Demons LLC (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (26 page)

"Hey!" Kylie shouted.
 
Nate and she moved together, reaching out for him.
 
"What are you doing?"

Stepping into the fire felt like sinking into a warm bath.
 
The flames started at his feet, and worked their way up.
 
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation as his body caught aflame.
 
Kylie and Nate shouted in fear at first, but realized pain was the last thing Alex felt.

His body was healing, his strength building.
 
It no longer hurt to breathe, and Alex took in the moment by taking deep breaths.
 
Opening his eyes, Kylie and Nate stood before him, stunned.
 
He held up a hand, but the flame was already dying out.
 
His body absorbed fire, like a regular human did lotion.

"Much better," he said, smiling.
 
"But not there yet."

He strolled to the log, with the ghosts watching his every step.
 
He squatted and stuck his hand in the fire, enjoying the beautiful orange and blue as it danced up his arm.
 
Slowly, the flames on the ground vanished, seeping into Alex's flesh.

"Ahhh," he said, moving his arms about to test for pain.
 
"I needed that."

He was quiet as he opened his bag and pulled out a change of clothes.
 
Yet another shirt ruined, this time with one of his favorite pairs of jeans.
 
He could feel Kylie's eyes on him as he quickly put on a pair of underwear and sweatpants.
 
He felt more comfortable at least half-dressed, but Kylie still stared at him.
 
Nate joined her, looking back and forth between Alex and the dead fire.

"What do you guys think?" Alex said, searching the grass.
 
"Is the fire all gone?
 
I don't want to burn this whole field down."

Kylie and Nate said nothing.
 
They were lost for words.
 
Not only was Alex healed, but his skin was clear of any bloodstains.
 
He looked like his old self once again.

His cheeks turned red from the attention.
 
He slipped a shirt over his head and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Some people like Gatorade," he said.
 
"I like fire."

Alex drifted in and out of sleep until finally awakening in an unfamiliar room.
 
He looked to his right, where the alarm was supposed to be, but saw nothing.
 
A soft glow pulled his attention to the left, where a digital clock informed him it was three in the morning.
 
Cindy wasn't next to him, like she was supposed to be.
 
Slowly, his memory pushed aside the brain haze.

They'd arrived in Stewardtown just after midnight.
 
He'd checked in at the first motel they came to.
 
Exhaustion had already claimed him, and he didn't even look over the room before collapsing into bed.
 
He'd only managed two tasks before passing out.
 
Sending a semi-coherent text to Cindy, and turning the TV on for Kylie and Nate.

Despite the fact that he could barely keep his eyes open, restful sleep eluded him.
 
His thoughts drifted to Jack Kursed, and the Hell he went through the past two centuries.

With one final, irritated sigh, he tossed the sheet away.
 
Swinging his legs over the bed, he tuned into his night vision, to check out the room.
 
The motel was cheap, exactly what he needed.
 
A single bed, mini-fridge, small TV, a corner table with a single chair, and a simple bathroom.
 
There was also a dresser he didn't intend to use.
 
It was a base of operations that would suit him perfectly.

Kylie and Nate were nowhere to be seen.
 
He stood up, his knees wobbling slightly, and crossed the room.
 
He turned the TV off, bathing everything in silence and darkness.
 
Maybe some sleep was in his future, after all.

He was nearly back to bed when he noticed someone through the window.
 
It was Kylie, standing on the walkway outside the room.
 
He smiled at the sight of her.
 
She didn't have any further incidents staying in the truck after the diner.
 
Alex was proud of her, and although Nate didn't say as much, so was he.

The warm air smacked him as he opened the door.
 
It was definitely hotter than Maryland.
 
Kylie heard Alex and turned.

"Look at you.
 
You didn't even change your clothes—"

She tried to grab the railing, but her hand passed through.
 
She lost her footing, and her expression took on a wild look of panic as her arms flailed.
 
Alex reached and grabbed her before she could plummet from the second floor walkway to the parking lot below.

"Thanks," she said, taking a deep breath.
 
"That would not have been fun."

"You would have been fine," Alex said, resting his elbows on the railing.

"Yeah, I guess so.
 
I could have just teleported back up.
 
Like this."

Kylie teleported from his right side to his left, flashed him a smile, and then back again.
 
She was showing off.
 
Alex laughed quietly and nodded approval.

"Looks like you're getting good at that."

"I am.
 
It's not so bad.
 
Nate says when a ghost spends a lot of time with certain people, they can go right to them without having to know where they are."

"It's true.
 
One of the benefits of being dead, I guess.
 
Where is Nate, by the way?"

"He said he had to check in with some people.
 
He'd be back soon.
 
What are you doing up?
 
I thought you'd be asleep for days."

He groaned.
 
"Not in
that
bed."

They were quiet as they watched the street before them.
 
The area was dead, with the exception of the rare car that drove by.
 
Their only company was the crickets and the sounds of the leaves rustling in the woods behind them.

"This road goes to my school," Kylie said.
 
"My
old
school.
 
I don't know how many times I passed this motel.
 
I just wanted to survive senior year."
 
She adjusted her glasses.
 
"I didn't even survive, period."

"We'll solve your murder, Kylie," Alex said, patting her shoulder.
 
"Then it will get better.
 
I can't even imagine what it's like for you.
 
But I've met enough ghosts to know that death really is just a phase.
 
Whether it's here, or on the other side.
 
You can still have more, if you want it."

"The other side," she said.
 
"What's that like?"

"I don't know.
 
I can't cross that line, and the other ghosts that come back can't describe what it's like.
 
But from the looks on their faces, it's pretty cool."

Kylie laughed.
 
"Pretty cool," she repeated.
 
"I wonder if I'll need glasses there."

Alex smiled and gestured to the room.
 
"I'm going to try to sleep.
 
Tomorrow will be a big day."

As he reached the doorknob, Kylie stopped him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but today at the diner really freaked me out."

"Me, too."

"You're not…normal, at all."

He didn't respond.
 
There was that word again.
 
Normal always liked to follow him around, taunt him.

"What are you?" she asked.
 
"You're not a vampire, not a witch, but you're different, just like Victoria and Kevin.
 
What would you call yourself."

"Right now, very tired."

*****

Alex took in his surroundings as he drove through the streets of Stewardtown.
 
Exhaustion kept him from an initial impression the night before.
 
Kylie's hometown was quiet, friendly.
 
It had a working class vibe.
 
Mothers walked their children to school.
 
Local police gathered outside a coffee shop to gorge on caffeine before their shift.
 
The sounds of electrical saws and nail-guns filled the air as they passed a house being built.
 
It reminded Alex of his own area just outside Baltimore.

Then, as he followed Kylie's directions, everything changed.

The houses grew larger and further apart.
 
There were more fences and lawn than street.
 
The cars became more luxurious.
 
They passed one home that rivaled Victoria's.

Kylie was quiet as she sat in the middle.
 
Nate played a game of
guess the occupation
as they passed each home.
 
His guesses ranged from drug dealer to doctor to high level CEO.

"Holy shit, you know that guy is rich," Nate said, pointing at a man in a suit climbing into his car.
 
"Ha!
 
You should have seen the look he just gave you.
 
Like '
What is that filthy-ass truck doing here?
'"

"Kylie?
 
What's on your mind?" Alex asked, noticing her solemn expression.

"It's just…."
 
She searched for words.
 
"It's great to be back home.
 
And it's depressing to be back home.
 
If that makes any sense."

He smiled warmly and nodded.
 
It made perfect sense.

Kylie finally directed them to slow down as they approached a house on the very edge of Stewardtown.
 
It was far bigger than the rest, sitting on a hill that loomed over the neighborhood.
 
A long driveway led to the road.
 
The driveway formed a circle in front of the house, with a fountain in the middle.

"Damn, Kylie," Nate said.
 
"Did your family win a bet with the other neighbors or something?"

"Like I said.
 
My mom's rich."

"But you didn't say how rich."

"You didn't ask."

"So, why do you dress like
that
?"

Alex and Kylie both regarded Nate, with her glare being slightly more evil.

"Like
what
, Nate?"

"Like, I don't know…so plain."
 
He realized the error in his choice of words, and his eyes grew large.
 
"That's not what I meant.
 
It's just weird, that's all.
 
You're actually very beautiful."

Kylie's expression softened, and Nate once again found himself backpedaling as his cheeks turned red.
 
Alex smiled and enjoyed the show.

"I didn't mean beautiful.
 
It's just…your clothes, and this house—"

"You mean why didn't I ask Mommy to buy expensive clothes for me?
 
Because I'd rather dress how I want.
 
You know, money isn't everything, Nate."

"I would have been more than happy to test that when I was alive."

"What do your parents do?" Alex asked.

"The money is all from Mom's side.
 
A lot of it was inheritance, but she works her ass off.
 
People in town think she doesn't do anything, but she actually owns the steel mill, which I don't think anyone knows.
 
She owns a couple of other shops in town, too.
 
She's always giving money to schools, charities."
 
Hey eyes teared up.
 
"She's a great person.
 
Now, Dad, well, I haven't seen him in a few years.
 
This town and Mom weren't good enough.
 
I used to spend every summer with him.
 
Then it was every other summer.
 
You get the idea."

Alex nodded and studied the house, trying to prepare himself for the meeting ahead.
 
He didn't anticipate it going smoothly.
 
They never did.
 
It would be awkward, tense, maybe even volatile.
 
But if he wanted to help Kylie, and get paid, this was the first step.

"Should I go up there to the driveway?" Alex asked.
 
"Or park down here?
 
Is she even home?
 
I don't see a car.
 
What's best?"

"She's home, and the driveway's fine.
 
She always works from home.
 
The car's probably around back in the garage."

He gripped the wheel and leaned forward to look over Kylie to Nate.
 
"Do you mind sitting this one out?"

"What?
 
You think Kylie's mom will think we're dating or something?"

Kylie laughed.
 
"Mom won't think anything like that."

"Why?" Nate said, smiling.
 
"Not your type?"

"No.
 
I just…didn't date."

"Please," Alex said.
 
"This will be tough."

"And you don't need another ghost making things harder," Nate said, sliding toward the door.
 
"I get it.
 
I'll be out here."

"Thanks."

"You got it, man."