“I know it doesn’t make sense.” The unspoken to you made me smile.
“I’ll accept it as gospel.”
Olivia snort laughed. “Nice.”
“I’ll be here all night.”
“You’ve reached the point where it is time for a chance. Though—” She clasped her hands together. “—I don’t know if I should tell you this.”
“Please. At this point, I’d like to know everything I possibly can.”
“You might not like it,” she warned.
“What could be worse than existing as a demon worried about being sent back to Hell?”
“Ah, yes.” She released her hands and played with the sides of her flowing sage dress.
“Is it that bad?”
She searched my face, found what she was looking for. “You always could have chosen a different path.”
A sense of confused disappointment filled me at her statement. “Well, yes.” Was I missing something?
“You always could have chosen love over power,” she clarified.
I tilted my head, still not understanding.
“And restored your angel status.”
The weight of her statement slammed into me and my breath caught in my throat. “I could have chosen love to become an angel again at any time.” She nodded. “And by choosing love now, I can be restored to angel status?” I scarcely believed it possible. Although it pained me some that I had wasted all these years, until this exact point in time, I honestly never would have chosen a different path. I thought I had chosen the correct one all those years ago.
“What happens now?”
Olivia’s eyes glowed white in response to my question. The light wrapped around me, and I cried out. Not from pain, but from the love enveloping me. The light became opaque; I existed in a shell of light. Rhythmic pulsing, pleasant and insistent, synched with the beat of my human heart. It slowed to a stop – was I dying? I didn’t believe this had been a trick.
Before the question had fully formed, my heart started again. Slow, even beats. The light thinned and became translucent, before fading away. I stared through renewed eyes at Olivia and Liam. It was difficult to explain. My vision seemed clearer, everything seemed brighter. Even the air smelled better. My gaze flicked between the two.
“Am I an angel again?” I wondered if that meant I had regained my youthful appearance and my hazel eyes.
Olivia nodded and a single tear tracked down Liam’s cheek. There was my answer.
“Welcome back, Barbara,” Olivia hummed. Even my hearing was different. Crisper, yet softer. Was it like this when I was an angel before? I couldn’t remember. The darkness of my demon existence crowded the rest out.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Olivia shook her head. “I merely did what was necessary. You made the choice.”
“Thank you, anyway.”
“You’re welcome. Do you have any other questions?”
I started to shake my head no, then stopped. “Yes! In my premonitions, I saw Liam. I’ve figured out what that meant.” Liam and I exchanged smiles. “I also saw Catherine Rodham. And, I saw her last year. She seems to be very important. Except I’m not sure what the premonitions mean. Last year, I thought she was important in my quest for power in this region.” I held my hands up in question. “Now I have no idea.”
“She was important in your… quest. Just not for power.” Olivia smiled her Cheshire-cat grin. “And she remains important. Everyone is still on the right path and the end is nearly here.”
“What does that—”
Olivia dematerialized before I could finish my question. “I guess I’ll have to live without that answer.” I looked at Liam and he shrugged.
“I have no idea. Archangels don’t share the grand plan with lowly angels.”
“You’re not lowly,” I teased while walking to him.
“We’re equal now.”
“Equally lowly, I guess.”
“This has been a crazy ride.” Liam took my hands in his, kissed the tops of both. He released them and leaned in for a hug, his fingers twining in my long full locks of chestnut brown hair that fell around my shoulders.
“It has,” I whispered into his ear.
“Let’s not worry about any grand plans today.” He kissed my cheek, nibbled on my ear lobe.
“What should we think about?”
“Getting to know each other all over again,” he said, his voice raspy with desire.
“That sounds like an excellent plan,” I agreed.
His lips found mine, and I moaned in response. We had centuries of missed love to make up for.
EPILOGUE
Elizabeth Addison and I sat side by side on the familiar blue chairs on the set of Entertainment Daily. Her tilted head distracted me from romantic thoughts of Liam. I could tell she’d been wanting to ask me questions since I arrived. I was moderately impressed that she had so far contained herself. Of course, maybe she just wanted to surprise me once the cameras rolled.
I gave her my widest smile, which she mirrored before remembering she wasn’t supposed to like me. After all, she wasn’t privy to what had happened yesterday. It amazed me that everything happened only yesterday.
“In thirty, Liz,” a faceless voice in the dark of the studio informed her.
When the countdown finished, Elizabeth flashed her perfect chicklet-teeth smile at the camera. “Good morning in the Valley! Welcome to Entertainment Daily. I’m your host, Elizabeth Addison.” She leaned forward in the chair, like a co-conspirator. “I have a special treat for you this morning. As most of you know, yesterday Barbara Knollman won the election for Mayor of Las Vegas. Today, she is our guest.” Elizabeth swung her gaze to mine and her smile became predatory.
“Let’s get this first part out of the way,” the host stated.
“Yes?” I knew where she was going but I wanted her to work for it.
“You look different.”
“Hmm-mm. I do?”
“Don’t be coy,” she said, wagging her finger at me. She meant to be playful, I’m sure. “I know plastic surgery isn’t that good, or that fast,” Elizabeth commented with maximum snark.
I laughed, my laugh genuine and not rude. Her smirk faltered. “You are correct, Elizabeth. And, I’m not laughing at you. I promise.” I took a deep breath. “I am different. That’s part of why I’m here today.”
“Tell the viewers everything,” she encouraged.
“Do you know why I wanted to do my first interview after the election with you?”
“Because I’m the best newscaster in Las Vegas,” she answered with a wink at the audience. “In all seriousness, I do not.” And to her credit, she actually looked curious.
I nodded. “Because of your Mythical Being of the Week segment.”
That shocked her. “Really?”
“Yep.” I stared directly into the camera and took another deep breath. “I used to be a demon.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I used to be a demon,” I repeated. My gaze swung to hers. “When you first exposed the paranormal underworld here in Las Vegas, we weren’t sure how it would go.”
“We?”
For a newscaster, I was surprised she was struggling to keep up. “I have the ability to see the future.” Elizabeth’s eyes bugged. “I foresaw that your report was the right path for us.”
“Thanks?”
“At that time, I was a still a demon.”
Elizabeth eyed me uneasily.
“Don’t worry, I’m an angel now. That’s why I look twenty years younger.”
Gasps sounded from the dark of the studio. Really? I’m an angel gets gasps, when I used to be a demon didn’t. Or was it that I looked twenty years younger. Hmm.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m disclosing all of this on live television.”
“Among other questions,” Elizabeth quipped. I was pleased she’d recover
ed. We needed her investigative skills for the next piece.
“What most normals don’t know is that the head of the city council is also the head of the paranormal underworld for this region. And we have one of the top regions in the country.”
I could practically see Elizabeth’s mind processing and identifying more questions.
“Everything you’ve said on your segment, thus far, has been correct. Thank you for helping supernatural beings begin the transition to living fully in the open.”
“That’s the goal?”
“It is.”
“Some of those beings have been pretty destructive.”
“Indeed, they have. But, is it so different from a human who kills his neighbor, or a serial killer who takes out many?”
I saw the memory of the serial killing genie from a couple of months ago flash in Elizabeth’s eyes. She nodded. “Supernatural beings have more… abilities at their disposal.”
I shrugged. “Is it really so different from someone who has a high-powered machine gun, or highjacks a plane?”
She frowned and I held up a hand.
“My goal today is not to hash out all of the challenges of an integrated society. I simply wanted to confirm for your viewers that what you’ve been saying is the truth, and disclose my role in it in the past and going forward.”
Elizabeth held my gaze for a second longer before turning to the camera. “There you have it. An ex-demon, current angel, now holds the dual title of head of the city council and head of the paranormal underworld. The next few months should be interesting, to say the least.” She smiled a final time. “Thank you for tuning in – and know that we’ll report back every step of the way on this explosive new development.”
The camera shifted down, no longer in use, and Elizabeth faced me again. I ignored the murmurings I heard in the studio.
“Thank you for allowing me to be here,” I said.
“Are you kidding? I just scooped the biggest story of my lifetime. Of several lifetimes,” she crowed.
“I’m glad you feel that way, because I have one more thing.”
“More than what you just said?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
I grinned. “In my visions, I’ve seen Catherine Rodham repeatedly,” I began.
“She doesn’t like me so much anymore,” Elizabeth admitted.
“I know, but that can change.” I leaned closer to whisper. “Another supernatural being told me that Catherine has an important role to play.”
“In what?” she whispered back.
“I’m not sure. I believe she’s critical to what we’re trying to build here.”
Elizabeth’s eyes gleamed. I had her hooked. “And you want my help to investigate?”
“You’re the best. And, you’ve consistently demonstrated an open mind.”
“I’m in. Let’s figure out our plan.” We grinned at each other.
Learn the final truths in the exciting conclusion to the Paranormal Talent Agency series!
The Season Finale
Episode Six
CHAPTER ONE
Television reporters get used to being eyed with suspicion, but usually, those doing the eyeing are human. Not this time. I didn’t think. The attractive man had stared at me the moment I entered the café. Soprannaturale, where all the nonhumans hung out. I glanced around at the framed pictures of pastoral Italian scenes and classic checkered tablecloths on two-tops scattered throughout the front of the café. Stepping closer to the man, the scent of flowers and earth reached me.
“You smell sweet,” I blurted out. “Is that some kind of cologne, or an essential oil you’re diffusing?”
The man’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “May I help you?”
Refusing to be thrown by his non-response to my question, I smiled wide and extended my hand. “Elizabeth Addison, reporter,” I introduced myself, smile faltering when he hesitated. An imperceptible sigh and then his large hand engulfed my smaller one. Breath caught in my throat at the tingles that raced through my body. I snatched my hand back and he smirked.
“Antonio DiMaio. Owner of this fine establishment.” His chocolate-brown eyes took in my appearance, a bit bedraggled due to a short rain. Contrary to the public perception of living in the desert, it rained in Las Vegas. And since it was spring, well, it had rained while I walked from my car to the door of his fine establishment.
I attempted to smooth down my short, curly brown hair, frizzy from the humidity, and then ran my hands down the sides of my simple blue shift. Antonio’s eyes followed the movement, the smirk morphing into something more complex.
His eyes snapped back up to mine. “May I help you, Ms. Addison?”
“Please, call me Liz,” I responded by reflex.
“Then call me Tony.”
I nodded. “Tony. I’m meeting Catherine Rodham. Do you know her?”
“Because all supernaturals know each other?” he asked, smirk back in place.
I flushed. “No.” A smart retort didn’t come to me, because now I wanted to know what type of creature he was. Given my instant attraction, I wondered if he was an incubus. I’d learned from Catherine last year that they could control you by sucking out your soul. Yuck. Though she swore her half-incubus boyfriend Alex didn’t do that.
He chuckled, his rumbly voice sexy. “Relax. I’m just teasing you.”
Was he flirting with me? His comment did not help me relax. If anything, my flush deepened. He ran a hand through his longish wavy black hair and smiled, a dimple appearing on his right cheek.
“But I do know Catherine,” he admitted. “She isn’t here yet.”
“I’ll wait for her before being seated.” I took the opportunity while I waited to consider his sinewy muscles flexing underneath a simple black shirt and pants. Probably his work uniform. His appearance placed him maybe late-twenties like me, but with supernatural beings, who knew? I desperately wanted to ask what he was, but that had to be a faux pas.
“Did you have any questions?”
My eyes widened. Could he read minds?
“About the menu,” he clarified, though I didn’t miss the quick smile.
If he was going to flirt with me, then I would be bold. “I do have a question.” Our eyes met. “Not about the menu.”
He tilted his head. “Ask away.”
“What are you?”
“Not fully human.”
I shook my head. “That’s entirely unhelpful.”
“I know.”
“Are you flirting with me?”
His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Do you want me to flirt with you?”
My mouth dropped open, but nothing emerged.
He laughed. “I like you, little human.”
I bristled.
He held up his hands in surrender. “It’s a term of endearment where I come from.”
“Where are you from?”
“Originally Italy.”
“When was that, Tony?”
“Nice try, Liz.”
“It was worth the shot.”
“I have a question for you,” he said.
“I’m fully human.”
Tony threw back his head and belly laughed. “That’s not in doubt.”
“How would you know?”
“I know.”
“That’s mysterious.”
He smiled. “As a human,” he started, “how did you even know about my café?”
A voice answered from behind me. “I’d like to know that as well.”
CHAPTER TWO
“Catherine, thanks for meeting me here,” I responded. Hmm, she wasn’t alone. Mia Fynn stood to the side of the tall, blond talent agent. “Hi, Mia.”
She smiled uncertainly, her bright green eyes wary. “Hi, Liz.”
Mia and I had even more history than Catherine and I did; we’d worked together to solve a series of murders, and it turned out to be a crazy djinn (that’s a genie t
o most humans). I’m not sure why they were surprised when I put being a reporter first. It was my job. That’s what I did. Still, I knew they felt betrayed that I played an instrumental role in exposing the paranormal underworld at the end of last year. In my defense, we all later learned that this was a good thing. Why it was good was part of my current mission.
“Barbara Knollman told me about the café,” I explained to the three of them. The new mayor had turned out to be a former demon, current angel, head of both the human city council and the paranormal underworld. That had all blown my mind when I learned it last week. And, then when Barbara made her request… well, that’s why I was here. I turned to face the dreamy café owner. Wait, dreamy? No way was I getting involved with a supernatural. I don’t care how good looking and flirtatious he was.
“I guess we’ll need a table for three,” I told Tony.
“Right this way.” The three of us followed Tony to the back of the café. I tried and failed not to appreciate his rear assets. My eyes rolled of their own accord at my ridiculousness. We sat in the green vinyl-covered booth he indicated. When my eyes met his, he waggled his eyebrows at me. Did he know I was checking him out? How? Now my reporter-sense was twitching. I’d find out what manner of supernatural he was eventually. Right now, I had more important matters. I finger waved goodbye at Tony and he sauntered away.
“Not that it isn’t good to see you, Mia, but why are you here?” I asked bluntly.
Mia laughed her tinkling laugh, shaking her head, green hair moving with the motion. She was a nixie, kind of like a mermaid, though don’t tell her that, and could bewitch people with her voice. I knew that firsthand. “Catherine doesn’t trust you,” she answered and I flushed.
“I was just doing my job.”
Catherine held up a hand to stop us from continuing. “It doesn’t matter. Why did you want to meet with me, Liz?” Genuine curiosity shown in her blue eyes, so I hoped the truth would pull her in. I knew better than to lie. She was a natural lie detector; I guess you could call that her superpower.
Paranormal Talent Agency Episodes 4-6 Page 17
