Page 16 of Princess of Hell

“Probably, so let’s get moving.”

“River, Drae, shift back. We’re going to see if we can get info in that dive bar.”

We moved quickly. After Drae and River shifted, they looked better than me, who still had wounds on my hand and back. It also helped that their shirts had burned in battle, and the two were topless.

“Jacks, are you okay?” Silver’s eyes expressed concern.

“Yes. What about you?”

“They can’t burn me. You know what happens when they touch me.” Her wild, silver-colored hair floated around her shoulders. She lifted a gloved hand and touched my cheek where the demon burned my flesh. My shifter nature had already kicked in, and I felt the tissue knitting back together. “Does it hurt?”

My hand touched her small one. I experienced little pain, but having her looking at me that way made me feel good.

“It doesn’t hurt much. Sadly, though, the scars won’t go away.”

“I like you the way you are,” she whispered.

River cleared his throat. “Let’s move before the creepy terracotta guys pop up again.”

We walked in silence towards the bar that was called Anchor, which seemed fitting. As I walked in first, using my body to shield Silver, the stench of sweat and alcohol hit me.

“There are Demons here.”

Silver walked toward a grey-looking guy. He seemed out of place, a man who looked like an accountant and did not belong here. It was more a spot for rough workers and sailors and maybe the occasional biker. He had a gut, a receding hairline, thick glasses, and sweated heavily. His small beady eyes darted around as if he expected something or someone to attack him. The man nursed a beer as his eyes darted all over the place.

“You,” Silver called out, pulling her gloves off and putting both of her hands on his neck. It happened was so suddenly I didn’t know what to do.

“Silver!” I yelled, watching fumes rising from the man’s short, thick neck.

“You,” she called again. Just as she was about to strangle him, he turned to smoke and disappeared.

“Fucking Jekyll Demon!” Silver spit on the floor, put her gloves back on, and slumped into the chair.

The barman stepped in front of her as if nothing had happened. Was he so used to violence that it didn’t matter that he had witnessed a Demon going up in flames and smoke?

“Can I bring you some blood wine, Princess?” the bartender asked, bowing deeply in front of her.

I stepped closer to Silver. “Do you know him? Why is he calling you Princess?”

Silver made a non-committal hand gesture. “No, thank you. I’ll take a beer. The next round is on me.”

“It’s Shak, Your Highness. I’d never have dreamed of having royal blood in my sad little bar. Everything you need, Your Highness.”

Shak didn’t dare look at her.

River and Drae both sat down and had a beer.

This day had started so well, yet we didn’t know much more than when we began. All I figured was someone hunted Silver and that her necklace, the heirloom, was more than just a sweet trinket and a memory from her mother.

“Shak, I need information,” Silver said to the Demon who stood in front of her, like a believer in front of the Madonna.

“If I have them, my lady, they’re yours.”

“What do you know about a stolen necklace, my necklace?”

“My lady, I know one thing. Lilith. You have to go to New Orleans and ask Lilith. She has a way of knowing these things.”

“Good. Thank you, Shak.”

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