“All right,” I agreed, my eyes brimming with tears. “You win. I’m yours.”
“Good,” said Jake. “You’ve made the right decision. I’ll send Hanna up to help you get ready. I want to make good on this deal tonight … just in case you should change your mind.”
WHEN Hanna came up to see me her face was ashen and she was clutching a garment bag under one arm.
“Oh, Beth,” she said softly. It was the first time she’d called me by my name and it struck me by surprise. “I wish it hadn’t come to this.”
“How’d you find out?” I asked in a dull voice.
“Word spreads quickly around here. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Hanna,” I said, swallowing hard. “It’s no more than I expected from Jake.”
“I hope that after all this … someday … you’re reunited with Xavier,” she said. “He must really be something.”
“He is.”
Thinking of Xavier was the only way I could get through this ordeal without breaking down. If Xavier lost his life because of me, it would be worse than an eternity in Hell.
“Come on,” Hanna said, patting me gently on the back. “Jake is expecting you in an hour.” She unzipped the garment bag and withdrew what looked like a long bridal gown.
“Do I really have to dress up?” I asked dejectedly. I didn’t want any fuss. This was going to be horrible enough without the accompanying theatrics.
“The prince has picked out a dress specially,” Hanna said. “You know what he’s like, he’ll be offended if you don’t wear it.”
“Do you think I’m doing the right thing, Hanna?” I asked suddenly, compulsively smoothing the threads on my duvet. My mind was already made up, but I wanted reassurance from someone so I didn’t feel quite so alone.
“What does it matter what I think?” Hanna busied herself, picking invisible lint off the dress as she tried to avoid the question. I knew she hated to think her opinion counted for anything, for fear it might get her into trouble.
“Please?” I asked. “I really want to know.”
Hanna sighed and stopped what she was doing. When she looked at me her wide brown eyes were full of sadness.
“I made a deal with Jake too once,” she said. “And he betrayed me. Demons will say anything to get what they want.”
“So you think he’s lying to me? That he’ll hurt Xavier anyway?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Hanna said. “What you’re about to do will haunt you forever … but you will never forgive yourself if you don’t. You need to know you did everything you could to keep Xavier safe.”
“Thank you, Hanna,” I said.
Hanna nodded and helped me into the virginal white gown and satin shoes. Then she wove tiny pearls into my hair. Jake had done this deliberately, it was his own twisted form of irony. In his head he’d probably built this up to be some kind of romantic reunion instead of the business arrangement it really was. The dress was as tight as a corset around my waist and fell in undulating waves down to the ground. It had a décolletage that showed off my alabaster white skin. Well, I thought bitterly to myself, it was the right dress for the occasion … just in the wrong place, with the wrong person.
While Hanna was fastening a pearl necklace around my throat, Tucker came up to the suite and his face fell when he saw what I was wearing.
“So it is true,” he said softly. “You sure y’know what you’re doin’?”
“I don’t have a choice, Tuck,” I replied.
“Y’know, Beth.” He sat hesitantly on the edge of my bed. “I know things seem pretty bad at the moment … but I’ve never admired you more than I do right now.”
“How do you figure?” I asked. “Not much to admire if you ask me.”
“No,” Tuck said, shaking his head. “You might not see it now, but you’re real strong. When Jake first brought you in, nobody thought you’d last a day. But you’re tougher than you look. Despite everythin’ you’ve seen, despite everythin’ they’ve done to you—you still got faith.”
“But I’m letting Jake win,” I said. “I’m giving him what he wants.”
“Naw,” Tuck said in his husky voice. “Givin’ him what he wants would be refusin’ … puttin’ yourself first. You’re givin’ up somethin’ real special and Jake knows you’re doing it outta love. You hate him more than anythin’ and yet you’re gonna give yourself to him to protect the person you love. That’s gotta be eatin’ him up.”
“Thanks, Tuck.” I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his neck, which smelled of warm hay. “I never thought of it that way.”
As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I thought maybe Tucker was right after all. Maybe I needed to stop thinking of this as an act of sordid unfaithfulness, but rather as the ultimate act of love.
32
The Sword of Michael
I had a few minutes to myself before it was time to go. Hanna and Tuck left me alone, figuring I needed some time to gather my thoughts. I couldn’t help myself and started projecting almost before they’d closed the door behind them. I wanted to see Xavier one last time; I wanted his face to be the last thing I saw before I gave away a precious part of myself. I knew if I could hold on to the memory of him in my head, I’d be able to get through this.
My family had already arrived in Alabama. It would’ve only been about a two-hour drive, but I was still surprised to find they’d gotten there so quickly. As far as I could tell, Broken Hill was a sleepy little town much like Venus Cove. The train station was no longer in use. The wooden benches lining the brick walls were littered with rubbish and the old-fashioned ticket booth was unattended. Weeds sprouted from between the tracks and crows pecked uselessly at the dry ground. I imagined it would have once been a charming little place, brimming with life. It was clear that since the train crash that had claimed so many lives the residents had steered clear of it and now it was nothing but a derelict shadow of its former self. The Chevy pulled up beside the rusted tracks and my family stepped out. Ivy sniffed the air and I wondered if she could smell sulfur given off by the portal that had to be close by.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Molly said, still lingering in the car.
“Stay where you are,” Gabriel told her and for once she didn’t argue.
“So what now?” Xavier asked. “Any idea what we’re looking for?”
“It could look like anything,” Gabriel said, bending down and holding his right palm above the earth. “But I think it’s embedded here in the tracks.”
“How do you know that?”
“The earth is always hotter above a portal into Hell.”
“That figures,” Xavier sighed. “All we gotta work out now is how to open it.”
“That’s the problem,” Ivy said. “Our combined power isn’t enough. We need back up.”
“Damn it.” Xavier kicked the ground with the toe of his boot, sending pebbles flying. “What was the point of coming here?”
“Michael wouldn’t have sent us on a wild goose chase,” Ivy murmured. “There must be something he wants us to do.”
“Or maybe he’s just a douche.”
“Indeed,” said a disembodied voice behind them.
They all spun around in time to see the archangel materialize before them, his towering form shadowing the tracks. He looked exactly the same as the first time we’d seen him, fair-haired and glowing, his powerful limbs much larger than the size of an average human. His wings were retracted.
“Not again,” I heard Molly groan from the car and she put her head between her knees.
Gabriel and Michael acknowledged each other as equal warriors by bowing their heads in recognition. “We have followed your instructions, brother,” Gabriel said. “What is it you would have us do now?”
“I have come to offer you my help,” Michael replied. “I bring with me the most powerful weapon throughout Heaven and Hell. It can open a portal as easily as popping a cork.”
“Thanks for
sharing that vital piece of information earlier,” Xavier muttered ill-humoredly.
“It was for me to decide when the time was right,” Michael said, fixing his eyes on Xavier. “The Covenant met to discuss this unforeseen predicament. Lucifer knows the power of the angel he holds hostage and he plans to use her to achieve his own ends.”
Michael’s words struck a chord with me. For him to know that, it meant that all this time I hadn’t been alone. Heaven had been watching all along. Did I dare to hope that all was not lost?
“How does he plan to do that? Bethany’s no puppet,” Ivy protested.
“That we cannot know,” said Michael. “But divine essence in the hands of any demon is dangerous. Lucifer’s aim is to bring about Armageddon—the final battle—and he hopes to use the angel to his advantage. The forces of Heaven must retaliate.”
“How exactly does Beth fit in?” Xavier asked.
“She’s a catalyst, if you like,” Michael explained. “The demons want to trigger a full-scale war, but we will not descend to their level. We will show them the might of Heaven without the need for bloodshed.”
“You were always going to help us, weren’t you?” Xavier said suddenly. “Why couldn’t you have done that right from the start?”
Michael inclined his head slightly. “When a child breaks a toy and his parents immediately buy him a new one, what lesson is learned?”
“Beth is not a toy,” Xavier began hotly, but Gabriel put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
“Do not interrupt an angel of the Lord.”
“Heaven can always intervene,” Michael continued. “But He chooses the appropriate time. We are merely His messengers. If Our Father righted every wrong in the world, nobody would learn from their mistakes. We reward faith and loyalty and you have demonstrated both. Besides, your journey is not over. Heaven has plans for you.”
“Plans for me?” Xavier repeated, but Michael only fixed him with his powerful glare.
“Let’s not ruin the surprise.”
It was a shock to hear what Michael had to say. He ran with the big guns in the Kingdom and I had doubted my rescue was high up on his agenda. But it seemed that Lucifer was playing a more dangerous game than I’d realized. Michael seemed to think we were on the brink of war and that Heaven needed to reaffirm its dominance. I still had no idea how he planned to break through the portal, but he seemed confident in his abilities.
“The portal?” Ivy gently reminded him, anxious not to lose any more time. “We are here for a reason.”
“Very well,” Michael said, and from beneath his flowing robes he withdrew an object so bright and glorious that Xavier had to turn his face away.
The long, flaming sword pulsed in Michael’s hand ready to do his bidding. It burned blue at the edges and looked almost too elegant for its purpose of destruction. Along the golden hilt were etched letters in a language no human could possibly understand. The letters seemed to ripple and glow with a soft blue light. The sword was alive—as if it were blessed with a spirit of its own.
“The Sword of Michael,” said Gabriel in a strangely reverential tone I’d never heard him use before. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.”
“It actually exists?” Xavier asked.
“It’s more real than you know,” Gabriel replied. “Michael has gone up against them before.”
Xavier thought for a moment. “Of course,” he said finally. “It’s in Revelation. ‘And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.’ The dragon was Lucifer, right?”
“Correct,” Gabriel replied. “Michael was the one who cast him into Hell at Our Father’s command.”
“Good job,” Xavier said and Michael raised an eyebrow. I smiled at how informal his manner was compared to my siblings’. “And you reckon you can bust back in?”
“Let’s see, shall we?” was all Michael said.
He drew himself up to his full height in the middle of the tracks. The sword in his hand vibrated so loudly it caused the nearby birds to take flight. “Hey, man,” Xavier called out, sounding uncomfortable. “Sorry for calling you a douche. My bad.”
Michael nodded delicately to indicate there were no hard feelings. He raised the sword above his head so the sunlight poured off its silver surface in streams.
“In the name of God I command you …”
His voice started off booming and then began to peter out. I was fading away, back to my Hades. I tried to linger. I needed desperately to stay and see whether Michael’s sword would unlock the portal. But the jarring sound of a hotel phone ringing tugged me mercilessly back to my body.
“HELLO?” I asked, fumbling for the receiver and almost dropping it.
“Mr. Thorn is waiting in the lobby,” said the receptionist. I noticed her tone had changed from last time we spoke. Then it had been respectful. Now it was smug.
“Tell him I’ll be right down.”
I hung up and flopped back onto my bed, exhaling loudly. I didn’t know what to think. Could Michael really be about to burst through the portal and rescue me? I didn’t dare believe it. I dithered helplessly for a few moments, wondering what to do. I knew one thing for certain: I couldn’t let Jake find out what I’d just witnessed. I needed to go along with the deal as if nothing had happened. I hoped my skills as an actor were up to the challenge.
I met Jake in the lobby of Hotel Ambrosia. He’d shed his customary biker jacket and replaced it with tailcoats and silver cuff links, probably in a bid to play the romantic hero. But we both knew that despite the lavish dress-ups there was nothing romantic about the arrangement we’d made. Tuck and Hanna stood just inside the revolving doors looking forlorn as I was bundled into the back of Jake’s limousine and we sped off down the tunnels of Hades. I waved at them through the back window, trying to convey the same message of hope I’d been given.
The car finally pulled up at the mouth of what appeared to be a cave. I climbed out and glanced around.
“This is your idea of a romantic location?” I asked dubiously. “Why didn’t you just choose a broom closet?”
“Just wait.” Jake smiled secretively. “You haven’t seen it yet. Shall we?” He held out his arm and escorted me into the dark. I held on to him as he glided us through a short tunnel that opened as if by magic onto an expansive stone chamber. It had been arranged especially for the occasion. For a moment all I could think about was how strangely beautiful it looked. I stopped on the spot and stared openly.
“You organized all this?”
“Guilty as charged. I want to give you a night to remember.”
I looked around in amazement. The floor of the underground cave was filled with shallow milky water the color of opals. Rose petals and candles floated on the surface, casting a soft flickering light against the fissured stone walls and sending shadows dancing across the water. Candelabra hung in midair, enchanted by Jake’s dark power. At the far end of the cave was a flight of broken stone steps that led to dry land. In the center sat a vast bed lavishly covered in gold satin and fringed pillows. The stone outcrop was decorated with intricate hanging tapestries and portraits from a forgotten world. Gilded mirrors covered every bare space, reflecting the murky light in a spectacular glittering pyramid. The notes of an operatic aria filtered from hidden speakers. Jake had transformed this dank, dark space into a fantastical subterranean world. Of course, the setting didn’t change anything.
My eye caught sight of something, half concealed by the water. It was a marble statue of the armless Venus de Milo. Through the fog, I could see a dark liquid trickling down her stone cheeks and landing with a rhythmic drip into the water below. It took me a moment to realize that the statue was crying tears of blood.
Before I could say a word, Jake softly clicked his fingers and an ornate gondola appeared before us.
“After you,” he said, gallantly offering me his arm for support. I stepped cautiously inside the waiting vesse
l and Jake slid in beside me. The gondola steered itself across the glittering water until it nudged against the stone platform. I stepped out, not bothering to gather up the hem of my dress, which dragged up the stone stairs. Jake drifted over to the bed and let his fingers trail across the coverlet. He beckoned me to his side.
Now we stood facing each other in silence. I could see a hunger in Jake’s face that made me shiver. I didn’t feel anything other than hollow. My emotions had completely shut down; my body was running on autopilot. I knew I needed to stay calm and detached while I waited for help to come … if it came. I didn’t allow myself to consider what would happen if Michael’s plan didn’t come to fruition. I knew if I did that I would scream or try and fling Jake away from me. So I stood still and waited. Jake reached out and ran his long, slender fingers down my arms. They worked skillfully and a few moments later the strap of my gown fell down exposing my shoulder. He leaned down and pressed his hot lips against my skin, moving along my collarbone and into the hollow of my throat. His hands came up and tightened around my waist, pulling me toward him. When he brought his lips to mine, his kiss was urgent. I tried not to think about the way Xavier used to kiss me—softly and slowly, as if the kiss were its own reward, not a prelude to anything more. I felt Jake’s tongue forcing my lips apart and pressing into my mouth. His breath, as hot as molten lead, was suffocating. As his hands began to crawl over my body, he seemed not to notice how unresponsive I was. Then, in one fluid movement, his hand reached out and opened the zipper on the back of my dress. It crumpled to the floor before I even realized what was happening and I stood before him in nothing but a transparent silk undergarment.
Hades Page 32
