Yet no one moves. I’m frozen in time, and the energy around me starts to get heavy.
“Hello?” I blink and feel weight pressing down on me. My vision suddenly changes, and I realize I’m not sitting up, but lying down, eyes slit open. I’m sleeping, paralyzed in bed, and desperately trying to move to wake up Lucas.
This has happened before not all that long ago, but this time I know.
“Bael,” I say, voice cutting through the dark. “I know it’s you.”
The smell of sulfur wafts through the room, and a dark figure steps from the shadows.
“And I know what you want,” I go on. “It won’t come to that, and I’ll be damned before you hurt another innocent woman.”
“Who is your father?” Bael’s voice echoes like a thousand hoarse whispers in the night. Moonlight bathes his face, reflecting off the crown on his head.
“Michael,” I say proudly. “The fierce warrior Michael is my father.”
Bael tips his head. A centipede wriggles out of his nose, crawling out of his face and disappearing into his ear. “Are you sure about that?”
His question throws me, and I open my mouth to talk, but before I can get a word out, Lucas shakes me awake.
“Callie, wake up, my love. You’re having a nightmare.”
I blink a few times, eyes adjusting to the bright light from the fire. “I’m not sure if that’s what it was.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought Bael was here.”
“In the room?” Lucas sits up, eyes darting around our bedroom.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t here here. I think he’s talking to me the same way Lucifer did.”
“He shouldn’t be able to talk to you at all.” Lucas gets out of bed, needing to look in every nook and cranny of the room to make himself feel better, never mind the fact that my familiars and Scarlet are fast asleep. If a demon were in the house, they’d know.
I let out a heavy sigh and put my head in my hands. “Maybe it was just a dream then.”
“We can’t assume that.”
“I know.” I rub my temples and flop back down on the pillow. “It feels like there’s something really obvious I’m missing, like it’s right in front of me in one of those I can’t see the forest through the trees kind of situations.”
“I know what you mean.” Lucas gets back into bed, pulling the blanket over both of us. “It’s frustrating not knowing what he’s up to.”
“Yeah.” I let my eyes fall shut. The latest victim was murdered states away. Who knows what the fuck Bael is up to, rounding up followers to take advantage of.
“Telling you not to worry sounds silly,” Lucas whispers, taking me in his arms. “But for the rest of the night, don’t worry. Go to sleep, and we’ll come up with a plan in the morning.” He drapes his leg over me, and I feel ten times safer being wrapped in his embrace. “The only person entering you is me. I’m not going to let that fucking demon even think about possessing you.” He holds me tighter against his chest. “I love you, Callie, and swear on my afterlife I will keep you safe.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper back, eyes falling shut. Lucas will do whatever it takes to keep me safe, but I fear it’s a little too late. Bael has not only thought about possessing me and taking over Hell, but has a plan, and I have a feeling it’s been set in motion long before we figured out what he’s doing.
And I have no idea how to stop it.Chapter 38Wind presses against the house, whistling through the fireplace. I roll over, curling my legs up to my chest. The fire went out in the early hours of the morning and the room got cold fast. I snuggle up closer to Lucas, but his skin is cold from being uncovered most of the night. Pulling the blankets over both of us, I close my eyes and try to go back to sleep. It’s early in the morning, probably not past seven yet, and I’m still tired.
I laid awake for hours last night, afraid if I went back to sleep Bael would visit me in my dreams again. Part of me wanted him to. I already told him who my father is, now he just needs to get his demonic ass here so I can beat it.
How I’ll go about beating it is another story, but I’ll figure it out. I always do, right?
Scarlet is asleep on her extra-large dog bed on the floor, and opens a sleepy eye, looking at me. I give her a nod, and she gets up, bounding onto the bed with one leap. She’s surprisingly graceful for her size, and settles down next to me. She’s like a personal space heater, and I cover her with the blankets to steal some of her warmth so I’ll stop shivering.