“The True Cross is a bridge between the living and the dead.” Gabriel said. “Christ gave up human life and died on that sacred wood so it is symbolic of humanity in both aspects. The dead are drawn to it because it is where he conquered death itself.”
We rounded another corner. The ghosts had led us into the park. We followed the gravel path through the woods to the lake where an entire horde of ghosts gathered. There had to be over a hundred here already.
I squinted as we came down the hill. A man in a tuxedo stood by the edge of the lake with his back to us. I brushed through the crowd of ghosts, ignoring the cold sensations their forms rippled across my skin. With a start, I realized I knew him.
“Terrell?”
He turned. “Jordan? I was wondering where you were. You weren’t at the hotel and you didn’t pick up your phone, so I came here looking for you.”
“Jordan!” Michael called.
I waved a hand at him to dismiss the worried tone in his voice. “Don’t worry, I know him.”
I turned back to Terrell. “Look, I need you to get out of here. It’s not safe.”
“Get away from him,” Michael ordered, his hands balling into fists.
I glared at him. “Michael, this isn’t the time for that. We’ve got bigger problems right now and I don’t need you getting overprotective—”
“Jordan, listen to me. That is not your ex-boyfriend.”
I stared at him. “What are you talking about? I’ve been seeing him all week.”
Terrell wrapped one arm around my shoulders, cradling me against the front of his body, and leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“And thus, I clothe my naked villainy with old odd ends stolen forth from holy writ, and seem a saint when most I play the Devil.”
I recognized that quote. Shakespeare. “Terrell, what’s going on?”
He kissed the shell of my ear and spoke again. “I’m afraid I haven’t been completely honest with you…my pet.”
A cold shock went through me. No. Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
“I want you to know that this fa?ade was not the reunion I had planned for us, but it was suitable for my needs. If I had things my way, I would have taken my time in seducing you and getting you to trust me, but these aren’t reasonable times and the Master grows impatient.”
Terrell’s normally warm voice had become bone-chillingly cold. It held a disgusting element of arrogance to it that he never had before. His words seeped into my skin like poison, filling my veins with a sickening feeling. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.
I shook my head, too numb to turn around and see his face, the face I had kissed a thousand times, the face that promised me the world, the face that wanted two kids and a dog and a white picket fence. “Can’t be you. Two souls can’t share a body. It’s not you.”
“You’re quite right, Jordan. That is exactly why I killed him and took his body.”
Just as he spoke, the tip of a blade pressed into my spine, right at the small of my back. The air left my lungs. I just stood there. My lips barely moved enough to form the words.
“You killed him.”
The archdemon sighed in a melodramatic way. “He was necessary. I wouldn’t have been able to manipulate you otherwise. It was tedious, but I spent our time apart studying his every move, his thoughts, his gestures, until I could copy them exactly. If it’s any consolation, he died an honorable death. He would have made you proud, sweet Jordan.”
Numb. All numb. Head spinning. Stomach churning. Eyes dim. Dead. My ex-boyfriend was dead because of me. I killed him. I killed Terrell. Blood was on my hands once again. So much blood.
“Jordan…” Michael took a step forward.
Belial jabbed the knife into my back, making me flinch and the angel freeze in place. “One more step and I’ll split her in half. We only need her blood, not her life. Why else would we send the hellhound?”
Gabriel’s blue eyes narrowed. “We?”
Belial chuckled. “Yes, we. You know I am nothing without my right hand man. Well, woman. Mulciber?”
The other demon approached from the edge of the woods to our left, walking calmly towards our little Mexican standoff as if it were nothing more than a picnic. Her new body came in the form of a Vietnamese woman with long, dark hair and brown eyes set in a round face. I was still too numb to care about her sudden appearance.
“My, my. We have quite the reunion going on tonight, do we not?”
“You have exactly five seconds to let go of her before I tear out your spine, demon,” Michael growled, green eyes narrowed to slits. Gabriel whispered his name, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
“Such brave words, angel. We both know there is no way you can extract the girl without hurting her. Therefore, I can do anything I want while you just stand there like whipped puppies.” She stroked her long fingers up and down my left arm. Goosebumps rose as her red fingernails began digging in, creating painful welts.
“What do you want, beast?” Gabriel spat, taking a step forward as well.