Vengeance: The Niteclif Evolutions, Book 3 (36 page)

Tyr.
The dream came back to me blinding clarity it had lacked every other time I’d tried to recall it. He was a dilemma all his own. How did I stop him from being punished? And what was he being punished for? The idea he’d crossed some line in helping me was a horrible possibility, one that made my stomach cramp.
 

“No time for that right now,” I muttered. Laying my hands on the doorknobs, the final reality ran through me like a sharp sword. If I failed Hellion in this, if I didn’t stop Agares, I’d lose Hellion. Truly lose him.
 

Pain gripped my belly and I dropped the door handles, wrapping my arms tight around my gut as I backed away from the door. Breathing through my mouth was my only option.
 

“Find a little faith.”
 

The voice that came over my shoulder startled me, and I tried to stand. No go. I turned my chin toward Father O’Cleary. “You’re so sure that’ll do the trick.”

“I’m sure it’s the
only
thing that will do the trick.” He stared at me, steady and unfazed.
 

“You have no idea what we’re about to walk into.”
 

“Frankly,” he said, moving past me, “I’m rather excited to see a dragon.” He paused at the doors. “Coming, Ms. Niteclif?”

“Maddy. And yes.” I braced my hands and pushed to standing before slowly moving to his side. I glanced over. “Three things.”

“I’m listening.”

“First, you’re my ace, my entire game plan. Don’t be too shocked when I drag your…backside into the middle of what’s coming for us, for Hellion, tonight.”

He nodded. “Understood.”

“Second, the dragon’s leader, Bahlin, is important to me. I need to make sure he’s protected in this. I’m prepared to open the gates of Hell and face any comers to keep the two men I…”
Oh, dear God.
The beseeching prayer was wrenched from my psyche with physical force.

“The two men you love,” the priest finished for me. “Don’t fret so, Maddy. Do you think you’re the first person in the world to have loved more than one man? You may be bound to only one, but it doesn’t stop the
different
kind of love you still feel for Bahlin. Don’t punish yourself because your love for him has changed.”

“But has it? Truly?” I looked at him with what I knew was desperation.

“Only you can answer that. I will tell you that what I see between you and Hellion is a true thing of beauty. I’d hate to see that shattered by indecision.”

“I agreed to marry him tonight. When this is over.” The blurted confession clearly didn’t need a confessional. “It’s going to kill Bahlin.”

“Find that faith, Maddy. It’s there. You must trust that he loves you enough in return to want nothing more than your happiness. If he does not? Then whether or not he truly loves you at all becomes the question.”

I nodded, blinded by a surge of scared tears. I didn’t want to hurt either of them. “I’ll deal with this later.”

“And third?”

Confusion clouded my mind. “Third?”

“You said there were three things I needed to know going into this.”

My lips twitched despite the emotional deluge. “Oh, yeah. Don’t get your hopes up about the dragon thing. They wouldn’t fit in the dining room if they shifted.”

With that, I flung the doors open.

Let the meeting begin.

Chapter Twenty

The room was full of everyone except the vampires. Hellion’s men were there despite the fact their new coven master was, technically, Connell Darach. Dragons were scattered throughout the magi and witches, their positioning a satellite message to any who might think to turn on Hellion at this point. They’d be consumed like toast points in a barrage of scales and bad attitudes. If I thought Bahlin would have appreciated it, I’d have sent him flowers.
 

Instead, I stopped and bussed his cheek. “Thanks.”

He looked at me with clear, unguarded eyes. “It’s all good, Maddy.”

“Still, thanks.”

He nodded once, and I turned to find Hellion sitting at the head of the table, watching us and waiting, ever so patient, for me to come to him. That was the difference, and it hit me with such stunning force I wondered that my head didn’t spin around completely. Bahlin would demand and push and try to claim me as his because of who he was, how he’d been raised to lead and to defend his “possessions” with violence.
 

Hellion had clawed himself up from nothing, never counted on anything being permanent until he’d made me that offer. He’d always give me the choice, and that was what had tipped the scales so heavily in his favor.
 

I wasn’t always sure who, or what, I was to Bahlin. Hellion had even days ago given me leave to return to Bahlin if I felt I’d made the wrong decision. And what had the priest just said? That I’d know Bahlin loved me because he wanted the best for me. Hellion always had, while Bahlin had turned on me in a moment of blind rage weeks ago. It made sense now, and I didn’t doubt that Bahlin
did
love me, but he loved me differently than Hellion. Just as I loved them both differently.

The clarity left me standing mute in a room full of supes as I stared at Hellion, rolling my engagement ring around my finger with my thumb.
 

His eyes went to that singular movement then drifted back to my face as his shoulders tensed.
 

Part of me was hurt that the connection between us seemed to have faded enough to let him doubt me. The other, more rational part of my mind reminded me he’d just watched me kiss the cheek of my former lover.
 

Instead of saying something inane, I started toward him with an open conviction that moved men and women alike out of my way as I went. Stopping at his chair, I cupped his face and kissed him softly. “Thanks for waiting.”

“It’s your meeting, after all.” He smiled up at me, dazzling me with the sheer joy in his expression.
 

I was so lost to him. Kissing him once more, hard and firm, I turned back to the room. “We’re going to face Agares tonight. Anyone who wants out needs to leave. Now.”

There wasn’t even a subtle shifting of people in the room. Tension I’d unknowingly carried in my shoulders dissolved. These people would stick.
 

“Okay.” A shaky breath escaped. “Let me introduce you to two key players in tonight’s production of ‘Get the Hell Back to Hell.’ This is Father O’Cleary. He’s going to take point on what will be the strangest twist on exorcism the Catholic Church has ever unofficially been involved in, no doubt. We’ll defer to what he asks us to do there.” I looked around and received several nods of agreement. “Second, this is Zerachiel, former archangel who oversaw exorcisms. He’ll be partnering with the good Father.”

A loud snort sounded from the back corner of the room.

I didn’t even have to ask who it was. “Do you have a problem with this, Micah?”

He stood and stalked forward, as sensual and sexual as any Milan model. Hips rolling, shoulders working at counterbalance, he stopped next to Bahlin. “You set the two of us in the same home. The beacon’s been sent. Agares will come and we’ll be forced to defend ourselves without any of the power of Shamayim. It’s a death sentence.”

Bahlin slapped the back of his head. “Shut the fuck up, you whiny pretty boy.”

Zerachiel arched a brow. “Seems he’s got your number, Micah.”

Micah’s rage smelled like burned chocolate. He began to grow, literally swelling with indignation. “You’ll want to tread lightly, Zerachiel. In this room, on this plane, we are equals. I do not serve you in any manner.”

Zerachiel bowed his head, his shame so apparent that I went to his side, touched his arm lightly. “Hey. It’s all good. Remember,
almost
everyone here is focused on getting this taken care of so that you can get home.” I glared at Micah. “For once, just sit down and shut up.”

“You needed me before he arrived. Were it still so, you’d not speak to me with such disrespect.”

I gaped at him. “If you hadn’t tried to get in my pants, I’d likely have treated you much better. Respect is earned, not a birthright.”
 

Bahlin clapped him on the back of the head again. “Keep your pecker in your pocket, man, or I’ll be forced to leave you out as demon bait.”

Micah rounded on the dragon. “Strike me again and—”

Bahlin tagged him hard on the shoulder.

“That was not an invitation,” Micah roared.

“No? Just goes to prove you need to choose your damned words more carefully.” Bahlin looked at me and gave me his trademark lopsided grin. “Go on, Maddy.”

I rolled my lips together for a second to regain control. Laughing at Micah wasn’t going to help things. “The vampires are down for the day, but I’ll be trying to get Darius up early. They made the difference in the first go-round with Agares and his happy little hunters. Hopefully they can do the same tonight.”

“You’ve got additional dragons,” Hellion interjected. “They’ll be huge assets.”

“True.” I turned back to Bahlin. “Thanks for calling in more troops, and thanks for coming, guys.” A round of mumbled welcomes drifted my way.
 

Bahlin dipped his chin in acknowledgement.
 

Taking a deep breath, I turned to face Hellion. “I want to take the offensive, call him out like we did before.” Objections were volleyed at me faster than cannon fire. I held up a hand and shouted, “If you don’t like it, leave.”

Three of Hellion’s people scooted away from the table and walked out of the room. His crestfallen look slayed me, and the urge to lob insults at those retreating nearly overwhelmed me. Instead, I called out, “Get your things and be off the property within the hour.”

“And speak of this to anyone,
anyone
, and I’ll exercise my right as Council Leader to kill you for treason.” Bahlin’s ice blue stare bored holes in each of them.
 

The two women and one man didn’t respond, only left faster.

My brow wrinkled in confusion. “Treason?”
 

“You’ve issued a direct order. To violate that and potentially cause the death of others would be treason,” Hellion answered. “I’ll reserve the right to kill them myself, if it’s all the same to you.”

Bahlin inclined his head.

I moved to stand behind Hellion, dropping a hand to his shoulder. “Treason, then. We’ll call Agares out. The difference is that this time we’ll be prepared to exorcise him, binding him to Hell. If we get more than one demon, can it be done, Father O’Cleary?”

He raised his hand to his collar and immediately dropped it. “It was documented in scripture, but never since.”
 

“It can be done, but it is much more difficult.” Zerachiel’s soft voice cut through the hum of low-level chatter that had started at Father O’Cleary’s statement. “I’ll discuss methods with the priest while we’re preparing.”

“Good. There’s also some potential for threat from the Fundamentalist Rosicrucians. They shouldn’t have been alerted to our activities, but if they show up, we’ve got trouble.” I leaned on Hellion’s chair. “They’re pretty opposed to anything the Catholic Church does, not to mention they find anything supernatural an abomination only total annihilation will resolve.”

“Never a good thing,” Bahlin muttered.

“Right. So first thing we’ll do is get the grounds prepared. Then we’ll reconvene here at 4:00 and finalize the steps of the exorcism. I’ll let you know then where you need to be stationed when the sun goes down.” A faint shiver skated over my skin and sweat dotted my hairline. Somehow I felt like I was missing something, something significant that could change the entire course of the evening. It dogged me like a bad dream, hazy and incorporeal in every sense, and I couldn’t get my mind around what it might be. All I knew for certain was that people were moving, this was happening and I’d given it my best.

I hoped it was enough.
 

Hellion and the priest headed outside to scope the grounds and decide the best place for the summoning and subsequent exorcism. I grabbed Bahlin and Zerachiel and asked them to hang out as everyone else left the room. Micah made his way over, but I shooed him off. I needed to talk to these two together without other ears present.

The second the door shut, I spun to face them. “This has to work. Bahlin, I need you to stay close to me, provide backup as necessary.” My voice broke on Zerachiel’s name. It took a second to compose myself. “I need you to shadow Hellion whether he wants you to or not.
Need
, Zerachiel. Not want. He can’t be left alone tonight. Agares will be looking for him, and I can’t…”

The archangel laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I won’t let him get far, Maddy.”

“You’re with me, Maddy. Always.” Bahlin’s words hung around my neck like a loose noose.
 

I couldn’t tell him I’d be marrying Hellion. Not right now. I needed Bahlin, and needed his safety, too much. It was admittedly egocentric to assume I could keep him safe, but I’d be damned before I changed my plans.

Running a hand through my hair, I let my chin fall to my chest. “Thank you.”