Lucifer's Pride

by G. P. Ching

  “Why did you do it?” Kirsa sat in a chair next to the fireplace. He hadn’t even noticed her there, but by the book in her hands, she’d been there awhile. The novel she was reading had a woman with fairy wings on the cover, but Finn couldn’t make out the title.

  He swallowed before answering her. “Why did I do what?”

  “Sign over your soul, shit-for-brains.” She dropped the book and turned in her chair to face him.

  “Is this a trick question? You of all people should know why I did it. If I hadn’t, he would’ve killed me.”

  She looked down at her hands in her lap. “Have you ever considered you might be better off dead?”

  Finn took another bite of his sandwich. “No. Death is never the answer.”

  “You’ve sold your soul to Hell, you know. However long he uses you, you end up there. Both of us do.” Kirsa leaned back in her chair and crossed her feet at the ankles.

  “I was going to Hell anyway.” He shrugged. “Since when are you sentimental about your soul? You were the one who used to love stabbing a dagger into your students every chance you got.”

  She exposed her teeth to him. “Why did you come here? Why did you give yourself up?”

  “I was after the dagger.”

  “And now Lucifer has it, and we are one step closer to our ultimate destination. All he needs is to find and capture the new Healer and he can perform the sacrifice to merge the realms and break God’s spell over him.”

  Finn took another bite to disguise the nervous tick that had begun in his cheek. Hope had told him a new Healer had been called, but he had no idea who it was. It was possible the person called didn’t know what they were yet. He hoped it stayed that way for a long time.

  “Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later,” Finn said.

  The way she turned to him then, reminded him of an owl, eyes large and neck craning in surprise. Actually, the more he looked at her, the more the similarities came into focus. Her eyes hadn’t widened, they protruded, larger than normal in her head. Her gracefully arching nose now extended beak-like from her face, accentuated by her sunken cheekbones. The island had made Kirsa indestructible, but she was no longer on the island. Was it possible she was aging? Were her powers waning?

  “You want to get to the part where we spend eternity in Hell faster?” Kirsa asked as if the idea was ludicrous.

  Finn chewed slowly. He needed to make this good. He was sure this was a trap. Kirsa was goading him, trying to get him to say something disloyal to the Devil. They were still in the cabin after all. No way was their conversation private. Lucifer was monitoring everything he said. He was sure of it.

  “The whole world is going to go to Hell.” He shrugged. “Lucifer is going to merge worlds.” He pointed his pinkie finger at her. “But you and I will be rewarded for helping him. We’ll be treated better than everyone else because we joined forces with him.”

  “What have you done to yourself?” she asked softly, her gaze drifting to his tattoos.

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  “I’m not the one covered in tattoos.”

  “Don’t forget bald.”

  She snorted. “Not anymore. Lucifer took care of that.”

  Finn lowered the sandwich. A quick look around the room and he saw a mirror on the wall. He hopped out of bed, amazed he could hop after the torture he’d endured, and found his reflection. His hair was back. Perfectly trimmed, light blond, and spiked over the crown of his head exactly the way he liked it.

  “Hot damn.” He ran his fingers through it, smiling.

  “Yeah. There are perks.”

  He snagged the plate from beside the bed and brought it to the fire, taking the seat across from her. “What kind of perk did he give you? I thought he’d stopped you from aging since you left the island, but you look a little worn out. No offense.”

  “No offense taken.” She stared at him long and hard. “First tell me about the tattoos.”

  “I’m a sorcerer. Theodor taught me magic and I… kept going. I’m stronger than he is now.”

  She sighed heavily, her breath shaking a little as she exhaled.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “You’re the final piece.” The uneven light from the fire sent shadows dancing across her face. “The Healer is something of Heaven’s. She must be sacrificed with the obsidian dagger—something of Hell’s. But Lucifer can’t be the one to perform the sacrifice.”

  “What are you talking about? Why not?”

  “He thought I could do it. I guess the person has to have a soul. But I’ve known for a while now I’m not his first choice for the job. He needs a sorcerer who has one foot in Heaven and one foot in Hell. It’s ancient magic. If he does it, there’s something about a loophole…” She shook her head. “The spell is unbalanced or something. Like I said, I could do it, because I have a human soul, originally from God but now the Devil’s. Only, I’m not a sorcerer. The tear in the veil won’t be as powerful. He’s seen what you did with the tree. You’re the perfect tool to merge the realms.”

  Soulkeeper and sorcerer. So, that’s why Lucifer kept him alive. It was like his great-grandma Mimi said. You have something he needs.

  Kirsa stared into the fire. “Once we find the new Healer, you’ll be the one to drive the dagger into her heart. You’ll be the one to thin the veil between realms so that Lucifer can tear the whole thing down.” She brushed invisible dust from her pant legs.

  Over the crackling fire, Finn listened to his heart pound. The idea of plunging that dagger into a Soulkeeper’s heart was horrifying. He wouldn’t do it. No matter what happened. No matter how Lucifer tortured him, he simply would not sacrifice the Healer.

  “You won’t have a choice,” Kirsa whispered as if she could hear what he was thinking. “He can force you to do things you don’t want to do. Once you sign your name, you sign over your free will.”

  “I didn’t say anything,” Finn said defensively. “I’ll do whatever he asks me to do. What do I care as long as I come out okay?”

  She placed her hands on her knees and stood. “It’s time to get ready. Technothrob has a show tonight. You’re replacing the drummer.”

  “I can’t play the drums.”

  “Doesn’t matter. A little Lucifer mojo and you’ll be Neal Peart before the first number. Trust me, Lucifer has me playing bass and singing back up, and I’m no good at either.”

  “What happened to the old drummer?” Finn remembered the band consisting of the original members of Technothrob at one point.

  “Ravenguard ate him.” She moved toward the door. “Your outfit is in the closet.”

  “Hey, Kirsa, you never told me what you did to yourself. You look like you’re losing weight.”

  She paused with her back to him, her shoulders slumped. “Unlike Ravenguard, I can’t eat a band member when I get hungry.”

  He parted his lips to ask her more, but she was already out the door. Once her words sank in, he returned to his food and ate every last bite.

  22

  Technothrob

  Michael strode toward the Tilted Raven, twitchy and ready for a fight. A few days had passed since Ms. D had told him about Finn’s abduction, a few days that Mike had stewed over what to do next. He and Finn might have had a falling out recently, but no one hurt one of his friends, past or present, without dealing with him. He was the Healer now, their leader. He would find Finn, and they would bring him home, one way or another.

  “Are you sure about this, Mike?” Jayden said. “How do you even know he’ll be with Technothrob? Lucifer could have him locked up somewhere while he plays this gig.”

  “I don’t. I’m betting on the fact that the Devil won’t want to leave Finn alone. He’s too powerful. But if Wager isn’t here, we can assume Lucifer is keeping him in the cabin in the cemetery.”

  “And then what?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “We should have run this
one by Ms. D,” Jayden said.

  “He’s got a point,” Hope said, catching up to them.

  “I’m the Healer, okay? I’ve got a feeling about this. Finn is our friend. We owe this to him.”

  Jayden and Hope gave each other a worried look, but they both nodded. They were in.

  There was a line to get in. Mike stopped at the end of it, smiling down at a few girls who whispered and glanced in his direction. The three were grouped together like a school of miniskirt-clad fish. One, with amethyst hair and an animated tattoo of a poodle winking, gave Mike a smile and a wave.

  “Have I mentioned I have a girlfriend? Her name is Jenny,” Jayden squeaked. Mike made room for him to move behind him, to where Hope was brooding. She’d never admit it, but she was worried. Word was that Damien, the redeemed fallen angel who was helping the Soulkeepers, had disappeared for days. According to the others, he’d disappeared after a particularly humiliating reaming by Hope over dinner. She’d told him to go away, and he had. Only Hope seemed less than happy about it now. Mike tried to ask her about it, but she refused to say a word.

  “Mike.” She nudged past Jayden. “You’ll need this.” She tied an amulet around his wrist. “I should have given it to you a long time ago.”

  “I’m not much of a jewelry person.”

  “It’s Soulwort. It will shield you from Lucifer’s influence… and Juliette’s. Believe me, you’ll need it.” Her green eyes became as hard as emeralds. She was serious.

  “I just became a jewelry person.”

  “Smart choice.” She glanced over her shoulder. The other people in line were absorbed in their own conversations, but she stepped in closer anyway. “Remember, he’ll be able to smell you if you get too close. Soulkeepers smell like sunlight and fresh air. Try to lay low.” She pulled away.

  “Wait, Hope?”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m trying to lay low, but people are staring at me. Can they tell that I’m, uh, different? Did you have this happen when you were a…?”

  She laughed, her eyebrows bobbing toward her hairline. “Oh, you’re different all right. About 250 pounds of tall, dark, and different. They’re interested in you because you’re…” She trailed off and gestured in the general direction of his abs and shoulders. “It has nothing to do with what you are.”

  His ears grew hot. “Oh.” He turned and smiled wider at the girls in front of him.

  Hope smacked his arm. “Concentrate on the mission.”

  He rubbed the spot where she’d slugged him. “Hey, I could say the same to you.”

  “What are you talking about?” She looked positively offended.

  Mike straightened to his full height. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much. I’m talking about the fact that you are spending a lot of effort to not talk about what happened with Damien.”

  “How do you know about that?”

  Mike sent her a pitying look. “Everyone knows. Literally everyone is talking about it behind your back.”

  “Those disloyal asshats.”

  “I guess they liked having him around, so…”

  “I don’t want to talk about Damien. He means nothing to me. It’s not my fault he decided to go back to Heaven or… whatever. I don’t know where he is.” Hope toyed with the ends of her red hair. She was wearing a leather halter top and flowing silk print pants with chunky silver shoes. Pretty. Although, she wasn’t Mike’s type. Wager’s though. If Finn was in this bar, under Lucifer’s control or not, he’d notice her. Mike was counting on it.

  Mike tipped his head. “Okay then. It’s settled. Damien is nothing to you. Funny how your face changes though when you hear his name.”

  A high-pitched sound came from her throat. “Shut up.”

  The bouncer, a massive, red-faced man with a skull tattoo, pointed a finger at Mike’s face. “You two. You’re in.”

  For a second, Mike froze, unsure what to do, but Hope grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door. She tipped the bouncer on their way inside.

  “What are you doing? We left Jayden by himself out there.”

  “It’s better this way. It’s dangerous for us to all be in the same place at the same time. It makes us conspicuous. He gets it. Believe me.”

  Mike allowed her to guide him into the shadows at the back of the dance floor. The club was arranged like a pit with a raised platform where the instruments were already set up. Technothrob was scheduled to go on at seven, but a DJ was spinning tunes for the crowd while they waited. This was a smaller venue for Technothrob but closer to New Orleans. They’d noticed this happening more and more lately. The Devil, it seemed, preferred to stay close to home.

  “Dance with me,” Mike said. “I want to get closer to the stage.”

  He started moving his body to the music, guiding Hope toward the center of the floor. Pulling her close, he found the rhythm and tried to blend into the crowd. They’d almost reached the base of the stage when Winking-poodle tattoo popped up beside him.

  “Hey, line neighbor. Want to dance?” She moved closer, putting herself between him and Hope.

  “No thanks,” he said.

  “He’s all mine, ladies.” Hope grabbed Mike by the waist and hauled him against her.

  Mike chuckled as the girl made an obscene gesture and moved away. “Damn. Girls fighting over me.” He ran a hand down the front of his shirt.

  She rolled her eyes. “Get over yourself.” Suddenly, Hope missed a beat and grabbed his elbow. “There she is.” Her dark tone broke the mood. Mike followed her gaze to the place where a peacock-colored guitar rested in its stand, the name Juliette scrawled across the baseboard.

  Mike pulled her closer. “We should take it.”

  “What? No, Mike. It has to be protected by a spell. Lucifer would never—”

  “How will we know if we don’t try? If we get the guitar, Lucifer can’t use it to lure more souls. We can weaken him. Or we can trade it for Finn.” Mike’s hands were itching to lift the thing and get out of there.

  Hope gripped his collar and yanked him down so she could whisper in his ear. “No, Mike. You’ll call attention to yourself and what you are. It’s too dangerous.”

  But his gut told him to do it. Wasn’t he the Healer? Didn’t he have magical intuition or something? He needed to trust himself, or he’d never be the leader he was meant to be.

  “Mike. No. I don’t think you should—”

  In a few quick steps, Mike ducked behind the DJ booth and leapt onstage, sliding behind the stage-left curtain. He grabbed the guitar and smuggled it into the shadows. Directly into the chest of a security guard. The man brushed the side of his jacket back to reveal the gun on his hip.

  “Give me the guitar,” the man said quietly. He reeked of Hell, although Mike could sense his soul. He wasn’t a demon.

  It was all very quiet, refined. No one could see them behind the curtain.

  “No,” Mike said. He was bigger and faster and he couldn’t die. He was leaving with Juliette.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Finn Wager appeared beside security, dressed to kill in a silk shirt and leather pants. He placed a hand on the security guard’s arm and whispered in his ear. The guy left without another word.

  Mike faced his friend. It was like looking at a complete stranger. Symbols danced under his skin, and the look on his face was less than welcoming.

  “Finn, we can get you out of here. Come with me now. We’ll take you someplace safe.”

  “We?”

  “Hope’s here too.”

  As if he’d conjured her by saying her name, Hope appeared beside Mike. “Your hair grew back. How did your hair grow back?”

  Finn didn’t acknowledge her. He snatched the guitar from Mike’s hands. “You two are idiots. Can’t you see it’s too late for this? You need to get out of here, fast.” Finn looked over his shoulder toward the backstage area.

  “No,” Mike shook his head. “We’re not leaving without you.”

  Finn stepped in closer.
“I don’t know how they talked you into this, Mike, but you are way out of your league here. You need to leave before you get hurt. We don’t have much time and…” Finn rubbed his nose. “Why do you… stink?”

  “I’m not going to get hurt. I can take care of myself.” Mike held up both hands like he was calming a skittish animal. “Let’s talk about this outside.”

  “How did your hair grow back?” Hope asked again. “And why do you look like you’ve been on vacation?”

  Finn cast a look in Hope’s direction that Mike could only define as tortured. “It wasn’t a vacation.”

  All the air seemed to drain from Mike’s lungs. The friend he’d once known as Finn wasn’t there anymore, but something dark and tainted. A dark aura surrounded him, seemed to consume him. Hope had once told him that Healers could see people’s souls. Was that what this was? Because if so, Finn’s soul was sick. It might even be dying.

  “What happened to you?” Mike asked.

  Finn glanced between the two of them. “I’m going to say this one more time. You need to leave, now. Lucifer is… eating, but if he finds you here, he will torture you for the name of your Healer and once he has it, he will kill you. Go home to your aunt, Mike. Stay safe. Stay out of it.”

  “I can’t stay out of it. I’m the—”

  Hope’s hand clamped over Mike’s mouth, and she started pulling him toward the stairs. “Goodbye, Finn.” The salutation was sad, like Hope said it with tears in her eyes.

  Mike didn’t get it. He had absolutely not come here to rescue his friend only to be sent away. “Wait,” he said. He reached out and grabbed Finn’s arm.

  As soon as Mike touched him, he knew it had been a mistake. Power flowed from his hand into Finn’s skin. Healing power. And in exchange everything darkened. He pulled his hand away before he went completely blind.

  Hope dug her nails into his skin, looking frantically around them. “Run. Mike, run.”

  But he was locked in a staring contest with Finn. And his friend seemed as horrified as he felt.