by J. A. Saare
"Of course I am, so I'll tell you this." He waved his hand, and Marigold appeared on the bed, tied to the corners of the frame as she had been in our shared memories. I saw her squirm but she no longer fought. She might not have come to Hell willingly, but she enjoyed what Lucifer did to her. He knew how to touch her, make her excited, and have her begging for more. In many ways she'd fallen in love with him, which made her predicament even more defiling. "I'm not letting her leave. That nifty little trick of yours can be reversed. I'll seal her remains, she'll take over your body, and you will die as a result."
"I'm not afraid of dying." I hadn't been in a very long time. I knew what would happen to me when I went. I also acknowledged who would be waiting for me when I made it to Heaven. "It's only another transition, changing me into a different form. I won't be anywhere near here when I cross over. If it happens the way you think it will and she does come for me, at least she'll be free. She'll hunt your children down and kill them."
A smile tugged at my lips as I imagined her doing it.
I'd seen her capacity for violence, taking a ringside seat when she'd taken over my body. As angry as I'd been about her early possession, I no longer blamed her for doing it. We all had difficult choices to make. She was no different.
"She'll be able to do it because you made it all possible. She'll send them back to you one by one," I continued, smiling as I looked at him again, holding his pulsing red stare. "I can't stop what happens to my body, but I do have a say in what happens to my soul."
"I'll destroy you," he informed me coldly, coming closer. "I'll make you wish you'd never been born."
"No, you won't," I replied casually, moving my hand up and down, following the liquid grace of the radiant globe that danced with the motion. I moved my fingers, and it bobbed with the movements I created. "You're nothing but a liar."
A notion struck me.
Since I was standing directly in front of Lucifer, facing him in Hell, I'd lost consciousness. I was still alive. I'd have gone to Heaven if I'd been killed. That meant the half-demons and vampires that had attacked the house were all dead or well on their way. We'd protected our home because we'd come together and faced things as a unit. That didn't mean all was well, though.
Gabriel and the family would be worried.
They'd be taking care of me even now.
"I'm going to go now," I told him Lucifer, ready to leave the wretched place, and met his ominous gaze. "I'd tell you it's been a pleasure, but I only lie when I have to." Since I could and because I didn't care what he said or did, I told him, "I can't prevent my visits here, but if you bring me back, the same thing will happen over and over again. Darkness doesn't control me anymore, and I'm not letting you into my head or heart again. You'll never win, and you'll never break me." Staring him in the eye, I informed him, "You have no power over me."
I spun around and took the orb in my hand as I approached a wall of fire, walking slowly even when I heard him rushing at me. The hot flames wouldn't touch or burn me, just as Lucifer couldn't.
None of it was real.
It never had been.
The entire place was nothing but fiction I'd created from the memories I shared with Marigold. The blaze rose and grew, becoming orange and red, roaring like a dangerous and blistering thing. I kept going, staring at the crystal ball nestled in my grip as I crossed through.
Bane had given the orb to me because he'd been sent by a woman I'd never met. If not for her, he wouldn't have found me. Without him, I wouldn't have figured out how to save myself.
I wrapped my fingers around the ball, marching through phantom flames that lost access to vital oxygen and vanished. "Your name is Lavinia."
A warm pulse accompanied the declaration like it approved.
I exited the inferno and walked toward the radiant light in front of me, the path leading to home, and wondered if they'd managed to pull the silver out of my body. I thought they would have by now since it was dangerous to leave the rounds inside. They couldn't give me blood until they had removed each bullet.
As I got closer to my destination, I really hoped they'd gotten that part of things out of the way. Cutting and digging rounds out of my flesh wouldn't be pleasant.
I had a feeling it would hurt like a bitch.
Chapter Seventeen
"She's coming around. Back up. Give her some room." Landon's voice resonated in my ears. He sounded like he was right next to my head. "Rhiannon, are you okay? The bullet in your shoulder was near the spine. Do you think you can move?"
"Rhiannon?" Corey took over when I didn't answer. "Can you hear us?"
I groaned, aware of the pain in my torso. "I'm reading you loud and clear." My voice was raspy. Despite the cinnamon and clove sweetness of Gabriel's blood that lingered in my mouth, informing me he'd fed me only minutes before, my throat was dry. I flexed my muscles, finding I hadn't been broken beyond repair. "I can move. Just give me a minute. I'll be fine."
I licked my lips, trying to swallow.
The surface under me was hard as a fucking rock. The sphere was in my right hand, so I felt around with my left, splaying my fingers. Soft felt caressed my palm. They'd put me on the pool table, reminding me that it was destroyed and would have to be thrown out. That upset me more than my wounds. The table had been beautiful, and I hadn't even had a chance to fully enjoy it.
What a waste.
My eyes fluttered open, and the light hit my retinas and caused temporary blindness. I had to blink numerous times to clear my vision. Landon, Corey, Goose, and Nala surrounded the table. Goose was smothered in red stains up to his wrists. He'd done what I’d hoped, removing the silver rounds from my torso.
"Did you kill them? Are they gone?" The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, and they didn't appear concerned, which indicated they had. "Is everything over?"
"All of them are dead, except for one," Goose answered, placing a hand on my forearm. "Gabriel took Revenald alive. He wanted you to have a say in what happens to him. Adrian and Peter went with him to the basement. They're shackling him before they put him in the cell."
The information had me struggling to sit upright.
I'd only seen the cell one time when I'd explored the house and accidentally stumbled across the macabre sight. I'd been somewhat horrified when I viewed the silver bars with barbed wire areas. Gabriel hadn't put the cage there. The idea came from Marius. He'd had it constructed and placed in the basement decades before, in the event he had to punish an unruly family member. Since, technically, the house belonged to Marius back then, no one could remove the thing. I didn't think I'd be thanking the son of a bitch for anything, but I found myself doing so.
"What about the mirrors? They need to be covered. And he needs to be gagged. We can't let him speak." He'd gotten away from me before using glass and a chant in demon tongue. "He'll run if he gets a chance."
"Gabriel retrieved your cursed dagger," Nala replied, like recalling the event was something she enjoyed. "He blinded him right away. I'm not sure about his ability to speak."
Take that, you bastard.
Sucker caused injuries that half-demons couldn't heal. Revenald would be walking in the dark from now until he died. "Serves him right for coming here."
I shifted my legs and climbed off the table. I had to bring an arm up to keep my camisole on. Goose had cut around the material to pull out the silver, but he'd attempted to give me some amount of modesty. There wasn't much coverage left, only slips of cloth against my breasts. I had to get clothing before I went anywhere.
"Nala, can I borrow a shirt?" She dressed better than me, preferring pastel colors and flowy tops and skirts. I didn't care about what I was given. My primary concern was not to flash everyone in the house.
"You can have mine." Landon came to the rescue, seeing the cause of my discomfort, removing his bloodstained Captain America T-shirt. He might have been changed when he was young, barely into his twenties, but his body was all vampire and nothing but pure muscl
e. He shook the cotton garment out and handed it over. "Here."
Everyone averted their gazes as I removed the shredded camisole and slid on the T-shirt. Even though the shirt was too big—with sleeves that came to my forearms—and had areas caked with blood, I was grateful.
Anything was better than nothing.
My gaze drifted over the room. Blood covered the floor and painted the walls, and decimated bodies were everywhere. Some had been shot; others had lost their heads. A few were torn to pieces. I reached out with my necromancy, making sure ghosts weren't lingering in the space. I didn't want a trace of the assholes anywhere near our home. Seconds went by, and no hum rattled through me. I didn't detect a thing. They'd gone wherever they were supposed to go.
"This place is a wreck." We couldn't keep bloody bodies lying around, but we couldn't exactly call a mortician. "What are we going to do with them?"
"Peter is taking care of it," Goose said, easing over to me. When I glanced at him, he was staring at the orb. His chocolate brown gaze inched up and our eyes met. "What was that?" He'd said the very same thing to me numerous times. Things we did together often revealed aspects of my necromancy he couldn't define. "I've never seen anything like that. How did you do it?"
"I have no idea what I did." I brought my other hand around to hold the sphere securely, keeping the orb tucked against my midsection. "I saw what I wanted, and she made it happen."
Confusion crossed his face. "She?"
"Bane told me to give the orb a name. I chose Lavinia."
Goose's wonderment was evident. "Olden magic?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure." I had no fucking clue. "I'll have to ask Bane."
The kitchen door opened, and Gabriel strode into the room. His clothing was ripped and had dark stains all over them. He also had dried and flaking blood on his face. Relief flared in his eyes when he saw me conscious and alert. He stepped over the bodies in his path, trying not to touch any of them, and made his way to me. As soon as he was in range, he reached out and wrapped a hand around my neck. His head lowered, coming toward mine, and I closed my eyes before our lips touched. The kiss wasn't so much romantic as reaffirming.
He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine, meeting my gaze. His prismatic blue eyes were full of concern. "Are you all right?"
"Have a look," I said, teasing him. "It's all right there."
This time there was no pause. He went right in, seeing what had transpired when I'd gone under. I sensed his disbelief, feeling his shock at what Lucifer had thrown at me. Then he came to the moment when I'd addressed Lucifer without fear. What surprised him most was what I'd learned about the darkness inside me. Bane told him my tendency to lash out and harm others had come from my lineage, but Gabriel thought my horrible history is what fed my violence. He'd never imagined the destructive power I wielded came from anything more than my fucked-up life and necromancy. He didn't appreciate the threat Lucifer had issued, worried Marigold's resting place would be hidden once again. He didn't focus on that, reflecting instead on what I'd done.
The grip on my neck eased. "You would call him that."
"Called who what?" Goose asked, wanting to understand but unable to follow the conversation. "Did something happen? What are you talking about?"
"Lucifer." Gabriel wasn't afraid to say the name anymore. He understood how we'd given the overlord of Hell power over us, and he wouldn't let him do the same thing again. He exhaled, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and grinned. His pride and love raced through me. "She called him a liar."
Unease burst around me, alarm rising from the others.
"Well, he is. That's how he influenced me in the first place. He encouraged my pain and magnified my terror." I looked at each of them, attempting to explain. "He uses deception to get inside your head. He blends truth with fantasy and uses your own fears against you. I just called him on it." Before they could ask any questions, I gave Gabriel my full attention. "You've got Revenald. I want to see him."
"Are you sure? Don't you want to get cleaned up?" He took me in with a frown, looking me over, reminding me I'd been grievously wounded. "He's not going anywhere."
I placed my hand on his chest. "Take me to him."
Sensing my determination, he cupped my elbow. He kept me balanced as we went from the pool table and ventured across the room. He was cautious as he tried to create a path through the bodies, but I wasn't as reserved. I stepped on top of the half-demons, vampires, and necromancers littering the floor. They didn't deserve my respect, even in death. Landon and Corey stayed with us, doing as I did. Nala and Goose followed Gabriel's example.
We walked into the foyer, and I got a look at the front door.
Damn.
Even though Revenald could have opened the entrance like a normal person, he'd blown the thing off its hinges. Chunks of wood and plaster were all over the place. It was nighttime, so light coming through the area wouldn't be an issue, but we'd have to nail thick blankets over the openings before the sun came up. We ventured to the hall that led to the back door, hooked a right, and walked to the corridor that led to the basement.
"Did you cover the mirrors just in case?" Even if Gabriel blinded Revenald, the half-demon might be able to see something. "He's a wily thing."
"I've seen your memories." Gabriel gave my elbow a squeeze. "We didn't break the mirrors since doing so brings bad luck, and we don't need more of that. We turned them around and they're facing the wall. And before you ask, we replaced the gag with something more efficient. It's not a pretty sight, but he won't be saying anything."
He led me to the stairs that curved around a concrete pillar, taking them slowly, and ushered me into the enormous space below. The basement was fully finished, with soft carpet and immaculately placed wallpaper. Numerous items were stored in the room, ranging from a grand piano and cardboard boxes to a rack that had held clothing secured in heavy plastic bags.
My gaze moved to the location of the cell.
Revenald had been placed in the silver impound, his wrists and ankles bound with manacles that were latched to chains. He'd been seated on the concrete slab at the back. Peter and Adrian were monitoring him, making sure he didn't go anywhere. Gabriel had done a proficient job in blinding the half-demon, burying Sucker so deep into Revenald's eye sockets I could see the white flash of bone in the cavities.
Fucker wouldn't be seeing shit.
Despite that, I looked at the mirrors that had been turned, making sure there wasn't a reflection he could use. The silver that created his prison had always been dulled, preventing that kind of use.
My attention went to his mouth, and I took a look at what they'd put in place of a gag. The circular ball had a button that, when pressed, caused numerous silver spikes to release from the interior. Several of the sharp tines had gone through his cheeks, jaw, and lips. Blood and saliva oozed from his mouth, dripping down his chin and chest, leaving yucky amounts of both over the front of him.
I went to the door of the cell. The hard hammering of my heart brought everything into focus. I stopped inches from the cage. "You ignorant fuck. I told you what you could expect if you came here. I told you I'd be waiting."
He couldn't speak but tried to.
His movements revealed his fighting spirit.
He'd been taken down and confined, but he remained rebellious. In a bizarre way, I respected his refusal to surrender. I probably would have strained against the bonds that kept me immobile, not paying attention to the pain, and tried to curse out those who'd put me in the same position.
"You came at a perfect time. I have a fallen angel to resurrect," I enlightened him, remembering what he'd done to Jenny, reminded of how much he'd enjoyed the pain he'd made possible. "To do that, I have to take a life of equal offering to the being that is being recalled from death. I won't be taking some random person's life to resurrect her. I'm going to use you for that sacrifice."
That cranked him up.
He struggled against his
bindings, shaking his head.
"Your blood will set her free," I told him, monitoring his movements, "and she'll rain fire on your brothers and sisters. She'll take most of you out, and your involvement will make it possible. Demons will sing ballads about you in Hell, remembering you as the one that unleashed unholy war on them."
He kept thrashing, pulling his arms back, trying to move the legs that were immobile thanks to silver and a heavy iron chain. Blood flowed as he struggled, covering his wrists and ankles. He'd never get free. Like this, he was feeble and weak. It was only fair that he suffered. He needed to experience the despair of hopelessness. He had to understand what this kind of thing had been like for his previous victims.
"Poor soul," I said, addressing him in the same fashion he had me when he'd destroyed my sister. "You've brought this on yourself."
As I turned, I somehow knew what was about to transpire. Paine had been right about fate. Chaos couldn't exist without order. Some things couldn't be avoided. The globe in my hand stirred, warming against my hand, and I gasped when impressions flooded my mind. There were no words, but they weren't needed. Bane would find Marigold's body, bring her remains to me, and we'd perform the act of release in the backyard. We'd set the fallen angel free in front of the heinous fountain Marius had purchased, the debt would be settled, and I'd move on to far more important things.
"I'll watch him," I notified the others and went to the wall opposite the silver cell. I sat down, bringing my left hand up, and Lavinia came to life. She spun as she floated above my hand. I didn't know how the orb was powered, or if my presence made things so, but I wasn't frightened or concerned. "Get yourselves cleaned up. We'll rotate shifts until Bane calls."
He would call. Very soon.
