Bittersweet Seraphim (18 page)

“Now, let’s make this easier. You tell me how to get to Lucifer, and I’ll let the rest of your flea bags live.” He watched as wariness crept into her eyes. She was having second thoughts. He leaned down close to her face so they were eye to eye. “Do I need to make you cry some more, Tiffany? I will.” He put the blade under her chin and lifted her face.

Her eyes were wild. “My mandate is to protect this pond. By doing so, I’m following the Devil’s orders. No need to hurt the puppies.” Her gaze darted to the dead dog.

“You want that one back? I’ll bring it back for you. No worries. Whose orders? Jack’s? Lucifer’s?” Everett took to one knee like he might be proposing.

“Jack’s. Please, my dogs did nothing wrong. They do Hell a service. You need them.” Tiffany dared to reach out and touch his bended knee.

Jack’s name lit Everett’s fuse, and he was furious all over again, “Why do people listen to that fuck nugget? He’s gone. He left.
I’m
here. Best to bow to the power in front of you, not the power that’s long dead.” Everett stood.

Tiffany said nothing.

“Show me how to get to Lucifer. He and I need a chat.” Everett pulled her to her feet by her hair. The remaining dogs growled. “Shut them up, or I swear to evil I—”

“Shh.” With a calm voice and a quick hand signal, the dogs were quiet and remained crouched. “All you have to do is get in the pond.”

She would suck at poker. The obvious lie was a ploy.

“You first.” He waited.

She shook her head. “Only true power can enter the pond.”

He liked that, but it still felt like a horrible lie. He pushed her toward the dark water. She began to fight, but he managed to get her injured foot in. Nothing spectacular happened. He pulled her to him. She would only look at his chin.

“You’re not being truthful. You’re the shittiest guardian I’ve ever seen. Your weakness is so obvious. Why would you and these mutts ever be in charge of Lucifer?” He grasped her jaw and forced her to look at him.

Pride filled her eyes as she answered him. “You’re the Devil. Everything here is weaker than you. This is your world, and I’m just a minion in it. But I protect this pond from everything else.”

“That’s right. I run this joint. So tell me what the Hell is going on in that pond.” Everett pointed with his pinkie.

She shook her head. “You can’t get in there. He’ll kill you and replace you. He’s in a pissy mood.” She shrugged, and her poodles whined.

“Everyone keeps keeping things from me. First Emma. Now this. I just want what I want when I want it.” He shook Tiffany, enjoying the sound of her teeth rattling.

“Emma? The angel? She’s still trapped in the cage?” Tiffany managed to ask questions despite the rough treatment.

Everett stilled. “Yeah. You know something about that?”

“I know Jack programmed the cage, and everyone was super impressed with it. Best trap ever, so they say.” Tiffany winced and stood on one leg. Her foot had stopped bleeding.

“Do you know the code?” Everett was almost salivating.

“Well, they say the code is something a person can never do in Hell. So maybe see the sun? Or in your case, maintain an erection?”

Everett’s inquisitiveness melted into his anger. “Is that all you know?”

She nodded. But he had to be sure. Everett could only think of one lie detector: pain.

He smiled an evil smile at Tiffany before he jabbed the sword into her other foot. Her screams made his soul bubble with happiness.

Chapter 20

Seriana hated everything about the half-breeds around her: the way they moved, the way they grunted, but most importantly, the way they hunted. In just the hour she’d been traveling with them, four people had lost their lives. They did it with such reckless abandon, treating the humans like free candy at Mardi Gras.

And Vittorio was within an arm’s reach at all times. When he wasn’t shouting orders to the members of his army he was able to pry away from the gaping hole to Hell, he was whispering, encouraging evil. “So long I’ve waited,” he rambled. “I wanted your brothers as well. I’ll get them, though. I’d love to breed Violent too. The pure blood would work wonders on some of these diluted descendants. I bet if she mates with Dean, that offspring would be perfection. I must find them. First things first. I need to get you to the pen and notify them to ready the stud I’ve chosen now that you’ve been found.” Vittorio gave her a look that felt like a complete genetic assessment.

“Clearly this is meant to be,” he added, practically dancing with delight. “You’re already in heat! Soon I’ll lock him in with you. His temperament is fantastic,” he continued like some sort of perverse matchmaker. “There was a bit of inbreeding so his manhood is overlarge, and he enjoys killing so much—not one care for society’s perceived restrictions. I’ve kept him from any sexual conquests. He’s not even allowed to pleasure himself. When he comes at you, I think his sperm will be carrying spears.” Vittorio chuckled at his joke and grabbed Seriana’s chin, stopping her in her tracks. “Your breeding will be the best ticket in town! I’ve already got a website up. Thousands’ll watch you mate and whelp. Your screams of pain will be the cries that rally my armies!”

Seriana pulled her face from his hands.
It was worth it. It was worth it. Mother is alive. Mother is alive.
Despite her internal pep talk, tears rolled down her face. In all these years, she’d never been with a man. Now she’d be with one no better than a beast in front of countless strangers.

When Violent finally set Dean and Rebecca down, they were miles from Hell’s gaping, open mouth. Dean had struggled the whole way while Rebecca wept softly. Now he gathered his mother in his arms. She clutched his shirt with a weak hand. “Son.”

He pulled her to the ground, cradling her. Violent paced, agitated.

“Mother.” She looked awful. Being alive all these years at the mercy of Vittorio was obviously worse than dying.

“Where’s Jason? Seriana—we’ve got to get to her.” She began crying again.

Violent pulled Dean’s hair until he looked at her. “My kiss? With tongue?” She puckered up.

Anger coursed through him. He pried his mother’s hands from his and stood. Dean stepped into Violent’s space, and her lips parted.

He grabbed her hair and pulled her mouth to his. He filled her demonic mouth with all his hopeless anger. He grabbed her ass and forced his tongue into her, blocking out the horror that in a remote way, he was related to this dreadful thing.

She melted in his arms, almost boneless. He reflexively held her weight until he felt his kiss was thoroughly done. Then he released her, and she fell unceremoniously on the ground. He turned back to his mother, who appeared to be drifting away in her weakness.

Violent hugged her knees with one arm and touched her lips. “It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t the same. It wasn’t the same.”

Dean was too angry to mince words. “Of course not. He’s dead, Violent. There’s no substitute for that.”

She petted the grass next to her. “What else is there? If there’s not this?”

Dean shrugged and tried to figure out where he’d get his mother some blood, short of killing someone. So much was unknown. Would he ever see Jason again? With a whole army around Seriana, how would he save her?

Violent stood. “I think I’ll kill all the humans. That’ll fix it.”

Dean had been letting Violent’s craziness roll off of him, but her words seemed louder now that he was so despondent. He whirled on her. “
You
did this. You ruined the world. How dare you think a minion could play house on Earth? You shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here. You know your long-lost love? He would’ve married a nice girl, painted
her
pictures. They would’ve had babies that didn’t
eat
people. Your solution is pillaging the world you’ve already shit on? How about you do us all a favor and go back to Hell where you belong?”

He shook his head. It was harsh, but it was how he felt. Maybe he could steal some blood from a hospital for his mother. He leaned down and lifted her into his arms. “Don’t forget, Seriana included you in her demands to Vittorio,” he told Violent. “Some thanks killing everyone would be. She’ll be real happy she made sure you were protected. Do you even feel anything anymore, Violent? Selfish bitch. If you really loved him, you would’ve let him be.”

He started toward the lights he could see in the distance. Her footfalls were scarcely audible, but she followed him. When Violent finally walked next to him, stride for stride, Dean’s explosive anger had subsided, replaced by planning in his head. As long as he was alive, he’d work to save Jason and Seriana. That’s what big brothers did.

“I don’t think he would’ve found another woman.” Her voice was quiet. For a being so freaking old, she was as single-minded as a toddler. Maybe love had returned her to factory settings. “I ruined him in his dreams,” she continued. “No human would compare.”

She stared at him, even though they walked at a good clip. He ignored her.

“My love destroyed this whole world—will destroy this whole world. I don’t know why I thought love would make things better. I should never have believed.”

He was silent for a long while before he spoke. Violent’s words made him think of Emma. She was so set on reassuring them that God loved them. She said love should make them see that their lives were tough, but worth living. This, in turn, meant that Violent was loved too. “Love never leaves,” he told her. “So what will you do with the love you still have for him?” He finally looked into her crazy purple eyes.

She gasped. “I don’t understand.”

“As long as you love him, he’s still here. That’s what an angel said once.” Dean pictured the scene he’d stumbled on when Emma had comforted Seriana late one night. Violent stepped in front of him, and he stopped.

“I’ll take direction from you. Instead of killing everyone. For now.” She bowed low.

“Really? Why the change of heart?” Dean stepped around her and kept walking, cuddling his mother’s frail body to his chest.

“Because you care for your whelp mates and this bitch that birthed you. I think Giovanni would want that.” She seemed as resolute as she ever got. “Your mother needs blood, yet we’re passing the humans by. Shall I get a few for her to feast on?” Violent asked the question like she was offering hors d’oeuvres to a guest.

“My mother never wanted to hurt humans. I won’t force that on her while she has no control.” He stepped up his pace as his mother moaned.

“Well, what’s your plan?” Violent went from desolate to interested so quickly.

“I’m going to steal blood from the hospital. Then find my family.”

Violent made a face. “That’ll keep her alive, but fresh from the body is much better for her.” She’d raised Lord knows how many half-breeds, and about this she was possibly the only expert. “How about a newly dead? The blood is still warm and fragrant, but no moral consequences.” She smiled broadly.

“We don’t have time to wait for that exact circumstance.” He watched her carefully, not knowing how long Violent might remain affable.

“People are dying all the time! They’re helpless little morsels,” she assured him. “I’ll be right back.” Violent took off running.

Dean shook his head and yelled after her. “Don’t kill anyone!”

Chapter 21

Jack followed the familiar path to his lair, scouting for minions where he knew they should be stationed. Soon enough he found that most had left their positions. Unchallenged, his mind wandered to wondering exactly what he’d been granted in Lucy’s lip-lock bag of tricks. He shivered as he thought of the power kiss. Awkward, but effective. He just wasn’t sure
how
effective. Regardless, Kate would never let him live it down. He wished her luck in his head. Her spunk reminded him of Emma.

Emma.

He’d never expected to make it this far. But to actually lay eyes on her, to hold her and save her from Everett, that would be a gift. He exhaled as he passed the entryway where the souls come down to be judged. There were tons of them, just hanging in midair. A few were huddled in corners of the hallways, confused. Jack scoffed. It was just flat-out cruel to make them wait to understand. The souls deserved to be sorted, to know what was coming and how their life had ended.