Execution (The Divine Book 6) (17 page)

My eyes flicked over to Alyx. She hadn't been able to spot him past the other scents, which I had no doubt had been planted for that very reason. Now she stared at him, her eyes big, her face stone.

"There you are," Espanto said, putting his attention on Alyx. He pushed his seat back and got to his feet. "Come here, my darling. I've missed you."

I felt my heart begin to thud in excited anticipation at his confusion and then fear when Alyx didn't respond to him.

Instead, I was confused when she began walking forward.

"Alyx?" I said.

She didn't seem to hear me. She went over to Espanto, and he put his arms around her and wrapped her in a solid embrace.

I didn't know what was happening. I was sure that I had drawn the power from the brand. She wasn't under his control anymore. She couldn't have been. Then why had she gone to him?

"Alyx," I said again, louder this time. There was no reaction.

"She isn't yours, diuscrucis," Espanto said, looking at me over her shoulder. "She's mine. You had no right to take my wife from me."

I felt my heart sinking. I had neutralized the brand. I knew I had. The only other explanation was that she had been playing me the entire time. That she was being the demon and lying to me, just like Rebecca.

"I'm so happy to see you again," Espanto said, running his hand over her rear. She nuzzled his neck, growling softly.

I watched them, feeling stupid and jealous. How could I have fallen for that again? How could I be so dumb? I was supposed to know better than this by now.

I swallowed my heart and shook it off. No. I wasn't being dumb. Alyx's loyalty was real. Her love was real. Maybe she could fake the sexual interest. She couldn't fake the way she had protected me. The fury. The strength. It was the doubt that was stupid.
 

I loved her. Foolish or not, demon or not, I trusted her.

"I see you've brought me something," Espanto said. "A Fist of God. That's what they call it, yes? I appreciate the gift."  His eyes shifted to Gervais. "And you? I owe you."

He kissed Alyx on the cheek, and then gently turned her around to face us.

"Alyx. Kill them all."

"Yes, Master," she said. She began to grow and change, shifting into her demon form.

"Landon, remember what I said about dying?" Zifah said, vanishing from sight.

Alyx stood in front of us, huge and frightening. She bared her teeth, snarling viciously.

I didn't reach for the stone to summon the sword.
 

I didn't gather my power.
 

Instead, I stood before her and smiled.

"I love you," I said, showing her that I believed in her.

She smiled back as best she could in that form. Then she turned on Espanto, scooping him up in a massive claw.

"You don't own me anymore," she growled.

Espanto's eyes widened, clearly confused. "I do own you. I branded you."

"Your brand is powerless."

"That isn't possible."

"No? How do you explain this?"

She grabbed his head with her other claw and tore it from his body. Then she dropped both to the floor.

Cabal finally got to his feet. He had betrayed me to Espanto as expected, and now he was faced with a very angry Great Were.

"Kill them," he shouted to the assembled demons, his voice heavy with fear. He drew a dagger, holding it in front of himself as if it would be worth anything against Alyx.

The other demons started forward, but it was obvious they didn't really want to get involved. I considered letting it happen anyway. A hundred dead demons would help the balance overall. I was in a hurry. I needed to know what had happened to Rose. If she was in trouble, I needed to help her.

"Cabal, wait," I said. "I don't want to fight you."
 

I dug my hand into my pocket and pulled out the stone. I rubbed in between my fingers, for a moment hesitant to give it to him. It had belonged to Elyse, and now she was dead. It was all I had left of her. That, and memories.

I tossed the stone to the fiend. The memories would have to do.
 

"Take it. I need to get back to New York. The business with Espanto is over. Alyx is her own demon, and I don't think you want to suggest otherwise."

Cabal caught the stone. He eyed it for a second and then put up his hand. "Very well. Consider the deal complete. I don't want a fight with you, diuscrucis. I like to pick battles I know I can win."

"You can get us to New York?" I asked.

He nodded. "I have a Rift. I will open it for you."

Alyx changed back to human form. She had a large smile on her face, and she seemed as though a massive weight had been lifted from her.

Cabal glanced over at her with terror in his eyes. A free Great Were was always something to fear.

"I had no choice," he said. "He would have killed me if he knew I had seen you and didn't tell him."

"I know," Alyx said. "Don't cross me again, and we'll have no problem with each other."

"Of course," Cabal replied, his eyes shifting to the pile of ash where Espanto's head had been. "Will you be claiming his territories and assets?"

"It's her right," I said.

"As long as she can defend it," Cabal said. "And I believe she can. As you know, I have served under Espanto for a number of years. I would be pleased to continue my service under the new mistress."

Alyx looked surprised and confused. "Me? Mistress? Landon, what should I do?"

"She accepts," I said. "She also demands a show of allegiance in the form of a gift."

Alyx and Cabal both looked at me with unknowing faces. I could hear Gervais snickering behind me.

"Well played, diuscrucis," he whispered.

I hadn't planned it that way, but it worked out.
 

"What kind of gift?" Cabal asked, growing uncomfortable.

Alyx glanced over at me, and then flashed a smile, finally catching on. "I'll take the sword," she said.

"What? But-"

"It's your choice, Cabal. The sword or your life. I'm sure I can put this operation to good use."

For a second, I thought he was going to give the attack order again. I knew he didn't want to. It was all to not look weak in the eyes of his subordinates.
 

Except they all looked weak in front of Alyx and me.

"Fine," he said at last, flipping the stone to Alyx. She caught it and tossed it back to me.

"I want you to go to Espanto's home in Spain," Alyx said to Cabal. "First, set all of his slaves free. Then figure out what his assets are and prepare a report. I expect it to be complete, and I will likely audit the results, so don't even think of cheating me."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Also, if you have any slaves of your own, they are to be freed at once."

Cabal's face blanched. "But, Mistress, I'll be ruined."

"Offer them pay for their work. Some will stay."

He bowed his head. "Yes, Mistress."

I was impressed. Alyx was taking to her new status like she was born for it. In the back of my mind, I hoped the power wouldn't go right to her head. She had been a Great Were for some time, and it hadn't, but this was her first true taste of freedom.

"Now, show us to the rift. We have business in New York. I'll return here when it is done to check on your progress."  She held out her hand, allowing it to grow into a large claw. "Do not disappoint me, Cabal."

The fiend was shaking visibly. His lackeys had also shied away, trying to vanish in the dark corners.

"As you wish, Mistress."

Cabal's rift transported us instantly to Central Park, to a small circle of stones hidden inside Belvedere Castle.
 

"We can throw the Fist in Turtle Pond," I said. "We can get it when we need it."

"A fine idea," Gervais said.

I focused my power, reaching out toward the armor to lift it from the ground.

"Diuscrucis!"

Abaddon's voice filled my head, a shout so loud I raised my hands to my head without thinking, groaning and stumbling.

It was Gervais who caught me this time, getting his arms under mine and holding me up.

"Where have you been?" Abaddon demanded.

"Hell," I replied. "Finding a way to stop this."

"They take my power. It is mine. Release me."

"I'm working on it. I told you-"

"You take too long, diuscrucis! I grow impatient. I grow weary. I will not wait much longer."

I could feel the blood running out of my nose and ears. I could taste it in my mouth.

"You're going to kill me," I said.

"A warning only, diuscrucis. I can kill you, and I will if you delay any longer."

"Then you'll never be free."

"Neither will you."

His power vanished from my soul as quickly as it came. I pushed myself away from Gervais and spat blood onto the ground.

"Landon?" Alyx asked, concerned.

"I'm okay, Allie. Abaddon is getting restless, thanks to the week it took me to get in and out of Hell. He said he won't wait much longer."

"What does that mean?" Zifah asked.

"It means he will break himself out of his prison, and he will eat the world," Gervais said.

"You think he can get out on his own?" I asked.

"By now? Yes. He is waiting."

"Why?"

"I do not know. Why don't you ask him?"

I wasn't about to invite him in again. Instead, I wrapped my power around the Fist and lifted it, carrying it out of the castle and dropping it over the center of the small pond. It was late, but there were still people in the park, and they turned to see what splashed in the water. They were too late to actually see it.

"Alyx, we need to find Rose. Can you pick up her scent?"

"I will try. We should go back to where she was last seen."

I looked at Gervais. "Lead the way, mop-top."

He made a face at me before taking off at an inhuman speed. Alyx shifted beside me, and I climbed onto her back while Zifah rode my shoulder. It reminded me of that homeless man I had seen that had a rat who rode a cat who rode a dog.
 

The universe was crazy that way.

We got back to my place with fifteen minutes. I dismounted from Alyx, and she returned to human form. Then we made our way over to the deli.

There was police tape across the entrance, and it had been shuttered and locked down. I broke the tape and pulled the metal gate away with my power, and we made our way inside.

"Anything?" I asked Alyx.

"So many smells," she replied. "She was here. She was afraid. Very afraid. She went this way."

We followed her through the store. There were broken bottles and cans laying on the floor, and the police had drawn a chalk outline around where Elyse had fallen. I stared at it as we passed, feeling a wave of sadness and regret wash over me. She was so young, and her involvement with me had gotten her killed.

It had gotten a lot of people killed.

We went to the storage room in the back of the location, through an emergency exit and out into the back of an alley. Alyx stopped when she reached it, shaking her head.

"I don't know. It's been too long."

I turned to Gervais. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Three days."

"What? Why didn't you tell me that beforehand?"

Gervais shrugged. "It slipped my mind, in the middle of being tortured and beaten by the demons in Hell."

Three days was forever right now.
 

Rose was gone.

"How are we going to find her?" Alyx asked.

"I don't know," I replied, feeling sick. "I just don't know."

"I can find her," Zifah said. "Do you have something that belongs to her?"

"Not here. I do back at my place. How are you going to find her with that?"

"A spell. A demonic spell. Witchcraft, actually. I can bind the object to her, and it will grow hotter the closer we get to her location."

"Will it work if she's dead?" I asked.

"Not unless she's in Hell. But that's the only way it won't work."

"Since when did you become a witch?" Gervais asked.

"The proper term for a male is Warlock," Zifah said.

"Since when did you become a witch?" Gervais repeated.

"I've had years to practice. Unlike yourself, who failed miserably at every scheme you concocted and wound up banished from Hell for it."

"Can both of you shut up?" I said, stopping them before they could get going. They both fell in line in an instant. "Alyx, can you take these two back to the apartment and give Zifah one of Rose's t-shirts?"

"Panties would be better," Zifah said.

"T-shirts," I said again. "If either of them give you any trouble, you have my permission to send them back to Hell."

"Of course," Alyx said. "What are you going to do?"

"The Nicht Creidem know how to see ghosts, and I don't. I need to change that." I stepped over to her and kissed her. "I'll be back soon."

She rubbed her face against my neck for a second, suggesting that her freedom hadn't changed her in any bad ways. "Be careful."

"Don't worry," I said. "I'm too pissed to get killed."