Destiny Disrupted (25 page)

The first few weeks, I’d cried myself to sleep every night. It earned me a slap in the face by one of the guards in the morning and constant smartass remarks from the others. I stopped blubbering and started toughening up.

I had no idea how long I’d been imprisoned in this hellhole and I was losing hope, and my mind. The shades hadn’t returned with help, either. Despite how awful my situation was, I still had to find a way out for my sister and me. Not just to get away from Caym or Trent, but to let my family and friends know I was still alive. Still fighting. And to make sure the Nocturne didn’t hurt anyone else.

“Wake up!” a guard yelled, then banged on my cell door with a meaty fist.

I forced my eyes open. They felt heavy, weighed by sleep.

In the torchlight, a hooded demon appeared. “Did you hear me? Get up.” The guard unlocked the door and stood in the entrance. “Come on, I ain’t got all day. Get the hell outta that bed!”

I glared at the guard. Sitting up, I put one foot on the floor, then the other. My jaw clenched tight in an effort not to scream obscenities at him.

“Don’t make any trouble,” he warned.

I stiffly stood, and the demon roughly gripped my arm. I didn’t bother resisting. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see soon enough, witch.”

I sighed. “Do you have a name?”

“Balthazar. Now move it,” he replied.

He guided me through the cell door and into the dim corridor.

“Sutton! I’ll be back!” I yelled. “Don’t lose hope.”

“I won’t,” she said weakly, still drained from the demon feeding she’d recently endured.

The guard pushed me from behind and I lurched forward along the passageway. A row of chambers lined one side of the Nocturne’s prison system. If anyone else was trapped in the dungeon besides Sutton and me, they didn’t make a peep as I passed their dark cell.

Balthazar led me to the end of the long corridor where another door stood open, revealing a narrow stairwell. He shoved me up the staircase and it wound around and came out onto another floor of the stronghold.

We treaded along a warren of slick stone corridors until Balthazar stopped at one door and thrust it open. Inside was a candle-lit bathing chamber.

A
freaking
bathing chamber.

Steam rose invitingly from the deep pool in the center of the room like a natural spring. A demoness with long onyx hair, dressed in a black toga, waited obediently off to one side. I glanced at Balthazar. He jabbed me in the spine and I staggered inside. The door locked behind me.

The demoness bowed. “It is my honor to assist you this evening, witch.”

“Assist me with what?”

“Please, remove your garments. The water will relax you and cleanse the filth from your body.”

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and concentrated on not falling apart in front of the demoness. Shaking my head, I backed away from the pool, although it did look wonderful, like a steamy hot tub. “I don’t think so.”

The demoness gestured at the water. “No harm will come to you. You have my word.”

Even female demons never lied. And that tub sure looked like a piece of Heaven right here in the grungy Underworld.

Slowly, I stripped off my clothes, not feeling the least bit modest, and immersed myself in the warm mineral bath. Reclining against the smooth rocky ledge, every muscle in my body unwound. It was like being in a steamy cocoon, safe from reality. The near-scalding water rinsed off the dirt and grime and whatever else was stuck to my flesh.

After five minutes of total bliss, the demoness stepped into the water and began scrubbing my body with some type of scented loofah. I didn’t fight or struggle, just let her wash away the filth coated on my skin. Next, she lathered my hair and scrubbed it squeaky clean. It felt incredible to be dirt-free again and smelling of something other than brimstone.

Finally, she urged me from the water and handed me a soft towel to dry off. With the towel wrapped tightly around me, my hands gripped the cool stone of a basin attached to one wall. I gazed at the ghost of a girl that stared back at me from the mirror. The young woman in the reflection looked like a much paler and gloomier version of me. Defeated and pessimistic.

I needed another one of those girl power pep-talks from my sister.

With a steadying breath, I pushed off the sink and faced the demoness. She was mixing tonics on a small wooden table, where some lacy lingerie was neatly folded. Hanging on the wall beside it was a sexy formal gown.

It dawned on me what this lavish beauty treatment was meant for. The Nocturne were preparing me to attend Trent’s coronation
.
The demoness massaged rose-scented lotion into my arms and legs, then stood back with an odd smile. My limbs shook as I slipped on the garments, the black satin dress wrapping seductively around my body, leaving very little to the imagination. It had a plunging neckline and one slit along the thigh. The high-heels the demoness slid onto my feet could’ve been real designer Prada’s for all I knew. The shoes fit perfectly.

“You are very fortunate. It shall be a privilege to rule by the prince’s side and serve the realm,” the demoness said, arranging my hair into long soft waves.

“
I don’t understand.”

“
Don’t you? From the moment he accepted his darker power, you’ve sensed something different about him. Something that’s forever changed within him.”

“Trent is going to lose his humanity.”

“
Yes. That’s why he needs your support. You can’t keep fighting the truth.”

“But Trent lied to me—”

“
The prince never lied about his true feelings for you. It’s time to grow up and embrace your new destiny, witch. You can do great things together. Change the fate of many lives.”

“How? Trent doesn’t need me anymore.”

“He still needs your love. His human half will not survive without it. It will destroy any humanity he has left if you refuse him now. Then he will be truly lost. A strong ruler must have some compassion for his people…even a demonic one. ”

“That’s not my problem,” I said, lifting my chin slightly.

“You’ll feel differently afterward.”

“After what?”

She didn’t respond. Instead, the demoness finished styling my hair, then meticulously applied my makeup. I let her do it without saying a word in protest. The truth was I wanted to see Trent again. If this was my only chance to see him, so be it. I didn’t want to be forced back into my cell and miss the big event.

Because there might still be a way to stop the coronation from happening. Make Trent realize how crazy dangerous taking over the Underworld would be. If my love was the key to helping Trent maintain his humanity like the demoness said, then I had to try one last time before I completely gave up.

The demoness stepped back and looked me over. “You look exquisite. Are you ready?”

I closed my eyes and breathed.

In...one...two...three...

Out...one...two...three...

My eyes opened and I straightened my spine. “Yes.”

The demoness opened the bathing chamber door and ushered me into the passageway where Balthazar waited with his arms folded. He bowed his head approvingly when he saw me in that sexy black gown with my makeup and hair done.

I glanced back at the demoness in the doorway. “Thank you.” But for what I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because she’d been the only person—or
thing—
to show me any kindness since I’d been trapped here.

She curtsied. “It was a great pleasure, my lady.”

Balthazar silently gestured for me to follow him. I lifted the hem of my long dress with one hand and trailed behind Balthazar through another confusing maze of corridors. The further we traveled into the quiet castle, the louder a dissonant, almost-religious chanting became in the passageways.

“What is that?” I asked.

Balthazar grunted. “Keep moving. We’re almost there.”

“Have you seen many coronations? Do they take very long?”

“I do not know, witch. I have never been present for one.”

He was just full of useful information. I still had no idea how I was going to stop the coronation. Or stop Trent from accepting the crown and dooming himself. There had to be a way to postpone it. Something I hadn’t thought of yet. Maybe I could cause a distraction and halt the ceremony.

We trudged down another lengthy passage. I couldn’t seem to swallow the lump hardening in my throat. The corridor dead-ended at a set of huge iron double-doors. The ritualistic chant, resonant and ominous, bounced louder off the cavern walls.

Balthazar opened the doors and the lump threatened to choke me. We stood side-by-side in the entrance, surveying the antechamber. The rise and fall of voices, eerie and rhythmic, stopped the moment I entered the room with Balthazar. The decor looked more like a Gothic-themed funeral than a coronation. The room had benches lining each side with a long aisle down the middle, carpeted by a red runner.

Sitting on the benches were demons and human-looking creatures with their heads bowed. Dozens of torches were lit on the walls and a big greenish book sat atop a podium on a raised platform. An older man—somewhat human—approached the tome and flipped it open. He was wearing burgundy clothing and his shirt had a high-collar like a priest.

Something wasn’t quite right.

In the cavern of flickering torchlight, I spotted Trent standing at the end of the aisle on a slightly raised platform with his back to us. My heart beat faster. He usually wore casual black clothing, including motorcycle boots and tough guy leather jackets. Maybe it was like a demon dress code. Today was a slight exception. He still wore all black and looked incredible, but he was dressed up in a long-sleeved, button-up shirt, dark slacks, and shiny, oxford dress shoes.

Balthazar escorted me halfway down the aisle, then we stopped and waited.

The dark priest placed his hands on either side of the podium. “We’ll have to wait until precisely midnight before we begin the ceremony.”

“Has it been a long time since the last?” Trent asked.

The priest bobbed his head. “Thirteen hundred years, give or take a decade. We don’t get many of these requests anymore.”

Trent tugged at his collar and cleared his throat. “Will everything be different afterward?”

“Perhaps.” The priest flipped a page of the book. “It takes a special type to enter into such an agreement for eternity.”

“Were any of the others a cambion? Half-human like me?”

“No. You’re the first. Nevertheless, I expect the ceremony to be quick and without hindrance. Provided that…your witch cooperates.”

“I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Trent turned and caught my stare, a muscle tightening in his cheek.

Another demon took a seat at an organ in the corner and began playing an eerie melody. Somewhere within the fortress, a bell-tower bonged thirteen times. The coronation was starting.

Balthazar looped one of my arms through his, and guided me down the aisle. Warning spasms of alarm erupted within me. Again, that niggling that something wasn’t right struck me. It was a damn good thing I clutched Balthazar’s arm or I would’ve tripped had he not been holding my steady. Every head turned in our direction.

Once we reached the altar, Balthazar stepped aside with his head lowered in respect.

Something was so different about Trent. His very presence seemed to demand obedience, authority, and power. Behind him stood one of the guards, his sword, polished and gleaming, hanging low on his hips. The guard gave me the evil eye and put one hand on the hilt of his weapon.

Turning my attention back to Trent, he seized my gaze, and the heat of his stare almost knocked me over. Love and lust shone bright and intense in his almost black eyes. My poor heart nearly stopped beating.

Then I gritted my teeth. No way am I staying here with Trent forever. I still fully intended to escape this place. With or without him. But I had no quick or safe exit strategy planned and the likelihood of actually leaving the Underworld alive was practically nonexistent. And there wasn’t much I could do in a room full of demons. My heart sank. The only thing I could do for now was attend the coronation in silence…then find a way out.

“You look beautiful, Shiloh.” Tilting my head upward with gentle fingers, he leaned to whisper words meant only for me. “I love you so much and I’m glad you’re here.” He stared at me for a moment longer, then straightened, and tucked my hand into the crook of his arm.

“Shall we begin?” the priest asked, casting a worried glance at Trent.

“Yes. We’re ready,” he replied.

The torches flickered, throwing a warm glow on the room. Trent turned so our bodies faced one another. The priest began the ceremony in Latin. I didn’t understand the words, but I suddenly understood their meaning.

This wasn’t a coronation. It was a demonic chapel!

“I take this woman as my own, in the name of the power of darkness.” Trent’s deep voice washed over my skin like a cold wave. “Forever.”

Oh. My. God. My stomach heaved and pitched. Yanking my hand from Trent’s, I blinked hard, trying to put everything together inside my head. This wasn’t a formality where Trent would be crowned as Prince of the Underworld…

…but a marriage ceremony. A dark freakin’ wedding!

The priest turned his yellowish gaze to me. “And you, Shiloh Trudell. Do you take this cambion as your betrothed?”

I could only stare stupidly at the priest, with my mouth opening and closing on a silent scream of ‘what the hell’? I was sixteen and way too young to become someone’s hellish bride.

And this sure as heck wasn’t the type of wedding I’d daydreamed about as a girl. No, this was a sick, twisted version of wedlock. Blinking back tears, I remembered to breathe. I wouldn’t cry.

No, I felt like kicking the shit outta someone—namely Trent. He had lost his damn mind if he thought I was about to enter into unholy matrimony with him.

“The priest is waiting for your answer, Shiloh,” Trent said in a voice that held a threatening edge.

The dark priest gripped the book with both hands. “You must say the words, young witch. The ceremony requires that I hear you verbally acknowledge that you’ll marry the prince of your own free will.”

Every demon in the chapel seemed to be holding their breath. Trent’s brows drew together. His face was all harsh planes and angles in the trembling torchlight, his expression unreadable.

I turned on Trent. “What the hell is going on?” My teeth ground and tears filled my eyes. “I’m not ready for this type of long-term commitment.”

The room went completely still. The priest’s mouth dropped open. My neck prickled from the stares. I had to hold it together and get myself out of this wedded nightmare. Later I would probably break out in hives.

“Shiloh, relax,” Trent said. “This is the only way we’ll be able to have some kind of life together.”

I dropped Trent’s hand and wiped my sweaty palm on my dress. “Dark Priest Man, we haven’t been properly introduced. I don’t even know your name. I should, shouldn’t I? I mean, your conducting the ceremony, for which I am apparently the shotgun bride!” My voice sounded high and shrill.

Trent flicked a glance at the priest. “Give us a minute.”

He grasped my elbow and dragged me across the room. Trent thrust open a heavy metal door and shoved me inside, shutting the door behind him. We were alone in a small chamber filled with lighted candles and shelves lined with leather books. Some type of demon library. Evans would’ve loved it.

“You evil son of a bitch.” The words gushed from my mouth, spurting like blood from a wound. I yanked my arm free. “You’re trying to destroy my life!”

“I’m trying to
save
us!” he yelled.

I jerked back. “By forcing me to marry you?”

“Yes, then the Nocturne will let us be together. If you bind your life to mine—”

“I’m not binding my
anything
to you, Trent. You should’ve talked to me first. Let me decide for myself.”

“I would have if I thought you’d listen to reason.” He was gazing at me steadily, as if weighing my reaction. “But since you’re too hardheaded to listen, this was the only way—”

“So that’s your lame excuse for this sham of a wedding? You should’ve trusted me to stand by you all on my own.”

“Then show me I can. You know what the ceremony is for now, so marry me. All on your own.”

My palms were sweating, my heartbeat going a mile a minute. “Trent…”

A slant of greenish light bled through a window and shone on all the stark details of his face, the glow in his onyx eyes. “I don’t have time for games, Shiloh. Either we get married tonight, or you’ll never see me again. At least not for a very long time.”

I gritted my teeth. “Those are my only two choices? Well, they suck! This isn’t fair.”

“It’s not fair, Shiloh, but you have to pick a side, good or evil. That’s how it works.” A pained look crossed his features. “You either make a choice to be with me, or not.”

“Of course, I wanna be with you, but I can’t make a life-changing decision like this so quickly.” My mind buzzed like bees were flying around in my skull. My chin quivered and I was on the verge of tears. “Trent, we did the best we could to fight our inner demons, but I got rid of mine and you accepted yours. So now I’m thinking we weren’t meant to be, and it wasn’t because we didn’t love each other. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I know what it means,” he said quietly. “You won’t fight for us. You’ve made already your decision.”

“
No!
It means that you’ve given into the power of
Darkness.
” My hands curled into fists. “I just don’t understand
why
. What happened since I last saw you? What’s changed?”

“I don’t have time to go into it all right now. But you’d better decide. We’re running out of time.”

“You know I can’t do that. Please,” I begged. “Don’t make me choose.”

“You have to.” Trent wore that charming, uneven smile that usually melted my heart. “I get it, Shiloh, better than anyone. I had a tough time with this decision, too.”

“This isn’t
just
about marrying you. This is about choosing between good or evil. If I choose you, then I’ll be siding with everything I hate…” My voice faltered. Tears spilled from my eyes. “How do I even decide something as huge as this?”

“Easy. You make a choice, and then you stick to it.”

“But it isn’t that simple, Trent.”

I stood there in that hot room, trembling, while the enormity of what he was saying soaked into my brain. This wasn’t happening. Not after everything we’d been through the last six months.

With my heart breaking, I touched his arm and stared into his face. “I can still save you. Get us out of this mess. If they haven’t crowned you yet.”

He shook his head, his gaze forlorn. “We are way beyond that now. I am the Nocturne prince. Even though it’s hard, and it means giving up the people you love and your righteous beliefs, you need to make a decision. If you don’t, more lives may be lost—”

“What are you saying?” My heart was pounding and my nerves were raging.

“If we don’t marry, then you’re not only putting your life in serious danger, but what about your family and friends?”

“You’re only trying to threaten me into making a choice.”

He shook his head and his jaw tightened. “I’m not. But here’s the harsh truth…do you think if you reject my marriage proposal that the other demons will let them live? If you marry me, I can guarantee their protection.”

I put a trembling hand on one of the bookshelves to steady myself and stared at the stone floor. “I-I don’t know what to do.”

“There is only one choice. Pick a different destiny.” He stepped toward me and lifted my chin. “Please. For us.” Trent embraced me and I stiffened, unable to hug him back. “I love you, Shiloh. Whatever happens next, we can handle it as long as we’re together.”

“What do you mean,
whatever
happens? There’s something worse than this unholy union taking place? Like some demented honeymoon you’ve got planned?”

Trent didn’t answer. I shouldered past him and wrenched open the door. He followed me back into the chapel. The demon guests were all still waiting, but they fell silent when we reappeared. I paused on the platform, searching the room for an exit sign. Found none. Only one way out, and it stood between me and a dozen or so demons. My chances weren’t looking good.

He touched my shoulder. “I’m not giving up on us, Shiloh. Ever.”

The doors at the back of the room burst open and in walked Raze. “Why am I always late for the party?”

I had never been happier to see anyone in my entire life. I breathed out a long, ragged sigh.

“Ah, Shiloh, it seems that I’m just in time to save your ass again.” The immortal frowned and scratched his head. “How many times does that make it now?”

The demons stood and twisted around toward Raze.

The immortal beckoned me with an outstretched hand. “Time to go. Just step away from Demon Boy and
run!
”

And I did. I kicked off my heels and raised the hem of my dress, then I tore down the aisle toward Raze. A few demons tried to catch me, but I dodged each attempt and punched two of them in the face. I was running so fast, I almost collided into him.