by Izzy Shows
“All right, not Weylyn. You’re going to have to get over this because there’s no one else I can take.”
“Miss Emily cans come with you,” he said, very matter-of-fact.
“Uh, no. That’s a hard no.”
“Miss Emily is ables to protect you from the spawns of hell. She is good and touched by holiness, she is. You is takings her.”
“I’m not.” I planted my hands on my hips. “Emily is not going to hell. You just finished telling me no one ever comes back, and you want me to risk my girlfriend?”
“I thought you is sayings you will be coming backs?” he asked mildly, looking the picture of innocence.
Trapped. Damn him.
“Of course I’m coming back. But Emily can’t come. She…she wouldn’t want to.”
Emily and I had talked about my lingering feelings for Malphas and how much I hated myself for having them even though I loved her, as well as, how much he had hurt me. She knew everything; I didn’t keep secrets from her. But it didn’t feel right to ask my girlfriend to help me save my, well, he wasn’t my ex, per se. We had never dated, but still. It just wasn’t fair.
I shook my head. “No.”
“You is asking, Miss Blair! You is asking her to comes with you! You is saying she can’t because she is not wanting to, but you is giving her no chances at all to be sayings so. You is asking.”
I glared at him, wanting to argue with him about it, but I couldn’t come up with any reason that would convince him.
“Fine.” I clenched my jaw for a moment. “I’ll ask her.”
It wouldn’t matter anyway. There was no bloody way she’d agree.
Chapter 6
This is such a bad idea.
I stared at Emily’s front door. She had a cozy house, almost a cottage, with a beautiful garden in the front. It was picture perfect. No matter how many times I came, I still didn’t feel like I had a right to be there. Emily thought it was silly, but my whole life had been dirty flats and homes full of nothing but despair. Being on the front stoop of a house so filled with warmth and happiness was just at odds with everything I knew.
I’d been standing there for a full minute, not able to knock. No matter what I’d said to Fred, I didn’t want to ask this of her.
It’s not fair for me to even ask. I shouldn’t be doing this.
But for some reason, I’d never been able to back out after giving my word. And it wasn’t like it was a point of honor. I physically couldn’t stop myself from following through on an oath.
I’d promised Fred, which meant I had to do this.
I tried to force myself to turn and walk away, but my legs wouldn’t obey. Instead, though I struggled against it, my hand lifted, formed into a fist, and knocked on the door.
Emily appeared a moment later. My knees weakened at the sight of her.
Her light brown skin was soft to the touch. Freckles were sprinkled over her whole face—not just her cheeks and nose. Her striking green eyes complemented the sun dress she wore. She preferred to keep her red cloud of kinky curls natural instead of braiding or straightening it. However, she always complained about how it was a bitch—my words, not hers—to manage.
Gods, I would never get tired of looking at her. She was such a sharp contrast to my white as the freshly fallen snow skin, and hair, and icy blue eyes.
Only our physiques matched. While I was much taller than her, we were both well-muscled. Came with the territory of our jobs. She was one of the Seven, a warrior of the lord, and I was the self-appointed defender of London.
Well, not so much self-appointed anymore. Diego was technically in charge of London as far as the Order was concerned, but he’d made it clear he expected me to keep up my work. He was only here to train me, which meant on the job training as well.
“What are you doing here?” Her eyes were bright, and a beaming smile curved her lips. “I wasn’t expecting you!”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m sorry. I should have called first. Are you busy?”
“No, not at all. Come on in.” She stepped back and gestured me inside.
I crossed the threshold, feeling the familiar snap as I passed. Thresholds had the power to keep magical entities—not just magic users, but Fae, demons, and all sorts of other things—out, but not all were created equal. My threshold was weak because it wasn’t a family home. It was why I needed so many wards to keep myself safe. Emily’s, though, was the strongest one I’d ever come across. The house had been in her family for generations. Generations growing up and loving one another, laughing and living together, had made it a home in more than just name.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind her threshold could keep even an uninvited Malphas out.
But I’d been invited, so my magic and I were allowed in.
She enveloped me in a hug, then pulled back and kissed me. My body melted the moment her lips touched mine. She tasted sweet, like chocolate, and intoxicating at the same time. Kahlua was an apt description. I could never get enough of her.
My arms wrapped around her as I deepened the kiss. My tongue invaded her mouth to taste her more thoroughly. I drank her in like a dying man in the desert, never able to sate my thirst.
Only when I was starved for air did I pull away. Her cheeks were tinged pink, and she took a few moments to catch her breath.
She giggled. “Well, hello to you too.”
“Sorry,” I said, blushing. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
My body yearned for more, to touch and taste her, to show her how much I needed her. But I held back. Emily and I hadn’t gone there yet. We’d only been dating for a few months, and I wanted to take things slow. I didn’t want to rush her or make her feel like I expected more than she was willing to give.
“Do you want some tea?” she asked, walking into the kitchen.
“Sure, I’d love a cup.”
It was an excuse not to talk about why I was here. I desperately wished I could just avoid it altogether and go home, but my promise wouldn’t let me. We were going to talk about this whether I wanted to or not.
She fixed two cups of tea, and we sat down in the sitting room. I put my cup on the coffee table to let it cool.
“How’s work?” I ignored the tingling sensation at the back of my neck as I continued to avoid the necessary conversation.
“Oh, just about the same as always. My boss is just ridiculous. He’s stressed out about something, but he won’t share it with the rest of us yet. I’m a little worried, but there’s nothing I can do.”
I grimaced. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
When she wasn’t hunting demons and saving innocents, Emily worked at a bank. It had always seemed a little funny that she would have such an ordinary job when she was such an extraordinary woman.
“It’s all right. No sense in fretting over something outside my control.”
I grinned. “I wish I could see things that way. I’m always stressing about everything.”
She smiled back. “You always have a thousand things going on inside that head of yours It’s a wonder you ever get any rest.”
I arched one eyebrow. “There are some things that stop all the racket in my head.”
Her cheeks flushed again. “Yes, I’ll just bet.”
You. You make all the noise stop and the world stand still.
But I didn’t say that. Didn’t want to scare her.
I took a sip of my tea, letting the warmth flow through me and soothe some of my nerves.
“You look a little stress right now,” Emily said, observant as always. “Is there something on your mind?”
I sighed and set the cup down. “Yes. I didn’t really want to talk about it, but I need to.”
“You know you can tell me anything.” She patted my hand reassuringly.
“I know. But, it’s too much to ask. And anyway, I want you to say no. I just have to ask so that technically you get to make the choice.”
“Well, d
oesn’t that sound ominous.”
“Please say no.”
She shook her head. “I can’t say no before I hear what it is.”
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “Fine. I’ll just come out with it, then. No point in avoiding it. I can’t forever, anyway…”
She waited patiently, not pushing me to get on with it, which I appreciated.
“Malphas is in danger,” I whispered, my eyes dropping to my lap.
“Oh, Blair.” She reached out and pulled me into her arms. “I’m so sorry.”
How was she able to do that? To just put aside everything else and comfort me, without any regard to how awful it was for me to need the comfort on this topic in the first place. How could she not judge me?
“It’s stupid,” I mumbled, tucking my chin over her shoulder. “I shouldn’t care about it.”
“Of course, you care. Feelings don’t just go away.”
“I know. Thank you for saying that.” I pulled away, taking a deep breath and tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. “But that’s not all. I need to go and find him. I need to save him if he needs it.”
“How do you know he needs help?”
I filled her in on Malphas’ appearance at my house, and how he’d told me he was dying.
“Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good at all,” she said, her eyebrows pinched together. “And he said an angel was doing this to him?”
I nodded. “Chained him up. He had stab wounds all over his chest and stomach. He was being tortured.”
Her eyes widened, and her face went ashen. “That can’t be right. No angel would ever do something so horrid.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. That isn’t the way. Forgiveness, mercy, that’s what all of this is about. Everyone deserves the opportunity for redemption.”
When we had finally cornered Lilith, Emily had been poised to deliver the killing blow, but she had stopped and offered mercy to the succubus.
Emily would offer mercy and salvation to even a demon.
“What if he denied it? What if he was offered mercy and redemption, and he rejected it?”
“Then he would be given a swift, as painless as possible, death. The Lord would not want his children to suffer, and we are all his children. Malphas most of all.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Emily’s words agreed with what Fred had suggested earlier.
“Then there’s a possibility this angel has been tainted just like Lilith was,” I said, meeting her eyes again. “If this kind of thing is so out of character for an angel, if it goes against the very fiber of their being, then the only thing explanation is the infection.”
Emily nodded her head thoughtfully. “Actually, there are two possibilities. The angel might be tainted as you say, or they might have fallen. But this angel told Malphas they were intent on purifying him, right?”
“Right.”
“Mmm. A fallen angel wouldn’t care to purify another of the fallen. So, I agree with you. The angel is most likely infected.”
“That makes my job so much easier,” I said with a relieved sigh.
“How so?”
“Well, now I’m not snatching an angel’s prey out from under them. I’m just going to cure them. Which means you don’t have to be upset with me.”
She laughed. “Oh, Blair. When are you going to learn? How could I possibly be upset with you for stopping someone’s pain and torment?”
“I don’t know…because Malphas is Fallen?”
“No one deserves to be treated like that. Not even one of the fallen.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. Because I’m going to hell to save him.”
Her eyes widened, and she made a choking sound. “I have to have heard you wrong.”
I bit my lip. “Ah, no. I’m going to hell.”
“Blair, you can’t. It’s too dangerous. No one ever comes back.”
I opened my mouth to respond.
She held up a hand. “Stop. I can see you’re only going to argue with me.” She let out a long, exasperated sigh. “But I’m coming with you.”
My jaw dropped. “But…but you can’t!”
Never mind the fact that that was precisely what I’d come here to ask her.
“Of course, I can. Who else is qualified for such a mission?”
“But can you even…what if you physically can’t?”
“Nothing will stop me from keeping you safe.” Her eyes glinted with a frightening determination. “Nothing.”
I shivered, then laughed.
“What’s funny about that?” she asked.
“Nothing. I’m just laughing because I came here after promising Fred I would ask you to come with me. But I didn’t actually want you to. And yet, before I could even ask, you offered.”
She grinned. “And you won’t talk me out of it.”
“But Emily…it isn’t fair to even ask you to do this.”
“Then it’s a good thing you aren’t asking, isn’t it? I’m offering, which makes it okay.”
I smiled softly. She was good.
“All right. So, we’re doing this.” I frowned. “Now…how do we get to hell?”
Chapter 7
Getting to hell was harder than you’d think.
There was the usual way, but I certainly wasn’t going to kill myself. And to that point, I didn’t know which direction I’d go when I kicked off, or how many directions I could go in. Furthermore, it was apparent Emily certainly wasn’t going to hell when her time came, so death wasn’t going to work.
We had to find another way.
Which was why I drew a circle in my basement. Again.
Fred tugged on one of his ears. “Miss Blair, I is not liking this. Not liking this one bit.”
“I would agree with the imp on this.” Weylyn glared at me from where he sat beside the circle. “This is a bad idea.”
“Oh come off it,” I said. “It’s not that bad an idea, and it’s the only one we’ve got.”
“Summoning a demon will only end badly. When does it ever work out?”
“I don’t know. When I summoned Malphas that one time, I got what I wanted.” I blushed remembering that day. It had been the day of Tyburn Tree; when everything had gone to hell. I’d asked him for power, and he’d given it to me with no fuss. Except for the kiss.
So, summoning demons wasn’t always bad. Who was I kidding? Malphas was the exception, not the rule. He had, well, I’d thought he’d had a soft spot for me, but then he’d called me a fool for trusting him, told me to go and never come back, and thrown Emily against a wall like she was nothing but a rag doll. I’d been sure it had all been just a game to him. He’d only been bored and looking for some entertainment anywhere he could find it. But then he’d shown up on my doorstep, saying it had all been for my own good, which I didn’t agree with. So now, I was just confused.
I didn’t know how he really felt, and it drove me insane.
This is so not the time to be thinking about this.
I gave myself a well-deserved scolding. Being distracted before a spell as tricky as this one was foolish. Summoning anything was always tricky; it was all too easy for something else to answer the call you put out into the universe.
Like how I’d met Malphas. Aidan had tried to summon a lesser demon, and instead, Malphas had shown up.
“Regardless of how you feel about the matter,” I said, turning a stern eye on first Weylyn, then Fred. “I’m doing this. I need to find out how to get to hell, and since neither of you knows how to get to there, I need to ask someone else. Any demon should know. There’s no need for me to summon anyone too dangerous.”
“But you admit that any of them are dangerous.”
I huffed out a breath. “Of course, all demons are dangerous. They’re not exactly known for hosting tea parties, now are they? I’m not a fool, Weylyn.”
His eyes softened. “I did not mean to imply you were. I worry for you.”
; “I know.” I smiled at him. “I appreciate it.”
Usually, it was impossible for Weylyn and I to misinterpret one another. We had full access to each other’s minds, which meant we understood one another more than anyone else ever could. Deep down I’d known that wasn’t what he’d meant. But the situation with Malphas had me so riled up I couldn’t think straight.
I waited to see if they had anything else to say on the matter. But they let it drop, thank the gods, and I got to work setting up the circle. When it was completed, I began the chant to call a lesser demon to the circle. I was careful with my words, making sure the offer wouldn’t be seen by anyone other than who I intended. I had no interest in treating with a nephilim, one of the higher demons. Cambien, lesser demons, were difficult enough on their own. I didn’t need to complicate the situation.
I also wasn’t going to sit on the floor as I did for regular spells and rituals. You always wanted to put yourself in as much of a position of power as possible when treating with demons. Any weakness perceived, no matter how small, could cost you.
There was no giant puff of smoke or dramatic entrance, just one moment there was nothing in the circle, and the next moment there was a woman. She was thin, with fire red hair and dark brown eyes that were almost black. She wore a plain, black suit.
She smiled. It screamed predator. “Oh, hello.”
“Hello,” I said, deciding to lead with politeness.
She sized me up. “Your reputation precedes you, Hunter.”
I frowned. “You know me?”
“Of you. You have many names in the circles I run in, but the Hunter in the Darkness is the one most frequently used.”
I sighed. “The vampires are fond of that one, too.”
Ever since I’d played the part of Dudley’s enforcer, it had stuck. I couldn’t seem to get rid of it now, no matter how silly it sounded.
She tilted her head to the side. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to get into hell.” There was no point in pussy footing around, and I'd always been blunt.
Her eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Mortals are not generally interested in visiting the likes of us. What brings you to my home?”