by Smith, HD
“Fine,” he said, changing his clothes back. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 7
The Jaded Dragon was three blocks south of the blacksmith’s shop in an industrial part of Underworld. It was housed in an old building, but the business was new. Everything from the fake façade to the restaurant sign was factory fresh. Something about the place felt familiar, but I knew I’d never heard of it before my internet search. Had I? As I stared at the sign, I got a sense of happiness that left almost as soon as I felt it.
“Sorrel, have you ever heard of this place?”
He nodded and absently said, “It’s the hottest place downtown.”
My brow furrowed. “I thought that was Sunshine Sandwiches’ motto.” I remembered the slogan of the deli I’d seen on the otherworldly taxi last spring. Sorrel stared at me with a blank expression on his face. “You know, the sandwich shop.”
“Never heard of it,” he said.
Never heard of it? That place was supposed to be famous in Underworld. “But you’ve heard of the Jaded Dragon?”
“The hottest place downtown,” he muttered as if by rote, eyes now locked on the entrance.
I grabbed his arm and felt a small static charge pass between us. That was what happened when I de-spelled someone. He blinked his eyes a few times and almost lost his balance. I grabbed his arm to keep him upright. He shook his head.
I asked again. “Have you ever heard of this place?”
“No,” he said, “but a minute ago, I was sure—”
“Yeah, I know. I didn’t realize it right away, but I felt it, too.” I didn’t need to explain how my internal magic could null most spells that were cast on me. Sorrel already knew how it worked. The magic would reverse the spell and give me the ability to cure others. The spell had been so subtle I’d almost missed it. If Sorrel hadn’t been with me to question, I might not have realized it at all. I thought back to when we’d arrived at the blacksmith’s shop. I’d been sure everything was okay, but then I saw the street for what it was: closed and abandoned businesses. Was this why Sorrel and Mace hadn’t noticed? I touched Sorrel again, this time passing on the cure I’d gotten from outside the blacksmith’s shop for seeing the closed businesses.
He shook his head again. “Stop that.”
“Man up,” I quipped before heading to the Jaded Dragon’s entrance.
Sorrel was on my heels as I walked into the eatery. Everyone inside appeared to be having a great time. They probably all thought it was the place to be downtown.
A short waitress with long black hair in heavy Asian-styled costume makeup and a red cheongsam Chinese-style dress with small cap sleeves brushed passed me. I could sense she was a demon, but had recently converted to one of the fallen. It wasn’t a process I completely understood, but it had something to do with them having a full-blooded Fallen descendant and choosing to embrace the Fallen realm as their home. Scanning the room, I noticed that most of the people here were recent converts, which might explain Sydney’s odd comment. She’d known about the fallen, but since these people were all recently fallen, she might have thought they were just some odd cult.
The waitress, whose nametag said Mei-Ling but whose real name was Susan Jones, let out a tiny scream. She dropped the tray of dirty plates she was carrying, which drew everyone’s attention.
A balding, super-thin Hispanic guy in his late forties came rushing in from the back. His uniform was an elaborate but ill-fitting samurai costume with a nametag that said Mr. Wong. His real name was Hector Dias, and he’d been a druid until recently.
Mr. Wong had two busboys in tow. He barked out orders like a drill sergeant the moment he arrived on the scene. “Clean this mess up,” he yelled at the boys while he glared at the waitress. He jerked his head toward the back and she ran from the main dining room. Turning to me, the scowl on his face fell and he narrowed his eyes. “You,” he snarled.
Before he could start barking at me, I spotted Sydney across the dining room. She went pale when our eyes met.
“Sydney,” I called, pushing past Mr. Wong. I caught up with her just as she tried to disappear into the back room. She was dressed in the same style as the other waitresses and wore the same heavy costume makeup as the other girls, but I could still see the faint signs of a black eye—something I was sure she hadn’t had the day before.
“I don’t know you,” she said. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it when she whispered, “Please.”
“How did you get that black eye?” I asked just as quietly.
Unfortunately, Mr. Wong joined us before she could reply. Her eyes widened in panic as he belittled Sydney in front of the entire restaurant, which was when I noticed none of the other patrons were paying attention. They’d all gone back to their meals as if nothing was happening.
“What are you doing, stupid girl? Attracting the attention of the imposter? You will be punished.”
Imposter? “Okay, that’s enough. Sorrel,” I called, pulling his attention away from one of the curvier waitresses. “Take Sydney out to the car.”
Sydney gasped. “My name is Mei-Sue.” She said, holding out her nametag.
Okay, odd, but a good reason she’d have thought these newly fallen converts were crazy.
“I don’t care,” I said. “You’re coming with me.”
Her boss tried to protest, but I glared at him and let the green shine run across my eyes. He backed up a step. Sorrel grabbed Sydney’s arm and pulled her toward the door. I followed, ignoring her protests. I wasn’t going to leave her in that den of Stepford waitresses and jackass bosses.
“My stuff is still in there,” Sydney whined, shaking a hot pink spiral keychain at me.
I took the key ring, which had a white plastic disk embossed with the number fourteen. As soon as we were outside and Sorrel had Sydney in the car, I passed him the key ring. “Go get her stuff. They’ll toss it out if we leave it.” He raised an eyebrow, but before he could complain, I begged, “Just do it.”
Sliding into the car, I remembered her boss’s imposter remark, which was odd considering most of the fallen wanted to bow at my feet. Of course, everything about the Jaded Dragon was odd. They took their theme way too far.
Sydney muttered something from the backseat.
“What?” I asked.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” she whined. “I need a new job now. Thanks a lot.”
I sighed. That was the least of my concerns. “Did Hector give you that black eye?” I asked.
“Who?” she asked.
“Wong.”
She touched her eye lightly and winced. “I was late yesterday, thanks to you.”
I rolled my eyes. Did she seriously think everything was my fault? “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s something wrong with that place. And you really should have mentioned that you worked in a restaurant full of Fallen descendants.”
She shrugged. “I just thought they were crazy and I didn’t need you coming down here and screwing things up.”
“How the hell did you get down here anyway?”
Sydney crossed her arms over her chest. “I know a guy. He takes me back and forth when I need to go topside.”
I shook my head. It was amazing this girl was still alive. “You’re staying with me tonight,” I informed her. “Tomorrow, we’ll talk about something more permanent. And no, I still don’t plan to kill you.”
Sorrel opened the door and tossed Sydney’s messenger bag and a duffle at her. She grunted from the impact, but looked relieved to have her stuff.
I could already tell this was going to be a long night.
I ordered pizza back at the apartment and Sydney cleaned up while we waited for the order. She still looked pissed, but that didn’t stop her from practically inhaling half of the pizza. She’d changed into an anime style t-shirt and sleep shorts. Aside from the black eye, which was more obvious now that the costume makeup was gone. She also looked younger and more vulnerable.
After she g
ave Sorrel another sidelong look, I decided it was time to end the silent treatment. “He’s immortal, remember, that’s why his face looks even.”
“Right,” she said, rolling her eyes, as if not believing me. “Us too, right?”
Sorrel laughed. I glared at him. He tossed his napkin on the table and left the kitchen.
“It’s complicated,” I said, looking back at Sydney. “If I had to guess, I’d say we’re both in stasis, or something like that, until someone wins the game.”
“The game.” She shook her head. “I said I wouldn’t try to kill you and you’re the Fallen Queen, not me.”
“What’s the deal with Mr. Wong?” I said, using air quotes when I said his name.
“Wong is a dick. None of them believe you’re the true ruler. I just didn’t know it meant anything to me until you said something.”
“Who the hell does he think rules the fourth realm?”
“They think it’s the owner of the Jaded Dragon, Mr. X. I’ve never seen him. I don’t think any of them have, but they all think he’s the true ruler of the Fallen. I just thought they were all part of a weirdo new group.”
“How did you get hired?”
“I checked the box on the application that said “descendant” by mistake. I’m dyslexic and I thought it said something else.”
“Okay,” I said, thinking that was the worst employment application mistake ever. “And they all believe him to be the true ruler of Fallen?”
“All the Mei-Bettys do. They’re, like, obsessed with it. It’s a little like restaurant-of-the-body-snatchers, you know?”
“Then why do you work there?” I asked. “Clearly, you figured out something was wrong with them.”
“Duh, but it pays well and they provide room and board. I sorta needed the job and a place to stay. It’s got free wifi,” she said, as if that explained everything.
“And no one there ever called you a contender or in any way indicated you might be a threat?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Not until you.”
Sorrel walked back through the kitchen and Sydney watched him until he left.
“Why does he stay here?” she asked.
I took a drink of water while I tried to decide exactly how to explain Sorrel. I filled her in on the curator search and the things that happened last summer. “The Devil, my old boss, says Sorrel is for my protection, kind of like the queen’s guard.”
“He doesn’t seem to like you much.”
“None of them do.”
Sydney leaned back in her chair, pushing her empty plate away. “Where’s my sister?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t find anything on the internet.” She raised her finger. “Or the Other-Net,” I added, and she slumped back in her seat.
“I know you said there are prophecies, but why do you want to help me?”
I sighed. “We all got a shitty deal with these prophecies. You don’t want to kill me and I don’t want to kill you. Raven wasn’t like that—she actually tried to end the prophecy by having someone else kill me.” I shook my head. “I’ve seen a lot more than you can imagine and I think your sister is going to follow Raven’s path. She’s going to try and kill both of us.”
“How does she even know? I didn’t know. And you can’t know what she’ll do,” Sydney argued.
“You’re right. I don’t know for sure, but these prophecies have a way of coming true. She’s the Wanderer, the one that will try to kill the dragon and take the torque of time. That’s her fate.”
“What’s my fate?” Sydney asked.
“You’re the Death Seeker, and, I think, the sacrificed child that must be saved.” It was the only one that fit and matched what I’d seen last summer.
I read her the complete list of prophecies.
“How do you save me?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just going to try and keep you safe.”
“But fate—”
“The prophecy states you must be saved or the Revenant will be reborn and I can’t let that happen, so fate or not, I will save you, Sydney.” I decided not to add or die trying.
“Okay,” she said. “Can I go to bed now?”
“Yeah,” I said and motioned for her to stand.
I showed Sydney to one of the guest rooms—not the one Sage had left completely destroyed the night before. I’d have to bring in a service to fix that mess. I locked the door, spelling it so Sydney couldn’t leave without waking me, and went to bed.
Chapter 8
Connie wasn’t in the office Friday morning, which shouldn’t have surprised me since she’d told Sorrel as much the day before. At least my jeans and twin set wouldn’t receive her disapproving stares and I didn’t have to explain why Sydney was hanging out in the office.
No one had come in to interview by lunch, which was beyond odd. Sydney was in the waiting area typing away on Connie’s computer. I’d warned her to be careful because the network was monitored.
She was wearing a similar outfit to the one she’d worn the day I met her, a somewhat threadbare t-shirt and jeans. She needed new things and a safe, more permanent place to stay. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, which almost hid the fact that it looked a bit like cotton candy. It gave her an older look and screamed “Don’t fuck with me”, which I sensed was her current mood.
Since, apparently, no one was coming to the office and I was ready to leave, I went to the waiting room to tell Sorrel and Sydney to pack up, but Sorrel wasn’t in the office. “Where’s Sorrel?”
Sydney looked to the lower right on the monitor, as if checking the time. “He left about an hour and a half ago. Why?”
“He’s not supposed to leave me alone.”
“What, he can’t take a break?” she asked sarcastically.
“These aren’t my rules. I couldn’t care less what he does with his time, but he always follows his father’s rules. Did something happen before he left?”
She shrugged. “He might have been texting. I’m not sure. I wasn’t paying attention. Sorry.”
I called his cell, but there was no answer. I dialed Cinnamon next. I’d planned to call her anyway to check on Sage, and she might know why Sorrel wasn’t answering his phone.
“Yes, my queen, what do you need?” Cinnamon answered. This was her usual tone, which she knew annoyed me.
“I’m calling to make sure Sage is still behaving himself and to ask if you know where Sorrel is.”
“I’m right here,” Sorrel said from the doorway to the office suite.
“Good, you found him,” Cinnamon mused, obviously hearing him through the phone. “I must go now, my queen,” Cinnamon said before hanging up.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it. Had she just hung up on me? Blowing out an exasperated breath, I slipped my phone in my pocket and turned to Sorrel. “Where have you been?”
“Out. Why?”
It seemed like everyone was in a mood, and I didn’t want to deal with Sorrel’s bullshit today. “Let’s go. This place is dead and I’m ready to leave.”
“Whatever.” Sorrel shrugged.
“Have you heard from Sage?” I asked, realizing I hadn’t gotten an update from Cinnamon.
Sorrel narrowed his eyes as if I was about to start an inquisition. “No, why?”
“I was just curious. What’s crawled up your butt?”
He raised his left eyebrow, channeling Sage with that look, then turned and left without comment.
Oh, good, he was going to be such fun.
“Let’s go, Sydney.”
We—and by we, I mean Sorrel—decided that we would have lunch in Underworld. Considering all the craziness that was going on down there, I voiced my concern. Unfortunately, he was in no mood to hear my complaints. At first, I assumed he was using the excuse of lunch in Underworld to take me back to see Gizelle, but we weren’t headed toward the blacksmith’s shop.
I was really confused when he pulled up outside Peace
-a-Pie, a new-age pizza joint. I almost expected to smell patchouli when we walked in, but the place was clean and smoke-free, and too new for my liking. Had Mace told him we needed to check this place out? Why else would we get pizza for lunch when we’d just had pizza the night before?
I was about to ask Sorrel why he chose this place when the hostess, dressed in her sixties-era tie-dye skirt and Birkenstocks, beckoned us to follow. She led us to a room in the back away from the other diners, which was okay with me. Sydney tugged at my sleeve as the hostess placed the menus on the table and motioned for us to sit.
“Mr. X owns this place, too,” she whispered. “Why are we here?”
I was sure Mace must have told Sorrel about this place, but I couldn’t figure out why Sorrel wouldn’t tell me that. Why did he bring us here with no warning? I waited for the hostess to leave before asking Sorrel, “Did Mace tell you about this place?”
He shook his head, adding absently, “It’s the hippest place downtown.”
I hadn’t noticed a new spell. The place had seemed ordinary to me, so it didn’t make sense that Sorrel would be affected by something I’d already given him the cure for. I reached out to touch his arm, thinking there might still be some part of the general Underworld spell on him. His phone buzzed and he pulled his hand out of my reach, but not to answer the phone. He dropped it in his pocket, ignoring it without even checking the screen. He picked up a menu and started looking through it.
I was momentarily caught off-guard by his actions when I sensed an unexpected presence near me. Ronin? I stood up to try to pinpoint the source.
“What’s wrong?” Sydney asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing, I think, but we should go.” Mace clearly hadn’t sent Sorrel down here to check this place out and Sorrel was just acting weird.
I stepped away from the table, expecting Sydney and Sorrel to follow. He didn’t move, and Sydney was confused and maybe a little scared. I was about to reassure her when I was grabbed from behind. Strong arms trapped me and a hand covered my mouth.
