by E. S. Moore
Disgust.
He turned away almost immediately, but I’d definitely seen it there. I think he’d thought I would flat-out refuse and he felt betrayed when I didn’t fight harder. He might have told Sienna, but he never truly believed I would have gone through with this.
He unlocked the heavy doors and led the way inside.
I don’t know why, but I assumed we’d head down and Beligral would already be standing there. Maybe it was because Ethan had come upstairs right after dealing with him and the demon would have wanted to wait and see the results. Obviously, Ethan had dismissed him anyway.
“I’m going to summon him so he can explain things,” Ethan said. He looked pale and tired. “Everyone stay by the wall so there aren’t any accidents.” He paused, and then turned to Sienna. “Don’t be frightened. He can’t get out to hurt you.”
She gave him a nervous nod.
“If you change your mind, just tell me,” I whispered to her as Ethan got to work. “There’s nothing wrong with backing out.”
Sienna only paid me the quickest of glances before turning back to Ethan. That was all the answer I was going to get.
“Have you seen this before?” I asked, turning to Jeremy. There was no way I was going to stand there in silence. It would only give me more time to think and right now, thinking too much would be a bad idea. What we were about to do was both stupid and terrifying.
Jeremy shook his head. “Not sure I want to.”
“You don’t have to stay here for this.” I glanced toward the cage at the far end of the room. Jeremy spent time in there during the full moons, but I don’t think Beligral had ever been summoned while he’d been locked up down here. If he had, would Jeremy have remembered?
“I think I do.” He glanced at Sienna, then at me, before frowning and choosing to look at the floor at his feet.
Okay then, no talking. I leaned against the wall, still wearing my slippers. I felt exposed and hated the fact the demon was going to see me like that, but there was no way I was going to get boots onto my feet as they were. Barefoot was completely out of the question. Who knew what kind of residue summoning a demon left on the floor?
It was a stupid thought, really. I used demon-forged weapons that were made with demon silver. Practically everything I touched had come from Beligral in some way. Why start worrying about how it might rub off on me now?
Ethan finished setting up the circle and began the chant. I couldn’t look at him as he did it. I didn’t even look within the circle in the hopes of catching sight of Beligral as he emerged from the demon realm. I didn’t want to be there and it was taking all my self-control not to turn around and walk right out.
“It’s going to get hot,” I told Sienna to keep from acting on the impulse. She was trembling at my side, staring hard at Ethan, as if studying him for the last time.
The heat blasted into me. Sienna yelped. Jeremy looked away with a grimace. I stared hard at the edge of the circle, wishing I would have found another way before the decision was taken out of my hands.
Beligral emerged, causing my eyes to rise long enough to see the satisfied, knowing smile on his face. I bit my lip and looked away, sick to my stomach.
“Well, now,” he said. “It appears we have a full house tonight.” He clapped his hands together, causing Sienna to jump.
“There,” Ethan said, walking toward us. He glared hard at me. “It’s done.”
Beligral moved to the edge of his boundary and looked us over. I glanced up to see he was dressed as elegantly as I’d ever seen him. He wore a top hat and coat, along with polished black shoes and white gloves. When he smiled, his teeth actually looked normal, but his eyes held the same evil they always had. It reminded me of when Jonathan had told me the eyes were the hardest to change in a glamour.
“Would this be the wolf I’ve sensed before?” He eyed Jeremy. “It is disappointing he is incomplete. Perhaps there is something I can do for you.”
“You’re not touching me.” Jeremy spoke through clenched teeth. There was a sprout of fur around his jaw and he was trembling. In his hand was a small golden cross. I’d never seen it before. He was clutching it like it was the only thing that kept him from lashing out.
Beligral chuckled. “We’ll see about that.” He turned to face me. “And Kat . . . it appears you have come to your senses at last.”
“Let’s just get this over with,” I said. I could feel the stairs a few feet away. All I would have to do is turn and a few steps would take me to them. I didn’t have to do this. Sienna would be safe enough until I found another way.
And yet, I didn’t move. I wasn’t so sure there was another way.
Beligral gave another chuckle, as if all of this amused him to no end. He cocked his head to the side and looked Sienna up and down.
“And here we have the girl who was so recently in the grasp of an angel. How does it feel to be free of him now? It hurts far more now that you realize freedom is so close, and yet you can do nothing to remove his claws from you, doesn’t it?”
Sienna gave him a harsh nod without looking at him directly.
“What you ask of me takes much power,” Beligral said, stretching. “This is no easy thing.”
“You were the one who offered,” I said. “And unless you do this free of marks, I’m not doing it.”
Beligral smiled. “Of course. This is my gift to you, my loyal companions.”
Jeremy growled low in his throat. I laid a hand on his wrist, which seemed to calm him somewhat, but he was tense and ready to spring. If he were to lose control and leap through the circle, we’d be in some serious shit.
“Steady,” I whispered. “He’s going to try to rile you.”
Beligral only laughed.
“Don’t play with them.” Ethan stood next to Jeremy, looking almost as tense and as pissed as the wolf. “Do what you said you’d do.”
“In time,” Beligral said. “In time.”
“What do we have to do?” I asked, hoping the demon would just tell us already. We needed to get this done before someone lost control, and that someone included me.
“You will both need to come into the circle with me,” he said. “I must touch you both to make this happen.”
“No,” Ethan said immediately. “I will not risk her for you.”
“Ah, protective of the young one, I see.” Beligral chuckled again. “It has been a long time for you, has it not? Do you wish a few moments alone with her before we continue? I’m sure it will not take long.”
Ethan reddened and looked away, thankfully not rising to the bait.
“If there was some other way, I’d happily make the transfer from within my prison, but alas, there is not.” Beligral shrugged. “I am contained here, as are my powers. I don’t expect you to release me from my cell, but if you wish this to be done, you must join me. There really is no other choice.”
“Fine,” I said before Ethan could protest more. Going in, I’d known this was a distinct possibility. And the longer we let the demon talk, the tenser everyone would become.
“He won’t hurt you,” I said, turning to Sienna. “He values us too much.”
“That, I do.”
Sienna’s eyes were wide and terrified. Who could blame her, really? She went from being overly protected by a father who was imprisoning her in a house where he brought vampires and werewolves to cure them to a place where the werewolves and vampires were free to roam and dealt with demons. It was as if her entire life had suddenly been exposed to all new dangers, ones that had always been crawling beneath the surface.
“Are you still wanting to do this?” I asked her, praying she’d say no.
“I am.” She set her jaw and raised her head. She stared defiantly at Beligral, but I noted she kept her eyes averted from the demon’s own. Smart girl.
“No need to send me away,” Beligral said. “I will be waiting.” With a wave of his hand, the tear between realms opened and he stepped out of this world and into h
is own. The tear closed, causing the lab to suddenly feel colder.
“This is a really bad idea,” Ethan said.
“You should have thought of that before telling Sienna.” I couldn’t keep the anger out of my voice.
Ethan looked hurt, but damn it, he should have found a way to tell her while keeping her from going through with it. I knew he’d been forced into it by his demon, but that was no excuse in my book. Sometimes you just had to suffer if it meant saving those you cared about.
Without looking at anyone else, I strode into the middle of the circle. I made sure not to step on any of the lines Ethan had drawn or knock any of the candles over. I just wanted this done so I could deal with Levi and put my life back to rights again.
Sienna approached more hesitantly. Her will was wavering, but something in her eye told me she wasn’t about to back out now. This was her one chance to escape Levi forever. She wouldn’t ruin it, no matter the consequences.
Ethan walked next to her, looking as if he wanted to pick her up and carry her away. Jeremy stood to the side, fighting hard to control his anger. His fist was balled around the cross so tightly, it had to be cutting into him.
Sienna stepped into the circle and turned to face Ethan. He reached out and gently touched her face.
“I’m sorry,” he said before he leaned in and kissed her forehead.
He started to turn away.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Sienna grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. She pulled him close despite the chalk circle separating them. His feet dragged through, marring the lines to uselessness.
And then she planted a kiss square on his lips.
I looked away with a smile. No matter what happened after this, they would have this moment, that single kiss that sealed them together, forever.
The kiss ended. Ethan staggered back, looking stunned and weak-kneed. Sienna was grinning when she moved to stand at my side.
“Yeah. Well . . . um . . .” Ethan looked around, seemingly confused before he saw the smudge in his circle. “Right!” he said, pointing at it. “Things to do.” He grabbed his chalk and went about redrawing the outline around the silver circle embedded into the concrete floor.
“You befuddled the poor boy,” I whispered to Sienna. She only smiled at me, apparently fortified by that brief moment with Ethan. I had to admit, it made me feel better too.
A few minutes later, the circle was redrawn and the candles were lit once more. I took Sienna’s hand in my own, both our good moods vanishing like smoke.
“Ready?” Ethan asked.
Sienna nodded. I did the same a moment later.
He began to summon the demon.
16
I did my best to shield Sienna from the heat as the tear opened and Beligral once more emerged. Strangely, the blast of hot air wasn’t as intense as it used to be. I think he intentionally tried to make it less painful for the young girl, which I found to be interesting. If it had just been me, he would have enhanced it instead just to make me sweat.
Still, my eyes watered and I couldn’t look directly at him as he stepped back into the heart of the circle. The tear closed behind him, sucking in some of the hot air with it. The sudden chill caused me to shiver.
“Whatever you do, don’t run,” I told Sienna when I felt her tense next to me. Breaking the circle would be bad, especially with me so close to the demon. I’d never get to my weapons in time, though I doubted they’d do much good against him anyway.
Sienna nodded and squeezed my hand. She was terrified, but was doing a good job at not letting it overwhelm her. Her time with Levi had clearly strengthened her, made her able to bear far more than a normal person might.
Beligral took a moment to study us. His eyes gleamed and I detected satisfaction radiating off of him. He had us right where he wanted us. A part of me was certain he’d been planning this moment for a very long time now.
“This will not be easy,” he said. His eyes traveled down to my slippered feet. “You may want to sit down for this one.”
“I’m fine.”
“But will she be able to handle the pain you work so hard to hide?” Beligral asked, motioning toward Sienna. “Both of you are going to feel raw, violated. There is nothing I can do to help that.”
From his smile, I could tell he didn’t mind as much as he said.
I really wanted to stand, but he was right. What if Sienna couldn’t handle the pain? If she collapsed during the transfer and fell out of the circle, Beligral would be free and I’d be in a body ill-equipped to deal with him.
I sat in Beligral’s recliner, never letting go of Sienna’s hand as I did. The chair smelled charred and felt off, like having the demon sit in it so much changed it somehow. It made my stomach churn.
“You will need to remain close,” Beligral said. “I will need to be able to touch the both of you at the same time without breaking contact. It is imperative you do not move.”
“And what happens if we do?” I asked.
He gave me a flat look. “The transfer will fail. One or the both of you could be lost, your souls ripped from your bodies, never to be claimed again. I do not wish that to happen to either of my investments.”
Sienna sagged down next to me. I’m not sure if her legs simply gave out or if she thought it best to be kneeling just in case she were to collapse. Her hand left mine and she lowered her head, taking slow, deep breaths.
I almost told Ethan to send the demon away right then and there. This was too risky. Everything about this was a risk I wasn’t so sure I was willing to take. Sienna could be lost. And even if the transfer went as it should, she’d be a vampire. The rage could easily consume her until nothing was left.
And it would be all my fault.
Sienna looked over at me just then as if she could hear my thoughts. She smiled and gave me the slightest of nods. She was either going to do this, or she was going to die. There were no other options.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said. If we sat around talking much longer, I wouldn’t be able to take it.
“This will take some time to complete,” Beligral said. “It is not simple like the giving of the Sight.” He reached behind him and came back with what looked like one of those really old doctor bags and set it on the floor in front of him. Sienna gasped at its sudden appearance.
Movement across the room turned out to be Jeremy moving closer to the weapons. The cross was still in his hand and he apparently hadn’t eased up on squeezing it since we’d started. I gave him a quick shake of my head, hoping he wouldn’t decide to try to shoot the demon and break the circle. I wished more than ever he hadn’t come.
Beligral opened the bag and rummaged in it until he found a small jar. Something thick and white was inside. He removed the lid and I very nearly gagged at the cloying scent. It reminded me a lot of the stuff Ethan had tried to give me to curb my hunger a few months back.
“Hold. Very. Still,” he said, leaning toward Sienna with a pile of the goop on his finger.
She gasped as he brushed her hair out of her face before he began tracing a symbol on her forehead. She clenched her teeth and winced. Wherever he touched her, the skin turned red, as if she was being burned.
“Beligral . . .” I said in warning.
“I’m fine.” Sienna didn’t turn her head as she spoke. “It just stings a little.”
The demon finished with a flourish and then turned to me. “This will hurt,” he said with a grin. “I probably should have said that before.”
I very nearly slapped his hand away when he pushed back my hair. Just the feel of his flesh on mine was enough to make my skin crawl. Somehow, I managed to sit through it, even though the leer on his face told me he was thinking about something other than making the transfer.
“So strong, so powerful,” he said under his breath.
“Just do this so I can get this over with.”
He leaned in close, his breath hot on my cheek, and whispered, “You will not believe
the power you will inherit.”
Before I could formulate a response, he pressed his finger against my forehead and began to trace the same symbol he’d placed upon Sienna. The pain was bearable and I kept a straight face throughout. The smell was the worst. I would have to take a long shower to get the horrible scent off of me. In a way, it was worse than having Baset’s stink oozing from my pores.
“Done,” Beligral said, finishing. He recapped the strange jelly and shoved it back into the bag. “Now comes the fun part.”
My forehead tingled as Beligral turned and came to a stop in front of us. His hands were behind his back and he was looking at us as a mother might look at two troublesome daughters. His eyes flickered to where Jeremy and Ethan stood and my heart skipped a beat. Could he be planning something else here? Had he gotten us into the circle to do the swap, or perhaps was he planning on dragging the both of us into the demon realm with him?
I started to stand, drawing his eye.
“Don’t,” he said. “You won’t like the consequences.”
I fell back into the chair, not so much because of his words, but more because of how dizzy I’d become. I felt oddly disconnected from not just the world around me, but my own body. I moved a hand and could barely feel it as it limply fell back into my lap.
“What . . . ?” was all I could manage.
“The glyph has begun to, shall we say, loosen your souls from your bodies. Without it, the pain of the transfer would kill the both of you.”
Sienna leaned heavily on the chair. Her head was close enough I could smell the faint scent of her shampoo.
“When I begin, you really must sit still,” Beligral went on. “As soon as your souls are safely housed in your new bodies, you will be able to do as you please, but until then, I must insist on your cooperation.”
I felt like throwing up. I wasn’t so sure I could have gotten up if I’d tried. It was like he’d shot me up with enough drugs to drop an elephant.
The demon moved forward, putting himself directly between both Sienna and I. He was smiling in a way that scared me to death, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
