AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey, since you’re doing me favors, how about another?” I ask as the line inches forward.
Stevie’s eyes go wide. “Seriously? Name it.” Zero hesitation.
“Do you think you could get a message to someone for me?”
“Absolutely, just tell me who and when, and I’ll make sure it gets there.”
I nod. “Thank you. I appreciate you and Jess and Austin looking out for me. I don’t want to put you in danger?—”
“Oh, shut up. Just tell me what you need.”
I keep my eyes glued to the turkey sandwich, so she doesn’t see how important this is. How much she can’t mess this up. “I’ll get you what you need tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? But that’s the Auction.”
I nod. “And if everything goes to shit at the Auction, you won’t need to get a message to anyone. Best if we wait and see.”
Again, I’m alone in the lair but for one demon for the rest of Friday.
I’ve been here alone long enough that I’ve convinced myself the lair isn’t an oppressive hole in the ground.
Sure, there aren’t any windows except for the one room, but the mid-wall lighting gives the earthen walls a glow that’s grown on me.
It’s almost like living inside one of Sera’s amber-tinted lamps. And since I haven’t gone crazy yet, I think theyareattuned to the same spectrum as the sun. Plus, the light mimics the movement of the sun throughout the day. They dim at night and brighten gradually around sunrise. It’s a lovely way to wake up in the morning.
And when I investigate how the lighting works, I find it’s not mundane tube lighting.
Small, golden crystals, thousands of them, line the lip of the shelf. Their glow lights the rooms.
My gaze travels up the wall, and for the first time, I truly see it.
It’s not jagged and unfinished. The lumps and bumps in the walls aren’t shoddy workmanship. The protrusions are uncut crystal formations, carefully sculpted and displayed like art.
How have I not noticed this before?
It’s not until Saturday afternoon, mere hours before the Auction is supposed to start, that all four demons are in the lair at the same time.
“I was wondering if you forgot about me entirely,” I snap, lounging on the sofa when they blink in.
“Aw, were you waiting for us?” Enzo asks.
“More like trying not to off myself with boredom. Would it kill you to at least get a TV or something? A streaming service? Ever heard of it?”
“Those are mortal realm inventions. They don’t work here,” Bastian says.
And he’s right. Technically. They don’t work on Celestus either unless you get an interplanar bridge connector…
Another way Malachi could track me.
And suddenly, I’m grateful for the boredom. Malachi would have already found me by now if I’d had my way.
“Besides, you’re about to have your hands full getting ready for the Auction,” Enzo says with a manic stare.
“Are they here yet?” Bastian asks, coming out of his room.
“Not yet,” Enzo says, bouncing on his toes.
“Who exactly?”
