Angel's Messiah (10 page)

“Does that mean I have to give birth in a manger?” I laughed. “Straw makes me itch. Oh, and it would probably help if I was still a virgin.”

I laughed harder and the baby kicked, not impressed.

“I should be back before dark. Call me if you need me.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, “I’ll call you, particularly if the baby needs settling. It seems to like your touch.”

Danny kissed me and walked backwards, bowing as he left. I laughed and the baby kicked again.

“Settle down,” I said. “Your dad’s left, so I won’t be laughing much now. How about we get something to eat?”

I was glad he hadn’t made me promise to stay and wait for him. He was probably too worried about his meeting with Michael to think straight.

I dressed in something comfortable and loose. Death would not be coming with me today. If I blacked out the last thing I wanted was for some other immortal to get their hands on it, though it felt strange not to have it strapped to my arm.

I can always summon it if I need it.

“Where shall we go?” I asked my stomach.

I rubbed my belly and the baby kicked my hand.

“Let’s not go too far. Who cares if I decimate the local wolf population? I’ve got to eat, don’t I? We need our strength.”

I blinked and headed off to the forest in search of food. A pack of nine werewolves were pacing uneasily just east of the corridor, on Danny’s side of border. I watched them for a time from the safety of the treetops. I wasn’t so keen on letting that many attack me when I was on my own, so I decided to try and pick them off one at a time and take them into the lights. Being invisible gave me the advantage, and provided I was silent I should be able to pull it off.

If Danny and I were to go into hiding I’d need to eat as much as possible. There might be a food shortage until the baby was born.

It was much easier than I thought, though the wolves became more agitated as their fellows disappeared. I didn’t know what kept them here. Why didn’t they run?

There were only four left when I felt myself blink. I was visible again. The wolves bared their teeth and growled. The hackles were raised on the backs of their massive necks, yet they made no attempt to attack. This reaction perplexed me greatly. Surely their instincts would have told them to attack.

I thought about whether or not I should leave and decided I should. Something was not right here and now was not the time to let my curiosity get the better of me. As Danny had pointed out, we had someone else to think of now. I tried to transport, but nothing happened. I didn’t even move an inch. I tried again and again. Still nothing happened. I tried blinking, to make it look like I’d left, but that didn’t work either. I had no choice now. I turned and ran as fast as I could. It wasn’t the speed I was used to, though it was still fast enough to outrun a werewolf.

When I felt my blood pressure drop rapidly I slowed down. As my eyes began to roll back in my head I felt something latch onto my wrist. I would have to trust that my body would protect me from whatever it was …

I was relieved to wake up and find I was still alive and in one piece, the baby kicking me furiously. I was hot as hell though. When I got back to the cottage I’d need a nice cool dip in the pool.

As the fog in my head cleared I slowly became aware of my surroundings and realised I was in a very warm room, lying on a comfortable bed. I heard voices talking a short distance away, although I couldn’t make out what they said.

A door crashed open and everyone was silent.

“She’s here?” a familiar voice asked.

“Yes, on the bed,” someone responded.

I heard footsteps near the bed and opened my eyes. I was dreaming — I had to be — and closed my eyes again. I must still be unconscious somewhere on the forest floor, waiting to come around.

I heard fingers snapping and more footsteps come closer to the bed.

“What have you done to her?” the familiar voice growled. He was
not
happy.

“We ain’t done nothing.”

I opened my eyes again and smiled, knowing it was one of those weird dreams Danny had told me I’d been having. After all, there was no way I was actually back in hell.

“She wasn’t like this,” Satan pointed to my belly, “the last time I saw her. When was it, just under two months ago?”

“People change,” the demon standing next to him said.

“Mortals yes, but not immortals. Something is
growing
within her. Cut it out,” Satan commanded.

If this wasn’t a dream I would have been worried. One of the demons produced a very large, black knife and stabbed at my belly.

“Ow,” I said. “That kind of hurts for a stupid dream.”

Satan laughed. “Helena, you seem to misunderstand the situation. You are well and truly awake.”

I tried to sit up, but the knife in the side of my belly made it difficult.

“Lie down,” Satan said, “whilst we remove that thing.”

“
No,
” I yelled.

Satan leaned over me and touched my forehead.

“Sleep,” he said.

I fought to keep my eyes open, even as his command took control of my body. I fretted as I slipped into the darkness.

I woke a few hours later, once again thinking I was dreaming, having lost my short-term memory. When I sat up on my elbows I saw Satan sitting in an armchair, hands clasped together, watching me.

“I’m not dreaming, am I?” I asked.

“No, Helena, you are not.”

“How did I get here?”

“The wolves accommodated me with a trap, and the demons brought you back.”

“Why?” I asked.

“We have
unfinished
business, you and I. As it is I cannot stand to touch you while that
thing
is there.” He pointed in the general direction of my stomach. “I have called for Rahab. He should know of a way.”

“A way for what?” I asked.

“You shall see,” he said.

The door opened and Rahab entered, heading straight to Satan and bowing his head. He glanced in my direction quickly and raised his eyebrows.

“Yer called sir?”

Satan stood and walked over to the bed. Rahab followed.

“Rahab, cut out whatever that abomination is in her belly. Call me when it’s done.”

As I tried to scramble out of the bed Satan pushed me back down by the shoulder and placed the heel of his palm on my forehead again. I grabbed his hand and struggled to pull it away, though he’d already muttered the word that sent me back to the darkness.

I was not unconscious for as long this time, and remembered everything he’d said. Perhaps Satan’s power over me was waning. Rahab was standing over me, a number of weapons and instruments laid out on the bed.

“Master Rahab,” I said, using the name I’d called him when he trained me during my time in hell.

“Helena, what mess have yer got yerself inter?” he asked. “Yer know I have ter do what Satan has asked of me.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do not wish ter spend eternity in ther pit.”

“You can’t, Rahab.”

“I
must
do as I am bid.”

A knife flashed in his hand and before I could sit up he had cut into my belly. It was not a deep cut and it seemed he couldn’t penetrate very far. I felt the blood drain from my face and my blood pressure drop.

“No,” I said.

As Rahab pushed down with all his might, and my eyes began to roll, I saw a bright red flash and heard a loud crash somewhere in the distance, then all was quiet.

“
Rahab,
” Satan bellowed.

I woke with a start, the knife no longer in my belly.

“Rahab, get up,” he yelled. “Why haven’t you done what I asked of you?”

Rahab stood and shook his head. “I tried sir. I couldn’t cut it out. It knocked me back with such force when I tried. I don’t know
what
is capable of doin such a thin.”

“Neither do I,” Satan replied. “Leave me, Rahab, I have much to discuss with Helena.”

Rahab bowed and left the room, no doubt relieved he wasn’t to be sent to the pit. Satan sat in the armchair and brooded — not talking, just staring. A glass appeared in his hand and I smelled cognac. He sipped slowly and continued to stare. It was time for a confrontation.

I swung my legs off the edge of the bed and walked — it was almost a waddle — to the couch, sitting down opposite Satan. He pushed his chair back a bit further. Even this distance was a little too close for him in my present condition.

“What do you want from me?” I asked.

“I thought I’d give you the opportunity to made
amends
for your abrupt departure, though I can’t touch you the way I want to. I can barely stand to be in the same room as you … and the colour of your eyes has changed again. What has happened?”

“You really don’t know?” I asked. “You haven’t figured it out?”

“No.”

“I’m pregnant.”

“How can this be?” he asked.

“Haven’t you heard of miracles?” I asked dryly.

“That,” he pointed to my stomach, “is an abomination.”

“That’s funny, someone once said that about me, and now he’s dead.”

Satan narrowed his eyes. “Are you
threatening
me, Helena?”

“No, I’m just stating a fact.”

I clasped my hands protectively over my belly.

“Another wedding band, Helena? Must I blacken this one as well?”

“No, this one will not tarnish,” I said smugly, “try as you might. This band came straight from Him.”

“You gave
your
soul to that pathetic
thing
up there?” he asked in astonishment.

“I haven’t given it to anyone,” I snorted. “The band represents a vow I made.”

“The angel Danizriel?” Satan asked.

I nodded my head.

“Why do you not just
leave
if you don’t want to be here?” he sneered. “I have never kept you here against your will.”

I tried. It still wasn’t working. Neither was blinking. “I can’t,” I sighed. “I think the baby is preventing me from transporting.”

Satan laughed and the doors and window rattled.

“Then welcome back, Helena. Here you shall stay, to give birth to your
spawn
, and here it will die … unless you’re willing to make a trade.”

Oh God, help me please.

“You could always send me back,” I said.

“And where would be the fun in that?” Satan asked, laughing again.

He had the upper hand now, and he knew it. My life or my baby’s, the choice was mine.

“Ah, it’s good to be me,” Satan said smugly.

I’d bide my time, as usual, and hope an opportunity to escape presented itself. I’d need to keep my strength up in the meantime. I had to be prepared.

“If I’m to stay here I’m going to need to eat. I have quite an appetite now.”

“There are plenty of vampires in hell, Helena, don’t you remember?”

“My diet has changed since I’ve been pregnant. Vampire doesn’t agree with me anymore.”

Satan nodded his head. “Interesting. What do you eat now? Surely not mortal.”

“No, my taste runs to werewolf. I thought you must have known given the trap you set.”

“Not at all,” Satan said. “You’ve always been a curious creature, and a large pack at one of your hunting grounds was bound to attract your attention.”

“I’ll also be needing freesias, and lots of them.”

“You expect me to provide you with
flowers?
” he scoffed.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to smell them or admire them. I suck on them. I’ve developed somewhat of a craving for them, and if I don’t get what I crave for, well, my temper tantrums are quite bad. I get quite savage if I don’t get what I want. Unless you want me pressing my disgusting body against you, clawing and biting, I suggest you give me what I need.”

Satan turned up his nose. “Perhaps I should send you to FUCKSASS. I’m sure they’ll be able to
cure
you of your craving.”

“I doubt it very much,” I said, thinking of the eleventh floor of the
business
side of hell —
Food: Urges, Cravings, Killers—Special Advisory Social Services
— that offered help for demons with strange food cravings. “You’ll probably need to replace your staff.”

“You think you’re capable of annihilating everyone on the eleventh floor in your condition?” he asked.

“Clearly you haven’t heard what I was doing to the werewolves.
No one touches me with the intention of hurting me, and lives.
”

“Then what of Rahab and the other demons?”

“They didn’t
touch
me. They used weapons.”