The Holiday From Hell (19 page)

Oh Hell. The crazy bitch and the threats he'd forgotten about.

"I won't let her hurt you, Luce," Mel said to his soul.

He'd like to see the nephilim try. He could break her skinny body in two. With exaggerated care, Luce lifted the exhausted angel, wrapping Mel's skirt around her legs so she didn't show her underwear. Mel's eyelids fluttered again and she smiled faintly.

"Take my body to Heaven's gates and keep it alive. Kiss me to wake me when we arrive," Mel's soul said.

Luce grinned. If she wanted a kiss, she'd get one now. Her lips parted beneath his and allowed his tongue entrance. Wait…she wasn't anywhere near as exhausted as she appeared. Mel's soul was as bright as the sun, powerful enough to have taken on the whole roomful of demons without dimming in the slightest. She was up to something, and if he could kiss her for long enough, she'd show him…

"Stop that!" Persephone barked. "You can carry her and that's all. She'll spend a week just brushing her teeth to get the taste of you out of her mouth! I think I'm going to cut your tongue off, too, and give it to Mel to dispose of, so she'll rest assured that you'll never do that again." She pointed at the door. "That way. Get moving." The nephilim continued muttering under her breath, but Luce didn't bother paying attention to her.

He headed out to Reception and came face to face with Hades. "You!"

"You're a crazier bastard than I thought you were," Hades responded, eyeing Mel. "You should have been content with what you had. To think you could touch her without consequences? You'll lose everything and you deserve to. She gave up Hell for you to end the Heavenly War. Gave you your own little domain to bring peace. And this is how you thank her, you arrogant, ungrateful bastard."

Luce's jaw dropped. Mel gave him Hell? Without her, he'd have just been another damned soul in Hell and not its Lord? He reached for her, but couldn't sense her soul near. Somehow, she'd slipped away, leaving her body in his willing arms as he waited for answers. He just needed to get her to Heaven's gates.

"Once the higher angels have reversed whatever you've done to her, she'll be the one you answer to for judgement. But don't expect her to deliver it – she won't soil her hands with you. She'll hand you to the rest of them and they'll want blood for what you've done to her. You won't survive long enough to corrupt another soul and every moment you live will be torment worse than any punishment you've delivered in Hell."

Hades' dark eyes reflected Luce's own. The Lord of Hell and the Lord of the Underworld. Two of the same until Mel changed everything. "That's up to her," Luce grunted, shouldering the other man aside. He had to get Mel to Heaven. Wait, was that…? The touch between them was enough for him to read Hades' soul. The man thought he'd earn his way into Mel's good graces through this. Maybe she'd even be grateful enough to reward him with wings and a new realm.

"Naming your successor will be up to her, too," Persephone piped up behind him. "When you're gone, Mel will name a new Lord of Hell. Or Lady, if that's her wish." Her giggle set Luce's teeth on edge.

Oh, God, they were both delusional.

"You're after Hell?" Luce snorted. "There's a poisoned chalice. If you're working with Hades, hasn't he told you what it's like to run the Pit of Despair? Dead boring."

Hades' eyes flared with the fires of Tartarus at the insult to the object of his desire.

"Only if you're a demon." She sniffed. "As an angel, the master of Hell wouldn't be confined to the Pit. Heaven, Earth, Hell – all open to them. For you it was a sentence. For anyone else, it's simply an opportunity and a responsibility." She coughed. "At least that's what Mother said, right?"

Mother? Luce whirled around in time to see the silent communication that passed between Persephone and Hades. "You're talking about that bitch Demeter?"

Hades frowned. "Demeter's one of the gentlest immortals I've ever met, unless you get between her and her children. Then she's a vengeful lioness out for blood." He shuddered as if he had personal experience of this. Luce wondered what the story was. He'd have to ask Mel some time.

"I'll say. She tried to hack my balls off with Michael's sword," Luce said.

"Really?" Persephone giggled.

"Because of your lies," Luce continued. "And Mel sacrificed herself to stop your crazy mother."

"No. NO! I heard you hurt her, not Mother. It was you!" Persephone shouted. "I'll make sure you pay for that, too!"

Luce shrugged. Yes, he regretted hurting Mel, but he'd paid his penance for that, or so Mel had said. He didn't fear her judgement – he was hers to command, and she knew it.

"You'll pay for everything you've done to Mel. And to me!"

"I did nothing to you that you didn't ask for," Luce replied coolly. "And a lot less than you asked for, as you well know. From what Mel's said, I should have fired you as a PA the same day I hired you. You pestered her constantly with questions while we were away on business. You couldn't even make a dinner reservation without her advice. Do you even remember my favourite entrée? Or after dinner drink? Or where you sent my dry cleaning?"

Persephone pouted. "What do I care? I was just supposed to keep you happy enough to sign your corporation and Hell over to me. If I had to suck your dick a dozen times a day, better me than Mel!" A tear slid down the girl's nose. "Why couldn't you just take what was offered and leave poor Mel alone?"

"I don't expect you to understand," Luce muttered. "And I let you do that once. A single time. And only because you wouldn't leave me alone."

"I told Mel you were gay," Persephone retorted, marching ahead of him.

Gay? He'd slept with men and women, and he'd been both, too. The Lord of Hell seduced anyone and everyone – no matter what it entailed. A labour of lust that he'd even enjoyed at times. But now? There was Mel and only her. As long as Mel took a female form and expressed her preference for his decidedly male body, he could never be gay.

Luce let his laughter ring out across the clouds as they approached Heaven's gates. The nephilim would never understand what Mel meant to him and he'd never let her go.

Unlike the last two times he'd trudged up to these gates, today the benches were empty. The dude in the dress was nowhere to be seen, which Luce figured was a pretty smart move. Someone had warned him that it was a bad day for judging the devil.

The place wasn't entirely deserted, though. Patrick and Koyane stood side by side with three other men, like a row of soldiers at ease on a parade ground. Both Patrick and Koyane acknowledged him with a nod that Luce returned. Neither seemed hostile – more like they were waiting for something.

A figure stepped into view from behind them. Of course. Bloody Michael, with his armour and his sword. Any source of trouble from Heaven and Luce knew Michael had to be involved. If he came anywhere near him or Mel with that flaming sword…

"I've already told him that if he makes any hostile move toward you, you have my permission to shove that sword up his arse," Mel's soul said quietly.

Luce fought to keep his face straight. Mel couldn't be serious.

"I am. But I also advise you not to, as I'll insist that you withdraw the sword and heal him afterwards."

That did take a fair bit of fun out of it.

Persephone cleared her throat. "Right, you. Set her down and back away from her."

Luce waited for Mel's instructions before doing anything with her body.

"On the vacant benches, please, Luce," Mel's soul said. "You'll need your hands free."

Cloud streamed, cool and damp between his toes as Luce did what she'd asked. He concentrated and caused a cushion to appear beneath Mel's head. The white cotton turned to gold silk before he released his focus.

Luce heard Patrick mutter something, presumably to the man next to him, and they both chuckled quietly.

"I said get away from her!" Persephone insisted, grabbing Luce's hand and yanking on it.

Mel's soul emitted a tiny sigh. "Go with her, Luce. My body is perfectly safe here."

Luce still didn't trust the nephilim. She'd caused too much trouble in the past.

"Read her soul, Luce, like you do mine. Use the hand to hand contact as a conduit. Then you'll know more about her motivations than she does."

Unwillingly, Luce let his fingers close around Persephone's as he poked her soul, just like Mel had told him to. The swirling shadows around the nephilim's soul converged on him, then fled to hide behind the girl's soul instead. That was a first.

"They fear you because you fought them when they tried to control your soul, my love. You barely had any darkness left to hand to Persi when you signed them over to her." Mel's admiration swelled his heart.

Hesitantly, Luce probed the girl's soul. The contrast to Mel's calm centre was striking. This girl was a whirling storm of contradictions, cycling through frustration, fear, anger and loneliness that Luce recognised. There were frequent flashes of both Demeter and Mel, accompanied by sparks of love that quickly drowned in loneliness and darkness. He didn't understand. He hadn't read enough souls to be able to read any of what the girl's soul told him.

"I'll offer you a deal, demon," Persephone hissed as soon as she'd dragged Luce out of earshot from the others. "If you tell me what you've done to Mel and reverse whatever you've done to my soul, I'll let you keep your…appendages." She eyed his crotch before dragging her gaze up to his face.

Despair tingled across the girl's soul as she thought of herself. She knew she was doomed to never enter Heaven again unless Mel could recover and help her. Even that was only a faint hope.

"Offer her the second but not the first. She'll be in your debt," Mel instructed. Her voice sounded so clear, ringing across the clouds as if she'd spoken aloud. Luce glanced at Mel's body, but it hadn't moved. "I'm beside you, my love, that's why you hear me so clearly."

Luce shrugged. "Mel will tell you herself when she wakes up. I think it's up to her how much she tells you about our delightful time together." He'd picked his seductive tone just right – Persephone blushed redder than Mel ever did. "As for what I've done to you –" he circled her palm with his thumb, just as Mel had done to relax him "– does that mean you're not honouring the deal you made me sign? You don't want everything?"

The girl's soul seemed to collapse under his slight pressure. "I'll give it all back – everything – if you undo what you did to me so that I can enter Heaven again. I'll never be an angel with this darkness haunting me. I'm tainted. Please. Please. I'll do anything." Her pleading voice was so quiet, no one but Luce could hear it. Except Mel.

"Don't agree to accept anything in return. Just take back the dark spirits from her soul," Mel said quietly.

Luce shrank from the very thought of it. Those dark shadows had enslaved his soul for centuries. Kept him out of Heaven and tied him to Hell. Made Mel unreachable. What if they severed the bond between them? He couldn't exist without her now. Someone else had to take them.

Mel continued, "Dark spirits can be vanquished and even destroyed, Luce. You have nothing to fear from them. You've seen me do it and I'm not the only angel who has."

Just because Mel and some other powerful angels could destroy dark, disembodied souls didn't mean he could, Luce fumed. There couldn't be many who knew how – or he'd have seen more angels in Hell.

"Two, Luce," Mel responded, easily reading his thoughts. "Only two angels have done it."

He was willing to bet the other one would require a life of eternal servitude if he asked for a favour of this magnitude. But he'd prefer to put someone else at risk if this went wrong before he'd even think of putting Mel in danger. Maybe his slave master would let him see Mel occasionally…

Mel's laughter hummed so loudly he wondered that Persephone couldn't hear her. "The other angel is you, my love, and the spirits plaguing Persi both witnessed and felt it. Finish the job and you'll be free of them forever. Persi will be eternally in your debt…and you can kiss my body awake so we can end this farce."

The whole exchange took place at the speed of light – too fast for anyone else to have noticed Luce's lapse of concentration. At least, he hoped no one had.

Unfamiliar fear coursed through Luce's body as he looked into Persephone's desperate eyes. For the first time, he pitied her, because he alone knew what she was feeling. And he'd had to wait millennia to meet Mel, the only angel who could save him.

"I'll hold your hand the whole way, my love, and if you falter, I'll burn them into a black hole." Luce felt the warmth of Mel's invisible fingers covering the hand that held Persephone's.

"All right. I'll do it." Persephone sagged in relief, but Luce gritted his teeth as he continued, "You have to block the darkness out of your soul. Curl it up tight and don't let them in, but keep your eyes open." He saw the nephilim's whole body tense up so much she was shaking. Pure panic held her eyes wide.

He had no idea how to entice the souls over to him from Persephone.

"An angel's kiss, my love," Mel informed him.

Luce felt no jealousy or discomfort from her at the thought of him kissing another woman, but he sure felt uncomfortable. He didn't want his lips touching the nephilim. Especially not her mouth. He knew where it'd been.

"It's a soul kiss – the only necessary contact is between your soul and hers. Touching your hand to hers will be more than sufficient." Mel paused as if reading Luce's memory of their own first spectacular kiss on her lounge room floor. When she spoke again, her voice sounded distracted. "Oh. That was…for me. And symbolic, of course, given your motivation for wanting a kiss from me. And…" Her words faded into images and sensations that would make her blush if her soul had been in her body. Mel's carefully hidden desire for him shone through every one.

Luce got the message loud and clear. I love you, too, Mel, he thought as he turned his thoughts to his own soul. Reaching for the girl, then encompassing both her soul and the shadows surrounding it.

Blinding light erupted from him, setting the very air ablaze as the dark souls screeched their torment.

"Burn, baby, burn," he muttered, gritting his teeth as he burned with them. When the pain faded, he knew he'd destroyed them. And it felt damn good.

Mel was one step ahead of him. "Luce, you remember how I asked you to wake me with a kiss…"

He'd give her more than a kiss. The moment they were alone, he was going to take this incredible buzz and share it with her. All night long and into the next day, at the very least.

Behind him, he heard Persephone fall to her knees. "Thank you," she breathed. "If there's ever any way I can repay you…"

"No worries," Luce replied, waving away her thanks as he strode toward Mel's body. Her soul was already there, waiting for him.

No one stopped him or said a word as he lifted Mel's shoulders and delivered her wake-up kiss. Then another one, just to be sure. And a third seemed to follow almost effortlessly.

"Definitely the sweetest way to wake up. Human fairy tales have that much right. You're an amazing man, Luce, my light of the morning. And a braver one than most. I'll probably be the only one who'll miss…" Mel's soul-voice faded as Luce broke the kiss.

"I'm not leaving you," Luce said, trying to penetrate the thoughts she was slow to hide.

Mel rose. The demon blood on her skin and clothing had vanished, so she glowed in pristine glory. "Lord Lucifer, there is still the matter of your promised judgement," intoned Lady Muriel, her eyes grave as she didn't smile.

Luce glanced at the empty podium in search of the ominous book, but it didn't appear. He folded his arms across his chest and faced her. "I stand by my actions. I'd tear the limbs off every demon in Hell to protect you all over again. A thousand times, if necessary. If that condemns me to Hell, so be it."

"Judgement comes in many forms and this is mine." A murmur rippled through the others but Luce didn't take his eyes off Mel as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Congratulations, my love," she whispered. A sharp pain told him she'd plucked a feather from his wing before the soft vane brushed against his bare shoulder. Luce glanced down. That couldn't be one of his feathers. It was…

"Whiter than mine, my love," Mel said, fluttering her own beautiful wings into being. The tears in her eyes sparkled as she smiled.

A large hand grasped Luce's forearm in an archaic warrior handshake of sorts. "Brother," a male voice said.

Mel shifted to Luce's side, slipping an arm across his back as his circled around her waist.

Patrick leaned in and pounded Luce on the back before releasing his arm. "Now we're brothers," he said and Luce nodded, understanding that the white wings had gained him entry into some sort of club.

Koyane bowed, placing his flattened fist over his heart as he repeated, "Brother." Luce returned the gesture.

The three unfamiliar men who'd been standing with them offered similar greetings to Luce, who was dying to ask what club he'd suddenly been accepted into. All five men lined up facing Mel and Luce before offering a deep bow as they chorused, "Lady Muriel."

Ah, that made them Mel's militant fan club, Luce decided. Yeah, he'd be willing to join that, but he needed to set something straight first. He knew what she'd miss and why she hadn't finished her sentence.