Janet parked her car outside of a tall, worn-down apartment building. I inspected the grimy environment through the window, my face contorting in repugnance from the entrance layered with several beer bottles and patches of feces that attracted a swarm of files. Though that was bad, nothing was worse than the trashcan on the sidewalk overflowing with garbage. The stench of whatever was inside entered the vehicle and caused my nose to wrinkle in disgust as the bitter taste of bile threatened to come up to my throat.

I turned to Janet in hopes that she would be the first to brave the disaster zone. She, however, turned to me and snorted.

“Don’t look at me, sis. This your mission, not mine.”

“I can’t do this,” I stated, looking away at the sight of rats scampering around the front entrance.

Janet rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll go in with you.”

I rested my head on her shoulder and whimpered with a smile. “Thank you.”

She patted my head before we got out of the car and walked inside the building, scrunching our faces at whatever mucky rubbish we came across. When we reached the front of Robyn’s apartment door, I knocked due to the absence of a doorbell.

“Do you smell that?” Janet whispered. “Why does it stink like sulfur? Wait, is she a demon?”

“Probably,” I replied with a quick shrug.

The apartment door swung open a second later and out came Robyn, who wore a black, stretched out T-shirt with an imprint of Cassandra Blackwood on it. I stared in shock at the size of her belly that grew even more since our last encounter.

“Y-your stomach. It’s—”

“Huge,” Janet yelled, finishing my sentence. “We got demons having demons now? Lord, save us.”

Robyn’s brow twitched. “Who is this? And why are you here? You’ve been the bane of my existence since forever.”

“Excuse me? You’re the one stalking my boyfriend and claiming he’s the father of your kid when clearly he’s not. I mean, look at your stomach. You’re about to give birth any minute now.”

“Hold up. Your boyfriend?” Janet asked me. “As in Lucas? Okay, I’m officially in a drama series.”

“I think you both should leave before I call the police,” Robyn suggested before a vindictive smile shaped her face. “On second thought, we can finish what we started yesterday and I can kill you. Then, Lucas and I can be together in peace. Like it should be.”

“Forget it.” I threw my hands up in surrender “I knew coming here would be a mistake. Janet and I will find Lucas on our own.”

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“Hold on. Lucas is missing?” Her tone shifted at the reveal. “What’s going on? What happened?”

“It doesn’t concern you. I’ll be back to purge your demon spawns after you force them out and probably die in the process. When that happens, I hope the mortician makes you frown for eternity. It would suit you, you crazy witch.”

I walked out of the building and headed toward Janet’s car. She stepped in front of me with her arms crossed before I could enter.

“I get it, you don’t like her, but she’s our only hope of finding Lucas. We need her help.”

“No, we’ll find him without her. She’s—”

“Let me come with you.”

Robyn approached us with a worrisome expression. “Please, tell me what’s wrong with Lucas. I need to know.”

“Cassandra Blackwood kidnapped him,” Janet told her. “She’s holding him hostage in her favorite place in New York City. The two of us have no clue where that could be, so we came here to ask you.”

Robyn looked to the ground with wide eyes, taking in the information before giving us a response. “I know where they are. This yours?” She pointed to Janet’s car. “If it is, let’s go. I’ll direct you to the location.”

“Y-yeah. Alright, then. Get in the back.”

My eyes rolled watching Robyn get into the backseat. I sat in the passenger side and remained silent as the car pulled off, my mind drifting to a possible past that Lucas and Robyn may have had.

Why did she care about him so much? The thought made me question his loyalty yet again, and the never-ending battle of trust continued.

☾☼☽

Robyn directed Janet through the busy streets of New York by shouting and pointing in different directions. Looking to the side of me, I could see the irritated expression on Janet’s face grow with every corner she turned.

“Are you sure we’re going in the right direction?” Janet asked, her pupils beginning to flare. I prayed she wouldn’t reach a boiling point. “We’re on a time limit here.”

Not hearing a response, I looked in the passenger mirror and saw Robyn gripping her stomach in agony. Her jaw hung low as she dug her fingers into her torso and shrieked.

“Are you okay?” I questioned.

“Yes, I’m fine. And I know where we’re going. Just concentrate on the damn road.”

Janet gripped the wheel of the car, melting the leather fabric. Minutes had gone by before Robyn jutted her arm and pointed out of the window.

“Right there. The Ebony Diamond Hotel.”

The outside of the towering structure was decorated with trees that formed a path to the entrance of the building. The three of us got out of the vehicle and observed the dark gray exterior of the hotel before walking inside.

“Lavish,” Janet uttered while looking around the lobby filled with other people. The glossy onyx flooring, gold sculptures, and walls covered with intricate paintings were everything you’d expect from a five-star hotel.

Before we could reach the reception desk, a young man wearing a jet-black uniform stepped in front of us. “Would one of you happen to be Aliyah Dawn?”

“I am.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black key. “Please, take this. Cassandra Blackwood is waiting for you in Room 217 on the second floor.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking the key out of his hand and darting to the elevator. What made me stop in my tracks and turn around was a yelp from Robyn. Her face was etched with pain as she leaned her back against a wall and slid down to the floor.

Observing her suffering, I noticed a red spot forming in the middle of her jeans. “Robyn, you’re bleeding,” I informed her.

Janet examined her as well before turning to me. “I know this is gonna sound awful, but we can’t waste time on her.”

“Your friend’s right,” Robyn uttered through her agonizing moans. Her condition attracted a crowd. “I’ll stay here and hopefully get some help from these damn nosy people. Go save Lucas.”