Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

SAM

Everest had been away for too long.

I was losing my mind. Over two weeks without Everest as an anchor in this depravity. Sweyn had sent him to hunt down the pink-haired witch and I had not heard from him since. Braison checked on me daily, but we did not get many chances to openly talk as Sweyn had taken to watching our magic-training sessions.

Saber just snarled in everyone's direction, especially mine. Though, I was her lover's betrothed, so I should not have been surprised by her open hostility. Malik barely spoke, and when he did, he was too nervous to even speak of anything that could've been overheard as us conspiring against Lilith. So far he was only interested in talking about our humanity and how we'd lost it forever. Pierce was either in Sweyn's bed or Azazel's.

None of the female vampires would speak to me. They hated me for my rank and bloodline.

Every male vampire looked at me with lust. If Everest didn't hurry up and return, they were going to take me. None of them feared me. Me being a witch prior to being turned made them loathe me, and it seemed they wanted to punish Braison by taking it out on me because they were afraid of him. Braison wouldn't hesitate to attack them, he'd even killed a few who'd provoked him, but he had a whole lifetime of experience with war and being desensitized to killing things.

I was known to flip cockroaches back onto their feet because I hated watching them suffer.

I sighed and scrubbed my face with my hands. Lilith being my grandmother made no sense to me. But if I wanted to survive, then I needed to learn how to be a terrifying menace with my magic the way Braison was so no one would mess with me. At least then they'd have legitimate reasons to hate me . . . and then men wouldn't touch me when I walked by them.

All of this had made me desperate for . . . anything.

Then last night I'd gotten a break. I'd been walking down the hall when I'd heard Astaroth and Mammon approaching. In a panic, I'd jumped inside the closest bedroom only to discover it was Asmodeus's chamber. Luckily he hadn't been there. He'd been off playing with Azazel. But while I'd been waiting for my window to escape, I'd discovered an ancient-looking journal. Inside it were all kinds of spells and rituals for things, but more specifically, I'd found one for summoning an angel.

Apparently summoning a fallen angel was difficult work as the power of Heaven protected the realm from it. However, summoning an angel could be done if a person knew how. As I sat crouched in front of a pentacle drawn on the floor of my bedroom in my own blood, I prayed I'd remembered the instructions properly. I'd drawn it all out to fit the diagram. I'd said the words written on the paper.

The show Everest and I had performed for Lilith had worked. She'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. Her faith in us was almost as foolish as what I was doing, but I had to try something. Sweyn had unleashed Unseelies on the witch community in Tampa, and I knew we needed help.

Lilith had given me more magic. She'd made me stronger. It seemed like I should be able to do this. I was a witch too. That magic ran deep in my veins. But when I lifted my hands after reciting the spell, green smoke drifted from my palms down to the black marble floor and swirled around the base of the pedestal.

Just like before, when it touched, bright red demonic runes flashed within the marble. Green smoke billowed from the ground in a circle. A figure emerged within the center. A figure with black wings. NO. No, no, no. Please Goddess and Heaven, forgive me. It was too late. I'd done it wrong. I'd messed up somewhere. Tears pooled in my eyes. My breath caught in my throat. I froze in panic. My body went ice-cold and numb.

Then my green smoke faded away and I looked up to find a petite, pretty little fallen angel staring down at me. Her wings were black, but the long hair was navy-blue. She had golden topaz eyes and matching little horns of the same color, but they seemed to be made of the crystal itself. In the center of her forehead was a gold metal symbol that seemed to be stuck to her skin or was part of her body. She was beautiful, and it was no doubt part of her sin, to lure victims in with her body. She was the ultimate predator without a doubt, and I had just unleashed her.

"Well, hello little one." She reached out and tipped my chin up, forcing me to look into her topaz eyes. All ten of her fingers wore these like gold metal cages around them and each one was stiletto-sharp. "Did you summon me?"

I swallowed roughly and nodded. "Yes."

"Why?" She put her hands on her hips, highlighting the skin-tight black sleeveless leather bodysuit worthy of a Marvel superhero she wore. "What is your name?"

"I am Sam?—"

"Lilith's granddaughter?"

I nodded. "I was trying to summon an angel?—"

"Whatever would you do that for?"

Lie, Sam. Lie well. "As a gift for Sweyn and her fallen angel boys. Something to play with."

"I am no angel, child." She ran her gold pointed rings over the dark navy-blue swirling tattoos covering her arms. "I am judgement and vengeance."

My whole body trembled in fear. Just kill me. Kill me now so I don't spend eternity with Lilith. Just take me out.

She crouched down and met my stare. "And you summoned me because you are no better than Azazel. Or did you not learn with Soneillon and Mammon?"

My bedroom door flew open and slammed into the wall so hard it broke off the hinges. Asmodeus charged in with rage blazing in his eyes. " What were you doing in my chamber ? — "

He gasped and slid to a stop. His green eyes were wide and glowing. "Reuelle."

She stood and stretched her arms and wings out. "Asmodeus."

"You're early," he growled.

She shrugged and her topaz eyes sparkled. "I saw an opening and I took it. I've been away from you long enough."

And then she dove for him. In the blink of an eye, she was across my room with her arms wrapped tight around his neck. His fingers dug into her body he held her so tight. They kissed and stumbled across my room.

I cursed and sprinted out of my room—and slammed right into Azazel's chest.

"What a shame your betrothed still has not returned for you," Azazel purred in my ear. When I squirmed and pushed him away from me, he dragged me against his body and let out a sick, evil little chuckle. "You have two choices: stop pretending you don't want me in your bed, or I'll make you want me. Either way, we're both going to enjoy you in my bed tonight."