“That isn’t fair. I need more details,” she said and he huffed.
“Fine. What do you want to know?” He waved his hand and his obsidian throne appeared. He arranged himself on the seat, crossed his legs at the knee and stared at her.
What did she want to know? She needed specifics. This wasn’t the sort of decision she could just leap into. If she did, she was likely to end up as a soulless carcass that couldn’t think or feel. She was striking a deal and it was time to negotiate.
“Will I forget everything?” she said and he nodded. “Unacceptable. I refuse to agree to that. I want to remember everything whenever you’re not in my body.”
“Unacceptable,” he countered. “A compromise is necessary. What you ask for cannot be done. I must have something in exchange for Veiron’s memories.”
As far as she could see, he was getting something in exchange. He was getting her body as a vessel. What else did he want from her?
“Why take my memories?” She couldn’t get past that. What advantage did he gain from taking her memories other than stopping her from attacking him and backing out of their deal? That was reason enough, she supposed. “What if I offer something else in exchange? There has to be something else you want.”
“Veiron’s head on a spike?” He smiled and she wanted to punch him for finding the image of Veiron’s head separated from his body amusing.
“I will attack Heaven for you and then if you still want to use me as a vessel, I will go along with that too.”
His eyebrow quirked again. “An interesting proposition. Go on.”
“I will stand at the head of your army and take on your greatest foe. You said it yourself. I’m basically a clone of you. So I can use the same powers as you, right? So there’s no need for you to go to Heaven in my body and risk yourself. I can attack it tomorrow and voila, it’s game over and score one for Hell.”
The Devil eased onto his feet and stared at her. “Tomorrow? You are inexperienced in battle but attacking them now does give us an advantage. They will not be expecting it. I will accept but on these terms. In exchange for Veiron’s memories, you will lead my army on a direct assault on Heaven with the aid of him, Marcus, Amelia and Apollyon. If you succeed, they will gain their freedom. I will no longer pursue them.”
Erin exhaled slowly. That was a little more than she had bargained for. She couldn’t speak for everyone like that.
“All of them will be protected by Hell from Heaven? If any of them are hurt or die, the deal is over, busted, totally dead.” She held his amber gaze, hoping he couldn’t see straight through her façade to the fear in her heart.
He studied her in silence and then sighed. “Fine. I will assign my men to flank them at all times and will remove them from the battle if they are in danger of dying. I have one more caveat.”
His expression gave nothing away and she feared what his request would be. She was already giving him so much. Now the bargain had become one just for Veiron’s memories. The safety of those she loved was no longer guaranteed. She hated him for playing her again. He was doing it on purpose. He knew that she would do whatever he asked to free Veiron’s memories and he was bleeding her dry. What else could he possibly need from her? He already had her as a vessel and she and her friends attacking Heaven.
“You will not turn your power on me.” Those words were dark, spoken on a low growl, and his amber eyes burned like fire, scorching hers as they held them.
Bugger.
Erin swallowed and then started pacing across the black basalt slabs. There was no way she could keep still, not when she was bargaining with everyone’s lives without their permission. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled it, trying to find some balance. It was too much. He wanted too much. The others would never agree to it and if they didn’t help her, then the Devil would see the deal as broken and would take Veiron’s memories again, or worse.
“It’s too much. I can’t.” She stopped and turned to face him. He scowled at her. “I’m sorry. I can’t speak for them. There has to be something else... another way to make this deal work.”
He stared at her in silence, eyes bright and focused on her. She had to think of another way because she couldn’t put everyone at risk without their permission.
“How about this? You don’t lay a finger on the people I mentioned, those they love and those I love, and you restore Veiron’s memories. I’ll be your vessel, but I will keep my memories, and I will serve you. I won’t attack you and will remain in Hell for half the year. The other half I can spend in my realm, with Veiron and my friends. I will also speak to the others about attacking Heaven for you.”
He sighed. “This does not sound like a good deal to me, Erin. I will give you two choices and then you must decide. If you do not choose one, then I will send my men to kill the first of your friends.”
Erin swallowed. The look in his eyes said that he was serious. He was going to get what he wanted, even if he had to bully her into it.
“Your first choice is this. You, Veiron, Apollyon, Amelia and Marcus attack Heaven with my army. I offer them no protection during the battle. If you succeed and they survive, they are free and I will not pursue them, and will restore Veiron’s memories. If I have need of you in the future, you will all fight for me again, without question. If I have need of a vessel, you will provide me with one.”
That deal sounded far worse than the one he had offered her before and she had the terrible feeling that his offers would continue to grow worse until she gave up and just agreed to anything he demanded.
“But I don’t have to remain here when you don’t need me?” she said and he nodded. “And my second choice?”
“I will restore Veiron’s memories and will not seek to harm those you mentioned, those you love and those they love. In exchange, you will provide me with a vessel and remain here in Hell with me, in my fortress, under lock and key. You will remember everything but you will not be able to attack me. You will serve me and obey my every order, as a doting daughter should. You will never see those you love or your friends again.”
Erin thought it over. Door number one meant putting everyone’s lives at risk without their permission, and not just once but whenever the Devil demanded it, but it did mean she would be able to live with Veiron and everyone in the mortal realm. Door number two meant everyone would be safe, Veiron would be whole again, but she would be stuck in Hell. In the Devil’s fortress no less. Plus, it sounded a lot like he was planning on using the obey clause to make her do everything he commanded. What if he commanded her to do things she didn’t like? What if he ordered her to forget?
God and the Devil could make their angels do things against their will, and they remembered what they did, and hated themselves for it.
And there was that vessel issue too. Something told her that when the Devil occupied her body, she would be in there with him, witnessing every horrific act he carried out, feeling endless darkness and evil flowing through her. Could she experience such a thing and not lose a piece of herself in the process? Would exposure to all that horror eventually destroy her?
She closed her eyes and hung her head.
She had never wanted to hurt anyone, had never thought her normal life would turn into this and she would become the antichrist. She had never thought she would meet a man like Veiron.
“I am waiting, Erin. I have given you choices, something I have never done for another, and now you must make your decision. The fates of your friends are in your hands.”
She clenched her fists. She couldn’t bear the thought of forcing everyone she loved and her friends to fight on the Devil’s side against Heaven, but her only other choice was to become the Devil’s slave and live in his fortress, and she would never see them again. There was no way Veiron would be able to reach her, and Marcus would never allow Amelia to try either. The Devil would find a way to attack them should they try. She knew it in her heart.
She didn’t know what to do.
&
nbsp; But she had to do something.
She had the power to save everyone, to protect them all from whatever terrible future fate had in store for them.
Erin raised her head, opened her eyes and held his gaze.
She could do this.
She could sacrifice herself for the greater good.
CHAPTER 35
Veiron skidded to a halt on the hot sand, his eyes wide and arms still outstretched. Heat curled up from the glowing crack in the ground and he stared at the place Erin had been, replaying how she had reached for him and called his name. He had reacted on instinct, his desire to protect her seizing him so fiercely that he had obeyed in an instant, running for her, determined to save her from the two demonic angels that had come for her.
He breathed hard, bare chest heaving, and lowered his gaze to the glass fault line in the sand.
Erin had known they were coming.
Why hadn’t she told him?
He unleashed a growl of frustration and called his weapons to him.
He frowned at the black and red double-ended spear in his grasp.
This was not his weapon.
Or was it?
With another growl, he threw it into the sand, so hard that the blade at one end disappeared completely. The white sand around it fizzled and melted.
What the fuck was going on here?
Veiron reeled at his use of the profanity. That wasn’t like him.
His head split and he dropped to his knees, doubled over and clutched it in both hands. He gritted his teeth and growled again. The pain eased but he stayed where he was, curled up and staring at his knees, trying to make sense of everything.
Why hadn’t Erin told him that they were coming for her? He could have protected her. He would have fought the two Hell’s angels for her and stopped them from taking her down to her father. Her father. He frowned and then screwed his eyes shut. She hadn’t.
She couldn’t have.
He wouldn’t let her.
Voices broke the steady sound of his breathing and the gentle waves caressing the shore to his left.
The others were coming.
Veiron picked himself up off the sand, dusted it off his knees and pulled the spear from the sand. He would need his armour and would need Apollyon to open a gate for him. First, he had to deliver Erin’s message.
Amelia and Marcus ran towards him, their fear evident in their expressions and the panicked edge to their eyes as they darted around, searching the area. When Amelia’s gaze came to rest on him, she stopped dead and Marcus almost slammed into her.
“Where did you get that?” Amelia’s voice was hoarse and she stared wide-eyed at the weapon in his hand. “Oh my God… where’s Erin?”
Tears lined her grey eyes and she stormed towards him.
“Did they take her? Why didn’t you stop them? Did you let them take her, you bastard? I knew no good would come of trusting you!” She punched him hard on the jaw and he stumbled to his right, put his foot out to stop himself and straightened.
He turned on her, fury boiling in his veins, burning from her accusations and her attack on him.
“She knew they were coming,” he snapped and pushed her away from him. “She didn’t tell me. She distanced herself so I couldn’t reach her in time to stop them.”
“It’s still your fault!”
Veiron snarled. “Why don’t you just back the fuck off?”
Her eyes shot wide again. “What did you just say?”
“I said back the fuck off. I have this. Apollyon can open a gate and I am going down there to kick the snide little fucker’s arse and get her back.”
Everyone stared at him now.
“What?” he bit out and they all jumped, even Apollyon.
“Are you feeling alright?” Marcus said and eyed him closely.
Veiron’s shoulders itched but he ignored his wings. They would have their freedom soon enough. Right now, he needed to focus on getting a gate to Hell open.
A blast of heat hit his back, sending him tripping forwards. Marcus caught him and Veiron straightened, intending to thank him for the catch, but found Marcus staring beyond him, sheer disbelief in his pale blue eyes.
He turned to see what all the fuss was about.
A white portal blazed above the spot where Erin had disappeared.
“Did you do that?” Marcus said, tone low and filled with caution and curiosity.
“I do not think so.” Veiron walked towards the portal and reached his free hand out towards it. It radiated heat at such a temperature that he was sure it would burn him if he moved any closer than a metre.
“Where did you get the weapon?” Marcus’s voice hadn’t grown any less curious.
Veiron looked down at the double-ended spear in his right hand. “I think it’s mine.”
“What the hell?” Amelia said and he glanced over his shoulder at her. The moment his eyes met hers, her anger and confusion melted into fear that stabbed him in the heart. “You don’t think…”
He nodded. “I think Erin has cut a deal.”
Amelia shook her head. “She wouldn’t. Not after what happened last time.”
“You are right. This is my fault. I talked to her about how I wanted my memories back and she went to see her father.” Veiron stared at the spear, not wanting to see the hurt and fear in Amelia’s eyes. “I will fix this.”
“I do not think this is a case of her merely getting your memories back. Can you remember anything?” Apollyon approached him, his height and breadth giving him a formidable appearance despite his casual attire. Veiron shook his head. He couldn’t remember anything more than he already did. “You died. Up until now I thought that Heaven had simply changed your memories but something else is at work here.”
Marcus stepped forwards. “Apollyon is right. You shouldn’t be able to wield a demonic weapon and create a portal.”
Veiron looked back at the portal in question and then down at the spear. They were both right. They had thought Heaven had changed his memories because he had remembered something about Erin but that couldn’t be the case, or it wasn’t the only thing they had done to him. He had the power to create a portal to Hell as he had seen himself do in the memories the pool had shown him and had the same weapon as he’d wielded as a demonic angel.
“I need to see what happened after my death,” Veiron said and leapt into the portal.
He landed hard on the black basalt ground of Hell and rolled onto his feet. The portal behind him didn’t close. It burned hotter and brighter, and Amelia, Marcus and Apollyon tumbled through it. Apollyon landed on his feet as though he had jumped through portals a thousand times. Amelia landed in a heap and Marcus hit the ground beside her. He was first onto his feet and helped her up.
“You were not supposed to follow me.” Veiron huffed and scoured the area. They were on the plateau near the bottomless pit. It made sense that his portal would bring him here. It was the place he had been thinking about when he had leapt into it. It was the only place in Hell he knew.
Or at least could remember.
“Well, we’re here now, so live with it.” Amelia pressed her hands into the small of her back and arched forwards. She sighed as though whatever had been bothering her had cracked back into place. “I need a new outfit… one suitable for kicking butt.”
Her summer dress disappeared, replaced by a flowing white garment that wrapped around her body and faded to blue at the hem midway down her thighs. Silver armour edged with blue appeared over her chest, moulded to the shape of her breasts, and encased her back. Strips of armour melted into existence over her hips and then white boots appeared, followed by greaves to protect her shins. The last pieces of armour to appear were her vambraces, wrapping around her forearms. She unfurled her silvery half-feather half-leather wings and flapped them.
Marcus had changed into his armour too and his eyes swirled silver-blue as he scanned the area, remaining close to his love.
Apollyon switched his clothes
in the manner of someone who had long ago tired of the theatrics and found it boring and tedious now. One moment he was wearing jean shorts, and the next he was in his gold-edged black armour. His black wings erupted from his back, their span more impressive than Amelia’s smaller wings, and even Marcus’s.
Veiron couldn’t compete either and he didn’t need his wings yet so he held them at bay. He focused and switched from his casual mortal attire into his blue armour.
It was darker than before, closer to midnight blue rather than royal blue.
Something definitely wasn’t right and he was going to find out what the fuck it was. He growled and sheathed his spear at his waist.
“Now, there is anger in its purest, most undiluted, and beautiful form.”
Veiron snapped around to face the owner of the voice and found himself staring at Apollyon. He sat on one of the tall domed black rocks that surrounded the pool, one leg bent at the knee and one trailing down his makeshift throne. Only something was off about him.
Veiron had watched his armour materialise on him not a minute ago but now he only wore his loincloth and the strips of metal that covered it were tattered and old, and his black greaves and boots. His hair was shorter and wild, and his eyes were golden.
Not Apollyon.
He grinned at Veiron and tugged on a thick black chain. Someone groaned. Veiron’s gaze shot down and widened.
“Nevar!” he said and tried to race forwards to help the guardian angel but the real Apollyon caught his right arm and held him back.
Veiron tried to shake him, intent on freeing the guardian angel from the chain that wrapped around his bare bloodied chest, circled his neck, snaked up his injured arms and bound his wrists above his head. A short length of chain ran up the rock and ended in a huge black metal ring driven into the top of it near the man who looked like Apollyon. Nevar’s feet dangled a few inches from the ground. How long had he been chained, suspended against the rock? Half of his armour was missing, only the pieces around his hips remaining and one of his greaves. The other was gone, leaving his right shin exposed, and his boots were gone too, as were his wings. Veiron hoped Nevar had merely hidden them to stop his foe from harming them. Lacerations, blood and bruises marred every inch of his body. Veiron growled, his anger spiking at the sight of an angel in so much pain and distress.
Her Angel: Eternal Warriors Complete Series Box Set Page 69
