by Diem, J. C.
“How do you intend to proceed then?” Hag asked. She flicked a glance at me and I took it as an invitation to speak.
“We’ll just keep bumbling along, stumbling across the portals either by accident or wait for Sophia to be sent a vision. It’s worked for us so far and I have no reason to believe that it will stop working. Fate wants us to win. She isn’t going to let us down.”
My answer didn’t appease her. “I am not comfortable relying on an entity such as Fate to guide you through such an important task. It should lie in the hands of beings who are more qualified to make critical decisions.”
She was talking about her and her trusty sidekick, of course. “You don’t have any choice here,” I said without sympathy. “Fate set me on this path and she’s kept me alive so far. I trust her to make sure I can stop the coming apocalypse.” I trusted Fate far more than these two. All they’d shown me so far was their sense of superiority and willingness to torture me to make me behave. At least Fate had warned me that I’d suffer during this journey. She hadn’t ambushed me and tortured me with holy fire.
“Orifiel and I will join your group in your patrols then,” Hag decided. “The more of us that are out searching, the quicker we will locate the next portal.”
I rolled my eyes inwardly when it became obvious that she hadn’t listened to a word we’d said. She just didn’t get that she had no control here. They could search the streets all they wanted, but it was highly doubtful that they would be able to spot one of the entryways to the otherworld. I was the only one who seemed to be able to see the doorways.
“Agreed,” Brie said before anyone on our team could offer a protest. She sent me a warning look not to ruin our tentative alliance with her friends. It was clear that she had chosen a side and that I wasn’t on it.
“There is no point in delaying any further,” Hag said and stood. “Orifiel and I will report back if we find anything of interest.” Her sidekick stood and the pair disappeared.
I was glad that they hadn’t stuck around. Their constant mistrustful glares in my direction had grated on my nerves. The moment they were gone, Sam stood and headed upstairs.
Leo watched the imp leave in amusement. “I am surprised he managed to tear himself away from his beloved programs for this long.”
“Me, too,” I replied with a small grin.
Brie sniffed and crossed her arms. “His addiction to television is unhealthy. The device should be removed before he becomes completely useless to our cause.”
“Is that the way you treat all of your allies?” I said in disgust. “Take away everything that makes them happy so they can be as miserable as you are?”
“I am not miserable,” she denied. “I am perfectly happy.”
Her mouth was set in a grim line that was anything but happy. “You’re locked out of heaven and you’re stuck in a teenager’s body,” I reminded her. “You are clearly not glad to be in this situation.”
“The only thing that I despair about is being stuck with a creature that is as vile as you,” she shot back. “Even the imp has more purity than you do. At least he still has some form of his soul, as twisted as it is. You do not even possess a soul at all.”
Nathan shot her a look that brimmed with anger. Leo’s face was full of disappointment. Sophia saw how much the barb had hurt me and compassion filled her. Out of all of them, she was the only one who understood what it felt like to be soulless. Losing her essence wasn’t quite the same, but it came close.
“I’ll try to spare you from my vileness in the future,” I said stiffly and stood.
“She did not mean that how it sounded,” Leo said in a futile effort to pardon his sister’s behavior.
“Yes she did,” I refuted. “She meant exactly what she said.”
Brie didn’t argue and I felt her smug look on my back as I left the room. I headed upstairs to the living room. Sam glanced up and froze when he saw my face. “What happened?” He’d obviously been too engrossed in his show to listen in to our conversation below.
“Brie was just being her usual charming self,” I replied and sank down into the armchair.
His expression darkened, but he wasn’t surprised. “Sometimes, I think we would be better off without her,” he said quietly in an effort not to be overheard.
“I wish we could vote her off the team, but we need her.” He didn’t look convinced. “Her spells have come in pretty handy so far,” I reminded him.
“I suppose,” he said with a reluctant nod. “I just wish she did not despise us both so much.”
A small part of me was glad that I wasn’t the only one on her hate list. Sam had only ever been helpful, but she couldn’t get past the fact that he was an imp. In her eyes, he would never gain redemption for the things that he’d done in the past.
I opted to read rather than watch TV, but I had trouble focusing on the words. Worry was eating at me. The longer I waited to retrieve the next piece of the object and to kill the Demon Prince, the worse my health would become. I hated the thought of the poison spreading through me, but I didn’t know what the cure was yet. I had a feeling my health was going to get much worse before I would find a solution to this problem.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Four
After my training session the next morning, I watched Sam attempt to defend himself from Leo. The teen was patient with the imp. It was fun to watch them working together. They should have been enemies, but instead had become friends. It was a miracle that everyone except Brie had so readily accepted Sam into our circle.
I was pretty sure his gradual transformation was helping with that. While he’d been as ugly as sin when he’d first joined us, he wasn’t as hideous now. His brow wasn’t as pronounced and his eyes were less squinty. His skin had changed from pitch black to an unhealthy dark gray. He wasn’t as thin now, either. His ribs and spine weren’t quite so prominent.
Being back on Earth was slowly restoring him to his human form. Helping us seemed to be making up for the bad karma that he’d gained during his stint as a pirate. His sins would have sent him to hell eventually, but the pirate captain had dragged him there bodily when Sam had defied him. The pirate was also a captain in hell’s armies. He had been the first demon to become trapped inside me. He hadn’t been alone for long and he had a lot of company now.
Nathan popped in and out during the day. He was avoiding my eyes, which told me he was still hurting that I was dating someone else. I almost wished I hadn’t run into Zach by chance and renewed our relationship. But a small, selfish part of me was glad I had a chance of normalcy with someone.
Speaking of Zach, I opted to take Sam with me when I went to meet my boyfriend later that afternoon. Frankly, I didn’t trust any of the others not to try to scare him away.
“You’re getting better at fighting,” I said as we made our way towards the café.
Sam made a rueful face and rubbed a spot on his side where he’d been stabbed with the blunt end of the stick. He healed far faster than I did and the bruise had already faded. “If you say so,” he said in a doubtful tone.
“You didn’t see how bad I was when I first started.”
He smirked slightly. “Leo told me that you tripped over your own feet and almost impaled yourself on his weapon. I wish that I had been there to see it, it would have been very funny.”
I sniggered at the memory of how inept I’d been. “I’m almost grateful to the legion for giving me their fighting abilities.”
“It is good that they are finally useful for more than merely causing pain and torment,” he agreed.
In a strange turnabout, the demons that had taken up residence inside me were more helpful than our new angelic allies. None of them had caused me earth shattering agony like torturing me with holy fire. Or maybe unholy fire would be more appropriate in their case.
We reached the coffee shop where I’d arranged to meet with Zach a few minutes before three-thirty. Sam dropped back to blend in with the wall. As
always, he would stand watch from across the street. I’d arrived early so Giles the stalker wouldn’t see me sneaking inside. I went in and ordered then found a table in the corner away from the windows. Sam wouldn’t be able to see me now, but he would find a way to warn me if danger approached.
Several minutes later, Zach stepped inside. He was right on time, as always. He scanned the room and didn’t immediately see me in the sea of faces. I waved my hand at him and he instantly smiled and made his way through the crowd. He was wearing his school uniform and had a black leather satchel slung over his shoulder.
“I’ve missed you,” he said as he took his seat and plonked the satchel on the floor between his feet. He reached for my hand and we twined our fingers together.
“Have you?” I was still pissed at the memory of seeing Candice Weller pressing her breasts against him.
“Of course.” He gave me an easy smile then frowned when he studied my face. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale.”
“I’m fine.” I felt okay at the moment, but I was pretty sure that wouldn’t last for long. Once the rot began to spread inside me again, I was bound to go downhill pretty fast.
“After what happened to me yesterday, I was worried that my love of coffee shops would be spoiled forever,” he said mournfully. “Now that I’m here with you, I’m enjoying the experience again.”
“What do you mean?” I decided to play along rather than confront him with what I’d seen. He didn’t seem particularly happy about his coffee date with my rival.
His expression darkened slightly and he scowled. “Do you remember that dinner my Dad wanted me to go to? The one with Clarice Weller and her daughter?”
“You mean Candice?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Her.” His tone dripped with distaste. A surge of gladness swept through me to hear it. “Well, my Dad and Clarice obviously thought we’d hit it off,” he continued. “They decided to set up a date between Candice and me. We had coffee together yesterday.”
Their parents sounded almost as manipulative as Hag and Orifice. “Why didn’t you just say no?”
He looked at me in disbelief. “I sometimes forget that you haven’t met my father. He’s not exactly the kind of man you can say no to.”
“So, what happened during your date? Did it go well?”
He huffed out a sigh. “If you call listening to her babble on and on about herself a date, then it went great. I barely said a word, yet she somehow took that to mean I’m interested in her.” She’d probably thought he was too enraptured by her beauty to be able to form words. Most of the guys who had been staring at her had seemed to be fairly dumbstruck.
“Can’t you just tell her you’re not into her?”
He hesitated then shook his head. “It isn’t as simple as that.”
“Why not? It seems pretty clear to me. She wants you, you don’t want her. Just say so and she’ll leave you alone.”
This time, his expression was almost pitying. He obviously thought I was being naïve. “You know my father is a banker.” It was a statement rather than a question, but I nodded anyway. “Clarice Weller has a lot of money tied up in his bank. He needs me to play along with Candice until they’ve cemented some kind of deal.”
I stared at him in disbelief for a moment. “Are you saying that your father is pimping you out?”
He laughed loudly enough to draw attention from some of the nearby patrons. His grin melted away and realization set in. “Actually, now that mention it, that does seem to be what he’s doing.”
I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know the answer. “Does this mean we’re over?” I said in a small voice.
He was alarmed and tightened his grip on my hand. “No! I’ll never break up with you. I told you that you’re the only girl for me and I meant it. We were made for each other.”
I stared into his eyes and became mesmerized. We weren’t even kissing and the heat was already rising in me. “What are you going to do? Date both of us at the same time? I’m not really the sharing type, you know.”
The thought of him kissing someone else made my blood boil. He’s mine, not hers. At that thought, I took a mental step back. The legion was taking my lust a step further and it was now becoming possession. I loved Nathan with all of my heart, but I felt something for Zach, too. I just wasn’t sure what it was yet.
“I’ll pretend to date her if I have to,” he said, “but I promise I won’t kiss her. I’ll tell her I’m still getting over a previous relationship and that I want to take things slowly.” That was what I’d asked him to do and he’d complied with my wishes so far. I was fine with kissing him, but I wasn’t ready to get naked with him yet. Especially after the promise that I’d made to Nathan.
“Good,” I said in satisfaction. Candice might be dating him in public, but I was the one who he really cared about. We leaned in for a kiss and the heat instantly became scorching. I grabbed hold of his coat and drew him in closer. Our mouths melded and we became lost in passion.
I had no idea how much time had passed when a sudden loud noise forced us apart. Someone across the room had spilled their drink all over another patron and an argument had broken out. I picked up my tea to find it was nearly cold. I felt self-conscious that we’d been kissing in public for so long. Amused looks were sent our way and I sank down in my chair in embarrassment.
“That was intense,” Zach said. His hair was mussed and I didn’t even remember running my hands through it. I checked mine to find it was still in neat braids. I was very glad we were in a coffee shop rather than his bedroom. God only knew how far we would have gone if we’d been alone. I wasn’t even sure the promise I’d made would have stopped me from tearing Zach’s clothes off. My lust for him was starting to get out of control.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Five
Zach checked his watch and couldn’t hide his disappointment. “I have to go. I managed to ditch Giles in a nearby library. I’d better get back there before he realizes I’ve snuck out.”
“What would a rich kid like you need to go to the library for?” I asked in amusement.
“I’m studying Latin and ancient Greek. The books are too rare and valuable to be taken out of the library. I go there to do my assignments.” That explained why he’d been carrying the satchel.
He wasn’t just a pretty face. He was also smart. I felt even more insignificant now that I knew he was learning ancient languages. “That’s a pretty handy excuse,” I admitted.
“Giles usually drops me off then sneaks in to spy on me,” he explained. “He stays for a few minutes to make sure I’m really doing my homework, then he usually leaves. I guess libraries are too boring for him to stick around for very long.” He checked his watch again then picked up his satchel and stood. “He’ll be coming to pick me up soon.”
I stood as well. I gave Zach a final kiss then waited for him to leave the café first. I watched through the window, but no one seemed to be following him. His ruse had worked and he’d managed to sneak away to see me without his stalker knowing about it.
Pulling the door open, I stepped out. Sam appeared at my side after I’d taken a few steps and shook his head at me.
“What?” I said defensively.
“Sometimes, I forget that you are a teenager as well as being the scourge of hell. Your hormones must be difficult to control at your age.”
Technically, he was over four hundred years old, but his mortal age was the same as mine. He didn’t seem to be suffering from the same affliction that I had. He was still too much of an imp to even think about dating. “You saw us, huh?” I said in embarrassment.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “I had a strong feeling that I should check on you. I managed to sneak into the coffee shop and saw you with your boyfriend. You were too distracted to notice that everyone was watching you both. Some were even filming you with their cell phones. I had to trip someone and get them to spill their coffee on someone else to gain your attention.”
We saw three groups of demons on our way back to our base. Neither of us were tempted to follow them without backup. It was obvious that they were trying to lure us into a trap. For creatures pretending to be human, they were terrible actors. Their expressions were far too nonchalant to be believable and they moved stiffly.
Making note of the buildings that they disappeared into, we continued on our way. Since neither of us could teleport, we took great care to make sure the raven hadn’t followed us. We even took a circuitous route just in case hidden eyes were watching. When we were two blocks away from our base, Sam drew me in close to the nearest building. He used his talent to camouflage us as we made our way back to the store.
“How did your date go?” Brie asked me with heavy sarcasm when we stepped into the room.
I froze for a moment, horrified that they might have somehow seen the videos of me kissing Zach. Nathan looked slightly annoyed rather than devastated, and I realized she was just being her usual bratty self.
“It went fine,” I replied. I wasn’t about to tell them that Zach was being forced to see another girl by his own father. As if my life wasn’t already complicated enough, another spanner had been thrown into the works. Zach might not like Candice now, but spending time together would give her the opportunity to work on him. She was beautiful and rich, just like him. She had far more in common with him than I ever would.
