As Kevin turned down the hallway leading to Alastor’s tower, he immediately felt a change in the air—a shift that prickled along his skin.
It was as if the hall itself were a constricting coil of tension, ominous and unnerving.
Even the windows were unnaturally tinted, keeping most of the outside light from seeping in.
Instead, electric lanterns adorned the walls every few feet, lit with a sickly green glow that cast eerie shadows along the floor’s edges.
He was reminded of the hallway in The Shining, just before the boy would turn the corner to see the two ghost girls.
Immediately, he grew more tense and alert.
If this was Alastor’s way of keeping his distance and solitude, it was going to prove very effective against any sinner who lost their way up here.
Just what are you, Alastor?
The thought drifted through his mind.
According to Charlie, you just up and showed up out of nowhere, right after she went to Studio 666.
You offered to help run the hotel—for your entertainment, as you claim, but it’s more than that, isn’t it?
Charlie says you’re a sinner, like most others, who had a life on Earth.
What did you do to get a ticket to Hell, and are you worth trusting?
Brow furrowing in anger, his jaw clenched.
And this deal you forced her into?
I’m definitely going to find out your intentions, demon, and if I think for one moment you have any plans to hurt my girl…
Sighing, he cooled his emotions down as much as he could.
Remember your training, Collins; you’re better than this.
It was never effective to let rage lead the charge into a battle or confrontation, and he had long learned how it could influence or blind one’s actions.
No, he knew Alastor was cunning and powerful, and the only way to stay one step ahead of him was to appeal to his ego and allow him to show his hand when he was ready.
However, this was not a military or precision operation; it was about protecting the love of his life.
No, to be fair, this was about protecting the Vaggie, as well.
He was her armor, so maybe she could be his voice of reason.
It looks like we’re going to have a lot more to talk about, Vaggie.
You were here when Alastor showed up, and you probably know much more about his past.
Filing those thoughts away, he approached the crooked red and black door of Alastor’s suite.
Casting his eyes upward, he looked at the security cameras he’d installed during construction and noticed they had been crushed—mangled beyond recognition.
Frowning, he reached for one and ran his fingers over the jagged metal, affirming it was beyond repair.
Son of a bitch!
Taking a deep breath, he let the tension seep away.
Yes, there was definitely some therapy needed in his future.
Maybe Hell had licensed therapists?
He’d taken up a couple shortly after he’d left the military, but they’d been of no help.
But things were very different now.
Yet another topic to discuss with his girlfriend’s girlfriend.
Gritting his teeth, he turned away from the damaged camera and hated that this was going to be the focal point of his discussion with Alastor, rather than a simple inspection and reminder to the Radio Demon of his position in the hotel.
Okay, so it was a bit of an immature motive, but it was about doing his job right, wasn’t it?
With another sigh to release the pent-up tension, he steeled himself, straightened his shoulders, and knocked firmly on the door.
Just as with Lucifer, the initial knock produced no results, and there was a flicker of relief that he quickly shook off.
Even though he did not want to have too many uncomfortable confrontations with Alastor, he needed this one to go well and wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
Stepping back, he leaned against the wall, arms folded, and closed his eyes.
Time to 4-D chess this shit out!
Okay.
Alastor could be anywhere, but I’m going to wager that he has spells on his door for protection and will not be pleased with an unannounced visitor. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Given his apparent penchant for the dramatic, I doubt he’s gonna just open the door for me.
No, he’s going to want to come from a different direction, intent on catching his visitor by surprise and having the upper hand.
Looking up, he squinted.
We’re on the top floor, and he was not on the roof when I toured it, so let’s eliminate that direction.
Now, he turned his eyes to the walls on each side of him and the tinted windows.
He could be chilling out there, but I’m going to wager he’s not a fresh air kind of demon.
Looking down, he scuffled his foot on the carpet.
That leaves either coming up from the floor or down the hallway.
He’s not going to want to walk down and possibly be seen by the one he’s stalking, so—
Pushing from the wall, he stepped forward and knocked one more time, loud and hard, and then walked away down the hall until he was halfway between Alastor’s door and the elevators.
Turning back to face down the hall, he lifted his fingers and concentrated, doing something he actually didn’t like doing much of—using his magic.
He’d always been a hands-on, science-focused individual, and even with his halo, he felt it was more akin to a set of weapons than magic.
Still, a good tactician uses everything at his disposal, and with a flick of his fingers, he extinguished all of the lanterns leading down the hallway, plunging the entire pathway into darkness.
In this regard, he did appreciate that the windows were heavily tinted.
Crouching down, he narrowed his eyes and waited.
Almost a full minute later, a greenish circle of light appeared on the floor and grew outward, turning a blackish color, and rising from it, Alastor appeared, facing his door.
When the light from his arrival faded, the Radio Demon immediately noticed that the lanterns emitted no light, and with a frustrated wave, he sent out magic that lit them all up at once.
This also informed him that no one was at his door.
Before he could turn around, a glowing sword of yellow-white energy appeared next to his cheek, emanating a radiant heat that bathed his features and caused his eye to twitch in apparent discomfort, or anger.
“Since we know we don’t like each other, Alastor.” Kevin’s voice came from behind, holding the halo sword out with the tip edging past the nose of the Radio Demon.
“Let this be a demonstration to you that you are not the only one who can catch people by surprise.”
“Well played.
Well played.” Clasping his hands together, Alastor turned to face him, watching the sword shrink down to its original halo form, and eyed him as he clipped it back over his head.
Grinning darkly, he tilted his gaze up at the halo now resting above Kevin.
“Such a delightful trick.
You simply must tell me how you do that sometime!”
“Not likely.” He glared at Alastor, dropping into a very bad imitation of Alastor’s radio voice: “But you simply must tell me why the cameras in your section have been destroyed.”
Eyebrow twitching, the corner of his lip rising at the indignation, Alastor instead turned dramatically, waving his arm up towards the camera.
“Whatever do you mean, dear boy?
Everything here is in perfect order—” Halting his words, he breathed out a sharp, obviously overly dramatic gasp, “Oh, my word.
They’re ruined!
Who could have done such a thing?”
I’ll give him credit—everything he does carries flair.
Walking up to stand next to Alastor, he trained his eyes on the camera just as Alastor continued to feign his surprise, eyeing it as if he’d never seen it before.
“Okay.
If this is the game we’re going to play, Alastor, then fine, we’ll play.”
His voice filtering past pointed teeth, Alastor replied, “I don’t know what you mean, dear boy.”
“Mmhmm.” He let the sound hang a moment before moving on.
“You play your part well.
Anyway, I’ll talk to Vaggie about making arrangements to have new equipment shipped here, and you can replace these in short order.” He watched Alastor’s face for a reaction and added, “Then I do hope you will be far more vigilant in keeping this hallway secure.”
“I don’t need these contraptions.” The Radio Demon’s voice grew static as he waved his free hand at the damage: “And I would much prefer it if you kept my hall clear of them.”
“No can do.” A smirk drew over Kevin’s lips.
He was loving the moment, getting under the Radio Demon’s skin—maybe a bit too much.
Time to tone it down.
“How…convenient.” There was a mix of frustration and something else in Alastor’s voice—the latter too faint to name.
“Isn’t it, though?
It’s beyond me as to why, but Charlie would be devastated if something happened to you, and she would not be pleased with me if I didn’t do my due diligence in making sure every area of the hotel was under proper surveillance.
To make sure all her friends, staff, and patrons were kept safe.”
Turning to face Alastor, who acknowledged him with a turn of his head to meet him eye to eye, he went on: “You may be powerful, but Adam proved you’re mortal.
Just as there are ones who would love to topple the throne of the King of Hell, there are others who would love to see you fall as well, and since your powers are weak after the battle?
Well, as long as you’re living here, as long as you are an ally to Charlie, you are under my protection.
One thing I don’t do is discriminate or take my duties lightly.” Pausing, he added, “Consider it a part of our ‘truce’?
For Charlie’s sake?”
The twitch in Alastor’s eye had been going on ever since the words ‘no can do,’ but at the end of his speech, it stopped, and he tilted his head slightly.
“You are an interesting character, Kevin.”
“To you, I’m Angel.” Biting the words off, he replied, “I don’t want your familiarity.”
“But I may become confused with our dear Angel Dust.” Alastor shook his head, words carrying a light tone of mock concern.
“Not my concern.
And whatever game you’re playing here, I’ll be watching you.
I admit I don’t know all the moves you have lined up, and I’m still concerned about the terms of your deal with Charlie, but she’s asked me to play nice, and I will.”
Smile widening, Alastor replied, “Playing nice is a recipe for death in Hell, my good Angel, and not nearly as fun.”
Shrugging, Kevin countered, “Perhaps, and you’re right that I am over my head here and absolutely a target for some, along with Lute and probably Sera.” He shook his head with a rueful thought of them.
“You made a lot of enemies quite quickly,” Alastor agreed.
“And that list will likely grow.” Accepting that it wasn’t going to do either of them any good to keep at it, Kevin made an offer.
“Now, I can rile you more, create a greater enemy, or we can take this truce and do something good with it.
For Charlie, the hotel and her dreams.
I’ve shown you I can get the drop on you, so you’re going to be ever more vigilant from now on, so consider this a free lesson.”
“Careful, dear boy.” Eyes narrowing to dangerous slits, static-tinged Alastor’s voice as he warned, “I’ll tolerate only so much.”
“Same.” Sharing a thin-lined grin with him, he went on, “I won’t take shit from you, either.
I know you’re intelligent and a calculating individual who knows when to play your pieces, and when to save them for later.”
Alastor suddenly let out a jovial laugh, the crackling tension fading as fast as it came.
“Oh, this is so good!” Chuckling lightly, biting on his name, Alastor’s grin widened.
“You are going to be quite the entertainment around here—Angel!”
“Of that, I have no doubt.” He settled his weight back, arms loose at his sides, and asked, “So, we play nice?”
“Hmmm.” He eyed Kevin for a long moment, then nodded.
“Why don’t we make our truce official, then?
No games, no threats; we work as a team for the sake of Charlie’s dreams?” With this, his microphone staff popped away, and he held out his hand as if to shake.
Raising his eyebrows, Kevin scoffed, “You’re kidding, right?”
“It’s a simple deal.
No soul’s involved.
It binds us in a way that we can not, knowingly or with intention, harm each other under any circumstances.” Grin widening like a predator’s, Alastor continued.
“Consider it a grand gesture of my trust in you, dear boy, and that it would do me great harm to break the deal.”
“If this deal is genuine and offered on the level, you’ll allow me…” Pausing, his eyes narrowed, and, matching Alastor’s smile, he finished, “To discuss it with Vaggie, first?”
Pulling back his hand, Alastor shrugged, “Fair enough.” Recalling his staff, he gestured, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will show you my good intentions and go make a couple of inconvenient purchases.” Pausing, he chuckled, “But I’ll leave the installation up to your talented hands.”
With that, he did a half-mock bow and faded through the floor, and the lights he’d reactivated went out with him, leaving Kevin standing in the dark.
Touche’, Al.
He grumbled it under his breath with a small, frustrated laugh.
I never did get a chance to check out his room.
Turning on his heels and heading for the stairwell, Kevin decided that in this instance, he really didn’t care.