She nodded, still struggling to comprehend what was happening. Do you know what Heaven has done to him?
“Erin?” Veiron said and she didn’t retreat this time. She let him close the gap between them, needing to feel him nearby.
Her father’s voice echoed in her head. Something caused him to remember you. Heaven sealed those memories to stop their pawn from disobeying. It doesn’t seem to have worked. I must say, I find this turn of events most amusing. An angel longing for something born of Hell.
Erin ignored that comment. She wasn’t born of Hell. She was only born to the ruler of that realm. As far as she was concerned, she belonged in this realm, in the mortal world, and nothing would ever change that.
Can you break the seal? Her heart fluttered at the thought that he might have that power.
He snorted. Of course.
Then I want to make a deal.
Laughter rang in her mind. I thought you wished me dead?
Nothing will change that… but I might be willing to compromise if we can come to some agreement that benefits us both. I want to make a deal.
Very well. I will hear you out. Two of my finest are on their way to collect you.
Two of his finest? Hell’s angels.
She hadn’t meant that she wanted to go to Hell to see the Devil and do a deal in person. She wanted to do it all via the weird connection they shared. She didn’t want to leave the island.
What was she doing? The Devil wasn’t going to help her. He was going to get what he wanted and betray her again, just as he had before. Was it too late to change her mind?
Father?
No response. Typical. He had what he wanted and now he was going back to ignoring her. She had to think of a way out of this, because she knew in her heart that it wouldn’t end well. There were Hell’s angels en route to take her down to him and she didn’t think they would listen to her if she said she had changed her mind and didn’t want to see her father after all.
How would Veiron react when they came?
Veiron’s hands brushing hers brought her back to the world and she stared up at him, mind racing as she tried to come to terms with the gravity of what she had just done. She hated the man who called himself her father and wanted to kill him, but only he had the power to restore Veiron’s memories and give him what he wanted. If she had that power, she would grant his wish in a heartbeat, but she didn’t. All she could do was make a deal with the Devil and pray that he didn’t betray her this time.
Her chest ached, a deep throbbing that reached right down into her bones. She stared up at Veiron, afraid that this would be the last time that she saw him. The Devil would set a high price when she stood before him and pleaded him to give Veiron back that which Heaven had taken from him. She didn’t want this to be their last moment together, and she would bargain as hard as she could, but she knew in the end that she would do whatever the Devil asked of her. Veiron had been through so much because of her. She had failed to save him but she could do this for him.
She could make him whole again.
“What is wrong?” Veiron whispered and moved one of his hands up to her face, holding her cheek in it. His hands were so warm, even hotter than her skin, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, memorising how it felt and how it made her feel. There was love in his caress, love that she had ached to feel again since the day she had lost him, and now she was leaving him.
She wasn’t sure how to answer his question. He would try to stop her if he knew what was going to happen and she couldn’t allow that. She was doing this for his sake, for everyone’s sake. She wouldn’t just ask for Veiron’s memories back. She would make everything right.
“I’ll be fine soon,” she said and smiled, hoping to hide the burning ache in her chest behind it.
The ground trembled and then stilled.
Veiron frowned.
The clock ticking in Erin’s head sped up. This could be her last moment with Veiron. He wasn’t the same man she had fallen in love with but that hadn’t altered her feelings for him. She still loved him with all of her heart and nothing would ever change that, not his lack of memories or him regaining them.
She cursed fate. Why give her clarity now when she was about to leave?
The ground shook again.
It was too late now to back out.
She had to go to her father and make him do as she asked, and then she would betray him just as he had betrayed her. She would kill him.
Erin stepped into Veiron, tiptoed and captured his cheeks in her palms. She meshed their lips together, keeping the kiss soft and light, hoping that he would feel the love in it.
Veiron slid his hands over her waist and she thought he would push her away but he pulled her closer and slanted his head, returning the kiss. It was tender and sweet, and everything she couldn’t take.
Erin broke away from him and ran along the sand, struggling for breath as the weight of what she had done sank down on her shoulders.
She stopped by the rocks that sheltered one side of the curved bay and turned back to face him. Veiron stood in the spot she had left him, confusion written in every feature, his hands still held out in front of him, level with where her hips had been.
Erin drew in a deep breath. The sand trembled and smaller rocks fell down the boulders behind her, clacking as they bounced down to the beach.
“Erin?” Veiron said and pain lashed at her heart.
What the hell was she doing? Was she making a terrible mistake? The Devil was partly responsible for Veiron’s death and it was insane of her to think that she could strike a deal with him that would end well, with everyone getting what they wanted. Look how well her first deal had ended.
She could only think of one reason the Devil wanted her to meet him in person to discuss the terms of the deal too, and she didn’t want to end up parted from Veiron and everyone. The Devil knew what Veiron meant to her and he would demand a high price for his memories. He would exploit her love for him.
What if he asked her to remain in Hell?
She couldn’t let that happen, no matter what. It would hurt Veiron if he could remember her and she was no longer with him, and as an angel of Heaven, he couldn’t spend his life with her in Hell. It wasn’t what he wanted, and it wasn’t what she wanted either. It would kill her.
She wouldn’t let it happen.
The ground trembled again, stronger this time, so violently she almost lost her balance.
“I have to go now,” she said and Veiron frowned and lowered his hands. Her throat tightened, chest constricting as she struggled with what she wanted to say. “Tell Amelia that I love her and that I’m glad she found Marcus, and to stay safe.”
Tears lined her eyes and heat caressed her calves, hot air blowing up the skirt of her black dress. The ground bucked and shook. The stench of sulphur hit her. She could do this. She would strike a deal with her father and as soon as she knew he had upheld his part of the bargain, she would make her move. She was ready to face him and this way Amelia and the others wouldn’t be in danger.
She sucked down another breath and stared deep into Veiron’s eyes.
“Remember me… because I will always remember you. I love you.”
Heat scorched her back and she almost fell as the ground opened behind her. Two immense Hell’s angels rose out of a burning crevasse, spread their leathery wings and clamped huge black hands down on her arms. Erin panicked.
“Veiron!” She reached for him but it was too late.
The last glimpse she caught of him he was running towards her, arms outstretched, reaching for her.
Darkness swallowed her.
Erin clung to hope.
She was strong enough to do this.
She would set everything right and would strike the first blow for her side by killing her father, and when it was all over, she would see Veiron again.
She would.
CHAPTER 34
The darkness around Erin receded to r
eveal the place of her nightmares. A huge semi-circle of sharp black spires enclosed the paved courtyard she had seen in her visions and an obsidian fortress rose before her, reaching so high into the darkness that it blended with the black ceiling of Hell. Hot air filled her still aching lungs, making it difficult to breathe when combined with the lingering trace of her panic. She could do this. It rang in her head like a mantra, repeating over and over, giving her strength and courage.
A creak cut the silence and shredded her nerves. Erin whipped around to face the towering black doors of the fortress. They cracked open down the centre, revealing a chink of orange light that brightened as they swung apart. A break in that light caught her eye, a black shape that wavered in the heat haze and looked so small compared to the massive twin doors.
Her father.
He strode towards her and the shadows clinging to him dissipated, revealing him in all his grim glory. A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth when he spotted her, his amber eyes brightening to match the rivers of Hell and the inferno at his back.
“Daughter,” he said, voice low and teasing, designed to soothe and tempt.
Everything about this man made him look as though he had been created purely for seducing mortals and leading them to their downfall, from his glossy black hair to his perfect classical features, to his sharp black suit. Whoever her mother had been, she probably hadn’t stood a chance against him when he had turned on the charm.
“The one and only… or one of many?” she said, sure that there were others like her out there, the product of a seduction by the man now standing only thirty feet from her on the wide black steps that curved across the courtyard.
A flash of Veiron tumbling down those steps filled her mind but she steeled herself and refused to give in to her fears. Veiron was up on the island, away from Hell, just where she wanted him to be. She would cut her deal and do what she had come here to do and then she would return to him. Everything would be right again. She would give him back his memories.
She would save him for a change.
In a manner of speaking.
“The only one.” The Devil preened his hair back and flashed a smile. “Although, it is not for lack of trying.”
“I thought you couldn’t leave Hell... so how did you meet my mother?”
His smile widened. “It is true that I am trapped in this realm for the time being, but that does not mean I am without a way of satisfying my needs. My men often journey to the surface to select suitable females for my entertainment.”
“You’re telling me you have your angels kidnap women so you can seduce them here, in Hell? Do you even give them a choice?”
“They are willing, Erin. The pleasure they experience is payment enough for what they go through afterwards.”
Erin frowned. “Afterwards... as in when you send them back to Earth pregnant with your spawn?”
“I will admit that I am trying to ensure my future by fathering a child with all women who spend time in my company, but most mortals are not strong enough to carry my seed. The foetus tends to destroy them from the inside.”
“You sicken me,” she growled. “How can you have your lackies bring women down here for you to seduce?”
Darkness crossed his face, his amber eyes brightening to gold, and then it faded back into a fixed smile. “Whenever I am able to leave Hell, I do so and find women in the mortal realm to seduce and pleasure. Does that make it alright to you?”
“No... it’s still disgusting and despicable… thank you for this whole lot of TMI.” Erin frowned, repulsed by the thought of this man kidnapping and having his way with as many women as he could and the consequences of his one night stands. How many innocent women had died because of him? Her mother had survived. Had she been special somehow, able to bear this man’s child without suffering the same fate as those before her? Erin trembled, afraid to ask but needing to know. She had loved the woman she had called mother, but someone else had given birth to her and she wanted to know if that woman still lived. “What about my mother?”
His smile widened. “You desire to know who she was… family ties are very important to you?”
She nodded. They were. It was the reason she hadn’t been able to hold onto her anger towards Amelia and the people she had known as her parents. She still loved the woman she saw as her sister and she didn’t blame her for keeping the truth from her.
He inspected his nails. “I do not know who your mother was, dearest Erin.”
“Could she have survived my birth?” This wasn’t why she had come. It didn’t matter how many times she told herself that. She couldn’t stop the questions from flowing. He shook his head, confirming her suspicions. “I killed her, didn’t I?”
He nodded again. “You were destined to destroy her, whether it was during her pregnancy or during your birth. You cannot have ties to the mortal world.”
“But I’m part mortal!”
He descended the first of the five steps that led down to her and shook his head again. “You are not mortal at all. Nothing was taken from your mother. No DNA… no genes whatsoever.”
Erin’s throat closed. “What are you saying? How is that possible? A baby shares genes with both parents.”
“Under normal circumstances. You are not normal, dearest Erin. You are extraordinary. Your DNA is a perfect match for mine.”
A chill skated down her spine and froze her limbs. He smiled at her, as though he was pleased she had figured it out for herself.
“I’m a vessel.” God, that couldn’t be right. He had wanted to take care of her, had been proud when she had exhibited powers, and had wanted her to awaken to her full potential. He had talked about changing her and doing away with her softer and more compassionate side.
Erin felt sick. She clutched her stomach and doubled over, dry heaving. Sweat broke out across her brow and she retched again, hands shaking against her belly. She clutched the damp black material of her dress and breathed slowly. It was just the saltwater that she had swallowed. She wasn’t going to let this revelation stop her. She wasn’t just a vessel for the Devil.
She straightened and faced him again, and caught the brief flicker of concern in his amber eyes.
“Worried your vessel is going to die?” she snapped and he raised a single black eyebrow.
“Not at all. Things are progressing faster than I had anticipated. That is all. It requires a change in my plans.”
His plans? Was he going to inhabit her body and escape Hell, wreaking havoc on the world she loved, and Heaven too? Would she survive his possession?
She would never see Veiron again.
Erin bent over and threw up.
The Devil sighed. “Such a weak constitution. We shall have to do something about that.”
He descended the remaining steps and his shiny black leather shoes appeared in view at the edge of her vision. She had half a mind to aim her next bout of vomiting towards them.
His hand came to rest on her shoulder, her skin instantly heating beneath it. That heat flowed into her flesh and along her limbs, coursing through her blood. The sickness wracking her faded, strength replacing it, making her feel more alive and healthier than she had in weeks.
“That is better. We need you strong, Erin. You have a responsibility to take care of your health now.”
A responsibility? Erin eased herself up and wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. She didn’t want to be his vessel. Was there nothing else she could do for him instead?
“Now, let us flesh out the terms of this deal,” he said, his smile wicked.
He thought to betray her again by finding some loophole. She wasn’t going to make the same mistakes twice. She wasn’t a fool.
“You will restore Veiron’s memories to him and undo whatever Heaven has done to him, and you will leave him, Amelia, Marcus, Apollyon, Einar, Taylor, Lukas and everyone they love alone. You will not raise a hand to harm them, will not command your army or anyone to do any such thing, and yo
u will not use me against them.” Erin held his gaze, unwavering, strong, showing him that she had grown up a lot since the last deal she had made with him and she was wise to his tricks now. “In exchange, I will join your side and pledge myself to you… but only if I see they are safe and well, and are unharmed. If anyone goes after them or harms them, then this deal is void.”
He grinned. “Erin, you speak as though you do not trust your own father. You do not get to set all the terms. I swear to do all that you ask… but are you prepared to do all that I ask?”
She was, but she wasn’t really going to go through with it. She would wait to see if he kept his end of the deal and then she would find a way to go back on the whole thing and kill him.
“In exchange for the safety of those you have mentioned and those they love and those you love, you will provide me with a vessel in the mortal and angelic realms,” he said and she nodded, her heart thumping against her ribs. She had no intention of doing any such thing. “In exchange for Veiron’s memories, you will surrender yours.”
Erin froze. Her heart stopped. Hands shook. Skin prickled with ice.
What?
He wanted to take her memories from her. He had seen through her. If he took her memories in exchange for restoring Veiron’s, she would forget everything. She wouldn’t remember him and her friends. She wouldn’t remember this deal. She wouldn’t remember her plan to destroy the Devil.
She couldn’t agree to that.
She didn’t want her friends to suffer anymore or Veiron to live life feeling he wasn’t a whole person, but she couldn’t sacrifice herself to achieve those things.
Could she?
“What if I say no?” she whispered, knowing she was showing her weaker side by asking such a question.
The Devil shifted his hand to her face. “I will kill your friends one by one until you agree.”
She swallowed. She couldn’t stand by and let her friends die because she was afraid. The Devil wanted her alive, as his vessel in the mortal and angelic realms. That meant that in Hell she would be herself, didn’t it?
Her Angel: Eternal Warriors Romance Series Complete Series Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 68