Simon placed a finger on his lips telling the women to stay silent.
“Mr. President it would seem that we have a jokester in the house today,” the agent at the door finally said, satisfied that no one was there.
“It’s alright, Tom,” the President said.
Macy, Kaia, and Simon listened quietly while different topics were discussed. Kaia was sure she was about to start snoring while the budget was combed over and it was all she could do to remain silent as they discussed a growing concern in the middle east. Finally, the President gave the order for Tom to initiate total silence.
Macy didn’t know what that was, but Kaia did. The Secret Service agents would sweep the office for listening devices and a cell signal scrambler was turned on. This ensured that no one outside of the office would hear what was about to be said. It was higher than top secret classified, in fact, the kind of conversation that was about to happen would be one of those that never happened.
“This drive has all the information on it that you requested,” Tom said, handing a flash drive to the President. “Everything we could dig up on Train. It would appear that he just decided to run for office on a whim.”
“That makes no sense,” President Whitmore said, taking the drive. “People don’t just decide they want to lead the free world on spontaneous whim.”
“It seems that Train has,” Tom told him. “Everything is on there from where he was born to tax evasion to all of his previous wives family histories.”
“Anything useful?” the president asked.
“A few things,” Tom said with a smile.
“We can’t let this happen,” the president said. “I love this country too much to see it fall into ruin.”
“On that, Mr. President, we agree,” Tom told him.
Kaia watched as the flash drive was placed carefully into the desk drawer and then locked in for extra security. The president and his agent both left the office, leaving Kaia, Macy and Simon alone.
“Whoa,” Macy finally said.
“Yep,” Kaia agreed. “We need that flash drive. Or at least, a copy.”
“I can get it for you,” Simon told her.
“You’re a ghost,” Kaia pointed out. “I don’t know how you managed to knock on the door, but I’m pretty sure navigating a computer is a bit harder.”
“I have found there are a few people here that I can influence,” Simon told them. “It’s not easy, and I can’t do it to everyone, but I can give it a try.”
“Be careful,” Kaia told him.
“Are you sure about this?” Macy asked. “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble or get hurt.”
“I know Simon,” Kaia told her. “I trust him.”
Macy pressed her lips together for a moment as if she were unsure, but finally said, “Okay then. If you trust him then so do I.”
***
Kaia couldn’t believe how much it meant to her to hear that Macy was willing to trust her judgment. In fact, all of the angels had trusted her as well. Kaia had always had to prove herself, but since she died and went to Hell, things were different. Ash immediately trusted her. But he had her already picked her out before she died, hadn’t he? He already knew what kind of character Kaia had, and that was different for her. After the initial confrontation, nothing more had been said about the way she died. No one judged her for taking her own life. On some level, Kaia knew that they all at least could sympathize with her. It didn’t make it right, though.
Now that Kaia knew that Heaven and Hell were real places and that God was a real entity, she promised herself and Him that she would spend every day making up for that mistake. She was in a rare position where she could one day ask for forgiveness.
Now, if she could just get on board with traveling into Limbo with Macy. Kaia wasn’t sure what it was, exactly, that was bothering her about it. She was already dead so that couldn’t get any worse, but what if her soul got stuck there?
“You’re doing it again,” Macy told her. “You’re safe with me.”
“I know,” Kaia said. She ran her fingers through her short hair for the hundredth time.
“Then why is your hair sticking up like a peacock?” Macy teased. “As long as you stay with me, my magic will protect you.”
“If you say so,” Kaia agreed. She hooked her arm, elbow to elbow, with Macy’s.
She received a small laugh in return. “Okay then, let’s go.”
The world spun around Kaia, and then it abruptly stopped, giving her one hell of a case of vertigo. When she dared open her eyes, her heart broke. The scene in front of her was sad at best. The world was the same as it had been, only devoid of color or sound. She could hear her own heart beating and the sound of her breathing was louder than she ever remembered it before.
“I hate it here,” Macy said and the sound of her voice was strange. It took a second for Kaia to realize it was because there was no echo.
“This is probably the worst vacation spot in history,” Kaia said.
“You got that right. If Jamie is here, we need to find him fast. You think you might be able to work those wings?”
Kaia opened her wings and stretched them out to her sides. It still amazed her, how they moved as if they had always been a part of her anatomy. She pushed down with them, forcing air beneath their fiery feathers.
Her feet lifted from the ground, but only mere inches. Kaia pushed her wings harder, but was only able to stay up for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, I’m still not very good at this.”
“It’s not you, it’s this place. It sucks the life force from everything,” Macy told her. “Let’s just come what we came to do and then get the hell out of here.”
The women were forced to walk through the muted streets and grass, searching for a soul that didn’t belong there. They passed several statues along the way. “Why are there statues here?” Kaia finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Those are the souls that gave up,” Macy told her flatly. “I keep searching their faces, hoping none of them are the missing guard.”
A shiver ran down Kaia’s spine as they trudged forward. The longer they were there, the harder it was to move. A flash of movement caught Kaia’s eye and she tried to run after it. “Hey!” she shouted, but even that came out muted.
“Was that him?” Macy asked, pushing her feet harder.
“I don’t know,” Kaia said. “It was too fast.”
“He is a vampire,” Macy added. “He just might survive this. But first we have to find him.”
“I’m not sure how much longer I can stay here,” Kaia admitted, her feet feeling like they weighed a ton each.
“Me either,” Macy said. “Let’s get out of here.”
“What about Jamie?” Kaia asked.
“We can’t do him any good if we’re trapped,” Macy pointed out. She grabbed Kaia by the arm and took them both back to the living realm.
Chapter Eleven
Jamie thought he heard voices, but he couldn’t be sure if they were real or in his head. You’re going insane, the most familiar voice said, even hearing voices.
“Shut up,” Jamie said aloud. “You’re not real.”
None of this is real, the voice said. You’re dead. This is Hell.
“Not another word,” Jamie barked out. But he couldn’t help but wonder if the voice was right. Those voices combined with the vision of a woman with dark brown curls and eyes that were hard as ice had nearly convinced himself of already. The woman he saw wasn’t really there, of that much he was sure. She stared at him with contempt and hatred, and yet, there was something else. He felt as if he knew her on a primitive level. Like his soul knew hers even though they had never met. She intrigued him and gave him a purpose to fight the pull of this awful place.
If he ever got out of there, he was going to find her. He was going to ask her why she hated him so much, and then he was going to set about changing her mind. Why he even cared was a mystery to him, but it was at least
something to hold onto. And so, Jamie made it his mission to get out and find her. Find her and show her how loveable he could be. Okay, maybe not loveable, but he was going to fuck her senseless trying to convince her of it.
Again, Jamie heard voices. Two of them, female if he was hearing correctly. He forced his feet to move and they made a cracking sound as they lifted from the ground. How long had he been standing there contemplating his own insanity? Long enough that his feet nearly became part of the earth. He now knew the statues he saw were the remnants of souls that became part of this place, and he’d be dammed if he was going to become one of them.
He rushed past a grove of trees into the empty street. He looked both to his left and right, but saw no one. The tiny spark of hope he had felt diminished as quickly as it had formed. He was stuck there and no one was going to rescue him.
The voices came again, this time louder. Jamie spun on his heel and raced toward the sound. He saw a dark-haired woman and a redhead standing nearby. Within a blink of his eye, they were gone. Had he imagined them? What if they were real and looking for him? What if he had missed his chance at escape?
Jamie roared with fury and promised himself no matter how crazy it made him, he was going to get out. One way or the other.
***
“I’m not even going to ask how you came to possess this,” Ash told Kaia as he took the flash drive from Kaia’s hand.
“Let’s just say I have connections,” Kaia said, taking a seat in one of the plush chairs across from Ash’s desk. Simon had done exactly as he said he would and somehow managed to procure a copy of that flash drive. She and Macy had just returned, Antonio and Elizabeth were the only other people in Ash’s office. Everyone else had gone to bed. Well, there was the witch in the cage, but she had become more like a decoration than a person. It hurt Kaia’s heart, but at the same time, she knew it was necessary.
“Have you looked at this yet?” he asked as he plugged the drive into his computer.
“No,” Kaia answered. “I figured that would be best for you to do.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter, I can’t read any of it,” Ash muttered. “It’s encrypted.”
“Oh damn, I should’ve known that,” Kaia muttered. “Well, anyone know a good cryptologist?”
“I got a guy,” Antonio offered.
“Do you have a guy for everything?” Ash asked, secretly thankful that it seemed that way.
“Of course, I do,” the angel answered with a toothy grin that showed off his fangs. “Lemme see it.” He held out his hand, and Ash deposited the drive into his palm. “Cool. I’ll be back in a bit.” The angel flashed away, leaving everyone else staring at the space where he had just been.
“He does that a lot,” Lacy pointed out.
“I know,” Macy agreed. “You get used to it. He’s such a free spirit, there is no taming him.”
“I just wish he would stop eating at my desk,” Ash grumbled. Then, he turned to Kaia. “Any luck on our missing guard?”
“We went to Limbo,” Kaia told him. “Macy has some mad skills, but we were unable to stay long. That place will eat you up and trap you forever. We did see someone, but we had to leave before Limbo claimed us too.”
“When can you go back to be sure?” Ash asked them both.
“I need a day to recharge,” Macy told him. “I can travel between the realms, but it takes a lot of energy that is easily exhausted.
“Tomorrow then,” Ash agreed with a nod of his head. “We have to get him back.”
“Yes, sir,” Kaia agreed.
“For now, everyone back to their quarters. We need all the rest we can get.” Ash stood and pulled Elizabeth into his arms. “It’s been a very long day.”
Kaia loved the way Elizabeth looked at Ash. It was as if her whole world began and ended with that man. Angel. Whatever he was. Kaia was still a little peeved at him for the way he acquired her, but seeing the pure, unconditional love that his mate had for him softened her heart in his direction just a little bit. She watched as the pair left the office, hand in hand.
“I should get back upstairs,” Macy said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” And then she was gone. Kaia knew that Macy was going back to Heaven, and she hated to admit that she felt a small pang of jealousy. Heaven was somewhere she would never see. But at least here, she could be with Jensen, which was something Heaven couldn’t offer her—even if she were welcome there, which she wasn’t.
Speaking of Jensen, she thought, it was time to find him. As Kaia turned to leave, she heard the witch speak.
“You won’t find him, you know,” she said from inside her cage.
Kaia walked to the heavy steel bars and said, “Find who?”
Laura picked her head up and grinned at her. It wasn’t a friendly grin, but one backed with hate and contempt. “The vampire. He’s lost and you can’t get to him.”
Kaia studied the witch for a moment. If not for the fact that she was evil incarnate, she would have been very pretty. She had the kind of curls that women paid excessively for with deep brown eyes to match. “How can you possibly know that?” she finally asked.
“I know more than you fucking angels think I do,” she snarled. “And don’t bother asking for help. I haven’t yet, and I am not about to start.”
“I think we can do this without your help,” Kaia smirked. “After all, you’re the one in the cage that blocks all magic.”
“Yes,” Laura agreed with a smirk, “yes I am.”
Kaia turned and walked away. She had been warned about the witch and wasn’t about to fall prey to any of her tricks. Not now, not ever.
***
Laura watched as the last angel left the office and finally, she was alone. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, concentrating on the vampire. She knew for certain that this was the guard they were looking for, and she wasn’t going to let them find him. He belonged to her. Her secret treasure. Hers to torture. Hers to do whatever she wished, but nothing for the angels.
As she looked with her mind’s eye, Laura wasn’t sure how the magic was getting through the cage. It was supposed to be impenetrable. It didn’t matter, because within seconds she could see the vampire. His coloring was muted even more so than it had been the last time she checked in on him. Good. That meant he was suffering, as all the guards should. If she allowed the angels to find him, he would just be one more person to stare at her as if she were some kind of animal on display at a zoo. No, that would not do at all.
Laura moved closer to him in her mind, and he looked up at her. Beautiful blue eyes met hers and she nearly fainted. Could one faint in their own mind? It didn’t matter. The way he looked at her made her insides tremble. It was a pleading look, asking her for help, but at the same time it was hungry, and not for blood.
“You can see me,” he said. His voice was strange, as if it had no variation, no echo.
“Yes,” Laura answered. The corner of his lip lifted as if he wanted to smile but was too weak to do so. “I can’t help you.”
“Please,” he said softly, “I have to get out of here.”
“I can protect you,” Laura offered. She recited the words to her carefully written spell in her head before speaking them. “What they seek, they will not find, not in body, not in mind. Hidden away you shall stay, not moving forward, nor in decay. Only I shall know the place, only I shall know your face.”
It took all of her energy to work the spell, and no sooner than the last words crossed her lips, Laura was yanked back into her own body. Not before she saw the utter look of betrayal on the vampire’s face, though. It should have given her satisfaction, but instead, Laura felt guilty. A ridiculous notion, that was. She had nothing to feel guilty about.
Chapter Twelve
The human trampled the heavy growth in his excitement to bring the box to Balthazar. He showed no concern for his own safety, and that was exactly what the demon was counting on. Finally, the crew of humans had opened the hidden temple deep in t
he heart of the Amazon. This damned jungle was sweltering at best and made his little cell in the prisons of Hell feel homey.
“I have found it!” the human man exclaimed as he approached, the small golden box in his hands.
“I see that,” Balthazar said with a smile. “I think you deserve the honor of opening it.”
“Oh, I couldn’t!” the human said, “I have found it for you.”
Balthazar resisted the urge to roll his eyes in frustration. Just open the damned box. “I know this, but as a special reward, I want you to be the first to see what is inside.”
The human grinned and searched for the clasp that would open the treasure. Of course, Balthazar could read the ancient runes that were etched into the gold and knew they were a warning to all who would open it. The human, however, did not. Humans had never known the true language of the seraphim. As the human found what he was looking for and cracked the seal, a sense of pride and accomplishment filled the demon’s chest.
A red haze lifted from the box and swirled around the human. A three-foot-long blade made of the blackest onyx appeared just before the human’s head was separated from his body. The coveted box fell, still clutched in the dead human’s hand as the body collapsed.
“Hello, War,” Balthazar said as the haze took the shape of a man on his horse. “Love the ride,” he added. The horse was blood-red in color with eyes like hot coals. The man was cloaked in red as well, his face hidden under his hood.
“What has happened?” War asked.
“I have set you free,” Balthazar answered. “And now, you will go and do what you were created to do.”
War chuckled from under his hood and took the horses reins. The horse reared back and neighed before sprinting off into the jungle.
The Keepers of Hell Box Set Page 62
