by Amanda Jones
Reaching forward he grasped her hands and drew her into his arms. Luc cradled her against him as he made his way over to their bed. He laid her down reverently and crawled up her body to kiss her gently on the lips. She reached up and cupped his face in her palms. Luc stood and stripped off his jeans and his ruined shirt, tossing them on the floor. Leaning back down over her, he grasped the hem of Katia’s shirt and drew it up over her head, sending it flying through the air to join his discarded clothes on the floor. Finally, he slid her skirt down and off her legs, leaving them both naked. As Luc lay down next to her Katia reached out and ran her hands over him, sliding them over the planes of his leanly-muscled body, finally reaching up to draw him down for another kiss. Luc felt her tongue sneak out to lick along the seam of his lips and he opened for her, allowing his tongue to tangle with hers again. Katia arched her body towards him, crushing her breasts against his chest, her hips pressing upwards against his shaft.
Luc’s body shook with his need to be closer to her. He slid onto her, his hips falling into the cradle of her body as her thighs parted to make room. The blunt head of his erection slid against the moist folds of her core as he rubbed himself against her, his hips arching and retreating, teasing her with what was to come. Now. The psychic plea made Luc smile and sigh with relief as he reached down to position himself against her opening. With a great surge, Luc drove his hips forward, entering her in one hard thrust. Katia cried out in ecstasy as Luc shuddered at the feel of her encasing him. Katia opened her eyes and stared into his. He marvelled at the swirling gold depths that stared back at him.
As he moved on top of her, sliding himself in and out in a smooth motion, her hips rising to meet his thrusts, Luc knew this woman was the most amazing creature he’d ever encountered. Katia slid her hands up his arms to grip his biceps and Luc could see the blackness creeping up her arms, drawn out of his body by some force beyond his understanding. Instead of fear, his heart swelled with love. She was cleansing him — bringing him back to the man he was meant to be. As though some part of her had sensed the direction of his thoughts, her voice drifted through his mind. I love you. I love you so much, Luc. He felt her core tightening around him as she drew closer to release. He felt his own body answering that call. Sparks of electric pleasure shooting up and down his spine as he moved faster within her. His breath heaved in and out of his lungs as he came closer to his own release. As her body convulsed around his shaft, Luc called her name, their cries echoing together throughout the room. Luc leaned down and kissed her brow before rolling to her side and collapsing as he drew her into the circle of his arms. She grasped onto him tightly and kissed his chest, nestling her head into his body as though she never wanted to be parted from him. As he drifted towards sleep on a blissed-out cloud, Luc thought he heard her say “I’m sorry.” But his sleep-addled mind refused to stay online and he floated into the darkness.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Katia
Katia glanced down at Luc’s unconscious form, guilt crashing into her like the waves of the ocean. She’d actually done it. With a shaking hand, she reached forward and brushed an errant lock of his golden hair off his cheek. Leaning over, she dropped a kiss on his forehead. She’d almost changed her mind at the last minute, but the image of her brother’s bruised and bleeding face had driven her on. Just a little prick of the needle once he’d fallen asleep, that was all. He’d hate her when he woke, and that made her die a little inside, but Katia knew she couldn’t live with herself if she let her brother continue to suffer. As she laid beside Luc, love warming her heart, she reached under her pillow and withdrew the syringe Amir had given her. The white liquid looked so harmless, but Amir had assured her that it was one of the few drugs capable of rendering an immortal unconscious — “milk of amnesia” he’d said with a wry smile. Without giving herself too much time to back down, she removed the cap and injected the Propofol into the man she loved. He’d been sleeping so deeply that he hadn’t even stirred. The only evidence of his drugging was the gradual slowing and deepening of his breath as he slept.
Rising from her seat at the edge of the bed, Katia headed towards the doorway. Time to go. No doubt this would be the last time she’d ever see him. Glancing back at Luc one last time before she exited, Katia whispered to him quietly, sending up a silent prayer that he’d one day be able to forgive her. “I’m so sorry. I love you.”
Raising her chin and steeling herself, Katia marched into the living room where Amir sat quietly nursing a glass of salvia. He looked up at her with a sober expression as she entered.
“Is it done?” he asked quietly.
Unable to bring herself to speak past the lump in her throat, Katia simply nodded jerkily and dropped down on the couch beside him. Tossing back the last of his drink, Amir sighed and leaned over to place the glass on the coffee table.
“He’s going to kick the shit out of me when he wakes up...and I’ll probably let him.”
Biting her lip, Katia peered over at Amir through the curtain of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. “I’m sorry I put you in the middle of this. I just can’t…”
Amir cut off her explanation. “I get it. I really do. You don’t need to explain. What you’re doing is the right thing to do, even though it will probably cost you your freedom.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Amir, can you promise me one last thing?”
He looked at her with sad eyes, the knowledge that suicide missions probably had better odds of success written there plainly for anyone to see. “Anything,” he said.
“No matter what happens, no matter how angry he is at me, please make sure he knows that I love him and will always love him,” Katia said, her voice trembling as tears burned at her eyes, threatening to spill.
“Of course,” he said.
Katia shook herself mentally. No more tears. It was time to focus on the task at hand.
“So, what’s next?” she asked.
Rising from the couch, Amir headed over to a cabinet placed against the wall near the wet bar. Muttering something unintelligible, he passed his hand in front of a strange-looking lock. Katia heard the snick of the tumbler as it gave way. Opening the cabinet, Amir began to withdraw weapon after weapon, tossing them casually one by one on the couch. When it appeared as though he could arm a small militia, Amir re-locked the cabinet and made his way back over to the weapons cache he’d just created.
“Right, you’ll be going in armed. These are charmed blades. If you have a run-in with Satan, they won’t stop him, but they’ll definitely slow him down. His minions, on the other hand, will be toast.” He picked up one of the wicked-looking daggers and handed it to Katia. “I’m going to need to pass on some of my weapons knowledge, so get ready to hit me with your Chimera mojo.”
Examining the blade in her hand, Katia replied. “I’m not quite sure how to do that though. It just seems to happen on its own.”
“I got some info from your pops when I went topside the other day. From what I understand, you just need to focus on what you want from your source. So, think of me like a computer program full of weapons schematics and battle tactics and download me, baby,” Amir chuckled.
Giving him a light punch on the arm, Katia rolled her eyes. “You can make anything into a joke, can’t you?”
“Like I’m always telling Luc, we aim to please.” He smiled back at her.
Turning the blade in her hand to the light, Katia noticed the intricate writing carved along its length. “What does this mean? Bono malum superate?”
“Ah,” Amir said, putting on his best scholarly expression. “It’s a part of the charm; it imbues the weapon with power. You know what people always say — “words have power” — well, it’s true. Though we do have our own languages in Heaven and Sheol, the common denominator for many centuries has been Latin. Bono malum superate…overcome evil with good.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Katia smiled. “So, shall we try the download now? It would probably be a go
od idea for me to know what to do with all of this.” She motioned towards the pile of weapons.
Amir came over and sat down next to her on the couch. “What I’ve gathered from Luc is that you’ve been accidentally absorbing abilities from the demons around you — healing, vampiric hypnotism, enhanced strength, and some weird thing about red eyes that he wouldn’t go into detail about. Am I right?”
Blushing at the mention of the last item on the checklist, Katia replied, “That about sums it up, I guess.”
“Right, well this time you’re going to focus on taking specific information and abilities from me. This is going to sound cheesy as all hell, like something out of a bad Hollywood vampire movie, but…look into my eyes.” As he spoke, Amir reached forward and placed his fingertips on both of her temples. A blast of air came at her from nowhere and seemed to burrow into her brain. She flinched slightly at the psychic invasion. “No, don’t fight it, Katia. I’m just trying to establish a link with you to make this easier. Most demons have some kind of psychometric ability, like the angels and fae of the light. Just relax and let it happen.”
Taking a deep breath, Katia forced her tensed body to relax and focused her gaze on Amir’s bright yellow eyes. She allowed herself to be drawn in to their electric color, suddenly noticing flecks of red and black in their depths. The world around her blurred and disappeared as she focused her thoughts on what she wanted to absorb. Suddenly, she was inside Amir’s mind. His thoughts and memories open to her. Katia felt like she was flipping through a photo album, trying to find the right page as images flashed past, some pleasant, some painful. Increasing her focus, Katia was able to narrow in on what she needed. Information poured into her in a blur, her muscles twitched as scenes of sword and knife fights flashed through her mind, her body absorbing Amir’s muscle-memory of the actions. With a blast of energy, Katia and Amir were knocked apart, each landing awkwardly on an opposing end of the couch. Katia struggled to sit up again. Her brain felt like it would burst with new information, her body drawing her towards the daggers for a test of her new skills.
Amir began to laugh as he drew himself back up to sitting. “Wow, never thought I’d say this, but that was an actual mind fuck! My brain feels violated.”
Katia winced as she looked over at him. “Yeah, sorry about that. I realize I saw some stuff you’d probably rather not share.”
Amir gave her a crooked smile. “Not to worry, I figured that would happen. Just keep it to yourself and we’re good.” Picking a dagger up off the couch, Amir launched it at Katia. The dagger flew end-over-end directly at her heart. “Think fast.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Katia snatched the dagger out of the air by its hilt, moving completely by instinct. “Holy shit,” she breathed incredulously.
Amir pumped his fist in the air in victory. “That’s my girl!”
With more confidence in her newly acquired abilities, Katia began throwing and catching the dagger, flipping it in the air faster and faster until it was moving almost too quickly for the eye to track. She never faltered. “Apparently, you’re great with knives Amir.”
Grabbing a semi-automatic handgun and brandishing it in the air, Amir replied with a big grin. “You’ll be pleased to know I’m also great with guns.” He tossed the gun to Katia, who caught it expertly by the butt. Ejecting the magazine and removing one of the bullets, she examined the casing. The same Latin inscription was carved along the side. She re-inserted the bullet and slid the mag home with a click.
“Now that I’m a weapons specialist, I might as well arm up.” She stood and began to prepare. Knives, guns, and throwing stars were taped, strapped, and clipped all over her body in a matter of moments.
“Okay, now that was hot,” said Amir, fanning his face dramatically.
“Perv,” Katia said as she rolled her eyes to the heavens.
“Don’t you know it!” he laughed. “So, let’s go over our plan one more time. We don’t want to be leaving anything to chance here.”
“No shit,” Katia replied.
“Right-o. I’m going to walk you directly into Halja. When I was there with Luc last week, I got the chance to case the place a bit while he was busy getting cozy with Satan. There are a few hallways that are relatively central, but don’t seem to get used much, so I’ll drop you there. He will know you’re there, so you’ll have to get in and out as quickly as possible. I’ll keep the doorway open, it’s the only way I can be sure I’ll be able to get back to you quickly. Once I close a rift, time ceases to have the same meaning; the same walk can take five minutes one time and five hours the next.”
Katia took a big breath and nodded. “Okay, but how will he know I’m there?”
“His soul is tied to Halja, like the Deity’s soul is tied to Heofon. It’s all part of the balance. They can’t leave, but their subjects can exert influence in the human realm. It’s all a part of giving everyone free will to rise or fall. A deep-down part of his consciousness will know that someone is there. That’s why I was looking around when I took Luc there, we figured he would be distracted dealing with my boy and wouldn’t clue in right away. We were right. No guarantees that he’ll be distracted this time, and I want you to be prepared in case he comes looking for you,” Amir explained.
“Good to know. Just make sure we end up somewhere near the dungeons.”
“Will do,” Amir replied. “Ready to head out? The sooner we get going, the sooner I can try to extract you. And one more thing, your father said he can’t force you to bind yourself to him. It has to be done of your own free will…so for Sheol’s sake, don’t agree. At risk of sounding dramatic, the fate of mankind depends on it.”
Taking one last fleeting look at the door to the room where Luc was lying drugged and sleeping, Katia steeled her nerves and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter Twenty Nine
Lucifer
Luc was seething mad and there was nothing he could do about it. This had to be by far the worst feeling in the world. The prick of the needle had barely registered on his consciousness. But by the time he’d felt the bed move as Katia had stood, his brain was online and alert; it was the rest of his body that was paralyzed. He’d heard her whisper, “I’m so sorry” and “I love you,” and he’d raged against the chemical prison that kept him trapped inside his head.
He understood her reasons for what she’d done, but how could Amir have done this to him? He was utterly useless to her right now. He would never have okayed her going after her brother. It was a no-win situation and he was a selfish bastard that couldn’t risk losing her. That’s why she’d done it this way, because she didn’t want him to have her fate on his conscience. Luc felt the tears running out the corner of his closed eyes. He would gladly change places with her if he could. He would take whatever punishment would be meted out if only he could ensure her safety.
On impulse, Luc began to do something he hadn’t done in earnest in many centuries — he prayed. He prayed for her safety. He prayed for her brother’s safety. He even prayed for Amir’s safety; lastly, he prayed for the strength to save her. He prayed in every language he’d ever heard used in the heavens. He prayed that even though he was in Outer-Sheol someone would hear him. He finally ran out of words and sent up one last desperate thought to anyone who might be listening. I know you don’t want me. I know I’ve done you a great wrong, but I would give anything to save her…please…if you’re listening…please.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but suddenly an electric charge filled the room; the vibrations felt strangely familiar. Luc’s breath caught in his throat, someone had heard his plea from all the way in Sheol and had responded. He didn’t know how it was possible; angels weren’t allowed into the Netherworld. A voice Luc hadn’t heard since the night of his fall from the heavens echoed throughout the room.
“Lucifer Morningstar, it has been a very long time.”
Images of the angel’s face flickered through Luc’s mind, the sadness in his eyes,
the tear running down his cheek as he gave the order to sever his old friend’s wings. This was the last angel on earth or the heavens that he’d expected to have answered his call — Metatron, the voice of the Deity. Luc’s ego was stripped bare at the prospect of losing Katia; he pleaded loudly in his mind.
Please help me. Give me the strength to save her. No matter what I’ve done she doesn’t deserve to be at the mercy of Satan.
“Agreed,” said Metatron. “Unfortunately, her situation has nothing to do with you or your past transgressions against the Deity.”
Frustration lit up Luc’s thoughts as he replied. Then why did you come to me? Why you, after all this time? We were close once, but you were the one charged with bringing about my fall. Surely you have no love of me.
“Yes, we were close once. You were always the fun one, the impetuous one that was willing to push the boundaries, yet were always forgiven. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was always envious of your gift for finding enjoyment in the life we were given, your ability to toe the line without repercussion. But that all ended didn’t it? Your ego got in the way.”
Do you imagine that I’m unaware of my past mistakes? Do you honestly believe that after all of this time I’ve not re-visited my transgressions with shame and horror? The pain I’ve caused, the things I’ve done in service of my new master…they’re unthinkable.
“I’ve been keeping watch over you throughout the centuries, Morningstar. I’m aware of what you’ve suffered and caused others to suffer. Despite all you’ve done, I still think of you as a brother.”