“Shove her this way,” I said, hands balling into fists. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
Gran zipped off, circling around and hitting Selaphiel from behind. Her little bug body slammed into Selaphiel’s skull as she crowed, “Yippee ki-yay, Neph-heifer.”
Selaphiel, caught off guard, stumbled forward.
“Again,” I called.
“What the fuck are we doing?” Z muttered. “This is bananas.”
“On this, we agree,” Milo said.
By the third hit, Selaphiel had stopped stumbling, and I realized the webbing’s magic had finally worn off. The next time Gran came for her, Selaphiel swatted her away. Gran hit the ground hard.
I flinched at the crunching sound it made.
But I also saw the swirling portal directly behind where Selaphiel now stood. Perfectly aligned.
“Ow,” Gran hissed.
“She’s free,” Milo whispered.
“Time’s up,” Z muttered.
My toes inched toward the circle’s edge. Selaphiel smiled at me, sickeningly sweet. “You’re going to pay for this.”
A buzzing sound cut me off, and Gran rose between us.
Gran looked from Selaphiel to the portal and then back to me again. When she spoke, her tone was hard. Her mind made up. “I’m sorry for lyin’ to you, Gem, and for, well, everything. You’re my heart, girl. I never should have let you believe otherwise.”
“Don’t talk like that. Like you’re not coming back.” I inched forward, one foot halfway across the line.
Selaphiel saw it.
Gran saw it too.
She turned around and aimed herself at Selaphiel’s forehead. She saw what I’d seen.
Our only shot.
And I knew there was no stopping her now.
“If I don’t, it’ll be a sacrifice well made. I love your ass.”
“I love your crazy ass too. Now, stop being a hero.”
“Hero’s my middle name.” She shot forward, full speed ahead. “Well, actually, it’s Willamena, but hero sounds better.”
Gran’s tiny bug body surged forward, flying faster than I’d ever seen her fly before.
Selaphiel’s eyes widened, and at the last second, she tried to dodge, but it was too late. Gran disappeared into Sela’s open mouth with a battle cry that would have made Xena the Warrior Princess proud.
Sela choked then gagged, doubling over and clutching her stomach as she tried like hell to expel the bug she’d just inhaled.
Gran’s muffled cry continued, echoing out from inside Sela’s body.
“Did Gran just let herself get eaten?” Milo sounded horrified and slightly awed. “How does that help us?”
“She’s a distraction,” I said, not sure whether to be heartbroken or thoroughly impressed by Gran’s crazy-ass maneuver.
“Distraction for what?” Z asked, but I didn’t bother to answer before sprinting toward Sela.
She barely noticed me coming, her only defense a quick flick of her wing that I dodged and ducked past.
When I reached her, I didn’t slow and instead lowered my head and jutted my shoulder out like the Diablo brothers had taught me to do in our childhood football games.
I took Selaphiel out like the linebacker I’d once been.
She grunted at the impact, but I kept moving. Instead of knocking her clean off her six-inch heels, I sent her stumbling backward, pushing and shoving so that she was forced to move or risk being trampled.
Almost there.
A large, black wing curled around me, sweeping me along with her, and I gasped, both of us careening toward the open portal. She’d realized what I’d done. And she was taking me with her.
Shit.
“Gran!”
No answer.
“Gran, get the hell out. Now,” I called, but my voice was faint, my energy zapped from the effort of shoving against a Nephilim’s will.
My feet lost their balance. I could smell how close we were now; the sulfur. Selaphiel tumbled first, and then I began to follow. I accepted my fate, willing to meet whatever waited for me in the next world. There was nothing left for me in this one.
At the last second, Selaphiel’s wing released me, and a hand closed around my wrist, yanking me back to safety. With a shove that took all of my remaining strength, I forced Selaphiel the final few feet. She screamed as she vanished through the portal opening, the smoke and ash swallowing her whole.
Chapter Twenty-One
The hum of voices behind me was the first evidence I’d survived. Unless hell was full of SSF agents barking orders, I’d somehow lived.
“Fuck me,” Z whispered.
“Pass,” Milo said from beside me.
Z huffed.
The portal gurgled menacingly. A hand appeared, slender and writhing in desperation. Then a tendril of blonde hair. A scream echoed from somewhere far off, and we all took a giant step back.
“Close it,” Milo snapped.
“No, wait,” I said. “Gran!”
But a few quick words from Z, and the portal vanished. Magic floated like dust motes in the space where the portal had been.
I knew I should have been happy. But fear and grief held me frozen. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the spot where the portal had been. Now, only a thick pillar of smoke curled lazily before it evaporated into the night air.
The hand on my wrist eased its iron grip. A figure pressed in close, but I shook him off.
“Gem,” Milo said gently.
His breath was warm on my ear. Another reminder I was alive.
Tears stung my eyes. I refused to look at him.
“There’s still time,” I said, my voice hitching. “She could get out.”
“Gran was very brave,” he began, but I shook my head, refusing to refer to her in past tense.
“She’s an idiot,” I said. “Reckless and selfish and a complete moron. If she were here now, I’d—”
“Damn, if that’s how you talk about me when I’m dead, don’t bother coming to the funeral.”
I whirled in time to see a tiny bug soaring through the smoke.
“Gran!”
“That’s some bull shit,” she went on. “I oughta wash your mouth out with soap for speaking like that about your elders.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her, wishing she had her body back so I could throw my arms around her and hug her. “I was angry and—I’m sorry,” I said again. “About everything.”
“So am I, girl. I never should have lied or kept the truth from you.”
“It’s okay. We all do crazy things to protect the ones we love.”
“Aw, hell. Put that shit on a t-shirt.” Gran sniffled as she landed on my shoulder.
“Can we do the sappy family moment later?” Z asked. “If I don’t wake your friends up immediately, that Nephilim is going to kick my ass.”
“Wake them?” I echoed.
“Yeah.” Z sighed as if dealing with me was the equivalent of suffering. The feeling was mutual. “I told you we made a deal. Part of that deal was a warding spell to protect the panther and this dude.” He pointed at Milo.
“Huh. Thanks,” Milo said.
“What about Faith?” I asked.
“I didn’t know the vamp would be here, so that was kind of last minute, but I think she’s okay too. Just need to complete the spell.”
I understood the words he’d said, but my brain couldn’t accept them. The idea felt too good to be true. Faith and Milo and Jax would be okay. But Adrik—
“What the hell are you waiting for then?” Milo said, and Z leaped into action.
“All right, all right, keep your panties on,” he muttered, hurrying to where Jax had fallen.
Z laid a hand on the panther’s middle, said a few words, sprinkled something I couldn’t see, and stepped back.
A moment later, the panther’s chest rose and fell with breath.
I walked slowly toward him, my heart ripping as I watched him wake and sit up. When I got close, I stopped. Adrik lay just pa
st him, blood coating his chest and throat. He hadn’t woken. I didn’t think Z would have any magic for that wound, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask.
Z hurried off, and I listened as Milo ushered him to where Faith had fallen. Gran rose from my shoulder and followed them in silence.
Jax’s yellow, glowing eyes met mine.
He didn’t move to approach me, and he didn’t shift back to his human form. In the depths of his predator eyes, I searched for remorse. But none came.
“I know why you did it,” I whispered finally. “But I can’t forgive you for it.”
He didn’t even blink.
Behind me, I heard Faith groggily asking what had happened. Milo explained it, and a moment later, Z stepped up beside me.
He followed the direction of my gaze.
“Is that a dead Nephilim? He’s not supposed to be mortal,” he said, surprise coloring his words.
“I think he was weakened when he thought I…” I trailed off, unable to finish.
Jax finally looked away from me.
“Can you…help him?” I asked quietly.
“I’ll try.” Z’s voice didn’t hold much hope.
I didn’t move as Z approached Adrik’s body and pressed a gentle hand to Adrik’s arm. Z’s incantation was longer this time. When he finished, magic shuddered through the air around me. But nothing changed.
Z rose again and rejoined me.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “for what it’s worth.”
Then he walked away.
Behind me, voices rang out. The SSF had closed in. Milo and Faith spoke to them. I watched as Jax folded himself into the shadows and vanished.
Still, I stood over Adrik’s lifeless body.
My heart ached.
Threatened to break in two.
A figure moved beside me. Then two. My mother’s scent hit me.
“Gem.” She took my arm, clung to me like she had the day of my father’s funeral. For my benefit, I realized.
Still, I kept my eyes on the Nephilim I’d lost.
“Z was able to cast a protection spell on the others,” I said, not even sure who I was speaking to. “I guess the spell didn’t work on Nephilim.”
“His devotion to you weakened him.” Raphziel’s words weren’t a question.
I didn’t answer.
He hesitated, and my mother leaned closer. “Can you help him?”
When Raphziel moved away, I realized she’d spoken to him. Not me.
I watched as he walked to Adrik and dropped to one knee. Bending low, Raphziel placed a hand on Adrik’s forehead.
Adrik’s hand shot upward and grabbed Raphziel by the throat.
“It’s me,” Raphziel wheezed, and Adrik sat up, releasing Raphziel as I exhaled the tortured breath I’d been holding.
In that moment, my heart knitted itself back together again.
“How?” I croaked, completely overcome at what had just happened.
My mother squeezed my arm. An act meant to reassure me but only brought pain to my broken bones. I winced, the numbing spell not quite holding up anymore. “Raphziel is the angel of healing.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. Out of all the things I would have pegged him for, healing definitely wasn’t it. Was that why my mother had befriended him?
Scowling, Raphziel muttered something about a hair-trigger and stood, putting a healthy amount of distance between himself and Adrik.
A second later, Adrik climbed to his feet too.
In the low light, I could see that the wound on his throat had closed.
“Fuck, that hurt.” Adrik’s voice was rough. Irritated. And just as broody as always.
My knees threatened to buckle in relief and something so much more.
He looked up, and our eyes met.
“Gem.” In the sound of my name, I heard the same thing I felt.
Nothing else mattered then.
No one but him.
Adrik was alive.
We all were.
And Selaphiel was gone.
I managed two steps toward him, my pulse speeding along. Every unsaid thing bubbled to the surface. Death sex no longer seemed like an issue that mattered.
We’d figure it out. We’d—
“Gem Hawkins.”
I froze at the sound of a familiar voice.
Raphziel said something to Adrik, too low for me to hear. With a frown and another fleeting glance at me, Adrik stepped away. I watched, confused, as my name came again.
“Gemini.”
This time, from right behind me. With urging from my mother, I turned then blinked at the sight around me. Charred demon remains littered the alley, their blood and venom running in rivulets across the concrete ground. Tendrils of smoke wafted lazily into the cloudy sky, ash falling around us so thick it could’ve been snow.
From its depths, a figure had emerged, broad-shouldered and annoyingly sure of himself. Even from here, I could see his creeper mustache arriving before he did. Rigo grinned at me, pausing long enough to step over a particularly large rhino demon.
“Rigo?” I said, disgust lacing my voice. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too, Hawkins.”
“Look, I’m in a pretty murdery mood, so you might want to reschedule whatever you’ve come here for. I give less than zero fucks about you or your twisted vendetta against me, and I will cut you limb from limb if you don’t get out of my face.”
“Whoa, the aggression.” He threw up his hands like he’d done nothing to deserve it.
I glared, but Rigo’s eyes flicked to something over my shoulder. I felt him approach, and without turning, I knew Adrik had joined me.
“Is there a problem?” Adrik asked quietly.
“Nope,” I said, popping the “p” as I brainstormed all the ways I could murder Rigo even in my weakened state. “No problem at all. I’ve got this.”
Before I could extricate myself safely from my mother’s grip—because I was going to murder Rigo even if it killed me—a second figure appeared behind him, this one dressed in a plum business suit and practical heels. I tensed at the sight of Starla emerging from the smog.
“Evening, Gem. You did good work here,” she said, glancing around. “Messy. But good.”
“Thank you,” I said uncertainly.
“I’ve placed a call to Harvey for cleanup. ETA twenty minutes.”
“I’m just going to—” My mother slipped her arm free of mine, apparently satisfied I was properly chaperoned, and hurried off.
Adrik remained silent at my side.
“Adrik Romanov,” Starla said, nodding at him. “I’ve heard many great things about you. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Starla.”
He nodded knowingly. “I’ve heard many things about you too.”
Huh. Had he? I noticed he hadn’t referred to those things as great.
Starla merely flashed a half-smile before turning to Milo, who’d walked up on my other side. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Mercer.”
“Uh, yeah. Hi.” Milo offered an awkward wave then shot me a frantic look, which I studiously ignored.
There’d be questions later. Lots of questions.
Gran buzzed her way into the midst of things, landing on my shoulder.
“I’m Judith, Gemini’s grandmother. I’ve killed three and a half people, and I’m a black belt in street fighting.” Gran’s tone was harsh, and I rolled my eyes at her attempt to intimidate.
“Gran, it’s fine. Starla’s on our side,” I said. But then frowned when I realized I wasn’t entirely sure of that fact.
“It’s a pleasure,” Starla told her. “Your assistance in Gem’s endeavors has been invaluable. She’s lucky to have you.”
“Dang right she is,” Gran said. “You should see me when I’m full-sized.”
I shook my head.
“And where is Mr. McGuire?” Starla glanced around, and my muscles tensed as I thought of the way he’d merely looked at me and then wal
ked off.
“Uh, I think he went to check on his security teams,” Milo said into the silence.
“Hmm,” Starla said.
She did a slow inspection of the destruction around us and finally turned back to me, brows drawn in confusion.
“And Selaphiel?” Starla asked. “I no longer sense her life force, but I don’t see her body among the fallen.”
I pointed at the charred pavement where the portal had once been. “She decided to relocate. New zip code, new you, and all that.”
Starla let out a short laugh. “Well, that’s certainly creative.”
“You sent her into the portal?” Rigo looked impressed.
“It was a group effort,” Gran said with a sniff.
An agent hurried up to us, stopping farther back than necessary when he spotted Adrik.
“Sir,” he said, and Rigo turned. “Human police are approaching the glamour barrier.”
“Fuck me,” Rigo muttered. “Do we have anyone here yet who can redirect?”
“No, sir. Cleanup teams are still too far out.”
Rigo cursed again.
“I can do it.”
Z stepped forward, his usual swagger turned up to full volume now.
“You?” Starla said, clearly not convinced.
He eyed Starla with a smug smile. “I’m the warlock who conjured the level eight portal tonight. I think I’m capable of a little glamour.”
Starla’s gaze sharpened. Then, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
The mouth of the alley disappeared. In its place was a storefront that sold adult toys twenty-four hours a day. And it was on fire.
“Holy handjob,” Gran said.
Z’s jaw dropped. “Wicked,” he breathed.
I stared at Starla. “How’d you do that?”
She shrugged. “I’ve picked up a thing or two over the years.”
That was more than “a thing or two,” but I decided to let it go. She still hadn’t outed me completely to my friends, and until she did, I’d keep her secrets too.
“Right then.” The agent who’d come to alert us backed away. “I’ll just let the cleanup crew know to come in another way.”
He walked off without another word.
“Rigo, you go with him,” Starla ordered, and Rigo’s shoulders fell.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I could only watch in rapt silence as the devil himself took an order from a woman. What had I missed while living as a fugitive?
Death's Door (Supernatural Security Force Book 3) Page 19
