Dark Hope (The Devil's Assistant) (24 page)

“You can’t change the windows to the soul, especially if you don’t have one,” I goaded. That worked.

“You will be sorry once she has you. She has changed her plans to include you.”

Changed her plans? How would Lily know that? “When did you speak to her?” It couldn’t have been since she got to the bungalow. Could it?

As if considering her words, she paused for a moment
,
then said, “After seeing you in the garden.”

She was lying and not very well. “You thought I was her in the garden. You didn’t know I wasn’t her until you saw me at Sage’s apartment.”

Her eyes slid away. She adjusted the IV, causing a new twinge of pain. “You know nothing.”

“I know you didn’t speak to her after seeing me in the garden,” I pressed. “You had to come straight from Sage’s or you wouldn’t have been here when I arrived. You had to see her here. In this house.”

Lily opened her mouth to say something, but closed it immediately.

“Was it Mab?” I asked. She schooled her features, but she did it too well. “She didn’t want you to wake up while she was talking to me,” I said, watching Lily closely, “but she could have awakened you while I was blinded.”

My mind had been a jumbled mess. It had taken me several minutes to bring it all back together. Mab could have easily spoken to her during that time. Or after, when Mab returned to speak to Mace.

“You know nothing,” she spat. “She has tied your tongue.”

I smiled as some pieces fell into place. Only one person had spelled me to keep me quiet. Mab was the double. She’d manipulated Junior and convinced him to trap the quads. That would explain how she knew exactly what spell was used on them. She must have given the spell to Junior. Just as she gave the second spell to Mace.

She’d refused to help Mace convince the blacksmith. She couldn’t risk having proof she was involved. Mace had no idea she’d used Junior to set them up. She’d manipulated everything.

“Only one person has tied my tongue,” I said.

Lily scowled, her eyes cold and calculating. “You’re a particular favorite of hers or I would kill you,” she finally admitted. Smiling, she pressed a fingernail into the crease of my bandaged arm, hurting me. “She will have you before it’s over.”

“I’ll die before I let that happen.”

Lily laughed. “You’ll certainly wish you had before she’s through.” She took a key from her pocket, which she put on the bedside table. “That key will take you to Underworld. You’re on your own after that.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Who says I am?” she said, then disappeared.

My mind was racing as I waited for the green liquid to flow into me. Mab was the double, the one who set me up. The one who wanted Junior dead and for the quads to kill him. But why did she involve me? Was it just convenient? Or did she somehow know I’d get pulled into this mess? As Lily said, I’m a particular favorite.
Yay, me
.

Ten minutes later, after the bag was empty, I ripped off the tape and winced as I slid the needle out. I closed my elbow and studied the key. Could I trust her, or should I try to call for a taxi?

No money
, the voice helpfully reminded me.

I palmed the key, hoping it wasn’t some sort of trap. I concentrated on the watch. “Get me the hell out of here.”

The watch guided me to the basement where I spotted Charles in the enclosure. He was sleeping—scratch that, he was dead. Lily had tied up the loose ends nicely.

The watch led me to the back wall. When the key got closer, the brick that had glowed blue before started glowing again. The key emitted a faint hiss as I touched the marked brick and disappeared.

Sixteen

The portal took me to a street, where everyone looked as if they’d just walked off the runway. It had to be Little Purgatory. I was startled as the door to the proudly proclaimed Wild Hare Bar and Grill slammed open, and a demon came flying past me.

The bouncer, a tattooed pagan the size of a linebacker, followed him out. With no effort, he picked up the demon and tossed him into the wall behind me. The uninvited rule wasn’t as strictly enforced outside Purgatory, but obviously the Wild Hare had its own set of rules, and this guy clearly hadn’t been invited.

I didn’t stick around to watch more.

I was sure Mace had no clue I’d just escaped the bungalow. Since it was still two days before Johnny and his crew would harass me for being in Underworld, I could assume—at least for the moment—no one was looking for me.

I considered my options. I could go to The Boss or Quaid and tell them what was happening—well, not tell them because Mab’s spell wouldn’t allow that, but I could point them in the right direction. Getting out of downtown and back to the company would be the difficult part since I had no money. There was also the matter of the traitor, someone who had seen Junior’s dead body. And that someone was working with Mace.

Omar was
certainly
a powerful enough seer to have seen the body
, but
would he really betray The Boss? I couldn’t picture him as the traitor, but he’d sent me on this fool’s errand. He had to know what would happen, but he’d seemed genuinely surprised by Junior’s death.

That could have been his plan
, the voice suggested.

I shook my head. I didn’t want to believe Omar had betrayed me. Either way I needed to get out of Little Purgatory.

I had two options: try to save Junior by warning him or try to get to The Boss or Quaid and hope they believed me. The quads had a head start, and Junior was downtown. Finding him—

“Ow.” I cried out as someone brushed past me, clipping my hand and activating the bracelets. Okay, new goal, lose the bracelets. Then find Junior.

I headed out of Little Purgatory toward the arena. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was. Based on all the red and purple armbands it was obvious everyone on foot, in groups of two or more, was going to the fight. I followed three pagans, keeping a decent distance, so I didn’t get noticed. They were wearing red armbands—demon colors. They didn’t have their own fighter this year. It was a druid and demon match-up, and there was no way the pagans were rooting for the druids.

I loped onto a side street as soon as I crossed out of Little Purgatory. Downtown was gridded out in blocks, but it wasn’t as if I knew the place well. The few times I’d been down here, I had a driver and my phone. I needed to get my bearings, make a plan, and remove the bracelets.

I tried the obvious approach first and concentrated on the watch. “Remove the bracelets.”

Nothing happened.

I surveyed the area. There were a few shops along the street, but most of them were closed. The watch or my power was good with directions, but I had no idea what to ask for. And would it lead me to a closed business? I really didn’t know enough about how it all worked, but I didn’t have another option.

“Take me to...” I paused.
Where can I have them removed
? “Take me—”

“To your leader,” some guy quipped as he ambled past.

I was attracting attention. I glanced around, but he was the only guy who seemed to notice me, and he wasn’t exactly stopping to chat. No, he was heading for the pawnshop across the street.

When he opened the door, the glass reflected a red sign hanging under the awning. I hadn’t noticed it before, but it was exactly what I was looking for: Jewelry Repair—perfect.

I crossed the street. Catching sight of myself in the glass storefront, I noticed that the bandages were giving me a hospital escapee vibe. It also appeared most of my bruises were gone. The skin around my wrists was still raw but improving. I removed the bandages and tossed them into the trash can outside the store. I’d be less suspicious this way. At least I hoped I would.

I peered through the glass door, scanning the inside of the shop. There was a scruffy middle-aged demon standing at the counter. His arms were folded over his chest as he watched the guy who’d walked past me. The demon answered a question
,
then shook his head, never changing his unapproachable stance. A minute later the customer left without buying anything, and I slid through the door before it closed.

The shop was grimy but well lit. There wasn’t much security in place—a couple of round mirrors and a camera perched behind the register. The shop was empty except for me, so there was no surprise that the demon behind the counter was staring. He had the same unapproachable stance he had with the last guy, which normally might bother me, but not today.

I sauntered up to the end of the counter, the one farthest away from the video surveillance. The demon sighed before reluctantly walking over to me. I kept my head down and my face pointed away from the all-seeing eye of the camera.

“Can I help you?” he asked, returning to his arms crossed over his chest stance. He wore a red armband so he probably wanted to close up early and head to the fight.

“What are these worth?” I asked, holding out my arms and ignoring his attitude.

Cinnamon had called them
Hell
shackles. I assumed that meant something. I was hoping it meant they were
worth
something.

“Well
,
that depends,” the demon said dryly. “Why are you wearing them?”

I cocked one of my eyebrows. “Do you want them or not?”

“Well,” he said, eyeing my watch. “I’d rather have the watch.”

“Not a chance.” I couldn’t remove the watch, but even if I could, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this hellhole.

He shrugged
,
then pursed his lips. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for the bracelets, but I’m not sure I know how to get them off.” He called toward the back. “Luke, get in here.”

I tensed when I sensed a druid coming from the back. A minute later, a thin fragile druid shuffled through the curtain. He was very old with a bad left leg that caused him to limp. He couldn’t have been more than five feet tall, if that
,
and his head appeared to be too big for his body. Although he wore a really cheap brown suit, the odds were good he wasn’t one of Johnny’s boys.

“Yes, sir,” Luke said.

“Can you remove these?” the demon asked.

Luke slid a wooden box over to the counter and stepped up on it. I moved my hands away as he reached for them.

I caught the barest hint of a brown shine to his eyes when he said, “Don’t worry, miss. I won’t touch your hands.”

His smile put me at ease. I held my hands out for him to inspect. He clutched my right wrist, bringing the band closer to his face. He slipped down one of the jeweler loupes on his glasses.

The curtain to the back room swooshed, drawing my attention away from Luke. The demon owner was no longer in the shop. I was about to close my eyes and follow him, when he returned a moment later. He reached under the counter for something
,
then glanced out the window.

Before he could catch me spying, I moved my eyes to his reflection in one of the round mirrors. I didn’t like the way his gaze darted to the window, or the shifty way he held whatever he pulled from under the counter, which I suspected was a gun.

It was taking too long to remove the bracelets. I wanted to tug my hand away, but Luke had a good grip for someone his age. A car drove by outside. The owner shifted, bringing up the butt of the gun he was trying to hide into view.

He must have called someone when he ducked into the back. His fake casual demeanor was inconsistent with his twitchy behavior. He was waiting for someone. I was sure of it. I wanted out of here, but getting out of Luke’s grasp wouldn’t be easy or quiet.

“It doesn’t look like—” I started, but the words died in my throat when an audible click sounded, and the first bracelet fell off into Luke’s hand. The other one weakened, as if it might be unlocked. I concentrated on the watch, to focus my power. “Open the other bracelet,” I said.

“Humm,” Luke said, still scrutinizing the bracelet in his hand.

With the same click as before, the second fell off, clanking loudly on the glass counter. I examined the open band and realized what Luke was studying. Several Ancient characters and Mace’s serpent mark were etched into the inside of the band.

I really hoped he didn’t recognize Mace’s mark. I eyed the demon. He was ready to pounce.

Luke clasped my wrist before I had a chance to escape. “We got a problem,” he said to the demon.

Just as a car screeched to a stop outside the shop, I snatched my arm away. I glanced back to see two of Johnny’s goons getting out of a lime-green convertible.
Great. I don’t have time for this
.

The demon was now pointing his gun at me.

“She’s marked,” Luke said, pointing a crooked finger in my direction.

“He wants to kill me himself,” I told the owner. “I’m worth nothing dead.”

Before he could react, I rushed him, jumping over the counter. The stunned demon jerked to avoid me and tripped. The gun went off as he hit the ground. I didn’t look back. I ran through the curtain and into the rear room just as the buzzer on the front door sounded.

“She’s back there,” Luke shouted.

I spotted a side door. A gunshot dinged off the doorframe as I hit the alley. Without slowing, I hauled ass through the alley, down a few cross streets, before finally ducking behind a dumpster to catch my breath. My heart raced. I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, and stepped outside my body.

I could have blinked to the pawnshop, but I wanted to see if the goons were following me.

I reentered the shop, breathing a little easier since I hadn’t passed Johnny’s boys on my walk here. The demon was now inspecting the bracelets.

“Should we call?” Luke asked.

“I already called Johnny’s people. It’s better if we let them handle it.”