The Devil's Soldier

by Rachel McClellan

Liane tugged at the top and inhaled deeply. "This feels so weird doing this. I haven't been out in so long. I'm not sure I'm ready."

  "Are you having doubts? We could wait or think of something else. I know you've been through a lot."

  She shook her head. "We've all been through a lot, thanks to that evil monster. He needs to be stopped. Tonight."

  "Do you remember everything I told you about Lex?"

  Liane grabbed a purse from off of the counter. "He sounds like a real charmer. I can't wait to meet him."

  "Charlie, Rick, and Alana will be at the club with you in case you run into any problems."

  "I won't," Liane said. "I know how to speak to men like Boaz. You just be ready."

  "I will be."

  "What about Lucien? Is he going to get in the way?"

  "What do you mean?"

  Liane shrugged a little. "He just seems overprotective. I mean, doesn't he realize you're, like, the most powerful witch in the world? He doesn't give you enough credit."

  Eve shifted her weight, almost squirming at the edge in Liane's voice.

  "Seriously, Eve. I don't know how you put up with it. You could do whatever you want, but I think Lucien holds you back."

  "That's not true at all," Eve said, surprised by Liane's opinion of a relationship she barely knew.

  "Sorry. I'm not trying to be mean, but he sat outside your room last night. Obsessive much?"

  "It's not like that."

  Liane walked by her toward the front door. "Whatever. Just think about it. We better get going."

  Eve stared after her in shock. Was there any truth to her limited observation of her relationship with Lucien? Is there something Eve didn't see?

  Liane turned around. "Are you coming?"

  Eve grabbed the duffle bag of supplies from off the floor. "Right behind you."

  They all loaded into the back of the van parked behind the Deific. The night was warm and the humidity in the air left a sticky film on Eve's skin. She slid in next to Lucien, who took her hand. Liane sat across from her, her gaze focused on their locked hands. Eve gripped Lucien's tighter. Liane better get used to seeing them together.

  Charlie swiveled around from behind the steering wheel. "Everyone in?"

  Rick closed the door. "All set."

  Charlie started the engine and pulled away from the curb. Alana reached over from the passenger seat and turned on the radio to a blaring rock station. She propped one leg up on the dash and tapped her hand to the beat upon her knee. It was as if she was driving to the gas station for a Slurpee, instead of nearing the most dangerous man on the planet.

  Eve, on the other hand, was terrified despite her confidence in the plan. It had been years since she last saw Boaz, and even though she had grown much stronger, she feared his dark power that she had once been drawn to. Her pulse beat fast, and she knew Lucien could hear its frantic rhythm. He kept glancing over at her all worried like.

  Henry sat on the other side of Lucien, staring straight ahead. Every part of him was tense, the way a soldier looked before battle. Henry had reluctantly agreed to help as long as his identity remained concealed to Boaz. Eve knew this was because he didn't think her plan would work, but if for some small reason it didn't, then Henry could still be their secret weapon against Boaz.

  If this plan failed…

  Eve didn't mean to, but she gasped for air at the thought of turning into Alarica again.

  "Are you okay?" Lucien whispered in her ear.

  Eve avoided Liane's quizzical stare from across from her and nodded at Lucien.

  Twenty minutes later, Charlie parked the car. "This is our stop. We're about three block from Eclipse."

  Eve followed Liane out of the van, along with the others. She gave Liane a big hug. "Be safe. I mean it."

  Liane squeezed her back. "I will, just promise me you'll end this."

  "I promise." Eve let her go.

  "Good. And when this is all over, you and I can be proper witch sisters again. We'll travel the world together just like we always talked about."

  Eve smiled.

  "Eve?" Charlie asked, a few feet away near the passenger door of the van.

  She turned to him. "What's wrong?"

  His forehead was creased with worry. He took two steps to her and wrapped his arms around her. "This is going to be so hard for you. You still have a powerful connection with Boaz, but don't let it control you. Think of something else. Lucien, the Deific, anything."

  Eve let him go, dread sinking to her gut. "Are you sensing something?"

  "Just be careful." Charlie stuck his head in the van's open window and said to Lucien, who had moved behind the steering wheel, "Don't let her forget how important she is to you."

  "Let's go already," Alana called. She was already halfway down the block.

  Charlie smiled at them both, then hurried after Liane and Rick, who weren't far behind Alana.

  Eve inhaled an unsteady breath before moving into the passenger seat next to Lucien. Any fears she had before were now amplified. Her hands were shaking so bad she didn't dare reach for her seatbelt, giving herself away to Lucien and Henry. She had to appear strong even though she was about to face the devil.

  18

  Lucien glanced sideways at Eve as they drove to the cabin located about a hundred miles outside of the city. She was staring out the passenger window and hadn't said a word since she had gotten into the car. He didn't want to say anything for fear of making her more nervous, but he was really concerned by how white her knuckles had become as she clung to the side of the seat.

  Henry hadn't spoken either, but Lucien didn't care. He was still mad at Henry for not telling him about Boaz and the necklace a lot sooner. The whole time he was training him on blocking Boaz, Henry knew that none of it would matter unless Eve was able to restore Boaz's powers.

  Henry had lied to him, and that lie could have made Eve make a decision that could destroy her life. There was always more than one way to solve a problem. Lucien would destroy every last one of Boaz's minions if he had to. That would at least put an end to Boaz's plan. Sure he'd still live, but so would Eve.

  The night was especially warm, almost suffocating. He would've turned the air conditioning on full blast, but he was afraid of chilling Eve. The moon was full and its light illuminated the road in a silver haze. He tried to stay focused on the light, not the darkness they were driving toward.

  Charlie's last words to him about making sure Eve doesn't forget how important she was to him almost had him driving Eve in the opposite direction. Lucien didn't understand the strange connection she had with Boaz. He was pure evil, nothing good about him. How could she be drawn to that?

  Lucien glanced at her again. She shifted her position, turning away from him a little more.

  Damnit!

  He quickly shifted his gaze back toward the road. He was making her uncomfortable, and she could probably sense his confusion. He needed to let this go and just keep her safe. The past was in the past. Eve was with him now.

  A wave of intense emotion washed over him as he remembered their morning together. Nothing and no one could ever break that love. He slid his hand over to Eve and gently hooked his fingers with hers. She squeezed them once and closed her eyes. Air escaped her chest, and her shoulders dropped.

  "We're almost there," Henry said from the backseat. "Take your next right."

  Lucien followed the rest of Henry's directions until they turned up on a windy, dirt road that finally ended at a small cabin, its green metal roof shining in the moonlight. Lucien turned off the car, but no one moved. The air felt cold and pressurized, as if someone had trapped them in a meat locker.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" Henry asked.

  Eve undid her seatbelt. "It's the only way."

  She was the first one out of the car. Lucien followed after and helped her remove all of the supplies from the back of the SUV. Henry finally followed them toward the small cabin, but he stopped just before they went in.<
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  "You know I can't go in there," he said. "Boaz can't see me."

  Eve turned around, sighing. "This is going to work, Henry. Please, we need you."

  Henry glanced behind him, toward the shelter of the dark forest. "I can help you from the woods. I won't be far."

  "You're afraid," Lucien said and balled his hands into fists. He didn't mean to be confrontational, but he was sick of him always using his desire for anonymity to avoid fighting. They were ready to face Boaz. Why wasn't he?

  Henry appeared in front of him faster than he could blink. His expression turned dark, and fangs elongated in his mouth. "There is a history you don't understand, boy, nor do I have to explain it to you."

  Eve stepped between them. "It's fine. Just don't go too far. And remember to say the words I taught you when you hear me speak them. Got it?"

  Henry flashed Lucien a dangerous look before disappearing into the dark.

  "Let's go inside," Eve said. "We don't have much time."

  Lucien stared after Henry before following Eve into the cabin. He didn't know exactly what had happened between Boaz and the four original witch families, but if Henry, the most powerful vampire Lucien knew, was frightened, maybe he and Eve should reevaluate their plan.

  Eve used the light from her cell phone to locate a bunch of candles within a kitchen cupboard. Lucien helped her illuminate them all over the cabin. It was an open floor plan with thick wood posts down the center. Its kitchen was a quarter the size of a large living room. River rock extended from the twenty-foot ceiling all the way down and around a wide fireplace. There was a small loft; its railing overlooked the living room. Lucien would hide up there, but he wondered if that was even necessary. Surely Boaz would sense him.

  "Help me push the furniture to the side," Eve said as she pulled an antique-looking coffee table into the kitchen.

  Lucien dragged a sofa to the window and pilled the rest of the room's sparse furniture on top of it while Eve dumped the contents of her bag onto the wooden floor. She picked up a thick piece of chalk and drew a wide pentagram across the floor. Candlelight flickered through the room, casting shadows in all directions. Eve looked confident in this light. Her motions were sure and smooth.

  When she was finished, she handed Lucien a small jar. "Dip your finger in this and smear it around the circle."

  "What is it?"

  "Bear blood. I'll do the same with the spider and bat blood." She picked up another jar of blood and dipped her finger into it.

  Lucien copied her. "It's going to be hard to get Boaz to stay in this circle."

  "He won't need to," Eve said, swiping her finger across the floor. "When we inject him with the same animal blood as what we are using now, it will automatically transport him inside this circle. Blood to blood." She wiped stray hairs away from her face with the back of her hand. "Do you remember the words you're supposed to say once he is trapped?"

  Lucien smeared more blood onto the floor. "They are seared into my brain."

  "Good. When the time is right, say them over and over until Boaz is unconscious. Use every ounce of concentration you have. This magic is powerful and dark. Don't let it overwhelm you."

  "Are you worried it will do that to you?"

  Eve used the last of the blood to close the circle. She straightened and stared down at the red symbol, firelight casting shadows across her face.

  "I'm ready for this," she said.

  Lucien wasn't so sure, though. Her trembling hands spoke a different truth. He crossed the room and pulled her to him, cradling her small frame.

  "I won't let anything happen to you," he said. "We are more powerful together remember?"

  She nodded against his chest and inhaled deeply.

  "Just remember that I love you," he added.

  She looked up at him, trying to smile through her fear. "And I you."

  Lucien leaned in to kiss her, but stopped when a wolf howled in the distance.

  Eve's whole body tensed. "He's here."

  19

  Lucien gripped Eve’s arms. "You can do this. Soon this will all be over."

  She couldn't move, couldn't respond. Boaz was coming. With his wolf, Hunwald.

  "Eve!" Lucien squeezed tighter until the pain focused her attention.

  She gasped, her mind snapping back to focus. "I'm okay. Go. Hide upstairs. And take this."

  She reached into her pocket and handed him a small syringe filled with blood. She looked up into his eyes. "Don't miss."

  "Eve—"

  "Just go." She pushed him away, afraid he might say something that would make her falter, like offering to meet Boaz himself while she ran away.

  She turned from Lucien as he hurried up the ladder to the loft above. Her heart pounded mercilessly, each beat threatening to shatter her rib cage. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

  Focus.

  She couldn't let Boaz into her mind. It would take all her strength for the spell to work.

  She called upon it now, the magic already burning inside her. When it filled her entirety, she walked to the window and opened it wide to the cool night air. A breeze rushed in, lifting her hair and caressing her skin, igniting a different kind of fire, one she hadn't felt in a long time. She used to mistake that feeling for passion and love, but now she recognized it for what it was—an attraction to dark magic.

  Boaz had sent it before him as if to tease her. Before it could entice her any further, she whispered, "Remetior."

  The dark energy receded seeming to take the warm air in the room with it. A shadow in the distance caught her attention. Near the tree line. A masculine figure stood tall, long black jacket flapping in the wind around him. And next to him, a lone wolf. They didn't move. Neither did Eve.

  The pressure in the air changed suddenly and became electric. What was he doing? Was he waiting for her to invite him in?

  Eve took a step back from the window. Still, Boaz didn't move.

  The dark magical energy returned, a wind more forceful than the last. It rushed in through the window and swirled around her. Its touch against her skin lit a warmth throughout her body, taking away her breath. She tried to repel it, but it became more forceful and more focused. The wind turned to mist, and the mist to fog. Long finger-like appendages stretched from the dark cloud and hovered through the air toward her.

  Instead of stopping him, she decided to go with whatever he was going to do. Maybe if he could trust her, even a little bit, he would let his guard down.

  She didn't resist, even when the smoky fingers caressed their way up her arm and to the hollow of her neck. It paused there, as if waiting for some kind of reaction. She lifted her gaze to the window. Boaz's hand was raised, as if he was controlling the hand in the fog. His fingers spread as did the moist appendages touching her throat. Then, slowly, they slid around her neck and squeezed. Not hard enough to cause pain, but enough for a pleasurable chill to erupt all over body as memories of their time together flooded her mind. Boaz must have noticed, because there was a glint of his teeth in the moonlight as he smiled.

  Eve returned the smile ever so slightly, even though she felt like vomiting. He thought he was in control, exactly what she wanted.

  She raised her own hand and bade him inside. He didn't move, but Hunwald turned around and disappeared into the forest. The grip on her neck clamped down, surprising her. Maybe she wasn't as in control as she thought.

  She opened her mouth to once again to expel the dark energy, but before she could, the fog's hand released her neck and spiraled into her mouth and down the dark corridor of her throat. Her eyes widened and fear squeezed her chest.

  The thing was inside her, clawing and scraping at whatever it could, but she was too panicked to do anything about it. She dropped to her knees, struggling more to get away from the searing internal pain than any effort to breathe.

  "Remetior," Lucien yelled from the loft. He jumped down next to her just as the fog shot from the house. The window slammed shut behind it.


  Eve coughed, spraying blood across the floor. It took her three more hard coughs and several swallows of blood before her throat finally healed.

  Lucien was on his knees in front of her, his muscles tight and eyes burning in anger.

  "Better?" he asked, when she could finally get air into her lungs.

  She nodded weakly and lowered her head. They had failed. She was about to say that much to Lucien when he straightened.

  "I'm going to kill him," he said. He disappeared before she could stop him.

  She scrambled to the opened door and yelled into the night, "Lucien!"

  Only an empty darkness responded. He was gone.

  She whirled around, her breathing coming quick. What had she done? She had toyed with Boaz, thinking she could lure him in, but instead he had played her. Now what? Had she really been about to give up? Maybe that's what Boaz had wanted. Maybe he had planted the thought somehow. Or maybe she was too afraid to face him…

  She shook her head. She had come here for one purpose—to destroy Boaz. Her life and so many others depended upon it.

  She had to fix this. No more games. Just destroy Boaz.

  20

  Lucien exploded through the forest as a dark blur, racing in and out of trees. His senses were acutely aware of Boaz's presence still lurking in the forest. He turned left, dipping in and out of a steep ravine, and stopped at the top of the ridge. He was sure Boaz had gone this way, but now felt nothing.

  A breeze blew and within it Lucien sensed a hint of magic. To his right. He hurried back down the ravine and followed a worn, narrow trail most likely used by deer and other woodland creatures. He stopped again when the trail turned cold.

  He lifted his head to the night sky, trying to hear and feel the gentle vibrations in the wind. Back to his left. He hurried quickly. He must not lose Boaz. It was time to make him pay for everything he had done to Eve.

  Lucien continued to chase the wind, back and forth, never seeming to get a grasp on Boaz's exact location. That's when he stopped. Boaz was toying with him, a cat with its prey.

  Lucien closed his eyes and concentrated hard, ignoring the wind's gentle tug on his natural senses. There was only one sense he needed to focus on now—his sixth. And magic would help him do it.