Page 8 of Wicked Little Tricks
They both stood near my building, casually chatting. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I doubted it. I recognized them from the Circus. It had been unusualseeing them there, butherewas even worse. They would never be caught dead in such a neighborhood if they didn’t have a purpose. They should be up in the Silver Quarter with others of their kind.
I retreated the way I had come, then cut a wide path around them into an alleyway that would lead me behind my building. It didn’t seem like they had noticed me, but I couldn’t be too careful. Something wasoffabout those two.
I looped both takeout bags on one arm, looking up at the daunting climb of the fire escape. Braxton should be home. I could just climb up to our apartment and knock for him to unlock the window.
I started feeling silly as I climbed. It probably had been a coincidence. Those angelics had nothing to do with me…
And yet, here I was. Shaking my head, I continued climbing. Better silly than stalked by angelics.
I could hear Braxton’s loud music overhead, rattling the window. He usually didn’t play it so loudly when I was home, lest I break another one of his radios.
Over the music, I heard what sounded like a soft step above me. The metal of the fire escape groaned slightly. I looked up toward my landing and the blond angelic looking down at me.
My body lurched with surprise, then I tightly gripped the metal rung in my hands. “What do you want?”
The angelic leaned forward against the railingcircling my landing. He was dressed in white again, but this time it was a button up and slacks. The shirt had delicate pearl buttons that looked like something out of another century. “Have you made a deal with that devil, my dear?”
I furrowed my brow, still gripping the metal rung tightly in my hands. What was this, some sort of game between angelics and devils? “No. Now what do you want?”
The angelic’s smile was more just a showing of perfect white teeth. “I know he spoke with you this morning. Now why would he have any interest in a scrawny little night runner?”
I thought about countering that he had also shown interest the night before, wagering on scrawny little night runners, but with him blocking my path to my apartment, I didn’t think it was a good idea.
Plus, I didn’t owe the devil anything. It wasn’t my job to keep his secrets. “He offered me a job to collect a debt and I refused. I don’t know anything else. Now get out of my way.”
He leaned forward further. He wasn’t close enough to grab me, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hurt me. I had never been sure if angelics could actually fly with their showy wings, but with him above me now, it had to be true. I glanced back down, considering retreat, but his friend was below me. I hadn’t sensed him, nor had I heard his steps on the asphalt.
I looked back up at the blond angelic. “Whatevergame you’re playing with the devil has nothing to do with me. Nowget out of my way.”
He flashed another smile. “Very well.“
With a flap of his wings, he launched himself straight toward me.
I gasped as my foot slipped, but I managed to grip the ladder with just one hand. I held on, regaining my footing. He had gone right past me, hopefully to plummet into the asphalt below, though I knew that wasn’t the case.
“Well that simply will not do,” he said to his friend below me.
Suddenly the entire ladder broke loose from the brick wall above me. With a loud screech it tilted away, tossing me sideways. I kept my grip, but barely, my body flailing below me. Panicked, I tossed the takeout bags, then clamped my other hand around the ladder rung, clinging on for dear life. I glanced down at the two angelics, who both just stood there, waiting for me to fall.
“What do you want!” The ladder came down another notch, sending a jolt through my body.
I heard the angelics laughing below, then the whoosh of wings. When I looked down again, they were both gone.
My body swayed in the breeze. My palms were beginning to sweat, and my shoulders burned with exertion. I was several stories up. There might be a chanceI’d survive the fall, but I would sure have a lot of broken bones.
“Braxton!” I shouted.
His music continued thumping overhead.Dammit, Braxton. I scooted one hand across the ladder toward my opposite wrist, hoping I could call him from my watch. I was just about to start mashing the screen when I sensed another presence above me.
The devil stood on my landing, perfectly calm. He tilted his head, watching me as a beam of fading sunlight cut across his face. “Care to reconsider my offer?”
My sweaty palms made my grip perilous. “You sent them!” I hissed as a breeze flopped my hair into my face. “You made them do this so I would agree to your deal!” I shook my hair out of my eyes enough to glare up at him.
He casually leaned his elbows on the narrow railing. “Oh no, that would void any contracts we made. I can’t force you into anything, and putting you in peril would be strictly against the rules. But there’s nothing that says I can’t take advantage of whatever situation you have found yourself in.” His expression turned cold. “Work for me, and I will save your life.”
I looked past him toward my window. “Braxton!”
His music continued thumping. I was going to break every radio he ever bought… If I survived.