My body started to burn. I pleaded again for whomever it was, to stop. “I can’t..breath..who are..you?” I said in between breaths as he laid against my back, pressing the length of his body into me. “Emm..shhhh..soon..soon my little dove. Your lovely..wings..will be clipped..ahh..” He sat up behind me, keeping the rhythm of the flickering flames against the wall. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to focus, as he spread my legs further apart with his hands. Suddenly I realized something. His hands, what they felt like. They weren’t thick and callused, or strong, like Cash’s. They felt long, slender, like the hands of a piano player. Only two individuals came to mind when I felt those hands. “Michael..is it..why..what are you doing..to me..” I said, almost sure of it for just a moment, before thinking more and remembering Michael has shorter hair. The other one that came to mind was Lou, but his was the color of sunshine, or if straw could glow. “Emm..no..a guessing game..wont
“I’m serious Michael. How did you know about the dreams, how did you..get in my head?” I asked, not really wanting to, but I wasn’t keen on anyone entering my dreams without my permission. “Ayda, you're tied to Heaven, you're wearing a bracelet that is constructed from one of the holiest items that was never meant to be made. I’m sure you can figure that one out.” His words rolled around in my head. I looked away and nodded. I knew it was no different than when I entered Oblivion by accident. When I am living by the force of a soul of heaven, of course they would know if something nasty wanted to touch it. It didn’t seem like that demon was concerned with touching the soul, but more with touching me. “Well, now that you know, it’s best you rest love. I need to head back and recharge sorta speak. Lou will probably be in touch soon. I’ll let you relay to him what I said, and also...Witch..” I turned to see Michael turn towards Reggie with his last word. “Later, you and the Devil
“I don’t recall you ever asking me?” I said, feeling a bit peeved, that once again, Cash thinks he can just decide what I am going to do. He ignored me and walked over to the other side of the sofa and sat. “I didn’t ask because you going is as much as a benefit to you, as it is myself. If it’s the clothing choice that is making you hesitant, then I apologize. I went with what was trendy, and took into account where we were going.” He said casually as he looked out the window towards the river. I knew I’d be wearing more than what half the club was wearing, but it was still a bit out of my comfort zone. And, because he was right out it being beneficial to me, I dropped the bit of temper I had and decided to play along. “Fine. I’ll be ready in an hour or so.” I responded, not looking at him. I wouldn’t look at this like a date. This was a job. I needed to find out whatever Leif had to say and decide from there what we needed to do. I knew Cash felt the same way. Reggie follo
“Thank you.” Cash responded politely. “If you can wait just a moment, I will have someone escort you to the table your brother prefers.” The stranger responded. I had started to ignore them finally, looking around at all the Other’s that were coming and going. There were very few humans that frequented Chellos and I think it was because the building somewhat resembled a strip club full of Others, though it was much more than that. The club was run like a sexual fine arts gallery. The stage was massive, and because it was two floors, you could dance on the bottom floor to the Dj or visit one of the crazy themed areas on the second, each boasting their own taste of senseless debauchery. My favorite was the checkered floor room. It wasn’t basic black and white, but had bright checkered colors of the rainbow, with marshmallow seats and fluffy clouds that hung from the ceiling. A friend of Reggie and I worked there on the weekends and we’d come to see him in action. He was a dancer
I walked over to open one of the glass doors and the music’s bass caressed my ears. I could see down on the main floor tons of bodies bumping and grinding to the beat. Low smoky lights flickered around while servers navigated through the crowd. My eyes were drawn back to the second floor and I could see the Iron Velvet room directly across from us. I had visited a few rooms in the place but never that one. This angle gave me a better view then the marshmallow room. Instead of being directly by the wide stairs that led to the second floor, I was now where I could see all the rooms opposite us. The room was painted the same candy apple red as the hall ways we passed through and a large iron maiden towered against one of its walls. Swords crossed each other hanging here and there while chains hung an arm's length apart in several places. What caught my attention the most was not the large Victorian bed sized couch that sat in the middle of everything, it was the man lounging on it
“You know who we are, and you let this..thing in here? And you, Cash, how could you bring her here!?” Dandaline shouted at him. I couldn’t see her because I had stopped fighting with Cash to move and could only stare at the Vampire who was staring back. I heard a sudden smack against flesh and a soft whimper come from Dandaline. “Hush, I didn’t ask you to stick up for me!” Leif snarled at her, making me realize I didn’t kill him. Bummer. “I’m not one to intervene on family quarrels, but I ask you to keep the violence to a minimum. You may be guests here, but there are still rules I expect to be followed.” Zin said to us, never taking his eyes off me. “My apologies, we will be leaving shortly.” Cash said, loosening his grip on me. I finally was able to back up and peer around him. Dandaline had her head down while Leif was standing, straightening his pinstriped suit. I could see the damage I did punching him in the face and I winced. The right side was bloodied and his lip
“Well, I would be of no help sadly. It has long been a choice of mine not to interfere with the forever and ongoing bickering between Angels and Demons. Though true, our souls are damned, I find it not an obligation to assist the Devil. I asked him politely to seek elsewhere for help. If he is losing his grip on Oblivion then maybe he is getting too old, for the game?” his words were dangerous, but I didn’t dare speak up. Cash only nodded at him. “So now that you have our answer, we should be going.” “Ah, I ask for just one more moment of your time? Or rather, the lady’s time?” Zin looked at me a moment and got up, coming around the desk. Cash was already on the edge of his seat, watching the vampire. “May I?” Zin said, taking my hand. I glanced at Cash just expecting him to jump out of his seat. Looking back at the vampire, I nodded. Zin lifted my hand to his nose, and with his face, he caressed it like a kitten. I could see his nostrils flare, suddenly realizing he wasn’t s
Trixie walked back over to us. “They’re checking camera’s now,” he said to us. “I let Zin know as well, he won't be happy if someone one is messing around in his club.” He looked worried also. “I’m going back in to look for her,” Pheral yelled as he headed back to the entrance. I started after him knowing she couldn’t have just vanished. “I don’t think it's wise for you to go in, you will do better out here, especially with your emotions. It may be too much for you.” Cash said grabbing my arm before I took two steps. “She’s my friend, and I will burn the place to the ground if I have to, in order to find her.” I could feel my aura push and my franticness rise to the top. “Ayda, you will just make things worse. This is a club for Others, you will just draw attention, and it could cause chaos.” Cash pleaded with me. I had a feeling since Zin pointed out I was an abomination of sorts, Cash looked at me in a whole different category. The instrumental Ride to Hell came blaring
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