My thoughts continue to wander down a dead-end path that only leads to devastation and betrayal. I recall the end of the last night we were together. All the unspoken truths and lies coming to a head. The crushing of my soul when he left me alone in that alley.
My face falls at the reminder of that night, the heat I felt moments ago being drowned out by bitter cold. My stomach turns and the need to flee overwhelms me. My eyes never waver from the stage. From him.
He doesn’t miss the change, a deep frown marring his beautiful face. I take a few steps backward, bumping into people as I go.
“Hey!” a woman yells. I turn, wide-eyed, to apologize, but her scowl tells me she’ll have none of it. Her purple hair is teased to create a dome on top of her head, and the white tank top she wears is two sizes too small for her busty chest. It’s only amplified when she crosses her arms over her breasts, lifting the globes to peak out the top, showing far too much.
Words never come, as someone’s shoulder smacks into mine, knocking me back a step.
My body spins, eyes connecting with Luke, who notices my obvious distress. He attempts to leave the stage, but a muscular bouncer blocks the way. He turns, leaping from the front of the platform, dropping the mic in the process. My hands fly to my ears to drown out the piercing screech it causes as I make a run for the door.
I don’t want him to catch me. I need space, which is something he won’t give. He’s all-consuming. Smothering. And right now, it’ll only lead to a fight. One in which the possibility of outing myself to humans is high, because my emotions are all over the place.
I rush from the bar, not looking back for fear he’d somehow convince me to forget my feelings and bend to his will. He wouldn’t need persuasion or any other tactic. Luke is my kryptonite all on his own. I cave with a simple glance from him. He’s my undoing. Has been for years.
As I’m pushing my way out the door, it hits me. This place feels familiar because it’s the exact bar we’d been in that night. He was recreating our whole first date. It worked to remind me of how incredible he makes me feel, just like the last time. But everything good from that night will always be overshadowed by the way it ended. The way it’s falling apart now.
Here in this place, where I’m currently ducking into safety. It’s the one spot that holds the worst memories of my entire existence. The alley from the night I realized that Luke and Satan were one and the same. That what I wanted, could never be.
Why was he trying to recreate that night? To hurt me all over again? To break me once and for all? Well, it’s working. Nothing about this is all right. It’s cruel.
A group of demons already haunt the shadows of this place, likely summoned to this location by the proximity of their master. They move into the moonlit alley, sizing me up, as I do the same. I don’t have Solis, but my anger fuels my every move. I raise my hand to create a barrier, so no human walks into this fight.
One decides to approach, and I don’t waste time getting this slaughter started. Taking several steps forward, I leap into the air, spinning and kicking my leg out to send the nearest demon hurling into the stone wall. It doesn’t faze him as he shakes it off and limps my way. I stalk toward him, reaching out and grabbing his head in my hands, twisting it from his shoulders, and dropping it to the ground. I continue my savage assault of the evil creatures, showing no mercy. It’s not like I ever do, but my savagery is fueled by something otherworldly tonight. Something I can’t control. Rage unlike anything I’ve ever felt consumes me.
More demons crawl out of the shadows, but none move toward me. I survey the area and find a broken pallet with jagged wood, making a perfect stake. Without taking my eyes off the creatures, I back up, bending down and breaking off the pointy piece, curling it into my palm. It’s not Solis, but it’ll have to do.
Coming to a stand, I size up my opponents. They’re not Hell’s finest, that’s for sure. One step up from barnyard pigs, they’re all snort and no bite. They don’t even have the size advantage. These scrawny bottom feeders will be easy to take out.
“You’re first,” I say, pointing the wood at the nearest snout-nosed swine.
He grunts, nodding his head in my direction to his two companions. All three rush me and I nearly roll my eyes at their slow advance. When the first makes it to me, I lift onto my toes, swinging my leg around to kick him in the head and throw him back into the second demon. To finish off the last of them, I spin, sending my elbow flying back into his face.
The sound of his splitting nose would make most queasy, but I don’t even flinch. I spin back around, lodging the makeshift stake into his chest. Black blood oozes from the open wound. I step back, giving myself enough space to send my foot sailing into the stake, driving it further into his chest cavity, while also sending him flying backward into the shadows from which he came.
I’m on an emotional rollercoaster, slipping from fury to sadness. My mind and heart war between kicking the shit out of the rest of these demons or lying down and allowing them to finish me. Perhaps in death, there will be peace.
Out of the corner of my eye I see another approaching. I swirl around to find a demon that looks more like a demented clown, with his Cheshire-cat smile and long pointed teeth, headed my way. He’s like something out of a Stephen King novel, and that snaps me out of my momentary pity party.
My nose scrunches in disgust as he licks his lips as though he’s about to make a meal out of me. I summon the last bit of energy I can and deliver two punches to the face and a knee to the groin. The demon falls to his knees, and I don’t waste time twisting his head off his shoulders.
I hunch over, gasping for breath. My breathing is ragged, and all my energy spent, but more demons slink into the alley. I watch as they close in on all sides, outnumbering me. Wolves, vampires, low demons and upper echelon, all file into the alley way. My head swivels, taking in the sheer number of demons surrounding me. Never in my life have I been this overwhelmed by a horde; this is even too much for me.
What have I gotten myself into? Was this a trap set by Luke? Could he really have done this to me? My mind plays with my heart, trying to whisper conspiracy theories and traitorous allegations, painting Luke in a light worse than ever before.
No. This wasn’t him.
It doesn’t matter that he’s Satan. Not a part of me believes this was his doing. No matter the hefty list of transgressions against him, I believe he cares. It might be a foolish dream, but it’s one I intend to cling to if this is to be the end of my existence.
Straightening on wobbly, exhausted limbs, I play at bravery and motion for the next demon to approach. One at the front sniffs the air before tipping his head toward the sky and howling. He doesn’t look like a wolf, but he’s calling out to someone like I’ve witnessed the wolf-demons do. None of the others so much as flinch.
If he’s calling for more, I’m as good as dead. If he’s calling for Lucifer, maybe he’ll spare me. With the numbers I’m currently facing, death is likely if help doesn’t arrive from Heaven or Luke.
While the demon is preoccupied, I close my eyes and call to the earth, putting all my thoughts into creating a storm. A bolt of lightning likely isn’t enough to save me, but I must try. If my reason for being on this earth is to kill every demon I encounter, then I will go out doing just that.
After what feels like minutes, but is likely seconds, thunder rolls through the sky, shaking the ground with its power. Several demons howl, but still, none of them make a move. Lightning streaks across the sky, lighting up the alley, showing me every single creature I’m to face before shrouding most of them back into darkness.
My hands lift into the air as I summon the sky to produce the energy I’ll need. It delivers, sending a bolt of lightning straight down, burrowing into the ground at my feet. The energy spiders out, crawling up my legs and wrapping around my body, all the way to my fingertips.
I relish its caress, marveling at the way it fills me. My powers might not be fully restored, but the
earth has provided, giving me a fighting chance. A sense of peace washes over me and no matter what’s to come, I’m ready for it.
Taking a deep breath, I look the demon in charge directly in the eye and declare war.
“My name is Victoria. I’m a fallen angel of the second highest order of God.”
A resounding growl—that shakes the area more than the thunder did—bounces off the walls of the alley, sending chills racing up my spine, but I don’t recoil. Instead, I forge on.
“I choose to fight for Heaven’s army, despite my circumstances. It’s my promise that none of you will leave this alley while there’s still breath in my lungs.”
The last word is barely spoken before the horde of demons rush into battle. I crouch down, readying for impact, sending up a prayer to God as a last Hail Mary.
No more do I call out to God than he answers. At my back I feel Solis. He’s delivered me salvation. I pull the sword from my back and lash out, lobbing two vampires’ heads clean off their bodies in one swipe. I twist and stab, duck and deliver blow after blow, as more vampires and low-level demons fall, but it’s not enough.
They’re crawling out of the shadows from every angle. Either there’s a portal from Hell somewhere in this alley or witch magic is at play. Nolda is likely nearby.
I can’t keep up and my restored energy is near zapped already. Sweat beads down my temples as I twist to take out another, only to be met with a fist to the side of the head, causing my vision to swim. I fall to my knees, cradling my head, when another strike to the head jerks me backward.
Solis slipped from my hands at the first impact to my head. Without it, I’m doomed. On my knees I peer through blurry vision, trying and failing to locate my sword, to no avail. When all seems lost, I curl into the fetal position, not wanting to see what’s coming. I never envisioned what eternal death would be like, but I sure as hell know I don’t want to see my murderers coming. Maybe that makes me a coward, but I’d like to think of it as self-preservation.
I’m kicked repeatedly as I wait for what’s to be the killing blow, but it never comes. The assault stops abruptly, but I don’t dare open my eyes. A high-pitched wail reverberates off the ground, following by the flapping of wings. Archangels? My eyes flutter open to see what’s creating the noises and stopped the demons’ attack.
Aid from God—in the form of angels—didn’t come, but a black knight falls from the sky, raven wings extended. He lands with one knee on the ground in front of me, and every demon retreats. Lucifer growls something in a language I don’t understand, and every demon still alive scatters.
Once the realization that Luke has saved me hits, I break.
Helium
I kneel in the alley, vanquished demons at my feet, blood everywhere. Soon they’ll evaporate, but in this moment, as the adrenaline overtakes my body, it’s all too much. I feel his presence behind me, and I cry out.
“Why?” I scream, emotion overtaking me.
“I’ll always save you.”
“No,” I snap. “Why would you bring me back here? Why can’t you leave that night in the past where it belongs?”
He may have saved me, but he’s the reason I’m here in the first place. I fell because of his tricks. If I face him now, one of us won’t make it out of this alley alive. Despite being immortal, our earthly lives can end, and not being allowed in Heaven means going to Hell. That’s the one place I won’t go.
“I won’t allow that to happen to you,” he says, reading my mind.
I laugh darkly. “You think I trust a word you say? You’ve done nothing but deceive me at every turn.”
“Never, Victoria. I’ve never been untruthful with you.”
My head snaps up. Our eyes collide and I put all the emotion swirling through me into my next few words.
“You left me,” I snarl through my teeth.
His head falls with a sigh. “That night I made a choice that haunts me to this day. I left you because that’s what I thought you wanted.”
“I did,” I seethe.
“We both know that’s not true. You can lie to yourself, Victoria, but you can’t lie to me. I left you thinking I’d deceived you into falling.” His hand runs back through his hair, pulling at the roots in apparent frustration. “All these years I’ve allowed what we had to be spoiled by miscommunications and my own fears.”
“You’re the devil, Luke. You fear nothing.”
“Victoria, stand,” he commands, but I stay kneeling, tears streaming down my face. He falls to his knees in front of me, hand coming under my chin to lift my head, so we’re once again staring into each other’s eyes. “With you I fear everything.” He bites the last word. “I fear how deeply I care for you. You’re here because you feel everything I do. Admit it.”
“Stop,” I whisper.
“No amount of time with you will be enough. I want forever. Every touch. Every kiss. Every damn night. I want you, and I know you feel the same.”
“Stop,” I yell, both hands grabbing at either side of my head, pulling at the roots of my hair. “Just stop. Find someone else to toy with. I’m through with these games.”
His hands are on the backs of my elbows, and I jerk away, standing to my feet. Taking a deep breath, I turn to him, and my breath hitches. The king of deception stands before me looking at me like a broken man. Master manipulator. Deceiver of man and angel. I want nothing more than to lash out and hurt him as much as he has me. His beauty, even in this moment, has me breathless. I hate him, but I hate myself more.
“Victoria, I’m here. I’ve continued to save you. How do you not see how much I care? Even now you doubt me?”
His words soften my anger but manage to make me feel worse. I’m being irrational, but having a near-death experience will do that to even an angel, fallen or otherwise.
A single tear slips down my cheek, and he steps forward, wiping it away. His touch burns my skin, lighting me on fire from the inside out. It’s a painful reminder that I’ll never feel this for anyone else. The devil himself is the only one who can elicit such feelings.
“Please,” I beg. “Don’t do this to me.”
“Victoria, it’s you who’s killing me slowly. You’ve turned my life upside down. You make me want to throw everything away because I can’t get you out of my head. You’re all I see. All I think about. I can’t stay away.”
“Lies,” I say weakly. I can fight this pull all I want, but I know what he says is true. I feel it in every inch of my being. My soul calls out to him and I’m a fool to resist. There is no resisting when I know I feel the same.
I’m in love. I have been from the beginning.
“No lies, beautiful.” He moves a piece of hair out of my eyes, placing it behind my ear. “I’m in love with you.”
My breath hitches.
“Don’t say such things.”
“I’ll say it, because I mean every damn word.”
He pulls me in to him, crashing his lips to mine as rain pours down over us and lightning flashes overhead. The thunder our kiss creates sends goose bumps racing over my skin. I’m lost to the sensations coursing through me. I want to get lost in his touch, give myself to the dark side so it never ends. His hands run down my back, continuing the onslaught of sensation. When he pulls away, I whimper, feeling the loss immediately. His forehead rests against mine.
“Come with me. Stand by my side,” Luke begs, sounding like a desperate man.
“I—Luke . . .” The words are stuck in my throat. I want to give in. I want to hand my life over to him. But the words won’t come out.
“Victoria, don’t run away.”
I take a step back, eyes never leaving his. Pain, fear . . . love is reflected back at me, and it’s my undoing.
“I love you, Luke. I always have. But I can’t force myself to be something I’m not. I can’t rule Hell. No matter how I feel about you, we can never be.”
“Then I’ll relinquish my throne. I’ll live with you here, on Earth.”
He’s so serious it breaks my heart. Does he not realize that it’s an impossible promise to keep? It’s one he has no control over, because it’s not just his decision.
“You and I both know Heaven won’t allow it, Luke.”
“Then I’ll go to war.”
My hand rests against his cheek, caressing his soft skin. “I won’t let you.”
“Tori?” Zeke’s voice pulls me out of the moment. What the hell is he doing here?
I whip around to see Zeke’s ashen face and fallen expression. As if he has any right to feel anything about what he’s just witnessed.
“What are you doing here?” Luke growls, but Zeke doesn’t pay any attention to him.
He steps forward as though he’s going to take Zeke on, but my hand shoots to his chest, stopping his advance.
“Let me handle this. Please.”
Luke scowls but nods his agreement. I turn back toward Zeke.
He takes a step forward but remains in the shadows.
“I tracked you, Tori. We need to talk.”
“Like hell I’m allowing you near her,” Luke warns, voice menacing.
I turn my head toward him, placing both hands on his chest. “Please. Give me a minute. I only have a few things to say to him, but they need to be said. Will you allow me just that?”
Luke grinds his teeth and blows air out from his nostrils. It’s clear he doesn’t like this.
“Victoria—”
“Please, Luke.” I cut him off, done asking for permission.
This is my life, and if Luke wants any part of it, he’ll understand that this is important to me.
He groans. “Fine. But you don’t leave my sight. Do you understand?”
I nod.
“Something doesn’t feel right, Victoria.”
“He’s angry. Either he knows I know his secrets, or he’s furious because he just caught me in your arms.”
Fear The Fall: Fallen Hunters Series Page 17
