by E. A. Copen
Malphas grabbed the gate and ripped it from its hinges. He frowned at the broken bits of metal in his hands and dropped them loudly on the sidewalk. Clearly, the brute didn’t know his own strength. That would either be a blessing or a curse in a situation like this. Bastard had been locked up a long while if Remiel put him there and hadn’t yet had time to acclimatize to existing inside a human body.
“Move,” he growled and shoved me forward.
A camera on the building ahead shifted to follow us as we made for the main building. Iosef would send someone out shortly. Or maybe he’d let the dogs sort us out. The first of the hounds barreled around the corner, frothing at the mouth and braying as if he were on a rabbit’s trail. His partner followed right at his haunches, tongue flapping in the air. They got one look at us and decided we’d make a nice snack. With my hands bound and my mouth useless, I had to rely on Malphas to do something about the hounds. He’d assured me they’d be no problem, but as they charged us, he stood aside, doing nothing.
Come on, you Fallen fuck. Keep your damn word! I tried to step back, only to have him grab me and shove me aside.
Malphas bared his teeth and let out an inhuman snarl that made my skin crawl.
The dogs slid to a halt at the sound and cowered, tucking their tails between their legs. When Malphas snapped his teeth at them, they couldn’t turn around and run away fast enough.
“That’s far enough!” Three possessed men pointed their weapons at us from the roof; semi-automatics, the same kind Iosef’s men had used to gun us down at the taverna.
The memory of the old man dying was enough to spark fresh rage in my chest. The old man hadn’t even been a threat. To people like Iosef and me, Konstantine Sava was as powerful as a newborn babe, an innocent guilty of nothing more than a conversation. He’d been a decent man in a time when we were in desperate need. More than that, Niko had said the old man was like family to him. For that alone, I wasn’t going to let Iosef die easily. No, he deserved much worse.
Malphas pulled me in front of him like a shield. “Go on. Shoot. Or open your damn eyes. Do you idiots even know who I am?”
The demons exchanged a quick look. The one in the middle—clearly the smartest of the bunch—lowered his gun slightly. “General Malphas?”
“If you know who I am, then you know why I’m here. Your master seeks to raise mine from The Pit and unleash him on this world. I am here with a gift for my new king.” Malphas grabbed my chin and jerked my head to the side. “This Nephilim is his blood son. Trust me when I say they’re due for a reunion.”
“But,” said the middle demon, “Remiel told us you betrayed him.”
Malphas released my chin. “I failed him. That is true. But that’s why I’ve brought this one. To show my king that I’ve learned from my mistake. I serve him, and I will bow to no one else.”
The middle demon turned to one of his fellows and mumbled something that seemed doubtful. They weren’t buying it.
“You have two options,” Malphas shouted. “Move aside or die. Either way, I’m going through that door.”
“Let Iosef and Alexi sort it out,” the middle guard finally said and pushed a switch beside him.
The corrugated metal door to the garage banged once and slid up, revealing the same scene Milly had sent to me, except this time it was right side up and in color.
Two more armed guards stepped up out of nowhere, preventing us from going more than a short distance into the garage.
Iosef turned away from the table where he was still arranging his ritual. “What’s this? Who are you?”
Someone from the roof ran past us and up to whisper something to Alexi, who stood nearby. Iosef sneered at the henchman, clearly put out that the demon didn’t consider him to be the one in charge. Interesting. So, the demons belonged to Alexi, not Iosef. That had to chafe at the old infernal mage a bit. Maybe that was something I could exploit.
Alexi nodded and gestured for Malphas to come forward.
“You’re not serious,” Iosef snapped.
Alexi eyed his hired mage. “He’s one of the Fallen. They’re our allies, are they not? And he’s brought us a gift, one even you weren’t able to secure.” He nodded to his guards. “Search him.”
The guards patted me down like untrained thugs before declaring me clean. I could’ve hidden five knives on my person, and they never would’ve found them. Pity I didn’t.
They moved onto Malphas who growled, “Touch me, and I will devour your soul and use your bones to pick my teeth, demon.”
“It’s all right,” Alexi said. “He’s with us.”
Stupid Alexi. That was all I needed to hear to know who was really running the show. Alexi understood how alliances in the mortal world worked. An alliance between two factions was ironclad if everyone was still getting what they wanted. He had no reason not to believe Malphas was on my side, which meant Alexi was lacking one pivotal leadership quality: paranoia. Any idiot knew the people you should trust the least were your allies. Allies were the only people in a position to betray you.
Alexi straightened his jacket and came closer. “So, General Malphas, is it? Tell me how you managed to capture this thorn in our side? Or, better yet, let’s hear it from the man himself. I do love that accent of his.” He stopped in front of me, waiting.
Malphas’ backhand came out of nowhere. He hit me hard in the chin, hard enough that it sent me sprawling off to one side and almost made me lose the blood I was still holding in my mouth. “Answer him!”
Fucking hell, Malphas! I didn’t mean you should hit me. Fuckin’ bastard was going to get it once this was all over. I pushed myself up and shook the ringing from my ears. Only once I looked up did I realize why he’d struck me. I’d fallen almost directly in front of Niko.
Niko raised his head, broken, exhausted, and bleeding. His eyes widened at the sight of me. “Josiah? What the hell—”
I sprang up, knowing I wouldn’t have another chance, and threw myself at him. The split in his bottom lip felt more like a fissure miles deep as I pressed my mouth to his. His lips were rough and dry, but his tongue was worse, as sharp and rough like sand-covered granite. At first, he recoiled—no one wants a mouthful of lukewarm demon blood—but I pressed harder. He stared at me, bloodshot eyes wavering.
I stared back. Come on, you idiot. I’m trying to save you.
Niko closed his eyes and opened his mouth.
The easy way he relaxed into me, the way our mouths seemed to fit together like we’d somehow been made in complementary molds, made it difficult to shut out the memory of the night before. I shouldn’t have walked away. If only I’d stayed in the room next to him we might’ve escaped out the window when Iosef’s men came. I could’ve saved him—truly saved him from all this. Did he know? Was this something he’d seen before in one of his visions? He hadn’t even tried to stop me. I thought before that meant I was right and he didn’t give a shit. How could either of us? Everything that’d happened with us, it was nothing, a small comfort in a time of chaos. This thing, this maddening, empty thing I got in my gut every time I looked at him, it wasn’t love. Our connection was only smoke and mirrors, an illusion of something neither of us could afford.
Hands grasped me by the shoulders and jerked me away from him. That sickening empty feeling from before settled in the pit of my stomach as Alexi’s demons dragged me away. One of them punched me in the gut, and I was thankful. At least now I had a reason to hurt.
“Now that’s amusing.” Alexi stood over Niko, arms crossed. “People have whispered for years about your preferences. Everyone overlooked it. He was the Oracle, they said. We need him. Untouchable.” Alexi turned and spat in Niko’s face and was kind enough to follow it up with what was probably a slur in Greek. “You’re not worthy of the respect Georgie gave you. Your mother should’ve castrated you when she knew. Saved us all the trouble.” He grabbed Niko’s face and pried open his mouth, peering inside.
It was empty. Good on Niko for keeping it down. I didn’
t know if I could’ve.
“But then he wouldn’t have come to us, would he?” He pushed Niko’s face away and moved on to me. “So, you came here in hopes of rescuing your lover, did you?”
“Why? Jealous? Afraid you’re not my type, mate. I don’t go for fuckwits.”
His backhand was nothing next to the one Malphas had delivered earlier. Alexi waved his fist in the air, shaking it out. My hard head had probably hurt him more than he’d ever hurt me. “Run your mouth all you want. It’ll do you no good. You’re my prisoner now. I’ve won.”
Iosef hesitated, glancing from me to Alexi and back before licking his lips. “You shouldn’t put him with the others.”
“I’ve no intention of that.” He grabbed my hair and jerked my head back, so I had no choice but to look him in the eyes. “We are going to give your lover’s body to Remiel while you watch. You’ll live just long enough to see his soul destroyed, crushed in Remiel’s presence. Then, I will slit your throat in honor of the new king of Hell.” Alexi snapped his fingers. “Bring me a chair and secure him to it.”
Behind Alexi, Niko slumped over, staying upright only because of how he was secured to the chair. My heart pounded against my ribcage, and my mind raced with worry. What if the demon blood was too much for him? What if swallowing it killed him? It was an irrational fear. Even if the blood killed Niko, it was kinder than what Remiel would do to him, and it wouldn’t stop Remiel from inhabiting his body in the aftermath.
I struggled as Alexi’s men shoved me into the chair, but there were too many. I tried pulling my hands out of the silver handcuffs, but fucking Malphas had put the damn things on too tight. They kicked me between the legs and I went down, barely able to breathe. The fight was over. I swear in the name of every god, demi-god, and demon, Stefan, I thought, staring at him while they tied me down. If you die on me, I’ll pull you out of Hell myself to kick your ass.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
KHALEDA
Petra’s orders were to wait five minutes before moving in on the garage, but she decided she only wanted to wait two minutes. Her men jumped out of their vans around the corner clad in black tactical gear and formed columns two men wide on the sidewalk. The men in front of each column were equipped with enchanted shields. At first glance, they might pass as riot shields, but anyone who cared to look for more than a few seconds would easily pick up on the sparkling blue aura around them.
I cursed, dropped down from the fence inside of the compound and sprinted for the building. Thoganoth and I were supposed to have five full minutes to get inside before the shooting started. If Petra went in early, and the hostages were still there, they could get caught in the crossfire. Worse, Iosef might trigger his spell right away and kill everyone. I had to get those hostages out before Petra messed everything up.
The building was just ahead past a small maze of car parts piled high. I scanned the perimeter and registered movement near the awning. Shit, a camera! I darted to the right. Maybe I was fast enough it hadn’t picked me up. The information Josiah relayed from Milly hadn’t mentioned security cameras. Maybe he’d left it out, or maybe the stupid spider hadn’t noticed. She’d be looking for magical threats, not electronic.
I slid to the edge of the row and stole a quick look. There it was, just above exactly where I was supposed to make a hole. How was I going to do that if Iosef and his goons knew I was there before I even made it to the building?
Screw this, I thought and pulled out my cell phone to send a quick text off to Reggie: Can you do anything about these cameras?
Josiah had told him to go home, that this wasn’t his fight, but Petra insisted on keeping him around. He was probably in one of the vans around the corner, doing surveillance for Petra. I figured if anyone knew how to shut down the camera, he would.
Reggie’s reply came back almost instantaneously. Closed-circuit TV. NW.
I shook my head. WTF does that mean? I don’t speak geek.
It means no.
I lowered my phone with a frustrated growl. What was the point of having a hacker around if he couldn’t be useful? Maybe he could serve another purpose. My fingers moved over the keyboard as fast as I could type. Need you to stall Petra. Important.
Reggie sent me a thumbs up emoji in response.
“You done?” Thoganoth asked, sliding in next to me. “Because I have no idea how we’re making a hole big enough for humans to climb out.”
I tucked the phone away. “Leave that to me. I need something sharp and less than two pounds with good balance.”
He glanced around, bent over, and picked up a rock which he handed to me. When I eyed him askance, he shrugged and answered, “It’s not like it’s armor-plated. Most technology is flimsy. It breaks if you look at it wrong. A rock will break it faster.”
I took the rock. There weren’t a ton of them laying around, but there were enough I didn’t have to hit it the first time. I wouldn’t need the other rocks. Father had made me stand out at the throwing range from dawn until dusk some days. Throwing a rock wasn’t quite the same as throwing a knife, javelin or ax, but the principle was the same.
I pictured the camera and the side of the building in my mind, every detail I could remember. Once I swung around the corner, I’d have to throw it fast, which meant I couldn’t afford to aim then. I had to do it beforehand. The side of the building rebuilt itself in my brain: Wooden boards, chipped paint, a drooping awning with metal roof tiles. The camera was at the center of all that about twelve feet off the ground, tilted slightly to the left. Its broad side wasn’t fully exposed, but the right side was a slightly larger target than the lens. I focused on where I thought it was, pivoted on one foot so my body swung around the corner slightly, and flung the rock overhand with perfect form.
It struck flawlessly against the side of the camera, cracking the housing and nearly knocking it off its perch. Sparks flew, and the camera drooped uselessly to the side. Even if it was still functional, it wouldn’t record anything except the rooftop from now on. Eventually, Iosef’s people would notice it wasn’t recording and come outside to check it out, but I’d have at least a few minutes before they got to that.
“Come on.” I gestured for Thoganoth to follow me.
“I still don’t see how we’re getting through solid wood.”
I tugged a small vial of sparkling blue flakes suspended in a red liquid from my pocket and held it tightly between two fingers so he could see.
The demon’s eyes practically bulged out of his face. “Where’d you get that?”
I smirked. “I’m not just a pretty face. I spent my life training to kill whoever Father wanted with every weapon imaginable, from my own flesh to a thin strip of lace. Explosive alchemical formulas aren’t my favorite tool, but I manage when pressed.”
He frowned at me. “But if you blow up the wall, won’t it kill the people inside?”
“Not in this state. Suspended in this liquid, it should just dissolve the wall.” I picked up speed as we neared the wall. Almost there…
And then those stupid dogs ran out from behind an overturned car, growling and snarling. I thought Josiah and Malphas were going to take care of the dogs. It figures. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
I scooped a small twisted bit of metal off the ground as I passed it and lobbed it at one of the dogs. It dodged and both charged. The first one leaped at me, jaws open and slobber flying. I swung my fist and hit him right in the snout. The dog whimpered and fell to the side, shaking his head and staggering. He licked his chops while his friend went for Thoganoth. I thought the demon was screwed. After all, I’d never seen him do anything but sneak up on me. He’d never struck me as a fighter.
Thoganoth stepped aside and let the dog miss him. Then he turned and met the dog’s eyes. The two stood as if frozen in time, staring each other down for a long moment before the dog whined and sat down. The dog licked his nose once, then panted. Dog number two followed in much the same way.
/> “What did you do?” I asked as Thoganoth.
He grinned. “Just have to show them who’s boss. A little glimpse of what a real Hellhound looks like and they’ll fall right in line.”
“But you’re not a Hellhound.”
He shrugged. “I can project one just fine, though.”
Project? I frowned. There were demons whose special ability was projecting an image into the minds of the unwary. It usually only worked with the weak, which was why demons often wore people down before trying to overcome them. I filed Thoganoth’s new ability away in my brain. It wouldn’t do me any good now, not unless I wanted to somehow scare the people on the other side of that wall.
I popped the tiny cork on the bottle and poured a line over the wall even with my nose and about two feet wide. Narrow, but I didn’t want to pour out too much and have it pooling on the ground. The liquid would keep on eating any organic material it came into contact with, so a pool of it was the last thing I wanted. Slowly, it leaked down the wall, dissolving a roughly six-by-two hole in the wall.
Even with the wall gone, however, I couldn’t see into the room. I could hear the muffled cries of the people inside, some weak sobbing, and coughing, but something else was blocking the way. Just as I reached out to touch the strange brown strip in the way, I heard a familiar voice spouting scripture. I pressed my ear against the brown strip and realized it was only paper. Had the liquid only dissolved the wood and not the wallpaper? That was odd. “Mirren?”
“Who’s Mirren?” Thoganoth asked.
I didn’t wait to answer him. Josiah would lose it if anything happened to the priest. After Danny died, the old Orthodox priest was the only person in the world able to get through to him. I tore at the paper only to find silver on the other side. Silver?
“Allow me.” Thoganoth made a fist and punched through it. Glass shattered. People in the room beyond screamed. He punched again, this time lower and ripped aside some of the paper revealing a small door-like frame.
