The Road To Hell Part 22

"Big words for a mortal. A dead mortal." She lifted her chin, as if daring me to strike. "I think you don't have it in you to kill me. I think your soul has softened you even more than He said at the Announcement."

My lip curled in a sneer. Look at her, kneeling on the dirt floor. This is all she ever will be: a b.l.o.w.j.o.b waiting to happen, a c.o.c.ktease of power. Kill her.

But she looks so pathetic, with the grime on her knees and a pout on those sullen, swollen lips. Sweat beaded on my brow, began to drip down my temples.

Kill her!

In my hands, the sword wavered.

"Come on, Jezebel," Lillith purred. "I'm helpless before you. Do you need me to make it easier? Here." She tilted her head to the side. "Go ahead. What are you waiting for?"

Gritting my teeth, I stared at her exposed neck. Do it.

Don't do it, Peaches said. Do you really want to d.a.m.n yourself for her? Is she really worth your soul?

Lillith grinned. "I knew it." She raised her arms- -and in my mind, I felt Daun reach out- My arms drew back with a jerk, and I grunted as my hands swung forward, the sword blazing a path to Lillith's neck. I couldn't stop the movement, even if I really wanted to; Daun was in my mind, riding me, pushing my body to obey his silent command.

Lillith vanished in a puff of sulfur. A second later, the blade whistled past the s.p.a.ce where her neck had been.

"Jezzie," Daun said after the smoke dissipated, "what the f.u.c.k just happened? Why didn't you slice her open, spill her insides all over the ground?"

"I couldn't." I dropped the sword, and it fell to the floor with an impotent clang. Groaning from embarra.s.sment, I covered my face. "I just couldn't kill her."

"Why in h.e.l.l not?"

"I pitied her," I said, my voice m.u.f.fled by my hands.

"What?"

Through my fingers I shouted, "I pitied her. Bless me, I'm such a lousy former malefic ent.i.ty!"

A pause, and then I felt his hands press down on my shoulders. "Babes," Daun sighed, "this was a really, really bad time to go New Testament on me."

PART THREE.

PAUL AND THE KING OF h.e.l.l.

Chapter 16.

h.e.l.l "Well," Daun said, "that's that."

I lowered my hands to stare into his eyes, which were sparkling with mischief and wicked intent. There'd been a time when I relished that look. But now all it did was cause a knot to form in my stomach. "What's what?"

"If the b.i.t.c.h was actually telling the truth and your meat pie's in the Caverns, that's all she wrote. You can't go in there. And he can't get out." He shrugged, a lazy movement of his shoulders that belied the intense look in his eyes. "No rescue mission."

"Bulls.h.i.t on that." I jabbed a finger at his chest, where it slid on sweat and dirt. "I'm getting him out."

"Oh really?" Daun arched an eyebrow. "How're you planning on doing that?"

"I'm going to march in there and get him." I waggled my wrist under his nose, showing the golden bracelet. "A Wiccan practically forced this little trinket on me. It's called the Rope of..." I paused, not wanting to call the Hecate's attention onto me. I didn't get to be more than four thousand years old by being completely stupid. "Of the patron of witchcraft. I figure She did it for a reason."

He frowned. "Witches suck."

"Yeah," I said, thinking of Caitlin and her secrets, Caitlin and her taunting hints of knowledge. The Hecate knows much.

"And some of them have no fashion sense. But they do know their s.h.i.t when it comes to magic and their patron G.o.ddess. She must have wanted me to have it."

"What, you think the witch knew you'd want to pull an Orpheus?"

"Nothing about witches surprises me anymore."

"Fair enough."

"So I'll go into the Caverns, find Paul, give him the bracelet, and then he'll return Above." Saying it like that made it seem so simple. So what that I was overlooking the fact that I could wander about the Caverns for the better part of a millennium and never retrace my steps, let alone find Paul? Minor details.

They say the devil's in the details.

Shut up, Peaches.

"As much as I don't mind you being trapped in a different plane than your flesh puppet," Daun said, "there's a flaw in your plan."

Only one? Maybe my plan made more sense than I thought. "How's that?"

"You haven't said how you're getting out of the Caverns once you go in."

Oops. "Yeah, well, I'm working on that part."

"You take your time," he said. "You're not going to the Caverns any time soon."

"Pardon me?"

Daun grinned, licking his lips slowly, and my s.e.x tingled in response. Stop that, body. "You and me, babes, we have a lot of catching up to do. We've got the entire District to paint red. And that's just the start."

He took my hand, rubbed his thumb over my palm. Goose-b.u.mps tripped up my arm.

Yo, body, I said stop that.

Drawing circles over my wrist, just above where the Rope of Hecate lay, Daun chuckled. "There's going to be a whole lot of loving going on. We're going to desecrate every level of h.e.l.l, right up to the Court itself."

"Loving later," I said, trying to pull my hand out of his grasp and failing miserably. Fine, he could hold my hand and write invisible tantric messages on my skin. No problem. "First rescuing. Specifically, first rescuing Paul, then Meg."

"Right." His heated gaze roamed over my body, leaving scorch marks in its wake. "As if I'm going to let you do that."

My throat constricted; if I were still breathing, I would have choked. "Excuse me?"

"You're mine, Jezzie." With his other hand, he traced the curves of my face, then let his touch drift down my neck and chest, stopping to caress my breast. I stifled a moan, pretended not to notice my nipple springing to attention. Fondling me, Daun said, "If you think I'm going to let you go, you're even crazier than the angel thought."

"You promised," I said through clenched teeth, absolutely not paying attention to how my groin was starting to pulse with need. "You swore on your name to let me go."

He slid his fingers over my chest, ran around my other b.o.o.b in concentric circles until he was teasing my nipple. I bit my lip to keep my reaction in check. With a grin that would have scarred small children, Daun said, "You're right. But I never said I'd let you go right away."

Oh c.r.a.p.

"Now," he said, his voice an eager hum, "let's get busy."

"Daun-"

But he was already at my breast, sucking my nipple, working my t.i.t until all I could do was gasp. His hands flowed over me like water, raining pleasure after pleasure on my flesh as they washed over my skin. When his fingers drummed between my legs, I somehow regained enough sense to tangle him up in my arms and push him back. "Daun, stop."

Something dark flashed in his eyes. "You don't get to tell me to stop."

Oh. Oh boy, that's not good. "Sweetie-"

"Shut up, Jezzie."

My mouth clicked closed. No matter how I tried, I couldn't pry open my lips. I felt Daun in my mind, sliding around my thoughts, commanding my body to betray me. I slapped at that presence, tried to push it away, but the soul bond was too strong to fight and impossible to ignore; it spoke a language that my body had to obey.

Fighting back panic, I took a step away from him, imploring Daun with my eyes and hands to let me go.

He said, "Stop."

My hooves rooted to the ground, refused to move.

"Stand still, Jezzie."

My hands dropped to my sides. I stood like a life-sized doll for she-devils, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would break through my ribcage.

He lifted my chin in his hand, stared deep into my eyes; all I saw in his was my own wide-eyed reflection. "I could force myself on you. I could command you to be my slave, to beg for me to touch you. I could tell you to gouge out your eyeb.a.l.l.s and eat them. And you'd have to do everything I say. You know this, don't you?"

I did. Oh bless me, I did.

A whimsical smile played on his lips. "I could command you to forget about your meat pie."

No. Please no.

I closed my eyes, wondering if the bond was strictly physical, or if it meant that Daun could erase my mind, make me think whatever he told me to think. I didn't want to find out the hard way.

Paul, I swear, no matter what, I'm coming for you.

He can't make me forget you.

"But what I said Above still stands." Daun's hand left my chin, trailed down my jaw and neck, traced a line over my shoulder. "I'm not into power games."

Could have fooled me, you Evil f.u.c.k.

Now he was behind me, both his hands on my shoulders, pressing, rubbing, working their own sort of magic: Even though I was paralyzed by his command and by my own growing fear, my body was reacting to his touch. Warmth spread over my shoulders and neck, stretched down my back and across my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, licked its way down my belly and hips.

"You like this," he said-either a comment or a command, it didn't matter. Because I liked it.

Oh, sweet Sin, I liked it.

His hands moved deftly over me, and my hips begged to dance against his, to buck with every rolling press of his fingers. But no-he'd told me to stand still, so I couldn't move, not even to give in to the feeling building inside of me, churning through me as my groin tightened and bless me, now his hands were on my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, squeezing me, plucking me, tracing every curve, every oh he's reaching down, down over my belly, my mound, my oh my oh he's in me and in me and let me move let me move let me...

Air, hot and moist, tickling my earlobe as he whispered: "Yes, you like this, you want this more than anything. I can tell. I bet I can taste it."

His fingers slid out of me, and my body wailed for him to dive back in, the water was fine. If he sensed my ache, he ignored it. That rat b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I stood, waiting on his pleasure, almost vibrating from how he'd wound me up. He made an ummmm sound, then ran his wet fingers over my mouth. As he rubbed my lips, I caught the scent of my own juices, tart and pungent. My body screamed s.e.x now, and if I hadn't been forced into being a living (well, dead) statue, I would have thrown myself on him and ridden him like a bronco.

I knew that I had to leave, to rescue Paul, to help Meg, but all I could think about was how I liked Daun's touch. How I wanted him, more than anything.

"You do still taste like a succubus, you know," Daun said, kissing my neck.

Oh, sweetie, let me f.u.c.k you, and I'll show you that I can still move like a succubus...

"I've missed you, Jezzie. I missed all the sweaty s.e.x. There's no one in h.e.l.l like you. When she told me to tempt you back to h.e.l.l, how could I say no?" His mouth on mine, surprisingly gentle. Then he said, "Open your eyes, babes."

I did. His amber gaze locked on mine, hidden thoughts flashing behind his pupils. I wanted him now, right now. Just say the word, sweetie, and I'll pour myself over you, I'll swallow you down, I'll make you explode inside of me...

"If I gave you the choice, right now," he said, "would you stay with me? Answer me true."

My mouth opened, and I said, "No."

Argh! No! Wrong answer! Say you want to be with him always, you want to f.u.c.k him until the end of Creation!

But Daun had commanded me to answer true, so I had. Because as much as I wanted him in me, my heart (stupid dumb asinine human heart) had been stolen by another.

Daun's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

The frost in his voice dampened the desire blazing through me, and with a gasp I felt my body's On switch get flipped to Off. I didn't know if Daun purposefully rescinded his command to want him, or if it was an accidental side effect of his anger. I didn't care; for the moment, I could think, even if I still couldn't move. "I have to bring Paul back. I can't leave him trapped in the Caverns."

He tilted his head, considering me. "Maybe I'd let you visit him in a couple centuries. He's not going anywhere."

"He's not supposed to be here at all," I countered. "Even the angel said that. His soul's clean."

"So's yours. Yet here you are."

"I'm here for him. I'm going to free him. I have to."

Rage stormed in his eyes, rippled over his face as he sneered. "Why? Because you love him?"

"Yes."

"What's love, anyway? It's just a fleeting, fickle thing. And it f.u.c.ks you more than any d.i.c.k out there ever could."