She straightened. “That was weird. I had this sharp pain deep in my gut.”
“You look a bit pale,” he observed. “Immortals don’t get sick. Maybe that demon did something to you.”
“I suppose it’s possible, but funny thing is I suddenly feel famished.”
“When did you last eat?” He poked her again with his nose.
“Dang, stop jabbing that cold, wet thing at me.” She thought for a moment. “I guess I haven’t eaten in over a week, maybe longer.”
“Really? Well, no wonder you’re hungry.”
“Food just hasn’t sounded good. Every time I thought about eating, I gagged.” She moved forward again, anxious to get going. Wraith fell into step beside her.
“Are you pregnant? I didn’t sense a child, but you are different.”
“Of course not, I would know.” Wouldn’t I? Suddenly she began to panic. While she would love nothing more than to have Eli’s son, this was so not a good time. She pushed past the hunger. “Let’s go. How much farther?”
“Not far. Once we cross this expanse we’ll be there.”
“I’m worried about Talina.”
“She’s probably waiting for us…or fucking some demon.”
She rolled her eyes. It was hard to picture the young girl bedding a male. She appeared so innocent, but a succubus needed sex to live. Pain shot through her skull and a wave of lightheadedness came over her, causing her to stumble. Wraith blocked her with his large body.
“You should stop, drink some water, and for cripes sake, eat something.”
Ashley chuckled. “Cripes? You’re such a bad ass Hellhound. Fine.” She plopped on a patch of grass and opened the pack Wraith was carrying. Pulling out a canteen of water, she unscrewed the cap and took a large drink. “Thirsty?”
“Naw, Hellhounds are the camels of the Underworld. Eat something.”
She sighed, pulled a granola bar from the bag, and unwrapped it. When she brought it to her lips, she nearly gagged. “I’m not hungry.” Well that wasn’t true, actually she was, but not for what was in her hand. Hell, she didn’t know what she wanted.
“Well no shit. How can you eat that cardboard and expect to live? You need meat. Raw is good, and the bloodier the better.”
“Yuck. I’m hu-” She almost said human, but that wasn’t true anymore. Things had happened so fast. She had no idea how she was supposed to act, what to eat, or more importantly, what her real purpose was. “I feel better after having some water. We should get moving.” She stood, and her legs felt like they were made of rubber. Her knees buckled and she started going down. When she thought she would hit the ground, she landed against something soft yet hard. Something very familiar.
“I always knew I made you weak in the knees.”
She gasped. “Eli!” And twisted her body to face him. “How the hell?”
“I’m interested in the answer to that question as well,” Wraith chimed in.
“Your grandmother brought me here. I’ll take you to her and explain.” He lifted her and tucked her against his chest.
“Wait, how is it you can pop in and out?” Wraith asked.
Eli shrugged. “No idea, and I’m not about to question how or why.” He reached out and touched the hound on the top of his head. The next thing Ashley knew they were in a large room with a woman shouting orders.
“Put her on the bed. You”—pointing at Wraith—“outside, we need to give them some privacy.” She whipped open a door and stepped out.
“Eli? What the hell is going on?”
Eli eased himself onto the bed next to Ashley and pulled her into his arms. “Sherease brought me here. It seems Lucifer’s plans are to start his own race.” He went on to explain everything he’d recently learned, and how her grandmother had brought him here. “I need to get back as soon as possible and get with Tegan, so we can come up with a plan on how to locate any of the Nephilim.” She fisted his shirt, desperation in her eyes, and he knew why it was there.
“You have to find those women, but what about Lucifer’s son?”
“She doesn’t believe that plan will work but has promised to explain. First, I need to feed you.” He lifted her chin. “It’s my understanding that your dark side needs to be fed blood. Your mate’s blood.”
Horror crossed her face. “Umm, what the hell do you mean?”
“Seems there is so much we have to learn about you. Your grandmother was part of the plan to bring you to your fate, and she appears to know a great deal. I guess you drink my blood, and it will help your power.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Umm, how is that supposed to happen? Not that I’m interested.”
“Didn’t you get fangs?” He watched her run her tongue along her upper teeth.
“Nothing sharp there.”
Well, maybe she simply needed a nudge to make them appear. According to Sherease, his blood would help Ashley balance out and gain better control of her power. The thought of her sucking on his neck caused an erection. He’d better occupy his thoughts with something else because there wasn’t time for playing around. He pulled her into his lap, slipped his hand into her hair, and guided her head to his neck. As if running on instinct––and the same arousal he had––she began kissing him, and then nipping. A moan escaped, but he wasn’t sure if it came from him or her. Maybe both but before he knew it, he felt the prick of fangs and the flow of blood as she sucked. A smile curved his lips. He was happy to give her everything he had.
After several minutes, she pulled free and looked at him.
“Oh. My. God. I just drank your blood.” Her expression, one of complete and utter horror, suddenly changed. Her lids slid to half-mast and she licked her lips. Female arousal whipped out and slapped him hard.
“Damn it woman, don’t look at me like that. As much as I want to rip your clothes off and fuck the hell out of you, we don’t have time.” His voice was strangled, and he had to lift her off him before he forgot where they were. She stuck out her bottom lip.
“I have no idea where the fangs came from or how I knew what to do. That was just plain freaky.” She ran her tongue over her teeth and he groaned. “They’re gone again. How weird.”
“I’m guessing they only appear when needed. You look better, your color’s back to normal.” The door opened and Sherease poked her head in.
“You done yet?”
“Yes.”
She shoved the door farther and entered the room, followed by the Hellhound. “Ashley, I’m your grandmother.”
Ashley stared at the woman with black hair, framed with streaks of blonde. As was the case with her father, her grandmother appeared to be more her own age. She realized she wasn’t even sure how old the woman was. Her nerves felt like they sat on the outside of her skin. Her grandmother didn’t look batshit crazy, but then what did that look like?
“I have a million questions,” Ashley stated as she looked around. “Starting with where’s Talina?”
The woman took a seat in a chair, and Wraith curled at her feet. Well, as best as a Hellhound could curl. “Lucifer kept her starved, so I sent her to feed and told her you’d meet her back home later. I hope you don’t mind.”
How selfish that she’d not noticed or taken the time to inquire about the girl’s condition. Of course, Lucifer would have withheld sex and weakened her. She’d do better in the future to make sure her new charge was well cared for. “No, of course not. Thank you for looking after her.”
Sherease simply nodded. “Ask whatever you wish.”
“First off, what’s with the blood drinking thing? That’s just…eww.” Though she felt better than she had in a long time. If she were honest with herself, it had been enjoyable, and damn if she hadn’t wanted to strip Eli naked and take him deep inside her. Still did. Her only concern was if she required blood, would she have to drink from others? That didn’t appeal to her.
“The Angel of Darkness has a rather shady family tree. Let’s just say there’s a lot of demon in your her
itage, and that’s the part that requires the blood. It’s like a power boost.”
Ashley contemplated that for a moment. “Wait, are you saying I have demon in my family tree?”
“Yes. It has been a long time since we’ve seen one, though. Several millennia to be exact and never one like you.”
“What exactly does that mean, one like me?” She rubbed her palms on the leg of her jeans, trying to wipe away the sweat.
Her grandmother’s gaze softened. “You’ll learn that soon enough.”
Not the response she wanted, but something said not to press the matter further. “Can you at least tell me what happened to them?” Ashley worried at the awful fate the others had met.
“The last one followed her mate to the afterlife when he was killed in battle.”
Ashley and Eli immediately looked at each other. While they hadn’t had a chance to spend much time together, she couldn’t imagine not seeing him forever. They had a tie; a bond that ran so deep it was as if they were one person. She more than loved him, but there wasn’t a word in the human language that could even begin to describe their connection.
You know I love you. Eli slipped into her mind and she smiled.
Of course I do, and I you.
“How often am I going to need blood?”
Sherease shrugged. “If you don’t get injured then not often. You might go a few weeks perhaps, but you can only take from your mate. Hence why I brought him here.”
Thank the Maker, because I wasn’t thrilled with the thought of you sucking on some other man’s neck.
Me either.
“The Maker has waited a long time for you. You need to bring good and evil back into balance,” Sherease stated.
Fear, anxiety, and a whole gamut of emotions rolled through her. “Nothing like a little pressure. I have no idea what to do, and I’m afraid getting myself stuck to Lucifer isn’t helping.” How was she supposed to work against him when he could track her every move? Eli slipped his arm around her and tucked her into his side. His strength was a comfort and lent to her own, but she needed to learn how to function without it. She now lived in a world different than where she came from.
“Actually, coming here is exactly what you needed. Lucifer thinks you’re a weakling that he can control. You’re simply one of his many pawns to do his bidding, but while you’re here, you will learn everything you can about him.”
“You know it was him who sent the Hellhound after me.” Her muscles tightened at the remembrance.
Eli growled and her grandmother nodded. “I believe he became suspicious of you, and that’s why the Maker made sure Eli was sent to your location. It was always fated that you two would be together.”
That explains the desperation I had to save your soul. She looked up at him, and he squeezed her again.
I’m glad you did, but I’m still not happy you had to sell yourself to do it, Eli responded. She understood they had a lot of unfinished business between them. Things had happened so quickly. One second they were bonded, and the next she was a servant to Lucifer.
Sherease rose, breaking their private moment. “You will gain his trust while you secretly build your power and then…” She closed her eyes for a moment, and Ashley felt her own heart race with fear of what was next.
Sherease opened her eyes and leveled them on Ashley. “You will then command his army.”
8
Had he just heard the fallen angel right? His mate. His Ashley was to take command of Lucifer’s army? “Are you fucking insane?” he whispered with such calm he amazed himself. Ashley squeezed him, and he wasn’t sure if it was to comfort him or herself.
“It is the prophesy of the Angel of Death and the only way to stop him from his crazy scheme. Even as we speak, he is amassing his Sitori.”
“What’s that?” Ashley asked.
“Sitori are Lucifer’s guards. Tall, covered with spiked armor made of a material not even an angel’s blade can penetrate. I’m not sure how he’s creating them, but soon he’ll release them into the human realm. When he does, nothing will stop them.”
Eli looked to Ashley, who stood frozen, her face drained of color. No doubt, his own expression matched hers. “How the fuck do you expect my mate to take over an army like that?” The thought of her facing such a creature sent fear rippling down his spine and anger churning in his gut.
Sherease shifted in her seat. “She’s going to have to give in to her demon side and embrace the darkness. Ashley…” The fallen angel rose and stepped in front of Ashley, placing her hands on Ashley’s shoulders. “Not only do you come from a line of strong demons, your angelic side is powerful. How do you think I’ve managed to keep from succumbing to the evil? I may look like a fallen, but my heart and soul are still pure. My line is strong, and it was passed to your father.” She nodded toward Eli. “Your mate also comes from a long line of powerful hunters. It was why he was chosen for you. Everything in your life has been carefully orchestrated for this moment.”
“I-I need to sit.”
Eli ushered her to a chair then moved in behind her as she melted into the seat.
“There’s so much for me to take in. I just don’t know what to do.” She looked up at her grandmother. “What if I embrace the darkness and can’t come back? What kind of evil monster will I become?”
Sherease dropped to her knees in front of Ashley. “There is no room for fear, or evil will sink its claws into you so deep it will never let go. You have to walk into this with confidence, determination, and strength. I will teach you to use the power of your heritage. Now that both you and your mate have drunk from each other, your bond will be even stronger. Eli will be one of the few angels alive that can enter Hell at will.”
“Wait, how did you know I drank Ashley’s blood, and I can enter Hell?” Eli remembered the taste of his mate as he drank from her throat when he’d fallen.
Sherease grinned. “I’ve been watching both of you. Your connection will no longer have boundaries. Even if you remain divided by Heaven and Hell, you will be able to communicate. Eli, you can help her keep control. Yes, you can come and go as you please, but I’d recommend discretion. You don’t want Lucifer catching wind of your new ability.”
I like that idea, but I despise the thought of you delving into danger. Eli brushed her mind.
I don’t mind admitting I’m scared shitless.
“Also, there’s another who will help train her. There are many demons on our side, and those who aren’t will eventually follow. Lucifer needs to be contained and reminded of his duty.”
“What’s his duty?” Ashley inquired.
Sherease rose to her feet. “To contain evil.”
“Wait. Who else is going to help train Ashley? The hound?” Eli jerked his head toward Wraith.
“No. Wraith is merely a guide and protector.” Sherease gestured toward the door. “He’s going to teach Ashley everything he knows about demons.”
“Son of a bitch.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I thought you were busy looking for Lucifer’s son?” Seeing Michael, and knowing the demon would be near his mate, fueled his anger. He let his gaze at the man speak for him.
“I’ve already put feelers out. Besides, I thought it was decided the bastard would let his kid die before he’d give in to any demands.” Michael glared back.
Ashley looked to Wraith. “I thought you said this was a good plan?”
The hound lifted his head. “It was worth a shot but not even I understood your true destiny.”
“I’m not sure I like all this destiny talk.” She sighed. “But it is what it is, so where do I start?” She looked at her wrist. “The eye is still closed, but I don’t know for how long.”
Damn, good point. Eli had forgotten about the damn thing. Now it added extra worry about his mate’s safety. He wanted to whisk her away, and a thought came to him. “Why the hell can’t I simply take Ashley out of here?”
“To where?” Sherease asked. “Do you really t
hink Lucifer wouldn’t send a horde of demons after you?”
Eli growled.
“He’d kill her just to spite you,” Wraith shot out. “Look what he’s already done to those closest to him. It’s only a matter of time before he grows tired of this game and tries to end her life. Again.”
He worked his jaw and Ashley touched his shoulder. While it felt good, it provided little comfort. Instead, it served to remind him how fucking helpless he was to protect her. “How do you expect Lucifer not to eventually see what’s going on?”
“Simple.” Michael shrugged. “Trick him.”
“And just how is she to do that?” Eli needed to hold a private chat with this demon. One that would be most memorable since the pull for him to leave was becoming too powerful to ignore. Some serious shit must be going on to summon all the angels.
“There are ways to trick the demon king. His ego is rather large and lends to him believing he can’t be bested. He’s grown complacent.”
Ashley stood. “Fine.” She turned to Eli. “I don’t want you to leave, but I know you have your duties.”
He pulled her into his arms and brought his lips to her ear. “You sense the disturbance too?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I feel it through you. Please be careful.”
“Always.” He kissed her. First a soft, slow peck that quickly turned into a deep, desperate plunder of her mouth. Maybe it was the fact he would miss her, or perhaps he was staking his claim for all to see. When he released her, her lips were red and swollen, her breathing heavy. Eli reluctantly headed for the door.
“Demon, walk me out.” His tone left no room to mistake the words for anything other than a command. Michael followed. As soon as they were both outside, Eli spun, grabbed the demon by the throat, and shoved him against the side of the small dwelling.
“Let’s get one thing straight. You let anything happen to her… You touch her in any way she feels is inappropriate, and I will invent a thousand ways for you to die.”
The demon’s lip curled. “I don’t want your mate. I just want Lucifer to pay. If helping your mate will bring me what I desire, I’m all about it.”
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