Demon Soul (13 page)

"Yeah. Sure." She licked her lips. "Anything you say." She reached up for another kiss, and this time he couldn't resist her temptation

Her lips were soft, purposeful, searching as she reached up to him. She tasted of the night and secrets and sorrow, a dark, addictive flavor that he'd craved since their last kiss.

Heat flared between them. Not flame this time, just old-fashioned sexual heat. Gabriel's arms tightened, holding her closer even as his growing need for her scared him.  Pulling away, he murmured, "What am I going to do with you? You don't belong in my world."

"Neither of us knows where we belong," she said, and kissed his throat. "Maybe together, we could find out."

Gabriel's heart sank. “It's safer for everyone if I walk alone." He eased away from her, brushed her hair off her cheek.  "Let's focus here. We've got a job to do."

"It's more than just that I'm carrying a part of your soul, Gabriel. You don't have to be alone." She fiddled with his coat buttons, her head bowed.

His lips twisted. "You have no idea," he said under his breath and turned away, motioning with his shoulder towards the club. "I'd rather avoid the bouncers at the front door. From what I learned off the Internet, our best bet is to go in through the back. There’s a balcony, two doors and a set of windows on the second floor, which is where the legitimate business offices are. If we can get in there, we have a chance to do some real recon. I'll go in and let you know if it's safe."

"Oh, no you don't," she whispered, her tone no less steely for its softness. "I'm not letting you go in alone."

Gabriel grimaced over her head. He really didn't want her turning demon. She'd be far safer outside of the club, so he'd leave her there, unable to follow the route he'd planned.  But she won't know that until he was up on the second floor balcony, leaving her safe below. "The guards aren't watching us any more. Let's go."

They wandered back the way they had arrived, arms around each other, giggling. Once out of sight, Gabriel was quick to step aside, refusing to acknowledge the chill left by her absence. "Come on." He set off down the street at a jog.

"I'll be there in a bit. Shorter legs and all," she called after him.

Guilt had him slowing until she finally caught up with him.

"We can do this, you know," she panted.

"If we get caught, just run, okay? Get gone. Don't wait for me."

They had gone around the block and now came up to the back of the building, a dark, unkempt parking lot butting into an alley lined in oleander bushes ten feet tall. Two lights burned dim at either corner, creating more shadows than light in the lot. He looked up to where the balcony circled the second story. Yeah, that would work just fine.

"Now what?" She hissed as they moved forward.  “What’s the plan?”

Gabriel frowned. Her energy was all over the place, amped up somehow, and her aura glowed golden again. How did she
do
that? Where did it come from? What the hell was she? He could feel her sexual pull on him, stronger now that he'd imprinted the feel of her body on his. He gave a quick look around, grateful that the parking lot remained empty.

"The plan?" Gabriel gauged the height, the rail of the balcony. "I'll see you in a bit. Stay out of sight, and keep watch. Hide in the bushes. Keep my soul safe." Unable to resist, Gabriel kissed her once, hard, before jumping straight up. He caught the rail and swung over. A quick jimmy of a window and he was in.

Gabriel followed the scent of demon, opened his senses to see how many were in the building. The upper story was clean, which is why he'd gone in that way. The first floor was mostly human, but beyond that...he caught the mingling scents of blood, sex, and death—the stench of vampire, as well as an energy signature not to be missed.

Weres.

Damn it all to hell. He headed toward the emergency stairwell and sped down on silent feet. The scents of sex, of death grew stronger as he descended below street level three floors and counting until the stairs just stopped at a door. He went through it and found himself in a dimly lit, cement hallway.

They hadn't bothered with paint down here. The long hallway, less than hospitable, had drains spaced five feet apart down the middle. The rooms lining the hallway were empty but he could scent death down here. Despair. Not sex, not here. A part of him drank down the fear that lingered in the air, even as it disgusted him. He hated that part of himself, hated the need that drove him to feed off the fear of others. Yet another reason he'd spent so much time alone.

Gabriel! Where are you?

Shocked, Gabriel recognized Rose’s mental voice. Holy hell. 
Where are
you
?

I had to come inside. Demons were patrolling. I'm in the stairwell – Gabriel!

Damn it to hell. He headed back to the door and pulled.

All thoughts of Rose fled as the door flew open and three J'aadt demons, looking more like badgers with semi-automatics than humans, aimed straight for his heart.

"Oh hey guys. I think I'm lost. Is this where I can get some werewolf pussy? That purty gal up front said something about that the last time I was here." He put on a western drawl and looked around, wide-eyed, and noted the close quarters of the hallway landing. It'd do. "Hey, you guys aren't all human, are ya? I'm kinda fucked up myself, ya know. Too much to drink upstairs."

Gabriel weaved a bit, slapped one of the demons on the shoulder and used him as leverage to kick the far one in the jaw, ripping the gun out of the demon's hands as he turned to look. The one in the middle got a funny look on his face and he went down, his eyes wide with confusion, revealing Rose behind him, jerking her knife out of his back.

"Hey there," she said, and as one they turned to the demon still alive. Gabriel turned the semi on the demon and shot him, once between the eyes, even as he opened his mouth, showing off all his sharp, pointy teeth and snapping toward Rose’s face. He went down with a grunt of surprise.

Damn it. Guns hadn't been in his plan. Killing again
really
hadn't been in his plan. "What the hell are you doing here?" Gabriel hissed the words at Rose, motioning her up the stairway.

"Get away now. Explanations later," she said as she took the stairs, two at a time. Exhilaration and a strength Gabriel hadn't expected poured off her as they raced up the stairs.

So far, all remained quiet.

They had gotten to just below the first floor when Rose stopped, swerved out of the stairwell.

"Hell." He followed her. "Rose! What the hell?"

She waved at him to be quiet and stood outside a door three doors in. She leaned against it, closed her eyes and sighed. "We have to help her out." Rose looked at Gabriel, her determination clear. "She's being held prisoner. We've got to rescue her."

"We'll come back. I promise. There's no time now."  All his senses were humming on high alert. "Come on," he urged, and turning, headed back to the stairwell, relieved when she followed him.

"She's angry," Rose whispered as they continued their race up the stairwell. "She's a werewolf. I think she might be pregnant, too. We've got to contact someone."

"We will. I promise. Just keep moving." Gabriel never saw the fist that came out of the darkness, catching him in the temple, and dropping him like a stone.

Rose screamed, shades of white-hot anger and fear aimed at the looming shadow between them and safety. She launched herself over Gabriel, her fists at the ready, but before she connected, a shadow came down and she crumpled at the vampire's feet.

Rose sucked on the pipe, cradled it like a lover. She flicked the lighter again and took another hit deep into her lungs.  The rush took her by surprise as it always did, the one-two punch of sexual heat and euphoria as the drug spread. She dropped the lighter and giggled. Saw herself in the mirror opposite the toilet and giggled again. She'd gotten her hair cut short like a boy's. The guys liked it. She ruffled her hand over her head and reached for the glass of vodka, missed the glass, and sent it shattering into the sink. The smell rose, tantalizing her, and with a cry for the lost drink, she shoved her hands into the glass, digging for the alcohol, uncaring of the shards slicing her hands. She licked the vodka off her fingers and spit the glass out, the cuts stinging, still craving more. She'd have to go get the bottle, go into the rest of the house.

Shhh. Rose giggled quietly, opened the door, and lurched out of the bathroom. Now where was the kitchen? Or did they keep the good stuff in the living room? Which house was she in? Rose looked around, frowning, and looked down at herself. She was naked. Naked, and her hands were wet. She dried them on her stomach, ignoring the pinpricks of pain, and thought hard.

Shit. Was she supposed to be fucking someone? But no, the house seemed quiet. No music, no smell of weed, no one vomiting in a corner. No one banging anyone else. Must be early morning, then.

Wobbly, she made her way to the kitchen. Stopped when she saw a man sitting at the table smoking a cigarette. He looked at her with soft grey eyes. She knew him. Knew his broken profile, hair like silk, the scar that dripped down his neck. Memory jabbed, sent a spear of pain just behind her eyes.

"Oh no," she moaned, and turned away, embarrassed and ashamed that he should see her that way.

"Come on, honey. Let's go home." His voice rasped like velvet against her ears. She put her hands up to block it, felt wetness against her scalp. A cigarette in his hand flamed, glowed in his eyes, and he turned into the whip-thin, weaselly-eyed Kevin.

"No! You can't make me. You can't make me!" She flung her hands out toward him, and the power in her gesture had him splayed against the kitchen wall. Fire licked at his feet, followed the outline of his body. She panted with the effort, felt alive. Felt strong.

He held his hands out to her as he changed back into the dark haired, broken angel. "Come, Rose. We need you. We love you. Come home."

Rose shook her head but dropped her hands. The man settled lightly on his feet and the flames faded. Memory scrolled through her, a future she'd yet to see. A face... "Gabriel? Where are you?" She crumpled into a ball on the kitchen floor, sobbing as he dissolved in front of her eyes.

But then strong arms came around her. "I'm here. I'm right here. Come on. Let's go home." She sighed, nestled against him.

* * *

Gabriel opened his eyes, hoping this time he'd managed to pull her from the nightmare, but Rose still slumped against the wall across from him, her eyes tightly shut. Her arms were stretched out to either side and manacled to iron rings low in the walls. Her head hung to the left, her legs splayed out like a doll's, making her look forgotten and alone.

"Gabriel, help me." She twisted, pulled at the manacles chaining her, moaned as the iron cut into her wrists. Blood seeped around the metal, but she didn't wake up.

His heart aching for her, Gabriel looked away. He'd been chained standing up, his legs locked down, too. His arms ached, having had to take all his body weight until he woke up and he could hold himself upright. He didn't know how long they'd been in the dark. The chamber was small and barren, with another handy drain in the floor. Calling upon his demon heritage, he could see well enough in the black, could see the tears on her cheeks.

"She has terrible memories." The male voice came to him out of the darkness, jolting him.

"Why are you having her relive them? Getting your jollies from it, are you?" Gabriel sneered.

The hand came out of nowhere, the force of the slap banging his head against the cement wall. Gabriel tasted blood on the inside of his cheek and moved his jaw to make sure it wasn't broken.

"She killed one of my demons."

"Yeah. A lesser demon. You don't seem the type to get bent about it."