Inn on the Edge (27 page)

Valerian took off his mittens and rubbed his hands together.
Then he put them on again, stalling for time. Finally he spoke. “Actually, yes.
It does mean something. After this honeymoon week is over, Mr. Abiba will start
to age again. He’ll get weak. His hair will fall out. He’ll fade. We think it’s
his life force seeping out of him. Eventually he’ll be forced to start his
aging cycle all over again, with fresh young couples. In four years.”

“Every four years,” added Zora. “Get it? His inn only
operates every four years.”

“Fucking shit,” said Josh.

“What
is
he?” I said under my breath.

Only someone who loves you very much.

“He needs these weeks,” Valerian said. “It’s a matter of
survival for him.”

“You should’ve see him before you arrived!” said Zora, “He
looked ghastly.”

“He doesn’t anymore,” I said.

“Exactly,” said Zenith, nodding.

Valerian continued from where he’d left off. “Mr. Abiba
plans this, all of it, down to the last detail. He chooses a location. He
designs and builds a new inn. He casts his net wide, looking for newlyweds. This
time, he placed an ad on the internet.”

“Yes,” said Zenith. “He chooses his victims from the people
who respond.”

Josh was staring straight ahead, his jaw working. “The
internet…
fuck!
”

Valerian looked at Josh as if he knew exactly how he felt.
He probably did. “Mr. Abiba works hard at it. He plans activities. Makes up new
games. Creates Tools for his guests. It’s his whole life, preparing for these
special weeks.”

“What else goes on during the downtime?” Josh asked after a
moment. “There has to be more.”

Vane shrugged. “Well, we don’t know exactly. He sends us
back home—back to our real lives.”

“Really?” I said, aghast. “He lets you go?”

Zora nodded. “Yes. He puts us on standby, until we’re
recalled four years later for the next go around…”

“When we are compelled to return,” said Zenith.

“But we all
wanted
to, in case you’re wondering,”
said Valerian. “We couldn’t wait.”

“We even showed up a couple of weeks early for boot camp,”
said Vane.

“Boot camp?” Josh asked.

Zenith tossed her hair, more animated now. “Um, yeah.
Specialized training, you might say.”

“He introduces us to his new Tools. Shows us how to use
them,” said Vane. He rubbed his cheek, exchanged a quick glance with Zenith.
“Um. It’s…rather fun, actually.”

“Yep,” said Valerian.

“And he teaches us master classes in what he calls the
erotic
arts
,” said Zora, licking her lips, glancing at the other Guides.

I do indeed. And what lovely classes they are!

The Guides squirmed in their chairs, remembering.

Angie, my love. Do you not wish to learn the erotic arts?
I have ever so much to teach you.

I squirmed too, feeling as if I might throw up.

“What happens when your time as Guides is over?” Josh said.
“I mean, when he doesn’t…want you anymore?”

Zora was the one who finally answered. “We don’t know
exactly.”

“Oh,” Josh said, looking as if he wished he hadn’t asked.

I bit my lip, wondering. Zora and Valerian had been around
the longest. What would happen to them when Mr. Abiba had Josh and me all
trained up and ready to go? Did Mr. Abiba ever use more than four Guides at a
time? Somehow I didn’t think so. Zora hadn’t been feeling well. Mr. Abiba had
shouted at Valerian for being too slow, not to mention his fury with him in the
ghost town. My God. Would Mr. Abiba let them go back to their old lives,
knowing what they knew about his…operation? He wouldn’t send them over the edge,
would he?

“What’s Zettia’s story?” Josh asked, a transparent attempt
to change the subject.

Valerian picked up his pen, twirled it in his fingers, put
it down again. “We don’t know her very well. She’s been with Mr. Abiba for a
long time. Um…what else do we know? He calls her his consort, whatever that
means.” He looked at his wife. “Zora thinks she has something on him.”

Zora always was an observant little thing.

“Would Zettia help us, do you think?” Josh asked.

Absolutely not! My Zettia would be of no use to you
whatsoever. None. Forget her.

I picked up my pen and wrote the name
Zettia
on the
blank piece of paper sitting in front of me. Then I underlined it. For some
reason, Josh’s question had caught my attention and I was suddenly very
interested in Zettia. Who was she? Was she tired of being Mr. Abiba’s consort?
Was she a potential ally? But then I stared at what I’d written, having second
thoughts. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea after all. We couldn’t approach her—it
would be far too dangerous. She might be firmly under his influence. She could
tell him our escape plans. How would we know? She was too much of an enigma. I
scribbled over her name and put my pen down.

“She might help us,” said Vane.

“But she might turn us in just as easily,” said Zenith,
echoing my own thoughts.

I put my hands down flat on the table. “I don’t think we can
risk it.”

The bonfire crackled and popped, an incongruously cheerful
sound.

“I tend to agree,” said Valerian. He stood up and gazed out
the cave’s entrance. “Look, it’s starting to snow.”

I shivered, even with all my warm clothes.

“We have to move on to the serious business,” said Josh. “We
need to hit those books over there. But I have one more question first, if you
don’t mind.” He rubbed his mittened hands together. “It’s kind of personal.
What I don’t understand, and please don’t be upset by this, is why you’ve never—”

“Why we’ve never tried to escape?” said Valerian quickly,
interrupting him. “Why we’ve never joined forces against Mr. Abiba? Is that
what you want to know?”

Josh gave a slight nod. I did too.

Valerian’s face was turning red. His short hair looked as if
it was standing on end. A vein throbbed in his forehead. “Because…” He closed
his eyes, took a deep breath, lowered his voice. “We used to like being around
him. We loved it here. Who wouldn’t?”

“Let’s be clear. We loved
him
, in the beginning,”
said Zora.

“Still do, sometimes,” admitted Vane.

“And when we didn’t anymore,” continued Valerian, “when we
realized things weren’t as rosy as they seemed, that he was
using
us,
draining us of our life force, it was too late.”

“Yes,” said Vane, quietly. “It’s always too late with Mr.
Abiba.”

“He’s too powerful,” said Zenith, clutching her hand,
frowning. “He does what he wants with us.”

“Look at
me
!” cried Valerian, plucking at his jacket.
“Look at
Zora
! We’re just about washed up, aren’t we? Only four days
into it this time around, and we’re exhausted. Zora’s sick. Hell, I could
barely get it up with poor Angie.”

“It wasn’t you,” I said quietly.

“It
was
me, but thank you anyway,” he said. Then he
emitted the most heartbreaking sigh I’ve ever heard. “You want to know why
we’ve never fought back, Josh? It’s simple. When we realized what was
happening, he already had us. If you haven’t noticed, Mr. Abiba is a master
manipulator.”

“Valerian, they’ve met him,” Zora said, patting him on the
knee. “They know what he’s like.”

“Why now?” I asked.

“Like I told you last night in my note,” said Zenith,
leaning forward, her Burnt Sienna hair catching glints of Quinacridone Gold
from the fire, “he’s losing his grip. Going crazy. Well…maybe crazy isn’t the
right word. He’s going power-mad. He’s doing cruel things—crueler than usual,
anyway.” She waved her hand in the air. “Like this. He would never have hurt me
like this before.”

“We’re terrified,” said Vane.

Valerian put his hand on top of Zora’s. “We are too.”

“Who knows what he’s capable of?” whispered Zenith.

Vane caught an escaped hair from Zenith’s ponytail and
tucked it back in. “Yes. What if Mr. Abiba is escalating? What if a week every
four years is no longer enough?”

“What if he decides we should be with him permanently?” said
Valerian.

“What if he…” whispered Zora, looking at us each in turn.

I sat up straight in my chair, my knee bouncing uncontrollably,
knowing what was coming.

“What if he shoves the whole lot of us over the edge?”

That horrible thought put an abrupt end to the conversation.

Vane noisily pushed back his chair. “That’s why we’re here,
isn’t it? Hey, Angie. Does this dragon cave of yours have a bathroom?” He
didn’t wait for an answer, which was just as well since I had no idea if it had
or hadn’t. He took off to explore the far reaches of the cavern. A moment later
he was back, after peeing from the cave’s entrance.

In a moment of lucidity I wondered where that pee would end
up back in the real world. On the carpet? On our bed? On the landing by the
North Tower’s front door? Or maybe it wouldn’t leave storyland at all.

Whatever. It didn’t matter.

I went to the bookshelf. There were well over a hundred
books crammed into it, thin ones and fat ones, tall ones and short ones, even a
set of tiny handmade booklets stitched together with fraying linen thread. Some
volumes seemed old beyond imagining, with cracked, fragile pages. Others looked
as if they could have come from the local bookstore, paperbacks that wouldn’t
have been out of place on my own bookshelf. I ran my fingers over spine after
spine, leaning over to peer at their fascinating titles, wondering which one to
study first. Would
Zagoff’s Guide to Everything, Volume Seventeen
be
more helpful than
Aunt Lilith Is Not a Monster
? How about
One Hundred
Spells Your Father Never Knew
? Or the beautifully illustrated
Our
Favorite Demons
? Maybe the heavy, thick-as-a-dictionary
The Universe
Within—Explained and Explored
would be just what I was looking for?I
picked up
The Lost Incantations of Mesopotamia
, then put it back again.

So many. So many. I wondered whether I would even begin to understand
what was in them.

Perhaps, my love. With me to guide you. Otherwise it will
be so much gibberish.

I stood aside, frowning slightly as Josh carefully pulled
the oldest-looking volume from the uppermost shelf, a frail thing with peeling
covers, a split spine and a musty smell. He held the book together with both
hands so the pages wouldn’t flutter to the ground. The cover said simply
Encyclopedia
Satanica
. “This one. I’m going with this one. Ancient is good, right?”

“Who knows?” I said, shrugging.

A small book with a leather cover of deepest Alizarin
Crimson caught my eye. I pulled it out and approved of the title—
Angel or
Demon.
I took the book to the table and ran my fingers over its
buttery-textured red cover. “You know, everybody,” I said slowly, over the
crackling of the fire, “we have several tasks to do here. We should split up
the jobs, yes?”

Valerian turned from the bookcase, where he was replacing a
very fat, very heavy book. “Absolutely.”

“First, there’s Mr. Abiba,” I said. “We need to figure out
exactly what he is so we know what we’re dealing with. I’ll work on that that.”

“I’ll help,” volunteered Valerian.

“Thanks. Second, there’s the matter of the…um,
magic
.”
It felt weird saying that word out loud, making it concrete by giving voice to it.
Magic. That such a thing actually existed sent shivers down my back. “Who will
look at the magical aspects?”

“Me,” said Josh. “If it’s a spell he has us under, there
must be a way to break it. I’ll try to find a way to free us.”

“I will too,” said Zora.

“Number three…” I started, but my voice died in my throat.
Mr. Abiba was speaking to me again.

My, my, my. Quite the little leader, aren’t we?

“Number three,” I repeated loudly, doing my best to ignore
him. “We have to—”

Hush, my dear. Just look how they follow you! See how
they hang on your every word! Nice, isn’t it? Why, a person might become
accustomed to such attention.

I frowned, shook my head, mumbled something incoherent.

Do you think I might have had something to do with it,
with the way they’re being so accommodating? Do you suppose I might have
whispered in their ears? Told them to listen to you? Suggested that they follow
your advice? Do you suppose?

He was mocking me.

Josh has chosen well, I see. The
Encyclopedia
Satanica
.

He sighed dramatically.

My poor Joshua. He doesn’t know to be careful with that
tome. The encyclopedia has been known to generate the most unbearable frights
in the unwary. But then again, it is one of my favorite references. Joshua will
find useful information in the section called “Radiances, Glamours and
Blights”. Perhaps you ought to suggest he take a look? Are you paying
attention, my love?

I was doing my very best not to. And failing.

He laughed.

I had to get rid of him. Perhaps I could talk to him the
same way he was talking to me. Silently, mind to mind. I furiously zoned in on
the voice in my head, trying to match its ethereal quality, doing my best to
copy the peculiar pitch and tenor of the words.

I don’t want your help! Go away! Get out of my head!
I
screamed silently, pushing my thoughts at him as hard as I could, flinging them
at him with so much force it made my head hurt.
Leave us alone! You
promised!

The laughter stopped abruptly.

Telepathy? You?

Silence.

Telepathy. What an unexpected development! You send me
swooning, oh love of mine! But beware, Angela Taylor. Telepathy comes at a high
cost. Especially for one as unschooled as you. Be careful, my love. Be very,
very careful.

Shooting pains zapped from one side of my head to the other,
making me gasp. The telepathy? Was the telepathy making me feel that way? I
stared at
Angel or Demon
on the table in front of me, unable to read.
The words wavered in and out of focus for several long moments. The flickering
light from the candelabra jabbed at my eyes, making me blink, causing rolling
waves of pain to shoot through my head. I felt unbalanced, unsteady. In fact I
was about to tip over and crash to the floor. I leaned over the table, resting
my head on my arms.

Josh stared at me, his eyebrows raised. “Angie? Are you
okay? What were you going to say?”

“What? Oh, sorry.” I rubbed my temples, took a deep breath.
The pain was getting better. Slowly. “I don’t recall, exactly.”

“You were splitting up tasks for us. So we don’t all search
the books for the same thing, remember?” He narrowed his eyes. “What’s the
matter? You looked like you were going to faint just then.”

I sat up again, feeling better. My head was almost back to
normal. “A bout of light-headedness, I guess. It passed. I was talking about
tasks, huh?”

“You were on the third thing.”

I nodded. “Yes. Give me a second. I remember now, I just
have to put it into words.”

“Well?” said Valerian, not waiting a second. “What is it?”

I met his gaze, taking my time, letting the final pains
shoot weakly through my head and disappear. I chose my words carefully. “All
right. The third thing is research. We should learn how to fight Mr. Abiba—or
his kind—directly. See what his vulnerabilities are. Find out how to get rid of
him.”

“
Kill
him?” asked Zora, wide-eyed.

Valerian nodded soberly. He was holding
Our Favorite
Demons
to his chest. “If we have to. Yes.”

Zora steadied herself by holding on to the bookshelf. “I
don’t know. It’s hard, you know? Even after all this…after everything he’s
done…”

Zenith held her once-injured hand to her chest. “I could.”

“But we might not have to,” said Vane. “We might be able to
send him back to where he came from. Banish him. Whatever. There might be
something in one of these books that’ll tell us how.” He stared at the
bookshelf, frowning. “I’ll look for it.”

Zenith sighed. “And me.”

Josh tapped his book. A puff of dust rose from it, making
him sneeze. “Anything else, Angie? I’d like to get to work.”

I looked at them in turn, thinking how unexpected it was
that they were all turning to me for direction at this critical juncture and
how naturally the role fit.
Me
, guiding the Guides! I studied their dear
faces, remembering the lovemaking I’d shared with each of them…with energetic
Vane, tiny, bouncy Zora, muscular Valerian, and Zenith—wonderful, kind Zenith.
And of course my very own Josh, who was funny and gifted and caring and the
person I loved most in all the world. Finally I shook my head. “No. I can’t
think of anything.” Then I frowned. Perhaps there
was
something else?
“Wait! Josh. I think you ought to look up something called…um…
radiances
.
There might be a chapter about them in your book. Look it up, will you?” I let
my gaze rest on the
Encyclopedia Satanica
,wondering why it
seemed somehow dangerous. “Okay. Now I’ve finished.”

“Fine,” Josh said, already leafing through the book. “If
it’s here I’ll find it.”

Quiet now, we pulled off our mittens and settled in with our
chosen books.

Pages turned. The fire popped and crackled. Snow fell
heavily outside.

I switched books.
The Illustrated Guide to Demons
might have potential. I was only ten minutes into it when I sighed, irritated.
The book was shockingly difficult to read, with small print and convoluted,
archaic language. Not user-friendly at all. The demons all had foreign-sounding
names. And where were the promised illustrations?

There were Edimmu and Choronzon and Shedim. There were
Lilin, the night spirits. There were angel demons that slept with human women,
such as Azazel and the Nephilim. The sex demons, the Incubi and Succubi, had entire
chapters devoted to them, which excited me—progress—until I found myself caught
up in lists of names and dates and who was the half-human offspring of which
particular demon, and whether said child had inherited any magical aptitude
from his or her demon parent. Horrible, boring stuff that made my eyes water
and try to close in protest.

I needed answers! The book was a waste of time. I reshelved
it.

Where was the picture of Mr. Abiba? Where was the
description of our own personal demon and the instructions on how to vanquish
him? In which book? Where could I find it? I stared at the rows of books,
frowning and shifting from foot to foot. Too much time was passing. We had a
bookshelf full of reference material but it wasn’t getting us anywhere. I narrowed
my eyes. Were these books nothing but an elaborate distraction? Could it be?

But there wasn’t anything else to do, so I chose another.
Demons
in the Mist
. At least the title was mildly humorous.

Zora switched books. So did Vane.

More pages turned. Valerian served himself a bowl of beef
stew. Zenith chose another book. The candles on the candelabra flickered. The
one in front of me guttered and smoked and had to be replaced.

And then I found something interesting. Very interesting.
“Listen to this, everyone!”

Five pairs of anxious eyes gazed expectantly at me.

I held up
Demons in the Mist
. “Everyone’s heard of an
Incubus, right? A male sex demon?”

“Yeah,” said Zora, “but Mr. Abiba isn’t an Incubus. He never
actually
has
sex
with any of us.”

“Right,” I said, trying to slow my heartbeat, “he’s not an
Incubus. So what is he? According to this book, there are several sub-types of
Incubus.” I frowned. “I mean Incubusses. Or is it Incubi? Whatever. There’s
something called a Dander Devil
.
And something else called a…let’s see…a
Night Spirit. And a truly horrible thing called a Barbed He-Banshee.” I paused.
“But I think our Mr. Abiba is…an Amorous Demon!”

Valerian let out a slow breath. “Amorous? An
Amorous
Demon? There’s such a thing? It seems like such a contradiction.”

“It does, doesn’t it? But the description,” I tapped the
book, “sounds just like him. Mr. Abiba
is
a walking contradiction! Kind
and caring one moment, and a monster the next. Right? You know what I mean. Let
me read what it says.” I skimmed the page and found the bit I wanted to quote.

“
He is characterized by his dual nature. The Amorous
Demon’s grand legacy is his generosity, his kindness to those who do not oppose
him, his boundless capacity to love and his skill in engendering adoration for
himself in those he cherishes. By all accounts he is a proper gentleman who
delights in the finer things in life. He is, however, also famous for his
dreadful temper and his bouts of unprovoked cruelty.
”

“That’s him all right,” said Josh.

“Is there more?” asked Zora, leaning forward.

I shook my head. “That’s it. It goes right on to the next
sub-type. Sorry.”

Valerian opened his book. “At least we have a name to put on
him.”

“Yep,” said Josh.

“Amorous Demon,” said Zenith. She made it sound like a
curse.

So now you know. Touché
.

The voice in my head sounded surprised.

“So now…we know,” I said slowly, not surprised at all.
Feeling better than I had all day, I went back to
Demons in the Mist.

Only two or three minutes passed before the next discovery.
It was Zora. “Look!” she said. She held her book open wide—
Potions and
Poultices and Poisons
—and turned it around for us all to see. “Our yellow
flowers!”

“That’s them all right,” said Zenith.

I studied the picture. “They sure are. Right down to the
Cadmium Orange stamens.”

“What does it say?” asked Valerian, leaning forward.

Zora turned the book around again, reading. “They’re a mild
agent that…let me see…blocks undesired glamours. And other things. It’s a long
entry.”

“What’s a glamour?” asked Vane.

Josh sat up with a start. “Hey, I can answer that!” He was
still studying the
Encyclopedia Satanica
. “I read about radiances, like
Angie suggested, and came across something called a glamour. Just a minute.”
Josh turned pages until he found what he was looking for. His fingers skimmed
the entry. “They’re a type of spell that makes the recipient think certain
things are…richer. More intense. Better than they really are.”