Redemption (A NOVEL OF THE SEVEN SIGNS) (32 page)

Bloody dominoes crashed to their deaths in Japheth’s mind.

Caliban lied. Fluvium’s not here.

So where the hell is he?

“Wh…?” Japheth’s tongue withered. He tried again. “Then where?”

“Doing the next bit, of course.” Zuul skipped closer, shrugging off his bloody coat and throwing it into the fountain. “The Apocalypse isn’t all fun and games, you know. We’ve gotta work for it.”

“The next bit? What next bit?” Japheth fought to drag his wits from the sludge, regain his icy composure. This was bad. This was very bad. Michael had given him only until tomorrow’s waxing moon to kill Fluvium. If he had to start searching all over again…

He backed off a step, scenting for threats. The vampires still cackled and danced and ate. Enjoying a good joke, no doubt. They didn’t attack. More interested in the blood. This hellcurse was potent.

“What next bit?” Zuul mimicked his question. “What do I look like, a fucking search engine? Do your research. If you
wanted to pour holy wrath into Babylon’s water, where would you go?”

His mind sprinted through barely remembered trivia. Babylon had three water supply tunnels, six hundred feet beneath the earth, below the subway and the sewers. One via Brooklyn under the East Side. Another through Midtown to Staten Island. And one under Central Park…

Poison them, and all the fresh water in Babylon would be contaminated. Taps, fire hydrants, everything. Bottled water would never be enough. Everyone would die of thirst…or become vampire.

“Bravo!” Zuul gave him a sarcastic round of applause. “Give the dumbass Tainted angel some cotton candy. Better still—” He snapped his fingers, a puff of charcoal smoke, and pointed over Japheth’s shoulder. “Skip the fucking candy and let’s have some fun. Grab her.”

Too late, Japheth smelled that warm female perfume. His heart somersaulted, sick.

Rose Harley.

*   *   *

He whirled, vengeful sword at the ready.
Kill her. Save
her
. He didn’t know.

But already, a pair of Zuul’s minions had grabbed Rose’s arms, dragged her from her hiding place. Not vampires, to be easily sliced. Hatesuckers, seven feet tall, their ragged hair knotted around monstrous bare shoulders. In the moonlight, their hulking troll-like forms shone pale, like reanimated corpses and as strong. Their magically enhanced muscles bulged, brutal and top-heavy.

Jesus in a jam jar, they stank. How had he not noticed them?

But Rose’s proximity blinded his judgment, a stinging black sandstorm that ate away at his reason. He couldn’t think. Couldn’t move.

Could only meet her gaze, her eyes wide and black with terror.

Rose struggled in their grip, futile. She scrabbled for her
knife, but they tore it away. The bigger one’s skin was lumpy, peeling with hateful warts. He gripped a spiked club in one huge fist, and bashed Rose in the face with it. She cried out, spluttering blood.

Japheth yelled, fireballs erupting from his wings.
Screw it all to oblivion.
If he attacked, they’d just use her as a shield…

Zuul sauntered up to Rose. “That’s an ugly scar you’ve got there.” He poked at the angel’s mark, and winced, shaking his smoking finger. “Ooh! Nasty. Let’s cover it up.” And he exhaled, a black ashcloud that swarmed like angry gnats over the mark, obscuring it from view.

Rose screamed.

Japheth’s limbs quivered tight. The hatesuckers’ spells leached poisoned loathing into his veins. His body burned. God, he wanted to chew the ugly bastard’s skin off and kick his bleeding corpse.

But the sight of Rose’s beautiful face, now a mass of bruises and burns, eclipsed the magical hatred like a rock blotting out the sun.

Her lovely dark hair fell in her face. Her vampire flesh stretched and writhed, fighting to heal, but already, the hatesucker’s poison crawled under her skin, a spreading black web of corruption.

Don’t
. The calculating part of Japheth’s mind whispered cold reason.
They’re provoking you. Let it be
…

The warty hatesucker grinned, and poked her with cruel fingers. “Tasty,” he gurgled, and slurped his rotting tongue over her cheek.

To hell with it.
Japheth screamed a filthy heavencurse, and leapt.

But hissing demonspawn hands locked into his feathers. His body jerked backwards. Something hard smashed into the back of his skull. Pain sliced, cold and calming, but too late. More hands grabbed him, impossibly strong, dragging him to the ground.

His knees hit the tiles, slipping in clotted blood. Someone wrenched his sword hand, hard.

Crunch!
His fingers broke, and the sword cartwheeled from his grip.

He cursed, and grabbed for it. His bones reforming, a stinging flash. But the ether just howled, empty, curetted like a charred husk by the demonspells.

And
slam!
His cheek smacked into the tiles.

Shit.

Countless heavy hands pinned him down. They gripped his wrists, his ankles, his aching wing bones. Too strong for vampires. Their rank white bodies reeked, bitter. More hatesuckers. Great.

He kicked. Bone splintered. A creature howled, and someone kneed him in the kidneys. The pain blinded him, and he coughed up bloody bile.

Zuul crouched before him, filling his vision with that crazy-ass grin. “Distract you, did I? With the pretty vampire? Thought as much. Ha ha! When Michael finds out you’re screwing her, he’s gonna kick your feathered ass straight to hell.”

Japheth managed an ugly smile, but his mind calculated, sensed, analyzed.
Where’s Rose? Can’t see. They’re too heavy to shift. Can’t flash a blade. Maybe beg another heavenspell…could be pushing my luck
…“Didn’t I crush your skull last time we met?”

Zuul faked a delighted shiver. “Fuck, yeah, I remember that. Honestly? I felt violated. But I didn’t quite get off. Can you crush it harder next time?”

“With pleasure.” Grimly, he flexed his arms, testing, but the hatesuckers just squeezed him tighter, cutting off the blood flow. Screw them. They’d give an opportunity. And he’d be ready…

“All mine, I assure you.” Zuul stood, and dragged Rose forwards into Japheth’s limited field of view.

His heart leaked sorrow. She looked so…damaged. She’d already endured so much, and now she had to take more. He’d not let their mistreatment of his lady go unpunished. Oh, no, he most certainly would not…

Zuul tweaked her bleeding nose. “I say, pretty girl, you’re a mess. What a shame. Never mind, it’ll heal. Eventually. In the meantime, what shall we do with this sorry feathered freak show, eh comrade?”

Rose spat at him. “Fuck you.”

“Well, yeah, I was kind of planning that. You, me, my whip collection. But that won’t get the job done, will it?” Zuul frowned. “I’m sure Fluvium said something about damnation, eternal torture, the usual blah-blah.”

“Since when do you follow Fluvium’s orders?” Rose glared at him, that lovely defiance blazing like starshine despite the bruises. “I’ve always liked you, Zuul. You’re just as powerful as Fluvium. Let me go, and I’ll help you skin him alive.”

A brave effort. Did she mean it? Hell, he didn’t know.

But Zuul just frowned more, feigning confusion. “Satan’s hairy hard-on, I’ve got Alzheimer’s. Someone walk me back to the hospice. Was it curse the angel? Or the vampire?” He scratched his blood-crusted head. “Hmm… Oh, I remember now!” Malice lit his hell-black eyes. “It’s both!”

Rose kicked, but the hatesuckers held on. She snarled, fangs glistening. “Don’t you lay a hand on him, you skanky cocksucker. He’s worth a thousand of you.”

Japheth’s nerves peeled raw. She was tough as nails. So damn beautiful, it broke his heart.

“Is that what he told you?” Zuul snorted. “Bloody angels, always dick measuring. At least mine still works, honey. Blondie’s has likely rotted off from neglect.” He danced a giggling quickstep. “Ha ha! Come on, admit it, that was funny.”

“Hilarious,” Rose growled.

“I know! I’m here all week! But—” Zuul held up a finger, admonishing himself. “All this joviality still isn’t finishing the job. Text in now, viewers! Who gets voted off the island tonight? The feathered freak? Or the lovesick vampire bitch?”

Japheth’s throat squeezed shut. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t say
take me and let her go.

*   *   *

Rose’s instincts wrenched in two. She’d longed for this. Worked for it, for the last few excruciating days. Finally, this lying angel would get what he deserved.

But now that the moment had come…her heart ached. Not like this. Not him.

He was the only one who believed she could be saved.

If even Japheth is damned, what hope is there for you, Rose? Let him get the curse. God doesn’t care. At least Fluvium might take pity on you
…

But his haunted green gaze wouldn’t let her be. Wouldn’t let her forget his brutally gentle caress, the rage that bled from his heart when he had seen her shame…

He hadn’t hated her. Hadn’t pushed her away, cursed her for hellspawn, insisted it was all her fault. He’d flashed straight down here to kill the monster who’d done it to her. Like he cared that she’d suffered.

Guilt crashed over her, a bitter wave. It filled her lungs, forcing away the air, but she couldn’t claw to the surface. Couldn’t stop drowning.

And this time, she had no one to blame but herself.

You don’t get to blame God for your weakness, Rose Harley.
That demon whisper twisted Japheth’s words with jagged delight.
God didn’t do this. You did.

Zuul laughed, manic. “Oh, gosh, I think I just came in my pants. You should see the look on your face, vampire. You were about to attack him, weren’t you? Ready to cook him up in a hot temptation pie? Hand him over to the prince, to save your own sorry skin?”

Her throat clogged. She couldn’t deny it. Couldn’t find one fucking word.

Don’t look at him, Rose. Don’t see him hate you.

“And now you feel
bad
because you’ve gotta look him in the
eye
while you screw him over? Bleeding Christ, don’t they teach new minions anything these days?” Zuul shook his head sadly. “Lesson one in demon-baiting, honey: be careful what you wish for.”

Dimly, she felt the hatesucker’s warty hands crushing her shoulders. It hurt, those bones scraping together. His fat fingers poked at her belly, her breasts. Her half-healed face still ached. She didn’t care. She deserved to suffer…

But defiance still blazed, a cold hard kernel in her heart. She wasn’t ready to give up yet.

Zuul was treacherous, mercurial, did anything for kicks. Maybe she could bribe him to help her. “It isn’t like that.”
It hurt her bruised lips to talk. “Fluvium gave me special orders for this heavenscum, that’s all. I get that you want your share. I’m sure we can come to some arrangement…”

“You and me?” A scornful laugh. “Don’t think so, honey. I don’t do Fluvium’s sloppy seconds…well, I guess that’s a lie, isn’t it? But a Tainted angel’s whore?” He mimed sticking a finger down his throat. “Gross. I can smell the self-righteous stench from here. Who knew? I’ve got standards after all! Ha ha!”

Her hatesucker pal giggled, fresh spit splashing her hair.
Yuk.
She recoiled, but he pinned her tightly, and his magical disgust radiated over her like black sunshine.

Her blood boiled, the spell irresistible. Fuck, she hated them all. Zuul for trapping her. The hatesuckers for hurting her. And Japheth for screwing with her mind.

For confusing her about a simple mission, with his maddening logic and magnificent, godforsaken honor. For being so damn beautiful, for making her want him when he was the last thing on earth she could have.

For making her want to
be
him, when she never could. Not after the things she’d done.

She struggled, hurling vile, wordless curses that blistered Zuul’s face.

“Ouch.” He grinned at her knowingly. “This is too funny. Lesson two, darling: it’s always too late to back out.”

He whirled, spreading his skinny arms wide. “Let’s go to the phones! Who’s your choice tonight, viewers? It’s… Japheth! Yes!” He kicked the angel’s shoulder, igniting a black crackle of fire. “Guess what, heavenshit? You’re voted off!” He pointed dramatically. “You’re fired! Please leave the house! You are the weakest link! Good-bye!”

On the ground, Japheth just grinned, beastly.

“No.” Rose’s voice strangled. “No, wait, we can figure something out—”

“
Bzzt!
Too late! Voting’s closed.” Zuul grinned, rubbing long hands with glee. “Pick him up, lads. Let’s see how much he can drink before he drowns.”

CHAPTER 29