Feel the Flames Page 23

  My skin crawled as I remembered what Naberius had done to me. The thought of his touch made me sick, but I refused to let Dorian, or whoever he was, see that he’d struck a nerve.

  “What are you?” I repeated.

  “I’m Dorian. Your boyfriend. A Hybrid turned immortal freak with wings. An abomination…like you.”

  “An abomination? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You don’t know?” He grinned with glee. “I thought you were intelligent, Skyy. You think that your mommy and some Watcher got together just for you to keep the Fallen from rising? You think Heaven sent me back with these wings just to keep you company? Clearly, you’re not as smart as God intended you to be. I bet He’s up there, sitting on His throne, asking where He went wrong.” Dorian licked his lips again.

  I leaned in close, our noses nearly touching.

  “Is Dorian in there at all?” I asked.

  “What if he is? What if he’s not?”

  I reared back and punched him again, his left eye immediately beginning to swell. It wouldn’t last long, but it was still satisfying to see I’d inflicted some kind of pain on him. Dorian raised his chin up high, a wide grin spreading across his face. I hit him two more times in tight succession just for pissing me off. His head tilted back for a bit before falling forward. He spit blood from his mouth to the floor near my feet, his smile never leaving his face.

  “Anyone ever tell you you’re an asshole?” I asked.

  “Not lately. But then…I don’t get out much.”

  I was conflicted and confused. My feelings for Dorian were clouding the reality that sat in front of me.

  “Are you even capable of telling the truth?” I asked.

  He shook his head with disdain.

  “To be honest, not always. You know how I’ve told you that I’d never grow tired of you? That this immortal life with you is what I wanted? I wasn’t being entirely truthful. I’m bored with you and all your little inclinations. You’re whiny and needy. Your paintings are amateurish. And frankly, you kiss like a fish…not that I’ve ever actually kissed a fish. Although, I’m fairly certain a fish would be a better kisser than you.”

  I fought the desire to free his head from his body. I had to believe that the real Dorian was still in there somewhere…that the man that I had fallen in love with still existed and hadn’t just been some evil ruse.

  And then I asked the question that I’d dreaded knowing the answer to.

  “Did you kill the medium?”

  His smile stretched from one corner of his mouth to the other but said nothing.

  “Answer me,” I demanded. “Did you kill Mina?”

  Dorian let out an orgasmic sigh.

  “Killing her was…delicious. Even though she knew I was coming. Even though she had heard my thoughts and knew what I was planning to do to her…the fear on her face was satisfying. Hearing her beg for her life…hearing her take her last breath. I almost wished I had the ability to bring people back from the dead just so I could experience her death all over again.”

  Bile rose to my throat. The pleasure he took in killing a defenseless human had made me physically ill. I tried to hide my disgust, but I knew I couldn’t keep my disdain for what he’d just confessed from my face.

  Dorian was a monster.

  He suddenly closed his eyes and sniffed the air a few times like a dog detecting a scent, then slowly exhaled. His eyes snapped opened and stared at me.

  “They’re here,” he sang.

  My studio door blew open and demons began flowing through it like sand pouring through an hourglass. The sudden commotion startled Rami and Grace from their sleep. Grace slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Rami, thinking quickly shoved her into the corner and covered her with a blanket before anyone spotted her. He rushed forward, both of his swords in hand, but was kept from us by a wall of demons.

  They said nothing, instead only staring at me with emotionless eyes. I pulled out my sword and stood at the ready for the impending deluge.

  Naberius sauntered through the door with a shortsword in one hand and dragging Gavyn in the other. He shoved him inside causing Gavyn to trip, nearly falling to the floor.

  “You,” I snarled.

  “Me, my love. I thought it was time I come pay you a visit. To discover where you are in finding my ring,” said Naberius.

  “Your ring? At what point in all of this has it ever been your ring?”

  “From the very beginning. I thought I’d made that part clear.”

  “Even if I happen to find it, I never said I’d give it to you. All of this is pointless. You will never get what you want.”

  Naberius sneered. “Oh. I think I will.”

  Five demons rushed me at once. My sword was swift, and I fought them off with a speed that surprised even myself. I blocked and lunged, my focus purely on keeping myself from being injured and taking a few down along the way.

  “Stop!” Dorian’s desperate shout surprised me. The demons that had attacked now backed off and fell back in line.

  I spun around to find another demon standing behind Dorian with a knife to his throat. Dorian looked frightened, and I was suddenly confused.

  “Save me, Skyy. Save me,” he cried weakly. But he couldn’t contain his deceit and slowly started to chuckle, allowing it to build into a full-on laughing fit. The demon behind him didn’t move, the knife still sitting at his throat.

  I glanced from Dorian to Naberius.

  “Confused?” asked Naberius. “You should be.” He again grabbed Gavyn by the arm and shoved him forward. “You two have met?”

  “We’ve met. From what I understand, he’s one of yours.”

  Gavyn appeared shocked at my revelation.

  “Don’t look so surprised, Gav. Apparently, I’m not quite as stupid as I look,” I stated, glancing over my shoulder at Dorian. “You’re a demon. Asmodeus, specifically. Solomon’s pet dog. Am I right?”

  “It’s not like that,” said Gavyn.

  “Well…it’s a little like that,” chuckled Naberius, who turned to face Gavyn. “Specifically, the pet dog part. Or is it pet bird?” He chuckled to himself quietly, clearly amused by his own words. Rubbing his hands together, he continued. “So, I understand that you’ve been working with Skyy and her little band of warriors. You are a little traitor, aren’t you?”

  I snorted loudly.

  “Working with us? He was just biding his time until I found the ring so he could get his hands on it…for you,” I derided.

  “If only. Asmodeus has been evading me for years. Since Solomon’s death, to be exact. Apparently, he doesn’t want to come home to the fold. Has some crazy idea that he can be out on his own. I mean, what kind of demon doesn’t feel he owes allegiance to Hell?”

  “Right. And I’m supposed to buy that a demon isn’t a bad guy,” I replied.

  “I never said I was a good guy,” said Gavyn. “I’m just not interested in being akin to the likes of Naberius and his army. I have a good thing going here on Earth. Why would I want to spoil that? I do what I want, when I want, and I hurt no one in the process.” He smiled. “Well, I don’t screw with anyone in the process. Nothing wrong with a well-played practical joke on an unassuming mortal from time to time.”

  I wasn’t sure what to believe anymore.

  “I really was trying to help, Skyy.” Gavyn shrugged.

  Naberius knocked Gavyn’s legs from out under him, forcing the rogue demon to his knees and placed the short sword to his throat.

  “It appears that everyone has been lying to you, my dear,” said Naberius, addressing me once more. “Tell the truth…Gav.”

  Gavyn looked up at me and sighed in defeat.

  “Fine. I wasn’t trying to help in the sense that I wanted to help find the ring for you. I wanted it for myself. But if it’s any consolation, I didn’t want Naberius to get his hands on it, either. So, in a way, albeit a twisted one, I really was trying to help.”

  I nodded
with derision. “Very honorable,” I said sarcastically.

  “Ah, the lies. The lies, Skyy. Everyone lies to you, do they not? But then, you have secrets of your own. Don’t you. Arizona? Turkey? Italy?”

  I swallowed hard. My heart began to pound, and my hands shook.

  He knew.

  “But I digress. I dare say no one has handed you a grain of truth since all of this began. Gavyn, Dorian, and even the Watchers have lied to you. Such a shame.” Naberius tried to look sympathetic as he shook his head slowly.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You deserve the truth. You should know what kind of hand Heaven is playing with your life. After all…it’s your life. Is it not? The fact that you’re some kind of unnatural monstrosity, I feel, is unforgiveable.”

  My hand tightened its grip on my sword.

  “Unnatural monstrosity?” I asked slowly, enunciating each letter.

  Naberius ignored me completely and continued his verbalized thoughts.

  “Dorian’s situation, however, may be entirely my fault. So that one’s on me. My bad. Though, strangely enough, I don’t feel badly about that whatsoever. This is war, after all. One must do what one must do, am I right?” He glanced around at his army who all shook their heads in emotionless unison.

  From behind me, I heard Dorian’s laughter pierce the silence. It grew louder and more hysterical. I turned my head to face him.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  He instantly stopped laughing and shot me a wink.

  Naberius clicked his tongue repeatedly. “It appears you have been played for a fool. You are no more a Watcher than I am,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but you’re full of shit. These wings aren’t just for decoration. I have all the same powers and abilities that the other Watchers have, so why don’t you peddle your lies to someone else,” I replied.

  “If you’re a Watcher, my love, then why are your wings gray? What color were Azazel’s wings? How about Arna’s? Every Watcher you’ve ever met…they’ve had white wings, have they not?”

  “That doesn’t mean anything,” I replied. “My father was a Watcher. My mother was a Hybrid. I’m not a pureblood Watcher, so of course my wings aren’t going to be white.”

  “Are you positive that that is the reason?”

  I stared Naberius down. I refused to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

  “Who told you that your mother was a Hybrid? Dorian? In his defense, he really didn’t know. He was simply going off of information that had been passed down for years. But Arna? He knew better. And the Archangel Michael?” Naberius paused and walked toward me, stopping just a few feet from where I stood. “Yes. Michael has watched you for years…and your ancestors. He knows all about your true lineage, and he chose to say nothing. The absence of the truth is still a lie, is it not?”

  “I’m getting really tired of your riddles and vague comments. Why don’t you just get to the point, dickhead?”

  “And what about Dorian’s wings? Haven’t you ever wondered why they’re black?”

  My stomach turned at what Naberius was implying. I remained silent, trying to control my anger. My chest rose and fell with every heavy, controlled breath as I fought against the rage building inside me.

  Naberius sighed heavily acting as though he was disappointed.

  “You take all the fun out of things, Skyy. Fine. Have it your way. When Dorian’s Hybrid life was up here on Earth and he vanished, he was taken to Heaven. He begged to return. To you. Or so I’ve been told. As a reward for helping to defeat the Fallen and convincing you to follow your destiny, they decided to allow him to return and gave him the prize of wings and immortality…and sent him back to you.”

  Naberius walked around me and found his way to Dorian’s side. Gripping Dorian’s chin firmly, Naberius tilted his face back and studied him carefully.

  “Your point,” I chided.

  Naberius let go of Dorian’s chin and strolled over to me.

  “What you don’t know is that Arna was sent to keep an eye on things. But he lost him. Dorian vanished and he didn’t know where he’d gone. But when he saw him back here with you…Arna knew immediately that something wasn’t right.”

  “And what was that?” I asked, gritting my teeth, wishing he’d just get to the point.

  “I intercepted him on his way back…and altered his situation just a bit.”

  “Altered his situation? What the hell does that mean?’ I asked.

  “We needed a way to keep an eye on you. So, we gave him an upgrade.”

  My worst fears had been answered. As I stared Dorian down, his eyes glowed gold, one corner of his mouth curving up slightly. A growl emerged from him that I hadn’t heard before. In a way, I’d known for a while, but I had been too deep in denial to accept what I already knew.

  “He’s a demon,” I whispered, trying to keep my emotions at check.

  “Oh, no-no. He’s not a demon, my love,” said Naberius, seductively grabbing my face in his hands. “He’s merely possessed by one. Maybe two. I have such a hard time keeping track of them all.” He aggressively turned my head and forced me to watch what was about to unfold.

  Naberius turned his head and nodded at Dorian. As if on cue, Dorian’s head flew back, his mouth open wide. The noise that escaped his lips sounded like multiple people screaming all at once, and yet none of them sounded like him. I stumbled back and watched black smoke rush out from his mouth at a high rate of speed, collecting into a dark cloud that hovered above his body. His wings began to change. As the last of the smoke left him, Dorian went limp, his wings as white as any Watcher I knew.

  I jerked my head away from Naberius’s grasp and backed up, swiftly placing the tip of my sword to his throat.

  “You bastard,” I snarled. “Let him go.”

  “I do not believe that would be in my best interest. I need him.”

  I pressed the sword a bit harder against his skin.

  “I said let him go. Or I will kill you.”

  His eyes flickered, and I was suddenly surrounded by demons, each with their swords drawn.

  “You can try, of course. But I wouldn’t recommend it. You may be immortal, but I’m sure they could make things very painful for you. Not to mention, I’d hate for one of them to get a hold of your sword and kill you with it. That would be such a waste.” I lowered my weapon. Naberius’s fingers danced about the ends of my hair, his thumb barely touching my jawline. He leaned in, placing his cheek against mine. I heard him breathe in deeply then pull away, our faces nearly touching. “No, Skyy. Dorian shall stay with me. You have twelve hours to hand over the ring…or he’s mine forever.”

  “I don’t have the ring,” I barked.

  “Of course, you do. I told you…we both know you saw Michael earlier. And I am certain that he has done God’s bidding and given you the ring. To stop the impending war to end all wars. So, if you wish to save your boyfriend here, I suggest you do what you’ve been asked. You will come to the entrance of Hell and deliver the ring.” Naberius leaned in again, making my skin crawl.

  I stood frozen in place, afraid to move for fear of demons being unleashed upon me and Rami, giving us the distinct disadvantage of twenty to one. But there was also something about Naberius’s demeanor that frightened me. He was calm and eloquent, but behind that amiable demeanor was an evil so pure and so sinister that it made my heart race with dread.

  “I don’t even understand how this can happen. How can a demon even possess a Watcher? I wouldn’t think that was even possible.” I again glanced over at Dorian, eyeing the dark cloud hovering above him.

  “He isn’t a pure Watcher. Not really. Therefore, he was susceptible to possession. Completely worked to my advantage, your whole love-struck puppy-eyes thing you two have going. Heaven sent him back to protect you and be with you, and all I had to do was intercept him, inject him with my best, and let the rest of the story fall where
it may,” said Naberius, placing his thumb on my chin.

  I jerked my head away, disgusted at his touch. We stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the next move.

  “Skyy.” Dorian’s frail voice broke the silence. He remained tied up by chains to the chair and was a pitiful sight—a young man caught between good and evil through no fault of his own. A pawn in someone else’s game. The idea of losing him forever was unthinkable, and I fought back the emotions trying to well to the surface.

  “Dorian,” I whispered. He stared at me with terrified eyes. “Sorry about knocking you around earlier.”

  He tried to smile, but he was too weak.

  “I’m sorry.” I fought back the tear that tried to escape.

  “Don’t. Don’t do it,” he stammered. “Please. I’m not worth it.”

  “Oh, will you look at the young hero, trying to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Isn’t it sweet?” joked Naberius, looking around at his army of demon soldiers. “What will Skyy do, I wonder? Will she save the man she loves? Or will she save humanity? By saving one, you will ultimately doom the other. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I would certainly hate to be in your shoes. Such a weighty decision on your part.”

  A choice between saving one or saving all. That is your destiny.

  I heard Mina’s words echo through my head. It all made sense.

  Dorian would need to die in order for me to save humanity.

  “Skyy.” Dorian again mustered his strength to speak.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but it was too difficult to find the words. I shook my head, unable to say what needed to be said.

  He spoke again. “I—I love you. Never doubt…never doubt that. Not even for a single moment.”

  The tears flowed freely down my face as I sobbed outwardly.

  “I love you, too,” I choked out.

  The black mist above him rushed back into Dorian’s body through his mouth, nostrils, and his eyes in a mere matter of seconds. His snow-white wings had again turned black. Naberius made his way back to Dorian’s side and placed his hand on the chain binding him to the chair. The metal links melted from the demon’s touch, the chain dropping to the floor.