Good Side of Sin (42 page)

Thoros’ fingers tightened around my hand and I knew exactly what he was thinking. That he was going to be stuck here in Limbo and Omega would be on Earth… with me. I tried to keep my cool for us both, but I didn’t know how long even I could hold out with this shocking news. Melina must be planning something.
Crap!

“A Limbotomist?” Malcolm piped in cheerfully.

I ignored Malcolm’s lame joke and kept my full attention on Omega. “You are not coming with us.”

He chuckled. “Actually, I am. Melina has released me back to Earth to finish my unfinished business, but in order to earn the pass I had to agree to help you first.”

I couldn’t breathe.
No!
I wouldn’t be out of line if I stated the obvious. “She doesn’t want you to help me; she wants you to kill me,” I said through a clenched jaw, and noticed I was trembling.

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “I’ve already said that I would never hurt you intentionally. Once we get outside these gates, she won’t be able to control my mind anymore. I really do want to help you beat this, because I have some things to take care of, and I can’t do that if we are all burning in Hell, now, can I?”

I didn’t know what to think, but thankfully I didn’t have time to dwell on it; we had arrived on the other side of the lake.

Omega got up to assist everyone in getting off the ferry, and I turned terrified eyes to Thoros. I swallowed and opened my mouth to speak—

“Y’all didn’t like Limbotomist?” Malcolm said.

Thoros sighed, his patience clearly wearing thin. I turned to look at Malcolm.

“Uh, Malcolm… could you give us a minute, please?”

He stood, clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Sure thing, Jossel,” as he walked away.

I stared at his back as he left the ferry and joined the others. Isaiah was looking at me, knowingly. I took in a deep breath, already feeling like my heart was gone. Fate had sure pulled one over on me.

“Why do I feel like you are about to tell me good bye right now? I have faith that we will have time later, Josselyn. Let’s enjoy the time we have left with each other.”

I blew out the breath I was holding. “There is no time left for us, Thoros.” I held my hand up to silence him when he opened his mouth to object. “We were tricked. Archangel Alexandra activated Ethan’s powers, and she’s been talking to him ever since he healed Duchess. One of the archangels wanted us to come here and offer Melina a pass to Hell so she and Lucifer could be together forever, not just a day. The archangel—and maybe more angels—have caused all of this to happen
for
Lucifer. I was the only one the Council gave permission to offer her a deal—we never made one; you interrupted us, so it doesn’t count unless I sign her contract.”

His expression beamed with excitement, then immediately fell when my tears began to fall. “Everything is fixed then, right? We don’t need her, and she can’t get out unless you make another deal with her—”

I shook my head. “Your contract is still binding. You signed yourself over to her and now there is nothing I can do to stop her from keeping you.”

His mouth fell open, his expression one of stunned horror. “I did this. I promised you that I would fix it, and now I don’t have any time left. This is my fault—”

“I thought you needed to save Heaven and Earth? Why are we still here, girl?” Melina barked from the bank.

I threw my arms around Thoros’ neck and sobbed. His arms draped lightly around me as if he were in shock and not accepting what I had said as the truth. “I forgive you, Thoros. I asked Isaiah to tell you everything, because I was too big of a coward to tell you myself, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave without telling you good bye. I need you to know that I love you with all my heart. I wanted you to hear me say it, not Isaiah.”

“This is really it, isn’t it?” he whispered. “Our time is over. I will never see you again.”

I pulled away when I opened my tear-filled eyes and saw Isaiah standing beside us.

“It’s time to go, Josselyn,” Isaiah said.

I nodded as I wiped at my wet face.

“Walk her to the gate, Thoros. You need to be the one to make sure she goes through it.”

Thoros stood and took my hand without a word, and then led me off the ferry to join the rest of the group.

I clung to his arm, but he was unresponsive to me or anything else except walking toward the black iron gates that would separate us forever.

I hated this!

I looked up and realized everyone had gone through except for Melina. She was waiting for the stone I had in my pocket that would allow her to leave the gates for a single day. I wouldn’t be giving it to her now—or ever. And she couldn’t take it from me. It wouldn’t work; there was no contract with my signature on it.

I felt Isaiah’s hand at the small of my back, ushering me forward. I must have slowed down. We were only five steps from the gate now, and I didn’t want to go. I had a sudden urge to turn and run back to the ferry and demand that she let me stay here with Thoros. Maybe I could beg her to destroy the contract he had signed.

Only two more steps.

Now one.

I stopped and looked outside the gate at my friends and the spirits I had come here to take back with me. If I didn’t take that last step I would be damning everyone I knew and loved to an eternity of darkness and torture. Lucifer would not go easy on them. He would make it a point to torture the ones I loved more than the rest, because I was the reason he would never see his precious soulmate again.

“It’s too late to turn back now, girl.”

“You’re right. I have to go.”

Melina smiled and held her empty palm out to me. “We had a deal, angel.”

I looked to Isaiah, and then to Thoros. I mouthed the words
I love you
, and then took the last step over the threshold.

Melina shrieked and tried to grab me, but was instantly thrown back fifteen feet by the force of God’s wrath when she touched the barrier. I watched in horror as she bounced back up and started running for Thoros with rage in her eyes. She was going to hurt him to get me to do what she wanted.

“No!” I screamed, and started to run back through the entrance, but Isaiah spun on his heel and shoved Thoros through the gate. I was in his direct path, and too stunned to react, so we crashed and his weight knocked me to the ground.

I hit hard and couldn’t breathe at first, but the adrenaline rushing through my body kept me from losing consciousness.

I pushed Thoros off me and looked at him with wide eyes. His were just as shocked. “How did you—”

“I don’t know!” he said, stunned.

“Give me the stone!” Melina shrieked.

Both Thoros and I looked back to the gate. Isaiah was standing just behind the barrier, holding a frantic Melina around her waist as she kicked and hit him. He didn’t seem fazed at all by her hissy fit.

“Isaiah?” I said as I got to my feet. “Isaiah, what have you done?”

“What I had to in order for things to be right again. I had a feeling something like this would happen, and I was prepared for it. This was not a careless decision, Josselyn. I know my sister and all she is capable of. When I saw through your mind what Melina offered you, I left my chamber right away, but Thoros had already signed the contract before I could get there to stop him. I knew that Melina had made a mistake in making the deal with Thoros, a man who was not allowed to make such a deal in the first place, and that she wouldn’t be allowed to leave Limbo unless she corrected her action and made the deal with you. My sister is smart, but easily distracted, so I knew I had to offer her something she would want more than a half-souled immortal that would be miserable with her company.”

I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “Isaiah, no… you—you have so much to go back to. You have Heaven—you have Lameria. She will be devastated when she hears of what you’ve done!”

Thoros wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly against his chest. I hadn’t even realized I had been walking toward the barrier until he had grabbed me, and then I noticed Melina had her hand at the ready, waiting for me to cross it just a little, so she could pull me back through to her side.

I had been distracted—confused by Isaiah’s expression. “Lameria, Isaiah, you remember her, right?”

Something flickered in his eyes, and then it was just gone. He shook his head. “That’s a pretty name, but I’m not sure I’ve met her.” He laughed lightly. “Well, I’m sure I haven’t. I never forget a name or face; I’m an archangel—was… I
was
an archangel.” His expression turned somber. “Go finish your mission, Josselyn. Remember what I said before?”

I shook my head and more tears fell from my eyes. My heart was breaking! “I will never forget you, either.”

He nodded once, and then turned and walked away from the gate, leaving Melina there red-faced and seething.

I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I would see her again someday.

Isaiah was right; I had to finish this mission. After everything that had been lost or threatened since the Council sent Rhyan to Hell to find his soulmate, I would be a fool to stop now.

I would miss Isaiah, but I knew why he had done what he did, and that only made me love him more. Hopefully there would be time to mourn for the loss of my friend later.

If I had learned anything at all from my guardian angel, it was to only worry about the things I can do something about, and leave the rest up to God. With determination in my eyes, I left thoughts about my past where they were—in my past—and then turned to face my future. God willing, I could do something about it.

Eyes wide and full of anxiety, Ethan ran up to me in a panic. “We can’t go back to the mansion. Alexandra just told me that it’s been taken over.”

I gritted my teeth in anger.
Damn it!
“Then that’s exactly where we have to go. We aren’t going to win this by hiding from them. My guess is that they’re waiting for us—or rather—they are waiting for you.”

“I understand that,” Ethan said, and then his eyes briefly glanced at the others, “but do you think it’s necessary that
all
of us go?”

I knew he was talking about Emma, and possibly Aries, too. I would send the spirits we had come here for to Heaven as soon as we fleeted from Limbo, but the humans didn’t need to be put in the line of fire if I could help it.

I shook my head. “No—Aries and Emma need to be taken somewhere safe. Good thinking, Ethan. We’ll drop them by Emma’s apartment. They should be safe there… well, safer than the rest of us will be anyway.”

He nodded, but didn’t appear any less nervous about it.

I jerked my head in the direction of the others. “C’mon, we need to get going,” I said, and then something in the way Ethan stood gave me pause. He seemed fine, almost too calm. “Are you all right, Ethan? You’re taking all of this really well for someone that was only human thirty minutes ago.”

The corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided grin. “I do well under pressure. Plus, I think Alexandra is helping me stay focused, at least until all of this is over.” He snickered as if he heard something amusing. “Yeah, she’s keeping me from freaking out. I like her. She’s nice.”

“I like her, too. She’s one of the fair ones. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to meet her.”

“Josselyn,” Thoros said. He spoke softly as if I might startle, or maybe he wasn’t looking forward to what he was about to say to me. Ethan gave me a knowing look, and then backed away from us to join the others.

I turned toward Thoros with a reassuring smile, hoping it would set his mind at ease just a little.

His breath hitched, and then his lips curved into a mischievous smirk. “Josselyn,” he repeated, and this time he let my name slide off his tongue in a seductive whisper. I could feel his power nudging against my mind and I allowed him access. I sighed as the darker side of him caressed my thoughts, sending an incurable ache straight to my core. I wanted it to last, but I knew it couldn’t—not until we finished the mission.

As if he heard my thoughts, he sighed and pulled away, physically and mentally. “We need to go,” he said. “I just came over here to tell you how sorry I am about what Isaiah did.”

I shook my head. “It’s all right. I’m okay. Isaiah will be fine here with Melina. He did what he had to do, and now I must go do what I have to do so all of our efforts weren’t for nothing.”

He took my hand and led me to the others, only this time, as we walked hand in hand, I felt more confident that we wouldn’t have to say good bye. As long as we were together, I felt like we could make it through anything.

“I’d like to go with you to the mansion,” Aries said as we began linking hands.

“Absolutely not,” I said. “I won’t be able to protect a human—”

“I feel like I would benefit you if you would just—”

“Like you said you could help us if you came here?” I gave her a hard look and challenged her to name one time that she had helped us. She was just a liability. “I said no, Aries. I don’t have time to worry about your safety. I know you will be safer at Emma’s, far away from any supernatural danger. The discussion is closed,” I said, and then held out my hand for her to take.

She linked with the rest of us without replying.

Upon arriving behind Emma’s apartment complex, I closed my eyes and let my other worldly senses feel for any sign of evil or danger in the near vicinity. Other than the rush of traffic a few blocks over and a man and woman having a dispute about money, there was nothing of significance to alert me to any peril.

Before proceeding, I reached out to Troy with my mind; he would want to know that we were back and ready for action. Sucking in a short gasp and losing my footing, I stumbled backward, and would have landed on a small mountain of trash if Malcolm and Thoros hadn’t grabbed my arms and steadied me back on my feet. I leaned forward and rested my palms on my knees as I struggled for breath. I shook my head as my vision blurred, and then I sobbed uncontrollably.

“Josselyn—” Thoros said.

“What is it, Jossel?” Malcolm spoke over him, but I couldn’t think of how to answer.