Awaken (Divine Hunter Series) (35 page)

M
ichael was silent.

His mouth felt dry. His head was ringing. And his body buzzed with the rage that he was fighting to keep under control through fear of hurting Lacy. The last thing he needed was to let loose on the bastard demon that possessed her body. He had to keep a lid on things.

He knew Varesh would retaliate after what had happened in the pit so he should have kept a closer eye on Lacy. He mentally tore himself to shreds for not keeping her safe. He shouldn’t have let her out of his sight for a moment. But that was all it had been: a moment. Now she was suffering and it was all because of him. He’d foolishly dragged her into a war between creatures she never even knew existed a few weeks ago.

He had to make it right.

His mind went to his friend. If Evo was here he’d be calm, composed. He’d know what to do. But he wasn’t was he? Instead, he was somewhere dealing with his own hell.

Man, he had royally fucked up.

He stared into Lacy’s pale green eyes, eyes that he’d been lost in and had gazed back at him adoringly as they’d lain in each other’s arms only a few hours ago. But now they looked at him with repulsion so palpable it turned his stomach.

He closed his eyes.
Lacy.

A hand on his shoulder made him open them again to see Jaret leaning towards him. He spoke quietly into his ear.

“Alethia will be ‘ere any minute. I messaged ‘er to let ‘er know what’s goin’ on.”

Michael nodded. He doubted she could do anything to help. There was no way they could exorcise the demon out of Lacy because humans didn’t usually survive the process, and if they did they were a mess. The only way she would live through what had happened was if the demon left of its own accord and that wasn’t going to happen.

Unless he let them take him.

“What if I agree to go with you? What then? Will you let her go?” Michael saw Jaret’s head whip around
in surprise.

“You’re not serious−?”

“What else do you suggest?” Michael snapped. Jaret remained silent, his brows pulled tight. No. There wasn’t any other solution was there? Varesh knew how Michael felt about Lacy and was using it to get what he wanted. The bastard knew he wouldn’t let her die and that this was the only way it could win: to trade her life, for his death.

A whirring sound came from by the living room door as a cold draft swept through the room. When Michael looked up, a dark shadow had begun to form over by the fireplace.

Alethia.

When she appeared she looked straight over at Lacy and paused, her eyes full of sorrow. Then she looked at Michael and flicked her head, calling him over. “Jaret, watch her?” she said before walking out of the room.

When Michael joined her, he noticed she looked troubled. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she exhaled sharply.

“What is it?” Michael wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“I know you won’t want to hear this right now, but I have some news about Evo.”

Michael swallowed hard. “What Alethia? Just tell me.” He hadn’t meant to snap at
her, but, thankfully, she didn’t seem too bothered by it.

“After I’d managed to convince my father to talk to me, I found out more information about the ring. I wanted to come and tell you straight away but my father wo
uldn’t allow me to leave. He’s pretty determined to stop me from getting further involved in whatever this thing is between you and Varesh.”

Michael began to feel impatient. “Evo. What about Evo?”

“I’m getting to that,” she said in a harsh tone.

Michael took a deep breath. Biting Alethia’s head off would achieve nothing. He needed to remember what she’d already done for them and
all by her own choice too. “I’m sorry. Go on.”

She nodded her head in acceptance of his apology before she went on to explain. “There is a prison, a dungeon deep in the underworld, called Tartarus. It’s a place where the supernatural version of the criminally insane go: demons, monsters, even gods who have committed horrific crimes. Tartarus houses every single creature you can think of and more.

“But that’s not all. There is another part of the prison, a dungeon that houses the most malevolent sinners. The ones that are so evil that even the devil himself wants them locked further away than anything else to rot for all eternity.”

Her brows twisted together until her face only displayed pure anguish. “That place is called Mathrah. And that’s where Evo is.”

Suddenly, Michael felt like he’d been hit around the head with a lump hammer; unable to move or speak. He stepped back until his back hit the wall and he could go no further.

His buddy, his pal, was in the worst place imaginable. Worse than anything Michael could have thought of. He nearly went down, bowled over by the
burning fear that he would never see his best friend again. “Jesus Christ,” he managed to say, his voice more a whisper.

“I hope
he
can help us,” Alethia said as she walked towards him and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, squeezing it a little in acknowledgement of his grief. “Because right now. . . I don’t know who else can.”

Michael could tell she was hurting too. Evo had become a friend to her as well and she wanted to find him as much as he did.

His head began to spin. How would he find him? And even if he did, how would he free him. Assuming there was enough of his soul left to free.

This new information, on top of what was happening to Lacy in the room on the other side of the wall that was now holding him up, was too much to handle. He had to do something. He had to make it right.

He looked into Alethia’s unusual golden eyes. She was strong, more powerful than he’d ever seen a woman. Yet she couldn’t help them out of this. With her father refusing to help, he was all on his own.

He knew what he had to do. He couldn’t allow Lacy to suffer any more than she already had. He’d nearly lost her once when Varesh had abducted her, he wasn’t about to lose her now.

Alethia’s despair over Evo quickly turned to concern. She knew what he’d decided. He hadn’t needed to say the words as she’d seen them in his mind. She began to shake her head. “No. I won’t let you destroy yourself like that. Lacy and Evo need you.”

“That’s why I have to do this.” He took both of her hands in his. “Don’t you see? If we exorcise that demon from Lacy she’ll almost certainly die. I won’t allow that to happen, Alethia. She means too much to me.” He inhaled
deeply, then blew out his breath on a shaky exhale. The thought of Lacy dying was too hard to even allow it to enter his mind. “Nothing they do to me down there can kill me because I’m already dead.”

“And Evo?”

“If there’s a chance of me finding him at all then it has to be while I’m in Hell.” He’d already thought about how being down there would mean he had a better chance at finding this place, Mathrah. Knowing the name of the place where Evo was being held was a start. Plus, Varesh had wanted him to join them, whoever
they
were. He didn’t know what that demon was up to but he seemed to have plans for Michael. He doubted he would spend his time being tortured like the last time.

This was his only chance to save both of the people he. . .
loved?

Oh, shit! Do I love her?

He wasn’t sure he was even capable of such a thing. But it sure felt like it.

Michael felt Alethia’s hands tighten around his. “You are,” she said softly.

“Are you in my head again?”

“I’m sorry.” She smiled at him. “But I’m right. You
are
capable of love. I can feel that that’s what’s in your heart. Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I do know that you returned to earth for a reason. I believe that. I sensed something good in you the moment we met at the airport.

“Fate, Michael, that’s what brought you back. You do believe in fate don’t you?”

He thought back to the conversation he and Lacy’d had not so long ago and smiled a little. He nodded his head.

“Good, b
ecause I know of three very powerful females who would be hard to convince otherwise.”

Michael raised his eyebrow in a questioning glance.

“My great-great aunts, The Fates,” she explained casually, like it was perfectly normal to have powerful goddess’ for relatives. Well, he supposed it was for her.

“I want to love her.” He felt his chest tighten around his heart, or was it that his hear
t had swelled to twice its size? Either way he knew what he felt for Lacy was deeper than anything he’d ever felt before, in this existence or his last. Whether or not it was actually love, he didn’t really care.

“Then isn’t that your answer?”

They both stood in silence for a few moments until Jaret’s head popped around the door. “Uh, she’s making some strange noises in ‘ere. I think you should come back in.”

Michael rushed away from Alethia but before he went back into the living room he turned to her. “I need you to promise me something.” There was no more time. He had to make the deal and he had to do it now. “Will you make sure she’s doing ok
ay? I mean, after I’ve gone? Check on her from time to time for me?”

Alethia didn’t say a
word, but it was clear from her face that she wasn’t totally on board with the idea of him making the trade. After a moment of silence, she nodded.

He let out a sigh and grabbed her hand. “Thank you.” Knowing Lacy had someone to look out for her would appease him a little. He had no idea what his
fate
was, or where−even
if
−his future would lie, as long as she was safe, that was all that mattered to him now.

“Michael! You need to get in ‘ere mate.”

Michael didn’t like the concern in Jaret’s voice and rushed into the room. What he saw made his stomach turn. Jaret was battling with Lacy to try and stop her from clawing at her arms, but he was losing the fight. She had blood and open scratches trailing down her forearms.

“Shit!” Michael knelt down in front of her and while Jaret grabbed one arm, he grabbed the other and together they managed to stop her. “Stop it you fucking asshole. Just STOP!”

When her eyes met his, he gasped. Crimson had begun to replace the green of her irises and she looked at him with such ferocity that it caused him to step back a little.

“
Oh, by the way, don’t worry that your girlfriend is unconscious in here. She’s aware of everything that’s going on. Wouldn’t want her missing all the fun now would we?”

No!
“You bastard! I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Michael growled

Lacy
fought against both men, but they managed to keep her arms spread enough so she couldn’t do any more damage. “Alethia, I need something to restrain her with.” No sooner had he said the words than she’d disappeared into thin air.

“Bloody ‘ell, she’s strong. . .
Whoa!” Lacy tried to bite Jaret while he wrestled with her arm. He struggled to push her snapping mouth back away from him. “Shit!”

Alethia appeared with a pair of silver
handcuffs and a piece of rope. She rushed towards them and climbed behind Lacy on the couch.

Michael
saw Jaret eye her with one of his brows raised. “Should I arsk?” The guy nodded towards the cuffs.

“Do you really need to?” She rolled her eyes. “The sheriff’s office, where else?” She helped them to pull Lacy’s arms around her back.

After Alethia had secured the cuffs around Lacy’s wrists, Michael tied the rope around her arms just to make sure it held, and also to stop the cuffs from cutting into her skin. She still thrashed her body and was now spitting at him.

“Stop hurting her asshole! I’ll do the fucking deal. I’ll go with you!”

Lacy stilled immediately.

She sat panting along with the rest of them; her eyes−well, the demon’s eyes−lifted to meet Michael’s. They were full-on crimson now, as red as blood, and his stomach tightened to see her that way.

Alethia and Jaret stood either side of him while he remained crouched in front of her.

“I’ll trade. Me for her. But you leave her alive and unharmed.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Alethia looking at him with unshed tears.

The tension was thick in the room as he waited for the bastard to speak.

“Deal,” was the demon’s only response before Lacy closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

“Wait!” He couldn’t leave like this. Not without saying
good bye.

Lacy’s neck straightened and her crimson eyes returned to his while the demon sat waiting for Michael to speak.

He felt his heart racing. It was a strange feeling. Not like anything he’d ever felt before. “Before you take me, I want to speak to her.”

That same sadistic laughter that made his skin crawl started up again from deep in Lacy’s throat.

Michael was done playing games with this asshole. “I’m not going anywhere with you until I speak to her.” He turned his head to look at Alethia and Jaret. “Alone.”