The Devil's Soldier (19 page)

31

Alarica inhaled deeply, her lungs expanding with familiar power and strength. It took a moment to orient herself. The last thing she remembered was fighting with a strange vampire who should have been no match for her, but somehow he had managed to remove the necklace from her neck, effectively killing her. In a way, he had brought her peace, a slight refuge from the pain that had only grown worse as the evil and ancient power inside her had demanded a way out. She had already destroyed her home and much of the land around her. Even faraway places were not out of her reach and had been obliterated with just a thought, giving her a slight rest from her constant suffering.

This time, however, was different. There was no pain. Only beautiful, untainted darkness ready to be spread.

A memory flashed, sending  searing heat through her mind. The vampire.
Lucien
. He was Eve's lover now. Alarica searched through the rest of Eve's memories of the last several years: her time at the Deific, finding and saving Lucien, Boaz nearly capturing her again, and then faking her death so she could get stronger. And Eve
had
gotten stronger. Alarica felt this power, but it had been shoved aside along with Eve, trapped in the necklace where Alarica hoped she would never have to see or feel it again. It was what was left in its place that Alarica craved. A darkness that was just as powerful as Eve's light but not nearly as obnoxious.

Alarica opened her eyes. Boaz stood in front of her, his expression a mix of both wonder and fear.

"Boaz," she said and smiled. "I thought I had killed you."

His eyes narrowed. "You would like to think you came close, wouldn't you?"

"Ah, that's right," she said, remembering Lucien and Eve's recent failed attempt to kill him. "You can't be killed—yet."

Boaz snorted. "I may not be invincible after you restore my powers, but I will be more powerful than ever. It will take an army to stop me."

"Who said I was going to give you back your powers?" she asked. "I rather like them for myself."

The corners of Boaz's mouth turned up slowly. "I have a surprise for you."

"And I'm sure I have plenty for you," Alarica said.

She thought of all the ways she could get rid of him. It was not that she didn't find him attractive—she did—but she hated how he thought he was more powerful than her. There was only one person who was going to rule this world—her, and if Boaz couldn't get on board, then she was just fine grinding his bones to ash.

Still with the smile, Boaz dropped onto the sofa and spread his arms across the top. "Alarica, fetch me a glass of water."

"Get it your—" Something invisible tugged on her spine, and she yelped at the sharpness of it. Her body turned around on its own accord and walked away. "What the hell? What is this?"

Boaz said nothing as she disappeared behind a door and into a kitchen. Her hands automatically moved, searching the cupboards until she found a cup. "You have got to be kidding!"

That's when she remembered Boaz's words to Eve just before he had put the necklace around her. Sable had cursed the necklace to make her do whatever Boaz wanted.

Alarica turned on the faucet and filled the cup, all the while fighting desperately against whatever magic was making this possible, but no matter what word she tried, or what thoughts she produced, she couldn't break the spell.

She
cursed
under her breath the entire way back to Boaz. He was laughing at her as she approached him, but instead of giving it to him, she threw the water in his face.

"You didn't say I had to hand it you," she said.

His smile disappeared, and he removed a handkerchief from his pocket. "Wipe off my face.
Gently
."

Alarica's body moved against her will onto her knees and in front of Boaz. She took the handkerchief from him, growled, and wiped the side of his face.

"I don't want to treat you like a child," he said. "And, despite what you may think, I don't like telling my women what to do. I actually find it attractive when they have a brain of their own."

"When that brain is doing what you want," she snapped.

"On the contrary. It's one of the many things I loved about Eve. There's something very seductive about the chase."

"I can be seductive." She trailed her fingers down his neckline to the first button on his shirt. With a flick of her fingers, several buttons popped off, exposing his bare chest. "Just remove this stupid curse and give me back my freedom."

He took hold of her hands. "I wish I could, but our goals aren't the same. Maybe after you learn what we are planning, you might realize that we are better together."

"We?"

"There is much for you to learn."

Alarica searched his dark eyes. She could work with him… for now, but the thought of having to do everything he said made her sick. She would play the game if she had to, gain his trust just long enough to obtain her freedom. Then she would kill him.

Until then, she might as well have some fun. Her mouth crashed into his, and he kissed her back just as fiercely. His hands lifted her at the waist and brought her onto his lap, her legs straddling the sides of him.

Yes, this will be fun, she thought as his fingers slipped beneath her shirt, and his lips trailed down her neck.

Before it went any further, he pulled away and said, "As long as we see eye to eye on future events, I will limit my demands on you."

"So what's the plan?" she asked and slid to the side of him.

"First thing’s first. You're going to give me back what's mine, then I'll tell you everything you need to know." A buzzing sound had him reaching inside his pocket. He removed his cell phone and stared at the screen.

"And exactly how do I do that?" Alarica asked.

It was a few seconds before he lowered his phone and said, "Your powers are connected to that necklace and all that it contains. Focus on it and concentrate with all of your magic with the single desire of releasing what does not belong. It should be as simple as that."

"
Should
be?"

"According to your parents, that's how it should work."

"How is mother dear, anyway?"

At this, Boaz scowled. "Trapped inside the Deific, but we'll be getting her back soon. The Deific is about to have its world turned upside down. They won't have any other choice but to release her."

Alarica held no love for Sable, Eve's mother, but she might know how to remove the curse from the necklace. Alarica was pretty sure she could convince Sable that she was the perfect daughter. It would be too easy.

Boaz was typing into his phone.

"Who are you talking to?" she asked.

"The most important man in the world." Boaz chuckled. "The President of the United States of America. He has requested our presence in a few weeks."

Alarica was looking forward to
meeting
the man to see how he was connected to Boaz. Maybe she could seduce him into helping her get rid of Boaz. "I can't wait to see him."

"First thing first," Boaz said. "I want my powers back."

"Ugh. Fine. You're so impatient. Stand back."

Alarica closed her eyes and breathed deeply, slow and steady breaths. She expanded her mind, searching through the layers and layers of magic that existed within her. They crossed through each other in brilliant colors, giant ribbons of energy that seemed to stretch into eternity. Much of it was unrecognizable, like staring at an abstract painting. She could access the magic on the surface, but it might take centuries to learn how to use and control the ancient magic coursing through her.

She wondered if Eve knew about all the magical energy as old as time that was just sitting inside her waiting to be accessed. Alarica hoped not. Eve would use the energy for good, whereas Alarica recognized it as an opportunity to become the world's most powerful entity, but in time. For now, however, she had to deal with the only person who could stop her.

Alarica continued to search her mind until she found a space where the colors faded to gray, deep blues and blacks. Their edges were jagged, and their continually moving shapes pressed outward in sharp tendrils.

She concentrated hard on Boaz's magic in hopes of finding a weakness, or even gain some sort of understanding of his abilities, but the moment she tried to penetrate it, a force shocked her away.

"Give it back to me," Boaz said as if he could sense the intrusion all the way across the room.

Forced to obey, Alarica mentally cleared a path to help it escape the mess of magic surrounding it. The problem was, every time she drew near to it,  sharp pain would sear her mind, but if she didn't mentally move it, the dark magic would remain where it was.

She tried over and over, but with each attempt the pain grew worse. She clenched her eyes and grunted as she summoned all of the magic within her to attack Boaz's energy. At first she didn't think it would work, but then, little by little, the dark matter began to shift.

It was a painful process. Had it not been for Boaz's command, she would've stopped a lot time ago. The sharp sting in her head had spread to the rest of her body, forcing her to her knees. Boaz's magic was close.

"Now!" he shouted.

Whether she wanted to or not, Alaric gave one final push. A loud pop exploded in her mind, forcing her head back. Her mouth snapped open. The dark energy burst outward in a thick smoky branch that raced toward Boaz.

Alarica fell to the floor face first, every part of her exhausted and hurting. Just before her eyes closed into swirling blacks and grays, her gaze locked with Boaz's.

He grinned big with eyes intense and full of power, before saying, "I'm back."

32

Lucien's legs went weak, and he slumped into the nearest chair. Eve was Alarica. Had he not been fighting with Henry earlier, he would've felt it along with Charlie. There was a new and powerful darkness that had taken shape, the rebirth of something great and terrible. He knew all too well it was Alarica.

He remembered the destruction she had caused, the fear she had instilled in both humans and Supernaturals across the globe. People still talked about the destruction even though years had passed. Most thought it had been caused by terrorists.

"Are you all right?" Charlie asked him. Charlie was still sitting on the floor, looking sicker than ever.

Lucien couldn't answer as he was fighting off his own nausea.

Henry cleared his throat. "This isn't a setback. This is a good thing. It's what we wanted."

Lucien was upon him in a blink of an eye, his hand around his throat. "You could've stopped this!"

Henry shoved him away, not with enough power to cause damage, but enough to make Lucien stumble to the floor. "Wake up! Boaz could not be defeated until he was made whole! Yes, it's a horrible situation. People are going to die, the world is going to change, and Eve is trapped in a psychopath's body, but at least now we have a chance to end it once and for all."

His chest rose and fell. "I have been waiting for this fight for centuries. I've prepared myself so I wouldn't fail, so stand up and fight with me, Lucien! We need you! Eve needs you! Don't you remember what your goal was when you thought she was dead? All you wanted was to destroy Boaz, and now you have the power to make that happen."

Lucien blew air out his nose and curled his hands into fists. He rose from the floor, anger burning inside him.

"That's more like it," Henry said. "Charlie, get to work right now on scrubbing this office of anything Supernatural. Lucien and I need to go release Sable."

"Release her?" Lucien asked. "That's insane! She'll just run to Boaz, and then there will be one more person helping him ruin the world."

He glanced at Charlie who was still unmoving on the floor, his gaze upward and glossy. He didn't even seem to be listening to their conversation. Charlie's reaction unsettled Lucien. It seemed to go beyond concern for Eve.

"Let's just go talk to her," Henry said. He turned to Charlie before leaving the room, and frowned. "Get up, Charlie. There is much to do."

Lucien waited a few seconds before following after Henry. He crouched in front of Charlie. "What's going on with you?"

Charlie met his gaze and forced a smile. "Just letting reality set in."

"We're going to change it."

"My reality can't be changed."

Lucien frowned. "Did you see something?"

Charlie blinked and stood. "I have a lot to do. We'll talk more later."

Lucien stared after him as he walked out the door. He was torn whether to catch up to Henry or follow Charlie, who clearly had something going on. In the end, he chose Henry. He wanted to stop him before he released Sable,
another
problem they didn't need to deal with. There had to be a different place they could hold her.

Henry was waiting for him on the second floor, just outside the door to the holding cell. "Not everything is as it seems, Lucien."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Every person, including Sable, has a past that has shaped them into what they are today. To truly understand someone, you have to know their history. Don't judge Sable too harshly."

Lucien pushed by him. "She nearly killed Eve. That's all I need to know."

He opened the door. Sable was standing with her hands wrapped around the bars. Her gaze was downcast and expression serious, but when she saw Lucien, her lips curled into a sneer. He came to stand in front of her, but said nothing. He would prefer no words, only his hands around her throat.

"It's done," Henry said. "Eve is Alarica."

Sable closed her eyes briefly, then opened them back up. "Good. Now let me out."

Lucien glanced back and forth between Henry and Sable. "Why do I get the feeling that all of this has been planned for a very long time?"

It was Henry who spoke first. "I've been secretly watching Boaz ever since he was freed into the world, waiting just like him for the one who could restore him. And, like Boaz, I knew the moment Eve was born that she would be the one. The magic in her was strong—strong enough to release Boaz's magic from the necklace."

"Henry approached me a few days after Eve was born to stop me from escaping with her," Sable continued for him. Her eyes flashed to Lucien. "Don't look so surprised. I wasn't always a monster."

She took a deep breath. "Henry promised that if I raise Eve exactly how Boaz wanted, then he along with another—" Her gaze went to Lucien again. "—would destroy Boaz once and for all. I was hesitant at first. At the time, I thought hiding Eve from Erik and Boaz was my only option, even though others had tried and failed. I convinced myself that I could do it. I had to for Eve. But then Henry gave me another option. It was the first real solution my family had ever had to destroying Boaz once and for all, but it came with a price: a life of servitude to Boaz and a torturous life for Eve."

"But not a lifetime," Henry said to her. "Both of you will find peace soon. I promised it to you then, and I promise it to you now."

Lucien stepped a few feet away, thinking hard. Centuries of pain and torture all caused by Boaz. The lives destroyed… He looked back at Sable. There was no kindness in her eyes, not a drop of sadness shown for Eve's welfare. If she had once been a good person, all of that was gone thanks to living a life full of greed, power, and destruction. But maybe in time she could change. Lucien knew better than anyone that it was possible.

"My main concern is for Eve," he said. "How do we get her back?"

Sable shook her head. "Let me out first."

"What do you know of Tom Russel, the new President?" Henry asked. "He recently named the Deific in a government document announcing Supernaturals to the world."

"He actually did it," Sable whispered.

"Did what?" Lucien asked.

She looked up. "Boaz said that in the near future everyone would know about Supernaturals and that it would cause a war. I didn't think he meant this soon. As for Tom, I don't know that much about him. Over the years, Boaz would sometimes mention him. It was strange, though, because they he would speak about him, it was almost in reverence."

"Interesting," Henry said, seemingly deep in thought.

"Now let me out."

"How do you know we can trust her?" Lucien asked Henry. "They last thing we need is her running off to tell Boaz about you. You're the only advantage we have."

Henry approached the door to the cell and reached into his pocket. He said, "Sable knows I'm her best hope of ridding Boaz from her life.” He turned to her. “Isn't that right?"

"For now, but if I sense for even a second that you may fail, my loyalty returns to Boaz. At least with him, I'm protected from other Supernaturals. I've made many enemies over the years."

Henry withdrew a key from his pocket and stuck it in the lock.

"Wait!" Lucien said.

The door opened, and Sable was out before either of them could stop her.  Her hand extended, discharging a stream of energy directly at Lucien. It pinned him against the wall.

"Let him go, Sable," Henry said in a threatening tone.

Lucien struggled against the unseen restraints, but her magic was incredibly strong, probably due to the fact that she hadn't used it for a few days.

"Don't worry," she said, approaching Lucien slowly. "I just want to have a chat with him."

She came to stand inches in front of him, her eyes examining him closely.

"What?" he growled.

"You love my daughter?"

The question took him off guard.

"Answer me."

"I love her more than life itself. There's nothing I wouldn't do for Eve."

She narrowed her eyes, a long heavy gaze, and stepped back. "I believe you. As you already know, to free Eve from Alarica, you're going to have to remove the necklace from her physically and not with magic, but it won't be as easy
this time
."

"It was hardly easy before." Lucien mentally pushed with his mind again. Finally, he managed to break Sable's magical hold upon him. He dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

"Explain," Henry said. He was standing across the room, glancing at his wristwatch.

"The necklace has been modified," Sable said and hesitated, as if trying to figure out how to say her next words. "Eve must do anything Boaz says. She no longer has any free will."

Lucien's legs weakened. He leaned into the wall behind him, fighting a sudden bout of nausea. 

"How could you let this happen?" Henry said, his voice rising.

She whirled around to face him. "You think I had a choice? Any hesitation on Boaz's commands would have made him suspicious!"

"Can it be broken?" Lucien asked.

"I'm afraid not. I tell you this so you won't underestimate Alarica and her power. Don't think just because she looks like Eve that there is a small part of her that will stop Alarica. If Boaz orders your death, which he probably already has, she will kill you. The best thing you can do is not get captured by her. Let Henry fight her. He'll have the best chance."

"Why can't you do it?" Lucien asked her.

"Because I still haven't decided who's going to win. My survival comes first."

Henry opened the door. "We need to leave Lucien and let the others scrub this place."

"I'm leaving too," Sable said, "but before I go. . ." She slapped Lucien hard, raking her long nails across his cheek. "That's for nearly killing me."