The Darkest Touch

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

They had set up inside the church, the safest place until they figured out where they were going, since Lou ascertained there would be no way the demons would step inside the sanctity of the church itself. For some reason, either the grounds weren’t considered holy or the demons had managed to make that area their own, but the church itself? There were several ancient holy artifacts in there, so the demons weren’t going to go inside. They’d never last long enough to launch a decent attack inside.

After Michael explained the situation, an appalled Father Vintaldi told the hunters the entire grounds were theirs. They could dig everything up except the cemetery if they wanted to, he’d told them.

Dalton felt bad for the old priest. Father Vintaldi said he felt responsible for the demons taking Angelique. Like he should have known they were there, that the demons would take her.

Dalton knew the feeling. He of all people should have seen this coming, should have kept closer watch over Isabelle, especially. That had been his duty. He’d been responsible for her, and he’d failed.

He knew what had gone wrong. He’d let his attraction to Isabelle mesmerize him. He’d forgotten what he was supposed to do. He’d lost sight of the objective and he’d let emotion cloud his judgment. And because of that, the Sons of Darkness had taken her.

He should have stayed behind with Isabelle at the chapel that day. The Realm staff weren’t hunters. There was no way they could have determined what was going on with Isabelle. They didn’t know her history. If he’d been in the chapel with her, he’d have known. Instead, he’d let guilt send him away from her when he should have been at her side guarding her.

He knew all about the lure of temptation, how easy it was to slip into darkness. They seduced her while she was weak and helpless, and she’d fallen.

He could have stopped her. He had the strength and power to do it.

There were things he knew, something he was, that even Lou didn’t know. There were some things he couldn’t talk about with anyone. That’s just the way it was and always had been, and he’d lived with his secrets for a long time. But it didn’t mean he couldn’t have used his knowledge to prevent the train wreck that had occurred.

He hadn’t used his head, because he’d been blinded by his dick. And guilt.

Really stupid move. No wonder he’d stayed celibate for so damn long. It had kept his focus on demon hunting, where it should have been. At least until he’d met Isabelle. Then he’d let his libido run wild.

That wasn’t going to happen again.

He was going to get her back. The Sons of Darkness weren’t going to have her, weren’t going to be allowed to assimilate her into their den of shadows and evil. Isabelle had too much light inside her.

She belongs with you.

He shook off the thought as soon as it entered his mind.

She didn’t belong with him. No one belonged with him. That was the mistake he’d made, and he wouldn’t make it again. He’d do whatever it took to right that error.

The sooner the better.

They were set up in a small room off the main chapel. Lou had his laptop open and was scanning the area for hot spots, places where demons could pop up from underground.

“Anything yet?” he asked Lou, needing to put his mind front and center on the mission.

Lou didn’t bother looking up from his laptop. “Not yet. Quiet and cold. Nothing’s coming up on the image scans.”

“We should have brought Angelique with us.”

Michael looked up from his perusal of Lou’s laptop. “Are you serious? That would have been a bad idea.”

“Actually, I agree with Dalton,” Mandy said. “Angelique wanted to be used as bait, and if anything would bring the Sons of Darkness out of hiding, it would be her. It’s not like we wouldn’t be on guard this time. We’d have been able to protect her.”

“Exactly,” Dalton said. “Fighting them on our turf is much easier than going down to them. We want them up here.”

“Dalton has a point,” Lou said to Michael.

Michael leaned back in the chair. “I don’t like risking someone else’s life just to make the Realm’s job easier.” He glared at the group of them assembled near the stained glass windows. “Aren’t you all tough enough to handle it?”

Dalton narrowed his gaze. “Are you being purposely insulting, or are you just trying to challenge us so we’ll head underground to get the black diamond and Isabelle?”

“We can do the job wherever it is,” Punk said, his tone low and menacing.

“You don’t really know anything about us, do you, Michael?” Mandy asked, shaking her head.

“No, I don’t,” he replied. “I’m just trying to figure out why you’re all so eager to throw an innocent woman to the wolves in order to make your own jobs easier.”

“It’s called strategy,” Trace said.

Even Derek seemed angry. “What do your people do? Pick one way-the hardest way in-and go with that so you can show off your skills? Don’t you consider options?”

A shadow crossed Michael’s eyes at Derek’s words. Dalton didn’t give a shit what had happened to Michael’s team. That was his guilt to live with. He didn’t care to have his own team insulted.

“That’s enough,” Lou said quietly.

Michael held up his hand. “It’s okay. My team always considered options. But sometimes the going-in-gunsblazing-to-hell-with-the-consequences isn’t the best way. Sometimes, that’s how people get killed. We’re demon hunters. We’re trained to do this. Someone like Angelique isn’t.”

“So you ignore the best approach?” Mandy countered.

“No. I always consider every alternative.”

“Then why didn’t you consider me? I was your best option.”

Dalton whipped his head around at the sound of Angelique’s voice. Ryder stood next to her, a grin on his face and a weapon cradled in his arm.

“You were supposed to stay at the castle. With Angelique,” Michael said, frowning.

“Angelique can be very persuasive. She convinced me that her being here is the best way to draw out the Sons of Darkness, so we can rescue her sister and retake the black diamond.”

Dalton smirked. Ryder must be a freakin’ mind reader.

“We were just discussing that option, as a matter of fact,” Mandy said, sauntering over to Angelique and draping her arm over her shoulder. “Are you sure?”

Angelique nodded. “I was sure the first time. I’m doubly certain now.”

Ryder shouldered his laser and stepped fully into the room. “Angie seems to have some kind of connection to the black diamond, and to her sister.”

“What kind of connection?” Dalton asked.

“I can’t really explain it,” she said. “But when I was trapped in that room, I knew the moment the black diamond came to life. It was when Isabelle put her hands on it. And when it sparked up, so did I.”

“Because you touched it in the caves,” Lou offered.

She shrugged. “At first, that’s what I thought. But Ryder laid his hands on it, too, and he said he doesn’t feel a thing.”

“Ryder doesn’t have demon blood. You do. It’s not surprising that it forged a bond with you.”

Angelique pulled up a chair next to Lou. “But it stopped glowing when I touched it. Bart pushed me away, as if I couldn’t make the black diamond do. . whatever it was he needed it to do.”

Ryder placed his hands on Angelique’s shoulders. She tilted her head back toward him and smiled. Clearly the two of them had developed a relationship.

Dalton was glad. At least it seemed to be working out for some of his friends. He’d seen it happen for Derek and Gina, for Nic and Shay, and now apparently for Ryder and Angelique. But it would never be for him.

Lou pushed his chair back from the table and leaned toward Angelique. “You have a demon Lord’s blood within you, Angelique. But for some reason your sister possesses the darkness they’re looking for.”

Angelique inhaled, then blew it out. “I know she does. I feel that, too. I’m afraid that as soon as she laid her hands on the black diamond, she succumbed to the darkness within her.”

So not what Dalton wanted to hear, but what he feared had happened. “How bad is it?”

Angelique looked at him. “I don’t know yet. I need to see her.”

“If she’s moved over to the side of the Sons of Darkness-completely over to their side. .”

Michael trailed off, but Dalton knew what he meant. If Isabelle had gone evil, she was a threat to the Realm. She’d need to be eliminated.

“What?” Angelique asked. “Tell me.”

Ryder grasped her hand. “What Michael’s saying is that if she’s a demon, wholly demon, the Realm of Light will destroy her.”

She shuddered a breath, her wary gaze scanning the room. “You all will kill my sister.”

No one nodded, but they didn’t have to. They’d do what they had vowed to do to any demon. Dalton knew how hard this was for her. He didn’t want to think about it, either; he refused to contemplate the possibility.

“You didn’t kill Derek or Nic, and they are half-blood demons,” she argued.

“Angelique, we don’t yet know what’s happened to Isabelle,” Lou said. “Let’s hope she’s just like Derek and Nic, that she’s able to control the demon within her, just as you seem to be able to do.”

“Because if I can’t, you’ll destroy me, too.”

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Lou countered with a faint smile. “You’ve exhibited no signs of allowing the demon blood in you to take over.”

“And neither will my sister.”

Dalton hoped that was the case. He didn’t want Isabelle to die. They didn’t know her like he did.

“We’re glad you came,” Mandy said, breaking the tension that surrounded them.

“You put your ass on the line to do it. Now that you’re here the Sons of Darkness are going to be gunning for you. That shows guts.” Derek nodded his appreciation of Angelique’s courage.

“I don’t know if it’s guts or just utter terror for my sister. I have to find her. She’s the only family I have left. Sitting at the castle unable to take part in this felt wrong. Not when I could be the catalyst to bring them out of hiding.”

Michael sighed. “Okay, now that you’re here and evidently insisting on staying, we’ll see what happens.”

Angelique exhaled in relief, glad she was going to be allowed to remain.

“Thank you. I know you were trying your best to keep me safe, and I appreciate it. But I think this is the best approach.” Especially knowing what could possibly happen to Izzy. She’d do anything to prevent it-if it wasn’t already too late.

“Your presence here will get the Sons of Darkness’ attention,” Lou said. “If they want you back, and we assume they do, then they should make their presence known more easily. And when they do, we can dispatch them and find our way to their hiding place.”

“And you think that’s where my sister is? Underground somewhere?”

“Possibly,” Michael said. “We know for a fact she’s here. As is the black diamond. Whether they’re underground or not is uncertain.”

Ryder pulled up a chair and sat next to Angelique.

“Now what?” she asked.

“We wait. See what happens.”

“This is interesting.”

Angelique looked up at Lou. He was poring over papers on the table. “What?”

“There’s an older part of the cemetery, closed and no longer in use.”

She and Ryder stood and moved over to the table. Angelique scanned the document. “This looks like an ancient blueprint.”

“Yes,” Lou said. “I was trying to plot out perimeter strategy, minus the cemetery, figuring those wouldn’t be utilized by the demons along with the church proper. But this part here I’m curious about.”

“I’ll go get Father Vintaldi,” Gina said, leaving the room.

“Something about the area bothering you, Lou?” Mandy asked.

“Yes. I feel a strong pull to that location.”

“But if it’s part of the cemetery, the demons wouldn’t use it, would they?” Dalton asked.

“I wouldn’t think so, unless the ground there hasn’t been consecrated.”

Gina returned with Father Vintaldi in tow.

“Is there something I can assist you with?” the priest asked.

“Father, we need to know about this area.” Lou pointed to the blueprints.

Father Vintaldi leaned over the table and studied them, then nodded. “Ah, yes, the old burial ground.”

“So it is holy ground.”

Father Vintaldi shook his head. “It is ancient ground, centuries old. The bodies once buried there were relocated to the new cemetery when the first church was built on this land in the 1700s.”

“Then there aren’t any bodies in that area.” Dalton looked down at the blueprint, then at Lou. “They might be there.”

Lou nodded. “It’s possible. And I do have a very strong feeling about the place.”

“It has lain untouched for a long time.” Father Vintaldi frowned. “Something about that place is evil. No one likes to go in there.”

“Evil? Padre, what do you mean?” Angelique asked.

“It is said that only the criminals were buried there. Without benefit of holy blessings. Vile, evil men who had been executed, as well as those who had been suspected of practicing the dark arts. They were buried without forgiveness.”

Angelique looked at Ryder. Without forgiveness. She knew what that meant.

“Of course, we eventually moved their remains to the new cemetery and provided them their absolution when we reburied them.”

“But the old burial ground had no consecrated graves, did it?” she asked.

Father Vintaldi shook his head. “No, it did not, I’m sorry to say.”

“What’s left in that area now, Father?” Michael asked.

“Just the empty graveyard and the old stone building that was once used as a holding place for the criminals. And for the executions.”

“Please, go on,” Michael said.

The priest nodded. “It is rumored the dark arts were practiced there, too. Rituals, worships of the devil, things that were forbidden.” Father Vintaldi crossed himself.

“That could be where they are,” Ryder said.

Lou nodded. “We need to get ready to go.”

“Time to weapon up.” Dalton turned and walked away, already heading for his laser.

As the hunters strapped on their holsters and loaded their weapons, Angelique felt a rush of adrenaline. She moved to Ryder’s side.

“You’re not leaving me here.” She didn’t care if she had to take them all on one by one. She wasn’t going to be left behind again. Too much was at stake.

His head shot up and he looked at her for a few seconds, then his lips curled in a knowing smile. “Not this time. Never again.” He lifted an extra holster out of his bag, along with a stash of weapons that he laid out on the table. “I hope you can shoot straight, darlin’, because you’re about to become a demon hunter.”