Page 44 of Lourdes & the Mafia
The two appear in whiffs of smoke, twirling in place, looking for her. As if they’ll find her hiding under the fucking bed or in the ceiling rafters.
“She’s nothere.”
“Then where is she?” Lorenzo asks. I can hear the note of panic entering his voice.
The fool went and got himself attached.
“If I knew where she was, I would’ve told you by now.”
Before we can break out into an argument, Ramiel steps in between us. The pulse of his magic burns my skin.
“She’s not in the Underworld.” His rage rises around us, ethereal and tangible. “She’s gone.”
Lorenzo’s cry of disbelief mirrors what I’m feeling inside myself.
Howcould a human escape?
A question the three of us are asking ourselves.
“M-m-my kings…”
Our gazes turn sharply to the creature at the door.
A gargoyle that stands just outside the door’s entrance. At three feet tall, his back hunched and curved, he has grayed skin textured like stone; his scrunched, ugly face regards the three of us warily.
“What?!” I snap with impatience.
He flinches, his wings clinking as they twitch at his back. “It is about the human…” he whispers in a voice like grinding rocks.
“What did you do?!” I step forward, my magic lashing out at him. He yelps as it catches him in a deadly grip, keeping him pinned and spread against the wall. His wings twitch and his legs thrash out as he tries to wriggle free.
“Not me, my king! Never me!”
“Kane, let him up.”
I begrudgingly listen to my brother, pulling the shadows back so the gargoyle falls unceremoniously to the floor.
He coughs, twitching in a dramatic manner as he stands up. Fucking bitch ass souls. I didn’t even hurt him enough for those types of theatrics.
Lorenzo swaggers close to him, bending and causing the creature to flinch. Lorenzo doesn’t pause as he places his hand against the gargoyle’s shoulder.
“Now tell us, what happened?”
The gargoyle visibly relaxes. Lorenzo has that effect on most creatures here, as he is the King of The Passing, and his healing and tranquil magic helps ease the mind to help souls pass over. His voice is a soothing melody, one I’ve heard demons and souls alike whisper about as if it were legendary.
“She escaped. Through a portal.”
“How?”
The gargoyle gulps. “Ralgoron.”
“Thank you,” Lorenzo states kindly. “You may leave. Your loyalty will be rewarded.” It isn’t until the creature leaves the room that we all turn to one another.
Lorenzo lets out a curse.
“She’s a fucking menace,” I spit.
Ramiel’s demeanor is calm, but we can feel the emotions pouring off him. He snaps his fingers, and within moments, said demon is in front of us, manacled to the ground by the wrists and wings.
