Page 17

Chapter seventeen

“ H ow long will you be gone tonight?” Deus asked, running a finger down the center of my bare chest and circling around my bellybutton. I tangled my bare legs with his.

“I’m not sure,” I replied. “I haven’t been able to spend much time with them since someone has been taking up most of my time.”

He laughed softly, pulling me into his hard chest. “Are you complaining, fiancé? Based on the sounds you were making five minutes ago. I’d say you didn’t mind any time I’ve been taking.”

I nuzzled my nose into his neck, a sense of complete peace warming me.

As soon as I had walked through my bedroom door, Deus had been on me. We were like wild animals. Our clothes were torn to shreds and we had lost ourselves in each other’s bodies, taking every moment of pleasure we could.

“You were making sounds too, mate,” I whispered, pressing tender kisses to his neck. He moaned while I trailed my lips down the front of his chest.

His fingers entwined my long white hair, then he yanked my head back, claiming my mouth with his. He had been inside me moments ago, but I already craved more. I pulled away only to take a breath. A smile stretched across his face, revealing his beautiful dimples.

“How am I supposed to focus on anything else when all I can think about is you?” I asked while he pressed soft kisses on either of my cheeks.

“I’m the wrong person to ask, since all I can think about is how perfectly you take me.” His fingers slid down the seam of my sex, forcing my hips to arch in response. “How perfect you clench around me.” With a taunting caress over my bundle of nerves, a moan of pleasure escaped me. “How wet I can make you.” His teeth crazed against my earlobe, nipping tenderly. “How delicious you taste.”

I couldn’t control myself. I shifted on top of him, forcing his body back against the mattress and positioned him at my entrance, sliding myself down around him with force. I screamed in ecstasy, moving in a desperate rhythm, needing to consume as much of him as possible.

His closed tightly while his hands held my hips firmly, grinding me harder against him. Within seconds, I was coming undone. Heat rose inside of me with each thrust. I was throbbing, everything inside of me screaming for a release until finally, with one more deep thrust, I came undone. Evidence of my pleasure slid down my legs, drenching his beautiful body and our bed.

Deus roared alongside me, forcing himself deeper inside, holding us there while my body convulsed and shivered around him. I collapsed on top of his chest, heaving in exhaustion. He caressed his fingers down my spine, sending gooseflesh erupting along my skin. He pressed a tender kiss to the side of my head, wrapping his other arm around me.

“I love you, Seren,” he whispered.

I pulled back, gazing into his beautiful eyes. “I love you too, Asmodeus.” I lazily pressed my lips against his. Deus tightened his arms around my body, pulling me closer against him as he deepened the kiss.

A knock came at the door, but I barely heard it. Deus traced my lips with his tongue while his hand cupped my aching breast. The knock came again.

“For Aradia’s sake,” I heard Frankie yell from the other side. “You two have been at it for hours. Come up for air already and give the rest of us some peace and quiet.”

I laughed against Deus’s lips, pushing myself off his perfect body. “Don’t you have your own prince to entertain yourself with?” I yelled back.

“Oh, don’t worry about us,” she said. “We’re perfectly satisfied, but we’ve learned how to balance our physical life with our duties. Do you need some pointers?”

“I need more,” Deus whispered, flipping my body underneath his and sliding his tongue down my abdomen towards my sex. I gasped from the instant pleasure that overcame me.

“We’re meeting in Nonna’s room in ten minutes,” Frankie called out.

“Got it,” I replied in a breathy voice.

“Ten minutes,” Deus said, trapping my thighs with his arms. “I can work with that.”

I managed to shower, even after Deus had immobilized my body with his wicked talents. I walked down the halls of Castle Salvo, memorizing every small detail of the beautiful palace that had become my first true home. My family had been raised within these walls. I would have grown up here, alongside Frankie, if things had been different. If it weren’t for Lucifer.

Inside Nonna’s room, I found my family waiting near the seating area. Engagement ring balloons were scattered around the room along with flowers, hors d'oeuvres, and decorations. Aunt Thora popped a bottle of champagne. My family clapped, all grinning widely as they rushed me.

Frankie barreled into me, squeezing my ribs until I gasped for air.

“Oh, my gods!” she gasped. “I cannot believe you didn’t call me as soon as it happened. I want all the details.”

“Give her some air, Francesca,” Aunt Thora said, taking me into her arms. “I am so happy for you, sweetheart. Truly.”

My mother approached next. She reached for me slowly, testing if I would stop her, but I embraced her first. She pulled away with a smile on her face.

“I am happy you’ve found the one your heart truly loves, little bean.”

“So am I,” I replied.

“The Prince of Lust,” Nonna laughed, hugging me tightly. “Only a—

“—Salvo woman could bag the Prince of Lust,” Aunt Thora, Frankie, and my mother all said as one. We all laughed while we made our way back to the seating area.

“And have we forgotten, this is Seren’s third engagement in the past year,” added Frankie.

“Yea, thanks for the reminder,” I said, rolling my eyes. The thought of Orion tugged at my heart.

“We’re very desirable women,” my mother said, in an unsure tone. This was the first time I had heard her try to joke. It sounded unnatural, but I was glad she was trying to regain the person she had been before Lucifer had taken her soul.

“The hell we are,” Aunt Thora said, clinking her glass to Annalise’s.

“If I recall,” added Nonna, “you’ve caught the eye of the Prince of Gluttony.”

“Oh, Mamma,” Thora said, rolling her eyes.

“No,” Frankie chimed in, “Nonna’s right. He seems very taken with you.”

Aunt Thora balked. “There is no way in hell,” she said.

“I wouldn’t count him out.” I laughed. “They have their ways about them.”

“I second that,” Frankie added.

“Absolutely not,” Thora huffed.

“Oh, stop being such a prude, Thora,” Nonna spat. “Taking him for a test run wouldn’t kill you.”

Frankie and I looked at each other in shock. Mom choked on her champagne and then we all burst into laughter.

“What?” Nonna said. “I may be old, but I am not dead.”

“Okay,” Frankie said, grabbing my hand. “Tell us how he proposed. Every detail.”

I smiled, taking myself back to that night. For the next half hour, I told them about our time on the island and how he asked me to spend eternity by his side. My family eagerly listened, laughter and awws coming at the right moments. I told them about the bond and what I experienced when we had connected, leaving the more personal bits out.

When I had finished, Nonna wiped tears I hadn’t noticed before from her cheeks. She took a deep breath and smiled.

“I suppose tomorrow wedding planning shall begin,” she said. We exchanged a painful glance—my marriage would be short-lived. “But tonight,” she continued, “I have gathered you all here to conduct a summoning.”

Aunt Thora and Mom’s faces went blank.

“A séance? What are you talking about?” asked Aunt Thora.

“And what are we summoning?” asked Mom. “If my memory serves me, you banned Thora and me from ever doing a summoning again after that little incident back in the early ’90s.”

“Aradia, was that a shit show,” mumbled Thora.

“And for good reason,” snapped Nonna. “You two didn’t know what the hell you were doing.”

“What are we summoning?” asked Frankie.

“Something that visited me,” I said, taking charge. I told them about my experience with the woman hidden in darkness. When I had finished, my mother looked panicked.

“Have you told Deus?” asked Frankie.

“No,” I replied. “I want to figure out who she is first before I involve him in this. She visited me when I was alone. I need to know why. The timing also baffles me. After the mating bond was completed, she decides to show up? That can’t be a coincidence.”

“I agree,” added Nonna, standing. We all joined her. “Time to find out what your new friend wants. Seren, shift us to a place hidden from sight. A place in nature, so we will be able to ground.”

I closed my eyes, trying to imagine such a place. And then an image came to mind, a place full of beauty and peace. Orion’s favorite place. I swallowed the tears, taking Nonna and Frankie’s hand. Once we were linked, I shifted us to the beautiful landscape.

When I opened my eyes, all I could see was Orion. The time we spent here when he was helping me train. The bond we had forged. My heart tightened from the pain.

“Where are we?” asked Frankie.

“Ligurian Alps,” I answered. “This was Orion’s favorite place. We used to come here to train. It’s safe.” Aunt Thora stroked my arm gently.

“It’s beautiful,” added my mom softly.

“Everyone, gather in a circle,” instructed Nonna. My aunt and mother helped her prepare, setting out the candles and appropriate herbs and crystals. Nonna lit the sage and then stood at the top of the pentagram. “Circle up, girls.”

We did as she said, taking our places. I had never done a spell of this magnitude before, and I didn’t know what we were calling forth. Too many unknowns, but if this woman had answers that would assist us in the upcoming war, we had to try.

Nonna took out a dagger, slicing two long slits down either of her palms. She passed it to Mom, who did the same, passing it to Thora. Frankie and I looked at each other and shrugged before following suit.

“Now,” continued Nonna, “once we lock hands, recite the spell after me. Do not, by any means, let go of each other’s hands. Our blood ties will keep us from harm and the circle will lock the spirit into place. If at any point the spirit becomes violent or we wish to end the link, we will recite the words, et ita factum est .”

“And so, it is done,” whispered Frankie.

“Exactly,” replied Nonna. “Seren, since the spirit made contact with you, you will be the one to talk to it. It may respond better to you than a stranger.”

“Understood,” I replied.

“Everyone ready?” asked Nonna .

We nodded. One by one we clasped our hands together in a circle. I could feel the power of our blood as it passed through each of us. My family’s eyes began to glow with a yellow light, just as the cool force of our power struck me, taking my breath away. This kernel of our magic connected us to one another—to our legacy.

The pentagram in the center of our circle lit on fire, streams of burning flames running across the lines of the star, blazing with heat and magic. I felt the ripples of magic, now that we had funneled our energy into one. It wasn’t like the bond between Deus and I, or the magic I felt from my goddess or demon parts. This was natural, familiar. Something that had always been there, now magnified that I stood hand in hand with my bloodline.

Nonna began chanting slowly, letting us hear her pronunciation of each word. In unison, we repeated the spell, our magic flowing through us, joining together in the center of the pentagram. I closed my eyes, imagining the woman who had visited me a week ago: the sound of her voice, the pain in her eyes, the darkness that surrounded her. I focused, holding the image at the forefront of my mind.

The wind picked up around us, tossing the flames wildly. I tightened my grip on Nonna and Frankie, holding the image of the visitor in my mind. My hair lashed at my face as the wind violently tore through the trees. The branches whined and the leaves hissed. The ground shook under our feet, rattling the loose rocks against the surface.

Our chanting became louder, overpowering the noise of the rushing air. Power rose from the center of the star, tying itself to each of us with a beam of pure white light. My magic was tugged from within, like a hand reaching deep inside of my chest and latching onto my heart. In a flash, the breath from my lungs was ripped away. Our bodies extended, frozen in the air for a moment until the power let go, silencing the nature around us.

Still grasping Frankie and Nonna’s hands, I drew my gaze from the ground to the figure that now stood in the center of our circle. A tall slender woman in a tattered black dress examined our faces until she landed upon mine. Her beautiful curly white hair drifted in the wind, falling the length of her back. Her tanned skin looked freshly kissed by the sun, though she was covered in dirt. Small brown freckles dusted the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were dark as night.

“Goddess,” she whispered, a sly smile adorning her face.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“My name is Talia Mizrahi,” she said, taking a breath. “I am the first vessel of Aradia.”

“Impossible,” Nonna whispered.

Talia turned towards Nonna with surprise on her face, as if she had forgotten we weren’t alone.

“What do you want?” I asked, regaining her focus.

“To help you defeat Lucifer Morningstar,” she replied.

I glanced to Nonna, hoping Talia didn’t give my plan away to the others. A flicker of darkness struck through Talia’s body, causing her to gasp in pain. She fell to the ground, gasping for air.

“I don’t have much time,” she said, sitting back on her knees. “It’s pulling me back.”

“What is?” I asked. “Where are you?”

“Purgatory,” she replied, and another ripple of darkness slashed into her, slicing her cheek wide open. “Find me. Use your doorway and find me. I will answer all your questions. I can help.”

“In exchange for what?” I asked .

She gritted her teeth, whimpering a bit as the darkness seeped from the ground, encasing her form. Two invisible claws made slash marks on either side of her shoulders, as if digging into her. She cried out in pain.

“All I wish is to destroy Lucifer once and for all,” she answered, and vanished.

A massive force slammed into the ground, tearing our grips from one another, sending us flying backwards. I hit the soft grass and lay there, breathing deeply and processing the revelation we had just uncovered.

“Too old. I am too old,” Nonna said, shaking her head while wiping the dirt off her pants.

“Valeriana Ravenmore was the first vessel,” snapped Thora. “Our records do not mention any before. This has to be a trap.”

“Has Deus or Levi ever mentioned other vessels before the first?” asked Annalise.

“No,” I replied, and stood, looking at Frankie. “Deus cared for Valeriana. She’s the reason he was reunited with his soul. He wouldn’t keep this from me.”

“Levi also believes Valeriana was the first,” added Frankie. “All the vessels have been in contact with the princes one way or another in the past. They would have known.”

“Unless …” I said slowly, thinking. “Unless something with Talia had gone very wrong.”

“What are you thinking?” asked Nonna.

“There was magic in the world before Valeriana,” I continued, “before Aradia. Aradia just strengthened our gifts. But even in religious texts, magic is mentioned.”

“You’re suggesting that our goddess lied to us?” said Thora.

“Look at Victoria,” I said,. “She went against her own nature, what she was created for, just to have a chance to be with Deus. Now, she is working with the very evil we were designed to defeat. Free will is a choice. And then … when I completed the rite,” I paused, preparing to share more secrets I had hidden from my family.

“When Aradia bestowed her power into me, Deus was released from Hell and his power reached for me. Aradia panicked when she saw his magic. She reached inside of me and felt the darkness that waited there. She kept saying ‘not again’ and that she wouldn’t allow it to happen again … right before she tried to kill me.”

They gasped.

“Seren,” Nonna said, her face furrowing with disappointment. “Why have you kept this from us?”

“Too much was happening,” I replied. “I didn’t think much of it until now. Maybe Aradia was referring to Talia. Maybe there is an entire part of our history that has been kept from us.”

“We still have too many unanswered questions to start speculating,” said Nonna. “First, I suggest we ask the princes if they know of this Talia character. Then, Seren, the choice is up to you how you wish to proceed.”

I nodded, gathering us all in a circle and shifting back to the castle. As soon as we landed, I sent a message down the bond, asking Deus to gather his brothers and meet us in Nonna’s room. Within ten minutes, five Princes of Hell stalked through the doors, each more devastatingly handsome than the next, but none of them held a candle to the Prince of Lust. My heart skipped a beat just at the sight of him.

“Being summoned by witches,” Mammon grumbled. “How low we’ve fallen.”

“I don’t mind,” Levi said, heading straight for Frankie .

Deus slid his arms around my waist, kissing my head softly. I didn’t miss the wink Belz gave Aunt Thora before taking his place next to Mammon.

“What’s going on?” asked Gor. G following closely at his side.

I took a deep breath and said down the bond, “don’t be mad that I kept this from you.” Deus looked at me with confusion.

“A spirit began to visit me when I was in Hell. At first, I thought it was just a dream, but then she appeared to me a week ago when Deus and I were on the island. She was trapped in darkness and in pain. She flickered in and out of existence and screamed in agony, but was unable to speak. I asked my family to help me locate and speak with her. We called upon her tonight. She claims her name is Talia Mizrahi … the first goddess vessel.”

Gor’s eyes went wide. Deus’s mouth pressed into a thin line.

“Impossible,” said Belz.

“She says she has a way to defeat Lucifer permanently,” I continued. “She doesn’t want anything in return.”

“Have any of you heard of her?” asked Annalise.

They all shook their heads in silence.

“The first we knew of was Aradia,” said Belz.

“Then Valeriana,” added Deus. “She had no memories of other vessels. Only small parts of Aradia’s life.”

I paused, thinking things over. “When did Obsidian begin?” I asked, looking around the room.

“Their coven predates any text we have,” answered Thora.

I looked to Deus and the others.

“There has always been evil in this world,” explained Belz, “but mention of Obsidian began in the year, what …” He paused, looking at his brothers fo r confirmation. “1500 BC-ish?”

“I believe so,” said Levi. “It was near the time of Moses, if I recall correctly.”

“I would have to agree,” said Gor, looking as if he was deep in thought. “After Moses freed Father’s chosen people, they were denied passage into the promised land because of their disobedience when told to invade—” Recognition flashed across his face, along with the rest of his brothers.

“Fuck,” mumbled Mammon.

“How did we miss that?” asked Belz.

“Maybe because we were all soulless animals at that time,” Levi suggested.

“Anyone care to enlighten the rest of us?” snapped Nonna.

“Canaan,” Deus said, “was ordered to be destroyed by Father. Moses and his people were the first to be given the order, but they disobeyed, causing them to fall from Father’s favor. When the mantel of leadership passed to Joshua, the order was given again and this time, his people obeyed.”

“But between the shift in power,” said Levi, “the Canaanites used that time to build forces of great strength.”

“And dark power,” added Gor. “Canaan was known for its wickedness. Their worship of satanic idols and false gods.”

“The first mention of a group of people using magic,” said Belz.

“A coven,” Frankie whispered.

“So,” said Nonna, “we think this Talia figure came from that time?”

“It’s a theory,” answered Gor, “but we can’t know for sure without more information.”

I exhaled. “Well, I guess that settles that,” I said, looking to Nonna. “Off to Purgatory I go.”

“Purgatory?” Deus blurted. “Absolutely not. ”

“This woman is in Purgatory, not Hell. You’re sure?” asked Gor.

“That is what she says,” I answered. “And I can’t sense her in Hell.”

“Seren,” said Levi, taking a step forward. “We can’t enter Purgatory. That realm is off limits to us.”

“And if I can’t go with you,” said Deus, “you are not going.”

“I will go,” my mother said from behind me. We all turned towards her. “I’ll go with Seren to find Talia.”

“Annalise,” Thora whispered, concern lacing her tone.

“It only makes sense,” my mother explained. “The covens need Mother here to lead. You and Frankie are next in line. The princes can’t go, which leaves Seren and I to track down this Talia character.”

“I said no,” Deus growled, shaking the castle. I turned towards him, stroking his face.

“My love,” I whispered, trying to calm him. “You have to trust me. She is the key to your brother’s undoing. Have you so quickly forgotten how formidable your mate is?”

“We don’t know what to expect there,” he said, his voice shaking a bit. “I won’t risk you.”

Another hand appeared on his forearm. My mother stood beside us. “I won’t let anything happen to her,” she said with a compassionate smile. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I swear to you, I will gladly sacrifice my life …” she paused, turning towards me, her eyes full of love and devotion, “… if it means that my daughter gets to live.”

I reached up on my tiptoes, kissing Deus on the cheek. “It’s settled then,” I said. “Mom and I will retrieve Talia.”

“And how are you exactly getting to Purgatory?” asked Mammon.

“I can create a doorway,” I replied, looking at Gor. “Right?”

“Essentially, but …” he paused, scrunching hi s face. “Cecilia never attempted to go anywhere but Hell.”

“Infuse the doorway,” G said next to him. Gor’s head popped up, his eyes gleaming with pride.

“Brilliant,” he said. “Beautiful and brilliant.” He kissed her on the head and turned towards me. “We need Talia’s bones.”

Frankie flung her hands dramatically in the air. “Yeah,” she said sarcastically. “No problem. Let’s just hunt down the bones of some girl that lived over three thousand years ago. Why not? Oh, and have we all forgotten … bones don’t last that long!”

“I have a feeling these bones will be well preserved,” I said, thinking back to the haunting image of the woman.”

“We’ll scry for them,” said Aunt Thora. “So dramatic, Francesca.”

“I can help,” offered Giana. Thora nodded her thanks.

“Great,” I said. “In the meantime, I’ll begin infusing my magic into a new doorway until we have her bones.”

“This is crazy,” Mammon said.

“Most fun we’ve had in centuries I would say,” Belz said, smacking Mammon on the back with a wide grin. “Leave it to the Salvo women to always show us a good time.” His eyes landed on Thora, desire blazing behind them.