CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Asmodeus, Sin of Lust, stared at his latest face in the mirror. Salt and pepper hair ran down to a stubble-covered chin. His eyes were dark chocolate brown, so unfamiliar to him. Every face he wore was unfamiliar, not a single one felt right. But that was his curse. He had to feed on sexual energy, and bring out the sin of lust in those he hunted. He had to become their greatest desire.
Tonight he had found his prey, a female that had done nothing but break up families for the past ten years. She had seduced twelve different men just so she could feel the high of watching the families be ripped apart. The more kids the family had the better, so Lust had hunted her down. The moment he connected with her he had become her most secret desire. He knew in an instant all her wants, all her desires—her darkest, most intimate needs were laid bare before him.
So, as was his nature he fed her lust, gave her everything she needed, took her to heights of pleasure until she craved him and hunted him down. Her soul was filled with nothing but want. She had no feelings for anyone or anything other than fulfilling her own desires. She reveled in the pain she caused. So he had taken her soul into himself and sent it on to Hades to be purified. Well, that was the aim. With Hades dying, the underworld was breaking down, and the Sins were powerless to stop it.
“Deus! You in there?” The voice of Sera, the Seer of Hindsight, called through the door.
He turned his gaze to the door and sighed. He really wanted to shower. He felt dirty, he always did after forcing himself to give these people their darkest desires. His calling had become a chore, one he hated. Over the centuries, it had come to mean little to him, making him feel like a mindless drone driven by pleasures that were not his own.
“Yes, Sera, I will be right out.”
Deus. He had to admit, he liked the name the Seer of Hindsight had given him. The slow addition of females into his family, ones that were immune to his power of attraction, was a refreshing change for him.
He pushed away from the sink and opened the door, then walked out into the newly built house the Sins had completed for Sera only a few months before. Thanks to the Malakhim, her first home had burned to the ground. Of course, with Lucifer’s money acumen they had a new home for her in a new location within a month. It helped when you knew supernatural creatures willing to use a little touch of magic to help. Heading down the stairs of the farmhouse he walked into the new fully tricked-out computer room and flicked his brother Envy on the back of the head.
“Ass, you not even going to shave? You look like a man in the midst of a midlife crisis.”
“Screw you, Ze. Every time I shave it grows back in minutes. I finished the hunt last night, so this form should fade soon. I am making the most of it—Sera promised me meatloaf tonight.” God, he missed food when he was stuck in his mist form.
“Yes I did, Deus, with fresh rolls and mashed potatoes.” The red-haired Seer entered the computer room and offered him a glass of wine with a smile. She had the same energy as Isabelle, the wife of his brother, Greed. It relaxed and calmed him, gave him clarity and more control over his eternally shifting form.
“Hey, don’t I get a drink? I’m the one you’re marrying, you know?” Ze pouted and looked at his future wife with big silver eyes, bottom lip sticking out.
Sera stared at him and lowered her head so she was nose-to-nose with him, her jade eyes locked on his silver ones. She lifted her hands and ran them through his starlight-colored hair, a smirk upon her lips.
“You’re going to have to ask much nicer than that, my love. Remember, you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life. And I know all your dirty little secrets. You don’t want me telling Cerberus that you weren’t really drunk when you started the rumor about them being a three-headed dog, do you?”
Ze’s eyes widened in shock, then he glared at his female. “You wouldn’t?”
“Try me.” The teasing tone to her voice had Deus chuckling, and the Seer blushing right red as she remembered he was in the room. When Ze and Sera got started they forgot everyone else around them.
“If you two want some privacy I can head back to New York. I am grateful you offered me a room…”
“Shut up, Deus, this is your home, too. A home to all of you. It will be Christmas in a few weeks, and with Hades, well you know. We should be together with your Father and Persephone. It is the right thing to do.”
“Not all of us.” Deus dropped his eyes as both he and Ze felt the helpless abyss of not knowing where their brother was, or even if Wrath was still alive by now.
“We will find him, brother, don’t worry about that. Until then, I have a lead I want you to check out in Montana. A video surfaced this morning of a possible Seer.” Ze’s fingers flew over the keyboard and he brought up the video.
It was fuzzy, badly filmed, but you could clearly see a small child kneeling by a possible dead body. Then she seemed to shimmer and the body sat up. Seconds later a blond-haired woman ran into the frame, scooping up the child, and then the phone was dropped.
“Could be nothing, maybe that person was just knocked out?” He was skeptical, and so were many people. Even this video, as viral as it had become, had debunkers.
“Possibly, but it is worth checking out. We promised Persephone we would be at the house in two weeks—just in case it is, you know, just in case Father leaves us.” Ze had never really loved their father but he respected who he was and what he represented.
The wound Hades had suffered at the hands of Michael was slowly, terribly killing him, draining him of his live force. He had gone from a young male in his forties to an old man, wrinkled and aged. Eternally beside him was his wife, Persephone, her resolve and hope fading just as fast as Hades was dying. The Sins were taking turns spending time at the house in Alaska. It had been Isabelle who suggested Christmas there, and of course, no one would say no, not now.
Deus nodded. He could get from Nebraska to Montana and back again in no time at all. He was one of the lucky demons who could shift through the shadows, using them to travel. Not all the brothers had this ability—only himself, Mammon, and Abbadon. The rest were stuck with normal modes of travel, unless one of the others took them through the shadows.
“Sure thing. I have a few days left before this body evaporates. I will report back what I find. Keep me updated on Father’s condition?”
“Of course, I am sure it is nothing. But we need to keep one step ahead of Michael so let’s just find out to be sure.” Ze turned his eyes back to the screen and brought up the town name. Writing it down, he handed it to Deus. He took the note and walked to Sera, regret in his currently chocolate eyes.
“Looks like I am going to miss dinner. My apologies.” He bowed his head a little to her. Her smile was infectious as she shook her head.
“Don’t be so silly, I will make it again. Go. The sooner you find out if this video is true the quicker you can come home.”
He nodded to the Seer and slapped his brother on the back before heading into a shaded corner. The shadows came alive around him, embracing his form and taking him into a realm of darkness where no light could penetrate. He formed the destination in his mind—Stillwater, Montana.
The scene before him vanished, words drifting to him through the darkness. “You know, Pixie, it is highly unfair he gets that ability and I have to fly coach.” The last thing Deus heard was the chime-like laugher of the Seer as he gave himself up to darkness.
The shadows seeped into his skin, turning him into a being of shadow. The time passed in the blink of an eye. He felt the shadows writhing around him before they deposited him in the darkness somewhere in his desired location. It took him a few moments to separate himself from the soothing dark. The shadows clung to him, trying to pull him back into their comforting embrace. He was tempted to remain there. At least in the black he knew who he was; he was not a list of endless unknown faces. His form emerged from the darkness into the dank light of the alleyway.
The cold of the air bit into his skin instantly and his breath misted before him. Damn Ze, the bastard could have told him there would be snow on the ground. Of course there would be snow. It was winter and this was Montana. He felt like an idiot. It proved to him just how little time he actually spent in corporeal form. Swearing low he rubbed his arms and emerged from the alley onto a very busy street.
TV station vans littered the road while people milled back and forth from what looked like the rubble of what had once been a very nice building. Asmodeus walked to the closest van with the sliding door wide open and reached in to snag the winter coat left inside. Slipping his arms into the thermal protection he headed off in the direction of the building, shoving his hands into his pockets. Yeah, he was going to kick Ze’s ass for this.
“I have told you bastard vultures before, there is no story here, get out of my store!” The irate voice of an old man shouting from inside the store brought Deus to a pause. He stood back watching the gaggle of reporters and cameras being ushered out the door. One slipped on an icy patch and fell to his ass, his camera crashing to the ground. There was loud swearing, and a woman in a long red coat stepped over her fallen work colleague, giving Deus just enough room to slip into the door. The small bell overhead rang as he did.
The store was more like a small market for everything from food to hunting goods. The walls were lined with clothing, camping supplies, winter gear, and food stores. In one corner a whole group of generators mingled with women’s jewelry and children’s toys. It looked like this was the place to find anything. His eye caught on the mounted pictures layering one wall, all exquisite photography of animals—so close and detailed they almost looked like they would come alive. Mixed in were photos of some of the rarest and mythical beasts known to the universe.
Deus knew in a second that those beasts were no product of Photoshop; those were the real deal. They stirred something inside him, awe at the talent of the person that could make such wonderful art. He walked toward the counter, his eyes locked on one with a wolf howling into the night. Below that was a small photo of the photographer smiling into the camera. He was trapped by her eyes, similar to a raging storm—they stirred him. What caught him most was she was the woman from the video, the one who had grabbed the child. His mind was so distracted by her smile, the voice of the old man interrupted the power those eyes had on him.
“Get out! My wife is recovering from a terrible shock! Will you people just leave us the hell alone…” The man stopped and looked at him, clearing his throat as he must have realized Deus did not have a camera or an entourage of people trying to get an interview.
“Forgive me, sir, it has been a hell of a day since some stupid fool posted that video. They all come here expecting a miracle—hate to tell them my wife was just knocked out and woke up when that child touched her.”
Well that didn’t seem rehearsed at all. In fact, you could almost believe it was the truth, he managed to speak it so convincingly. Lies gave off a particular scent. Deus’ power to read the deepest hearts of those he saw told him this man was scared, scared for the child in the video, and terrified someone would come for his wife and use her as a lab rat.
“It is quite alright. I just moved to the area. I was coming for some supplies. I guess this is all about what happened down the street?” Deus kept his tone light as he faced the man.
The old man raised his eyebrows and nodded solemnly. “Many died that day. My wife’s bakery was a hub of the town. She made such wonderful cakes. But some people were spared. Miracles. God reached down and touched them that day. And I am thankful for it.” The man’s eyes glistened with tears as he turned quickly and waved at the store.
“Gather what you need, sir…” He stopped and turned around with a smile. “Oh, forgive me, I did not ask your name. If you are to be a local then we should introduce ourselves. I am Ira Kane. My wife, Carla, is upstairs sleeping.”
“Deus Aidoneus, it is a pleasure to meet you, Ira. Tell me, who does the photos? I find myself with a lack of wall art, and some of these would be perfect.” He turned back scanning the photos of nature in all her power and glory.
“That would be our Lexi, she’s a local girl. They’re all for sale. Just let me know which ones.”
“Aye, I will do that, thank you for your time, sir. I will do my best to avoid the rabble outside.” The fact he didn’t buy anything didn’t seem to faze the store owner at all. But Deus had gleaned all he needed to know. If that woman in the picture was the same one from the video, he had a direction now. Pulling open the door he lifted his phone and dialed Lucifer’s number. His brother answered on the second ring. Deus did not even give him time to speak.
“Buy me some property in Stillwater, Montana, and make it fast. Remote. I think we have something here.” He heard the spluttering on the other end of the line but hung up before Lucifer could say anything. He couldn’t help chuckling at that. He knew for a fact Lucifer would now be spitting mad, and that just made his day.