(Skeleton Key) Game Master

by Scarlett Dawn

  I heaved a heavy sigh but never looked away. “And I would do the same for you.” With my eyes firmly locked on my soul partner, I stated clearly, “General Finley, meet the newest participants in the Game.”

  Kingsley’s red head popped up out of the sugar jar. “I knew it was a superb idea. Sometimes, people just need a shove in the arse to get them moving.”

  My nostrils flared. “I’m so upset with you, Kingsley.”

  “But you want to join the Guard, don’t you?”

  My left eye twitched. The frog had a point.

  I needed purpose in my life.

  General Finley muttered, “Is that a talking frog? I haven’t seen one of those in years.”

  Our transportation arrived.

  I grinned from ear-to-ear. “This will be fun.”

  Kingsley peered out of the pocket on my shirt. His groan was painful to listen to. He grumbled, “This will not be fun, dear. Wind transports rarely are.”

  I snorted. It was a yellow hot air balloon.

  Lucifer stepped next to me, our bags over each of his shoulders. “Have you been on one of these before?”

  “No, but I always wanted to.”

  “You’re not afraid of heights?”

  I shook my head. There was no way to explain I had been on a plane before. No one on this realm would understand it, and I didn’t technically know how to explain the mechanics of how a plane flew. To me, it was just another way to travel on Earth.

  His blue eyes skimmed my features. “You’re thinking about there, aren’t you?”

  My lips pinched. “How did you know?”

  Lucifer looked away from me and at the hot air balloon, grabbing the straps of our bags. He shrugged his shoulders. “You always get a certain look on your face when you do.”

  My brows puckered, sensing it hurt him. I rested the side of my head against his shoulder and surveyed our transportation, too. “I’m here. I always will be.”

  He sighed quietly, his words just as soft. “Will this world ever be enough for you?”

  I quickly linked my arm with his, pressing my body closer against his side. I stated clearly with passion, “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.”

  His chest heaved, and he turned his head. He pressed his lips to my forehead. “I had a moment of weakness. Excuse my stupidity.” He kissed my skin again.

  “Do you worry that I’ll leave you?”

  His brows puckered. “Actually…no.”

  “Good. Because if a skeleton key ever appears again, I’m not touching it.” My eyes narrowed, and I lightly shook his arm. “And if you ever touch one, I’ll find a way to hunt you down and drag you back. We’re partners.”

  His lips twitched, his blue eyes running over my serious gaze. “I wouldn’t touch a skeleton key, even if my life were in danger. I’ll never leave you.”

  I nodded. “Damn straight.”

  General Finley marched straight toward us, his regard too perceptive as he evaluated us. When he stopped a few feet away, he asked, “Everything all right? One of you isn’t afraid of the wind transport, are you?”

  Lucifer and I shook our heads no.

  Kingsley raised his right front arm. “I am.”

  “You can stay behind then,” I offered.

  His forehead crinkled, worry etching his tiny features. “Where you go, I go—for now.” He narrowed his beady eyes. “You’re my friend.”

  My lips curved into an honest smile. Most days, Kingsley did something to annoy me. But when he was like this—sweet and vulnerable—I absolutely adored the frog.

  “You’re my friend, too.” I stared down at him and lifted a red brow. “As long as you don’t tell anyone else who Lucifer and I really are.”

  He pinched his little mouth together and tried speaking through his lips—his voice terribly muffled. “My lips are sealed.”

  Lucifer chuckled, but his eyes narrowed. “Keep it that way, Kingsley.”

  I was certain he only put up with the frog because I cared for the little guy. There had been plenty of times where Lucifer had been so furious with Kingsley. I was honestly surprised he hadn’t yet booted him across the room with a heavy kick. Especially, when Kingsley decided that Lucifer’s shed was the perfect spot for parties—lots of loud animals everywhere.

  And the frog knew how to throw a party.

  Kingsley stopped goofing around and nodded his head in a stoic tilt. “Of course. Though I won’t apologize for this time. It’ll be good for the both of you.”

  Lucifer’s head teetered back and forth. “Perhaps.”

  “It will,” General Finley promised. “The Guard will be a good fit for the both of you. As long as you win your two tests in the Game.”

  We started walking toward the ‘wind transport.’

  Lucifer asked candidly, “Can you tell us anything about the two tests we’ll have to pass?”

  “No.”

  He hummed, his eyes sliding the General. There was a sly look in his gaze. “If we do win, will we get wings?”

  I blinked. “Wings?”

  I didn’t have to play it cool.

  The General already knew about me.

  General Finley snickered at my expression. “All the members of the Guard have wings. But we only let them free and use them in dire situations.”

  “Why?”

  “Honestly? Because they irritate our back.” He winked. “I didn’t tell you that, though. Wings are a precious gift to have.”

  I moved behind him and peered at his back. There was nothing abnormal under his clothing. “I don’t see anything.”

  “They aren’t there unless I wish them there.”

  My brows lifted. That was interesting.

  “You still didn’t answer my question.” Lucifer placed our bags inside the capsule. “Will we receive them or not?”

  “If you win your tests, then you will receive them.”

  I climbed inside the capsule, and questioned, “How many candidates do you have trying the Game?”

  Lucifer was the person who answered, his lips grinning in arrogance. He slipped inside with me, sitting directly on my left. “There are only ever two candidates. They work as a pair, even when they’re in the Guard—usually on special missions. And they only allow the Game once a year. The rest of the time, the recruits have to go through two years of training before they’re allowed in the Guard.”

  My mouth dropped open. “This is prestigious?”

  “Very,” General Finley drawled. He stepped inside the capsule and shut the door, locking it. “People are normally watched for years before they’re invited to the Game. If you pass, it’s an immediate position in the elite.”

  I couldn’t stop staring. “Outside of who we are or where we came from, why would you choose us?”

  His answer was simple. “Because you two are that good. I wouldn’t have chosen you otherwise.”

  The General lifted a small, round bottle from his pocket and uncorked it. He tipped the glass into his waiting palm. Red glitter landed in his hand, and he raised it to his mouth. He blew out hard, and the red glitter flew out from his palm.

  I jerked back in my seat and squinted my eyes, fully prepared to be sprayed with glitter. Except gravity had no meaning for the sparkles. They hovered in the air between the three of us. My jaw gaped in awe, and my voice was breathless. “Oh, my God.”

  Lucifer placed his arm over my shoulder. “Just keep watching.”

  The red glitter started spinning in a circle as one unit, completely uniform in structure. It spun faster and faster until it glowed as one. Then our transportation suddenly rose from the ground, climbing high into the sky.

  I blinked. “Wind transport.” Not a hot air balloon.

  “Magic,” Kingsley clarified, his voice grumpy.

  I petted the top of his head with one finger. “Just close your eyes. It’ll all be over soon.”

  The humona peering at me didn’t have an issue with his wings. Those magical properties were on
full display, the beauty continually catching my eyes. The wings didn’t have feathers, either. They weren’t like birds. His magnificent wings were translucent blue with streaks of gold throughout.

  I wanted to touch them.

  Lucifer smacked my hand when I started to do just that. He flicked his gaze in my direction, and then back to the Chief, the man who rules the entire Guard. “So sorry, Chief. Please, continue?”

  He practically rolled his eyes, his office just as opulent as his wings. “Should I put them away?” His piercing gaze didn’t leave mine. “Will that help you, Ms. Creed?”

  My brows puckered. “They really are striking.”

  “I can tell you like them, Ms. Creed. I asked if you need me to put them away.”

  Instantly, I shook my head and straightened on the regal—uncomfortable—chair I sat on. “No. I’m good.”

  “Are you sure?” He fluttered the wings.

  My nostrils flared. I bared down but kept my attention directly on his face. “I’m sure.” But, damn, they had sparkled when he did that.

  Lucifer cleared his throat. “I believe you were saying that there are two tests.”

  The Chief sat back on his chair behind his desk, gradually dragging his eyes away from mine. He turned that gaze onto my soul partner. “Yes. Each test will be judged solely by General Finley.” He tilted his head down and peered up at us with serious eyes. “And do not expect him to pass you merely because he’s your sponsor. General Finley has been around long enough to have seen the repercussions of that foolhardy act with his younger peers.”

  I really wanted to know how old the young looking General was. “May I ask a personal question about General Finley?”

  “No.”

  Well, that was shot down fast. “How about you?”

  “Fuck no.”

  Lucifer snorted softly, then covered it with a cough.

  My lips twitched. “I had to try.”

  The Chief eyed the two of us. “You two are either going to be the best candidates we’ve had in years or the absolute worst ever. I haven’t decided yet.”

  I grinned. “Will you flutter your wings one more time for me when we’re done talking?”

  Lucifer sighed heavily. “I can’t believe he did that. You’re never going to shut up now about the damn wings until we get them.”

  I turned my head in his direction, and whispered, “They sparkled! Did you see that?”

  “I saw,” Lucifer droned. “What did it remind you of?”

  “The wind transport. I wonder if it’s part of the same—”

  The Chief raised his left hand. “Excuse me! The meeting isn’t done yet, and I’m right here while you talk about me.”

  “We know,” Lucifer and I said together.

  We turned our attention back to him. Waited.

  He stared, his eyes flicking back and forth between us. He finally muttered, “I’m going to kill General Finley.”

  Lucifer shrugged. “We are that good. He knows it.”

  “I’m beginning to see that. What I mean is that if you pass, I’ll have to deal with the two of you until I finally quit one day.” He scowled. “That won’t be for a very long time.”

  I pinched my fingers together in front of my right eye. “You could always make it shorter.”

  His glare deepened. “Can we stay on track, please?”

  Lucifer and I both smiled. Tiny ones.

  That was what we were waiting for.

  When we ran the show.

  Lucifer relaxed in his chair and rolled his wrist. “I’d love to hear more. Thank you.”

  The Chief blinked. “Fuck.”

  General Finley barged through the office doors and shook his head at the Chief. “Maybe you should shorten your time in this position if they got to you that fast.”

  “Were you eavesdropping?” I asked, a smirk on my lips. “I hadn’t noticed. Especially, when your shadow kept moving behind the door.”

  Lucifer picked at his fingernails. “Or when he sneezed.”

  I nodded. “That too.”

  The Chief slammed a palm down onto his desk, and his wings instantly disappeared. He glared at the General. “This meeting done.” He pointed at us, his finger jabbing hard in our direction. “Don’t tell them shit about the Game. I want to see how they do with no information given.”

  General Finley balked. “None?”

  The Chief’s eyes narrowed, and turned on us. “I will tell you this much. It’s all about the display of how you handle yourself. For both tests. If you don’t impress the General with the show, you won’t pass. If you don’t pass, you’ll live an absolutely normal life. And I already know this about you both. You’ll be bored by the time you’re thirty, with no other option but to concede you fucked up and to settle for that boring life.”

  My forehead crinkled. “Maybe a little more—”

  “Get them out of here before I lose my shit, General Finley,” the Chief barked. “Now!”

  General Finley yanked us both up by the back of our shirts and shoved us toward the door. When he closed the door, he growled, “You really don’t want to piss that man off. He can do anything he wants to you—including sending you to jail for the rest of your life—for no reason at all. He has that power.”

  I crossed my arms and studied his face. “I was serious in there for a second. May I ask you a personal question?”

  He rubbed at his forehead in irritation. “Go ahead.”

  “How old are you?”

  He peeked at me over his rubbing fingers. “How old do I look?”

  My lips twitched. He was a little vain. “You don’t look much older than Lucifer, except I keep getting the vibe you’re much older than us.”

  He lowered his hand and smiled. “I’m twenty-five.”

  Lucifer lifted a blond brow. “How many times have you been twenty-five?” His head cocked. “You’re not humona.”

  My eyes widened.

  Gray eyebrows rose. “But it’s a really good disguise, don’t you agree?”

  I nodded my head like an idiot. “What are you?”

  “That’s my secret.” He shrugged a shoulder. “But you aren’t the only one to have received a skeleton key.”

  The General winked.

  I stared. “I’ll remember your hearing is exceptional.”

  No wonder he had been able to spy on us.

  Glancing past the black curtain—music vibrating up my red stilettos from the nearby musicians—I stared out at the audience. I was nervous as hell as my gaze darted to the golden pole in the middle of the stage. I pulled at the black, short skirt I was wearing and made sure all the buttons on my white shirt were firmly in place.

  The woman next to me, Angel, was fluffing her huge blonde hair and adjusting her half-face mask. I did the same to mine and ran my hands over the black wig I had in place. It was still pinned carefully—chin length with precisely cut bangs.

  I shook my hands out.

  Angel smiled. “I know this is your first night, but you’ll be fine. Your sweet little body will collect plenty of money.” She winked at me. “But don’t trip. The shoes are the worst to get used to.”

  I played my part and nodded. “Thanks. That’s good to know.” This was part of the Game. At least, the nighttime version of it.

  I tried to steady my nerves and closed my eyes, remembering all of the women I had seen dancing in movies. I’d practiced last night in front of the mirror, but they had pretty much thrown me in with this supposed job already in place. When the Chief stated before how this challenge would be more for ‘show,’ he wasn’t kidding.

  I knew the General was in the audience tonight.

  I breathed deeply and shook out my arms.

  The song was halfway through, and it was almost our turn to go onstage. I rolled my neck, and then my hips, getting ready.

  Angel noticed and nodded.

  I winked and fell more into this role.

  I could be a naughty vixen.

  M
y palms stopped sweating.

  My eyes changed to a woman who knows what a man wants and exactly how to give it.

  Angel laughed. “Oh, yeah. You’ll do just fine, sugar. Whatever you’re thinking of, keep it up. You may even come out of this with more money than I make tonight.” She bent over and adjusted her pert Double Ds.

  I just chuckled. Yeah, right.

  The musicians finished their last note of the sensual song, and the women on stage picked up any stray bills and sauntered off the stage.

  Angel slapped me on the ass when the intro to our song whispered in the air. “That’s us, sugar. Let’s go.”

  I closed my eyes for only a moment.

  Angel helped me at first when I got under the heat of the candlelights onstage. I almost lost my nerve then but bucked up, careful not to light myself on fire. She and I played off each other. I was lucky the joint wasn’t full nude. Angel and I finished undressing each other, which I did mine beautifully from under her when she crawled across the stage.

  Being onstage in nothing but a short bustier, G-string, and stilettos took fucking guts.

  I stayed in my role of a naughty girl even when I bent over—ass in the air—at the end of the platform so men could put cash bills in my undies. I danced like a sex kitten. I twirled on the damn bar as if it were my favorite cock. I crawled like I was everyone’s desired treat serving myself up to them.

  I was their fantasy in red stilettos.

  The song finally ended with Angel on her knees and her face in my cleavage. I glanced down and gave her a saucy wink. She kissed my cleavage in congratulations of a job well done, and I helped her up. We picked up our clothes from the floor and exited before the musicians played their next song.

  And…I wasn’t done yet. I had to mingle.

  Which meant lap dances.

  I rolled my shoulders, changed my bustier, and slipped on a skirt that only covered half my ass—why even bother?—and left the red stilettos on. I walked out to the main floor and was besieged by requests for dances.

  Lucifer was out there somewhere.

  I scanned the area but didn’t see him.

  He had danced a couple of sets before me while I was changing. Then he’d been in the audience while I danced. But the lights were so bright up there it was hard to see out into the dim area.