Chapter Thirty #2
“I didn’t bring up your mother to upset you.
But you need to understand I’m still me despite how I landed in Hell.
When I peeked into that well, I wasn’t a victim.
Knowing what I do now, I’d still do everything the same.
” He grabbed a strand of my blond hair, letting it slip through his fingers.
“Every choice has brought me right to this moment where I’m getting everything I want. ”
I snatched my hair from his hold. “Oh, how lovely. My family needs to fade so you can live your destiny.”
He chuckled. “Don’t use that bratty tone if you’re going to pretend to come for me later.”
My clit throbbed, proving that nothing was fake, like Luke wanted to believe.
Maybe he needed to believe his own lies, like me, to make sitting there chatting with the enemy acceptable.
Funny how our chatting didn’t just seem okay.
Our conversations felt normal. Like the most natural thing to exist.
My face was burning off, so I angrily bit into some sort of pork instead. “Back to when you changed. So, you’re telling me you threw the human world into chaos just because you experienced an erection. Basically, their world suffered because you learned horniness.”
His nose crinkled. “I guess so.”
“Men,” I muttered. “It doesn’t matter the species or world.”
“Do I need to point out you’re allowing me to touch you despite being the enemy? Whether you’re trying to fool me or not.”
My face had only started to cool! I hated that he was making valid points. “I can’t stand you.”
My saying that only made him grin.
“But really,” I started again. “You don’t feel remorse for all the bad things you’ve unleashed?”
“I don’t have regrets. Sure, there’s a lot of things I wouldn’t have released, but it’s not like I got to choose.
Love is also one of those things that happened after.
Humans would never have repopulated through sex.
Would have never known romance or maternal instincts.
They would have kept appearing like angels did when He wanted more of them, like everything else.
The desire for family, love, intimacy—all that came from what I put into the world.
Don’t you understand? It’s almost like I was supposed to do what I did, and even knowing that, I’m okay with it. ”
He pinned me with another stare that felt like fire beneath my skin.
“Even you, Kara, wouldn’t exist. If there hadn’t been a need for a balance between the worlds, God wouldn’t have created your father.
And if I looked at it like that, then everything I’ve done has brought you to life.
You’re welcome, Kitten. You’re the bane of my existence because I made it so. ”
Static, like a flurry of warmth spread like wildfire starting right at my chest. No, maybe it was more like a shot to the heart.
It was almost like the organ thought I was given something so precious, like a clue, but I was afraid to acknowledge it.
To breathe life into it, so I merely blinked at the Devil as he stood.
As he walked away, he stopped, then said over his shoulder, “Melinda, as you know her, told me what I saw in the well before she died.”
My eyes widened. “She did? What was it?”
“I knew you’d be curious.” He resumed walking. “Go visit your family. I want you back in a few hours.”
“Don’t do that,” I grumbled. “You can’t tell me that, then leave me hanging.”
“I went an eternity not remembering. It won’t kill you.”
I threw my head back and sighed. It was my fault for being so captivated by the Devil’s past.
???
After my chat with Luke, I went to the castle. It was another hangout in the infirmary.
Nova and Isabella were becoming good friends. Shared Harvest trauma might have something to do with that or them being witches. Regardless, it was nice to see. Curiosity was slowly eating at me as I watched August and Sebastian pat Nova’s shoulder while Isabella sat in front of her on the bed.
So, using my Reaper senses, I picked up on their conversation despite the chatter in the infirmary.
“We don’t have to tell her now,” August said.
Tell who what?
“You’re going to fall out of the chair if you lean any further,” Barron piped in.
“Shh,” I muttered.
He grunted while Nova sighed. “How do I tell Sofia? Hey, the boys are alive, but they’re angels and don’t remember us?”
My eyes widened.
“What is it?” Barron asked.
I arched a brow at my brother and said, “You mean to tell me you’re strapped to the bed most of the time and don’t listen to everyone’s conversation in the room?”
“You mean eavesdrop? No.”
I scoffed. “Lame.” But that was a good thing. I didn’t want to add worry about Gwendolyn.
Barron shook his head. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s fine. If Gwendolyn doesn’t remember, I’ll just have to make her fall for me again.”
“So you have been eavesdropping!” I exclaimed.
“Me too!” Maureen called out. “One of the gremlins keep eyeing Payne’s boots funny and Shepherd’s warned him ten times not to do something. I’m curious what heinous thing the ugly thing’s not supposed to be doing.”
Payne shot out of bed from a dead sleep. “What about my shoes?”
“Is it necessary we stay holed up in the infirmary together? My gremlins are getting fidgety,” Prudence said.
“Might want to put your boots back on before Wallis sticks his pencil dick in it,” Shepherd added, which made the couple giggle.
When everyone gave them a horrified look, Prudence shrugged. “They grow on you.”
The one who must be Wallis nudged a different gremlin. “Did you hear that, Dirk? She called us hers again?”
Dirk crossed his arms and ignored Wallis. The third gremlin farted, which prompted Prudence and Shepherd to scream, “Marty!”
I didn’t know why flatulence was so amusing, but it was what we needed.
Laughter filled the room, and happiness crested over us like someone threw a warm blanket over us.
For some strange reason, I wanted to weep as I looked at everyone’s smiles, and I wasn’t sure why.
I believed we’d win even when Luke wanted us to lose.
I believed in saving all that was good in the world, even if there was only one speck left.
So, maybe tears came from the guilt. The emotions swelling and growing inside me like it was its own force for someone I couldn’t—no, shouldn’t care about.
I thought of Luke in Hell, with his dark maze of a home. He had an arsenal of power at his fingertips, but he was still trapped. He was always alone.
It wasn’t pity knocking around inside me. The Devil didn’t need that from me. But whatever burned through my veins had my body yearning to go see him.
Funny, how happiness with my family made me think of him.
“What’s with that look?” Barron said, and I faced him.
“What?”
Before he said another word, his eyes rounded. I felt the absence of my power, and it was like being drained of energy. I sagged forward, watching as the laughter faded, and tension filled the air.
“Got your weapons?” August asked as he looked around.
I spotted my imbued sword propped against the wall on my far right. One of them must have brought it down to the infirmary because I hadn’t.
These moments. They were the worst. Not knowing what would happen while being vulnerable and waiting. Not knowing if Harvest knew and would attack. Worst of all, imagining me being stuck in Hell when my family needed me most.
I didn’t understand myself. How could I both yearn to see someone and despise that same person for making me a prisoner to emotions I shouldn’t have?
I was there with my family. That’s what mattered right then.
“You know what we need right now?” I asked, trying to break the tension.
“What?” Prudence grumbled.
I patted my stomach. “Mom’s chili.”
Mom rubbed her eyes tiredly, but I got her to smile.
Joy arched a brow; lips curved with amusement. “You can’t blame your curse right now.”
My bracelet warmed suddenly.
Payne jumped out of the bed, alert. “Get—”
Something slammed against the castle. Broken stones fell from the ceiling, smacking into my shoulder and head.
Crackling filled my ears. My legs wobbled as another loud thwack slammed into the castle.
The stone wall collapsed, and a giant tail glided through the room.
The breath was knocked out of me as it hit me in the stomach.
The force of the attack slammed me to the ground.
Stone dug into my back, but I ignored it and moved prone, crawling toward Barron’s bed.
The tail was still thrashing wildly through the infirmary.
He was the most vulnerable. There were so many broken stones falling and so much dust, I could hardly see him. “Barron!” I screamed, listening as the thwacking of the tail stopped.
“Here!” he hollered.
The hospital bed was tipped over, and he was still strapped down.
“Someone release Barron!” August shouted.
“I got him!” I called out.
“Everyone okay?” Sebastian asked.
A bunch of quick muffled responses was music to my throbbing ears.
I couldn’t make out what everyone was saying, but I heard them.
The dragon’s tail retreated, and sweltering heat built in the room.
A huge figure seemed to pulse rapidly. Fear slammed into me until I realized the growing flame was Payne.
He just looked like a giant male form on fire.
“Get your weapons ready,” was all Payne said as he jumped out of the hole.
I heard Payne roar, but I returned my attention to Barron. “Are you okay?”
“Your forehead’s bleeding,” Barron said. “Are you good?”
I didn’t realize I had been hurt. I couldn’t feel anything beyond my urgency to get Barron free, reach my weapon, and make sure everyone was okay.
I unlatched his restraints, and he fell on his side to the ground. As soon as he was free, he touched my forehead. “Kitty, look at me.”
“What?” I asked, touching my face, only to realize how wet my fingers were. Blood ran down my cheek. “It’s fine. It must have been a stone.”
Barron eyes widened at something behind me. “Get down!” He threw himself on top of me.
Above him, I saw a giant clawed hand scrapping against the ceiling. More rubble tumbled around us as the giant arm twisted its wrist. A palm with sharp claws descended over us.
“We have to move!” I yelled.
Before the talons tore us into pieces, the entire hand burst apart into meaty chunks. Nova. The beast roared outside the cave.
“Over here,” August said as he yanked at Barron’s shoulder to lift him, then did the same for me. “Do you know where your weapons are?”
“I—” My vision blurred when something thwacked me in the head.
“Shit,” August muttered.
“Here,” Nova whispered. A giant yellow oval barrier erected around us. The rubble bounced off her magic.
“Kitty.” Barron yanked at my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. All six of his eyes to be exact. “She already had a head injury. You good?”
It might not be a good time to say I saw three of him.
A roar was the only warming we got. The dragon’s arm swept through the room again. That time, the castle collapsed. The floor beneath my feet dipped and I plunged for a good three seconds before my knees cracked against the wreckage beneath us.
I cried out and groaned as giant stones smacked into my shoulders and head. Pure instinct and adrenaline were the only things keeping my hands above my head, but it didn’t matter. So much debris kept hitting me.
Each time I cracked my eyes open; I saw a fog of dust.
“Kitty!” Barron screamed.
“Here,” I croaked, sinking into the stones surrounding me.
Fatigue came so swift and suddenly. My brain told me that it wasn’t good.
Everything went black for a second. Somehow, I opened my lids and frowned as a shadowy mass rushed through the dust, straight toward me.
Shadow was so different than the smoke it stood out.
I fought to stay conscious. I felt its cold ghostly touch. The weight of the stones lifted.
“Kara!” Large hands plucked me up by the armpit. The sheer panic in Luke’s voice and shock of seeing him forced my eyes open again.
I was in Hell again. With him.
“Why won’t you listen to me?” His hands shook as he held me up, our breaths mingling as he held us nose to nose.
Then just as quickly as he crushed me to his chest I had a random thought.
Luke had a heart. Or maybe it wasn’t so random since I felt it hammering against my own.
But I had a crazy assumption that its quickening sounds were for me.
His eyes were flashing a bright red as he glared.
“Don’t close your eyes. You can’t go to sleep. ”
“How…” My lids fluttered. Seeing Luke and being there didn’t make much sense. I was supposed to be crushed beneath rubble. The bracelet? But what about Shadow?
Shadow brought me to Hell. To him?
“Don’t.” Luke warned.
I cracked my lids enough to see the absolute torture morphing the Devil’s face. Crazy how he looked terrified. Even crazier was the shadowy figure slinking into Luke from behind.
Lucidity hit me hard for a moment. Oh. Everything suddenly made a lot more sense. It was like every second of my life flashed before my eyes. Too bad I believed I might die before I could call Luke out on it.
Everything went black and I fell into a dream.