by Alexie Aaron
Mia looked up and said, “These are large enough for Godzilla to walk through.”
“Maybe a dragon or two,” Altair said indulgently. “Mia, as with the demon court, do not raise your eyes unless asked to, and when you do, direct all your answers to Lucifer. The others are there for decoration.”
“My knees are shaking.”
“Why?”
“There will be no Quentin to pick up the pieces.”
“I’m here.”
“I will not compromise your friendship with me or Lucifer. I want you to stay out of this.”
“You hurt me.”
“I’m saving you,” she hissed as the doors opened inwards.
They walked through the courtyard and under an arch that adorned a tunnel.
“I’ll leave you here then,” Altair said stiffly. “Go to the end. There will be a barred gate. Wait there until it opens,” he instructed.
“Thank you. For the record, I have considered you my best friend, save one. I need to know that, if I don’t survive this, you do.”
“Mia, you ask too much of me.”
Mia didn’t respond. She started walking down the tunnel towards the light at the end.
~
Sabine paced the office. Cid had alerted her to the weather situation in the Caribbean. Together, they waited for updates from Jake. Cid tried to work, but his eyes were constantly pulled to the big monitor that Jake was using for his weather maps.
“What if they don’t survive?” Sabine asked.
“Then we raise the boys.”
“We?” Sabine asked, surprised.
“I can’t raise magical children alone. Mia trusts you.”
“Why, when I have to be saved like a fairytale princess? How could she think that I could protect her children when I have to have help with my girls?”
“That’s why I’m here,” Cid said softly. “Mia and Ted have an extensive network of entities and humans that will help us. We aren’t alone. But Mia has told me, time and time again, that if there is a conflict between saving her or you, that I am to save you. She feels you would be a better mother to her boys than she could be to the girls.”
“I don’t know what to say?” Sabine said. She sat down with a thump. “She shouldn’t have been there. Angelo should have sent someone else if he couldn’t lower himself to go.”
“That puzzles me too,” Cid admitted. “I thought he’d jump at the chance of rescuing a damsel in distress.”
Sabine laughed. “He’s really not like that. He just rescues Mia. Otherwise, his head is in a book or managing his warriors. He does have a soft spot for children, which is why he’s in the warrior wing of the Brotherhood and not a researcher like Orion.”
“How long have you known him?” Cid asked.
“Since I could remember. He hasn’t changed physically. Although, he has changed emotionally. That’s Mia’s fault. She got under his feathers.”
“I don’t think it was on purpose,” Cid said. “She hates and loves him at the same time.”
“That must be hard to do,” Sabine said. “When my Brian came along, it was the first time I felt love. As a sensitive, I could identify love in others, but I had never felt any love for myself. It was wonderful. He’s gone, but I still feel him in my heart. Love never dies.”
“Mia says that.”
“Oh, Mia has such a large heart. I think, if she could divide herself into seven beings, it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy all whom she loves.”
“Do you admire her for this or pity her?” Cid probed.
“A little bit of both. She loves Ted without question, but she can’t let go of Murphy.”
“I don’t think Murphy will let that happen,” Cid said.
“Do you think so?”
“In my experience, which is slim, I assure you, when you break up with someone, you leave them be. This way, the other person can move on. Part of Mia would be lost without Murphy, and although he has survived before, he would be lost without Mia. I think that, if he wasn’t a ghost, Ted would have never stood a chance,” Cid admitted.
“No, you’re wrong. You see, I can see inside of Mia, particularly her emotions. She was lost until Ted, and she made a commitment. Then she was consumed by him. She can see all his faults, but they don’t bother her. Okay, maybe his insecurity does, but what can she do? She knows she’s surrounded by men who want her. She doesn’t want to hurt them. I think that’s why, occasionally, she hauls off and punches Murphy and Mike. It’s to say, ‘stay away from me.’ She gravitates to the males who are immune to her, such as Altair, Tom, Lazar, and you. The others she pisses off whenever she can, whether she knows she’s doing it or not.”
“You should be a psychiatrist,” Cid said. “I dabble in psychology. I must deal with what I see, the person’s behavior, and what they tell me. You can see inside them. You would be amazing.”
Sabine blushed. “I’m not smart enough.”
“You underestimate yourself,” Cid insisted. “Let me loan you a few of my books. Just for a look-see.”
“I’d appreciate it. Can I call you if I have questions?”
Cid smiled. “Of course. I’d enjoy having someone to converse with about human psychology.”
Sabine smiled.
The monitor flashed, and Jake announced, “Hurricane Kelly has been downgraded to a tropical storm.”
~
Captain Billard walked into the suite and addressed the men, “The hurricane has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is expected to leave the area soon. I have negotiated with a few fishing trawlers for fuel. I would like to head into St. Kitts as soon as possible. I’m also aware you are missing one of your party. I can have this boat prepped for a return to the island area for a search. Although, Agent Martin says that the Coast Guard will be heading there after he joins them at St. Kitts.
“Ted?” Patrick asked.
“I’m going to hire a smaller boat and return to what’s left of the island. Captain, thank you for your heroic efforts on our behalf. I won’t inconvenience you or your crew further.”
Billard left, and Burt said, “I’ll stay with you.”
“No, I think you should go with the Callens, rendezvous with Sabine, and film and find that treasure. There is no guarantee Mia is going to show up here. All I know is that she would expect me to search for Murphy, and I’m not going to disappoint her.”
Kevin looked at Ted and then at Fergus. He manifested. “I’ll stay with Ted.”
“Are you sure?” Patrick asked. “We could use your help.”
“I think Fergus will go on with you, but I can’t speak for him,” Kevin said. “My place is here, looking for Mia and my son.”
“Patrick, I’d like to stay too,” Mason said. “I’m just not comfortable moving on until I know Mia and Murphy are in the clear.”
Ted looked at the young man. “I appreciate that, Mason, but Mia wouldn’t want you to miss out on the adventure of a lifetime.”
“Are you kidding? A fishing boat in the Caribbean? Waiting on a broad who decided to sacrifice her freedom to save humanity? Searching for a ghost that destroyed an island to save the rest of us? Seems to me, a treasure hunt is tame in comparison.”
Patrick bristled. “I need you, Mason.”
“Burt’s got the research covered. I’ll meet up with you guys as soon as I find my friends,” Mason said.
Fergus looked over at Kevin. There was no way he was going to leave his friend. He manifested long enough to say, “I’m staying with Ted.”
“Well, that’s decided then. I’m not going to lie and say that I’m not pleased to have such remarkable friends,” Ted said. “I owe all of you.”
“Hey, my first favor,” Mason said, rubbing his hands together, laughing, “Bwahaha.”
~
The gate rose, and Mia walked into a courtyard encircled by an open first-floor balcony. Seated in the center of a line of regal beings was Lucifer. Mia quickly looked down and walked forward until a ste
adying hand made of wood reached out and stopped her.
“I shouldn’t be surprised you’re here. I figured you’d be gracing our world again, but I didn’t expect to have you drop into the Pit of Despair. Tell me, how did you find it?”
“Telling.”
“Look at me, Mia, when you speak.”
“Telling,” Mia repeated as she raised her head and looked at Lucifer.
“Care to expand on this?”
Mia cleared her voice. “If legend is correct, the Pit of Despair shows you what you despair of the most and makes you endure it until the keepers feel that you have learned your lesson.”
“What did you learn?” Lucifer asked wryly.
“That I hate pink, insecure males, and taking care of insecure males,” she blurted out.
“You do seem to collect them,” Lucifer commented. “But you weren’t in the pit alone were you?”
“No, sir. I brought a demon with me.”
“Why?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard why?”
“I’ve heard it related to me from many sources. I want to hear it from you.”
“My cousin by adoption, Sabine Norwood, called me. She was on a treasure hunt with two of my associates. She was experiencing an attack of evil from the island where her boat was anchored. She asked for my advice and for me to speak to Angelo for her.”
“Angelo Michaels?” Lucifer asked.
“Yes, Angelo Michaels. He has looked after Sabine since she was a child.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. I related the information, and he suggested I go down there. I was hoping he would have one of his flock check up on her, but he didn’t. Not long after that I was approached by Whitney Martin. He is an agent for the federal government specializing in the paranormal. He tried to strong arm me and my husband, Ted, into joining him and investigating this island. I declined.”
“Then why were you there?”
“I sought out counsel from Judge Roumain, and he directed me to Sabine’s father who was one of the successful few who had ever escaped the island. The tale he told me sent up fireworks. Sorry, it alarmed me. From what I heard, I came to the assumption that Sabine, because she is a super vessel, was in danger from the island. The demon-with-no-name, in particular, was indeed a concern, although Lamia was also a threat.”
“What did you do?”
“I enlisted the help of my mentor Nicholai to help me transport my husband Ted, Burt Hicks, and Stephen Murphy to the Azure. Nicholai then returned immediately with Sabine to our farm in Illinois. I stayed briefly, masquerading as my cousin – we have similar coloring – to fool the Feds who had arrived around the same time. I realized I should have left but…” Mia stopped.
“Go on,” Lucifer instructed.
“I was worried that the Feds were in danger. Also, there were two ghosts still left on the island when I arrived. I didn’t feel as if I could fly there and pick them up.”
“Wait. Fly?”
“I’m sorry, I thought you knew.”
“No, this is news to me,” Lucifer said, his head turned.
Mia saw he was looking at Altair.
“Go on.”
“In our paranormal world, it’s rather odd to see flying people. But in the world of these Coast Guardsmen, I feared it would have been harrowing. In short, I didn’t want to get shot out of the sky, so I waited for morning and went by boat.” Mia went on to describe the events of the lost landing parties who were investigating the lost sixty passengers and crew of the cruise ship. She stopped and ordered her thoughts before speaking. “It wasn’t until I felt the demon-with-no-name trying to press into my mind, that I got the idea of how to stop him. I was going to send him down here for you guys to deal with while I tried to appease Lamia.”
“Why?”
Mia described her attack on Lamia. She explained, “I was worried that I jumped the gun, and she wasn’t intending to attack us at all, and then I took out an eye before she threw me far away into the sea. After that, she dug herself in, and the storm approached.”
“You admit to being hasty in dealing with Lamia, but not coming down here.”
“Yes. When I remembered that the spell doesn’t work unless you have a name to use, I knew I would be traveling with the demon-with-no-name. It was the quickest solution to the problem. I was dealing with a hurricane up there, missing federal agents, and a demon that eats brains faster than popcorn at a movie, and he was going to find a way off that island. If it wasn’t me, it would have been some other sensitive that whomever he’s been dealing with on the other islands set up. He was strong enough, he was ready, and I was afraid.”
“So, you broke him out of a prison that has held him there for hundreds of years,” Lucifer clarified.
“Apparently so,” Mia snapped. “Some prison. You condone him feeding on innocents. Sixty in the last month, hundreds of thousands over the years he’s been there. I’ve seen the piles of bones. After all, they’re just humans. Food for the gods. Well, fuck that!”
“Mia!” Sticks exclaimed. “Calm down.”
Mia looked up at him and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I forgot myself.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” Stick said, pointing to the fallen sitting in judgement.
Mia turned and said, “I’m sorry for losing my temper.”
Lucifer smiled.
“I thought if he was Hell’s problem to begin with, then Hell would know how to stop him. Yes, if there wasn’t a hurricane bearing down on us, I would have sought out a way to speak with someone here first. But I had no time.”
Lucifer seemed to look down at a paper and then at Mia. “Did you use him to enter Hell through a back door in order to assassinate Abigor?”
“No. I thought we were square with that,” Mia said, looking for Abigor. “I bear neither Abigor, nor anyone here any bad will. Unless you attack me or my family, I leave you guys to do what you do. You’re not my problem,” she stressed.
“Mia, you’ve been recently enhanced by Michael and Raphael. You can see why this question is asked.”
Mia nodded. “Fair enough. I was duped into these wings by a birdwoman wanting to set up Victor. And I had a life-threatening brain tumor caused by the imbalance that was caused when the genetic demon inside me died.”
“Mia, what was done to you?”
“As far as I know, I was mortally injured while protecting my sons from a ghost attack. Victor brought me in. Elizabeth broke my back and presented to me that I wouldn’t be able to walk, or frankly live, without wings being put back into me to support my back. I learned afterwards that she broke my back in order to pressure Victor to give me a heart feather.”
“Victor gave you a heart feather?” Abigor asked, forgetting himself. “I thought it was just a feather.”
“I don’t know too much about these things, but his intent was to give me wings strong enough to protect Varden, his godson, when needed. Michael complied. However, it was a setup. I was dragged into court on lies that Victor and I had mated.”
“And you were exonerated,” Lucifer confirmed.
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me about Raphael.”
“I have no trouble telling you, but…” she said, looking around, “I only know three others here beside you. I’m not comfortable saying anything other than he took the tumor out.”
“You’ll tell me the rest later?” Lucifer asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Fair enough. Summing up: Mia Cooper Martin, you did not use the demon-with-no-name to gain entrance to Hell.”
“No, sir, I did not.”
There was hissing and whispering between the other entities on the panel, but Mia felt that they seemed to be easing back in their seats a bit. Damn, was she that dangerous?
“Now this brings us to the demon-with-no-name and the destruction of his prison.”
“I didn’t destroy his prison. I did bring him here,” Mia clarified.
“You left no inst
ructions to destroy the island?”
“No, I did not. I did leave instructions that Lamia was not to be harmed.”
“Why? She had killed innocents,” Lucifer baited.
“They were in her territory; she had the right to defend herself. I don’t know what happened after I left. It would have to have been life-threatening for my husband and friends to act. Maybe the Feds?” Mia said, hunching her shoulders.
Lucifer looked at her. Mia felt him pushing at her mind house. She opened the door and invited him in.
Chapter Sixteen
Lucifer’s mind probe was quick. He had been in her mind house before. He gathered all new information and noted the rearrangement since the tumor had been extracted. He wondered if Mia knew how vastly it had changed. There was so much more room, so much more potential. Should he tell her? Was this wise?
He exited and blinked his eyes.
Mia relaxed.
“You have since discovered the name of the demon-with-no-name.”
“I think I have figured it out.”
“How?”
“Proximity, and my recent study of the fallen and demon culture.”
“Have you told anyone?”
“No one who didn’t know already.”
“Good.”
There were more hisses and whispers.
Lucifer cleared his voice. “She’s telling the truth, settle down.”
“How bad…” Mia started.
“I beg your pardon?”
“How horrible was it that I brought him here?”
“It’s not ideal but manageable. My duty is to protect the others from his wrath.”
“How is it that he is so powerful?”
“It’s difficult to explain to a human. Ah, have you watched any of the Star Wars series?”
“Yes.”
“Think of the characters’ acquisition of the force.”
“Yes, there are two sides, good and evil.”
“Now, think that evil has two sides too.”
Mia nodded in understanding.
