The Damned (The Unearthly Book 5)

by Laura Thalassa

  However, knowing how my power worked allowed me to better control it, and through it, my tumultuous emotions.

  The devil had shared his secrets, but I hadn’t shared mine. I didn’t dare think about them. My mind was no longer a safe place for even me to linger.

  But I was finally ready to act on those secrets.

  Well, as soon as I made it back to civilization, I thought as I took in my surroundings. Snowcapped mountains jutted up around me. I saw no houses, no streets, no signs of life—other than frost covered grass. And that looked pretty dead to me too.

  I was dusting snow and dirt off myself when I heard the hiss of breath. A moment ago, where there’d been empty space, my friends and Andre now stood. And Andre … Andre’s heart was breaking, I could see it on his face.

  He must’ve smelled the devil on me or seen my sins in my expression.

  He stepped forward, then fell to a knee, like his legs could no longer support him. The weaponry strapped to his body clinked as he did so. “What did he do to you?”

  I wasn’t going to get a chance to see that smile of his before I confessed. I stumbled over to him, kneeling in the snow in front of him. We were close, but we weren’t touching.

  Andre was having none of that. He scooped me up around the waist and pulled me close to him.

  Somehow this was even worse. To be held in his arms while I confessed.

  His nostrils flared at the smell of my guilt and—hopefully—my remorse.

  I glanced at my friends. They were now going to witness this conversation. Oliver looked like he wanted a bag of popcorn.

  I exhaled a shaky breath. “The devil and I … did things.”

  “What things.” Andre’s voice was flat, but I could see the world breaking in his eyes.

  How to explain the sensation of letting the devil in. It hadn’t felt like it did with Andre, this warm presence that was a part of me. The devil staged an aggressive takeover. He’d seized my heart and decided to occupy it. I’d lost myself in the process, by the time I surfaced I’d found myself in an intimate situation with him.

  Andre squeezed me tightly and shook his head. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter.”

  “Of course it matters,” I whispered.

  “No, it doesn’t. What matters is how you felt about it, and how you feel about me.”

  At his words, bloody tears dripped down my face. “I can’t fight him off, Andre. He ordered me to be held down and bled and not twenty-four hours later, I allowed him to get close to me.” Admitting that hurt something fierce. “How do I feel about it? Disgusted. Horrible. Evil.”

  “Enough.” Andre’s voice cut through the night.

  My mouth snapped shut.

  “Do you love me?” he asked.

  I swallowed thickly and looked away.

  “Do you love me?” he repeated, turning my head to face him.

  “With everything that is good in me, yes,” I said.

  Most of the pain in his eyes seeped away at that. “That is all I need, Gabrielle. Through thick or thin, I am yours.”

  I searched his face. My heart was thawing, my mind was disbelieving. “You’re serious,” I said.

  “You think I don’t understand?” he said. “I have lived for seven hundred years, soulmate. I may have lost much in that time, but I have also gained some wisdom. I knew going into this what you faced. I hate that you shared something physical with that abomination, but not as much as I hate that he shares a bond with you.” He tilted my chin up. “But most of all, I hate that this has fallen on your shoulders.” He held me close. “When it comes to you, nothing is beyond my forgiveness. I am yours, soulmate. Are you still mine?”

  Our bond had withered away, but even without it, and even after seeing into the devil’s soul and being with him, I still chose Andre. I would always choose Andre.

  I nodded.

  He smiled, and I’d been wrong earlier when I thought the devil was the most attractive creature to ever exist. Because that title belonged to the man that held me in his arms. I felt small and unworthy and tainted, yet Andre stared at me like the sun rose and set on me.

  He gave me a squeeze. “Say it.”

  “Andre, so long as I live, I am yours.”

  Shortly after our conversation—and shortly after some meaningful looks from Oliver that demanded I fill him in once we were alone—the fairy tapped into the ley line and took us back to the Isle of Man.

  Or at least he was supposed to.

  I knew something was wrong immediately. I couldn’t experience ley line traveling the same way fairies could, but I’d gotten used to Oliver’s techniques. And these weren’t it.

  A second later, I understood why.

  I hissed at the feel of natural light on my skin. It didn’t burn like it would’ve a week ago, but whatever creature I now was, I preferred darkness to light.

  As my eyes adjusted, I took in my surroundings. I wasn’t back on the Isle of Man, nor was I amongst the snowcapped mountains I’d arrived at.

  A huge stepped pyramid towered in front of me, and surrounding it were waves and waves of people and demons. More winged beasts crowded the sky. Every single one of them had their eyes trained on me.

  Holy crap. This was going to be the devil’s revenge, part two.

  Gray claw tips dug into my skin, and I realized this demon must’ve snatched me on the ley line. He now dragged me forward. I tripped over my bare feet, my spider-silk dress slithering behind me. Last time I’d been in this situation, I hadn’t acted fast enough.

  I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

  Power built inside me. I was going to blast this dude to Aruba. I’d already pulled my arm back to release the energy when I realized that it wouldn’t matter.

  Too many of them.

  I was laughably outnumbered, and if I tried anything, at the very least another demon would replace the one I obliterated. And that was being optimistic. Knowing my luck, I’d get the mob descending upon me.

  The wind kicked up as we reached the base of the stone structure, and off in the distance I caught sight of rolling storm clouds. They were heading this way, and fast.

  I got a close look at the pyramid the demon now dragged me up.

  Chichen Itza.

  I was a little rusty when it came to world history, but I was pretty sure this was one of the places where the Aztecs ripped out the beating hearts of their victims.

  Considering that I hadn’t treated the devil’s too kindly, I could only imagine what lay in store for me here.

  The devil’s revenge, part two, indeed.

  I was so screwed.

  Andre

  Motherfucker!” Oliver cursed.

  Andre glanced around and his heart dropped. “Where is Gabrielle?” They stood in front of Nona’s ruined cabin and his soulmate was decidedly absent.

  “Um,” Oliver said.

  “What happened to her, fairy?” Rage rising.

  “A demon was waiting for me. He snatched her as soon as I tapped into the ley line.”

  Andre’s fangs descended. “A demon was waiting for her,” he repeated.

  This was the second time in two days that she’d been captured along a ley line. First it was some goon working for the Politia. Now this. He could feel the storm brewing beneath his skin. God, he needed to hurt someone.

  Oliver squeaked. “They ambushed me. It’s not like I gave her to them.”

  Yet the fairy was here and she wasn’t. Again.

  He grabbed the fairy’s shirt and leaned in. “Take me to her.”

  Andre would be damned if they had a repeat of last night. And if there were demons waiting for them—all the better. He owed them for what they did to his mate.

  Leanne, whose eyes were hazy, spoke up. “No, Andre. You’ll have to sit this one out.”

  Andre turned his glare on the seer; the look was lost on her sightless eyes. “Why.”

  “Because where she’s being held, the sun still shines.”

  Ga
brielle

  I might not have blasted the demon to smitherines, but I was definitely dragging ass when it came to following him up the pyramid. He growled and yanked on my arm. I glared up at him as I tripped up another two stairs.

  “You have got to be kidding me.”

  I whipped around at the sound of Oliver’s voice, a smile blooming along my face. He and Leanne stood at the base of the pyramid, right in the middle of the crowd of demons and not-so-nice-looking people.

  “Shi-it, Corpsie,” Oliver said, assessing the crowd, “you really did a number to yourself this time.” When he caught the eye of a human next to him, he said, “What? Never seen a fairy before? Yeah, that’s right, back off.”

  The demon jerked me nearly off my feet, and I stumbled up more steps.

  “Freaking-A.” That was it. I hadn’t used my power up until now because I had no means of escaping this place. But now that my friends were so close, I was done with the man-handling.

  My skin glowed, and I heard gasps ripple through the crowd at the sight, reminding me that I had a huge audience. I wasn’t going to think about why they’d gathered. I wasn’t.

  Energy formed in my palm, and I threw it out at my captor. The demon flew back. I didn’t wait for him to hit the stone.

  Demonic howls rang through the skies above me as I ran down the staircase. I noticed ominously that no one else dared to step onto the pyramid.

  With each step I took, the stairs shook and the sky rumbled. The already howling wind picked up and that storm I’d seen on the horizon was now directly overhead. Flashes lit up the clouds and the entire clearing.

  Lightning struck the top of the step pyramid. I covered my eyes. Once the brightness dimmed, I lowered my arm—and froze.

  All that is holy.

  Standing at the top of the ancient structure was the devil.

  Chapter 27

  Gabrielle

  The devil lifted his hands in the air, and the crowd bellowed. The excitement here was full of lust—for battle, for chaos and bloodshed. Rows upon rows of demons and humans watched him.

  I kept backing up until I bumped into my friends. The crowd closed in on us from all sides.

  “How did he get here?” Oliver asked.

  I stared up at the devil as he surveyed the land. “I have no idea.”

  “Think he’ll go away?”

  “No,” Leanne said. “He came to claim earth, and he came for Gabrielle.”

  “Me?” I squeaked. He already got me in hell.

  He shouldn’t be here. Traveling to earth was my power. But somehow he’d managed it.

  The devil began descending the steps. Cameras and phones were aimed at him, and dread pooled in my stomach. Clips of this would hit the Internet. Word would get out of his existence on earth. There was power in fear, power that the devil knew how to harness.

  Another world to feed upon.

  “Whelp, coming here was a bad idea,” Oliver commented.

  The devil’s eyes searched the crowd. After a moment, they found mine. He extended an arm towards me. And then he smiled. “Come forward, my queen.”

  I froze at his voice, as did the audience. The crowd parted, and an aisle was created that led directed from the stepped pyramid right to yours truly.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  A thousand different faces turned to me, some of this world, some not.

  Members of the crowd had pulled Leanne and Oliver away from me—the latter of whom was giving his captor the stink eye.

  “Bow to your queen,” the devil continued. “My consort.”

  And now a thousand different beings bent at the waist. My eyes darted from them back to the devil. Our connection pulsed and then I felt a pull from his end. The bastard was siphoning off my energy.

  You aren’t using it.

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  He smiled at me, stepping down stair after stair. “She is mother to the demons here, our lady of chaos.”

  Thunder rumbled overhead, flashes of light brightening the dark clouds.

  “What’s going to happen when he gets to me?” I threw the question over my shoulder to Leanne. Those that held her frowned at me, like I was supposed to be in-the-know when it came to the devil. Ha!

  “I already told you, Gabrielle. He’s going to claim you.”

  My eyes bulged. “Like in the Biblical sense?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Definitely a kiss at the very least.”

  I was still stuck on maybe. My attention flittered back to the devil, who stalked down the pyramid steps and towards me with purpose.

  Fuck maybe.

  My power surged and I blasted it forward, making sure to avoid hitting Oliver or Leanne. Humans and demons flew into the air, knocking others over like bowling pins.

  Lighting struck the ground with a thunderous boom a hundred yards from the pyramid. A chorus of screams punctuated the blast.

  I strode forward. First I grabbed Leanne’s hand and then, after blasting another round of beings off of Oliver, I grabbed his too.

  Another bolt of lightning speared a tree at the edge of the clearing. It caught fire, the branches going up in flame.

  Run, little bird, and hide yourself good, because when I find you, you’ll regret crossing me.

  I stared up at him. Fifty yards and hundreds of people lay between us, but when our gazes locked, I could feel him in me and me in him. We were back in his castle, his soul laid bare. Anger and hurt so deep it was bottomless rose up to greet me, and even now I reached out and began to hum. We were the point and counterpoint in the universe. He was a wound and I was the needle and thread that would sew him up.

  I fell into those eyes and under that spell once more. I sucked in a bite of air, and when I released it, our surroundings disappeared.

  The change of scenery was so sudden, and the devastation in front of me so extreme, I staggered back.

  “Whoops,” Oliver said. “Wrong exit. Hold on.”

  “Wait,” I said.

  San Francisco sat across the bay, the tightly packed buildings dotting the landscape. Only, much had changed since the last time I’d seen it.

  The Bay Bridge canted sideways, part of the roadway dipping towards the water. Beyond it, I could see the partially exposed skeletons of several skyscrapers, like some great beast had taken a claw to them.

  “What happened to this place?” I asked, my voice desolate.

  “Demons,” Leanne said.

  I swiveled to her. Her eyes, which had been going in and out of focus, were sharp once more.

  “This is the work of demons?” I asked.

  “Mainly. Some of it was just collateral damage from human and angel counterattacks. They’re fighting back.”

  The world blurred as I blinked back tears. Indirectly I’d caused all of this.

  “Oliver, can you show me more?”

  “You know I hate to be the voice of reason,” Oliver said, “but we shouldn’t linger on ley lines more than necessary. Especially not when that possessive vampire of yours is waiting for you back on the Isle of Man. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but patience isn’t his strong suit.”

  “Please,” I said. “I want to see what I’ve done.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Leanne said. “Show her two more cities.”

  Athens was smoldering, the Parthenon all but wiped away. Rio de Janeiro had been all but leveled, and the city’s Christ the Redeemer statue was nothing more than a pile of rubble.

  I gasped when we returned to the Isle of Man. We ended up next to Nona’s cottage.

  An instant later, Andre was clasping me to him. He pressed a kiss to the crown of my head before pulling away. “Soulmate, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  He searched my face. “What has put the darkness in your eyes?”

  “The devil has arisen to conquer the world,” Leanne said, back to focusing on nothing. “He uses borrowed power to live and breathe, and he has come here to destroy.”

&n
bsp; Dread settled beneath my skin. While I’d been fighting for my life, the devil had been taking over the world. I felt him pulling from my connection even now.

  “The devil is here?” Andre said, releasing me.

  “Yes,” Leanne hissed. “And he comes for you and your mate. Beware of Bishopcourt. The battle between worlds has begun, and the heart of it will play out inside its walls. To go there is to face certain death, but you must if you wish to save the world.”

  All at once her eyes rolled back and she pitched forward. I caught her as she fell.

  Dazedly, she blinked up at me. Her gaze sharpened. “You know what you must do.”

  My jaw set in grim determination. The time for running was over. “I need to end this.”

  “You need the quill,” Andre added.

  I turned to him, forgetting for a moment that I’d told him about the celestial quill in the letter I’d left him several days ago. “I do.”

  Andre whipped out his phone, and called one of his men.

  Quill? The devil’s voice flowed like water through my mind.

  I released Leanne to massage my temples, trying to not think about anything.

  “Soulmate?”

  What are you hiding from me?

  “Stop it,” I gritted out.

  “Who’s she talking to?” Oliver said.

  “The devil,” Leanne answered.

  Andre closed the phone. “Bishopcourt is already surrounded,” he said, taking my hand and rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “Many beings are expecting our return.”

  Consort, I’m coming for you.

  I made a noise at the back of my throat. “He knows something’s off.”

  That was all the warning Andre needed. He scooped me into his arms. “It’s alright, soulmate. We’re ending this now. The fairy is right, you need that quill. I know where it is, and I’m going to get it for you.”

  The vampire has put the nail in his own coffin.