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I have no idea how we got out of the auditorium without making a major scene. All I know is every fiber of my body was in panic mode. For the life of me, I don’t know how Jennifer remained calm and focused enough to give the details necessary to fund my pledge; I, somehow, managed a gracious exit.
Jennifer, Tom, and Raven sat in the car with Steve, trying to wake him from the stupor he was in and I just leaned on the hood staring at the traffic jamming the exit lane, trying to piece together what had happened. The spot next to ours was empty, a reminder that someone had yanked her out of that theater and she hadn’t sent me any sort of warning.
My stomach clenched tighter and I closed my eyes, hanging my head as both frustration and aggravation mounted. None of us were sure what they had given Steve and I could only surmise that they had given Valerie the same thing, otherwise she would have let me know there was danger in the house.
The bastard used me as the diversion. Everyone’s focus was on me. No one saw them take her out of the VIP section, so I don’t know if she walked out or was carried out. All I knew was that Lucifer had his pawn. He had the leverage that would bring me to my knees.
The cell phone in my pocket vibrated and I pulled it out, staring at the words that comprised the text. The fact I could read no longer provided a thrill, especially with the instructions outlined. I slid the phone back into my shirt pocket.
Tom stepped by my side and I didn’t look his way. The instructions were clear. I had to follow them alone.
“Are you okay?” he signed and I just shook my head. He stepped into my line of sight and crossed his arms. “He contacted you, didn’t he?” Tom’s voice filled my head and I brought my gaze to his.
“What do you think?” I couldn’t help the snide tone. It was a dumb question, one Tom should have known, and I could see from the sharpness in his gaze, he didn’t appreciate my sarcasm.
“You can’t go alone.”
I just stared him down.
“I saw you take out your phone. Lucifer sent you a message, didn’t he,” he signed and I exhaled, nodding. “You cannot go alone. The last time almost killed you,” he signed and his words echoed in my head.
I broke eye contact and dropped my gaze to the stained concrete, contemplating what would happen if I showed up with the cavalry. Lucifer made it clear. He assured me I’d get a front row seat to her death and it would be brutal.
“He’s going to kill her if I don’t do what he says.”
“He’s going to kill her anyway.”
Tom’s statement was enough to pull my attention to him. I shook my head slowly. “Not if I can help it.”
“That’s exactly how he wants you to react,” Tom signed and echoed in my head.
“And if you were in my place?”
Tom glanced behind me at Raven and exhaled before bringing his gaze to mine. “I would do the same thing you’re about to do,” he said in my head without the use of his hands. “Barrel off and get myself killed just to try to prove I’m her knight in shining armor.” He shrugged and gave me that half-hearted smile that I was starting to get familiar with. It was his ‘I know where you’re standing—I’ve been there’ look.
I let out a soft laugh. “You’d go running just as fast as I’m going to.” I met his gaze and he nodded. “So what do you propose,” I said, taking a mental step backwards to see if he had a viable alternative.
He stepped next to me and leaned on the car, crossing his arms. Instead of reaching into his mind to see what he was thinking, I waited while he chewed on his lower lip in contemplation.
“The way I see it, you’ve only got one choice to save Valerie as well as keep Grace safe.” His voice rang softly in my head. “You have the capability of transferring your power.” He glanced at me. “You have to give it all to Valerie and then say yes to Lucifer.”
I raised my eyebrows. “But wouldn’t he figure that out?”
Tom shrugged and glanced at the traffic patterns. “Not if you do it in such a way that he has no idea and there isn’t enough time between the transfer and his possession. Then your biggest task would be to keep him locked inside you until Raven can banish him.”
“And if he chooses to kill me?”
Tom grinned. “Then he’d be killing himself. He won’t do that.”
His proposal sounded reasonable except for one little thing. Saying yes to the devil would lock an evil entity in my skin. One that could still create havoc topside even without my powers, especially if he could snow everyone the way I would have to have snowed him in the first place.
“What if Raven can’t banish him?”
Tom’s sigh sent a shiver through me and his grin disappeared. “Then I’d lose my brother.” His voice carried the dread vibrating from him and when his gaze met mine, it was filled with a sheen of tears.
The traffic started moving more steadily now and I glanced at Tom. “And if we just think Raven banished him?”
Tom’s cheeks paled and he swallowed hard. “I don’t even want to think about that,” he signed and then shoved his hands in his pockets.
Another thought pattern started itching at my mind and I glanced over my shoulder. “Steve’s coming around.” I turned toward Tom. “I’m going to need a head start so he really does think I’m alone.”
“No.” Tom said, his voice enunciating the word correctly and his head shook.
“Yes.” I said. “Give me your phone.”
Thankfully, he didn’t hesitate and I typed in the address I was given. It wasn’t anywhere near Boston and I had to figure out a means to get there since my car had been stolen by the bastard.
“Get Steve home and then head down to Connecticut.”
This time he hesitated. I stared him down.
“Take Steve and Jen to their place in New Hampshire,” I commanded, and the red of anger flitted over Tom’s face, but he grabbed his phone and retreated to the car. Once he was behind the driver’s seat, I engaged the locks and he glared at me as he pulled out of the parking spot, nearly clipping an oncoming car.
“Damn you,” his voice resounded in my head.
“I love you, too, Tom,” I said aloud and slipped out the side door. I was complying with the rules and would arrive without back up. However, I was going to time it so that back up wouldn’t be more than a good ten or fifteen minutes behind.
Or so I thought until my phone buzzed, and I glanced at the next text.
The longer it takes you to get here, the more fun I’m going to have with her.
I stared at the photo he attached and my skin crawled with the flush of anger. They were in a limousine and he had her wrists bound to the straps on either side of the car. Her pretty silk shirt was ripped open and her skirt was nowhere in sight. At least the matching lace bra and panties were still on, but the terror in her eyes told me they might not be for long.
If you harm her in any way, the deal is off. I stared at my response and then hit send.
So, you’re considering saying yes, to save this vixen?
I am considering it. But only if I know she is safe and left untouched.
I pocketed the phone, not waiting for the response. When it came back, I slowed on the street, reading the words. You have exactly two hours. If you are late, I will make sure you get an explicit viewing, much like Damian got all those years ago.
A memory started clawing at the wall in my head and I shut it off, glancing around at my choices. Parked cars lined the street, I crossed to an Audi and glanced around before reaching for the door. With a breath, I willed the car to unlock and disengage the security system. The telltale beep-beep filled the street. I hadn’t driven since I woke from the coma, but that didn’t matter. I’d figure it out pretty quickly and I willed the machine to start. The engine revved and I pulled out the phone, switching to the GPS and typed in the address he gave me in New Fairfield, on Candlewood Lake.
I waited for the directions to load because every time we had been in Boston, Valerie cursed under her breath at how the traffic patterns in this city were laid out. She believed they designed it just for the fun of confusing drivers. Once the instructions came online, I peeled out of the parking space and navigated through the streets like a racecar driver.
For me, it wasn’t a confusing maze and by the time I hit the Mass Pike, I was cruising. The car had one of those monitors that allowed me to drive through the tollbooth without paying and I used every ounce of power I had to create an open path that I could fly down.
The GPS said it was over a two and a half hour drive. I could see that, if I remained at the speed limit and didn’t manipulate the traffic, but the slowest I drove was eighty, and that was through the toll itself. When a cop pulled out after me, I sent the silent command to ignore me and the lights flipped off a moment later.
The more I pushed, the more I knew I couldn’t let Lucifer get hold of this power. He would use it to destroy everything good and pure on this earth.
They had an hour on me, even with the time I cut off the clock, and when I pulled into the long driveway, a group of demons, and a text warning not to do anything stupid, met me. There was something about the house that tickled my memory and I clenched my teeth, resolved not to crumble into another seizure. That would be the ultimate suck.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I said when the main demon went to grab my arm. “I can walk,” I spit out the warning and he backed off, but they surrounded me, escorting me into the house. The minute I stepped over the threshold, it felt like a blanket draped over me.
The lead demon reached out and grabbed my upper arm, yanking me in the direction of the living room. I mentally pushed, growling the command to let me go but nothing happened. He just laughed at me.
“You’re on Lucifer’s ground. You have no power here.” He pushed me forward and I faltered, stopping in my tracks at the spectacle before me.
I put a lockdown on my mind, my thoughts, everything I could lock up, and I took a deep breath. Tom and Raven wouldn’t be anywhere in the vicinity for another two hours minimum, and Lucifer stood facing Valerie. My Valerie. In chains splaying her out for him to play with.
Anger scrolled down my spine and I glared at the devil.
“I understand she likes to be tied up,” he said, and sent a chilling grin in my direction. The human he’d donned was not the model of physical physique that Lucifer was used to, and even I couldn’t help but cringe as he stepped closer to her.
I moved fast. Faster than he expected and I had the advantage of surprise. I jumped and my feet connected with his chest, sending him flying into the wall. I landed on my feet, now occupying the spot where he had stood, blocking him from Valerie.
“I told you the deal was off if you touched her.” I said without fail, and took the ready form Steve had taught me.
Lucifer slowly got to his feet and gave a nod to the demons in the room. I didn’t have enough memory of how to fend off multiple attackers and they overwhelmed me. Forced to my knees by a dozen demons, I glared at Lucifer.
“Say yes or I will let everyone in the room have their way with her,” Lucifer said, crouching in front of me. “And you’ll get to see her struggle and hear her scream.”
I shivered and glanced at Valerie as the fear stuffed my mouth with a metallic blend that made me want to spit. She shook her head adamantly.
“Don’t,” she whispered and her voice shook with the fear quaking her bound form. Fear that matched my own.
I glanced back at Lucifer. “I will, but I have two conditions before you get hold of me,” I stuttered.
He pressed his lips together and I honestly thought he was going to say no. I thought I was going to have to say yes, without any concessions of my own, in order to save Valerie.
“I owe you a world of hurt, son,” he said and licked his lips. “But just for giggles, what are your conditions.”
“I get to kiss her goodbye and as soon as she is clear of this property, I will say yes.”
“I’ll let you kiss her goodbye but the moment she is clear of this property, I lose my bargaining chip.”
“Then send a demon with her,” I said. “And you can call the bastard off once you have me.”
“No, Chris!” Valerie struggled against the bonds, her breath hitching in a way that made me want to break the eye contact I had with Lucifer, but I resisted.
Lucifer rubbed his chin as he studied me. “If you double cross me in any way, I will have her brought back here and I will do the most heinous things to her while you watch, until I lose interest, at which point I will kill her.”
I nodded. “I know. As soon as she is clear, you’ve got what you want.”
He stood and gave me a nod. The hands holding me in place receded and I climbed to my feet.
“Give her her clothes, too,” I said and Lucifer raised his eyebrow. “Please,” I added and he handed her the shirt once she was out of the bonds.
“Kiss him goodbye,” Lucifer directed and pushed her in my direction.
Tears flowed down her cheeks and she fell into my arms. I held her and touched my forehead to hers. “I love you, Valerie,” I said and she met my gaze. The power swirled in the center of my chest and I closed my eyes and pulled her parted lips to mine. Our tongues mingled and I willed every ounce of magic I possessed into her. The kiss lingered and my grip on her tightened. So did hers, but to her credit, she didn’t gasp or give away anything that transpired between us. Memories flashed like a slide show and I pulled them into the vault in my mind where everything else was stored. I didn’t have time for that just yet, and I didn’t want to tip my hand.
When I pulled away, hot wetness traced down my cheeks and my vision blurred. I removed the necklace from around my neck and slipped it over her head, offering her more than double the protection against the demon horde. I pressed it to her chest despite her protests.
“I love you, now go,” I whispered and stepped away, pointing at the door.
She shook her head, sobbing and shaking. “I can’t leave you,” she whispered.
“You can, and you will.” I wiped my face and nodded toward the door.
One of the appointed demons grabbed her arm and escorted her out of the house.
I followed and stood at the door. “Let her drive,” I said and got a nasty glance from the demon, but he pushed her into the driver’s seat and shuffled to the passenger seat. She glanced in the rearview mirror just before she took the gentle curve out of sight and I swallowed the lump that formed, turning away from my future and everything I loved.
The slam of the front door felt more like a casket closing and I returned to the living room without the help of the henchmen following me. A blanket of despair covered me and I paused in the entryway, collecting my courage before I stepped into Lucifer’s line of sight. I needed to steel my nerves in order to pull this off.
“If you don’t hear from me in five minutes, bring the bitch back,” he said into the phone and then terminated the call.
The fact he called Valerie a bitch made my fists clench and I met his gaze. “One more condition,” I said and his jaw tightened. “You leave my family alone. Valerie included, otherwise this isn’t happening.”
He crossed his arms and glared at me.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked and adopted the same stance, hardening my features and forcing the shake out of my limbs.
His gaze rose to the crowd of demons behind me and the first hint of real fear stripped my voice for a moment. They converged, dropping me to my knees. One of them took a handful of hair and yanked my head back.
Lucifer stepped in front of me. “Say yes,” he growled, his hands balling into fists.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked again through clenched teeth.
“Yes,” he said. “We have a deal.”
“Then my answer is yes.”
Black smoke flowed from every pour of the soul he possessed, covering the room in a fog that swirled into a tight mass until every last bit exited the man’s body. With nothing animating the man, his former husk dropped to the ground, stone dead from the horrific experience.
The cluster darted at me, drowning me. An inhuman wail filled the space and it took me a few moments to realize the sound was coming from me. His possession was not the smooth transition of a demon; it was a complete mind rape. Bitterness filled my soul, wringing it with agony. Every cell screamed as his essence overwhelmed me and I started to doubt I would survive an exorcism. Evil settled in, trying to eject me from my body, but I held firm despite the raw pain.
I retreated into the locked space where my memories were housed, hoping for asylum from the pain and fear now chasing after me, but it only succeeded in making me a prisoner in my own skin. His power, diluted from his angel form, still was a force to be reckoned with, although it didn’t feel anything near the power that had once raged in my blood.
When my eyes opened, I could see what he saw and feel everything he felt. He mentally bucked a few times, but I held on. If I didn’t, I would be lost forever.
“I’m not leaving and neither are you,” I said.
He turned toward a mirror and my face stared back.
“You little shit,” he said.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the anger flaring my nostrils and making my eyes daggers of fury.
“Where is it?”
“Where is what?” I replied, toying with him despite the agony fleecing my soul.
“Your powers,” he growled.
“Oh, that. Well, that wasn’t part of the deal.”
He roared and punched the glass. It shattered and the skin of my knuckles broke open, spraying blood all over the remaining shards. The phone came out and he slammed his index finger on the redial button.
“Bring her back,” he snarled.
“I’m sorry but your demon henchman has been reduced to a pile of dust,” Valerie said into the phone in the same polite tone she would have used when asking someone to leave a message. I made a mental note to kiss her and never stop, if I ever got out of this jam.
The rage that filled my form was so black that I had to retreat farther into the safe haven in my mind. The last trap I had wouldn’t be sprung until I got word the rest of the cavalry arrived and then I’d blow the wall holding the floodgates of memories, sending my taxed brain into another seizure and rendering the devil unconscious, or at least a spastic mass that couldn’t function.
At least, that was my hope.
I still had some control and, when he turned his anger on the demons in the room, I encouraged their destruction.
By the time his little shit fit was over, blood and gore covered the walls and me. Lucifer made a bid for control and I gave it to him, retreating to a place he couldn’t seem to reach.
“I swear I will make you eat her heart,” he growled, his gaze locked on the mirrored shards sending me a broken reflection of outright fury.