Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

S erenity

I huddled on the floor in a ball, wishing I could disappear. My throat throbbed, each breath bringing a painful reminder of Gage’s brutality. I pressed my head into my knees, trying to block out the world, desperately wanting Angelo to come. In my mind’s eye, I pictured him bursting through the door, his face contorted with rage at what had been done to me. He’d tear my captor limb from limb for choking me, I was sure of it. The thought was both comforting and terrifying.

The silence in the hallway was suddenly broken by soft, firm footsteps approaching. The slow, measured pace sent chills down my spine. This wasn’t the angry, impulsive stomping of Gage, but someone potentially more dangerous in their restraint.

“Tsk, tsk, Gage,” a smooth voice cut through the air, laden with false disappointment. “Must you always be such a brute?” The words were chiding, but there was an undercurrent of amusement there too that made my stomach churn.

I didn’t look up, but I could feel the newcomer’s presence, hear the rustle of expensive fabric as they came closer. The air itself seemed to shift, filling with a new kind of tension.

Gage’s furious voice suddenly came from across the room, sending my heart into a panicked frenzy. “But look what the bitch did to her room!”

The newcomer hummed thoughtfully. “Indeed,” they finally said, closer now. “It seems our new guest takes quite the creative approach to redecorating.”

I tensed when I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. “Come now, my dear,” the voice coaxed, a dangerous edge beneath the silky tones. “Let me see the face of our aspiring escape artist.”

Trembling, I slowly raised my head, dreading what—or who—I might see looming over me in the aftermath of my failed rebellion. The last thing I expected was for the second kidnapper to be dressed as a rock star—long black hair, skintight black leather pants that hugged well-muscled thighs, and a sculpted chest, shirtless.

He knelt down and offered me his hand. “Please stand. I won’t let him hurt you.”

I bit my lip, not sure if I should do as he said.

He glanced up at Gage. “I mean, I could leave you with the big bad wolf…”

My choice was made. I reluctantly placed my shaking hand in his. An electric zap ran through me, as if I had touched a live wire. My stomach roiled and I fought down a wave of nausea. I’d never experienced such a touch before, not even with a vampire. What was he? I doubted he was a wolf.

He scrutinized me closely as he pulled me to my feet, then flashed me a seductive smile. “Let me introduce myself—I’m Balthazar. I’ve been watching you for some time, Serenity.”

That was creepy. I pulled on my hand, but he didn’t release it, not before kissing the back of it. Another jolt rocked through me. What was happening?

“What are you?” I asked nervously. “I don’t think you’re a wolf…”

He tilted his head back and laughed. “No, little one. I’m not. And I’m not a vampire, either.”

Gage gestured with his thumb. “He’s a demon.”

I looked up at Balthazar, his eyes gleaming with ancient malevolence. I suddenly wondered again if my dad was a demon. Would he be drop-dead gorgeous like Balthazar?

I could feel the blood rush from my head, and Gage’s and Balthazar’s faces spun around me. I felt a strange connection to the demon.

Don’t pass out Don’t pass out Don’t pass out

I put my hand on the wall to steady myself, refusing to turn into a fainting violet. Where was Angelo? Just thinking of him gave me a little strength. I had to remain strong for him.

Balthazar’s dark eyes burned red. “Do not steal my moment, cur. Or our deal is broken.”

I looked between them. “Deal? What deal?”

Gage narrowed his eyes. “Not one that concerns you.”

For some reason I didn’t believe him. I had the feeling that any deal he made with Balthazar had everything to do with me, but the question was—what?

Balthazar shrugged casually. “Gage here wants to be king.”

King? How could I make this guy king? But I kept the question to myself. I watched them warily, getting the uneasy feeling I was a pawn in a game I didn’t want to play.

“Balthazar,” Gage gritted his teeth, a warning clear in his tone.

“Tit for tat,” Balthazar smirked in an amused voice. He walked around me, his gaze raking over my body, sizing me up. I felt exposed, craving Angelo’s strong arms around me for protection, but having to settle for the cold comfort of my own embrace.

He moved his palm inches away from me, close enough that I could feel unnatural heat radiating from his skin. “Such a little thing,” he purred, his eyes shining with malevolent curiosity. “And yet containing all that power.”

My heart hammered against my ribs, threatening to burst from my chest, and I swallowed hard, tasting bitter fear on my tongue.

“What do you want?” I spat venomously. I might be terrified, but I’d be damned if I’d let this demon see it.

Balthazar lifted my chin with his long fingers, his touch sending another jolt of that strange, painful energy thrilling through me. “He wants you to heal the Luparion Crystal . It keeps the little curs at the top of the wolf food chain.”

I pulled away from him, surprised when he released me. This sounded almost exactly like Angelo wanting me to heal the vampires’ Aeternum Stone. Angelo had said that the other supernaturals wanted me too but had never said why. Now I knew. I crossed my arms. “Are there other stones besides the Luparion Crystal and the Aeternum Stone that need healing?”

“Yes.” Balthazar’s eyes glinted with approval. “The Unseelie’s Anchoring Obsidian. If it fades, the whole lot of them can be sent packing back to the Elder Dimension. Something that good King Keir doesn’t want to happen.”

My mind reeled, the world around me suddenly becoming unstable and unreal. The very air felt different, as if the laws of physics themselves were breaking. “Elder Dimension? You mean…a dimension other than this one?” The words exploded from me, half-shouted, half-gasped, my voice cracking, and a hysterical laugh bubbled up and out my throat, startling even me.

I pressed my palms against my temples, trying to physically hold my thoughts together as they threatened to spiral. The room spun as if I was body surfing, the waves crashing over me, smashing me onto the sand.

“How is this possible?” I demanded, my voice rising with awe and terror. “How have we not known about another dimension all these centuries?”

“Because you humans have such tiny minds.” He ran his hand down my arm, making me shiver. “What do you think Heaven and Hell are if not that, my dear?”

I had never thought of them as different dimensions before, but a cold feeling of uncertainty slowly crept through me as I realized how little I truly knew. Still, I hadn’t read anything about dimensions in Angelo’s library. Was Balthazar telling the truth? He was a demon, and demons weren’t exactly known for their honesty. My stomach churned with anxiety and doubt.

Gage’s eyes bored into me, his expression a toxic blend of condescension and impatience that made my skin crawl. His next words sliced through the air, sharp as a blade. “You must realize that’s the only reason your precious vampire king wanted you. He needed you to heal his stone. Did you do it?”

A flicker of doubt threatened to ignite in my chest, but I extinguished it firmly before it could take hold. Gage clearly expected his accusation to shatter me, to make me crumble, but he had severely underestimated both me and Angelo.

I met his gaze unflinchingly, my resolve hardening like steel. “You don’t know anything about Angelo or me,” I said, my voice low but steady, holding an edge of defiance. “Angelo would tear through New Orleans and rip apart the bayou to find me.”

The statement wasn’t just fueled by hope—it was a certainty that warmed me from within, a beacon cutting through the darkness of my nightmare. Love, loyalty, and determination swelled in my heart.

I allowed a small smile to spread across my lips. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into,” I added for good measure.

Gage seized my hair in a vicious grip, fingers twisting the strands until my scalp screamed in protest, and his nails raked across my skin, leaving fire in their wake. “Don’t underestimate me, Nephilim,” he snarled, his breath hot in my ear. “You’re my slave, and at my mercy.” He yanked harder, tears springing to my eyes. “Do you understand, bitch?”

“Yes,” I whispered, all the fight suddenly draining out of me. The taste of fear flooded my mouth, bitter and metallic. Taunting this wolf had been a grave mistake, one I wouldn’t soon forget or repeat.

“Release her.” Balthazar’s voice cut through the air like the crack of a whip.

Gage’s eyes widened, wild fear replacing his earlier bravado. “As you wish, demon,” he muttered, the words hushed. His grip on my hair loosened immediately and he let go of me so abruptly I stumbled into the wall.

Gage stalked toward me, his eyes glittering with malice. He stopped mere inches from my face, his hot breath washing over me. “I’m going to ask you again, bitch, and this time, I want an answer.” His hand shot out, fingers digging into my cheeks with bruising force. “Did you heal the Aeternum Stone?”

I braced myself for what was coming, but to my utter shock, Balthazar moved with inhuman speed, clamping his hand around Gage’s wrist, yanking it away from my face. “You don’t get it, cur,” Balthazar snarled, his voice dripping with contempt. “She’s not your property. She’s mine.” The muscles in his arm tensed, and Gage’s eyes widened in what I could only assume was pain. “She wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me.”

My heart lurched at Balthazar’s words. “His”? The idea of belonging to this demon terrified me even more than Gage’s brutish threats. And what did he mean when he said I wouldn’t be here if not for him?

Angelo’s face flashed in my mind, his eyes filled with all the love and protectiveness I’d come to rely on. I belonged with him, not this creature of darkness. The memory of Angelo’s touch and his unwavering support gave me a flicker of reassurance amid the fear. He would come for me, I was certain. I just had to stay strong until then.

Gage hastily stepped back from me and a whimper escaped his throat as Balthazar sent him flying across the room with a casual flick of his wrist as if he weighed no more than a rag doll. The wolf crashed into the far wall with a sickening thud.

I flinched, but couldn’t tear my eyes away from Balthazar. His casual display of power only underscored the danger I was in, caught between two monsters—one loutishly brutal, the other terrifyingly sophisticated.

Balthazar’s eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, fixed on Gage’s crumpled form. “Of course she healed the Aeternum Stone, you fool. She’s a Nephilim.” His lips curved into a cruel smile. “And yes, she can heal the Luparion Crystal, too.”

Panting, Gage shook his head and then slowly stood, his eyes never leaving Balthazar. “You want her, demon? Fine, you can have her.” He jabbed a finger in my direction, his voice venomous. “But she heals the Crystal tonight, or she’s dead.”

Balthazar’s eyes gleamed with amusement as if Gage’s threat was nothing more than a child’s temper tantrum. The casual, dismissive way he treated Gage’s demand sent a fresh wave of fear through me. Balthazar was clearly far more powerful than the wolf.

If he could toss Gage so easily, what could he do to Angelo? The image of Balthazar hurling Angelo across a room, breaking him, maybe even killing him, flashed unbidden in my mind. My heart clenched painfully at the thought. The mere possibility of it played havoc with my lungs, turning my breath into short, panicked gasps. I had to find a way out of this, but surrounded by these monsters, one brutal and the other terrifyingly powerful, I felt more helpless than ever.

I need you, Angelo. Find me. Please.