The thick liquid in front of my face began to thin, until nothing but a thin membrane separated me from Hell. Dark forms danced on the other side. Shadowy ferals, dozens and dozens of them, ready to make their way onto Earth. They opened the great wide chasms of their mouths and snarled. Although muffled, I could still hear the strength of their vicious roars.
My heart palpitated, painfully skipping beats as I beat around for something to hold onto. Anything to keep me from making that final move into the underworld. But there was nothing. The tiniest pinprick of a hole appeared in the membrane in front of me, spilling the cold light of Hell onto my face.
Just give up already. The demonic force in my head inched forward, her excitement tangible. Your fight is over. Give it over to me.
Never! I screamed. She would never have control over me. I’d rather be torn into a million pieces than let that parasite have her way.
You’re done. Your usefulness as our key is over. Those demons will desecrate your body in ways you couldn’t imagine. Give it up to me. Save yourself.
I swallowed hard remembering that I had no weapon on me. Not a single thing to end my life when I entered the realm of the demons. There wouldn’t be a quick death waiting for me. Only agony, pain, and torture.
I’d served my purpose. They didn’t need a key anymore. Not when they had full access to the world above. I’d opened the gate. Soon, they’d all walk through and claim the Earth.
Even through the panic, something in the back of my mind clicked. Slowly, thoughts began to swirl. I’d been born with a destiny, Elizabeth had said. With a purpose. A key that could open the Hell Gate and release Hell on Earth.
But keys didn’t just open doors.
It was a stretch, but just maybe, the world didn’t have to end this way. Maybe, my powers were good for more than death and destruction.
Reaching out with my mind, I felt the music of the power strumming around me. It played heavy and fast, like a techno beat in a night club. The pulses sent goosebumps down my arms. It was the same hurried and panicked feeling I got whenever I let anger get the best of me.
The feeling was intoxicating. I could’ve only too easily given into it, just as I had during my training sessions in the forest. Give up control. Ride the wave. But not this time.
Now, I listened to my heart.
There was good that resided in my heart and soul. It wasn’t for nothing. For too long, I’d been obsessed with the bad inside me. The demonic side. But there was another side. An angelic presence with the powers of heaven. Something strong enough to defeat the darkness.
Concentrating on the staccato rhythm of the gate, I willed it to match the steady beat of my heart. Slow down. Conform to me. Let me control it.
What are you doing? My demon lashed out, its tendrils of smoke wrapping through the tender parts of my mind. Terror infused its touch. But I was immune to its sting.
I was the key. This gate listened to me. I was in control.
Soon, the rhythm changed. Like the steady rocking of a metronome, it slowly adapted to my demands. Tick, tick, tick. I smiled as it listened to me, like a living entity, waiting for my move. The warm bath around me began to change. It grew thicker and more viscous, pushing me away from the thin layer to Hell.
Stop it! You can’t do that. That’s not supposed to happen.
What isn’t supposed to happen? I asked, smiling to myself. Me, taking control of myself for once? Thanks to Manuel, you don’t have power over me anymore. Anger will no longer rule my life. And this key will be closing the door to Hell—for good. That’s my destiny.
With a pop, I stepped out of the gate and onto hard ground. Breathing deeply, I inhaled the smell of pine needles, the scent of a coming rainstorm, and fresh dirt. Home again. Pressing a hand on the gate behind me, I smiled with relief to see that it’d become a thick wall, impenetrable by the strongest of demons. No ferals would be getting through today.
The world was safe. Tears of relief choked my throat and I threw my head back in silence thanks, staring at the sky above.
But this war wasn’t over yet. The rage of battle above me had me racing up the hill and into the fray. Ten ferals remained, each already occupied in a fight. Elizabeth had somehow obtained a sword and was sparring with Luke. He had a long cut across his cheek and several rips in his shirt. Gabe fought beside him, each taking turns to advance on her.
“Elizabeth!” I bellowed out her name above the clash of metal.
She looked over her shoulder at me and her face went pale. Dodging a blow from Gabe, she sidestepped him and twirled away.
“Lizzy!” Gabe and Luke both shouted at once.
I gave them a reassuring smile and turned back to my nemesis. “You’ve lost,” I shouted. “Your Prince is stuck in Hell forever.”
Her mouth fell open and she screeched, “You lie.”
“Not today.” Taking a step toward her, I straightened myself to my tallest height. “You see, keys aren’t just good for opening gates. They’re good for closing them, too. The gate is sealed. You’ve lost. Give up.”
An unholy scream ripped from her throat. She tore at her clothes, clawing at them with vicious strength. Around her, ferals began to drop left and right.
“You ungrateful child.” She shook her head, her face crumpling. “You slug. I knew you’d never amount to anything. Your Granny was right. I should’ve drowned you in the lake.”
Nothing she could say could wipe the triumphant smile from my face. All the insults in the world weren’t going to ruin this victory. I’d come out of that Hell Gate changed in more ways than one. Starting today, things were going to be different for this warrior.
“I think that’s about enough.” Luke wiped his hand across the back of his head, spreading a smear of blood. “You can go back to Hell, where you belong.”
With a single lunge of his long legs, he struck with his sword, driving it into her heart. Elizabeth gasped and squirmed on his weapon. As he withdrew it, a cloud of black smoke seeped from the wound. It spread out among the forest floor. Curling around my ankle, I felt it try to gain purchase, as if searching for something to keep it from sinking down to the inevitable. But it didn’t find it. With a last groan, the cloud sunk into the ground and disappeared.
Elizabeth fell to the ground, crimson blooming across her torn blouse. Her eyelids fluttered as she clutched at her chest and gazed up at the pine trees above.
“Luke?” Blood appeared at the edge of her mouth. She coughed up a spray and reached for him. “My love.”
He was by her side in an instant, clasping her hand in his. Cradling her head, he leaned her up to look in her eyes. “Elizabeth.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Tears fell from the corner of her brown eyes and down her lovely face. “I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t fight it.”
“It’s not your fault.” He gasped and pulled her in closer. Blood and tears ran down his chin and onto her chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t see. I didn’t know. It’s unforgivable.”
“Don’t.” She pressed a bloody finger to his lips. “Don’t blame yourself.”
His head dropped and he sobbed into her shoulder.
I stood watching from only feet away, my eyes glued to the sight of my mother dying on the forest floor. Margaret Thatcher’s death had been quick and absolute. I hadn’t expected to get a glimpse of the mother I never knew. I hadn’t expected to watch her die.
“Lizzy.” Her hand reached out to me. I stared at it, unsure what to do. “Lizzy, please.” She coughed up blood again.
Suddenly, Gabe stood by my side. The soft heat of his body warmed mine. He gently took my elbow and led me forward, guiding my hand to hers. It was so small and childlike. My fingers curled around hers, even though I was afraid I might break her.
“Mom?” The word felt so foreign on my lips. I grimaced and tried again. “Mom? Is that you?”
Weakly nodding her head, she sighed. Her voice grew quieter. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get to watc
h you grow up, my darling. I’ve missed you, terribly. Just know, that I have always loved you.”
My face contorted in an effort to keep back the tears. This wasn’t fair. She didn’t deserve to die this way. “Don’t leave, Mom. We have so much to make up for. I can’t lose you again.”
“I’m afraid I have to.” Shallow breaths wracked her body. She took a deep breath and sighed again. “My time has run out.”
Hot tears fell from my eyes. “Fight it. Fight for me.”
Her dark eyes began to cloud over. She gripped my hand tighter, her voice coming out in a whisper. “I’ve always fought for you, my Lizzy. Always.”
A long, slow release of breath brought a stillness to her features. Every muscle in her face relaxed and her eyes stared empty up at the sky. The tight grip she’d held on my hand fell soft. Her body went limp and her heart beat no longer.
Luke pulled her into his arms and sobbed into her long blonde hair, rocking back and forth on the ground. I watched, feeling empty and lost. How could I lose her again? The mother I’d always longed for?
Gabe’s arms surrounded me. At first I tried to push him away, the grief inside was too much to bear. But he gently held me against his chest and then I couldn’t fight it anymore. Giant, angry tears fell onto his shirt.
And so we mourned.
Chapter Twenty-One
We arrived back at the green lawn, now splattered in blood and pieces of broken weapons. The bodies of the fallen had been moved to the floor of the great hall. Crisp, white sheets were being draped over the victims as we walked in.
“This is too many,” Luke cried, looking around. He carried my mother’s lifeless body in his arms.
Draping my arms around my torso, I forced myself to look at the casualties. Ariana, one of Luke’s fellow board members and not my biggest fan, was the first I recognized. Her hands had been laid on top of her chest where her fierce red nails rested on the tattered remains of her shirt. Erik Lutz, Raquel’s beloved trainer, lay beside her with a gaping wound in his chest.
My cousin fell down beside him to weep as my eyes surveyed the rest of the room. So many faces I recognized. Too many to count. The cost of this battle had been high.
Finally, my gaze fell on Manuel’s motionless form. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve said he was meditating. All the muscles in his face had softened and the tension that he usually held in his shoulders was gone. I fell to my knees beside him and took his cold hand.
“He was a splendid warrior.”
I looked up to see Ashley standing above me. A red scratch marred her beautiful cheek and blood stains dotted her shirt. She cocked her hip where a sword hung.
“He really was.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I owe him my life. His training is the reason I’m still alive and that I was able to close the Hell Gate.”
She kneeled beside me, our shoulders brushing. “Then, we all owe him our lives.
We sat like that in silence for a few minutes. It felt right to honor each person’s sacrifice. Eventually, people came to collect the bodies. They took Manuel’s and I reluctantly let go of his hand.
Elizabeth was the last to go. Luke didn’t want to part with her. He shook his head to protest, but finally released his grip.
“She’s at peace, Uncle Luke,” Raquel told him, rubbing his shoulder.
He nodded, wiping away a silent tear. I wasn’t sure how to feel. I should’ve been sobbing with him, but my mom had been dead to me for most of my life. Nothing had really changed. Except now, she truly was at peace and not stuck within an immortal cage. For that, I was eternally grateful.
As we watched her go, I stood next to my father and felt the itch of a question lingering deep inside me. There was something that Elizabeth had said that disturbed me. It might not have been the time to ask, but I couldn’t stand waiting.
“Luke?”
He looked down at me, his eyes wet.
I took a deep breath and let it spill out. “Elizabeth said something as she was dragging me through the woods. She said that demons can only inhabit people who are already partly evil. That my mother wasn’t innocent. Is that true?”
A muscle in his jaw throbbed and anger filled his eyes. Instantly, I wished I hadn’t said anything. He took me by the shoulders and stared into my eyes.
“Lizzy, no one in this world is completely innocent,” he said, his voice harsh. “Humans are a broken people. From the day we take our first breath, we have to contend with a deep selfishness. A desire to only care for one’s self. But that doesn’t make someone evil.”
I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. “So, my mother...?”
“She was as complicated as the next person, but she was also amazingly kind, loving, and energetic. I wish you could’ve known her as I did. But that demon was twisting the truth, trying to hit you where it could hurt the most. Your mother had her flaws, but she wasn’t evil. And neither are you.”
He pulled me into a tight hug that threatened to squeeze the air out of my lungs. I wrapped my arms around him and closed my eyes for a brief second, feeling the relief wash over me. It was the last thing weighing on my mind and hearing Luke’s words had finally set my heart at ease.
Adam came striding in through the hallway toward us. On his arms, he wore the scars of battle, claw marks crisscrossing his skin.
“Come to the ballroom,” he said, running a hand over his short blond hair. “What’s left of the board is convening.”
We hurried after him. Just as it had been earlier today, the ballroom was alive with the residents of Westward Manor. But this time, all the humans and even the few Nephilim children were in attendance. They all turned to watch us as we strode into the room. I felt every eye fall on me and I couldn’t be sure if it was a friendly gaze or something more accusing.
“Where’s Silvia?” Luke demanded. He’d dried off the tears and morphed back into the man I knew—the man who took charge.
“She and Oscar flew the coop.” Esther stood up from her seat. Raquel ran to her arms and they embraced tightly.
“The European alliance is going to be hearing about this,” he growled. “And about Silvia’s attempted assassination of one of our own. That is an unforgivable act.”
Esther nodded solemnly. “And the Hell Gate? Is it true what I’ve heard? That it’s been closed?”
He placed a hand on my back. “It’s true. Lizzy has sealed it shut.”
A shocked murmur went through the crowd. I scanned over it to see Gabe standing in the back, leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, a bloody lip and tousled hair acting as remnants of the battle. His intense gaze fell on me. I wanted to melt into it, make the events of today disappear. Instead, I stared back until he turned away.
“The battle is over.” Luke pulled me in closer to his side. “Rest tonight. Tomorrow, we bury the dead and rebuild.”
There was a collective sigh of relief and then the shifting of chairs as people began to rise. Dozens of people came by to shake my hand and pat me on the back. I tried to hold back my tears. They didn’t hate me. I hadn’t lost my place among the Nephilim. I still had a home.
I looked across the room, searching for Gabe, to no avail. He’d disappeared.
❖
The next morning, I watched Gabe walk across the green lawn and into the stables. It was still early and I couldn’t sleep, so I’d curled up on the concrete bench—the same bench where Manuel had confessed to me his family secrets. Dropping my feet to the ground, I hurried after him.
“I’ve been looking for you,” I said as I entered the stable. It sounded more accusing than I’d meant.
Gabe stood next to Clint’s stall, feeding him a carrot. He brushed the mane off Clint’s forelock and scratched his chin. “I figured you’d find me eventually.”
“Can we talk?”
He sighed and turned to me. “Sure.”
His dark brown hair fell across sleepy eyes. It had been several days since he’d shaved an
d a scruffy beard had begun to form on his chin.
“You don’t sound so sure,” I said, biting my lip.
“Can you blame me?” With a shrug, he dropped his broad shoulders. “The last time you and I had a full conversation, you said you wanted to end our partnership. I figured, the more space I gave you, the more likely it would be for you to change your mind.”
I took a step closer. Clint nudged my arm, searching for a treat.
“Are you sure you want to be partnered with a demon?”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re not a demon...”
I opened my mouth to argue.
“Well, not all of you,” he cut me off. “There’s so much more to you than that, Lizzy. You’re a daughter, a friend, a partner, and an incredibly strong warrior. And you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
My heart began to beat faster. Gabe loved me.
He. Loved. Me.
I reached forward and brushed the hair from his face. He grabbed my hand and, closing his eyes, pressed his lips to my palm. Shivers ran down my spine at the touch of his mouth.
“I wanted to tell you that I was wrong,” I said, as he kissed my hand again. “Wrong to rely on my anger for strength. Wrong to hate myself for something that I couldn’t control. And I was wrong to push you away. I love you more than anything.”
His eyes snapped open. “Can I get that in writing?”
I smiled. “I’ll write I love you a million times if that’ll make you happy.”
“No, not that part.” He gave me a devilish grin. “The part about you being wrong.”
Snatching my hand away, I pegged him on the shoulder. He grabbed the spot I’d hit and winced unconvincingly.
“If you’re not going to take this conversation seriously, then I’m going to leave,” I threatened, turning on my heels to go.
The pressure of his hand on my hip spun me around and I found myself chest to chest with him. He growled as he leaned in, his lips only a hairsbreadth from mine.
“Don’t ever leave me again,” he murmured, his hands stroking the back of my hair.
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