wasn’t until recently when Sam wasn’t here and you got so sick that I started worrying things were worse than I thought. Finally, I decided since your mother wasn’t here anymore I didn’t have to keep my mouth shut any longer.”
“I don’t understand how any of this happened! How did my mother ever get involved with Beelzebub?” I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated.
“I don’t know,” Gran said. “She never told me and I never asked. I suspect your grandfather knew, but he isn’t here to tell us, either.”
“What about Dad? Did he know?”
“I think so. He was able to protect you and your mother for many years before he died.”
“Oh. God.” I gasped. “Did Beelzebub kill him too?”
“Oh, no. No. I honestly think your father’s death was because he interrupted an armed robbery while on duty and was shot.”
It didn’t make me feel any better. Whether my dad’s death was Beelzebub’s fault or not, my mother’s, grandfather’s, and Logan’s were. He was killing off my entire family.
When everyone around you is dead…
Beelzebub’s words came back to me, haunting me. He was making good on his promise. A little whimper escaped. Who would be next?
I rushed out of the house and down the porch steps into the yard. The sun was going down and the long-sleeved T-shirt I wore wasn’t enough to keep me warm, but I kept going. I dug the cell phone out of my pocket, hit a few buttons, and waited while it rang.
“I’m busy. You know what to do.” Beep.
I let out a frustrated cry. “Why did you even get a phone if you aren’t going to answer?” I yelled. “I haven’t heard from you in weeks. I want to know what you know. Now .” I disconnected the call and brought my arm down, tempted to throw the phone, but a hand shot out and grabbed it.
“You called Riley?”
“It’s been weeks, Sam. He should’ve found out where the souls are by now.”
Sam took a deep breath. I could see him reining in his dislike for his former roommate. “You knew him finding where they are was a long shot.”
“You mean him actually telling us if he found them,” I said, then sighed.
Sam shrugged. “That too.”
Just after we got back from hell, Riley took off, saying he was going to go take over where Beelzebub left off. From down there he’d be able to locate the souls, and he’d tell us where they were so I could go free my mother along with all the others being fed off of by the seven Princes of Hell. After Riley betrayed me, I hadn’t wanted anything to do with him. But then he helped us trap Beelzebub and Hecate, and he seemed to want to make up for the things he’d done, so when he offered to help us find the souls—I call it the Soul Graveyard—we agreed. Besides, having eyes in hell seemed like a good idea.
But what good were eyes in hell if they never called you back?
“You think he’s going to betray us again,” I said, flat.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. I think relying on Riley for anything is a very bad idea.”
“He’s killing off my family, Sam,” I whispered, staring at the low-lit sky. A breeze ruffled the trees and goose bumps prickled my arms. A navy hoodie fell around my shoulders and Sam’s scent filled my senses. I pushed my arms through the sweatshirt and leaned back against his chest. His arms came around me and I closed my eyes.
“What do you think went down with your mom and Beelzebub all those years ago?” he asked against my ear.
“I have no idea. If it was anyone else besides Gran saying those things about her I would’ve laughed in their face. She was the most prim and proper person I’ve ever known. She was religious to a fault, and I can’t imagine her getting involved in anything Beelzebub would be near.”
“Maybe she had a bad home life as a kid?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. She never talked about her parents. They
“I don’t understand how any of this happened! How did my mother ever get involved with Beelzebub?” I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated.
“I don’t know,” Gran said. “She never told me and I never asked. I suspect your grandfather knew, but he isn’t here to tell us, either.”
“What about Dad? Did he know?”
“I think so. He was able to protect you and your mother for many years before he died.”
“Oh. God.” I gasped. “Did Beelzebub kill him too?”
“Oh, no. No. I honestly think your father’s death was because he interrupted an armed robbery while on duty and was shot.”
It didn’t make me feel any better. Whether my dad’s death was Beelzebub’s fault or not, my mother’s, grandfather’s, and Logan’s were. He was killing off my entire family.
When everyone around you is dead…
Beelzebub’s words came back to me, haunting me. He was making good on his promise. A little whimper escaped. Who would be next?
I rushed out of the house and down the porch steps into the yard. The sun was going down and the long-sleeved T-shirt I wore wasn’t enough to keep me warm, but I kept going. I dug the cell phone out of my pocket, hit a few buttons, and waited while it rang.
“I’m busy. You know what to do.” Beep.
I let out a frustrated cry. “Why did you even get a phone if you aren’t going to answer?” I yelled. “I haven’t heard from you in weeks. I want to know what you know. Now .” I disconnected the call and brought my arm down, tempted to throw the phone, but a hand shot out and grabbed it.
“You called Riley?”
“It’s been weeks, Sam. He should’ve found out where the souls are by now.”
Sam took a deep breath. I could see him reining in his dislike for his former roommate. “You knew him finding where they are was a long shot.”
“You mean him actually telling us if he found them,” I said, then sighed.
Sam shrugged. “That too.”
Just after we got back from hell, Riley took off, saying he was going to go take over where Beelzebub left off. From down there he’d be able to locate the souls, and he’d tell us where they were so I could go free my mother along with all the others being fed off of by the seven Princes of Hell. After Riley betrayed me, I hadn’t wanted anything to do with him. But then he helped us trap Beelzebub and Hecate, and he seemed to want to make up for the things he’d done, so when he offered to help us find the souls—I call it the Soul Graveyard—we agreed. Besides, having eyes in hell seemed like a good idea.
But what good were eyes in hell if they never called you back?
“You think he’s going to betray us again,” I said, flat.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. I think relying on Riley for anything is a very bad idea.”
“He’s killing off my family, Sam,” I whispered, staring at the low-lit sky. A breeze ruffled the trees and goose bumps prickled my arms. A navy hoodie fell around my shoulders and Sam’s scent filled my senses. I pushed my arms through the sweatshirt and leaned back against his chest. His arms came around me and I closed my eyes.
“What do you think went down with your mom and Beelzebub all those years ago?” he asked against my ear.
“I have no idea. If it was anyone else besides Gran saying those things about her I would’ve laughed in their face. She was the most prim and proper person I’ve ever known. She was religious to a fault, and I can’t imagine her getting involved in anything Beelzebub would be near.”
“Maybe she had a bad home life as a kid?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. She never talked about her parents. They
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