I'll Be Damned (Anna Wolfe Series) (47 page)

To our right, a group of tables are bunched together. Although vacant now, after the dancing, they’ll be overflowing with food and chatter. At the far end of the room, a fountain murmurs as the colored water splashes into the trough below. The strong smell of gardenias drift by me, reminding me of summer days. Despite the overcrowded scene, a man with stunning blue eyes can’t be overlooked. Valen is leaning on the makeshift bar, watching me attentively. I blush, seeing his intensity, and the haunting thought of my date’s earlier indiscretion. I give him a small grin before Roman whisks me away on the dance floor. Unfamiliar music croons through the speakers. I scan the room, thankful no one is staring at my horrible dance steps. Roman whips, twirls and dips me all over the place, and all I can do is laugh. I lose myself in the moment, doing my best not to scare away any fun. The music slows down and Roman guides me into his embrace.

“Anna, what happened in the limo…”

“Roman, it’s okay, you don’t need to explain,” I interrupt. I don’t want him to finish. I want to forget it ever happened and slip the unusual feelings I have for him somewhere safe, where I won't stumble over them. He nods his head without another word. As soon as the song is over, he slides us away toward the direction of Valen.

“I’m going to scope the place out, and see where he might be hiding Janie, as well as catch up with a few contacts,” Roman announces. He turns to Valen. “Let me know when Brielle arrives.” With that, he strides off.

“How do we even know Janie’s here?” I question. The idea of Micah bringing a kidnapped human to a crowded party suddenly seems farfetched.

“He’s going to bargain with you using Janie as leverage. If everything goes well, we won’t have to worry about that.”

“I don’t understand. If Micah reports to Lucifer, then he has to gain his permission, doesn’t he?” I inquire.

“Not necessarily,” Valen answers. “If Micah wants you all to himself, which I’m positive he does, he’ll act as though his interest is the same as Lucifer’s. Micah plans to take over the Netherworld with you and your powers.”

I sigh inwardly. “There has to be another way…” If Micah plans to deceive his own boss in the Netherworld, then he’s a man with nothing to lose. “Why don’t we tell Lucifer what’s going on?” I suggest.

Valen laughs mockingly. “Sure, Anna, let’s stroll into the Netherworld and persuade one of the most ruthless and powerful demons that his son is plotting against him.”

Micah’s the son of Lucifer? His Prince of Darkness title suddenly makes a little more sense. “Micah's his son?”

“Yes, so informing Lucifer of his treachery presents a problem,” he explains. He turns to the bartender, ordering two champagnes. A flute filled with a rosy bubbling liquid makes its way into my hand. I sip the fancy champagne, amazed that it tastes like money.

“Thanks,” I say shyly. His sexy smile takes center stage, elevating my heart rate. I take another sip, this time longer. Roman’s disclaimer about staying somewhat sober tonight stops me from chugging the remainder of it. The music changes, giving way to a slower, more controlled setting. Valen extends his hand, asking me to dance. I oblige happily, almost tossing the flute on the bar.

He leads me into the center of the dance floor, twirling me gingerly. My dress sparkles with vivacity as the bottom of it gracefully whirls in response. He pulls me into him and I slide into the niche I'm convinced was carved out just for me. I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes as he leads me in a sensual, wordless, slow dance. I inhale his cologne of spice and woods, letting it play with my senses. The musicians switch to a more upbeat song, but we ignore it. People glide by, laughing and spinning around us, their way of politely asking us to leave the floor. As soon as we take our places at the bar, a stomach cramp unleashes such fury into my muscles, I keel over, and reach for the nearest stable object, which happens to be the bar's skirt. I pull it right off, unable to stop myself. Loud cracks and shattered glass crash all around me, drawing unwanted attention. Many guests throw punishing glances in my direction for interrupting their night. Valen sweeps me outside the door before I’m subjected to further embarrassment. A wave of pain spreads through my body like fire, completely immobilizing me. I drop to my knees, listening to the crack of the crystals as they smash beneath my weight. So much for the expensive dress.

“We’re leaving,” Valen states, more concerned than usual.

I try to speak, but the pain swallows my words.
White light, fill me, ease the pain
. I envision the white light healing me just enough to speak. “I’m… I’m fine,” I finally manage.

“Anna, you’re not fine! This night is over,” he insists, pointing at me. “It’s too dangerous here and your pain will only get worse.”

I shake my head no. We can’t leave now, we're too close to finding Janie and we haven’t spoken to anyone yet. Music drifts over the evening breeze, swallowing the echoing sounds of laughter and enjoyment. I cringe as another cramp punches me right in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I exhale strenuously, praying I don’t pass out. Valen lifts me in his arms, carrying me further into the backyard, which bursts with foliage. Garish displays of red and black roses greet us, while fuzzy bushes protrude behind them, threatening to suffocate their beauty. Nestled between nature’s splendor sits a secluded wrought iron bench where he gently sets me down. I try to sit up, only to find resistance from Valen’s hands.

“Anna, relax. Your final transition is starting, which means you’re going to feel like this for a while,” he states, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. “I need to find Roman and get you out of here.”

I grunt, expecting him to decode gibberish. It’s no use. Large black dots clutter my vision before sheathing it totally in black.

“Anna, Anna… wake up,” Valen yells, digging his fingers into my shoulders as he frantically shakes me.

I open my leaden eyes, to find a face gripped in distress. “Thank God,” he says, hugging my limp body. I swallow hard. My saliva is readily absorbed by my dry, cracked throat. The pain still lingers, but not nearly as powerfully as before. I cover my stomach with my hand, slowly lifting myself into a sitting position with Valen’s help.

“What happened?” I ask curiously.

“You passed out,” he answers in a shaky voice.

The pain must have caused me to consciously check out. I remove my hand, wiping my sweaty forehead. I can only imagine how horrid I must look. Valen lowers himself next to me, slumping into his shoulders.

“Chances are you'll have another episode,” he exhales. “It’s not a good idea to stay here, Anna.”

I nod my agreement, knowing my requests to stay will only be denied. “Valen, I need to find Janie.”

“Roman will know if she’s here. I need to find him, but Brielle still hasn't shown up. And I'm not leaving you,” he argues adamantly.

“Valen, I’m fine. Look, no one’s here,” I counter impatiently. “I’ll relax until you and Roman come back, or Brielle shows up.”

Valen furrows his eyebrows in annoyance. The faster we find Roman, the faster we can leave. Sitting on a secluded bench doesn’t support our efforts. Valen glances at his Rolex. “Brielle should have been here by now,” he states. He slides his hand into his pocket, retrieving his cell phone. He clicks a few buttons, before placing it to his ear. A minute later, he slams the
End
button with his thumb. “Damn it! It went straight to her voicemail. This isn't like her,” he growls.

That badgering, warning feeling comes back with vengeance. Something’s wrong. Roman’s been gone too long and we haven’t even seen Brielle. “Valen, you need to find them… please,” I say urgently.

He stands, knowing full well the chances we’re taking. “Anna, don’t leave here, you understand?” He says pointing to my new prison. “Under any circumstances!”

“I won’t."

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he yells hesitantly before dashing out of sight and leaving me alone.

I observe the landscape, busying myself by listening to the symphony of crickets singing and bullfrogs bellowing. The cramping subsides enough for me to stand. I pull my weight onto my feet, and lift my tortured body up. I stand motionless, in anticipation of the next cramp, when I suddenly realize the pain is gone. I place one foot in front of the other, cringing at the worn out spots on my dress where I knelt on the ground earlier. Then I shrug happily. I didn’t shell out an obscene amount of money for it, so what do I care? If anything, it feels good to ruin Micah’s gift. A faint, gloating smile tugs on my mouth. I pace countless circles around the bench, stopping only a few times to exhale the carbon dioxide from my cramping muscles. Should I try to find Valen? That’s probably not a good idea. I don’t know where to start; and a mansion this gigantic would be nothing short of a maze. I groan, bored with anxiety. I walk over to the fuzzy bushes, stroking their furry leaves. Their softness on my palm reminds me of cotton balls. A rustling in the trees slaps my senses into overdrive. I glance towards the border of tall bushes delineating the property fifteen feet away. The tops of the trees thrash precariously, giving way to the object forging a path through them. I throw my arms up like a boxer, awaiting my opponent. Labored breathing fills my ears. I tense up, unsure of what I might see. Time is trapped by my anxiety, reducing it to slow motion. Now, the branches on the trees at the very front are moving, indicating its rapid approach. Finally, it bursts through the trees, and comes straight at me.

“Cara?” I question, dazed.

She falls to the ground, covered in bright red fluid and bruises. Holy shit. I run over to her, ignoring my body’s demands to take it easy. “Oh my God, Cara what happened to you?” I ask, falling next to her. The sight of her blood-stained body rocks me. I scoop her up in my arms as she sobs, unable to form coherent sentences. I cradle her, rocking her reassuringly. How could she be involved? Maybe at one point she was, but by the looks of it, not anymore.

“You’re okay now,” I soothingly whisper in her ear. “Are you hurt?” I ask, lifting up her shirt.

She shakes her head no, violently knocking my hand away. She stops weeping after a few minutes. “Anna,” she says between breaths. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry,” she weeps louder. “I know where Janie is,” she whimpers.

“Where?” I demand aggressively.

Cara lifts her hand, pointing in the direction she came from. I grin, delighted to have half my problem solved. I have Cara with me, now all I need to do is get Janie. “She’s in a deserted cabin… I tried to rescue her, but I couldn’t,” she answers before breaking down into sobs again.

I hug her tightly, vowing to kill Micah tonight. “Cara, you wait here... got it?” I say, shifting her onto the ground. “When Valen returns, tell him where I went.” I leave, without waiting for her answer.

I sprint in the direction of Janie, ignoring the warning chimes ringing as loud as church bells in my head. My cramps are nearly gone, thanks to the large amounts of adrenaline pumping in my body. It's so dark, I can barely see more than five feet in front of me. I curse myself for not bringing a flashlight. I slow my pace, hoping I'm going in the right direction. The smell of decaying leaves penetrates my nose, making me cringe. All around me, chunky bundles of bushes and trees, their limbs extending outward or to the ground seem to watch me. I brush aside a few branches, realizing how condensed these woods are. I should have waited for Valen. Terror joins me, threatening to unravel my nerves. Step after step, piercing crunches of broken sticks assault my ears... so much for sneaking around. There's too much debris for me to arrive unnoticed. After pushing away another set of branches from my face, I spot a dark object in the shadows. It's the cabin. I hide behind a tree, peeking out to survey what I'm up against. Looking at the dilapidated structure, I tremble. The chilly air surrounds me, enveloping my body. Designer dresses aren't the best choice for nighttime romps in the woods. Shreds of moonlight fight their way through the dense tree canopy, splashing an eerie spotlight on the roof. Shadows extend themselves using the leftover light, wandering over its sinister landscape.

An old stone walkway winds up a crooked path on the soggy grass leading to the house.  Numerous cracks and crumbles open up to an orchard of weeds, stealing the beauty that once thrived there. Vines creep up the sides of the house, forming a twisted maze of thorns before placing their fractured tentacles on the roof. Splotches of the original paint peek through the chipped and tattered, black, soot-covered walls. Shards of glass poke up from broken windows with a malicious sneer. The cabin looks uninhabited, and I begin to second-guess Cara's story. I step away from my hiding place, and cautiously walk towards the house. I avoid stepping on the stone walkway and opt for the front lawn. I reach the inhospitable wooden porch steps, wishing I could turn around. Cobwebs twist through the railing and inside the corners of the doorway, adding to the creepiness. I wonder what kind of supernatural lives here and calls it home.