by Dakota Brown
"Price!" he shouted. "Don't!"
"Ezra, go home." The simple phrase seemed to work well enough down here, though I threw in the last few lines of the exorcism rite and hit him hard with both my energy and his.
He fought me, but as he'd suspected, I could banish him despite the mark. His anger and fear washed through me as I sent him back to his domain. I grabbed my energy and threw up my shields, turning to face the demon and wishing I could send Mayhem away, too, but not quite brave enough to try. This was likely a fight I couldn't win, and Mammon knew it.
"Interesting. Well done, exorcist. You are useful. I can see why Lucifer marked you. I propose an alternate to me killing you. Allow me to strip those marks away and pledge yourself to my service. I'll reward you greatly, and let you live."
"Didn't think anyone but Lucifer could take my marks away."
Mammon's lips curved into an evil smile. Lucifer and I needed to have a chat soon. Or maybe I could get Ezra to pass that bit of information along, if I survived this.
"Hell no." I didn't even have to think about it. I couldn't win this fight. Didn't mean I wasn't going to try, but there was no way, even with Ezra's power, that I could match this prince, or whatever he was. At least, not yet. I didn't even bother with the holy water I still had in my pocket. I simply prepared to do my best before I died when an idea struck me.
A full exorcism might banish him, at least long enough for me to try and get away, and hell, maybe the holy water would give me a little extra protection. I pulled it out and dumped it over my head.
Mammon raised his eyebrows, looking shocked. "How did you get holy water past the gates?"
I was surprised he hadn't sensed it before, but I wasn't going to question my good luck.
"Trade secret. Mayhem, stand by me."
The hellhound moved to my side.
Pulling on all my years of training in the occult, I centered my energy and reached deep inside for those extra reserves that always served me well in a tough exorcism. Instead of casting a containment circle around the demon, I cast a protective circle around myself. In full ritual style, I cried out to the watchtowers for protection and observance, though I didn't know which direction was north I was sure they'd forgive me for that lapse. Was there even a north in hell?
"What are you doing?" Mammon stared at me, mystified.
Hopefully, he wouldn't figure it out before I finished.
Reaching the incantation for the last watchtower, I drew the sigil for fire in the air with my finger, calling out to the southern watchtower and feeling the protective circle snap into place around me.
"Do you really think your puny occultism will protect you from me?" He swelled as if offended.
Ignoring his jab, I started the exorcism. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus…"
"That won't work here," he said.
Not willing to take any chances, I didn't let him distract me, shouting out the next few lines, before he seemed to get the idea that I might just be able to send him away.
"No matter, it's my domain, you won't make your way out of it alive," he snarled.
The ground rumbled underneath me and Mayhem whined as he shifted his feet.
"…contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine…quem inferi tremunt…" I shouted.
Mammon took a step back before clapping his hands together.
The ground split around me, but my protective circle kept me safe and on solid ground, while creatures slithered out of the fracture in the grassy plains. They crawled all over the magical shield around me and I tried not to let my fear into my voice as I gathered my power and prepared to break the circle so Mammon could receive the full brunt of it.
"Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos," I shouted and put my foot over the circle, popping it.
For a moment, the demons over me hung suspended in air and then my energy blasted out around me, searing into the demons and slamming into Mammon. I'd never forget the expression of surprise on his face as he, and every other demon in the area except Mayhem, vanished with my exorcism.
I collapsed to the ground as the energy fled from my body.
"Fuck," I gasped, not sure how I was going to escape now. I could barely move.
Slowly, my energy returned, and I crawled to my knees. I had to move. Mammon would be back, and I would bet anything he was pissed. If nothing else, I'd wounded his pride and I doubted he'd let that stand. There was no way he'd want me to escape his domain and tell others what I'd done.
I could still feel Ezra panicking in the back of my mind, but he couldn't get to me, and he couldn't summon me like I could him.
Sorry, mate, I sent to him then tuned him out. There wasn't anything he could do.
Mayhem lent me his shoulder and I struggled to my feet. We made it all of twenty feet or so before hooves pounded on the ground behind us.
"What now?" I turned, unable to fathom fighting anything else. I would, but I didn't think I'd last long.
Mayhem woofed, sounding surprised. I just stared.
The mystery horse I'd seen a couple of times in the desert heat over the last few months was pounding toward me across the grasslands, leaping the massive cracks in the ground as if they were nothing. The horse's hide was black, with a flaming mane and tail. The hooves flashed golden, and flames flickered along the legs where feathering would be.
"Holy shit," I breathed out.
Mayhem huffed, as if in agreement.
The horse skidded to a stop in front of me and reared, screaming.
Rooted to the spot, I couldn't even back away.
The horse's hooves met the ground again and he, definitely a he, turned his side to me, as if asking me to mount.
"You should get on," a familiar voice said urgently.
I screamed and spun around. I couldn't help it, I was about at the end of my ability to cope.
Fortunately, it was just Death, War, Famine, and Plague.
I burst out laughing. Just Death and the other horsemen. That was hilarious.
"I told you we would meet again soon, Chris Price, but you must get on your nightstallion before Mammon gets over throwing a giant temper tantrum and returns. He is unhappy with you."
"Understatement of the decade, Azrael," War said, a hint of laughter breaking through the tension in her voice.
"I can't ride that!" I pointed at the nightstallion.
"I assure you, he won't let you fall. Not this ride, anyway," Death said.
What the fuck did that mean? I didn't ask, just turned to the horse, creature, demon, whatever he was, and hesitantly grabbed his mane, hoping the flames wouldn't burn me. They didn't.
The nightstallion nickered encouragingly and I swear I saw fangs where a horse would have had flat teeth.
"I'm so going to kill Ezra," I muttered before attempting to scramble onto the creature's back.
Magic happened, literally, because suddenly I was mounted on the stallion's broad back.
"Bloody hell," I muttered.
"Just hang on, Chris. We will do the rest," War said.
"Mayhem?"
"Will keep up," Death assured me.
I wrapped my hands in the flaming mane and tried not to whimper as the stallion's muscles bunched underneath me.
Thunder rumbled in the distance and my mount sprang into the air.
"Fuuuuck…" I screamed as the stallion moved beneath me. Somehow, I stayed balanced over his back, though I was sure it was all his doing, and not mine. I clenched my legs tightly around him.
The horsemen fell in around me and we raced across the sky, seconds ahead of the lightning that tried to strike us down.
I glanced around, then immediately wished I hadn't and focused instead on the view between the stallion's black ears. While they hadn't been wearing armor when I'd first glanced at them, the horsemen all wore shiny armor now, except Death. War rode her red steed backward, firing arrow after arrow out of a quiver that never
seemed to empty. Death had become a mere shadow upon his pale horse, and the demons that rained from the sky simply disintegrated as they got close to us. Famine caused the demons to shrivel up as if they'd starved to death and fall from the sky and the ones that Plague affected sprouted gross pustules before exploding to death.
Ahead of us the air shimmered.
"We simply have to make it to that barrier," Death said, his mount way closer than I had expected.
"Jesus!" I shrieked, as he startled me.
"No, Azrael."
I glanced at him, eyes wide. I could see nothing of his face, but I got the impression that he was joking with me.
"Right, mate."
Death chuckled, before his mount pulled ahead and Famine took his place on his gaunt, dull gray horse.
I was bracketed on all sides by the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and glad for it.
Mayhem raced through the air, keeping pace with Death and I soon saw why.
Azrael blasted Mayhem with energy, but not with the intent to hurt him, instead charging him up so moments later the hound could burn the area we raced into with hellfire, clearing the way for Azrael and his pale horse to rain death down upon the demons that rose up from the ground to meet us.
Still, Mammon closed with us. I could feel his intense anger directed at me.
The horsemen kept me safe from his demons and we were almost to the barrier when Mammon reached us.
I risked a look.
The demon rode some sort of giant bird, its talons outstretched for me.
"Mayhem!" I shrieked.
My stallion dove, War let loose with another volley, and Mayhem roared more hellfire.
The bird shied away, and we were through the barrier and barreling toward the ground.
"Pull up!" I shouted, tugging on the stallion's mane.
He obviously had his own plan, because he continued for the ground. I relaxed a little when Death's horse avoided slamming into the ground, continuing to gallop at a speed I didn't even want to think about after they lightly touched down. My stallion hit the ground next, then Famine and Plague, followed by War, now faced the correct way on her red horse, and we continued to race away from the demons behind us.
Mayhem led the way in front of Death's horse and by the time the creatures slowed to a more reasonable walk, I had almost started to enjoy myself.
Well, maybe I wasn't enjoying myself as much as I thought, because as soon as we were walking, I realized I was swearing in every language I knew on repeat, just cycling through all the foul words I knew again and again.
"So, my first ride on one of the spirit horses was a little calmer," Cáit said, riding up next to me. Her armor was gone again. "But it was still terrifying. How are you?"
"I'm an exorcist, not a horseman. How do you think I am?"
She laughed.
The other three still surrounded me, alert for danger, but they had reverted to their more human looking forms, though I was pretty sure Famine had lost some weight since last I'd seen him. He pulled a stick of jerky out of thin air and began munching on it.
I hadn't had anything to eat for quite a while, but I wasn't hungry. Thirsty, maybe, but food was the last thing I wanted at the moment. I would just throw it up.
"We'll be to Ezra's in a few moments," Azrael said.
I looked around. There were no mountains anywhere. How was that possible?
The landscape shifted and I clutched the stallion's neck as the world seemed to tilt. Then, extremely suddenly, we were in the clearing in front of Ezra's keep.
I resumed my string of obscenities.
The stallion shook his head as if annoyed with my grip around his neck.
"Sorry, mate," I swung my leg over his back, held onto the mane and managed to not collapse into an embarrassing heap on the ground.
I leaned against the stallion until he snorted, pawing the ground. I saw Ezra and Sabian trying to get over to me. The stallion was having none of it, so on legs that felt like overcooked noodles, I staggered away from him and collapsed into Ezra's arms.
"You are the most infuriating, reckless…"
I gave him a thumbs up and passed out before he could continue.
Chapter 16
Sabian
I held my exorcist while she slept, and hoped she was still mine. Ezra had obviously staked a claim, and I really wanted to know why she bore Lucifer's mark now. With Ezra in the picture, my prince might not let me have her anymore and the idea tore at my heart. The small eternity of torture at Lott's hands would be like nothing if I could no longer keep Chris in my life. It was a good sign that he'd allowed me to take her to bed.
Chris shifted restlessly in my arms and I kissed her cheek, trying to soothe her. It seemed to work. She snuggled deeper into my arms, practically clinging to me in her sleep.
A part of me felt I didn't deserve to be here, holding Chris. Another part of me would fight if anyone tried to make me give her up. The conflicting emotions tore at me and I didn't know what I could possibly do about them.
"Sabian?" Chris murmured, interrupting my melancholy thoughts.
"Yes," I answered her.
"Thank the Lady," she muttered and dug her fingers into my back.
"You're going to give me ideas if you keep that up," I teased.
She bit my shoulder and I groaned, suddenly hoping she wasn't teasing me in return.
"Not teasing," she answered my unspoken thought. Was she reading my mind now?
"Side effect," she whispered before grabbing my face and pressing her lips to mine.
I lost myself for a while in the ferocity of her kiss. It was as if she were trying to claim me all over again. The love energy that she pushed into me with her kisses was so pure it brought tears to my eyes. How could I possibly have doubted my exorcist?
Chris completely distracted me from my thoughts when she pushed me over onto my back and straddled me. I watched hungrily as she pulled her shirt off over her head.
Ezra and I had cleaned her up as best we could after she'd collapsed. He'd let me help, though he had mostly ignored me, focusing on Chris.
She didn't seem to notice she wasn't wearing the same clothing she'd been in yesterday, or maybe she didn't care.
My exorcist made a noise of displeasure when she had to roll off me to tug off the sleeping pants I wore. She shed her underwear and pushed me back onto the bed when I tried to sit up.
"You are mine," she said, almost as if to herself when she threw her leg back over me.
"Yes," I agreed, grabbing her hips with my hands.
She stroked my cock a few times and I arched my back, thrusting into her hand, eyes shutting, and groaning with pleasure. Her love and lust filled me, feeding me in a way that Ezra's energy failed to.
Content to let her control me, I ran my hands up her sides before cupping her breasts. Her gasp of pleasure was followed by a low groan as she lowered herself onto me. I echoed her as I slid into her warm heat. While I'd never get to an actual heaven, I imagined this was what it was like. Filled with love and pleasure and enjoying time with someone who meant more than the world to me.
Once she'd taken me as deeply as she could, I opened my eyes and met hers. She was smiling as she gazed down at me.
I traced some of the ink that curled around her breasts, avoiding Lucifer's mark. Something had changed in her wardings, too, but I wasn't interested in exploring that right now.
"Sabian," she said softly, savoring my name.
"Chris Price," I replied, treating each sound of her name with the same reverence as she'd given mine.
My exorcist rocked, and the pleasure she gave me through the movement, and the energy she fed me, was such a contrast from the last small eternity, that she almost undid me before I'd had a chance to give anything to her in return.
"Sabian, I'm just happy to have you back. That's all the pleasure I need right now."
"That's going to take some getting used to," I said.
She chuckled. "T
ables turned and all that. Just relax and enjoy the ride."
"As you wish," I replied.
Chris grinned and increased her pace as she rode me.
I dropped my fingers to her clit, rubbing just how she liked it, letting my powers direct my fingers for maximum effect.
My pleasure built with her movement and I couldn't hold off any longer. I cheated a little and used some of my energy to curl through her core and hit her sensitive parts all at once. I'd done it before, but this time she felt me doing it. We crashed over the edge into bliss together, and I took in everything she offered me.
This was definitely what heaven would be like. At least my version of it.
Chris collapsed into my arms, and I held her while tremors rippled through both of us.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you faster," she said.
"Chris, I didn't expect you to come to hell for me." That wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't completely true, either. There was no way I was going to tell her that, though, and I buried the thought deeply.
She didn't reply for a few minutes while we recovered from our lovemaking. Finally, she climbed off me and tugged my hand, pulling me toward the washroom so we could clean up.
"I feel like I've failed you," she said when she touched the control for the water. Demons didn't typically bathe, at least not like humans did, so Ezra must have set this up for her. We used magic on this plane to keep ourselves at whatever level of clean we preferred.
"How?"
"Well, it took me over a month to figure out you were even in trouble. I thought Ezra had you. Then it took me another small eternity to get here. And I suspect it's at least felt like longer to you. That's pretty crappy."
"Chris, you're a human. Getting into hell without dying is nearly impossible."
She glanced at me before stepping into the water. "In the flesh, mate," she gestured to herself.
"I noticed." I couldn't help my sly grin.
Chris chuckled.
"Then I freaking banished you again. I didn't mean to the first time, just so we're clear."
