Soul Weaver (30 page)

“It was harder than I thought it would be saying good-bye without telling her anything, leaving her to wonder. Neve is…” She was the best friend Chloe had ever had. “I’m going to miss her.”

“I’m sorry things between you ended this way.” A kitchen towel hung from his fingers. His shears and a stone sat beside a bottle of water on her coffee table. “Neve is a good woman.”

Bile rose in her throat. He’d sharpened the vicious things.

A smooth sidestep to the right, and he blocked her line of sight. Grateful for help breaking her thrall, she glanced up with a smile, then stopped dead in her tracks.

Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed on a point beyond her shoulder. His arm shot out, fingers curling toward her. His mouth opened on words she couldn’t hear because her ears burst with a sudden
crack
of sound. Images assailed her, made her head swim.

Saul.
His presence permeated her senses like before and her skin crawled from the fervid desires channeled between them. Their connection engulfed her. His thoughts forced their way inside her head, twisted and unnatural.

“You’re looking well, pet.” Saul stared at her too long for her comfort. “I need a moment alone with my brother. Why don’t you pour us some drinks and let the men speak privately?”

“If you want a drink”—Chloe straightened her shoulders—“the kitchen’s that way.”

“Huh.” Saul appraised her. “Did you grow a spine since the last time we met?”

“Chloe.” Warning thickened Nathaniel’s voice. “Come here.”

“I’m tired of running.” Months of nightmares and self-doubt had exhausted her.

Nathaniel walked slowly to her side and put his arm around her shoulders. “Our agreement was to meet tomorrow, Saul.”

“Yes, well.” Saul sat on the arm of the couch, so close she could reach out and touch him, which would
never
happen. “A funny thing happened to me on the way to meet Delphi. Reuel brought Trates and Arestes topside for a visit. They said Delphi had given them instructions on where to escort me, but I’m thinking his idea of a waiting room would look a lot like a soul pit to me.” He chuckled and it was an ugly sound. “That Delphi, he does love playing judge, jury, and executioner. Even without the trial.”

“You fled punishment.” Nathaniel’s anger spiked. “Now you’ve led him here, to her.”

His hand clamped on to Chloe’s arm, and she watched his gaze touching on points around the room as if he expected more company at any moment.

Focusing on Nathaniel’s touch, Chloe narrowed her connection to Saul until his thoughts went silent. All that was left was the familiar sensation of her mind brushing Nathaniel’s.

“Can you hear me?”
She projected the question at Nathaniel but kept an eye on Saul to test Nathaniel’s theory.
“Saul?”

He didn’t as much as blink.

She tried again.
“Nathaniel?”

“I’m here.”
Nathaniel’s thumb smoothed over her skin.
“I can’t hear Saul. Did you block him?”

“I think so.”
Saul’s presence made pressure build behind her temples, but she locked her jaw and locked him out of her head.
“Is it a good thing if Delphi comes? I mean, if he’s here, then things might go according to plan.”

“They might.”
Nathaniel sounded uncertain.
“Let’s hope he arrives sooner rather than later.”

“We don’t have long,” Saul said. “I’m here to negotiate, not argue.” A shark could have given a more convincing smile. “You have something I need, and in return, I’ll give you something you want.”

Nathaniel barked out a laugh. “You have nothing I want.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. Delphi will come for your woman, and he won’t rest until her soul is harvested. You know that. She will die, and this time, there’s nothing you can do to save her. But”—he leaned forward—“share your knowledge with me, and I will help you bring her back. Second chances are difficult, but thirds are a near-impossible feat… without practice. Such mastery requires time you don’t have and experience I have in excess and will share.”

“Your word carries less weight than air.” Nathaniel’s breath warmed Chloe’s neck as he said, “I have no way of knowing you can do what you claim, nor would I want any part in it.”

“What you’ve accomplished with Chloe on your first try is admirable. Luck has always favored you. But I must ask you, can you do it again?” His tone gentled. “We’re brothers, Nathaniel. It’s our duty to aid each other, and I can think of no greater gift than sparing our lovers from fates neither deserves.”

“You can’t save Mairi,” Nathaniel said. “With no host, no form, she’s too far gone.”

Chloe suppressed a shiver. If Saul attempted to revive them, Chloe imagined the results would be horrific. What he wanted to do… wasn’t natural. Whatever his practice had accomplished so far, the results must not be sound. Otherwise, he would hardly be here now, asking for help Nathaniel couldn’t give.

“Hosts can be acquired and forms relearned,” Saul said. “Her salvation would be complicated,” he admitted. “That’s why I need you. I can’t resurrect what I can’t reach, and Aeristitia is off-limits for me.” Saul glanced at Nathaniel’s hip and frowned. “You do have your shears here, don’t you?”

“And if I do?”

Saul smiled, once again at ease. “Then we come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement.”

“We can’t trust Saul.”
Chloe leaned against Nathaniel.
“He’s up to something.”

“I know.”
Nathaniel rubbed her shoulder.
“The question is what?”

“There’s one way to find out.”
Chloe fisted Nathaniel’s shirt, revulsion churning in her stomach as she allowed her connection to Saul to widen. His excitement caused her heart to race in response, nauseating her further.

“Let her die, brother. Unlike you, I’ll show mercy and bring your lover back—the exact same way I did all the others.”
Chloe felt Saul’s amusement thrum in every thought.
“I’m sure you’d grow to love her new appetites… eventually.”

She pressed her thumbnail into Nathaniel’s back and directed her thoughts toward him.
“He’s thinking that if you let me die, he’d bring me back—with new appetites. What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not sure. It sounds as if he’s attempted to bond souls to new hosts. Whatever his method, it must not work or he wouldn’t be so interested in you.”
Nathaniel’s hold on her loosened, which was a good thing considering she had lost feeling in her arm.
“I’ll keep him talking. See if you can pick up more information we can use to barter with Delphi.”

“I’ll try.”
Hiding her face behind Nathaniel’s arm, she squeezed her eyes shut tight and pushed at the weak barrier Saul had placed between them.

Images burst into her mind, blinding everything else from her vision.

A charred mountain range inside a massive cavern filled with red haze. The only light came from pits belching flames. A long stone wall ran over the baked clay ground.

“I think we both know time is running out,” Nathaniel said. “Lay out your terms or leave.”

“Very well,” Saul said, turning serious. “In exchange for my favor to your woman, I expect an equal favor in return.” He paused. “You are to go to Aeristitia, find Gavriel’s journal, and use it to locate Mairi. Then bring her back to me.”

“No.” Nathaniel’s answer was firm.

“Have you even considered
your
punishment?” Saul asked. “After all, you picked a big rule to break. How about this? I’ll extend my offer, two souls for the price of one. If you’re banished to a pit, I’ll bring you back first. You’ll be together.” He smiled as he mentally tacked on,
“Scavenging the Hell plane in misery for all eternity.”

Chloe kept her expression neutral as the reality of his offer flickered through her mind with perfect mental snapshots of other souls he had re-created this way. How wrong they were. They were nothing but mindless killing machines left to prey upon each other. Nathaniel was right. Whatever Saul had done clearly wasn’t working as he intended it to. Yet he hadn’t given up experimenting.

Nathaniel’s voice hardened. “I have no way of knowing if you could bring back one soul, let alone two.”

Saul clicked his tongue. “Even now, when I am the only person who can save your mortal’s life and benefit us both in the process, you refuse to share your power with me.” He withdrew the copper dagger from his hip and pointed it at Nathaniel. “Do you think Delphi will listen to you? He won’t. So what if you have the shears. He gave them to you because he thought he could trust you. Congratulations. You’ve just proven he can’t. Delphi only cares about one thing, and that’s making an example out of those who break his law.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Nathaniel said. “And pray he listens.”

“You surrender too easily.” Saul laughed. “Help me, and she can live. You can be together.”

His promise was too good to be true, and Chloe knew it. She dug into Saul’s head and his thoughts proved him a liar. More images flickered past. More rambling made her head ache. Still she looked into him, sifting through his thoughts, and his knowledge poured into her.

Steep cliffs. Howling winds. Heat. So much unbearable heat. And shadows. Movement from below. A secret army fortified in the heartland of Hell. They would overthrow Dis. Make this plane a safe haven for his abominations.

Chloe felt Nathaniel’s regret seeping into her and heard his voice in her head.
“I’m sorry,
meira
. He can’t be trusted. Even if he could bring us back, we wouldn’t be who we are now. We would still have lost each other.”

She slipped her hand into his in a silent show of support. They still had one chance left. Delphi might still be persuaded to help them. All she needed was proof: a location, a snippet of thought damning enough to win Delphi to her and Nathaniel’s side. Her total focus became unearthing any information that could save them, and she fed those images to Nathaniel. He could make sense of the landmarks she had never seen and the images depicting acts she had never imagined.

“I can’t risk it,” Nathaniel said. “We will face Delphi’s sentencing.”

With a snarl, Saul launched himself at Nathaniel, blade in hand. “You’ll face mine first.”

Nathaniel shoved Chloe backward and she fell, grabbing at the coffee table to keep from busting her head against the corner. Cold metal met her palm and she closed her fingers around the shears.

A flash of light exploded and
something
—a man unlike any she had ever seen before—stepped from empty air. His ink-black hair hung past his shoulders, vanishing against the darkness of his tailored clothing. His fathomless eyes surveyed the room as his three sets of wings, shimmering with ebony feathers, nestled against his back.

Feathers. Wings.
An angel
.

His cold gaze settled on Chloe, seemed to peer beneath her skin to the soul Nathaniel had spared. He ruffled his feathers and the scent of sulfur tickled her nose, teased her stolen memories, and sparked recognition.

No. This wasn’t an angel. Nothing born of the Heaven Nathaniel had described to her could exude menace the way this man did. This was Delphi. The governor of Hell was standing in her living room.

Delphi scowled between Saul and Nathaniel. “What is the meaning of this?”

Each man froze. Saul’s desperate charge halted. Nathaniel plucked the blade from his hand, then relaxed his defensive pose.

“This is why I had no need to hear you speak on your behalf, Saul. I knew whatever words you said in your defense would be false.” Delphi’s icy tone made Chloe shiver. “Over the past two weeks, you have claimed to have no knowledge of the lost soul’s location. Yet you stand here next to it.” His gaze settled on Chloe. “In her very presence, as I should have known you would be. You are ever leading your brother into temptation, and this occasion is no different. Your actions have proven the truth I knew your words would deny, and you will be punished accordingly.”

“No, you misunderstand.” Saul placed a hand over his black heart. “My son’s health has improved. He was able to recall an important detail I worried, in your anger, you would refuse to hear.” He gestured toward Nathaniel. “After I had gone home for the night, I was under the impression another harvester would carry out my assignment. Nathaniel took this soul’s collection on top of the one he’d already volunteered to harvest. He failed in his duty, not me.” Saul straightened his clothing. “I came here to confront him and he attacked me.” He locked eyes with Chloe and he poured himself into her mind.
“Tell me what you know of how he bound you together, and I will save you both.”

“You’re lying. I’m in your head, Saul.”
She stared at him.
“I know. I won’t bargain with you.”

“Then you condemn yourself and your lover to death.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Enjoy your eternity.”

Chloe turned to Delphi. “Saul came here to bargain with Nathaniel. He wants access to Aeris—to Heaven.” Delphi transferred his frown onto her. “He wants a soul being kept there. He thinks he can bring her back. Mairi, her name is Mairi.” She was rambling but she couldn’t stop. “He offered to resurrect me if Nathaniel brought her to him. He said—”

“Is that the best you can come up with? I’m happy for Mairi, glad she’s where she belongs.” Saul chuckled. “Besides, resurrection is forbidden. I wouldn’t even know where to start.” He shook his head. “You can’t even think up a decent lie to save yourself.”

“Enough.” Delphi lifted his hand. “This ends here. Now.”

Time ground to a standstill.

Sweat rolled down Chloe’s spine. Would he rip out her soul from across the room? Nathaniel stepped between them and the forgotten shears seemed to vibrate beneath her palm. She slid her fingers into their smooth grip. Pain scalded her hand as the shears reached inside her, found her commonality with Nathaniel, and gave their grudging acceptance of her mastery.