to hell and back.

Alastor holds out his hand in the little space between us. I take it.

Then, without moving an inch, we're standing in the lobby of the hotel. It is nearly empty; only a few demons are milling around in my peripheral vision or getting a drink at the bar. There are even a few just sitting around, some involved in a conversation with the other beings around them.

"I will see you tomorrow, my love," Alastor says before disappearing again, this time without me. I wonder where he goes when he leaves me alone like this.

Alone, in the middle of the Happy Hotel lobby.

I have to call Charlie. If anyone can help me, it will probably be her. I still don't know what Alastor wants, but I have to find out. I need the whole spectrum. Who better to fill me in on the happenings of this place than the princess of Hell herself? She knows who Alastor is, hopefully even better than I do, so she will probably know what he's after.

I hope she knows what he's after.

Walking with a purpose, I raise my phone as I make my way to the elevators. Charlie's number is already saved in my contacts, thanks to her forward thinking. I call her and wait for an answer, swiftly stepping into the open and empty elevator.

As my foot makes contact with the cold elevator floor, I remember that I left my heels in the forest. I'll have to put my Converse on, unless I want to walk around this place barefoot.

After a few rings, Charlie picks up. "Hey, Dani," she says with a fake mask of happiness. I can hear the underlying sadness, the dripping woe in her tone. I remember everything that happened the last time I saw her, when she passed out on Vaggie's dining room table before throwing up everywhere. I almost gag thinking about it. Puke grosses me out.

"Hi! How are you?" I ask lightheartedly. I desperately want to make her feel better. She's never done anything wrong, nothing to hurt a single soul (nothing that I know of, at least), and I know that she must be heartbroken over Vaggie being stabbed. She must think that it's her fault, since Vaggie took a spear in the stomach to save her from being hurt. Of course, it wasn't her fault. It was the exterminator's fault. Or even somewhat Vaggie's fault.

She sighs loudly. "Tired," she tells me. "Even though I have been sleeping for several hours now. I am less drunk, though. Thanks for asking!"

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah. How are you?"

I hesitate.

"I'm okay, thanks."

"How is the new job treating you? Did you see Angel at all?"

"I did see him, and we had a nice talk. The job is nice, but listen, Charlie, we need to meet up. I have something that I need to talk to you about," I say seriously. The elevator stops and the door creaks open before me. The third floor. Like always, the hallway is empty.

"What do you need to talk about?"

"Something important. Not over the phone."

"You're scaring me."

"You should be scared," I say with a small laugh. "There's... someone with bad intentions. Not your normal, everyday bad intentions. I think, like, for real end-the-world intentions."

"Interesting. Sounds like Ala-"

"Don't. Don't say his name. I don't want him to hear us," I whisper, sliding my key card into the hotel room door. I feel the carpet move under my toes as I walk inside and close the door gently behind me. I sit down on the edge of one of the beds, wrinkling the already messy covers underneath me. She knows that Alastor is a man of bad things, so I'm sure that she can give me useful information. "I feel like he's always watching me."