CHAPTER FOUR

“What…er…do we have to say something?” I asked, more than a little nervous now that I’d agreed to bind myself to the man whose mere physical presence filled me with a strange excited happiness. “Is there something I need to swear to? Or is it like a ceremony?”

“There are seven steps to Joining,” he said solemly “The first two are marking and protection from afar.”

“The demon and the mind-talking,” I said, recalling his soft voice in my head urging me down the alley. I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but I recognized it now for what it was.

“Yes. The third and fourth steps involve the first exchange of bodily fluids, and entrusting the Beloved with the truth.”

“That would be the kiss and…well, I guess telling me who you are.”

He nodded. “The fifth step is the second exchange.”

“I assume that”—I waved a hand to indicate the necking session in which we’d just indulged—“qualifies?”

“It does. The sixth step is for the Beloved to overcome the darkness within the Dark One.”

“Oh.” I thought for a few seconds, frowning as I ran over our conversation. “I’m afraid I don’t quite see where we’ve done that.”

“That’s because you haven’t promised yet to assist me in bringing down the Betrayer.”

“Who?”

“Adrian the Betrayer. The man who sold me to Asmodeus.”

I gawked at him for a second or two. “He sold you to a demon lord?”

“Yes.” Sebastian’s eyes grew as pale as a foggy dawn. “That is why I seek revenge against him and his family. I swore my vengeance as Asmodeus drained my blood away. Nothing but death will satisfy such a betrayal.”

The urge to take him in my arms and comfort him, to lighten the darkness visible in his eyes, was almost overwhelming, but before I could act upon it, the door opened.

“Sally told me to make sure Sebastian doesn’t try to do something bad to you,” Damian said, marching into the room with a pugnacious set to his jaw.

Sebastian’s entire body tensed. I put a warning hand on his arm. “Damian, we’re having a bit of an adult conversation. Sebastian isn’t going to do anything bad, so you can go back and tell Sally—”

“She also said to tell you that there’s a demon outside the house demanding to see you. And a bunch of imps. She said she’s called Noelle already, too.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and wished for the sane, normal life I had when I woke up that morning.

“There are also five zombies outside with big signs, saying they need to talk to you about being kicked out of Hyde Park.”

All right, maybe my life wasn’t so normal. Still, it had been better earlier in the day…

“To delay any longer is folly,” Sebastian said, turning to me. “The demon is here. He will fight to gain control over you. We must Join now.”

Damian wrinkled up his nose at us. “Ew. Joining. That means you’re going to kiss her. That’s gross.”

I sighed at the boy. “Would you please tell Sally that we’ll be right out, and tell Tim and his fellow sit-in revenants that I will be happy to talk to them as soon as I can. When did Sally say Noelle will be here?”

“She said she caught her on the tube, and it would only take a couple of minutes. Who’s Noelle?” he asked as I gave him a gentle push toward the door.

“Our roommate who is also a Guardian.”

Sebastian jerked, as if he was startled by something. I shot him a curious glance, but his face was blank.

“Oh. That’s good?”

“Yes, very good. If there is a demon to control, Noelle is the best person to have around. Go on now. We’ll be right out.”

Sebastian ground his teeth as he watched the boy slowly walk to the door, his body tense and poised to strike. “We must leave now, Beloved. We must Join and leave this house.”

I touched his cheek, wondering how he could live through such atrocities and still show so much control. “How did you survive?”

His eyes flickered toward me. “Christian, more of a blood brother than a friend, helped me track down the Betrayer.” Sebastian’s expression darkened until his beautiful face was a vision of stark vengeance. The sight of it chilled me with frozen dread. I had seen such a look once before…and now to see it on the face of the man to whom I had just promised to bind myself was unbearable. “He later turned on me, throwing in his lot with the Betrayer.”

“Papa isn’t a betrayer,” Damian said abruptly, standing at the door. His scowl was almost as fierce as Sebastian’s. “He had to do what he did. Nell said he’s a brave man because he let everyone think he was bad so he could save people.”

“The charmer is deluded,” Sebastian snapped, turning back to me. “Christian claimed the Betrayer was saving others by sacrificing me, but I know it was not so. Christian forswore me to distract me from my plan.”

“Uncle Christian would never do that,” Damian muttered, glowering at us both. “He knows Papa wouldn’t do anything bad like you say he would.”

“No? The Betrayer skewered me to the wall with a knife in the neck, nearly severing my head. But perhaps you do not call a near decaptitation ‘bad.’” Sebastian took a step toward Damian, pulling down the neckline of his black sweater to expose a faint, ragged white line. I tightened my grip on his arm and gently touched the scar.

“No,” I said simply.

Sebastian misunderstood me. “I will not ask you to participate in the actual killing of the Betrayer—that act is one I must do myself. But you understand now why I must seek justice for the crimes committed against me. We have delayed too long; we must leave now. We will go to Paris first—”

“No,” I repeated, rubbing my arms against the chill that seemed to leech out from within me. “I understand what you’ve gone through. But I will not help you if you insist on this path of revenge.”

Disbelief filled his eyes. “You will not—”

“No,” I said again, lifting my chin so he could better see my determination. “If you wish for me to Join with you, you must first swear to me that you will release your oath of vengeance against Adrian and his family. I will not lift one finger to help you otherwise.”

He swore softly to himself. “Why would you deny me what is mine? Do you not think I have every right to exact revenge for the betrayal?”

“I think you have a right to be hurt, yes. Angry, absolutely. Changed by your experience—without a doubt. But I have seen firsthand what revenge against another can do, and I will have no part in it. So make your choice, Sebastian—either you have a soul and a Beloved, or you can have revenge against someone who is probably just as much a victim as you were.”

“Papa was cursed by Asmodeus,” Damian chipped in. “He didn’t have a choice. He had to do what Asmodeus told him to do because his papa gave him away.”

Sebastian growled something rude in French. I gave Damian a narrow-eyed look of warning and made a shooing gesture. With head held high, he nodded, and reluctantly left the room.

I knew the second the door closed Sebastian would start in on me about my demand that he give up his plans of vengeance, but I haven’t survived as long as I have without learning how to deal with men.

“I think you’re incredibly brave,” I told him as he turned toward me, clearly about to lecture me.

“Ysabelle—” He stopped, frowning. “You do?”

I smiled to myself. Nothing distracts a man like a bit of flattery, especially when it’s sincere. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. You had to be incredibly brave to survive being in the control of a demon lord and an attack that could have severed your head. I also think you’re intelligent, charming, and…well…sexy as hell, to be honest.”

He stood in front of me, his toes touching mine. I held his piercing gaze, happy to let him see in my eyes that I meant exactly what I said.

That puzzled him. His frown deepened. “Then why did you just threaten to leave me unless I did what you wanted?”

“I told you why—I’ve seen the effect of the sort of vengeance that you plan, and frankly—”

“Belle!” Sally swept through the door, her hands on her hips. “Le demon est à la porte! And il vous wants parler!”

“Yes, I know. Damian told me.”

“Ysabelle?” A man’s voice sounded muffled on the other side of the door. “Tim McMann here. I’m sorry to bother you here, but you did say to come to you with problems. Might I have a word about the sit-in? We seem to have a spot of trouble with one of the participants.”

“What sort of trouble?” I asked, momentarily distracted from the grave decision Sebastian was demanding of me.

“It seems William here inadvertantly ate two squirrels and a small ferret en route. He’s fully willing to participate in the sit-in, but the others were wondering if that’s quite proper since we are espousing the nonflesh lifestyle.”

“They were very small squirrels,” another man said with obvious distress, clearly the William in question. “Tasty, but not much meat on them. I’m still hungry, in fact. Anyone want to pop into the McDonald’s for a quick bite?”

I sighed and hung my head for the count of five, wishing once again that I could rewind the day and start it all over.

“Ysabelle?” Tim shouted.

“I’ll be right there. Don’t let him eat any more meat.”

“I can stop any time I want,” William yelled through the door. “I’m just a bit peckish right now. Here, Jack, you doing anything with that arm?”

A squawk followed, presumably from the man named Jack. I rubbed my forehead and wondered how hard it would be to fall into a little coma.

“Ysabelle? We really could use your help out here. William just bit Estabon and Jamal when they pulled him off Jack. I believe he’s frothing at the mouth. Surely there’s something we can do to save him?”

“Brainnsssss,” came the reply from the now thoroughly meat-poisoned William. I sighed again. I hated to lose a client to meat.

“Pull yourself together, man!” Tim bellowed. A sharp thwacking noise followed, as if the sit-in members were beating William on the head with their signs. “That’s the very stereotype we’re protesting against! Remember what we’re standing for! Ysabelle!”

“Tie him up if you need to, but don’t get within range of his teeth. Sally will show you where there’s rope,” I answered, turning back to face Sebastian.

The look of disbelief on his face was priceless. Sally rolled her eyes.

“Is Noelle on her way?” I asked her.

“Oui. She’s coming ici bientôt, just a tube stop away. But—”

“Beloved, we must go now,” Sebastian said. He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a door at the opposite end of the room. “We do not have time to delay any longer.”

“Just a moment, Sebastian. I’m not moving until we get a few things straightened out.”

“Belle! Le demon!” Sally shouted, her hands gesticulating wildly.

“Yes, I know, but this should only take a couple of minutes. Until Sebastian and I have an understanding—”

A huge crash rocked the house.

“Là, vous see?” Sally’s voice was complacent as both Sebastian and I ran for the door. “Le demon has blown up the house! J’ hope that vous êtes happy.”

“Bloody hell…” I beat Sebastian to the doorway, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him as he raced out into the hallway. The sharp, stinging smell of explosive powder filled the air, making my eyes stream and clogging my throat. I coughed, peering through weeping eyes at the destruction. The remains of the front door hung drunkenly open, attached only by one bent and damaged hinge. The small couch and end table that sat at the far end were covered in bits of wood and plaster, and part of something I hesitantly identified as a revenant. Tim and the others emerged from under the remains of a large potted palm that had exploded.

“Brainsssssss,” came the eerie wail from the bits of revenant on the destroyed couch.

Sally picked up an unattached leg and floated her way across the debris to where the still animated upper half of William sat. “Is this yours?”

“Oooh. That looks lovely. If you could set it just here next to me…”

Sally was about to give the revenant his leg, but heeded the look in my eye and retreated to a corner with it instead.

Damian, crouched at the top of the stairs, peered over the rail at me, his dark hair powdered gray, but he appeared otherwise unhurt.

“Are you all right?” I asked him.

He nodded, then pointed to the gaping hole that was now the doorway. Sebastian and I turned to look.

“Tattu!”

The demon I’d surprised earlier stood in the doorway, its eyes glowing with hate.

“Oh, crap,” Sally said, brandishing the leg as if it was a weapon. “It’s ici.”

Sebastian moved to block the demon’s view of me. I stared at the back of his neck for a second, amused but touched by his protective attitude. I’d barely met the man, and already he was acting like…well, like a doting husband. I couldn’t help wondering…

“Tattu! Come with me and I will not harm the Dark Ones.”

“Who is this now?” Tim asked, giving the demon a haughty look. “Is he holding us hostage? Are we in a hostage situation? Will he adhere to the proper rules governing treatment of hostages? Shall we designate one of us as a negotiator?”

I sighed and moved to Sebastian’s side to confront the demon. Sebastian stood absolutely still, his eyes the color of bleached granite, his muscles tense. I slid my hand into his, not sure whether it was to restrain him from hasty actions or to comfort myself. His fingers tightened around mine, sending a little wave of warmth up my arm.

“This woman is my Beloved,” Sebastian told the demon, his body language screaming that he was not about to take anything from anyone. “You will leave now.”

“Beloved?” The demon’s gaze turned to me. My skin crawled as it examined me, leaving me feeling tainted and foul.

A wave of imps washed up and over the demon’s feet, collecting in a pool on the hallway floor before him. They yip-yipped aggressively, hopping up and down and shaking their little fists at us until Sebastian cast a glance at them. One look from him had them scampering back to the safety of the doorway.

“Imps,” said William’s remains. “I could go for a nice imp fry right about now.”

You’re a handy guy to have around, I told Sebastian.

In more ways than you can imagine, he answered, and for one brilliant moment, my head was flooded with the most erotic images, thoughts and desires and urges that all involved me. My knees almost buckled at the things Sebastian wanted to do to me. The images were gone in a second, leaving me to wish we were alone so I could investigate futher some of the arousing thoughts he’d had. A snarl from the demon returned my attention to the moment at hand.

“The tattu is not your Beloved,” the demon sneered at Sebastian. “You have not Joined. She belongs to my master. I will take her now, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Can I have my leg back, please?”

Beloved, we must Join now. It is the only way I can protect you.

“Vous et ce qui army?” Sally floated over to stand in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest (she’d given William’s leg to Tim). My heart warmed at her brave—but completely useless—attempt to protect me.

Ysabelle, we do not have a choice. We must Join before the demon attacks. Without help, I can disable it only for a short time. It will no doubt return with minions and other demons. Sebastian’s voice was rich with regret that he was forcing a decision on me, but there was a faint echo of satisfaction that had me wondering again.

The demon walked right through Sally and stopped a few feet in front of Sebastian. It smiled. The lights in the chandelier near the stairs exploded, tiny bits of glass raining down on the floor behind us.

“Here now! Broken glass can be very dangerous!” Tim protested, taking a firm grip on William’s leg as he started forward. He immediately beat a retreat when the demon turned its eyes on him. “Er…sorry for interrupting. Continue.”

“Do not delude yourselves,” the demon said. “You cannot stop me. I will have the tattu. Will you be destroyed as well, Dark One?”

Sebastian snarled something that was anatomically impossible (even for a demon), his muscles bunched as he was about to strike. A movement behind the demon, a dark shape faintly visible in the streetlight, caught my attention. Sebastian must have seen it as well, for his fingers loosened their painful grip on mine.

Ysabelle, this does not change anything. The demon will return, with reinforcements. We must Join!

“Just the foot would do. Surely you could spare me one little foot?” William pleaded with Tim.

I heaved yet another sigh, knowing in my heart that what Sebastian said was true. Now that the demon had found me, there was no way it was going to let me go. I knew even without asking that anywhere I went, it would find me, just as it found me in the middle of London.

“A couple of toes? Just tide me over?”

I had no choice. I could either save myself and Sebastian, or I could damn us both by trying to avoid the inevitable. Sebastian’s thumb stroked over my hand for two heartbeats while I wrestled with my thoughts.

What about Adrian and Damian?

Pain lashed through him, mingling with his anger and regret and need for justice. I held my breath, knowing if he made a choice I could not condone, we were both doomed. I will do as you demand, he said at last, the agreement costing him much. I will forfeit my right to revenge myself on them if you will Join with me.

Relief filled me. I am not going to make love to you. Especially not right here in front of everyone! I thought at him indignantly.

That is the preferred method, but not the only one. Another exchange of body fluids would do.

Body fluids?

Blood. I wish things were different, Beloved.

I know. I smiled at him as the demon whirled around, finding itself face-to-face with a short, red-haired Guardian barely visible through the doorway.

“What—” The demon was cut off in midquestion.

Now, Beloved.

“Belle?” Sally asked, her brow puckered as Sebastian pulled me into an embrace. “What are you—mon Dieu! Not that!”

A disgusted “Ew!” drifted down the stairs as Sebastian’s mouth descended upon mine, his lips starting a desire inside me that I doubted would ever be extinguished.

“Here, you, little boy. Fetch me that thigh I see peeking out from under the chair.”

“You’re gross,” Damian told the remains of William.

Despite the confusion of everyone surrounding us, the demon who was now hanging upside down in the doorway screaming curses, the revenants, the imps, and Noelle dimly visible outside as she began banishing the demon, I kissed Sebastian back with every tangled, confused emotion I had, and prayed I was making the right choice.

His mouth trailed heat as he kissed a path to the base of my neck. I wish this were different, Ysabelle. But it is right we do it.

I said nothing as his teeth pierced my flesh, my body quivering with both the sensation of him taking life from me, and the images he was sharing with me, feelings of arousal and need, of a bone-deep satisfaction, and surprisingly, a strong sense of rightness that resonated within me. My body went up in flames as his mouth moved on my neck while he drank deeply, my breasts aching and straining against him, my hips rubbing in a suggestive manner, heat deep within my core flaring outward in a rush of ecstacy. Every inch of my flesh was sensitized to the point where I thought I would climax right then and there.

The demon screamed, causing the windows near the door to shatter. Sebastian pulled his mouth from my neck, his eyes almost ebony as he looked down at me. Without a word he kissed me again, his tongue painting the inside of my mouth with a familiar, sweet, spicy taste.

Drink, Beloved.

He’d nipped his tongue. As I suckled it, drunk on the heady sensation of taking from him what he’d taken from me, I merged with him, almost crying out at the dark emptiness where his soul should have been.

I filled him with as much light as I could give, dimly aware of Noelle as she yelled the words of banishment above the clamor of the revenants and imps. Sally sputtered around us helplessly, trying to gain my attention, but that was focused solely on the man I held in my arms, the man to whom I had just bound myself body and soul.

“Well, that’s done.” Noelle’s perky voice drifted across the hallway to us as she dusted off her hands and entered the house. “Nasty fellow. We’re going to have some trouble there, Belle, now that he’s seen you. Hello, Tim, nice to see you again. Did one of you explode? I found a knee out on the walkway. We’ll have to…oh my God. Sebastian?”

I pulled away from Sebastian. His eyes were clouded as he turned to face my roommate.

“Good evening, Noelle. You look well.”

“You know each other?” I asked, looking from her to the man who still held me close to his side.

“I should say so,” Noelle said, giving me an unreadable look. “I’m his Beloved.”