I stopped moving, and even breathing, so I could better pinpoint which direction the sound was coming from. It had been a woman’s laugh, and strangely familiar. I heard it again and my head snapped in the direction of the new path. It was Kendra!
I shouldn’t go. It’s a trap, I thought, but found I was taking a step in the direction of the mild laughter anyway. I didn’t sense my mind was being played with, but my instincts were screaming that I find her. I wasn’t going to discover a door into the last syde by avoiding my fears and choosing the safe road—or path, in this particular situation. And if it truly was Kendra I heard, I was taking her with me.
I heard the soft tittering again and broke into a run. It wasn’t a dead-end, like I’d originally thought. There was another break to the right that I hadn’t been able to see, and it turned back in the direction I’d come for about twenty feet, then took a left.
I stopped and stared down the short track of pea-gravel. About ten feet in front of me there was a tunnel. I could see through to the other side, but it had to be at least a hundred and fifty feet of pitch black. I’m not afraid of the dark, only of what’s in it.
“Don’t avoid your fears, Rhyan,” I said aloud. “You’re gonna have to do some things you don’t want to do in order to get the door,” I added on, more for encouragement than distracting myself from thinking about the bogeyman grabbing me in the tunnel. Okay, maybe a little more distracting than encouragement, but I was actually in a place with real bogeymen, so I had every right to be afraid of my shadow or strange noises or fallen angels that steal the souls of little old ladies with big handbags. Maybe Lucifer wouldn’t go that far, but if he didn’t, it would only be because those little old ladies mean business, and those big handbags hurt like hell.
I drew in an unsteady breath and began walking through the passageway. Almost right away I could tell I wasn’t alone in the dark hole. There were indescribable noises that made my skin crawl. The urge to run as fast as I could to the end of the tunnel was strong, but I feared it would only cause something to give chase, so I kept up my slow, steady pace.
“Rhyan,” a female voice whispered, but I ignored it. I had already realized the laugh I’d heard wasn’t really Kendra. She was safe in her home. Josselyn was watching her and if something had happened to her or her family Isaiah would have told me, so I needed to stop jumping to conclusions or I would land myself back in Gluttony. It was their job to trick me, and it was my job not to fall for it. I had to stay focused, I thought, and then ignored another soft laugh to my left.
I jumped and grabbed my spear when I felt a cool hand caress my inner thigh. The act made me stop walking, and I realized that was exactly what they wanted me to do, so I ground my molars together and trudged onward toward the light at the end of the tunnel.
I slowed a bit when I saw the silhouette of a person cross between me and the end of the passageway. I cleared my throat nervously. “Hello?” I called out, but nobody answered back, so I kept my spear in front of me as I walked.
I could tell I was about to the halfway mark. Anxious to get out of there before I drove myself insane with fear of the unknown, I picked up my stride. The whispering grew in numbers and volume, and so did the sporadic touches on different parts of my body. I continued to press on.
Busy swatting at hands and desperately trying to ignore the seducing voices, I almost missed the figure standing at the end, brown hair tied at the nape of his neck, muscled arms folded across his broad chest, knee-high brown boots slightly apart from each other. Jesus, he looked like he’d been pulled straight out of a Play Girl magazine with a historical theme, but he appeared to be relaxed instead of ready to wield his sword and shove it through my heart, so I didn’t stop walking.
I stepped out of the tunnel, put my spear away and greeted him. “Thoros, I presume?”
He nodded once and I could tell he was upset about something, sad even, but for some strange reason I didn’t suspect it was me causing his ill mood. “And you are the angel with balls of steel, I’d wager. You’ve caused quite the disturbance. Some even believe you will do the impossible; Abigail, for one.”
“Are you another?”
He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before shaking his head. “I have much to lose if I let you gain access to the door of Wrath.”
“Well, I really hate to cause you to lose anything important, but that’s really not going to stop me from doing all I can to get the hell out of here and take Abbi with me.”
“Perhaps not,” he said, and I watched as he swallowed and looked down at my boots. “How are the blisters?”
My brow furrowed in confusion at the direction he took the conversation, but I answered him. “I haven’t had time to look, but they hurt, so I’m almost positive they aren’t healed. Why do you ask?”
He held out his hand and a mesh bag appeared, secured by a rope around two of his fingers. “Your gift, angel. Lucifer allowed me to choose what to give you, so you should find everything in here you need to make yourself comfortable throughout the rest of your journey.” He stood there, quiet for a moment, and I realized the sad look was returning to his features. I took the bag from his outstretched hand and he looked back up to meet my eyes. “There is no doubt in my mind that you love your soulmate, and that you would go through Hell a million times if necessary to save her soul, but know that when you exit this syde into Wrath, you are damning another soul. I know not what she is to me, nor why I have such a strong urge to protect her, but Lucifer has her now, and I am at a loss. The only way for me to save her is to make sure you do not succeed.”
I knew it was a trick, and I couldn’t waste anymore of my time listening to his lies. “I’m sure she is really special, but I cannot feel sorry for you. You can’t just expect me to give up so you can have your happily ever after. I’ll fight for what’s mine and you fight for what’s yours, and let’s just both hope we don’t cross each other’s path in the process. Capisci?”
I slung the bag over my shoulder and started to walk away from him, but his next words stopped me in my tracks and made my blood run cold.
“She is your friend. I was only observing your charge and trying to find something to use against Murry. We were working together to accomplish our own personal goals. I never expected to actually have real feelings surface. I did not want to care for her, but it happened, regardless of my wishes. We had a small misunderstanding and I meant to make things right, but we were discovered and now he has her. There is nothing I can do to get her back unless you fail in my syde.”
Panic rushed through my entire body. He had to be lying to get me to give up. It couldn’t really be true. I wouldn’t believe it to be true. He was a demon. Demons lied all the time to get what they wanted.
I spun to face him and his grief-stricken face. His eyes had misted over, but some people were really great actors. Even so, I swallowed around the giant lump in my throat and tried not to fall into the trap. I was convinced he was lying, and I wasn’t changing my mind. I couldn’t. “You lie.”
Thoros slowly shook his head. “I wish I was. I know what I would do in your situation, so if you make the decision to go on, don’t let the fact that Lucifer has her soul stop you, once you walk through Wrath’s door. It will be too late by then. Don’t stop until you have Abigail in your arms for all eternity. Don’t stop until you have won.”
Tears blurred my vision. “I don’t believe you,” I said, but he didn’t respond, Isaiah did.
“Lucifer has Josselyn, Rhyan. There was nothing we could do. Someone took her from Kendra’s residence. Troy isn’t answering any of my summonses. I fear he has gone to find her.”
“No. No!” I threw the bag and my belongings to the ground and rushed the Prince of Lust. He didn’t move or try to defend himself against my blows. I suppose he thought he deserved the beating. He was right. He did deserve it and so much more, so I didn’t stop punching him until I physically couldn’t lift my hand to hit him again. I fell to my knee
s on the tiny rocks, mentally defeated. “My friend, Josselyn,” I sobbed. “You’ve tainted a pure angel with your lust and destroyed her. Are you happy with yourself for what you’ve done, for what you are?” I shouted as I grabbed a handful of pea-gravel and threw it at him.
His swelling eyes met mine and he ran the back of his hand under his nose to wipe away the blood that was pouring from his nostrils to his busted lips. “Do I look like I’m happy with myself?”
A burst of anger hit me and I got to my feet, then dragged him up to his. Fisting two handfuls of material in my hands, I pulled him to me and growled out, “You did this. You fix it.”
I pushed him away, then turned and grabbed my belongings. It was going to be a tough journey from there on out, and I knew that if and when I got to the door to Wrath, going through it would be the hardest thing I would ever have to do.
Chapter 48
As I walked away, carrying the weight of all of Heaven, Hell and Earth on my shoulders, I couldn’t help but see the images of everything I’d lost recently, flashing through my mind. I felt myself slip into a helpless depression, one much stronger than I’d been in over Kendra. I realized having a broken heart was considerably mild compared to how bad it could get. Correction: how bad it had gotten. This was real, and it was going to be impossible to climb my way out of it.
All of this would have been for nothing if I didn’t finish it now. I would come back and go through Hell all over again if I had to, if that’s what it took to get Josselyn back where she belonged.
“Stupid demons,” I muttered, and kicked at the pebbles under my boots.
I sighed and realized I was at another break in the wall. This time it was to my right, but looking up a little way I noticed another one on the left wall. Letting instinct guide me was my only option. And right then, my instinct was guiding me to look in the bag Thoros gave me.
Dropping all my things to the ground, I bent to untie the rope of the mesh bag, then poured the contents out. A canteen of water caught my eye and I knew instantly why the bag had been so weighty. Before looking at the other supplies, I grabbed the bottle and uncapped it, rushed it to my lips and drank in cool, clean water. I took in several gulps, then stopped to catch my breath before indulging once more.
After I felt completely sated and waterlogged from taking in too much liquid, I started to recap it, but noticed the canteen was still full to the brim.
A never-ending supply of water? A canteen that never empties? Could it be possible?
“He is sorry, Rhyan. He aims for you to accept his apology through gifts.”
“Go away, Isaiah.” I didn’t even care who heard me.
“Don’t be childish. It was no more his fault than yours, and yet you are looking for someone to take the blame for Lucifer’s actions.”
“It was his fault!” I yelled.
“I assure you that he never intended her harm. He wanted to help you, but now his hands are tied and he cannot.”
“Oh, what does he care if me and Abbi get out of here, or what happens to Josselyn?” I snapped at him.
“I think he cares a great deal. He is Josselyn’s soulmate.”
“What?” I said, then covered my face with my hands, attempting to digest the information. “Christ! I thought Malcolm was her soulmate. The guy is head-over-heels in love with her.”
“Once you loved Kendra and fate chose to disagree.”
I sighed, defeated. “True.” I felt really bad for Malcolm. “Did he even know?”
“No, and neither do they know exactly what is happening to them now, but I’m sure Thoros knows what it feels like to walk in your boots. His soulmate’s wishes were to see you released from Hell, but now you hold her fate in your hands and he knows not what to do. Would you stop him from leaving your syde if the roles were reversed?”
I huffed. “I don’t know what I would do if the roles were reversed. I hate that Josselyn’s soul might be in jeopardy, too, but I can’t just give up my mission to save Abbi. Maybe I can come back to get her, too. I don’t know. Go away and give me some private time to think. You’re crowding my thoughts,” I said, then started rummaging through the rest of the new supplies I’d received as my object. There was a cloth and a bar of soap. I didn’t even look around to see if anyone was watching. If there was, they were about to see a naked man wash himself.
I untied my make-shift loincloth and tossed it aside. I’d noticed a full set of clothing, complete with new leather boots in my size, so I wouldn’t need the slim piece of fabric Pogo had given me anymore—I looked down—or my too small boots.
I dreaded removing them. I had almost gotten used to the pain of the acid burns. I could only imagine how bad it looked, but the wounds needed cleaning so they wouldn’t get infected. Without another thought, I sat on my old loincloth and untied both boots, making them as loose as possible, then just stared at the footwear like they would magically vanish on their own. No such luck, but when have I ever had any of that?
I looked about my immediate area, then grabbed my spear so I would have something to bite down on if the pain proved more than what I could bear. I didn’t want to scream out and alert predators, if I could help it.
With the long stick protruding from the left side of my mouth, I was out of things to do that would allow me to procrastinate any longer. I placed my palm on the heel of the boot, took in a deep breath and pulled.
The pain was intense, but not as bad as I thought it would be. With tears blurring my vision, I gave one last agonizing cry and wrenched the leather from my foot. Eyes squeezed tight, I fell to my back and took in short shallow breaths as the pain began to recede.
It might have been pure exhaustion or maybe even the pain that knocked me out. I don’t know, but that was the last thing I remembered before losing consciousness.
~ ~ ~
I could feel feminine hands, wet and soft, as they washed my legs. I relaxed in her gentle care, a low approving moan escaping my lips as she kneaded and worked the sore muscles of my calves and thighs. My smile grew in anticipation as the small circular motions with the soapy cloth reached the most intimate area of my body.
Each touch, each experienced stroke, teased and taunted me until I was breathless with reckless desire.
I kept my eyes closed, letting the feel of her playful touches heighten my senses.
Hearing her moan of approval that I was ready to do more than let her wash me, only excited me more. Her succulent lips kissed at my hip below my pelvic bone, involuntarily making certain body parts move of their own freewill.
Her silky hair fell over my stomach, left hip and thigh, awakening senses in me I never knew existed.
“Tell me you want me, Rhyan.”
“I want you. I will want you always, Kendra.”
She gave another seductive laugh, and then I felt her straddle my hips and place her warm sex on my erection. Sliding to the tip of me, then back to the base, she worked herself on me until I thought I would go mad with wanting to be inside her. “Mmmm, I was hoping you would say that.”
“Please—”
“Please what, Rhyan? Tell me what you want.”
“There is only so much passion and desire a man can endure before completely losing his mind. I wish to bear the burden of such tasks, for I will go insane without your sweet torture anyway. I’ve waited for this moment long enough. Put me out of my misery and drive me mad, woman.”
My eyes flew open and stared hard into the beautiful green meadows of her eyes. My palm came up to fit against her cheek. I searched for any doubt, but found none. “What about Adam?”
She shook her head slowly. “He isn’t here.”
“I am here. I’ve always been here, waiting for you, Kendra.”
She placed her hand over mine and nodded. “I know. Will you allow me to make it up to you for making you wait so long?”
I grinned. “I would be disappointed if you didn’t,” I said, then moved my hand to the back of her neck and brought her li
ps down to mine.
The kiss was just like I remembered it: soft, warm and tasted a little like sugar plums. I craved more and she seemed to read my mind, because she opened her mouth to allow my tongue access to explore.
Panicked words echoed in my mind. “Don’t fall for it, Rhyan. Remember me…remember me…remember me,” it said, but I didn’t want to remember anything except the feel of Kendra under my hands. “Rhyan, please,” she pleaded, “I love you, and you love me. Try to remember. I’m Abbi. I’m your wife.”
I broke from the kiss and looked away from Kendra, confused. “My wife?”
“I will be if you’re asking,” she said, and then rocked on me again, making me forget about the voice in my head.
Passion engulfed me once more and I was lost to the beauty in my arms as I consumed her mouth with mine once again. There was no better feeling than what I was experiencing in that moment with Kendra.
“Rhyan, don’t let them do this to you. You are stronger than this. Remember me and remember why you’re here.”
I knew exactly why I was there, and it wasn’t to let some voice in my mind distract me from taking what I wanted. I sealed my mind up tight, pulled Kendra to me, then rolled until I was the one in control of our little rendezvous.
She stared up at me, eyes full of desire.
I waited.
She nodded.
I gave one hard thrust and was finally where I wanted to be.
Chapter 49
Abigail
Tears flooded Abigail’s eyes and her hand shot up to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. She shook her head back and forth in denial. Something had to be wrong. Lucifer had to be messing with her mind to make her believe Rhyan could forget her so easily, she thought. Unless Thoros erased the memory of her from Rhyan’s mind and only left him with lustful thoughts of his charge. Yes, that had to be it, she thought. She wouldn’t allow herself to believe otherwise or be angry with Rhyan for loving another if his mind was being toyed with and that’s all he knew.
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