Lucifer's Pride Read online

  “Mike,” she called. “I know this is a lot. I didn’t mean to be critical.”

  He paused at the door. All he wanted to do was get out of there, away from the weapons, the scent of dried blood, and his own deficiencies. Couldn’t she see he wasn’t cut out for this? “I need some time.”

  “I’ve never trained anyone before,” she said. “As soon as we are off the island, Gabriel will help you the same way he helped me. He’s better at this than I am.”

  There was a note of regret in her voice. She’d tried hard to teach him, and Mike had taken out all of his frustrations and insecurities on her. It wasn’t her fault God had chosen him to take over for her. Or did Fate choose him? As he understood it, he was born with the Soulkeeper gene, which was science, not magic. He turned back toward her. Hope was a friend. He couldn’t let her dangle like this.

  “No,” he said firmly. “I didn’t mean it like that. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure I’m cut out for this. Maybe whoever decides these things has the wrong guy.” There, he said it. There had to be some mistake. Deep in his heart, he didn’t feel right about this. Couldn’t she tell he was an imposter?

  Propping the wicker basket on her hip, Hope began collecting the apples they’d used for practice. For a long time, she didn’t say anything, and Mike wondered if she’d heard him. But once she’d tossed the last one in, she turned toward him.

  He stepped to the metal railing. It was weird, looking down on her from the upper platform of the metal stairs. It was a position of superiority, only he had nothing on Hope. She was brave and accomplished and had a future. She’d probably attend some fancy college and get an overpriced degree to do something vitally important for humanity. He needed to do what he needed to do to feed himself and his aunt. He didn’t have choices. She and the others, they were from a different world. She didn’t understand.

  “There’s something I have to tell you,” she said tentatively.

  “I’m listening.”

  Her eyes might as well have been made of diamonds the way her stare cut right through him. “You have a choice.”

  “Huh?”

  She made a grunt deep in her throat. “I was born a Healer. You were made one. That means you are a potential until you are initiated by the immortals.”

  “What does that mean? Initiated?”

  “It means to achieve full Healer status, you need to cross over to the In-Between—that’s a different realm, a place between Heaven and Earth—where you will be tested. You’ll only become the Healer if you’re worthy. I can’t tell you more than that because I don’t know more. Malini never talks about her experience.” She sighed. “I did go through a trial when I earned my current powers. But it wasn’t the same thing. I’ve heard it’s different for everyone anyway.” She smoothed the hem of her T-shirt.

  “Where does the choice part come in?” Mike chewed his bottom lip.

  “I think… if you don’t complete the initiation or you tell Gabriel no, I think the Healer status passes to someone else. The Soulkeepers can’t operate without a Healer. God eventually finds a way to replace you.”

  “Eventually.” Mike couldn’t miss the way she’d stressed the word.

  “It will take time. Time we don’t have.”

  Mike snorted. “That’s not my problem.”

  Hope climbed the metal stairs, her feet stomping with each step, and met him at the top. “Finn didn’t make it through the guardians at the gate. He’s not a Soulkeeper anymore.”

  “So you said.”

  “He’s not a Soulkeeper anymore because of what he did… for you.” She said the last through her teeth.

  Mike balked, narrowing his eyes at her. Where did she get off blaming him for Finn’s choices? He had no control over the guy. He certainly hadn’t asked Finn to do what he did. He cursed. “None of what Finn did was because of me!” His voice rose with each word and his head felt hot.

  Hope pushed him in the chest and he took a step back. “Seriously? You’re going to wash your hands of any responsibility for Finn’s predicament?”

  “Responsibility? Why would I be responsible for Wager’s predicament?” Now he was angry. “Finn did what he did for Theodor and Wendy. I might as well have been along for the ride. In case you haven’t noticed, we haven’t exactly been best bros lately. Not since the day he got me involved with this place. If anyone is responsible for what’s happening to you now, it’s Finn.”

  “You were invited to this school because Finn was looking out for you. Yes, Revelations turned out to be a horrible experience, but Finn didn’t know that. He thought he was helping you.”

  “Almost killed me.” Mike used his fist to brace his chin and cracked his neck.

  “Yes, Kirsa almost killed you, and she would have succeeded if Finn and the rest of us hadn’t saved your ass.” Hope’s grip on the edge of the wicker basket tightened until her knuckles turned white. “The only reason Lucifer targeted you was because he knew you were Finn’s friend. He was trying to flush us out. And it worked. Finn risked his life to save you. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have had your body here to put your soul back into. Ever think of that? That had nothing to do with saving Theodor.”

  A heavy feeling formed in Mike’s chest. He remembered seeing Finn locked in Kirsa’s grip. That dumbass had challenged Lucifer to try to save him and Wendy. He scowled and shook his head. He didn’t want to hear this.

  “Yeah, you’re starting to connect the dots now, aren’t you? Good, I’ll keep going.” Hope wagged her finger in the air. “Finn put those spells into his skin so he’d be strong enough to perform the ritual that brought you, Wendy, and Theodor back to Earth. Not only did he save your body, he saved your soul.”

  “I’ll buy him a fruit basket.” Mike sneered. “He did those things for Wendy. If it had been me alone, he wouldn’t have bothered.” He never asked Finn to do any of those things. Any sane person would have run the other way in those circumstances. Finn knew what he was getting into. There was no way to make something like that up to another person. What did she expect him to do?

  “Save the sarcasm. You don’t believe that for a minute. Finn loves you like a brother. He always has.” Mike opened his mouth, but she shut him down. “I’m not done! All of what Finn did for you, it corrupted his soul. It’s the reason he’s not a Soulkeeper anymore.”

  “Oh?” Mike shifted uncomfortably.

  “And because he was performing the spell to bring you back, he wasn’t helping us with our mission, which I believe is why I’m not the Healer anymore. So our already small team is down a Horseman and a Healer—”

  “Because of me?”

  “Because of you.”

  Mike stared at her for a beat, her sharp features becoming ugly with her anger. She was right and he knew it, but he wasn’t ready to admit as much. It was a lot of weight to bear on his shoulders.

  “So, you can choose not to be initiated as the Healer.” Her head shook in disgust. “You can deny what you’ve been called to do and go back to working construction and having a normal life, whatever that means. But at least accept responsibility for putting the rest of us in a deadly position.” Hope stepped in closer until the basket in her arms hit him in the stomach. “Lucifer is still out there. I have power but not like I used to. I’m too weak now to face him alone. Paul is still crippled. Jenny is a Helper and can’t fight. That leaves Damien, if he doesn’t ascend to Heaven, Jayden, and the instructors who, aside from Ms. D, haven’t faced demons yet because they were too busy adjusting to a completely new life in the real world. Untrained. Leaderless. Not exactly optimal when you’re up against the ultimate evil.” Her words stung and the heaviness in Mike’s chest was almost to the point he couldn’t breathe.

  “I see your point,” he said, clearing his throat.

  “Do you? Because there’s one more thing you need to think about.”

  He didn’t want to know. He really didn’t. “What?�
� he asked.

  “Lucifer knows who you are and where you live. Where your aunt lives. We’ve been protecting her but if he gets much stronger, who knows if it will hold. He used you once, Mike. I’m fairly sure he won’t hesitate to use you again.”

  His jaw dropped, memories of Hell flooding his brain. The burning, the anguished souls. He rubbed his eyes. “I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this. Tell Gabriel I pass. God can give it to someone else.”

  She stepped back from him, a look of absolute disgust on her face. Grabbing the door handle, she threw it open with unnecessary force. It slammed against the doorstop, then bounced back. She held it open with her foot. “Tell him yourself. I’m going to find Victoria. It’s time for us to hit the road. Once we’re off the island, you can talk to Gabriel directly about your decision. If you’re not going to be our Healer, there’s no sense in wasting our time training you.”

  She stormed out, allowing the door to close slowly behind her.

  3

  The Devil’s Dilemma

  Lucifer needed to feed again. The power he’d used to fight the Soulkeepers and that traitor Damien had left his cheek and thigh aching and his illusion in need of repair. It had been a mistake to pause to nourish himself after the battle in the warehouse, damaged or not. But Hope’s trick with the vines had taken the life of one of his hunters, Applegate, and he was afraid he’d lose Ravenguard too if he didn’t care for him. Even with the meal, Ravenguard showed signs of strain. Beside him, the hunter’s fangs were extended and his face sagged around rheumy, vacant eyes. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the man was grieving his long-time partner. But of course that couldn’t be the case. You had to have a heart to grieve someone, and Ravenguard was far beyond such vital organs.

  He should have known Theodor would try to close the portal. The magician was smart enough to understand the implications, even if he was too slow to finish what he started. Luck was on his side. He’d shown up before Damien could do any real damage.

  “Bring us someone to eat,” he said to Kirsa, who was huddled against the chipped plaster-and-brick wall of a mausoleum, conspicuously silent. Her clothes were charred and stained and she blinked as if the light was too bright for her. She raised her chin. Dead inside, he thought. If he blew in her ear, would the wind howl in the empty cavity that once held her soul? Good. It was about time he broke her spirit.

  With a shiver, the woman found her voice. “You,” she said through her teeth. “You pushed me into that tree. Do you know where I’ve been?” She pointed her finger toward the tree accusingly.

  “I have an inkling.” He gave her a dark look but backed off, allowing her room to speak. Once she confirmed what he suspected, he’d make her do his bidding.

  “It was dark. So dark. A desert filled with thorns. It took me ages to make my way blindly down the path to the city. A ghost town. Empty buildings and empty cages. Filthy cages. There was nothing there. No food. No water. It was Hell!”

  “No. Not Hell but close to it. It’s a place called Nod. A very important place that has been hidden from me for a long time.” He rubbed his hands together slowly. “Tell me more. I need details. Did you see where Theodor was staying?”

  Kirsa shook her head, the spark returning to her eyes with her burgeoning anger. “If you wanted to know, you should have gone yourself! I’m not telling you anything. I’m not your guinea pig.” She crossed her arms and started for the gate.

  Lucifer stilled, and when he spoke again, his voice was quiet and his thoughts were lethal. “You signed your soul over to me. You will do as I please.” With a twist of two fingers, he stopped her in her tracks, her body tensing under his control, unable to advance.

  She whirled to face him, her teeth clenched, her bottom lip trembling.

  “The dilemma I face, Ms. Hildburg, is if I cross over this bridge, I may not be able to return. Believe me, if I could have gone myself, I would have, but alas your help was required.” He gestured toward himself and she slid along the pathway without moving a muscle. He stopped her when her face was only inches from his. “I’ll tell you a secret. The tree helps me. Now that I know what’s on the other side, I can use its proximity to strengthen my power. It is a thread connecting this world to the next, a tiny tear in the fabric that separates realms. But for me to come into my full power, I’ll need more than a tear—I’ll need a gate. I’ll need ancient magic, strong enough to break my curse and widen this tear into a hole big enough to merge worlds. Still, this is a start.” He swept a hand toward the tree. A bit of drool oozed from the corner of Kirsa’s mouth and he loosened his grip on her, allowing her to swallow.

  Ravenguard sniffed, looking like he might keel over from exhaustion at any moment. “Where do we find this ancient magic powerful enough to merge worlds?”

  Rubbing his jaw, Lucifer wished he had a Scotch and a young soul to ease his own growing fatigue. But, he didn’t dare leave the tree, not for anything. “It starts with the obsidian blade. Once we find it, we can capture the Healer and complete the ritual to end my curse. The energy we’ll create will merge dimensions. All we need to do is destroy something of Heaven’s using something of Hell’s. A Healer’s soul will make the perfect sacrifice. The obsidian blade, the perfect tool to do the job.”

  “Now that Hope is no longer the Healer, who will we use in the ritual?” Ravenguard asked.

  “What’s he talking about?” Kirsa asked softly, still recovering from his hold on her. She curled her lip. “Since when is Hope not the Healer anymore?”

  Was Lucifer mistaken or did the woman seem disappointed? Although Kirsa was indestructible on the outside, he occasionally wondered if her inner workings were more vulnerable than she let on. “Did you have feelings for Ms. Laudner? Will you miss her?” he asked, tone dripping with contempt.

  “No,” she responded defensively. “But I didn’t think it was possible to kill a Healer. Don’t they come back or something? How did you do it?”

  “Hmm. Well, she isn’t dead, unfortunately. Damien decided to redeem himself using her power and become an angel of God again. Idiot fallen angel upset the balance between good and evil and cost her the Healer status. She’s still alive, still a Soulkeeper, but not the Healer.”

  “Then who is?” Kirsa asked.

  “That is the question, isn’t it?” Lucifer scowled. “Even if we find the dagger, it will take some doing to find the new Healer. It could be anyone. It’s possible that even the Soulkeepers don’t know who it is yet.” There was something else as well… one more ingredient he needed to awaken the ancient magic and complete the spell. But it wasn’t his way to tip his hand. Letting Kirsa or anyone else know exactly what he needed was unwise and left him vulnerable.

  Kirsa scoffed. “You said you need something of Heaven. Why not sacrifice Damien instead of the new Healer? You said he was redeemed. That means he’s a full-fledged angel now, right? Sounds like something from Heaven.”

  Tired of her questions, Lucifer rolled his eyes. “You underestimate the angel’s abilities. If I had the power to restrain or control an archangel, I would not have to perform the sacrifice.”

  “But—”

  He stepped in closer to her, cutting her off. “Enough! Ravenguard and I are hungry and require rest. You will find us souls to consume and bring them here. Go, now.”

  She ran a hand through her hot pink hair, and Lucifer made note of her sunken cheeks and the wear her clothing had sustained during her time in Nod. With a curse, he realized he needed her strong as well. “The bus is in the same place it was before. Clean up and get yourself something to eat.” He handed her a wad of cash. “I doubt you’ll find anyone of value if you remain dressed like that.”

  Eyes widening, she snatched the money from his hand and bolted for the exit without another word.

  “I won’t take that personally,” Lucifer mumbled around a wry smile.

  “My lord, about the dagger,” Ravenguard said, looking tired. The man staggered and Lucifer caugh
t him by the shoulders.

  “Come. Rest near the tree.” Lucifer led him to the patch of grass near the roots of the giant oak, which was now a portal to another world. Gently, he helped him lie down. He wasn’t sure exactly what was happening to Ravenguard, but his health had deteriorated since Applegate’s death. Were they connected somehow, or was it grief that yellowed his skin and darkened the area under his eyes? At the moment, he looked like a fresh corpse.

  “When she died, something of me went with her,” he whispered in answer to the unasked question.

  “Oh, Perhaps all those years on the island bonded the two of you.” The Devil perused Ravenguard, analyzing the dark stuff he was made of. “Never mind. Whatever the cause of this ailment, I will not allow you to end until I have what I want.” Lucifer placed a hand on the hunter’s chest and passed a dark seed of power into him. It left Lucifer even weaker, but the expense couldn’t be helped.

  Ravenguard groaned and curled on his side. His eyes closed. He winced in pain.

  “You were saying about the dagger?” Lucifer leaned his head closer.

  The hunter blinked rapidly and grimaced. His voice was a burly thread when he answered. “When the wind blows just right, I can smell it.”

  “You smell the dagger? Here? Now?” Lucifer looked right, then left.

  “Not always, only when the wind blows.”

  Lucifer tensed. “Are you sure?”

  “As sure as a hunter can be. It is the same scent as was on the mattress in the house in Colorado. It smells of sin and darkness, sulfur and arsenic.” The old man’s voice slipped away, his eyes closed again, and Lucifer felt his consciousness slip through his fingers. His body drifted into a deep sleep. Lucifer was tempted to force him awake, but in Ravenguard’s weakened state, he was afraid the magic necessary to do so would end him. Whatever effect Applegate’s death had on Ravenguard must be ameliorated. Rest was necessary. Lucifer needed the hunter. He’d wait until Kirsa was back with sustenance and have the man feed before he probed further.