I ran after the truck. It was moving faster than I could run, but I kept trying to keep it in sight. I rounded the corner, following the truck around the turn. I was losing ground. It was at least a half-mile ahead of me now.
“No,” I screamed as it disappeared, but I didn’t stop running.
I headed toward the spot where the truck disappeared. Maybe it was a portal—a way out. Something. As I drew closer, a force pulled me in.
Please don’t drop me back in Hell, Montana
.
Eight
The trip back took only seconds. I was drawn through and propelled out the other side of the hedge.
“Yes!” I jumped into the air, then immediately slapped my hand over my mouth.
I waited a minute to make sure I wasn’t heard. I breathed a sigh of relief when no one came bursting around the corner.
I brushed myself off and took out my phone. Mentally crossing my fingers, I hit the power button. A minute later the home screen appeared. The battery indicator flashed yellow, but at least it was working. Breathing a sigh of relief, I powered off the phone to save the battery and dropped it back into my bag.
Someone cackled, drawing my attention back to the hedge. The chortle had come from the other side. I took a few steps back, looking in both directions. Crap. The hedge appeared endless. Tilting my head up, I frowned. Climbing over the thirty-plus-foot hedge wasn’t going to happen, and I sure as hell wasn’t walking back through it. There had to be a way around.
Another burst of laughter pierced the silence. I had to find a way around that didn’t involve going through the hedge, which might drop me back into Hell, Montana—no thank you. I would have said it was impossible to cross the thick, gnarled foliage if I hadn’t just done it, but there was no way I’d risk another chance to be stuck in that trap. Using my new ability, I closed my eyes and stepped outside my body. I barely felt anything as I transitioned to my disembodied form.
I thought of the other side, the side I’d originally been pushed through the hedge from, and blinked there.
A harem of drunken maidens was dancing and lounging around as a band of minstrels played music for Charles’s court. Expensive oriental carpets and huge fluffy pillows were strewn under a large awning. He sat high above the melee on an elaborate gilded throne. The scowl on his face was unbecoming. He lifted his chin, putting his nose high in the air. As a maiden dared touch him, he jerked his hand away, throwing her off.
She didn’t seem to mind. The same way Cinnamon hadn’t minded earlier. Were they all under his spell?
My eyes widened as I recognized the woman. Cinnamon. She twirled around as if she were high. Her blonde hair was pulled up into an almost comical style—a massive beehive of curls and flowers—and she was wearing a
toga
.
I focused on Cinnamon and blinked my presence closer to her location. She was making a fool of herself, but clearly didn’t seem to mind. His spell was strong, but how did she let herself get trapped? And how was he keeping her under his spell?
I spotted the demon woman, who’d helped Cinnamon into the house earlier, heading toward Charles. I studied her. Her long dark hair was down, but the indigo streak was still prominent among the ebony waves. Her sundress was gone. She wore black pants and
a
casual cotton top.
“Is the girl still with us?” she asked.
Charles narrowed his eyes. “Why do you wish to know?”
Indigo lowered her head. “I was just curious if I should expect another at dinner tonight.”
He snorted. “No, she’s already left.”
“Very well. I’ll be in town for a few hours. I’ll return before dinner.”
“You may go.” He waved his hand, shooing her away.
Indigo left the courtyard. Did she believe Charles? If not, would she call The Boss?
Probably not
. She had to know Charles was manipulating Cinnamon. She was clearly helping to keep Cinnamon here. The Boss wouldn’t appreciate her role; therefore, she wouldn’t draw attention to herself by telling him about me, but then why had she asked?
I tried again to place her. Given my role, she had to know who I was from the office—unless she didn’t know me at all. Could she be working for the double?
Were the quads next on my double’s hit list?
Was this why Omar told me to visit them?
To save them?
Cinnamon’s peal of laughter drew my attention. She needed my help either way.
I headed back toward the hedge. I scanned the foliage and found an opening about twenty meters down from where I’d been shoved through earlier.
I opened my eyes and drew back into my body. I reached out my hand to steady myself, but the sensation was barely noticeable this time.
I eyed the watch, but my handy compass wasn’t moving. “Let’s go,” I said.
Staring at the unmoving hands, I considered what had made it work before. Nothing, it just started giving directions in the cell. No. It first went crazy on the road.
“Which way,” I said, remembering the command I’d unknowingly given it before.
The watch hands spun. I focused my eyes, zeroing in on the hands, which stopped and pointed right. I walked until the hand moved left. The hedge in front of me appeared as thick and gnarled as the rest, but if the watch was directing me forward, there had to be something there. Maybe it was a hidden door, like the brick wall to Cinnamon’s compound.
I stretched out my hand and walked forward. I expected to run into the hedge or pass through a threshold, but I didn’t. There wasn’t anything there except a small corridor between two identical hedge walls. The thickly gnarled hedge was only an optical illusion. No magic needed.
I followed the watch’s directions until I reached the opening on the other side. I cautiously approached the exit, but wanted to scream when Cinnamon called my name.
She’d spotted me and wasted no time announcing my presence to the others. “Claire, darling,” she squealed. “What are you doing here?”
When I looked at Charles, his eyes were wide. He stepped from his throne and stalked toward me. He barreled past Cinnamon, who was tripping over herself to reach me.
She recovered from being shoved. “Oh, Charles, this is my father’s assistant, Claire.”
I moved away from the hedge. I didn’t want him to throw me back in.
“Yes, we met earlier today,” he said dryly.
Earlier today. I must not have been in the Maze as long as I thought. I stiffened when Charles stopped in front of me given that he was close enough to touch me. I lurched back. He inched forward. I took another step and slammed into one of the sentries.
Charles was inches from my face. He smelled of
sweet
lilac and eucalyptus. The compulsion was stronger now. It was so thick around me I could barely breathe. I was afraid to willingly touch him. The power he had over Cinnamon appeared to intensify when she touched him.
He smiled at my reluctance to push him away. “I’m not sure how you made it out of the maze, but you can’t resist me forever.” He leaned in.
His power crashed against me, as if the spell were a physical force. “Back the fuck off jackass, I’m not going to touch you.”
“Are you sure about that?” He licked his lips, parting them as if he might try to kiss me. He was arrogant and cocky and nothing like the kind of man Cinnamon dated.
I swallowed, pressing against the guard at my back. A second later Cinnamon not so gracefully snorted and clumsily toppled into Charles.
He stumbled, shoving me at the sentry. Furious, Charles snarled and pushed himself away. His touch sent a surge of power crashing over my entire body. It shot through me like a bolt of lightning, and I howled at the jolt of pain.
In the time it took to blink, the spell wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. As it took hold, pain became love. I loved Charles. I’d die if I couldn’t have him. I stretched out my hand to stroke down his long luscious body, but he spun toward Cinnamon—ignoring me.
My eyes widened with outrage. That bitch couldn’t have him. He was mine. I lunged forward ready to attack. I stopped when a sharp pain bent me double as the spell unraveled, taking the agony as it fell away.
I straightened. Any good feelings I had for Charles were gone.
How
? The whammy. The reversal happened the same way in the Maze, from bake sale to dull reality. With Charles, one minute I’m willing to kill for his love, the next I’m seeing his true form and hating him. Magic nulling? Another new ability?
My eyes focused on Charles. His veil was gone too; only the demon remained.
“You idiot,” he spat, shoving Cinnamon away.
Oblivious to his anger, she scurried forward to the dancing maidens.
Charles rounded on me. He smelled of fire and brimstone, all sweetness gone.
“I can see you,” I warned.
His expression changed into a smug scowl. He glanced back at Cinnamon, who was dancing and twirling near us. “You’ll never convince her.”
He was right. Cinnamon was still trapped by the illusion, and he wasn’t going to let either of us walk out of here. She needed to wake up from la-la-land and take control of the situation.
Wake up. Yeah
. That was exactly what she needed to do. The man in the Maze—he’d said I’d woken him. Could de-spelling her be that simple? Did I have that power? The man from the Maze seemed to think so.
Would it work every time? What if there were consequences? Did I care if there were consequences?
The weight of the sentry’s hands pressed on my shoulders. Charles sneered. He didn’t see me as a threat. The sentry’s hands tightened. I looked up into his eyes; they were empty. Was he under the same spell? Purposefully I touched his hand. A tiny static shock went between us. The same had happened in Hell, Montana. I gasped when his eyes rolled back, and he dropped to the ground like a stone.
I stood there gaping for a moment, then remembered something similar happening to the man in the Maze.
“What the hell?” Charles blurted, eyeing the sentry’s crumpled body.
Cinnamon was only a few feet away. I darted around Charles and ran for her.
“Come, Claire,” she said. “Come dance with me.”
I reached for her.
She stretched out her hand, then whipped it back and spun around laughing.
Ugh
. Could she at least help me save her?
“Come, join me Claire.”
I took another step forward. Charles spun on his heels and grabbed me before I could get to her. I struggled to wrench away, but he was stronger. He growled, yanking me closer. I twisted back toward Cinnamon.
“Cinnamon,” I snapped, getting her attention. “Dance with me,” I begged, stretching out my hand for her.
Her face lit up. She stopped spinning long enough to move near my outstretched hand. Charles’s grip tightened, but before he could drag me back, I lunged. Our fingertips brushed lightly, and a small static charge passed between us.
Charles jerked me around to face him.
Cinnamon’s body hit the ground behind me with a thud.
Charles’s shocked gaze landed on me. “What are you?” he muttered.
Sadly, I didn’t know anymore. “I’m the Devil’s assistant,” I said, as if that explained it—but it didn’t. These abilities were new. I was different. How much different—I had no clue.
The vein on the side of his neck pulsed. His nails dug into my arm. I ignored him.
The sentry was standing, rubbing the back of his neck. His wide-eyed stare was confused and scared as it flitted around the courtyard.
Charles was oblivious to the man’s distress. He shoved me at the confused sentry. “Take her to the dungeon,” Charles barked.
The sentry’s eyes were fearful. I don’t think he knew what to do.
“Run,” I commanded, nodding at the front gate.
He studied the gates for a second then took off. He didn’t get far before Charles threw his will at the fleeing sentry. Several maidens screamed as the guard went flying through the air, crashing into the minstrels.
Another sentry hurried forward, but before Charles could give him an order, his body was thrown several feet away.
I spun around and saw Cinnamon. Her eyes, normally blue, were an impossible black. The power she wielded crackled around her.
“You certainly know how to make an entrance, Claire.” She sneered, although I was fairly sure her anger was directed at Charles, not me. “You’ve had your fun, but it’s my turn now.”
Fun. Was she serious? “You’re welcome,” I said sarcastically.
She ignored me. Her gaze was fixed on Charles, who was visibly trembling. He took a step back, then froze, his body going rigid. Raising her hand, she lifted him off the ground with her will.
She grimaced as she glanced down at herself. “A toga—you made me wear a
toga
?” Cinnamon threw him without remorse across the courtyard. He crashed into his gilded throne with a loud thunk, destroying it in the process. “Claire, you can go. Tell my father I’m going to be busy for a few days. His request will need to wait.”
“But I need to speak with you. Ju—”
She silenced me with her will before I could tell her Junior was dead. “Go now before I change my mind.”
Furious at her dismissive attitude, I marched to the exit, ready to get the hell out of Purgatory. She couldn’t exactly help me, not that she would, and I still had to see the others.
The large doors to the garden slammed behind me, ending her hold over my voice. The sky was darker now, although the moon still shown bright.
I took out my phone and prayed it would power on and the battery wasn’t completely dead. After a few tense seconds the screen flickered to life. Thankfully, I was back in China, but the yellow battery indicator still flashed.
I had no way to charge my phone. I had to hope it would hold on for a while longer.
I found Mike’s card and dialed the otherworldly taxi service. As I expected, the dispatcher seemed uncertain about my request. I assured him Mike said he would return and reminded him I was a good tipper. Reluctantly, the dispatcher agreed to send Mike. I ended the call and immediately powered off the phone.