The Death Skull: Relic Defender, Book 2

by Cassiel Knight

  Kat’s face became a bit more solid but was still locked inside the glass. Lately, the ghost had been trying to see just where she could “place” herself. As a result, most times she ended up surprising the members of their group by popping in and out without warning.

  As much as she liked anyone, Mari liked the ghost. In life, the smallish brunette had been Lexi’s friend when both women had lived on the streets. They’d had each other’s backs until the day Kat was killed by a demon.

  A demon that happened to be Asher Dakeni, Lucifer’s Slayer.

  Mari didn’t know the full story, and neither woman seemed inclined to share. She knew enough to know that Kat had loved Asher and had believed he loved her. Right up until the time she died. Maybe even now, although Kat would never admit it.

  “Sorry,” Kat said, but the crinkle of her lips and unrepentant tone didn’t match the word. “How are you and Jackson doing?”

  “Jackson is fine. I’m fine.”

  Kat’s nose wrinkled. “You don’t sound fine to me.”

  “I don’t? Maybe it’s because I’m stuck miles above the Earth in a metal tube built by humans because an archangel decided I needed to fly in one of these ghastly things.”

  “You’re in first class. How bad can it be?” Crinkles around her mouth deepened. “Oh wait. I get it. It’s that loss-of-control thing again, isn’t it? You aren’t upset because you have to ride in one. You’re upset because you aren’t flying it.”

  Mari frowned. The human was far too perceptive. And Mari had obviously spent too much time sharing with Kat. But was that why she’d chosen to listen to Michael? It didn’t seem…right.

  “Where have you been?” Mari asked, making no comment on Kat’s assumptions.

  The smile slipped from Kat’s face but not her eyes. “It takes a lot of energy to stay semisolid. I went Between to rest. When I got back, Rocky told me you and Jackson were going on a mission.” She paused. “Together. Alone.”

  She’d definitely shared too much with the human. “It’s just work, Kat. Not a relationship.”

  One day, for some reason, Mari had felt compelled to share her problems about being around Jackson since she’d met the Texan. Girl talk. That’s what Kat had called their chat.

  “Got it,” she said. Again, Mari had the distinct feeling the ghost didn’t believe her.

  Kat continued, “But there’s something else. Rocky said you had some kind of episode. That Michael had sent you to some place in the past and you’d almost gotten hurt.”

  Mari shot a look at Jackson, making sure he wasn’t paying attention. He wasn’t. Or, at least, didn’t appear to be. Her lips turned down. “The imp talks too much,” she muttered. “He needs a muzzle.”

  “Agreed. But don’t change the subject. Tell me what happened.”

  Mari stared ahead at the head of the person who sat in the seat in front of her. A guy’s head, his curly, blond hair flattened on one side from leaning against his window. He seemed perfectly relaxed while inside the belly of the machine. Jackson’s distraction tactics—she’d figured out that’s what he had done—had kept her from bolting from the plane at takeoff, but she was in no way relaxed.

  “Mari?”

  She sighed, snuck another quick glance at Jackson, who had his eyes focused on the documents on his lap, then turned back to Kat. “Michael wanted to show me how strong the relic is. So he dropped me into an ancient Mayan village and their king tried to suck out my soul with the help of a crystal skull.”

  Kat frowned. “Your soul? I didn’t think you had a soul.”

  “I didn’t think I did either.” Mari shook her head. “No, it was more than that. I was sure I didn’t have a soul. None of us do. Did.” Her shoulders lifted into a shrug. “I don’t know.”

  “Wow. That’s a pretty big discovery.” A ghostly eyebrow rose. “What does Michael have to say about this?”

  Mari’s nose wrinkled. “I haven’t seen him since I found out.”

  “Convenient.”

  A soft bark of laughter spilled out of Mari’s lips. She darted another glance at Jackson. Still immersed in the papers. Hell’s gate, what did he find so interesting?

  “So what now?”

  Mari turned back to face Kat. “About what in particular?”

  “This mission. Why you and Jackson, not Lexi and Mikos?”

  The tiny hairs on the back of Mari’s neck lifted. “You don’t think I can handle it?”

  Kat snorted. “Of course not, don’t be ridiculous. Just seems suspicious that they’d send you and Jackson.” She hurriedly held up a hand. “Don’t get wigged out. Think about it. For the past six months, every mission given by Michael was for Lexi. No question. No hesitation, even when he had her double up on one. Suddenly, this is something you have to do. I think Michael is hiding something.”

  That was an understatement. Mari’s turn to snort. “He always is. That’s not surprising or earth-shattering news, Kat.”

  She shrugged. “Yes, well, I still don’t like it. You’ll be careful, won’t you?” The ghost’s brows were drawn down, concern written clearly on her pale face.

  “I’m always careful.”

  “No, you’re not. You are worse than Lexi. I always thought she was bold and reckless. On a scale of one to ten, you are twenty compared to her eight. Just watch your back.”

  That surprised Mari, and because she was sure the shock showed on her face, she was not taken aback when Kat continued, “Oh, don’t look at me that way. It’s not that I don’t trust Jackson. He’s pretty cool for a guy. There’s…something going on. That’s all. Just be careful.”

  Mari stared at Kat, noting the pinched grooves at the corners of her lips and the way she rubbed at her temple. Her friend was definitely worried about something. Despite the silliness of Kat worrying about Mari, she was touched by the female’s concern.

  “Okay, Kat. I’ll be careful. Don’t worry. I’ll limit my risk taking to no more than two this time.”

  “That’s not funny, but I’ll take it.”

  “You know, if you are that worried, you can follow.”

  The ghost rippled as a shudder went through her. “No thank you. I don’t want to be any closer to Beliel and his thugs than a continent, and the Between, away.” She gave Mari a warm smile. “See you when you get back,” Kat said then disappeared as quickly as she’d arrived.

  After she left, Mari cast another sideways glance at Jackson. Lines furrowed his forehead as he stared at the papers in his lap. Her gaze traveled over his profile, down the firm set of his jaw. Tanned skin showed his affection for the sun without the harshness most human flesh seemed to become after long-term exposure. He wore an open-neck, crisp, white long-sleeve shirt tucked into dark denim jeans atop scuffed cowboy boots. A mix of old and new. Much like the man himself.

  Despite herself, she found him intriguing. He had a rigid code of behavior toward women, even when she pissed him off. Yet she’d seen him go against men twice his size in bulk without backing down. The warrior in her admired this strength and tenacity. She refused to acknowledge what the woman in her admired.

  She had no idea what kind of partner he would make when they arrived in Canada. A feeling gnawed at her that they were walking into trouble. Trouble of the demon kind. He’d done well against other humans. Would he do well against her former comrades? She didn’t know.

  One thing she knew for certain. Now that she knew she had a soul, she would do everything she could to keep it safe.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time they’d left the terminal at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, found the rental facility, gotten a car and made it to the outskirts of the city, Mari was ready to burn up the whole country. She hadn’t realized how much red tape, as Jackson called it, they’d have to go through in order to enter Canada. Ridiculous.

  The only saving grace was that the countryside, once leaving Toronto, was beautiful. Early fall in Canada brought crisp, clean air mixed with the scents of wood
smoke, decaying leaves and damp dirt.

  Jackson told her they were headed for a town about two hours west of Toronto, Stratford, where the woman with the skull currently resided. Mari rested her head on the cool glass of the car’s window. Outside, the scenery rushed by. Pockets of nature were followed by pockets of civilization. The deep contrasts between untouched beauty and austere stone or steel buildings covered in reflective glass, hard asphalt roads and the pungent scents of machinery kept her gaze outside.

  Thankfully, the usually chatty human had been silent, only speaking to verify their location based on the directions from the rental car’s GPS unit. Again, another contraption designed by humans.

  Still, she had to admit that being out and on a mission made her feel more alive than she had the last several weeks. She didn’t even care that Jackson drove the vehicle, once again putting her life into a human’s hands. After centuries of stark desert environments constantly buffeted by drying winds and pelted by sand and stones, the cool comfort of Earth was welcome. No matter how hot it got in some places, the heat never matched the blistering atmosphere of Hell.

  “Looks like we found the town,” Jackson said. The first words he’d spoken since they’d gotten into the car.

  She’d glanced over at him a couple of times and he’d been staring straight ahead, apparently lost in thought, his lids heavy over his eyes. Fine with her—she hadn’t wanted to talk anyway. She followed his gaze and caught the edge of a sign that said Welcome to Stratford.

  “According to the information we were given, Lisa lives on the other side of town.”

  Mari lifted a brow. “Lisa?”

  “Ah.” He tapped the packet of documents in his lap. “The woman we are supposed to talk to. Her place isn’t far, about ten miles south. Except we’re running low on fuel. I’m going to stop at the gas station to fill up.” The corners of his lips drew downward. “Either there’s a problem with the tank or we got taken.”

  He turned the car and slipped into a gas station. At the structure he called a gas pump, he got out, placed a nozzle into the open hole in the car’s side and did something at the pumps. She heard the gas begin to flow. Jackson came to her side. He leaned toward her, his face looming outside the car’s window. With the slight breeze blowing into the car, the hint of clean male mixed with autumn scents filled her nose. She fought the urge to move closer, to take a deep breath.

  “I’m going in. Do you need anything?”

  She shook her head. “I am well.”

  “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  He stared at her for a second then pivoted and headed for the store. Mari watched him go. Long strides ate up the distance between the pumps and the store’s front. As he neared, a couple of young girls standing not far from the entrance stopped talking and watched him approach. The aroma of their interest scented the air, filling her nostrils with lust.

  The girls giggled when, as he passed, Jackson nodded at them and bent his neck. She imagined he was tipping the cowboy hat he usually wore, the one he hadn’t brought with him. The young humans giggled again, covering their mouths and whispering to each other as he entered.

  Foolish mortal females.

  Filled with the sudden urge to move, Mari got out of the cramped vehicle and stretched. Not wanting to watch the giggling girls, she turned to look out at the busy main road into and out of town. Vehicles of all sizes and shapes rushed past. Pedestrians crossed at lights—braver ones darted into the road at a traffic break. Humans running like rats, scurrying along their merry way, unmindful at just how dangerous their lives really were. Clueless as to the creatures that populated the world they claimed as their own.

  Movement out of the corner of her eye turned her head toward the direction they’d just come from. Mari frowned. Dark clouds filled the horizon, moving fast toward the town. She removed her sunglasses and squinted. No, not clouds. At least, not normal clouds. The huge mass of darkness combined into one jumble that writhed and pulsed, clots of darker spots moving within.

  Fires of Hell. She whirled and faced the door. Jackson had just walked back through the door, a smile wreathing his face. He winked at the girls then looked up at her. He gave her a little wave that froze as he saw her expression. With a fast pace just short of actually running, he returned.

  “What’s up?”

  Mari jerked her head toward the cloud and waited until he looked. His eyes widened. “What the holy hell is that?”

  “Exactly. Let’s go.”

  She climbed back into the car as he finished with the nozzle, screwed on the cap and snapped closed the lid over the hole. Once inside the car, without speaking or questioning, Jackson sped through the town, weaving in and out of traffic, ignoring red lights, screaming brakes and shouts of other humans. A couple of times, Mari grabbed at the car door’s armrest. Under her tight grip, the plastic split. The rental car people would not be pleased.

  After they’d left the town behind, Jackson shot a quick glance at her before returning his attention to the road. “Okay, what the hell is going on? What is that cloud?”

  “Hell spawn.”

  “In the cloud?”

  She nodded.

  He choked. “Here? Out in the open? Is he stupid?”

  “No, he’s not. Don’t underestimate Beliel.”

  Using the rearview mirror, she watched the moving cloud as it grew nearer, even as they sped down the road. “Most humans won’t recognize the cloud for anything more than a nasty storm front,” she continued.

  “Are they in danger? Humans, I mean.”

  Something in his tone caught her attention. She focused on him. A small muscle at his jawline twitched. “The demons are not after the humans in the town. They will be safe.”

  She noted the flash of relief in his expression, then his eyes narrowed. “The skull. Can you feel it?”

  “No.”

  He shook his head. “Michael didn’t give you that little side benefit to your up-close-and-personal experience?”

  “No, he did not.” She frowned. “Go faster.”

  “Can we beat it?” Then, as if to answer his own question, his booted foot stomped on the pedal. The car seemed to leap forward, the engine coughing with the stress, then smoothing into a roar.

  “I suggest we try,” she said.

  A few mind-numbing turns later, Jackson brought the vehicle to a gravel-spitting halt in front of a picturesque, two-story colonial with a porch covered in potted plants. The riotous colors of the flowers were a pleasurable assault on the senses—the fiery reds, sunny yellows, royal purples and sky blues mixing with dainty white flowers and rich green foliage. A beautiful place. She hoped it stayed that way. Feared it wouldn’t.

  They got out of the vehicle. Mari turned. The cloud’s leading edge crept into the driveway, turning the bright sunlight into graphite. Low hums, like that of mumbled voices, came from the cloud. The cloud descended upon the house, swallowing the pretty white-and-blue structure.

  “We have to hurry,” she said, pivoting, then heading for the house. She heard Jackson swear as he hurried to follow her.

  Mari’s senses flared. She halted in midstride. Jackson, unaware that she’d stopped, continued to advance toward the house.

  “Jackson,” she hissed. “Stop.”

  He turned his head and took another step. A whoosh as a fireball the size of a bowling ball streaked toward him. Shrubs and grass in its path burst into crackling flames. His eyes widened. Even as Mari moved to intercept the blazing globe, Jackson threw himself to the side onto the grass. The fire bomb crashed into the ground where he had stood. Flames licked outward, reaching eagerly for his legs.

  Mari darted into the inferno. She tossed back her head and extended her arms, beckoning the fire, which came to her eagerly. Flames caressed her skin, a lover’s touch—gentle yet demanding. Scalding heat rushed through her, her skin prickling with tiny shivers of delight. She kept pulling the fire into herself until the flames dissipated. She sucked in a deep b
reath. After the fury of the fire, the coolness of the air coated her insides with ice.

  She smiled. Stupid flunkies. They tossed fire at a fire demon? Beliel must be pulling his minions from the bottom of Hell.

  “Jesus, Mari, are you okay?” Jackson had climbed to his feet, his tanned face a bit pale, his green eyes focused on her face.

  She flicked her fingers in the direction of the house. “Bah. That is nothing.”

  Nothing? The woman took a fireball and sucked it into her body as if she sucked in air, and it was nothing? Damn, she was tough. And as sexy as hell.

  The look on her face as the fire wrapped around her had his jeans tightening over his crotch. Christ, if he didn’t know any different, he’d have thought she was in the middle of having the best orgasm of her life. For a brief moment, he had to struggle to keep from going to her side. Everything itched to take hold of her, pull her close and fuck her until neither could stand.

  He’d never have thought the bloodthirsty type would be appealing.

  He opened his mouth to reply, and a woman screamed. The terror-filled cry doused his rampant libido like he’d just dived into a freezing lake. Shit. While he stood drooling over a walking wet dream, those damn demons were attacking the woman, Lisa, who was supposed to give them the skull.

  Side by side, he and Mari raced for the house. No more fireballs were thrown. Maybe the demons realized those things had no effect on Mari and hadn’t managed to do anything other than give her a thrill. Still, he could tell by the way her eyes roved over the house and lawn she was in full-battle mode.

  At the bottom of the porch, they halted. Mari held up a hand. “Human, let me enter the house first. I have protection. You do not.”

  No shit. “By all means, Marisol.” He stepped away and waved his arm in a sweeping gesture at the house. “Go right ahead.

  Despite the fact it chapped his hide to let her be first, she was correct. He didn’t have the same protection. Besides, he’d learned not to stand before her and the opportunity to kick ass. The battle light in her eyes grew, swamping her amethyst depths with flame. All pretense of her being anything but a demon had disappeared. The color of her pupils shifted from purple jewels to blood red. The long canines, usually invisible, were clearly showing.