Love Conquers All Evil

by Mary Abshire

  “Fight her, Jessie. You can beat her,” Drake silently said.

  I looked in Drake's direction. The knife lay nearby, the dark handle a beacon in the white snow. I reached out, trying to grab it.

  "Fucking die! I want your fucking soul!" Julie growled. Blood dripped from her face.

  My head ached and a strong ringing in my ears frightened me. Death drew near like a shadow lurking, waiting.

  I stretched out my arm to get the knife. My fingers touched the handle, but I couldn't get it. The blade was too far from me to grip it. Fuck!

  Anger and intense hate replaced my fear. I refused to let the wench kill me and take my soul. No fucking way. I called all the strength and energy within me. Extending my fingers, I inched closer to the handle. Finally, I gripped it and swung it at her. The sharp blade sliced across her face. A horrible scream leaped from her. She covered her eyes and fell off me, blood pouring from her.

  I gasped loudly, holding the blade tight in my hand. Cold air filled my lungs, stinging my insides like wasps.

  "Julie!" Leon shouted. He let go of Drake and rushed toward her. Kneeling in the snow, he gripped Julie's bloody wrists. "Talk to me, baby."

  She wailed, her hands still hiding her face. "It hurts."

  I lay on my back, sucking in air while ignoring the painful throb in my head and chest. Heat in my belly warmed me and spread, reminding me I still had a job to do.

  "Let me see, baby," Leon said, trying to pry her hands from her face. "Come on, let me—"

  Not even a second later, he choked. His mouth hung open and blood poured out of it. He remained motionless, frozen in time like so many others he had touched.

  I blinked my eyes, clearing my hazy vision. Drake stood behind Leon. When Drake jerked his arm back, I noticed a blade in his hand. Drake's eyes met mine and I knew then that he'd killed Leon.

  Julie sat near me, weeping and shaking while blood oozed from her. I couldn't be sure if she'd seen Drake kill Leon. Blood continued to spill from her wound.

  Drake pushed Leon's body to the side. Reaching forward with his free hand, he gripped a handful of her hair. She whined and screamed as he lifted her.

  "She stole Gail's soul," Donnie whimpered. "Make her pay for killing them." He sat in the snow with his knees pulled tight to his chest.

  "Go to fucking Hell!" Julie screamed.

  Holding the knife, Drake pulled his arm back.

  "Wait!" I shouted. But it was too late. He thrust the blade into Julie's stomach. She grunted and stared straight ahead.

  Drake let go of the demon. Her body fell forward into the snow. Staring at her, I wondered how I could release the souls she had stolen. Death would claim her soon.

  Her body twitched, showing she still had a spark of life. Somehow, some way, I had to try to free the souls before her time ran out.

  I rolled her onto her back, then crawled on top of her. A big gash ran across her face at an angle. Blood coated everything above her breast. Lower, the dark fluid soaked her shirt.

  Drake kneeled beside me. He slid his hand down my back. "It's over."

  I shook my head. "What about the innocent souls she took?"

  Drake's eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I thought…"

  Her body twitched again and I shifted my gaze to her stomach. Staring at the wound, I recalled a time when Jeremy had put his hands on me and poured his energy into me to heal me. Though I didn't want to heal Julie, I wondered if I could use my energy to force the souls from her. I had to try.

  "I have an idea," I said.

  I pushed her shirt away and stared at the blood pouring from the hole in her belly. Pressing my hands around the wound, I called upon on my energy. Fire stirred within me, rushing through my veins and raising my temperature. My flesh burned. Even my fingertips felt blazing hot.

  Drake took a step back. The snow around me melted, showing grass and mud. Sweat dripped from my forehead and I had to blink the salty fluid from my eyes.

  "Come on," I said softly. "You're free now."

  The blood bubbled from the hole in her stomach. She coughed up blood and made choking noises. Shit, she was dying.

  "Get out now," I said, staring at the hole in her abdomen.

  A puff of steam rose and floated to the side. Only it didn't dissipate. In fact, it grew, and fast.

  Another misty cloud came out of her. It expanded too, then hovered nearby. One after another, little fog formations rose from her. Their shapes increased in size, taking on human characteristics. After several minutes, I found myself surrounded by a large crowd of men, women, and even children.

  Julie's head tilted to the side. Her chokes silenced and her body lay still with her wide eyes staring into space.

  "They are free now, Jessie," said a familiar voice. He stepped from the crowd, tucking his wings behind his back.

  "Nicodemus," I said.

  He stood a few feet away wearing only cloth pants. A soft light shimmered around his strong, handsome, angelic body.

  "I had faith in you," he said before he turned his gaze to Drake. He tilted his head to the side. "I know you. I've seen you before."

  "I have never seen you in the eight-hundred and forty-two years I have walked the Earth," Drake said.

  "Are you sure?" Nicodemus asked, narrowing his eyes.

  "I'm quite certain I have never met you before. Perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else."

  Nicodemus slowly extended his wings. "Perhaps." He looked at me. "Never give up faith, Jessie."

  Wings outstretched, he bent his knees and then leaped into the sky. I saw him flap his large wings once before he blended in with the dark night.

  Souls floated up, following Nicodemus. One after another, they shot up into the sky. I rose and watched in awe as the dark sky filled with bright glowing orbs. They swirled around until they slowly disappeared.

  Relief filled me in a soothing wave. Although their lives ended early, at least their souls were free now. And the murderer would no longer hunt the innocent.

  Speaking of which, I lowered my head. Crawling away from her body, I spotted Julie's soul. "Oh no, you don't."

  I grabbed her arm, shoved her on her back, then fell on top of her.

  "Please,"—she held her shaking hands in front of her—"please let me go. I was only doing what he told me to do."

  "I don't care who told you what. You made a choice. You killed people and kept their souls from moving on."

  "Please, don't send me to Hell. I'm not ready," she said.

  Intense flames raged within me. Hell wanted her. Grabbing hold of her wrists, I lowered my head over hers. "The devil waits for you to serve him."

  "Fuck you!" she said before she spit in my face.

  Fury ignited within me. I dropped my jaw and inhaled deeply. Her head jerked forward, into my mouth. She slid deeper into me and the grotesque taste of vomit and burnt road kill grazed my tongue. Ignoring the urge to gag, I sucked her with the all the energy I could muster. Within seconds, her shoulders and arms squeezed between my lips. I braced my palms on the wet ground and stood over her like a dog, inhaling her soul, her life force, the last of her existence. I half expected her to fight on her way to Hell, to push and shove against my intestines. But she didn't. After the last bit of her flowed into my mouth, I pressed my lips shut and swallowed.

  For a minute, I didn't move, wondering if she would try to come back up. Nothing happened. No movement, no stirring, not a single twitch. Her quick descent to the underworld and lack of response puzzled me, but I didn't question it.

  I rose to my feet feeling drained and thirsty. The dryness in my mouth reminded me of earlier, when I longed for a particular taste, something that would give me strength.

  Drake walked up next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. "We should go."

  Flashes of red and blue lights drew near.

  I twisted and saw Leon's body slumped on the ground. A quick scan revealed no trace of his soul. Damn, I'd missed sending him to Hell. Maybe I'd run int
o him again some day and catch him. At least he couldn't hurt anyone in his current spiritual state.

  A few feet from Leon's body, Donnie still sat with his arms wrapped around his scrunched legs, staring at Gail's lifeless body. I strode toward him. "Donnie, the police are almost here."

  He didn't move or respond. Shock must have overcome him.

  Drake stopped at my side. "They're coming fast."

  And did they. Many of them.

  Uniformed men and women ran toward us, guns pointed and yelling. We followed their orders, holding our arms up. Still, they treated us as if we were criminals. They handcuffed our wrists, read our rights to us, then escorted us to the front of the building. The beat of my heart picked up as I scanned the crowd. I'd never seen so many cops and flashing lights in my life.

  “Remain calm. I can handle this,” Drake said wordlessly.

  While I believed he could get us home quicker, I doubted he could manipulate the minds of fifty plus police officers. Besides, I knew they'd set us free. We were witnesses and survivors. One look at Donnie said enough.

  “Don't trick their minds. Let them follow the proper procedure. Have faith in the justice system.” I pushed into his head.

  Drake clamped his jaw, then gave a single nod. From my experience with him, I knew he lacked faith in law enforcement. But for now, he would honor my request.

  The cops placed us side by side in a paddy wagon. Donnie sat across from us. He looked sick, pale, and numb. The young man needed serious therapy. Sorrow touched my heart. He'd lost a good friend, witnessed a murder, watched the killers face death, and had seen me send a soul to Hell. What a frightening Christmas.

  "Jessie?" Conner said.

  I shifted my gaze to the open doors. The large officer approached me.

  He lifted his hat and scratched his head. "I don't believe it. Last time I saw you, you were in a hospital bed. What are you doing at the cemetery on Christmas Eve?" He stepped up, into the wagon, then sat across from us, next to Donnie.

  I told him from the beginning about Gail's plans to meet at the graveyard, jumped to Donnie's call, then ended with Drake killing Leon to protect me and me killing Julie to save myself. The last part was a lie, but it made better sense. I mentioned Leon shooting at us too. The cop watched our every movement and listened to every word.

  "Do you really expect me to believe all that?" Conner asked, staring into my eyes.

  "I believe it," Paul said.

  He stood at the tail end of the wagon. A hat covered his head and a dark scarf concealed his neck and chin.

  "I spent enough time with Jessie to know she wouldn't fabricate what happened here tonight," Paul said.

  "I have two dead bodies in the graveyard," Conner said.

  Paul rubbed his hands together. "I assure you, these folks are not murderers. Let them go home for Christmas."

  "Can you guarantee they won't skip the state?" Conner asked.

  "I give you my word," I said to Conner.

  His gaze shot from me to Paul.

  "Let them go and I promise you, they will show up in your office in a couple days to give you a statement," Paul said.

  Conner eyed me, Drake next, then Donnie lastly. After a momentary pause, he slapped his hands on his knees. "All right. In a few days, I'll expect to see you in my office."

  "No problem. You'll see me, I mean, us." I smiled and looked at Drake.

  He gave me an approving nod while one corner of his mouth curled. My insides warmed at the thought of getting home with him and molding my body to his. I couldn't wait.

  Conner left, leaving us with the promise of release within minutes.

  "Two bodies?" Paul asked.

  "The local problem has ended," I said.

  His eyes enlarged. "You found the persons responsible?"

  I gave him a nod.

  "Were you able to free them?"

  I smiled.

  "I knew you would. I never doubted you, Jessie," Paul said.

  "Thank you," I said. "For talking to Conner so we could go home."

  A policewoman showed up on Paul's side. She climbed into the wagon.

  Paul shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "Let's get together in a few days. I'd like to hear about everything."

  "Sure thing," I said as the female officer removed the cuffs from my wrists.

  Paul backed away. "Merry Christmas to each of you."

  After we extended our holiday wishes, he left. For the first time in my life, I had a friend who was a priest. But Paul was different from regular priests and having him as a friend meant having a powerful, trustworthy ally. I had a feeling our friendship was just beginning.

  I hopped down from the wagon while the policewoman released Drake's cuffs. Once free, he jumped down, then stood next to me.

  "What about Donnie?" I asked, staring at him. The young man looked lost.

  The female cop leaped from the truck. "We can take him home."

  Considering all the events, I figured home would be the best place for him, but I hated to leave him in such a confused state.

  "Donnie?" I waited for a response. He never moved or even blinked. "Donnie, you'll be okay," I said.

  Still, nothing from him.

  "We'll take care of him, ma'am," the female cop said.

  Drake slipped his fingers into mine and squeezed. “Let them take care of him.”

  I stared into Drake's dark eyes. “He needs help.”

  He smiled and kissed my forehead. “They have people who can help him.”

  Though I hated to leave Donnie in his state of shock, I knew Drake was right. I hoped Donnie would recover from witnessing such a horrific event. After a heavy sigh, I gripped Drake's hand and we left Donnie in the wagon.

  As we headed for Drake's SUV, joy filled me. Gabe was no longer a threat and I no longer had to fret about a murdering soul stealer on the loose. Free from worries, I could focus on Christmas. I had just enough time to clean up and prepare for the gift I wanted to give. I couldn't wait to get into my lover's arms.

  Chapter Thirty

  I stood in the shower, the scent of flowers filling my nose. Water caressed my skin and washed away the grit and blood. The last week had been a roller coaster ride with plenty of bumps, but finally, my torturous ride was ending. My dearest friend, Dani, was safe. We'd find jobs and start new careers. Gabe could no longer pose a threat to me. Alan still had his company and had gained a new friend, or girlfriend, in Dani. And lastly, the love of my life wanted me to spend eternity with him. A request I would happily fulfill, one day. Yes, my life finally rolled along the right track.

  Steam clouded the glass door. As I relaxed under the hot spray, two cravings consumed my thoughts. My weary body thirsted for energy and ached for Drake's loving touch. Since the transfusion of Drake's blood, my body had changed. Whether the modification was permanent remained an unanswered question. Before, I had avoided warmer water temperatures, since my demon blood kept me warm. But in my weakened condition, the elevated temp didn't bother me. Sure, it seemed like a small change in the grand scheme of things, but one nonetheless. As for my unique craving of Drake's blood…well, life could be worse. Even if human blood offered an equally satisfying feeling, I'd stick with Drake's juice to keep me strong. The thought made me chuckle. Demon blood gave him a boost and vampire blood energized me. How weird was that?

  Feeling sleek and clean, I stepped out of the shower. The cold tile floor gave me a slight chill. Thinking of Drake, I instantly warmed in all the right places.

  With a towel wrapped around me, I dug the bag from the closet containing my gift for Drake. Taking the lacy lingerie from the bag, I returned to the bathroom. I found a pair of clippers, then cut off the tags. My plan was to surprise Drake in my sexy outfit. I wanted to make him ache the way I did for him, then satisfy his every desire. Could there be a better Christmas gift?

  After I towel dried my hair, I ran a comb through it while I stared in the mirror. Under my blue eyes, I had dark, puffy skin. My
color, not nearly as pallid as Drake's skin tone, emphasized the blotches. No matter how tired and drained I appeared, my determination to satisfy my craving and please Drake propelled me forward. For all the troubles we had encountered, we deserved to be happy for Christmas, even if it only lasted a few hours.

  I slipped on the black top and red lace panties. The see-through garment fit snugly over my breasts while the red underwear rode high on my hips. I couldn't wait to see Drake's reaction. Once I hung the towel back up, I opened the door and strode out, ready to spend Christmas with my vampire lover.

  To my surprise, Drake sat on the edge of the bed with his gaze pointed at the television. I took three steps past the door when his attention shifted to me. The remote fell from his hand and his pupils swelled. My desire blazed equally and I wondered about the hardness of his cock hiding inside his pants.

  "How are Dani and the werewolves?" I asked, strutting out as if I were modeling for Victoria's Secret.

  He never blinked and he never turned his eyes from me. "Alan and Ryan are staying upstairs. Dani didn't seem to mind. I told them you needed to get some rest."

  Dani had her own room anyway. She could hide in it if she wanted, but I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to spend as much time with Alan as she could. I'd inquire later.

  I stopped a few feet from him and placed my hands on my hips. "So they won't disturb us for a while?"

  "No."

  I grinned. "Good. I want our first Christmas to leave a lasting memory in your head."

  Drake's eyes traveled down my body, slow and like a soft caress. "Goal achieved."

  I stepped closer and threaded my fingers into his long brown hair. "Love of my life, I haven't even begun."

  He gripped my hips and brought me between his legs, pressing me to his erection. His cock felt so hard, I found myself amazed that his pants hadn't torn open. The tight constraint had to bother him.