Dancing With the Devil (3 page)

He was an angel, I was sure of it. But one that had crawled
out of purgatory? Weird, but I was used to weird. And that might explain the
freaky eyes.

“You’re not a vampire.” I pointed at the sword. “And that’s
no ordinary sword.”

He touched a finger to his nose, signifying I’d hit the
bull’s eye. “Give the lady a prize.”

“Fallen angel?”

His eyes glittered with mischief. “I heard you were quick.”

“You
heard
? Where, on the purgatory grapevine?”

“I’m tapped in, so to speak.” He drummed his temple with a
long, slender finger. “With Heaven
and
Hell. You were Lucifer’s soul
broker. The angels and the demons discuss you frequently. Even more than Britney.”

“Britney?”

“Spears? Surely you’ve heard of her.” He winked one of his
freaky eyes. “You’re much more popular than she is down below, in case you were
wondering.”

Riiight. And the three-headed demon that had destroyed my
shop’s plate glass window, thanks to Mr. Tapped In, was a figment of my
imagination. “Why is an angel in purgatory?”

“I fought beside Lucifer in the Great War.”

“The Great War?”

“Against God. As you know, we lost. Bummer that…” He paused
for a moment, looking off into the distance but seeming to see something
besides the walls and chaos of my shop. “My sentence for serving Lucifer was to
spend eternity in purgatory until I redeem myself.”

He’d fought on Luc’s side. Had to give him points for that.

Didn’t mean I trusted him. “Keep being useful to me with
these demons and I won’t send you back there.”

He smirked, apparently doubting my abilities.

Let him doubt. When the time came, I’d wipe that smirk off
his face. “What’s your name?”

“Xavier in Heaven. Zayfeer in Hell.”

God really needed a new baby name book. “Zayfeer?”

“Means ‘west wind’. Ever hear the expression ‘an ill wind is
blowing’?”

“You’re the ill wind?” At his look of satisfaction, a new
thought dawned. An ill wind had definitely blown in a few minutes ago. “Did you
have anything to do with me killing Lucifer?”

Mikayla gasped. “You
killed
him?”

Zayfeer’s gaze cut left to the smoke column, back to me. “The
Mark sent Lucifer back to Hell.”

“He’s still alive?”

“Not on Earth, but yes, he’s very much alive.” Z stared at
the sigil under my bangs. “You…er, rather, the Mark…created a hole in the gates
of the underworld.”

As if to emphasize his point, a new demon crawled out of the
smoking pit. This one had a high, flat forehead and spikes down his arms and
legs. Lovely. “And how do I close that hole?”

“You can’t. Only Lucifer can reseal the opening once it’s
broken.”

I hate it when anyone tells me I can’t do something. “I
don’t know anything about the gates of the underworld, but I do know a thing or
two about Hell and I’ll find a way to seal the hole. I also know you must have
some kind of magic, Zayfeer or Xavier or whoever you are, so get off your butt
and clean up the mess you made over by the window.” The new demon was eying
Mikayla. He licked his lips and I made a face. “I’ll deal with this one.”

Zayfeer grinned as if this was the best time he’d had in a
while. Probably was. He jumped up from the stool and headed for the slain demon
in the window, keeping an eye on the latest spike-addled addition to our party.

“Yo, Spike,” I called to the new demon. He didn’t take his
eyes off Mikayla and she rose from the chair in slow motion and slid behind me.
I grabbed the heavy-duty ice cream scoop I’d used on Latimer and threw it at
the demon’s face.

It connected, smacking him in the nose and bouncing off. His
gaze swung to mine and he let go a battle cry that raised the hair on my arms. His
spikes stood at attention, their gnarly-looking barbed ends quivering from the
sound. I couldn’t help it, I took a small step backwards as green liquid oozed
from those ends.

Seeing my hesitation, he laughed. A knowing laugh. Low and
guttural. Just the kind to piss me off. I wasn’t exactly having a good day
here.

Squaring my shoulders, I started forward, giving him a
wicked smile.
Bring it on, ugly.

He didn’t like my renewed courage, and without further
warning, he launched himself at me, ready to make me regret it.

Mikayla screamed and grabbed my shirt, yanking me backwards.
There was nowhere to go since the sinks were behind us, but I knew the Mark
would kick in and take Spike down before his barbs touched me. Still, I had to
steel my nerves not to turn tail and run.

He flew through the air and Mikayla and I both reared back.
Spikes, long and thick, flashed in front of my eyes. Green poison dripped from
the ends.

And then the Mark flashed its horrendously bright light and
Spikey went bye-bye.

Mikayla and I staggered to the side, away from the sizzling
green ash pile at our feet. The shop was sufficiently cold enough, our short,
choppy breaths made tiny clouds in front of our faces.

I needed to close that hole and the opening the broken
window created. Needed to clean up all the ash piles. Needed to hunt down
Latimer and his pit buddies and put them back in their pen.

But all I wanted to do was find Lucifer and make sure he was
all right.

I’d been to Hell. No biggie. Not my favorite place to visit,
but I could handle it if I had to. How would I find Lucifer, though? And
couldn’t he get back on his own? Surely he had more magic and power than the
three of us in my shop combined.

Inching over to the smoke column, I watched the swirling
mass. Jumping into purgatory would be reckless and foolish, and while I was
used to being both, I had no way of knowing if I could find my way out of
purgatory and to whatever level of Hell Lucifer was on.

And I sure didn’t want to run into Lilith. Blech.

Mikayla went to the storage room and came back with a broom
and dust pan. Zayfeer stood over the body of the demon he’d slain with his
sword raised over his head. The sword glowed as he chanted words too softly for
me to hear. As Zayfeer finished the chant, he slammed the sword into the demon’s
chest. A bright light, much like the Mark’s but with a blue tint, zigzagged
from the sword into the massive body. Fissures appeared all over the demon’s
scaly skin, the halves of his body splintering into tiny pieces. Another flash,
this one smaller, and the demon disappeared.

Zayfeer looked at me with that smug grin and spread his
hands in a
what do you think
gesture.

The black goo faded, but the glass bits remained. I figured
Z could put his very nice muscles to good use cleaning those up. Then he could
help me navigate purgatory.

I gave him a thumbs-up even though my heart wasn’t in it. “Grab
that dust pan from Mikayla and get to work on the broken glass. I’ve got some
plywood around back that was left over from my apartment remodel. I’ll get it
and we can board up the window.”

“Oh, no need.” He pointed the tip of the sword at a large shard
of glass, barely touching it. The sword once again sprang to life with its
incandescent glow. The glow spread to the glass and both turned yellow, then
orange, seeming to meld together. Zayfeer raised the sword with the glass stuck
on the end and faced the open window. He poked at the center of the space and
the glass stayed put.

Looking over his shoulder, he gave me another self-satisfied
smile. Behind him, my guardian angel Cephiel appeared on the sidewalk, the
lapels of his wool trench coat turned up around his neck and a knit hat pulled
securely over his head. He stared at the floating fragment of glass, brows
crashing down, before shifting his attention to Zayfeer and then farther into
the shop to me. “What in all that’s holy is going on here?”

“Hey, Ceph,” Z said. He poked another large piece of glass
and the sword glowed. He lifted the glass to the opening and I heard a snapping
sound as the piece locked into place. “Long time no see.”

Cephiel had gotten rid of the salt in his salt-and-pepper
hair. He’d also lost a few pounds and toned up. All because of my WA nemesis,
Marcia. She was president of our group, and even though Ceph was an angel impersonating
a Catholic priest, she’d worked some kind of magic on him. He had it bad for
her.

Totally icked me out.

Ceph closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “Dear God.”

“Sorry, not God. But from what I hear, the Big Guy’s not too
happy with you these days.”

Cephiel’s eyes flipped opened and he muttered something
under his breath before he gave me a disapproving frown. “What have you done
this time, Amy?”

“Me?”

Before I could retort further, Zayfeer struck the tip of the
sword into the floor and hundreds of glass fragments rose into the air in
unison. With one swift flick of his wrist, they went flying in Cephiel’s
direction.

“Stop!” I held up a hand and the flying glass came to an
abrupt halt in midair.

My magic or Zayfeer’s? I checked my chest and found my magic
lazily watching the show and doing her nails. I couldn’t get a beat on Z’s
magic. Dark? Light? Harmless? It seemed to sail around the shop like a bird,
never stopping, reminding me of my own air magic, but the flightiness made it
hard to lock onto.

Cephiel’s was easier. He might have been an angel but his
magic was heavy, rock-like. Maybe that’s why God had sent him to Earth. Ceph’s
magic was terrestrial. He blended in well here.

Zayfeer held the sword pointed at the window opening, the
fragments of glass hovering between him and Cephiel. The street behind Cephiel
was dark except for the weak light coming from the lamppost on the corner.

“Put down the glass,” I told Zayfeer. I wasn’t a big fan of
Ceph’s, and had, once or twice, plotted his demise, but there was no way I was
letting a strange angel who’d been in purgatory shred him to pieces in front of
my shop.

An awkward silence ensued, Z and Ceph staring daggers at
each other in a Mexican standoff. Behind me, the smoke column gurgled and
burped and I cut my eyes between that and the warring angels, expecting a new
set of demons to rise from the pit at any moment. Mikayla watched, too, fear
rolling off her and her magic boogying along with it.

As I watched, Zayfeer’s sword hand twitched.

“Get down!” I yelled.

But the glass shards suspended in air didn’t hurtle
themselves at Cephiel. Instead, one by one, they reformed the window,
skittering over one another until they found their place in the puzzle and
locked in. The last splinter, a piece so small it would have fit on the end of
my pinkie, darted over the rest until it located its original home. Once there,
it wiggled into place and the whole window hummed. A sigh of relief?

My old window was back, good as new, and Cephiel was now cut
off from us.

His lips formed a tight, straight line as he glared at
Zayfeer. The ill-wind angel chuckled and said, “Man, you sure got screwed with
him for your guardian angel.”

“Tell me about it.” I made my way over to the door and started
to unlock the deadbolt.

“Wait.” Z held up his free hand. On his palm was a sigil
that looked vaguely familiar. I stared, but couldn’t figure it out. “He’s going
to send me back to purgatory.”

“And?”

“You said you’d keep me around if I helped with the demon
problem.”

“I changed my mind.”

He scooted close, eyes pleading. “Let’s make you a deal,
broker. You stop Cephiel from sending me back and I’ll do something for you.”

The guardian angel in question stood on the other side of
the door. “Let me in, Amy.”

No doubt purgatory really was the best place for Zayfeer,
and I was going to need a guide, so one way or another, he was going back. But
curiosity toyed with me. “What will you do for me?”

“The Mark.” He nodded at my forehead. “I can get rid of it.”

He had my full attention. “How?”

He sheathed the sword, gave me that annoying grin. “Magic,
of course.”

Great.

Cephiel banged a fist on the door. A low growl came from the
smoky pit and Mikayla screamed.

Hells bells. How many more visitors were we were going to
get tonight? Not the best time to be making deals with a rogue angel, but…

Reckless and foolish, here I come.

I gave Z a nod.

A flying demon came out of the pit, spread its wings and
started to take off. Zayfeer decapitated it in one swift move.

Body parts fell to the floor. Z used the sword to prod them
back into the pit.

Sighing, I unbolted the door. Cephiel charged in, pointing a
gloved finger at Zayfeer’s face. “How dare you use that sword.”

Z stood his ground, a debauched angel with nothing to fear. “It’s
mine, why wouldn’t I use it?”

 “He stopped several demons from escaping the shop with that
sword,” I told Ceph as I relocked the door. “Cut him some slack.”

Grabbing Ceph by the coat sleeve, I tugged him toward the
pit and smoke column. “Lucifer made that hole, opening the gate to purgatory,
when the Mark sent him to Hell. You need to close the hole and get Luc back.”

Cephiel made a big deal of removing his gloves and unbuttoning
his coat as he eyed the smoke and jagged opening. Underneath the coat, he wore
a tux.

I pointed at the monkey suit. “You going somewhere?”

His cheeks colored. “Yes.”

“Where?”

He looked everywhere but at me.

“You have a date.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He waved me off and made a closer
inspection of the hole. “We’re just friends.”

Marcia. I took a few steps back and sat down hard on the
edge of a booth.

“Amy?” Ceph’s brows drew down. “What’s the matter?”

“I think I’m jealous.”

Ceph glanced at Mikayla and Zayfeer, who were taking this
all in. “Jealous? Of what, pray tell?”

“You’re an angel and a priest and yet you get to hang out
with your girlfriend and kiss her at midnight like a normal person.” They all
stared at me. “I, on the other hand,
am
a normal person and what do I
get? Nothing. Nada. My boyfriend is in Hell and purgatory central is in the
middle of my ice cream shop.”

Mikayla came to my side. “Luc’ll be back any minute.”

“Then why hasn’t he shown up already?”

Z fiddled with his sword. “Probably using a different
Hellmouth. He avoids purgatory.”

“Hellmouth?” Mikayla’s voice wobbled and her eyes cut to the
hole. “
That’s
a Hellmouth?”

Silence from both angels.

I threw my hands in the air. “Gate to the underworld,
Hellmouth. What difference does it make? Why didn’t anyone” —I gave Ceph a
pointed look— “tell me my shop was over a Hellmouth?”

My guardian angel shrugged. “Lucifer must have mentioned
this to you.”

No, he hadn’t.

Behind him, Z shook his head. “Sure, blame Luc. Hide
information from her and then make it his fault. Everything else is his fault,
right?”

Ceph shook a fist at him. “You listen here, you lying,
cheating Judas…”

“Enough.” I rose from the booth, gave Mikayla a pat on the
shoulder. She was too pale for my liking. “If you’re okay, you should go to
Keisha’s party. We’ll figure this out. Tell her I got a little tied up and I’m
not going to make it.”

“Party?” Zayfeer’s face lit up. “Can I go?”

“No,” Cephiel and I said at the same time.

I pointed at the hole. “We have to close this. Lucifer or no.”

Z bounced on his toes, watching Mikayla head to the back
room for her coat. “Cephiel can stand in for Lucifer.”

“Not so fast.” Ceph held up a hand. “We can’t simply close
the hole that God’s Mark made. There is a reason for all things, including
this.”

God could bite me. “It was a mistake. An accident.” I banged
my forehead with my palm. “This stupid thing is a curse. I want it gone.”

Cephiel’s eyes darkened. “It is
not
a curse, Amy. You
would be wise to accept its protection.”

We could argue this for eternity and neither of us would cave.
Time for a new tactic. If Ceph wanted to bring God into this, so be it. “Surely
God never intended for purgatory to be ripped open so its prisoners could go
free.”

“Well,” Zayfeer said, eyeing me. “With you standing guard,
it’s an effective form of eliminating the monsters that crawl out. You’re like the
Terminator, eliminating all evil.”

Cephiel rocked on his heels. “And yet,
you’re
still
standing.”

“Hardy, har, har. You always were a barrel of laughs,
Cephiel.”

Out of the smoke, a vampire shot out of the hole, flew
through the air and landed in front of both angels. His eyes were blood red and
he snarled, fangs extending long enough to cut his bottom lip.

“Perhaps we can at least form a net of magic,” Cephiel said,
backing up.

Mikayla returned from the back room, head bent as she tugged
on her gloves. “Are you sure you don’t need me to…”

She stopped in her tracks when she lifted her head. The
vampire sniffed the air and turned his focus on her. In two lightning-quick
strides he was in front of her, grabbing her ponytail and bending her head back
to expose her neck.

For Satan’s sake. What was with these vampires and Mikayla?

I didn’t have the ice cream scoop so I picked up a toppled
chair by two legs. “Vampira. Over here.”

He had Mikayla bent backwards with his body, his gaze zeroed
in on her neck, but he must have seen me out of the corner of his eye. Straightening
to glare at me, his head made the perfect target. I swung the back of the metal
chair, hearing a satisfying crunch when it made contact.

Mikayla dropped to the floor as the vampire’s head snapped
back like a baseball heading for the bleachers. Lucky for him, his body stayed
attached. My aim was true and the vampire ended up back at the hole, his
balance so off, he obligingly slipped and cartwheeled backwards into the
swirling cesspool.

Z peered into the smoke. “Nice job, Terminator. Or maybe I
should call you Babe Ruth.”

I set down the chair and helped Mikayla stand. She gave me a
hug and I patted her back. I kept an arm around her shoulders as I turned to my
guardian angel. “What is this about a magical net?”

Cephiel gave the smoky hole a disgusted look. “The three of
us can form a triangle around the pit and use our magic to seal the opening.”

“The
three
of us?” I pointed at my chest. “Have you
forgotten about my magic-free oath?”

Zayfeer ogled my chest area. “What’s an oath when the gate
to purgatory is open and demons are running amok?”

“What about Mikayla?” She had strong, fresh magic. “Can you
form the triangle with her?”

“Won’t work.” Ceph eyed her with disappointment. “Her magic
is too raw, too uncontrolled. This type of net will take a huge amount of magic
and three entities that know how to call it up, direct it and then shut it
down.”

Everyone turned to me and my pulse jumped. Next to my heart,
my magic did a Snoopy happy dance.

Settle down, there, Snoopy.

I could break my WA oath and use magic to close the pit or
stand there and fight monsters for God knew how long. Not exactly the way I
wanted to start the New Year.

Luc
, I called mentally.
Could really use some help
here
.

As if in response, the smoky pit burped and out came an ugly
slithering snake demon with a wingspan the width of the shop.

All of us went into attack mode, Zayfeer wielding his sword,
Cephiel his magic. I grabbed another metal chair and Mikayla snagged the broom,
muttering a spell to imbue it with magic.

The snake creature swung his head from side to side, taking
me out with one wing before the Mark could fire up. The wing cuffed Mikayla and
her broom flew through the air. Ceph didn’t have any better luck because the
snake blew fire at his face, singeing his hair and eyebrows and interrupting
whatever heavenly power Ceph was about to rain down on him.

Zayfeer hopped up on the ice cream counter, jumped on the
monster’s back and brought the sword down in the center of its head. It tried
to buck him off, and while it was distracted, I rallied Ceph and Mikayla for
another attack.

For the next three minutes, we dodged and struck and dodged
again. Finally, the Mark struck home, the monster fell back into the pit and we
all dropped to the floor, wiping snake venom from our skin and breathing as
though we’d run a marathon.

Cephiel rallied first. “Quickly.” He motioned for me and
Zayfeer to form a triangle around the pit. “We must close that hole before
another beast appears.”

“But what about my magic?”

“This is for the greater good, Amy.” He held out a hand. “You
get a free pass, okay?”

What could I do?

I reached for Cephiel’s hand.