Hold Me If You Can (25 page)

“Sweetie, you’re carrying the smut from almost all the spells in this place, I’d guess.” Nigel blew on his hand as he assessed their options. “It’ll get you a free pass to the Christmas party, but I’m not sure how we can work that in our favor. Stand back.” He pulled her out of the way, then a long, dangerous looking blade slid out of his fingertips. It was the size of a pirate sword, long and thick, with a blade that was red hot.

He gripped it tightly, and then raked it across the bars. The bars glowed orange and then his blade turned black as if it were poisoned. He dropped it with a clang on the floor. “The blight travels up the blade. I can’t let it touch me.”

Christian shouted again, pain evident in his voice.

Moving fast now, his mind apparently clear and strategic, Nigel flicked his hand and another blade came out, also glowing. He held it out to her. “Take it. I’ll guide it, but you’ve got to catch the contamination before it hits me.”

The thought flashed through Natalie’s mind that grabbing onto a burning blade might not be the best plan for a mortal girl, but hey, what’s a near-death evasion without a little risk? Fried hands just didn’t really scare her anymore. “You got it.”

He grinned and kissed her nose. “You are so cute when you’re gathering your courage. I think I want to make love to you.”

She smiled back, her cheeks heating up. “Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you? There’s something incredibly sexy about a murderous demon with black cuticles.”

“Sweetheart, sexy is an understatement.” He slapped the handle in her hand. “You rock my world.”

Her smile got bigger. “You’re trying to sweet-talk me so I do something really crazy for you, aren’t you?” The sword began to burn her skin, and then her hand turned to bronze and cooled. “Hey, did you see that? It’s handy to be a demon.”

“Don’t get used to it. Your time as a demon is limited.” He set his hand over hers, engulfing it in the grasp, and he guided the blade across the bars with a quick slice. “And I’m not trying to sweet-talk you. It’s just that recent events have conspired to give me some perspective on life. And you.”

She glanced at him. “What does that mean?” It almost sounded like… well… that he was getting a little mushy on her. Her heart began to pulse, like little angels had started to dance in it. Did she want him to get mushy? After the Godfather, she had thought her answer would have been no for the rest of her life. But she realized it wasn’t true anymore. She did want Nigel to be mushy with her. “Nigel—”

Black crud crept down the blade, and she paused to watch the taint racing toward her hand. She grimaced as it banged into her palm with an audible thud, but then it stopped. It didn’t continue through her hand onto Nigel’s. “Hot damn,” he said. “It worked.”

He swiped the blade across the bars a second time. Then again, and again, he carved up the bars, rotating her hand so quickly she could barely track its movement. But in less than a minute, dozens of glowing red bars were strewn across the floor, permanently dislodged from their restraints. Yay! They were free already! Warriors with clear heads were such a boon to have around when locked down in the Den of Really Nasty Things.

Nigel’s blade was mottled with taint, but his hand was clean. “Drop it. We’re done with it.”

She released and it clattered to the ground with a thud. Nigel nodded, then grabbed her hand. “Let’s go find my boys.”

“And Mari.”

Their hands joined, they leapt over the carnage, just as another scream echoed through the hallways. It seemed to be coming from a hallway on the right, but Nigel paused. He cocked his head. Listening. His eyes were clear and focused, and his skin was devoid of wayward weapons trying to poke through. He was in utter control. A warrior in his element. Without even drawing.

Impressive.

“This way.” He turned to the left, the opposite direction of the screams.

Natalie hesitated. “But isn’t it coming from the other direction?”

He cocked a jaunty brow in her direction. “Who’s the one who’s been trapped here for a hundred and fifty years? Who knows her tricks?”

She looked back down the hallway. It sounded like Christian was just around the corner. Then she looked back at Nigel and saw the man she would trust with her life. “Let’s go.”

“That’s my girl.”

His
girl?
What did that mean?

But it wasn’t like there was time for a subtle inquiry to pry info out of him. Nigel took off down the hall, never losing his grip on her hand. Together they ran toward a hell they couldn’t predict, an ending that would most likely destroy them all.

But as Natalie ran with him, her mind was calmer than it had ever been in her life, devoid of all the noise that made it impossible to appreciate the moment. She didn’t feel afraid. She didn’t feel alone. With Nigel, she knew she could take on anything.

It was time for her to step up and face her life, and this time, she believed they could do it.

And if they failed? She was no longer afraid of dying. Did that make her a warrior? After a lifetime of living in fear, had she finally become the woman she wanted to be?

She suspected she was going to find out soon enough.

Three minutes into the dream genie’s invasion of Christian’s mind, Mari couldn’t take Christian’s suffering anymore, no matter how much it might help him. “Stop!”

But Charles kept his hands in the air over Christian’s head. “I’m not hurting him.” The genie’s cheeks were flushed and his eyes were excited. “He just has so much hate and baggage inside him, and he doesn’t want to let it go. So many dreams of inflicting massive amounts of damage to you and this place.”

Mari was cradling Christian’s head between her palms. She was wearing nylon gloves to protect her from his metal skin, and he’d gone alloy several minutes ago. The nylon was starting to smoke, and it was burning her hands. “It’s not right. If he’s fighting it this much, then I think we should respect his wishes.”

“No!” Smutty smacked Mari in the shoulder. “That’s the whole point! To get rid of his wants so he can have peace.” He gestured at Christian, who was silent now, his body trembling. “Is that living? Is it?”

“God, no, but we’re causing him more pain.” She felt like she was going to throw up. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s been too much.” She stumbled to her feet and pushed the genie back. “It’s over, Charles. I can’t do this anymore.” Where had she gone wrong? This wasn’t how it was supposed to turn out. It had all made so much sense when she’d first read Smutty’s file and found out he was a dream genie. No more abuse. No more torture. Just love and peace for everyone who had been tormented for so long. “No more suffering. It ends now.”

“Suffering is subjective.” Smutty eyed her thoughtfully. “Which is worse? Physical or emotional ordeals? The crushing of a hand, or your soul?”

“I’m tired of it all!” She threw up her hands in frustration. “No one should suffer! Just let it go, for God’s sake—”

He grabbed her hand and thrust power into it. She yelped and tried to jerk away, but he kept pressing mercilessly. “Do you want me to do this for an hour, or torture Christian for an hour?”

“This, this. Don’t hurt Christian anymore.” But holy cow, it hurt. An hour? Really?

He released her hand with a look of triumph. “When I hurt Christian, it hurts your soul. You’d rather take physical discomfort than torment in your soul.” He leaned forward. “It’s the same with Christian. We’re only causing physical pain right now, but we’re taking the pain off his soul. Isn’t that what trumps?”

Smutty was right. When she’d fallen in love with Christian, Mari had still been able to administer the experiments on him that caused him physical pain, because they both knew that kind of pain didn’t really matter. He’d still loved her and she’d loved him, even amidst the torture. But his emotional grief when she’d betrayed him? That was what had done her in. And him.

Smutty nodded. “It hurts because he’s resisting, but I’m giving him peace in his heart.” He leaned forward. “He’ll be able to love again. Isn’t that what you want?”

Mari’s head snapped up at his words. “You don’t believe in love.”

“No, I don’t.” Smutty nodded at the baton in the corner. “But you gave me back my own soul, and for that, you get a break. If you want love, I’ll let you go for it. Can’t promise it, because you’re not clear enough in your desires, but I’ll do what I can to help.”

Mari caught her breath. “Really?”

“Swear.” He leaned forward. “But as soon as I’m finished with Christian, I’m walking out of here, and I’m following my own dream and creating a utopia for all. Got it?”

She nodded. She would be happy to let him go. Christian was her last project, and then it was over.

“Very well.” He turned toward Christian and settled beside him. “Let it begin.”

Mari sat beside him and took Christian’s hand in hers. “Will he still recognize me when you’re through with him?”

“Depends on if there are any positive feelings about you in there. I’m stripping every bitter, vengeful, and torturous dream he has.” Smutty raised his brow. “How confident are you that there’s love somewhere in this big guy? Because if there’s only this bad shit, there’s not going to be a damn thing left inside him when I get done.”

Mari bit her lip. “He loved me once.”

“You sure? Or were you simply his salvation from a hell that was destroying him and everyone he cares about?”

She raised her brows at him, and he shrugged. “I had a couple affairs when I was the smut beast. Women mistook my desperation for love. It happens.” He cocked his head. “How sure are you? You willing to risk his soul? If there’s no love in there, then there’s going to be nothing left when I’m through.”

“And if there is love?”

He shrugged. “He’ll be like your favorite lap dog.”

Mari hesitated. What was she doing? She—

Christian shuddered, and his self-inflicted wound in his belly sparked. It was septic now, bleeding out what looked like thumbtacks. He was dying. He would be dead in minutes, unless she gave him a reason to live. “Better to give him a chance,” she said quietly. “I owe him that much.”

Smutty raised his brows. “And you won’t try to stop me? You’ll let me do what I need to do? Take it as far as I need to?”

“Yes.” She took Christian’s hand and snuggled close. “Christian, this is for you. Please let him help you.”

But Christian’s skin turned to metal, as it always did when she touched him. Trying to poison her. Not that it mattered. She would do what was right. “Do it, Charlie.”

Smutty grinned and rubbed his hands together. “And let the genius begin.” He set his hands on Christian’s head, and this time, the screaming started for real.

Whatever Smutty was doing, it was the real deal.

Christian would not be the same when he was done.

“Come on, Christian,” Mari whispered. “Tap into your love. It’s the only way to live.”

But when the screams kept coming, she had a bad feeling that she’d made a horrible, horrible mistake. And it was too late.

***

Nigel rounded the corner just as Christian’s screams reached a crescendo that would invoke the master of death himself. Nigel whipped out a dagger and flung it straight into Smutty’s head. It thudded into his skull, wedging itself hilt-deep.

Amen, brother. You be going down.

The genie roared with fury and leapt up. He pulled the blade out of his head and hurled it right back at Nigel with impressive aim.

“Well, that’s interesting.” Nigel ducked, yanking Natalie with him. “He’s faster than I thought he’d be.”

“Didn’t that go in his skull?”

“Yep. Dream genies are apparently plucky little fellows.”

Mari leapt to her feet. “Don’t kill him, Nigel. He’s halfway through. If he stops now, Christian will never recover—”

“I don’t believe you.” Nigel hurled a set of barbed wires at Mari. They wrapped around her and flung her back against the wall, the barbs anchoring deep and trapping her. Well, damn. He’d never made those suckers before. Barbed wires, eh? He supposed it made sense. Metal weapons were metal weapons, right? Stood to reason that he would be imbued with a limitless and impressive ability to manipulate it in countless unpredictable ways, especially now that his head was clear.

Mari closed her eyes and started whispering. Another spell? Now
that
he didn’t like.

“Ow!” Natalie lunged forward, her hands on her belly. “More smut. Have I mentioned how tired I am of this?”

“Stop!” Nigel raced over to Mari and slammed his hand down over her mouth. “No more spells.” But her lips were still moving, racing, and he heard the distant howl of creatures coming to life. The wolverines. Damn. He hated the wolverines. Granted they were cute little things, but their personalities needed a bit of work.

Christian groaned again as Smutty continued to lobotomize him. Behind Smutty, against the wall, were Pascal and Blaine. Pascal was unconscious, and Blaine was encased in a stainless steel iron lung. Smoke was pouring out of it, as Blaine was apparently trying to burn his way out of it, but there was no way. The stainless steel alone would kill him.

Natalie was down on the ground behind him, gripping her belly. “Hang in there,” he commanded. “Don’t let it take you. I’ll be right there.”

“Trying,” she managed. “But hurry up, for God’s sake.” Black smoke was rising from her skin, and the ends of her hair were starting to burn.

Christian screamed again and Nigel threw a dozen blades at Smutty.
Take
that, you scum!
The blades thudded rapidly into Smutty’s body, but the son of a bitch dislodged them all into a pile on the ground. Damn.

But then the insolent pug looked intently at Nigel, and Nigel felt him digging in his mind. Audacious little bastard!

“Shit.” The tendrils were digging in, searching for his dreams.
Christian. Blaine. Pascal. Natalie.
The names tumbled through his mind, and he knew Smutty had found his dreams of keeping them safe, of rescuing them. “You don’t take my family.”

The click of dog toenails grew closer.

Nigel whirled around and faced Mari. “Call them off!” He wedged a blade under her chin.

She shook her head. “If you kill me, your girl gets taken by demons, remember? Do you really want that? For heaven’s sake, Nigel! This is all for your own good! Let me help you!”

“You’re insane, woman.” And yes, he remembered what would happen to Natalie if he killed Mari, what other option was there? Natalie would die—
Natalie.
Natalie was the option. Natalie was their key.

Amidst Christian’s screams, Blaine’s howls, and the sound of wolverines closing in, Nigel raced across the room and gathered his woman into his arms. “Natalie, sweetheart. I need you to focus.”

Her body was trembling, her eyes pitch-black, bottomless depths. “Nigel—”

“Listen to me! You have to talk Mari into taking her smut back. You have to do it.”

“I’m not feeling sexy right now—”

“Fuck that!” He grabbed her tighter. “You don’t get your power from me! It’s in you. It’s that same passion that comes to life when you’re under the deedub thrall. You’ve got it. Feel the love. Do it for fun, dammit. Feel good, love yourself, and let it fly!”

She convulsed in his arms. “I’m way too screwed up. I can’t focus on anything but chocolate. On those girls. On Maggie. Thinking about how good she tasted, and how I want more—”

“A perfect dream!” Smutty suddenly leapt to his feet. “I can’t believe it!” He raced over to Natalie and kissed her forehead. “Bless you, my girl! You restore my faith! I was beginning to think that no being in existence had the ability for a perfect dream I could grant!” He bowed deeply and gestured with a grand flourish. “And here she is, my queen.”

There was a flash, and then Maggie was in Natalie’s arms.

Because they didn’t need another challenge.

***

Natalie nearly screamed with frustration and dismay when she found Maggie in her arms. The girl’s neck was a ragged mess, her clothes were covered in blood, and the girl was ashen. She smelled like chocolate, like chocolate, like chocolate—

Maggie’s eyes opened, and she met Natalie’s gaze. For a moment, Maggie didn’t react, and then the most lovely smile dawned on her dazed face. “You came and got me. You saved me, just like I knew you would.”

That trust, that pure, unadulterated trust made something twist in Natalie’s belly. It struck past the darkness, past the demon, to a place so deep inside her. She wanted to be that woman. She wanted to be that hero. She didn’t want to be the crazy, destructive one. She wanted to be the woman that made everything right. “Oh, Maggie—”

“Natalie.” Nigel gripped Natalie’s shoulders. “Look at me.”

She did and found herself staring into the most intense face she’d ever seen. He flinched each time Christian screamed, he had a knife ready and angled toward the door, but his attention was solely on her. “Maggie’s—” He stopped and pressed his hand to his head.

“Nigel?” She gripped his arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “Maggie’s presence doesn’t change anything. You can do this. And—” He stopped again, as if he’d forgotten what he was going to say.

“And what?”

“Sex.” He muttered the word. “You don’t need me, or sex.”

“What’s wrong?” Her heart started to race. “Nigel, talk to me. What’s wrong with you?”

“Smutty’s working me over.” He scooped up Maggie and set her gently aside. The girl’s eyes were mercifully closed again, sliding off into unconsciousness.

Natalie saw that Smutty was staring at Nigel, and his lips were moving. “Put up your shields. Don’t let him steal your mind.”

“Dream genies are a little tough to block.” Nigel winced, and his pupils began to dilate. “We need to shut both Mari and Smutty down. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes, how? Tell me what to do.”

“I’m going to engage Smutty.” He paused to throw two dozen glowing blades into Smutty’s face. The dream genie snorted with disgust and started spitting them out. Nigel took a breath. “He’s distracted for a second. We have a window. Listen, I’m taking my weapons to the highest level. The shit I was throwing at you earlier.”

She sucked in her breath. “On purpose? But you can’t control them.” Smutty was plucking the barbs out of his face way too fast. He’d be back onto Nigel in a heartbeat.

Nigel shot her a disgruntled look. “Hey, babe. Support would be nice.”

“I’m sorry. Right, you can do it.” But of course he couldn’t. Those poison blades were like her deedub curse. He would take out everyone in the room. He was just like her. Unable to control the lethal beast inside.

“Hey! Don’t give me that look.” He gripped her arms and gave her a determined look of unflappable self-confidence. “I’m done fearing my dark side, and I’m going to make it work for me. I used my art to control it, and it’s working.” He grinned. “I’m going to let it all go, and it’s all going to go just fine.” He tapped her forehead. “And you’re going to do it too. You have to work Mari over until she takes the smut off you. I distract Smutty. Two-pronged attack. It has to happen, and it has to happen now.”

Well, that was great that he believed in her, and she wanted to jump and help take down the bad guys, but there was a fundamental flaw with that plan. “Even if I could call up my powers at will, it’s nearly impossible to influence someone who doesn’t want it. It has to be a cooperative event—”