Page 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

“I’m going to have to sand and wax those floorboards if you keep pacing them like that,” Ray complained.

I’d been walking back and forth in front of the fireplace in the parlor room as I debated whether to tell Kane that, not only had I met Lucifer, but I’d struck a deal with him. One Oak wasn’t the best plan in the world, but the unexpected meetup at Otto’s house had thrown me for a loop, and the speakeasy was the first place that sprang to mind. For starters, it served a large supernatural client base, so they’d be more equipped to handle a demon’s outrage if he lost the bet. Of course, this wasn’t your average demon; this was Lucifer himself. He didn’t become hell’s overlord by playing by the rules.

I was relieved when Gunther and Camryn arrived to hear my update, although Gun was less than diplomatic in his response. “One Oak? Are you out of your mind?”

“Where was I supposed to suggest? Starbucks?”

“Fairhaven doesn’t even have a Starbucks.” He shook his head. “Couldn’t you have played a game of chess in the park like any self-respecting New Yorker would do? ”

“I’m neither a New Yorker, nor an eighty-year-old man.”

Gun’s nostrils flared. “I can’t believe you’re taking the Supreme Ruler of Hell to the local speakeasy for a game of cards.”

“I think roulette might be smarter. I’m an excellent wheel spinner.”

“You can’t let the outcome hinge on luck, Lorelei. The risk is too great.”

“I agree with Gun,” Cam said. “You need to rig the results.”

“Lucifer will know, and then what?” The demon would kill everybody in the speakeasy because I tried to cheat. I couldn’t live with that on my conscience.

Gun swung his jacket onto a branch of the nearby coat rack. “People cheat the casinos all the time. There has to be a way to do it without him finding out.”

“Will any of your tarot cards help?”

“I have plenty of options, but this is Lucifer we’re dealing with, not some clueless rando.”

“Talk in the kitchen,” Nana Pratt said, ushering us forward. “Offer them the muffins I baked earlier. I want to see if they like them.”

I hesitated. On the heels of the Great Kitchen Rearrangement, the ghost had decided to branch out and experiment with her baking, something she was too afraid to do when she was alive. The end result was a batch of muffins with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, cheese, and herbs that looked like they’d been made with Play-Doh by an imaginative child. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint Nana Pratt.

“Why don’t we talk in the kitchen? I have muffins.”

“No carbs for me, thanks,” Gunther said, “but I’ll take a protein bar.”

Nana Pratt recoiled in horror .

Cam patted her lower abs. “Muffins equal muffin tops.”

Maybe later , I mouthed to the ghost.

Camryn eyed the cards in her cousin’s hand as we took our usual seats at the kitchen table. “You know, this whole thing sounds dangerously complicated. Maybe we should get Officer Leo involved.”

Gunther looked at her. “You would risk the Labrador’s life just to spend more time with him? It’s much safer to ask him out for coffee, you know.”

“For you, maybe.” She shuddered. “What if he says no? I can’t handle the rejection so soon after Vaughn.”

“Then maybe you’re not ready to date yet, my love,” Gun said. “Give yourself a little more time.”

Camryn inched closer to her cousin. “For once I’d rather not talk about me. Let’s focus on Lorelei’s bad plan.”

“Hey,” I objected. “Let’s not disparage it before it’s been fully formed.”

“What if Kane hears you’re at One Oak with his nemesis and shows up for a boss battle?” Cam asked.

“Madame Thea is friendly with Kane,” Gun reminded me. “It isn’t outside the realm of possibility.”

“Then I’ll need to remind her that it would endanger Kane’s life to do so.” If she cared anything for Kane, she’d keep quiet.

“Maybe you should let Josie know,” Cam proposed. “I know you aren’t besties, but she might…”

I cut her off. “She might kill me and blame Lucifer.”

“Josie doesn’t hate you.” Gun paused. “That much.”

To be fair, Josie’s feelings seemed to have thawed toward me. The vampire didn’t snarl nearly as much as she did when we first met. If nothing else, she seemed resigned to my presence in Kane’s life.

“Josie will go straight to Kane,” I said. “I can’t risk that. If everything goes to plan, I’ll win the bet and Lucifer will disappear. Kane doesn’t need to know anything.”

Gun examined me closely. “Pray tell, Lorelei. How many times in your life has a plan gone exactly as it should?”

“Let’s not dwell on the negative,” I said.

Cam folded her arms. “I refuse to engage in toxic positivity. It’s unhealthy.”

“This isn’t toxic positivity. This is…” I groped for a better word. “Manifestation.”

“Manifestation requires more than a wing and a prayer,” Gun pointed out.

“Exactly, and like I said, I have a plan.”

Gunther grunted. “A flimsy one. I wouldn’t bet my worst enemy’s life on its success.”

Cam looked at him. “Who would you say is your worst enemy?”

“I don’t know, actually. I have rivals, but I wouldn’t say I have a Lucifer in my life.”

“Me neither,” Camryn said. “Although I really dislike the woman that works at that trendy boutique in Greenwich Village. She’s always acts like I can’t afford to shop there.”

“Maybe because you try things on, but you never actually buy anything.”

Cam splayed a hand against her chest. “Are you blaming the victim?”

“What about axe throwing?” I interrupted. My mind was still stuck on the best game to defeat Lucifer, as it should be.

“Too risky,” Gun said.

“For me or for Lucifer?”

“The demon tortures people in hell all day every day. I’d wager he’s skilled with an axe.”

Camryn picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her sleeve. “Not that you’re asking me, but if you did, I’d tell you this seems more like a stall tactic than an actual plan, which is fine, but in that case, I would suggest using that time wisely.”

“How so, cousin?”

Camryn fixed her gaze on me. “Tell Kane you’ve bought him time to hit the road. Then go to One Oak and keep Lucifer occupied for as long as you can. Share your plan with Madame Thea. She’ll want to help Kane.”

I shook my head. “Kane wouldn’t run and hide, not in a million years.”

“Why not?” Gun asked. “He ran and hid here.”

Cam sucked in a breath. “Ooh, burn.”

“That was before,” I said.

Gun cocked his head. “Before what?”

“Before he had something to lose.” Which I understood because I was in exactly the same boat. I’d been willing to flee places, to stay hidden, when I had no attachments. The downside of that plan, of course, was that I had nothing and no one to care about. And no one to care about me. Now that I did...

“You’re right,” I said. “It was a stall tactic to protect Kane. I just didn’t know what else to do.”

Gun drummed his fingers on the table. “Okay, we’ve established your plan sucks. Now what?”

“I don’t get why Lucifer agreed to your offer in the first place,” Camryn said. “He’s Lucifer, for crying out loud. He’s been hunting Kane for ages, yet he’s willing to lose his big chance because you challenged him to a round of darts?”

“He claims he’s changed.”

Camryn laughed. “If I had a box of Nerds for every time a man said he’d changed, I wouldn’t need to buy another pack.” She shook her head. “I’ve dated a lot of players in my time, and this reeks of maximum game face. ”

Her words rang true. There was no chance Lucifer would stick to the terms of our deal if I won. We didn’t even shake hands on it.

I kneaded the growing knot in my shoulder. “I’m sure you’re right.”

“I know I am.”

The assassin had far more experience than I did in these matters. “How do you suggest I handle it?”

“Do the unexpected. He isn’t ready to take off his mask; it’s part of the game.” Camryn smiled. “So you take it off for him.”

Now that Lucifer had made his presence known, I felt a growing concern for Chief Garcia and Officer Leo. They needed that Sight potion yesterday.

I called out a greeting to Phaedra as I opened the front door to the rambling farmhouse, a vast improvement over my first visit to Bridger Farm which involved a shotgun aimed at my head. I didn’t even have to knock; that was the kind of friendship I now enjoyed with the only remaining member of the local coven. The rest of Phaedra’s family had been the victim of their own magic, killed in the aftermath of summoning the wrong monster for the sole purpose of adding extra digits to their bank account. Fortunately for Phaedra, she had integrity as well as a conscience because those qualities saved her life that fateful night.

“If you’re here to check on the status of the potion, you’re in luck.” Phaedra emerged from behind the kitchen counter, clutching a vial in her hand. “I have two samples ready to test.”

I nearly cried from relief. “Can I invite them over right now? ”

The witch raised her eyebrows. “When did this become a code red?”

I told her about my run-in with Lucifer as I typed a text message to Chief Garcia and Officer Leo. Multitasking, thy name is Lorelei.

“I’m sorry about the locator spell,” Phaedra said. “You might’ve avoided a surprise confrontation if I’d been willing to try.”

I waved her off. “I understand why you didn’t want to do it. You were right to prioritize your own safety. Anyway, it wasn’t much of a confrontation. He took the smooth talker approach.”

She eyed me curiously. “Did it work?”

“Of course not, but I played along as a stalling tactic.”

A shadow fell over Phaedra’s face. “I’m sorry Kane is in danger.”

“We’re all in danger.” I said, channeling my inner Matilda. It wasn’t lost on me that the Night Mallt’s alarmist approach to potential threats had saved me on multiple occasions.

Phaedra offered a rueful smile. “Another day, another supernatural crisis. Sometimes I think it was a mistake to move back here. I ought to pack up and move to Miami.”

“No supernaturals in Miami?”

“No multirealm crossroads.” She motioned for me to sit at the table. “Lucifer’s beef is with Kane. What makes you think we’re all in danger?”

“If Lucifer intended to kill Kane, he would’ve been here and gone already, but he’s hanging around town, making friends with the locals.” I shook my head. “He’s playing a game, and we don’t know the rules.”

“Yet,” Phaedra said darkly. “But I have no doubt we will soon enough.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I met him at Otto’s. He was playing piano and downing bottles of wine like the two of them were old friends.”

“Are they?”

“No. Otto didn’t realize who he was at first. He introduced himself as Luke.”

“How unassuming. I’ll let Ashley know to be careful.”

I glanced around the room. “Where is she?”

“I sent her to Greenwich Village with a delivery for a client.”

I had no doubt Ashley Pratt was thrilled to be sent to the city on an errand. She was very different from her grandmother in that respect. Nana Pratt was a homebody, in life and in death.

“Is she still showing signs of promise?” I asked. Ashley had been directionless until Phaedra agreed to take the young woman under her wing. At first I wasn’t sure how Ashley would feel about working for a Bridger witch at the house where she was nearly sacrificed, but it seemed to all work out in the end. Ashley had a natural talent, and Phaedra had the patience to hone it. Their relationship was similar to mine with Pops. He’d been my teacher and mentor, although he’d been one hundred percent human. Without Pops to look out for me in those early years, I couldn’t guess what might have become of me.

Nothing good, I was certain.

I wished the same for Ashley, that one person’s care and interest would help her reach her full potential.

“Ashley has exceeded my expectations,” Phaedra said with genuine enthusiasm. “Plus, she’s good company, which is a bonus. We spend a lot of time together, so having personalities that click makes a big difference.”

“Speaking of good company…” I cleared my throat. “I’d miss you, you know. If you decided to leave town.”

Phaedra gave my arm a playful swat. “Oh, please. You know I’m not really leaving. I tried it before, and it wasn’t for me. Cut my veins open and I’d bleed Bridger soil.”

“Let’s not test your theory.”

The crunch of stones under tires alerted us to a visitor. We both stiffened in response. Phaedra was first to relax. “It’s the chief and Leo.”

“Thank the gods for wards,” I said.

Phaedra winked as she rose to answer the door. “Thank the witch.”

Leo could scarcely contain his glee upon entrance. “Please tell me you have the potion.”

Phaedra held up the vial. “I have a sample. I’d like you both to test it under my supervision.”

Chief Garcia gnawed her lower lip. “Should we test at separate times? We can’t both be out of commission at the same time.”

“You won’t be. The worst that can happen is it doesn’t work and you see the world as you already do.”

Leo reached for the vial and the chief smacked his hand away. “Your enthusiasm is making me anxious,” she said. “You should be wary. This is life-changing stuff.”

“I know. I want my life to change. Why do you think I moved to a town where I don’t know anybody?”

Phaedra handed him the vial. “I’ll get yours, Chief.”

“At least wait for me,” the chief told him.

Leo downed the potion before Phaedra had a chance to return from the kitchen. His enthusiasm was infectious, however. Chief Garcia drank hers the moment the vial was pressed into her palm.

“How long?” the chief asked.

“Should be quick.”

Leo jogged in place. “What should I feel? Will I be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? ”

“You’re not going to be Superman, I’m sorry to say,” Phaedra said, smiling.

He angled his head to observe me. “You’re a goddess. Shouldn’t you glow or something?”

“I’m not that obvious, even to other supernaturals.”

Chief Garcia looked at me in awe. “But I sense something about you now.”

“You sensed something about me when we met. That’s why you investigated my past,” I reminded her.

“No. This is different. I feel … wary.”

“Makes sense,” Phaedra said.

Leo’s head swiveled left to right. “We need a real test. Show me a dragon. Is there a dragon in Wild Acres? Destiny Woods is probably too small, right?”

“A dragon is unlikely,” I told him, “but let’s walk in the woods and see what we can find.”

Leo practically elbowed the chief out of the way to be first outside.

“I’m glad he’s excited,” I said.

“Better excited than scared,” Phaedra replied.

The chief glanced at us. “I don’t know. A certain amount of fear is healthy, especially in a situation like this.”

She had a point.

We joined the bounding Labrador outside and ventured deeper into the forest. “Let’s go to the crossroads,” I suggested. “If nothing else, you can see werewolves as they truly are.”

Leo whooped with excitement. I was sorry Camryn wasn’t here to witness his first experience with the Sight.

As usual, there were two guards on duty—an older werewolf named Dottie and the one with the crooked nose whose name I could never remember. West and I had devised a schedule so that at least two supernaturals had eyes on the crossroads at any given moment, which begged the question— how had Lucifer made it through without alarm bells ringing? According to West, there’d been no recent activity.

“Hey,” I said, by way of greeting.

The werewolves exchanged wary glances at the sight of us. “Is there a problem?” Dottie asked.

“We’re testing a potion,” Leo announced. “It’s meant to give us the Sight.”

His announcement put the werewolves at ease. “So, what?” Crooked Nose asked. “You want to hang out here and see if you can identify what comes through?”

Dottie scoffed. “They’d be waiting a while, Francis. It’s been exceptionally quiet lately.”

Chief Garcia exhaled a relieved breath. “Quiet is good.”

“Would you mind shifting then?” Leo asked. “I’d love to see a real werewolf in action.”

The werewolves looked to me for guidance.

“It’s not an official order,” the chief added quickly. “Don’t feel obligated.”

“I’ll do it,” Francis said. “I missed the midnight run last night. It’ll feel good to stretch my legs.”

Leo’s smile was so broad, it hurt my cheeks to look at him.

The werewolf’s transformation was quick. Chief Garcia watched him with the steady gaze of a woman accustomed to unpleasant surprises.

The wolf released a howl that shook the leaves from nearby branches.

“Unreal,” the chief murmured with a pinched brow.

“Freakin’ fantastic,” Leo said, still beaming.

The wolf circled the perimeter of the clearing, stopping to sniff Leo’s shoes.

“Goosebumps,” Leo declared, rubbing his arm. “I just got goosebumps.”

I smiled at Phaedra. “Good work. ”

The witch bowed her head slightly. “Thank you. It was an old recipe I found in the family spell book. Say what you will about my family, but the Bridger witches had their uses.”

“Your work has been invaluable. You know that.” Her ward on my house had probably saved my life ten times over by now.

The wolf’s fur receded, and his snout and claws retracted. Bones crunched as the figure returned to human form.

Leo slapped his hands together. “That was awesome! Do it again.”

“I’m starting to regret this,” Chief Garcia muttered.

“We’re not your trained poodles,” Francis said, “but if you want to meet us out tonight, a bunch of us will be running wild over by the Falls.”

“I love to run,” Leo said. “I run through these woods all the time, just not usually at midnight.”

“With good reason,” I said. “It isn’t safe.” As friendly as the pack was, they were still animals when in their wolf forms. They couldn’t be trusted to let someone like Leo run with them. It only took one wolf to lose control and target a hapless Leo as prey.

“I agree with Lorelei,” the chief said. “No running with wolves.”

Leo’s face soured. “What if it was supervised?”

“Not this week,” I said gently. “Remember that issue we discussed at Birdie’s house?”

“Starts with ‘L’ and ends with ‘ucifer?’” Leo asked.

“That’s the one.” My heart beat faster just at the mention of his name. “Our theory was correct. He’s here.”

“Who’s here?”

I whipped around as West and Anna approached the clearing.

“The devil himself, apparently,” the chief said.

West met my gaze. “Is this true, Clay? ”

“Unfortunately.”

The alpha’s brow furrowed. “How did he get here? We’ve had the crossroads under twenty-four surveillance.”

“He must’ve gotten here another way,” I said. “His spies probably warned him that we have the crossroads under constant surveillance.”

“It’s possible, but I want to make sure everybody in the pack is taking this job seriously.” West’s expression was grim as he looked at Anna. “Make a list of everybody who was on duty this past week and invite them to an emergency meeting at seven.”

I would not want to be on the receiving end of whatever lecture West was planning to give.

West pivoted to face us. “I heard about Birdie Danvers. Do we think the two are related?”

“Yes,” the chief and I said in unison.

“Well, I’m glad we’re all on the same page for once.”

“Except Lucifer claims he didn’t kill her,” I added.

“I think we can safely assume every word out of Lucifer’s mouth is a lie,” West said.

“Very sensible,” I agreed.

West observed me closely. “I hear a ‘but’ buried in there.”

“But nothing. The pieces don’t fit as neatly as I’d like, that’s all. Birdie had already given me the cufflink. Why bother to kill her?”

“Maybe he believed it was still in her possession,” Chief Garcia said. “It’s possible he came looking for the evidence, couldn’t find it, and killed her anyway, then decided to make his presence known sooner rather than later in case Birdie had alerted someone.”

“Or this could be unrelated to Lucifer,” Phaedra said. “An unfortunate coincidence.”

“My money’s on Lucifer,” the chief said. “And my salary is public knowledge, so you know I don’t have a lot to gamble with.”

“So we’ve got a killer demon in our midst,” West said. “The question is—what are we going to do about it?”

“Kane and I are dealing with it.”

“How?” the chief asked.

“We invited Lucifer to dinner at the Castle.”

Everybody stared at me in stunned silence.

West looked at the chief. “Do you want to field this one or should I?”

Chief Garcia gave my arm a solid punch. “Are you out of your mind?”

I rubbed my arm. “He’s up to something and we want to figure out what it is.” After my conversation with the mages, I’d spilled the beans to Kane. He agreed that Camryn’s advice was sound, and together we decided to forgo the One Oak idea. Lucifer would’ve won anyway, and I would’ve endangered the patrons in the process. Instead, I sent a message to Lucifer’s B & B and explained that Kane agreed to meet with him and hear him out.

“He’s here for Sullivan,” West said. “What is there to figure out?”

“Then why not just take him before anyone was the wiser?” I shook my head. “There’s more to it. Kane and I are certain of it.”

West gave me an appraising look. “You don’t have to do this alone. Let us help. We’ll wait outside the Castle in case you need backup.”

“Lucifer will know,” I said. “We don’t want to endanger anybody else.”

“Let’s say your plan works and you discover his true intentions,” the chief said. “Then what?”

“It depends on what those intentions are. ”

“There’s one problem,” West said. “This is Fairhaven. When has anything gone according to plan?”

I huffed. “Now you sound like Gunther.”

“West is right,” the chief said. “Plans are like snakes around here.”

Anna scrunched her nose. “Snakes?”

Leo leaned over to her and said, “They go sideways.”

“Oh, got it.”

“Look on the bright side.” I flashed them a hopeful smile. “There’s a first time for everything, right?”