Death's Door (Supernatural Security Force Book 3)

by Heather Hildenbrand

  I scowled and looked away, watching Fergie try to climb the curtains.

  “I don’t believe this.” He gave a short laugh. “You’re worried about the immortal dude? Literally the most powerful one among us?”

  “Adrik’s just as vulnerable as the rest of us. Except he’s determined to act like he’s not.”

  Milo’s smirk pissed me off.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “Nothing.” His expression was full of mock innocence.

  “Just fucking say it.”

  He grinned. “I don’t need to say anything. I mean, it’s clear you’ve already made your choice. They say Neph-sex has an afterglow that makes death enjoyable for its victim. A deathgasm, they call it. No wonder you asked me to take Fergie.”

  My eyes narrowed, and I bared my teeth at him. “You know, I’m really going to enjoy having you as my prisoner.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The wind tugged at my hair as I paused on the rooftop and looked out over the city. From here, I could see halfway to downtown. In the distance, through a layer of smog, skyscrapers rose. One of them, I knew, was the Delta building—the place I’d expected to report to as a detective in the SSF once upon a time. An agency I’d sworn to serve. To protect. And now, here I stood, ready to kill one of the very Nephilim I’d intended to work for.

  With another Nephilim, her brother of all creatures, helping me do it.

  While, across town, my demon-friend Wolfrick babysat my demon baby.

  Fate, that bitch, had an evil sense of humor sometimes.

  “You ready?”

  I turned at the sound of Adrik’s voice and nodded, noting he didn’t show a single outward sign of stress or worry. But the tension rolling off him like a smog cloud of its own told a different story.

  I took the fire escape, maintaining my disguise as I descended the rickety staircase with Milo in tow. Adrik met me at the bottom with my bag of supplies, his enormous black wings already tucked away again.

  Together, we went to work tying Milo up. Or at least making it look like he was tied. The ropes were loose enough to let him break free when it came time. Or if I became unable to free him myself. Even the gag was only for show.

  “You ready?” I asked him when we’d finished.

  “I was born ready,” he said. “Actually, I was born under a supermoon, which, according to my birth chart, means I’m up for trying new things even if they aren’t good for me. But yeah, I’m ready.”

  I shook my head, put the gag in place, and walked back to where I’d left my bag of goodies.

  Adrik joined me a moment later.

  “So far, no sign of her.”

  “Do you think she knows it’s a trap?” I asked. “Her text seemed normal.”

  “She’ll come,” he assured me. “She wants to win too badly not to.”

  In the gathering darkness, his face was nearly lost to the shadows. His eyes shone back at me like two tiny orbs—stars in an otherwise starless sky. My fae senses tingled at the way his worry slid over me. Or maybe that was my worry for him. I thought of my conversation with Milo earlier. My fear for Adrik hadn’t diminished. Logically, I knew it was irrational to be afraid for the one of us most qualified to take Selaphiel on. But I couldn’t shake it—and that only made me more determined to make this work.

  “Where’s Jophiel?” I asked, scanning the rooftops beyond where we stood.

  “Waiting for your signal. He’ll come when we’re ready.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready,” I admitted.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let her hurt you.”

  “That’s what I worry about.”

  He held my gaze. “In a thousand years, I’ve never met anyone like you.”

  The urge to throw my body against his nearly overwhelmed me, but I stood my ground. Mostly, I resisted because I wasn’t sure how Adrik felt about making out with Rourke.

  My breath caught. “I—”

  “Incoming.” Jax’s voice through my earpiece communication unit was more of a growl, and I realized too late our comms had been wide open for that little moment.

  “Understood,” Adrik said quickly. He didn’t look uncomfortable in the slightest at having been overheard.

  I stared at him. Had he done that on purpose?

  He stepped back, moving into position, but not before he winked at me.

  Winked?

  My jaw fell open.

  Adrik’s lips twitched, and then he was gone, lost to the shadows.

  I could still feel him here as I knew Selaphiel would too. With that in mind, I got to work conjuring the portal. This part of the plan was the riskiest. That moment she might see through the whole thing and run for the hills. Or kill me where I stood.

  But if the portal had been summoned, she’d be that much more distracted by it. Hopefully distracted enough to let me get away with tricking her.

  I bent low and began pulling items out of my bag, setting them up in preparation for the portal spell. Gran perched on the bag’s handle, and I was careful not to knock her loose as I worked. When I’d finished arranging my items, she came to perch on my shoulder.

  “You ready for this shitshow?” she asked.

  “I don’t think I have much of a choice,” I said.

  “Your daddy would be proud,” she said fiercely.

  “Thanks.” My chest tightened unexpectedly.

  I hadn’t told my mother much of what we’d planned. Only that I loved her, no matter her choices in “friends.” She’d demanded the address for where Wolfrick was watching over Fergie “just in case my grandbaby needs me” but then insisted everything would work out fine.

  I decided to believe her.

  “Let’s take this Barbie-Neph bitch down,” Gran said. “No offense, Adrik.”

  A long sigh was the only reply.

  “One block out,” Jax said.

  “Gran, it’s time to go,” I said.

  “I’m not leaving you to face that hussy alone.”

  “Go perch on the windowsill. Over there.”

  I could practically feel her sullen look.

  “If you’re any closer, she’ll sense you,” I pointed out. “And I can’t afford to have all this ruined over a bug. No offense.”

  She huffed like she might say more but then lifted into the air and buzzed off.

  It’d been too easy, which probably meant I’d pay for it later.

  But that thought was forgotten as a gust of wind kicked up, lifting my Rourke-hair.

  “Here we go,” I said into my comm.

  The wind grew stronger, and a second later, something large loomed above me, blotting out the sun. I didn’t let myself look away from my work. Slicing into my palm, I watched the blood pool against my skin.

  I pushed to my feet, very aware of every movement now. Both mine and Selaphiel’s. In barely a whisper, I uttered the incantation, Faith feeding me the Latin through our earpieces. Thank the Angel, she was much better at the pronunciation than I was.

  I held my breath after the last word, waiting.

  The portal sprang to life, and I exhaled.

  The blonde Nephilim hovered above me another moment, her massive wings an impressive sight as they beat the air, then floated to the surface of the roof not far from where I stood. Her heels touched down with a light click against the concrete.

  I braced myself for recognition. I’d never felt so bared in another form, but something about the way her sharp eyes settled on mine made me feel completely exposed.

  “Getting started without me, I see.”

  It took me a moment to find my voice. Sela wasn’t just stunning; she was breathtaking. Blonde hair that contrasted starkly with onyx wings and a delicate frame with sculpted curves. An Adonis begging to be worshipped. Didn’t matter which team you batted for; Selaphiel’s beauty overwhelmed.

  “I couldn’t get to the mother,” I said. “But I found her friend.”

  I gestured at Milo who lay bound behind me. Selaph
iel’s sharp gaze zeroed in on him.

  “He’s fae?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  A beat of silence passed.

  “He’ll do.”

  I exhaled.

  “We don’t have a lot of time,” she went on. “The council’s breathing down my neck about the demon influx. We’ll need more numbers. Enough to overwhelm them so they don’t have time to bitch at me.” She thrust a sheet of parchment at me. “These are the new coordinates. This portal will provide the numbers we need. We won’t meet again after this.”

  “As you wish.”

  I took the parchment and held it over my bleeding hand, careful not to show her my wound. Already, I could feel Adrik’s tenuous hold on his power beginning to stretch. He couldn’t hold back his full nature for long.

  It was time.

  Just as well since I could feel Selaphiel’s eyes on me, scrutinizing. Looking closer.

  She’d begun to suspect.

  “Are you ready?” I asked her, finally allowing my—Rourke’s—eyes to lift to her face.

  Those three words: the signal.

  “Jophiel’s headed your way.”

  Jax’s voice was barely a breath in my ear. I waited to see if Selaphiel had heard, but her eyes only flashed in impatience. “Didn’t I just say we don’t have a lot of time? Of course, I’m ready, you useless—”

  The wind stirred first.

  But not just any wind. The gust that swirled now had the scent of celestial power on it.

  Selaphiel stiffened.

  “You’re not the warlock,” she said flatly.

  “No.” I dropped the parchment. “I’m not.

  From overhead came the beating of wings.

  “What is happening?” Selaphiel snapped.

  I opened my mind to the shifter inside me and let the change transform me. My progress was marked by the shock that spread over Selaphiel’s flawless features.

  If I’d done this right, I was Nephilim. Or, I looked like one, at least. The wings weren’t quite right, but I had a feeling she wasn’t looking at those.

  At the sight of my new face, her eyes widened. Her body straightened, taut with nerves, and finally, her jaw fell open. Adrik’s grip on his own energy released, flooding me and the entire alley with Nephilim life force. I pushed at the edges of my own strength, and my ethereal form began to glow.

  “Dina,” Selaphiel breathed. “Is it really you?”

  Whatever leash she’d held on her true nature snapped. I could feel her desire now. She wanted me to be Dina, and so she didn’t notice any evidence to the contrary.

  So far, so good.

  But I held my body as tall as I could, my wings a little too stiff to be real. Again, a detail Selaphiel missed.

  “Hello, Selaphiel.”

  “It’s been so long. But, how are you here?” Her surprise turned to uncertainty. “Why have you come?”

  Adrik had been right. I could see it now. The fear that her Daddy had sent yet another helper to complete a job He no longer believed she could do herself.

  I hoped that meant we were right about everything else.

  This could work.

  Above me, another winged figure appeared.

  Selaphiel jerked back, but I remained still. The illusion would only work if I didn’t move too much. But Selaphiel didn’t seem to notice my stiffness.

  “Welcome, Jophiel,” I said as he landed nearby and folded his wings away. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Dina.” He bowed. “I am at your service.”

  “You called for him?” Selaphiel asked.

  More uncertainty. More fear.

  I gestured to the portal which had begun swirling toward the same colors and images I’d seen earlier. Through the swirling doorway to another world, golden streets beckoned.

  “The Father is pleased with you, Jophiel. You have served Him well in your holy mission, and now, your reward has come. Please.”

  I beckoned toward the portal.

  Jophiel bowed again. The relief in his expression wasn’t forced or fake. I could see how much he wanted to be gone from this world. No matter what lay on the other side. “Thank you, Dina. I am grateful for the chance to serve humanity and overjoyed to return home.”

  “What?” Selaphiel said, her voice rising. “Him?” She looked at me, her eyes a little wild now.

  “Yes, the Father is very pleased with his service,” I said.

  Jophiel stepped toward the portal. “Selaphiel, it’s been—” He paused then waved his hand. “Well, you know what it’s been.”

  Then, before she could respond, he darted over and leaped into the portal.

  It happened so fast even I couldn’t believe he’d actually gone.

  I stared after him, a little shocked it had been so easy.

  But then, Selaphiel screamed, the sound of it shattering the windows up and down the alley.

  “He does not deserve a reward,” she said, half-pleading now. “I have done so much for this world. Protected it from monsters.”

  “Monsters you summoned,” I couldn’t help but point out.

  Not exactly part of the script Jophiel gave me. But Selaphiel was lost in her own misery now.

  She came closer. Desperation colored her words. “I should be the one summoned home.”

  “That is between you and your Father,” I said.

  When I turned away, she screamed again, and I flinched.

  “That portal is for me,” she said. “It must be. I’ve done everything.”

  “You’ve done harm,” I said, my voice colder than I meant.

  Selaphiel pulled her lips back in a snarl. “I am the wrath and destruction of heaven. And I deserve my reward.”

  I didn’t answer her, instead whispering the incantation. A second later, the portal disappeared.

  “No.” Selaphiel’s horror was its own punch.

  She rounded on me.

  The space between us rippled with raw power.

  A threat.

  I felt her intention a moment before it came.

  The blast knocked me off my feet, and I flew backward until my shoulders and hips collided with the wall behind me. I grunted, the air whooshing out of me as the form I’d held faded with the force of her blow.

  “You’re no Nephilim,” Selaphiel accused.

  She gathered her power for another shot, but Adrik’s form filled the space between us as he stepped into view.

  “Brother, I should have known you’d be behind this illusion.”

  “Not everything is an illusion, Sela.” He pointed to the portal. “Jophiel has really gone home. And you’ve been left here. Forgotten, it would seem. And now, as vulnerable as a mortal.”

  Her answering roar was wordless and completely enraged. Adrik loosed a burst of energy that made my stomach roll as it slammed into her. But when the energy cleared, she stood, glaring at us both.

  “Uh, why’s the Neph-bitch still on her feet?” Milo said, his words no longer muffled from the gag we’d pretended to secure.

  Selaphiel laughed. “You thought you could weaken me?” She stepped forward, obviously still at full strength. And seriously pissed. “You thought you could kill me, brother?”

  “You’ve twisted our mission, Sela,” Adrik said. “You’ve become the monster you swore to destroy.”

  “I am this world’s savior,” she spat. “And if our Father will not call for us to return home, I will remain. I will become the god of this planet. I don’t need Him anymore.”

  “You’re an abomination to your kind,” Adrik growled.

  Her eyes gleamed with pure hatred as her gaze swept past him and landed on me. “Your attachment to the mortals is your weakness. For your betrayal, you deserve this.”

  When she gathered her power, I knew, this time, there’d be no chance of deflecting her. Not with the damage she’d already done. Too weak to run, I braced myself.

  Her power hit me like a ton of bricks.

  I flew backward, slamming aga
inst the wall with a thud, and Adrik roared. Bones cracked as I slid to the ground, pain lancing through my back and arms. Twisting, I caught sight of a blur of black wings beating wildly as Adrik threw himself at his sister. But Selaphiel darted into the air, narrowly avoiding him.

  I pushed onto bloody elbows, groaning from the pain, as I watched Adrik angle himself upward. Airborne now, Selaphiel’s wings rose around her, dark as night and eclipsing the sky beyond. The shadow they cast on the alley below was a symbol of destruction. An omen.

  I shuddered despite the pain it caused me.

  Ignoring Adrik, Selaphiel aimed her energy at me and fired.

  “Gem, look out,” Faith screamed in my ear.

  Too weak and broken to move, I shut my eyes and waited for the end to come.

  The air boomed with thunder. The building at my back shook down to its foundation. But still, my heart beat.

  “Shit,” Jax said in my ear. “Now, we go in now.”

  “But the signal,” Faith said.

  “Fuck the signal,” he growled.

  “Jax is right,” Milo said. From here, I could see he’d already broken free of the rope we’d wrapped around him. He stood, his attention aimed at Selaphiel as he spoke. “Adrik is down. We fight now or Gem dies.”

  My eyes flew open.

  My breath caught and my heart thundered in terror as I searched the alley for Adrik.

  He lay in a pile of brick and rubble, one of his wings strewn across his body at an impossible angle. Dark, viscous fluid leaked from the wing’s center, and I realized with horror that she’d torn it.

  “No,” Selaphiel screamed, the grief in her voice echoing what I felt in my own heart.

  She bent at the waist, wrapping her arms around herself.

  Racing toward her, I spotted a figure. Milo.

  Another figure descended from the fire escape, too fast for my eyes to follow. Faith.

  A four-legged cat streaked along the back wall of the opposite building. Glowing yellow eyes found mine and then turned away again as he continued past me toward where Adrik lay.

  Still, Adrik hadn’t moved.

  And Selaphiel continued to scream in anguish.

  “She’s weak,” Jax said, and I realized he’d shifted back to two legs. I searched for him but couldn’t spot him among the shadows and dust. “Adrik’s wounds have weakened her.”