Chapter 280: Annoyed
Chapter 280: Chapter 279 : Annoyed
“So the demon itself isn’t what makes this difficult,” John said as Rachel stood in the middle of a pentagram drawn across the floor.
“It’s that she’s been letting it influence her emotions. But I can put it to sleep for a while. Should give her enough control to keep it from taking over.”
He began chanting — most of the words sounding like nonsense to Daniel. The symbols around Rachel started glowing as the spell took hold.
Daniel watched her carefully. She kept cursing under her breath, clearly pissed off about the whole situation.
John clapped his hands together.
The magic around Rachel vanished. She dropped to the floor.
Daniel stepped forward instantly. “Rachel?”
A few seconds later she opened her eyes, looking around, confused.
He crouched beside her. “How do you feel? Still angry?”
She sat up slowly, rubbing her head. “No. Just annoyed.”
“Okay. That’s an improvement.”
He removed Diana’s lasso and helped her up. Rachel said nothing, just walked toward the door.
“Rachel, where are you going?”
She kept walking. “Leave me alone.”
John stood behind them, confused. “Oi! What about the rest of my payment?”
Daniel didn’t even turn around.
Rachel walked down the street, expression hard. It wasn’t the demon anymore. This time the anger was hers.
She’d finally found her mother, only to learn Angela hadn’t wanted her at all — just the demon inside her, and what it could bring into the world. The happy family Angela had promised had never been about Rachel.
Rachel’s fists clenched as she walked.
Daniel stayed a few steps back. “I know you’re pissed. But who could’ve predicted that?”
She stopped, turned. “She was my mother.”
His expression softened. “I know.”
“She wasn’t even interested in me. She cared more about the fucking demon in my head.”
He didn’t answer right away. She turned and kept walking. He followed, giving her more room this time.
“I can’t fix what she did,” he said. “But you don’t have to deal with it alone.”
He walked beside her, trying to figure out what he was supposed to say to a teenager whose mother had just betrayed her.
“So… look on the bright side.”
Rachel stopped and turned.
He realized instantly that had been a terrible opening.
“There is no fucking bright side.”
“Yeah. Bad choice of words.”
They kept walking. He tried again. “At least you know the truth now.”
She looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “That’s your comforting speech?”
“No. Still working on it.”
“Then stop.”
He sighed. He’d fought demons, gods, things powerful enough to level cities — but comforting an angry teenager was somehow harder than any of it.
“Rachel, none of this was your fault. Angela manipulated you because she needed you to open that portal. That doesn’t mean she didn’t—”
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
“Don’t make excuses for her. She didn’t want me. She wanted the demon inside me.”
“Okay,” he said, nodding slowly.
She kept walking, wiping her eyes before he could see clearly whether she was crying. He noticed. Said nothing about it.
After a moment he tried again. “You know, when I was younger—”
She looked back. “You’re not about to tell me some stupid life lesson.”
He closed his mouth. “…I was going to.”
“Don’t.”
“Right.”
They walked another block in silence.
He scratched the back of his head. “I’m really bad at this.”
She gave him a tired look. “Finally. Something you understand.”
“Hey, I’m trying.”
“You’re making it worse.”
“Yeah, I’m noticing.”
She looked away, still hurt. He didn’t try another speech, just kept walking beside her — figuring maybe the best thing he could do right now was just stay there.
Then Rachel glanced at him. “So you’re the God of Death, right?”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“Then can you bring my mother back? Not Angela. My real mother. My adoptive one.”
He knew instantly who she meant. He thought about it, then shook his head. “The dead are supposed to stay dead. I don’t like dragging people back from their rest.”
Her face fell.
“But,” he added, “I can give you a little time with her. You can talk, ask what you need to ask, say goodbye properly. I just can’t bring her back for good.”
She looked at him a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”
“One condition. We go to where she died. Best chance I’ll have of reaching her there.”
***
Traverse City, Michigan
The cab stopped in front of an old house.
Daniel stepped out, looked at it for a moment, then glanced at Rachel. “This the house you grew up in?”
She stared at it, expression going distant. “And the place my mother died.”
She walked toward the front door before he could say anything, grabbed the handle — and instead of opening it, kicked it hard enough to send it swinging inward.
“Rachel,” Daniel said, following her in. “Maybe don’t destroy the place before I even get started.”
She ignored him, walking deeper into the house, looking around at the place she used to call home.