Heathen: Devil Have Mercy, #3

By Michael Horton

At long last, Charlotte has reached Heaven’s Gate. Heads will roll as she forces her way to the Throne, the seat of power from which all life on Earth is born. But the universe is home to many gods, some more cooperative than others, and the High Creator may not be her biggest obstacle.

Blood will be spilled, bonds will be tested, and the world will be changed forever. All Heaven is about to break loose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Horton
• Release date: May 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497751781

Book preview

Heathen (Devil Have Mercy, #3)

By Michael Horton

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 Michael Horton

All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Death is for many of us the gate of hell; but we are inside on the way out, not outside on the way in.

~George Bernard Shaw

Fuck Texas. I dabbed a hotel towel against my forehead. This whole dry heat thing wasn’t new to me anymore, but I refused to adapt. I hated being here, hated not knowing what the hell I was doing with my life, and I hated the heat most of all. It was 1:02PM, and the thermostat read 106 degrees. That was unacceptable math any way you looked at it.

You’re only hot because we’ve been working since sunrise, Akane Hisato, the girl with zero percent body fat, said to me. It’s almost break time.

Akane and I worked together at the Blood View, an inn run by a group of vampires. These were only vampires insomuch as if they bit you, you’d die. Real vampires drank souls instead of blood, apparently, which may or may not have been worse, and it made the name seem even less appropriate. They were more like supersonic land sharks, including the way their fangs shifted into crazy rows when they got hungry. The other working staff—again, mostly vampires—had started treating Akane as my superior. Clearly it had all been going to her head, but that’s not what upset me.

I’d stopped counting the days since Charlotte left us. Akane was the one responsible for sending her off to a place called Heaven’s Gate, using that half-angel magic of hers. She was like the vampires in a way, except her half-angel blood turned her into a fireball-slinging sorceress instead of a shark-toothed monster. She refused to entertain a minute of conversation about that day, about where she’d sent Charlotte or why she couldn’t send me too.

So that was it.

Charlotte was gone, and she’d left me behind. She left all of us—even Adam, her precious, secret boyfriend, and God knows how many others—down here waiting to see what she’d accomplish in Heaven.

I was able to make a living in Gethsemane, but only because Osorio, the man who ran the Blood View, liked me and Akane enough to give us work. Plus we were in a state of mutual debt—the staff had tried to eat us our first night here, and we’d sort of murdered one of Osorio’s former employees. Maybe he didn’t like us at all, actually. He liked Akane well enough, always bending over backwards to make sure she enjoyed working here. I didn’t know how he felt about me, but I could take a wild guess. I was a death eater trying to eke out a peaceful life in the second-largest reaper community in the United States. I’d come to expect the same sort of welcome that the Devil might receive at a church picnic.

Thank you very much. Akane pocketed a small clump of cash and gave a male reaper a broad smile. Please enjoy your stay.

She was getting tips. Tips. What was I getting?

Clean it up, vhore. The reaper dropped a cup of soda onto the floor beside me and snarled. Dr. Pepper splashed across the colored carpet and stained the toes of my shoes. Ice glistened and perspired in the sweltering heat.

Should I take care of him for you, Mini? Elsa walked by with a big, soul-eating grin on her porcelain face. She showed me the rows of fangs behind her blue-tinted lips. She’d taken to calling me Mini because I was the shortest person there.

I’m fine, Elsa. I bent down with my towel and pressed it against the carpet. If you want to help, I think there’s still gum on the stairs.

She laughed her way down past the elevators. You know I’d murder a baby if you asked me to, but you’ll have to toughen up around here if you want to survive.

Akane knelt beside me and sprayed the floor with pine-scented cleanser. Elsa’s right. They’ll literally eat you alive if you keep acting that way.

Acting what way? I asked without looking. I didn’t want to look at her. The face she wore made it look like she didn’t even care about what a wreck our lives had become.

Passive-aggressive, as always, she said.

We didn’t speak again until the floor had been scrubbed clean and our lunch break could officially start. The food served at the vampire hotel was surprisingly inoffensive and, in most cases, well-prepared. The dining area was usually populated by at least two other workers or a table of guests when we arrived. Elsa eyed me as I sat with my tray of food before continuing her hushed conversation across the room. I didn’t recognize the girl she was whispering to, and I didn’t especially care who she was. She had a human aura, so she probably wouldn’t last long anyway.

You remember when I was staying at your place, Akane started, how you’d get me to wash my dishes?

I rolled my eyes. When did you ever wash dishes?

You left them in the sink. You deliberately stacked mine on one side until you were eating from the same bowl for a week. You never said a word, just stacked them up as high as they’d go.

And you think that’s passive-aggressive behavior?

What else would you call it?

Try ‘responsible.’

Akane tossed her hair over her shoulders and glanced up past my head. I hadn’t even heard our boss approaching.

How are you girls doing this afternoon? Osorio asked in an accented baritone. One of his giant hands landed on my shoulder. His palm felt cold, even beneath his thin white gloves. Elsa tells me you could use a bit of help, Min. Is that so?

Elsa looked up from her table and winked.

I can handle myself, I said. I didn’t care if it was true or not. The fact was that I had no intention of staying in that vampire hotel for much longer. I’d return to Florida, ask Candice Brigman for my old job back and maybe a place to crash for a couple nights, and everything would be back to normal. There was no guarantee that I’d be able to keep Candice satisfied without pictures of Charlotte, but I missed photography. I missed building toward the life I wanted to have before she came in and messed up everything.

Charlotte. I’d been happy, or close to it, before she showed up to string me along. Charlotte left me with nothing but memories and problems, though the former were starting to fade. I was an idiot for trusting a complete stranger and coming here. She held me in her arms when we first met. She saved my life, but that didn’t make us friends or lovers. It made me a fool for believing in something as delusory as love to begin with.

I’ll be the first to admit that our clientele are not always the most respectful, particularly toward your kind. Osorio folded his hands behind his back. That being said, I do hope you can understand why they act that way. With your permission, I will allow Elsa to act as your bodyguard.

Why did everyone think I needed help defending myself?

I don’t need a bodyguard, I said. I’ve killed reapers before.

So have most of these reapers. The degenerates have a way of finding our humble establishment, it seems. He chuckled absently. I suppose our website is working.

I jabbed a spoon into my mashed potatoes. I’m not afraid of them, okay? I’m just trying to be courteous, unlike some people. I did my best not to make eye contact with Elsa when I said that, but her name was on the back of my tongue.

Spare them nothing, Osorio said. Our business will stand whether they like our practices or not. A vorator mortis should have every right to feed just as we do, particularly if the prey is asking for it. He bowed slightly beside our table and shifted his attention before he continued walking. Keep up the good work, Ms. Hisato.

Akane nodded back to him, her cheeks stuffed with food.

He’s probably right. I slid down in my chair. I’ve been busting my ass for nothing while you get tips hand over fist for basically standing around. Clearly common courtesy doesn’t mean shit to these guys.

Quit being so negative. Akane choked down the rest of her lunch and shut the foam tray. She could eat a shocking amount of food for such a scrawny girl. What you’re doing is fine, just don’t let everybody pick on you so much.

Doesn’t matter. Once I’ve saved up enough cash I’m out of here.

You can’t be serious. Were you just going to leave me here?

That’s exactly what I was going to do, I thought. Seems like you’re doing fine with it. Not like you had a job or a life back in Fortuna.

Akane stared at me incredulously. She started fumbling with her bangs. Soh, you don’t mean that, do you? What am I supposed to do without you?

I shrugged and dumped the rest of my lunch into a rolling trashcan by the table. I don’t really care. I honestly don’t care anymore.

Akane blew air between her lips as I stormed from the dining area. By my calculations, it would take another six weeks before I could afford a trip back to Fortuna and temporary lodging. I wasn’t going to let myself rot away in some glorified Hell on Earth, not for Akane’s sake and not for Charlotte’s.

A reaper spit in my face as I passed her in the lobby.

Six weeks is a long time, I realized.

I shut my eyes, pulled a towel from my waist belt, and wiped the goop from my cheek. I could hear the reaper cackling as she rounded the corner up the staircase.

Maybe the solution wasn’t changing how I interacted with them. Maybe I needed to eliminate the interaction completely. There had to be another job I could switch to, in the kitchen or the laundry room, where I’d never have to see another reaper. Tempted as I was to cut loose and go on a reaper killing spree, that would push me one step closer to being like those monsters I worked with.

The rest of the day passed in a similarly unspectacular fashion. I made beds, cleaned bathrooms, and had to deal with copious amounts of blood. I’d only seen one human family in all my time working there, so the carnage I was paid to erase was always that much more mysterious. Reapers had a way of dissipating upon death, which was beautiful once you looked past the way flesh turned to ash in the blink of an eye. Reaper-on-reaper battles weren’t uncommon, but most of them dealt with things neatly in the protective bubble of a guidance sphere. Those who clearly had less experience were the more rambunctious ones, and they made a mess of things. The vampires I worked with never got too excited about feeding on reapers, but they had to feed sometimes and took whatever they could get. Vampires were especially messy eaters—that much I knew from experience.

I retired to the employee’s quarters for my final evening break. Most of the staff worked after the sun had gone down, even though the inn had no real windows to speak of. Elsa Trygg had changed her shift just to keep an eye on Akane and me when we first started, but she never went back to her old hours. The bedroom was empty when I arrived. Twin bunks rested on either side of the room. An oak writing desk, topped by a glowing lamp, stood against the far wall.

The room smelled antiseptic like the cleaning supply closet next door, but I’d been subjected to far worse smells since living in Gethsemane. I climbed into my bottom bunk and pulled a book from beneath the bed. I opened it to where I’d left off and settled down, eager to get absorbed in that bland, human tale. A mundane story about everyday situations involving regular people, written by a boring, faceless human being. Each word reflected a life I longed to return to.

Knock knock, Elsa said without actually knocking. Glad you’re here, Mini. Check out the fresh meat.

I looked up to see Elsa with her arm across an unfamiliar girl’s shoulders, but I quickly recognized her as the human from the cafeteria. She was still alive, which was a nice change of pace. She wore her hair closely cropped to her head. Her full pink lips were pierced twice, though the symmetry was broken by the stud in her nose and an array of rings and studs in either ear. She had the clothing and general disposition of a high school Goth, right down to the finger armor on her left hand.

This is Zahra England. Elsa patted the girl on the back and nudged her forward. Zahra, meet Sohee Min. She’s pretty new here too.

A pleasure, Zahra said, reaching out a hand. I had to close my book and walk across the room just to greet her.

Good to meet you too, I said. Her handshake was as solid as her aura, an intense shade of violet.

Everybody calls me Isis, she said. Words flew from her mouth faster than I could give a damn about them. Well, not everybody does, but they could if they wanted to. That’s my online handle, anyway. Do you have Wi-Fi here?

I tilted my head. So you work here now? With… us? My tongue wanted to stab itself. I knew I wasn’t one of them, and obviously so did everyone else.

Yeah, I guess so. Elsa showed me around and said I’d be staying here with you guys. Is that right?

I realized I was still shaking Zahra’s hand and released my grip. Her eyes were so warm, inquisitive, still full of life. If anyone needed protecting it was her, not me.

I don’t mean to sound rude, but do you know what kind of place this is?

She snorted and glanced back at Elsa. Yeah, it’s a hotel. Osorio gave me the laundry room.

Asshole, I muttered, and bit my lip. I wanted the laundry room.

Did I already do something wrong? Zahra asked.

No, but… that’s not exactly what I meant, I said.

She knows we’re Nephilos, Elsa sneered, rolling her eyes. "Why is that such a hang-up for you, Sohee? You’re not racist, are you?"

Zahra’s eyes danced nervously in her head.

It’s a hang-up because you tried to eat me. The first night I got here.

Elsa raised her eyebrows. Well no shit, I was hungry.

I’m not worried about it. Zahra shook her head, ducked into the hall and dragged in two bags hefty enough to make Akane blush. The pay is better than my last job, and everyone I’ve met so far is really nice. Besides, I can take care of myself just fine.

Elsa laughed. Okay, have fun you two. I’m off to clean up the kitchen. And with that, she was gone. I was left staring into Zahra’s big, green eyes.

So which bed is mine? she asked.

You’re over there with Elsa. I pointed to the bunks on the right side of the room. I don’t think she’ll care which bunk you take.

Wicked, I’ve always wanted top bunk.

Good to set your goals within reach, I thought.

She spent the next half hour or so unpacking her bags and reorganizing the space. She had two posters pinned to the wall above her bed. Pale-faced metal bands would be staring back at me for the next six weeks. I recognized one of them as a group Charlotte had mentioned once or twice, though I could never get into the whole mad-about-anger thing that seemed to fuel the lyrics. Why record trite music about emotions you can just bottle up inside?

When Zahra was done creating a scary little hovel she sat cross-legged on her bed and watched me in silence, tapping her clawed index finger against her knee. I pretended not to notice, but I was stuck on the same page of my book for roughly an hour.

So what happens if you go out into the sun? she asked finally. Do you just burn up screaming or is it like a sparkly unicorn situation?

I’m not a vampire, I said.

But you’re not human either, right? So… what are you? What makes you special?

It’s complicated.

I’ve got time. I used to work at a record store on South—real records, vinyl. Had a lot of time to myself before we finally shut down last Saturday. People just don’t appreciate music like they used to, know what I mean?

I slammed the book shut and pressed it against my forehead. There’s enough shit going on right now, Zahra. I think we’ll be better off knowing as little as humanly possible about one another.

Easy for you to say. I’m the only human here, right?

Your mistake, not mine.

I’m not calling it a mistake. Christ, are you always so passive-aggressive?

I’m not being passive-aggressive!

I turned to discover Zahra smirking back at me.

Whoa, sorry, she said, didn’t know it was so easy to push your buttons.

I gazed up at the clock on the wall. Break time was over.

I need to get to work, I said. You start tomorrow?

Zahra nodded. I’m supposed to shadow you guys for a while, get a feel for the place.

Awesome.

I made my way into the lobby with Zahra trailing behind me. Gaudy purple furniture sat barren along every wall. I wasn’t expecting to see much activity in the middle of the afternoon, but everyplace outside the front desk was unoccupied, and even that was manned only by Hogarth.

Have you seen Akane? I asked him. He shrugged and shook his head. Classic Hogarth.

I pushed a lonely supply cart into the elevator and picked up where I’d left off on the third floor. We were halfway down the hall before I discovered an empty bedroom. I wedged the cart into the doorway and surveyed the room. The bed was neatly made, but everything else was in total disarray. Clothing and accessories were scattered across the floor in a seemingly deliberate trail from the bed to the bathroom.

Don’t I get to watch you? Zahra pushed the cart out of her way and padded into the room.

That’s kind of weird, isn’t it? You don’t even clean rooms.

But still… She stuffed her hands into her pockets and proceeded to follow me around.

Just don’t touch anything. I’ll replace these sheets, then I can show you the laundry room.

I did just as I said I would, pulling the sheets from the mattress and exchanging them for a fresh white set from the cart. They didn’t seem bloodstained or particularly rancid, which was always a relief. Clean sheets had become something of a rarity. I couldn’t tell you what the hell reapers did in these rooms, and I really didn’t want to think about it.

What are you doing? a voice asked as I finished placing the blankets.

Aka, you scared me. I could feel my heart racing. Zahra seemed even more surprised, yelping from the other side of the room. I resumed flattening the top blanket with my palms.

Akane pushed her way past the cart and approached Zahra, who was at least half a head taller than her.

Are you the new girl? Akane asked.

Yeah, Zahra, but you can call me—

You can’t just wander around people’s rooms, Zahra. Sohee, why did you let her in here?

She’s shadowing us until her job starts tomorrow, I said. It’s no big deal, she works with us.

No big deal? Akane pouted. I dunno, I guess it’s fine. She’s out if anyone complains, though. Got that?

Zahra nodded and remained silent for the rest of our impromptu tour. She and Akane didn’t hit it off quite like I’d expected them to, which meant the baton of becoming her friend had been passed to me. She deserved to have somebody treat her with respect without looking at her like she was dinner, so Elsa wasn’t really an option.

We returned to our room later that night. Elsa was already sitting up in bed. The rest of us dispersed into the washrooms to get cleaned up. Akane wrapped herself in her red bath robe and crawled into the bunk above mine. Zahra leaned against the wall by her bunk wearing a black tank and a pair of loud headphones.

Today seemed longer than usual, I said.

It’s just that time of the year, Elsa replied, flipping the pages of a magazine. The days get longer and longer.

I could hear Akane chewing on something above me, probably a sandwich from the service counter. I curled up and opened my book again, determined to advance to the next chapter.

Then came the furious banging at the door. I shrank back as it crashed open and trembled on its hinges. A reaper stood in the doorway, face and hair both frazzled. Murder burned in his eyes. I braced myself.

Which one of you bitches has it? he spat.

Watch your tongue, reaper. I have close to a century over you, Elsa said, perfectly composed.

Don’t try to hide it, I talked to Osorio. He said two of you cleaned rooms upstairs today, a Hisato and a Min, and I think I can guess who’s who.

What’s the matter? Did you lose something? I asked.

He slicked his fingers through his hair and shouted up at the ceiling. Lose something? Goddamned right I lost something, when one of you stole it from my room! I don’t even care who it was, I just want it back.

What did you lose? Akane hopped down from her bunk and tied her robe shut. We can probably help you find it.

I don’t have time for games, all right? I need it back right now and I ain’t leaving without it. He placed his left hand over his right bicep. I knew what was about to happen.

Don’t fight in here, Akane said before I could react. Whatever you lost, it’s not worth it.

You think you know the value of that ring? His eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Of course you do, since you’re the one who snatched it."

I glanced up at Zahra. She had her knees pulled up to her chin, eyes trembling. Her headphones dangled around her thin neck, pumping tinny-sounding bass into the room.

Akane had done some stupid stuff before, but she wasn’t one to steal. Elsa could get in and out of a room without anyone noticing, and while I didn’t completely trust her, she had little motivation to steal some guy’s jewelry.

The only one there I knew nothing about was Zahra.

She looked back at me and shook her head slowly as our eyes met. I bit my lip and turned to see the reaper with the battleaxe in his hand.

Last chance, he said, before I search all your corpses for what you stole.

Akane guarded her face with a flaming red hand. Her aura pulsed brighter.

It’s not here, I said. If we can’t solve this in a civil manner, I’ll need you to leave.

Like I’m taking orders from a stinking vhore bitch. His arms tensed, his knuckles whitened. He was preparing to strike.

Fine, I said, I took your necklace.

It was a ring.

"Your ring. It must have gotten mixed in with the wash, that’s all. I’ll search for it in the laundry and return it to you as soon as—"

He narrowed his eyes. You liar.

The reaper lunged like a tiger and split the air in front of me. The blade struck Akane’s burning wrist and bounced back at an angle.

OhthankGod, she gasped. I wasn’t sure if that would work.

I could hear Elsa’s claws sliding from their fleshy sheaths. She could only stay even-tempered for so long. It’s high time you left. If your precious little trinket turns up, we’ll be sure to return it to you.

He sized us up one last time before his Scythe disappeared. He pointed directly at me and said, I’d better see it by tomorrow afternoon or you’re the first one dead.

The reaper slammed the door against the wall with his fist as he stormed out, causing it to finally slip from its metal hinges and drop to the floor.

Okay, now I’m curious. Elsa flopped back onto her bed and glared at me. Her claws retracted. What in blazes was that about?

I wonder. I sat up and stared intently at the girl above Elsa.

I’m sorry, Zahra whispered.

Hell of a way to show it, I said.

Akane turned to meet the target of my gaze. What did you do?

I couldn’t help it. She pulled a silver ring from beneath her pillow and twirled it around in her fingers. "I heard it calling to me from inside the room. It wanted me to take it."

Is that what thieves sound like? I asked. Because that’s incredibly unconvincing.

I’m not a thief! Zahra snapped.

By definition, yes, you’re totally a thief.

Elsa hopped up into Zahra’s bunk and reached out for the ring before quickly retracting her arm. Whoa, that’s real silver. Pure stuff.

I walked across the room to have a better look. A dark, six-pointed gemstone was set in a wing-patterned filigree. A warm light seemed to emanate from it the longer I stared. The ring was a pretty thing to steal, at least. So it talked to you, huh?

I swear it did. I know it sounds crazy—

It’s definitely crazy. I