The muffled sound of sirens pierced his eardrums, so loud he almost couldn’t hear his brother’s voice anymore.Emerson’s next words didn’t truly register in his consciousness, but something about them zinged through him, truer and more real than anything his imagination had ever managed to conjure before.I knew you’d end up in jail if West and I weren’t around to save you from yourself.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hedonismwasademon’sfavorite pastime, but Skye spent the few weeks since she’d quit managing Tilted Haze frittering away her ten years of Earth-walking privileges by not enjoying a second of it.
Laurie and Zara reappeared in her life the day after she turned Remi’s soul into the Devil.She partied with them, but their time together felt hollow.Nothing overwrote the ache in her chest cavity, like someone had carved into her with a rusty spoon.
It was a horrible, visceral pain, but at least the pain was real—it was physical.She didn’t need to worry about developing human emotions like her mother when her heart hurt so much that it stole her breath.
Her turbulent behavior with Remi was unexplainable, but she reasoned the pain was just withdrawal of some sort.Her demon instincts drew her to powerful souls, but she’d never worn one around her neck, never spent weeks with its intoxicating pulse on her skin.Remi’s soul provoked an obsession that energized her; it was the lightning spark that made her heart beat, the electricity that zapped between her synapses and refused to let her think of anything but him.
She was sure it would fade as time passed, and until then she snuck into the throne room every day to visit the sparkling blue jar on the wall.Those were the only moments the pain eased its grip on her.The soul seemed happy to see her too.It swirled faster inside the glass container, and its energy percolated through her body as if recognizing a familiar friend.
Skye had been staring up at the glittering blue of Remi’s soul when the call came in.She thumbed the clear diamond gem at her throat as she answered her phone.
“Hello?”Her mind was elsewhere.The only person who called her nowadays was Roger, asking her to bring new bands to sign.
“Skye?”
Her heart stopped beating at the sound of his voice.The magic in her veins paused, held in suspension.
“Remi?”she asked in breathless wonder.Her fingers tightened around her phone.Remi’s soul seemed to buzz as she stared up at it, spinning faster.
“Skye,” Remi said with something in his voice that Skye knew couldn’t be longing, but she wasn’t sure what else to name it.“I really fucked up this time.Can you come bail me out of jail?”
Skye said nothing, shock overcoming her faculties for speech.
“Please,” Remi said, his voice breaking.“Please, Skye.I know I don’t deserve it, but I need your help.”
“Here’s his stuff.He’ll be out in a minute,” the woman said from behind the bulletproof glass.She slid a plastic bag with Remi’s wallet, sunglasses, baseball cap, and hoodie under the opening.
The Birmingham police had charged him with aggravated assault, public drunkenness, and disturbing the peace.He was being held in the drunk tank, but they were releasing him due to lack of evidence.
The far door buzzed, and Remi walked out.
“You must have a guardian angel,” the police officer said to him.“The district attorney is dropping the charges.”
Remi scoffed.“Definitely don’t have one of those.”He froze when his gaze landed on Skye.“She’s no angel,” he said and crossed the room toward her.
His face was a mess.There was a huge gash in his forehead, and his left eye had swelled up, turning a sickening purple color.A streak of blood striped his shirt, and more of it had dried and crusted on his face.
He put his hands in his jean pockets as he stood in front of Skye.“Guardian demons aren’t a thing, are they?”
“No,” Skye said.“I’m probably as close as they get though.”
He huffed a laugh.“Yeah, you are.Who’d you compel to get me out of there?”
“No one actually,” Skye said.Together, they walked out of the police station and down the sidewalk.“The bartender claims he didn’t see anything, and the two idiots you were fighting are just as badly beaten, so it’d be your word against theirs.The police are letting you go.”
“No security footage?”
“The police mangled the security footage, so they can’t use the evidence.”
Remi snorted.“God bless America.”
“I haven’t met her, but I’m pretty sure the Goddess doesn’t take those requests,” Skye said.A tiny smile played out on her lips as her eyes slid to him.
The lack of hostility between them was startling, but nice.Fragile.Skye wished she could hold on to it, but she was afraid if she held on too tight it would shatter.
