“That’s all well and dandy, love birds, but I do believe we have a mission to complete before that happens. How will that even work?” Poppy queries, her eyes grow distant as if trying to puzzle things out, “I know we’re all crossbreeds, but…”
LJ is quick to interrupt, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” She huffs, trying to get us back on track. “Cara?” She calls out and her dainty fennec fox bounds out of her room and right to her side. She doesn’t even have to bend at the waist to catch her as she leaps into her open arms. LJ’s hand is immediately tangled in the soft fur of her head and I can tell that she is speaking to her through their bond. I long for the time that we can do that, LJ and I. I watch as Cara nods and looks up at us all expectantly. LJ addresses us all, “All right then, let’s be off, we’ve wasted enough time. We’ll be back here before we know it.”
I wrap my arm around LJ and hang on for the ride. Poppy promises to follow us through LJ’s trace trail. Evidently, her Keeper abilities allow her to do so and for a split second, I’m jealous of the fact that I do not have this ability. Apparently, being the son of two Fallen was not enough to manifest that envious talent. I take a second to envision Rapa-City Delights Resort, I’ve never been there, but I’ve been to New Vegas, what was once known as Polson, Montana has now been overrun with high rise casinos. Some of the tallest buildings in the northwestern United States have made their home there. My parents have sheltered me most of my life from Mammon, but now it’s time to face him and his tenacious appetite to collect the most unique and coveted items and creatures on this plane of existence and the other. Suddenly, I have a bad feeling about this, before I can utter a word, LJ has pulled me and Cara with her into her trace and we find ourselves looking upward to take in the most enormous building I have ever seen. Like the Eiffel Tower, Rapa-City Delights is quite enormous and the basic structure has a base similar to that iconic structure except it’s more than double in size. The structure shoots straight up into the sky and for the life of me, I can’t see the top. At some point, a layer of clouds has shrouded the top of the building from view.
From beside me, I hear LJ suck in a breath and mutter, “Whoa!”
19
Have I Always Been This Naïve?
(Lillie Joanna)
Color me thunderstruck and hose me down in pixie dust, I have never seen anything like this on any scale. Only on TV, on the news, or in the movies. Seeing it up close is nothing short of awe-inspiring. When ushering souls, I have no concept of their surroundings, most of the time. I watch as flying vehicles land on landing platforms high above us. The traffic surrounding this building is constant. Land cars are in a constant state of pulling up and letting people out before pulling forward again. Aircraft are buzzing about the sky-high building like moths drawn to a flame.
Daxell pulls me close, “Don’t leave my side. I don’t know why, but I have a really bad feeling about this place. We’ll take the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours to see what we can find out and then we are out of here. Got it?”
“Agreed.” I squeeze his hand and hold on to Cara with Poppy on my other side. We make our way across the pedestrian crosswalk and head toward the most impressive structure that I have ever seen. The closer we get to our destination, the more sensory overload we’re exposed to, holographic images pop up here and there, all promising that Rapa-City Delights can cater to the patrons every carnal desire. For a price. Each and every wanton request has a unique price for each and every individual. “Your every wish can be granted”, the holographic female coos, “just step right up and tell me what you want, it’s as easy as that. Come…” she beckons us forward, her voice enticing, her see-through eyes on Daxell as she winks and blows him a kiss.
Dax wraps his arm around me and whispers, “Honey cheeks, you have nothing to worry about, she has nothing to offer me.”
I melt into his side and have the ridiculous urge to stick my tongue out at the impossibly beautiful holographic image that seems to be following us. Instead, I stop, cocking my head to the side and ask, “Can you hear me?”
The image smiles and nods her head. She is quick to answer in her sultry voice, “Yes, how may I be of service? Might I suggest our exclusive floor just for couples? We make it easy for couples to find -”
“Stop right there, that won’t be necessary. Please point us in the direction of the hotel lobby, we need a room for the night and we need to contact …” I trail off and look up at Dax not sure as to how to address his parents.
Dax’s voice rumbles out of his chest as he says, “Leviathan and Asmodeus Grayson, and their bonded partner, Seraphina. We will need a suite close to where they are staying.” He finishes as he squeezes my hip pulling me even closer to him.
The ethereal beauty in front of us mouths an, oh, before giving us directions to the hotel’s check-in desk. We quickly make our way to a bank of elevators. Mammon’s Rapa-City is truly a city within a city, and from what I can tell it has become a mecca for all things depraved. If you want to spend the night
