My Funny Demon Valentine (Hell Bent #1)

Chapter 26

26

T h e Aftermat h

E va was so past being in shock that nothing could faze her anymore. So her dad was a fallen angel. Cool, cool, cool — Okay, she was still freaking out.

Once the numbness wore off, she knew she’d be livid. As far as she was concerned, her entire life was a lie. And so was her mom’s.

“You’re her father,” Ash growled, glaring daggers at Dan, “which makes her a—”

“Don’t say it.” Dan’s voice was hoarse. “Don’t even think it. You have no idea the lengths I’ll go to protect that secret. To protect her from being hunted and used by the likes of you.”

It was like Ash didn’t hear him. “ Nephilim !” His voice was so loud, Eva cringed and slapped her palms over her ears. What was with demons and preternaturally loud shouting? “And you left her unprotected!”

She climbed to her feet and placed a hand on his back beneath the wound between his wings. His skin was burning hot and wet with blood. “I’m fine, Ash. I’m right here and I’m okay.”

Ash’s head whipped around, and he stared at her with those creepy black eyes. She tried not to let her wariness of his demon form show. The last thing he needed right now was to think she was afraid of him.

“He didn’t protect you,” he growled. “You could have been hurt.”

“I did protect her!” Dan threw up his hands. “I can’t believe a goddamn demon is berating me for how I raised my own daughter. I spent the first three years of her life perfecting a binding spell that trapped all her Nephilim powers and made her completely human. Even if someone tasted her blood, they would taste nothing but human. Her lifespan, human. Why do you think you never realized what she is? No one can detect her as long as she remains under the binding.”

“You put a spell on our daughter and you never told me?” Jacqui asked in a hollow voice. She was staring at Dan like she’d never seen him before. Eva knew the feeling.

“I couldn’t. It was for your own protection.”

Ash’s eyes narrowed. “Explain how she has the Sight, then.”

“She didn’t used to. I know that for a fact because I tested it when she was young.” Dan dragged a hand down his face. “Evidently, the repression of that ability only worked to a point. I guess having a bunch of demons standing right in front of her was enough to snap her out of it.”

“How does the binding break?”

“As if I’d tell you that.”

“She consumed my blood,” Ash said, which seemed a random thing to say.

Except Dan went white as a sheet. “No.”

“Yes. She had to in order to travel through the gate to get here, since I believed she was human.”

“I didn’t think of that.” He cursed. “Of course she did.”

Eva frowned. “Why is that relevant?”

“Blood is usually the catalyst in powerful magic,” Ash explained. “I didn’t know you were under a protection spell, or I never would have risked giving you mine.”

“Right.” Her dad rolled his eyes. “More likely, you’re salivating at the chance to get your hands on her. Until now, no one knew of her existence but me, and I intend to keep it that way.”

Eva dragged her hands down her face. Her logical mind wasn’t ready to accept that she was some freaky hybrid thing that was hunted by angels and demons alike. She’d barely come to terms with Ash being supernatural, and now she’d suddenly joined the club.

But she didn’t have a choice but to accept it, did she? Not after what had happened back at the house.

What had happened? She’d snapped that wrought-iron banister like a twig, that was what. She had the handcuff still dangling from her wrist to prove it.

This is who you really are , the dark whisper inside of her said. Finally, it was content, and that dissociated feeling was gone. She no longer felt separate from herself, like the missing piece of the Eva puzzle had finally been put in its place.

It was such a subtle shift, she might never have noticed it if that damned feeling hadn’t haunted her her entire life. But now that it was gone, she felt whole, and she couldn’t regret it even if it meant she was in danger.

“Explain how to break the binding,” Ash growled at Dan.

“No. As long as it’s intact, her blood has no value to you.”

But how could it be intact if she’d snapped the banister? She certainly hadn’t done anything like that before. And why would she suddenly feel whole if nothing had changed?

“Tell me so I can protect her in the future as you failed to do,” Ash said.

“You have no future. There’s no way I’m letting you go knowing what she is.”

“You’re not touching him!” Eva snapped, beyond done with the threats. “And I want to know how the binding breaks because I deserve to have that important information about my own damn life!”

Dan’s grimace was properly remorseful. When he spoke, this time, he addressed his daughter. “You’re right, Eva, and I’m sorry. As you guessed, the catalyst is demon blood. But it’s two-sided. Not only do you have to drink demon blood, but a demon also has to consume your blood. And the catch is, it has to be the same demon, and it has to be within a twenty-four hour period. A blood swap, going both ways. I assumed you’d be safe because what were the odds you’d go around swapping blood with people?”

Well, that explains it. Eva stared at Raum and Belial. Raum and Belial stared back.

Ash relaxed visibly. “I haven’t consumed her blood. She’s safe.”

Dan breathed a sigh of relief.

Eva, however, made a small choking noise. “Actually...” She looked at Ash. “You may have had a little.”

“Don’t say it,” her dad whispered.

“I haven’t.” Ash shook his head. “I would remember if I had.”

“Not if you were unconscious at the time,” Eva said weakly.

“What are you talking about?”

She spoke in a rush. “It was after the fight with Mist when you passed out. Bel let it slip that if you drank blood you’d heal faster, and then Raum came to burn your wound shut, and it was so awful that I convinced him to let me give you mine.”

Ash pinned Raum and Bel with a furious glare. “I’ll kill you both.”

“It’s not their fault,” she said quickly. “Raum tried to talk me out of it, but I insisted.”

Dan spoke in a flat voice. “You’re telling me you drank his blood. And he drank yours. Within a twenty-four hour period.”

She nodded.

Dan closed his eyes. “Then the binding is broken.”

That definitely explains it.

“Put it back,” Ash snapped. “Fix it.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not!”

“Because it’s a once-per-lifetime kind of thing. It can’t be remade. I did it once, and that’s it. It’s a one-time deal.”

“Then do a different binding.”

“There is no other!”

“What does this mean?” Jacqui cut in. Her mom had been mostly silent this whole time, watching the exchange with wide eyes. She was probably in shock. Again, Eva knew the feeling. “Why is this so important?”

“Eva will spend her life being hunted,” Ash said. “Angels will try to kill her simply for existing.”

“Demons will try to manipulate her into thinking they care about her so they can use her as a blood source,” Dan growled. “And wouldn’t it be so convenient for Asmodeus here to have a fresh supply of Nephilim blood available to him.”

“I would never use her that way.”

“Oh, yeah? What happens when your money runs out, and you can’t find any more blood? What happens when you have no other options?”

“Then I’d willingly give him my blood,” Eva said, and everyone stared at her. “I caught a glimpse of Hell on my way here, and it was awful. Ash and his brothers escaped because they wanted a new life, and if giving them my blood could help them, I’d be happy to make that sacrifice.” She looked at Ash. “Remember that talk we had about trust? This is one of those times. I’d be trusting you not to tell other demons what I am and to protect me from anyone who might come after me.”

“I’ll protect you regardless. But I’m not taking your blood. We’ll find another binding spell.” He growled at Dan. “He will fix this and make you safe again.”

“I’ve never heard of another binding spell.” Dan’s expression was haunted. “And I have to kill you because of what you know. There’s no alternative.”

A dark fury built inside Eva. It was the whisper, she realized, only it was no longer just a whisper. It roared like a river about to launch into an unstoppable waterfall, and she didn’t try to push it back. After so many years feeling hollow, she welcomed this new side of herself with open arms.

She was sick of telling Dan not to kill Asmodeus. He was hers.

“You will not touch him!”

Apparently, it was her turn to have a go at the whole super loud, preternatural shouting thing. The dark force built with heady strength, and she let it consume her. She felt powerful, limitless.

“You will not harm Asmodeus. He is mine.”

Everyone stared at her with varying expressions of shock. Except Belial, who looked strangely delighted. Probably because, for once, he wasn’t the one having the temper tantrum.

“He is mine!”

It felt so damned good to lay claim to the fierce demon beside her. He would make a worthy mate. He would protect her and be loyal and sate her body’s needs. She would give him the same in return.

Ash pulled her into his arms, and they stared heatedly into each other’s eyes. His blood soaked her clothing where their bodies pressed together, but neither of them paid it any mind.

“Eva, snap out of it!” her dad shouted from far away, but it was easy to ignore him.

“You’re mine,” she said again to Ash.

“And you’re mine,” he replied, lips curving into a smile. “And I will eviscerate anyone who touches you.”

God, he was sexy when he talked like that. But her demon was injured. Reaching up, she curled her hands around those sleek black horns and pulled him down for a kiss. When their lips met, she poured a little of her potent power into him, willing it to heal his wounds. Then, she sent it out to do the same to his injured brothers.

She and Ash broke apart and stared at each other, and just like that, the dark rush felt sated, as if sensing that, with her demon’s vow of protection and the knowledge she had protected him in turn, it was safe to slumber again. Giving a sleepy sigh of satisfaction, it retreated within her.

She felt herself shrinking, returning to her normal height and frame of mind. In the aftermath, she felt a little shell-shocked, but she wasn’t disconnected from herself anymore, and that was all that mattered. Never again.

“Holy shit,” someone said.

She looked at Ash, still in his impressive demon form, and took a moment to admire his horns. Had she thought them freaky before? Because she couldn’t get the feeling of gripping them out of her head and wanted to do it again.

Except her parents and his brothers were right there, and that was just embarrassing.

She turned to face them with a grimace. “Um...”

Dan dragged a hand down his face. “I see your powers have already awoken.”

“You healed me.” Ash stared at his chest in amazement. His skin was unmarred, as if the wound had never existed. He could tell his back was healed too. Such a complete recovery would normally take all night or longer, especially for a wound made by a consecrated weapon.

“And me.” Raum was looking at his hands. Sure enough, the gory, mangled flesh was as good as new. All his fingers had regrown.

“And Meph,” Bel said. Though he was still unconscious, the wound in Meph’s chest had closed over as if it had never been.

“I don’t know how I...” Eva looked dazed, not that Ash blamed her. This was a lot for even him to take in.

“You can never use your power that way again,” Dan said. “It’s against the rules.”

Everyone glared at him.

“Look, I get I made a mistake here, but I was only trying to protect Eva. Everything I’ve ever done since the day she was born was to protect Eva.” Dan looked at his daughter. “Every time you use your angelic abilities, it leaves traces in the ether that could leave a trail for others trying to track you. If an angel discovers you, you will be destroyed on the spot. No trials, no questions asked. Do you understand?”

Eva nodded mutely.

“I never planned to have you, but I’ve never once regretted it. You’ve brought more light into my life than anything I’ve ever known. I’m sorry I lied to you, but as far as I knew, you were going to live a normal human life. I would have done anything to prevent this”—he gestured at the destruction around them—“from happening. I would have paid any price, even if it meant you stayed angry at me for the rest of your life.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” Eva said softly. Was it okay? She didn’t know. “But everything is different now.” She turned to face the demons. “I propose a trade. You offer me protection and teach me how to use whatever powers I can to protect myself. In exchange, I’ll give you my fancy blood and keep you hidden.”

“Eva, no,” Ash said.

“The fact that you’re resisting proves how worthy you are.” Their gazes locked. “You’ve made me happier than I’ve ever been and done your best to protect me from danger.”

“Danger I brought into your life,” he muttered, not feeling particularly heroic.

“Danger that, evidently, was part of my life all along. Honestly, I’m glad this happened. Not only because it brought me to you, but because I’d rather know who I really am than spend my life believing I’m something I’m not. My whole life, I felt this sense of disconnect, like a part of myself was missing. For the first time, I feel whole. I wouldn’t trade that for all the safety in the world.”

Ash hesitated, trying to come up with some excuse to talk her out of this. She didn’t give him a chance, walking up and throwing her arms around his waist. He returned the embrace, holding her close though he was so much taller than her in this form.

“I just want you to be safe,” he muttered.

“I know you do,” she replied, face pressed against his bare skin. “And I love you for it.”

“Love?”

“Yes, love . I love you, you silly demon.”

Awe filled him. Elation, gratitude, sheer fucking joy. She loved him .

Since they were going for the full shock effect, he decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it. Head first, no holds barred.

“I love you too,” he said, and damn if he didn’t mean it.

Eva’s head came back, and she stared up at him with round eyes. Raum and Belial were looking at him with similar expressions. Dan looked like a UFO full of green aliens had just landed right in front of him and made a crop circle. Jacqui, however, was smiling.

Ash didn’t care what anyone else was doing. He felt free. He knew he’d spoken the truth and that he really was capable of love.

Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, was in love.

“I love you,” he said again just to hear the words. To taste them on his tongue. To feel them in his fucking heart like a total sap.

“I love you too,” Eva said, a tear from her gray eyes trailing down her cheek as she smiled at him.

That intense, indescribable feeling crashed over him like a tidal wave, making his head spin like he’d just taken a hit of the world’s most powerful dopamine-enhancing drug. His head began to pound. His vision began to swim.

“Ash?” Now she looked concerned.

He swayed, awash in that powerful sensation, his sight darkening at the edges. “Love... you...”

“Ash!” Eva sounded panicked.

He hadn’t meant to scare her, but it was a little late to backtrack. He briefly wondered if he was going to burst into flame or something since he wasn’t technically supposed to be able to fall in love.

And then he passed out.