“My grandson will need your guidance.” The light vanished. The same angel who had escorted him stood in the doorway with his shirt in her hand, holding it away from her as if it were poison to her fair skin. Her nose still wrinkled, and he wondered if her face was permanently frozen in disgust.
“I will show you out.”
He strode to her and accepted his shirt. She watched him while he commanded his wings to disappear and donned the tee, tucking it into his jeans. Finally, he couldn’t help himself any longer. “For such an uppity angel, your gaze is inappropriate.”
Her sapphire eyes widened. “I do not know what you are referring to.” She lifted her chin and started walking in the direction they had come from originally.
“Perhaps you should get out more and pull that stick out of your ass while you’re at it,” he replied, walking two steps ahead of her this time. The leash on his darkness was fast stretching and about to snap. While the perfect angel behind him thought she wanted to witness a reaper in full shift, he doubted her delicate self could handle it. Poor thing had probably never been outside this realm, and the sight of him would give her terrors for eternity. Luckily, they approached the doors to the outside where he would catch his ride back.
“You know the way back to Hell.” Her tone was full of sarcasm and he turned to face her, itching to have a final word.
“Look. I’m sorry for being pissy, but my mate is dying and I have no patience for those who think they are better than the rest of us. Your pretty wings mean nothing to the angels fighting in the trenches. When you’ve seen real evil and battled with it, then you can have room to speak. Until then, you’re just a pretty ornament.”
He turned away and headed down the path before he could witness her expression. He had to unleash all Hell and save his mate.
Chapter Fifteen
Tegan’s lashing had gone on for an eternity. At least that was how it seemed to Eva. She had witnessed every grueling second of it, her lip bloodied from biting against screaming out. Finally, the beating stopped, and Tegan was untied from his whipping post and currently knelt on the ground. The ones who meted out his punishment had since vanished, leaving Eva alone with Tegan. She pushed herself up from her chaise, still dizzy but determined to make her way to the angel who had sacrificed for her. With slow careful steps, she moved across the courtyard until she reached him. His eyes were closed and breathing ragged. She dropped down beside him. Went to touch his shoulder then hesitated.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
He drew in a deep breath and opened his eyes. “It is I who must apologize for the agony you bore while witnessing this sacrifice.”
“I can’t believe our ways are so barbaric,” she hissed.
He finally turned his head to look at her. “Our world is full of sacrifices. I need to get you to the healing waters.” Tegan pushed to his feet as if nothing had happened, but she couldn’t help notice he wasn’t healing. One as old as Tegan should already be on the mend.
“Do you suppose Seph has received the same kind of punishment?” She allowed Tegan to help her to her feet.
“Hard to say.” He scooped her up as if she weighed no more than a feather. “Flying will be much faster.” And then they were in the air, soaring as if nothing had happened at all.
The landscape below became bluer as they flew over the river. Within minutes, Tegan landed next to a small lake. The shoreline was covered with rocks smoothed perfectly flat. Each one the same size as the next, no bigger than a quarter. Suddenly she was so tired, it was a fight to keep her eyes open.
“I just want to go to sleep. Maybe some rest will do me good,” she whispered.
Tegan walked into the water until it came to his chest and started to cover her. Eva was surprised how warm and silky it was against her skin.
“Rest, Eva. This will make you feel better until Seph finds your father.”
She forced a smile. “If he doesn’t, then I will die here.”
His jaw hardened. “You will not die.”
She snuggled into his chest, wishing it were Seph, but her mate was busy fighting for her life. She needed to do the same. “You have always been a good friend. Will the water help heal your back?”
“No. I must bear the pain and scars for seven days before I am allowed to heal.”
Her lids snapped open to study him. “There was a reason you were made an elite to lead the hunters. Your honor knows no boundaries, and I swear, besides Seph, you are the strongest man I know. You deserve someone in your life.”
He flashed a glance at her before looking back over the water. “I have Ashley. My daughter is my life.”
“You are right to be proud of her, but that’s not what I was referring to. You have never been truly happy since Ana.” Oh Tegan’s act was flawless, but Eva saw past it. Even after all these years since Ana’s death, he still mourned her.
“Always the nurturer, Eva. Stop worrying about others for a few minutes and think of yourself.”
“I can’t help it. It is who I am. Are you able to communicate with Seph?”
“I’ve been trying but nothing yet. It makes sense that he would be out of communication while in the Otherworld.”
“I see.” Eva’s world slipped into darkness.
It took Seph several hours to trek back from the Otherworld, and he was on pins and needles. The entire time he’d been out of touch with everyone and had no clue what was happening. His gut coiled into a knot, and his reaper threatened to unleash itself.
Tegan?
Finally. Did you succeed?
The task was easier than I thought. How is Eva? He prayed his friend would deliver good news, but his soul knew things were bleak.
She is unconscious and slipping away. The waters are keeping her alive, but I fear once we leave here, she will die. I’m sorry, my friend. I should have brought her here sooner.
Seph rolled his fingers into his palms until he felt a warm stickiness seep between his fingers. My son?
He is holding on. The boy is strong.
The news brought some comfort. You will stay with her until we have that bitch confined?
I will be here until you call for us.
I owe you everything.
You owe me nothing but to succeed. I will not allow your mate to slip away. No one on my watch will ever know that pain.
Seph remembered the storm that brewed the day the love of Tegan’s life died. Something inside the hunter had broken, and he had never been the same. Seph prayed that one day his friend would find peace. Until then, Seph was grateful the angel was on their side. He opened a link and broadcasted to any who would reply.
Have we contained Lilly yet?
We are close. It was Lyzander who responded.
What the fuck does that mean exactly? He opened a portal and stepped in, landing near Lulerain. When he exited, he was in a partial shift.
The hounds have tracked her to the mountains in Keyloya, but she keeps giving us the slip, Ashley replied.
Seph went into a full shift. His reaper let loose with a screech. My mate is dying. I will rip this fucking place to shreds if I have to. One way or another, Lilly is coming with me and she will pay the price.
Ashley appeared in front of him. Her jaw opened as she stared at him then slammed shut before she spoke. “This isn’t good.”
No kidding. His mood had already stirred up a shit storm of souls who currently swarmed around them like pissed-off hornets. “I will find her myself. You should probably seek shelter.”
Ashley arched a brow at him. “I’m not afraid of your shit storm, but I realize you need to do this. I will be here for backup if you need me as will everyone else. Now go.”
Seph wasted no time in summoning his wings and taking to the air. This way, he could search for the stain of evil Lilly would leave on the landscape. Taking a portal would limit his search and eat up time Eva didn’t have. He scanned the area below him and noted a faint trail of the oily slick Lilly lef
t behind her. The girl was pure evil, and he prayed she hadn’t figured out how to free Lucifer from his box. Who knew what kind of plague father and daughter would lay on the human realm and on Seph’s friends.
The slick led to the mountains as Ashley had said. Lilly had probably buried herself deep in some hole, and he’d have to dig her out. Seph spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and swooped in for a closer look. Wraith, along with at least six other hounds, was circling what looked to be an opening in the rock. Seph landed.
“Wraith. “
The hound trotted to him. “We’ve driven her inside, but I have no idea how deep this cave goes. I did manage to get a good bite on her right calf as she scurried in. She is injured and won’t heal quickly.” The beast actually tried to smile. “I made sure of that.”
“You and your brethren have done well. I’ll take it from here.” He started to march to the opening when Wraith called out.
“Rebel is concerned about your mate.”
Seph looked over his shoulder. “So am I.” Then he slipped into the darkness with only one thing on his mind.
Seeing in the pitch black as if it were a bright sunny day, Seph glided over the rocky terrain with ease. The coppery scent of blood indicated he was closing in on his prey. A snarl filled the air, and he honed in on it. As he rounded the bend, he spotted a form curled up on the floor like an injured animal. He threw caution to the wind.
“Lilly.”
Her head jerked and she stared at him with wild red eyes and hissed. She raised a hand and he immediately threw a shield around himself. The ball of power bounced off and hit the floor leaving a small hole in the rock. His gaze went to her injured leg. Wraith had indeed done a bang up job. A large chunk of muscle was missing from her right calf and the bone was exposed. It was enough to actually make Seph wince and make a mental note to never tangle with a hellhound. There was no doubt Lilly was unable to walk. Perhaps nabbing her would prove easier than he had anticipated.
He took a step closer.
She snarled and flashed a pair of fangs.
“My, what big teeth you have. Where is your father, Lilly?”
“I will not tell you. He is safe until I can free him, and then I will become the Princess of Darkness.”
Seph simply shook his head. “Not happening. When you fucked with my mate your destiny changed.”
She threw her head back in laughter. “If you kill me then your precious angel is sure to die.” She glared and the red in her eyes flared brighter. “How does it feel to know you will lose both your mate and son?”
Her words festered like pus in an open wound, and the haze of red dropped over his vision. “You had best hope my mate and son live because if they die, I will torture you for an eternity. Even Lulerain will look like a fun house compared to what I will do to you. No one will come to your rescue, Lilly.” He summoned his power, and the screeching demonic souls swirled. Baenor demons slithered from crevices and cornered Lilly, but the girl remain unfazed, lashing out with a whip of power that took out several of the closest demons, leaving nothing but a smoldering pile of ash.
The demonic souls swarmed Lilly, but she fought them off, pushing a jolt of energy through them that sent them screaming before they simply vanished into a puff of smoke.
Lilly wasn’t going to go quietly, and Eva’s clock was ticking. Seph had to grab the girl now and damn the consequences to himself. There was no way she was beating him. He was a reaper, and the power of light and dark was in his court. He just needed to reach for more of the darkness. Dimming his light a little further, he allowed the evil in his soul to seep through. The part of him that enjoyed inflicting pain and terror marched toward Lilly. She shot out bolts of power that ripped through him and made his insides feel like they were melting, but he refused to back off.
Eva needed him.
His son needed him.
He reached Lilly and grabbed her by the throat. Current ran through him, and if he’d been in his human form, it was likely his skin would be charred. Instead his reaper absorbed it. Twisted it into something sinister and threw it back at the female. It was enough to stun her, and it was then he took the window of opportunity to open a portal into the human realm. Straight to where the Almighty had directed him to go.
Tegan! I have her, but we must make this quick. She is stronger than we’ve anticipated.
Tegan didn’t even answer but appeared with a limp Eva in his arms. Seph almost lost his hold on Lilly when he saw the love of his life so near death but managed to regain his composure.
“She’s as good as dead, Reaper. There is no way she can come back and kill me now.” Lilly struggled against Seph’s power hold and slowly chipped away at it. Tegan could do nothing to assist since he had linked himself to Eva in order to sustain her once they had left the healing waters. Seph wasn’t sure how much longer he could contain her. Lilly’s power seemed to be growing, feeding from something, but he had no idea what.
Eva’s father had better show soon.
Another current of power sent Seph to his knees, and he lost his physical hold on Lilly. She stood, her leg almost healed and a look of satisfaction on her face. She lifted a hand; the sky turned gray and bolts of lightning burned holes in the clouds before it struck within feet of them. Lilly became encased in a blue light, and Seph shifted back to his human form, losing the last thread he held on Lilly as he was shoved, landing on his back.
She was free.
“When the hell is Gavreel showing up?” Tegan shouted over the rising winds and thunderous claps.
As soon as the words spilled from Tegan’s mouth, a white light split the black clouds and a comet shot to the ground, forming into a warrior.
Eva’s father.
Lilly spun to face her new threat and flung a fireball at him.
The warrior deflected it with the blade of his sword.
Seph struggled to his feet after taking a powerful blow from Lilly, and looked at Eva. Tegan had erected a barrier around both himself and Seph’s mate to protect them. Lilly shot a blast of power at it, but Tegan’s shield held.
Gavreel busied himself launching his own power, chipping away at the blue light that encased Lilly. It appeared it was not only her protection but her source of power. Seph pulled his darkness front and center, shifting and summoning a sphere of raw dark power. His eyes met Gavreel’s and the ancient warrior gave a nod, understanding what needed to be done. Gavreel lunged for Lilly, the point of his sword hitting her shield. Sparks arced off the sword and the blue light rippled up the edges of the blade.
Gavreel held his stance.
Seph launched.
One.
Two.
Spheres of the blackest power he could conjure hit Lilly in the back. The light of her barrier flickered. Seph launched again and the blue light surrounding her shattered like glass, falling to the ground in a million fragmented pieces.
Lilly snarled, spittle flying from her mouth as her eyes began to glow, and she launched another fireball at Gavreel.
The warrior raised his sword. “Even evil cannot kill one who is already dead.” In the blink of an eye, he swung the fatal blow and parted Lilly’s head from her body. The earth grew still, silence filling the air. The sky cleared and the remains of Lilly turned to ash, blowing away in the breeze.
The warrior turned and marched to his daughter, kneeling beside her.
Eva sensed an unfamiliar presence and lifted her lids. Staring back at her were the same chocolate eyes she saw in the mirror every morning. A large hand touched her cheek.
“Daughter, both you and your son will be well now.”
Warmth filled her body followed by a tingling sensation. Her power was fully restored. Her father had come. Tears of elation filled her eyes. She was going to live, and the man she had wished to meet her entire life was right in front of her. So many questions she had wanted to ask, but they seemed to evade her at the moment.
She pushed herself to sitting and saw Seph
behind her father. Relief relaxed the lines on his face, and he gave her a smile. Tegan stood next to him, also smiling. These three men were responsible for her being here now, for the life that moved inside her, and she would be forever grateful.
“I am in your debt. I love you all,” she sniffed.
Her father leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I must leave now, but know that I am always watching. I am so proud of what you have become.” He stood and helped Eva to her feet.
“Must you go so soon? I don’t even know you.”
His gaze softened. “This is not my place anymore.” He held out his hand and a single white lily appeared. He offered it to Eva. “When you see the flower of peace, always think of me.”
She laced her fingers around the stem of the flower. Her father took a step back, fading as the light retracted into the clouds, and then he was gone. Only a blue sky with a few white puffy clouds remained.
Tegan cleared his throat. “I’ll be going and letting the others know you’re okay. We still need to see if we can locate Lucifer.” Then he was gone and it was only Seph and Eva.
She flew into his open arms and laid her head on his shoulder. The comfort of his warmth and strength seeped down to her soul.
“Is it finally over?”
He ran his hand up her back and into her hair. “Lilly is gone but we don’t know where Lucifer is.”
She lifted her chin to look up at him. “I just want to go home, wherever we decide to make it, and spend eternity in your arms.”
His mouth claimed hers and everything righted itself. They would be okay, because together they could face anything.
Epilogue
Seph stopped in the doorway to simply enjoy watching Eva rock their son to sleep. It was hard to believe only a few months ago he feared losing them both. That concern still resided deep inside him, and when he was away, he had guards posted nearby. Lucifer and his box had simply vanished. Was he still contained in it? No one had an answer to that. Logan hadn’t been seen since he was freed, but Seph was relieved by that. He still didn’t know what to make of the Prince of Darkness.
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