"Eat your cake," she said as she poured Lenny a cup of tea.
"How do you know what I am?" Lenny made no move to eat the cake in front of her.
"Please, eat your cake." The demon glared at her.
Lenny got the impression that the demon would be offended if she had to ask her again. She spread the napkin across her lap and lifted her fork. She took a forkful of cake and brought it to her lips. The sweet frosting filled her mouth, and she swallowed without chewing. The demon looked on with satisfaction as Lenny took another bite. She finished the whole piece before she looked down and saw the snake winding its slithering body around the crumb-filled plate. She pushed herself back away from the table and watched as Polly picked the snake up without hesitation.
She brought the reptile up to her face and gave it a kiss as it wound itself around her fingers. She turned her attention back to Lenny.
"You see, shifter, even things that seem sweet may have something dark waiting behind them. And things that seem dark and frightening can sometimes hide the sweetest purpose." Polly gestured to the dark forest surrounding them.
"What are you saying?" Lenny said, getting frustrated, even though she was still afraid of the demon.
"I'm saying that even though you may think this 'Father' character is a saint, he is really just a snake in saint's clothing. You are more than all of that, Lenny. You don't need to follow some ridiculous false messiah in blue jeans in order to find your place. You have a place where you belong. Unfortunately, you just can't see it yet. Also, I need your help."
"What the hell can I help you with?"
Polly laughed a deep, throaty guffaw. "Hell is correct, shifter. I am Apollyon, the First Knight of Hell, and I am something of a bounty hunter. I track down escaped demons and such. This time I need help. I need your help to be specific."
"I'm just a regular girl. What can I do?"
"You are so much more than a regular girl. You have a pretty cool power that would allow you to do and have whatever you want. You just need to use it. But that is not the only reason I came to see you today. You are something special, and my boss thinks I can use your help to capture a djinn by the name of Demas. He is a particularly nasty one that did a lot of damage in your old neck of the woods."
"Do you mean the camp?"
"Yes, I do. Do you remember a girl named Laura?"
"Yeah, she disappeared one night. I figured she got tired and decided to go back to her home."
"Eh … not so much. Demas got hold of her and killed her. He ate most of the parts that could be identified, so what's left of her is still sitting in the morgue."
"Oh my God. He ate her?"
"Easy with the 'G' word." Polly winced. She had no real problems with the big man upstairs, but she also didn't want to go pick out curtains with the guy, either.
"What can I do?" Lenny asked again.
"You can find out some information about this Father character and let us know why he is hiding a djinn in his church. I'm getting the feeling that there are more than a couple monsters hiding there."
The dark forest around her seemed to be closing in and Lenny found herself having trouble catching her breath. "What do you mean monsters?"
"Demas is not the only soul that escaped, and I need to get some intel from an insider. That insider being you. But you have to trust me."
With that, Polly made a sweeping gesture. The darkness faded away and light took its place. Leaves sprouted on all the trees, and grass replaced the dead vines that covered the forest floor. Suddenly, the forest no longer seemed frightening and ominous; it seemed full of life and hope.
"How can I trust you? You're a demon."
"I think it is a lesser-of-two-evils situation for you, Lenny. You can trust me, the one who is looking out for you, or you can trust that whack-job preacher of yours that was planning on riding you like a hobby horse earlier today."
"Father would never…," Lenny trailed off, cementing Polly's suspicion that she was not fully indoctrinated like the rest of those mindless puppets at the Children of Light.
"Wouldn't he?"
"No. He isn't like that. He gave me a home with the others. I may be naïve, but I'm not stupid. Father loves me."
"Well, he would like to."
"You are sick. This is what Father warned us about. People that say disgusting things to try and sway us all from believing in him. Sick."
Polly reached over and took hold of Lenny's hand without saying a word. The girl winced as she had a vision inside of her dream. In the vision, she saw Hershel sitting in his room at the end of his bed beside a fourteen-year-old girl she knew was named Marissa. Marissa was wearing a T-shirt and underwear, and Hershel was in a dark blue robe. He reached over and placed a hand on Marissa's bare thigh. The girl looked frightened and confused. Hershel moved his hand up to her face and pulled her toward him. She tried to resist but he held fast.
"You love your messiah, don't you?"
"Yes, Father," the girl replied shakily.
"Then show me you'll do anything to please Father."
He leaned in as he pulled her face to his, placing a hand on her shoulder.
At that point, Lenny had seen enough. She pulled her hand from Polly's grasp and shook her head.
"That can't be true."
"Ah, but it is. She took your place after I came in and talked with you." Polly looked at Lenny and saw a twinge of guilt in the girl's eyes. "Look, I'm a demon, and even I can't get behind that crap. Hershel is skeevy beyond words. He is worse than a lot of demons I know, and they are pretty shitty."
"I don't believe you. This is a test. Father said I might be tested." Lenny folded her hands and shook her head, but she seemed less than stern in her resolve.
"I don't know about you, but I've never been big on tests. Look, I have no reason to lie to you. I need your help, and that's it. We don't have to be girlfriends or anything."
Lenny shot a suspicious look at Polly. "What exactly do you need from me?"
"Easy stuff. First of all, I need you to help catch Demas."
"Are you out of your mind? Didn't you just say that he ate those other girls?"
"I would be there to protect you. If you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of a big deal." Polly chuckled at her own joke, hoping that a bit of self-deprecating humor might loosen the girl up a little.
"I can't be involved in any of this. You want me to put myself in the path of a demon-dash thing that eats people so that you can collect a bounty?"
"No, that's only part of it. Hell could definitely use someone with your talents. You have a pretty clean soul, and we could benefit from a person that isn't jaded like most of the demons working for us."
"Now you want me to work with you in Hell? I have to say, you are painting an awfully nice picture of this whole proposition. How could I possibly resist?" Lenny said, rolling her eyes.
"Good, it's settled then."
"No, it is not. What do I get out of this?"
"Aha, there's the little street urchin I knew was in there. I'll tell you what's in it for you. You get to find out who you are and where you came from, you get a steady job, you get to have a pretty cool boss, and you get to work with me. What more could you ask for?"
Lenny sat up straight at the delicate tea table, trying to look tough. "I'll need to talk to your boss first."
"Ooh, you want to go straight to the top, huh? Feisty little thing once you get your footing, aren't you?" Polly leaned forward and folded her arms on the table. "I'll tell you what, shifter, if you can get yourself away from those goons at the Children of Light and meet me at the coffee shop on 3rd Street, I'll take you to meet the boss. You are gonna love her."
"Her?"
With that, Polly was gone and Lenny was wide awake in her room at the complex. She lay there for a few minutes, trying to decide if anything that had just happened in her head was real. She decided to take a risk and see what happened.
Chapter 9
The young girl walked down the hall toward t
he door at the end of the complex. She was not used to the lighter frame that she now wore. Shifting into a new person always took a short adjustment period. It was the same as putting on a new outfit that didn't fit quite right. You knew it would feel better in a while, but for the first few hours, it was a little stiff and uncomfortable.
"Hey, Marissa!" a young man yelled from behind her. "Marissa," he called out again, louder.
She finally realized that he was calling out to her, and she turned around to see who was following. It was Ronnie, a pimply-faced teenaged kid who seemed to be head over heels for Marissa.
"Hey, Ronnie, what's up?"
"I just wanted to see if you would maybe sit with me at services tonight?" He shuffled his feet nervously and spent most of the time staring at the tops of his shoes.
"Um, yeah sure, I'll sit with you."
She thought Ronnie might actually come out of his skin as much as he was vibrating with excitement.
"Okay! Cool then." The boy coughed and tried to calm himself. "I'll see you at service then. Bless Father."
Ronnie smiled so hard she was sure his teeth would pop right out of his face before he turned away and jogged back down the hall.
She continued on her way toward Father's office. As she finally approached the door, Joseph stepped out of the shadows.
"What can I do for you, Marissa?" he said with a tone that was ominous, but still managed to sound friendly.
"I just need to see Father for a minute."
"You know that no one can see Father without being asked."
"I was hoping I could talk to him about something important. Could you please ask him if he'll talk to me?"
"He doesn't need to be bothered." Joseph was getting agitated, but she needed to get in there.
"Please?" She smiled and turned on all the charm she could muster.
Joseph sighed heavily, but she could tell that she had cracked his shell, if only slightly.
"Wait right here."
He opened the door just enough to squeeze his body through and closed it quickly behind him. After a few minutes, he reemerged.
"Go in, but only for a minute," Joseph admonished.
"Thank you." She walked slowly through the door as he held it open just long enough for her to slip inside.
"Father?" she asked, surveying the dimly lit room.
"Come in, Marissa. Sit with me." His shadowy figure motioned to her.
She crossed the room and took a seat next to Father on the brown leather sofa.
"I just needed to see you, Father."
She wasn't sure what to say to the man that she had so much admiration for. She already knew inside what she was going to find out, but she needed proof.
"Of course, my child. You did very well last night in showing your devotion and love for your savior. I was very pleased."
"It felt strange. Good, but strange."
"It is natural to feel that way the first time. We'll have plenty of time together to explore your faith. Trust me."
He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, darting his tongue between her lips. At that moment, she knew everything Polly had told her was true. She felt a rock drop in the pit of her stomach, and her head started to spin.
"Go now, child. I'll summon you when I need you."
Even though she had not done anything the night before with the man she called Father, she felt dirty and used. She left the room and headed down the hall, feeling like she could not get far enough away from Hershel.
As she turned the next corner, she dropped the visage of the young girl and assumed the form of Joseph.
Everyone in the complex gave her a wide berth. They were all afraid of Father's right-hand man. She heard people whispering about how Joseph was one of the Faithful and how he used to be a convict or something. There were no interruptions as she stepped out of the complex and onto the street. People walked back and forth along the sidewalk, paying no attention to the imposing figure standing there.
"Outside of Children of Light, he is nothing," Lenny whispered to herself in Joseph's voice.
She headed down the avenue toward the coffee shop on 3rd.
A pretty, dark haired woman looked her up and down. "Hey there. You looking for a date?"
"No."
The woman turned away. "Suit yourself."
Lenny felt a slight twinge in her head when she made eye contact with the woman. There was something strange about her, like she wasn't quite human. Lenny was no longer sure about anyone anymore.
What the hell am I getting myself into? She quickened her stride against the warm afternoon sun on her way to meet a demon in a greasy diner about a new job in Hell.
Chapter 10
A light chill to the early evening breeze made Drew wish she'd opted to bring a sweater with her. She'd been warm enough up until the sun had begun to set, but now that the shadows grew and the light faded, her halter top and short shorts began to feel less than adequate.
Best to tough it out.
Home was a five-block walk from there, and her pimp stood somewhere between the two locations. She'd learned long ago not to cross him with an empty wallet. The man had a short fuse and a dangerous temper. He did protect her, though, and Drew knew there were worse things roaming the streets than rapists and murderers. Didn't make him any more likeable; there was always a price to pay if he had to get off his lazy ass and intervene.
"The bastard," she breathed.
A sporty two-door approached, and she bent over to pretend she needed to fix her stockings. She could feel the approaching vibe from half a block away, and this one was definitely on the prowl for a trick. She turned with a smile as a clean-cut thirty-something pulled to the curb.
"Hello, sweetheart." She leaned into the open passenger window, giving him a good show of cleavage.
The man's smile matched hers. "Hello."
"Looking for a date?"
He gave a show of contemplation. "How much?"
"You a cop?"
"Do I look like a cop?"
She shrugged. "Maybe."
"I got twenty on me."
She slid into the passenger seat, his lie smelling like burning leaves. Perfect. The night might be salvageable after all, cold aside. With a sideways glance that said she meant business, she said, "Pull into the alleyway just down to the right."
He revved the engine before throwing the car into drive and pulling out. This one had an ego to boot. An amused chuckle managed to escape her.
"What?" he asked, still grinning ear to ear.
"Oh, you're just cute is all." She gripped his thigh, and he squirmed in his seat. The smell of lust, like overripe peaches, flushed away the burning leaves that lingered in the back of her nose. She savored it when it hit her tongue, bittersweet.
The car stopped and the young man killed the engine. He looked around, a hint of nervousness tainting the air. "You sure we're okay here?"
"We're fine. Twenty bucks will get you a B.J."
Instead of replying, he unbuttoned his slacks and fidgeted with the zipper.
"I wanna see the money first."
He shifted to grab his wallet, oblivious to the stun gun she'd pulled from her purse. By the time he saw it, she had his body convulsing with 20,000 volts streaming into his side. The wallet dropped into his lap, and she snatched it while he struggled to recover.
A quick peek revealed a small wad of twenties, which she stuffed into her purse.
"Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm on the wagon." She gave him a peck on the cheek, another quick jolt, and then hurried off. It took real talent to run in heels, especially as quickly as she could move, and by the time the poor john was able to start his car and back out, she was long gone.
She discretely counted the money while she turned the corner and disappeared into a fast food restaurant. With as much as she'd scored, the rest of the night—or at least until J. D. caught up with her—was hers to enjoy.
For the moment, there was a chocolate milkshake and a la
rge order of fries with her name on them.
She took her food to a booth in the corner, where she could see the entire dining room and both doors leading to the street. Always have your back to the wall and one ear to the floor, she'd been taught. Good advice, even for girls who weren't picking up guys and robbing them blind every night.
She used to turn actual tricks—a legitimate working girl—but the practice had gotten her into far more trouble than it was worth. It wasn't the sex; it was the frequency of it. One would think prostitution would be the perfect gig for a succubus. Turned out, though, that too much soul sucking got addictive—and fast. The more she did it, the more she needed it, and her body just couldn't take that kind of abuse.
The room fell a shade darker, the air going musty and thick, as the far door opened and a man dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt stepped inside. His soul had a strange darkness to it, something she'd never quite seen before, which told her he wasn't a typical person. He might not even be human, and whatever he did happen to be, it likely wasn't good. He surveyed the room before going to the counter and ordering a soft drink, nothing more, before casually inviting himself to Drew's booth.
He gestured to the plush seat across the table from her. "May I?"
Her eyebrows drew together while she struggled to place his scent. It wasn't desire or lust or any of the other stenches that came with most johns; this one was wholly unfamiliar. Whatever it was, it was murky and dirty and not in the least bit pleasant. She hoped if she was dismissive enough, he'd decide she wasn't worth his time. She definitely wasn't going to let on that she could tell he was hunting her.
"I saw you on the street, and I—"
"I'm not working right now, so you can save it."
He sat, taking a sip of his drink. "I couldn't help but see the distress on your face. I can tell you're in a bad place, and I'd like to help."
She laughed. "I've seen Pretty Woman, and you're no Richard Gere."
He took another sip then reached across the table, falling just short of her arm. "My name's Kevin. I work at a shelter. You'll be safe there."
The scent of deception emanated all around him. Mold and oil.
Cast In Blood: Revelations Series Book 1: Page 4
