Lina and Arana, suddenly aware of a strange voice in their midst, ceased their disagreement and stood staring at Azazel like he was some sort of alien.
“Have you lost your voice in the century since we last spoke, Borvil? Or have you pissed someone else off and finally had some retribution?”
The goblin shook his head, as if freeing himself from some sort of daze. “Azazel, I…err…fancy seeing you here.” He painted a false smile onto his face and walked to the demon, hand outstretched. “It’s been a long time.”
Azazel grinned and shook the goblin’s hand. He then imposed a bone crushing grip on it that had the goblin on his knees and squealing for mercy.
“Please, please, ow! I need my hands. Oh, God. Let go, Azazel. Please.”
“Quit your whining you disgusting creature. Save your skin and my knife blades by telling me what the hell is going on here and why my demi-soul is unconscious?”
“The girl,” Borvil said, pointing at Arana. “She gave me gifts to help her get the witch.”
Azazel raised an eyebrow. “And you did it?”
“You didn’t see the size of the mud pies. They will feed my family for months. And all the leather shoes—we all have new shoes now. Do you know how rare that is?”
“So you figured that your family would rather have new shoes and full bellies instead of having their father?”
Borvil took a few seconds to answer. “But…but I was only doing what I felt best for my family. Do you know what Lilith does to goblins who betray her precious Lamia?”
Azazel rolled his eyes. “I’m sure it involves anything that you’re scared of, Borvil. But, I guess it depends what you fear more—Lilith or me.”
“Err, excuse me, who the hell are you?” said Arana. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Azazel like he’d just gate-crashed the party of the century.
“Azazel, Commander of Hell.”
Arana’s jaw dropped. “You’re what the rest of them bitches go crazy over?” She snorted and physically moved her head up and down as she took in his appearance. “I’ve seen better.”
“Arana,” Lina said, all but hissing. “Don’t piss him off. Don’t you remember him?”
“Oh, I remember him,” Arana replied, keeping a steely stare fixed on Azazel. “He ran away when Kyla’s grandad appeared.”
“Because I have more to do with my time than constantly re-grow heads. It’s called common sense,” Azazel replied, staring her down.
When the blonde seductress finally looked away, Azazel walked over to Kyla, dragging Borvil with him as he still had a hold of his calloused hand.
“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen now. Borvil, you’re going to remove that lasso from Kyla’s neck. Then, you’re going to give me the damn thing so I can destroy it. Ladies, you will accompany me, in your current stature, to the Worthington estate to await Kyla’s return to consciousness. Then she can decide whether to finish the job she started all those weeks ago.”
“Now hang on a minute,” said Arana. “Who the hell do you think you are to just come strolling in here barking out orders like you own the place?”
“I’m one of the most powerful beings on earth and in Hell. I’m also Kyla’s demi-soul which means she is my other half, quite literally. Whatever the fuck you’ve been up to means you’ve been hurting half of me and actions like that carry a heavy penalty. To put it simply, sugar, I’m your worst fucking nightmare wrapped up in this handsome package.” He motioned a hand over himself as he finished his speech.
Lina raised an eyebrow. “Ok, we get it. You’re all powerful and nursing quite an ego to go with it. What do you want from us?”
“I want you to leave my demi-soul alone. She’s suffered enough without having you two to contend with.”
Arana’s jaw dropped. “Are you for real you pompous arsehole? Have you forgotten what she forced us to watch?”
“No, not at all.”
Arana stared at him and shrugged her shoulders. “Is that it? Is that all you have to say on the subject?”
“Pretty much. I think it’s about time you quit your moaning. It’s getting a bit old.”
“She murdered our parents right in front of us!”
Azazel faked a yawn. “Old news, sweetie, old news.”
Borvil chuckled. He reached forwards to Kyla’s neck and slid the rope off her neck before handing the flimsy looking material to Azazel.
“Good boy,” Azazel said. “You can have your hand back, but you dare try to run and I’ll split you in half.”
Borvil gulped and nodded.
“Good. Right, ladies. Let’s head outside, shall we?”
Chapter Forty-One
Lina
Arana turned to me, wanting permission to argue with the demon, but I just shrugged my shoulders and nodded my head towards the exit.
Before he arrived, we’d been having a heated debate on what exactly was supposed to happen next.
Sure, Kyla had ruined our lives, but after hearing her side of the story, I kind of empathised with her.
Arana and I were in no different situation now than what she had been.
“Arana, don’t you get it?” I said. “If we go after her looking for the same bloodshed she put upon us, we’re no better than her. Where is it going to end? Someone has to be the bigger person.”
“She needs to know the pain, she needs to feel it like we did, Lina. Why have you suddenly changed your mind? You suddenly feel sorry for her now or something?”
I sighed. “No, Arana. I’m just mature enough to realise that she’s never going to understand what we feel but we’re also never going to understand what she feels. There has to be a point somewhere where it ends or what happens next? Our kids end up carrying on this bloody feud?”
Arana snorted. “Yes, if that’s what it takes to get the point across.”
“What point?”
“That we won’t be beaten!”
A lightbulb went off in my head. Arana’s issue wasn’t so much subjecting Kyla to the same evils she’d bestowed upon us, but it was about who was the bigger, better, badder person. If we were guys, it would be a contest of measuring dicks.
That was when Azazel had entered, promptly severing all chances of me trying to alter my sister’s mind. I was pretty certain I could do it, it was just a matter of wording things in the right way for her to see it.
Now though, we meekly followed the demon outside. We stepped out into the moonlight, not sure what to expect.
Several faces peered down at us, one of them being Kyla’s grandad. His ominous presence was not one to be forgotten in a hurry.
Azazel clicked his fingers, returning himself to full height. He then bent down and slipped the lasso over me, my sister, and Borvil.
Tightening it around our waists, he lifted us up and dangled us in front of his crowd.
“Three culprits, all nicely caught and tied together. I suggest they’re kept tied up until Kyla awakens.”
The detective jogged across the green landscape, his face pale but his demeanour full of life.
“Hey, guys,” he said, coming to a stop next to the two werewolves staring at us. Even though they’d turned back to their human form, the yellow glint in their eyes gave them away.
Azazel raised an eyebrow and jerked his thumb in Spencer’s direction. “Who the fuck is this dude?”
“He’s the detective that’s been following their trail of bodies,” Sam said.
The screech of an owl cut through the supernatural meeting. All heads looked up to find the source of the sound.
When Esther came to rest on Spencer’s shoulder, Azazel raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you’re not human?”
Spencer smiled. “Apparently not.”
Sam and Dylan turned to stare at him, open mouthed. Malcolm cleared his throat and said, “So is someone going to retrieve my grandbaby from the tree?”
“Oh shit,” Azazel said. He threw the tied-up trio towards Dylan and turned his attention back to th
e tree. “Guess I’ll have to shrink myself again.”
“Err…may I?” Spencer said, raising a hand like a schoolchild.
“Have you got any clue what you’re doing?” Azazel said, glaring at the man with disdain.
“Well, no, but I gotta start somewhere, right? Abaddon said whatever I will to happen will happen.”
“So, what you guna do then?”
Spencer lowered his hand and took a tentative step towards the tree. “Well, if it’s that simple then surely I can will the tree to become flexible so we can reach in and grab her.”
Azazel snorted. “Be my guest.” He motioned a hand towards the tree.
Spencer took a hesitant step past the demon and scooted towards the tree. Placing a flat palm against its trunk, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
In his mind’s eye, he pictured the rough bark becoming smooth and pliable. After a few seconds, the trunk began to wallow and wave, becoming almost fluid in its state.
Opening his eyes, Spencer gasped. Shocked to see what had happened from just his touch, he jumped back, startled.
The tree returned to its former, normal state.
“Well, it worked at least,” said Azazel. “But you kinda need to keep touching it for it to stay that way. Can you do it again? I’ll reach in and grab her.”
Spencer nodded and repeated his magickal feat. When Azazel reached through the murky brown fluidity of the tree trunk, he scooped Kyla up in his palm and brought her outside.
“How do we get her back to…you know, normal size?” Spencer said, frowning. He removed his touch from the tree, returning it to its hard, inflexible state.
Azazel looked at him and grinned. “Like this.”
He laid her down on the dewy grass and pressed an index finger to her forehead. A bolt of bright blue electricity passed into her body, like she’d just been electrocuted.
Azazel took a step back. Several seconds later, the effects of the acorn juice were overpowered by the demon’s magick, inflating Kyla back to her normal human size.
“And that’s how it’s done,” Azazel said. He fished through his pocket for the golden key Lucifer had thrown at him. When he found only a scrap of it left, he sighed and said, “That’s me done. Time to go back.” He fixed a flat stare on Dylan and said, “Look after her.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Kyla
Dylan took a hold of my hand. “And here you are. Back to normal and safe and sound.”
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed that Grandad didn’t get to strut his stuff,” I said, giggling. “Still, all’s well that ends well, right?”
Dylan grimaced. “Well, you do have the small issue of deciding what to do with your sisters and the goblin.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “The goblin can go. We had a deal and I intend to stick to my end of it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. He did me a favour without receiving payment or gifts first. I don’t intend to let him down. Considering he lives on my estate, I’d rather keep peace with him.”
“That makes sense. Ok, fair enough. What about your sisters?”
“Well, let’s give them some more acorn juice and see what they have to say.”
An hour later, after I’d showered and dressed, I sat downstairs, watching Borvil serve my sisters their cups of acorn juice.
Within a few seconds, they were back to normal size and sitting on the red couch opposite me. A dark wooden coffee table interrupted the space between us.
“I guess you want thanks?” said Arana. Her piercing blue eyes, a family trait of ours, flashed with hatred.
“No, not at all. I was more hoping for a civilised conversation but I’m guessing you just want to rip my throat out?”
“Damn right!” Arana stood up and glowered down at me.
I didn’t bat an eyelid. Not only did I have my own magick to best her with, but my grandad was behind me, leaning against the big bay window several metres away from the sofa.
“And what are you going to achieve with that?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and quiet. “If there’s one thing I learned from killing my mother—”
“OUR mother,” Arana said, balling her hands into fists.
“Ok, if there’s one thing I learned from killing our mother it’s that the wounds don’t go away. I’m still scarred mentally from what her and your father did to me. Killing them lessened my rage at the time but it hasn’t eased my wounds. Whether I like it or not, what they did to me helped mould me into who I am and I’m quite fond of me.”
Arana snorted. “Well, at least someone is.”
Lina reached up and curled a hand around her sister’s forearm. “Sit down, Arana. Just calm down. We can sort through this civilly.”
“No,” she shouted, rounding on her sister. “We’ve both said how much we want to kill her, make her suffer what we had to suffer, but now after hearing her sob story, you seem to have grown a conscience. Am I the only one here who’s bothered about what she did to us?”
“Arana, what we spoke about was really nothing but a daydream. A twisted fantasy of two hurt little girls. The reality is we’re not going to gain anything from hurting her. Once she’s dead, then what? You’re still going to be this angry vampire who wants to hurt everyone.”
“We might have thought it was a daydream at the time, Lina, but I made it come true. I sought out the goblins, got the lasso, heck—we both decided on the spur of the moment to kidnap her when she walked into our apartment. What’s changed? I don’t get it.”
“Because sometimes the best thing to do is rise above it all, Arana. For our own sanity, we need to draw a line in the sand and say that this experience has made us who we are so let’s make the best of it.”
Arana tutted. “You sound just like her. You make me sick.” She turned and glared at me. “Are you playing some sort of mind control trick on her? Because if you are, I swear to God—”
“Sit down!” Grandad’s voice boomed across the open room.
The unexpected words combined with his commanding authority made me jump. I often wondered if Hell rejoiced the fact he was up here now instead of terrorising all of them down there.
Arana startled and sat down. She pulled her lips into a thin line and stared down into her lap.
“Now, if you haven’t forgotten, my daughter was the mother of all three of you which means you’re all my grandchildren.”
Arana looked back up at him, tears washing over her eyes. “I…I didn’t know that.”
“Well, now you do. Do you not think it was hard for me and your grandmother to lose a child?”
Arana glanced back down and nodded her head.
“Yes, you lost your mother, but other people lost someone important to them too. Do you not think it damaged Kyla to do that to her mother?”
Silence met his question.
“Well?” he said.
Arana sniffed and nodded.
“But I understand that Kyla did what she needed to do. What Anna-Rose did was unforgivable. The supernatural world is a cruel one. I’m afraid if someone crosses a line, there are harsh consequences.”
A few tense moments ticked by. When I was confident Grandad had finished putting Arana in her place, I cleared my throat and decided to come at things from a different angle.
“Is there anything we can do to maybe try and be civilised at least? Do you have any idea how much I hated being an only child? It kills me that I have two sisters that absolutely detest me.”
Lina leaned forwards and smiled. “I would be willing to work on a relationship of some sort…” she turned her head to look at her sister “…but I couldn’t do that without Arana being on board one hundred percent. We’re all we’ve got so where one of us goes, the other follows.”
“Say that to the men and you’re golden,” Spencer said, chuckling. “Or was that part of it?”
Lina laughed. “No. We worked separately.”
“Ho
w are you going to fix that?” Dylan asked Spencer.
“I’m trying not to think about that right now but I’m working on it.”
“Arana,” I said, saying her name gently. “Do you think we could ever maybe be friends?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, but no. I’m just full of so much hatred and bitterness…and it’s all because of you! I hate you. I hate you for making me be like this. I want my days back where everything was simple and easy and fun-loving. I can’t even remember the last time I smiled, truly smiled, from the heart.”
I sighed and looked at Lina. She gave me a thin smile. I turned to look at Grandad. He motioned his head towards the dining room.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I said, before getting up and power walking into the dining room.
“Is it possible,” I said to Grandad. “To maybe wipe their memories?”
Grandad looked at me and grinned. “That’s my girl. Just what I was thinking. You would need to ask their permission of course and also speak to Lucifer.”
I frowned. “What has Lucifer got to do with this?”
“Well, he took them instead of you down to Hell remember? If you wipe their memories and bring them out of the Lamia, they’ll be little girls again and Lucifer will be short one murderous soul.”
“Shit.”
“Have you thought about what you could offer him in return?”
“No because I hadn’t even considered the fact I might have to make another deal with him.”
Footsteps ceased our conversation. When Spencer appeared, grinning at us from around the wall, I became slightly concerned at what he might say.
“I have an idea. I have the perfect candidate to frame for the missing persons case. When he realises what I’ve done, I’m pretty sure he’ll be feeling murderous.”
I couldn’t help the broad grin that spread over my face. “William Wilkins.” I clapped my hands together and squealed. “Oh my God, that would be the perfect ending for him.” I turned to look at Grandad. “Do you think it could work?”
Unleashing Vampires: A paranormal revenge novel (Unleashing Series Book 2) Page 12
