Bittersweet Seraphim (14 page)

“Push now!” Seriana hollered, and then the rock really started to move. Violent grunted with the effort, and Seriana put every bit of hope she’d ever had for her mother into her shoulder and focused. The rock slid into the earth’s atmosphere, and its space was filled by flying fists and teeth and legs. Crunching bones and screams of agony punctuated the battle.

Violent stepped through like a monster, clearing a way for Seriana and Dean. There were just so many half-breeds, and the ones missing fingers seemed the angriest. Some slinked into the now-open hole to Hell.

Seriana got low and looked on the ground. She locked eyes with her mother who, sure enough, was enduring a beating. There was a flurry of fists and her mother’s body vibrated with someone else’s anger. Despite it all, when she saw Seriana, she smiled. Pure joy emanated from her as she saw her child after so many, many years.

Seriana smiled back and took off. She evaded three different half-breeds aiming to decapitate her, then forward-rolled and landed near her mother’s head. Seriana saw her grandfather’s eyes go greedy and victorious as she began beating the ever-living shit out of him. But after a few moments Vittorio’s relentless laughter stilled her hands, and Seriana looked around. Violent had Dean pressed behind her and stood like a lioness as a good fifteen half-breeds surrounded her. Several other half-breeds were making for the hole to Hell, trying to move as stealthily as possible. Seriana moved to stand over her mother’s prone body.

“Look at you! Such a spitfire,” her grandfather said. “You honestly opened that doorway to come back to me, child? I knew we were meant to be.” He laughed again, then whipped his head toward the escaping minions and stilled them with a low growl. “Halt.”

“Where does that hole lead, my descendant?” He turned back to her and smiled.

“Hell. Where you belong. Where I will put you.” She turned from him and helped her mother from the ground. She hugged her gently, afraid of hurting her wounds.

“My baby.” Rebecca’s arms were chained, as were her legs, and Seriana’s efforts to break them were futile.

“I love you, Mom.” She pointed at her brother. “Dean’s here too.”

Dean had to offer a blown kiss because Violent would not let him move out from behind her.

“Jason?” Rebecca’s voice was so slight.

Vittorio started clapping before Seriana could answer. “This reunion is so touching. Of course, now I need you no longer, my weak daughter.” He raised his hand over Rebecca, but Seriana caught his arm on its descent.

“No. If you hurt her again, I’ll never help you.” As soon as Seriana spoke, Rebecca and Dean began shouting their disapproval.

The old half-breed paid them no mind, his gaze flickering with power. “Help me? After running from me for lifetimes? Why would you do that?”

“Why doesn’t matter to you, does it? I’ll come with you and bear the offspring you so desperately want. My price is simple. My mother, Dean, Jason, and Kate are never sought again. For anything.” Seriana took a moment to look in Violent’s purple eyes, then made a decision. “And the minion is free from you as well.”

She almost smiled at Violent’s quizzical look, and her mother gripped her arm with surprising strength.

“Seriana Marie Parish, I have not endured all these years just to let him have you.” She slumped with the effort of speaking.

Seriana caught her. “Mom, you’ve taken more than your share. I’m not afraid. I can do this. I want to go with…Grandfather.” It was such an obvious lie.

“Seri, no. Please.” Her mother tried to reach out again with her bound hands. The cuffs she wore had rubbed her wrists to the bone.

Seriana’s impulsive decision seemed like divine intervention. They were outnumbered, and more half-breeds were traipsing through the woods. Even with Violent, they weren’t getting out of here alive. She pulled her lips into a tight smile and turned to the man she’d been so frightened of. He was really rather small. He should have been a huge, looming troll for the fright he’d caused her.

“Unlock my mother, and let me watch her get away with Violent and Dean. Then I’m all yours.” Seriana held her mother steady while her grandfather roughly removed her chains with his key. At times he pulled the metal away from skin where they’d melded as one.

Violent growled and dragged Dean like a teddy bear as she made her way through the half-breeds, scooping up Rebecca in a swift motion. The minion picked up speed, scarcely burdened by the two adults she carried. Dean struggled and finally looked right at Seriana who yelled, “Don’t worry!” as they disappeared into the trees.

But she’d never felt as alone as she did watching them leave. Vittorio tucked her under his arm and began ordering his half-breeds around. If Violent hadn’t been physically stronger than Dean, her brother would never have gone. It was a crazy idea, but at least her mother was alive, and now she would be safe. Seriana had one hope left: that her brother would save Emma, and Emma would save her. She started praying immediately.

Chapter 15

Kate watched Jack’s back as he walked confidently through Hell in front of her and Jason. She felt less and less sure about her decision to come here. She wanted to save Nero, but the deeper they got, the more unimaginable the task became. There were steel doors, hallways, and caves that Jack navigated easily, but Kate had already lost track of how many turns they’d made.

Jason counted out loud as Jack made another hard left and parted a bit of moss to step into a secluded cave. “I’m trying to keep up,” he explained. “I think I can get us out of here.” He held the moss for Kate, and when it closed, they were in blackness.

She reached in the darkness until she found Jason’s hand. He squeezed back gently. He pulled her close when they heard a huge crash and the sound of wood cracking.

“Jack?” Kate huddled into Jason. Without her sight she was useless.

“Just getting some fucking supplies. Hold on.” Jack’s voice sounded muffled.

The flashlight blinded Kate for a minute until the beam was turned toward her feet.

“Catch, asshole.”

Jason snatched the end-over-end-flying beam and handed the flashlight to Kate. She instantly felt a bit more comfortable.

“Here.” Another light launched through the air, and Jason had to let go of Kate to catch it like an overthrown football. It was a lantern, providing a halo of light. Kate could now make out the walls, dark and slimy, and the cracks on the floor.

Jack emerged from the closet he’d broken into carrying a rifle and a few handguns. He had a strap holding extra ammo across his bare chest, slicing his tattoos in half.

“You took off your shirt? Who makes time for that?” Jason sounded disgusted.

Jack made his way back out of the moss covering and into the bigger hallway. “I do, teeny balls. I need some of my minions to recognize me.”

Jason held out a hand to Kate again, and she took it. With all the testosterone flowing between these two, she decided not to comment, though she did feel a little protective of Jason.

“Really? Do you identify people by nipples alone in this horrible place?” Jason glared at the back of Jack’s head.

Kate swallowed a smile, and Jason slid her a glance and a wink.

Jack spun and faced him. “I could say all kinds of things about how I can identify your ex-girlfriend’s nipples in a lineup, but I won’t because I like to treat her like a lady, now that she’s mine.”

Jason clenched his jaw and was about to speak when Kate changed her mind about commenting. “Seriously? Ladies, I’ve somewhere to be. Can we stop the pissing contest and do some freaking work here?”

Jack gave her a onceover. Kate tried to ignore the chills his attention sent through her. “Fine. Though I bet I could pick your nipples out of a lineup as well.” Jack turned to go when Jason dropped the lantern and jumped on him.

Kate flailed her hands and flashed the light on them as they punched each other. Jason was stronger, but Jack was a dirty fighter. “Stop! Oh, my God! Stop. Damn it. Stop!” She had no idea what to do until she looked down and noticed her boobs. She lifted her pajamas and bared the tank top beneath. “Look! Tits!”

The men stopped fighting to stare at her. The thin material of her undergarment was more transparent than she’d hoped.

Jack smiled. “Yup. That’s just what I thought they’d look like.”

Jason slugged him in the face again.

Kate put down her shirt and waded in. She was about to hit them with the flashlight when its beam illuminated a person standing just past the shadows. “Holy shit!” Kate tried to voice what she was seeing, but she could only point and wave a hand in the direction of the new being. Jason and Jack followed the light and stilled their frenzied fists.

The woman smiled as she stepped out of the shadows. Her hair was a huge beehive of spun yellow, and she wore a Little Bo Peep dress. Relief washed over Kate at the sight of this cotton candy cacophony. She seemed harmless enough. Then just as Jack muttered, “Oh, fuck,” the woman turned her hot pink eyes on Kate, and she felt a power and terror unlike anything she’d ever known—which was saying something since she’d been in the presence of minions off and on throughout her life. Her mouth filled with a sweet taste. Too sweet. Crazy sweet. She started to paw at her tongue, trying to eliminate it.

Jack scrambled up from the ground, pulling Jason behind him. “Tiffany, great to see you.”

She looked Jack up and down and laughed. It was a terribly pleasing sound. Like bells coated in perfection. She bent at the waist as emotion took her over. Jack took the opportunity to step backward, and soon he and Jason were in front of Kate. She raised her rifle to aim at Tiffany, but Jack grabbed the barrel and eased it down, shaking his head.

“Save your ammo,” he said, and not in a comforting way, more in a holy-crap-something-worse-is-coming kind of way.

“Jack! I feel so happy in my happy places to see you.” Tiffany had finally stopped laughing. “You look so…how do I say it? Oh, that’s right. Human.” She took purposeful steps, swinging her hips.

Jack nodded. “You look sweet. As usual.”

“This old thing? You were always quick with a flattering word. Still stunning them stupid and spread-eagled with your bad-boy act?” The closer Tiffany came, the more it smelled like the taste in Kate’s mouth.

“Act? Do you think the Devil is a good man, Tiff?” Jack began unbuckling his belt.

“You’re not getting in, just so you know. All those years ago? This is called payback. What you want you’ll never get. I’m going to leash you like one of my poodles.”

Jack continued to undress, tossing his weapons and clothes in a pile next to his feet. He spoke over his shoulder to Kate and Jason. “This pretty lady is full minion. She actually descended into Hell about four hundred years ago, give or take. After her damnation, she was so heinous that I promoted her to protecting the sludge behind her.”

Tiffany clapped and gestured to a murky pond that was so still it looked like just another length of cave at first glance.

Jack unzipped his pants and spoke to Jason. “You might want to have Kate close her eyes if you ever want her to sleep with you, asshole. Because once I take off my pants, you’ll always come in second.”

Kate instantly put out a hand to stop Jason from returning to fisticuffs. Out of the shadows, three huge beasts appeared. The first thing she saw was teeth. After she took in the rest, and they sat at Tiffany’s command, Kate realized the things were poodles. Giant, grotesque poodles.

Jack was naked now, but Kate didn’t spare a glance for his taut buns. Okay, fine. She did. He spoke to Tiffany, but was obviously filling her and Jason in on the details they might need to know.

“Well, Tiffany, pond still disgusting? I’m guessing Everett doesn’t know about the potential here?” Jack stepped forward.

Tiffany held up a ringed hand, and the poodles growled in unison. “No closer. You know what the water does. The new Devil knows about everything. He’s fantastic. Ten times better in bed than you.”

Jack shook his head and took a few more steps toward the pond. The poodles went from sitting to standing. Their dark gray fur must’ve been white at some point, but it just hung in dirty clumps and knots now.

“Lady, you can spout whatever you need to if it makes you feel better about letting me fuck you and toss you into the Hellfires, but you and I both know that’s a lie.” Jack sauntered closer to her, and Kate watched Tiffany’s hot pink eyes dilate with arousal. She wanted him. The dogs hunkered down and bared their teeth.

“You had me,” Jack said, his voice intoxicating. “And I certainly had you. You remember it with every fiber of your being. If you could dream, I’d be all you saw. And of course, when you touch yourself, you picture me.” Jack finally pulled her against his naked body.

Jason looked at Kate and mouthed, “Wanna go?”

And she did. She wanted to leave Jack to his horrible romancing and steroidal poodles, but the fact that the pond was so well guarded had her curious. And the fact that Jack wanted in it meant something. She shook her head. Jason didn’t seem to like that, but he stood fast.

“I remember it only to make me angry. You meant nothing.” The thinly veiled lust in Tiffany’s eyes belied her words.

Jack lifted his hand and ran it down her cheek. “Liar.”