Steal the Day (41 page)

“Good. Let’s get moving.” Dev took my hand.

“Down there,” I said as the amulet started to pull me toward a steep set of stairs.

The top floor of the house was richly decorated. It looked like a lushly appointed mansion, but now as we made our way into the lower section of the house, it started to look like I expected. It was dark on the stairs, the light of the Revelation guiding us. I almost tripped on a sleeping demon but managed to keep my balance. When we reached the bottom, I saw another heavy wooden door. I hesitated.

What was waiting for me? Even if Sarah was behind that door, how much damage had been done?

“Zoey, she’ll be all right.” Dev was right behind me. “Whatever has happened to her, we’ll deal with it. I can get her an awful lot of help. Psychiatrists, therapists, you wouldn’t believe what some witches can do with memory. She doesn’t have to remember that she was ever here.”

I doubted anything could ever completely erase the time Sarah had spent in Hell, but standing out here because I was scared wouldn’t change anything.

I pushed the door open and walked into Lucas Halfer’s torture chamber. It was lit with a series of torches because track lighting just doesn’t scream dungeon. I would have gone with fluorescents, but nobody asked me. Dev and I entered a circular chamber. There was an altar in the center and off to one side I saw a rack. Both devices were currently occupied.

The Revelation had no doubt as to who was held on the rack.

“Please hurt her, not me,” Felix Day begged from his place on the rack. He was tied down, all of his limbs roped and bloodied. His head seemed to be the only part of him that moved. It came off the surface of the rack, his eyes imploring me, glowing in the near gloom. “She’s a horrible person. I’m good. I’m an angel. You shouldn’t hurt me. You should hurt her. Stay away from me. I’m from Heaven.”

I ignored him, seeking my friend, and my heart sank when I found her. Sarah lay on the wooden altar, bound by ropes that dug into her flesh. Her body, always graceful and slender, was now far too thin. Her eyes seemed to sink into her face. Her hair was a mousy brown, and that seemed the worst insult of all. Sarah’s hair was always vibrant, an outward reflection of her inner personality.

I ignored that asshole angel, who I was pretty sure at this point I was leaving behind, and knelt down by the altar. Tears blurred my sight as I touched her cheek and willed her to wake. There was blood everywhere but her skin was smooth. It was a torturer’s paradise. You could hurt someone as much as you wanted in a room like this, and they were always ready for more just hours later.

Felix continued his admonitions that I pick Sarah as my victim as she managed to open her eyes and focus on me. It took her a moment, but then she held her head up and turned to me.

“Zoey? Did Halfer get you?” Her voice was raspy as though she’d been denied water for a very long time. She asked the question and sounded so sad to see me here.

“No, sweetie.” I tried to muster a smile. “I’m here to spring you. This is a jail break.”

Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “I can’t believe you’re here. This is a dream, isn’t it?”

I tried to work on her bindings, but they held tight. “Nope. This is a heist. You’re my booty this time, Sarah, and you know I never leave my booty behind.”

“No, don’t take her. You want to take me,” Felix said, his voice high and whiny.

Sarah tried to turn toward him. “Felix, you can stop. This is my friend. Did you bring Daniel? Where’s Neil? Zoey, this is stupid. You can’t get us out of here.”

“Daniel and Neil are waiting eagerly to see you. They couldn’t come with us,” I explained as I finally worked the knot free and undid her hands. Dev moved to the end of the altar and started on the rope that held her feet. “I brought Dev. You remember Dev?”

Sarah laughed, a weak sound that ended on a rusty cough. “I remember Dev was pretty bad at magic. Hello, Dev. It’s good to see you. I’m glad to see Zoey followed my advice to jump into bed with you. Sorry you’re going to end up spending eternity here with me and Felix. Seriously, you come to bust me out of Hell and the only person you bring is Dev?”

“Oh, ye of little faith. I’m getting you out of here, but that asshole angel over there can rot as far as I’m concerned. He told me to torture you. What the hell kind of angel are you?” I rounded on Felix Day and got my first look at him. He looked an awful lot like his siblings, but the half-starved version. He didn’t have their glow. His skin was ashen. “You should protect her, but no, you’re trying to save your own ass.”

Felix smiled. It was brilliant even in the gloom of the chamber. “She’s exactly as I pictured her. Felicity sent you, didn’t she, little cousin?”

“Yes, she did, but she didn’t mention that you were just like Oliver, who I can’t stand,” I shot back. “I bet he’d be down here trying to pawn off his torture on someone else, too.”

“Zoey, he’s trying to get you to torture him instead of me.” Sarah struggled to sit up as Dev finished untying her feet. “If he whines he’s a better target. They want you to cry. Brix started to torture me when he realized it hurt Felix more to see me torn up than to be harmed himself.”

Dev moved to the rack and started on Felix. “Zoey, we can catch up later. I have no idea how long those demons will stay asleep. We need to get out of here.” He looked down at Felix. “Can you get us off the Hell plane quickly or do we have to take the scenic route?”

“I can get us out of here,” Felix stated without dropping his high-voltage smile. Unlike Sarah, he seemed to think everything was looking up. “Unbind my magic and I promise you it won’t matter if they all wake up.”

“Felix, you need something of angelic origin to unbind you,” Sarah said in a patient tone. It sounded like she had explained it more than once. “Unless Zoey brought along some of your sister’s tears, we’re out of luck. It’s why she needs to run.”

Felix’s wrists were undone, but still he couldn’t move them. There was a large, circular piece of gold on his chest. I looked at it more closely and was disgusted to see someone had sewn it directly onto his flesh, each stitch a mottled, bloody welt.

The angel managed to get one of his hands to work. He held it out toward me. “Zoey didn’t need to bring anything but her own sweet person with her. My little cousin will work just fine. Felicity explained what you are, right?”

“Yes, though it’s still a little hard to believe.” Now it made complete sense that I was the only one in the world who could do this job. Felicity needed my very unique DNA. She might have been able to use another companion, but I was pretty sure I was the only companion with the skills and backbone to pull this off.

Felix quickly explained our situation to Sarah, who looked as surprised as everyone else had to find out I had an angelic connection.

“If you say one thing about my purity, we’re going to have a smackdown when we get out of here,” I warned her.

Sarah grinned, and I saw some small bit of the girl I’d known before. “I wouldn’t want that, Z. Our last fight was a doozy. I’d like to avoid pissing you off in the future. I just suspected Dev there would have done something about your purity. He doesn’t seem like the type to just sit back and hold your hand.”

“Oh, I’ve dirtied her up,” Dev said with a lascivious grin. It was nice to know that even in the presence of angels, Dev let his libido loose. “I’d like to get dirty with her tonight, but we have to get out of here first. We should hurry because sex after I’ve had this much adrenaline running through my system has got to be good.”

“Poor Felicity,” Felix said sadly, but did not explain himself. He cast his eyes at me. “Those tears still clinging to your cheeks will work, cousin. Let your faery prince handle it, though. I don’t think the spell will harm you, but I can’t be sure. Devinshea, please spread her tears on the gold, and then I’d step back if I were you.”

Dev strode to me and looked down, cupping my face in his hands. He brushed my cheeks with his thumbs and kissed me lightly on the nose before turning back to Felix. Touching the gold circlet on his chest, Dev spread the fluid across the metal as it started to glow. It broke down the center with an audible crack, and Dev jumped back, pulling me into his arms and covering my head with his hands. I twisted slightly because I wanted to see.

Felix groaned as he pulled the broken gold amulet from his chest and tossed it aside. The flesh healed before my eyes, turning from a pale, washed out color to a healthy golden tone.

He threw his head back and roared. There’s no other word for it, but it was a happy sound. The room filled with light, but this was a soft, joyous light, nothing like the insistent, overwhelming glare of Oliver. This was a vibrant shine that filled the sad chamber with energy.

I caught my breath as Felix Day unfolded his wings and stretched his arm out to the woman on the altar. He glowed, nothing like the creature on the rack a moment ago. He was a glorious light. His halo gleamed above his resplendent face. He was very masculine, but almost too beautiful to look at. Sarah didn’t have any problem looking at him. She managed to prop herself up on her elbows, and she watched as Felix made his transformation, her face filled with adoration. I wondered what sort of connections these two had formed during the months they’d spent down here at Halfer’s mercy.

“Felix, I am so happy for you,” Sarah said, tears shining in her eyes. “You’re so beautiful.”

Felix folded his wings and knelt beside her. “You’re the beautiful one, my love.”

And I now knew what sort of connection they’d formed. Love happened in the weirdest place.

Sarah put a hand out, holding him off. “Don’t, Felix. I won’t be able to stand it. I love you. I can’t stand the thought of being without you. I’d almost rather stay here if it means I don’t have to lose you. Almost.”

Felix chuckled softly. “You’ve never been without me, Sarah Tucker. Not one moment of your life.” Sarah looked up at him, shocked. He pulled her into his arms. “I’ve been with you from the beginning. I watched you grow and steered you here or there. Do you remember the night you met Neil?”

“Of course.” She wasn’t struggling against him. Now that she was in his arms, she cuddled against him, making an odd contrast. Felix was the picture of vibrant life and Sarah looked so close to death.

Felix smoothed back her hair, staring down at her as he spoke. “You decided not to go out that night, but there was a voice in your head telling you to go out and have fun. It was very insistent, and you got dressed and danced the night away with a werewolf who led you to a vampire and his companion, who walked through Hell to save her friend. I was always there, Sarah.”

“Then you know all the things I’ve done.” Her voice choked with emotion.

Felix was having none of that. He hugged her closer. “Yes, I know everything about you. I know the things you’ve done and why you did them. I also know that somewhere along the way you became more precious than the rest of those assigned to me to watch, as Devinshea became to Felicity.”

Dev and I looked at each other. I felt a surprising surge of jealousy, but I put it aside as Felix continued.

“Why do you think I allowed the demon to capture me?” Felix asked softly.

“You did what?” Sarah practically screeched the question.

“I couldn’t watch you here, so I made myself a very easy target,” the angel explained. “I knew that I wouldn’t go back to the Heaven plane without you. It’s my time to fall. It’s my time to experience something new, and I’m so excited at the prospect. I want to share this with you. I want you to teach me, Sarah.”

Sarah’s smile was every bit as radiant as Felix’s halo. “If you’re sure, then I will guide you as you have guided me.”

“We’re talking about sex, right?” Felix finally sounded halfway human, his voice going low as though he didn’t really want Dev and I to hear. And I would have sworn his cheeks flushed a gentle pink. “I would really like to have sex, but not until after we’re married. The good news is we’re close to Vegas, so we don’t have to wait long. But Sarah, be sure you love me. I also want to try the whole eating thing, and I don’t know how much I’ll like exercise. You might want to take a picture because this is probably the last time I’ll look this good.”

Laughing, Sarah threw her arms around her angel and kissed him for the first time, their mouths forming promises of love and devotion. When Felix pulled back he was solemn. He placed his hand on her forehead and whispered, “You are redeemed, Sarah Tucker. You are redeemed.”

His hand glowed, a brightness shining, bringing Sarah love and life and a future. The contract was done, Hell’s petty documents and laws broken by Heaven’s light.

When he was done, the angel turned to me, inclining his head my direction. “I thank you, my cousin.”

“You’re welcome.” My entire body filled with a happy satisfaction that I’d done the right thing. The glow of a job well done didn’t last long as I had a few questions for my “cousin.” “So Felicity has a thing for Dev?”

I could actually feel Dev’s deep satisfaction at my jealousy. He was going to be insufferable.

“Yes,” Felix answered. “Though it’s easy to see that Felicity’s story won’t end as mine. He glows with love for you, and Felicity would never come between lovers. She knew if you came on this journey together, it would cement the bond between you. She is a creature of sacrifice.”

I couldn’t blame Felicity for loving Dev. He was entirely lovable. I had a thought though. “So if you’re Sarah’s guardian angel and Felicity is Dev’s, which one of us pulled the short straw and got saddled with Oliver?”

Felix threw his golden head back and laughed. “Oh, poor Oliver. He has always gotten the hard task of guarding the true warriors of this world. He watches the most difficult of charges, the ones with a great destiny who stubbornly struggle against it.”

“Oh my god, he’s Daniel’s angel?”

Dev chuckled behind me and patted my back. “He’s talking about you, sweetheart. You’ll have to forgive her. Self-awareness isn’t her strong point.”

“I got Oliver? He sucks.” I pointed at Felix. “I want to know where I can make a few very specific complaints because he’s been laying down on the job. Where the hell was he when I got gut shot with a freaking arrow?”