by Larissa Ione
Really?
“Yes, but only because it’s something new. But it’s also something wonderful. Do you miss your family?” At his sullen nod, she took his hand. “They’ll be on the other side of that light, waiting for you.”
My parents? And sister?
“I don’t know about that, but trust me, generations of family are waiting to greet you.”
He bowed his head. I don’t think so. I did something bad. I played with matches.
“Is that how you died?”
And my sister.
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t you worry. Your family loves you. There is eternal forgiveness in the light.” She turned to the glow, where several adults and a young girl stood, all smiling. “See? They’re waiting.”
Tension mounted as he stared into the light, his chin quivering and tears rolling down his face. He kept shifting his feet, stamping them like a colt that was about to bolt. Finally, with a giant sob, he ran, straight into their arms. As he turned to wave to her, the spirit light faded.
Hers remained.
When she turned to Lore, his eyes were as large as the boy’s had been. “Idess. My… God.”
“You saw?”
He nodded numbly. “Must be the bond or something, but yeah. Wow. That was… beautiful.”
She laced her fingers with his. “It’s my turn.”
“I know. Eternal forgiveness, right?” His smile trembled, but he was trying to be strong for her.
Eternal forgiveness. She hadn’t lied to the boy. She felt it in her heart and soul, and for the first time since the light had come for her, she wasn’t afraid.
Slowly, he dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. “I love you,” he murmured. “I love you so much.”
“Be good,” she said, even as her heart split wide open. She wasn’t afraid, but she was in pain.
Before she could change her mind, she pulled away from him and walked into the light.
She didn’t look back.
Lore watched her leave, and the moment she disappeared and the gate slammed shut so it was nothing but dark, cold rock, he dropped to his knees and screamed.
Screamed until medics came. Then Eidolon. Then there was a prick in his biceps, and mercifully, the world went black.
Twenty-five
Lore was going to kill Deth. Okay, sure, he said that all the time. But after two days of doing nothing but sit in his hovel and drink, Lore realized he didn’t have anything better to do anyway. And if Lore died during the attempt, so be it. He couldn’t care less about himself, because the best part of him was gone.
The bond with Idess had broken. Which meant she was dead.
You fucked away your purity and can’t Ascend. You’ll probably be destroyed.
Rami’s words had been clanging around in his skull since the moment she’d disappeared into the light. She’d lied about being summoned to get her wings, damn her. Lore had been stupid enough to believe it, and now she was dead. So yeah, if he died, too, so what. And if he survived, Sin would no longer be at the mercy of that evil bastard. Idess had helped him forgive himself for what he’d done to Sin, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep trying to make it up to her.
Lore just hoped his sister was all right. She hadn’t contacted him, nor had she answered his texts or returned his calls. If Deth had hurt her…
Soul-searing anger joined the black hole of grief that no amount of white lightning could fill.
You shouldn’t have left Sin behind again. You shouldn’t have let Idess go. They’re both dead because of you.
He took a swig of alcohol, relishing the raw burn in his gullet. If he couldn’t scour away the grief, at least he could savor the pain. He raised the bottle into the air.
“To you, Deth. One of us will be dead by morning.”
Lore hit the demon bars at midnight. He knew exactly who he was looking for, and sure enough, he found the tiger shifter, Sunil, at a poker table, doing his best to scam a vampire, a Sora, and an orange, horned thing of unknown species.
“Hey, man, can I talk to you?”
Sunil threw down his cards. “I’m out anyway.” He followed Lore to a corner table. “Heard you’re free. Congratulations.”
“Yeah. How’s Sin?”
“Haven’t seen her.”
A chill throbbed through Lore’s veins. “What do you mean, you haven’t seen her? How did you know I’m free?”
“The new Sem told me. He came to me for some healing after Deth was through with him.” Sunil shook his head, making his long, tawny bangs swish across his eyes like wiper blades. “The bastard waited until Tavin was crazed with lust, and then he brought in a whore. Turned Tav loose and watched the show. I don’t know what happened to the female, but damn, Tav’s broken. Afterward, Deth kicked him to me to patch up.”
That sick son of a bitch. Lore would take revenge for Tavin as well as for Sin. “Can you get me into the den?”
Sunil knocked back a swig of his beer. “Fuck that.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I like my head on my shoulders, thank you very much.”
“Sin could be in trouble.”
“You know I like your sister, man. But I can’t risk my life for her. I have kids to feed.”
“I know, and I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t important. I plan to re-up with Deth,” he lied.
“Then go through the normal channels.”
He couldn’t do that, because Deth would meet him in the Guild Hall, which was under a Haven spell similar to the one protecting Underworld General.
“I need to see Sin first.”
“Dammit, Sem—”
“Please.” Shit, Lore hated begging. But he sucked it up and added, “I’ll do anything.”
Sunil cursed. Long and hard. Finally, he growled, “I’ll get you through the barrier. You’re responsible for getting yourself inside Deth’s keep. And if we’re caught, I’ll save my own skin and say you forced me.”
Lore grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
Deth was as good as dead. All Lore had to do now was pay a visit to Eidolon.
Lore had earned a fierce ass-chewing from Brother Doctor.
“I’ve left you a dozen messages,” Eidolon said, as he spread his palm on Lore’s bare chest.
“Didn’t feel like answering.”
“How have you been?”
This was exactly why Lore had avoided Eidolon. He didn’t want to talk about any of this. Didn’t want to talk about it, think about it, didn’t want to be here, because he’d made love to Idess for the last time in this very hospital.
“I lost my mate,” Lore rasped. “How do you think I’ve been?”
“I’m sorry. If anything happened to Tayla…”
“You’d die. I know.” Lore took in a ragged breath. “Thanks, by the way. You know, for knocking me out the other day.” Whatever his brother had shot him up with had put him on his ass for a good twelve hours.
But when he’d awakened in a hospital bed, Idess was still gone, and he’d gone into a fresh meltdown.
Eidolon nodded. “You shouldn’t have taken off so soon.”
“’Cuz I so wanted to hang out here and watch everyone pity me.” He looked down at Eidolon’s hand. “A little to the right. The scar has to look real if I’m going to get past Deth’s goon squad.”
Eidolon adjusted his palm. “You sure you want to do this? If you wait, we can work out a plan to get Sin out of there—”
“Can’t wait. I need something to do.” He didn’t see any way for his brothers to help get Sin out of Deth’s contract anyway. This was their best shot.
“We could keep you busy.”
Lore snorted. “Doing what? Polishing the floors? Emptying the garbage? I’m good at killing people, not healing them.”
“We haven’t replaced our ME,” Eidolon said with a shrug, and Lore stared.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“It’s perfect for you. You don’t have to worry
about killing anyone.”
Lore shifted Eidolon’s pinky a hair to the left. “You should be doing standup.”
“I’m serious, Lore. We could use you.”
“Yeah, whatever. Tell you what. If Deth doesn’t kill me, you can do whatever you want with me.” He figured he wasn’t coming back, so hey, this would be just yet another promise to a sibling that he couldn’t keep.
Eidolon pressed his hand more firmly over Lore’s heart. “This is going to hurt.”
“Again, whatever.” There was nothing left in there to injure.
Eidolon’s dermoire lit up, and instant, searing pain tore through Lore’s chest. Who cared. He lost track of how long it went on, but when it was done, he had a hand-shaped scar on his chest. It wasn’t an exact replica of Deth’s, but it should be good enough to get him past Deth’s minions.
“Good luck,” E said. “You sure we can’t help? Wraith can get inside anything.”
“I can’t risk an alarm being raised before I get to Deth and Sin. He’ll kill her and get out before I ever hit the throne chamber.”
“If you change your mind, call.”
“You bet.” He reached out, shook Eidolon’s hand. “Thank you. For everything.”
E nodded. “If anything happens to you, we won’t stop looking for a way to rescue Sin.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Lore met up with Sunil at the demon bar, and together they headed to Sheoul. For the first time in thirty years, Lore couldn’t see the entrance to Deth’s keep. Sunil took Lore by the sleeve and guided him through an invisible—to Lore—barrier. Ahead, beyond a narrow walkway of frozen earth, boulders, and vicious booby traps, was the arched entryway to the den, where two of Deth’s henchmen kept watch.
This would be the first test.
Sunil revealed his mark to the guards, and after sliding Lore a good-luck glance, he disappeared inside.
“Well, Sem?” one of the guards snarled through tusks.
Lore lifted his shirt, revealing the palm-shaped mark they expected. For the space of a long, drawn-out breath, the guard stared, and Lore’s pulse jackhammered through his veins.
“Mark is fresh. Re-upped your contract, eh?”
Lore shrugged. “Discovered all I’m good at is killing.” Discovered Eidolon was good at making cosmetic scars, too.
The other guard cocked his thumb at the entrance. “Go.”
Relief made Lore’s knees weak, but he strode into the keep like he belonged. Like he wasn’t going to tear Deth’s fucking head off. He moved down the hall, boots thudding on the floor in time to his heartbeat. Ahead, the double doors to Deth’s chamber were closed.
Inside, there would be two Ramreels. Smiling, Lore whipped two blades from the weapons harness under his jacket. He didn’t even slow down when he reached the doors. He threw them open, and before the Ramreels could blink, he’d buried his blades in their throats.
Furious, Deth lurched out of his bone chair. Beside him, chained naked to the base of the throne, was Sin. What had that evil fuck done to her?
“Lore, no!” The concern in her plea only fueled the fires of his anger, which was rapidly turning inferno hot.
He dipped his hand into one pocket for a cutting tool and tossed it to Sin as Deth summoned more guards. An arrow pierced Lore’s shoulder from behind, and pain popped along every single nerve ending. The familiar haze came down over his vision, and for the first time in memory, he was glad for the rage.
There was nothing but weightlessness in the light. There was no sense of time, no hot or cold, nothing but a sense of peace. Then, suddenly, Idess was standing inside a white-marbled gazebo in the middle of the most beautiful world she’d ever seen. It was like marshmallow clouds raining diamonds all over fields of emerald grass and ruby roses.
Even her imagination couldn’t have spun this up.
Nice to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here. No, she wanted steamy North Carolina forests, McDonalds, and demon men who dressed in leather.
Standing to her left were four angels, two females and two males, all wearing what Idess guessed were ceremonial robes. In crimson. Interesting color choice. In their hands, they held golden scythes.
Obviously, this was the Memitim Council. And none of them looked happy.
Idess dropped to one knee in a deep bow, and realized she was wearing a robe that matched theirs. It pooled around her bare feet like blood.
“Stand.” A male voice compelled her to her feet. “Do you know why you have been brought here?”
“For judgment,” she replied. “For failing my test.”
The auburn-haired female shook her head. “You did not fail.”
Idess frowned. “But Lore. I had relations with him.” I’m bonded to him. Actually, she couldn’t feel him. She cast a covert glance at her hand, where the markings still colored her skin. So maybe they were still bonded, but their link had been dropped like a call on a crappy cell phone network?
“He was not your test.”
Idess tugged her robe more snugly around her. “I don’t understand. Even if he wasn’t my test, is it not forbidden to know any male so intimately? Let alone a demon male?”
“Exceptions are made when the outcome is positive.”
Now she was really confused. “Outcome?”
“Your selflessness was your test. After your betrayal of your brother, we had to make sure you’d grown. And you have. By giving up that which was most important to you—your Ascension—for the greater good, you proved your worth. You knew what intercourse with the half-breed would cost you, yet you did it to gain entrance to Rariel’s lair. By slaying him, you voided the contract on Kynan’s life and ensured his safety.”
“Way to go, Idess.” Reaver’s rumbling voice came from behind her. He was propped against a pillar, arms and ankles casually crossed. “Thought I’d pop by to watch you get your wings.”
“Wings?” Her voice was barely audible, even to her ears. So many feelings mixed together… joy, ecstasy… and panic. She’d wanted this for two thousand years. Had spent entire days dreaming about it. Imagining this very moment.
She’d give it all up in a heartbeat if she could go back to Earth.
“Wings,” the blond male Memitim said. “You will be assigned new duties, for Ascended Memitim are not guardians. We are judges.”
Rami had once told her that guardian angels abandoned evil humans, leaving Memitim to judge them in death. Great. Fine. But she no longer wanted that job.
“But… is there to be no punishment for betraying Rami in the first place? If not for me, he wouldn’t have Fallen.”
The blond male snorted. “He failed his test. We never should have allowed him in.”
Stunned, Idess gaped at the angels. “He didn’t fail. He didn’t sleep with the woman.”
“He did,” the male said. “Why do you think he ran from the summons light for so long?”
“To be with me…” She trailed off, feeling like a fool under the Memitim’s looks of pity. He’d lied.
“He came to us with a stain on his soul.” The auburn female glared at the blond male, and Idess knew he’d played a role in this somehow. “Rami begged us to stay, rather than return to Earth, and because he’d failed his test out of love, we gave him another chance. But his own guilt is what blackened his soul. When he found out what you’d done, it simply accelerated what was fated to be anyway.”
All those years, Idess had punished herself… and for nothing.
“Come forward,” the auburn-haired female continued. “You have earned your reward.”
Idess froze to the floor, which might as well be ice instead of marble. “I can’t.”
The blond male moved toward her. “You cannot be refusing to Ascend.”
“I want to stay on Earth.”
“You want to be with Lore,” Reaver said.
She didn’t deny it. “Please. I know I’ll be human. Mortal. But I love him.”
“If you’re mortal,” Reav
er said gravely, “his gift could kill you. You know that, right?”
“I’m willing to take that chance.”
“What if Lore isn’t willing to chance it?”
She shrugged. “I won’t know until I get there.”
“Be sure about this,” the black-haired female said. “What is done cannot be undone.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Reaver blurted. “You know, the done-undone thing. I’m proof of that.”
The carrot-topped male who had been silent shot Reaver an annoyed look. “Stay out of this, battle angel. Don’t you have demons to smite?”
“Totally. There’s an exorcism planned in Melbourne today. But I have an hour to kill, and this is way cooler than X-Box.”
“You make me very glad I Ascended before the age of electronics and ridiculous slang,” the blond male said.
“I’m sure your age of Black Death and witch-burnings was much more fun,” Reaver said dryly.
The auburn female held up her hand. “Enough.” She approached Idess, her expression concerned. “You are certain?”
“Yes,” she breathed, “oh, yes.”
“You cannot remain as Memitim, but your service has earned you more than a mortal existence. If your reason to stay on Earth is to be with Lore, then we will bond you to him so that his power will not kill you, you can travel via Harrowgates with him, and your lifespan will be his. As a half-breed, he has centuries of life ahead of him. When he dies, so shall you, and assuming that you don’t fall prey to evil, you will both be granted entrance into Heaven.”
Heaven? “So… his soul is human.” Idess could hardly breathe at that news. They would be together. Forever. “Do it,” she said. “Make it happen.”
“There is a price. A duty, if you will.”
“Anything. Just hurry!”
“So be it.” The female waved her hand, and instantly, the link to Lore was back.
With a vengeance.
Idess’s knees buckled. Reaver caught her before her knees struck the floor. Darkness and rage slammed into her brain, as well as misery and sorrow.
“Lore,” she gasped. Automatically, she brushed her finger over her wrist, but his heraldi was gone.