Cold Tasman Sea waters caressed my feet. Closing my eyes, I let the nearness of the ocean calm me. My morning visit to an old convict settlement had turned out to be more disturbing than I could predict. Not only was the horror of the way the convicts were treated blanketing the buildings, but the lingering fear and misery of a more recent time saturated the air. It wasn't until the tour guide explained the meeting point was the site of a mass shooting that I understood my need to hide behind a tree. Tonight, I would return to that hell hole for a ghost tour. Maybe I'd have better luck finding what I was looking for then.
"Hey!" A surfer who had braved the cold came out of the water with his board under his arm. "The tide's coming in. If you stay any longer, you'll be waist-deep in water trying to get back through the cave. Come on."
He walked on, muttering about tourists under his breath.
Getting to my feet, I gave the ocean one more longing look, then headed for the opening in the cliff face, which formed the Remarkable Cave. The colors inside were what made the caves so different. The rock walls were burgundy at the base, then variegated with pink, lavender, yellow, green, and even blue near the ceiling. As I trudged back through the knee-deep water streaming through the cave, I admired the natural rainbow rock.
As I got halfway into the cave, the current wrapped around my legs and tugged hard as it pulled out to sea. Yep, the surfer was right. Had I waited much longer, I would have struggled to get back. Looking over his shoulder when he reached the viewing platform, the guy stopped and offered me his hand to help me up.
"You all right?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you."
Giving me a nod, he let me go ahead of him up the hundred and thirty stairs back to the road—I'd counted them on the way down. Stopping at the bench, I put my sneakers on while I watched the surfer strip out of his wetsuit, and wrap a towel around his waist before removing the lower half. He had a great smile, shaggy hair, and a lovely physique. He wasn't standout good-looking, but that smile could make up for the slightly crooked nose and broad forehead.
"Where's your car?" he asked as he pulled on a pair of shorts under his towel.
"Oh, I walked here."
Lifting an eyebrow, his eyes scanned me from head to toe. "Did you want a lift back to where you are staying?"
Sadly for this guy, I was still hung up on my ex. Which is what brought me here in the first place, because I'd been told that places that were hell on Earth were portals to the realm of Hell.
"Sorry, what's your name?"
Wetting his lips, the surfer beamed his smile my way. "David."
Sure it was. "Thank you, David, but I need the alone time, and I find long walks are good for my soul."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, thank you. It was kind of you to offer." That scored me a smirk and a shake of his head.
Then, to prevent making it evident that I was waiting for him to leave, I took my time getting my headphones connected to my phone.
With a slight frown, the surfer finally got in his car and left. He was probably wondering why his charm didn't work on me.
An hour after sunset, I let myself in through the cute pedestrian gate at the back entrance to the convict settlement. While there were still many tourists around today, I was the only one from the bed and breakfast who wanted to do the ghost tour.
Walking up the roadway in front of the cute cottages that once housed essential settlement members, I wondered where I was meant to meet the tour group. Unfortunately, the ticket didn't come with instructions.
Two men stood talking up ahead. Before I got close, I made sure their clothing was modern. I'd already gotten a few weird looks during the day tour when I excused myself to get by a lady, only to realize that her dress was a few centuries out of date.
One of the men wore a suit—a bit over the top for a ghost tour, but maybe he was management—and the other wore chinos with a heavy metal t-shirt.
"Excuse me," I interrupted politely, earning me raised brows from them both.
Damn, they were hot. Like, the kind of hot you usually only see in magazines or in movies. They had similar features and the same intense dark blue gaze, which stripped you of your flesh and bones until your soul stood naked and randy before them. The dark-haired one was almost the spitting image of my first lover. But it wasn't him.
Clearing my throat, I wondered if maybe they were paid actors for the tour. Like we'd get to see them in rags and locked in the stocks getting whipped later. Okay, that was probably wishful thinking.
"Do you know where the ghost tour gathers to start?"
Slowly, their faces relaxed, and they looked at each other before the very handsome blond in the suit cocked a bold brow above his blue eyes and indicated the garden just down the retaining wall. "In the rose garden. You can find the stairs opposite the last cottage."
"Thank you." Stepping by them, I tried not to notice how they both turned and watched me walk on before whispering to each other.
Instead of being creeped out, I felt my cheeks heat. I even tucked my hair behind my ear, all flirty-like, when I sneaked another look as I headed down the stairs, only to find them following me.
Damn, was this part of the country full of murderers? Seriously, that was my type. Well, men likely to become evil incarnate and alphaholes were definitely my thing. My most recent ex turned out to be a serial killer. Not that I knew until after the car accident that killed us. I had knocked down a box of his while quickly packing a few things.
An assassin, I could cope with, had managed with previously. But a serial killer for whom I fit the victim profile—young, dark-haired, and educated. To know for some reason he could rise above his mental health issues and resist his impulses with me, but kill others who looked like me, that still messed with me.
My ex had never hurt me. On the contrary, he'd absolutely adored me. Still, every family deserves closure. I sent the box with the map marking where he'd disposed of the bodies and the photos and trophies he'd taken to the police anonymously. Then I'd put my things in storage again, assumed a new identity, and started my tour of hell holes.
While we waited for the tour to start, I gazed over the grounds. Why I expected an ominous red glow to be emanating from the doorway of some building, I don't know. Still, I was hoping the door to Hell would come with a beacon, some neon signage, and possibly a doorbell.
"Okay, I think everyone is here. Can you all gather around?" A man in the tour uniform called. "My name is Jamie. I'm your tour guide. Who wants to see a ghost tonight?"
Nearly every person put their hand up, keen for the excitement of seeing through the veils. Only the two men I'd asked for directions and I kept our hands down. Speaking of the panty-drenching brothers—they had to be related—they looked at me calculatingly. The blond gave me a small smile and a knowing nod.
"I don't," Jamie continued a little softer, letting his voice turn eerie. The hands started falling as confusion settled over their faces. "I've been told by those who do that once you see one, you see all; here, the majority are not nice."
Well, that was true. The blond's eyes returned to me and gave me a wink. Not creepy at all.
As we made our way to the ruined church, the village was calm and peaceful; it was the exact opposite of the daytime. The day visit had suffused me with anguish and vulnerability. So, I focused on the peacefulness of what was a visually beautiful place.
The bell tower yielded the first flinch, giving me the sudden need to put my back to the wall and avoid stepping inside the structure. The thing about the lingering dead is that they notice those subtle shifts, those wary glances. They float closer and breathe down your neck, observe the shiver that vibrates through your body; they see it and know.
"You okay?" The blond whispered as the others moved on. "You look a little hesitant."
Forcing a smile, I waved it away. "Yes, of course."
You'd think I'd be used to it, and in most places, I can ignore the small things that set your hair on end, but the sporadic evil of this location had my adrenaline pumping.
Despite his smile, the blond's eyes told me he didn't believe me. "I'm Lucas. This is my younger brother Aureus. You can hang with us if it makes you feel safer."
What disturbed me was that something was comforting about the brothers. Terrifying and cozy all at once. Especially the tall, dark-haired, and quiet Aureus. Yes, that's how off my taste in men seemed to be. Maybe it was this place that made them seem safe in comparison.
"I'm good." I excused myself and walked faster to catch up with the group.
Lucas snickered, and Aureus elbowed him. Returning to my search for a portal of Hell, I tried to ignore them. It was hard to do. They both had a presence that loomed over you, making you feel them even when they weren't touching you. The similarity of their appearance to the angel I'd once known and the vibe they gave off couldn't be ignored, especially when they were standing next to me at each of the stops.
I saw the first ghost at the priest's house. Another sick fuck in a long history of human monsters, he'd taken in young female convicts as his housekeepers, and then used them as his personal slaves. I almost vomited in my mouth when Jamie went into detail. Over the eons that I’d lived I’d seen humans do horrible things, but when they hurt children, it made my stomach twist in knots.
Circling the room, the Priest noticed the pretty young woman standing beside me and suddenly appeared behind her, whispering all the vile things he'd do in her ear.
Despite not knowing why, the girl trembled at his touch on her bare shoulder, gripping her boyfriend's hand tightly. When Jamie indicated we should make our way out, the girl ran for the exit, causing her boyfriend to hit the wall beside the door in her desperation to get away.
Aureus shook his head at the Priest, who scowled back and vanished. Then Aureus was observing me again and I had to force myself not to react to the fact he could not only see ghosts, but they seemed to know each other.
"You see them," he stated quietly as he fell in beside me.
"See who?" I feigned ignorance.
He chuckled, a sweet and low sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and things tighten down below. Gods, I thought Lucas had an effect on me, but Aureus's voice was better than any non-physical foreplay I'd ever experienced.
Exiting the house, the brothers watched me intently. Pretending to ignore them, I took in the view down to the bay. Aureus stepped right up behind me.
"We see you," he whispered.
Oh, Gods. I was going to come just with the sound of his voice.
"Right, let's move on. The last house on the right, please," Jamie announced in a clear, cheery voice, but he tilted his head as he observed me.
Everyone started walking. Lucas held out his hand for me to take, the pupil of his eyes flashing red. Shaking my head slightly, I stepped sideways to avoid him and jogged down the stairs to catch up with the other tourists. Lucas loosed a deep and low, menacing-to-my-panties chuckle behind me.
A woman fell in beside me, her smooth and noiseless gait a clear giveaway on the gravel path.
"You're pretty. There's a party tomorrow night for spirits who want to connect with humans again." She looked over her shoulder. "Or if Angels are your thing…."
She gave me a saucy wink. Angels. Well, that explained why Aureus was so familiar. Considering the first person I had any memory of was an Angel who looked just like Aureus, maybe Lucas wasn’t his only brother.
"Go away, Isabelle. She's not what you think." Aureus ordered sternly from the other side of me, making me jump.
Frowning at me, Isabelle cocked her head to the side to study me, then vanished. You and me both, Sister. I’d had eons to try and figure it out and I still had no clue as to what I was.
Aureus clasped my hand in his, holding firmly, so I couldn't pull away without attracting unwanted attention. Not that I could pull away. His hand in mine was two super magnets stuck together, and the way it affected me physiologically was pure euphoria.
"How unusual," Aureus murmured, sounding in awe, as if he too felt it.
By the time we caught up with the others, my panties were drenched, my blood was on fire, and my heart was in my throat. The need in me was something I'd never experienced before, but I knew already this was not the first time Aureus had touched me.
Jamie directed everyone around the back at the last house, stopping above the steps that led to a basement. During the day, I'd walked past these stairs and refused to go down there. There was no way in Hell I was descending those steps at night. Knowing my luck, that's where the door I was seeking was hidden, but I couldn't bring myself to check it out.
"So, what are you?" Isabelle jumped around beside me like she had ants in her pants.
She was really hyperactive for a ghost.
"Isabelle," Aureus growled.
"It's a really great party. Lots of good food, alcohol, and fucking. You like fucking, right?"
My eyebrows lifted at how direct she was.
"Isabelle! Excuse us!" Aureus and Lucas grabbed her and dragged her back to the front yard to scold her.
My eyes bugged as I struggled not to gawk that they could physically grab and pull a ghost. Not that I’d ever tried manhandling one.
Suddenly, my heart was pounding in my chest, white noise buzzing in my ears as I watched the two fuck-worthy angels school the ghost. Doubling my concern, I couldn’t tell if I was panicking or horny. This was not good.
Maybe I should give up on finding Hell and go home. It’d been a century. I was overdue to spend time at the temple.
"Is anyone claustrophobic?" Jamie asked.
Without hesitation, I put my hand up. Tilting his head, Jamie gave me a look of interest.
"I'll wait up here," I announced, settling myself on the garden wall.
Glancing around as everyone else headed down the stars, Jamie came closer. "Are you sure you will be alright up here by yourself?"
"What's down there?"
"The morgue. This was the doctor's house. Down there is where he conducted his experiments and not only on the dead."
The excruciating pain and terror seeping from that place made sense now. I was probably passing up my chance of finding the door to Hell, but it was too much for me to endure.
"Actually, I think I'll head off. The tours have been great. I'm just tired and would prefer to get back before it gets too late."
"Are you staying nearby?"
"Just across the road," I pointed to the lane with the little gate I could shortcut back to my lodgings through.
Sighing, Jamie nodded. "Well, get back safely."
Turning, he followed everyone downstairs out of sight. As soon as none of them were visible, I ran.
Getting back to my hotel, I took a moment to gather myself. No one had followed me, the night was calm, I was okay. Just a really unusual encounter. Still, the smart thing would be to move on quickly. Checking in with the owner, I let them know I'd be leaving at dawn and not to bother with my breakfast. After that, I spent a long time in the shower, trying to cleanse myself of the negative energies from the day.
Packing my things, I set my bag by the door, keeping my toiletries and clothes for tomorrow in the bathroom. Then I sat down with my list and worked out where I should go next. I'd always wanted to visit Tasmania, so I decided some sightseeing before continuing my search would be okay. It's not like Hell was going anywhere. After deciding on a trip up the coast, I turned out the light and slept.
A deep chuckle and those flickering red pupils invaded my dream. A warm hand caressed me like a lover, making me moan and ache for something I'd not experienced in decades since I last left the temple of pleasure.
Waking in the darkness, I startled, pulse racing. The strong arm around me tightened in comfort, and I sighed in relief, snuggling into the hard body behind me.
"I dreamed we died," I whispered.
"Not yet," the voice whispered in reassurance.
Grateful, I pressed closer to him, shifting his hand up to grasp my breast like he always liked to hold me. Behind me, he moaned and chuckled.
"Johnny," I sighed.
"Who's Johnny?"
My spine froze at the question, waking me finally. When I tried to roll away, his arm became a restraint, so the only way I could move was to turn and face him.
Swallowing hard, I turned in his arms, praying in my head it was another nightmare, that someone wasn't here. Because Johnny was dead.
No such luck.
The light through the window revealed David, the surfer. Adrenaline raced through me like a bullet through my heart, affecting my breathing but freezing me in fear. Yes, I’d been murdered countless times before, but that didn’t make me cavalier about suffering first. For sure, David was no incubus sneaking into my bed for sex and feeding before leaving me alive with a tender kiss.
Caressing my cheek, he pulled me tight against him, staring into my eyes.
"Don't look so scared. If you are nice to me, when we are done, I'll set you free," his eyes glimmered.
His lips brushed mine, then firmed over my mouth, giving me the most delicate of kisses. Did that bullshit reassure his victims?
"No!"
When I tried shoving him away, he tightened his hold, laughing.
Shifting his weight, he rolled, and I fought his attempt to pin me.
"You've got spirit; I'll give you that," he chuckled while I struggled against him.
After a few minutes, he'd had enough.
A sharp pain pierced my stomach, stopping me in my fight, my eyes staring wide into the evil above me. My breath came in short pants of ragged pain radiating through my abdomen and chest.
"Did you know stomach wounds are one of the slowest ways to die? Excruciatingly painful but terribly slow." Putting his hand over my mouth, he yanked the flick knife free. The agony roared through my insides and out of my mouth. "Plenty of time for me to have fun."
Heat built inside of me, my rage and fear burning through my blood. This sensation, I knew well. I'd been through it many times, though usually it happened with my last breath. Maybe it was because it had only been a few months since my most recent resurrection. Still, there was no way I was going to survive just to have this bastard keep killing me while he played with me.
Summoning my fury to my hand, I yelled all my indignation into his laughing face as I slammed my fist against his chest. Sunlight exploded between us, blinding us both as the sudden radiance lit up the room.
My attacker went limp and rolled from me. Getting off the bed quickly, I put my back to the wall, ready to fend him off again. Darkness suffused back into its space, until the golden light was only a faint glow on the bed and coming from my abdomen. The room was quiet. Nothing moved. Panting in pain, I found the light switch.
On the bed, the surfer was staring up at the ceiling blankly, a golden ray of light impaling his chest. My eyes bugged out of my head, breathing became near impossible. Then, slowly, the light dissolved, the last of it fading away from both of us along with my pain. I still had to be dreaming. I'd never summoned my light into a weapon before.
"Well, that was new."
"What the…?" Spinning around, Lucas sat on the sofa, legs crossed, forehead furrowed as he studied the body on my bed.
"She sent him straight to Hell, too. Not an ounce of his evil soul left for you to collect."
Movement brought my attention to Aureus, who stood right next to me. Before I could blink, he caught me up in his arms and kissed me. His lips were toasty warm marshmallows, and the sense of belonging hit me like a freight train. Some tightness I'd always had inside of me eased. It was like I'd spent an eternity waiting for this moment.
"Better make it quick. Someone might have heard her," Lucas suggested.
Not that I was paying attention. This was hands down the best kiss I'd ever experienced.
Something shifted inside me, tore open, and lurched towards Aureus. Jolting from the sudden heartache, I tried to push him away, to fight, but he had my arms pinned to his chest. There was nothing I could do. The moments of agony and betrayal before I woke up on the steps of a temple thousands of years ago played out in my head as if it was happening again.
Freaking out as the sense of Aureus grew to encompass me, I lifted my eyes to meet his one more time as a lone tear escaped my eye. Then a supernova exploded through the room, and I was lost to it, to him, to everything.