“And what are these other classes of Hellish creatures? Are they more frightening?”
“That’s relative. What frightens you may not seem so scary to someone else. Let’s say there are at least a dozen other types who I’ve met, but there are many more. I know what your burning question is, you want to know what I am. Or at least what I am in part.”
“Yes. I wasn’t sure how to ask without sounding rude.”
“Or maybe you didn’t want to know? I get it. It’s completely understandable. My father isn’t a lower form like the Hellions. In fact, he’s considered nobility or royalty. It doesn’t make him…bad, but he is powerful.”
“Is he here? In Angel Bay?”
“No. Him and my mom are no longer together. He has business interests all over the world; weapons, oil, gas, pharmaceuticals, and even casinos.”
“Seems like a weird combination.”
“All the typical things humans are drawn to like moths to a flame. One of his gifts is that he is an expert at knowing human nature and he’s made a fortune off of it. Wars are especially good for business. He doesn’t get involved in them beyond poking the bear now and again to get countries angry with each other. Then he just profits from their very human and predictable reactions.”
“I see. So, there’s no need to examine my beautiful monster for bat wings, horns, or a forked tail? Damn.” I laughed.
“If I have to get naked, you do too. Then I’m afraid you’ll be too busy to be doing scientific research,” he whispered, swinging me into his arms.
“Oh really? Doing what?” I teased.
“Screaming my name and falling in love with me.” He pulled me against his body.
“You really think you’re something—” My voice went silent when he kissed me.
For once, I was finally out of snarky comebacks. You could say I was putty in his hands. We could’ve made love right there on the beach, and I think I would have been fine with it. However, there was a little voice in my head. She kept warning me to be careful, that perhaps in Zane’s joking around, he was completely truthful by actually manipulating me to his advantage. The voice waned with every second that kiss lasted. Her final warning was to always beware of Zane’s demonic powers.
Was I already under his evil spell? Was that what this was?
I’d put those questions on hold as I enjoyed the moment and the man kissing me. There would be plenty of sleepless nights to worry about it.
Released from his spellbinding kiss, I was able to clear my head—just enough to get my snark back.
“So, what exactly do you have in mind tonight other than your impure thoughts?”
“I wanted to spend some time with you, and really just to talk. But I’m starting to get a little hungry,” he replied.
“Me too and I’ve heard that you should never start a crime spree on an empty stomach. I’ve always wanted to check out that Scandinavian restaurant up the road.”
“The one with the grass lawn on the roof? Sure, we can go there.”
Approaching the restaurant, I heard a goat bleat and my heart stopped. Then a whole chorus of bleating goats joined in. The restaurant was a replica of a Scandinavian countryside log building with a sod roof, and up on that roof, half a dozen goats roamed.
Mooch greeted the goats with a few barks before curling up on the restaurant’s porch.
“Seriously? Goats? What a coincidence.” The first thing I thought of was poor Jade, stuck at home in goat form. “They can’t get down from there and run loose, can they?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard. Their only exit is the bridge, and it takes them straight into their home. It’s for their own safety.” Zane pointed out a short rope and plank footbridge which spanned the distance from the roof to a modern, steel barn. “You okay, Emmy?”
“Yeah, I lost my train of thought, probably for the best.”
Thanks to Zane’s calming comments, jagged fragments of worrisome thoughts about Jade, Chloe, and runaway goats vanished before they could form into coherent fears. I could enjoy our meal among the gnomes and trolls with a peaceful mind.
When we had finished eating and enjoying our conversation, it was fully dark and time to commit our criminal act.
The police station—if you can call it that—was a small, unremarkable brick building. Moving stealthily as we could, we slipped around to the back door. Zane opened a Swiss Army pocketknife, displaying several cool attachments. Slipping a shiny gadget into the keyhole, it clicked.
“That was quick,” I said, worried Zane’s resume included professional jewel thief in his skillset. “You’ve done this more than once.”
“It’s all in the touch. Wait out here, Mooch,” he replied, leading the way.
Spotting a gray metal cabinet mounted on the wall, he opened and disconnected two cables. “Security cameras,” he whispered.
He made quick work of another locked door which opened to a walk-in closet. Noting the lack of windows, I turned on the lights. File cabinets and storage totes were neatly arranged along the walls of the little room. I pulled open a file drawer, revealing obsessively perfect file folders. Perhaps it was weird, but I felt a sense of admiration for Daryl’s meticulous habits. He was in for a rude awakening with Chloe’s tornadic housekeeping.
“Bingo. Here’s a file labeled McDermott,” I said, rifling through the documents. Most seemed to be legal forms and letters charging Michael with the murder of Charles Nelson—nothing unexpected. Then came the photocopies of the threatening notes which implicated him. I read the first one.
Charles, my sister has made me aware that you’ve been stalking her. She doesn’t need you lurking around and obsessing over her. Frankly, your behavior is unnerving. If you don’t stop, I will help her get a restraining order against you. Take this as your first warning.
Michael McDermott.
The second letter had an entirely different tone.
Damn you, Nelson.
I warned you to stay away from my sister and our property. I hope you’re ready for what’s coming.
You are dead!
Michael.
The third letter was downright ominous.
Nelson, you creep. I warned you.
Dead. Now you can burn in Hell!
Michael.
“Wow. What do you make of these?” I asked, handing the copies to Zane.
“The first letter seems legit. McDermott is a lawyer. So, if he has a beef with someone, he’s going to take care of business through the legal system—get a restraining order. These other two warnings don’t make any sense. Why would he suddenly switch to making physical threats. Plus, being a lawyer, he would know better than to document his illegal threats. It’s just stupid. I can’t believe he would have written these. Hell, I can’t imagine the DA taking this seriously.”
“There is something else,” I said, examining the copies a second time. “Whoever wrote the second and third letters was trying to forge the style from the first letter. It’s almost perfect, except for the letter L. Each L tilts left, which means whoever wrote the second and third letter was a lefty. They tried to hide it, but they couldn’t escape that letter L tilt.”
“I guess you’re right. Now we need to know if Michael is a lefty.”
“And we should narrow down our suspects list to lefthanders,” I said.
“Before you must ask, my mom is right-handed and so am I.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” I replied, glad to have avoided a more awkward moment. I put the file back in order and closed the cabinet, assured Daryl would never know we’d been inside.
“Speaking of my mom, why don’t you ask her to help you with your friend, Jade. She has a lot of experience when it comes to that sort of thing and I bet she can get her back to human form. We can take her up there tonight if you like.”
“You don’t think she’d mind?”
“Not at all. She gets all excited about being able to use her magic. It’ll make her feel good.”
&nb
sp; Just as Zane was closing the closet door, the back door to the station flung open. Chloe and Daryl were locked in each other’s arms, kissing and rolling through the station like a human pinball. I dove under Daryl’s desk and Zane jumped into the closet.
Daryl lifted Chloe up and she squealed with laughter as he deposited her on the desk. Her bare legs hung down in front of my crouched position. I suddenly wished she would’ve worn a longer skirt on her date.
I could easily tell they were kissing again by the smacking sounds coming from their mouths.
“Don’t forget about my knee. You said you had a first aid kit.” Thankfully, Chloe had put a halt to their romantic escapade before they got carried away.
“Oh, right.” He removed a small kit from his desk drawer. Kneeling down to place a Band-Aid on her knee, he gave it a little kiss. “To make It feel better.”
“It kinda hurts a little here. And here. And here,” she whispered, directing his kisses along her thigh. As he obliged, she was practically moaning, and I’d witnessed enough. More than enough.
“Oh, come on!” I barked, slamming my hand on the underside of the desk.
Shocked by the presence of an apparent troll under the desk, Chloe let out a blood-curdling scream. Daryl jerked backward just as her legs shot straight out. Her feet landed on his shoulders, kicking him like a horse. The back of his head met the wall with a sickening thud. He was out cold.
Jesus! The man is going to end up with serious head trauma from the number of times we’ve accidentally knocked him out.
Zane jumped out of his hiding spot and went to Daryl’s aid. “He’ll be okay, but he might have a concussion.”
“What were you doing, Chloe?” I asked.
“He kissed my knee and then my thighs and it was feeling so good. Oh my god, you can’t imagine how—”
“No, I mean, what are you doing here? You were supposed to make sure he didn’t stop by the station.”
“I don’t know. I tripped and scraped my knee earlier in the evening. Anyway, we were kissing for a while on the picnic table in the park when I noticed my knee was bleeding, so he offered to get me a Band-Aid. I thought you were supposed to have snuck in here a long time ago.”
Zane dragged Daryl back outside and into the park while we closed the station.
“Wakey, wakey,” Chloe said, patting his cheeks.
It finally took Mooch’s big tongue slathering Daryl’s face with dog spit to wake him up.
“What? What happened? My head is killing me,” Daryl said, sitting up.
“Aw, man. Does this mean our date is over?”
“What date? I need to go home.” He stumbled away from us.
“Well, that sucks.” Chloe pouted.
“Maybe it’s for the best. The way you two were going at it, I probably saved you from at least one immoral act.”
“About a dozen immoral acts…unfortunately.”
“The good news is now you get to help us take Jade up to the farm. Zane thinks his mom can get her back into her old self again.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Chloe opted to ride in the back of the pickup truck with Jade. Mooch took the window side of the passenger seat, for which I was grateful because it left me sitting comfortably snug next to Zane.
Just as Zane had predicted, Eve was at home. We hopped out of the truck and headed into the house, hoping Eve could help us get Jade back to her old self.
“Delivering a sacrificial offering in exchange for my son’s heart? Impressive,” Eve said, scrutinizing Jade.
“No, Mom. Emmy and her friends used a potion to morph into animals. This is her friend, Jade, who hasn’t reverted to her human form.”
“Another angel?”
“Something like that, yes,” I said.
“Hmm. Morphing into animals? Pretty bold move for rookies. You’re lucky to have changed back yourself. Zane, why don’t you fill up the tub. Chloe, please take Mooch outside. We don’t need to subject him to any errant magic. Emmy can stay here and help me with the potion.”
Quietly humming, she selected jars of various herbs and oils from her extensive spice racks. “I may be Zane’s mom, but I get it. He’s a very handsome young man, has that same swagger his father has. I can see why dozens of beautiful young women have thrown themselves at him.”
“Dozens?” I asked, not liking the direction this conversation was headed.
“Yes, dozens, but no one ever managed to capture his heart. Except you. Let me ask you a question, Emmy. As an aspiring angel, what do you think will happen when your mission on Earth is done? You must expect to go home to Heaven, leaving Zane behind forever. Do you think that’s a fair trade?”
“I—I, uh, haven’t thought about any of this,” I replied, still wondering who these dozens of girls were and what they did with Zane.
“So, what’s your plan? To take him as your temporary lover, your sexual plaything, and in exchange for your physical pleasure, he gives you his heart, only for you to break it when you leave. That doesn’t seem very angelic, does it? In fact, that’s exactly how devils behave.”
“Um. First off, well, you should know that I—I mean, Zane and I aren’t, you know, playthings…er—lovers.”
Talk about awkward as hell.
“Yet.”
“Yet. Yes.” Jesus, help me.
“I mean, we just aren’t. Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about the future. We’re just…we’re just dating.”
“It’s different, given both your natures. The wrong decisions could leave you stranded, a fallen angel. A broken heart could unleash Zane’s devilish side. Who knows who or what he could become? There is an entire universe that you are unaware of. You might have dipped your little toe in it but trust me when I tell you there are places, people, and creatures which would challenge everything you think you know. So, I want you to think things through, Emmy. Not just because I am Zane’s mother, but because there are bigger things at stake for you, him—all of us.”
“Right,” I said, swallowing a dry lump in my throat. She was right. More right than any angel.
“So, she didn’t scare you away yet? Good,” Zane said, returning to the kitchen. “She has a flair for the dramatic.”
“We need to talk,” I whispered. “Later, though.” I had every intention of dropping Zane like a hot potato. How could I not with the warnings Eve had just given me? We were playing with fire and one or both of us was bound to get burned.
Eve had finished creating the potion and was feeding it to Jade. “Now, into the bath with her. Pour this oil over her and she’ll transform back to her true form.”
We led her into the bathtub as instructed, poured the oil over her, and waited. And we waited.
Nothing happened. The goat stared at us like we’d lost our collective minds.
“This isn’t working.” Zane shrugged.
“I don’t understand,” Eve said. “Unless—” She opened Jade’s mouth and peered inside like she was the local dentist. “I see. Well, she isn’t going to change because this is her true nature. You brought me a real goat. I suggest you resume your search for your friend.”
“Chloe!” I shouted. “What did you do?”
Chloe and Mooch ran into the bathroom. “Do about what?”
“This isn’t Jade. It’s an actual goat. Where did you find it?” I asked.
“In the little building behind the Scandinavian restaurant. The one with the grassy roof.”
“Chloe, did you ever notice it’s grassy because they keep a herd of goats there?”
“No. Not really. Anyway, are you sure this isn’t Jade? She looks just like her,” she said, scratching behind the goat’s ear.
“All right. This is what we should do, return this goat to the restaurant and hope we can find the real Jade among the other goats,” Zane said. “Mom, we might need your help still.”
Loading up the truck, I found myself once again squished next to Zane but instead of Mooch pushing against me, it was hi
s mom. The restaurant was still open, and all the patrons plus every pedestrian in Angel Bay seemed to be gathered in front of the building. Their upturned faces gaped at something on the roof.
Our accidentally captured goat jumped out of the truck’s bed and bolted to its barn. Mooch barked and we looked up at the roof to see what the crowd was gawking at.
“Jade! Hey, Jade!” Chloe yelled.
“Jade?” I mumbled.
“Looks like you won’t need my help after all,” Eve laughed.
We’d found Jade all right and she was stark naked up on the grassy roof. Trying to hide behind the chimney, she had her knees pulled up and her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
“Oh my god. How long have you been like this?” I asked.
“About an hour. Help me get down!”
“Can’t you take the bridge into the barn and come down on your own?” Chloe pointed toward the bridge.
“Are you kidding? That’s where all the goats are, and they’ve been attacking me!”
A firetruck siren wailed as it approached the building, forcing the crowd to scatter away from the scene. Once in place, the fireman directed a bright spotlight on the roof to get a better idea of what they were dealing with. Everyone in the Northern hemisphere could likely see our naked friend. I wasn’t sure if I should be horrified or happy when I saw the giant bucket lift over the roof of the building.
“Hey! That fireman in the bucket thing, it’s her swimmer guy. Your boy’s here! It’s your lucky day, Jade!” Chloe shouted.
I wasn’t sure the situation could get any more embarrassing for Jade. I should have known better.
The fireman opened a blanket in an attempt to preserve Jade’s modesty. It nearly worked, until she stood up, slipped onto her back and slid down the roof. I thought it was odd that she cupped her boobs as she bobsledded down the grassy slope while the rest of her was on full public display. If it wasn’t for her ass hanging up on the eavestrough, she would’ve shot right into the parking lot. Thankfully, the hot swimmer guy slash firefighter had swift reflexes and pulled her to safety. He quickly wrapped her in the blanket and escorted her from the grassy roof.
Practically Angels Page 13