by Angie Fox
But it didn't matter. We just needed to find my dad's vortex. Once we got past the beast.
It took a step toward us and we both froze.
Cripes. This was it. I hated to switch star it. Creepy or not, it was a living being. Besides, its death it might alert my dad, or worse, the Earl.
I cleared my throat, willing my voice to come out strong. "What do you want?" I asked it. It was worth a shot.
It lowered its head and let out a blood-racing growl that echoed off the walls of the small chamber.
Right.
The creature watched me without blinking. Its body coiled down, its head pushed forward, ready to strike.
The crackling intensified. Beyond the creature, deep in the shadows, I could feel the pulsing of the dark vortex.
"That's it," I said, my throat tight. "That's where the Earl is drawing his power."
It called to me with its icy pull. We must be directly under the part of the church that housed the tomb. I'd be willing to bet Dad was drawing the darkness straight down, through the vortex and straight to the Earl's base of operations.
We were so close. Almost there.
Maybe the beast would let us pass if we didn't actually touch the vortex. I sure as Hades wasn't about to get caught up in it. I just needed to draw close enough to try to see if I could shut it down, or at least get a bead on how it worked.
I couldn't imagine how anything made it through. I'd sealed the Earl into hell. I'd locked him away. He couldn't open this up on his own.
Of course, he had had the help of my dad.
Good thing I did, too.
"Can you tell where it goes?" Shiloh asked.
I glanced at her. "No." I almost didn't hear her over the pull of the portal beyond. "I'm not sure I even care right now." I just wanted to shut it down. "How does it taste?"
She let out a breath, as if she'd been holding it. "Stale."
I hadn't expected that.
We needed time to figure this out, preferably without something hunting us. But I didn't see how that was going to happen.
The jackal had moved in behind us, blocking our exit.
An icy chill settled against my back. "The vortex should taste deliciously evil or something, right?"
"It's strange," she said.
"Fuck," I said, as the jackal bared its fangs and attacked.
Chapter Twenty-One
We had nowhere else to go. Shiloh grabbed my arm as we tumbled backward into the vortex. It was like falling off a cliff in the dark. Nothing behind us, no solid ground to grab. My stomach hollowed from the sheer drop and I tried to grab something—anything—from the endless black void.
Freezing wind whipped through my hair, tangling it in my face and mouth. I lost Shiloh, my palm suddenly cold from the stolen warmth of her grip. She was with me one second and gone the next.
Shiloh! I hollered for her. No sound came out, and that terrified me as much as tumbling down a deep endless pit to a bone-shattering fall at the end.
Shiloh! I screamed until my throat burned.
But there was only silence.
I don't know how far I fell, or for how long.
My shoulder struck first, hitting hard as I slammed sideways into something solid and cold. I grabbed for it, intending to hold on for all I was worth.
A sudden white-hot light stung my eyes, blinding me as I went for my weapons. Shoot, my mind screamed.
But where?
I rolled onto my back, gasping for breath. My lungs burned. I had no air. I slammed my switch star into the soft, giving surface next to me and foul dirt spewed up. I spit it away from my lips and tasted metal. I had to be dead. Dying, at least. Usually I fought harder. What in Hades was wrong with me?
A horrible prickling sensation wound over my skin. It settled into the deepest, darkest parts of me like a parasite and I knew I had to get out of there.
I curled into a ball. Stop, drop, and roll.
And then I really was rolling, downhill.
Cripes.
I used my arms to try to stop myself, battering my wrists. I sliced my hand on the switch star in the dirt and felt the rush of pain. I cradled it against my body and felt it slippery with blood. I rolled several more times until I came to rest on my stomach. I reached out, winding my fingers through scratchy grass. I felt it against my cheek.
Muu-bork.
Something pointy and alive shoved up against the back of my head.
Muu-bork.
At least the invasive prickling sensation had ceased.
I blinked against the light and opened my eyes to see a twirly black horn aimed at my face.
Muu-bork.
I batted it away and sat up two seconds before an overgrown who-knows-what whacked me again. It had a beak instead of teeth, so that was a plus. But Hades, the thing was ugly. It looked like a mix between a goat and a parrot and was covered in shaggy silver-and-white tendrils of fur. It had floppy ears, huge black eyes and a horn like a unicorn.
At least it didn't want to eat me.
"Get away," I said, batting the horn as it tried to poke me again. I looked at my right hand—my throwing hand—and saw a long, bloody slice through the groove by my thumb.
Fan-fricking-tastic. If I were at home, I'd be driving to the ER for stitches.
Here? My eyes felt like sandpaper and my nose wouldn't stop running. I rubbed at it with my good hand and tried to think of what to do next. I was sitting in a depressingly barren field. Sparse gray grass clung to sandy soil. I'd rolled down a slight incline and sat among a flock of grazing horned creatures, like the one that was now sniffing my leg.
Phew, it smelled like the gorilla cage at the zoo.
Shiloh was nowhere in sight.
My knees felt weak and my legs tingled as I drew them up under me and stood. Black clouds billowed over gray skies. There were no birds, no trees, no real plants anywhere, save for the scrubby brush. Aside from the annoying goatlike thing sniffing my ankle, it was eerily quiet.
My stomach drew tight. I knew where I was. Purgatory.
The land was mostly flat and I could see for miles—nothing but barren wasteland.
Hot and dry air, tinged with sulfur, made me want to sneeze. Now that I looked closer, I could see the yellow substance clinging to rocks and errant blades of grass.
Lovely.
Nothing like a romp in the purgatory countryside. I'd been down to this realm only once with my dad. It had been a nightmare, but at least we'd explored a city. There was no telling what lurked in the rural stretch between Earth and hell.
A hissing sound erupted from the incline near me. I backed off fast. The creatures did the same, grunting and chirping as needles of energy pierced the air.
I drew a switch star with my left hand, ready to at least try to defend myself.
Shiloh came crashing down on the ground near the spot where I'd landed. Her fingers clutched at the barren soil and she let out a groan.
Thank God she hadn't hit the switch star I still hadn't bothered to pick up. What was wrong with me? I gave a mental curse and rushed for her.
"Don't move," I ordered, too late. She'd turned on her side and had begun rolling down the rise away from me. She missed the star. Thank heaven. I stopped before I reached the top of the rise. I wasn't about to cross over the vortex.
Instead, I went around, dodging curious horned busybodies.
"Are you okay?" I asked, drawing my star out of the dirt and re-sheathing it before I knelt next to her and helped her sit.
The black vortex that had dumped us here had to go both ways. Otherwise, how had I seen these crazy goat creatures in the dungeon under the church? This was probably how my dad was sucking up unsuspecting wildlife. And then going the other way, the vortex stole the energy from the souls my dad captured for the Earl.
It was all so…wrong.
It was a wonder we'd survived it. I had no idea how we were going to destroy it and go home.
Shiloh pushed her hair out of her face,
cringing. "Oh my God, I got in so much trouble the last time I was down here."
"Are you sad to know that's the least of our problems?" The last time I'd gotten sucked down here, the Earl was trying to lure me to my death. And now? Oh wait…
"Why are you shaking your head?" Shiloh asked, as I reached a hand down to help her up.
"Nothing," I told her. "I'm surprised they let a half demon like you into purgatory." This wasn't exactly the party palace.
She struggled to her feet, wobbling a little on her goldfish stripper heels. "What part of fun sneaking around don't you get?"
A lot, apparently.
I planted my hands on my hips and looked out over the wastelands. "Well, obviously I suck at this because I'm here instead of in Dad's church." At this rate, I'd never figure out how to stop him.
Shiloh eyed the top of the rise. "At least we know where he's drawing his energy."
We'd traveled through his gateway to ruin. It was a wonder we'd made it out alive. I walked toward the top of the rise, ignoring the harsh needling of the dark power. What I saw stopped me dead in my tracks.
My throat tightened. "Shiloh," I uttered.
She drew up next to me and gasped.
The absolute top of the rise formed a crease as long as a man. Nothing grew there. Not even a wisp of a blade of grass. Instead, it was covered in sandy dirt. A vein of white rock pierced the ground running straight down.
I pointed to it. "There's our line in the sand."
Shiloh let out a groan. "I hate being right."
I wasn't so sure I agreed with her. Yes, this sucked, but in my line of work, I'd take all the warnings I could get. The seer had predicted the fenris, the Egyptian symbology, and the line in the sand. I turned to her. Her skin was flushed, her eyes wide. "What's next?"
She touched her fingers to the long column of her throat, her voice hitching. "The demon rises."
"That's not going to happen," I told her. I wouldn't allow it.
"But, Lizzie—"
I stepped away from her, ignoring the magnetic push of the energy. It was shoving at me hard. The vortex must work like a one-way street. No doubt it could reverse directions, but right now, it was in sucking mode. I pushed my way through and reached for it.
"You're bleeding," Shiloh said, as if that mattered.
I touched the line in the sand. It was ice cold. I felt the pure chill of it a second before demonic energy singed my fingertips. "Ow!" I yanked my hand back and studied my reddened fingers. "The Earl's down there." I wet my burned fingers with my mouth. Yes, it was gross, but it hurt.
Now that I'd physically touched the line in the sand, I could feel the thrum of the energy traveling through the vortex.
Not a one-way street at all. The Earl was taking in massive amounts of soul energy with every pulse. He must have permanent ties to those poor people on Earth. And he was growing stronger by the second.
Shiloh pulled a handkerchief from in between her boobs and handed it to me. I didn't even want to know why she carried that. I accepted it and began wrapping it around my injured hand. "I'd bet anything this is where I locked him down before." Only some of the energy was escaping. I finished tightening my bandage, and ran my finger a hairbreadth over the white rock line, testing it, until I came across an area where the beat of it changed. I didn't know what to make of that until I spotted something. "There." A cold metal scarab was wedged in next to it, almost under it.
Shiloh hovered behind me. "I've never seen anything like it."
Me, neither. Still, "I'd bet anything this is my dad's relic." Dad seemed to have an affinity with insects. And the scarab was the symbol of rebirth. Hades, I didn't want the Earl to have his second coming. I glanced up at her. "Dad's sending power through this relic."
"Straight to the Earl," Shiloh finished.
I continued my exploration of the line, hoping to find something more. "We've got to seal this off." We needed to cut the ties to those souls Dad had captured for the Earl. As long as they were linked to this relic and feeding their power into hell, they'd never be free.
And the Earl would rise again.
Shiloh reached out a trembling hand and touched the relic. She jerked as she made contact. Her eyes went red and her nostrils flared. I didn't like it. "Are you okay?" I asked.
She appeared as if she were in some kind of a trance.
Even her voice had changed. It was rusty and deep when she spoke. "He has enough power now."
How could she know that? "What do you see?"
Her fingers pressed down on it, flattening against the scarab. "The exchange is complete," she said, her voice deepening. "He's locked and ready."
My own heart thundered in my chest. "Impossible," I said, praying I was right. "If he could, he'd attack."
Her eyes watered; her breath came in pants. "He just needs one more piece."
"What?" I demanded. We'd steal it from him, rob him, lock him down for good.
She stared at me. "He needs you."
The truth of it slammed into me. I understood exactly what my dad had wanted from me.
I stumbled backward down the hill, cursing my arrogance, my blind belief that I knew what was best. My dad had played me.
Sure, he'd had a chore for me to do. He didn't need me to handle creatures.
No, I was the final piece of his power puzzle. He'd melded his powers with mine not so that he could trust me, but so that he could open me up and drain me alive. As soon as they reinstalled the tomb, he was probably going to put me in it.
Well, I'd screwed up his plan, taken things into my own hands. I'd gone through the vortex and came out on the other side—whole. Yes, I might have a touch of his power inside me, but I still had free will.
And I was going to stop him.
Shiloh was still touching the relic, with her eyes closed. Like she enjoyed it.
"Back off!" I ordered, breaking her away.
She hissed at me, her eyes red, her hair a mess of tangles. I cupped her cheeks in my hands, fought her back. "This isn't you." She shoved against me, slamming her eyes closed as she did. "You're better than this, Shiloh."
She was my friend. She helped me.
And heaven knows, I needed her now.
"Stay with me now," I ordered. "I can't do this without you."
She nodded, her face a mottled mess. "I'm here," she said, shaking me off. She coughed violently, fighting for more than just breath. When she opened her eyes, they were going from red back to blue.
"Good," I said, hoping I was right.
She nodded, hand still at her mouth, as she cleared her throat. "I hate to admit it, but it's actually getting easier."
I helped her balance, so she didn't tip over. "We have to stop using you like this," I said as she straightened.
She didn't respond to that, most likely because she knew she might have to step up again. It may not be right or fair, but we both understood what needed to happen here. "How do you plug the gap?" she asked, brushing the hair away from her face.
"I don't know." I'd never done it before. The closest I'd come was sealing demons in. It required a massive influx of power. Now that Dad had rigged the seal with his relic, any added energy might backfire on me and open the gates. I wasn't about to take the chance. "It was a little too convenient that the jackal backed us into the portal." For all I knew, they might want me down here, adding energy to the line in the sand. "We need to find my mentor, Rachmort." He'd know how to approach this.
Rachmort was one of the most powerful necromancers in this or any other dimension. He specialized in dealing with black magic and demons. Which was why he lived and worked in purgatory.
"Oh, him," Shiloh said, without much enthusiasm. "He slew my half-sister."
"I'm sorry," I told her.
She shook it off.
Maybe I wasn't sorry. Her half sister had probably tried to kill me in Las Vegas.
I sighed. We had bigger problems. "I usually call Rachmort. Not that it's going to work h
ere." I had good cell phone reception, but even my stellar plan didn't cover purgatory. "Are we near a city?"
Shiloh glanced toward a blip on the horizon. "The only city." She chewed at her lip. "Lizzie, I'm not kidding you about what I saw. The soul lines were complete. He has his energy. We need to get you out of here."
"You want to tell me how?" We were at the bottom of the well. I couldn't just pick up my marbles and go home. "Anyway, you know I can't leave. I'm the only one who can do this."
She wrapped her arms protectively over her chest. "If you screw up, you could free the Earl of Hell."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I told her. I wasn't discounting her warning, though. I'd be smart about this.
She pressed her lips together for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Let's head for the city."
"I knew you'd see it my way," I said as we began walking.
Shiloh rolled her eyes.
A pack of wild fenrises darted out in front of us, running and barking. "Do you know where to find our necromancer?" she asked.
"Not exactly," I told her. But I knew a good place to start.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Shiloh pointed to a gray lump on the horizon. "Town is this way."
I squinted to see, but there wasn't much to it. "How do you know?"
She shrugged, running a hand through her disheveled hair, drawing it into sexy, messy waves. Her voice went breathy. "I can smell the sin."
Oh Lordy.
I simply had to bring a sex demon into an underworld Sodom and Gomorrah.
We started walking. "Maybe I should have brought your knitting," I said. I couldn't resist.
She snorted.
I pressed on. "I thought souls were here to serve penance." My boots crunched on the rocky soil. "Maybe earn their way to a better place."
She shot me a sideways glance. "Some folks never learn."
Touché.
We pressed forward. I had to admit, I liked having Shiloh around for this. I wasn't sure exactly how or when, but she'd grown on me.
Sure, she had her faults. Everyone did. And, yes, I wished her eyes didn't glow red sometimes. But she'd proved herself to be a good friend. A solid ally. I knew from cold, hard experience both were hard to come by, at least in anything other than biker witch or griffin form.