Noru 5_Ways Of The Wicked Read online

  For my Mommy

  Book I:

  Pryor Reese Cane

  “Maybe we feel empty because we leave pieces

  of ourselves in everything we used to love.”

  —Robert M. Drake

  Chapter One:

  Chop Shop

  Just as I land in front of the glass house, my cell phone rings. I look at the screen and find Randy’s face staring back at me. He’s been calling me for a while now. I send him to voicemail because I know what he wants. And as much as I love him, I am not in the mood to hang out with him and Key. In fact, I’m good with never coming face-to-face with a couple ever again.

  Everyone tells me to hang in there and that I will soon feel better about Aaden breaking up with me. They tell me that time heals. They lied. It’s been months since I last saw Aaden and I feel just as broken as I did the night he dumped me. It turns out the only thing you can do with that kind of pain is find ways to push it aside.

  The team is less than happy with the way I choose to deal with things. They want me to just keep going to school and act like nothing ever happened. I have a different plan. My plan is to do whatever the fuck I want so I won’t notice that half of me is missing.

  In the past few weeks, I’ve killed countless demons, all but dropped out of school, and best of all, I have discovered Chop Shops. They are makeshift bars that pop up throughout the world. They are usually perched on top of mountains or skyscrapers. You can only find them if you know they are there.

  Once you pay the entrance fee, you can drink, smoke, or get high for as long as you want. I don’t usually take the pills, given how awful Key’s life became once she got hooked. And my father always said getting hooked on drugs was the biggest mistake he ever made. That leaves me with drinking, and it turns out I’m really good at it.

  However, my favorite part about Chop Shops isn’t the drinks or even the music. The part that I absolutely love is the crowd. They all mind their own damn business. When I enter, they don’t stop and stare so they can pass judgment on me.

  They don’t compare me to my super-perfect parents or hold me to some impossible standard. They don’t gawk at me and whisper about my love life or lack thereof. They don’t shake their heads, wondering how it is I can be so powerful and yet so stupid.

  As much as I hate to admit it, the fact is the angel world is right. I was stupid to fall for Aaden. But I’m not stupid anymore. And I will never allow myself to be taken in by Aaden or any other guy, ever again. I now understand that as a general rule, if a guy’s lips are moving, he’s lying.

  That’s why I threw out the stupid hammer he gave me. I also deleted any and all texts from when we were dating. Or whatever the hell we were doing back then. I also vowed never to go to the section of the Green Mountains he rebuilt for me. And now I have one last thing to get rid of: the biggest monument to my failed relationship with Aaden.

  I enter the password in the keypad and the door opens up. Right away I recall the conversations that we had the night he brought me here.

  “Aaden, where are we?” I asked.

  “Portland, Oregon.”

  “What is this place? It’s beautiful.”

  “This house is called Roslyn…”

  I walk throughout the spectacular home and can’t help but marvel once again at its perfect views of the forest. The rich dark wood makes the house feel more like a home. I place my hand on the sofa where we sat together talking only a few months back. I told him things I had never spoken out loud before. And he reassured me that everything would be okay. He made it so that I could Recharge without any nightmares.

  “This house is for us, for you and me, Pry. This place is a symbol of what is possible—a life after Malakaro…we need to know that there is something past him, something he can’t take away—our future. We have one, Pry, I promise you we do.”

  Lies. Lies. Lies.

  I slowly walk up the steps and pass the master bathroom where he bathed me and kissed all my problems away. I enter the bedroom with the pristine white sheets. Aaden and I made love here. I see it play out before me as if it’s happening now. He grazes my lips with his finger, kisses my collarbone, and ignites a frenzy of spine-tingling sensations when he places himself inside me.

  He held me as if I were the most precious thing on Earth. He made me feel as if I were more important to him than his own life. His hold was protective and sincere. He made it safe to open up to him and so I did. I let down my guard and let him into my body, mind, and soul.

  Then he threw me away.

  I can feel the flood of tears making its way into my eyes. I hold them back and take a moment to remind myself why I am here. I didn’t come to go down memory lane. I didn’t come to relive the night we spent together. I came with a job to do and I fully intend to do it. I pop the Snap into my mouth.

  A Snap is a gumball-like candy that gives you temporary powers. There are different kinds. Some of them can make you fast or give you extra strength. This one allows you to breathe fire. I take a deep breath and exhale a sea of flames from my lips.

  The first thing to go up in flames is the bed—our bed. The fire then spreads to the walls and then the ceiling. I fly out the window and allow myself one look back. Rosalyn, the gorgeous house that stood as a symbol of Aaden’s love for me, burns to the ground.

  So, what do you do after you set fire to the house you and your ex once shared? Why, yes—drink!

  I head to North Carolina, where the latest Chop Shop is being held. It’s on top of a mountain with dense acres of trees and wildlife. The crowd is particularly excited tonight since we are only a few miles from downtown Asheville.

  In Asheville there are a slew of shops that can be found selling everything from Snaps to poisonous herbs. It’s the mecca for Healers, Sellers, and stoned human hippies. When I enter, I can tell nearly everyone picked up a little something downtown before coming to the Chop Shop. They are far more out of control than they were previous nights.

  Nice!

  I look around the crowded bar and see shadowy figures surrounding us. They are called Shadow Servants. You just signal to them and they will bring you the latest pills, potions, and drinks. Anything and everything you could possibly need to alter your sense of reality. For the next few hours, I drink and dance myself into a wonderful stupor.

  It’s two in the morning and the party is just getting started when someone grabs me from behind. I turn and see the Para looking back at me.

  “They sent me to come find you,” the angel says as he looks me over.

  “You make it sound like I’m lost,” I reply with a smile as I guzzle down the drink in my hand.

  “Are you?” he asks.

  “Nope! I know exactly where I am,” I counter as I raise my hand in the air and move to the hypnotic bass of the song playing.

  “That’s not the general consensus,” he replies.

  “It never is.”

  “Pryor.”

  “Yes, Para?”

  “I’m supposed to find you and take you home.”

  “I LOVE THIS SONG!” I scream as I work my way further onto the dance floor.

  He follows me and calls out to me, but the music is so loud now, I have no idea what he’s saying. I’m actually glad I can’t hear him because I have found that guys talk way too much lately.

  “You’re supposed to be the responsible one, remember?” he shouts into my ear.

  “Is someone on the team bleeding, crying, or dead?” I shout.

  “No.”

  “Then back off.”

  “Pryor, I don’t—”

  “Look, I don’t care if you are royalty or not. I came here because this is where I want to be right now. So join in or go hom
e,” I reply as I knock back three shots of Coy Dark from the Shadow Servant passing drinks around.

  “C’mon, don’t make me be that guy. I hate that guy,” the Para says.

  “Then drink up!” I offer.

  “This could go wrong,” he warns me.

  “Let’s hope!” I reply, laughing.

  “How much have you had to drink?”

  “More than I should, less then I want. But I can fix that,” I inform him as I take the tray of drinks from the latest Shadow Servant crossing my path.

  “You can’t drink all of that. You need to come home,” he assures me.

  “So is this what you’re really like? Are you a closet ‘hero’?” I ask.

  “No.”

  “Good, because what they don’t tell you about heroes is that their lives suck balls. Seriously, it’s the biggest scam going.”

  “This is all because of ‘you-know-who’?” he asks.

  “He’s not Lord Voldemort. You can say his name.”

  “Fine, this is all because of Silver?”

  “I don’t give two shits about Silver. All I want to do is have a little fun. Wait, make that a lot of fun. If everyone on the team is alive, why can’t I?”

  “I think they’re worried that you’re…losing it,” he cautions.

  “Silly Para, I never had ‘it’ in the first place.” I laugh.

  “If I don’t take you back, I’m going to hear it from them.”

  “Okay, if you can keep up with me, I’ll come home with you. Actually, maybe I’ll come home with you anyway,” I reply with a sly smile.

  “You can’t come home with me.”

  “Why? I’m not good enough for your castle?”

  “It’s more complicated than that,” he says.

  “Naturally.”

  “Pryor,” he shouts.

  “Look, you want me to go back home, then drink up!”

  “And if I manage to keep up, you’ll come back to New York with me?”

  “Yes, Mom.”

  We summon a string of Shadow Servants. They stand before us with endless trays of shot glasses. I quickly down six shots of anger flavored Coy Dark. It’s spicy, bitter, and burns on the way down. I gasp and shiver with delight as the warm sensation works its way down my body. He shakes his head, but there’s a little smile behind his eyes.

  I think the Para is going to enjoy this.

  He does exactly as I do. He downs six shots and then adds an additional three. I match him and add an extra two shots for good measure. Pretty soon, we’re drinking without counting and getting more daring by the drink. I’m happy here in the middle of the heated, packed dance floor surrounded by other beings that don’t give a damn about anything. In fact, this shit is better than being in the light.

  Hell, this feels so good, it might as well be the light.

  He warns me again that the right thing to do is to let him take me home. I remind him that right and wrong are relative. I then dance away from him and head back to the bar. He follows me. I decide to push the limit and see just how far he’s willing to go to win our little game.

  On the bar stands a bowl of black and white balls the size of marbles. The marbles are called Toss Balls. Toss does the opposite of Snaps. It takes away your powers for a few seconds. It’s no fun diving off a mountain if you have wings to get you safely to the bottom. So to add to the risk factor, angels place a Toss in their mouths and their wings are gone for three seconds.

  If an angel is feeling brave, he can take three of them and be without his wings for nearly ten seconds. It doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but when you’re hurtling towards the ground, ten seconds is an eternity.

  I pop a Toss into my mouth. My wings suddenly disappear. He’s about to object, but I shrug, signaling he’s going to lose our game. He smiles back, signaling he’s not ready to lose. He pops a Toss into his mouth, letting me know he’s serious about getting me back home. Not long after, both our wings reappear.

  I was going to pop another one in my mouth, but then I look towards the exit of the bar and an idea springs to mind. Before he can stop me, I grab a handful of Toss and run outside onto the edge of the mountain. He runs after me.

  “Hey, um…that’s not a good idea,” he warns.

  “Really?” I ask, playing dumb.

  “Seriously, Pryor, you have over ten Toss Balls in your hand. You cannot take them all at the same time. You will be without your wings for over thirty seconds. This is a very bad decision,” he shouts.

  “Good, ’cause those are the only kinds I know how to make,” I reply as I pop all of the Toss Balls into my mouth.

  “Pryor, don’t!”

  My wings disappear; I open my arms, smile, and free-fall backwards off the mountain.

  “Fuck!” he shouts as he leaps off the side of the mountain after me.

  I feel the air slipping through my fingers and the sky above gets further and further away. I scream with sheer exhilaration as I fall down to the Earth. I’m halfway to the ground and my wings have not shown up yet. I laugh the whole time.

  Shit, this feels good!

  He flies down to try to catch up to me, but I’m falling too fast for him. My wings are still nowhere to be found. Beautiful. I will die in the air. Sounds good to me.

  I continue my delicious descent.

  Just as I am about to hit the rocky earth, he latches onto my ankle and hurls my body over to the closest ledge. I hit the rocky ground, roll over, and slam against a wall of earth. My wings finally reappear.

  “What the hell, Pryor?” he shouts.

  “I was doing fine until you threw me against the damn rocks!” I remind him as I rub my sore shoulder.

  “Your wings would not have come back in time,” he yells.

  “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “Do you know how close you were to death?” he asks.

  “HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER FUCKING DAY?”

  “C’mon, let’s go!”

  “Where?” I ask.

  “I’m taking you back to New York City. Back to your team.”

  “You didn’t take a handful of Toss like I did. I won. I don’t have to go anywhere with you.”

  “Look, I’m not good at this whole rescue thing.”

  “No shit.”

  “Pryor, don’t push me.”

  “Fine. You’re not good at saving angels. What are you good at?” I ask as I study him.

  He looks back at me as if seeing me for the first time. He spots the tear in my shirt, revealing the cleft between my breasts. He clears his throat and tells me to fix myself up so we can go.

  “If you’re so eager to get me home, then come over and make me,” I challenge suggestively.

  He shakes his head yet again and reaches out to me. I surprise him by yanking him down onto the floor beside me and straddling him in one quick move. He is now held captive between my thighs.

  “Pryor, we have to go.”

  “Why, don’t you like being in between my legs?” I ask.

  “Ah…”

  “Para, I need your help,” I plead.

  “I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to get you home.”

  “That’s not the kind of help I need.”

  “Okay, fine. What do you need?”

  “I just fell off a mountain and I’m really sore. If I point at the places that hurt, will you rub them for me?” I ask.

  “Pryor…”

  “Right here, it hurts,” I reply, motioning towards my thigh as I gather the fabric of my skirt and expose my upper thigh to him. He places his hand on it and starts to massage me slowly. I’m not sure what came first, his tongue on my breasts or my fingers on his zipper.

  All I know is we are a whirlwind of lust and greed. He bites my nipples and makes me scream with pleasure. I grind on him slowly and rhythmically until he can’t take it anymore. He flips me over and gets on top of me. He inserts himself so deep in me, I clutch the dirt beneath my fingers and make a fist.


  I welcome his brute strength and aggression. Every demanding thrust pushes the bullshit in my life further away. I order him to go deeper. He says he doesn’t want to hurt me. I place my nipple between his lips and tell him to stop talking with his mouth full.

  I wake up cold as hell. Note to self: next time you fuck on the side of a mountain, bring a blanket. Or at least make the guy cover you with his wings.

  The guy…

  Crap. Who is he?

  I look at the guy lying next to me. I can’t make out his face because he’s turned away. He’s tall, toned, and has massive wings.

  Come on, Pry, think! Think! Who the hell is this guy?

  Parts of last night come back to me in a series of blurry flashes. He’s a Para. He’s someone I know because he was sent to find me by the team. Wait! I remember now, he’s royalty! That must mean…

  Damn it, I had sex with Bex!

  Bex and I did get intimate when I was staying in the cottage he owns, in the center of the most beautiful garden in the world. I was devastated by what Aaden had done and couldn’t bring myself out of the daze I was in. Bex took really good care of me. Then later that night, he came by my cottage and took really, really good care of me. But as much as I enjoyed that night, I was glad we didn’t actually have sex because, as it turns out, most guys are self-centered, duplicitous bastards.

  Crap, why didn’t I sleep with a different Para? Hell, why not a demon, for that matter? Anyone else is better than the guy who thinks he’s in love with me. I tried to tell him there is no such thing, but he just insists that love is real. And now that we’ve actually slept together, he’ll try to fill my head with superfluous bullshit like Aaden.

  “Pryor, I love you. I want to spend my life with you. I’m planning on a future for us…together.”

  Aaden’s pretty lies come back to me. They take the form of a snake in my head, wrap themselves around my chest, and squeeze. I start to get dizzy and suddenly find it very hard to move. And even though we’re out in the open, I feel like I’m trapped inside a box. A swell of fear grows inside me. I shake violently.