The property line had been charmed with extra stiff mojo, a bitch of an electric pulse that repelled her backward every time she tried to cross. There was no doubt as to who had put it there.
Declan.
To add insult to injury he was nowhere to be found and no one was offering up any information. Something was going down, something big.
Ana shuddered as a wave of panic slid through her. The little bit of blood she’d drunk from Declan had already formed a tenuous link. He was in danger. She could feel it, and not knowing what was going on was killing her.
Quickly she crossed to the fridge and grabbed a bag of blood. She sliced it open with the sharp end of her fingernail and sucked it from the bag like an animal. No waiting. No manners.
Declan O’Hara had been pushing every single freakin’ button she owned for so long that she should be able to handle it better.
Except she was ready to fall apart. Not good for a vamp to be off her game, not in this situation. She needed to focus. Try a different tactic.
Ana tossed the empty bag and wiped blood from the edges of her mouth.
“Where the fuck is he, Nico?”
The jaguar looked up from the table where he was fiddling with a cup of coffee. He rolled his shoulders and appeared relaxed, but she knew better. The cup was gripped too tightly and the smile upon his lips, too fake.
The warrior never smiled.
“It seems the game has changed.” Nico’s voice was low, his words controlled. “O’Hara is dealing with it.”
Kaden made a weird sound but his eyes quickly fell from hers as she glared at them. “Has he sworn you all to secrecy? Are you really going to play that game with me?”
Silence greeted her words and it only fed her anger more. Her fangs slid out and her veins fattened to form spidery artwork along her face. Her strength lay just beneath the surface and for a second she envisioned her hands wrapped tightly around the jaguar’s neck as she quickly snapped it.
It was insane, where her mind was going, but the loss of control, the fear she felt for Declan was coloring everything in a dark, desperate palette.
Nico stared at her, his dark eyes hooded, lips open in challenge. “I don’t play games.”
“Then tell me where the hell O’Hara is. I don’t need to remind you how delicate a situation we’re in, and after last night I don’t think Declan is in the right frame of mind to be running ops.” She glared at the shifter. “Or to be keeping me in the dark. I’m not some sniveling, weak human.”
“What happened last night?” Nico stood in one fluid movement, his six-foot-six frame dwarfing her petite form.
Ana’s eyes widened and though she didn’t answer, a knowing grimace flickered across the jaguar’s face.
“Just fucking wonderful.” The shifter eyed her, clearly pissed off. “I don’t know the specifics, only that O’Hara is taking a trip below.”
“Below?” The acrid taste of dread rose up from her gut, and Ana clenched her fists together tightly as she stared up at Nico.
The jaguar pointed toward the floor and nodded. “To Hell.”
“Why would he . . .” Her voice trailed off as an image of his scarred, mutilated flesh flashed before her eyes.
“Apparently Lilith has the children.”
The glass in Ana’s hand shattered and she watched the small bits fly like diamonds across the floor. Droplets of blood marred their perfect jeweled form.
“He can’t do this on his own. Is Cale helping him?” What if he was screwed up because she’d taken his blood? They’d had sex as well. Hell, they were halfway to bonding. What if he wasn’t on his game?
Lilith was no run-of-the-mill demon. She was renowned for the darkness she wielded, a legendary princess of darkness who was as bloodthirsty as, if not more so than, her master, Lucifer.
I held up Lilith’s whipping post for six months.
Nico shook his head. “Cale cannot enter the demon realm. His light would be like a beacon. He’d have no chance of survival.”
The jaguar continued to speak but Ana didn’t hear any of it. Her fear for Declan was fierce and her hands shook from the strength of it. She closed her eyes and concentrated, seeking him out, looking for the tenuous thread that joined them. The barest whisper of emotion was there and she grabbed it greedily.
Her sorcerer was resigned. Filled with hatred and fear. Could he sense her anguish as well?
A thousand thoughts slid through her mind but one stood out in stark relief. The need to get to Declan, kick his ass for pulling such a dumb-fuck move and then . . . then what? Kiss him silly with relief? Claim him as hers? Push him away again?
She groaned at the complexity of her situation and ran a tired hand across her brow. “Is it done already?” she asked, and the room fell to silence once more. Kaden’s gaze slid away but Nico’s hard stare held firm. The jaguar nodded and glanced toward the darkened windows.
“He met with Cale over an hour ago,” Nico said.
“What of Samael?” she asked. “What is his part in all of this?”
“That I can’t speak to,” Nico admitted, “but all is not what it seems.”
Ana’s mind continued to work through a hundred scenarios. “And you’re cool with him out there, alone?”
“No, I’m not cool with it.” Nico’s eyes narrowed and he ran his hands through the thick blue Mohawk that sat atop his head. “It was the only option.”
Ana stepped around the mess on the floor and spat, “Yeah, well, that option stinks.”
She stared out the window and watched the splatter of rain against the glass. Her eyes slid shut and she smiled as the scent of earth, rain, and Declan assaulted her. She felt that, if she tried hard enough, she could feel his warmth against her skin.
She would do whatever it took to have that feeling again.
Long moments passed and eventually Nico left.
“Will he be all right?” Kaden asked. The teen had grabbed a broom from the pantry and was cleaning up her mess.
Ana grabbed a bag and together they had the floor clear of glass in no time. “I don’t think so,” she answered simply.
How the hell did Declan think he was going to sneak into the Hell realm and rescue two teenagers from the clutches of the underworld on his own? Was he insane? Did he care so little for his own life?
Guilt nibbled at her. Ana found herself staring into the dark once more. She’d hurt him the night before. She’d rejected him and knew it had cut deep.
How could it not? She felt the scars as if they’d been slashed into her own flesh. She’d sent him below as surely as if she’d stood behind and pushed him.
“I wish there was something we could do.” Kaden threw the last remnants of debris into the bag and straightened.
Ana stared at the teen as a plan began to form. She needed to make things right. Needed for Declan to know how much he meant to her even if she could never have him.
Most of all she needed to know he would survive, and as far as she could tell, his chances of that were less than slim, unless he had help.
There was no way she’d let him do this on his own. It might not end well for either one of them, but at least they’d be together. For that chance she would risk her life. She glanced at Kaden. With Cale and Nico involved, she knew he’d be safe.
“Maybe we’re not as helpless as we think,” she murmured.
“What do you mean?”
Ana’s brow furled and she bit her lip. “You need to get me out of here.” Her words were low and they shook slightly as she stared at Kaden. She saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.
“Declan will freak, I . . .”
She pounced as his voice trailed into nothing. “Can you get me out of here? Are you strong enough to break through his charm?”
Kaden was silent and then nodded. “I think I can.”
“Think?” she repeated. Ana glanced at the kitchen and then lowered her head until she was inches from the teenager. “I need more than think.”
Kaden stared at her, his eyes intense. “Declan is strong but I’ve been practicing.” He ran fingers through his hair. “Are you sure? If something happens to you . . .”
Ana put her hands on his shoulders. “If something happens to him I may as well run a stake through my heart. I hurt him last night.” She shook her head. “I need to make him understand.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“He’ll be pissed.”
“I know.”
Kaden flashed a smile. “I’m cool with that.”
“I need to find a way into the Hell realm,” she murmured more to herself than to Kaden.
“What about the necromancer?” Kaden stood beside her now. “Wouldn’t she have access or at least know how to get down there?” The teenager glanced up at her. “How do you get into the lower realm? Is there like a password or something?”
Ana shook her head. “No, a portal is needed and they’re not easy to find.” She stared at the boy thoughtfully. He was right. Francesca should have an inside line on the local portal.
“Wait here. I’ll be back.”
She ran through the hall and was up the stairs before Kaden had even digested her words.
Nico had shifted and run off the moment he’d left the kitchen. Seemed Declan’s wards were meant only for her and the boy. Jaguar warriors didn’t count.
Now would be her only chance.
Her feet glided across the floorboards in silence and quickly she opened the last door on her left and slipped inside. The room was in darkness save for the soft glow of a nightlight that had been left on. Ana felt the heavy vibration of magick that caressed every corner of the room. There was no way the necromancer would be able to call any of her ghoulie friends for help.
Francesca stood near the window, gazing out into the night. Ana cleared her throat. The young woman’s arms were wrapped around her body as if seeking whatever form of comfort she could. Her head turned to the side and her profile was illuminated.
Ana’s eyes strayed to the intricate tattoo that graced the delicate lines of her neck. The colors were vibrant.
Francesca didn’t say a word, not even when Ana took the last few steps until she was beside the woman. Fear, pain, and anger radiated from within her frail body. Ana could taste it. She would use it.
“Your sister is being held in the lower realm.” The necromancer flinched as her words sliced through the silence, but remained tight-lipped.
Ana was fine with that. She had no problem doing the talking.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to get the two of us out of here and you’re going to get me to a portal that leads to the underworld.”
Francesca turned and their eyes locked. Ana saw distrust, but it was overshadowed by something else . . . interest? Good. She was halfway there.
“I’m assuming you have the scoop on the location of the nearest elevator to Hell?” She watched, eyes narrowed, as the necromancer turned and stared out the window once more.
Ana let her fangs slide out and hissed.
“There’s no need for intimidation,” the girl said. “I’ll do it but I want something in return.”
“Yes?” Ana prompted, trying not to sound too impatient, but the urge to act was making her antsy.
The redhead whirled around and squared her shoulders. The jingling of a chain echoed between them and Ana glanced at the heavy rope that had been shackled to her left leg. It was made of iron and was more than adequate as an aid in keeping the necromancer confined.
Francesca pointed to the tattooed collar on her neck. “My life is bound to Samael. I’ll have to deal with the consequence for the rest of my days, but Alex is innocent. The taint of otherworld hasn’t touched her, not really. The only reason Samael was able to get his hands on my sister was because I was fooling with dark arts, trying to impress a stupid date if you can believe it.”
Francesca exhaled slowly and her lower lip trembled. “Promise me you’ll get her out, alive.”
Ana nodded. “I’ll do my best but there are no guarantees.” Her gaze drifted over the young woman. “What will he do when he finds you?”
Francesca’s hand drifted to the tattooed collar against her neck. She started to walk toward the door. “I suppose he’ll fry my ass, and I’m fine with that as long as Alex is safe.” She reached the end of the chain and glanced down. “You able to get me out of here?”
Ana easily snapped the iron rope into two pieces and then pried the anklet loose.
The vampire led the way toward the kitchen and felt a moment of unease when she was greeted by an empty room. But the door was ajar and she slipped out into the dark, Francesca close on her heels.
An owl hooted in the distance and the feel of rain against her skin was welcome. Funny. She hated the rain. “Over there.” She pointed toward the far corner of her property. Ana saw a slash of white through the gloom—his white cotton T-shirt. Kaden was there.
The two women jogged through the overgrown grass and around the large trees that littered her yard. They stopped a few feet from the teenager and Ana touched a finger to her lips, indicating silence as they watched the boy.
Kaden drew intricate charms into the air. They fell from his fingers, thin webs of silken magick that shimmered for a few seconds before disappearing. Soft words fell from his lips and Ana frowned as she listened. They were strange, melodic words she’d never heard before.
His arms were spread and she took another step closer. The weight of his power filled the air and she shook her head in amazement as the wards Declan had placed around her home began to glow.
Holy shit, the kid was going to get it done.
A soft grunt fell from Kaden and he stumbled to the right. Ana would have grabbed him, but he quickly righted himself and whispered, “No.”
She stood back and let him continue.
A low-grade hissing stirred in the wind and small spidery cracks formed in the air, glowing red hot before vanishing once more. Kaden was breathing heavily but walked toward the edge of the property, hands outstretched, strange words still falling from his lips.
The invisible prison walls sparked in several successive showers of energy and a breeze swept along the ground. Rain pressed against her skin from the force of it, little bullets of wetness that stung.
Kaden held his hands high; macabre shadows danced between the sheets of rain as his fingers illuminated in short, bright bursts. Ana glanced back at the house, but it lay in darkness. Francesca stared past her at the teenager, and Ana watched her eyes widen.
A slight pop fizzled into the night. Ana turned just as the entire length of her property shimmered like glass. Luminescent cracks formed and then darkness claimed all of it.
She took a hesitant step, and then another until she was inches from Kaden. His tall, lean, frame trembled but he looked at her, a grin wiping the strain from his face.
“I did it.” He pointed and cocked his head. “You feel like taking a walk in the rain?”
Ana bit her lip and winced as she approached the property line and carefully pushed her hand forward. Her fingertips slid through a layer of energy but there was nothing left to repel her.
Kaden had defeated Declan’s powerful mojo. Damn.
She touched his cheek. “You need to shore these up again and stay in the house. Can you do that?”
Kaden shook his head. “I’m coming with you.”
“No!” Ana shook her head. “Definitely not. You’re going to stay behind and not breathe a word to anybody. When they realize Francesca and I are missing, shit is going to fly. I need you to keep a cool head, understand?”
He opened his mouth but Ana interrupted, her voice softer. “Kaden, I can’t do this if I’m worrying about you. I need to know you’re safe. If you’re here with Nico and Ransome’s boys I won’t worry, but you have to promise me you’ll stay, or I can’t help Declan. I won’t leave you unprotected.”
Kaden was silen
t, his face dark.
“I mean it,” she reiterated. “This isn’t a game. It’s life and death, and your butt is on the chopping block, are we clear?”
“Yeah, I get it.” His tone was belligerent, but she knew he’d listen. “Just . . .”
Ana pulled him close into a quick tight hug. “What?”
Kaden moved away, hunched his shoulders forward. “Come back.”
She kissed him on the forehead, smiled at his blush. “Stay safe and I’ll be back. Do not leave Nico’s side, understand?”
A whisper of energy sizzled along the air. They were no longer alone. “Ransome’s wolves are making their rounds.” She looked toward Francesca. “We need to hightail it. Where are we going?”
The necromancer’s face tightened. “The Grease Pit.”
Ana raised an eyebrow. “What’s that exactly?”
Francesca moved past her. “A diner near the Quarter.”
“A diner?” she repeated in disbelief.
“The dude I was trying to impress last week? He owns it.” Francesca scowled.
“I find it hard to believe a portal to the underworld exists in a diner.”
Francesca shrugged. “Believe what you will, but the demon lord comes back week after week.”
“Any particular reason?” Ana shook her head as the two women slid into the night.
“Samael likes the poutine.”
Chapter 18
The Grease Pit lived up to its name. It was a hole in the wall and if you weren’t looking for it specifically, you’d never find it. Yet early evening found the place full. There were several booths to their right, a smattering of tables in the middle of the space, and a long counter running the length of the room.
Ana’s first impression was dull. Gray. There was no color to dress the dingy walls.
She spied an overly large man stuffing a shitload of syrup-soaked pancakes into his mouth. She grimaced. Ambience was at the low end of the priority list in this place. What kind of establishment served breakfast crap at dinnertime?
Wicked Road to Hell Page 16
