Halfway Wicked (Wildes on the Hunt #1)

by Dara Kent

  If he takes much longer, the effects of the drug will wear off, I know it! Commanding my fingers to move, disappointment and desperation intermingled. Come on, damnit! Move! Any second now you’ll be able to move!

  Tomas made a satisfied grunt as he studied his work, mumbling to himself, “That looks right.”

  Move, move, move! You need to move now! But even if the drugs miraculously wore off in that instant, I was still bound.

  Tomas walked back over to me, and hefted me up, setting me back down amidst the chalk drawings on the ground, the chill on the concrete sinking into my bones.

  I sent violence and hate through my eyes at him.

  “Now, Riss, don’t look at me like that. You’ll thank me once we have this weapon.”

  Doubtful, asshole. If you wanted my blood that bad, then all you had to do was to tell me the truth, and maybe I would have given it to you willingly. After all, a weapon that could take out Pestilence sounds awesome. But no, you had to go behind my back and then drug me! I’m so going to fuck you up! Oh, and then I’ll take the weapon and you’re not allowed to play my reindeer games anymore.

  Rage boiled my blood, the impotence of it maddening. Now would be the time that most people might look Heavenward, to send a heartfelt prayer for divine assistance. But I knew better. God wasn’t listening, not to someone like me, not even when I’d been nothing more than a confused kid.

  Shifting behind me, Tomas tugged up my sleeve, the touch of something hard and cool pressing along the top of my left hand. “I just need to place these symbols on you …”

  I wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or me. I appreciated the commentary, though, if only so I could keep track of what he was doing.

  “And a few drops of blood …” Pressure along my fingers. “That should about do it.”

  Light exploded from the ground, blinding me. Wind rushed past my ears, blowing my hair and drowning out any ambient noise. Fear choked me, making it difficult to breathe. Not like this. I can’t die like this. If it’s my time at least let me put up a fight. Please …

  Abrupt silence dropped around me, my ears popping with what felt like a pressure change.

  “Stop!” Tomas called. “Who are you?”

  “Did you not call for me?” a feminine voice inquired, the tone saccharine sweet.

  Something metallic clattered on the floor. “No. I cast a spell for a weapon. A weapon with the power to kill Pestilence. I did not summon a demon.”

  Soft laughter raised all the fine hairs on my body. “I am not a demon, you fool.”

  This is about to go even more sideways than it already is. Move, damnit! Get up and move!

  “Whatever you are, go back from whence you came!” Tomas bellowed, his voice full of command—command I was positive wouldn’t do shit.

  I need to at least see what’s going on! Fuck. If I get out of this alive, I’m seriously going to kill Tomas, hex or not.

  “You wanted a weapon that can kill Pestilence? I am that weapon.”

  Okay, now I’m intrigued. If this female, whatever she is, isn’t a demon, then maybe—just maybe this will all work out. I’m still killing Tomas for doing this to me though.

  “Will you kill Pestilence then?” Tomas asked.

  “Is this the human whose blood you used to call me?”

  Nope, never mind. I don’t want that thing’s attention on me. I couldn’t see her from my position, but in my mind’s eye, I pictured a horrific monster with boils, sharp teeth, and claws. Tomas had mistaken her for a demon at first sight, so it tracked.

  You need to move now, Riss! Mind over matter. Mind over matter.

  My heart nearly exploded out of my chest when the creature leaned into my field of vision, her bald head gleaming as she smiled. She reached her clawed hand down to caress my cheek. Internally, I cringed, wanting to scream for her not to touch me, but instead lay there motionless. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you. I began to doubt you would ever be born. But my brother is nothing if not predictable.”

  Okay. That doesn’t sound good.

  “I will kill Pestilence for you,” the creature stated, her hand still on me. “But I will need to borrow her body. I am not as … whole as I might seem at the moment.”

  “I was told she wouldn’t be killed … that she would walk away from this unharmed. That I just needed her blood to bring forth the weapon.”

  I’m going to haunt your ass so hard, Tomas! And if I go to Hell, I will claw myself out of there somehow just to pull you back down with me!

  The creature leaned closer to me, speaking in a conspirator tone. “Men. No matter the species, they don’t ask nearly enough questions.” She ripped the mask from my face, then tapped my cheek with a claw. “But don’t worry, I don’t want to kill you. I’m going to need you. We’re going to need each other.”

  “No, I can’t let you have her. I made a mistake. Go back to wherever you came from.”

  Nice to know Tomas actually believed I would walk away from this in one piece, even if that made him a complete idiot. Maybe if he would have shared his plan with me, I wouldn’t be at this thing’s mercy, bound and immobile on the ground.

  The creature exploded into black dust, millions of tiny particles swarming into my nose and mouth. As if electrocuted, I convulsed, control of my body returning enough that I choked, a scream lodging itself in the back of my throat.

  A soft laugh echoed through my mind, ricocheting through my skull, dragging me into a bottomless pit of pain.

  33

  Ripping the bindings from my wrists, I stood tall, tilting my head as I regarded Tomas. I was no longer the driver of my body, but an unwilling passenger to the creature. An observer pushed to the back of my own mind.

  “Is she still alive?” Tomas’ gaze held dread, assuaging a smidgen of my anger. Not nearly enough though.

  “She is alive in here, but she will not remember any of this.”

  Tomas nodded. “Good. Yeah, that’s good.” He shoved his hand through his hair, his expression haggard. “Will you kill Pestilence now?”

  “Yes.” My eyes closed, the creature’s senses roving outward, searching for the Lord of Hell. A smile twisted my lips when she located him. “He’s close by.”

  Tomas nodded again. “We’ve been tracking him.”

  He means the girl was tracking Pestilence and he tracked her. I should kill him for the betrayal. I can sense her rage. But I will not. At least not right now.

  My fingers snapped, and the scenery changed. A man jumped from a bed, his massive silhouette towering over my body. A light flicked on, revealing the man to be a wall of bronzed muscle, with shoulder-length, blond hair. He was quite attractive in a Conan the Barbarian kind of way. “Lilith,” the man growled, taking a step back warily. “I did not expect to see you here. Or at all.”

  My eyebrows raised. “Because I’ve been burning in my cage since before you were created? I can see why you would think that. But you should know that one such as me cannot be caged forever. It was only a matter of time before I found my way out and began to take my revenge.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. “You can’t harm me. No one but Lucifer can, for I am Lord Pestilence.”

  My body blurred across the room, my arm punching through Pestilence’s chest, ripping his black heart free. Dark blood dripped from my hand and arm, bits and pieces of gore flecking my skin. “I inhabit the body of a very special twice-marked hunter. Together we are quite powerful. Some might call us the ultimate weapon against Lucifer.”

  Pestilence crumped to the ground, his body dissolving in flame.

  Fingers snapping, my body stood back in the warehouse, Tomas blinking in disbelief. “It is done.” My lips moved, Lilith controlling my voice.

  “Give me back Riss’ body then. She wasn’t part of the bargain.”

  “As if I’d leave now.” Don’t worry, little hunter, I will not keep your body forever. Just until I can free my body as well as my soul.
/>   The scent of ozone reached my nose, Jensen stepping out of seemingly nowhere, his gaze backlit with power, his expression etched with determination. Upon spotting my body, he rushed forward. “Val!”

  My head tilted, Lilith studying him with curiosity. Warlock of Azazel, this could be interesting. I will allow it to play out.

  All washed out in an explosion of white light.

  I was back in the box with Lilith in my mind.

  “Would you like to see more? I could show you how I tricked Jensen into thinking he contained me then, but before I did, I offered him the solution he needed to take care of his Azazel problem. Also, wouldn’t you like to know exactly how the demons and their little helpers were involved?”

  “I don’t understand. I thought you infected me that night I fought the BBD behind Zeffer.” The timeline didn’t quite add up. Or did it?

  “Jensen twisted the truth a bit more than he led you to believe. He didn’t lie to you about his intentions.”

  “Why are you defending him? Why are you … are you helping me?” None of it made any sense. Lilith was a fallen angel. She had no care for humans such as us.

  She frowned, appearing more human than ever before. “I care about what happens to you because you are my niece. The first in centuries. It’s why I could connect with you the way I have.”

  “You’re confused. I have Lucifer’s blood running through my veins, not—” Oh. Her brother.

  “Yes, Lucifer is my bratty little brother. Not endearing to me like your little sister.”

  “I’m still not your niece. Lucifer’s blood is diluted by who knows how many generations of humans.”

  She shook her head slowly. “No. You are Lucifer’s daughter. His first child with a human woman in centuries.”

  “No, that’s not possible.” My mind reeled. “You’re lying.”

  “It’s true. After all the time we’ve spent sharing the space inside of your head, you know I’m telling you the truth.”

  Dropping to my knees, I stared up at her, my mouth swinging open. “I— No, it’s not possible.”

  But maybe it was.

  No, it can’t be.

  Or it could be.

  Mom has a friggin’ lot of explaining to do the next time I see her.

  No, she would never.

  Although …

  “Haven’t you wondered why you’re so much faster and stronger than Lily? Haven’t you ever thought about—”

  And there it was. A tiny spark, vibrating insistently, tucked away in the corner of my mind, the recognition—the knowledge I’d always held somewhere deep inside of me, available because of who I was. It roared to life, burning brightly, the connection to Lucifer, the powers hidden just beyond my reach.

  It’s true. I’m Lucifer’s daughter. Falling forward, I practically choked on my tongue. “Give me a minute here. I think I’m having my very own Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker moment.”

  “I unlocked your powers.”

  Complete understanding finally donned. “Because I can free you.”

  She grinned. “Now you’re getting it.”

  Fuck, she sounded more like me every time I talked to her. Which was technically only twice. “The key? What is it?”

  “I may have planted some false flags within my memories and fed them to you to get you here, where you need to be. That key is nothing more than a hunk of silver.”

  “If I free your body, you’ll leave my mind for good?”

  “Yes.”

  “And then what?”

  “And then we have our revenge against Lucifer and the absentee God who doesn’t deserve his place in Heaven.”

  “Oh, okay, so you want me to help you to overthrow Heaven and Hell. Sounds easy enough. You think we can be done by next week because I promised Lily I’d take her shopping.”

  “I thought you’d be on board to topple the ultimate patriarchy.”

  “Don’t get it twisted, I would love to do exactly that.” I laughed. “We don’t stand a chance.”

  “We stand more than a chance. We will win. I’ve had eternities upon eternities to formulate my plan. I merely had to wait for the last piece to fall into place.”

  “Me.”

  She nodded. “You.”

  I can’t seriously be thinking about doing this? Trusting Lilith? Attempting to topple the basis for reality as most know it? What will happen to Earth if we succeed?

  “Can you promise me that Lily, my mom, and Jensen will be safe?”

  “I won’t make a promise I’m not sure I can guarantee, but I will do everything in my power to protect your family.” Her demeanor softened. “After all the time I’ve spent kicking around in your psyche, I’ve developed quite the soft spot for them.”

  I was only in the twice marked mess to begin with because I’d literally sold my soul to save Lily. “If you can’t guarantee their safety, specifically my sister’s, there isn’t a point to any of this.”

  “Isn’t there?”

  Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled several deep breaths, the exercise futile since I was inside my mind. Not that it usually worked to begin with. However, girl had to try to center herself when having a tête-à-tête with Lilith. “You’re different than you were before. When we first met here,” I tapped my forehead, “and you demanded control of my body.”

  “It would have been easier if you’d given it to me. Instead, I had to play games of intrigue. Lure you here to me when I could have used your body to free myself.”

  “You let Tomas and Devon be killed.”

  “For betrayal, and for Jensen.”

  Wait. Jensen—Azazel. No, no, no, no, no. I shuddered in revulsion. “Am I related to Jensen because of the fallen angel connection?”

  “Azazel was not an archangel.”

  Relief surged. “So, no?”

  “No. You’re only related in the same way all humans are related.”

  “Mmm …” Plopping backward, I sat there on the ground staring up at the creature claiming to be my aunt. “You don’t have any, you know …” I circled my hand over my crotch.

  She threw her head back and laughed. “You’re asking me how Lucifer produced a child because I’m his sister.”

  It reasoned that if she didn’t have reproductive parts, and she was his sister then he wouldn’t either. Maybe no angels did. What did I know about how angels made babies? That was kind of the point. “Well, yeah.”

  “My body has them.”

  “Oh. Okay.” I didn’t have time to think about this. I couldn’t seem to help myself, though—the questions kept popping into my head. What I learned was a lot, and I was in a kind of mental stupor brought on by the shock.

  What do I do with all of this?

  I hated being twice marked, unlike Lily who thought every moment we lived since our accident was a gift because we would have died on the side of the road that night. This, going along with Lilith, could be my only shot at truly freeing us. Sure, there was risk, no guarantees, but that was true with being a twice-marked hunter as well. Every day I fought for the future of my soul.

  “Since I’m Lucifer’s daughter, does that mean Lily is, too?”

  “No. You have different fathers.”

  Oh, yeah, my mom has some major explaining to do. “Lucifer overpowered and imprisoned you. He could end my life with merely a thought. How do you plan on staging some kind of coup when you consider those facts?”

  “My dear brother overpowered me only because I did not expect the betrayal from him. We are evenly matched.”

  “He has an army of demons at his back. So, yeah, not evenly matched.”

  “Which is why we are going to cause a distraction. One that will capture the attention of Heaven and Hell simultaneously.”

  Dread dropped into my stomach. “What kind of distraction is that big?”

  “We’re going to release War.”

  Yeah, I did not see that coming.

  34

  What seemed like a million years ago
, I followed my gut and ended up in a binding deal with Lucifer himself, my biological father. That little tidbit screamed of the unreliableness of my intuition. Could I trust it now? Or was I being manipulated yet again?

  After everything you just learned, can you just walk away and go back to your life as it was?

  The simple answer was no. Things had to change one way or another, and it seemed I had the means to bring about a catastrophic shift in the status quo. Could I take the chance though? Risk everything? The upside would be freeing Lily and myself from our deals. Definitely worth the risk. And the downside … well, I often wondered if any of us twice marked actually stood a chance at getting into Heaven. If we were most likely bound for Hell anyways then we didn’t have anything to lose except perhaps the lies our lives were steeped in.

  So I’ve decided then?

  Yes. It seems like I have.

  Pulling myself to my feet, I stepped toward Lilith. “Tell me what I need to do.”

  She grinned. “You can start by waking up.”

  Darkness surged, followed by bright light.

  “Thank fuck.” Jensen crushed me to his chest, his pulse thundering beneath my ear. “I thought I lost you there for a second.”

  Clutching at him, I steeled my resolve. “I need … I need to free Lilith.”

  He tipped his head down, regarding me with shock. “You can’t be serious.”

  “But I am.”

  “Whatever she told you is a lie. You can’t trust her.”

  I shook my head slowly, my mind still reeling from the revelations Lilith had shared. I was sure lies were surrounding the truths I learned, but it didn’t change the rest. The part where I could maybe, finally, get what I wanted. “I don’t trust her, not entirely. But this is my chance to free me and Lily.”

  “No. You can’t—”

  “I’m Lucifer’s daughter. Not just a descendant of his bloodline, but his daughter. As in my mom has a hell of a lot of explaining to do.”

  Jensen’s arms dropped from me as he swayed back, his expression dazed. “That’s not possible.”

  “But it is. And I need to do this. For all of us.” Leaning into him, I caressed his cheek tenderly, the scruff on his face prickly under my fingertips. “You should probably go.”