Asa Read online

  He was delirious.

  That became quickly clear as the surge of energy pulsed through him. Of course, Laylah was giving him a life kiss, not some mere sexual act. A dark blessing from a shadow angeling. Probably the only thing that could snatch him back from the abyss. He felt it coursing through him, remaking his wounds, knitting his flesh. Easing his pain until he was lightheaded with the lack of it. The blood would take time to replace itself, restoring his magic as well as his life. But he would live. He could feel it now.

  When she was done, she sat back on her heels, looking drawn.

  Holy magic… he must have been close to death for it to take such a toll on her.

  He struggled up to sitting. Tajael helped him. A small cheer went round above him, his angeling audience applauding his recovery. It still felt strange to have such things in mixed company—shadow and light working together. But it was good to hear, nonetheless.

  “Looks like you’ll live,” Laylah said, scouring him with her gaze.

  He wiped his bloody hand on his leg then reached to wipe the blood from her face—a smear she acquired when she saved his life. “Thank you,” he said softly.

  His touch moved her—too much—so he withdrew his hand. He would tell her again when they didn’t have so many onlookers. He glanced at Tajael, who was watching them closely. “But all should be warned. The fae are here… and they’re posing as human.”

  Tajael frowned. “Is this part of Elyon’s counter-attack?”

  “I’m unsure. But they are certainly working with his forces.” Asa winced as he worked his way to his feet. His body was rescued from death, but healing would take time. “I need to warn Razael.”

  Tajael nodded. “We’ll double our watch here, make sure the fae aren’t trying to infiltrate operations at The Point.” That was the company building the dimensional travel machine—the one which would bring humans to the immortal realm.

  As if humans had any place there.

  But his opinion on such matters was unimportant. He served Razael, and even more important, would devote his last breath to defeating Elyon. And if that dark angel wanted the humans stopped, then Asa was all for them succeeding… and taking the fight to Elyon in every possible way.

  Asa gave Tajael a nod, then a grateful look to Laylah. “Will you return with me?”

  Concern lit her eyes. She looked to say something, but then merely nodded.

  They definitely had need of discussion. But not here.

  He tipped his head, then together, they twisted, opened a separate interdimensional doorway for each, and slipped through, returning home.

  Chapter Two

  Bitters aren’t quitters.

  That was her dad’s voice in her head. Again. He talked to Molly a lot these days—her dad, Nathaniel Bitter, who died in a freak car accident four years ago, halfway through her Sophomore year at college. Molly was only sixteen when he said those words, though, telling her how her boyfriend’s suicide wasn’t her fault. And it wasn’t. Just like the accident that sent her dad and mom over the edge of a Seattle bridge was no one’s fault. Just like she wasn’t to blame for getting laid off from her high-paying accounting job at Birkley & Burnham LLC, one of Seattle’s most prestigious law firms. It’s nothing you’ve done, Moll, said Tucker, her 40-something boss. We’re just laying you off from the only thing you’ve managed to make work in your life. Probably because she was less than two years out of college.

  Or her luck was simply that bad.

  Bad luck was definitely how she ended up here… in hell. Apparently, hell was a massive room full of babies and kids and pregnant ladies. She was lying on a thin-mattressed bed and staring at a ceiling made of black crystal. Oh, and the kids had black wings, just like their daddies, because hell was made of crazy.

  Would she even survive this latest round of Lady Bad Luck messing with her life?

  Odds didn’t seem great, to be honest.

  “I think he’ll come today, Moll.” That was Renata. She was kind and pretty and funny—and stupidly in love with one of the black-winged hotties holding them prisoner.

  “Mm-hm.” She didn’t want to give Ren any false hopes. Not that she knew, one way or another. And time was like a slow fog in this place. It dulled you out. Made minutes crawl and days seem irrelevant. There was no night, no day, no clocks, no sun. Just the constant glow of the walls, a darkish light that made everything gray.

  “I mean it.” Ren rolled on her side, scooting a little so she didn’t lean on her baby bump. “It’s been five days and ten hours. He’s never been gone longer than five days. It has to be today.”

  Molly was sure it was just Ren’s wishful thinking, but she leaned up on her elbow anyway. “Hang on… how are you counting the hours?” They got three meals a day, so she used that to track—although it got hard with nothing to write with. She’d tried to scratch it out on the black crystal floor, but the stuff was hard as diamond.

  Ren grinned, her deep brown eyes shining with mischievousness. She swiped her long brown hair back and glanced around as if anyone could hear them over the constant shuffling of the babies and chatter of the kids in the cavernous nursery. There were two dozen children, from toddlers to pre-teens, not counting the two babies, Ralphie and Eva. None seemed like they’d hit puberty yet, although a few were on the cusp. The kids kept themselves separate—they seemed vaguely suspicious of her and Ren and Eden, the only other adult left with them. She was quietly rocking little Ralphie while Eva slept in a tiny crib at her feet. Right now, the kids were at the far end of the massive room, immersed in a game of chance that involved sticks and tiny stones. They kept to themselves, and anyway, were too far away to overhear. A guard always stood outside the single door through which everything came—food, fresh clothes, and occasionally, their keepers—but right now, it was closed.

  Ren leaned forward and dropped her voice anyway. “I keep track using my phone.”

  “What?” Molly sat straight up. “We’ve been here for months, and you’re just now telling me you have a phone?” Not that she was angry as much as flat-out shocked. They had vowed no secrets between the three—her, Eden, and Ren. They had to work together and trust each other. Otherwise, there was no hope of escape.

  “I just got it!” But Ren sat up, too, mirroring Molly and bunching up the thin gray blanket with her delicate fingers. “Well… five days ago.”

  “A gift from Micah?” Molly guessed.

  “Yeah.” Guilt hung on her face, which was super pretty unless it was scrunched up like this.

  “It’s okay, Ren,” she said with a sigh. “He cares about you. So he gives you presents. It’s, you know, how it’s supposed to be.” But the knife still twisted a little in her chest.

  Ren slipped the phone out to check it, then put it back in the pocket of her loose knit pants. They all had the same shapeless gray t-shirts and stretchy pants, good for growing bellies, she supposed. Ren flopped back on her cot and stared at the ceiling again.

  Molly didn’t even know what to say.

  Ren was obviously in love with the… creature… who had abducted her. Molly knew they weren’t men, not really—not with the black wings and the supernatural stamina and the insane nursery of their misbegotten children. The kids all had tiny, obsidian wings as well. And strength… when the kids fought, Molly was shocked they even survived. Even the littlest ones knew how to bite and pulse some strange energy or slash with improvised weapons—or simply fly out of reach, up into the dark crystal recesses above them.

  They were kids—but they were also beautiful monsters.

  Just like the grown-up ones who had seduced the three of them straight into hell.

  It was obvious why both Eden and Ren had been chosen for this fate. Eden was far and away the prettiest among them. She was like Aphrodite walking out of her shell, voluptuous and gorgeous—blindingly beautiful. Ren wasn’t far behind, plus she was whip-smart, which was probably why this Micah guy was still coming for her. Molly, on the other hand�
� her red hair was more wild kink than glamorous red-head, and she was extra plump in lots of different spots. At first, she thought she’d just gotten lucky when an unbelievably hot man approached her at the Starbucks, flirting with her and making eyes at her boobs like he was ready to feast. And feast he did. She couldn’t regret that twenty-four hours he spent at her apartment. The sex was glorious. The best she’d ever had, again and again and again. She thought maybe it was luck to find a guy with superhuman stamina… and it was.

  Just not the good kind.

  Wasn’t that how every kidnapping movie started? Some stupid girl without many friends (hers were all back at the law firm) and no family (because Lady Bad Luck) and no job (ditto), gets lured by a gorgeous guy into a deserted cabin in the woods? Molly had always tried to see the good in people—Your opinions are more a reflection of you than the other guy; her dad’s voice again—but her sexy dream date wasn’t a good guy after all. Or human. He knocked her out with some drug and brought her here. She hadn’t seen him since.

  The exact location of here was still a mystery, but hell seemed as good a guess as any. It was at least possible. She could have died while Hot Winged Guy impregnated her with five thousand rounds of sex, and now she would spend all eternity in a maternity ward. Pregnant. Because it wasn’t long until she was throwing up and craving Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey and had a little baby bump of her own. That was the only way she knew months had passed in this timeless NeverWorld—the fact that her baby kept growing. She knew what a pregnant lady looked like, and her baby bump was well past that first trimester. Four maybe five months, if she had to guess. Eden and Ren had their baby bumps, too—they had all arrived at the same time. Back then, there were two other pregnant ladies—Sarah and Elizabeth—already here, taking care of little Betsy, a toddler who was no more than three, between them. Soon after Molly arrived, Betsy joined the cult of the Big Kids—some initiation ceremony involving knives and blood—and then Sarah and Elizabeth went into labor simultaneously. The guards came and escorted them out of the nursery.

  The babies came back.

  Little Ralphie. Then Eva.

  Their mothers never returned.

  So… either Molly was stuck in the purgatory maternity ward of the damned. Or it was actually much worse than that. You know things are bad when hell is the good option.

  At least there had been amazing sex first.

  For Ren, that was still happening, and Eden disappeared every once in a while, too. She never talked about it, though. Thankfully, the man who’d seduced Molly didn’t show his face—she’d probably punch it. And given he could squash her like a fly, that probably wasn’t smart. Sarah and Elizabeth talked little and never came straight out and said it, but they had a haunted look to them. One that said they were carrying their rapist’s child.

  Molly sucked in a breath and blew it out slow. Things could always be worse—she needed to remember that. Speaking of which, she peered at Ren with her misery over missing her black-winged lover. She was still staring at the ceiling, but now small tracks of tears slid down the side of her head.

  Molly reached over to poke Ren in the shoulder. “Hey, now that we have a phone, can I call my old boss and tell him I’ve found a much better gig?” She smiled—she couldn’t imagine there was any reception in hell, but she had to ask…

  “No, but I can order you a pizza.” Ren kept staring balefully at the ceiling.

  Molly jolted. “You can?”

  “No.” Ren sighed and rolled her eyes in Molly’s direction.

  Her shoulders fell. “Okay, that was cruel. I’m seriously tired of ham and cheese.” Their food tasted like it was all trucked into hell from a day-old bakery and a sub shop with only three ingredients.

  “It’ll be better once the babies come.” Ren said this like it was a gospel she not only believed in but clung to with desperate hope.

  Molly grimaced. “Ren.” They’d discussed this. There was no way for them to know Sarah and Elizabeth were dead… it was just… who separated babies from their mothers? What mother would let it happen? Despite the tiny being growing inside her, Molly felt nothing like a mom—but keeping moms and babies together was just Mom 101 stuff.

  “Micah promised,” Ren said, still staring at the ceiling only now it was with determination. “We just have to hold tight until the babies come. Then he’s getting us out of here.” She finally twisted to look at Molly. “He loves me, Moll.”

  “Yeah. I know.” She struggled to keep her grimace on the inside. Because how cruel would it be to tell Ren she was probably being used? Very cruel. And she just couldn’t pile on like that. “Just do me a favor, okay?”

  Ren’s face opened a little, and she sat up again. “Anything. You know that.”

  “Just ask him again. You know, if we can leave sooner. Maybe he’s changed his mind.”

  Ren pursed her lips but nodded. “Okay. I’ll ask.” She took out her phone again and checked it—then laid back down and held the phone to her chest.

  Molly tried not to sigh too loudly. But all this made her antsy—she needed to move. The hours were endless, and she’d made finding ways to entertain herself into a full-time occupation. There was nothing to read, so she told stories. There were no belongings, so she fashioned art out of the silverware and cups and plates that came with their food. Mostly, she talked to Ren and Eden, and since Ren was in a mood, Molly wandered over to where Eden sat slowly rocking side to side while she held Ralphie. They were far enough apart that Ren might not overhear everything they said. Maybe.

  “Baby’s out?” Molly asked, even though it was obvious. He was even more perfectly cherubic in sleep, although all the kids were unnaturally beautiful… just like the creatures who were their fathers.

  “Like a dream.” Eden smiled, and it was like the sun breaking over mountains. She was just that pretty, and the babies, when they were awake, stared in awe at her.

  “Want me to take a turn?” Molly held out her hands for Ralphie—she wasn’t the mom type, which made being pregnant particularly strange, but it was something to do.

  “I’ve just got him settled.” Eden spent all her time with the babies.

  Molly just shrugged and looked around for something else to do. There was a scuffle at the far end with the kids, but she’d learned not to poke her nose into that—she didn’t need to see them beating each other up, and besides, there was nothing she could do. They were all stronger than her, even little Betsy with her tiny black wings.

  “Okay, I’ll just—” She cut off when the door opened. They’d gotten food not long ago—

  Micah came striding into the room. He was tall and gorgeous, just like the guy who had seduced Molly, but he looked a little beaten up—he was wearing all black leather, from his gauntlets to his boots, but it looked scuffed, and his short brown hair was more wild than normal. His brown eyes blazed as he crossed the nursery, heading their way, but it was obvious he only had eyes for Ren.

  Molly twisted to tell her, but Ren had already seen—she was scrambling up from the bed, stuffing the phone into her pocket as she practically ran across the room to meet her lover. She flew into his arms, and Micah didn’t even say a word—he just devoured her with a kiss.

  Okay. Molly guessed they wouldn’t be talking any time soon.

  “Well, at least she has that,” Eden said wistfully. The longing on her face made Molly grimace. Ren was in love with her kidnapper, but when Eden was summoned—a guard would come for her and escort her out—she didn’t exactly run across the room. She was usually gone for a day, and when she came back, she was even more quiet than normal. She wasn’t hurt per se—no bruises or any of that—but she didn’t talk about it. In fact, she didn’t talk for at least twenty-four hours after, only slowly coming back to them.

  Molly counted herself lucky the father of her child left her alone.

  Eden sighed and scooted down on the bed. “I’ll just tuck him up while I nap.” She gracefully laid down on her side and smooth
ly transferred the baby to the bed next to her. Then she closed her eyes and snuggled the baby in tight.

  Ren let out a small shriek, but it wasn’t an unhappy one. Micah had lifted her up, wrapped her legs around his waist, and was walking her toward the one spot of privacy in the whole nursery—two small tents along one wall. One was a shower/toilet, and the other was ostensibly a medical tent—it held a few supplies like bandages and an ancient bottle of aspirin—but that was where Ren and Micah went when they wanted to be alone. Micah threw aside the medical tent flap and walked them inside. The flap fell back to obscure them, but in no time, the cloth walls of the tent were shaking, and Molly could hear Ren’s cries, begging for more.

  Eden was already out, snoring softly with the baby.

  Molly sighed, ran her hand over her baby bump, and decided the best place to be was as far from the sounds of the tent as possible. She tiptoed away from Eden and the babies, working her way toward the kids’ end of the nursery. Whatever fight had been going on was broken up, so it was probably safe. Maybe. As she got closer, Ren’s frantic lovemaking noises dimmed a little. In the orderly rows of cots where the kids slept, Molly noticed one girl sitting by herself, away from the main group, which was back to playing their game of chance. The girl was curled up, arms locked around her knees, but her wings were out, slowly pulsing the air.

  Molly approached her cautiously. She didn’t talk to the kids—none of the adults did—and she didn’t want to disturb this one, but if Molly wanted to hang out nearby, it was probably better to introduce herself. Just so the girl didn’t attack. She was one of the older ones, maybe close to thirteen.

  “Hey,” Molly said while she was still a good twenty feet away.

  The girl whipped her head in Molly’s direction, and a split second later, she was standing and pointing some kind of weapon at her—looked like a prickly knife fashioned from several forks.