jinn 02 - inferno (18 page)

“Chol,” the angel said from behind me. “It’s time we talked.”

I turned slowly and grinned. “What can I do you for, angel?”

Her chin tilted upward though there was no expression on her blank face. “I have plans for the jinni.”

I nodded. “I deduced as much.”

She looked directly at me. “I have allowed you and the Sekhmet to stay because you have proven yourselves useful on occasion, and the jinni likes the two of you. However, if you continue to interfere with my plans, you will be eliminated. Because you have been an ally I am extending you a warning. Do not cross me, chol.”

I met her gaze head on. “Exactly how am I interfering?”

The smallest of smiles eased onto her face. “Your sloppy rune work has managed to stall some of my abilities inside the warehouse. I may not be able to see outside the building, but do you believe there’s a conversation you can have that I cannot
hear
? You cannot begin to fathom the extent of my power. The jinni will do what I want him to do, one way or another. Your whispers of dissent only make it harder on him. He will accept me, with or without her in the end. But above all else, he will play his part.”

I put my hands in my pockets. The angel was a creature of power which meant it only responded to one thing: strength. “Hells bells, angel. Kill me if you don’t like what I do. I’m not afraid to die.” I smiled widely at her. “But let me warn you about something. I’m a domino. If you kill me, you will open Holden’s eyes to what you really are. I’ve met bulls less stubborn than him. Start murdering his friends and he’ll never, no matter what you do to him, fulfill whatever plan you’re trying to hide from us. In the process of trying to convince him, you’ll awaken Olivia’s fury—no matter how deeply you’ve trapped her soul. her depth of human emotion could fill oceans and it runs deeper in Olivia than anyone. She’ll tear you apart from the inside. My only regret is I won’t be here to watch it.”

I took a step toward her. “So kill me because it will mean the end of you.”

Her head tilted in acknowledgement. “Very dramatic, but I never said I would kill you. There are far better ways to demonstrate my power. Perhaps on the half-vampire. I take it neither Holden or Olivia have formed much of an attachment to her. In fact, you are the only one who has seemed to. Or perhaps the Sekhmet, if the vampire does not help you see my side more clearly. Perhaps someone else entirely.” She looked past me. “A family perhaps. I assure you, chol, I will find your weakness. I am making the world a better place for everyone. It is a noble occupation. One you should stand with me in.” She raised an eyebrow for a second before her face froze back into ice. “Heed my warning.”

My heart thundered in my chest. Killing me was one thing, but seeking out the people who meant the most to me was another story. Normally I was safe. I went to great lengths to protect my past from my present. I always had. But I had shared some things, some stories, with Olivia, succumbing to the yearning to share a bit of my real self with someone else. After all, she was an angel, what harm could come?

Old loyalties and secrets were now in jeopardy. I’d give my life for either Olivia or Holden, but I couldn’t give anyone else’s. Had the angel been listening too? The risk was too great.

“I’ll stop tipping the boss off to your plans, but don’t underestimate his ability to suss them out all on his own. He hasn’t lived as long as he has because he takes wooden nickels from dames—even the foxy ones.” I winked at her even though she had no idea what I meant. It was better to play the fool than to start her down the path to my past. “I admit his vision is clouded when it comes to Olivia, but you, sister, ain’t her. Controlling Holden might not be as easy as you would like to think.”

She rolled her eyes, which was a very Olivia type expression. “I will take my chances. And do not bother alerting Uriel again. Even if he wants to interfere, he’ll have to get approval and by the time he has it, it will be too late. My plan is already in motion. I suggest, chol, rather than working against me, you consider joining me. I will protect you from your council and see that you have a place in the rebirth of the Abyss. It is a fair offer.”

I considered my answer. Ticking her off wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interest at the moment, but none of us could afford to let her go through with whatever her plan was either—especially if it involved the Seal of Solomon. I’d just have to find another way to tell Holden what was happening without saying it in so many words. “I’m on whatever side Holden is on. You recruit him and I’m your guy.”

She nodded. “I’ll hold you to it.”

“I know you will.” Like the flash of a camera, she was there one minute and gone the next, leaving my vision spotted.

Sloppy rune work my ass. When she was in the warehouse, she couldn’t possibly see what was happening outside. The wards should protect us from that… and she couldn’t transport, unless she was faking. Whether or not she could hear, even if she couldn’t see, I couldn’t say. I didn’t account for that. That could be remedied, though not without drawing suspicion. Not that we could keep her locked in the warehouse anyway. She was free to come and go which meant we weren’t safe to verbalize our conversations ever. I pulled out my phone. Last I checked she couldn’t magically read text messages or minds. I sent Holden a message explaining what was happening in the briefest of terms.

“Angel psycho bitch. Do not trust or speak aloud. She hears everything we say. More later.”

Rather than staring at the phone, waiting for a reply, I went back to the task at hand: the Ring of Solomon. I still needed to find it before anyone else did. Not that I planned on using the cursed object. But at least if I had it, no one else could.

It wasn’t “officially” cursed, but no one who ever possessed it in history, except Solomon who was still banking on the grace of his father David, actually ever carried it without losing everything that was most dear to them. Official or not, the damn thing was cursed. However, I was shit at finding things if I couldn’t ask around. That was more Holden’s territory…or a witch’s. In fact, witches could definitely help.

I headed to the Office. It was a bounty hunter bar, which wasn’t really my crowd, but the bartender just happened to be related to a fairly powerful witch. Sy was behind the counter like always. I couldn’t believe it took me this long to realize two plus two equaled four. It wasn’t possible, elf or not, to work somewhere twenty-four hours a day every day and still manage to go other places and do other things, though that was exactly what he did.

The last person I had known who held Sy’s job was Everett Stanley, an incubus who met his final end, after about 1500 years, during The Purge, a particularly dark time in Abyss history. Obviously the Office wasn’t linked to Chicago then. It was linked to Rome because that was where it needed to be. The Office was always where it needed to be. Everett, however, couldn’t be in two places at once. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have talents that were unnatural to his race. After he took his position from the council his gifts amplified in unexpected ways. If Sy was running the Office, whether or not he knew it, he was working for the council. I needed to know if he was a company man or if he could still be trusted.

“What can I get you, Baker?”

“How about a little of your time?”

I could talk to his cousin Selene, but she’d probably have no idea what the Seal of Solomon was (elves generally didn’t care about the rest of the Abyss)—and if she told Sy what I was digging for and he told the council, all kinds of shit would hit the fan.

He frowned and eyed me suspiciously. “Now’s not a great time.” He ran a hand over his buzz cut and looked away.

I glanced around the mostly empty bar. “Yeah, you’re swamped.” He didn’t say anything. “I won’t take long.”

“Are you here on business?” he asked, his face guarded.

“Of a sort.”

He nodded slowly. “Follow me.” He went through the small storage room into the back apartment. “She didn’t know what she was doing. You guys can’t hold her responsible for bringing it back.”

“Hold up, sport. Who brought what back?”

Sy stopped. “Why are you here? I assumed it was council business.”

“Ah. Yeah, see that’s where your thinking’s off. I left the council eons ago.” Relief spread over Sy’s face and his stance visibly relaxed. “Though I wouldn’t mind discussing the owners of this here establishment with you. I’m here on my own business, but let me give you some on the level advice, especially if Selene’s involved in something.”

“You can try.” He leaned against the doorframe.

“Tell them nothing unless they ask directly and even then lie. Or at the very least make it the lightest version of the truth. Tell them whatever you have to to get them to look the other way. She’s already on their radar. Don’t push it.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I was worried about that. How do you know?”

“I had a visit with a couple council members not too long ago and her name came up. Watch her back.”

“I’m trying. What did you need?”

“Funny thing, I actually need Selene’s help. I need to find something and I don’t have a lot of—”

He shook his head before I could even finish. “I appreciate the heads up, but she’s up to her highlights in trouble right now. She can’t take on any more. Even if she could, I know enough about what you guys are doing to keep my cousin far away from you. No offense.”

I took a deep breath. “How much do you think you know?”

“Enough. Selene already has the elves and dark magic to contend with. She has no business in a fight between Heaven and Hell. Neither does Femi for that matter. They aren’t like Holden, Olivia, or you. Their lives have an end in sight.”

I nodded. “I see where you’re coming from, but she owes us. I’ve helped her, Holden and Olivia have helped her—and now we need to call in a favor. I swear she only needs to cast a spell. That’s all I need. I just need to locate something.”

“When do you need it?”

“The sooner the better.”

“Give her a few days then I’ll talk to her.”

“Fine.” A few days from now might be too late, but it was better than nothing. “If you ever need to run something by someone, call me. I remember what it was like when I lived and breathed council business—and while you’re watching your cousin’s back, watch your own too. Things aren’t always what they seem on the surface.”

Sy nodded, but still looked cautious. I couldn’t blame him. It was a lonely job. No one was supposed to know about the council, so you had to keep your mouth shut. Every friendship made or relationship started was with the knowledge that someday either you would leave them because the council would demand it or they would die and leave you. Honestly, I had no idea how Sy was managing to balance a family, friends, and the job without the council intervening.

****

Back at the warehouse there was a sight to see. Holden had the kid cuddled up against him as he read Shakespeare to her. Had he seen his text? I couldn’t verbally warn him or ask. If he had received it, he was playing it cool as fucking ice, sitting on the couch reading like he had nothing better to do. In fact, if I didn’t think he’d break my phone, I’d record the cozy scene. Femi, and Olivia when she came back, would never believe this. Hell, I barely believed it and I was witnessing it.

“What?” he snapped, looking over at me. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

Didn’t we all have something better to do, like trying to get the love of his life back before the angel destroyed our entire world? But if he wasn’t worried, neither was I. “Nothing comes to mind.”

He scowled. “Why don’t you check on Maggie? Haven’t heard anything from her room in a while.”

Guilt squashed my amusement like an ant on a railroad track. Maggie’s cell was quiet and dark. I cracked the lid to the coffin. She lay inside, eyes open—eyes the color of blood. She blinked and took a couple breaths, moving her mouth all around before she spoke like she had to get used to her tongue and lips again. “Baker,” she finally said.

“I’m here, baby. How are you feelin’?”

She winced. “Why are you shouting?”

I hadn’t shouted. I spoke at a normal conversational level. “Is that better?” I whispered.

She nodded. “How did I get here?”

“You don’t remember?”

She shook her head, those red eyes closing briefly. “There was a vampire. He was going to make me strong enough to help you.”

“Oh Mags, we didn’t want that for you. Any of us.” That son of a bitch. As soon as I could get my hands on him…

She frowned. “Yes, I know. You wanted me to be
normal
.” She said the word like it tasted of rotten grapes dipped in vinegar.

“There’s nothing wrong with being normal. Most everyone here who has ever been human before wishes they could be again.” Her face closed off from me. Just shut down and went stony, so much Holden it was eerie. What was done was done, however. No use fighting about it now. “Are you ready to get up?”

She pushed herself up and scooted back. I offered her a hand to help her from the coffin, but she ignored it and hopped nimbly down to the floor, barely making a sound. A smile eased onto her face. “I feel great.”

I tried to smile back, but I couldn’t. Hell, I didn’t even know what she was, let alone what her limitations were. The angel said something about a half-vampire, but what in the hell did that even mean? You couldn’t be a half-vampire. It was like being a half-jinni. It wasn’t possible to traditional ways of thinking. You either were or you weren’t. Maggie had none of my worries. She studied the back of her hands, then her eyes darted around the room and different things, invisible to me, caught her eye. “Maggie, we really need to talk.”

“Where is he?” she asked.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who she was talking about. She wanted the vampire. “Secure.”

She finally looked at me. “I want to see him.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“I wasn’t asking your permission.” She started for the door.

“Maggie, stop.”

She paused midstride, but didn’t give me a chance to speak. “No, Baker. You stop. You seem to have some mistaken notion that you’re somehow in charge of my life or well-being, but I have news for you. Letting myself be bitten wasn’t a desperate attempt to keep a boyfriend. It was about making sure I was strong enough to take care of myself now that this other world was opened up to me. I have no interest in living the rest of my life scared as hell or dependent on you. If you don’t want me around, fine, I’ll leave, but I’m taking Thomas with me.”