by Dakota Brown
He nodded. "Oddly enough, me either."
"Really?"
Ezra shrugged. "Demons can be killed. And no one really expects the apocalypse to actually happen. Even demons."
"Gottcha. Okay, how do we do this?" I quickly threw my stuff into my duffel, pulled the holy water out of my jacket pocket, and threw it in, then pulled out my fancy knife that Mal had given me and added that to the pile.
"Where's your phone?"
I tugged that out and saw that I had a message. I'd done a good job of ignoring it and felt bad. I should have texted Mal and Aaron. I was so not used to being in real relationships.
It was a group text from the guys.
Mal: We miss you.
Aaron: Be careful.
I replied with some hearts and a quick note that I was okay and that I was going in. They'd know what that meant.
Both guys replied right away with more requests for me to be more careful than normal. It was like they knew me or something.
"Turn that off and throw it in your bag. It has the best chance of survival that way."
"Shit, these things aren't cheap, you know."
Ezra nodded. "I'll get you a new one if it breaks, how about that?"
I gave him a sour look but did what he said.
"Okay. This is what you do." He put his hand over mine so we were both touching the duffel. Then I felt him reach for his power, and I felt the shape that he made with the energies, and how one certain destination called to him above all the others.
"There?" I asked.
"Yes."
It didn't escape my notice that he wrapped his other arm around me, and now that I knew what to look for, I could feel his reaction when I drew on his power through the mark.
"Okay, yeah, I can see why you might not be anxious to do that with just anyone," I said.
His fingers tightened on my hip. "Yes. Try not to abuse your power over me."
I chuckled. "Oh, I'm going to abuse it, in all the best ways."
He sucked in a breath. The thought of what I might do to him was not displeasing him one bit.
"Let's try and focus, or I'm about to delay this trip and I don't think you want that."
I laughed. "If we weren't on a rescue mission, I'd let you."
He nuzzled my neck, kissing me. "All you have to do is send your bag now. It will end up in my study. No one will bother it. Especially with the holy water and that knife."
"I'm a little surprised you're letting me bring them."
He chuckled. "I want you safe, Chris. This will give you an edge you need. Besides, if you were going to use them on me, I think you would have already."
"True that." I used the energy flooding through me and sent the bag. It vanished, though I still had a vague sense of it until I let go of Ezra's power.
He took a deep breath and shivered, though he still held me. I let him delay us a few more minutes. I was nervous about meeting this gatekeeper and I was especially nervous about going to hell. We had to get Sabian though, so I finally pulled away. "Okay, let's do this."
Hand in hand, we left the suite, Mayhem trotting ahead of us.
"Where do we have to go?"
"Not far."
"Let me guess. There's a night club involved."
Ezra hesitated his step before glancing at me. "How did you know?"
"Wait, seriously?"
He nodded.
"Uh, wow, that's so cliché it's almost not funny."
The demon laughed. "Well, some clichés exist for a reason, I suppose."
Ezra took a moment in the lobby to check us out, and then we headed out into the evening. I felt attention on me, but when I looked around, I didn't see anyone.
"Are we being watched?"
"Probably," Ezra replied, squeezing my hand reassuringly.
He wasn't particularly worried at the moment, and Mayhem seemed relaxed as the puffball shaped hellhound trotted ahead of us. There were plenty of people out on the streets, as it wasn't terribly late, but they moved aside as we headed for our destination. That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't had a demon prince and a hellhound with me. Benefits to dealing with the demons, I supposed.
It didn't take long before Ezra turned down an alley. It was obvious this was a cared for and well used alley, but it was still narrow and after everything that we'd learned recently, I felt a bit claustrophobic.
The atmosphere pressed in, but I did my best to ignore it. Ezra led us to a side entrance and knocked on the door.
"No standing in line?"
He laughed. "No. Not for us."
Just like in the movies, a small window slid open, and someone looked out before it snapped shut and the whole door opened.
A man wearing smoked glasses stood inside. I suspected if I could see his eyes clearly, he'd have the classic redness of possession rimming them. Hell, I could sense the demon he carried. Probably because of my connection to Ezra. Damn, that was weird.
"Prince Ezra, we expected you tomorrow."
"Change of plans," Ezra replied curtly.
"Very well." He glanced at me then gestured for us to follow him inside.
Once the door shut, he led us down a hallway and through another door. Once this one opened, we were blasted by loud dance music from the club.
"He'll see you in the back. The bouncer will let you through," the possessed man said and gestured for us to go out into the main part of the club.
I bent over and grabbed Mayhem, putting him under my arm. The hellhound woofed appreciatively, and I again shook my head at his chosen dog shape. Although, it did make it easier for him to go around undetected. We threaded our way through the patrons. They were laughing, drinking, shouting conversations over the loud music. I tucked in behind Ezra and let him push through the crowd for us.
We skirted around the edge of the dancefloor and came to another door with a possessed bouncer. He also wore smoked glasses, but I could feel the demon. I was curious about the arrangement, though I itched to free the humans and send the demons back to hell. I doubted that would win me admittance to hell, however.
Ezra glanced at me over his shoulder, an amused smile curling his lips. Obviously, he'd caught that thought.
The bouncer took a look at us and let us in without making us shout over the loud music. It was much quieter back here, and this was obviously the private area. The music was still loud but talking was manageable and my ears didn't feel like they were under assault any longer.
I followed Ezra, content to be led at the moment. Mayhem squirmed in my arms, so I put him down.
We went through the hallway into another smaller room. It was strangely devoid of people. It was set up something like a lounge, with a large piano off to one side, a full bar along the back, some leather couches scattered about, and an open area for dancing.
I ran into Ezra's back as he stopped suddenly. I sensed his shock before he took a knee and bowed his head.
"My liege, I was not expecting you."
The man, or should I say demon, Ezra addressed was reclined in a leather armchair, a drink in his hand, legs crossed, and an interested expression on his face. He did not have a red ring in his eyes indicating possession, so he had to be manifest on this plane instead. A hellhound sat at his feet, this one wearing the form of a Doberman. I glanced at Mayhem and arched an eyebrow. As if he knew what I was thinking, he simply gave me a doggy smile and wagged his tail. I shook my head. Anything to distract me from the very real fear trying to worm its way into my limbs and freeze me in place.
"So, this is the one that's captured your heart," the demon said, standing. His voice was smooth, enticing, and all together terrifying. If I hadn't just seen Ezra drop to his knees, and hadn't known this guy was a demon, he'd be a walking wet dream, but as it was, mostly I just wanted to either run away or throw up a protective circle and hide inside it.
I wasn't about to let any of that show, however, so I met the demon's gaze and refused to look away. I was a fucking exorcist, and h
e was in my world. He could go fuck himself if he thought I'd back down.
I could feel his power brush against mine, as if testing me. I pushed back, carefully not drawing on Ezra's well of demonic energy, just using my own.
His eyebrows rose, and his lips curled into a seductive smile. "I can see why you like her." He sauntered over toward us, stopping a short distance in front of Ezra. "Rise."
My demon prince did so, looking a little pale when he stepped next to me.
"Tell me, exorcist, if I let you into my domain, what will you do there?"
His domain? Oh, double fuck. Was this Lucifer? Well, in times of great duress, let the snark fly.
"Probably cause a lot of chaos, mate."
Ezra's lips twitched as he fought a smile.
The demon chuckled. "I suspect so. Come here." He gestured for me to join him.
I took a breath and went over to stand in front of him. I wasn't super tall, but I wasn't short enough that I usually felt short. He made me feel short, even though he wasn't any taller than Sabian was. It was his power.
"I want to see this mark that you allowed Ezra to bind you with."
I didn't correct him and turned obediently when he twirled his finger.
He laughed out loud when he saw the upside-down pentacle on the pizza on the back of my jacket. "Oh my, this is priceless. I want one."
"Uh, sure, mate. I'll have the shop send you one if you get me your size and an address." What else was I going to say when a ruler of hell said he wanted a jacket like the one you wore? I mean, really…Kind of a complement, even if it was a bit terrifying.
"I'll do that."
My back lit up with sensual heat as he activated the mark.
"Ezra, do you realize what you've done?"
"My liege?"
"She's a mage of the old blood. There's a reason demons don't typically bind mages. Mark them, yes. Possess them and do all sorts of other interesting things with them, of course, but bind them in this manner? Oh, you've given her such power. Have you discovered that yet?"
I got the idea that the last was addressed to me. I glanced at Ezra, but he kept a solid poker face, not giving me any clue as to what I should say.
"Uh, yeah, think I have."
"Well, use it wisely. It's not every day a demon prince hands the keys to his kingdom over to a mortal."
Ezra's eyes widened, but he didn't look panicked, just surprised. I sensed a hint of resignation from him, but that was about it.
I turned to face Lucifer. "I…uh, don't really want his kingdom, just Sabian."
"Ahh, yes, the incubus. Well, I suggest you go claim him. An interesting thing about the binding Ezra has put on you, I'm nearly honor bound to let you into my domain, at least so you can access his. I could dissolve the mark so that I don't have to."
I twitched, not at all sure I liked the sound of that despite not having wanted to be bound in the first place.
"But I don't think I will. Both you and Prince Ezra are unhappy at the idea." His eyes twinkled with mischief. "And it will be good for Ezra, I think. On a more serious note, I too am opposed to the current power struggle and bid for war and I suspect you'll need access to my realm again. Therefore, I grant it. A token can be removed, so I'll give you something a bit more permanent."
My fingers twitched with a desire to grab on to some holy water, or my knife. Both of which were inconveniently out of reach. Actually, they weren't, but I didn't have enough practice summoning things for that to be practical. Also, I didn't want to stab the ruler of hell without being damn sure I could get away with it. Right now, I wasn't.
His grin was positively evil, and panty melting, had I not been terrified about what I thought he was going to do. I could stop it, maybe, but I wanted Sabian back.
The demon lord studied me, still smiling. "You're going to let me do it, aren't you?"
"I want my incubus back. Guess that's the price?"
He nodded. "You get more out of it than you realize. Permanent access to my domain. Complete protection from possession. This one is visible, however."
I sighed and nodded. "Don't fuck up my ink."
"Very well." He studied my chest as if he could see my tattoos through my clothing. "You should tie your personal wards into Ezra's power instead of your own," he suggested as his eyes roamed over me.
I glanced at Ezra, who nodded, eyes wide.
"Sure, I'll do that."
"See that you do. Ahh, you've left me a little open canvas to work with." He stepped into my space and pressed his palm to my chest, between my breasts. Heat and pain flared out from where he touched me, my shirt no protection from his power, and my personal wards failed to activate. Either he'd done something to them, or my acceptance of his actions had negated the shielding they normally provided.
I gasped, not able to stop myself from clutching his wrist. His eyes glowed with red light, and he grabbed my arm with his free hand as my legs went to jelly. The pain wasn't terrible, it was simply as if an entire tattoo session worth of discomfort was narrowed down into a few moments of time, and there was no erotic touch to distract me from it, like when Ezra hit me with his power. Fortunately. I wasn't sure I could handle that mentally. Being hot on Ezra was one thing...Lusting after this guy was something else entirely.
"There," he said after an indeterminant amount of time.
Ezra, in a possessive move that surprised me considering who had just marked me, came over and put his arm around me. I collapsed back against him while I recovered.
"Great, thanks," I gasped out. "Does this mark automatically tell me where the gates to hell are, too?"
"Ezra can give you that information. You are a privileged guest. Don't abuse my hospitality."
"Do my best." I had no idea what abusing his good graces would entail, but hopefully I wouldn't find out.
He nodded.
"You mentioned you could dissolve Ezra's binding. I thought they were permanent." I had to know the limitations now that I was aware of them. I didn't want to accidently screw it up.
"As I'm the lord and master of all that happens in hell, I can dissolve any other demons' marks and bindings should I choose. I'm the only one with that power. Mine can be undone should I choose it. Again, I'm the only one with that ability," he answered.
"Great. Thanks." I shivered and Ezra tightened his grip on me. Mayhem hadn't objected to any of this, and I hoped that meant I wasn't really screwed. "Who can sense the marks?"
"Mine is visible. A properly educated occultist will know what it means. Well, to some degree. I doubt many would know the full extent of the mark's meaning. A demon will sense it, of course. Angels might. That's about it. Now we'll see if Ezra can keep a hold of you."
"What?" I narrowed my eyes.
"I have many things I need to see to tonight. Go get your incubus. Stir things up a little down there. Ezra, do let me know if you find out any more to this plot. It concerns me on more than one level." He didn't answer my question, but I got the sense that I could get the answer from Ezra, so I let it go.
"Yes, my liege." He bowed his head.
Lucifer–had to be him–studied me for a moment as if waiting for something. If he expected me to bow, that was his problem. I'd let him mark me, but I wasn't offering him any sign of allegiance. No fucking way. I supposed one day I'd have to confront these choices, but hopefully it would be many years before that was a problem. First…prevent the apocalypse. Well, after I rescued Sabian.
The demon ruler turned his back on us, and Ezra grabbed my arm and practically dragged me down the hallway further into the club. We were through a couple of doors and heading down a staircase before he took a breath. Finally, at the bottom, before he opened the steel door in front of us, he leaned back against the wall and sagged a bit.
"You okay?"
He shook his head before shrugging. "I should be asking you."
"Eh, it is what it is. I guess."
Ezra laughed. "You do realize who that was, right?"
"Yep."
"And you're likely the first mortal in centuries to bear his mark."
"Yeah, yippie for me." I shuddered.
Ezra arched an eyebrow. "You're something, Chris Price."
"What did he mean about you being able to keep a hold of me?"
"His mark is a giant target. Whoever possesses you..." He frowned. "Possesses your allegiance is probably a better way to phrase it, gains considerable prestige since you bear our liege's mark."
"Fantastic," I muttered.
"He did grant you considerable privilege, but as with everything, it's got strings attached."
"Let's just go get Sabian and make this all worth it."
He nodded. "Very well." He opened the door. "Hold my hand for your first time."
I took his offered hand and stared. "There's nothing there, mate." And when I said nothing, I meant nothing. There was a wall of blackness. I don't know what I had expected, but emptiness wasn't it.
"The portal is opaque. I promise, there's something on the other side."
"Will it eat me?"
He frowned, glancing at me. "Eat you?"
"Uh, not like that. I meant like, literally."
Ezra laughed. "If you were able to get this far and not been invited, possibly. You don't need to worry about that."
"What about Mayhem?"
"He's more than a match for anything on the other side, and he knows his way through gates. He'll be fine."
That raised my eyebrows. "So, not everyone has hellhounds then?"
"No. They're fairly rare."
"I'm not sure I ever thanked you for him," I said.
"My pleasure, Chris. I'll tell you more about my breeding program later." He squeezed my hand. "Let's go."
"Yeah. Okay."
I took a step forward, feeling like I was pressing into frigid semi-liquid glass, as I plunged into blackness.
Chapter 13
Mal
Aaron and I worked through another sword form together. He really was picking it up very quickly, and I was enjoying getting back into practice. I'd gotten up early so we could drill before Aaron went to work. I wasn't much of a morning person, but I also didn't need nearly as much sleep as I'd been getting recently, so it wasn't a hardship. While vampires weren't actually allergic to sunlight, we definitely were nocturnal.
