I frowned. “How did you get in here?” In other words, why had the guards let them by? And whose ass would I be chewing out later for allowing them to disturb me?
They ignored me, which really pissed me off; however, my anger quickly turned into confusion as Rafe walked toward them, his back straight with his arms held out in front of him. It took me a moment to comprehend what was happening, the handcuffs the tall dark one pulled out of nowhere, though, cleared things up quickly. They snapped around Rafe’s wrists with a snick that made my stomach sink.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
Rafe turned to face me with sad eyes. “They’ve come to arrest me and bring me back to stand trial.”
“Trial for what?”
The tall dark haired one snorted. “Consorting with evil, for starters.”
Rafe shot the angel a dirty look. “She is not evil. You have no idea what you’re talking about, Michael.”
My heart swelled even if the expression on my face remained neutral.
“What about killing to defend her?” The giant named Michael crossed his arms over his wide chest and looked at Rafe coolly.
“Daemons,” Rafe spat. “Remember them, the truly evil ones?”
Michael’s lips tightened but he didn’t reply.
I didn’t like the undercurrents in the room. “Rafe, what are they going to do to you?”
My lover faced me and his gaze softened. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I thought we might have longer.”
“You mean you knew they’d come for you?”
He nodded his head.
“But they’re taking you back to Heaven, right?” Heaven equaled safety for Rafe in my mind. I would have preferred a little more time with him before the separation, but at least this way, I wouldn’t have to break his heart by pushing him away.
“He’s going home to face his punishment,” Michael said with a dark glee I recognized all too well.
My heart froze as I imagined all kinds of horrible punishments-with my history, some of the things I pictured were quite gruesome. And I mentally chastised myself for overreacting. His kind didn’t believe in death or violence. Except… I didn’t like the resigned look on Rafe’s face.
I asked again, “Rafe, what are they going to do to you?”
Rafe ducked his head and Michael chuckled. “What’s wrong? Afraid your whore will burst into tears when she finds out you’re slated for death?”
“No.” Rafe’s head lifted and his eyes met mine, stopping me in my tracks.
“But they’re going to kill you.” I really hated that my voice cracked with emotion, displaying my weakness to the group of angels I longed to tear apart with my bare hands.
“And if you try and stop them, they’ll hurt you. I knew this would happen when I decided to help you. But I love you, Ellie, and even knowing my fate, I’d do it again.”
“Stay with me. I can call the guards and we’ll take care of these bastards.”
Rafe shook his head, his expression sad. “They’d just send more. I’m sorry, Ellie. I love you.”
I read the good-bye in his eyes and I ran towards him, but the angels clumped together around him, and a warm breeze smelling of sunshine and flowers swept into the room along with a bright light that made me shut my eyes. When I blinked them open, they were gone.
“No!” I screamed and railed, dropping to my knees on the cold stone floor. Forget the pain of my dying, this was so much worse.
Lily arrived and exclaimed, “What happened?”
“He’s gone,” I sobbed.
“Who’s gone? Rafe? Where did he go?”
“They took him. The fucking angels took him and they said they’re going to kill him for being with me.” I raised my tear streaked face to her and saw the sorrow in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ellie.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I said, pushing myself back up to my feet. “Help me save him.”
Lily shook her head. “I wish I could, but Heaven is a place hidden from me. And even if I could find it, I need you here, fighting the daemons, or we’ll all die.”
I wanted to scream at her that I didn’t fucking care about anyone else, but it would have been blatantly untrue. Much as I loved Rafe, I couldn’t forsake my kind to go haring off to save him. My tears ran anew at the knowledge he would die and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
I fell back to my knees, the pain too much to bear, and even Lily’s comforting arms and magic could do nothing to heal the wound where my heart used to reside.
But vengeance and violence would.
Heaven should have thought twice before waging war with me because once I was done kicking Hell’s ass, I would be coming for them, and I would show them no mercy. The Blood Countess would avenge her lover by feasting on the blood of his condemners.
And I would enjoy it.
Epilogue
I missed Rafe horribly, and I’d woken a few times since his arrest to find my face damp with tears. A few days had passed without word or a sign from him or any other angels. I wanted to believe he lived, that he’d fought his captors and escaped. Perhaps he waited for a safe moment to rejoin me. A foolish fantasy, but it gave me a sliver of hope that I refused to extinguish, a ray of hope to use in the upcoming battle.
The day of reckoning arrived sooner than I wanted and without much warning; although, its appearance was unmistakable. The sky went from a sunny blue to a roiling black. My BlackBerry began beeping like crazy as reports started rolling in to tell of portals opening up and spilling out daemonic armies. The good news was the Legion of Darkness hadn’t arrived in the numbers I expected, but that one bright spot of info wasn’t enough to stop the ensuing pandemonium among the bleating humans.
I’d prepared for this moment, though, since Rafe’s abrupt departure, drinking and draining every stray daemon I found, their bitter blood potent, and imbued with surprising attributes. Forget shapeshifting into a big cat, I’d inherited some even cooler powers.
I no longer feared the daemons-it would be like the hunter fearing the buck he takes down and eats. Rather, I perceived them as a time consuming nuisance standing in the way of me and my real target-Heaven. But while I bided my time and saved my brethren-along with our human sheep-I’d hone my deadly skills.
I went outside and used my more powerful levitation skill-a daemonic perk-to float up to top of the castle ramparts and the highest pinnacle I could find. I surveyed the dark landscape around the castle and its grounds, the sun unable to break the barrier of dark that Hell had brought upon us. But even without that deadly ball of fire in the sky, the world was anything but cold with the furnace of Hades on its doorstep.
It occurred to me to send a thank you note to the Legion of Darkness, for in banishing our sunlight, they’d freed me and my brethren to roam the earth no matter the time of day. Their first deadly mistake. Their second was pissing me off in the first place.
I hoped my brethren and the world was ready for the coming battle. I’d warned everyone, even if there were those who pretended not to hear. I’d tried to prepare them, and now, ready or not, everyone would have to fight. The true battle for life was about to begin and whether a being was human, vampire or something in between, there were only two choices-fight or die. My original motto of fight or feed me was adapted by Lily so as to not frighten the humans, but in my mind the intent still resided.
Standing on the castle turret with the wind blowing the stench of brimstone in my face-Hell’s own fragrance-I barred my teeth and shook my fist.
“Bring it on.”
