“What the hell …” he breathed.
“It’s okay,” I told him. “You’re okay.”
But Xavier could no longer hear me. He just watched in amazement as Gabriel looped his hands through the front window, gripping the roof of the car. On the other side, Ivy did the same. Then they began to slowly lift it back onto the road. The muscles in their arms didn’t even strain, just flexed ever so slightly as they guided the car back to solid earth. It landed so smoothly that Xavier didn’t even shift position in his seat. Ivy’s and Gabriel’s wings, which had been beating rhythmically to hold them up, retracted in a flash as soon as their feet connected with the ground.
Xavier threw open the door and jumped out at the first opportunity. He leaned against the hood and exhaled loudly.
“I don’t believe it,” he murmured.
“Neither do we.” My sister glowered. “What were you thinking?”
“Hold up.” A look of surprise flitted across Xavier’s face. “You think I did this on purpose?”
Gabriel fixed him with his penetrating gaze. “A car doesn’t drive itself off a cliff.”
“Guys.” Xavier threw up his hands. “Jake was controlling the car. What kind of an idiot do you take me for?”
“You saw him too?” Ivy’s eyes widened. “We sensed his presence, but we didn’t think he’d have the nerve to show himself.”
“He didn’t show himself exactly.” Xavier frowned. “I couldn’t see him … but Beth told me he was there.”
“Beth?” Gabriel looked as if he thought Xavier might be losing his mind.
“She spoke to me through the radio … and then she appeared when I thought I was going to die.” Xavier twisted his face into a grimace, aware of how far-fetched his story sounded. “It’s true, I swear.”
“All right,” Ivy said grimly. “Whatever happened, we have to remember that Jake is pulling some dirty moves. At least we got here in time.”
“That’s the thing,” Xavier said, crossing his arms. “The car was gonna smash, I know it was. Then suddenly it stopped, and Beth and Jake were gone.”
“What are you saying?” Gabriel asked.
“I’m not sure — but I know Jake was trying to kill me. Something or someone stopped him.”
Ivy and Gabriel exchanged worried looks. “Let’s just be thankful you’re all right,” said my sister.
“Yeah.” Xavier nodded, but he still looked concerned. “Thanks for helping me out. Jeez, I hope no one saw you.”
A faint smile played around Gabriel’s lips and he pushed back the lock of golden hair that had fallen loose from his ponytail.
“Look around you,” he said. “Do you see anyone?”
Xavier looked and a thoughtful frown appeared on his face. His eyes fell upon a snake in the long grass. It seemed to have stopped mid-slither, locked in place. He turned his face upward and his mouth fell open in surprise to see the fleeing birds frozen in the sky, as if the whole world had become trapped inside a painting. Only then did the dead silence become apparent. All the sounds of the world had stopped. There was no buzzing of crickets in the air or the sound of vehicles on the road. Not even the wind could break through the silence.
“Wait …” Xavier passed a hand over his eyes. “Did you guys do this? No way, it’s impossible.”
“You of all people should know that nothing is impossible,” my sister said.
Xavier’s brilliant blue eyes met Ivy’s cool, steel gaze. “Tell me you didn’t stop time.”
“We didn’t stop it exactly,” Gabriel said casually, inspecting the Chevy for signs of damage. “We may have put it on hold for a few minutes.”
“Are you serious!” Xavier cried. He was struggling to process what they were telling him. “Are you even allowed to do that?”
“That’s beside the point,” Gabriel retorted. “We did what we had to do. Can’t have civilians watching two angels carry a car out of the sky.”
My brother closed his eyes for a moment and lifted his palms upward. A moment later signs of life burst out all around us. I jumped, having never realized how noisy life was until I heard the world without it. It was strangely comforting to see the trees swaying in the breeze and watch a beetle shuffle across the dry earth.
Xavier shivered and shook his head as if to clear it. “Won’t people notice what just happened?”
“You’d be surprised what slips under the human radar,” Ivy said. “Stranger things happen every day and nobody pays any attention to it. People constantly catch glimpses of the supernatural, but they turn a blind eye, they blame it on too much coffee or not enough sleep. There are hundreds of excuses to disguise the truth.”
“If you say so,” was all Xavier said.
“What about Bethany?” Ivy asked. “You say she was physically present?”
“I saw her.” Xavier scuffed his shoe against the ground. “I’ve sort of … communicated with her a few times now.”
Ivy pursed her lips. “Thanks for sharing that piece of information with us,” she said and then a crease appeared in her forehead. “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”
Gabriel frowned. “Astral projection?” he asked dubiously. “From Hell?”
“Perhaps Bethany is more powerful than the demons realize … than even she realizes.”
“What they don’t know,” Gabriel said, “is just how connected to the earth Bethany really is.” He cast a sidelong glance at Xavier. “You tie her to this place more strongly than anything they understand.” He drummed his fingers against the hood of the car and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “From what we’ve seen so far, it’s like a magnetic pull drawing the two of you together. The bond is so strong that Bethany is able to reach you even from where she is.”
Even though my heart was still throbbing in my chest from the shock of what had just happened, I still managed to feel proud of my relationship with Xavier. If I could reach him, even from my underground prison, if my love for him could break through a barrier of evil, it was truly saying something about the strength of our connection. The phrase how good are we? floated into my head and I smiled to myself, thinking this would be an appropriate time to give him a high-five.
Gabriel’s words seemed to have touched Xavier in a different way.
“This is crap,” he said eventually. “Jake’s playing us and we’re letting him.” He passed a hand over his face and the silver promise ring on his index finger glinted in the new morning light. “Does he really think we’re just gonna lay down and die?” His expression was so hard I thought I could see silver lightning bolts in his ocean eyes. He dragged a hand through his hair and squinted into the horizon. “Well, I’ve had it. I want her back and I’m sick of these games. Come hell or high water, I’m going to find her. You hear that, Jake?” Xavier opened his arms and yelled at the open sky. “I know you’re out there somewhere and you better believe me. This is not over.”
Gabriel and Ivy remained wordless. They stood together like one entity, their pale eyes grave and the rising sun setting their hair ablaze. I could see something different in their eyes and realized with a start that it was anger. Not just anger; but a deep, unbridled fury toward the demonic forces that had claimed one of their own.
When Gabriel spoke, his voice was like a rumble of thunder. “You’re right,” he said to Xavier. “We’re through playing by the rules.”
“We need to act now,” Xavier said.
“What we need to do is get back to the motel and pack our things,” Gabriel said. “We’re leaving for Broken Hill in an hour.”
31
Deal with the Devil
I wasn’t hopeful. Even though I knew my family would find the train station in Alabama where the fatal collision had occurred, I had no idea how they planned to get the portal open. Portals were engineered to repel angelic power; only agents of darkness knew how to use them. Gabriel was a high roller in Heaven, and even he couldn’t wrangle them open. As far as I knew, the angels had never had
any reason to break into Hell. They were unconcerned with what went on underground — that was Lucifer’s domain. It was only when Hell’s inhabitants snuck up to wreak havoc on the earth that they got involved. A small part of me wanted to believe that Xavier’s stoicism would be enough to save me, but I pushed aside the tiny kernel of hope that threatened to blossom inside me. If I let myself wish for salvation, I wouldn’t survive the blow should they fail.
I was so caught up thinking about Gabriel’s plan that I almost forgot what had led them to take such extreme action. Xavier had almost died. If it weren’t for the deal I’d struck with Jake, he’d be gone by now, joining the millions of souls in Heaven where I might never see him again. Jake had tried to kill Xavier; he had sent Diego as bait to confuse him and push him over the edge. The flutter of hope I felt in my belly turned into something fiercer, something seething and dark. The hatred I felt toward Jake was like nothing I’d experienced before. He had me completely cornered, at his mercy, separated from my loved ones with no hope of returning to them … and still he wasn’t content.
I flung open the door of my hotel suite and ran down the passage toward the VIP lounge where Jake spent most of his time when he wasn’t tormenting me. I needed to find out what he wanted in exchange for Xavier’s safety. I found him reclining on a leather sofa, deep in conversation with Asia, who gave a nasty smirk when she saw me.
“Your brat is here,” she said, downing the contents of her shot glass and standing up. “I’ll see myself out.”
“You,” I said when I was within inches of Jake, “are the most repulsive, despicable creature to ever slither out of the ground!” I was literally vibrating with anger. Jake sat up and watched me with a bemused expression. I wanted to punch him right in his smug face, but I knew that wouldn’t do any good. I’d only end up hurting myself.
“Hello, cupcake,” he drawled. “You seem upset.”
“I can’t believe you tried to hurt him!” I yelled. “This was supposed to be between me and you. Why do you always have to go one step too far?”
“No harm, no foul, right?” Jake waved his hands as if nothing had happened. “Now, if I remember correctly I am a repulsive, despicable creature that you made a deal with.”
“Only because I had no choice!”
“The circumstances aren’t really important,” he said.
I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “So what do you want, Jake? What’s the trade for sparing Xavier’s life?”
Jake regarded me lazily with a stare that was like ice and fire at the same time. His bottomless black eyes reminded me of a deep, cold well, the kind in which you drop a stone and never hear it hit the bottom. But when he looked at me, they blazed with an uncomfortable intensity that made my skin itch. He pressed his long, white fingers together and frowned, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words.
“Just spit it out.”
He gazed at me long and hard before leaning forward and spreading his hands flat on the table in front of him. “Oh, I know exactly what I want from you.”
“Go ahead,” I said boldly. “Let’s hear it.”
Jake sighed. “I’ve spent some time considering how to best use my little bargaining chip in order to bring us closer.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Go on …”
“I think I’ve come up with the perfect deal,” he stood up and moved closer to me. “The one thing you want most is to protect your polo-wearing pretty boy and keep him alive. The one thing I want most is simple. I want you — though regrettably you have never reciprocated those feelings despite proof of my devotion.”
I swallowed back the urge to snort at his use of the word devotion.
“Okay …,” I said stiffly. I didn’t like where this was heading. I wasn’t exactly sure what he had in mind, but knowing Jake, it couldn’t be anything fair or reasonable.
“I’ll promise not to harm him,” Jake said. “I’ll even promise not to interfere in your little projection adventures. But I want you to give up something in return.”
“I can’t imagine what I’ve got that you would want,” I said in confusion.
“Maybe you’re not thinking hard enough,” Jake smiled humorlessly. “There’s something I want very much indeed. Think of it as a gift, in return for my clemency.”
“Quit beating around the bush and tell me what you’re asking,” I said impatiently, trying to keep my emotions under control.
“I’m asking you to give yourself to me,” Jake said, his dark eyes glinting.
I had an inkling of what he was alluding to, but I didn’t want to accept it. I needed to hear him say it aloud to confirm my suspicions. “You’re going to have to spell it out,” I said defiantly.
“Oh, you’re so adorably naïve,” Jake smirked. “I mean it quite literally. I will never go near your precious Prince Charming again if you agree to surrender yourself to me for just one night. I want you to give me your virtue.”
“Wait … you want me to …” I faltered as the true meaning of his words sank in and I stared at him in disgust. “You want me to have sex with you?”
“That sounds so transactional. I’d prefer it if you used the term making love,” he said.
I stared at him, grappling to find an appropriate response. There were so many things I wanted to say, so many ways of expressing my repugnance for him and my unmitigated refusal to touch him.
“You have serious issues,” was the first thing that made it past my lips.
“There’s no need to be rude,” Jake said pleasantly. “If my ego weren’t the size of the Northern Hemisphere, I might be wounded right now. There are plenty of women falling over themselves for a chance to spend a night with me. Consider yourself privileged.”
“Do you even realize what you’re asking?” I spluttered.
“It’s sex, the satisfaction of a carnal appetite. No biggie,” Jake said.
“It is a big deal!” I yelled. “You’re supposed to have sex with the person you love, the person you trust, the person you hope will one day be the father your children.”
“That’s true,” Jake conceded. “Sex can sometimes have nasty side effects in the form of small children, but I’ll arrange everything so there are no complications. You’ll be in expert hands.”
“Are you even listening to me?” I said. “This is as bad as selling my soul.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jake scoffed. “The purpose of sex is pleasure not procreation. All you have to do is relax and let me do what I do best. Remember, every compromise has a price.”
“The purpose of sex is to create life,” I corrected him. “In sleeping with you I’d be committing to you, making a statement that I trust you, that I want to create life with you. With you …” I repeated for emphasis. “You’re a liar and a cheat and a murderer. I would never give myself to you!”
Jake didn’t even have the good grace to look offended. “We made a deal,” he said tonelessly. “You agreed to do anything I asked. If you refuse now, I’ll make it my personal mission to make sure Xavier doesn’t live to see another sunrise.”
“You stay away from him.”
“Hey.” Jake stabbed a finger in my direction. “Don’t deal with the devil if you can’t handle it.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t believe what he was asking. He’d chosen the one thing I couldn’t deliver. It would be like inviting his darkness to enter my physical body, allowing our two violently opposite souls to merge.
“I suppose Xavier doesn’t mean that much to you after all,” Jake said lazily. “If you’re willing to let something so insignificant threaten his life.”
I stared at him as my mind struggled to come to terms with what I’d just heard. Would it really be the ultimate betrayal or the ultimate sacrifice?
“I just always imagined it would be with him,” I murmured almost to myself.
“I know,” Jake said, his voice drenched with exaggerated sympathy. “And usually I’d be more than open
to the prospect of a threesome, but under such circumstances I think it might be a little awkward.”
I didn’t bother trying to come up with a response. I felt sick to my stomach. Jake had the power to kill Xavier — he’d proved that this morning. If I reneged on the deal, there was nothing stopping him from heading straight back to find him. I knew Ivy and Gabriel were on the alert, but all he had to do was find Xavier alone and in a moment of weakness. He wouldn’t care if it took him days or weeks, he’d find a way. I knew what I had to do before my mind fully grasped the concept. Xavier’s words floated back to me then: “Beth, a relationship isn’t only based on the physical … I love you for you, not for what you can offer me.” Did that mean he’d want me to accept Jake’s offer? I didn’t know and I wished I had someone to guide me. All I knew was that the prospect of sleeping with Jake, horrible as it was, was easier to imagine than the prospect of losing Xavier. The truth was I’d do whatever was required of me to keep him safe.
“All right,” I agreed, my eyes brimming with tears. “You win. I’m yours.”
“Good,” said Jake. “You’ve made the right decision. I’ll send Hanna up to help you get ready. I want to make good on this deal tonight … just in case you should change your mind.”
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