Chapter 2

Las Vegas

Gloria woke up when it was time to eat. It was a nice meal served on the plane. There were two choices: an open-faced roast beef sandwich and ham and cheese. Each had different sides. The roast beef sandwich was served on a hot roll with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. The ham and cheese had chips. They could double the amounts of either if they wanted. Demons had big appetites, so that was what most of them did.

Gloria chose ham and cheese with pretzels. Since there were several chips, she also requested a bag of potato chips.

She didn't need two sandwiches. They were huge, more than enough to fill her up. Most of the demons did get two. There was no point in them getting hungry before they arrived, and they were only about halfway through the trip.

There was a rumor that they were stopping after lunch and picking up a few more passengers. She wasn't sure who this was or why they picked them up. The demons had a lot of secrets, and she usually wasn't privy to them. It must be all right because she was sure Stef knew. Her friend had probably made the arrangements. Gloria had to admit that she had been surprised that Abe had shared a secret with her.

She'd seen a large group of demons that had parts missing and had thought that it must have been an accident at the facility, not that they had been abused in such a way that they had lost parts. What a horrible group of people Origin was. Risa was with them, and that surprised her since she'd recently found out that she was expecting. With the morning sickness making things difficult, she was surprised she hadn't stayed behind.

The band always had a doctor with them. It was nice, but she had to admit it was unusual and often wondered why. It had not been enough to make her ask why. Maybe it wasn't that odd since they had several doctors at the facility, and taking one with them wasn't really an issue. Those doctors also were either mated to a band member or sometimes played in the band.

Gloria was happy, mostly at least. She'd been lucky to get this gig, and she rarely worked anywhere else now because she could support herself and her sister with what she made and even put some money away for a rainy day. When she did go on a gig, Stef usually watched out for Kiki. Her other gigs had become more of a vacation and a break from her sister. Was that wrong? She didn't understand it, but most of the demons seemed to truly like having Kiki around, and she behaved so much better when she was around them.

Abe had insisted that taking Kiki on would be no issue with him. She found it hard to believe, but her resolve against a relationship with him, especially because of Kiki, was beginning to soften. He was perfect, perfect for her and perfect for Kiki. Gloria found nothing wrong with the male so far. They used the term male so often that it was surprising they had started to say man. It had been suggested that by using the term male, they were putting too much distance between themselves, their fans, and the rest of the world's population.

Gloria wasn't sure why that mattered. Their fans adored them, and people of all kinds respected them for surviving what they had been through without even realizing how terrible it had been.

That was another thing she didn't understand. Why didn't they let everyone know what Origin had truly been like? Gloria knew they had shown a video of what had happened to those Origin workers who ended up trapped and abandoned. They were left to die a slow, horrible death. But what they had done to the demons was even worse. They had been tortured, had parts removed, and been experimented on all their lives, even as children.

The story had not been fully shared. Maybe they were holding back. There were more, many more, and they wanted to recover them.

That hideous guy, Cirrus, had been part of all that. Not the way that Risa had. He'd done it and enjoyed it, and while he said that they had his daughter and his participation had been forced, no one believed that he wouldn't have done it anyway because he loved it so much. Risa had her sister held over her, and she still tried to do the things she was forced to do in the kindest possible way. Occasionally, she had refused to do what they asked, regardless of how they threatened her.

Most people were that way. They had a point they would not pass regardless of what happened to them or even someone they loved. Gloria liked to believe she was that way and would work toward the greater good in any way she could. Unfortunately, she could not do much to help others when she struggled just to help herself and her sister. Did she resent her parents? Oh yeah, she certainly did, but she was still the one that had her sister and was trying to care for her, and sometimes she wondered if Kiki wasn't better off with her than with their parents.

"We're about to stop to pick up our passengers. It's a good time if you need to use the facilities or walk around a little to stretch your legs," Abe informed.

"Thank you. Who are we picking up?"

"I'm not sure who, but it will be someone from the Antarctica facility. They run a lottery to decide who goes because so many want to. The rest will watch on their big-screen TVs in the rec room."

"How does that lottery work?" Gloria asked.

"It's kind of funny. Their machine prints out tickets, and everyone pulls their own. Then, after everyone has a ticket, the machine selects a winner or more than one winner depending on how many winners there will be."

"So, it's just like winning the lottery?"

"Exactly. Since the machine does the whole thing, no one can complain. Well, they can complain, but no one else will listen," Abe explained.

They landed and sat on the runway, waiting for their new passengers. She looked out the window to see who was coming towards the plane. She only knew a handful of the gods from Antarctica. They were the ones who had visited their little neck of the woods. None of those headed their way had visited. These were all new and unknown to her.

"Do you know any of them?"

"I know most of them. Poseidon is the one in the lead. Heckler is the one behind him. Adonis and his mate are next. Tycho and his mate are the last," Abe said.

"So, just six of them came?"

"Yes, it would have been eight had the other two been mated. Heckler has no mate, and Poseidon is having trouble deciding who his mate is," Abe chuckled.

Gloria wasn't going to touch that statement. There was a little more room on the plane, but maybe they were reserving room for people who would be brought back with them. They often seemed to bring back extras, but she didn't know from where. Sometimes, there were only a few, but sometimes, there were so many that they called in another plane. She thought that had something to do with the secrets the demons kept.

They loaded all their new passengers, and the plane took off. She was sure Abe would have spoken to them, but none sat near him. She noticed they were talking to some other gods sitting near the back. Two of the gods had their mates sitting next to them, and the lady seemed comfortable. Gloria thought about them having a lottery to go on a trip. It wasn't like that wasn't something that was done because you could win a trip in a lottery.

She wondered if they would do that every time the band went on a trip. Eventually, maybe everyone who wanted to would get the opportunity to go. It was just good that they were on their way again. Did she mind flying? Not really. She was always happy when she got to her destination because sometimes you could get cramped from sitting too long. Everything just seemed better after you got off the plane. She knew the pilot and the copilot, and they were both demons.

Gloria had a lot of respect for the demons and how they had taken lemons and made some tasty lemonade. She couldn't even imagine what they had been through, but they hadn't let it beat them down. They had taken whatever help had been offered to them, turned things around, and used it to build a life. Maybe that was a lesson that she should learn. She loved her sister, and she had to admit that Kiki had behaved well since she had come to the island to meet the demons.

Lu had been planning a nursing program to take outside applicants and those who wished to learn that lived there. In truth, they were already training their people in various jobs useful in the medical community. Kiki already volunteered as what Gloria would describe as a candy striper. When their small hospital had patients, she would deliver gifts, give them drinks, or just sit and talk to them for a while. That makes things easier for the patients.

Risa said if she applied for the program and was accepted, her volunteer work would be turned into college credit. That had really gotten her sister excited. Everything since they had come here had gotten Kiki excited. Being here might be the thing that turned her sister's life around. Her parents only called about once a month, and then they really didn't want to know anything. They were afraid that Gloria would try to send Kiki back to them. She could admit that she felt bad for her sister, who had turned into the veritable hot potato being passed back and forth.

She intended to do everything possible to help her sister get on the right path. Occasionally, Kiki would travel with her when the band went on these trips, but sometimes it wasn't allowed, and this was one of those times. Kiki didn't seem to mind because she had a lot to do, a lot of hot guys giving her a great deal of attention, and a few friends that she really enjoyed spending time with. At that age, did anything else really matter?

"We are about to land. Please put your trays away, secure any loose items, and put your seats in an upright position. Thank you for flying with the Demon airlines."

Gloria quickly checked everything to ensure it was safe, moved her seat up from its position, and took a deep breath. She knew landing was the hardest part of a trip. The plane circled and landed easily on a private section of the airport. They would not have to endure many of the hassles regular travelers did. She couldn't deny that often dealing with airport authorities took half the joy out of the trip. The airport crew quickly set the steps in place. Then, the onboard attendants opened the door and began to help everyone safely off the plane.

As she exited, she noticed some demons were already loading bags into SUVs waiting for them. All their bags were labeled with the names of those who owned them. There was no carousel. Everything was done for them, and the bags would be delivered to the appropriate room based on whose name was on them. They would have time tonight to relax. The concert would be the next evening, only a few miles away. The next day, they would again have some time to relax, and the second concert was the day after in the evening.

Often, there were plans for them to be a group on the down days. That was not the case with this trip, where the plans were only for certain people. Many of the demons were doing what they call business-related activities. Risa would be going along with them wherever they were going. Apparently, they thought they might need a doctor. After what Abe had told her, she had to wonder if they were rescuing some mistreated demons.

If they were, her prayers would go with them. She hoped they would release them, and they could be nursed back to health. Abe took her arm and led her to the SUV they would be riding in. Everyone else got in, and they headed to the hotel when the luggage was all loaded. They always stayed in the best available, and she was very excited to see what this hotel looked like because she hadn't stayed in Anchorage before.

Because the band was famous, they often got freebies like visits to spas and beauty salons. They also had the best available food, and Gloria couldn't deny that she loved it. It made her wish Kiki could have come too. They only had a few years until Kiki would have a schedule she had to keep as well and might not be able to go on trips. She had decided she wanted to go into the medical field, but not a certain field yet.

Kiki had told her there were so many things you could do in the medical field these days that you didn't have to be a nurse or a family doctor. Her sister admired the work that Risa was doing. She was literally giving back a good life to people who had lost it. Lu has already considered bringing people to the resort for a few weeks of rehabilitation. One problem was that she could not get the same equipment that she had been able to get before. It really bothered her because her first few patients had gotten the absolute best available, and now it was no longer available.

Gloria knew she needed to stop thinking about her sister because she had a job and an opportunity to truly enjoy herself. She had to admit that her life with the demons was pretty good, even when she wasn't going on a trip. Trips like these were amazing. Stef usually asked her to go along when she went to the beauty salon or the spa. They always had a magnificent time, along with several of the other ladies. That was what she was looking forward to. She also enjoyed the time spent with Abe and would admit that to herself if not to anyone else.

Eventually, maybe they would become more than friends. She'd always heard it was best when you were friends first.

"We're here," Abe informed.

She looked out at a very tall building. She'd expected something like this and was excited to get inside.

"I need to talk to you," Stef said.

"Just tell me when."

"Right after supper. It's nothing bad."

That immediately made her worry because she thought it would be good. Maybe they'd gotten tickets to something amazing, and she wanted to share it with them. After being told that, all kinds of bad things started running through her mind.

Everyone was settling in their rooms, and she noticed that Abe had the room next to her. It always seemed that his rooms were close to hers, but there was no point in wondering why. He'd say it was because they were friends, but she thought it was because he wanted more. With her luggage settled in her room, she saw she had a couple of hours before meeting with the others at the restaurant for supper. A nap would be so wonderful. There was no reason not to. It would keep her head clear, not that she thought she'd need it. It was tomorrow when she would need a clear head and the ability to fix everyone, so they looked amazing.

Gloria took a quick shower and threw on a sleeping shirt. She set the alarm and laid down to nap because she didn't want to be late. Why would she need one after sleeping on the airplane? She didn't know but was sure she needed the rest. Had she not been able to sleep, she would have gotten up. That wasn't a problem, so she laid down, napped, and woke to the alarm. It was a good thing that she had set it.

Her stomach rumbled, telling her that she was hungry. Gloria dressed quickly and headed out the door. Abe was there almost as if he had been waiting for her. They headed to the elevator together. They were going to a fancy restaurant, which was enclosed in glass and on the roof. She had to admit that she was impressed. The place was packed, but they were in a separate room, probably used for parties and such. It was much more comfortable than sitting among a crowd. The band was often recognized. So, eating or carrying on conversations was hard when people were constantly asking for autographs. Not that the band was bad about giving them.

People even took selfies with them, and they didn't seem to mind that either. The band's attention made her glad she was not famous. It was one of the reasons that Gloria worked behind the scenes. She didn't like getting a lot of attention and preferred to blend into the background. That was where she did her best work. The work that she did for the band members was a work of art, and she was proud of what she did. Lu had certain things that he was willing to do and other things that he wasn't. By the time she was through with him, he looked otherworldly and impressive regardless of the restrictions he placed on her.

Win pretty much let her do whatever she wanted to, and she could give him a wild, supernatural look. Each band member had certain things they did not like and did not want to deal with. She knew what she could do and what not to do with each. She even knew what to do with most of the other band members who often opened or closed the show. They traveled with a large amount of makeup, costumes, and other items that made their show every bit theatrical.

A new group would be opening. These guys were younger and didn't have the usual demon names, but there was no doubt that they were demons. Antoine, Damascus, Zanzibar, and Xylar made up the band. They had been given their names by younger scientists who thought they were fancy. Zan and Dam used shortened versions of their names. Antoine liked his name, but Xylar just went by X. They were all handsome and had a wild look about them, and that was what she played up when they performed. Tomorrow night, they will be the opening band.

They were beginning to become well-known themselves because they already had several singles and one large album out. Their band was called Wild Ones, and the description fit. Lu encouraged all his people to try their hand at music, acting, or any other art. She had seen a picture when it was being painted, and it had been amazing. If Abe did anything besides singing and playing instruments, he never said. That was already a whole lot of talent for one male to have.

"What are you thinking about? It must be serious since you're biting your lip." Abe mentioned.

It was a bad habit she had, and she often did it when she was working on the band and trying to get everything perfect,

"I was thinking about The Wild Ones makeup."

"You do such a good job on them. They are also willing to let you take it to the limit. I have to admit that I could never do that."

"Awe. One of these days, I hope you guys will let me do that, even if it's just for a party back home. I really want to see what I can do without restrictions," Gloria admitted.

"I hope you don't really expect that."

"One of these days, you'll trust me enough to let me do that. It will be so cool."

"It might be cool to you, but I'm already at my limit," Abe admitted.

"But you wouldn't have gotten there if you hadn't let me push those limits just a little bit."

Abe blushed. He knew it was true because she had pushed them, and she pushed them every time just a little bit, and sometimes she got away with something. These guys were so hot, every one of them with a little bit of makeup and a wild bit of costume, and it drove the audience crazy. There was nothing wrong with that because it was all fun. That's why people come to concerts, to be entertained and have fun. They celebrated just being alive tonight. It was their chance to have fun.

"Those young demons will let you do anything you want. Isn't that good enough?"

"You guys are just a little bit uptight, which is surprising for fun-loving demons, " she observed.

Abe turned red again. "Now, wait a minute, that's not fair. We've come a long way, I'll have you know."

"I know you have, but you can still go even longer," Gloria observed.

"This isn't a sex talk that I'm interrupting, is it? I would hate to do that," Lu asked.

Gloria felt her face turn red, too. "No, we were talking about your group's costumes and makeup. We could do so much more, but some of you are afraid to push the limits."

"That is a conversation I do not want to be in on. You've been pushing the limits, and I will admit the crowd loves it, but there are certain lines I do not want to cross." Lu admitted.

Gloria sighed heavily. "We will see what happens tomorrow."

Lu and Abe exchanged a look. She could see it would be an uphill battle, but she was willing to try anyway. The sky was the limit. With the band's reputation, anything they did would be received well. The only thing they didn't want to do was get bored and stagnate. That would just not go well with their reputation. She had been researching, finding all kinds of possibilities, and a few came along with her. Gloria would see exactly what they were willing and unwilling to do tomorrow.

She couldn't complain as far as Lu was concerned because he had really come far since the first time, she had fixed him up. Abe was probably the worst one, allowing the least. Win was the best, allowing the most in everything that looked good on him. He and Risa made an amazing couple, especially when they were all decked out. Those two were the perfect places to showcase her talent.

"Are you plotting against us?" Abe asked.

"I would never do such a thing. There are many ways to impress a crowd, and I am just trying to decide which way to go."

"You work too hard. This party is about having fun. Why don't we dance?"

Abe led her to the floor, and a slow song played. He held her tight, and she rested her cheek on his chest. There was no denying that she had fantasized about having a different kind of relationship with him, but she felt like it was unfair to him. It was only lately that she began to doubt that that was true. He and the other demons really seemed to enjoy Kiki. Her sister was fun as long as she wasn't getting into trouble and kicked out of school.

Since they had been among the demons, her sister seemed to be trying harder and finding herself. A calmer Kiki who tried to get ahead and find a future that she wanted to pursue might not be such a problem. If her sister wasn't a problem, there would be no need not to pursue a relationship with Abe. That was something to think about anyway, and she would think about it. The song was done, and he led her to the table.

Abe ordered them another drink and an appetizer. While they would be eating later, it was still a couple of hours, and the appetizer was something her hungry stomach would welcome. The music was low enough that they talked but loud enough that they could not listen to other conversations. At least she couldn't because sometimes she thought the demons could hear anything. That was also possible because they were a little different than other humans.

Zepar sat next to Abe. He was the group's drummer. Since he was a demon, it was no surprise that he was gorgeous. He had the blackest hair she had ever seen, and it was long, so there was a lot that she could do with it. Braids were usually what she did. Sometimes, she braided things into his hair that contrasted or even looked supernatural. His eyes were almond-shaped, a dark brown, and his skin was tan, but it looked like it was naturally that way. It made her wonder if he had some Asian ancestry. There was no way to know, and she wasn't even sure that the demons knew.

Xaphan, usually called Xap, had hair the color of dark honey and light brown eyes. His skin was light, but he tanned easily. He had back ridges instead of most of the guys' wings. She would swear that he was born with them. Xap was a bit shorter at only six-and-a-half feet, and he was built like a tank. He had a small tail that he hid sometimes, which she didn't understand. What was the point of adding a tail if you were just hiding it?

Win and Risa sat beside her. He looked like a Native American, and he had what he called a birthmark that looked like a tattoo. His hair was black, his eyes dark, and his skin caramel. Win was just a little shorter than Lu and built like a swimmer. The guy was gorgeous, and everything she did on him, as far as makeup and costumes went, was gorgeous, too. Gloria was sure it was hard to be Risa because many of the fangirls hit on him. Even a few fan guys would get a little bit fresh. They would even pull some black feathers from his wings as keepsakes. That was just one of the reasons that he didn't like to get down into the crowd.