“I know and thank you.” Izzy hung up the phone, pressing the button to turn it off. Somehow, through the torment of the past few days, Ogwald had gone from a strange and frightening demon to a friend.
She found herself wandering through the apartment, taking in the things that made it Rafael’s home. Paintings hung on every wall, but not his own. Everything had a touch of strangeness to it, even the lightest things held a shadow of the dark, and she wondered about the angel and the man. He had said he loved her, but she couldn’t understand why. Turning toward the mirror on the wall, she tried to see what he might see.
Her reflection showed a woman, hair mussed from making love and fighting, eyes red from tears, and a pale bruise already healing from where Rafael had struck her. Despite those things, a smile touched the corners of her lips, a trace of joy left from his kisses. Her eyes danced with emotion, but the shadow still hovered in the blue.
She leaned in closer, silently questioning the demon within. What would it be like to not have to fight the spirit inside? As I do you?
Maddened by her betrayal, a wordless response squalled in her mind.
Shut up. You are no longer in control here. Izzy, wished she could rip the beast out and destroy it, but when she’d given herself over to Ashur, he’d created a nearly unbreakable bond. Never truly converging, she had fought to rein it in as it had fought to take control. All too often, it had won, much like the night Raf had revealed his art to the world.
The screaming in her head continued, making the base of her skull ache, and Izzy squeezed her eyes shut against the sound. Shut up, you stupid fucking thing. Stop that. Stop it, now!
The scream twisted into maddening laughter, bubbling up through her frontal lobes like acid. Suddenly, the thirst hit her like the force of a gale wind. Hot and demanding, it pulsed in time with the demons glee. The familiar pressure at the tips of her fingers told her that her talons had released, and she opened her eyes to see the change had come against her will.
Feed, the demon insisted. We will take from the angel. With his ancient life force, we can be even more powerful than Ashur. Our master’s strength is tainted. He has weakened by surrounding himself by the very humanity that he claims to hate. The soul of a true angel, not one of the Fallen, will complete the bond. We can destroy him together. We can have our revenge. The real her was gone, nothing more than a tiny voice of protest whispering from beneath the demon’s control.
“Iyzebel?” Raf’s voice caught the monster by surprise and it sank back down, releasing her.
Rafael stood before her, wings hidden back inside the mortal shell. Barefoot and shirtless, his jeans hanging on his hip bones just low enough to be a temptation, he looked like a vision of sin rather than an angel.
“What happened?”
“I…” her voice trailed as she hung her head in shame.
“The fight won’t be easy.”
“I know.”
“Then let’s begin.” Choosing to let her face the demon on her own, Rafael moved to the plush couch and patted the seat next to him. “C’mere, Izzy.”
She went to him, nestling into the invitation of his open arms. Being near to him took away the hunger and the fear—almost as if he were the cure for her disease.
“What is Ashur’s plan?” Rafael wasted no time.
Izzy hesitated, the terrifying knowledge that Ashur would destroy her preventing the words from coming.
“I have put my trust in you, Iyzebel. It’s time for you to do the same.”
“He is going to open the seven gates to Hell. He has legions disguised as souls waiting, their mortal shells hidden deep beneath the surface.”
“How will he get seven hundred willing souls?”
“That’s why Capone kidnapped you. The heads of the seven most influential families have given their word that they will give the one hundred men and women needed to open each gate. In exchange, Ashur promised to let them rule what was left of the world. They didn’t understand that only twenty five percent of the human population would survive, they still don’t.”
“So why kidnap me?”
“Capone learned of Ashur’s plan to double-cross them and kill off most of the mafia, mortal and demon alike. He somehow got his hands on Damocles. He threatened to awaken you before I could if Ashur didn’t agree to sign a contract protecting four hundred of their people.”
Though he raised an eyebrow when he learned that the crime boss had possession of his sword, Rafael simply nodded. “So he just thought he could open the gates, harvest hundreds of thousands of souls, and that it would be that simple?”
“He knew he’d have resistance, but he’s kept the legions so well concealed, that by the time it was discovered what he’d done, the casualties would be massive. Then, before he could be caught, we were going to escape back into Hell.”
“He’d leave all those who have pledged him loyalty to die? And what about you, Izzy? Would he have left you as well?”
She had no doubt that she knew the answer. “Ashur would sacrifice anyone or anything for this. He’s mad.”
Raf took her hand, his face serious and his eyes intense. “We must stop this. Put your trust in me.”
She leaned forward, kissing his lips and ignoring the murmur of rage from the demon inside. “I trust you completely.”
“We need a way to get to Capone. I need my sword, and we have to stop them from gathering the hundreds needed. He isn’t going to trust you, and neither are Luciano and Johnny Boy. They have already seen your fire and your persuasion. And they aren’t going to let me anywhere near there now that I’ve awakened.”
“Most of the sacrifices are already in place, but without their bosses, they will be hesitant to move. The truth about what they are doing isn’t widely known, and it will take time to reconstruct their lines of power. They are a family, and they only trust their own. Even then, it’s not fully.” Her brow scrunched and her nose curled as she contemplated her only choice. Slowly, she said the name, “Giovanni.”
“The old man? He is innocent of all this. Iyzebel, are you really willing to risk his life? I’ve seen that you care about him, it shows in your eyes.”
“Mr. G might be one of the bad guys, Raf, but he has a pure heart. He loved the people when he was a crime boss. He is proud that he never allowed the others to hurt innocents under his watch. If any one of the mafia boys would turn sides to save the world, it would be him.”
“If we can persuade Giovanni to help us, to believe in angels and demons, can he arrange a sit-down with Capone and his men? We are going to have to convince them that you want to go through with the harvesting of all those souls, but you need the sword to destroy Ashur.”
A large smile spread across her face. “My powers of persuasion are well known in these circles, my dear. I am a rarity among demons, especially those who are not of the original Fallen. If I showed them that the angel had awakened and he was under my control, I could make them follow me straight into the pearly gates if I wanted.”
Her confidence had returned, the fire in her eyes made him want to take her again, but Raf restrained his need. “Brilliant! Once we have the sword, and Capone and his men have been stopped, Ashur will be outraged. We will have to move fast to prevent him from picking up the reigns and opening the gates.”
“We will have to take them all out. The Voices of Hell have worked for this for too long, even if you kill Ashur, one of the others will take over. How will we take on five of the Fallen, plus Ogwald?”
“We will take them at the house, where they will not be prepared for an attack. Ashur will be foaming at the mouth to get a look at what you’ve done to me. He will welcome us with open arms. I can’t call for help, Iyzebel. This is my destiny, and now it is yours. We must win our war on our own.”
Glancing out the window, she saw the early morning dawn creeping up the skyline behind the buildings. “Then we should go. Giovanni takes his morning coffee on his balcony at sunrise. We can talk to him then, without being n
oticed.”
Izzy felt her nerves tangle, the pit of her stomach becoming a hollow thing, and the demon laughed. His voice bleeding into her brain like a ruptured vein, You will die.
Catching the look of panic on her face, Raf touched her cheek with his warm lips. “Fight him, Izzy. Drown him out.”
“I’m trying. Give me a minute to try to clean up, and I will be ready.”
Izzy strode to the bathroom, which still smelled of blood and him. Avoiding the mirror, she stripped out of his t-shirt and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water washed away the blood, sweat, and remnants of sex. As the steam gathered around her, billowing up like smoke, Izzy swallowed the lump quickly forming in her throat.
“I’m going to die,” she said the words aloud, making them real. Facing the truth would make it easier. She couldn’t hope to survive the mission they were on, she could only hope to stop the things she had begun. “I should have died the night Ashur came to me. I shouldn’t have let it come this far.”
Her demon stirred, its hunger pushing upward, but she forced it back again. “Love will conquer, and when this body is dead and decaying, you will be nothing but a wraith as well, demon.”
Unable to stand the silence any longer, afraid the creature might find a way to escape again, Izzy turned off the faucet and stepped out in a cloud of hot mist. As she wrapped the towel around her curving body, her eyes locked on her reflection, and she saw the darkness again. The shadow looking back at her from within the sapphire depths beckoned her, a familiar enemy, it was almost the same as an old friend.
A tapping on the door and the sound of Raf’s voice broke the spell before she could lose herself again. “Izzy. I have some clothes. I’m not sure they will fit properly, but they are clean.”
She opened the door, eyebrow quirked upward in an unspoken question.
“Her name was Shelia. She was the human lover of my human form. She left me. I haven’t cared enough, or perhaps I cared too much, to throw her things away.”
The explanation was said in such a monotone and bored way that Izzy couldn’t give justification to the jealousy that suddenly welled up inside of her. “Beggars can’t be choosers,” she said with a shrug. Bringing the clothes to her nose, she added, “At least they don’t stink of cheap perfume.” She wouldn’t have admitted it, but the smell of vanilla rising up from the fabric was actually pleasant.
A few minutes later, she emerged. The tangles brushed from her hair and dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans that stretched snuggly across her breasts and hips, she bounced on her toes. “I feel more normal, at least.”
Rafael laughed, and together, they walked down the stairs. Forced to hail a cab, because he’d never thought it pertinent to own a car in the bustling city, they rode in silence to Giovanni’s Soho apartment. Neither new exactly how they’d explain their position to the elderly man without giving him a heart attack, but Raf’s hand in hers gave Izzy the strength to believe that it would work out.
The car pulled up to the front of Giovanni’s building, and Izzy slid out. Waiting for Raf to pay the fare, she tried to swallow the pressing disgust rising in the back of her throat. The early morning commuters flogged the roads and the sidewalks, waking her hunger and hate. Inside the apartment, lost in the words of love and the need to be what Rafael desired, it had been easy to forget her hatred for humanity. In the real world, the long cultivated loathing fed the demon and her abhorrence.
When a drunken bum stumbled past, bumping into her as he staggered, the revulsion exploded inside her brain. Bloody animals. They don’t deserve to live. They have sunk themselves into the very depravity that sealed their fate. This is why the culling, this is why we were meant to harvest them to strengthen ourselves. They are beasts!
Her hand shot out, grabbing the young man by his arm and pulling him closer. The pungent smell of body odor and cheap whiskey assaulted her senses, but the heady scent of his life force beneath the surface made her mouth water.
“I-I’m sor—” the man attempted to stammer, but his words died as she smiled.
The sharpened tip of a half formed talon caressed his cheek, and she leaned in as if she meant to kiss his chapped and bleeding lips. Desire overran her thoughts and hunger pushed her as the demon roared with laughter.
“Iyzebel! No!” Raf’s hand locked onto her wrist in an ironclad grip, yanking her hand away.
She stared at him as the people streamed by, unaware that a war of good and evil was taking place before them. Surprise and shame filled her as she blinked away the reddened haze of thirst clouding her mind.
Pushing her back against the building façade, Raf turned to the drunk. The man was still captivated, willingly awaiting his death as he stood in a stupor. She’d thrown so much power at him in her desperate need, his mind was no more than a blank slate.
Rafael placed his hand on the stranger’s forehead, sending warmth through his palm into the flesh. “Go now. You no longer feel the cravings for these chemicals that are poisoning you. You are greater than the need that has brought you so low. Go with God, child, he will lead you to a better place.”
The man blinked, his seaweed green eyes clearing as he mumbled, “Thank you.” His body straightened, and when he turned to walk away, his steps were surer than they had been before.
Lost in the battle against madness and the shock of what Rafael had done, Izzy slumped against the wall. When Raf took her by the arm and dragged her toward the lobby door, she barely noticed. It wasn’t until she heard the anger in his voice that her mind returned to her.
“What in the name of the Father were you doing? You nearly took that man’s soul right there on the street,” he hissed.
Izzy snarled, “Forgive me, oh perfect one. This isn’t freaking easy, you know. Not all of us are sinless angels. I’m hungry, damn it. Unless you want me as drunk as that old fool, I can’t drown it out. It’s too strong. The demon needs to be fed.”
Pulling her into a nook inside the lobby, Raf’s face lost its look of irritation. “I’m sorry, Izzy.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and wrapped her in his arms.
She could have stayed there forever, just basking in the warmth of his touch, but a voice interrupted her bliss.
“Iyzebel. Rafael. Giovanni sent me down. He knew you were coming,” Aosoth’s voice was filled with worry.
Izzy went to the woman, placing her hand on her shoulder, “Is he well? What has happened?”
Leading them through the lobby to the elevator, she spoke in hushed tones. “He woke early this morning, insisting that you would be coming and that an angel would be at your side. He said he dreamed of a great war, and you were at the center. He hasn’t been able to settle himself, and he has refused his medications. The agitation is stressing his heart, I’m deeply concerned.” They stepped inside the chrome box and Aosoth pushed the button to carry them upward, her hands trembling.
“How could he have known?” Izzy questioned, lacing her fingers through Rafael’s as he silently stood beside her.
“I’m not sure, but he does know. He has foreseen the culling, and he is convinced that you will stop it. I’m afraid that when he learns that you are its biggest orchestrator, that it will kill him. I’m sorry.”
“Well, that’s why we’ve come. Things have changed greatly, Aosoth. I need to know that I can trust you. My promises remain true. I will free you from your bond, and I will offer you protection from all others, but you must swear your allegiance to me.”
As they stepped off the elevator, their conversation was silenced by the presence of a housekeeper pushing a squeaky wheeled cart down the hall. Though, Iyzebel was impatient to know the other woman’s answer, she was thankful for the reprieve. Aosoth needed to consider her position before she committed. Her life quite literally depended on it.
“Giovanni is on the balcony, he’s waiting for you,” she whispered as she closed the door to the apartment behind her. With solemn eyes, she lifted a perfectly formed talon and sliced t
hrough the palm of her hand, “I’ve always placed my trust in you, Iyzebel, and I do so now completely. Whatever you mean to do, I am your ally.”
Iyzebel made an identical cut in her own hand, and pressed it to Aosoth’s. “The bond is sealed with blood and a promise. May the fires of Hell scorch the innards of whomever so breaks it.” The pledge was an ancient one, but the meaning was quite literal. The blood tie would bring torment to anyone who did not keep their word.
Rafael placed both of his large hands over theirs, and whispered, “I shall offer my protection and vengeance to you as well, Aosoth.”
With true sincerity, the blonde looked up into Rafael’s face with awe. “Thank you, angel.” Then, as if shaking herself from a dream, she urged, “Go to Giovanni. He needs you now.”
The elderly man sat in his wheelchair at the small mosaic topped table next to the banister. His trembling hand reached for the cup of steaming coffee as he looked out over the early morning. His wispy hair had not been smoothed, and there was a definite hunch to his normally proud posture. On the table next him, laid the photograph of his lost love, tear stains dotting the front.
“Mr. G?” Izzy called out in a hushed tone, hoping not to startle her old friend.
Though his eyes were still sharp and intelligent, the drastic physical changes made him appear as if he were a living carcass. His skin looked thin, as if it would break if she touched it, the large bags under his eyes were nearly black, and the frown that pulled his lips downward caused deep lines in his sallow face.
Gasping for breath, he spoke her name and motioned for her to come nearer. “Iyzebel. Sweet, Iyzebel. I dreamed of you and of him.” Giovanni bobbed his head in Raf’s direction. “I feared the angel had slain you, but then, I saw you come. I saw you for what you are.” His speech was rapid, breathless, and pleading. “Tell me the truth, my sweet. Tell me this is not death’s madness finally falling on me.”
Izzy embraced the dying man, feeling the weakness of his soul as if it were a weight on her own. She let the last words spoken between them be a lie, and so she confessed, “It is true, Giovanni. I am a demon. Rafael is an angel. Even your beloved nurse is a demon as well, her true name is Aosoth. The demons and I used you to gain access to your connections. I am sorry for that, but you need to know that I love you, as much as a demon can do such things.”
Voices of Hell Page 10
