Torment (38 page)

“I don't know what that means, Keira…”

“No,
you
lied.”

“I didn't lie. I just never thought, that's all. I was shocked beyond belief that you loved me, even with this,” he said, pointing to his scar. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else.”

“So why not tell me another time, after that?” I asked, raising both my eyebrows.

“Keira, I swear, I just never thought about it. A lot has been going on, you know.”

“And…and, when you said you were going to leave me, you couldn’t have anyway, could you?”

“No I couldn’t…”

“So why say it?”

“I just wanted to see if you really wanted me there. I love you, Keira. I loved you before you’d even met me. You know that. I had to see if you wanted me there,” he told me, “
and
, I was pissed at you. So I wanted to piss
you
off.”

I turned my back on him just as Hecate and Danny walked in.

“Are you guys OK?” Danny asked.

“We’re fine,” Eligos told him.

“Yeah, just bloody peachy,” I said, sitting on the sofa.

“I’m not going to ask.”

I stayed quiet for a while. Danny sat next to Hecate on the sofa facing me, and Eligos came and sat next to me. He explained to Danny about life in Hell. About how he would see beings from other realms as well as people. What happened to people when they came to Hell. How there was no money, and how everyone just pitched in to help life run smoothly. He told him how he would be able to travel freely between Earth and Hell, but that, if he had to go to another realm, he would have a spell put on him so he looked like the beings from that particular place. He explained about status down there, and how Danny was now a Captain. He would have a house built for him shortly to reflect that, most likely a three-storey one. Danny was intrigued and listened to his every word. If there was something he wasn’t sure about, he asked questions, and Eligos and Hecate seemed to take turns answering him. We were sitting there for hours. Every now and again Hecate and I would fix us all some drinks. Then they would be talking again. He had just finished telling Danny about the High Court when he noticed the time.

“Wow, I think we need to take you back,” Eligos said. “Your friends will be wondering what's happened to you. You too, Keira.”

“How long have I been gone?” I asked.

“Err, only two Earth hours, but you know what they’re like.”

“I can’t believe we’ve been here eight hours already.”

“Come on, time to go back.”

He told Danny to think about where he wanted to go, and then the power would take over and take him there.

Chapter Forty-Eight

An Unwanted Revelation

Me and Eligos arrived in my hall, while Hecate and Danny arrived outside. Everyone was at the house; none of them had gone home last night.

“Keira, have you seen Danny?” Tyler asked. “I’ve tried calling him but his phone is off. His mom said he didn't go home last night.”

“Relax; he’s on his way here with Hecate.”

“Oh thank God.”

“Hey, guys,” Danny said, walking through the door.

“Where the hell have you been?” Tyler asked.

“Out, why?”

“We were worried.”

“Sorry, I took Hecate to a little hotel for the night instead of just going home.”

“Oh really, well next time, check in,” Tyler almost shouted.

“Sorry, Dad.”

Hecate giggled.

“What are you giggling at?” Tyler said nastily.

“Don't start with me, Tyler,” she said, letting her eyes glow red for a moment. “We both know who’ll come off worse.”

“Walk away, Tyler. Now!” Danny said, moving closer to him.

“Whatever, man,” he muttered, walking into the living room.

“Woo,” I said, “check out, hard man Dan.”

“Shut up!” he laughed.

“Hey, guys,” Lily said, walking over to us. “Wow, Danny, you look pale. Are you OK, honey?”

“Yeah, not had much sleep, that's all.”

“Oh really now,” she grinned.

“Not because of that,” he said, smirking. “You and your dirty mind.”

She gave him a big smile before walking into the kitchen.

“Good saves,” I said to Danny.

“Yeah, not bad. Just said the first thing that popped into my head.”

“Now listen, mate,” Eligos said, walking over to him. “Physically you are twenty, thirty times stronger than you were yesterday. Remember that.”

“I know, don't worry.”

“I’m not, but I know
you’re
worried.”

“Maybe just a little,” he admitted.

“Maybe you should just tell them,” Hecate told him.

“No, not yet, not yet,” he said, shaking his head.

“Why are you so scared of telling them?” I asked him.

“I remember how I felt the night Tyler died, when you’d killed those guys and turned around to walk to your car. All those vine markings on you, the look on your face, it frightened me. I don't want to frighten them.”

“When you saw me as a demon, a full demon in that church, were you scared then?”

“A little, but I knew you would never hurt us.”

“Exactly, and they know
you
would never hurt them.”

“Not yet! Let me get used to it myself first,” he said, “and speaking of markings, will I get them?”

“No,” Eligos answered. “Keira gets them because she’s a Royal, and because all her powers make her so strong, it shows itself. It’s a side effect of having so much power.”

“Can too much power kill you?” I asked.

“I don't think so, no, but you can become unstable, not able to control it,” Hecate explained. “You could go to reach for something and end up sending an energy ball at it instead, even though you didn't mean to. If someone startled you, the power would defend you and attack them, even if you didn't want it to. You would have to have so much strength to keep them at bay. I don't know if I could handle what you have in you.”

“I can handle it, or at least I have up until now.”

“You have a very, very strong mind then,” Eligos said, “the same as me.”

We were interrupted by Marley screaming. We flew into the small living room. Jake and Beth were with her. Marley was lying on the floor, her eyes closed.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“We don't know. She passed out,” Jake said.

A minute later everyone was in the room.

“What was she doing?” Eligos asked.

“She was trying to see if she could get us a clue. She’s been trying daily since you mentioned it to her. This time, I think she may have seen something,” Beth told us.

Jake picked Marley up and laid her on the sofa, then Beth started trying to bring her around.

“Come on, she doesn’t need an audience,” Lily said, pushing Lucian, Tyler, Danny and Hecate out of the room.

Eligos and I waited until she was awake.

“What did you see?” Beth asked her.

“Eyes.”

“I don't understand.”

“Blue eyes, they were glowing,” she said. “They were beautiful, cobalt blue.”

“So why did you scream?” Jake asked.

“Something else came, a creature. He glared at me with his red eyes, and then snarled at me. His teeth were huge. He scared me; it’s like he knew I was watching him.”

“They shouldn’t know,” Eligos told her. “Maybe he wasn’t snarling at you, maybe at someone standing somewhere from the way you were looking. If that makes any sense.”

“Maybe, I don't know.”

“Let’s go back to the blue eyes.”

“They were so beautiful.”

“How did you feel when you saw them?”

“Safe, warm, loved… She was powerful; I could feel it, like the power was pouring out of her. She was so strong.”

“You saw this woman?” I asked.

“No, but I know it
was
a woman. God, she was so powerful. It was overwhelming even for me, and I wasn’t even standing near her. It was just a vision and I felt it. I can’t imagine how it would feel actually being near her.”

“What was she?” I asked Eligos.

“I’m not sure. I don't know any demons that have blue eyes.”

“What else could she be?”

“I don't know.”

All of us went quiet for a moment.

We were all startled when we heard the sound of pots and glasses smashing. Then we heard Lily screaming Lucian’s name. We ran out into the hallway, just in time to see Lucian get thrown out of the kitchen and straight against a wall. We ran into the kitchen. I’d never seen anything like the two creatures that were standing in front of us. They were walking on all fours, snarling, showing their huge teeth, their eyes a fiery red. They looked like a cross between a large bear and a wolf, with massive claws.

“That’s the creature I saw,” Marley said in a frightened voice. “They’ve come for me.”

“They can’t have you!” I said at the same time as Beth.

I felt my eyes change and I turned to look at the others. Everyone’s eyes had changed, including Danny’s, not to black, but to red.

“Here’s your first fight, partner,” Eligos said, obviously to Danny.

“Protect Marley!” I ordered Beth and Jake.

Lily was backed up against the wall, frightened to death. Tyler was on the floor, his head dripping blood, but conscious. Lucian was back on his feet. Hecate healed him quickly so he could fight.

“Keira, they didn't attack us first,” Lucian told me. “They just snarled at us; they only attacked when we went for them. They are stupidly strong.”

“They are one of the strongest creatures you can ever hope
not
to meet,” Eligos warned. “This will not be easy.”

“Should we attack them then?”

“No, don't risk it!” Marley cried. “They just want me. Let them do away with me, then you’ll all be safe.”

“No chance!” Danny said. “We don't sacrifice our friends to save our own asses.”

He turned to look at her then realized his mistake. She saw his eyes, as did Jake, Beth and Lucian. All of them glared at him. He turned back to face the creatures quickly.

“What do we do then?” I asked.

“Demons, attack! Non-demons hide and protect Marley,” Hecate shouted.

Lily and Tyler heard and nodded, then looked straight at Danny.

“Get over it!” I shouted to them both. “We have bigger issues.”

As I shouted one of the creatures snarled at me. That really pissed Eligos off and he went for it. Danny, Hecate and I followed. Before we got to them a figure appeared in front of us, blocking our path. The creatures cowered and started edging backwards. It was Lilith. She threw black orbs at both of them; they howled in agony then fell to the floor before dissolving into the air. She turned to look at me.

“I hate those things,” she smiled at me.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome…Well, must dash. See you soon.”

The next minute she was gone.

“Who was that?” Tyler and Lily asked.

“That was my mother,” I told them.

“Lilith!” everyone said.

“Yeah.”

“I thought she couldn’t come to Earth.”

“She can’t for long; no more than about five minutes,” Eligos told them all.

“Wow!” Lucian, Jake and Tyler said in awe. “She was amazing, did you see how frightened those things were,” Lucian continued.

“That’s because they knew she was going to destroy them,” Hecate said.

“Keira, you’re the double of her,” Lily told me.

“Not quite, but we’re very alike. I noticed that the first time I saw her.”

“Wow!” Tyler said again.

For a moment I thought, “Great, they’ve met Lilith and forgot about Danny.” But I couldn’t have been more wrong. We started to walk out of the room.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Lucian asked, looking straight at Danny.

“You’ve got some explaining to do,” Beth said.

“Hey, don't you tell him what he has to do,” Hecate told her, jumping to Danny’s defense. “He hasn’t known you two minutes; he doesn’t have to tell
you
anything, In fact, he doesn’t
have
to explain himself to any of you; you’re his friends
not
his keepers.”

“Hecate, it’s OK,” Danny assured her. “Thanks, but it’s OK.”

She scowled at Beth before walking out of the room.

“I’m a demon, simple as that. Can’t change it – wouldn't change it. This is what I wanted, I did what I had to do, and now I am what I am,” he said, looking at them all in turn.

“You weren’t at a hotel last night, were you?” Tyler asked.

“No, I was dead.”

“What!” Lily said in shock.

“Yeah,” Danny nodded. “I woke up in Hell.”

“I don't understand,” Lily and Lucian said.

“Danny, why don't you sit them all down and start from the beginning?” I suggested.

Everyone sat in the living room, listening to Danny explain about the conversation in the restaurant. About talking with his family, killing himself and everything that followed.

“So this is your fault actually then,” Tyler said, looking at Eligos.

“I’ll put it to you like this,” Eligos told him calmly, “I’ve knocked you out before; I have no problem with doing it again.”

“I’m stronger now; you wouldn't take me so easily.”

“Really?”

“Try me!” Tyler said, walking over to him, but Eligos didn't move a muscle.

Lucian and Jake quickly stood up, eyes turning black. Then the three of them were thrown across the room and pinned against the wall. I turned around to see a very pissed off, red-eyed Danny with his hand out in front of him.

“You listen to me! I wanted this...I practically begged for it,” he told them. “You want to attack someone, then attack me. All Eligos did was allow me the chance to do something with myself, something I felt strongly about. If you don't understand that, that's fine, but get over it.”

Eligos still hadn't moved an inch and just watched them all as Danny lowered his hand and they were released.

“Guys, I understand it’s a lot to take in,” I said to them all. “But he’s happy.”

“I can’t believe
you
let this happen,” Beth snapped.

“Beth, firstly, Hecate was right, we don't owe you an explanation. Secondly, what do you want more than anything in the world?”