Descent (Fated Book 2)

by Liza James

  “I’m listening. Tell me everything.”

  We’ve been driving into the forest for quite some time now. I didn’t realize how far we’d be going until the silence between us began to sink into the pit of my stomach. After I told Nathanial about what happened with Amelia, he went quiet. I know he was listening, he was engaged. He asked questions throughout, requested specific details, and grunted his acknowledgements.

  But he never shared his opinion, or his thoughts on what could possibly be happening. So, I continue sitting in the dark, deciding to conduct future investigations on my own.

  He’s shut down again, closed himself off to me after our encounter earlier. I don’t know if it’s because of Leon, or because he got whatever this was out of his system. I wish I could say that I had. But now that I’ve gotten a taste of him—literally and figuratively—I can’t stop thinking about him.

  My mind drifts off to random thoughts of his hands roaming across my body. The pain that radiated across my scalp when he pulled my hair, or the way my flesh stung when he smacked my ass. Even the taste of him, of his blood. Fuck, his blood has stained my soul and been tattooed across my flesh. It’s a permanent fixture I don’t even want to remove.

  It’s all I have of him in these moments when he pulls away.

  “Are you mad at me now?” I ask, braving the question that burns in my mind.

  “Mad? About what?” he asks, as if he’s fucking clueless. He isn’t.

  “About Leon?” I turn my eyes towards him, seeking out his immediate natural response.

  “Baby girl, Leon is the last of my worries.” He looks to me, his eyes raking over my body possessively, as if he knows I belong to him. He uses that nickname, the one that elicits mewls and moans from my lips as I submit. “Do you think for one second, that he’d be able to give you what you need?” His voice drops lower, darker as it fills the thick space around us.

  “No,” I answer truthfully. I know he couldn’t. Not like Nathanial, who whips through my mind like a tornado and leaves me in wreaked havoc every time he touches my skin.

  “Good girl.”

  Fuck. It’s those two words. They make me wet and have my breath catching in my lungs.

  We drive the rest of the way in silence, until he finally pulls off into an obscure area and turns off the vehicle. We step out, shutting the doors behind us as I walk around the G-Wagon and meet him on the other side.

  In just a few brief moments, a figure begins walking out of the forest and towards us. I immediately recognize Esme and find myself relieved at the sight of her. She’s familiar, a friend even, and I know she’ll be honest about what we’re embarking on.

  She gives us a faint smile, but it lingers just below the surface and a small sting of apprehension flashes through my chest.

  “Thanks for meeting me here,” she says, her voice awash with something that sounds like regret—like she’s disappointed we’re in this situation. “Of course, you know, Lucifer only allows entrance in the middle of the night. The veil between our worlds is thinnest now, and the forest offers a large abundance of natural energy. There is a small waterfall not far from here and provides a distinct mix of ecosystems, it synchronizes well with the magic we need to access.” She shuffles back and forth on her feet a bit, which surprises me because Esme is usually quite confident. I’ve never seen her nervous or uncomfortable.

  “Do you know how we will need to access the door?” Nathanial asks, his voice low but still a strong smooth tone that continues to affect me. I seek his confidence, his security in this moment because I’m so uneasy in what we’re about to do. I’m still so new to this world, to these races that I never knew existed until recently. Even despite everything we’ve been through, all of the times he’s pushed me away, I trust him to know that we’ll be safe.

  “Only Lucifer knows that, I’m sorry.” She clasps her hands in front of her long black skirt which falls around her feet and pools in long ropes of silky fabric. She wears a loose dark sweater that falls easily off one shoulder and the stretched sleeves gather at her wrists. “He doesn’t share those details with me. I’m only here to act as a conduit for him, to allow him access to speak to you before you enter the woods.”

  “Wait, to speak to us? As in, he’s going to communicate through you?” I finally speak up, attempting to gain as much comprehension as I can before it’s too late.

  “Yes, I’ll perform the spell and open myself up to his possession.” She takes a step back, releasing her hands and quickly brushing them down the front of her skirt as she readies herself.

  “We’ll be going in together, right? Nathanial and I?” I hastily ask my last question and I feel Nathanial take a disinterested step away from me. Instantly, I feel a flare of impatience low in my stomach.

  Not now. Not while we’re about to do this and when I have no fucking clue what’s about to happen.

  I glance to him, my lips parting in frustration when I want to call him back to me.

  “No, I doubt Lucifer will allow you to go together. You will both have to partake in your own game, delve into your own minds, in order to access the portal.” Esme distracts me again as she drops her head back and closes her eyes. She lets her hands fall loosely to her sides, turning them slightly so that her palms are facing upwards.

  I square my shoulders and turn to face her completely, intentionally choosing to rely on my fucking self, my own power, my own strength. I can get through this, whatever sick fucking games Lucifer is about to play with me. Hell, I’ve been playing Danner’s games for months now.

  “Attendez notre appel.” Esme’s voice takes on a new quality that I haven’t heard before. Her words are lyrical, ghosting around us in waves of seduction that call to the ethereal atmosphere of the forest. I watch in trepidation as the leaves and rocks at her feet slowly begin vibrating with the power she clearly possesses. It’s intoxicating really, watching her demand the magic she needs for this spell.

  I glance over at Nathanial, whose face is full of hard lines and sharp edges. He’s perfectly still, but his jaw is set like granite while his eyes never leave her body. I clench my fists at my side and then run my fingers along the loose fabric of my dress, gathering it together and using it as a false sense of security. Something to brace myself against, grounding me to this space.

  She continues chanting, her voice rising higher and higher with each enunciation. The ground continues its flow of power, the energy suddenly spilling forward and enveloping us all. I feel it, the intensity and strength that she’s calling forth. It feels like it’s hovering around me, just barely inches away before quickly settling into my skin and invading my bones.

  Suddenly, everything falls to the ground as Esme’s voice halts mid-chant. The rocks, the leaves, all of it comes crashing as her head tilts up and we’re met with a completely new set of eyes. These are black, and an evil presence pours from them in waves washing across us.

  It’s him—Lucifer. The painfully tangible darkness is breaking forth from Esme’s body and swirling around us in a breeze that leaves a chill in my lungs. Her body falls completely still, perfectly at peace while Lucifer uses her form for his own means.

  “Ah Nathanial, so nice to see you again,” her voice sounds like her, but it’s indescribably different at the same time. It’s her usual pitch, the sweet tone of innocence and purity, but now it’s laced with an authority that I’ve never heard before. The innate way I know how powerful he is surprises me, it’s not a question, it’s a simple fact that my body instantly accepts.

  I don’t trust him. Not in the slightest, and my mind is flaring with unease and discomfort. I notice the way he sounds familiar with Nathanial, even though I’ve never heard of their meeting before now. I know logically, they’ve had to have met before, of course. But I assumed Nathanial or Elijah would have mentioned that fact before we left or revealed the reason for their last encounter.

  “Lucifer,” he states and his icy voice rips through in disdain.

&nb
sp; Esme’s gaze slowly shifts to me and a repulsive shudder uncontrollably whips up my spine as her eyes drop to rake over my body. She lingers on my chest before slowly coming back up to meet my stare, and I make the intentional decision to cross my arms across my torso.

  She smirks, just slightly before addressing me. “You must be Stella, I assume.”

  I nod, refusing to give him the sound of my voice. For some reason, I want to keep that to myself for now.

  “Are you ready to join me in Hell?” she asks, her eyes narrowing just slightly. I can’t help the strange call that question bids me. Like my Succubus is being directly summoned, tempted with her own personal desires. I never thought to think that the Demon in me might actually enjoy this visitation.

  My eyes slip to Nathanial as my body tunes into the low growl that’s suddenly sounding beside me. Lucifer catches it as well and that insipid smirk turns into something far more dangerous. Something knowledgeable. Something arrogant, like he was just gifted a message that he wholeheartedly received.

  The growl halts, and Nathanial takes a visible deep breath as he squares his shoulders and restrains whatever was coursing through him.

  Esme takes a step towards me, directing the conversation between the two of us again without commenting on Nathanial’s interruption. It’s strange for me, witnessing this odd war of power between the two of them. They both demand respect, demand control and authority on two completely separate levels. Both equally as powerful, incredibly strong and seductive. Even as Lucifer intercedes through Esme, I know I’m being faced with someone magnificent.

  Horrifically evil, but magnificent all the same.

  “You’ll enter the forest first. Walk straight through, the portal will find you when you’ve given me what I require.” Her smirk falls flat and the command is laid out between us.

  “But Nathanial—” I start, and Lucifer’s cruel tone is quick to cut me off.

  “—will enter when I allow him to.”

  I shut my mouth, refusing to continue a wasted conversation with this deranged Fallen Angel. Nothing I say will change what’s about to happen, I’ve accepted that. I’m ready for this.

  I turn without giving any sort of remark and stalk towards Nathanial before I divert to the woods. I tilt my head up, looking to meet his gaze with my own but find that he won’t even look at me. “Nathanial,” I say quietly, wishing I could have this private conversation with him. Without the eyes and ears of Lucifer behind us. “Nathanial, look at me for fuck’s sake.” I let the frustration and fear of what we’re going through take control as I speak, letting it taint my words and electrify my voice. I want to call to him, but even more so, I want him to call to me.

  His eyes flash towards mine as his coiled rage suddenly courses through me. His large hand shoots forward and wraps tightly around my throat. But this is different than our usual foreplay. This isn’t filled with lust and passion. His touch is burning my flesh with resentment and danger. I lift a hand and quickly wrap it around his wrist, trying to halt his movements while my mind races to understand what he’s doing.

  “Get the fuck out there, I’ll see you on the other side.” His words are cold; syllables of ice and rejection that have no desire to dance with my Demons. I’ve never heard this side of Nathanial, and I don’t care to converse with him. My eyes well with tears that I immediately force back, refusing to let them spill through my lashes and wet my cheeks.

  No fucking way.

  He doesn’t get to see the agony that’s suddenly engulfing my lungs and straining my breaths. The vice that he’s wrapped so tightly around my heart as he squeezes and threatens to destroy me. Not in the way that he’s so incredibly detached from me right now.

  He shoves me away roughly and I have to catch my dress quickly before I trip and fall to the cold ground below. I don’t offer him a second glance, nor do I don’t look back over my shoulder as I walk away from them. Not even when I hear the distinct laughter of his and Lucifer’s voices colliding together in some sort of ironic melodic union.

  Fuck him. Fuck them. Let’s get this shit over with. I’m here to figure out what’s happening with Sunan, why she’s suddenly showing herself again, and then I’m getting out of here and going home.

  I’ve been walking through the hooded trees and overgrown forestry for almost twenty minutes, give or take. I’m estimating here, but it’s been a while since I left those two assholes behind and embarked on my own personal nightmare.

  Everything is nearly pitch black, but thankfully the glow of moonlight dapples the ground in a path that I somewhat manage to stay on. Every once in a while, my heart begins thundering in my chest, as if I subconsciously know I’m approaching something to be wary of. But it always ends as nothing, maybe a bird quickly bursting forth from a tree, or a small animal scurrying across the path in front of my feet.

  Nothing that has made me think I’m getting any closer to the portal of the Underworld. My skin is growing itchy with anxiety, constantly sitting in this mental space of awareness. I’m trying to anticipate what measures I’ll need to take to defend myself, but also attempting to stay one step ahead, maybe beating the Devil at his own fucking game.

  It happens in the course of a single instant, my inner Succubus, the Demon in my soul suddenly stands at attention, taking over my senses while my inferior human side diminishes within my mind. It’s not a differentiation I’ve ever noticed before.

  I’ve always been just me, just Stella. The supernatural blend of who I once was and who I’ve quickly become. Part Demon and part Angel. Succubus and seductress. But the girl I used to be also lays under the surface, the one who was cautious and made logical decisions. The girl who looked out for her sister and stayed up all night alone in her apartment while I anxiously waited for her return. I haven’t felt that part of me in a while, didn’t realize she was still there, honestly. Not until now, and I realize she was awakened just earlier this afternoon, after I gave into what I was craving with Nathanial.

  Now I feel the difference, I can sense the tangible meld of two entities. I can practically distinguish when I would need to call on one or the other, and right now? My Demon is standing at complete attention, seeking out the game I sense is about to begin.

  “Shit, Stells. There you are,” Nathanial’s voice races out behind me as I quickly turn on my heels and see him break through a few tightly lined trees. He comes to stand in front of me and a wave of relief courses through my veins at the sight of him. Even though I hate how we parted, I’m glad that I don’t have to do this alone or walk through this darkness by myself.

  “How did you find me?” I ask, stepping toward him. But I pause when he takes an immediate step back.

  “I followed you,” he says, but his voice drops to a whisper as a devious smile plays along his face. My eyes narrow, confusion lining my thin lips when I think about how long ago I left them. How did I not hear him behind me?

  “No, I would have heard you behind me. Did Lucifer tell you where I was? I don’t mind, obviously I’d rather you here,” I press further, suddenly hesitant on the details of our predicament.

  He laughs, a full, loud, encompassing sound that chills my bones. It isn’t a happy laugh, it’s a sympathetically pitiful laugh. I step back, my eyebrows arching in disbelief when he finally speaks again. “Seriously Stells? Did Lucifer tell me? You don’t think I’d be able to find you on my own?” He pauses. “I’ll always find you.”

  Those words, “I’ll always find you”. They send a disgusting shiver sliding up my spine when I think of someone else who has said that phrase to me. I don’t understand why he’s talking like this, a mix of indifference and intimidation are evident in his tone and mannerisms.

  He stalks forward, his jaw setting at a hard angle as his chest comes flush against mine. He towers over me, his hypnotic blue eyes pulsing through me and heating my core. He lifts a hand and brushes a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

  “It’s sad really,” he starts as one hand sl
ides down the side of my neck and across my shoulder. “How pathetically obsessed you are with me.” I tense harshly at his words but his fingers bite into my skin and hold me in place. His lips dip down to my ear as his icy breath kisses my skin. “That’s how I found you. I could smell the disgusting need you have for me, your Succubus calling to my touch. Fucking begging for it. Because that’s always what you have to do, right? Beg me to touch you. Whine and plead for my attention.”

  I ball my fists and shove at his chest, stumbling backwards while he laughs at my reaction. No way is he saying these things. Is this what he has to do? Is this his fucking game? That has to be it.

  “Okay, I get it. You have to say those things, right? That’s how you get to the door?” I try to calm my racing heart, reign in the spiraling hurt that’s bursting inside of my chest.

  “I don’t give a fuck about the Underworld. But we’re finally alone, away from everyone who could ever interfere. It was the only way I could tell you the truth, be fucking honest about how I feel. You asked earlier if I was mad at you for touching Leon. I told you that he was the least of my worries. Do you know why?” He steps forward again, encroaching on my space and I pace back, trying to maintain our distance. I don’t fucking like this. He’s pushing my fucking buttons at the worst possible time.

  “Because he can’t give me what I need, you said that.” I say, but my voice is shakier than I want it to be.

  He laughs again, scrubbing a hand loosely down his face when his vacant gaze comes back to mine. “I did say that, didn’t I? I had to. It was the only way to get you off my fucking case. You’re always after me, always needing some goddamn attention. Like a fucking pet.” He launches forward and grips my chin tightly, yanking me toward him so that he can tilt his head closely to my own. “But you like that, don’t you? You enjoy being my little pet. Something to control, something to manipulate. That’s why Danner had no problem finding you again. You give him the power to obtain you.” His voice is a whisper that tears through me and I trip as I take an unsteady step backwards. But just as I’m about to hit the ground, a hard and solid wall catches me.