He stepped under the hot water and sighed as he let his head fall back under the spray. He was worrying about Thoros and the others. What if they never came back? The thought almost brought him to his knees, because he hadn’t allowed himself to dwell on what could go wrong. Now, he realized that a lot could and it was killing him not knowing what was happening to his best friend. The son of a bitch had freed him from an eternity of pain and agony, and then just left him here.
He would do whatever he had to, to get them all back safely. The problem that was irritating the hell out of him, was he didn’t have a clue when to leave or how to find his group once he arrived. He wished Josselyn hadn’t refused his offer to accompany them. The human girl could have stayed. Aries could have stayed. Damien, Fallis and the other angels that had come with Josselyn would have protected them.
Baddon sighed in defeat and prayed for the best, prayed for the safe return of Thoros and his soulmate—Lord knew nobody would be able to be around the bastard if something happened to Josselyn—as well as the others that were with them, and he prayed he would never have to face Lucifer again. He seriously doubted all his prayers would be answered, though. Why would God listen to what a half-souled immortal wanted?
Baddon squeezed his eyes closed, trying to ignore the overwhelming images of the disaster he could foresee if only one of his prayers wasn’t answered, and then lied to himself that the tears streaming from his eyes were not tears, but the hot water coming from the shower head.
The lie was short lived as his long legs buckled and he unintentionally collapsed to the corner of the tiled shower. Trembling, he pulled his knees in close and tried desperately to gain back control of his body and thoughts. But the harder he tried, the more severe the racking sobs became. There was nobody else he trusted. Almost two days—two days not knowing anything. This was going to drive him crazy! He should have kept talking, kept begging until Josselyn agreed to let him go so he could protect them. He ran his fingers through his wet hair, his anguish turning quickly into fury as his elbows rested on his bare knees.
Baddon clenched his jaw and shouted out a curse as he jumped swiftly to his feet and punched his fist through the brown granite tile in front of him. Hopeless and breathing heavily, he let his forehead fall to his forearm that was rested against the shower wall. He felt something brush his hand softly and he jerked his arm back out of the arm-sized hole. Squatting a bit so he could peer through the hole, he discovered he had punched his fist all the way through to his walk-in closet, and his clothes were still rocking on their hangers from the disturbance. “Great,” he muttered to himself. “Something else to freaking fix. Isn’t saving the world good enough, God?”
“Baddon! You all right, dude?”
Thoros? Eyes wide and disbelieving, Baddon rushed to peek around the tile wall. His face fell and he let his head fall back against the granite when he saw one of the angels Josselyn had brought with her—Marcus, he thought—standing in the door of his bathroom. It wasn’t Thoros.
He frowned as he pointed his thumb over his right shoulder at the hole in the tile and the crumbled stone and sheetrock under the spray of steaming water. “I’m good. Just doing a little redecorating, that’s all. I didn’t mean to make you think I was beating down a demon or anything.” Baddon gave a fake chuckle.
Marcus frowned and nodded once as if he didn’t believe one thing that came out of the half-souled immortal’s mouth.
Baddon lost his smile, his brow furrowing with the quickly approaching ill mood coming on. He pointed a long finger at the angel. “Look, I didn’t ask you to butt your way into my business, holy boy, so just keep your nose—”
“You seem troubled. We’re all going through a lot right now. I’m here if you need someone to listen. It’s not like I have anything else to do. The demon hasn’t shown its face in over two days.”
Baddon sighed, then paused and looked away for a few moments, trying to decide whether to burden anyone with his troubles. Chelsea would help when she got here. He would make sure there was an impression of her back and ass in his mattress when he got done with her. He finally looked back at the angel. The guy hadn’t moved an inch. “I’m upset.”
Marcus nodded. “That’s obvious. What’s doing? Maybe I can help.”
“I’m worried. Why have they been gone for so long?”
Marcus sniggered, like he had a secret.
“Never mind, asshole. You don’t want to help; you want to piss me off. Get out of here and let me finish washing my ass.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t suppose anyone has informed you of the time frame difference between Earth and Limbo, have they?”
Baddon put a large squeeze of body wash on the shower puff and froze. He looked around the wall again and frowned at Marcus. “Explain. And do it fast. I’m about to have company, and you’re not invited… unless she’s into that.”
Marcus smirked and leaned his shoulder against the wall next to the door, arms crossed casually across his chest. The guy looked more relaxed having a conversation with a naked man taking a shower than he should. “They’ve only been in Limbo about five or six hours.” He shrugged. “Maybe less. Three hours there is the equivalent of about a day here. One twenty-four hour day in Limbo is over a week for us. They’ve not been there long at all. We thought everyone knew or we would have said something. I’m positive they’re fine, Baddon. You can start worrying when you have slept four weeks and they still have not returned. That would be about four days to them.
Baddon’s eyes popped open wide and his heart gave several hard kicks against his ribs. “Four freaking weeks!?”
“Maybe more. Could be less.” Marcus shrugged again. “Who knows? All I’m saying is, it’s way too early to start worrying. You’ll drive yourself crazy, dude.”
Baddon stared off in a daze as Marcus turned and left him in privacy. “I think I already have.”
Chapter 33
Thoros
The atmosphere was mild, no harsh winds or extreme temperatures to slow them down. The farther they traveled from the acid lake, the more beautiful their surroundings became. Sweet fragrances—floral, with maybe a hint of baking bread—wafted by Thoros’ nose, making his mouth water. He knew he couldn’t taste anything, because he had given that sense up to the ferry, and that tortured him even more.
There was light, but no source for it, and no shadows were thrown from any trees, huts or moving objects. Thoros didn’t dwell on it much; Hell was the same, and he had heard a rumor that Heaven was, too.
In only a few short miles, their borrowed horses had carried them through every sort of terrain imaginable. From the murky acid lake, Omega had guided them around a snow-capped mountain, through a dense, dark forest, across cracked soil flatlands, and then down a steep, rocky embankment into a valley of bright green pastures that smelled like daisies and sunshine.
Not knowing what this world had in store for them, Thoros tried to be aware of everything all at once. It was a little overwhelming with so much to see, but he knew Josselyn was doing the same from where she sat, behind him.
With her arms locked loosely around his waist, Thoros led their horse a few paces behind Isaiah and Omega’s steeds. Because of her sightless condition, Isaiah had volunteered to let Aries ride with him. Trembling in fear of what she could not see, she clung to his back like a scared little monkey.
Thoros craned his neck in their direction, listening intently to the conversation between the archangel and their guide. He didn’t think of it as eavesdropping. It was only eavesdropping if the people talking didn’t know you were listening to what they were saying, and it wasn’t like they were whispering or anything.
Isaiah had asked how big Limbo was. Thoros found that he was leaning even closer, pretending to pet the slick coat of the mare, to better hear Omega’s answer.
“It goes on indefinitely in all directions—”
“Unlike Hell then?” Thoros interrupted without thinking.
Omega looked ov
er his shoulder at him and grinned wickedly before looking back to Isaiah. “If the demon says it’s unlike Hell, I will only have to take him at his word. I’ve never been there myself.”
Thoros’ eyes dilated as he glared at the side of Omega’s face, but he made no comment. Everyone expected him to be good. And he was trying. He really, really was.
Josselyn’s arms tightened around him as she cleared her throat. Thoros drew in a calming breath and forced himself to relax, all the while thinking that if he were still a prince over the Syde of Lust this shithead would be begging for mercy by now. He didn’t need powers to hurt him, but Josselyn was here, and she had asked him not to start or finish a fight with G.I. Joe, because they “needed him”. Thoros rolled his eyes, thinking that he couldn’t wait for the moment the asshat wasn’t “needed” any longer.
“What about the people here? And the living conditions?” Isaiah asked, after passing a man in ragged clothing that was sitting on the side of the narrow pathway. The man didn’t say anything to Omega. He actually appeared to be avoiding eye contact with any of them. Thoros’ eyebrows drew down in thought, and then he looked back at Omega as Isaiah’s question was answered.
“It’s really not a bad place to spend eternity. Most people stay away from the city, trying to avoid the other guests here. They like being alone, because that way they only have to deal with their own fears.”
“I see,” Isaiah said, but it didn’t sound as if he actually did.
Omega nodded to the right at a magnificent gray and indigo colored castle sitting atop a tall mound. The grass surrounding it was greener than any Thoros had ever seen before.
“That is our destination. Queen Melina’s castle. Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Thoros glanced in the direction Omega nodded to. The castle was exquisite in every way. He had seen many fine ones as a human, but none as perfect as this one. It was an illusion, though, he knew. He could see through the façade of it. It was a mouse trap, a prison of death, and they were the mice. His biggest fear was that Queen Melina was going to want something they would never be able to give her. Then they would be trapped here forever. His free hand came up to cover Josselyn’s linked fingers at his waist, and he felt a rush of panic shoot through him. He had to protect her.
“Yes, it is that,” Thoros said, and then finished the rest of his thought under his breath, “though most things that are beautiful are extremely dangerous.” Thoros looked nervously behind him at Ethan and Emma. They were staring, completely mesmerized by the beauty of the massive castle.
Now would be an opportune time to start praying, Thoros thought.
Josselyn
I could tell Thoros was nervous. So was I. Even knowing Isaiah could read both our thoughts, he hadn’t seemed to notice our uneasiness. Actually, he appeared to be delighted that we were here and going to have a meet and greet with the Queen of Limbo. It may have only been an act for Omega, but he was damn good if that was the case. Hollywood would be happy to stumble across someone with such natural acting talent. He did already know Melina, so he knew what to expect, though it had been thousands of years since they had seen one another. I could not wrap my mind around that—thousands of years.
I drew in a deep breath and followed Isaiah through the large door of the palace.
The interior was even more beautiful than I had imagined. The overwhelming feeling that I was about to meet the one person that held the fate of Heaven and Earth in her hands slammed into me like a wrecking ball. Uneasiness surrounded my heart and the blood began to rush through my veins as I told myself there was no way I could complete this mission successfully. The world was about to end and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it!
I wasn’t used to feeling panic. I was well trained to control my emotions, but this was just too much. I wasn’t prepared for this sort of situation. Nobody was.
Thoros tugged me off to the right and I realized that I had been drifting in my thoughts—more like stressing. Omega had told us to wait in the front sitting room for him so he could announce our arrival to the queen. Good, maybe this wouldn’t take as long as I had so dreaded it would, I thought, and then sat beside Thoros on a very comfortable ruby red sofa.
We shared a silent look, and then he sighed and pulled me to him, placing his lips on my forehead. The anxiety I was feeling must have been written all over my face. He held me against him, trying to comfort me when he couldn’t even hide the uncertainty of what would happen in his own eyes. “It will be okay,” he whispered. “I refuse to believe otherwise.”
“What if one day is not enough for her?” I whispered. “I begged the Council to allow me to offer her more. I mean, I would do it to be able to see you again, but I would want more. What do we do if she wants more? What if she doesn’t want to see him at all? She has the advantage. We can’t get out of here unless she lets us out. Thoros—”
I jerked when someone touched my shoulder and quickly looked up to see Aries and Emma standing behind the sofa. Aries had her eyes closed—not that it mattered, she couldn’t see anyway. She reached out and placed two fingers to each side of my head, in the center of my temples. “What—ahh…”
I heard Thoros’ worried voice asking her what she had done to me, but she didn’t reply. Whatever she had done felt amazing. I was relaxed, carefree and sleepy. I covered my mouth with my hand as a yawn escaped.
At that moment, Isaiah’s voice echoed through my mind. “Worrying about things you can’t help is a waste of time, Josselyn. Think back to your training. Do not crowd your mind with unnecessary clutter. It will cloud your mind, and when you need to come up with a plan you will be unable to. Let it go. It will work out. You’ll see.”
I nodded and felt Aries’ touch leave me.
I recognized the sound of quick footsteps on a stone floor, but I couldn’t find the will to care much about why they were so swiftly approaching.
Thoros stood first and held out his hand to help me to my feet. At first I thought he was being ridiculous, but when I tried to stand unassisted, the room swam in front of my eyes, and the soft sofa was there to catch me when I collapsed.
Without laughing, he offered his hand again. I took it and let him help me stand at his side. The look on his face told me he wasn’t at all comfortable with what Aries had done to me. That made one of us. I felt great.
“Is she all right?” I heard Omega’s voice, but I didn’t have the energy to respond right away.
Thoros wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me upright and molded to the side of his body. I was so tired. I leaned my head against Thoros’ chest and drooled on his shirt, but he didn’t seem to care. That was good, because I really couldn’t help it.
“She will be fine—I hope,” Thoros said in a clipped tone.
“She will be after she rests awhile,” Aries said. “She was already so anxious, and I knew of the news you were bringing us. It would have only made her condition worse.”
I thought mildly. News? Should I be upset about something?
“You already know of what I came to tell you?” Omega said.
I couldn’t lift my eyelids to check out his astonished expression, but I could hear it in his voice.
“Yes, I do,” Aries said. “The queen told you she would meet us at the masquerade ball, thrown in honor of our visit, and that you are to show us to our rooms to get rested up and refreshed for tonight’s festivities.”
We are going to a ball? I love balls!
There was a long moment of silence and I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness, but then Omega snapped me back awake with his voice. My eyes jerked open to focus on him, but I still felt dizzy and nauseous at the sudden movement.
“What are you?” he demanded, and then looked to Thoros with an accusing stare. “What have you brought with you through the gates of Limbo? Queen Melina will have your heads for this!”
Thoros shrugged. “We are immortal—”
“Well, then you can be immortal with n
o head!” Omega shouted.
I heard Ethan clear his throat and realized at that moment he hadn’t said much the whole time we’d been in Limbo. I should be paying more attention to him. I can only imagine what’s going through his head. He must be so afraid. I was almost certain the weirdest things he’d ever encountered had all happened in the last day or so. I am such a horrible leader! And look, I am the only one freaking out about being here! Jesus, help me.
“Um… we aren’t all immortal. I kind of like my head where it is—”
“Please,” Isaiah said quietly, but the authority in his voice caught the attention of everyone and the room fell silent. “I think we all need a moment of rest. I know the last few days are beginning to wear on me. If you’ll show me to my quarters, Omega, I will bid you farewell until the ball.” He gave a hint of a smile. “I’m sure Melina still remembers what my measurements are.”
Measurements? I thought, and then felt an arm behind my knees as my feet were swept from the floor.
Chapter 34
Josselyn
I opened one eye and then hurriedly shoved myself into a sitting position. I had been lying in a strange bed in a beautiful room I had never seen before. Furthermore, I didn’t recall walking into it.
As I sat there nearly panicked, a low sound came from the other side of me. I whirled around and let out a breath of relief, my right hand coming up to cover my rapidly beating heart. It was Thoros, snoring softly beside me in the enormous feather-down bed.
The events of the day—or night—came rushing back at me and I had to lie back down to keep the dizzy feeling from consuming me. Aries had done something to me to force me to relax. I was thankful for it. I owed her big time. And to keep her from having to do it again, I had to get a hold of myself and not let my emotions get ahead of what was important: saving Heaven and Earth. I had to talk to the queen! How had I ended up in a bed with Thoros? Not that I was at all complaining, but the reality that Lucifer was winning this round of good versus evil was staring us all in the face.
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