Fashionably Hotter Than Hell

by Robyn Peterman

  The Trolls were grumbling and examining Juliet with detached hatred. Were they with her or against her? It really didn't matter in the end because they definitely didn't like us either.

  "How many Wraiths have you sent back to Hell at one time?" Ethan muttered to his sister as we all watched the deadly ghosts shimmer and shriek.

  "Ten."

  "I will pretend I didn't hear that," I ground out as my stomach lurched. "That might have been a good fucking question to ask while we were still in the planning stages."

  "I'm your best bet for getting out of here alive," Raquel snapped. "Ten or a hundred—what does it matter? If I fail, we die. If I try, we might not."

  She was correct but I was furious. I had no ability to help her or save her. It didn't sit well with me and it went against everything I knew as a warrior.

  "Fine," I growled. "What do you need? How can I help you?"

  "I need them to come closer. They need to be within twenty feet for me to banish them."

  "Not a problem," Astrid informed us. "Watch this… Hey, you skanky douchebag," she shouted at Juliet. "You're not getting anything except a visa to the bowels of Hell. You're stupid and shortsighted and you look like you've gained about ten pounds. Your ass is huge."

  The shriek from the hill was insanity personified. Juliet was coming unhinged and the Trolls began to tremble with rage.

  "I will kill you, you bitch," she screamed at Astrid. "You’re a worthless nothing. I should have eaten you when you were born."

  "Now that's just fucking gross," Astrid said and then laughed, which sent Juliet into a psychotic break.

  "Enough," one of the enormous Trolls bellowed.

  Trees bent and snapped at the root from the sheer volume of his voice. The Wraiths shot up into the air and tore at each other in confusion.

  "The woman is not in control here. We are. We will kill her for you, if you give us the child. We don't care about the one who dies. She means nothing to us. We have come for the child. He is our Savior. We will not harm him."

  "Shut your ugly mouth, you filthy beast," Juliet screeched. "The baby is mine and so are the rest of them. We have a deal and you will abide by it."

  "The baby is ours," the Troll bellowed as smoke and fire blew from his nose. "You only get the one who dies… or you will die—violently."

  "You stupid fucks," Juliet roared. "The Wraiths can kill you too. You watch what you say or it will be your bloodbath."

  I shook my head as I listened. Clearly a thin thread connected our foes. This was interesting.

  "Since when did people start showing up and thinking I would hand my child over?" Astrid demanded.

  "I'm afraid this is just the beginning," Ethan said angrily.

  "Well, they're smoking crack if they think this will be easy. And what in the Hell is Sammy supposed to save the Trolls from? Being butt ass fugly?" Astrid snapped. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but we might be safer if we lived in Hell. Satan would never put up with this bullshit."

  "And neither will I," Ethan said.

  "Astrid, shoot her with magic like you shot me in the ass. Piss her off enough to release the Wraiths. If the Troll kills her first, there's no telling what the Wraiths will do," I directed urgently.

  "My fucking pleasure," Astrid said with delight. "You ready, Raquel?"

  Raquel grabbed my arm and turned me to face her. She reached up and pulled my face to hers. With no wasted movement, she kissed me like it was the last time she would ever do so and let me briefly into her mind. Her desire, love, and need for me almost sent me to my knees. "If we don't make it out of here, I needed to do that. If we do, this will go down as one of the most awkward moves I've ever made," she said as she pushed me away.

  "Awkward works for me," I muttered as I licked my lips to savor her taste.

  "Guys," Astrid cut in. "We gotta kill some shit now. You with me?"

  "Yep. Zap her ass," Raquel hissed.

  And Astrid did.

  Then all Hell broke loose.

  Chapter 9

  "Move," I shouted as the Wraiths expanded grotesquely and started their descent down the hill straight toward us.

  "Distract them from Raquel," I commanded as we began to sprint around her with Vampyre speed.

  Astrid's electrical strike did exactly as we planned. In her pain and deranged fury, Juliet released the Wraiths and the battle exploded.

  The roar of the Trolls shook the entire valley and they began to charge like freight trains from the bowels of Hell. The cries of the Wraiths reached ear-splitting decibels and some of the Vamps in my sightline fell to the ground in agony.

  "Move. Keep moving," I bellowed at Jean Paul as the wind around us picked up and made staying on our feet difficult. Ethan and Astrid ran forward with swords drawn to counter the attacking Trolls as they barreled toward us. Thankfully, Unit Two had gotten behind the beasts and were wreaking havoc and confusion.

  Raquel stood frozen to her spot with her arms raised above her head and began to chant in an ancient language that was both melodic and macabre. Her red hair whipped wildly in the wind and her eyes rolled back in her head. Gold and peach gusts of glitter burst from her open palms and her body swayed violently.

  The Wraiths flew at us en masse as if they knew Raquel was their target. That left the rest of the Vamps free to attack the Trolls, but a hundred Wraiths to three Vampyres was looking pretty grim at the moment. Death was on our heels.

  Glancing quickly to my left as I sprinted around Raquel. I saw Astrid. She was lit up like a fucking inferno and plunging her sword through the neck of a Troll. Ethan was faring just as well, so I turned my attention back to the ghostly specters trying to invade our bodies.

  "Merde," Jean Paul gasped out. "So fucking cold."

  He was correct. As the Wraiths ripped through our bodies, it felt as if our veins turned to ice. Generally speaking, Vampyres were impervious to temperature, but the ghosts carried a blistering wind with them that shot through us like frozen daggers. Jean Paul was slowing down, clearly affected by the frigid temperatures. I was barely able to make out the battle beyond as the Wraiths cocooned us in a deadly blood red haze of light.

  From a distance, they had looked like a swarm of bees. Up close was another story. Dead eyes and gaunt faces with papery skin and open wounds raced around and dove through our bodies. The nearly transparent specters screamed and moaned as they flew in circles with no goal other than to create as much pain as they were in themselves. I repeatedly fought the urge to fall or slow down. I'd been run through several times by the Wraiths and was surprised to see open cuts on my body where they had entered and exited. How in the fuck did a spirit rip skin?

  Amidst the chaos, Raquel's chant grew louder and more intense. Her body convulsed with the unearthly rhythm. Her words controlled her more than she dominated them. The golden glow around her burned brighter. I prayed to all the entities I could think of to keep her safe.

  "Jean Paul," I shouted. "Don't fucking stop."

  "Never," he growled as he pushed his bleeding body far beyond its limit.

  Then she screamed. The shriek that left Raquel's body was filled with so much rage, pain and power it stopped me in my tracks. The ground around us split open and tendrils of blazing fire reached out and began incinerating the Wraiths one by one.

  Raquel's body lurched forward and she fell to her knees in the middle of the flames, but she continued to chant through the billowing smoke and fire. Seizures wracked her slim frame and the Wraiths fought wildly to invade her and end her magic. She was torn and bleeding, but she forged on.

  In a fit of fury and panic, I threw my body over hers and took the brunt of the attack as the fire continued to dance its deadly tango with the ghosts. Raquel's voice stayed strong though I was positive she had no firm grasp on reality at that point. Instead she was lost in her spell and nothing could pull her out.

  She rolled out from under me and rose shakily to her feet. Blood poured from open jagged cuts all over he
r body. "No more," she screamed and waved her hands in a circular motion. "Be gone."

  The fire roared and exploded into colorful flames as it choked the life out of the remaining Wraiths. I was thrown at least ten feet back and immediately began to fight my way back to her.

  Raquel had collapsed by then and lay lifeless on the ground. The shrieks of the Wraiths as they were sucked into oblivion were something I knew I would never forget for the rest of my eternity. Nightmares couldn't begin to touch this shit.

  "Get her," Jean Paul begged as he tried to stem the blood flow from his head. "She's dying. Have to get her out of here."

  I crawled to her prone form and shook her gently. There was no time to lay there. Trolls were everywhere and I had no clue who was winning. Her skin still glowed a golden peachy color, but there was something very wrong. Her body stiffened in rigor mortis and her eyes opened sightlessly and stared into nothingness. What the fuck was happening?

  "What’s wrong with her?" I shouted above the din of the battle as I shook her harder. Her frame was like an unbendable board and my head felt like it was going to explode.

  "She’s dead," Jean Paul hissed as he yanked her stiff body from my arms and began to run to the compound with her.

  In my confusion I let him take her…

  However, without her body in my arms I snapped out of my shock. Jean Paul had taken what was mine and it was unacceptable. I took a running start and flew through the air at a speed he could only hope for. I dropped to the ground in front of them and tackled him violently.

  Raquel's dead body fell to the ground as my fists connected with Jean Paul's face.

  "Stop," he pleaded wildly. "Let me take her inside. There is still danger out here."

  He was desperate and attempted to crawl back to her.

  "She will turn to ash within the hour," I growled like an insane animal. "You will bring her to my suite and lay her on my bed. Her ashes are mine. Do you understand me?" I hissed as I punctuated my instructions with a right hook that dislodged his jaw. "She is mine."

  "You don't under… "

  "Do not defy me," I shouted in a voice I barely recognized. "She’s my mate. Her ashes are mine. You will do as I say or I will kill you with my bare hands right now."

  I wanted to crawl out of my skin. This could not be happening. Jean Paul tried to speak again and I moved in to kill him. He shook his head in frustration as he glanced at the bloody war closing in on us and gave up.

  "As you wish," he grunted as he picked her up and sprinted to the compound.

  The roar of agony that left my body was wrenched from my soul, blurring my vision. I felt the heat of the still burning fire and heard the screams from the battle that raged around me.

  I had nothing left to live for. My purpose for life had just died before my eyes and the need to destroy consumed me.

  I pulled my sword from its sheath and went back into the fray without any concern for my safety. The only thing driving me now was revenge. The Wraiths were gone. They took the life of my mate and I would avenge her death by finding Juliet and killing her.

  For the next hour, I killed without remorse as I searched the area for Juliet. I had no clue who I fought beside and I didn't care. As claws ripped through my skin, I simply went forward, piercing the necks of Trolls and shoving their dead bodies out of my way. I vaguely heard my name called, but the roar in my ears made hearing clearly impossible.

  I hadn't found my target and I wouldn't stop until I had completed my mission.

  Death meant nothing unless it stopped me from my goal.

  "Heathcliff," Ethan bellowed as he tackled me to the ground. "It's over. The Wraiths are gone. The Trolls have retreated."

  His words made no sense and I tried to fight him off. The Trolls meant nothing to me. I wanted Juliet. I needed to rip her head from her body and then burn her to ash.

  "Get off of me," I demanded as I fought him like a wild animal. "I'm not done."

  "We are done," he hissed as he trapped me in a spell of magic that felt like my body was burning from the inside out. "Get control of yourself. Now."

  I fell to the ground in agony and he released some of the spell he had cast. Rolling on the ground to try and put out the fire that consumed my insides did nothing.

  "Stop. I will listen," I gasped.

  With a wave of his hand the burning ebbed and I sat up weakly.

  "Juliet," I ground out through clenched teeth. "I have to find her."

  "We already have her," Ethan said tersely as he squatted down beside me. "She's been chained and locked in the interrogation room."

  I stood unsteadily and began to walk toward the compound. "She's mine," I said. "Her head is mine."

  "No, her head is mine," Astrid cut in.

  She was battered and bleeding and sparks flew from her body like fireworks.

  "She is the reason my mate is dead," I shouted. "Her head is mine."

  I didn't care if Astrid blew me to smithereens. Juliet's head belonged to me and I would have it unless someone killed me before I got to her.

  "Raquel is not dead," Ethan said quietly as he put his hand on my arm.

  "I held her. She's dead," I shot back viciously as I shook him off. "Give me the respect of avenging my mate. You can destroy me for defying you after I do what I have to do. Just give me that."

  "She is not dead," he insisted as he touched me again. "Hear me before you do something that will force me to end you."

  "I don't care if you end me. I held her. I saw her. She's dead. Ending me will be a favor."

  "What the fuck is happening here?" Astrid demanded. "I am so confused."

  "Give me an hour," Ethan said. "I have a story for you. If, after the story you still want to defy me and force me to kill you, I shall grant you your wish."

  "Do I get to hear this story?" Astrid demanded as the light show around her amped up dangerously.

  "Yes, my love, you do," he said to his mate as he stared at me and waited.

  "You can have an hour," I told him coldly, knowing very little could dissuade me from the path I'd chosen.

  "Come with me," he said as he walked back toward the compound.

  I would give him an hour. No more. No less.

  Chapter 10

  Astrid had insisted on choosing my attire, which was why I was in low riding sweats and no shirt. My wounds had healed in the hours I sat waiting.

  Juliet was still alive and being interrogated by Ethan and Astrid as I sat in my suite and waited. Each minute ticked by with excruciating slowness.

  I'd been invited to participate in the questioning but declined. I knew they would handle the situation in the way it should be handled.

  My conversation with Jean Paul had included an apology, which was something I did not give to anyone often. However, it was the right thing to do in this instance and I did it regardless of the hit to my pride.

  I also made several important phone calls and now felt at peace for the first time in ages.

  As I impatiently marked time until sunrise, I thought back on my very long existence and it seemed like a mere blip in time. The moment my life would start would soon arrive. Like any birth or rebirth it would come with some pain, but it would be worth it. Hopefully, there wouldn't be much blood or broken furniture.

  Raquel stirred on the bed as the sun rose. If I had any breath to take I would be holding it. Slowly her eyes opened and she peered around the room in alarm.

  "Where am I?" she muttered as she glanced around wildly.

  "Right where you're supposed to be," I said sternly as I rose from my darkened corner and approached her.

  Raquel watched me like an animal watches a predator and backed away until we stood on either side of my bed. Her gaze fell from mine and she stared nervously at the rumpled bedding.

  "Did Ethan tell you?"

  "Yes. He did."

  "Now you know why, now you understand," she whispered sadly.

  "No, actually I don't," I replied.

&
nbsp; Her eyes shot to mine and she shook her head in confusion.

  "I die, Heathcliff. I die every night and don’t live again until sunrise," she spat angrily. "What's not to get? I'm like a Vampyre from a fiction novel. I’m not worthy of anyone. I'm a liability to my race—to you. I may as well have a coffin and a black cape."

  "That's an interesting take but I have to disagree. Although you do look hot in black," I said calmly as I rounded the end of the bed and backed her up to the wall.