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“Thank you,” I replied. It was lovelier with her in it.
My house was my haven. I’d purchased the Craftsman bungalow about fifteen years ago and Sean had purchased the one next store with the money we’d made from the TV show we’d done as children. My dad hadn’t spent a dime of what Sean and I’d made as kids. He’d invested for us. My brother, as an adult, took over the investment job and made all of our money make even more money. Between my jobs, Man-mom’s art and Sean’s smarts we were ridiculously comfortable for several lifetimes.
Man-mom lived with my brother, but I was pretty sure he’d be finding his own place now that my mom was back in the picture. In this moment, though, my cozy little home was as close to perfect as it had ever been. Man-mom and Lilith sat on the sage-green couch hand in hand. They kept stealing glances at each other and grinning. Their love was so obvious it punched me in the heart.
Sean whipped up some nachos as Uncle Joe supervised and made sure none of the ingredients were expired. Dagon leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his massive chest. I fidgeted nervously on my favorite overstuffed chair. Abaddon sat next to me on the arm. We weren’t touching, but he was close enough that I could feel the heat of his body on my skin. His presence was the calm in the midst of the storm called my life.
Fifi and Ophelia were giving a tour of all the houses my insane bodyguard had purchased and letting everyone pick their new homes. Having Irma Stoutwagon, Moon Sunny Swartz, Stella Stevens, Jonny Jones and Corny Crackers for neighbors was just one more turd pond I’d have to swim around. As much as I’d grown to like them, living by this bunch was going to present challenges. However, I had no one to thank but myself. I’d requested it. And there was no way in hell I would take it back. They’d helped me save my dad from Pandora’s psychotic clutches. My strange posse wasn’t safe until the stinky whore was back in the box… whatever the box actually was.
The box existed. Pandora said it did. I was going to find it and put her vicious ass in it if it was the last thing I did. I pushed the thought aside because it made me nauseous. Letting my mind race with too many what-ifs was going to paralyze me. Right now, I needed to ask questions. The answers might leave me in the fetal position on the ground, but knowledge was power, according to Sir Francis Bacon.
“Dagon, I’d like you to choose a house in the neighborhood,” Lilith said.
He nodded in respect. “If that’s acceptable to the Bitch Goddess Cecily, I will do so.”
I’d already stated that I work better as an ensemble, but no one seemed to have gotten the memo. Instead of reiterating my stance, I simply nodded.
“Excellent,” Lilith announced. “I’d suggest we get down to business then.”
“I quite agree,” Abaddon said.
“No time like the present,” Dagon chimed in.
The fact that everyone was acting like this was normal almost made me laugh. Pretending was for TV and movie sets. I wasn’t about to act like I wasn’t freaked out and ready to go into hiding.
“Mmmkay,” I said, wiping the sticky green residue from my palm due to the gummies my brother had gifted me. I thought about licking it, but Sean liked them strong. Being even slightly high right now wasn’t a great plan. I focused on my mom. “I’d like to point out that you died earlier.”
“Yes,” she agreed.
“But you’re not dead.”
“Correct,” she replied with a laugh. “But I’m no longer Immortal. I’m human with just a dash of Demon.”
My dad was almost bouncing in his seat. While that was sweet, it didn’t help.
“Look,” I said, running my hands through my hair and hoping I had wiped all the pot off my palms. The last thing I needed was sticky hair. My life was sticky enough. “This is areallybizarre situation. Expecting me to take over your job is going to end badly. I’m forty. I barely have any experience being a Demon.” I looked around the room and paused. Someone was missing. “Wait. Where’s Shiva?”
I’d sent Shiva to my home from Lilith’s safe house to help protect my brother before I’d saved my dad. I wasn’t too fond of the Demon, but we’d come to a semi-truce when she’d given me the makeup products to help me defend myself from Pandora. She’d banged Abaddon in the long ago past and she wasn’t thrilled I was in the picture now. Shiva had messed with me but I’d put her in her place… violently. Now she wanted my ex-husband’s digits. Weird didn’t even begin to describe that ask. He was a pig. Shiva was on my “wait and see list.” Lilith and Dagon trusted Shiva. I’d taken their lead even though I was still a little iffy on her.
“She’s with Candy Vargo looking for Pandora,” Lilith said.
I sighed with relief.
Candy Vargo was the Keeper of Fate. The crazy woman was fond of toothpicks and four- letter words, but she’d also put the bad in badass. I’d be terrified if she was after me. Candy Vargo had put Pandora in a time-out, so to speak, after she’d abducted Abaddon and tried to destroy him and me. Unfortunately, Pandora had escaped, kidnapped Man-mom and did her best to end my life. Luckily for us, she’d failed and committed the most heinous sin she could have. She’d killed my mom—the other Goddess of the Darkness. I wasn’t sure how she could hide from this crime, but the D-List bitch was clever.
“Any news on that?” I questioned.
“Not yet,” Lilith said tersely.
Not what I wanted to hear, but it wasn’t unexpected. “Let’s get back to… umm…business,” I said with a hollow laugh I couldn’t hold back.
My mom got up from the couch and joined me in the over-stuffed armchair. It was a little crowded, but her physical touch helped.
“What do you think the Goddess of the Darkness does?” she asked.
I arched my brow. “I was kind of hoping you’d clue me in.”
“And I will,” she assured me. “I just want to hear what you think first so I can help you deal with your fears.”
