We went through one of the doors and descended stone steps. The walls were painted, and light fixtures hung above wooden railings meant to hold on to. “I wasn’t going to let you leave me, I was responsible for taking too much blood, and like I said, I should leave you once I took enough, but I couldn’t let him have his way with you any longer.” I assumed he meant Nybbas, and this was an attempt at an apology. “I see. So you bit me again?” I watched the back of his head nod before he answered. He didn’t know I knew. “Yes, I wasn’t sure what came over me, but alas, here we are, and that demon is back where it belongs.” I let the conversation drop as we reached the bottom steps. There were rows of stone cells with metal bars sitting in a vast stone room. “Um, I’m not sure you can surprise me with something good down here, and I’m not sure I want it, either.” He turned around right as I heard a loud familiar hiss. Both of my hands covered my scream of surprise before I ma
Note: The following chapter is the first chapter in the new volume of Ayda's journey. The chapters thereafter will be an epilogue on Reggie and Pheral instead of chapters to the new volume because Reggie will be taking a small break for a while during most of volume II. But, don't worry, she will be back! Please look forward to how Ayda's gotten better at discovering who and what she is, and also, hopefully, my writing as well. Happy reading! Ps: Please be patient, it may be slow uploading at first. The moment I took a deep breath through my nose, I could sense we were in Hell. The scent of vanilla, and smoke, filled my nose. It wasn’t the dungeon this time. No, this was King Lou’s throne room. “We’re here, Ayda,” Michael whispered, releasing me from his tight hold. I wasn’t ready for the next job and was looking forward to my stay at a sexy vampire’s home. Opening my eyes, I took in the familiar gold and black throne room and the high-back iron chair Lou sat upon with a smug l
It was dark, and damned streetlights were flickering in and out as I came up the side road by my house. It usually would annoy me, but I stayed feeling content anyway. Ayda was learning to open up. She needed to. Plus, I was safe from that crazy bitch that kidnapped me. Through it all, I’d found the sexy man, or wolf, of my dreams. I was never into dating, let alone sleeping with Others. I was quite against it. However, when I met Pheral for the first time, it was like love at first site. Or was that lust? Either way, his tall, dark, and quiet demeanor swept me out of my striped socks. Did I mention he was sexy? With those almond shaped exotic eyes, he could melt the polar caps. When I pulled up along the stone walls shielding the houses, my heart held a beat, hoping he was there, but I knew he wouldn’t be. Pheral’s boss, and pack leader, Cash, took on their pack as the new Alpha in charge. Pheral was helping with the transition. He isn’t an Alpha, or a Beta, just another wolf. “A
“He wasn’t a lower demon, you keep saying ‘Two lower class demons’ every time we talk, and I keep telling you he wasn’t. You’re a poor listener.” Suddenly the fairy piped in, “I’ve heard him say it. He’s right, sweetie. You really don’t listen.” “It’s true, it’s true, he has said it! But all she does is say, ‘If the shoe fits, wear it!’...I don’t even have shoes,” the vampire said, giving his two cents with a whine. All of a sudden, all three of them started talking, and my head was about to explode, “ENOUGH! Look, Steve, all you ever said was that he was stronger than you. Never once did you say he WASN’T a lower class. Fuck, if you knew he wasn’t, then you should have said he wasn’t! How the Hell am I supposed to know what you meant?” I stood there trying to decide. This was so out of the blue I suddenly wished Ayda was here. “You better not be fucking with me, or I’ll turn you into a pair of socks for a monkey!” I returned to the shelf where I kept my relaxing bedtime smoke a
It took about a half hour before Michael popped back in. “Alright, you ready?” I just looked at him and asked, “Where’s the body, Michael?” “I couldn’t bring it with me. It’s at the hospital.” I jumped from the barstool, “At the hospital!? Why didn’t you just snag one from the morgue?” He shook his head, “I can’t do that. If the body is dead, the demon won’t last in it. It’s like a zombie who can’t eat brains.” “Good point, I didn’t think of that. Fine, let’s go to the hospital,” I replied while tucking Steve’s box under my arm. Michael looked at the box again nervously, “I can’t believe I am doing this. If Ayda found out, she’d skin both of us.” “Hush. That’s why she won’t find out. We don’t even know if what Steve said is true.” The Angel shook his head and placed his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, knowing I was about to feel nauseous. I felt the pull of his power, and in the next instance, I could smell antiseptic while the sounds of a hospital filled my ears. I g
After busying myself around my house and battling dust bunnies, Trixie arrived. “Girl, you don’t even know the chaos that went on while you were kidnapped! That Angel was the only one to keep me informed until Zin finally came to the club two days ago, looking like someone had kicked his puppy. He said Ayda had been transported to Hell, but he wouldn’t elaborate. So what’s going on? How are you, and why didn’t you let me know you were safe?” I hugged him after he shut the door and sat on the couch. “I’m fine, as you can see. But sit next to me, and I will give you the full rundown,” I responded, patting the seat next to me. Trixie was a woman’s hottest wet dream, but he preferred the silent solid type equipped with three legs instead of one. He was carrying a bag and pulled out a beer before lying on the couch next to me. “Alright, spill it, don’t leave out a single detail!” From point A to point Z, I told him about the kidnapping, the wolves and shifters that saved me as
“He’s in Heaven,” saying it in such an evident tone, Steve shrugged and then looked at Michael. We stared at him with our jaws open before I asked, “In Heaven, how do you know?” “Last I heard, he was dying, and an Angel promised him a one-way pass straight upstairs. But, of course, that was back before I got stuck with that killer driving us around and murdering people. So I assume that’s where he must be,” Steve answered, but it didn’t help us because it wasn’t like Heaven was next door, and we could just knock asking to borrow a dead necromancer. “If it was that simple, Michael could have someone up there locate one of the souls of the women that were murdered and ask her personally. But, unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it, paperwork and approvals. Heaven isn’t just chaos and paradise. They are structured, Steve, so a dead necromancer would be hard to locate without going through the proper channels. And keep in mind, Heaven gets word a demon, especially one that was sentenc
I sat up feeling stiff, sore, and sleep deprived as the sound of my phone dinging by my bed woke me, followed by clanking sounds from the kitchen. I checked it and saw that it was Pheral who had messaged me. “Good morning, beautiful. I miss you. Everything is the same here, one meeting after another. I may never see the day when I am free of the pack. I’m sorry.” His message hit home, and I held back my tears. I missed him, too, and my heart ached for his hugs and sweet words when we were alone. Never leave the pack? I may end up threatening Cash to let Pheral go as he promised. Taking a deep breath through my nose, I caught the scent of smoke, and when I heard Steve yell, “Bloody Hell,” followed by the sounds of water, I shot out of bed and went straight into the kitchen. “What are you...” I was asking, but before I could finish, he stammered, “Can’t you see I’m making breakfast?” Seeing burnt eggs in the pan and black toast on a plate made me laugh uncontrollably. “Why a
I turned to Steve, his attitude had pushed me a little too far, and I exploded, “Look, I’m so close to saying screw it and putting you back in the metal box before both our asses become kindling for Angel’s fire. You seem to think proving you innocent is my purpose in life, but you’re wrong, STEVE. I am only doing this because I can’t live with a guilty conscience or the possibility of one!” I was huffing, trying to gather my breath. Rarely did I snap like that, but my cool mindset had flown over the railing and tumbled down several flights of stairs. “I don’t know where the guy is, but this was our only hope, Steve, so please, just be quiet and let me breathe.” He stared at me momentarily and cocked his head before looking at the door marked 2C. I looked, too, and the door was opened with an older man staring at us. “Mr. Arubergy?” He nodded and stuck his head out, looking around. “Come in, come in, hurry now,” he said, waving at us to be quick. “Please remove your shoes. I a
Steve's sudden question made me jump, and he grasped my hand harder, saying, “It’s worse than this. Unlike vampires who can sleep for eternity in solitude or fairies who can use their magic to fill nothingness with light and valuables, demons can only wait and listen, hoping to hear what’s happening outside the nothingness.” A slight shake in his voice made me feel horrible all of a sudden, but I couldn’t play into it no matter how bad I felt, “Well, do the crime, and you’ll eventually do time, Steve. I didn’t make those rules back then, but I still have to follow them today.” “Be lucky you didn’t end up with Groves. He had a basement full of tiny glass boxes that held his bounty captures. They could see out, and he would play reruns of commercials 24/7 on a black-and-white box t.v. for them to watch. Talk about torture. At least Reggie would talk to all of you,” Trixie piped in, obviously not feeling bad for Steve. “Sorry if I don’t seem grateful, but in all respect, I wasn’t supp
After my threat of turning his human body into a skunk, Steve complied, and we headed in my care to Corner of Bliss café. The silence was tolerable other than his constant shifting in the passenger seat, looking around. Finding a place to park was tricky, Corner of Bliss was a hopping little café with free Wi-Fi, and it’d been around long enough to have a mass number of Others that were loyal and frequented the place. Of course, humans always found their way there but were welcomed just the same. “Good morning, dears. What can I... get you?” Beth's pause was expected, she was something Ayda and I could never figure out, so I wasn’t sure if she would sense something about Steve. “Just two coffees, please. Is Trixie still here?” Still staring at Steve, she smiled and nodded toward the café window. Trixie was leaning across the booth’s table and chatting up the new waiter. I can't say I blame him. The guy was gorgeous. “Thanks,” I said while she was staring at Steve. “I don’t thin
I sat up feeling stiff, sore, and sleep deprived as the sound of my phone dinging by my bed woke me, followed by clanking sounds from the kitchen. I checked it and saw that it was Pheral who had messaged me. “Good morning, beautiful. I miss you. Everything is the same here, one meeting after another. I may never see the day when I am free of the pack. I’m sorry.” His message hit home, and I held back my tears. I missed him, too, and my heart ached for his hugs and sweet words when we were alone. Never leave the pack? I may end up threatening Cash to let Pheral go as he promised. Taking a deep breath through my nose, I caught the scent of smoke, and when I heard Steve yell, “Bloody Hell,” followed by the sounds of water, I shot out of bed and went straight into the kitchen. “What are you...” I was asking, but before I could finish, he stammered, “Can’t you see I’m making breakfast?” Seeing burnt eggs in the pan and black toast on a plate made me laugh uncontrollably. “Why a
“He’s in Heaven,” saying it in such an evident tone, Steve shrugged and then looked at Michael. We stared at him with our jaws open before I asked, “In Heaven, how do you know?” “Last I heard, he was dying, and an Angel promised him a one-way pass straight upstairs. But, of course, that was back before I got stuck with that killer driving us around and murdering people. So I assume that’s where he must be,” Steve answered, but it didn’t help us because it wasn’t like Heaven was next door, and we could just knock asking to borrow a dead necromancer. “If it was that simple, Michael could have someone up there locate one of the souls of the women that were murdered and ask her personally. But, unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it, paperwork and approvals. Heaven isn’t just chaos and paradise. They are structured, Steve, so a dead necromancer would be hard to locate without going through the proper channels. And keep in mind, Heaven gets word a demon, especially one that was sentenc
After busying myself around my house and battling dust bunnies, Trixie arrived. “Girl, you don’t even know the chaos that went on while you were kidnapped! That Angel was the only one to keep me informed until Zin finally came to the club two days ago, looking like someone had kicked his puppy. He said Ayda had been transported to Hell, but he wouldn’t elaborate. So what’s going on? How are you, and why didn’t you let me know you were safe?” I hugged him after he shut the door and sat on the couch. “I’m fine, as you can see. But sit next to me, and I will give you the full rundown,” I responded, patting the seat next to me. Trixie was a woman’s hottest wet dream, but he preferred the silent solid type equipped with three legs instead of one. He was carrying a bag and pulled out a beer before lying on the couch next to me. “Alright, spill it, don’t leave out a single detail!” From point A to point Z, I told him about the kidnapping, the wolves and shifters that saved me as
It took about a half hour before Michael popped back in. “Alright, you ready?” I just looked at him and asked, “Where’s the body, Michael?” “I couldn’t bring it with me. It’s at the hospital.” I jumped from the barstool, “At the hospital!? Why didn’t you just snag one from the morgue?” He shook his head, “I can’t do that. If the body is dead, the demon won’t last in it. It’s like a zombie who can’t eat brains.” “Good point, I didn’t think of that. Fine, let’s go to the hospital,” I replied while tucking Steve’s box under my arm. Michael looked at the box again nervously, “I can’t believe I am doing this. If Ayda found out, she’d skin both of us.” “Hush. That’s why she won’t find out. We don’t even know if what Steve said is true.” The Angel shook his head and placed his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, knowing I was about to feel nauseous. I felt the pull of his power, and in the next instance, I could smell antiseptic while the sounds of a hospital filled my ears. I g
“He wasn’t a lower demon, you keep saying ‘Two lower class demons’ every time we talk, and I keep telling you he wasn’t. You’re a poor listener.” Suddenly the fairy piped in, “I’ve heard him say it. He’s right, sweetie. You really don’t listen.” “It’s true, it’s true, he has said it! But all she does is say, ‘If the shoe fits, wear it!’...I don’t even have shoes,” the vampire said, giving his two cents with a whine. All of a sudden, all three of them started talking, and my head was about to explode, “ENOUGH! Look, Steve, all you ever said was that he was stronger than you. Never once did you say he WASN’T a lower class. Fuck, if you knew he wasn’t, then you should have said he wasn’t! How the Hell am I supposed to know what you meant?” I stood there trying to decide. This was so out of the blue I suddenly wished Ayda was here. “You better not be fucking with me, or I’ll turn you into a pair of socks for a monkey!” I returned to the shelf where I kept my relaxing bedtime smoke a
It was dark, and damned streetlights were flickering in and out as I came up the side road by my house. It usually would annoy me, but I stayed feeling content anyway. Ayda was learning to open up. She needed to. Plus, I was safe from that crazy bitch that kidnapped me. Through it all, I’d found the sexy man, or wolf, of my dreams. I was never into dating, let alone sleeping with Others. I was quite against it. However, when I met Pheral for the first time, it was like love at first site. Or was that lust? Either way, his tall, dark, and quiet demeanor swept me out of my striped socks. Did I mention he was sexy? With those almond shaped exotic eyes, he could melt the polar caps. When I pulled up along the stone walls shielding the houses, my heart held a beat, hoping he was there, but I knew he wouldn’t be. Pheral’s boss, and pack leader, Cash, took on their pack as the new Alpha in charge. Pheral was helping with the transition. He isn’t an Alpha, or a Beta, just another wolf. “A