Chapter 20
Ava stood in the center on the dilapidated grand floor of the old casino. What had been a testament to the glitz and opulence of an Elvis-era gaming establishment was now an empty shell, its once glorious contents pilfered and broken.
Strewn with bottles and hypodermic needles, the building now hosted vagrants, drug addicts, and rats. In her mind, she could see happier times—as if the casino itself wanted to reveal its now faded grandeur. A heavy, repressive wave of sadness settled over her. Although they had yet to come out from hiding, the casino swarmed with incubi, the honey-sweet smell betraying their presence.
She held her arms out and made a circle in the middle of the gaming floor, beckoning the creatures to her. The first wave appeared—an army of transparent incubi floating and swirling over the rails of the top-floor atrium.
“Where is your king?” In unison the demons shook their heads, continuing their silent approach—not a sentient in the bunch.
She prepared for battle, closing her eyes and gathering her strength. “There will be no pleasure for you this night, only justice,” she said.
Sparks shot from her fingertips, and a surge of power jolted through her as she rolled a plasma bomb in her hands. One by one, the incubi disintegrated as the bolts of blue light pierced their bodies. Power danced in celebration along her skin, exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. She felt no remorse at destroying them. The humans they enslaved and fed off of would now be free, released from their demonic thrall.
A new wave of incubi entered the shell of the casino. A sentient approached her, glaring at her with his lust-filled eyes. “I can make your wildest fantasy a reality. Let me pleasure you, Goddess.”
Ava ignored his words. “Where is your king, Demon?” She prepared to blast him to bits as soon as she received her answer. A lecherous smile played upon the creature’s lips.
“My king, Deritus, is right behind you.” Without a second thought, Ava dispatched the demon to oblivion and turned to face her nemesis.
Carman stood by his side. Her tortured gaze ripped her heart to pieces.
“It’s all right, Carman. I’ll have you away from this scum before you know it.”
“Scum? Carman, are you going to just stand there and let your friend insult me?” The mock pout on his lips made her fingers twitch to blast Deritus to dust, but she needed to get Carman out of the way first.
“Carman, come to me. Don’t worry about Deritus. I can handle him.” Her stomach twisted into knots, and her heart slammed against her ribcage. Brave words belied the panic surging through her veins. Unlike the other incubi, Deritus would be hard to kill.
“Yeah, Carman, go to her. Do as you’re told,” the demon sneered, his expression indifferent.
Carman smiled at her, but she could tell her friend had no control over her actions. Fear for her had Ava grabbing Carman’s wrist and pulling her to her side. She raised her hand, preparing to blast the sentient king but stopped when she felt the tip of cold steel at her throat.
Shock turned to fury as she realized Carman held the knife. “Carman, I know you don’t want to do this.”
“I will do as my master commands,” her friend said. “Should I kill her, Master?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Carman! You don’t want to do this. Resist him. Put down the knife.” Carman’s body shook violently. The blade cut into Ava’s throat, and a trickle of blood made its way down her neck.
The sentient king had to be destroyed in order for Carman to regain her will. If that wasn’t motivation enough to destroy him, nothing would be. Before she could act, she had to get Carman out of harm’s way.
“Resist him.” Her voice remained calm and reassuring, at complete odds with the turmoil that boiled inside her.
“Carman, if she raises a hand against me, slit her throat.”
Obsidian eyes turned red and a smug smile spread across the demon’s face. “You will obey me.”
“I will . . . obey.” Carman’s breath became erratic, and a drop of perspiration glistened on the arm holding the dagger. Ava could feel her friend’s torment. The horror at being forced to harm someone she cared for was more than Carman could take.
Deritus laughed. “If you resist, Ava, you’ll force your friend to kill you. Something I’m sure she would never forgive herself for. Come quietly and save her sanity, resist and . . .” Deritus shrugged his shoulders and gloated, his eyes filled with malice.
“Carman, make sure she goes through the portal. It’s time to party.”
Ava braced herself. She would not force Carman to make an impossible choice.
“Ava, I’m sorry. So very sorry.” Moisture pooled in Carman’s violet eyes.
The agony in Carman’s whispered words clawed at her heart. Pure hatred for the sentient king kept the blood from freezing in her arteries. By the end of this night, she would end his life. Her survival, as well as Carman’s, depended on it.
“It’s okay, honey. I’ll go with you.” Hoping to ease her friend’s distress, Ava relaxed in Carman’s hold and used a soothing tone.
“No, I won’t do this.” Carman shrieked in agony. Without warning, she removed the blade from Ava’s throat and dropped to her knees as tears mixed with mascara streaked down her face.
“Bitch! How dare you defy me!” Deritus bellowed.
Before Ava realized the demon’s intent, he yanked Carman off the floor and flung her against the wall. Ava screamed in disbelief as Carman’s body went motionless atop the concrete floor.
The smirk on his face turned her into a raging vigilante. This confrontation would end in death—whether it was hers or the sentient king’s remained to be seen. Fueled by a need for vengeance, every cell in her body expanded with energy. All of her thoughts concentrated on a singular goal.
Deritus must die.
Waves of power flowed through her as she concentrated on her prey. Bolts of blue sizzling energy locked on Deritus, freezing him in place. Compulsion flowed through her fingertips directly into the body of her enemy. He would pay dearly for ruining the lives of helpless young mortals and for hurting Carman.
The demon’s eyes widened with surprise as he realized the magnitude of her power. Completely at her mercy, Deritus struggled to break free but couldn’t shake her hold. She held his fate in her hands.
“Pick up your dagger, Demon, and raise it to your pathetic neck.”
His hand shook as he obeyed her command.
“How does it feel, Deritus? How does it feel being forced to do something against your will?” Her voice shook with rage as she spoke.
“How many women have you degraded for your own profit?” She paused for a moment, daring him to respond. “Answer me!”
Holding the dagger to his jugular, a look of defiance flashed in his cold, black eyes. “You think to end me, Goddess. I’ve been dead more times than you can imagine.”
He changed to his demonic form, red- and gray-mottled skin, jagged teeth, molten eyes—an ugly parody of his once handsome self. “I will live again.”
“Not this time, Demon. When I’m done with you, there won’t be enough left to resurrect.” She hit him with a wave of compulsion, and the demon slit his own throat. Black blood spewed from the wound. As an extra precaution, she zapped him with an energy bolt so powerful the blast threw her backward across the concrete. She watched with satisfaction as the demon turned to dust.
~ ~ ~
Duncan couldn’t believe the scene that played out in front of him. Ava held Deritus captive in a prison of compulsion. The demon struggled, but the bonds held. Carman’s limp body lay on the floor. Whether the goddess still lived, he couldn’t tell, but his gut tightened at the sight.
Another innocent victim.
The fragments of dozens of bodies—incubi from what he could tell—littered the room. Pride for his mate swelled in his chest. Ava took them out without his assistance and was now primed to dispatch Deritus.
Speechless, he watched as she compelled the demon to take his own life. She proved her worth beyond a shadow of a doubt. Like it or not, his woman was one hell of a demon slayer.
The muscles in his chest tightened. In awe of her tenacity, he watched her with admiration, ready to intervene if necessary. As much as he wanted to take Deritus out himself, he would not deny Ava her victory.
God, he loved her. Once the troubles with the Dark Lord were over, he would gladly spend the rest of eternity making her the happiest woman in the universe.
~ ~ ~
Carman! Ava’s lungs seized, and dizziness ensued as she fell to her knees beside her friend. The room spun in a haze of color, as a wave of nausea swept through her. While Celestials had amazing abilities to heal themselves, head injuries could still cause permanent damage or even death.
Her brave friend cared so much that she resisted Deritus’s order. Even in her current state, Carman looked defiant, a ‘fuck you’ expression on her face. Her fingers formed tight fists as if prepared for a fight. Blood trickled from her nose and right ear.
Duncan kneeled beside her a heartbeat later. Llion was there, too, placing his palm under Carman’s head. He rested his other hand on her forehead.
“You will live. You will not let go.” The growl emerged from somewhere deep in his throat. A portal appeared next to them, and before Ava could blink, Llion and Carman disappeared.
Strong arms pulled her up from the floor and turned her around. The overwhelming relief at Duncan’s sudden appearance caused Ava to bury her head in his chest and wrap her arms around his muscular frame as tightly as she could. The pain of Carman’s sacrifice stung like a blade to the heart. Shame brought tears to her eyes.
“I failed her.” The words eked out with a sob.
“Don’t give up on her Ava, Llion is an excellent healer. If anyone can save her, he can.” Duncan continued to hold her, crushing her to his chest as though she might float away if he let go.
“Take me to her.”
“I will, love.” He kissed the top of her head. “You really kicked ass, Ava. Everything will be all right.” He brushed the hair from her forehead, gave her lips a gentle kiss and opened a portal back to the Goddess House.
They appeared in Carman’s room. Llion’s palm, still firmly planted on her friend’s head as beads of sweat dotted his forehead. His gaze filled with grim determination. Carman, pale as her pearl-gray sheets, lay unmoving except for the gentle rise and fall of her chest.
The giant Metallica wall clock in her room ticked off the passing seconds, the tension increasing with each movement of its guitar-shaped hand. Anxiety hung heavy in the air.
“Rest, Carman . . . it will help you heal,” Llion commanded.
“Carman, I’m so sorry.” Ava took her hand, tears streaming down her face.
“She is strong. She needs time and rest. I will let you know when there’s a change in her condition.” Llion waved a dismissal and returned to his vigil over the feisty goddess.
“Leave now. I don’t need the distraction,” he said.
“But I couldn’t possibly leave her now.” Ava protested. “You have company whether you want it or not.”
“Fine. Just stay out of my way.” She couldn’t miss the irritation in Llion’s voice, but a pack of gargons couldn’t drag her away from Carman’s side.
“I’m sure having you here will hasten her recovery.” Duncan turned Ava to face him and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I must go. Goddess knows what Mider will do now. Let me know if there’s any change in Carman’s condition.”
“Mider?” Ava asked.
“The Dark Lord—a rogue guardian out for revenge. He plans to use you to get to me, and there is no way I will let that happen.”
Fear for him filled her heart. “Be careful, Duncan.”
He nodded and stepped into a portal as Ava took a seat by her friend’s side.