Hell's Gift (20 page)

Josselyn suddenly threw her arms around Malcolm’s neck and hugged him tight. “I’m so scared.”

He sighed and wrapped her in his strong embrace. She felt so good in his arms that he nearly told her of his feelings. He cared for her deeply, and she couldn’t keep falling into his arms like that; there would be consequences.

He opened his mouth to speak, but what came out wasn’t what went through his mind a second before.
I think I love you.
“I’m scared, too.”

Chapter 24

Thoros

“I have it blocked off here, here and here.” Thoros pointed out several different places in the still waters of his fountain to the Prince of Pride. “I feel really good about the stability of the structure and think it is something you should consider trying for your sy—”

The door of Thoros’ lair burst open and Murry appeared.

Thoros acknowledged his presence with a pop of his brow, then went back to focusing on the fountain once again. “I think the only real problem you’d have—”

“Did you go?” Murry interrupted.

Thoros inhaled sharply through his nostrils, then let it out slowly as he looked up through his lashes at the new prince. He glanced to Velan. The prince nodded in understanding then left the room.

Thoros stared at the door for a moment more before looking at Murry. “Your manners have much to be desired. If you had barged in on Lucifer or even Damien like that you would have discovered your ass in your hands. Don’t take my generosity as a sign that I like you—because I don’t.”

“I only wished to know of—”

“I know exactly why you are here and what you wish to know. I believe you have more important things to worry about than a weak female angel.”

“So, she is weak?”

“Do not forget the reason Baddon was relieved of the position you currently hold. I’d suggest you tend to your guardians in training and teach them what they need to know. None of us know why Lucifer chose you to replace Baddon, and we are not dumb enough to question his reasoning. Regardless of the reason why, he will expect you to step up and exceed the rest of us because you are new, but we are not going to let you make us look like fools, either, so I’d say you have quite the plateful.”

Murry studied the Prince of Lust in mild contempt.

Thoros smiled. “I’m sure you have a lot of pent-up frustration and hatred toward your charge for choosing the other side, but I have informed the angel guarding her—”

“Him—Adam is my charge, and my quarrel is not with him, though I have much to say when we meet again, nothing—I am sure—he will want to hear. His wife’s guardian angel temporarily ruined my plans, so I intend to get my revenge.”

Thoros shrugged. “And you see this as something that cannot wait until your new minions even know your name?” Thoros chuckled as he dropped to the couch in a relaxed position, and then casually covered his eyes with the bend of his arm. “We had bets going on how long you would last. I think I overshot…by a lot.”

“My duties to my syde have my undivided attention, Thoros, which is why I asked you to go check to see what I would be up against. I know I don’t deserve any favors. It is known by all that Baddon is one of your best comrades, and I understand how difficult—”

Thoros shot to his feet and crowded the other demon’s personal space. “You understand nothing!” he shouted, then stepped back and ran his fingers through his hair, avoiding Murry’s scrutinizing glower. “Do not ever speak of Baddon in my presence again. You will never come close to being the prince he once was.”

After a moment of awkward silence, Murry cleared his throat. “Right. Well—”

A knock on the open door alerted them and they looked up to find Lameria, Princess of Greed, standing there, looking like sin waiting to happen. Lameria was petite, with pale skin and ruby lips. She appeared much younger than any of the royalty line under Lucifer; she looked to be only eighteen, but the princess was centuries older, and much wiser than anyone that was considered her equal. “May I enter?”

Thoros glanced at Murry. “Now that’s how you make an entrance into my chambers and get invited to stay. Come in, Lameria. Have a seat. Have a drink. Join me in between my sheets the second I throw Murry out on his ass.”

She laughed lightly. “I can’t stay now. None of us can, but I may come back later if the offer is still on the table…or the bed, if that’s where you prefer to have me this time.”

Thoros walked to her, the heat of a furnace blazing from his eyes as his hand came up to mold the curve of her neck, then snaked around to fist his fingers tightly in her black curled mane. “You know the place matters not to me.” He brought his lips down to the painted crimson of her lipstick briefly, playfully, leaving her head spinning and craving more, but he wouldn’t give her more now. “We may discover brand new places to enjoy our activities.”

Murry cleared his throat. “You said we had somewhere to be?”

Lameria opened her desire-filled eyes to Thoros, then forced herself to look away from his raw hunger to answer Murry’s question. “We have been summoned by Lucifer. It’s something to do with Abigail. I think something terrible has happened to her.”

Murry chuckled. “You could say that. Or you could say something terrible is
about
to happen to her,” he said, then strode out the door with Thoros and Lameria blinking in confusion at his back.

Chapter 25

Rhyan

I couldn’t even begin to describe the pain. It was unreal and unlike anything I’d ever felt before in my life, and it wasn’t just the physical burns from the acid-ash. The emotional anguish my mind was going through from being separated from Abbi had literally brought me to my knees.

I remembered how I’d felt the moment she’d taken her life, and this somehow seemed worse. It was probably because I knew she was in the hands of my immortal enemy, and in no way did I trust that he would hold up his end of the bargain. I could only imagine the things he was doing to her.

There wasn’t anything I could do about that, so worrying about it didn’t help matters any. With that being said, it didn’t at all mean I would worry about it less. Concentrating on how to get out of the land of gluttony was my number one priority, though. The faster I could get through the seven sydes, the quicker we could both get out of Hell.

I knew what I was up against. I wasn’t a fool in thinking that Lucifer had other tricks up his sleeve and, even
if
I succeeded in winning, that he was just going to let me and Abbi pop out of Hell with no other questions asked. I just prayed Malcolm would live up to his genius reputation.

“I’m here, Rhyan. We are trying to figure out how to get you out of the current syde.”

“We? Who is helping you?”
I asked.

“Josselyn—”

“Why isn’t she with Kendra?”
I demanded.

“I will need her here with me to help you sometimes, Rhyan. I don’t think you have to worry about Murry showing up on Kendra’s doorstep anytime soon. You have caused quite the stir with your little plan, and Lucifer has called a meeting with the royalty.”

“That’s right! You can read Abbi’s mind, too, can’t you? How is—”

“He hasn’t touched her, Rhyan. He can’t. The contract is legit. He literally can’t touch her unless you give up. I posted two members of the LOD at the Chamberlain residence. Josselyn will go back down there when we are finished here. The meeting is about to start, and as long as they are all with Lucifer, they aren’t with Kendra. I’ll let you know what we find out.”

Rhyan sighed.
“You know where to find me.”

Malcolm chuckled.
“I’ll see you soon, brother.”

Rhyan allowed the air to leave his lungs in relief.

Abigail

Lucifer hadn’t bothered tying her hands and feet, nor had he taken the time and troubled himself with locking her up in a dungeon somewhere. No, there wasn’t any need for it. There was nowhere she could go that he couldn’t find her or make her come to him just by calling out her name.

Right then, Abigail sat in a chair atop the conference table with seven pair of eyes staring up at her.

“Tell them what you’ve done, sweetheart,” Lucifer said; barely more than a whisper, but everyone heard him.

She didn’t hesitate. Lucifer hadn’t touched her since before signing his name, in his own blood, under her soulmate’s name, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t find a way around the binding of the written agreement.

“My husband has come for me. Soon, we will be leaving Hell to spend the rest of our eternity in Heaven.”

There were gasps all around the table. Everyone was confused and befuddled by her words except for two people. Murry gazed up at her with a full out grin spreading across his face while Lucifer stared at her, fist to chin, with a blank expression.

Lucifer gestured with his hand to first the left side of the table, where a scroll appeared in front of Thoros, Lameria and Fallis, then he gestured to the right side of the table and a scroll appeared before Murry, Velan and Damien.

Murry grabbed up the scroll and unrolled it, revealing the promise between angel and devil. “You agreed to this?” he asked, stunned by his master’s actions. When Lucifer’s glare fell on him, he continued, “Rhyan is no ordinary angel, Lucifer. He will not stop—”

His next words were not spoken aloud, because Lucifer’s massive hand was suddenly around Murry’s throat and he was quickly lifted from his chair and brought nose to nose with the King of Hades.

A growl, low and full of warning, came out of the male’s chest. “You are not here to question the decisions I make.”

Murry swallowed around Lucifer’s knuckles, then nodded in agreement. Lucifer dropped him and he fell to his knees, immediately begging for forgiveness. “Please forgive me, master. I now know the error of my ways, and questioning anything you do will never happen again.”

Lucifer looked down into Murry’s eyes. “Don’t make me regret bestowing upon you the title of Prince.” Lucifer placed his palms on Murry’s temples. “See what will happen if you are ever relieved of your position.”

Murry’s eyes grew wide as images of Baddon’s beaten and broken body was slammed time and time again into the walls, ceiling and floor of the very room he kneeled in before Lucifer. He was made to watch in horror until Lucifer had deposited Baddon in the center of the table. The scenery changed over and over as countless princes and princesses were tortured and relieved of their positions as Lucifer’s favorite demons, then Murry was left panting and gasping for air as Lucifer took his hands away and returned to his seat as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.

“If you will have a look at the contract before you, you will see a pure soul has agreed to a deal on my terms. He, at one time or another, will be placed into your syde, given he doesn’t give up first. Your job is to make him give up.”

Damien glanced up from the parchment to look at Abigail’s tear streaked face. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. He huffed, and then looked to Lucifer. “If for some reason he makes it through each syde, she is then free to leave Hell with this angel?”

Lucifer smiled mischievously. “
If
the angel makes it through all seven sydes I would imagine that my other six protégés aren’t doing what their duties require of them and I may need to consider replacing them all.”

Abigail turned in her chair to glare at Lucifer. She’d known he wouldn’t play fair. “Why must you always cheat to win? Why can’t you just let the pieces fall where they may and see if someone is actually strong enough to do the impossible?”

The room was eerily quiet. Nobody had ever been so openly disrespectful to him, and everyone nervously waited for Lucifer to knock Abigail across the room.

It didn’t happen.

“I don’t see it as cheating, sweetheart,” he replied in a calm voice. “I see it as good offense—”

“I see it as weak and cowardly!” Abigail shouted.

Lameria gasped, then quickly covered her mouth, but Lucifer was too distracted by Abigail’s bold words to pay her any mind.

He stood slowly. “You think of me as a coward? That I am weak?”

Abigail took a deep breath and stood from her chair.

“Sit down, Abigail,” Damien growled. “Your careless actions have already gotten you into enough trouble.”

“He can’t hurt me, not unless Rhyan gives up. Rhyan won’t give up. He won’t stop until he has saved us both.”

Lucifer smiled cunningly as he walked up behind Murry. The quick movement was too fast for anyone to follow. Murry’s body fell to the floor in a heap as Lucifer took a slow step toward a very nervous Velan.

“So, you’re just going to torture and hurt them because you can’t touch me? It won’t make them hate me, you know? They will hate you!” she screamed, and then jumped in front of Velan just as Lucifer’s hands came up to snap his neck like he had done Murry’s.

A violent rage instantly flooded Lucifer’s veins at her insubordination and he attempted to grab her arms. The contact was never made between his flesh and hers. Heart-stopping electric fingers reached out and kissed at his hands and arms, attaching to his skin and not letting go, bringing the immortal fallen angel to his knees and then his palms to the stone floor. Veins bulged at his neck and temples, and his jaw was wrenched open as if he were screaming out in pain, but there was no sound, not even breathing.

Abigail stared wide-eyed and disbelieving at what was happening, what
she
was doing to the ultimate evil. She took a step back from him and the electric current vanished. She quickly examined her own arms and hands: not a scratch. She hadn’t felt anything, either, but it was obvious Lucifer had.

Abigail glanced to Fallis, Prince of Envy. “I didn’t mean…I—”

Fallis closed his eyes and shook his head, then walked around the table to help the groaning Lucifer to his feet again.

Lucifer ignored the outstretched hand and slowly managed to right his form on his own. He glared red-faced at Abigail. “It looks as though the contract is legally binding, so not even I can break my own oath. No worries, there are other ways to bring you pain without physically touching you. I confine you to my chambers for the duration of the angel’s efforts to win your soul. Go,” he growled, nostrils flaring, fists clenched at his side, restraining himself from beating one of the others to a bloody pulp because it wasn’t possible to touch her. “I will deal with you later.”