by Diem, J. C.
“You’re just going to let me die?” I repeated and took another step back from him.
He lifted his hand, but Leo stopped him from lurching after me. “There has to be another cure,” Nathan said in desperation. “We will find another way to save you.”
“You will do whatever I say you will,” Vepar said and moved to stand beside him. She put her hand on his shoulder possessively. “I have plans for you, Nathanael, and none of them involve saving Hellscourge from her fate.” She ran her hand down his arm and he shuddered at her touch. “I am claiming the favor you owe me and I have decided that you will become my slave.” She flicked me a glance and smiled cruelly as she added one final clause. “For eternity.”
A combination of rage and sorrow swept through me. Nathan had stolen my soul and he refused to tell me where it was. He believed I would become an abomination if I became whole. Nothing would ever be the same between us now. I could never love someone who believed I was a monster. Even worse was the knowledge that his purity that I’d tried so hard to preserve was going to be destroyed by a Demon Lord.
The betrayal that Sophia had warned me about had finally struck and it had come from the last person I’d ever expected. Taking one last long look at my guardian, I called on the souls that were trapped inside me and fled. Together, their power was strong enough to break the anti-teleporting spell the angels and demons had cast to trap us in place.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twelve
Blinded by the bright red light that filled my vision from using demonic essence to teleport, I dropped to my knees and sobbed in anguish. Nathan had told me that he loved me, but it was just a lie. He loved what he’d turned me into; a soulless creature who was doomed to die.
He’d been watching over me and keeping me from harm my entire life. I’d felt so safe and sheltered every time he’d saved me from dying and I’d believed he cared about me. I now realized he’d just been driven by guilt. That guilt had grown into what he thought was love. Even though he’d been trapped inside a human body for thousands of years, he didn’t know what real love was. In his misguided quest to keep me safe, he’d instead ensured my eventual death by stealing my essence and leaving me vulnerable to the toxin.
Lost in grief, I didn’t realize where I was at first. Flapping wings alerted me that I was in danger. Talons ripped across the hands that were covering my eyes, seeking the soft orbs beneath. Throwing myself backwards, I rolled away from the undead raven as it gathered itself to attack again. It was dark, but I saw enough of my surroundings to see I was on a tree lined path just inside Central Park.
Spying a fallen branch, I scrambled to pick it up and swung it when the bird came at me again. It evaded the blow with an enraged squawk and glared at me. I had no idea how it could see through its single milky eye. The empty socket still wept black blood in a never healing wound.
Backing away, I tripped over a root and almost went down when it flew at me again. I fended it off with the branch as it tried to gouge my eyes out. The bird still wanted revenge on me for taking its eye. Seeing an exit for Fifth Avenue to my right, I took off at a run.
The raven harried me as I sped along a pathway. Electric light guided me through the eerily quiet park. Cars sped past only yards away. I was almost out of the park when talons tangled in my hair. Musty wings battered my face and I had to fight down claustrophobia.
Swinging the branch blindly, I managed to club it on the wing and it dropped away. I looked back over my shoulder to see it land awkwardly on the ground. Its wing was hanging crookedly. Unsure if it could heal broken bones better than its missing eye, I turned around and kept running.
I couldn’t return to the store. If I did, I’d have to explain what had happened to Sophia. Leo had been captured and now two of our friends were prisoners. There was only one place I could go and it was only a few blocks away from here.
Taking my cell phone out, I texted Zach that I was heading towards his home. It was almost three am, but he answered me almost immediately to say he would be waiting for me at the side entrance.
Clutching the branch in a death grip, I cast frequent glances around to make sure I wasn’t being followed as I made my way to the twenty-story building where my boyfriend lived. His father should still be away for a few days and their housekeeper didn’t live on the premises. Zach should be alone and I didn’t know where else to go.
Discarding the branch just before I reached Zach’s building, I hurried over to the side door that led to his home. He opened it just as I arrived. Seeing my disheveled state, he stared for a moment then drew me inside. My hair was a mess and my mascara would be smeared around my eyes from crying. “What happened?” he asked in concern. “Were you mugged?”
It would pass for an excuse, so I nodded. “Yeah. My hands are scratched up, but I’m okay.” I had to hold onto a harsh laugh at that. I was about as far from okay as I could get.
“Let’s head upstairs so you can get cleaned up,” Zach said. His blond hair was mussed and he looked like he’d just woken up. He’d pulled on a sweater and jeans, but his feet were bare. For some strange reason, I found the combination to be incredibly appealing.
“Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night,” I said shakily as we snuck down the hallway towards the elevator.
“I don’t mind,” he said with a sweet smile that made my heart ache. “I was dreaming about you and now here you are.”
I almost burst into tears again. Zach would never hurt me like Nathan had. He was my knight in shining designer wear. It was hard to pretend not to know him as we rode the elevator up to the eighteenth floor. The elevators were monitored and his father would be notified by security if Zach brought a girl to the penthouse floor. Taking my phone out, I hid my face as best as I could from the camera. I stepped out when the doors opened and hurried to the stairs.
Zach opened the door on the twentieth floor and carefully took my hand. He winced at the blood that stained my flesh. Or maybe it was the slight gray tinge to my skin that worried him.
Twin large black doors led to his opulent apartment. Only a few lights were on when he let me in. The apartment was dim and cavernous, with dark gray walls and black marble floors. It reminded me of the palaces in hell. Shivering in reaction to everything that I’d gone through, I followed Zach through the gigantic living room with black leather furniture and the biggest TV I’d ever seen.
We reached the formal dining room that had a table large enough to seat twenty. Turning right, we passed the kitchen and headed to the wing where Zach’s rooms were. Dark blue carpet the same shade as Nathan’s eyes muffled our steps until we reached his bedroom. He ushered me inside and closed the door.
His wing of the building was so huge that he had his own private kitchen. Food was the last thing I wanted right now. My eyes swept over the gigantic four poster bed to see his bedding had been changed. The cover was dark red now and almost matched the blood that stained my hands.
“The bathroom is through that door,” Zach said. He pointed past the leather couch to the second door on the left. “I’ll make us some tea and grab the first aid kit while you freshen up.”
Nodding, I avoided his gaze. I was a mess and I was trying to hide my face. Walking past the closet where he hung his coats, I stepped around the couch and entered the bathroom. Unlike the main area of the penthouse, his bathroom was white marble with silver accents. It was beautiful, but the décor was almost too sterile.
Closing the door, I crossed to the mirror above the basin to take stock of myself. Just as I’d feared, my hair was a tangled mess and my eyes were ringed with mascara. I washed my hands, wincing at the sting from the cuts. My face was pale and I looked ill when I washed my makeup off. Hopefully, Zach cared enough about me not to flee in horror when he saw me.
Using Zach’s brush, I combed the knots and twigs out of my hair that I’d received from rolling around on the ground. My jacket had some grass stains on it, but there wasn’t much I could do a
bout that.
Meeting my eyes in the mirror, I saw the betrayal that I couldn’t hide. My entire world had just been turned upside down. I couldn’t return to my friends and I couldn’t stay here for long. Despite my desolation, I had a mission to finish. I’d have to find the next portal to hell on my own this time. I still had to kill the final two princes and track down the Hellmaster. I just hoped that the cure would fall into my lap somewhere along the way. Thanks to Nathan’s abhorrence of my true nature, I wasn’t going to be reunited with my soul anytime soon.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirteen
Zach had tea waiting for me when I opened the door. I crossed the floor and sat next to him on the couch. A first aid kit sat on the coffee table next to the tea. Taking my hands, he frowned at my wounds. “These scratches don’t look like they were made by a mugger.”
“They weren’t,” I confessed. “I ran away from the guy and ended up in Central Park. A raven swooped down and attacked me. I guess I must have been too close to its nest.”
Doubt flashed in his brown eyes for a moment. “You were attacked by both a mugger and a raven?” he said incredulously.
“I don’t know if the guy was going to try to mug me. He made some vague threats and I thought it would be best to run.” It was angels and demons I’d really been running from. I knew without a doubt that they all intended me harm.
He tightened his grip on my hands in sympathy for my plight. “What were you doing out so late?”
Tugging my hands free, I picked up my tea and took a sip before answering. “I had a fight with Sophia.” Tears welled as I lied. Sophia was probably still at the store wondering where we all were. Leo had been captured by the angels and Nathan had been handed over to Vepar. I shut down that thought before I could burst into sobs. He’d made his bargain with her and now he would pay the price. It served him right for taking my choices away from me and for making me fall in love with him.
“I’m sure you’ll patch things up with her,” Zach said and pulled me into a careful hug so I didn’t spill my drink. “She cares about you too much to let you live on the streets.” I kept silent and willed my tears away. “I’d better put some antiseptic cream on these scratches,” he said after a short while. “That bird could have some kind of disease for all we know.”
I fought against descending into hysterical giggles. The raven was undead and it was infected with evil. If Zach knew the truth about my life, he wouldn’t be sitting next to me so calmly.
Zach reached for the first aid kit and dabbed cream onto a cotton ball. I put the cup down and he gently dabbed at the cuts, wincing in sympathy whenever I flinched. Then he put band aids on the worst of the wounds. “Maybe I should think about becoming a doctor,” he joked when he was done.
“Do you really think your Dad would allow that?” I said cynically.
His face fell. “I guess not. He has my entire future planned for me, right down to how many babies I’ll have with Candy.”
I sucked in a breath and he instantly looked stricken at hurting me. “You’re going to marry her?” I asked in shock.
“That’s what my father wants me to do,” he admitted. “It doesn’t even matter what I want. He always gets his way.” His tone turned bitter and a hand went to his ribs where his dad tended to hit him.
“She can’t have you,” I said in a near growl. “You’re mine .”
His startled gaze flashed to me and he smiled at my vehemence. “I want to be yours,” he said and his eyes dropped to my mouth. “All you have to do is say the words and I’ll make it a reality.”
The promise I’d made to Nathan meant nothing now that I knew of his betrayal. Vepar probably already had him in her bed by now. She would have ruined his purity and turned him into her plaything. I had only a limited amount of time left on Earth and it was doubtful that I’d survive for long when I returned. Zach loved me and I loved him, even if it wasn’t in the same way that I’d loved my guardian. I refused to die without experiencing what it felt like to spend the night with a man that I loved.
“Make me yours,” I whispered and Zach’s mouth came down on mine. Heat instantly flared inside me and I didn’t try to fight it. My hands tangled in his hair and I pulled him closer until our bodies were pressed together. He shifted me until I was straddling his lap and he pulled me against him. I gasped at the sensation of his desire pressing against my most intimate body part.
“Do you like that?” he asked and moved my hips in a circle. Small jolts of pleasure flared inside me and I moaned in response. “Wait until we’re naked and I’m inside you,” he whispered. “It’ll feel a thousand times better.”
Some part of me wondered how he knew how much better it would feel. As far as I knew, I was the first girl he’d ever had feelings for. My reason was swept away when he stood up and carried me to his bed.
I wrapped my legs around him and pulled his sweater off. Half naked, he lay me down and put his hands on either side of my face, trapping me in place. For a moment, I thought I saw triumph flare in his eyes. Then he leaned down and kissed me and I forgot my momentary alarm.
“I’ve waited so long for this,” he said as he unzipped my jacket. I made an inarticulate sound of agreement as I kissed him. He unzipped my hoodie next and his hand slid beneath my t-shirt. His palm came to rest just above the scar on my abdomen. Before I could be worried that he’d be repulsed by the mark, his hand slid upwards, taking my shirt with it. His eyes remained on my face and he didn’t see the scar.
Even in the depths of lust, I was aware of Zach’s other hand moving beneath his pillow and taking hold of something. I assumed it was protection against me falling pregnant and focused on the sensation of his warm hand against my bare skin. His fingers skimmed over my left breast as he pushed my shirt up over my bra. I arched against him and he grinned as he kissed me.
“So eager,” he said in a low voice that was full of need. “I never realized how passionate you would be once we got to this moment.” His hand went behind my back to unclasp my bra and he drew back so he could watch the grand unveiling. He went still when he saw the edge of the ugly red scar on my left breast. “What’s that?” he asked, clearly disturbed.
“It’s nothing,” I said quickly, hoping the mood hadn’t been shattered. “It’s just an old scar from a wound I got when I was a baby.”
Instead of shrugging it off, he pulled back further and pushed my bra aside so he could see the scar. His expression was a mixture of fury and disappointment. “Your soul is gone,” he said in a petulant voice. “I’ve wasted all this time gaining your trust for nothing!”
Stunned and uncomprehending at first, I did my bra up, drew my shirt down and sat up. Heavy footsteps approached the door as Zach climbed off the bed. The light flashed off something in Zach’s hand. I saw a dagger exactly like the one I owned in his grip. Turning my head, I saw the edge of a glass bottle beneath the pillow. Flipping the pillow onto the floor, I revealed one of the vials the Collectors used to harvest souls.
Numb with shock, I turned when the door burst open. The man standing in the doorway was a taller, far more muscular version of Zach. He was blond and had the same brown eyes. It was the other image I saw overlapping Mr. Orion that held me riveted. Towering over his vessel, the Demon Prince stared at me through narrowed scarlet eyes. “No,” I whispered in denial when the truth came crashing down on me. I’d never met him before, but I knew who he was. He had to be the prince of the ninth realm. Zach had lied to me about a great many things, including that his father was away for a week.
“Oh, yes,” the demon disagreed and grinned widely. “My son has played his part well and now I have you right where I want you. Your soul might be gone, but you can still be useful once I have you in my dungeon.”
I tried to teleport away, but Zach’s fist came crashing towards my face. Seeing stars, I blacked out and fled into unconsciousness.
₪₪₪
Chapter Fourteen
When I woke,
I was trussed up and I was lying face down on the seat of a limousine. Zach and his father sat across from me. My ex-boyfriend held the small carving of Nathan that Leo had made for me. He examined it then tossed it to the floor along with the rune stones that he’d stripped from my pockets. The bracelet that Brie had made for me was also lying on the floor.
“Was it all a lie?” I asked, drawing his attention to me.
He regarded me then smirked. The attentive, loving boy I’d known had just been a sham. I was seeing his real face now. “Of course it was,” he said with a sneer. “I knew there was something wrong with you when you seemed so human, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Our kind don’t have emotions like people have.”
“Our kind?” I said in dread then flicked a glance at his father. The prince had receded and the human vessel was staring at me coldly. “You’re a Nephilim?”
“It took you long enough to figure that out,” Zach said and rolled his eyes. “Prince Valac chose Brett Orion to be his vessel,” he hiked a thumb at his biological father. “He willingly offered himself to be a servant. He’s been a vessel for nearly twenty years now.”
“I thought demons killed their hosts when they were done with them.”
“I required a vessel so I could interact with Earth and carve out my niche,” Valac explained through his minion. “Orion makes himself available whenever I require his body. In return, I allow him to live in the manner that he’d always dreamed of.”
Turning back to Zach again, I felt bleak at the realization that he was what I might turn into if I regained my soul. He’d only been pretending to care about me and I’d stupidly fallen for it. I should have known that a handsome, rich kid like him would never have been interested in someone like me.
“Candy will be happy when I tell her you’re finally out of the picture for good,” he said, twisting the knife in my shredded heart even more. “She’s not that great in bed, but I’ll train her to do what I want the way I want it,” he added confidently. “After she gives me a few kids, I’ll arrange for her to have an accident.” So much for Sophia’s vision that Candy and Zach would be a good match. Then again, they would have been, for a while. As soon as he grew tired of her, she would die.