Return to Me (Storm Lords)

by Nina Croft

  Torr turned to look at her, his brows drawing together. “You feel something?”

  She swallowed, forcing herself to search for whatever was turning the air to ice. They were in a large room. On one side was a comfortable seating area with two huge sofas facing each other. On the opposite side was a table with half a dozen chairs around it. A man sat at the table. He looked up but didn’t stand, his gaze wandering over her, in a way that made her feel like she’d been dunked in a bucket of slime.

  She wanted to look away, but her gaze remained glued on the figure as his leisurely perusal finally reached her face and their gazes locked.

  A sense of wrongness washed over her.

  Nausea roiled in her stomach and she couldn’t understand why. Nothing in his immediate appearance suggested anything bad; in fact, he was handsome, in a smooth, well-cared for sort of way. Short, perfectly cut, blond hair, designer suit, immaculate white shirt, dark red tie. However, as she studied him, a wave of intense emotions swept over her, lust, hatred, rage, pure evil, and underneath something else. Something screaming to get out. She swayed under the force, and Torr put his hand on her shoulder. As soon as he touched her, a sense of calm washed through her, pushing back the fear.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She shook her head, unable to speak.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here. But I have to do this.” He nodded to Finn. “You and Kill take her back to the bar.”

  “You’ll be okay?” Finn asked.

  Torr looked at Bella and smiled. She was sure the smile was faked and meant to make her feel better. It failed, but on the other hand, she had to get out of there. She could feel the evil beating on her, trying to break through the walls she had built up around her mind. She didn’t want to know what this would feel like without her protection. What was he? And what business did he have with Torr?

  “Cade will stay with me,” Torr said. “I think we can handle Razul between us.” He leaned toward Bella. “If I’d known you would react like this, I wouldn’t have brought you in here. I just wanted to keep you close.”

  Finn took her arm, and she allowed him to draw her from the room. As they reached the door, she glanced back over her shoulder. Torr was staring after her a brooding expression on his face as though he was displeased.

  What had she done wrong this time?

  ***

  Torr watched her until the door clicked shut behind her and she disappeared from his sight.

  She’d obviously felt Razul in her mind. Why the hell could that stinking demon weasel his way past her defenses, but she managed to keep him locked out?

  “What’s up?” Cade asked from beside him.

  “Nothing.” He shrugged off the feeling. “Let’s get this over with.”

  He stalked across the room and came to stand in front of Razul. He studied him for a minute, trying to decide how he had manifested himself here. Was this a mere vision, or had he taken possession of some hapless human.

  The body certainly appeared human, and Torr could already see the lines of destruction spreading. Razul destroyed anything he touched on this dimension. Is that what Bella had sensed. The tortured soul trapped in a body taken over by the demon.

  “Where is it?” he asked.

  Razul lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “Where’s what? Have you mislaid something?”

  “Cut the fucking crap, Razul.”

  Razul reached up and pulled a chain from beneath his shirt. On the end of it hung a black, heart-shaped crystal, which glittered, reflecting the rays of light. “You mean this?”

  Even though he knew this was no more than a manifestation—Razul would never let him get this near—Torr felt his soul call to him as it did when they were close. One of the reasons he had given in to Lilith’s seduction so long ago, was the excuse it had given him to stay close to his soul. Now he closed his eyes and savored the sensation.

  He stared at the crystal, trying to keep the hunger out of his expression, but he couldn’t prevent himself from taking a step closer, and Razul’s fist closed around the jewel. He stared into Torr’s eyes. “Come any closer, and I’ll crush it.”

  The sensation of wrongness Torr had been sensing over the past two days, intensified. He was choking, his lungs filling with vile putrid poison. He swayed, forced himself to stand upright, keep the expressions from his face.

  Razul’s thin lips curled into a malicious smile. “Feeling a little under the weather?” But he loosened his grip on the crystal and slipped it back under his shirt.

  Torr breathed in deeply as the tight hold around his chest loosened. He turned on his heel, crossed the room, and poured himself a drink. For a minute, he stood staring at the amber liquid. Whiskey wasn’t what he needed right now, but blood. Razul had woken the dark hunger inside him. He lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed, then poured himself another.

  Cade came up beside him. “You want us to try and take him?”

  “What’s the point? That’s nothing but a vessel, and Razul could destroy my soul before we reach him.”

  “And what would happen?” Cade asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  It was the truth. Torr had never heard of an angel whose soul had been destroyed, but he couldn’t imagine anything good could come of it. The corporeal body was a container for the soul. If his soul was destroyed, he presumed he would be as well.

  “Just try to stay cool,” he told Cade.

  He carried his drink back to the table, kicked out a chair, and sat down opposite Razul. “So, I take it there’s something you want from me.”

  “If I didn’t, I’d have already destroyed you.”

  One of the things he’d always hated about Razul was his exceedingly boring inability to get to the point. He sat back in his chair and sipped his drink. Tried to convey a nonchalance he certainly didn’t feel.

  “Was that your woman?” Razul asked, gesturing toward the door where Bella had disappeared.

  The pretense at nonchalance vanished. “Mind your own fucking business.”

  Razul raised an eyebrow at his tone. “Lilith wants her dead. But I can think of a few better uses for her.” He licked his lips.

  Torr dropped his glass and stood up abruptly, the chair crashing to the ground behind him. He rested his balled fists on the table and leaned in toward Razul. “You touch her, and I’ll hunt you down in the Abyss, slit you open, and strangle you with your own entrails,” he snarled.

  Razul swallowed, but didn’t back away. “She believes if the woman was dead, then you would return to her.”

  “Never going to happen. Besides she would be reborn.”

  “Maybe, but the thousand years are nearly up. This is your last chance.”

  Shock jolted through him. He hadn’t been aware that Razul knew the terms of the Covenant. He’d thought no one knew but Lilith, Gabe, and his brothers. Had Lilith told the demon?

  Glancing up, he caught a sly smile on Razul’s face and forced himself to think clearly. He paced the room then came back to stand before the demon. “What do you want?”

  “In return for your soul?”

  Torr nodded.

  “I want you to open the portal between this world and the Abyss in three days’ time, on Samhain, when the walls between the worlds are thinnest. Open the portal and I can pass through.”

  Shit.

  It was what he’d been expecting, but still the shock knifed him in the gut. If it was only Razul, he might have considered it. They could let him through, and afterwards they would hunt him down and slay him before too much harm was done. Hell, it might even be fun. But once the portal was open, then his followers would swarm through, and that would be the end of any peace on Earth. Forever.

  He kept his expression blank. “I’ll think about it,” he lied.

  He needed time. Time to try to work out his options. He suspected he had two. Accept Razul’s terms and maybe he would get his soul back, or tell the demon to go to hell a
nd his soul would be destroyed. He would lose the ability to love and lose Bella a second time. And probably die.

  But it wasn’t so simple. If he allowed the hordes of Hell to come to Earth then he would be breaking the terms of the Covenant.

  No harm to mankind.

  And Bella would be forfeit.

  “You don’t, and I’ll crush your soul. And afterwards, I’ll take the woman anyway. Show her a real man.”

  Torr released his anger. He leaned forward, grabbed Razul by the throat, and dragged him across the table. He shook him like a rat, holding him up so he dangled in front of him. “I said I’d think about it,” he growled. He tightened his fingers until he heard the snap of vertebrae, then he loosened his grip and dropped the body to the floor. As he stood back, the remains disintegrated into dust.

  Raising his fist, he smashed it down onto the desk. The wood snapped in half under the force of the blow. He struggled to breathe; he was drowning again. Deep in the Abyss, Razul was crushing his soul in his hand. He fell to his knees as the pressure increased.

  Then he was free and he could breathe again. He stayed down for a minute, before slowly rising to his feet.

  “Torr?”

  He swung around to face Cade. Inside him, the darkness was rising.

  Cade watched him, worry in his eyes. “Remember what you said about staying cool. You really need to get a grip right now.”

  A red fog of rage obscured his vision. A growl trickled from his throat.

  “This is what he wants, Torr. You, losing control.”

  He gritted his teeth.

  “Bella is outside. Do you want her to see you like this?”

  Bella.

  The name broke through the fury in his head. He breathed in slowly, forcing the dark powers back into the recesses of his mind where they usually slumbered. The reprieve was temporary; they couldn’t be banished so easily.

  “Are you okay?” Cade placed a hand on his arm.

  Torr growled and shrugged him off. “I have to get out of here.” He could feel the darkness like a humming in his blood.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To hunt.”

  ***

  Bella followed the two men around the edge of the dance floor. Finn led them to a cordoned off area, guarded by a bouncer, leaning in close to speak with the man. He nodded, removed the rope and gestured them through.

  In here, it was quieter, though the thud of the music could still be heard. Tables were scattered around a small dance floor, all of them occupied. Bella was sure she recognized a few famous faces among the drinkers.

  Finn scanned the room for a moment then took them to a corner table, which was already taken; but after a word from the bouncer, the guests left quickly, casting sidelong glances at their small group.

  Finn pointed to the chair in the corner and Bella didn’t argue. She was still shaking.

  “Don’t worry about Torr. He’ll be fine,” Finn murmured.

  “What?” Bella leaned closer to hear over the music. “But that man in there.” A shudder ran through her. “He was evil.”

  “You can say that again. But Cade will look after your man.”

  “He’s not my man,” she said.

  Finn just grinned.

  “Does he need looking after?” she asked after a minute.

  “Not usually, but he’s a little distracted right now.”

  “Distracted by what?”

  Finn gave her a look of disbelief. He opened his mouth, but at that moment, Kill arrived at the table, three glasses in his hand. “Here,” he said. “I thought we might need this.”

  He sat down and pushed a glass toward Bella. She picked it up and sipped. More champagne; she could get used to this, fast. If she allowed herself. Which she wouldn’t.

  Finn raised his glass to her. “So Cade told me you’re a con-artist. How does that work?”

  So she told him, more to take her mind off Torr, and what was going on in that room, than anything else. She’d never talked about what she did before.

  “And do people really fall for that?” Finn asked.

  “You’d be amazed what people will fall for if they think money might be involved. You just have to play on their greed. Justin used to say…”

  She broke off. Justin would never say anything again. She swallowed down the rest of her champagne, suddenly feeling lost and helpless. Not something she was used to. “Will we be here much longer?”

  Finn shrugged. “As long as it takes.”

  “To do what?”

  Finn opened his mouth to answer when, across the room, Torr and Cade appeared. She stared at his face as he approached. His features were held in rigid lines, his yellow eyes glowed golden. He looked on edge and dangerous. For the first time, she felt a shiver of unease in his presence. They came to a halt by the table. Finn kicked out a couple of chairs. Cade sat but Torr remained standing.

  Bella glanced behind him. “That man? Has he gone?”

  Cade nodded. “He’s gone.”

  “So do we go back now?”

  Torr moved so he stood beside her chair. He reached out a hand and touched her, and some of the tension drained from him. “You go back with them,” Torr said. “I need to do something, but I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “What do you need to do?”

  “Leave it, Bella,” Cade answered.

  She glanced between them. She had no clue what was going on, but the late night was catching up with her. Her head throbbed in time with the beat of the music and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in dreamless sleep.

  She nodded and rose to her feet.

  “Come, have a word with me, before I go,” Torr said. He led her into a dark corner of the room. Before she even realized what he meant to do, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  The kiss was harsh almost brutal. He tasted different, felt different. Bella struggled. For a moment, his hands tightened on her arms, his fingers biting into the soft flesh. Then his kiss gentled, and finally, he lifted his head and stepped back from her. His hands held her loosely now and she didn’t try to pull away.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You feel different, changed. What happened to you in there? What did that man do to you?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head. “Something.”

  He leaned toward her, so his forehead rested against hers. Then he took a deep breath and stepped back. She watched him as he walked away from her and disappeared from sight.

  “Come on,” Cade said from beside her. “Let’s go home.”

  “Shouldn’t you go with him?” she asked.

  “He needs to be alone right now. And Torr can look after himself.”

  Chapter 10

  Day 3

  Bella bit back a scream of frustration.

  She flung herself off the couch and paced the office floor.

  Her phone had rung that morning, much too early. It had woken her from a deep sleep, which hadn’t been the best way to wake up. She wasn’t a morning person. Wasn’t an any-time-of-day person until she’d had coffee.

  The phone call had been from Torr; he wanted her in his office. Now. She’d decided it was best to follow instructions. Otherwise, she had an idea he would come down here and drag her out of bed.

  She’d arrived to find Torr looking infinitely better than she felt. Had he taken something?

  “Time to start work.” He sounded so chirpy she’d almost walked straight back out again.

  An hour—though it seemed like an eternity—later, she felt as though she’d been here forever, and she was getting precisely nowhere. This was a total waste of time. She’d done too good a job at shutting her mind away behind her nice, tall wall, and now, she didn’t want to come out.

  “Tell me what you see,” Torr said.

  She ground her teeth. “I’ve already told you a thousand times.”

  “Well, tell me again.” He sounded so reasonable—it set her teeth on edge.

 
She plonked herself down on the couch, sat cross-legged, and scowled at him. “Not until I get a cup of coffee.”

  He appeared faintly surprised.

  “Coffee,” she growled. “You know, that hot wet stuff most people drink first thing in the morning. Provided they haven’t been dragged out of bed and ordered to report for duty.”

  He picked up the phone and spoke quietly, then came around and sank down onto the sofa beside her.

  “Sorry,” he murmured. “You should have said.”

  She forced herself not to inch away. “So why are you in such a hurry? Why does it matter so much?”

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t. I don’t want you to feel pressured. Relax, and I’m sure it will come back to you naturally. It was always so effortless for you.”

  “What do you mean? How do you know?”

  At that moment, the door opened and a woman came in carrying a tray with cups and a jug of coffee and a pile of Danish pastries. She put it down in front of Torr and left the room without speaking.

  “Your employees are very obedient,” Bella said, her hand darting out to pick up a pastry. “Sort of quietly subservient. I hope you’re not expecting that of me.”

  A smile flickered across his face. “No, I don’t expect that.”

  “Just as well.” She leaned forward, breathing in the heady scent of fresh coffee. Torr poured her a cup and handed it to her.

  She sipped it slowly. “That is sooo good.”

  Torr was watching her, an almost hungry look on his lean handsome face. He glanced away when he caught her gaze. “Okay. Now, tell me what you see.”

  After draining her cup, she stared at the jug. Torr sighed and poured her another. She ignored him while she drank it, then placed her cup down on the table, licked her fingers, and sat back. Closing her eyes, she tried to picture the wall in her mind.

  For long minutes, it refused to materialize, but slowly the barricade took shape behind her closed lids.

  “Bella?”

  “It’s coming,” she snapped. “But it won’t if you keep interrupting me.” She breathed deeply, trying not to force it. “It’s high, very high, and it’s built of ochre stone. Not bricks, but huge rough cut rocks.” Her mind stumbled, and she forced herself to continue. “Stone, like in my dream, when they walled me up.” She could feel a frown forming on her face. “How strange.”