Dream Breakers, Oath Takers

by Jacqueline Jayne

  “The only place I’ll invite you is Hell. Now, let go, demon bitch.” She swung her arms in and up and then spread them. Using all her force, she brought her fists down on the demon’s elbows. Pain sang up her arms. The maneuver did nothing.

  The demon tsked and then grinned. “You should call me Luciana. After all, we’re going to become very—close.”

  Above, Zane cawed frantically. “Mon lapin,” his voice repeated inside her head. “My bunny. Spirit animal, Delphine. Spirit animal.”

  Of course. She’d forgotten about the spirit animals and their promise to help her. “Why didn’t they appear, Zane?” she asked internally.

  Instead of answering, he barked an order. “Become. Imagine and do. Then I can help.”

  Simple instructions. Actual transformation never occurred to her, but then anytime Zane appeared in her psychic state, he came to her as a hawk.

  Delphine closed her eyes, shutting out Luciana’s hypnotic stare. Panic helped her achieve a deeper level almost instantly. Heart racing, imagining she’d become a rabbit came easier than she’d have thought. The iron hold around her body dropped away.

  So did she. Delphine hit the pavement with a thud and rolled. Instinctively, the feet of her jumper legs righted her body. The change unnerving, she used the sensation to her advantage and hopped down the street as fast as her legs allowed.

  The laugh bursting out of Luciana echoed off the buildings. “You’ll not get far, mon lapin.” She mocked again and cackled. “I am a skilled rabbit hunter.”

  Delphine picked up the pace, but the clack of leather heels pounding pavement grew louder from behind her. An alley. She needed an alley.

  “Not alley.” Zane’s voice came to her again. “Ally.”

  His screech pierced into her ears and his wings beat the pavement around her. Strong talons dug into her fur, and he lifted her off the ground, her back feet flapping at nothing at all.

  “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” Her brain said, but her rabbit vocal chords translated into a shrill squeak.

  Frustrated and long, maybe the shriek came from Luciana. She squirmed to see the place where she’d been heisted.

  “Relax. I’ve got you.”

  But she couldn’t relax. Not because he carted her by the scruff of her neck and not because she morphed into a rabbit.

  No, she couldn’t relax because of what she witnessed below.

  Her mother, now in her blue hospital nightgown, faced off against Luciana. The city disintegrated, and the barren woods returned.

  “What’s next?” she asked. “How do we put the demon down?”

  “We can’t put her down. Not as long as she’s inside your mother. Outside is a different story. All those bottles back in the hospital room are filled with holy water. The plan was to drive the force out, then slit the plastic bottles with a knife and lob them like grenades.”

  “And the demon goes poof?”

  “A minion, yes. A full-fledged demon? I don’t know. Luciana is obviously more than a First or Second Ring Tormentor, but the holy water will incur enough damage to subdue and restrain.”

  “Genius plan. If we can get her out.”

  “Better plan if I had my guns that shoot holy water bullets. Probably painful to your mother, but not deadly, and the impact might be strong enough to set Luciana free.”

  “Can’t you send someone to get them?”

  “All of the prototypes are back in Paris.”

  “Then what can we do?” The image of her mother and the demon grew smaller by the second. Her chest ached from the relentless pounding of her heart.

  “Nothing. Your mother’s convinced if she lets go, Luciana will possess you. Right now, I’m sure she’s right.”

  “What?”

  “You have no idea how close you came to losing it. The air trembles with her power. Honestly, I don’t know how your mother’s been keeping her inside all these years. Luciana is strong and wants out. Bad.”

  Bad. A simple word that described so much.

  Bad. The demon surely set on torturing Mom for not letting her go.

  Bad. The overwhelming sense of failure weighing Delphine down.

  Worse. Zane’s obvious plan to return her to reality.

  Why hadn’t he done it already? Why hadn’t he snapped her out of the deep meditation? Why was she still a rabbit with flailing legs and the frustration she couldn’t save her mother? Could he read her thoughts? Even she couldn’t differentiate between inner conversation and thinking.

  When he didn’t react, didn’t reply, she understood everything.

  She alone possessed the power.

  The power to determine the next step.

  The power to turn this shit storm around.

  Even if it meant sacrifice.

  “Put me down, Zane, and get your grenades ready.”

  “No can do, Cutoffs. She’ll know the second I let go.”

  “That’s the point.”

  “You’ve never confronted a demon of any sort, let alone one of her magnitude. You’re untrained, unmanned, and up until today, unwilling.”

  “The same could be said about my mother, and look at what she’s done for the past twenty-odd years. I’m no less. I’m a Claudel.”

  For the first time, she understood the sheer strength of the women she once wanted to disown. But now she’d lived in their skin. Now she no longer judged, but understood.

  Fully.

  “I can’t let you do this,” he insisted.

  “You don’t let me do anything. I choose. Just be ready for me.” Though he was upset with her, she trusted Zane. More than anyone else in her entire life.

  Without further hesitation, she focused.

  Imagine and do. Imagine and do.

  Delphine morphed into the wolf, a creature far too heavy for the hawk’s talons.

  The pinch and scrape of sharp points cut across her skin as she slipped from his grasp.

  Zane screeched, his wings flapping wildly as if with effort he could hold onto her.

  Free falling, she plummeted in a dizzying roll for what seemed like thousands of feet. Her heart raced, but not as fast as her mind. If she fell belly first, she might be impaled on tree branches. She allowed the rolling fall until her body passed the upper third of the forest.

  Seconds before impact, she flipped to her paws. Her joints absorbed the shock without any pain. Lupine instincts kicked in, and she picked up the scents unmasked by the rotting leaves and took off at a full-tilt run.

  The wind in her face, never before had she felt so empowered. So in charge of her future.

  Long sights engaged, she focused on her mother, a pale blue pinpoint in the forest. She shortened the distance in moments. Horror at what she saw almost had her skidding in her tracks.

  Mom kneeled before Luciana. The demon meted out an evil punishment. Miniature bolts of lightning darted from her fingertips to dance over her mother’s face and hair before penetrating her skull.

  Mom twisted and convulsed.

  But didn’t scream. Refused to break.

  Hang on, Mom. Hang on.

  Delphine strained forward, huffing and panting. Almost there. Slalom-dodging trees and jumping over fallen trunks, she lunged into the small clearing. With one last push, she leaped, using the force in her powerful hind legs. Her front paws slammed into the side of Luciana and they rolled. The air filled with a surprised scream and feral growls.

  The hawk circled low, not far over their heads. He screeched non-stop, and she felt his anguish as he begged her to back off.

  She wouldn’t. Not without finishing what she’d started.

  Flying low, his flapping wings created a vortex that sucked the detritus off the forest floor. She rolled with the demon to escape the filthy air. Leaves crackled angrily beneath them.

  Not as angrily as her snarls.

  In the tussle for power, Delphine won the battle.

  All fours pinning the demon down, she bared her teeth.

  Luciana merely smiled her
overconfident grin. “Impulsive. Emotional. I like that.”

  Suddenly, Delphine felt the sting of scraped skin over her arms and legs. Her lungs ached from exertion. She sucked breath hard and fast. The wolf she’d once been disappeared, but she felt no fear.

  “I don’t give a shit what you like. You wanted an invite. You got it. Join me. If you dare.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Son of a bitch! Fuck!” Zane released Delphine’s hand and shot out of his chair. He bolted to the table loaded with water bottles and then grabbed the open pocket knife. All the while, he cursed the air blue.

  Not entirely out of anger. More from fear that Delphine’s knee-jerk plan wouldn’t work.

  She had no idea the enormous danger she’d put herself in, especially if Luciana managed to gain complete control. Which she could, if Delphine showed even the smallest weakness.

  How long could an untrained Hell Runner withstand torture? Probably seconds.

  Then she’d be lost to him.

  Forever.

  She twitched in the chair, no longer clinging to her mother’s hand.

  “Delphine.” Bottle in hand, he rushed to her and kneeled beside the chair. He leaned in close and stroked her silky hair aside before speaking. Not so long ago, he’d whispered words of affection into that delicate shell-shaped ear. Now he couldn’t afford the luxury of tenderness. “Delphine,” he said in his most authoritative voice. “You’ve got to push her out. Force her out. Now.”

  When she didn’t respond, he swore profusely and cracked the seal on the bottle of holy water. Prudence couldn’t be the only Hell Runner that converted holy water into demon-burning sweat. He poured it against her lips only to have the fluid dribble down the front of her shirt.

  “Won’t work.” Though feeble and hoarse, Gabrielle spoke, her French accent pronounced. She struggled to roll onto her side, facing Zane, and then she grasped Delphine’s hand and held it to her wet face. “I’ve consumed gallons of holy water. I’ve prayed like a saint. I’ve been pumped full of sedatives and anti-depressants. I’ve endured round after round of shock therapy. I’ve tried everything to kill that crazy bitch. She’s just too powerful.” More tears spilled down her cheeks. “Now, she has my baby.”

  Like the tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, the bile of fear welled up inside him until it burned the back of his throat. With a shaky hand, he lifted the open bottle to his lips and slugged back the entire contents in one desperate gulp. All the while, his mind reeled at breakneck speed.

  What could he possibly do to eradicate the demon that Gabrielle had not already tried?

  He’d never experienced an engulfing sense of terror, of complete helplessness, before. Not even when they’d entered the Ninth Ring two months ago. The day they faced down Baalberith and lost Swift in the process.

  A growl from Delphine rocked the silence. From the wolf spirit she’d embodied? Or from the demon taking over?

  His gut clenched so tight, pain radiated from his center all the way into his limbs.

  The logical next step would be to call Jack and Vipond. Have Delphine committed to lockdown until they could figure out what to do. But that would mean everyone agreeing on a plan, prolonging the time she coexisted with the demon.

  Giving the demon more dominion over her new home.

  Unacceptable. He’d lose Delphine.

  Forever.

  The thought broke his heart, and he pushed it out.

  No fucking way he’d allow a piece of shit from Hell steal someone he loved.

  Yes, he loved Delphine. Completely.

  And so did her mother. He glanced over at Gabrielle. She appeared fragile, but he’d seen her in the soul tap. Tenacious to the hundredth power.

  “Gabrielle.” He tossed the empty water bottle and knife onto his empty chair seat and kneeled at her bedside. “You must stop crying. She needs us. I know Delphine. Your daughter is strong. Like you. She can take whatever Luciana dishes out until I free her—”

  “You’re not capable of freeing her. No one is.” She sobbed and wiped her face with the back of Delphine’s hand.

  “Everyone has a weakness.” He kept his voice calm, but commanding. “Even demons. I’m sure Luciana’s been talking a lot of shit, told you a bunch of lies. But—”

  “No lies.” Gabrielle swallowed back a sob. “She’s a blunt talker. And the daughter of Baalberith.” Her voice strengthened with anger. “He’s a wicked demon cursed with—”

  “Always. Telling. The truth.” He stood in slow motion and cursed. “Sorry, ma’am. But we’ve crossed paths with him. Recently.” The pit of dread in his gut shot out roots. His head spun with the new information.

  “Then you understand what I’ve been up against.”

  “Yeah,” he said on a resigned sigh.

  “Somehow, I kept her at bay. For years,” she continued. “I thought I’d learned to live with her, manage her. But once Luciana saw the drawings Delphine did in her sleep, she realized I wasn’t the oracle. And it’s an oracle she wants, a human with Heavenly powers. She fought harder against my will to contain her. My strength weakened every day. In time, she’d have escaped. Made the jump from me to Delphine. Unless I left. It’s why I chose the hospital. Why I demanded Delphine be kept away. If I didn’t get close enough to touch my girl, neither could Luciana.”

  He kneeled again in front of Delphine’s still form and stroked Gabrielle’s cheek. His heart broke for this woman. “But Delphine wouldn’t have it that way, would she? She took a job at the hospital to be close to you.”

  Fresh tears soaked his fingers, and she nodded. “Sometimes I couldn’t resist watching her through a window. After all, she’s my wonderful, talented, devoted daughter. She never gave up on me. Abandoned her art career to be close. I love her so much.”

  The sobs started again, but Zane couldn’t let her regret kick in. He needed more information to devise some sort of counter-attack on the demon.

  “What does Luciana want that only Delphine can supply?”

  Gabrielle sniffled. “The gift of sight. Luciana wants to usurp her father as Lord of the Covenant. Then imprison him and punish him for the shitty way he treated her. If she can use the gift to spy on him, she can lay a trap.”

  He shook his head. “Not possible. Even planning two steps ahead, Baalberith’s far too powerful.”

  “Not without these.”

  Gabrielle reached into the collar of her nightgown and tugged her necklace over her head. She propped up on an elbow and held it up. From a chain dangled what had to be two dozen small skeleton keys. And a giant ring, gold with a flat black stone. “Or more specifically this.” She fingered the ring sized for a monster finger, turning it so he could see the top of the stone.

  The initials LOC stood out in thick, raised gold.

  “His power isn’t tied to this ring. Like I said, we faced him recently.”

  “And yet here you stand, telling me about it.” She raised both of her eyebrows. “I’m not saying you couldn’t have escaped Baalberith if he had his ring, but I know for a fact, if he still wore it, you’d have had a much harder time.”

  “Then why doesn’t it help Luciana? If she wants to be Lord of the Covenant, she has the one—”

  “There’s more to it than wearing the ring because the power didn’t transfer to her. Otherwise she wouldn’t have needed a human body. Though she doesn’t lie, I think in this case she didn’t explain everything. She would tell me the truth if I asked the right questions, but I don’t know what to ask. Once, for a punishment, she forced me to heat the ring, then brand the initials into my skin.”

  Gabrielle slipped the sleeve of her gown over her shoulder and exposed the old wound burned into her right triceps. An oval of scars, nothing more. “For years, I worried the branding meant I belonged to Baalberith, so I burned over it with a hot spoon until the LOC wasn’t distinguishable. At least they’re both weaker without the ring. And the keys I know are valuable to you. They open the hidden
doors between Hell and Heaven.”

  “Judas Priest. The motherlode.”

  “Here.” She fumbled to turn his hand up. The pile of metal dropped into his palm with a clink. “Wear it. Don’t let her have it. No matter what.” Her eyes, filled with concern, cut to her daughter, and Zane’s gaze followed.

  Delphine’s brows had drawn together, and her beautiful lips pursed into a line. Muted sounds vibrated from her throat.

  “What if I woke her up right now?” he asked.

  “You can’t. She’s striking a deal, and they won’t wake until it is done. Be ready.”

  Ready? In what way? He bowed his head to say a prayer that wouldn’t come, couldn’t penetrate his sorrow.

  Fuck prayers. Fuck faith. Fuck the rules.

  He stood to pace and think. Much as he hated hospital rooms, the sterile plainness and antiseptic stench uncluttered his thoughts.

  Point one: No doubt Gabrielle was right. Any child of that demon would possess immense power.

  Point two: That included Swift. He may not be able to put his sister down, but he’d be a powerful weapon in their efforts to oust her. If they could find him, Delphine stood a better chance.

  He stopped pacing at the foot of Gabrielle’s bed. “Did Luciana ever mention having met a brother?”

  “Oh. Yes.” She rolled her deep brown eyes. “Over and over. She hates him, but that’s only because her father favors the boy. Even though he’d been raised by his human mother.”

  He sighed heavily through his nose. Not good. He squeezed between the bed and his chair and then sat on the edge of its seat. Leaning close to Gabrielle, he took one of her hands in his and asked a question she’d failed to address before.