by D. F. Jones
Caiojezeal walked into her bedroom and sat her down in a chair next to the fireplace and draped a blanket over her shoulders. “You’re in shock. Your emotions will change from one minute to the next. Anger and then fear one minute, and then next you’ll be in denial, and the next after that, you’ll be overcome with anxiety.”
He crouched down next to her. “I know Baldric. He’ll come for you. Based on my experience with the AAF, they probably restrained him. The AAF needs him thinking clearly, not busting down the doors getting you killed. That’s what Luc wants. He’s deliberately using you to get to Baldric. Don’t help him do it.”
Sandy’s hands trembled as she held herself tightly. “I…I was abused as a child. What Luc just did to me in the pool, well, he abused my mind. I have to get out of here. Help me.”
Caiojezeal stood and placed his hands on the mantle. He stared into the fire. “I’m trying to find a way to assist you without going against a direct order. Under Luc’s authority, if I go against him, I’ll get thrown into the Eternal Blackness, and you’ll be alone.”
Caiojezeal knelt back in front of her and held onto her thighs. “Do what you must to survive, whatever you must. There are other prisoners in the caverns. Other wards like you. They’re doomed because Luc has lost interest. Once he possesses your power and the essence of your soul, you’ll no longer hold his favor. Play his game. Become an award-winning actress and just maybe, when the AAF infiltrates the compound, you’ll still be alive.”
Sandy closed her eyes and said, “I need to sleep if I’m to fight that wretched being. Make me sleep.”
Caiojezeal lifted Sandy from the chair and placed her on the bed. He put his hands over her eyes and Sandy slept.
* * *
Night fell quickly, and one by one the AAF angels, guardians, and wards retreated from Everglade Farms. All except the Legion left to protect the exterior boundaries of the farm. Baldric placed his hands on the doorframe as he stared up at the sliver of a moon and the twinkling stars. He waited for what seemed to be an eternity, and when the coast was clear, he ported to the edge of Nelson Doune Farms.
In the top of a hundred-year-old oak tree, Baldric watched and listened for any signs his position had tripped Luc’s sensors, but no alarms rang out, and no demon angels appeared. The outline of Luc’s Arrington Estate was impressive. The main house set on a hill with open lots in the front and back of the property. Any human could detect encroachment from all angles of the main house. A half dozen human guards stood atop the main roof with automatic weapons. Only two guards watched the outbuildings and barn. The enemies’ weakest flank. He made a mental note.
Baldric wasn’t scouting weak links tonight. He had to see if Sandy was here. He had to try to find her through their pairing cord of light. He settled himself in the sturdy branches and allowed his mind to travel out of his body and along the pairing chords of light.
Mental images flashed across his mind. Sandy had been brought in through the side door of the main house. He saw Caiojezeal carrying an unconscious Sandy in his arms. Baldric’s pairing scent flared. His scent became stronger the further he traveled along the cord. He centered his emotions so he wouldn’t set off an alarm among the demon angels stationed around the estate.
After a few minutes, Baldric relaxed and picked up the image of Sandy with Caiojezeal. He walked through the kitchen, past the main foyer, and down a long hallway to the back of the house. Caiojezeal pressed his hand on a hidden wall panel in what appeared to be the TV and entertainment room. A large television, movie projector, and pool table were in the dark hunter green room with dim lighting. The room had only one window with dark gold, and green drapes pulled together.
The hidden panel opened the wall to manmade stairs. As Caiojezeal descended with Sandy, Baldric noticed what looked like compassion in Caiojezeal’s eyes. Aw, hell, the poor son of a bitch. Baldric had seen the same look on enough men to last a lifetime. Caiojezeal was hooked. That could work in the AAF’s favor. Turn the demon to the cause, offer leniency, and maybe Caiojezeal would help with the escape plan.
On the second landing, Caiojezeal placed his hand on a rock wall that barely opened wide enough for one person, much less two. Caiojezeal turned sideways and continued down the natural stone steps, and the chamber opened up to reveal the caverns. Magic spells lit the vast underground caverns. Except for the stalactites, the underground caverns resembled a stone palace from antiquity. Baldric’s pairing cord took him deep inside Luc’s lair.
Caiojezeal entered a room with Sandy, and she awoke. She looked confused, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know Sandy had undergone a memory cleanse. Baldric listened and watched Caiojezeal turn the dark stone room into a chalet in the mountains. Her bedroom made of stone transformed into an illusion of a rustic pine bed with brightly patterned quilts and soft pillows.
Baldric didn’t know if he wanted to kill Caiojezeal or hug the bastard. Sandy fell asleep, and Caiojezeal left the room. After what seemed like hours, The Dragon walked into Sandy’s chamber. Baldric ghosted to the door when Luc entered, and his chest tightened. Luc placed Sandy in the room next to his own. Dear Lord, help me. Luc woke an innocent Sandy, a little girl in a woman’s body, and took her to the cavern’s pool.
Baldric’s cord began to burn bright red as he watched the scene unfold with Sandy and the female demon angel. He had to get his wife out of here fast. Luc never slept with humans, but Baldric read his mind. Luc was thinking about having sex with Sandy. Baldric remembered Luc’s vow from a time in heaven, thousands of years ago. Luc’s words came back to haunt him. I will lay with any female I choose, especially if she’s promised to you.
Thankfully, Caiojezeal rescued Sandy before Luc made good on his promise. Baldric listened as Caiojezeal pleaded with Sandy to do what she must to survive. Baldric had to get Sandy out of there before Luc took her. It would break their pairing and their bond, forever. Infidelity in any form wasn’t tolerated and would split a pairing whether the act was intentional or not. Luc knew the rules. He knew it would destroy Baldric if he slept with his pairing partner.
Caiojezeal left the room and planted his ass outside of Sandy’s door. Baldric only had a few minutes before his pairing scent raised alarms.
“Sandy. Wake up. It’s Baldric. Please, honey, wake up.” Baldric looked over his shoulder. He was in his ethereal form, but his scent was overpowering in the room.
Sandy sat up groggily in the bed and recognition lit her face. “Thank God, you came. I knew you would come for me.” She frowned and narrowed her eyes. “Why has it taken you so freaking long?”
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t know what happened. I had no communication with earth while I was in the command center or the throne room. Once I found out, I ran to you, and the AAF subdued me in a calming chair. Not pleasant, to tell you the truth. Listen to me. I don’t have long. I have to follow the AAF protocol because you aren’t the only captive down here. We’re coming for you and the others. I love you. I have to go before they catch me. I’ll be back. I promise.” Baldric leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. Even in his ethereal form, he could feel her sweet, full lips.
Frantically, Sandy reached for him and cried, “Baldric, don’t leave me here. Please take me with you.”
“I risk your life and the others if I try to act alone. I promise I’ll be back soon, and that son of a bitch is going to pay for kidnapping you. I promise you, my Daireann.” Baldric dematerialized to the barn.
Erinelle waited for him. “You’re the most stubborn angel I’ve ever known. You placed the entire operation in jeopardy.”
Baldric roared into the night air. He picked up a square bale of hay and threw it into the outside lot. “I didn’t get caught, and I know where she is. We have to work fast. Sandy doesn’t have much time. With or without the AAF’s permission, I’m going back for her either tomorrow morning or tomorrow night. You decide. I saw Luc’s plans for Sandy. He plans on taking my bride.” Sandy’s look of distrust
and disbelief ripped out his heart.
Erinelle sat on the metal gate leading out to the cow pasture. “It’s too soon. We’ll place the Campbell Ridge wards in harm’s way. I need at least one more day of training before we execute retrieval of the captives. Well, did you get a layout of where Luc’s keeping Sandy? How many human guards? How many demon angels? Anything that’ll be of use to our military strategy?”
“One more day. Or I’m going in by myself and don’t try to pull that trick again with the calming chair. I swear I’ll strap you to it.”
Erinelle chuckled. “You were limp as a dish rag when we took you out of it. I’m sorry. You weren’t thinking clearly. I had to do something. You’d have done the same thing, and you know it.”
Baldric propped his forearms on the gate and looked up at Erinelle. “All right, the estate has roughly a dozen human guards with automatic weapons. A half dozen on the main house roof. The house sits on a hill, and the guards can easily pick off anyone who tries to enter. Two additional guards for the barn and one guard for the outbuildings. The north left flank is where we should enter.”
Baldric flew up and sat on the front tire of Harry’s tractor. Pulling from thin air, he produced a screen and began to draw an outline of the buildings, using Xs to mark the guards. “There’s a tree line, and if we attack at dusk or dawn, we’ll have sufficient cover to knock out the human guards at the outbuildings and barn. We can take positions in the barn and then eliminate the remaining boys on the roof. I’d say that’ll give the division, oh, about five to ten minutes to scale the yard and enter the main house. I’ll need two dozen AAF, skilled soldiers. I didn’t get a head count of the demon angels, but I do have a suggestion.”
Erinelle hopped on the other side of the tractor to make notes on Baldric’s screen. “So, what’s the suggestion?”
“My wife has turned the eye of Caiojezeal. Let me approach him. He may consider working as a spy if we offer him leniency. Maybe allow him in the AAF reconditioning program. He’s a talented messenger and has many contacts.”
Erinelle placed her finger over her mouth as she entertained his proposal. “How do you know Caiojezeal likes your wife?”
Baldric laughed and shook his head. “Come on, Erinelle. I’ve been Sandy’s guardian and unfortunately seen her in action. The demon angel is smitten with her. I swear while I was replaying the events, part of me wanted to kill him, and the other part wanted to kiss his ass.”
Erinelle waved her hand, and the screen disappeared. “Very well. But be sure before you offer him any deal. It could be a trap. Bringing down Baldric the Warrior would be a shining star on anyone’s résumé, and that’s exactly what Luc wants to do.”
“At this point, I’m willing to take the chance because time is ticking. The longer Sandy stays in the cavern, the more her soul is at risk. Luc’s twisted, and you’ve seen it firsthand.” Erinelle winced at his reference. “Sorry.” There had been few beaus in Erinelle’s life since Lucifer broke her heart in heaven. Baldric thought for a second. No, Luc trampled Erinelle’s heart with one of her best friends.
Luc’s demon angels would work double time on Sandy’s weaknesses. What made matters worse, Luc’s private chamber adjoined Sandy’s. He knew what the S.O.B. had on his mind, and sleeping wasn’t it. “I want Sandy out of there before she can’t remember me at all and before Luc brings her into his bed. I’m praying Luc is still vain. He’ll want Sandy to come to him willingly.”
* * *
Sandy swung her legs over on the side of the bed. Caiojezeal returned the illusion of the mountain chateau. Sandy knew it wasn’t real, but the illusion kept her calm. Sleeping had helped her regain some strength. But seeing Baldric as a hologram left her with mixed feelings. He found her, and the son of a bitch left her here. She knew he couldn’t just walk into Luc’s compound, but damn it. Baldric left her here.
The door to Luc’s chamber blew open, and he strode into her room. “Where’s Baldric? I smell the son of a bitch.” He stepped over to her and yelled, “Tell me, human whore.”
Sandy took a deep breath and calmly replied, “You’re delusional.”
Wrong answer. Whack! Luc backhanded her. “Answer me, now.”
Sandy should’ve cowered, but she hated abusers in any form, including Satan. “Screw you.”
Luc raised Sandy into the air and slammed her against the uneven rock wall of the cavern. Caiojezeal’s mountain chalet illusion shattered. The room became cold and smelled of dank earth. Luc said, “I can go all day.” With his mind, Luc raised her up the wall about three feet off the ground, making her arms and legs spread-eagle. He materialized a cat of nine tails from thin air into his hand and cracked it loudly in the air. Caiojezeal rushed into the room, and Luc cut his eyes toward him and said, “Out. Now.”
Caiojezeal pleaded, “But sire, you don’t want to do this to Baldric’s wife. You know there are rules. Pairing partners of any angels are off limits on either side of the war. You’ll have to answer to The Creator.” Caiojezeal looked back and forth between Sandy and Luc.
Luc ran his hand along the whip cord. “Caiojezeal, you can be next if you like. You can even watch, but shut your mouth or I’ll rip out your tongue. Got it?”
Caiojezeal’s opalescent wings jutted up while he planted his feet on the ground. “You may do what you like to me, but let her down. Don’t torture her.”
“Fine.”
Caiojezeal exhaled as Sandy hit the stone floor. In a flash, Caiojezeal replaced Sandy and was splayed out on the wall. Luc said, “Looks like you’ve snared another admirer, among many, I’m sure. This is your fault, Daireann.” Luc began to flog Caiojezeal, ripping and tearing out his flesh, lash after lash until Caiojezeal’s head hung low.
Sandy watched in abject horror. She couldn’t tell if Caiojezeal was alive or dead. She screamed, “Stop it. Please stop it. I’ll tell you what you want to know. Please stop hurting him.”
Luc’s eyes glowed red, and his skin shimmered with sweat. He turned slowly, and an evil smile crept across his lips. “Well, I’m waiting.” He cracked the whip in the air, barely missing Caiojezeal’s face.
From somewhere down deep in her soul, Sandy pulled off the performance of a lifetime. “I dreamed of Baldric. I dreamed we were making love. I dreamed of him taking me from every position, over and over. You were smelling his scent because I came. His mark is on my body. Not Baldric’s physical form, but his essence.”
Luc walked around Sandy, inhaling and sniffing like the beast he was. He cupped her privates and held her stare. Sandy tilted her head back slightly, parted her lips, and stared at Luc with heavy lids. In her mind, Sandy thickened the multicolored cords of light to block her real thoughts, praying it was enough, praying Luc believed she wanted him.
Luc went from maniac to charming in less than a second. “Darling, I would’ve accommodated you had I known you were in need of release.” He raised a brow. “Are you in need of release?”
Sandy never wavered her gaze from Luc’s eyes. “No, I’m quite weak-kneed at the moment.”
“Tomorrow evening, I shall take you on a trip. I’ll show you what I can lay before your feet if you join my side.” Shaking his head, Luc chuckled and said, “You’re proving to be a delightful distraction from the humdrum.” He dropped Caiojezeal to the floor. “Clean up your friend. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Luc dematerialized.
Sandy rushed to Caiojezeal. He was covered in blood, or what she thought was blood. “What can I do to help?”
Caiojezeal pulled his upper body upright and leaned against the wall. “Look in your fridge and bring me wine. The wounds will heal by morning. I need to get drunk. How about you? I’ve seen Luc flog others, but he’s never laid a hand on me. I’ve faithfully served Luc since our fall to earth.”
Sandy rummaged inside the fridge and then through the cabinet doors, opening one after the other. “Eureka, I found a bottle.” She brought the bottle with a silver goblet to him.
Caiojezeal grabbed t
he bottle, pulled the cork out with his teeth and guzzled it. He said, “The wine has dulled the pain, but I’m afraid there’s not much left. You want some?”
Sandy shook her head and slid down on the floor beside him. With her back against the wall, she asked, “Why did you do it? I’m grateful, but why did you do it?”
Caiojezeal ran his fingers through his hair and drew his right leg up to rest his forearm on his knee. “Beats me.” He laughed and said, “We’re stupid fools. Luc sees weakness as a challenge. Our compassion for one another, he’ll use against us. I guess I did it because you reminded me of the warrior angel I used to be. The part of me still belonging to The Creator. And partly, because I’m sick of this war.” He took a deep breath and exhaled, then winced with pain. “I’ve less than twenty-four hours to teach you ways to thwart Luc’s come-on.”
Sandy drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “Why does he want me? He hates humans.”
Caiojezeal turned up the bottle and drank. “One reason is you’re Baldric’s pairing partner. He made a vow to Baldric long ago that he’d sleep with any female Baldric was promised to. Luc sees humans as a blight on the earth. I don’t think he desires you. Luc wants you to submit to him, and he wants your divine power.”
Caiojezeal rubbed his jaw and with hesitation, he said, “Luc had around nine or ten wards in the Arrington’s caves, below in his lower earth. Three turned to the darkness and were released to work both sides of the war. Three were tortured and died, keeping their souls intact. Three more are being worked over daily, and then there’s you. He’s placed a spell on you. Outside of this room, you won’t remember much. If Baldric returns, you won’t remember him. You won’t remember your friends. I have no clue what the counter spell is. You may want to use your cords of light to find one in the book. I unbind you, Sandy. Oh, was Baldric here?”
Sandy didn’t know if she could trust Caiojezeal, but she needed his help. “Ever since I was a little girl, Baldric and I have carried on conversations with the cords of light. He was in my mind, but he was real. He’s coming for me.”