Demon Soul

by Christine Ashworth

  "Why not?" A frown gathered between her eyes and she tossed the fireball from hand to hand. "We don't like that place. We can get rid of it. Easy. Just, poof!"

  "There are people to save in there, Rose," he said. Sweat beaded on his face and he wondered how much longer he could hang onto her.

  She tilted her head. "Then let's go in and save them. The demons are gone. Come on, Gabriel, let's go be big bad demons together."

  Her hands squashed the fireball and she streaked to the open door of the club, as fast as any fire. Gabriel roared a challenge. She turned to him and grinned, did a little dance in the doorway. "Come on!"

  Gabriel changed into his demon, his heart in his throat. He caught sight of Danny's eye on him. Focusing, he took the time to tell him the plan. "We go to save the weres." He moved to the back door of Twisted.

  The place stank of vampire. Gabriel grumbled low in his throat as he followed Rose's scent of smoke and sunshine down the stairs, traceable among the heavier scent of vampire that clogged at the back of his throat. As a human, he had a difficult time with the stairwell. As a demon, he hated it—too enclosed, the steps too small for his feet, yet he followed her.

  Found her. With her demon strength she broke open the locks. All the doors stood open on the floor, but only three of them had held prisoners. She stood now in front of one of the doors, her head cocked to one side, little flames licking along the edges of her hair. "It's okay," he heard her say. "You can come out. We're the good guys."

  Gabriel gave off a rumble that might have been laughter. She turned his way and grinned as Danny came up behind them. He looked into the room where Rose stood and cried out.

  The woman, thin, pregnant and naked, cringed against the back wall, blinking in Rose's light. Seeing Danny, she flung herself to the floor and crawled toward him, whimpering.

  "No, Rebekah. Please. Let's just go. Let’s go." Danny stripped off his tee shirt and gave it to the woman, who put it on gratefully.

  They heard a clatter on the stairs and tensed. Gabriel tucked Rose behind him and Danny and Rebekah ducked back into the room, but only Kellan, Sig and Favor came into sight.

  "Good to see you," rumbled Gabriel, and Danny and Rebekah came out. Favor, his eyes blazing, ran to the woman and hugged her, hard. He lifted her into his arms and took her outside. Sig and Danny went into the other two rooms, brought out equally disoriented and distraught females in varying stages of pregnancy.

  The seven of them escaped up the stairs. Rose turned deeper into the building and Gabriel grabbed her arm, concerned at how thin her aura felt. She'd be running on adrenalin. He couldn't let her reach Satine, not now. He needed to get her to safety before she burned herself up. He drew her into his arms, careful his claws didn’t scratch her.

  "No."

  She pouted at him over her shoulder. "But why not?"

  "No time. The kill must be up close, personal." He bared his teeth and appealed to her demon senses. "They deserve nothing less." He pulled her along up the stairs and to the street, one arm circling her shoulders, the contact soothing both of them. "Besides, we need to get you to Doc Cavanaugh. The rest of us will handle it."

  Artlessly, she tipped her head, her fiery orange eyes holding curiosity. "But I want to do it. I want to kill them. They are bad."

  "You can't kill." His heart froze at the thought of it.

  "I can, too." They burst into the sun, to the almost empty parking lot. "I'm as powerful as you are. Maybe more. You just don't want me to be strong, do you? No one ever wants me to be strong. I'm not stupid, you know. I'm not weak."

  Gabriel glanced at her. "I never said that you were."

  The others had left, and Chazz lay dead on the ground, parts of him smoking but with no actual flame anywhere to be seen. The neighborhood dogs still howled.

  She staggered as her feet touched the ground again. The tears fell, quenching the flames in her eyes. "No one wants me to be strong and powerful. But I am. And the day will come when I will be on top, I promise you that." Rose turned to Gabriel, her face fierce. "I will force you to respect me. Then I will save you."

  She changed shape as she spoke, the flames subsiding as she shed her demon skin for her human one.

  "I do respect you, you have all my respect. You are amazing, and handling this whole thing with a lot of grace." Gabriel shifted to human as well, gritting his teeth at the usual aching of his head. "But it's time to get to safety." Gabriel gripped her shoulders, her body growing cold under his hands. "Rose." He shook her gently, startled at the dullness in her eyes. "Rose, stay with me. Rose, damn it! Don't you leave me now."

  “You need me, Gabriel. Let me in. Please.” She slumped into him. Gabriel swore under his breath and swung her up into his arms.

  Sirens sounded in the distance. Swearing again, Gabriel took to the back alleyways on a demon-speed run. The last thing they needed at this point was to be stopped by the cops.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rose pressed her face to the glass and watched her body in the hospital bed below. "Déjà vu all over again," she said, and sighed. Only this time, Gabriel Caine held her hand. This time, someone cared.

  She clenched her fists against the glass. "Damn it, I don't want to die."

  "Then don't."

  Rose whirled, eyes wide, to see who had spoken.

  He wasn't as tall as the demons she'd grown used to. Rather he was thin and wiry, barely six feet. His naked torso, a reddish brown, rippled with muscles that disappeared intriguingly into a pair of loose black pants. His black hair was short and spiky and his eyes flickered orange. She stared at him, strangely attracted.

  "Who are you?"

  He smiled. "Mephisto. The demon on your belly."

  She absorbed the punch of his sex appeal even as she recoiled in disbelief. "What do you want with me?"

  "You are my first Soul Chalice." He gestured to her stomach. "The spiral is my home."

  "Why?"

  He sent her a quizzical look. "Why what?"

  "Why me, why here, why are you doing all of this? Or am I just going nuts? That's it. I must be going crazy. I must be dreaming."

  "I'm just lending you my power. I'm not taking you over," he said. "Though I must admit it's proven to be much more entertaining than the last time I inhabited a human. Your innocent delight in what I take for granted is…refreshing."

  "But why are we here?" Rose gestured around to the waiting area she recognized from her coma.

  "It seemed to be the safest way to talk to you."

  “So, I’m not about to die?”

  “Not right now, no.”

  Too many questions trembled on her tongue. He was the source of her powers. He gave her the gift of fire. "How do we separate, you and me? I mean, how will you eventually move on to the next girl?"

  Regret flashed across his face. "Usually the host dies."

  "Does the host have to die?" Fear pooled in her stomach.

  "No. Not always. It takes a strong mind and a pure heart to survive, though." He sent her a smoldering smile again. "People like that are kind of hard to find."

  "But not impossible," said Rose. Her mind worked at a rapid pace. "You have knowledge. I need some answers. I need to kill a vampire. How should I do it?"

  The demon shrugged, strolled over to the window to look at the hospital scene below. "Cut off the head. Cut out the heart. Burn the two."

  Rose flinched. "I'm not that good with knives. What if we just went with fire?"

  Mephisto turned to face her. "You could burn yourself out trying to kill a vampire. Are you sure you want to take that risk?"

  "You'll be with me. If I burn myself out, would that also kill you, since the spiral will also get burned?"

  Uncertainty crossed the demon's face. "I don't know."

  "So." Rose tapped her fingers on the window ledge. "You are on my body for the duration, meaning until I die. But before I die, I have to save Gabriel’s soul, and kill the vampire. If you don't want to die along with me, then
I guess you'll either have to jump ship or help me kill the vampire." She looked at the demon. “What’s it going to be?”

  “That's the other part that continues to surprise me. You are here to save Gabriel Caine, and the last time I possessed a woman I did my best to kill him.” He chuckled. "It's amusing, how the world turns."

  “Why did you try to kill him before?”

  Mephisto looked at her with surprise. “If attacked, will you not defend yourself?”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  “He attacked me. I responded. Simple.”

  “Not simple. You killed his girlfriend.”

  “No.” Mephisto frowned. “The past holds little interest for me, but I will tell you that ultimately it was Marianne who killed Marianne. Tell me why you want to end this vampire so badly.”

  “I’m carrying a part of Gabriel’s soul for him, but I’ve got to get the rest. The stupid vampire stole it from him and he’s pissed off,” she confided.

  “I can see why.” He shook his head. “So I am helping to save Gabriel Caine. Fate works in funny ways.”

  “I want to kill the vampire, but I’m guessing I’ll need you to leave me first in order for you to help me. Two of us being stronger than one.”

  His eyes sharpened on her. "If I leave you, there’s no guarantee I’ll help you, and you won't have my fire abilities to kill the vampire." He raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound like a good battle plan to me."

  "Ah, but that's if I were trying to get rid of you. You don’t have to leave. I'd much rather you help me kill the vampire. Please?" Rose took a step forward, put her hand on his arm. “It means everything to me.”

  Mephisto stared at his arm where her fingers rested. "That's a first. No one has ever said please to me before." He moved away from her as a tiny frown gathered between his eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that you are going to be more trouble than I'd originally expected?"

  Rose shrugged. "I haven't a clue," she said. "Tell me about Soul Chalices. What are they, what good are they? And can I stop being one if I want?"

  * * *

  Mephisto put aside his niggling doubts and crossed his legs, sitting on a cushion of air. "No, you can't stop being one. Soul Chalices are always paired with Soul Stealers. Sometimes the two are within the confines of a family, but they are always within the same continent. It's not unusual for them to target each other, if they figure it out."

  "I was told the legends were lost in time. That no one remembers what a Soul Chalice or a Soul Stealer really is, other than tall tales for a stormy night."

  Mephisto watched the pretty vessel. When he tried, he could see the partial soul of the one she loved. He searched for hers to no avail. The thought she might be missing her soul distracted him to the point he barely knew what he was saying. "A chalice is what?" If only he had his own soul. He'd been searching for millennia.

  Rose pressed her lips together. "A chalice is a cup."

  "Or to use an older word, a vessel. In your case, you are a vessel for needy souls. Sometimes the souls need a rest outside of their bodies; sometimes they need healing. At other times they need a hiding place while waiting for the right escort. You provide these functions. Soul Stealers, however, steal souls to gain power. They hang onto them until their own soul turns black. When a Soul Stealer dies, the souls they've collected just disappear. They don't go either to Hell or Heaven, or Purgatory. They are wiped away and can never be reincarnated. Unless a Soul Chalice, or another Soul Stealer, happens to be nearby."

  "And when I die?"

  Mephisto shook himself back to awareness. Rose's face was tight with panic. "When you die, the souls you may carry at the time all go to heaven, along with yours. Simple, really, the job you do. Except, my dear, your soul seems to be missing."

  He watched as the knowledge acted like a punch to her heart. She gasped a little for breath, and took a couple staggered steps toward him. “My soul is missing?” She gripped his arm.

  He shrugged apologetically. “It seems so.”

  “Satine. Damn her.”

  “I will tell you that if a Soul Stealer can steal a Soul Chalice’s soul, it takes divine intervention for the Soul Chalice to be able to harbor souls. And from the looks of it, you’ve had that divine intervention.” He patted her hand. “Soul Chalices cannot end up in Purgatory. I’m not entirely sure how you got there without a soul,” he mused.

  "What do I get from the whole thing? I don’t understand.”

  "You get wisdom, and time. Your lifespan grows longer with every soul you hold, no matter for how long. Which is good, since you're bound to the tribred down there," he added, chuckling.

  "But why would living a long time matter? And what do you mean, bound to him?" Rose pushed the hair out of her eyes. "Explain it to me. But slowly, because I’m still panicked about Satine having my soul."

  Mephisto looked at her, and a small part of him fell in love. She had so much potential. "It's called the tribred effect. Tribreds live a long time, longer than your average human. You, as a Soul Chalice, will also live a long life. You don’t have to have a soul to survive, but it makes life easier. That, by the way, was why you fell into drugs. You almost didn’t have a choice.

  “As for you and Gabriel, the two of you are well matched and you are not for me, more's the pity." He did a back flip and landed on his feet. "And now it's time to rejoin the living. Shall we?" He crooked his arm to her, wanting her touch.

  Rose stepped back, alarm crossing her face. “Wait. Gabriel doesn't want me. And I'm not totally sure I want him, not in a bound-to-him way. That sounds, um, rather final."

  Mephisto's heart clenched, a painful jolt as he remembered his own once-human life. "Oh, it is most definitely final. I advise you to go ahead and let yourself fall in love with him. It won't hurt you, as Gabriel is almost there himself. If a bound pair is separated before their time, the loss to them both is incalculable. I can’t believe that will happen to you."

  Rose sniffed. "That's easy for you to say. You've never had your heart broken."

  "You think not?" Mephisto rubbed his chest absently. "My heart was broken a thousand times before your great-grandfather walked the earth." He let the pain swim through him and managed to give her a smile. "We really must leave. They're getting worried about you."

  "You haven’t told me whether or not you’ll help me kill the vampire,” she protested. “Or how I’m supposed to get my soul back.”

  Mephisto gave her another half-hearted smile. “We’ll have to leave it to Fate,” he said. “She seems to be firmly in your corner, though, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Now it’s time to get you back where you belong. Gabriel worries about you. Come.

  * * *

  Mephisto took Rose's hand and pointed toward the hospital bed. It seemed to Rose that they just floated through the walls and down into the room. She settled back into her body and sighed in relief. No pain this time around. She felt nothing but a nice floaty sensation.

  Rose's floating came to an abrupt end.

  There you are. I've been looking for you.

  She frowned as Satine's voice eased into her consciousness. I don’t want to talk to you.

  I know. But here we are. You will bring the Caine clan to me. Satine's voice made Rose colder than ever. She shivered slightly. The scent of lilies wafted in the air, mingled with a faintly familiar antiseptic flavor.

  The hell I will. Why would I do that?

  Because I want you to. Because you want to please me. Because I will kill you, and them, if you don't. Reasons enough?

  I suppose. Warmth stole through her hand, and she recognized it as Gabriel. Gabriel held it, kissed it, and slowly the warmth pushed away the chill of Satine. Rose reached a careful tendril of thought toward Gabriel, pulled him in.

  Good. Bring the Caines to me tonight. I owe them for killing Chazz.

  I'm in the hospital, Satine. Not sure I'll even be walking by tonight. Chazz wasn't exactly a saint. Rose opened her eyes, looked at Gabriel
and tightened her hand in his as she waited for Satine's answer.

  And now he's dead. You will pay for that. I'll contact you. Keep your mind open— or you will regret it. I'll make sure of it.

  The contact broke off and Rose shuddered. She searched Gabriel's face. "Gabriel. I'm so cold." At the look on his face she let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm not asking to have your baby. I'm just asking you to warm me up."

  Relief filled her as he climbed up into the bed and held her close to his chest.

  "How did you do that?"

  "What?" She pressed herself closer to him.

  "How did you bring me in to hear the conversation between the two of you? That's not supposed to happen. And it didn't hurt."

  Rose shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought I should. Figured it would save some time."

  "Damn Satine for using you."

  "There’s more," she said, her teeth chattering. "Somehow, she stole my soul. That’s why I got into the drugs. The sex. It was almost inevitable."

  His arms tightened around her briefly. “It wasn’t your fault. That must be comforting.”

  “Yes. I’m coming to terms with it.” She breathed him in, snuggled deeper into his arms. “’With understanding comes forgiveness.’ Who said that?”

  “I’m not sure. You know, if I had resisted her at the beginning, you wouldn't be in this position." Regret laced his voice.

  She smiled against his chest, inhaled the spicy scent that was his. "She is a Soul Stealer and I am a Soul Chalice. Our story started long ago. We were bound to meet again, bound to try to neutralize each other.”

  “I guess so. We’ll have to write the manual.”

  “Ha ha. So when are you springing me from this place?"

  “Soon. Oh, and I got you a present. A cell phone. To help you feel safe.”

  “Thanks.” No one had ever cared about Rose’s safety before. The surprise brought a wave of emotion with it. “I’ve never had a cell phone.”

  “Oh please, don’t cry,” Gabriel said. “Tissue. Where’s tissue?”