by Lacey Savage
Darkness Becomes Her
Lacey Savage
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2007 Lacey Savage
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ISBN: 978-1-59596-603-2
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Editor: Maryam Salim
Cover Artist: Reneé George
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Darkness Becomes Her
Lacey Savage
Not quite human, with wild powers and hungers she can barely control, Heidi Cole isn’t the hunter she used to be. She once swore to destroy every demon who crossed her path. Now she’s no longer on the prowl for them -- she is one of them.
But without Luke and Varin by her side, life isn’t worth living. The Underworld has claimed her lovers one too many times, and Heidi’s been dying to take a side trip into Hell to rescue her men. Only she doesn’t expect the trip to actually kill her…
When she arrives, she quickly learns that even a half-demon fledgling can’t outwit the Lord of Hell. Centuries ago, the Devil’s best Demon Guardian betrayed him. Two weeks ago, he did it again. Now that Varin’s latest plaything has come looking for him, Baal isn’t about to let the opportunity to torture Varin further pass him by.
Exquisite temptation, endless hedonistic pleasure, and the promise of more power than she’s ever dreamed of lie at Heidi’s fingertips. All she has to do is sacrifice her soul… and destroy the two men she loves the most.
Chapter One
Darkness. Pure, blissful darkness.
Heidi Cole stepped into the shadows and pressed her body against the thick trunk of a pine tree, shielding herself from view. The rough edge of coarse bark scraped against her cheek as she peered into the clearing a few feet away.
For the past hour, she’d watched the Scarlet Summoners prepare for the ritual that would ultimately open a two-way portal and send her into the Underworld. Impatience zinged through her veins, filling her with a gnawing fury that tore at her soul.
It wouldn’t be much longer now. She’d already waited for what seemed like an eternity -- but in reality had been only two weeks -- for the opportunity to go after her men. If she could have opened the portal on her own, she would have, but her individual efforts had been futile. She needed the combined energy of the Summoners to tear a hole in the fabric of the mortal realm and propel her through to the other side.
Once she arrived in Hell, well… in truth, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. She hadn’t given a solid plan much thought. The only thing that mattered was reaching the place where no human willingly trespassed. From there, she’d do whatever she had to. She hoped her new demon powers would shield her true nature from the real demons swarming the place while she looked for Luke and Varin. And if that didn’t work, she’d kill as many of them as she could and get her men back anyway.
Hell of a plan, Heidi.
She shook her head. Forethought and preparation had never been her strong points. She preferred acting to thinking, and it usually worked out in her favor. Not always, though. The last time she’d attempted to follow her gut and rescue her lover, she’d somehow managed to hook his cellmate, too.
That’s when everything -- including her -- had changed forever.
The hunger that burned low in the pit of her stomach intensified as it always did at the thought of Varin and Luke. Her body blazed with the memory of their hands on her, their mouths against her flesh, their cocks nudging her from every side, demanding entry into her heated cunt, her exposed ass.
They knew her intimately, had possessed her fiercely, and had forever branded her as theirs.
If their connection had been all about sex, forgetting them might have been a simple matter. After a few restless nights, the hunger would have started to dim. Perhaps it might even have faded altogether.
But the bond they shared ran much deeper than any carnal experience could explain. She’d been desperately in love with Luke since the day she met him. How could she not, when he’d sacrificed himself for her? Two years later, despite all logical explanation, Varin had done the same.
Her men had both given their souls to save hers. Right before they’d been torn from her arms and pulled through the jaws of Hell.
A low, throbbing chant echoed from the clearing. Heidi watched as the five women dressed head to toe in red-leather strolled in a tight circle around the stone altar they’d erected in the middle of the forest floor. They lit eight torches and plunged them into the damp earth, forming an octagon of illumination. The torches shone like an oasis of orange light in an otherwise dark, solitary sphere.
Heidi didn’t need the added brightness to see the women. Her perfect night vision had already allowed her to watch them clearly as they’d moved around in the near-darkness. They’d worked by the light of the full moon as custom dictated, letting the night seep into their pores as they prepared for the ritual.
Earlier that day, Lillian, the founder of the Scarlet Summoners, had called Heidi to let her know where the gathering would take place. At the time, Lillian had asked for Heidi’s help with the task of setting up for the ritual. Heidi had quickly agreed, knowing this could well be her last opportunity to spend time among the women who’d once been as close to her as sisters.
Yet when she’d arrived at the designated meeting point, the invisible forces that were now a permanent part of her had prevented Heidi from joining the others. She’d lurked in the shadows, the carnal hungers that constantly scraped against her soul serving as a potent reminder that she was no longer one of them. Once, she’d taken an oath to hunt demons and destroy every one of the foul creatures she came across. But that seemed like a lifetime ago -- before she’d fallen for one.
Before she’d become one.
So now she hung back, content to watch them like a panther stalking its prey through the jungle foliage. Except they weren’t in the jungle, and she was no wild animal.
Varin had turned her into a demon-kin to save her life. She was part human and part demon, but as for which part held greater sway over her, she couldn’t say.
She’d gone through a multitude of changes over the past twelve days, some tolerable, some shockingly unpleasant. With each moment that passed, she wondered if the darkness wasn’t seeping into her heart, turning the once vivid organ black with anger and hate.
All those nebulous emotions were directed toward one place: Hell. The place she intended to infiltrate in order to bring back her men, even if she had to fight every demon in the Underworld to do it.
Even if she had to take on the devil himself.
“I know you’re out there. I can feel you watching us.”
Lillian stepped away from the other women and looked straight at the spot where Heidi hid. Had Lillian been human, there was no way she would have spotted her.
Heidi stepped away from the shelter of the trees. She walked into the clearing with her head held high, the wards barring her entrance gone now. None of the other women would look at he
r. They kept their heads down, focusing on some unseen spot at their feet.
Merely two weeks earlier, she’d considered these women her best friends. She knew every one of them better than she knew her biological sister, yet now they all avoided her as though she carried the plague.
In a way, she thought bitterly as the ache in her chest intensified, she supposed she did.
“Thank you,” Heidi murmured as she stepped up to the altar, “for doing this.”
Jane Milano, a twenty-four year old former college student, sucked in a breath between clenched teeth. “We’re not doing it for you. If Lillian hadn’t insisted, we wouldn’t be here.” Barely restrained anger made every word sound harsh and unforgiving, yet she still wouldn’t meet Heidi’s gaze. “You betrayed us. You chose one of them over your own sisters.”
Heidi didn’t reply. She’d heard a number of variations of this accusation since her encounter with Luke and Varin. She was tired of defending herself -- of defending her men.
“How could you?” Juliet McCannon asked. Unlike the other women, she was brave enough to look up, blue eyes shining through a haze of watery tears. “We made a pact. You were supposed to help protect us, protect the whole world! Not fuck a damned demon and become one of them!”
“That’s enough. We’re all bound by the decisions we make, regardless of how unwise they may seem.” As always, Lillian’s calm voice carried with it the quiet air of authority.
The women fell silent. Blue fire danced around their fingertips as they prepared their magic.
Heidi’s smile felt fragile as it tilted one side of her mouth. She wasn’t sure why Lillian was helping her. She remembered the husky, masculine gasp of surprise that had slipped from Varin’s throat when he’d recognized Lillian from afar. Those two had a history; that much was clear.
She squelched down a shiver of uneasy jealousy that erupted in her belly. Now wasn’t the time.
In fact, it shouldn’t have mattered why Lillian was suddenly on her side. The only thing of any importance was that she and her fellow Summoners could open a two-way portal that would allow Heidi to slip through. Everything else was irrelevant.
“Strip,” Lillian commanded. “All of you. Midnight is almost upon us. We’ll need to hurry if we’re going to do this tonight. The portal will only be open for a short time. A missed opportunity means we’ll have to wait another month.”
Heidi yanked her shirt over her head and tugged down her jeans in a mad dash to shed herself of her clothes. She couldn’t wait another month. She couldn’t wait another moment!
The smell of spilled cum and heavy, feminine cream filled the air when the other women undressed as ordered. Even Lillian peeled off her red leather outfit, revealing a slim body, trimmed bush as blonde as the shimmering hair framing her face, and large, plump breasts. A gold chain hung suspended between the firm globes, attached to each rosy nipple by a small clamp.
Heidi’s gaze darted over the other women’s bodies. She took in the toned muscles that marked them as dedicated hunters, the narrow hips, the lean waists. And she noticed the tell-tale sign of glistening cream on their folds.
They all smelled of sex. Recent sex. The essence of carnal magic floated around them like a living being, imbuing the air with a blue glow that shone brighter than the flickering orange torches.
“Ground rules.” Lillian lifted her index finger and shook it in front of Heidi’s face like an elderly schoolmarm might have done. The comparison between Lillian’s timeless beauty and a rigid teacher was so absurd, it almost made Heidi smile. “You go in, find Luke, and get your ass back here. No dawdling. Just straight in and out. Got it?”
Heidi nodded. “Trust me, I have no intention of spending any more time with the denizens of the Underworld than absolutely necessary.”
Lillian lifted a perfectly arched eyebrow. “See to it that’s the case. We’re putting ourselves at risk for you. Since you can go in, demons can come out.”
Lillian lifted her hand to eye-level and splayed her fingers, then murmured a string of magical words. The blue glow around her intensified. A moment later, Lillian held a flickering sword made of pure magical energy. Heidi’s gaze darted at the other Summoners, who tested the weight of identical weapons.
“We’ll hold them back as long as we can, but if the situation grows dire, we’ll fuse the portal. You understand what that means, don’t you?”
“I’ll be stranded there,” Heidi said, fighting down a surge of unease. “Don’t worry, Lil. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Lillian’s features softened slightly. She shoved her sword into the earth and reached out to tuck a stray curl behind Heidi’s ear. “I’m not proud of every decision I’ve made in my life, but those decisions ultimately led me down the right path. I hope yours do, too.”
Heidi furrowed her brow, unsure how to respond. At last, she settled on a simple whispered, “Thank you.”
Lillian cleared her throat and looked away. “Yeah, well. You’d have done the same. Drink this.”
Before Heidi could even catch the motion of the Summoner’s hand, a cup appeared between Lillian’s closed fingers.
“What is it?” Heidi asked, seizing it.
The container was simple and unmarked, a transparent cup like those someone would bring on a picnic along with plastic knives and cardboard plates. Inside, green liquid bubbled as though boiling from within.
Heidi lowered her head and sniffed. A strong, heady miasma not unlike the scent of hot chocolate tickled her nostrils. At least the thing smelled a thousand times more inviting than it looked.
“A potion meant to ease your transit into the Underworld. The transfer is extremely painful for a mortal. Most who attempt to slip through unprepared don’t survive. Those who do… well, many are never the same again.”
Grimacing, Heidi brought the cup to her mouth and drained the contents. She held her breath as the liquid slipped down her throat, surprised to find it completely tasteless. She swallowed the last of it and tossed the cup aside.
“Good. The potion you drank should ensure you’ll be protected from the foulness of the place -- at least for a little while. You won’t have much time to search, so if you don’t find Luke within an hour or two at the most, don’t get stubborn. You remember the words that will bring you back?”
“Asidea ramerra va. Said three times, then twice backward. I remember.”
Lillian grunted. “Fine. And for the love of light, don’t bring anything else back with you. If you do, we’ll be forced to kill it before it can step foot into this world. Got it?”
Heidi didn’t answer. She lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug, letting the Summoners interpret that as they would. She was going back for Luke, but she had no intention of returning without Varin. When she came back, she’d deal with the Summoners as need dictated. Until then, she needed them to open the damn portal and push her through.
Heidi hoisted herself up on the altar. The stone was cold beneath her bare feet. She stood tall and stretched her arms upward, preparing to leap through the magical gate the moment it opened.
Closing her eyes momentarily to block out the judgmental faces of the Summoners, Heidi could feel the weight of shadows pressing down on her. The darkness seemed corporeal, as solid as the damp summer air and the thick mist that drifted through the forest like a ghostly touch.
The women began to chant. Magic rippled, gathering above Heidi’s head. She could feel it sizzling above her as they molded it, channeling it into a ripe cloud of energy. Soon, it would burst and tear a hole in the fabric of time and space.
Soon.
Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled. Heidi smiled. Wolves didn’t concern her. There were worst things to fear in the dark than savage animals. She knew. She’d stood toe to toe with many of them and had lived to see another sunrise.
Now she was one of them, and sunrises no longer held any appeal. It was the night that called to her, the heavy pull of darkness. It shielded her, allowing her to
see things other people couldn’t -- wouldn’t -- want to see.
“Come to us, baby.”
Heidi’s eyes snapped open. She gasped and stumbled forward, catching herself on the tips of her toes before she could plummet off the altar. Her gaze flickered among the trees.
“Get ready!” Lillian shouted, grabbing the sword in both hands. “It won’t be long now.”
“I heard --”
“I don’t care what you heard,” Lillian said between gritted teeth. “Focus or we could all die!”
With one last look into the forest, Heidi folded her arms over her breasts and did as Lillian commanded. The Summoners picked up the chant where it had trailed off, their voices melding in a silver stream of magical energy.
“Shhh… Don’t provoke her, baby. Stay still. Quiet. That’s a good girl.”
Heidi’s pulse jumped into her throat at the sound of the familiar voice, but she managed to keep her composure this time. She blinked against the shadows and the rising fog of magic, trying to clear the confusion from her mind. Her head spun, distorting her ability to see clearly.
Lips pressed against her right ankle. She glanced down, but there was nothing there. Yet she felt the kiss in vivid detail, right down to the tender scrape of a man’s stubbled jaw. The mouth moved up her thigh, leaving a slow, simmering burn in its wake.
And then the lips were everywhere at once: suckling her nipple, pressed against the small hollow at the base of her spine, tickling her mound of pubic hair.
A man’s mouth pressed against hers.
She knew, deep in the logical recesses of her mind, that the ghostly touch shouldn’t have felt real; but it did. The lips were hot -- oh, so very, very hot. She moaned and opened beneath the firm pressure, allowing a tongue to slip inside.
The heavy weight of two masculine bodies pressed against her from the front and back. Firm erections nudged her belly and spine. They trapped her with a strong warmth, making her feel tenderly vulnerable… and infinitely aroused.
