Seducing the Succubus (30 page)

Jezebeth sighed as weariness settled over her, and a fresh longing for her sisters twisted inside her. “Why did you try to kill Semiazas? Isn’t that against the rules?”

“He mortally wounded Gabriel—which supersedes that agreement and earns him death. As the right hand of God, it is my duty to avenge her.” He shrugged. “You intervened, which transferred the sentence to you. However, you have preserved the contest, and saved Raphael in a selfless manner, so we seem to be back where we began.”

“So you’re not going to kill me?” She winced at the small sound of hope in her words.

“No, little one. As I said, you preserved the contest so we are for all intents and purposes back to where we began.”

“Okaaaay.” She shook her head trying to figure out where that left her and her sisters, not to mention everyone else. “What’s going to happen to Gabriel and Raphael . . . and Noah?”

“Without intervention they will all die. My sword was coated with holy water, which bought Raphael some time, but Semiazas’s knife was made from the same holy fire as my sword. Semiazas stole it from Lucifer, who imbued it with his blood.” His gaze cut to Gabriel’s still form. “It isn’t within my power to know her fate.”

“And Noah?”

“If things resume and nothing changes, he will fight Semiazas to save you, and he too will die.”

Jez shoved her hair out of her face and glanced past Michael to see the glimmering that marked the edge of Uriel’s property. A small glimmer of hope curled inside her gut and she snapped her gaze back to Michael’s. “Wait. Whenever I went back through to Lilith’s lair, I was healed from any injuries. Something to do with the other plane healing me back to my original form; won’t that work for Gabriel and Raphael?”

Michael straightened and smiled before he stepped back and disappeared as the scene resumed.

Raphael crumpled to the side, clutching his chest, and Semiazas’s bellow of pain echoed around them, rattling the earth beneath their feet and churning the blue waters of the sea at the bottom of the hill.

Noah ran forward, shoving past Semiazas to step in between her and the demon.

“Wait.” Jez held out her hands wishing she could freeze the scene as Michael had done. “We need to get Gabriel and Raphael through to Lilith’s lair before they die.”

Semiazas pierced her with a hate-filled gaze, and Jez resisted the urge to recoil.

“She’ll die if you do nothing, Semiazas. Is that what you want?”

Uriel stepped forward and knelt near Gabriel’s still form. “She’s right. The portal to Lilith’s lair contains healing energy left over from the Garden. It may save Gabriel.”

Semiazas ran his fingers gently over Gabriel’s cheek before he stood and stepped back. “Save her, and I’ll spare you.” His gaze bored into Jezebeth. “If she dies, I’ll torture and kill everyone you’ve ever cared for before I come for you. Understand?”

Noah shuddered in front of her, and she reached forward and laid a gentle hand against his back hoping he took the silent hint and didn’t antagonize the demon.

Jezebeth nodded once, more to say she understood the threat than she agreed—not that Semiazas needed her buy-in for that particular plan.

Raphael groaned, and Uriel seemed to snap to attention. “Noah, carry Gabriel: I’ll get Raphael. We need to take them through the barrier, quickly.”

Jez kept her gaze on Semiazas, resisting the primal instinct to run as she watched Noah gently pick up Gabriel’s limp form.

Jez slowly backed away from Semiazas, the raw pain on his face scaring her more than anything had so far. But finally, a slow tingling bit at her skin and her foot found thick, soft grass instead of dirt.

“Follow me,” Uriel’s command was soft, but laced with steel as Jez glanced around at the sudden Utopia they’d stepped into.

He hefted Raphael’s form higher in his grip and started across the expansive lawn that sat in front of the large brick three-story.

Noah followed quickly behind Uriel with Gabriel tucked gently against him as the cool, salty breeze ruffled his sandy blond hair.

A large weeping willow sat against the far corner of the yard, and as soon as Uriel reached it, he ducked behind it and disappeared.

Jez cast a quick glance back at the portal where they’d entered, which now was only a pristine ocean beach, and then scanned her gaze over the brick three-story house and the lush lawn of Uriel’s property. Too bad they hadn’t come here under better circumstances. She, like Noah, would’ve loved to look around and gain more insight into Uriel.

She nearly ran into Noah’s back before she returned her attention forward and quickened her pace to stay close as they followed in Uriel’s footsteps.

So much had happened since the pestilence demon had found her, and now thanks to the memories Michael had returned, she realized how much had happened even before that. She wanted to tell Noah everything before her memories faded as Michael had warned, but one look at Gabriel reminded her discussions would have to wait.

Gabriel’s limp arm hung down past Noah’s waist, her dark blood soaking into the front of his shirt, and Jez darted forward to lift the Archangel’s arm and gently tuck it across the woman’s stomach.

Noah stopped and captured Jez’s gaze, the storm-cloud gray of his eyes boring into hers. “Everything will work out. You’ll see.”

She didn’t know if she believed him or not, but she forced a smile and watched as he stepped past the weeping willow and disappeared.

Jezebeth stepped forward,
and sudden tingling seared through her entire body in a breathless rush, causing her to stumble. When she caught her balance and glanced up, it was into a scene of pandemonium.

Noah was in the process of gently lowering Gabriel onto the floor of the giant underground cavern that made up Lilith’s lair. Uriel had stripped off Raphael’s shirt and was examining his still-closing wounds from the sword.

The cavern was filled with echoing noises of several beings speaking at once while incubi and succubi bustled around in what appeared to be confusion and chaos at the interruption of their morning meal.

Jez raised her fingers to her neck, not surprised to find the jagged wound from the truck accident totally gone and in its place, smooth, unbroken skin. There weren’t even any remnants of blood left behind on her neck, although her clothes were another matter.

She walked toward Noah, relieved to see the bruises that had marred his face and neck were now totally gone. He had peeled Gabriel’s shirt away from her wound and was examining the now-closed wound and remaining severe bruising with wonder. Jez frowned as she glanced down into Gabriel’s pale face. The Archangel’s eyes were still closed, although her breathing was deep and even. She’d held out hope that once through the portal, both Archangels would be fully recovered. Apparently some injuries were more than even the portal could handle.

Noah glanced up, his gaze imploring. “Jez.” He took her hand in his and warm comfort curled through Jez’s gut. “The wound is closed, but there must be more internal damage she’s going to have to heal with time.”

Jezebeth forced a smile and began to answer when words directed her way stopped her in midmotion.

“Welcome, Jezebeth. It’s been a long time . . . sister.”

Jez glanced toward the sultry voice to see a redhead who reminded her of a harem girl complete with the
I Dream of Jeannie
outfit, only in scarlet red rather than pink. A possessive instinct roared through Jez and she stepped closer to Noah. “Evelin.” Jez stiffly bowed her head before meeting the calculating green gaze of the woman who stood before them.

“What have you brought with you?” The distaste was evident in both Evelin’s tone and in her gaze as it raked over Noah.

Noah slowly stood until he towered over the newcomer’s smaller form. “I’m Noah, on a special assignment for Lilith. So if you’ll just be a good messenger and let her know we’re here, I’d appreciate it.”

Jezebeth tightened her grip on Noah’s hand as if to warn him about being too forward with the snide woman in front of them.

Evelin’s full lips curved, but the smile never reached her eyes, which flashed with barely suppressed fury.

He raised his brows as he met Evelin’s gaze unflinchingly—an action that filled Jez with a surge of pride and satisfaction. Even in the midst of injury and death, Evelin had come to play political games, but Noah had done his research. If he hadn’t corrected Evelin’s phrasing that Jezebeth had brought
him
, his position as her protector and champion would’ve been in danger, and Noah would’ve been free game for any succubi or incubi, including Lilith herself.

Damned politics.

Jezebeth glanced down at Gabriel’s still form and anger snapped through her veins. “You’re done here. Move along, Evelin. Now.”

The woman’s green eyes narrowed and an evil smile barely curved her lips, but she nodded once and turned to go.

“Silence!”

All sound and movement inside the cavern stopped suddenly, and Jez glanced up to see Lilith emerging from the entrance to her private chambers. Her face was pale, her features drawn.

The queen’s gaze was locked onto Gabriel’s still form as she darted forward through the throng knocking people aside in her hurry. When she reached the Archangel’s still form, she dropped to her knees, running her hands over Gabriel to assess the extent of her injuries. “Jezebeth, what happened?”

Jez nodded her respect to the queen as she spoke. “My queen. Semiazas accidentally stabbed her. We brought her through the portal in hopes it would heal her injuries.”

Lilith nodded and glanced back toward Raphael, who was now sitting up, but still looking unsteady. Surprise flashed across her face as if she’d just noticed him there. When her gaze met Uriel’s she stiffened and swallowed hard.

Jez burned to know what history lay between the queen and Uriel, but knew better than to even hint at asking.

“Human, please bring Gabriel to my chambers. Uriel, Raphael too. I can tend them both better from there.”

A murmur of shock rippled through the crowd echoing Jez’s sentiments. As long as Jez had been in existence, she never remembered the queen playing nursemaid to anyone—let alone two Archangels who were forbidden to consort with their kind.

Jez was even more shocked when Noah didn’t comment on being called human, but picked up Gabriel gently and followed after Lilith’s retreating form. “Wow. A day for surprises,” Jez murmured under her breath as she trailed behind Noah, staying close and making her claim on him obvious for any other incubi or succubi who might have thoughts about trying anything like Evelin had.

How sad that she had to worry about such things when Gabriel could still die and Raphael might still be in danger. Some things never changed.

“I can bloody well walk, Uriel.” Raphael’s voice echoed around the still-silent cabin and Jez glanced back quickly to see Uriel pick up Raphael and toss the Archangel over his shoulder to the accompaniment of more weak protests.

“Paybacks are hell, Uriel. Remember that,” Raphael warned in a halfhearted threat.

Uriel laughed. “When you can kick my ass for this, then I’ll know you’re back to normal.”

Lilith
swallowed back both her fear and the urge to run her hands over Uriel like she had with Gabriel to ensure he hadn’t been harmed. She stepped inside her chamber and held the door wide—tacit approval for those following her to enter.

The human came through first with Gabriel cradled in his arms, followed by Jezebeth, and then Uriel with Raphael slung over his shoulder.

“My bed. Put them both on my bed.” Glad her voice had come out strong, she pulled back the comforter and top sheet as memories of her and Gabriel cuddled together sleeping rose up to taunt her. Raw emotions filled her throat and threatened to spill out, but she ruthlessly swallowed them back and stepped aside to allow Noah to gently lower Gabriel onto the soft bedding.

When the human took the time to arrange Gabriel’s head more comfortably on the pillow and pull off her leather boots before stepping back, Lilith had to swallow back a surprised sob. When Noah Halston had first summoned her, he’d looked at her as if she were the lowest creature on the planet. She burned to know what had changed, but that would have to wait for later.

Uriel slowly lowered Raphael onto the other side of the mattress, careful not to jostle Gabriel’s still form. Raphael winced but allowed Uriel to position a pillow behind his back before he relaxed back against it.

“I told you I’m fine, Uriel. I just need to lick my wounds for a few days and I’ll be back in the game.”

Uriel huffed out a laugh. “Only if that game involves dominos. Don’t be so stubborn; there’s no reason not to let yourself recover a bit more before you limp off to lick your wounds.”

Lilith nearly smiled at the familiar banter between the Archangels. At least it had helped lighten the mood and had chased back her tears. Eager to tend to Gabriel, Lilith turned to the human. “Thank you . . . Noah.” She nodded once as a further sign of respect. She couldn’t address him as such in front of her subjects, but here, in private, she could show him how much she appreciated what he’d done. It would have to be enough.