Unlocked (Hell's Throne Book 1)

by M. L. Gabrielle

  Nick: I’m sorry about the other day, Eve. I hope we’re still friends. I was at a bar last night and couldn’t keep this from you.

  The next few texts were pictures of Locke and the guys. They were dancing with girls. Locke and Emmett looked like they were laughing at something. I zoomed in and noticed that they weren’t dancing with just any girls. They were with Hannah and her minions.

  I scrolled to the next picture, which showed Hannah straddling Locke’s lap with her arms around his neck. His arms were wrapped securely around her waist. It was obvious that they were kissing. I blinked back tears, unable to pull my eyes from the photo.

  I have never felt so betrayed. Why would Locke do this to me? Why wouldn’t he just end things with me if he still had feelings for her? Has he been playing me this whole time? Now, all of the staring and snickering makes sense.

  Hellfire, I’m such a fool. Anger and pure jealousy rolled through my body. I could feel my tattoos pulsing. I looked back at my phone to see multiple missed calls and texts from Locke. Screw him. I turned my phone off as the professor entered the classroom. He looked in my direction and then quickly looked away.

  My eyes probably scared the crap out of him. The professor avoided eye contact with me for the remainder of the class, which was fine by me since I didn’t hear a lick he said.

  As soon as class was dismissed, I made my way toward the quad. I was halfway there when I heard someone call my name. I looked up and groaned in frustration. It’s ten in the morning, and this is already the worst day ever.

  “Fuck off, Remiel. I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now.” He tried touching my shoulder, but I quickly moved out of his reach. “Heavens, you look beautiful. Please hear me out. I just want to apologize,” he begged.

  I narrowed my eyes at the offending angel. “Don’t ever try to touch me again. Are you that delusional to think that I have anything to say to you?” My power was itching to make an example out of him.

  “Is everything okay, here,” I heard a voice call beside me. It sounded like Emmett, but I refused to take my eyes off of the fallen watcher angel. “Everything is fine. We’re just catching up,” Remiel answered.

  My power was dangerously close to the surface. My tattoos were pulsing underneath my uniform. “No, you were just leaving. Do not approach me again, Remiel,” I hissed. I gave both of the guys my back and started walking to my next class.

  “Hold on a minute, Eve. Let me call, Locke.” Emmett whipped out his phone. I immediately willed my power to turn his phone to dust. “What the fuck, Eve!” Emmett shouted. I didn’t bother with an explanation. I just continued on my way to class.

  I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I was physically in the classroom, but I wasn’t there mentally. Thoughts were swirling around my mind like a storm. I knew that I should try to calm down, but I couldn’t.

  I honestly believed that he loved me. Maybe Abaddon was right. Perhaps I don’t know Locke as well as I thought. I abruptly stood up and walked out of the classroom. I need to get out of here. I don’t want to face Locke and hear his excuses.

  I know Cerberus would take me home for a bit. I snuck inside an empty classroom room and put my backpack on a chair. I was digging around for my phone when I heard the door click.

  I whipped my head up and saw a smug Zane leaning against the door. “You’re a difficult girl to track down, Evelyn.” My power immediately recognized that he was a threat. It wanted to attack, but I knew better. With a single touch, Zane could take all of my power.

  There’s no way in Hell that he’s stealing anything from me again. He’s also not getting his grubby hands on Locke. I closed my bond with Locke so that he couldn’t feel my emotions. Hopefully, it will work.

  I watched as Zane took a long perusal of my body. “There’s something different about you, Evelyn. I can’t put my finger on it, but I like it.”

  Gross. I took a step back. “What are you doing here, Zane?” I need to keep him talking so I can buy myself time and figure out some sort of plan.

  He gave me a creepy smile. “You looked upset, and I just wanted to see if you’re okay.” Zane stepped forward.

  Hellfire, he’s getting too close. Taking a page out of Locke’s book, I called on my power and willed it to do something that I wasn’t even sure was possible.

  I need to get out of here. I started looking for another exit. “I’m fine. I just was just about to make a call. Shoot, how did a bird get in here?” I spotted a white bird perched on one of the desks.

  Forgetting Zane, I ran over, opened a window, and shooed the bird outside. Turning back around, I saw that he was now within reaching distance. “You transferred out of my class. Why?” Zane asked as he toyed with a strand of my hair.

  Fear coursed through me. Do not retreat, Eve. Stay focused. “My dad wanted me to train with Michael’s warriors. It was nice catching up, but I need to head to class.” I tried stepping around him, but he grabbed my arm. I quickly pulled it out of his grasp.

  He looked at me with a mix of disbelief and rage. He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me hard against the wall. “What did you do!” he boomed. I tried to kick out of his hold, but he was too quick.

  He flipped me around so that the front of my body was pressed against the wall. Zane secured my wrists behind my back with one hand. He grabbed my hair with the other. He yanked my head back and leaned in close.

  “What did you do, Evelyn? Why can’t I feel your power? He said that I just had to bring you in alive. You were supposed to be my source!” Zane roared.

  I struggled against him, trying to pull my hands from his tight grip. He groaned as he ran his mouth along my neck. “I suppose I could find another use for you after all,” he whispered intimately.

  I turned my face slightly and bit his lip as hard as possible. He immediately brought his hands to his face leaving himself wide open. With all the strength I could muster, kicked him where it hurts most. As soon as his hands moved down, I gave him an uppercut to the jaw. Then a hard kick to the temple, causing him to pass out.

  Not wasting any time, I ran to my phone. “Dad! Help! I’m in room 4 of the Eden building. I have Zane unconscious on the floor.” Within a minute, my dad and Abaddon appeared in the room. Fury was rolling off of them in waves. My dad ran to me as tears were freely flowing down my face.

  Black smoke seeped from Ab’s outstretched hands as he stared down at the siphon with glowing red eyes. The smoke covered Zane, and his body started wildly convulsing. Dad forced me to look away as muffled screams filled the air.

  “He’ll never touch you or anyone else again, my love,” he whispered. I looked to see that Zane was no longer in the room. “Can you take me home?” I asked.

  Within seconds, we were home in Hell. Dad carried me straight to my room and placed me in the middle of the bed. Ab and dad laid on either side of me. They held me close as I cried myself to sleep.

  I began to wake up but refused to open my eyes. I just wanted to fall back asleep and escape reality for as long as possible. “We know you’re awake, Evelyn.”

  I burrowed closer to Abaddon as my dad ran his hands over my hair. “Evelyn, we need to make sure you’re okay. Raphael just arrived and is going to look you over,” Ab whispered, as he started to move out of the bed.

  I grabbed his arm to stop him. I didn’t want either of them to leave me right now. Abaddon sat down on the side of the bed and pulled me beside him.

  He held my hand as my dad sat down on my other side. Still exhausted, I rested my head on his shoulder. Raphael walked in and sat on the floor in front of us.

  “How are you holding up, Eve?” he asked. I shrugged and he gave me a sympathetic smile. “I know it’s the last thing you want to do right now, but I need you to tell me what happened. I need to know how to heal you, baby girl. If it makes it easier, Ab and Luc can wait in the hallway.” I shook my head. “No, I want them to stay.”

  Looking down, I started to pick at a loose string on m
y skirt. “I was upset and wanted to come home, so I went into an empty classroom to call Ceb. I was looking for my phone and didn’t notice that Zane had followed me in.” Ab tensed. My dad was vibrating with anger.

  “While he was talking, I was racking my brain, trying to think of what I could do. I knew he was after my power, so I thought, what if I didn’t have any power for him to take?” Raphael looked at me with confusion but held back his questions.

  “I willed my power to leave my body and take on a different form. I wasn’t even sure if it worked until he touched me,” I explained. Abaddon squeezed my hand as if giving me the strength to continue.

  “Zane was so incredibly angry. He pushed me against a wall and bound my wrists with his hand. I tried to break free, but Zane was too strong. He talked about a deal that he made with someone. I could be his source of power if he brought me to some guy.” I sniffed, wiping away my tears.

  “I knew I had to get away when he started talking about another way that he could use me. I bit his lip as hard as possible, breaking out of his hold. I punched and kicked him a few times before running to my phone. You guys know the rest.”

  Raphael examined the bruises on my wrists and cuts on my hands. Within seconds, all visible evidence of the struggle vanished. “I’m so proud of you, my brave girl,” Abaddon said as he kissed my head.

  “Cerberus is dying to see you, my love. While we talk to Raphael, he will keep you company. Okay?” Dad asked. I didn’t want them to leave, but I know they needed to talk. I nodded and gave each of them a hug before getting comfortable under the covers.

  A few minutes later, Cerberus slipped under the covers with me. He pulled me close and started cough-laughing. “I thought Gabe was kidding about your sex vibes. You might want to turn that down, Evie.”

  “It’s reined in as much as possible. I can’t control it. Just try to ignore it,” I grumbled. He rolled on his back and I rested my head on his chest. “The boss man said you kicked some serious ass today. I’m so glad you’re okay, Evie. I don’t know what I’d do without my best friend.”

  I smiled up at him. “I’m relieved that I don’t have to worry about Zane anymore. I just want to put all of this behind me. Today sucked some serious balls.”

  Cerberus let out a groan. “Let’s avoid talking about balls.” I pinched him hard and then filled him in on all of my Locke drama.

  “You know your day sucks when almost getting drained of power and kidnapped isn’t the worst part. I love him so much, Ceb. Why would he do this to me?” Ceb was practically vibrating with anger. “I’m going to kill that cheating bastard.” Best friend ever.

  “I don’t get it, though. Anyone can see that Locke’s in love with you. Did you talk to him about it?” I rolled my eyes.

  “No, I didn’t talk to him! I was busy getting kidnapped by a psycho siphon!” Did he listen to the first half of this conversation? “Almost kidnapped,” he corrected. I sighed.

  “It doesn’t matter, Ceb. I don’t want to hear his excuses.” Ceb rolled onto his side and pulled me close. “Evie, maybe you should hear…” I felt something brush up against me.

  Horrified, I quickly moved back before he could finish. “What the hellfire, Ceb? Do you have a boner? Get that thing away from me!” I screamed, scrambling off of the bed.

  Ceb started cracking up. “I can’t help it! It’s the sex vibes! You need to turn it off, Evie!” I threw a pillow at him.

  “I can’t turn it off, Ceb! Maybe you should try to control your boners!” I shouted back. I ran out of my room and smacked right into a hard chest.

  Thankfully, I caught myself before I fell on the marble floor. “Get the fuck out of here! I have nothing to say to you! I rather deal with Ceb and his boner!” I shouted at Locke.

  Storming back into my room, I curled up on my couch as tears streamed down my face. Just looking at Locke makes my heart hurt. “What did you do to her?” Locke thundered.

  “What did I do to her? That’s golden coming from you! Get the Hell out of this house before I rip you apart!” Ceb roared. I could feel the rage rolling off both of them.

  “Enough! Both of you better control your shifts, and tell me what the Hell is going on!” Ab bellowed. Dad picked me up, holding me close.

  “Just go back to her, Locke. I can’t look at you right now. Leave me alone,” I whispered through my tears. “What are you talking about, Eve? Please talk to me. Help me understand,” Locke pleaded.

  I snuggled closer to my dad. Ab stepped in front of us, which blocked Locke’s view of me. “Get out of here you, cheating asshole. She’s cried enough over your sorry ass,” Ceb growled.

  “Are you fucking insane, Cerberus? Do you actually think I would cheat on my soul mate? Do you think that I would purposely betray and hurt the girl I love?” Locke asked incredulously.

  “I saw the pictures, Locke. Get out!” I snapped. I can’t bring myself to look at him. “Locke, I need you to leave. Give her some space. She’s been through enough today,” Dad said. “I’m not going anywhere,” Locke said through gritted teeth.

  Ab let out a frustrated breath. “Evelyn needs her rest. Locke, let’s talk in the dining hall. Cerberus, how about you go back to the gates and relieve Legion.”

  My dad gently leaned back and wiped away a stray tear. “Do you want to talk about it, love?” I shook my head. “I just want to lay down.” He carried me over to my bed and tucked me in.

  “Just call Ab or me if you need anything. We’ll be here in a second. Rest, my love.” Within minutes, I was pulled into a dreamless sleep.

  37

  Eve

  I woke up to the heavenly smell of freshly brewed coffee. I peeked from under the covers to see a smirking Abaddon. He knows coffee is the only way to get me out of bed.

  “I hope you slept well. I ran you a bath and put a cup of coffee on the ledge. Try not to burn yourself. Breakfast is in forty-five minutes. Don’t be late.” He didn’t wait for a response before walking out of my room.

  It must be an ungodly hour if he’s still in his pajamas. Abaddon is a notoriously early riser. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen him in something other than one of his three-piece suits.

  I forced myself out of bed, grabbed my robe and followed the coffee aroma. A smile stretched across my face as I watched the steam rise from my claw-foot tub. I like my baths one way, and that is piping hot.

  I put my dirty clothes in the hamper, stepped into the bathwater and slowly sat down. This is pure Heaven. I forgot how much I missed taking baths when I was away at school. I sipped my coffee and tried to clear my busy mind. The keyword is “tried.”

  I feel completely overwhelmed. Too many significant things happened in too short of a time. Zane came too close to getting what he wanted. I never experienced genuine fear until the moment he had me pressed against the wall.

  I know Zane’s gone now, but who ordered him to take me? I also don’t know who was posing as Locke. How can I protect myself from unknown threats?

  Then there’s the whole Locke situation. I feel like both my head and my heart are at war. My heart doesn’t want to believe that Locke is capable of hurting me that way, but the pictures of him kissing Hannah are stuck in my mind. I don’t know what to believe. All I know is that I’m hurt, and I need more time to process everything.

  I forced myself out of the bath once the water turned cold. Grabbing a towel, I quickly dried off and put on my fluffy robe. I brushed my teeth and looked in the mirror. My face was still red, and my eyes were puffy. I sighed. I look like a hot mess.

  I put on a pair of shorts and one of Ceb’s gigantic sweatshirts. He should know better than to leave clothes in my room. They automatically become mine.

  I dug through my closet and found a pair of pink fuzzy slippers. Note to self, bring these babies back to school. Ugh, I’m dreading going back. I pushed down any thoughts of school and hurried downstairs for breakfast.

  I stopped in the entryway of the dining room and s
aw dad and Ab sitting in their usual seats, drinking their coffee. I miss this so much. Hellfire, I miss them.

  Abaddon set his newspaper down. “Are you just going to stare at us, or are you going to sit down?” I rolled my eyes and took the seat across from him.

  “I trust you slept well, my love. Breakfast should be out shortly.” I nodded to my dad and poured myself a cup of coffee. “We have a lot to discuss, Evelyn.” I dramatically put my face on the table and pulled my hood over my head.

  “Can’t we just enjoy breakfast and pretend that my life isn’t a complete shit show?” I asked. Thankfully, the servers came out of the kitchen with platters full of food. My stomach growled. I loaded my plate with bacon, eggs and cinnamon bun French toast.

  “Perfect timing. I knew Luc and Ab would have the good stuff for breakfast since your home, baby girl,” Uncle Mikey said. He kissed my head and sat next to me. I passed the plate of bacon to Mikey and poured him a cup of coffee.

  “My love, you said something yesterday about willing your power to leave. You need to explain what happened. I can’t let you go back to school powerless,” dad said. I smiled into my coffee mug.

  “Hum. I guess I’ll just have to stay here then.” Ab set down his knife and fork and shot me a look. “Evelyn,” he chastised.

  “Fine. I willed my power to leave and take a physical form. The problem is that I have no idea what form it took. Do you think it’s still in the classroom?”

  It literally could be anything in that classroom. Note to self, be more specific when willing my power to do something. That is if I can even find my power.

  “We went to the classroom to clean up and didn’t feel your aura at all. Why don’t you try willing it back?” Dad suggested.

  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and called my power to me. I didn’t feel any different. I tried creating hellfire, but nothing happened. Closing my eyes, I tried calling it to me again. Please come back.

  “Shit. I told Locke to keep that thing outside. Quick, cover up the food!” Ab shouted. I opened my eyes to see Ab standing on his chair, trying to get a bird down from the chandelier.