Damned and Desirable (Eternally Yours Book 2) (24 page)

Though it pained me to become angry with my master, the embers of fury stoked a flame deep within my bosom. Had he forgotten I was his favorite blood slave? His main source of pleasure in this hellish existence?

I got up on my knees, eyeing him with disdain as my baby coiled above me. “She is my husband’s whore.”

His lip curled in a snarl. “Ironic, coming from the biggest slut in thirteen hells.”

Instinctively, I raised my hand to strike, despite the pain from my bubbling skin and boiling blood.

His tail lashed out, its spike stabbing through the center of my palm.

I wailed and hissed as I tried to pull back. “Please, Master, please.”

My baby slithered down my back, trembling against my skin as my master’s tail rattled.

His spike slid out of me, leaving a gaping wound in my hand. Sobbing, I spit into the hole, sighing in relief as the anti-venom soothed the burn.

I screamed when he grabbed my damaged hand, yanking me off the bed. “You know this girl is not just a whore.” His tone rose as he squeezed my hand harder. “She is the fallen angel predestined to lead the Nephilim army that will spur the second coming. With her as my blood slave, I will rule the apocalypse.”

He released me with a shove, and I sank onto the sheets where we’d just made love, cradling my injured hand as tears streamed down my face. The pain was like a thousand tiny needles burrowing into my skin. He slid into his trousers before storming toward the tunnel.

“Master.” My voice shook as I reached for him. “Where are you going?”

He turned, gazing at me one last time with a cold glare. “I’ve grown tired of looking at you.”

Ash

Callum snored softly beside me on the pallet, while I pressed my eyes shut and pretended to sleep despite the banging of my heart; its pulses echoed loudly in my ears. I’d woken from a fitful dream and landed smack in the middle of a nightmare. I had no idea which was more horrifying, listening to two crazy demons mate like rabid dogs or Scorpius’s admission I was somehow supposed to end up his blood slave and start an apocalypse.

An apocalypse?

Well, fuck. And here I thought my eternity couldn’t get any worse.

Aedan

“How did I know not to trust the word of a demon?”

The giants had us surrounded, and there were thousands of them. Jack whimpered as he backed up against a stone structure, and Sarge stood by my side, scythe at the ready. Though what good were our scythes now, considering these monsters had clubs nearly as tall as us?

“Never fear, Masters,” the demon hissed. “They are Nephilim and friend to mankind. The giant who wears the bright star is King Og.”

I remembered reading about Og in The Bible. The king was almost eighteen feet tall with a wingspan at least double that. He had an elongated neck, a grey pallor, and big, bulging eyes. It had been a few thousand years since man had usurped his rule and he’d been cast down to Hell. Judging by the way he held that club poised to lob off our heads, he still held a grudge against mankind. The demon probably knew this as well, hence the reason he’d led us here.

Sarge held up the demon’s head, growling. “What do they want?”

“Don’t worry.” The demon flashed a devious grin. “Let me speak to them.”

Sarge shot me a weary look before turning the demon’s head toward the giants.

“Fellow scorned friends,” the demon called. “I have brought you gifts, bones for broth and meat for stew. In return, all I ask is that you rescue my body and let me partake of your holy water, so that I might be healed.”

I gaped at the demon. Considering Sarge still held his head, he was a fool to think the giants would save him. Sarge swung around and threw the head into the air. And then to my surprise, a Nephilim raised his club and batted that thing way beyond center field toward the flaming lakes of lava.

I let out a low whistle. “Home run.”

Og stomped up to us, rattling our bones with each step. “Grim no welcome to Nephilim den.”

I held up my palms, slowly backing away. “My humble apologies. We’re not here to harm your kind. We have come from Purgatory to save our friend. She was captured by a demon and brought to Hell.”

Og scowled. “What this friend look like?”

I made a face as I thought about the last time I’d seen Ash. There’d been tears in her eyes because I upset her. I had no idea what she looked like now, but in my mind she was always my beautiful, free-spirited girl. “I’m not sure now that she’s been demonized.”

Sarge puffed up his chest and stepped forward. “Last I saw her she had wild hair, bright green eyes, and the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen.”

I shot him a sideways glare.
Bastard.

Og’s massive jowls dropped open. “Is she angel?”

“No. She’s a ghoster,” I answered before Sarge could say anything else he’d regret later. “She was kidnapped by another ghoster named Shadow.”

“No angel?” The folds of skin on Og’s thick brow drew down, nearly obscuring his eyes. “No from Heaven?”

I shook my head. “No, from Purgatory.”

Sarge turned to me. “What about that night she spent in Heaven?”

“That hardly counted,” I said. “She was cast out the next day.”

A wave of murmurs rose from the crowd.

Og silenced them with a wave of his club. He bent down, looking under my hood until we were nearly eye-to-eye. “She fawen angel?”

“Of sorts.”

“We believe she is with the dragon, Callum,” Sarge said as he shrugged the headless body off his shoulders and waved in the direction its head had flown. “That demon told us this was Callum’s den.”

Og straightened and pounded the tip of his club into the ground. “No dragon den! Nephilim den.”

Now the pyramid made sense, for I had heard from older Grims the Nephilim had built the pyramids on Earth.

Og jutted his club into the air. “We must save fawen angel.”

The other Nephilim roared their approval; the vibrations from their collective shouts felt as if a steam train was tunneling through my eardrums.

“That’s what we’re trying to do,” I shouted above the din.

A wide smile split Og’s ugly face in two. “Nephilim help you.”

Ash

Time seemed to pass in a blur as I slept beside Callum in our cage. I must have woken up every half hour to check on him. His face and hands had gone clammy, and he was muttering strange things, like telling Aedan to accept Mr. Ball’s offer and repeating that Katherine was a bitch whore. I had no idea who this Mr. Ball person was, but I had to concur with his opinion of Katherine. The description fit her perfectly.

My breathing stilled when I heard the sound of boots filing into the cave. Whoever had come to visit us had brought along several friends. Garf’s whimper wasn’t reassuring, either. He must have known our company was no good.

I kept my head on Callum’s chest, pretending to be asleep while desperately trying to focus on the steady beating of his heart, instead of the blood-curdling fear which coursed through my veins.

But when I heard the clank of the keys in the lock, I knew my time had run out. “Time to get up, fair one.”

I pried open one eye to see Scorpius staring down at me, his silver key taunting me as it dangled between us and his creepy tail threatening me as it hung over his head.

“Wha—?” I asked, but Shadow was by my side, forcing me to drink water.

I quickly spit it out, though some of it managed to find its way down my throat.

“Drink, my angel.” Merriment danced in Scorpius’s eyes. “It’s cool and refreshing.”

I flew to my knees, knocking the cup out of Shadow’s hands. “I’m not your angel,” I growled, “and I don’t want your water.”

Shadow clucked his tongue, but I was focused on the curve of Scorpius’s tail, which stretched until it was dangling above me. His face appeared impassive, like smooth black marble, but his eyes were glowing orange flames. I almost thought I saw embers flickering beneath his eyes as his tail rattled menacingly. “The least you could do is show gratitude for my hospitality.”

I waved a hand at my dungeon. “You call this hospitality?”

“Come.” He held one of his lower hands out. “I have prepared a feast for us. I know you must be famished.”

I shrieked away from him. “Not famished enough to eat poison.”

“The food is not poisoned. I give you my word.” He subtly smiled though the flames of aggression still burned in his eyes.

“How can I trust you?” I motioned to my friend, who still lay motionless and mumbling on the cot. “Look at what you’ve done to Callum.”

He arched a dark brow. “Do you wish me to ease his suffering?”

I folded my arms and blew out a huff of air. “Of course.” But I knew he wouldn’t, and if he did, I was sure he’d expect me to repay him for the favor.

He stepped forward, jutting his hand out again. “Then come with me.”

I cast a weary glance at Callum as a strange sense of déjà vu overcame me. Last time a demon led me from this cage, I’d had the sickening feeling I’d never see Callum again. I’d allowed that demon bitch to abuse and defeat me, and now there was no telling what Scorpius was capable of doing. Callum was too sick to help me now. It had become clear Aedan wouldn’t be coming for me, either. This left me with only one choice.

I clenched my hands together, feeling the energy ball in them. My palms crackled as my chest heaved. I slowly stood, refusing to take his hand as I left the cell with stiff shoulders and let him lead me to the table. I did my best to ignore the cluster of demons around us, thankful I didn’t see Katherine among their number. I sat when he motioned to the chair, allowing him to think he had control of the situation.

But he didn’t. When the moment came, I would strike, and I would strike hard. The stakes couldn’t have been any higher. I wasn’t just fighting for my soul anymore. I was fighting for the souls of all mankind.

I scowled at the table. There were no steaming plates of grilled spider or headless rats, just a long blade with an ivory handle and a rolled piece of parchment. “I don’t see a feast.”

“The feast is here.” He laughed as he picked up the blade and slit open his top wrist, holding it out to me as blood spurted from the slash like a geyser. “Drink,” he said.

I jumped up from the chair. “I’m not a cannibal.”

“Of course not, my angel.” He stepped around the table, all six of his hands beckoning to me as the blood from his gash splattered my jeans. “Drink, and I promise you will be sated.”

I pushed the chair between us before rushing to the other side of the table. “I’m not a vampire, either.”

This demon was certifiably psycho if he thought I was going to drink his blood.

The flame in his eyes brightened as he turned to Shadow with a scowl. “Bring the dragon to me.”

Well, fuckity, fuck. I knew this wasn’t going to end well.

After Shadow and another demon dragged Callum out of the cage, the other demons formed a circle around us. Garf whimpered as he pressed his face against the bars.

I clenched my hands together, assessing the situation. I was somewhere in the bowels of Hell, surrounded by a dozen demons who were about to torture me and/or my friend, and the nastiest demon of them all wanted me to drink his blood, most likely so I’d become his blood slave and start an apocalypse. Yep, that about summed up my situation. Time to get the fuck out of Dodge. I just needed to figure out how.