The Devil's Soldier

by Rachel McClellan

  Charlie and Rick slid him into the back of the limo where Lucien shook profusely.

  "What's wrong with him?" Eve asked. Her voice sounded like she was speaking through a pillow, but at least he could hear her. She was leaning over him, her eyes brimming with tears, but they had yet to spill over.

  "I don't know," Charlie said. He lifted the bloodied jacket pressed to his neck. "The bite is already healing."

  "It's poison," Liane said from somewhere within the car. "I've seen it before. The wolf's bite has some sort of a toxin in it."

  Eve asked, "Will it kill him?"

  Nobody answered.

  "Let's just get back." Charlie peered out the window. "I think it's going to take a while."

  Lucien wasn't sure what he meant by that. His hearing was still muting sounds to the outside.

  A few seconds later, Lucien heard Charlie pressing buttons on his phone, then, "Hey, Adam. I want you to look up everything we have on poison from a wolf's bite, a supernatural bite." He paused for a few seconds. "I don't have a specific name. Look, just see what you can find. Lucien's been bit by some kind of supernatural wolf, and he's having a really bad reaction. I need to know how to fix it. See you soon."

  "Have you heard of anything like this before?" Eve asked. She ran her warm hand across Lucien's forehead. It soothed him and helped him focus on calling his magic. There had to be a way to free himself.

  "Not me, but maybe someone else has," Charlie answered.

  "Was it a bomb?" Liane asked. She was looking outside along with Rick and Joanne. Whatever was going on, it was drawing everyone's attention.

  Charlie didn't look back at her. "At the convention center. It looks bad. I'll find out more when we get back."

  "And Alana?" Eve asked.

  "She hasn't responded yet."

  No one said anything else after that. Lucien used the time to focus on specific parts of his body. Maybe he could use magic to push the poison from his system, but by the time the limo finally stopped, he was no closer than before to being able to free himself from the paralysis. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. Great waves of pain would wash over him every minute or so, and some of them were so bad he was afraid he would break his teeth from clamping his jaw too hard.

  "Oh, Lucien," Eve whispered while the others exited the car. "I can feel your hurt. I know you're trying to fight it, but it's only causing more pain."

  "We need to move him, Eve," Charlie said from the open door.

  "Just a second." She leaned back over him. "I know you're not going to like this, but it will give your body a chance to rest for a short time while we figure out what's wrong with you. I love you, and I'll be here when you wake."

  Lucien's eyes widened. She better not knock him out. He needed to be alert, to keep trying to free himself. He needed—

  Eve waved a hand across his face and whispered, "Somno."

  Whether he liked it or not, Lucien was falling asleep.

  ***

  Lucien's eyelids snapped open. Eve! He glanced around… or, really, just his eyeballs moved. The rest of him seemed to be frozen. He grunted and tried to move again, but it was useless.

  "Rest," Eve said and came to his side. "You've been through a lot."

  "What's wrong with me?" His throat was raw, and he tasted blood on his tongue.

  "Henry said it is part of the wolf's magic. When he bit you, a toxin, magical in nature, flowed into you and caused your whole body to shut down."

  "How long have I been out?"

  "Almost twenty-four hours."

  "How do I fix it?"

  Eve hesitated. "Time. Henry thinks you'll be able to move within twenty-four more hours."

  "A whole day!" Lucien grunted. "I don't have time for this."

  Eve pressed her palm to his cheek, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a pain-filled smile. Her eyes were puffy and red. "It's probably better this way."

  "What are you talking about?" He didn't like the tone of her voice. "Get Charlie. I want to see him."

  "He's busy. The world has changed overnight." Her eyes misted.

  "What happened?"

  "Dozens of people were killed in the explosion yesterday. The President was one of them."

  Lucien was quiet, realizing what this meant. A Supernatural, and possibly a dangerous one, was going to be the new President of the United States of America.

  "But that's not all," Eve said. Her bottom lip quivered. "The monastery where I stayed, where Dmitri lived… it was destroyed in an explosion, too. There were no survivors."

  It took a moment for her words to sink in. This was one of the worst things that could've happened.

  Lucien worried what it would drive Eve to do. "I'm so sorry, Eve."

  A single tear trailed down her cheek. "This could have been prevented."

  Lucien didn't like the tone of her voice. It had turned dark again. "You can't know that."

  Her gaze met his. "Boaz needs to be destroyed, and there's only one way to make that possible."

  Lucien attempted to move again, but pain shot up his spine. He growled in frustration. "Have you been talking to Henry? Because he's wrong. There's another option. We just have to find it."

  Eve rested her hand on top of his. "We can't wait anymore. Please don't worry. I've accepted my fate."

  "Get me Charlie." He glanced to the door and yelled, "Charlie!"

  A tear escaped Eve's eye. Then another. "Just promise you'll kill him." She hesitated over her next words. "And me, too, if necessary."

  "Enough!" He eyed the doorway again. "Charlie!"

  Where was he? Charlie was the only one who could stop her. He grunted again in frustration at his inability to move his body.

  "I love you so much, Lucien. I only wish we had more time." She bent down and kissed him on the forehead.

  "Stop this, Eve. Right now. You are not going to leave. You wouldn't leave me, not after doing it once already. I couldn't bare it!" He didn't mean to sound so desperate, but his heart was about to break in pieces all over again.

  "I'm so sorry, but I don't have a choice! If I can prevent one more death, I have to go." She stood slowly. The motion seemed to take her great effort.

  "Charlie!" Lucien yelled again. "Damnit!"

  She backed up toward the door. "Find me, Lucien."

  "Wait!"

  Eve hesitated.

  "Marry me." It was all he had left.

  Her eyebrows lifted. "What?"

  "I was going to propose last night," he said, his words coming fast. "I know it seems silly for people like us, but I want to be with you for time and all eternity."

  Eve stumbled forward, tears falling and smiling big, as if to come to him, but she stopped a mere foot away and a look of horror crossed her face. "What am I doing? I can't. Please understand."

  Before he could say another word, she turned and bolted for the door.

  "No!" Lucien cried. "Come back! Eve!"

  He waited a few breaths, listening to the sounds of her footsteps running the opposite direction, before he yelled again, this time for Charlie. He thrashed on the small bed, but the thrashing was only in his head.

  Some time passed, but it might as well have been forever. Eve was gone and she wasn't coming back. That meant only one thing:

  The next time he saw her, she would be Alarica, and they were going to fight.

  27

  Eve ran down the long hall as fast as she could, breathing hard. If she hesitated for just a second, Lucien's cries would pierce her resolve and she would return to him. She had to push him and his proposal from her mind. It was the only way.

  Charlie was at the door leading to outside, his lips pressed tightly together.

  "Don't try and stop me," she said, her voice pleading. She wiped the tears from her cheek with the back of her hand.

  "As much as I want to, I can't. I know what needs to happen."

  "Thank you," she said, and her shoulders slumped forward. "I don't have the strength to say no
to both of you. And please apologize to Liane."

  Charlie pulled her in for a tight hug. In a low voice, he said, "I want you to know that you healed me. After my wife's death, I never thought I could be happy again, but then you came into my life. And then there's Lucien. Don't tell him this, but I think of him as a brother. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for the two of you."

  Eve released him and narrowed her eyes, a sinking feeling growing in her gut. "Why are you saying all of this?"

  He smiled. "It's nothing. Just know that I love you, and that I am happy with my life."

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he pushed her gently. "Go. Now, before Lucien finds a way to free himself."

  "He's going to hate you."

  "Don't worry about me. Just stay safe. We will find you."

  She opened the door to a warm darkness and glanced back over shoulder. "Is that a promise?"

  He nodded, but his eyes glistened with tears. "Goodbye, Eve."

  "See you soon." She left the building, wondering if she might ever return. Charlie had made a promise, but he seemed sad about it. Had he seen this part of her future? Had he watched her die and was afraid to tell her?

  She didn't know what would happen to her once she became Alarica, especially after she restored all of Boaz's powers. Would the transformation kill her? Not like it mattered. She would still have to go through this. She had argued with Henry hours ago about finding another way, even though she knew in the pit of the stomach the truth. Henry had comforted her by telling her that as soon as Boaz's powers were restored, he could finally reveal himself. Between him and Lucien, they should be able to save her, and then the three of them could kill Boaz once and for all.

  But what if she didn't survive? If the transfer of power didn't kill her, then Boaz easily could as soon as he was made whole.

  Henry didn't have an answer for that, other than saying at least when Boaz had all his powers back, he wasn't protected anymore. They would find a way to kill him, even if Eve wasn't in the picture. At least justice will have been serviced. Dmitri and all the others he had killed would finally be avenged.

  Eve turned the corner on Maple Avenue, a small side street that led up a steep hill. She didn't know where she was going or how to find Boaz, but she had a pretty good idea he would find her.

  The night was unusually warm and humid, moistening the exposed skin on her shoulders and arms. She swept her hair to one side to let air get to the back of her neck. When she reached the top of the hill, she scanned the city, its lights bright against the darkness.

  "Boaz," she whispered. "It's now or never. I'm alone."

  It was a few minutes before the pressure in the air changed. Something supernatural was close by. She turned around. On the next hill over, standing in the middle of the road, was Hunwald. He turned and walked away. Eve followed, resisting the urge to light his hair on fire. Hopefully there would be time for that later.

  Hunwald kept a fair distance away, but never out of view. He led her out of the city, she guessed at least five miles, and into an affluent neighborhood protected by tall iron gates. Hunwald somehow squeezed through the narrow bars, but there was no way she would be able to do the same. Instead, she crouched low, whispered the word, "tripudio," and jumped at the same time. Magic exploded within her legs, giving her the force she needed to clear the ten-foot fence. Landing was another story.

  At the last second, she lost her focus, something she was barely hanging onto as it was, and thought of Lucien. She fell hard on her ankle, twisting it the wrong direction. She collapsed to her knees and inhaled a shaky breath. Lucien. Her eyes filled with tears.

  A deep, throaty growl startled her. Hunwald was standing beneath a large oak tree, his eyes glowing yellow.

  "Shut up!" she snapped. "I'm coming."

  He growled again.

  Eve reached for a nearby rock and tossed it at him, hard. He easily dodged it and bared his teeth.

  She stood. "You know I'm going to kill you one day, right?"

  Hunwald turned around and trotted down the street. Reluctantly, she followed.

  The houses in this neighborhood were farther apart and set back from the road, many of them blocked by rows of trees and landscaped yards. Every once in a while, she would catch a glimpse of one of them. They were enormous!

  Hunwald turned down a private lane that seemed much darker than the rest of them. She hesitated. This might be her only chance to run away, to spare her from a life of suffering. She knew the things she would do as Alarica, having lived the life before. It had taken her seven years to recover from the horrible things she had done, but this time she feared it would be so much worse. This time, she had people in her life she cared about, and Alarica would do all that she could to destroy those things. Eve might never recover. The people she loved might never recover. She had already lost Dmitri.

  But what choice did she have? More people would die if Boaz was allowed to live.

  Eve straightened her shoulders and walked down the long driveway until she saw the house. She stumbled. The gray-stoned mansion before her was familiar with its tall wooden beams and massive front doors. It was almost an exact replica of Boaz's home in New Hampshire where he had first taken her.

  Bile rose in her throat, threatening to choke her, but then the doors opened, spilling light onto the stairs. She glanced behind her, hoping to see someone who might stop her from going inside. But there was no one.

  She took a step forward and then another one. Let your past go and clear your mind. She thought this over and over to keep her body moving forward. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the doors closed behind her.

  The inside of the home was also similar to Boaz's other one, even down to the landscaped paintings on the walls and the silver chandelier hanging above her. Then it dawned on her. Boaz probably had this home built after she destroyed his last one when she was Alarica. The thought of Alarica's dark power had her reaching for the door.

  What was I thinking? I can't do this!

  "Come in," a smooth and commanding voice said.

  Eve turned around slowly. The voice had echoed from the living room. She took a few tentative steps forward to where she could see inside the room. A fire burning in a fireplace cast flickering images around the room. Two plush leather sofas sat opposite each other on top of a wide black rug. Boaz stood in the corner where the shadows seemed the darkest. There was no sign of Hunwald.

  "I know why you did it, love," he said.

  "Let's just get this over with."

  Before she could blink, he was across the room and crushing her against the wall, his hands gripping the tops of her arms above her head. "I would kill you right now for your deception."

  A surge of power ignited inside her and, with a pointed glare, she pushed Boaz away from her. His feet were knocked out beneath him, and he rolled along the marbled floor several feet. His head snapped up, and he whispered something beneath his breath.

  Heavy pressure squuezed her and began to slide her body up the wall. She tightened her lips and fought against the invisible restraints as Boaz walked toward her, his hands clasped behind his back. A tiny sensation poked at her mind. It was so faint that she would've missed it had she not been trained to recognize it for what it was—Boaz was attempting to steal her magic. She mentally pushed back, using the technique that Dmitri had taught her.

  "You have learned a lot," he said. He stopped in front of her and reached up, a sly smile spreading. His hand slipped beneath her shirt and touched the skin on her hip. "I know you've missed my touch."

  Eve broke the invisible bands against her. Before she fell to the floor, she brought her knee up hard, hitting Boaz in the nose. He stumbled back and pressed his hand to his nose. Blood dripped onto his chin.

  "Don't ever touch me," she said.

  He waved his hand over his face, making the blood disappear. "For the longest time, I thought you were dead. It truly hurt."

  Eve walked away from him and closer t
o the fire. She would toss him into the flames if he tried to touch her again.

  Boaz pursued her. "Your mother tried to tell me otherwise, but I wasn't convinced until she disappeared trying to find you. You are the only one strong enough to have stopped her."

  "It was Lucien, not me." She said the words before she could stop herself. Less conversation with the devil, the better.

  Boaz tensed and dropped onto the couch. "Did he kill her?"

  Eve wondered how much to tell him. Would he attack the Deific and go after her?

  "Your hesitancy is answer enough. No doubt you have her trapped in some magical cell within the Deific." He leaned back and stretched his arms along the top of the sofa. "It's only a matter of time before I destroy that place. Once you restore my powers, a lot of things are going to change."

  Eve weakened at the thought of having to put the necklace around her neck. She lowered onto the sofa opposite Boaz.

  "You finally look frightened," he said. "Good."

  "Will it kill me?" she asked.

  "I'm not sure I understand."

  "Once I transfer all the magic from the necklace to you. Will it kill me?"

  He laughed. "Is that what you think? That orb was magical long before it held my powers." He sighed, fully relaxed, as if having a casual conversation with a friend. "No one knows where it came from, exactly, but it's whispered that it was smuggled out of hell by a devil who found a way out. I was lucky enough to have it given to me."

  He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out the necklace. The glass orb fell from his hands and dangled in front of him from a silver chain. "I really should apologize to you. I didn't realize how powerful the necklace was the last time you wore it. Because of your already strong magical abilities, I was afraid the necklaces own magic wouldn't be strong enough, so I had Sable and Eric enhance its powers in hopes to counteract yours. But, well—" He chuckled. "You saw how well that worked out."

  Eve glanced at the exit. She could make a run for it, or simply teleport out of here. It would be so easy.

  "Don't worry, love. That won't happen this time."

  Eve tried to slow her breathing. "Can we just get this over with before I change my mind?"