by Trina M. Lee
And then it was over.
I was sprawled face down on a hard, dusty surface. The suffocating sensation of demons greeted me. Not good.
Jez was a few feet away, picking herself up. I shoved to my feet and froze. We were in a church of sorts, one that had been desecrated for a very long time from the looks of it. Statues of saints and angels were broken and vandalized. The cross above the altar had been turned upside down. Pews had been removed, making room for a pentagram.
Demons littered the place, engaged in sex, bloodletting, and torture, all in the name of magic and power.
We had just fallen into a ritual party, but we weren’t the only party guests in attendance. Unsurprisingly, Brook was among the frolicking demons. What did surprise me but probably shouldn’t have was the dark-clad figure standing in the center of the pentagram, his lips moving in a chant.
Gabriel.
Chapter Twenty
“What took you so long?” Gabriel asked.
He sensed me immediately due to our shared bloodline, much like I could feel the mass of inky power swirling around him. A few demons acknowledged our arrival, though for the most part, they went about their business without care.
Briggs clutched the shattered remains of a statue, gaping at both Gabriel and I in turn. I wanted nothing more than to revel in the expression of absolute horror and shock he wore, but my attention was on the black-magic vampire.
“I didn’t realize you were expecting me.” So very suspicious. I eyed Gabriel. What was he up to?
“Arys isn’t with you?” His dark gaze perused my companions. His eyes were black, pupils dilated so the iris was undetectable.
“No. You haven’t seen him?”
“No.” The barest shake of his head. Gabriel’s hands were extended like he was metaphysically tasting the energy of the room. “That’s fine. We don’t need him. Yet.”
I stiffened. Gabriel didn’t scare me, but he did trigger my need for caution. “Need him for what?”
“You’ll see,” Gabriel said. His expression revealed nothing.
“Dear God,” Briggs muttered, eyes wide and jaw clenched.
It was hard to keep my gaze fixed on the newbie vamp. Just ten feet away a demon was having sex with two human women. Their eyes were glazed as if they were under some kind of spell, which they most likely were. Just beyond their little group, a man was tied to a beam while Brook and another demon bled him from a vein in each limb. They captured the stolen blood in a jeweled chalice. It didn’t sicken me as much as I wanted it to, and for that I felt revulsion.
Perhaps the worst thing taking place was the torture of one demon by several others. He was tied down with silver chains to what was left of a broken pew. While one demon doused his face with some noxious liquid that rolled into his eyes and nose, another scorched the victim’s feet. They shouted questions at him, demanding information about some stolen jewel.
It dawned on me that the activity was all very reminiscent of the various techniques employed by our vampiric bloodline. We made sex, blood, and torture an art, and we were all damn good at it.
These very demons could be the source of our powers. Had Shya planted them all here to cause me to stumble on my way? Because if so, he was a far greater genius than I’d given him credit for. And if not, then that spoke volumes as to where my mental state was these days.
I grabbed Briggs’s shoulder, and he jumped. Dragging him close I hissed, “Remember this next time you wax poetic about how fucking awful and monstrous vampires are.”
A naked demon with a goat head and a ridiculously large erection glided over to us. His black goat eyes landed on Jez. “Here, kitty kitty. Come play with Snake.”
Snake? That was definitely a fake name and not a very good one at that. I drew the Dragon Claw and shoved in front of Jez.
“Move it or lose it, asshole.” A glance at his unit revealed a freaky barbed appendage that made me scream on the inside.
“I have no interest in any dick, and that—” Jez pointed at his frightful manhood “—would never convince me otherwise.”
Snake considered the size of the blade I held along with Jez’s remark. I anticipated a fight, but he merely shrugged and turned to Briggs. “How about you, handsome?”
Briggs gaped at the demon. His mouth moved, but no sound came out.
Though it wasn’t the best time to antagonize the uptight Fed, I couldn’t resist. “I’m sure Briggs would love to play with you, Snake.” I snickered. “But I can’t help but wonder why you never asked me.”
Briggs was flustered but managed to get out a, “Fuck you, O’Brien.”
Snake shook his freaky head. “This isn’t my first circus, sweetheart. I don’t mess with you addictive types. Anymore.”
Being called addictive wasn’t new to me. What was new was having a demon say it. It hadn’t occurred to me that a creature that had never been human might be affected by me. The vampires, sure, that made sense on some level.
Then I panicked at the thought that Falon could form the same twisted attachment as the vampires who tasted my blood. Or had he already? My stomach hurt at the thought.
“O’Brien, what the fuck?” Briggs’s alarmed shout broke through my worried thoughts.
Snake had ahold of his arm. Briggs was resisting, holding tight to the remains of the statue. I sighed. He was lucky I wasn’t a total bitch.
“I was just kidding about him,” I said to the persistent demon, fighting to keep my gaze from drifting to his nether regions. “He’s with me. Sorry about any confusion.” I tightened my grip on the dagger. If the naked demon came at me, I was going to start swinging at every body part that got in my way.
He surprised me by backing off, but not before he took the opportunity to wave his scary dick in Briggs’s direction.
Jez burst into laughter and clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. I wanted to laugh too, but there was too much illicit activity going on for me to relax enough.
“You owe me an apology,” I said to Briggs. “Not a bullshit one either. I’ve shown more mercy to you than you ever have to me.”
Because Briggs wasn’t a stupid man by any means, he kept his mouth shut. He did, however, have the decency to nod.
“Alexa.” Gabriel’s usually sullen and listless tone was hard, commanding. “Join me?”
I was uncomfortable leaving Jez and Briggs to fend off demons. A set of doors indicated a potential way out. There was just the small matter of getting through the demon activity blocking the way. Yet, since it was a request and not a demand, I put the Dragon Claw away and weaved my way through the ritualistic insanity to the pentagram. I hesitated at its edge, reluctant to step inside Gabriel’s black magic circle.
“What are you doing here, Gabriel?”
“I’m gathering the energy.” Holding a hand out toward me, Gabriel’s face revealed nothing of his intentions. “Come check it out.” Without another word he implored me to trust him. Despite having no mental connection to each other, I could almost hear his silent plea.
Vibrating from the mass of supernatural energy bombarding my senses, I gave Gabriel the benefit of the doubt and stepped into the pentagram. A jolt like lightning struck my brain, and I had to wait for the smoke to clear from inside my mind before I could take another step. Whatever the kid was doing, it was intense and undoubtedly dangerous. I really didn’t want to have to kill him, but I wasn’t ruling it out.
“What are you up to?” I kept my distance, knowing better than to touch a vampire from our bloodline while they were conducting so much power. It would jump to me, and I was already struggling to resist the temptation of what was going on around us.
Long, black hair in his face, Gabriel allowed himself a tiny smile. “I told you. Gathering energy. There’s many uses for this much concentrated demon power.”
“I knew we couldn’t trust you.” Unable to resist, I gathered my own power close. Destroying Gabriel was not what I wanted, but there was no escaping Hurst’s
warning.
His smile faltered. “Alexa, I’m giving it to you.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“The only way for you to seduce Shya enough to grab a feather is if you have what it takes to enthrall him. You don’t. But you will.” Gabriel gestured to his hands, the focal point of the wild force he gathered.
His meaning sank in and I swallowed hard. With a shake of my head, I took an uneasy step back. “That’s a bad idea. I don’t think I can control that kind of power. I’ve never tried.”
“I think you can. There’s no other way.”
“How do I know this isn’t a trap?” I challenged, refusing to wrap my mind around what he was suggesting. “Shya could be listening to us right now.”
Gabriel frowned. “He would’ve stopped me already if he were. He can’t be everywhere at once. If I were him, I’d be keeping my eye on Willow. Of all of us, he’s the only real threat to Shya. Until you seduce him. Then we work together to get rid of that fucker. So you have to take this.”
This was not what I’d signed on for, but it had to be better than taking Willow’s blood. I knew enthralling Shya would be the hardest thing I’d ever done, and using demon power to do it made sense. Use the power of demons to seduce a demon. But what would that do to me? The closest I’d come was a taste of Falon’s power, and it had run rampant through me. Sure I’d been mortal then, but the demon essence in this unholy sanctuary was leaps and bounds greater than what Falon possessed.
“What are the risks?” My hatred of Shya was stronger than my sense of self-preservation. It had to be, or we would never be free of him.
Gabriel studied his hands. “Well for one, this hurts like a motherfucker. On the flipside, it feels good too. Kind of a pain and pleasure deal. Best case scenario, it goes off without a hitch, and you get a thrill out of it. Worst case scenario, it makes your head explode.” The tiny smile tugged at his lips again, but I couldn’t tell if he was joking. “I think you’ll be fine.”
“Why do I have to do it? How do we even know what Shya’s into?” Grasping at straws wasn’t going to get me out of this. Knowing what I had to do didn’t make it any easier. I’d rather die again than have to seduce Shya.
“His tastes are pretty specific.”
“Lilah,” I said.
Gabriel nodded. With a discreet glance about, he spoke in a low tone. “Just do what you have to do. And I’ll do what I have to do. You can trust me. I’ll prove it.”
Trust the kid who could stand in the middle of such debauchery and remain unfazed? Yeah, nothing wrong with that. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” My gaze was drawn to the orgy of demons and humans forming on the small stage before the altar. “What could Shya be hoping to gain by having us stumble in here? Does he really think it will tempt us?”
Gabriel followed my gaze. “I found Brogan in here. She was getting acquainted with that guy.” He jerked his head in the direction of a demon using blood to draw various symbols all over his naked body.
“Oh my God. Was Shaz with her? I’ll cut that piece of shit demon’s dick off.” I reached for my dagger, but Gabriel stopped me with a headshake.
“He didn’t get that far. I got her out. She was alone.” His brow creased, and he grunted under the growing strain of the power he held. “We’ll find them. But this place is a trap. Look at your friends.”
I was about to launch into a tirade about Briggs not being anything remotely close to a friend when I spied him being led away from Jez by a glassy-eyed human woman. Jez herself was gravitating toward the demon torture session where the waterboarding had given way to drops of silver in the eyes.
I couldn’t deny that every facet of my vampiric nature was intrigued by the decadent depravity taking place. It was the anchor of light that kept me rooted in disgust rather than slip-sliding my way into participation.
“How are you resisting?” I asked. “Don’t you want to join in? There’s a lot of human flesh and blood here.”
A groan escaped him, and he staggered before catching himself. “What do you think I was doing before you got here? Feels like I’ve been in here for hours already. Maybe days.” Gabriel couldn’t take much more. He was crumbling under the pressure.
I was torn between helping or going after Jez and Briggs. “Ok, I’m trusting you, kid. Don’t fuck me over. What do you need me to do?” My gaze darted between Gabriel and my other two companions. Urgency gripped me.
“Brace yourself,” he said. It wasn’t the most comforting response. “Then you grab those two and get out of here.” He held out his hands for mine.
I nodded. Offering my hands to him was going out on the proverbial limb. This could end badly.
His hands were hot when he slid his fingers between mine and pressed our palms together. Dropping my guard, I accepted the malevolent force with gritted teeth. The demonic ardor flowed in, clouding my mind and overloading my senses. I whimpered, crushed under the assault of such pure evil as it filled me.
Just when I thought it was too much, the pain eased. Warmth spread from head to toe, creating a pleasant tingle throughout my body. Naughty thoughts flitted through my mind, starting with the deliciously strong young vampire holding tight to my hands.
As if sharing my thought, Gabriel said, “Funny how our power works, huh? What you’re feeling right now, save it for Shya. Now get those two out of here. I’ll be right behind you.”
No sooner had we broke apart than the activity in the former church ground to a halt. When they realized we were up to something, the attention of two dozen demons turned upon us.
I was already moving. I grabbed Briggs first, jerking him free of the woman who was clumsily trying to bind his wrists. With the Dragon Claw in one hand and power crackling in the other, I cast a protective circle around us. Briggs stumbled along beside me, shaking his head like he was in a fog. I caught Jez by the elbow and almost jerked her off her feet as I pulled her into my circle.
Demons flung attacks at us, all of them useless against the circle I’d made out of their own power.
As we ducked and dodged our way toward the exit, Gabriel chanted something in Latin. He too avoided attack with a well-formed circle.
I kicked the doors open and dragged my companions across the threshold. A spell licked at my heels. It wasn’t meant for me, however. Gabriel came through behind us, and the doors slammed shut. A rumble like thunder shook the building all around us, and the doors disappeared completely, leaving only a pristine plaster wall.
“How in the—? What in the—?” Briggs gasped. Rubbing a hand over his face and hair, he eyed Gabriel who ignored his blatant stare.
“Come on.” Gabriel marched onward without giving us a chance to peruse the red-carpeted hallway. It wasn’t unlike every other hall so far. “I can feel the spell Shya used to conjure this house. Pretty sure I can find the way out.”
“So you had an unfair advantage this whole time?” Jez was snarky, the effects of the demon party having already worn off.
“We all have some kind of advantage in here,” Gabriel replied.
Briggs stuck both hands in his hoodie pocket and sneered. “Speak for yourself.”
I glanced back at the wall where the door had been. “I guess Brook won’t be winning that favor.”
“Fuck Brook.” The scowl Gabriel wore was downright vicious. “He’s a fucking joke.”
I didn’t know Brook well enough to comment. Also, I didn’t care. In that moment I was merely trying to make sure my feet touched the floor. My head felt like it was in the clouds. It was just as Gabriel said. The pressure in my head was immense, threatening to split my skull open. Yet somehow it felt good to have such mind-shattering power at my fingertips.
Loaded with demon magic, I felt high, detached, and hungry. As we followed Gabriel down the hall, I eyed up each of my companions. Blood, sex, power. I could devour all three, though Gabriel would fight the hardest. Yes. That would be nice.
As if reading my thoughts, he sho
t me a sidelong glance. “You just have to hold it together until we find Falon. Then I’ll summon Shya. Do not use that power for anything else. Alexa? Are you listening to me?”
“Not really.” A stupid giggle filled the hall. I didn’t realize at the time it was me. “I’m trying to decide which of you I want to taste first.”
Drunk on demonic forces, I got invasively close to Briggs and breathed deeply of his human scent. He made the mistake of jerking out of reach. All it did was encourage me. I pasted him up against the wall and licked the side of his neck. He froze, knowing better than to make any more sudden moves. The salty, masculine taste of him set me on fire. Inhibitions ceased to exist.
“Oh great,” Jez scoffed. “Did you really have to give her so much juice before we’ve even found our way out of here? You’re going to get us all killed.”
“I couldn’t contain it all myself,” Gabriel said, pausing to examine a fork in the hallway. “Alexa’s more powerful. She can handle it.”
Jez grabbed my arm and pulled me off the quivering Fed. “Can doesn’t mean will.”
“You want it.” I pointed a finger at Briggs. “You can say you don’t, but your body betrays you.”
He smelled like fear, rage, and desire. To my power battered brain, it was an enticing cocktail. He was the mouse and I was the cat. I just wanted to play with him.
The real cat tugged on my arm, drawing my attention to her rich scent of shifter and perfume. Although the ladies were not my first drink of choice, I could make an exception for this fine beauty.
“Alexa, stop it.” Jez shook me, going so far as to slap my face. “We need you to keep your shit together. Remember the goal here.”
“Feisty.” I rubbed my stinging cheek and grinned. “I like that.”
With an irritated sigh, Jez glowered at Gabriel. “Can’t you do something about this? She’s going to be a huge pain in the ass otherwise.”
“No.” He held out a hand, feeling the atmosphere before choosing to go right. “I wouldn’t if I could.”
