by Tamela Miles
His voice was as smooth as honey. “And I don’t think I was wrong to be concerned about you. However, I did overreact—all apologies, baby. This whole setup is more than about a simple apology. We need to decompress and come back together as a bonded unit. We’ve had some major blowouts since the day we met, but we always bring it back together.”
Elle nodded, turning around to caress his bristled chin. “That’s usually how you and I work things out.” She gave him a seductive smile. “This is the part where I get out of these clothes and join you in the bath.” She parted her lips in a small gasp as he traced the shell of her ear with his tongue.
“How’s your mom and dad?”
“Good, but we’ll talk about all that later. A lot later.”
Patrick made short work of undressing her, slipping off her heels and lifting the blue dress over her head. As she stood there in her bra and panties, he pulled the pins from her carefully groomed bun, and the dark brown riotous curls came down to rest on her shoulders.
Elle’s teary eyes met his in the mirror reflection, and she leaned back into his embrace as he held her from behind, gently kissing her ear. “It’s going to be good again—our life together with little Mads in our arms. Let’s spend this time comforting each other. We need to center, baby, and come together as a stronger team.”
She nodded, taking off her bra and stepping out of her panties. Patrick wrapped his arms around her, guiding her toward the waiting bubble bath, before he dropped his robe.
She gracefully stepped in after he had settled himself in the pleasantly hot water, sitting down between his legs. They had both wanted a huge tub put in as bathing together was something they did fairly often. This ritual helped keep the romance and passion alive. Her heart was heavy with guilt for spending this time with her husband, with their baby missing, but they desperately needed to find solace and strength in each other.
****
After their bath time, Patrick lifted Elle in his arms, carrying her across the hall to their bedroom. He lowered her down on the bed before stretching out beside her. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, not saying a single word. She rolled over into him, kissing his neck softly. She stroked his face, surprised to feel teardrops on his cheeks.
“You’re hurting, too,” she whispered. “I’ve been so focused on my own pain I lost sight of yours. I’m sorry.”
His arms came around her tightly, and he moved her onto her back. His lips caressed every part of her, and she welcomed his touch with soft sighs and gently whispered words of love. He rose above her, burying his face in her lush breasts and laving each hard nipple with his tongue before he slowly entered her.
She suddenly stiffened, and he stopped, looking down at her face. “You don’t want me to love you?” His voice held a note of disappointment.
She looked away, disturbed by the raw pain on his face. “Wait—I don’t know if I can do this right now. Our baby is gone, Patrick.”
He heaved a deep sigh. “I know she’s gone, but we’re doing all we can, we’re hanging on. You feel a natural mother’s guilt, but don’t let this drive a wedge between us. This is the time for us to pull together. Pyro wants everything we have completely trashed.”
Elle remained silent, considering his words. After long moments, she nodded slowly, idly playing with the hair at his nape. “Pyro would love for us to fall apart after what he’s done. He took our baby, but I’m damn sure not going to let him destroy my marriage.” She cupped Patrick’s face in her hands and kissed him deeply.
He grasped her hand tightly as he began slowly moving inside her again. The passion was there, but their lovemaking was a quiet storm, each one finding comfort in the other. When it was over, they lay still in the same position, both struggling to catch a breath.
Elle felt renewed in their moments together, not so fragile and on the edge of madness. Just as he wrapped her in his arms and rolled them over, his cellphone on the nightstand chimed.
Patrick moved across the bed to grab it, tapping the screen. He looked at her. “It’s Tagas.” He quickly answered. “What’s happened?”
Elle sprang up next to him on the bed as he spoke with the guardian for long, tense moments. He ended the call and wrapped an arm around her, kissing her forehead. “We’re going in the morning to meet another hunter who can help us.”
Tears filled her eyes as she smiled in relief, leaning into Patrick. “Oh, thank God.”
****
“Ms. Gilmore?” The older blonde barked in laughter. “Oh, heavens no. That’s far too formal, considering who I am. Call me Ruby, sweethearts.”
Elle and Patrick exchanged a look of surprise. They sat next to each other and across the huge, formal cherrywood dining table from Ruby in her lavish home in the Arroyos neighborhood in Pasadena. With a stunning view of the sunrise outside her patio door and fine furnishings decorating the living area, the hunter seemed to have led a blessed life.
Ruby poured two steaming cups of tea and offered them the sugar bowl. Elle dropped a cube into her tea while Patrick sipped his plain black. She paid close attention to every detail of the former hunter, noting the bobbed blonde hair, streaked with gray, and hypnotically bright blue eyes. She was small, like Elle herself, but with very generous curves. Her face was lightly wrinkled, but she was still quite lovely in her classic red dress. Elle felt underdressed in jeans and a simple blue sweater. At least Patrick had dressed up his jeans with a forest green oxford shirt.
Ruby leaned forward, smiling. “I’m just fascinated with the fact that you’re a hybrid. You’re the first one I’ve ever met, in spite of my many years of hunting. Please tell me—what’s your place in heaven’s hierarchy? Can you take down a demon by yourself?”
Patrick gave a gentle laugh. “Well, um, Ruby…we are basically helpers of the guardian angels, of which there are millions. There are far less of us. We’ll never have their sheer strength, but we can still be lethal to demons.”
Ruby nodded. “Excellent. You’ll need every bit of that strength to handle Pyro. “
Elle cleared her throat nervously. “So…Ruby, you must have dealt with demons in the 1970s or so?”
Ruby’s laughter rang out again. “That’s an incredible compliment and a testimony to good genes in my family, with a touch of a holy blessing. No, sweetie. I hunted demons in the 1920s and ’30s.”
Patrick nearly choked on his tea, setting the cup down and giving the older hunter a piercing look. “I’m sorry—the twenties and thirties?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m decades older than I look. I was given the heavenly gift of prolonged youth in exchange for my service for God’s throne.”
Patrick rubbed his chin, leaning forward. “You must have decades of experience with Pyro and Cascadia, then.”
Ruby nodded. “Oh, in the worst way. Pyro and I have fought each other many times, but that, of course, was after he seduced me. The way he disposed of me afterward had me in a furious rage, and I swore to make him pay. I didn’t know a thing about Cascadia—that rotten to the core bitch—until well after he got what he wanted from me.”
Elle’s eyes widened. “You…and Pyro had sex?”
Ruby’s smile was wicked and priceless. “Oh no, my dear. That’s far too tame a word for what we did. We screwed like animals. I was no innocent virgin when he seduced me, but I was still outmatched in every way. He was a handsome charmer when we met and, later, he tugged at my heartstrings with his misunderstood bad-boy demon act.”
Patrick shook his head slowly. “Pardon me, but how could you think getting involved with any demon was a good idea?”
“Well, that’s the problem right there. I didn’t think. I was young and powerful, able to twist any man around my little finger. He was a challenge to my very nature. I sought to change him, to tame him. I was too vain, silly, and overconfident to realize that demons are truly evil by nature.” Her expression sobered. “Which is why you two are here.”
Patrick spoke gently. “Pyro
has our baby daughter.”
Ruby nodded. “Tagas told me everything about it.” She looked deeply into Elle’s eyes. “You best understand, like me, what it’s like to be chained to the responsibility of demon hunting while craving a normal life filled with love of a good man and healthy, happy children. You’ve made that dream come true with your handsome hybrid, Patrick, whereas, I never settled down in time.” She stood from the table, waving them to follow her. “Pyro will not win this time, my dears. I have a gift from the Heavens that will ensure his downfall.”
Elle’s body thrummed in vibration, and they all turned to see Tagas emerge from an opened portal in the main reception hallway. He stepped into the dining room, taking Ruby’s hand in his. “Ruby, when I heard your voice on the phone, I recalled you vividly. It’s good to see you after so many years.”
The blonde hunter smiled, patting his hand. “It’s been far too long.”
Elle stepped from behind Patrick, hugging the guardian tightly. “Thank you for being here to help us.”
Patrick clapped him on the back. “You and your grand entrances. You made it just in time for the big reveal.”
Ruby led them up the impressive staircase and down a dimly lit hallway, stopping at the door on the very end. They stepped inside the bedroom, and Elle immediately felt as if time had slipped away and she was in some long gone era of grace and glamour. Maroon satin covered every piece of furniture, down to an ornate loveseat with matching throw pillows that she itched to own.
Ruby disappeared into the large closet for long moments, emerging wearing a look of triumph as she raised a yellowed handkerchief. “If I’m right, this will solve all of your problems.” She pressed it into Patrick’s hand. “I believe this belongs to you.”
Patrick’s brow furrowed in confusion as he slowly unwrapped the handkerchief to reveal a small metal amulet that began to glow. He looked at Tagas, who stepped forward to have a closer look. Elle came to stand next to them. “What…what is this?”
Tagas’s tone was one of reverent awe. “This amulet is the key to Pyro’s destruction.”
Ruby clapped her hands together in delight. “I knew I was right. Look into your man’s eyes, Elle, and then look at the stone.”
Elle touched the stone, and a dim light shone from it. She took in a deep breath, looking back and forth between the amulet and Patrick’s face. “It’s a brilliant aquamarine. Honey, it matches your eyes perfectly.”
Patrick’s voice was hushed. “Tagas, I don’t understand…?”
Tagas took the amulet from him and turned it around. He touched the raised, embossed symbol. “The mark here—do you recognize it?”
Elle’s heart pounded in excitement. “That’s Patrick’s holy mark, on his back. But what does all this mean?”
Tagas smiled. “This is the beginning of the culmination of divine prophecy. The amulet was created in the Heavens hundreds of years before Patrick was born but was a gift to him to help him defeat Pyro. We guardians believe that defeating him and dispatching him back to Hell was a task meant only for Patrick.”
Patrick grinned. “Fuck, yeah. Awesome.”
Elle shushed him. “Patrick. Language.”
“Sorry.” He ran his finger over the holy mark, and Elle could tell that he was overcome with emotion. He looked at her, tears in his eyes. “We’re getting our baby back.”
He caught her up in his fierce embrace. Elle met Ruby’s gaze over his shoulder. “Thank you, both of you.”
Tagas spoke confidently. “Now, we need to fill you in on our strategy for dealing with the situation. The other guardians, as well as myself, have been making preparations.”
“We’re ready to do exactly what you tell us to do,” Elle chimed in, feeling free for the first time in days.
****
Pyro stood silently in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Ruby set the silver tray with the teacups down on the counter. The Holts and Tagas had left her home just after daybreak, which had him on high alert. All of them coming together and involving the older, retired hunter couldn’t amount to anything good for him. She hadn’t yet noticed him, humming to herself as she moved around. She closed her eyes, whispering a prayer. His smile was cold. A hundred prayers wouldn’t save her from what he had planned.
She turned to head into her living room and gasped in shock to see Pyro standing in the doorway, one arm lazily cocked above his head, watching her. “Son of a bitch!”
His smile was feral and nothing pleasant. “My origins are still up for debate. My lovely Ruby has withered somewhat with age, but even hunters die at some point.”
He trained his ears on Ruby’s heartbeat thumping, but her face showed no fear. She quickly grabbed a paring knife and launched it at his chest with deadly accuracy. The blade stuck firmly in his chest, and he watched the crimson stain bloom on his immaculate white dress shirt. He grabbed the knife handle, grunting as he pulled it out. The wound was already healing unnaturally fast. He charged her, grabbing a handful of her blonde hair and placing the blade to her neck as he held her captive from behind.
His voice was a growl. “What in the fuck is happening with you, that bastard Tagas, and the Holts? I saw them arrive here early this morning, and they didn’t leave for a long time. It’s no coincidence you would be involved with their situation, so it must be a holy intervention.” He lightly jabbed the knife point into her neck. “What information have you told them?”
Ruby snickered. “Scared, aren’t you?” She grabbed his arm, wrested the knife from him, and turned to face him. His handsome face rippled, showing the demon beneath. “You damn well better be. Your time on Earth is coming to an end, Pyro. You and Cascadia both will be trapped in Hell for a long time, and I welcome the peace for me and the Holts. Knowing that you’re burning will fill my little heart with joy for the rest of my years.”
He wrapped his hands around her throat, his face twisted in rage. “I can’t kill you since you’ve been blessed, but I can make you hurt,” he whispered in her ear. “When I had you thrashing around beneath me in bed, you never kept secrets, sweet Ruby. Ah, well…things change as the years pass. We’re no longer lovers, but you chose to make me your adversary. Not a smart move.”
His hands began to glow, a stinging heat burning the skin of her neck, and Ruby screamed in terror.
****
Elle awoke to a familiar humming through her body and sat up quickly. Patrick lay next to her in bed, sleeping undisturbed. She glanced at the clock, noting that it was after three a.m. Her first thought was that perhaps Tagas was there on an emergency with some news. Their bedroom door was closed, but the bright light that shone from beneath it spurred her on.
She looked out into the hallway. The light was coming from Madison’s room. She headed that way, anxious to find out what an open portal was doing in her home in the wee hours. She twisted the knob, opening the door cautiously, a fervent prayer in her heart that this all was about her baby.
Cascadia stood next to the crib, smiling hatefully. Elle reacted without a second thought, calling out loudly for Patrick. In a few seconds, he was out of bed and standing next to her, wearing a look of utter contempt.
“What in the hell do you want from us?” he spat.
The demon casually lifted a brown teddy bear from the crib, eyeing it before dropping it down. “I’m here on Pyro’s behalf. Your child is safe and well fed—for now. It’s simple, what we want from you two. In exchange for your daughter’s life, we demand that you lay down your lives.” She shrugged. “Or don’t and watch her die. The choice is yours.”
Elle exchanged a knowing look with Patrick. Tagas had warned them to expect this, and they were secretly prepared. The plan was falling into place. “We’ll do whatever we have to.”
Cascadia nodded. “Excellent. There are some stipulations—there is to be no holy intervention or assistance, once you arrive at the meeting place, with the exception of your guardian, Tagas, who we’ll hand the child off to after your deaths. I
know how well trained you both are, but if you attack us in any way, we will kill the brat.”
Elle did her best to look completely broken as Patrick held her in his arms. “You’ll get no fight from us.” Patrick’s expression was steely. “If you break any part of our agreement and my daughter dies, you’d better believe the Heavens will retaliate.”
Cascadia dropped a small note into the crib. “There’s the time and place for tomorrow night. Please be prompt. I hate waiting.” She smirked contemptuously, stepping back into the portal. The doorway closed, and the light gradually faded.
Elle followed on Patrick’s heels as he headed down the hallway back to their bedroom. He grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand, tapping the screen. “We need to fill in Tagas.” He placed the phone to his ear, silent for a few moments before speaking to the guardian. “Cascadia was just here. Let’s hope your plan is solid because my daughter’s life and our lives depend on it…”
****
They stood huddled in the dark at the bottom of the stairs in the lobby of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Downtown Los Angeles. Elle was familiar with this part of town and knew there was a good chance that Patrick’s Jeep would be stripped bare while they were inside. She couldn’t see his face clearly, but she sensed what he was feeling as he clutched her hand tightly.
“I’m scared,” Elle whispered.
“Me, too. Just remember that this whole place is covered with guardians, including Tagas. The chances of Pyro and Cascadia making it out of here alive are very slim. The only wild card is keeping them unaware of that so they don’t hurt Mads.” Patrick brushed her hand with his lips. “Ready to give the performance of a lifetime?”
“I’ll never be ready, but let’s do this, anyway. I want to hold our baby again.”
Patrick led the way, climbing the stairs slowly with Elle tailing him. Once they reached the top, he cracked the big door, cautiously peering inside first. Taking her hand, he pulled her inside the empty top level of the warehouse, where a single light shone, hanging from a cord. The rest of the warehouse was completely dark, and she shivered in fear for them and for her child.