Sirens in Steam: Alliance of Silver & Steam Book 3

by Lexi Ostrow

  She wanted to run a hand down his face, to feel him one last time because she knew that, whether she liked the connection or not, she would miss having someone so strong and loyal to her down in Hell. The only other being who had taken so long to break was Izazal, and he did not truly belong to her because she would not touch what the goody-goody Muriel claimed with her body.

  “I’ve brought you a little present. But you’ll have to pass a test to get it.”

  Seraphina let the vial of blood dangle from her fingertips. She was taking a risk, but it was the only way to know if he was truly hers. “Better catch.” Seraphina tossed the vial Kellan’s way.

  He scrambled to grab it, even as revulsion played on his lips and in his eyes. Seraphina stared at him, watching every muscle in his hand twitch as he held onto the blood-filled vial. Two seconds. Three seconds. He tore the cork off with his mouth and sucked back the blood.

  It was done. Kellan was hers.

  “Bloody feckin’ hell!” he cursed and threw the glass at her.

  Casually, she sidestepped and let it smash into the wooden table that held her torture instruments. Kellan was stable enough to despise her again, but still very much dependent on Angel blood. Which meant, he would still do anything to have it, once the desperation set in.

  With a little hop, she sat down on the table and crossed her legs slowly. Kellan’s eyes followed the slide of her foot as it took the dress up just a bit. She could continue to test him all day, but the two tests were all she truly needed.

  “Why are you still here?” he asked suspiciously. “You come in, torture me, feed me or ask for information. You never sit and watch me. I don’t like it.”

  She threw her head back and laughed. “As if I care anything for what you thought, Kellan. I’m here because it’s time to explain how the rest of our relationship is going to work, and you my dear, disgusting hunter, are going to listen,” he growled low but didn’t say anything.

  “A party has come to rescue you. Whilst, if everything went well, it’s down to two measly women, it will be allowed to come. I ordered a Siren attack on whomever entered, and I find it hard to believe that even hunters could escape a hungry Siren.”

  Fear flickered in his eyes, and she felt elation bubbling inside of her. Kellan had never shown fear. It was a shame she hadn’t known about the response earlier.

  “I am going to let them take you. Generous of me, isn’t it?” Seraphina paused, but Kellan still said nothing. Shrugging she continued, “I want you to put up a fight, make it look like you don’t know I’m going to let you waltz right out of here.”

  “That will not be a problem,” he spat, the false accent in place because he‘d been recently fed.

  “Now, now, there is no need to be rude. As I was saying, you will put up a fight. Then, once you are back in your warm little Alliance bed, the work truly begins. You can argue with me until you're blue in the face. Every three weeks you will meet Izazal, and he will give you a vial of either his blood or mine. But it will not be that simple, you will give him whatever information he desires, and then you will have the blood. This is how the process will work until I’ve gotten what I need to take down the Alliance and take over the world.”

  “It’s going to be a cold day in Hell before I do either of those things. You might as well kill me now.”

  She tsked. “As I said, you will do these things. I have seen you claw, seduce and beg me for my blood these past three months. You will arrive.”

  “And when you have what information you need from me?”

  “Oh, that’s the simple part. I kill you.” Her smile was cold, and she couldn’t help but let it grow just a little wider.

  “As I said, you might as well get to that part now. I’ll never help.”

  “Just like you wouldn’t drink a vial of Angel blood all on your own without coercion?” Seraphina said in a singsong voice and hopped off the table top. “ When you get free Kellan, take a long look in the looking glass. I think you’ll be shocked at what you see.”

  With that, she flashed into Ian’s chambers and smiled coyly at her one-of-a-kind demon. “My Queen, I did as you asked. I found you more willing Fallen.”

  Seraphina stripped the slinky red dress over her head and dropped it to the floor. “Yes, you did just that Ian, and this morning, you’re going to take my mind off a pesky little blood connection with your wonderfully perfect body.”

  His smile was as sinful as the rest of him as he took a step near her and spent the next few hours utterly erasing Kellan from her mind.

  McKenna shifted uneasily on the hard ground. They’d all agreed that lying down was important and that Lucius was more than qualified to stand guard. Yet, she didn’t think she’d slept even for a minute. Hell felt like Hell. A tremendous blanket of eeriness seemed to settle at the top of the cave and trickle down like rain in the gutters. They hadn’t heard anything since the attack, and it made her even warier.

  “Can’t sleep?” Jacob asked

  Rolling over to face him, she gave him a small smile. “How could you tell?”

  She reached a hand out to him, and he threaded his fingers in hers. Nothing had ever felt so perfect, and she moved just a bit closer.

  “Your back, it tenses up when you’re pretending you are sleeping. I saw you do it the other night.”

  He smiled, and she felt a flutter in her stomach. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of sleeping next to you, or talking to you,” she admitted unexpectedly.

  He grinned. “Oh, you will, just remember how many times you wanted to throw me overboard on the ship.”

  She laughed and smirked at him. “Just remember that you will not be a bastard prince after this, but a lowly hunter.”

  He squeezed her hand as he laughed. “Remember that you are the reason I will be a humble hunter, and go easy on me when I request a fair maiden’s help.”

  She giggled, something so unlike her, and flushed. “If I find a fair maiden equipped with handling demons, I will be certain to send her your way.”

  Jacob shook his head smiling. “Tell me again, McKenna. Just in case someone doesn’t come back out of those doors.”

  Her heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to slap him for even suggesting such a thought, but the last time a group had gone into Hell, they’d returned two men short. She stretched her neck to close the short space betwixt them and kissed him. The kiss wasn’t meant to spark passion or ignite anything, but it did. The moment he returned the kiss, she wanted to press up against him and forget they were in Hell.

  She pulled back and breathlessly told him what he wanted to hear, “I love you, Jacob.”

  “Just as I love you, McKenna.”

  “I love the both of you, but if you don’t zip your lips, we might as well forgo any attempt at sleep,” Felicia grumbled from a little across the way.

  “They are rather annoying are they not?” Lucius quipped.

  “I’m sure we are a far cry better than having been in Hell with Odette and Philippe,” McKenna retorted.

  “Oh good heavens! Don’t remind me!” Lucius chuckled.

  “I resent all of this, and since we’re all up and about, we’re going in,” Philippe grumbled and stood up.

  Still laughing, McKenna stood, causing Jacob to follow because of their entwined hands. The laughter almost confused her. They were in a cavern in Hell. There should be nothing but tension and fear rolling off them in waves. Yet, they were light hearted. Even her and she dreaded what might be beyond those doors.

  “Don’t worry, dearie. Whatever is behind there, I can promise it isn’t your nightmare,” Lucius said with a lopsided smile.

  “You were in my head again, weren’t you?” she accused as they walked up to the door that Layel had marked on the map.

  “I’ve been snooping in all your heads. I made a mistake once. I didn’t check to see what Eliza feared, and in trying to take down a couple of Illusion Demons, I almost scared my mate to death. If I’m going to use
my powers to help, I need to be certain it won’t affect anyone I travel with.”

  It was the most somber she had ever heard Lucius, and it actually hurt her heart to think just how deeply he cared for everyone. He was in his home, even if the lesser demons weren’t truly wanted in Hell, and he still continued to show care and concern for every human he traveled with.

  They stood in a semi-circle around the door, and McKenna wondered if they were waiting for it to open. Lucius stepped forward and placed his hand up to the door. A moment later, it swung towards them, causing them all to leap backward.

  “What in the—”

  Lucius looked back at her and smirked. “Certain doors require a demon to enter. This entrance only did not because it’s believed humans would have no way to reach it. Just wait until the word is out.”

  “Don’t let him fool you into thinking he’s useful. This is the only reason we put up with his arse this long,” Philippe teased, but his words were not as playful as they sounded.

  “Is everyone ready?” Felicia asked

  McKenna looped her hand through Jacob’s, squeezed it and then let it go to grab her gun. She aimed it just inside the door and nodded.

  “This section is likely to be the easiest part. Last time, Lucius and I all but ran through, simply to get to Odette faster.”

  “Or it will be heavily armed with Fallen because she knows everyone else failed. The bitch has Imps running in every section of Hell. Small buggers can go undetected,” Lucius griped.

  “But our watches?” McKenna asked.

  “Yes, they would have been caught by us if they were close enough. If they watched from afar, though, well Seraphina could have a very nasty welcoming committee ready. Not unlike the one I assume occurs in court.”

  They all groaned. “Lucius, now is really not the time for jokes, or I’ll let Greyston know you were joking when I stood squarely in front of the door to Hell,” Felicia said with a grin of her own.

  Lucius paled before speaking again. “Whilst I like to slice through the bad stuff, she’s right. We can joke and laugh because we are afraid, but it all has to stop now.”

  They all nodded in agreement just as the watches began to buzz. McKenna’s blood turned to ice as she imagined what might be running out of the darkness at them. Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she willed her hand to hold steady.

  “Fire second. We’ve been greeted by Pure Angels down here before,” Philippe ordered.

  Seconds later, a hazy silhouette formed at the back of the tunnel beyond the door. It raced but moved rather awkwardly with a limp down the path. The closer it came, the more pronounced its image became, and McKenna gasped. An Angel came towards them, one wing ripped from its back, and the other peppered with black feathers.

  “What the Hell happened to it?” Jacob asked

  “Seraphina stole her to make her fall. Doesn’t look like it worked.” Lucius said quickly.

  The closer the demon raced to them, the more nervous McKenna began. She knew from reports that a Pure Angel with its wings torn out had been the only reason anyone had made it safely back on the last mission to Hell. That didn’t mean she was ready for what was coming.

  The tall, dark haired Angel was looking at the ground and slammed straight into Felicia. The woman lifted her head, locked eyes with Felicia, and cursed, “Human.”

  “Demon.”

  “Ladies,” Lucius said and stepped betwixt them.

  “But your kind is extinct?” The Angel gaped at Lucius. “A demon with humans. A pack of humans in Hell….” The Angel’s eyes snapped wide open with understanding. “I am truly sorry for this, but I’ve heard the orders to kill you. I’m not hers. I’ll never be hers. But it was the Alliance that led her to a group of falling Angels. I’m so sorry.”

  McKenna knew the woman meant it, Angels couldn’t lie. Which made her wonder how Layel had tricked them earlier. She didn’t get to ponder it for too long, as a large blade suddenly appeared out of what seemed like thin air.

  The woman whirled the blade through the air, barely missing Felicia as the hunter ducked. With a snarl the Angel swirled around, dragging the sword through the air, and Philippe cursed. McKenna saw red blossom on his pant leg and frowned. He couldn’t lose much more. They needed to get Kellan and get out.

  “McKenna!” Jacob shouted at her.

  She snapped out of her trance and whipped her head away from Philippe. The tip of the blade scratched across her cheek, and she growled at the pain. Her gun fired, and in such close proximity, went straight into the Angel’s heart. The demon’s cry filled the space, and McKenna winced at how loud it was as the woman fell to the floor.

  “Be certain, McKenna. Leave none wounded,” Philippe was next to her, gun trained on the female.

  She nodded. Dragging the gun through the air in a horizontal line, she drew the beam of light across the Fallen Angel’s neck and severed the head from the body. She had never killed in such a fashion, never gone against an Angel of any sort before, and a wave of nausea passed through her, and she pushed it down.

  “She attacked first and was on her way to being a Fallen. You did nothing wrong, McKenna,” Philippe said. “My leg is superficial, your cheek should cease bleeding shortly. I want this done. If that thing escaped, there’s no telling what could come next. We run. It’s a straight shot from memory and the map. Felicia, you first. I’ll be behind you, limping a tad. McKenna, you, then Jacob and Lucius at the rear, in case he needs to trance himself out. Let’s go get Kellan.”

  Felicia bolted, Philippe stumbled along, and McKenna took off, stepping over the dead body and down the tunnel. Her body felt every slam of her foot into the hard ground. Not sleeping was beginning to catch up to her, but she gritted her teeth and kept running. They had come so far, and now was not the time to let weakness win.

  The tunnel seemed to stretch for hours, McKenna’s legs screamed from the pace, even if they had slowed down a touch. She could hear them all gasping for air and wondered just how long they had been running when suddenly they began to pass doorways. Their pocket watches buzzed incessantly, and she feared whatever lay behind the many doors would hear the strange sound and come to investigate. None did, and soon, they passed more doors and smaller splits in the tunnel before finally coming to a dead end, facing a circle of stone doors with small windows outfitted with iron bars.

  They’d reached the area, even if all they could do was see inside. McKenna felt as if her lungs were going to burst out of her chest as she tried to take deep breaths in.. They didn’t have time to waste. As of yet, they’d been unspotted, but who knew how many warriors and demons that fought dirty waited on the other side out of entryway.

  Felicia took her gun out and aimed at the large lock on the door. “If you took your goggles off to rest, put them back on right now. I’m blowing this lock to Hell on the count of three. Say goodbye to the door, and be ready for whatever comes out it.”

  Twenty-Two

  Jacob wasn’t certain why he wasn’t winded when they stopped in front of the doorway, but he made a mental note to be certain Layel imparted the same healing on all of them once they made it back to the submersible.

  A purple beam of light shot straight out of Felicia’s gun. A sizzling sound filled his ears as he watched the metal lock on the door begin to melt under the weapon’s ray. It didn’t fall off as the beam changed it, but a distinctive clicking sound came from it after only a few seconds. The same sound a key made in a lock if everyone around it was quiet.

  He watched as Felicia tentatively reached out and put her hand on the door. He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until he let it out as she pushed the door inward. She walked inside, and Jacob twitched to step in front of McKenna, but she would likely smack him for it. It was his turn to step through, and when he did, he frowned.

  A room with more doors, just like The Tower. It would seem they did share some more things in common with the vilest of the vile. The thought unnerved him. He could
handle knowing that some demons looked like humans and that some wanted nothing more than quiet lives. But knowing that humans shared disciplinary tactics and habits with them made his stomach roll.

  “How do we know which door has Kellan behind it?” Felicia asked.

  “We don’t. Everyone take a door. Jacob that includes you. Seven doors again, Kellan has to be behind one, and the sooner we can open it, the better,” Philippe ordered and stepped a wide berth around the door straight ahead. “Odette was in this one. Someone…someone else take it,” he stuttered, something Jacob had never heard the man do.

  “I’ll do it,” Jacob said as he readied his gun at the lock and nodded.

  They filed out, and each took a door. The watch in Jacob’s trouser pocket began to vibrate, likely a sign that Kellan was not behind his particular door. His hand had never been steadier, but inside, he was trembling. There was no telling what they kept locked away. Or if Kellan was held on his own. If he is here, be prepared for the worst.

  “Go,” was all Philippe said.

  The soft resonance the guns made buzzed along with the watches and Jacob’s aim was perfect, granted he was mere centimeters away. He watched, almost transfixed, as the green beam melted and warped the lock. Somewhere in the room, a door disengaged, and he heard it crash into the wall. His head whipped around, even as he kept his finger on the trigger to break the lock. Jacob saw Philippe step into an open cell and watched as three Pure Angels with crystalline glistening wings rushed by, covered in blood. None of them said anything, just took off down the way.

  Jacob had never been more grateful for the goggles. Every time they saved his backside, he had the thought, but he truly meant it that time. He shifted his eyes towards the others. Lucius was pushing his door open, but McKenna and Felicia still had their guns burning through the locks.

  His own door lock clicked, and he kicked it open, unleashing another round of battered and bloodied Angels—many without wings. Not wasting a second, he moved to the final locked door.