Azazel wore the same leather jacket he’d had on the other times I saw him, and he grinned, clearly pleased with his dramatic revelation.
“Transformation potion.” He flexed his hands, as if adjusting to being back in his body, and studied Sage and me. “From the looks on your faces, this wasn’t how you expected your night to go, was it?”
Icy terror raced through my veins. This was it. Azazel was going to kill us, and there was nothing I could do to stop him.
Sorry, Mom, I thought, looking up to the ceiling and thinking of her. I tried my hardest to save you. I’m so, so sorry I failed.
The lapis lazuli charm necklace I was wearing—the one she’d given me for my twenty-first birthday—was warm against my skin. In that moment, it was almost like she was there with me.
If the Beyond truly existed, at least I’d be able to see her—and everyone else—again eventually.
“What are you waiting for?” I glared up at Azazel, trying to get somewhat of a grip on myself. “Why not just kill us and get it over with?”
I wasn’t ready to die. But if I had to die now, I hoped it was quick and painless—if there was such a thing as a painless death.
“You think that’s why you’re here?” He laughed, so evil and chilling that the hairs on my arms stood on end. “You think I went through all that trouble of transforming my appearance, luring you into that trap in Chicago, and bringing you here… so I could kill you?”
“Why are we here then?” Sage asked.
“Don’t speak.” Azazel raised his hand to shut her up. “That question was rhetorical. If I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead a long time ago.”
Sage pressed her lips together. Thanks to the complacent potion, she was unable to speak even if she wanted to.
At least they hadn’t dosed me with complacent potion too. They must have thought I was weak enough as a human that they didn’t need a drug to control me.
But as long as Azazel was talking, I wanted answers. The more I knew, the better chance I stood at surviving this and saving my mom.
If my mom was still alive.
The possibility that she might not be crushed my soul. But back at the Pier, Rosella had said my mom was still alive.
I prayed she was right.
“So you don’t want to kill us.” I was relieved, even though it was too early to feel that way.
Honestly, I was just glad I wasn’t about to die.
“I have other plans for your lovely shifter friend here.” Azazel leered at Sage, and horror filled my stomach about what those other plans could be. “This isn’t the final stop on Sage Montgomery’s journey. However, I can’t say the same for you, dear Raven.”
I swallowed, fear taking hold again.
He was going to kill me.
I needed to get out of here.
Unfortunately, a human and a drugged shifter didn’t stand a chance against three demons and a greater demon.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with you yet,” he continued. “My decision will depend on how willing you are to cooperate.”
I glared at him, positive I’d never hated anyone as much as I hated him.
Because did I want to cooperate with Azazel? Hell no.
But I also wanted to live. The longer I stayed alive, the higher the chance that I’d eventually get out of here.
If that meant playing by Azazel’s rules for now, then so be it.
I straightened and met his gaze straight on, determined to do anything necessary to survive this. “Cooperate with what?” I somehow managed to keep my voice cool and steady despite the rage flowing through my veins.
“Despite being human, I take it you’re intelligent enough to have realized you’re being hunted,” he said.
I clenched my fists, furious at his assertion that humans lacked intelligence. “Yes,” I said, forcing myself to control my rage. “I’ve noticed.”
“And surely you’ve wondered what it is about you specifically that we want?” he asked.
“I have.”
“I figured.” He smiled again, clearly enjoying this.
“Are you going to tell me why you hunted me—and my mom?” I asked. “Or are you just telling me all this to toy with me?”
“It’s certainly amusing toying with you,” he said. “But you’ll find out soon, so you might as well hear it from me.”
I stared at him, waiting for him to spit it out.
When he did, it was the last thing I ever expected.
“We’re hunting you because you’re gifted,” he said. “Because you have a unique ability that runs through your blood.”
“Seriously?” I couldn’t help it—I laughed. “I’m like, the least gifted person ever. My mom was the gifted one. Not me.”
“Wrong,” he said. “You’re both gifted.”
“How do you even know?” I humored him, since he sounded pretty confident that he was correct.
“The more gifted a human is, the brighter and stronger their aura,” he said, as if it were simple science. “Most humans aren’t gifted—their auras are watery and dull. Yours, my dear, shines like a beacon. As does your mom’s.”
“She’s alive?” My heart leaped at the confirmation. Yes, I trusted Rosella, but it was different hearing Azazel speak about her in present tense. It made me more hopeful than ever.
“She is.” He nodded. “Cooperate, and maybe you’ll see her again.”
I wanted to ask what would happen if I didn’t cooperate, but I held my tongue. I already knew Azazel wouldn’t hesitate to kill me. I couldn’t bear him threatening my mom’s life, too.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” I asked instead.
“You don’t.” He looked to his demon guards, the conversation clearly over. “Lock her in with the others,” he said as he walked over to Sage, wrapping his hand around her wrist. “I have business to attend to. It’s time I reunite this docile little wolf with her pack.”
I wished I could shake Sage into focus. But I couldn’t escape the demon’s hold, and shaking her wouldn’t get that potion out of her system, anyway.
Instead, I stood there and watched as one of the demons walked to the door behind me and pressed his thumb against a little black square on the handle. A fingerprint reader.
The door swung open, revealing a room with about twenty people inside. The room reminded me of the hostels I “remembered” staying in when I thought I’d been backpacking around Europe—pretty bare minus the bunks lining the walls. The people inside were of various ages, and as far as I could tell, they all looked human. They wore matching blue jumpsuits, and looked fit and well fed.
None of them tried running out of the door to escape. The despair and hopelessness in their eyes showed they were just as thrilled to be there as I was.
“Meet your new bunkmates,” the demon holding onto me said. “We’ll be back with your uniform soon.”
He shoved me inside, and I had one final glimpse of Azazel teleporting away with Sage before the heavy metal door slammed shut in my face.
35
Flint
I was sound asleep when I was suddenly assaulted by the smoky smell of demon in my bedroom.
I jolted awake instantly. As the pack alpha, I’d trained myself to sleep lightly. It was my responsibility to be able to be awake and functioning at any moment in case of a threat.
I sat up, prepared to shift and fight. But I relaxed when I saw Azazel standing in the center of my room—with Sage by his side.
I smiled upon seeing my sister.
Then I noticed that Azazel’s fingers were wrapped around her wrist, and she stared ahead emptily.
She looked traumatized.
What had Azazel done to her? She was supposed to have arrived with Thomas, or with one of the other vampires from the Bettencourt coven. I’d expected her to come kicking and screaming.
I certainly hadn’t expected this… emptiness.
My sister was usually warm, vibrant
, and fiery. But looking at her now, I saw only a shell of who she normally was. If that.
Her body was there, but it was like her soul was gone.
“Sage.” I said her name calmly, not wanting to alert her or Azazel to my alarm. “I’m so glad to see you.” I rarely touched anyone—I was a guy who appreciated my personal space—but I walked forward and enveloped Sage in a hug.
She tensed, not returning my embrace.
I dropped my arms to my sides and took a step back. “What caused you to come to your senses?” I asked, looking back and forth from her to Azazel.
I really wanted to ask what Azazel had done to her, but I knew better than to anger him. We were so close to forming an alliance and ensuring the survival of the Montgomery pack. I couldn’t mess that up now.
“Complacent potion.” Azazel grinned, stroking Sage’s arm. “You were right when you said your sister is strong and determined. It’s a good thing I knew, so I could be prepared.”
Sage’s eyes looked pained at his touch, but she stayed where she was.
I hated seeing her like this. “I see.” I nodded, focused on Sage. “Are you able to speak?”
“She was causing a commotion, so I told her not to,” Azazel answered for her. “Thanks to the potion, she’s abiding by my command.”
“Well, she’s here now, and she’s not going anywhere,” I said. “Surely you can give her the antidote?”
“Once the binding ceremony is complete, the complacent potion will no longer be necessary,” he said. “But first, my witch needs to create a perimeter spell around your complex. I’ll be back with her in a flash. Once the perimeter is made, I’ll let you know so you can gather your pack in the backyard. Then, the ceremony can begin.”
He teleported out, leaving me alone with my sister.
The moment he was gone, she removed her cloaking ring from her finger and dropped it onto the floor.
I’d rarely seen complacent potion in action, since it had been illegal since the Great War. But I knew how it worked. The person under its effect would do whatever they were told to do by the person standing closest to them.
With Azazel gone, I was that person.
“Put your cloaking ring back on,” I commanded. I had no idea who she thought was going to come for her—Noah was supposed to be dead by now—but it wasn’t worth the risk. “And keep it on.”
She glared at me as she leaned down to pick up the ring and slid it back on her finger. She shook the entire time, like she was fighting against the potion. But while my sister was strong, the potion Azazel had given her was stronger.
It forced her to obey me, but she still looked at me like she hated me.
I felt better knowing she wouldn’t hate me for long. Now that I could properly explain what was going on, I’d get her to come to her senses.
I’d been readying myself for this conversation for days.
“You can speak,” I said, bracing myself for the onslaught I knew was coming.
She stared up at me in horror—like she didn’t know me anymore. “What have you done?” she asked, the four words making far more of an impact than the full-blown rant I’d expected.
“I did what I needed to do to keep you alive.” I crossed my arms, standing my ground. “To keep our pack alive.”
“You’re working with Azazel.” She spoke slowly—timidly. Like she wanted me to deny it.
I couldn’t.
I hated the disappointed way she was looking at me. But when the Montgomery pack survived this war and came out on top, she’d be grateful. They all would be.
She didn’t see it now. But she would then.
“Why?” she asked.
I supposed she took my silence for what it was—admittance that I was doing what she accused.
“Hundreds of demons have been released onto the Earth, and they’re more powerful than shifters, vampires, and witches combined,” I said. “They can’t be injured by our weapons. Our teeth and claws do nothing to them. They want to rule the Earth, and they plan on exterminating all supernaturals that stand against them. We can’t beat them. Our only option is to join them.”
“That’s not true.” Sage raised her chin defiantly. “Heavenly weapons can kill them. I’ve seen it myself.”
“Noah is the only supernatural in possession of a heavenly weapon,” I said. “For all we know, it’s the only one of its kind. One blade cannot defeat an army of hundreds, no matter how skilled its wielder.”
“There are more,” she insisted. “The Earth Angel is at Avalon now. She’s training an army as we speak.”
“The Earth Angel hasn’t been heard from in months!” I clenched my fists, wanting to shake some sense into my innocent, idealistic sister. “If she’s leading this so-called army, where is it? Why aren’t they doing anything to help?”
“They’re not ready yet,” she said. “They’re waiting—”
“For what?” I interrupted. “No one who has gone to Avalon has ever returned. We can’t even be sure that Avalon exists. For all we know, it’s a plot created by the demons. Lure the rebels to a mysterious island with an unknown location and kill them before they become a bigger threat than they already are.”
“It’s not,” Sage said. “The Earth Angel exists. Avalon exists.”
“You’ve been there?” I raised an eyebrow, already knowing her answer.
“No.” She bit her lip, although she held her gaze with mine. “But it exists. I know it does.” Her eyes shined with so much conviction that I knew she believed it down to her core.
She was so sweet and naive. I needed to protect her now more than ever.
“Your blind faith is humbling, sister.” I placed my hands on her shoulders, hoping to get through to her. “But in times of war, faith won’t keep you alive. You know what will? Alliances. Family. Pack.” I looked at her, willing her to understand. “I need you to trust me—as your brother, and as your alpha—to make the alliances necessary to keep our pack alive. Can you do that? For me? Please?”
36
Flint
For a moment, I thought I’d gotten through to her.
I was wrong.
“I’m not the one with blind faith.” Sage stepped back and scowled, as if she couldn’t bear to have me touch her. “You are. You’re the one who’s trusting a demon—a creature you admitted yourself wants to kill our kind—to stay loyal to a so-called alliance.”
“I know it must seem crazy to you,” I said. “I get that. But you don’t know the whole story.”
“Then tell me.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, clearly doubting me. “What’s the whole story?”
“Azazel has a daughter,” I said. “Her name is Mara.”
“Demons can have children?” She sounded beyond skeptical.
“They can,” I confirmed. “As can angels. It’s harder for immortals to reproduce than creatures on Earth, and their pregnancies last much longer than ours. But yes, they can have children.”
“Azazel told you this?” she asked.
“Mara did,” I said. “After we imprinted on each other.”
“You what?” Sage’s eyes widened, her horror growing. She looked like she couldn’t believe what I was telling her.
I couldn’t blame her. Before it had happened, I would have had a similar reaction myself. “I know it sounds impossible,” I said. “And I don’t have an explanation for how it happened. But when I first saw Mara, I was drawn to her. Then, when we kissed, I imprinted her. And she imprinted back.” I watched my sister, waiting for her to say something—anything. Waiting for her to say she didn’t believe me.
She didn’t. She was still looking at me in horror, but she didn’t deny my claim.
“You believe me?” This part was going better than I’d expected.
“The rules are apparently changing,” she said. “Noah and Raven imprinted on each other, too. And I…” She paused and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, looking more conflicted than ever.
; “You what?” I probed.
“Nothing.” The indecision in her eyes disappeared. “I just don’t understand why you and Noah were able to imprint on other supernatural races. It shouldn’t be possible.”
“It certainly has never happened before,” I said. “But it’s happening now.”
“I understand this must be… confusing for you,” she said cautiously. “But just because you imprinted on one demon doesn’t mean you can trust all of them. It doesn’t even mean you can trust her. Maybe the demons are behind us suddenly being able to imprint on other races. Have you ever thought about that?”
“Mara was just as surprised by our connection as I was,” I said.
“Or she was pretending to be.” Sage rolled her eyes.
I took a few deep breaths, fighting off the urge to protect Mara’s integrity. Once Sage met Mara, she’d understand.
Until then, she needed to know about the rest of the deal I’d made with Azazel.
“The alliance with Azazel is thanks to Mara—thanks to our imprinting on each other,” I said calmly. “She went to him and asked him to work with us. Once our pack binds ourselves to Azazel, he’s given Mara and I permission to mate. We’ll join their family. Azazel will protect us like we’re his own.”
Sage nodded, resolution entering her eyes.
For the first time since she’d arrived, I started to breathe easier. She was finally starting to see things clearly.
“You’re really going to go through with this, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice small.
“I am.” I nodded. “We are. This alliance will be legendary. It will save our pack. You’re my sister, and I might not say it enough, but I love you, Sage. I’ve always promised that I’ll do anything to protect us, and I have. A war worse than anything the Earth has ever seen is coming. Thanks to this alliance, we’re going to survive it. And we’re going to come out stronger for it.”
“I understand,” she said slowly, although she looked like she was about to break down where she stood.
“Good.” I smiled and reached for her, so she could take my hand. “I knew you’d come around.”
The Angel Trials- The Complete Series Page 44