The Book Waitress Series Volume One (21 page)

He frowned and swiped away a stray curl that had been tickling her cheek. “Are you okay?”

Stunned, she had no voice, only the softest of whispers. “You…you made the burn go away. How did you do that? Just what kind of demon are you?”

“I’m an ice demon. If I will it, my touch can freeze anything. It’s how I killed for Satan.”

“If you will it. I see.” She nibbled at her bottom lip, considering how easily it could have been to be turned to ice. “Did you know that blood freezes at minus two or three degrees Celsius and water freezes at zero degrees Celsius. And blood is about fifty percent water, but as you can see, since there’s another fifty percent of other stuff, it takes a lower temperature to make it freeze.”

He cocked his head to the side like a puppy dog and scrunched his eyebrows. “No, I didn’t know that.”

She detangled from his embrace and scooted over to lean against the bed.
Why did this have to happen now? Why couldn’t my social awkwardness have been left in that damned baptismal pool?
“I’m sorry. Don’t mind me. When I get nervous, I tend to spew random facts about whatever it is we’re talking about. I’ll try to keep it to a minimum, however, I can’t guarantee you won’t learn something here and again.”

“I don’t mind. It’s good to learn something other than another way to kill someone.”

“The implications of what you’ve done for me are monumental.” She rested her elbows on top of her knees and held her forehead in her hands.

“Mind telling me what just happened? I mean, you lit up like a disco ball, and the pain you had to have been experiencing I’ve only ever seen in people who were being tortured by my colleagues, and now they’re dead. But none of those demons are here and you’re very much alive.”

“Long story short? I was kidnapped by a satanic cult, carved up like a jack o’ lantern, and meant to be sacrificed to open a portal to Hell. Well, it didn’t work completely. My boyfriend, Derek, saved me from being sacrificed, but not before the portal opened. These carvings are like an alert system whenever another demon or creature crosses through it. When you caught me, I was sacrificing myself to
close
the portal. Since I’m not there, it’s still open, and I’m still feeling the bastards.”

“How long have you lived like this?” He shook his head and huffed. “I don’t think I could’ve withstood that over and over again, and I’ve been through unmentionable torture.”

“This is rather new for me. It’s been a couple of weeks now. I have a costume of sorts I constructed out of a scuba diving suit and icy gel packs. The packs have to be exchanged every so often. Curious, though, just before I went to sacrifice myself, they had turned less and less effective. You…you are a miracle.”

He let out a sardonic laugh and slapped his thigh. “Miracle? Usually, I’m more like a death sentence!”

“Well, you’re a miracle to me, Synn.” She smiled, hoping to convey her sincerity. “But now, you’ve gotta take me home.”

“Are you sure you wanna go? You have no idea what The Boss has in mind for you. You go back, and he can get his claws in ya a lot sooner than if you hide out in different places.”

“I’ve gotta get back and let people know I’m alive. We’d just begun to work on a plan to end this siege. We were about to prepare charmed weapons to kill… well, your kind. Sorry. We have relics we must find and bring back from all over the world in order to close the portal. We have a lot of work to do, and I have to see this thing through to the end, whatever that ‘end’ is.”

“I’ll take you back, then. I’m not happy about it. But I won’t hold you against your will. I’m, uh, trying to turn over a new leaf, I guess you’d say. Ain’t gonna be easy, but I’m done with my other way of life, so….” He got up and walked over to where she sat and extended his hands to her. “Here, let me give you a hand up.”

“Thanks. I like the way you’re thinking. You’ve given yourself a second chance at making a positive life for yourself.” She reached up and grabbed ahold, hoisting herself up to stand. “Let’s just hope we’re able to keep this place out of Satan’s clutches so you can enjoy it.”

Chapter Two

Derek sat, soaking wet, leaning against the well. He’d never been at a loss for what to do in crisis situations, and there had been many during his storied investigative reporting career. But this time, he didn’t know where to begin. What should he do? He’d jumped back in the well, hoping Satan would come for him, so he could ask him to give Camille back. He’d been down there fifty or so times throughout the night into the next day, and no doorway appeared, no glimmering light illuminated the highway to Hell, no nothing. The whole thing reeked.

So, he sat there, staring off into space, numb.

“Hello? Derek? Camille? Anybody?” A familiar voice called to him. Not the one he hoped for. “Oh! There you are! Jesus, I wondered where you were. Couldn’t find you inside. Couldn’t find Camille either.” Mallory walked over to him and stopped short about ten feet away. “What happened to you? Why are you soaking wet? Fall into the well or something?” She took a long drag off her cigarette and sent up smoke signals with her chuckling.

“She’s gone.”

“Huh?”

“Camille. She jumped in the well. I…I…I tried to get her to stop but she wouldn’t. She jumped in the well, I couldn’t reach her in time, and she’s gone and I don’t know how to get her back. How do we get her back, Mal?”

“Oh, dear Lord in heaven.” She muttered, threw her butt down and stomped on it with her Doc Maarten’s, grounding it into the soil. “Son of a bitch. I don’t know, bud. But sitting there soaking wet isn’t gonna do you any good. Come on. Arnie’s unloading the car. Let’s get you cleaned up and dry. Then we’ll talk about what to do next.”

He didn’t say anything, lost in the shock of it all, but he allowed her to pull him up and walk him into the library, straight into the bathroom. She stood him inside the shower stall and pulled off his shirt. She unzipped his jeans and wriggled everything down. “Hey, step out, dude. Step out.” He did as commanded. “Glad you’re not shy, sweets.” She smirked and turned on the water.

The hot rain warmed his goose-fleshed skin, but nothing would remove the chill in his heart.

He let his long-time friend towel him dry and dress him in fresh clothes. She ushered him into the newly re-imagined living room of the library. Arnie walked through the front door carrying a few boxes under one arm while dragging a suitcase in the other. “Hey! Just caught you out of the shower? Great timing, eh? Now, don’t you look all sexy fresh!”

“Shut up, Arnie.” Mallory gently pushed Derek to sit on the couch, where he sat, unmoving, unfeeling, un-living. “Now’s not the time for busting chops. Drop the boxes and suitcase and get over here.”

“What’s up? Something wrong with our Dudemeister General?”

“I said can it, stupid. This is bad. Real bad.”

“All right. All right. What’s happened?” He put the boxes on the floor and left the luggage with them.

“Camille’s gone. She jumped in the well. Derek can’t find her. She’s gone.”

“No shit? Huh.”

“What? What are you ‘huh-ing’ about?”

“Well, if she’s gone, then the portal should be closed, right? We don’t have to worry about any more hell-babies coming through and we can work on getting rid of the ones that are already here. I mean, it’s terrible and all, but one way or another we needed to close that portal.”

“Arnie, are you sure you haven’t been possessed by a demon, yourself? That’s just downright cold. Derek here’s been in that well looking for her. He obviously cares deeply for her. He’s a freakin’ mess and all you can say is, ‘I guess the portal’s closed’? You’re a dog. No, dogs are nicer than you. You’re an ass. Geez!”

“Hey, I was merely stating fact, Mal. It sucks she’s gone, but she helped us out by doing what she did. Don’t get all animal on me. You’re not the biggest fan in her club, you know. It’s no secret….”

“Ah! How dare you say that at a time like this! And that’s not exactly true.”

“Shut up, Arnie. Mallory, give it a rest. And hello to you both. Glad you’re back.” Derek shook off a bit of the malaise and tried to regain some semblance of sanity and control. “We don’t know for sure if the portal’s closed because we don’t have an alert system to warn us anymore. We do have the spelled liquid to prepare our weapons, though. Did you bring the knives and guns?”

“Yeah, they’re in one of the boxes with other assorted wicked things.”

“So, what are we gonna do? Go around wielding swords and guns and scare the shit out of people?” Mallory lit up another cigarette. “Without Camille, we really don’t know who’s possessed or anything. We’d be shooting blind.”

“But at least we’d be prepared, Mal. Damn it! This is all my fault. I never should have left her alone. Not even for a nap. Never.” He leaned back on the couch and rested an arm across his eyes.

***

“I’m glad you were able to find a decent pair of pants and a shirt for yourself. I don’t mean to pry, Synn, but how long have you been wearing those rags?”

“They’ve been on me since Satan picked me up and brought me over. It’s not like there are clothing stores down in Hell. These do feel good, I gotta admit.”

Newer clothes worked just as well as the shredded clothing at accentuating his finer assets. And why she pondered that, she didn’t know, and she felt horribly guilty.
First, I’m attracted to Derek, and he winds up saving me from Victor Langdon’s clutches. Now, I seem to be drawn to the demon man who saved me from myself. Am I a savior addict? I must check the psychology books when I get back to the library. This isn’t right! Derek is the man I love.

“Try not to think so hard. Is that smoke I see coming from the top of your head?” He snorted and nudged her.

“That’s not funny. The way I burn up, I’m surprised my hair hasn’t caught fire.”

His grin drooped and she could tell he felt like the biggest heel. “Insert foot in mouth. I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted. My friends and I are long-time members of the Insert Foot in Mouth Club. You would fit in well.” She yawned. “Man, I’m exhausted. I think I need to lie down for a bit. I know you said we can’t stay here for long, but do we have time for me to do that?”

“Yes, I think so. I mean it’s anybody’s guess, but I don’t see how Satan could track us so quickly, except for the fact that he’s Satan. But for all he knows, I came here to raise hell. What he doesn’t know is I’m not going back. I’m just a bit anxious over what he’s gonna do now that you haven’t arrived. I wonder if he knows I’m the one who took ya.”

“Well, as long as I stay away from water, I don’t believe he can contact
me
.”

“Okay, no more wells for you, then. And I think we can count sinks or tubs out, as well. Lie down and rest as long as you need. When you wake up, we can move on.”

“Thanks.” She got up and burrowed into the bed’s plentiful sheets and blankets. A few deep breaths later, she fell asleep.

***

Synn slumped in the winged chair by the window and watched Camille sleep through the night. He couldn’t be certain, but it seemed- at times -as though if she could run out of the bed she would. Yet at other times she looked as though she were falling into some imaginary abyss. She’d kicked off the layers of blankets hours ago. How she could feel rested after all that commotion, he hadn’t a clue.

Replaying the snatch in his mind, he marveled at his boldness.
I really stepped in it this time.
His intentions to make a clean break with Satan were shot to home once he stole the Marked One away from him. Now, instead of being a free-wheeling demon, starting life anew, he felt an undeniable connection to Camille, driven to do everything in his power to keep her safe. Why, why did he do it? He had no freakin’ clue except that he saw her in fiery, naked splendor, and the mere thought of Satan touching her made him sick. Could he, a demon, really be falling for his self-proclaimed charge? He guessed anything was possible. It just wasn’t such a bright idea.

More rustling and groaning from the bed shook him from his musings.
Oh, shit! She’s at it again!
He got to her just as the burning shone through her shirt and jeans. Her eyes flashed open and her entire body shook with tremors.

“All right, Camille. I gotcha, girl. I gotcha.” He scrambled on top of her. Willing his body to freeze, he made sure every inch of it squelched the searing scars. It took all of five seconds to quiet her body down, and when it had, she gasped so deeply, he thought all the air in the room had been sucked into her lungs. Fearing his frosty body was killing her, he raised himself off of her.

“No,” she sighed, in a long breath. He felt hands grab at the belt loops of his pants and yank him back down. “Don’t move. You feel so good.” Her eyes testified to her ecstasy, all smoldering and heavy-lidded.

“You do, too, Cam, but I don’t wanna kill ya.” He smiled, easing himself back down. He suppressed the extreme freeze in favor of a less dangerous temperature and turned onto his side, pulling her with him.

“But what a way to go….” she slurred drowsily, and he found her snuggling impossibly closer.

He could get used to this real fast. Hell, it’d been thirteen years since he’d seen any action.
It’s dangerous to be thinking this way. She doesn’t even know what she’s saying or doing. She’s half asleep
.
Ahh! Who gives a flying fuck? Her curves feel too damn good. But she called some dude her boyfriend.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will my halo.

Stroking her curls, he imagined every day starting like this and more, and breathed her in.
Whoa!

“Uh, Camille, wake up.” He waited for her to focus on his face. “Please,
please
don’t take this the wrong way, but you smell like Hell.”

She pulled back and scrunched her eyebrows. “I
smell
like
Hell
? Can’t say I’ve ever had a man, demon or otherwise, say such a thing to me before.”

“I’m sorry, but you do! You smell like Hell and that library well.”

“What am I supposed to do?” she asked, and sniffed her hair. “Ew!” She turned her head away from the offending locks. “I can’t go near water.”

“Hmm. I think I have an idea, if you’re willing to go along with it.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“I’ll fill a bucket with water and wash your hair in it. Then you can sponge bathe while I keep an eye on you. Not in a voyeuristic sort of way, mind you. I’ve seen all your parts already anyway, so you don’t have to be self-conscious or anything.”

“Do you have to remind me?” She smacked her forehead and blushed as she sat up. “Okay, it’s the best plan we’ve got, so….” She bounded off the bed and sifted through the drawers.

“What are ya looking for?”

“Some kind of hairpin or band I can use to tame this wild mane once it’s washed.”

“I like it wild.” He winked. “Look for that later and come help me find a bucket in this place.”

She shrugged and joined him in searching the house. “So, why don’t you smell like Hell? I mean, you’ve lived there for so long and you wind up smelling like a bake shop. Why do you get spared?”

“I had to be appealing to my victims. Otherwise I couldn’t get close enough to kill them.”

“Sorry I asked.” He noticed her shoulders shiver for a moment. “You picked a beautiful home to hide out in.”

Ha! Nice way to change the subject.
He shrugged. “Dumb luck.” After she grabbed a bottle of shampoo and a couple of towels from the bathroom shower, he took a cursory look around as they walked through the rooms. The owners had decorated in a marine theme, with varying hues of blue and white. Conservative pieces of furniture were perfectly placed about the living room and dining room. Once in the kitchen, he finally found what he needed buried in a closet.

“Sit down at the table while I fill this. I don’t want ya anywhere near the faucet.”

Camille sensed a déjà vu scenario settling in. She saluted him and sat down. “Yes, sir. You don’t have to ask me twice.” He could have at it. She wouldn’t be going near a sink anytime soon. They’d already had a go-around, she and it, which ended in
her
nearly drowning in
it
. If Derek hadn’t come in and seen her when he did, she would have been a goner. She got the shivers just thinking back on the traumatic experience.

Synn brought the bucket over to her, and rested it on the table.

“Shall we get started?”

A healthy dose of nerves set in. In front of her, stood a healthy specimen of man/demon ready to do something as personal and sensual as washing her hair. She took a breath, exhaled, and plastered a grin on her face. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. What about you?”

“Can’t be too hard. Water, shampoo. If I do well, will you give me a tip?” He winked.

“Hmmm, I’ll consider it. You have a lot to aspire to. My regular hair stylist is a goddess.”

“Just lean back and relax, smartass.”

“Here goes nothing.” Her eyes fluttered closed as he began to flood her hair with water. She tensed with the sudden weight, but she’d decided to trust him with the task, so she blew out another long, slow breath to calm down.