by Minx Malone
She watched him for a long moment before she ran for the door. When she hesitated and looked back at him, he cursed. “Go! I’ll hold them off and then I’ll come for you.”
“You don’t know where I live.”
Another soldier jumped on his back and hooked an arm under his neck to cut off his air. Abaddon leaned over and threw him on the ground, stabbing him through the abdomen. He panted heavily as he looked up at her. “I know. I’ve always known.” He winced at the revelation and looked away.
Of course he knew where I was. How dramatic she was, imagining herself some tragic heroine all these years, separated from true love by the cruel hands of fate. He hadn’t been corrupted by her father. He’d been like this all along. He had known where she was for the past eight years.
He hadn’t come for her because he hadn’t wanted to.
“Destroyer.” She snorted angrily. “Now I know why they call you that. You ruin everything you touch.” She touched her wet face carefully, her fingers trailing over her cheeks. Her hot tears were acid on her cheeks.
She watched a moment longer as he raged, destroying the soldiers who attacked him, a fiery menace. The room burned, the heat from the flames melting the paint off the walls and lacing the air with the stench of ash.
“I am utterly destroyed.”
Chapter Seven
Helena dragged herself up the front steps of her house and collapsed in the doorway. Her cheek hit the flagstone with a jarring crunch, and there was gravel in her eye. None of it mattered. She was home.
With Mary’s help, she’d escaped out the servant’s entrance. She’d had to hike for over three miles to reach the entrance to the surface. The veil between worlds was thickening steadily since All Hallow’s Eve, and the trail was rough and strewn with bracken. She’d given up twice before remembering that she had to keep going. Likely the entire Regiment of Underworld was after her now, and if she was going to die, she didn’t want to do it on the forest floor.
She heaved herself up from the concrete and flipped the security panel. It took three tries before she could get her fingers to cooperate long enough to key in her code. Finally the light flashed green and she was in.
She stumbled through the foyer and dropped in a heap as soon as she entered the living room. She lay her cheek against the soft carpet and wept until she was depleted. Sleep came quickly.
“Angel. Wake up, my angel.” She stirred at the lilting voice calling out to her. Just a little more sleep. The voice called again. It was such a nice voice, soft and lilting, like a harp. The voice of someone who loved her.
“Mommy?” She dragged one eye open and whimpered in relief when her mother Angelique’s face came into view.
“I’m here, little one. “ Angelique wrapped her up in her arms and helped her sit up. “Easy, sweet pea. Come on, let’s sit you down.” They hobbled over to the deep cushions of the couch, and Helena crawled up gratefully. When her mother lay down next to her, she looked up in surprise. Her mother’s arms came around her and squeezed her with surprising strength. Until her arms began to shake.
“Momma?” Helena turned her head, but her mother’s grip abruptly tightened so she couldn’t turn all the way. “Momma, are you crying?”
“I should have told you about your father. Instead you walked right into his clutches because I kept you in the dark. I thought I was protecting you. ”
“Mom. Please don’t cry. I got away. Abaddon…he helped me. I’m not sure why, but he helped me escape.”
Angelique squeezed her tighter. “That boy loves you. No doubt your father was behind his sudden disappearance all those years ago.”
“I’m not so sure he didn’t leave because he wanted to. I’m not sure about much of anything. I thought my father wanted to meet me. I was so excited. But all he wanted was my blood. I just don’t know why?”
“If he’s been poisoned, he needs blood from a relative to heal him. Demons regenerate quickly from most illnesses, but if his blood is poisoned, he’ll need help.” Angelique sighed and sat up. “This isn’t over. Your father won’t give up. You are his only blooded child. He’ll come for you.”
She shrieked when a shattering crash resounded outside the French doors to their right. Angelique jumped up and pulled Helena to her chest. Two dark shapes flashed past the window. The two women ran to the doors and looked out. Abaddon stood on the back patio, chest heaving with his boot planted squarely in the chest of a middle aged man.
A man with Helena’s eyes.
“Orion?” Angelique whispered. She fumbled with the clasp on the door, making sure it was locked before pushing Helena behind her. “What do we do now? And who is that holding him down?”
“Mom, that’s Abaddon.”
“That’s Donny? That little, scrawny, shy boy turned into…that?” She was silent for a moment. “Darling, if that man is chasing you…let him catch you. I would.”
“Mom!” Helena shook her head in amazement as her mother giggled and waved two fingers at Abaddon through the glass. He blushed and looked away.
Helena flipped the lock on the doors and pulled them open.
“Helena, no. Stay inside. He’s dangerous.” Angelique grabbed her arm and tried to drag her back inside.
She gently pried her mother’s fingers from her wrist. “I finally figured something out, Mom. So am I.”
She walked out to the porch and stood over her father’s pale form, taking in his honey brown eyes and cinnamon streaked hair. She had her mother’s grace, but she had definitely inherited her father’s nature. It was time she started acting like it.
“I don’t know what you thought to accomplish by coming here. I won’t help you willingly, and I promise you, if it comes down to a battle, I’ll be the last one standing. I inherited more of you than you think.” She blew him a kiss, a long stream of fire blowing across the air to lick at his cheeks. He laughed and met her eyes for the first time.
“After that impressive display in my chambers yesterday, I’d be a fool to believe otherwise. I actually didn’t come here just to see you.” He sat up, ignoring Abaddon’s growl of warning. “Can you call off your bodyguard? I know when I’m outnumbered.”
“Why would I call him off? Doesn’t he work for you?” Helena glanced between them, bewildered.
“Not anymore. Not only did he quit, but he took out half the regiment to prevent them from coming after you. If I wasn’t so pissed off, I’d be proud.”
“Abaddon?” He wouldn’t meet her eyes but backed away slightly from her father. Orion moved a little closer and held out a hand to Angelique.
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. Please, just leave.” Angelique turned away, her eyes damp.
“Brute strength is the only thing I’ve ever understood. Kindness, patience and love aren’t things I deal with well.” He shifted awkwardly and looked at Helena. “You have my eyes. I guess I didn’t think you would look like me.”
“Well, DNA has a way of doing that.” Helena rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t mean…I’m really bad at this. I’m trying to say I’m sorry. For…everything. I’ve caused you nothing but pain. I know I’m a selfish son of a bitch, but…I’m going to try to work on that. For you, for me and for your mother’s sake.”
“Don’t do me any favors, Orion,” Angelique said. “Our time is over and gone. I thought I saw something in you once, something worth saving, but I was wrong. I could never regret meeting you. You’ve given me my most precious possession. My beautiful daughter.” She ran a gentle hand over Helena’s hair. “But I couldn’t take the chance that you would hurt her the way you hurt me. Shielding her from you was the only protection I could give her.”
“Angelique, you are the only woman who makes me wish I could be different.” Orion took in Helena’s tense stance, her body partially blocking Angelique from his view. “You’ll take care of her for me?” He nodded at Angelique.
“I’ll take care of her because I love her. Someda
y, I hope you’ll understand what that feels like.” Helena watched in silence as he walked across the yard toward the side gate. He stopped with his hand on the clasp and looked back. His lips pulled hesitantly into a smile when he looked at her before moving on to Angelique. The look in his eyes was tender, almost reverent, the look a man gave a woman he loved but felt he wasn’t worthy of. Then a second later the look was gone.
“Wait.” Helena ran and skidded to a stop right in front of him. She reached over, pulled his dagger from his belt and sliced a shallow cut on the inside of her wrist.
“What are you doing?” His voice was alarmed. The blood wasn’t flowing fast enough, so she tried again, hitting the vein this time. Her blood ran in a steady stream down her inner arm.
“If I want you to learn about unconditional love, then I guess I have to be the example. Hold out your arm.” He stared unmoving for a moment before slowly extending his hand. She sliced a long cut down his thick forearm and held her wound above it. Her blood dripped and mingled with his.
“You’d save me anyway?” He looked at her with wonder. He laid a hand over his heart and blinked rapidly. Helena sniffed and turned away slightly, giving him time to wipe away the tears that fell. Then she leaned over and hugged him hard.
“All right. I’ve done my good deed. Just don’t forget about me, okay?” She pulled away and wiped her own eyes with the back of her hand.
“Never.” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped the wound at her wrist. “Hold this tight.”
“What about yours?” She looked at his arm and was astonished to see his cut was half healed already.
“I’ll be fine. Everything will be fine now.” He looked back to where Abaddon and Angelique watched them. “He would die before he hurt you. The only reason he left all those years ago is because he was afraid of what I would do to you if he didn’t. I wanted a warrior, and I was willing to take out any obstacle that got in the way of that. They should call me ‘The Destroyer’, not him.”
As he left, she called after him, “Thank you.”
“What did you do? Oh baby, did he hurt you?” Angelique cradled her wrist, the gentle warmth of her healing presence a balm to the tender skin.
“No, he didn’t hurt me. I gave him some of my blood because I wanted to. I believe there’s still some good in him.”
Angelique watched her, her quiet gray eyes shining. “You, my child, are a true gift.” She hugged Helena quickly. “Now go and get your man, before I do.” She chuckled softly and walked back to the house. She gave Helena a pointed look before closing the glass door behind her.
Helena and Abaddon stared at each other in silence for a few moments.
“What are you...?”
“I’m sorry…”
They laughed awkwardly. Just like that, the tension was broken and it was just...comfortable.
“What are you doing here?” She stuck her hands in her pockets to keep from grabbing him. He looked at her shyly, his large shoulders slumped.
“I had to make sure you were safe. I didn’t know what your father had planned, but I should have known he was dangerous. He’s been searching for you for years.”
“Abaddon, stop. I know you weren’t trying to hurt me. He told me…my father told me you weren’t aware of his plans, that you didn’t know he only wanted me for my blood. Thank you for helping me get out. You didn’t have to do that.”
“No, I didn’t. I realized something before I came here today. I’ve lost everything to protect you, my job, and my life in Underworld.”
Helena rolled her eyes and crossed her arms defiantly. “Go to hell.”
“I’ve been there. It’s nothing without you.” He moved closer, until they were standing chest to chest.
“Abaddon. Don’t…”
“Don’t what? Want you? Need you? Love you?”
Helena gasped and closed her eyes. The words she’d longed to hear for years seemed hollow. Was it because she didn’t believe he was sincere, or was it her? Have I changed so much?
“Things are so different now. I’m not sure how to react to you when you’re…”
“Being a wuss?”
“I was going to say being sincere.” She smiled and rolled her eyes.
“Well, here’s sincere for you. I’m in love with you. What do you say about that?”
Helena crossed her arms and looked him over from head to toe. “All I know is that you still owe me two more days.”
Abaddon smiled, and it was so unexpected, Helena instantly smiled back. She shivered at the erotic promises she could see in his eyes.
“I’ve never been known to back down from a deal.” He ran a hand lightly down the side of her face. “But I’ll do you one better. Instead of two days, how’s forever sound? For starters.”
Helena kissed him softly. “I suppose that’ll do. For starters.”
The End
Author Bio
Minx Malone lives in the Washington, DC metro area with her husband and son. She enjoys classic novels, Sudoku and considers herself an amateur Egyptologist. Most of her novel ideas come to her at the strangest times, such as when waiting in line at the bank or while on the metro. She also gives some of the credit to her incredibly vivid dreams. No black and white dreams for Minx! She’s the only person she knows who dreams in HDTV with surround sound!
Contact Minx through her website www.minxmalone.com.