I wanted to tell her she was wrong, but of course, she wasn’t.
“I guess it doesn’t make much sense to ask if you’re one of—us,” I said, leaning closer to her. “That’s how you knew my name and what I wanted to eat. And how you ordered for us with your mind.”
She laughed lightly.
“I guessed your order correctly, because Drunken Noodles is one of our most popular dishes. And because your menu is open to the page where it is listed. And because I know it is your favorite Thai meal.”
“How do you know that?” I said, trying to look nonchalant as I sipped the water that had suddenly appeared in front of me.
“I have watched you for some time now, and I have long admired your gift for music.”
Now it was my turn to laugh.
“You’re one of the few,” I said. “The only song that ever went anywhere was Yeah, Yeah. I don’t think anyone even listened to the other tracks on the album. And I hope you don’t like the songs on my new record. They’re not even mine.”
“All music has a place and a purpose in this world, even if we do not immediately divine what that may be.”
“Enlighten me as to the value of a tune called Yeah, Yeah, No, No, Maybe,” I said with a flat smile.
“Your song still brings joy to many people, and that is no small blessing.”
Maybe she was right about the joy part, but although Yeah, Yeah was my biggest success, it was also a constant reminder of my life’s failure. But I wasn’t there to talk about my failed music career.
“I’m getting out of here as soon as I can,” I said. “Any help you can provide would be appreciated.”
“You are not planning on performing your duty as Ahriman’s enforcer? It is a position of great importance in Ashburn.”
“I don’t have much of a choice for now,” I said, inadvertently touching my stomach. “When I try to ignore my duties, his spell eats away at me until I give in and get to work. But it only seems to happen when I know about something that needs my attention. If I leave Ashburn, I won’t know what I don’t know. That’s the plan at least. You’re a prisoner here, just like me. Don’t you want to be free?”
“I am no prisoner. I am here because one of my many destinies lies in Ashburn, with these creatures—perhaps even with you.”
“Maybe your destiny is here,” I said. “But mine isn’t. I want to leave and start my new life—the one Ahriman promised me.”
“Yes, I understand your desire,” she said, her face suddenly stern. “But that is the thing about destiny. You do not get to choose it. Already, your fate is intertwined with this place. Leaving will not change that. If you were to escape somehow, he would find you, and you would not survive his wrath—not yet. You are not ready.”
I hated her at that moment, but I realized she was telling me the truth.
“John knew how to leave Ashburn, and he did so a lot, without Ahriman finding out.”
“Perhaps he did. Perhaps he did not,” she said. “But where is he now?”
I rubbed my forehead. Rose was forcing me to think about things in a reasonable manner, which was giving me a headache.
“If he woke up in my body, he’s dead,” I mumbled.
Rose’s voice and her face softened, and she touched my hand with cool fingers that acted like a sedative. My heart slowed, and my shoulders relaxed.
“My advice is for you to take your time. Embrace the role you have been given—for the time being. If you play your part well, Ahriman will not suspect what you are actually doing.”
“And what is that?”
“Planning and waiting for your real opportunity. Remember, you are in a demon’s body now, and time is something you have in abundance.”
“That’s great. But if I can’t leave Ashburn, what am I planning for?”
“How to destroy him, of course,” she said in a whisper. “Doing so is the only way you will ever be free. And so, although you possess the heart of a true artist, kindness and understanding will not help you defeat Ahriman or rule this place. You must be ruthless when called for.”
When I looked into Rose’s eyes, I saw the star-riddled night sky where her irises should have been. The sight slowed my breathing, calmed my soul, and made my problems seem small and insignificant.
We sat in silence until the server arrived, holding a tray with our food on it. Before she could do anything, Rose reached out, first with her two arms and then with two additional arms, grabbing our food and arranging our dishes in front of us at lightning speed.
In the time it took to blink, Rose had only two arms again and was sitting across from me suppressing a grin.
“What are you?” I asked.
“A god, or a goddess if you prefer,” she said as she ate her tofu and dumplings. “One of many, but a deity, nonetheless.”
I looked at her, at a loss for what to say. I’d been an atheist all my life, and even in the depths of fighting my cancer, I’d never once prayed to any god in any way. It just wasn’t in my DNA. But sitting across from a self-proclaimed goddess who’d just used her four arms to serve our food was pretty convincing proof that divine beings actually existed.
“What are you doing running a Thai place in Ashburn? Can you leave any time you want, and could you take me with you? Theoretically speaking, of course.”
She smiled and shook her head as I shoveled noodles into my mouth.
“I enjoy Thai food. The spice is a critical part of the food’s flavoring and does not make the experience of eating unbearable. And yes, I can leave here at any time, in my own way. But no, I could not take you with me. Now stop talking and finish your noodles.”
“Why not, if you’re really a god?”
“Are you familiar with the term omnipresence?” she said. “You are witnessing it right now. The part of me speaking to you is only one of my many manifestations that exist across multiple dimensions. All of them are me, just as none of them are me. I am in thousands of places, having countless thoughts and engaging in conversations with all sorts of people and creatures, of which you are only one. It is not that I would not take you with me, but I do not travel and move through time and space in ways you can understand or replicate.”
I thought while I chewed more noodles.
“Are you telling me that it’s a goddess thing, and I wouldn’t understand?”
She smiled.
“Essentially, yes.”
I nodded and went back to my food.
Two bites later and I’d cleared my plate. As Rose started in on her last dumpling, I was silently pleased that the human lunch I’d just eaten had filled my stomach and eliminated my appetite.
“Would you like dessert or coffee?” she said.
“Do you know how I’m going to respond, or are you just being polite?”
“Manners are next to godliness,” she said as the server arrived, holding a tray with two orders of mango sticky rice and two jet black Thai coffees.
“I think you mean cleanliness,” I said.
Rose laughed briefly.
“I am quite sure of what I meant.”
I nodded slowly and took a sip of the strong but sweet brew. Who was I to argue with a god?
For the next hour, Rose steered the conversation back to my music again. But this time, I humored her and answered all of her questions.
Soon, I was recounting what had been on my mind when I came up with the title for Yeah, Yeah, No, No, Maybe in the first place, and what it felt like to be a star. I didn’t usually talk about that time in my life, not because it wasn’t great, but because it was so short-lived. Maybe it was her godliness or the maternal vibe she seemed to emanate, but I felt comfortable telling her whatever she wanted to know.
It seemed like I’d only been there a short time, but as people began trickling into the restaurant for happy hour, I had a feeling the work day was over for most normal people and that Rose and her crew would be serving up dinner soon.
Even so, at Rose’s urgin
g, I was about to go into my story about opening for David Bowie when I was interrupted by someone bursting into the restaurant. When I looked up, I saw it was Oizys, frozen in mid-step, with one foot hovering over the threshold to the restaurant.
Rose still looked like a sweet old lady, but when she addressed Oizys, her voice made the silverware rattle on the tabletops.
“You are not welcome here, demon whore.”
I involuntarily cringed at the insult, but then I remembered Oizys actually was a demon, and for all I knew, she may have also been—well, you know...
Oizys ignored Rose and addressed me directly.
“She’s gone. Just like I told you would happen.”
Rose cocked her head—bewildered. But I knew exactly who Oizys was talking about.
Marie had escaped.
Chapter 20
I SQUEEZED MY way past Oizys, hoping she’d remain stuck in Rose’s entryway. But as soon as I opened the door to Ancient Pages, there she was, right behind me again.
“It won’t be long before Ahriman discovers the Voodoo priestess is missing,” she said as I blocked her from entering the store.
The worst part was that she was right. I had until Monday before Ahriman returned. I didn’t know what the punishment would be for losing one of his pets, but it wasn’t going to be pretty.
“I can help you,” she said with a wicked grin. “You don’t have to take the blame for this. We’ll tell him Sybil helped her. If we’re lucky, he might even reward us for turning your girlfriend in.”
I wasn’t surprised by how easily Oizys was willing to throw Sybil under the bus for something she hadn’t done, but I still shut the door in her face.
Instead of leaving, she stood on the sidewalk and glared at me through the window. I made a mental note to install blinds and walked away.
Left alone with my dusty books, I thought about Marie escaping on my second day on the job. I chided myself for being a sucker and for believing her lies. Maybe she’d used magic on me to keep me from seeing her true intentions. Or maybe I’d ignored the obvious truth, because I’d never been able to read women. Either way, I was going to have to pay for my poor judgement.
I plopped down in one of the comfy reading chairs, practicing in my head how I was going to break the news to Ahriman. I picked up the book on Voodoo then set it back down since there was no real reason to read it anymore.
I slouched in the chair for half an hour with my chin resting on my chest, mulling over everything and nothing at all. I looked up when I saw movement outside the shop then stood as the lock turned over and half-a-dozen men spilled into the store.
A lean Latino with an almost-bald buzz cut, obsidian plugs in his ear lobes, and a permanent look of contempt on his face led the group. His arms were inked with tribal tattoos, and he wore a circular silver pendant identical to Miguel’s.
I wasn’t surprised when Miguel stepped out from behind him. He was still bruised badly and missing a few teeth, but he looked more embarrassed and angry than hurt.
As far as I knew, being psychic wasn’t one of my demonic powers, but I had a feeling the leader was the infamous Marco.
“You hurt one of my people,” Marco said in a calm and even tone.
“Miguel and two of his little buddies jumped me,” I said. “I was defending myself.”
Marco laughed.
“My boys don’t do anything I don’t tell them to do, especially when it comes to customers. Miguel says he woke up with some big guy he’d never seen before beating the crap out him. Says he saw you out cold on the ground and that he was worried about you, amigo. Until he figured out it was you inside the guy beating him up, pulling that possession crap again.”
Marco cracked his neck and took a deep breath. I took a whiff of the air. He smelled like a human, but there was something different about him. He wasn’t afraid.
“What made you think it’d be a good idea to mess up my boy?” he said.
Being in a face-off with six gang members mostly made me want to run away, but that was the human in me talking. For whatever reason, Marco and his boys seemed to know all about John being a demon, even though that clearly broke Ahriman’s last commandment. As far as Marco knew, I was a badass monster named John. And that meant it was time for me to start playing the part.
“I’m sorry to hear about your boy, but I’m not in the mood for this right now,” I said, channeling everything I’d learned in the three acting classes I took back in the 90s.
“It’s not personal,” Marco said, shaking his head and taking a step closer. “But I can’t let you do that kind of thing to one of my own, no matter how stupid he is. You have to make restitution for your actions. I know that you, more than most people, understand what I’m talking about.”
The fact that Marco knew what I was and was still in my face was starting to concern me. But I forced myself to stand my ground as one of his crew handed him a wooden sword studded with razor sharp pieces of obsidian.
I cursed myself for not bringing the broken guitar neck into the shop with me as I checked the room for anything I could use as a weapon.
Unfortunately, I was screwed unless Marco was really allergic to dust mites.
With nothing to lose, I did what I’d always done when I got into trouble. I talked.
“You’re making a mistake,” I said. “Why would I beat up one of your crew and mess with our business relationship?”
Marco grinned as he turned to Miguel, but it was a cruel, humorless expression.
“Did you attack John?”
Miguel crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head.
“I know you like stirring things up,” Marco said. “Maybe you were testing me. Maybe you wanted to see if I’d hit back. Well, you’re about to find out.”
Marco was only human, but he looked like a badass who could kick some serious butt. I, on the other hand, was a demon that didn’t know how to use most of my powers. So I kept talking.
“You know that’s bullshit,” I said, sticking my chest out and trying to look intimidating. “Miguel said you were tired of working with me and that my services were no longer needed. As far as I see it, you’re the one who started this.”
Marco held up a finger, and one of his men locked the door to the store. Then Marco raised his wooden sword like he was getting ready to take a swing at my head.
“Like I said—it’s nothing personal, but I gotta look out for my own. And you know, I have to stick up for us humans once in a while, too. You’ll be fine though. I know you heal fast.”
I flexed my body, waiting for him to attack. Instead, he slowly lowered his sword, and three of his guys, led by Miguel, rushed me.
The first of them was tall and wiry, and he threw a sloppy punch straight out of a bad cowboy movie. I’d seen it in dozens of drunken bar fights, and with my new set of reflexes, I stepped out of the way with plenty of time to spare.
Thug number two was muscly and knew how to throw a punch. When it landed square on my chin, my face went numb and my body spun around like I was practicing ballet.
I cursed as I shook my head and tried to get to my feet. He was a human, and he wasn’t supposed to be able to hurt me. But he did.
I turned around just as Miguel tried to kick my head. Dumb move. Faster than I could think about it, my new body reacted. My leg shot out, and my foot connected with his groin, sending Miguel to the ground writhing in pain.
Meanwhile, the muscly guy jumped over Miguel and started grunting and flexing and making a lot of noise. I backed up into the narrow hallway that led to the back office so he and the wiry guy couldn’t come at me at the same time.
Mr. Muscles rushed me first, and before I could react, he tackled me and sent me sprawling onto my back. I landed with all 250 pounds of him pressing down on my chest as he pulled his fist back, ready to pummel me. When he did, I saw the silver pendant with the stylized demon face dangling from his neck, and with nothing better to try, I reached up and ripped i
t off. As soon as I did, his eyes went wide, and he scrambled backward, trying to get away from me as fast as he could.
Grinning, I tossed the pendant to the back of the store and grabbed his ankle before he made it too far.
I didn’t know what my new body was capable of yet, but I knew one trick, and it was a pretty good one. With his ankle in my hand, I closed my eyes and jumped into his body.
As soon as I took over, I knew everything he knew. His name was Julio, and Julio was good at fighting and not much else.
Luckily for me, I didn’t want him for his brains.
I stood up in Julio’s body and made sure I was blocking access to John’s empty shell on the floor behind me. Marco and most of his gang were hanging back, except for the wiry guy whose name was Santos, and Miguel, who, to his credit, was up again and ready for more.
Miguel and Santos glanced back and forth between me and John’s body, sizing up their chances of making it past me. Meanwhile, Julio’s spirit cowered in the corner of his mind. He really didn’t enjoy being possessed, and I could not have cared less. In fact, I was in a bad mood and decided I was going to be as brutal and efficient as I had to be to protect John’s body, even if it meant sacrifice Julio in the process.
Sybil and Rose would have been proud of me.
I tore into Miguel first, since he’d started this whole thing. I put him in an arm lock that must have been one of Julio’s favorite moves, then lifted him up and slammed Miguel, neck-first into the floor. I dragged him to his knees and put his arm in the same lock again, and when I spun around to face Santos, I heard the delicious snap of his arm.
I’d been in plenty of bar fights, and I’d lived through mosh pits that would have killed a normal man, but I’d never enjoyed inflicting pain—not even on my enemies. But when Miguel cried out, a shiver of pleasure flowed through my darkening spirit, and I smiled—feeling happy and disturbed at the same time.
I glanced back at John’s body behind me and weighed the risks of moving farther away to take the fight to Santos.
I was doing the best I could, but I was still new to using someone else’s body like a battle bot, and while I was deciding on my next move, Santos pulled a knife and shoved its blade into my bicep. Julio screamed inside my head even though I couldn’t feel a thing. I pushed the knife in deeper to make sure Santos couldn’t take it back and use it on me again.
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