Page 28 of Hellbound

“So you can’t be lied to, huh? That’s … neat.”

Tori snorted and braced her elbows on the table. “Yeah, it’s great until you realize you can never be lied to even when you want to be. I assume you want more proof, because everyone always does, so let’s have a round of two truths and a lie. They have to be boring things, though. Otherwise, it’s too easy.”

Marian knew the game. She’d played it dozens of times during her freshman year at USC. She vaguely recalled there being a lot more liquor involved. But she was eager to test Tori’s little power, so she rattled off three lies.

“I like gummy bears, I know how to ride a bike, and I’ve never been to Wyoming.”

Tori scowled. “Cheater. That was three lies.”

Marian’s eyes widened.

“How did you do that?”

Tori pushed a few ringlets out of her eyes. “It’s like a little alarm bell inside me goes off whenever I hear something that isn’t true. Been able to do it for a few years now.” She looked over Marian. “No one ever taught you to ride a bike? Really?”

Marian sniffed and looked down the aisle, wishing Paul would show up and give them something else to talk about.

It’s like you’ve never seen a cute girl before.

“I want you to know that I don’t die for less than ten grand, and five barely covers my spotter’s fee. This is the first and last time I make an exception.”

There weren’t a lot of people who did what Elio had, and even fewer who did it well. But she’d find another. Somewhere.

“You’ll do it?” Tori almost launched out of her seat. Had the table not been stuck between them, Marian was certain the traveler would have tried to hug her.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Oh my god. I literally owe you my life.” Tori clapped her hands together and pressed her fingertips to her lips. Marian found herself perplexed by the warmth blooming in her own heart at the traveler’s relief.

“And you’re okay with the deadline? The compensation? You have a spotter?”

“I’ll make it work. Soonest I can do is Monday.”

Tori nodded. “I understand.”

“You know what this entails, right? You’ll need to be with me when I die.”

She’d only tried to take one other traveler to Hell with her, an older man who’d hired her as a guide. But he fell to pieces when he saw Elio pull her dead body out of the water. He never made it beyond the veil, leaving Marian to wait for revival in a rotting corner of Hell while she hid from the Remnant.

She didn’t go looking for tour guide gigs anymore; demons paid better, and Marian wasn’t interested in indulging the curiosity of wealthy travelers and new age fanatics. But fuck, L.A. was full of them.

Tori nodded again, her expression grim.

“You won’t be my first dead body.”

Marian shot the traveler a quizzical look. A question formed in the back of Marian’s mind, but she shooed it away. Nearly every mortal in this business had been touched by death in some way; Tori was unlikely to be an exception. She fished out her phone and pushed it toward her.

“Put your number in there and I’ll text you where to meet me once I sort out the details. I have one rule: no cops, no ambulances. If you put me in a hospital, I’ll kick your ass.”

“What a catchy rule.” Tori swiped at the screen and began to type, her curls obscuring her face. “We’re on the same page. Fuck the police, and I don’t have health insurance either.” She looked like she was about to say something else when Paul materialized at the end of the table, a slice of pizza dangling from his mouth.

“Hey ladies, can I get you any—” Paul said through a mouthful as his eyes landed on the mess on the bar. He lowered his pizza. “What happened here?”

Marian frowned at him and put her phone away. “I spilled my drink like fifteen minutes ago, dude. And then Iggy gave me spite fries. Where the fuck were you?”

“I was doing stuff,” Paul replied, his eyes glued to Tori. “Who’s your friend?”

He didn’t wait for an answer before tearing off his T-shirt and wadding it up in his fist. Marian’s eyes shot wide open as he flashed his inexplicable six pack. His biceps flexed dramatically as he mopped up the spill.