Eternal Embrace (26 page)

“What was that for?”

“Ah, you just gave me a big dose of ‘that’s my girl’, that’s what that was for.”

She stared at him in surprise and slowly grinned. “
Mmm, I like that, because, well, I am your girl.”

“Yes, yes, you are.”

Jaxon watched her waltz ahead of them, chatting up a storm with Agni on what a demon was doing poking around their house uninvited. Agni looked like he’d just stumbled into a room full of tiny kittens, and wasn’t sure where to walk without stepping on one.

“I wasn’t poking around. I found something that just might kill Gerald.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Say that again,” Jaxon demanded, his temper flaring to red-hot.

Joey wasn’t certain why, because if there was a way to kill the disgusting man, she wanted it. She could still remember his disgusting breath on her neck when he’d said he would find her again. Right before he’d stabbed her with that syringe.

“Joey, calm down. What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing really. I just…if it can kill him, I want us to have it.”

“I can protect you.”

“I know you can!”

She walked over to where he stood and pulled him towards the couch. “Sit, I want to sit and hear him out.” When he reluctantly took a seat, she sat on his lap, settling against his warm chest, and looked at the demon.

Agni exhaled wearily and sat on the leather sofa across from them.

“What did you find out?” Jaxon immediately demanded. He sounded so hard, she threaded her fingers though his and held his hand tightly.

Agni stared at their linked hands for a moment, then pulled a leather satchel off his shoulder and placed it on the wooden table between them. “I found the means to kill him. For good.”

Jaxon pulled her closer to him, away from the leather satchel, she noticed. She sensed something, almost like evil had whispered her name from across the room.

“What is in that thing? Is it safe?” she asked, frowning over at the bag.

“It’s safe enough, but deadly to Gerald,” Agni said.

“Spill it, Agni. Stop the drama and—”

“Look I’m not prolonging this, man,” Agni said, cutting Jaxon off with a weary look. “This shit is bad, real fucked up, Jaxon. This guy is worse than anyone else you’re going to meet in your lifetimes,” he said, then muttered, “At least I fucking hope he is. Look, he’s evil, pure, bottomless evil. You’ve come against him before and survived, I take it?” he asked Jaxon.

Jaxon nodded.

“Well, fuck me, you want to know why? I’ll tell you, because he never wanted you in the first place. If he had? He’d have you.”

Joey’s heart stuttered at Agni’s warning. “
He wants me, Jaxon.”

“I know, I fucking know. baby, but he’s not fucking getting you, I swear it.”

She soaked up his strength and tried to be brave.

“I’m fuckin’ sorry, Joey, I really am. That’s why I found this, and, well, brought it to you both in case…” Agni broke stared at the bag for a long silent moment. “If he comes near you, use this and it
will
kill the bastard. In the heart though, you have to hit him in the heart.”

“What is it?” Jaxon asked.

Agni sat forward, lifted the flap and dug out something wrapped in a softer leather. Someone had taken the time to etch swirls and patterns in black ink that stood out starkly against the dark grey of the leather. Slowly he set the thing down and carefully opened it to reveal a beautifully carved dagger. The hilt held three small, crimson jewels. Designs that looked like writing shone along the silver of the blade from the tip to the hilt. She shivered, feeling as if Agni had just thrown a viper into the room with them instead of a harmless knife.

“We’re going to kill him with a letter opener?” Jaxon demanded. “Shit, man, I’ve cut his head almost completely off.”

“Yeah, and he kinda just glued it back together. Jaxon sliced him all up, stabbed him, threw him into a wall and used his face as a punching bag, and you think this will kill him?”

Agni eased back tiredly and shook his blond head. His hair stood up in chunks. He shoved a hand through it and rubbed back along his neck with a tight expression. “I don’t think—I know it will kill him. Trust me on this, if that blade hits his heart, he will die.”

“How do you know that?” Jaxon demanded, sitting forward then shifting back. His temper was simmering, and while Joey sensed he trusted Agni, he didn’t like the blade near her. She sensed evil coming off it, almost as if death clung to the silver blade.

“Look, here’s the short history of this guy. He’s ancient. As in, he’s been around for more centuries than you. Or me,” Agni added. “He was once a powerful king, with a kingdom that spread throughout what we now know of as Russia and most of Eastern Europe. He had a bride, a woman that he loved. Only he had other, darker shit going on, and when she discovered that, she left him. The story goes he found her, tortured her for years, until finally she cursed him to hell with the aid of her servants. She sealed the curse with her own blood—which she took, using that blade—or letter opener.” He nodded towards the blade and frowned. “She survived until Gerald escaped from hell and found her again. He stabbed her with the blade, but when he did, he sealed the weapon to his own death. Anyone who found the blade could then use it to kill Gerald and force him back to hell from where he’d escaped.”

“Holy shit,” Jax muttered. “Then why would he let such a weapon exist? Why not destroy it, or better, keep it close? Why let it just wander around?”

“When he used it to take her life, he was discovered and taken to hell—where, I might add, he belongs. The blade was placed in a safe place and that, my dears, is where I found it.”

“And you just happened to know all this…?” Jax asked.

“Not I—Torment. He knew of the story. He’s the last one to drag the bastard to hell. Me, I’d seen the scrolls, but he supplied the blade. It’s saturated with evil and I’d recommend never touching it with your bare hands.”

A silence settled over them, and Jaxon’s frown grew. He watched Agni as if the demon had more to say, but Agni studied them in an odd, almost calculating way.

Finally, Joey exhaled and gave him a pointed glare. “What else?” she demanded.

“There is a catch.”

“I fucking knew it,” Jax yelled, startling her so badly she dug her nails into his arm. “Sorry, but there is always a catch.”

“It’s good though. I mean, the sooner you kill the bastard the better. You two are strong. Jax—well, shit you’ve always been too strong for your own fucking good, but with Joey you’re going to be unstoppable.”

“Except we both got caught, thrown into a cage then shot at and stabbed with animal-changing juice, so that theory doesn’t hold much water, does it?” Joey asked.

Agni didn’t blink, but his look grew much, much more intense. “And you survived it all, didn’t you, Joey Murphy. Or will it be Joey Prendergast?”

Joey stole a look at Jaxon to see him glaring over at Agni. “Prendergast? That’s lovely.”

“Joey,” Jaxon growled.
“Focus here, wildcat.”

“I am. I just like your name…”

“And it’s yours, just focus on the problem, baby.”

“Right, look. These are our lives you’re messing with—” She lifted a hand before Agni could start. “Yep, you’re messing. What is the catch? And be quick, mister, because Jax is fired up to do some damage and I just might let him.”

Agni shot them a grin, but sobered before she had to sic Jaxon on him. “He will feel the blade’s presence. It will draw him, but—don’t panic, Jaxon, shit, would I do that to you? We can get a witch to cloak it. The witch watching your house in the States, Aubrey, is ancient, she can disguise it for us.”

Jaxon stiffened under her. “What? And we just keep this close and in our home?”

“Jaxon, I think Agni is trying to help. I for one am relieved that something will kill him. How could such evil exist and look so…creepy, but normal. I mean, he could walk down any street and no one but one of us”—she motioned to them—“would know how horrid he is.”

She shivered at the thought, and settled deeper into Jaxon’s arms. He stroked her arm and pulled her even closer.

“
It would be better to have this over. If we can draw him in and kill him, we should. He’s already frightening you.”

Joey gripped Jaxon’s strong shoulder.
“He scares me. Having this scares me. Going to the hospital—”

“Nonsense. You’re a survivor. We’ll face this head on. It’s the only way to kill a Death Stalker.”

Joey leaned on Jaxon’s strength and soaked it up. He was arrogant, quick-tempered and too smart for his own good, but she loved him to the point of fear. She couldn’t lose him again.

“You won’t. Now, believe in me a bit more than that, would ya? I’m a badass too, don’t forget that.”

Laughter spilt through their bond.

“Okay.”

“That’s my wildcat.”

“Look, you two, don’t look so damned worried. He hasn’t shown back up. No one has spotted him, but that’s not surprising. We’d not seen him before in all our hunts. He keeps a low profile and no fucking wonder, if the Guardians get wind of him, he knows his time here is limited.”

“What? What guardians?” Joey asked.

Jaxon settled her back in his arms so she could rest her head on his shoulder. “The man Agni spoke of—Tor. He’s a guardian. He keeps evil where it belongs. In Hell. How did Gerald get out?” Jax asked Agni.

“Now that is a good question,” Agni said pointing a finger at him like a gun. “The last Tor knew of him, he was not a happy camper. Crimes such as his earn him a special level of hell, and believe me, that is not a place you get out of—
ever.
Tor is looking into it.”

“Wait, you mean…” Joey paused, not sure how to ask her questions without offending the guy. He looked so human, like a hotter Brad Pitt, bigger, fiercer and one hell of a lot stronger.

“I’ve been there? Yeah, I have.” Agni’s gaze shifted behind them for a second then back on them quickly. “Anyway, that is another story, right? You remember that young mage, Eric, the one taken in the London raid by Torque?” Agni asked, and Jaxon nodded. “He’s never seen the man before, never heard of him.”

“Not surprising, the guy was a babe to the Death Stalkers. Do you think Gerald is anything other than high up?” Jaxon asked.

Agni grimaced. “I have no idea. From all Torment knew about the dude, he belongs in hell, and if Torment catches him, he’s going back—for good. Killing him will accomplish that, but with the added bonus of keeping him there for a very, very long time.”

“So we kill him and poof, he’s back in hell? Wow, that’s all?” Joey said and rolled her eyes. “I can barely keep my head enough to shift, and you think we can kill a guy that’s lived for eons?”

“Shit has a way of happening, and shit, speaking of that, Hunter sent me a message saying something about Evan being gone. Who’s Evan?” Agni asked.

Joey stiffened. “Evan? He’s gone?”

“Calm down, darlin’.”
Jaxon asked, “What do you mean, gone? The dude is Joey’s friend. He’s—”

“Dead. He’s dead. What do you mean, he’s gone?” Joey demanded.

Agni shook his head. “Hey, don’t kill the messenger, you two. But that makes more sense. She said to tell you that Evan’s body had disappeared and his box was blown outward. I thought she was digging on your sleeping habits, you know? Your coffins, but…”

Jaxon grunted. “Dude, we do not sleep in coffins, shit, that—”

She cut Jaxon’s fit off with a grip on his arm. “His box? Oh, shit. Jaxon.” She turned to face him and placed her hand on his chest. “We have to go to Washington.”

“Joey that might be what they want. Us—you—there.”

She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter, they won’t get me, and I won’t stay here, not knowing what happened to Evan’s…body. Do you think, I mean…” She paused and stared at Jaxon’s serious expression. “You think they have made him into something, don’t you?”

“Let’s go find out what we can and not jump to conclusions.”

“Oh, Jaxon. You mean that? You will let us go?”

He gave her his panty-dropping grin and tugged her closer. “
I’m not your keeper, I’m your man, you stand with me. I stand with you. We shift the hell out, though, if the shit goes south. No matter what.”

“No matter what.”

“I love you,” she breathed against his chest. “So much.”

“Ah, you two want to clue me in on what’s up?” Agni asked.

Jaxon shot Agni a grin while he made her stand. “How about a trip to the country, demon? You like morgues?”

Agni stood and gave them a look like they were nuts. “Sure,” he shrugged. “I like the dead, no problem.” He tucked the knife away and handed the satchel to Jaxon. Jaxon took it cautiously. “Keep this with you. Don’t let it out of your sight,” he added. He caught Joey’s gaze and nodded. “And her. Keep her close, man.”

“Always,” Jaxon vowed.

Joey swallowed, and tried hard to keep her hands from trembling. Back into the fray or back home to find Evan gone, she knew Jaxon would be there for her. Somehow, that made her fear skyrocket. If she lost him…

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Hunter says she’ll be late, she had to stop by your house to pick up Aubrey,” Agni said as soon as they reached the hospital.

The parking lot was dark, and at nearly midnight, Joey wasn’t surprised. Most nights she worked, no one even stepped foot in the morgue. Tonight was no different. A chill breeze caught some debris in the empty lot and whipped it around in a circle, before blowing it against the hospital’s brick wall. Two cars were illuminated under the parking lot lights, but other than that there was only one other vehicle parked on the far, distant end of the lot.

“Is it always this dead?” Agni asked, nudging Jax to hand him a stick of Orbit gum. Jax took two and handed one to her with a wink.

“Yes, Fire, it’s always dead here, ha, ha,” he said.

“Hey, come on, my morgue humour is pretty rusty,” Agni said, laughing when she shook her head. “Give me some time, I’ll get you.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she said.