The Appeal of Evil (The Road to Salvation) (28 page)

“You’re not the first person to fall for a demon’s temptations, and you won’t be the last. Those last words came out pretty harsh, but that’s not how I meant them. I’m not angry with you. I don’t blame you. And the fact that you’re willing to help get Wes and your mom back says a lot. I, personally, won’t hand you over to Josh. But I can’t make your decisions for you.”

Katie nodded. That made her feel a little better, but not much. At least she didn’t have to worry about him selling her out to Hell, but could she trust herself to make the right decision? What was the right decision? She’d have to wait to see how the situation presented itself and decide from there. That thought made her stomach queasy and her palms sweat. Her breathing came in rasps and she felt like she was going to pass out. How was she ever going to do this?

“We should head to the warehouse. I want to know exactly what I’m dealing with.”

Katie nodded mechanically.

Randy opened a portal. Katie stood from the couch and stared at the light for a moment. It’s for Mom, she reminded herself, then stepped through.

The warehouse looked exactly as she remembered it. Sunlight shone through the high windows, illuminating the dust and debris. Pools of dried blood stained the floor, and Katie shivered as she stared at them. It had only been a few days since she was last there, but with everything that had happened, it seemed like an entire lifetime had passed. Her stomach knotted, her hands were sweating profusely, and the desire to run out of the building coursed through her. She entered the space alone. Randy was convinced that Josh himself or his spies would be there, so he had taken a less conspicuous portal. Katie didn’t see what the point was. Josh knew of Randy’s existence, so why wouldn’t he expect him to show up? Besides, it wasn’t like they were that early. They had procrastinated a good forty-five minutes before heading to the warehouse.

Her limbs shook with nervousness and anticipation. She clenched her fists and took deep breaths to get herself under control. She wasn’t afraid for herself. Josh wasn’t going to do anything to hurt her. He’d had plenty of opportunities to do so and he didn’t take them. She was scared to death for her mom, though. What would happen to her? The demons could do anything they wanted to her. A Tormentor could attach itself to her and force her to do horrible things. How was Katie supposed to stop that?

If she were honest with herself, she would admit she was afraid for Wes too. After all, he was the one Josh was after, and Josh probably wasn’t going to let Wes leave alive. She had told herself many times that things would be so much easier if Wes wasn’t around, but she didn’t mean dead. Well, a few times she thought that would be the best solution, but now that she was witnessing it, she wasn’t sure that’s what she wanted. Her insides felt like they were being shredded. This was too much for her to handle, but she had to face it to save those she loved.

She paced around the open space, chewing on her nails, waiting for Josh’s arrival. The pipe she had originally used against Josh still lay on the floor where she had dropped it. Her eyes drifted over it and she contemplated picking it up, but she didn’t want to appear threatening. Who knew what would happen to her mom if Josh thought she was being defensive. No, the best way to deal with it was to see what Josh wanted first. She could stay close to the pipe, within a few arm’s lengths, just in case she needed it.

Growling echoed through the space. Katie stiffened. Footsteps sounded all around her, and into the light walked Hell Hounds. They looked the same way they had the first time she saw them, skin and bones, not covered with their disguise to make them look like regular dogs. Several of them formed a circle around her. She spun to take them all in, inwardly wishing she had the pipe in her hand.

“You seem nervous, Katie.”

Josh’s voice caused Katie to spin abruptly, her breath catching in her throat. When had he gotten in the room? She didn’t see a portal open. He smiled and held his arms out to embrace her. Katie remained where she stood. He pushed his bottom lip out in a pout.

“You aren’t happy to see me?” He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Her skin crawled. “I’m happy to see you.”

Katie pushed him away. “Where’s my mom?”

A pained look crossed his face. “She’s fine. Just like I said she was.”

“I want to see her.”

Josh snapped his fingers and a portal appeared before them. A towering demon, close to eight feet tall, completely black, with large wings, shockingly white fangs, and piercing red eyes stepped through. In his arms was Katie’s mom, dressed in her pajamas and limp, with eyes closed. Katie’s heart leapt into her throat.

“Mom!” She tried to rush forward, but Josh grabbed her arm. Katie glared at him.

“She’s just sleeping, Katie. No need to worry.”

The demon set Mom down on the ground and crouched over her protectively. To Katie’s confusion, the portal remained open. She turned a questioning gaze toward Josh.

“I assumed Randy would want to know how his son was doing.” He glanced around the room. “Where is the man, by the way?”

Katie shrugged and shook her head.

“I know he came with you, Katie. Where is he?”

“I really don’t know. My portal opened here, I don’t know where his opened at.” Her limbs tingled with nervousness. Something in Josh’s tone told her things weren’t going to be all right. It hinted at anger and irritation.

“Randy!” Josh’s voice boomed off the warehouse walls. “Come out and join us!” He waited a few moments for a reply. When one didn’t come, he continued. “If you want to see your son again, I suggest you come out and join us.” He gestured toward the portal and another demon stepped out with Wes in his arms.

Wes wasn’t unconscious like Katie’s mom, but bound with black material that almost looked like cooled lava. He squirmed and writhed in the demon’s arms. His mouth was covered with the black stuff to keep him from crying out. As soon as the demon was through, the portal closed. With a claw, the creature drew a line of blood from the side of Wes’s skull. His face turned white, and a muffled cry barely broke through his gag.

“I’m here!” Randy called. “Stop hurting my son.” He stepped out from the shadows on Katie’s right, his hands up.

The Hell Hounds turned and curled their lips. They snapped as he walked by, but none of them attacked. Katie’s heart thudded in her chest. What were they going to do now? Randy was supposed to be the backup if anything went wrong. With all of them captured, who was going to save them? As soon as he was next to Katie, the demon placed Wes on the ground and crouched over him like the first one. Josh nodded toward them.

“Why don’t you join your son?”

Randy obeyed and stepped slowly across the room. When he was close, the demon grabbed his arms so he couldn’t move.

Josh placed his arm around Katie’s shoulders and turned so they both faced the prisoners. “I have to say, Katie, when you told me last night that Wes wasn’t going to come to your rescue again, I thought you were lying to me. I didn’t think there was any way Wes would give up on his beloved. Still, I was intrigued, so I decided to pay him a visit.” Josh laughed. “I couldn’t believe it, but he was broken!” He turned Katie to face him and ran his index finger over her cheek. “You did it, Katie. You broke him. When he lost you, he lost faith in everything.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. “And having a Praesul lose his faith is even better than having him killed.”

Katie’s entire body shook. Her stomach knotted. That hadn’t been her intention. She didn’t want Wes to lose everything. She just wanted him to know what it felt like to be abandoned by someone he loved. She wanted him to feel the pain and suffering she felt. Never once did she expect him to lose his faith.

Josh straightened up and stared at Katie harshly. “I have to say, though, I’m very disappointed you didn’t tell me about his dad. It wasn’t until last night when I went to check on Wes that I found out he was a Praesul too. That was kind of important information I needed to know.”

Katie swallowed thickly. “I’m…uh…sorry. It never occurred to me that—“

Josh placed his finger on her lips. “It doesn’t matter.” He held his hand out toward them. “As you can see, I now have them both in my grasp. Besides, you can make it up to me later.” He quickly kissed the tip of her nose and turned to the prisoners. Clapping his hands together, he stepped toward them. “Do you have any idea what I’m going to get for killing two Praesuls?” He glanced over his shoulder at Katie. “It’s going to be amazing. Feel lucky to know me. It’s been a long time since a demon has had this kind of success. We’re going to be set for eternity!”

The world spun around Katie. Her chest was tight, and her limbs had gone numb. Unconsciousness threatened to take over. Her knees felt weak. There was nothing she could do. She was helpless. Her actions had gotten her mother kidnapped and was going to get two people killed. She mentally cursed herself for being weak and stupid. She wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. This was too much. Two huge demons stood before her, along with too many Hounds. She couldn’t fight them all. Last time, she had barely been able to escape Josh’s grasp, and Wes had been critically wounded. There was no getting out of this one.

“What about my mom?” The words croaked out of her mouth. If nothing else, she wanted to know that her mom was going to be safe. She was the innocent in all of this; she shouldn’t pay for Katie’s sins.

Josh glanced at the sleeping body. “She won’t be hurt.”

“Then let her go.”

Josh clicked his tongue. “I can’t do that. Not yet. She’s still an insurance policy.”

“For what?” Katie couldn’t fight the weakness in her knees any longer. She sunk to the floor.

“To make sure you make the right decision.”

Katie was pretty sure she knew the answer to her next question, but she wanted to hear it directly from Josh. “What’s the right decision?”

He turned and cocked his head to the side, smiling. “That you stay with me forever.”

Katie squeezed her eyes shut. That’s what she thought he would say.

Josh stepped next to her and knelt down. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and Katie opened her eyes to look at him. “Don’t you want to stay with me?” Sorrow covered his face.

Katie indicated toward her mom. “Not at the expense of my mother! If you really cared about me and wanted me to be with you, you wouldn’t have to use threats against me. You would know I was going to make the right decision without being coerced into it.”

Josh scrutinized her for a moment, then turned and looked at her mother. With a sigh, he nodded toward the demon. The creature lifted the limp body and opened a portal.

“Where are you taking her?”

“Back to her bed. She’ll wake up and have no idea what happened.”

The worry she felt for her mother lessened slightly. She wasn’t exactly lying when she said she would stay with Josh. She enjoyed being in his company, as long as he wasn’t using her to get what he wanted. He could be a really cool guy when he wanted to be. This gesture showed her that maybe she could change him down the road, help him see what it took to be more than a demon. A glimmer of hope sprung inside of her.

“I need you to do one thing for me. One tiny little thing. I showed you compassion by letting your mother go, now I need you to show me how much you really want to be with me.”

“How?”

“I need you to kill Wes.”

Katie’s gaze drifted to the prisoners. They stared back at her. Katie would have assumed their eyes would be filled with pleading. They weren’t. There wasn’t even sadness or fear. If Katie had to describe the way they looked at her, she would say it was indifference.

KATIE TURNED HER GAZE AWAY
and stared at the ground. What else could she do? She had to ensure her mother’s safety. Wes and Randy were Praesuls. They had to have a plan to get out of this. Surely it wasn’t the first time they had faced such odds. Cracks ran through the concrete floor of the warehouse; an inch thick layer of reddish brown dirt covered the entire floor. Most of it was swirled and disturbed from the activity that had occurred in the area. Katie noticed she was right next to a large blood pool. It had been the place where she cradled Wes’s head as he bled from his wounds and waited for the ambulance to arrive. He had faded in and out of consciousness. At the time, Katie hadn’t been sure he was going to make it. She snorted. Where she sat was the place this whole mess had begun…and it was where it was going to end. Josh placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head so she looked him in the eye. Those beautiful blue eyes. If only she had known the evil they held. Still, something about them drew her in. There was adventure behind those eyes, experience, and she craved both of those.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Josh said softly. “What’s your decision?”

Katie’s gaze didn’t drift from the blue depths before her. “Untie him.”

Confusion faded the smile on his face. “Why?”

“I’m not going to kill him while he’s tied up. That’s beyond cruel. He’s not going to go anywhere. Your minions will make sure of that.” She nodded around the room, indicating the Hell Hounds and winged demons.

Half of Josh’s mouth pulled into a smile. “That’s true.” He stood and approached Wes.

Randy struggled against the demon’s grasp as Josh got close. “Get away from him! Don’t you dare touch him!”

Josh chuckled. “Or what? You’re not in any kind of position to do anything.”

Randy stopped moving and narrowed his eyes. “Trust me, demon, you don’t want to know what will happen if you touch him.”

Josh scoffed and fanned his hand at Randy. The big demon tightened his grip, squeezing some of the air out of Randy’s lungs. Josh bent down and grabbed Wes’s hair, pulling him into a sitting position. Wes struggled against Josh’ grasp, but it was a fruitless endeavor.

“I highly suggest not even thinking about attempting to escape. My friends will tear you apart. And remember, she broke you, so it will be mercy for her to kill you.” Josh grabbed the back of Wes’s shirt and pulled him to his feet. When he was upright, he waved his hand over the bonds, which crumbled into dust and drifted to the floor.