by J. N. Colon
An eerie tune suddenly whispered on the wind—one I’d heard a few times before.
My feet were glued to the pavement, and a cold sweat began to slicken my nape. Craptacular. My body was literally frozen in fear. I couldn’t see anything through the darkness, but I knew who was coming.
Why the heck hadn’t I told Jayson about him?
“Hello, Ms. Raven.”
I jumped at the ominous voice and glanced over my shoulder. The old man appeared, the moonlight glinting on the shock of silvery white hair spilling from his black gambler hat.
My lungs shrank three sizes smaller. How did he know my name?
Teeth flashed from behind his thin, parched lips. “You are quite the specimen, Ms. Raven. Very intriguing.”
The rest of my body turned to face him, my knees quaking. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“The name is Moloch.” He tipped his hat, a menacing smile stretching over his wrinkled face. “And I want a lot of things. But the thing I want the most, you’re going to help me get.”
Ice slithered through my veins. This guy was a demon. No doubt about it. Was he just a human possessed by a dweller or was he the kind that could rip my chest to pieces with lethal claws?
My gaze lingered on his boney hands. I swallowed hard as his oily black eyes bored into me. I was in a shit-ton of trouble.
“When I finally caught your scent in that demolished store, I knew you were a little avis.” He licked his lips. “It makes you sweeter than the rest. But then, I bumped into you the other night, and you could just imagine my surprise when I smelled that heavenly flavor all over your soul. You weren’t just Heaven-kissed anymore.” He slapped his knee, his expression manic. “Just divine.”
My breathing came in erratic pants. Did he know I was linked to a Nephilim? Could he harm Jayson through me?
I glanced around the street. Not a single person was in the vicinity. They were all inside having fun.
I was never going to a party again.
A warm tingle raced down my spine, and my body lit up. There was only one reason for this reaction. Jayson was close.
But before I could take a breath of relief, long, iron fingers closed around my throat, and my back was pressed against a hard chest.
My pulse skyrocketed. I could hardly hear over the sudden rushing of blood through my veins.
“Let her go, Moloch.” Jayson stood a few feet away, his sword looking lethal in his steady hand. His eyes shone molten gold.
“Oh, goodie. We have an audience.” Moloch’s fingers tightened, cutting off my air supply by half.
Jayson’s growl rumbled so deep it shook my bones. “If you harm one hair on her head—”
“You’ll what? Kill me?” A sinister laugh curled out of the demon’s mouth. “I’ve got your precious soul mate by the throat, Nephilim. You won’t do shit.”
My heart shuddered to a stop. Soul mate? Was that what this bond was? Was that how Jayson and I were linked?
Jayson’s nostrils flared like a wild animal, and he stepped closer. “I’ll do worse.”
Those fingers tightened, and a tiny whimper escaped my mouth. Jayson’s expression darkened as he raised the sword. He looked like a warrior ready for battle—hard, unforgiving, and deadly. Yet under the sharp danger, turmoil coiled through his body.
Me at the mercy of this demon had him panicked.
“At first I thought she may be a totem.” Moloch ran his free hand along my cheek. “You were around her all the time, protecting her from demons. Watching her.”
My skin crawled at the way his face nuzzled my hair.
“I don’t know when, but at some point, you bound her to you.” His laughter echoed ominously around us. “Can you imagine my joy when I realized the son of Nithael was now sharing his soul with a fragile little human?”
Woah. Come again? Sharing his soul? And this Nithael was Jayson’s father? He had to be his angel parent, but he’d said Nephilim never met their heavenly relative.
“You see, sweetheart…” The demon stroked my cheek again, spilling shivers of protest down my body. “You now have part of his soul inside you. Angelic souls are quite powerful.” Moloch licked the side of my face.
I flinched, and his grip tightened, sending a flare of pain through me.
Jayson’s snarl sounded more demon than angel. “I’m going to rip your spine out of your mouth.”
“He is no regular Nephilim; are you Jayson?” Moloch wasn’t fazed by Jayson’s threat. “He came from Nithael, the great and noble archangel.” Wild laughter rang out of the demon.
I recoiled even as his words sank through my gut. Archangel’s were warriors of God. I shouldn’t be surprised Jayson was descended from that.
“Jayson’s soul is very powerful,” Moloch continued. “And taking what’s in you would give me just the boost I need.”
“Need for what?” Jayson hissed. “You’re Astaroth’s lapdog. Are you planning on something other than collecting totems for your master?”
Moloch’s deep growl vibrated against my back. “Never you mind, Nephilim. It’s my business.”
“Why is Astaroth after the totems?” Jayson asked.
“You have no idea what’s coming.” The demon’s grip tightened even more, and I struggled to breathe. My lungs were on fire. “You Nephilim will be squashed like bugs.”
A visible tremor rippled through Jayson’s body as if sensing the urgency. I was going to pass out soon. “You’re not touching one single part of her soul.” He took a step closer, his sword raising. “Times up.”
Moloch’s body suddenly seized. He hissed and spun around with me still in his death grip. Kale appeared, a silvery black rock glowing in his palm.
“Obsidian,” Moloch spat. “You think that’s going to be enough to injure me? I’m one of the oldest demons!” His fingers began to shift into claws.
Just great. He was one of those demons. And he was about to tear my throat open.
A sword appeared through the darkness, slicing right through the arm holding me. The demon’s hand fell away, landing on the ground as Moloch howled in pain.
Jayson grabbed me, pushing my body behind his. My fingers curled into his shirt as I held onto him, the road spinning.
Kale rushed Moloch, but within the blink of an eye, the demon disappeared, melting into the shadows.
Jayson whirled around, his sword clattering to the ground as his hands reached up, cradling my face. “Are you okay?” His smoldering eyes frantically searched over me. “You’re bleeding.”
My fingers touched my neck, coming away with warm crimson.
“Can you speak?”
“I’m okay.” I winced from the sharp sting.
“How is she?” Kale closed the distance between us.
Jayson’s lips thinned while he examined my neck. “The scratches aren’t deep, but there’s bruising.” He swallowed hard, studying me for several long seconds. “She’ll be okay.”
“You need to tell me exactly what is going on,” I forced out, ignoring the agony ripping my throat apart. “Everything.” When Jayson didn’t say a word, I continued, “Soul mates?”
He sighed.
“It’s time you told Lena.” Kale bent and retrieved Jayson’s sword, handing it to him. “I know you wanted to keep her as far away from this chaos as possible, but leaving her in the dark is too dangerous now.”
Jayson’s shoulders dropped as a heavy, invisible weight settled upon them. “I know.” His gaze slowly landed on me. “I’ll tell you.”
Chapter 21
I sucked air sharply as Jayson pressed a damp rag to the shallow cuts on my neck. He sat close on the tan leather couch in his living room while Kale was busy with his phone on the matching recliner. Max was out bowling with my dad.
“Sorry,” Jayson whispered, his jaw tight.
He hadn’t said much on the way back to his house in my car. If he didn’t start talking, I was going to start walking my butt home.
“Want to
explain this whole soul mate thing?” I blurted, my voice hoarse.
Those hazel eyes remained on my neck. “Not really.”
My brows dipped. “Too bad.” I nudged his knee with mine. “I want the truth, Casteel. Now.”
Jayson sighed, his gaze finally lifting to mine. “There’s a lot to it. It’s going to take more than one night.”
“It’s that complicated?” I swallowed hard, wincing. Couldn’t that creep demon have injured something else? This was going to make it difficult to enjoy my sweets.
The front door swung open, and the twins barreled in, racing to the other recliner. Brenna made it first, plopping herself in the center with a wide grin.
“Sorry, big brother.” She demurely smoothed down her corduroy skirt. “I guess it’s the floor for you.”
I motioned toward the couch. “There’s plenty of—” My voice cut off as my vocal cords seized. A painful cough ripped through my throat.
Jayson flinched. “Stop talking, damn it. You’re only going to hurt yourself.”
My head snapped toward him, a verbal lashing on the tip of my tongue until I got a good look at him. Worry swirled beneath the hardness of his expression.
“No way,” Seth said, interrupting the awkward moment between us. “I try to stay away from Jayson when he’s in one of those moods.” He wiggled his fingers. “I like to keep all my appendages.”
Jayson shot him a narrowed glare.
“I brought pizza.” Emily strolled in, balancing several boxes from Jimmie’s in one hand and a plastic bag in another. No one would have been that graceful except a half-angel.
My shoulders slumped. No pizza for me. My esophagus caught fire just thinking about it.
Kale jumped up and took the boxes from her. “Thanks, babe. You’re the best.”
She batted her lashes and pointed to her lips. “I’ll take my payment now.”
“Ugh, guys, come on.” Seth stood and headed to the kitchen. “If you’re going to make out please go upstairs. Nobody wants to see that.”
Kale pressed a quick kiss to Emily’s lips and rolled his eyes. “It’s not my fault you’re uncomfortable with PDA.”
“I’m not,” Seth called from the kitchen. “As long as I’m a participant and not an onlooker.”
Emily held out the plastic bag toward me. “I got you a piece of molten chocolate cake from the diner.”
My eyes widened. I’d struggle through the pain to eat that. But as I reached for the bag, Jayson snatched it.
“Hey!” I coughed.
“You can barely swallow,” Jayson said. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to eat chocolate cake?”
My brows dipped. “I’d walk over hot coals for chocolate cake.”
Jayson stared at me, his lips thinning. He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and abruptly stood. He stalked into the kitchen—with my cake.
My jaw dropped. What the frack? Who did this caveman think he was? He had no right to take away my sugary goodness.
I glanced at Emily and Kale for help.
Emily shifted, peering into the kitchen. A smile melted over her lips, and she and Kale traded knowing glances. “He’s coming back.”
Uh, yeah, but was he coming back with my cake?
Jayson reappeared and placed a bottle of water on the coffee table in front of the couch and handed me a bowl. Inside was my cake and two scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice cream.
Nothing went with cake better than ice cream.
“This will make it easier to eat.” He retook the seat next to me.
My heart warmed despite all the drama between us. “Thanks.”
His response was an indiscernible grumble before he returned to treating the scratches on my neck. He leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear. “Eat it slowly, Angel Eyes,” he whispered.
My breath caught, and heat melted over my skin. The kiss we shared at Austin’s seared behind my eyes, quickening my heart. The feel of his lips was burned into mine.
That was no regular kiss, bond or not.
Jayson’s deep chuckle snapped me back to the present. “Are you going to eat it or let the ice cream melt?”
I shook myself and scooped up a smallish bite. Eat it, of course. Sugary goodness melted over my taste buds, and the cold ice cream soothed my throat. Jayson had known exactly what I needed.
The others returned with their plates and got comfortable in the living room. It felt like I was in for one hell of a long conversation.
“The bond?” I began, shooting Jayson an expectant look. “From what Moloch said, I guess it doesn’t usually involve Nephilim and humans.”
Jayson’s eyes pulsated gold, and his nostrils flared. He wanted to rip that demon to pieces.
“There have been plenty of Neph-human bonds,” Kale answered for him. He chewed on his bottom lip, hesitating. “But because of Jayson’s father, it’s different.”
“He’s an archangel,” I said. The demon had already spilled the beans on that one.
The other four Nephilim traded glances while Jayson’s attention remained on me. His body was stiff as stone.
Kale leaned forward and laid his empty plate on the coffee table, careful not to let Emily spill out of his lap. “Not many Nephilim are born from archangels. They’re stronger than the rest of us.”
I licked my spoon. “Is that why you know your dad, because he’s an archangel?” I asked Jayson.
“Yeah.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Sort of.”
There was something they weren’t saying, but I let it slide. Jayson clearly had issues with his dad.
“I’ve got some super powerful angel stuff in my weak little human body.” Of course the Neanderthal would be extra angel. “Does that put a massive target on my back where demons are concerned? Crack my fragile shell and get the heavenly surprise?”
“No,” Jayson growled.
He was growling a lot lately.
“That’s not going to happen.” He shifted and stuck a bandage on the other side of my neck. “And demons were drawn to you before we were bound. They can sense you’ve been touched by Heaven.”
My lips thinned. Oh, right. I was an avis. He thought I was the one Nithael had mentioned. “Being an avis lets me see those dweller demons, your gold eyes, and those fuzzy outlines around you guys.”
“Our halos,” Brenna supplied.
My spoon hung suspended. Their halos. Of course.
“You also saw the hidden part of the cemetery where the gate is located.” Emily handed Kale her crust. “Regular humans wouldn’t have seen it or been able to pass over the threshold.”
Jolts of electricity had slithered over my body as I slipped between the two guarding angels. At least Sebastian and Jessica were safe from ever finding that horrific spot.
Jayson closed the first aid kit and set it on the coffee table. “I’m not going to let any demons harm you.”
I scooped up the last bit of cake and ice cream, avoiding his eyes. I didn’t want to see his reasons for protecting me. He may have kissed me earlier tonight, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe this whole hero thing was anything other than his sense of duty. His father was an archangel for crap sakes.
“What are these totem things?” I asked as Jayson took my bowl and put it on the coffee table. “What do the demons want?”
“We should probably start from the beginning.” Seth stacked his empty plate on top of his sister’s and placed them on the table. “Since angels can’t interfere in human affairs, they create us, the Nephilim, to protect humans and guard the gates to Hell.”
“Gates? As in plural?” My voice cracked as it attempted to rise an octave or two. “That mausoleum in the cemetery isn’t the only one?”
Seth laughed. “Not even close, darling. There are 666 gates to Hell.”
My blood turned cold. “Are you joking?”
“Nope.” Seth stood and grabbed the empty plates. “Not all of them are currently active, but they do exist.” He spun around
and headed into the kitchen. “All demons—dwellers and upper-level ones—need to access a gate to move between Earth and Hell,” he called as the sound of the refrigerator opening echoed.
“Unless an exorcism is performed,” Brenna supplied, tucking her feet under her. “Then they go straight to the fire pits.”
That sounded delightful.
Seth returned with another soda, popping the top. “Upper-level demons like Moloch and the others trying to transport the totems into Hell have bodies. They can look human, but they need to maintain power while on Earth. They do that by sucking on souls.”
I sank lower into the cushions. “This just keeps getting better,” I mumbled.
“The gate in Mystic Hollow wasn’t as active as it’s been recently,” Emily said, cuddling up to Kale in the recliner. “Something caused the veil between this world and the next to thin even more, allowing for easier access through this gate.”
“Does this have something to do with the red lightning and freaky earthquake?” I leaned forward to grab the bottle of water on the table, but Jayson beat me to it, handing it over.
My brow arched. The Neanderthal was being unusually sweet.
“Bingo,” Kale said, running his fingers through his girlfriend’s flaxen locks. “Demons were responsible for that. Tyler—or the dweller inside of him—and a couple others performed a ritual in the basement of TVs & More Electronics. They caused a bigger rift in the doorway in Mystic Hollow.”
So that was why the electronics store looked as if it had been through a major quake while the rest of town was barely touched.
“A sacrifice or offering was required to travel back and forth between the worlds,” Kale continued. “Now demons can come and go through the opening in the cemetery without the fuss.”
Emily leaned into his touch, a smile curling her lips as if we weren’t discussing dark, evil forces. “And now demons are collecting totems here on Earth and taking them back to Hell.”
“What are totems?” I twisted the cap off the water, carefully taking a sip.
