Sacrilege (Theo Raeken) [2]

crème de la crème

I have thought about Hell a lot since that time. Is it the same as the biblical hell? Or different? Which Hell is Theo in? Is there a heaven?

I think about it until my head hurts and I feel detached from the rest of the world.

I'm not sure why, exactly. Maybe it's because it gives me something to do rather than overthink specifically how we're going to get Theo back. Isaac said it wasn't worth stressing over.

"What?" I demand to him through clenched teeth. "The love of my life is dead and you want me to chill out?"

"Oh, love of your life? Calm down. You sound like you're part of a Shakespeare play," he says back. I refrain from voicing my melodramatic love dramas to Isaac after that.

The sun is setting, basking the road ahead in a show of fire. I readjust myself on the car seat. "How much longer?"

"You're not ten, Arden," Isaac says. "Have some patience."

I sigh. "I can't deal with you anymore, Isaac."

"It's been two hours, Arden," Isaac points out monotonously. "Why are you such a brat?"

"Excuse me? Did you just call me a brat?"

"I'm driving you to New York and all you're doing is complaining. Go to sleep. Give me some peace, please. How did Theo deal with you?"

I raise my eyebrows and make a small offended gasp. "What is wrong with y—"

"Arden, save it for Kai. From what I've heard, you've got quite the love-hate friendship."

I grit my teeth. "How much longer?"

He sighs — a low, tired groan. "I really wish I had some of those siren powers right about now so I could tell you to shut the fuck up," he says with a low chuckle.

We arrive in New York a few days later. Kai seems to have moved up in the world, because when we stop outside of a particularly bourgeois apartment building just out from the heart of New York City, Isaac says that Kai lives in the top one. Since I know Kai too well to believe he got there with solely hard earned cash, I have to believe that this is another product of his magic.

After walking through the doorway, I press the buzzer. He answers almost immediately. "Who is it? he croons over the line.

"It's Arden."

"Hm. Arden? I don't recall —"

"Kai!"

"Okay, okay," he says before muttering, "I forgot how abrasive she was." I come to the conclusion that someone else is in there, because then I hear a giggle in the background. "Well, since you're here you might as well get your ass up here, Arden."

"Will do, Parker."

When we get to his apartment, a solitary space away from everyone else, the door is already open. Kai stands in the doorway in a black leather jacket, black tee, black boots and black skinny jeans. He looks very witch-y to me, if I'm being completely honest.

"Ah, I remembered you being prettier than this," he grins at me.

"Fuck you."

His eyes flicker towards Isaac. "Come in," he says. Isaac nods curtly before stepping inside. I follow, but Kai puts an arm out in front of me before I can. "Woah, not you," he says. I glare at him, eyebrows raised before he starts laughing. "I'm joking! Jesus, woman, lighten up!" I groan as he ushers me inside.

As I take a look around the place, it becomes apparent to me that Kai has most certainly used some sort of magic cheat code to obtain all this wealth.