My past mistakes were now biting me back, and nothing was going the way I thought it would. I used one particular exit out of the palace that no one knew about, leaving Zach and Rodriguez behind. It was easier to avoid paps, as they most likely were ready to ask anyone to comment about the situation in the palace. Arthur’s failed engagement must have surprised a lot of people, and anyone who was leaving the palace on foot would get dragged out in front of the camera.
It was still light when I stepped on the roads of central London. I saw cameras, vans filled with all the gadgets, and at least fifty reporters who were rumbling outside the gate, trying to snap useless pictures. Arthur had chosen the worst time to end things with Natalie. He could have waited or reconsidered. Either way, I was screwed, because he was willing to fight for me.
The ride in the tube was atrocious. My head throbbed with pain, and I had trouble blocking the human emotions out. I was already planning to pop in to certain places in the city to chat with individuals who must have at least heard about Nameless Thief. That was my priority, but first I had to get home, have a shower, and fuel my stomach with some food.
When I reached my street, I had to stop short, as my car park was suddenly filled with reporters, white vans with graphics from most TV stations in the city. I rubbed my face, deep down hoping that maybe something happened, and these media reporters weren’t here because of me. I was no one, but as soon as I cleared my mind, their burning thoughts hit me like an unexpected allergic reaction in the summer.
They were here for me. Someone must have leaked my name out; there wasn’t any other explanation.
After all, I used to have a significant position in the palace. They wanted to know if I would be willing to make a comment on recent events.
I automatically thought about Alexis. The bitch held a grudge against me. Her demonic soul was dying, and she had nothing to lose. Maybe it was time to reach out to a few Watchers and find out what happened to her. Her death would have been a relief, but life was never that simple.
I stayed out on the street, contemplating what to do. The hyenas weren’t going to leave unless they got what they wanted. God, this day was going from bad to worse with each passing hour.
“Funny how things turn out—one day you’re on the top and the next at very bottom,” someone said, standing in the entrance to the building right opposite me. I stumbled on my feet, nearly falling down, shocked that I hadn’t sensed him. There was something really wrong with me. My abilities yet again let me down.
“Are you talking to me?” I asked, knowing that the man in front of me was a demon, part of Berith’s faction. He was short, stocky, overweight, and pretty much ordinary, although his demonic soul was filled with dazzling power. Part of it was twisted, the other murky. I found him hard to read.
“The prince posted a statement on social media. Apparently, he is in love with someone else,” the stranger said, smoothing a very nice-looking walking stick. It was polished wood, with a gold top, beaming with powerful energy, a magical object that I had never seen before.
The coldness that settled inside me, quickly shifted into panic. No, Arthur wouldn’t have been that stupid; he wouldn’t risk telling the world that there was another woman in his life besides Natalie.
I opened my mouth to tell him that he was wrong, when he dragged a mobile phone out of his pocket and approached me. For a long bizarre moment, I was staring at his ordinary face, amazed that a demon looked exactly like a human. Wrinkles, patches of grey hair, deep lines in his cheek. He was just an old man, holding a very powerful source of energy. He lifted the screen and showed it to me. There was a statement from the prince. He clearly stated that he needed space to figure out his next move. He talked about this other woman he was in love with, the woman who wasn’t ready to commit.
My throat was suddenly dry, and dread crawled over my back as I looked up at the stranger. This whole thing was a joke, a bad nightmare.
“I know that paps are here for me,” I said, pissed off with Arthur. He obviously had his new agenda in mind. “It’s not news.”
“Yes, someone leaked your name to the press. Someone who wishes that you were dead.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but then changed my mind. It occurred to me that the stranger was most likely working for Berith himself. And now I had the opportunity to ask him about the pits, about what happened to Alexis. It was one chance in a million, but my intuition told me that he was very highly situated in Hell, that he might possess information that I needed.
“Right, about that,” I began. “There was a female demon who had fallen down into the pits around two months ago. She was red-haired, and she called herself Alexis. I have a feeling that you might know what happened to her? I just want to make sure that she is dead.”
The stranger looked at me with a creepy smile, and a cold shiver moved over my spine.
“I was sent here to give you a message, not to talk about Berith’s business,” the demon said, putting his smart phone in his pocket. Okay, so he wasn’t willing to tell me anything about that bitch. I wasn’t surprised. Berith’s faction was always very secretive.
“A message? From who?” I asked.
“That doesn’t matter, Maxine. I was sent here to tell you that you should look into the death of your mother. That should shed more light into the part of your soul that you’ve still yet to understand,” he said, tapping the walking stick over the pavement. Sparks began to rattle from it and I stared, fascinated, feeling more and more confused.
“A message?” I repeated. “Someone wants me to look into the death of my mother?” She had died of cancer, and it was a very human disease. I knew for a fact that her time simply came, and she was taken away from me.
“That was the message that I mean to deliver,” he added, like he was ready to leave, but then he stopped and turned to face me again. “That female demon is no longer in the pits. She made a deal with other demons and escaped. Berith himself punished those who allowed it. They all lost their heads. Be well, Maxine Brodeur.”
A second later there was a loud bang, and some demonic source of power was thrown over the street. I landed on my arse painfully, seeing stars in front of my eyes. Great, so I was going to be achy tomorrow.
The pain that slid over my back was quickly replaced by shock and trepidation. Alexis had managed to escape from the pits. She was alive and well, ready to turn my life upside down again. Or end it. I had no doubt that she was the person who leaked my name to the press.
When I looked up, the stranger was gone, and in the spot where he stood, there was a yellow powder. I heard voices: humans were asking each other if anyone heard the strange noise. It was time for me to get out of here.
I got up reluctantly, massaging my backside and thinking that I had to be ready when Alexis decided to strike back. She was dying and that made her even more dangerous.
Chapter 7
“Three dispositions adverse to Heaven's still, - Incontinence, malice, and mad brutishness.”
― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
I ended up going to the Broken Shoe an hour later. I should have called Ricky, but he mentioned that he was going out with someone special tonight, and I didn’t want to stick my nose in his business. My craving for tequila was burning the back of my throat. I would be putting it mildly if I said that my situation was complicated. Arthur had messed up everything. I had the faction on my head, the paps were outside my building hunting for any comments, and Nameless Thief had a letter that weighed on my future on Earth.
It was Wednesday night, and the pub was empty for a change. Paul was cleaning the tables. I spotted one or two customers at the back. It was strange not to see any demons around, especially since the pub had been very busy in the past few days.
This setup was good, because I could drink alone here, then hopefully crash somewhere upstairs on Paul’s sofa and get up early. Tomorrow I was planning to sink my teeth into my new case. I had to find that bastard
before he realised what kind of value the letter truly possessed.
Several minutes later, Paul came back behind the bar.
“What’s on your mind, Max?” he asked with a deep frown.
“My life is complicated again. Give me some magic and let me forget all about it,” I said, telling myself that everything was going to be all right once I tasted tequila. People made mistakes, they fell in love and had their hearts broken. This was nothing new. He nodded, reached under the bar and brought up the bottle of my favourite spirit infused with something more than alcohol. Zach had all the information about the Nameless Thief, but I didn’t need his help. I could find him on my own.
The tiny voice in my head told me that this was a bad idea. I was supposed to stick to my resolution after the last time I got drunk and lost all my money to Devlin. However, once the bottle was open, there was no going back. I drank, numbing the fact that I couldn’t move on, numbing the pain in my limbs. The guilt weighed heavy on my shoulders, and for a bit, I considered smashing the bottle over the bar and just heading home. The problem was that I had nowhere to go, and the night was still young.
Around ten o’clock, the bar started filling up with more people. Devlin showed up and invited me into a game of poker. That demon had some nerve. I said no. Ha! If Ricky had been standing by my side, he would’ve patted me on the back and said that I’d done well, telling Devlin to get fucking lost. That part of me was strong, well, at least I thought that was the case, but the other weakness for tequila kept whipping me like a cowboy during a rodeo.
Paul was a good guy; he understood me. There were demons inside everyone, but my past was so wrecked that I had to drink to keep living, to keep solving the cases that paid my bills.
“Go and get some fresh air before you fall asleep on the bar again,” Paul said, shaking my shoulders when I closed my eyes for a few seconds. I lifted my head abruptly and then slapped myself to make sure I was fully alert.
“Yes, yes, I’m going now. Have you got a cigarette?” I asked, remembering that I had promised myself countless times that I would stop smoking for good. That didn’t happen, either. He nodded and placed one on the counter. My head was slightly less messed up than before. In the past eighteen months I learned how to live with the guilt. Tequila had hushed the most horrible of my memories, and at the same time, one of the most beautiful days of my entire life.
I stepped outside, lighting the cigarette and dragging the toxins in. The night was beautiful, there were no clouds in the sky, and it hadn’t rained for a good few days now. I was enjoying myself, standing and looking at the dark sky, when a moment later, a human man appeared on the street. There was nothing striking about him, apart from the fact that he had his hands on a woman’s arse. I managed to sense that those two were a couple, but there was something not right about the way he was pushing her around, shouting in the middle of the street.
“I told you not to embarrass me in front of my friends, you stupid bitch. Now they think I’m a pussy,” he shouted, grabbing her elbow and turning her around violently. The girl was scared. I was drunk enough, but could still sense her fear, spiking so fast that my palms dotted with sweat. So many of her tangled feelings were shooting through me.
“Stop it, James, you had too much to drink. Let’s just go home,” she pleaded, trying to get away from him.
“And that dress, I told you not to wear it tonight. Everyone was staring at your arse.” He laughed in the cruelest way possible. I didn’t like this guy. Correction, I instantly thought he was a prick. Was that what true love looked like these days?
“You always liked it; you said that it makes me look really pretty.”
“No, it makes you look more like a slut,” the man blurted out, then slapped her, and she stumbled to the ground. That was it for me. I couldn’t keep pretending I was all right with him abusing her like that. I dropped the cigarette, stomped on it and shouted, “Hey, you arsehole, this is not how you should treat a lady.”
He turned around, frowning.
“Stay away from my business, bitch. I’m showing my girl who is the fucking boss. The cow deserves to learn her lesson,” he snarled, laughing at his own pathetic joke.
I was quick, maybe a bit too quick. In a split second, I was standing in front of him, although the voices in my head were telling me to stay out of it. This was none of my business, but the guy was a complete prick, and he needed to be reminded that women had to be treated with respect. He was drunk, but it was a lame excuse. Maybe I would end up like that one day, filled with bitter anger, violence, and unable to see the difference between right and wrong.
I swung my arm and punched him. The whole thing happened so fast, the guy landed on the pavement, and the blood started pouring out of him within seconds. My knuckles burned, and I shook my wrist, like I just realised that it would hurt.
He started screaming, as blood filled his mouth and shirt. Suddenly the street wasn’t empty anymore. A couple of other humans stopped and stared. A guy in a cap took out his mobile phone and probably began recording the whole thing.
The girl started yelling at me. She then launched herself at her boyfriend who was swearing loudly.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she shouted at me, trying to look for something in her bag. “I was fine. You didn’t have to punch him.”
I was keeping my balance, wondering why she wasn’t thanking me instead. That arsehole obviously enjoyed hitting women. That wasn’t even acceptable within demonic circles.
The girl then started saying that she was in love, and her beloved James had a bit too much to drink. Some of the humans got involved and the arguments evolved. I stood there scratching my head, wondering if I had gone too far. After some time, the girl launched herself at me, waving her pretty manicured nails in front of my face. The boyfriend was ready to get up and do a bit more than push me over. I was trying to keep cool, but several moments later, I heard the police sirens. Paul was outside with me when the boyfriend sat on the ground, threatening to kick my arse yet again. He was much more sober now than when I hit him, but still pretty much a prick.
“Maxine, have you been a bad girl again?” Zach asked suddenly appearing in front of me. He stood next to a uniformed policeman. I shook my head, wondering if this was a bad dream. This whole thing happened out of his district, and I really wasn’t in the mood for games.
“That bitch broke my nose. I want to press charges,” James shouted, waving his fists at me. I rolled my eyes.
Paul placed his hand on my shoulder. “The human boy slapped his girlfriend. Maxine was only trying to teach him some manners,” the retired Watcher explained.
“Paul, it’s all right. I can take care of this,” I said, thinking that James needed much more than just a punch. The girl obviously had no brain, sticking up for him like that. My overbearing darkness overshadowed my vision, pulling me down into a depressed mood, the part of me that I normally hushed with magic. This world wasn’t for me.
“Right, Robin, I’ll take care of her,” Zach said staring at the guy with a smashed nose, not me. Robin, the uniformed officer was going to argue, but the human started swearing again. More people started gathering around us, and I hated that Zach was now involved in my pathetic rescue mission. “Come on, Flower, time for you to disappear.”
He nodded for me to move, and I guessed I had no other choice. I didn’t want to stay on the street and explain why I got myself tangled in yet another mess.
Zach’s presence calmed me down. Paul was reminding me that I needed to be careful. Yeah, he was broadcasting his thoughts loud and clear.
“Let’s take you home, shall we?” Zach said when we got to his car. I put my seat belt on, feeling tired and still pretty much zoomed out with tequila. At least I hadn’t lost any money tonight; that was a step forward, with a lot more steps backwards.
“I can’t go home. There are paps all over my car park. They most likely haven’t left yet,” I said, rubbing my face. Okay, Zach was
only trying to help after I nearly slashed his throat earlier on in the palace. I felt that my life was getting out of control again.
He ran his hands over the steering wheel and exhaled.
“In that case, you will sleep in mine, and before you say anything, we are not going to have sex,” he said, sounding completely serious. Then we were driving, getting out of Brixton, while I was trying to forget that I put myself at risk yet again. The streets were still busy, horns were going off, but Zach turned to the left, leading us through narrow back streets.
“Okay.”
That was it. I couldn’t come up with anything else. Tequila clouded my head and I felt so stupid, so damn silly that things didn’t work out between us two months ago. Neither of us said anything for a good half hour. Zach was calm and reserved, thinking about our case for a change. The air suddenly stuck in my throat, as I tried to force the turmoil and my vulnerability away from me. At the traffic light when the car stopped, Zach turned around to look at me.
“I really wanted us to give it a go, Max, but you ran. Why?”
I closed my eyes, knowing that there was no escape now. I had to come clean, explain myself. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest.
“I’m a freak. I mean, look at me, I can’t even take care of myself,” I said, getting tired of pretending that I could fight my internal battles on my own. Zach had his own issues, but we could have made this work. He smoothed his chin, his eyes wary, deep.
“You should just let me in, at least give it a try. We didn’t have to jump into a relationship; we could have taken things slowly.”
The pain started spreading. I didn’t know why his words hurt me. I felt inadequate deep inside, scarred, trying to figure out if there was a way to change the past. I couldn’t offer him much. He would have to teach me how to function as a human.
“I got scared, all right? All of a sudden, I was petrified to have someone there for me, someone who wanted to take care of me,” I shouted, not even knowing why I was raising my voice. That weak, other Maxine was talking then.
Doomed Cases Box Set: The Complete Collection Books 1- 4 & Prequel Page 32
