Page 5 of Dead End (Crossroads Queen #9)

CHAPTER FIVE

Twilight was thick with the hum of insects drawn to summer’s heat and humidity. I refused to complain, though; I reserved that right for winter. By the time our rescue team reached the forest, my T-shirt was drenched in sweat.

“How can we be certain Lucifer’s minions won’t kill us?” Goran asked. “I didn’t finally become human again so I could be chopped into mincemeat by demons.”

“Don’t worry frogger,” Camryn said. “I’ve got you covered. Gun isn’t the only mage with tarot magic.”

“They’re professional assassins,” Josie interjected, “but they’re not allowed to kill on Fairhaven soil.”

Goran drew a deep inhalation. “I suppose that makes me feel a bit better. Just remind me not to get on your bad side.”

“I don’t have a bad side. My face is perfectly symmetrical.” Camryn’s symmetrical face scrunched into a ball. “What in the name of Gucci is that?”

I followed her gaze to a two-headed creature with a long neck and a round, feathered body that was trotting toward us .

No, not two heads. The demonic ostrich was ridden by a second demon.

Dantalion hefted his sword and moved to stand between us. “The Dalhan.”

“The creature falls into that category of so ugly that it’s cute,” Goran observed. “I can picture it as a cuddly toy.”

“The Dalhan eats the flesh from rotting corpses, in case you were wondering,” Dan said.

Camryn gave his shoulder a friendly pat. “Why don’t we let you handle this one?”

The Dalhan slowed the demon bird to a stop in front of Dantalion. “Move, traitor,” the rider rasped.

“If you’re heading back through the crossroads,” Dan said, “I’d be more than happy to escort you there.”

The Dalhan’s bright and lively laughter was completely at odds with his sandpaper voice. “And I suppose that sword is for my protection?”

“Oh, it’s for protection but not for you.”

“He means from you,” Camryn yelled from behind him.

Goran glanced at her. “I think the demon knows what he means.”

Cam bristled with defensiveness. “I’m working on my communication skills and not expecting others to play mind reader. Leo says communication is the cornerstone of every relationship.”

“I thought that was trust,” Goran replied.

Josie shushed them. “Dantalion needs to focus if we want him to kill this thing.”

I didn’t want to waste time with a lesser demon. There was only one goal tonight.

Free Kane.

“The Dalhan isn’t attacking us. He’s a scavenger. He said himself that he only feasts on the flesh of corpses. ”

Josie heaved a frustrated sigh. “You’re killing me, Clay. Just look the other way and plead ignorance.”

“I can’t just stick my head in the sand.”

“No, that’s his job.” Camryn motioned to the demonic ostrich.

The Dalhan clucked his tongue. “I sense dissension in the ranks. That’s why you need a strong leader like Lucifer. It minimizes disputes.”

“Reasonable discourse is the backbone of a thriving democracy,” I shot back.

“There’s no reason for you to be here,” Dantalion told the demon. “I don’t know what Lucifer promised you, but there will be no feasts for you in this realm. I offer you this last chance to return from whence you came or suffer the consequences.”

“Whence,” Goran said under his breath. “Now there’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time.”

The Dalhan observed our group with a critical gaze. “Very well then.” He turned his mount around and trotted back in the direction of the crossroads.

Camryn slapped a hand across her chest. “Crisis averted.”

“And straight on to the next one,” Josie said, her face grim. “You two know what to do.”

Cam patted the cards in her pocket. “We’ve got you covered.”

The Devil’s Playground came into view. Roving neon lights sliced through the murk like razor blades. A pulse of electronic music spilled into the forest, the bass vibrating through the cracked ground. Even from all the way out here, the bass of the interior music was noisy, thumping through the night like a living thing.

“I thought the club wasn’t open yet,” Goran said.

Josie craned her neck for a better view. “It isn’t. Otherwise there’d be a bouncer and a line. ”

Camryn squeezed my arm. “Good luck, Lorelei. Give ‘em hell.”

“Thanks, Cam.” I tried not to think about the stakes, only the next step ahead of me.

Josie, Dan, and I stayed hidden as we crept to the large oak tree with a thick branch that hung close to the rooftop. I wasn’t surprised to see the silhouettes of two guards positioned up there. It gave them a good vantage point of the surrounding area. Too bad for them the forest was easy to hide in when you knew it well, especially on the cusp of summer when the flora and fauna were at their densest.

Josie climbed first. She was the muscle, the brawler, the one who’d been in more fights than I could count. Her knuckles were cracked, her jaw set; she was ready for any and every eventuality.

I was grateful she was on my team.

“The bigger guard is mine,” she murmured, her voice a low growl. Her facial expression brooked no argument. It was fine with me; I was saving my strength for Kane and the main obstacle to his freedom—Lucifer.

Josie shimmed along the branch and landed noiselessly on the rooftop in a crouched position. The vampire’s movements were fluid and silent as she parted from the shadows. She moved like the predator she was—quick, lethal, and without mercy.

Dantalion was next to drop. He drew his sword and charged, his feet barely making a sound on the slick roof. His blade glowed with dark energy as he sliced through the nearest demon, severing the creature’s arm. Neither guard had a chance to alert the others.

My role was less violent. I sprinted across the rooftop to access the circular power vent that would get us inside. My footsteps were quiet, but my heartbeat was deafening.

“Lorelei, look out! ”

I jerked away from the vent to see a third demon. The horned creature must’ve just arrived. I reached for a dagger, but Dantalion was faster. He flicked his sword with precision; the blade somersaulted through the air and struck the horned demon in the eye. Josie handled the rest. Thank goodness for techno pop to muffle his cry of pain.

I yanked off the vent. “I’ll take that apology whenever you’re ready, Josie.”

The vampire simply stared. “That’s your big plan? The vent?”

“I noticed it one night when Kane and I were up here stargazing.”

“Well, you were still wrong.” She waved a hand at the fallen guards. “We didn’t sneak in undetected.”

“They didn’t alert anybody inside. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all that matters.”

Dantalion frowned at the round hole. “Where does this take us?”

“Directly into the attic. It’s solely for ventilation.”

“And how are we supposed to get down from the attic without being seen?” he asked.

Josie lit up. “There’s a supply duct. It’ll be a tight squeeze, but I think we can manage. If we take it all the way, we’ll end up in the boiler room.”

The vampire was first to climb inside, quickly followed by Dantalion, then me. The attic was too cramped to stand in. We remained flat on our stomachs and crawled along the wooden boards, pausing briefly while Josie ripped off the next vent.

We slid down a couple feet and then shimmied across the duct. Through the slats in a subsequent vent, I glimpsed the balcony where two more demons drank from a bottle. Anger hardened my fingers as I spotted the label. They were downing Kane’s prized Japanese whisky like it was lemonade and they were under a blazing hot sun. Kane would kill them for that alone.

I continued forward on my elbows. The lounge area below was a riot of color and sound—flashing lights, strobing shadows, and the deep thrum of music that pressed against my chest and made it hard to breathe. There was no sign of Kane. I was both relieved and disheartened.

We arrived at the next drop. I waited for Josie to slide down to the basement level. The sound of metal reverberated in the duct as Josie kicked out the vent that emptied into the boiler room, which thankfully wasn’t as hot as it would’ve been during the colder months. Dan and I slid down after her.

Josie gestured to the door. We had no idea what we’d find on the other side. Could be two demons. Could be twenty.

We had to take our chances.

I braced myself as Josie’s fingers tightened on the handle. Slowly she pulled until there was an inch gap. I relaxed slightly. No squeaks or creaks.

We slipped into the corridor and kept to the shadows until we reached the entrance to Kane’s residence.

The door was guarded, which was both good and bad. Bad for us, but good in that it indicated this was where Kane was being held. Two demons stood watch, leaning against the wall with daggers sheathed at their sides. They were engrossed in their own conversation, unaware of the intruders just steps away.

“So his marriage is in the proverbial toilet and what does he decide to do?” the demon said. “Hires two vampires to suck out his blood. When his friend asks, ‘what are you doing?,’ he says, ‘Getting rid of the poison my wife infected me with.’ His friend sighs and says, ‘Can’t you just write dreadful poetry like everybody else?’ ”

The second demon guffawed in response to the story, prompting an eye roll from Josie.

In a blur of motion, the vampire sped forward, knocking out the first guard with a blow to the neck. Before the second one could react, Dan was on him, clamping one hand over the demon’s mouth and snapping his arm behind his back with a sickening crack.

Determination fueled me. I slipped past them and into the familiar room where I’d shared so many happy memories with Kane. The music was muffled here, but still relentless. My gaze swept the room. The bed was made. The soft gray blanket was folded neatly over the back of the sofa. The place was in meticulous condition, as though no one had occupied the space in the past two weeks, but the guards suggested otherwise.

I was certain I heard my name, barely a whisper but audible. I ducked into the bathroom to check the tub. Nothing.

As I returned to the open-plan room, bile rose in my throat at the sight of the figure dangling above me—Kane, bruised and bloodied almost beyond recognition, but alive. He hung upside down from the ceiling rafter with his arms bound to his sides. Tears pricked my eyes. It was clear Lucifer had been using Kane as his own personal pinata.

“Kane,” I croaked.

One eye opened to peer at me; the other one appeared sealed shut by swelling and dried blood. “Took you long enough,” he rasped, his voice hoarse but full of defiance.

“Josie! Dan! Help me cut him down,” I said.

My teammates entered the room. “Holy hell,” Dantalion breathed.

“Boost me,” Josie snarled.

Dantalion crouched down so she could stand on his shoulders. He passed his sword into her outstretched hand. Moving quickly, she sliced through the ropes around his body. A moan escaped him as he moved his arms for the first time in gods knew how long.

“Can you use your flaming sword?” Josie asked.

“No sword,” he murmured. “Too weak.”

“Here, give him my dagger,” I said, passing it to Dan.

“Cut the ropes around your ankles. Dan and I will catch you.” Josie jumped to the floor with her usual grace.

Kane didn’t answer. Instead he started to pull himself toward the ceiling. After what he’d endured, I couldn’t imagine the effort it took for him to do that, but it was the fastest and most efficient option.

“Hurry,” Dantalion said in a harsh whisper. “I hear footsteps.”

My heart raced as I watched his clumsy and awkward efforts to cut through the bindings.

I stifled a cry of joy as he dropped into Dan and Josie’s arms. The relief on his face was so stark, it resembled a wave of calm before a storm. Dan gently released him and ran to the door to scan the corridor.

“Let’s move,” he said. The tension in his body never eased; he remained on edge, constantly calculating. This was the great duke of hell who’d liberated Kane from imprisonment.

“Water,” Kane whispered.

I ran to the kitchen to fill a glass.

“Well, well, well. And here I thought tonight would be as dull as all the others.”

My fingers clenched the glass of water as I slowly turned to see Lucifer’s frame filling the doorway.

“You seem awfully relaxed for someone taken by surprise,” Josie said.

Lucifer clucked his tongue. “My dearest Josephine. The cat doesn’t simply pounce on the mouse the moment the creature appears. It’s far more entertaining to play a little first, wouldn’t you agree? ”

I rushed to crouch beside Kane and held the glass to his parched, split lips. He took a careful sip. I pressed my bare arm against his, relishing the touch of his skin after too many days apart.

“Ah, Lorelei. I heard the rumors, of course. An impressive feat, escaping The Corporation’s grasp. You should know that even if you were to manage this incredible—and I do mean incredible—feat of liberating him, your reunion will be short-lived.”

“And why is that?” I asked.

“Because like me, The Corporation doesn’t like to lose.”

“Too bad you’ll have to get used to it,” I said. “There are four of us and only one of you.”

He laughed heartily. “Your self-assurance is admirable. If only the world had more women with your confidence, you might be able to actually do something about your second-class citizenship.”

The vampire’s fangs gleamed as she unleashed a vicious snarl. Lucifer simply laughed, which only served to aggravate Josie more. In typical fashion, she let her emotions take the wheel and charged.

Big mistake.

Lucifer palmed her face with his hand like he was putting an unruly puppy in her place.

“There’s a reason you’re always relegated to the sidelines,” Lucifer sneered. Maintaining his grip, he lifted her by the face and tossed her aside like a rag doll. She smashed into the sofa, tipping it backward.

Dantalion rushed him next. Lucifer throat-chopped the great duke and swatted him to the floor like the demon was no more substantial than a mayfly.

I felt Kane’s hand on my thigh, asking me to stay put. I couldn’t do that. We’d come this far, and I refused to give up now .

I rose to my feet. “You’ve had your fun. Let him go and leave Fairhaven for good.”

He sauntered toward me. “Care to wager another three trials?”

I felt the heat of his breath on my skin and inhaled the foul stench of sulfur. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

“I would kill you myself, precious, but I promised The Corporation that I would leave you for them. A pity. I would enjoy the process almost as much as I’ve enjoyed torturing your… What is it that you call him? Ah, yes. Your inamorato.” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, letting his fingers brush my cheek.

I gripped his hand and squeezed, fighting the terror that climbed up my throat, thick and heavy like mud. I had to control the narrative, which meant I had to quickly initiate a nightmare of my own creation before his had a chance to manifest.

Darkness consumed us both, but there was no fear, no rush of panic. We were both intimately familiar with our shared bedfellow.

“Where are we?” Lucifer’s voice was velvet-smooth, as though I’d escorted him to a new restaurant to sample the delicacies.

Light trickled in, illuminating a great mirror reminiscent of Sie-king T’ai, the one I’d stood before on the lost island, along with Bruce Huang. The mirror showed all of the subject’s bad deeds to the god Ch’u-Chiang, after which he passed judgment on you.

Lucifer admired his reflection, dragging a hand through his hair. “Dapper as always, if I do say so myself.”

The reflection changed. His handsomeness, his grace, the wisdom that once made him the Morning Star—all of it gone, replaced by a twisted and deformed figure.

He chuckled. “Is that little horror meant to be me? ”

“Not meant to be. It is. That’s the mirror of truth.”

And right now it reflected the truth of his corrupted heart and the crushing weight of his poor choices. The supreme ruler of hell remained perfectly still, trapped by the reflection of his own failures.

The mirror cracked in several places, revealing countless versions of Lucifer.

“Is it still seven years of bad luck?” he mused.

Chains slid from the shadows and coiled around Lucifer’s limbs and chest, growing tighter and tighter. These chains were not made of metal, but of memories—reminders of his wickedness. The more he struggled, the tighter and heavier the chains became, until he could no longer support their weight.

Now he was falling—endlessly, through an expanse of nothingness. The light of the mirror grew dimmer and dimmer, until it was a mere speck in the distance, and eventually disappeared entirely. He seemed to fall through time itself, no end in sight, no place to land. In the endless void, he was alone, no longer aware of my presence.

The nightmare reached its most suffocating point. No voices, no sounds, not even an abyss—only pure, unadulterated silence. A silence so deep and profound that it seemed to crush all thought. A silence that stretched into eternity. Lucifer stood in this silence, a prisoner of his own mind, aware that this nightmare had no end. That he had no escape unless I, the goddess of nightmares, willed it.

This was his eternal punishment: the agony of knowing what he could have been and instead what he had become. Soulless. As empty as the void that now contained him.

An agonizing scream filled the void; it was unlike any sound I’d ever heard. Not primal.

Unnatural.

I left him in that box of abject misery, unmoved. I would stand sentry for an eternity if it meant Lucifer could never again hurt Kane.

I felt a pair of hands on mine, cool and steadfast. I recognized their texture, the rough callus on the right side of his index finger.

Kane.

“Come back to me, Lorelei,” he said.

“Not yet,” I ground out. My body shook.

“I won’t let you lose yourself, not for me.”

“Don’t you see? I’m doing this so you don’t have to.” One of Kane’s fears had been losing himself to his darker tendencies. With his anger toward Lucifer… It wouldn’t surprise me if he unleashed hell on earth.

“This isn’t your fight.”

“Of course it is.”

“You’ve won, Lorelei. You’ve beaten him. Let me handle the rest,” he said in a soothing voice. “Just come back to me before you go so far that it changes you. I know what that’s like, and it isn’t you.”

What constituted too far? Lucifer was still alive, after what he’d done to the demon I loved. After what he’d unleashed upon the town I loved.

He deserved so much worse than this; I couldn’t leave it unfinished.

“Lorelei, please.”

The tenderness in his voice soothed whatever savagery I had left. Kane was right. I was nothing like Lucifer; if I stooped to his level, to endless torment, I would be forever altered.

The contours of the familiar room returned as we were reunited with reality. I looked down to see Lucifer on his knees, trembling and unable to stand.

“This is your last chance to leave this place and never, ever return. Go back to your miserable circle of hell and bolt the door behind you. Should you choose to be foolish and seek vengeance yet again, you’d better come back with a whole-ass demon army because that’s what it’ll take to even come close to what I am capable of.” I leaned forward and whispered, “I am your living, breathing nightmare, and don’t you ever forget it.”

Lucifer lifted his chin; his face was impassive. “Even now, you won’t kill me? After all I’ve done? So weak and pathetic. I don’t know what The Corporation sees in you. You don’t deserve to live.”

“Neither do you,” Kane rumbled as he struggled to his feet. Fire licked his arm as he channeled what strength he possessed to produce his flaming sword.

“Kane…” I began, uncertain. Lucifer had said the next time Kane pointed a weapon at him, Kane had best be able to kill him with it.

Lucifer smirked. “I told you before, that mythical sword can’t hurt me.”

Kane staggered forward. “Only because you knew I’d intended to strike you through the heart, or at least the spot where your heart would be if you had one.” Kane lifted the flaming sword, now burning as hot and bright as ever. “Like Belphegor, you do, however, possess a head.”

The supreme leader of hell gazed at Kane with fresh eyes. “After all this time, old friend, you still manage to surprise me.”

“I’d watch the light fade from your eyes, but even now, I see only darkness reflected there.”

Lucifer nodded to himself. “As it should be,” he whispered.

With one swift and powerful strike, Kane removed his head.

Josie nudged the demon’s crumpled body with the toe of her boot. “This might seem like a ridiculous question, but are you sure he’s dead?”

Kane stared down at the remains of his lifelong nemesis. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.

His gaze swung to mine, raw and vulnerable. Unshed tears glistened in his whisky-colored eyes. “Thank you for saying that.”

I knew Kane well enough to know that while vanquishing his enemy brought him relief, it also brought him pain. Once upon a time, he and Lucifer had been as close as brothers. All these years, he hadn’t allowed himself to mourn that loss until the threat of reprisal no longer loomed over him.

Now, finally, Kane was free to grieve.