AllFreeNovel
Share Us
You didn’t survive for centuries without a willingness to do what you deemed necessary. And Matilda was a survivor.
I felt a pang of guilt over Solomon. “What if he has a family?”
“Nobody who works for The Corporation has a family.”
“Okay, but still. He’s someone’s child.”
“Someone’s child who grew into a tall, menacing adult male who made questionable life choices.” Matilda moved to block my view of the defeated djinn. “I won’t listen to any more of this. There’s too much at stake. He would’ve killed you. We both know it.”
“You think another dead employee in this house won’t raise the alarm?”
“Maybe it will, but it won’t lead directly to your door.”
“That blood is going to stain,” I said, thinking of Fatima’s stern face. “It’ll lower the property value.”
“No, it won’t. You know how to clean bloodstains,” Matilda said. “Let me take care of this while you see what’s so important downstairs.”
Behind her, Solomon groaned softly.
“Will you tell me what you plan to do with him?” I asked.
“No, the less you know, the better.”
“That’s my motto, too.”
“Good. Then we’re on the same page. Now go.”
I struggled to my feet and tucked the pyxis under my arm. “Come find me when you’re finished.” I headed downstairs and tried not to think about Matilda’s next move.
Darkness engulfed me as I descended the stairs. The air grew thick with moisture, and my skin prickled. I got the distinct feeling it was time for the pyxis. It was tricky without any light, but I managed. The powder worked its magic, and the air shifted again. The tension in my body eased, and I took a hesitant step forward, relieved when I met no resistance. Using the edges and silhouettes as a guide, I turned and walked down a long corridor. The downstairs seemed larger than the upstairs, and I started to suspect I was no longer in the human realm. With a powerful crossroads nearby and the Falls acting as a conduit that fueled magical energy into the town, it was possible there was enough weakness in the veil between worlds here to break through to another one. For what purpose, I wasn’t sure.
The darkness faded, and a door became visible on the wall ahead. It was only when I was about ten feet away that I noticed what I thought were sconces on either side of the door.
Spoiler alert: they weren’t sconces.
Two shrunken demon heads on spikes flanked the door. They looked like they’d been left outdoors and exposed to the elements for a century, instead of sheltered in a secret chamber in the basement of a suburban house. The demon head on the right sported stubby horns and red skin. The one on the left reminded me of an alien lizard with its bumpy green and yellow skin. I wasn’t sure whether they were part of the ward or left here as a warning to would-be trespassers.
This would-be trespasser was unfazed. I’d seen much worse than shrunken demon heads.
As I reached for the door handle, two sets of eyes popped open. They were a deep black, as though reflecting their very souls.
“Hey, you’re not the new guy,” the lizard demon said. He didn’t sound particularly disappointed.
“He had to be replaced. He broke the rules.”
The horned head gave me an appraising look. “You’re easier on the eyes than those two guys were. How’s it going, babe?”
“It’s been better. Thanks for asking. What’s behind the door?”
Their heads turned toward the door in unison. “You don’t already know?” the lizard demon asked. “You’re supposed to receive full instructions beforehand.”
“There was a bit of confusion with Solomon’s sudden departure,” I said.
“Solomon!” the horned head exclaimed. “That’s right. I kept wanting to call him Frederick.”
The lizard head looked at him in disbelief. “What about that walking oak tree suggested the name Frederick? If anything, I would’ve said Balthazar.”
I cleared my throat. “Can we talk about what’s beyond the door?” If I was right and this was another realm, that door could lead just about anywhere. I needed to know where I was headed and, more importantly, that I could get back.
