Bael
Oh, one more thing. If you make the right decision, meet me at the house directly across from your old boyfriend’s home. Where you and your friends stayed. That’s where I will be.
Jasmine balled the paper up and chucked it behind her. She hadn’t realized Amon was standing right there, even though she should have because she could now feel his heat at her back. “Did you read it?”
He nodded.
“I have to do it.”
“No.” He spoke firmly.
“Amon, I have to.”
“No.”
“I can’t let them die for me. He’ll kill them. He might have already done it.”
“No.”
“You can’t just keep saying no. I need more than that.”
Amon narrowed his eyes. “Okay. How about this. Over my dead body will you give yourself up to Bael. I don’t care if you have a plan, because guess what? So does he. And his plan will be better. He’s let you slip through his fingers way too often now. He won’t let it happen again.” Amon paused and jutted his chin out. “So. No.”
Jasmine sighed and stormed into the house. Anger surged through her like a jolt of electricity, but it wasn’t directed at Amon. She hated Bael. He’d put her in yet another precarious situation. But she’d be damned if she’d tuck tail and hide when her friends were in danger. She wouldn’t succumb to the fear of being caught by him. From being his prisoner. No, she’d willingly give herself up to save them. But first, she needed to figure out a way to do it safely, or she knew Amon would never go for it.
The time had come to make another plan, but this one had to be good. There would be no room for error. If there were any, she’d lose her life, or worse.
But the planning portion of tonight’s event would have to wait. Amon would never listen to it right now. His unreasonable mood would make him shoot everything down. Once he calmed down, he’d listen better. At least she hoped he would.
***
Time moved fast and later came before she knew it. Jasmine had wanted to rest, exhaustion taking over her body but not her mind. When she’d gone upstairs, she fidgeted, tapping her foot off the end of the bed. The noise got to her so she stopped, but started biting her fingernails after that. Now she had none left.
After that, she got up and marched right back downstairs, straight into the living room. Amon sat there, alone.
Jasmine stopped in the doorway and leaned against the wall, tucking one hand into her jeans pocket. “Where’s everyone?”
Amon looked up at her. “Outside on the porch.”
“Why?”
“They said I was being unreasonable.”
Jasmine laughed. Amon narrowed his eyes. Somehow, she reigned in her laughter. “Do you blame them, Amon? I mean, you aren’t open to anyone’s opinions when you think you’re right. And let me tell you, you aren’t right about this one. We need to sit down as a group and figure out a safe way for me to do this and a safe way to get me back, because I’m going to do it with or without your blessing.”
Amon stood, his face a shade redder. “Absolutely not.”
“I’m kind of over your whole ‘absolutely not’ nonsense.” She took a few steps closer, angling her head as she glared. “When did you get the impression that you’re in charge of me? I am still my own woman, and these aren’t the olden day when a man could order a woman around. For that matter, even if I’d been alive in those days, you still wouldn’t have been ordering me around.”
Amon turned, looking out the window. “Don’t you get it?” He faced her with wide eyes. “I can’t let anything happen to you. I won’t. Not when I have a chance to stop it.”
“Don’t you get it?” she asked, mocking him slightly. “I can’t let anything happen to them. It looks like we’re at an impasse.”
The sound he made as he stomped toward her echoed through the whole house. He grabbed her shoulders, not rough, but harder than he normally would. He leaned down so they were eye level. “Jasmine, I don’t know what is going on between us. I don’t know what this is. All I know is no matter the cost, I will keep you safe.” He sighed. “That means if you insist on doing this, fine. But…there will be rules and guidelines to follow because I’m not okay with you sacrificing yourself for anyone.”
She nodded once, a grin spreading across her face, almost as slowly as a rainbow when the sun comes out after it rains. “I won’t sacrifice myself, Amon. That was never my intention. I just want to save them. Do you honestly think I would let Bael kidnap me again? I mean, how many times do you think I’m going to fall for his crap?”
The door slammed open then and everyone piled into the room, sitting on the couch or leaning against the wall.
Azzy grinned. “We all were listening.” He slapped Amon on the shoulder. “It’s about time you let up a little, Mr. Serious. I could have told you Jasmine wasn’t going to sacrifice herself. Now, let’s figure out a plan, okay?”
Amon nodded. “Either way, I’ve been outvoted. So now all we have to do is come up with a plan that’s going to keep Jasmine safe.”
“Think about it.” Jasmine sat on the couch beside Amber. “Bael takes me. He thinks I’ve given myself up. I play the part that I’m okay with the choice I’ve made since I’m now able to free my friends. After they are safe, you guys storm the house and get me the hell out of there.”
Amon clapped slowly. “Very nice job. Sounds easy enough too. But, tell me, do you honestly think anything is going to go down as easy as you make it sound? We have to prepare for everything.”
Ella stood and moved to the front of the room. “I understand your concern, Amon. I’m scared for Jasmine as well. But remember, if things go south, I can fly in and get her out. Bael will never see that coming as long as he doesn’t know I’m with you.”
Jasmine grinned as she stood from the couch, moving to the front of the room. “Actually, that is perfect. You guys can watch the house, see when he leaves, and Ella can swoop in and get me out. Then nobody else is affected and nobody else risks their lives.”
Amon’s face turned red. “It’s not about risking ourselves. I would gladly do that for you.” He looked at the floor, as if embarrassed by speaking the words aloud. “We will all be risking our lives to fight the demons, so what’s the difference if we do it now?”
Amber laughed. “That’s easy. Even I can answer that one. We aren’t all together now. Once we’re together, then we can fight as a team.”
“Exactly.” Jasmine grinned. “The plan is easy, so let’s get started. No sense in wasting any more time.”
Jasmine walked toward the front door, but froze when a pounding sounded from the back door by the kitchen. She spun around, but Amon barreled past her, shoving her aside as he flew down the narrow hallway. Her shoulder smacked against the wall and she stood, shocked, for a moment. She righted herself and moved forward, almost laughing. Some things never changed. The need for a man to protect a woman had always been instinctual. Jasmine might not like it, but she sure didn’t have much of a choice but to accept it for what it was. Especially with a man as old as dirt.
So, she kept her mouth shut and followed him to the door, along with everyone else. Although they didn’t push past her. They seemed quite happy staying behind her.
Chapter 11
A Failed Execution
Amon
Someone continued to knock at the back door and Amon couldn’t get there fast enough. He hadn’t a clue who it was, but he cut in front of Jasmine so she wouldn’t get there first. It could be dangerous, and it was just like her to rush into it without thinking. He didn’t want to see her get hurt. Not tonight. Plus, their healer was gone, taken by the demons. Angels could heal, most of the time, but he didn’t know how out of practice Ella might be or how long it had been since she’d used her powers.
So, he would risk himself.
Being a man made it worse for him. No woman should ever try to protect him. The men should always be the ones doing the protecting
. That lesson was ingrained in him as a child and had stuck with him even in the afterlife. Sure, that might have been some time ago, but just because times had changed didn’t mean he had to. Did it?
When he reached the door, he only opened it a crack, stepping into it so he was the only one who could be seen. When he laid eyes on the visitor, he tilted his head to the side. “I did not expect to find you here.”
“Nor did I expect to be here, but I must warn you about something.” Moloch pushed his way inside. “Sorry. It’s too risky for me to be standing out here.”
Amon closed the door, leaned back against it, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Noted. Now, tell us why you have risked yourself to come here.”
“Hey, Dad.” Jasmine snorted. “Sorry. That doesn’t sit right, does it?”
Moloch smiled. “Actually, I think it sits just fine. At least with me.”
Ella stepped to Jasmine’s side, placing one hand on each shoulder, quite a reach since her arms were shorter. “It is nice to hear for me as well.”
Jasmine shrugged out of the angel’s grasp and walked around the island in the center of the kitchen, leaning her elbows on it. “I don’t think you should get used to it. Not yet, at least.”
Ella nodded.
Amon sighed. “We don’t have time to talk about your family genocide.” He turned to Moloch. “What did you come to tell us?”
“Bael left a note for you?” Moloch stared at Jasmine, waiting for an answer.
She nodded.
Amon nodded at the same time. “He left a note for Jasmine, yes.”
Moloch shook his head. “You can’t follow his instructions. It is too dangerous.”
Jasmine blew out a breath in exasperation. “Not this again. It’s already been decided. I’m giving myself over to Bael, but I will be perfectly safe. Ella is going to swoop in the first chance she gets and save me.”
Moloch shook his head again, this time more forcefully. “It doesn’t matter how safe you are. Bael is one thing, Jasmine. He’s evil, sure, but there’s something still inside of him that is partially akin to compassion. He will keep his word, at least most of the time. Although, I’m not sure what happened with your mom.” He paused, stepping to the kitchen counter so he stood next to Jasmine. “Whether Bael thinks he is in charge of this or not, he’s wrong. Lucifer is pulling the strings. Yes, Bael left that note at your door, but Lucifer is the one who took your friends. I don’t know if Bael will be able to get them away from him even if he wanted to.”
Jasmine blew out a puff of air and strands of hair swirled around her face. “I don’t care if Lucifer is part of it. Let him be. He doesn’t scare me.”
Amon straightened and stomped to the island. “He should scare you, Jasmine. They all should scare you. The fact that they don’t scares me.”
“If every demon I’ve met scared me, I’d be drowning in fear.” Jasmine shifted, leaning against the sink. “We’ve outsmarted Bael on several occasions already. Even though my power doesn’t work the same way with him, it will still hurt his buddies. I’m sure Lucifer can be zapped just as easily as the rest of them.”
A sinking feeling settled in Amon’s stomach. There’d be no talking Jasmine out of this mission. She’d already accepted it. She wouldn’t back down, no matter the cost to herself. A demon gave her a warning and still she insisted on continuing on as if nothing could go wrong. But one thing Amon had learned about Jasmine, no matter the cost, she’d save her friends because they were like her family. It didn’t matter that they’d met only recently. It didn’t matter that she could get herself killed. She would do anything to save them. So, he’d just have to make sure she stayed safe in the process.
Although he understood the why of it, he couldn’t wrap his mind around the how. While the how had been explained, the problem didn’t rest in the explanation. It rested with the execution. If one thing went wrong…
Jasmine was one of the most important people in this war. Maybe even the most important. For some reason, she didn’t understand that. Instead of playing it safe, she was quite willing to jump head first into every dangerous situation she could, whether it risked her life or not. She might be heroic, even Amon could see that, but it also made her incredibly foolish.
He wouldn’t be the one to tell her. No way. He could just imagine how that would go down…the anger that would unleash, all aimed at him. Her anger didn’t frighten him, but it was unwarranted and unneeded. If she was to succeed, there also wasn’t room for it.
He took a deep breath. “Okay. We are wasting time. If you still want to do this, let’s go. Together. We all know the plan. If anyone gets in trouble, Ella will be our failsafe.” Amon met the angel’s eyes. “Stay out of sight. No matter what happens.”
Ella nodded.
Jasmine smiled, mouthing a thank you to him. Amon nudged his head up once, pressing his lips together, because if he didn’t, he might say something nobody wanted to hear. He had to let her do this, even if he didn’t like it.
And he didn’t.
Moloch went to the back door. “Give me a few minutes to get back. I don’t want him to know I was here.”
“Sure. We leave in five minutes,” Amon said.
After that, the clock ticked, but slower than molasses dripping from a canning jar. Thoughts flooded him, mostly good.
But he could picture all the bad ones just as easily.
***
Nobody spoke as the group made their way to Bael’s. No noise floated through the air. The wind carried no insect sounds. Nothing but absolute quiet.
The ground became the most interesting sight to Amon as he climbed the front porch steps and stood at Bael’s door. Well, not Bael’s door. Not Bael’s house. Not his anything. He probably took it right out from under the people who lived inside previously, just like he was doing with Jasmine.
Amon’s heart raced as he raised his hand to knock on the door. What if something went wrong? What if they couldn’t get Jasmine out of there? What if Amon couldn’t stop any of it? He’d never be able to forgive himself. Never live it down. The guilt would eat him alive.
He shook himself and let his knuckles rap the wood. Before he even dropped his arm to his side, the door swung open.
Bael smiled and stepped to the side. “Do come in. It’s so lovely to have visitors.”
Amon growled. “As if anyone would visit you willingly.” Pride swelled inside his chest. He’d learned a thing or two from Jasmine about sarcasm.
With a hand over his heart, Bael frowned. “Oh, that hurt. But since you’re here…” He gestured with his arm for them to enter.
They all went in, Jasmine leading the way. Once in the foyer, Jasmine placed her hands on her hips. “Do you promise if I give myself up that you will release my friends?”
“My, you get straight to the point, don’t you?” Bael nodded. “But yes, you have my word.”
Jasmine snorted. “Ha. Like that’s worth anything. Need I remind you what you did to my mother?” She almost hissed the last words.
Bael frowned. “I am sorry about that. I don’t know quite what came over me.”
“I do,” Jasmine said. “You’re a demon. I’m sure you couldn’t control yourself, being the pathetic Hell spawn you are.”
Bael grinned crookedly. “I’ve missed that spirit of yours.”
Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “I haven’t missed a thing about you.”
“Enough.” Amon almost yelled, but not quite. “You will get Jasmine, but not until you hand over the others. That is the only way this is going to happen.”
“Actually, I don’t have them.” Bael placed a finger on his cheek, scratching it with his long nail. “Sorry, but they aren’t my prisoners. They were captured by Lucifer, who created a special cell just for them. But Moloch will take you to get your friends. Lucifer isn’t in the vicinity at the moment, so it’s the perfect time.” He looked at Jasmine with excitement shining from his eyes. “But she stays. Come, dear, let me take you to yo
ur room.” He plastered himself to Jasmine’s side, one arm wrapped around her back as he began to guide her up the stairs.
“Stop!” Amon couldn’t keep the scream from leaving his mouth.
Bael actually did. “What is it?”
“I’d like a moment alone with Jasmine before you…take her.”
Bael nodded. “Fine. Just a minute, though. We don’t have time to dawdle if you want your friends.”
Azzy’s and Amber’s sad eyes met his before they ducked out the front door. Bael went out too, surprising Amon. He even shut the door, leaving Amon and Jasmine fully alone.
Jasmine ran to him, but stopped short of touching him and stared at his feet. “Now that I’m here, I’m actually not sure about this.”
Amon smiled weakly. “So you are scared?”
She looked up at him with big brown eyes and nodded.
Before she could look at the ground again, Amon placed two fingers under her chin, tipping it up and holding it there. “Good. I told you before, I’d be worried if you weren’t scared.”
Jasmine lowered her voice to a whisper. “Make sure you keep watch. Don’t leave me here long.”
Cupping her face, Amon ran his thumb back and forth over her cheek. “I wouldn’t be able to, Jasmine. Don’t you get it?”
Jasmine shrugged. “I guess I don’t. Spell it out for me.”
Amon dropped his hand to his side. “You really want me to spell words right now? Fine. But we don’t have much time.”
Placing a hand against his chest, Jasmine chuckled. “No. Forget it. Just be careful. I kind of have a bad feeling about this.”
“Now? I’ve had a bad feeling about this since you decided you were doing it.” A lump lodged in his throat, so he cleared it, but the lump remained. “Just do me a favor. Keep a block up. Don’t let Bael in that pretty mind of yours.”
Her lip twitched. “And you stay safe.”
He planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. “I will.”
As he turned to walk away, she grabbed his shirt and spun him back around, crashing her lips into his. The kiss was over as quickly as it began, but Amon couldn’t help but smile.