Death's Pet 4

Part 5

  Mortimer has been gone for hours or at least what feels like it. Its harder to tell the time in this realm than the mortal one.

  I pace restlessly in front of the hearth in Lucifer's office. Phoebe is strapped to my side again, but it seems my agitated patrolling has lulled her into a catnap. Lucy sits behind his desk looking over what I'm guessing is paperwork. I know Mort has a ledger to keep track of souls being delivered but he doesn't have stacks upon stacks of papers and files like Lucifer. What does he keep track of other than the souls that enter his domain that would cause him to have so much paperwork?

  A noise outside the main door snaps my attention back into my immediate surroundings; a low growl rumbling through me. Lucy looks bored and stands to see who it is. He barely opens the door enough to see on the other side it, effectively blocking me from seeing who it is. There are some low murmurs and what sounds like a few grunts and chuffs. The Devil cast once glance back at me before he excuses himself from the room, closing the door sharply behind him. I don't like the look he gave me. It has my cat senses on alert. He was also supposed to stay here until Mort came back. If Lucifer's 'employees' have been protesting, then who is to say one of them didn't just lure him out of his office only for another to come barging in here. I want no part in the crazy that has been going on here. I also don't want us to become a target if they see little but, powerful Phoebe strapped to me.

  Once Lucifer exits the room, I immediately start looking for a secondary exit. I carefully sprint around the room, careful of Phoebe tied to me, looking for a secondary escape route. Once, twice, around the room I search frantically but find nothing in my panicked state. It's not just me I have to worry about, and honestly if it weren't for Phoebe, I wouldn't bother looking for an alternative route out of here. Mort is still here and while I do worry for him, I know he can take care of himself. My baby Phoenix strapped to me is my main concern right now though. It's unnatural and confusing for me to be so attached and protective of this little bird. I could argue that it's because I don't want the wrath of Bastet coming down on me if something were to happen to the Phoenix, but I know I would be lying to myself.

  After a couple frantic minutes, I realize I'm not going to find the Devil's alternative route out of here but there is a fireplace that does have a chimney/vent leading out of the office. At first, I balk at it worried for Phoebe but next moment I remember what she is and mostly worry for myself. There have been a rare few time that for some unknow reason I have been able to conjure something magical in a shield form around myself. This was well before I had met Mort and when Nick and I use to have a con of sorts going with pet owners that would come into the shop. Not all those fools that would come in were nice or good. I stop for a moment remembering my shadow ability. It was something that Yama taught me, and that most Kasha possess. I might be able to use that to cloak myself and phoebe but using the ability would mean giving into a darker side of me. Unleashing the dark has never ended the greatest though.

  Shaking off my thoughts from the past, I concentrate on the now and how I am going to protect the little phoenix at my side. My shadow technique will not do this time. I glance once more at the fireplace and the steady bright flames licking about it. A loud boom comes from the door Lucy just exited, shaking the walls and floor. With a shake of my head and no further care for my own safety, I leap towards the fireplace with Phoebe close to my side and scurry to bounce upwards along the hot walls up and away from the fire. The further up I go the harder it becomes to breathe. I pull from somewhere deep within me, the strength I need to keep climbing without passing out. I hear a faint squawk from phoebe about a quarter way up the chimney letting me know she has awoken but I do not pause in climbing the walls for fear that we may lose our momentum and plummet back down.

  What I think is about halfway up I can feel my lungs clogged with smoke and burning for oxygen. What looks like a faint light up at the top gives me a sliver of hope and I try to maintain my momentum. We are almost there but I cannot help the racking cough that escapes me as my throat protests and my lungs scream for air, and I lose my grip on the stone bricks.