But I did. Bile rose in my throat. I pushed the plate aside and took a sip of my water to calm my upset stomach before I ended up throwing all over the table. Dallas didn't seem to fare any better as he struggled raising the fork to his lips. How could he help with our project while being sick in the bathroom after Dad gave him E.coli or tapeworm infection on his first day in Hell?
"You don't have to eat that," I mouthed. Dallas smiled and popped the raw meat into his mouth, almost gagging. The grimace on his face made me so proud. He'd go through all of this for me. It made me feel special.
"Good, huh?" Dad said. "We usually have it once a week."
I nodded. "Yes, we do, but most of the time it doesn't look like it's been just cut off a cow and the chef forgot to turn on the oven."
Dad laughed. "Our Cass isn't keen on giving away the family recipe."
"What recipe?" I mumbled. "You slaughter it, and then slam it on a plate."
"No salt and pepper?" Dad put down his fork and turned to face Dallas, ready to resume his interrogation. "Back to you, son, what are your plans for the future?"
"So, Dallas." Dad put down his fork and turned to face him, ready to resume his interrogation. "What are your plans for the future?"
Dallas swallowed the half-chewed chunk in his mouth and tapped his napkin against his lips before he replied. "I was hoping to find a job that pays well."
"Really?" Dad nodded, seemingly impressed. "That's commendable, but I was thinking more in the line of your intentions regarding my daughter."
"Dad! We barely know each other." He was about to embarrass me again.
"You're my only child. I have a right to know."
Our gaze locked in a fierce battle again. We stared at each other in reticence, the promise of silent treatment versus keeping me away from the family fortune until I turned thirty passing between us.
I spoke first.
"It's none of your business. Now, back off."
"I would like to ask for permission to date your daughter," Dallas said.
Dad laughed. "I thought you two skipped that step."
I gaped. How did Dad know that?
"You told him?" Dallas asked.
"She didn't. You see, son. I know everything. Nothing escapes me here in Hell."
Glaring at Dad, I nudged Dallas. "It's his nickname for this place because of the unbearable heat."
"We're going off topic, Cass." Dad folded his hands on the table, his eyes glued to Dallas. "You were telling me what you had in mind regarding my daughter."
"Cass is a fantastic girl. What we have is very special," Dallas said. "I've never felt this way before."
Grinning, I turned toward him, my brawl with Dad instantly forgotten. "Never ever?"
Dallas nodded, eyes sparkling. "I hope you feel the same way about me."
"Yes." My smile widened as I reached for his hand. A hot flush of love washed over me as his fingers clasped around mine, his thumb rubbing my skin. And then I noticed a bloodstain the size of a coin between his index and ring finger. Disgusted, I kept my smile in place because I wasn't going to complain about it. I'd make Dad pay for the steak later.
"Very touching," Dad said. "Let's get back to the topic though.
Do your plans involve getting physically close to my daughter?"
"What?" I yelled. "No, Dallas, don't answer this one." I glared at Dad. "Why don't you arrange for your chef to prepare something edible while I call Mum? I bet she'd love to catch up. I could ask her about that old lady, you know, your soul mate."
Dad set his jaw. "Your mother's probably in bed by now, sweetie. You wouldn't want to disrupt her beauty sleep, would you?"
I grinned triumphantly. "Are you sure?"
"Positive." Dad got up and headed for the kitchen mumbling,
"There must be some leftover chicken from last night."
"Don't forget dessert," I shouted after him, knowing he could hear me all too well.
"About before," Dallas started. " I want us to get to know each other and then see where it leads us. I've never given marriage one single thought, but it might happen one day, who knows?"
One day? Was he kidding? Didn't he know I'd been planning my wedding ever since I could crawl? I already had my dress designed, with all the details like pearls, silver threads and the whole shebang.
Waiting for him to figure out whether marriage might feature in our cards wasn't an option.
"Marriage?" I laughed and slapped his arm. "Why would anyone want to hurry?"
Dad popped back in with a huge plate, the aroma of cheese and pepperoni invading my nostrils. "The chicken's gone, but I've just found a huge pizza in the oven. What are the odds, huh?"
Chapter 9 – It's called 'research'
In my absence, Dad had turned one of the bedrooms downstairs into my own home office with the usual huge glass table, sumptuous leather chair and bay window overlooking the erupting volcano skyline. I couldn't say I was unhappy. However, as much as I loved Dad, being with him 24/7 was more than I could bear so, naturally, I wanted to finish my job ASAP and get the hell out of there.
After spending the night in different rooms and a light breakfast with Dallas, I slumped into my chair and took a huge breath. Dad was quite the visionary, but he wasn't much of a planner. The campaign was supposed to turn him into the feared divinity he once was, but that dated back before my time. So, naturally, I neither knew anything beyond the distorted narration of supposed facts featured in books, nor did I actually care. I liked walking Earth's surface unrecognised. Why Dad would want his face plastered across billboards in every major city was beyond me. Staring at the empty sheet in front of me, I wondered where even to begin.
A light knock on the door and Dallas entered. "Hey, can I make a phone call? Reception here's bad." Which wasn't surprising given we were still in Hell, hundred's of feet below Earth's surface.
"Sure. Use my phone." I tossed my gleaming cell toward him.
Dallas caught it in mid-air. "Thanks, babe." He headed back out, returning a minute later. "Do I need to dial anything to get an outside line?"
I gaped, flabbergasted at my own stupidity. Here I was, pretending we holidayed in California and Dad was a regular guy called Bob, and yet I passed my boyfriend the one item that could send him freezing in the ice-capped Himalaya with a Yeti on his butt or being swallowed whole by a forty-foot anaconda in the Amazon.
Shuddering, I jumped up and snatched the phone out of his hand.
"Yes, but this model's particularly hard to handle. I had to take an induction course." I smiled, hoping I wasn't coming across as a total nutcase. "Let me do it for you."
I flipped the phone open and scrolled through the navigation.
"Who are you calling?"
"No one."
"No one? Why would you need to use the phone then?" I regarded him intently.
Dallas buried his hands in his pockets, avoiding my probing gaze.
"All right. I'm calling my sister."
"Amber?" I blinked, suspicion creeping up on me. Nothing wrong with calling family. He could've said so straight away…unless he wasn't telling the truth.
"Yep, the one and only." He moistened his lips and laughed nervously.
Why was he being so strange? What was he hiding? Was he cheating on me already?
He is, Kinky said. Did you really expect a guy like him to be single?
I shook my head lightly muttering, "You're right."
Kinky shrugged. Don't worry, I'll help you chase him. As long as he's not wearing a ring on that finger, he's game.
"He's what?" I mouthed.
Game, prey, available. Kinky rolled his eyes. What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be the young and hip one. I feel like I'm talking to the old boss.
He meant Dad, who couldn't hear him right now because he was in the lower levels of Hell, torturing a few souls. I made a mental note to tell Kinky I'd pass on the message.
"How's Amber?" I asked. "I haven't seen her in a long time.
Not since—" Pausing, I cleared my throat because I didn't know how much Amber told her brother. He might not know after winning a paranormal race Amber was now stuck with the ability to communicate with the dead, and that the succubus deity Layla hunted her down because of Amber's bond with her boyfriend Aidan. It was all so complicated, I wished I could visit more often and gorge on the drama.
"Amber's fine, or so she says." Dallas nodded, averting his gaze again. "I don't know why she insists on staying in that creepy, old mansion with Aidan."
"She loves him." And they shared a bond so, naturally, they'd want to be together.
Dallas frowned. "I know, but he's hiding something. And one day, I intend to find out his secret."
I inched closer, sensing a change in his emotional undercurrents.
A hot rush washed over me, my skin began to tingle as though hundreds of ants were crawling up and down my body. Was there chaos I didn't know about? Drama between Aidan and Dallas? I opened my mind, sending out my fallen angel vibes, only then realising I couldn't read his thoughts.
"What do you mean?" I frowned irritated. Why couldn't I read his thoughts when no mortal secret ever remained hidden from me? At the periphery of my mind, I remembered my phone conversation with Aunt Krista during my very first date with Dallas. Right before I pretended the line went dead, she had thrown in some morsel of information about one not being able to read a soul mate's thoughts. I guess I should've listened more carefully.
Dallas ran a hand through his hair. "She just wants me to check in with her every now and then, that's all."
My mind picked up on something, but the picture was blurry. A loud ring pierced through my eardrum, making me flinch. His mental barrier blocked me off. No one could ever do that. My temper flared.
"Go on, then." I scrolled through my number directory and dialled, then tossed the phone into Dallas's outstretched hand, glaring at him.
"Thanks." He turned his back on me and walked out. I felt a strong urge to chase after him, but Kinky's screech stopped me.
No!
"Why not?" I asked.
What if he catches you?
"He won't. No one ever does."
If you share a bond he'll know you're there.
I didn't think of that. "What am I supposed to do then? I need to know what's going on."
You mean you want to know, Pinky chimed in.
Honestly, what was wrong with being curious nowadays?
Send someone else to spy on him, Kinky said.
I peered around me, taking in the empty room and the scattered papers on my desk. "Who? There's no one about."
Kinky sighed. I'll make the ultimate sacrifice and go.
No way, Cassie. He'll just distort things to cause havoc, Pinky said.
Pinky had a point. The little devil liked drama just as much as I did. "You go and spy on him, Pinky," I said.
Kinky snorted. If Dallas's hiding something, you know Pinky will never tell you so you won't get upset.
He had a point too. I scanned the floor and gleaming surfaces as though an answer might magically appear.
Send the Omnidus, Kinky said.
I patted him lightly on the back. "You know you're starting to prove your worth." I focused my mind on the poor creature polishing the kitchen. He was a frightened, little thing, scurrying away at the first sign of mayhem, so I kept my order gentle, demanding that he follow Dallas from a distance without revealing himself, then report back to me.
Drumming my fingernails on the desk, I waited. Patience had never been one of my virtues, so the anticipating made me feel as though I was waddling through waist-deep mud pulling me down into a deep abyss. I didn't like the darkness down there because it symbolised unknowing and secrets which mocked my ability to sense every hidden layer of humanity.
A few minutes passed before Dallas popped back in. I curled my lips into a fake smile even though I would've rather jumped up from my seat and pounced on him, forcing him to spit it out.
"Is everything okay?" I cocked a brow. Surely, he must see the torture I was going through.
He nodded and placed the phone on the desk. "Yes, thanks. I'll pay you back for the call."
How when he didn't have a dime to his name? I waved my hand.
"No need. I never know what to do with my free minutes anyway."
His smile didn't reach his eyes. Something bothered him. I wished I could threaten him into talking because my curiosity was killing me.
"I see you've started working on your Dad's campaign," Dallas said, skimming through my papers.
What made him think that? The sheets in front of me were all blank. I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Want to help me?"
He shrugged. "Sure. What do you want me to do?"
The Omnidus' thin voice invaded my mind, distracting me for a moment. He was waiting in the kitchen.
I cleared my throat and flicked through my notebook. "Why don't you start brainstorming ways to improve someone's popularity?" I paused, considering my words. "Let's say a company wanted you to be scared of their products, but in a good way."
Dallas raised his brows. "Huh? Scared in a good way?"
"They want to instil the utmost respect and awe." I bobbed my head, getting into it. "They want you to look up to them and realise how powerful they are."
"That's a strange marketing campaign for Disneyland." Dallas slumped into the seat opposite from mine.
"It's still a work in progress. We have to come up with something original because everything else has been done before." I jumped to my feet, heading for the door. "Take your time. I'll be right back."
The hall was empty. Dad hadn't finished assigning the work for the day yet. I glanced over my shoulder to ensure no one was following, then dashed for the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. The Omnidus waited under the counter, hidden from view. I squeezed next to him and peered at his bloodshot eyes gleaming with surprising sharpness.
"What did you find out?" I whispered.
"Boy talked about packet. Said it wasn't delivered." His red eyes trailed across the floor, his hands with skin dark as coal squirming in his lap. His voice sounded thin and high-pitched, breaking off in places as though he hadn't talked in a long time.
I leaned forward. "Did he say what parcel?"
The Omnidus shook his head. I figured it must be the one Dallas ordered from Skylife. Why was the security stuff so important? Was he in some kind of trouble? I focused back on the little demon. "Did he say anything else?"
"That he misses her. That going into the woods was his idea and he's very sorry."
So it had been Dallas's suggestion to go into the woods and steal the hidden gemstones, which turned Amber into a necromancer.
Naturally, Dallas would now feel bad about it, but I still couldn't make sense of his need for several video cameras, mace and what else not.
"He thinks he can protect her," I whispered.
"Pardon me, Princess?"
I grabbed the Omnidus' skinny hands, noticing his dry skin resembled parchment paper. "Dallas bought all the security stuff to protect his sister from all the immortality hungry idiots who think Amber's gift of communicating with the dead is the key to turning them into an undying deity."
The Omnidus nodded. "Yes, yes, Princess. And then he said he'd take care of himself and she needn't worry."
I tapped a finger against my lips. "Of course, she's worried something might happen to him as well. As long as she's a necromancer people will go to great lengths to get a piece of that, meaning they might come after him to get to her."
"He said he hasn't seen anyone and that he'll be staying in California until he's figured out what to do if they come. That's all, Princess."
"Thank you. You've been of great help." I smiled at the demon.
He'd been in Dad's service for ages. Maybe it was time to promote him from kitchen helper to a more important position, a job function that would infuse reverence into his fellow demons rather than make them ridicule him at every o
pportunity.
He bowed deeply, his forehead reaching his naked feet with their thick soles and long, curled nails. "Anything, Princess."
"Would you like to leave the kitchen?"
"No, please. No." He shook his head, vehemently. Fear flickered in his eyes. "I did as you said. Please don't send me back to Scalov."
I laughed and patted his shoulder. "That's not what I meant.
You’ve been a good servant. You've done a tremendous job around the house." His shaking became less violent, but angst lingered in his eyes.
I continued, "You're too clever for your job." I was surprised Dad didn't see his intelligence. "I'll personally see to it that we find you a replacement. Someone who's worthy of your place and does the job just as well."
My praise wasn't lost on him. The softest hint of a smile crossed his features, disappearing just as quickly like a blown-out flame.
"What am I supposed to do instead, Princess?"
"You'll be my personal assistant." I laughed at his surprised expression. The creased skin on his forehead softened visibly, giving him a more youthful appearance. I wondered how old he was.
"I'm honoured, but I know nothing about serving someone as high as the boss's daughter."
I jumped to my feet and reached down to help him up from the uncomfortable tiles. "You'll learn. Now, get back to work before Dad returns. We wouldn't want to give him an excuse to deny our plea, would we?"
Chapter 10 – What's with the view?
My spirits lifted as I returned to my office, finding Dallas leaned over a sheet of paper, scribbling in concentration. I was still mad he didn't trust me, but I also understood he had no idea who I was and only tried to protect me.
"You sure take your duties seriously." I traced a finger down his arm before I pointed at the countless bullet points. "Let me see what you came up with."
"Maybe when I'm done." He shot me a lazy smile and pulled me on his lap, planting a peck on my forehead. "I missed you."
"I missed you too."
His eyes shimmered. "You know what I just realised?"
"What?" I snuggled into his arms, inhaling the clean scent of his shower gel.
"I never knew there were erupting volcanoes in California,"