Page 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lucifer blinked in disbelief when I handed over the tablet. “You found it.” He ran his fingers over the etchings, reviewing the marks with childlike enthusiasm.
“You seem amazed for someone who said he wanted me to succeed with this one.”
“The two aren’t mutually exclusive.” His pale eyebrows drew together. “How did you manage it?”
“Sorry. Story time wasn’t part of the bargain.”
His green eyes flicked to me. “You may defeat me yet, daughter of the underworld.” Despite his statement, there was a flatness to his voice that suggested an astonishing lack of concern for someone so committed to vengeance.
The flash of insight unsettled me.
“Only one more trial until she does,” Kane said with a note of pride.
“We shall see.” Lucifer tucked the tablet under his arm. “Be here tomorrow at three.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “An extra hour?”
“I highly recommend that you make the most of it.” He strolled through the woods, whistling a tune that I quickly recognized as the jazz standard ‘Body and Soul.’ Even his casual whistling was designed to be torturous.
I ran into Kane’s arms and kissed him like I was drowning, and he was the only source of oxygen.
“That bad?” he murmured, stroking my hair.
“There were highlights. I met an old friend.”
“A Melinoe old friend?”
I rested my cheek against his chest. “Lorelei’s. And I saw a phoenix.”
“And the tablet? Is it a fake?”
“No, it’s the real deal, but I have a feeling he’ll be disappointed he wasted a trial on this.”
“Not the kind of power he had in mind, huh?”
“Not exactly.”
“West stopped by earlier to see if you were back yet, but there were no guards.”
“He’s keeping the pack at a distance during the trials.”
“A wise move.”
“How did you and Lucifer pass the time?”
“We didn’t. I changed into my blackbird form and waited in the treetops until I saw you emerge from the crossroads.” Kane tipped my chin up so that I was looking directly into his whisky-colored eyes. “You can tell me the truth. I want to know.”
“I swear it wasn’t bad at all. The worst part was my own reflection.”
“I feel like there’s a therapy session in that statement.”
I planted another kiss on his tempting lips. “Not interested in rehashing the past. I’d much rather focus on the present.”
“Your place or mine?”
“Mine. I don’t want my roommates to worry any longer than necessary.”
“You’re very thoughtful. Might it have anything to do with the meal that Nana Pratt has undoubtedly cooked for you?”
I patted my stomach. “Food might also be a factor. Treasure hunting is hungry work.”
I sagged against Kane as we walked to his car, grateful for more time with him. How could any god question whether Kane was worth it? You couldn’t measure someone’s value by listing their flaws. We were complex creatures, humans, gods, and demons alike. I wouldn’t want to be judged by my worst actions any more than I’d want to be judged by my best ones. Neither was an accurate representation of who I was at my core. If I had my druthers, I would’ve smashed that mirror with a mallet and tossed the shards off the Bridge of Pain. We were all deserving of more than what a mirror could tell us. It was two-dimensional, a superficial reflection; it told no stories. It was the ‘what,’ not the ‘why.’
And the ‘why’ mattered.
Once in the car, I watched the passing scenery with little interest. “I’m worried about the third trial,” I admitted.
“A reasonable concern.”
“No, I mean I think Lucifer is planning something. The first two were too easy.”
Kane laughed. “Easy? Nothing about what you’ve done sounds easy.”
“Okay, let me put it another way. I think he made things just hard enough to make the trials seem genuine and not to rouse suspicion.”
Kane’s jaw tightened. “And then what? The third trial is a Sisyphean task?”
“An apt comparison.” I turned to look at him. “Think about it. The first trial was emotional torture, but he knew I’d find a way to do it for you.”
“And he truly seemed to want that tablet.”
I nodded. “He wants me to get to the third trial. ”
“He might have simply viewed the first two trials as opportunities to prolong our suffering. He thrives on fear and uncertainty. Why deprive himself of enjoyment by letting you die in the first trial?”
“It’s possible.”
Kane parked outside the gate to the Castle. “The third trial is his last chance to win. I fully expect him to throw everything he has at you this time.”
I swallowed hard. “Can’t wait.”
My knees nearly buckled as I climbed the steps of my front porch. My body seemed to have decided it was finished functioning for the day.
“Shall I carry you over the threshold?” Kane asked.
“I can manage.”
The door flew open before we could reach it. Ray and Nana Pratt hovered in the foyer. Claude released his hold on the door and jumped onto my shoulder.
“Hey, bud. Missed you.” I gave the gnarled fingers a fist bump.
Ray’s features were etched with concern. “Are you hurt? Should I get the First Aid kit?”
“No injuries. Just tired and hungry.”
“Must be Tuesday,” Nana Pratt said. “I have a nice hot meal waiting for you. I’ve kept it warm in the oven.”
“Thanks, you’re the best.” I looked at Kane. “Will you be staying to eat?”
“I would love to, if you’re up for company.”
“I may fall asleep mid-sentence, but I’m always up for your company.”
“Aw,” Ray said. “I’d forgotten how wonderful the honeymoon phase can be.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Nana Pratt grumbled. “Never had one.”
“Would you mind if I shower first?” I asked .
Nana Pratt scrunched her nose. “Do you think I would’ve let you sit at the table in those dirty clothes?”
“Need any weapons cleaned?” Kane offered.
“Not this time.” I practically crawled upstairs on my hands and knees to shower and change.
When I returned downstairs, the kitchen was abuzz with activity. Kane had discovered the hiding place for my bottle of Puck’s Pleasure and had poured me a large glass. A plate heaped with crispy fried chicken and a side of potato salad awaited me at the table.
“You’re spoiling me,” I said, taking a sip of the treasured drink.
“You deserve to be spoiled.” Kane pecked my cheek before sitting adjacent to me.
As I shoved the last forkful of food into my mouth, an image shimmered in front of me. Excellent timing.
“It’s Alicia,” Ray sang.
Nana Pratt cast him a sidelong glance. “I wouldn’t smile like that until you’ve heard what she has to say.”
Ray motioned to the image. “Look at that spring in her step. That’s a young lady about to deliver good news.”
“The good news could be that she aced her math test,” I reminded him. “Might have nothing to do with her parents.”
“You stay and relax,” Ray said. “I’ll get the door.”
A couple minutes later, Alicia skipped into the kitchen with an eager Ray hovering beside her.
“Hey there,” I said. “You look like someone who just won a major boss battle.”
Nana Pratt frowned. “The longer I exist, the fewer words I understand.”
Alicia beamed. “Better than a boss battle.”
Ray eyed her expectantly. “Go on, tell us.”
“I have big news,” Alicia continued, “but first I require sustenance. ”
Ray groaned. “If she’s going to drag this out, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“And here I thought madness was Lorelei’s specialty,” Nana Pratt remarked.
“Hey, devil dude,” Alicia said, with a nod at Kane.
“Nice to see you again,” he said, returning the nod.
Alicia cocked her head. “Do you live here now?”
“No.”
“Would you like to? It’s a big house. Plenty of space.”
Laughing, I glanced at Kane. “Did you put her up to this?”
He held up his hands. “Not a peep.”
I smiled at the teenager. “I think you have a bright future as a realtor.”
“More like a matchmaker,” Alicia said.
Kane reached for my hand. “As much as I’d hate to deprive you of a commission fee, this match has already been made.”
I stood and walked to the refrigerator. “What would you like to drink? I bought a bottle of Ribena at the store last week.” The international shelf at the grocery store wasn’t usually teeming with British exports, so I got a tiny thrill when I spied the familiar purple label.
Alicia’s lip curled. “What’s Ribena?”
“It’s a blackcurrant drink. I mix it in water to give it a little fruity sweetness. I drank it daily when I lived in London.”
“Is that the drink the British gave to children during World War II to boost their Vitamin C levels?” Ray asked.
“It is, indeed.”
Alicia glanced in the direction of the ghosts. “Grampa just told you a fun fact, didn’t he? You know it’s only going to get worse when you have books on all those shelves in the library, don’t you?”
“I’m aware.” In truth, I enjoyed Ray’s zest for knowledge. He reminded me of my grandfather. Then again, Pops hadn’t been a learner by nature; his ulterior motive had been my safety.
“I’ve never had anything with a blackcurrant flavor,” Alicia said. “I’ll try it.”
“And I’m sure she can use the extra Vitamin C,” Nana Pratt added. “Thanks to all those video games, children today are more deficient than ever.”
“I don’t get the sense that Alicia is deprived of daylight,” Ray said. “Just the walk from her house to this one would give her the daily dose of sunlight she needs.”
I poured water into a glass and added the Ribena. Alicia shadowed me, watching me with a discerning eye as though I were conducting a science experiment.
“I like the color.” She took a generous sip. “Mmm. Good.”
“You’ve had your sustenance,” Ray said. “Now get to the good news.”
“Your grandfather is eager to hear your good news,” I translated.
Alicia drank deeply, smacked her lips, and set down an empty glass. “Mom and Dad are getting back together.”
Ray whooped. “I knew it!”
Nana Pratt steepled her hands. “Oh, this is wonderful. I’m so pleased for you all.”
“How do you feel about that?” I asked Alicia.
“I wasn’t sure at first, but I feel good about it now. They seemed so unhappy before, but they’ve agreed to go to marriage counseling. Dad’s been seeing a therapist on his own, and he said now he feels ready to go as a couple.”
“They should have no problem finding a good one in New York,” I said.
Alicia’s face brightened. “Oh, that’s the really big news. Mom got a job offer to work in-house for a company in San Francisco. We’re moving in with my dad. ”
Ray clutched his chest. If he wasn’t already a ghost, he might’ve dropped dead of a heart attack right here on the kitchen floor. “I’m sorry, did she just say they’re leaving Fairhaven to live across the country?”
“Wow,” I said. “That is big news.”
“Mom will be able to work remotely a couple days a week. My dad’s already doing that. That way, we can spend more time with each other.”
“But San Francisco is so far away,” Ray said.
“And so expensive,” Nana Pratt added.
Alicia cast a tentative glance in her grandfather’s direction. “Is Grampa still standing upright?”
Ray’s head drooped.
“He’s lost the power of speech,” I said.
The brightness faded from her face. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known you’d take it badly.” Alicia looked at me. “Can you use your ghost whispering power to make him move to our house in San Francisco?”
Ray wore a pained expression. “I’ve never even been to San Francisco. What if I don’t like it? What if they move again? Then I’ll be stuck haunting a house full of strangers who can’t see or hear me.”
Nana Pratt patted his back. “There, there, dear. It’ll be all right.”
“No,” Ray said quietly. “I don’t think it will.” His form dissipated.
Alicia’s brown eyes stared at the empty air. “What did Grampa say?”
“He needs a little time,” I said. “The news took him by surprise.”
“Yeah, I guess I should’ve eased into that second part.” She frowned. “You can command him to come with us, right? We don’t have to leave him behind. ”
“I think that’s for Ray to decide. How soon will you leave?”
“The end of the month. We’ll move in with Dad, and Mom’s going to put our house on the market here.”
Nana Pratt’s eyes glazed over. “That’s so fast.”
“You seem upbeat considering you’ve lived in Fairhaven your whole life.”
Alicia shrugged. “Change is a natural part of life, and San Francisco seems cool. I make friends easily, so I’m not too worried about that. And I can FaceTime my friends here. We’ve already got a Discord chat.”
If only the gods granted all of us the confidence of a teenaged Alicia.
“If you’re happy about it, then I’m sure your grandfather will be, too. He needs time to process, that’s all. He was expecting the reconciliation, but not the move.”
“I get it.” She looked longingly at the empty doorway. “I guess Mom and I will come back later to check on him… or say goodbye. Will you talk to him about coming with us?”
“I will, but I can’t promise a particular outcome.” I’d sworn to Ray and Nana Pratt that I wouldn’t make them do anything against their will.
“Thanks, Ghost Lady. I appreciate you.”
“I appreciate you, too.”
I expected Ray to reappear once Alicia left, but he remained hidden.
“Should we search for him?” Nana Pratt asked.
I shook my head. “He needs space for now.”
“Must’ve been quite a shock. I know it shocked me, and she isn’t even my granddaughter.”
“Change is hard for some people.” I was accustomed to it, but I could understand how difficult it might be for someone like Ray. He was fairly content for a dead man .
“On the topic of change, did you give any thought to my question before the trial?” Kane asked.
Nana Pratt gasped. “My goodness! Did he pop the question?”
“Out,” I told her.
The ghost winked out of existence. I spotted Claude peering out from behind the blender. “You, too. This is a private conversation.”
The revenant scrambled to the window over the kitchen sink and climbed outside.
I returned my attention to Kane. “I would rather have this conversation once the trials are over, not because I’m unsure, but because I want to make sure you’re not offering out of some misplaced sense of guilt.”
Kane gave his head a firm shake. “That isn’t it, not in the slightest.”
“Well, there’s only one trial to go. After that, if you’re still in favor of it, we can discuss the details.”
“I’ll still be in favor of it, but I’m happy to wait. I’ll even hire a decorator to draft plans to make my place less masculine, if that’s important to you.”
I choked on my mouthful of Puck’s Pleasure. “You’d expect me to move into the lair?”
“It isn’t a lair. While I admit, it’s arguably a bachelor pad, it has the potential to become a wonderful family home.”
I waved my hands wildly around the kitchen. “ This is a wonderful family home.”
He copied my gesture. “ This is a crowded house. My place affords more privacy.”
I laughed. “With all the nightclub guests upstairs and the Assassins Guild’s monthly meetings? Sure. Very private.”
“I’ll close the nightclub.”
My jaw dropped. “You would shut down your livelihood for me? ”
“It isn’t my livelihood, remember? It’s my retirement scheme. I don’t need to operate a club. I don’t need to do anything at all except luxuriate in your presence.”
Drowsiness began to claim me. “You’d get very bored very quickly.” I stifled a yawn. “Let’s table this discussion for after the trial. If I die, it’s a moot point anyway.”
“You won’t die, Lorelei, and if by some calamity you do, I will search every nook and cranny of the universe until I find you, if only to finish this conversation.”
“So stubborn,” I teased.
He leaned over and brushed his lips against mine. “I’ll return to the club for a bit. I can see you need your rest, and the others will be eager for an update.”
I slumped forward. “I’ll call you when I wake up.”
“Don’t wait for a respectable hour. I don’t mind if it’s two a.m., I’ll drive straight over.” A lull followed his statement, and I realized my eyelids had grown too heavy to open them. A pair of powerful arms lifted my body from the chair and carried me upstairs. By the time Kane placed me under the covers, I was fast asleep.