Helena shook her head. “I’ve told you the truth.”
A long pause came from her neighbour. She didn’t know whether to pursue the conversation or change the topic altogether.
“How did you do it?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“Kill Andreaz. He’s known as ‘The Death Hound’ on a battlefield. Vampires could never block his attacks as they came too fast.”
His words reminded her of the fight Lucious had with the Councilman. Most of it, she couldn’t see because they moved too quickly, but it was evident Lucious was losing from the start.
“I always thought a woman would do him in. The bastard had it coming,” he said with a light chuckle.
Helena sat on the bench and rested her back against the wall. Talking to Karl was a pleasant change. “I don’t know how I did it. It just happened.”
There was no way she was going to tell a vampire she had help from a demon. Would he even believe her?
“Just happened? Well, I guess having something like that happen to me would make me a Councilman. As for you, little birdy, I don’t have a clue how they’ll deal with it.”
“So, if I was a vampire, I’d have to join the Council?”
“Yeah.”
But, she wasn’t one. Would they try to turn me? A cold chill swept through her. If they turned her, it would kill her and Lucious. “And if I don’t want to be a Council member?”
“You can be excused from a seat if you bring forth someone more powerful than you and have a duel to prove their worth. That or you can have a singing contest with the angels.”
“Great,” she mumbled.
Something stirred in the air. Dark energy rapidly gathered around her shields. Her right shoulder began to ache and, before long, her discomfort morphed into burning pain. She touched the skin where the demon placed his mark. It was hot. Helena screamed in agony as the pain grew to an unbearable level.
“Are you alright, kiddo? Your heartbeat is having a race to the stars,” Karl’s worried words filtered through the wall.
Her headache was back and cold sweat ran down her spine as she concentrated her energy on maintaining her mental barriers.
“Kiddo…?”
Her body was losing the battle. She didn’t get enough rest to put up a fight. Her teeth ground together, and she slid off the bench.
When the wave of darkness retreated, she relaxed. It was a mistake. Lazarus’ energy slammed against her mental shields, shattering them with little effort. She was encased in the darkness, and the cell melted away.
“What a pity, my flower, I thought you might withstand me a little longer,” Lazarus said.
They stood on an old stone bridge. Thick grey fog merged with the shade of the wet cobblestone beneath her bare feet. Under the bridge, an unhurried flow of water devoured the silence.
She leant over the edge to find nothing but emptiness there.
Lazarus grabbed the railing and peered over the edge as she did. He wasn’t in Eva’s form anymore. His ivory horns protruded from underneath a long mane of raven hair that trailed down his back. Black feathers were entwined into it like decorations.
She studied his clothing. It wasn’t material. Instead, an inky shadow wrapped itself around him in different shapes. She eyed his pale face. A pair of black eyes with red irises watched her.
“What do you want from me?” She knew it was a stupid question. Asking anything gave her time to search for a way out.
“Now, now, Helena,” he chided. “Of course you know what I want.”
What could he possibly offer her that she would be willing to pay her soul for? Seeing as things had hit a dead-end in the real world, being offered another choice wasn’t so bad. She shook her head. No. This wasn’t like her. Being in a company of a demon had to be worse.
“Haven’t you already realised what will happen to you?”
She had. So many bad occurrences amassed to one conclusion. Helena took a nervous step back.
Lazarus’ lips formed into a pout. “Ah, poor Helena. She wants to go back home to her mummy and daddy.”
“Stop it,” she snapped.
“She made a few bad choices in her life and became entangled in a web of supernatural beings and decisions she never thought she would have to make. Poor, poor, Helena.”
“Stop it!” she shouted, drawing further away.
“Your angel won’t help you, the vampires can’t save you. You are alone and no one cares…”
She covered her ears, but it didn’t drown out the demon’s voice. On a subconscious level, she knew he was right. She was alone. Michael told her he wouldn’t intervene in the course of these affairs, and Lucious was looking for proof to clear his name. She couldn’t take on the Council by herself, not when she needed Lazarus’ help to do it.
The reality was that she was scared. She was that same little girl who lost her grandmother when she was five. The same little girl who was forced to go from one psychologist to the next because she saw her guardian angel and no one believed her. She was scared to make another step, another decision, without hurting someone else. Scared to be where she was now.
Her body retreated until her back hit the opposite railing, and she jumped.
“It is your fault Andrew died. He wanted to protect the one he loved, but you were too afraid to give him an answer, to tell him the truth.”
Helena clutched the railing. Her fingers twisted around the metal to the point where she thought the blood would stop flowing to them.
He outstretched his hand to her. “All these problems, my flower, can disappear if you let me help you.”
She shook her head. Lazarus was a demon who wanted nothing more than to devour her soul. Her voice rose with every word. “Like you’ve helped Eva or like you have helped my other ancestors? You can take your deal and… I don’t even have the energy to curse at you!”
Her heart was beating against her ribcage, forcing the pulse to echo in her head. She studied the environment she was thrown into. It had to be a trick of some sort. It was similar to the dreamlike state she was trapped in when she was at Vincent’s.
Damn it!
The demon shrugged. “Do you believe their lives were easy before I was known to them? I did not force them to make a deal with me. They always had a choice, and they came to me, asking for my help.”
“No, it can’t be!”
Lazarus spread his arms out. “Eva was worried about her daughter. I helped her save her child. Your grandmother wished to protect your mother from your father. I, once again, came to the rescue. I can sit here all day giving you reasons for their agreement to my deals, but we do not have much time left.”
He gave her a grin that made her gut clench. “The instant the sun sets, you will be killed by those vampires, and dead people can’t go home to their family or apologise for their mistakes.” He approached her with his palms exposed. “Don’t you see? It is in my interest to keep you alive.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
She couldn’t deny the fact that sooner or later something bad would happen which would lead to her death. It was a matter of time. Was she ready to die? Could she leave what she once knew and loved behind? ‘No’ was the answer to each of those questions. She didn’t want to die. Not because of something she didn’t mean to do. Not because she refused to be violated by a beast.
“How can I collect a soul I’ve marked if the body dies beforehand? That would be no good.” He swayed his head from side to side. “How about I’ll do you a better deal?”
Lazarus disappeared and, in a split-second, re-materialised next to her with his back resting against the railing. When he clasped his hands together in excitement, Helena jumped and retreated.
“If you accept, I’ll save you from the vampires and return you home. I will let you forget about those monsters and”—he beamed at her—“you get to die your own death. What do you think?”
The deal was reasonable. Things c
ould return to the way they were. She would be able to go back to college, hang out with her friends and family again. She had missed Laura who was normal. Helena wouldn’t need to worry about vampires or fear for her life.
She opened her mouth to speak.
“How dare you tempt her with your evil?” Michael shouted from the other side of the bridge.
Lazarus turned to face the intruder shrouded in fog. “Dare? Shouldn’t you be in your realm, singing happy songs or fighting over an Archangel position?”
“I don’t care for your insults, demon. Release her.”
Michael took a firm step forwards, and the fog gathered at his feet. His movements slowed as if he was wading through a bog.
Lazarus smiled. “I’m not holding her here. We were having a civil conversation, right?”
Helena didn’t know what to do or say. Here she stood between an angel and a demon. Both waited for her to reach a decision. But, she was afraid to make a choice. So far, she hadn’t made a single right one.
“Helena, whatever he said to you, ignore it. He’s a demon, please don’t forget that!” Michael yelled. With each step, some of his light waned. He was treading on the demon’s territory, and it was taking a toll on her guardian.
“Come to me,” Michael said.
She advanced a step to meet him. This was the real Michael. He was her friend, and she had placed her trust in him. Since the demon had finally intervened, maybe her guardian could get her out of this mess.
Lazarus snickered behind her back. “You are pathetic, Michael. You, angels, never stop talking about saving the souls of the saints, doing your best to protect them, so on and so forth. In the end, you are all talk and no action. I can act and save her. Can you do that?”
Helena wrapped her arms around her middle. The demon was wrong. Michael had to have a plan. She shouldn’t listen to his ramblings. He just wanted her soul.
“You know that I cannot intervene,” Michael grumbled.
Her heart sank.
Lazarus raised his arms above his head. “And the truth comes out!”
“You can’t save me? What will happen to me if the vampires try to kill me?”
Michael said nothing.
“Tell me one more thing, angel. If she is not a saint, why is it that you are stuck with this soul?”
She twirled on the spot. Lazarus had the widest grin on his face that she had ever seen. If what he said was the truth, Michael was supposed to guard her only if she was a saint. And, since she wasn’t, there was no reason for him to be with her. Was he toying with her? Were angels as bad as demons?
“Michael, is what he says the truth?” Her nails dug so deep into her skin, she wouldn’t be surprised if she was bleeding.
“There is a reason for it, yes, but with my whole heart I wish to protect you,” Michael said.
That was all the answer she needed. He lied to her, and he would do nothing to prevent her from dying. She would be dead, and he would move on to his next assignment. All that would change would be her keeping her soul, whatever use that had when the body was already dead.
Lazarus closed the distance she had managed to put between them and spread a protective arm over her shoulders. “Humans call us demons for giving them their wishes, providing opportunities for them, and saving their lives whereas this creature will watch you suffer and point out your mistakes.”
She couldn’t think. A headache from earlier made her head pulsate. She needed more time. But, time was not something she had much of. Lazarus had a point. Demons may feed on human souls, but they also provided them with the power to do something they couldn’t do alone. They offered a chance to save a loved one or oneself if the need arose. He saved Eva’s daughter from the witch hunters as her last wish. Helena wasn’t certain of the other things he’d done to get his payments.
“Helena, please, you mustn’t listen to him,” Michael said.
If she returned with Michael, a life in confinement or imminent death awaited her.
Lazarus can save me.
The demon stroked her tangled locks with uncharacteristic tenderness.
She couldn’t decide. If she agreed to a deal with Lazarus, he would bring her back home. She could be reunited with her parents. What about Andrew? Would I forget about Lucious and the other vampires?
Lucious, the name rattled in her mind. Taking a deal with Lazarus meant she would be signing over his soul, too.
“What happens to Lucious?”
Lazarus’ smile never faltered. “Anything you want. You can keep him as a pet if you wish.”
She glared at him. “What happens to his soul?”
“That is between me and him.”
Helena shrugged off his hold. To her surprise, he didn’t try to grab her. She took a deep breath. Leaving with Michael meant death for her and Lucious. Taking a deal with the demon was pretty much doing the same but with their souls staying intact. She shot a final glance to Michael. Her gut was telling her to go with her angel, but her mind rebelled against the idea.
Living longer, isn’t that more important?
The pained expression on Michael’s face tugged at her heartstrings. There was nothing he could say to sway her decision. He had an ulterior motive for being at her side. He hid that from her, saying he was there to protect her, to guide her.
“Why are you with me, Michael?”
He looked up. It felt as if an eternity of pain and suffering was reflected in his azure eyes that were focused solely on her. “It is my punishment, any more than that I cannot reveal. I’m sorry. You must understand that by taking his deal, you are condemning more than one soul.”
“Does a soul matter that much?”
“If you die a natural death, you may be reborn, but if you sign away your soul here, it will be eaten and destroyed.”
Lazarus clicked his tongue. “There is no need for more drama. Leave the poor girl to make her choice.”
Helena’s thoughts were in turmoil. In the end, she was going to die, anyway. Rebirth was a foreign subject to her. Not like it was something she had ever contemplated. Although Lazarus’ deal was sweet, she guessed he wouldn’t wait until she was old and wrinkly to claim her soul. Demons couldn’t possibly possess that much patience.
She glanced at Michael who stood on the same spot. His stance was guarded. A faint smile graced her lips. Death with a friend at my side is better than any alternative. Helena nodded as if confirming her choice and ran to him.
Michael extended his arms to wrap her into a warm hug, squeezing her into his broad chest.
“I knew you’d make the correct choice,” he whispered into her ear.
“My choice was not based on your debating skills.”
“You’re making a mistake. They’re going to kill you,” Lazarus shouted from across the bridge.
Somehow, with her decision made, a great weight had lifted from her shoulders. Even if she were to die because of her actions, she prayed Lucious would forgive her once his soul was reborn in the next life.
“I know,” she said.
Lazarus stood there, his expression distorted by the fog. “I don’t understand why you would choose death over life.”
“It’s not a choice of life or death. It’s choosing how I die.”
Michael’s warmth took away the nervous knots in her stomach. When she looked back over her shoulder, Lazarus was already gone. She was left with her secretive guardian angel on the cobbled bridge.
He seemed to struggle with breaching the fog. His body tensed. The light he emitted blinded her, forcing her to look away.
She watched the fog sluggishly dispersing and the bridge fading away. Soon after, they were inside of her shields which, with a lot of effort, she was able to put back together.
Michael gazed at her with adoration. “There is something I wish for you to hear.”
“What is it?”
He hugged her, and she didn’t mind as it was the last comfort she was going to get.
“
I am so sorry. If I had a chance to take you out of harm’s way, I would. The demon was right. I am useless.”
She wrapped her arms around him. Her uncertainty in Michael dispersed. Knowing him for many years gave her assurance that he had done everything within his power to help her.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated.
Lifting her face to meet his beautiful eyes, she said, “I don’t blame you. I only have myself to blame for the situation I’m in.”
“I should not have allowed you to link yourself to a vampire in the first place. I am the one at fault.” He took in a quivering breath. “I believed I had lost you to him today. Your soul is too important to be handed over.”
She tried imagining what it would be like to be given a task to protect someone’s soul. The pain of losing the person she had been with for over a decade would be too much to bear. “You won’t lose me to him. I’ll stay right here with you, but we need to gather our strength. I have an inkling that I’ll be seeing the vampires sooner rather than later.”
Michael’s face fell. “Yes. I should be the one to support you, not the other way around.”
She grinned. “Even the toughest people need support once in a while.”
“Helena, I will be by your side until the end.”
When he let go, she regained consciousness and was back in the cell. She squinted, trying to block out some of the blinding light while she clambered to her feet, using the bench she lay next to for support.
“Kiddo, I take it you’re alive. What the hell happened to you? My skin was crawling with ants once you stopped screaming,” Karl said from the other side of the wall.
She grunted and massaged her temples. “How long have I been out?”
“Avoiding the question? I get it. You’ve been knocked out for the whole day. I can feel the sun setting outside.”
“From here?” Surely, he isn’t able to tell the time by sitting in an underground cell. Lucious mentioned the same thing a few times. Back then, she assumed he knew the exact time of day.
“Hey, I’ve lived for a long time.” He sounded offended.
“How can you tell?”
“When you spend a lot of time avoiding something, you tend to learn a lot about it.”
Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 1) Page 35