Devil's Paw (Imp Book 4) (20 page)

“Name the seven main gates to Hel,” the angel commanded, ignoring my comment.

I smirked. This was like a quiz show. I wondered what the prize would be. Knowing angels, It would probably be something I’d hate.

“Columbia, Seattle, Dakar, Bangkok, Copenhagen, Bogota, and that stupid one off northern Russia. Why the fuck would you put a gate nearly two and a half miles up in the air over an island? Fine for those of us with wings, but I can’t tell you how many demons plunged to their death through that damned thing. Nobody uses it anymore. Not in the last eight decades…” I frowned, remembering something I’d read.

“It’s gone. Well, not totally gone, but so damaged we had to disable it.”

My mouth fell open. “The
Tsar Bomba
. Holy shit on a stick, the humans blew up an angel gate!”

Gregory looked grim. “Novaya Zemlya is the island, and the bomb was a fifty megaton RDS–220, to be exact. There were a lot of very angry angels over that one. Many were advocating extermination of the human race, citing they’d acquired power they were ill–equipped to handle.”

“They didn’t do it on purpose,” I sputtered. “How the fuck were they to know you put a gate to Hel two and a half miles up in the air. It’s not like they even know about the angel gates.”

“It’s not the loss of the gate, it’s that they have a weapon with enough power to damage one that is concerning to us.”

I shrugged. “Could be worse. I don’t blame them for trying. They’re like children, exploring their world.”

Gregory grimaced. “Children destroying their world. How fair is that to the other life forms that inhabit it? These are gifts they are too unevolved to handle. Gifts they should not have received for another million years. Hopefully they’ve put that nonsense behind them and learned their lesson.”

“I think you underestimate the appeal of blowing shit up.”

“Well, don’t tell that to the others on the Ruling Council. It was a rough couple of decades, and I don’t want to stir it all up again.”

I nodded, wondering what all this had to do with a devouring spirit, injured and desperate to get home.

“That makes six gates,” Gregory commented. “Six is a very inauspicious number.”

Ah yes, the number of the beast. The angels preferred seven. “So where is the new gate?”

Gregory shook his head. “I don’t want that knowledge to get out right now. If you all have no real way of sensing them outside a certain distance, then it’s not germane to the issue at hand.”

“So, it’s in a weird, remote location where you can’t easily put a guardian, and you don’t want the word to spread that it’s an easy spot for demons to cross over,” I intuited.

“Something like that.” He shifted, looking around the parking lot. “He’s in no condition to head toward Baltimore or further, so he’s bound to come back here.”

“Or not. Some demons have a far greater sensory range than I do. I’m just an imp, after all.”

He looked at me in dread. “How far?”

I smiled. “Dar can sense a gate over two–thousand miles away. Even the wild and elf gates. It’s a skill many demons have. I suck, and I’m lucky if I can sense a minor gate at over fifty yards. With other gates, my range is pretty much less than fifty feet.”

I could tell by his expression that this shiny, new angel gate was well within Dar’s range. “Vancouver?” I guessed. “Missoula?”

He looked up at the night sky, as if gauging the time until dawn. “Juneau.”

~16~

W
e were scheduled to be the first morning flight into Juneau, taking off pre–dawn in our hijacked G6. The owner of this luxury aircraft was happily riding in the seat beside me. He’d initially been a bit pissed about its theft, but became starry–eyed the moment he’d caught a glimpse of Gregory. I was amused to see that angelic laws or ethics didn’t seem to encompass personal property rights.

Gregory had exploded all over the airport in a temper over our travel logistics. The last direct flight to Juneau had long left Seattle by the time we’d reached the airport, and the next flight out included a seven–hour layover in Anchorage. He’d been on his spanking–new iPhone with the gate guardian back home, barking out orders for water passage, but that option encompassed over two days of travel. Even a charter plane was out of the question since Juneau airport locked down at midnight to incoming flights.

At least the delay had allowed us to take a very uncomfortable taxi ride back to Baphomet’s house to retrieve our rental car and my luggage. Originally Gregory had insisted we abandon it all in a mad dash to Alaska, but with nearly four hours to kill, he finally agreed. I had no idea who would have ended up paying for the never–returned rental car, but I wanted my suitcases and their contents. I’d managed to convince him to stop for a bite to eat at an all–night diner on our way back to the airport. I ate; he didn’t.

I glanced over at the brooding angel across from me and sighed, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Something in my pocket dug a sharp edge into my leg, and I realized I’d forgotten the pocket–sized mirror I’d lifted from the house in Fremont. The house had been registered to Paul Yong. I looked at the communications device, a much smaller and simpler version of the one at Baphomet’s house. Had Baphomet kept this one as a back–up? Or had it belonged to some other demon?

Shrugging, I punched the clear stone on the rim and waited. Even at ten–thousand feet, the mirror should work. When no one replied, I left a vague message about how I’d found the mirror and was trying to find out who it belonged to before stuffing it back into my pocket.

It was going to be a long flight. Gregory had been on edge since he’d discovered the murdered angel, and the airplane owner was cheerfully enthralled, so I wasn’t expecting stimulating conversation from either of them. I looked out the window at the rippled sheet of cloud–cover below us, just becoming visible in the early dawn light. I’d called Wyatt before we had flown out, woke him up at what had to have been four in the morning Maryland time, to tell him not to expect me for a few days at least. I’d need to call him again when we landed since there was a good chance he might not remember our conversation. Then I needed to call Nyalla and see how she was doing, solo, in my house. Then Amber, to make sure she hadn’t gone all praying–mantis–meets–black–widow on the neighborhood boys.

My pocket sent a shock into my leg, and I jumped, quickly pulling out the mirror before it could zap me again.

“Uh, hello?” I wasn’t sure how to answer the thing, not knowing who was on the other side.

“Mal?
Mal?
What the fuck are you doing with this mirror?”

I recognized that voice. “Dar? What the fuck are
you
doing with this mirror? I found it in a house with Baphomet’s dead body, and I wasn’t sure if it was his or not.”

“Baphomet’s really dead?” he exclaimed. “His household showed up yesterday saying they were now under your protection. Your steward was ready to toss them out, but we were all good friends back in the day, so I figured they were probably telling the truth.”

“Yeah, he’s dead.” That sadness came over me like a fog again. One more piece of my past, gone forever.

“Angels? Was it that fucker you said chased you a few days back?”

“I don’t know.” I wasn’t sure how much to tell Dar. He knew I devoured. He’d known it for centuries. As much as I trusted my foster brother, I knew he’d not be able to keep juicy rumors about Baphomet’s method of death to himself.

“Keep this line, Dar. I’m away from my house for a few days. You can use this one of Baphomet’s to contact me until I get home.”

“Will do,” he said cheerfully. “It’s not Baphomet’s mirror, though. It’s some other guy’s. Rain, Raim, or something. His household showed up right after Baphomet’s with the same story. I don’t know this guy, so we stole all of their stuff and tossed them out.”

“Raim? It’s his mirror?” The fact that I felt sympathetic toward the displaced household showed just how far from my demon roots I’d come.

“Yeah, Raim. I’ve never met the guy, but your steward said there were some unsavory rumors floating around about him.”

“Can you go find them? Bring them into my household, and have their steward call me on this line.” Maybe if I spoke with the guy, I could find out more about Baphomet’s partner, and whether he was the devouring spirit we were searching for.

“For fuck sake, Mal! How many more demons are you going to take in under your wing? We’re squeezed in like sardines, and even with Haagenti’s funds, you’re going to run short. We don’t know this Raim guy, and we don’t owe him or his household anything. Let them rot in the gutter.”

“No, Dar,” I insisted, my voice firm. “I need them. Do as I say or you’ll rot in a gutter.”

“Bitch.” It was a term of affection for him, and I caught myself smiling. “Anything else I can do for you? Rip off your scales? Poke sticks in your eyes?”

“Is Leethu there? Can you have her call me on this line?” I had a mirror, might as well kill several birds with one stone.

“She’s right here, actually. I’ll put her on.”

Even through the communication device, I felt Leethu’s seductive aura wind its way around me.

“Ni–ni, what can I do for you?”

“I need your advice.” I jumped right into the topic, explaining Amber’s self–imposed celibacy and my concerns that her urges were more than just teen–girl hormones.

“Oh, she is a precocious little thing!” Leethu exclaimed, her voice full of proud admiration. “I too started early. Do you remember?”

Yes, I did. Even at my young age, I’d fallen in line with the others, trailing about after the succubus, pining away for a glance, a touch, or possibly more. She’d been sent off for training soon after all that had started, and the whole sibling group had protested her absence loudly for several days before something else caught our interest.

“She’s not even twenty yet. Isn’t that a bit young to be getting these kinds of skills?”

Leethu’s laugh rang like wind chimes. “Having to masquerade as a human has speeded things up a bit. Of course, she’ll not be anywhere near as powerful as a full succubus.”

Phew, that was a relief. Amber had enough issues to face without hoards of insane admirers hounding her everywhere she went.

“So she’s okay? She can bonk this guy at the gym? She’s really worried she’ll kill someone.”

“Oh, that is always a strong possibility.” Leethu didn’t seem too disturbed about that fact. “Heart attacks, aneurisms, they all happen pretty regularly, and sometimes humans don’t realize how fragile they are when they request the truly kinky stuff.”

Fuck. For once, I was glad I was just an imp. “So, if she stays vanilla, and her partner gets a medical evaluation first, she should be okay? It’s going to really do a number on her if she kills someone, Leethu. I don’t want that to happen.”

“Well …I can’t guarantee she won’t lose a partner or two. She’s young, and it will be hard for her to know how to control her pheromones and aura. It’s not a big deal. It happens.”

“It is a big deal, Leethu. How does she keep from killing someone?”

“She could fuck vampires. Personally that’s not my thing, but many of us enjoy them. They’re pretty sturdy, but always non–consenting. They get kind of bitey when they’re pissed off, so she may need to yank their fangs first. Werewolves are fun, but they sometimes get carried away, and I’ve had to kill a few in self–defense.”

I shook my head in frustration and glanced over to see Gregory watching me, obviously listening in.

“She can’t fuck a vampire. Because …well, you know, they would probably eat her. Plus I doubt she’d go for the whole rape thing. And werewolves aren’t allowed to have sex with
humans
per their existence contract.” I hoped Gregory wasn’t putting two and two together here. I wasn’t sure how much he’d heard of the conversation, and I didn’t know how the angels would feel about their beloved elves breeding with a succubus. Amber had enough races gunning for her without adding angels into the mix.

“I could send a demon over for her. An experienced incubus to give her some guidance.” Leethu offered. “Does she prefer men? Irix owes me a favor. And he’s a good tutor.”

I hesitated, sneaking a quick glance at Gregory out of the corner of my eyes. I didn’t want to foist this guy on Amber, but she should have the opportunity to consider him as an option. At least until she felt confident enough to have normal human relationships again.

“Okay. I’ll grant him safe passage. I don’t want him throwing his influence around though. If Amber agrees, then fine. If not, he goes home without stirring her or any of my friends into a crazed orgy. Got it?”

“I have got it,” Leethu replied, ending her connection.

“You’re setting up your boyfriend’s sister with a sex demon,” Gregory drawled. I was half afraid to look at him and see his expression. “Don’t you think Wyatt is going to have a bit of a problem with that? And why is she so worried about killing human sexual partners. That rarely happens without homicidal intent, you know.”

I squirmed. “It’s a long story. And no, Wyatt probably wouldn’t approve. If she says ‘no’, then this Irix will go home and no harm done. If she likes him, well, I’ll find a way to explain it to Wyatt.”

Gregory made a noise of disbelief. “You’re going to explain to Wyatt that you’ve procured a paid sexual partner for his sister? A sexual partner that will probably occupy her thoughts and set the standards for her relationships the rest of her life. You do realize how succubi and incubi work, don’t you? They’re power is through positive sexual memory and the emotion it generates.”

“Yes, yes,” I glared up at him and was a bit surprised to see he was actually amused. “She’s not really human. She’ll be okay, trust me. Amber is more immune than you’d think.”

“Ah, so she’s a hybrid.” His tone was just as amused as his expression. “Cockroach, your family has more twists and drama than those soap operas I saw at your house on the Spanish language channel.”

It truly did. I looked back at him and took a deep breath. “I need to provide safe passage through the Columbia gate for this Irix demon.”