Guardian Of Fate (Fate Series) (22 page)

I pulled his hand to my lips and held on to it, squeezing it as if it would make him stay with me forever. Kissing his fingers, I nodded and released his hand with a devastated sigh. His face grew serious.

"When you see that I have their attention, you slide over here as fast as you can and hightail it in reverse. I'll keep them busy while you get as far away as you can, but make sure you get back on some other route to get to the Elders," he instructed. I nodded in agreement, even though every part of my being argued that there must be another way.

"Cassaaannndraaa..." came a deep voice, calling me as if from inside the car. I looked around, expecting one of the huge men to be seated in the back with my mom and Nora, but there was no one. They were looking around in the back seat just as I was.

Hunter was opening up his door and starting to get out. The "guard" stepped back only far enough to let him out of the car. Once he was out, the demon grabbed his hands and pulled them roughly behind his back. Before Hunter had gotten out, I'd thought the man was huge, but once he stood near Hunter, there was no comparison. Hunter had him dwarfed in height and muscle. It was clear that Hunter was allowing himself to be taken.

"Ahhh... Hunter. There you are." I heard a voice faintly speak outside of the car. It was the same one that had called my name. It was so distinctive; there was no mistaking it. The timbre was seductive, yet deadly at the same time. I snapped my head in the direction of it, and looked into the face of a breathtakingly handsome man. His dark, finely chiseled features emphasized his eyes. They were blue like the others', but seemed much more mesmerizing as I looked into them from behind the windshield. Thick, dark hair waved down to his broad shoulders, lying just above his naked, muscled chest. He was the biggest of all of them. His attractiveness, however, could not hide the diabolical nature that seemed to emanate from his presence. This had to be Nergal, the King of Sheol, or, as I liked to think of him, the Devil.

"You already know how disappointed I am that you've deserted your mission. I've already proven that to you, before my traitorous wife helped you escape, that is." He looked over at Anael. Caleb yanked at her hair, causing her to cry out, and forced her to look at Nergal. I couldn't see them as he was turned towards her, but I imagined his eyes relayed just how he felt about being betrayed by her.

I ached at the inference to what I knew was Hunter's torture in Hell before he was freed by Anael. It killed me to imagine what they'd do to him now. Would they find a greater torture than what he'd already gone through? Or would they just kill him with the Sword and be done with him? I suspected Nergal took some sort of sick enjoyment out of watching people suffer.

Hunter stood his ground, looking as relaxed as if he were talking to anyone else but the highest power in Hell. "Well, you have me back. I'll go willingly if you'll agree to let the women go, including Anael."

Nergal erupted in sinister laughter that chilled me to the bone. I held my breath, waiting; for what? I didn't know. He walked slowly up to Hunter, as two of the guards moved up behind him. Hunter remained where he was, his eyes watching Nergal as he moved. I tensed as Nergal stopped inches from him, leaning in to get even closer.

"Have you forgotten who I am, Hunter?" he asked, spittle spraying over Hunter's face. "I'm the King of Sheol. Your ruler. You
will
come back, but it will be on
my
terms. And I promise you, your punishment will be much more severe than before." He stepped back and paced the length of the hood of the car. "I'm thinking I'll let Caleb help out this time. Yes, that's it," he said as if he'd just thought of some great plan. "I'll force you to watch Caleb have his way with our dear Cassandra, day after torturous day. Maybe I'll even have her father watch the show. You know, kill two demons with one stone. He deserves to be punished for his betrayal just as you do."

My mind was still trying to get over the image of the torture he was describing, when it suddenly stopped processing all together at the mention of my father. Nergal's eyes were boring into mine through the windshield.
Did I just hear him right? My father was alive?

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Hunter started to charge at Nergal. The guards all converged on him, and I knew that this was our opportunity to try to escape, but I couldn't get myself to move. I heard Nora in the back, frantically whispering to me to get behind the wheel, but I was rooted to my seat. I was lost in my own thoughts of what Nergal had just revealed, trying to piece my world together in a way that would invalidate his words. But there was nothing that I'd ever been told of my father that could do that. All I knew was he left to protect me. My mom told me that he died, but had it just been his soul? I'd never even played with the idea that he might have been forced into Hell.

I turned to my mom, hoping for some kind of sign from her that none of it was true, but by the way she was staring out of the windshield, her face a blank expression, I knew she was in shock too. Was she trying to sever the connections between my dad and this hell that we'd come to know, hoping that it was all a big mistake, just as I was?

There was no way I could leave without knowing the truth. I got out of the car, despite the screams from Nora and my mom. One of the guards came up quickly, before I reached the front of the car. There was a small distance between us, but I knew it was just enough that he could react to any sudden movements I might be stupid enough to make. Hunter and Anael yelled at me to get back in the car, the guards and Caleb strong-holding each of them, but I kept my eyes on Nergal as he came towards me.

"Cassandra, I'm so happy you've agreed to join us," he said with a smile. "It saves us a lot of time not to have to chase you. It also saves you a lot of pain, I might add. Come," he extended his hand, "take my hand and we'll do this the easy way."

I put my hands up warding him off, and I was surprised when he stopped a few feet away.

"What did you say about my father?" I asked with unconcealed hatred.

"Oh, don't tell me you didn't know!" he said dramatically. He looked over at Hunter and laughed. "You mean to tell me you shared... well... everything with our little Cassandra, but forgot to mention that her father was enjoying his stay with us? How very... demon of you."

"You're lying!" I screamed at him, refusing to believe that my father had lived in Hell all of these years. I searched Hunter's face for some kind of denial, but my heart sank as he hung his head, refusing to look at me. I knew then that Nergal was telling the truth, and it was like someone had stabbed me right through the heart. The heat grew from the wound and emanated throughout my body, causing me to shake with pain and anger.

"You son of a bitch!" I yelled at Hunter, as I stomped my way over to him. No one blocked my path or held me back. "You knew and you didn't tell me?!" I continued as I got close to his face. "Why? Why would you keep that from me?"

He still wouldn't face me.

"Look at me, damn it!" I yelled.

There was pain in his features, when he finally looked at me, but I refused to be affected by them. "I trusted you!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You're sorry? You're
sorry
? My father has been living in Hell for years while I thought he was dead, and you knew about it. I can't believe you kept this from me!" I started to beat at his chest, tears streaming down my face. The hurt overwhelmed me. He'd betrayed me on such a level, I didn't think I could ever forgive him.

"That's it! Let your demon out, Cassandra. It's in your blood," Nergal urged from behind me.

The meaning of Nergal's words didn't register at first. I was facing Hunter, my fists flattened against his chest, using him as leverage when I realized the implications. My head was down, and I didn't want to look up, afraid to see confirmation in Hunter's eyes. I shook my head in an effort to convince myself that it was a lie; that it wasn't possible.
It would mean that... no, it just wasn't possible
, I thought. My head shook violently, as if it could shake the horrible lies right out of it.

"It's true," Nergal said in an almost gentle tone. When I turned to look at him, he started to come towards me. I didn't fear him. I didn't feel anything at that moment. It was as if I'd gone numb. "Why do you think Caleb's blood didn't turn you, Cassandra? It's because you already have the blood within you. You are truly your father's daughter."

"Don't listen to him, Cassie!" Anael yelled, still trapped in Caleb's clutches. Caleb yanked her hair with such force that her neck strained further than I'd ever thought physically possible.

"Shut up, you deceiving little bitch!" Nergal threatened. "I've allowed you to live for far too long. I should have killed you long ago when I tired of you. It's been a long time since you've been of any usefulness to me. I think it's time you served your final purpose. Caleb, show our friends here what happens to those who attempt to deceive us," he looked back at me as he continued, "or to the loved ones of those who don't cooperate."

"My pleasure, Sire," Caleb said with a smile.

Just as I saw him raise the Sword back and aim it at Anael's heart, I heard Hunter yell. He was struggling with his captors, attempting to free himself and was actually managing to pull them in the direction of Anael and Caleb, but I knew it wouldn't be enough. Reacting on an impulse, I charged at Caleb.

No one, including me, expected the quickness with which I reached him. I launched myself at him, while attempting to pull the Sword from his grasp. We all went down from the impact. I fell on top of Caleb, cutting my cheek on the Sword in the process. My face felt as if it were on fire and I felt the blood running quickly from the cut. The pain seemed unbearable, but I forced myself to overcome it as I looked at Anael. She lay close by on the pavement, dazed, but she didn't seem to be seriously injured.

The Sword lay between Caleb and me, both of our hands in a battle at the hilt. As I struggled to free it from him, a rage grew within me, along with the same unexpected strength that I felt back at the apartment. His eyes grew wide as I started to force the Sword from his grip. The power continued to surge as I wrested it from his hands. I felt as if a possession came over me, my body acting automated as I sat up straighter over him, holding the hilt of the Sword downward, the tip pointed at his heart.

I heard a warrior-like cry escape my lungs and I was about to lunge the blade into his demon heart, when I heard my mom's screams. With my arms straining above me, I turned my head towards the cries. Nergal held my mom against him. His face was that of pure evil. On the other side of the car, Nora was in the clutches of one of the guards. I stared at them for a while, hatred emanating from my body at the demons that would tie my hands and force me into cooperation.

Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. I dropped the Sword next to me in surrender, my heart crashing down with it as it hit the pavement. Caleb pushed me off him and grabbed the Sword at the same time that he pulled me back into his chest. His face came next to mine and he licked the blood that continued to flow from my face.

"Mmmm...you taste just as sweet as I imagined you would. I can't wait to see if the rest of you tastes as satisfying," he said seductively. I closed my eyes in disgust, bile rising in my throat.

An animalistic cry pierced the night and I felt a surge of energy burst from where Hunter stood as he threw the guards off him, scattering them further than I thought was possible. He charged at us, reaching us in seconds. Throwing me to the side, he slammed his body against Caleb's and they went down in a heap of muscle. I heard something crack against the ground and, when I righted myself enough to look, all I could see was Caleb lying motionless beneath Hunter.

Hunter was staring down at Caleb's lifeless body. Was this a trick? Why wasn't Caleb getting up? Hunter told me that the only way to kill a demon was with the Sword, but the Sword had not moved from the pavement, at least not that I'd seen.

Hunter was so fixated that he didn't notice the guards had righted themselves and were now pulling him off Caleb. He didn't seem like he was putting up much of a fight. One of the guards grabbed me as I watched Hunter fall powerless to the men. Once we were all in their control again, Nergal walked forward with my mom.

"Enough games. This is over. If you do not come with us now, I will kill your mom and your friend. You've run out of time... and options, Cassandra."

I didn't want any more bloodshed. They'd already proven there was no hope in defeating them. We were overpowered. I looked down at Caleb again, picturing his body as being any one of ours if I continued to fight the inevitable. This was it. I'd reached the end of the line.

"I'll come with you," I told him. "But I want to say goodbye, and I want to see that they leave safely."

"As you wish," he said. While he released my mom, he motioned for the other guard to release Nora. My mom stayed where she was, staring out in front of her at nothing in particular. Suddenly, I watched her eyes roll back and her body become limp. Catching her just before she fell, I held her dead weight against me. Nora was by my side quickly, helping me get her into the car. No one else moved. I imagined they didn't much care what was wrong with her.

As we sat her in the passenger side of the car, I leaned her head back on the headrest and lightly tapped her face, calling her name. I knew that everything she'd seen and heard had finally become too much for her mind to process. It had given up and shut down to recoup. Mostly, I assumed it was the information about my father and me being demons that had been the last straw. Finding out that my father was still alive in some form was hard; finding out he was now living as a demon in Hell was even tougher; but knowing that he had been tortured for so long was too much to bear. I made a secret vow to somehow avenge it all, if I ever got the chance.

"She'll be okay, Cassie. I'll take care of her. I promise," Nora said, looking at me with tears in her eyes. "I won't fail you. I owe you that much."

"You don't owe me anything, Nora. It's not your fault that any of this happened. It's been me they were after all this time. There was nothing you could do to stop it." Looking at her green eyes, the telltale sign of her being a Guardian, I felt so different from her now. If I had known all this time that part of me descended from Hell, would I have turned out differently? I hoped not, but fate doesn't seem to let you decide these things. I was grateful for being kept in the dark for as long as I had been.

"I just hope that you can still see me for what you thought I was... what I thought I was. I don't want you to think of me as one of... them," I said putting my head down in shame.

"I never did," she said.

I jerked my head up to look into her eyes. I thought maybe I heard her wrong, but seeing her face, I knew I hadn't. She'd known all along. For an instant, I was mad as hell at her for not telling me, but I didn't have the energy to be mad, or sad, or confused, or hurt, or anything else anymore. I was done with surprises. I'd had enough of them within the last few weeks to become numb. So I simply nodded my head and said, "Of course you did."

"I'm sorry, Cassie. It was my job to watch over you and make sure you remained true to your Guardian blood. I was never to tell you. As long as you were good, there was no reason for you to know."

I pulled her to me and hugged her hard. "It's okay, Nora. It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters now is that you make sure you get my mom to the Elders. Take care of her for me. She'll need you. Especially after all of this."

She nodded and I knew that she would keep to her word. She walked to the other side of the car and got behind the wheel as I buckled my mom in. Leaning over, I kissed her on the cheek and whispered into her ear, "I love you, Mom. I promise, I'll send Dad home to you if it's the last thing I do."

I stood and went to close the door when I noticed that Nergal was walking with a determination over to Anael who still lay on the pavement. He was dangling the Sword as if he were on a stroll swinging a yo-yo. Reaching down, he pulled her up by her hair as she cried out and struggled against him.

"Time to die, bitch," I heard him tell her. He raised the Sword, pulling his arm back as he aimed it straight for her heart. I quickly looked at Hunter, hoping he'd be able to stop Nergal's deadly intentions, but he was being held securely by two of the guards.

I opened my mouth to scream, but the words died before they reached my lips as a blaze of white light swallowed up the street. I closed my eyes against the blinding glare. When the light slowly faded against my lids, I chanced squinting them open. Before I could make out the scene in the street, I heard a deep, powerful voice resonate in the night. "Release her, Nergal, or our war begins now."