with a shrug. “There wasn’t a lot of time to find a better spot.”
“Did you at least hide it in a safe place there?”
“I think so. I put it in an air conditioning vent.”
“So it’s been sitting there for the past fifteen years?”
“I hope so.”
“Then why don’t you just go get it and bring it back?” I say. “You can carry the box.”
“Oh,” Remy says. “You know I forgot about it being in a box.” Remy stands up “Be right back.”
I turn to my father. “I thought all angels were smart. How the hell was he put in charge of making souls?”
“Jess,” my father admonishes, “you shouldn’t talk about him like that.”
“Sorry.” Now I feel like I’m five years old again. “But, come on, Dad, even you have to admit he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.”
“He used to be quite sharp, actually. I think being over in that alternate reality for so long had an adverse effect on him.”
“How?”
“His body wasn’t meant to be there. Anyone who travels between worlds ends up getting their molecules scrambled and when they are in that world for a long time their body is forced to live at a different frequency.”
“Is that why tearers who come here glow red to me?”
“I always assumed so. You can see their bodies vibrating at a different frequency than people who normally live here.”
Remy reappears.
“Yeah, so about that air conditioning vent,” he says, scratching his beard nervously. “Looks like they recently renovated the place.”
“What does that mean?” I ask. “Where is the box?”
“The box is gone.”
“Where is the crown?”
“Sitting on the Madame’s desk in her office.”
I sigh. “Well then we don’t have any choice. We have to take Leah there to get it. She’s the only one who can pick it up.”
“Pick what up?” Leah asks, walking into the living room looking between me and Remy.
“Your crown,” I answer, not quite sure how I’m going to tell Leah her mother was whore. How do you tell a kid that?
“Leah, your mother used to work in a whorehouse near Las Vegas,” Remy says. “We’re gonna have to go there to get it.”
Well, I guess that was one way of doing it, not exactly tactful but truthful.
“Ok.” Leah says, not as phased about this revelation as I thought she might be.
“Hold on,” I tell them. “Let me grab my sword. I’m going with you.”
I look down at my dad. “Don’t say anything to Mason about you know what,” I tell him. “I’m planning a surprise so don’t go spoiling it.”
My dad smiles. “Ok, Jess. Not a peep.”
I walk into the hallway and grab my sword from off the top of the Bombay chest there.
“Let me help you with that,” Mason says coming up behind me and taking the baldric from my hands.
I put my arms through the straps and Mason spins me around so he can fasten the belt’s buckle for me.
“What were you and your father talking about?” Mason asks, curious but not wanting to appear too curious.
“He told me what pleine means.”
Mason grins. “Yeah. JoJo surprised me with that one. Who doesn’t know that we’ll be making love soon?”
“Probably nobody now since my dad and I just had a long discussion about it.”
Mason sighs. “Should I expect a lecture from him while you’re gone?”
“No, he won’t say anything about it to you,” I say, smiling at how uncomfortable Mason looks at the possibility of having such a discussion with my father.
“Well, since everyone seems to know about our soon to be sex life,” Mason says, pulling me into his arms and looking completely irresistible. “Would you like to go out with me tonight, Agent Riley, so I can completely have my way with you afterwards?”
I suddenly feel a little nervous but I refuse to let it get in my way.
“Why yes, Mr. Collier, I would love to. What time?”
“Let’s say five.”
“How should I dress?”
“I’ll speak to
“Did you at least hide it in a safe place there?”
“I think so. I put it in an air conditioning vent.”
“So it’s been sitting there for the past fifteen years?”
“I hope so.”
“Then why don’t you just go get it and bring it back?” I say. “You can carry the box.”
“Oh,” Remy says. “You know I forgot about it being in a box.” Remy stands up “Be right back.”
I turn to my father. “I thought all angels were smart. How the hell was he put in charge of making souls?”
“Jess,” my father admonishes, “you shouldn’t talk about him like that.”
“Sorry.” Now I feel like I’m five years old again. “But, come on, Dad, even you have to admit he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.”
“He used to be quite sharp, actually. I think being over in that alternate reality for so long had an adverse effect on him.”
“How?”
“His body wasn’t meant to be there. Anyone who travels between worlds ends up getting their molecules scrambled and when they are in that world for a long time their body is forced to live at a different frequency.”
“Is that why tearers who come here glow red to me?”
“I always assumed so. You can see their bodies vibrating at a different frequency than people who normally live here.”
Remy reappears.
“Yeah, so about that air conditioning vent,” he says, scratching his beard nervously. “Looks like they recently renovated the place.”
“What does that mean?” I ask. “Where is the box?”
“The box is gone.”
“Where is the crown?”
“Sitting on the Madame’s desk in her office.”
I sigh. “Well then we don’t have any choice. We have to take Leah there to get it. She’s the only one who can pick it up.”
“Pick what up?” Leah asks, walking into the living room looking between me and Remy.
“Your crown,” I answer, not quite sure how I’m going to tell Leah her mother was whore. How do you tell a kid that?
“Leah, your mother used to work in a whorehouse near Las Vegas,” Remy says. “We’re gonna have to go there to get it.”
Well, I guess that was one way of doing it, not exactly tactful but truthful.
“Ok.” Leah says, not as phased about this revelation as I thought she might be.
“Hold on,” I tell them. “Let me grab my sword. I’m going with you.”
I look down at my dad. “Don’t say anything to Mason about you know what,” I tell him. “I’m planning a surprise so don’t go spoiling it.”
My dad smiles. “Ok, Jess. Not a peep.”
I walk into the hallway and grab my sword from off the top of the Bombay chest there.
“Let me help you with that,” Mason says coming up behind me and taking the baldric from my hands.
I put my arms through the straps and Mason spins me around so he can fasten the belt’s buckle for me.
“What were you and your father talking about?” Mason asks, curious but not wanting to appear too curious.
“He told me what pleine means.”
Mason grins. “Yeah. JoJo surprised me with that one. Who doesn’t know that we’ll be making love soon?”
“Probably nobody now since my dad and I just had a long discussion about it.”
Mason sighs. “Should I expect a lecture from him while you’re gone?”
“No, he won’t say anything about it to you,” I say, smiling at how uncomfortable Mason looks at the possibility of having such a discussion with my father.
“Well, since everyone seems to know about our soon to be sex life,” Mason says, pulling me into his arms and looking completely irresistible. “Would you like to go out with me tonight, Agent Riley, so I can completely have my way with you afterwards?”
I suddenly feel a little nervous but I refuse to let it get in my way.
“Why yes, Mr. Collier, I would love to. What time?”
“Let’s say five.”
“How should I dress?”
“I’ll speak to
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