Page 3 of Dead End (Crossroads Queen #9)

CHAPTER THREE

The moment I was alone in Wild Acres, I let myself think of Kane. My previous efforts to liberate him from Lucifer’s long shadow had only made things worse. I’d endured three brutal trials arranged by the supreme ruler of hell. The contract stipulated that if I won, Lucifer wouldn’t drag Kane to hell for eternal damnation. There’d been no clause in the contract to stop Lucifer from torturing Kane in the mortal realm, so Lucifer had exploited that particular loophole by setting up camp in Fairhaven.

My immediate instinct was to launch a rescue mission, but a cooler head prevailed. I didn’t even know where Kane was being held. I needed intel so that I could formulate a plan. And weapons—lots of them.

I started toward the Castle. As soon as I had a working phone, Josie would be my first call. If anyone was keeping close tabs on Kane’s situation, it was the loyal vampire, assuming she’d avoided Lucifer’s wrath.

A large shadow passed overhead, blanketing the area around me in darkness. I looked up, half expecting to see a flying monster. The tension in my shoulders relaxed when I realized it was a murder of crows. The birds flew in such a tight formation that their shadow appeared as a single winged creature. I wondered whether they’d sensed my return. Crows were highly intelligent, as I’d learned from Kane’s dear friend, Birdie. Pain pierced my heart at the thought of the older woman. She’d discovered the unholy alliance between The Corporation and Lucifer and paid the ultimate price for it.

I acknowledged the crows with a wave. A few of the birds separated from the flock and swooped down to greet me.

“I quit my job. The hours were brutal, and the benefits were lacking.”

The birds cawed a response as they perched on nearby tree branches.

“I’m sorry I went away without telling you. It wasn’t by choice.” The crows had only recently lost Birdie and then immediately attached to me. My sudden absence must’ve given them whiplash.

The crows ruffled their feathers, seeming agitated. A warning sound erupted from them in unison, prompting my arms to break out in goosebumps. I felt a presence behind me. Slowly I turned to see an unfamiliar figure poised between two birch trees. Iridescent skin. Sinewy muscle. Eyes that reflected the abyss. A demon of some kind, I wasn’t sure which.

“Hello, sweetness,” the creature drawled. “Heading to your grandmother’s house? It’s nippy outside. You really should’ve worn your red cloak.”

“It can’t be lower than seventy degrees,” I said.

“Ah, that’s a cold snap where I’m from, you see. It’s all about perspective.” He sauntered closer, as bold as you please. “I’m a Dev.”

“A developer? Like software? ”

Fire burned in his coal-like eyes. “A Dev demon. Surely, you’ve heard of us.”

“Sorry. I haven’t.”

“Well, we’re very dangerous, in case you were curious.”

“Congratulations. Listen, I’m on my way home after some time away. Maybe you and I could continue this conversation over coffee later. I know a place with great pastries.”

He tsked. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

I ran through my options. I had no weapons and no desire to touch this demon, even for the sake of a nightmare. In the end, the crows chose for me. They launched themselves at the demon from the treetops, poking and clawing until he was facedown on the ground, sprawled like a starfish. I sprinted toward the Castle without a backward glance.

I didn’t pass another living creature all the way to the Castle. My flesh crawled at the realization that my demon encounter was unlikely an isolated incident. I was beginning to get the sense that Kane wasn’t the only one in a dire situation.

There were no cars on the main road. No joggers. From my vantage point near the top of the hill, the town appeared eerily calm. Zombie apocalypse quiet.

I didn’t relish the thought.

My pace quickened as the Castle came into view. The mass of blue stones was still in one piece. Thank the gods for small favors.

It was only when I reached the pavement that fronted the iron fence that I noticed the unusual figure loitering outside my house. Same iridescent skin. Another Dev.

Terrific.

I observed the demon from behind a telephone pole. He seemed less muscled than the first one and certainly less aware. He was too busy sharpening his knife on the fence post to notice me.

I drew a deep breath and sauntered forward. “Can I help you?” I asked in my sunniest voice, the one I reserved for lost children and Josie when I was trying to annoy her.

The demon swiveled to face me, still gripping the knife. “Aren’t you a brave one?” His voice sounded like the gentle hiss of a snake.

“Any particular reason you’re hanging out in front of my house?”

He cast a dramatic glance over his shoulder, as if he’d only just this very moment realized there was a large house behind him. “This place belongs to you?”

“For better or worse. I’m not known for my wise decisions.”

A set of sharp teeth gleamed in the demon’s square mouth. “I can see that. You should’ve stayed home like everybody else.”

Well, that explained the apocalyptic vibe.

“Listen, friend. It’s been a rough couple of weeks and all I want is to be home right now.”

“Same. I miss the smell of Sulphur. This town reeks of flowers and freshly cut grass.” He spat on the sidewalk. “It’s disgusting.” His saliva sizzled on the pavement. Noted.

“How about you go home to your place, and I’ll go to mine? Then we’ll both get what we want.” As I gestured to my house, I noticed my lawn had been trimmed. Even in a crisis, the ghosts could be relied upon to maintain the Castle. Best stewards ever.

“I would love that, peaches, believe me. This town gives me the heebie-jeebies, but I made this oath and yada yada.” He rolled his onyx eyes. “It’s a whole thing. I won’t bore you with the details.”

“You seem like a reasonable demon. I don’t want to hurt you, so I’m going to ask you nicely one more time. Please step away from the gate.”

“My orders are…”

I stepped forward. “About to get you killed.”

He tucked away the knife, an encouraging sign.

“The boss wants us to wreak havoc. What kind of demon would I be if I let you stroll through that gate without a tussle?”

“I promise if I see your boss, I’ll tell him you attacked me.”

He barked a laugh. “If you see my boss, you’re as good as dead, peaches.”

“Do you know who I am?” I asked.

“A lady with a death wish, apparently. Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t care if you’re Humpty Dumpty and you fell off my wall.”

He raised a morning star—because, of course, it was a morning star. Where had he been hiding it?

I pretended to assess him. “You’re using a mortal weapon. Must be a lesser demon.”

Wincing, he lowered the morning star. “Ouch. Words have power, you know.”

I shrugged. “You asked.”

As the demon drew back his weapon, a gnarly hand jumped on his shoulder and yanked the morning star from his grip. The weapon clattered on the pavement.

“Good to see you, Claude.”

The demon wrenched Claude from his shoulder and flung the revenant into the iron bars of the fence. Bastard! The demon scooped up the morning star and spun to face me. He brought the weapon down with the weight of his anger. I dodged the blow but barely. If he’d acted without emotion, he might’ve managed to make contact. If I could keep him angry, maybe I could keep him slow and stupid .

My gaze slid to the gate. I was so close to home. A couple steps and I’d be on the other side of the ward that protected my property. The demon wouldn’t be able to reach me there.

“I thought you were told to wreak havoc, not bludgeon people.”

“You’ve put me in a foul mood.”

“I have that effect.” I wasn’t sure how to kill this particular demon, but I figured if beheading was the way to kill Belphegor, a prince of hell, then it would kill this demon, too.

Now if only I had a weapon.

The demon lunged at me, his massive claws slashing through the air. I dodged the claws. My leg hooked his ankle and we both crashed to the pavement. Heart racing, I sprang to my feet.

“Get him, Lorelei!” Nana Pratt’s voice rang out. I spotted the ghosts beyond the gate, fists clenched in anxious anticipation.

“I need a weapon! A big one!”

The demon misunderstood. “What are you telling me for? It’s not like I’m going to give you mine.”

Ray dissipated and returned a few moments later with my trusty longsword. He tossed it over the fence, and I snatched it from the air by the handle.

The demon blinked twice in quick succession. “Hey. What just happened?”

I answered with a swift strike of the sword aimed at the demon’s leg. The blade met its mark, biting into his thigh. His howl of rage shook the finials of the fence. Adrenaline surged through me. I could do this. I had to.

The demon retaliated, swinging the morning star in a wide arc. I ducked, the wind of it blowing back my hair as I barely escaped the crushing strike. I darted back a few steps to reassess my strategy.

Laughter rumbled from deep within his chest. “Is that all you’ve got, peaches?” he mocked. Blood dripped from the wound and pooled on the pavement like a liquid bruise.

“Not even close,” I said. I dashed forward again, this time feinting to the left before pivoting to strike from the right. The sword sang as it cut through the air, aiming for the Dev’s exposed flank, but the demon anticipated my move, shifting just in time to deflect the blow with his forearm. The impact jarred my hand, but I quickly recovered, spinning away as we both regrouped.

“You think you can defeat me?” he bellowed, eyes ablaze with fury. “I am darkness incarnate!”

“I think you’ll find that’s my title.” I used the blade to bridge the gap between us, hoping for a clean slice that would make a French executioner proud. Purplish-black blood gushed from the fatal wound. His head tipped upside down and to the left, swaying gently in the breeze. It took longer to detach than I would’ve preferred. Claude caught the head before it hit the ground. Then he punted it against the iron bars of the fence.

I left the headless body where it fell, collected the weapons, and strode through the open gate to the Castle. Despite the favorable outcome, I took no pleasure in the demon’s death. I learned early on that life was precious and fleeting; it didn’t sit well with me to be the one wielding Fate’s scissors. An image of Antropos flashed in my mind. I was so bitter when I met the Moirai in New York City—angry and resentful that Annie had snipped the threads of my parents’ lives—that I didn’t consider the heavy burden she bore. Annie had no more asked for her role in this world than I’d asked for mine. Looking at the empty vessel on the ground, I felt a wave of compassion for the demon, for the Moirai, and for me.

“I’m so relieved you’re back,” Nana Pratt said, hovering beside me. “Ray and I were worried sick. ”

“What happened to you?” Ray asked.

I left the weapons on the porch and entered the house. “It’s a long story and I don’t have time to explain right now. Is Goran here?”

“He went to Hewitt’s,” Nana Pratt said. “The upstairs toilet isn’t flushing.”

Even in a crisis, the Castle couldn’t keep its shit together long enough to avoid home repairs. “How did he get past the demon?”

“The demon wasn’t there when he left,” Ray said.

“He took one of your daggers as a precaution,” Nana Pratt added. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Had you seen this demon before today?”

“No,” the ghosts said in unison.

“Have you seen or heard from anyone since I’ve been gone?” I asked.

“West came by to warn us about demons infiltrating Fairhaven. Not so much a problem for Ingrid and me, but Goran is at risk.”

“Yet he opted to take a stroll to Hewitt’s? How bad is the plumbing problem?”

“It started last night, but Chief Garcia instituted a curfew, so he had to wait,” Ray said. “The demons tend to stay away during daylight hours. When I saw the fella outside the gate, I thought there might be a reason.”

I dreaded the answer to my next question. “Any word on Kane?”

The ghosts suddenly lost the ability to make eye contact.

“Please,” I said. “Tell me whatever you know.”

Ray dragged his gaze back to me. “West said that Lucifer has taken over the Devil’s Playground with Kane inside. That’s all we know.”

“Josie?”

Ray shook his head. “Couldn’t say. ”

“I don’t even know if Steven and Ashley are all right,” Nana Pratt said.

I looked at Ray. “How about Alicia? Have they moved yet?” Before I left, Alicia had announced that she and her mother were moving to San Francisco to join her father.

“I don’t know,” Ray said, his voice growing quiet. “I haven’t seen or heard from her or Renee.”

I released a breath. “Okay, that could be for any number of reasons. If I were Renee, I wouldn’t let Alicia near my house right now.” No doubt Renee understood that the police-mandated curfew was related to supernatural shenanigans. “As soon as my phone is charged, I’ll call them.” I glanced at Nana Pratt. “Steven and Ashley, too.”

“Thank you,” Nana Pratt choked out.

I hurried to the kitchen to charge my phone.

“You might want to get cleaned up while you’re waiting,” Nana Pratt said. “You’ve got a bit of goo in your hair.”

I didn’t doubt it. It had been a long, no good, very bad day. The only upside was that I was finally home where I belonged.