Damned and Desirable (Eternally Yours Book 2) (15 page)

He nodded. “As long as I can.”

“What do you mean?”

He leveled me with a look so sinister, fear solidified my veins, making it difficult to breathe and impossible to move. “Shadow’s master will come for us, Ash, and when he does, things will get ugly.”

I jumped to my feet, my wings snapping open with an angry buzz. “That’s it! I refuse to be a sitting duck any longer.” I stomped out of the den and through the cave tunnel.

Just as I’d hoped, Callum fell in behind me. “Where are you going?”

I waved a hand toward the faint glowing fuchsia lights at the end of the tunnel. “To the gate. I don’t care how ugly and mean that dog is. It beats sitting around here waiting to get captured.”

Callum grabbed my elbow, spinning me to face him. “You don’t know your way to the gate.”

I jerked out of his grip. “That’s why you’re taking me.”

Smoke poured out of his nose as his demon eyes narrowed. “And if I refuse?”

I tilted my chin, waving a hand at the creepy shadows that had slinked into the tunnel, observing us with glowing, feral eyes. “Then I’ll get one of your demon roomies to show me,” I said this with a smile, pretending I wasn’t about to shit my pants as the shadows hovered closer.

“Blast, woman!” He crossed his arms over his scaly chest, right before snarling at a demon who’d sidled up to his back. “You are stubborn.”

I shrugged, turned, and bolted for the exit without a backward glance, hoping my prayers for him to follow me weren’t futile. I jumped off the ledge, flying toward the direction of the flaming pit, relieved to hear Callum’s flapping wings as he caught up to me.

“Do you know where you’re going?” he grumbled.

“No,” I said with a wink. “But you do.”

Aedan

Jack had kept vigilant watch with one head while sniffing the ground with the other. I knew he was trying to track Ash, but so far he hadn’t shown the slightest indication he’d found her trail.

Despite Sarge’s bulky frame, he moved with the stealth of a seasoned soldier. I still couldn’t believe he’d agreed to come. He must have figured the reward would outweigh the risks.

Though Ash had reassured me they were just friends, I wasn’t convinced they didn’t share a deeper connection. But I forced myself to put it out of my mind. There would be time to dwell on that after I’d retrieved Ash from Hell. Because I would find her. I didn’t care if it took a hundred years. I refused to lose another person I loved to eternal damnation.

After trekking through the dead forest for several hours, we finally made our way to an abandoned cave at the edge of the trees. I had no idea what time it was, since the sky was always dark in Hell. The only illumination was from the faint glow of the distant fire. From the ledge of the cave, I saw embers from the pit below sending bursts of iridescent light into the sky like backward shooting stars. It would have been a beautiful sight had I not known we were in the belly of the beast.

We made a fire out of tree limbs, not for warmth, but for light, as even inside the cave, it was hot and humid.

The cave floor was fortunately soft, made up of a slightly sticky clay that was cool to the touch. I hadn’t packed sleeping bags, so the bare floor would have to do. We’d decided to rest long enough to gather our strength and to take shifts keeping watch. After a few hours, we’d resume our search.

Once we were all seated around the fire, I pulled out four candy bars, handing one to Sarge and two to Jack. Then, I passed around a bottle of water, reminding them again to ration it. Though we didn’t need water to survive in Hell, the sweltering heat left our mouths drier than a dustbowl, and the water was a welcome reprieve.

“Were you planning a trip to Hell?” Sarge asked as he handed back the bottle.

I nodded. “Ever since Ash joined the ghosting squad.”

He shot me an accusatory glare. “You knew this would happen?”

Anger infused my skull at the judgment in his eyes. “Did I know Shadow would steal her soul to Hell? No, but she seems to court trouble wherever she goes.”

“Then why did you let her join?” he growled.

I pulled back my shoulders, leveling him with a warning look. Had she been his woman, he wouldn’t have been able to keep her on a leash, either. “I tried to dissuade her, but it was not my choice to make.” The last woman I tried to control had not only rebelled but betrayed me as well. I still wasn’t sure Ash’s heart would be loyal to mine forever, but I wasn’t about to let my jealousy get the best of me. Not yet, anyway.

Ash

“Here, doggie. Nice boy. How about a yummy giant bone to chew on?”

My knees wobbled and sweat dripped down my back as I walked up to three sets of drooling, snarling jowls, holding out what appeared to have been the leg bone of a saber tooth tiger. How did I know this? Because of the giant fanged cat skull attached to the top of the bone structure. I suspected it was Cerberus who had killed the beast. I also realized if there had been a Hell specifically for tormenting cats and mailmen, an eternity with Cerberus would have been it.

My breaths came in shallow gasps as I was nearly overcome by rancid dog breath. May God strike me back down to the bottom level of Hell if I ever made fun of my loveable lab’s breath again. He could have eaten an eternity’s worth of crusted turd nuggets, used tampons, and recycled dog barf, and it still wouldn’t have come close to the unholy stench radiating off Cerberus’s three ugly heads. Even though I was a good twenty yards away from Freaky Fido, the smell hit me like a brick wall.

I wished I could have shielded my nose, but I needed both hands to wield the bone.

“Here, doggie, doggie,” I cooed as I set the bone down and slowly backed away, keeping my eye on that gleaming red elevator right behind him. If I could just distract him long enough to get into that oversized door.

“Ash,” Callum called to my back. “This isn’t going to work.”

I mentally rolled my eyes at my Sir Galahad Dragon hero who was a respectable safe distance away, hiding behind a boulder while I did all the dirty work. As I watched the venom from one of Cerberus’s fangs sizzle and smoke when it hit the ground, I started to believe Callum might have had a point.

And just when I thought all hope was lost, Cerberus sniffed the bone before taking it in his jowls and wagging his long, snakelike tail in appreciation. His two outside heads fought with the middle head for control over the bone, as they snapped at each other’s lips and necks.

Yikes.

I reminded myself to never invite them to a dinner party and offer them the last croissant.

Callum climbed out of his hidey-hole wiping grime off his legs. He let out a low, appreciative whistle.

I planted my hands on my hips, turning up a satisfactory smile. “See, I told you dogs love me.”

“Maybe so,” Callum hissed as he ducked down, “but that doesn’t mean he’s going to let you pass.” His eyes widened as he pointed beyond my shoulder. “Watch out!”

I tumbled to the ground as a pair of fanged jowls narrowly missed snapping off my head. I rolled away as he came for another pass, and then I jumped into the air, flying just beyond his reach as he snapped at my feet.

“Sheesh!” I wagged a finger at the dog. “What did I ever do to you?”

He answered with a triple bark that nearly blew out my eardrums.

“Bad doggie!” I scolded as he jumped up on his hind legs and sprang from the ground.

I screeched and flapped away, putting a respectable amount of distance between me and his fangs. Then I flapped away a little farther, putting even more distance between me and his breath.

Callum flew to my side. “Don’t take it personally. He doesn’t like anyone.”

I scowled down at the three-headed demon dog who was happily munching on the bone I’d given him, his tail slapping the elevator door in a taunting staccato. “Okay, new tactic.”

“We leave and wait for Aedan,” Callum said dryly.

But no, I had a better idea. I had no idea if my wind powers had changed since falling into this stink hole, but they sure felt different. I looked down at my palms, willing my powers to surge, and was surprised when I saw a little spark jump off my skin.

The memory of my death a few short weeks ago came flooding back: I’d been electrocuted by a faulty blowdryer, and somehow that same electricity had found its way into my hands. I wondered just how strong my powers were, deciding there was only one way to find out.

I flashed my best bad girl smile. “How about we teach Fido a lesson?”

Callum’s eyes widened, and he reached for me, but I flew down fast, landing on the ground with a jarring thud that caused pain to shoot up my legs.

Ouch. Okay, I’m not Super Woman. Lesson learned.

Even though I was farther away from the beast than last time, when I looked into his three sets of glowing red eyes, I realized I hadn’t really thought this plan through.

Shit. Why am I always acting without thinking? One day, like maybe now, my carelessness is going to get me in trouble.

But when the dog dropped his bone and came after me, I had no time to rethink my plan. I lifted my hands and fired off a charge, just enough to make him yelp three times and run harder.

Awww, triple shit.

I jumped into the sky, pumping my wings with all my might, and once again narrowly missed being Cerberus’s chew toy. Okay, so that plan didn’t work, but as I looked down at my aching palms, I knew I wasn’t channeling all my energy. There had to be more than a little spark. All I had to do was figure out how to release it.

I did my best to ignore the barking mutt below as I wracked my brain for an answer. Maybe I had to get really angry, like those times I’d channeled my wind back on Earth. Maybe if Cerberus did something to piss me off, I’d be able to hit him with enough of a charge to power all of Seattle. I had no idea why, but at the moment, I wasn’t feeling the anger. Yeah, I was frustrated, and hot and sweaty, and thirsty, and in bad need of a bath, pedicure, manicure, massage, and maybe a few orgasms, but I wasn’t angry. I should have been. I’d been kidnapped and brought to Hell, after all.

Hopelessness surged through me as I looked at Callum.

He flew beside me, patting my back in a brotherly gesture. The pity reflecting in his eyes reminded me of the time my mom had tried to control my meltdown after my bratty sister popped the heads off all my dolls.

“You ready to go back?” he asked, squeezing my shoulder.

I shook my head as wet heat stung the back of my eyes. “So plan A didn’t work, but I’m sure we could figure out a plan B.”

I thought about what else we could use to distract the ugly canine, and for some reason horny water came to mind. Hmmm. I wondered what would happen if I brought him a big bowl of water. Then I cringed when I realized what a two-ton horny dog could do to us. Back on Earth, I’d had a hard enough time pulling Jack off my beanbag chair.

“Do you know where we can get any giant sofa cushions?” I asked.

Callum gave me a look like I’d gone certifiably bat shit cray cray. Maybe I had. But after enough time in this infernal, sweaty stink hole, it was bound to happen.

Callum heaved a groan as he threw his arms into the sky. “Ash, you need to learn when to admit defeat.”

“No.” I stomped the air with both feet. “I will never admit defeat. I don’t deserve to be in Hell, Callum. I’ve never raped or killed anyone.”

His eyes widened and then narrowed, but not before I saw the flash of pain in his red orbs.

Oops. That was a totally insensitive thing to say, Ash.

He turned and flew back in the direction we’d come. I hastily went after him as I gnawed on my bottom lip. “Not that you have raped or killed anyone, but you know?”

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “I know.”

But, wait! He was giving up already? We still hadn’t figured out how to defeat the dog. Surely, he had to have another weakness other than really bad gingivitis.

Panic punctured my words. “Where are you going?”

Callum tossed a glare over his shoulder. “Home. I’m tired of chasing my tail around.”