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Chapter Eighteen
The awful smell of brimstone was the first reminder that I wasn’t taking a nap. That and the warm feel of a tongue on my cheek.
I opened my eyes, hoping it was all a terrible dream and I would wake up and Trent was kissing me.
The goofiest puppy face grinned at me and a dark tongue lolled out of his mouth, slightly crooked fangs on full display.
“What the hell?”
“Yes, that was my question, too,” a familiar voice said.
My hands were behind my back, tied in a harsh fashion, and my ankles were bound tight as well.
“Don’t struggle or it will get worse,” Liv said with a sigh. “That particular spell is nasty when you try to fight it. Simply relax and it won’t tighten up.”
I tried to take a deep breath so I could figure out where the fuck I was. A soft mattress was beneath me, and I quickly realized I was in the bedroom of our apartment in the Under. Liv was behind me and Puff was currently rolling on his back trying to get never-going-to-happen-because-my-hands-were-tied-behind-my-back belly rubs.
“He’s awfully cute. Where did you pick up a runty hellhound?” Liv rounded the corner and came into view. She was dressed in what I now thought of as her comic book chic uniform. Lots of leather, and she seemed to think her boobs would distract her enemies. “Oh, is Gray back? Did he bring you a present? Were you surprised to find out how high he ranks in the hierarchy of the Hell plane? I wish I’d been able to listen in on that conversation.”
She reached out and picked up Puff.
“Hey, come on. Don’t hurt him.” I couldn’t stand to watch her squeeze the life out of that puppy.
Liv managed to look hurt. “I’m not a monster. I told you. He’s cute, and he could be very helpful one day. Get a hellhound this young and you can train him properly. I could use a familiar, though we usually bind to cats. Canines can be so dumb at times. Since when do you think I go around kicking puppies?”
“Since when did you knock out your best friend and tie her up?”
“Fair,” Liv agreed, and put the puppy down with a pat. “I’m not going to kill you if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ve got a job to do down here and then we’ll leave and you’ll be alive, though you should know this isn’t about you. You’re simply the cherry on top.”
“Sure. I’m just a side project,” I said, trying to figure out how I could get out of these bindings if they tightened every time I moved.
“I haven’t spent months getting these morons to create several complex portals because I wanted to catch you. I didn’t even know you would be here when I started this.”
“I thought the primals were off limits.”
She glanced down at her watch. “Not really, but I don’t want to bring them in. I’ve got about an hour before the fuckers are awake. The fact that they sleep longer than regular vampires makes this so much easier. The witch’s ointment functions best at three a.m., but a turning hour works, too.”
“Sunset,” I surmised. If the primals had been normal vampires they would be awake, but Liv had more time because of their unique needs. “So you worked with the gnomes? Obviously you couldn’t send someone in with the ingredients you needed.”
Liv knelt down so we were roughly at eye level. “I’ve found Fae creatures can be very practical. Oh, not the little brownies. I didn’t kill them either, by the way, but they will have some hella headaches when they wake up. Where’s that demon of yours? I expected to have to deal with him.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” I had no idea where Gray was. He would be helpful right now. So would Trent. Or my wolf king son.
She frowned. “I would, actually. You know this is a two-way street. I give you information. You give me information.”
If she was really willing to talk, I would tell her what she’d likely already figured out. “He’s not in the Under. He’s investigating something for me. I was trying to prove the gnomes were responsible for the two murders we’ve had, but now I know it was really you.”
“I certainly didn’t tell Elrin to murder anyone. All he was supposed to do was grow the plants I needed, make the witch’s ointment, and put it in the paint. I knew that moronic primal taught classes. Like the underworld needs a Parks and Rec. At some point they would paint suns or big-ass flowers. Something round that could serve as a focal point for the portal.”
“And you’ve been practicing. That’s how the ladybugs and butterflies got in. Did you know the bunny would be okay when you sent it through?”
She shrugged. “I thought it would. Well, until someone ate it. But it wasn’t like I was going to test it on myself. We started with small things and when the bunny survived, we were pretty sure it would work on us. I sent Shera through first. I figured if she didn’t get chopped in half, I would probably be okay.”
“You’ve grown so thoughtful over the years I’ve been gone.” I rolled my eyes because she really had turned nasty.
I always went through first. I would never put my crew in danger that I wasn’t willing to accept myself, but Liv seemed to have forgotten what I’d taught her.
“No. I’ve learned to value myself and my talents,” she replied with a primness that didn’t match her actions.
