The Devil's Soldier

by Rachel McClellan

  He broke the kiss and shoved her away. "You really have changed."

  He reached inside his pocket and removed the necklace. Eve stiffened at the sight, but didn't step back. Her breathing quickened. I can do this.

  He inched toward her, a thin smile teasing his mouth. "There's something you should know about this necklace. I had your mother modify it again, just a simple spell, not one that will harm you, but one you won't be able to break. Would you like to know what it is?"

  She was too stunned to say anything. On its own, the necklace was bad enough. What more could he have done to it?

  "Once this latches, you will be under my command, whatever I say." Boaz's fingers brushed her neck as he brought the necklace around her throat. Icy coldness spread throughout her whole body.

  "No, Boaz, please—"

  "And when the moment is right, I'm going to order you to kill everyone you love, starting with Lucien."

  The necklace came together.

  30

  Lucien was on the seventh page of the document the White House had released twenty minutes ago. There were sixty-three pages. So far, he had learned that the new department the President had mentioned on TV was called the Department of Supernatural Research and Defense or DSRD. Its purpose was two-fold. The first was to learn and understand everything about the recently discovered group of people who possessed inhuman abilities.

  In addition, the DSRD would create a database of different Supernaturals. This made Lucien wonder how the DSRD might uncover who was human and who was a Supernatural. Would the government require everyone to be tested? A chill brought goose bumps to his arms.

  The second purpose was to create a defense system to combat any Supernaturals who posed a threat. It didn't go into detail on how they would do this. Most of the words were ambiguous and left open for interpretation, which worried Lucien. It didn't seem the DSRD had many rules to follow.

  Lucien stretched out his legs beneath the table. Charlie was sitting across from him, reading his copy of the document on his own laptop. Henry was on his left reading on a digital tablet. The air was suffocating, the heat in the room intolerable.

  He stared at the laptop's screen in front of him, unable to read anymore. They were wasting time. Eve was gone, if she was even still Eve. He needed to find her and save her from Boaz and possibly Alarica.

  To speed things up, Lucien opened a search window. He thought of which word he should type in first. He typed: VAMPIRE. The document brought up nine mentions. Lucien bit down, grinding his teeth together. The world really was about to change.

  He searched a few more supernatural creatures curious to know how many the DSRD already knew about. There were many. Finally, he typed in the word, hoping there would be no hits.

  D-E-I-F-I-C. He pressed enter.

  One mention. His chest tightened, and he quickly opened the page of the document with the word Deific. It was only one line, but that small sentence would cause irreparable damage to their organization. Not only that, but it could possibly slow down their efforts on recovering Eve and stopping Boaz. Maybe that was the point.

  "We have a problem," Lucien said. "Go to page fifty-three."

  "How are you already there?" Charlie asked.

  "I searched for the word Deific."

  Henry looked up from his tablet. "We were mentioned?"

  "Just read it. Tenth line down."

  After a few seconds, Charlie read aloud, "It has come to our attention that an organization has known of Supernaturals for decades—Deific, a company with offices across the globe. At this time, the amount of their involvement with the supernatural world is unknown. Further investigation is warranted."

  The room was silent for almost a full minute as they continued to read further on the page.

  "It doesn't say anything else," Charlie said. "Why were we even mentioned?"

  Henry closed his laptop. "Boaz made sure of it. One tiny breadcrumb for the media. In a matter of hours, this place will become a circus."

  "What do we do?" Charlie asked.

  "Shut down all covert operations, suspend any activity involving Supernaturals. From now on, we are an accounting agency and that is all. We will need the other floors cleaned up to appear as normal as possible. No training rooms, no prisons. And Lucien and I need to leave. So does anyone else who can easily be detected as a Supernatural. Charlie, you're in charge now."

  Charlie stood and paced the room. "This is happening too fast."

  "What about Eve? Boaz?" Lucien asked, standing too. "They should be our number one priority."

  "They will be just as soon as we secure the Deific. It cannot be exposed!"

  Lucien slammed his hand onto the table. "To hell with the Deific! We must save Eve! Who knows what that monster is doing to her? Besides, the Deific and all the good it does will mean nothing once Boaz gets all his powers back."

  "Calm down," Henry said. "We need to act on the immediate threat, not what we think might happen in the future."

  "Guys—" Charlie said, his tone hard.

  "This isn't what I think," Lucien snapped. "It's what I know. Boaz will destroy us all if we don't stop him!"

  "It's happened," Charlie whispered.

  Henry rose from his chair. "And we will! No one wants to see that bastard die more than me!"

  "I can't do this… it's too soon." Charlie slumped to the floor, his back against the wall.

  Lucien finally looked at Charlie. His face was ghostly pale. "What's wrong?"

  Charlie inhaled deeply, his eyes glistening with tears. "It's Eve. She's no longer with us. Alarica rules instead."

  31

  Alarica inhaled deeply, her lungs expanding with familiar power and strength. It took a moment to orient herself. The last thing she remembered was fighting with a strange vampire who should have been no match for her, but somehow he had managed to remove the necklace from her neck, effectively killing her. In a way, he had brought her peace, a slight refuge from the pain that had only grown worse as the evil and ancient power inside her had demanded a way out. She had already destroyed her home and much of the land around her. Even faraway places were not out of her reach and had been obliterated with just a thought, giving her a slight rest from her constant suffering.

  This time, however, was different. There was no pain. Only beautiful, untainted darkness ready to be spread.

  A memory flashed, sending searing heat through her mind. The vampire. Lucien. He was Eve's lover now. Alarica searched through the rest of Eve's memories of the last several years: her time at the Deific, finding and saving Lucien, Boaz nearly capturing her again, and then faking her death so she could get stronger. And Eve had gotten stronger. Alarica felt this power, but it had been shoved aside along with Eve, trapped in the necklace where Alarica hoped she would never have to see or feel it again. It was what was left in its place that Alarica craved. A darkness that was just as powerful as Eve's light but not nearly as obnoxious.

  Alarica opened her eyes. Boaz stood in front of her, his expression a mix of both wonder and fear.

  "Boaz," she said and smiled. "I thought I had killed you."

  His eyes narrowed. "You would like to think you came close, wouldn't you?"

  "Ah, that's right," she said, remembering Lucien and Eve's recent failed attempt to kill him. "You can't be killed—yet."

  Boaz snorted. "I may not be invincible after you restore my powers, but I will be more powerful than ever. It will take an army to stop me."

  "Who said I was going to give you back your powers?" she asked. "I rather like them for myself."

  The corners of Boaz's mouth turned up slowly. "I have a surprise for you."

  "And I'm sure I have plenty for you," Alarica said.

  She thought of all the ways she could get rid of him. It was not that she didn't find him attractive—she did—but she hated how he thought he was more powerful than her. There was only one person who was going to rule this world—her, and if Boaz couldn't get on board, then s
he was just fine grinding his bones to ash.

  Still with the smile, Boaz dropped onto the sofa and spread his arms across the top. "Alarica, fetch me a glass of water."

  "Get it your—" Something invisible tugged on her spine, and she yelped at the sharpness of it. Her body turned around on its own accord and walked away. "What the hell? What is this?"

  Boaz said nothing as she disappeared behind a door and into a kitchen. Her hands automatically moved, searching the cupboards until she found a cup. "You have got to be kidding!"

  That's when she remembered Boaz's words to Eve just before he had put the necklace around her. Sable had cursed the necklace to make her do whatever Boaz wanted.

  Alarica turned on the faucet and filled the cup, all the while fighting desperately against whatever magic was making this possible, but no matter what word she tried, or what thoughts she produced, she couldn't break the spell.

  She cursed under her breath the entire way back to Boaz. He was laughing at her as she approached him, but instead of giving it to him, she threw the water in his face.

  "You didn't say I had to hand it you," she said.

  His smile disappeared, and he removed a handkerchief from his pocket. "Wipe off my face. Gently."

  Alarica's body moved against her will onto her knees and in front of Boaz. She took the handkerchief from him, growled, and wiped the side of his face.

  "I don't want to treat you like a child," he said. "And, despite what you may think, I don't like telling my women what to do. I actually find it attractive when they have a brain of their own."

  "When that brain is doing what you want," she snapped.

  "On the contrary. It's one of the many things I loved about Eve. There's something very seductive about the chase."

  "I can be seductive." She trailed her fingers down his neckline to the first button on his shirt. With a flick of her fingers, several buttons popped off, exposing his bare chest. "Just remove this stupid curse and give me back my freedom."

  He took hold of her hands. "I wish I could, but our goals aren't the same. Maybe after you learn what we are planning, you might realize that we are better together."

  "We?"

  "There is much for you to learn."

  Alarica searched his dark eyes. She could work with him… for now, but the thought of having to do everything he said made her sick. She would play the game if she had to, gain his trust just long enough to obtain her freedom. Then she would kill him.

  Until then, she might as well have some fun. Her mouth crashed into his, and he kissed her back just as fiercely. His hands lifted her at the waist and brought her onto his lap, her legs straddling the sides of him.

  Yes, this will be fun, she thought as his fingers slipped beneath her shirt, and his lips trailed down her neck.

  Before it went any further, he pulled away and said, "As long as we see eye to eye on future events, I will limit my demands on you."

  "So what's the plan?" she asked and slid to the side of him.

  "First thing’s first. You're going to give me back what's mine, then I'll tell you everything you need to know." A buzzing sound had him reaching inside his pocket. He removed his cell phone and stared at the screen.

  "And exactly how do I do that?" Alarica asked.

  It was a few seconds before he lowered his phone and said, "Your powers are connected to that necklace and all that it contains. Focus on it and concentrate with all of your magic with the single desire of releasing what does not belong. It should be as simple as that."

  "Should be?"

  "According to your parents, that's how it should work."

  "How is mother dear, anyway?"

  At this, Boaz scowled. "Trapped inside the Deific, but we'll be getting her back soon. The Deific is about to have its world turned upside down. They won't have any other choice but to release her."

  Alarica held no love for Sable, Eve's mother, but she might know how to remove the curse from the necklace. Alarica was pretty sure she could convince Sable that she was the perfect daughter. It would be too easy.

  Boaz was typing into his phone.

  "Who are you talking to?" she asked.

  "The most important man in the world." Boaz chuckled. "The President of the United States of America. He has requested our presence in a few weeks."

  Alarica was looking forward to meeting the man to see how he was connected to Boaz. Maybe she could seduce him into helping her get rid of Boaz. "I can't wait to see him."

  "First thing first," Boaz said. "I want my powers back."

  "Ugh. Fine. You're so impatient. Stand back."

  Alarica closed her eyes and breathed deeply, slow and steady breaths. She expanded her mind, searching through the layers and layers of magic that existed within her. They crossed through each other in brilliant colors, giant ribbons of energy that seemed to stretch into eternity. Much of it was unrecognizable, like staring at an abstract painting. She could access the magic on the surface, but it might take centuries to learn how to use and control the ancient magic coursing through her.

  She wondered if Eve knew about all the magical energy as old as time that was just sitting inside her waiting to be accessed. Alarica hoped not. Eve would use the energy for good, whereas Alarica recognized it as an opportunity to become the world's most powerful entity, but in time. For now, however, she had to deal with the only person who could stop her.

  Alarica continued to search her mind until she found a space where the colors faded to gray, deep blues and blacks. Their edges were jagged, and their continually moving shapes pressed outward in sharp tendrils.

  She concentrated hard on Boaz's magic in hopes of finding a weakness, or even gain some sort of understanding of his abilities, but the moment she tried to penetrate it, a force shocked her away.

  "Give it back to me," Boaz said as if he could sense the intrusion all the way across the room.

  Forced to obey, Alarica mentally cleared a path to help it escape the mess of magic surrounding it. The problem was, every time she drew near to it, sharp pain would sear her mind, but if she didn't mentally move it, the dark magic would remain where it was.

  She tried over and over, but with each attempt the pain grew worse. She clenched her eyes and grunted as she summoned all of the magic within her to attack Boaz's energy. At first she didn't think it would work, but then, little by little, the dark matter began to shift.

  It was a painful process. Had it not been for Boaz's command, she would've stopped a lot time ago. The sharp sting in her head had spread to the rest of her body, forcing her to her knees. Boaz's magic was close.

  "Now!" he shouted.

  Whether she wanted to or not, Alaric gave one final push. A loud pop exploded in her mind, forcing her head back. Her mouth snapped open. The dark energy burst outward in a thick smoky branch that raced toward Boaz.

  Alarica fell to the floor face first, every part of her exhausted and hurting. Just before her eyes closed into swirling blacks and grays, her gaze locked with Boaz's.

  He grinned big with eyes intense and full of power, before saying, "I'm back."

  32

  Lucien's legs went weak, and he slumped into the nearest chair. Eve was Alarica. Had he not been fighting with Henry earlier, he would've felt it along with Charlie. There was a new and powerful darkness that had taken shape, the rebirth of something great and terrible. He knew all too well it was Alarica.

  He remembered the destruction she had caused, the fear she had instilled in both humans and Supernaturals across the globe. People still talked about the destruction even though years had passed. Most thought it had been caused by terrorists.

  "Are you all right?" Charlie asked him. Charlie was still sitting on the floor, looking sicker than ever.

  Lucien couldn't answer as he was fighting off his own nausea.

  Henry cleared his throat. "This isn't a setback. This is a good thing. It's what we wanted."

  Lucien was upon him in a blink of an eye, his hand
around his throat. "You could've stopped this!"

  Henry shoved him away, not with enough power to cause damage, but enough to make Lucien stumble to the floor. "Wake up! Boaz could not be defeated until he was made whole! Yes, it's a horrible situation. People are going to die, the world is going to change, and Eve is trapped in a psychopath's body, but at least now we have a chance to end it once and for all."

  His chest rose and fell. "I have been waiting for this fight for centuries. I've prepared myself so I wouldn't fail, so stand up and fight with me, Lucien! We need you! Eve needs you! Don't you remember what your goal was when you thought she was dead? All you wanted was to destroy Boaz, and now you have the power to make that happen."

  Lucien blew air out his nose and curled his hands into fists. He rose from the floor, anger burning inside him.

  "That's more like it," Henry said. "Charlie, get to work right now on scrubbing this office of anything Supernatural. Lucien and I need to go release Sable."

  "Release her?" Lucien asked. "That's insane! She'll just run to Boaz, and then there will be one more person helping him ruin the world."

  He glanced at Charlie who was still unmoving on the floor, his gaze upward and glossy. He didn't even seem to be listening to their conversation. Charlie's reaction unsettled Lucien. It seemed to go beyond concern for Eve.

  "Let's just go talk to her," Henry said. He turned to Charlie before leaving the room, and frowned. "Get up, Charlie. There is much to do."

  Lucien waited a few seconds before following after Henry. He crouched in front of Charlie. "What's going on with you?"

  Charlie met his gaze and forced a smile. "Just letting reality set in."

  "We're going to change it."

  "My reality can't be changed."