Route 666, page 18
part #5 of Imp World: California Demon Series
Isaac smiled. “No charge. LA is my home, and I want my home back. If that means I spend days crafting lozenges, then so be it. Anything to help, Eden.”
We finished our tea and cookies then went back into the shop. Addy had an enormous supply of herbs, stones, spices, and wands on the counter. I winced, hoping that I had enough money to pay for this and that Mathias would be willing to allow me to run a tab since I’d told Addy I already had one in place.
The bill was far less than I’d expected, and Mathias told me to settle up with him later before I’d even broached the topic. As we left, Addy admitted that she’d bargained with Mathias for supplies in exchange for her work enchanting several of his objects with illusion spells. It seems the mage was very impressed with her abilities, and had suggested an ongoing partnership where Addy could make money on commission for jobs she was better skilled to handle than he was. It was absolutely a win-win agreement.
As I followed Telaney’s car, I hoped Addy could work the same kind of bargain with Alfie, because those books of his were expensive and I was pretty sure I was nearing the end of my credit limit with him.
Chapter 24
We pulled into the parking lot for Artemis Books. Telaney and Addy gawked as they got out of the car. Every other building in the strip mall was currently a blasted shell with splintered plywood over the windows and doors. Graffiti had been spray painted across everything. But Artemis Books stood untouched, pristine in its concrete and glass glory.
“How did…how did his shop escape whatever the hell happened to the other stores?” Telaney asked.
Addy shrugged. “Either he has some powerful magic, or he’s got friends in high places.”
I held up my hands. “I’ve got no idea. I don’t ask, and Alfie has never offered an explanation.”
The bell chimed as we walked in. I winced passing through whatever magic Alfie was using to protect his entrance. Telaney seemed unaffected by the spell, but Addy’s grin widened. Alfie looked up from behind the counter and gave me a nod before returning to his computer.
There were three other customers in the store that I could see, two women looking through the history section and one man sitting at a table, paging through a book. The lights were a soft golden glow, and the store was cozy and warm despite the power outage that had seemed to affect most of the LA area.
Addy took off into the racks of books. Telaney rolled her eyes and went over to look through the bargain section. I headed for the counter, lurking close but not close enough to annoy Alfie, who was clearly busy with administrative stuff.
“Looking for something specific, Eden?” Alfie asked, not looking up from the computer screen.
“I brought in my friend. The one I told you about, who is a mage specialized in illusions—”
“I noticed that this mage is tied to you. You’ve marked her with an excessively large ownership claim.”
I felt my face heat up.
“I’ll admit, I’m impressed that you scored someone so capable,” he continued, “but I really had thought this sort of thing would be beneath you, Eden.”
“I didn’t mean to do it.” My voice was a whole lot more defensive than I’d wanted it to be, but Alfie’s gentle criticism stung. “I was trying to save her life and I didn’t realize that was the price.”
Alfie looked up from the laptop and scowled. “Everything has a cost. Everything. Especially resurrection.”
As if I didn’t feel bad enough. “I, uh, I did it again, but this time the guy wasn’t actually dead. He was just dying. He begged me. I told him what had happened before, and he said he didn’t have any problem with that.”
“Is it truly consent when someone is facing their own demise?” Alfie asked. “What’s next? Owning souls and torturing them for all of eternity?”
“No!” I glared at him. “Look, I’m kind of dealing with stuff as I go here. It’s not like my asshole parents gave me an owner’s manual of what to expect. I’ve been raised by humans, and for most of my life I wasn’t able to do more than electrical attacks, some minor telekinesis, and a resistance to illness. Cut me some slack, Alfie.”
“Never,” he said with a teasing smile on his thin face.
“That’s fair. It’s not like I need any additional accountability partners, though. My foster mother, my sisters, and my friends seem to be doing a good job of keeping my amoral tendencies in line.”
“I hope so.” He flipped the long mane of hair from one side of his head to the other, revealing the shaved undercut. “So tell me more about your illusionist friend.”
“She’s…lost all of her spell books and supplies, and I’d like to help her rebuild her library. Is there anything behind the counter that she might be interested in?” Not that I could afford anything behind the counter, but hopefully Addy could work out some sort of trade deal like she’d done with Mathias.
“Who did she study under?” Alfie asked as he pulled a notebook off a shelf.
I glanced at the rows of bookshelves, not sure if I was supposed to be telling anyone this or not. “Morgana Silver-Moon.”
His eyebrows rose. “Morgana Silver-Moon? Morgana was elven-taught as a changeling. Not quite sorcerer level, but very high in her training before she escaped to the human world as a teenager. She had a price on her head from her owner.”
I felt a bit sick over that. Not that any of her past excused what Morgana had done, but nobody should have to go through that as a child, or even as an adult.
“I’ve got three books in the back that your friend might be interested in, but they’re expensive.”
Alfie quoted a price that made my eyes water. Should I ask him to bring them out, let Addy look at them, and hope she could cut a deal? I’d hate for her to get excited about one of those spell books only to have me tell her that there was no way I could afford the price, but maybe there was a workaround. Alfie had often sold me stuff on payment plans, and had even helped me in return for a favor. I hated to not explore all of our options.
“Let’s see what she finds on the shelves,” I told him. “But I do think she might like to take a look at those three books before she makes a decision.”
Alfie came out from behind the counter. “I’ll go give her some assistance. You stay here, and make sure you look at the new selection of postcards I’ve got on the spinning rack over there.”
I walked over to the postcard rack, not because I had anyone to send postcards to, but because I’d learned to take Alfie’s suggestions seriously. He was like a creature in a video game that suddenly appeared with a weird side-quest, or gift that ended up being critical to achieving the next level.
As far as I could tell the postcards were just postcards. There was the typical shit—the Hollywood Sign, the Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach, the Chinese Theater with the sidewalk stars, Santa Monica Pier, La Brea Tar Pits, The Getty, and pics of Sunset Strip.
I grabbed five, trusting my intuition since I saw most of these sights every day and none of them were particularly appealing in terms of a visual keepsake. Addy appeared from one of the rows of bookshelves, her arms full of books. Alfie followed behind her, as she chatted about dark moon energy and planetary alignment. The mage set the books on the counter and I caught my breath, wondering if I’d need to sell my soul for these.
I owed her. I owed her big. Yes, I’d resurrected her when that demon had killed her, but she hadn’t asked for it, and she absolutely hadn’t asked to serve me for the rest of her natural life—which could be an elongated, unnatural life for all either of us knew.
“Let me show you the really amazing spell books I’ve got behind lock and key,” Alfie said. “I think these will really benefit you, especially with your level of skill and expertise.”
Addy’s eyes sparkled with excitement, her cheeks growing pink with the praise. I’d never seen her so animated. It made me determined to get her whatever she needed, no matter the cost.
Alfie brought out the three spell books. They were leather bound, the bindings worn and softened with age. The pages were vellum with spidery writing in black ink. Illustrations filled the margins, and there were notations in several different hands from the original author in between the lines of text.
I couldn’t understand any of it, but clearly Addy could. She oo’d and ah’d over the pages, carefully flipping through them with cotton gloves on her hands. After twenty minutes of enraptured examination, she pointed to one of the books.
“I’ll take this one and these three from the bookshelves.”
I clamped my teeth together, waiting for Alfie’s quote and hating that I’d need to say no to probably all but the cheapest of these purchases.
Instead, Alfie rang the sale up on his cash register, closed the drawer, and put the three bookshelf books in a bag, carefully wrapping the expensive one in a cotton sheet, then in a linen bag.
“Here you go, Sweetie. Come back soon, you hear?”
Addy did a little hop-dance, taking the bags like she was a Bel Air socialite shopping on Rodeo Drive. “Thank you. I appreciate all of your help.”
She strutted over to where Telaney was still looking through the bargain bin, while I remained behind, stunned and more than a little apprehensive.
“What…who… Who’s paying for that?” I asked.
“You are.” Alfie shot me a smug look. “Eventually.”
“I didn’t realize my credit was that good.”
He shrugged. “There are debts you skip and debts you pay. I’m gambling that this is a debt you pay.”
Alfie knew far more about me than I’d ever expected. “I will pay you back, although it might take more than your lifetime.”
He chuckled. “Dear girl, you have no idea how long my lifespan is. I trust that I will eventually receive full payment for the debt.”
Did mages live longer than most humans? Or was Alfie not a mage? I shrugged away the questions as “none of my business” and decided I wasn’t going to be looking any gift horses in the mouth.
“I’m trying to gather forces, arm them and go after those three demons I told you about,” I said, figuring that if Alfie was a mage, I might as well ask for his assistance too. “I’m also asking the mages in the city if they’ll support us either with magical items or fighting beside us. I don’t know your talents outside of the bookstore, but I’m hoping you can help?”
“I won’t get involved, and you shouldn’t either.” Alfie gave a one shoulder shrug. “The pendulum of Chaos and Order swings one way and then the other, but in the end it all balances. Ride out the storm, and the tide will turn.”
Remembering how his store stood untouched in a strip mall of rubble, I wondered if Alfie had the same sort of deal with the demons that Bishop had once had. If so I didn’t blame him for sitting this whole thing out. He didn’t look physically strong, and I could be wrong about him having magical abilities. For all I knew he was an occult-book loving human, who’d somehow paid the demons to leave him alone.
“No problem. I get why you might not want to get involved, but I have to do this. I can’t wait for the pendulum to swing.” Especially when that pendulum didn’t seem to be on a human-life time clock, and my family and friends were at risk.
“This is a small matter that has no importance on a universal scale,” Alfie pointed out.
“Maybe, but it has great importance to the humans and shifters that call this place their home,” I shot back. “I’ve got a responsibility to them, especially those in LA.”
His gaze narrowed. “Exactly what sort of responsibility?”
Ugh. I so didn’t want to get into the details of this shit.
“I claimed the city,” I told him. “It’s mine, and I have to do something to bring peace to the area.”
Alfie leaned his elbows on the counter. “Peace is a fleeting concept. And sometimes peace comes at a great price. Dictators provide peace.”
“I don’t want to be a dictator.” As if I could. I couldn’t even manage to keep one small neighborhood safe. I wasn’t a leader. I’d tried to be a Protector, a lone-warrior type, but in spite of all those Hollywood action movies, there really wasn’t much a lone-warrior could do against tens of thousands of demons overrunning a sprawling city.
“As for the claiming thing…” Alfie pursed his lips. “Did anyone hear you? You claiming the city, that is?”
I blinked. “Um, maybe Bishop?”
Alfie snorted. “He doesn’t count. You’re screwing him. He won’t hold you to any hastily made vow. If Bishop is the only one who heard you claim the city, you’re good. There’s no loss of face. Just pretend it never happened and go about your business. Take a Vulture job. Play with the tiger cubs in your neighborhood. Teach your minions something.”
“I know I claimed it,” I countered. “And even if I didn’t, people are dying. Humans are fleeing, abandoning everything they own. They’re piled up at the borders, frantically trying to get out of New Hell. And the ones remaining here are being slaughtered or enslaved.”
“Don’t claim what you can’t defend.” Alfie shrugged. “You can’t defend New Hell. Even Doriel couldn’t control it all. I’m not even sure the Iblis could.”
I knew he was right, but I couldn’t help it. I had to do something.
Don’t claim what you can’t defend. Too late. Even though Bishop might forgive me if I went back on that vow, I’d never be able to forgive myself.
Telaney came up to the counter. She put an armful of books down, and I eyed them as Alfie rang the purchases up. Romances. Sapphic romances.
You go, girl.
She paid for her books. Alfie bagged them up, then the three of us walked out of the store.
It wasn’t until I was getting on my bike that I realized I’d forgotten to pay for my postcards. Oh well. I owed Alfie so much at this point that I doubted ten bucks worth of tourist crap was going to be a deal breaker. When I came in a few weeks from now to make a payment, I’d tell him to add the price to my bill.
Unless he’d already done so. Alfie had some skills, and I wasn’t sure that they were mage skills, but I had a feeling that he’d already added the cost of those postcards to my bill, and that I’d be paying for far more than the cost of goods sold sometime in the future.
Chapter 25
I pulled into the driveway at Bea’s house; Telaney parked at the curb. Waving for them to follow me, I led the pair up to the door, and knocked, shouting out the passwords I’d made up for Nevarra and Sadie.
I heard a giggle, then Sadie unlocked the door, ushering us in. I made the introductions and she led us into the kitchen where Bea was still sewing and Nevarra was taking care of baby chickens in a box under a battery powered light.
“Hey girls,” I said. “And hi, Bea.”
I introduced Addy and Telaney. Waving for them to sit at the table, I went over and fired up the camp stove to make us all coffee. I could tell that Addy felt awkward, but Bea and the girls quickly made her relax. By the time I passed out mugs of coffee, Addy and Telaney were both cuddling downy chicks on their laps and chatting with Bea about gardening.
“What did Jayla like best about the care package we sent?” Sadie asked me. “Did she give you any ideas of what she might need or what?”
“She loved everything,” I lied. In reality I had no clue what she’d thought since she hadn’t answered the door when I’d delivered it. “She didn’t specify needing anything in particular, but I know she was happy with what you both sent.”
“The next box is ready to go,” she told me. “There’s a rug, and it’s too big to carry on your bike, so you might need to borrow Bea’s car.”
Telaney eyed me. “Jayla?”
“A homeless teen I pulled out of downtown earlier this week,” I told her. “She’s staying at Suerte, living in the shed behind the bar. The girls have been getting care packages together for her since she doesn’t have much in the way of personal possessions.”
“That’s sweet.” Addy smiled at Sadie and Nevarra.
“We know what it’s like to do without,” Nevarra told her. “And what it’s like to have no one to help you. Family is everything. And when you find that family, then you truly feel at home.”
That was so very true.
“Did you talk with Genevieve Planteaux about Addy?” I asked Bea.
She nodded. “Genevieve is excited at the idea of talking craft with another magic user. And she has her spare room all ready.”
Addy glanced briefly at Telaney before turning to me. “I’d like to go ahead and meet her, if that’s okay. I’ve got my ingredients to sort through and my new spell books to read as well. It’s probably a good idea for me to start right away.”
“Nevarra can walk you over and introduce you,” Bea said to Addy. “When you’re settled in, stop by and one of us will take you around to meet the neighbors and get an idea of where everyone lives. I’m sure Genevieve will want to show you where she’s placed her wards as well.”
Nevarra stood. After another quick glance at Telaney, Addy stood as well.
“I’ll help carry your stuff,” Telaney finally said. “You and Nevarra go on to the house. I’ll grab your bags out of the car and meet you there.”
Sadie went with them as well, leaving me and Bea in the kitchen.
“I get the feeling there’s some romance going on between those two, and neither one of them knows where they stand with the other.” Bea nodded toward the front door.
I followed her gaze. Maybe this separation would be good for them. Give them time to think, and time to trust.
Sadie was right. The carpet would never have fit on my bike. Instead Telaney and I stuffed it in the trunk of her car along with the box, and we left my bike behind to pick up later.
“I’m sorry to be yanking Addy away like this when you both seem to be…” I wasn’t sure how to label whatever Telaney and Addy had. Was it just releasing tension and relieving stress through sex? Was it more than sex?
