Seal of Destiny (21 page)

How long had she been walking? She shivered, peering over the railing into the churning water below.
Air.
She’d needed air. The excuse had satisfied Wyck when she’d left earlier. Now the need to return to the apartment overwhelmed her. Dread scraped her already raw nerves, and danger buzzed persistently in her senses.

Zoe pulled her coat tight against a gust of wind, ducked her head, and turned in the direction of Wyck’s place. Two steps later, she ran headlong into a black-suited wall.

She glanced up into a pair of mirrored sunglasses.
Weird
. The day was dreary. Cloudy. Snow threatened. She mumbled an apology and sidestepped the massive obstacle now blocking her path. Another man approached from her behind, grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. She struggled, her mind registering the odd fact that her assailants wore no coats despite the sub-zero temperatures. A good detail for the police, if she survived.

“You’re coming with us.” His crisp, flat voice reminded her of an android.

The syringe caught her attention too late to stop its descent. The needle plunged into the side of her neck. Its contents stung, her vessels rebelling against the foreign substance. A black sedan swished to the curb beside them just as her legs buckled. She vaguely heard her assailants reassuring the gathering crowd. No need for concern. Too much to drink.

They dumped her into the back seat and slammed the door. The last shreds of consciousness slipped, and she tried the only route left available. Zoe sent out a psychic SOS, a silent plea to the only other person who could help.

“Are we headed in the right direction?” Mira had had enough of Gehenna for a lifetime.

“Hell if I know.” Chago huffed from behind her, barely visible in the gloom. “I can hardly see a thing.”

“At least your damned toe’s healed so we don’t have to listen to more bitching,
amico
. Ouch!” Kagan stumbled, cursing under his breath. “Why did you kick me?”

“Stop being an ass!” Mira’s words emerged in a sharp hiss, her desire for escape pushing bitchiness to the next level. “Don’t worry, next time I’ll aim higher.”

“Settle down, kids,” Xander’s calm reserve was the proverbial eye in the hurricane of their collective whine. “We’ve got to be close. It’s lighter ahead.”

“I believe your eyesight’s diminished in old age,” Chago grumbled. “There’s no light.”

“Tell me again why you can’t flash us out of here?” Mira cringed at the level of fatigue and crankiness in her tone. Contrary to popular belief, she didn’t enjoy being nasty, especially to those who helped her, like Xander.

Xander continued on, unfazed. “Would any of the residents here stay if they could leave whenever they wanted?”

“Remind me to rip Argus’s head off the next time I see him.” Chago stomped ahead, only to halt when a low-pitched hum sounded.

“What’s that?” Mira whispered, her attention darting between the desolate hallway behind and the ceiling. The growing hum intensified the flutter of fear beating in her chest. She stepped closer to Kagan, her muscles rigid and fists clenched, prepared to fight.

Kagan’s warm hand enclosed hers, his thumb massaging her stiff fingers. “Not sure,
piccola
. Stay close.”

“You ssshould not be here, Scion,” a voice hissed from the darkness.

“Why?” Kagan jerked Mira behind him, blocking her with his frame. “Show yourself.”

A rock pinged off the wall. An orange sea of eyes enclosed them. One particular set advanced forward. The sudden flick of a lighter threw the creature’s face into stark relief as he lit a cigarette. The undoused flame continued to blaze, lighting the cavern. “Xander knowsss.”

“I sssmell a human!” Another hiss from the crowd. Their collective murmurs grew louder, filling the tight enclosure.

“The human’sss mine!” the leader rasped to the others, the lighter flickering when the creature turned to face the horde.

“No. She’s mine.” Kagan inched back, encircling Mira within a fortress of three warriors. Mira crouched in the center of the circle while Kagan pulled out his daggers. Her martial arts training rushed into her mind — the smaller the target, the better her chances of survival. She swallowed the lump of terror in her throat and centered her courage. If she was meant to die, Mira refused to go down without a battle.

Above her, Chago grinned, firelight reflecting off his lethal machete. “This’ll be fun.”

“I haven’t killed any minions in eons.” Kagan palmed his weapons and glanced down at her with a reassuring smile. Mira returned the gesture, a new hope sprouting inside her, warm and comforting. Were her emotions true or simply the adrenaline talking?

Xander unsheathed a set of swords capable of making a samurai weep. His tone held an edge of excitement. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Kagan and Chago called in unison.

The trio assumed a battle stance and low-pitched hums transformed to high-pitched squeals as the minions encroached. Soon the lighter was doused and darkness and an unholy screech heralded the attack.

A minion’s razor-sharp claw slipped between the Scion blockade to slice into her flesh, and Mira covered her head with her arms. Blood trickled warm and slow down her flesh and she closed her eyes, praying for salvation.

• • •

Lucifer settled into the cushions of his leather dais to watch the proceedings on closed-circuit TV. He propped one leg on the seat and adjusted the picture, zooming in on the small cluster of warriors. Night-vision green cast the battle in eerie luminescence.

Xander slit a minion’s throat before gutting another with his opposite hand. One had to give the Scion begrudging credit. Lucifer knew they couldn’t see shit, yet still they held their own. Chago and Kagan hacked their way through anything moving in front of them and averaged a kill per swipe. Divinity’s words from their last meeting returned.
I have faith in my Scion.
He did too.

Mira crouched in the center of the Scions’ tight circle, attempting to protect her head and face from the flurry of razor-sharp claws. Her arms were covered with cuts and her blood flowed freely, inciting the horde’s frenzy. They always did love a good snack.

The horde stormed against the skilled warriors, a unified force of utter chaos and low-hanging fruit for the battle-hardened Scion. Lucifer had no concerns about diminished capacity. Minions were disposable. He’d make more. He only wished they’d use their pea-sized brains and show more initiative in the fight.

Speaking of initiative … He’d granted Argus a rare furlough, knowing he was a flight risk. The demon was a lot of things, but boring not one of them. Celestial transformations rarely worked in the long run, and Argus was no exception. Even the Sons of El couldn’t contain his ambition. Now, in messing with the Seals, Argus had officially crossed the line. Greed wasn’t something Lucifer generally frowned upon, but when avarice turned to mutiny, it became personal.

Lucifer returned his focus to the TV and sneered. The three warriors were covered in blood and grinning like fools, hacking their way through the mass of scaly bodies.

Xander shouted something. Lucifer punched the volume button higher.
Dammit!
He must remember to get sound on those cameras before the next massacre.

The girl pulled something from Xander’s coat pocket and raised it high above her head. Lucifer zoomed in. The object glowed brighter and brighter while she chanted.

No!
It couldn’t be. The remote clattered to the floor. He ran toward the passage below, rounding the last corner just as a bright flash and a sonic boom brought the roof down.

• • •

Xander grinned as minions scattered like shards across the smooth rocks to disappear into the murky depths. Light broke through. The warriors turned to squint into the beam streaming from the hole above.

“Guess we found our way out.” Chago held a hand above his eyes.

Kagan scowled at the amulet still swinging between Mira’s fingers. “What
is
that thing?”

“We need to get her out of here.” Xander sheathed his swords and grabbed the artifact, ignoring Kagan’s question. Antares was proving more useful than he’d imagined. He smeared greenish muck from his face and pointed to a pile of rubble. “We can climb up those.”

Chago nodded, waving Mira ahead. “Ladies first.”

Mira skittered up the rocks, followed by the warriors.

Once they’d all surfaced, Xander searched the area for something to plug up the huge hole. A new swarm of minions approached, arms and claws emerging from pit, seeking freedom. Kagan spotted a large boulder several yards away, and the three moved the rock into place with a heavy thud.

“
Cristo!
I forgot how bad they reek,” Chago said, surveying the accumulation of blood and assorted guts coating his body.

The group turned to leave, only to find their path blocked by Lucifer, the ground blackened and smoking beneath his clawed feet.

“Leaving so soon? I must admit to a few white-knuckle moments during the show. Overall, I’d give it an eight out of ten.” He gave a few claps of half-hearted applause.

“Get out of my way,
culo
.” Chago knocked into him, stalking across the field to disappear in a flash.

“
Faccia di merda
!” Kagan cursed, grasping Mira’s arm and flashing away.

Lucifer approached Xander, peering at the boulder-covered hole. He waved his hand to remove the stone then reformed the solid ground beneath. “Can’t have the little buggers getting out, can we?”

“State your business, Devil,” Xander said, his jaw clenched tighter than his fists.

“Where’d you get it, Scion?” Lucifer ran an appraising gaze over the warrior.

“To what are you referring?”

“Don’t play stupid, Xander. Antares.”

Xander pulled the talisman from his pocket. “You mean this?”

Lucifer eyed the burnished metal glinting in the setting sun. Lightning quick, he reached out to snatch the piece.

Xander was faster. He yanked temptation away and stuffed it safely in his coat. “I’m keeping the relic safe for Divinity.”

Lucifer snorted, leaning closer. “How’s the love life, Xan?”

“None of your damn business, Devil.” Despite his iron control, Zoe’s face flashed into his mind, the sting of her rejection a dull ache within his heart. Maybe she wasn’t the one after all.

“That bad, huh?” Lucifer grinned.

The weakened cords binding Xander’s fury snapped. His tone took on the sharp edge of a man pushed to his limits. “I will find my mate, Devil. Guaranteed.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it, my boy.” Lucifer shouted as Xander flashed away, his cryptic words following Xander into the wormhole. “I’m counting on it.”

• • •

Argus scanned the area surrounding the abandoned warehouse, Mira’s heavy file stowed beneath his arm. He checked his watch again. Half past eight. Argus ran a hand over his face to make sure everything was presentable. He’d consumed enough sugar to feed a small country before the damage had healed.
Fucking Scion.

A black sedan rounded the corner and halted before him. Dark-tinted windows prevented him from seeing fuck — all except his own reflection. He stared at the closed window until the glass descended with a whoosh, revealing a well-dressed guy with sunglasses. Sunglasses at night?
Great
. Now this job had become a bad eighties pop song.
Fan-fucking-tabulous.

“Get in.”

The door popped open, and Argus climbed in to sit beside the man he assumed was his contact. What the hell was the name on the answering machine again? Miller?
No.
Madsen?
Shit.
Mallory?
Yep, Mallory.
The sedan took off again, and he could feel the man’s gaze burning behind the aviator shades.

“Where’s the shipment?”

Argus pulled the file from under his arm. “Unavoidable delay. I’ll have her by the deadline.”

“Tolbert doesn’t do delays.” Mallory flipped the folder open and scanned the picture of the scowling girl, her mop of curly brown hair. He brought the photo closer, tracing his finger over the name below. “
Mira Herald.
Our source said she was killed years ago.”

Argus chuckled. “They lied.”

• • •

Divinity walked the center aisle of the Holy Name Cathedral, admiring the beautiful architecture while she approached the front pew. She always loved coming to her many homes.

She breathed in the smell of incense and wax while choosing a seat. Peace flowed unhindered through the room until it collided with a roadblock to her left — the man now occupying the other end of her bench.

“’Ello, dearie.”

“Aren’t you … out of your element?” Her gaze narrowed, her fingers drumming on the back of the pew.

Lucifer shrugged, stretching his legs out on the seat and leaning against the armrest. He fidgeted and squirmed to find the right spot. “Why are these seats always so damned uncomfortable?”

“What do you want, Devil?” Her foot tapped an impatient beat on the floor. She was not amused.

He smirked, one leg bent at the knee, his toes tracing patterns in the black muck now staining the cushion. “I had an interesting talk with our Mira today.”

“Yes, I know. Which part of ‘leave her alone’ did you not understand?”

His gaze traveled to the cathedral ceiling high above. “The Seal is ready.”

Divinity flashed him a hard stare, her ire rising with each passing second. “I don’t care if the Seal is half-baked and turning green, now is
not
the right time.”

“How much time is enough, really?” He studied her beneath hooded eyes, baiting her.

She unleashed a fraction of her power. Golden light blazed forth from behind her pupils. Red flames burst to life in his. A small tremor rattled the church’s foundations, and she quelled the anarchy in a heartbeat.

“This is not your decision, Devil.” She lifted her chin, daring him to disagree.

His claw-like fingers riffled the hymnals, knocking them askew. He met her blazing stare head-on. “Doesn’t matter how much time you give them, they won’t use it wisely.”