CHAPTER#20

"Nah. Wanted to sleep in tomorrow is all." Mike grabbed the dial and gave it a twist. A blast of magical energy crawled along his arms, verifying that the correct person was turning it. Satisfied that Mike was the Caretaker, the energy sank into the ground, permeating the soil and then concentrating on the stone lions watching the entry. Mike had Sofia look into them, but there was no information on what they could be. Nevertheless, they would immediately come to life in a blaze of fire and kill anyone attempting to attack the house using magic.

At least, that seemed to be how it worked. For the hundredth time, he wished the house came with an instruction manual.

"Interesting. You don't strike me as someone who sleeps in."

"Well, gonna be a late night. Found something interesting, gonna check it out." He knew he had struck a nerve when Sebastien's composure slipped. Sebastien and his fellow magic users, known as the Society, were convinced that something extremely powerful had been hidden in the house. Mike was beginning to suspect they were right, but he knew only slightly more than they did at this point.

"Have a good day, Mr. Radley." Sebastien turned away, walking across the street to where a black car had been parked. Mike could just make out the collection of tiny wooden spears stuck in the back of his head and neck, making him look like a balding hedgehog. He gave the sundial one last twist, rotating it as far as it could go. The shadow of the pointer now claimed that it was nearly five o'clock.

"You're a great security system but shit at telling time." He gave the stone dial an affectionate pat, grateful for the peace of mind it gave him and went back inside.

They were all waiting for him by the door to the smoking room. The tension immediately increased once he helped Tink rip the final board off the wall.

"Ready?" He asked.

Everybody nodded. Assuming that nothing attacked them, they would disperse, leaving Abella to watch the door. He pushed forward, Tink sliding past to enter the room first. It was cold, the breeze from the broken window chilling the room. A wind current formed in the open doorway from the pressure difference, but nothing in the room seemed to want them dead.

Yet.

"Close it. We will try to check in if we can." He watched Zel close the door and heard Abella's stony skin drag across the wood. His best guess was that she was sitting in front of it. He looked at Carmina, who sat on his shoulder. She held a tiny spear, her eyes focused on the opening in the wall where the couch had been.

"I'll scout ahead." Cecilia faded, her ethereal form barely discernible in the light. She floated into the opening and they waited for several minutes while she made certain no traps had been set for them.

Tink was beginning to grumble to herself when the banshee reappeared, giving them the all clear. Mike crouched down to get inside, and Carmina's body lit up with magic, casting a glow on the tunnel. They had plenty of spare flashlights, but Mike preferred to save them just in case they lost their fairy guide. Carmina turned into a ball of light and flew ahead of them.

-

Beth closed the door to Mike's bedroom once she was certain one of the fairies wasn't trapped inside. She walked past his large bed and the mismatched rug on the floor to his bathroom. The large tub was empty, so she sat on the edge of it.

"Oh. This is much nicer than the last place." In the tub in the mirror, Oliver sat up, his top hat falling off his head. He sat next to her and placed an arm around her reflection. "So where are we? And honestly, who has a bathtub this big?"

"You would know if I asked you," Beth replied. Oliver was a demon with the ability to answer any question. Once asked, he knew everything needed to give an answer. It was part of how she had tricked him and escaped in the first place. "And I'm not going to."

"Ooh. You're so clever." He teased the front of her breast, making one of her nipples erect. "That's part of why I can't let you go."

"And the other part?"

"I've taken many lovers, both human and demon. You are the first who seemed so... interested... in my demonic side."

"My interest is waning." In truth, she still felt a sexual attraction to the demon. If not for the fear that he would imprison her soul for eternity, she wouldn't mind another fling. Where Asterion was pure muscle, Oliver was lean and intellectually intriguing.

"Maybe we can arrange another game?"

"You won't be caught off guard so easily this time." She threw him a sarcastic smile. "And I guess you won't be nearly as giving in bed either."

"Won't know till you try."

"So is this your plan? Annoy me until I give in?"

"Well... it's plan A. Show up anywhere there is a reflection, maybe trick you one day into standing in a puddle. The water would go perfectly still, and I would grab you and pull you in." Oliver was salivating, his grin revealing sharp teeth. "What a fun surprise that would be."

"That's enough out of you." Naia's voice came from the drain. Oliver looked around in confusion until the faucet turned on, the tub filling with tens of gallons a second. Naia rose from the water, a beautiful white gown on her body and her arms crossed.

"Oh. The nymph." Oliver yawned. "What are you going to do, get me wet?"

"Yes." She wrapped her arms around Beth, holding her tightly. The water in the tub exploded outward, creating a vortex of water that filled the room. Beth was immediately soaked in warm water, holding her mouth shut. Through the rush of water, she heard Oliver sputter and release a stream of curses. She felt Naia's lips on hers and resisted at first, but when the water failed to recede, she gave in. The nymph gently blew oxygen into her mouth, which she gratefully inhalled.