Deidre’s eyes were puffy from crying herself to sleep. She showered and left her room, mourning the loss of her last good friend. She located the correct courtyard beside the dining hall on the first try and walked in. No Immortals waited for her. In fact, it was empty, except for the nun who brought her breakfast. Deidre didn’t want to talk to the Immortals, but she felt alone eating breakfast.
Despondent, she went from the dining hall to the top of the wall and leaned on it. The sight, sound and scent of the ocean helped her relax. She’d never seen such a beautiful body of water. Her gaze flickered between it and the interior of the Sanctuary. She left everything of value she owned at Wynn’s. Terrified she’d find him in the tub, nothing more than a pile of bones, she pushed herself away from the wall and focused hard on calling a portal.
It came today. Dread sank into her belly as she entered the shadow world and crossed to the glowing doorway. She stepped through into the guest bedroom she’d left the night before. Her things were where she’d left them. She changed into her own clothes and gathered the most important of her belongings before bracing herself to leave the room.
She went to Wynn’s bedroom first. His bed was made, and there was no body on the floor. Heart beating fast, she descended the stairs in the marble foyer, listening. While she heard nothing, she smelled coffee. Deidre followed the scent to the veranda, thrilled to see Wynn seated at the table where they’d had dinner.
And then she remembered the demon that took the shape of Logan. She paused in the doorway to the patio.
“I made coffee. I don’t know how you drink it,” Wynn said, turning his head to the side.
“Thanks,” she murmured. Deidre crossed her arms as she moved to take the seat she’d been in the night before.
Wynn looked like Wynn. Logan had seemed off in hindsight, his gestures unnatural and his talk stilted. Wynn poured her a cup of coffee and sat back, studying her closely.
“Are you well this morning?” he asked.
She nodded. “Are you?”
“Very.”
She didn’t know what to think about Gabriel after last night. He’d flipped on her again, going from the tender lover to the homicidal maniac. She thought for sure he was coming after Wynn. Yet, Wynn was fine. Was she so wrong about Death?
“I’m happy to see you,” she said. “I thought …never mind.”
“You were concerned. I’m flattered,” he replied with one of his faint smiles. “Did I not tell you that I am not one to worry?”
“Yeah, you did.” She released a deep breath. After sobbing herself to sleep, she was almost too tired to appreciate the fact he was alive. “Did anyone come to visit you or anything?”
“No one I couldn’t handle, dear,” he said. “You’re safe here. You know this, I hope. What’s on your mind?”
“Just a … bad dream I guess. I’m going crazy, Wynn. Isn’t that one of the signs I’m starting to deteriorate?”
“Loss of cognitive function is a sign, yes,” he replied. “If you start to deteriorate, I’ll tell you. Trust me?”
“Of course. I’ve always trusted you, Wynn. As soon as I start down that path, I’m …”
He raised an eyebrow. She flushed and rubbed her face. Deidre drank her coffee in silence, feeling Wynn’s gaze and unwilling to look at him after almost admitting to the plan. Gabriel’s second rule was at the forefront of her mind. She thought she was going crazy already; if she really started to deteriorate, there was no way she’d be able to handle it.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Wynn’s voice carried a note of sorrow. “In the meantime, I’ve got to run out this morning to meet with my financial manager to adjust my plan now that I’m happily unemployed.”
“I think you’ll be okay,” she said, glancing at the mansion.
“Only because I take steps to make certain it stays that way,” he said. “Will you be okay here?”
She nodded.
“You have my cell number?”
Another nod.
Wynn rose. “I’ll leave the coffee for you and check in later to make sure you haven’t decided to act prematurely.”
“I won’t,” she said, clearing her throat. “Thank you, Wynn.”
“No need to thank me. It’s my fault I can’t right this.”
At the tight words, she looked at him curiously.
“Apparently, I’m not the medical genius people believe me to be,” he added.
“You know that’s not true,” she said firmly. “I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me.”
His smile was polite. “Be back in a bit.”
He was unhappy about something. Deidre sipped her coffee. There was no way he was concerned about money. All he had to do was sell one of the original pieces of artwork displayed casually in the marble foyer and he’d be fine for years.
She trusted him without question and yet, there was more to him than she really knew. Their professional then personal relationships had centered around her and her illness. She didn’t know more than his official biography. She’d never needed to know, before now.
Deidre waited half an hour then rose. She wandered into the house, uncertain what she sought. Some sign he was an Immortal? Some sign he wasn’t?
She didn’t really know. She put her cell phone on its charger and explored the house, admiring his taste in everything from furniture to paintings to simple décor. He lived well but not lavishly, surrounded by an understated elegance much like him: aloof and pleasant.
Nothing screamed Immortal or that there was something about him she should be worried about. Frustrated with herself for assuming the worst about her remaining friend, she returned to the veranda. She understood why he liked the spot; the scent of honeysuckle and herbs was thick in the air, the manicured gardens pleasant to look at and the awning providing the right amount of cool shade from the midmorning Georgia sun.
Had Gabriel visited him last night? If so, why was he alive?
No one I couldn’t handle, dear.
She hadn’t put much weight into Wynn’s response, but she considered it now. Another bizarre answer. The coffee was still warm. She poured herself some more, struggling to figure out what she was missing. What the Immortals were hiding from her. The only one who seemed willing to talk to her before being shushed by Daniela was Rhyn.
Rhyn, whose last words to her had been to find him, if she wanted to know the full story. Struck by an idea, Deidre sat up. If the portals took her to Gabriel and Wynn, they might take her to Rhyn, too. He scared her, but it was beyond the time for her to start getting some answers.
Deidre wiped her hands on her jeans and sat up straight. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, aware the portals wouldn’t respond if she was remotely upset.
“Rhyn,” she said. “But only if it’s safe where he is.”
A familiar warmth stirred within her, and she braced herself before opening her eyes. Witnessing the gaping hole to the shadow world form in the middle of the real world was unsettling.
It was there, and one of the doorways on the other side beckoned her. With a deep breath, she crossed through the clinging cold, at a run by the time she reached the other side out of fear the portals might all disappear before she was safe.
She paused, afraid of where this doorway led, and steadied her breathing before stepping through, at once disoriented to appear in a small kindergarten class. There were six students around five-years-old and an older boy on the verge of puberty sitting around a beautiful blond, who was reading a book out loud. The chunky blocks of the stone walls were decorated with art done by children, and colorful mats covered the floor.
Rhyn wasn’t there. Did the portals send her somewhere random? Deidre turned around to find the hole between places had closed already. She faced the class. The blonde teacher was staring at her.
“Sorry, I think I’m …lost,” Deidre said.
The kids all turned at her voice.
“Are you here for m
e?” the blonde asked guardedly.
“What? No, I um, was looking for someone else,” Deidre answered.
A flush spread across the woman’s face, and anger glittered in her eyes. She rose and strode to Deidre.
“You can’t have the angels!” she snapped. “And this is for taking Kris from me!” A hard slap accompanied her words.
Stunned, Deidre took a step back. The sense of being in the Twilight Zone returned.
“I didn’t … I don’t know a Kris,” she stammered.
“Who are you here for? Tell me and get it over with!”
“Rhyn.”
“Ah. Him you can have,” the woman said, whirling away. “About time someone took out that son of a bitch.”
Deidre fought the urge to scream again. Couldn’t someone tell her what the hell was going on?
“Auntie Hannah, this isn’t … who you think it is,” said the oldest boy in the class. His large brown eyes were studying Deidre. He appeared to be close to eleven or twelve. “She’s human.”
“Seriously?” Hannah faced Deidre, cool blue eyes assessing. “Are you human?”
Deidre nodded. Hannah relaxed. Deidre guessed she’d stumbled upon somewhere in the Immortal world.
“You should go get the Immortal mood beast,” the boy advised Hannah.
“No, you go get her, Toby,” Hannah replied.
“I just escaped!” the boy whined.
Deidre gasped. No part of her was ready to meet whatever creature they discussed. She was barely holding it together knowing about Death and the Immortals.
“It’s okay, I’ll … come back later,” she said and moved towards the door.
“Fine. I’ll go.” Toby rolled his eyes. “Stay here. Are you still calling yourself Deidre?”
She gaped at him. He rolled his eyes again and trudged out of the room.
“If you’re human, then I’m sorry,” Hannah said with some effort. “If you’re messing with us, then I’ll do worse than slap you.”
“I like your hair,” one of the kids said, approaching.
“How did you become human?” another asked.
“Did you bring snacks?”
“Can we go to the underworld?”
Deidre stared down at the curious kids gathering around her. Normal kids didn’t ask about the underworld or being human. She swallowed hard, not wanting to break down in front of them. One of the girls grabbed her hand to pull her to the blankets where they’d been sitting while another one tugged at a loose lock of her hair. Deidre went and sat when they pulled her towards the ground.
“You look like you’re about to pass out,” Hannah said.
“Rough week,” Deidre whispered.
The kids were talking to her, but she had trouble focusing on anything outside of keeping the buzzing in her ears from pushing her beyond tunnel-vision into the darkness. Everyone knew her somehow or about the Immortals, and she was lost.
Hopefully, I’m dead in three months.
One of the kids handed her a handful of cotton balls while another put a doll in her lap. Uncertain what to do with either, she kept them. The kids seemed entranced by her pink hair. Someone brought her a colorful picture book.
“Read!” the little girl demanded.
Deidre struggled to focus.
“What Humans Eat,” she read the title. “Really?”
The girl nodded.
“Okay. Why not.” Deidre flipped to the first page. The little girl pushed the pages until satisfied, and Deidre didn’t have the mental power to tell her it wasn’t normal to start mid-book.
“Do humans eat plants?” she asked, eyes on the illustration.
“Yes!” a couple of voices chorused.
“Yes, humans eat many vegetables, like lettuce, broccoli and carrots,” she read and turned the page. “Do humans eat rocks?”
“No!” the kids replied.
“No, humans do not eat rocks. You should never feed a human a rock, even by mistake. Good advice,” she muttered and turned the page. “Do humans eat … uh … demons?” Unsettled by the image of a cheerful demon on a spit, she flipped to the next illustration.
“No!” more voices joined in.
“No, humans do not eat demons. But demons do eat humans,” she read, grimacing at the image of a cheerful man on a platter surrounded by demons. “What kind of children’s book is this?”
“Technically, they’re not kids,” Hanna replied.
Deidre’s head was pounding.
The girl in front of her began speaking. “Humans eat plants and macaronis and –“
“Meatballs!”
“Chocolate.”
“Oooohhh chocolate!” several kids echoed.
“The little angels have a thing for chocolate,” Hannah explained.
“Sure,” Deidre murmured, near fainting.
“Someone get Deidre a juice box!” Hannah ordered.
Three were thrust at her. Deidre took one and sipped. The cool liquid felt good on her throat.
She never should’ve left Wynn’s. In fact, if she’d stayed away from the beach this weekend altogether and had dinner with her doctor instead of causing her boyfriend to be eaten by a demon, she wouldn’t be facing an Immortal mood beast or teaching Immortal children not to feed humans rocks.
“Deidre?”
She looked up. Toby stood beside a plainly pregnant young woman with blue eyes and a tattoo across her neck that resembled the one on Deidre’s back in color and otherworldly script. While Gabriel was written at the center of the geometric designs on Deidre’s shoulders, the tattoo on the woman before her bore the name Rhyn.
Rhyn’s mate. Deidre almost understood why the portals brought her wherever this was. She was surprised to see Rhyn’s mate looked … normal.
“Yes,” she said at last, cringing for another bad reaction.
The woman smiled.
“C’mon kids, let Deidre up,” Hannah said to the little Immortals surrounding Deidre.
One of them claimed the doll, and Deidre released it. Hannah accepted the book and juice box. No one came for the cotton balls, and Deidre stood, putting them in her pocket.
“I’m happy to see you!” the dark-haired woman crossed to her and hugged her hard. “What’re you doing here? I thought you were dead-dead!”
“Um, not yet,” Deidre said, returning the hug awkwardly. “Kinda wish I was, though.”
“Mama, she’s human,” Toby said.
Rhyn’s mate withdrew, gazing at Deidre quizzically.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” she asked.
Deidre shook her head. “I’m happy to see you instead of an Immortal mood beast.”
“Immortal mood beast?” the woman addressed the boy. “Really, Toby?”
The boy’s face turned red. Deidre’s gaze fell to the woman’s protruding belly, and she suddenly understood.
“Sorry, Toby,” she said.
“I deserve it,” Toby said with a pitiful sigh.
The woman rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I’m Katie. You’ve met Toby and my sister Hannah. You really don’t remember any of us?”
“I’m sorry but no,” Deidre replied. “Should I?”
“Well, yeah. We spent time in the underworld together, though if you’re human, that might mean …” Katie drifted off then glanced at the children. “Hey, Toby, can you give her one?”
Deidre followed her gaze, not understanding.
“You can’t just assign one because she’s human,” Toby said.
“Oh no? And how did I end up with you?” Katie challenged.
“That was different.”
“Give me what?” Deidre interrupted.
“A basement angel,” Katie answered her before continuing with Toby. “They need homes, don’t they?”
“You want to give me a … kid?” Deidre asked, baffled.
“Yes, but she has to be screened and compatible,” Toby said.
“We know how well that screening worked out, no
w don’t we?” Katie retorted.
Toby rolled his eyes. “Mama, pleeeeeeeeease don’t make me pick one for her.”
At the end of her rope with the bizarre world and discussion, Deidre fainted.
Chapter Nine