Hell's Phoenix (7 page)

Zen arrived in a sparkling rainbow of orbs. Madison would’ve cheered at his perfect timing if she hadn’t been so disheartened over Nix’s fall. Micah’s grip tightened at the sight of the immortal. Zen moved faster than her eye could follow. He placed a finger on her shoulder and they teleported.

And slammed straight into an invisible wall inside the bar.

They came out of the teleport like they’d free-fallen from an airplane, arms and legs wide and landing face first on the floor. Breath knocked from her lungs, Madison remained motionless, assessing her new aches. Her knees hurt, along with her chin that’d struck the hardwood floor.

“Demon Lock,” Nix said, already on his feet and walking toward them. “Mads won’t get out of here except with us into Hell.”

“I am going nowhere with you two.” Madison groaned as she rolled into a seated position. The world spun like she just stepped off the Tilt-a-Whirl at a carnival. With loss of blood the only logical conclusion, her jeans clung to her legs from the stickiness. She tugged them back into place.

Zen jumped to his feet, spoke a word in his foreign lilt and Madison felt the imprint of his magic abrade her skin. Nix halted, cocking his head slightly, and scanned about as if he could see something she couldn’t. Her best guess, Zen had constructed a shield to keep Micah and Nix away from them long enough to figure a way out of the Sherlock bar.

“Phoenix.” Zen sounded way too awed for Madison’s peace of mind.

Zen had never been awestruck by anything or anyone before. She wished he’d pick a more appropriate moment to become enamored.

Ignoring the crazy spinning in her head, she took another long look at Nix. His odd powers spiked his aura in a jagged halo, but Zen couldn’t discern auras and she saw nothing else about Nix to account for Zen’s pause. The tug of her newly healed flesh protested her shove to her knees. “Nix is in cahoots with Micah.”

“She’s coming with me.” Micah took a step forward, his flame-colored eyes exposing the level of his determination.

“Not going with you.” Madison sucked in gulps of breath in an attempt to alleviate her wooziness as she rose to her feet. If losing too much blood caused this swimmy vision, she’d forego the experience a second time.

“I’ll kill her before she leaves with either of you.” Zen sounded convincing, but Madison had her doubts.

“I’m going to puke.” She collapsed to the floor, somehow managing to fall on her butt and remain in an upright position.

Zen knelt beside her and laced his fingers with hers. “You fed her, Phoenix?”

“I healed her.” Nix flattened a palm against an invisible wall and tapped a fingernail against it. Madison expected some sound from his movement—like that of nails against wood—but nothing emerged. Nix must be able to see the shield Zen threw up to keep them back, because she couldn’t affirm its existence visually, only sense the gentle hum of power.

“I was shot in the leg.” Madison blinked, shook her head as something shimmered into existence directly in front of Nix. Was that the shield Zen threw up? If so, how could she see it when she’d never been able to see evidence of any of his magic before? “What is that?”

Nix’s expression remained determined.

Micah shifted to angel. “Almost there, kitten.”

Almost where? That made no sense.

Zen’s low murmurs sounded like cursing, but he reacted a moment later by snatching her to her feet. The bar rocked and swam for a terrifying moment. She groaned, but managed to keep her footing until the world settled.

Zen’s grip held her steady. “You imbeciles, you’re awakening her demon.”

Madison sucked in a harsh breath, terror skipping down her spine in a very physical shiver. Awakening her demon must be why she could now see Zen’s power.
God help me
. “Make it stop, Zen.”

“It’s out of his control, kitten.”

Fear at growing more demonic grappled with her good sense. Maybe going with Micah and Nix wouldn’t be such a bad idea. She could make a run for it later. Maybe. Hopefully.

We’ll go, but there’ll be no running later
. Pandora affirmed what Madison suspected would be her outcome either way.

“Your irises hold a tinge of pink. Your pupils are starbursts of red, Madison.” She peered at Zen as he explained. “It’s why you can see my protective shield.”

“Release her to me now, Zennyo Ryuo.” Micah sounded like he expected him to concede without protest.

“No.” Madison and Zen spoke in unison.

“I can get through this easily.” Nix traced his fingernail along Zen’s magic and opened up an inch-long seam. He poked his finger through it and wiggled the digit.

“If her succubus dominates her and I’m not around, she’ll be in grave danger.”

Zen ignored Micah’s statement and hooked her arm around his shoulders, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “Hang on, Madison. We’ll get out of here in a moment,” he whispered against her ear, but to her former lovers he said, “Come through that shield, Phoenix, and I’ll blast her heart out of her chest. Good luck repairing that.”

Tauntingly, he held up his palm and a rainbow orb hovered there. She’d watched a similar ball burn a hole through Micah’s shoulder four months ago.

“I don’t think you will, Zenny.” Nix dragged his nail another foot down the shield, gripped the edges with both hands, and pulled it apart. No sound came from the tear. “You couldn’t kill her before and you won’t now.”

Zen
, she hoped he could hear her telepathy inside the Demon Lock.
I need my gun
. She caught his gaze and nodded toward Micah.
It’s over there, behind Micah, on the floor.

No expression acknowledged her request. The first clue that he heard her was the dime-size sphere that surfaced around the pistol. The weapon disappeared and materialized into her right hand.

As Micah and Nix stepped through the rip, she placed the barrel of her weapon against her temple.

“He might not have the balls to kill me, but I sure as hell have the nerve to pull the trigger.” She flipped the switch and clarified her action. “Safety’s off.”

Nix halted Micah with a forearm to his chest. “She’s serious, Micah.”

Zen, figure out how to get us the fuck out of here or I will pull the trigger
.

“She’s left-handed,” Micah argued. “The pistol is in her right hand.”

“I shoot as well with my right as I do my left hand. Ask Nix.”

Micah shot Nix a questioning glance. Nix nodded. “Zenny’s made sure she is proficient with both hands.”

Found the Demon Lock
, Zen’s voice coiled through her mind. The ball in his hand struck the floor and wood spewed outward like a mini-bomb had gone off underneath. In a burst of rainbows, Zen teleported them before either man could try to stop them.

A moment later, they arrived at her rental home and he dropped her in a chair. Madison slumped into the seat and breathed through the violent protest of her stomach. Zen’s teleport amplified her dizziness.

“Oh, thank God,” Alessa spoke from somewhere in the room. Madison focused on regulating her breathing as Zen extracted the gun from her tingling fingers. “I was afraid Zen wouldn’t get there in time. Are you okay?”

“No.” She took a deep breath. “Zen tells me my eyes have altered.”

“Holy hell.” Petra gaped. “Why are her eyes pink and pupils red? Only a King’s eyes are that color.” She shot a nervous glance at Zen, whose expression remained pensive.

He shrugged, the creases at the corners of his eyes delineating his ambiguity. Zen not having answers alarmed Madison.

“Where’s Amos?” Madison scanned the room.

“I told him to stay in the video room until I called for him.”

Madison could only guess he’d given those instructions telepathically or before he rescued her. A low-grade throb emerged at her temples.

“I feel a weird urge to bow down to you.” Petra’s foot tapped nervously against the floor and she edged away from Madison.

“You always bow to my dictates, Petra.”
No point in spewing unnecessary drama
.

“Not like this. You’re succubus, but I’ve never seen a succubus wear pink eyes before. It’s gotta be significant.” Petra crossed her arms over her chest and gawked. “I know eye color has a direct bearing upon power. The red pupils I assume indicate your status as Queen, but the pink?” She shook her head. “I have no idea. The reverence I’m suddenly feeling, I think it means you’re a really powerful succubus.”

“Could Nix’s freaky powers have something to do with the freaky peepers, Zen?” Madison rubbed her temples and winced.

“No.” He held her stare. “Only the demon inside you can emerge, nothing more.”

She sighed. “After all this time trying to avoid my demon and all it took was Nix’s freaky power to alter me?”

“The transformation isn’t complete.”

Did Zen think that would mollify her disappointment? “Can I reverse the progression, or halt it?”

“It cannot be reversed. You can halt the turn by denying your inner demon freedom.”

Madison wanted to hit something. Micah would be an excellent punching bag. “What’s the likelihood of that happening?”

Petra took several more steps away from her. “With your succubus awake, you’ll have to feed it, Madison.”

“Go to hell, Petra. I’m not fucking anyone for any reason.” The idea made her stomach churn. Madison pulled her feet into the chair, wishing she held more answers. “Can I get some good news for just once?”

“Good news, hmm?” Alessa tapped her chin. “Well, you won’t be steamrolled with Nix’s new power when we enter Hell.”

“Awesome.” At least now she somewhat understood why Micah made the deal for Nix’s heritage. “Speaking of Nix’s power, what’s up with that, Zen?”

“Phoenix is the Ark of Heaven.”

Petra hissed in a shocked breath and sidled back into the room to drop onto the nearest chair.

The headache pounding against her temples could be the cause for her slower mental process, but Madison failed to comprehend.

“What does the Ark of Heaven mean?” Alessa wrapped her arms around her waist as if she were suddenly cold.

“It means Phoenix has become priority number one and must come out of Hell immediately. He’s an heir of Jesus.” Zen walked to Madison and used a finger beneath her chin to tip her head back. “His blood can open a doorway to Heaven.”

And that is why Micah covenanted for his lineage
. Madison put the heels of her palms against her eyes, the throbbing growing near to unbearable.

Precisely
, Zen agreed telepathically.

“Your head is growing worse because you lost too much blood and your demon can only completely heal when you’re fully fed.”

Madison turned a mutinous glare on Zen. Feeding her demon would create bigger complications. She held his gaze long enough to be sure he heard her thoughts, before rising and moving in the direction of the stairs. First the seclusion of her bedroom, followed by a long bath. She hoped a soak would put everything into perspective.

“Madison?” At the sound of her name, she stopped in the doorway. “You’ll need to feed before you enter Hell. You cannot face Micah without being fully charged.” She half turned and glanced at Zen over her shoulder. “We haven’t time to waste. If I’d known Phoenix was the Ark of Heaven, I’d have tossed you to Micah as a distraction and saved Phoenix. He’s that important.”

No one could accuse Zen of sugarcoating the cold-hard truth.

“Why didn’t you do that today if he’s so important?”

“Because I cannot bring him back from Hell’s grip. Only you and his lucky charm can do that.”

Everyone counted on Madison and Alessa to save Nix from Hell. Pandora was like a loose thread on a sweater. One good tug and Madison’s control over the entity would unravel. This new emergence of her demon created further complications. The succubus in her wasn’t just raw, but explosive. Fighting her demonic nature while going up against Micah would create bigger problems in Hell, not to mention reduce their likelihood of success.

It’s hard to keep your demon contained because you’re too stubborn to feed it
, Pandora chided.
I prefer you don’t feed it before you go into Hell
.

They needed a Plan B.

Madison placed her hand on the door frame. No doubt she wouldn’t resist Hell’s allure long if she entered in her current state. But…Madison wouldn’t sleep with anyone to get what she needed.

She gave a small shake of her head. Desperate for a respite, she’d think about it later. All of this could’ve been avoided if she’d never met Phoenix Birmingham. The blame for his predicament lay at her feet.

Your logic is riddled with inconsistencies, Madison
. Zen’s telepathic words were of little comfort.
Without ever meeting you, Micah would’ve discovered Phoenix’s lineage and fought for it. You’re not to blame
.

She kept her back to them because she didn’t think she could face them without letting her emotions fall apart. “Alessa, if you’re still committed to this suicide mission, prepare to barter your soul to me.” She would require at least twenty-four hours to attempt to recoup some energy before squaring off with Micah. “Zen, I’ll give you my soul as well. You will vow to me to destroy it if I don’t return.” Blinking back tears, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “I won’t destroy the world by handing Pandora to Micah.”

Pandora hissed in her head and Madison walked off without further communication, her heart so heavy and heartbroken she wished she could wander off and die like dogs did.

Chapter Nine

Instead of retiring to her bedroom, the overwhelming need to visit with Amos led her to his room. She knocked on his door and pushed it open. He paused his video game and turned to face her.

“May I come in?” She fought against the overwhelming sense of defeat.

“Did you see Nix?”

“Knew that was coming?” Why hadn’t he forewarned her?

“Not until it was too late. Y’all were already gone. I tried a telepathic call but couldn’t get through.” The hand holding the controller settled in his lap.

“Yeah.” She sat on the edge of his bed. “That would be the result of a Demon Lock that trapped me. Why didn’t you send Zen immediately?”