“Whoa, that does sound horrible, doesn’t it?” Mia said. “Lap dogs?”
“Why is there sand on the floor?” Lazar asked.
“Maybe I brought it back with me?” Mia said quickly.
“I doubt it, but I’ll let you have your secrets. Do me a favor and drink all this tea. It’s supposed to cure a broken heart, wink, wink,” Lazar said, handing Mia a cup and leaving the room with the door open.
Ted came in. He looked around. “Lazar’s certainly made this place his own.”
“Ted, I think we should join Burt and Patrick on the treasure hunt,” Mia said quickly. “Make it a PEEPs investigation.”
“Because…”
“We have to get their minds on something else. I will not be able to live this lie any longer.”
“What lie?”
“That it breaks my heart Murphy is gone. Honestly, it was something else. Orion checked me over. I’m fine. They won’t let me be fine if we hang around here. Look what I’m wearing!”
“It’s not as bad as the clothes Whit bought for you during the hollow problems.”
“How did you know about that?” Mia gasped.
“I was there. We techs see and hear a lot of things, Mia.”
“K.”
“We still do.”
“Do you have this room bugged?”
“No, but one moment I’m reaching for a Dr. Pepper because I’m hot, the next moment my hand is so cold I can hardly close it around the can. You’ve been to see Roumain. Which also explains the sand on the floor.”
“And the bed,” Mia said, lifting the covers. “My feet were sandy.”
“What happened?”
“I got a good scolding. Which reminds me, I have to see Michael.”
“That’s it!” Ted said. “Go and see Michael, and when you come back, everybody will assume he’s cured you.”
“He’s going to rip my wings off, Ted.”
“No. You’re going directly to him this time. In the meantime, I’ll get the group together, and we’ll put together an investigation. We only have a few days because the boys want to see you.”
“We could take them?”
“No. Not until you and I have had a few days and nights together, alone.”
“Whoa. Get me some clothes, because I’m not going to see Michael dressed as Doris Day.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Mia looked around at the crystalline cave and tried not to touch the sides. She had read, if you were in contact with evil, a white crystal could leach the evil out of you, leaving the crystal black. Mia looked at the ground to see if she had left black footprints.
“Mia, Michael will see you now,” an armored angel told her.
“Thank you,” she said and waited for him to open the door, too afraid to touch the long cylindrical piece of white crystal.
Michael watched her from within and managed to suppress his smile before she entered, balling up her sleeves over her hands before grabbing the handle.
She walked up and knelt with her head down and waited to be addressed.
“Why don’t you just lay face down? Isn’t this how you show Abigor respect or Lucifer?”
Mia slid down, pressing her forehead into the crystal floor. She opened her eyes and swore she saw black leaching out from her nose.
Michael knelt and turned her face to the side. “I should break your neck.”
“Yup. I mean, yes, sir.”
“Get up.”
“Yes, sir.” Mia scrambled to her feet and lost her balance on the polished floor, toppling into Michael. “Oh my…” she fought the word but it slipped out, “God.”
“Mia Cooper Martin! Taking the Lord’s name in vain, here?” he asked, steadying her with his hands.
“You sound like Father Santos,” Mia said and winced as his fingers dug into her arms.
“He’s an admirable man. I’m honored.”
“I came as soon… I came to tell you all about… Help a girl out and just start yelling,” Mia said.
“Let me list what I know,” Michael started. “You risked my healer fighting Lamia. You helped the demon-with-no-name to escape into Hell where he killed Lamia and Aosoth’s brother, General… I can’t remember his name; there are so many of them. You then fight this demon… Ruax and kill him, receiving what for your trouble?”
“Impunity, a single serving of impunity.”
“You really need a better agent. But wait, that’s not all. You cross into the Ghost Ship Dimension and seduce Captain Crocker in order to release three birdmen.”
“That wasn’t my original intention. I was going to buy Stephen Murphy’s freedom, but then I found out about the birdmen. At first, I thought they were dead. But no, they were still alive. I couldn’t leave them like that.”
“Let’s back up. Whose colors were you wearing?”
“Abigor’s, but I didn’t have permission. He didn’t send me. I lied to Captain Crocker.”
“So, you commit adultery…”
“No, I fed the seduction into his mind. I barely had to touch him… Oh just start yelling please…”
Michael turned and composed himself before continuing. “The next part… I’m not sure about.”
“Maybe it’s best you don’t know.”
“Mia Cooper Martin! Do you want to keep those wings?”
“I guess…”
“That’s the first answer I believe. Tell me.”
Mia looked around.
“No one can hear us,” he said.
“I had Orion cast an image of me sleeping in the hospital.”
“Why were you in the hospital?”
“They said I had this… long word… basically, a broken heart.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“So, you pretended to have a broken heart, and Orion cast an image of you sleeping, why?”
“So I could fly to the south Atlantic and be part of a team to bring forth a waterspout to destroy The Risen.”
“Leviathan’s ship?”
“Yup.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“This was with impunity from Lucifer?”
“Yes, sir. May I explain why I didn’t think it would be wise for you to know…”
“No. You were protecting me from being complicit when it was a covert
