Veiled In Darkness

by Valerie Twombly

  “Fucking bastard,” she mumbled under her breath. She moved toward the bed, and as she drew closer, she gained a better look. The woman was gaunt, her blue eyes pale, and her lips dry and cracked. She was thin; the cancer had definitely taken its toll on her. “What’s your name?”

  “Amanda.” She went into a dry racking cough. Ashley sat on the edge of the bed and laid her hand on the woman’s arm. As she sent soothing energy to ease the woman’s cough, she glanced around the room. Photos of a much healthier woman, with a handsome dark-haired man holding an infant, stared back at her. Several more photos were placed about the room, but in each one, the child was a little older.

  “I didn’t expect such a beautiful angel to come for me. Did Lucifer change his mind?” Amanda pulled Ashley from her thoughts.

  “I’m the Angel of Death. I am here on Lucifer’s behalf.” She nearly gagged on the words.

  “I see. I’m ready to end my pain.”

  Ashley looked back at the woman. “Do you realize what it means to sell your soul to the devil? He will torture you for eternity.”

  “Can the pain be any worse than what I’ve endured already? Chemo, drugs that make me so sick I just want to curl up and die. Trying to be brave for my family but seeing the sadness in my husband’s eyes because he can’t make me better. Knowing my daughter will grow up without a mother.” She brushed a tear from her cheek. “I’m glad to have been given the extra time with her, but I can’t hold on any longer.”

  Ashley brushed Amanda’s brittle hair from her face. “Yes. He can make your eternity much worse than that.”

  Fear colored her dull eyes. “I-I was desperate.”

  Ashley understood what that was like. She’d fled to Alaska to try and escape her own torment. “May I have permission to enter your mind? I promise it won’t hurt, but I’d like to see your memories.”

  Amanda gave a slight nod so Ashley slipped into her mind. Replayed memories from her childhood. Saw loving parents. Watched her dance at her high school prom. Witnessed her walk down the aisle on her wedding day and the birth of her daughter. Heard the news delivered of her cancer and saw the devastation on the young couple’s faces. This woman had done nothing to deserve the fate that now awaited her. She’d only wanted to live a happy life and raise her children.

  Digging deeper, she found the night Lucifer had come to her. Dressed in his best suit and sporting a pair of creamy-white wings, he cut an elegant figure.

  Bastard!

  He’d portrayed himself to be far kinder than he really was. From Ashley’s point of view, he’d broken all the rules. Sorrow rose and it mingled with anger. The two churned into an inferno inside her until she trembled. She went deeper, followed the bloodstream until she came to the dying organs infected by the disease. Ashley sent a burst of power, killing the invaders, then moved to her lungs and repeated the process. Next the heart, where she sent power pulsing through the organ, making it stronger and helping it pump the cancer-killing magic into the bloodstream. When she was satisfied every last bit of the disease was gone and the organs were on the mend, she pulled free. She looked at Amanda and smiled. Already her eyes were brighter.

  “What did you do?” She pushed herself up. “I’ve not felt this good in a long time. Did you heal me so you could take my life?”

  “No. I healed you so you can live.” She leaned closer until the two were eye to eye. “Promise me you’ll never bargain with the devil again, and you will watch your children grow.”

  “Oh, my god.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Thank you.” She grabbed Ashley’s hand, brought it to her cheek, and closed her eyes. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. I must go now.” No doubt Lucifer would be furious, and she needed to ensure Amanda and her family were safe from his vengeance. She popped outside, both terrified and exhilarated at what she’d just done, and quickly wondered who she should contact.

  Father? Eli? She knew the connection to her mate would get her message through, but communicating with her father was something new. She needn’t worry because both men materialized before her.

  “What’s wrong?” Concern etched lines on Eli’s handsome face.

  “I just defied Lucifer in a big way, and I need to make sure the family in this house and anyone they are connected to stay safe.”

  “What did you do?” Tegan asked.

  “I was sent here to take a dying woman's soul because the bastard made a deal with her at her weakest moment. Instead, I healed her.” She folded her arms across her chest as if to make a point. Tegan grinned and Eli shook his head.

  “You are most definitely my daughter,” her father beamed.

  “I wasn’t sure if I could cure cancer, but she had tried to be a good person, and I refused to take her soul.”

  “That was a noble thing to do, love, but I fear what Lucifer’s going to do to you.” Eli looked panicked.

  “I have to face whatever he hands out, and show him I don’t fear him. As long as I know everyone I love is safe, I can endure anything.” She meant it too. What she had just done, in that room of death, had given her new strength.

  “Your aunt is confused, to say the least, but tucked away in a safe place. It’s best we don’t tell you where,” Tegan said.

  “Of course, I understand. He would try to gain that information from me. I’m growing stronger and more confident. I need to find Michael so we can get started.” Both men nodded in agreement.

  “We’ll all be behind you when you face Lucifer at the final battle,” Eli said.

  “I needed to hear that. I have to get going, but I have to be sure the people in this house are safe.”

  “I will post my best men here,” her father reassured.

  Ashley nodded. Spreading her wings, she disappeared. She knew if she waited any longer, it would be even harder for her to leave. After what happened with the girl inside, she just wanted this whole mess to be over. This time she appeared on the front lawn outside the palace rather than back in her room. She glanced around but nothing seemed out of place, so she summoned her courage and headed for the front gate. Two guards stood watch. As she approached, one leaned over and pushed open the door. She gave a curt nod as she strolled by. The click of her boots was the only sound to be heard as she marched across the marble floor and headed for the main hall. There was no sense wasting any time in telling Lucifer he wasn’t getting the soul he had sent her to collect. Wraith slid in beside her. The beast always seemed to slink in out of the shadows.

  “I heard you went soul collecting again,” he stated.

  “I went, but I didn’t collect a damn thing.” She continued to stare straight ahead, as she made her way toward her fate.

  “You mean you didn’t bring back his soul?”

  “Nope. I decided he wasn’t getting this one.”

  “Huh, what did you do exactly?” Wraith stopped, and she knew he expected her to do the same.

  Ashley sighed. “I decided he wasn’t taking an innocent female life. I was not going to allow him to leave her daughter without a mother or her husband without his wife. So I cured her.” She raised her brows. “Got a problem with that?” The look on his face was one of apparent shock, and she almost laughed. Ashley couldn’t remember ever seeing that expression on a Hellhound’s face before.

  “Well I don’t have a problem with it, but I’m pretty sure Lucifer’s going to be furious. So, can I tag along and watch the show?”

  She snorted. “What? You’re anxious to see what he’ll do to me?”

  “Nope. I’m more curious to see how you’re going to handle him. I’ll just hang out in the back of the room and watch.”

  Ashley started down the hall again. “You seem to have this habit of clinging to the back wall. I should’ve known you were a sadistic bastard.” She heard the pad of his large paws as he followed behind her. Having him there offered comfort and even a little more courage. Ashley wasn’t stupid; she understood this was going to be a long, torturous nigh
t.

  She swept in the door. Lucifer lifted his head and pinned his gaze on her. The sadistic eagerness in his eyes, which she’d come to recognize when she brought back his souls, danced through the black orbs. She walked up to the table, slapped her hands on the wood surface, and leaned forward.

  “You’re not getting that soul.”

  “Excuse me?” Lucifer stuck his pinky in his ear and wiggled it around. “I don’t believe I heard you correctly.”

  “You heard me, but I’m happy to repeat it again just so I can watch the look on your face.” She leaned closer. “I said, you are not getting her soul.” If steam could escape from his ears, now would be the time. Instead, he sat silent. His gaze drilled holes into her, but she didn’t flinch. She might be scared, but she refused to show it, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to back down. Her fate was decided and sealed long ago. It was time she faced that fact. Every fiber wanted to scream at the man, tell him who she really was, but realized it would be best to save that little nugget for later.

  “You have tried my patience one too many times.” His voice remained an eerie calm, and his gaze never faltered. She matched him.

  “Get used to it, as I plan to do it more often.” She shrugged. “Think of me as a rebellious granddaughter.” She hadn’t meant for that to slip out, but hopefully he’d not think much about it.

  Lucifer curled his lip, revealing a pointy fang. “You really must have a death wish,” he growled.

  “No, I rather like living. Then there’s the fact you need me to collect your souls. So, I’d say we’ve come to a compromise.” Ashley had to remind herself to breathe. She realized pressing her luck wasn’t smart, but she had to see how far she could push him.

  His eyes turned crimson. “You bitch.” He raised his palm. An invisible line of power wrapped around her, shoved her across the room, and pinned her to the wall. Lucifer calmly rose out of his seat and began a slow stride toward her. “Now you’ll feel my wrath.”

  Pain seared through her chest and his power squeezed. As she struggled to breathe, a surprising calm came over her, and the voice she loved more than anything, entered her mind.

  Ashley, search for the unfamiliar power and snap it in half. You can do it, baby. It was Eli, and she felt him surrounding her. She closed her eyes and dug deep inside, looking for something she didn’t recognize. There it was, nearly invisible; so faint but she detected a slight reddish hue. It had to be what she searched for, so she pictured herself standing with a thick heavy blade in her hand. Ashley knew she had to strike before she passed out from lack of air. So with what little energy she had left, she swung her imaginary sword, slicing the ribbon of power in half.

  Suddenly, the energy that had been squeezing the life out of her released, and she slid to the floor gasping for air. When she was able to open her eyes and look up at Lucifer, she nearly laughed from the shock on his face. Apparently, he wasn’t expecting her to break free. He curled his fingers into tight fists, ground his jaw, spun around, and stormed out of the room.

  “Wow, what’d you do to him?” Wraith inquired as he sat up and started scratching his ear.

  “I sorta snapped his power in half. I think.”

  “Well whatever you did certainly rattled his cage. I’ve never seen him so startled.” He chuckled. “It was quite amazing.”

  12

  Ashley faced Michael, who twirled a dagger between his fingers. “So, you really cut the bastard off?”

  “Why do you doubt me?” How was he going to teach her anything, if he didn’t believe she was capable?

  His brown eyes focused on hers and the next thing she knew, his dagger was airborne and headed straight for her. She squealed and jumped to the right.

  “What the hell?” she cried out.

  “First off, never show fear. Squealing and jumping around like your feet are on fire will get you killed.” He walked to where his blade had stuck in the thick mud and pulled it free. The sucking noise reminded her of the times she’d bore witness to a demon being stabbed in the heart. It was disgusting.

  “So, I’m simply supposed to stand still and let the blade drive into me?” Was he freaking crazy?

  “Of course not. You’re supposed to fight back, use your power. If you show even the slightest weakness in this place, they will take you down.”

  “Oh, I guess that makes sense.” Ashley sighed. “Sometimes I forget what the hell I’m doing.”

  “Well, don’t. Now, let’s try this lesson again, and this time make sure to block the dagger.” Michael raised his arm and let loose the blade. Ashley didn’t have time to panic; she imagined an invisible shield surrounding her and prayed it worked. Seconds later, she found success when the point of the dagger hit only inches from her heart then came to an abrupt halt and fell to the ground. She felt a smile spread across her lips.

  “You mean like that?”

  Michael’s expression didn’t change. “Don’t get cocky, that was a simple trick.”

  She pushed out her bottom lip. “Well, you could be a little more supportive.”

  “A pat on the back isn’t going to help you survive. It sure as hell won’t help you take over Lucifer’s army.” He walked toward her and picked his blade off the ground. “This time I want you to fight back, show me what you have.”

  “What if I hurt you?”

  He snorted. “You let me worry about that.” He strode across the field then stopped several hundred yards away, turned, and faced her. “Bring it.”

  Ashley pulled in a slow, deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and summoned her power. She debated briefly about what to throw at him and decided on a small fireball. With little effort, she held out her hand and produced a red, glowing sphere of fire the size of a tennis ball and whipped it at him, making sure she aimed just to the right. She still worried about injuring him so didn’t want to make a direct hit.

  The ball of fire grazed his left shoulder. Michael stood with legs spread at a wide stance and folded his arms over his expansive chest, one eyebrow raised. “What the fuck was that?” He stabbed his index finger at his chest, indicating his heart. “I told you, don’t worry about injuring me. Now aim that thing unless you’re a wuss.”

  Anger flared and she narrowed her gaze. Fine, if he wanted a direct hit then she’d give him one. She conjured up another ball of fire, this time much bigger, and launched it. Her aim was true and struck him hard in the chest. The force sent him flying several feet, and he landed on his back with a loud thud.

  She waited but he didn’t get up. “Oh hell.” Ashley ran toward him and dropped to her knees beside his chest, which thankfully was still moving up and down.

  His eyes were closed.

  She reached out to touch him then hesitated. “Michael?”

  He groaned then his lids slid partially open. “Well that was a little better,” he rasped.

  She arched her brow. “A little better? From the looks of it, I’d say I kicked your ass.”

  He pushed himself to a sitting position then leapt to his feet, holding his hand out to assist her. “What did I say about getting cocky?” He took three steps back then slapped his hands together in a loud clap. Beside him appeared a Worg demon, a tall, thin creature with smooth, pale green skin. Two large, round black eyes blinked with a puppy dog appearance. However, Ashley knew while these demons might appear harmless, they were actually quite dangerous.

  “What’s she doing here?”

  Michael grinned. “She and her sisters are here to kill you.”

  “What?”

  “You’d better take control of the situation and quickly. No weapons. Only your raw power.” He took another step backward. She made a mental note to kick his ass again later.

  Ashley shifted her weight. She’d seen these Worg before, and they were nothing to sneeze at. Like any female, they were sneaky and fought dirty. Within seconds, three more appeared and they began to circle her.

  “Come on, Ashley, this should be a walk in the park for y
ou,” Michael shouted.

  She spread her wings, turning to keep an eye on each of the demons. “What if I accidentally kill one of them?” She saw Michael shaking his head.

  “Then so be it,” he shouted. “It’s either you or them. Remember, learn their weakness.”

  It was becoming quite apparent to her that Michael didn’t hold the same value on life as she did. There wasn’t any time to dwell on that fact; the demons pressed closer. The first one made its move, flicking its wrist to send an electrified rope heading for Ashley’s left ankle. With a quick spin, she managed to get out of the way. However, one of them made contact with her back and sent searing pain through her spine.

  Fuck that stings.

  Michael did a slow walk around the fighting. “If you want to beat these little girls, you need to get pissed and find your inner bitch.”

  She understood what he was going for. He wanted her to let loose the dark side, but she feared if she did she may never come back. It was starting to look like she wasn’t going to have much choice, though. The demons were quickly closing in on her. It was time she learned to trust, and she would have to start with Michael. She wrapped her wings around her, creating a hard barrier that protected her body from the blows the demons threw at her. Digging deep, she found that thick black spot, the one she wanted to drown in. This time she allowed herself to sink into its depths. Her fangs elongated, and her desire for blood rose to a desperate level. Not to drink, but to spill and watch the offering trickle through the cracks of Hell.

  With a snarl, she unfurled her wings and power stronger than she had felt before shot from both of her hands. Red tendrils snapped in the air and wrapped around each demon like a rope coiled around a stray calf.

  They froze in place. One move and the magic would slice them in half. Part of her wished they would so she could drink in the sight of their insides spilling across the ground. Instead, she looked to each one, searching for fear but didn’t see it. The fact that they weren’t afraid starved her demon of satisfaction. She was able to dial down her sadistic side, but she continued to fight her urge to kill. Ashley shoved it aside then searched for the light inside her. The one thing that would remind her of who she really was. The haze in front of her began to dissipate, but her fangs remained. A reminder of her split personality. At least now, her blood lust was for her mate and not to spill it across the valley.