Renegade (Heven and Hell #4)(16)
Author: Cambria Hebert

He stepped in my path. “I wondered why you were here. I wondered what a renegade like you would be doing picking a fight with someone like Beelzebub. Someone you have no chance of defeating.”

I titled my head. “You’re probably right. Now if you’ll excuse me, I better get on with being defeated and killed.”

I wanted out of there. I had to think. I had to talk to Heven and Sam.

He laughed, a great booming sound that echoed around the motorcycles. “I cannot let you leave. You shouldn’t have come here. You were smart not to show me your hand when we first met because I allowed you to live. I didn’t care when I thought your war with Beelzebub wouldn’t affect me, but I see now that it does. Those souls are very much my business, and I am sure whatever you are trying to do will not benefit me at all.”

“I don’t take it well when people try to kill me.” I warned, my voice coming out as half a growl.

His response was to send one of the large, ornate chandeliers hanging above hurtling down with a great arching sweep. I braced myself and, instead of running, leapt at it, stepping up and using my weight to send it swinging back toward him.

He leapt out of the way as the chain broke and I went flying with the fixture into the other room. I let go, pushing myself away from it as it plunged through a window on the far edge of the room. Tinted glass shattered everywhere and I slid across his desk, scattering everything and then landing on the floor with a thud.

He made an outraged sound as I wasted no time, shifting right there behind the desk and then lunging across the room, taking his feet out from under him and pinning him to the floor. He fought against me, of course, managing to avoid my snapping teeth and most of the swipes from my claws. I did manage to get him once, right in the chest, shredding his shirt and drawing blood.

I was flung off him then by some invisible force (What is it with all these guys from hell and that stupid invisible force?), but I landed steady on all fours and lunged at him again. His response was to throw me into the fireplace, which was raging with fire.

Silly Prince. Fires are for humans.

I stood up on my hind legs, inside the mouth of the fireplace as the flames licked around me. And then I kicked out a few burning logs, effectively catching his very fancy rug on fire. The fabric caught like bone-dry timber in a forest fire and immediately his study was blazing.

He looked at me then, pure hatred burning in his eyes, but there was also something more. He underestimated me.

I loved when people did that.

With a sharp growl, I left the fire and lunged again, right through the living flames he was trying to avoid. You think with all their power they’d somehow manage to get a body that was indestructible.

I guess he was too busy watching football.

Beneath me, the carpet slid, and I used it like a flaming skateboard to skid closer to him, watching as he backed away. He waved his hands using more of that invisible power and the flames went out. Smoke wafted through the room, making the air heavy and thick.

I shot to run past him, but he caught my tail, yanking me back, and I jerked around, sinking my teeth into the flesh of his hand. I’m pretty sure I cracked some bones. He released me, howling, and I knew it was time to leave.

I rushed into his showroom, shifting back into my human form, and jumped on one of the Harley’s with a skull and crossbones on the tank.

“Close the drawbridge!” Leviathan ordered from the other room.

The key was in the ignition and I grinned, gunning the engine. The purring sound it made was sweet. He appeared in the doorway, dripping blood, covered in soot and looking mighty deadly.

I drove forward, leaving skid marks on the marble and hunching forward over the handle bars. He jumped out of the way as I sped past and through the foyer, right out the open front door.

There was a surprised demon outside, trying to close up the drawbridge as fast as he could, but it was only half raised. I looked at him and grinned. Then I pulled back on the throttle and let loose, flying forward up the drawbridge and then shooting out across the moat into the open sky.

I landed hard on the other side, the engine of the Harley sputtering slightly, but I revved it again and it came back stronger than ever. I could hear commotion behind me. I could hear Leviathan screaming, but I didn’t look back.

I grinned, gave a shout of victory, and sped off, leaving billowing grey dust in my wake.

Chapter Seven

Heven

When the final bell for the day rang, I breathed a sigh of relief. Whoever said senior year was the best clearly didn’t know anything. How was I supposed to care about parties and dances or even college when my mother’s soul was trapped in hell and my family was being wiped out by a Prince of Hell who just happened to think he had claim on me?

I went to my locker to gather what I needed before heading out to my car. (Actually, it was my mom’s car… I always wanted a car of my own, but I hadn’t wanted it this way.) With my packed bag in hand, I slammed the locker and headed toward the doors that led to the parking lot. There were groups of people everywhere, talking and laughing. I wondered if maybe I would be among them if my life hadn’t so drastically changed in the last year.

I was almost outside when I glanced down the hallway and saw Cole and Kimber. He was carrying a duffle bag and she was walking along beside him with her cheerleading bag in her hand. I wondered how that was going. Being head cheerleader and the most talked about girl in school had to be interesting.

I pushed away from the doors and walked down the hall, calling out to Cole. He stopped and turned around, smiling, and I noticed Kimber was a lot slower to turn. It didn’t escape my notice that her aura flared red as I approached, telling me her jealousy toward me wasn’t gone.

It made me doubt what I was about to do.

“Heading to football practice?” I asked Cole.

“Yeah, and if I’m late coach’ll make me do extra laps. I gotta go.” He gave me a grin and turned to leave. Kimber made a move to follow him and his aura flared with cloudy, dull colors.

“Kimber, wait,” I said. “I was hoping we could talk.”

She stopped and turned back, and as he got farther away, Cole’s aura cleared up.

“What?” Kimber said impatiently.

“I want you to come stay with us,” I rushed out before I could change my mind.

“You what?” she said, a look of disbelief on her face. I couldn’t blame her. I couldn’t believe what I was saying either.

“I know your parents aren’t home. They never are. I’m sure staying at your house is…” I looked for a word that wouldn’t put her on the defensive. “Boring. There’s plenty of room at the farm, so why not come stay there?”