by Amanda Jones
Katia smiled as images of Luc popped into her mind. Laughing, talking, making love. He’d gone out with Amir to take a look at a possible location for them to hide out in the long-term, but he’d be returning soon. She couldn’t wait for him to get back. Katia laughed softly. She’d never thought she’d see the day when she was anticipating the return of a man, a man she couldn’t imagine her life without.
So, this was what a real romantic love was like. She shook her head, smiling. As the soap slid over her body, Katia closed her eyes and imagined it was Luc running his hands over her. He was always so reverent and careful with her, holding her with all the love in the world shining out through his eyes as he brought her pleasure. Every time they were together she absorbed a little bit more of the darkness that was poisoning him, taking it into herself, and somehow destroying it. Sighing, she ran her hands up her body, covering her breasts with the slick bubbles, feeling her nipples harden at the direction of her thoughts. Stepping directly under the stream, Katia allowed the water to wash away the bubbles, enjoying the feel of the water as it pounded onto her skin, relaxing her muscles.
Reaching down, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a fluffy white towel off the bar along the wall. She wrapped the towel around her upper body, tucking the edge under her arm to secure it above her chest. Katia turned to face the mirror and reached out to wipe the steam away with the palm of her hand. Through the streaked glass, the image reflected back at Katia wasn’t her own. She shrieked and slammed back into the wall behind her, hitting the painting behind her causing it to crash down to the floor. The glass shattered, razor sharp shards skidding across the tiles.
Her breath sawed in and out as she stared at the face in front of her. Bruises colored the pale skin, making it mottled, one eye was swollen half-shut and a mass of cuts decorated white cheeks. A hunk of tangled black hair fell from the ghostly brow, covering the other eye. An angry red welt circled the porcelain white skin of the specter’s neck as though a garrote had been tightened to the point of near death before being released. Unable to tear her eyes away, Katia watched as a pale hand raised up and touched the glass from the other side. As though drawn by an invisible wire, Katia stepped back towards the mirror, her bare feet moving over the glass as it crunched under her. She cried out in pain, but couldn’t stop her forward momentum, finding herself standing directly in front of the image and raising her hand to the mirror. As her palm met that of her ghostly visitor, she felt a coldness sweep up through her arm and move throughout her body.
She sobbed in despair as she realized what she was seeing — her brother was being tortured. Who was doing this to him? How could she stop it? He brushed his black locks away from his eyes and looked at her with what seemed like all the despair and misery in the world.
“Who did this to you? Where are you?” she cried out, desperate for an answer so she could do something to stop his pain.
As she watched, her brother’s mouth began to work but she couldn’t make out what he was trying to say. Icy cold tears pricked her eyes as she groaned in frustration. “I can’t hear you!” Goosebumps rose on her skin as the cold began to take a deeper hold on her. Her brother shook his head, his mouth moving once again. Peering more closely at his face, Katia read the motion of his lips. “You don’t know?” she asked. He shook his head in frustration. Katia’s thoughts went wild, desperately trying to come up with a way to pinpoint his location, suddenly an idea came to mind. “Are there any windows where you are?” He nodded. “What do you see when you look outside?” Her brother frowned for a moment before nodding. He raised his free hand and ran his fingertip through the blood dripping from one of the cuts on his cheek, raising his finger to show her.
“Blood? You see blood?” Katia recoiled. What kind of place could he be in to see only blood outside his window? Her brother’s mouth worked over a word once again. Deciphering it, Katia frowned in confusion. “A lake?” she asked. He nodded and mouthed the words again, then held up his finger that dripped in his own blood.
Katia swallowed hard and voiced her question quietly. “You see a lake of…blood?” When her brother nodded, Katia’s heart dropped.
Since spending so much time in Outer-Sheol, she’d heard the stories of Halja, the Devil’s castle lair, from Amir and the others. If her brother was being held there, she’d need the Devil’s own luck to get him out. As she gazed into her brother’s eyes that were full of pain, she felt her resolve build. No matter what it took she would find a way to get him out of there.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you there. I’ll get you out…I promise.” Her voice was full of passion as she stepped even closer to the mirror. As his image began to fade from view, Katia saw his mouth move once more, and the words nearly broke her heart. “Thank you.”
She continued to stare into the mirror, which now only reflected her own image. Lifting her hand off the glass, she stared down at her feet and saw the blood that had leaked out onto the hard tiles from the shards embedded in her skin. Lifting first one foot then the other, she picked out the glass, tossing it into the garbage can beside the sink. Bending down, she swept up the remaining shards and disposed of them too. As she stood, Katia looked back at the mirror. A handprint remained. As she leaned into the mirror, she realized it was her brother’s, imprinted on the inside of the glass, the only evidence remaining that he existed.
Chapter Twenty Five
Keir
As the young woman’s image faded from his mind, the prisoner’s eyes fluttered open. Raising his hand, he felt his battered face. The Master had never physically hurt him before. What had caused this strange shift in the Master’s behaviour? He shook his head in a bid to clear his fuzzy thoughts and marvelled at the fact that he’d been able to interact with the lovely young woman again. It seemed as though in his unconsciousness he was able to connect with her the same way he did in his sleep. Crawling slowly towards his bed and collapsing to lean his back against the mattress, he looked around his room. The Master had taken his drawings…all of them. He stared at the bare stone walls in sadness. Years of his life spent sketching the only person who’d provided a connection to the outside world and it was gone…all of it.
Closing his eyes he conjured up the young woman’s face and remembered her parting words. She’d promised to come for him, to free him. He didn’t know how she planned on accomplishing this feat, as the Master seemed to have so much power, but for some reason he believed her. They were connected in some way, and he knew that she felt it too. He only prayed that she would find a way to set him free before the Master decided to kill him, for it seemed his life was no longer of any value. Turning, the young man crawled up onto his bed, curling his pained body into a ball. He wished there was something he could do to free himself, but his faith in the mystery woman was absolute. He closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep. Perhaps in dreams the pain that wracked his face and body would be muted and he could see her again.
Chapter Twenty Six
Katia
Katia heard the snick of the dead bolt as the front door of the apartment was unlocked. Seconds later, the door opened and Amir stepped into the room. He was alone. Katia raised her eyes to meet Amir’s. “Where’s Luc?”
Amir turned to re-lock the door behind him. “He’s with B and Yetarel. They went to check up on Sergei and see if his magic still works now that he’s turned. He should be back in a little bit.”
Katia nodded and looked down at her hands as they lay clasped in her lap. Amir came over and sat down next to her on the couch, his face full of concern. “Katia, is everything okay?”
Taking a deep breath, she looked up into Amir’s yellow eyes, searching for something. After a moment she nodded. “I need to ask your advice on something.”
“Shoot.”
“You and Luc seem to be pretty close and I don’t want to worry him, so I hope you can keep this between us.”
Katia saw wariness creep into Ami
r’s expression at her request. “He loves you, you know. I don’t want to get in the middle of something between the two of you.”
Katia nodded. “I understand, but this isn’t about Luc and me. This is about my brother. You know as much about this world as Luc does and I need to get some impartial advice. I hope I can count on you for that.”
Amir nodded gravely. “Go ahead.”
Taking a deep breath, Katia started, “I’m not sure if Luc’s said anything to you, but I’ve been seeing my brother…in the mirrors.”
Amir nodded. “He mentioned something like that.”
“I saw him again today. Someone’s hurt him badly. I need to save him; I need to get him out of there. He told me where he’s being held.”
Amir’s eyebrow raised. “Really? That’s great! We can get a crew together and go after him for you.”
Katia sighed. “It’s not that simple. He’s being held in Halja, unless you know another place that’s surrounded by a lake of blood.”
“Shit.” Amir dropped his head into his hands. “Let me guess, you want to go in after him.”
Katia stood and threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t just leave him there. He’s my brother and he’s being held captive and tortured!”
Amir stood and began to pace the length of the living room, his agitation obvious in the length of his stride. Stopping abruptly he turned to face Katia. “Luc will do anything in his power to keep you out of Halja. I can’t get into the dungeon area without tripping a zillion alarms the second I open a rift. The rest of the guys have no hope of getting in and out without being caught and tortured or decapitated once Satan figures out what’s happening.”
“I know. That’s why I want to go myself.”
“No way. Not a chance in Sheol. Luc would lose his shit if you went in there alone.” Amir shook his head and resumed pacing the room.
“I know, and I don’t want to hurt him, but I’m the only one who has any chance of getting in and out without being killed. Satan obviously wants me alive, so it wouldn’t do him any good to kill me. If you could drop me as close to the dungeon as possible without setting off any alarms, I’ll get Keir and then we can leave. At least we know if I get caught Satan won’t hurt me.”
“He may not hurt you, but you’ll end up his prisoner for the rest of your natural life, which, would be forever, might I remind you” Amir said pointedly.
Katia rose from her spot and walked slowly over to Amir, twisting her hands together as she went. “I know that and I don’t want to leave Luc. But he’s my brother, and I can’t just leave him there and go on with my life. I need to be able to look myself in the mirror in the morning. What kind of person would I be if I sacrificed his life and freedom for my own safety?”
“Fuck.” Amir ran his hands over his face. “Just…Fuck.” With a sigh, he walked back over to the couch and dropped down, defeated.
Moving quickly, Katia sat down beside him and took one of his hands in her own. “Will you help me?”
Amir sighed. “I get it.” He squeezed her hand hard. “Luc’s going to kick my ass for this, but yes, I’ll help you.”
Relief poured through Katia’s body as she leaned forward and grabbed Amir in a bear hug, squeezing him hard. “Thank you.”
Amir hugged her back. “You’re welcome. You’re a good woman, Katia. Luc’s lucky to have found you.” Pulling back he grabbed a pen and paper off the coffee table in front of him and began to draw up a list. “I’m just going to have to do my damnedest to make sure we can get you back to him in once piece, ‘cause I’m pretty sure you’re going to save Luc from himself.”
Warmed by his words, Katia smiled back at him. “I know this looks like a doomed mission, but I’ll be doing everything in my power to get back to Luc…’cause I’m pretty sure he’s going to save me, too.”
Chapter Twenty Seven
Lucifer
Luc whistled happily as he made his way through Amir’s apartment to his bedroom. He hadn’t felt this lighthearted in so long, and it was all thanks to the love of one woman. Life was a real trip. It amazed him how much had changed in such a short time. He’d gone from living in an impenetrable darkness to seeing light and hope around every corner. As he entered the bedroom, he saw Katia sitting cross-legged on the bed reading a novel. As he moved into her peripheral vision she looked up at him with a worried expression. The whistle died on Luc’s lips.
“Everything okay?”
Looking down, Katia fanned the pages of her book and tossed it on the bed with a sigh. “Yeah, everything’s good. I’m just glad you’re home.”
Luc narrowed his eyes at her and joined her on the bed. “You’re a horrible liar, sweetheart. One of your more endearing qualities, I’ll admit. Out with it.”
Katia scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head into the crook of his shoulder. Luc banded his arms around her and breathed in the clean, crisp scent of soap. It was such a simple thing, to hold this woman in his arms, but it meant more to him than anything in all the world and netherworld. If something was wrong he was ready to go to war in order to make it right for her.
“I saw him again,” she said quietly as she nestled farther into the crook of his neck, stretching her face up to kiss his throat.
Luc’s heart felt heavy as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. “I’m sorry, love.”
“Someone’s hurting him. He looked like he’d been tortured.”
Luc could hear the tears in her voice. “We’ll figure something out. I promise you. As soon as everything calms down and we’ve sorted out our situation, I’ll find a way to get to him.”
Katia looked up at him with pain in her eyes; it made Luc feel like a knife was being driven into his heart and twisting. “I’m worried that he’s going to be killed. What if he doesn’t have much time left?”
He reached out his hand and cupped her cheek gently. “We’ll figure something out, but we need to make sure you’re safe first. Promise me you won’t do anything crazy.”
Katia stood and paced the room, clearly agitated. Luc got up and walked over to her, grabbing her upper arms and drawing her in close. “I need to hear you promise, Katia. I know you feel like you need to do something right now, but I need to make sure you’re safe. I love you too much to lose you.”
When Katia raised her head and met his eyes, Luc could see some sort of desperation deep within hers. Without saying a word she reached up and drew his head roughly down, her nails scraping up the back of his neck as she thrust her hand into his hair. Their lips met in a bruising kiss and the fire that was always banked between them rose into a roaring conflagration. Luc could feel the heat beginning to radiate off of her as he slid one hand up her back, drawing her flush against him. Katia sighed at the contact, opening her mouth just enough for Luc to slide his tongue in to tangle with hers. Reaching up with his free hand he yanked the elastic out of her hair, allowing the thick black waves to cascade down over her back. With a strength that only one of their world could have, Katia drove Luc backwards without breaking their kiss. His back slammed into the wall rattling the picture frames on the walls as Katia plastered her body against his like a second skin. Luc groaned as she tilted her hips into his, rubbing against him. She nipped his lower lip as he grasped her bottom and pulled her closer. Katia reached up and began frantically pulling open his shirt, buttons popping off and pinging away across the room. As his chest was bared, she raked her nails lightly down his skin leaving an electrified tingle in their wake. Luc shivered and sighed as she trailed kisses down his chest while she slid down his body. Luc’s breath caught in his throat as Katia slid down the zipper on his jeans and his erection sprang free. His body jerked as she took him in her mouth. Luc slid his hands into her hair at the temples as she moved on him. His world felt like it was tilting and shifting around him as he grew lightheaded from the pleasure. As she licked her way back up his shaft he grasped her under her arms and yanked her to her feet, unable to hold
out a moment longer without embarrassing himself.
Grasping the back of her thighs, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms and fed her a decadent kiss as she wrapped her legs around him. Luc cast his eyes around the room quickly, then marched over to the dresser, sweeping his arm out and sending its surface contents crashing to the floor. He laid Katia out on the now-bare surface and allowed his hands to cruise slowly up her bare legs, sliding under the skirt she wore. Her skin was soft and smooth and so inviting. He could never get enough of touching her. Her eyes slid closed as he grasped the waistband of her underwear and dragged them down her legs slowly, her chest rising and falling quickly as her breathing became more rapid.
Luc took in Katia’s partially bared body, marvelling in her smooth ivory skin. Bending down he threw one of her legs over his shoulder and dragged his tongue up the inside of her leg…feeling her shiver in response. Everything about her so perfect, like she’d been created just for him. Luc was drawn to her core like a moth to a flame, as he slid his tongue along her sensitized skin he heard her moan. Her fingers drifted into his hair setting off little sparks of pleasure along his scalp. As he worked her with his tongue, she began to buck and writhe on the counter, he reached out and laid his arm across her stomach to hold her still…intent on hearing her scream his name. Don’t stop. The words drifted through Luc’s mind making him smile briefly before returning his concentration to the task at hand. Luc slid a finger into her as he sucked on her tight bud. He heard his name echo throughout the room in a wild cry as Katia’s orgasm slammed into her. A feeling of smug male satisfaction swept through him as he raised his head with a cocky smile on his lips. He watched as Katia raised her head dazedly and slowly cracked open her eyes. They were blood red and glowing, but this time he wasn’t fazed.
