Coffin Fit (The Grateful Undead series Book 4) (23 page)

~~~

Twenty-two

~~~

"Okay, what do we do first?" I asked the small group in the sewer.

Mort lumbered over to the fast moving water on the other side of the walkway.

Christopher looked disgusted, and Lily was peachy. Luna and Gaire had wished themselves away seconds ago, after helping us search a short distance down both sides of the sewer tunnel, calling out for Betty.

Lily stood by a Y-joint where two sections joined about fifty yards from Purgatory.

I was leaning against the cement wall.

Christopher was pacing and hitting redial on his cell.

Mort turned back to us and waved. "I'll be checking the sewer on my way back to the house. If I find her, I'll take her with. Either way, Paul will contact you after I fill him in on what's going on down here." The troll didn't turn around. He just fell back into the stream of filth that was flowing by. I watched a ripple follow his direction.

"I am going to contact Father," Lily said, holding her hPhone in her small hand. "I feel he is somehow involved in this."

"He's going to shit when he finds out you're here with me," Christopher said, thumb hovering over the redial button.

"Maybe so," Lily answered Christopher as she thumbed the keys on her cell. "But it is inevitable. I will not be going back until this issue is reconciled."

"Well, that should get the fire out of his ass if he is involved."

"Cut the shit, Susan. Raphael is really going to be pissed." He swung the hand holding his phone. "Is Marcus contacting Dorius?"

"Yes, and he's gonna call us."

Lily put the hPhone to her ear. It was a little pink jobbie, with a picture of a child devil complete with red pajamas, horns, and a tail.

"Did Daddy pick out your phone case, hon?"

"Yes," Lily answered, but her attention was not directed toward me.

I pulled the mass of red curls off my heavily lined face and twisted it into a knot at the back of my neck. "I think I need to call Mom and fill her in, too."

My jeans felt tight, my ankles looked swollen, and I was weary. "I hate the getting old shit!" I pulled out my phone.

"Father?" Lily said.

Christopher and I cut our phones off, eyes on the demon kid.

"There seems to be a situation on Earth, Father." Lily jutted out a hip and rolled her eyes as she listened. "Yes, I am," Lily said. "And do not try to avoid the most deplorable state of affairs. You know perfectly well, that is not the only matter of concern. I believe you have been assisting an old friend."

Lily toe-scuffed a bit of filth from the tunnel floor. As she listened, she rubbed it off using the sole of her other.

My cell came alive with
Minion's DJ
ringtone. Lily hit me with a set of stern eyes.

"Just Mom," I mouthed as I turned down the sound.

"Father! Do not disparage my apprehension or my involvement in these matters by lowering our exchange to the level of a mortal toddler. The music is
not the issue
! I suggest you be truthful with me, because I will be staying until both issues are resolved." Lily looked up at Christopher with a reassuring smile. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Jesus, she sounds like Dorius," I told Christopher.

He snickered.

"Well, I suggest you do something about it, immediately!" Lily stomped her foot. "This is my family and friends as well, and I will not stand by and let you harm a single one of them. So if you wish ever to see me again, Make! This! Stop!" She clicked the hPhone off and stuffed it into the pocket of her jeans.

"Christopher, did you hear all that?" I asked.

My partner put his hand up in my face, ear to the cell. "Jake," he mouthed as he walked a few feet down the tunnel.

"I think you used the word 'suggest' way too many times," I told Lily as I patted her shoulder. "Other than that, you did really good, hon."

Lily smiled. "Thank you, Aunty Susan. I think our family will see a halt in aging, and probably a rapid reversal. My father is very clever. He will address that issue with unwanted abandon, only to put off handling the other. Father did make a pact with the malevolent doppelganger, offering a place in Hell in return for Antoinette. Father is fond of her."

Huh, so that's why she called him. Antoinette has been a target for quite a while.

"What about your mother?" I couldn't help but ask. "Did he ever love her?"

"Mother is a half breed. Breeding was the attraction. And my existence is proof." Lily sounded like a typical teen who believed she was the reason for their dysfunctional relationship.

"Oh, hon, I'm sure your father loves you as much as your mother does," I said, and with a fair share of guilt, added, "Do you have any idea why he is so hot for Antoinette?"

"I know my father
needs
me much as Mother," Lily said with anger in her eyes. The little demon shook her head. "It is unpleasantly difficult to talk over my estranged family's shortcomings." Lily sighed like a preschooler, but wore the facial expressions of a frustrated, pubescent teen. "Antoinette is not
the vampire,
from what Uncle Quelis has told me. Father's first love was, and always will be, Erzsebet Bathory. Uncle Quelis said Antoinette looks like her, but more importantly, Dorius is the reason his one true love is abjured from hell and earth."

"Jake finally answered his phone while the doppelganger played with Gibbie," Christopher said as he came up behind me.

Lily still looked put out. I was hard to remember she was just a child. I pushed the hair out of her eyes and then turned to Christopher. "Dorius?"

"Still not answering, but at least Jake knows what's going on."

"Is Gibbie drunk?"

"Didn't ask," Christopher said, "but I doubt it. The doppelganger tried to talk Gibbie into letting it wear him. Gibbie turned himself into a demon. Luna was right. The doppelganger wouldn't touch him." He looked at Lily. "She's good to go before the elders. And as much as I hate it, Jake agreed with my mate. We need to let Lily go at it alone."

* * *

"Susan's not answering her phone, JoAnn," Chick said from the picnic table in the dining room. "Dorius isn't either. I can't contact Jake or Jeni. Where the hell is everyone? Paul was supposed to get back with me."

"Mom, I'm too tired to care. I'm going upstairs to take a nap." JoAnn had three bags of blood and a zip lock baggie of white pills under her arm.

She wore blood-stained sweats, white socks, and pink, terrycloth slippers. "I need to see if Raphael has tried to contact me first; we usually text about this time of day."  Her hair was greasy and straggly. And she had an unclean odor that wafted off her every time she moved.

"You need a shower," Chick said.

"I don't feel well," JoAnn snapped. "My back hurts. I think I have restless leg syndrome, and if I cough, I pee down my leg. I'm not even drinking anything but blood, so why am I peeing?

JoAnn leaned against the kitchen counter. "And these parasites crawling all over my body are demons from hell." She brushed three matted clumps of hair off her cheek and tucked them behind her ear. "Yep, that's what they are, all right. Little demon larvae from hell transplanted inside of me. Right now, they're nesting between my teeth and gums. Where's that dental kit I bought? The one with the metal pick?"

"In the drawer in Susan's bathroom, but I think the parasites are in your head, JoAnn."

"They are not! Seeing is believing." In a flash, JoAnn was leaning over Chick. She raked her bangs back with her free hand and stuck her forehead in front of her mother. "Look! See those little black things right here on the edge of my hairline? Those are the demon parasites."

"That's dirt. When's the last time you took a shower? You stink."

JoAnn turned a circle, forehead wrinkled, eyes searching. "I may need to see a doctor if all this keeps up."

"You don't need a doctor; you need to tell your damn demon ex to take this frigging curse off us!"

It was still several hours from daylight, and Chick was getting more stressed by the minute. "Have you seen Jeni?"

"She was down by the lake with Paul when I got in earlier. They looked so happy. Laughing and talking in the moonlight. I wish I were that happy." JoAnn started for the stairs on the other side of the kitchen.

"Damn it! You are all I have at the moment." Chick pointed at the picnic table. "Sit your ass down right there!"

* * *

"Do you love me?" Jeni asked.

"Yes." Paul pulled Jeni on top of him and covered her lips with his.

They were half-naked, lying on the damp grass at the edge of Lake Harris. The moon was full,.the air was sultry, and things were getting out of hand.

Jeni pushed herself up and straddled him. Her lips spread into a nasty-girl smile as she pulled her shirt over her head. Moonlight fell across her breasts and Paul covered them with his hands. His thumbs caressed until her nipples hardened and encouraged a moan from her.

Head thrown back, the light from the moon danced like fire on her red hair. Jeni placed her hands over his and moved them down to her hips.

Paul softly growled. "You are surely the death of us."

"Well, while we're still alive and kicking, how about we make a memory?"

Grabbing her hips and rocking them slowly over the hardness under his zipper, Paul groaned a reply. Jeni dug her knees into the wet grass and bent down to catch a moan as it escaped Paul's mouth. She reached between her thighs, unzipped his jeans and tugged them open. Her lips smiled over his; he had nothing on under the pants.

Sliding the jeans down, mouth grazing his, she whispered as she lowered herself, "Just let me feel you against me."

Paul tightened his grip on her upper thighs and pulled Jeni forward on his hardened cock, spreading moisture over both of them. Jeni's hips picked up the pace, and she pushed a throaty sigh around a kiss, her tongue fighting for control.

"We have to stop," Paul said, and took a husky breath, "before I can't."

Jeni arched her back and caught the tip of his cock inside her, slowly sliding it in deeper. Paul put his hand at the base of her back and fiercely turned her body underneath him. He was breathing heavy now, eyes locked on hers, hands deep in the hair on the top of her head, filling her with hard thrusts. Lips parted, eyes begging for release, she gasped as Paul climaxed with her.

They lay connected and quiet for a few minutes, night noises singing around them, as Paul softened inside her. And then Jeni said, "How long before we can do that again? Nice and slow this time."

Paul barked a laugh. "This is absolutely the wrong time to ask this, but are you taking birth control pills?"

"Yep, since I met you."

He growled and bit her neck, already hardening inside of her.

~~~

Twenty-three

~~~

I saw them coming down the tunnel; Gaire and a pretty woman. As she moved closer, the natural beauty she carried reflected health and fitness. Her waist-length brown hair bounced over a black tank top and reached the waistline of a pair of jean shorts. They were fitted well; not skin tight, but short enough to show off a set of long, firm legs and sandaled feet.

Lily jumped up and down like a Mexican jumping bean at the sight of them. "Ghosts! There are so many ghosts! Oh, Joy! I have never seen a ghost!"

My skin crawled, because I could see them, too. Not like I hadn't seen a ghost before I became undead, but usually, they were relatives.

"What ghosts?" Christopher asked.

A foray of movement involving screeching, howling, and cackling made me cover my ears.

"Oh, they are glorious, Christopher," Lily said as the congregation finally arrived. "Some of them are gray and cloudy like doppelgangers, although, they are clearly dead mortals. Others are vivid colors dressed in blood and gore, I would assume from their demise."

The specters had added fly-by and pass-through activity to their repertoire.

Lily was saying, "Others are washed out mortals; dressed in ensembles indicative to the period in which they passed, I assume. It's a splendor to behold. I am sorry my blood has not empowered you to see-"

The spirits circled and passed through Christopher and Gaire, their forms fluttering like sails in the wind. The ghosts' howled with manic glee. But not even a hair moved on vamp or wendigo.

"Okay, that's enough, Lily," I said. "I think you're insulting them."

I addressed the twenty or thirty dead people attempting the taunts. "Lily is bright, but still a child."

One of the ghosts stepped forward. "She's a demon."

The rest settled down and gathered behind Luna dressed in Gracie's body.

The ghost that stepped forward didn't budge. She was an older woman, round, and wearing a thin cotton shift belted around her ample waistline. She was not one of the colorful ghosts. Gracie put her arm around the apparition, but her hand floated somewhere around the ghost's ribcage.

"This is Gracie Jean's grandmother," Luna said. She looked at Lily. "Nan was a necromancer like her daughter, and can see demons under the skin of mortals. She can also detect doppelgangers; the only gift not passed down to Gracie."

Gracie's face showed Luna's disappointment.

"I can't see or hear them," Gaire said to Christopher. "It seems to amuse Luna. But she can't see the apparitions, either, unless she's wearing Gracie."

The wendigo was dressed in skin-tight, black jeans and a black hoodie. In the shadows, he'd be hard to see.

Lily bolted for Nan. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." She tossed out her hand. "I hope we can be friends."

Christopher nudged me. "Is she talking to Nan?"

"Yes," I whispered back.

"You're a pleasant little demon, aren't you?" Nan said and wrapped her luminous hands around Lily's flesh. But her eerie eyes were alert and calculating. "Oh, my, and you're only half demon. One of your parents is a witch, vampire?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. My mother is both," Lily said, "but she is not exceptional at either."

"Exceptional?" Christopher said. "She sucks at witch and vampire."

"Yes, this is true." Lily smiled condemnation in Christopher's direction, and then addressed Nan. "Father did try to entice and ignite Mother's witchery, purely for his benefits, mind you; however, it was a useless endeavor. I suppose we should all be thankful for that. Mother is an addict."

"Okay, Lily, that's enough small talk." I patted the demon kid on her shoulder—probably a bit too forceful. "Maybe we should get our shit together before the doppelganger that's working with your father gets anxious." I turned to the ghosts. "Did Luna fill you guys in?"

"I did," Gracie said. Her voice was soft and comforting.

"Sorry, I forgot, you
are
Luna." A nervous giggle popped out of my mouth. "Then all of you know that this thing is trying to get to Dorius, our boss, through his sister, Antoinette. What you don't know is that we made contact with Jake, the dragon shifter who's one of our go-betweens with the doppelganger wearing Jane."

Marcus softly poked me.
Explain the meeting may be delayed.

What do you mean, 'may be delayed'? It needs to be delayed, Marcus, or Dorius and Antoinette will be headed into a deathtrap.

We will all be there, Susan. Now tell them.

"I mentally contacted my mate, Dorius's brother. He contacted Dorius by phone to warn him. So they
won't
be jumping into a meeting with the doppelganger until you guys have eyes on Jake and Gibbie and get the elders onboard."

"The doppelganger would shed Jane immediately and kill whoever his target is," Gracie said.

You hear that fang-boy?
I poked.

I did. We have a lot riding on the elders in conjunction with the destruction of Dorius's nemesis. However, in the past, we've been successful in discouraging it from trying to kill either Dorius or Antoinette.

Not this time, fang-boy. The thing's working for Raphael. You heard that right? You told Dorius that, right?

"We don't have to search for your friends," Nan said.

Hang on
, I cut Marcus's response.

"I'm going to find the elders for you. Another group led by my granddaughter, the real Gracie Jean, has already located the doppelganger wearing Jane. She's with your friends. She told me they're in the sewer by a drain-off near a warehouse in Leesburg that sells discount furniture. The doppelganger is the one stalling. He wants a meeting in the furniture store just before sun up."

"Huh," I said. "I wonder why. It doesn't make sense."

Yes, it does, darling
, Marcus poked.
That will force my brother and Antoinette underground at the last minute, making it harder for the were-pack and myself to find them if anything goes wrong
."

"Yeah, like a no-show," I said. "Well, that shit ain't happening."

"What?" Gaire asked.

"She's mind-fuc . . . um, mind-poking Marcus again," Christopher said.

"Marcus thinks they want to meet just before dawn to keep most of us from assisting above ground during the daylight."

I glanced at Nan. She was smiling at Lily, who looked enthralled with the ghost. They both turned to me.

"Aunty, this will not work for the doppelganger elders." Lily nodded at Nan. "They turn to dust in the daylight unless they are wearing a sun walker."

"The child is right." Nan gave Lily another calculating gaze. "You seem to be able to hear my thoughts, dear."

"No, ma'am, but I
am
intuitive to your nature. I would be thinking the same thought."

"What are the ghosts saying?" Christopher sounded frustrated. "I can only hear half of the conversation."

"Welcome to my world," Gaire said. "But Luna fills me in before we get going. Sometimes it's kind of nice not hearing all the chatter." Gaire smiled at Gracie.

She smiled back.

"Doesn't matter where she got it from, Nan. The demon's right," Luna, dressed in Gracie, told Nan.

It was confusing as hell even though I heard all sides of the conversation. I lifted the corner of my mouth and stared at Christopher.

"She's always right." Christopher grinned like a lovesick pup. "So what's the plan?"

Nan turned to the herd of spectrally challenged entities. "We should get on with this. Let's go find the elders."

"I'll be joining you!" Lily said. "I've been elected to meet with them."

"With who?" Christopher asked.

I sighed frustration at my partner. "Lily is going with Nan, Gracie's dead mother, and her ghost friends to find the elders. They already know where Jake, Gibbie, and Jane are because half of Nan's friends are with them right now, relaying actions through the real Gracie Jean to Nan, who is standing right here. Marcus and the wolves are ready to pop as soon as Jake calls and sets the meeting. I think we should wait until they find the elders, but Marcus said-"

Susan, you will take the rest of the group to the planned meeting site and keep yourselves well hidden,
Marcus poked.
Let me know when you're in place and we'll join you
.

"Okay, so Marcus just mentally told me that we need to head to the warehouse in Leesburg and then contact him. We need to stay hidden until they get there." I turned to Luna dressed in Gracie's duplicate. "Can you also communicate with the real Gracie and Nan?"

"Not Gracie, although I would know if something happened to her. But I can connect with Nan."

I poked Christopher with my index finger. "Good enough for me. You okay with this?"

"Yeah, because I can always connect with Lily," Christopher said. "And I can get to her in a flash if shit happens."

"Go, I will be fine." Lily brushed long black curls from her face with small, delicate fingers. Her violet eyes twinkled, and she looked every bit her age of six.

He pulled a coin out of his pocket. "Take this in case
you
need to get out of a situation fast."

Lily laughed. "Silly boy. I can take myself anywhere on earth using lay-lines."

"Huh?" This was not a welcomed understanding.

"Can we do that?" Christopher asked.

I waited, hoping it was so.

"
You
can travel without a token by wishing it through me because you are my mate. Ghosts travel easily through lay-lines—this is the way it has always been. But most Otherworld creatures travel the lines with tokens, an artificial commodity bargained for through demons or angels, and sold in the sewers by token brokers."

Christopher smiled. I was adding up ways he could get into major trouble with that knowledge.

"Don't worry, Aunty Susan. My mate must go through me to obtain this freedom."

I hated the way the kid could read my mind. I smiled at her, but it probably looked phony. I hated not having control.

"I will meet you Down Under at the warehouse site," Lily told Christopher, and then joined Nan and the others. "And I
will
bring the strongest of the elders to put an end to Dorius's nemesis."

The kid might have been a pain in my ass, but I had no doubt she'd do us proud. "Let's rumble!" I was so in the moment.

Christopher shook his head and tsked amusement at me.

Gracie Jean and Gaire were watching the swiftly fading spectral images disappear, pulling Lily along with them.

I smiled and bounced my coin in my hand. "Let's move it." I sounded like Mom.