The Infernal Sacrament (Guardians of Elysium Book 1)

by Nissa Leder

  Darien stares down at his plate and pokes a carrot with a fork, his cheeks flaming red. I can feel heat rise to my own face, which is mingled with guilt. Obviously, Darien hasn’t shared every detail of our meeting. Even Uriah scowls with a sour expression. I wonder what, exactly, bothers him about the prospect of my relationship with Darien.

  “Gran, I don’t think we have any wedding plans in the foreseeable future,” Darien finally says.

  I’m relieved he didn’t out me or blame me or make a snide remark. It makes me like him even more. But then Dad puts his napkin on the table.

  Uh-oh.

  “And there won’t be anything serious until I’m convinced Darien is a thoroughly trained Hellwalker rather than a danger to my daughter.”

  I want to die. I can feel myself sinking in the chair, ready to slither beneath the dining room table.

  “I would never do anything to put Rachel in danger,” Darien says.

  His eyes flash at Dad.

  Dad glares right back.

  “Caleb, if I may,” Uriah says, “Darien may have only recently learned the realities of our world, but Thomas Crain has laid a solid foundation. Darien is honorable, selfless for the most part, hard-working, and open to correction. More than that, he’s highly intelligent, in excellent physical condition, and stronger than the average Hellwalker. In the few days I’ve been training him, I’ve felt only a fraction of the power he possesses. It’s more than even my own. Once he learns to unleash it in its full measure, he will ensure theirs is the strongest Triad that has ever been.”

  Dad pushes his plate back, staring at Darien, who looks like he wants to disappear as much as I do.

  “Be that as it may, Mr. Donnelly, it has only been a few days. I’m not willing to risk my daughter’s safety because you’ve all lied to this boy his entire life. Triads raise their children to know the dangers and complications of the spiritual world. It’s how we keep them safe. As a parent, I need to know my daughter will come home when she runs out of the house at all hours of the night.”

  Darien’s embarrassment, his humiliation, washes over me in a wave of self-doubt. My confident QB is second-guessing himself. Before I know it, I’m on my feet, glaring at my father.

  “It is not his fault,” I hiss. “Don’t you dare talk down to him. Don’t you dare make him feel unworthy of his duty. And don’t you dare treat me like some delicate flower in need of protection. He is my Hellwalker. I am his Lightbearer. No matter what happens, we protect each other, even from judgmental parents.”

  Everything stops.

  Dad stares at me, his mouth a thin line stretched across a stone-like face. I’ve crossed the line, and I don’t even know where it came from. It’s the bond. That’s the only explanation for why I’d ever raise my voice to my dad. In front of Uriah Donnelly. And Darien’s Gran. And Darien. Oh, God. I just did that, didn’t I?

  Beneath the shocked expressions of all the dinner guests, I lower myself back into my chair.

  Darien looks at me in shock, like he can’t believe I just stood up to my father and defended him. Uriah stares down at his plate. But Gran, who sits with perfect posture at the end of the table, smiles at me. Well, at least someone is impressed.

  I wake from a groggy sleep as images of Darien’s lips on mine, a dark street, and bright headlights swim in my mind. A heaviness presses into my body. My eyes remain closed as my brain turns on and I piece together the memories swimming in my mind.

  I remember overhearing Claire and Tuck—the strangeness of their words and the surge of hurt that pulsed through me as I realized they were lying to me. Finn’s face surfaces next.

  Then our conversation at the park.

  Angels.

  Demons.

  Things that fill story books somehow true.

  As much as I want to brush it all off as a crazy dream, I can’t. Too much makes sense.

  My best friend is an angel. Well, half-angel. How did I not know? She’s always had an alluring nature. People would stare at her wherever we went, and despite being pulled over at least five times with me in the car, she’s never gotten a ticket. I always assumed it’s because she’s pretty. The most beautiful girl I know, in fact. Nearly otherworldly features.

  For as long as I’ve known her, she’s never been sick. As far as I know, she’s never even had a bruise. And even if I could convince myself that all of those signs are merely a coincidence, I remember the way she stopped my punch with such ease.

  As I piece it all together, her instant opinion of Finn makes sense. Did she sense he was part demon when she met him at the school? But the second she saw his picture she tried to convince me not to talk to him. Did they already know each other?

  And the most convincing part of it all is Darien. The way he pushed me away completely out of the blue makes no sense, but if what Finn said is true, something supernatural caused his distance.

  A bright light shines into my face, causing me to turn my head despite my closed eyes.

  “Wakey, wakey, lovely,” the voice of the man who grabbed me from the streets purrs.

  I force myself to open my eyes, which blink as they adjust to the light around me. Once my eyesight is clear, I push myself up and scan the area. The room is dimly lit with sconces hanging on the walls. Boxes line the room, some open, others taped shut. I’m trapped in a metal cage of some sort, which despite its thicker bars, reminds me of a dog kennel.

  “Welcome to the Serpent’s Lair,” the man says. “I, Ruben, am your ever-welcoming host.”

  My body aches from lying on the cement floor for however long I’ve been out. “How long have I been here?”

  “Two nights.”

  What? How is that possible? It’s already Friday?

  “I gave you a little something to help you get some sleep. You looked so exhausted,” he adds.

  “What do you want with me?”

  “It’s not about what I want, what matters is what Boss wants. Which is you right where you are until he’s ready.” His dark hair is greasy, and his pale skin makes him look sickly. His clothes are normal enough, brown pants and a dirty orange and yellow striped shirt.

  He nears the cage and grabs onto the bars.

  The urge to walk to him hits me, but as the thought occurs, I push it away. Like when Finn kissed me in the park, a tingle prickles my skin. Is this man half demon, too? When I don’t move, he frowns.

  There are no windows. Either this is a secure building or, more likely, we’re underground. There’s only one exit, a red door on the far end of the room behind Ruben. Even if I can find a way to get out of the cage, I won’t make it past him.

  I pull my knees into my chest, wanting to hide from his gaze. “Who are you working for?”

  Maybe if I can get more information, I can use it to escape when the opportunity comes.

  “Ahh, that’s not for you to know.”

  A young woman enters. Her fire-engine red hair is pulled into a bun on her head and she’s dressed in all black. She glances at me with a blank expression. Apparently, having a girl locked in a cage is no big deal wherever this is.

  “Boss says the angel girl should know about her friend shortly,” she says.

  “I knew my plan would work,” Ruben says, satisfaction thick in his voice.

  Angel girl.

  Claire.

  They’re setting a trap.

  The girl approaches Ruben and runs a finger down his cheek. “Surprisingly, it’s working even better than you anticipated.”

  He wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her onto his lap. “Oh?”

  “The new Hellwalker is with her, and this little human love is his best friend.”

  Darien.

  No. I need to warn them. I push myself from the ground, searching my brain for some sort of plan.

  “I need to pee,” I say as I grab onto the bars.

  Ruben groans. “Will you take her to the bathroom, Talia?”

  Talia glares at me. “Can’t you hold it?”
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  I cross my legs. “No.”

  She rolls her eyes and pushes herself from Ruben’s lap. “You owe me, Ruben.”

  “I’ll make it up to you later.” He smacks her ass as she walks away.

  Talia types a code on a pad and the cage door clicks open. “Follow me.”

  I keep a few feet behind her as we leave the room and walk down a long hallway. Like in the room I woke up in, the hallway is lit by candles inside sconces. Wood paneling lines the lower half of the way, above it a burnt orange paint. A musky smell lingers, likely from the hideous brown carpet beneath my feet.

  Talia stops outside a door. “Here you go, princess.”

  I want to tell her to where she can shove her sarcasm, but I don’t. Playing the weak, helpless human is better.

  “Thanks,” I say in my pretend sick voice. Dad can always see through it, but hopefully, she buys it.

  “Hurry up,” she says as I open the door and go inside.

  The bathroom is large, with tan tile covering the floor and walls. No windows, so no chance of sneaking out through one. There’s a plunger next to the toilet, but I don’t see it as a very helpful weapon. A bottle of hand soap and a roll of paper towels sit on the sink counter, neither of which will do me much good, either.

  Talia pounds on the door. “Are you done?”

  I’m out of time. I lie on the floor in the fetal position and wait.

  After a couple minutes, I hear the door open.

  “Humans are so worthless,” Talia says.

  I pray she’ll leave to go get Ruben, but she doesn’t

  As she bends over and reaches around my waist, I ball my fist and punch her face as hard as I can, striking her directly in her nose.

  She curses and grabs her face.

  I kick her in the stomach, causing her to stumble backward then push myself up and run out the door. The hallway is empty and I head the opposite direction of the room.

  “Get back here,” Talia yells as she slams the bathroom door shut.

  Despite the weakness in my legs, I press on to the door at the end of the hallway, unsure what’s on the other side. As I’m a few feet away, the door pulls inward and a body appears.

  My stomach drops when I recognize the face staring at me.

  17

  Time freezes as I see Ava’s big blue eyes staring into mine.

  I haven’t heard from her since I told her the truth of the supernatural world. Of her friends and me. I figured she needed space to process it all. How did she get here?

  Talia’s hair is falling out of the bun on her head as she lingers in the hallway behind Ava.

  “Grab her,” Talia says.

  I swallow, trying to sort out all the thoughts buzzing in my brain. I remember Ava telling me she thought she was being followed by a brown car. As soon as she’d told me about her friends, I knew what they were and that she wasn’t just paranoid, but I didn’t think much about the car. Had someone really been stalking her?

  Taking out Talia would be easy enough, especially if she’s not expecting it. If I did, maybe I could get Ava out, but I’d have to get her out of the bar before someone else stopped me. And even if somehow that happened, I’d never be able to show my face here again. I’d be labeled a traitor. Not only would my dad be pissed, but Seraphiel would call off the bargain and I’ll never be able to free my sister.

  I dip my chin and meet Ava’s stare. As our gazes latch, I pray she will play along. Using my persuasion, I send a wave of calmness toward her. I’m not sure if she’ll know what it means, but it’s the only thing I can do.

  With a deep breath, I walk to her and grab her by her arms. “What’s a human doing here?”

  Talia fixes her hair. “Ruben kidnapped her to lure the angel-brat here.”

  “Ahhh.” I flip Ava around so she’s facing Talia. Her body pressing into mine sends a shiver through me. “Where do you want her?”

  “Ruben’s in the back room. Take her back to him. She’s his problem now.”

  I push Ava down the hallway, past Talia, and through the door at the far end. She hasn’t spoken yet, but she isn’t struggling. When we enter the room, Ruben is sitting in a chair, typing on his phone.

  He glances up. “I thought Talia had her.”

  “Apparently, the human is too slippery for her. I caught her trying to escape.”

  Nausea fills me as I speak so callously about Ava. The words taste sour on my tongue.

  “Figures. Can’t trust her for anything outside of the bedroom, if you know what I mean.” He winks and I want to gag. Picturing Ruben doing anything like that is vomit-inducing. “Boss needs me to get the ritual room ready. Can you watch the girl?”

  “If I must,” I say.

  Ruben stands up and slips his phone into his back pocket as he leaves the room.

  I lift my index finger to my mouth. Ruben isn’t a very strong half-demon, but his hearing is still at least twice as good as a human’s. After a minute, I peek outside the door.

  The hallway is empty. Perfect.

  I turn to Ava. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, so far. That Ruben guy gives me the creeps.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Are you part of this?”

  I step toward her but she steps back.

  “I didn’t know they were going to take you, I swear.”

  “They mentioned a half-angel and a Hellwalker,” she says. “I think they want my friends.”

  I’m not sure what they want with the Hellwalker, especially one so green, but I’ve known they are after Claire for a while now. I could have warned her.

  “I knew they were after Claire. They wanted me to follow her so they could kidnap her. That’s why I was at the party where we first met.”

  The panic in her aura turns to anger. “You knew they wanted to hurt my best friend and you never thought it worth mentioning?”

  “I never thought they’d stand a chance. She’s a really powerful half-angel. If I’d have known they’d use you to get to her …” No excuses are going to fix it. The fury in Ava’s glare pierces me straight in the chest. “I’ll go warn her. I can’t get you out right now, but I can make sure she knows what she’s walking into.”

  “Tell her not to come,” Ava says.

  “They will hurt you,” I say. “They’ll do whatever it takes to get her to come to save you.”

  Ava’s jaw tightens. “I wasn’t worth telling the truth to, so why do I matter now?”

  “Claire wanted to protect you.” I can’t believe I’m defending her, but as self-righteous as Claire can be, I know she cares about Ava.

  “Look how well that worked.”

  She’s right. Humans are part of the supernatural world whether they’re aware of it or not. They’re never safe, especially someone as entangled in our world as Ava.

  I hear Ruben’s voice. He must be in the hallway. I signal for her to be quiet again.

  Ruben enters. “Why isn’t she in the cage?”

  “You didn’t tell me to put her in there,” I say, flatly.

  “Well, put her in there.”

  I want to inform him where exactly he and I sit on the half-demon roster and who should be giving the orders, but I don’t. Instead, I move to Ava and open the cage door. “Get in.”

  She listens.

  “So, what do you plan to do with her when you get Claire here?” I ask.

  “Boss needs her for the ritual.” Ruben pulls out his phone again.

  “Ritual?”

  Ruben shrugs. “Hell if I know.”

  Rituals never end well for humans. If I want to save Ava, I need to get out of here and tell her friends where to find her before it’s too late.

  The commons is packed this morning, buzzing with energy and not the good kind.

  Uriah was specific. No interference at school. But it’s a lot harder to ignore the Lesser bastards when they’re slithering all over your classmates and teachers. Some of it makes perfect sense, though.

  I elbow Tuck,
pointing toward Mrs. Baker, the calc teacher. A Lesser demon coils around her torso and digs its claws into her hair, moving its hands in a circular motion as if it’s giving her some sort of sadistic massage therapy.

  “That explains so much,” Tuck says.

  He can’t see them, but he has lived his entire life sensing them. A heaviness in the air, a tingle up his spine. The momentary flash of someone’s eyes. I’ve been telling him everyone with a demonic presence attached to them. Now that I know what I know, I can’t believe how rampant the problem is.

  “Remember what Uriah told you,” Tuck warns. “We take care of this after hours. The normals can’t know about our world.”

  I know he’s right. I’d picked him up for school this morning and we’d talked everything out, meaning I apologized for being such an ass.

  “Speaking of people who can’t know about our world, have you seen Ava?” I don’t remember seeing her at school yesterday.

  Tuck shakes his head. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her in a couple of days. You?”

  I shake my head, dread creeping in like a looming storm. I haven’t seen Ava since I kissed her two nights ago. I blow out a breath. It makes sense that she’s avoiding me. What doesn’t make sense is the fact that Tuck hasn’t seen her or talked to her, either.

  “Maybe she’s sick or something,” I say, trying to shrug it off. But something feels off.

  “Well, if anyone knows where Ava is, it’s Claire.”

  Tuck points ahead. Dread rises to my throat as we cross the hall toward Claire, who’s trailing a fingernail along Logan’s chest. She leans into him and whispers, giggling.

  The flirtatious expression turns to stone when she sees us staring.

  “Can I help you with something?” She straightens her posture, putting her hand on her hip.

  We’re probably about to get cussed out. Again. It’s safer if Tuck does the talking. I elbow him.

  “Logan, will you excuse us a minute?” Tuck asks with overblown politeness. “I have something important to ask the lovely Claire.”

  Logan shrugs. “We’ll continue this later,” he says to Claire. He backs away, still watching her, until he’s swallowed by a group of cheerleaders.