by Raven Steele
Her eyes stung from being open too long. She waited for as long as she could before blinking quickly to relieve the pain. She hated closing her eyes. Every time she did, she saw the wooden dagger driving into Charlie’s back. She saw her hand holding that dagger.
She saw other things, too. She snuck a quick peek at Lucien, who stood next to her. His eyebrows were pulled tightly together and his Adam’s apple moved up and down frequently. She wished she could offer him some comfort, but for her to do that, she would have to feel some. This isn’t something she would allow.
The great dark hole inside her had spread and become as cold as a glacier cave. It numbed her from the pain, but only for a short time. She’d have to rely on magic to block the rest. Lucien had told her that was dangerous, that there could be severe consequences. But what could be more severe than torturing the man you love and killing your best friend?
At least the necklace was safe. She had put it in a place where no one would ever find it again. She wished she could bury her memories just as easily, but that would take time.
She closed her eyes and in her mind uttered a phrase: As the devil rots, so must memories be forgotten. Earth, air, water and fire, Spirits aid, this is my desire.
The cold blackness inside her turned warm and heavy, coating her insides like thick molasses. She no longer thought of Charlie, Lucien, or the many others she had hurt and killed. The pain, along with the memories, were just gone.
For now.
Chapter 45
Lucien peered down from the window of Henry’s apartment across from the Deific. Eve was sitting on a bench by herself, her hands in her lap, watching people pass as they hurried on their way. Her hair was tied up, and she wore black slacks and a white blouse. A packed suitcase lay at her feet. Every once in a while, someone would say hello to her in passing. She would smile and say hello back, but the motion looked too robotic.
“I’m telling you, something is wrong with her,” Lucien said. He had come to help Henry remove any signs of the Deific from Henry’s apartment. Since Liane knew of its location and was now a registered agent for the DSRD, Henry’s place wasn’t safe anymore.
“It’s just going to take time.” Henry placed a thick envelope on top of a filled box. “Don’t you remember last time Eve turned into Alarica? Afterwards, she shut herself off from the world for months. She may need to do the same thing again.”
“That’s why I’m taking her far away from here.”
“It might be better if she was alone,” Henry said, his voice gentle.
“I won’t leave her. Not after all she’s been through.”
Henry sighed. “I know you’re tired of me saying it, but we need you here. The DSRD is hunting supernaturals who aren’t registering. I fear the President is up to something far more sinister than we could ever imagine.”
“There will always be someone trying to destroy the fabric of our society. Sometimes you have to just walk away.” He continued to watch Eve through a slit in the curtains, hoping to see a spark of emotion on her face.
Without warning, the picture of Boaz and Eve in bed flashed in his mind. He shook his head and lowered his gaze to the floor. Ever since he had seen them together on the Jumbotron, the disturbing image would randomly appear and cause his heart to lurch. He knew it hadn’t been Eve, but Alarica, and he also didn’t blame Eve, but that stupid image wouldn’t leave him alone.
“We still don’t know what happened to Hunwald, either,” Henry reminded him. “The wolf should’ve been at the stadium with Boaz. He’s a powerful supernatural creature. We should know his whereabouts, and with the Deific crippled as it is, we could really use your help. Even for a week.”
“Ask Sable. It would do her some good to see what it feels like fighting for the other side.”
“It’s too soon for her, too. Besides, she’s already left the city. I’ll track her down in time.” Henry lifted the box into his arms. “I think that’s everything. Can you carry this other one?”
Lucien dropped his gaze from Eve and helped Henry with the last box.
“At least Rick’s still around,” Henry said as he walked out the door. “He hasn’t been frightened off by the DSRD like the others yet.”
“They are a powerful agency,” Lucien said, following after him. He used magic to close the door behind him. “Growing more powerful every day.”
“All the more reason for you to stick around.”
“Enough!” Lucien said. “I have to leave. You’re going to have to rely on others. Call Samira or anyone else with the Ames de la Terra. I’m sure you can find help.”
“You’re right, of course.” Henry stepped into the elevator and said nothing else while they descended to the first floor.
Lucien felt the weighted silence. He knew how difficult things were, but he had to leave with Eve. It was imperative and had been some of Charlie’s last words.
The elevator opened. Henry walked to the exit, but stopped before going outside. He turned around. “Truth is, Lucien, I’ve grown rather fond of you and Eve. I haven’t had many friends in my lifetime.”
Lucien’s expression softened. “We’re not going away forever. And this isn’t just about Eve’s recovery. Charlie said something to me before he died …”
“What?”
Lucien glanced over his shoulder and through the glass door to where Eve sat across the street. She still hadn’t moved. “Charlie said, ‘No matter what happens, you must bring Eve back. Don’t lose her. The whole world depends upon it.’ At the time, I thought he was talking about saving her from Alarica, but now I’m not so sure.”
Henry followed Lucien’s gaze toward Eve. After a moment of silence, he said, “Charlie wasn’t ever wrong. Take her. Help her heal.”
“Why didn’t Charlie sense Liane’s deception?” Lucien blurted. It was something he had wondered ever since Charlie’s death.
Henry breathed out a long sigh. “I’m not sure. Maybe he did. I believe Charlie saw much of what unfolded these last few months ahead of time, and I think he tried to stop them as much as possible. There are a lot of questions I’d ask Charlie if I could, but one thing I know for sure is that Charlie loved us. He would have given his life for any one of us, and that’s exactly what he did in the end.”
Lucien couldn’t disagree. He would miss Charlie more than he would ever admit to anyone.
Henry opened the door and walked to a truck parked along the street. He placed the box in his arms into the back. Lucien did the same.
“Is this yours?” Lucien asked, patting the side of the truck. “I didn’t think you ever drove.”
“Only when I must.”
“Do you want to come say goodbye to Eve?”
“I spoke with her this morning,” Henry said. He tightened his lips as if he wanted to say more, but instead asked, “Where are you going?”
“Probably South America, a place that holds no memories for her. I’m hoping it will give her a fresh start.”
Henry held out his hand. “Stay in touch.”
Lucien shook it. “We will.”
Lucien waited until Henry was inside his truck before he crossed the street to Eve. He sat down next to her. “Are you ready for an adventure?”
She looked at him and wrinkled her brow. For a fraction of a second, Lucien swore she didn’t recognize him.
“Eve?”
She smiled quickly, but averted her eyes. “Lucien. Yes, of course. A nice quiet adventure.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute, just enjoyed her close presence, her shoulder touching his. He hoped this would become a common occurrence between them—always side by side. Maybe his dream of marriage could come true some day, though he wouldn’t mention it again to Eve for a very long time.
“The Devil’s Soldier,” Eve said, startling him from his thoughts.
“What?”
“That’s what Boaz called himself. I always thought it was just a phrase he used, but now I wonder if the devil is a real pe
rson. Maybe we’re not as safe as we think.” She inhaled quickly, her voice growing louder. “Maybe the real fight hasn’t even begun. Maybe—”
Lucien took her hand. “It’s over. Boaz is gone. If there is a real life devil out there, it’s not our battle to fight anymore. You are safe.”
She exhaled and rested her head against his shoulder. The fact that she initiated contact gave him hope.
“I’ll always be here for you, Eve,” he said.
Eve closed her eyes and let out a restful sigh.
Lucien lifted his arm and draped it around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He didn’t know what their future held, or what devils might come their way, but he did know that together they were strongest. For now, they would leave the city, but when the time was right and painful wounds had healed, they would return. There were still battles to be won.
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THE END
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Continue Eve and Lucien's journey in The Devil, the final book in the Devil Series
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“Our souls are connected. Not even fate can break it.”
The Devil’s Soldier is dead.
But he left devastation in his wake.
The world has changed. Eve has changed.
Demons plague her mind and soul.
I try to hang onto her but she disappears. Becomes someone else. So she can forget.
And now I’m on the hunt. But I’m not the only one.
The President and the DSRD also want her.
But what they don’t realize is she is MINE.
I will protect her at all costs, even against herself.
For she is my soulmate, bound to me by order of the moon and stars.
God help anyone who stands in my way.
Grab it TODAY!
Books by Raven Steele:
"Fire burns inside me, and it wants out."
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Solar Academy was the last place Rose wanted to go, but after mentally igniting a boy on fire at her current high school, her father insists she attends so she can learn to control her powers. All her life, the fire inside her has raged. It doesn’t help that years earlier Aurora, her mother and the one they call Sleeping Beauty, had unleashed her own fire killing dozens of innocent people.
Now Aurora sleeps in an eternal slumber protected by dark magic no one can break. Which is just as well. Rose is desperate to break free from her mother’s murdering shadow and prove to people that she is more than the flames burning inside her.
With the help of new friends at Solar Academy, Rose finally feels like she belongs. But when she discovers a web of lies surrounding her mother’s imprisonment, she’s forced to confront the past and come face to face with the darkness that also pulled her mother into its evil grasp. The only way to fight it is to release her own raging inferno, even if that means harming her friends and the boy she’s falling in love with.
In this full-length, urban fantasy series, Steele introduces readers to a dark and beautiful academy story with fairytale elements. If you like Cassandra Clare, Stephanie Meyer and Sarah J. Maas, you will LOVE this series! Scroll up and grab it TODAY!
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Raven Steele is a pen name for Rachel McClellan. Check out her Dystopian novels!
* * *
"There's got to more to life than just surviving."
In the future, mankind has learned to manipulate their DNA, harnessing only the good genes, like intelligence, strength and height. They called this prime DNA and humans rushed to get these new pDNA injections, which gave them superhuman-like qualities. Centuries later, however, their DNA became so engineered that humans rarely live past the age of thirty, thanks to a new deadly disease called the Kiss. The only cure is to receive an injection of oDNA, DNA from an Original human that hasn't been genetically altered. Problem is there aren't many Originals left.
When seventeen-year-old Sage wakes up in a hospital with no memories, her only clue are the words "Run Now" written on her hand. Trusting her instincts, Sage barely escapes but only to collide with an outside world that would kill to get their hands on her.
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With the help of unlikely allies, including a boy with hidden bat wings, Sage makes the dangerous trek to Eden, the last place for people like her and the only place she'll be safe from those at the Institute who would use her blood until she died. But with deadly Primes hot on their trail, Sage must make the ultimate sacrifice to save the people she’s grown to love.
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About the Author
Raven Steele is a pen name for Rachel McClellan who is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Wyoming, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel's love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was...
She also writes under the pen name Raven Steele.
For more information:
www.rachelmcclellan.com/
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The Devil’s Solder
A Paranormal Vampire Romance 3
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A novel by
Raven Steele
www.RavenSteele.net
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This is a work of fiction. Names characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by mimeograph or any other means, without the permission of the Publisher. Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability.
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Cover design by Covers by Juan
Printed in the United States of America
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Copyright © 2018 by Raven Steele
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