigh. “Don’t tell him anything if you see him again. On second thought, tell him to kidnap Evie.”
I laughed at her suggestion as I opened the door to let Evie in. Evie was only a couple inches shy of six feet tall with short blonde hair and green eyes. She was a therapist who worked with both witches and werewolves. It was an interesting career choice for a witch since witches tended to look down on werewolves. Evie wasn’t like most witches.
“How was the session?” Evie asked.
“Good,” I replied since I knew Jezebel wouldn’t even say that much. When the session was over, she wanted to pretend it hadn’t happened. “Jezebel is a great patient. I recommend you continue the visits with Rainer. They’ve been good for her.”
Evie surprised me with a hug. I awkwardly hugged her back. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
I pulled away and shifted uncomfortably. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Liar,” Jezebel accused.
“Hey!” I protested. “You know our deal. I pretend you don’t care about anyone other than yourself, and you do the same for me.”
Evie laughed when Jezebel hissed at me. “I’m going to walk Beatrice out,” she told her familiar. When we were out of the office, she spoke again. “You are a wonder with Jezi. She won’t talk to me about the stuff that’s bothering her. All I get are insults and sarcastic replies when I ask what’s going on. Since she’s been seeing you, her mood has improved dramatically.”
“Jezebel has more attitude than most familiars,” I mused.
“That’s one way of putting it,” Evie muttered. “I wanted to let you know I referred a warlock to you. His name is Zen Rathmore.”
“A warlock?” I asked. I only worked with familiars, and warlocks didn’t have familiars. No one knew why the process of bonding to a familiar only worked with a witch. It was rare for a warlock to need my help.
“It’s his sister’s familiar in need of help,” Evie explained. “Zen and Brynn are twins, and Brynn’s familiar can also speak to Zen. It’s a strange relationship.”
“I’ve heard of them,” I said thoughtfully. While I didn’t hear much witch gossip, this had been a big deal when I was in school. Zen and Brynn’s mother was a werewolf. The Council of Witches looked down on them, but their father held enough power to get them into the right places. Brynn’s familiar was a wolf.
“Zen is single,” Evie remarked with a smile.
“Many warlocks are,” I replied.
“Oh, come on, Beatrice,” Evie coaxed. “You know what I’m getting at. He’s also very attractive.”
“While I appreciate you trying to fix me up,” I totally didn’t appreciate her trying to fix me up. “I’m kind of seeing someone.”
“Since when?” Evie asked. “You weren’t seeing anyone last week when I tried to set you up with that nice werewolf.” It had become a tradition for Evie to try to set me up with a new guy at each appointment.
“We’ve only been on one date, but I like him,” I explained.
“That’s great!” Evie exclaimed. “Tell me all about him.”
Telling Evie I was dating one of Rainer’s friends seemed like a bad idea. Evie didn’t talk much about Rainer. I hadn’t been surprised when she didn’t bring up my message asking for Rainer’s number since discussing my message would involve talking about Rainer. “I’m not even sure where to begin. He’s very intense. We should probably talk about him another time. I know you have an appointment, and I have a few things to take care of before my next appointment today.”
“Okay,” Evie agreed. “Thank you again for helping Jezebel. I know it’s your job, but I still appreciate what you do.”
“I’m glad to help,” I assured her. We said our goodbyes, and I made my way out to my car. I’d need to stop for gas. I still had three more appointments.
Until recently, I’d only had a few patients, and they’d all been in other territories. The majority of witches in this area who knew about my ability to understand familiars feared their familiars would reveal all their secrets during appointments. That hadn’t been a big fear for those living in other areas since I wasn’t part of their social circle. I wasn’t part of the social circle out here either, so it had always seemed strange that witches would worry about me gossiping. Jezebel had been one of my first patients in this area, but I had several now.
My phone buzzed right before I reached my car, and I immediately tensed. After the call from Desmond, I was on edge. He was in Hell. I should feel safe. There was no reason to worry he was coming after me. Looking down, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was Persephone calling.
“Hello,” I answered.
“You would not believe what we got in today’s shipment!” she chirped excitedly. “Gryph came in to help Julia set it up.”
“What did you get?” I asked curiously. The props they had at Bliss often shocked me.
“Stocks,” Persephone replied.
“I don’t understand,” I admitted. “What kind of stocks?”
“The kind they used to put people in when they were being punished,” she clarified.
“I’ve heard of those being used,” I remarked. It didn’t sound comfortable, but they had to be more comfortable than some of the other stuff they had at Bliss.
“Really?” she squealed.
I laughed at my friend’s innocence. She was something else. “Yes, really. It’s just another form of bondage.”
“They look extremely uncomfortable,” she stated. I could picture her eying them as she tried to find a way they might be fun to use.
“Some people are into pain,” I reminded her. “I like a little pain on occasion.”
“These still don’t seem like any fun,” she insisted.
“Are you getting a little excited thinking about them and trying to figure out why?” I asked.
“Yes,” she admitted. Persephone was refreshingly honest.
“I’m not sure I’d ever try them,” I told her. “The only ones I’ve seen were in the demon realm, and they didn’t adjust much for height. I would have been dangling in the air.”
Persephone giggled. “That would be funny. Of course, you’re a shapeshifter, so you could simply change into a taller person.”
“I’ve never had much luck changing into things that are bigger than me,” I admitted. “It’s crazy that I can easily change into small animals, but I can’t manage a horse.” Then a thought occurred to me. “I can add things to my existing form, so I suppose I could just add giraffe legs. Of course, then I’d be too tall.”
“We should try that when you get home tonight,” Persephone practically squealed. “I want to see you with giraffe legs.”
I laughed at her suggestion. “No way! I am not going to use up my energy on giraffe legs unless I really need them.”
“We can discuss it later,” Persephone began. “I called to ask you about your date last night. We didn’t get to talk before I left for work this morning.”
“It was nice,” I replied with a smile as I slid behind the wheel of my car. “Dev was a gentleman—damn him.”
“Poor, horny Beatrice,” she crooned.
“Bitch,” I shot back. “It was a good thing. We should wait. My brain knows this, but my body doesn’t like that idea.”
“I think it’s sweet Dev is being a gentleman,” Persephone declar
ed in a breathy voice. “He’s looking for more than sex with you. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“It’s a little scary,” I confessed. “I’m used to being alone. At least, I was before I met you.”
“Where did he take you?” she asked.
“We went for pizza,” I replied.
“I thought he’d do more,” she mused.
“He wanted to, but I’m not interested in fancy restaurants,” I reminded her. “He seemed happy with our date. We saw an angel. If not, I think we might have spent more time out. The angel freaked him out a little.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “What was he like? I’ve never met an angel.”
“I didn’t meet him either,” I told her. “Dev went out to talk to him alone.”
“What kind of angel did you see?” Persephone asked.
“An archangel,” I replied.
“Oh. My. Goddess. I wish I’d been there,” she said excitedly. “I have so many questions.”
“Then it’s a good thing you weren’t there, you crazy witch,” I told her.
“You’re probably right,” she agreed. “Are you going out with Dev again tonight?”
“Yes,” I replied with a grin. “We’re going to explore food trucks.”
Persephone laughed. “That should be interesting. Something tells me Dev isn’t the food truck type.”
“He’s not,” I confirmed. “It’s fun corrupting him.”
Chapter 17
Lucifer
The half-crazed demon scrambled up the prison wall before leaping on me. His move caught me off-guard and knocked me to the ground. I’d been certain this little demon was going to run for it rather than attack. As I hit the ground, I rolled and pinned the demon beneath me. He snarled and spit. His mind was gone. The merciful thing to do was to quickly put him out of his misery. I wasn’t feeling particularly merciful, but I also knew we wouldn’t get any information out of him. Killing him would end this sooner. I pulled on my power and created a black dagger.
The wiry demon scrambled out from under me and hissed. “Your time in power is coming to an end.”
My laughter startled the demon. “Now, that’s original,” was my sarcastic response. “Do you think this is the first time someone has said those words to me? I hear this all the time. Assholes are constantly threatening to take over Hell. They all fail, just like you.” On those last words, I lunged forward, giving the demon no time to move before I plunged the dagger into the eye in the middle of his forehead. The demon howled as his skin sizzled and burned. I kicked him back onto the ground. He’d be dead soon enough. Looking around, all I saw were dead demons and my friends who’d helped me kill them.
“That wasn’t much of a workout,” Xavier complained.
“It was hardly worth coming here to deal with,” Rainer added.
Hades still looked half-crazed from the fight. His eyes had bled to red, and he was panting. Killing brought out the beast in Hades. It was true of most angels who’d once been considered gods of the ancient pantheons. They were all cursed in some way. I was just glad I didn’t have to deal with Ares on a regular basis. He often forgot which side he was fighting on mid-battle.
“This riot seems unrelated to the others,” I remarked as I opened the portal to exit the prison. I’d send someone to clean up the mess. I was covered in blood, none of it mine. With only an hour until my date with Beatrice, this was a problem. I needed to shower and change, but we needed to discuss what had happened first. “Everything about this one was different, but I still think all the recent problems are connected somehow.”
“It’s a strange coincidence that this happened so close to the other uprisings,” Hades stated.
“There’s something we’re missing,” Rainer muttered.
“I agree,” I said thoughtfully. “There’s a player we’re not seeing. Michael knew about the problems we’ve been having, so I think our extra player is somehow related to the archangels.”
“You think an archangel is fucking with us?” Xavier asked with raised eyebrows.
“I do,” I admitted. “Michael has never concerned himself with what’s going on in the demon realm. He either heard about the issues we’re having from another angel or he’s involved.”
“Michael’s a pious prick,” Hades spat out.
“Always one to go by the rules,” Rainer agreed.
I nodded. “Michael’s an asshole who’d love to see me dead, but I agree he’s too much of a stickler for the rules to get involved with something like this.”
“Whoever is involved would need to make an appearance in the demon realm,” Rainer pointed out. “That narrows our list of suspects.”
He was right. Only a handful of angels were allowed to enter the demon realm.
“One of the fallen angels from the old pantheons could be causing problems, too. Some of them still associate with angels from time to time,” Hades pointed out. “We haven’t had any problems with Ares in a long time, but he may have gotten bored with retirement. Loki’s behaved himself for longer than I expected him to.”
Hades was right. In general, those fallen angels didn’t get involved in politics anymore. They mostly wanted to be left alone. There were a few exceptions we needed to look at. “We should make a list of those who might be causing problems. In the meantime, all we can do is keep questioning the demons involved in the riots. Do we have any information about Desmond LaCroix’s whereabouts?” This shouldn’t be a high priority when I had rebellions going on, but the bastard had threatened Beatrice. I wasn’t going to put up with that shit.
“No sign of him,” Xavier replied.
“How can he simply disappear?” Hades asked. “He’s a warlock. Maybe a demon ate him.”
“He called Beatrice yesterday,” I reminded him. “That means he’s getting help from someone with influence in his sector. Now, they’re hiding him. The little bastard has a protector.”
“He’s also a shapeshifter,” Rainer pointed out. “From what I’ve heard, he can only take the form of a person he’s looking at, but he’s surrounded by demons. He could have killed one and stashed the body somewhere so he could take their place.”
“It also wouldn’t take much to hide in the detention area,” I admitted. “He’s not a top priority, but I want all guards to keep an eye out for him. Offer an incentive to our snitches for information on his whereabouts. When he’s found, put him in the nightmare room until I have time to deal with him personally. After I spend some quality time with him, he won’t even think about calling Beatrice again.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Xavier assured me.
“Good,” I said with a nod. “Now, I need to get ready for my date.”
“Before you leave,” Rainer began, “we should discuss bodyguards for you and Beatrice.”
“I like the idea of having someone watch Beatrice, but I don’t need a babysitter,” I assured him.
“Normally, I’d agree, but you’re distracted when you’re with Beatrice,” Rainer stated.
“You’re also more vulnerable in the human realm,” Hades added. “If archangels are involved in some plot against you, we need to take extra precautions.”
“Fine,” I relented. I hated having people watch me, but they were right. “I’ll take guards with me when I meet Beatrice. I need the guards to be very discreet around her. Remember, she still thinks I’m just a fallen angel named Dev.”
“When do you plan to tell her the truth?” Xavier asked.
“Soon,” I assured him. “We’re getting along great. I want to make sure her opinion of me isn’t tainted by who I am.”
They all nodded without saying more, so I headed home to get ready. With any luck, I wouldn’t be too late.
Chapter 18
Beatrice
I was rushing to dress for my date after my last appointment ran longer than expected. Thankfully, Persephone was working late. If not, it would have taken twice as long to get ready. My friend wouldn’t approve of me wearing my
old jeans when I’d recently bought new ones. Since we weren’t going anywhere fancy, there was no reason to dress up. I also didn’t want to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. I’d worn a dress the day before, but I preferred to keep things casual and relaxed. If Dev was going to date me, he might as well know that up front.
I’d just stepped out of the shower when I noticed my phone flashing with a message, so I picked it up.
Dev: Sorry. I’m running a little late. I’ll probably get there closer to six-thirty.
What a relief! Now, I had more time to get ready. Until I’d picked up my phone, I hadn’t realized Dev was already fifteen minutes late. Taking my time, I dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt before putting my hair up in a high ponytail. I rarely did anything with my hair, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d worn it up like this. Looking in the mirror, I decided it made me look too young. In truth, I was young for a witch, not even thirty years old. Reaching up, I was about to take my hair down when I heard the knock at my door. It was too late to change my hair, so I left it up and hurried to answer the door.
Dev took up a lot of space in my hallway. He looked tired. His dark hair was pulled back and still damp. I had the sudden desire to reach out and run my fingers along his short beard. My hand was already reaching for his chin when I realized what I was doing. I stopped, and my hand dropped to my side.
His full lips lifted into a sexy grin. “Don’t ever hesitate to touch me.”
Taking his words as the invitation they were, my fingers skimmed along his jaw, and I shuddered at the sensation. “I like this.”
“I like it, too,” was his response before he clarified, “Your touch. I like your touch. I also really like your hair.”
His fingers trailed along the side of my neck, a surprisingly erotic move.
“I don’t normally wear it up,” I explained. “Actually, I was considering taking it down when you showed up.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” he told me.
“Do you want to come in before we go to dinner?” I asked.
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