The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) (35 page)

Knuckles white against the counter, I slurred, “Oh, go to hell!” just before sliding into darkness.

Domino’s cold nose nudged me awake sometime much later. My face hurt. As if moving through wet cement, I dragged my arm to my face and pulled my cell phone out of the crease in my cheek. I must’ve been lying on it for a while because there was a deep impression in my skin. What happened? Why am I on the floor? My mouth felt like cotton and my eyes burned. I shifted to sit up and my head exploded. With both hands gripping my skull, I stared up at the skylight. Any little movement brought excruciating pain. My eyes watered with it and I drew in a careful breath. Domino whined helpfully and I slowly cracked an eyelid. Her eyes looked into mine.
Declan?

Of course! I lay very still and focused my healing energy on my splitting head. Breathing slowly, I guided the gentle current and felt its warmth surround my neck and flow into my aching face and around my skull. The pain subsided slowly and I felt refreshed again. I sat up gingerly and then stood up and stretched. I picked up my phone and groaned.

The screen was shattered.

Hundreds of itty bitty ant cars crawled along the city streets 18 stories below me. Leaning out a bit further, I could barely see the people walking by. I’d been staring blankly at the scene for a while and still no magical solution had presented itself.  I had to make a decision. I was alone in the penthouse and I was lonely. I had $5.82 and had to use my credit card for everything. I had no way to get more money. There was a dead guy at the warehouse where we accidently blew up a stockpile of toxic chemicals that were stored inside white plastic barrels. I now had samples of said plastic and contaminated dirt. My hand ached. 

Problems were many; options were few. I could call Sean…that would solve the loneliness and money problems. He’d know how to send the samples to their lab too. Good idea except my phone was destroyed. I flexed my fingers and frowned. They seemed stiff to me…absently, I rubbed my hand and wondered if we had any drugs here. Maybe aspirin would help?

The wind nearly knocked me over as I turned the corner and hit an open space in the sidewalk. Clouds roiled high above the buildings as I rushed up the street. I zipped up my jacket and pulled up the collar. The air was wet with a threat of rain and it would be cold when it finally hit the sidewalk. I was rushing to get back before that happened. The bottle of Tylenol rattled in my pocket. Only two more blocks...My hair blew into my eyes again, and I shoved it back for the hundredth time. As I did, I caught a familiar reflection in the plate glass window next to me. My skin prickled at the exact moment I crossed the opening to the alley. I didn’t have time to scream when I was yanked off my feet and thrown into an open car door. Struggling madly, my boot connected with something soft, and a surprised grunt was the last sound I heard before a sharp pain burned into my neck.

BURNING AIR SWIRLED around me as light as butterflies. Naked, I stood with my arms spread wide as the flames licked my skin as a lover might. First nipping sharply, playfully, but then warm and tender, the flames caressed me. I welcomed them with a soft smile. The flames brought pleasure…and power. My skin glowed like phosphorous as I rose above the firestorm. White hot incandescence, powerful…my
saol
blazed towards the heavens. The winds howled with the sons of Hell calling my name. They called to me in supplication, in worship. They stoked the fires that grew hotter around the pillar that was me. My eyes blazed with white fire as I turned them on my servants. Come to me, I called them. Come to me!

Rough hands yanked my arm and a searing pain raced up my shoulder to my chest. I cried out in protest and then sank into blackness.

And still the fires raged.

The fire changed me, ruined me, my skin melted and oozed away. My human body was gone. Cut open down the middle, there were no organs or bones…only a core of molten
saol
. It raced through my veins rushing to strengthen, to heal, to save my life. But the demons’ fires were melting me…they were too hot. I didn’t have time to heal. The gentle life force boiled under my skin…it was cooking me from the inside and I screamed as my skin melted off in sheets. Golden sheets, light as parchment, floated to the floor until nothing but the thick molten
saol
of my essence, my soul, remained. My human shell was destroyed. Slowly, my soul overflowed the table I lay on and dripped to the floor.

Suddenly a great cold wave washed over me and the searing pain stopped. Shaking with cold, I thrashed and moaned. Teeth chattering, I bit my lip and tasted blood. I was freezing now, no longer burning. Voices murmured from a great distance, but I heard them through the haze of unconsciousness.

“Bring the bitch around. Do it now!”

“I’m trying! I can’t just bring her out of it. Her brain will shut down.”

“No one gives a fuck about her brain. Wake her up!”

“Don’t you want her to answer questions? If you do, you need to give me some more time to bring her around. I’ve got to get these drugs out of her system or you’ll have nothing but a pretty little vegetable.”

I heard them clearly now but decided that discretion really was the better part of valor. Not sure if this was the bravest soldier move or not, I played dead. One of the men leaned into my face. I nearly gagged on his rancid breath. He reeked of old cigarettes, rotten teeth, and a lack of soap. Laughing meanly, he shoved a pillow over my face and raked his nails up my leg. My eyes watered instantly.

“I’ll be back later. Hurry up. The boss is waiting for her.”  Footsteps echoed and disappeared up what sounded like metal stairs. The clank of a gate banged above me.

“Asshole!” the other man said quietly. He moved the pillow and paused. I tried to look comatose. Sighing, he commented, “I don’t know what you know, little girl, but you’d be better off dead.”

After an eternity of rustling papers and clanking glass, the man finally left me alone in the dimly lit room. After the gate clanged shut, I waited for several minutes before cracking open an eye. I knew the room was empty but I didn’t want to sit up too quickly. What the hell was going on? Barely lifting my head sent daggers of pain down the back of my skull. Red light erupted behind my eyes like fire. Shit. Gasping, I lay back against the pillow and willed the fireworks to stop going off inside my eyes. I was going to puke. Taking slow deep breaths, I ignored the pain and looked around. I was in a small concrete room. There were circuit breakers on one wall and pipes crisscrossing the ceiling. It was damp and smelled like sewage. Where was I? Warehouse? Subway? I couldn’t tell. It was damp and smelly so my guess was underground. But where?

I counted down the seconds and no one came back. Leaving me alone was a dumb idea, an amateur move. Don’t they know who I am? I’m so outta here! Intending to slide off the table and make a sneaky exit, I swung my legs to the side and moved a whole half an inch. Alarmed, I looked down at my legs and saw harnesses holding me to the table. My arms were strapped as well.

Well, this was
not
good.

I closed my eyes and blinked back tears. Okay, I was still alive so there was time to find a way out of this. The gate opened and heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs followed by lighter ones.

“Well? How much more time?” Bad Breath Boy was impatient. He nudged my leg.

“Another hour? Two? That’s probably it. Check back then.”

“You better be right.” He stomped back up the stairs. In the silence that followed, the clock ticked loudly from the makeshift desk.

“I know you’re awake. You can open your eyes if you want.” His voice was soft, nasal. “I won’t hurt you.”

Startled, I flinched and he turned my wrist to take my pulse. “Your heart is racing and with good reason.” He leaned over me and added, “Come on, it’ll be easier if I don’t have to give you more drugs. You won’t like the side effects.”

My eyes snapped open to see a pair of clear green eyes looking down at me. Heavy lashes surrounded them but a large purple bruise kept them from being pretty. I blinked and the man stepped back. His nose had been recently broken and was swollen and slightly off center. He made a face that wasn’t quite a smile, and glanced up at the stairwell. Eyes warning me to be quiet, he spoke loudly to me as if I was still asleep.

“Okay, enough games. This oughta bring you around.” In a whisper, he added, “The door’s open.”

Frantic, I hissed, “Untie me!”

He shook his head, “Are you crazy? They’ll kill me!”

Furious, I growled at him. He backed away from me. “Coward!” I jerked on the restraints but they just cut into my skin. My toes were already numb and I didn’t want to lose them. I’d need them to escape. The doctor, if that’s what he was, came over and pulled the sheet back across my chest. Oh God! I was naked! Cringing at the idea that any of these…criminals…stripped me while I was unconscious, I snapped, “Pervert!”

With another nervous look at the stairway, he hissed in my ear, “There are worse things than being naked, believe me.”

A phone buzzed and he answered it. “Yes, she’s awake. I’ll have her ready. Yes, I do understand. Five minutes.”

My heart froze in my chest when he turned around, his face ghostly white. Twin spots of anger stood out on his cheeks. He stood clenching and unclenching his fists before turning to a small box. I blanched and tried to squirm away when he filled a small syringe.

“No! Please, don’t!” My eyes were pleading as I tried to scoot out of the restraints.

Without hesitation, he slid the needle into my arm. “This will help. Trust me.”

Heavy boots crashed down the stairs, and he tucked the syringe into his lab coat. Two big men came to escort me. Feeling oddly detached as the drugs kicked in, I waited as they stalked over to me. One of them threw a robe at me and told me to put it on. Doctor Green Eyes released the restraints and I sat up and rubbed feeling back into my ankles. My head felt light and I closed my eyes to stop the dizziness. An odd humming distracted me and I paused to listen. It was a pretty sound…like angels singing.

“Hurry up, bitch!” He backhanded me out of my daze.

“Piss off!” I spit blood on him and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

Grabbing me by the hair, he pulled my head back and pressed a razor against my throat. “I’m gonna skin you alive, you stupid bitch!”

His partner snickered at him and grabbed his arm. “Later! She’s got an appointment. Let’s go.”

Half dragging me between them, they pulled me up the stairs and into the hallway. My shins banged painfully on the top step, and I bit my lip to keep from yelping out loud. These guys were getting on my nerves. The hallway was only barely lit with dying emergency lighting that was twitching with its last life. Brick? Interesting, that. There weren’t too many underground places that had brick walls. Good clue. The trip down the hallway didn’t take long and I was shoved into a wooden chair in the middle of an empty room and left alone. Lone chair? Empty room? This was so clichéd I almost laughed. I started to until I saw the tiny red LED light near the ceiling.

Instead of laughing, I rubbed my hands together and tightened the belt on my robe. I felt naked sitting here. Keeping my face blank, my thoughts ricocheted around my brain. I was having a hard time forming complete thoughts. I tried to fight the haze of drugs but it was hard. What was I doing here? Who snatched me? What was that pretty music? Why were the walls moving? Minutes ticked by and my butt went numb. Cautiously, I stood and stretched. I studiously avoided looking directly at the camera but I felt the eyes on me. My head still felt strange and light. The humming continued on and off. My legs were heavy and I was having a hard time moving around without stumbling. No way was I going to make a run for it. Damn it. Why couldn’t I travel like the Primani?

The door burst open and bounced off the nearest wall. I froze and slowly turned around. My heart stopped for a minute as I looked into the face of nightmares. He
looked
like a human, but the skin wasn’t quite right. His face writhed slowly like it was alive under the thin brown skin. A webbing of white scars stood out in sharp relief across the right side of his face. His right eye drooped as the scar pulled it downward. His other eye gleamed brightly with anticipation as he stalked into the room. It was all I could do to stand still and not back away.

Sean’s words came back to me and echoed in my head.

Demons feed on fear, Mica.

He stopped so close that the material of his shirt brushed against my chest. The acrid stench of sulfur watered my eyes and sent me into a coughing fit. Satisfied, he nodded at the camera. The LED light blinked out and the door closed behind him. We were alone. He stepped closer and every instinct screamed at me to move away.

Demons feed on fear.

I could feel whatever was pulsing inside of him crawling against my arms as he leaned into me. It felt like hundreds of snakes struggling to break out of a sack. Sweat ran down my back, and I stared straight ahead. Inside my head, I was chanting
I can’t see you, I can’t see you
. Staring through him, I focused on breathing, in and out, in and out...

He smiled then, an ugly approximation of a human smile, and said silkily, “Nice try, pretty human.”

He lifted a hand, and I flew backwards into the wall and collapsed on my knees. Groaning, I pushed myself into a sitting position and glared up at him.

“Son of a--“

He flicked a finger and, like a puppet, my arms lifted above my head and I was pulled upright. Horrified, I tried to resist but I had no control. In the blink of an eye, he stood pressed against me again. My arms were stretched painfully above me forcing my back to arch and my breasts to thrust forward. The belt of my robe was gone and the material hung away from me leaving me naked to his eyes. He took one hand and raised it to my chin. Unable to refuse, I looked at him and saw Sean instead. It was Sean’s strong beautiful face that swam in front of me now. It was his hand that caressed my body and pulled me against him. Every voice in my head screamed in denial as he lowered his mouth and kissed me savagely. His hands groped me even as he forced my head back into the wall. Unable to push him away, I retreated into my head and closed my mind.

I can’t see you. I can’t hear you.

A brutal slap snapped my brain back to reality. The demon was back. Blood ran down my nose and I reached for it. Surprised I could move on my own, I flicked my eyes to the demon and pinched my nose to stop the bleeding. My chest was still bare and now covered with bright red blood. I dragged the robe around me and tied it tightly. Not that that would help…

“What do you want, demon?” I snarled at him, using the rest of my bravado. My brain was mush and I just wanted to sleep.

He didn’t bother to answer me. Instead, he smiled again and snapped his fingers. My robe was gone. Stunned, I gaped at him.

“You are in my world now.” He snapped his fingers again and my robe was wrapped around me. He glanced up at the camera and nodded. The LED light blinked to life.

“Sit down. We have much to discuss.” He waved a hand towards the chair and waited politely.

Stiffly, I staggered over and sat down. No sense in antagonizing him…

Demons feed on fear…

I was terrified.

Oh God, Sean! Where are you? Primly, I crossed my legs and tucked the robe around me and faced him with an expression of polite interest.

“So, what’s on your mind?

“Wake up! Come on!” a voice whispered harshly in my ear. “You can’t be dead!”

Hands shook me and the frantic whispering continued until I finally opened my eyes. Well, one eye. The other one was glued shut by caked blood. Waking up was a bad idea as the pain registered. Everything hurt. I moaned and even that hurt. I squinted and saw Doctor Green Eyes hovering above me looking worried.

“Who are you?” I croaked.

“Not now. You’re a mess and they’ll be back.” He paused. “I can’t believe you’re still alive.” Heavy footsteps sounded on the ceiling above us. Panicking, he injected me with something and a warm feeling of oblivion washed over me.