“The chief is lying to you.”
Lucy’s small palm snapped against my cheek, and she leaned in, the Taser a millimeter from my neck. “Don’t you say that about Chief Oliver. All he’s concerned about is protecting the people—the human people—of this city. You have no idea what you’re talking about so just shut your mouth!”
The chief wandered back in, his red-rimmed eyes taking in Lucy and me. “You two getting along in here? Not that I care …”
Lucy stepped away from me, but her fierce eyes were still on mine. She held the Taser so tightly that I could see her knuckles had gone white.
“Chief Oliver, I—”
The chief put his hands on his hips and stared at me. “You know, Sophie, I’m really getting tired of listening to you.” He angled his gun at me again, and I cringed, pinching my eyes closed tightly. When a full second passed without gunfire, I chanced to open an eye. I saw the chief, gun still steadied and trained on me in one hand, the other rummaging through a duffel bag left open on the hallway table. Chief Oliver produced a silver roll of duct tape and tossed it to Lucy, who caught it and peeled off a piece, tearing it with her teeth.
“Doesn’t matter if you’re a demon or not, all you broads talk too much,” the chief said.
I was about to protest, to plead my non-talking-broad case, but Lucy smacked a piece of tape over my mouth, smoothing it with her delicate hand.
The chief came up behind her, grinned, and patted her on the shoulder. “Good work, kid.”
Lucy beamed like a proud kindergartner.
“Now take her car and get out of here.”
The smile abruptly dropped from Lucy’s lips. “But I wanted to see the ceremony!” she whined. “You said I could be there when the portal opened and I’d get my powers.” Lucy was stamping her foot again, her black hair bobbing. “I got the stuff you wanted!”
I blinked.
I remembered Kishi’s voice that day at the Crystal Ball in San Jose. I remember her saying that the woman who bought the Sword of Bethesda was rather nondescript, but had long black hair.
“Lucy,” I murmured.
“Huh?” she called over her shoulder, annoyed.
I tried again, then realized with the tape stuck over my mouth I was probably letting out nothing more than an incomprehensible moan. The chief blew out an annoyed sigh, aimed his gun at my nose, and whipped the duct tape from my mouth.
“Ow!” I moaned. “Geez.”
Lucy raised a perturbed eyebrow. “That’s what you wanted to say?”
“I wanted to say that it was you, Lucy, who bought the Sword of Bethesda.”
Lucy smiled, looked lovingly at the chief. “Uh-huh. Good on you for figuring it out way too late.” She tossed a hard glance over her shoulder. “I’m staying. No one’s going to come looking for her car, and even if they do, so what? The ritual will be completed and no one will be any match for us.”
“They won’t, will they?” the chief looked amused and patronizing at the same time while Lucy nodded.
“Lucy, I—” I was barely able to get out the second syllable when the chief slapped the tape over my mouth again. He patted both my cheeks and smiled, and in one quick motion, yanked a pillowcase out of his duffel and dropped it over my head.
I blinked in the immediate darkness.
Suddenly we were moving again, the chief’s hands clamped over my arms, tight, cutting off my circulation as I stumbled in front of him. I heard Lucy scampering behind us, complaining about how to dispose of my car, about how she wanted to stay and be a part of “the ceremony.” The chief remained mostly quiet, grunting occasionally, until I heard him open a car door. Almost immediately I felt myself being launched inside, sliding on my belly across a foul-smelling leather bench seat and cracking my skull on what I can only assume was the other car door.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” I heard him mutter before I felt the door slamming against the soles of my bare feet. I groaned, them immediately strained to hear the last few seconds of the chief and Lucy arguing outside.
“But it’s what you promised!” I heard Lucy whine.
“Stop it. I don’t have time for this.”
“But—”
“I’m warning you…. Just get in the car and drive away like we talked about. I’ll come and get you when everything is through.”