Crushed Seraphim (13 page)

Satan took her hand and set it on his chest. His heart was beating.

“If I go back, that stops. Again. I’m about to thrust us in the middle of a battle. Everett won’t know whose side you’re on.” Satan ran his hand from her face to her hips, changing her outfit with his motion. “Appearances are everything.”

Being this close to him made her skin tingle. He was so punishingly good-looking.

“Pretend to be on my side until the angels show up. I can keep you from taking a beating.” He touched her cheek gently.

She looked down to find that her outfit very much matched his: a leather jacket, low-slung jeans, and a tank top.

“Thanks for not making me topless like you, at freaking least.” She brought her lips close to his cheek, nearly ready to angel-warp with him into the battle. But she had to settle one last thing. “I believe you’re on my side. When push comes to lightning bolts, I know you’re my friend. Right?” Her lips were so close to his skin.

Just as she made contact with his cheek, she heard him breathe, “I’ve never had a true friend before.”

The forest became blurry. She grasped him tighter, feeling off balance in her human body. He took the opportunity to get two handfuls of her ass. As they were dropped in the middle of the clearing, Emma began slapping at his chest and his face. His rumbling laughter brought a sparkle to his wicked eyes. He set her carefully on her feet despite her ongoing assault.

He leaned forward and whispered,
“With
me now, remember?”

She gave him a dirty look but nodded as she turned to the cacophony of noise behind her. The forest seemed to be moving. Two half-breeds were putting up a great fight, leaping through the trees and throwing boulders, but often missing the fiery-red Everett that Emma could clearly see.

“Can’t they see him? I can.”

“God must have left you a few angel’s gifts,” Satan whispered in her ear. “He usually does.”

Everett had a huge, sickening smile. He looked like a mean cat holding a mouse with four broken legs in its mouth.

Jason? Jason?
The half-breeds were definitely Jason’s siblings. No one else would fight for him like that — especially not other half-breeds. Then she had an idea. But how could she tell Satan? She couldn’t let Everett hear. Just then he spotted the new arrivals and waved at Satan like they were school-aged friends.

Satan smiled and gave a friendly wave while talking out of the side of his mouth to Emma. “Crap, he’s an idiot.”

Emma licked her lips and threw herself back in the Devil’s arms.

He lifted her happily. “Change your mind? We can go somewhere and drink while the world collapses around us. Oh, and we can fuck too.”

“I think your smoke that follows you around is
so
sexy. Where is it?” Emma asked.

From Everett’s point of view, Emma looked insatiable. But as she gazed at the Devil, her eyes were wide and begging him to understand. She looked from him to Everett and back again.

The Devil looked from her lips to her eyes and back again. “Clever, little princess. Great idea. Smoke it is.”

He clicked his tongue like he was calling a horse, and his smoke obeyed. Soon the clearing was enveloped in a hazy cloud. Everett was perfectly outlined, the only crystal clear, angel-shaped hole in the smoke. Dean and Seriana now began throwing with punishing accuracy.

“That’ll piss him off and soon,” the Devil commented as he grabbed her ass again. Emma stomped on his foot after she wiggled out of his arms. He smiled, but his brown eyes looked sad. He touched her face one more time, then motioned with his head. “Your half-breed, pretty child. He’s in a bad way. Right over there.”

Emma whirled and spotted Jason lying under a tree. He was motionless and covered in blood. Her role playing was forgotten. The Devil fell from her radar. The havoc above her was meaningless.

Emma’s hands skimmed over every part of Jason’s skin she could touch. “No! No! I’ve come so far,” she yelled. “Please. No! You don’t die!” She pulled her jacket off and covered his body, as if she could warm him.

Jason didn’t move, didn’t register her presence. Emma leaned down and kissed his lips softly.

She begged him quietly now. “I could only picture you. You got me through Hell. Jason, be here with me. Please.” She laid her head on his chest, her tears falling on the jacket the Devil had clothed her in to convince an angel she was bad.

Emma clutched Jason so tightly that even when Everett sent the sonic boom that knocked his half-breed attackers from their feet, she stayed secure, hugging her heart’s dearest wish.

The Devil braced himself, legs planted firmly, as Everett unleashed his sonic wrath. A sidelong glance told him Emma was okay. With a flick of his wrist he’d shielded her, unseen from the worst of the flying debris because he couldn’t stand to see her hurt. But now he wondered if she’d thank him if she knew. She held the mostly dead body of the half-breed like it was anchoring her to life. She was still crying, draped over him, as the other half-breeds picked themselves up off the ground.

Her cries were heartbreaking because the Devil was willing to bet she’d never cry that hard for herself. If his heart could hold emotion anymore, which he didn’t think it could, she would move him. The two mostly alive half-breeds seemed to be sorting out who, exactly, Emma was. He heard them introduce themselves to her. Emma quickly explained she was Jason’s Christmas Angel, sent to help him see his worth and feel God’s love. Sending darting glances back and forth and speaking in hushed tones, they seemed to connect the dots between their brother’s “imaginary” friend and the girl in front of them. Emma ignored them and sought to find Jason’s wound. Then Dean knelt and concisely explained what he’d seen of Jason’s battle.

Satan pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket. He flicked the tip, and it glowed orange. He took a long, steadying drag. He noticed that Everett still hovered high above the group, like the pussy he was. He likely overheard Emma explaining Jason’s injuries after Dean’s report.

“No, of course you don’t know what’s wrong with him. Everett used a technique on Jason that’s only intended for souls,” Emma said.

The Devil rubbed his nose with his knuckle and took the chance to peek at her again. She was using snow to wipe the fallen half-breed’s face clean. From the fierce look on her face, he judged that her despair had turned to fiery anger.

“Everett! You mouth-breather. You never, never do this to a body! And guess what? God’s back, bitch.” She dug her hands into her thick hair in frustration.

The Devil took another pull of his sweet-smelling drug.

Emma stood and held her hands out, palms up. “God, please. I was wrong. I want my wings back, please!”

Emma bit her lip and kept her faithful gaze on the sky, which clouded up with a fast-moving front. Tiny snowflakes began shaking down from the heavens. But no wings bloomed on Emma’s back. She hung her head. She’d received her answer. The Devil clicked his tongue, and Emma looked at him across the expanse of white.

His voice was intimate and sexy, despite the distance. “He said no?”

Dean and Seriana, who had gathered around Emma, looked confused about what the hell this smoking, leather-clad entity had to do with any of this.

She looked angrily at the Devil. “My wings are busy right now. Thanks for that.”

She knelt by Jason’s side again, rearranging her jacket around him. “Jason, as soon as God takes care of Everett, I’ll appeal to Him. I’ll beg Him to fix you. The power Everett used against you was never meant to do anything other than purify a soul for Heaven. It hurt so much because you have a physical body, not just a soul. He’s a bastard. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll bring you back to your family.”

It wasn’t her words that moved Satan, but the hand she kept on the half-breed’s cheek, as if he could really hear her. Everett’s fluttering had become agitated. The news that God was free must be burning his ass.

Then he called down. “Satan, what brings you above? Delivering Emma to me? I guess I get a Christmas present. Thanks a lot.”

The Devil ignored Everett. He needed to end Emma’s suffering, and he had a way. He wasn’t proud of his weakness, but Emma’s kindness was hurting the Devil’s heart.

She stroked Jason’s hair. She was busy thinking — trying to think. Jason’s hands curled and trembled. Emma grasped one of them. “God, I know you’re busy, and you have a lot of love going on up there, but I can’t do this by myself,” she prayed aloud. “Save him.”

Dean hugged Seriana as the two stood a polite distance away, not wanting to disturb the scene.

Satan took a deep breath and held his hand in Jason’s direction. He concentrated and pulled the suffering out of him, healing him in the process, closing his wounds. Satan absorbed the death that had Jason at the brink.

The Devil took a breath, hissing with the influx of agony. His hand holding the cigarette began to shake — the slow, steady stream of smoke breaking into Morse code for torment.
To protect Emma. To find Claudette
, he told himself.

Everett began to rain lightning bolts down on the clearing.

Satan dropped to one knee. He couldn’t believe how much torture the half-breed had endured before succumbing to Everett. He glanced over again at Emma and found her looking back at him. He had to rally, and quickly.

For a moment Emma was afraid the Devil had been hit by something Everett had thrown. But when their eyes met, he gave her a saucy look.

“What I wouldn’t give for my wings!” Emma shouted, drawing Dean and Seriana closer. “If I begged the Devil to give them to me, I could let the soul they’re protecting in Hell be damned,” she reasoned, looking up to find Jason’s siblings staring blankly, unable to follow her argument. “With my wings I could do work. I could kick ass.”

Emma looked down at Jason’s beautiful face in repose, so innocent and young — or young-looking at least. “He wouldn’t want that,” she said, ending the debate with herself. “He’s too good to punish even an anonymous soul. Crap!”

Seriana squeezed her shoulder.

Finally the Devil was able to close his fist, sealing the death he’d pulled from Jason inside his own body. Satan stood back on both feet, trying to find a place for the pain so he could think clearly. He had no time to ponder the irony that his healing power had been used for good this time. It was usually one of his most effective tortures in Hell. He’d resolve pain, only to reintroduce it tenfold. But he’d never kept the pain within himself before. Normally he held it just long enough to flame his anger and implement more viciousness.

But in this clearing — unbelievably, here on Earth — he’d rather have his hands shake with pain than see the pretty child cry. The Devil resolved not to let on that he’d healed Jason.
Let her think her God answers her prayers.

Emma’s brain and human body were almost spent. She couldn’t imagine absorbing any more unhappiness.
I should really apologize to his family for getting Jason involved in this mess.
But just then, Jason’s hands uncurled and his eyelashes fluttered a tiny little bit. Emma gave a cry of joy and turned to Seriana and Dean. “Did you see that?”

Immediately the half-breeds flanked her sides.

Jason’s green eyes blinked open and took in the faces above him. “No, get out of here! That thing’s too dangerous,” he blurted the moment his pupils focused.

Dean gave a sigh only a relieved brother could make and patted Jason’s hand. He looked at the snowy sky and its ominous attacker as he spoke. “We know, Jason.” Dean grinned. “Seriously, brother, what do you think we’ve been doing while you napped?”

Jason smiled at Emma. “You’re back? How was Hell? I wish my family could see you.” He reached a hand up and stroked Emma’s cheek.

Seriana hugged Emma’s shoulders. “You mean this girl, here? We can see her.”

Jason laid a hand on Emma’s chest and felt the sweet, steady heartbeat. He sat up with his surprise. “You’re human?”

Emma put her hands on his cheeks and gave him a tender kiss on his mouth. “It’s a long story, but yes. I’m back, and I brought a souvenir.”

Emma looked pointedly at Satan. She noticed the Devil’s hand shaking slightly, the smoke from his cigarette inconsistent. His eyes met hers and for an instant, less than a blink, he let her past his hard exterior. She saw the soul beneath the swagger and sex. He was tortured, but he cared for her deeply.

Jason helped Emma up. The Devil looked at him and squinted. Emma felt a flare of alarm. Jason nodded and cocked his head, listening to words the Devil wasn’t saying out loud. Then, grabbing Emma, he quickly rounded up his family and pulled them all out of the clearing into the trees.

He began talking immediately. “That
is
truly the Devil. He wants us out of here, the faster the better. I guess the angels are coming to get Everett, so we’re going back to the house.”

Emma followed as they began to move, but she shook her head at Jason. “You know I have to stay.”

Jason paused. “I can hear his thoughts, like I was able to do on our trips to the past and future. Does that make sense to you?”

“Sometimes God gives us gifts,” Emma said, remembering the Devil’s observation before the battle. “I keep trying to convince you He cares.” Turning to Dean and Seriana she said, “God’s restoring angels as we speak, so I would expect them very soon — like, now.”

Even Dean, who always liked a fight, seemed to know it was more than time to run like hell. Emma leaned around the tree to look at the Devil. He was alone now, his smoke dissipated to who knew where. He took one last drag of his cigarette and flicked it to the ground.

Feeling more centered, Satan looked up to see Everett preparing another bolt, his eyes on Emma. The Devil gave a half-smile. His time as a bystander was about to end. He had to pick a side. Everett or Emma. Bad or good. His system accepted evil like a drug, but her blond curls had felt like home in his hands. And he hadn’t had a home he cared about in so long.

As he exhaled, he held his hands open. In his palms grew horrific, purple-red fiery orbs. He smiled in Everett’s direction while he tossed them like basketballs into the sky.

Dean and Seriana agreed to leave as Emma watched Satan fight, hardly able to look away. She finally turned and nodded at the pair while waving goodbye. Jason assured his family they’d be right behind them.

“You’re so important to me,” Emma said, returning her focus to Jason. “Thank you for coming back. I was scared I’d lost you.”

Jason smiled and a bit of relief peeked through his stress. “I feel exactly the same way. Tell me, who is that Devil to you? I see worry in your eyes for him.”

Emma wasn’t sure she could put her emotions into words. “He’s bad. I mean, obviously. But he might be a friend of mine. I can’t tell if I can trust him.”

Jason shrugged. “Right now, according to his thoughts, he just wants you and Claudette to be safe. Does that help?”

“I know I’m just human, but I don’t want to leave until this is settled,” Emma said. “You should go ahead with your family. I know where your house is. I’ll come there when it’s all done.” She patted his shoulder.

“If you think I’m leaving you, you’re crazy. Not again. Not after last time.” Jason took her patting hand and kissed it.

Another sonic boom knocked them both flat, into the soft snow. Emma landed with her face turned toward the clearing. She saw Satan on his knees, holding his chest.

Jason’s hand reach for her waist just as she noticed her wrists wrapped in snow-covered spider webs. She left the breath she’d been taking behind as her body was jerked to the sky. Everett was attached to the opposite end of the webs that held her, and before she could orient herself, she was cradled against his bare chest. He smelled of crisp snow.

He buried his nose in her hair and murmured, “Sweetness, I thought I’d lost you for good. Please tell me Jack kept his dirty hands off you.”

Emma tried to wriggle free, but her body had relaxed despite the alarm in her head. He was using the ability angels have to put the dying at ease before their transition into Heaven against her.

“Who the hell is Jack?” Emma tried to bite Everett’s finger as he affectionately touched her nose.

Everett leaned down and kissed her lips. She found when he lifted his mouth from hers she couldn’t talk anymore.

Asshole.

“Jack is Satan, of course. Didn’t you ask him his name? No matter. I need to change my plans. You, baby girl, may not live through this, but I would like the angels to side with
me
when they get here.” Everett cuddled her like a teddy bear.

She looked down on the clearing from her psychotic new perch. Jack was still clutching his chest, and Jason stood directly beneath her, talking into his cell phone. The beat of wings in the distance whipped the sky into a blizzard.

The angels were coming in a flock.

“You see Jack? He’s finally getting his due,” Everett said with a smirk. “I’m making his heart turn any sin he has into poison. It’s the first step to Hell, as you well know.”

She could see the leaders of the flock. Seraph Gabriel focused on Everett, his eyes furious and righteous in their anger. But Emma knew there was one man Gabriel might hate even more, and he’d just fallen face first into the snow.