The Merry Halls of Hell, page 6
A sad expression ghosted her face. “Doubtful, but I would have loved having her as my grandmother.”
Joachim chuckled. “She could be your grandmother’s sister.”
Johnna frowned. “I’m still learning the ancestral tree, but Gaia doesn’t have siblings, does she?”
“No, imp. Thankfully, she does not. One of her is quite enough.”
Gianella’s eyes widened as she continued to stare at Johnna. “Did you just say your grandmother was Gaia? As in the Greek Earth Mother?” Johnna smiled and nodded. Gianella raised the glass to her lips and downed the other half, then stared wishfully at the empty glass. “I am so out of my depth,” she mumbled.
Johnna sat on the sofa next to her and wrapped her arm around the extraordinary woman. Mer wished she had a tender side so that she could have done the same thing. “Everything will be okay. I won’t tell you how I know, but from experience—and I’ve had many—your life is in the best of hands. Joachim will take care of you and make sure it all turns out as it should.” She kissed the older woman’s cheek. “And you have all of us watching over you, too.”
Mer nodded, wishing for the thousandth time she could let go of the ties she kept wrapped around her emotions. Just once, she wanted to give someone comfort and allow them to return the sentiment. She was one seriously screwed up female. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced at Joachim, who stared back, as if he knew what she was thinking. Hell, maybe he did. She hoped not, though. For some strange reason, his opinion of her mattered when no one else’s ever had before.
“I know where the red demon lady is,” a muffled voice said. Everyone turned to look at Avery, who slowly sat up. She patted Marcel’s chest and hopped off the sofa. She walked over to Gianella and crawled up onto her lap. “There’s another man-demon who helps her. He keeps her safe from the mean snake who always seems to be searching for something.”
“Avery, how do you know this?” Mer asked, her concern for the girl’s safety increasing.
“I first saw her about a month ago. It was on Thanksgiving ’cuz I had just left the Church after the meal they give to the homeless every year. I turned the corner to head to Rockefeller Center to see the tree. It wasn’t lit, but it is still really pretty, so I just used my ’magination. Anyway, I almost ran into her. She looked bad and did something strange. Her eyes widened, and she backed away from me and tried to whisper, ‘run.’. So, that’s what I did—I ran. After that, I watched her. She never killed anyone that I saw, only fed from them, and she always chose bad people. You know, the bullies, thieves, and even a few killers—at least that’s what another homeless lady told me.”
“When does the other demon show up—the man?” Mer asked.
“There are two of them. One helps her, the other is mean and tries to force her to do bad things.” Avery yawned. “The good one is named Ray. At least that’s what it sounded like. She growls a lot, so it’s sometimes hard to understand what she says. The bad man’s name is Da…Dag—”
“Dagiel?” Niki asked.
Avery nodded. “That’s it. He’s really bad.”
Niki nodded. “Yes, he is—and you must be a very good hider because he usually finds innocents like you. How did you stay out of his way?”
Avery smiled and turned her gaze to Marcel. “He showed up every time Dagiel found me.”
Marcel’s black brows rose. “I did?” He glanced at Mer and shrugged. “I didn’t know… If I sniffed fear and sulfur, I went to where it smelled the strongest, which was usually a homeless encampment inside one of the many alleys they used or even a few abandoned buildings.”
Avery nodded. “The first time I saw you, you arrived just after the two male demons fought. The good one was hurt and the bad one got away. The demon must have heard you ’cuz he glanced to where I saw you and disappeared. The bad demon returned, and you saw him. You became a super wolf and charged him, but he disappeared in a puff of stinky smoke. The mean demons always smell bad.”
Johnna frowned. “They do? I hadn’t noticed…”
“That’s because you have never been around a bad demon,” Niki said. “You healed all the Summoned during the battle with Zeus, but they were good demons the queen cursed. All the bad ones, Tempus ate, remember?”
She shuddered. “How could I forget. So totally gross—wait!” She smiled at Avery. “I know exactly what you mean. When Tempus, the guardian of the Well of Souls, ate the bad souls, they stunk. Thanks, Avery. I never would’ve put the two together.”
The eleven-year-old patted Johnna’s hand resting on her leg. “Yes, you would have. You are really smart.”
Johnna pressed her lips together and met Mer’s gaze as she, too, tried to hide her smile. The girl was precious. Mer’s frozen emotions cracked. It would be so difficult to leave her here when this was over.
“Right,” Gianella chimed in. “So, what’s the next move? Which demon are you going after?”
“Definitely like Gaia,” Niki whispered as Johnna moved back to his side. “I suggest we focus on Dagiel. We rose in the enforcer ranks together. Few could best him in combat and his magical abilities were off the charts. It’s not going to be easy to take him in. We might need more than just us.”
“Could my dad help?” Johnna asked him. “I doubt anyone could best him in a war of magic.”
“That’s a possibility. Gerard might have a few spells Dagiel never learned. It could help turn the tide in our favor. However, we can’t discount the two gods.” Pulling Johnna in front of him, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and turned to Joachim. “Do you think either god would use a demon, maybe to help gather souls? You said Mors was eating souls, too.”
“It’s always a possibility. We can either wait and see or plan something. We could force their hands to see if they take the bait.”
Mer raised one eyebrow, her gaze moving between the two men. “That would depend on who the bait is, now wouldn’t it?” She had the feeling Joachim, and probably Niki, both had an idea about how they were going to entrap this demon, and she wasn’t going to let them. “Neither of you had better even hint at using that little girl. It isn’t going to happen.”
She turned her glare on Niki. “I mean it. Ask Gerard if he knows of a spell to change me into Avery, and I will stand in for her.”
Johnna smacked Niki’s chest. “That’s a fantastic idea! Why didn’t I think of that?” Her expression morphed into a frown. “I must be sick—or losing my mojo.” All Niki did was pat her head but wisely stayed quiet. Like a switch was flipped, she turned in his embrace and folded her arms against his chest. “Reach out to Dad and ask him if he knows a spell like that—pretty please?
Niki’s face went blank for a minute or so, then he dropped his gaze to hers. “He thinks he knows of one, but it’s complicated. And trying to fool a demon is almost impossible, imp.” He grinned and wiggled his brows. “Remember who you’re speaking to? The man holding you?”
She shook her head. “Yeah, yeah, you’re the biggest, baddest demon there is, blah, blah-blah, blah, blah.” She stood on her toes and kissed him. “And I love you no matter what.”
Mer snickered. “Way to blow his ego out of the building, Johnna.”
The redhead shrugged. “Keeps him grounded.”
Gianella looked at each person in her parlor and shook her head, a confused expression on her face. “Are you like this all of the time?”
Johnna smiled over one shoulder. “Yep. We’re a lively bunch.”
“More like a messed-up, confusing bunch, but whatever,” the old lady grumbled. “And I’m tired. It’s way past my bedtime.” She glanced down at the sleeping child in her lap. “If one of you men could carry this little one for me, I’ll show you which room to put her in. There are more than enough rooms for all of you, if you want to stay the night.”
Joachim rose and easily scooped up the little girl as Gianella stood. Following her from the room, she threw out, “I’m making pancakes and sausage in the morning—and they’re quite delicious.”
“Thank you, Gianella, but we will return—oomph,” Niki started to say.
“Never mind—ignore him,” Johnna hollered. “Pancakes, Niki! She said pancakes…yummy, delicious pancakes! Thank you, Gianella! We will see you in the morning,” Johnna said, laughing while dodging Niki’s hand, which had snaked out to grab her..
Mer stood, shaking her head and crossing her arms. “And how old are you, Johnna? Five?”
“Twenty-four or twenty-five, I don’t remember,” she answered.
Niki groaned. “You are twenty-five going on five, but who’s counting?”
“You guys are better than television, you know that?” Marcel chuckled and sat up with a low hiss. “I hurt everywhere.”
Johnna knelt on the floor in front of his legs and placed her hand over his chest. Closing her eyes, she didn’t move. Mer couldn’t even see her breathing as she did whatever she was doing. One of these days, she would ask, but right now, she wasn’t in the mood for a lesson. She was tired and worried about Marcel, not to mention their plan for the next day. Posing as an eleven-year-old bait wasn’t something she was looking forward to, if it even happened. If Gerard, who was the most powerful mage in the Multiverse, said it wouldn’t work, then it wouldn’t work.
Marcel continued to stare at the redhead, his eyes slowly widening in wonder. “What in the hell are you doing to me?”
“Hmm, your heart and surrounding tissues are healing nicely. I repaired a few places where your muscles were torn, and you had some bleeding again in your left lung.” She glanced up at him. “Overall, I’d say you’re healing nicely. When you got here, you were a mess.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand. How did you heal me by just touching me?”
She smiled. “I’m a metal mage. Our body has thousands of elements in it that I’ve learned how to manipulate. For example, if I sense copper or iron, it’s usually a bleed somewhere in the body.”
“She’s the best healer I have ever seen,” Niki said. “And that’s saying something considering I’ve been alive for thousands of years.”
Marcel groaned. “Now I know why I feel like a child around all of you. I am one.”
Joachim stopped in the doorway. “Did you have to give him a healing boost?” Johnna nodded. “I figured you would with as much damage as I saw. So, are we heading out for a trial run? See where these demons might be hanging out or sleeping away the night?”
“Trial run,” Niki and Johnna said in unison.
Mer shrugged. “I’m tired, but if we’re going to do this, we might as well go into it with our eyes open.” If she didn’t get some sleep soon, though, all bets were off.”
* * *
The demon, Ahma, a nearby abandoned house
The demoness pulled in slow breaths, trying to calm down. The Roman god had almost caught her watching the child. The girl reminded her of a young girl she had known in her prior life. She glanced down at her clawed hands and massive red body and shivered.
How had it come to this? How had she fallen so far into this hellish nightmare?
The stinging sensation began again, slowly, but grew as she fought it. Her stomach cramped and she tried to ignore the craving for souls. She had fought for so long and refused to give in now. She thought about her daughter back in the Demon Realm. What she wouldn’t give to hold her one more time.
The stinging grew until she moaned in agony as the gods searched for her. This search was mild compared to the first ones, and she knew they were weakening. Now, if only she could figure out how to warn the Watcher King of their plan for the child.
A knife-like pain struck her mind, and she tried to reach the only person who could help her, her new demon friend—if he didn’t turn on her like all the others. She couldn’t go back to the gods’ prison. She would rather die first.
Chapter 6
Joachim brought up the rear of their small group as they made their way down every street in a two-mile circumference of Gianella’s house. And found nothing.
He glanced up at the overcast sky, the tiny flakes of icy snow stinging his face. Not even the homeless braved this weather. Of course, he couldn’t discount the power of his new friend. If anyone could get the word out so fast, it was Gianella. He was quickly learning she had connections with connections.
“What are you thinking about?” Mer asked, dropping a couple of steps back to walk beside him. “You have a faraway expression, which is much nicer than your overly serious one.” She chuckled. “I can imagine the fear you instill in those you are judging.”
He frowned. “Thank you…I think? I’m not sure if that was a compliment or a veiled insult.”
“Most definitely a compliment, although if you ask me another time, it could be an insult. Depends on the timing and my mood.”
“Are you quite certain you weren’t adopted? You are very much like a few Greek goddesses I know.”
Her gaze moved to Johnna, who walked a few steps away from Niki, but Joachim wasn’t worried. Even though demons and gods were fast, Niki was quicker and would never let anything come between him and his true mate. It was something to behold and, he decided, quite beautiful. Both Johnna and Willow had found worthy men who would protect them with their lives.
“Johnna’s a goddess, too?”
“It’s up for debate. While her mother and grandmother are all for the idea, her father and Niki are very much against it. While it comes with a few perks, gaining the title of goddess isn’t for the faint of heart and does have drawbacks.”
“How so?”
“If she were to become an Erinys like her mother, she would be stuck with me as her boss, and I am a tyrant of a taskmaster, constantly demanding that they judge someone or something. If she were to become a true goddess like her grandmother, she would have to give up her demon soul. Can you imagine a demon god?” He shivered. “Untold powers are a scary thought, even for me.”
“Wow. Who knew? I don’t blame her for wanting to keep her demon soul. Look how happy she and Niki are? What would that do to them?”
“Niki’s grand sacrifice when he saved her life would have been in vain, and he would be a lesser demon for it. Together, they are a power couple, but apart, they are each weaker. I don’t think we need to worry, though. I’ve never seen two people more in love with each other or more suited to each other. Unless you count Willow and Malachi, Sabine and Gerard, and now Cassia and Lucien. The family is growing and becoming a force to be reckoned with. I’m just thankful they are on the side of justice. Otherwise…” he shook his head with a soft exhale.
“Your tone is wistful. Why?”
“Love. I am surrounded by love every day, watching my closest friends happier than I’ve ever seen them. It makes me wonder what it would be like to have someone by my side. Don’t you?” He glanced at her before turning back to the search and wondered why she seemed so reluctant to have someone get close.
From the moment they met, he felt her resistance. She even kept Marcel at arm’s length, and he was her friend. What happened in her life to make her so jaded against relationships and people?
“What’s your story, Mer? Other than the battle against Zeus, no one remembers you. Where are you originally from?” He immediately sensed her withdrawal, which piqued his curiosity even more. While he usually gave a person the benefit of privacy, he wasn’t opposed to looking into their memories—and their worth. Call it a heads up, but he didn’t like surprises, especially when it was an unknown, and Mer was most definitely an unknown.
“My story is nothing unusual.” She hesitated before continuing. “My mother died young, and I never knew my father. I became disillusioned with life, made a few mistakes, and found myself in the ranks of the Fallen. End of story.”
His gaze met hers, and in their depths, he sensed fear. Was it fear of him? Was she scared of him because of who he was? Or was it something else? Her reluctance to get close to anyone made him think it was something more—as if she were hiding…but from whom or what?”
“Joachim—we have company!” Niki hollered as his weapon appeared in his hand. Johnna’s sword also appeared as they faced two minor glowing orange demons.
“They’re a diversion,” Joachim muttered.
“What? How do you know?” Marcel asked as he moved to Joachim’s other side.
“The orange demons are used as scouts and are dispensable. They answer to the general, though, so if they are here, the army isn’t far behind.”
Marcel shifted into his wolf form with a grunt. “Damn, that still hurts. I was told Johnna could heal anything.”
Mer snorted. “She can, you dork. You were all but dead, so give the girl a break. In my opinion, she performed a miracle saving your hairy ass.”
“Oh.”
“If you are finished bantering, I believe our friends could use some help. Two more scouts and a soldier just arrived.” Knowing he could help more in the air, he unfolded his wings and leaped into the air, immediately feeling the sleet weighing down his wings.
In the distance, he heard Mer’s astonished squeak and whispered, “Oh, my…” Her breathy words brought a smile to his otherwise frozen face. Before anything else on his body froze in the frigid night air, he regulated his temperature and soared through the air, his bird-of-prey vision searching out even the tiniest of creatures. Demons could shift into the body of a beetle, although they used it as a last resort. It was excruciating to cram their dense bodies into something that small.
In the back of an alley about a block away, he spotted the tell-tale blackness of the Demon World as a rift opened wider in the brick wall. The line expanded, giving a good-sized demon the ability to enter this world. How did the Demon King not feel this, unless it was sanctioned, but he couldn’t believe his long-time friend would do something like this—attack this realm and him.
He reached out, calling to Lucien through their mental link and hoping he wouldn’t find his friend in an awkward moment.
Kind of busy today, my friend. Gerard is his usual cranky self, and somehow I’ve done something to piss off my wife.
