Hades (50 page)

The bond is so strong that Bethany is able to reach you

even from where she is.”

Even though my heart was stil throbbing in my chest from

the shock of what had just happened, I stil managed to feel

proud of my relationship with Xavier. If I could reach him,

even from my underground prison, if my love for him could

break through a barrier of evil, it was truly saying something

about the strength of our connection. The phrase
how good

are we?
floated into my head and I smiled to myself,

thinking this would be an appropriate time to give him a

high-five.

Gabriel’s words seemed to have touched Xavier in a

different way.

“This is crap,” he said eventual y. “Jake’s playing us and

we’re letting him.” He passed a hand over his face and the

silver promise ring on his index finger glinted in the new

morning light. “Does he real y think we’re just gonna lay

down and die?” His expression was so hard I thought I

could see silver lightning bolts in his ocean eyes. He

dragged a hand through his hair and squinted into the

horizon. “Wel , I’ve had it. I want her back and I’m sick of

these games. Come hel or high water, I’m going to find her.

You hear that, Jake?” Xavier opened his arms and yel ed at

the open sky. “I know you’re out there somewhere and you

better believe me. This is not over.”

Gabriel and Ivy remained wordless. They stood together

like one entity, their pale eyes grave and the rising sun

setting their hair ablaze. I could see something different in

their eyes and realized with a start that it was anger. Not

just anger; but a deep, unbridled fury toward the demonic

forces that had claimed one of their own.

When Gabriel spoke, his voice was like a rumble of

thunder. “You’re right,” he said to Xavier. “We’re through

playing by the rules.”

“We need to act now,” Xavier said.

“What we need to do is get back to the motel and pack

our things,” Gabriel said. “We’re leaving for Broken Hil in

an hour.”

31

Deal with the Devil

I wasn’t hopeful. Even though I knew my family would find

the train station in Alabama where the fatal col ision had

occurred, I had no idea how they planned to get the portal

open. Portals were engineered to repel angelic power; only

agents of darkness knew how to use them. Gabriel was a

high rol er in Heaven, and even he couldn’t wrangle them

open. As far as I knew, the angels had never had any

reason to break into Hel . They were unconcerned with what

went on underground—that was Lucifer’s domain. It was

only when Hel ’s inhabitants snuck up to wreak havoc on the

earth that they got involved. A smal part of me wanted to

believe that Xavier’s stoicism would be enough to save me,

but I pushed aside the tiny kernel of hope that threatened to

blossom inside me. If I let myself wish for salvation, I

wouldn’t survive the blow should they fail.

I was so caught up thinking about Gabriel’s plan that I

almost forgot what had led them to take such extreme

action. Xavier had almost died. If it weren’t for the deal I’d

struck with Jake, he’d be gone by now, joining the mil ions

of souls in Heaven where I might never see him again. Jake

had tried to kil Xavier; he had sent Diego as bait to

confuse him and push him over the edge. The flutter of

hope I felt in my bel y turned into something fiercer,

something seething and dark. The hatred I felt toward Jake

was like nothing I’d experienced before. He had me

completely cornered, at his mercy, separated from my

loved ones with no hope of returning to them … and stil he

wasn’t content.

I flung open the door of my hotel suite and ran down the

passage toward the VIP lounge where Jake spent most of

his time when he wasn’t tormenting me. I needed to find out

what he wanted in exchange for Xavier’s safety. I found him

reclining on a leather sofa, deep in conversation with Asia,

who gave a nasty smirk when she saw me.

“Your brat is here,” she said, downing the contents of her

shot glass and standing up. “I’l see myself out.”

“You,” I said when I was within inches of Jake, “are the

most repulsive, despicable creature to ever slither out of

the ground!” I was literal y vibrating with anger. Jake sat up

and watched me with a bemused expression. I wanted to

punch him right in his smug face, but I knew that wouldn’t do

any good. I’d only end up hurting myself.

“Hel o, cupcake,” he drawled. “You seem upset.”

“I can’t believe you tried to hurt him!” I yel ed. “This was

supposed to be between me and you. Why do you always

have to go one step too far?”

“No harm, no foul, right?” Jake waved his hands as if

nothing had happened. “Now, if I remember correctly I am a

repulsive, despicable creature that
you
made a deal with.”

“Only because I had no choice!”

“The circumstances aren’t real y important,” he said.

I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “So what do you

want, Jake? What’s the trade for sparing Xavier’s life?”

Jake regarded me lazily with a stare that was like ice and

fire at the same time. His bottomless black eyes reminded

me of a deep, cold wel , the kind in which you drop a stone

and never hear it hit the bottom. But when he looked at me,

they blazed with an uncomfortable intensity that made my

skin itch. He pressed his long, white fingers together and

frowned, looking as if he wanted to say something but

couldn’t find the right words.

“Just spit it out.”

He gazed at me long and hard before leaning forward

and spreading his hands flat on the table in front of him.

“Oh, I know exactly what I want from you.”

“Go ahead,” I said boldly. “Let’s hear it.”

Jake sighed. “I’ve spent some time considering how to

best use my little bargaining chip in order to bring us

closer.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Go on …”

“I think I’ve come up with the perfect deal,” he stood up

and moved closer to me. “The one thing you want most is to

protect your polo-wearing pretty boy and keep him alive.

The one thing I want most is simple. I want you—though

regrettably you have never reciprocated those feelings

despite proof of my devotion.”

I swal owed back the urge to snort at his use of the word

devotion
.

“Okay … ,” I said stiffly. I didn’t like where this was

heading. I wasn’t exactly sure what he had in mind, but

knowing Jake, it couldn’t be anything fair or reasonable.

“I’l promise not to harm him,” Jake said. “I’l even

promise not to interfere in your little projection adventures.

But I want you to give up something in return.”

“I can’t imagine what I’ve got that you would want,” I said

in confusion.

“Maybe you’re not thinking hard enough,” Jake smiled

humorlessly. “There’s something I want very much indeed.

Think of it as a gift, in return for my clemency.”

“Quit beating around the bush and tel me what you’re

asking,” I said impatiently, trying to keep my emotions

under control.

“I’m asking you to give yourself to me,” Jake said, his

dark eyes glinting.

I had an inkling of what he was al uding to, but I didn’t

want to accept it. I needed to hear him say it aloud to

confirm my suspicions. “You’re going to have to spel it out,”

I said defiantly.

“Oh, you’re so adorably naive,” Jake smirked. “I mean it

quite literal y. I wil never go near your precious Prince

Charming again if you agree to surrender yourself to me for

just one night. I want you to give me your virtue.”

“Wait … you want me to …” I faltered as the true meaning

of his words sank in and I stared at him in disgust. “You

want me to have sex with you?”

“That sounds so transactional. I’d prefer it if you used the

term
making love
,” he said.

I stared at him, grappling to find an appropriate

response. There were so many things I wanted to say, so

many ways of expressing my repugnance for him and my

unmitigated refusal to touch him.

“You have serious issues,” was the first thing that made it

past my lips.

“There’s no need to be rude,” Jake said pleasantly. “If my

ego weren’t the size of the Northern Hemisphere, I might be

wounded right now. There are plenty of women fal ing over

themselves for a chance to spend a night with me.

Consider yourself privileged.”

“Do you even realize what you’re asking?” I spluttered.

“It’s sex, the satisfaction of a carnal appetite. No biggie,”

Jake said.

“It is a big deal!” I yel ed. “You’re supposed to have sex

with the person you love, the person you trust, the person

you hope wil one day be the father your children.”

“That’s true,” Jake conceded. “Sex can sometimes have

nasty side effects in the form of smal children, but I’l

arrange everything so there are no complications. You’l be

in expert hands.”

“Are you even listening to me?” I said. “This is as bad as

sel ing my soul.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jake scoffed. “The purpose of sex

is pleasure not procreation. Al you have to do is relax and

let me do what I do best. Remember, every compromise

has a price.”

“The purpose of sex is to create life,” I corrected him. “In

sleeping with you I’d be committing to you, making a

statement that I trust you, that I
want
to create life with you.

With you
…” I repeated for emphasis. “You’re a liar and a

cheat and a murderer. I would never give myself to you!”

Jake didn’t even have the good grace to look offended.

“We made a deal,” he said tonelessly. “You agreed to do

anything I asked. If you refuse now, I’l make it my personal

mission to make sure Xavier doesn’t live to see another

sunrise.”

“You stay away from him.”

“Hey.” Jake stabbed a finger in my direction. “Don’t deal

with the devil if you can’t handle it.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t believe what he was asking.

He’d chosen the one thing I couldn’t deliver. It would be like

inviting his darkness to enter my physical body, al owing our

two violently opposite souls to merge.

“I suppose Xavier doesn’t mean that much to you after

al ,” Jake said lazily. “If you’re wil ing to let something so

insignificant threaten his life.”

I stared at him as my mind struggled to come to terms

with what I’d just heard. Would it real y be the ultimate

betrayal or the ultimate sacrifice?

“I just always imagined it would be with him,” I murmured

almost to myself.

“I know,” Jake said, his voice drenched with exaggerated

sympathy. “And usual y I’d be more than open to the

prospect of a threesome, but under such circumstances I

think it might be a little
awkward
.”

I didn’t bother trying to come up with a response. I felt

sick to my stomach. Jake had the power to kil Xavier—

he’d proved that this morning. If I reneged on the deal, there

was nothing stopping him from heading straight back to

find him. I knew Ivy and Gabriel were on the alert, but al he

had to do was find Xavier alone and in a moment of

weakness. He wouldn’t care if it took him days or weeks,

he’d find a way. I knew what I had to do before my mind ful y

grasped the concept. Xavier’s words floated back to me

then: “Beth, a relationship isn’t only based on the physical