Jordan had laughed at his protests and said simply, “You’ll behave or you’ll die here.”
Sean punched the wall and smiled grimly at the cracked plaster. Jordan was going down. That rat bastard traitor’s days were numbered. In the meantime though, Sean was the model fallen angel. He’d learned his lesson and was toeing the line now. Jordan had made him the commander of one half of his army while Dagin was in charge of the other. They were gearing up for a major assault. Sean knew he wasn’t getting the whole story from these demon idiots, but they didn’t know he already knew the grand plan.
Bring on the apocalypse, Jordan. We’re so going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Satan’s hot tub. Yeah, let’s see how happy the Deal Maker will be when you fail. With that thought fueling his determination, Sean pumped out 200 pushups and 200 crunches. He spent another 20 minutes practicing some of his favorite martial arts moves. The room wasn’t big enough to do much, but he was faithful to his body. He’d work out every day to keep himself physically strong. Couldn’t afford to get soft.
He hadn’t been allowed outside yet, but he got the feeling they were in the subterranean floors of the lab in Lucerne. He sensed a large human presence above him and some of the rooms were unused offices. The Coke machine also gave it away. The maintenance instructions were printed in Swiss. Duh.
His room looked like a dorm room: small, impersonal, and undecorated. He had a bed and a table. That was all he really needed though. With any luck, he’d be outta here in a few more weeks.
The woman with sad blue eyes haunted him. Every night she crept into his mind calling to him for help he couldn’t give her. Mute and immobile, he could only stare helplessly as the dream unfolded.
She gazed at the stars above her and wiped tears from her heart-shaped face. Something was different about her. She’d been lithe and graceful when he’d seen her last. Her delicate beauty and strength had comforted him when he was at the end of his rope. But something had changed her. Her shoulders drooped with fatigue and something more...sorrow, defeat? Unable to stand any longer, she dropped to her knees on the bank of the stream. Head bowed, shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs, she cried as though her heart was broken. Sean watched in shock, unable to help her, unable to stop her.
Aisling.
She raised her face to the sky and cried, “Why have the angels forsaken us? Please God, I’m begging you.”
Sean reached out to her but his hand was as inconsequential as mist. She turned towards him and her eyes met his. Sean flinched at the raw pain.
She whispered, “Please, Sean.”
Gasping for air, he sat straight up in the bed and looked wildly for her. A dream. It was just a dream. Throwing himself from the bed, he paced until his heartbeat settled to normal again. He was a wreck. Sweat dripped from his face and his breath came in harsh gasps. Her face swam into view and he squeezed his eyes against it.
Aisling.
Where was she?
She haunted him with those eyes.
Accusing him, begging him, damning him.
He rubbed his eyes as shame swamped him, and he sniffed hard against the sudden rush of emotion. I’m so sorry, baby! He was the lowest piece of shit for leaving her there alone. She needed him, but he couldn’t do anything for her. It was making him crazy with frustration, hence, the nightmares. He wanted nothing more than to be her knight in shining armor and rescue her from her solitude. Then they’d...what? Hell, he didn’t know what he expected from her. Nothing? Everything? He couldn’t let himself feel anything for her.
Not here. Not now.
All soft emotions were out; freakin’ demons could sense weakness in a heartbeat. He couldn’t afford to even think those kinds of thoughts. They’d just get him killed down here. He’d only survive on his animal instincts. There was no time for anything besides rage, violence, and cunning.
He’d buried all tender feelings the minute he ripped Dagin’s face off. Failing here wasn’t an option. The stakes were too high. But maybe...
Raphael? The wanderer’s in trouble.
The archangel’s calm voice came back immediately. Don’t think on it. I have it under control. Focus.
And that was that. Short and sweet--there was no sense in testing their boundaries. So far no one had discovered their telepathic conversations, but they didn’t know how long that would last. Sean let out the breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding.
Raphael would take care of Aisling. There was no doubt about that. The angel would move Heaven and Earth to find the wandering Primani if Killian failed to bring her in. Damn, I wish I could be there when he finds her! He couldn’t help wishing, but it was pointless. They all had a job to do, and his wasn’t rescuing the damsel. If all went well, he’d get to save the world...Hell, can’t complain about that!
Sean glanced at his watch. It was nearly dawn already. Time to slap on his game face and try not to die.
Looking out into the corridor, he scanned for life. The hallway was empty, but there were a few demons in the other dorm rooms. No doubt they were still busy brushing and flossing their endless rows of fangs...Sean slipped into the hallway and used his powers to go ghost. Instead of teleporting, he channeled his inner-Han Solo and used hyperspeed to get to the stairwell without being seen. A wave of the hand released the padlock on the fire door and he slipped inside. He took a second to reattach the lock and then crept down the pitch dark stairs. The air was thick and heavy with the smell of sulfur. Demons. He planted his molars together to keep from gagging on their disgusting smell and scanned for company.
So far, so good. He smelled them, but didn’t sense any nearby. The door at the next landing wasn’t locked. Odd, that. He flattened himself against the wall and listened with his ears and mind.
Wait a minute...
The childlike singing sent a chill crawling over his skin.
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word...”
Frozen against the wall, he closed his eyes against the burning that was taking over.
“Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.”
Oh God. No, it can’t be.
He curled his fingers into the concrete wall behind him to keep from charging blindly into the darkness. He sucked in another deep breath when the singing continued. Killian’s mantra echoed inside his head and he let it calm his impulse. Careful and smart.
“And if that mockingbird won’t sing...won’t sing...won’t...” The hypnotic voice cut off abruptly replaced by the scream of a wild animal. The feminine lilt was replaced by a hoarse plea. “James? Where are you, James? I can’t remember...can’t remember...”
Silence.
Okay. Okay. Shit. Sean rubbed his eyes and thought over his options. None of them were good. All of them would probably kill him.
Rolling his shoulders and palming his blade, he eased into the dark passageway and cranked his senses to high alert. As he ghosted down the hall, he tried not to breathe. The air was rank with death and dying. He passed locked doors that no force on Earth could get him to open. No way in hell. Those doors reeked of death and suffering--entrails, blood, brain splatters. Torture chambers. He’d been in one of them already. That was enough. He could give a shit less about the demons being tortured. Let them rot.
The smell changed when he got to the middle of the corridor. He slowed down and drew in a deeper breath.
Human.
Female.
The door was locked, but the key hung on a hook next to it. Tensing for an attack, he unlocked the door with a swipe of his palm and waited for the door to swing open. It creaked on rusty hinges and stopped halfway. Drawing in his breath, Sean let his Primani night vision take over. This wasn’t a cell.
This was a tomb.
A woman sat in a rocking chair with her arms wrapped oddly around her middle. She rocked mechanically. Back and forth. Back and forth. Her feet hung limply above the floor. The chair simply moved without her help. Her face was shrouded in a dark hood, her body covered
with rags of a dress long since destroyed. Pale skin gleamed dully in the darkness. It smelled like a nightmare in there.
The sweet sickening scent of death clung to his skin while he hesitated in the doorway.
Poor woman would welcome death. It would claim her soon.
What was he going to do with her? He didn’t dare teleport her out of here; Jordan would know the second he tried to leave.
Raphael? Found Dani.
Is she dead?
Damn close.
Several seconds ticked by before the angel gave him instructions. Mark the location and I’ll send someone in five minutes. Get out of there before you get caught.
Roger that.
Sean placed his open palm on the door and focused his saol into it. The bright light outlined his hand and sank into the metal door. It winked softly and went dark. Raphael was right; he shouldn’t be here now. But he couldn’t just leave her like this. Mica would lose her mind if she saw her friend now. He paced for a minute and jumped when the singing started again.
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word...”
Her voice sent his blood to the freezer and he forced himself not to shiver. He wasn’t afraid of a human woman...no matter how creepy her lullaby sounded.
Her eyes were open and staring, but she wasn’t awake. She stroked her belly with an odd jerky motion. Mechanical.
No, not her belly...
Ah, hell.
Closing his eyes, he swore in three different dead languages before swallowing the bile that rose in the back of his throat.
He sighed and said a silent prayer to Raphael. He moved closer and lifted the corner of the material covering the bundle on her lap.
Jesus.
That explained the smell.
The air shifted behind him as someone materialized. He stepped into the shadows and went ghost.
“Dimitri, thank God.” Sean greeted his friend with a huge sigh of relief.
Dimitri’s eyes went round in surprise. “What are you doing in here?”
“Listen to me quick. That woman is Dani Taylor. She’s a friend. Dec has a soft spot for her. She was carrying a demon spawn. It’s dead.” He frowned and added, “I think it’s still, uh, connected to her womb.”
Dimitri whistled in alarm. “Okaaaay. That’s just gross on a whole new level. I’ll take her to another safe house and call Raphael.”
Sean nodded his approval. “Good plan. Don’t bring her anywhere near Mica or Dec. She’s probably marked.” At Dimitri’s look of surprise, he added, “Long story. Raphael will know what to do.”
They stared soberly at each other, both aware of the likely outcome.
Sean suggested, “I’d take the whole chair if I were you.”
With a grim nod, his brother Primani saluted and vanished with Dani, chair and all.
Sean took just enough time to destroy his mark on the door and cleanse any lingering Primani vibes before ghosting out of there.
“Well it’s about fucking time. Nice of you to show up.” Dagin’s mouth twisted into a snarl of contempt as he watched Sean enter the room.
The demon had taken to wearing the mask of a tall heavily-muscled human. This one had the look and mannerisms of a cage fighter from say, Trenton, New Jersey. The mask was part Italian, part Cuban, part Rottweiler: Dark skinned, dark eyed, with an explosive temperament. Not that Sean had anything against Rotts; he’d seen plenty that were great dogs. Blending the Rottie aggression with demon morals...Well, that was just asking for shit to go down. Dagin thought he was clever though and strutted around like he was the world champ.
More like world chump.
Ha.
Sean ignored the rude comment. He’d kill him eventually. Today wasn’t the right day. Instead of rising to the bait, he clapped him on the back on the way by and grinned like he was happy to be there.
“Sorry, asshole, I don’t answer to you.”
Dagin shrugged and leaned against the wall with crossed arms. He watched Sean with lowered lids for five minutes before saying slyly, “You know, your woman sure was sweet. The taste of her...mm, mm.” He licked his lips and showed his fangs.
Sean kept moving away from the doorway. He counted to ten while picking at nonexistent dirt under his fingernails.
He counted to ten again.
Raphael? I really want to kill Dagin.
Faint laughter rang inside his mind.
Dagin’s purring voice came again. “Oh, I don’t know, but I think she liked me better than you. She made the most exciting little whimpers when I ripped off her clothes. It was hard to resist.”
“Do you want to keep your tongue?” Sean turned slowly and raised his palm. A fine thread of energy coiled into a whip that dangled from his fingers. Another word and he would snatch the fucker’s tongue right out of his head.
The door to the office opened and Jordan’s assistant Kyrrin stepped into the room. Kyrrin was a minor demon who generally acted like a suckass. He was slightly built with wispy blond hair that was forever in his eyes. His eyes were reptilian, but strangely green instead of the typical demon red or yellow. His demon form was so close to humanoid that he didn’t bother to mask himself here. There were a few giveaways though. The extra fingers on each hand weren’t too obvious, but the twin grey horns on his head sure were. He also sported a set of retractable fangs.
The alpha male in Sean wanted to kick the shit out of him--just because. That, too, would have to wait. Instead of jamming the little wuss into the wall, Sean nodded at him and crossed his arms over his chest. This oughta be good.
Kyrrin swallowed nervously and said, “The Commander is unavailable. He left instructions for you both. Uh, Dagin, you’re to get an update from Dr. Braughn and brief the Commander tonight at 9:00 sharp. He wants to know when the first batch will be ready for large-scale testing.”
Dagin smirked at the choice assignment. Sean groaned inside. Damn it. He needed to follow the smallpox trail, but Jordan wouldn’t let him anywhere near it. He still didn’t trust him that far. Instead, he was training the demon soldiers on battle tactics.
Stalking forward, Dagin snapped in the wussy demon’s face, “Anything else, dickhead?”
Blanching and edging closer to Sean, Kyrrin whispered, “That’s it,” and buried his nose in his notebook again.
Dagin snickered and punched Kyrrin in the face. The little demon’s nose spurted oily black fluid and he pulled out a tissue with shaking hands.
Sean stepped forward and bumped chests with the MMA wannabe. “Piss off, Jersey Shore. It’s my turn.”
Dagin shoved him but Sean held his ground and sneered into his face. Come on, hit me. Do it! He wanted to rip Dagin’s head off but needed him to go first. If he was punished again, he wanted company.
Shouldering Sean to the side, Dagin stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
Getting his temper under wraps again, Sean considered the wimpy admin assistant with disgust. It made no sense. He was a demon, for crying out loud. Hello? Evil by nature. Come on, buddy, get your shit together.
Tick tock.
After several minutes of gushing, Kyrrin finally sniffed loudly and shoved the wad of disgusting tissues into the trash can. Straightening his starched white collar with some dignity, he turned to Sean. His expression clearly showed he expected more ridicule, but he lifted his chin and met Sean’s eyes anyway.
Hmm. Maybe he’s got some balls after all. Interesting.
Changing tactics, Sean said, “You’ve got a hard job, Kyrrin. I don’t envy you, man.”
Surprise, quickly masked with wariness, jumped into his eyes. The little demon sighed and said more firmly, “I have your orders, if you’re ready for them.”
“I’m listening.”
“You need to build a bomb.”
Chapter 21: Lost and Found
London, England:
“RIVIN! ARE YOU NUTS? What are you doing here?” Killian roared the second he rematerialized and spotted Rivin’s huge frame sprawl
ed asleep on the couch.
Rivin jumped two feet in the air and threw both arms out in defense. His head swiveled back and forth as he tried to figure out where the threat was.
Killian ground his molars together and dragged the dumbass Primani outside by the back of his leather jacket.
Dec, who’d been lounging over one of the armchairs, hopped nimbly to his feet and followed with Domino at his heels. “Dude, what’s the problem? You’re freakin’ me out!”
Killian rounded on Rivin and snarled, “You dumbass! You can’t be here! You can’t be around Mica now.”
Speechless for once in his life, Rivin gaped at Killian like he’d lost his marbles. Mica peered through the curtains in the bedroom window above them. Her face lit with the force of her emotions and Killian felt it all the way to his bones.
Stay inside, baby, please. He sent his thoughts to her.
Her frown came immediately. He locked his eyes to hers and willed her not to argue. There was too much at stake.
She nodded and smiled with a slow wave of her hand.
Find me when you’re done?
Guaranteed.
She stayed in the window and watched as he tried not to kill Rivin. What was the idiot thinking? Didn’t he know better?
Now that the shock wore off, Rivin was thoroughly pissed. He wrenched Killian’s grip off of his jacket and shouted, “Back off, arsewipe! What’s your problem?”
Striving for patience and a sense of calm he wasn’t feeling, Killian dropped his hands and ground out, “You can’t expose her to the virus. She’s pregnant.”
Rivin’s mouth twitched and his eyes shot to the window above them. “No bloody way!”
Dec slapped him on the back, “Breathe, big guy. It’s just a baby.”
“Yeah, but...this is different. This is our baby!” He flashed a tentative smile of wonder and fingered the cross at his throat. “It’s a miracle.”
The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) Page 101