Demon's Daughter: A Cursed Book (17 page)

“Are you going to come quietly? No muss, no fuss? Or am I gonna have to start chopping off feisty little Connie’s fingers?”

The halfbreed makes a pitiful choking sound instead of answering. Maybe I’ll cut off the sister’s fingers anyway. I’m feeling a little hungry, and human fingers are a great snack.

But I have to move quickly. The brainless oni who came through the portal with me are busy gorging themselves on human meat now that the gunfire has stopped. They can’t remember what we came here for. I want to join the feast, but we have a schedule to keep, and the Boss isn’t very patient. Or lenient. Or understanding. Or merciful.

The portal has already closed, which means the witch will have to make another one to summon us back to Hell, unless Weepy Miss Halfbreed can do it herself. Why did they have to make the simplest things so hard to–

“Dro?” someone calls. “Constance?”

I growl and look over to see a black SUV has pulled up across from us, two humans making their way over. One of them is a kid who rang a bell in the memory I now control. He looks just as scared as the halfbreed. His face is plastered with sweat and there’s a bandage is on his shoulder. I can smell his blood. His face is twisted with pain. Why hadn’t I been at the party where that went down?

The second man doesn’t trigger any memories. He’s tall and looks strong, wearing dark blue jeans, a rugged leather jacket, a dark green shirt, and a Kevlar vest across his broad chest. He’s pretty like the kid, but his prettiness has a more rugged edge to it. His face is strong boned and perfectly angled, his oak-colored hair cut nicely. The only flaw is a dark brown scar under his left eye.

All that is pleasant, but his eyes are the best part of the package. They’re a green so bright that they practically glow.

It’s guys like this that make me understand why demons like coupling with humans every few centuries.

He holds a sawed-off shotgun with confidence and ease, like he has experience using it. I don’t feel any fear coming off him, which is strange. The kid is staring at the halfbreed, then looking at me and the blood on my vessel’s arms.

“Max!” cries the girl, “Max, Con’s possessed! You have to–”

I lunge and tackle the halfbreed. I search the memories and know the kid is a minor psychic and his father is an exorcist. I can’t have him expel me. Not now, not when I have the little bitch. Not when we’re so damn
close.

She writhes underneath me as I force the vessel to grab her wrists. The halfbreed refuses to hurt the body I’m in. All she can see is her black-eyed sister. It’s sweet in its pitiful way. Even now, when I won’t hesitate to cause the halfbreed as much physical damage as possible without getting in trouble, she won’t stop me.

Finally, it gets easy–

Hands wrap around my stolen body and haul me off. I kick and scream in frustration, snapping my head back and connecting with whoever has me. I get free and whip around, and am face to face with Green Eyes. I haven’t busted his nose like I’d hoped, but he still isn’t scared. He even points the shotgun at me. Another idiot I have to deal with. The shotgun blast won’t kill me, just destroy the vessel I’m in and inconvenience me.

“Get out of her, demon.”

Now it clicks. He’s one of them. This might be a problem.

“You slayers are so demanding,” I taunt. “You didn’t even say please.”

His eyes are ice cold. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Jeez. Some people just can’t take a joke.

I turn my back on him to see the crying halfbreed being held by the kid. I snarl and dash for them, completely ignoring the pump of the shotgun and the shout behind me. I pick up the kid and toss him away easily. I whirl on the halfbreed and wrap my hand around her throat, squeezing tightly to let her know that I’m done playing around. She clutches my wrist, trying to pry my fingers off, but still too scared to hurt me. Deep down in the trap, the vessel’s scream becomes louder and more tortured. Excellent.

“Connie,” she rasps, bright eyes desperate. “I know you’re in there, big sister. Fight back.”

I lean in close, letting her see the blackness of my eyes. “Shut the fuck up,” I growl. “You’re coming home.”

“Stop!” shouts Green Eyes. “This is your last warning, demon!”

Like I care. I have what I need. He can shoot my stolen body if it gets him off.

Then I feel it. The shiver in the air. I spin in its direction.
Goddamn it.

They shimmer into existence, and as usual, they look fucking perfect. They’re dressed in the same white leather trench coats they always wear with the buttons closed up to the collar. They wear white pants and white leather boots. Their swords are hidden from sight. Other than that, they look nothing alike. The one on the right is taller with white blond hair and silver-grey eyes. The one on the left has wavy, shoulder-length auburn hair and bright blue eyes. Both of them look so serious that a fool would think they have constipation.

But only a fool makes jokes in the faces of angels.

“Release the Nephilim, Ohzlan,” says Auburn.

I hate it when angels know my true name.

“Fly away home, little birdies,” I say. “We’ve got something special for this little halfbreed,” I add, giving her a shake. Auburn flinches when I shake the girl.

“She is a vessel for the Heavenly Host,” says Bleach, taking a step forward, “and you will not harm her.”

“You angels are so up tight. If you didn’t want someone messing around with your toys, you shouldn’t have left them out in the first place. Especially when they’re so rare.”

I shake the halfbreed again, and the woman in my trap fights some more. I’m getting really sick of that, so I tighten the walls around her, getting satisfaction when I feel her pain.

“This is not a negotiation, hellspawn,” says Bleach, who is still moving for me. “You will leave the vessel you have stolen, and unhand the Nephilim.”

I make the lips form a grin. Nice to know demons and humans aren’t the only ones who can be idiots.

“You keep using that word, Blondie. But I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

My other arm is suddenly grabbed and twisted behind me, cold metal cuffs latching onto my wrist. The silver burns through the vessel to me. I spin around in anger, and see that Green Eyes has snuck up on me.

“You cheating son of a bitch,” I say, letting him see the demon through a stolen human’s eyes.

He doesn’t flinch or back away. Damn demon slayers.

I have to let go of the halfbreed since I need both hands to kill the slayer. He backs up as I swing a fist at his face. I still catch him in the jaw and sending him sprawling. I pull the fist back, just as power hits my vessel in the spine.

Heavenfire rips through the body, burning right through the skin until I feel it. It won’t expel me, but it hurts so bad I can barely take pleasure in knowing that it’s hurting my captive more. I whirl to see which of the two birdies took the cheap shot, only to see Blondie’s fist connecting with my vessel’s face. The son of a bitch puts some angelic power into the hit, and then I’m out.

Chapter 10

I still have control of the vessel when I wake up, but those damn angels ensured I couldn’t do anything else. They have me bound to a chair with blessed silver cuffs, which sear the skin of my vessel and make me very uncomfortable. I looked around and see they’ve also placed me in a salt-sage circle so I can’t escape.

I glance up at my captors. The two angels are in front of me, looking stylish and grim. The kid is next to them, sounding exhausted and distraught as he talks to Green Eyes. I twist and turn my head, but there’s no sign of the halfbreed. She can’t be far. They’ve taken me to a cheap motel room with stained and cracked yellow walls, and probably cloaked the room so my screaming won’t be heard. Angels aren’t past torture. I turn my head once more when the angels look at me.

“Leave the vessel, Ohzlan,” says Auburn.

“Fuck you,” I spit. “I like it in here. This bitch can take a lot of hurt.” I glance around the room again when I don’t sense the halfbreed appearing at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Where’s the halfbreed? I didn’t think she’d want to miss out on her sister getting punched up by angels.”

At this, the kid and Green Eyes look over. They glance at the angels uncertainly, but the birdies don’t even blink.

“What do you want with the Nephilim?” asks Bleach.

I almost laugh. Like I’m going to tell
him
that. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours. You’re not archangels, that much is certain. Seraphs maybe?”

“What do you want with the Nephilim?” Auburn parrots.

“Bring her out here and I’ll tell you.”

“Do not attempt to fool us, hellspawn,” Bleach says sharply, taking a step forward.

“I already have,” I grin maliciously.

Bleach punches me in the head, snapping it to the side. I don’t feel any pain, but the vessel will. I just sit back and enjoy the taste of human blood in my mouth.

“Whoa, hey, you said you weren’t going to hurt her!” the kid shouts.

“We must find out what the plan is,” he says, drawing back his fist again.

Green Eyes steps forward and grabs Bleach’s arm. “That’s enough,” he says fiercely. “She’s possessed, so exorcise her.”

“You do not understand the implications of that request
, slayer,”
Bleach says, clearly not liking that he has to explain himself to a lesser being. “Attacking a Nephilim is a direct threat to Heaven. The demons are planning something, and we must uncover what it is, no matter what the cost.”

He tries to pull away from Green Eyes, but the human doesn’t let go. “I won’t stand here and condone her torture.”

I chuckle. “Look at you boys, fighting over me. You’re making me blush.”

Bleach holds out his other hand and blasts me full in the chest with heavenfire. It blazes deep through the vessel into me, and I make sure to scream long and loud. The other humans in the motel might not be able to hear me, but the halfbreed will. She’s probably crying buckets right now, wherever she’s hiding. If it weren’t for the damn trap and the damn angels, I could call more demons. But that would make things easy.

“Perhaps there is another way,” says Auburn before Green Eyes can throw a punch at the blond angel. Bleach looks at him. “It is possible the vessel Constance Ramirez will remember her possession. As such, she might be able to tell us what Ohzlan knows.”

Oh crap.

I pull on the cuffs, even though I knew I wouldn’t get free. I’m in trouble now.

“It is worth a try,” Auburn continues. “She is important to the Nephilim.”

Bleach finally jerks away from Green Eyes. He’s pouting. “Very well. You may try. But if it does not work, we shall continue with my method.”

Auburn inclines his head in agreement, then looks at the kid and the slayer. “Are you schooled in exorcism?”

The kid nods. “I know a little bit.”

The green-eyed slayer nods as well, but says nothing.

The angel walks toward me, pulling back the cuffs of his sleeves. “Perform the exorcism. The vessel will scream, but you must not stop, no matter what. Ohzlan is a powerful Possessor, and has likely placed a trap on your friend. Removing it will be difficult.”

The kid looks nervous. “Is it going to hurt Constance?” he asks.

“Yes,” he replies heavily. “But we shall heal her. She will live. I swear on the sword of Michael, archangel and commander of the Heavenly Host.”

Wow. That’s a tall order for this pretty Seraph to fill. The Oath of Michael is not something angels use unless they mean business. Auburn looks at me, his blue eyes glowing electrically as he focuses his power.

“Begin,” he instructs.

The kid takes a breath and begins chanting. I wince as the words of God burn me, blessing the vessel and trying to pull me out. I hook onto the woman in the trap and hold on tight. I always wanted to make an angel break the Oath of Michael, and this whole operation has turned into a disaster. If making the angels kill the halfbreed’s sister is the only compensation I can get, then I’ll damn sure take it.

Auburn’s hands are glowing with gold light, his heavenly power clashing with my hell power. I grit my teeth and dig into the mortal soul again. I’m ripping and tearing and doing as much damage as I can. The angel reaches out, his hands glowing a bright gold, and touches my forehead.

I scream as white-hot fire pours into the vessel, slowly severing me from the human. He works delicately, snipping away the threads of possession I had so carefully made to tie me to Constance Ramirez. It’s like stitches are being cut away from a deep gash, stinging and burning every nerve as they’re torn away. I grip her soul and hold on mercilessly, letting her feel an excruciating pain she’s never felt before. One that will leave scars on her soul.

Whether it takes minutes or hours, I can’t tell, but the angel has severed my connection to Constance. He leaves her in agony, but intact. I can feel myself being pulled up and out of the vessel, my demonic scream tearing through the throat that had once belonged to me. Oxygen and vile angelic presence swirl around me…

Then a crushing wave of pain hit me, and I screamed until I passed out.

***

I don’t know how long it was before I woke again. When I did, I felt like I’d been set on fire, thrown down a cliff, then crushed for good measure. I was lying on a comfortable bed, but even that hurt. Didn’t matter what I did– breathing, blinking, existing– the pain refused to leave. I could tell it wasn’t a physical pain, though. It was a pain deep in my soul, as if someone had sliced me open, stuffed something acidic inside me, sewn me up, then torn me open again to take it out. I vowed never to let myself get possessed again. I wouldn’t survive it.