25. Inside the Mind
Jack's POV
"Dev where are we going?" It was about the tenth time I had asked, but he gave up nothing just like he had all of the other times.
"Somewhere."
"Come on! I want to know why we're going back to hell!"
"Stay here," Devon commanded while pointing at a spot against the wall, and I shrugged before leaning against the dirt wall. It took almost thirty minutes before he returned, and he had my soulmate passed out over his shoulder.
"What the hell."
"Shhh don't say that too loud. Let's go."
"Dev why do you have a fully grown man over your shoulder."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm worrying."
"Go up the tunnel!"
"Okay okay." I walked up the tunnel still curious, and the daylight burned my eyes when we surfaced. "Hey Dev, random question."
"What is it this time? No we can't stop for food."
"No. I was going to ask why the entrance to hell is in out backyard."
"I don't know, ask my dad."
"So... Where are we going?"
"I'm going to kill you John."
"I told you not to call me by my actual name!"
"And I told you to stop asking where we're going. The journey is more important than the destination."
"You sound like my dad."
"Shhhh. I'll slap you upside the head if you don't can that pie hole of yours."
"Haha, you sound 13."
"John."
"I'll injure you very severely Devon Pierce. Do not test me."
"Oh no my knee caps." His sarcasm was killing me, and if he wasn't carrying someone I would initiate a play fight. However, I didn't even recognize the hallway we were in, and I was heavily curious where we're going.
"Seriously... Where are we?"
"Jack we're in the west wing."
"I've never been here before."
"Good."
"What?"
"Creepy stuff happens back here."
"So what are we doing here?"
"You'll see." Dev walked up to a scary looking door, and it even had a super old metal knocker on it. I didn't know a place like this existed in my home, and I've lived here for how many years now? A slider opened on the door, and a voice called out the word password. What the hell? "Open the fucking door." What kind of a password is that? Still, the door slowly swung open, and Dev dragged me inside.
"Allystar?"
"Yeah yeah that's my name don't wear it out."
"Why do you live in... Well the dark part of the house."
"The spirits like it. There isn't a lot of noise or disturbance."
"And Vic is just okay with this?"
"He craves the dark too; he's a vampire. Now enough about me, why are you here?"
"I'm not sure actually."
"John you stupid sack of potatoes."
"STOP IT!"
"And if I don't?"
"Hey! No fighting in my safe space. Why are the both of you here?"
"I need an intentions test on this man." Dev slapped my soulmate down onto a padded table rather roughly, and a cry of anger almost came from my lips. No, bad Jack. He's not good!
"What am I getting out of this?"
"I'll take care of your child for a week."
"One, he's 19, and two, the last time I gave you my child you gave him 1 pound of chocolate, a phone, and locked him in a room with a bathroom for 12 hours."
"Well what else was I supposed to do? I don't wanna deal with a sugar high kid."
"Then don't give Emile sugar! It's as simple as that!"
"I don't see the problem with my parenting skills. My kids all turned out okay."
"Yes, because Oliver was there to tell you not to leave Connor unattended in the kitchen at 3 years old with an oven on. Or that one time you gave Ariel permission to get on the roof. Who had to get her down when she got stuck?"
"Oliver did..."
"Exactly."
"You're making me feel bad now..."
"Don't be upset, safety just isn't your strong suit. You definitely made sure they had adventure in their lives."
"Yeah, you didn't do too well on that. Does Emile even know what a good time is?"
"He knows that it isn't being locked in a room for 12 hours."
"Can we please calm down and get to the point?"
"SHUT UP JACK." Wow, told to shut up by two people at once. I swear I sometimes get targeted for being rational and not being even headed. I just get attacked.
"I'm just saying that we should do what we came for and bicker later."
"You're right... He's right... Why are you here Devon?"
"I already said it you imbecile."
"Oh! Right, stand back and watch."
***
Ally's POV
I sifted through the suspects mind, and I could tell that the surface was covered wall to wall in sin... This boy has done a lot in his life, but I have to dig deeper to see if he'll change. "Turn back now, King. I don't like this at all. He's a demon with a strong record of murder and abandoning. I don't want you to get sucked into the sin."
"Rochester I've been doing this for how long? Trust me and stop being super distracting."
"Whatever you say king Allystar." It had taken awhile, but I had finally gotten used to the ghosts flying around in my head. They were good company on quiet days, I guess. I've been training my son to take my position even though that probably isn't how it works, and I feel as if I've stolen his childhood away in a flash. Then again, I probably did. It's not like I had much of a childhood either. Bad Allystar, stay focused!
I shuffled deeper, and I managed to squeeze myself through the tiniest hole into the inner workings of his brain. It was a lot brighter in here, and I was surprised to see he actually had a life deeper than the sin I saw outside. Everyone's mind is like a room to me... I can see everything from memories to likes and dislikes just by looking around, and it's only milliseconds in the world outside.
I looked at the memory screen in the corner that usually showed a montage of favorite memories, but it was stuck on just one... Jack. Oh fuck me, this is why Devon wanted me in here. Time to figure out if the crazy warlock is with a crazy demon or not. Looking at his dislikes, I could tell that he hated his past sins from the surface of his brain. He constantly beats himself up for it, and I'm sure that Jack coming in and telling him how wrong he is wasn't helping in the slightest with that hate. Still, though, Jack was pasted all over the likes side... This demon hasn't given up hope; not yet. I walked up to the family status board, and I was shocked to see him... Connected to Oliver's mother. That is a shock, how in the world did this happen. I touched the name softly, and the screen flipped back to a memory of a woman Oliver would know all too well...