Hells gate box set, p.29
Hell's Gate Box Set, page 29
part #1 of Hell's Gate Series
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, biting down on her bottom lip.
I swallowed my emotions. I knew she meant well, but this was one of those things that I had to deal with in my own way. Which at the moment was avoidance.
I named the kitten Nibbler because she chewed on everything. The TV cords. My shoes. An old magazine I’d tossed on the floor when I’d finished reading it. Her toys. She was insatiable with her little razor teeth, so Nibbler it was.
The next couple of days were spent in glorious solitude, just Nibbler and me. Del and Jase stayed away, and no one turned up on Fury Island looking for me. Life was surprisingly good, and with each passing day my guard lowered, I relaxed and began to heal.
Then it turned to shit. It started when Del, Jase, and Duke turned up on my doorstep, uninvited. I knew from the glowing tattoo inside Duke’s ear that something bad had happened.
“Don’t tell me,” I drawled, “your tattoos are glowing too?”
“Yes. And they’re kinda warm and tingly. What does it mean?” Del was rubbing at her chest where her tattoo was hidden beneath her clothes.
“It means someone is trying to break into or out of, Hell.” I sighed. “Vacation over. Look after Nibbler for me, will you? I’ve gotta go kick someone’s ass.”
Kissing the top of Nibbler’s head, I handed her over to Del, reluctant to part with her. “I’ll be back,” I whispered, then spread my wings and disappeared, reappearing moments later in Hell HQ.
Chapter Four
Hell HQ was a black marble skyscraper perched precariously on the very edge of my realm, towering up over the city on one side and down into eternal darkness on the other. My penthouse was on the top floor, my offices immediately below. I hadn’t realized until I returned that I’d actually missed it. The sleek surfaces, glass walls, the hustle and bustle of my demons patrolling the streets and skies, keeping my realm safe. And then there was my second in command. Ashliel.
“Finally!” Ashliel glanced over her shoulder at me, her flaming locks moving over her shoulders like molten lava. “Where the hell have you been?”
“On vacation.” Striding forward, I stood in front of the wall of monitors and scanned them. “What’s up?”
“Nothing, why?” She was typing on her electronic clipboard. “Is something meant to be wrong?”
“I got an alert that someone is trying to break in. Or out.”
Throwing her head back, she laughed. “Break into Hell? As if.” She snorted and smiled to herself.
“So…no alarms on this side? Nothing unusual?”
She studied me intently before turning her attention to the screens. “Nothing obvious, no. No alarms triggered on this side, but how were you alerted? That might factor into it.”
“The key activated.” I said.
“Not good,” she growled, all business now.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, we scrolled through the screens, monitoring every inch of Hell. Nothing seemed out of place.
“Initiate a lockdown, I want Hell searched from top to bottom. If there is a breach, I want to know about it. The attempt must have come from the outside; someone was trying to get in, not out. Otherwise, this board would be lit up with alarms. Never-the-less we’re not taking any chances. Full lockdown, search, and then increase patrols.”
Ashliel hurried off to do my bidding, and I stood, looking out over my domain. My domain. But of course, this is where it happened, in the mountain ranges on the horizon, the hidden chamber where my mother had imprisoned my father for eons. Then, we stumbled upon him. To save himself, he drained my magic to fuel his own; only he’d accidentally swept up the essence of my daughter, effectively ending my pregnancy. The pain I’d been trying to bury for the last week erupted with an intensity that stole my breath. Tears filled my eyes, blurring my vision and my heart yearned for what was lost.
“Gah, Lucifer, pull yourself together,” Ashliel snapped, her heels clipping across the floor. “Your energy is choking. You want payback? Drag their sorry asses into the pit and be done with it.”
I snorted. Ash was always a sharpshooter. She had no time for bullshit or emotion. I glanced at her. The green of her eyes sparkled like freshly cut emeralds. Hard and sharp.
“Anyway, I think I found the problem.” She handed me the clipboard.
“What am I looking at?” I asked with a frown.
“Geez, did someone give you a lobotomy while you were on vacation?” she snapped, her irritation evident.
Now I knew how people felt around me. Intimidated and keen to get away from the bad-tempered dragon I’d become.
“Ash,” I reprimanded, matching her tone. “You’ve done a brilliant job here, and I applaud you for it, but there are boundaries – my dear – and you are skating precariously close to the edge.”
My gaze drilled into hers, and we battled silently until she lowered her gaze, and a grin spread across her face. A grin spread across her face. “Welcome back, Lucifer.”
Handing back the clipboard I turned my attention to the wall of monitors. “This has to be the work of Lilith.” I said to myself.
“Armageddon?” Ash suggested, one brow arched.
“Could be.” I nodded. Earth was in trouble. Serious trouble. Simultaneously, across the globe, volcanoes erupted, earthquakes tore apart cities and highways, and tsunamis roared through the oceans. All of earth's fault lines were on the move.
“The triggering of the key was a trick wasn’t it?” Ashliel asked.
“Yeah. She wanted me out of the way. Off of earth, so she could launch her attack.”
“But why?”
“Because she wants to hurt Dad any way she can, and her focus right now is the earth he created. Has she forgotten her sons have been banished there? That she’s risking their lives in her drive for revenge?”
Ashliel cocked her head. “Cold.”
“As ice.” I sighed. “I’m going to have to fix this, aren’t I?” We both stood, waiting in the hope that God would appear earth side and put an end to the destruction Lilith was raining down. Alas, there was no sign of dear old Dad.
“Looks like it. Off you go, I’ll continue to manage things here.”
Dismissed by Ash, I returned to Fury Island, my temporary home away from home.
“Lucy, thank God!” Del grabbed my arm and jerked me toward the front door of the cottage. “You have to do something. You have to stop it!”
Placing my hands over Del’s I halted her. “Stop what?”
“A tsunami, heading straight for us. It will wipe Fury Island off the map.”
“Goddamit,” I cursed, twisting my hair into a knot on top of my head I secured it with a band. Shrugging out of my jacket I tossed it at Del and cracked my knuckles. I had work to do.
“Where’s Nibbler?” I asked. I needed to know they were safe before I left, knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus if I was worrying about this lot. Glancing around, I spotted the tiny ball of fluff curled up between Duke’s front paws.
I pointed to Del and Jase, “The four of you have to stay in this house. No matter what you hear outside, do not open the door, understood?”
“Why? What are you going to do?” Jase wrapped his fingers around Del’s and squeezed.
“I’m going to protect this house; then I’m going to stop the shit show that is going on right now. The tsunami is just the beginning. This problem is global.”
“But…wh…how?” Del was lost for words. Her eyes revealed her distress.
“I don’t have time to explain, all you need to know is that I can keep you safe if you stay inside. Even if the tsunami hits, you’ll be safe. You might be floating in a house in the ocean, but you’ll be safe, the house will hold. Open the door, and you’re doomed. And let me tell you, I’ll be pissed if anything happens to any of you, including Nibbler. Keep the door closed. Understood?”
“Yes,” they replied in unison. Closing my eyes, I summoned my magic, drawing from the earth itself to cast a protective bubble around the cottage.
Using that much power gave me a heady rush. I strode out of the house with a new pep in my step. I knew using that much magic would be like a beacon, leading Levi right to me, but that seemed inconsequential to what was happening around me. The air outside was still, deadly still. Not even a bird chirped. The leaves didn’t dare rustle.
I rushed down to the foreshore and stood on the beach, amazed at the sight before me. The water was gone. Sucked out, the empty ocean floor stretched for miles. I knew what was coming though; all that water was going to come rushing back, with a vengeance, destroying anything in its path.
Fury Island would not survive the onslaught.
I felt him before I saw him, the familiar warmth of his energy mere feet away. I refused to turn around; instead, I kept my gaze on the horizon. The water would be returning soon, and I had to be ready, I had one shot at saving the island.
“Lucy.” His voice was music to my ears and simultaneously, a stake through my heart.
“Now’s not the time Levi,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.
“Can we assume this is Lilith’s doing?” Dacian asked from behind my left shoulder.
I nodded, “You can. Is Dad here?”
“Not yet.” Dacian replied.
I risked a glance at Dacian, dad’s right hand angel and my best friend. “He is coming, isn’t he? He is planning to help? Because this is just one tsunami. I cannot save the entire planet.”
Resting a hand on my shoulder Dacian reassured me, “my army is here to assist, and you have Levi and me.”
I snorted. “It won’t be enough. Lilith is too powerful. And what of Michael and Gabriel? They were banished to earth to live as humans. They will be powerless to save themselves, let alone assist us.”
“I’m sorry Lucy, I just don’t know,” Dacian admitted, and the anger that had been simmering beneath the surface heated to a steady boil. Fuck my parents. This was all their fault. If they could sort their shit out and learn to get along, none of this would be happening. And the last thing I wanted was to be dragged into the middle of their domestic affairs – heaven only knows I had my own problems.
“It’s coming,” Levi said. He was behind me, off to the right. I glanced at him, my gaze thirsty for a peek. My breath hitched in my throat. He looked…ragged. Exhausted. Tired and fed up. He looked how I felt.
“What’s wrong with you?” I blurted, breaking my rule of not speaking to him ever again.
“Oh, you know, been searching the Universe for my mate, who thought it would be fun to play hide and seek.” He hissed the words at me through clenched teeth. Now he was angry at me. At me! The nerve.
“Fun?” I screeched. “Fun is the last thing I’ve been having, Levi Forrester!” I bellowed, my voice echoing around us.
“Guys…. GUYS!” Dacian interjected before we could get into it any further. “Look!” Levi and I turned our heads. A wall of water over a hundred feet high was barreling toward Fury Island. It would hit in a matter of minutes.
“Holy shit,” Levi whispered, cracking his knuckles and stretching his neck from side to side, readying for battle.
“Spread out,” I ordered, flinging my arms out to indicate to Dacian and Levi to position themselves along the beach on either side of me. My wings spread out at full width behind me. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to pull this off. Dacian and I could fly out of danger, but Levi couldn't, if he got swept up in the wave, there would be no saving him. With my heart thundering in my chest, I glanced over at him. A surge of adrenaline warmed my blood. He met my gaze, his love for me blazing like a laser beam straight into my heart.
This was what I was afraid of. Seeing him again. Falling for him all over again, after he’d hurt me so badly. Even as the thoughts tumbled through my head and the tsunami barreled towards us, I was remembering how Levi made me feel. And despite everything, seeing him now reminded me of how much I loved him, how the ache of being apart was unrelenting. Damn it.
“Now!” Dacian yelled.
Without thought, I pushed out my power. Sweeping my arms wide, I pushed an invisible wall up against the swell of water. It pushed back. Hard.
Grunting, I staggered, one step back, and then two. Levi and Dacian were doing the same, our combined power hopefully enough to turn back the tide. Digging my heels in, I held my ground, wincing when I was pushed farther back, my feet digging channels in the sand. We were losing ground. Sweat beaded on my upper lip and my arms trembled from the effort.
“Fuck,” Dacian swore.
I knew what he was thinking. We were going to lose. Fury Island was seconds away from being obliterated, thanks to Lilith. The spark of anger that had been boiling beneath my skin exploded at the thought of what she had done. Fuck her. It was time to take that bitch down.
“Yarrrrghhhhh!” I screamed, putting all my fury into it, channeling everything I had, all the pent-up emotion, wild and feral within me, came spewing out, unguarded and intense. I was raw with it, exposed and vulnerable, but I didn’t notice or care. I had to save the island.
“It’s working!” Dacian shouted. “Keep going.”
With a final frenzy of power, we beat it, the giant wall of water crashed to the ocean floor with a thunderous crash, droplets shooting high into the sky and raining down on us. I was euphoric in our victory and turned to Dacian with a grin on my face.
“We did it.” Dacian cheered, slapping me on the back. I stared at my best friend, sobering.
“It’s not over. There are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, you name it. Lilith is raining it down on earth. I shudder to think how many have died already.”
Dacian nodded his agreement. “The only way to stop this is to stop Lilith.”
“Duh.” Spinning on my heel, I trudged back toward the cottage.
“Lucy wait,” Levi called, jogging to catch up with me. I didn’t stop, but I didn’t protest when he matched his steps to mine, keeping pace.
“I’m sorry. For everything.” He said.
“I’m sure you are.”
He tried to take my hand, but I snatched it away.
“Lucy, please.”
His begging was almost my undoing. Almost. But then Dacian jumped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Lucifer, far be it for me to interfere with your love life, but, someone needs to. I’ve been saddled with sad sack here for the last week, and to say it’s depressing would be an understatement. You two need to sit down and have a conversation. Communicate. What happened was an absolute tragedy, it really was, but Lucy? It wasn’t Levi’s fault.”
“He should have told me,” My hurt was real and while I knew what Dacian said was true, it didn’t stop the hurt from hurting.
“Yes. He should have. But he didn’t. And I bet he’s wishing with every molecule of his being that he could turn back the clock and have a do-over.” Dacian waved an arm toward Levi who was nodding so hard it was almost comical. “But none of us have that luxury. The best he can do is beg forgiveness and move on. How about channeling some of that fury and hate towards the person who is actually responsible for all of this?”
“Lilith,” I supplied, my anger once more seething beneath the surface, making my skin prickle and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Sucking in a deep breath I filled my lungs then slowly breathed out, closing my fingers into fists.
“Exactly. There is no one but her to blame for all of this.” I digested what he said, knew he spoke the truth. Had I become bitter and twisted, incapable of forgiveness, like my mother? The thought horrified me. Dacian read it in my face and smiled gently, caressed my cheek.
“I’m going to check on the key. You two talk.” Dacian began to walk up the hill, toward the cottage. My head threatened to spin off my shoulders.
“He’s right,” I whispered, finally facing Levi head on. “We need to talk.”
Chapter Five
“What are we even doing here?” Levi asked.
Ignoring him I turned my attention to the dank alleyway in front of us. At the end of the alley was a steel door, behind the door, an illegal gambling den.
Levi grabbed my wrist. “What is that noise?” He’d been nothing but constant chatter in my ear since he’d found me on Fury Island, but this time I cocked my head and listened. The light buzz was getting louder. I knew that sound. I looked up, and sure enough, a dark cloud was swirling overhead, getting closer and more ominous by the second. Only it wasn’t a cloud, but a swarm of flies.
“Keres,” I said before making my way down the alley and banging on the door.
I had a card game to win.
“Come on bitch, deal or fold?” The woman sitting opposite me snarled.
I glanced at the cards in my hand. The two of hearts and seven of spades. Definitely not a winning hand. Lowering the cards face down on the table, I pushed my chips forward, adding them to the mountain sized pile in the center of the poker table.
My lips curled, “All in.” I replied.
Her lips thinned into a straight line and one eye twitched. The room around us was dim, a single light bulb dangled overhead, shedding enough light to illuminate our table, before falling away into shadows. We were in the dirty back alley of Redmeadows, an illegal gambling den, where the desperate came to try and win a fortune, and the sharks consumed them.
Returning my attention to the woman across from me, I waited. The ball was in her court. The rest of the table was out. Despite Levi’s psychic abilities as a human, they hadn’t done him any favors today, and he’d folded early. Alongside him was a retired judge who’d burned through his retirement fund and was here, selling his soul for the off chance of redemption. He found none in this room.
Then there was the desperate husband, who kept spinning his wedding ring around and around on his finger. He’d strayed. Cheated on his wife and was being blackmailed. They had pictures and were threatening to send them to his wife if he didn’t pay up. His savings was gone, leaving this room his last resort. He was about to lose it all.
