A Demon's Work Is Never Done: Latter Day Demons, Book 2 (20 page)

"Are you two arguing?" Kell walked in and headed for the coffeepot.

"I figure you could hear us from a mile away," I raked fingers through my hair.

"I heard you from my bedroom. If I disagreed with anything you said, I'd have shown up sooner." Kell's grin was slow and welcome.

"What the hell is going on?" Opal was three seconds behind Kell and still in her robe and pajamas. I blinked.

Well, it was bound to happen sometime. Opal looked happy, I knew that much.

"Kordevik is dispensing wisdom, dearest," Kell leaned in to kiss Opal. "Want coffee?"

"I'd love some." Opal took a seat at the island while Kell poured two cups.

"We're back. Is the fight over? Please say the fight's over," Lexsi announced as she and Anita appeared in the kitchen.

"Ah. Just in time. Shall I help you with the meal?" Kell asked. "I haven't cooked in a very, very long time."

"Thank the gods," Anita sighed and planted two bags of groceries on the island. Watson gave me the finger and went to help put food away.

Opal grinned at me behind Watson's back, and that made me laugh.

* * *

Lexsi

Opal, Anita and I had a private meeting after breakfast, while Kory, Kell and Watson went to the gym.

"I got mindspeech from Esme," Anita said, spreading her fingers across the cool granite of the kitchen island. Kory made Watson clean after the rest of us cooked breakfast, so there wasn't so much as a smudge on it anywhere. It was only fair that he do his part.

"What did Esme say?" Opal didn't sound surprised at all. More and more, I suspected that Opal had a place in the hierarchy of gods, I merely didn't know what her placement was. Being of that caste held certain drawbacks—at times their hands were tied because of noninterference rules.

"Just in time," Opal lifted her head as Zaria and Klancy walked into the kitchen. I blinked. The sun was shining, yet there Klancy stood, as if he were used to being awake during the day.

"It is a gift," Klancy smiled at me. "I do not question the miracle of it, only my deserving of it."

"Have a seat," Anita patted the chair next to hers. "I heard from Esme."

"What did Esme have to say?" Zaria sat on the chair Klancy pulled out for her.

"She says that the assholes in Peru have a hostage."

"Who?" Opal went still.

"Crown Princess Amalthea," Anita's shoulders sagged.

"Tell me," Opal said.

"Amalthea and a few others were out patrolling their area, when three Sirenali showed up," Anita began. "There was a skirmish. Two of Amalthea's guards were killed and Amalthea was folded out of the water. We figure she's at their compound in Peru, now. If she's smart, she won't turn back to human while they have her. She's a novelty for now, but that may not last."

"Who is Amalthea?" I asked.

"Phineas' daughter. Phineas, as you won't know who he is, either, is King of the Merfolk."

"She's a mermaid?" I blinked stupidly at Opal.

"Yes. Phineas is one of the old-school holdouts against organizing the shifters and forming a council. He says there's no need for it. I hope this changes his mind."

"There are mermaids." I turned my gaze on Zaria.

"I've never met one personally," she shrugged. "I do know about them. There are extensive files in the Larentii Archives."

"You know Nefrigar?" I whispered.

"I do."

"Small universe," I muttered, staring at my hands. For me, Nefrigar, Chief Archivist of the Larentii Archives, was
Uncle
Nefrigar. He was my mother's Larentii mate, although I seldom saw him.

"Not everybody has a Larentii in their family," Opal smiled.

"I'd like to be able to introduce a Larentii to Watson," Anita said. "Like, Watson, meet my really tall, really blue friend, and then watch Watson piss himself," she giggled.

"Still in the realm of possibilities," Zaria said. "You never know. Stranger things have probably happened."

"What can we do to help Amalthea?" I asked. "Is Esme all right?"

"Esme is fine for the moment, but she and a few others are contemplating a trek into Peru. I don't think that's a good idea," Anita said.

"I think it's a death trap," Zaria stated bluntly. "If they have any sense at all, they'll hold back until we can send help. A mister may be able to get across the border, but once across, you'd have to look for blank spots that aren't guarded by N'il Mo'erti or covered in spells before you became corporeal. If you hauled others in, same thing." She hunched her shoulders.

"N'il Mo'erti?"

"Death machines. Created on Tiralia."

Every Alliance schoolchild knew about Tiralia. How it had destroyed itself with dangerous chemicals and weapons. I was now learning what they'd called those weapons that had effectively killed an entire planet.

"It's what caused the hole in those vineyards east of here," Opal explained. "Just one of them, not operating at its full capacity."

"You didn't have anything to do with these, did you?" Opal turned to Zaria.

"No. Just the ones in the future."

"Huh?" Anita and I said at the same time.

"Nothing to worry about. It's just that Zaria has seen these things before. It's a long story and sort of irrelevant at the moment."

"If you say so." Opal's answer didn't satisfy me in the least, and I was determined to find out what the long story actually was.

"It involves a doubling back on the timeline. What happens the second time around that didn't happen the first time, and vice versa," Zaria explained.

"That doesn't make any sense," I countered.

"Ah. It doesn't make sense to you now, but it could have made sense before—or after."

"You're making my brain hurt," I complained.

"Sometimes, time looks like spaghetti," Zaria sighed.

"Cooked or uncooked?"

"All right, now we're getting somewhere," she smiled. "Cooked."

"In other words, I should stop worrying about it."

"Exactly," Opal and Zaria chorused.

"Okay. What can we do to help Esme and Amalthea?" I asked.

"A trip to Ecuador may be in our future," Opal said. "We just have to pack up our little army and move into suitable quarters down there. I warn you, they're completely patriarchal. We'll need the men to do the talking for us, so we'll fit in."

"I sort of hate that," Zaria blinked at Opal.

"Sort of?"

"Okay, I really hate it. If I set some pants on fire, you think they'll listen to me, then?"

"Kell and Klancy speak fluent Spanish," Opal ignored Zaria. "I think Kory speaks enough to get by. Tibby, if I can convince him to come, will be a big help."

"Farin won't let him leave without her," Anita pointed out.

"Then Farin will come. I hope she understands how important this is. Besides, he got paid for that fight, so he owes Kory and the rest of us for that."

"He still got paid?" Anita's eyes widened.

"In the contract. Lover Boy Landon didn't show. Tibby won by default."

"Wow," I breathed.

"We received a letter from State Senator Maria Riveras, pledging her help in our endeavors since we saved Tibby and Farin," Opal said. "I think a trip to Ecuador isn't too much to ask."

"Nice," Anita grinned.

"I think Diego and Tibby's cousins could help out too," I suggested.

"I'd think so," Opal agreed. "They're on standby. If Tibby goes, they can go. Just remember, we'll be right on top of the equator, so pack lighter clothing."

"Can animals go back and forth across Peru's boundary without getting dead?" Anita asked.

"Good question. Let's find out," Zaria laughed.

* * *

Kordevik

"I believe a trip to Ecuador is in our near future," Kell lifted the barbell from my hands and placed it on the floor. "I hope you speak Spanish."

"I have enough to get by," I said, lifting my towel from a nearby chair and wiping my face with it. "Languages have always been easy for me."

"Good. It will be required where we're going," he said.

"What's this?" Watson rolled off the weight bench and stretched. He'd worked out shirtless. As a result, two women and at least one man were staring.

At all of us.

"
Hablas Espanol
?" Kell asked.

"Not much," Watson rubbed the back of his neck. "Shower here or at home?"

"I suggest going home. The scent coming from the men's shower isn't pleasant. I detect fungus," Kell said.

"I'm anti-fungus. How about you?" I swatted Watson with my towel.

"All the way, dude. You providing transportation?"

"The minute we're out of sight."

"Good. Shall we?" Watson gestured toward the door.

"He does possess manners." Kell lifted an eyebrow at me.

"You have a cool accent, man," Watson pulled my towel away and swatted at Kell. "If I had an accent like that, I'd never shut up."

"And just as swiftly, the manners have departed," Kell moaned. "Shall we ever survive this dearth of civility?"

Watson snickered as we walked out of the gym.

* * *

Peru

Laurel Rome

"I don't like her." Granted, the swimming pool was a saltwater pool to start with, but now it held—
her
. "She's half naked, for Christ's sake," I gestured at the mermaid, who was glaring at me from beneath the surface.

"She's half fish. Leave her alone." Hannah, still looking like Granger, was half-dressed, too. At least she could avoid the tan lines from a bikini top, although the bottoms didn't hide much. I'd caught a flash of knob and balls at least once.

The whole thing was disgusting—she hadn't bothered to shave.

"You're just jealous because she has perfect breasts," Hannah went on. "If you're so offended, toss her a top."

"V'ili said we couldn't interfere," I snipped.

"Then shut up," Hannah retorted. "Some of us like peace and quiet while we're tanning. Just look at this body—as pale as a peeled potato."

"Granger's a vampire. The whole sun thing is a bit extreme," I hissed at her.

"He's not a vampire now—well, I'm not a vampire. I just look like a vampire. Him. Granger. Get out of the way, bitch, you're blocking my light."

"You little, two-faced trollop." I went after her.

"Stop now."

V'ili's voice halted me just as I was ready to jab my fingernails into Hannah's eyes. "Leave. I wish to enjoy my prize without your, ah, noisy discussion."

"She's a prize?" My voice betrayed the disgust I felt. "She's half of a fucking fish."

"And you, my dear, are half of a fucking moron. Leave. Now." Power invaded his words. "Do not wander far. My men will be convinced to shoot you if you do."

I wanted to gouge out his eyes. Peel off his toenails until he screamed. I couldn't. He smiled at me with the pointed teeth he often displayed. It let me know he wasn't happy with me at the moment.

I reminded myself that it was wiser to play his game. Someday, he wouldn't be looking.

Someday
.

* * *

Lexsi

Wow
, Anita's voice sounded in my head. With Kory in the lead, he, Kell and Watson traipsed through the kitchen, all of them half-dressed and sweaty from working out.

I'm surprised they weren't kidnapped by desperate women
, Opal's voice sounded in our heads.

Or desperate men
, Zaria added.
Just as well, I'd be forced to go looking for them, and I really don't have time for that
.

Anita snickered.

Watson stopped in his tracks, turned around, walked straight back to Anita and pulled her up for a kiss. It lasted a long time, too.

Damn.

I wanted a kiss like that.

* * *

Peru

Vic Malone

Loftin Qualls paced the floor of our shared bungalow like a caged tiger. The one called V'ili told us that from now on, we would only kill at his command. It chafed, but we found we had no choice but to bow to his wishes.

What did V'ili have that nobody else did?

He'd taken our phones, television and everything else away; we only had a tablet each with books and prerecorded movies on it.

Nothing from the outside world came to us. I may as well have been back in prison. Loftin, though, at times the crazy came through in his eyes. I worried about that. Crazy was something that maybe V'ili couldn't control.

I still didn't know what V'ili was, and he didn't understand the need I had—the need to see the blood flow. To witness the pain before death.