by Lori Adams
“Wolfgang was hiding in an ice sculpture,” she said plainly. “I was completely caught off guard. He attacked me and I killed him.”
“How?” Vaughn asked, and Ka smiled coolly.
“I decapitated him.”
Dante looked at Julian.
“That’s the way we heard it down here,” he said.
“With what?” Vaughn pushed. He studied Ka’s every expression for a telling sign. Something wasn’t right. She was too calm. Too unaffected. He remembered Sophia’s reaction to the graveyard demons and couldn’t believe she’d gained the confidence to kill Wolfgang in such a short time. Without completing her Awakening.
“With my crystal dagger. Of course.”
“Man,” Santiago said. “Wish I could’ve seen it. That big ugly bastard losing his head to a human. And a chick!”
Julian scoffed. “The gossipmongers say he hasn’t even started regeneration yet. That’s some powerful shit in those spirit walker daggers.” His voice was thick with envy.
“And where is your weapon now?” Dante asked. He went over and took Ka’s hands, helping her up. His smile was so full of pride that it made her laugh.
“Oh, I left it at home when I went to the dance,” she said in a blasé tone, and his smile dropped. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, we could have used it down here, cara mia. But forget it. We’ll find something suitable for you.” He kissed the back of her hand. “We are very proud of you. Aren’t we, Vaughn?” He turned to find Vaughn scowling in thought.
“What do you mean the nobles went into a frenzy after Sophia killed Wolfgang?” Vaughn asked Julian, ignoring the open invitation to congratulate Sophia.
“Well, you know that phrase we all hate? It’s actually true in this case; all hell broke loose. The nobles swarmed the inner sanctum and demanded an audience with The Order. The gossipmongers say the infighting exploded after that, nobles ordering Lord Brutus to reveal the name of his spy or lose his seat on the High Throne. They wanted all information coming from the surface about Sophia St. James. Apparently her high level of power, or the crystal dagger’s power, they didn’t know which, warranted an explanation. Lord Brutus refused to give up his spy and was forced to step down. He remains at the table of The Order but Lord Malachi sits on the High Throne now. And then, just hours ago, when your tethers dragged you back here, things shifted again.”
“That was hours ago?” Ka asked in surprise. It seemed like thirty minutes at the most.
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Julian said, grinning a little too broadly at her. Vaughn knocked him in the shoulder.
“Hey, what happened a few hours ago?”
Julian readjusted his robe. “Well, obviously they know Sophia was dragged back with you, and that she hasn’t made the transformation to spirit walker, yet.” He pointed to her hand and they all looked. No Chelsea Light shone from her palm. “But, man, are they jonesing for it. You guys’ve outdone yourselves this time; it’s the talk of Hell, and not just this kingdom. Thanks to Lord Brutus sending men into the third kingdom, everybody knows you went rogue, and now everybody knows you brought a live, Forgiven soul to Hell. One that has the potential to wield enormous gigs of power; I’m talking supreme power. There are rumors about transplanting her light into another demon, some noble higher up the food chain. The potential to lure in untold numbers of lost souls has lit up their ancient imaginations.”
“What about us?” Vaughn asked, and Julian heaved a sigh and rubbed his neck.
“Yeah, about that. This is where the wires split.” He straightened his spine and looked Dante dead in the eye. “Factions are forming. You have enemies but a lot more proving to be loyal. The Demon Knights, of course, are siding with you. But also Lord Malachi. He’s leading the way, heads down, and campaigning his ass off for you. Says what you’ve done is”—he stopped to use finger quotes—“beyond compare and should negate your former transgressions.” End finger quotes. “You’ve set a precedence. And most of The Order agrees: Lord Hailu, Lord Sultar, Lord Viperon—”
“But not Lord Brutus,” Dante said coldly.
“Naw. Not Lord Brutus. He’s like a lot of those noble assholes who think Sophia should be confiscated as property of the kingdom. Lord Brutus may not have the High Throne now, but he has nobles loyal to him.”
“Fuck!” Vaughn broke away and began pacing. “That motherfucker will never leave us alone now! He’ll start auctioning off our body parts. Just you wait!” His face grew red and he looked around for something sharp to cut himself with.
Dante fought down his own rage. He had expected a fight to stay out of the Nether Region, but he hadn’t expected a fight to keep Sophia with him. Completing her Awakening and turning her dark himself was more crucial than ever. She must bond to him. There was no other way.
News that Lord Malachi had spoken in his favor peaked his interest. Back in October, Dante had singled out Lord Malachi and made him an ally by using the Demon of Persuasion. Lord Malachi had lobbied for Dante only because he’d been compelled to do so—as he had so many times over the centuries. But when the assignment to bring back the soul of Pastor St. James proved disastrous, Lord Malachi had sided with The Order. He voted to have Dante chained to a wall in the Death Bunker, with the end purpose of being cast into the Nether Region. One who so quickly agreed to his death could hardly be trusted now. But Lord Malachi’s allegiance, honest or otherwise, was a start.
“How many are loyal to me? To Lord Malachi?” Dante asked.
“A lot. Can’t give accurate digits, but a lot. And you gotta firewall your trust. Be cautious, always. Some of the Royal Bastards are selling their allegiance to the highest bidder.”
Dante needed time to sort things out away from the gatekeeper and the underling. He walked Ka to the door. “Are my private chambers still accessible? Still safe?”
“As far as I know,” Julian said. “But Santi should take you the back way.”
Santiago opened the door and then jerked back in alarm. A band of guards stood in the corridor. They were tall, wide, and threatening, wearing helmets of bleached skulls and elongated jaws with iron bars for mouthpieces. Their body armor and blades were battered but sufficient, although it was their livery that made Dante uneasy. Red and yellow, the colors of his old estate in Italy.
Julian pushed Santiago into the corridor, followed him out, and then began the introductions: Grayson, the leader, and then Mahl, Korse, and Loaden.
“They’ll escort you to your chambers,” Julian said. “Once there, don’t go anywhere without them.”
The man called Grayson drew his dagger and stepped back, making room. Dark eyes behind the skull helmet scanned both directions. No one approached, and he nodded the all clear.
“And why should we trust you?” Vaughn asked, measuring himself up to the imposing leader. They stood eye to eye for a moment, and then he walked around him, testing the man’s courage. It was a show of faith to let a man walk behind you. Too many were stabbed in the back. Grayson didn’t flinch. “You know who I am?” Vaughn asked. “The Demon of Affliction? Anything you might do to me, I would thoroughly enjoy. But it would only be a fraction of what I would enjoy doing to you.”
“We are loyal to the Demon Knights,” Grayson replied simply. His direct tone gave nothing away.
“Why should you be loyal to us?” Dante asked. He found the man’s eyes inside the darkened skull and released the Demon of Persuasion to elicit the truth from him. “We don’t know you. We have done no favors to be repaid. How much will your loyalty cost us?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Dante arched an eyebrow in disbelief. “Your loyalty has already been paid for?”
“Yes.”
“Ah.” He nodded. This had all the stench of Lord Malachi’s handiwork. His old friend was already manipulating unsolicited favors to be repaid. Feeling as if he knew the answer, Dante continued with heavy sarcasm. “Well, tell us then, Grayson who is loyal to the Demon Knights,
just who is this generous noble who has paid for your allegiance?”
Against his will, Grayson spoke through the compulsion. “Your father, Lord Giano.”
Chapter 4
Organic Human Existence
Dad and Rama are in the living room, Dad on the sofa, Rama on the edge of the recliner. Rama is stroking Sundance, who is curled at his feet like a golden offering. The Christmas tree is twinkling with colorful lights, as though demanding that we not forget the occasion. Yellow flames lick around a stack of logs in the fireplace. The room is dim otherwise, and shadows sputter along the walls, making me feel as though we’re not alone. I’m being paranoid. I’m being me.
Dad leans toward the heat, his cold hands wrapped around a mug of cider. He smiles while Rama entertains us with one of my more amusing training sessions. Dad enjoys my antics, but he doesn’t know Rama is putting up a front. His voice is strained. He is nervous but trying to maintain his cool. We’ve had no private time to discuss the loss of Ka, and a few pleading looks from me have kept him from mentioning her existence to Dad.
Occasionally, Dad shakes his head and chuckles. “You can levitate?” he asks, but I shrug distractedly. I’m clutching my cellphone, desperate to hear back from Bailey. I have no idea what’s happened to her, and they won’t let me leave to look for her. Rama says to have patience but I’m running low at the moment.
“Where could she be? Why isn’t she calling me back? It’s not like her not to answer her cellphone.” I check again. No missed calls. No text messages. “Dad, are you sure Bailey wasn’t dancing with Vaughn after I left the courthouse?” I’m terrified that Vaughn somehow took Bailey to Hell at the same time that Dante took Ka.
Dad’s face drops at the mention of Vaughn Raider. He’s still upset that I didn’t tell him the demons had returned. I don’t blame him, but there’s no time to wallow in regrets.
“I hope to God she was never dancing with that…demon.” Dad struggles quietly, clutching his mug. There’s so much he wants to say but won’t. “I don’t remember seeing Vaughn after you left. After Dante left. I thought you’d all gone together. I thought…the worst.” He brings the mug to his lips and drinks as though the warm liquid can comfort his fears. I wish it could. I wish I could give him that kind of comfort, too.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” I say for the hundredth time. It will never be enough for putting him through the fear of losing me, again. I’m more upset at myself than he is. I give Rama a helpless look.
He is sitting strangely alert as though sensing something. He jerks his chin toward the door. “Bailey just left the courthouse. Headed this way.”
I fling my cell onto the sofa and head straight out the front door. I walk to the corner of the porch closest to the square. The night air is bone chilling but I hardly notice. I’m still unaffected by the cold, and it settles on my skin as nothing more than frosty awareness. I think I like this particular supernatural perk.
It’s well after midnight and the Winter Carnival dance is over. The town square is scattered with people leaving the courthouse. They are dressed in elegant gowns and black tuxedos. Some have limousines waiting while others walk. Most of the elaborate Russian-themed ice decorations have been destroyed by Wolfgang, his hideous minions, the lesser demons, the demon hunters, and me. Remains of the dead demons have long disappeared in wafts of smoke. They leave behind curious piles of clothes that will be the talk of the town for days. No one knows what to make of the mess, and I feel a pinch of regret as they pick through the wreckage. I am the Grinch who stole Christmas.
I see my friends making their way across the park. Rachel and Holden are wrapped closely together. Casey, Lizzanne, Sarah, and Harper Rose seem mystified by the magnitude of destruction blocking the sidewalks. J.D. is brooding, no doubt upset that I bailed on our date. Jordan the Leerer has stopped to assess the damage. He takes it all in, and then turns and looks in my direction. A creepy feeling comes over me. But then, Jordan has given me the creeps since the day I met him.
Jordan bumps into Bailey as she appears from behind the giant Christmas tree in the center of the park. They exchange angry words but neither one stops. Duffy comes marching directly behind Bailey. Her body language—clomping through snow, bundled tightly in her coat, shoving chunks of ice and people out of the way—suggests that she’s in a mood. I hear her cussing at Duffy. She wants to be left alone but he’s dogging her.
“Damnit, Bailey!” he yells and stops at the edge of the sidewalk while she crosses the street, heading toward my house. She flips him off. Duffy glares at me and then points like it’s all my fault.
“Bailey!” I call, as she stomps along the sidewalk and up the porch steps. Yes, she is pissed, but I don’t care. I throw my arms around her, so happy she’s here. “God! I thought something happened to you!”
She wiggles free and scowls. “You mean you, right? ’Cause she’s gone, Sophia. Your DoOver is gone. Dante took Ka and—” She stops and gives me a look. “You already know, don’t you?”
I explain everything. Killing Wolfgang, gaining my Chelsea Light, the ceremony, and, of course, the feeling that Ka has gone too far away. “High Alice was right. Ka and I can’t be separated.” I expect some reaction about Ka, but Bailey gives me a doubtful look.
“You killed Wolfgang?”
I grin and tell her about my crystal dagger and the crossbow pistols with an endless supply of arrows that find any target I wish.
“So you can do more than just throw knives now.” She smirks and I flash a cocky smile that says Damn straight. “You’re finally a badass. Lucky you. So where’re these badass weapons anyway?” She looks around my hips.
“They’re kept safe until I receive a call for help.”
“Oh. So where do you think Vaughn and Dante and Ka went? I’d really like to give Vaughn a piece of my mind. That asshole left without saying good-bye. Actually, they all did.”
I fill in more details and what I believe really happened—the horrific pain in my chest was my soul being ripped away. Those dark, swirling images that flashed in my mind were a sample of what Ka was enduring. What else could it all mean except that Dante has Taken Ka to Hell?
Bailey stares. She’s not willing to believe so easily. She doesn’t like my explanation, or doesn’t want to accept it.
“No. Uh-uh. Probably they went back to the mansion. Right? I mean…they wouldn’t just leave without…”
Without her. That’s what she wants to say. Vaughn wouldn’t have left without her. My God, Bailey really is in love with him, even knowing he’s a demon.
I grab her shoulders and give a hard shake. “Listen to me!” I demand. “Vaughn is evil and you know it. He has the Demon of Affliction inside him. His sole purpose is to inflict pain. To hurt others. You can’t possibly fall in love with someone like that. So forget about how hot he is or charming or sexy or whatever. We only spent time with Dante and Vaughn because we needed them to get into La Croix, remember? None of that changes the facts. Vaughn. Is. A. Demon.”
“But…I think he loves me, too.” Her voice is quiet and thin, so unlike her.
“I’m sorry, Bailey, but it was just sex, for him. Right?” I nod to encourage her to agree. She’s an experienced girl; she has to know the difference between lust and love.
“He told me things tonight. To protect us. He cares about me. And you, Sophia. I know he does.”
“What things?”
She takes a breath and then lowers her voice, speaking in a grave tone. “Well, first he said Wolfgang was coming for you. And then he said there was another demon stalking you. A demon spy sent by some guy, Lord Whatshisface, from down below. The spy is reporting back to him. Vaughn and Dante were really freaked by this other demon ’cause they couldn’t find him. And it means that Lord Whatshisface from down below knows everything that’s going on up here. They’ve been trying to find the spy, to keep you safe, but…well, like I said, everybody disappeared tonight. Like it or not, Vaughn cares about me and you.”
<
br /> I gnaw on my lip, thinking. It must be Lord Brutus. Dante said he learned of my Awakening from someone named Lord Brutus. I remember all the times Ka and I felt someone watching us, tracking us. After Wolfgang appeared, I was sure it had been him. Now it seems that someone else is still around. And if they are, they might know that Dante doesn’t have the real me in Hell.
The thought makes my skin crawl. I have no idea what Dante, or Lord Brutus for that matter, will do to Ka when they find out she’s not me.
I snap back to Bailey, determined not to get sidetracked. “I don’t give a shit how nice you think Vaughn’s been. Or how protective. He was only doing what Dante ordered him to do. And that was to keep you occupied while Dante tried to Take my soul. Vaughn doesn’t love you, or anyone, because he’s incapable of love. Whatever he did in life was bad enough to send him to Hell. Never forget that, Bailey. Understand?”
She nods with her eyes wide open. I feel like crap, but this isn’t some crush she can toy with. This isn’t Duffy who gets off playing pranks. Vaughn is deadly and Bailey just hasn’t seen it yet. Hopefully she never will. I’m tempted to tell her how Vaughn tried to make Dad commit suicide, but she looks too distraught already.
Bailey turns away and hugs herself, shivering and looking pathetically lonely. She lost Vaughn and ruined things with Duffy. My heart aches for her so I wrap an arm around her and rub, more for support than warmth. We stare into the night, letting things settle.
Lights in the square are systematically blinking off, and it’s snowing again. Always the snow to cover and quiet things. A nice job if you can get it.
“I want to go to the mansion,” Bailey murmurs, reminding me that some things never change. Her stubbornness for one. “I have to know. For sure.”
