The Merry Halls of Hell, page 14
“And your mother?”
She shook her head. “All he would tell me was that she died with honor and would forever be written in the history of Egypt. While it would have been a great honor for a priestess, I’ve never found any reference to her.”
She took a few more sips of coffee, and he noticed her white-knuckled grip around the cup. “I went to live with them and have nothing but good memories of my childhood. When I turned sixteen, Osiris granted me long life. It was a tremendous gift, but I was still so lost. I never knew who I was. I have no reference to family or where I came from—only what Osiris told me, which wasn’t much. All I know is that my mother’s name was Henutsen, and no one knows who my father was. I never had any friends, so I focused on learning how to fight, which is why I fit in so well with the Fallen.”
“I wasn’t aware of anyone other than fallen angels being allowed to join their ranks.” Joachim watched her reaction, trying to gauge her thoughts, but he gave her credit; she had a perfect poker face. He knew Malachi was half angel and half demon, but he still had angel in him. It made him wonder about her lineage. Could she have Angel blood?
“I was just as confused as you. I met Danielle and started fighting with her, going on missions to wherever Malachi sent us. No one has ever asked me about my ancestry.” She leaned forward again, threading her fingers together around the cup, which was on the verge of being crushed. “Please, I beg you, Joachim, don’t say anything to Malachi. I love what I do as a Fallen. I’ve made something good out of my life and am proud of what I do. I can’t lose that.”
“And when you turned twenty-five? You must have felt Osiris’s gift of immortality.”
She nodded. “I did, but I had been gone for so long—I just didn’t know what to say to him. I was so afraid he would be disappointed or worse, hate me. I was always so different from the children my age—it’s why I never had any close friends. In truth, I was shunned, so when he gifted me with immortality, it was just one more reason to hate myself. I was so lonely.”
His curiosity piqued more, and he felt her need to share. It was like someone loudly knocking at the front door, begging to be let in. Her pain and low self-worth ate at her. He opened his Watcher senses and was both amazed and horrified at what he found inside her head and heart. Her self-thoughts were so negative, it hurt. All he had seen was a beautiful person who was willing to help others, no matter the cost to herself. Yet, she didn’t feel like she deserved to be loved. Her heart was pure, and he knew that was the reason she was accepted as a Fallen.
He pushed deeper and felt the unmistakable power of a god’s blood, yet hers was somehow different. It was wild and untamed and a blend of both male and female. He sensed Osiris and Isis within her, but that revelation would be for another time. She was having difficulty simply being herself, but even then, he didn’t think she saw her true self and was merely pretending to fit in.
“Mer, you’ve mentioned several things that lead me to believe you are gifted with more than just immortality. Will you share with me what those gifts are?”
“So help me, but if you shun me like everyone else…” She stared out the window, and he noticed the long line at the coffee counter. They needed to get back to the others, but he also didn’t want to stop her from opening up.
“There is one gift I’ve had since I was very little. The warning would begin with a sharp pain in my chest when I saw someone and then they would die. I didn’t understand what was happening and would warn them. No one wants to know when their time comes.”
She shook off the sorrow weighing her down and met his gaze with a cheeky grin. “I can also become almost invisible.”
Chapter 13
“Excuse me?” Joachim asked, his silver eyes swirling. Then he smiled at her. “That’s why I didn’t see you on the roof, wasn’t it?”
Mer nodded. “It is. I’ve been able to do that since I was in my mid-teens. Came in handy when I was snooping on Osiris and Isis. I’m pretty good at it, too. My body seems to fade but also takes on the surrounding colors. For instance, if I’m standing next to a brick wall, my body looks like the brick.”
“Like a chameleon?”
She nodded. “Exactly. I have to be careful where I’m standing, though. Some colors and objects don’t work very well. If the object is too detailed, it isn’t easy to replicate the designs, but I still try. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Lighter colors seem to be harder to hide in.”
Letting go of her empty cup, she reached across the table and laid her hand on his arm. The heat emanating from him was soothing. “Please don’t tell anyone about me. I’m just Mer, a Fallen soldier who wants to help anyone I can. I don’t like standing out.”
His gaze moved from her hand to her face. “You will eventually have to tell Osiris and make amends. I saw his expression, the pain in his eyes when he mentioned you. While he may not be your blood father, he cares deeply for you, Mer. Like his own daughter. That has to mean something?”
She scrubbed her face, suddenly more tired than she had been in a while. “Believe me, it does. I adore Osiris. Isis, on the other hand, is a bit more prickly. She’s not exactly the warm-and-fuzzy kind of mom. I don’t think she’s ever gotten over what Set did to Osiris. I mean, how do you deal with your brother slash brother-in-law chopping up your husband and throwing him away like trash? She tends to watch over Osiris like a hawk, so kids tend to feel a bit invisible.”
“That’s funny,” Joachim said. “Horus has told me the same thing. Do you ever talk to your brother?”
She shot him a glare. “Stepbrother. He made it very clear when I first joined the family that I wasn’t his real sister and he would have nothing to do with me.”
“Well, I’m not taking his side, but he was fully grown, had been through hell and back with family feuds, and has never found a mate. While it seems as if he’s had it made, his life hasn’t been easy. Much like yours, no?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, now that you put it that way… Having an older brother would be kind of nice.”
Joachim smiled. “I’m sure Horus would like that, too. He has often commented about his life being lonely. Flying around all day in the body of a falcon can’t be much fun.”
“He gets to usher in the day, which I have to be very careful about being in this realm. All I need is for him to spot me and rat me out to his parents,” she muttered.
“Aren’t they also your parents?”
She thought a moment, realizing that her thoughts about family and what she knew were sadly lacking. “They are.” She squinted at him. “I think this is one of those lessons you’re so famous for—that I’ve been focusing on how I see my family through a child’s eyes instead of seeing them through a grown-up’s?” He shrugged but remained silent.
Once more, her gaze was drawn outside, and she realized the sun was up and more people were hurrying along the street. “I think we’re going to be late for breakfast, which won’t earn brownie points from Gianella.” She stood and tossed her cup in the nearby trash can. “Come on, we need to hurry.”
He chuckled but followed her outside. They passed an open space between the buildings, not an alley but more like a path for stick figures, when he pulled her into it.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“As long as no one sees us, we can apparate—”
“You can apparate,” she interrupted. “I’ve never been able to do that.”
He straightened, a surprised expression on his handsome face. “Really? Strange. With the other things you can do, I would think apparating would be easy.”
“No one’s taught me how, and when I try, it doesn’t seem to work right. I picture where I want to go in my mind, but my body stays put. It’s embarrassing if someone is watching.”
“After this is over, I’ll teach you. I’ve had to teach a few people.”
“Thank you. Now, let’s go.” She threaded her fingers through his and glanced up with a smile. “I hope she made pancakes again.”
Joachim returned the smile. In less than thirty seconds, they appeared in the middle of the hallway to the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen.
Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and headed toward the sounds of a happy family. “Hey guys, sorry we’re a bit late,” she said, walking into the room. Her eyes widened when she saw the large stack of pancakes sitting in the middle of the table. “Pancakes!” she squealed and hurried to the empty seat next to Marcel and filled her plate.
It wasn’t until she stuffed the first bite into her mouth that she noticed the room’s silence. She glanced around the table. “What?” she asked with her mouth full.
“No talking with food in your mouth, young lady,” Gianella snapped. “No one wants to see someone’s chewed-up food. It’s disgusting.” She glared at her, then turned to face Joachim. “Where were you two? I visited both your rooms, checked the roof, and searched the house. No note, nothing.”
Joachim’s lips twitched, but he had the graciousness to look chagrined. “I am sorry, Gianella, but as dawn broke, I was on the roof and noticed something strange and followed. I did not know Mer followed me. We located one of the hideouts we were searching for, but the demon and Egyptian god both got away.”
“Damn,” Marcel muttered. “Now that we know Raziel and Ahma are actually on our side, it would’ve been nice only to have to battle against one god.”
Avery patted his arm. “It’s okay. We will win. You just gotta have a little faith.” She turned her head to Gianella. “Isn’t that right?”
The older woman smiled down at her. “You bet your britches it’s right. Faith will give you everything you need.” Her gaze met Joachim’s. “Including life.” She abruptly stood and began cleaning up the dirty dishes, but when everything disappeared from the table, which was wiped spotless, she frowned. “Now, while I would’ve given anything for that trick when I had a family to clean up after, I was looking forward to cleaning my kitchen this morning.”
“We discussed the plan for today,” Marcel said, sitting back in his chair and resting his hands over his flat abdomen. “I’m stuffed.”
Mer laughed. “Sure you were. I think you are stalling because you’re terrified to see new worlds.” She stuffed the last bite of pancake she managed to save from Joachim’s cleanup spell and wiggled her eyebrows at her. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
Gianella fidgeted with her hair and smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her woollen plaid skirt. “Well, I am a bit nervous about it, especially the traveling part.” Her gaze met Avery’s.”If I’m being truthful, it’s more than a bit. I’m terrified. I don’t like flying.” She turned to Joachim. “Does it hurt?”
He shook his head. “No, my dear, it doesn’t hurt. I can even put you to sleep so you won’t experience a thing, but,” he stood and tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her head. “I think you will enjoy the trip.”
“I was scared the first time I apparated,” Marcel added. “But, he’s right. Seeing the universe firsthand is magnificent.”
Gianella nodded and straightened her shoulders. “Okay, then, let’s go. Will we need our coats where we’re going?” Without waiting for an answer, she busied herself by getting Avery’s coat and gloves, then wrapping a warm scarf around the girl’s neck. She touched the end of the eleven-year-old’s nose and grinned. “There you are. Nice and toasty.”
Turning to head back to her room, she stopped as Mer and Joachim held out her winter coat, gloves, and matching hat and scarf. “Well,” she muttered, as they helped her put on her outerwear.
As if they weighed no more than feathers, Joachim scooped them up and held them close to his chest while Mer and Marcel gripped his upper arms. “Hold on tight.” He smiled down at Avery. “You are in for a wonderful treat, little one.”
In an instant, the house was gone and they were flying through space. They sped away from the planet and through the Milky Way. They flew by planets sporting an array of colors from snow white to varying shades of blue, and then green and even an orange orb. It was the nebulae and galaxies that held everyone’s attention. They were so beautiful.
Galaxies were pretty with their grouping of stars and solar systems. Mer’s favorite, though, was the nebulae. With their luminescent cosmic dust, each one sported a different shape, but it was their colors that held her attention. She had never seen such magnificent formations—the birthplace of new stars. Not even the frigid temperature or the speed at which they soared dampened her intense joy.
“This is an amazing gift, Joachim. Thank you,” she whispered in his ear and wrapped her arm through his, carefully avoiding Gianella’s tense body. The last thing they needed was for her to dislodge the poor woman from the Watcher King’s grip. Just when she had been accepted into the older woman’s family, scaring her to death, would get her disowned.
A dark, shadowed shape came into view and grew until it eclipsed everything else. Joachim’s speed slowed as a large castle appeared, growing larger with every passing second. Slowing to a hover, he stepped through what Mer thought was a wall and into a masculine-looking room. From the wall-to-wall bookshelves, they had arrived in the demon king’s library.
Joachim placed Gianella and Avery on the stone floor in front of him and smirked at the dazed expression on their faces. “Well? What did you think about the trip?”
“It was amazing!” Avery said, the first one to recover. She turned in a circle, her mouth falling open. “I’ve never seen so many books before.”
Mer smiled at the older woman. “And what did you think?”
The older woman managed to shake her head and stared in awe at the surrounding room. She cleared her throat several times and unwound her scarf, wrapping it around her hands like a pair of handcuffs. “This… Oh my,” she exhaled with a loud ohhhh, her eyes on the books as well. “This could rival the collection at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.”
She slowly walked to the nearest shelf and reverently touched the spine, her finger trailing down the golden-etched letters. “I don’t recognize this language, though.”
“That’s because it’s in Demon tongue,” a new male voice answered.
Joachim smiled and clasped arms with Lucien in the warrior way. “It is good to see you, Demon King. I hope everything is still good here?”
Lucien shrugged. “Yes and no. My brother is in a foul mood because he can’t figure out what’s going on with the realms, and Sabine seems to be overworked because her boss is on vacation.”
Avery walked up to Lucien and tugged on his long black jacket. “Hi, I’m Avery—who’s her boss?”
Joachim glanced down at her and smiled. “Me.” Avery giggled.
Lucien turned to Gianella, who was looking a bit starstruck. “So, you approve of my library?”
She nodded. “More than approve, your majesty. This is amazing.”
“Lucien, please, and thank you. I’ve collected books and manuscripts from all realms and times. I have many from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, if you read other languages.”
Mer’s eyes widened. “You have papyrus from Egypt—they wouldn’t be from the Library of Alexandria, by chance?”
He nodded. “They would indeed. I procured copies of the entire library just before the Serapeum was destroyed in 391 CE by Christian mobs. Seems they didn’t approve of the pagan content.”
Avery frowned. “What’s ‘pagan’ mean?”
Gianella leaned forward. “It’s a word people from long ago used to describe anything that wasn’t Christian.”
The little girl’s frown deepened. “Well, that’s not right. No one should be judged by their religion, and destroying things doesn’t make history go away.”
Lucien met Joachim’s knowing gaze and nodded. “For one so young, Avery, you are quite intelligent.”
“Wow, I’ve never been told that before. Usually, people are just yelling at me and calling me stupid.”
Lucien squatted in front of her and held her chin between his fingers. “Never allow anyone to disrespect you, little one. I have known many beings in my long life, and few have shown the intelligence you just did. I would be honored if you would accompany me to meet Cassia, my wife, which is why I’m here. She sent me to invite you all for a coffee break, like Johnna and Willow like to say.”
Gianella met Mer’s gaze. “This is where those two girls live? I had no idea they were demons.”
Lucien grinned. “Johnna is only three-quarters demon thanks to her father’s bloodline and part of Niki’s soul. She is quite proud of it. Willow is not a demon but lives here with her mate, Malachi, whom I believe you’ve met. He and Niki work for me as my enforcers—policemen, if you will.”
“What is Willow’s lineage then?” Gianella asked.
“She is half Watcher and half Greek Erinys,” Joachim replied.
Gianella nodded. “That’s right, I remember them telling me, but without a reference…” A shaky laugh escaped and she slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry, this is all a bit…overwhelming.”
Lucien held out his elbow, which Gianella gracefully took, her knuckles white against his black sleeve. “I understand why. The religious leaders in the Mortal Realm have never accurately represented our history. They use us to scare their parishioners into behaving, yet there have been many, many more problems with humans than demons since humans began walking upright. Johnna still asks questions and she’s been here for some time now.”
