by Emma Dean
Mika let the real tears fall as she leaned forward and kissed Ethan’s, and then Lucien’s, forehead. The necklace dropped into Lucien’s hands – the hunter who could shift. “When I open the door, do whatever you have to and unlock the others’ bindings. Then bring this back to me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck so she could get closer. Mika’s lips barely moved as she whispered so softly only Lucien could hear her. “It’s our only way out.”
Then someone dragged her away and Mika gasped, feeling the connection between them sever.
More witches had arrived – mostly men, but there were women as well. And they were all watching her closely.
“That’s enough,” Malachi’s father said. “It’s time.”
Malachi groaned then and Mika breathed a sigh of relief. At least the others wouldn’t have to carry him if they got free.
“What the hell?” Malachi asked.
“Ms. Marshall, open the door now.”
“Dad?” Malachi asked, looking around the room in confusion. Her heart went out to him, but Mika had to look away.
“It’s sir, or Mr. Williams to you now,” his father said with a sniff, indicating the door he wanted Mika to open. “You stopped being my son when you refused to bring in this lovely lady.”
Mika wanted to flay his skin from his body, but she gritted her teeth against the urge. Too many other witches were here now and they could easily kill those she loved – powerless as they were. But Lucien…Lucien could shift when they were all distracted.
She forced herself to keep her eyes on the door and step forward instead of glancing back one last time.
Lucien would know when the right moment was. She trusted him. She trusted Ethan to get them all out once he was free. She trusted them all – even Malachi.
Malachi hadn’t given her up. He’d protected her as much as he could at the cost of his own life. She would never forget that.
Just like she did the last time, she took out her knife and sliced her hands open. Tucking it back in her pocket she reached for the door handles – not bothering to ask where they were or how they had access to a second seal.
Eisheth had said they’d been causing Jessica some trouble for a while now. No doubt they had access to several seals.
“Why do you want to open the seal?” she asked after the first lock clicked. Moving on to the second one she didn’t really expect an answer, but anything to fill the dreadful silence.
“One seal will give us access to our demon allies once again,” Mr. Williams told her. “The more seals between hell and earth that are opened, the more power we have – and then we may choose the apocalypse that will cleanse the earth.”
Mika didn’t know what to say to that. It sounded like a power trip.
“It’s unfortunate your father and brother lost their positions in your coven. We were counting on them.”
Her hands slipped before she could finish the second lock.
“Strange neither of them knew what you were. Ah well, it’s probably why they all got caught.”
27
Her concentration was shattered and every plan she had to get free disappeared as she focused on those words. “Excuse me?”
Malachi’s father chuckled and it reminded her so much of Brad she felt sick to her stomach. “Our roots run deep. Now, open the door or I’ll save Audrey for the first demon to walk through that seal.”
Mika placed her hands back on the door, repeating the same process she had with the door under Morgana. It opened easily enough, taking her blood in payment. When the doors swung open, she stumbled back and Audrey caught her.
This was bad. Whoever these people were had infiltrated witch society at every level – or at least high society and up. She didn’t know much about the rest, but Mika just couldn’t come to terms with her father and brother somehow being connected to the Hellfire Society.
Jacob was a part of all this? He wanted to unleash an apocalypse? Was overruling the females also a part of their agenda?
Mika barely noticed when the witches surged forward to investigate the seal. Suddenly Ethan was there unlocking the binding’s around Audrey’s wrists and Lucien was handing her the necklace she’d given him.
“Get Malachi.” Mika’s lips felt numb and the words were strange on her tongue, but a small part of her was still running the show – making sure not to waste this opportunity while all of the Hellfire Society was distracted by the seal.
“I sure hope you have a way out of this, little witch,” Lucien said. “They teleported us in here.”
Numbly her fingers wrapped around the vial on her necklace.
Mika didn’t have time to wonder what Mr. Williams meant by his comments or what exactly her father had been involved in. She could freak out about all that later. She blinked and everything seemed to come back into focus and she gave Lucien a nod.
“I’ve got a plan,” she promised him. “I swore an oath I’d protect you all from this and I will.”
Her nail popped the cork off the vial of Lucifer’s blood. Mika hated to use it so soon, but at least it was for a worthy cause. Mika started drawing the same pentagram she had before on Eisheth’s balcony. Thankfully her interdimensional physics class was finally paying off. All those equations made it simple to tweak just a bit here and there.
And then…
“There,” Mika said. The pentagram shimmered until it was a window into a familiar white and silver penthouse. “Go.” She shoved Audrey through it first.
“If you think I’m leaving you here,” Lucien said hoarsely, grabbing her wrist before she could push him through. “You are sorely mistaken.”
“I’m not leaving either,” Ethan said, hefting Malachi up. The big captain’s arm was slung over Ethan’s shoulder, and he was still holding his head and groaning, blood everywhere.
“Get him help,” Mika said, shoving Ethan toward the portal. “He can’t make it through a fight and neither can you if you’re taking care of him.”
Ethan shoved Malachi through and the storm in his grey eyes glittered. “I’m not leaving you Mika.”
Fingers wrapped around her bicep and yanked. “Where do you think you’re going?” Mr. Williams snarled.
She focused all her attention on the hand touching her and his screech made her smile. “Don’t touch me ever again.” Her eyes fell to his knees and just like the others the sounds of them shattering were loud.
But he wasn’t the only witch. There were at least ten others and Ethan’s lightning electrocuted three of them at the same time. Mika had never seen anything like it, but it made her hair float and she smiled.
Ethan was no weak-willed witch.
Lucien’s snarl as he shifted was music to her ears. He may not have his sword or any other weapon – but he was a weapon. Screams as he bit through tissue and muscle and bone could be heard.
“You bitch,” Malachi’s father spat.
She watched as he reached for the body of one of his fallen witches and realized too late what he was doing. The puddle of blood was absorbed by Williams and just like that he was as good as new.
“You think you know more than me in my own field?” he snarled. “You do have some interesting tricks I’ve never seen before.” Then he reached for her but she was already moving, trying to get back to the door so she could lock it.
The portal to Eisheth’s penthouse would stay open until she closed it thanks to her math and the divine power in Lucifer’s blood, but she couldn’t afford for anyone else to cross into that safe place either.
Mika slapped her hand on the door and put a new lock in place with a few whispered words. It wasn’t the strongest, but it was keyed to her blood, and hers alone. No one else could open it.
A whistle of air was all that warned her. Mika ducked before the floating rock could smash her brains in. She crouched and swung her leg around, catching Williams at the ankle. He landed flat on his back with a surprised look on his face.
Most witches anticipated a magical
attack and almost never a physical one, at least not from another witch.
Mika grabbed one of the sleeping charms and slapped it on his face. Instantly Williams was knocked out cold.
Before she could get the other two and get the hell out of there, another witch with eyes like a hellhound’s grabbed her and Mika felt as though she were being burned alive. Her scream echoed in the underground room that smelled like a desert night.
She turned even though the pain was excruciating, even though she thought she might fall apart. And the witch was using hellfire magic. It wasn’t enough to kill her and burn her into little more than ash, they needed her alive after all. But it roasted her from the inside out, debilitating her – or so they thought.
Concentrating on the hand touching her skin she imagined the same thing – the same exact feeling and shoved it into the blood she could feel pulsing in the veins far too close to her own.
Then it was no longer just her screaming – the demon witch was as well. They both collapsed but each was too stubborn. Mika felt her skin start to split. She didn’t have the strength to rip out of their grip.
Her only hope was burning the demon witch alive before he did the same to her.
Suddenly blood sprayed. It covered her face and entire body in a fine mist. Mika had to blink a few times to even be able to see what was going on.
And there was Corbin, teeth bared as the demon witch bled to death from a slit throat.
“Blood looks strange, dove. Did you boil him?” Corbin asked, scooping her up from the floor.
Mika couldn’t even nod, her entire body hurt and even Corbin’s gentle touch was too much. But he did the last thing in the world she would have expected. He used his knife to slice open his wrist, muttering a prayer she could barely hear as her eyelids fluttered closed.
All she could smell was roasting meat.
His blood dribbled into her mouth. It was sweeter than she thought blood would be. Not like she’d ever really tried raven’s blood. But it wasn’t gross.
“Let it heal you,” Corbin murmured as he carried her toward the portal. “Your body knows what to do. You two! Let’s get out of here!”
It was the last thing Mika heard before she passed out.
28
“Get out of the way, bird.”
“I didn’t see you saving her life as she burned alive,” Corbin snapped.
“Both of you shut up. Where’s a doctor?” Ethan’s voice was tight but he sounded in control of the situation.
“All of you children, do shut up.” Something cold was pressed to her forehead and Mika sighed in relief. “She’s going to be just fine.”
Her skin felt tight and sensitive, like she’d been sunburned. But Mika knew it should be a lot worse considering she’d seen her skin split like a juicy roast at some point. She forced her eyes open and saw five sets of eyes peering down at her in concern.
“Oh thank the Fates,” Ethan sighed, rubbing his face. “What was it you did?” he asked Corbin. “That was quick thinking.”
The raven’s eyes were glowing red and he never looked away from her. Mika realized he was kneeling on the floor next to her and she was on one of Eisheth’s extremely comfortable white couches.
“Ravens have always served the Morrigan,” Corbin said quietly.
“Well darling, you’ve got quite the following,” Eisheth teased, patting her face gently. “Imagine my surprise when a portal opened up into my living room and people started parading through. You’re lucky I was wearing clothes.”
“Or on this plane at all,” Jessica said as she stormed into the room. “Don’t worry I closed the portal.”
Mika abruptly sat up as she remembered her pentagram in the cell. “Lucifer?”
“He’s taking care of that branch of the Hellfire Society as we speak.” Jessica crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall with a smirk. “Cute little trick. He was pissed at first but decided to answer. He felt bad about the last time and the whole thing with the Morrigan.”
Audrey came in with a tray of food and drink, stealing nervous glances at Jessica. “I cook when I’m stressed,” she said, setting it down.
No one reached for any, they were all still staring at Mika. Two pairs of glowing eyes, one gold and one sapphire. Then her storm witch and Audrey. The demon smirked at her, his dressing gown open to a very impressive bare chest.
“Where’s Malachi?” Mika asked, wincing as she scooted to the edge of the couch.
Ethan jerked his head toward the balcony.
“You’re still healing,” Corbin told her, checking her pink skin. “You have to let the blood do its job. There was a lot of damage.”
“How does that work exactly?” Lucien asked, peering closer. “Can it be anyone’s blood?”
Corbin started explaining it, and normally Mika would be just as curious, but she needed to talk to Malachi. No one else quite understood the feeling of being betrayed by a parent as Mika did.
She gave Jessica a nod and slowly walked out onto the balcony, grateful for the night sky. The sun would have been brutal.
And there was Malachi, staring out at the Los Angeles skyline, not really seeing it. He looked lost.
Mika gently rested her arms on the railing and winced. She didn’t bother asking him how he was, or if he was doing okay. There was no way to feel okay after experiencing what he had. His father had been willing to sacrifice him for refusing to force a friend into doing something very illegal.
“Thank you,” she said instead. “For not giving me up.”
Malachi sighed and gave her a look like she was being particularly dense. “It didn’t end up mattering. I couldn’t keep you safe. It all just…went bad so quickly.”
She shrugged and listened to the sirens in the distance. So many city noises were strange after the silence of Morgana. “It’s not like there was really a good choice. They moved before we could make any plans.”
“Well, apparently you called Lucifer?” Malachi smiled slightly and shook his head. “Only you would have the balls to summon the prince of hell and live to tell the tale.”
Mika leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I will never forget what you did for me, and what it cost.”
Malachi pushed off the balcony. “Even though he’s my father, I couldn’t let him sacrifice any more people. If I’d known that he could get to you at Morgana I would have moved sooner, but who could have known that? I mean…the island is warded like crazy. There I was planning the strategy for our next game and suddenly he was there in my room…”
And he’d been hurt, so clearly the altercation hadn’t gone well.
“He teleported me out before my attack spell hit, but something about the dimensions and molecules got messed up,” Malachi said as he rubbed his cleaned-up forehead. She must have been out for a while. “Something hit me as we moved through time and space.”
Mika didn’t know what to say. There were no words she could use to comfort him. Only time could help him heal from this betrayal – she would know. And it would take time. There were days the wound was fresh and days it didn’t bother her at all.
They both looked out at the Los Angeles skyline together. “Well.” Mika nudged his shoulder with hers. “I’m here if you need anyone to talk to. Hey, we could even start a club or something.”
Malachi glanced at her. “Yeah, that’s right, he mentioned your dad. Did you know?”
She shook her head. “No, and I am seriously not ready to think about it. Maybe once everything settles down…” she trailed off.
Even then she didn’t want to think about it. Heading down that path, looking for information, it would only cause her more heartbreak.
A loud pop and suddenly Lucifer was standing in Eisheth’s living room with Malachi’s unconscious father. Mika’s heart lurched into her throat and she moved as quickly as she could back into the penthouse.
“An apology,” Lucifer said, tossing Mr. Williams at Mika’s feet. “I was an ass last tim
e, as Jess so eloquently told me with words that made my ears burn. I’ve wiped anything incriminating from his memory. He doesn’t know what you are, or that he’s someone’s father.” Lucifer paused and glanced at Eisheth. “And then I’m going to have Jess turn him into the Council which will clear your name.”
Corbin silently appeared at Mika’s elbow like the shadow he was. Lucifer blinked and smiled. “Hello assassin. Looks like your services will no longer be needed.” The prince of hell looked between Mika and Corbin and his smile dropped. “But I assume your service will always be available to this one.”
“Always,” Corbin responded. He stared down the devil with that glowing red gaze, never once blinking.
And it made Mika feel warm inside even though she was oddly crushed to know this raven would soon be moving on. She honestly hadn’t thought she would feel like this. Mika thought that she’d be relieved, but clearly something had changed while Corbin was wherever he’d gone.
“Thank you,” Mika told Lucifer, feeling Lucien brush his elbow against hers. “I apologize for the rude summoning, but there was no one else I could call.”
Jess snickered at that. “Looks like I’ll have to give you mine, cousin.”
Eisheth chuckled. “Which means you need mine as well. Jess isn’t always available. But I have nothing better to do than meddle in the affairs of my favorite mortals.”
Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly. “I’m always so relieved that you aren’t one of my demons, Eisheth. But on a personal level, I do enjoy your meddling from time to time.”
“Don’t act like you don’t meddle,” Jess scoffed. “I’d say you’re one of the worst meddlers Lucifer.”
Mika glanced at the others and was glad to see she wasn’t the only one a little star struck with the beings around them. The prince of hell was here, chatting and arguing like it was a normal part of his day. Audrey’s mouth was slightly open in awe and then she reached for the tray.
