by May Dawson
I yanked the plug. The web flickered out of existence.
The ghost's eyes met mine, just for a second.
Then there was a shiver of gray mist, and she was gone.
Levi shifted Dani in his arms. Then gave up and slung her over his shoulder, her head dangling in the small of his back. "We've got to get her medical attention."
"I don't think doctors are going to fix what's wrong with her." Jacob took her head in his hands, his expression thoughtful. "I think she was magic-roofied."
"But it didn't act as fast as when..." I trailed off. I didn't need to remind everyone that Nimshi had magic-roofied me, given that I'd still been determined to see the best in him.
Jacob shook his head. "I've got a lot of questions. But until we can get answers, let's move."
Ryker stuck his head into the elevator shaft and then moved to the elevator panel next to the door. "Let's jam the elevator. Take the ladder up."
"The ladder," Levi repeated. He wiggled his broad shoulders slightly, as if he were gauging Dani's weight and thinking about the climb.
Even though it gave me a tingly feeling to put my head in the path of an elevator, I stepped into the elevator shaft and looked up. A metal ladder clung to one side of the wall.
"We need the element of surprise," Ryker said to Levi. "You can do it. I have faith in you."
"I have faith in you to be an asshole," Levi said, without rancor.
Ryker ripped the cover off the elevator panel. Jacob stepped up next to him, rapidly looking through wires, before he yanked a few of them out determinedly.
"I've got a great feeling about this," I said.
"Good," Jacob said.
"I think we already covered how much we should trust my judgment," I added.
There was a grinding sound above us. I jumped back, expecting to see the elevator grinding to life, but it didn't move. Instead, it was the gate rattling open, a story above us.
Zuriel leaned into the elevator shaft. His face was as handsome and impassive as ever.
"What are you children doing?" he asked.
"That's an excellent question," I muttered.
"Are you here to kill us or help us?" Jacob asked.
"Is the demon with you?"
"He betrayed us," Jacob said flatly.
"Then I'm here to help you." Zuriel said.
46
Zuriel slid down the ladder, his movements so quick and smooth that it almost seemed as if he could fly, and held his arms out to Levi.
"I'll take the girl," he said.
Levi glanced up at the ladder, as if he felt the need to prove himself now. Ryker punched his arm, giving him a meaningful look. Let's keep the scary angel occupied.
Levi nodded and shifted Dani over his shoulder. "Thanks."
"No problem. Angels are accustomed to carrying humans." Zuriel cradled the girl in his arms as if she weighed nothing to him.
I still had so many questions.
"I mean that both literally and figuratively," the angel said to me, moving to the ladder.
Great.
I wiggled my shoulders, trying to loosen them up despite the way my spine itched about climbing this ladder. The elevator was stopped two stories above me, but I still felt it press down on me like a low ceiling. I couldn't shake a bad feeling about this.
Ryker clapped my shoulder with one hand. "You still scared of heights?"
"I wasn't even thinking about that," I said evenly. "But now I am. Thank you."
"You'll be fine," he promised me. "I'll go after you in case you need help."
"No," I said. "Part of my terror of heights is the fear of taking someone else down with me. I'll go last."
Ryker shook his head. "I don't like it."
I glanced at the base of the ladder. Zuriel was halfway up, and Jacob was just stepping onto the bottom rung.
I took Ryker's hard-jawed, beard-stubbled face in my hands. "You are very sweet, with the attempts to save me from the spiders and from my own fears. And for not-saying-I-told-you-so."
"Well, let's not count on that yet." Ryker crinkled his nose at me. "I'm saving it for a time when we aren't in lethal danger."
"But I can climb on my own," I finished, ignoring him. Of course, he still planned to say I told you so. I knew Ryker better than that. "Humor me."
"Okay." He leaned in, kissing my forehead quickly. Then he stepped back, sheathing his sword so his hands would be free to climb.
I could tell it was hard for him, but as Levi started up the ladder, Ryker began to climb after him. I stared up as Zuriel reached the top and stepped onto solid ground, slinging Dani to the floor. The ladder above me seemed to stretch terrifyingly high, with the guys seeming to grow smaller as they climbed.
I blew out a deep breath. Ryker turned to look at me over his shoulder, hanging with one hand on the ladder in a way that made my heart stop. He was just trying to check on me. But it was phenomenally unhelpful.
I sighed and started to climb. The metal rungs bit into my hands. As I climbed higher, fixedly looking in front of me at the shiny metal wall and not up or down, I could almost feel gravity pulling me down. The metal rungs felt slick under the toes of my boots.
Why ladders? I hated ladders. Stairs were the best invention. They were wide enough for your entire foot. They were so far superior to ladders.
When I was almost to the top, I heard a creak above me.
I looked up to see the guys' faces, looking down at me, as Ryker threw his leg over the edge of the shaft and was safely on solid ground.
Above them, the elevator was rocking back and forth.
"Hurry," the boys hissed at me, gesturing frantically for me to hurry up.
I started to climb faster. My palms were sweating, making my hands slick on the rungs. The elevator swung on its cables slowly, back and forth, and I knew it was unstable. I had to hurry.
My foot slipped on the rung, and I was moving so fast that I almost lost my grip entirely. I clung to the bars, holding myself tight against them, trying to breathe even though my adrenaline had just spiked.
"Come on." I heard Ryker's low, desperate voice urging me up.
I started to climb again. I was so close. I climbed fast, frantically, my fingers barely wrapping around one biting metal rung before I grabbed the next.
There was a sound, like the pop of a balloon but a hundred times louder. The elevator sank above me, dangling at an angle. There was only one cable holding it now.
In a flash, Zuriel slid beside me, grabbing me around the waist. I screamed as the two of us began to slide, but he reversed rapidly, pulling me up with him. Just as the elevator broke free and plummeted toward us; I thought we were going to be crushed. Then he shoved me into Jacob's arms. I stumbled. The floor was solid beneath me, but my knees were weak.
The elevator plunged past us. Zuriel disappeared beneath it.
Jacob held me tight with one arm.
"I'm sure he made it," Levi said. "He's fast. Faster than me."
Jacob nodded. His eyes were troubled, and that tic was back in his cheek, but he said nothing. He took my hand in his, drawing his sword again. "Let's get out of here. Get back to the house and regroup."
"Sounds like a plan." Levi moved quickly to the door, and for the first time, I realized we were in a hallway between the kitchen and the back door. From here, I could see through the windows at the rear of the house to the sparkling water and lights of the pool house.
We headed quickly through the empty hallway to the front door. The boys automatically formed up around me, the way they always did. Ryker took the lead and Levi and Jacob spread out to either side and a step behind, ready to close ranks behind me.
There had been four of them around me just once, the way it was supposed to be, when we walked out of the demon's case. After Nimshi killed a demon to protect me.
There would never be all four of them around me again.
Not that I needed a protective guard. They couldn't help themselves.
We reached the door of the house. Ryker peeled away from our formation to look through the windows to one side. "The Lexus is still there. And, oh, goddamn our luck."
"What is it?"
"Joseph apparently wanted to make this a party."
I joined him at the window. Men in dark coats that lied that they were FBI swarmed at the outskirts of the property.
Levi shifted Dani carefully off his shoulder, laying her on a couch against an inner wall. "Okay. Well, we aren't making it out that way."
Ryker ran his hand through his hair. "All right. All right, we can figure this out."
"Is Parrish out there?" I squinted out the window, and Ryker pulled me down beside him, the two of us kneeling so that no one might glimpse movement inside the house. "If Mr. Joseph is out of commission, maybe she would call off the goons."
"She's either in on it from the beginning, or she's never been able to call off the goons," Ryker reminded me.
Behind us, Dani said drowsily, "Where did Nim go?"
"Back to Hell, hopefully," Levi said, his voice bitter.
I followed Levi’s gaze. There was movement on the side of the house. I craned my head, expecting to see Company men coming around to breach the house.
But it was Beliel and Nimshi, hailing the Company men.
"Hey!" Nimshi called. "I've got what you want in here. Let's end this peacefully."
"I'm going to kill him," Ryker muttered. "Forget my curiosity."
47
"Let's see what's in the garage," Ryker said. He gripped my arm hard, in his urgency. "You and my brothers make a run for it while I cover you."
"I'm not leaving you," I said.
"This is one of those times when I am going to be bossy," he told me. "And I'm not sorry."
"Look." Levi jerked his jaw at the front door as Nimshi ran up the porch steps. Levi shifted his sword in his grip, holding it at the ready. His forearm was corded with muscle and veins, the only sign of his stress as he prepared for yet another fight.
I could hear Nim's voice, a whisper under the noise and fear in my own mind. Trust me.
Give me a reason to, I thought.
The front door slammed open. There stood Nim and Beliel. Beliel grinned at us insolently, his eyes gleaming even brighter than his shiny bald head. He clearly thought he’d won.
Nim sauntered in ahead of him. Those bright green eyes flashed to each of us in turn, demanding our attention. I couldn’t believe that just a few hours ago, I’d kissed him hard up against the side of a haunted house.
"Listen. I know you're not keen on returning to captivity." Nim held a hand out to us, as if he were imploring us to listen. "But it does get you out of here alive. Alive to fight another day."
"Except for that one." Beliel nodded at Jacob. "You can't hand them over everything they need to go into the Far."
"We were planning to keep you for ourselves," Nim confided. "But the Company is able to offer us something we want more."
"And the bonus is..." Beliel’s voice was awfully bright and cheerful, in contrast with the hulking, terrifying body he occupied.
"We can pretend Jacob didn't survive to hand him over." Nim finished the thought.
Beliel nodded, grinning, and stepped confidently towards Jacob. Ryker and Levi moved to intercept, their swords raised.
Jacob stepped in towards Beliel, whipping his sword up, ready for the fight. His face had a curious kind of light, as if he were eager to kill Beliel for a second time.
"Stop," Nimshi barked, throwing up an arm to block Beliel. "You wanted me to prove that I was still on your side?"
"I took a chance on you," Beliel said. "Because we're old friends."
Nimshi turned to the rest of us and explained brightly, "We were the only demon-kids around for a long time. Until Jacob killed my bestie here."
"That's great," Ryker said. "The two of you can be buddies in Hell."
"Neither of us are going back," Beliel said. "We have a chance to stay, and you boys are our ticket."
"Sure you want to kill this one then?" Nim asked.
Nimshi was behind Jacob. The knife he held to Jacob's side held a faint glow. For a second, I was thrown by the magic illuminating it now, in Nimshi's hands, and then I recognized the plain leather hilt. I had seen this sword hanging in the rack.
The Final Blade.
How the hell had Nimshi gotten the jump on Jacob?
"Nimshi," I said. "Don't do this. Please."
“I owe him this.” Beliel said, a glint in his eye.
Nimshi drove the blade into Jacob's side without preamble.
Jacob's eyes met mine. He winked.
Then those beautiful golden eyes widened in fear and panic.
It was all so quick that I didn’t even have time to scream. One second, Jacob was tall and sure and bright-eyed; the next he crumpled. Nimshi twisted the knife in his side, and Jacob’s blood flowed out soaking his jeans dark.
Nimshi held him around the waist, letting him slump forward, and then he let go. Jacob fell to his knees and then sprawled across the tile floor. A trickle of blood spread from beneath him. It quickly widened into a puddle.
Ryker and Levi jumped forward to attack Nimshi, but somehow Nim somersaulted beneath their blades and was back on his feet.
Nimshi grabbed me hard around my waist, a second before I even saw him behind me. He moved too quickly, even quicker than Levi, which shouldn't have been possible.
I felt cold metal against my naked throat. I raised my chin involuntarily, my skin shrinking from the blade.
Nimshi's arm was tight around me, holding me against his hard-muscled body, and I felt bile at the back of my throat in my terror.
"Drop the swords," Nimshi said to Ryker and Levi. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."
It was too late for that. I couldn't stop looking at Jacob's body, slumped on the floor. My Jacob, with his broad tattooed arms curled in that dark puddle. I flashed back to Jacob in the demon’s case, struggling for his life, slipping in his own blood.
Ryker and Levi exchanged a look, a mix of fury and estimated chances. Then Levi cursed, bending to lay his sword down on the ground.
"Kick it over here," Beliel said, gesturing.
"I'm going to find you," Ryker promised Nimshi as he set his own sword on the floor. He put his foot on the hilt and kicked it over to Beliel.
"Here's what's going to happen next," Nimshi said. His voice low and close to my ear made the hair on my neck rise. I wanted desperately to shove him away from me.
Nimshi went on. "You're going to surrender to the Company, because you want to keep this sweet girl company. I'm taking her out to them now. You're going to get the chance to live a little longer. You should thank me for your miserable lives."
Beliel shook his head faintly as if in disbelief, although there was a cool smile on his face. "I wasn't sure you had it in you, Nimshi. Killing your own brother."
"They were never my brothers,” Nimshi said. “They were never going to be.”
Nimshi, I pleaded in my mind, hoping he would hear me. But I didn’t know what to say after that. There was nothing that could undo what had just happened.
When Ash died, I had been shell-shocked by time itself. A minute changes the course of life itself. An hour passes, and then a day, and then more days, but that minute haunts you. You’ll always be on the wrong side.
I desperately wanted to claw my way back in time.
Beliel started to turn towards the door, and then swiveled on his heel, as if he had forgotten something. "I checked Stephen's body, but it wasn't there. One of you took Nimshi's soul."
"No such thing," Nimshi said. "Just a story my father made up. He always had a flair for the dramatic."
"No," Beliel said certainly.
Beliel suddenly lunged at Levi, pinning him against the wall. Beliel slammed him against the wall and Levi grunted. Levi’s eyes flickered to me, to the bloody knife at my throat, and he put his own arms back against the wall. He let Beliel se
arch inside his jacket.
Ryker shouted, moving to shake Beliel off his brother. Levi made a warning sound, his eyes going to me. Ryker stopped and turned; those deep green eyes met mine. He took a step back, and a deep breath, although his face was full of murder.
"Relax." Beliel had grabbed the soul-box from Levi's inner pocket, and now he made a show of smoothing Levi’s jacket and then tousling his hair. Levi stared at him with eyes full of rage, but he stayed motionless.
Beliel stepped back. "You all know at this point that Nimshi doesn't need this back. He's so good at being bad."
"Thanks," Nimshi said. He made the smallest involuntary motion forward, and I felt his knee against mine before he stopped. His body was tense, and his arm tightened even more painfully across my waist.
Beliel smashed the crystal box on the ground.
I stared in shock at the wisps of golden light that curled up from the shards of the box and then disappeared, dissipating like mist.
Then I looked up to see Beliel watching Nimshi's face, gauging whether he cared or not.
Nimshi shrugged. The tension I’d felt in his body wasn’t in his voice; he spoke lightly. “Rude, Beliel. It was my little curiosity. Souls are fascinating things.”
"But you don't care," Beliel said.
"You are right," Nimshi said. "I'm just too good at trickery to waste my talents being good."
48
"Sorry for the trouble, sweetheart," Nimshi said to me. "You know I would never hold a knife on you unless I had to. To save your life right now."
"You killed Jacob." The knife against my throat was still wet with Jacob's blood; it trickled down my neck, down my chest into the front of my tank top. The feel of that dark liquid slowly sliding down my breast made my chest heave in rage and panic. "There's nothing for you to say to me."
"Maybe don't piss off the guy with the knife," Beliel told me.
"I actually like her spirit." Nimshi took a step back, dragging me with him. He jerked his jaw at Levi. "You. Be a useful moose and carry your brother's body."
