The Devil: A Paranormal Vampire Romance Novel (Devil Series Book 4)

by Raven Steele

  "Who?" I asked, wondering why both their moods had suddenly darkened.

  "Remember that boy I told you about, the one I dated?" Llona asked ne.

  I thought back to what Llona had told Reina. Then it came to me. She had dated a boy in high school, truly loved him even, but something bad had happened. Llona never told me what though.

  "Christian, right?"

  She nodded. "He was my Guardian."

  "Come on." Liam walked ahead of us, deep in thought.

  Lucien and I shared a glance before we followed after them. It was good to know we weren't the only ones with a challenging relationship, in a way. Since Llona had helped me, maybe there was something I could do to help her.

  We didn't say much as we traveled to the Auran school. Llona and Liam were lost in their own thoughts, probably nervous about facing their past with Christian. I didn't say much either, as I was dreading seeing the cursed necklace again.

  Lucent Academy looked different in the light, more grand, like a wealthy estate from the nineteenth century. The last time I had come here, it had been in the dark, with not even a full moon to give me light. It had been harder than I expected to sneak onto campus. The place was surrounded by a magical security system in addition to a real one. Several cameras had been placed across the top of a great wall, in addition to many Guardians who patrolled the outside of the school. It had taken a lot of my own magic and stealth just to sneak across.

  "It's so beautiful here," I told Llona. The skies were clear and the afternoon sun bathed the surrounding trees in a warm, honey glow. The campus consisted of several buildings; the largest of them had two wings stretching out from a tall brick center with white columns traveling from the roof to the ground. Written in gold lettering above large white doors were the words: Chadni Hall.

  Llona stared out the window, as if admiring Lucent's beauty too. Liam parked along the side of a great circular driveway.

  "I used to hate it here, but now there's no other place I call home," she said. As soon as the car came to a stop, she jumped out. "I'll catch up with you guys soon!" She dashed inside the front doors.

  Liam chuckled as he exited the car.

  "Do you stay here too?" Lucien asked him when he rounded the vehicle.

  "No, but I visit often. There are rooms in the basement where I can stay away from all the girls. They can be overwhelming at times."

  In the distance, I spotted the tall clock tower positioned in the center of the academy. My pulse raced. I couldn't help it. The thought of touching that necklace again made me ill.

  "You're pale," Lucien said. "Are you feeling okay?"

  I folded my arms to my chest. "Can we go inside?"

  "This way," Liam said. "I'll take you through the back entrance away from the crowds. Classes will be letting out soon."

  We followed Liam around to the back of Chadni Hall.

  "This building is where the Auras live, but on the first floor they have classrooms," he said. "Over there is Denelle Hall and Risen Auditorium."

  "What about that newer building back there?" Lucien asked.

  I followed his gaze. Near the back wall, a tall gray building had just been built. There were still two workers finishing up the roof.

  "That's where the Lizens live."

  "Lizens?" I asked.

  "They are a rare supernatural species. They work for Auras and are an amazing people."

  At the rear of the building, Liam jogged down a few concrete steps and opened a large metal door. The inside practically looked like a scene out of the dark ages. The walls were all stone and bled into the uneven floor. A few lights spaced unevenly across the ceiling barely lit up the narrow space.

  "This is creepy," I said.

  "I like it," Lucien added, but he seemed unaware that he had spoken the words aloud.

  Liam stopped in front of a closed door. "This is my room when I stay here. It's a lot nicer on the inside than out here. There are a few more rooms just down the hall. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, or I'm sure Llona can find you better accommodations upstairs."

  "What's down that way?" I asked. The hall branched off and looked even darker than the one I was standing in.

  His expression darkened. "It's where we hold the occasional prisoner." He pointed straight ahead. "If you follow this, you'll find a spiral staircase going up. It leads to Dr. Han's office on the fourth floor. Henry may be in there. If not, they will be in the basement of Denelle Hall. That's were they keep the records. I'm going to rest here for a bit."

  "Are you okay?" I asked him.

  "I'll be fine." He opened the door to his room. "This place holds a lot of memories. Not all of them are pleasant. Sometimes I just need a moment to regroup."

  "I understand. Better than most," I said, my eyes flashing to Lucien's. "If we see Llona, we'll tell her where you are."

  "She'll know," he said. "I'll see you soon." He went inside and closed the door.

  "Come on," Lucien said and pulled me along, his hand gripping mine.

  "I feel so bad for him," I said when we were out of earshot of his room. We reached the bottom of the metal staircase and climbed up.

  "He'll be okay." He paused. "This must be some sort of back entrance. It feels private."

  The light was dimmer here, but as I looked up, I could just barely see that the top of the stairs ended directly into a wall. "I think you're right."

  When we reached the top, both Lucien and I searched for a way to open the wall. There was a clear outline of a door, but no knob.

  "Got it," he said as he pushed a button on the wall at waist-level.

  A door slowly creaked open, revealing a giant room lined with bookcases and a large desk just on the other side. The walls were a pale brown divided by ornate, wooden trim. Two men sitting in Queen Anne chairs turned around. One of them was Henry. The other was an older Chinese man with a long white beard and his hair pulled back into a ponytail.

  "You took longer than I expected," Henry said.

  "We needed more time, " Lucien explained, walking past me into the room toward Dr. Han. He bowed slightly. "You must be Dr. Han. I've heard many good things. I'm honored to meet you."

  Dr. Han pushed up from his chair. "It is I who am honored. Charlie spoke very fondly of you, although not at first, of course." He chuckled to himself. "He respected you like a brother."

  Lucien straightened and glanced away.

  "Charlie was a wonderful man," Dr. Han continued. "His passing was difficult for me, for all of us." He placed his hand on Lucien's arm. "He would be proud of who you have become."

  Dr. Han's eyes flashed to mine. "And you must be Eve. Charlie spoke of you too."

  I sucked in air. Thus far I had been careful to keep my memories at bay, only allowing myself tiny sips of the past, but at the mention of Charlie's name, they came fast: the time Charlie had unearthed me after my parents had buried me alive, our lessons where he had taught me to fight, and all the times he’d made me laugh. He gave life to everyone around him… until I had taken it.

  I stumbled back, my heart aching. I caught myself on the desk.

  "Eve?" Lucien asked, appearing at my side.

  I inhaled a great breath and forced myself upright. "I'm okay. I just wish I could see him again."

  Dr. Han approached me, a kind smile that reached his eyes. "You will."

  "What?" I asked.

  "This life is not the end, Eve. Charlie's spirit lives on."

  "But he died," I croaked. "I killed him."

  "Only his body. His soul exists in another dimension, one where I'm sure he is happy and at peace, probably with his beautiful bride that was also taken from this Earth much too soon."

  My eyes blurred. I wasn't sure if I believed it, but it was comforting to think that Charlie still lived and was happy.

  "See, Lucien," Henry said, shifting positions on his chair. "There is more to this life, more to you then you could ever imagine, as I'm sure you recently discovered." Henry turned h
is attention to Dr. Han. "Lucien just figured this out as he finally let go of his doubts and fear to get Eve's memory back. It was a powerful spell that required Genesis' full strength."

  Dr. Han nodded his head knowingly.

  "Don't talk about me as if I'm not in the room," Lucien said, clearly annoyed with the conversation. He crossed the room to sit across from Henry. I followed after him and sat in a nearby chair, guilt eating away at me. His doubts and fears were because of me. I hated that I did that to him.

  "Have you discovered anything that could help us?" Lucien asked, his voice teetering on anger.

  Dr. Han walked behind the desk and opened a drawer. He withdrew a folder and handed it to Lucien. "Inside are copies of the scroll that mention the mirror's destruction."

  He opened it quickly scanning the few papers within it before handing it to me. I held the folder in my lap so they wouldn’t notice my shaking hands. Ever since they had mentioned this mirror, the original source of the necklace’s power, I had been terrified of it. I knew the evil the necklace contained. I didn't want to imagine what dangers the mirror held.

  Lucien's knee touched mine as if he could sense my sudden anxiety. "I don't care about destroying the mirror," he said. "We need to get rid of the necklace."

  I opened the folder and gaped at the image staring back at me. It was a drawing of seven devils, at least ten feet tall, their bodies muscular and smooth. Great horns black as night protruded from their foreheads. They stood on a huge pile of bruised and broken human bodies, knives and swords in their hands. The people beneath them were alive with eyes open and mouths gaping. A cold chill worked its way up my spine. I quickly turned the page over.

  "That would be great, but I'm not sure it's possible," Dr. Han answered. "The scrolls only mention destroying the whole mirror, not a portion of it."

  The next picture was smaller. It showed a full-length mirror edged by a hand-carved, wooden frame depicting the heads of animals, specifically predators. The frame looked eerily similar to the headboard Boaz had kept in my room. I had to turn this page over quickly, too. The next portion of the scroll was in words I couldn't understand.

  "But that doesn't mean it can't be done," Lucien said, his words growing louder. "Combined with Auran Light, we might destroy it."

  My heart beat faster, and sweat broke on my brow. Was the room growing smaller? I glanced toward the closed door.

  "And we will try, Lucien," Henry said. "But we need to prepare in case it fails. I have a strong feeling that as soon as we start playing with the necklace, Erebus will sense it. We'll need to have countermeasures in place."

  I jumped to my feet, desperately needing fresh air. "I need to go."

  I backed toward the main door, not the secret one. The last place I wanted to go was back into the dungeon.

  Lucien's eyes filled with concern. "Do you want me to come with you?"

  I shook my head. "Take notes. Tell me about it later."

  His jaw flexed but he nodded.

  I quickly slipped out the door and gasped for breath, my hands lowering to my knees. This was so dumb. I had to get over this. It was probably only a matter of hours before I'd have to retrieve the necklace, but the thought of touching it made me want to throw up. It was a sign of all the terrible things Alarica had done, things I desperately wanted to forget.

  After a minute, my pulse slowed, and I glanced around. I was on some kind of administrative floor with offices all around me. I hurried past them to avoid the few people inside them, teachers most likely, until I found an elevator. I pressed number one and felt it jerk in response.

  When the elevator doors opened, I stepped back surprised by the number of girls. They were so many of them! They were hurrying down the hall, clutching books to their chests, talking and laughing. Most of them were teenagers, the youngest looking twelve. There were some teachers in the mix, encouraging the girls to hurry to their next class. Several of them glanced at me and smiled. Some even said hello. There was something special about these girls, a strength and a goodness that nearly took my breath away.

  I walked in the opposite direction, sidestepping many of them, as I made my way toward what I thought would be the exit. It wasn't long before the halls began to clear. A bell, more like a strange tinkling, rang out. It was an odd sound to signal the start of another class.

  Rounding a corner, I stopped short. Llona stood near the front doors speaking quietly with a man who looked her age. He was incredibly handsome with sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes. I couldn't hear her words, but by her pleading eyes and her hand gripping his palm, their conversation was not one I wanted to interrupt.

  I quickly stepped out of their view, but where I could still see them. I should've turned away, but there was something about their conversation that caught my interest. Maybe it was the way his whole countenance had dropped as if she was telling him someone he loved had died. I wondered if Lucien looked that way when I had left him. An ache filled my chest, and I pressed my hand to my heart, biting the inside of my lip.

  Llona's eyes filled with tears and spilled onto her cheeks. The sandy-haired boy, he must be Christian, reached up with both of his hands and cupped Llona's face. He searched her eyes as if hoping to see something. He lowered his forehead to hers and inhaled a hitched breath. They stayed like this for what seemed like a very long time until he straightened inexplicably and walked out the front door.

  Llona's shoulders trembled, and she stumbled into the wall where she slid to the floor. I was there to meet her. I quickly wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly.

  "It's going to be okay," I said. "Whatever just happened, I promise you will get through it." I murmured comforting words, doing the best I could to do what she had done for me. But then I was silent and just let her cry.

  Finally she pulled away and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands. "I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn't expect it to hurt so much."

  "Can I ask what happened?"

  She glanced toward the closed front door. "I just said goodbye to the first boy I ever loved." She inhaled a hitched breath. "I truly loved him, I really did, but then everything changed. Christian changed, by no fault of his own. He tried to fight the Vyken poison after he was bitten, but he couldn't beat it. He was cruel to me and to others. I can't tell you how hard it was to see him that way. That's when I decided to find a cure. I left Lucent in search of a witch coven that was rumored to have it." She grimaced and brought her hands to her arms, as if protecting herself from something unpleasant. "Long story short, I nearly died fighting those witches, but I did manage to secure a dose big enough to cure one person. I could've given it to Liam or even myself, but I chose Christian instead." She looked up at me. "Was that wrong?"

  "You did what you thought was best," I said reassuringly.

  "Maybe." She wiped at her eyes again. "During this struggle against the poison, I changed, or really grew into the person I am now. I'm very different from the shy, high school girl I used to be when I first met Christian. Plus I met Liam. My heart belongs to him now, all of it. I realized that when we were in Rouen."

  "I can tell he loves you too."

  She nodded. "I just wish saying goodbye didn't have to hurt so much."

  "Llona?"

  I turned my head at the same time as Llona. A girl with long brown hair rushed to her. "What's wrong?"

  Llona pulled herself off the floor. "Oh, May. I finally did it. I let Christian go for good."

  May threw her arms around Llona, and while they spoke, I quietly slipped outside. I remember hearing about May. Her and Llona were best friends. I'd let them have their time.

  I wandered the campus, thinking of Llona, Christian and Liam. I'm sure there was a time when Llona couldn't ever imagine her life with anyone besides Christian. I had felt the same way about Boaz, at one point in time, but that had been an entirely different situation. I had Lucien now. I had known the moment we touched that I wanted him in my life forever.
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br />   The sun was beginning to drop below the horizon, stretching the shadows of trees across the expansive lawn. There were more Guardians on top of the wall than I remembered from before. I wondered if their numbers doubled at night. Or maybe their security had increased because of the necklace's presence. Because of me. I had put this school and everyone inside at risk.

  I found myself at the base of the clock tower, my heart pounding and palms sweating. Gingerly, I reached out and pushed open the wooden door in front of me. It groaned in response. Dust motes on the floor swirled into the air, dancing and twirling in the last of the sunlight filtering in through a nearby window.

  My legs felt like lead weights as I climbed the stairs to the top. Even the pressure in the air seemed to grow heavy the closer I came to the necklace. The source of its power was strong, much stronger than any one person could contain. Lucien was bent on destroying it, but it was not of this Earth. I had some serious doubts that anything could destroy it.

  I stopped just a few steps from the top and almost turned back. I wasn't even sure what I was doing there, except to prove that I could do it. Better alone than in front of the others. I had to prove to myself that it held no more power over me. I said this aloud a few times before I climbed the remaining stairs.

  The top floor was empty except for a layer of dust across the wooden floor. There were some footprints, but they weren't fresh. It smelled of dust and something much more potent—power. My eyes were drawn to the third stone up from the floor where I had hidden it. It looked just how I left it. I walked close and reached out. My fingernails scratched the rough surface.

  I was about to remove the stone when the piercing howl of a wolf chilled the air. Air caught in my chest and my blood turned cold. Impossible.

  I lurched to my feet and hurried to the window. The howl came again, echoing in the small room almost as if the wolf was here next to me. My whole body began to shake. I clutched the windowsill to keep from falling to the floor.

  I peered out into the shadows of the forest just beyond the wall. The Guardians were tense and looking around to find the source.

  The haunting howl came once more. That's when I saw him, the supernatural wolf who never left Boaz's side—Hunwald.