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“Right, got it. I’ll give back the Thunder Down Under tickets I bought us.”
“What even is that?”
“Australian male dance thing. I don’t know! You were asleep.” Kevin dragged Percy’s hand over to kiss it. “I wasn’t thinking clearly, you know. With you not wakin’ up and all.”
Percy smiled softly. “Couldn’t stand the idea of losing me, could you?”
“Something like that.” Kevin tugged on Percy’s hand. “It’s just not an option, okay?”
They drove in silence for a few moments until Percy pointed out their turn, and Kevin continued on for a few blocks. There was an empty lot with a big red sign, but the sign was faded and impossible to read. Percy directed Kevin to park there along the sidewalk, and Kevin hesitated to get out of the truck.
“Are you sure this is it?” Kevin asked. “Think maybe it got moved.”
“No, this is it.” Percy fumbled with the door. “Just park here. You’re fine. Trust me. It’s there.”
“Did you hit your head?”
“What? No!”
Kevin frowned as he leaned over to look out Percy’s window. There was absolutely nothing there except a lot full of weeds and trash. “Percy, this is not a hotel. You bitched about my tent and brought us here? Seriously?”
“It is there! It’s not my fault you can’t see it.” Percy struggled to get out of the truck. “Come on. Just follow me. The door is literally right here.”
Kevin swore as he got out and then hurried around the truck to help Percy. “Here, let me help you over to the imaginary—fuck!” He yelped as he tripped over…
Something?
He couldn’t see anything, but there was definitely something large that he’d stumbled right over and nearly busted his ass.
“What the hell is that?” Kevin demanded.
“Hellhound,” Percy replied, panting quietly as if merely walking to the edge of the empty lot was exhausting. “I’d move very slowly if I were you. He still seems to be sleeping. For now anyway.”
“What?” Kevin hissed as he looked back down and still saw nothing. “What the fuck is happening? You really see some fucking dog right now?”
Maybe Percy was sicker than he realized.
“Only demons can see them,” Percy explained slowly, as if he was talking to a child. “Just like the hotel. It’s hidden from the mortal world, all right? Magic. Woo woo.” He stumbled forward and looked like he was going to fall into the lot, but he caught himself on something.
A wall, perhaps.
But it was invisible.
Percy’s hand moved as if he was grabbing a doorknob and pulled. “Here we go. Now come on. Let’s get in before that hellhound wakes up and decides to take a nibble out of your feathery ass.”
Kevin grunted as he was dragged into the lot, and he gasped when he was suddenly standing inside the lobby of a magnificent hotel with gorgeous black chandeliers, red marble floors, and fancy papered walls. It was dark and decadent, and he was completely stunned. This had been an empty lot, and yet here they were.
There was quite a crowd of people, most of them very well dressed, seated on the lush couches and chairs or at the bar. They barely spared Percy a single glance, though a few of them eyed Kevin curiously before looking away.
“I thought you were fucking with me,” Kevin confessed. “This is insane.”
Percy chuckled lightly, his demonic form falling into place. “This is the Foiled Sin. A refuge for demons and imps of all kinds. Even esteemed retired fiends such as myself can visit, but… we shouldn’t stay too long.” He weakly trudged to the service counter, but there was no one there to greet them. He slapped the bell and then a key appeared. “Ah, there we go. Room sixty-eight. Just one more and it could have been perfect.”
“Well, we can sixty-nine in the room if you’re feeling like it later.” Kevin grabbed the key.
“Absolutely. Oh, and seventy-one too.”
Kevin wasn’t sure what a seventy-one was, but he was more concerned with getting Percy to the room. He offered his arm to lead Percy toward the elevator, glancing warily around the lobby. He doubted any of the people here were human, and he wondered if they were all demons.
