Hell To Pay (Hellscourge Book 5)
Page 23
Sam glanced down at the table then hastily looked away from the reflective surface. “I am not ready for that yet. I would prefer to wait until my transformation is complete before I see myself again.”
“How long were we gone this time?” I asked.
“Five weeks,” Leo replied. I knew it had been a while, so I wasn’t shocked by his answer.
“Would you like some tea and something to eat?” Sophia asked me.
“That would be great,” I replied, even though eating was the last thing I felt like doing. All I wanted to do was put my head on the table and sleep for about ten thousand years.
“Did you find the metal object?” Nathan asked.
“Yep.” I fished it out of my pocket and handed it over to him.
“I will deliver it to Brie,” he said then disappeared, leaving Sam and me with our mouths hanging open.
He was back before I could get over my shock. “Why did you hand it over to Hag and Orifice?” I asked. I could feel my anger trying to build.
“This was the only compromise that we could come up with to avoid a war with our kin,” Leo told me.
“What compromise did you make?” Sam asked.
“We have agreed to hand over all of the pieces of the object of power,” Nathan explained. “In return, they have promised that they will not attempt to kidnap Violet again.”
Sam and I shared a long, worried look. “We cannot trust them,” he said, voicing the same thought that I’d had.
Sophia returned, carrying a tray of tea and a sandwich. My sense of taste had fled again and I looked at it in resignation rather than anticipation. “We are lucky that Hagith and Orifiel consented to agree to these terms,” she said as she poured us both a cup of tea.
“We may have one new ally,” Leo said with a sly grin. About to take a bite of my sandwich, I lifted a brow in enquiry. “Nathan ran into Detective Reynolds earlier today. He has asked to see you and said that he has information for you.”
I chewed and swallowed before responding. “We can trust him. I think we should hear what he has to say.”
They nodded in agreement, which meant they’d already made up their minds. Telling me about it was just a formality. Too tired and ill to be annoyed, I knew they weren’t like Hag and Orifice. They wouldn’t try to control me. They knew me better than that.
“The detective gave me his business card,” Nathan said. “I told him you would call as soon as you were able to.”
“I’ll call him first thing in the morning.”
I hoped I’d feel up to it by then. Even if I wasn’t, I’d have to force myself into action. Time was slipping away from me and I still had too much to do. I hadn’t discovered where Sophia’s grace had been taken and I was no closer to finding a cure for my illness. I only had a few months left and I still had four more realms to invade and conquer.
I’d trusted in Fate’s plan so far, but my faith in her was beginning to falter. My health was deteriorating too quickly. At this rate, I’d die long before I managed to attain my goals. My future was looking bleak and I was losing hope that I’d survive to face and kill my arch nemesis. I feared I would have to do something drastic to improve my chances of survival.
Deep down, I knew what I had to do, but the sane part of me was reluctant. Detective Reynolds had accused me of being unhinged. Now I was wondering if he might be right. Only a crazy person would contemplate a desperate plan like the one that was hovering at the back of my mind.
Titles by J.C. Diem:
Mortis Series
Death Beckons
Death Embraces
Death Deceives
Death Devours
Death Betrays
Death Banishes
Death Returns
Death Conquers
Death Reigns
Shifter Squad Series
Seven Psychics
Zombie King
Dark Coven
Rogue Wolf
Corpse Thieves
Snake Charmer
Vampire Matriarch
Web Master
Hell Spawn
Hellscourge Series
Road To Hell
To Hell And Back
Hell Bound
Hell Bent
Hell To Pay
Hell Freezes Over, the sixth book in the Hellscourge series, is due to be released on the 2 nd of October.
If you would like to be advised of any new releases, please visit my website: www.jcdiem.com and sign up to receive my newsletter.