They hadn’t been as far away as Beau had originally thought. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that they now flew. Walking took a lot longer. Why hadn’t Charmeine thought of this before? At least they were making up some lost time now.
It took no time at all before they descended to the ground, landing on the street in front of Beau’s old house.
Gazardiel shuffled forward, stopping at the base of the house’s front steps. “We have arrived.”
“I kind of knew that…” Beau took a few hesitant steps forward, then stopped, his stomach in knots. He had no clue what he’d find inside. He’d seen Jasmine. She’d been in an awful state, but Bael still had her then. At least a day or two had gone by since they’d left Heaven. Gazardiel wouldn’t tell him anything, but the angel had made it sound bad. How bad, though?
Charmeine nudged him with her shoulder. “Come on, Beau. Don’t chicken out on me now.”
Putting on a brave face, Beau swallowed the lump in his throat, leading the way inside. Faking bravery had never been his strong suit, but he put on a brave face, hoping he could keep it up once he got inside.
Chapter 19
Taking the Reins
Bael
Jasmine’s time with the good guys had been more difficult than Bael thought. He’d entered her mind to find her locked in a cage. It hadn’t taken any time for the angels to see through her façade. Bael smashed his fist into the wall.
When he got control of his anger, he faced Moloch. “She needs my help.”
Moloch raised his eyebrows. “What will you do?”
He smiled. “We are connected now. My blood runs through her veins. I can enter her mind easily, even more so than before. Once inside, I will take over, making the group believe her character remains true.”
What hadn’t I thought of this before? If I had, she wouldn’t be locked away now. Bael cursed himself.
“What if it doesn’t work?” Moloch asked.
Bael tilted his head, pointing his chin toward the ground and widened his eyes.
Moloch chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that was a stupid question.”
Bael sat in the overstuffed pink couch, which he’d vowed never to sit in again. But he needed to be comfortable. He might be here for a while. “I need you to stay here and guard me. I won’t be myself, since I will be inside Jasmine’s mind. If Lucifer comes, you must keep him away until I’ve finished.
Moloch nodded. “I can do that.”
“Good. Now, since that’s settled, I will get right to it.”
Bael took a deep breath and leaned back, letting the furniture swallow him. This time, he didn’t care. He reached out for Jasmine, finding their link, and pulled himself inside her mind within seconds. “Do you need some help?”
He could feel her excitement as he spoke to her internally. She didn’t speak back, though. Probably because she didn’t know how, or even realize she could. It didn’t matter. He could gage her reactions from the feel of her emotions, which revealed where her true loyalties remained. With him.
He never should have forced this mission on her. Not without proper training. As she’d only just turned evil, she didn’t have much control over herself. He should have known this, but he’d chosen to overlook it. She’d put forth a good effort, but hadn’t had the practice to succeed. Bael would still reward her when she returned.
“It’s okay. I will guide you so they will release you. You aren’t to ever be put in a cage. You are to be my queen…not some dog.”
He felt her appreciation at his words and inwardly smiled. “Now. We have some work to do. Are you ready?”
This time, Bael felt eagerness. That pleased him greatly.
“Okay. Just hang on for the ride, sweet Jasmine. I will take it from here.”
And this time, he felt relief mixed with gratitude. Also acceptance, a very important emotion. Bael took the reins from her, and she gave them freely. It would be like pulling the strings of a puppet, but the puppet was real in this game. If he failed, they would see right through her and keep her locked away. If he didn’t, they would release her from her cage and she could slip away in the night and come home to him.
Failing wasn’t an option. He had to make sure her words were true to something the old Jasmine would have said. Good thing he knew her so well.
The mission might be more complicated than he’d once thought, but complication had never scared him before. He wouldn’t let it now.
Chapter 20
A Believable Lie
Jasmine
When she’d heard Bael’s first words slither through her mind, she almost forgot to breathe. She’d wanted to scream the news, that he hadn’t forgotten her, hadn’t let her alone, but the only person in the room had been Amon, and she couldn’t very well share anything with him. Luckily, she’d stopped the words before they got her in trouble.
She hadn’t a clue Bael could even talk with her in her mind. Perhaps it had something to do with the blood he’d given her, which still made her skin crawl. She’d never liked the taste of blood before, but now when she thought of Bael’s, she went all vampire. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.
She knew for certain the demons had a lot more in common with vampires than they let on, but she wondered if the angels were the same. She also wondered if vampires really existed, something she’d never thought of before now.
“No, there are no vampires, Jasmine. They are a myth.”
Bael. He is still here. She didn’t have a clue how to respond to him, but it made her heart swell knowing he’d stayed with her. If only she could figure out how to talk back, it would make everything easier.
It didn’t get past her, the fact she’d become Bael’s weapon. She knew he’d use her however he saw fit, but none of that mattered. Not when he’d more or less called her his queen. Standing beside him, ruling Hell. Dreams were made of that kind of stuff.
First, before any of that could happen, she had to get out of here.
“Amon. Could you get me some water?” Jasmine pushed her fingers through the cage. “I’m really thirsty.”
Amon had been looking at the ground. When she spoke, he raised his head, nodded, and disappeared up the stairs without a word.
“What we need to do is convince them you are yourself. Make them trust you so they won’t keep you locked down there. Then, when you are free, you can make a run for it, right back to my side.”
Jasmine nodded, more out of instinct than anything else, but she needed to be careful. If Amon had been down here and saw her nod, he’d wonder why. He’d question it, and she didn’t have time for those types of questions. She had time for one thing right now: escape. The cage gave her no room to move, and she wanted out more than anything. She didn’t belong in a cage.
Jasmine raised her eyes as Amon returned, a bottle of water in one of his hands. He said nothing as he poked it through a small opening.
She tugged it the rest of the way through. “Thank you.”
Amon started to walk back to his chair, but only took a couple of steps before he stopped, his shoulders drooping as he turned back to her. “Jasmine, it isn’t too late to come back to us. Let me help you.”
Just as Jasmine began to say, “Never,” Bael took over. “I would like that. I don’t want to feel like this anymore. So angry…it hurts.”
Amon moved closer, grabbing her fingers through the cage. “Are you coming back to me?”
She pressed her lips together and nodded. Her eyes filled with tears. She had no clue how Bael had made her cry. It had been the farthest thing from her mind, but somehow he’d made a miracle happen. If it got her out of this cage, great. She’d take whatever her demon master offered.
Amon held his finger in the air. “Wait here a minute. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared up the stairs again.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Like I could go anywhere else.”
“He already believes you to be yourself again. That didn’t take long, did it?”
Jasmine smiled as she shook her head. It didn’t take long at all, and she knew exactly why. Predictable Amon, just like all the others, would believe whatever flew in front of his face if it made Jasmine normal again. Pity it wouldn’t make her what he wanted her to be. She’d never be that again.
Jasmine looked up at the sound of footsteps thunking against the wooden steps. Amon didn’t return alone this time, instead Caim trailed behind him. Maybe he isn’t as predictable as I thought.
Had she actually thought he’d left to get the key to unlock the bolt on her door? How stupid. Instead, he’d gotten Caim as backup. Perhaps fooling him would be harder than she’d thought, especially with Caim’s visions. He might’ve already seen what would happen in this basement, which would put Jasmine in more trouble than she’d thought, giving her absolutely no chance of escape.
Jasmine sat with her back resting against the cage, taking a long swig of her water. Amon might have the advantage now that he had Caim at his side, but he didn’t have what she did. He didn’t have Bael inside his head, and to her, that gave her the winning ticket. She hoped.
“Yes. I think you are right. It does give you the winning ticket.”
She grinned at his praise.
“What are you smiling for?” Caim wrapped his fingers around the cage and bent down to look her in the eye.
“Nothing.” She met his gaze. “I am just so glad to see you.” Where were you there, Bael? Could have used you on that one.
Caim placed his palms together in front of him, then tapped his fingers together. “Well. I guess we’ll see if that is true or not.”
Jasmine laughed, stopping abruptly when Bael took over. “Come on, Caim. You know me. Whatever Bael did to me has worn off by now. I don’t even know what it was, but I’m me again.” She winked at him, remembering how much he did that to everyone else. “See?”
Caim tipped his head to the side. “Perhaps she is back.” He glanced at Amon before turning back to her. “Before we release you, though, I have just a couple of questions.” He paused and looked at Amon, who nodded. Then his gaze met Jasmine’s again. “How did you feel when Bael and his demons took your grandma and grandpa from you? How did you feel when you found them…dead?”
Jasmine shrunk away from the front of the cage. Tears fell down her cheeks. Then she slammed against the bars, looking Caim directly in the eye. “I was angry. I wanted to kill them all. The demons need to die for what they’ve done to me, and to this world. You need to release me so I can make that happen. No more Mrs. Nice Girl.”
Caim nodded. “Okay. So you were angry. But you didn’t answer my question. Not really.” He paused, tapping his chin. “How did you feel when you saw them?”
“I felt like my world was over. Like no matter what happened, I would never be the same again.”
Amon clapped. “I would say that’s a great answer. Caim?”
Caim stood straight. “I’m not sure.” Just as Jasmine was about to release some very unpleasant words, Caim winked. “Actually, the wink did it for me.” He laughed.
Jasmine chuckled, not having to force it. Bael made it so natural for her.
“It worked. Now, when night falls, come home.”
Home. A place where she could be herself. The only place she’d found where she could do that was at Bael’s side. Caim unlocked the cage and she half stood, half crawled out the opening, following Amon up the stairs. Caim was right behind her. Maybe they still didn’t trust her.
As she walked upstairs, the clock on the kitchen wall read four o’clock. Which meant in about four or five hours, she’d be by Bael’s side again. Exactly where she belonged.
When Jasmine walked into the living room, the front door slammed open. She jumped back behind Amon, thinking that might have been something she would have done before. Gazardiel came through, followed by an angel Jasmine had never seen before. She wore a hot pink suit with a zebra print collar. She had short brown hair and dark brown wings the color of chocolate. Jasmine loved chocolate, and those wings made her want to take a bite out of them.
Soon, I might be able to.
Behind the woman angel, Beau stepped through the open doorway, glancing from side to side. When his blue eyes met hers, he smiled. “Jazzy! You’re okay?” He moved to the front of the group, turning to face Gazardiel. “I thought you said she was in trouble.”
Gazardiel shrugged. “I guess she’s okay now. Who knew?”
Charmeine nudged him with her shoulder. “You should have, you big dummy angel. What the heck? You are Gazardiel, man! Get it together!” Then she faced Jasmine. “And I’m Charmeine. I’ve been taking care of your friend Beau upstairs, making sure he knew how to fight. He will be your warden in the coming days.” Charmeine raised her eyebrows, meeting Beau’s gaze. “Maybe.”
Jasmine chewed on her cheek. She hadn’t expected Beau to walk through the door, but there he stood. She hoped Bael still resided in her mind. Her stomach churned with all the angels surrounding her and she didn’t think she could fake any enthusiasm for anybody in this room much longer.
“I would not leave you alone.”
Her legs moved even though she wasn’t in the driver seat. Bael had made her walk, controlling her mind as she wrapped her arms around Beau. “I’m so happy you’re okay. When you died…I just couldn’t stop blaming myself.”
Beau put a hand on each of her cheeks and pulled her face up to meet his. “It was never your fault, Jazzy. I don’t want you to ever blame yourself for what happened to me. Truthfully, it was probably the best thing that has ever come my way. Heaven is so cool!”
Jasmine laughed. “I’m so glad. But I miss you.”
Beau dropped his hands from her face, grinning. “Well, that’s good. Since I’m going to be around you, like, all the time now.”
Jasmine spoke through clenched teeth. “I’m so glad.” Then Bael took control. “I mean it. It’s so good to see you looking so good.” She raised her eyebrows up and down.
Beau chuckled. “Oh yeah? Glad you like what you see.”
Amon cleared his throat. “Okay, you think we can move the party? Standing in the doorway isn’t doing anyone any good. Actually, the only thing it’s doing is providing a good view for spymaster Bael to see exactly what is going on.”
“Amon is smart. I’ll give him that, since I would normally be watching everything. I don’t need to, though, since I can see it all through your eyes.”
When Bael spoke to her, it distracted her and she almost answered him out loud. She still wished she could figure out how to speak to him in his mind, the way he did with her.
Amon wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her to the couch. She had to restrain herself from jerking out from under him. It made her cringe, even though she still felt the heat between them, the pull that stood strong even with the evil blood in her veins. If only she could talk him into joining the dark side. She knew Bael would bring him over if she asked him. She could be Bael’s queen, but she could use some playthings of her own.
She folded her hands in her lap. Things were looking up. Her world might be a bit chaotic right now, but perhaps at the end of it all, she could have her slice of cake and lick the frosting from the spoon.
She looked at the clock once more. Four more hours. I can do this.
When she stood, Amon stood with her. She pushed him down by his shoulders so hard he slammed into the couch with a thud. “Stay. I am just going to go lie down. The hard cage floor didn’t make a very comfortable bed.”
Amon didn’t meet her eyes, shame making his chin touch his chest. “Go. The others will be back soon, and once you wake, we can talk about our next move.”
Jasmine scrunched her eyebrows. “Where are the others?”
“They are out patrolling. Looking for humans left alive around here mostly. We’ve set up a building for them where we gathered supplies like food and water, clothing and blankets. That way they have a place to ride out the storm.”
“W
here?” Jasmine hoped to get a little information to Bael, even though she’d almost botched the whole mission.
Amon smiled. “It’s hard to explain. I’ll take you there. Tomorrow, if you’d like.”
Jasmine nodded. “I would like that, thank you.”
Although it might be a problem since she wouldn’t be here tomorrow. Maybe she should stay and keep up this guise.
“You can’t. I need you to return. Right now, being in your mind has made me vulnerable. I have Moloch watching me because I can’t stay with you and be here at the same time. Go, hide in your room. I will withdraw now.” Jasmine felt him slide from her mind.
Wait. Moloch watched over him? As in the demon who fathered her? Bael didn’t have a clue about his two-faced second who’d had relations with an angel and betrayed their kind. But Moloch was her father. He’d only want what was best for her. Jasmine assumed joining the evil side would be high on her daddy’s list. He’d probably love to see his daughter follow in his footsteps. She didn’t have any cause to worry.
Jasmine lay on the bed in the same boring bedroom she’d rested in before. Not much time passed before she heard a thump outside the door. She could smell the citrus as she rose, tiptoeing to the door. She yanked it open and Beau plopped back, sprawled out on the floor.
Jasmine gasped and jumped away before Beau could topple into her. “What are you doing?”
Beau sat up and turned half his body so he could look at her. “I’m guarding you, Jazzy. Didn’t you hear Charmeine down there? I’m your warden, which means I live to protect you. If that means sitting outside your door while you sleep, then that’s what I’ll do. Nothing will happen to you with me as your guard.”
Jasmine froze. If Beau would be around all the time, how would she ever get away? She’d have to convince him otherwise. “You don’t have to do that,” Jasmine snapped.
“But I do. It’s my job.”
“But I don’t want you here. I want privacy.”
“I’m outside. You are inside, alone. That’s called privacy.”
Surrounded By Flames (The Flames Trilogy Book 2) Page 17
