Fire and Ice

by Sara York

  She grabbed an extra blanket and stripped out of her clothes before sliding between the sheets. As sleep came close, making her brain fuzz, she thought she heard a noise and jolted out of her stupor.

  The dark apartment spooked her, but nothing moved in her room. She sat up, groping for her robe. Damn it—she’d left it in the den after Rafe had taken Lash. The street lights outside her apartment gave her enough light to see around the room as she lay in bed. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The noise was probably a bird outside or a dog barking. Her head hit the pillow and she snuggled under the covers, trying to ward off the chill in her apartment.

  Tomorrow, she’d go visit Lash. He had to be mortified about what had happened, but she wanted to see him again. Everything about their relationship seemed strange. He wasn’t her type, but something unexplainable connected them.

  Alexandria slid further under the covers, wrapping herself in warmth and comfort. Thoughts of Lash filled her mind. Maybe they could plan another date for this weekend.

  She had just begun to shut down again when she heard the shuffle of feet inside her apartment. Her heart stalled before thundering at a rapid pace. Her mind batted around a few different things she could do to protect herself, but they all seemed impossible with a real threat only feet away.

  The attack happened quickly. Her breath whooshed out. Her head slammed against the mattress and her arms were pinned at her sides. The scream she wanted to let loose clung to her throat, only eking out as a whisper. A cover slid over her head and blocked all the light from her view. Her attacker tied the cover tight around her neck, only giving her just enough room to breathe.

  Panic set in as she tried to flail her arms, but nothing worked. He lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder before she could even get in one hard smack. Her attempts to beat his back with her arms proved useless. The man had overpowered her and won. He carried her outside, banging her into the door on their way out.

  He threw her to the ground, and her arms scraped against gravel. Her efforts to scramble to her feet ended when something hard slammed against her head. Everything went blank.

  When she came to, her body was freezing. The hood over her face had been removed. The light in the room glowed yellow, giving her skin a sallow cast. She tried to stand but her knees gave out. Her attacker stood with his back to her. He had tossed his shirt, revealing muscles that bulged with each movement of his arms. When he turned to face her, she gasped.

  “Rafe?”

  He smiled, changing his face from the angry scowl to a pleasant greeting, but, no matter how pleasant he might seem, his attitude didn’t fool her.

  “Where’s Lash?”

  Anger flicked over his features and he stalked towards her. “Don’t ask about him again.”

  She shrank back against the wall, bumping her head in the process. Pain raced down her back, leaving her arms weak and useless.

  “Now, it’s time for us to have some fun.”

  “Where are we?”

  “My house. Do you like the place? This is where you’ll spend eternity. I’m in this relationship for the long haul.” Rafe burst out laughing. He stopped his cackle suddenly. “You’re not amused? Why?”

  “Let me go. I swear I won’t tell anyone. The police don’t need to know.”

  Rafe laughed again, and the noise echoed off the rock walls. After he’d made a show of drying his eyes he chuckled some more, his smile belittling as he stood above her and looked down.

  “You really are stupid. The police can’t get here. No mortal can.”

  This time, the fear zipping around her body made her shiver. “Let me go.”

  Rafe puffed up, his face growing red. She tried to stand but it was no use. “Please, I just—”

  “No, you are mine.” Rafe roared and a chunk of rock fell from the ceiling. He stalked around the room, glancing back at her every few seconds as he bashed his fists against the walls and repeated “Mine!” over and over again.

  Alexandria tried to shrink away but he came at her, pulling her to her feet. The angry sneer on his lips scared her almost as much as the crazy look in his eyes.

  Something poked up from his forehead. She squinted, trying to get a good look. “What the hell is that thing?”

  Rafe reached up and touched the lump on his forehead. His eyes turned red, and she could swear he grew by another foot. Now the man truly looked menacing. He shoved her against the wall and started rummaging through his belongings. After a moment he pulled a mirror from a drawer.

  “Shit, it’s a fucking horn.” He turned towards her, his lips curved in a snarl as he talked. “I’m back, baby, and everything is about to get nasty in here.”

  Alexandria didn’t understand. On the mountain, Rafe had seemed like a great guy. Maybe he wasn’t only deranged, but dangerous, too. If she wanted to live she needed to escape. Her body wouldn’t cooperate as she tried to stand. Rafe had moved across the room and was busy looking through a cabinet. He was too twisted up with anger to pay any attention to her.

  The strength required to stand wiped out all the energy she had. Two steps felt like hundreds as she shuffled away from Rafe. She’d moved ten steps before he roared with anger. Goosepimples broke out over her body and a chill shook her to the core.

  “Stop.” Rafe’s voice filled the cavernous room.

  She tried to run, but her body refused to move. Rafe flicked his wrist and her arms were thrown up over her head. He moved his fingers and she span around. Her heart beat so fast she thought the organ would pop. She took two steps towards Rafe as he moved his hands.

  Her eyes watered and her breath came in hiccups. The bastard could control her with just one movement.

  “What the fuck are you?” she whispered.

  “I’m a demon at heart. My real name is Lahash.”

  The control he had over her body waned as he dropped to his knees, pain etched across his face. He doubled over, knocking a chair out of his path.

  Alexandria tried to move, but Rafe snaked out his hand, pulling it into a fist. She dropped to the floor as pain laced through her. This wasn’t real. Somehow Rafe had control over her. What if he really was a demon?

  Chapter Six

  Lash thought about chewing off his hands at the wrists. The golden chains binding him to the closet floor were impossible to break. He’d even tried to break the support beam running through the building, but the task had proven to be too much of a challenge. Hell only knew what torture Rafe had planned for Alexandria.

  He jerked the chains again, pulling hard, letting them clatter against the floor. His powers were diminished, his body too small to be useful, and he had allowed himself to be captured by a demon. If he didn’t find Alexandria soon, Rafe would have her secreted away in the underworld, and he’d never see her again.

  The poor girl probably had no idea what the hell had happened to her, but it would be worse if she figured out her real predicament. He couldn’t believe God had gone to these depths to make His point. Okay, so Lash shouldn’t have meddled in Alexandria’s life, but love had made him desperate. Her soul had called to him for a long time but he guessed he’d waited too long. Then she’d almost died, and the thought of her slipping from his life without knowing how much he loved her had made his heart hurt.

  Rage filled Lash and he cried out, slamming the chains down hard on the floor. He pulled them up again, banging and knocking them to the floor over and over again, until exhaustion left him spent.

  No one heard his fit. It would be weeks before anyone found him, and then only if Rafe didn’t pay his rent. By that time, this body he’d been forced into would be dead. Without his powers to transform into another being, he would die.

  “No!” Lash refused to allow Rafe to win this battle.

  The sound of someone bashing through the front door startled Lash. He called out, praying that whoever came could find the key to unlock the chains he was shackled with.

  Mac burst through the closet door. “Las
h, what happened?”

  The guy stepped forward and began pulling on the chains, the way Lash had been doing for the last few hours. Mac yanked hard on the chain, trying to break the clamp secured to the floor.

  “The damn thing won’t budge. I’ve been trying for hours to get free.”

  “I’ll go get a hacksaw.” Mac raced towards the door.

  “No, the metal is a special alloy. Hacksaw won’t cut it.”

  “Shit, what can I do to get you out?”

  “There’s a key. It’s the only thing that will open the lock.”

  “Any idea where the key is?”

  “No.”

  “Damn.” Mac paced out of the closet, then back in. “I’m going to look for that key, then you’re going to tell me what happened.”

  Lash slumped down on the floor. How could he explain what had happened with Alexandria and Rafe? The truth was too unbelievable, and he wouldn’t lie. Mac would have to deal with Lash running out as soon as the chains were unlocked.

  Mac banged around in the rest of the apartment, opening and shutting the drawers and cabinets, making a hell of a lot of noise. It seemed like forever before Mac came back, the smile on his face huge as he held up a gold key.

  “This is the only key I found in the place. Let’s hope this works.” Mac leaned over, about to slide the key into the keyhole.

  “Wait.”

  Mac hesitated. “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to be the one to open the lock.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “Trust me. This is the way it needs to be.”

  Mac dropped the key into Lash’s open hand. He brought the key to his mouth, casting up a prayer before kissing the cold metal. Aiming the key to hit the lock took all of his dexterity. After the third attempt, and after Mac had grumbled more than any man should, Lash lined up the key with the lock and turned it. The shackles sprang off, dropping to the floor.

  Lash jumped up, not wasting any time explaining the lock or Rafe to Mac. He had little time to fix this situation, and Mac couldn’t help. Most likely, Rafe had taken Alexandria back to his old haunt. Taking a mortal to the underworld was tricky at best. She wouldn’t be able to return to this world easily, and that scared the shit out of Lash. What if he showed up too late and Rafe had done something stupid?

  Mac raced after him, but couldn’t match Lash’s speed. Lash was nowhere near as fast as he’d been in his old body, but it was enough to lose Mac in minutes. The path to the tree where Michael had left his marker sat one mile out of town, straight into the foothills. Lash’s breath came in great, heaving gasps as he rounded the bend in the path and slammed into the tree.

  “Michael. Now!”

  The wind rushed and ominous clouds gathered around the trees. To the town below, the inky clouds would look like a terrible storm brewing, but Lash knew different. Michael would be angry at being summoned so unceremoniously.

  Thunder crackled as Michael swooped down, landing only inches from Lash. The force of his descent knocked Lash on his ass. He didn’t even try to stand up, knowing that going face to face with Michael when he was angry would only result in a punch to the kisser.

  “Why did you summon me?”

  “Rafe has Alexandria.”

  “You were warned to watch out for her.”

  “I need to go to the underworld and get her. I want to make this right. I’ll work on getting her with Scott.”

  Michael raised his eyebrows. The old angel was impressed with his ability to figure out who Alexandria was supposed to be with. He pulled a scroll out of his satchel. “This pass should get you in and out. You cause any trouble down there and your ass gets cooked.”

  “Fine, I’ll be a good boy, but I have to get to her now.”

  Michael held the pass away from Lash. “Need I remind you time is running out? You must have her fall in love with Scott. If you mess this up, you’re never going to get back what you lost.”

  “My life and comfort are of no use to me if Alexandria is lost forever down there. If I fail, at least I will have kept her from an eternity with that sorry-ass demon.”

  “This is the last time I’m helping you on this mission.”

  “Thanks, Michael, you’re the best.”

  Lash took the pass and chanted the incantation to travel from this world to the underworld. Immediately, his stomach turned and his skin crawled. He hated being here. The evil in this place made him sick to his stomach. The few times he’d actually had to do business in the underworld, he’d spent weeks getting the stink out of his hair and feathers.

  Alexandria had already forgiven her brother. Next he needed to get her to see Scott differently, and then he would take back his own body.

  Broken glass and trash covered the path. Four hundred years had passed since his last trip to hell. The place had gone downhill.

  Lash sensed Alexandria’s presence nearby. Few demons were bold enough to bring a mortal being to this realm. The goodness she exuded had left a residue behind, allowing him to track her easily.

  Her essence trail ended at a run-down building with grimy glass and a broken door. He burst through the door, taking Rafe by surprise. The bastard had Alexandria naked and shackled to the wall, her arms and legs spread far apart, leaving her vulnerable to the demon’s attacks.

  Lash’s blood boiled as he took in the scene. Red welts bubbled on Alexandria’s previously flawless skin. Bruises crossed her belly. Were her ribs broken? Blood seeped from one of the wounds on her thigh. A trickle of blood ran from her nose, and one eye had swollen shut.

  Eternity wouldn’t be long enough for him to forgive this bastard demon for hurting Alexandria. Lash charged at Rafe, his head smacking into the beast, and pushed him up against the wall. Rafe’s borrowed body might be bigger and it might have more muscle, but Lash’s fury had ignited an anger that burned hot.

  Rafe tried to fight back with quick punches and fast kicks, but Lash was on a mission to save Alexandria. Any weakness he showed would be exploited by the demon and turned into something ugly, then used to smash Lash into little pieces.

  Lash kept the fight away from Alexandria, praying a stray piece of furniture wouldn’t hit her as the contents of the room were destroyed. Rafe was tired—Lash could see it on his face.

  “You are done,” Lash shouted.

  Rafe threw a punch that landed on Lash’s right cheek, which spurted blood as pain made his vision go blurry.

  “Not by a long shot.” Rafe threw another punch that struck true.

  Lash saw his chance. He leant down, pretending to be hurt. Rafe tried to take advantage of the situation and dived for him, but Lash came up with a chair leg in his right hand and bashed the hard wood across Rafe’s face, knocking him to the ground.

  Rafe’s eyes rolled up in the back of his head as he groaned. Lash didn’t waste any time. He found a rope and secured Rafe’s legs and arms together, using some hog-tying techniques that made movement impossible for the big guy.

  After securing the last of the knots, Lash turned to Alexandria, and his heart lurched in his chest. She’d been beaten but not broken. Fixing her wounds would be easy once he was fully restored to his angel body, but, more importantly, he needed to fix her soul.

  “Alexandria, I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

  She tried to talk, but her lips were swollen and her jaw hung at an odd angle. When Lash saw the extent of her injuries, he turned to Rafe and kicked him squarely in the ribs, his anger getting the better of him.

  Lash found the key and opened the shackles. He dropped to the floor and pulled her down into his lap. Tears fell from his eyes onto her face. When he’d had his full powers one of his tears could have healed the dying, but in this borrowed body he didn’t know if his power would work.

  His tears covered Alexandria’s face, and yet her bruises were growing darker by the minute. Her internal organs were injured—how badly, he didn’t know.

  Lash threw back his head and cried out, begging
God to restore his powers of healing. “Please don’t let this end this way. I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t interfere again. I’ll find a way to get her with Scott. I’ll do whatever you want, just fix her.”

  Alexandria moaned and he turned his attention back to her. She looked close to death.

  “Alexandria, listen to me. You won’t remember this, but I’m planting it in your subconscious. You need to fall in love with Scott. He’s good for you. I can’t be with you on Earth. Scott needs to be with you now.”

  Lash didn’t know if he was getting through to her. Her eyes flashed open, but he couldn’t tell if she’d regained consciousness enough to make a decision about her future. Tears fell freely from his eyes. The grief of not knowing her fate tore at his heart. The hollow pit consuming his soul drained him, leaving him wondering if he’d have the strength to leave this hellish place.

  Alexandria stirred in his arms. How much time had passed, he didn’t know. She moaned, but this time her groans sounded less painful. It might have only been the light but he could have sworn her bruises were healing. A tear dropped from his eye and splashed onto the cut on her mouth. The skin began to heal, and the blood stopped flowing freely. Two tears fell into her mouth, and she swallowed.

  He held his breath for five long seconds, waiting for his healing powers to take effect. After a long moment she gulped in air, then sputtered and coughed.

  She would live, but she needed emergency care. And he needed to adjust her memory. Remembering the events down here would be devastating to her. He should probably erase all her memories of him, but that would be too extensive and he couldn’t survive knowing she would never remember him for the rest of eternity.

  The muscles in Lash’s arms bubbled and bulged. They rolled under his skin, almost as if he had something crawling through him. Pain ripped through his face as his jaw expanded and his eyes bugged out. What the hell?

  His body shuddered and shook as the pain intensified. He couldn’t breathe or move as his soul stayed in place as his body was reformed and restored back to his original form.