Los Angeles

by Tiffany Aaron

  “I might have.” He sounded like a little kid. She pictured him with his hands behind his back and kicking at the ground when caught in a lie.

  “Why the hell did you do that? You don’t have the gift. Hell, I’m the only one who has it that I know of.” She assumed Nevan was yelling in the direction of the spirit in the kitchen.

  “I wanted them to like me. Then one of them said we could bring back this high priestess and that she was our ancestor. All it would take was some blood.” A snort filled her head. “I should’ve known that meant I would give all my blood for it.”

  The interrogation went the rest of the night and into the morning until Cassandra couldn’t deal with it any more. Her head ached and she was so tired. Nevan tucked her into bed after she took some aspirin.

  “Stay in bed all day if you want,” he told her. “I have to go to the station and talk to Tommy. Patrick gave us some good leads, but I have to make sure I proof them with solid evidence.”

  “Be careful, Nevan. Patrick told us what we suspected. They wanted his blood—or your family’s blood—and they’re not interested in taking a pint. They’ll kill you if they can get a hold of you.”

  “I’ll be fine, love. Take care and I’ll call you later.”

  She dropped off to sleep shortly after he left.

  * * * *

  It was the feeling of being stared at that woke her a couple of hours later.

  “Is someone there?” she asked then opened her senses.

  There was a male standing at the end of the bed, and it definitely wasn’t Nevan.

  “Who are you?”

  “They said you were blind. Shit!”

  She’d startled him into talking and now that she had a true direction of where he was, she could plan out her escape. Maybe she could keep him talking. The darkness of her room never bothered her, but it might be a source of difficulty for him.

  “Where is my dog?” She wondered why Kaiser hadn’t barked when the man entered the house.

  The intruder snorted. “Don’t worry. I took care of him. He won’t be making noise or trying to save you.”

  Anger rolled through her. “You better not have killed him. If you did, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

  “Pretty vicious for a blind chick.” He edged towards the right side of the bed and Cassandra eased to the left.

  “I might be blind, but I’m far more dangerous than you would ever believe,” she warned.

  He laughed. “Right, lady. You’re not very big and carrying a little extra weight. I think I can take you.”

  Did he just call me fat? Oh hell no. She launched herself out of the bed and towards the hall. Right into the arms of someone who had been waiting out there. Someone’s smarter than the idiot in the bedroom.

  She struggled and punched. She kicked and bit, but she couldn’t get free. Having the ghost session with Nevan and Patrick must have worn her out. When it became evident that she couldn’t escape right then, she stopped fighting.

  No point in exhausting myself. Need to conserve energy for later. Then she remembered Lucifer. “Lucifer, I need help.”

  “If you’re picking out china patterns for your wedding, Cassandra, you can count me out of that torture.”

  “No!”

  His astonishment at her yelling at him came through. “All right. I was joking, you know.”

  “Please, Lucifer, you need to come and check on Kaiser. I’m being kidnapped and I’m afraid they hurt him.”

  “Kidnapped! You’re taking this all rather calmly. You know you are stronger than those mortals. I’m assuming they’re mortals. Maybe they’re unrepentants looking to get pay back for something you did to them. What have you been doing lately, woman?”

  She gritted her teeth as they dragged her down the stairs and out of the house. She shivered. It might be sunny, but she wasn’t really dressed to be wandering around outside. Her bare feet hit every stone and stick in the driveway. Being dressed in panties and a T-shirt wasn’t great gear to try and facilitate an escape.

  “She’s perfect. That guy will come running when he finds out we have her. It’s almost like taking candy from a baby.” One of the guys boasted as they tossed her into the back of some kind of large vehicle.

  She hissed when her knees scraped over a metal floor. “You didn’t have time to grab me a pair of shoes or maybe different clothes. Won’t people look at me weird being dragged into some place in my nightshirt?”

  “Nope. Don’t have time, lady. Have to get you to the big guy, then get back to the city to get in touch with your man.” It was the talker. So far the other guy hadn’t said a word.

  Cassandra tried to get a bead on him, but while his presence gave off a dangerous and deadly vibe, she couldn’t get much more than that from him. All she did know for sure was that they were human. Neither one was a fallen.

  “Thank God for small favours,” she muttered as she tried to get comfortable on the cold floor.

  “They aren’t fallen, Lucifer. Please just go check Kaiser out. I know he doesn’t like you, but you’re the only one I can contact at the moment. I need to figure out where they’re taking me. I think they want to exchange me for Nevan.”

  “The detective? Whatever for? Did he piss off some drug cartel or something and you got in the middle of it?”

  “Please. Can we not discuss it right now? I’m kind of busy.” She rolled her eyes.

  Lucifer sighed, showing his own frustration at her dodging his questions. “You do remember who I am, right? I could take your soul right here and now.”

  “You can take it any time you stop by to talk to me. You haven’t yet, so I’m thinking you’re not interested in it.”

  Silence from his end told her she was probably right. The van she rode in turned too fast and she wasn’t prepared. She flew across the empty space then her head hit the protruding wheel well. Her mind went as dark as her vision.

  * * * *

  Nevan frowned as he left a message on Cassandra’s voicemail.

  “Who were you calling?” Tommy asked as he strolled by with a sheaf of papers.

  “Cassandra,” Nevan said, not thinking about keeping it a secret. Something was wrong. Every instinct in his entire body was yelling and flashing bright red warning lights.

  “Why would you be calling Cassandra?”

  “What?” He looked up to see Tommy staring at him with a curious light in his gaze.

  Tommy repeated the question. “Why would you be calling Cassandra?”

  “Because we’ve been sleeping together for the past week and now something’s wrong.” After standing, Nevan grabbed his jacket. “I have to go to her house.”

  His partner grabbed his own jacket then followed him out to his car. His announcement had so stunned Tommy apparently that the man couldn’t think of anything to say the entire ride to Cassandra’s.

  Pulling into Cassandra’s driveway, Nevan spotted a tall blond man standing on her front porch. He slammed on the brakes, jerking both him and Tommy against the seat belts. Lucifer stared at him through the windshield.

  “Fuck no! This day cannot get worse,” Nevan swore as he climbed out of the vehicle. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  He struggled against all the spirits surrounding Lucifer. They rushed him and his head filled with their clamouring while lights and colours blinded his eyes. He dropped to the ground, encircling his head with his arms, trying to get them to stop.

  “Enough.”

  The command banished all the ghosts gathered around Nevan and his head went back to normal. Peering up through his fingers, he saw Lucifer standing over him, arms across over his chest and a rather sceptical look on his face.

  “You’re the one Cassandra has fallen in love with? I’m not sure about her taste any more. You’re not very inspiring hero material. And your partner there.” Lucifer gestured to where Tommy sat, seemingly frozen in the car. “He’ll not have your back in any kind of fight. Maybe you should ask for a new one.”


  “He does just fine against mortals, jackass. There isn’t a person—or fallen for that matter—who would be able to deal with you.” Nevan climbed to his feet before brushing off his clothes. “One more time. What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “Cassandra asked me to check on Kaiser for her,” Lucifer told him.

  Nevan took a deep breath and swallowed the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. It had been the same way the last time he’d heard the ultimate fallen angel talk. He’d told Cassandra that Lucifer was the most horrifyingly beautiful and tragically triumphal person/angel he’d ever met. Beautiful with black eyes and gorgeous Norse God looks. Horrifying because of the agony and rage roiling around in those eyes. Tragic with that cross branded into his left cheek begging to tell the story of his fall from grace. Triumphant with thrown back shoulders and a ‘never bow down to anyone’ attitude. Yet whenever he spoke, all Nevan could hear was broken church bells pealing for a fallen man.

  What Lucifer said forced itself through the spell Lucifer had spun over him. “Cassandra asked you to check on Kaiser. Why isn’t she here to look for herself? Why did she leave without him?”

  Lucifer pursed his lips while studying Nevan like he was trying to find out what Cassandra saw in him. Finally, he shrugged. “Seems she’s been kidnapped.”

  “Kidnapped?” Nevan started to reach out to grab the front of Lucifer’s shirt then stopped just short when the fallen raised one eyebrow, daring him to touch him. “Why the hell didn’t you call me when she told you about it?”

  “To be honest, the thought never crossed my mind. You’re human, for all that you have this gift.” Lucifer waved his hand vaguely towards the ghosts gathering at the very edge of the lawn. “I rarely think about mortals, and the few seconds I do, it’s more about how you’re annoying me.”

  “She could be seriously injured or dead, for Christ’s sake.”

  Lucifer winced, but shook his head. “She’s not dead, though I think she got knocked out somehow.”

  Nevan wanted to take him and shake him as hard as he could, then throw him off the nearest cliff. Clenching his hands to keep from doing just that, he forced a smile to his face.

  “She got knocked out?” He enunciated each word slowly like he was talking to someone feeble-minded.

  “Yes. We were talking while they kidnapped her and she asked me to check on Kaiser, who is fine by the way. Must have been drugged or something because he’s sleeping like a puppy in his bed in Cassandra’s room.” Lucifer pointed towards Cassandra’s bedroom window.

  “Wonderful. Now getting back to Cassandra.”

  “Right. We were chatting then she went silent and I couldn’t feel her in my head. Now to be honest, I can’t feel most of the fallen. No matter what anyone tells you, I’m not in charge of them. Once we got kicked out of heaven, my job was done. I’m not a babysitter, you know.” The corners of Lucifer’s lips quirked up when Nevan growled. “It’s your fault.”

  Nevan jerked at his accusation. “What?”

  “You ask a lot of questions. You should’ve been a reporter instead of a cop, though cops do ask questions too. I guess you might be on the right career path after all.”

  The vein at his temple throbbed. “Lucifer, I’m trying very hard not to pull my gun and shoot you right now.”

  Lucifer must have decided to take pity on him or he’d got bored with it all. “Apparently whoever took her wants to trade her for you. I’m sure you’ll know what she’s talking about. But they’re not fallen. Mere mortals, which is usually how it happens. Anyway, they took her and I think you’ll probably get contacted at some point as to where the exchange will take place.”

  “Can’t you find her?” Panic started to kick in. Cassandra was blind and while she wasn’t completely helpless, her lack of vision did handicap her in some ways.

  “No. I’m not a bloodhound to sniff her out. If you want someone to find her right away, you might want to see if you can get a hold of Mika’il. He seems to be able to find anyone he wants to find, whether they want it or not.” Lucifer jerked like he’d been poked with a cattle prod. “I have to go. I have the utmost confidence that you and your very efficient partner there can find Cassandra.”

  To Nevan’s complete and utter surprise, Lucifer disappeared in front of him. Whirling around, he couldn’t see any sign of the fallen, and he was appalled that he’d taken off without even offering to help find Cassandra.

  “Who the hell was that and where the fuck did he go?” Tommy joined him and Nevan couldn’t even be angry with him for not getting out of the car sooner. It took a certain kind of crazy to face off with Lucifer.

  “We can’t focus on him right now. Cassandra has been taken, and I think it’s by the same people who killed my cousin.” Nevan dashed up to the front door and almost ran face first into it. He tried the door, finding it locked. “What the fuck? He locked the fucking door after he left?”

  “You forget I don’t need keys to get in places.”

  Yanking out his phone, Nevan glanced at Tommy before placing the call.

  “Danielle Weston.”

  “Danielle, I need your help in a bad way.”

  “Certainly, Nevan. What do you need?” Danielle was a far better friend to him than he’d ever been to her.

  “I need to talk to Mika’il ASAP.” He inhaled, then slowly let it out. “Cassandra’s been kidnapped and I don’t know where she is. I’m afraid they want to trade her for me, and while I’m willing to do that, I’m not willing to wait for them to contact me.”

  Danielle was quiet for so long, Nevan actually checked his screen to make sure she hadn’t hung up on him.

  “I’ll see what I can do, Nevan, but Mika’il isn’t the kind of guy you demand an audience with.”

  “Well, seeing how Lucifer declined to help me, Mika’il is my only choice.”

  She inhaled sharply. “You asked Lucifer for help? How did that happen?”

  “He was here, checking on Cassandra’s dog. You know what? That doesn’t matter. I need someone to find her for me, so I can go save her.” He crossed his fingers.

  “Right. I’ll see what I can do. Just do whatever you have to do while you wait. He’ll find you if he choose to help.” She hung up without saying goodbye, but Nevan figured he kind of deserved her being rude. He was asking a big favour from her.

  Most fallen tried to avoid Mika’il, the Warrior angel and the one in charge of them. He wasn’t the most forgiving of creatures and requesting his presence to give aid to one of them was pushing the envelope of his tolerance.

  His phone rang and after checking the ID, he answered, “Largent.”

  “Detective Largent, a package arrived here at the station for you. The man delivering it said it was urgent. Had to do with one of your cases,” the desk sergeant told him.

  “Thank you. Detective Davidson and I are our way back.”

  He hung up before heading to the car. Tommy climbed in then looked at him.

  “We’re heading back to the station?”

  “Yes. There’s a package for me. I’m assuming it ‘s from the kidnappers and it’ll help us get Cassandra back.” He tore out of the driveway like he was being chased by hellhounds. And given how his day was going, he wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been.

  “You’re not waiting for this Mika’il guy,” Tommy inquired.

  Nevan shook his head. “No. If he’s going to help us, he’ll find us.”

  “What is he? Some kind of black ops spook guy?”

  “You could say that.” Nevan wasn’t about to get into Mika’il or Lucifer today. Neither one was worth his concern. It was all about Cassandra and getting her back safely.

  Chapter Seven

  “Wake up.”

  Cassandra gasped as cold water drenched her and she sat up, swinging. But they’d tied her hands and ankles together while she was out. She stilled, letting her senses work for her. She sat on the ground and from the sticks and stones poking her but
t, she had to be in a forest. It had to be some park that had oak trees, since druids often had altars in clearings surrounded by them.

  They were far enough away from the city that there was no sound of traffic or any other form of civilisation. Unfortunately, they’d travelled while she was unconscious and she had no way of knowing which direction they’d gone or how long they’d driven.

  “The detective has received the package and I’m sure he’ll be contacting us directly.”

  The tone of that voice spoke of authority—he had to be in charge of the whole shebang. Yet there was also a timeless quality to his voice and she sent out her power to seek him. She bit back her gasp when her search revealed a soul with several lives tied to it. Whoever he was had been reincarnated hundreds of times over the centuries.

  She slowly followed the strings and links between the souls, trying not to undo the delicate balance of lives. She wanted to find the first life that had started it all. Deeper and deeper Cassandra went until she found it. Protected behind a wall of other lives, it thrived and burned so brightly, she almost mistook it for a fallen. But a fallen wouldn’t have died and been reborn. Once a fallen died, they went to wherever God had decided was best for them.

  Now this one had the signature of a true druid. One of the original of that priestly class and one who did have actual magic. Not just the sight, like Nevan. This man had power and wasn’t afraid to use it. Yet there was something broken with this soul as well. Like a piece of it was missing.

  “Soon the moon will rise and the spells will be complete. Morgana and I will be reunited.”

  As she continued to study the soul, she started to absorb some of its memories. There was only one face connected to them and it was a red-haired woman dressed as a druid. She appeared through several of the lives, dressed differently but always the same woman. Until this most recent life, where there was a glaring absence of her touch.

  “Can I have a coat or something?” Cassandra asked as she shivered, not just from the cold but also at the realisation that this man believed he could bring Morgana back. Yet it wasn’t a mistake that she hadn’t been reborn in this lifetime. Something had happened the last time they’d been here and Morgana’s soul no longer existed She wouldn’t be coming back, no matter what the man did.