Destined for Eternity

by Susan Illene

  “It only takes a little of my blood to send them back to Hell,” Melena said, dropping her arms. “Your assistance isn’t really necessary.”

  The high demon lifted a brow. “Perhaps for you, but can the rest of your agency say the same?”

  Bartol studied Melena’s face. She was considering it, which he couldn’t blame her. The Department of Homeland Security had her flying all over the world to handle problems no human could, and she was often overworked. If a demon could assist in taking care of its own kind, it would make her life a little easier.

  “I’m not the only sensor on the payroll,” she said, giving him a stubborn look.

  Samael flashed his teeth. “None of the others have half your fighting capabilities, experience, or knowledge.”

  “How do you know that?” Melena asked.

  Bartol wondered the same. She was a sensor and immune to magic, so demons couldn’t watch her activities through supernatural means. Of course, he was still limited on his knowledge of demons and their capabilities. Perhaps they did have ways he didn’t know about.

  “I’ve always had a network of human spies to help me keep abreast of current events on Earth, but especially after you invaded my territory.” He gave her a careless shrug. “You put yourself on our radar last year and have not left it.”

  Melena cast a nervous glance at Lucas, who gave her an “I told you so” look. He’d certainly not been in favor of that mission to Hell and had tried to talk her out of it. Being the strong, independent woman she was, he’d eventually given in and joined her on the excursion. Now, the trip to rescue a fallen archangel was proving to have even more ramifications than expected.

  She cleared her throat. “I’d have to meet and approve of whoever would work with us. Also, they’d have to be willing to let me decide the punishment for their misbehavior—whether they get sent back to Hell or get executed by one of the slayers.”

  Samael hesitated. “Agreed to the first. For the second, we will need to work out an acceptable plan for what constitutes a death sentence.”

  “If they kill a human, they die. No compromises there,” Melena said.

  “Very well.” The high demon worked his jaw. “But only if it’s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they are the culprit, and they committed the act on purpose. A car accident where they made a mistake doesn’t count.”

  Melena stared at him, unflinching. “We’ll work out a list of crimes and punishments, but if you want to work with me, there won’t be many compromises.”

  Bartol couldn’t help admiring the sensor’s ability to negotiate with the high demon. She showed no fear and stood her ground, despite his intimidating presence.

  “I would expect no less,” Samael said, a smile playing at his lips. He was enjoying talking to her.

  “You aren’t working with my mate,” Lucas growled.

  “Not on a daily basis, no.” The high demon gave the nephilim an amused look. “I must maintain an office here with Jeriel so that I can head the demon contingent who resides on Earth, but I will still negotiate the legalities with her.”

  Jeriel stood, face turning red. “Wait a minute…I did not agree to you having an office here, and I will be part of the negotiations on what constitutes a crime or not.”

  Samael dipped his chin. “Of course, I did not mean to leave you out.”

  In fact, he had purposely snubbed the archangel, showing more interest in a less powerful sensor. Demons did love their games, and one could never predict how they’d play them. Bartol sighed. It was going to be a long meeting before he could return home to his mate and child.

  Chapter 30

  Cori

  It was less than an hour before dawn, and everyone in the house was awake, except Sybil, who slept upstairs where Joy and Raguel watched over her. They were getting along quite well and enjoyed helping take care of their granddaughter. Cori’s mother had shown the archangel how to change modern baby diapers and, to everyone’s surprise, he was quite happy to do it. Sybil absolutely loved to watch her big, golden grandfather, and he could calm her down when she was fussy like no one else.

  They’d needed the baby out of the way for the evening because they had a special project that would require all of Cori’s concentration. She’d failed to create daylight tattoos for the first few vampires, but they suspected it was because those had been criminals who’d killed humans. Her heart wasn’t in it, and that was key. This time someone she trusted and respected had volunteered. Still, it was nerve-wracking because if her design didn’t work, she’d end up killing a good friend. Nothing like life and death to push someone to try harder.

  “How much longer?” Kariann asked, lifting her head from where she lay across Cori’s office desk.

  The vampire had long, blond hair she usually wore loose to her waist, but she’d pulled it into a ponytail to keep it out of the way. Upon meeting her, most would think she looked like an Amazon warrior with her large, muscular stature, but she was as beautiful as any lithe woman—just more dangerous looking. Kariann had wanted her tattoo on her stomach around her navel, so the desk was the easiest place to use inside Cori’s home that had a flat surface and afforded some privacy to work.

  “Give me ten more minutes,” she said, shading in the yellow sun. It also had orange swirls around it that needed a few final touches. The design wasn’t particularly unique, but Derrick had wanted it to be simple enough that if it worked, it would be acceptable for any vampire. He was all about uniformity.

  Ginny and her two daughters sat in the room watching quietly. The girls had gotten up early because they’d insisted on seeing how it went. If they dared to speak at all while Cori worked, they knew they’d be sent out, so they’d been very quiet. Bartol was there as well, sitting by her side and lending moral support. Derrick would arrive soon to see how the test went. Cori was trying hard not to think about the ramifications of what would happen if she failed. She just couldn’t, so she focused with all her willpower to infuse the tattoo with her belief that the vampire would circumvent the daylight curse and walk in the sun.

  She took a deep breath and let it out, then cleared her tattoo machine to switch ink colors. This was the last part. Everyone sat completely still as she worked the bits of orange into the swirls to give them a little more depth. She poured her heart into willing protection for Kariann, wanting her to live more than anything.

  “It’s done.” She pulled away, set the machine down, and wiped sweat from her brow. The house was cool, but this job had taken a lot out of her.

  Kariann rose onto her elbows and stared at the sun wrapped around her belly button. “Looks great!”

  “Now we just have to see if it works,” Cori said, worrying her lip. “I gave it all I had.”

  The vampire patted her shoulder. “I know you did, which is why I insisted on being your next guinea pig.”

  “You’re insane.”

  “I’m over six-hundred-years old.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I haven’t lived long enough.”

  “This is still risky.”

  She grinned. “Derrick made me update my will, so I’m all set if things don’t go as planned. You’re not in it, by the way.”

  “Very funny,” Cori said, narrowing her eyes at her. “Like I care about that.”

  Bartol took her hand. “This will work. I watched you, and I could feel the difference this time. You’ve never concentrated harder.”

  His simple touch made Cori feel a little better. “Thanks.”

  The sound of a vehicle coming up the road caught everyone’s attention.

  Cori recognized the crunch of those particular tires against the gravel. “Derrick’s here.”

  “Melena’s with him,” Bartol added with a cock of his head. His hearing was still better than hers, allowing him to pick up on things she couldn’t.

  “Great.” Cori started cleaning up the mess in her office. “Because I’m not nervous enough as it is without more witnesses.”

  “We’
ll get the door,” Ginny said, taking her daughters out of the room.

  Kariann hopped off the desk and helped clear the plastic from it. Bartol helped organize the ink bottles while Cori went to the office bathroom to clean her tattoo machine. By the time they finished tidying up, the newest visitors were sitting in the living room. Only ten minutes remained until sunrise, but even the early rays of dawn could be enough to burn a vampire.

  “How do you think it went?” Derrick asked with a slight southern accent.

  The alpha werewolf was a large, muscular man with shoulder-length brown hair he almost always kept pulled back out of his face. One wouldn’t call him handsome exactly, but he had a rugged appeal. It was his brown eyes that captured the most attention. They could change from hard and cold to warm and caring in a blink, depending on his mood. Mostly, though, he looked dangerous and ready to pounce on his next victim at any moment.

  Cori tried to stay cool around him, but he had a way of intimidating her whether he meant to or not. “I feel more hopeful this time.”

  “That’s…encouragin’.” He turned to Kariann. “You’re one of my best guards, so if you ain’t ready for this, say the word and we won’t test the tattoo.”

  She shook her head, long ponytail swishing. “Nope. It’s happening today. I’ve prepared myself for this, and I’m not backing down.”

  Melena rolled her eyes. “She’s always had more courage than sense.”

  “That’s rich coming from you,” Kariann replied, bumping the sensor’s shoulder.

  “I only risk my life for good causes.”

  The vampire grinned. “And this isn’t?”

  Cori liked to think of herself as brave, but Kariann had her beat by a mile if she really intended to walk into the sunlight a few minutes from now. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “No problem.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost time.”

  They all took turns giving her hugs. Sure, they hoped the tattoo worked, but on the off chance it didn’t, they wanted to know they’d said their goodbyes.

  Derrick clasped the vampire tightly in a bear hug. “You make me proud.”

  Melena took her turn next. “Try not to burn,” she said, blinking back some suspicious moisture in her eyes. “With demons on the loose, we need you here, especially if you can walk in the sun. I might have a job for you in the future.”

  “Don’t be tryin’ to steal her away,” the werewolf growled, though there was a humorous look in his eyes.

  Bartol just shook Kariann’s hand, managing not to wince as he did it. Every day he improved a little more. It helped that he’d been going to visit Eli at the compound regularly and would continue to do so since the psychologist planned to keep his office there even with the nerou gone. Almost all the other instructors had left, their jobs and obligations to the archangels over. For most of them, it had been a punishment, and they’d not been allowed to leave Alaska without permission. Now, they were free to live their lives again.

  Cori stepped forward and embraced Kariann. “You’re an inspiration to womankind. You’ve got this!”

  “I believe in you,” the vampire said, lifting her chin. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t take the chance.”

  “The sun is coming! The sun is coming!” Ginny’s girls sang in chorus as they ran into the house. Through the open door, the sky was turning pink in the distance. In a minute or two, it would be too dangerous for regular vampires to be out there.

  “Sorry.” The pixie mother sighed. “They’ve been cooped up lately, and this is the most exciting thing to happen since the baby was born.”

  Kariann smiled at the girls. “It’s okay. They’re cute little people, so I can forgive them.”

  She rubbed each of their heads once for luck and then led the way out the door. Everyone followed quietly behind, as if they were moving through a funeral procession. They stepped onto the porch while Kariann continued down the steps. She had her head up, shoulders straight, and she looked straight at the horizon where the sun would rise. The woman didn’t show the slightest bit of hesitation.

  When Derrick had asked for volunteers among his staff who Cori could respect enough to give them viable tattoos, not one man had raised his hand. They’d been too scared after hearing about the failed attempts—not that she could blame them. Kariann was the only vampire who lifted her arm high and offered to take the chance. She’d said something along the lines of “screw the weaklings too scared to give it a shot.”

  Everyone held their breaths as she stood there, and the rays grew brighter. The sun still hid well behind the high trees, but it had to be peeking over the horizon beyond the vegetation. Cori squinted, swearing she caught steam coming off the vampire. She wanted to run and cover Kariann with her body, but she couldn’t. It wouldn’t do any good at this point. Once the burning started, it couldn’t be stopped.

  “The tattoo is doin’ something. Other vampires would be in flames by now,” Derrick said, trying to reassure them all.

  He had a point. They had already gone through this process a couple of times, and the others had been dead within a minute. It was encouraging Kariann remained alive, but Cori still worried about the steam coming from the vampire. Could it be that the tattoo merely slowed down the process?

  Kariann raised her arms, turning toward them. “It doesn’t hurt.”

  “But the steam…” Cori began.

  “It’s nothing,” the vampire said, lifting her face to the heavens.

  The sun rose higher, and still she didn’t light up in flames. Steam continued to roll off of her, thicker than before until they could barely see her face. She just laughed and danced around the yard, uncaring.

  Twenty minutes passed, and the steam abated until it was finally gone. They muttered among themselves, wondering what it was and why it had been there at all. Kariann was fine. The sun was fully up, and she’d survived, but they were still baffled by how it went.

  “Maybe it’s a sort of purification process,” Melena offered. “Like the sun and tattoo work together to burn the curse off of her.”

  Kariann nodded. “That’s what I think, too.”

  “I’m just glad you survived.” Cori hugged the vampire. “You have no idea how much I was worried.”

  “I told you that you could do it,” the vampire replied, grinning widely and showing her white teeth with sharp incisors. “You just needed extra incentive.”

  Cori appreciated her new ability but testing it was going to give her a heart attack some day. They were always pushing her limits to see what else she could do.

  “I doubt you’ll get many more volunteers, though,” Derrick said.

  That didn’t bother her at all. They didn’t need too many vampires running around in the daylight, and if they knew she had to trust and care about them for it to work, they’d be reluctant to ask for the privilege anyway. Not that they planned to spread the word about her ability. It would put her and her daughter at risk, which was the last thing they needed. This would be for special cases only with people who deserved it.

  She shrugged. “That’s fine with me.”

  The alpha’s cell phone rang, and he stepped away to answer it. Kariann continued to dance through the yard, enjoying the sun even more as it continued to rise in the sky and make an appearance over the evergreen trees.

  “This is incredible!” she shouted.

  It had been six centuries since she’d last stepped into the daylight, so it had to be amazing for her. Cori couldn’t even begin to imagine the feeling. She was rather glad she didn’t have to be a vampire and face that problem. They couldn’t consume any food either, only liquids such as wine and beer, but even those didn’t give them a buzz unless they were a special potent brew. Also, their race didn’t start out strong. Most had to live under their sire’s rule and protection for many years before they could strike out on their own. It wasn’t a lifestyle people would want unless they had no other choice. Even then, only half of humans survived the transiti
on process. It was a miracle there were as many vampires as there were, considering all the downsides.

  Derrick returned from his phone call. “We need to check the news.”

  “Why?” Bartol asked, stiffening.

  “Apparently, the archangel Remiel is making a press announcement.”

  “What?” Cori’s jaw dropped. “I thought they didn’t do that sort of thing.”

  Everyone hurried back into the house.

  Bartol followed behind her explaining, “The deal they worked out with the demons was going to force the issue, but I’d assumed he’d wait a little longer.”

  It had only been ten days since the angels and demons signed a new treaty. From what Cori had been told, they spent many hours going over the finer details and agreed that demons could officially start visiting Earth at the beginning of July, which was almost a month away. In the meantime, a few representatives from Hell were already on the planet to set up the two portals and their offices. They had a lot to prepare. Demons would need temporary housing when they arrived, identification, and to be briefed on all the rules before they were set loose.

  “There was some talk of getting ahead of the issue,” Raguel said, coming down the stairs into the living room. “If demons are going to be here, humans need to know angels are on their side. Remiel informed me he would be contacting the media soon.”

  Ginny turned on the television and started flipping through the channels.

  “Did you know it would be today, father?” Bartol asked.

  “No.” Raguel shook his head. “But he does not tell me everything.”

  “Here it is,” the pixie said, turning up the volume.

  A female reporter was standing in front of the Washington Monument, speaking into a microphone. “In just a moment, we’ve been informed that an archangel—yes, I said archangel—will be making an announcement. Hundreds of people have gathered in anticipation of this historic event.”