Sam scowled and was about to argue. “The kid stays,” Riley burst out from the driver’s seat. “We don’t have time to get a Lucent Marble.”
Sam swore, looked down at me and realized he was right. Riley hit the gas and tore off across the barren gray landscape.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I’m taking you to Ana. Hopefully, she’ll know what to do. Maybe that flower will heal you.”
“The flower may heal my injuries, but it won’t get rid of the beast. It’ll just tear up my body again.”
“It’ll at least buy us some time,” Sam said, avoiding my gaze.
Or prolong my death. Did I really want to be healed just to go through this over and over again?
Depression seemed to settle over us and we rode in silence. I didn’t know what to do, short of finding Hecate and begging her to get this thing out, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. Beelzebub wanted that name and he wanted me to suffer. I wondered how much more of his tirade we would have to bear before I succumbed.
I began to feel restless. The beast in me no longer seemed satisfied to be back in hell. It wanted something more. It seemed to take control of my weak body and I sat up to look out the window. “Stop the car,” I told Riley. My voice didn’t sound like my own.
“Are you crazy? We aren’t anywhere near the island.”
“I don’t care.”
He kept driving, ignoring my pleas to let me out.
“Heven, hold on. We’re almost there,” Sam said and tried to wrap his arms around my waist. I howled in pain and then grappled for the door handle, throwing open the door.
“Shit!” Riley yelled and slammed on the brakes. I jumped out, falling onto the ground, and lay there stunned for a few moments before the beast picked up my body and forced me to walk.
Sam was there, Riley too, and they both stared at me like I’d lost my mind. But I barely noticed because I had to get there. I had somewhere to be. Sam grabbed my arm and that horrible sound ripped from my throat, the sound that I recognized from when the beast had taken me to its lair. He didn’t let go, only swung me to face him and grabbed my face in his hands.
“Heven,” he implored, his molten eyes staring into mine. It was like a lightning storm of gold in his gaze. I knew he could sense the beast. It was so close to the surface. I wondered how he held himself back from attacking, from letting the hellhound in him out. His arms were shaking and his breathing was shallow, but he stood firm and never once dropped my gaze.
“You have to fight, sweetheart. Don’t let this thing take over.”
I nodded, the color of his eyes bringing a little bit of myself back to me. But that only angered the beast and he began an internal assault. I cried out and fell to my knees, blood pouring from my mouth.
Sam picked me up, supporting my weight alongside him.
“Please, let me go.” I begged. “It’s going to keep punishing me if you make me stay here.”
Riley was there, pulling Sam back, telling me to go. Sam let him pull him back, but he kept his arms out to catch me if I fell. His jaw was locked and his eyes were hard.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered before turning and limping away.
I barely thought about the fact that I was walking toward my death.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Heven
I walked for what seemed like hours. They followed me, of course. Cole was in the driver’s seat of the Jeep, at a nonthreatening distance away, while Sam and Riley walked just steps behind me, flanking me like two bodyguards.
I paid them no attention. I only knew that I had to walk, that I had to go home. When the huge freestanding caves came into view, that horrid sound ripped from my throat again, over and over until my throat went hoarse. When I got to the entrance of the biggest cave, my legs gave out and I sank to the ground.
Dark shadows surrounded me and I looked up to see the deformed bodies of the hellhounds coming out of their caves. I heard the sound of ripping fabric and I knew Sam and Riley were morphing. I could hear the idle of the Jeep’s engine and was glad Logan, Cole and Gemma stayed in the car. The largest of the beasts put its nose down to smell me and then it made the same sound that I had made before.
So this was it. This was how I was going to die. I didn’t have any strength left in me to fight. Frankly, death seemed like a relief. It wouldn’t be for whom I was leaving behind, but I would welcome it. One of the beasts lunged and I covered my head with my hands, but it never made contact.
Sam intercepted the blow and an all-out war began raging around me. Sam and Riley were outnumbered by the things that lived in the caves. How long could they fight before they were taken down? I couldn’t let them die for me. They weren’t really saving me anyway because my death was sealed.
Sam, please stop. You can’t save me.
He roared. It was ten times the sounds the other beasts made. I forced myself to sit up and watched in horror as Sam took down two of the beasts in one blow. He didn’t even pause when he tore out their throats.
He had never looked so big. In fact, his size matched the overgrown size of the things he was fighting. I realized then that the anger and frustration he had been living with since being trapped was affecting his size. He was so enraged and distraught that he was swollen with it.
Riley was fighting with equal vigor. Violence came natural to him. He didn’t have to be angry to fight like Sam; it’s just the way he was. Although, not even his natural meanness matched what Sam was doing right now.
Suddenly, from out of the smallest cave darted another beast. It came right at me, its jaws open wide. I didn’t have time to scream, but just as it lunged it fell out of the air, dropping at my feet.
Cole appeared over it and yanked the jewel-handled dagger out of the back of its neck. Then he lifted me in his arms and took me farther away from the fight, from the carnage. I knew Sam was okay because I could feel the adrenaline surging through his body and hear his roars that cut through the darkness. But what about Riley?
“Riley?” I said to Cole as he sat me on the ground. I shouldn’t worry about him, but I did.
“He’s fine.”
Before I could say anything else, he ran off into the mix and began fighting. Gemma was in the mix too, having pulled out a bow and arrow. Tears filled my eyes. I didn’t want to die. These people were fighting for me to live; they were risking their lives on the slim chance I survived.
I pushed myself to my feet, looking for the strength to do something, anything that would end the fighting, but then another one of those howls ripped out of me and I knew the strength I used wasn’t mine. It was the beast’s. A lone beast broke away and came rushing at me. Sam landed in front of me. All the midnight hair on his back rose as he made sounds that terrified even me.
The beast didn’t back down, which only incensed the thing inside me. It began fighting and clawing, trying to rip through my skin to get out. I felt a warm trickle of something on my chest and I looked down. It had finally done it. It had pierced my skin, really gashed it open. Folds of skin lay against me as I bled what little blood I had left. It was only seconds away from tearing me open.
I love you, Sam.
Sam roared and took out the beast threatening me and then turned just as I fell onto the ground, unable to do anything but hurt. Dimly, I heard a new sound, a familiar sound, but I couldn’t place it. Sam, still in hellhound form, stood over me, whining and licking my face.
Hold on, Heven. Please don’t leave me like this.
I’ll try.
Something loomed over us and I opened my eyes and tried to focus. It was The Devourer. He must have heard the fighting and come to help. Or maybe he sensed my death. At least I knew my friends, my love, would all be safe now. The Devourer came close, sniffing me. The hot breath that blew out of its nostrils brushed over me as my life slipped away.
Then something happened. It opened its mouth and started to suck…
NO! Sam roared and launched him
self at the dragon, but Riley threw himself at Sam and knocked him away.
The dragon thought I was dead and he wanted what was left of my soul. I heard snarling and fighting beside me as everything began to fade and I felt an intense pulling on my chest like I never felt before. Before I knew it, something dark and cloudy flew out of my chest, right out of the huge gash that the beast made, and then everything felt better. I felt so much lighter. Relief washed over me and I saw a wonderful light, warm and welcoming.
Somewhere in the distance I heard yelling, begging, fighting. “Heven! Please, baby, no.” Don’t do this to me again.
The light looked so welcoming. Behind me there was so much pain and fear. The air was whirling around me, tugging me fast, inviting me closer, and for a moment I wanted to go there.
Then I turned my back.
The sucking stopped and everything fell still.
I lay on the hard, dirty ground and looked up into the eyes of The Devourer. His brightly colored feathers were a happy sight. “Thank you,” I told him.
The Devourer had sucked that beast right out of me. It was gone. I was free. For one brief moment, I felt hope.
Then the pain started, the pain that I had been blissfully free of for such short moments. Blood covered my body, and I couldn’t find the strength to move. Sam fell to his knees beside me. Bruises covered his face and chest. His eyes were wild, but when he touched me, it was gentle.
Heven?
I’m still alive.
A single tear fell from his eye and trailed down his ash-streaked face. I thought The Devourer wanted to eat your soul.
He ate the beast inside me.
Can I touch you? His hands hovered over me, unsure.
Please.
He gathered me close then buried his face into my neck and hair. It hurt to be touched, but the look on his face when he thought I was dead was far worse.
Behind us, everyone let out a sigh and the dragon made a sound.
“Let me by,” Gemma said. “The beast may be out, but she’s still dying. Let me help her.”
Sam moved away as Gemma began trying to heal me. The wound in my chest closed and I began to feel better, but I was still in a lot of pain and feeling very weak when she collapsed at my side.
“Just give me a second,” she said. “You’re in really bad shape.”
“Gemma,” Cole said, cautiously.
“You’ve healed her enough. She’ll make it to Ana. She’ll be able to heal her completely,” Sam said, laying his hand on Gemma’s shoulder.
Gemma nodded as Cole helped her to her feet.
Sam lifted me and climbed onto the back of The Devourer. I heard him talking to Cole and Gemma, but I was too out of it to make out their words. Before I knew it The Devourer was taking off and I did what I could to hold on to my life.
*
I was hot, so incredibly hot. I felt like I was in the center of a burning flame with no way out. But then Sam was there. He was so close I could feel him breathe. He whispered words of love through my mind and held me as closely as he dared until I began to cool and come out of the pain.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was lying in a bed, a huge white bed with a breezy white canopy draped overhead. Sam was with me, lying far enough away so we didn’t touch. I knew then what I had felt earlier was the Mindbond. He managed to get in so close without any help from me and he held it there, soothing me and bringing me back.
I sat up, shocked that I felt great. All my limbs bent and moved without effort and the pain in my chest was gone. I held out my arms and was surprised to see only thin, silvery lines from where the beast had clawed me.
They must have fed me the flower tea. The heat I felt had been it healing me. I was alive. I had made it.
I looked over at Sam, the huge smile on my face falling away. He looked horrible. Bruises covered his face and body and deep circles ringed his eyes. When was the last time he slept? He sat over me most nights, vigilant, ready to chase away whoever came to torture me. He took down a family of rabid, deformed hellhounds to give me a chance to live and then he exhausted himself further by using our Mindbond to draw as close to me as he could while I healed.
A tear fell from my eye and I wiped it away. “Oh, Sam.”
I brushed the golden hair from his face and leaned down to kiss his cheek. His eyes flashed open and his body tightened. When he saw me there, he relaxed.
“Heven?”
I nodded and smiled. “I’m better now. The tea worked.”
He launched himself at me, pinning my body to the mattress. Don’t ever do that to me again, he said as he peppered my face and neck with kisses.
I giggled and he groaned. I didn’t think I’d ever hear that sound again.
Everything is fine now. We’re fine.
He kissed me then, a kiss of epic proportions. A kiss that would linger on my lips and in my soul for months after it was over. He kissed me like he might never again and then he kissed me like he couldn’t get enough. When he was done, he laid his forehead against mine and sighed.
“I need to shower.”
“You need to stay in this bed.”
I laughed even as desire filled me. “I’m covered in blood and dirt and I smell.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.” And I cared that he obviously hadn’t drank any of that tea to heal his injuries. “Come on.” I slid out from under him and stood, thrilled that all my strength was back. I tugged his hand so he would follow and grabbed the white silk robe at the foot of the bed.
“Where’s Ana? You need some of that tea.”
“Uh-uh,” he said, pulling me back into his chest. “I’m fine and we’re not going out there.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have to be alone with you for a while. I…”
I put my hands up to his lips. “I know. Me too.” Then I frowned. “You’re hurt.”
“I feel so much better now.” He kissed the pads of my fingers.
I eyed the spa-like bathroom attached to the room. “Let’s shower. But later, you’ll have some tea?”
He went over to the nightstand and picked up a half-empty mug. “How about I just finish this one.”
“We’ve had that all along and you haven’t drank it?”
He looked appalled. “I was saving it in case you needed more. This is your second cup.”
It took almost two mugs of that tea to keep me from dying? The horror must have shown on my face because Sam’s face darkened too. “It’s over. Don’t think about it.”
I nodded and pushed the thought away. I held out my hand and he took it. “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine,” I said and smiled.
*
A long time later we left the bedroom, fully dressed in new clothes that we found in the huge closet just off the bathroom. I felt amazing, better than I had in a long time. My hair was down and shining and I was dressed nicely but comfortably in jeans and a lightweight lilac-colored sweater. Before entering the great room, Sam pulled me back and pressed me up against the wall to kiss me as he had a thousand times since we got here. Every time it left me breathless.
He grinned and pulled me away from the wall and I couldn’t help but think how gorgeous he was in his black polo and jeans. The bruises on his face had healed from the tea and the hardness in his eyes was gone, leaving only the warm honey color I loved.
Ana was in the great room, sitting on one of the large couches that flanked the fireplace. I was about to call out to her when I saw Riley. He was inhaling something out of a bowl while Ana watched him, fascinated. Riley sensed us before Ana did and he stopped to look up. His eyes went to Sam first, then flicked away to settle on me. “She lives,” he quipped.
“Yes. I want to thank you all for everything you did to save me.”
“We’re very glad that you are all right,” Ana said, unfolding her legs and standing. “I made soup if you would like some.”
“What is he doing here?” I said as she wa
lked through the room and into the kitchen.
“The Devourer went back for your friends. This is the most company I have ever had!” Ana said with delight.
“Everyone is here?” I said as the French doors opened and Logan, Gemma and Cole came inside. “Is that allowed? Will you get in trouble?” I worried us being here was breaking some kind of unspoken code.
“This place is amazing!” Gemma said, a joyous smile on her face. She had never looked so much like an angel as she did right now.
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