“Are you ready to destroy yourself and your family? This child was our curse, and she has a much better life now than she would have if I had kept her. Just accept it, please. I’m begging you, Arthur,” I said, realising that my skin was heating up, flaring up with electrifying energy.
Summer wasn’t a cursed child, but I had to make him believe that she was his downfall. A few weeks ago, he was in my apartment, telling me how much he loved me. Now we were more apart that ever before. His emotions were shadowed by grief.
“All this time, I thought there was something between us, but you only used me. Do you think I’m stupid and didn’t see what you were doing? You became head of security because you knew you could get close to me. Your motives had always been clear, Max, I finally understand,” he said, and his lips curled in a nasty smile. Arthur’s decent soul had shifted. He wasn’t the man I’d fallen for, but had become a stranger. He of all the people should have known that this was never about his position or wealth. The man that stood in front of me had just called me a gold-digging whore. I couldn’t accept that.
It took me a moment to make a decision. A second later I slapped him hard. My palm left a red mark on his cheek. He was immune to my magic, but not to pain. The impact made him lose his balance slightly. Anger was boiling my blood, but I didn’t want to show it. The slap was enough, and I automatically felt guilty. I began walking away, knowing that I didn’t really defuse this situation. I probably made it worse.
“Watch out, Maxine. I’m not giving up. Never will,” he shouted, bringing more attention to himself. Some of the humans thought they recognised him from somewhere; others thought that he was crazy.
I ignored him and carried on walking. My hands were shaking when I entered the clinic again. Arthur’s determination was worrying, but I couldn’t keep running after him, trying to make him understand that I had no other choice. Summer was in danger, and I had to stop Alexis before it was too late.
When I passed the corridor that led to Ricky’s room, Emma and Judith were still there. Sudden guilt stabbed me in the back again, so I headed to the second floor to see if Zachary had managed to restrain himself from killing Nameless. I spotted him outside on the bench, his face in his palms. My stomach made a funny jolt, reminding me about that day in the tunnels. Zach had easily fallen apart then, and now he was going through the same trauma.
I sat beside him, rubbing the nape of my neck. Small talk, I had never been good at it. Zachary had finally found his sister, but she was unrecognisable. I couldn’t bear to know what he was going through.
“How are you doing?” I asked softly.
“I have tried telling her about Cornelia, and Mum. She isn’t responding, and I don’t know how to help her. What’s wrong with her?” he asked. I took his palm into mine, aware of the heat that licked my chest. The spark between us was still there, but in a situation like that, I was barely able to acknowledge it.
“She has been spellbound by Alexis, and I don’t think anyone in the clinic can help her,” I said.
He lifted himself up and looked at me like he didn’t understand the words that came out of my mouth.
“So, we need that witch in order to save my sister?”
“She is the answer to our problems.” I sighed, telling myself that I needed to forget about my deal. Summer, Ricky, and now Zara were more important. My soul had been doomed from the moment I stepped into the palace. “We have to find her, before she kills again.”
“Then what are we waiting for? I’m willing to do anything for Zara.”
“I have a plan, but it’s complex and dangerous,” I said, aware that I had to do this on my own. Zach couldn’t get involved. The Forgotten Street, Warlock magic, and demons were my problem, not his.
“Count me in, I want to help.”
“Me too, wherever you are going, you must take me with you,” Emma said, appearing in front of me all of a sudden. That look of determination on her face was concerning. Morpheus mentioned that I shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help, but my friends were only humans. I couldn’t put them in danger.
I smoothed my tangled hair and smiled at Emma.
“Don’t worry about it, Emma. I’m not going anywhere. How is Ricky?”
Emma placed her hands on her hips and gave me that look, which said she was done with my bullshit.
“Max, your child is in grave danger, Ricky is dying, and you’re pretending that you have everything under control. I want to be involved. I think you’re forgetting that I’m a mother, too, and Ricky is my friend,” she blurted out.
Of course, she felt obligated to help me.
“Guys, think about this. I’m just a mongrel. My own magic fails to protect me. Besides, Suzi needs a mother. My whole plan is shaky. Zach, I don’t want to—”
“No, Flower, no offense, but you can’t decide for us. We are in this together,” Zach barked, rising. “If Emma wants to help us, then you should accept it and be grateful.”
His words shook me a little. I wasn’t expecting him to defend Emma. The truth was that my time was running out. My connection with Matilda was gone. Alexis was out there, tracking my daughter. I had to stop her.
“Fine, I have warned you both. You’re getting involved at your own risk,” I said with anger. They didn’t realise that demons wouldn’t hesitate to hurt them and their loved ones.
Emma looked relieved, and Zach only nodded. We headed out, and on the way, I spotted Judith. She was talking to the receptionist. She gave me a death stare, and I was glad that we avoided yet another confrontation. Zach had to go back to the station; he still had his job, and Emma was still taking care of the clients in the office.
I didn’t have time to worry about my business, but I was somehow glad that Emma took time to reassure clients that we hadn’t abandoned them completely.
In the end, the three of us agreed to meet at Hackney Station just after dark. We were planning to work out the details later on. Getting back to my own shitty flat wasn’t something I wanted to do. Rodriguez wasn’t going to give up. He wanted to question me. As far as I was concerned, he and the royals could go to Hell. Summer was my daughter, and I didn’t want to waste my time on answering irrelevant questions.
Heaviness settled on my heart when I entered Ricky’s apartment an hour later. I missed him telling me off, missed the fact that maybe he could never again push me to do what was right or lift my spirits up.
I went straight to his small bar and poured myself a shot of vodka. I was just about to drink it, when I noticed a red sheet of paper in front of me with my name on it. When I lifted it up, I already knew that Morpheus had left this message here for me. I would recognise the symbol of Hell anywhere.
Follow the mongrel in a red coat. She is rushing through the crowded bridge. No one is paying attention to her, and she uses the ignorance of humans to her advantage. Follow her, and you will find the way to the Forgotten Street. Use your chance tonight, after sunset.
M.
Chapter 7
“When any soul abandons savagely its body, rending self by self away,
Minos consigns it to the seventh gulf”
―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
These instructions weren’t clear. There were hundreds of crowded bridges in London. I had no idea why Morpheus didn’t just tell me where I was supposed to find that mongrel in the red coat. Lucifer was intent on making this test difficult for me. I had a few ideas about the location of the Forgotten Street, but nothing concrete. I remembered that a couple of weeks ago, Ricky mentioned an upcoming election in Hell. Maybe the dark lord was ready to shift things around downstairs in case of an uprising. I didn’t think there was a demon out there who could challenge him, but anything was possible during these shaky times. Either way, I had to figure this puzzle quickly.
After some time, I started tidying up Ricky’s apartment to take my mind off pressing matters. Ricky was very proud of his space and he hated a mess. I looked at some of his photo collectio
ns of miniature classic cars, regretting that I never asked Matilda for a photo of Summer. Until this moment, I hadn’t realized I had no idea what she looked like. I was too afraid to keep her photos in my flat and now, after everything that happened, it was a good idea. Matilda had written to me often, giving me updates about Summer’s development. We had a mutual understanding and, until Alexis got involved, this worked out well for both of us. As far as Summer was concerned, Matilda was her only mother.
By the time the apartment was clean, I was slightly tipsy. The small bottle of vodka was half empty. Paul hadn’t seen me in Broken Shoe since that unfortunate night when I followed Zara all the way to Gjöll. The craving for magical tequila had left me shaky, but with all that was going on, I didn’t want to start drinking magic again. I had to be completely focused if I was planning to go after Alexis.
The human alcohol numbed the guilt a little, but it didn’t get rid of it completely. After doing some more research, I decided to change the location of my meeting with Emma and Zach. Arthur wouldn’t just leave me alone, and I needed to make sure he wouldn’t be following me around this evening. I rubbed my sweaty palms, wondering how I was going to get in touch with Matilda in the area ruled only by Warlocks without getting myself killed first. This task seemed almost impossible.
Brixton seemed quiet on a Tuesday night. Not many people were out and about. I told Zach and Emma to meet me in my local pub. I wanted to believe that Arthur wouldn’t look for me there. As I walked through the busy streets, my energy became more sensitive, tingling throughout my entire body. I had to be vigilant, as Watchers were patrolling the streets. Most of them were connected to Rodriguez and I had to avoid getting caught.
I entered the Broken Shoe just before eight, feeling nervous about tonight. Ricky’s demonic books indicated that Warlocks were banished from Earth several years ago, and that there weren’t many of them left. A crazy thought had been circulating in my head from the moment I walked outside. Morpheus’s message seemed complicated, but the more I thought about it, the answer was right in front of me.
The pub was almost empty. Devlin greeted me by one of the tables asking if I’d play cards tonight.
“No, I’m busy,” I told him, knowing that I might never have this opportunity again. That was okay, I didn’t have any more money to throw away. I wasn’t going to earn any cash anytime soon, so this was a good time to stop playing altogether.
“What’s going on with Maxine these days?” Paul asked, looking surprised to see me. The word on the street must have spread, and I bet that many demons believed Ricky was already dead.
“I have fucked up big time, Paul,” I responded, thinking about my partner. “And tonight, I’m going to try to fix everything.”
A second later Zachary walked through the door, and a dose of unexpected lust curled up my toes.
“Trouble, Maxine, that man is trouble. No matter what, just keep your head above the water,” Paul muttered and went back to polishing his glasses. I had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Paul had always been mysterious.
Zach looked delicious in a leather jacket and cowboy boots. He must have stopped shaving for a little while, and I only just noticed how good he looked with his dark facial hair. My heart danced in my chest, sending me to another dimension. A second later I shook my head, telling myself there was no point even thinking about hooking up with him. My future was very much doomed. I’d hurt one man enough already, and Zach deserved someone better than me.
Emma was right behind him. I was so glad that she wore jeans and T-shirt and not one of her colourful dresses. She smiled at almost every customer and greeted Paul like he was her long-lost friend.
“Right, I hope there is a reason why you decided to meet up in here?” Zach questioned me.
“Oh, I love places like this. This pub has so much character,” Emma said, walking around and smiling at a group of demons. “This whole thing is so exciting.”
“No particular reason. I just wanted to make sure that we wouldn’t be interrupted. Arthur has been stalking me lately.” I grabbed Emma before one of Devlin’s buddies had a chance to pick her up. “Let’s move. We have to be at London Bridge in forty minutes.”
The craving for tequila was slowly paralysing me. Paul was still staring back at me with that concerned look on his face. I could ask him to give me a small bottle of liquid magic, just so I could take the edge off the stress. I thought that a strong drink would mask the fact that I was scared. Failing wasn’t an option, but so far nothing was going according to plan. Entering the Forgotten Street wasn’t going to be easy, and Alexis had the advantage over me. I had to stay sober and focused. Besides, I felt better knowing that I could rely on my own magic.
“That sounds about right. Arthur has cut me off,” Zach said as we got outside. “He told my boss to keep me out of the royals’ business. I wouldn’t be surprised if I get demoted.”
“He is planning to announce to the world that he has a bastard child,” I muttered, knowing that Rodriguez would have to eliminate him if he knew about Summer.
“Sorry, Flower, but I don’t think he has the guts to go through with something like that. On a positive note, my boss seemed relieved that we don’t have to deal with royal drama anymore.” Zach chuckled. He didn’t seem to worry that his career was in jeopardy.
Arthur was trying to make my life difficult, and so far, he was succeeding. Right then, I had too much on my mind to worry about him. He didn’t get it that I was trying to protect him.
We started walking through Brixton, heading to the tube station. My gut feeling told me that Morpheus wanted me to head over to the London Bridge. Maybe this theory was completely crazy, but there were always crowds of people on that bridge. The place seemed significant. I remembered reading somewhere that one of the demons had managed to expand his own abilities during some crazy ritual by standing right in the middle of it. His theory was that the bridge was situated above the central point of one of the entrances to Hell.
“We need to focus on this task. We are looking for a mongrel in a red coat. She is going to lead us straight to the Forgotten Street,” I said, convinced that I had managed to de-code Morpheus’s message correctly. Zach nodded, but didn’t say anything. Emma started asking me all sorts of questions. I was glad that we didn’t have to talk once we left the underground. The central station was very busy, and as usual, I had to block human emotions out, just so I could keep on going. We were back in central London just after sunset.
“Is that your plan? I thought we were going after that bitch, Alexis,” Zach asked, sounding uncertain.
“I had a tip-off that she’s heading over there. She is aware that Matilda is hiding Summer amongst her kind. The mongrel in a red coat is going to lead us to the Forgotten Street.”
“Gotcha. We have to locate a half demon with a red coat. This is pretty simple, but do we know what will happen after that?” Emma asked, rubbing her long fingers. “I mean, how do we enter this gate?”
“I have no idea, Emma. I have a limited amount of information,” I explained, only now realising that my plan was very shaky. I had no idea where I was heading, and on top of that, I was dragging two humans with me, straight into possible danger. “Maybe you should reconsider. Think about Suzi. Have you thought about what would happen to her if you get hurt?”
“I want to help, Maxine, so please stop making me feel guilty,” Emma said. Well, she was right. I had been trying to make her feel guilty. She was risking her life for me.
It didn’t take us long to get to the bridge. As I suspected, the pathway was heaving with people. There was congestion, and some drivers were screaming at each other. We passed a lot of men with suits and briefcases. Sudden unease settled in my stomach. I was taking a gamble, maybe reading too much into Morpheus’s instructions.
“All right, I’m sorry, but I’m worried,” I said stopping just by the bridge, looking around and waiting for something to happen. My head was tangled with the human
emotions around me. Everyone was rushing somewhere. I felt suffocated, surrounded by tourists and ordinary Londoners.
Minutes passed, and a few humans glanced at us when I reached out for my demonic power. We most likely looked odd standing in this crowded spot and not doing anything.
The wind picked up, ruffling my hair. Suddenly I felt like someone had squeezed my lungs, punching all the oxygen out of me. Scorching heat swam through me, the energy rolled over my back. I felt like my chest cracked open. I couldn’t breathe, hearing how my heart pounded in my ears. I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t make a sound. A split second later, a mongrel wearing a long elegant red coat passed by, heading toward the bridge. She had shiny blond hair and a purple umbrella in her hand. It looked like Zach was telling Emma a joke, because she was laughing out loud. No one noticed my distress. The odd sensation left me as quickly as it appeared. Confusion filled my head as I tried to calm down.
Sudden lightning broke over the sky, and the sound of thunder followed several seconds later. It seemed like all of a sudden, the sky cracked open and rain poured down. People on the bridge started running, men with suits covered their heads with briefcases, trying to escape the heavy downpour. Tourists began heading in opposite directions. Some children were crying as their mothers hurried them away.
Once the oxygen began flowing through my system again, I grabbed Zach’s arm and shouted.
“I see her. Come on, let’s start moving!”
I kept staring at the woman in the red coat. She was moving quickly between people who were trying to escape from the rain. A moment later, she stopped, opened her umbrella and then carried on walking.
Zach looked at me in confusion. “What? I can’t see anyone. What are you talking about, Maxine? We are getting soaked.” He tried to stop me when I walked to the bridge, but he didn’t understand anything. The woman in a red coat kept walking. She was right there in front of me, almost dancing in the rain. Zach and Emma were shouting after me to stop.
Doomed Cases Box Set: The Complete Collection Books 1- 4 & Prequel Page 54
