The Death Skull: Relic Defender, Book 2 (36 page)

He laughed. “Of course you are. You don’t have a choice.”

“All humans have choices, demon. God gave us that when he gave us free will. I freely choose not to help you destroy my world.”

His lips twisted, a mixture of anger and amusement. “I’m constantly amazed at how much you humans truly think you have free will. If we had time, I’d enjoy dissuading you, at length, of just how little choice humans have. But right now”—he rattled off a series of clicks, grunts and snarls—“it’s time to get the other players in this game.”

From the deeper shadows surrounding the room, creatures out of nightmares ambled to the light’s edge.

Kat gasped. Crooked bodies with pale skin and bulging heads on elongated necks clicked and snarled back at Beliel. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but it seemed as if something moved underneath the things’ skin, twining like snakes over their naked bodies. Pale-yellow eyes gleamed under the faint light. The stench of death hovered over them and burned her nostrils.

The downside to being in a body again meant she caught every pungent note. She shuddered. At her side, Beliel chuckled, his voice slithering over her like the creatures’ scent.

“I see you like my pets. They are quite interesting, you know. Took me a long time to get the recipe for their creation just right.” He rested his palm on top of the cloth-covered object.

His red eyes brightened, avarice making them widen as he stared at the covered object. “And now, with this, I can fill the world with my creations.” His gaze found her. “And you, my dear human, will help me. As soon as my other—guests—have arrived.”

Swearing came from one of the side tunnels leading to the central chamber. Shuffling followed, that of feet stumbling and tripping over debris. A figure was shoved into the main area. Kat sucked in a deep breath.
Oh my God.
Jackson.

Following him was a small boy who looked like he could be local. His eyes were large in his small face but something about them made her wonder if he was as scared as he appeared.

The woman with the auburn hair clad in red jeans and a white shirt made Kat’s heart stumble, then take a leap forward.

Mari. If Mari was captured, what hope did Kat have of stopping Beliel? The warrior angel was the strongest woman she knew—even stronger than Lexi, who had always been determined and confident even when she’d been new to the streets. That combination was what had made Kat gravitate to the defiant teenager.

But Mari… Kat had never known another woman with the same assurance and strength of willpower. As her knees threatened to collapse and drop her to the sand, Kat stared at Mari. “Come on, Mari. Do something,” she whispered, hoping her appeal might make Mari act.

Mari lifted her gaze. Had she heard Kat’s entreaty? Flames glittered behind the fallen angel’s violet gaze. Lips were pulled into a thin line. She nodded at Kat then looked at Beliel and lifted her chin.

He shook his head and smirked. “Sister, ever defiant. I would have thought a night in my pit contemplating your defeat would have made you see you have no chance of winning. I see it has not. It matters not, as it will do you no good. In the end, you will see.”

“All I see is a boy with the delusion that he is like his father,” Mari retorted. “You will never be like Lucifer. You will always walk in his shadow.”

He lowered his head and his eyes narrowed. Satisfaction filled Kat at the anger lining his brow. “My father is a weak fool. Earth should have been ours a long time ago, humans our slaves. Instead, he sits back and does little to rule. If he does not wish to rule Earth, I will.”

Without warning, he spun and pointed at Kat. “You. It is time.”

She shook her head and backed up. A figure in a brown cloak grabbed her arm in a punishing grip and tugged her toward Beliel and the object on the obelisk.

“Leave her alone, you bastard,” Jackson called out.

Beliel turned his head and looked at the Texan. “Ah, sister, your little pet has found his voice. We’ll start with him.”

“No! You promised he could be mine.” The blonde Kat had seen at that house—the one who’d killed her sister—came into the light. Her tall, thin figure was covered in some sort of skin-colored bodysuit that revealed more than it hid. The woman strode up to Jackson and stood in front of him.

Mari jerked against the creatures restraining her. They snarled and held on, even as her body bucked. “Leave him alone.”

Jackson tossed Mari a crooked grin. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I got this.”

Even as she was mindful of the danger they were in, Kat looked between him and Mari. There was something there—between them. Something she’d never thought she’d see between her fellow human and the warrior angel.

Interesting. And sad since they might never get the chance to find out where it might lead.

At this new threat, Mari’s stomach churned into knots and she released the fear of what that fucking skull would do to her. Fires of Hell, she hadn’t really considered that Beliel would give Jackson to the bitch Jahi. If he did and Jahi took Jackson with her, she’d lose him. That wasn’t something she was prepared to experience.

Beliel bent his head. “Yes, my dear, I promised that you could have him. And so you can. After I’m done with him.” A smirk pulled at his lips. “You see, there’s something Mari needs to know about her human,” he said, then rattled off a series of clicks and snarls.

The two creatures holding on to Jackson jerked him forward until he stood before Beliel. The son of Lucifer walked around Jackson, his gaze scanning him from head to toe, that oily smirk that seemed to permanently reside on his face prominent. She kept her body stiff but ready to jump to Jackson’s aid.

“You see, sister, your human is keeping something from you. A secret he doesn’t want you do know. But you need to know since I think you’ve forgotten the truth about humans.”

She rolled her eyes. “What is that truth, Beliel? I find it hard to believe you have any truth that could make any difference.”

“He’s not on this quest of yours to protect the world from me. He’s on it for his own reason. For his own purpose. One I find highly entertaining, since I was instrumental in making it happen.”

Jackson swore and lunged at Beliel. Mari was glad to see the demon step away, even though Jackson was restrained. Beliel cocked his head then swung his arm and punched Jackson in his stomach. With a grunt, he doubled over but the creatures holding his arms jerked him upright.

Bastard.
She snarled and took a half step before she was halted. “Get to the point, Beliel. I have no time or patience for games.” She wanted his attention back on her, not Jackson. White surrounding Jackson’s lips told her Beliel’s punch had been brutal, had maybe even broken something internally.

“So impatient.” Beliel sighed. “Very well. Your human seeks the skull for himself. So he can sell it. For the money. He intended to take it from you once you defeated me.”

She looked at Jackson. Despite the pain shadowing his gaze, she saw something else. Remorse. Guilt.

She didn’t have to ask him if it was true—she saw it in his eyes. Her insides twisted, a lump forming in her chest. “Why?”

Jahi cackled. “Aw, isn’t that sad? She really didn’t know.”

Ignoring the succubus, even as Mari was sure her eyes showed her anger and betrayal, she didn’t drop her gaze from Jackson as he stared at her intently.

“I don’t have a choice,” he said in a clipped tone.

“Of course you do. Everyone has a choice. That’s why God gave you humans free will. So you could exercise your choices. Right or wrong, good or bad—still a choice. Apparently, you made one that sacrificed our mission.” She pulled back her shoulders. “Again, I ask you, why?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Beliel clapped his hands, his red eyes brightening with pleasure. “Delightful. Absolutely delightful. You’ve forgotten how selfish these creatures can be.”

Mari glared at Beliel. “Right now, it doesn’t matter. Whatever the human planned to do is moot since I have no plans to let you or”—her glare switched to Jackson and she was slightly mollified to see his gaze drop—“the human have the skull.”

With a nod at Kat, Mari called her sword and lunged at Beliel. At the same time, Kat dropped to her knees and kicked, knocking into Beliel’s legs. The demon cried out in rage even as he swung to meet Mari’s advance. Before she could reach him, a flash of brown came at her, long, bleached-white arms reaching to grab.

Soon she was surrounded by the wormlike creatures with Brown Robe at the front of the group. Her arms were grasped by multiple fingers that dug into her skin. She snarled and cursed but couldn’t break free. Even her angel powers were no match for their unholy strength.

A dark chuckle came from in front of her. “You can’t hope to win against my pets.” Satisfaction filled Beliel’s voice. “I’ve changed my mind. Bring her here.”

Even as she kicked and flung her body about, the creatures dragged Mari to Beliel. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that he’d gotten Kat back as well. The ghost turned human slumped at his side, her eyes wide and her lips pinched so tight white flared at their corners.

“My minion tells me that you’ve experienced my new treasure’s power once before and found the lesson interesting. You will get a chance to again, but this time the Archangel will not be around to save you.”

With a dramatic flick of his wrist, he tore the sheet off the object on top of the obelisk. Despite already knowing what was under there, the sight of the evil thing—the Death Skull—left her with the urge to flee and find a corner to gibber in in terror.

From behind her, Jackson shouted and let out an occasional grunt as he was restrained. She took her focus off the skull and onto what Beliel had accused Jackson of. Was the demon right? Had Jackson intended to take the skull from her and sell it? Did he really think she would have let him? What was so important to him that he would risk his life to take the skull from her? And if it came to that, if she believed he could, would she be able to kill him?

“Sister, because of our history, I’m going to relent and give you one last chance to come back to your family. To we who know you so well.”

Mari refocused on Beliel, ever mindful of the crystal glow of the skull a few feet from her. Even as she was repulsed by it, a part of her yearned to go to it. To stare into its eyes. To give herself to the magic inside.

“Well, sister? Time is running out. I must have your answer now.”

Directing the fullness of her gaze focusing on him, she lifted her chin and said, “No. Things have changed. I have changed. We were wrong to do as we did. I will not go back.”

“Very well. Then I have no choice.”

Jerking his head at Brown Robe, Beliel gathered Kat and shoved her to the skull. He took one of her hands and placed it on top of the crystal skull. Brown Robe, aided by the other creatures, dragged Mari to the skull. She thought about struggling but knew with all the creatures around her she’d not be able to break free. Her only chance was to wait until they believed she was under the influence of the skull, and then act.

If she could. If the skull didn’t take her first.

She was set into place right in front of the nasty thing. Cold fingers held her head straight so she had to look directly into the sunken eye sockets. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Kat who stood, shaking, her eyes nearly rolled back into her head. Mari’s muscles tensed with the desire to help her friend who was obviously under the skull’s spell.

“It’s working,” Beliel growled from a point off to her left, near Kat. The excitement in his voice made Mari’s toes curl with anger and disgust. “I knew it would work. Soon the power of the skull will be mine.”

An absurd part of Mari wanted to roll her eyes at his typical villain posturing. Had he watched too many campy movies about cardboard superheroes and villains and the obligatory scene where the villain talks about his plans and brags about his success—right before everything falls apart? She hadn’t thought so before but maybe he was really watching those shows and using them as Villain Etiquette 101.

Before she could respond, eerie sounds came from Kat, followed by a singsong chanting in a dialect Mari did not understand. Except it was familiar. It was the same one she’d heard when Michael had sent her on the field trip.

Sweat, from fear rather than heat, formed and rolled down her back. Unable to look away, she saw an orange glow brighten from a pinpoint of light into one that filled the eye sockets and spilled over. Mari’s gaze widened and then she couldn’t move. Couldn’t turn her head. Couldn’t blink. Couldn’t do anything but stare at the light.

The glow expanded, wrapping her in its warm light, curling through her body with an insidious touch. Down and down, deeper her mind went, until all that was around her was the skull.

Shapes formed. Moved. Twisted.

Pictures of long-time-ago places and people. Death and dying. Broken bodies lying on battlefields.

From the bodies, wispy threads of silver rose and gathered over the area into a thready cloud.

The skull, raised upon its obelisk, worshipped and feared as it sucked in the delicate filaments of mortal, and angel, souls.

For she saw her brethren there among the humans, called and dying at the skull’s will. And the will of the magician who controlled the skull.