"It's outside of neutral territory?" This could be risky.
"Yeah." She nodded as she pondered the pros and cons of us visiting territory without safeguards. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "You wanna go?"
"I believe we might find what we're searching for if we do."
"I think you might be right."
"I'm going to transport us," I told her. "It will be faster."
"Is that safe?" she asked as she chewed her lips in distress. "I do recall hearing when I was shifted that you tend to end up places you didn't mean to."
"Yep, I do. You with me?" I grinned and held out my hand—to my sister.
Her own smile matched my grin and she put her hand in mine. "You're crazy, but I'm crazier. Let's go."
Chapter 31
"Is this the right place?" I whispered as I glanced around at the decrepit headstones and overgrown weeds. Early twilight in a graveyard was freaky—even for a Demon.
"This is it. I told you Immortals don't have much use for cemeteries."
"Are there mortals buried here?" I asked as I stepped over the decapitated stone head of an Angel statue.
"No clue. Doesn't smell mortal, but I haven't sniffed a lot of dead ones. Do you think she's here?"#p#分页标题#e#
I closed my eyes and quietly chanted. I let my magic fly away from me a bit as I searched for my mother.
"What are you chanting?" Lucy asked as she involuntarily shivered.
"Some dead language," I muttered.
"Do you even know what the Hell you're saying?" she asked, aghast.
"Do you want me to lie?"
She put her head in her hands and tried not to laugh. "Yes."
"Oookay, then I know exactly what I'm saying and exactly what I'm doing and little monkeys are going to fly out of your ass in twelve seconds."
"You suck," she moaned and checked her backside for primates.
"You looked." I laughed and then froze. "She's here."
Carefully and silently we made our way across the graveyard. The last of the setting sun cast an eerie orange and red glow on the crumbling stone tombs. Our mother sat on a bench next to a large headstone labeled Dixie and wept. Rhonda stood beside her. Tendrils of colorful smoke wafted from Rhonda's nose and her eyes glowed purple.
"What in the Hell is Rhonda?"
"If I had to guess I'd say dragon shifter," Lucy whispered unhappily. "I've never seen one before. Most shifters don't believe they exist. They're supposed to be seriously deadly."
"Awesome. Hi Mom," I yelled across the cement jungle. "You forgot to say bye. Again."
"Let her be," Rhonda growled. "She is in pain."
"Like I've been in pain, stuck with my bastard father for thousands of years?" Lucy spat.
"You don't understand," Rhonda insisted and put loving arms around Eve. "I told you to leave. I don't want to have to make you do it," she threatened.
"You can't," I said.
"Do you want to try me?" she asked ominously.
"Do you want to try me is the question you should consider," I countered. A very brief flicker of fear shot across Rhonda's face, but I saw it and I smiled. "We aren't here for a bogus family reunion . You already had that with us over the last few weeks. We're here for answers, Mom."
"It's all right, Rhonda. I owe them as much."
Lucy growled and I put my hand on her arm. As much as I hated the woman on the bench, my impulse was to go and comfort her. Was I so desperate for her love and acceptance that I'd become pathetic?
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"I'm Eve, the Balance of Chaos."
My knees buckled and I grabbed onto my sister for purchase. I'd been looking for my mother all along? What kind of sick joke was this? She was the Balance of Chaos and I was Balance? How did that make sense? I glanced around warily. I'd found Chaos. Did that mean the Sword of Death-wielding Rogue Demons weren't far behind? Shit, why didn't I bring the baby Demons? I wanted to do damage, but the feel of my sister's skin beneath my fingertips helped me hold on to the thin shreds of sanity I still possessed.
I closed my eyes and thought and it slowly became more clear. They all knew she wouldn't be able to resist finding me if I came to Earth. My father, grandfather, Mother Nature, the rest of the True Immortals. . .but who else? How could her presence kill my father and God?
"Balance of Chaos can't be your job. It doesn't work. What's your job?"
"You don't have to tell her anything," Rhonda hissed.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Lucy yelled. "Shut your Dragon cakehole or I'll shut it for you—with my foot."
If the situation wasn't so wrong I would have laughed at the expression on Rhonda's face. As hard as I tried, I couldn't hold back a snort—neither could Lucy. Much to my amazement and wonder, Rhonda and Eve began to giggle.