Page 8 of Tortured Soul (Soulless #1)

Lola

K ai stopped in front of a wooden door.

The building was built in cream stone and just a couple of blocks away from the temple.

Like all the other constructions on that street, the first floor seemed to be a shop, and the upper levels were made of a mix of wood and stones.

I wondered if when they arrived, the first levels were already there and they built up to accommodate more people.

There was a bar open two doors down, and I'd already marked the couple of restaurants and the coffee shop down the street next to what seemed to be the main square surrounding the park.

“This apartment has two floors and six rooms,” Kai said, taking a set of keys from his back pocket. “It’s currently occupied by one demon, one angel, and two vamps.”

I nodded distractedly. Six rooms and four current occupants. It left two free rooms.

“They’re really nice,” Kai continued, like he thought I needed to feel reassured.

“I’ll let them introduce themselves, but I’ve texted Aymeric before we left and I’m sure he’s made you some kind of welcome dinner that Marcus will complain about because the smell might disturb his childish nose.

I swear that man is like a toddler and can only eat nuggets and chips. ”

“Marcus? As in the guard who escorted me from outside to the tower and then to your office Marcus?”

“Yes. He can be a grump, but he’ll have your back.”

Will he? He did take great pleasure in me nearly stumbling down the stairs and knocking my own face against a door earlier …

Although, Kai said in his office that he was the one who reported what happened with Carter to Arc, so maybe there was still hope for him.

“Francesca and Savi usually keep to themselves. They sleep all day and spend their night hunting and scouting outside the walls. I don’t think they’ll be here right now, but you might see them tomorrow. Oh, and they’re mute.”

Okay, so I was going to share a house with some Divine named Aymeric that appeared to be a kind host, a grump Hellriser guard, and two silent Vampires. I guess it could’ve been worse.

If they could also all be asexual, that’d be awesome.

Kai slid the key in, turned it, and the door creaked open, revealing two distinct mailboxes—people still got mail? In here?—and narrow stairs that led to another wooden door. He closed the first one after us and climbed before me, knocking on the next.

The door opened not even ten seconds after. The man was old. And I didn’t mean old like me as his aura smelled quite…new. No, it showed. His dark skin was wrinkled with age. He had laugh lines that showed he used to smile a lot. Lines that were rare among Immortals, for a lot of different reasons.

There were numerous subspecies for all three Immortal kinds.

Some were born Immortals, but, at least for the Hellrisers, most of the ones roaming the earth were made .

Although, you had more chances to succeed in selling your soul if you were young and your soul was not too tarnished.

Most demons didn’t care about some old sinner soul as it wouldn’t gain them anything.

I, for example, found that a younger soul gave me more energy than an old one.

An old sinner would be a waste of my time as I would probably need to hunt again the very next day.

Most made demons were young. Usually beautiful to easily tempt humans—after all, the human heart and soul was attracted to pretty things and power.

But this man was a Divine. I’ve heard the stories that some humans who fought on the Immortal side during the war and died had been made angels.

Maybe as a reward or just to increase the Divine numbers—I didn’t know what the Almighty Heaven Daddy plans were.

But I’ve never seen an old looking angel before.

I wasn’t sure why, but it made my heart ache.

“There you are!” He smiled warmly. “Come in, come in!” He stepped aside to let us in and closed the door softly behind us. “I’m Aymeric. It’s really nice to meet you.”

I shook the hand he was giving me and smiled back. After Carter being such an ass, I was glad that not all Divine were out to get me.

“Lola. Thank you for having me.”

“Oh, nonsense. We’re delighted to have you join our house.”

We took a few steps in and stopped next to a table in a beautifully furnished pastel green and gray kitchen opened on a cream and white living area. It was a bit small and cramped, but the furniture and decoration felt cozy and warm.

“Careful Aym, she’s a sneaky and clumsy one. She might end up breaking your stuff and blame it on me,” a familiar voice mumbled from the cream couch.

I snapped my head toward that voice with a sneer. “I’m not clumsy. I stand by my version. You tried to break my neck.”

He stood and turned to face us, his arms crossed over his chest.

Until now, I hadn’t seen his full face since it had been covered by that scary looking helmet.

His eyes were the color of a dark chocolate—as all non-shapeshifting demon’s eyes were always some shade of brown or black—and his skin quite tanned.

He traded his thick black guard uniform for a white T-shirt and black sweatpants.

His dark blond hair was tied in a manbun and looked like it reached his shoulders when it was untied.

He was way less impressive without his mask or uniform. He looked…normal. Like any average demon on his day off.

“I’ll go and install the lock on your door,” Kai said, giving me a nod and heading back toward the front door where the stairs leading up were. “It’ll be just a few minutes.”

His smile was warm before he disappeared out of my sight.

I turned toward Aymeric who was silently stirring something in a pan. It smelled heavenly. My eyes caught the sight of an espresso machine and I nearly stumbled from relief before Marcus blocked its view with his large frame.

“Did you get that coffee you so desperately wanted?” he asked, his back to me. He lifted his arm to search inside a top cupboard.

“I didn’t.”

“Shame. ”

I groaned internally. Was this how my life was going to be? Coffeeless? Was I being forced into a cure? Was I expected to beg for a single shot of espresso?

The machine made a loud sound as he poured a cup. My mouth watered.

“Marcus told me you spent all day in that tower. You must be famished,” Aymeric said, turning his face toward me as he reached for the salt.

“I’m fine,” I said, right as my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl. “Okay, I know I can’t die from hunger, but it feels like I might.”

He laughed softly. I looked over his shoulder, trying to ignore the need I had to beat up Marcus and make sure that coffee was for me, to see that he was cooking some chicken and vegetables.

The scent of paprika and garlic reached my nose and made my mouth water.

If I had a coffee to drink with it, I could die a happy demon.

“It smells really good,” I blurted out.

“I’m glad to hear it.” He grinned. “I love to cook, used to be one before the war. The twins don’t eat anything that’s not a red liquid, and that guy is picky. Won’t even look at it if it’s green…” he whispered the last part conspiratorially.

“My problem is not with the color, oh old one ,” Marcus drawled, “but with the taste.”

“Don’t insult my cooking any longer, you manchild.”

Marcus turned around, holding the small espresso cup in his large hand. Give it to me, you —

“I’m older than you,” Marcus countered.

“And yet, you’re calling me old, and I’ve seen you eat dino nuggets. More than once.”

Marus rolled his eyes as he took the cup closer to his lips, setting his gaze on me.

That bastard was taunting me.

“Stop torturing the girl, you don’t even like coffee,” Aymeric said as he grabbed a plate and filled it with the contents of the pan. As he turned, the ceiling light made his gray hair shine silver.

“You’re no fun,” Marcus replied, placing the cup on the island counter, pushing it reluctantly toward me. “Here’s your coffee.”

A lot happened at once in my head. First, confusion as to why he made me a coffee when he’s been taunting me for the most part of our past interactions.

Second, I wondered briefly if maybe he poisoned it.

Finally, I decided I didn’t even care if it was in fact poisoned.

I was so desperate for a coffee that it was worth the possible tummy ache.

I drank half of it in one gulp and repressed a satisfied sound from escaping me.

“Have a seat, Lola.” Aymeric placed the plate on the island and led me to a stool. He took a fork and a knife out of a drawer before setting them next to the served food.

I sat down, my half drunk double espresso still in hand and was surprised to see Aymeric and Marcus sit at the island with me. Without food.

“Aren’t you eating too?”

Aymeric shook his head. “We already ate. At least I did. Marcus ate a whole bag of barbecue flavored chips when he got back an hour ago.”

“And I enjoyed every second of it.”

As they bickered, I focused on them for a little while. On their energy. On what it could tell me about them.

Aymeric wasn’t that old—at least in Immortal years. He was probably turned into an angel during or after the war between forty and fifty years ago. He felt calm. Appeasing. His deep blue eyes contrasted with his dark skin and darker freckles dotted his nose and cheeks.

Marcus was probably fresh into his first century. He felt like most of the demons I knew in my different tied groups. Before getting here, he was probably collecting souls or cleaning up after other Immortals’ mess-ups. I wondered how such a young demon ended up here, among other free beings.

Steps sounded on the stairs and they stopped arguing to welcome Kai at our table. He sat next to me.

“Alright, I’m counting on you to show her around. No one is to get into her room, alright?”

“Why would we get into her room?” Aymeric asked.

“Here we go again,” Marcus grumbled.

“You’re fine now, but either of you might get tempted. Succubus pheromones are…potent, to say the least.”

Aymeric’s brow lifted as he turned his face toward me briefly. Marcus rolled his eyes.

“I’m not joking, Marcus,” Kai scolded.

“And I’m not in the habit of forcing anyone or—”

“I know that, and I trust both of you. But I’ve seen what happened a couple of times with unbinded Succubi, and your reactions might not be your own. Be careful, alright?”

Marcus didn’t insist, just squinted at me in confusion. Maybe Kai being the one warning him made him finally understand my earlier reservations.

“The lock is installed,” Kai said, to me. “I count on you to place the stone as soon as you get into your room.”

“I will.”

“Good. Because as I told you, you’re safe here. And if someone or something threatens this safety, I wouldn’t want to be them when Arc learns about it.”