He loaded down a plate, hungry as always. Beside him, Alice pushed around a piece of pancake on her very empty plate. Cooper draped his arm around her shoulders. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I can’t help but get the feeling that this was a bad idea.” Alice suddenly shivered, and he brought her chair closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. “You’re always so warm. I could totally get used to this.”
“By all means, get used to it. Keep all of my heat. Like everything else I own, it’s yours.”
They ate and drank…mimosas that were just too bright to be theusualkind, so Cooper stayed away from them. He drank his fill of coffee and orange juice and ate his weight in pancakes and waffles. Thankfully, Alice nibbled a few things, but only if he took a morsel from his plate and offered her his fork.
“I feel watched,” she whispered in his ear, low enough that only his shifter ears would hear him.
Cooper scanned their surroundings, but there was nothing around them but loads of water, imps, and the strangest stones and sand he had ever seen. He hadn’t exactly thought of visiting Hell in his life, and even though the food and the company were good, he didn’t think that he would be ready for a repeat performance any time soon. “Watched? How? Where?”
She shook her head. “It feels like someone else is here … Is that possible?”
“What are you two adorable sweeties whispering about,” Lou asked. “Making plans for later, I suspect.” He wiggled his brows suggestively.
“Actually, we were just wondering how safe Hell is,” Cooper said. “You know, we have someone here who is on the run because assassins are after her. This is safe, right?”
Lou nodded. “Oh, yeah, it’s safe as houses. I wouldn’t have suggested this if I didn’t think we would be A-Okay.”
“There isn’t a better person to be with in Hell than with Lou,” Portia explained. “He knows all of the nooks and crannies of this place.”
“Why do you ask?” Lou wondered as he gulped down his bright orange mimosa.
Alice explained her fears, and Cooper fully expected Lou to wave off her fears and tell her that all would be well. Instead, Lou got to his feet, snapping his fingers to the imps.
He began to speak to them in very fast demon language, and Cooper couldn’t keep up. Alice, who was now as straight as an arrow in her seat, watched the entire exchange with terrified interest.
“Can you understand what they are saying to each other?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “Not exactly. I don’t have much demon language, just enough to cast some pretty powerful spells. My mother was fluent, and it was actually one of the things that Priscilla hated about her. I guess now I know how she was able to learn and speak it.”
“I’m guessing Priscilla couldn’t speak much of it?”
“Any,” Alice corrected. “She wasn’t a very powerful witch, but she was a very compelling speaker. She was one of our tutors. Coven witches learn their magic from their families and their peer groups. Priscilla was good at aligning herself with powerful witches who didn’t mind doing the dirty work.”
“It’s time to go, kids,” Lou announced.
Cooper was immediately on high alert. Lou’s voice had none of its usual easy exuberance. The demon even looked a little paler. “What’s happening?”
Lou conjured up Bertha, and the portal reappeared right where it had spit them out. “In you go. Quickly, now.” The bartender’s eyes were glued to the sky, which was now a darkening color.
Cooper wondered what a storm in Hell would look like compared to one back home, but he didn’t want to wait and find out. He took Alice’s hand in his, and he led her to the portal, looking over their shoulders. The imps were scampering behind them, their taloned feet leaving marks in the strange sand.
The portal started to shimmer as soon as they stepped through it. The smell was different this time around. There was the smell of dying flowers clinging to the sulfuric scent that made his stomach roll. Alice tightened her hold on his hand.
The scent got stranger and more potent, and tiny rips began to appear in the fabric of the portal. Hands…terribly ugly and scarred…with insanely grotesque talons reached out, grabbing for Alice. She shrieked a horrifying scream as some of the talons got within inches of her, clawing at her as if to rip her to shreds or right out of the portal.
“Not today, motherfucker,” Lou shouted, echoing Cooper’s own sentiment.
There was a terrible light and a heavy crashing sound, and then Lou vanished.
FIFTEEN
COOPER
As soon as Lou disappeared, the portal wobbled and shrank. Alice screamed, the portal’s magic too hot to touch. It burned them to just stand in the traveling portal, and Cooper didn’t understand enough about magic to surmisewhythe portal was acting up. He could only suspect that without Lou, there could be no Bertha.
The heat increased, and Cooper winced, and it was only then that Alice realized what was happening. He was used to seeing his smooth, tanned skin breaking out in scales.