“I am Ghede. I am god of the dead. Why are you here? What do you want?”
Isabelle didn’t know how to answer.
“I’m Isabelle. I have half demon blood. The demon inside me controls me. I want that to change.”
“You wish to eliminate the darkness?”
Thankfully the entity asked leading questions. “Yes.”
“Are you worthy, Isabelle?”
Was she? She didn’t know how to answer that.
“She is.”
Dalton had moved beside her and laid his arm around her. She breathed in his scent, absorbed his strength, relaxing the tension that had crept into her body.
Georgie examined Dalton. “You have fallen. You walk the edge between light and darkness.”
“Yes.”
“This one will need you. And you will need her. But first, we dance!” Georgie, or Ghede, tilted her head back and laughed, taking the bottle of rum with her and emptying it in several swallows. Then she tossed the bottle and grabbed her skirts as the drums picked up the beat, and swirled around the circle, dancing madly.
“Come. Dance. Celebrate,” Georgie bid. “Nothing happens until you do.”
Isabelle looked at Dalton.
“Do what she says.”
They held hands and moved together to the music.
“Everyone must dance. Feel the music. Let it enter your bodies until it lives inside you.”
The singing and drumming grew louder as Georgie’s family threw themselves into the dance. Even the hunters joined in, and soon they were all moving around the fire in a circle.
The music was infectious, the drums equaling Isabelle’s pounding heart as she stomped her feet in the dirt and circled Dalton, sliding her body against his. Sweat poured between her breasts, the heat from the fire adding to the nearly unbearable temperature of the night, but she didn’t care. Lost in the music, in the magic of the night, she felt wild, free, totally without care. She slid against Dalton, reaching up on her toes to press her lips against his.
“I love you,” she whispered against his ear. “I always will.”
He circled her waist with his hand and drew her into a deeper kiss, his body moving against hers in time to the music.
“No, no.” Georgie pulled them apart. “Dance.”
Laughing, Isabelle moved away, filled with joy, her heart lighter now than it had been in ages. Was it the rum doing this to her?
Suddenly she was spun around and she grinned, certain it was Dalton again, ready to pull her into another kiss.
It wasn’t. It was Georgie. Dalton was right next to her.
Before Isabelle could even blink, Georgie had reached out and grabbed Isabelle’s and Dalton’s wrists in a tight hold. She felt the power flowing from Georgie to her, then realized it wasn’t Georgie after all, but some kind of phenomenal force.
Georgie held Dalton’s sword in her hand.
“Now the darkness begins.”
Isabelle stilled, then tried to jerk away. She wasn’t ready yet, but Georgie’s hold was strong.
“Isabelle.”
Dalton’s voice was a soothing balm, calming her tension. “Don’t fight this. It has to happen.” Dalton held out his hand to Georgie, palm up.
She nodded and did the same, trying to show no fear. Inside, she was quaking so hard she could barely stand, her heart pumping so loud it was all she could hear.
Georgie took Dalton’s hand and slid the sword across it, scoring his palm lightly. A crimson line appeared. She took Isabelle’s hand and did the same. Isabelle bit down on her lip at the pain, but it was only momentary.
Georgie laid the sword down.
“Your blood will mingle and light shall find the darkness.” Georgie grasped their wrists and pressed their hands together, mixing their blood.
“Close your eyes, child,” Georgie said. “Let it wash over you. Do not fear. We are here to protect you. Release the demon.”
Isabelle shook her head, too afraid to let it go. She’d held it inside for so long, fighting it, fighting the Sons of Darkness and her own weakness. How could she release it? How could she give it free rein to do whatever it wanted?
“Isabelle, I’m here with you,” Dalton said. “You’re not alone. I won’t let anything hurt you. Never again.”
She believed him. But God, how could she do this? In theory it had sounded fine, but now, the demon inside her licked its lips in anticipation of freedom. She felt it banging against her soul, demanding its liberation. She knew how destructive that side of her was, how utterly evil.
“I won’t let you hurt anyone.”
She felt Dalton next to her, his hand entwined with hers, his warm breath ruffling her hair. His voice soothed her, gave her confidence.
“You know you can beat it. And you have me.”
“All right.” She sucked in a courage-inducing breath, and did what Dalton instructed her to do. She exhaled, closed her eyes, and gave herself up to the darkness. She let the demon inside her free.
As soon as she did, she realized something was terribly wrong. She no longer felt safe, no longer felt close to Dalton. It was as if a chasm had opened between them, tearing her away from him, away from everyone.
Now she was completely alone, lost in a void of darkness. Her eyes shot open and all she could see was blackness around her. No Dalton, no Georgie or her sister, no hunters. She had no idea where she was.
The demon within her was freed.
Dalton jerked next to her. She felt him, but couldn’t see him. She didn’t understand any of this. It was like she was suspended somewhere, with no ability to snap out of it and return to reality.
“Dalton?” She could still feel him next to her, his hand entwined with hers. She could feel the tension in his body, knew something had gone wrong, but she didn’t know what.
Then she heard it, faint at first, but growing stronger.
Laughter. A deep, rumbling sound that grew like the soft roll of thunder as it approached, growing louder until it became deafening. She shuddered at the malevolence in the tone.
“Welcome home, Dalton.”
She recognized that voice, and it sent a cold chill skittering down her spine. She’d heard it before, in Italy. Memories washed over her. She’d seen him in that room after she’d been kidnapped, and then again after she’d embraced the power of the black diamond.
Tase. Leader of the Sons of Darkness.
What did he mean by welcoming Dalton?
Then it hit her. Oh, God, no. The demon side of her celebrated. She watched it as if it wasn’t even a part of her any longer. And yet it was. It was her, joining in with the Sons of Darkness in rejoicing.
She’d been used.
They didn’t want her at all. Well, they did, but she hadn’t been the Sons of Darkness’ prime target.
They’d wanted Dalton, to lure him through her in order to bring him closer to the Sons of Darkness again.
She had to stop this. Somehow, she had to pull away from him, to end this now, before it was too late. Because if Dalton fell again, he would fail, he would be forever damned, and there would never be redemption for him.
Isabelle wouldn’t allow it.
CHAPTER TWENTY
