Eve of Chaos (12 page)

Her car door
opened. Alec’s large hand extended into her view. She pulled the keys out of
the ignition and accepted his offer of help. She’d barely cleared the roofline
when she found herself pinned to the rear door by six-plus feet of hard-bodied
male.

“So I’ve been
thinking.
.
.“
Eve began.

The tengu
resumed bouncing around in her trunk.
We need to tighten things up,
he
said,
keep information strictly between me and you. Got it?

“Gotcha.”

Alec’s hands
gripped her waist, his thumbs sliding across her hipbones, his sunglasses
dangling from his fingers. “Did I hurt you?” he asked softly. “Earlier?”

Just the memory
of his power surge at the tengu building made her shiver, but she shook her
head. “I’m fine. You just took me by surprise.”

“I didn’t think
about how it might hit you.”

“Do you hear me
complaining? I think you saved us from getting jumped.”

His forehead
dropped to hers. “You’re too good for me.”

“Alec.
. .“
Her throat tightened.

“But that Dear
John speech you were talking to Abel about? It won’t fly with me either, so
save your breath.”

Eve shoved at
his shoulder. “Eavesdropper.”

He backed away,
laughing. “I’m ruthless.”

Alec reached
down through the driver’s side door for the trunk release just as her cell
phone began ringing from its spot in her cup holder. He tossed it to her. The caller
ID said only
Cal jfornia,
so Eve answered with a brisk, “Hollis.”

“Ms. Hollis.
Detective Jones of the Anaheim police Department.”

She winced at
the familiar voice. It held a bit of a twang, as if he had originated in the
South, then migrated.

The mantra of
California natives entered her mind unbidden,
Welcome to California. Now go
home.

As Alec gestured
for her to go to the truck, Eve squeezed his arm and spoke with clear
enunciation for his benelit. “Hello, Detective.”

Alec paused.

“Did I catch you
at a bad time?” Jones asked.

“I have a
minute.”

“My partner and
I stopped by your condo an hour or so ago.”

“I’m at work.”

“No, you’re
not.”

She rounded the
rear of the car. “I’m not?”

As the tengu began
pounding on the trunk lid, he asked, “What’s that noise?”

“What noise? And
why do you think I’m not at work?”

“Because we’re
sitting in your office right now.” His voice rose in volume. “Can you hear me?”

Her gaze moved
to Alec. He waited for her signal to open the trunk. “You’re here?”

“Where are you,
Ms. Hollis?”

“In the garage
of Gadara Tower.”

“We would like
to speak with you, if you have a moment.”

“Of course. I’ll
be up in ten.” She disconnected.

Alec rested his
forearms on the edge of the open door. “I have someone taking coffee and donuts
to your office.”

As convenient as
the archangels’ mental switchboard system was, Eve wasn’t sure it was worth the
headaches. Information flowed through Alec like a sieve, but not in the same
manner as it did through Reed. Handlers were stopgaps designed to alleviate the
firm leaders’ burdens. They had only twenty-one Marks to concern them; the
archangels were responsible for thousands.

“They might find
the donuts stereotypical and insulting,” she pointed out, shoving her phone
into her pocket. She hunkered down in preparation of the trunk opening.

“Good. They
should know better than to pick on my girl.” He hit the truck release.

The tengu burst
free with a squeal. Eve caught him with a grunt, but the force of the little
beast’s velocity knocked her on her ass.

“Pretty Mark!”
he cried, snapping at her with his stone teeth.

She waited until
Alec rounded the trunk. Then she threw the demon at him.

As usual, the
vast lobby of Gadara Tower was congested with many business-minded Marks and
mortals. The industrious whirring of the glass tube elevator motors and the
steady hum of numerous conversations were now familiar and soothing to Eve. She
felt safe here, cocooned from the world outside where demons ran amok.

Fifty floors
above her, a massive skylight allowed natural illumination to flood the atrium.
The gentle heat from the sun combined with the multitude of planters created a
slight humidity. It emphasized the overwhelming scent of Marks to a near suffocating
degree.

Beside her, Alec
inhaled deeply, then exhaled in a sigh of pleasure. She felt echoes of the
surge of power that hit him whenever he was in close proximity to multiple
Marks. That charge was unique to him, the original and most badass Mark of them
all. She wondered how he’d managed to remain autonomous for so long,
considering how much strength he gained when around other Marks. There was a
story there, but Alec wasn’t telling it.

As they weaved
through the crowd, Marks paused to gape at the tengu. It was their first
sighting of a masked Infernal. The ripple of unease that followed in her and
Alec’s wake was tangible. Eve hoped the advent of the mask didn’t foster too
much doubt. The last thing they needed was for frightened Marks to target
mortals by accident.

They’ll be
all right,
Alec said, shaking the
writhing tengu as admonishment to keep still.
I’ll see to it.

Eve knew he
would. His strength of conviction was powerful. She glanced at his profile and
was struck by thoughts of Batman’s nemesis Two-Face and the dual sides of
Alec’s personality. Alec killed with one hand, but worked to preserve life with
the other.

Since his
ascension to archangel, the division within him felt soul-deep to her. But
maybe he had always been so divided and she just hadn’t known it. His promotion
had come within hours of her Novium, which first established their connection.
She hadn’t had time to dig into the brain of the old Cain before he became the
new one.

They moved to a
hidden bank of elevators that descended into off-limits areas of the building.
She rarely saw her office on the forty-fifth floor. The majority of her
business in Gadara Tower was conducted in the subterranean labyrinth of floors
and corridors that housed Infernals both friendly and not.

“Pretty Mark not
so nice,” the tengu complained as they stepped into the elevator car.

“You’re one to
talk,” she scoffed. “You tried to brain me, tackle me, bite me—”

“Fun, fun!”

Eve flipped him
the bird. He stuck his stone tongue out at her.

“Cut it out,
kids,” Alec said, his dark eyes laughing.

She glared at
the speaker in the corner. “What’s with the Barry Manilow? Every time I get in
the elevator, it’s Manilow.”

“You’re just
lucky. By the way, I’m going up with you.,,

“The detectives
don’t know you work here.”

“So? It’s clear
you’re coming in off the clock. Tell ‘em it’s your day off and you forgot
something.”

She looked down
and checked herself out. Her jeans were dirty, her boots were scuffed, and her
shirt was torn at the hem.

Alec grinned.
“Your hair needs help, too.” Turning, Eve looked at her reflection in the shiny
brass of the elevator walls. Her ponytail was askew, odd loops of hair
protruded all around the top of her head, and Infernal ash concealed its
natural luster.

“Oh my god.” She
hissed as her mark burned in chastisement. “You let me go around looking like
this?”

“You’re still
hot.”

She glared at
him over her shoulder. “You suck.”

“Abel didn’t say
anything either.”

“You both suck,”
she qualified, pulling out her hair band.

I’d still do
you,
Reed said.

Gee, you ‘re
a class act,
she retorted.

The car came to
a stop and the elevator doors opened with a ding. Immediately the stench of
multiple Infernals filled her nostrils and made her nose wrinkle. A waiting area
to the right was occupied with a dozen demons of various classes, all bitching
about the wait. To the left a female werewolf sat at the receptionist’s desk.
She wore headphones and was busy filing her claws.

As Alec’s
presence became known, silence descended, but he paid them no mind. Eve,
however, was totally aware of those around them. Marks and Infernals alike
watched her warily. Sadly, it was her fellow Marks who looked at her with
malice, while the Infernals were simply curious.

Following Alec down
the hallway, Eve read the gilded lettering on the glass doors as they passed
them. There was a thin layer of smoke in the air, which—combined with the
overall decor of the place—created an old
‘50s
film noir feel. Only the
labels on the doors gave away the otherworldly purpose of the place.

When they paused
before a door that read Forensic Wiccanology in gold lettering, Eve stepped up
and knocked. The knob turned and the door swung inward, seemingly without
assistance, since no one stood at the threshold. Inside the room, the overhead
lights were out. Pendant lamps hung over various island stations, spotlighting
specific work areas but leaving the rest of the space in deep shadow.

“Eve!” The
coarse, raspy voice coming from the back of the room always reminded her of
Larry King. Eve waited for the familiar black-clad figure to emerge from the
stygian darkness.

“Hi, Hank,” she
greeted him in return. “We brought a present for you.”

But the figure
who appeared wasn’t Hank. It was a young girl with hair as white as snow and
yellow eyes like a wolf’s. She was around five and a half feet tall, slender as
a reed, and timid in the way she moved.

“Hello.” The
girl offered a shy smile. “I’m Fred.” Eve bit back a smile at the masculine
name. Hank and Fred. She was pretty sure Fred was a girl. No one knew what sex
Hank was, but Eve thought of him as a man, since he was always in male form
when speaking to her.

“Nice to meet
you, Fred,” Eve said, extending her hand.

Fred shook hands
with Eve, then looked at Alec. “Cain.”

Alec
acknowledged her with a quick, dismissive nod.

Hank stepped
into the illuminated circle created by a hanging fixture. His black-clad form
altered as he emerged from the darkness, changing from a hunchbacked crone to a
tall, dapper gentleman with flame- red hair. Hank was a chameleon, changing
form and sex to suit the client. The only things that were immutable were the
red hair, masculine smoker’s voice, and black attire.

“My new
assistant,” Hank explained. “It’s been so busy around here lately, I needed the
help. Fred is half lililhalf werewolf. Gives her great eyes and a nose for
research.”

Lilin were the
offspring of the seductress Lilith— first wife of Alec’s father, Adam, and
mother of innumerable demons. Eve had yet to run across the blonde she-bitch,
and she hoped she never did.

“Her fault it’s
so hectic,” Alec said, nudging Eve’s shoulder.

She shoved him
back.

Hank laughed.
“Can’t blame him for being right, my lovely Eve. I hear there are a large number
of Infernals in town, possibly gunning for you.”

“Because of
him,” she argued, stabbing a finger in Alec’s direction.

“Good point,”
Hank stepped closer to examine the oddly quiet little demon under Alec’s arm.
“A tengu? Fascinating. The mask hasn’t worn off. Or else they’ve managed to
create more of it.”

“That’s what I
need you to find out,” Alec said. “Also why this one’s so aggressive.”

“Traitors,” the
tengu hissed, glaring at both Hank and Fred.

Fred snorted.
Hank laughed. “My theory is that his behavior is a side effect of the mask.
Over the course of my experiments, I’ve discovered that the infusion of Mark
blood and bone doesn’t sit well with Infernals over an extended period of time.
I’ll examine this fellow and see if I can prove it definitively.”

“Keep me
posted,” Alec said.

“Of course.”
Hank looked at Eve. “It looks like he did a number on you.”

“He had
friends,” she grumbled, dusting off her jeans with her hands.

Hank faced Alec
and altered into a Jessica Rabbit look-alike in a Morticia Addams dress. “I
have also been playing with reversing the mask.”

Eve perked up.
“Would it make Marks blend with mortals?”

“It should make
Marks smell like demons.”

“Eww.
.

Hank shifted
back into his masculine form. “However, so far I’ve only been able to make
demons smell like Marks.”

“Yikes.”

“Destroy that
recipe,” Alec ordered.