Octavian's Undoing (Sons of Judgment) (42 page)

Unable to believe she was still alive, Riley clung to him, fisting her hands into the back of his bulky sweater. She mashed her face into his shoulder, letting the soft wool soak up her tears.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked, her voice breaking. “But couldn’t let him have it. I knew something horrible would happen if he ever came near my bracelet.”

His fingers closed painfully tight in her hair. “You stupid girl!” he snarled. “When will you get it through your head that
nothing
is more important to me than you? When will you realize the very thought of losing you drives me to madness? I can’t even describe the terror I felt when you ran. I had no idea what he was going to do, if he would really …” he broke off, his powerful body giving a shudder against hers.

“You’re wrong.” Sniffling, she raised her head to peer up into his thunderous features. “You mean everything to me, Octavian. You’re stupid to think I would let anyone hurt you.”

The muscles in his jaw flexed. His nostrils flared. Heat swelled behind his eyes, an inferno so bright, it singed her. “Next time, just give him the damn bracelet.”

She shook her head. “No, I won’t. Not ever.”

“Riley—”

“Would you?” she challenged. “If you were in my place and I gave you the bracelet that could potentially put my life in danger, possibly even kill me, would you give it to him?”

He said nothing, but the sharp flare of anger was enough.

“So how can you ask me to give him the one thing that will destroy you? Do you think you’re the only one who can’t stand the thought of something happening to me? Do you think I won’t die if you do?” Voice hitching, she dropped her face into his chest. Her entire body shook as she struggled to reign in her tattered emotions. “I don’t even want to live if…”

He pressed her closer. “Don’t cry, baby. I’m sorry.”

Hiccupping, Riley pulled back just enough to look up at him. “Is he gone?”

Octavian nodded, using his thumb to wipe away her tears. The padding on his gloves lightly grazed the sensitive skin. “He’s gone. Dad calmed things down, but he’ll be back.”

“What does he want?” She touched the tender flesh around her wrist. “Why is he so adamant for your bracelet?”

“A Selkie’s pelt is infused with powerful magic. To possess a Selkie’s pelt is to possess him. The fact that I’m a Caster is an added bonus. He could make me do anything he wanted. I would be at his mercy.”

Anger welled up inside her. “Who is he?”

“Baron.” He snarled the name as though it were something foul souring the taste in his mouth. “He’s a Chief Demon, one of the high ranking officers from the Great War and the reason we Casters still exist. When a mortal offers their soul to a Demon, he’s the one that makes the deal, usually benefiting him. The human turns into an inanimis and he gets their soul. To us, he’s the scum of the Underworld.”

“Lower than that.” It was only then Riley noticed the trio standing discreetly just outside the door, a polite distance not to eavesdrop, but close enough that they totally could without difficulty. But it was Reggie who stepped forward to rest a shoulder against the doorway.

She turned away from his brothers to face Octavian once more. “Why don’t you kill him?”

“We’d love to,” Gideon muttered, moving to hold up the other doorframe with his shoulder.

“We’re not permitted to go after ranking Demons,” Octavian said. “In truth, because of the treaty, we’re not allowed to kill Demons at all. Not unless they commit a punishable crime like harm a human.”

“It’s a fact Baron relishes,” Gideon sighed, rubbing his jaw. “He comes here, knowing we can’t touch him.”

“But he hurts humans,” she pointed out. “He takes their souls.”

The brothers exchanged glances.

“Yes, but he doesn’t physically harm them. They summon him, and willingly volunteer their souls in exchange for his servicWe can’t touch him,” Reggie explained.

Riley sighed. “I got such a horrible feeling from him.” She rubbed her bruised wrist. “The moment he walked in it was like a feeling of terror…” She shuddered, every hair on her arm rising.

Octavian pulled her tighter against him. “Don’t think any more about him. We’ll be more careful about leaving you alone in the front.”

He touched the band around her wrist. He lightly grazed the bare flesh underneath with gloved fingers. His gaze lifted up to her face.

He leaned in, dropping his voice, “You are my fire,” he murmured just for her ear before taking her hand and leading her from the room.

She was tired and harboring a monster-sized headache by the time they reached the kitchen.

Slow, hypnotic music poured through the kitchen doors, a clear sign that the night had not stopped simply because the father of all evil had flounced into the place.

“I’m going to go see if Dad needs any help,” Reggie said, leaving the group to slip through the doors.

Gideon groaned. “I better go, too. Dad couldn’t mix a drink if his life depended on it.” He followed the youngest into the crowd.

“I’m not doing anything,” Magnus said with an indifferent shrug. “But I’m guessing you two want some alone time so I better make myself scarce.” With a salute, he spun on his heels and stalked in the opposite direction of the dining area.

Riley looked at Octavian. “I should be out there helping.”

He nodded. “I’ll be out in a moment.”

With a final squeeze to his fingers, she left his side and walked out to face the music.

The room was as somber as ever. Demons masquerading as people sat at tables, hunched over their drink of choice with expressions one would wear at a funeral. Riley had never been a bar dweller, truthfully couldn’t even recall the last time she’d ever been inside a bar or had a drink, but she was almost positive people weren’t supposed to look that gloom with alcohol in their hand.

“Why are they like that?” she asked Gideon, while she waited for her order to be prepared.

“What’s that?” He spared her a single fleeting glance before focusing once more on the strange, blue liquid he’d poured into a tiny shot glass. He topped it off with a light cream and something she could have sworn was crushed insect legs.

“Why is everyone so… down?” She gestured to a group of solemn woman a few tables away. “I mean isn’t booze supposed to make people, I dunno, happy? It works on the Friday crowd.”

Gideon snorted. “They’re waiting to get out of Hell. They sit here all night until dawn, hoping their name will be called. A lot of them have been here every night for centuries. That’s a long time to wait, and when they’re not waiting, they have to return to Hell until the next night. I’d be kind of down, too. As for Fridays, that crowd is a younger generation of demons. They have yet to experience the weight of eternity in Hell. In a few centuries, they will be just like the others, waiting for their name to be called.”

“How do they get their name called?”

He gestured with a nod of his head towards where Liam sat in the corner, bent over a stack of papers. “Mom and Dad review their application, judge if their powers, their previous sins and the danger they could cause humans. If accepted, they are given a fortnight into the mortal realm. If denied, the demon is sent back to Hell.”

Riley frowned. “Why do demons want to leave? Aren’t they supposed to like living in Hell?”

Gideon met her gaze with an arched brow. “Would you want to live the rest of your life in Hell, darling?”

Okay, so he had her there.

“They shouldn’t be allowed in the human world at all.”

He shrugged. “They need the energy force.”

“Energy force?”

“Yeah.” He set the drink down on her tray. “Demons need energy and the best source of energy comes from humans. There aren’t a lot of those in Hell. Well, the alive sort anyway.”

Riley exhaled. “Being human sucks sometimes.”

Gideon chuckled. “Being a Caster isn’t any better most days. The very demons in this room would like nothing better than to tear our throats out. It’s only a matter of time before they decide they’ve had enough.”

Riley shuddered at the image he was painting. “Don’t say that. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you guys.”

The seriousness in his face melted into a charming smile. “Buck up, little sister. You’re not going to lose us yet.”

She took up her tray and eyed him with a grin. “Better not or I’ll kick your ass.”

With his rolling laughter following her, Riley went to deliver her order.

The night ended uneventfully with the damned shuffling off into the night and Magnus shutting the door behind them. Riley watched as the heavy pieces of wood slammed into place and frowned.

“Where do they go?” she asked, turning to the two behind her. “Every night, they walk in, drink and then walk out. If this is the gateway to Hell, shouldn’t they, I dunno, disappear through the floorboard or something?”

“We’re not hiding the doorway to Hell in the basement,” Magnus muttered, stalking across the room and dropping into a vacant chair. “Hell’s out there.” He jerked his head backward towards the door.

Riley’s eyes went round. “Hell’s out there in the human world?”

“Hell,” Liam began, giving a grunt as he lowered himself more gingerly into a nearby chair. “Is actually neighbors with Heaven. The two coincide on a single plain of existence just on the other side of the Veil. Final Judgment is more of the application office, like when you go to get your driver’s license and need to wait at the DMV to take your test.”

Riley blew out a breath. “I remember that day. It certainly felt like Hell.”

Liam laughed, making Riley grin.

Octavian moved to stand at Riley’s side. His gloved hand rested lightly on her lower back as he leaned in to murmur into her ear. “How are you?”

She leaned into him. “Tired.”

His fingers glided up the column of her spine to the place between her shoulder blades. “I’ll drive you home.”

No sooner had the words left him when the front doors opened and Gideon stomped in under an opaque cloud. He slammed the doors behind him and stomped to his twin. The chair screeched as he yanked it out from beneath the table and dropped into it.

“That woman… she drives me to commit murder.”

Magnus stiffened. “Gid…”

Gideon waved him away. “Relax. I didn’t, but I wanted to.” He rapped his knuckles on the table hard. “It would certainly wipe all that smug arrogance from her face.”

“What’s going on?” Liam said, looking from one son to the other.

“Valkyrie Devereaux.” Gideon bit out the name as though it was tinged with slug guts. He slammed a fist down on the table. “Ugh! Even her name makes me want to punch something. She’s—”

“What happened?” Octavian cut in.

Gideon threw his hands up. “What do you think happened? She’s still on her stupid high horse about honor and duty.” He turned to Magnus. “I should.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Magnus retorted sharply.

“You’re right. I think I’d suffer more than she would.”

“Gideon,” Octavian barked. “What did she say? Is she going to the Summit about Riley?”

Gideon sighed, ruffling a hand through his hair. “I tried everything short of beating her over the head with a brick, knocking her unconscious and kidnapping her. Even that is quickly looking very enticing, especially the beating over the head part.”

“Okay?” Octavian prompted, gritting the word through his teeth, his impatience evident in his eyes.

“Well, I clearly didn’t do it,” Gideon said. “I think I deserve a gold star for restraint
and
for having the patience of a saint.”

“Not that,” Octavian hissed. “Did you talk to her? What did she say?”

Gideon looked down. “She’s going to her father by the end of the week.” He fixed his gaze on his older brother. “Sorry, man. I tried.”