Damned and Desirable (Eternally Yours Book 2) (30 page)

“I didn’t have sex with Ash,” he slurred, right before stumbling onto a chair and falling to the floor with the grace of a wobbly ox cart. He winced as he landed on his knee, but I didn’t give a damn if he’d been injured. The drunk deserved it.

“Liar!” I spat and charged him.

“I don’t have to take this.” He stumbled back, pointing a finger. “I’ve been listening to your accusations for the past hundred years, and I’m damn sick of them.”

I jutted a foot and my fist forward. Callum didn’t shield himself as I struck. My knuckles cracked his nose, and he crumbled to the ground in a lifeless heap.

“That was low.” Sarge jumped down from the table. “The guy can barely stand.” It took me a moment to register what Sarge was saying as I noticed his two human legs.

Ignoring his scowl, I pointed at him. “Where’d you get the leg?”

“Don’t change the subject,” he snapped as he bent over my brother and helped him sit up. Callum mumbled something unintelligible as he slumped against a chair.

Sarge turned on me, his tanned skin flushing as he bunched his shoulders. “This guy saved Ash. You should be thanking him, not cracking his skull open.”

“Back off,” I growled, aiming my fist at him. “I don’t have any qualms hitting you, either.”

The bastard swung hard and fast before I had a chance to block. I stumbled, feeling the blood gush from my nose.

“Friends no fight!” Garf jumped up, hoisting me over his shoulder. “Fight will make angel sad.”

“Put me down, damn you!” I yelled as I punched his back.

The giant didn’t flinch. “Garf already damned,” he said with a pitiful sniffle that nearly made my heart break.

I fell limply against him, realizing what an ass I’d made of myself. It wasn’t in my nature to lose my temper, but I’d let my jealousy get the better of me. Still, the thought of Ash’s sleep-induced confession sent my rage spiraling all over again. She’d said they’d had sex, but that he’d pulled out before she could find release. I’d heard her loud and clear, and I wouldn’t have put it past my demonic brother to have used her that way. So why had they both told me nothing happened? Had they been lying to protect my feelings or to protect each other? Either way, I’d get to the bottom of this. As much as it would pain me to learn the truth, I had to know if the woman I risked my soul to save, the woman I loved with all my heart, loved me back.

Ash

I stretched my arms to the ceiling as I slowly opened my eyes. Last night in the Nephilim’s pyramid had been my first night in Hell with no nightmares. In fact, I’d slept so soundly, I barely remembered much after I downed several goblets of wine. I thought Aedan carried me to bed, but everything was still fuzzy.

I heard a commotion somewhere at my feet, and then Jack was bounding on top of me, showering me in kisses.

“Good morning, buddy,” I said as I stroked his neck. “Did you sleep well, too?”

He answered with a resounding bark, and I laughed.

A series of thuds shook the mattress beneath me, and I struggled to sit up, smiling as Garf sat beside me.

“Morning, angel,” he said with a goofy grin.

“Morning, Garf.” I peered beyond the bed at my lavish, oversized furnishings. “Have you seen Aedan?”

He frowned, shaking his head. “Brother no here.”

Huh? I wondered where my boyfriend had gone to. Probably to try to talk Og out of making me fight that war.

Jack wagged his tail at Garf, jumped onto his lap, and licked him as if they were old friends. Garf laughed so loud, he snorted like an injured pig as he patted Jack’s head. I was amazed by Jack’s affection, and wondered, not for the first time, who my dog was. I was also amazed at how well he got around on three legs. He made me feel like a baby considering all the times I’d cried after stubbing my toe or chipping a nail.

Jack jumped to the floor, his nails clicking unevenly across the slick tiles as he raced across the room. I wondered where he was going but didn’t worry. It was clear Jack was smarter than the average dog. How hadn’t I noticed before?

“Eat,” the giant said to me as he held out his hands, “then Garf take you to training.”

“Training?”

Garf nodded solemnly. “Warriors preparing for battle. Maybe brother there.”

I let him hoist me to the floor, grateful I wouldn’t have to climb down the table that had been pushed up against the bed. Funny, but when I looked at that table I thought of Aedan jumping off the bed last night, and an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Why had he left me this morning without telling me where he was going? I didn’t know how I knew, but I suspected he was mad at me for something. Maybe Callum had told him about my hormone water horniness. I cringed at that. I’d been hoping I could tell him first.

My worries were forgotten when Garf brought me through a massive door to a buffet fit for a queen spread out along a blanket. There were goblets full of pink liquid, and a few different types of ambrosia, each swimming in brightly colored sauces. There was meat, too, something that looked like honeyed ham. At least I hoped it was ham and not some Nephilim form of headless rat Spam.

We were in an atrium garden off my room, and the scenery was breathtaking. I felt as if I’d stepped into my own fairy forest. I could hear Jack running through the trees, barking happily as birds squawked and flew to higher branches. I tried to call him back, but Garf reassured me Jack couldn’t harm them, explaining the birds were much like valets or nettles.

Garf and I sat on the blanket and helped ourselves to platters of food. I took a bite of ambrosia, relishing the sweet, nutty flavor as a colorful bird landed on a tree branch blooming with bright red flowers. I wondered how the Nephilim managed to grow such a lovely garden in Hell. Actually, I wondered a lot of things, starting with why I was back in my human form.

“Garf.” I twirled a piece of fruit between my fingers. “How come I’m not a demon anymore?”

Garf waved toward the foliage around us. “Heavenly magic inside pyramid,” he said with a note of awe in his voice.

“Heavenly magic?”

“Yah. God take pity on Nephilim.” He shoveled a big piece of meat into his mouth, groaning as he closed his eyes.

Okay, I didn’t care if it was rat, spider, or some other beast, I had to try it. I took a tentative bite, and mmmm, it did taste like ham, like the kind my grandma made for Easter, only ten times better. Must have been the unusual spices. Jeez, the Nephilim had their own little slice of Heaven in Hell. Why did they want to leave?

But the fact that God had taken pity on the giants was reassuring. If God rewarded those in Hell, that meant Callum had a chance at redemption. And if the Nephilim were right, and I was some sort of fallen angel meant to help them escape, surely God wouldn’t mind if Callum came along, too.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard Jack’s happy barks followed by a loud splash. I jumped to my feet, scanning the trees. I knew he loved to swim, but I hoped he wouldn’t get into too much trouble. I wrung my hands together when I spotted the waterfall emptying into a luminous pool at the far end of the atrium. Jack climbed out of the pool, shaking off the water. His tail danced around wildly as he skirted the edge of the pool, sniffing underneath every plant and bush.

Where had the water come from? We had to have been at the top of the pyramid, for the walls came to a point far above us, the tip appearing to be illuminated in light.

Garf stood too, his gaze traveling past mine. “Angel no worry. Doggie having fun.” He motioned toward the blanket. “Eat. Angel need strength.”

I took a tentative sip of the dark pink liquid swirling in the goblet. I moaned my delight. It tasted like strawberry lemonade, only ten times better. I could so get used to the food here.

Jack raced back toward us, and surprisingly, he was no longer limping.

My eyes widened as I saw his foot was once again whole. “Your paw!” I squealed as Jack barreled into my arms.

He licked the food off my face before helping himself to a platter of his own.

Garf nodded toward the waterfall. “Magic water heal doggie.”

“That’s amazing,” I breathed. Then I thought of Sarge, who’d lost his leg on Earth. “We should bring Sarge here.”

“Magic water flow through pyramid into many wells.” He waved a hand around him. “All Nephilim bathe in water. Sarge Friend took bath last night.”

“What? You mean his leg grew back?”

Garf nodded. “Yah.”

Wonderful,
I thought. I was sure Sarge was thrilled, although, I would miss his prosthetic. It had given him a sexy badass look. Oh, well. I was sure he’d still be sexy without it. Not that his degree of sexiness mattered to me. There was only one man whose sex appeal I cared about, and I couldn’t wait to get him alone for real, so I could finish exploring beneath that toga.

A bright yellow bird fluttered by, chirping a sweet melody as it disappeared beneath some foliage. This place truly was like Heaven. Why did the Nephilim want to leave? Then I remembered the time my mom had moved us out of her dream house and into a dump across town. She’d said it was because of the neighbors. They were always having domestic disputes, and the police had to be called to their house at least once a week. I could understand why the Nephilim would rather live in the real Heaven than right next to a flaming pit of doom, especially considering their neighbors were less than neighborly.

“Garf? I asked the giant as I set down my goblet and plopped another piece of ambrosia in my mouth. Manners be damned. This food was too good to act civilized. I pointed to the center point in the ceiling. “Where is that light coming from? I thought all Hell was dark.”

“Light come from Earth.”

I nearly choked on my food as I gawked at him. “Earth? As in level one?”

“Yah,” he said.

I squinted at the ceiling. Could it have been true? If so, why were the Nephilim stuck in Hell when they could go to Earth? I was sure they could find a giant-sized ladder and climb out of the hole. Too bad I didn’t have my wings. I could have flown out of the top and escaped. But, no, I wouldn’t dream of leaving my friends behind, not after all of the sacrifices they’d made for me.

“What’s stopping the Nephilim from going to the top?” I asked.

His massive brow furrowed as his lip hung down in a pout. “Nephilim banished from mortal world.”

My heart clenched at that. So far, the Nephilim seemed like nice creatures. I vaguely remembered hearing the story of David and Goliath during one of the rare times I wasn’t sleeping in Sunday School. Goliath had been killed by a rock, and his kind had been banished. I wondered if those same Nephilim were in the pyramid with me, and if they still held resentment toward humankind for their punishment.

I eyed Garf after he inhaled an entire platter of meat. “Scorpius said he wanted me to help him rule the apocalypse. Do you know what he was talking about?”

“Demons know Nephilim wait for fawen angel to lead them to Heaven.” Meat chunks flew from his mouth as he spoke. “Scorpius try to use fawen angel to make war on Earth.”

I scooted back, pretending not to be grossed out by falling, slobbery meat debris. “Why would he think I could do that?”

Garf, thankfully, took several gulps of juice. He let out a satisfied sigh before wiping his face with the back of his hand. I reminded myself that only yesterday he’d been forced to eat rats and who knew what else. He was skinnier than the other giants. The demons had starved him, no doubt.

“Many years ago,” he said, “angels came to Nephilim. They say one day fawen angel help us fight our enemies.”

It was all starting to make sense. “And by enemies, Scorpius probably thought the angel meant the humans on Earth since you were banished from there.”

Garf’s eyes bugged as he vehemently shook his head. “Nephilim no want to go back to Earth. Nephilim want to go to Heaven. Nephilim no like living with demons.”

I squeezed his little pinkie with both hands. “I’m sorry, Garf.”

“You nice human.” He beamed with childlike adoration. “Most humans fight like demons…” –he bit his lower lip, averting his gaze— “or brothers.”

I jerked back. “Brothers?” My breakfast soured in my stomach as my heart began to pump out a wild staccato in my ears. Just great. Why did I get the feeling Aedan’s absence this morning had something to do with Callum? “Have Aedan and Callum been fighting?”

Bits and pieces of yesterday came back to me. The moment Aedan had found us, he’d accused Callum of sleeping with me, and I hadn’t had the chance to set him straight.

“Yah.” He nodded. “Aedan punch Callum and Callum leave Nephilim den.”

My heart came to a racing halt. “What do you mean he left?”

Gar waved a hand in the air. “He go back to be demon.” He frowned, turning his gaze down. “He tell Garf to tell angel goodbye.”

I shot to my feet. “No!” I screamed as fear electrified my skin. “He can’t leave. Scorpius will torture him!” Just the thought of what Scorpius would do to Callum if he caught him made my skin crawl. How could he have left? That hard-headed dragon. I couldn’t wait to wrap my hands around that scaly neck and throttle him. I just hoped when I found him he still had a neck. I whistled for Jack as I stormed through the tall set of double doors leading to my suite.