by Diem, J. C.
“Vepar lives at the end of the hall,” Reynolds reminded me. “You’ll have to be quick to reach her before the illusion fades. I’ll follow you, but I’ll stay out of sight. Shout if you need me.”
There wouldn’t be much he could do to help me to fight a Demon Lord. Just knowing he would be nearby gave me some comfort. “Let’s do this,” I said and touched the young cop so I could take on his appearance.
Leaving Reynolds to lock the young officer inside his car, I ran for Vepar’s building. A small foyer waited when I opened the door. I had a choice of using the elevator, or taking the stairs. She lived on the third floor and I figured it would be quicker to take the stairs. I ran up them as fast as I could and was dizzy from a lack of breath by the time I reached the top.
Holding onto the illusion through sheer willpower, I hurried down the hall to her door and knocked. I could feel her scrutiny on me as she looked through the peephole before she pulled the door open. Dressed in sexy black lingerie with a sheer black robe, she smiled seductively and beckoned me inside.
Almost shaking with the effort of pretending to be someone else by now, I waited for her to lock the door and brush past me before I lost my hold on the camouflage. When she turned around, her mouth dropped open in shock that she quickly mastered. “My soldiers have been searching for you everywhere,” she said. “Now here you are, stupidly walking right into my home.”
She chuckled and her true face appeared, superimposed over her human vessel. Bright scarlet eyes peered down at me from a height of eight feet. I wished I could call on my demonic form, which would have towered over her. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that type of magic in this dimension. I was stuck with my far weaker human body.
Vepar called on her scarlet sword and I drew on the power of the angels. Bright white light filled my hands and the Demon Lord froze. “Let’s make a new deal, Vepar,” I said.
“Holy fire cannot hurt me,” she said and tossed her head arrogantly.
“Tell that to Zach,” I said with a sly grin. “My spell sliced his head off then the angels inside me zapped his essence into oblivion.”
Her face paled and she backed away a step. “That is not possible.”
“Anything is possible for me,” I contradicted her. I sent a bolt of power at her and she gave a screech of pain as scorch marks appeared on her chest and stomach.
“What do you want?” she demanded angrily. Her sword disappeared as she realized it was no match for the holy weapon that I could wield.
“I want you to rescind the deal you made with Nathanael.” I used his full name so there could be no worming out of it.
“Never,” she spat. “He is mine!”
“He was never yours,” I replied and zapped her again. She wasn’t wearing the leather brace that was covered in protective runes. She was defenseless and she knew it. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to teleport away. I used my own innate ability to block her, but I could feel the angels weakening. They would run out of juice soon and I needed her agreement. “Release Nathanael from his deal. Agree to never attempt to harm him, capture him, or make another deal with him, or I’ll end you right now,” I said coldly.
“What do I get in return?” she blurted.
“I promise that I won’t evict you from your vessel, absorb your essence, or try to kill you in any dimension.”
A calculating gleam entered her pale blue eyes. I’d just given her my guarantee that she was safe from my wrath. “I will agree to this bargain on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“That this deal extends to your minions as well.”
I knew she meant the part about us not killing her, but she wasn’t thinking of the big picture. “Agreed,” I said before she could realize her mistake. “We have a deal, Lord Vepar.” Her smug expression brought out my snarky side. “You do realize you just made sure that you can never harm, capture or make any deals with any of my friends ever again, right?”
Her smug look evaporated and was replaced by consternation. She searched for a way out of it and cursed when she realized she’d just boxed herself in. “I may not be able to kill you or your minions now, but one of my kind will end your miserable lives.”
“We’ll see,” I said and the holy fire faded from my hands. “By the way, the cop I impersonated is unconscious in the back of his car. I doubt he’ll be up to satisfying your needs tonight.” Sniggering at the scowl on her face, I left, closing the door behind me. I didn’t want him to be punished for something that was out of his control.
Reynolds peeked around the corner and I nodded to indicate that the plan had worked. He exited ahead of me and I took my time to follow him. Vepar could have spies that we didn’t know of and I didn’t want him to be discovered. As we’d arranged, he picked me up a couple of blocks away and we headed back to our base.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty
My heart was hammering when we stepped through the door to our new lair. I hurried down the hall to the kitchen and stopped dead when I saw Nathan sitting at the table. He surged to his feet and enveloped me in his arms when I threw myself at him. I trembled in a combination of exhaustion and relief that he was now free from his deal.
“You saved me again,” he said when I finally pulled back.
“I still owe you a few rescues,” I replied with false nonchalance. If we’d been alone, I would have showered him with kisses. Since we had an audience, I merely took the seat beside him.
“The plan went off without a hitch,” Reynolds reported. More chairs had been added so there was enough for all of us now. The table was much smaller than the one at our old base and the room felt cramped.
“Vepar was so rattled that I could zap her with holy fire that she agreed to my deal without thinking it through,” I told them.
I told them about our bargain and Sophia frowned worriedly. “Vepar is not used to being outwitted. She will search for a way out of this deal.”
“It’s rock solid and unbreakable,” I said firmly.
“That does not mean that we are no longer in danger,” Nathan argued. “She could get another Demon Lord to hold us hostage until you agree to rescind the bargain you made with her.”
I realized that other lords wouldn’t be restricted from causing us harm. My smugness vanished at that prospect. “Then we’ll just have to make sure none of you are caught again.” One of my friends was already in a vulnerable position. “I have to get Leo out of that cell before Vepar gets her hands on him.”
“It is doubtful that Hagith will hand him over to the demons,” Sophia said. “She knows he is the best bargaining chip she has when it comes to dealing with us.”
It was a good point and some of my panic receded. “That’s true. I doubt I could pull off another rescue tonight. Pretending to be someone else then conjuring up holy fire was more tiring than I’d expected.”
“You should get some sleep,” Nathan told me. His face was back to its usual serene handsomeness again now that Vepar’s hold over him had been broken. Yet shadows still existed in his eyes. She’d put him through hell and I couldn’t punish her the way I wanted to. Allowing her to live was going to be a constant worry in the back of my mind. I wouldn’t put it past her to become a problem for us again.
When I lay down on my mattress, I fell asleep quickly. I awoke sometime later to the sensation that I wasn’t alone. Nathan was sitting on the floor beside me. He was holding my hand and was watching over me. There was just enough light shining through the window for me to see his profile. He was lost in thought and was unaware that he was being observed.
I could sense his sadness that he’d lost his power, but it was faint. The connection between us had been severed when his grace had been stolen. Only a remnant remained. Soon, it would fade completely. I needed to restore him so I could feel that bond again. We might never be able to be together, but at least I’d always have a part of him with me.
I drifted off to sleep again and did
n’t have any memorable dreams. After breakfast, I joined Nathan in the room that had been his prison. I was relieved to see the chains were gone. There was no sign of the madness he’d suffered when he’d been trying to return to Vepar.
Crossing to the windows that overlooked the warehouse, I arrived just in time to see Vepar and a pack of six demons appear. They stood just outside the boundary where the angels had created their wards. Several angels were on patrol. It was obvious from their expressions that they knew who she was. Their bracelets enabled them to see the red auras of their enemies. It was now common knowledge that Vepar had a truce with Hagith. Instead of attacking them, one of the sentries darted inside to inform her leaders that they had company.
Seconds later, Hag and Orifice stepped outside. They crossed to the low concrete wall, but remained within the safety of their wards. They were too far away for me to be able to hear them. Nathan relayed what they were saying to me.
“Vepar wants Hagith to hand Leo over to her,” he reported. Hag shook her head adamantly. He didn’t bother to translate her words for me. They argued back and forth for a short while before the demons disappeared. “Vepar did not inform Hagith and Orifiel that you can now use holy fire as a weapon,” he said. “She merely said that you have acquired a dangerous power that could threaten us all.”
“Demons aren’t exactly known for their truthfulness,” I said dryly. “What excuse did she use for wanting to get a hold of Leo?”
“She wanted to use him as bait to lure you into a trap.”
“I’m kind of glad Hag is a hoarder now. She’d never willingly hand Leo over to them.” I wondered if her vessel was a hoarder. Maybe the tendency had rubbed off on the angel. I dismissed the thought as being irrelevant.
“If you believe you are up to it, I think you should rescue Leo today,” Nathan said. “Hagith and Orifiel will believe the demons are responsible if he disappears so soon after they asked for him.”
“Didn’t Vepar warn them about my ability to take on someone else’s appearance?”
He shook his head. “Demons prefer to keep knowledge to themselves. They only divulge it when it is in their best interests.”
“That’s going to work in my favor.” Their mistrustful natures were actually helpful for once.
“You might be able to change your appearance, but how are you going to get Leo out without him being recognized?” he asked.
“Sam could change both his and my appearance at the same time. Maybe I’ll be able to do the same thing.” Sophia and Elijah had filled Nathan in on everything he’d missed while he’d been in thrall to Vepar. He was up to speed on my new abilities, and the fact that I’d killed Zach. He hadn’t said anything about that yet. It wasn’t his style to gloat that his rival was dead.
We crossed the hall to the kitchen to find Sophia and Elijah drinking tea. The priest drank almost as much of the stuff as the clairvoyant did. “I need to test something,” I said and walked over to put my hand on Sophia’s shoulder. She obediently sat still while I used my new power to change my appearance. I appeared to grow a few inches taller and long graying brown hair fell to my waist. To me, Sophia looked like she had white hair. Since I was mimicking her vessel, she was who I looked like.
Letting go of Sophia, I touched Elijah’s shoulder and held my other hand out to Nathan. He took it and I concentrated hard. Firmly keeping Sophia’s face in my mind, I tried to project Elijah’s image onto Nathan.
It took several hours before I finally got the hang of it. When I did, I could only hold the illusion for thirty seconds. I was going to have to get Leo out quickly, or we’d both be caught again.
“You have made astounding progress,” Sophia told me as I sank down onto my seat tiredly.
“I don’t know how Sam managed to hold his illusions for so long,” I complained.
“He had four hundred years of practice,” Nathan reminded me.
Elijah finished making us both sandwiches and put a plate in front of me. “From what I’ve been told, Sam was only able to hold onto his images for a short while before he…” he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
“Died,” I said for him. “He’d almost reverted back to a human by then. It was a miracle he could still use his power at all.”
“He must have retained some of it if he was able to pass the ability on to you,” Sophia pointed out.
“Exactly how did Sam pass this gift on to you?” Nathan asked curiously.
“With a kiss,” I replied. Surprise flashed across his face, then it was replaced with momentary jealousy. “There was nothing romantic about it,” I said. “It was like kissing my brother.”
Appeased by my explanation, he left me to eat without pestering me with more questions like Leo would have. I missed Leo and couldn’t wait to get him back. I just hoped I could set him free without becoming a captive again myself.
Sophia watched me with a worried look. She waited for me to finish eating before voicing her concerns. “There is a possibility that you will set off their wards when you enter their property.”
“The wards are set to keep demons out, aren’t they?” She and Nathan both nodded. “Then I don’t think that will be a problem for me. Most of my legion are dead and the eight remaining lords are weak. I have three angels inside me now. I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to mask what I really am.” If I’d had my own soul, things might have been different. I wouldn’t know until after I had it back. For that to happen, I had to retrieve Nathan’s grace.
“If you are discovered, you will be given to Vepar again,” she reminded me.
“That’s fine,” I said with a shrug. “Thanks to the deal I made with her, she can’t hurt me anymore. I’ve been thinking about it and there’s a good chance that she can’t hand me over to another Demon Lord either. If she did, it would result in my being harmed. This means her hands are tied.” I grinned at their astonishment at how far reaching the bargain I’d made with her was. “The best part is that you’re all included in the deal.”
Nathan gave me an appraising look. “You are far craftier than I had realized.”
“I get it from my demonic half,” I said and took a sip of tea.
Elijah was the only one who looked slightly uncomfortable at the reminder of what I was. Sophia had known I was a Nephilim for over a year and Nathan had always known. Neither of them was bothered that I was half evil. Maybe because they’d only seen brief flashes of my darker side. Even when I’d been filled with demons, I hadn’t let them influence me for long. I was so stubborn that I was determined to be my own person. Nothing was going to dictate how my personality would be.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-One
I rested for a couple of hours. By late afternoon, I was ready to embark on my rescue mission. I received hugs from everyone and Nathan’s lasted the longest. “Be careful,” he murmured and released me reluctantly.
“I will,” I promised.
What I was about to do was horribly risky, but it was also necessary. My bracelet would be a dead giveaway of who I was. Instead of being gold, like the angels’ were, mine was scarlet. I pulled my sleeve over it to hide the color and headed downstairs for the backdoor.
In just a few minutes, angels would appear for a shift change. I intended to be waiting for them when a group of them returned from their patrol. First, I needed a disguise so I could approach their lair without being recognized.
Brushing against a man as he left the building, I assumed his image, complete with a white shirt and black suit. Hurrying around the corner, I crossed the road until I was directly in front of the warehouse where Leo was being held. I watched the angels on patrol from the corner of my eye. Making sure they were out of sight, I vaulted over the low concrete wall. I ran over to the building, pressed myself up against the wall and blended in with it. It was far easier to maintain an illusion when I remained in contact with the thing that I was emulating.
Moving slowly, I worked my way over to the corn
er near the entrance that the angels used the most often. Right on time, ten angels stepped outside and moved away from the wards before teleporting away. A few moments later, ten more returned from their patrol.
Most of the males wore somber suits. The females wore a variety of clothing from dresses to jeans and t-shirts. I waited for them to begin filing inside before I hurried around the corner. It was a simple matter to assume the appearance of one of the males. I followed them inside and headed straight for the door that led to the cells. It was closed and there were too many angels milling around for me to risk opening it. Only a select few had permission to enter.
Leaning against the wall, I blended in with it and shifted closer to the door. No one would notice me unless they bumped into me now. Looking around, I saw Hag and Orifice sitting on the chairs that appeared to be small thrones. They were listening to one of their minions as they reported in from their patrol. My hearing wasn’t enhanced, so her words were just a low murmur to me.
Seeing Hag’s haughty expression, and the slightly uncomfortable look on her sidekick’s face, I knew whose idea the pseudo thrones had been. Hagith’s need for power was growing. She was demonstrating her superiority to her minions by being raised above them and remaining seated while they had to stand. I wondered how she would react if she found out she was emulating the Demon Princes. The pedestal with the seven fragments of the object of power stood beside her right hand. She occasionally reached out to touch it, as if to reassure herself that it was still there.
Hearing footsteps approaching from behind the door, I turned my head just as it opened. An unfamiliar angel stepped out and I quickly slipped inside before the door swung shut. It was dark in the stairwell and I had to wait for a short while for my eyes to adjust. When I could see, I moved to the bottom of the stairs.
A single dull lightbulb illuminated the hallway ahead. The dirt floor muffled my footsteps. Glancing at the first door on the right, I shuddered when I thought of the punishment Nathan had suffered inside that cell. His grace had been stripped away and he’d been tortured by the two angels that I’d assimilated. I almost felt them shift in shame at what they’d done, but it was probably just my imagination.
