Pretty Dark Sacrifice

by Heather L. Reid

  Like a bullet, he flew straight and true. Nothing would keep him from his target. Demons lunged for him, only to meet a swift swipe of a muscled wing. Some took to the air in chase, but none had the power of anger behind him.

  Lilith turned at the commotion too late. Aaron slammed into her, and they tumbled head over feet in a tangle of wings and shadow. Pure hate gave him the advantage, and he forced Lilith to the ground, grabbing her wrists in one swift motion and pinning them above her head. Anger pulsed against his chest. Cold steel flashed in the torchlight as he raised the knife, still wet with Quinn’s blood, and plunged it straight into her chest.

  A laugh, cruel and mocking, bubbled from her lips. Aaron sat back on his knees, chest heaving, jaw clenched. Clutching the blade in both hands, he raised his arms over his head once more and channeled all his loathing into the blow. Stabbing her chest was like driving a nail through vapor. Silver eyes, calm as frozen lakes, stared up at him. Her full lips turned up in a maddening, sly grin. Again he raised the knife, and again he stabbed down with no effect, over and over until his muscles ached and sweat ran down his forehead.

  “Are you finished now?” Lilith’s body disappeared from beneath him in a puff of smoke and reappeared to his left. She placed a calm hand on his shoulder and pried the knife from his clenched fist. Lilith’s army encircled them, a wall of shifting shadows and raised weapons.

  “Did you really think I would be so stupid as to put a Qeres blade in your hand? Human steel can do nothing to one such as me.” She twirled the blade between her palms and returned it to the sheath strapped to her thigh. “Prophecy has been fulfilled. The girl is gone, and soon my children will feast on your precious humans. Even you can’t ruin this beautiful moment for me.”

  Aaron’s muscles rippled and tensed. His wings itched, and he shifted into a low crouch keeping his eye on Lilith as she paced around him.

  “I grow weary of this game, Kaemon.” Lilith smoothed a strand of raven hair from her eyes and held out her palm. Dark energy pulsed outward, hitting him with the force of a train. Pain exploded between his shoulder blades as he slammed against the granite throne, the air rushing from his lungs. He gulped and fought to regain his breath. Tendrils shot upward, tethering his ankles and wrists in tight knots to the seat.

  Lilith nodded to Ikkatat, the captain of her silver guard, and Kaemon’s own Qeres blade came loose from its scabbard. It sang to him, called to him like an old friend. He worked at his bonds, the small movement of his wrists unnoticed by Lilith. Getting to that blade meant his life.

  “How much more Qeres poison do you think your immortal essence can take, Kaemon? How much can Aaron’s human spirit absorb before it succumbs as well?”

  Ikkatat approached, blue runes glowing through the smoke-filled room, and settled the tip of the blade right above Aaron’s left wing. Ikkatat flourished the blade, separating a single golden feather from his wing. Aaron gritted his teeth against the pain and watched the golden feather turn gray, then black, then fall to ash at his feet. Another twist of pain, another feather gone.

  “I would love to experiment myself, but as you can see, I have my hands full. I’ll leave it to Ikkatat to take you apart, one feather at a time to test the boundaries.” With a wave of her hand, the surrounding mist morphed into a set of foggy steps leading through the crack in the ceiling. Lilith led the ascent, followed by her silver guard, each beating their spears against bone armor, calling their brethren to follow. One by one, the shadows pushed their way through the ever-widening fracture and disappeared into the human realm.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  A hand pressed against Quinn, hot, urgent, and frantic. She wanted to tell the hand to leave her alone, to let her sleep, but it wouldn’t stop touching her. If she could, she would have slapped the thing away. Leave me to my destiny, she thought, sinking back into oblivion, but the thing wouldn’t let her go. An ache pinched her chest. It poked her consciousness as it spread through her body and filled all the hollow places. Intense pain, blinding, burning, lanced through her, and all her muscles tensed at once. Arching her back, she sucked searing air back into her lungs and screamed. A hand clamped over her mouth, and she kicked and writhed beneath strength greater than her own.

  For The Light’s sake, Quinn, stop struggling, and let me heal you. Black wings came into focus, hovering like an inky umbrella above her. Do you know how hard it is to replicate your blood? That was only the beginning. Your heartbeat is still erratic, and the knife grazed your heart. I still have that to fix. Concentration knitted Azrael’s forehead. Molten eyes glowed through the gray and ominous smoke that swirled around him. The box, she remembered. Demons unleashed from their prison. She had to stop them. A cacophony of bone-chilling shrieks and cries rose and fell amidst the ever-shifting fog. She moved to sit up, but Azrael had her pinned to the floor.

  There is nothing you can do to stop it now, Quinn. Lilith’s army is already pushing through the veil. The Elite forces of the heavenly host have been called to war, ready to meet them. Westland has already fallen.

  My friends. My mom. Jake. Panic stabbed her heart, its beat pounding her chest like a sledgehammer. Numbness spread from her left arm and squeezed tight around her lungs. Black devoured the edges of her vision.

  Quinn. Calm down! Your heart is not strong enough yet. Azrael’s harsh tone scared her. His fingers stroked her hair, his thoughts a mad rush of calming visions leapt into her mind—oceans, kittens playing with a ball of string, palm trees. From his left arm, he untied a leather cuff, part of his armor, and forced it into her mouth.

  Try to hold as still as you can. Azrael rubbed his palms together and placed them on top of her breastbone. Deep breath now. It’s going to sting. Warm fuzzy blankets, rain on the roof, a field of wildflowers—anything to distract her from the incoming strike. Lightning fried her insides, and she bit down. All her muscles convulsed, and her eyes rolled back in her head. She couldn’t stop herself.

  Please, I can’t take anymore, please, Azrael, please, she begged.

  Every muscle violently convulsed with the burning agony of Azrael’s healing touch to her heart. Her back arched in defiance, fists opened and closed, stomach rolled. Death was easier than this fight for life.

  The best thing you can do for your friends, for your family, is let me heal you so that you can use your powers to turn the tide. Caleb and the others are waiting. They’re still alive. They need you, Quinn. Now, take one more deep breath. Another rush of current seared through her, and the pain eased.

  Energy flowed through her now, her power intact, and she felt better than she ever had before. Euphoric even. I-I feel different, Quinn stammered as she sat up

  Hyperaware, she could sense them, all of them, pinpricks of darkness against a background of white light when she closed her eyes. Using her own blood to release Lilith’s dark children from their prison ensured they were now linked, each of them, to Quinn. The voice of the sacrifice will break the lock, restoring darkness unto the light: that was the loophole in the prophecy.

  Quinn couldn’t help the grin spreading across her face. She—Eol Ananael, the essence of Eve, power made of the secret wisdom—was a black widow spider at the center of a shifting web. The demons couldn’t move without alerting her to their presence, to their names. Fear and excitement thrummed through her essence. She sprang into a crouch, lithe as a jaguar. Bring it on, Lilith. The demons, nothing, could stop her; she was invincible.

  Tread carefully, Quinn. We do not yet understand the full meaning of this. It could be nothing more than a side effect of the healing. Azrael sat back on his knees, his eyebrows drawn into a deep V. Either way, you are still made of flesh that bleeds and bones that break. I caution against rash action. He looked haggard, his usual olive complexion pale as ash, his inner light diminished. Wrinkles gathered around his dim eyes, his usual casual exterior replaced by something else. Fear. Real fear. And then she noticed a pile of black feathers around her like fallen lea
ves. Azrael folded his wings to hide the bald spots and looked away. Never mind that now. He met her eyes with a grim smile and stood.

  Looks like your boyfriend’s distraction may have worked a little too well. Azrael steadied himself against the column. She’d never seen him so frail, so dazed. He’s as foolish as he is hotheaded, but I guess I should thank him for keeping Lilith occupied while I made my escape. We must put our differences aside for the greater good.

  Aaron? Quinn cocked her head. The dense mist obscured her vision, but she didn’t need to see him. She could sense him, their bond flaring to life the moment she wished it. Don’t worry about Aaron. One thought, and her power seared through the ropes that bound him. This was going to be fun.

  A swift kick to Ikkatat’s knee, a cuff to the ear, and the Qeres blade found its way back into Aaron’s hand. Quinn turned in the direction of a terrible hawk-like scream and smiled. He’s taking care of himself.

  She rubbed her hands together and opened her palms. A ball of golden light grew from the center of each, two tiny suns illuminating the darkness. Even the air around her crackled and sizzled from the voltage she emitted. The gray fog parted before her, twisting away from the light as fast as it could. Within seconds, the fog cleared completely to reveal an almost empty room.

  Every demon followed Lilith up the smoky stairwell and into the human realm, leaving only Ikkatat to tie up any loose ends—and not very well, it seemed. Azrael took a step toward Aaron to help him, but Quinn shook her head. Aaron wanted this kill, needed it.

  She folded her arms to watch a true warrior at work. With Kaemon’s skills, he was magnificent, fluid as water, smooth as cream, as if he’d been born with a sword in his hand. Kaemon, she had to remind herself. Qeres blade shining bright blue in one hand, Azrael’s golden soul blade in the other, Aaron parried each of Ikkatat’s spear jabs.

  Left, right, head, knee, Ikkatat advanced, the spear’s reach longer than that of the sword. But it was heavier, too. The next strike pulled Ikkatat off balance, leaving his left flank open. Quick as a tornado, Aaron used his wings to launch into the air, spun the Qeres star-blade in a wide arc, and slashed down. Before he could bring up his spear to block Aaron’s blow, Ikkatat’s eagle head fell at his feet and exploded in a cloud of ash.

  Chest heaving, Aaron dropped the sword and looked at Quinn with intense green eyes. Closing the ten-foot distance between them in a rush of steps, he scooped her up in a tight embrace. Fingers grasped her shirt, dug into her flesh. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around his neck, the protective dam she’d built around her heart splintering at his touch, and she let it all out, the fear, the shame, the joy. Every kiss an apology, every heartbeat a promise.

  He pressed her against him, his wings beating the air in giant swoops. Tears streaked through the blood and dirt that smeared his face, and he buried his head in her hair, murmuring her name over and over. One thought flowed into the next as their essences converged. Their souls stood naked in front of each other, vulnerable, more intimate than anything she’d ever felt before. Each past mistake melted away in the wake of his warm lips on hers. Hungry and rough, it lit her skin on fire, a burning so bright and so beautiful that she never wanted it to end.

  Her hands found his bare chest, the heat rising between them so hot she thought she might combust. No place to hide, no secrets left to bury, no words needed. This is what it was like to know and be known, to love and be loved, to see another’s soul so completely that even the ugly parts radiated as perfection. No darkness could stand between them, not anymore.

  I hate to interrupt your reunion, but there’s still the small matter of Lilith and the demon horde.

  Quinn literally wanted to kill Azrael for throwing water on her perfect moment. One moment of happiness, one moment not to think about the insurmountable task ahead of them, was that too much to ask? Damn Azrael.

  Ignoring him, she let Aaron pull her hips to his as she drew out their kiss just a little longer. Azrael’s annoyance beat against her essence like a fist on a door. He cleared his throat and coughed, this time gaining all of Aaron’s attention and his ire. Narrowed green eyes turned on Azrael. If looks could kill, Azrael would be dead.

  “He saved my life,” Quinn reminded Aaron. She laced her fingers with his and sent him calming thoughts until his muscles relaxed and his grip on her hand eased. Not exactly forgiveness, but at least tolerance. She could work with tolerance.

  Azrael, still a bit pale and unsteady, kicked at the pile of dust that was once Lilith’s fiercest guard and retrieved his leather sword belt. Fastening it around his hips, he picked up his own golden soul sword, wiped it with the end of the red sash tied around his waist, and returned it to the scabbard. Now, only the Qeres blade still lay next to Ikkatat’s remains. Aaron’s jaw worked, eyes blazing, as Azrael’s palm hovered over the carved hilt.

  Reverently, Azrael recovered the sword, blowing ash from its curved surface. The edge of his lips twitched, his shoulders heaved. Placing the flat of the blade across his palms, he knelt before Aaron and extended the sword up until it was parallel with his face.

  “Know that everything I did was for the greater good, done at The Light’s bidding.” Though Azrael’s attempt at an apology rang true, it still held a hint of distain.

  Contrition doesn’t come easily to this fierce creature, Quinn thought, but it will have to do. She would need both of her Sentinels watching her back to set things right.

  Aaron rubbed the back of his neck, looked at Quinn, and grinned. That’s when she realized just how much she’d missed that easy smile. With one hand, Aaron took the blade, its blue runes blazing with his touch. The other hand, he offered to Azrael.

  This was the boy she loved. Kaemon might be quick to righteous anger, but Aaron’s compassion tempered the warrior’s spirit. Everything they had both been through brought them to this moment, changed them. They were steel made stronger in the heat of the fire, and together they would strike.

  “Now what?” Aaron asked.

  “Lilith was counting on Quinn being taken out of the game,” Azrael said.

  “Then she must continue to believe Quinn’s gone,” Aaron added.

  “Arcadia.” Azrael nodded. “We will take her there. Regroup with The Light’s battalions.”

  “Buy us time to come up with a strategy,” Aaron agreed.

  Absorbed in her own thoughts, Quinn looked up through the crack in the ceiling. Angels crossed the sky in great golden arcs, meteorites falling to earth to meet their enemy. The moon, its path frozen when the veil fell, masked the sun. Only a faint white halo remained.

  “No, we’re not going to Arcadia. We’re going to Eden.”

  “Eden? Quinn, are you crazy? There’s nothing there.” Aaron shook his head.

  “Let Lilith focus on The Light, let Arcadia believe I’m gone. Let all of them believe I’m out of the equation.” Quinn’s voice rang out across the empty rotunda.

  Darkness called to her, demons, thousands upon thousands, hungry, so hungry. Saliva dripped from the corner of Quinn’s mouth, and her stomach growled with the thought. Humans by the millions waited, their secret shames ready to feast upon—a never-ending supply of misery to harvest and enslave. To the demons, humans were nothing but food to soothe their insatiable appetites, but she was hungry, too, and they had no idea what was coming.

  “Trust me, while they fight for control, we’ll take the demons out, one by one.” She took Aaron’s hand, and turned to Azrael. “Together.” She smiled. Quinn was the predator, and they were her prey. Nowhere to hide, she would track down every last one of them and send them back to hell where they belonged.

  And then I’m coming for you, Lilith, Quinn thought. Oh, yes, I’m coming for you.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  As always, Pretty Dark Sacrifice would not have been possible without the hard work of the entire Month9Books team. From cover design, to editing, to marketing, so many amazing people contributed to the produ
ction of this book. A special thanks to my amazing editor, Courtney Koschel, who believed in Quinn and Aaron’s story, and my ability to tell it, even when I didn’t. Thank you for pushing me and helping me through the doubt. I couldn’t have done it without your encouragement and patience.

  Thank you to my family, both American and Scottish. I am so blessed to have such an amazing support system. Your love and encouragement help get me through the dark days. I love each of you more than I can express.

  Thank you to my wonderful critique partner in crime, Sarah Johnson, who took the time to give me feedback and talk me off ledge after ledge. I’ve learned so much from sharing my work with you.

  And to my SS sisters, for the incredible bond formed over a weekend retreat at a time when I was at my lowest. I’ll never be able to play Cards Against Humanity the same way again. Sisters forever.

  To my fellow Mod Squad members Vaughn Roycroft, Kim Downs Bullock and Valerie P. Chandler for picking up the ball when life gets overwhelming, and to Therese Walsh for her wise words in my time of need. You all are my safe place to fall and I don’t know what I would do without you.

  And last but not least, a special thank you to my loving husband, who works hard so that I can pursue my dreams. David Innes you are my strength and calm in a storm. I love and appreciate you more than words can say.

  HEATHER L. REID

  Photo credit: Maggie Bryant

  Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with a good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and writing new tales of fantasy and horror. You can chat with her on Twitter @heatherlreid or find her on Facebook.