Mercy for the Damned, Page 2

  “Happy Thanksgiving, angel.” He bent down to kiss my cheek, pulling away slowly, something unreadable in his eyes. For a long moment, I thought he might say something else, but instead, he leaned in again, his lips brushing against mine.

  “Parker…” I pulled away, unsure who I was more upset with (him for kissing me, or myself for letting him), when I’d known it was coming in the seconds before.

  “No, I get it,” he nodded, taking a half step backwards.

  “It’s alright,” I shook it off, not wanting things to be weird between us. After all, we had to keep working together, and I didn’t want our friendship to suffer over one kiss. Especially since I knew it was less about me than the allure of the Grace.

  I’m vain/realistic enough to realize I’m pretty enough, with long, dark hair (in the stage of growing my bangs out), and the Grace transformed my brown eyes to a brilliant blue, (my most striking feature - one I shared with all angels, fallen or otherwise). I wasn’t too shabby in the dating department in the past, but it was nothing like the male attention I’d drawn since Sam gifted me with his Grace. If the number of times I was regularly hit on at Eden was any indication, it had seriously upped my hottie factor, and I knew that had to do with why Parker kissed me then of all times.

  “It’s the Grace, it sort of makes me a guy magnet. It’s not your fault you got sucked into it.”

  “It’s never been the Grace,” he replied roughly, and I stared up at him in surprise, not quite sure what to say to that. Parker cleared his throat in the absence of my response, taking another step backwards. “I’m gonna go. Sleep deep, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I nodded numbly. God, that was all I needed…

  Nelo stepped out of the shadows the instant Parker was gone, taking care of the final chores to return the room to its usual order. “I think that went well, Mistress,” he observed carefully.

  “Compared to what?”

  “You now have more champions in your cause, was that not the purpose of the evening?” Nelo was pretty unassuming for a demon. Only coming up to about waist height on me, he was small and dark, his skin absorbing the light rather than reflecting it, giving him a slightly indistinct, shifting appearance, as if he was made up entirely of shadows. I happened to know his mouth sported rows of sharp little teeth, but I also knew he’d sooner cut off his own right arm than hurt me.

  “That was the plan,” I had to admit. So since I had the extra ace in the hole, why did I feel more overwhelmed than before? “You know, you can leave that stuff for now, Nelo. I’ll take care of it in the morning.”

  “I don’t mind, Mistress.”

  No matter how many times I asked him, he never stopped calling me Mistress, and I admit, I kinda liked it. But at that moment, I didn’t want any company, not even his earnest little face smiling up at me. All I wanted was… well, that wasn’t going to happen unless Adam magically appeared before me, so for the moment I would settle for a good night’s sleep.

  I left Nelo fluffing couch pillows and went to bed early for once. Unfortunately, my body wouldn’t cooperate. While I chased after that sweet oblivion, something kept me from finding even the false happiness of dreams. Tossing and turning, I couldn’t seem to find the right position that lent itself to slipping out of consciousness.

  Even my cat, Mimsy gave up, leaving her usual spot at the bottom of my bed when I rolled over one too many times. Eventually I gave up and lay there concentrating on the tendril of connection I had with Adam. I could feel him out there, very far away, but alive. That tenuous thread was enough to carry me through the night.

  The first rays of dawn that slit in through the blinds found me glad for a reason to get up and around again. A hot shower and a cup of coffee, and I almost felt human again, even if I did feel cut off from the rest of humanity. Without Sam to keep me company and Nelo asleep in the hall closet where he retreated from the harsh rays of the sun, the apartment seemed quieter than usual. Odds were it’d be quite some time before everyone came back for another session of brainstorming, none of us were exactly early risers. The sharp knock at the door gave me a corresponding jolt of anticipation. Maybe Daphne wanted a little one on one time?

  Chapter Two

  Completely forgetting to check to see who it was first, I flung the door open with a cheerful smile, coming to a short stop at the stern face of my early morning visitor. Clearly she wasn’t a morning person either, and she looked like she hadn’t had her daily cup of coffee. Just a little shorter than me with dark hair pulled back into a no-nonsense bun, she wore blue jeans and a black turtleneck with a heavy navy peacoat.

  “Oh, um… hi,” I recovered, drawing my cardigan a little closer around me. “Can I help you?”

  “Merceline Renault?” Her dark eyes assessed me critically, and I instantly regretted not playing the ‘not at home’ game, usually reserved for Jehovah’s Witnesses and kids peddling cookies.

  Uh oh… “That’s me, can I help you?”

  “I’m Detective Anna Santiago, I’d like to ask you a few questions.” She held up her badge long enough for me to look at it, before tucking it away again.

  A cop. I was so used to Ben’s laid back, polite style, her stern approach caught me off guard. “What is this about?”

  “You really want to do this in your hallway?” she cocked a single brow. Her aura was a brilliant red, with darker swirls of red towards the center. In my experience playing “spot the dirtbag” at work, that meant she had a hot temper, but wasn’t necessarily evil, per se. Either way, I’d have to tread carefully with Detective Santiago.

  “Ah right, come on in.” I stood back to let her pass, glad I’d already tidied up from the party the night before. Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, something about her made me feel guilty. “Would you like some coffee?” I was ready for another cup.

  “No, Ma’am. I’d rather have some answers,” she replied brusquely, taking a good look around my small living room instead of taking a seat.

  “Alright, let’s hear the questions.” Her attitude started to get to me a little; she acted like I had something to hide. Okay, I realize I did have something to hide, but she could hardly know that, could she?

  “When was the last time you saw Detective Ben Gates?”

  “Oh, that’s what this is about?” I couldn’t help the note of relief that crept into my voice and she picked up on it right away.

  “Why, did you have something else you think the police want to talk to you about?”

  “No, I just thought you already had everything you needed from me. I already talked to a detective… um, Rogers I think it was, after Ben disappeared.”

  “So? The last time you saw Detective Gates?” she prompted.

  “Right, like I said before, I haven’t seen him since we broke up. He came to my work, I’m a bartender at Eden.” I paused to make sure she was tracking with me, but she seemed to be familiar with who I was, and my relationship to Ben. “We talked and decided to end the relationship, and I haven’t seen him since.” Not a lie… though I knew exactly where he was.

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like what?”

  “You two talked and ended the relationship. Why did you break up with him?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but we hadn’t been seeing much of each other and… I started seeing someone else.” Also not a lie, though I left out the part about him being possessed by a psycho fallen angel.

  “Who?”

  “Why is this relevant?” I didn’t really want to bring Adam into it.

  “Your ex-boyfriend drops off the face of the Earth the same night you break things off with him? I want to talk to your new guy.”

  Shit. “He’s not around right now.”

  “Where did he go?”

  Shit, shit, shit… I couldn’t tell her about Adam, it was way too suspicious that he’d disappeared around the same time as Ben. Then there was the whole fact that I had no idea where he lived or even what last n
ame he used. “I meant he’s not here right now. It’s still a little new, so he doesn’t really stay over,” I lied glibly.

  “What’s his name?”

  “His name?”

  “Yes. He’s got a name, doesn’t he?”

  In a moment of panic, I settled on the one person who I knew could think on his feet enough to handle a little heat from the cops. “Parker, Parker Davies.”

  “Address.”

  I had no idea what Parker’s home address was, so I gave the address for the club.

  “Wait… isn’t that where you work?” Detective Santiago flipped through the pages of her little notebook.

  “Yes, Parker owns the place.”

  “You’re sleeping with your boss?”

  I opened my mouth to protest the question again, but decided it was easier to admit to being a cliché. “You can’t help who you fall in love with.” It was impossible to keep the forlorn note from my voice, though it had nothing to do with Parker.

  “Right.” There was no inflection to her tone, but I could tell she wasn’t too keen on women who dumped their cop boyfriends to shack up with their bosses. “Police were dispatched to this building for shots fired that same night. Did you hear anything unusual that night?”

  The other detective hadn’t asked me that. “I remember hearing the sirens, but I was already in bed, so I wasn’t sure what it was all about.”

  “Alone or can your boss corroborate that?”

  “Alone, he was still at the club.” It gave me no alibi, but there were bound to be people at the club who remembered Parker being there that night.

  “Gates’ car was spotted here the night he disappeared.”

  “Yeah, he gave me a ride home.”

  “But then you broke up and he left.”

  “Right.”

  “Why was it still here when the cops arrived later?”

  My palms started to sweat. “I have no idea, maybe he went for a walk to cool off?”

  “I thought you said before it was amicable?”

  “Well sure, there wasn’t any shouting or anything, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t both upset about it.” I was about to suggest the idea that maybe he got jumped by muggers when he was all alone on the street, when Raziel stepped out of my bedroom as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

  “I thought you said your boyfriend wasn’t around,” Santiago’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  Super. That was all I needed. “No, this isn’t Parker…”

  “How many men are you juggling, Ms. Renault?”

  “No, it’s not like that…” I started to explain, but Raziel cut me off, gliding across the room with effortless grace, all smiles and polish.

  “Let me assure you, dear lady, nothing could be further from the truth.”

  Santiago looked at him like he was something she’d scraped off the bottom of her shoe, and I had to admire her ability to resist his Grace. Most women would have been fawning all over the handsome man.

  I stepped up to intervene before he volunteered some tidbit of information that would land us in hotter water. “This is my friend Raze, and he was using my bathroom, nothing more. You didn’t spend the night here at all, did you?”

  “No, I spent the night searching for the key to the prophecy I spoke of.”

  “Prophecy?” Santiago blinked, and I could tell he’d thrown her for a loop.

  “He’s really into that doomsday stuff, you know, ‘the world is coming to an end’ predictions? I’ve been telling him it’s a load of crap, but he’s been hooked ever since he saw that movie with the asteroid the size of Texas. So, did you need anything else, Detective?” I smiled sweetly, hoping like hell Raziel kept his trap shut until after she left.

  Her eyes narrowed, but after a pregnant pause, Detective Santiago tucked the notebook back into her jacket pocket. “No, that’s all for now.” She didn’t give me her card or ask me to call her if any new information came up, instead she paused by the door. “You should know, I’ve never lost a case. It’s only a matter of time before I find out what happened to him.” Her aura fairly crackled with menace, and I resisted the urge to shrink back from that steely gaze.

  “I’m glad to hear it. All I want is for Ben to come back safe and sound.” Finally something I could tell her without reservation. I don’t know if she believed me or not though, her expression didn’t change before she left.

  “Great,” I collapsed on the couch. “As if I didn’t have enough to worry about.”

  “Something troubles you?” Raziel looked genuinely perplexed by my outburst.

  “Yeah, something troubles me. Why did you start talking about the prophecy in front of the detective? Why did you even let her see you? What happened to not revealing yourself to humans?”

  “She did not know I am of the heavenly host. Besides, she is with the police, is she not? Aren’t the police on our side?”

  “Not when we have direct knowledge of the kidnapping of one of Seattle’s finest,” I lowered my voice just in case. “She looked like she would like nothing better than to find a reason to pin it on me too. Trust me, she is not our friend.”

  “I’m sorry, I had not realized…”

  “You have to be careful here. You can’t go talking about prophecies or angels or anything that would cause anyone to look twice at you.” Well, more than they would because he was smoking hot, like all angels were. “In fact, if anyone asks, you’re my cousin visiting from out of town, say that back to me.”

  “I am your cousin visiting from out of town. Mercy, I do not wish to lie…”

  “You’re not, you’re stretching the truth a little. I’m part angel too, that makes me your relative of sorts, and you are visiting, and you don’t live here in town, right?”

  “Yes,” he allowed, though I could tell he wasn’t convinced.

  “Did you find anything out last night?” I changed the subject, but before he could answer, there was another knock on the door. “You, make yourself imperceptible if it’s anyone you don’t recognize, you got me?” At his nod I approached the door, taking care to check through the peephole first that time. Immediately I relaxed, seeing my brother slouching against the door frame.

  “Hey, Matty, and here I thought you turned to dust if you rose before noon. Come on in,” I invited him, freezing when I saw Parker standing beside him. Afraid things would be awkward between us after his surprise kiss the night before, I wasn’t quite sure what to say, so I settled for the ever appropriate, “hey.”

  “Hey, I brought donuts,” he gave me his usual half smile and strolled right in as if it had never happened. Maybe I hallucinated it the night before? Whatever the cause, I was glad to get no furtive looks or wounded ego from him, there was enough on my plate to worry about.

  Matty was in the middle of imparting a lifetime of knowledge on the importance of choosing the right donut to Raziel, who hung on his every word. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can’t just dive in all willy nilly without giving this some serious thought.” Matty pulled the box away when Raziel reached for a jelly-filled donut. “If this is the first thing you’ve ever eaten, you gotta start slow. Like, try the glazed old fashioned, it’s not too complex for that first bite. You can’t go for the jelly right off the bat, your head will explode.”

  “If anyone asks, we’re dating by the way,” I murmured to Parker who went straight for the coffeepot, picking out a mug with a cute, fluffy kitten on the front.

  “I have no problem with that.”

  “Just so you know, I had to tell this new detective that we’re seeing each other, she came to see me this morning about Ben’s case.”

  “Actually, just so you know, I have a strict no dating policy with my staff.”

  “Yeah, right…” I scoffed. Then where had that kiss come from? I wasn’t about to say that though, especially not with other people in the room.

  “No, seriously. It’s in the employee handbook, didn’t you read it? I’m gonna have to report you to HR
.” He waggled his eyebrows at me playfully, and I couldn’t help but laugh in response.

  “You don’t even have a handbook.” Or an HR department, he was the sole owner of Eden as far as I knew. There wasn’t even a job application to fill out. Basically if you were cute and looked semi-reliable, he hired you on the spot.

  “It wouldn’t keep me from dating you even if I did,” he winked, picking up his mug to rejoin the others where Raziel chewed carefully, a thoughtful look on his face while Matty stole the jelly donut.

  I didn’t know if we should wait for Sam and Daphne to arrive before the brainstorming began. Sam spent less and less time at my place since Adam’s deal with Raum kept any demons from attacking me. While I enjoyed my privacy, it did make me a little sad sometimes that we weren’t as close anymore. By the time the donuts were mostly gone I decided we had to get the show on the road.

  “Raziel, tell us, what does the prophecy say exactly?”

  After a moment’s hesitation, he recited it for us, in a rich, dramatic voice. “Into the land between the living and the dead shall one of the Fallen dwell, and none shall know the true depravity of his will until all is lost. Forsaking the heavens, he shall join the Lost in eternal torment, until his light become scored and pitted with ruination. Then will his immortal soul fall under the sway of the Damned, giving rise to a new evil. And goodness and mercy shall surely perish for all days.”

  “Huh. That doesn’t sound too good,” Matty frowned, summing it up for all of us. I was a little more worried about how to take that last line.

  “What do you think he meant by ‘goodness and mercy shall surely perish’? Am I supposed to die?” He could have mentioned that little tidbit the night before!

  I could see the struggle on Raziel’s face as he tried to skirt the truth of his own concern. “I do not think he meant to speak of you by name, dear la… Mercy,” he corrected himself. “Often times prophecies speak in generalities, it is very rare to single out an individual by name.”

  That was true I supposed. In the other prophecy about me it never came right out and called me Mercy, it called me the Bringer of Life or something. “Okay, but how can we be sure?”