Doomed Cases Box Set: The Complete Collection Books 1- 4 & Prequel

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  I needed to get in touch with Zach. He was most likely going crazy over the fact that I was arrested in a public place by people who impersonated police officers. I could only hope that the Watchers didn’t dare mess around with his head. Apart from me, no one knew he didn’t have a relief license. That could have got him in a lot of more trouble. Michaelstone only granted one relief license two months ago, and Zach wasn’t even in the system.

  There was a van waiting outside for us, and I was grateful how smoothly things went. Rodriguez had chosen some obscure location near the shipping yard, and the building that I was kept in was abandoned. Paul and Cyril had to almost carry me when I nearly passed out by the van. I felt embarrassed that Watchers had battered me so badly. I was going to destroy Rodriguez, but first I had to cross Alexis off that list.

  I never asked any people close to me for help, and Paul’s rescue mission was very touching. Cyril was driving. I had a feeling that he and Paul knew each other from the past. Yet again, it seemed that I hardly knew anything about the retired Watcher.

  I arched my head backwards and kept on breathing for several minutes until the pain was tolerable. An awkward silence settled between me and Paul. I always considered him a friend. I accepted that he had a complicated past and never pushed him. After that night in the pub, I didn’t know what to believe anymore.

  “How are you doing back there?” he finally asked when Cyril turned and found the main road. I was free, in a lot of pain, but free.

  “I’ll be all right once I get some potions into me,” I answered. “I hope he’s driving back to London.”

  “We are going back to the Broken Shoe; the business is running as normal. I have set up wards in case someone wanted to come in and sniff around,” Paul said. “Max, I owe you an apology, about the wings and everything else.”

  Okay, there it was, the overdue awkward conversation that we had to have. I sighed, thinking there was a lot that we needed to talk about, but I didn’t think I was ready. A lot of things had happened in the past twenty-four hours and listening to Paul’s story might have been a bit too much for me then.

  “Save it. I have my own set of problems,” I said, knowing that I was probably hurting Paul’s feelings, but all I could think about was Summer.

  I couldn’t go after Alexis in the state that I was in. It was killing me not knowing if Summer was all right, but I needed to regenerate my strength. That bitch had all the advantage, but she was falling apart. The next seventy-two hours were crucial. I didn’t believe that she would wait any longer, but I wasn’t sure if she was ready to go through the ritual. “But how did you guys know where to find me?”

  “Cyril received an anonymous message from someone. He showed up in the pub, after demons in the city told him that you like drinking at the Broken Shoe.”

  Anonymous message—what the hell was that supposed to mean?

  “I’m glad that you did rescue me. I would have been dead by morning; that’s what the blond one said,” I muttered.

  I drifted off for a bit and didn’t wake up until Paul carried me upstairs to his flat above the pub. Cyril must have left when I was still asleep. Maybe tomorrow when I was a hundred percent, I could thank him.

  “Why are you doing this, Paul? For years I believed you were retired, that your magic was gone. Why did you have to lie to me?”

  “I swore to a demon who visited me after my sentence to keep an eye on you. It was a deal that I couldn’t turn down. My past doesn’t matter, my angel wings are only a sentiment,” he explained in a serious tone of voice.

  He kicked his door open and we went inside. Once I was sitting on the sofa, covered with blankets, my mind started working again. Shortly after that, I was holding a red potion in my hands, sipping it slowly. The magic would take care of my injuries, and tomorrow I’d wake up feeling all right. It hit me then—Paul was an angel, a fucking real biblical creature sent from Heaven. Many demons had claimed that they met an angel once in their lifetime, and now I was sitting face-to-face with one.

  “A demon? Who was he, and why did he ask you to keep an eye on me?” I asked, thinking about my father. There were too many pieces of the puzzle missing in my story. First some old demon told me to look into the death of my mother, and then Morpheus barged into my life, claiming that Lucifer himself was interested in my soul.

  “I never learnt his name. He helped me when I was down on the bottom, and in exchange, he asked me to keep an eye on you.”

  I shook my head, not knowing what to think anymore. Paul was reluctant to talk about the liquid magic. I was the one who showed up in the pub and asked for it. A few months went by, and I became an addict, and he turned into my supplier. Was he giving me the magic in order to keep an eye on me? Overall this whole thing was messed up.

  “What about the wings? Have you always kept them in the basement?”

  “That night when you showed up, I was going to move them upstairs. A few minutes later, Rodriguez surprised me with his guard,” he said, sounding angry. Well, that made sense, but I still had no idea why Paul was so attached to his past.

  Something started vibrating all of a sudden. Paul handed me my mobile. He’d found it on one of the Watchers, so he brought it with him. Zach was trying to get through to me, and I was glad that everything turned out the way it had.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Fuck, Maxine, are you all right?” he asked, sounding out of breath.

  “Overall, all right, now I just need a few hours sleep to regenerate my strength,” I said, then explained what went on after they took me from the station. Zachary was with Zara in Reading; he was hoping that Nameless could tell him what happened to me. Eventually my battery went dead, and we were cut off.

  Paul left me a glass of wine on the table, silently letting me know that he wasn’t planning to give me magical tequila anymore.

  The last thing I remembered from that night was sitting on his sofa, thinking about the vision from the maze.

  I must have fallen asleep on the sofa, because when I opened my eyes later, it was a bright morning. Paul was sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. I was glad that he came for me, but still confused about his past. I rubbed my sleepy eyes, realising that my ribs must have healed. It was going to take me a few days to fully recover, but my energy was back.

  Paul must have gone back to work last night, after I’d fallen asleep. I didn’t want to wake him. I grabbed what I could and wrote him a short thank you note. Several minutes later I left, and an hour later, I was heading back to Ricky’s apartment in Chelsea. Once I had a bath and changed into clean clothes, I started doing research about any place that resembled the one from my vision. Matilda was keeping Summer in a charm, so the child was unaware of what was happening to her.

  It was an island in the middle of the sea, like Gjöll. The tower seemed familiar, and I had this strange sensation in my gut, like I had been there before. Maybe she was keeping her somewhere in the underworld, or in the crossroads.

  The books didn’t give me any indication of where to go from here. I took a break for a coffee and some food. Ricky’s fridge was empty, but I found a can of beans in the cupboard.

  I had been so absorbed with the hunt for Alexis that I almost forgot about Ricky. He was in the hospital, fighting for his life. I really had to get that reversal spell, and for that, I needed Morpheus. Suddenly I had this crazy idea. I needed to get close to a demon who could take me directly to Lucifer. Morpheus wasn’t going to be much help. Besides, I needed to figure this out on my own.

  I started sifting through the bills, wondering how Ricky managed to keep everything so organised. It was one way to take my mind off mounting thoughts. A black shiny envelope with an odd symbol of a gargoyle caught my attention. There was no return address.

  Inside I found an invitation to Vortex, an exclusive nightclub in east London. Tonight, there was a party going on there that supposedly attracted a lot of important demons, some even from Hell. It was a one in a
million shot, but I guessed that my plans for this evening were sorted.

  Chapter 26

  “Their tears first cluster into frozen buds, and then –as though a crystal visor

  – fill the socket of the eye beneath each brow.”

  ―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

  Zach had left a couple of voicemails and I didn’t call him back. I wanted to but dragging him with me to a party filled mainly with demons didn’t sound like a very good idea after all. I was surprised that he wasn’t waiting outside already. That sensual night connected us emotionally, but for now, I felt that we needed a break from each other. I messed everything up with Arthur, and I was scared to hurt Zach, too.

  Alexis had to die. She had caused so much pain to everyone I loved, and the dark lord himself considered her a threat. There wasn’t any other way around this, but first I needed to figure out where she was hiding.

  All my clothes were still in my flat. I took a few bits and bobs when I left up north, but I needed something appropriate for this evening. Ricky had built a lot of useful contacts over the years. He attended parties to spread word about our business. I dealt with the more practical approach. Vortex was considered the creme de la creme of demonic society. I was hoping that at least one person at the party could take me down to the boss himself. It was a hell of a risk, but I needed to get Ricky back. I owed him for everything good that happened in my life.

  It was time to take matters into my own hands, and if necessary, make another deal with the master of the underworld. I didn’t have much money, but a shopping trip was necessary. An hour later, I was back in the apartment with some black trousers and a low-cut top.

  I could barely walk in the heels that Morpheus had picked up for me earlier. Now I was doing this my way. Too many things went wrong in the past. I had to nail Alexis and find that damn spell that could save Ricky’s life. Those two things were possible, but only if I was standing face-to-face with Lucifer. There was a reason he asked for me, and I was ready to offer myself to him on a silver platter.

  Close to eight, I put on the new trousers, added my old boots, and I was ready to face the dark lord himself. There was no point worrying and calculating what I could have done. I’d lived a good life on Earth, but I was ready to give it all up, knowing that my daughter would be safe.

  The streets were busy, men rushing to get home on time, mothers pushing prams with children. Humans had such a simple life, and I wished that I had fully embraced it when it was still possible. My mother had died, and my abilities started to get out of control, so I’d asked for help.

  I switched off my phone leaving the Kingsland station, then headed on foot toward the street filled with clubs. Vortex was amongst a few on the same street. The mixed clientele attracted a lot of demons, and the main thing was, that I had an invitation. Part of me was unsure if any of the seven leading demons would show up today. Only Berith, Mammon, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Beelzebub, or Astaroth could take me to Lucifer. I just had to be convincing enough.

  My stomach was in knots as I walked through the busy road, passing humans who were heading over to the party. I hadn’t stopped since Gjöll. Action spoke louder than words, as someone once said.

  I spotted a few Watchers patrolling the streets. I crossed the street and vanished inside a shop, just so I could avoid them. After the incident in Victoria, I wanted to stay off their radar. Rodriguez was most likely looking for me again. He’d crossed me too many times, and I’d had enough when he locked me up in a cage. He was going to pay for everything. I was going to make sure of it.

  Waves of my energy slid down my body, alerting me that in this area, every second person was a demon. I waited on the other side of the road for a bit, observing the entrance. It was a very important event to anyone who wanted to matter in the upcoming election in Hell. I had no doubt that at least one of the seven demons would show. Ricky had once told me that he met Berith himself at one of the events. I just needed to believe that tonight was going to be my lucky day.

  Part of me knew that Berith was Lucifer’s second-hand guy, so it was going to be pretty tough for me to get an opportunity to talk to him. Either way I had to give it a go.

  I stood outside for at least twenty minutes. A few cars stopped, and a few elegant demons walked inside. I saw beautiful human women strolling inside with their demon companions.

  I glanced at my watch: the party was just about to start. Finally, after some time, I spotted the head of Mammon’s faction, who greeted demons standing outside. Rodriguez had made up accusations against me. He didn’t have any evidence, and that one incident with Arthur wasn’t going to change anything. Everyone was nervous about the election, and I had a feeling that some demons would want to see Rodriguez go down. Mongrel or not, I had information that they all could use.

  A few deep breaths later, I crossed the road and handed my invitation to the bouncer at the door. He was human, and he didn’t care about the fact that it was Ricky’s invitation, and I wasn’t even supposed to be at the party. Inside, an elegant waiter told me to follow the stairs up to the first floor. Nerves were getting to me when a stream of energy began dancing around me. A waitress smiled at me when I entered the large room on the first floor. It was busy, and I had already counted at least a dozen demons in small groups that spread around this big space. The band on stage played soft jazz music.

  I grabbed a glass of champagne that I wasn’t intending to drink and began looking for a demon who was considered the most powerful. Demons were staring, and some didn’t look happy seeing me strolling around like I fit in. Obviously, they weren’t expecting to see any mongrels at such a significant event. There were some snippets and whispers from the group by the bar. I wasn’t welcome in here, but I didn’t give a fuck. My invite was legit.

  “Do you know if Berith is going to make an appearance tonight?” I asked one of the demons from Leviathan’s faction. He was wearing an expensive suit, and his watch cost more than I paid in rent for a year.

  “Not sure. There were rumours that he’s too busy preparing his candidate for the upcoming election,” the demon said. “Besides, he wouldn’t waste his time with you, mongrel girl.”

  “We will see about that,” I snapped, ignoring his obnoxious attitude.

  “Disgraceful. I think I might have to make a formal complaint to the organisers,” he added, summoning his power. “Scum like you shouldn’t be let into places like this.”

  I laughed, pretending I didn’t care about his comment. Yeah, that pissed him off even more, but I was already walking away. My confidence was shrinking, but I wasn’t planning to leave until I got what I wanted.

  “Beelzebub intends to put forward someone from the parliament. He was instructed by Lucifer to prep the guy for a debate. I believe that John has a huge chance to become the new head of Beelzebub faction,” one of the demons said proudly, standing in a small group with others. I kept wondering why the current head of Beelzebub faction wasn’t involved in this conversation. He was standing by the bar, talking to a human waitress. That’s why I kept away from politics.

  I drank my champagne in one go, masking my nerves. I was feeling lost. The alcohol wasn’t relaxing me anymore, and my energy was pounding in my ears.

  “Hey, my name is Maxine Brodeur,” I said, approaching the current head of Beelzebub faction, cutting to the chase. He was a handsome demon, with gracious green eyes and a clean-shaven jaw. He glanced at me in surprise, measuring my colourful highlights.

  “A mongrel? I believe there has been some mistake. This party is—”

  “I have an invitation, so no, this isn’t a mistake.” I cut him off, feeling drunk. Okay, maybe I wasn’t supposed to drink, but it was too late. “Can we talk somewhere more private? I have certain information that might be useful to you.”

  The demon stared at me for more than a minute without a word. I presumed that Lucifer was trying to sift through the entire faction and pick up new leaders. Rodriguez was going down and so
was the demon in front of me.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Brodeur, I don’t think that I want to waste my time with someone insignificant like you,” the demon stated, and his lips curled into a nasty smile. “I suggested you leave before you get thrown out. This party is for demons only.”

  I didn’t let him see that he had gotten to me, so I simply smiled and walked away. Well, what was I expecting? No one was going to take me seriously around here. Demons were too fucking arrogant to see beyond their own over-the-top egos. I went to the bar and asked for a double tequila, thinking that this should boost my confidence.

  It didn’t help that the barman was a mongrel, too. He gave me the drink and a look that said:

  “Go back where you came from. This bunch is too upscale to even consider listening to a mongrel girl.”

  I didn’t need him to feel sorry for me, but I was slowly losing my patience. None of the seven demons had showed up yet. Ricky didn’t have much time left, and I was determined not to let him die.

  I glanced at my sparkling fingers and cursed, aware that I wasn’t controlling myself very well around so many demons. A bead of sweat rolled down my face, and I exhaled sharply.

  Then I saw him. It was Berith himself, walking across the room, several meters away from me. He must have only just arrived. So far, I had only seen him on the illustration of books. He was over six foot, tanned, with a wide chest and looked a lot like a Greek god. The tiny voice in my head reminded me that he wouldn’t be here without guards. A few demons glanced over, and a wave of excitement circulated around the room. I’d heard rumours that he was one of Lucifer’s favourites.