Page 6 of Dead End (Crossroads Queen #9)

CHAPTER SIX

Nobody stopped Josie from sticking Lucifer’s head on a pool cue. She marched through the Devil’s Playground, declaring victory. Dantalion accompanied her to clear out the remaining demons.

I helped Kane pack a couple bags to take to the Castle. Unsurprisingly he had no desire to stay put. All the bleach in the world wouldn’t be enough to scrub recent events from his memory.

I hefted the strap of a duffel bag over my shoulder. “Want me to drive?”

“I can manage.” He limped toward the doorway.

“Do you want me to call Sage and ask her to meet us at the Castle?”

“No need for a healer. I’ll be fine.”

I didn’t push the issue. “What will happen to hell?”

“Chaos, I imagine. I don’t know.”

“Are you thinking about going back to rule?”

His eyes locked on mine. “I gave you my word I wouldn’t do that. ”

“I know, but I won’t hold you to that if the alternative is hell on earth.”

“I’ll do it.” Dantalion stood in the doorway with Josie and Alessandro behind him.

Kane blinked in surprise. “You want to rule?”

“The lesser demons will listen to me.”

“Damn right they will.” Alessandro pushed his way into the room. “You should’ve seen him upstairs. Like a boss. Speaking of bosses…” His face paled as he looked at Kane. “I’m sorry I let you down, big guy.”

“You’re not alone, Alessandro. We all failed him,” Dantalion said.

“You did no such thing,” Kane assured them. “There was nothing you could’ve done to change matters.”

“If it helps, I considered hitting him over the head with a keg.”

Kane offered a vague smile. “It helps.”

Alessandro’s gaze skated to me. “And it’s about time you showed up. Where’ve you been?”

Kane reached for my hand. “She’s here now, and that’s all that matters.”

Some of the pain in my chest dislodged. “How soon will you leave, Dan?”

“Now would be best. We have to seize the moment before word spreads that Lucifer is dead.”

“Who’s been holding down the fort?” Lucifer had originally tapped Belphegor to take his place. Too bad I’d beheaded the demon during the final trial.

“Another prince of hell.”

I cracked a smile. “You demons hand out titles like coupons. You don’t think he’ll try to seize power with Lucifer gone?”

Dan shook his head. “He’s not the type, which is why Lucifer chose him. He likes to execute plans without the work of making them.” He glanced at Kane. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re the better choice, but I can understand why you would rather stay here. If I had what the two of you have, all the Lucifers in the world couldn’t tear me away.”

Releasing my hand, Kane stepped forward and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re certain about this?”

“Yes. This is what you and I intended all those years ago. A new type of leadership in hell. If I am to take up that mantle alone, then so be it. I’m ready.”

Josie snorted. “What a promotion. Skipped right over prince to supreme leader.”

“I won’t be using that title. I prefer chancellor. It’s more sophisticated.”

Kane embraced him. “It’s an honor and a privilege to call you my friend.”

Dan turned to me next. “One last hug for the road?”

I folded into his arms. “Dandelion, you will be missed.”

“As will you. I’ll think of you every time I crack open a beer.”

My laugh was muffled against his shirt. “I’m not sure that’s the association I want you to have.”

“Come on, break it up,” Josie said. “My turn.”

I withdrew from Dan’s embrace and faced Josie with my arms spread wide. “You want to hug me?”

She elbowed me aside. “My buddy Dantalion, not you.”

Alessandro’s head drooped. “I can’t do it. If I say goodbye, that makes it real.”

“It’s real whether you say it or not,” Josie told him. “Might as well accept it and have no regrets.”

“I’ll send an envoy once I’m settled,” Dantalion promised.

“If I don’t hear anything in a fortnight, I’ll send someone looking for you,” Kane said.

“Consider me warned. ”

Kane gave him one last clap on the shoulder. “Hell is finally in good hands.”

An orange and black lump landed on the leather club chair and meowed.

“Sunny!” Alessandro said, delighted. “Where have you been? I looked all over for you.”

Kane’s jaw tightened. “Lucifer threatened to use her as a blowtorch to torture me, so she wisely ran and hid.”

I scratched behind her ear. “Who’s a good chimera?”

Dantalion nuzzled the chimera’s two-toned face. “I can only hope to have a loyal companion like you by my side in hell.”

The chimera’s mismatched eyes fixed on Kane.

“If you must,” he said with a sorrowful sigh.

It took me a second to process. “Wait. No.” I looked at Sunny. “You’re going with Dan?”

The chimera nudged my arm with her head in a reassuring gesture.

“Dantalion needs Sunny more than we do,” Kane said, his voice barely audible.

“But Sunny lives here. With you.”

“By choice, but she doesn’t belong to me. She never has.”

Dantalion’s face radiated gratitude. “I would be honored if you would accompany me, friend.”

Sunny jumped to the floor and exited the room beside Dan. Josie clamped a hand over her mouth, and I realized the vampire was holding back tears. As much as I wanted to make light of it, I couldn’t because I felt exactly the same way.

I slipped my hand into Kane’s as we followed them upstairs, carrying Kane’s bags. I watched Dantalion and Sunny’s departure with mixed feelings—sad to see them go, but grateful Kane wasn’t with them .

Josie’s face crumpled when she spotted Kane’s bags. “Well, this is all too much for one day. I need a drink.”

Alessandro rubbed his hands together. “I can help with that.”

“One for me, too, please,” Kane said.

I walked over to the bar. “Well, I’ll say one thing for Lucifer, he kept this place in mint condition.”

“He’s even more fastidious than I am,” Kane acknowledged. “However his musical taste left a lot to be desired.”

Josie slumped over the counter. “I miss them already. This is bullshit.”

“If it weren’t Dantalion going, it would be me. I imagine you wouldn’t enjoy that outcome either.”

The vampire groaned. “No, that would definitely be the worse option.”

Kane gave her shoulders a squeeze. “We’ll get through another transition. We always do.” He accepted a glass from Alessandro. “Why don’t we have a toast?”

Josie rolled to the side to look up at him. “To what? Abandonment?”

“To new beginnings.” He looked at Alessandro. “Lorelei and I have decided to move in together.”

The incubus whooped. “That’s fantastic news. Good for you two for making it official.”

Josie banged her forehead on the bar. “Worst. Day. Ever.”

I placed a hand on Kane’s shoulder. “Maybe you should’ve waited a day or two,” I whispered.

Alessandro slid a bottle of beer toward the vampire. Josie’s fingers found the bottle and curled around it. “Thanks, buddy. You’re not planning to leave, are you? I can’t handle the search for another bartender.”

“They’ll have to pry me away from this bar with a supernatural wrench,” the incubus said .

“Glad to hear it.” She forced herself into an upright position and took a long drink from the bottle.

Alessandro looked at me. “Drink?”

“Beer, please.”

He popped off the lid and handed me a bottle, then opened one for himself. He raised his beer bottle at us. “Yamas.”

I tapped his bottle with mine. “Cheers.”

“Keep the bar closed for now, Josephine. Send an email to the newsletter list that we’ll reopen in a few days.”

Alessandro’s brown eyes widened. “A few days? Why the delay? The demons are gone.”

“I think we all need time to recover.”

“Amen to that,” Josie said, swilling her beer.

I debated whether to mention The Corporation’s likely return but quickly decided against it. There’d been enough unwelcome announcements for one day.

I sat on the balcony that overlooked the twinkling lights of downtown Fairhaven and let the tears of gratitude flow. I was home. Kane was safe, currently sound asleep in my bed only a few feet away. Never mind that tomorrow could bring a heap of trouble sponsored by The Corporation. Right now, in this moment, all was right with the world.

Kane appeared beside me, yawning. “Do you intend to sleep out here?”

“I wanted to give you time to settle.”

“I’d settle better with you next to me.”

I glanced up at him. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

“I assumed as much. Want to tell me about it now?”

“Not yet. I just want to enjoy the peace and quiet for a bit longer. ”

His fingers combed my hair. “Come to bed, Lorelei. Keep the nightmares away.”

The irony of his request wasn’t lost on me. I vacated my spot on the balcony and followed him to bed. The sheets were cozy and inviting. I hadn’t realized how much I missed my bed until this moment.

Kane inched his pillow closer to mine. “I thought about you nonstop. Memories of the past. Hopes for our future. You’re what kept me alive.”

“Lucifer is what kept you alive. You can’t torture a dead demon.”

“Did they hurt you?” he asked.

“The Corporation doesn’t share Lucifer’s sadistic streak.” I gazed at his face, committing every line and curve to memory. “I didn’t leave on the best terms, though.”

He grunted. “I can imagine. I wish I’d been there to see it.”

“I wish you’d been there, too.” I watched his eyelids flutter closed as sleep pulled him under. “Sweet dreams,” I whispered.

That night I dreamed of a small girl with raven hair and whisky-colored eyes. Her tiny fingers gripped my hand as she walked me to the edge of Bone Lake. I expected her to show me a monster lurking within its depths or some other creatures from which she required protection. Instead she giggled as a water sprite danced across the surface of the water. My muscles relaxed, no longer on guard, and I let myself savor the moment. Despite the sprite’s otherworldly appearance, this girl was unafraid. She either possessed the Sight or she was a supernatural herself. Considering this was my dream, the choice was whichever I wanted her to be.

When my eyes finally opened, Kane was still beside me. It felt good to start a new day together. I edged closer so my bare skin was pressed against his. I instantly warmed. There. Now I felt even better .

Kane stirred. “Is it morning already?” he murmured.

“It is.”

“I haven’t slept that hard in a long time.”

“You needed it.” I turned to rest on my hip so I was facing him. “How do you feel?”

“Rested.” His gaze met mine. “Happy.”

“I’m sorry about the club.”

“All solvable problems.”

“I’m not talking about the closure.”

He entwined his fingers with mine. “Good thing we decided to move in together.”

I propped myself up by the elbow. “Are you sure you want to move in here? We can send Camryn to your lair with a wagon full of sage and her shamans.”

He smirked. “We can do that regardless, but I think the universe wants me here.”

“Screw the universe. What do you want, Kane Sullivan?”

His fingers skimmed my cheek. “I want to wake up with you each and every morning. I want to watch you burn toast and pretend you like the taste. I want to plant flowers in your garden.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Is that literal or metaphorical?”

“Perhaps both.”

My heart skittered to a halt. “None of those things will come to fruition while The Corporation is still a threat.”

“We killed Lucifer, Lorelei. The supreme leader of hell. If we can do that, together, we can do anything.”

The hollow space in my chest filled with hope. “I believe you.”

His mouth locked on mine. My body grew soft, pliant. “We can wait until you’ve fully recovered,” I said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

His tongue grazed the length of my neck. “It’s the best kind of pain. ”

“If you’re sure…”

He pulled me on top of him, hands gripping my hips. “Do your worst. I can take it.”

And take it he did.

I awoke to a bleeping sound. I groped for the phone on the bedside table. A text message from Ashley Pratt. Word had spread that the demons were gone. She and Steven wanted to visit their grandmother. I typed back an immediate ‘yes.’ Nana Pratt would be thrilled.

I flipped back the sheet, careful not to disturb Kane.

“Anything important?” he asked in a drowsy voice.

“Steven and Ashley are coming to visit Nana Pratt.”

“Mind if I stay in bed longer?” he asked.

“After this morning’s aerobics, I insist. Let me know when you’re up, and I’ll make you something to eat, but not burnt toast, I promise.”

He grabbed my hand and kissed it before falling back against the pillow. By the time I brushed my teeth and changed into clothes, he was asleep again. I tried not to think about all that he’d endured.

Downstairs, I found Goran in the kitchen with Claude. “I take it we have another guest,” Goran said, chipper as always.

“Kane will be staying here.”

His eyebrows inched up. “Is this a permanent move?”

“I think so, although he only brought two bags of stuff. He might want to go back and forth until he has all his belongings in one spot.” As long as he could stand to be in the club for any length of time. I wouldn’t blame him if he couldn’t.

“Listen, Lorelei. If you want to create a family home, I can find a new place to live. It’s no trouble.” He looked at Claude, who nodded .

“No, no. This house has plenty of space for all of us. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.” I looked at Claude. “Both of you.”

I summoned Nana Pratt and told her about the imminent visit from her grandchildren. The ghost clutched her invisible string of pearls. “Both my grandchildren and it isn’t even my birthday,” she said with a sigh of contentment.

“When is your birthday?” I asked.

“It was in January. The twenty-first.”

“You didn’t mention it.”

“No, but I baked cupcakes in my honor.”

My eyes moistened. “Nana Pratt, next year I will bake the cupcakes for your birthday.”

“There’s no point when I can’t eat them, dear. The joy now is in baking them.” Her mouth puckered. “Ooh, that reminds me. I’ll serve them the last of the caramel squares. They’re one of Steven’s favorites.”

Goran lifted Claude and set the revenant on his shoulder. “We’ll get out of your way. I’ll be upstairs if you need me. I have a Brandon Sanderson book from the library that will take me the better part of a century to get through, so I best get started.” He tapped Claude. “You can turn the pages.”

The two of them exited the kitchen, and I set to work, preparing for Nana Pratt’s guests.

“Lorelei, I can do this. You haven’t had anything to eat yet, have you?”

“You’re always making my guests feel at home. It’s only right that I do the same for yours.” I poured two glasses of iced tea for Steven and Ashley.

She gave me a wry smile. “The difference is I enjoy doing it.”

I didn’t argue. Domestic duties were not my strong suit.

I lowered the ward for Steven and Ashley in advance and continued with preparations. I also annihilated a bowl of yogurt and granola. It turned out that rescuing your inamorato from the supreme leader of hell was hungry work.

“They’re here!” Ray yelled.

Nana Pratt raced from the kitchen to greet them. I poked my head out to direct them to the parlor room so Ashley could cast the spell that allowed them to communicate with their grandmother.

I carried the glasses of iced tea and the remaining caramel squares on a tray and delivered them to the parlor room.

“Hey,” I said, setting the tray on the coffee table.

“Ashley’s just about finished the spell,” Steven said in a low voice.

Ashley’s whole face brightened. “I see you, Nana.”

Nana Pratt instinctively touched her hair. “Do I look any older than the last time you saw me?”

“You haven’t aged a day,” Steven said, offering her a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m so happy to see you both. It’s been a harrowing couple of weeks.”

Steven glanced at me. “I’m glad you’re back safe and sound. I know Phaedra feared the worst.”

Ashley elbowed his arm. “She did not. She was worried, but she had faith everything would work out, and look at that, it did.”

“Have a caramel square and talk to me,” Nana Pratt said. “I want to know everything new under the sun.”

I left the room to give the family privacy. I checked on Kane to find him still asleep. I passed Ray on the staircase.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

“What?”

“Listen.”

I held my breath, as if somehow that would help my hearing. Then I heard it. A distant shriek that filled my veins with ice water. I thundered down the steps to the front porch .

“More demons?” Ray asked.

“Doubtful.”

Another shriek. Nana Pratt joined us on the porch.

“What’s that hideous sound?” she asked.

The sky rippled. A long, dark shadow blotted the expanse of blue. Ray canopied his eyes.

“What is that?” Nana Pratt asked with a quiver in her voice.

My palms grew moist. “Nothing good.”

The shadow peeled away from the sky, and a grim, gray cloud descended upon us.

“It looks like some kind of giant bird,” Ray said.

It was. Easily the size of a Cessna Skyhawk, its feathers appeared worn and ragged, like they’d been dusted with charcoal. This bird was far from freshly hatched. It had seen things and endured. And now this ancient creature was about to dive-bomb my house.

“Goran! Weapons!”

Steven poked his head outside. “Nana, what’s going on?”

“Stay inside, Steven.” She shoved him backward and shut the door. “Can the ward be breached from above?”

“I’m not sure,” I said, although I was fairly certain I knew the answer. The upgraded ward was designed with two-legged visitors in mind, an oversight I was about to regret.

Darkness blanketed the yard as the bird swooped low enough to skim the highest point of the Castle. A few tiles broke loose and fell to the ground.

Ray placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Nothing that can’t be fixed. I won’t even need a ladder.”

“I will. How am I supposed to get high enough to fight this thing?”

Steven held the door open for Goran, who burst through the doorway with an armful of weapons. “I didn’t know which one you wanted.” He lowered the bundle to the porch .

“He’s lucky he didn’t cut off his own nose carrying sharp blades like that,” Ray said.

I chose the crossbow. We watched the brighter sky for signs of the bird’s return.

“Do you know what it is?” Nana Pratt asked.

“Not yet.” Although I had a fairly good idea, I wasn’t ready to share. I cocked and loaded the crossbow as the monstrous bird descended for another pass.

“It dropped something in the yard. Everybody hit the deck!” Ray shouted.

I crouched down and braced myself for an explosion that didn’t come.

Ray cringed. “Oops. My mistake.”

“Maybe it was a rock,” Nana Pratt suggested.

“I’ll take a look.”

“Not yet,” I warned Ray. “It’s circling around to come back.”

The bird skimmed the ground, opening its beak and devouring everything in its path. Stones. Grass. Flowers. All gone.

“My azaleas!” Nana Pratt clapped her hands over her cheeks.

The bird left nothing except overturned earth in its wake. My stomach dipped to my knees.

“It’s Ziz,” I said. “The great devourer of vegetation.” I had no doubt he’d been sent by The Corporation.

“Why would someone send a bird to mess up your garden?” Ray asked. “That seems petty.”

“If they’re trying to get under our skin, it’s working,” Nana Pratt complained. “I worked tirelessly on the flowerbeds to get them ready in time for spring and summer and now they’re ruined.”

“I don’t think that crossbow will do the job,” Goran said. “Do you have any cannons? ”

“They were fresh out of those at the hardware store, I’m afraid.” He was right, though. Ziz would scoop me up in his beak before I had the chance to do any real damage. There had to be another way.

“Everybody inside. I have a plan, and I don’t want you to be collateral damage.”

“I’m dead,” Ray said. “What harm can it do to me?”

“I’d rather not test that boundary.”

We retreated behind the walls of the Castle. I stood at the window in the library that overlooked the front yard to admire the handiwork I was about to unleash.

Steven observed me with interest. “What are you going to do?”

“We call it Home Alone: Castle Edition.” Mages from the Assassins Guild had planted traps in the yard, but they had to be set off by yours truly.

I waited for Ziz to make his turn. The giant bird was now headed for the strip of land between the moat and the gate. Perfect.

Nana Pratt covered her eyes. “I can’t watch.”

The giant bird fanned its wings as it descended. I held my breath, waiting for the beak to open.

The earth exploded, sending up a cloud of dust that obscured our view. An anguished screech shook the windowpane. When the dust settled, the bird remained on the ground, his beak broken into pieces. Blood streaked his feathers. The right wing was so long that it bridged the moat.

Ashley pushed in front of her brother for a glimpse. “Is it dead?”

“No.”

“How can you be sure? It isn’t moving.”

“He’s in shock. He wasn’t expecting retaliation.” Sure enough, the right wing lifted. Then the left. The beakless bird dragged himself into the air and flew away awkwardly with a limp wing.

“You didn’t kill it,” Goran said.

“That wasn’t the plan.” Death was never the plan.

The Slavic prince regarded me. “It will only come back with a vengeance once it’s healed.”

“Not without a beak he won’t. Not much of a devourer without one.” And it would take the ancient creature decades to regrow a body part.

“Are we safe?” Steven asked.

“Not by a long shot.”

“How many more of those traps do you have in the yard?” Goran asked.

“Not enough to defend against what’s coming.” I turned away from the window. “Steven and Ashley, I want you go home and stay indoors as much as possible.”

“Again?” Ashley complained.

“Yes. If you see anything unusual, call me.”

Ashley bit her bottom lip. “What about Nana?”

“I’ll be fine,” the elderly ghost said. “You’re the one with a life to lose, and I’d never forgive myself if I was the reason you were here when disaster struck.”

“But I can help,” Ashley protested. “I can do magic.”

“You’re learning magic,” I said. “Big difference.” And the type of magic Phaedra was teaching Ashley wouldn’t be helpful in a crisis. Witch magic was slower, more methodical.

“What if…?” Ashley began, but her big brother took her by the arm and steered her toward the door.

“When Lorelei speaks, I listen,” he said.

Nana Pratt’s face crumpled. “Respectful of women. I couldn’t be prouder.”

Ray glanced across the yard. “I want to see what it dropped on the lawn.” His form dissipated .

Ashley grimaced. “What if it’s bird poop? Who’s going to clean that up?”

“It’s not your concern. Goodbye now. Thank you both for coming.” Nana Pratt planted kisses on their cheeks and urged them forward. They were past the gate by the time Ray returned. Based on his pained expression, I ruled out bird poop.

“Unfortunately you need to see this, Lorelei.”

My shoulder muscles tensed. I didn’t love a statement that started with ‘unfortunately.’

I followed the ghost across the bridge to the strip of yard between the fence and the moat. My stomach lurched when I saw the gift Ziz had delivered. It wasn’t a rock.

It was a head.