Hell's Gates (Urban Fantasy) by Celia Kyle, Lauren Creed Page A

You might have Lucifer’s blood, but I’m the one he sends to handle the dirty work.” His eyes flashed and for just a moment, I saw the dark void at the end of eternity hovering within those dark globes. The emptiness there sent a shiver down my spine, and there weren’t many things that could shake me like that.
    “Fine.” I kept the word short and clipped. I kept a straight face, body relaxed yet tense at the same time. I didn’t want him to see how he’d gotten to me. Though, based on his satisfied expression, he knew I was on edge around him. “You want me to play nice? Then, please , Killian will you tell me where I can find Uncle Luc?”
    I threw up in my mouth a little bit.
    It grated my last nerve to be nice to the man, but I was quickly approaching the end of my rope and he was my last lead.
    He tilted his head, small smile in place like he was laughing at me. “Your uncle is unavailable at this time. That’s why I’m here.” He leaned forward and mirrored my position, still ignoring the sword pointed at his heart. “To serve as his proxy and offer you any assistance you may need.”
    “Then why won’t you give me a straight answer?” I slammed my hand onto the desk, marble groaning, making his paperweights and pen holder jump. “I’ve got serious shit going on here, and I need to know who’s responsible.”
    So I can cook them for dinner . Not my dinner. Jezebeth’s pet gators hadn’t had fresh meat in a while.
    “Tsk, tsk.” He shook his head, letting out a sarcastic, impatient sigh. Yes, sighs could be sarcastic. “You’re so young. Your uncle warned me, but it’s so easy to forget.”
    I gave him an annoyed look, but it didn’t seem to faze him at all.
    He touched the tip of my sword and nudged it out of the way with one finger, leaning forward even farther. “The answers you receive, my dearest Caith,” – gag —“can only be as enlightening as the questions you ask.”
    “Seriously?” I raised my eyebrows. “Like, for reals? You’re going to go all Yoda-sphinx bullshit on me?” I narrowed my eyes, trying to see through his garbage answer. “What the fuck kind of circular bullshit is that ?”
    He folded his hands and gave me a bland stare. “I’m your uncle’s attorney, Caith. And yours, by proxy. I’m here to offer you my most sound advice, but if you want information, you’re going to have to work with me. There are procedures.” He spread his hands wide as if to say “not much I can do, kid.” I would show him a procedure to take my foot and shove it up his ass.
    I took a deep calming breath and fought to relax. I didn’t have time to play twenty questions.
    “Look.” I rose from my seat. “You get a happy little message to Lucifer. I need to see him, now , and I need answers about what’s going on in my town, now. Something’s up and it’s Hell related. I know it, he knows it, and I’m getting sick of playing these games.”
    And Uncle Luc said I was immature.
    “Caith, wait…”
    I spun and stalked from the office before Killian could say another word. I was on the verge of razing the office to the ground, just to make a point, but I restrained myself.
    Not because I was rocking respect, but because the lesbian siren might get hurt.
    I stormed out of the building, not stopping until I’d climbed into my car, Jezze waiting for me in the passenger seat. She arched an eyebrow in question, but I just shook my head. There was no point going into details when all the bullshit came to nothing.
    I swung a U-turn and headed toward Momma R’s so I could check on Bry with my own eyes—feel his skin beneath my hands. He’d been doing well enough since Sorsha’s visit, but even though he was stable, he was still having those agony-laced fits. And his fever, contained by the spells, still hadn’t broken.
    Half way there, traffic slowed to a stop, a long snake of cars crowding up the road. I propped by elbow on the windowsill and glared out the windshield.