“I looked at the security tapes, and yes, they show Faith being put into a van at the end of the alleyway. No license plate and no clear view of the attackers, though one was a woman with very light hair, dressed in white.”
Amadi’s head snapped up. “All white? Was her hair short?”
I nodded. “You know her? I thought she looked familiar, but I can’t place her.”
Amadi tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. “I ran across her in Dis. In Gehenna.” He looked straight at me. “Cas, this is bad. She was an enforcer there. If she’s one of the people who took Faith…”
Sam straightened. “An enforcer? So basically a torturer?”
Amadi nodded. His skin had turned greyish. I knew he had horrific memories from that time and didn’t want to imagine what this woman could do to Faith.
I pushed the thought away and leaned against the edge of the desk. “Alex, anything?”
Alex looked up, and his face started to turn an interesting shade of red. “Well, um, actually yes. So, back at home, I may have... kind of... possibly... put a tracker on her phone…”
“What?”
Everyone turned and stared at him, and the blush deepened. “Well, I just thought... and Hargreaves suggested... just as a precaution, you understand…”
I walked over to the bed and turned his screen around to see a map. “So you can track her?”
He shook his head. “Could. And did. The tracker only works if the phone is turned on. I traced as long as I could until it disappeared.”
“Someone found her phone,” Sam surmised, also walking over to look. “They obviously turned it off. Where was the last location?”
“Here.” Alex pointed to the middle of a long stretch of road then zoomed out, showing an area several hours’ drive from the city.
“Fuck!” I ran my hand over my face, wishing I’d managed to get more sleep the night before. “Okay, we’ll need a car. We should all go. If that white bitch is as bad as Amadi thinks, we’ll need all of us to get her out.”
“Already on it,” Amadi inserted. “I spoke to the concierge an hour ago. There’s a car hire place about four blocks from here, and he’s organised a pickup for us first thing in the morning. We can leave early.” I wanted to punch the wall at his words. The morning was still several hours off. He seemed to sense what I was thinking, as he stood up and put his hand on my arm. “We’ll find her, Cas. She’s strong, she’ll be okay. She knows we wouldn’t abandon her.”
I nodded. “Yes, I... okay. I’m going to have a shower and get changed. Try to clear my head. I should probably fill Hargreaves in too.”
Amadi shook his head. “It’s the middle of the night. He’ll be asleep and can’t help anyway. We’ll fill him in tomorrow once we’ve got Faith back. Right now, you need to rest. You look dead on your feet, and you won’t be much help if you can barely keep your eyes open. Alex is going to keep trying to find out more about who’s taken her.”
I sighed. He was right, I needed to be at full strength tomorrow. Pacing the floor would not help her right now. I turned towards the door, and for the second time, nearly collided with Euriel coming through it. To my astonishment, he was carrying four pizza boxes and a carrier bag, which he dumped on the table.
“Any news?” he asked quietly. I stayed silent while Sam quickly filled him in. He nodded, careful not to look in my direction. “So we leave early. Fine. I thought you all might need something to get your strength up.” He turned and left, pushing past me without comment, and I looked back at the others who were still sitting there in shock. After a moment, Sam walked over and opened the bag.
He looked up at me with such a stunned expression, it might have been comical in a more relaxed situation. “It’s beer. Euriel bought us pizza and beer. I didn’t think the world was ending for another few millennia.”
“Hmm... what I want to know is who broke his nose?” I looked over at Amadi and shrugged, trying to appear innocent. The break had almost healed, but Amadi had seen the thin white scar that remained for now. Amadi narrowed his eyes at me, then turned his attention to the pizza box Sam chucked his way.
I glanced back out into the empty hallway, then shut the door and sat down to eat, trying desperately not to think of what Faith was doing and praying she was okay.
Just a few more hours, Peaches, and we’ll come and get you. Just hold on.
Chapter Twenty-Three
FAITH
I lost it. I’m not ashamed of that at all. Drowning has always been my greatest fear, and once he began to pour water over my mouth and nose, all coherent thought flew out of my head except to survive. I pulled hard at my ties and felt the solid plastic cut through my skin, but the pain wasn’t even a distraction. The chair shook under me as I attempted to throw my head from side to side, but Suit held me fast and the water just kept coming. It filled my mouth and nose, and every time I tried to draw a breath, I choked and coughed. It felt like it went on forever, but it probably only lasted a few seconds. Bird Boy pulled back, and Suit let go of my head. I sat upright, coughing up water and shaking violently. My heart was racing, and when I opened my eyes, I could see the cable ties had drawn blood where I had pulled at them. Fisher got up from behind the table and walked over to stand in front of me.
Bending down, he used his pen to push a lock of hair out of my face and then looked into my eyes. “Now, Miss Matthews, this can all stop. All I need to know is what your mother told you about the location of the Spear of Destiny.” I coughed again and spat into his face with what energy I had left. He backed up and pulled out a thick cotton handkerchief to wipe his face. After he had, he passed the handkerchief to Suit. “Continue.”
“No, please... please!” I wasn’t beyond begging now.
Fisher went and sat back down. “Miss Matthews, you can end this at any point.”
“But I don’t—”
Suit grabbed my hair again, wrenching my head back, but this time he draped the handkerchief over my face so I couldn’t see. I struggled again, ignoring the sharp pain of the ties. There was no warning. The water cascaded onto my face and the fabric made it worse. I tried to hold my breath, but that just meant the cloth stuck to my face with the water, and I felt like I was being smothered. I opened my mouth to try to inhale, but my mouth and throat were instantly filled with water, and I began to splutter again.
“The location, Miss Matthews.”
The water kept pouring, and I couldn’t have told him even if I knew what he was talking about. All I could think about was trying to get as much oxygen as possible. I was drowning. Desperation overtook me, and I fought as hard as I could. No way was this fucker taking me down. I was not going to die in this fucking shithole with these wankers. A sensation rose from the ground, through my feet, and throughout my body. My shoulder blades burned, and I thought I heard bones crack. My fingertips sparked and tingled as though I had received a static shock, and a jolt went through me. I heard shouts, and the grip on my hair released. The water stopped instantly, though the wet cloth stuck to my skin, and I could feel my air supply dwindling. I couldn’t spit the water out with the cloth on. With a sudden thought, I threw my body weight to one side. The chair toppled, and I hit the floor hard. The cloth detached slightly, allowing me to take a ragged breath of air.
Two polished shoes appeared in front of my face, and I heard White Eye’s voice. “How the fuck did she do that? She’s supposed to be mundane. We weren’t told she could channel electricity. What the fuck, Fisher?”
“Mundane, my ass,” I muttered. Hands grabbed the chair, and I was yanked up again. Bird Boy stood in front of me, and the expression in his flat black eyes was terrifying. I felt sick to my stomach, and I couldn’t stop violently shaking. I felt certain he was going to kill me. My heart was still hammering from the water torture, and I could feel adrenaline racing through every cell. The thunder of my heartbeat seemed to spread throughout my body, and it felt as though the ground itself began to rumble. In horror, I g
lanced down at the crack widening across the concrete floor as it started to shake under our feet. Dust began to fall from the ceiling.
“Everybody out!” Fisher shouted, grabbing his briefcase and starting up the stairs. He paused briefly. “Bring the girl.”
“I’m not fucking touching her again. Bitch shocked me good.” Suit followed Fisher up the staircase. “Let her get fucking crushed.”
Bird Boy reached out and slashed the cable ties on my ankles with his knife, then he took a key from his pocket and unlocked the manacles. White Eyes stood behind me and released my wrists, grabbing hold of one and tugging me up off the chair. The ground was really shaking now. Plaster and loose bricks began to fall down around us as the two of them dragged me towards the stairs. I could barely walk, and the burn down my leg was really starting to hurt. I cried out in pain.
“Come on, this whole place is going to go,” White Eyes yelled at me as I fought against them.
I grabbed hold of the stair rail then turned. “What about Amara?”
White Eyes looked up at Fisher.
He shrugged. “Leave her, we don’t need her anymore.”
My mouth fell open in shock, but they paid no heed and dragged me up the stairs. “No, wait—” I stopped as pain lanced through me.
White Eyes glared angrily at me, and my body trembled. “I am not getting buried under here. Now move, or I’ll show you pain like you’ve never felt before!” We stumbled up the stairs and out into the hallway. The shaking was getting worse, and parts of the ceiling had already come down up here. We skirted around a large piece on the floor and staggered outside through the open door—right into absolute chaos.
Still unsteady with the pain that danced through my veins, I leaned heavily against the wall as I took in the scene before us. Blocking the driveway was a large dark-coloured car, and from behind it, a flurry of gunfire sounded. Suit had pistols in both hands and was firing back, covering Fisher who was making his way towards a second car parked near the building. Bird Boy was conjuring fireballs and sending them flying into the car in front, leaving deep charred dents in the bodywork. Something blurred across the courtyard, and Bird Boy flew back, slamming into the wall of the house. At the same time, a massive wolf leaped over the car and headed straight for Fisher. I gasped as Cas and Amadi ran around the car and headed for Suit as he paused to reload. He raised his guns and aimed straight for them.
“Look out!” I screamed. My voice was still ragged, and it hurt to yell. White Eyes shocked me again, and I fell to my knees, crying out in pain. She hauled me to my feet and down the steps, following Fisher. A shout came from Suit, but I couldn’t turn and watch because the wolf was now bearing down on us fast. He leaped at White Eyes, but she sidestepped him and put her hand out, brushing his fur. Sam howled with pain, crashing to the ground where he lay shaking and whimpering. I tried to pull forward, but she held me back. I twisted around and attempted to fight her off, but she shocked me again and again until I screamed. Suddenly, she staggered under a blow, and I looked up to see Cas towering over us. He was in full fallen angel form, and his black wings stretched out around us. His eyes burned with hellfire as they landed on me, and then he slowly turned to White Eyes.
“Release her now!” His voice was deep and terrible, and even I trembled a little at the full force of his power. White Eyes stared defiantly up at him, and I felt pain raging through me again. I crumbled to the ground, and she twisted my wrist viciously. Cas wrapped his hand around her neck and lifted her clear off the ground, squeezing tightly. I tried to pry her fingers from my wrist, but the pain was constant, both from her and from my upper back, which was burning inside, and I hadn’t the strength. Suddenly, the pain coming from her stopped completely. I gasped and looked up at Cas, realising where she was concentrating her energy. Beads of sweat appeared on his brow as he tried to ignore it, but I knew what she was capable of. His muscles tensed, and he shook like a rag doll, but she wouldn’t release him. I couldn’t bear it.
“Let him go!” I begged. “Please, I’ll go with you, just let him go!” White Eyes dropped her gaze to me and laughed.
Cas fell to his knees and tears ran down his face. “I’m sorry,” he pleaded with me. “Faith, for everything…”
“No!” I cried out. “Let him go, you let him go now!” I hated him, God knew how much I hated him, but it became clear in that instant how much I loved that bloody man, and I wasn’t going to let her take him from me. If anyone got to cause him excruciating pain, it was me.
“I’ll let him go when he’s dead,” she sneered, as his grip loosened around her throat and she plummeted to the ground. She staggered to her feet and placed her hand on his head. He roared and grabbed her wrist, but he no longer had the strength to tear her free. I sobbed and reached forward, trying to rip her hand away from him, but I could barely kneel, and she pulled back on my injured arm. I screamed. Cas dropped to his hands and knees. Any attempt at fighting her off was gone. My desperation began to turn from terror to fury. I looked at her, her white eyes gleaming, her mouth drawn up in a cruel sneer, and I wanted to hurt her.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she swung her eyes from him to me. “What—”
I stared back at her with a chilling hatred I never knew I could feel. I could sense my abhorrence travelling through my body to where our skin touched. Her face went even paler, and she cried out. Cold realisation dawned that I was hurting her the way she had hurt me and Cas. She released my wrist, but I grabbed hold of her hair with my hand, concentrating on pushing the cold feeling into her body. I wanted her to feel all the pain she was inflicting on him. I wanted her to shrivel up with the agony, to curl up on the ground in torment for hurting him this way.
She let go of Cas and brought her hands up to grab mine. I refused to release my hold. With what little strength I had, I held on. Icy cold hatred poured out of me. It was like releasing the floodgates on everyone who had ever hurt me. Images danced through my mind of the men who had come after me and injured me. Who had held me down and raped me. Who had taken away any power I had. Except they hadn’t. I had my power back now, and no vindictive little bitch was going to hurt me or someone I loved ever again.
I gave myself up to the feeling of raw power that surged through my veins. It moved from ice to fire, and my skin burned and stretched, my bones seeming to shift of their own accord. I felt the skin on my back tear open, and I dimly recognised the pain and the feel of blood streaming over my skin, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t care about anything except wanting this demon to hurt. I gazed down at her and watched with detached interest as her face grew gaunt and her eyes sank into the sockets. Her skin seemed to wither, and she cried out, but I ignored her as her body withered and dried in my hand. Blood flowed from her eyes, mouth, and ears then slowed to a trickle. Her white eyes darkened to grey and then black, and she fell silent.
I knelt there for a moment, my hand still tangled in her white wiry hair, staring down at her blank eyes, feeling blank myself.
“Faith. Faith, she’s gone. It’s over. You can let her go now, we’re safe.”
I felt Cas’s arms wrap around me, his fingers disentangling mine from the corpse, because that was what she was now. I stared down at her in shock as her remains fell to the ground. “Faith, please. Faith, look at me. Look at me!” I blinked and swung around to face Cas. He was now back in his human form, and his dark eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
“Hey, there you are, Peaches.” He managed a weak smile, but I couldn’t do anything other than look at him. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t talk. He sighed. “Come on.”
Standing, he scooped his arms beneath me and cradled me against his chest. He carried me to the car and stood me gently next to it. “Faith? Sweetheart, you need to retract your wings.” Cas’s voice was gentle, but I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying in my dazed state. I stared at him blankly. Sighing, he placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me. I looked down at the car window and my slightly distorte
d reflection.
I looked like hell. My hair was wet and plastered to my head. My skin was pale, and I appeared exhausted. My eyes seemed to be bright though, and I wondered briefly if it was just the sky reflecting on them, but the real difference was the large, black feathered wings that stretched out from my sore, aching shoulder blades. I hunched my shoulders and they moved, curling around me. Keeping my eyes on the reflection, I ran one hand down the soft black feathers. They were soft and fluffy, like a duckling’s.
Already at breaking point, my mind couldn’t process the image properly, and I simply gazed up at Cas. “I have wings.”
He nodded slowly. “It would appear so. You need to retract them so we can get you in the car. Pull them back in.”
I looked back at the reflection and moved my shoulders. Nothing happened. Pull them back in. I need them in to get into the car. They won’t fit. My mind stumbled over the concept, but my body reacted as though I had always had these incredible appendages. With the thought in my mind, they retracted, folding close to my body before fading from sight.
Cas wrapped his arm around me and guided me into the back seat before climbing in next to me. He lifted me onto his lap, and I didn’t say anything, just cuddled in close and concentrated on the warmth of his body as it heated my cold one. My skin felt like it was buzzing all over. I was faintly aware of Sam and Euriel climbing in next to us.
I reached up and touched Euriel’s face. “When did you break your nose?”
He gave me a small smile. “Don’t worry about it, it’ll heal.”
Amadi glanced back from the passenger seat. “Alright, Faith? You gave us one hell of a scare.”
I felt Cas shake his head, and his arms tightened around me. “Leave it until later, mate. I think she’s in shock. You’ll not get much out of her now.”
Amadi smiled at me sadly. I turned away from him and closed my eyes. Alex started the car and pulled away, and within minutes, the rumble of the engine and the beat of Cas’s heart had lulled me into welcomed darkness.
Nephilim the Awakening (Wrath of the Fallen Book 1) Page 23
