by Claire Marta
“I have them locked up in the fortress cells, but I need you to watch these two while I get some answers out of them.”
“Cass didn’t foresee anything?” he questions with a frown.
My attention slides to the teenager. Expression closed, she avoids my gaze. Her moods have been volatile lately and sullen, but she’s never withheld visions in the past. Did she see something and not tell me? Before I can voice the question, someone calls my name.
“Raziel.”
Turning, I spot a thin, sinewy male sitting at a table. White hair hanging in thick dreadlocks down his shoulders, a jagged scar runs diagonally the length of his left cheek. Skin almost as pale as his locks, his dark eyes dance with mischief.
Badden.
I haven’t seen this son of a bitch in a couple of centuries.
Grin spreading over my face, I move taking his offered arm gripping his forearm in greeting as he mirrors the gesture. “What are you doing here? I thought you were exiled.”
“For a time but it’s been lifted. Been hanging around Cease Fire to get reacclimatized to the new century and looking for work.” Releasing his hold, his hand returns to his half-drunk drink.
Master swordsman. Mercenary. As a Reaper, his kind has the ability to sense souls. Refined and honed, Badden’s skills are that of a blood hound. It doesn’t matter if the soul you’re after is living or dead. If you pay, he’ll hunt it. His loyalties lie with the highest bidder. It was the King of Hell himself who exiled this Reaper after things went tits up on a job he’d been assigned to do. Limbo is a place I hope never to experience. It’s said to eat away at the essence of who you are. Destroy you piece by piece until you’re a shell of your former self. Then eventually you fade away into nothing. For someone who’s been stuck in that hellish prison dimension, he sure does look good.
“I heard someone was hiring for a job, but I declined,” he continues, swirling the amber liquid from side to side. “No one breaches the Devil’s home and expects to remain breathing. I never considered anyone would be dumb enough to take it. I did my time and have no desire to have any bad blood between myself and Lucifer.”
My attention dips across the room to Gabriel. He’s ushering Cassandra to the corridor that leads upstairs to the rooms above, the baby still cuddled in his arms. I know he’ll take good care of them. Murmurs of the crowd around us are soft and curious. They all know who I am. Rumors and the knowledge of what’s happened will start spreading like wildfire. Cease Fire is the worst place for gossip to start.
“I’m about to torture the bastards for even trying to touch baby Juliana,” I tell the Reaper, eyeing the crowd. “These three vampires certainly have a set of balls, thinking they could abduct the boss’s kid.”
“Baby?” Badden’s voice is thick with bewilderment. “The job was to kidnap a female Fae.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jane
There’s nothing in the tiny cell but a door sealed shut and the sound of my frantic fingernails clawing at the wood. I can’t get out. My tears are dried and seething anger remains. Have the sisters made a move without me? Or has Cassandra unveiled the truth in a vision? Does Raziel know my true purpose here? If he has them imprisoned, it won’t be for long. He has no idea who he’s messing with. The hidden danger that could end his immortal life.
Shivering at the chill in the air, I feel bruised and used after Raziel’s fucking. He’d been so angry lost in the moment. The easy going, rational Raz offline and something primitive, brutal taking its place. His words still echo, damaging and vicious. It leaves a feeling of hollowness.
Swallowing down my pain at his rejection, I focus on my surroundings. There’s no way I’m getting out of here alone.
“Arianna, I summon you,” I utter, hoping that she can hear me. Her magic penetrated the Devil’s fortress once before. If they are keeping tabs on me as I suspect, she won’t be far out of reach. The slice of her magic scrapes against my bare skin. I’ve never grown used to it. It’s unnaturalness forever leaves me uneasy. Next comes the mist. Trickling through the fine cracks in the walls, it moves soundlessly. Ribbons of ethereal white so gossamer fragile nothing can keep them out. Descending to the floor, I kneel on the cold, hard concrete waiting for the orb to form.
“What is it Jane?” Her voice inquires the second it solidifies.
“What have you done? The Nephilim believes I’ve betrayed them.”
“We haven’t done anything. Made no move.” Her tone turns nasty. “Failure is not tolerated. You know that. If you’ve jeopardized this plan…”
Dread locks my stomach up tight. “I haven’t…”
She doesn’t trust me. The thought of a beating at her hands, if I can’t see this all the way through, has me clenching my own against my bare thighs.
“You will remain there and suffer whatever punishment you receive. We will not intervene unless we deign it necessary. If they have learned of who you are, they may not know about us. We can still use that to our advantage.”
Shock numbs my brain, freezing my thoughts. “But…”
Swirling, twisting, the orb floats closer to my face, reflecting my image. Multi-colored hair bright my skin is as pale as the snow that lays heavily outside the fortress. Golden eyes wide, they’ve lost their shimmer. Dulled, they brim with terror.
“Do not argue with me, child. Obey our will. Regain their trust anyway you must. I’m sure you can be convincing with a few woeful feminine tears or offer him your body if that doesn’t work. Whatever it takes, Jane.” Words lingering, they resound with finality. The magic around me dissipates, sending the orb into ghostly, gliding strips of smoke that dissolve into nothing.
Alone once more in my prison, a well of pain drowns me. I don’t understand. I’ve done everything they’ve asked. They choose to leave me here, knowing I could face torture? Cassandra must have predicted my deceit. It’s the only other explanation. How am I supposed to turn this situation around? The chill shrouding me sinks deeper, sending my teeth chattering. Curling naked into a ball, I lay still, reeling from this betrayal. Raziel will make me bleed. Beat me until I beg for mercy and beyond. I saw it in his face. Whatever I’ve been accused of, he’s out for revenge. I’m to be a sacrifice. What he’ll do to me will be worse than my guardians have done in the past. Their harsh lessons won’t compare.
The drag of bolts grating through metal registers. Raising my head, I watch with mounting trepidation as the metal door swings open.
“Poor little Fae. Did Raziel get tired of fucking you?” Sly smile tipping her pouty lips, the auburn-haired demoness stands at the threshold, observing me smugly. “Don’t worry, we’ll take you somewhere safe.”
A male appears behind her. Wrapping his muscular arms around her slender waist, he draws her into the haven of his chest. Horns larger than hers, tawny brown, they protrude through his dark locks.
Glaringly aware of my nudity, I do my best to shield myself. “Why? Last time I trusted you, Rosella, you sold me to a bunch of vampires.”
Regret washes over her exotic features. “I was jealous of the attention Raziel was giving you. I know what it’s like to be spurned by the males in this place. Alone, frightened, your next breath might be your last. When I was chosen as one of Lucifer’s concubines, I had no choice. I was taken young and naïve to please a cruel master. He never once considered my feelings or desires. That I could want more than to be his sexual toy. A pet to sit at his feet and beg for scraps of affection.” Tilting her chin up she shares a look with the male who holds her so protectively love shining unhindered from both demons. “I have that now, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it. So, if you want your freedom, come with us or stay and rot in the dungeons. The choice is yours.”
Self-preservation screams the loudest in my head even as suspicion remains. I won’t stay and be tortured no matter what my Guardians decree. Taking the demon’s offered hand, I let him pull me to my feet. His red eyes sweep my body with mild interest, but he makes no move t
o touch me any other way.
“Tizguth, is a soul taker. He has the power to teleport us,” Rosella informs me, coiling herself around him possessively, her satin covered limbs rubbing sensually over his. “He can take us far from here.”
Before I can make a request, energy tingles through my hand still linked with his. One moment we’re in the cold cramped cell, the next we’re standing in the demon strip club. Small frown marring my brow, I take in the frightened faces of the women around me. Lined up against the wall, they’ve been herded in by a group of males. The place is devoid of life and music. What was once teeming with customers is silent and empty.
Confusion is swift.
“Rosella why…” The question dies on my lips as my searching glance settles on familiar forms.
Vampires.
The same ones she’d sold me to here in the club. Their hungry looks make my skin crawl.
“Well look who it is. Little miss rainbow.” Dropping his feet onto the floor from where he’d been perched on a table, the blonde vamp stalks toward me. “I’ve never tasted Fae blood before.”
Edging back, I keep going until a wall prevents any further escape. Panic tries to choke me, but I cram it down. I’m naked and unarmed. They’re faster and stronger than me, giving them an advantage. Around us, the others watch, standing unnaturally still. Predators scenting prey and ready to strike.
“Then you’re going to be disappointed. I’m not full Fae.”
A grin splits his lips, and he gives me a lecherous leer. “Did your Mummy get knocked up by a dirty human? Did she enjoy spreading her legs? By the time we’re done, you’ll love it, too. A fang banger who can’t get enough of vampire cock right up to the point we drain you dry.”
My attention flicks to the door. A frozen water world awaits me outside, so there’s no escape there. Hissing, the other males close in around me. Fangs elongating, they bare them with evil intent.
Fear clogs my throat, sending my heart pounding erratically.
Caged.
Boxed in.
I can’t prevent what happens next. I’m helpless to stop it.
Chapter Twenty
Raziel
Finding the Fortress cell abandoned has not improved my mood. It had been like getting blood from a stone to try and get Cass to give up a vision. For whatever reason, she withheld what she knows. I’d had to pay Badden to track Jane’s soul.
Reality has kicked. I’ve royally fucked up. If anything happens to Tink, I only have myself to blame. The fact I’d let her get under my skin distorted my reactions. Blinded my judgement.
Every muscle feels tight, sprung for action. My usual calm has deserted me, leaving panic in its place. Mind replaying on a loop the last time I’d seen her, I fight to get my shit together.
“I smell death,” Badden warns the second we materialize outside Titianna’s. A swirl of white descends on us from above. Clumps of wet snowflakes drifting down in the thickly falling snowstorm. It’s so dense the scenery around us is barely outlined in the white out.
Stepping through the doors into strip club, I experience a moment of disorientation. Heat licks over my skin as spiralling flakes continue to tumble from above. Unlike the snow that had kissed my face with icy cold, these are warm to the touch. Darting a glance at the roof, I find it still intact.
“Where the hell is this stuff coming from, and why does it smell like BBQ in here?” Palm outstretch, I catch a few only realizing then it’s grey ash.
“There’s no indication of a fire,” Badden tells me slowly. “Everything looks intact…wait what’s that?”
Glancing in the direction, I take in the untouched furniture, bar, glasses, and bottles. Neglected, the place is eerily silent as the grave. A dark mass is by a table. It’s not alone. More are dotted around the room in different positions. Some up right and others closer to the floor.
With caution, I prowl closer.
The surface of the object is mottled and charred. Parts of it have fallen away, revealing soft glowing embers dying in the blackened mass. Comprehension comes with a sickening lurch. I’ve witnessed this before. The fury of a fire but this isn’t natural. Reaching out, I touch the head with a finger. It pushes straight through the fine powder, dislodging and sending it spiralling into the air. The whole thing crumbles slowly into a mushrooming puff.
Incinerated.
Every person in the room has been cremated. Burnt alive on the spot.
Memories of my mother stir. Seeping up unwanted, her agonized screams ricochet through my head. The helplessness I’d experienced back then tries to suffocate me. I hadn’t been able to save her. Not strong enough as a child. She’d been just as ravaged by the time the fire that had consumed her had died down. Barely anything remaining as the Devil had watched me cut her free of the death pyre. The blood of her accusers had dried on my scrawny hands. Their shouts of ‘burn the witch’ silenced forever.
“What could do something like this?” Badden’s voice is a low, raspy whisper. His dark eyes dart around the room with the same unease that loops through me.
“Lucifer could, but he would have taken the whole place down. Whatever caused this only eradicated anything that was organic.”
“You think these are the vampire mercenaries?”
Shaking my head, I meet his uneasy stare with my own. “No. These are the whores who worked here. The vampires are the ashes raining down on us.”
Is Jane one of the corpses? The thought crushes me with a wave of pain. No, I won’t believe it until I’ve found her. If I have to tear this God damn place apart with my bear hands, I won’t stop until I know either way.
“Tink?” My voice is hoarse.
No response.
I try again. “Tink..Jane where are you, honey?”
Badden spares me a look of sympathy. His thoughts are written all over his scarred face. He thinks she’s dead. Finger trailing along the surface of an ash covered table top, he leaves a thick line in its wake.
“Monster.” The soft trembling voice comes from our left.
Someone’s alive.
My heart leaps behind my rib cage, bringing with it a spark of hope.
Our steps leaving prints in the heavy ashen floor, we make our way toward the bar.
Badden unsheathes the sword hanging at his hip. “We must be cautious. Whatever murdered these people could still be lurking.”
Moving around the end, we get a clear view behind.
Rosella.
The Devil’s ex-mistress is trembling on her knees. One pale breast bared, her satiny peach-colored dress is ripped and tattered. Skin ashen, her eyes are wide but unfocused with shock. A male demon lays unmoving, his dark head nestled in her lap as she works her fingers jerkily through his hair.
“You arranged the kidnapping.” It’s not a question. The fact she’s here speaks volumes. How could I have been so wrong? Tink isn’t the only female in the house, but I automatically assumed the vampires who had tried to snatch Juliana had been talking about her.
Rosella’s head turns, and through a messy tangle of auburn locks, she stares, but it’s as if she’s not really seeing me. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. They weren’t supposed to go after the baby. They got greedy and thought they could take her, too...” She trails off as if the rest is unwilling to pass her lips.
I have no pity for her. No empathy for what she tried to pull. There will be no mercy for her. Once Lucifer knows of this, he’ll take pleasure in picking her apart. Her suffering will know no bounds.
“Lucifer is going to have your pretty head for this. If I’m lucky, he’ll let me cleave it off myself.”
An arm swings round her waist, clinging on tight. Before I can prevent it, they vanish. A soul taker. Cursing inwardly that I didn’t check the breed of her companion, my fists connects with the smooth wooden surface of the bar. Unholyfuckingshitballs. Things are out of control. I should hunt the bitch down, but other urges grip me. The need to find my woman and make sure she�
�s safe.
“See if you can find anymore survivors,” I order Badden.
“I’ll try, but the amount of death in this place is blocking me from sensing anything else.”
I hunt through the devastation with a desperation that drives me. She has to be here somewhere. Echoes of how she’d given herself to me so sweetly taunt the back of my mind. Her soft moans and whimpers ring in my ears.
Something catches my eye.
Color.
The curled-up form in the corner is smeared with dried blood and dirt. Head bowed, her multi-colored locks shield her face. Fang marks litter her bare thighs and arms. Bruises darken the skin in the same places. The image sears itself into my brain.
Tink.
Dropping to my knees, I hesitate, unsure where to touch her or even if I should. “Sweetheart can you hear me?”
She doesn’t respond. Makes no move.
For a second, everything freezes inside me. Is she dead? No. Fuck no. The words ring out in my head. Focusing on her chest, relief hits me when I see its rise and fall. You don’t breathe if you’re dead…unless.
“Do you think they turned her?”
Badden shakes his head, sending his dreadlocks rippling as he crouches to join me. “She’s not a vampire. I would sense it if she were. There would’ve been no soul for me to track.”
“They hurt me...” The whisper is quiet. Broken. “I couldn’t…had no control. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
Something inside me twists painfully. Christ did she do this? The charred remains, is she responsible for such destruction? I don’t want to question her. Tink is distressed enough. Answers can wait.
“We’re going to take you somewhere safe.” My tone is low soothing. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms and hug her tightly, but I’m worried it will startle her. Whatever she did, all I can hope is it’s now contained.