“What are the odds we see daylight in the morning?” I whispered to her.
“I’m not sure I want to calculate it.” Our shuffling feet echoed across the walls. “How do you feel now that the whole zappy power seal thing is on?”
I closed my eyes and felt inside of my soul. A little ball of vicious anger poked up its head, curious. Pressing my lips together, I flipped my eyes back open. “My new darkness friend is still in there.”
“But you don’t have access to any of that power, right?” she whispered. “It’s gone.”
“I’ve never really had access to most of it,” I said with a shrug. “I guess I probably couldn’t use my wings right now, but it wasn’t like I was running around with newfound brute strength.”
We’d never really figured out why my body hadn’t taken to the transformation like the others had, but the demons were convinced it had something to do with my illness. It had been days now, and while I’d struggled with the monstrous hunger at times, not much had changed since day one. If anything, I finally felt in control of it. Strange, as Caim had been certain it could take me years to get to that point, if I ever did.
Not that any of that mattered now. I had the cure hidden in the front pocket of my jeans. As soon as this was all over, it would be time to take it.Goodbye, demon.
I felt the monster twitch inside of me, and a sadness filled my soul. It didn’t want to leave. It didn’t want to say goodbye to this world, not yet. Life for the demon had only just begun.
And the Legion felt like home.
From up ahead, Bael slowed to a stop. His cell phone lit up the dark tunnel, the screen displaying the front door of the club. They’d connected an app to the security cameras so that we could track the exact moment the cult showed up on our doorstep. And there they were. Five of them, whose faces were paler than the last time I’d seen them and eyes that were blinding red and angry.
Bael and Stolas let out matching low whistles that echoed down the dark tunnel. Caim wrapped a hand around my elbow and gave me a firm nod, lips flat.
“It’s time,” he said. “They’re here. We need to get into position and wait. Tonight, this will finally be over. One way or another.”
35
Eva
The hellgate glimmered in the darkness. It burned like fire, a symbol that I’d recognize anywhere now that I knew the truth about demons and Hell. Lucifer’s seal, all writhing lines and sharply-pointed arrows. And as I drew closer, a heavy sense of dread settled onto my shoulders.
I slowed to a stop, Sarah and Anya by my side. “That sure doesn’t look like a closed hellgate.”
Sarah arched a brow. “And you know what an open one looks like?”
“No, but.” I nodded toward it. “Look at it.”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “It feels like death.”
“Trust me,” Phenex said, striding up to my side with a sword gripped in his beefy hands. “If it was open, it would feel a hell of a lot worse than that. It emits waves of actual evil. You’d want to scream and run in the other direction. And you wouldn’t wonder about it at all. You wouldknow.”
I took a step back, swallowing hard. That sounded appropriately terrifying. “So, won’t the cult members know it’s not actually open the second they step into this cavern?”
He shrugged and grinned. “Maybe. Maybe not. Like you, they’ve never seen a hellgate before. Doesn’t matter either way though. Soon as they step in this cavern, they’re ours.”
“Go on,” Caim said, meeting my eyes. “Hide over there with Sarah and Anya. Stay out of sight unless you have no other choice.”
A shiver went through me. Right now, all I wanted was to fight for this family that had become my own. For this city. For a future that didn’t have demons ruling over everyone and everything. But more than that, I just wanted to be with Caim. By his side. In everything.
But instead, I had to go hide.
Sarah and I led Anya over to a rock formation near the back of the cavern, situated not far from the flickering hellgate. The others fell into their own hidden spots, their boots echoing against the lofted ceiling that loomed far above our heads. The cavern was mostly empty other than the hellgate and a few large boulders scattered about. And strangely, something about it seemed achingly familiar. I swore I’d seen this before. Somewhere.
But that didn’t make any sense.
From deep within me, my rib pulsed. Pain raked through my gut. I gasped and fought the urge to double over, shock punching me just behind the pain. My eyes flew wide as I pressed my hand against my chest. Now was not the time for me to have another attack.
But even Asmodeus hadn’t been able to heal me. I’d never rid myself of it.
Heavy footsteps echoed toward us on the wings of the cool wind whistling down the tunnel. I stiffened and peered around the side of the rocks, fingers tensed around the hilt of my dagger. For a moment, the pain in my chest vanished.
