Gods and Demons (Blood and Darkness Book 3)

by Melissa Sercia

  Chaos smiled. “Your insecurity amuses me, but I am feeling under stimulated. Thank you for the lovely meal, but Dion and I must take our leave. We will return when we are more confident in your endeavors.”

  I gasped. “You’re leaving? But we had a deal.”

  He chuckled. “And I will honor it…as soon as I feel you are ready.”

  Valentina jumped up. “But there’s no time. Cerberus is destroying New Orleans. We have to act fast.”

  Chaos raised an eyebrow. “All the more reason to get your affairs in order.”

  He flashed me a wicked grin and sauntered out the door with Dionysus at his heels.

  I sank down in my chair and closed my eyes. I rubbed my temples as a searing pain shot through my head. The silence in the room was thick and uneasy. Chaos was stalling. He didn’t want us to win any more than the rest of the gods did. But why? After thousands of years, why were they suddenly giving up on this world?

  The Keeper cleared his throat. “I must retire to the library.” He gave my shoulder a light squeeze before he left. He had been working tirelessly on formulating new spells and forging new weapons—searching for anything that could give us an advantage.

  Aldric sighed and ran a hand through his pale blond hair, now matted from sweat. “I don’t trust these gods. There’s something not right about them.”

  Dragos slammed his fists on the table. “They’re toying with us!” He gritted his teeth, his eyes still blood red.

  Valentina winced and then rolled her eyes. “Let me talk to Lycos. He might have an idea of what to do.”

  I nodded. “Go to him, but be careful. And don’t mention anything about Pythia. I will tell Arcadia to her face when the time is right.”

  And with that, Valentina bounced out the door and into the night.

  Once again, our list of allies was growing shorter. With our future uncertain, I said a silent prayer to Apollo that he would not abandon our fight.

  Eighteen

  The dawn broke over the horizon like spilled ink—pink and yellow—casting a rose tint on the Sea of Magia. I stood on the docks, facing my ship, the Deam Morte, and let my thoughts drift to another time. A time when the hardest thing I had to do was drink human blood. Before the prophecies and curses and impending doom. I thought I knew darkness back then. I was wrong. Seeing my blood painted on the side of my ship reminded me. The name I gave myself that day, Goddess of Death, took on new meaning now. I shivered at the realization that I was the one who set these events in motion. I lifted the veil between worlds. Maybe the Lupi were right. Maybe I was the one who needed to be stopped.

  The crunching of footsteps behind me shook me out of my daze. Without turning around, I knew Aldric and Dragos were approaching. The two of them were by no means chummy, but at least they weren’t at each other’s throats.

  I turned halfway to greet them and forced a smile. “Are you sure you want to do this?” They both gave me a hesitant look but then nodded.

  Dragos clenched his fists. “We have survived for centuries without the gods. We don’t need their help.”

  Aldric swallowed hard. “But we’ve never gone up against anything like this before. If we’re wrong…”

  I locked my knees to keep them from shaking. “That’s what we are about to find out. If we succeed today, then we will get our answer. If we fail…we are dead anyway. Gods or no gods, we have to know if we have what it takes.”

  The energy was tense, but electric. Adrenaline coursed through my veins like a rushing river. As I looked back and forth between their faces, I knew they were all in. Their knowing stares gave me all the strength I needed. With the three of us in final agreement, we boarded the Deam Morte and set sail for New Orleans.

  A strong wave of magic hit me as we neared the Wolf and Crescent. They had been working tirelessly to hold up the shield around the city. My heart ached for Josephine. Even with the loss of her son, she was still dedicated to the cause. Maybe more so now than ever.

  Before I could open the door, Silas, the berserker, came barreling out. With his chest puffed out, he groaned when he saw us.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Going somewhere?”

  His eyes darted to the ground. “I have to try to save my son.”

  I sighed in frustration. “We will figure out a way to save Samuel, but until then you need to stay put.”

  Josephine peered her head around the doorway. “I already have.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “How?” I didn’t know whether to be hopeful or furious with her for trying to attempt this on her own.

  She stepped forward, wringing her hands. “A potion. Against demon possession. I found an old recipe and added to it. Silas was about to go and find him when you showed up.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Josephine, you have no idea if this will even work. Silas could get himself killed.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I have to try. He’s my son.”

  Silas lowered his head. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  A lump formed in my throat. She was right. I couldn’t be angry with her. I would do the same for someone I loved.

  I nodded. “Okay. What can we do to help?”

  A look of relief washed over her. “Accompany Silas into the city. Protect him while he administers the potion. And then bring them both back to me.”

  A thousand thoughts flooded my head. What if the potion didn’t work? It was risky and dangerous. If we failed to cure Samuel, we would have a new set of problems on our hands. But we had to try.

  I shrugged off the feeling of dread. “We can do that. You just focus on keeping those magic wards up around the city. No matter what happens.”

  Josephine nodded. “There’s something else. You will only have a few minutes to kill the shadow demon before it reenters Samuel’s body. Now that it is attached to him, it will do everything to prevent it from being separated.”

  A lump formed in my throat. “I guess we better be quick about it.”

  Dragos leaned in and whispered, “Samuel or not, I will kill that thing if I have to.” I nodded but kept my expression blank. The last thing we needed was Silas finding out our intentions.

  Aldric stiffened and threw me a nervous glance. “We should get moving.”

  The three of us and the berserker headed out into the bayou. With our vial of mystery potion, I was shrouded in a blanket of uneasiness.

  Keeping to the shadows, we crept through the French Quarter. My stomach turned at the sight of it. Bodies littered the streets, businesses were abandoned, and the only light came from piles of burning cars. It was a ghost town; no, worse. It was an inferno. A nightmare come to life.

  Thick sludge coated the pavement as we tip-toed down Bourbon Street. The sound of shrill laughter and blood curdling screams rang through my ears. I gave the three of them a knowing look and we moved toward it.

  As we turned down Pirate’s Alley, we were careful to avoid the Three Blind Mice. The source of Cerberus’s power was coming from there and it was most likely where he was holed up.

  Turning down another alleyway, the screams and laughter grew louder. Glasses clanked together like cymbals and music thumped through the night. I spotted the source a few blocks ahead and picked up my pace. The others followed close behind.

  I let out a gasp as we approached. It was a tavern, fully packed with people and demons alike.

  Aldric stiffened, his face as pale as a ghost. “That’s my friend’s bar.”

  Cigar smoke billowed out the windows along with traces of cheap perfume and oleander. Women perched on each other’s laps while groups of demons rolled dice on the ground that was littered with trash and broken bottles. It was like the wild west.

  My chest tightened. “Every thief and criminal in the city is here.”

  Dragos clenched his fists. “This place should be burned down along with everyone in it.” He rubbed his fingers together and closed his eyes.

  I grabbed his hands. “No. There are inn
ocents in there. Samuel could be in there.” I gave him a look and nodded slightly toward Silas.

  Aldric sighed. “Gray’s right. I have friends in there. This isn’t their fault.”

  Dragos groaned and rolled his eyes. “This isn’t about you, Bannister. Your attachment to your former life is of no concern to me. I will restrain myself. But not for you.”

  Aldric snickered. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Dragos.”

  I nodded and walked over to Silas, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  His eyes brimmed with tears and fury. “Let’s just get in there and find my son. After that, I don’t care what you do with this place.”

  Cloaked in magic, we slipped into the tavern undetected. It didn’t make us completely invisible to the demons, but it diminished our presence enough. They were so distracted by their debauchery that they barely had their wits about them. Consumed with liquor and oyster pearls, the only thing they seemed to care about was their own entertainment.

  I scanned the room for Samuel and my heart sank. Jenna. She was the bartender that worked for Aldric at the Three Blind Mice. She was the first person I met in New Orleans. A lovely girl who was now possessed by a shadow demon. I looked over at Aldric and my heart ached. He saw her too. His hands trembled as he wiped the sweat off his brow. Her family had worked for his since the days of prohibition.

  Dragos narrowed his eyes as he searched the room. “Any sign of Samuel?”

  I gave him a look.

  He shook his head, confused. “What?”

  I sighed. “The girl behind the bar—we know her. Aldric…knew her.”

  Dragos’s face softened. “I’m sorry. If the potion works, she’ll be okay. We can come back for her.”

  A rage I had never felt before filled my insides and threatened to erupt. My eyes shifted to black. “We will come back for all of them.”

  Aldric tightened his jaw. “He’s not here. Let’s go. I can’t stomach this anymore.”

  I nodded, and we slipped out as quietly as we came in

  The air was warmer than usual. That sticky sweet heat I used to love now unnerved me. A reminder of the air in Tartarus. I shivered in spite of it. A chill that turned into a cold sweat and dripped down my back.

  We had crossed the alley and were heading back toward the bayou when a low guttural growl sounded from behind us. We froze in our tracks. All of the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

  I turned around slowly and locked eyes with Samuel. Except they were not Samuel’s eyes. The shadow demon clung to him like a leach, pulling him down like quicksand. He was in there somewhere, but buried deep.

  Without hesitating, I threw an arm out to block Silas as he started toward him. “Wait. We have to be smart about this.”

  Dragos and Aldric darted in front of us, planting their feet in the ground to block any attacks. Samuel slithered from side to side, his mouth salivating. Was he looking for another host? A stronger body? The effects of the demon blood were no doubt starting to wear Samuel down.

  I whispered in Silas’s ear. “When it’s time, I need you to pour the potion down his throat as fast as you can. Do you understand? Do not hesitate.”

  He nodded and swallowed hard, his eyes wide.

  I shot Dragos and Aldric a look, an exchange of understanding passed between us. I slowly pulled out my daggers and crouched down.

  The shadow demon—Samuel—charged forward as Dragos and Aldric pounced on top of him. He let out a shriek.

  My heart raced. “Hurry before he draws attention.”

  They wrestled him to the ground and pinned down each of his arms. His face twisted and contorted into pure rage. I leaped over them and came down from behind.

  I gripped Samuel’s head between my hands. “Silas, now.”

  Silas stood shaking, frozen in fear as he watched his son writhe around on the ground like a wild animal.

  My fingers were burning. “Silas! Snap out of it. We need the potion.”

  His eyelids fluttered and he rushed over. I pried Samuel’s mouth open and Silas poured the liquid down Samuel’s throat, his hands trembling. I closed my hand over his mouth to keep him from spitting it up. His shoulders lurched forward, but Dragos slammed him back down into the pavement. As his head hit the ground, black sludge sprayed out of his eyes and mouth.

  Silas went pale. “What’s happening?”

  I winced as I struggled to help hold him down. “He’s fighting it.” We were losing our grip on him.

  Dragos held his knee to Samuel’s chest and grunted. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold him. This thing is out of control.”

  Aldric’s eyes filled with panic, then darkened. Without warning he cocked back and smashed his fist into Samuel’s jaw. His eyes rolled back into his head as his head bounced off the pavement and his body went limp.

  Dragos raised an eyebrow. “Is he dead?”

  Silas charged at Aldric. I stepped in between them. “Calm down. He’s only knocked out.”

  Dragos tugged at my arm. “Gray. Look.”

  I whipped around to see the demon silhouette seeping out of Samuel’s lips. Like thick fog, it rose up and lingered above him, then settled next to him, taking on a solid shape. It spun around and glared daggers at us. I didn’t hesitate.

  In one swift motion, I shifted my eyes to black and summoned Hera’s pomegranate magic. My throat tickled as it awakened inside me, sliding through my veins like honey. I sliced open my wrist with my dagger right before it lunged at me.

  Wrapping my free hand around its throat, I plunged my wrist into its mouth and channeled every ounce of strength I had to hold it there. The stench of rotting flesh hit my nostrils and I held my breath to keep the bile from rising up in my throat. The demon lashed at me, digging its claws into my flesh. I winced but did not loosen my grip as he dug in deeper. My vision blurred as I pulled the back of his head tighter to my wrist.

  Just as I was on the verge of passing out, the demon finally relented and let my blood fill his mouth. His body relaxed, and his struggle began slipping away. His shoulders fell, and he went limp. I released his neck as he crumbled to the ground.

  Silas hovered over Samuel’s body while Dragos and Aldric gaped at me in horror. Black sludge covered my cheeks and blood dripped through my fingers. My blood. The demon had managed to tear away a good chunk of my flesh before I put him down.

  My head spun, and my knees wobbled as I stumbled forward. They both dashed over to me, and each grabbed one of my arms to steady me. The strong weight of their bodies did nothing to comfort me. It took all of my magic and my strength to kill that shadow demon. And there were at least a hundred more of them scattered throughout the city.

  My heart raced as I remembered Samuel. “Did he make it?”

  Silas gathered him up in is arms. “He is breathing, but his pulse is weak. We need to get him to his mother right away.”

  I nodded, clutching my head. “You all go. I’ll catch up.”

  Dragos clenched his jaw. The vein throbbed in his neck. “No. I’m staying with you. You can barely walk, let alone fight another one of those things by yourself.”

  I started to protest, but Aldric interjected. “He’s right, Gray. I’ll escort Silas and Samuel back to Josephine. You two…just try to hurry.”

  There was no arguing with them when it came to my safety. They would not take no for an answer. I tilted my head and gave him a little nod as I leaned on Dragos for support.

  Limping through back alleys, I could feel the pain in my chest getting worse. A heat spread through my body and beads of sweat dripped down my face.

  Dragos grunted. “We should fast travel. You are burning up. I can carry you and run.”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m in…too much pain.”

  He let out a deep sigh. “I don’t understand. Why aren’t you healing?” His face was panic-stricken.

  I licked my cracked lips. Bits of skin flaked off in my mouth. “I don’t know. I�
��ve never felt so weak.” My hands trembled.

  My throat was as dry as a desert and a searing pain shot through my bones. I had fought many demons and suffered wounds, but not like this. This was different.

  By the time we reached the Wolf and Crescent, I could no longer stand. Dragos had to carry me through the door. Josephine ushered us upstairs and motioned toward a cot for him to lay me down on. The world around me was a blur. I clawed at my clothes as the heat intensified.

  I could barely make out Josephine’s silhouette as she hovered over me, chanting in Latin. A cool compress, laced with an herb I couldn’t place, hit my forehead and everything went black.

  Nineteen

  There were no dreams. No nightmares. Only darkness. If this was to be my death, then there was no afterlife. No Elysium. No Underworld. Just complete and total nothingness. A fate for the creature with the black eyes whom no one wanted.

  When I opened my eyes, I was in Josephine’s study in the Wolf and Crescent. I remembered Dragos’s eyes as he brought me in, blood red and full of shadows. The soft murmurs of their voices guided me back to the present. It hurt to blink, but I had to know.

  Dragos sat next to me, caressing my cheek while Josephine dabbed more compresses to my forehead.

  I swallowed hard and could only muster a whisper. “How bad is it?”

  Josephine looked down at me. “Your fever has subsided, but your wounds…they are still not healing.”

  I closed my eyes and drew in a sharp breath. “How is Samuel?”

  She smiled sadly. “Thanks to you, he’s alive. He’s resting but will make a full recovery. I owe you everything.”

  A sense of relief washed over me. It wasn’t all for nothing. The look on Josephine’s face, the hope in her eyes, reassured me that it was all worth it.

  I tried to sit up, but my limbs were dead weight. I cried out in frustration.