Hell's Revenge (12 page)

David tore into the disgusting creatures, their ichor spraying him as he ripped their limbs free using his teeth and claws. The taste made him gag, which said a lot given his cat usually wasn’t too finicky about the flesh it ate.

A flash of silver light from behind meant Auric wielded his holy sword to deadly effect. While in front of him, with a blur of motion, Teivel dispatched the eight legged monsters without breaking a sweat.

As quickly as it begun, they’d killed all the beasts. Teivel wiped his blades clean using a rag he’d pulled out and then discarded. “Well that was fun, if messy.”

“Was the attack orchestrated?” Auric asked sheathing his gleaming blade.

“Probably, given these creatures never work in groups,” Teivel replied grimly.

David pawed at one of the sightless heads and chuffed in question.

Teivel grimaced. “The mutations began years ago, well before your birth. It’s why Lucifer sent me into the wilds. He hoped I’d find the cause.”

“You mean someone is experimenting?” Auric’s incredulous tone matched David’s inner horror.

“More than experimenting now. Judging by our attack, I’d say whoever’s been fucking with the wildlife is the one who’s taken Muriel.” The vamp’s words made David’s stomach sink as the implication sank in.

Auric caught it too. “The
One
. The bastard who’s been fucking with Muriel and Lucifer. He’s been under our noses this whole time.”

“It’s the conclusion my Lord came to recently as well when I returned. Not that this helps us in our quest.”

No, it doesn’t,
thought David.
But regardless of the odds, I won’t give up. I can’t. I
know Auric thinks he loves Muriel more deeply than I. Perhaps he does, but regardless, I
need Muriel. She is my mate, the mother of my child. The woman I love.
No matter the odds, even if he had to forfeit his life, he’d not rest until he’d saved her. Or died trying.

*

The pain in my head nagged at me. A headache of gigantic proportions threatened to burst free from my skull. Funny, because I didn’t remember getting bombed.

“Auric,” I moaned. “I need some Tylenol.”

But it wasn’t Auric that answered me.

“About time you woke up.”

There was something about hearing the voice of a demon I knew hated me that made my pounding head pale in comparison. My eyes shot open and a few things struck me at once.

One, I had no idea where the fuck I was. Two, Azazel had definitely spoken. And three, according to my rumbling tummy, I was really freaking hungry again. But before I could feed myself, I had a teensy, tiny demon problem to deal with.

“Fancy running into you.” I spoke nonchalantly even as an inner part of me screamed. See, I’d just discovered a fourth thing. Straps held me immobile on some kind of gurney while IVs fed fluid into my arms. And fact five, I’d embraced unconsciousness long enough for my stomach to turn into a small hill.
Why do I get the feeling I’m in
really big doo-doo?

Azazel’s ugly mug came into view as he stepped to the foot of the hospital bed. “It would be in your best interest to play nice with me. The One has promised you to me after the baby comes.”

Panic clawed at me. I bitch slapped it and pasted a saucy grin on my face. “Like you’ll live that long. Auric and David will find me and when they do, I look forward to seeing them force you to eat your intestines.” Actually, I’d probably gag if I had to watch, but I liked to paint an eloquent picture.

Azazel’s nose flared and his eyes glowed menacingly. “Why you little—”

“Leave.” The single word spoken in a cold tone worked like a charm. Azazel turned like a puppet on strings and marched out.

I waited to see the person who’d fucked so much with my life lately. The one who Gabriel and Azazel obeyed. The one who kept screwing up my plans for a happily ever after. The one who wanted me—and, I feared, my baby.

A figure draped in a silken hooded robe drifted into view, the grey of the fabric shimmering almost opalescent.

“What, did you and Gabriel use the same tailor? What is it with you folk hiding your faces all the time?” I really hated not seeing the face of the person whose ass I was going to kick later. I wouldn’t want to make a mistake after all when meting out punishment.

Fuck with me, will you? I rock at revenge.

The chuckle of the being chilled me as did the slender hands that emerged from the sleeves to push back the hood to reveal a woman. Talk about a letdown. Whatever happened to really cool looking bad guys, er girls? I mean, maybe some horns, eyeless sockets, some saber tooth fangs?

I stared blankly at her, trying to figure just who had captured me. Tall, slender, with shoulder length, jet black hair, dark eyes, thin lips and a look that said I’ve-got-the-biggest-stick-
ever
-up-my-ass didn’t enlighten me. “Who are you?” A perfectly manicured brow arched and those bloodless lips curved into a smile I’m sure would have suited a lion just before it ate its prey. “I am Lilith.” She announced this like I should know her. “Never heard of you.” I shrugged. She wouldn’t be the first psycho to think the world should know her name.

“From the Bible.”

I stared at her blankly. “My dad doesn’t like me reading stuff like that.” He was still pissed my uncle had his writers picture him in such a bad light. Never mind the fact it was mostly accurate.

“I am Lilith, as in the woman thrown from the Garden of Eden. Lilith, as in Adam’s lover,” she said through gritted teeth.

The light bulb went off. “Oh, you’re that crazy lady who pissed off my uncle God and ate that fruit thingy from his tree.” At her glowering expression, it occurred to me I should have omitted the crazy part. Then again, I didn’t plan to stay long. “I heard about you. If I remember correctly, you ended up getting replaced by Eve as the mother of humanity and tossed out of the garden. Wow, I’ll bet you regret that one seeing as how Eve ended up getting all the glory.” I smiled as I said this, quite enjoying the way her face turned beet red. Just call me a bringer of joy, spreading happy barbs everywhere I go. Fun aside, now that I’d returned to the land of the conscious, the time had arrived for me to escape and find my family. I tugged on my magic. It didn’t budge. Frowning, I pulled at it again. Again, nada. I didn’t understand it. I could sense it in me, depleted, but still there.

Lilith cackled. “You didn’t really think I’d leave you access to your magic did you?

I’d have drained it all away except the baby needs it.” Well that explained the tubes and shit sticking in my arms. The crazy lady wanted to keep me and the baby healthy.

“Just how long do you figure you can keep me here? You know my men are looking for me. They won’t rest until I’m found.”

“Oh, they’re looking, but don’t worry, I’m keeping them distracted with plenty of surprises.”

That worried me a little, but knowing Auric, David and my dad, they’d prevail even if I couldn’t be with them protecting their asses. “And given how long it looks like I’ve been here, I’ll bet they’ll arrive anytime now.”

Again with the smirk I really hated. “I hate to break it you, Satan’s spawn, but what seems like only days to them, has in actuality been weeks for you. Congrats, it won’t be long now before the babe is born.”

Why did the bad guys always have the better magic?
“You won’t get away with this.”

“I already have.”

“You leave my baby alone,” I shouted.

“Sorry, but that daughter you carry will be mine.” This running theme of taking my baby away really grated on my last nerve. “I’m going to tear your head off and use it as fish bait. I’m going to submerge you slowly in acid. I’m—“

“Going to sleep,” she announced before injecting me with a needle and depressing the plunger.

Instant fatigue invaded my system and as I fought the blackness, I sent a mental scream.

Auric, save me!

Auric lost track of how long they’d marched through the wilds. More than a day, less than a week. Long, sweaty, tiring hours filled with attacks from creatures that belonged only in horror flicks and Wes Craven’s sick mind.

In that time he’d come to grudgingly respect the vampire who’d saved David’s and his lives countless times, especially since Auric knew Teivel hungered after their last attack, and yet, not once had he asked or implied that they should feed him. Which was why Auric thrust his arm at the vamp and said, “Eat. You need your strength.” Teivel wisely did not comment, but took what Auric offered. The pinch of his fangs sinking in quickly changed to a pleasure that made his cock rise, much to his discomfort.

Thankfully Teivel fed rapidly and released him with a nod of thanks. Renewed, off they went again, Auric watching the vamp’s back thoughtfully as he led point through the jungle.

While the thought of sharing Muriel with a third bothered the hell out of him, he couldn’t deny Teivel did his damnedest to find her. Not that they’d found any traces of her presence since that first clearing. The closest they’d come was Azazel’s stench, their only warning that more ambushes waited.

He’d also discovered he liked the dry humored man and he knew David did too.

Much as he hated to think of it, he feared once they found Muriel, Teivel wouldn’t be going anywhere—unless it was to bed with all of them.
Having a third like Teivel would
make Muriel stronger, all of us stronger.
An idea to contemplate when they found her.

Auric took a break to drink some water—brackish crap he’d boiled from a tributary he’d found a day back. Teivel tapped his machete on his leg as he pivoted looking for the next clue.

Auric save me!

Auric jumped up, sloshing liquid down his sweat soaked shirt. His eyes stared wildly about.

Teivel froze and stared at him. “Did you hear that as well?” Auric nodded.

David shifted from his panther. “I did, too. But where did it come from?” Auric slumped back down and tapped his head. Muriel had somehow managed to send a mental call, and while it gladdened him to know she lived, it left them no closer to her than before.

“Call Gaia.”

Auric lifted his head and peered at Teivel and his strange suggestion. “Why?”

“She might be able to portal us to where the mental cry came from.”

“Why not call Lucifer? Surely he can do it too?”

Teivel grinned. “My Lord might be powerful, but truly, do you trust him to rummage through your mind to trace a mental call?”

Auric winced. “Good point. Why can’t you call Gaia?” Teivel shrugged. “Evil, dead things with no souls don’t exactly catch Mother Earth’s attention.”

Auric grunted. Then feeling like an idiot, called her name aloud. “Gaia.” He called louder. “Gaia!”

A swirl of green formed by the edge of the woods and from the mist stepped Gaia, crowned in a wreath of ivy and a diaphanous gown. “Have you found Muriel?”

“Do you see her?” Auric retorted.

Gaia planted her hands on her hips. “Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine? Why were you bellowing for me then?”

David took a step forward. “We heard her. Muriel. In our minds. We were hoping you could use it to pinpoint her location again and open a portal.” Gaia’s gaze took in David’s nude state in a slow up and down sweep that made him blush and drop his hands. “I must say, sometimes I do create the nicest things. As for finding her, hold my hands and I’ll see what I can do.” Auric didn’t trust the sly look in her eyes, but he needed her help. He and David linked hands with her while Teivel watched with a cynical smile.

“Close your eyes,” she ordered. “Now recall her words. Bring it to mind, let me
see
it.”

Auric recalled Muriel’s panicked message. How it had appeared to come from afar, a single fragile link with his beloved, lost a moment later.

Gaia let out a noisy breath. “Well. Well.” She released their hands and took a step back.

“Do you know where she is?”

But Gaia didn’t answer. Instead she flung her hands toward them propelling a powdery dust into their faces.

“You fucking bitch,” was all Auric managed before he slumped to the ground next to an already unconscious David.

*

I woke to pain, a ripping agony that made me scream. I opened my eyes and had to blink, for surely I was caught in a nightmare. Azazel’s hunched form leaned over mine and as I watched in horror, a keening sound whistling from my mouth, he dragged his claw across my rounded abdomen, a vertical slash to match the horizontal one.

“Careful you don’t harm the babe.”

I managed to gasp, “Bitch.”

Lilith’s piercing, raptor like gaze found mine and she smirked. “I prefer the term

‘winner’. Now shut up as I prepare to greet my child.” I wanted to scream more invectives and, while I screamed as they parted the flesh of my womb, my return to cognizance ended up short lived as I passed out again.

The next time I regained consciousness, my whole midsection throbbed and weakness pervaded my limbs while my magical reservoir bordered on empty I whimpered.

“What? Not dead yet. Aren’t you just a stubborn one?” Lilith remarked.

My hands twitched and I realized I’d been freed of my restraints. My hands slid down to cup my very flat abdomen covered in a sheet soaked in my own blood.

“My baby,”” I whispered.

“Right here,” Lilith crowed triumphantly, waving a swaddled bundle in front of her.

“No,” I whimpered, the fight in me drained along with my blood. “Why?” I rasped through lips dry and cracked.

“Why? She will aid me in taking my revenge on the world.” Her words took a moment to sink in and when they did, tears seeped hot as my shame over failing to protect my unborn child. “But she’s just a baby.”

“A powerful tool” Lilith smiled and the madness in it chilled me to the core.

“Let me see her,” I begged.

I thought for sure she’d refuse, but to my surprise, she lowered the bundle and I saw her, my beautiful Lucinda. Her eyes were closed, her lips a perfect rosebud and her cheeks round and flushed pink. As if sensing my stare, she opened her eyes and I sucked in a tremulous breath at their vivid blue, which swirled into green with flecks of brown.