The Holiday From Hell (18 page)

"Don't be so hard on yourself, my love. The memory was still too raw for me to discuss with even those closest to me, let alone some mighty angel I barely knew. I might not have said a word to you about it then. Even now, I can't look at the pool without hearing their laughter in the water's play, though they are both long gone. And if I hadn't been here, if she hadn't seen me…if Mitanne had chosen to accept the fate her grandmother arranged for her, she'd have been the elder's adored wife and one of the most respected women elders among her people. She could have been a leader who –"

He felt her grief like a punch in the gut. "No. Don't you blame yourself for what happened to them. They're human and humans have free will to make their own choices and their own mistakes. They knew the justice system of their people and the consequences of their actions. That your kind heart still feels sorry for them is an honour for their memory and a compliment to your compassion. If their love hadn't touched you, would you have become the sweet angel who saved me, or just another stuck-up statue, incapable of feeling love or pity for something as damaged as me?"

"You're not damaged." Mel seized him, crushing her mouth against his as her soul overflowed with gratitude for his help in allowing her to put the spirits of her past to rest.

On and on he kissed her, dimly aware of the petals floating down like snow as the waterfall giggled to itself in the background. It wasn't until the gurgling in his stomach drowned out the watery sounds that Mel broke contact to laugh. "I'm sorry, my love. We should go get the picnic basket out of the car and have some lunch. I know a lovely, secluded spot down by the old waterwheel." Her fingers laced securely through his, they walked hand in hand back to the car.

He kicked the door shut behind him before Mel pinned him to the wall, kissing him fiercely as she helped him unbutton his shirt. He knew they should've thrown caution to the wind and made love on the grass instead of waiting until they got home. She was as eager as he was, but she was also insistent that she wanted privacy. This from the angel who'd walked through Hell naked. What did it matter if someone saw them?

Oh, damn it, not again!

Luce pried his lips from Mel's to answer his persistent phone. "Yes?"

"Mr Iblis, I'm so sorry to bother you, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. Bob tried to throw her out, but she banished him back to Hell. Level Eight for a year! Just for following your orders. I can feel his pain even here! And she said she'll do the same to me if I don't call you. I didn't think she could DO that…did you put her in charge of Hell and not tell me?" Mephi had never sounded so upset. Hell, it sounded like there were tears.

Luce ground his teeth. "You tell Lili to go back to Hell and leave the company to Beelzebub. She doesn't have the authority to tell either of you what to do – all she's responsible for is Level Seven in Hell. You've never had any trouble putting her in her place before. Pull rank, Mephi."

A high-pitched sob came through the phone. "It's not Lili, Mr Iblis. I don't know what to do. I tried to order her out of your office – well, Bob's office, but she just laughed. She had Bob on his knees under the desk, his face buried deep in her tattoo of Level Eight…my husband! She turned my husband into a gigolo in front of my eyes and wouldn't let him stop until she was satisfied, then sent him to Hell before she closed her skinny legs. She said if you don't appear before her in HER office today with Miss Angel, it'll be me next!"

On her knees or in Level Eight? Luce wondered idly, before his fingers clenched around the phone. "Persephone. That bitch. She's had Mel and I combing the world for her, and she turns up in the office now? Oh, I'll be there, all right. We both will. And I'm going to peel that tattoo off her body with a bloody box cutter." Luce glanced at his watch. "We're four hours away. Tell her we'll meet her in MY office at six. And Mephi?"

"Yes, Mr Iblis?"

"Make dinner reservations for Mel and I for seven. Pick the best restaurant within walking distance of the office. If I have to cut our holiday short, I need to make it up to her."

"Yes, Mr Iblis."

Mel leaned in close so her cheek was right beside Luce's. "Mephi? It's Mel. Once you've done what Luce asked, go home. Take the rest of the day off and go find your husband. When you're together again, you go out for a fancy dinner, too. Maybe Japanese. Teppanyaki, if you think Bob's up for that."

"Miss Angel? Are you all right? Miss Black kept asking about you. Your health, your happiness…everything. When I told her you appeared tired, she killed my pot plant. One minute it was a small army of yellow-bordered green spikes, the next it crumbled into dust."

Luce felt Mel's consternation. "Do what Mel said, Mephi. And…one last thing. Book a cleaning crew for first thing tomorrow. A demon one, not a human one. This won't end without bloodshed." Luce ended the call.

Mel didn't need telling. She swept around the room, collecting her things and piling them neatly in her suitcase. Fifteen minutes later, she started on Luce's suitcase, worry creasing her forehead into premature wrinkles he wished he could ease away.

"I'm sorry, Mel," Luce said. "I wanted to give you a proper holiday, not pull you into the problems of the HELL Corporation. Now my former PA has come back to bite me. I swear to you I'll make this right."

"I know you will. No holiday can last forever, my love. Thank you for the best I've ever had. It's been wonderful." Mel's kiss was soft, but tinged with sadness. "Whether she comes at my summons or issues her own, I must meet with her. She wanted to become an angel. For her actions, she must face judgement."

Luce snorted. "Sounds to me like she wants Hell, not Heaven, after what she did."

The zip buzzed closed before Mel set his suitcase on the floor beside hers. "There. Can you load these and the wine in the car while I pack the remainder of our food into a box? If we get going in the next hour, we'll have time for a shower before our meeting and dinner."

"Together, I hope," Luce replied as he hefted the suitcases.

"That sounds lovely," he heard Mel say as he headed down the stairs.

Her office looked untouched since she'd left for London, Mel mused as she glanced around the immaculate space. The only exception was her in tray on the desk – in the last month, it had grown a neat stack of papers. Idly, she picked up the first one and checked the cover page. Mel couldn't smother her laughter when she realised it was a report on monumental cane toad dumping, courtesy of her new complaints department. She wondered at the big Q logo on it – evidently some new form of corporate branding she'd investigate in the morning.

Luce's happy sigh as he entered the room made her smile, but the burst of love she felt emanating for him was far more eloquent. Mel closed her eyes as his arms pulled her against his chest.

"I can't keep my hands off you when you wear the gold silk dress. I've dreamed about this. I don't know if I want to bend you over the desk and slide that skirt up over your hips or drop to my knees and worship you, Lady Muriel." Luce's voice was husky with lust and she could feel his every muscle hard against her back. Oh yes, definitely every muscle.

"Where are your clothes?" she murmured.

His lips caressed her neck. "Hanging up in my office. I can hang your dress beside them and to Hell with this meeting, if you like." He slid his hand up her thigh, hitching her skirt up to her hip. "If we hadn't gotten stuck in traffic, we'd have had that heavenly shower together. Oh God, Melody, you don't know how much I want you."

She did. She could feel his desire, but also what lurked beneath it. Carefully, she smoothed her skirt. "Whatever happens tonight, remember that I love you. You have nothing to fear from this meeting, Luce. As long as I'm by your side, she can't hurt you." She pressed her lips together before she said any more. She'd slept in the car and taken a moment to walk the paths of the future – or she had until Luce's swearing at the crawling traffic had woken her. It was enough. She knew what was coming and she didn't want to frighten him further.

"I'm not…" he began, but they both knew he couldn't finish his sentence. He was afraid. If not of Persi, then something else.

Mel stretched up to kiss him, pressing her hands against his hard, red chest to maintain her balance. "My big, sexy devil. If you want to attend this meeting as the powerful Lord of Hell, that's up to you, but THAT will definitely draw attention." She stared pointedly at his groin.

Luce grinned, but his mirth didn't reach his worried eyes. "Maybe that's where I want her thoughts to be. On what's yours and will never be hers." He pulled Mel close again, holding her just that bit tighter to still the shaking she could feel in his hands. "We have twenty minutes before the meeting. Plenty of time for us to christen this desk of yours and release some tension. What do you say?"

Mel sighed. Of course she'd love to give in to her desires and his, but time was ticking away. If only…

"That's it. Get your damn hands off her! That's one angel you can't have."

Too late.

"Go home. This is a private party for the two of us and no one else was invited. Get out of this office!" Luce roared.

No one moved. What the Hell? Demons had always followed his orders before. What was happening?

"I said let her go. She's not yours and you have no right to enslave her like this. Mel's an angel and she should stay that way." Merih's words were drowned out by a raucous rumble of approval.

"There are a lot of demons out there, Luce," Mel murmured, taking a step toward the door. "I think I need to speak to them."

He grabbed her arm. "NO! I can't control them any more. I don't know what they'll do to you and I might not be able to stop them. Mel, it's too dangerous. Let me try to calm them down first…"

"Send her out or we'll drag you out!" Nybbas shouted reedily.

Mel kissed Luce's fingers before she pried them loose. "Calming people down is what I do best. They can't hurt me, Luce." She approached the doorway and Merih stepped aside to let her pass. Luce's heart plummeted as Mel waved her hand as if in farewell as she left.

"No, Mel, I won't let you –" He hit an energy barrier that she'd waved into place behind her. "Damn it, Mel, do you expect me to just stand here and watch while you…you…"

"Walk away. We'll stop him from following you," Merih said grimly, folding his arms. The crowd parted to allow Mel's passage, but closed up behind her so Luce couldn't see her any more. "Head for Heaven, Mel. He can't find you there."

In desperation, Luce shouted, "Go where you'll be safe, Mel. I'll find you. I swear I'll find you."

"No you fucking won't," Geryon said, planting himself beside Merih. "You're going to let her go, even if it takes all of us to rip you apart so you can't pursue her. You can have any human on Earth, but Mel's off limits."

"Let her make her own choices. Ask her!" Luce insisted.

Nybbas stepped up to the barrier. "She's too brainwashed to make the right decision. I don't know what you've done to her, but it's going to stop, right here and right now. We'll get her to Heaven, where they can help her. The other angels will help us keep her away from you!" He reached toward Luce, but the shield emitted a shower of sparks, stopping his hand. "What's this? Some trick to keep us from reaching you? Are you such a coward you need a shield to protect yourself from us? Is this how you kept her prisoner?"

"I can't…it's not my…" Luce pressed his hands against the barrier, shoving with all his strength, but he couldn't push through. Mel's shield was too strong. Yet he could feel her as a calm presence on the other side. If only he could see her and do something to help.

Mel leaped lightly onto the coffee table. Her wings shimmered into being, so big they brushed the ceiling. "The shield is mine. I won't let you hurt him." Her normally clear voice shook.

"We'll carry you to Heaven's gates if we have to." Nybbas swallowed. "Get angels to help us keep him away from you."

They would. Oh Hell, they would – Luce knew every angel in Heaven would do anything they could to keep her away from him. His precious angel, standing on her coffee table pedestal, her inner glow shining through silk and skin. He greedily drank in the sight, wanting to see these mutinous demons burn like the malicious dark souls she'd vanquished in the depths of Hell. Demons who deserved their fate for daring to…try to take her from him. How could his demons possibly resist his authority to the point where they'd disobey his express orders? No demon had ever been able to withstand him before…

Mel surveyed the sea of expectant eyes turned toward her and Luce felt her rising tide of panic. Her throat constricted and her knees weakened. Oh God, what a time for her fear to materialise. She couldn't say a word.

"Leave her alone. Look at her, she's terrified. Mel's not used to violence. Step aside and let her pass and I might let you keep your limbs. NOW!" Luce ordered.

"Shut up!" Merih roared. He pointed at several demons. "Get through that shield and tear him apart if you have to, to stop him following her. The rest of you – help me take her to the gates."

What looked like a hundred hands extended toward Mel as the demons crowded close around her. Luce couldn't see her through the demons sparking at the shield, but he could feel her pain as each touch burned her. "Get out of here and go to Heaven." Luce didn't speak the words aloud – he shouted them from the depths of his soul.

Her soul-voice sounded sweeter than her human one. "I won't leave without you. Won't let them hurt you."

"Then they must burn." He focussed on the image of her soul filling the cave with light outside his Hellish lair. She had to do it again.

"No," she said silently. "They're my colleagues. I can't. I can't hurt them." A flash of pain was followed by her tormented cry and the sound of a body smacking against the wall. Luce glimpsed her face for a moment before another demon came between them. This one was blasted backwards and Luce heard the crack of bone when it hit the wall.

"You can't help hurting them. Every time they touch you, you'll both burn. Get out and head for Heaven. I'll be fine!" He wanted to shout the words, but sent the thought arrowing across the crowd that separated them.

"No, Luce, I love you and won't leave you. I will protect you – even from pain." Her soul-voice ended abruptly as if she'd closed the door and sealed him out. Another impenetrable energy shield. Or had she lost consciousness?

Luce stretched and craned his neck to see above the crowd, but she'd vanished.

She cried out in pain again and Luce's knuckles went white as he gripped the door frame. She was conscious and hurting and he couldn't sense her. To Hell with that.

He closed his eyes and reached for the heated mob. Time to cool things off a little… Luce ripped the heat from air and demonic bodies alike, channelling it into the wall beside the door. Frost formed on the ceiling, but still Luce pulled energy from the room. Mel's energy shield only blocked the doorway, not the whole room, and under his concentrated onslaught the wall crumbled to dust. He strode through the cloud that had once been a wall.

"Don't touch her. Step away from the angel. I won't ask again." Luce put all his fury into his tone and watched in satisfaction as a few edged away from him.

"Speak for yourself. You won't touch her again. She's going to Heaven." Luce couldn't see through the dust cloud to identify the speaker. It didn't matter – their ranks closed in. Shadows loomed only a step away. Or a blow…

He sent a silent apology to Mel. To Hell with redemption – he'd rip every demon here into pieces before he'd allow them to hurt her and he'd enjoy it, too. He'd take Hell for eternity if it meant keeping her safe.

He launched his powerful body at the nearest knot of demons. His tail slashed out and sliced through the soft flesh of a throat. Bones crushed beneath the blow from one massive fist as more crunched underfoot. The sibilant rip of parting flesh told him he could drop the arm he'd wrenched off someone's shoulder. No, something's shoulder. Black demon blood sprayed and coated his skin like oil. Luce grinned. The Lord of Hell was born for battle.

Someone was shouting and gesticulating in front of him. He grabbed the noisy head in both hands and wrenched it around until it fell silent. The body fell limp to the carpet.

Something hit his back – a solid blow, but not fast enough. He spun and caught the offending foot, shooting a hand up its owner's shin until he reached the knee. A powerful twist and the lower leg came free. A solid, gory club that he brought down on its former owner's face. It smashed like an egg, leaving no hint in the mess of meat as to who'd been stupid enough to kick the Lord of Hell.

God, it felt good to fight again. For so long, he'd tried to be good for Mel's sake, but he couldn't stand by and let them hurt her. Maybe he was giving his soul to darkness, but it belonged to Mel anyway. Better to lose it in her service than through some stupid mistake of his own.

Two strong arms fastened around his neck from behind, trying to choke him. But the arms were human-sized and couldn't do more than chafe his neck. With the demon still hanging on, he turned, trying to find Mel in the mess of bodies lying at his feet. There. Love flooded through him at the sight of her curled-up body on the coffee table, and he heard the scream of the demon behind him a moment before he smelled burned flesh. His back burned as the demon was blasted away from him, crashing so hard against the wall that it went straight through.

Luce strode through the body parts, not caring how many bones he crushed under his hooves. Melody. Melody. She had to be all right. He'd send the temperature of this room to absolute zero to heal her if he had to. He dropped to his knees beside the coffee table, now the altar that held his beautiful angel's body.

"Won't…let you," a bloodied body panted, digging claws into his side.

Luce flung the dying demon against the wall. It slid down the dalmatian-spotted plaster, leaving a wide streak of equally black blood before it slumped to the floor, no longer moving.

With shaking hands, Luce reached for Mel, not bothering to shift back to his human form. She knew him, no matter what form he took, and he could protect her better like this. "Melody. Please tell me you're all right, Melody. I'll keep you safe." His fingers left a smear of demon blood on her cheek.

She stirred weakly, lifting her eyes to meet his. Hers glistened with tears. "I don't want you to get hurt, my love," she whispered. "Not when pain is what you fear most."

Luce couldn't help it. He grinned. "It was. Now…what's a bit of physical pain compared to the heart-wrenching agony of losing you? I'd fall again – fall a hundred thousand times – if I knew you'd be the one to help me rise in the end."

He slid his arms underneath her and cradled her body carefully to his chest. Now he couldn't help but feel the pain she'd refused to share with him – for every demon she'd burned, she'd felt the same pain that they did, coupled with her despair at harming her colleagues. Only a sweet angel like Melody could feel regret at hurting demons. Her body was worn out with exhaustion and the memory of agony. She was barely holding on to consciousness, her weight sagging against the table beneath her. "I'll protect you from all of them and anyone else," he promised. "Let me take you home."

Mel's eyes closed. Her lips didn't move as her soul said, "Yes, my love. Carry me to Heaven. I can keep you safe there."

No – not Heaven. She couldn't hide in Heaven while she was needed here. They still had to find that crazy little bitch, Persephone.

Speak of the devil. "You really have gone crazy. Good thing we got here when we did – and you still have your pants on."

Stunned, Luce looked down to discover that he'd somehow acquired pants. He didn't own any that fitted his devilish form. Mel – she must have done it. Her faint smile confirmed it.

Persephone continued, "Slaughtering your own minions for fun? What did you do to her?"

Mercifully, the girl was wearing black pants and her cleavage was covered. Luce wished Persephone would wear a burqa around him – there was a first. He shifted so that his body was between her and Mel. He didn't trust her not to hurt Mel in her present fragile state.

"Get away from her!" Persephone shouted, glaring at Luce. Luce glared right back, feeling his fear evaporate in the heat of his fury. How could he have ever feared this skinny girl?

"No," Mel whispered, her fingers tightening on Luce's arm.

Persephone laid a hand on Mel's shoulder, ripping her fierce gaze from Luce to regard Mel with what Luce thought might be a mix of tenderness and love, edged with panic. "Mel, he's Lucifer, and you're exhausted. We need to get you to Heaven, where you'll be safe and you can recover."

"Make him carry me to Heaven. Face judgement," Mel whispered hoarsely. Her eyelids fluttered.

Luce snorted. Mel must be out of her mind to think he'd go through judgement at Heaven's gates again. If they'd been able to control their own crazies, he and Mel wouldn't be in this mess. They should be thanking him, not judging him, and he'd happily tell them that, too.

Mel's soul-voice didn't sound confused at all. Her tone was calm and strong. "Take me to Heaven, Luce. She doesn't know you can enter with me. I will thank you personally, inside." The fleeting image she sent was enough incentive for him to obey any order she gave. He felt her amusement, though her face betrayed nothing.

"You," Persephone said. "Pick her up. Carefully – I'm already going to cut your willy off for what you've done to her, but you can keep it while you're carrying her, as long as it stays in your pants. You don't want to lose anything else."