The Devil You Need (10 page)

Do you want me to blast out the glass, mother Tweener?

No. Thanks. I’m going to shift into the room. Once I have
him Slayer and Darma are going to shift in too and we need to work fast before
his guards show up.

Snoopy and I will wait for your return.

Thanks, Tadpole.

Be careful, mother Tweener.

I patted her sleek neck and took a deep breath, sliding my
sister a look.

She frowned. “Don’t screw this up, Astra.”

Tears stung my eyes and I found it suddenly hard to breathe.
What I was about to do could be the final tear in the fabric of Dialle’s and my
relationship. He might never forgive me for entrapping him. My betrayal would
eviscerate the bond of trust we'd formed over the years. It might take us years
to rebuild that trust, if it even could be rebuilt.

I knew all that. Had known it since we’d started planning
his capture. But I also knew I had no choice. So, rather than scream at my
sister, or fall sobbing onto Glynus’ neck as I wanted to do, I simply nodded. I
wouldn’t screw it up. I knew that with a certainty I rarely felt. Because I
couldn’t. Dialle’s life was on the line.
Our
lives. If he spiraled down
into darkness, I would go with him.

I had no doubt of that.

I closed my eyes and pictured the spot within his rooms
where I wanted to land. For a beat nothing happened and I started to worry that
my magic battery had run out of juice, but then my skin tingled and the world
went silent. A heartbeat later my feet touched the firmness of the floor in
Dialle’s rooms and a long, stone wall shimmered into view before me.

I took a deep, relieved breath, gathered power in my hands,
and stepped out.

I gasped. Dialle stood beside his bed, his black eyes
swirling with the colors of rage. He had a bloody gash across one lean, golden
cheek and blood seeped between his fingers from a wound beneath his ribs.

A distance away, a bloody sword that I recognized all too
well lay on the yellowed carpet, apparently flung away in a fit of temper.

My gaze lifted to a familiar red face, whose beady eyes were
filled with such pain it nearly brought me to my knees. “Gerch?”

He lifted the angel chain he held between his thick, red
fingers and his jaw tightened under a wave of fresh pain. “I couldn’t let you
do it to him, my queen. I feared you’d never recover from it.”

“Good Him, Gerch.” Tears slipped from my eyes, flowing
freely down my cheeks. I knew what it had cost the loyal soldier to betray his
king and friend of centuries. His bond to Dialle was older than mine, and every
bit as strong. “I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head, his gaze slipping from mine as it started
to roil with the reds and purples of strong emotion. “It had to be done.”

I walked toward them, my gaze locked on Dialle as I
approached. He looked murderous, so angry I wasn’t sure we’d ever get him to
see reason.

Taking the chain from Gerch’s firm grip, I touched his hand,
clasping it. “I’ll bring him back to us, Gerch. You have my word on that.”

He nodded, turning away as if he couldn’t bear to look at
me. “You’d better go. The guards will have figured out where I brought him by
now. They’ll show up soon. I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”

“Stay safe,” I told him. “That’s an order from your queen.”

He sucked in a breath, his massive chest deepening under it,
and then walked out of the room. I watched him leave and then turned to Dialle.

His sexy mouth was hard, thinned with anger and cruelty.
“This is a day I’ll never forget, Astra. Betrayed by my queen and my most loyal
friend.”

I shook my head, swiping at tears. They were the last I
would shed for him, for us. Weakness was no longer an option. If I was going to
bring Dialle back it would be through strength and perseverance. “Yeah. It
totally sucks. But that’s where we are and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
I tugged gently on the chain. “Come on, let’s go.”

He stepped forward, though I could tell he tried to steel
his muscles against the movement. With the angel chain around his throat he had
no choice but to do the will of the one holding it. “Where are you taking me?”
The words seemed bitten off between grinding teeth.

“Home, Dialle. To a place where we can heal. Together.”

Dark Prison

The king is locked within a cell, made more of thought
than walls,

The only key to make him well, is to catch him as he
falls.

I stood in the open doorway, feeling as if my heart had been
twisted and wrung into an irreparable condition. The man raging against the
chains in the room beyond the door was almost unrecognizable.

His wrists and ankles, chained to the wall by necessity,
were bloodied with his efforts to gain freedom. His once silky black hair hung
in lank ropes over his face, giving him the appearance of a wild creature,
beyond reason. It wasn’t far from the truth. The madness that had begun to take
his mind soon after I lost my magic had all but taken him over.

We’d been at my father’s castle for a month. Dialle had
grown worse with every passing day. He hadn’t eaten in days, he’d only taken
water when I all but forced it on him. What I was doing wasn’t working. I was
going to have to try something else.

“It’s too dangerous, Astra.”

I glanced at Emo. “I have to do it.”

“He’s not the man who loved you. He’s driven by the madness.
He’ll kill you.”

I blinked hard, fighting back tears. I was done with tears.
I needed to move forward with strength if I was going to have any chance of
saving Dialle. “I have to take that chance.”

“I’m not going to let you do it.”

I swung around, fists clenched at my sides. He blinked as I
focused a hard, unrelenting gaze on him. I knew my eyes burned with some
portion of the same fever taking Dialle. I knew because I’d seen it in the
mirror. For whatever reason…whatever quirk of prophecy…Dialle and I were
connected. We’d been linked in the light, and now that he was charging toward
darkness, we were joined in that too. “I’m doing this. If I need to fight you
too I’ll do it. But I’m asking you, as a friend, not to go there. I need every
bit of strength I have to fight him.”

Emo held my gaze for a long moment and then pulled me into a
hug. “I can’t watch, Astra. I’m sorry, I love you too much to watch you die.”

Blinking back the hated tears, I hugged him hard. Inhaling
his familiar, beloved scent, I relished the strong feel of his arms, wishing I
could stay right there. Despite my tough words to Emo, I was terrified of what
I was about to do.

Emo held me for a few minutes and then stepped back, placing
his hand on my face. “Take care, Astra. I-I’ll really miss you if I don’t get
to see you again.”

I shook my head, laughing. Despite my best efforts tears
slid down my cheeks. I brushed at them angrily, determined to stay strong. “You
should know by now that I’m just not that easy to get rid of, partner.”

“You’re full up on energy?”

“Light and dark, Gerch managed to talk one of the royals
into contributing to the cause.” I smiled at the thought. I’d have given almost
anything to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.

Gerch:
Excuse me, I know you hate our queen and want to
take the king out so you can make a try for his throne, but would you mind
charging the queen’s battery so she can try to save the king and they can
retake the court?

Royal:
Have you lost your frunkin’ mind?

Gerch:
Nope, I still have my frunkin’ mind.

Royal:
Why on the Serpent’s forked tail would I do that?

Gerch:
Because the devil you know is better than the
devil you don’t?

Royal:
You’re an idiot.

Gerch:
Okay, then how about this, the celestial army is
waiting to hear your response from me and, if it isn’t good, then they’re going
to decimate the court.

Royal: Blink, blink.
Okay, where’s the damn queen? Let’s
get this over with.

Footsteps pounded down the hall and Emo and I turned. A
massive, red-skinned guard ran toward us.

Speak of the devil.

Gerch skidded to a stop before us, his broad chest heaving
from his all-out sprint. “I’m going in with you.”

I opened my mouth to argue.

He held up a massive, red hand. “Don’t bother arguing. I’m
going with you or you’re not going in.”

“As your queen—”

He snorted. “Don’t try that crap with me, Astra. You aren’t
currently my queen.”

I frowned. “I will be once I’m done with this.”

“Correct. However, you currently aren’t my queen so you
can’t command me.”

“If you don’t back down I’ll get my revenge on you once I am
queen again.”

He glowered down at me, his wide brow throwing a shadow over
his beady black eyes. “I’ll take my chances.”

Sighing, I looked from Emo to Gerch. “God save me from my
friends.”

Gerch crossed thick arms over his chest, looking
belligerent. Emo looked hopeful. I could tell he was hoping I’d take Gerch up
on his offer.

I was about to surprise them both. “Okay. You can come in
with me.”

Emo smiled, his dark eyes sparking. Gerch’s mouth dropped
open.

“Close your mouth, devil. That’s very unattractive.” I
looked at Emo. “Remember, as soon as I’m inside seal the room with both light
and dark energy. Nobody comes in until I’m done. Understood?”

“You mean
we
, right, Astra?” Gerch was back to
glaring at me.

I sighed. “Of course.”

I looked at Emo. “Ready?”

“I’m not the one who needs to be ready. Are you sure I can’t
talk you out of this?”

“Not if I leave really quickly.” I smiled at him and, on an
impulse, leaned in and kissed his lips. Emo’s hand came up and clasped my
throat, holding me in the kiss a few beats longer than I’d intended. I allowed
it because I knew he thought he was saying goodbye for the last time.

I wasn’t all that sure he wasn’t.

Then I looked at Gerch. “Ready?”

He nodded. I prayed he was distracted enough not to notice
what I was about to do. I’d been practicing some new tricks and I was pretty
sure he wasn’t going to like the one I was getting ready to use.

A single, glistening tear slid down Emo’s lean, golden
cheek. “Goodbye, Astra.”

“See you in a couple of days, partner.”

He sniffed and nodded, looking away as pain slid through his
black gaze.

I reached out and quickly touched Gerch’s hand. His eyes
widened but he didn’t have time to stop me. As he started to shimmer away, I
heard his shriek of rage in my mind.

Sorry, bud, but I have to do this alone.

Ignoring Emo’s angry exclamation, I turned and walked
through the door, slamming and locking it behind me. I felt the protective energy
of Emo’s seal snapping into place and took a deep breath.

Dialle was crouched on the floor next to the soft mattress
I’d placed in the room for his use. He’d refused to lie down on it. Instead he
spent the hours of his imprisonment fighting his chains and screaming for
release.

His head slowly lifted as I walked over and stood looking at
him, just beyond his reach. His eyes roiled with such dense color the black was
no longer visible. The colors of rage mixed with the colors of passion and spun
in dizzying funnels of color.

His face was filthy, his clothing nearly torn completely off
his body. His broad, golden chest was bare, crisscrossed with scratches and
welts from his struggles. His lower body was still covered in black leather,
but the material was torn and stained.

He was panting from his most recent explosion and his
beautiful lips curled into a snarl as he looked at me. I inhaled deeply and
released it. My hands shook as I lifted them so I clenched them into fists.
“Hello, Dialle.”

The snarl turned to a mean smile. “Hello,
my love
.
Have you come to cut my heart out of my chest? Shall I spread my arms wide to
make it easier for you?”

I forced myself to hold his gaze. “No. I’ve come to set you
free. We’re going to bring this to a head, you and me. I’m tired of dancing
around the edges.”

His eyes widened slightly. “Don’t toy with me, Astra.”

“No games.” I lifted my hands and shot a jolt of mixed,
light and dark energy toward the angel chain holding his ankles. The shimmering
chain disappeared in a flash of light. Dialle looked down in shock.

Taking a bracing breath, I did the same to the chains
holding his wrists. Dialle lifted his hands and turned them over, seemingly
shocked into inaction by his freedom. It didn’t last long. His gaze slid
upward, found mine, and his lips curved in a smile.

Something slid into place in my chest. I was in battle mode.
Lifting my hands I wiggled my fingers. “Let’s rumble, devil.”

With a roar he lunged.

I waited until he was almost on me and leapt, flying over
his head and rolling as I landed. I spun around as soon as my feet hit the
floor, throwing my hands out to grab hold of his throat as he hit me. He
grabbed my leather jacket and, rather than throw me to the ground, he jerked me
closer as my hands tightened on his throat.

I hit his chest hard and the unexpected move loosened my
grip. I thrust my hands upward, connecting with his jaw and snapping his head
backward. He hooked a leg around my knees and shoved me to the ground, I hit
the rock floor hard enough to knock the wind out of my lungs and he landed on
top of me. I didn’t give him time to trap me. I eyed the spot behind him and
entered a space-shift, coming back to awareness in another part of the room.
Dialle had anticipated my shift and was already charging me as I started to
move. He ran at me with a roar and, as I flexed to leave the floor, leapt into
the air and smacked into me.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and I was suddenly
locked into nothingness again. When the world returned I was falling. I landed
on the musty-smelling mattress and Dialle landed on top of me, jerking my arms
over my head as we hit.

He held me as I struggled, his face inches from mine. His
angry eyes roiled with color and his mouth twisted in a hateful smile.
“Delicious. Keep struggling, Astra. I’m really enjoying it.”

He wasn’t kidding. I could feel the rock-hard evidence of
his enjoyment against my belly.

I tried to knee him but he was too close for me to get
anything behind it. With a frustrated scream, I thrashed against his grip,
unable to use my powers. I knew he was capable of locking me off from them with
a simple touch. I’d been the unfortunate recipient of that little trick from
the royals more than once.

He lowered his head and sniffed my throat as he ground
against me with his rigid cock. “Mmm. I’ve forgotten how delicious you smell,
my love.”

I grimaced. “I wish I could say the same of you, Dialle.
Maybe we could pause this activity for a few minutes so you can take a bath.”

His laugh was husky, and slightly mad. “I doubt a bath will
make what I’m about to do any more palatable to you, my love.”

“Whatever you have in mind, I want to go on record as saying
that I don’t support it. In fact I’m pretty sure you’re going to piss me off if
you go through with it.”

“I’ll be sure to chastise myself later. After.”

I struggled harder but made no headway at all. I finally
gave up when I realized I was just making it more fun for him. “Dialle. I know
you’re in there somewhere. Come back to me.” To my great horror tears slipped
down my cheeks.

The stranger pressing me to the mattress simply smiled as my
heart broke. “Oh, how tender. I’m sure
your
Dialle would have collapsed
into a horrified pile of pussy-whipped goo if he saw those tears.
Unfortunately, he no longer exists.” He lowered his head again and sucked my
neck, hard enough to leave a mark.

Horror swamped me as I wondered if Dialle could mark me
again. I shuddered. Being tied to the madman pressing me to the floor was too
terrible to contemplate.

Then I had worse problems to think about. The rough scrape
of teeth made my blood run cold as I realized what Dialle had in mind.

I renewed my struggles. “No, Dialle. You can’t do this.”

He lifted his head. My blood went cold. His lips were open,
showing a beautiful and deadly pair of elongated fangs.

I shook my head, trying to jerk my hands free and tried
again to access my power. Nothing happened.

He laughed. “You smell delicious, my love. Let’s see how you
taste.” I screamed as he lowered his head. Knifelike agony speared my throat as
the massive fangs pierced my skin and my scream took on a desperate tone as he
began to feed.

I fought as long and as hard as I could, but I soon lost the
strength to go on as he drained me of life-giving blood. At some point he no
longer needed to hold me down. Darkness teased the edges of my vision and my
limbs felt heavy and cold.

In that moment I knew Emo had been right. I wouldn’t survive
my attempt to save Dialle. The thought depressed me beyond measure. Because I
knew my death would hurt those I loved. For that I was sorry.

But despite the outcome, I wasn’t sorry to have risked it
all for Dialle. Wherever he had gone…whatever he’d become…I realized in that
moment that I still loved him.

Darkness called to me, I fought it back and managed to lift
my hand, touching Dialle’s cheek. He felt warm and vibrant against my cold
fingers. He jerked as I touched him, and flew backward.

“I love you, Dialle.” My lips moved but I knew he probably
hadn’t heard me. The words were like puffs of wind against my lips.

The last thing I heard as I settled into death’s dark, cold
arms was Dialle, screaming my name into a cold prison of his own making.