69. WEN

This shouldn’t be the way it all ends.

My death should have been a dramatic event. Something horrific only a twisted mind like Kondar could come up with. I always thought I’d end up devoured by a hydra in an underground gladiator arena, or dissected by a dark mage for a black magic ritual, or even hunted for sport by some Unseelie fae lord.

Since Godric leashed me into his world, I’ve imagined the many ways I might die at his hands. My foremost methods were his sword to the heart after that first-day waking dream, or becoming a casualty of his unleashed passion.

Right now I’d take being eaten by the mysterious creature that once pursued me in Oriphiel Woods. At least that had a chase, a struggle. To expire like a goldfish out of water inside his invisible bowl, as his unintentional collateral damage, that’s just?—

“Fucking pathetic.”

The hissed words are accompanied by talons digging into my shoulder and turning me on my back. Choking on dwindling oxygen and accumulating blood, I can’t worry if the forcefield is gone, or if one of the nephilim penetrated it. Then I see the face looming over me, and almost melt into the ground—with relief.

At least I won’t die alone.

“Jinny…” I gurgle.

“Yeah, in the mangled flesh.”

That’s an accurate summation. Her blood-encrusted face is a mess of self-inflicted gashes, and her eyes are obsidian wells of torment. Her voice is like a polyphony of shattering glass, as if she’s torn her vocal chords. Which she probably had.

“How …?”

How do you think? Through this fucking connection that won’t go away.

Even her mental voice sounds raw, making me wince. I’ve been wondering if I’d ever get used to the discomfort of her casual invasions. Guess I don’t have to worry about that for much longer.

I felt your danger, and it dragged me kicking and clawing out of the Zaar.

Sorry for interrupting your delirious fun.

She scoffs, inside my head and out loud. I was actually spiraling in an abyss of despair and self-loathing. But I would have left delirious fun behind for you.

Surprise twitches in my compressing heart. Things have been changing between us. But it’s still hard to believe she’d rush to my aid, especially in her state.

Yeah. But then, you once pulled me out of my deathbed.

It was my worry over Sarah that did. You came rushing for her.

This is still for her. You didn’t think I’d let her other, if far-inferior bestie die on my watch, did you?

Okay. That’s more like it.

But this is exactly what I will do. She doesn’t know the first thing about healing. She’s like Godric. A killer, a destroyer.

Eww. Never liken me to your fucking Angelhole again, Nullbrain. And what’s this shit about knowing nothing about healing? I took care of Sarah when Jo gave her a seizure.

Jo…? Oh, Jophiel.

Yeah, that two-faced archangelbitch.

She did insist she didn’t mean to hurt Sarah.

Yeah, like that archangelbastard— She tosses her head towards Godric’s ongoing mini-war. —didn’t mean to hurt you. Those Angelbloods destroy everything they touch.

That’s rich, coming from the archdemon who almost drove her talon into my brain because I yelled at her.

Yeah, and you still stopped me from tearing myself apart, when you knew I could have pulverized you. You got a death wish, Wendigo?

I wish! Then I’d never die, since I never get a wish fulfilled.

Then my previous diagnosis was right. You’re nuts.

Yeah, that’s probably why I do anything.

That must be why you’re growing on me.

Our gazes meet and meld, and something profound passes between us. I might be imagining it because of this weird mental bond we share. Not that I have the time, or the use, to wonder.

It’s too late for anything now.

You know what’s really nuts? The one time I’m being absolutely sane, this happens.

I did tell you to kill that bastard while you could. I also told you to make him train you in auto-shielding. See where not taking my advice gets you?

A huff rattles inside my collapsed lungs. I promise to take everything you say to heart—in the next life.

You think there are next lives? Heh. Not that you’ll need any. You’re not done with this one, not if I have anything to say about it. Now let’s see what’s wrong with you.

I’m drowning in my own blood, that’s what’s wrong.

Lame. That won’t be the way you bow out, Nothing. Not after you took on a black hole, and turned out to be the only living literal power vacuum. When you die, you gotta go out with a bang that will take out half of existence with you. Do you hear?

Her intensity makes a chuckle froth in my filling chest, bubbling blood from my lips. Yes, ma’am.

Gross! Your mother never taught you not to laugh with blood in your mouth?

I never had a mother.

Yeah, you dodged a nuclear missile there.

Indeed. The mothers I know of, destroyed their daughter’s lives. Mine abandoned me to a life of slavery. Sarah’s bled her as their sole income source. But what I can’t even imagine is having Lilith, the Mother of Demons, for your literal mom. That’s a story I’ve been dying to hear.

Too bad I’ll die for real before hearing it.

It’s weird, hearing my mental voice sighing in resignation. Quit with the blood bubbles!

Would you rather I spit it in your eye?

Actually, yeah. Better than lying there gurgling like a gutted deer?—

Something slams on my right, so hard, so—wet it makes all my hair stand on end. Jerking, I turn my head in time to see a bloody, severed arm sliding to the ground, smearing the air feet from me. Which means the forcefield is still there. But?—

Hey! How did you get inside Godric’s forcefield?

Do you ever think before letting stupidities fly out of your mouth? Or currently, your mind?

That’s not a stupid question. This is a Level Nine barrier. Nothing and no one can penetrate it.

Well, I could, evidently. Now shut the fuck up and let me see if my blood is healing you.

I never thought it would have an effect apart from being one part of this mental conduit between us. Mine inside her is the other part.

Yet, Astaroth’s blood did heal me during another of Godric’s showdowns. Which was a one-time thing—right?

Jinny shrugs as she presses both palms to my chest. Who knows? I never had a mutual transfusion with anyone else. But, though we’re not the same kind,if Roth’s blood healed you once, mine should do something.

Roth, huh? Must be nice to be on a nickname-basis with a thousands-of-years-old entity, who’s a King of Hell and our professor to boot. Guess she must consider him family, with them both archdemons. Though she clearly considers him different enough that the rules applying to him might not apply to her.

Seeing how easily she reads even the thoughts not directed at her, I try not to think of my own healing ability, which, even while working, can’t get rid of the blood suffocating me.

Jinny lets out a spectacular snort.Really? You want to keep secrets now? Talk about unicellular IQ. And I already know about your healing, moron.

Ugh, yeah, now that you mention it. Then I realize something else. Your blood is doing something. I’m not deteriorating as fast as I was.

She waves a taloned hand.I’m slowing down your vital functions, so you’d need less oxygen. Sort of putting you in stasis, to buy us time.

Wow. I had no idea a demon could do that.

I’m not just “a demon,” Demon Dung.

My slowed-down heart lurches at her variation of Demon Droppings, one of her first insults to me.

Do you have to be a Hellbitch even while trying to save me? Thanks for reminding me of my Indenture, after I almost forgot about it. Such a nice way to go, with this as my last thought!

You’re welcome. But you’re going nowhere, so shut the fucking Heaven up, and let me focus. I never did this for longer than a few minutes, and it was not for medicinal purposes.

I can imagine. That power would come real handy in so many ways. Like incapacitating any living being. That must be part of what built her reputation as Hell’s Hitman. Another story I’m really sorry to go without hearing.

I said you’re going nowhere. Not that you’ll ever hear this story. Unless you make your Godawful spill the beans. But let me tell you here and now, if you fuck it out of him, it would be his story, not the real one.

Hey, I would never?—

Never fuck him? Girl, I have eyes, and Infernal senses out the wazoo. But I could be blind and senseless, and still be bombarded by your pent-up sexual hunger. It’s becoming as deep and dangerous as that fucking black hole that almost slurped us into oblivion. So fuck him already, and maybe I’ll get some sleep in that damn dorm room again.

I keep her up at night lusting after Godric?

It’s terminally silly, given the situation, but the thought mortifies me.I hear my mental voice spluttering.

I meant I would never use sex to get him to do anything. And that’s Godawful we’re talking about. He doesn’t do anything unless he wants to.

She snickers in my mind as her blood-red lips spread, revealing elongated fangs.Oh, he wants to. He wants to do it all the time. ALL. THE. TIME.

Even with my physical functions almost on hold, a burn of jealousy storms through my nerves.

How do you know that?

Down, girl. I told you your Angelhole does for me the absolute opposite of what he does for you. When I say I wouldn’t tap that even if he’s the last remaining male in existence, I’m being literal. But when I said he wants to do it, I meant you. That guy is so perpetually, violently, terminally horny for you, it’s getting fucking alarming. It’s another reason why you should fuck his brains out. You know, defuse him a bit before it turns ugly.

My surge of ridiculously-timed territorialism deflates like my lungs had. I tried, and failed. When he’s in his right mind, there’s no breaking his control. Then tonight happened, and it did turn ugly. I’m dying because his delirium manifested as Level Nine arousal and mass-murdering possessiveness.

Yeah, even I couldn’t imagine anything like this. What brought his unleashing on?

I give her the briefest of summaries, and she snorts. Yeah. That’ll do it. It’s always the ice-cold sons of bitches you have to worry about. And this semi-Celestial dickwad? Always been the coldest in all the Realms, icier than even the void of space. Then you come along and from day one, he’s been slowly going supernova.

He has been? You felt that, too?

Girl, why do you think I wanted to gut you both and bathe in your blood? The inferno you have brewing between you has been making all my sensors overload from the first time I saw you together. Figures he’d turn out to be the touch-her-and-I-mincemeat-you-and-anyone-you-know-then-burn-your-remains-and-world-to-ashes kind of guy for you.

She flicks her gaze towards the aerial warzone, then smirks down at me.So good seeing Angelbloods being torn apart. I’m in danger of tolerating him for this alone. I’ll need all the details of his rampage later, but now fucking stop working yourself up!

Hey, you’re the one who?—

Shut the fuck up, NullQ. It’s not easy keeping your weird physiology in check, and I’ll be even more damned if I don’t hold you steady, until I implement my plan.

What plan?

She whips her head around, and an exhalation of relief empties her chest. Her hair brightens with a burst of Hellfire as she points over my head.

This plan.