Her Black Heart (The Dark Amulet Series Book 2) (25 page)

CHAPTER

SIXTY-THREE

Ra’zael

Helplessly watching Julia sail into the wall over the bed tore Ra’zael apart. Now she lay on the floor gasping in pain, the crest of one wing cracked in half and folded over in an unnatural position. He wanted to check on her, but not enough time remained to help her and Elliott. Amalya brushed past him toward Julia.

Thank, Deus.

The shadow demons shrieked in a high crescendo. Maurice screamed. A black tendril snaked up and muffled his cries. A portal opened next to the pile of demons, near the floor. The edges of the hole fuzzed. Beyond the door, Netherworld awaited. Sulfur odors wafted to Raz. The black blob crept toward the opening.

“Wait. Forgetting something?” their master asked and tossed the necklace. A tendril forced Maurice’s hand out and he caught the amulet. He balled his hand into a fist.

Raz lunged and reached the forsaken ball from Hell as the last of it slid through. The mass pulled him in. Only his legs remained in Earth’s realm. He drove his hands into the blackness. The shadow demons hissed and stung him. He found Maurice and pried the amulet from his grip. Most of his legs were now in Netherworld.

He felt something tug on his feet. Elliott the Redeemer pulled. Raz eased back through the opening to his waist. The demons jerked him forward to the thighs. The white-haired angel yanked harder and managed to grab a…belt? Elliott had manifested something useful. Raz glanced over his shoulder. The smart angel braced his feet on the portal’s edge. “Pull! Pull!”

“I…am. Harder than…it…looks.” Raz could hear the strain in Elliott’s voice. Raz punched the stray tendrils.

“Pull harder. Ouch! Fucking bastards sting.”

He must have listened because only his arms, shoulders, crests and head were in Netherworld. A tendril coiled around a wrist. While Raz worked at freeing his hand, the portal began closing in on itself. “Whatever you’re doing, do it quicker!” Peeling the black goo stung his fingers, but he finally pried the stupid thing off. The door between realms was almost closed now. With a surprisingly powerful heave, he was muscled to safety. He lay on his back panting. Amalya, the reason for the sudden strength stood over him, along with Elliott.

“Julia? Is she okay?”

“I’m right here.” Julia crawled toward him and collapsed two feet away. He dragged her the rest of the distance and draped her over his chest. She winced and groaned.

Raz sucked in a breath. “Sorry.” He’d forgotten about her broken wing.

“Do you hate me?”

He brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Oh, yes, completely hate you.”

She sniffled. “Good. Because I hate you too.”

“Isn’t that sweet? They hate each other.” Abaddon sat on the floor, his big goat shaped legs crossed at the fetlocks.

“Why is that
thing
still here? I thought that was ‘Revoking Powder’ we used,” Julia said.

Abaddon snorted. “Morons did it wrong.”

“What was that?” Amalya asked.

“I. Called. You. Morons.”

Amalya walked over the edge of the salt ring. Raz carefully laid Julia aside and sat up. The demon jumped to his feet. Elliott rushed toward them, stopping when she put her palm up. “Wait. I need to see something.” Her mate balled his hands into tight fists.

The Demon Ruler lowered his head until he and Amalya were eye-to-eye, their faces inches apart.

“What?” he growled. His breath blew her hair back.

“Just checking.”

“Checking what?”

She stuck her foot over the line. He hissed and withdrew.

“What’s the matter? I thought you were the mighty ruler of all demons.” She passed into the circle.

Elliott took a couple of steps closer, ready to defend her. Raz’s heart raced. What was she doing?

Aba moved to the other side of the circle. Raz’s mouth fell open. If Darkness was going to attack, he would’ve done so already.

Amalya chuckled. “More angel. Less demon. Every day. Just checking.” She stepped back into Elliott’s waiting arms. He whisked her further away from the Devil. Who apparently wasn’t so devilish after all.

A warm breeze skated across Raz’s arm.

Deus
.

Unseen, but felt. When the draft hit Abaddon his back stiffened. “Deus, you can’t make me leave.” An invisible force knocked him to his knees. He laughed. In the next second, he slammed onto his ass and arched off the floor like someone had trampled his balls. He gasped. “F-Fine, I’m going, but can I at least have my amulet back?”

“No!” all the angels shouted. A portal opened up and swallowed him.

CHAPTER

SIXTY-FOUR

Julia

Julia scanned the angels’ faces. “Uh, what was that?” she asked Amalya.

“I had a hunch the big freak wouldn’t touch me.”

“I’m sorry…you did that on a
hunch
?” This female was crazy. And she loved it. “You got gumption.” Amalya winked at her. Julia learned the true meaning of the word, right here, right now. She couldn’t wait to tell Augustina about…wait, she couldn’t. She scratched her head. Why had she thought of that old lady? Maybe because she’d been on her mind this entire adventure, haunting her.

Julia labored to her knees. “Ouch. Ow.” The pain of her wrecked wing felt like the broken arm she’d had as a child. Every time she adjusted her body, the wing pounded.

“Think you can concentrate enough to poof?” Amalya asked.

“She means teleport,” Elliott clarified.

“I got it, and yeah.” Julia reached for Raz’s hand. He was already on his feet and limped closer to her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. Your ankle and wing   are—”

He waved her concern off. “I don’t think you should try to stand. Relax and picture—do you know where Eternity is?”

“Ummm, the dance club?”

“That’s the one. Picture being inside.”

“Won’t people notice us just appearing out of thin air?”

“No,” Amalya said. “Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

***

Julia ended the dizzying journey on the floor of a bathroom stall. A men’s bathroom stall. She looked up and saw Raz gazing down on her. “Let’s go see Max.”

“Max? Oh, wait, I know Max, from the woods.”

“That’s the one.” Raz scooped her up off the epoxy floor. She moaned and he kissed her cheek.

“Why did we end up in the bathroom?”

“Creator’s idea of a joke. Plus, it’s a safe place to land if you wanna avoid detection.” He carried her to an elevator. They both grimaced with each step. He pushed the down button.

“I didn’t realize this place had a basement.”

The doors slid open. “Two actually.” He turned sideways and boarded. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Do me a favor, reach down and push that button.”

“Which one? Oh. Never mind.” Located where the emergency stop should be was a pearly button with liquid swirling around inside. She sucked in her breath when she reached out. Her wing ached.

Moments later, the elevator chimed and the doors opened. “Good evening,” the angel behind a podium paused, “Ra’zael the Guardian.” As they approached him, he studied Julia a moment before smiling. “This is becoming a regular thing…black wings.” He frowned, “Oooh, have Max look at that wing. Ouch.”

Raz nodded. “That’s why we’re here.”

Julia smiled despite her self-consciousness and the pain. “I’m Julia the, um, ah, just Julia.”

“Nice to meet you,” the host said as they went past.

“Who was that?” Julia asked Raz.

“Gregory.”

They walked by planted bamboo sticks and through an archway into a long high-ceilinged room. Plush couches and huge pillows in different shades of purple lined the sides of a brick path up the middle, leading to wooden French doors. Three angels stood over a table full of all kinds of food. She breathed deeply. The whole Thanksgiving turkey smelled deliciously sage-scented. Her stomach growled.

Raz chuckled. “I’d say eat but I’d wait until after Max heals you.”

At the back of the room, Max and his green hair sat sideways on the oversized chair with his feet hanging over the armrest, typing on a Mac Book. “Whatcha need?” he asked without looking up.

“Her wing—”

“Don’t have it.” Raz sighed heavily. “You know you don’t need my services. You could just set the bone yourself.” Max raised his head. “Jesus, you look like shit. Where’ve you been? Hell?”

“Funny,” Raz said. “Will you heal her or not?”

“All right, since you asked so nicely.”

“Please, Max. Will you fix her wing?”

“Wow, you’re
a lot
nicer now. Netherworld did you some good. Just for that, I’ll fix you up too. Okay, let’s see her wing. Can you stand, female?”

“I think…so.” Raz set her down on her feet. Julia wavered on her weak legs and her vision went grainy. “Whoa. Head rush.” She blinked and grabbed at Raz, who steadied her.

“Maybe you should sit down,” Max suggested. The Healer led her over to a padded bench. “I need you to hold her still.”

Raz kneeled in front of her and cupped her elbows. “Put your hands on my shoulders.” She rested her forehead in the crook of his neck. Max lifted the loosely hanging part of the wing.

“Oh, God,” she whimpered. Tears sprang from her eyes.

“Don’t worry, that’s the worst part,” Max said.

Despite his reassuring words, she held a breath and braced for more pain. She exhaled when the only things she felt were a lot of pressure and heat. No agony. Forcing herself to relax, she took in her Guardian’s scent. He whispered in his native tongue, his voice had a soothing cadence. She smiled, then her chin quivered, but not from any physical discomfort. Belonging. Joy. And love. The last time she remembered feeling those things, was the day Raz gave her the poisoned amulet. Julia jerked her head up. “The amulet. We have to destroy it.”

“I can take care of that,” Max said. “Wing’s all fixed.”

Raz glanced down at his jeans pocket. “It’s in there. But I ain’t
touching
the nasty bitch.”

Max walked around the bench. “Let me see your hands.” The Healer swiped a glowing hand over Raz’s palms. “I’ll get it.” Raz leaned to the side and Max fished the sigil out of the pocket. “How did this one react?” he threw over his shoulder as he ambled to the only plain wall.

“Gave false sense of power,” Julia said. Raz smiled, revealing his pride in her. Her heart swelled. She was proud of herself too.

The green haired angel tapped the wall.

Hisssss
.

Julia’s curiosity got her up and over to the Healer. Flames rose out of a once hidden compartment.

“Watch it. That’s hot.” Max stepped back until the blaze retreated. Julia blocked the heat blast with her hands near her face. He made a fist around the bad luck charm. His hand glowed orange for five seconds (she counted), then he tossed the talisman into the fire.

“Furnace is hot,” Raz said. Julia faced him and he embraced her.

“All right your turn,” Max said. Raz hobbled back over to the bench and plopped down. His body stiffened while he breathed. Max knelt at Raz’s feet and passed his magic hand over the fractured ankle.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” The Healer worked on the wing. Julia went to Raz and held him just as he’d done for her. When Max finished, Raz smiled crookedly at her. She blushed.

“So what’s next?” Julia asked.

Raz shrugged. “I don’t—”

“Let me answer that,” Max interrupted. “Your choice.” Julia waited for more explanation but he chuckled and walked away.

“What the heck does that mean?”

“You wanna go home with me?” Raz asked.

“Uh, your nonexistent home or mine?”

He laughed. “Arcadia.”

“Oh, I’m allowed in? Isn’t that your word for Heaven?”

“Come on.” Raz stood, took her hand, and led her to the double doors. The panels had female angels carved into wood.

The portal opened. A haze of white mist flowed out. She peered around the door, but all she could see was more white. This was home? It looked like a bunch of…uh, clouds. There were clouds in there. Julia giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Raz asked.

“Clouds. I didn’t expect clouds. Seems so…”

Raz smirked. “Surprising? What were you expecting?”

She shrugged a shoulder. “I dunno.” He held out his hand for her. She blushed at the kindness, she felt she hadn’t earned. He cared for her and she cared for him. She didn’t want anything special from him other than his love. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t looking for what someone had that she wanted regardless of the consequences. Maurice had promised her money beyond her dreams. A vow he never fulfilled. She thought of her parents and twin sister. She’d taken them for granted and died before she told them how much she loved them. She never got to say goodbye. Julia hesitated and looked behind her.

Max nodded and said, “Go on. You earned it.”

She nodded back.

“Julia, you coming?” Raz stood on the threshold between the two worlds. Some of the clouds dissipated. Her eyes traveled along the path leading away from the doors. She sniffed the air. Fresh. Clean. Oh my God. The sky was gorgeous.

This
is
heaven.

Lavender, pale orange, and yellow painted the underside of clouds that steaked across the huge expanse. Julia stepped into Arcadia ahead of Raz. White mist surrounded her feet and covered the ground, obscuring the terrain from view. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Not until she put a hand up to her face did she realize she was crying too. They smiled at each other and she took off running. Drunk on freedom. High on serenity. She breathed easily for the first time in her life.

“Wait!” he yelled.

No way.

Julia sprinted. She wanted to see everything, not hang around the portal. Her wings flowed behind her. The clothes she’d worn disintegrated. What the…? Oh, who cared? Her muscles strengthened the further she traveled. She picked up speed. High above her, angels flew. Ahead, rising up through clouds were golden, no, white towers. The sun only made them seem golden. Behind her, Raz called her name. His wing-fluttering sounds urged her forward. Why did he want to hold her back?

“Julia! Stop!”

She laughed and glanced over her shoulder. Powerful thighs propelled him. He was naked too. “No. I’m having fuuuuuuuuuuuun…”

The path ended in a shear drop.