by Diem, J. C.
Sophia was placing a purple cloth over the table, presumably to add to the atmosphere. “We’ll be back in a couple of hours,” I said. That should give her enough time to perform a reading. I hoped it went better than mine had. I doubted her client would return if the devil showed up on one of her cards.
“Be careful and stay out of trouble,” she warned us.
“You sound just like my Mom,” I said with a wistful smile.
“I am sure we would have been great friends if I had known her,” she responded then ushered us out.
Sam pulled his cap down low and I pulled my hood up. I waited until we were three blocks away before turning northwards. Checking that none of our friends were around, I quickened my pace. There was something I wanted to do and I didn’t want Nathan, Brie or Leo to find out about it.
Trotting along at my side, Sam cut a sidelong glance at me. “Why do I get the feeling we are not just going for a random stroll?” Being imprisoned in hell hadn’t dulled his intelligence at all. Trying to guess the volatile moods of his master had most likely given him the ability to pick up on subtle cues.
“I want to go back to the building where we saw Zach. I need to make sure he’s gone.”
“How will you know if he is there or not?” he asked in confusion. “I do not think the doorman will volunteer that sort of information if we were to ask him.”
Privacy would come first and I didn’t have enough cash to bribe the man. “I’ll figure it out when I get there,” I shrugged. Nathan had told me to trust my instincts, so that was what I was going to do. They were telling me to return to the opulent building and I was too curious to ignore them.
Walking as quickly as the traffic lights would allow us to, we made it to the Upper East Side in half an hour. Slightly winded, I slowed down as we approached the grand building. Dressed more like delinquents than rich kids, we stood out far too much. “Let’s cross the street and watch from over there.” I pointed at an art gallery that was a couple of doors down.
Waiting for the lights to change, we crossed the road and ambled over to stare into the gallery window. We could see the object of our stakeout in the reflection. Fifteen minutes later, I was ready to give up. Then a black town car approached and pulled up about thirty yards away from where we stood.
The rear door opened before the chauffeur could climb out and a familiar face appeared. Zach didn’t even glance at us as he left the car. My heart caught at seeing him again. “Zach?” I said before he could run across the road.
Turning, he frowned at me, ignoring Sam completely. Then I realized my friend had camouflaged himself against the brick wall. He’d moved away to give us some privacy. He was nothing if not discreet.
“Do I know you?” Zach said uncertainly. My heart dropped when I saw he was wearing a school uniform. He was carrying a backpack, which meant he wasn’t just in the city to visit someone as I’d hoped.
“It’s me, Violet.” Pushing my hood back, I walked over to him. Recognition flared and he took a step forward as if he was going to hug me. I was stunned to see joy light up his face.
“Is that street rat bothering you, sir?” a voice said before we could have a happy reunion. The driver had climbed out and was staring at me in distaste.
Realizing we had a witness, Zach schooled his face to neutrality again. “No, Giles. She was just asking for directions.”
“Where to? The nearest soup kitchen?” Giles sneered. In his late thirties, he was coldly handsome with white blond hair and light blue eyes.
“Meet me at the corner of Madison and Seventy-Eighth in ten minutes,” Zach whispered then jogged across the road.
Feeling the suspicious stare of the chauffeur on my back, I walked away. Sam materialized at my side when I turned the corner. “That man was extremely rude,” he muttered.
“Did you hear him call me a street rat?” I said with a grimace. I might not be wearing designer clothes, but I didn’t look quite that disreputable. At least I was clean and my hair was neatly braided.
“You will be the savior of this world,” Sam said in a disgruntled tone. “You should smite him down for his impertinence.”
I did a double take to see if he was serious. “Smite him down? What show have you been watching that gave you that idea?”
He named a popular show based on a best-selling series of books. “It is my favorite. Someone is always being killed for their impertinence.”
I hadn’t watched the show myself, but I’d heard about it. “He doesn’t know who or what I am. I’m not going to start smiting humans just because they show me disrespect. I’m not exactly royalty.”
“You are higher than royalty. You are Fate’s chosen warrior and you are a heroine.” He was determined to defend me even though the chauffeur was two blocks behind us by now.
“I don’t feel like a heroine,” I replied in a subdued tone. “I don’t feel like I’ve done anything important so far.”
He stared at me in disbelief. “You conquered the master gate to hell. No one has ever accomplished that before.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” I said and drew him to a stop. “The first few trials were way too easy. Even the weakest demon would have laughed at having to fight such pitiful creatures. The last few trials were difficult, but they were far from impossible. I find it very hard to believe that the Hellmaster or any of the eight Princes haven’t managed to defeat the master gate.” The leviathan had been a mighty opponent, but it had also been pretty stupid. It hadn’t been that hard to outthink it.
“What are you saying?”
“I think I’m being manipulated. I know Fate wants me to win this war, but surely the Hellmaster wants to keep me out of his domain?”
We pondered the problem then Sam stepped backwards into the doorway behind me and pulled me in with him. He used his abilities to blend us in with the door as Zach hurried down the street towards us. Crossing over to the opposite side, he checked his watch and picked up his pace.
“Hold on a moment,” Sam warned me when the chauffeur rounded the corner. He followed Zach at a distance as he headed to our rendezvous. “Why is the driver following your boyfriend?” he asked when they were both out of sight.
“He probably doubles as a bodyguard,” I surmised. With Zach being shadowed, it reminded me that I was supposed to be on the run. What if he’d called the cops to tell them I was here? They could be moving in to surround the area right now. Sophia’s prediction that someone close to me would betray me was still weighing on my mind. “Let’s move closer and see if this is a setup or not,” I said.
“What do you mean?” Sam asked as he scurried to keep up with me.
“I fled from the scene of my mother’s murder,” I reminded him. “For all I know, Zach might turn me in to the police.”
“Ah.” He caught on quickly. “Then it would definitely be wise for us to watch from afar to see whether it is a trap.”
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirteen
Instead of trailing directly after the pair, we backtracked to Park Ave and jogged several blocks away from our intended meeting place. We crossed over Madison and kept going until we reached Fifth. Realizing we were right across the street from Central Park, I skidded to a halt. The trees that lined the avenue were bare and stark. I searched the branches for a glimpse of the decrepit raven. It wasn’t in evidence, so we quickly made our way up to Seventy-Eighth Street.
“Keep your eye out for the police,” I murmured to Sam as we hurried back towards Madison Ave. We didn’t spy anyone suspicious during our circuitous route to the specified meeting place.
Reaching Madison Ave, we hid in another doorway and peered out to see Zach standing on the next block. He checked his watch impatiently. His chauffeur slash bodyguard was nowhere in sight, but I knew he’d be lurking somewhere close by.
“I do not see anyone suspicious,” Sam said, scanning the area diligently.
“Neither do I.” Checking the time, I saw that I was alre
ady five minutes late. My dream had made me wary of Zach after I’d seen him morph into a demon. I hadn’t seen any sign that he was harboring evil so far. It had just been a product of my overactive imagination. “I’m going to talk to him,” I decided. “Stay hidden and keep watch, just in case I need you.”
“I will guard your back,” he agreed. That was one of the things I liked best about Sam. He didn’t question me or argue with my decisions.
I stepped out into view and Zach’s head came up. Instead of racing to meet me, he subtly nodded at a coffee shop across the road. Feeling Sam’s eyes on my back, I waited for a break in traffic and crossed over. Entering the shop, I pretended to browse through the selection of beverages.
Two minutes later, the door opened and Zach entered. “Order a drink then take a seat at the counter,” he said as he brushed past me. He’d changed out of his school uniform into expensive designer jeans and a cashmere sweater. Now that we were far from Denver, he’d shed his average clothes for a wardrobe that suited his true status as the son of a very rich man.
Feeling decidedly shabby, I stepped up to the counter and ordered tea. When it came, I chose a stool at the counter that had a spare seat beside it. A poster blocked most of my view through the window. Zach joined me moments later. “I can’t believe it’s really you,” he said in a low voice and without looking at me.
“It really is,” I said. “Is there a reason we’re acting like we’re in a spy movie?” With his blond hair and brown eyes, he was striking. He was also cuter than I remembered. He’d grown a little and his shoulders seemed wider.
He shifted his gaze to the window. I leaned over until I could see a man standing across the road. It was his chauffeur. He was pretending to talk into his cell phone as he conducted surveillance on his charge. “Giles can be overly diligent in his duties,” he said dryly.
“What are you doing in New York?”
He cut a glance at me, drinking in my face before turning back to his coffee. “My father received a job offer that he couldn’t refuse. I didn’t want to leave Denver, but I didn’t have a choice about it.” He sounded slightly bitter about being uprooted again. “I kept hoping you’d contact me. I wanted to be there in case you came home.”
“I can’t ever go back there,” I said in a low voice. “Not after the things I saw.”
He spared me another quick glance. “What happened, Violet? The police are saying that you murdered your mother.”
“It wasn’t me,” I replied a little too vehemently. “I’d never hurt my Mom. After I left you that night, I came home to find two men in her room. One of them stabbed her in the heart and then they tried to kidnap me.”
He slanted me a look when he heard the muffled sob in my voice. Empathy poured from him and I sensed that he wanted to take my hand. Instead, he merely brushed his fingers against mine. “Who were they and why did they try to kidnap you?”
Now I had to bend the truth more than a little. “They were cops. I don’t know what they wanted with me. Maybe they’re involved in the sex trafficking of minors.” Stranger things had happened, but not as bizarre as the reality that I was facing.
“Is that why you ran away? Because they were cops?”
“Wouldn’t you have run if you were in my position?” I replied. “Even if I found cops who weren’t corrupt, who do you think they would have believed? A sixteen year old kid or their colleagues?”
Sighing, he nodded almost imperceptibly. “I just wish you’d come to me instead of running away. My father could have hired the best lawyers that money can buy. You didn’t have to go through this alone.”
Tears welled and I sniffed them back. This time, he took my hand, making sure his bodyguard couldn’t see our entwined fingers. “I didn’t want to get you involved,” I said. In truth, it hadn’t even occurred to me to go to him for help. I knew his father was loaded, but I hadn’t realized just how rich he was. “Besides, how could I have ever paid him back?”
He sent me a quick, reproachful look. “You wouldn’t have had to. He’d do anything I asked for someone I care about so much.”
I flushed and warmth spread through me at the look of near adoration in his eyes. “You still care about me?” I asked almost breathlessly.
“Of course I do. You’re my girlfriend, aren’t you?” He winked and something inside me relaxed. He believed my story and he wasn’t going to turn me in.
“I’ve missed you,” I admitted. “Almost as much as I miss my Mom.” He squeezed my hand as my grief welled again. A tear escaped and I wiped it away with the back of my hand.
Tearing his gaze away from me, he picked up his coffee cup to hide his words. “Just remember that you’re not alone anymore. Not as long as I’m around.”
“What are we going to do? Sneak around and meet in clandestine locations?” I joked. I was trying hard to hold onto my emotions. Nothing embarrassed me more than sobbing in public.
Unfortunately, his answer was deadly serious. “Exactly. The cops are still searching for you. If you’d come to me straight away, my father might have been able to help you. But that became impossible when you ran away. You’re a wanted felon now, so you’ll have to lay low.”
That was already my plan, but I couldn’t help but feel some despair. “I’m getting pretty used to it,” I said dismally.
“Where are you staying? Do you need money?” He studied my clothes from the corner of his eye.
Racking my brain, I remembered Sophia saying that she and my mother could have been friends. It would do for a cover story. “I’m staying with a woman my mother knew a long time ago. And no, I don’t need any money, thank you.”
He grinned behind his coffee cup and slanted me a sly look. “You’re still the same feisty, rebellious girl that I know and love.”
My heart lurched to hear him say he loved me, even if he was joking. “You know me so well,” I said in mock sarcasm.
Across the street, Sam materialized briefly and pointed at his wrist where a watch would have been if he’d owned one. Starting, I glanced at the time and frowned.
“Do you have a curfew?” Zach asked.
“Something like that. My guardian doesn’t like me to be gone for too long.” That could apply to either Sophia or Nathan, but I meant the clairvoyant in this instance.
Sighing, he finished off his coffee. “You’d better let me go first. Wait until Giles follows me before you leave.”
“Will I see you again?” I hated how needy I sounded, but it was too late to take the words back.
“No one is going to stop me from seeing you,” he replied almost fiercely. “We’ll just have to be careful.” He thought about it then came up with a plan. “Meet me in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday at one pm.”
“There’s a million museums in this city,” I reminded him. “Which one is that?” I still didn’t know the city well enough to know this off the top of my head. It sounded familiar, though.
“It’s on Fifth Ave. Just walk alongside Central Park until you reach it. It’s nearly at the halfway point of the park.”
I shivered at the prospect of going anywhere near the park again, but nodded. “I’ll see you on Friday.” That was four days away, which seemed like a lifetime.
“I can’t wait.” Slanting me a final smile, he sauntered towards the door.
Leaning over so I could watch him through the window, I saw his bodyguard follow him after a short wait. When Giles was out of sight, I finished off my tea and left the coffee shop. Sam was nearly invisible against the brick wall of the building. Only someone who knew he was there would have been able to spot him. Even then, it was still difficult.
“Did you have a nice chat with Zach?” he asked, stepping out from his concealment.
“Yep.”
“Are you still his ex?” he asked slyly.
I blushed bright red and he giggled. He’d come out of his shell since I’d dragged him out of the shadowlands. “No. We’re still dating,” I replied wi
th as much dignity as I could muster.
Sobering, his smile dropped away. “Do you think that is wise? Do you really want to involve a human in your quest?”
“I don’t have any plans to involve him in any of this,” I replied. “I’m not about to tell him that angels and demons are real. He’d have me committed if I told him anyway.”
“When are you going to see him again?”
“Friday at one pm. He wants to meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
“We saw that place earlier,” he said and pointed to the west. “It is right over there.”
He was far more observant than I was because I hadn’t even noticed it. I was tempted to take a look at the museum now, but Sophia would be expecting us back within the hour. “Will you help me meet up with Zach on Friday?” I asked. The others would never agree to me going anywhere alone. I needed him on board or I’d be doomed to fail.
“I will help you,” he agreed. “It will be our little secret.” I couldn’t help but wonder how many spy movies he’d watched. He was a little too enthusiastic about the plan. He probably saw himself as a secret agent for some kind of clandestine organization.
₪₪₪
Chapter Fourteen
We were nearing the store when we rounded a corner and saw an ominous cloud. For a moment, I thought it was just fog, then I realized it was a pack of demon souls. Hanging low to the ground, they surged towards us.
Sam hissed in a breath. He put his hand on my shoulder as the evil essence wafted forward. They’d sensed the gaping hole inside me and were helpless to resist the lure that my soulless body offered them. “Brace yourself,” Sam said in support then the invasion began.
I lost count of how many lesser demons oozed inside me. Just for good measure, a few captains were added to the mix as well. Driven to my knees beneath the onslaught, I came close to losing consciousness. Then arms swept me up and I was held against a familiar hard chest. “I have you,” Nathan murmured and teleported us both into the safety and security of Sophia’s store.
