Chapter 7
Iemerge from the void groggy and disoriented.
It takes me too long to figure out where I am.
It’s not the cage, thank fuck. As I glance around, I realize I’m at the gauntlet.
At least it’s quiet—deathly quiet. Triton must be doing something else with the younger demons.
Probably showing them how to travel between dimensions.
I’m suddenly very grateful I don’t have to help this time around.
Most of the time, I like training the new ones.
They’re all awkward and don’t know their ass from their elbow.
Running the gauntlet is exhilarating. Plus, it’s better than most tasks Ludovic gives me.
Part of me wants to oust Triton from his job.
Fuck knows there’s plenty of demons coming up through the ranks.
We could use some more leaders. I doubt Ludovic will approve, and right now, I’m too discombobulated to persuade him.
I do have to talk to Omen, though. Triton’s been asking where the hell he is, and I don’t really have answers that don’t include ratting out my friend. Which means I have to find him soon to warn him.
I gather my magic and skip through the edges of the void to my bedroom.
At least it’s easier to jump between spaces in Hell, otherwise I would have been dumped off in a pit or something.
As I drag myself to the bathroom, my mind keeps wandering back to Mari.
I don’t think she’s as committed to having nothing to do with me as she seemed.
If she hadn’t talked herself out of it, I bet she would’ve taken me up on my offer.
I’m halfway through showering when pain stabs through my head and I press my fists to my skull.
The hot spray hits the back of my neck, easing the throbbing slightly.
I can’t keep going like this. I might have to talk to someone other than Mari about this.
Not my sister. I wasn’t joking when I said Karma wouldn’t truly help.
I could ask Providence, Omen’s sister. She might have some insight.
As I dry off, the light overhead flickers.
I narrow my gaze on the hanging pendant, daring it to go haywire.
It’s not electricity like they have topside.
No, this runs purely on magic, which would be great if I didn’t have that shit running through my veins.
Other demons don’t seem to understand how annoying it is.
Not that I complain about it. I keep shit to myself.
It’s easier than people jumping my shit for being down.
The last time I showed the slightest bit of crankiness, Triton thought I was dying.
I rest my forehead against the marble door, letting the cold seep into my skin.
Mari wouldn’t be able to slam this one in my face.
It’d probably be too heavy for her. I wonder if Clara’s still in Hell.
If she is, Omen’s going to have some explaining to do.
He can’t hide her forever. Humans, especially witches, aren’t easy to hide down here.
Someone always feels the disturbance in the balance.
After pulling on a pair of jeans and a shirt I swiped from topside, I go searching for Omen.
I could jump straight to his door, but I only do that when it’s an emergency.
Being cursed doesn’t really count. I haven’t even decided whether I’m going to tell him.
Warning him about Triton doesn’t count as urgent either.
I take the stairs up to one of the main hallways and immediately veer to the left.
Ludovic’s familiar horns catch the light as he talks to some other demons.
I use a group of them to hide my movements, and I slip through an unknown door.
The main passageways may stay put, but the rest take turns disappearing.
I should look into who fucks with them. Might lead to some interesting information I could use later.
With a sliver of light filtering through the crack I leave, I catch sight of Omen stalking through the crowd.
Others scramble out of his way, though he doesn’t notice.
He never understood why others were intimidated by him.
His resting bitch face is on point. While I’m more likely to grin at someone, he’s more likely to scowl.
Maybe that’s why we’re friends—opposites attract or whatever.
As he passes, I step out and he gives me a startled look. I latch onto his arm and yank him into the dark room. I flip on the light, then get a good look at his face. He’s clearly not doing well.
“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this,” I say with a grin.
“Get to the point, Dimitri,” he snaps.
I glance around as my muscles tense. “You think they actually use any of these cleaning supplies? I mean, it’s not like Thursdays are for deep cleaning.”
“We don’t even have Thursdays in Hell.”
I tilt my head and realize he’s right. Traveling between dimensions screws with my sense of time.
Not that time is linear. None of it ever lines up, which is usually great for my chaotic brain.
Right now, it’s messing with my head. I contemplate what to talk to him about first and settle on his issues instead of mine.
“Suppose so. Anyway, what exactly did you do with her after I poofed?”
“I took care of her,” he growls.
“Well, that isn’t ominous,” I mutter.
He grits his teeth, and I wonder if I’ve pushed him too far.
He’s clearly going through some shit. If he’d just stop fighting his feelings, he wouldn’t be in this position.
He clearly wants his little witch. I don’t see what the big deal is.
My thoughts latch onto Mari, and I shake my head.
Her and Clara are nothing alike, just like Omen and me.
Drawing parallels between our situations will only drive me batty.
“You figure out where you’re getting summoned to?” he asks, and I wrinkle my nose, then glance away. “Are you glowing?”
My gaze snaps back to his. “What? No. Why the fuck would I be glowing? It’s not like anything happened to make me light up.
I haven’t been anywhere.” I’m babbling, but I can’t seem to stop myself even as his brows pull lower the more I talk.
“I mean, other than the closet in some random witch’s house.
At least, I assume they’re a witch. I mean, what else could it be? ”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
I smirk. “Who, me? Nothing. I told you it’s nothing.”
I’m fucking this up. My magic’s going haywire, there’s a weird pulsing in my chest, and Omen doesn’t look like he’s buying a damn word I’m saying.
Doth protest too much or whatever that human said.
Now I really can’t tell him about Mari. He’ll just tell me to stay away from her, that nothing good comes from consorting with witches.
And he certainly won’t have any advice on how to deal with this curse.
“Holy shit,” he breathes, and I brace myself. “Did you get cursed?”
“What? No.” I force out a laugh.
“Then why’s your voice all squeaky and high?” He grips the back of his neck and glances at the ceiling. “First Clara, now you. I just can’t catch a fucking break.”
This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. He doesn’t have time to take on my problems. It’s not even that big of a deal.
So what if I randomly get sucked into the void and randomly get stabbing pains and light up like a freaking constellation exploding?
It’s nothing I can’t handle on my own. And if this is my life for the foreseeable future, it’s fine.
My mind finally fully registers what he said, and my mouth drops open.
“Wait, Clara’s cursed too?” I grimace when he gives me a look. “Fine, I might be. What’s wrong with Clara? Is she still here?”
I may not be able to figure out my own issues, but concentrating on Omen’s might snap me out of this. At the very least, it’ll focus Omen and maybe he’ll keep her around. She seemed nice the very few times I met her—exactly what Omen needs.
“I’m not telling you shit. It’ll only get both of us in trouble.”
I tap my finger on my chin, more to get the nervous energy out than anything, then nod. “Fine, but you know you’re going to need my help. Especially if she’s cursed.”
He doesn’t need my help. I’m talking out of my ass, and he probably knows it. Then again, he might be so distracted he won’t call me out on my bullshit. I need something to latch onto, though.
He runs his hand through his hair. “She’s not cursed. She’s spell sick.”
A grin splits my face despite a numbness spreading from my fingers and up my arms. “Omen, seriously? You know what to do. She’s spell sick and you’re her soulbound. Do the freaky and she’ll be better.”
He doesn’t deny they’re soulbound, just stares at me with a blank expression.
I suspected it a while ago based on how he was acting.
Especially when he put me in the wall. What I can’t figure out is why he’s still fighting his feelings.
They’re meant to be together—mated despite time and dimensions.
They’re bound in a way few understand and even fewer find.
If I had a soulbound, I’d hold on to them as tightly as I could.
I wouldn’t push them away. Except I’ve never been in his position, so maybe I would.
I doubt I’ll ever have the chance to find out.
He scrubs his hands down his face and mumbles, “You did not just call it the freaky.”
“Oh ho, I did,” I laugh. “How you think she got spell sick?”
“She’s got a book.”
“A grimoire?” I wouldn’t be surprised. A lot of witches had them when the world was younger.
He shakes his head. “Not exactly. I’ve got an idea where it came from, but that shit is sentient. The fucking thing keeps fucking with reality.”
I think about pointing out he used fucking twice in one sentence, but I don’t think he’d appreciate it. Plus, I have no room to talk. “Yet it got you and her together.”
“Won’t mean shit if the book keeps showing her spells to make her sick.”
I roll my eyes. “Already told you how to help with that. Now, go get your girl.”
I push him around, then slap his ass before I shove him out the door.
Staying in here while he talks about a sentient book isn’t wise.
If it’s the same tome I’m thinking of, we’re in deeper shit than I thought.
The thing is supposed to be under lock and key.
Not floating around topside with an unsuspecting witch.
And now I’m going to have to travel into the depths of Hell.
I really don’t want to go down there. It’s dark and murky and smells.
A low growl forces my attention to the hallway. Ludovic’s fist slams into Omen’s cheek, and I mutter a curse. I was so focused on hiding my own shit, I forgot to warn him. When the demon rears back again, Omen lifts his arm to deflect it.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Ludo snarls, and I slide around Omen, plastering a grin on my face.
“Ludo! Just the demon I wanted to see. We’ve got a problem with the gauntlet.
” We don’t. “Triton says the fireballs keep going haywire.” He hasn’t, but it’s a common enough complaint.
“Omen’s going to help us out.” Definitely won’t.
Ludo won’t go searching down there, though.
“Hope you don’t mind. You can talk to Triton if you do.
” Here’s hoping Triton is very far away with the newbies.
“I’m sure he’ll tell you to fuck off, but you can try. ”
I clap him on the back just to piss him off a little more, then grab Omen’s arm and march us through the crowd that’s gathered. Once we’re far enough away, I pull him to a stop.
“You’d better rank up if you don’t want Ludo on your ass.” It’s the only way he’s going to get away with keeping his little witch.
“I’m not ranking up. I like where I am,” he mumbles.
“Yeah, sure. You just love the paperwork and the shit Ludo throws at us, and the portal duties, and the night watches, and—”
He snarls and flames dance along his fingers. “Okay, I get it. I hate my job. Except if I level up, I’ll be…”
Alone. He’ll be alone. And so will I. Not being on the same rank wouldn’t be that big of a deal, except they’d throw Omen somewhere else. Somewhere far away from here. Unless he took over Ludo’s job. He’d get to keep his witch, though.
“You know…if you level up, you’d outrank Ludo. Definite perk.”
“And I wouldn’t be able to go back to the human dimension,” he whispers.
There it is. “Yeah, but she’s here now. Maybe—”
“I’m not having this conversation,” he growls, his face shuttering.
I nod, though I don’t fully understand. A shockwave hits me just then, ricocheting around my body, and I curl my hands into fists. I grit my teeth as I try to finish this conversation before I lose it.
“You should definitely have a talk with your witch.”
“No. I’m not having this conversation at all. I’m not ranking up. I’m not trapping her here. I’m not keeping her.”
He stalks off and I shake my head. “You can’t make decisions for her. You don’t get to dictate her future, Omen.”
He waves, then disappears into the void. Hopefully he’s going to talk to Clara instead of ignoring the situation. Another shock hits me and I swallow a grunt. A thread tugs in my gut.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I groan as I’m whisked away once more.