Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) (9 page)

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Ms. Dawson—”

“You took away my freedom, but I’m not about to fall in line like a goddamn—” She winced as her gaze went to the sky and she bit her bottom lip. “Like a child,” she finished.

“You will train with the others. You could be an important part of what we are trying to do here.”

“When you figure that
important part
out, you let me know. Until then, I’m going back to bed.”

Around me, a couple of demons chuckled. Corson and Bale remained unmoving by my side, raptly watching her.

River went to turn away but Bernadette stepped forward and stopped her. “We could arrange for your brothers to be returned to your mother.”

River froze; her hand fell back to her side. She glared at the woman before turning to look at Mac. “I willingly left with you to keep them away from her.”

“We can do whatever we want. We could even have them brought here,” Bernadette continued.

River’s mouth parted on a breath. Her eyes dilated as they darted over all of us before she gazed at the wilds beyond the houses. She had to have heard the cries last night, and now that she knew we weren’t human, she had to know worse lay beyond the protection of this camp.

“No,” River said. “You can’t do that. They’re all I have… No. You promised they would be safe.”

“Then fall in line,” Bernadette replied.

River took a step forward, not to follow the others as they ran along the wall, but in a hostile advance toward Bernadette. I broke away from the others and strode toward them when I realized River was about to launch herself at the woman.

“It’s all right,” I said to Bernadette as I stepped in between them. “I would like to spend some time with her anyway.”

I almost felt a small amount of pity for her as River gazed helplessly at the rest of us. Almost. While I found her fighting spirit to be amusing, she was going to have to accept her new fate and make her peace with it. We all did, or had to do, things we didn’t want to.

She’d really hate what she would have to do if she was the one we’d been looking for.

River

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Kobal as he moved around the inside of the tent he’d brought me into. I should be terrified of this man, this
demon
. Instead, I found myself raptly watching the way his muscles rippled as he moved. Attraction to someone was not something I’d experienced often, but now it swelled within me as I longed to run my fingers over his bronzed skin.

Being torn away from my family had rattled my brain, I decided.

His head nearly brushed against the roof of the tent as he strode around to the chair at the end of the table and pulled it out. “Sit,” he said and gestured to the chair.

“I’d prefer to stand.”

A hint of a smile quirked his full mouth before he walked over and settled into a different chair. “So, River, do you plan to sullenly refuse to do anything for your entire stay here?”

I scowled at him as I folded my arms over my chest. Sullen wasn’t the way I’d gone about my life up to this point, but I had every reason to be more than a little bad-tempered right now. “You mean for the rest of my life? That will be my
entire
stay here, from what I’ve been led to understand.”

Those entirely black eyes glistened in the light of the lanterns behind him. “You are correct.”

Inwardly, I flinched at his abrupt confirmation of my fate, but I kept my face impassive. I didn’t care what he said, I would figure out a way to see my brothers again.

“I didn’t sign up for this. I’m not going to fall into place because I’m told to,” I said.

“No, your mother signed you up for this.”

I barely managed to stop myself from recoiling as if I’d been slapped. Apparently, Mac had told him what had happened yesterday. Fine, whatever, I was used to how fast word traveled in a small town. I didn’t care who knew my own mother had thrown me to the wolves… or more accurately, demons.

I hated the twinge to my heart caused by the reminder, but I couldn’t deny it. My mother, the woman who had given birth to me, avoided, berated, and abused me throughout my life, had hated me enough to send me somewhere she’d never have to see me again. Had hated me enough to send me somewhere that she had no idea what would become of me.

Bet you didn’t expect this, Mother.

I threw back my shoulders as I held his gaze. “Mac told you.”

“He did.”

I didn’t say anymore as he clasped his hands before him and rested them on the table. My gaze moved to his long, elegant fingers. His fingernails were entirely black, not dirty or painted, but naturally as black as his eyes. It was another difference between us that probably should have disturbed me, but didn’t. Had I somehow lost all sense of self-preservation and reason when they had pulled Bailey from my arms, or was it the man himself —
demon, you idiot—
making all my fear vanish?

“Why are you not afraid of me?” he inquired.

I tore my gaze away from his hands and met his eyes once more. “Am I supposed to be?”

“Most humans are.”

“I can see why. You’re different; they’re not used to you.”

“You’re not used to me either.”

“I’m not afraid of different,” I replied.

“Because
you
are different.”

“I’m no different than anyone else.”

“Your mother told Mac you see things.”

He could probably hear my teeth grinding at the reminder of how badly she’d betrayed me.

“She also believed I had the Devil’s eyes, something I’m sure Mac told you too. My mother wasn’t entirely stable.”

“He did, and as I told Mac, I know the Devil personally and your eyes are not the same color as Lucifer’s.”

It took everything I had to keep my mouth shut over that casual comment. He knew the Devil,
personally
? Holy hell in a handbasket, for the first time I truly realized what I was dealing with. They could parade a bunch of horned, fanged, tailed demons in front of us, but to think of them bumping elbows with the Devil himself made my knees go weak.

“Really?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

“Yes. Perhaps you should sit.” He gestured to the seat I’d refused to take earlier.

This time, I wasn’t stubborn enough to refuse it again. Walking toward him, I settled into the chair across from him, across from a
demon
.

“Due to the events of thirteen years ago, Lucifer can now walk the earth if he chooses,” he said.

This time, I couldn’t keep my mouth closed. It dropped open so fast I half believed it might dislocate and bang off the table. “That’s possible?” I blurted.

“Anything is possible,” he replied with an air I found far too casual considering the topic.

“Even for Lucifer himself to walk the earth?”

Kobal snorted and rose to his feet; walking over to the sideboard, he pulled a bottle of wine and two gold goblets inlaid with rubies from the cabinets underneath. The lanterns and candles flickering in the tent glinted off the goblets and caused the rubies to glisten like blood. He turned toward me and lifted the bottle of wine in an inquiring gesture. I shook my head no and watched as his large hands elegantly filled his goblet. His hand could probably encompass my entire head; I was struck by the certainty he could squish my skull like a bug.

He settled in across from me again. “He hates the name Lucifer.”

I did a double take at this odd statement. “Why?”

Kobal actually smiled at me to reveal all of his even white teeth as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs before him. I realized his muscles had muscles as they flexed beneath his tank top. “Lucifer actually means shining one, morning star. It was the name he was given before he was cast from Heaven, the place where he once was the shining one. When he settled in Hell, those who called him by that name again were ruthlessly slaughtered.”

“Who would have guessed he’d be so testy about a name.”

“We are what we make ourselves. He wanted no reminder of his former life.”

If it hadn’t been for Gage, Bailey, Lisa, and Asante, I would have completely understood that statement. I loved my small town, but my mother’s betrayal would forever be stamped on my soul, would forever taint what had once been a fairly happy place for me. Whenever she wasn’t around anyway.

“And what does he prefer to be called?” I asked.

“Satan.”

I leaned forward to take hold of the goblet he’d set before me. I’d never had wine before, but this conversation called for it. His hand engulfed the wine bottle before I could take hold of it. “I will pour it for you,” he murmured.

Settling back in my seat, I watched him as he poured the wine and set the goblet down again. “Polite, for a demon,” I murmured.

“Brave, for a human,” he replied. “Or stupid. Which is it?”

I shrugged and lifted the goblet. It was heavier than I had expected and by far the most expensive and exquisite thing I’d ever held in my life. It may be beautiful, but it wouldn’t fill my belly, so it had little relevance to my life. Unless I melted it down to make hooks out of it, I thought with a smile.

“Maybe a little of both,” I admitted, but I had the insane feeling he wouldn’t hurt me, even if he probably could crumple my body and use me as an accordion if he wanted to.

I took a sip of the red liquid inside the goblet. My nose wrinkled when the bitter taste hit my tongue and slid down my throat.

“It’s an acquired taste,” he informed me.

“Apparently so.”

“There’s many misconceptions about demons, and some truths.”

“Are you going to tell me which is which?” I inquired.

“You’ll learn. We’ll be spending a lot of time together over the coming weeks.”

I didn’t know what to make of that statement. The man may not outright frighten me, but his massive size and demonic nature were more than a little overwhelming. “Why?”

“So that you can be trained properly to protect yourself.”

“Do you not want to kill humans?”

“Oh, there are a fair number of you I’d like to kill. You’re a rather annoying species in all honesty, but you serve your purpose.”

“What is that?”

“To help end this war.”

I tilted my head to study him. “Why would you want to end it? Aren’t demons supposed to want to walk the earth and stamp humans out?”

“No, not all of us,” he replied. “We are fighting against those of us who would wish to see you all enslaved and begging for mercy. There are also creatures living in Hell that have been locked away for many millennia and should never be set free. We must make sure they stay that way. Now, River, what else can you do, besides see things?”

“Nothing,” I lied straight-faced. But then maybe it wasn’t a lie; I wasn’t sure about the curtain fire, and static electricity on someone’s fingers would be of no interest to a demon. There was also that one dream, but I was certain that had been a fluke too.

“Hmm.” His gaze raked me from head to toe and back again. “Would you tell me if there was something else you could do?”

“Will you tell me why I’m here? What is with the fliers looking for people with abilities? What exactly are you all searching for, and what will happen if this person is found, whoever it is?”

“I can’t give you those answers.”

I hadn’t expected anything different from him than I’d gotten from Mac, but frustration still caused my gut to clench. “If I am the person you’re looking for, will I still be kept in the dark?”

“No, you will be informed of what you need to know then.”

My fingers played with the edge of the goblet as I admired the rubies and tried to think of questions he might be willing to answer. I may not be able to learn everything, but I would learn as much as I could. “Is Hell as bad as we’ve been led to believe?”

“Better and worse. Depends on what you’re there for.”

I lifted my head to meet those seemingly fathomless black eyes. “Were you sent there?”

“I was born there, all demons are in one way or another.”

“Was it horrible for you?”

A small smile quirked the edge of his mouth. “What is Hell for one may not be Hell for another. It is my home; I miss it.”

“Did you, ah… did you hurt people?”

“People as you think of them are not there, their souls are. Every soul within Hell belongs there.”

“But did you hurt them?”

His fingers tapped on the table as he studied me. “They are there to be punished; therefore, they are.”

My hand wrapped around the bottom of the goblet. I took another sip of the liquid to wet my parched throat. “I’ve broken many of the commandments in my lifetime; perhaps we would have met one day anyway.”

“It’s not all about the commandments,” he replied. “The souls of the people who are sent there did far more than covet their neighbor’s goods.”

I tilted my head to the side as I pondered everything I’d learned so far today. “So there really is a Heaven and a Hell.”

“There is,” he confirmed and finished off his drink. He poured himself another glass of wine and sat back in his chair.

“Are angels going to come down and help us?” I felt as foolish asking that question as it sounded, but then I was sitting across from a demon, so why couldn’t white-winged beings swoop down to beat back the demons looking to enslave us?

“No.”

“How can you be so sure?” I demanded.

“Because your idiot human species didn’t rip a hole into Heaven. They ripped it into Hell and set almost everything inside free.”

I was going to have to start wiring my jaw shut if I kept talking to this guy.