Devil Take Me (17 page)

She wasn’t even sure she was ready to digest the latest dirt on Roger. The memory of Roger was already fading, becoming the stuff of bad dreams when compared to the love she’d found with Namtar. But still, the news that he’d been planning to kill her for months wasn’t easy to hear.

Namtar hadn’t realized what “organ harvesting” or “rare blood type” meant, but she had. All Namtar had understood from the mind of the gunman was that her neighbor, Carla, was to be the recipient of her liver and a life threatening amount of blood, a feat Namtar had assumed would be accomplished through some sort of black magic. Annie had connected the rest of the dots on her own.

Roger must have been sleeping with Carla for months and Carla must have been much sicker than she appeared. She needed an organ donation and Roger had somehow found out that she and Annie were both O negative. Roger had evidently loved Carla enough to find sacrificing Annie a necessary evil. Of course Roger probably considered he was making the greater sacrifice by continuing to live with and fuck a woman he no longer cared for in the name of saving Carla’s life.

Awful, but Annie had no doubt she was on the right track.

The realization was horrifying, nauseating, and also so completely Roger she couldn’t doubt it was the truth. He was the type of man who wouldn’t let anything get in the way of something he wanted, even if that meant pushing the letter of the law. She’d always known that about him on some level. Why she hadn’t believed he would stoop to murder, at first, she had no idea.

“But why the black wig? Why try to frame me for trying to kill him?” she mumbled to herself as she dug her aunt’s old Bunn coffeemaker from under the cabinets.

She hadn’t ever expected to return to this house, but she hadn’t had the strength the weekend of the funeral to pack up the contents of the kitchen. She was glad of it now. Coffee seemed absolutely vital to her existence. She needed her mind in its sharpest working order.

There were so many things that didn’t make sense, just the business with Carla and Roger, not even taking into account all the other craziness. Had framing her been an afterthought, something they came up with only after Annie ran into Carla’s garage with her car? Or maybe they’d thought to make it look like Annie was leading a secret life of crime? One that would provide her with the marksmanship to make an attempt on Roger’s life and cause her to have a run-in with the wrong sorts of people? People who would want to steal her organs and sell them on the black market?

Of course, in reality, she’d be more likely to shoot herself in the foot than aim and fire a gun with any precision. She could, however, call the blood from wounds, sucking people dry with some supernatural power she hadn’t dreamt she had until the day before.

Weird. Her life had gotten so weird she had to laugh. Or cry. She’d probably do some more of that later.

“I love the sound of your laughter.” Namtar’s voice at the door didn’t startle her. She was becoming attuned to him in a way she’d never been to another person. It was as if she sensed where he was and how he was feeling, even when he wasn’t in the room. “Hopefully I will have the chance to hear it more often in the future.”

“Once we kill off the queen and fight the demon hordes and all that, right?” She smiled and pulled out one of the chairs. “Sit down. I’ve got the sandwiches made. Would you like some coffee? Or we’ve got bottled water or milk.”

“The coffee smells wonderful.” Namtar sat, taking down his first peanut butter and jelly sandwich in three bites and reaching for another. “We will not have to fight the demon legions if we are swift.”

“You don’t think? Cream and sugar?”

Namtar nodded. “Ereshkigal will not anticipate our return to the Underworld so quickly. It will be a risk because your magic is as yet unschooled, but I believe it is a risk we must take. The power of our soul-bonding will give me the strength I need to defeat her in the battle ring.” He paused, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze it as she sat down beside him. “I swear to you, I will not lose.”

“Something really bad happens to me if you lose, right?”

“According to our laws, Ereshkigal cannot kill you and must allow you sanctuary in the Underworld even if I am defeated.” Namtar took a long swig of his coffee, wincing as it burned a trail down his throat.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Annie said, laughing as he gave her a look that clearly said her warning was a bit overdue. “But I’ll probably wish I was dead if forced to live there while she’s in charge. Correct?”

“You say that with such calm, but it is the truth. She is a master of torture, she will make you long for death before she will ever deliver it.”

“I’ll long for death anyway if you’re gone.” Annie smiled, but her throat was tight as she watched Namtar freeze in mid bite, peanut butter and jelly smeared across his lips as he turned to look at her with such love in his eyes it took her breath away. “I love you, I don’t want to be anywhere without you. Here, the Underworld, outer space, you name it.”

“I told you, the Annunaki came from our world so long ago I have no knowledge of where the planet is, even if I wished to go there. Which I would not. It was a wretched place, filled with—”

She swiped a bit of jelly from his lips and licked it from her fingers. “You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do.” And then he kissed her, peanut butter and jelly still coating his mouth. The taste reminded Annie she was starving, but for the moment she didn’t care. She suspected she could live on Namtar’s kisses, derive sustenance from the way his tongue swept through her mouth, stoking a lust for him that, thus far, seemed inexhaustible.

“Eat,” he said, pulling away from her, his breath coming faster and a tell-tale bulge in his new jeans. Annie couldn’t believe she hadn’t taken his cock in her mouth yet. It was a horrendous oversight, and one that needed to be remedied as soon as possible.

“Eat food,” he clarified when he saw the direction of her gaze. “Though I would love to feel your lips around my shaft in the very near future.”

Annie smiled as she took a sandwich from the plate. “I believe that can be arranged.”

“We must spend our time wisely, ninani. You must learn a few basic spells before we depart the Earthly realm.” He finished up his third sandwich and reached for another. Annie had thought six sandwiches would be enough, but now she was beginning to wonder. “It will take a few hours at the very least, hours we may not be able to spare.”

“But if we are going to our deaths, do you really want to go without ever having had a blowjob from your wife?” She took another bite of her sandwich and blushed, more from the excitement of being his wife than her frank speech. Saying things she once would have thought “dirty” didn’t bother her anymore. Instead, the words excited her, made her hope he would find it acceptable to take time for the two of them to be together at least one more time before they left.

“A blowjob?” he asked, eyes glittering as he leaned toward her, sandwich forgotten. “Is that what you mortals call it?”

“It is,” Annie said, returning his smile as she tossed the other half of her PB&J to the table. She looped her arms around his neck, laughing as he pulled her onto his lap, nearly tilting them both over onto the floor in the process.

“It makes no sense at all. It is about sucking, not blowing, is it not?” He kissed her and his hand found its way up the front of her dress.

She’d never been so grateful for spandex and smocking. The combination of the two allowed her to go without a bra so Namtar’s fingers met her bare flesh, warm against the cool skin. She sucked in a deep breath against his lips, feeling her sex plump as he captured her nipple and squeezed.

“Nannie! Nannie, come quick!” The tiniest of the darklings, the one called Petey, who had first come to rub against her legs last night, slid to a stop beside them, claws scratching into the linoleum.

“Damnation,” Namtar muttered beneath his breath, but he didn’t yell at the creature, which was a move in the right direction. She understood he didn’t care for the darklings for some reason, but she did and that he was trying to respect her feelings for the devils made her love him even more.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Annie asked, sliding from Namtar’s lap. “Is it too hot in the—”

“Shh!” Namtar pressed fingers to her lips, and stood quickly and quietly from his chair. His eyes grew soft, unfocused for a moment before snapping back to meet her own.

“There are mortals surrounding the house, more than two or three,” he whispered under his breath. “And they are armed.”

Namtar closed his eyes, straining to hear the beating of human hearts, the soft push of breath in and out of human bodies, but the sounds were too dim to pinpoint their location. Even the metallic smell he now associated with guns was so faint he wouldn’t have noticed it if the little demon hadn’t interrupted. It was as if the walls were muffling scents and sounds as they would a mortal’s. But that was impossible. Walls had never crippled his senses before. Only the presence of the golden Grigori and their contrasting magic had ever—

“Samyaza. He’s here too, or he’s coming,” Annie whispered, her eyes growing wide and fearful. “I can feel him, just like I did last night in the parking lot.”

Namtar cursed softly, wishing there had been more time. If he could have perfected the long distance traveling spell, he would have been able to spirit himself and Annie to safety. But he couldn’t risk that Annie might not be put back together again. Now they were trapped inside this house, with no way out…unless…

“Is there anywhere nearby where you could hide? Where the mortals will not be able to find you?”

“You mean, if I manage to get out of the house?” she asked, then bit her lip. “Um…yes…I can think of a couple places from when I was a girl. If they’re still there. But Samyaza will be able to find me, won’t he? If I leave the darklings?”

“Take the little one with you when you run. It should be able to feed on any power that may leak from you without your knowledge.” Namtar plucked the sniveling creature from the floor and shoved it into Annie’s arms. It snuggled close to her chest as if she were the one who had birthed it. Not the adopted children he would have chosen, but if Annie cared for them, he would do his best to tolerate their presence in his court…their court.

He had to get them both safely to the Underworld. They were soul bonded, his power was growing with every moment. They were too close to the ultimate success to meekly accept failure now.

“Wait until you hear a disturbance,” Namtar said, a plan firming in his mind. “Then count to fifty before you leave through this back door.”

“But-but wait! Where are you going?”

“I will use a journey spell to leave the dwelling and create a distraction to draw the attention of the mortals. Then I will assure the rear entrance is clear and that you are not followed when you leave.”

“Then you’ll come find me?” Annie asked, fingers wrapping tightly around his forearm, interrupting the first words of the journeying spell.

“Nothing will keep me from it.” Namtar pressed a swift kiss to her full lips, praying it would not be the last they would share.

“I love you,” she said, eyes shining with unshed tears, as if she too feared there would never be another chance to exchange sweet words.

“And I you.” Namtar kissed her again, deeply, thoroughly, not pulling away until she was breathless. “Be ready to go when I come to you. We will go to the Underworld immediately. Samyaza cannot follow us there.”

“Why don’t we just go now? I’m ready, I—”

“We will need one of Ereshkigal’s attendants to open a walking portal. It will take time to make contact and arrange the opening of the pathway, time we do not have.” Namtar touched her face, memorizing every curve, wondering how she could continue to grow more beautiful with every passing moment. “I could not journey spell you into the Underworld any better than I could take you across the street.”

She nodded. “Then go, hurry. I-I love you.” She pressed her lips tightly together as he chanted the words of the journeying spell.

Seconds later he was standing in the shade of the enormous tree several dozen paces to the left of Annie’s childhood home.

Across the street, men in dark blue uniforms and matching helmets swarmed around the aging white structure, communicating with gestures of their arms. As he watched, more cars came racing into view, pulling to a stop and spilling their cargo out onto the overgrown lawns of the surrounding homes. More men in blue streamed around to the side of home, their weapons held at the ready, aimed at the house, prepared to destroy the woman inside.

The rage that filled Namtar was unlike anything he had felt in a thousand seasons. Not even the abuse of innocents at Ereshkigal’s hands had ever stirred him so. No one endangered his queen. He wanted to annihilate the men who threatened Annie, to lay hands upon them and spread the wasting death as he never had before, to watch their frail human bodies rot until they writhed with carrion-eating worms. But that many deaths would pull him back to the Underworld for certain. He must find another way to stop the mortals from their wicked work.

He dissolved into the mist of death and surged down into the Earth, finding the roots of the giant tree and forcing his way up, up, into the trunk. Long ago, he was able to manifest his power in any living thing. He knew his magic was strong enough to do so now, strong enough to claim the life of the centuries old plant.

Soon, he would see if the mortal men could stay focused on destroying one innocent woman when a tree was screaming out its death throes.

Only a few seconds passed before Annie heard what she could only guess was Namtar’s “distraction”. The unearthly howling split through the quiet suburban neighborhood. The sound made her cringe, and she knew she would have clamped her hands over her ears if Petey hadn’t still been in her arms. She’d never heard anything human scream like that, so at least she was fairly certain Namtar’s distraction hadn’t involved killing a person.

Fairly certain. That wouldn’t have been enough for her at one point, but now it was. It made her wonder if all of her recent changes had been for the better. If she could think of someone’s death, even a hired killer’s or Roger’s or Carla’s, without getting sick to her stomach, was that necessarily a good thing?

And what about the queen, the woman she’d promised to help Namtar destroy if it came to that? Was Ereshkigal really wicked enough to deserve death? Annie only had Namtar’s word on how horrible she was. She believed him, but even if the queen was guilty, did that give Annie and Namtar the right to set themselves up as judge, jury and executioner? Did she even believe in capital punishment?

She hadn’t once, she was certain of that, but now, everything was so confusing so—

“Nannie! Nannie, wun!”

The demon’s voice made her jump. “Namtar said to wait fifty seconds, and then go out the—”

“It’s been fifty five seconds, I’ve been counting with the ticking of the cwock on the wall.” The tiny demon urged in its child’s voice, making it clear the darkling understood more than its infantile appearance and mannerisms would indicate.

“Okay. Hold on, and…run away if I let you go,” Annie said, moving toward the door, Petey clasped tightly to her chest. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I won’t get hurt.” But the creature shivered a bit before running its tongue over her wrist, an action that seemed to comfort it at once. Somehow, she was food for the darklings. They were managing to feed off of her magic in a way they couldn’t from any but a nephilim. That’s why they were helping her. Not because they were her friends, but because she was their food. She’d be a fool to think any differently.

“Be careful, Nannie.” Petey turned big, frightened eyes up to hers, and Annie immediately felt horrible. The little demon did care for her. So she was also a food supply? So what? Human babies were no different.

“I will be, don’t worry.” Annie crouched down before she opened the door. She’d been shot at enough in the past two days to know it wasn’t good to present an easy target. She inched the door open, seeing nothing but the overgrown weeds that filled the back yard at first. But then the shouting of male voices and a great groan drew her attention to the right.

Namtar, eyes glowing, had lifted the car over his head. Several men in what looked like SWAT team uniforms surrounded him, some of them yelling the standard “drop your weapon” bit, the others just staring on in shock to see what looked like a human man lifting a car over his head.

Over. His head.

Annie had to shake herself to keep from staring. She was supposed to be running for her life, not gawking at Namtar the Barbarian. Of course, she’d assumed she’d be running from some more hired guns or Roger or maybe some demon hordes, but the police were sort of her enemies at the moment, as well. Some nosy neighbor must have seen the car in the backyard and called the plates in to the local authorities.

Now it was even more important that she book it and find a good place to hide. She couldn’t afford to be taken into custody, especially after fleeing L.A. Her future was with Namtar, not in the human world, and certainly not behind bars. Still, she couldn’t help but pause in the middle of the yard behind a tree, just before she dashed toward the hole in the fence. She’d had no idea Namtar was so strong. She’d seen the muscles and felt the power simmering within him, but he’d always been so careful to touch her with nothing more than human strength.

It made her wonder what else he’d been hiding, what else—

“Stop it,” Annie hissed to herself.

She trusted Namtar, she loved him. These doubts were just the product of fear, an emotion that had been coursing through her veins with abundance since she felt Samyaza approaching. His energy was even more disturbing than the night before. Thick and black, pulsating with pure evil, so much more terrifying than the first time she’d become aware of his presence.

But maybe she just found him scarier because now she knew exactly what to expect once the winged creature found her. Namtar hadn’t gone into great detail, but he’d told her enough to make her know she’d rather die than end up in Samyaza’s custody.

Annie dashed toward the fence, hunched over, peeking back in time to see Namtar give a great cry and hurl the car into the fence. He disappeared seconds later as the guns began to fire. Annie made quick work of disappearing herself, sliding through the missing slats, grateful she hadn’t had the opportunity to eat very often in the past few days. It was a tight fit as it was. She’d been a great deal smaller the last time she’d snuck through this hole.

She turned sharply down the grassy path that ran between the houses, running stooped over to make sure her head didn’t show above the fences. She reached the fork in the trail in a few moments and turned left, heart pounding as she heard the flapping of wings. Large wings. Samyaza was close, there wasn’t much time.

“I’m getting full, Nannie. You’ve gotta keep your magic inside your person skin.” Petey’s voice was a frightened whisper inside her mind, as if he too felt the nearness of the Grigori.

Annie did her best to reel her power back inside her, finding it a hell of a lot more difficult to manage while running. It was like trying to ice skate while doing her taxes. She and Namtar were mad to think she was ready to go to the Underworld and confront his enemies.

She finally had to slow down in order to get a small amount of control over her power, hugging one side of the fencerows and praying she wouldn’t be seen until houses gave way to forest. When she hit the first stand of trees she moved away from the path, cutting through the dusty brush, praying the old fort was still standing. It had been over ten years since she’d walked these paths, and the wooden boards had been rotting even then.

But it was the only place she could think of to hide. If she lay down on top of the platform, no one would be able to see her from below, and the tree branches should help hide her from above. A few more meters and the greying planks came into view. The lowest boards that had once formed the ladder were gone, but she could probably pull herself up to—

“Turn awound!!” Petey’s scream sounded at the same time as her own, the cry bursting from her lips before she had time to think about not making any noise to alert the police.

Samyaza crashed through the tops of the trees, landing in front of them, blocking their path to the fort. Not that it mattered now. There would be no hiding from the Grigori. The best she could do was run, and hope Namtar found her before it was too late.

“Run, Petey!” Annie flung the little demon as far as she could into the woods, knowing Samyaza wouldn’t go after him. She was the one he wanted.

Dried leaves and dust flew as Annie dug her sandaled feet into the ground, spinning around so quickly that she had to drop a hand to the path to keep from falling. Seconds later she was on the move, setting her magic free to run through her veins. If she could just get up to top speed, make use of her new power to run like some African predator off of Animal Planet, she might be able to escape, might be able to find another place to hide until—

She cried out as Samyaza’s golden power hit her from behind, stinging across her skin like a thousand mini electric shocks. It was so much worse than the rope he had strung around her neck the night before. Being consumed in his light was like being thrown into the center of the sun, but not allowed the mercy of death. The heat intensified, hotter and hotter, until Annie lost awareness of everything but the agony stabbing at her brain with sharp little knives, slaughtering pieces of her right mind.

Even when the light vanished as abruptly as it appeared, it took several seconds before Annie came back into her body. She sucked in a deep, painful breath, wondering why she was lying on the ground, in the dirt. How did she get there? She couldn’t remember what she’d been doing before the pain, before—