The Devil: A Paranormal Vampire Romance Novel (Devil Series Book 4)

by Raven Steele

  His great hooved feet stepped toward me, stirring the dust on the floor. "I changed my mind, Eve. I'm glad you came here. My brothers will like you, especially Abraxas. He has a particular taste for witches, and I think you will satisfy his craving beautifully."

  I stood up to face him, my racing pulse nearly giving me a heart attack, but I couldn't let him know that. I made my voice sound as strong as possible. "Your brothers won't be coming tonight."

  I mentally ripped out a huge chunk of the balcony and tossed it onto the puddle. It was large enough that it should've covered the entire hole, but the water expanded suddenly as if it were a live creature and swallowed it.

  "You can't stop this," he said. "It's my destiny to rule Earth." He narrowed his yellowed eyes. "What is it you humans say about payback?" The corner of his mouth turned up. "Ah, that's right. Payback is a bitch."

  I was violently jerked backwards into the iron bars of a prison cell. And, just as I had done to him, the bars snapped free and curled inward. It happened so fast that I didn't have time to stop them. One drove into my left shoulder, another into my right. I screamed in horrific pain, but had no breath left when a third stabbed right through my gut. Two more followed in each thigh.

  I fell backwards, more slowly than I would've expected. The parts of the iron bars that had impaled me hit the concrete first, causing me to lie lopsided on the floor, with my face away from Erebus. I attempted to breathe, but my lungs were filling with blood. I could feel the liquid bubbling up my throat. At least I was lying on my side where the blood could flow out of me instead of pooling even more.

  Considering my nerve pain, I might as well have been lit on fire. This won't kill me, I tried to tell myself, but I couldn't think past the agony. I ground my teeth together.

  Erebus spoke behind me, his voice booming as he began the spell to restore the mirror. A few of the words slipped past my pain. Something about restoring the gate and establishing a new order.

  I had to stop him!

  I tried to find my way back to the First magic but fell short. I couldn't even reach Genesis, which should've been an easy task for me. Tears filled my eyes.

  A faint shuffling near my head had me glancing up. Lucien was slowly army crawling toward me, trying to keep behind fallen chucks of concrete where Erebus couldn't see him. Hopefully, Erebus's loud speech would prevent him from hearing Lucien's quiet movements.

  He reached me and tenderly touched my forehead, forcing a smile, but his brows were drawn tightly together. I opened my mouth to say something; blood replaced the words. His expression darkened. He pressed a finger to his lips, then rested his head to mine.

  At first I was confused, wondering why he wasn't sneaking out, maybe to get help, but then a rush of powerful energy filled me. Lucien was giving me his magic, the very essence of his soul that has existed since the dawn of time. It was bright and strong, and the sweetest thing I had ever tasted.

  My heart crumbled, replacing the sweet taste with bitterness. Here was Lucien still giving me everything, when I was going to have to leave him again. This time I truly had no choice. I only hoped he would understand.

  Using the added boost of pure magic, I mentally dove into my consciousness, breaking earthly bounds to access the First magic. I approached the light-filled well, walking at first, but then I began to run. I sprinted the remaining way, and at the last second, I leapt into the light, shattering the protective barrier surrounding it.

  Light, pure and powerful, consumed me. It raced through my blood and mind, filling me with not only magic but knowledge, more so than before. It was just there—history since the beginning, before there were angels and demons, before there was a heaven and hell. It was filled with endless mathematical equations, all which I understood. Language was there too, in every dimension and every time period. I even had glimpses of the future, specifically that of my friends.

  As much as I wanted to stay in that place of knowledge and peace, I needed to get back. I jumped from the well and landed in a crouching position. My hair fell to the sides of my face. It was entirely white, even more so than Llona's. My skin, too, had lightened almost to the point of glowing.

  I returned to my mind back on Earth's plane and opened my eyes. With just a thought, the metal bars slid back out of my body, and my wounds healed immediately.

  Lucien watched me curiously, a long white tendril of my hair between his fingers. I gave him an encouraging smile and winked. I knew what to do now.

  Time to send the devil back to Hell.

  Chapter 12

  With just a thought, the iron bars piercing my body slid out, and my wounds healed instantly, painlessly. I rose to my feet, shielding Lucien behind me. On the other side of the room, Henry had dragged himself to the side. He was sitting up, the cuts on his body healed, but he was still visibly weak. Erebus was still speaking, his hands lifted high in the air. The mirror had fully risen from the water.

  "Are you ever going to finish?" I asked him, my voice loud.

  His arms froze in the air, and he turned around. There was a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but it passed quickly. "You are too late. I have already summoned my brothers."

  I floated off the ground, magic obeying my every command. "Then they will just have to be sent back."

  I clapped my hands together. The sides of the wall closest to him broke off and flew forward, crushing him between. He punched through, barely fazed. I bent down and picked up a long rebar and flung it through the air. It caught him in the shoulder, but before he could pull it out, I blasted him with a steady stream of powerful energy. His body slid toward the mirror against his will, and his great hooves ground into the concrete, leaving scars along the floor.

  Circling wide with my toes at least a foot off the ground, I positioned myself better so I could shove him into the mirror. If I couldn't kill him, then I would at least put him back in Hell.

  I felt a tickling on my mind as Erebus tried to get inside my head. I mentally grabbed the rebar still poking out of his shoulder and sliced it across his chest. He howled in pain and dropped to the floor. I continued to push him back.

  "You will not hurt anyone ever again. You've caused enough damage on this Earth!" I mentally pushed harder. His body slid closer and closer to the mirror. He clawed at the ground desperate to hang onto something, but whenever his fingers snagged anything that might aid him, I chopped the appendage off.

  "You've been a bad boy, Erebus," I said and floated toward him. "I can't wait to see what Lucifer has in store for you."

  This seemed to catch his attention. Fear flashed in his eyes, then anger. "Do you think any of this matters? I will return. Time is meaningless to me!"

  Beyond the mirror, a tunnel appeared. Six massive devil-like shadows moved toward us, but Erebus’ legs were already sliding into the mirror.

  "Not while I'm around," I said. "Any last words?"

  At this, the corners of his mouth curled up. "I'll see you in Hell," he said, then surprisingly relinquished the fight against me. Without any resistance, his body slipped into the mirror and spiraled end over end down the long tunnel.

  I lowered my hands and inhaled a shaky breath, staring wide-eyed at the shimmering surface. Lucien stumbled over to me, his expression full of relief. He had given me everything he had, but it wouldn't be long before he would recover. I reached up and touched his cheek tenderly. We would leave tonight. Go wherever he wanted to. Spend the rest of—

  "The gate," Henry said, as he struggled to come to his feet. "We need to close it."

  My heart stopped, nearly making me crumble. How had I forgotten? I glanced back at the mirror, then returned my gaze to Lucien.

  "How do we close it?" he asked, and clutched at his chest as if it hurt to speak.

  I shook my head, my mouth open, but no words came out. I’d failed and now there was only one thing to do. I took a step backwards toward the mirror.

  "A living soul," a voice came from the side.

  I turned my
head. Dr. Han stood with Llona, Liam and May. Other than a few minor injuries, they appeared unharmed. I breathed a sigh of relief. My friends had survived, and the vampire I loved lived. That's all I needed.

  "What do you mean?" Lucien asked Dr. Han. There was an edge to his voice that wasn't there before.

  "Only life will close the mirror," Dr. Han repeated.

  Lucien stared at me and shook his head. "There has to be another way! Magic can fix this. We just need some time. "

  Llona pointed at the center of the mirror. "What is that?"

  I glanced over my shoulder. The tunnel was still there, blacks and grays swirling all around, but instead of six devils walking forward there were now seven.

  "He's coming back," Henry whispered. He hobbled closer to us.

  I stepped back again, knowing what needed to be done. The decision was a dagger to my heart, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

  "I wish I didn’t have to break my promise," I began.

  "Don't do this, Eve," Lucien warned.

  Henry hobbled closer, his focus on the mirror. "I've lived a long life. It has been an honor to know—"

  "Stop!" I lifted my hand. Both Henry and Lucien's body tightened.

  "What are you doing?" Lucien fought against my tight mental grip. "Eve!"

  "There is only one way this is going to end," I said.

  "Don't be stupid, Eve!" May called.

  My gaze flickered in her direction. With a single thought, I closed her mouth. I turned back to Lucien and Henry.

  "I owe both of you my life. Henry, it was you who showed me another path, and Lucien," I stopped to catch my breath. "You showed me love when I least deserved it. There is only one way I could ever repay you, and that is to make sure you live. The world is a better place with you in it."

  A faint growling exited the mirror. They were getting closer.

  "Please don't do this, Eve," Henry said. "You deserve happiness with Lucien. I want to go!"

  "Eve," Lucien pleaded.

  "Oh Henry," I said, deliberately ignoring Lucien. I didn't want to say goodbye to him just yet. "I have glimpsed your future and it is beautiful. Soon you will find love. I can't take that away from you."

  "Eve!" Lucien said louder.

  I slowly met his burning gaze.

  "Just give me one last kiss," he begged. "It's all I ask!"

  A painful hole filled my chest. This is the last time I would ever feel his lips on mine, or his fingers caress my skin. I couldn't refuse him or myself. I glanced back at the mirror. The devils were close enough that I could see their expressions. Erebus led the charge, his eyes glowing a bright red. I had seconds.

  I closed the distance between Lucien and me and released my mental hold on him. My body hummed with passion for the vampire who had stolen my heart.

  He gripped me by the arms and stared down at me. "I love you, Eve Segur. I always have. I always will." His lips pressed to mine with a hunger that stole my breath. Maybe we could find a way to defeat the devils… I pressed my body closer to his, knowing it wasn't possible.

  And I was out of time.

  Pulling away from him, I said, "Live your life. Be happy and—"

  "This isn't the end for you," he interrupted, smiling wistfully. "Goodbye."

  He leapt into the mirror before I could utter a magical word to stop him.

  Chapter 13

  "No!" I screamed as the mirror shimmered then faded into a single light. I shot my hands forward, trying to stop it with magic, but then the water slowly began to recede too. I dropped to the concrete floor and frantically clawed at it, as if I could somehow hang on to the portal. Several of my fingernails broke off below the quick, and my blood smeared the gray floor.

  "Lucien!" I turned to the others. "Do something! Get him back!"

  Tears fell onto my cheeks, and a pain far greater than I had ever felt ripped into me. I had to get him back.

  "Eve," Henry said, his voice gentle.

  I snapped my head in his direction. "It was supposed to be me. Fix this!"

  "There's nothing I can do."

  "Dr. Han?" I stared at him with pleading eyes. Surely he had heard of something.

  "I'm sorry," he said mournfully, his expression full of anguish.

  "No!" I pounded at the floor as hard as I could over and over.

  Llona slowly approached me and lowered onto the floor. "He sacrificed himself for you. Because he loves you so much."

  "He has suffered enough! I will not let him stay in Hell with those devils." I clutched at a sudden stabbing in my stomach. They would torture him for eternity.

  Llona reached out to touch my hand, her palm already glowing with Light.

  I jerked my hand away. "Don't touch me!"

  I grit my teeth together in anger and stood, my hands lifting into the air as I called upon the First magic, demanding it to come to me. Every emotion, every ounce of my strength poured into that command. Lightning cracked overhead, and a fierce wind tore through the prison. The others stepped back as the ceiling seemed to open up.

  A pillar of light shone down on me, ancient and powerful. It pulsed in blues, greens, purples and many other colors I didn't recognize. There were voices too, singing faintly, but beautiful. It reminded me of the song I had heard when I felt the beauty of a rose. It wasn't magic of this Earth. It went beyond, where time ceased to exist, and where there were no physical boundaries.

  Within all this knowledge, there had to be a solution to my problem.

  Time stopped while my mind searched the First magic for possibilities, hunting for the one that would lead me to Lucien. I asked it: Is there a spell to get me into Hell? An answer came back instantly: Hell is warded against magical entry. The only way there is through the mirror or escorted by one of Lucifer's Reapers.

  I thought about it. Maybe I could find one and force it to take me to Hell. But that would take more time than I had.

  My best option was to enter through the mirror, but I didn't have the necklace anymore. How could I open it?

  My brain filled with instant knowledge that had me sucking in a breath. I didn't need the necklace. The mirror had already been restored! I just needed to summon it. I searched my memories, trying to remember what Erebus had been saying while I was impaled on the floor. The words came to me on command. But it wasn't just words he needed. It was blood. I could give it that.

  The mirror also required some kind of magical water. Water that—I searched the knowledge swirling around me—needed to be summoned by three witches. I had Henry, myself and—Liane. My consciousness reached out to her. She was outside tied to a pole unconscious. Good.

  I had the witches, but what words to use? The lines appeared instantly in my mind. They would work well.

  Hope began to replace my earlier devastation. Pieces were falling into place. All that was left was to find a way to keep the gate open while I went in after Lucien. I already knew how to close it.

  This could work.

  I lowered my hands. The swirling magic dissipated and time sped up.

  "I know what we need to do," I said.

  "How?" May gaped, her voice returned.

  "I'll be right back." I teleported out of the room at their protests. This must seem so confusing to them, but to me it was simple. True knowledge made this so.

  I appeared outside in front of Liane. A rope had been tied tightly around her, but parts of it were burned, as was her hair. I suspected May had something to do with that.

  I pulled down the cord covering her mouth.

  "Eve, you must help me. I'm sorry—"

  "Silence," I ordered. "I will free you if you help me with a spell."

  Her eyes searched the grounds behind me as if looking for someone.

  "Erebus is gone. It's just me now. Are you going to help, or do I strip you of the rest of your powers, which will return to normal now that Erubus isn’t around to juice you up?"

  She narrowed her eyes and snarled, "There’s no way you killed him."
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  "I can give them back or take them all away. It's your choice."

  "Fine," she growled.

  "If you cross me," I drilled a finger into her chest, "I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

  She nodded quickly.

  I snapped my fingers again, returning her magic. I glanced at the ropes and they loosened from around her.

  "What happened to you?" she asked. "You're like a super witch. And what's with your white hair?"

  I grabbed her arm and teleported us back into the prison.

  "What is she doing here?" May hissed.

  "I need her." I pushed her across from me. "Stand there."

  "What are you doing, Eve?" Henry asked, his voice full of despair. He really believed Lucien was gone for good.

  "I'm getting Lucien back."

  "How is that possible?" Liam asked. He held Llona's hand. Her eyes were red and puffy.

  "I need the Saranton knife," I mumbled, mentally searching the prison floor for it.

  "I have it," Liam said.

  "Hand it to me."

  "Can we just slow down a second?" May asked. "I don't know what the fuck is going on!"

  "Let her work," Dr. Han said. He was the only one who seemed to understand that I knew what I was doing.

  When Liam didn't hand the knife over to me quickly enough, I used magic to summon it to me. It escaped from behind his back and shot toward my hand. I gripped its handle tightly.

  "Henry, I want you to come stand here." I pointed at the top of the star. "We need to form a triangle."

  "Eve, you need to stop and explain to us what is happening!" Henry's voice grew loud.

  I flexed my jaw, frustrated by the fact that we were wasting time. "I know this is difficult for all of you, but we can't slow down. Time is different where Lucien is. Months might've passed. Who knows what kind of torture he's had to endure?" Pain flared in my stomach again. I flexed my abdomen to ignore it. "Please, just do what I say and trust me. I'm going to get him back."