Devil of a Chance, page 3
Too bad deep down, I didn’t believe it.
The day after the bar brawl, I kept an eye out for the three guys coming back. Each time the door opened, I waited for them to appear, but they never did. It was a bit early for the Saturday night crowds to start, and I kept myself busy. Hank had been distracted when I got there that afternoon. Zane had kept watching me out of the corner of his eye. They were both driving me crazy, but I didn’t say a word. Jerry and Vick arrived around five and, after I poured them their whiskeys, noted the few others who’d appeared.
The same demon from last night was back at the corner table. His gaze danced over me a few times, but other than that, he stayed planted in his chair, checking his phone every few seconds. If he believed I wasn’t human, he would’ve come for me by now, right? Maybe he’d missed the fight after all, and I was safe.
He won’t take your soul, my inner voice piped up.
You can’t know that. It’s what they do.
I just know. Can’t you feel it?
Feel what?
I stared at the demon across the room, wondering what I was supposed to be sensing when a weird familiarity hit me. It wasn’t merely from his coming in here the past few nights. This was stronger and deeper. I knew him, and yet I didn’t know him. Demons were in this bar all the time. How had I never experienced this before? I was halfway down the bar, ready to go and speak with him until I realized what I was doing.
What is this?
I told you, you’re getting stronger, the voice whispered.
This doesn’t make any sense.
If the voice had any more answers for me, she neglected to share them and fell silent. Great. Just one more confusing puzzle piece to add to my already messed-up life. I chanced a glance at the demon every second I could. The anger I was so used to being constant inside of me gave way to a comfortable warmth. The last time I’d experienced that was with my mother.
And yet—
This demon, why did he make me feel like I was finally coming home? His gaze shifted to me and my hands clenched around the edge of the counter. Another face flickered through my mind, and I gasped. It was a demon, but he was different.
His eyes. His eyes were like mine.
I blinked, and the image faded. The demon glanced away, leaving me reeling. What just happened? Heart pounding and the rest of me jittery as if I’d downed a gallon of espresso, I lowered my head and went back to cutting limes. I nearly sliced my finger open twice and had to stop to catch my breath and ensure my hands stopped shaking so violently. What was happening to me?
A figure approached the bar while my head was down. Putting on a fake smile out of habit, I said, “Welcome to Hank’s Hideaway. What can I get you?”
“They were right. You are a pretty thing,” a rough voice replied.
I jerked my head up and forced the smile to stay on my face. The fourth man—the one who usually joined the three from last night stood in front of me, resting his forearms on the bar. A scar ran from the corner of his right eye to his cheek, red and jagged. He was a big guy, bigger than Hank, and his dark brown eyes narrowed while they raked over me.
My gut twisted, and I gripped the small knife in my hand. I’d seen my fair share of bastards over the years. None of them had me thinking one specific word just from a look, but he did—evil.
His lips curled in a sneer, and the bar suddenly seemed too damn small.
“What are you drinking tonight?” I asked, hoping he’d order a damn beer and go away.
“Nothing on the menu. I came here for something a little different.”
Giving up on the smile, I backed away, putting more distance between us. I clenched the knife harder, trying to remember why stabbing this guy’s arm was a bad idea. “Then I’m afraid I can’t help you. There’s the door. You can see yourself out.” I called Zane and motioned to the man in front of me. “He’s ready to leave.”
Zane approached the man and tapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go, man.”
“I’m not leaving yet,” the man said, his eyes narrowing on me. “Not until I get what I want.”
“Not that kind of place.” Zane grabbed his arm, and the guy slammed Zane’s head into the bar.
I cursed, watching Zane slump to the floor with a groan.
Those nearby jumped to their feet, eyeing the man who merely adjusted his dark brown leather jacket as if he hadn’t assaulted someone.
“Let’s try this again. You’re coming with me,” he insisted with a smile that chilled me.
I aimed the knife at him, my face on fire while I gritted my teeth. “Get out, or I’m calling the cops,” I warned when the door to the back opened, and Hank rushed out.
“What the hell is going on out here?” he demanded, hurrying around the bar.
Jerry and Vick were already on their feet. The demon in the corner remained seated, though his eyes were glued to the one who’d attacked Zane.
I called out to Zane, but there was no reply. I wanted to phone for an ambulance but taking my eyes off the attacker seemed like a bad idea. Even with Hank yelling at him, he kept his focused gaze on me. What did he want? I wasn’t anyone special. Shit, I was no one.
And there’s that denial again, my inner voice chimed in unhelpfully.
“Just a misunderstanding,” the man told Hank. “I need to have a chat with your bartender here.”
“You need to leave,” Hank snapped. “Now.” He shoved the stranger, but he didn’t budge, not an inch.
The man had no visible horns, so he couldn’t be a demon.
Hank grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed harder until the stranger threw him across the room, knocking several tables to the floor with a crash.
Shouting, I lunged forward with the knife. The man snatched it from my hand and threw it to the floor. The baseball bat Hank kept under the bar was right in front of me. I grabbed it, ready to smack the guy across the face with it, when he leaned over the bar, catching my wrist in a steel-like grip. I winced, but heat rushed through me, and I bared my teeth at him. “Let go, asshole.”
Our faces were inches apart. His breath stunk of beer and something ungodly sweet that made me gag. His eyes searched mine, and his grip tightened until I yelped.
Jerry shouted at him to let me go and that the cops were on their way, but he ignored him.
“Such eyes,” the man murmured almost in awe. “They were right.”
I had no idea what he was talking about and wasn’t going to wait around to find out. Hank was behind him again and tried to tear the man away from me. Letting me go, he whipped around, grabbed Hank by the throat, and squeezed. Shouting furiously, I climbed over the bar and aimed the bat at the guy’s head. His hand caught it, and he whirled on me, dropping Hank. Using the bat, he shoved me into the counter. The sharp edge dug into my spine, and I kicked at his shin, hoping to make him back off. So much for my having gotten stronger.
“You should make this easy and just come with me,” he whispered.
“Screw you,” I snapped. A burst of heat erupted in my abdomen.
I shoved him, and he flew across the room. He smashed into the far wall, falling to the floor in a heap. Shaking his head with a grunt, he hauled himself upright and stumbled to the door. The glare in his eyes said this wasn’t over. I flipped him off.
He ran out, the door slamming behind him. I reached for Hank’s hand, helping him up, while Jerry and Vick checked on Zane, telling him the paramedics and cops were on their way.
“You alright?” I asked Hank.
He blinked at me then at the wall where the guy had hit, leaving a dent in the corrugated metal that lined the wall. “How did you do that?”
“Does it matter?” I mumbled, not wanting him to know how hard it was for me not to chase the guy down and finish what he started.
Hank opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say never made it out past his lips. He shook his head then hugged me. “You’re shaking.”
“I’ll live.” I glanced at the door and gulped, my skin prickling with unease. “He wanted me to go with him. Who the hell is he?”
“I don’t know, but he’s not getting back in here. Why don’t you take a break, huh? Go hang out in my office for a few minutes while we sort this mess out.”
I didn’t want to, but the stern scowl on his face said he wasn’t giving me a choice. I walked to the back room where Hank’s office was, stopping at the door when I realized the bat was still clutched in my hand. Gripping the fat end of it in my other hand, I pried my fingers loose and froze.
There, where my hand had been, was a burned imprint of it. The wood was smoking, and when I touched it, I found it hot as if I’d held a flame to it. I had to be seeing things. My mind was a mess from what that guy said to me and how he’d looked at me. The mark on the bat didn’t fade, and after another few seconds, I looked up, sensing eyes on me.
It was the demon who’d been sitting in the corner stood by the front door. His heavy brow furrowed when he glanced from me to the bat and back again. He gave his head a little shake and ducked out the door.
I rushed into Hank’s office, slamming the door shut behind me. Fumbling for the pack of cigarettes I kept in Hank’s desk for the bad nights, I pulled one out and lit it, hoping it’d calm me down. Instead, I ended up pacing around the small office space, failing to convince myself that the trouble from the last two days was over.
It looks like we can’t outrun our destiny, after all, the voice murmured.
I froze. There couldn’t be a connection. It’d been nearly a decade. How could they have found me? I didn’t even know who they were. Rubbing my forehead hard enough to hurt, I told myself everything was fine.
Everything was going to be just fine.
Chapter 3
Samazrael
Heph and I exited the portal he created.
Hot, dry air slapped me in the face. “This place?”
Heph waved his hand behind us, and the portal to Hell closed with a loud pop. “What’s wrong with Turquoise Falls?”
“How about the name,” I muttered, glaring at the desert expanse stretching out for miles in all directions except to the north. There, several tall buildings stretched into the sky, surrounded by the rest of the city that sprawled in a random pattern. Why anyone lived in this forsaken place was beyond me. “You see any waterfalls? Or water, for that matter? What human names a city in the middle of the damn desert after falls?”
“Nice to see your chipper attitude hasn’t changed after your time down there,” Heph said sarcastically, clapping me hard on the shoulder.
“Why are we here?”
“You’ll see soon enough. Don’t you trust me?” He set off through the densely packed sands and dried shrubs toward the only sign of civilization in any direction. “You stand out here too long, you’ll burn.”
Baring my fangs at his back, I glared at the sun beating down on the desert and followed him. The closer we came to the city, the more my nose twitched, and I growled.
“It reeks,” I complained.
“Always does here,” he replied, not slowing.
I tried not to breathe through my nose, avoiding the bitter stench of sin drifting from the city. We hit the main drag, and I tensed at so many people crowding the sidewalks. Their chattering voices and excited laughter set my teeth on edge. I clenched my fists at my sides, ignoring the flashing lights trying to lure people into another casino or bar to spend their money. Heph eased through the masses, seemingly not bothered by the cesspool he brought me to.
As a personal guard to Lucifer, I’d been able to avoid places like this. When I was younger, I was on soul collecting duty and making deals, but that was over two-hundred and fifty years ago. Most of my time had been spent at Lucifer’s side and going with him to collect souls after they’d already been taken.
No one seemed disturbed by two demons strolling down the sidewalk. A few bumped into me, not bothering to apologize. I snarled, ready to teach them a lesson when Heph snagged my arm.
“Don’t. Most of these people are drunk. The others are high. Let it go.”
I wrenched my arm free, staring in disgust at the throngs of sinners everywhere I looked. “They aren’t even surprised to see us.”
“Why should they be? This is one of the highest yielding cities for souls. Let’s get moving. We’re almost there.” He took off again.
I had no choice but to follow.
Since leaving my cell in Hell, the voices that taunted me had dulled. They weren’t gone, not entirely. When it was quiet enough, I’d catch them whispering, reminding me of my failure and the blood on my hands.
At least, they had been quiet until we stepped foot in this godforsaken city. The sins of each human I passed reached out and brushed against me, letting me know their souls were ripe for the taking.
And their sins called to mine, the only sin I ever committed.
Failure, you’ll always be a failure. You let her die. You let them both die. You’re weak. Useless. Pathetic.
I growled, startling the man speeding to get around me. When I glared, he took off at a run, and Heph shot me a look over his shoulder.
“What,” I snapped.
Heph kept silent. He took a left at the next corner, and I stuck close to him, not wanting to lose him in the crowd. The voices continued their chant, the words bouncing around my skull until my head throbbed. I cringed, muttering for them to be quiet. The overwhelming sensation that I shouldn’t be here dragged me to a sudden stop in the middle of the sidewalk. I shut my eyes, fighting every instinct screaming at me to turn around and return to Hell.
A firm hand squeezed my arm. I opened my eyes, and Heph’s stern look told me he wasn’t about to let me run away.
“You’ll want to see this. Trust me.”
“See what?” I demanded, but he’d already let me go and took off again. “Heph.”
“Trust me,” he replied, not slowing. He took a right at the next street and another one. When I spotted the demon standing about twenty yards away, I tensed. “You’re not in your cell anymore,” Heph reminded me quietly. “He’s not going to try and kill you.”
“Maybe he should.”
Heph glared but didn’t stop until we reached the demon. He held out his arm, and the demon took it. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place his face. “Alron, my friend.”
I flinched. Alron? I hadn’t seen him since before I was locked in the ninth level of Hell. He hadn’t aged a day, which wasn’t surprising. Demons lived for thousands of years. My time in the cell might’ve felt like centuries, but seeing his face confused me in the strangest way. Why had Lucifer released me from my cell ten years ago? Ten years was barely a blink. Did he not lose all faith in me as I feared?
“Heph,” Alron said, then shifted his dark eyes to me. “Samazrael. About time you let yourself out.”
Mind blank, I took the arm he offered and squeezed it. When I released it, worry flashed through his eyes.
“Tell Samazrael what you told me,” Heph said.
“All of it?”
“Yes, all of it.”
I glanced between them at their short exchange, attempting to understand why Heph dragged me to this city of all places. And why did they both appear so on guard? Alron had been tense, as if bracing for an attack since the second I spotted him. Heph kept his head on a swivel, his eyes continually roving over the crowd of humans. Granted, there were fewer on this side street away from the more touristy bars, but still enough to make me uneasy. Their sins permeated the air, pulsing around me like a living, breathing beast.
The curse of being a demon meant feeling the sins of humans, no matter how big or small. Growling filled my ears. Belatedly, and after noticing Heph and Alron giving me varying looks of concern, I realized it came from me.
“Sorry,” I muttered, giving my full attention to Alron.
“A few weeks back, I ducked into that bar,” he said, nodding to a place called Hank’s Hideaway a few doors down from where we stood. “Meant to just grab a beer, but the bartender—there’s something off about her.”
“Off in what way?” I asked. “And since when is that the job of a demon? Why not point her out to a Fallen and move on. Or kill her and take her soul like we’re supposed to do.”
“Why don’t you take a look yourself instead of my giving you all the details?” he suggested. “Think you might understand my hesitation better then. Let you make up your own mind.” He headed for the bar, Heph at his side.
Glowering at the backs of their heads, I muttered several harsh curses in the demonic tongue and stormed after them. This was why Heph dragged me from my punishment? To see a human with supernatural abilities? Dealing with them had never been one of my tasks, and I was grateful for it. Making deals and collecting souls was one thing. Judging whether a human born with magical abilities would be an asset or a threat was not a weight I wanted on my shoulders. Years in a cell hadn’t changed that. The Fallen Angels who patrolled the surface handled most cases before we ever found out about them. Many, they recruited to join their ranks. Others weren’t so lucky. If their souls weren’t pure enough, if they were darkened with too much sin or the potential to cause harm, they were executed.
Lucifer’s stance on supernatural humans was to kill them on the spot. Those humans' souls gave a boost of power to the millions already fueling the Hellfire of the underworld.
I tried to peer in the windows at the front door to the bar, but they were tinted, and I couldn’t make anything out. Alron walked in first, and I brought up the rear of our small party. It was late afternoon, and the bar was relatively empty. Two of the high-top tables had several bearded men in leather biker vests nursing beers. They paid us little attention while we strode to another table in the far corner. Several other men and two women occupied the bar itself, all looking like they just got off work at one of the local strip joints judging by revealing and glittery outfits that hardly passed for clothing.
