Children of the Apocalypse Complete Trilogy

by A. L. Kessler

  “Eat up. I know just the thing you need. I’ll be right back.” He stood, taking his drink with him.

  I chowed down on my pizza, watching woman after woman jump in the lake and return with a frog or empty handed. They would come to the shore and put the frog in a bucket and cheer before going back in the freezing water. I finished my pizza and my drink and started to wonder if Jared had left me there. I started to stand and felt a hand on my shoulder.

  “Sit.” Jared said. “I brought you another drink and once you’re done with that we’re going to go for a walk.”

  I shook my head. “This will be my fourth drink, I don’t think walking around the area is a good idea.” I laughed and downed half the drink. “Besides, my friends would flip if they knew I was leaving.”

  “Are you sure they are even here still?” He knelt in front of me and put a hand on my knee. “Do you want to go inside and dance instead?”

  I thought about it and stood. “Yeah, why don’t we go do that?”

  He took my hand and tugged me towards the house. The ground started to spin and for a moment I thought another gateway would open up below me. My drink sloshed over the side of the cup, but Jared kept going until we were in the middle of the crowd and people and music both bumped against me.

  I moved with the beat with Jared’s hands on my hips. I spun away from him and drank the rest of my drink. The world tilted sideways and I lost my footing, his strong arms wrapped around me and I smiled up at him. “I’m fine, just lost my balance. I want another drink.”

  “By all means, I’ll be here.” He motioned to the table and I wondered why he didn’t offer to get me another one. Aeron stood at the table, his arms crossed, but his eyes softened just a bit when he saw me.

  “Ruthie has been looking all over for you.”

  I reached for the ladle and frowned when it seemed further away than I thought. I finally wrapped my fingers around it, but Aeron stopped me from pulling out of the bowl. “No more, Sammy. Where have you been?”

  “I was out back watching the girls catch frogs. By the way what do you promise them to get them to do that?” I narrowed my eyes. “Must be a damn good prize.”

  He grinned. “They get to spend a night with me.” He winked.

  I blushed, imagining what that might actually entail. “Oh, well, that might actually be worth catching frogs for.”

  “Ruthie went out there to find you, said you weren’t anywhere to be found. Go sit upstairs and wait for her? She’s worried about you.”

  I looked at his hand wrapped around mine. “If you let me have another drink I’ll go sit upstairs and wait for her.”

  “You’ve had enough.”

  I glared up at him. “I lost my mother to a trickster demon this weekend, I have a gash the length of my forearm in my side. I think I deserve to get a bit more drunk tonight, don’t you?”

  His hand dropped mine and his brows drew in. “Sammy, I didn’t know.”

  “Did they not tell you?” I put more jungle juice in my cup. “Because Ruthie told Kaleb the moment I fell asleep and Pete knew when I woke up.”

  He shook his head. “Upstairs, third door on the right is the guest room. I’ll call Ruthie and send her up.”

  I wondered why she couldn’t see me both times. I pinched my arm to make sure I hadn’t started to disappear. “Right, heading there now.” I went back through the crowd and didn’t see Jared. I downed my drink and threw the cup into a trashcan as I made my way up the stairs. I stumbled a little bit, but I managed to reach the top. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.

  “Come on, you need to lay down.” Jared’s voice graced my ears and I smiled.

  Opening my eyes I reached up and touched his cheek. “And you’re going to take me to the bedroom?”

  “Only to make sure you’re laying down and tucked in.” He promised and turned to kiss my hand. A thrill went through my body, tightening things in my core. I rose up on my tip toes, putting a hand against his chest to steady myself. I pressed my lips to his; to my surprise he kissed me back.

  His tongue traced my lips, parting them to tease me into a deeper kiss. His hand found its way into my hair, pulling just enough to cause a moan to drip from my lips.

  He pulled back. “Come on, you’re drunk and aren’t thinking straight.”

  I let out a breathy sigh. “Such a gentleman, not taking advantage of me while I’m drunk.”

  He grinned and kissed my cheek. “I prefer my women to be in their right mind. Where were you heading?”

  “Third door on the right. I’m supposed to be waiting for my guardian angel.” I giggled and he helped me down the hall.

  He chuckled. “Is that right?”

  I nodded. “Yep, apparently she’s been blind all night and hasn’t been able to find me.”

  “And do you think there is a reason for that?” He met my gaze and I tilted my head.

  “Not one that you’d understand.” I opened the door and walked in. “Good night, I’ll be okay from here, but when I’m sober we should really talk about that kiss.”

  “Oh, don’t worry little Death, we will.” He winked at me and shut the door.

  I fell back on the bed and pulled the blue comforter over me. He called me little Death, just like the trickster. It had to be a trick of my mind, there’s no way that he was involved with Lucile, was there?

  I closed my eyes and giggled, it would be just my luck to fall for someone like that. I rolled onto my side and gave into the sleepiness that the last drink had provided me. Ruthie would wake me up when she got here and we could go home where I’d be allowed to dream about actually dating Jared.

  11

  Something cold rushed over my body and I coughed and sputtered around the liquid that got into my mouth. I blinked the droplets out of my eyes and tried to sit up. I didn’t move an inch, metal bit into my wrists and my body, a link of chain pressing into my wound.

  I cried out at the new pain and looked up to meet the gaze of Jared. My heart pounded at the evil look on his face. His grin made me think he’d gone mad. His chest was bare and muscled to perfection with his pants hanging off his hips, giving a view of a delicious v that dipped below the belt line.

  I closed my eyes; I should not have been thinking dirty thoughts about him. He gripped my chin tight enough that I felt bruises already forming. “Open your eyes, little Death.”

  I met his gaze. “I’ve got it figured out.” I snapped and tried to rip my face away from him, but he dug his fingers harder into me. “You were blocking Ruthie last night from seeing you and me. You’re a Sin.”

  He kissed me and my teeth sunk into the soft flesh of his lip. The back of his hand smacked against my jaw and I laughed.

  “You’re Lust, I should have seen that coming.” I hung my head. “Where am I and what am I doing here?” I flexed my hands and the metal of the cuffs dug in. My back pressed against the platform that was holding me vertical.

  He ran a hand down my cheek. “As much as I’d love to let my abilities go and drive you mad with lust, I promised Lucile I wouldn’t. She has bigger plans for you. Welcome to hell, little Death, where you’re going to be our guest for awhile.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. I’d made stupid choices last night and now I was paying for them, just not in the typical college way. “So you’re just going to leave me here?”

  “Yes, you’ll be chained here, unable to call your weapon, unable to protect yourself from whatever horror waits for you here. Until Lucile decides to grace you with her presence and then your fate is in her hands.” He kissed my head. “We could have been a great couple, but you just had to be a horseman.”

  “Woman, but you know, what does gender matter when you can just seduce anyone you want?” I yanked against the shackles again.

  He tutted his tongue at me and pressed a hand against the wound in my side. I cried out and clenched my eyes closed before he could see the tears forming from the pain. My stomach churned at the added misery.r />
  “I could send the trickster in, she did say she enjoyed slaughtering your mother. Torturing you would just be icing on the cake.”

  My eyes shot open and I clenched my first, trying to summon my scythe. It didn’t come to me and Lust pressed harder on my side.

  “I told you that you couldn’t summon your weapon.” He pulled his hand away and wiped the blood on my shirt. “I’ll see you later, little Death.”

  He faded in front of me, leaving me in a dimly lit cavern. I closed my eyes and breathed through the pain. The others would be able to find me, they’d know that something had happened. Someone had to have seen me with Lust. My body shook as the idea of torture became a real possibility. A tear dripped down my face as I tried to breathe through the emotions.

  He’d managed to hide both me and him from Ruthie, none of them had any idea where I was and I doubted I could change realms while chained up. The light in the room started to dim and my breath shortened. The unknown light source barely bounced off the walls at this point.

  The shadows closed in and my palms became sweaty. The only thing I could focus on was the walls moving closer. I closed my eyes and tried to push the feelings away, but I felt stone brush my hand and my heart sped up. A lump formed in my throat at the idea that the walls were close enough to brush my fingertips.

  Creaking sounded and I opened my eyes. The walls were where they were supposed to be and the light brighter than it was. I took a deep breath and the lump in my throat disappeared.

  “Hello, Sammy, or as my demons seemed to have named you, little Death.” Lucile appeared in front of me. Her black hair flowed around her naked red skin and her matching eyes met my gaze. She held a hand up and her black nails shot into long claws. “I can’t believe Lust was able to get you out of that party. He said it was quite the challenge with the others around.”

  “If you want me dead, why didn’t you just have him kill me?” I watched as she danced the tips of her claws up my side.

  She hmmmed for a moment and then tapped her claws against my cheek. “I don’t want you dead. I need you alive until Death gets here.”

  “I think you underestimate how much my father loves me. We’ve only known each other a few months.”

  She dug her claw into my cheek, slicing the skin. I hissed and she pulled back with fresh blood dripping from it. “I think you don’t understand how much you mean to him and that if I kill you it ends the line of the Death Horseman. He’ll come running in here to save you.”

  I glared up at her. “He won’t come.”

  Her claws bit into my cheek as she swiped down. She twisted her hand to catch a tuft of hair. “Yes, he will.” She chuckled as she spun on her heels. “Enjoy your hell.” The latch of a door echoed through the room. I closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus on anything else.

  The stone skimmed against my fingers as the room closed in around me and I couldn’t find my breath. Sweat dripped down my face as I clenched my fist. Lucile was toying with me. She’d be back soon with another idle threat and I’d get a reprieve from the fear.

  My body shook as I attempted to swallow air; the walls eased up and went back to their original spots. The tension in my back relaxed just enough to fill my lungs. I waited for the clicking of the door to come, yet nothing but silence surrounded me. The chains around me disappeared and I slid to the floor, my knees hitting the stone with a crack. I’d have bruises from the fall, but they’d be nothing compared to the small wounds I had from Lucile’s claws and the still healing wound in my side.

  I slowly stood, testing my legs. They held me with a little shaking. I didn’t know why I was freed or how long I had been chained to the platform, but part of me was relieved as the walls faded away, revealing more light. The lantern light bounced off more stonewalls and panic filled me. I wasn’t free, I was still in hell and something was coming. Dread pulled my heart to the pit of my stomach. A lump appeared in the middle of the hallway, a black cloak draped over it and a scythe lying discarded to the side.

  My heart pounded as I rushed down the hall, my weak legs threatening to give out as I forced my feet to pound against the stone floor. I fell to my knees and threw the cloak away from the mass.

  My father’s clawed and bloodied face pulled a gasp from my mouth. The blood coated his skin in a trail of slices across his skin, marring his once perfect face. His eyes were white and dead, holding no visions of skulls. “It’s your war now.” His voice echoed around the hall and I put my hands to my ears.

  “No, I don’t want to take your place. I never asked for this.”

  I was in Hell, this couldn’t be real. Yet his body was tangible, his voice sounded real enough and the panic that threatened to claw its way out of my body tried to convince me otherwise. A glowing mark appeared on the wall, green and black symbols swirling around.

  I raised a hand to touch it, but the world around me disappeared. Blackness greeted me and the pressure of the chains around my body returned. The links dug into my skin, bringing me back to reality. Sweat dripped off my head and to my cheek, mixing with my tears. The clicking of heels could be heard against the stone, off into the shadows and I raised my head to see Lucile come into the light.

  “You fear becoming a horseman.” Her lips curved up into a sinister smile. “Your fate is what you fear.” She flicked her wrist and her nails turned to long claws. “We’re about to have a guest, and negotiations are about to start.”

  I hung my head. “How long have you left me in here?”

  “You’ll find that out as soon as you return to the human realm. But first, we’re going to have tea with your father.”

  I pulled against the chains in anticipation of being freed. She sliced her hands across my stomach. The tearing of the fabric mixed with my screams of her shredding my skin. Blackness ate at my vision, but I refused to pass out from the pain. I drew in a sharp breath, hissing at the new sting that came with the effort.

  She reached behind me and the click of a switch sounded. The platform that held me tilted backwards, taking me from vertical to horizontal. I closed my eyes as my head spun from the change of position. The pressure of the chains let up from the lack of weight from my body.

  I opened my eyes to see Lucile leaning right over me. “You’re such a pretty girl, it’ll be a shame when I have to release you. I’d love to have you on my side. You could do so much working for me.” She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine.

  I jerked my head away. “What the hell?”

  “A little homophobic?” She grabbed my chin with her other hand.

  “No, I just don’t like being kissed without permission.” I met her gaze. “Don’t you have tea to have?”

  She let go of my jaw. “We’re having it here, so that your father can see what is at stake while we negotiate.” She turned away from me and her heels clicked as she took a few steps away from me.

  “I’ve got the tea and other items.” Jared’s voice sounded from the door.

  “Bring them in.” Lucile said and walked back to the table. “You remember Lust, don’t you? You had such a crush on him in my class, it was a shame it took him that long to get you here.”

  He moved into my line of sight. The black pants he wore hung off his hips, making his naked chest look just a tiny bit paler than it was the last time I’d seen him. “Hello, little Death.” He leaned down and kissed me.

  Warm desire moved through my body and I raised my head to deepen the kiss. He pulled away and chuckled. “Such a shame I won’t get to play with you. I could make your wildest dreams come true, or leave you begging for me.” He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m just here to help out with negotiations though. Just in case your father steps out of line.”

  “I hate you both.” I spat at him. He shook his head and turned away to arrange things on a table nearby. A tremor moved through my body at the idea of what else he brought in with tea. My mind told me it would be torture and I knew I’d have to withstand eve
rything in order to make sure my father didn’t take whatever Lucile offered.

  They both looked up a moment before the door clicked open. “I got your gift of Sammy’s hair. Obviously you wanted me here, so now what?” Death’s voice came from the shadows.

  I pulled against my chains, trying to get up. “Go home.” I called out. Lust’s hand curved over my mouth and he pressed me back into the hard surface.

  “Sammy.” The sound of footsteps quickened and I could hear the worry in his voice. “Let her go.”

  Lucile stepped between him and me. “Oh no, this is where we start to negotiate. You don’t just get to take your daughter back. She’s my prisoner in hell.”

  “Let me see her.” He snarled and took a step forward.

  Lust bent down and whispered in my ear. “Now be quiet or I’ll have to gag you. We can’t have you interrupting our negotiations.”

  I gave a slight bob of my head. Lucile stepped to the side. “By all means, go to her side, whisper to her the comforting lies of a father. Promise her she’ll be fine and you’ll both get out.”

  Death looked down at me and I tried to focus on the skulls in his eyes instead of the tears threatening to spill. “Sammy, we’ve been looking for you all over. How did you get here? I thought she was lying about having you.” And yet, he’d shown up anyways.

  “How does anyone get to hell? I made some bad choices despite the consequences.” I tried to laugh, but the humor just wasn’t there. “You can’t negotiate with her. She’s crazy.”

  His gaze wandered over my body, hesitating at the wounds on my stomach. “She’s slowed your healing down. The slice from Camille should be gone by now. Lucile’s been torturing you.”

  “I’m sure it could be worse.” I muttered. “Go home.”

  He turned away from me and for a moment I thought he’d actually listen. “What do you want?”

  Lucile motioned to a table that had been set up near the head of my platform. “To have tea and talk about your daughter’s wellbeing and what I want in exchange for letting her go back to the human realm.”