Damned and Desirable (Eternally Yours Book 2) (25 page)

Callum’s head lolled to one side, smoke streaming out of his snout in weak tendrils as Shadow and another demon held him up. Scorpius eyed Callum’s festering wound. “It doesn’t look so bad. I must not have struck him hard enough.” In the blink of an eye, Scorpius struck Callum’s other shoulder, causing him to jerk up and scream before his head lolled to the other side.

“What are you doing?” I yelled as I balled my fists.

He turned to me with a smirk. “Easing his suffering. Isn’t that what you wanted? Soon, he will fall down to the second dimension, then the third, and finally the fourth, and the pain of my venom will be just a memory.” He turned back to Callum, tail poised to strike again.

I jutted a foot forward. “Please, don’t! Please!”

Garf wailed as he rattled the bars of the cage. The other demons began to get restless, too, pacing and growling like wild animals.

Yet with all of those distractions, I kept my eyes on Scorpius. He was the one I needed to take down first if I had any chance of escaping.

He strode up to me, holding out his bloody vein. “If you wish me to give him the anti-venom, you must drink, and then you must sign the oath declaring yourself my blood slave for all eternity.”

Oh, jeez, seems like a simple request. As if.

“All right, I’ll do it,” I cried, my shoulders slumping in defeat, “but not until you give Callum the anti-venom.”

His tail rattled as a wide smile split his face. The demons held Callum while Scorpius spit into both of his stings. I watched with a mixture of dread and amazement as the bubbling boils began to heal.

“Ash, don’t drink,” Callum whimpered before his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

I felt the energy racing through my veins now and the hairs on my arms stood on end. If the anti-venom worked a little faster, Callum would be strong enough to help me.

“I won’t let him cast you to the fourth dimension,” I said between gritted teeth. That part was true. I wouldn’t, but I wasn’t about to drink scorpion blood, either.

Scorpius walked up to me holding out his arm. “Now, you must drink.”

“Noooo!” Garf rattled the cage behind me, so hard the walls of our cave began to shake and dust rained down on our heads.

Scorpius turned to his demons with a snarl. “Stop him!”

They picked up spears and sticks and began poking Garf through the bars.

“No drink! No drink!” he cried as he shook the cage.

With a roar, Scorpius stormed toward the giant, blood spurting along the floor in his wake. “Open the cage,” he commanded.

That’s when I saw Callum fighting the demons who held him. The color had returned to his face and steam poured from his snout.

Strike now!
My conscience told me.
And strike hard!

I raised my hands and poured all my energy into my palms, amazed as twin thunderbolts lit up the cave and zapped Scorpius right in the tail. He flew through the open door of the cage and slammed into the back wall. The smell of burned flesh permeated the musty chamber.

Holy shit! Did lightning just come out of my hands?

That wasn’t anything like the little zap I’d used on Cerberus.

Callum burned demons left and right, filling our cave with more heat as I zapped the demons who tried to flee. Garf did the smart thing and huddled in the corner of his cell, hands shielding his face. Good thing, because I didn’t want him getting hurt.

I had no idea if this lightning thing was part of my demon powers or what, but I wasn’t complaining. The hair on my head stood on end as I zapped another and another. A few were stupid enough to come after me with fangs unsheathed and claws raised. They didn’t stand a chance. It was like watching insects fly into a porch light.

Ha, ha! Eat my electricity, demons.

And just when I thought we’d burned and zapped every evil creature in the place, a shadow fell over the room, blurring my vision and sending my mind spiraling into a pit of confusion.

I heard a roar, and then I choked on smoke as fire filled the air. A strong hand on my back gave me a push. I turned and looked into a pair of glowing dragon eyes.

“Run!” Callum screamed.

But I was too confused to do anything. A series of booms shook the floor beneath me before I was tossed into the air, thrown over a thick shoulder, and bounced out of the cave.

“Ash, wake up.” Callum stood over me, lines of concern on his brow as he shook me.

“Callum! You’re okay!” I squealed as I sat up and threw my arms around his neck.

His steamy breath scorched my shoulders as he hugged me back, but I didn’t care. I was just so happy to see him well again. And then I remembered my last waking moment, and the darkness that had fallen over me in the cave.

“Shadow!” I screamed as I lurched out of Callum’s embrace.

“Don’t worry.” Callum’s low baritone was full of menace. “I think I burned him good on the way out.” He angled his head, looking up. “After Garf cleared a path for us.”

“Garf, you helped us?” I looked up at the giant’s smiling face.

Garf jutted a thumb in his chest as the chains rattled on his wrists. “Angel save Garf, and Garf save angel.”

My face flushed. This giant obviously had low heavenly standards if he thought I was an angel, but I appreciated the compliment. “I’m no angel, but thanks.”

Callum stood and held a hand down to me. “That was a pretty spectacular light display.”

“Thanks. You didn’t do so badly yourself.” I took his hand, amazed at the little spark that lit between us.

“Ouch!” he laughed, hoisting me to my feet.

Though it was dark outside, I could tell we were on yet another cliff somewhere, overlooking the great flaming pit below. Garf walked over to the ledge and sat down, his heavy feet dangling precariously over the side as if hovering over a flaming pit of doom was no big deal.

“I think we make an amazing demon ass-kicking team.” I tried to keep my voice chipper even as I was wiping sweat off my brow and backing away from the face of the cliff. “What do you think, Garf?”

He frowned down at his dirty palms. “Garf no like demons. Demons beat and sting Garf every day.”

I knew after years of captivity, it took a powerful act of courage for Garf to stand up to his oppressors. I was so grateful he’d done it now. I had no idea what crazy compelling force dared me to sit beside Garf on the ledge. Maybe I’d gotten a little too cocky after kicking a horde of demon butt, or maybe I remembered if I did fall, I could always fly back up. “Shadow would have overpowered us if it hadn’t been for you. Thanks.” I placed my hand on his, which was weird because his hand was about the size of my rear, minus the squeezable part.

I was rewarded with an uneven smile. “Garf save angel, because angel save Nephilim.”

There he goes, calling me an angel again.

“We need to get going,” Callum said at our backs.

“You’re right,” I answered. I had no idea how long those electrocuted demons would be incapacitated before they assembled their numbers and came after us.

I was about to back away from the ledge, but I did something stupid and took a good look at our surroundings. Holy shit, we were high up! As in, higher than the Space Needle high. As in, if I slipped and fell, I’d be demon-splat-on-a-rock high. Yeah, we were that freaking high. Now the only question was how in the heck were we supposed to get down?

Beneath us was a crumbling stairway carved into the face of the mountain. I stole a glance at Garf, worried the stairs wouldn’t be able to handle his weight. The wings that sagged across his back didn’t appear to be of any use, either.

Sure, Callum and I could fly our way out, but there was no way I was leaving Garf behind to be captured and chained up again.

I stood, cautiously backing up from the ledge. “Okay, now what?”

“We keep moving before they catch us,” Callum answered.

“Garf, can you fly?” I asked the giant.

“No can fly.” He frowned. “Demon cut Garf’s wings.”

I jutted my chin forward, eyeing the stairs as if they were no big deal. “Then we walk.” I ignored Callum’s grumbling behind me as I ushered Garf forward.

He turned and went down backward as if he was climbing down a ladder, moving so quickly Callum and I had to fly to keep up with him. Maybe this escape would work after all.

Beads of sweat dripped down my brow and between my shoulder blades as we neared the bottom of the cliff in record time. It seemed the farther we descended into the pit, the heavier the dark thoughts that weighed on my mind.

Where would we go now that Callum’s den was no longer safe? Would he make good on his word and help me find a way out? Even if Callum somehow found a way to help me escape, what would happen to him? If my thunderbolt hadn’t been enough to kill Scorpius, he’d wake up one pissed off demon and go after Callum, probably imprisoning and torturing him all over again. I couldn’t leave him to face that alone.

“Callum, do you have any idea where we’re going?” I asked as I hovered near Garf’s shoulder.

“To the gate,” he said as he flapped his wings beside me. “We’re getting you on that damned elevator.”

I should have been overjoyed, but I wasn’t, knowing I couldn’t take him with me. Then I thought about Shadow. He’d somehow made it to Purgatory even though he’d been turned into a demon. Maybe I could sneak Callum up there. But what about Garf? He was too big to sneak into Purgatory. Would Garf wander Hell alone only to be captured by demons again, or was there a den of other Nephilim somewhere who could keep him safe?

After Garf descended the last stair, Callum and I floated to the ground and we waited for the giant to catch his breath, though it was hard for any of us to breathe in the thick, smoky air. I paused to reassess my troubling thoughts. How would I make my grand escape past Cerberus? Sure, my powers had strengthened, but would my lightning be enough to defeat a three-headed beast? I wrapped my wings around me, nervously toying with a feather.

“What about the dog?” I asked Callum as my wings fell to my sides.

Callum clutched my shoulders in a strong grip, his eyes searching mine. “Ash, I’ve never met another demon with the power to shoot thunderbolts. If you can take down Scorpius, you can take down Cerberus. Besides, we’ll help you.”

I heaved a frustrated breath. Why did the guy feel the need to comfort me when I was the one going to Purgatory, and he’d be stuck behind in this miserable existence? A tear slipped down my cheek as my lower lip trembled. I felt like the worst kind of friend imaginable for abandoning Callum. “What about you?”

A look of annoyance crossed his features. “What about me?”

More tears began to flow. My chest felt so heavy, the words came out on a wheeze. “I can’t leave you here.”

His eyes darkened as steam poured out of his nose. “The hell you can’t.” Turning his back on me, he shot into the air, hovering above the smoke as he surveyed the landscape. From my vantage point, I saw grey, cracked earth surrounding smoking pools of lava. I shrieked as a thunderous sound erupted and the ground split open in front of us. Garf pulled me back just before a streaming geyser of fire shot into the air.

“Thanks, Garf,” I said as I mopped sweat off my brow. Was this the only way out? How were we supposed to navigate through steaming lakes and fiery pyres?

Callum whistled as he waved us forward. I glared up at him. He was so like his brother to lash out at me and then storm off, not just from further confrontation, but from facing his feelings. Callum was scared, though he did a good job masking it with lots of smoke and scowls.

I shot into the air, the beating of my wings matching the thudding of my heart. “What will Scorpius do to you if you help me escape?”

His nostrils flared and his eyes burned, his wings pumping wildly. “What do you think Scorpius will do to you if you become his prisoner again? You have to go, Ash.” The flapping of his wings slowed to nearly a standstill as something in his gaze softened. “Besides, I owe it to my brother.”

He flew forward as Garf hopped over lava pools and quickly navigated around the geysers like a child playing a game of hop-scotch.

With heavy wings, I flew after Callum. A protest died in my throat, and it felt as if my chest had broken wide open, exposing a raw and scarred heart. A plume of smoke rose from the ground, shrouding Callum in a charcoal haze, reminding me that soon he’d be nothing more than a memory, a casualty of his sins, lost in the underworld for eternity. Death was so unfair.