Blood Sacrifice (The Blood Sisters Book 3) (19 page)

“But
at least I have you.” He grinned.

Not
damn likely. Jessica righted her shotgun and blew his face off. Maggots and
demon guts rained onto her, but at least the job was done. Rolling onto her
stomach was painful. “Duncan!” She grabbed at the rear door to pull it open,
but she just couldn’t. Couldn’t even reach the handle.

Had
to stand, but couldn’t. Her limbs just wouldn’t work.

Voices
were coming. Men were charging down the hill. Jessica had to get away from
here, but she couldn’t leave Duncan behind. Virtually impossible, Jessica
didn’t think she’d get more than a few feet away.

Someone
seized her from behind. Jessica squealed and readied her elbow to drive it
back, but he wrapped his arms around her and dragged her away from the car. “Easy,
sugar.”

“Duncan?”
Jessica squeezed her eyes shut. “I thought…”

Behind
the low ridge of pointed rock, Duncan moved her onto his lap and cradled her
close. His face was bruised and he took a deep breath when he
reeled
his head to peer around the side. He was
in pain, but Jessica couldn’t stop herself from touching his face.

“I
thought you were dead. I thought—.”

“I
know,” Duncan didn’t gaze back at her yet. “I barely made it out before that
branch charged through. Karl wasn’t so lucky.”

Jessica
was almost sad. As far as demons went, he hadn’t been that bad a guy. She’d had
worse passengers.

“They’re
coming,” Duncan whispered. He slid down further into the ditch and Jessica lay
close to him. Her head was on his shoulder and her arm was draped beneath his
arm. Duncan too, was wrapped tight around her. One hand rested on her shotgun
and the other tucked beneath her head.

As
the flashlights moved past them and the demons spoke to each other. “She
couldn’t have gotten far. Check west and we’ll take the east. Then we’ll circle
back. She has to be here somewhere.”

“We
have to catch her. Master wants her now.”

Master?
Was that Amanda or was it the devil himself?

When
they were gone, Duncan helped her out of the ditch. “Can you walk?”

How
had they managed to hide from the demon horde? Their luck had never been of the
good kind before, but Jessica wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
She nodded, but her steps were wobbly and her vision was spinning. Duncan kept
his hand firmly on her waist while his other was on her hand and led her up the
hill. “I’ll be all right.”

“I’m
worried you might have a head injury.”

“I
don’t have time for a head injury, Duncan.” There wasn’t time to do anything
except get back on the road. Could Jessica’s luck be any worse?

“I
know,” Duncan sighed and helped Jessica over the guard rail. “Well, you always
said you wanted to steal a police cruiser.”

“It’s
not really stealing if they left the keys in the ignition.” Jessica pointed to
the one closest. “You’re going to have to drive.”

“I’ve
always wanted to drive one of these.” Duncan slipped behind the wheel, as
Jessica got into the passenger seat.

“But
please, no sirens,” Jessica rested her head back.

Duncan
took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “How will we find her now?”

“You
must’ve hit your head harder than I thought. I know where she’s going.” Jessica
rolled her head over to look at him. “104 Maple Drive Lane. Sweet Town,
Nebraska.”

Duncan
grinned. “I’ll get us there in time to stop Amanda. I promise. You can count on
me, Jess.”

****

With
a start, Duncan snorted awake. His face was smashed into the headrest in the
front of him and it was covered in dried blood from his own nose. Moaning,
Duncan tried to move his head, but shooting pain traveled up the right side of
his neck. It crashed through his brain and right into his eye.

Jess?
Was she….

No,
she was gone. Duncan struggled out of the car and fell to his knees. Crawling
amongst the fallen leaves, he gazed up at the sky. The stars were fading.
Daylight was brightening the sky and that meant Jessica had been alone for
awhile. Far too long. The police could’ve gotten her or the demons. Duncan needed
to hurry.

Rushing
to his feet, the pain in his head intensified and his hands slammed down on the
hood of the white Oldsmobile. He could barely stand. Shaking his head, he
counted to ten and thought of Jessica’s face, back when times were simpler.
Back when she could smile and there was less worry behind her eyes and more
joy.

That’s
the girl he had to find. That was the girl he had to save.

A
moan from behind him caught his attention. Jessica?

Whipping
around Duncan leaned against a tree and removed a pile of leaves sitting
beneath it. The demon Karl was pinned against the trunk thanks to a golden,
jeweled dagger in his gut. “Karl,” Duncan’s voice was hoarse like something was
lodged deep in his voice box. He tried to clear his throat but it just made the
feeling worse. “Who did this to you?”

The
demon groaned and opened his mouth. There was dry blood around the creases of
his lips. “Luci…fer.” He gagged and Duncan was pretty sure he wouldn’t get
anything more out of Karl. He was pretty sure Karl was dead.

If
what he said was true, Lucifer was free and in the very forest Duncan was in.
Maybe the demons they had run into weren’t sent by Amanda. Maybe they were sent
by Lucifer. If he was free of hell and in this forest, Jessica was in trouble.
Jessica had a target on her back and might not even know it.

Damn
it, no. “Jessica!” Duncan called out. He rushed to his feet and headed toward
the street. He needed to find her.

Before
Lucifer did.

Unless
of course…. he already had.

Strange
as the Earth was and how things had changed, Lucifer drove. At first it was
difficult, but his unfamiliarity went unnoticed by Jessica Blood. His
passenger, the one he stole right before she discovered the real Duncan Jasper,
unconscious in the back of that white sedan. He took the man’s form easily and
with it came bits and pieces of Duncan’s memories.

He
loved this woman and Lucifer had to pretend to love her as well. Of course, she
was easier on the eyes than most human females he had met. She was nowhere as
perfect as an angel—fallen or otherwise—but she pleasing enough, for a human.

Now,
she slept in the passenger side of the car, unaware she rode with the devil
himself. She was the perfect solution for getting close enough to Amanda. The
one who would be queen of the underworld. If she planned to descend into the
pit, Lucifer had no choice but to kill her.

Only
Amanda could seal him back into the high court of hell. It wasn’t the barren
twisted caves of the underworld, but prison was prison. No matter how beautiful
it was. No matter how many parties and gladiator games Lucifer commanded, it
still wasn’t the same as walking the Earth.

So
many humans to richly corrupt. So much beauty…. To Lucifer being topside was
everything. And he had no intention of ever going back to Hell.

Lucifer
caught his reflection in the rearview mirror and sneered. Handsome human face,
he thought maybe he could grow to like his appearance. If the angels would
allow him to keep it, but the jig would be up, as soon as he slaughtered Miriam
and Amanda. Too bad, Lucifer wouldn’t have minded a lifetime making love to
Jessica. Oh well, where there was a will…there was his way.

There
was always a way when Lucifer was in charge. It would only be a matter of time.
He touched Jessica’s face with the
backside
of his hand. Expecting her to stir, when she didn’t, Lucifer became concerned.
Odd, in the past human woman had always quivered against his touch.

Had
he lost some of his mojo?

No,
Lucifer suspected it was something more. Maybe Jessica wasn’t asleep. Maybe she
was unconscious.

****

She
was barely breathing.

Lucifer
pulled the car over onto the shoulder on the highway and inspected Jessica
closely. Her pulse was erratic, but strong, but her breathing…if she didn’t
make it, Lucifer wouldn’t get close enough to Amanda to kill her. She’d sense
him coming without Jessica around to distract her with their sisterly bond.

He
tilted Jessica’s head back gently. Her lips parted and she wheezed for air.
“Aren’t you a sight,” Lucifer whispered and exhaled. His breath was black as it
floated from his mouth down into hers.

She
gagged and grabbed at the door handle. “Relax,” Lucifer whispered against her
ear. “It’s okay, sugar.”

Staring
through her luscious skin and through her skull, Lucifer saw the problem. Her
head injury was more serious than he’d first suspected. . Fluid was building up
in her brain. Well, he’d have to reduce some of the pressure then, wouldn’t he?
Lucifer took a deep breath and held up his palm.

“This
might pinch,” he said and plunged his hand through the side of her head. It
dissolved against her skull.

Jessica’s
back arched but she was deeply unconscious. She might have felt the pain, but
she couldn’t awaken or respond. Lucifer was glad for that. He didn’t have the
time to appease her every little human thought.

Wiggling
his fingers, Lucifer found the fluid and like a drill, popped it so it would
run into his hand. When the fluid had drained away, he removed his hand.
Jessica appeared better already. Her breathing became strong and even, like
someone in a deep sleep. Her chest rose and fell with each long breath.

Sensual,
the way she held her mouth. Oh, Lucifer could grow to lust for this one. What a
prize she would be in the high court of hell. He could imagine her in dresses
of gold, zigzagged with red flame, coming alive just by her human skin. What a
prize indeed.

His
hand stroked up her shirt and over her breasts. It had been so long since
Lucifer had touched a woman, a real one, who wasn’t a vindictive power hungry
demon, that his skin tingled with desire.

Jessica’s
eyes slit open. “Duncan,” she whispered. “My head, it really hurts.” She
groaned and reached for it.

“I
know,” Lucifer tried his hand at his best southern drawl, “you had a scare, but
it’ll get better now.”

“How?”
Jessica scowled and tried to put herself up, but moaned when she tried.

He
put gentle pressure on her shoulders to keep her resting. “Does that matter?
Don’t you trust me?”

His
smile won Jessica over. Her green eyes were hazy, but filled with love. “Of
course I trust you. Are we almost there? Can you get us to Amanda?”

“I
promise,” Lucifer kissed her cheek and allowed his lips to linger against her.
So hungry for her. He wanted to devour her, but patience…there was time for
that later. “Almost there, but you rest a little bit longer. Can you do that
for me, darling?”

Jessica
nodded and her eyes were already closed. Her body needed time to heal, but he
was certain by the time they got to Amanda, she’d be ready to do her part. He
listened to her fall back asleep, but his lips never strayed from her ear.

“You
will love me,” he whispered. “You will go to Amanda and delay her while I deal
with the angels. They only want to stop you. Get in our way. We can’t let that
happen, Jessica. Do you understand? If they try to stop you, you will deal with
them swiftly. There will be no doubt in your mind when I tell you what to do.”

“No
doubt,” Jessica murmured and her head rolled to the side.

That
was it. That was how it was done.

He
was, after all, the master of lies.

****

Jessica
rested as the car idled just outside of Sweet Town, Nebraska. Lucifer watched
her sleeping form as he popped the car door open. “I’ll be right back, Jess.”
He squeezed her fingers and stopped short of kissing her, though he wanted to.
Really wanted to, but it wasn’t time yet. Things had to set in. His suggestions
as they drove needed time to…percolate.

“I’ll
be right back,” Lucifer stepped from the police car. He was parked on a dirt
road where fields of grass shifted in the night’s breeze. Off in the distance
was a farmhouse, but it was dark. Clearly everyone that lived there was asleep.

Lucifer
stepped from the street into the grass. From the trees in the field several
forms emerged, each holding a blade—high court demons in their regal robes.
Deep red or black with intricate golden scroll work. Each of them, a master in
their own right. Each the oldest and most regal of his clan.

Plus
a special one. His daughter, Amara. The most beautiful of all demons, with
flowing black curls except for three purple highlights than ran through. It
matched her lavender lips and the shining purple of her eyes.

Dressed
in tight black leather pants and a tighter corset, she placed a fist on her
hip. In her other hand, she twirled a gleaming silver sword. “This place stinks
of humans.”

The
apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

The
other demons bent at the waist as Lucifer approached, but Amara didn’t follow
suit, until Lucifer gave her a steady look. She finally gave in with a sigh and
gave him a courtesy bow. It was the little things…. Amara might be centuries
old, but it was time she learned how to respect the proper order of things. It
was time she grew up a little.

After
tonight, Lucifer would make sure she knew her place.

“145
Maple Lane. Angels will be swarming the place, so make sure we have a clear
path. Jessica must get to Amanda.”

The
demons bent forward before they sprouted their black wings. Lucifer’s own were
hidden for the time being, but they couldn’t be masked completely. As he
returned to the squad car, thanks to the headlights, his silhouette, cast on
the dirt road, showed the outline of folded wings.

He
just hoped that Jessica wasn’t cognitive enough, that she would discover them.
Humans weren’t exactly the quickest of the bunch, but they had what Lucifer
wanted. Life. Pleasure. All the things he coveted for himself.

Jessica
rubbed her eyes as he got in. She sat up and there was curiosity twinkling in
her eyes that hadn’t been there before. So, she was feeling better. “Where did
you run off to?”

“Pee
break,” Lucifer
pasted
a charming
lopsided grin on Duncan’s face.

“We’re
here.” Jessica sat up straighter and gazed out the window. “In a few minutes
we’ll see Amanda. I’ll be with my sister again.”

Lucifer
started the car back up. “Then we have nothing to lose. Gotta make tracks. Time
waits for no man.”

Or
demon. Even if he was king.