Helen’s voice was cold enough to burn. “Every one of your five loved ones will pay for this.” More petals fell. The sweet smell of bruised roses gagged me. “I’ll start with your father.”
“No!” I screamed. “Please, Helen – Miss Spry – don’t hurt him!” Blinded by tears, I grabbed for her ankles. I’d gladly humiliate myself to save my family. “I followed your orders to the letter!”
“Yes, but you violated the spirit of the contract!” Helen’s eyes bulged. Her tongue, a slick, black worm, protruded from her swollen lips.
I blinked. The spirit of the contract? Wait a second… “The spirit of the contract, maybe. But not the contract itself.”
“You know that’s not what I meant!”
I let go of her ankles. “How could I know what you wanted? You’re always telling me to obey you without asking questions“ I brushed the bloody rose petals from my shoulders and stood to face her. “Did I, or did I not follow your directions?”
She didn’t reply, but her skin took on an unhealthy, red cast, and her mouth stretched wider. Jagged teeth protruded from her mouth. Under her hands, her wooden desktop smoldered and turned black.
Not that I cared. I met her hot-eyed glare. “I did what you ordered me to do, didn’t I?”
Helen screeched in fury.
I took a step forward. “Did I break my contract? Any part at all?”
She grew larger. Her clothing shredded as she outstripped it. Fingernails became talons. Her stomach distended. The stink of brimstone nearly suffocated me.
Even though my hands shook, and I was sure my knees would give out, I pointed my finger at her face. “Helen Spry, did I break my contract?”
Her hands clenched, and she bared her ferocious teeth. Her growl made the floor tremble. I was terrified, but refused to back down.
We faced each other for what seemed like an eternity. I was certain she would ignore the contract and swallow me whole where I would join the other writhing shapes in her abdomen. But just as I thought our standoff wouldn’t end, she finally blinked.
“No,” she said quietly. “No, you did not.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. When I opened them again, Helen Spry sat behind her desk as always. But hidden behind her aura of 40’s era chic was a whiff of failure.
“You know what I love, Helen?” I asked. “The look of defeat in your eyes.” I hoped it was an expression I would see fairly often from now on.
She might have looked like her old self, but her eyes remained hot. “Get. Out.”
“Gladly,” I said, and left.
When I returned to my apartment, I went straight into my bedroom, opened the drawer of the bedside table, and removed my notebook. Turning to my list of goals, I crossed off an item. Now, the list looked like:
- Keep Grace safe
- Get out of the damned contract
- Kill Helen Spry
- Bribe Helen with Heaven’s candy
Then, I added one more item. The best idea of the lot:
- Beat Helen at her own game
Chapter Twenty-One
The next day, when I went downstairs to collect my mail, Corrine flung her door opened and greeted me with a sunny smile. “I think I may have set a new Naughty Nancy record for sales in one day! Lilith, thank you!” She beamed. “I can finally pay off that sales kit.” She waved me into her living room and handed me a large box. “And here’s your hostess gift.”
It was the hot stone spa set that Delilah had been admiring. “This won’t make you continue on as a sales rep, will it?” I asked.
“No. I’m through with Naughty Nancy.” Corrine’s bright smile dimmed. “But listening to those men talk about their families was as depressing as seeing those lonely patients in oncology. I really need a boyfriend!”
Although I was glad that Miss Don’t Take No for an Answer was gone, I hated seeing Miss Lonely-Hearts return. “You just need to find the right guy.”
“But where? I don’t meet men at work, and I’m not into the bar scene. Even if a friend introduces me to someone, I never make it past the first date.”
I thought of the piles of e-mails in my IN box. “Have you tried a dating service?”
She rolled her eyes. “A dating service? Please.”
Even without help from my sulking succubus, I knew I could make this work. “Corrine, my stepsister gave me a subscription to an online service for my birthday, but I already have someone special in my life. So what do you say? Want to take my place?”
She shrugged and sighed. “Sure, why not?”
Being a cupid was so much more exciting than being a succubus.
When I’d gone to fetch the mail, Ariel had been playing video games. When I returned to the flat, however, the video game was paused and Ariel was nowhere to be found. I searched the kitchen, bathroom, and her bedroom but didn’t find her. “Ariel?” My voice rang through the apartment, but no one responded.
I hurried downstairs on the off chance she’d gone looking for me, but she wasn’t there, either. Don’t panic, I whispered to myself. Don’t panic! I raced up the stairs to the flat, and searched it again, ending up in my bedroom. When I saw the otherworld doorway, my heart plunged.
I rushed through the door and into Hell, shouting out my niece’s name. So help me, Helen, I thought. If you hurt her… I called on my succubus to help me track Ari down, but the demon had been surly since my face-off with Helen and refused to follow my orders.
The smell of something burning made me break into a run. Black smoke filled the hallway. I put my arm over my face and hurried on, tears rising in my smarting eyes.
I was greeted with a jingle of tiny bells. “Auntie Lilith?” Ariel, coughing, emerged from the smoke. Calamity, wearing a red cat collar, pranced at her heels. And Tommy’s mother, looking dazed, staggered along behind.
I grabbed my niece around the shoulders even as I took Doris’s hand to lead her away from the smoke. When we reached the apartment, Ari, Doris and I stumbled into my bedroom. Calamity, her tongue lolling playfully, darted in after us.
Too angry to confront Ariel without losing control, I ordered my niece into her room. Fuming, I settled Doris in the living room with a cup of coffee laced with brandy. She stared straight ahead, blinking in confusion. “I knew my house was haunted,” she muttered. “I just knew it.”
Ariel sat on her bed, awaiting punishment. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she smelled like smoke. Seeing me, she started to cry. “I know I wasn’t supposed to go in there, but the baby lizard thing came and got me.” She pointed to the corner where Calamity sat looking contrite. “It kept trying to get me to follow. And when I wouldn’t, it grabbed a hold of my jeans and practically dragged me through that door.” She showed me the holes in her cuff where Calamity’s sharp teeth had clamped onto the denim. “I thought you were in trouble or something!” She choked back a sob. “I only wanted to help you!”
I sat next to her, and put my arm around her shoulder. “It’s okay.” Seeing her so upset, I was no longer angry. Besides, she was safe, and that was all that mattered. Calamity, however, was still in my bad book. I glared at William’s pet. “That demon is very, very naughty. And she’d better never do that again if she knows what’s good for her.” Calamity’s large ears drooped in shame.
“Don’t be mad at the baby monster,” Ari said, worried. “It was only trying to help Tommy’s mom.” She knew Doris because they’d met a few times at the hospital. “Her entire house was on fire, but she was trapped! So I shouted to her to come into the hallway with me. She did, but then all the smoke got in the hallway, too, and I got lost.” She buried her head in my side. “And I was so scared!”
I wrapped her in a hug. “You were so brave, Ariel. But, please, don’t ever go through that door again.”
“I won’t,” she promised. She looked up at me, wide eyed. “You’re right. That place on the other side of the door is really terrible. I could feel it.” She shuddered. “I never want to go back again as long a
s I live.” She hesitated. “Or die.”
Sensing Ariel’s distress, Calamity leapt on the bed and put her front paws on Ari’s shoulder. My niece smiled. “Can we keep it?”
Seeing Calamity’s toothy grin, I knew that I couldn’t stay mad at her if I tried. I scratched her between the ears. “She belongs to a friend of mine,” I said, “but I have a feeling she’ll visit from time to time.”
I kissed Ariel’s head and sent her to shower off the smell of smoke. Then I called Tommy and explained about his mother. “She’s safe, but I’m afraid her house is probably in ashes by now.”
After a long pause, he said, “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
He let out a shout of joy so loud that I had to pull the phone from my ear. “That’s awesome!”
“You’re happy?” I asked, amazed.
“Yes! My mom is safe, and the house and all that crap are gone. Plus, the place was insured. Once the property’s been cleared, I can sell it off and never have to deal with it again.” Then he grew sober. “Do you know how it happened?”
I thought about William’s suggestion of the gas can and matches and flinched. I certainly hoped he had nothing to do with it. “No.”
“Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later,” he said. “I’m just glad my mom made it out okay. How’s she doing now?”
I peeked into the living room where Doris was petting Drinking Tea and sipping her coffee. “Surprisingly well.”
He gave a sigh of relief. “Good. Maybe now that all the trash is gone, her root chakra can open up again.”
“Maybe. Although, her attitude will probably change once she wraps her mind around everything she lost in the fire,” I said. “She’ll need treatment.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll make sure she gets it.” He hesitated. “Have you told Jasmine your secret yet?”
“I’m doing it this afternoon. I’m also telling my dad and Evelyn the whole story.” The thought of it worried me nearly as much as facing down Helen. “Could you join us?”
“As soon as I get my mom situated in a hotel room, I’ll be there,” he said. “And don’t worry, you’ll do fine.”
I could only hope.
When I hung up, I once again heard the jingle of tiny bells. A moment later, Calamity pranced into my bedroom. She wagged her tail happily and blew a tiny, blue flame from her mouth. William was right. His pet knew how to breathe fire. In fact, the little demon would probably make an excellent acetylene torch.
I froze. “Calamity, did you burn down Doris’s house?”
I’d meant the question rhetorically, but the little demon winked shrewdly. Then, while I gaped, she trotted back into the otherworld.
Evelyn, her forehead puckered with worry, met me at the door. “You sounded upset when you called. Is everything okay?”
I managed a tense smile. “Not really.”
“Is Grace all right?”
“Yes,” I assured her. “Is Jasmine here?”
“I told her you wanted to talk with all of us,” Evelyn said, “but I don’t know if she’ll come out of her room.”
When Tommy arrived, however, the sound of his voice lured my stepsister into the living room with the rest of us. Without a word, she pressed herself into a corner of the couch and drew her knees up. I wanted to hug her, but she avoided my eyes.
Tommy, on the other hand, nearly pulsed with energy. His infectious smile had finally returned. He enthusiastically hugged Evelyn and shook hands with my father. He greeted me warmly.
“You seem to be feeling much better,” my father said, surprised.
“I am,” Tommy agreed. He glanced at sad, sullen Jasmine. “I’m much, much better,” he said, speaking only to her. After a moment’s hesitation, he sat by her side.
Evelyn, ever the hostess, poured coffee and passed around a tray of cookies which no one wanted to eat. Finally, when everyone was assembled, I stood nervously in front of them unsure how to begin. I didn’t know if I could make my family believe me. And if they believed me, I worried that they wouldn’t accept me for what I was.
Seeing my hesitation, my dad said, “It’s okay. Whatever you have to tell us, we’re here for you.” Evelyn murmured in agreement.
They probably thought I was about to confess to drug addiction or alcohol abuse. If only my problem was so mundane! I cleared my throat. “Remember our dinner, Dad? You told me that you thought my mother was mentally ill. And that I’d been acting like her?”
Struggling to hang onto his calm, he said, “Yes.”
“Well, you were right. I’m in the same situation my mother was, but mental illness isn’t the issue.” I cleared my throat. “I’m a succubus just like she was. I’m part demon.”
Only Tommy didn’t look shocked. Now that I’d admitted to being a succubus, they all probably thought I was insane.
I explained about Sarah Goodswain, the one who created the contract with the Devil in the first place. I told them about the line of succubi leading up to my mother, and how my mother had been ordered to get pregnant with me so the line would continue. Then I told them about a few of my less-horrible adventures.
I certainly had their attention. Every eye on the room focused on me. Unfortunately, I could see that they didn’t believe me. Only Tommy understood, but his reassurances didn’t convince the rest of them.
Then William came into the room. I knew he was merely using a hellish doorway, but to the others, he appeared out of thin air.
Evelyn cried out, and my father stood up in alarm, knocking over the cookie tray. Jas shrieked in terror and clung to Tommy’s arm. For fifteen seconds, the room was in an uproar as William attempted to calm my dad and Evelyn, and Tommy and I wrestled the phone away from Jasmine who was trying to dial 9-1-1. When I was sure that no one was fainting, screaming, or calling the police, I started my explanation again.
“This is William Darcy. He’s an incubus, which is a male version of me.”
Slowly, the fog lifted from my dad’s eyes. “Have we met before?” he asked.
“Once,” William said. “I was a friend of Carrie’s, and she brought me to a cocktail party you were hosting. We discussed tea cultivars, I believe.”
My father nodded as he examined William from top to bottom. “My God, you haven’t aged a bit!”
William smiled. “It’s one of the benefits of being part demon.”
Evelyn looked from my father to William and back again. “I can’t believe this,” she said. “It can’t possibly be true.”
Jasmine stared. “I’ve seen you, too! At Lilith’s apartment.”
My dad’s stunned expression became one of wonder. My bizarre story must have explained a lot. “So Carrie was a succubus? A seducer of men?”
William nodded. “That’s right.”
“And now Lilith must do the same thing?” The wonder in his face was rapidly becoming fear.
I pressed my lips together and nodded.
“You said the curse passes from generation to generation,” Evelyn said. Her eyes met mine. “What does this mean for Grace?”
Leave it to my dad’s wife to figure out the crux of the matter. “Grace would have been next in line,” I said, “but I got Helen to amend my contract so that it will skip a generation.”
“But if you get pregnant again? Or if Grace has a daughter?” Evelyn asked.
I dropped my eyes. “The curse will continue.”
“Over my dead body!” My dad clenched his fists. “I won’t rest until you’re free of this. Whatever it takes, I’m with you.”
“Me, too,” Evelyn said.
My dad, of course, did not understand what he was saying. Five minutes with Helen Spry would have convinced him that getting free of the contract was impossible. Yet, his support gave me courage. Tommy had been right. It was much better to bear this burden with others than to try to do it alone.
Jasmine, still sad and afraid, sat rigidly on the couch. So, as much as I didn’t want to, I told them the
rest of my story, explaining how I’d used Tommy to appease Helen in order to save Grace. My face flushed as I admitted what I’d done, and I begged forgiveness from Tommy and Jasmine.
Jas stared at me wide-eyed. “Is that true?”
Tommy nodded. “Yes.”
Jasmine’s lower lip trembled. “What an effed-up mess.”
I nodded.
“But she released me,” Tommy said. “Last night, Lilith recalled her demon. I’m no longer in its power.”
At this, my dad closed his eyes. He must have been remembering how he’d been tied to my mother for all those years.
Jasmine blinked back tears. “But what about your tattoo of Lilith’s name?”
“My fault,” I said. “My demon had her claws deep into him, and he thought he was in love with me.”
“I love you, Jas,” Tommy said, “and I’ll wait as long as it takes to win you back.”
She kept her eyes on the floor. “We need to talk this over.”
“Of course.” He risked taking her hand, and she allowed it. “Anything.”
Without a word to the rest of us, the two of them left the room. The kitchen door closed, and a moment later, Jasmine’s car backed out of the driveway.
“Do you think there’s hope for them?” my dad asked.
“Real love can withstand anything. Even a demon’s curse. You should know that better than anyone, Simon,” Evelyn said. Her hand sought out my dad’s, and he grabbed a hold like it was a lifeline.
That night, as I drifted off to sleep, I heard music. Rubbing my eyes, I went down the hall and found William leaning against the fireplace mantel. Hundreds of fairy lights transformed my living room into a magical place. Unchained Melody played over the stereo.
William held out his hands. “Dance with me.”
I willingly accepted. His arms were strong, and his step sure. For such a tall man, he danced lightly, sweeping me along with him. When the song ended, it was replaced by the haunting melody of At Last.
3 Straight by the Rules Page 20