The Lariat (Finding Justus Series) (24 page)

Samael grinned but it didn’t quite reach his eyes, “It’s your humanity that keeps you from being truly devious. Had you not left Hell, you probably would have caught on sooner, but then there wouldn’t have been a need to have this big elaborate hoax. You did all of us a favor Layla, when you helped Orrin get his memory back. If that judgement would have held many of my Vagabonds would have been trapped on Earth and died. Hell would have been locked from the outside and none of us would have been free to taste the blood and pain that flows through your world.”

Figures. Wait…

“You did that?” I finally spoke now, but to Orias, “You told me to go to him. You told me how to break his judgement. Is this why? Have you been playing me all this time?”

Orias didn’t hesitate, “I play everyone. It’s what I do.”

“And what do you think to give Layla in return for my concession?” Orrin asked.

“I’ll show you.”

With his words Lillith’s arms were pulled tight over her head a large hook ran through both her palms. Blood coursed down her white skin, but she seemed to enjoy the pain which didn’t surprise me. I wanted to kill her. I wanted to watch her burn into a tiny pile of ash, just like I watched Orrin burn three years ago.

Do it. I want it. Let me have her.

“Listen to it, Layla. Give it what it wants. This is what I’m offering you- Orrin’s life for Lillith’s death.”

I had never wanted anything more than I wanted Lillith dead. It would be the answer to all my problems.

“I won’t keep Orrin. He can live here with you. You two can be free to live and love for all of eternity, free of any threat of Lillith. She will never harm you or anyone you love ever again.”

His voice was hypnotic. I wanted to give him everything.

“All you have to do is
surrender.
”

31

“No.”

I heard the word from behind me.

“You were never part of this conversation,
angel
.” Samael’s eyes were trained on the glorious, imposing man behind. They had finally caught up and Cyrus, sword in hand, was walking out of the shadows to stand behind me. I could hear footsteps and the others ran to catch up with Cyrus’ otherworldly speed.

“I am taking an active interest in this conversation.” He raised his sword, “And this is all the invitation I require.”

“You still retain the sword, I see,” Samael smiled. “How is your arm these days?”

“Still strong enough to send you back to Hell.”

Samael laughed loudly sounding a lot like a cackling blackbird. “We can get to that in due time. Right now I have a bargain on the table for Layla.”

“What does he want, Layla?” Cyrus asked me.

“He wants Orrin to reunite with his father. And in return he will kill Lillith.”

“She wins both ways, if you only consider it. She and Orrin will both continue to live without the threat of Lillith over their heads.”

Lillith found her voice, “You conniving bastard, I swear by all that is unholy…” Her mouth vanished from her face as if she had never had one.

“This is wrong, Layla. No deal is ever as easy as it sounds, you know that.” Orrin began. He looked at my mother, “Will you tell her something? Anything?”

“I do not need to. She will make up her own mind. It has to be her decision.”

Is this my surrender? Is this what will make everyone safe?

“Surrender? Layla, what are you thinking.”

My eyes went wide and I turned back to Cyrus, “Nothing. It’s just my own thoughts. I need you to make me a promise. Whatever I am about to do, I do alone. Don’t follow me, don’t try to save me. I need to face this alone. If I get in over my head, I’ll call you. I won’t do anything stupid. I promise.”

Orrin and my mother nodded, but Cyrus yanked me to him, “No. I won’t let you face anything alone.”

I touched his face and kissed his lips. It didn’t matter that Orrin was only a few feet away. Cyrus needed me. “You told me I had to put my faith where it belongs and that’s what I’m doing. It’s what I’ve always tried to do, I just never knew how. I’m asking you to do the same, have faith in me. I know what I’m doing.”

His hand clutched the hilt of his sword tighter. He was torn, but he still released my arm.

As I moved away from my loved ones I saw the fog creeping slowly from behind Samael. It was forming a wide circle between the rest of the world and all of us. My father, Kevin, Ava and Ben finally ran up, but they were too late. The fog became a barrier no human could penetrate.

Every step I took brought me closer to facing the evil in front of me and my own evil within. What was I thinking? I would never agree to any deal Samael had to offer. I hated Lillith with every breath I took, but her life wasn’t mine to take. Nor could I make the decision for Orrin to reunite with his father. Only he could do that, and at this point I didn’t see that in either of their futures. There were strings hanging all over this deal, and all of them would wrap around me feeding my daemon and enclosing me in darkness just like Samael’s black fog was doing now.

He can take his deal and eat it.

I was a few feet away from Samael when Orias came to stand at his side, “Very brave of you, to walk so calmly to me.”

“There’s nothing you can do to me here that you couldn’t do to me back there. I’m in no more danger than I was ten seconds ago.”

I could feel a strange power flowing beneath my skin. There was fire there, of course, but something else. Something new. I didn’t know what I had in store for myself, but I knew I was right about my birthright. It wouldn’t fail me now. It wouldn’t fail me ever.

He opened his mouth to speak but I cut in, “Before you say anything else, my answer is no. I won’t kill Lillith for you. If she is annoying you too much, like you told me on your last unwelcomed visit, then deal with her yourself. She’s not my problem.”

“Bitch,” Samael spat and the fog crept higher, “I’ll kill you both.”

“No you won’t.” I looked at Orias, “I can’t give you your son back. I’m sorry. His loyalty isn’t mine to command.”

Orias stayed silent. He tried to hide his approval, but I could see it in his eyes. Lillith quit wriggling and tore her hands free of the hook. She took her fingernail and cut a long line where her mouth should have been. Her teeth were long, jagged and bloody. She let out a screech and before I could even think it, Samael set her on fire. She was gone leaving only a wisp of sulphur and smoke.

“You leave me no choice then. I want my porter. You are forcing me to play dirty. Say good bye to Bennet.”

“No!” I turned but it was too late.

Ben’s face was as white as a sheet. She was clutching her back. She wobbled on her feet and turned. She reached around and clutched her back. The three slashes Samael had given her when we were here before came alive leaving trails of blood running down the backs of her legs. My father caught her before she hit the ground. I ran to her, trying to push through the fog, but it burned like a solid wall of impenetrable acid. Cyrus and Orrin both grabbed me and pulled me back into its center. I couldn’t shake their grasp, but I stopped struggling and noticed the burns on my arms. They weren’t healing. They were only growing.

Both men cursed while quickly examining my arms. They exchanged worried glances but said no more. The three of us turned quickly, not wanting to keep our backs to the Vile that had encircled us.

I looked to Orrin, “What is this around us? It’s different than what we saw in Hell.”

“It is the same. I can’t jump. Your fire won’t work. Nor will his sword cut through it. The fog is Samael’s ultimate weapon.”

“Think of what you told us about your birthright,” Cyrus added. “It is the same with the fog.”

So it’s unbeatable?
I asked him silently.

“It is whatever it needs to be,” Cyrus explained. “And right now it is a cage.”

“We’ll see about that.” My vision was clouded by the hazy crimson emotions raging within me. I had yet to even put up a fight. It was time this foul creature was dredged back to Hell.

I trained my eyes on Samael releasing an angry blaze. My soul was ready to explode with it. It shot out like a long stream of water and hit the fog forcefully- only it didn’t make it through. The blackness swallowed it up indifferent to its intensity.

I tried to ignite his robes, but nothing happened. Samael just looked at my futile attempts and sighed, “Honestly, I expected more.”

I spread my wings wide, crouching for an attack when my mother touched my arm. Her face was strangely peaceful, like she knew something I didn’t. Her voice rang clearly in my mind.
Inside you resides both good and evil. Light and darkness. Daemon and angel. These elements cannot be fragmented. It is your ability to harness both that will gain the ultimate victory
.

The ground began to rumble again. Harder. Longer. The pavement in front of the building cracked spilling forth more black fog. An explosion rang overhead and every window in the
Montrose
exploded raining shards of glass onto all of us. I tried to throw a shield over them but nothing happened- my mother did what I couldn’t.

As little needles flew down they hit the protective bubble she created over them. She flew up and over the fog and took Ben from my father.

“He’s opened a portal.” Orrin staggered back and the ground shook again, “I don’t know how he did it, but he did it.”

“Get them both out of here,” I heard my father yell, referring to Bennet and Ava. He stood handing Ben’s lifeless body to my mother.

“But I can…” Ava didn’t get to finish. Her face turned white and she began to choke. A bit of the black fog peeled back and invaded her gaping mouth before my mother could move. Kevin splashed Ava and the tendrils of fog with holy water, as they tried to infect her from the inside out. Thankfully it withdrew and my mother was gone.

“They’ll be fine,” Cyrus said grabbing my hand. One problem down. Mom would take care of Ben. She would be okay. Now to get the rest of them out of the way.

“Dammit, Orias. She trusted you,” My father called out.

“That was her mistake, hunter. She and I have already come to terms over this situation,” he said flatly, barely audible over the continued rumbling.

“Dad, go. The three of us are trapped, but you need to get out of here.” I tried to convince him, but my words fell on deaf ears. It was like he couldn’t hear me through the fog. His frantic human eyes never met mine. Maybe he couldn’t see me either.

“He won’t leave, Layla. What father would?”

“Get him out of here, Cyrus. You can fly over. Get him and Kevin out of here and let me handle Samael.”

“No. Do not ask it of me.”

“Cyrus,” Orrin called out but said nothing else. His eyes were trained on his father and Samael. Cyrus stared at Orrin’s profile for two, then three seconds. Until it hit me- Cyrus was reading his thoughts
.

They’re planning something
.

He sighed, his expression hesitant and pained, “Do it.” Cyrus called back and rushed to him. Orrin held out his hand and Cyrus took it, “I am trusting you with my soul.”

Orrin looked at me, his eyes unreadable. “I know. I’ll protect her with my life.”

Cyrus’ eyes landed on mine one last time, wishing he could say something I’m sure. But he had already said everything that was on his heart. Now wasn’t the time for words, it was time for action. His wings burst out of his back and he moved like lightning, exploding from the ground up, the pavement cracked where he lifted off.

A familiar noise, like a swarm of locusts, leaked from the openings on the
Montrose.
Like angry clouds,
Vagabonds, the lowest form of daemons, flew out of the building and after Cyrus. He was out of my sight and so were they in a matter of seconds.

Vagabonds were hideous bug-like creatures with no eyes and large gaping human mouths. They fed on the blood and emotions of human beings. They were usually seen only when they were in possession of a human body. They were not strong enough to enter Earth’s plane in corporeal form- unless a portal had been opened and they were free to enter unbound.

“This complicates things,” Orrin muttered. “I love you, Layla. You know what to do.” His eyes held the same look that Cyrus’ had, as if he wanted to say more, but there wasn’t time. With that, he ran, headed straight for Samael and right into the black poisonous fog.

Orrin collided with it as if it was a solid brick wall. He was only inches from touching Samael. His father watched, unmoved to anyone who wasn’t familiar with him. Orrin screamed as the fog held and lifted him, wrapping around his body and burning his skin to ash wherever it touched. This would not be the second time I watched him die.

I could feel our soul-tie burn as if it was my skin disintegrating instead of Orrin’s, and still I hesitated. Just like I had done on the beach when Lillith attacked Orrin. Panic gripped my heart like it did when I watched Kevin’s life slip away in Balmorhea. I felt the same fear when Ben was falling down the elevator shaft. But this time, my instincts kicked in where my brain wouldn’t.

A power fueled from deep inside me rippled out like a wave crashing onto the shore. My body ignited like a firefly while pulses of white light hit the black barrier, burning it away like the sun burned the early morning haze. I gave no care to Samael, Orias, my father or Kevin. It was Orrin I needed to free from death. And then I would deal with Samael. Three strong pulses emanated from me. I don’t know what it was, only that the blooming black nightmare was seeping into the cracks in the pavement around Samael’s feet.

Orrin hit the pavement and then stood on shaky legs. He was hurt. His body looked worse than my arms, but he nodded trying to assure me he was okay. I didn’t know whether to believe him, but I couldn’t go to him now. I had to let him go, just like I had every other time we had been together. With Samael’s cage now gone, Orrin jumped to places unknown.

And so too did Orias, but his was more of an explosion. Thousands of grey moths burst forth from where he stood. Instead of invading me as they had done before they flew straight up and disappeared into the dark night sky.

“There is no more time to bargain, Layla. What I offered you is no longer on the table. What happens now, well, you have only yourself to blame.”

Vagabonds descended on my father and Kevin and my heart stopped. I had never seen either of the older men move so quickly or fight so fiercely. They each had pulled short sabers I had never before seen, and were fighting off their attackers. As soon as their blades hit the spindly creatures they were gone, and they moved onto the next threat. I ran to them sweeping my arms back, pushing all daemons away from them, but they just kept coming. My father screamed as one of the pale milky daemons latched onto his back and sunk its long teeth into his shoulder.

I wanted them dead. To Hell with Samael. He didn’t want to hurt me, he wanted to kill everyone else and make me watch. I couldn’t let that happen. I flew up above them, my daemon was no longer concealed. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I released the fire within me and aimed it at every Vagabond in my sight. But it didn’t work.