“She started out as a lovesick ghost who wanted romance and a lot of sex,” he says in that same nearly muted tone. “Now she’s taking beatings to get stronger, and we’re just the men she cares for and wants to protect. What if we pissed all over the old Paca’s plan because she overestimated herself, believing it so easy for the four of us to fall for her, even with a new set of circumstances that built us this time?”
He doesn’t give me a moment to process that bullshit, because he turns and strides toward the trio, leaving me to groan in frustration.
Just how much harder is she to resist when you’ve fully given in? They act like this is not a nightmarish place for life and death, but a playground for them to enjoy her. We’ve literally been tormented for ages by the past memories of the hellish place this truly is.
Right before Gage makes it to the three fools with horrible attention spans, the ground quakes, and a deadly roar rips through the air. It’s so loud that it seems to tear through my eardrums, and I stagger as a loud ringing echoes through my ears.
I’m forced to one knee, slamming my scythe into the ground, as the wind starts funneling toward us at outrageous speeds. When my feet are blown out from under me, only the scythe that’s stuck in the ground keeps me from being swept away into the black hole behind us.
Gage slams his sword into the ground beside me, barely managing to stop from being sucked in after being blown back this far. We both gape at the growing vacuum hole behind us.
Fire blazes between us, as Kai and Ezekiel manage to slam their weapons into the ground next to us before they get sucked in as well. I watch, wishing I wasn’t so mesmerized, as the flames spiral into the portal-like hole that sounds alive when it screams.
It quickly turns into a thunderous T-Rex imposter when that scream turns into a vicious roar, and my ears ring again as the vacuum gets stronger. My scythe starts to drag through the ground, inching me closer to the swirling vortex of what is likely death.
The chakrams zip by me, and they attack the hole so rapidly from so many different angle that it’s dizzying to try to keep up with the motions.
The vacuum stops as abruptly as it started, and the hole vanishes, as the four of us drop to the ground. I grunt as pain lances up my side, and I sigh heavily as I stare up at the changing scenery around me.
Paca pokes her head over mine, a disapproving look in her eyes.
“How did the four of you ever survive in here these past few weeks without me?” she asks as though she expects an answer.
Shoving up to my feet, I narrow my eyes over at her.
“With you here, they get lazy and irresponsibly distracted,” I growl, stepping into her.
She idly glances down at her purple nails, as she drags a finger up my chest with her other hand. I ignore the throbbing that is immediately in my pants, because at least one of us needs self-control and a clear head.
The unnatural way my body always responds to her touch has proven to be just as maddening as the things that come out of her mouth.
Though I admit, it’s all I can do not to tremble when she flicks her gaze up at me, blinking all innocently, even though she’s so far from innocent it’s laughable.
Fucking shit. This girl is both salvation and damnation, because I almost want to force her to the ground and take her, while the other three play lookout.
“Bwahahaha,” she says abruptly, snapping me out of the stupid train of thought.
I think…she’s…trying to mock some sort of laugh.
I’m torn between glaring and growing confused…
“Bahwahahah,” she goes on, making her voice deeper as I decide to go with confusion.
“Mwahahahahaha,” she goes on louder, leaning her head back so that the sound echoes.
“Did your settings break? Are you imploding? What the hell are you doing?” I snap.
She drops her head, looks up at me, and blinks all innocently again.
“Obviously I’m practicing my evil laugh,” she deadpans.
“Stop saying shit like that with a straight face,” I bite out.
She cracks a smartass grin and points at her lips. “Better?”
“How am I supposed to deal with this when I’m sober?” I ask, turning and staring at the fools, who are resisting the urge to smile over at her. “She’s ruined you. All of you,” I add, annoyed that I’m once again left to be the only voice of reason these days.
“Mwahahaha,” Paca carries on, this time putting a lot of theatrical has in there.
I palm my face, as she does a little dance in place.
“That’s it! That’s the evil laugh I’ll use the next time I level up. I wanted to try it this past time, but I was a little worried it wouldn’t have that evil gloating vibe I was going for. Also, there was a huge audience, and that was a tad bit intimidating, you know…if I’d messed up and sounded silly and all,” she adds as she tips her head back and makes that awful sound again.
Glaring at her anew, I slip my hand into her hair, leaning down to her lips, deciding there’s only one way to shut that mouth of hers when she’s this far off on a tangent. When I brush her lips with mine, she shivers against me in a way that has me working harder to preserve that self-control.
“Comoara trădătoare,” I murmur across her lips.
Chapter 15
PACA
Whenever Jude calls me a treacherous treasure in that thick Romanian accent he summons so effortlessly, it makes me want to throw my panties at him.
Mostly because I’ve learned that’s when he’s feeling weak and wants me but doesn’t want to want me. My evil laugh did it for him?
He’s an odd one.
I try to come back with something witty and fun to say, but just as I open my mouth to speak, his lips rush mine. A surprised sound escapes me as his bruising kiss gets all the more demanding, and he shoves his hand deeper into my hair, as the pole of his scythe pushes against me from behind, bringing me closer to his body.
I go all too willingly, even as my greatly improved hell-spawn senses tingle as though there’s a new threat close by.
“I thought this was what you didn’t want us doing,” Kai states from behind him.
Jude breaks the kiss, and he makes a frustrated sound, before he abruptly turns and stalks away like the angry boy he always is. I stumble forward a step in my stupor, but Kai catches me before I fall.
“He has a point,” Ezekiel says from behind me as he pushes my hair to the side and kisses a spot behind my ear. “You’re a grave distraction. We’ll never power up if you’re constantly stepping in to save us, while keeping all our attention on you. I get that you’re worried, but Lamar assured us we’re safe while in the Black Heart, and he’s waiting to escort us back to the room when we finish.”
Kai walks off, casting a smirk over his shoulder at me before mouthing, “Later.”
I really don’t think it’s fair to call me a distraction when they’re clearly the distracting ones. I also don’t tell them that I’m the reason Lamar is waiting to escort them back, because that would just show I planned this out.
Kai and Jude take on some roaring, oversized red-and-blue tiger with deadly spikes protruding from its neck.
I nod like I get it, since I honestly expected to be dismissed when I rode that ten-legged hippo out of the forest earlier…
I’m surprised they’ve tolerated my over-the-top antics this long. In truth, I think Jude’s the only one who struggles to tolerate my antics anymore.
Love really is blinding, it seems.
“Okay then. I’ll meet you back in my room,” I tell them as I go phantom and zap out.
I zap all the way to purgatory, where five agitated angels all turn a glare on me.
“You’re incredibly late,” Azrael bites out.
“The guys took longer to get annoyed with me than I expected, and I’m terrible at deception,” I explain.
For whatever reason, they only look confused.
“I don’t want them kno
wing about this. They’re a little sensitive about the way I’ve been handling these things. Apparently they don’t enjoy watching me be pummeled, and it’s sparked some discord within our already somewhat unstable unit.”
I flash a smile at them when they just continue to blankly stare back at me.
“But I’ve noticed a big change these past few days, even in the ever-irritable Jude,” I add, feeling my heart do little happy dances.
The dynamic has shifted since Jahl’s attack. As though a shared goal has finally brought us closer, after being humbled by our future adversary that…could kill us and or end the world…and still kill us when he finally breaches Hell.
If I broke Lucifer’s seal in a battle without being all the way leveled-up, I question if he can truly keep Jahl out if we level the world, seal up Hell, and gamble all our hopes on the Devil’s plan.
“We haven’t come to discuss your abominable relationship,” Peter says through clenched teeth.
I nod in agreement. Even if a vow of chastity isn’t involved, I’m guessing these guys don’t make out well with the ladies. They seem a little too righteously boring.
“Don’t get offended, but…do angels get boners?” I ask to sate my curiosity.
Five glares unanimously find me. Rafael seems in better health as he cracks his neck to the side.
“Have I asked that before or something?” I ask…since they don’t seem offended so much as annoyed.
“I’m assuming you wish to begin so you can get back before you’re caught,” Rafael states with as much patience as he can muster.
I nod again, getting back on track.
“Only this time, I want you all to attack me at once,” I say as the chakrams appear on my hips, and my outfit shifts.
Seriously, though, I need to see how many level-up perks I have now.
“You’ll be killed if we do that,” Azrael argues dismissively.
“Not to mention our balance would be affected,” Peter points out very quickly, staring at me as though I’m a wicked temptress.
Rolling my eyes, I turn and strut away, putting some distance between us.
“If you’re asking The Apocalypse to save the world instead of destroy it, then I think that cancels out your argument,” I note, darting a pointed look over my shoulder at Peter. “I need to level all the way up to do that, and it comes at the cost of you risking a fall to help me grow stronger. Shouldn’t the righteous be more selfless than the damned?”
Azrael blows out a breath, Rafael drops his head back, the two quiet angels sit and observe, and Peter just narrows his eyes at me.
“She has a point,” Azrael states reluctantly.
“The damned always have a point,” Peter volleys, eyes never leaving mine. “It’s how they coerce you into doing their bidding with a smile on your face, never realizing how thick and murky the water has gotten until—”
“Yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah,” I interrupt, batting a dismissive hand. “Only I’m not good at deception,” I add in reminder, smiling like the evil woman I am.
“You’re unquestionably good at getting your way,” Peter fires back.
“I’m not seeing the logical argument on your part. If you don’t help me, you keep your balance and the world likely turns to ash the second that thing breaks free from its cage. Or, you risk a fall, help me level up, so I can go break all the rules and play the hero.”
“Don’t make it sound as though you’re doing this for the greater good,” Rafael says in an emotionless tone, eyes still fixed to mine. “You don’t care if the world is ash or in one piece, so long as you get to carry on with your ‘love’ story.”
“I don’t understand why my motives are being called into question when you still get what you want. Make a deal with the devil, and you get what you get,” I say with a shrug, still smiling. “Do you want my help or not? It comes at the risk of falling in an effort to propel me forward in my evolution.”
Peter mutters something under his breath as he turns and puts his back to me. Rafael is oddly calm, probably because he’s already locked into this agreement. Azrael looks as though he dreads this with all his might, but I can see the concession in his eyes.
The two quiet angels keep their mouths shut as though they’re waiting to be instructed.
“It could kill you,” Azrael says again. “Then what’s the point of all of this?”
“It won’t kill me,” I say with possibly a little too much confidence. “Probably,” I add just to be sure not to jinx myself and all.
Peter is turned back around and already berating the others when I spin to face them from my newfound distance. “I can’t believe you’re even considering this. Why do we keep listening to her maddening theories and—”
“And so far she’s come a lot farther than any of us expected,” Rafael says as he pushes off from the rock. “I’ll do my part. You four decide if you’ll do yours,” he adds as he faces me head-on, preparing for battle.
“What do you want from us exactly?” one of the two quiet angels asks.
I smirk. “Hit me with all you got, and when I try to fight back, you fight twice as hard. I’m stronger than my siblings. I need to be stronger than you. Quick question: Will the world really implode if I fight Lucif—”
“Don’t!” they all shout quickly, eyes wide and horrified.
Talk about riling angels…
“Okay then. I’ll take that as a yes,” I say on a sad sigh.
I’d really hoped Lamar was exaggerating.
“There should be a safe-word,” Azrael says to me, grudgingly taking a spot next to Rafael. “That way we don’t manage to unintentionally kill this feebler version of you while we’re in purgatory, where you’re only that much weaker.”
I want to throat punch them for calling me weak.
I smirk as I prepare myself for the beating of a lifetime.
“Don’t worry. If it gets to be too much, that’s when I’ll really come to life. I’ll level up. Then I’ll adjust your balance by retaliating. Fair warning, it’ll probably hurt like hell. Everyone’s a winner.”
I clap my hands together as the two nameless angels flank Azrael and Rafael.
Peter lets out a sigh of defeat, shaking his head as he comes to take his own spot.
“If we fall because of this, I want to remind everyone I opposed this ludicrous request from a being who can’t be trusted,” he adds just to be sure he’s not the one at fault if I pull a fast one on them.
I snort. “Even angels cave to peer pressure, eh?”
Without any warning, bright light blinds me, as a ripple of the most painful pulse I’ve ever felt rips through my body. A scream is torn from me before I can hold it back, my eyes almost feel as though they’ll explode, and dirt sprays my legs like razor-sharp sand.
The light grows even brighter around me, consuming me, running through my body as my veins burn like my blood is boiling acid in my veins. Another raw scream escapes me, my body not even responding to my commands.
I can’t even attempt to hit them back, because I can’t move. My body slams against the ground, and my back bows, as the light grows all the more glaring until it’s all I can see.
Over and over again, I try to lash out, only to seize in more pain, as though trying to fight back only gets me punished that much harder. Each attempt results in more torture, the pain so unbearable that I regret ever coming up with this plan.
My throat closes up, cutting off my scream, as the thought of a safe-word crosses my mind. I couldn’t have even used it, because I’m left writhing in silent agony by the second minute of a full-on archangel assault.
A ringing starts in my ears, growing louder and louder as my lungs starve for a fresh breath. My heart thumps so heavily it feels as though it’s trying to batter its way free from my chest. My fingertips explode from the pressure, spraying my black blood into the light until it burns away.
Just when I’m ready to lie down and give in, my eyelids growing heavy, as the pai
n gets so intense that I can’t even bring myself to futilely fight against it anymore…there’s a loud pop, pop, pop…
The rapid-fire popping is reminiscent of popcorn in the microwave, just before something explodes from my body.
The light fades so abruptly that dots speckle my vision instead of me getting a view of what’s going on. A dull roar of pain comes from somewhere close by, as I whimper, turning over on my side as the dots slowly fade.
Ash is raining down on us, and the angels are picking themselves up off the ground—all five of them.
My eyes land on Peter’s wild ones, as he starts slapping his head, moving toward me rapidly…like he got a taste of the dark side and wants more.
Their balance is truly a precariously fragile thing in comparison to mine.
Something coils around my hands, and I look down, finding purple gloves appearing slowly, stretching up my arms as the telling sensation of power washes over me.
Thunder boulders through the sky, only empowering me that much more, as the ground starts rumbling under me. I stagger my way back up to my feet, swaying a little as the ebbing dizziness works its way out of my system.
A dark grin curves my lips as my wardrobe changes on its own, and my chakrams light up with the same purple flames that begin burning around my entire body.
“My turn,” I say quietly, taking a step toward them, ignoring my lingering aches and pains that are healing so rapidly that it’s barely a hindrance.
The ground splits apart as purple flames shoot through the cracks, and lightning rains down all around, as cyclones form in a circle surrounding us.
As the power rolls over me and they struggle against my very own storm, I feel the train of my new dress whipping behind me.
Smirking, I hear my voice echo in the winds, warning them something bad is coming. “Mwa…ha…ha…ha…”
Chapter 16
PACA
I wake up with my head on a bare chest, and I glance up to find Ezekiel sleeping peacefully with his arm around me. Sitting up, I notice Kai on my other side, snoring soundly as he holds my hand in his.
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