by Mandy Lee
Katia smiled to herself as she walked into the bedroom she shared with Luc. She flicked the door closed behind herself. Time for a shower. Katia twisted her hair up into a rough bun, headed to the adjoining bathroom and turned the knob on the shower. Hot water rained down, and Katia sighed in anticipation. She stripped off her clothes, tossing them through the partially open bathroom door. The hot steam swirled around the room and fogged up the mirror above the sink. It felt divine against her exposed skin. Katia stepped into the stream of water, a noise of appreciation for the steady flow leaving her lips. As she soaped her body her mind began to wander.
Katia smiled as images of Luc popped into her head. Laughing, talking...sex...lots of sex...great sex. Luc was out with Amir, but he’d be returning soon. She couldn’t wait for him to get back. Katia shook her head in disbelief. How was this her life?
She shook her head, smiling. As the soap slid over her body, Katia closed her eyes and imagined it was Luc running his hands over her. Every time they were together she absorbed a little bit more of the darkness that was poisoning him, taking it into herself, and somehow destroying it. Sighing, she ran her hands up her body, covering her breasts with the slick bubbles, feeling her nipples harden at the direction of her thoughts. Stepping directly under the stream, Katia allowed the water to wash the bubbles away.
Reaching down, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a fluffy white towel off the bar along the wall. She wrapped the towel around herself, tucking the edge under her arm to secure it. Katia turned to face the mirror and reached out to wipe the steam away with the palm of her hand. The image reflected in the streaked glass wasn’t her own. She shrieked and jumped back, slamming into the wall behind her hard enough to knock a picture down. Glass shattered as it hit the floor, razor sharp shards skidding across the tiles.
Katia's breath sawed in and out as she stared at the face in the mirror. Bruises mottled the pale skin, one eye was swollen half-shut and a mass of cuts decorated pale cheeks. A hunk of tangled black hair fell from a ghostly brow, covering the other eye. An angry red welt circled a thin neck as though a garrote had been tightened to the point of death before being released. Unable to tear her eyes away, Katia watched as a pale hand raised up and touched the glass from the other side. Drawn by a force beyond her comprehension, Katia stepped toward the mirror, glass crunched beneath her bare feet. She cried out in pain, but couldn’t stop walking until she was directly in front of the mirror. Katia raised her hand, operating on auto-pilot. As her palm met her brother's, she felt a coldness sweep up her arm and move through her body.
Katia sobbed in despair — her brother was being tortured. He brushed the hair away from his eyes and looked at her with misery in their depths.
“Who did this to you? Where are you?” she cried out, desperate to do something to stop his pain.
Her brother’s mouth began to work but she couldn’t make out what he was trying to say. Icy cold tears pricked her eyes as she groaned in frustration. “I can’t hear you!” Goosebumps rose on her skin as the cold began to take root. Her brother shook his head, his mouth moving once again. Focusing, Katia followed the motion of his lips. “You don’t know?” she asked. He shook his head in frustration. Katia’s thoughts went wild, desperately trying to come up with a way to pinpoint his location, suddenly an idea came to mind. “Are there any windows where you are?” He nodded. “What do you see when you look outside?” Her brother frowned for a moment before nodding. He raised his free hand and ran his fingertip through the blood dripping from one of the cuts on his cheek, raising his finger to show her.
“Blood?” Katia recoiled. How could that make sense? Her brother’s mouth moved once again. Deciphering it, Katia frowned in confusion. “A lake?” she asked. He nodded and mouthed the words again, then held up his finger that dripped in his own blood.
Katia swallowed hard and voiced her question quietly. “You see a lake of…blood?” When her brother nodded, Katia’s heart dropped.
Luc had told her stories about Halja. If her brother was being held there, she’d need the Devil’s own luck to get him out. As she gazed into her brother’s pain-filled eyes she made a decision. No matter what it took she would find a way to get him out of there. Sooner rather than later.
“I’m not going to leave you there. I’ll get you out…I promise.” Her voice shook as she stepped even closer to the mirror. Her brother's image began to fade, and Katia saw his mouth move once last time, the words breaking her heart. “Thank you.”
In the space of a moment, the only image reflected was her own. Lifting her hand off the glass, she stared down at her feet and saw the blood smeared onto the hard tiles from the shards embedded in her skin. Her nerve endings were alight with scorching pain. Lifting first one foot then the other, she picked out the glass, tossing it into the garbage can beside the sink. Katia looked back at the mirror. A handprint remained. Looking closer, she realized it was imprinted on the inside of the glass, the only evidence that her brother existed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
As the woman’s image faded from his mind, the prisoner’s eyes fluttered open. Raising his hand, he gingerly touched his battered face. The Master had never hurt him like this before. What had caused this strange shift in the Master’s behaviour? He tried to clear his fuzzy thoughts. He had no idea how or why he was able to interact with the woman. It seemed his subconscious was able to connect with her on some psychic level. He crawled slowly toward his bed and collapsed onto the mattress, carefully raising his head he looked around the barren room. The Master had taken his drawings…all of them. He stared at the bare stone walls. Years of his life spent sketching the only person who’d provided a connection to the outside world and it was all gone.
Closing his eyes he conjured up the woman’s face, replaying her parting words. She’d promised to come for him, to free him. He didn’t know how she planned to accomplish this feat, but for some reason he believed her. They were connected, and he knew that she felt it too. He only prayed that she would find a way to set him free before the Master decided to kill him, for it seemed his life no longer held any value. It was a strange sensation...wanting to live...
The prisoner curled his pained body into a ball. He closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep. Perhaps in dreams the pain that wracked him would be muted and he could see his champion again.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Katia heard the snick of the dead bolt as the front door of the apartment was unlocked. Seconds later, the door opened and Amir stepped in. He was alone. Katia waved hello. “Where’s Luc?”
Amir turned to re-lock the door behind him. “He’s with B and Gadreel. They're checking to see if Sergei's magic still works now that he’s a vamp. He should be back in a little bit.”
Katia nodded and looked down at her hands that were clasped in her lap. Amir walked over and sat down next to her on the couch, clearly concerned. “Is everything okay?”
Taking a deep breath, she looked into Amir’s yellow eyes, searching for something. After a moment she nodded. “I need your advice on something.”
“Shoot.”
“You and Luc seem to be pretty close and I don’t want to worry him, so I hope you can keep this between us.”
Katia saw wariness creep into Amir’s expression. “I don’t want to get in the middle of something between the two of you.”
Katia nodded. “I understand, but this isn’t about Luc and me. This is about my brother. You know as much about this world as Luc does and I need to get some impartial advice. I hope I can count on you for that.”
Amir nodded. “Go ahead.”
Taking a deep breath, Katia started, “I’m not sure if Luc’s said anything to you, but I’ve been seeing my brother…in the mirrors.”
Amir nodded. “He mentioned something like that.”
“I saw him again today. Someone’s hurt him badly. I need to save him; I need to get him out of there. He told me where he’s bein
g held.”
Amir’s eyebrow raised. “Really? That’s great! We can get a crew together and go after him for you.”
Katia sighed. “It’s not that simple. He’s being held at Halja...unless you know another place that’s surrounded by a lake of blood.”
“Shit.” Amir dropped his head into his hands. “Let me guess, you want to go in after him.”
Katia stood and threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t just leave him there. He’s my brother and he’s being tortured!”
Amir stood and began to pace the length of the living room, his agitation obvious in the length of his stride. Stopping abruptly he turned to face Katia. “Luc will do anything in his power to keep you out of Halja. I can’t get into the dungeon area without tripping a zillion alarms the second I open a dimensional rift. The rest of the guys have no hope of getting in and out without being caught.”
“I know. That’s why I want to go myself.”
“No way. Not a chance in Sheol. Luc would lose his shit if you went in there alone.” Amir shook his head and resumed pacing the room.
“I know, and I don’t want to hurt him, but I’m the only one who has any chance of getting in and out without being killed. Satan obviously wants me alive, so it wouldn’t do him any good to hurt me. If you could drop me as close to the dungeon as possible, I’ll get Keir and then we can leave.”
“He may not hurt you, but you’ll end up his prisoner for the rest of your natural life, which is forever might I remind you” Amir said pointedly.
Katia rose from her spot and walked slowly toward him, twisting her hands together as she went. “I know that and I don’t want to leave Luc. But I can’t just leave him there and go on with my life. I need to be able to look myself in the mirror every morning. What kind of person would I be if I sacrificed his life and freedom for my own safety?”
“Fuck.” Amir ran his hands over his face. “Just…Fuck.” With a sigh, he walked back over to the couch and dropped down, defeated.
Moving quickly, Katia sat down beside him and clasped one of his hands in her own. “Will you help me?”
Amir sighed. “I get it.” He squeezed her hand hard. “Luc’s going to kick my ass for this, but yes, I’ll help you.”
Relief poured through her as she grabbed Amir in a bear hug, squeezing him hard. “Thank you.”
Amir awkwardly hugged her back. “You’re welcome. You’re a good woman, Katia. Luc’s lucky to have found you.” Pulling back he grabbed a pen and paper off the coffee table and began drawing up a list. “I’m just going to have to do my damnedest to make sure we can get you back to him in once piece, ‘cause I’m pretty sure you’re going to save Luc from himself.”
Warmed by his words, Katia smiled. “I know this looks like a doomed mission, but I’ll be doing everything in my power to get back to Luc…’cause I’m pretty sure he’s going to save me, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Luc whistled happily as he made his way through Amir’s apartment to his bedroom. He hadn’t felt this lighthearted in so long, despite the dire situation. Life was a real trip. It amazed him how much had changed in such a short time. He’d gone from living in an impenetrable darkness to seeing light and hope for the first time in ages. Katia was sitting cross-legged on the bed reading a novel as he entered the room. She looked up at him with a worried expression, the whistle died on Luc’s lips.
“Everything okay?”
Katia fanned the pages of her book and tossed it on the bed with a sigh. “Yeah, everything’s good. I’m just glad you’re home.”
Luc narrowed his eyes at her and joined her on the bed. “You’re a horrible liar, babe. One of your more endearing qualities, I’ll admit. Out with it.”
Katia scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Luc put his arms around her and breathed in the clean, crisp scent of soap. It was such a simple thing, to hold this woman in his arms, but it meant more to him than anything in every world. If something was wrong he was ready to go to war to make it right.
“I saw him again,” she said quietly as she nestled in closer, stretching her face up to kiss his throat.
Luc’s heart felt heavy as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. “I’m sorry, babe.”
“Someone’s hurting him. He looked like he’d been beaten.”
Luc could hear the tears in her voice. “We’ll figure something out. I promise you. As soon as everything calms down and we’ve sorted out our situation, I’ll find a way to get to him.”
Katia looked up at him with pain in her eyes; it made Luc feel like a knife was being driven into his heart and twisting. “I’m worried that he’s going to be killed. What if he doesn’t have much time left?”
He reached out his hand and cupped her cheek gently. “We’ll figure something out, but we need to make sure you’re safe first. Promise me you won’t do anything crazy.”
Katia stood and paced the room, clearly agitated. Luc got up and walked over to her, holding her upper arms and drawing her in close. “I know you feel like you need to do something right this minute, but I need to know you’re safe. I just found you, I can't lose you.”
When Katia raised her head and met his eyes, Luc could see some sort of desperation lurking there. Without saying a word she reached up and drew his head down, her nails scraping up the back of his neck as she speared her hand into his hair. Their lips met in a bruising kiss and the fire that was always simmering between them rose into a roaring inferno. Luc slid one hand up her back, drawing her flush against him. Katia sighed, opening her mouth just enough for Luc to slide his tongue in to meet hers. With his free hand he yanked the elastic out of her hair, allowing the thick black waves to cascade down her back. With a strength that only an immortal could possess, Katia drove Luc backwards without breaking their kiss. His back slammed into the wall rattling the picture frames as Katia plastered her body against him like a second skin. Luc groaned as she tilted her hips into his, rubbing against him. She nipped his lower lip as he grasped her ass and pulled her closer. Katia reached up and frantically ripped open his shirt, buttons popping off and pinging away across the room. As his chest was bared, she raked her nails down his skin. Luc shivered and sighed as she trailed kisses down his chest as she slid down his body. His breath caught in his throat as the zipper on his jeans came down and his cock sprang free. His body jerked as she took him in her mouth. Luc slid his hands into her hair. His world felt like it was tilting and shifting, he grew lightheaded from the pleasure. As she licked her way back up his shaft he grasped her under her arms and yanked her to her feet. There would be time for that later. Luc knew he wouldn't last more than a moment with her sweet lips wrapped around his cock.
Grasping the back of her thighs, he lifted her effortlessly in his arms and fed her a decadent kiss as she wrapped her legs around him. Luc cast his eyes around the room quickly, then marched over to the dresser. He sweept his arm out, sending toiletries crashing to the floor. He laid Katia out on the surface and allowed his hands to cruise slowly up her bare legs, sliding under her skirt. Her skin was soft and smooth and so inviting. Her eyes slid closed as he grasped the waistband of her panties and dragged them down her legs slowly, her chest rising and falling fast as her breathing became more rapid.
Bending down, Luc threw one of her legs over his shoulder and dragged his tongue up the inside of her thigh…feeling her shiver in response. Luc was drawn to her pussy like a moth to a flame. As he slid his tongue along her sensitized skin he heard her moan. Her fingers drifted into his hair, tugging gently as he worked her with his tongue. She began to buck and writhe on the counter, he reached out and laid his arm across her stomach to hold her still…intent on hearing her scream his name. Don’t stop. The words drifted through Luc’s mind making him smile wolfishly before returning his concentration to the task at hand. He slid a finger into her, pumping hard as he sucked her clit. His name echoed through the room in a wild cry as Katia came hard. He rais
ed his head with a cocky smile. He watched as Katia dazedly cracked open her eyes. They were blood red and glowing, but this time he wasn’t fazed, he just felt a very smug satisfaction for a job well done.
Luc picked her up and cradled her against him as he made his way over to their bed. He laid her limp body down and kissed her gently on the lips. Luc stood and stripped off his jeans and his ruined shirt, tossing them on the floor. Katia stretched like a happy feline as he leaned back down over her, grasping the hem of her shirt and drawing it up over her head. Luc sent it flying through the air to join the growing pile on the floor. Finally, he slid her skirt off her legs, leaving them both naked. Katia reached out and ran her hands over him as he lay back down beside her, sliding them over the planes of his body. Katia arched her body toward him, crushing her breasts against his chest, her hips pressing against his cock.
Luc’s body shook with need. He moved over her, his hips falling into the cradle of her body as her thighs parted to make room. The blunt head of his cock slid along the moist folds of her pussy as he rubbed against her, his hips arching and retreating, teasing her with what was to come. Now. The psychic plea made Luc smile and sigh with relief. With a great surge, Luc drove his hips forward, entering her in one hard thrust. Katia cried out in ecstasy as Luc shuddered at the feel of her encasing him. Katia opened her eyes and stared into his. He marvelled at the swirling gold depths that stared back at him.
His hips churned above her, his cock entering and retreating, her hips rising to meet his thrusts. Katia gripped his biceps and Luc could see the blackness creeping up her arms, drawn out of his body by some magic only she possessed. Instead of fear, his heart swelled. She was cleansing him — bringing him back to the man he was meant to be. As though some part of her had sensed the direction of his thoughts, her voice drifted through his mind. I love you. He felt her pussy squeezing around him as she drew closer to release, his own body answering that call. Sparks of electric pleasure shooting up and down his spine as he moved faster within her. His breath heaved in and out of his lungs as he came closer to his own release. As her pussy pulsed and rippled around his cock, Luc called her name, their cries echoing together throughout the room. Luc leaned down and kissed her brow before rolling to her side and collapsing as he drew her into the circle of his arms. She grasped onto him tightly and kissed his chest, nestling her head into his body as though she never wanted to be parted from him. "I love you too." Luc whispered as he drifted toward sleep on a blissed-out cloud. He thought he heard her say “I’m sorry.” But his sleep-addled mind refused to stay online and he floated into darkness.