Soul Conquered (16 page)

Noah

After Lucifer’s exit, I use my
closet to call for Keira; I need her strength despite how she hurt me. But when
she stumbles out of it with hands bound, bloody and beaten, I forget all about
our breakup.

Scooping her into my arms, I carry her to the bed and lay
her gently down. I rip apart the ropes that hold her and kiss her tender skin
and every cut as she weeps. I’ve never seen her like this. I’ve seen her
afraid. I’ve seen her in pain. But I’ve never seen her actually…unhinged. She
always looks so perfectly put together, no matter what. But now her hair is
disheveled, her skin bruised and bleeding, her face covered with tears and
snot. She’s hysterical.

“What happened?” I ask when her crying slows. My cell
started ringing the second she appeared, but I’ve ignored it. I’m pretty sure I
heard the doorbell, too, but the media can wait. Lucifer can wait. “Why
couldn’t you break the rope?”

“Lucifer. He took my powers so I couldn’t fight. He caught
me trying to save Grace.”

“He stopped you even though I sent you there?” I’m shocked.
He did this because of me. He’s hurting the people I care about to make me fall
in line. Well, screw that.

“He didn’t want interference with his punishment. He left
her to be the first murder victim of a serial killer. It wasn’t pretty.” Keira
works her way to a sitting position, caressing her wrists.

I let this information sink in as she goes on.

“You think I look bad? I’ve seen a lot, but what that guy
did to Grace? That was seriously messed up.”

So many conflicting feelings rush through me, but rage
builds again beneath the surface. This time, it’s focused on one
target—and it isn’t my sister, her Angel boyfriend, Emily, or my parents.

“Lucifer.” I spit the name like a curse. “He’s out of
control.”

“Noah.” Keira puts a hand on my shoulder to get my full
attention. “He’s the Devil. No one—
no one
—can stop him.”

“You tried to tell me this could happen, but I was too
stubborn to listen. I didn’t think he’d leave you with Grace and that killer
just to get back at me.”

Keira sucks in her bottom lip like she’s afraid to answer.
“I’m fine. In fact, if you hadn’t called me, I would have ripped him apart by
now.” But she won’t meet my eyes, and she’s hugging herself. As brave as Keira
likes to pretend she is, I’ve seen how she cowers before Lucifer. I hate it.
And I hate him. It’s his fault she broke up with me. I realize it now. It’s all
so crystal clear.

“But he took your powers. He left you there, bound. He meant
for that guy to kill you.” Each sentence feeds the monster inside of me, and my
rage builds just like it did with Hale. Keira can tell—I see how she’s
watching me, like she’s afraid I’ll lose it. But I’m not blowing this. This
time, I’m smarter and stronger. I will protect her, and I won’t let Lucifer
bully me or hurt her again. Keira should be treated with kindness. She’s
suffered enough for any mistakes she made during her life on Earth, and Lucifer
must see that. Why does he continue to punish her?

“He meant for Grace to die. I just got in the way.” Keira
says the words quickly like she’s trying to put out a fire.

My stomach sinks, and I stare at her. “Grace… She died?”

“Well, no. Not really. I mean, she’s already dead. She’ll be
fine. We’re always fine; we just reappear back in Hell. She’ll have her Demon
powers back and everything.”

“But what about you? He’s going to be pissed you escaped,
isn’t he?”

Keira averts her eyes in answer, which only makes me want to
hurt him more.

“He won’t punish you, Keira. Not again. I swear that to
you.” I tilt her face up so she can see that I’m telling the truth. I will
protect her. I will find a way to defeat Lucifer.

“Just hold me, Noah,” she says, but she won’t look me in the
eyes. She doesn’t believe I can do it. But this time I’m not offended by it.
This time, I get it. She’s been abused for too long. I’m going to fix that.

I do what she asks. I pull her against me and kiss her head.
“I should have known right away that it wasn’t you talking.”

“What?” she asks, looking so fragile in my arms.

“I should have never doubted your feelings. You only broke
up with me because of Lucifer.”

She smiles, and it’s beautiful, like a flower opening toward
the sun. “Of course it was because of Lucifer. I never want to hurt you, Noah.
I’m so sorry.”

I’m too emotional to speak, so instead I bend over and kiss
her. It starts sweetly, but she grips my hair in her hands and suddenly, I want
to inhale her.

She responds with her usual fervor, and we lie back on the
bed, tangled together, reaching and grasping every bit of each other, like we
want to become one person. I used to think Keira was an all-powerful Demon who
didn’t let anyone get in her way. Now I see her and know her for who she really
is: a damaged girl who’s fought her whole life—and long
after—against cruel circumstances. She’s just as strong, but also
vulnerable. She may not always make the right decision or the “good” decision,
but neither do I—and imperfect people need love, too.

We deserve each other, Keira and I, and I intend to show her
that.

I’ve forgotten everything but Keira when Lucifer clears his
throat from right next to the bed.

We both spring up. Keira screams.

“Shut up, Keira. I’ll deal with you later.” Lucifer’s hand
flies out, clutching a dagger, and before I can react, he’s stabbed her in the
heart. Her eyes grow big as she looks to me, face filled with fear. She falls
to the side, blood seeping from the wound.

Lucifer waves a hand over her, and she disappears.

“What the fuck?” I jump out of bed and move toward him.

“It wasn’t a holy blade. She’s not dead.
Yet
.”
Lucifer adjusts his cufflinks. “I thought I told you to respond to the media.
Instead you’ve been reclusive and playing doctor with a Demon.”

“I am not one of your servants, Lucifer. Why did you do what
you did to Keira and Grace?” I continue forward until we’re nose to nose.

Lucifer’s shadow grows huge, blocking out all light except
for the fire in his eyes. But I don’t fall for parlor tricks. He hasn’t killed
me because he needs me—so let him get pissed.

“You have an interview.” Lucifer snaps his fingers and I’m
dressed in a suit and tie like the one I wore to Grace’s funeral. But this one
is nicer than anything I’ve ever owned. He snaps again and I’m in a comfy
chair, blinded by bright lights and the noise of a crowd.

“There you are! Thank goodness.” A woman’s voice. Someone
adjusts my tie and another someone dabs makeup on my face.

Amidst my confusion at the sudden change of scene, I’m still
shaking with barely controlled rage, squeezing my fists into the chair on
either side of me.

“We’re on in ten.”

My surroundings finally come into focus, and I find I’m
sitting on the set of a morning show, one I saw my mom watch a thousand times
when I was little. The woman speaking is a famous news anchor—Linda
something—and a stage crew is bustling around.

“Five…four,” counts a guy near the giant camera focused on
my face. The entire set goes so quiet, I can hear the breath of the anchor near
me.

“… And we’re live.”

Music blasts around us, and the anchorwoman smiles hugely.
“We have the exclusive first interview with Noah Howard, the man everyone’s
calling a hero. Noah! You attempted to save the life of Governor Tate. You may
well have saved countless other lives because you singlehandedly took down a
crazed shooter with your bare hands. What made you do it? Why not run for cover
like everyone else?”

She stares at me expectantly. I swallow and glance at the
camera. The whole thing is disorienting, which I’m sure Lucifer intended—to
unbalance me. My hate toward him flares. But I have to keep some perspective
and play it smart. I need to beat him at his own game, which means I need to
keep playing along. I take a deep breath and force a smile.

“Well, I guess I didn’t even think of that. I just saw the
gun, and my first impulse was to stop it from happening.”

She nods like I’ve said something profound. “You’ve had a
tragic life so far, having lost your sister to a drunk driver when you were
just fifteen. Some people may have fallen to pieces after that. I’m sure it was
difficult for your family. But you graduated early with honors. You sailed
through college. You have degrees in computer science and chemical engineering.”

I nod, unsure how or when that was supposed to have
happened.

“And you’re working on your law degree at Yale?”

“Yes. But I’m home for vacation,” I venture a guess.

“Good thing for the citizens of Seattle.”

I shift my weight, trying not to look like a starstruck kid.
Keira’s blank eyes keep flashing through my mind.

“Noah, you’re a man of few words. You’d probably prefer to
live a quiet life with your family. I’m guessing you don’t love all this
attention. Is that right?”

I pause for a second before answering. “I thought I did. I
mean, who doesn’t love attention, right? But I want it to be for something I
deserve.” It’s true. Have I really done anything worth all the praise? Am I
that special? I don’t know any more. And why did they bring up Grace’s
accident? What does that have to do with the man I am?

“Naturally! But I believe you’re in the public eye because
you
do
deserve it. You’re a hero, Noah! What’s next for you?”

I picture Keira, frightened out of her wits, then stabbed
mercilessly by Lucifer right after I promised I’d protect her. I think of Grace, killed by a sadist only to reappear back in Hell and be set up by Lucifer again. What’s
next is following the path Lucifer set out for me, but not for the same reasons
I thought I should before, and certainly not because that’s what Lucifer wants.

“What’s next? World domination.” I say it, pause while she
looks slightly confused, then smile. She relaxes and laughs. I laugh along with
her, though it’s anything but funny. “But seriously, I was thinking of maybe
running for office.”

Her eyebrows rise, and her expression grows hungry. Here’s
the exclusive she was hoping for.

“We all know how corrupt so many politicians are. We need
someone with the people’s best interest in office, don’t you think, Linda?” I
wonder if Lucifer is listening somewhere, but I doubt he could possibly know
what I really mean.

“Well, I for one would welcome someone like you, Noah.
Clearly you’re intelligent and not afraid to fight for what’s right.” She turns
to address the camera. “You heard it here first, folks. Noah Howard. It’s a
name you’re going to be hearing a lot more of down the road. We’ll be back in a
few minutes with internet sensation, Pepper: the cat that rescued a dog from
drowning.”

Music blares, and we rise while everyone around us buzzes
and runs about once again.

“Thank you, Noah, and good luck.” She shakes my hand and then
turns away. I barely take a step before I’m transported again. This time I’m in
a greenroom stuffed with flowers and a full buffet of food. The television in
the corner shows one of the country’s most popular talk shows, and the host is
announcing my name, “up next.”

Lucifer’s voice sounds in my head. “You have a full schedule
today, Noah. Keep it up, and I might just forgive you.”

Maybe. But I’ll never forgive you, Lucifer.

So watch your back.

Grace

I gasp for breath and jump up to
find myself in Lucifer’s throne room. I touch my throat and find no sign of
damage. My body is whole and unblemished, and I’m dressed in one of my usual
half-there outfits trimmed in lace.

“I trust you learned a valuable lesson.”

I look up at Lucifer on his throne. He’s smoking another
cigar, just like the one he gave to Corbin. The one that almost blinded me. My
stomach turns.

“Yes, I have,” I say. It’s true. I consider myself a changed
person. I’ve finally met someone beyond salvation. “When you sent Josh to
corrupt Cam, he was still reachable by me, even though it was a long shot.
This…monster was already beyond my—or any Angel’s—reach. How did
stopping him from getting to that wedding do you any good?”

Lucifer grins. “Smart girl, Gracie. It’s true. Corbin was
always going to be mine. But if he’d made it to the wedding and actually
witnessed it, it would have put him over the edge. He would have killed his
beloved that night and been caught. What fun is that? This way, he’s had
practice and will continue on to kill hundreds of women. And he’s starting
tonight with his very same beloved. Sometimes patience pays off.”

My stomach turns again, and I fight to keep myself from
vomiting in front of him for a second time. Hundreds of women will go through
what I just went through?

“Now that you’ve learned your lesson,” Lucifer continues, “will
you cooperate?”

I nod. I’m no idiot. If I say no, I’ll just be tortured
until I finally comply.

“Excellent. While you were otherwise occupied, however, your
ex-boyfriend nearly murdered your brother. If you’d listened to me in the first
place, I wouldn’t have had to punish you and you would have been available to
go to Josh as I'd planned. Then  he wouldn’t have intervened with Noah, and
instead, Josh would be here with us now. I consider this your fault, Grace.
You’re going to have to make it up to me. Understand?”

I swallow, my mind spinning. Josh almost killed Noah?
How—why? “Is Noah all right?” I ask.

“Yes. He did a nice job on Josh as well. He’s going to need
some comforting. But just in case that doesn’t work? Keira!”

Keira crawls out from behind Lucifer’s throne, and I gasp.
Her face is gaunt, her eyes dull. She raises a trembling hand and reveals
something both horrible and familiar all at the same time. I step back. I know
what it is—and I don’t want to touch it.

“That’s the knife that almost ended Josh. It’s that dagger
you gave Cam. The one that can kill Demons and Angels,” I say. If I keep
talking about it, maybe someone will come to their senses and get rid of it.

Keira lowers her head, and Lucifer speaks. “It is another
like it. Keira here likes to collect them. The irony, you see, is that she will
soon be ended by the very same weapon. But first, I want her to join you up on
Earth. You will seduce Josh. If he resists your charms, Keira will end him. Do
you understand?”

My mouth hangs open, but I know I must speak or face worse
than the horrors I’ve just been through. “I understand,” I say.

“Wait.”

I freeze while Lucifer descends from his throne. “I don’t
trust you, Grace. I don’t trust that you’ll do your job. I have little trust
for Keira, as well, but I’m giving her this one last chance. Keira, stay hidden. If
Grace tries to stop you, kill her as well. This is your one and only chance to
save your miserable existence. I do know you, Keira, and I know you won’t put
anyone before yourself, especially not these two.”

“Yes, Lucifer.” Keira speaks with her head down.

“Josh will likely try to approach Noah again.” Lucifer paces
before us. “So I also want you to stay near Noah without his knowledge.”

“Yes, Lucifer,” we both chant. My mind races. This is all
happening too fast. I can’t process it. Not while I keep reliving my own
murder.

“That means you will go to Los Angeles tonight. You have ten
hours to reach the big press conference the Beverly Hilton hotel is hosting for
Noah, because I am certain our soon-to-fall Angel, Josh, will be tempted to
make an appearance. I’ve found it necessary to speed up the schedule.”

He snaps his fingers and disappears from view. Keira rises
and tucks the dagger away in a sheath beneath her blouse.

“Are you going to do it?” she asks me. “Seduce him?”

“Are you going to kill us?” I ask in return.

We stare at each other for a full minute. I don’t want to
believe that the Keira I’ve come to know would do such a horrible thing, but I
can’t ignore her past choices or what she is. And I certainly can’t be sure
she’s strong enough to fight Lucifer’s will if I’m not even sure I can. I want
to trust her, but I’d be a fool to do so. Still, I can’t lose the woman my
brother loves.

“Thank you,” I say, “for trying to help me before. I’m sorry
you were caught.”

“I did it for Noah. Josh was supposed to help him, not
almost kill him. That was the deal. So don’t be surprised if I
do
stab
him.” And there’s the arrogant lift of her shoulders and the spark in her eye
that used to make me doubt myself. But I know what’s underneath now, and it’s
far less intimidating than when I first found out what she was.

What
we
are.

“We have hours. I’ll meet you there,” I say.

“Where are you going?” She grabs my arm, afraid I’m going to
warn Josh or something, I guess. She’d never survive if Josh knew she was
coming for him. He could kill her with a touch. But that’s not it. I have something
else I have to take care of before I can even contemplate this mess.

“I have a human to kill.” I wait for her to laugh or tease
me. Instead, she drops her hand and looks sad.

“I’ll come with you, then. I wouldn’t want you to sneak off
and do something stupid.”

“So you’re not coming to watch?” I ask.

“Maybe that, too.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her
eyes.

I take her hand, and we appear in the lobby of the Vegas
hotel, where we head straight for the glass elevator.

Inside, I lean against the clear wall and stare down at the
empty enclosure. “Where’d the tiger go?” I ask.

Keira joins me. “No idea. Maybe it died.” She shrugs.

The elevator doors open, and we head for the room. It was
the last place I saw him. The place he killed me.

We nearly walk straight into a very out-of-breath Randy, who
grabs me and holds me like he’s seen a ghost. “Oh my Lord, Grace! Is that
really you? I thought I saw you in the elevator, so I ran up the stairs. The
police said it was you, and I thought it was because you climbed in there the
other night. But… Oh, thank goodness.”

I stay very still and wait, hoping to make some sense out of
what he’s saying.

“What did you think was her?” Keira asks.

“You didn’t hear? Someone fell in the tiger enclosure. It
wasn’t pretty. She got ripped to shreds and was partially consumed.” Randy lets
me loose and looks like he’s about to be ill. “They took the tiger away after
that. But the body… It had curly, blond hair and, well…” He gestures to me.
“I’m just glad you’re all right.”

“It was me,” I say to Keira, not caring if Randy hears.
“It’s how he disposed of my body. That would have covered his tracks.” I’m
shaking, but not with fear. This time it’s with rage.

At least I wasn’t conscious for that part.

“What is she talking about?” Randy asks Keira, pulling her
aside.

She glances at me sideways then looks him in the eye. “You
won’t remember running into us here. Grace is dead. You will go downstairs,
leave, and go on with your life.”

Randy nods and strides into the elevator.

“I guess that means he cleaned up after himself,” I say.
Just to be sure, I check the room, forcing the door open. There’s not a drop of
blood. That’s why he put down the tarp. And the carpet is red anyway.

“Come on,” I say, storming back out the door.

“Where are we going now?” Keira asks. I guess she’s hoping
I’ll give up my search.

“My room.” I stare at the empty enclosure as we descend.
Yellow police tape crisscrosses the area from one banister to the next. Several
onlookers mill about, pointing and chatting. A streak of brownish red is still
smeared on the smooth side facing the elevator.

My blood. My blood from all the shallow wounds he inflicted
so painstakingly across my flesh. I can still feel the knife pressed against
each spot, including my eye. I shiver. Did he gouge out my eyes after? I grab
my stomach and sink to the bottom of the elevator. Keira presses the
STOP
button and kneels next to
me, smoothing the hair from my face. It doesn’t make me feel better—he
did the same thing.

“It’ll pass. The memories will fade with time. You can drown
them out by focusing on something else. Think of Josh.”

I shove her away and pull myself back up so I can press the
RESUME
button. “You want me to
think about seducing him? So we can all live happily ever after as Demons,
tortured to death again and again by the Devil while we ruin other people’s
lives?”

Keira backs into the corner, mouth hanging open in a little
O
,
eyes wide. The elevator arrives at its destination, and I storm out. I stride
down the hall to the room, feeling my eyes burn red. I lift a palm to the door
and shove. The whole thing bursts inward, raining splinters.

Corbin looks up from the desk where he sits with his knife, which
is still darkened with my blood. He’s been cutting more eyes out of pictures. I
stroll over, ignoring his dumbfounded face, and grab one. It’s someone new. A
redhead this time, with curly hair.

“Your next victim?” I ask, tossing it aside.

He nods, scanning me up and down. “I left you in pieces with
a hungry tiger.”

“Yeah. That was a mistake.”

“You’re a ghost.” He stands awkwardly, backing into the
desk. “You’re only a spirit. You can’t hurt me.”

“Far from it,” I say. “I’m real. I can touch you all I want,
and you’re going to burn in Hell.”

“I’ll just keep killing you,” he says, holding out the
knife. “It was amazing. I’ll do it over and over again. I’ll keep you here, tied
up, and I’ll kill you every day by cutting you up in some new way.”

“Actually, I’m going to cut you now. Last chance for
repentance.” I offer him the choice, but I hold no real hope he’ll take it.
Some people don’t want to be saved. He laughs.

“Here, kitty, kitty,” he says, angling the knife at me.
“Wanna play?”

I grab his wrist and twist. He drops the weapon, which I
pick up while still holding onto him. I hold the knife to his throat, and my
stomach squirms at the fear in his eyes. It feels exhilarating but also
sickening.

Do it fast
, I tell myself.

Keira appears at my side and puts her hand over mine on the
knife.

“Grace, it was Lucifer who did this to you. You know that,
right?” she asks.

I respond with self-assurance. “Lucifer tells the truth. He
said that this sicko is going to kill hundreds of women. Hundreds of people
tortured, cut, their eyes gouged out… He can’t be allowed to do that to anyone
else. Not one more person.”

“Then let me do it,” she says, unsheathing the cursed blade.
“You won’t have to live with this forever if I do it. It won’t bother me. I’ve
killed before.”

I consider it. It would be easy to let her. But that’s my
problem, isn’t it? I let too many other people fight my battles while I go on
being morally superior.

“You might try to kill me later, but now you’re protecting
me?” I ask with a snort. I keep my eyes fixed on Corbin, who watches me
silently, hunger in his eyes. A single bead of sweat at his hairline betrays
his fear.

Keira steps back.

“Sometimes there is no right or wrong.” I’m saying it out
loud to convince myself. “Sometimes there’s only the best you can do with the
information and abilities you have. Killing is wrong. But letting
you
live is like killing hundreds.” I steel myself and pull the blade across his
throat.

I jump back out of the way as he falls to his knees,
spurting blood and making that horribly familiar gurgling sound. I watch as the
life drains from his face and he stills on the carpet. Then I drop the knife
and walk back toward the door. I’m lightheaded with both relief and disgust.

“Come on, then,” I call behind me. “We should pick up a few
things for tonight.”