Hell Raiser (Hellscourge Book 7)

by Diem, J. C.

  “What’s up?” I asked, cutting to the chase. I was bored and I almost hoped he had something interesting for me to do. Leo and I had only returned from a patrol half an hour ago. I was due to go out again with Nathan soon. It was just as well I’d asked Brie to purge me again. I would have been worn out from all the exercise I was getting otherwise.

  “I thought you might like to catch up and get some coffee in an hour.”

  “Sounds good. Where do you want to meet?” He named a coffee shop near our base without realizing it. “I’ll see you in an hour,” I said and we hung up.

  “Do you want tea, or would you prefer to wait until you meet with the detective?” Sophia asked.

  “I’ll wait, thanks.” I didn’t want to stand out and drinking something would help me to blend in with the other patrons.

  Sam was sitting at the table with us and was wearing a pensive look. “What is wrong?” Sophia asked him.

  “I had to use the toilet for the first time this morning,” he replied morosely.

  I wrinkled my nose. “Bummer,” I said sympathetically. He’d spent four centuries without having these bodily functions. Now he was back to working like a normal human again. I went still when I realized what this meant.

  Meeting my eyes, his were miserable. “I can eat, drink and sleep and now I need to use the facilities. I am not sure how much longer I will remain useful to you.”

  “You’ll always be useful,” I said firmly. “Even if you can’t camouflage us anymore, you’ll always be my best friend.”

  He sniffed back tears. “I know you mean well, but friendship will not keep you alive in the underworld.”

  “Why don’t you come with us to meet Reynolds?” I said. “It might do you some good to get out in the fresh air.”

  “We are in New York,” he reminded me. “The air here can hardly be described as ‘fresh’.”

  “Are you coming or not?” I said with a mock scowl.

  “Only if you buy me a cappuccino.”

  “Fine,” I replied and rolled my eyes. “You know how much I hate the smell of that stuff, but I’ll do anything to keep you happy.”

  “I want a cookie, too,” he added. “A big one.” I grumbled, but I was glad that he seemed to be in a better mood.

  Nathan watched our exchange with a small smile of amusement. Leo was grinning outright. Looking at Sophia, I gave her a winning smile. “I only have a couple of dollars left. Can you spare me some cash?”

  “Of course.” She retreated behind the counter where she kept her purse and returned with a handful of notes. After seeing how much money Clarice Weller paid her for her sessions, I didn’t feel as guilty about the allowance she gave me now.

  “Thanks, Sophia. You’re the best.” I stuffed the cash in my pocket. I had a purse, but rarely used it. I didn’t get a chance to go shopping very often nowadays.

  The hour passed quickly and then it was time to leave. I jogged upstairs to retrieve my hat, but Sam didn’t bother. There was no need for him to hide his face anymore. He’d changed so much that he now blended in without needing a disguise.

  Nathan took us to a spot near the café that was only a couple of blocks away from our base. Reynolds had already beaten us here and was seated at a table near a window. “You two go on ahead,” Nathan said. “I am going to keep watch from here.” Leo had remained behind to guard Sophia. We had too many enemies to leave her vulnerable and alone.

  We nodded then waited for a break in the traffic before crossing the road. Sam opened the door for me like a gentleman and I preceded him inside. Crossing my fingers that no one would recognize me from the news reports, I stopped at the counter to place an order while Sam continued to the table. He sat with his back to a woman. She flicked a glance over her shoulder and he cringed, expecting her to berate him for accidentally nudging her. She shocked him by winking. Color filled Sam’s cheeks and he gave her a dazed smile. In her early thirties, she had skin a few shades lighter than his. Her black hair had been straightened and hung halfway down her back. She wore a dark blue blouse and black pants. Like most of the customers who sat alone, she was doing something on her cell phone.

  Reynolds was still bemused by Sam’s reaction to the woman when I joined them a few minutes later. I handed Sam his drink and a gigantic cookie. “Don’t say I never get you anything,” I said when he smiled happily.

  “Chocolate chip!” he said then saw the detective’s eyebrow arch. “It is my favorite,” he divulged, as if it was a secret.

  “That’s good to know,” Reynolds said then met my eye. I managed not to snigger at the amusement he was trying to hide. He still didn’t quite know what to make of my best friend.

  “Why did you want to meet me?” I asked.

  “You were gone for a long time. I just wanted to catch up and see if you were okay.”

  I was disappointed that he didn’t have anything for me to do, but it was a relief that he wasn’t here to tell me about some horrible plan his captain had for me. Before my last excursion to hell, he’d told me that he’d overheard Bob telling one of his men to prepare a room in the basement for me. He’d ordered shackles to be attached to the wall. If I was caught by any of his demonic lackeys, I wasn’t going to be arrested and booked as normal. They were going to smuggle me in secretly. The things he would do to me in that room would be the stuff of nightmares.

  “I’m fine, but only because Sam saved my butt again,” I told him. We were in a public place, so I couldn’t regale him with the story.

  “It’s a good thing you’re on our side,” the cop said and clapped Sam on the shoulder hard enough to make him choke on a bite of his cookie.

  “Bob must be pretty angry that his minions haven’t caught me yet,” I said in a low voice and hoped it didn’t carry far.

  The detective turned sober and nodded. “His people are out in force looking for you. They’ve been instructed to look for you when they aren’t in uniform as well.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I’ve heard them gossiping when they think I can’t hear them.”

  That didn’t surprise me at all. “Gossip is their favorite hobby,” I said darkly.

  He was about to respond when something caught his eye. A momentary look of horror stole over him before he controlled it. “We’re in trouble,” he said tightly. “Gomez just walked through the door.”

  Sam went into action before I could panic. Swiveling around on his seat, he pretended to be sitting with the woman behind him. He was close enough to remain in contact with me as he lightly brushed against her arm and engaged her in conversation. Showing control I didn’t even know he had, he changed my appearance to match hers without altering himself at all.

  My whole body tensed up as Gomez came to a stop beside Reynolds. “This is a nice surprise,” he said. “Alice, this is my partner, Detective Angelica Gomez.”

  Latina in heritage, she was short and curvy with olive skin and long, curly black hair. I had to clamp down on a snort when I heard her name. Inhabited by a demon, she was anything but angelic. Giving me a suspicious stare, her face flickered. For a few moments, her true form glared at me through scarlet eyes. I forced myself to smile. “Nice to meet you, Detective,” I lied.

  She gave me a cursory nod then ignored me completely. “Something has come up,” she said to Reynolds. “The Captain needs us back at headquarters.”

  “Duty calls,” he said to me. He didn’t even bat an eye that I’d turned into a completely different person right in front of him. Gomez didn’t notice that the woman sitting behind me was wearing the exact same outfit that I was. “We’ll try to catch up again sometime soon,” he added.

  Gomez sent a final hard look at me before she turned and flounced off. Sam managed to maintain my camouflage until the pair were gone then he slumped. I’d heard some of what he’d said to the woman and I was pretty sure they’d been discussing one of his favorite programs. “Are you okay?” she said and grabbed him when he almost fell o
ut of his chair.

  “I am fine,” he said shakily and unconvincingly.

  I turned around and said the first thing that came to my mind. “He has low blood sugar.”

  “Here,” she said and offered him a piece of chocolate cake. “Eat this. It should help.”

  “You are very kind,” he said with a grateful grin.

  “And you’re very cute. If I was ten years younger, I’d ask you out in a heartbeat.” From her speculative look, she was thinking about it anyway. He almost choked again, but managed not to spray chocolate crumbs all over her.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nathan materialized beside me and took the seat that Reynolds had just vacated. “Who was that demon?” he asked.

  “That was Angelica Gomez, Reynolds’ partner.” Nathan could have teleported inside and rescued us if we’d been in any danger. Since it had only been one demon, he hadn’t felt the need to rush to our aid.

  The woman Sam had been talking to stood, whispered something in his ear then left. He turned to face us with a dazed smile.

  “What did she say?” I asked.

  “She said that I should try to find her in a couple of years when it is ‘legal’, whatever that means.”

  Nathan and I exchanged a look. We knew exactly what she meant. Sam was slightly older than she realized. He wouldn’t have to wait two years for it to become legal for him to sleep with her. He was seventeen, the same age as me.

  “Why did you change Violet’s appearance?” Nathan asked him. “Reynolds’ partner would not have noticed either of you unless you drew her attention directly to you.” I wasn’t so sure about that this time. She’d seemed to be highly suspicious of me even when I’d been in disguise. She’d already known Reynolds was with a woman. It was possible she might have seen me even with my bracelet.

  The spell that Brie cast over the bracelets would have made us nearly invisible to her. “I did not want to take any chances,” Sam replied. “My instincts told me to protect Violet and I obeyed them.” There was a reason why he was my best friend and he’d just proven it with that statement.

  “I’d like to know what she was doing here,” I said. “Why didn’t she just call Reynolds? She didn’t need to turn up here in person to see him.” She’d overheard the phone call he’d made to me, which is how she’d known where to find him.

  “That is a good point,” Nathan mused. “Perhaps she was suspicious of him wanting to see his ex-girlfriend. She may have decided to see you for herself. This is not the first time he has used this excuse to meet with you.”

  “It was quick thinking for you to disguise me like that,” I said to Sam.

  Nathan nodded in agreement. “You are even more talented than I had realized. I was not aware that you could change someone else’s appearance while remaining normal yourself.”

  “Violet discovered that I could do it,” he said modestly. “I can only hold the image briefly now. Fortunately, I managed to maintain it until they left.”

  Sam and I finished our drinks before leaving. He’d polished off his cookie and the slice of cake his admirer had given him. Even with the added boost of sugar, he looked worn out. “Let’s get Sam back to our base,” I said to Nathan. “He needs to rest.”

  Too tired from using his fading talents to argue, Sam looked like he needed a nap. Nathan whisked us to the living room. Instead of switching on the TV, Sam lay down on the couch. His eyes slid shut and his breathing deepened.

  We teleported away before Sophia and Leo even knew we’d returned. My phone rang and I took it out of my pocket. It was Reynolds, so I answered it. “Alice speaking,” I said just in case Gomez was nearby. I’d answered the phone using my own surname to mock him once. It was lucky his partner hadn’t been within hearing distance that time.

  “We can speak freely. Gomez isn’t nearby,” the detective said in a low voice.

  “What was the emergency?” I asked.

  “Apparently, you were spotted stabbing another blond girl an hour ago.”

  My heart fell and I knew it had to be another one of my relatives. “Where did it happen?”

  “Harlem. Her heart was removed, just like most of the other girls.”

  I grimaced and Nathan sent me a sympathetic look. “Who supposedly saw me kill her?”

  “Two of Captain Lancaster’s men just happened to witness the event. He’s decided not to broadcast it on the news in case he scares you off. You’re to be brought in quietly.”

  “He’s desperate to get his hands on me,” I said uneasily. Reynolds had overheard that Bob would be punished if he didn’t bring me to his master soon. This had to be why they’d made up the lie that I’d killed the latest victim.

  “You need to keep your head down and stay out of sight,” he warned me. “Every cop on the force knows what you look like now. I know you have some kind of spell that hides you from demons, but the humans will be able to spot you easily enough.”

  “I know. I’ll be careful.”

  “By the way, that was a neat trick Sam pulled making you look like someone else. I almost fell off my chair when your appearance suddenly changed.”

  “He’s pretty talented,” I said with pride for my friend.

  “I’d better go. I’ll check in with you again when I can.”

  We hung up and I put my phone away. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I clutched the sapphire stone that Nathan had carved a rune onto. I’d taken to bringing it with me whenever I left the store. It was my connection to him and it comforted me even though he was walking at my side.

  Seeing a police cruiser approaching, Nathan casually put his arm around my shoulder and turned me towards a store window. I pulled my hair over my shoulder to hide it as best I could and leaned against him. We watched the reflection of the car as it drove past. A witness had seen Nathan with me when two female angels had been harvested then abducted. They had his description as well. The girl hadn’t actually seen the victims. She’d only seen the pools of blood that had been left behind after their essence had been stolen.

  Seeing their faces flicker, I realized it was two demons in the car. They only gave us a glance and continued on. They could have been holding our photos in their hands and they still wouldn’t have recognized us.

  Seeing where Nathan had taken us, I tried not to stiffen in alarm. We were in the Upper East Side and we were only two blocks away from Zach’s apartment.

  Nathan removed his arm with a regretful sigh. I wanted to pull it around me again despite the danger of Zach possibly seeing us. I was horrified at the thought of my boyfriend learning that he had a rival for my affections. He would never know that a relationship between Nathan and me was impossible. He’d just think that I’d been playing him.

  Lost in a reverie of the tangled web that was my love life, I turned the corner onto Park Avenue and came face to face with Candice Weller. I’d forgotten that it was the summer break and that school was out.

  A couple of inches taller than me in her heels, her brown eyes widened when she recognized me. “You!” she exclaimed in a combination of surprise and anger. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her curvy hips. “Don’t tell me you’re still sniffing around Zach. When will you realize that he deserves better than a skanky piece of trash like you!” Her derision stung, just as she’d intended.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw that Nathan had melted back into the shadows. Clearly, he wasn’t going to whisk me away from this danger.

  “You’re right,” I said, to her surprise. “He deserves a shallow, vain Barbie doll like you. Your greatest accomplishment is color coordinating your dress with his bowtie and cummerbund.”

  She gave an outraged gasp then understanding dawned. “You made that guy ruin my dress at the dance!”

  I smirked, not even trying to deny it. “Yeah. It was me and it was awesome. You should have seen your face.” I sniggered and she retaliated by slapping me.

  My smi
rk dropped away and we contemplated each other in a shocked silence for a few moments. Then my palm connected with her cheek and the fight was on. Just a pitifully weak human in this dimension, I had to resort to slapping and hair pulling as I fought my foe.

  Candy cursed like a sailor as she yanked my hair hard enough for my eyes to water. “You bitch!” she spat. “You’re not good enough for Zach. He belongs with me!”

  “He’ll never be yours,” I snarled back. “He was mine long before he even met you. He loves me and he’s only dating you because his father is forcing him to!”

  Wrenching away from me, her cheeks were red from anger and unaccustomed exercise. She was wearing a short dress and high heels in matching red. Her honey blond hair was snarled and tangled from our struggle, yet she still managed to look beautiful. “Zach will see reason,” she said confidently. “The cops have so much evidence piled up against you that they’ll lock you up for a thousand years.” She looked me up and down with a sneer. “You have nothing to offer Zach. We’re perfect for each other. Once you’re out of the picture, he’ll realize that he loves me.” Her eyes went dreamy and she smiled cruelly. “A reputable clairvoyant told me that we’d end up together.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her I knew the psychic she was talking about and that her future wasn’t set in stone. Nathan stepped out of the shadows of a doorway and shook his head in warning.

  Looking past me, Candy smirked. “I’m so glad we had this little chat,” she said almost too casually. “It’s always good to see my rival up close and personal. It makes my victory all the sweeter.”

  Sensing danger, I looked over my shoulder and saw a pack of demons dressed in police uniforms closing in. Someone had seen our fight and had called the cavalry. Nathan saw them. The concern on his face told me that they’d blocked his ability to teleport. We’d been drawn to their attention and they’d recognized us.

  Shoving Candy aside, I took off and her mocking laughter followed me.