“Why are you so keen to help me?”
“Let’s just say I’m protecting my investment. Think about it, Beth. You don’t have to decide now although we are in an ideal position.”
“If I agree I don’t want an audience,” I said suddenly selfconscious.
“There’s only the two of us here. That’s not an audience. I don’t want to see you lose your wings and you don’t want to lose them. It’s a win-win situation, don’t you think?”
“If I do it,” I warned, “it’s only so that I can fulfil my Godgiven purpose.”
“Always the optimist,” he smiled.
“It’s called faith,” I said.
“Whatever it’s called I think we should do everything we can to keep your angelic essence intact, don’t you?”
Jake’s offer was both insulting and tempting. If he was right and I was at risk of losing an essential part of who I was, did I really have a choice? My wings were one of the things that distinguished me from him and his kind. My wings were a precious gift bestowed by my Father. If I made it out of Hades, what would I do without them? And how would Xavier feel if I came back with such a vital part of myself missing?
I brushed away the tears that were already snaking down my cheeks and took a deep breath.
“Okay,” I said. “I accept.”
Jake lifted my chin with his thumb, his strange but beautiful eyes scanning my face. “Good decision,” he said before steering us to a nearby rock ledge. “Put your right foot up here,” he instructed before upending the contents of a small, carved box he withdrew from under the bike. A shimmering chain made of fine silver links, attached to a manacle pooled onto the rock. It looked like a magical object from a mythological world. I wanted to ask about its origins but held back. Jake wrapped one end of the chain around his wrist and fettered the manacle around my ankle. Being made of mesh meant it was remarkably flexible, melding around my flesh as if it were a part of me.
I looked around at the ravine in which I was permitted to take flight. The rock face rose steeply on both sides and ended in a pervasive darkness. The black waterfall flowed silently. It was like a rocky void, a strange, ghostly abyss illuminated only by the headlights of Jake’s motorcycle, which cast a pool of opaque light around us.
“Knock yourself out,” Jake said.
Although I’d been reluctant about revealing my wings to Jake, they now seemed to have a will of their own. They were so desperate for release they didn’t even wait for a trigger or a signal from my brain. I didn’t try to restrain them and a moment later my linen nightgown hung in ragged shreds from my back. The thought of flight had energized me and my wings seemed to creak from lack of use as they rose up behind me. They emitted a pale silver light of their own and I felt them humming with power. My other muscles were also coming back to life now that my circulation had returned.
Jake watched me in silent fascination. I wondered how long it had been since he’d seen an angel’s wings up close. Did he still remember the intoxicating feeling? I didn’t have time to stop and consider it. My wings arched like a feathered canopy over us both. Jake studied them with a wistful longing and I felt suddenly proud of them. My wings were the one physical feature that separated us despite our common origins. They were a tangible reminder of who I was and where I’d come from. I would always be different from Jake. My flight through the darkness would be a reminder of all that he and his kind had relinquished for the sake of pride and power lust.
I rolled my ankle from side to side, testing the strength of the shackle. Then I dropped my head to my chest, sprinted forward a few paces, and let my wings lift me into the air.
The moment my feet were swept off the ground, I felt an instant relief, as if something dry and withered inside of me had sprung to life again. I threw myself against the enveloping darkness without grace or rhythm. I dived through it, fanning it with my beating wings and it seemed to part a little to let me through. When a firm tug at my ankle told me I’d gone too high, I didn’t dwell on my captor below but simply swooped down again, making sure to stay lower. I let my thoughts switch off and my body take over. I didn’t feel the same exhilaration I did when I flew with my family at Venus Cove, but the deep physical release was worth it. Jake stood on the ledge below, face upturned and the chain leash wound around his wrist.
From where I was he looked very small and irrelevant. In that moment I was all that existed—not my worries or fears or even my love for Xavier. I was stripped back to my very core, nothing but energy, darting and looping through the airless ravine.
I flew until my wings were begging for rest and even then I didn’t stop. When I finally descended Jake was looking at me with undisguised awe. Wordlessly he tossed me a helmet and swung himself onto the bike.
“Come on,” he said. “You can spend the night at the Ambrosia—our secret.”
“You can’t keep secrets from Lucifer,” I said. “You must know there’ll be repercussions.”
“True.” Jake shrugged. “But right now, I don’t really care.”
29
Sweet Revenge
I woke the next day feeling more like myself than I had in a long time. I stretched and arched my back, pleased to find the muscles feeling light and relaxed rather than as heavy as concrete. It was a relief to be back in the luxurious surroundings of Hotel Ambrosia even though I knew it could only be temporary.
I’d just thrown off the covers and slipped out of bed when I heard the sound of a key card in the door of the suite. I tensed up for a second expecting trouble, but it was only Hanna and Tuck poking their faces through the door. I assumed they were the only ones allowed to know about my return. Jake had ordered a lavish cooked breakfast and Hanna almost dropped the overladen tray in her enthusiasm to rush to my side.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, embracing me tightly. “I can’t believe you’re alive.” I breathed in her now-familiar smell of freshly baked bread.
Tuck, who was more guarded with his emotions, crossed the room to give my shoulder a fraternal shove.
“You had us worried for a while,” he said. “What happened back there in the arena?”
“I’m not actually sure,” I replied, accepting the glass of orange juice that Hanna thrust into my hand. “I didn’t do any of it on purpose, the fire just parted around me.”
“How did you manage to get out of the chambers?”
“Jake came last night and let me out. I’m guessing there’s going to be trouble.”
“He defied his father’s orders?” Hanna’s eyes bulged. “That’s a first.”
“I know,” I said. “I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
“Everyone’s been talkin’ bout you and your powers,” Tuck said. “They reckon Big Daddy was gonna let you out himself, see if he could cut a deal with you.”
“Maybe when Hell freezes over,” I said under my breath, but I couldn’t keep myself from feeling just a little bit hopeful. If Lucifer came up with terms I could agree to, then maybe there was a slim chance I wouldn’t have to return to my prison in the earth. On the other hand if Jake setting me free made Lucifer angry, I could end up in worse trouble. “I need to find something to wear,” I said, glancing at the dirty undergarments on the floor. I was still in the oyster silk pyjamas I’d found folded on the bed when I arrived.
I started riffling through the wardrobe, eager to change into clean clothes. Jake had added jeans and a sweater among the showy dresses and silk shirts. Perhaps he finally understood the importance of flying under the radar. I’d just slipped on the sweater and was tying my hair back in a ponytail when the door buzzed again and Jake waltzed in, forgetting to knock.
“Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” I snapped. I expected him to be anxious after last night’s escapade, but he looked so unconcerned that I wondered what bargain he’d managed to negotiate overnight.
“Never had a mother,” Jake replied breezily, before waving a dismissive hand at Hanna and Tuck. “Get o
ut.”
“I want them to stay,” I protested.
Jake gave an exaggerated sigh. “Come back in half an hour,” he instructed them in more pleasant tones before turning his attention back to me. “So, how are you feeling?”
“Much better,” I said truthfully.
“So I was right,” Jake crowed. “The solution was staring us in the face.”
“I guess,” I muttered. “What’s going to happen now? Should I be worried?”
“Relax, I’m working on it. My father prides himself on making sound business decisions and right now I’m plugging you as an asset rather than a liability. It’s got him thinking.” Jake looked at me, expecting a response, but I remained silent. “You can thank me anytime you’re ready.”
“Just because I might not have to go back to that infested hole doesn’t mean I’m any less miserable,” I explained.
“That’s a slight exaggeration,” he said flippantly.
“No, it’s not,” I said, annoyed by his attitude. “I may not be in pain anymore, but this place is still my worst nightmare.”
Jake spun around suddenly, his dark eyes on fire. “What’s it going to take with you, Bethany?” he said in a low voice. “It seems nothing I do for you is ever good enough. I’m all out of ideas.”
“What did you expect?”
“A little gratitude wouldn’t go astray.”
“For what? Did you really think rescuing me and then flying me like a kite would change anything? I’m still here and I still want to go home.”
“Get over it,” Jake snarled.
“I’ll never get over it.”
“Well, that proves you’re an idiot because I know for a fact that pretty boy is already over you.”
“He is not!” I retorted hotly. Jake could talk about whatever he wanted and most of the time it didn’t bother me, but Xavier was off-limits. Jake had no right to mention his name let alone presume to know what was happening in his life.
“Shows how little you know.” Jake was taunting me now. “Hormonal teenage boys don’t wait around forever. In fact, they’re short-term thinkers. Didn’t they teach you that in Sex Ed? It’s out of sight, out of mind with them.”
“You don’t know anything about Xavier,” I said, determined not to let him get to me. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“What if I told you I get regular updates about life on earth?” Jake smirked. “What if your brother and sister have given up looking for you and Xavier has moved on? He’s with another girl as we speak … the pretty redhead in fact. What’s her name again? I think you know her … .”
I could feel my temper growing. Did Jake honestly think he could trick me into doubting the people I loved? How naïve did he think I was?
“I’m telling the truth,” he added. “They’ve accepted they can’t help you. They tried and failed and sadly now they have to move on.”
“Then why are they going to Alabama to try and find a …” I swallowed my words immediately, realizing my mistake seconds too late. I bit my lip and watched as Jake’s brows lowered darkly and his eyes glittered with rage.
“How could you know that?” he said.
I hoped my face didn’t betray me as I tried desperately to repair the damage. “I don’t know. I’m just guessing.”
“You’re a very bad liar,” he observed, approaching with the slow stealth of a panther. “You spoke with total certainty just then. I’m betting you’ve seen them … maybe even communicated with them.”
“No … I haven’t …”
“Tell me the truth! Who showed you how?” Jake swept a crystal vase off a table so it smashed on the floor, scattering long-stemmed roses. I wished he would calm down. I wished he hadn’t dismissed Tuck and Hanna. I didn’t like being alone with him when he was this worked up.
“No one showed me anything. I figured it out by myself.”
“How many times have you done this?”
“Not many. A few.”
“And every time you were with him, right? It’s as if you never left! I should have known you were up to something. I was a fool to trust you!” He raised his hands and clawed at his temples like someone deranged.
“That’s priceless—you talking about trust.” But Jake was no longer listening.
“You’ve been playing me, making me think we were growing closer, trying to keep me in the dark about what was really going on. I thought if I gave you space and treated you like a queen you might forget about him. But you didn’t forget, did you?”
“That’s like asking me to forget who I am.”
“You still think like a schoolgirl. I thought Hades might help you mature a little, but I see now the experience has been wasted on you.”
“It’s an experience I never asked for.”
“You’ve had your last happy reunion—of that you may be sure.” He’d resumed his usual cynical tone, but the threat beneath it was real. I knew I should say something to dispel rather than exacerbate the tension between us.
“Why do we always have to fight?” I ventured. “For once can’t we try to understand each other?”
Jake shook his head and gave a rueful laugh.
“Well played, Bethany. You’re quite the actress, but you can stop now. The game’s up. You had me going for a while, though. I almost believed you were making an effort. I should have known better. I should have left you to rot in the chambers. You’ve put me in a very bad temper.”
“I don’t care,” I said. “Do whatever you like with me, send me back or hand me over to Lucifer.”
“Oh, you misunderstand me. I’m not going to harm a single hair on your head,” Jake leered. “But I will make you sorry you treated me with so little respect.”
The implication behind his words sent chills through me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means travel plans of my own are in order. I think it’s time I saw firsthand what you’re missing so badly.”
ALTHOUGH Jake had been deliberately vague about his intentions I knew him well enough to know he didn’t waste time making idle threats. He was headed to Tennessee to get even with me. I didn’t know what he planned to do once he got there, but I knew he wouldn’t stop until he succeeded. Being passed over for Xavier just when he thought he stood a chance must have been a bitter pill for him to swallow. Anyone else would have accepted it with greater dignity. But exacting revenge was the only thing that was going to satisfy Jake and what better way was there than targeting the people I loved? There was no way Jake’s demonic strength was any match for my powerful siblings and there was little point in him going after Molly. So that just left Xavier. My Achilles’ heel. Exposed and vulnerable. Especially if Jake caught him alone. And that would be easy enough to achieve.
If Xavier was in danger there was no time to waste. I needed to get back to earth and warn him before Jake got there first.
I couldn’t project right away because my mind kept filling with images of Xavier in trouble and the agitation threw my focus. In the end I jumped in the shower and turned the cold water on full blast. The shock of it cleared my head and settled my thoughts long enough for me to focus my energies. The projection happened effortlessly after that.
A moment later I was outside Xavier and Molly’s room at the Easy Stay Inn. The window was open a crack so I slid in like a trail of smoke and hovered below the ceiling fan. All was silent apart from the sound of their regular breathing and the wind chasing some dead leaves around in the parking lot outside. Molly was sound asleep in her bed, the previous drama of the evening erased from her face. Her resilience never ceased to amaze me. Xavier was much less comfortable in his sleep. He kept changing position and even sat up once to thump the pillows. Before lying down again he rested on his elbows to check the time on the digital clock. It read 5:10 A.M. Xavier cast a look around the room, his turquoise eyes bright in the darkness. When he finally did drift off to sleep his face stayed troubled, as though he were fighting
battles in his dreams.
I wished I could reach out to comfort him even though I knew I was the primary cause of his distress. I had turned his life upside down and now his safety was being threatened. So far Jake had not disturbed them and for a fraction of a second I entertained the hope that he might have been bluffing just to rattle me. But I’d seen the look in his eyes and I knew better.
The room turned suddenly cold and Molly pulled the covers up over her head. I could hear the sound of wolflike breathing. I saw it then: A shadow slid into the room with us. It crept across Molly’s sleeping form under the duvet and danced across Xavier’s features.
Sensing the presence, Xavier’s eyes snapped open, and he swung himself out of bed. His whole body was poised for a fight. I saw a vein throbbing in his neck and could almost hear his heart racing.
“Who are you?” he said through gritted teeth as a figure began to take shape before him. I recognized the curly hair and baby face even before he had fully appeared. It was Diego, dressed formally in a black suit and tie as though he were going to a funeral.
“Just an acquaintance,” Diego replied in a lazy voice. “Jake said you were pretty—he wasn’t lying.”
“What do you want?”
“You’re not very polite for someone I could kill with my little finger,” Diego said in his slimy, slightly effeminate voice.
“You do know there’s an archangel and a seraphim next door, right?” Xavier retorted. “Think maybe they can take you down?”
Diego gave an empty chuckle. “They were right about you, just like a lion cub. Killing you would be too easy.”
“So do it then,” Xavier hissed and I felt my stomach plummet to my feet.
Diego cocked his head to one side. “Oh, that’s not why I’m here. I’ve come to deliver a message.”
“Yeah?” Xavier said without a hint of fear. “Then go ahead and deliver it.”
“Our sources inform us that you and your angel squad are trying to pull off a rescue mission,” Diego said, a smirk in his voice. “I’m here to tell you not to waste your time. You might as well call off the chase. The angel you’re searching for is dead.”
Hades Page 29