Infernal Games by Jenna Wolfhart

25

The summer sunshine brought the crowds out to the Brooklyn Bridge. Elbows rammed into my side. Screaming children raced by. It was an unwanted cacophony of sights and sounds, but I hadn’t known where else to go or what to do.

My scent was now a massive fucking problem. Az’s words echoed in my mind. He’d never forget my scent. It was imprinted on his mind. And I was pretty sure that included the new werewolf glamor. As long as I stayed the same, one of them would find me.

“Well, well, well.” River strode up to where I leaned against the bridge, her hands laced behind her back. Even with her neon pink hair and glittering skin, she didn’t stand out on a New York day like this. “When I got the call, I could hardly believe it. Mia McNally, needing a favor? Again?”

I’d gotten the fae’s number off Serena after making up a story about finding a lost fae in the streets. It had pained me not to tell her what I was really doing, but I couldn’t risk her calling Az to try and stop me from leaving.

My heart felt hollow as I gave River a weak smile. There were so many goodbyes, and I hadn’t had a chance to say any of them. “Turns out my life is pretty complicated.”

She sized me up, nodding. “That can happen when you run with the likes of Asmodeus.”

“It’s not Az’s fault,” I said sharply. Sighing, I rolled my eyes at myself. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s been a rough few days.”

“I heard. Lucifer cornered you at the Waverley Inn and finally got the truth out of you.” She joined me along the edge of the bridge, leaning against the railing. “It’s all over the news, you know. Your little flight in front of all those humans. They’re trying to make sense of it. Thankfully, none of them have gotten close to the truth.”

I shrugged. “I honestly couldn’t care less at this point. I’m just trying to survive.”

“Your red hair is a key feature.” She nodded at the loose strands around my shoulders. “It’s a unique shade. You won’t be able to hide for long if you keep it like that.”

I glanced down, frowning. My plan didn’t cover the hair issue. I’d called River here to ask for another scent glamor. Nothing more. But she was right. Lucifer had said as much. My facial features might not stand out in a smaller town, but my hair would. It could end up being the very thing to lead Az—or Lucifer—straight to my door.

“So, I’ve got to change the hair,” I finally replied. “Anything else?”

“You have a cute little nose.” Smiling, she had the audacity to bop it.

“Um, excuse me?” I pulled back, arching my brows. “No bopping.”

She shrugged. “It’s cute.”

“Cute enough to identify me as me, even with the other changes?”

“Eh.” She cocked her head. “Probably not.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. Unease flickered in my belly, and I didn’t know why I was so nervous. It was just a little glamor, nothing more. But it felt like the final, brutal nail in the coffin of my future. New York was my home, and I had to leave it. Wherever I went, I knew I’d never find another place quite like it. Maybe I’d be able to settle in somewhere and find contentment. But I’d never feel alive the way I had here.

As if the entire world had opened up before me.

Part of that was Az. His Legion. That club.

Even if I somehow made it back here one day, I’d never be able to go back to Infernal.

“So, what it’ll be then, Mia McNally?” River asked, her lilting voice cutting through my thoughts.

Sighing, I turned her way. “Scent and hair.”

“What kind of scent?” she asked as she placed a warm hand on my collarbone, just as she had the last time.

“A demon might be fun,” I said with a sad smile. “Or hell, even a vampire. But it would probably just get me into trouble. Let’s go with human.”

“Human?” She chuckled. “Alright. I’m guessing you don’t want it to be anything like the other one.”

“Yeah, that would kind of defeat the entire purpose of hiding myself.”

“I have to check...” She leaned in close and whispered into my ear. “I won’t do this for free.”

Heart pounding in my ribs, I nodded. “What do you want in return?”

“It doesn’t work like that, Mia.” Her laugh echoed in my mind. “You’ll owe me one. And when I come calling, you’ll have to pay up.”

Wonderful. That definitely couldn’t go wrong. It was like writing a blank check, only you had no way of knowing when someone would cash it. She could come for me in a year. Or maybe ten. Decades could pass before she decided to yank the chains of our deal.

“So?” she asked with a smile.

“Yeah, it’s a deal. Go on and do it. It’s not like I have any other choice.”

She pressed her hand against my arm, and invisible flames rushed across my skin. Gritting my teeth, I swallowed down my scream, knowing that if I made a scene, I’d only bring more unwanted attention onto me. Az or Lucifer would find me before I’d even left the city.

When she was done, she stepped back and nodded. “You look better as a redhead, but the brown’s not so bad.”

I glanced down. My once-brilliant hair was a deep chestnut. The color I’d always envied in high school. It clashed with my pale skin, and it brought out a frizziness I’d never had before.

River saw me looking, and she shrugged. “Sorry. Sometimes color changes can fry the hair a little.”

I scoffed. “But it’s a glamor. It’s not real.”

She patted my arm. “This one’s real. It’ll stay like that until you wash it with rosemary.”

“That’s it?” I asked as she drifted away, joining the crowd bustling along the bridge.

She called over her shoulder. Her long pink hair brushed her waist. “That’s it, hun. You’re on your own now. Good luck.”

* * *

After gathering up the broken shards of my heart, I boarded a train heading north. My plan was to do the exact opposite of my first instinct. Az might expect me to head down to Tennessee. I had family there, even if they wanted nothing to do with me. My sister might find a way to sneak me some money, just enough to keep me going for a little while.

It made sense. It seemed like the safest, most logical thing to do.

So, obviously, I couldn’t do that.

What was up north? Snow. Cold. Mountains Not a single person I knew. That was perfect. The demons wouldn’t have the foggiest clue where to look first. As long as I had no idea what my next move was, I’d be unpredictable.

I’d be like smoke.

The train rumbled along the tracks as it left the city behind. Soon, the countryside rolled by the windows. It didn’t take long for the imprint of New York to vanish, the tall, towering buildings replaced by wild bushes and grass.

At some point, I dozed off, still weary from the past several days. A hand landed on my shoulder and shook me awake. Startled, a sharp cry shot from my throat, and terror tripped through my veins. I reached for something to protect myself with, but my hands found nothing but the soft bag full of Az’s clothes.

“Hey, hey,” a kind, soft voice said. “It’s alright. I’m sorry I startled you, but we’ve reached the last station. Thought you might have missed your stop...”

I glanced up at the woman smiling down at me, my heart still racing. For a moment, I panicked. Did she recognize me? Had she called the cops? But then a strand of hair fell into my eyes. Brown hair. Not red.

Letting out a breath, I tried to steady myself. “Sorry. I was fast asleep and just got startled. Thanks for waking me.”

“What’s your stop, hun?”

I nibbled on my bottom lip and glanced out the window. There was a single platform just beside us. Beyond it, a field stretched out for miles. No sign in sight. I had no idea where the hell I was.

“This one,” I said brightly, hoping I didn’t look and sound as delirious as I felt. “I’ll get off right here.”

Concern flickered through her eyes when I turned back to her. “You sure you’re alright? Do you need any help?”

For a moment, my voice got stuck in my throat. This woman seemed so earnest, so willing to help. The smart thing to do would be ask her for help. I’d have to lie about some of the details—I didn’t think she’d believe me if I started ranting about demons and fallen angels. But the kindness in her eyes drew me in. Maybe she could help me find somewhere to stay.

No.I shut those thoughts down. It was too soon to ask for help. I didn’t have a good story, and I didn’t want to make it up on the fly. One bad move, and the wrong people would find me.

“Like I said, I’m just startled.” I gave her the most genuine smile I could muster. “I was in the middle of a weird dream and got a bit disoriented. Thanks for offering though.”

That was finally enough to get her moving. She trailed down the corridor and vanished out the door while I gathered my bag and tried to calm my racing heart. I hadn’t been lying about one thing. My dreams were super weird. I kept picturing Lucifer’s terrifying smile as he stabbed me over and over again.

When I got off the train, it turned out I’d landed in a rural town in Vermont. I hadn’t even known I’d crossed state lines, let alone gone that far north. A sunset streaked across the skies, lighting up the world in pink and orange hues. The air was cool against my bare arms as I lumbered out of the station and into town.

It looked like something out of one of those made-for-TV movies. The main road cut through a tree-lined street full of aesthetically pleasing red-brick buildings home to crafty boutiques and artisan coffee shops. Most of the businesses were already closed, but I spotted a Bed & Breakfast at the end of the block.

I waffled a bit as I approached. I needed something more like a motel, a rundown place where no one would want to chat about the weather or ask about my family and health. These Bed & Breakfast people would be chatty. I could tell by the cute animal trinkets hanging in the window.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have another choice that I could see. With a sigh, I trudged inside and asked for a room from a bubbly teenager behind the front desk. Likely the daughter of the owners.

She showed me to my room and handed me a welcome pack without peppering me with a million questions. Maybe I’d misjudged the place. Or maybe she could tell I needed to crawl into bed by the look on my face.

I’d never been more tired in my life, and I knew this was only the beginning. I had no idea where I was going or how I’d get the money to survive.

The motto of the Legion rattled in my head.

One day at a time.