Redemption (Ascendancy Legacy 6) Page 10

  Phenex charged in as soon as the fire dissipated, and came straight for me. His jaws snapped in the open air where I had been standing. My wolf slid forward and hacked my swords into one of Phenex’s legs. He howled in pain and stomped down and spun around. His jaws snapped closed just inches from my back. My wolf dodged around one of the stone pillars and then started to climb. Phenex lunged around, expecting us to still be on the ground. Without a sound, we jumped onto his back, plunging both swords into his neck.

  “No!” I screamed inside of my head. “I need him alive.”

  Thankfully my wolf listened and removed the swords instead of creating a larger wound. Phenex bucked, and we were almost thrown from his back but somehow managed to hang on. I wasn’t sure exactly what my beast was planning, but it was going to be brutal. He tossed one of my swords to the ground and dug those claws into Phenex’s back. We were never stable as the demon continued to buck and turn, slamming into pillars in the hopes of dislodging us.

  The sword flashed up, and an image of what was about to happen skittered through my thoughts. I smiled in appreciation. “Just be careful,” I whispered. My wolf only laughed. The sword glinted against the light and then plunged downward. The instant it struck, Phenex fell to the ground, unmoving. My wolf howled in delight. I felt him moving to the back of my mind as he slid off of Phenex. As our feet hit the ground, my body started to change back.

  It felt good to be in control again, and this time I wasn’t nearly as tired from the change. I found my other blade and then sheathed both of them. I spared a quick look toward the door and saw Erik standing there with his mouth held open. I motioned for him to be ready.

  Phenex had turned back into his human form and was trying to drag himself away using his arms. Frankly, I was surprised they still worked considering where the sword tore through his spine. I swatted him in the back of the head with an open hand. It sent him sprawling on the ground but got his attention focused back on me. That was right where I needed his attention to be so Erik’s men could move into position unseen.

  “Here’s the new deal. I don’t care about you. I just want to go home. Open a portal now, and I’ll let you live.” Erik and his men slowly started to inch forward. I made sure that I continued to block Phenex’s view.

  A portal shimmered open in front of me. “Father will never let this go unpunished. He will find you.”

  “I think I’m the last person he wants to find.”

  “Just go, and leave me alone with my suffering.”

  I put one foot inside the portal. “Phenex, it looks like there are some people here who would like to have a word with you.” He turned, finally seeing Erik and his men. I stepped into the portal. “Good luck,” I shouted as the portal started to close around me. The last thing I saw was ten men running forward. Each one of their swords found purchase in his body, and then the portal closed and I was falling again.

  Chapter Eleven

  April

  We stepped out from the barrier, and thirty members of the Ascendancy had spells on their fingertips, ready to fry us. Almost as one, they jerked their hands toward the sky and let out their pent-up magic. That would have been something, escaping the demons only to be incinerated by my friends.

  I made it about six steps before Marcus slammed into me. His embrace was crushing, but at the same time, it felt good to know that he had really made it out. I felt something wet on my neck and pulled back only to find myself looking into his tear-laden eyes.

  “Never do that again,” he sobbed. “Next time we go down fighting together.”

  “You have my word.”

  That seemed to make him feel better. He gave me another quick hug, and we started to follow John and Sarah. They had to be heading for Adam. We had to talk about what the demons had offered us. There was no way they could be trusted, but we had to do something to get Jackson back. If we didn’t at least attempt what they were offering, we would be in an all-out war. How many reinforcements could we actually get here by midnight?

  As we walked up, Adam finished issuing orders to several men and woman who ran off to carry out whatever instructions he had provided. When he turned around, a grin spread on his face, and he shook his head in wonder. He must not have thought John and Sarah were ever coming back. When his eyes settled on me, all that registered on his face was shock. He must have thought I was already dead. In his position, that was exactly what I would have expected.

  Adam moved his gaze back to John. “Report.”

  “What I have to tell you is extremely sensitive.”

  Adam clapped his hands to get his support personnel’s attention. “Everyone out.”

  All of the people surrounding him, except for Henry, left the area almost before he finished speaking. John moved forward and ran his hands through his hair before continuing. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  “Try me,” Adam said, the smile he held on his face vanishing in an instant.

  “The demon in charge told us that she is willing to make a deal with us. If one of us will go with her master to bring Jackson back, every demon inside of that dome will leave.”

  “Of course they want to leave. We have them surrounded.”

  “Not just leave the area, leave earth, and permanently.”

  Adam turned away. I could see his hand move up toward his beard as he did so. That was one of his tells for being deep in thought. He seemed to be considering every angle. He turned back toward John and spoke. “And you believe this offer is sincere?”

  “As sincere as a demon could ever be.”

  “Henry, what were our casualty estimates if the dome came down and we were forced into an all-out battle?”

  Henry looked over some papers on the desk, and a crease of concern formed across his brow. “Thirty percent on the low end, almost seventy on the high end.”

  “April, do you have anything to add?”

  “While I was imprisoned, I was held in an underground area. My impression of it was that it was much bigger than I was ever allowed to see. There were hundreds of demons, but even when they were all gone, I could feel the power of others. My guess is they have some heavy hitters inside and our casualties would be closer to the high end.”

  “Hum,” Adam mumbled, stroking his beard again. “Anyone else have anything pertinent to add?”

  John looked around at everyone and then spoke. “Whatever is happening in hell, Jackson is doing enough harm to the demons that they are willing to give him back and give up their position here. That wasn’t the case when I left.”

  “I came to the same conclusion.”

  “I’ve also met the man who is her master. If he comes here and we don’t agree to his terms, it could be the end of us all.”

  “Seventy percent of our people is too high of a number to contemplate. If it comes to a fight, we will sacrifice ourselves willingly, but to not take this chance out of fear seems like a wasted opportunity. We will plan as if we have to fight regardless of if they hold up their end of the deal.”

  “So when am I going back in?” Everyone turned to look at me. I knew what they were thinking. We just risked everything to get you out of there. You aren’t going back in. But I had to. No one else had the same chance of bringing Jackson home that I did.

  “That’s brave of you, April, but you don’t have to do this. Sarah and John can go.”

  “All due respect to them, but no one can reach Jackson like I can. He will listen to me.”

  Marcus stepped forward. “She should do it.”

  Sarah spoke next. “I agree.”

  John looked furious, but when Sarah placed an arm on his shoulder, he relented. “Fine.”

  “We have eight hours until midnight. I plan on using all of that time to prepare our forces in case all of this is a ruse. We need to be ready for an all-out attack. John, Sarah, I’ll need your help organizing everything. The rest of you can go.”

  I thought about arguing the point, but I let the feeling go just as
fast. I was exhausted and needed to eat. Marcus took my arm and gently led me away from Adam, and hopefully toward some food. We wandered around warriors stationed at intervals around the pulsing dome before coming up to a huge RV.

  The smells coming from inside of it were divine.

  Marcus must have noticed the look on my face. “I thought you’d like that. I had a feeling that you didn’t get fed anything too good while you were there.”

  “Five Guys,” I mumbled.

  “What? You’re telling me that the demons fed you Five Guys.” His face contorted into a look of wonder and shock.

  “Apparently my guards made a lot of money off of my fights.”

  “Fights? Jesus, April, what the hell happened in there?”

  “Let’s get some food, and I’ll tell you all about it.” I started to lead him to the huge RV. “Then I need to get some sleep before tonight.”

  We made it into the RV, entering from a side door almost like a bus. The center part of the vehicle had basically been turned into a galley. Both sides of the space were lined with silver trays with heating elements underneath them. A stack of plates and silverware rolled in paper napkins were piled at the front of the table. I grabbed a tray and two plates and got busy loading them up.

  Three giant pancakes and a plate full of bacon, eggs, and sausage should do the trick. I also snagged two flour tortillas. A trick I learned from Jackson was to make my own little breakfast burritos. It helped to keep my body flush with the calories I needed to survive. Our bodies burned so much, and after today’s fighting, I was behind on my intake.

  We moved back outside to a few tables that had been set up, and started to eat. Marcus knew better than to jump in and ask questions right away. A girl needed some alone time with her food before she should be required to talk. I finished off my first burrito and half of my pancakes before taking a giant sip of juice and turning my gaze toward him. He was just picking at his food, probably spending most of his time willing me to talk.

  It was kind of awkward. I didn’t know how to sugarcoat it. Really, I guess I just needed to tell him what had happened. “After you left—”

  “Wait a second.” He held up a hand, making a stopping motion. “You mean after you made me leave.”

  I just nodded my head. “After I made you leave, the demons took me back to her. When she didn’t get what she wanted from me, I was sent down to a dungeon of sorts.” Marcus frowned. “It wasn’t that bad, as long as you don’t mind dirty cement floors and the cold.”

  “It sounds kind of horrible.”

  “Well, there were also the screams, the cheers, and the constant pressure of demon power fraying at my nerves. It wasn’t exactly paradise.”

  “But they had Five Guys?”

  “I’ll get to that in a moment.” I smiled. He was keeping it light for me, and I appreciated it. Thinking back on it now, it seemed much worse than it had felt while I was there. When I was there, I had been in pure survival mode. Now that I wasn’t, the weight of what could have happened threatened to crush me.

  “Not long after I was taken there, I was forced to fight in an arena. I had the feeling from the lady in charge that they wouldn’t have been allowed to kill me, but it sure felt like a fight to the death.” Marcus made a face. I couldn’t tell exactly what it meant, so I reached out my hand and placed it over his. I knew he felt guilty about leaving me behind, but I had forced him to do it. If there was any guilt, it should have been mine. What I had done was selfish. “Thankfully, I won.”

  He smiled briefly. “Bet they didn’t expect that.”

  “It sure didn’t seem like they expected it.”

  “That’s how you earned your Five Guys?”

  “Yep, it was that or lose and possibly be befouled by a demon.”

  “What do you mean befouled?”

  “Let’s not worry about the details. Needless to say, the demon guards didn’t offer to do nice things to me if I lost. Well, at least one of them. The other one seemed oddly apologetic.” I tried to shove the thoughts of the other demon’s leering gaze away and couldn’t quite succeed. Instead, I ended up shoving the tray of food away. I’d lost my appetite. “I won my first fight, saving me from having to find out what would have happened, and the one guard brought me a meal.”

  “Not just a meal but heaven in a bag.”

  “Well, yeah, but I’m going to knock it down a few notches because of the demon incarceration I was suffering through at the time.” We both laughed. “After that, I had another fight.” Marcus made that same half-disgusted, half totally intrigued face. That might not have been what it was, but it was my best guess. “Just as I won the fight, the ground started to shake, and I made my escape. That was when I ran into Jackson’s parents and the head demon. She made us this offer. It still sounds crazy. Jackson must be really fucking things up for them.”

  “That’s what I was thinking, and if he has the demons shaking in their boots this badly, should we really be trying to bring Jackson home?”

  “I want him home.” I really did, but mostly for me. Screw everyone else. I missed him, and I wanted him back. “But mostly just because I miss him.”

  “I want him back too, April, but he is doing something over there that no one has done before. He is fighting them on their turf and winning.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I do. There just isn’t any other logical explanation. The demons are scared of what he is doing, and they want him gone. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be the destroyer or the redeemer of this world. Maybe it was meant to happen in hell.”

  That was something I hadn’t even considered. “Marcus, you might be onto something.” If that was true, could we really pull him away from what he was doing? If he could destroy hell and stop the demons forever, could we really bring him back? “Still, can we risk the lives of so many of our people on a hunch? Maybe there is a way we can bring him back now and find a way back into hell, bringing our army with us.”

  “We won’t know, at least not until you ask him.”

  Damn, that was going to be some conversation. I was still mad at him for lying to me in the first place. He had some questions to answer before he was off the hook for that. Not to mention nearly getting his best friend killed, and working with his ex-girlfriend to set it all in motion. I knew why he left me behind. It still didn’t make it right. Especially since he hadn’t talked to me about it.

  “Why don’t you point me to a place I can take a nap?”

  Marcus grabbed both of our trays and cleaned them off and stacked them for someone to wash and put back out. He led me across the camp to another row of RVs. Jesus, where had we gotten all of these? All of a sudden, it was like we had a fleet of recreational vehicles. Were we going to be heading out on the road, maybe as circus performers? I laughed for a second, releasing some of the tension I felt.

  “You can use this one. If you need anything, I’ll be right outside.”

  “Thanks, but you don’t have to wait for me.”

  “I’m not letting you out of my sight, at least not until tonight. Also, there should be enough water in there for a quick shower. Trust me when I tell you that you need it.”

  “Asshole.” I laughed and opened the door. He was right; I did need it, and a hot shower might just be the thing I needed to take the edge off. Once I was clean, maybe I’d be able to fall asleep. Before too long, it would take time to gear up and bring Jackson home. I stripped down and climbed into the shower. It made me miss Jackson even more. We’d had a lot of fun in the shower since we had started dating. Hopefully by tonight, I’d have him back in my arms.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lucky, 371 A.D.

  It was funny how we thought that changing where we were could affect who we were. As if moving the geographical location of a person could actually make them change. It might work for a while, but sadly, we often were who we were. There wasn’t much in this world that could truly inspire us to change. Even a near-death experi
ence often had us looking to the past with longing after time had removed the sting of the event. That was where I found myself three years ago, captured and nearly dead. I tried to kick the habit that had landed me there, but I just couldn’t do it.

  You see, a thief needed to steal. Just like a fish needed water to breathe or an alcoholic needed a drink. Sure, I was always happy for a while, but then I got the itch, and once you had the itch, it was only a matter of time before you had to scratch it. Otherwise, it started to fester, and every day, the temptation got worse.

  At first, I really thought I was going to be able to do it, to kick the habit completely. I took a job working in the fields. It didn’t pay much, but I had all the money I would ever need. What it did do was push me close to exhaustion every night, so I could sleep without thinking about the wizard. Regardless of how far I’d gone, and the fact that I crossed the ocean, I still felt him nipping at my heels.

  The job worked for a time, but soon I had met a woman, and as all women had a way of doing, she captured my heart and my secrets. She used to laugh about it when we were in bed, and call me her famous thief. I never really thought she believed me until she came to me with an idea.

  Of course, she asked after too many glasses of wine when I was most pliable. How could I say no? I was on the run and madly in love. She had been filling in for a sick friend and noticed that the lady of the manor had just purchased several expensive pieces of jewelry. She thought it would be nice to see the look on their smug faces when it turned up missing. Now when we were in the bedroom, she wore the jewelry of a highborn lady. It suited her. She was, in a word, breathtaking.