Falter (27 page)

They entered and exited my body relentlessly. My bones creaked and ached, yielding as much as they could from the invasion of the large masses without shattering to bits. I screamed from the intolerable pressure of them shifting my organs around and threatening to gut me where I kneeled.

Morbid visions of my broken corpse, lying bloody and scattered on the warehouse floor, stunned me into focus. I had to get out of here.
 

Rigid and dizzy from the abuse, I tensed my muscles, forcing myself upright, and leaned back on my feet. With my hands fisted at my sides, I held my breath and bared down against the floor, using what little strength I had left in an attempt to expel the demons inside me.
 

My heart pounded, pumping blood hard through my veins, vying to keep me alive. I sucked in a gulp of air and lunged back down on all fours with no success at stopping the demons.
 

Agonized groans erupted from my mouth. My limbs shook and wavered under my weight as I tried to regain the will to fight. It would be so easy to give up at this point.

They jerked me back and forth like a piece of meat in a tug-of-war game between starving dogs. I fixed my blurry eyes on one spot ahead of me, barely able to see the wall beyond their murky forms. I waited for the moment I could make a move but wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

Finally, an opening
.
 

A path to the door was clear for about two seconds. That was all I needed. I figured, if they can get through me, then I could get through them. I heaved myself off the floor, stumbling from side to side as they attacked my weak body.
 

Once I got enough footing under me, I ran like hell. A resistance, similar to a film of Jell-O with thorns in it slowed my escape as I propelled through the storm of demons, but I endured the pain and shoved through.
 

Bursting out, my eyes landed on the exit, and I sprinted forward.
 

Nearing the emergency door, I slowed to a clumsy jog and squinted. There was something in front of the chained boards; a sparking, transparent film hanging between me and my freedom. If it hadn’t been for the thin, orange bolts of electricity snapping within the substance every few seconds, I doubt I would have noticed it.
 

I glanced back at the ghostly demons gliding across the floor after me. They were gaining fast. No other doors were close enough. I’d never make it in time. I didn’t know what was in front of the exit, and I really didn’t want to find out, but my options were limited.
 

I tried to veer in the direction of the front entrance, but instead fell on my side and slid uncontrollably across the ground. Skid marks trailed in the dirt behind me. Gravel and dust tore my palms open as I dug my hands into the floor, hoping to stop myself before slamming into the sparking substance in front of the door.
 

I tumbled ass over elbow, finally coming to a stop, but I was already too close to the mysterious film. It was too late.

A deep fire began to consume me, charring my core from the inside out. I tried to scuttle backwards but couldn’t. The unseen tendrils of a wicked and hungry power wrapped around my ankles, raking me closer to the flickering wall.
 

The heat inside heightened as it spilled from my center, surging into every available space in my body. My blood boiled, and muscles contracted mercilessly around my already aching bones. I coughed and sputtered, my chest blazing as if I could exhale flames like a dragon.

I rolled and clawed at the ground, trying to loosen the force’s hold on me, but the movement only deepened the searing sensation beneath my flesh.
 

Screams exploded from my mouth so intense that my voice sounded alien. I glanced at my hands, expecting to see blisters forming from the smoldering inside, but my skin was intact and smooth.
 

Was this all an illusion, one of those things I needed to “see” my way through?

Bound by the torment of solar flares igniting within me, my brain refused to let me think about anything other than the agony ripping through my nerve endings. I was losing focus fast.

As I lay on the ground, completely immobilized, Layla’s frame edged into my vision. She leaned closer to examine me. The confusion on her face was not what I’d expected. I assumed she would be thrilled to witness the slow death I was experiencing.
 

She considered the demons starting to float over my body like a deadly smog with pursed lips, then mumbled another command in their language. The creatures instantly scurried away.
 

The expression on her face softened, a glint of concern creasing her brow. “What the hell, Nevaeh?” She had no idea what was going on either.
 

Shock flooded my emotions. I had no idea where my fate would end. At least when Layla was a possible cause of…whatever this was…I knew she could stop this. But she wasn’t. There was no telling when I might find release from this agony—if there was release.
 

With all hope drained from me, and Layla staring at me curiously, I accepted that this might be my end. If I couldn’t beat the invisible energy sucking me in, the sheer torture of it would kill me soon.

Ideas of a future with Gavyn teased my heart while I drifted closer to unconsciousness. Would he end up with Layla, clueless to her true nature and intentions? Would the demons take my soul as they did George’s?

I forced my gaze to the electric film again and watched the murky forms that had chased me disappear around the edges of the substance like smoke rolling under a door. A quick flash of the Animus demon coming out of the wall in Gavyn’s living room popped into my head.
 

Oh shit, this thing is a portal!
 

Where would it take me? Besides that, if I could even muster enough strength to pull myself away from its grip, how would I get past Layla?

I’d have to choose the less threatening of the two evils. Layla’s sudden conscience couldn’t be trusted. Who knew when she would get the urge to call the demons back to finish me off?

I tried to work through the raging blaze inside my body one last time. I gritted my teeth and forced myself up onto my elbows, then plopped over on my side, managing to roll a few inches closer to the portal. Red-hot tingling surged through my hand as I lifted it and reached into the sparking façade to grab the doorknob beyond.

A loud crackle rang in my ears. The hand that entered the sticky, hot goo stung like a million amps electrified me to the bone, and then it disintegrated. I
couldn’t
pull away.
 

Oh my God, what have I done?
 

The sound of Layla shouting over my own screams reverberated through my skull. “NO! Nevaeh, you’ll never make it!”
 

A rough force yanked the rest of my body through the portal.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Devil Is In the Details

An earthy, woodsy odor tickled my nose, waking me from a deep sleep. My groggy eyes would not open though. I lay still, allowing my other senses to awaken. The alluring smell filled my nostrils, calling to me, arousing me. I couldn’t help the moan of pleasure escaping from my lips. A bead of sweat dribbled along my collarbone, causing goosebumps to pucker on my skin, and I shivered. The atmosphere was thick and dewy—welcoming like a warm, tropical day.
 

Something silky glided against my body as I shifted on a cushioned surface. I stretched and arched my back, exploring the smooth fabric swaddling me.
 

Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t know where I was. I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten here. An eerie haze shrouded my mind, making it impossible to recall what happened after I’d left the café. I scrunched my face, willing the memories forward, but nothing happened.

My eyes snapped wide open in a panic, and I lifted up on my elbows, searching for familiarity. Instead, I was astonished by the wistful beauty of my surroundings. A tranquility floated through the room like a fog, kneading the unease from my shoulders. Somehow, it felt as though I belonged here.
 

I glanced down at the cushy surface supporting my body and saw that it was an oversized mattress. The chamber was large, but the bed, with its curling wrought iron frame, took up most of it. A strange sensation brushed away my instinct to flee, convincing me that I was destined to lay here for eternity.
 

Mountains of soft pillows were piled at the head of the bed while a lake of smooth, lustrous, crimson sheets wrinkled around me and poured over the edges in a cascade of rich silk. Such fancy things were beyond anything I had ever enjoyed.

Tiny dots of light beamed down on the silky sheets, accentuating the sheen of the fabric, drawing my eyes upward. Thousands of glittering stars floated above me, trapped against an onyx ceiling. The little orbs bunched together, creating puddle-sized galaxies that radiated the only light in the room. I watched with an open mouth as shades of purple, pink, and blue swirled through the black atmosphere and exploded into tiny nebulae. It was as if someone scooped a room-sized portion out of space and let it loose within these four walls.

The miniature night sky hovered so low that I could almost touch it, yet it seemed unbound by the room’s height. Curious, I pushed myself up to stand on the bed and examined the vastness caught above me. I reached out to pluck one of the orbs from the air, but it retracted away from my touch—like little fairies afraid of a human hand.
 

A faint breeze blew through the tropical atmosphere, grazing my skin, and I suddenly became aware of how naked I was. I couldn’t bring myself to care, though. I had bigger things to worry about.

I spun in a slow circle, examining the four intimidatingly solid walls constructing the approximately twelve feet tall cube surrounding me. Their black, glossy marble gleamed with the reflection of the little trapped stars. Each wall seamed fluidly into the sparkling canopy of night above.
 

While admiring the magic of my chamber, I experienced the unexpected flux of another life force’s energy entering the room. Feelings of uncertainty and trepidation spawned from my heightened emotions. I quickly yanked the sheet up to cover my body and searched the room. My skin tingled in its presence. I couldn’t see anyone, but clearly I wasn’t alone. It was aggressive yet protective—masculine in every meaning of the word.
 

The new energy did something, lessened its dominance perhaps, and soothed my angst, settling the knot forming in my gut. Relaxing, even though my senses begged me not to, I eased into the safety and well-being promised by the presence.

I felt loved, embraced, and wanted by this thing. My brain questioned the secretive intentions I detected from the energy, but my heart craved it. The invisible creature was gentle and enticing, but at the same time harbored a rough and careless way. It absorbed my fear and anxiety, then infused me with notions of erotic pleasures.
 

I dropped to my knees on the soft mattress and closed my eyes, imagining the being seducing me. Visions of a faceless man with waist-length raven hair and godlike muscles toyed with the intimacy of my mind. He stood at my bedside, towering over my needy body. I eased down, lying on my back in waiting.

As I envisioned what he might look like, his greedy, invisible hand caressed my skin from head to knee, then parted my thighs demandingly. The hunger in his touch, slightly raking into my flesh, was far more delicious than anything I could ever imagine. And, while his fingers traveled up and down my body, he whispered the raw, ravenous things he could do—if only I’d give in.

Undulating ecstasy ebbed and flowed against my body like ocean waves rocking me into submission. I implored his darkness to conquer me—to make me blissfully high like the beautiful poison of a mind-numbing drug.

 
The woodsy scent spiraled around me again, and I knew it was coming from my dangerous lover. The natural, piney musk—strong and manly in tone—dulled my inhibitions. I drew my head back, arching my neck and chest up for him, then focused my closed eyes on the image of him alone. I abandoned my doubt, my fears, and the feeling in my gut telling me to run. Every bit of my senses overloaded under his seduction.
 

I sucked in a deep breath through my mouth, tasting his fragrance this time. Saltiness with a hint of molasses saturated my taste buds. Immediately, my body stiffened with arousal.
 

The rise and fall of my chest quickened. My moans became raspier. Beads of moisture from the humid air trickled down my neck and traced the underline of my breasts, leaving goosebumps where they touched, teasing my sensitive skin along the way. I longed to see the true body of the being making me yearn for him so badly, but my lover’s touch disappeared the second I opened my eyes to search for him; only a distant hum of his energy lingered in the room.
 

I whimpered, feeling cold from his abandonment. Everything was so elusive here.

My eyes darted around the room, hoping to catch just one glimpse of him. There was nowhere to hide. There was, however, a large ornate door opposite of the bed. I crawled toward the edge of the mattress to examine the door closer, but hesitated when I glanced down at the floor. Beyond the crimson silk, lay an exact likeness of the ceiling above. Nausea and disorientation came with the idea that nothing was beneath the bed—that it might be floating on some starry oblivion.