Freedom From the Evil Dead

by Mary Abshire

  "Wait," he said, gathering my attention.

  "We agreed to keep a distance."

  "I know." He scrubbed his arm across his head. "Just stay alert."

  "You too," I said, then spun to face the long hall of bones.

  The silence of the catacombs creeped me out more than the fact thousands of bones surrounded me. Death was inevitable, and what remained behind were bones if fire didn't reduce them to ashes. So being so close to the remains of many didn't bother me. What made me nervous were the vampires waiting in the tunnels. They could hear me, but I couldn't hear them. They could sneak up on Jeremy and me at any moment and rip our hearts out. The bones in the walls couldn't do a damn thing to me.

  I glanced back and saw Jeremy keeping true to his word. He stayed at least ten feet away. When I reached a fork in the dirt path, I paused. A chilling breeze from the left brushed over me. I continued in the direction of the cold air.

  Further into the tunnel, I circled around a pillar of skulls and spotted a large cross sculpture on a wall. French words were written on a sign above it. I wondered what the sign said.

  Continuing on, the temperature grew frosty. My anxiety rose as I waited for the vamps to jump out at any second. I came upon a spiral staircase and paused briefly to look down. The metal steps looked worn and rusted. I couldn't see how far the steps went and I wasn't venturing lower to find out what waited below. I kept walking and passed a metal gate. It had a small gap opening, leaving me to wonder if someone had recently passed through. I proceeded onward with caution. Several steps later, I found a room with miniature version of a temple erected from stone. If I hadn't had a date with vampires, I would've stopped to check it out.

  My path led me to another fork. On the far right, I noticed horizontal bars sticking out of the wall. They continued down past a semicircle of stones. Glancing in each direction, I waited for my spidey sense to guide me. The frosty air stayed the same. I decided to stay on the curved path leading left.

  Small rocks or bones crunched under my sneakers. If my heartbeat didn't give me away to the vamps, my steps surely would. Approaching another room on the side, I heard a loud grunt behind. I spun around and heard a thud.

  "Jeremy?" I called out as I headed back.

  My heart pounded. Jeremy should've replied. He was nowhere in sight.

  I approached the area where the tunnel had split and saw Viktor and Nassar. Viktor wore a white button-down and black slacks. Several buttons from the top were unfastened and exposed dark chest hair underneath a white t-shirt. His hands were buried in his pockets and he had a pleased look on his face as he stared at me. Nassar stood at his side, wearing a long black robe. His attention was directed elsewhere. Not seeing Jeremy, I moved closer. As I reached the end of the tunnel that connected to the one I'd come from, I found Constantine bent over Jeremy.

  "No!" I shouted, and rushed toward Jeremy.

  Nassar sped in front of me, bringing me to a halt.

  "Get away from him!" I spat, and my words echoed.

  Constantine rose with a gun and knife in his hands, the same ones Jeremy had tucked in his pants. Constantine's black robe matched Nassar's.

  "We need to talk," Nassar said.

  I backed away from him, then stepped to the side. He moved too, blocking me from trying to get to Jeremy. Fury consumed me and fueled my heartbeat.

  "If you've killed him—"

  Nassar lifted his palms toward me. "He's alive, even though I said to come alone."

  "You knew I couldn't do that. Not after what you and the others did to me."

  He lowered his arms. "I did. Now, let's talk. I came to make a deal with you."

  Viktor laughed. "A deal? Are you mad? I thought we came to kill her once and for all."

  I glanced at the evil fuck. He moved toward Constantine.

  "The only thing you have that I want is your soul," I sneered.

  "I know you do, but revenge is not the answer to the pain you've suffered," Nassar said.

  Viktor took the knife from Constantine's grasp. "Let me kill the bitch." He removed the sheath from the blade.

  Nassar glanced over his shoulder. In a blur, he rushed toward Viktor and brought him to his knees. Nassar pressed the sharp blade against the Russian's throat.

  "Stop, stop," Viktor pleaded as Nassar held his head.

  Constantine stood in front of Jeremy's crumpled body on the ground. I couldn't see any blood since his back faced me. I had no idea what they'd done to him.

  Nassar met my gaze. "It will take me maybe two seconds to sever his head. Would this please you?"

  "You know it would."

  "Nassar, wait." Viktor gripped Nassar's wrist.

  "I'm sick of the vile things my kind has created. It disgusts me and I won't have it anymore," Nassar said.

  "Don't fool yourself. You're just as evil as the rest of your kind," I said.

  "But I can stop others. I can change things," Nassar said.

  I chuckled. "Isn't that why you created the VETOV? Look what good it's done. Oh, wait, there is nothing good. Your group killed innocent people—my friends, my guardian, Drake…"

  Viktor tugged Nassar's wrist. Nassar pressed the blade deeper into his throat, cutting into Viktor's flesh. "Don't listen to her. We can kill the demon. We can end this."

  "No, we can't," Nessar said. "Because killing her will bring a wrath from the devil that we've never seen before, and it will last until she is able to send our souls to Hell."

  I stared at Nassar, a bit shocked by his words. The strength behind Nassar's statement seemed clear he believed it. Yes, I'd planned to do exactly as he said after a little negotiating with my father. I found it strange such an evil, ancient creature feared me.

  "Lies," Viktor said. "We survived centuries."

  "And so can a demon's soul. I've met several who have returned," Nassar said.

  Movement from the ground near Constantine snatched my attention. Constantine backed away as Jeremy rolled onto his back. The brown-haired vamp looked at Nassar.

  "Don't touch him!" I shouted.

  "Spare our souls," Nassar said. "I'll spare his life and give you Viktor's soul."

  "Jessie," Jeremy said faintly. He struggled to push himself up.

  Constantine pointed the gun at Jeremy's head.

  "No!" I screamed.

  "Make the deal," Nassar said. "Say the words." He growled.

  My heart wanted to leap from my chest. If I agreed to spare him and Constantine, he could still kill anyone at anytime. He would spread his filth like he'd already done for centuries. Nothing would change. The deal only guaranteed my safety and Jeremy's in this life. His bargain wasn't good enough.

  Sweat dripping from my face, I stared into his eyes. "I swear I will hunt you down if you, Constantine, or any of your ilk kill Jeremy. In this life and the next, I will not stop until I send your fucking soul to the devil." I took a step toward him and Viktor. "I don't care how long it takes. I will have your soul. That is my deal, my promise to you."

  The blast from the gun stung my ears. Nassar growled and drove the blade deep into Viktor's throat. I ran toward Constantine. He saw me coming and shoved me hard. I flew back several feet, then hit the ground. Air expelled from me in a rush. I slid over the dirt. When I'd stopped, I struggled to breathe. I heard a clang and three more shots. My ears rang from the gun. My head and back ached as much as the torn stitches along my front. But it was the fear of losing Jeremy that pained me worse than anything.

  I rolled onto my side, then pushed myself onto my hands and knees. Shaking to stay up, I crawled to the wall. Help me, Father. If they killed Jeremy, give me strength to find them.

  My body burned fiercely as a wave of heat consumed me. Though I was in deep pain and seeking to gather air, I dug my hands into the walls and forced my wobbly legs to push me up. Holding onto the wall, I stood. Tears and sweat flooded my eyes. I used one hand to wipe them. When my vision cleared enough, I couldn't believe what I saw.

  Jeremy was
kneeling on the ground, holding his bloody hand and staring at me. His lips were moving, but I couldn't hear him over the ringing in my ears. He shifted his gaze and I followed it. Not far from him lay Viktor's headless body. His soul sat upright and was watching me.

  As if gasoline had been poured into my belly, the inferno within me raged. I took one step, then another. My legs acted like noodles, but held me. While I wobbled toward Viktor, his soul rose. Seeing me coming, he motioned to run. Fueled with hate, anger, and a flame in my stomach, I pushed myself to go after him. He only made it a few feet before I grabbed hold of the back of his shirt. I yanked him back, then shoved him to the wall. Even in my weakened condition, I beat his spiritual strength.

  "You can't run," I said, dripping with sweat. "You're mine."

  Fear enlarged his eyes. He gaped at me and held his hands up. "Please. Please."

  "Burn in Hell," I said.

  Mouth open, I took a long breath and called his spirit to me. He couldn't resist. His head stretched as it flowed between my lips. I breathed and sucked more of his essence. He wriggled to no avail. His putrid flavor of ancient blood and death made me retch. The fire inside me swelled. I consumed his arms and torso before inhaling again. His body stretched before it slithered into me. In little time, the remains of his soul disappeared inside my mouth.

  Pokes and nudges inside me gave rise to more pain along my wound. The evil vamp was struggling to go to his final destination. I swallowed, hoping it would push him further down. Heat in my stomach blazed. Slowly, the little pokes felt like bubbles. Then they disappeared.

  "Jessie," Jeremy said, and I turned to face him. He stood a few feet from me, holding his bleeding hand up.

  He rushed toward me, then gathered me in his arms. Relief and joy consumed me. My heart swelled while tears rose in my eyes. I had him. The evil beasts hadn't taken him from me. My demon was hurt, but alive.

  He squeezed me. "They're gone. The fuckers got away again."

  I hugged him and paid little attention to the agony from my flesh. "I don't care. I have you." I meant it, too. Let them run and hide. The living, breathing man in my grasp held more importance.

  I let go of him to look at his hand.

  "It'll be fine," he said. "He shot me before I could touch him."

  Blood coated his hand and half his arm. "You need a doctor."

  "Not nearly as much as you do," he said. "The fall had to tear more stitches."

  I pressed my lips together and nodded. Yes, I'd done more damage that would likely add to my scar, but I'd gotten to claim Viktor's soul and spare Jeremy's life. The benefits outweighed negatives.

  "We better get going," I said. "It could take at least a half hour to get out of here in my condition."

  He chuckled. "I don't think I can carry you this time."

  With his good arm wrapped around my waist and mine around his, we started walking back through the tunnel at a slow pace.

  "What about the body?" I asked.

  "Who cares? They can't ID it."

  "And the gun or knife, if it's there?" I asked.

  "I looked. I didn't see either. Besides, Nassar touched the blade and the gun belonged to the guard. Would you stop worrying?"

  I grinned at him. "You know, we make a great team."

  "Yes, but can we lessen the amount of physical damage?"

  I stopped and he looked at me. "If we go home, then there shouldn't be any more injuries," I said.

  "Is that what you want to do?"

  I thought about my options briefly. Nassar and Constantine had escaped. I could spend time hunting them, or enjoy the short life I had left. While I hungered for revenge, I starved for a life of freedom and happiness. The latter took priority.

  "Yes."

  He planted a kiss on my lips. "Let's go home."

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  I took the seat near the window, leaving Jeremy to occupy the one close to the aisle. Ryan sat behind me before Shawn could. We had a first class tickets to America. Life was looking good.

  Jeremy stuffed his bag underneath the seat. White gauze surrounded his hand and wrist. The bones in his hand had fused back together, but the flesh had to be stitched on both sides. Skin took longer to heal. I knew that firsthand. After more stitches to replace the torn ones in my abdomen and stomach and a week of bed rest, which was strictly enforced by Dr. Ward, A.K.A the demon next to me, I was itching to move around.

  "You want anything to drink or eat?" Dr. Ward asked.

  "Not right now," I said. "Maybe after we're in the air."

  More people filed onto the plane and headed toward the back. Jeremy reached above me and twisted a nob. After a short whistle, air blew over me. The gray dress I wore helped keep me cool and comfortable, but sitting close to Jeremy would likely cause my temp to rise at some point.

  "Thanks," I said as he turned the dial for air above him.

  He smiled, then his phone buzzed. He dug it out of his pants and stared at the screen. Over the last week, he'd spent a great deal of time on his cell. I had no idea what they were about. He'd walked out the room to talk. I'd asked if everything was okay and he always said yes. Curiosity gnawed at me for more details, but I didn't ask. Whatever the demon was up to, I felt confident he'd confess at the right moment.

  I moved my gaze to the window and let peace settle into me. I'd seen so little of Paris, yet I was excited to be heading home, wherever that was. Good ol' USA suited me fine.

  "You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Jeremy asked.

  I turned to him. "No. Wait, let me think…" I lifted my gaze briefly. "Mm…no."

  He chuckled.

  "I'm not worried about them finding us," I said. "I really don't think they will look. As long as they think I will come back, they should stay away."

  His brows wrinkled. "Why would they think you wouldn't return?"

  "I never went through the ceremony on my thirteenth birthday."

  "What?" He sounded surprised.

  I'd forgotten I hadn't told him. The only people who had known were all dead and gone.

  "They know about my mother's death, but they never asked if I went through the ritual when I met with them years ago."

  Jeremy rubbed his temple. "Wow."

  "It's not a big deal. If I died, I had planned to bargain with Dad to come back."

  "Well, I'm glad you didn't have to do that. After we get home, I think I can find a way to take care of that issue so it doesn't come up again."

  My thoughts revisited a conversation I'd had with a few demons in Alaska. They'd told me I would to have sex with the devil or someone he sent. The idea made me nervous and sick. Sex with the worst creature created, or a deal with him. I didn't know which was worse. I hoped Jeremy could find a solution to avoid both.

  "We should be fine," Jeremy said. "Your words were quite clear to Nassar. Still, I don't trust any bloodsucker. You know that."

  "Yeah, but I'm not wasting my time looking for them. I want their souls, but right now…" I paused and breathed deeply. "I want to be happy and enjoy the time that I have."

  He lifted the armrest between our seats, then placed his injured hand over mine. "I like your plan. And to ease any concern you might have, where we're going is not appealing to vampires."

  He piqued my curiosity. "And where are we going?"

  "Home."

  Feeling deflated, I almost frowned. "Where's home?"

  "You'll see."

  Lips pressed, I fought the urge to complain. It seemed pointless. The few times I'd asked before resulted in the same response. Annoyed, I gave my attention to the window.

  The pilot spoke through the intercom and provided flight length, weather information, and anticipated time of arrival. His words sounded like music to my ears.

  "Do you want to know where we're going?" Jeremy asked, closer to my ear.

  I twisted to face him. "Yes, please."

  "New York."

  I wrinkled my brows. "We're moving to New York? Vampires
like New York."

  "Then you are a little concerned about Nassar and Constantine finding us."

  "No. Well…not really." As long as they roamed the earth, there was the possibly they could look for us. My wise and powerful gut seemed to think they wouldn't.

  He grinned widely. "Relax. We're not moving to New York."

  "But… You said that's where we're going."

  "We have to change planes there. Ryan has to catch a flight to Arizona."

  "And what plane are we going to get on?" I asked, hoping I'd get a good answer this time.

  "A 747."

  I clenched my fist. Damn him, why couldn't he tell me where home was?

  "Hey, you two," Shawn said, peering between our seats. "Settle down."

  "He started it," I said, sounding like a toddler.

  Jeremy chuckled.

  "Okay," I said. "I'll get you back. Just wait."

  "Oh, I'll wait." He kept grinning and I glared at him.

  The flight attendant checked the compartments over our heads, our seatbelts, then near our feet before she moved on. Another stewardess gave safety directions from the middle of the aisle while the plane backed away from the airport. A touch of sadness tried to worm its way into my heart, but I wouldn't let it. Leaving France brought back the memory of losing Drake. I tried not to think about him too much. I had my life, my freedom, and the love of a demon. Why let misery fester when I had so much happiness before my eyes?

  Jeremy brought my fingers to his lips. "In less than twenty-four hours, we'll be home."

  "You won't stop. Will you?"

  The sparkle of heat in his eyes gave the answer to me before he did. "Nope."

  I returned to gazing out the window. The plane taxied along the runway. Excitement added beats to my heart. We were finally on our way home and I didn't care where it was.

  The engines screamed louder, then the plane accelerated. I twisted to look at Jeremy. Compartments rattled and the lights flickered while we stared into each other's eyes. I didn't need to hear how much he cared about me. The strength of his love and devotion reflected in his gaze. With my free hand, I grazed the tips of my fingers along the side of his face.

  The plane sped on the runway. I lowered my hand to his chest and felt his heart thudding. Anticipation strong, I pressed my mouth to his. I slipped inside and tenderly stroked his tongue before I sucked on it. The beat of his heart intensified while the plane lifted into the air. I deepened the kiss, entertaining him with my tongue. His heat fueled mine. I sought to acquire more while the plane coasted higher. When he tightened his grasp on my hand, I knew I had his full attention and I could use it to my advantage.