Renegade (Heven and Hell #4)(82)
Author: Cambria Hebert

Sam and Riley stepped forward and I took a moment to draw strength from the two men flanking me. “It really is like a graveyard,” Sam said, his voice hushed.

That’s exactly what it was like. An awful, sad graveyard of stolen souls. I stared out at the expanse of nothing. The landscape was bare, looking as if it had been burned and all signs of life snuffed out. Ash fell from the lifeless, empty sky and covered the ground, giving it a tomblike feel.

The souls were left out in the open, in the middle of nowhere where surely the urge to run and find a way out would tempt them, would make them ache for escape… yet there was no way to escape because they were held in place by chains.

It was cruel.

There were thousands of them. I could tell the ones that had been here the longest because they were shriveled and dark, the core of the soul black and empty. Whatever hope they had about being allowed peace in death had long been destroyed. But there were others—others who had been here less time—or maybe they were those who’d never given up hope. Their souls were lighter, brighter, and I knew they would find peace. Some of them fought the chains that held them, but most just seemed to accept the fact there was no escape.

My mother was among these souls.

Had she given up hope? Would she find peace?

“We need to get down there. We need to break the chains,” I said, unable to look at the sight laid out before me any longer.

“The ground slopes down into the valley over there,” Sam said, pointing around to the side of the cliff we were on.

“Let’s go,” I urged, turning to run.

My enthusiasm was short-lived.

Because when I turned I came face to face with my own personal demon.

Beelzebub.

He was back in the body of a dark-haired man with a wide chest and shoulders.

My first instinct was to step back, to cower. Everything about him repulsed and terrified me. He’d killed so many people I loved, and I knew—knew without a doubt—he wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone I had left.

It was in that fear I suddenly found strength.

“What are you doing here?” I said, planting my feet and lifting my chin. I wouldn’t back down. Never again.

“Did you think I would allow you to set these souls free, taking away the source of my power?”

Well, I’d hoped.

“I thought you were banished from hell,” Sam said, standing strong at my side.

“Details,” he said, like it didn’t matter. “It seems the commotion you all started over on the island was the perfect diversion for me to get back.”

A low growl caught in Riley’s throat at the mention of the island where Ana once lived.

“Seems with all the uproar going on, it’s the perfect time for me to take control.” He stepped toward me and snatched my arm. “Come along,” he said, yanking me forward. “Let us go introduce the souls to their new ruler.”

I jerked backward, trying to dislodge the hold he had on my arm, but his grip held strong. A low sound emanated from within Sam and he moved closer.

Beelzebub sneered. “Stand down, beast.” And before any of us could do or say anything,

he literally stepped right off the cliff, dragging me with him.

I screamed as I dropped through the air, plummeting toward the unforgiving ground. My stomach pushed its way past all the organs in my body and lodged in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut, but Sam called out my name and they snapped back open.

I tried to look up, to somehow reassure him I would be okay, but all I could see was the solid ground and how quickly it approached us. My entire body spasmed, tightening in on itself and trying to ready for the impact that would surely crush my bones.

Beelzebub landed like a cat on his feet, and I landed just as gracefully beside him. I looked around wildly, taking stock of my body and wondering why nothing inside me screamed with unbearable pain. I could only assume the reason I wasn’t a crumpled mess of shattered bones and skin was because he somehow protected me. Even though I was unharmed, my legs wobbled uncontrollably, my stomach still wasn’t where it belonged, and my heart… Well, I was lucky it hadn’t exploded inside my chest from beating so hard.

“Did that scare you?” he asked in mock concern. “What a shame.”

I ripped my arm from his grasp and stumbled backward, falling onto my butt, the hard landing effectively shoving my stomach back where it belonged. I swallowed back a wave of nausea and then got to my feet, trying not to stumble. Don’t let him win, I told myself.

I’m coming, Heven, Sam told me, and I looked up to where I’d stood only seconds before. It made me shaky all over again to see the sheer distance I’d fallen.

Please, be careful—both of you, I told him, not bothering to hide the desperation in my thoughts.

I watched as Sam and Riley raced across the edged of the cliff toward the slope that would bring them to my location. It wasn’t a short distance and I knew it would be minutes before they could reach us. Instead of feeling fear that I was standing here alone with the man who was responsible for my worst nightmares, I was relieved. I didn’t want Sam or Riley anywhere near him. I knew when they reached my side all hell would break loose—another fight of epic proportions. I shivered when I remembered the last epic fight we had with Beelzebub, the fight when Logan died.

No one else was going to die.

I wouldn’t to allow it.

I speared him with a look and the flames started at his feet, incinerating his shoes and burning away his pants. I stood there watching, waiting for him to scream in agony, for him to run around in circles, in need of help.

It didn’t happen.

He smirked at me instead.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t have taken some precautions with you—given our history with flames?”

Seriously? I finally get a cool power as a human flame thrower and he finds a way around it.

I didn’t bother to try to put out the fire. It wouldn’t work anyway, and besides, even knowing he wouldn’t burn to death, it gave me some satisfaction to watch him ablaze.

He put the flames out himself, giving me a dirty look. “Stop trying to kill me. You’re only wasting the energy best used to boss around my souls.”

His words angered me—angered me so deeply I actually saw spots before my eyes. “They aren’t your souls.” I growled, taking on the same kind of snarl I’d seen only Sam manage.

Up until this point I’d never really felt like the Soul Reaper. Sure, the title was bestowed upon me, but I hadn’t actually felt what it meant until coming to the edge of that cliff, peering over its jagged edges, and looking out over the vast open space meant for suffering. These people had hopes and dreams, family and friends… They’d loved and been loved.