Page 4 of To Crave Deeply
“And if I’m not dead?”
Her winning smile faltered a little. “Well, then it’s a little more complicated. Just like demons. We don’t get many of those passing through here. They tend to head straight back to Hell when they die. Hopefully, you’ll just be untethered, and I can send you right back.”
She made it sound so simple, but I didn’t think it was going to be that easy. Nothing in my life was ever simple these days. So why should things change now?
Cindy spoke to someone on the other end of the line, and within five minutes there was a knock at the door. A portly little man with a beard that stopped at his navel walked into the room. He reminded me of a garden gnome; he was just missing the pointy hat to complete the picture.
“Name,” he said shortly as he peered over the top of his spectacles.
“Lori Enya Alexandra Monroe,” Cindy supplied helpfully. “Time of death?”
“Three minutes ago.”
The gnome-like man gave a simple nod and then pulled out a large flat mirror and laid it on the table between us. He moved his hands above the surface of the mirror and chanted some foreign words under his breath. His eyes turned completely white as the surface of the mirror rippled and started to change into an image of the ballroom I’d so recently left.
It was like looking down on the room from a bird’s eye position. I could see my body lying in a pool of blood as Lucifer held me. I saw the moment I died, the moment Lucifer collapsed, and the moment Jasper roared as my life vanished. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched my last moments. I had died trying to save Cassian, who was lying in his own pool of blood right next to me.
Camael was right. I had died for nothing.
“You look dead to me,” said the portly gnome and started to close the connection to the ballroom.
I took one last look at the life I left behind, sorrow gripping my heart and squeezing. If I were dead, how come I could feel so much pain?
“Wait,” Cindy called. “Is he still breathing?”
I looked back at Lucifer and sure enough, his chest was rising and falling slowly, as if he were in a deep slumber.
“How’s that possible?” I asked incredulously.
“No idea,” the gnome replied. “But I don’t think you’re completely dead, either.”
I turned my eyes to where my body was in a pool of blood and my jaw dropped. I was moving. No, not just moving. I was standing up.
What the fuck?
I could see my lips moving in the mirror. “Is there sound on this thing?”
“No. Only images,” the scryer quipped. It sounded like the man had some issues to work through. He definitely gave off the vibe of an angry little man.
But how could I possibly still be moving about down there.
Unless…
What if I never really assimilated with Iveri? What if she only made me think I had until the right moment presented itself and she could take over fully? She always said she wanted control…
“That bitch!” I yelled. “Just you wait, demon. I’m going to kill you for this.”
Chapter 2
IVERI
I opened my eyes, and the world swam in a swirl of beautiful colours. I could hear chaos around me, but it sounded miles away, like the sound was travelling through water. My head pounded and I ached all over.
A bubble of laughter crept up my throat. I couldn’t believe it. After all this time, I actually ached all over. After years of waiting to step out of the shadows, I finally had my chance.
I’d had to bury myself deeper in Lori’s mind this time. I needed to fool her into thinking I’d gone, that we’d assimilated. I snorted. Stupid girl. She was so wrapped up in all this prophecy shit and the drama surrounding all her men that she paid no attention to what was happening inside her. I just had to bide my time and wait for the right moment to present itself. Luckily for me, Lori had a habit of protecting the people she loved. In the end, that weakness was her downfall.
I was no ordinary demon. I knew exactly who I was, and I’d fooled them all.
