Kellan was close to her now, close to Matt. “I don’t love anybody, not in that way, but I could. I do think I could love you. I was there for you. Do you remember? When your parents died, are those memories still with you? I stayed with you for a week. I was concerned about you. That has to mean something…”
Matt stumbled back a few steps. “Get away. Get away from her!”
Leah didn’t move as she lifted her eyes to Kellan’s, lost in what he was promising. “Do you mean it?”
Kellan bent his forehead to rest against hers. “I do. I really do.”
The surrender was swift in her. Her eyes clasped close, and her body relaxed in one breath. “What do you want me to do?”
“No!” Matt yelled and then pulled the trigger.
Kellan shoved Leah aside, but it was too late. She screamed when the bullet pierced her back and then fell forward into his arms. In two seconds, Kellan had Matt in the air by the throat and slammed him against the wall. The gun dropped to the floor with a rattle, but it was ignored. All eyes were on Kellan as he growled, “I can hear her heart slowing.”
His face was pinched together, but Matt tried to respond. It came out as a gurgle instead.
I was frozen on the stairs as my heart started to slow. Kellan cared for Leah. The realization shook me. It wasn’t something I had ever considered, but the evidence was before me. For once since we’d entered the house, he wasn’t in complete control. Glimpses of his real demon came out, and his rage was so strong, the house started to shake from it.
Matt looked around with panicked eyes, but only squeaked as he was thrown again into a wall.
Dylan scrambled off the stairs and lurched for the gun.
“No!” Vespar threw himself forward, but the chains jerked him backward.
“Kellan, the gun.”
Matt was forgotten. Kellan looked back and watched as Dylan rose from the floor, the gun in his hand. He pointed it at him with a steady hand and hatred in his eyes. “You made him kill her. He never would’ve done that if you hadn’t seduced her with your sick lies.”
“I did care for her.”
Even as I heard the growl in Kellan’s voice, I studied him and saw he was back in control. The momentary lapse was forgotten, and now he stood there, content to watch what Dylan would do.
Why? I thought to myself, but stopped my thoughts when Kellan threw me an irritated look.
Vespar growled, “Rip out his throat, Kellan. What are you waiting for?”
But he didn’t. He stood, staring down the muzzle of the gun, with a calm that emanated from him. It was like he wanted the gun to go off, but… I was left with the same question I’d asked myself. Why? It hadn’t taken him long to take the gun from Matt and Dylan was closer, but something held him back, something that hadn’t happened yet.
Without thinking, my hand let go of the stair rail, and I stumbled to the floor. As I righted myself, everyone watched me, distracted for that moment. It was a surreal feeling in the basement at that moment, like the calm before a storm and then, like an echo in the distance, Dylan pulled his finger on the trigger. A bullet shot out, straight toward Kellan’s face, but it bounced off him. The air around Kellan rippled from the force of the bullet, protecting him.
I felt weak in the knees. My relief was so strong. I’d forgotten about the protective armor he could put around himself.
Effing hell! This guy doesn’t die. Even as he swore in his mind, Dylan turned in a smooth motion and thumbed out another bullet. This one hit Vespar in the chest and sent him backward against the wall. Dylan shot him again, and his body slumped to the floor, unconscious. Blood spilled out at a fast pace, but I didn’t wait to see it start to pool around him.
I whirled back and saw a satisfied look come over Kellan before he shot his arm out and snapped Dylan’s neck. The gun slid into his hand as Dylan’s body dropped to the floor, limp.
“What just happened?”
“Shay,” Kellan clipped out, unloading the gun in a motion that looked like he’d done it thousands of times. “Heal Vespar.”
“What? I can’t—you told me I couldn’t. I don’t…” I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat. “I don’t know how.”
“Oh my God,” Matt whimpered from his sitting position against the wall.
“Ignore him. Heal Vespar.”
“You told me I couldn’t.”
“I lied!” Kellan roared at me. “Do it now or he’s going to die. Now!”
My feet were frozen in place as I watched Vespar’s body turn different shades of colors. It went from pale to golden tan to a purple shade. As the skin started crawling over him, it turned to blue and then white again. When he started trembling and rattling the floor, I choked out, shaking my head, “I can’t. I…I don’t know…”
And then the house started to shake again, but it wasn’t Kellan. As he closed his eyes, I turned toward the door and something in me wasn’t surprised when Damien glided downstairs. He wasn’t there in his human form, but as his messenger. His eyes were black orbs, and his entire body had grown white. Bursts of cold air rolled down the stairs before him and swirled around the room. It was a dramatic event, one of too many that night, but then as Damien paused before me, his eyes met and held mine. I felt his request for permission, though I didn’t know what it was for, and I nodded, succumbing. He was there to heal Vespar. I couldn’t do it…
When he didn’t move past me, I followed his gaze and saw he was locked in a heated look with Kellan. They were talking through their thoughts, but I wasn’t privy. Neither wanted me involved, and then Kellan jerked away. His shoulders dropped slightly, and I knew he’d given his permission, but I didn’t know why. And then before I could think about it, Vespar’s body was jerked in the air. It floated toward us and Damien touched it. A bright light burst from him, blinding Kellan and Matt. I was immune, as was Damien and we both watched as the poison from the bullet retracted itself and then poured from the wound. The skin healed itself, and then Vespar’s body was laid back on the floor.
It was done as quickly as it started.
We put Vespar beside Gus in the backseat and Matt in the trunk. Kellan refused to leave him behind. He’d seen too much, but I wouldn’t let him kill Matt. Too much death had already occurred. Then Damien and I climbed into the front with Kellan behind the steering wheel. As we drove off, everyone was quiet. Gus and Vespar were unconscious. Aumae remained quiet beside them and I felt the tension between Kellan and Damien. It was thick, so thick I wondered what would spark it. It was going to happen. I just didn’t know when.
“Shay’s father is tracking us. I can feel him,” Damien murmured.
Kellan kept driving. “I know.”
“He waited for us to deal with the humans. He can’t interact with them. It’s not why he’s here.”
“I know that, too.”
“Do you have a plan?” Damien whipped his head around and glared.
I closed my eyes, just waiting.
“My plan? My plan was to get Vespar and Gus. We’ll need their help dealing with Shazaam.”
Damien bit out, “That’s not his name.”
“It is in my world.”
“And what world is that, Kellan? The underworld? Where you came from.”
Aumae sucked in her breath, as did I.
It was quiet for a beat before Kellan responded, in a quiet voice, “I’ve grown up with humans, among this world. I consider them family. Where I was born means nothing to me now.”
“What about who you were born to? Does your father mean nothing to you as well?”
Kellan grew silent, and I felt his anger start to churn. It was there, underneath his surface, boiling to the top. But then he replied, flicking some switch so he was calm once again, “My father ceased to be my father when I went to Shay. You know that. I know that. My father knows that. And Shay knows now. No, Damien, my father has no bearing on me anymore. He hasn’t for a very long time.”
Damien went silent this time, bu
t I felt his tension, too. His hand fell and rested beside mine. It was an accident, but he didn’t move away, and his pulse started to skyrocket. It was rapid, steady, but now it was sporadic and racing. Something Kellan said didn’t sit well with him, but I held my tongue, too afraid to ask the wrong questions at that time.
“He’s not going to let you regroup.”
I had a very strong feeling that wasn’t what Damien wanted to say, but it was what came out. Something was going on between those two, and both of them had made the decision to focus on something else. Which was fine, for now, but I intended to find out what was going on because I had another feeling that it had to do with me, and I wasn’t okay with that.
Damien added, “I know you’re thinking that we can get somewhere and rest, but he won’t let that happen. Shay’s out in the open. He’s going to come now and not risk losing her again. She shouldn’t have been there to start with.”
“I needed her help getting them out.” Kellan was quiet as he watched the rearview mirror.
Regardless of what Damien thought, I knew that Kellan was three steps in front of him. Now, where he was going, I had no clue about, but I knew my supposed soulmate had a plan already in motion. We were all along for the ride, for the roles he had slotted us into. When Damien figured that out, that Kellan was the mastermind controlling him, manipulating him to do what he wanted, that was the spark he’d need. Then the explosion would happen after that, but until then—I knew enough to sit back and let Kellan’s plan happen. It’d work. It always worked, but I felt there would be collateral damage this time.
“I could’ve helped instead.”
Kellan snapped at him, “But you chose not to. You made that decision very clear, early on, when we could’ve left Shay in hiding. Deal with it now.”
I prayed he would, the interrogation wasn’t helping. Then, after another beat of silence, I released my breath, thankful. He had stopped…for now.
“There’s three of them,” Aumae spoke from the back. “They’re close and coming fast. I can feel them.”
“I can, too.” Damien jerked around and stared out the back window. “Sachiel’s not with them. That’s what worries me.”
“Sachiel?” My heart was pounding in my chest. “Is that—is that my father’s name?”
A hush came over the group, and Damien cast me an apologetic look before he turned back to the rear. Then Aumae spoke again, “I’m sorry, Shay. That’s his name, it’s what the messengers call him, and you should’ve been told your father’s name before this.”
I hadn’t asked. I hadn’t because I’d been afraid to think of him, of what it all meant.
“He’s here.” Kellan jerked the wheel around. The car skidded to a halt, parked at an angle across the road, and we hadn’t come to a complete stop before Kellan threw himself out of the car.
“Kellan!” I gasped, scrambling after him, but he was gone. Vanished.
Damien and Aumae hurried out of their doors, and then Damien yelled at her, “Wake them. We need them.”
She went back to the car, but cast a look at him. “You’re helping them? I knew I would, but you…”
He jerked a shoulder up and faced where we’d come from. Three white beams of light appeared on the horizon, coming slow. As they drew closer, I was able to see each of them looked like humans out for a nightly stroll. They looked calm, dressed in street clothes. A male was in the lead, taller than the other two, over seven feet. The others were both females. One had long blonde hair, and the other had long black hair. All three of them had high cheekbones and slender bodies. Any other human distinctions were diminished since they were in messenger mode with their eyes as black orbs and a white aura over them.
“Where’d Kellan go?” I looked around, but nothing. We were alone. It was like he became a part of the night and disappeared in it.
“He’s not our problem right now.” Damien’s hands flexed beside him. “They are.”
“They’re waking.” Aumae hurried to stand beside Damien. “They’ll help.”
“They’ll have to, or they’re dead with us.”
Gus and Vespar stumbled out of the car, exhausted from the coma they’d been in. Studying Vespar, I thought he’d been unconscious from the bullet and then because Damien had healed him. I thought the body needed time to repair itself, but now they both shimmered in health. They seemed toned, ready, and alert. Aumae had put Gus to sleep, and now I wondered if she’d done the same to Vespar, that she had healed them even further somehow. I had never seen them at their peak as I was seeing them now. Like a button was pushed, their exhaustion vanished.
They looked up at the same time, ready to fight, and saw me.
“Shay?” Gus gasped. “What are you doing here?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“We’re…” She looked around. “What are we doing here and where is here?”
Vespar growled with his hands clenched in fists beside him, “I was shot. We were in the basement and then…” He looked at Damien and jerked forward a step. “He’s a messenger.”
“So is she.” Gus gestured toward Aumae.
Both of them ignored my siblings.
“Shay? What’s going on?” My sister gentled her tone.
I opened my mouth to answer, but Damien cut me off, “There are three messengers coming. See them? Destroy them because they’re here to destroy you.”
“What?” Gus clamped a hand on my arm. “What are we going to do?”
“Fight.” Damien cast a look at her. Idiot.
I hid a smile when Gus asked me, “Shay, is that right? Are they—”
“Gus. Shut up and fight.” Vespar stood beside her, tense.
“Male demon—” Damien started to say.
Vespar interrupted him, “I have a name.”
“—you will fight alongside Shay. Female demon.” Gus narrowed her eyes, but didn’t make a comment. “You will fight with Aumae.” Damien ignored both of their reactions and gestured beside him.
“And you? What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to take the leader.” Damien took a deep breath and stretched to his fullest height. “I’ve met Mayorn a few times.”
“What about the human?” I heard Aumae ask Damien.
“If things go badly, we can bring him out. They can’t be around humans that they aren’t sent here for. He’ll repel them, but right now they don’t know he’s here. They can’t sense him through my car’s trunk. It’s been sealed.”
Aumae nodded, satisfied with his response, and I cast a nervous look over the other messengers. They looked powerful, more powerful than any of us combined.
“Don’t think like that, Shay.” Damien looked at me. “You’re more powerful than all of them combined. You’re a first descendant from your father. You may be even more powerful than him.”
I didn’t feel it. I felt like a weak human at that moment, but as the three messengers drew close, I knew it was game time. They stopped, and the leader approached alone. His eyes skimmed over all of us, but lingered first on me and then moved to Damien, who had moved out in front of us. He proclaimed himself our leader with those two steps.
“Donai, I’m surprised to see you here.” His smirk said otherwise.
Damien rolled his eyes. “No, you’re not. You’ve always known this would happen. You’ve always wanted it. And it’s Damien.”
Mayorn wrinkled his long nose and grimaced. “You’ve become like a human, taking their name for you. Donai is a good name. You should remember your heritage.”
“I do.” Damien flexed his hands.
He grew tired of baiting Damien, so his eyes skimmed over me, studying. I forced myself to stand strong as I felt him trying to pierce into me, to see my insides. As he kept poking, trying to get past my walls, I started to grow angry. It shimmered over me, up from my ankles and around my waist to my eyes. I snapped them open and knew I’d turned into the messenger they wanted to see.
Instead of Mayor
n seeing into me, I saw into him now. I pierced his walls with no fight and sifted through his insides.
He was outraged and battled me to get out, but I refused to move. When he realized he couldn’t get me out of him, he became further enraged and lunged at me, snarling. Damien cut him off, tackling him and throwing him to the side of the road.
Mayorn threw his blond locks back, glaring and seething at me. “Get out! Get out! Get out!”
“Mayorn?” one of the other female messengers asked, nervous.
“She’s in me. I can’t get her out. Get her out! Kill her!”
The other one wasn’t as scared. “We can’t. Sachiel wants her alive.”
“I don’t care. She’s in me, and I can’t push her out.” He shook