Chapter 2 #3
Pandora, on the other hand, was not beloved.
She’d been terrorizing the Darkness for millions of years.
She’d also committed the most heinous crime a Goddess could commit.
She’d ended the life of Cecily’s mother—the former Goddess of the Darkness, Lilith.
I wasn’t completely clear on how they’d worked that issue out, but they had.
Cecily and Pandora presented as themselves as a partnership.
I supposed the fact that Cecily’s mother hadn’t died for real helped.
Lilith had been rendered human by Pandora’s hand.
Lilith was now living out the rest of her years with Cecily’s dad, her true love, by her side.
Strange but true. Somewhat unbelievable, but I was learning that nothing was too outlandish in the Immortal world. Nothing.
I knew Abaddon the best of the three. He’d helped us in battle a while back. He and Gideon had immense respect for each other. Alone, they were insanely powerful. Together, they were a sight to see.
Pandora stepped forward with a sour expression and prepared to let it rip. Cecily calmly held up her hand and silenced her. That was shocking. Pandora was older than dirt. Cecily had only spent a little over forty years on this earth. However, it was clear who was in charge.
Pandora’s body tensed, but she nodded jerkily and stepped back.
“I do believe you might be withholding information,” Cecily said evenly, letting her gaze bounce between Gideon and me.
I answered. “We do have information, but we weren’t withholding. There is a true Higher Power.”
“Yes,” she replied. “I know that.”
I was surprised. I shouldn’t have been. The Demons who Gideon had called in favors from to protect the Trinity were the Goddess Cecily’s subjects.
Of course, she would know about Alana Catherine, Shitty Ritchie and Jennifer.
However, I’d bet the ugly steel house behind me that she didn’t know the latest happenings.
“The third of the Trinity didn’t reveal herself until very recently,” Gideon explained. “Once she did, all hell broke loose. There was no time for a chat to bring you up to speed.”
Abaddon’s eyes narrowed dangerously. While he and Gideon might be friends, his loyalty was with Cecily. He clearly thought Gideon was being glib.
Candy Vargo walked to the middle of the group before everything went sideways. She gave Goddess Cecily a high five and a box of toothpicks. She patted Abaddon’s cheek and flipped Pandora off. The Keeper of Fate was nuts.
“Daisy and Gideon ain’t blowin’ smoke up your asses,” she assured the Goddesses and Abaddon. “But there is some more info to fuckin’ know. Juicy shit.”
“Let’s hear it,” Cecily told her.
She and Candy Vargo had a special relationship. Candy, as the Keeper of Fate, had been aware of Cecily from the moment she’d been born and had watched over her from that day forward.
“Alrighty,” Candy said, rubbing her hands together.
“Once it was revealed that Jennifer was the third of the Trinity, the Higher Power tried to off her. Almost fuckin’ succeeded.
” Candy shook her head and adjusted her gauchos.
“More shit happened in between that don’t really pertain, but so we don’t get busted for omittin’ I’m just gonna lay it all out. ”
Cecily nodded at her to go on.
“Right. Tim happens to be Jennifer’s pappy. Wild because I thought it might be Elvis. Whatever. Old Timmy had donated some swimmers back in the day that resulted in Jennifer. Now that might not seem like a big hoodoo, but that’s why Jennifer didn’t die when Tom Hanks tried to off her.”
“Tom Hanks? The actor?” Cecily asked, confused.
“Nope. Fake Tom Hanks. We knew dang well we couldn’t off the Higher Power when the trinity wasn’t completely in place, so we picked a person for the Higher Fuckin’ Jackass to look like that would be real hard to decapitate.”
“Got it,” Cecily said. “I worked with the real Tom Hanks once, and he was genuinely the nicest guy.”
I’d forgotten Cecily was an actor. Still, it was nuts how quickly she got on board that there was a powerful being disguised as Tom Hanks to avoid decapitation. Immortals were open to stuff that would send a human to the loony house.
“Anyhoo,” Candy Vargo continued. “Jennifer lived and we were here protectin’ the Trinity until we could off Tom Hanks. Gram and Gramps got hitched which is why I’m dressed up then then Tom Hanks crashed the wedding.”
“When did this happen?” Abaddon asked.
“Last night,” I chimed in.
“Please tell me that you ended Tom Hanks,” Pandora said.
“Shitty Ritchie did,” Gideon confirmed. “He ate him.”
That caused a moment of silence.
Pandora was the first to recover. “Did he chew?”
I almost laughed. It would have come out like a scream, so I tamped it back. Of course, Pandora knew about the chewing as opposed to swallowing.
“Unclear,” Candy Vargo said.
Cecily looked a bit pale. She could join the party on that one. “So, if Shitty Ritchie ate Tom Hanks, what’s the issue? And where is the Trinity?”
“Bingo, motherfucker,” Candy said, giving Cecily a thumbs up. “Always said you were a smart badass.”
I stepped in and shared the rest of the ugly story.
The Goddesses were not pleased. Neither Pandora nor Abaddon had ever heard that the Higher Power had originally been more than one being.
The question was… had it? Was the abomination who had shown up and taken Alana Catherine, Jennifer and Shitty Ritchie really part of the original Higher Power?
Was the thing lying? Had it simply conjured itself to look like the Higher Power?
Was the thing some kind of fail-safe that Tom Hanks had put in place if he was ever ended?
Questions only brought up more questions. It was endless.
Then the most awful thought floated through my mind. Part of me hoped that Shitty Ritchie hadn’t chewed Tom Hanks into a gelatinous pulp. Tom Hanks might be the only one who knew the truth. Not that It would be willing to come clean, but…
I pushed that thought away. What ifs weren’t going to help us find my daughter, Jennifer and Shitty Ritchie.
“Plan?” Cecily asked, all business.
“We’re splitting up and searching,” Gideon told her. “Daisy, Tim, Candy Vargo and I are starting with the Higher Power’s plane. Charlie, Heather and the Demons are going to search elsewhere and suss out information.”
“We shall help,” Cecily said. “Abaddon, Pandora and I will amass an army and search as well.”
“What the end game?” Pandora asked.
It was odd to have her ask. She was used to making the rules, not being a team player.
I eyed her. Trusting her was iffy for me, but I did trust Cecily and Abaddon.
If they trusted her, I had to take their lead.
“Getting Alana Catherine, Jennifer and Shitty Ritchie back safely. I’d like to destroy the abomination who took them, but that’s secondary to getting the true Higher Power back. ”
“And what if Tom Hanks didn’t get chewed properly?” Pandora inquired.
The thought was repulsive, but it was legit.
I shrugged. “We cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Pandora’s perfectly plucked brow arched and a devious smile pulled at her lips. “I’d be delighted to end Tom Hanks if he’s still around. It would bring me great pleasure.”
“Get in line,” I told her. “And just so you know, the line is long.”
“As it should be,” she answered curtly. “It lost Its mind millions of years ago. The end is long past due.”
No one disagreed.
My brother Gabe approached the group and stood next to Gideon. His white downy wings were on display and a golden glow surrounded him. He was breathtaking.
“Any communication or information goes through the Archangel Gabriel. He will be our touchstone,” Gideon announced. “He’s staying here and has the ability to reach out to all of us.”
“As you wish,” Goddess Cecily said, bowing her head in respect to Gabe. “We will start in the Darkness and move wider from there.”
Charlie stepped forward with Heather by his side and the Demons surrounding him. “We shall pay visits to all the Immortal strongholds on this plane. If the abomination is hiding on this plane, we’ll know quickly.”
“And we’re goin’ to the Higher Power’s fuckin’ plane,” Candy Vargo grunted, sliding a few daggers into the back of her gauchos. “Let’s get this party started!”
“Agreed,” Gideon said.
Charlie, Heather and the Demons disappeared in a blast of icy blue magic. Cecily, Pandora and Abaddon vanished in a glittering red mist. That left Tim, Candy Vargo, Gideon and me.
“How do we get to the Higher Power’s plane?” I asked. I’d been there before, but all the rules had changed. At least, it felt like they had. Part of me wondered if the plane still existed now the Higher Power was technically gone.
Candy Vargo smiled. It was slightly terrifying. “We’re gonna have us a little chat, then you’re gonna take us there, Daisy.”
Crap. I was hoping it would be a group effort. Whatever. I could do it. I wasn’t sure how, but I was sure I would figure it out. I had to. With my daughter, my friend, and Shitty Ritchie’s lives on the line, there was no other choice.