by Opal Carew
Asmodeus started to argue with her but the loud, rumbling engine of a truck captured their attention. His eyes flickered to red as he ran to the window but the tension eased almost as quickly as it came.
“It’s the company coming to retrieve your Dumpster.” He leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest as he sliced a look in Kai’s direction. “This conversation isn’t over, by the way.”
“Nope.” Kai winked and smiled sweetly. “But I’m not going to change my mind, so there’s really no point in arguing with me.”
She spun on her heels and trotted down the steps leaving Asmodeus grumbling by the window. She couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction but when she pushed the door open, her smile fell. Looking at the giant, burnt hole in the barn door, she wondered how on earth she would explain that to the guy driving the truck.
Kai squinted against the morning sunlight as she approached the loud, smelly truck that had already hooked up to the Dumpster. She waved at the guy as he climbed out of the cab. His aura was gray and musty, which told Kai he wasn’t exactly the kind of person she’d want to hang around with. He was a big, burly, beast of a man with dark hair that covered his arms and crept out the neck of his t-shirt. It seemed to sprout from everywhere except his head.
“Hi.” Kai waved and shouted over the engine as she backed toward the house. She flicked her gaze toward the barn but Asmodeus hadn’t come out yet. “I’ll grab my check book and be right out.”
“Right.” The man nodded as he hitched up his dirty jeans and spit onto the ground as he watched her go. “Two fifty,” he yelled.
Kai ran into the house and scoured the first floor for her purse. Standing in the kitchen, she stopped for a minute, trying to remember the last time she’d even seen the damn bag. She heard the front door slam as she went into the mudroom off the kitchen.
“Hey, Asmodeus?” Kai shouted. “Have you seen my purse?” Emerging back into the kitchen empty handed, she puffed her hair out of her face. “I can’t find…”
Kai stopped dead in her tracks as the cold hand of fear gripped her by the throat because it wasn’t Asmodeus who’d come into the house. It was the guy who’d been driving the truck but he looked…different.
A slack-jawed expression covered his face and his eyes were completely white, as though they’d rolled back in his head. His hands were balled into fists and his enormous sweaty, hairy frame filled the doorway, blocking her exit. Trying not to panic, Kai inched her way along the edge of the counter, trying to keep the table between them because for the life of her she couldn’t remember either of those stupid charms.
Awesome.
“Why are you in here?” Kai asked in a shaking voice. Her mind raced as she tried to remember what Isadora told her to do. A second later, prickling heat began to gather in her chest. “I told you that I’d bring the check out to you.”
“The ring,” he gurgled. The man took two lurching steps forward into the kitchen as a string of drool dangled from his plump lower lip. “Give us the ring, Kai.”
The voice that boomed out of this man was not natural and it wasn’t one voice. It sounded like several voices speaking at once and Kai knew it was the Brotherhood.
“So,” Kai murmured, while inching toward the doorway but she froze when he lurched closer. “This is one of your minions.”
“Hand over the ring, Custodian,” he shouted.
The screeching chorus of voices pierced the air as the man’s mouth opened wide and he let out a howling wail. At the same time the engine of the truck seemed to roar even louder outside and she doubted Asmodeus would hear what was happening.
Kai slammed her hands over her ears, attempting to drown out the deafening sound of the frightening shriek. It felt like a swarm of bees were buzzing inside her head and scraping at her skull from the inside out. She wanted to use one of the charms she memorized but the sound was making it impossible to concentrate.
She shook her head, trying to get away from the sickening sensation and horrid sounds but it was inescapable. The minion lunged toward Kai, knocking over chairs and though his fingers scraped her arm, she managed to elude his grasp and keep the table between them. He let out another ferocious scream, grabbed the kitchen table with both hands and tossed it into the windows as Kai screamed Asmodeus’ name.
Glass shattered around her and as the tortured creature stumbled across the kitchen and grabbed Kai by the throat, the power in her chest coiled and burned. It was the same, flickering rush of power she’d felt in the barn and in the field—and Kai knew what she had to do. Picturing the rope of energy, like Isadora told her, Kai focused on it as she placed both hands on the man’s plump chest.
She gasped for air as he tightened his grip on her throat and Kai tried to fight the self-defeating effects of panic. As she pictured the tentacle of light shooting through her, a prickling rush of energy shot down her arms and sent the man flying across the kitchen and into the stove.
Stunned and with smoldering singe marks on his chest, he screamed in rage as he tried to regain his footing, which gave Kai enough time to run. Calling Asmodeus’ name, she burst through the front door and to her relief he was already on his way, running toward her.
“What’s happening?” Eyes glowing, he held her in his arms and cradled her against his chest but the respite only lasted a moment. “Minion,” he whispered, tightening his hold on her. “Bastards shielded their presence from me.”
The engine of the truck shut off abruptly and Kai jumped when the screen door slammed, shattering the momentary silence. Shaking, Kai turned to see the truck driver shuffling toward them. He reminded her of a marionette and she realized that’s really what the pathetic man was. The Brotherhood was using his body and he was merely a puppet on a string.
His belly, which hung over his pants, was now partially exposed as his shirt retreated up the swollen mound of flesh. His arms hung at his sides loosely and that same vacant expression covered his face as he took one lurching step after the other.
“Give her to us, Asmodeus,” said the terrifying chorus of voices. “Or she will be our undoing.”
“Kai is a Custodian and the ring has bonded with her. It cannot be removed.” Asmodeus pushed Kai behind him as he spoke. “She poses no threat to the Brotherhood.”
“She wears the Ring of Solomon.” The minion’s face reddened but his eyes remained white as they stared vacantly back at Kai. “You cannot hide her from us. We are everywhere.” The tortured creature opened his mouth in a silent scream and his body shuddered violently before speaking again. “We will not stop until we have the ring safely in the Underworld. You must not protect her.”
“He doesn’t have to,” Kai bit out. She was furious with herself for hiding behind Asmodeus like some helpless female. She was tired of feeling out of control and sick to death of being a victim of her circumstances. She stepped out from behind Asmodeus and as the now familiar tentacle of energy writhed beneath her flesh, she focused her rage and extended her arms toward the minion. “I can protect myself,” she whispered. “I am a Custodian of the Light.”
The ring glowing red, Kai pictured the light firing through her body and as the power gathered in her chest, she threw the surge of energy toward the staggering man. Kai shook as rippling waves of white light flew from her hands and slammed into the minion, sending him flying through the air. He landed on the porch with a deafening crash as the boards cracked beneath the weight of his rotund body.
Shaking and lightheaded, Kai let out a sound of relief asAsmodeus wrapped one arm around her waist. She hated to admit it, but his embrace was the only thing keeping her from crumpling to the ground in a weak-kneed pile. He kissed the top of her head and cradled her shivering form against his resolute one.
“Don’t fuck with the fairy,” Kai said in a shuddering voice. Squeezing her eyes shut she let out a laugh that sounded a little crazy as she hugged Asmodeus as tight as possible. Burying her face against his chest she muttered, “Or the fairy-w
itch, or whatever.”
“Perhaps my brothers will think twice before sending more minions after you,” Asmodeus murmured before kissing the top of Kai’s head. His hands ran down her back and settled on her hips. “Who knows they may even…”
Asmodeus stopped speaking and his body went completely rigid. Kai’s brow furrowed as she pulled back to look him in the eye, but he was staring over her head at something to his left. The expression on his face made her stomach twist into knots because it was nothing short of fury.
“What is it?” Kai turned to the left and squinted against the sun to see what had captured his attention so swiftly. In the distance, with the mountains looming behind them, Kai saw six individuals walking toward them. Ripples of heat radiated around them in the sun and as the dark figures moved closer, it was glaringly obvious who they were.
The Brotherhood had come to Bliss.
Chapter Fifteen
“What do we do now?” Kai whispered, her fingers clutching the fabric of his t-shirt. She kept her voice low and did her best not to sound completely terrified, but failed miserably. “Do we try to make a run for it?”
“Where?” Asmodeus kept his intense sights on the men as they strode closer in slow, unhurried strides. Their slow pace reminded Kai of Jason or Michael Meyers. It was as if there was no point in running because their victims could never escape. “Now that they’ve found you, there’s no way to hide from them. Our only hope is that they’ll listen to reason and give us more time.”
“This is a pretty ballsy move if they think I can control them with this ring.”
“True. But given the fact that you haven’t tried to control me, Lucifer is taking a gamble and testing the waters, so to speak. Perhaps, he’ll be willing to listen.” Asmodeus’ deep voice resonated through his chest as she remained in his embrace. “But…stay alert and don’t let your guard down for a second.”
Kai leaned deeper into Asmodeus’ embrace while his brothers strode casually across the field. They were all rather tall and muscular, except for the one furthest to the right. He was shorter with a stocky, muscular build and he glared at Asmodeus with nothing short of contempt. They were all dressed in black t-shirts and fatigues and clearly ready for combat. Kai didn’t see any weapons but given the extent of their powers, they probably didn’t need them.
Like Asmodeus was when Kai first met him, all six of them were without light—Dark Ones.
“Who’s the guy on the end,” Kai whispered. She didn’t take her eyes off them. “The shorter one. He’s looking at you like he hates you.”
“That’s Levi.” Asmodeus smirked and flicked his gaze to her briefly. “Leviathan the Demon of Envy. Levi is always bitching about getting screwed on one level or another.”
“Leviathan?” She shuddered and tried not to look as terrified as she felt. “Great.”
When the six of them were about fifty feet away, Asmodeus raised his hand and shouted, “That’s close enough.”
They didn’t stop moving until the tall blonde one in the center stopped and held up both hands, signaling the others to follow his lead.
“You must be Lucifer,” Kai said in a surprisingly calm voice. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you but—it’s not.”
“Lucifer, Demon of Pride and leader of the Brotherhood. Charmed to meet you, Kai Kelly.” Lucifer flashed a toothy, white grin and bowed his platinum blonde head. He was strikingly handsome. They all were but there was a cold, cruelty in Lucifer’s pale, green eyes that sent a chill up Kai’s back. “No wonder you’ve become infatuated with her, Asmodeus. She’s feisty and you know how much I adore feisty women.”
“You better behave yourselves,” Kai said all too sweetly. “Or you’re going to see just how feisty I can be.”
“I thought you might try to use that ring against us, so a witch friend of mine cast a little spell for us. It’s temporary but will last long enough to accomplish what we need to here.” Lucifer jutted a thumb toward Satan. “He may have messed up our relationship with Willow and the Witches Council, but there a few witches out there who still enjoy our charms.”
Kai tried not to look surprised but failed miserably and she didn’t miss the look of triumph on Lucifer’s face.
“She’s not going with you to the Underworld and, charmed protection or not, I would advise against trying to press the issue.” Asmodeus nodded toward the broken body of the minion. “As you can see, it didn’t work out too well for him.”
“That guy’s soul has been tagged as mine for years.” The redhead winked at Kai and jutted both thumbs at his chest. “Beelzebub, Demon of Gluttony, but you can call me Zeb. In fact, that greedy bastard’s soul is down there right now with the rest of today’s damned who are waiting to be processed.”
“You mean…I killed him?” Kai said in a barely audible voice as she flicked a glance at the body on the porch.
“Not really,” Zeb laughed. “He was gonna die of a heart attack today anyway so it’s kind of a wash.”
“Can we get this fucking show on the road?” Satan, a brunette with dark, almost black eyes, pounded his fist into his palm and glared at Kai. “I’m tired of all the talking because as usual, it’s not getting us anywhere. Give us the girl, Asmodeus.”
“Kai, I’d like you to meet Satan, the Demon of Wrath.” Asmodeus let out a weary sigh. “He’s never one to mince words and usually lets his fists do the talking.”
“Right,” Kai pursed her lips and nodded. “You’re the guy who jilted Willow.”
“Is that what she told you?” Satan’s face carved into a mask of fury. “That I jilted her? Really? Next time you see her, why don’t you ask her about that little spell she cast on me?”
Kai’s eyebrows flew up in surprise and if she didn’t know better, she’d swear that hurt flickered across his features. Perhaps there was more to that story than Willow had let on, but Kai knew better than anyone that there were three sides to every story.
His side. Her side. And the truth.
“Sucker.” The one on the left, with long, sandy, blonde hair and an easy going smile, laughed slowly. He reminded Kai of the stoners she knew in high school. “She’s still so pissed at you.”
“Fuck you, Belphegor.” Satan’s eyes blazed red and his hands balled into fists at his side. He, on the other hand, reminded Kai of the football jocks who stuck the nerds in the garbage cans. “Shut up.”
“Whatever, man.” Belphegor pushed his long hair off his forehead and closed his eyes as he turned his face toward the sun. “I say we chill out and see what happens next.”
“The Demon of Sloth wants to avoid a conflict? What a shocker.” Satan punched Belphegor on the arm. “You’ll never change, you lazy shit.”
“Cut the crap.” Belphegor grimaced and rubbed at his arm. “Dick.”
“Enough,” Lucifer bellowed. The others immediately came to attention but Kai was still thinking about Satan’s reaction at the mention of Willow. “We don’t have time for your bickering.”
“What about Zemi?” Kai asked innocently. “You have any time for her?”
“What?” Lucifer seethed. “You will not speak her name to me.”
Eyes blazing in two red slashes Lucifer took a step toward Kai but she watched in awe as a red ball of fire materialized in front of her. Asmodeus, his arm extended, murmured, “I suggest you back off.”
“Still being led around by your libido, Asmodeus.” Lucifer’s eyes flickered back to green as he laughed. “Last time you acted like this… it got you a half-mortal son.”
“You have a son?” Kai asked, slicing a glance at Asmodeus. “You admit you’re a demon but leave out the part about having a kid?”
“A discussion for another time and he’s not a kid anymore,” he murmured. The fireball still hovered in front of his extended hand. “Lucifer, are you willing to hear me out?”
“Of course.” Lucifer extended his arms and smiled before clasping his hands in front of him. “Enlighten us and speaking of light... that�
��s an interesting light you have, Asmodeus. I hope poor Kai is feeling alright.”
“Right,” Kai snorted. “Like you give a shit.”
“No, Lucifer.” Asmodeus shook his head. “Just you. The others go back to the Underworld or things are going to get messy. I don’t want to fight all of you but I will if I have to. You’ll have to kill me before I let you take her with you.”
“You would fight your own brothers for this…half-breed fairy?” Satan groused. “You’re pathetic.”
“Hey,” Kai said, feeling more than a little wounded. “I’m right here ya know.”
“You say anything like that again,” Asmodeus ground out, “and I’ll shove this fireball right up your wrath loving ass.”
“Fine,” Lucifer said calmly. “They’ll go.”
“What?” The one with the shaggy black hair and hazel eyes voiced his displeasure. He was the only one who’d remained silent up until this point. “Why do we have to leave? Our fate is at just as much risk as yours, Lucifer. This is bullshit.”
“Because I said so, Mammon.” Lucifer kept his voice calm and commanding as he waved them off. “Now go. All of you.”
They all grumbled their displeasure but amid an explosive flash of flames and smoke, all of them, other than Lucifer, vanished into thin air.
“I did as you asked.” Lucifer moved closer until he was only a few feet away but Kai didn’t take her eyes off him. “Now start talking.”
***
Kai sat at the dining room table with two demons, her spell book, and a glass of wine. She didn’t give a shit that it was first thing in the morning. If ever there was a time that called for a drink—it was now. Even Zephyr knew enough to leave and had high-tailed it out of the house.
For the past hour they’d been filling Lucifer in on everything--the inability to remove the ring, the Custodians of the Light, Kai’s mixed heritage and the Prophecy. He’d tried to touch the spell book but it continuously slid out of his reach anytime he attempted it. However, his entire demeanor changed when Kai told him her theory about Ben and the Fae Queen.