Demon Soul (30 page)

"You don't need insurance, Satine. You need your head examined." He turned and dove out the window, doing a somersault in mid-air and landing on his feet.

Kellan was throwing rocks at the vampires holding Justin.

"How's it going down here?" Gabriel picked up a decorative rock from the planter at the side of the building, aimed, and hit a vampire right on the nose.

"Not bad. If we can get them both to let go of Justin, we can catch him when he drops."

"But we've got Satine on our tail," objected Gabriel. He threw another rock. A window shattered in the building opposite. "Oops."

"You have the Satine problem. I have the Justin problem. Whatever you do, don't let her get back to Twisted." Kellan threw two rocks, bam bam, and both vampires let go of Justin.

Surprised, Kellan watched as Justin fell, roused himself as Gabriel passed him. "Hurry up!"

They caught him, all three of them tumbling to the ground. Gabriel untangled himself from his brothers and stood ready to face Satine. The other two vampires had vanished the second they lost Justin.

Satine floated down from the window of their office. Her whip curled lazily in the air, a snap at the end warning the men that she knew how to use it.

Kellan, grab Justin and get the hell out of here. Go! Now!

I'll be back, little brother.
Kellan gathered up the smaller man and was soon out of sight.

Gabriel felt the adrenalin pound through his system, knew his eyes had turned to full demon. His vision grew sharper in the dark as he watched Satine saunter toward him.

The night around them was preternaturally still. Heat rose from the pavement. Gabriel's powers surged through him.

"Stop," he said, and the word reverberated through the air. Surprised, Satine tried to take another step but found her feet wouldn't move.

"Gabriel. You are my creature. Come to me," she said, lifting her chin in command. The whip, restless in her hand, licked out at him but did not touch him. "Do as I say, and I will leave your precious little Rose alone."

"Like I’m supposed to trust a vampire," he scoffed. “Right. Don’t think so.”

"And demons are so pure," she mocked.

"Ah, but I'm not only a demon. I’ve been reminded that I have the gifts of another heritage to claim, to use."

"You are mostly demon. You can't hide that from me," Satine snapped. "Is your family trying to tell you that you're not what you are? I know. I can see. You are demon. Your soul is black, as black as mine was before I left it behind. It is withering inside me, and with every death you cause, your soul dies a little more. Ask
her
. She knows."

Despite his efforts, the doubt she raised crept in. He narrowed his eyes. "Every word from your mouth is a lie."

"Is it? Your soul is almost lost, and then you really will be the monster you fear. And she won't love you, a soulless beast." She looked at him, pensive in the dim light. "But I need you. I crave you, with or without a soul. You are a part of me, and have been ever since you used me and discarded me in your shack in the middle of nowhere. You think that is a lie?"

"You weren't real to me then. You were never real until that last night when you stepped out of my dream."

"When you refused my gift."

"Yes."

"Remember the
hunger
." She flicked the whip at him. It grazed his stomach, and at the whip's bite he was flung back into that dirty shack by the freeway.

She floated, just above his reach, her breasts, barely screened by white lace, taunting him. Her scent arousing him.  He had reached for her, flung her to his pallet and plunged into her body. Used her to forget.

"This is bullshit." Dragging himself out of her illusion, he caught her hand just before she touched him.

"Be with me. Stay with me. We will rule the city, you and I,
her voice purred in his mind.
Can you see it?

Gabriel could.  They would rule the dark. It wouldn't matter if he killed, as he wouldn't have a soul any more. He could be the beast he was born to be, and have the world at his feet if he so desired.

A breeze brought the scent of the sea down the mall.
Gabriel? When are you coming back?
Rose, looking for him again, keeping in touch. Opening to him.

Gabriel's head cleared from Satine’s illusion and revulsion had him throwing her away from him. She screeched in dismay and rose from a crumpled heap, stalking after him, licking her lips. "Was any of that a lie?"

"All of it," he grated, stepping back. "Do you really want to fight me? Here, now?" He could feel his demon energy striving to burst free. Struggling for control, his voice grew deeper, husky. "You would lose."

Satine took on a helpless look, tears trembling on her lashes. She fell to his feet and grasped him by the legs. "I don't want to fight you. I want to join with you. I want you, Gabriel, only you. Come to me, be with me, please," she begged, and blood tears stood in her eyes.

"No." Digging deep within, a long-forgotten lesson returned. Cool green energy surged up from the ground through his feet and spread throughout his body.

"No? No?” she sputtered. “You released my demons, stole my werewolves and killed my were tiger. You are all I have left, and you will obey me." She came to her feet, all righteous fury.

Not the slightest hint of compulsion reached him. He stood taller. "No, Satine. I won't. Tribreds aren't meant to be a vampire's plaything."

"You think denying me is freedom. You are wrong. Rose will be mine before the full moon," she hissed, and her eyes burned red. Satine leapt up at him, her mouth open, teeth gleaming in the night. Gabriel grabbed her arm and shoulder and, using her momentum, swung her off her feet and sent her skittering, belly down, over the asphalt. With a squeal she bounded to her feet and was suddenly behind him, her teeth at his neck. Gabriel froze.

“Naughty boy,” she panted, and struck. But her teeth only grazed his skin as he flipped her over his head, smashing her to the ground and flipping her face down. Gabriel planted a foot in her back and she growled, a more feral sound than even the weres could make, and struggled to shift him off her. Strength born of all living plant life surged through him.

A distant howling came to them on the night's breeze, part terror and part pure joy. Satine struggled harder, added her voice to the cries in the night. With one immense effort, she rose up, causing Gabriel to do a back flip in the night. He landed on the balls of his feet, ready for a fight, but she left him without a backward glance, gone from sight in an instant.

The night filled with howling and fire lit up the sky to the east. Jubilee danced on the air.

Gabriel went cold. With Twisted taken down, where would Satine go? She’d find Rose and take her revenge. Fear built inside him as he ran.

* * *

Justin sat on the edge of the hospital bed and glared at Doc Cavanaugh. "I'm fine. I'm leaving." He struggled to clear his double vision without drawing her attention.

Absently, she made a note on his chart. "No, you're not. Fine, that is. You're going to stay here until Kellan gets back, and then I might let you leave." She looked up at him, determination clear in her whiskey-gold eyes. "Don't push me," she warned. "You're deeply bruised. You haven't lost blood on the outside, but I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't peeing blood soon with the size of the hematomas near your kidneys."

He glowered at her, crossed his arms gingerly and focused on her face. If he looked anywhere else, the damned room tended to slip to one side. "Since when did you get to be a pain in the ass?"

"Since you keep showing up here with demons that need fixing," she said tartly. "Besides, I got my doctorate in being a pain in the ass. Didn't you know?" Megan Cavanaugh turned aside, picked up a syringe. "Roll up your sleeve."

Justin eyed her while he complied. "What the hell is that?"

She swabbed his arm with alcohol and tossed the swab into the trash. "Something to help you deal with the dizziness and double vision you've been experiencing since you got here," she said, and popped the needle into his arm.

"Ouch! Hey, I didn't say anything about dizziness," he protested.

"Yeah, I know. The whites of your eyes gave you away. They've got a yellow tinge to them. If you'd been anyone else, I'd have said you were in liver distress—but since it's you, it must be from consorting with vampires." She wiped the injection spot, slapped a small bandage on it, and patted his hand. "You'll be fine, and in a shorter time than if you hadn't had the shot." She disposed of the needle in the sharps container and turned to face him.

"So. Activity in the Chaos plane is rising, forcing Demonic activity here. There's a rumor going around, about some big bad that has your family targeted. True? False?" She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.

Justin just looked at her. He really didn't want her involved.

Megan sighed. "Okay, fine. Just give me this much, then. How many more demons and Fae and such am I going to be treating? How many more people do I need to train to deal with demonic injuries?" She tapped her foot and met his gaze with a frown. "Because, frankly, just taking care of your friends and family is becoming a full time job for me. If you're going to have substantial casualties, I'm going to need assistance. A paycheck would be nice, too."

Justin frowned. Okay, so she’s already involved at the deepest level. "I don't know what to tell you. We don't want a full-scale war."

The door opened and Kellan knocked as he poked his head in. "You done? Can I spring him, Doc?"

"Come in, please, Kellan. I need to talk to you." Megan smiled. Kellan leaned against the doorjamb, his eyebrows raised. "I've just been asking Justin how many more injuries to expect. It's becoming a full time job, handling you and your friends."

"According to the Doc, demonic activity is rising," Justin said. His body ached and he longed for the oblivion of sleep.

Kellan grimaced. "You're right. However many people you can train to handle what’s coming, well then, bring 'em on. It's been too quiet for too long. Couple hundred years at this point, right? I'm thinking the wait is almost over."

"I agree.” Wait, what had he agreed to? Justin frowned and refocused on his cousin.

Megan raised her eyebrows. “I only have the facility for three overnight beds. Just one surgery bay. If you want this place expanded, I'm going to need financial help."

The men exchanged a glance. Kellan gave up. "I'll see what we can do. You find the staff. Can he go now?"

Megan Cavanaugh made a note on his chart. "He should stay here for observation a full twenty-four. The vamps got rough with him before you carted him away. But," she added, her hand up to forestall their protests, "I'll let him go, as long as you promise to bring him back to me if he starts peeing blood." She glared up at Justin. "Do you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am," he said. "I promise ma'am." He slid off the examining table and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. What had he promised her? "Thanks Doc," he added.

“The door’s behind you, Justin.”

“I knew that.” Justin turned. The room whirled. He took a step and his knees buckled. Kellan grabbed him. “Oops. Shouldn’t have had that last drink,” Justin muttered.

“I’ve gotcha.” Kellan looked to the doctor. "We owe you," he said to Megan. "Again.”

"Don't worry. You'll be paying up. Go on, take him out of here.”

Justin allowed Kellan to lead him to the car in the lot.