“Thanks, go to hell, and I love you,” Mia said and waved at him sideways like the Queen of England does.
Tom opened the door and yelled, “Next victim.”
Mia laughed.
Time slowed to a stop. Mia pushed back against the headboard. She glanced at the outside door and planned to make a break for it, but she no sooner got a foot out of bed, when it landed on a sandy beach.
She moaned, “I just left here.”
“Have you tired of the beach?” Roumain asked, dressed more casually than Mia had seen him before. He wore a light-colored linen suit with a white shirt that was open. His massive chest was dark under the gold chains he wore. One chain looked very familiar. Mia averted her gaze to his face.
“That is not your color,” he said, waving his hand, and her clothing disappeared.
“Honestly,” Mia said, not knowing what to cover with her hands, or if it would help at all.
He smiled, took off his jacket, and wrapped it around her.
It smelled of jasmine and something else. Mia took a moment and smelled the collar, trying to figure out what the jasmine was covering up.
“I’m sorry I was less than helpful last time,” he apologized.
“You shouldn’t have been afraid, but you were right. I ended up killing Ruax.”
“So I heard. What else did you do?”
“You seem to have the inside track, why don’t you tell me?” she sassed.
“I see your patience has dwindled again,” Roumain said. He reached out and pulled her to him. “I had to watch you flirt with Crocker for what?”
“To save three birdmen. I just put a fantasy in his mind, Roumain. I was a good girl. Fortunately, the Peacock arrived out of the blue, and I didn’t have to touch the man, much.”
“Do you know how hard it was to make that so?” he asked.
“You? Why didn’t you save the birdmen then?”
“I can’t directly interfere.”
“But you make an exception for my virtue?” Mia squeaked as he moved his hands.
“Mia, this is Abigor’s chain that you gave to Crocker. Since I can’t see into Hell, tell me, do I have to have Abigor’s seconds too?”
“Admittedly, I had to dance around that one, but no, I didn’t make love to Abigor. He’s much too narcissistic to have a child of his turn out to be a Nephilim witch. I just pointed that out to him. I did what I had to do. I’m not exactly an army. Just a woman alone in Hell. You figure it out. Just like here. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you I’m not feeling vulnerable. I’m desperately trying to be an honorable woman, but damn, you make it so hard.”
Roumain laughed and released her.
Mia knew that, if she acted like she wanted him, he would leave her be. Roumain loved to seduce but knew better than to follow through.
“How did you get the chain?” Mia asked.
“Let’s say, there is one very happy quartermaster who was just promoted. You won’t ask, but Stephen’s still on the ship.”
Mia didn’t say anything.
“You need him to have your back,” Roumain said.
“No, I don’t. I killed Ruax all by myself. I didn’t need you slowing time or Angelo coming to the rescue or Victor picking up the pieces. I did it myself.”
“And earned the name of Assassin. Is this what you wanted?”
“Of course not! But no matter how I fought it, it happened anyway. No matter how many babies you had Ted put in my body, steered me on a different course, or made my husband an insecure jerk, it still happened!”
“Tell me, what did killing Ruax for Lucifer get you?”
“One act of impunity.”
“And you used it already.”
“Yes.”
“I think Abigor suspects, no matter what garbage Orion fed him. He knows you were involved in sinking The Risen.”
“How? How can I sink a ship? If I could, it would have been the Devil’s Pride or the Peacock.”
“Yes, if it were just you…” Roumain said, rubbing his chin. “But who?”
“I think you need to let this one go. I mean no disrespect,” Mia said softly. “But you should let this go.”
“You have done the humans a service they will never thank you for. You have sacrificed your dreams for an unappreciative species.”
“I guess so. Some of us never seem to learn the hard lessons.”
“Mia, Kai told you something you must take to the grave with you.”
Mia ran it through her head. “He told me an old one lusted for me. I assumed it was Abigor. Was I wrong?”
“I think you should let this one go,” Roumain said.
“Are you a fallen?” Mia asked, her voice barely able to be heard.
The answer was to find herself back in the room, wearing the pink pajamas. She jumped into bed and waited for time to start again.
Lazar walked in carrying a tray. He wrinkled up his face. “I’m not sure I like seeing you in my bed.”
“And not wearing pink.”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s not a bad color, but it’s like a pink Harley Davidson; it doesn’t quite fit.”
“Finally, a man who understands me.”
“What are you buttering me up for?” Lazar asked.
“It was just a compliment.”
“Somehow it isn’t, but let’s put this behind us. I’m very glad that you’re home. I don’t like that everyone thinks you’re ill when you’re clearly not.”
“I know. Ted knows, Dieter knows. But Cid’s got this wrong idea and…”
“You want me to fix it?”
“Can you?”
Lazar laughed. “I’m the last one in. How am I going to convince your long-admiring lap dogs that you’re not suffering from a broken heart because your pet ghost has done a
