by Weil, J. L.
“Can you guys save the mushy stuff for after we finish saving your ass?” Emma said, pulling an arrow out of a demon’s chest right before he splattered into dust.
Chase grinned. “What can I say? Her lips fuel my strength.”
Emma rolled her emerald eyes. “I bet they do, lover boy.”
Now was not the time to start bickering. We were outnumbered. I looked out at the destruction and devastation, and it wasn’t easing up. If anything, it was getting worse. I expected the SWAT team to show up at my house and helicopters to start circling the air. “There are too many. What are we going to do?” I asked, feeling dejected and scared out of my whits.
Lexi, Emma, Travis, and Chase flanked me on both sides, shoulder to shoulder, making an impressive unified front. I was happy to see them all alive with only minor injuries, but our predicament was getting worse with each passing moment. We were holding our own, but for how long?
Now what?
In my head, I sounded a lot braver than I truly felt. What was the point in all of this? I refused to believe that all this was necessary? Did Alastair honestly think Chase was just going to hand me over? Chase would die fighting before that happened. We all knew it.
I hoped Alastair was ready for the amount of pain Chase was going to bring, because anger radiated from him. Beside me, his temper rose. The heat coming off his body was uncomfortable against mine. I had to fight the urge to squirm.
He growled, sensing a change in the air. Something was coming. Something big. And we weren’t the only ones who noticed. The hellhounds and the demons seethed and howled in anticipation. We fanned out, preparing for the unexpected. The red-tipped dagger was clutched in my sweaty palm.
Despair consumed me.
Over the orange-red horizon gold lights flashed, coming straight for us, at least a half-dozen. I focused my heightened sight. Surprise and relief hit my gut at the same time. Faces took form, and those gold lights turned into eyes. Hayden. Craig. Ives. Sierra’s parents. And more Divisa than I had ever seen in one place.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Zinging past me, I watched Craig slam full force into the center of a demon. They rolled and rolled in the air before Craig drove a dagger into its black heart. He landed crouched on his feet, eyes glowing. Hayden came in behind him, slicing through snapping hounds with mangy manes.
Travis slid beside me. “Looks like they got my SOS,” he said, grinning like a total shithead. Then he was off.
And just like that, the hopelessness left me and was replaced with warmth and gratitude. It was humbling knowing that people I hardly knew would fight for us. For me.
Beside me, Emma ran up a wall like a ninja, back flipped over some lowlife, and sliced one of her ruby-tipped daggers through the air, straight for Chase. He sideswiped just in the nick of time, and I watched as her knife embedded itself in the chest of a demon.
Holy hell.
She was like a goddamn Mexican jumping bean, bouncing from one demon to the next, killing everything in her path.
I saw Chase take a right hook in the face by a low-life with black eyes and scar skin the color of toothpaste, but Chase rebounded, taking him out with a one-shot punch. Our gazes locked, relief shinning in his golden eyes. His damp hair was clinging to his forehead and temples.
Just as I was confident our side had the upper hand and we were going to pull out of this on top, Hell brought out the big guns. We couldn’t possibly have Hell on earth without fire.
Goodness no.
Shadowy bat-like creatures flew over our heads, swooping and peering down at us with beady little eyes. It wasn’t until one of them opened its mouth and let out a shrill cry, followed by the thing puking fire, that I realized their danger.
Fire rained down above us, lighting up the sky, and through all the chaos, Alastair stood in the center, smirking. Chase popped in front of me, whirling around, he pulled me to his chest, bringing us to the ground. He curved his body around mine, as flames licked above us. But before he was able to shelter me, something caught my eye. I screamed, twisting in Chase’s arms. He held my head against his chest, refusing to let me see. But it was too late.
I know what I had seen.
Alastair, he had my mom.
Lifting my head, I saw her honey-colored eyes stunned. Horror tore through my gut. “No!” I shrieked.
The smell of burned demon flesh permeated the cool winter air. The scent was sharp in my nose, making my stomach turn. I could taste the evil from the smoke in my lungs, coating my throat. It choked me.
Except all I could think about was my mom. I had to get to her, but Chase’s arms were wrapped around me. “Angel, she might not be real,” he whispered.
But it was too late. I was past reasoning. Anger as potent as acid poured through my veins.
I don’t know what happened. Something inside me snapped. A force started to build within my chest. Powerful. It traveled through every muscle in my body, filling me until I thought I would burst from the pressure.
All around me the grunts, the sound of beaten flesh, and the smell of blood fueled my rage. Chase called my name, but I ignored him. I pushed to my feet, keeping my gaze centered on Alastair and his raven eyes.
From somewhere deep inside of me, I brought all that energy to the surface with one word. “Stop!” I yelled. It actually came out more stronger and authority than I thought I was capable.
I don’t know what I really expected to happen, but it sure as shit wasn’t what transpired. A whoosh of air expelled from me and breezed over the area in a visible blue force.
Then everything stopped. Well, by everything, I really meant everything that belonged in Hell. All the hellhounds, all the lower-demons and the winged thinga-ma-bobs were frozen in place. The sensation that rippled inside me was the greatest buzz. It was electric, heady, and I wanted to do it again.
Holy Batman-Robin-Spiderman-Wonderwoman and any other superhero I couldn’t think of off the top of my head. This was new.
I stood in the center of it all, glancing over the grotesque statues. What did I just do? A few breathy moments went by as I waited for one of them to flinch, for the confusion to begin again. Nothing happened.
“Where did you learn that?” Emma asked. She poked the demon in front of her. The bastard didn’t even bat an eye.
I shrugged. “I didn’t.”
“Your eyes are glowing like blue lightning,” Lexi murmured.
Chase was watching me intently. I didn’t know what to do or what I was seeing, but the staggered look on his face was making me self-conscious. “Jesus, they’re under your command,” he said in disbelief.
“What are you talking abou—”
My bewilderment was waylaid at the sound of clapping. When I found the source, the marks at my hip started to prickle. Alastair was strolling toward me, grinning, and my mom was no longer in sight. In a three-piece business suit, he looked more ready for a board meeting than a battle. His onyx hair was slicked back. “Why don’t I send my employees home so we can talk?” This time when he clapped his hands together, the immobile demons vanished.
“Where is she?” I demanded. I could feel the heat from Chase’s body beside me. He was ready to dart in front of me if necessary.
“Safe. For now,” Alastair added just to drive home the point that at any time she might not be. “Or maybe she was never really here. Maybe none of this is real.” He waved his hand and like liquid, the motionless army from Hell started to waver and then washed away entirely. “I think we need a little privacy.”
The word privacy sent Chase into action, but the higher-demon had moves we couldn’t compete with. Chase roared, charging toward him with Travis on his heels, but no matter how fast they were, Alastair was trickier. Frustration and dread lined Chase’s face, because we both knew he would be too late. As long as Alastair had a hold on Chase, there was nothing either of us could do.
Things went from bad to craptastic.
In a poof, I was gone.
>
Chapter 20
Suddenly, I found myself alone in my house. An eerie lacy mist covered the ground and a ghostly ambiance shimmered in the air. My body was chilled, goose bumps covering my arms. A sense of delirium overcame me, and then I remembered. Dashing to the window, I pushed aside the silvery curtains. Below me the yard was empty. No hounds. No demons. No fight. No Chase.
The ruin I know had been caused was gone. It had been real. Staring at the house next door, I felt isolated. None of this made sense. Where was everyone? And why was my house suddenly freakier than normal?
Taking off downstairs, I bolted for the front door, only to smack into an unwelcomed surprise. How could I have not guessed?
Alastair.
He was leaning in the archway. Once again he used the form of a man with his raven eyes mocking me. “Going somewhere, love?”
Ugh. I was really starting to hate his parlor tricks. Actually…I just hated him. Under that disguise, I knew what his true form looked like, and I preferred not see the real Alastair. This poor human he used was far less scary. “Where is everyone? What have you done with them?” I demanded, gripping the banister.
“Now what kind of greeting is that?” He tsked his tongue. “Such manners are unacceptable. You need to be taught to respect your superiors.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Like the lesson you taught my friend?”
A bored expression crossed his face as he stroked his chin. “Right, yes. Bang. Bang. The bitch is dead,” he taunted. It was like adding insult to injury. “I thought she was more of an enemy, wasn’t she? The way I see it, I did you a favor.”
“You sick, sadistic prick,” I seethed, jumping forward, my fists clenched at my sides.
He zapped into my personal bubble. “We are really going to have to do something about that mouth of yours.”
My anger got the best of me, and before I thought about what I was doing, my hand was sailing through the air. Palm open, I slapped the demon across the face. His skin was seriously disgusting. “That’s for being a dick.” Damn, that felt good.
He laughed. Not exactly the kind of reaction I was expecting. “Feisty. Just what I need. You might be strong enough to make it where so many have failed.”
“That sounds promising,” I replied dryly.
His greyish pale skin shone under the small amount of moonlight streaming through the window. “There is no point in fighting. Your body has already gone through the change.”
And suddenly the dots began to connect. I knew that I shouldn’t believe a word that left this demon’s mouth, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was on to something. “You mean the crazy fever and gut-stabbing cramps? The ones that knocked me out for two days? Well that plain sucked.”
Seeing him walk around my house, touching my things was gross. He ran a finger along one of the stair spindles. “No one ever said it was easy peasy being Hell’s little pet.”
Did a demon just say easy peasy? Did he just say I was Hell’s little pet? Could this night get any stranger? I tipped my chin up. “I am not your little anything.”
He glanced at his serrated nails. “Demons don’t breed with humans for fun, doll. We always have an underlying agenda, and you are the result of a coveted prize.”
“What’s your agenda?” I needed to keep the slim-ball talking. If he was talking, I was still alive.
“If our offspring do not mutate a human, then they are eliminated. It’s not personal,” he said without any emotional attachment. “They are made to serve a purpose, and if they don’t live up to that purpose, then they are no longer needed—they end up just being a liability. We have to minimize exposure. You understand. If the demon feels that their prodigy hasn’t done their part, well I think you get the picture. Nature has to balance itself out, and we just give it a nudge.”
I coughed. “You have a funny way of justifying killing.”
He looked me straight in the eye. “I don’t have to justify anything. These are the facts. And I am not really here to educate you on demon politics. I’m here to offer you a deal.”
I religiously watch Supernatural. Demon deals are a big no-no. And there was no way I was letting this scum-bucket kiss me. Not happening. “I don’t do deals.”
Straightening his silver tie, he said, “At least hear what I have to offer.”
I crossed my arms. “Do I have a choice?”
He gave his head a tilted nod. “No, not really. Why don’t we sit for a spell?”
“I’ll stand.”
He flicked his wrist and I was promptly dumped onto the couch with Alastair at the opposite end, sitting so proper and straight in his three-piece suit. He twisted a finger in the air, and the fireplace flared with fuming flames. “There. That’s better. Cozy. Now, where was I? Oh yes, our deal. You’re connected to my world in ways you don’t yet understand. First, when my hound marked you. Again, when Chase saved you from death. With each link, your soul darkens and ties you to me. You are a key Hell has waited a millennium for. The link that would ground us to earth.”
I vomited a little in my mouth and swallowed the rest back down. His implication made me sick. “There is nothing you can say that would make me help you.”
He crossed his legs and gave me a sinister smile. His glossy eyes reflected off the flickering flames. “Let me sweeten the pot, love. Your commitment to me will release the one you love so dearly. Are you unwilling to make the sacrifice when he has made so many for you?”
Wow.
Lay it on thick, why don’t you?
“Okay. Let me get this straight. Are you saying if I agree to join you in the blazin’ pits, Chase will no longer struggle with the demon inside him? He will no longer be bound to you?”
His grin made me cringe. “Such a bright cookie. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
If I agreed to accompany Alastair to God knew where, it would fracture my bond with Chase, but it would also break Alastair’s hold on him. I weighed the knowledge—Chase’s freedom from the demon, for my soul. I understood for the first time why Merci gave up her life. For Chase there were no lengths I wouldn’t go. It amazed me how quickly I could change my judgment.
“Are you giving me an option to decline?” I asked.
Sleek black eyes gleamed. “If you wish, but I can make the decision very, very easy for you, if I must.”
I swallowed.
I didn’t have to be a genius to recognize a threat. Like if I didn’t choose to go with him, he would find ways to make me extremely sorry that I had rejected his offer, or maybe he would find ways to ensure I chose him. Regardless, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. “Well when you put it like that…”
He wore a victory grin. “I thought you would see it my way.” Standing tall, he said, “It’s time for us to go.”
Whoa. Hold your demon horses.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I snapped, “I might need more than five seconds to decide.”
“A luxury I cannot give you. I will have your answer.”
Jesus.
No pressure.
I flirted with accepting Alastair’s offer, releasing Chase from what he considered a curse most days, but just as quickly, I dismissed his proposal. Right or wrong, I couldn’t stop seeing Chase’s face, hearing his voice, feeling the intense feelings between us. I knew that I couldn’t make the same sacrifice Merci did. I needed Chase. Selfish or not, I loved all of him, the demon too. I didn’t want to change him, and I remembered the cold, lonely life Ives lived by himself.
This decision wouldn’t just affect me. It would change Chase as well, and who was I to make that choice. I knew the depth of his love for me, and I couldn’t find it in me to cause him a shred of pain.
“Umm, I have no desire to see the world below, thank you.”
Everything about Alastair flipped.
He threw back his head and let out a roar that vibrated the ground under my feet. The sound of a thousand souls screamed within the roar. Teeth a
s sharp as razors extended in his mouth and dripped with venom that sizzled. Shedding his human skin, the demon stood, dominating over me in all his fearsome glory.
Holy Toledo.
I covered my ears. The piercing screech made my ears feel like they were hemorrhaging. There was no reasoning with this demon, and I think I had just pushed him to the point of no return. I was going to die for sure.
Gritting my teeth, I waited for the killing blow. He raised his larger-than-life hand, and I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to witness him knocking me into next week. But the blow never came.
The second I closed my eyes I heard someone call my name. The husky timber of Chase’s voice glided over my heart.
“Angel!”
His voice yelled again, and this time it shattered the otherworldly illusion Alastair had woven. I concentrated on Chase’s voice as he called my name again and again. Warmth started to bloom in my chest and grew as his feelings seeped inside me. It wasn’t like that last time when I was overwhelmed. This was more controlled and shooed away the chill that had coursed through my blood.
Slowly I pried open my eyes. Looking over my shoulder to where Alastair had been, the spot was empty. The only thing left behind was a burnt hole charred into the fabric. My mom was going to be pissed when she saw that, but in the scheme of things, it wasn’t really that big of a deal. No one had died—I hoped. And that thought had me jumping off the couch. Wasting not another moment, I sprinted to the door. Lord only knew if Alastair would rear his ugly head again. Gripping the door handle, I sighed in sweet relief when it turned.
Chase caught me as I tumbled through the door. I took a huge gulp of fresh air, and it tasted of pine, water, and Chase. He swooped me off my feet, barely giving me time to secure my arms around his neck.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered close to my ear.
I didn’t doubt it.
There was a lot more commotion outside than I remembered. Red, white, and blue lights swirled in the dark twilight. I looked over his shoulder and saw white smoke billowing from the front windows and the chimney.
