Infernal

Nina's POV

Warm, rough skin brushed my cheek. I knew it, the touch. Because that kind of gentleness was uncanny, it had been the first real touch I'd ever gotten from a boy. Even if his hand had been mighty soft back then, I still knew it belonged to Phillip.

My muscles coiled as I moved, my face pressed into something hot and sticky. Steps, voices and murmurs rushed left and right, so many I couldn't make out any of them. For a blissful, wistful second, I wanted to stay like this. In a state between sleep and awareness. Stay near Phillip who'd always been easy, uncomplicated. Pretend that we were lying under a tree in Haven Park, that my mom, Nigel and Henry were home waiting.

All the pretending went to crap when a tingle drifted down my spine.

Light prickled my eyes. I recoiled. Two hands encased my face, tilting it left. Blue gems stared down, I blinked a few times.

"Cameron..." It was rude of me—shooting up, not even acknowledging Phillip—but everything I was, was frenetic. I had to know if Lucifer had gone through with it—how long had I been out? "Phillip, he wants to transfer his soul into Cam's—"

"I know," Phillip grasped my shoulders, firmly. "Nina, I know. I've known since I arrived. That's why you shouldn't have come." He hissed, shaking me lightly to get his point across.

Breathing became tough once my dream from nights ago flashed by. Back in the woods, Cam said my Power had been warning me, us, to keep away from this place. Dream-Phillip had urged us away. And the snake! Now it made sense. It really was a symbol of evil, a symbol for Lucifer.

Note to self: Buy a book on dream interpretation.

We weren't in the throne room anymore, this was very different. Completely round, for one. There were circular pillars, with the distance of five feet from each other, and Phillip and I were shackled to the same one. On the one to our left, was Rory and on our right, was Jade.

Grabbing onto Phill's hands, I lowered them to his lap. My eyes and head followed the direction to where the tingle grew stronger. It wasn't far. Right behind me. He was in the center of the room. Shackled, not to a pillar, to a stone table. His neck was craned, eyes straining to look behind, searching for me.

Doors opened and Bryce came in, keeping in check the blond from earlier. The Witch who was about to commit a sacrilege. Lucifer strolled in, looking sharp and lethal, then Romeo closed the doors. His head downcast when walking past Rory.

"Set up the circle," Bryce pushed the girl forward. She stumbled, standing in front of the place Cameron was tied down to. "Don't diddle, sweetheart."

Serena—I think her name was—shot the Vampire a scornful glare. She'd been gathering up several leafy branches. They were white and elongated. I'd stood with Cameron under those, they belonged to willow trees in the forest. I couldn't see all that well what she was doing, the table and Cameron cut off most of it.

"These are for dark Magic. If I set them up the wrong way the ritual will backfire horribly—which you deserve." Her spunk was quite impressive. Especially when Lucifer was standing two feet from her. "I should just put another curse on you." She hissed, blue eyes shining with flickers of rush and pain.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes, "Do that and you'll be dead before you know it." Her shoulders tensed visibly. "You're the last of your Coven, wouldn't it be a shame if the Bellwood legacy ended?"

Romeo poked her more once the Fallen walked off.

"The oldest Coven in history—done. Gone. What would your Mother say—?"

"Don't talk about my Mother!" There were candles on each table-corner, where Cam was, they all lit up. A blue flame the size of my index finger! It danced uncontrollably, highlighting Cameron's dark eyes. All around, Serena's breathing could be heard, a soft, agonized whisper.

Phillip was a coiled lion sitting beside me. All his attention on her. Angry—not at her—at them.

"Watch that temper, little Witch." Romeo warned.

Serena took a calming breath, eyes crossing Phill's. Something strong and apologetic traveled between them, then, she carried on with her tasks. Phillip's angle was better, he told me what Serena was doing. A circle with the snowy leaves.

She approached Cam's side slowly, eyes shifting between the knife in her right hand and the goblet in her left.

"I need your blood."

"Of course you do." He was looking at her but I didn't need to see him to know he had a smirk on. Moments like these made me want to pound his brains with a brick.

She drew a quick cut on his lower arm, the blood drops went into the recipient. Once she had enough, Serena went back to the circle. Phillip explained she was using his blood to draw five radius, starting at the edge of the circumference and meeting in its middle.

"In alchemy," Phillip whispered, voice rough. "A circle is the symbol for 'spirit'. Witches have these things called Sigils—"

"Witch-language." He blinked. "We needed the help of a Witch to come here..." His eyebrows drew together. "So let me guess, the circle's going to stand for 'soul' and the blood is to..."

"Connect Lucifer's soul to Cameron's."

"How do you know?"

"Serena explained it to me. Several times." He ground. "I wanted to make sure Cameron's soul would still be there, intact. Since I can't do a thing to stop it... at least I know he'll still be alive." Alive. Not safe. Fear trickled down my body like a cold water drop.

Lucifer walked up a few steps where a hollow, stone-archway was built. Until he set his hand on both columns, it was ordinary, afterwards a deep-blue light emerged within its slim walls. Once he came down, Serena took some blood from him and cut Cam's shirt, drawing something with the Devil's blood on his chest.

The candles' fire screamed higher, flames darkened into a darker color, turning deep-purple.

This is happening, I thought, watching Lucifer walk to what I assumed to be the center of the circle. In a few minutes, Cameron wouldn't be himself anymore. He was going to lose control of his own body. I couldn't do a thing to stop it—my nails carved into my jeans. I could only watch and hope this didn't hurt him.

When our gazes met I saw Cameron was on the verge of a psychotic-break. But then, Serena started saying words I didn't understand. Words that were going to change everything.

Phillip braced his back on the pillar, gritting his teeth fiercely, eyes closed. I wanted to close my eyes as badly, I just couldn't leave Cameron to face this alone. But as Serena chanted her Witchy-words, it was Lucifer who reacted. His breathing itched, threw his head back with a hiss and sharp yell—like someone was stabbing him through with a sword—he doubled over and I couldn't see him anymore. I heard razor-sharp breaths, in and out, until there was nothing but Serena's roaring voice.

Commotion from outside the walls gave way to a massive explosion. A crash later, another boom happened, transforming the room's door into little wooden projectiles. Phillip reacted quick enough for a Nephilim without Power, making it so his body covered mine. Squinting, I saw Jade doing her best to hide behind her pillar.

"It's them—the Rebels!" Bryce yelled over the crashes.

"Damn. How did they get inside? Go out there and get the others! Now! We can't let this ruin everything—"

His voice died suddenly. I had no idea why before Phill backed off. Dust drifted near the destroyed door, near the pillar Rory was shackled to, where Romeo was now kneeling. Holding a bleeding wrist to her mouth. Time trotted past me in a daze, shimmers from the night I saw my family dead came and went. Like death was stalking every corner.

One of the wooden shards had stabbed Rory, just a little to the left center of her torso.

"...no, no—Courtney, drink." He forced his wrist into her mouth. Beside me, Phillip's lips curled in a trembling line. Drinking wouldn't save her, she'd been staked in the heart. "Don't... You can't die—you weren't supposed to get hurt, you weren't supposed to..."

The flames from the candles were strong enough to highlight his face. I saw a wet trail down his cheek. A pang hit my heart, but I didn't allow myself to feel more for the Cambion. He'd brought this upon himself by betraying us—he'd put her here!

"I love you. Please don't die." He husked. "Please don't leave me—I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Rory's chest shook as a blood trail fell out the corner of her lip. "If you love me... you... you get them... get them out of here..." he wiped the red bead from her chin. "...leave me..." Her skin was darkening, going from pale to brunt-coal. They shared a closed-off look. She was fading fast. Whatever she wanted to tell him wouldn't be spoken.

"I'm not going to leave you—"

"P-please..." more blood bubbled.

Half-way through a strangled breath Romeo leaned his head down. First I thought their foreheads were touching, then I saw their lips were locked. I looked away. Not because the blood-smearing-kiss felt gruesome, because it felt intrusive. The next thing I heard were quiet murmurs, low and faded.

Taking my sights from the pair, I saw Serena wasn't chanting. She wasn't even by the stone table. Somehow she'd conjured flames and was stirring them toward the chaos outside, keeping the rebels away.

There was a sob—the sound stopped as soon as it started and Romeo stood before us fast, hollowed-faced, blood caking his lips. With no ounce of hesitation, he crouched unlatching the Chains.

I saw Phillip's hand ready to aim at the nearest body part Romeo had to offer, only the Cambion struck quicker, shaking us to our feet, dragging us around the ritual, and up the stairs where the archway with the pretty blue light was.

"This is a one-way Portal. It'll take you wherever you want, you can only go through—not back." Phillip got kicked in the knee when he tried to throw a punch at Romeo. "You think of the place where you want to go and it'll take you there."

That was all very sweet sounding, a ticket out of Hell, but Cameron was still tied up to a table!

"I won't leave without him!" I yelled in the face of danger and he smiled.

"I'm not giving you a choice."

The next time I opened my mouth, it was in vain. It was like being thrown into a cyclone or a whirlpool. I reached a point where I had to close my eyes, too many lines and colors had blurred together causing my head to hurt, my stomach to flatter. Suffocation hit me, next. Was this what drowning felt like?

My head came out from under water. At least, that's what it felt like to me.

Sputtering, I raised myself onto my elbows, woozy. They should put seat belts on that thing.

"Oh no." I rasped. "No this can't be. It can't be happening..." as my hazy eye-sight cleared, I saw just where I was—where we were. Phillip was lying on his back, nearby. "This can't be." I pushed myself to sit on my behind, looking horrified at the familiar house and its round fence, marking the safe perimeter.

Wind whooshed though every forest branch, smacking hair into my face along with the humid smell of winter. Phillip blew out a breath and it left a foggy cloud. His eyes were bewildered looking at his house, like he thought he'd never see it again.

"We're back... We're in Haven Hills."

***

Cam's POV

Romeo pushed Nina and my brother through the glowing-blue Portal. Part of my heart gigged like a show-man, the leftover deflated. They were home free while I was pinned to a ritual table waiting for the Devil to take over my masterpiece of a body.

There were several reasons why I wasn't down with that. A lot of them were stupid and inappropriate.

Romeo rushed down the steps, saw where Witch-girl was and stepped inside the circle, cautiously. I strained my head up trying to see what was happening. After checking the guy's pupils or something, he hoisted Lucifer's body over a shoulder. Next, he stared at me. I glared pointy daggers laced with poison at him.

Why the hell did he have this overly pleased expression? I was still me.

"The ritual was a bust, guess you can let me go." Nothing wrong with trying my luck.

"You're right," he murmured, a slow stretching smile tugging at his lips. Lips stained with dead-Vampire blood. "You are free to go."

A key dangled over my face. He taunted me with a wicked smirk, no loss or remorse like what he'd shown for Rory. Several muscles jumped in my jaw. Rory was dead. She'd been the only person left who'd felt like family. And because of us she was gone.

"You want out, junior? Here. Knock yourself out." He placed the key on my chest. Surprise, surprise! Guy was a bastard. "See you soon."

He vanished through a door across the room. Everything inside told me to hunt him down and tear him limb from limb. More pressing matters laid on my chest, though. I couldn't reach it with my hands. I could move around and hope the key fell on the table, close enough to reach. But... it could fall to the floor, which would make me royally screwed.

Gut wrenching screams echoed from where the Rebels were attacking. Witch-extraordinaire was holding them back, but for how long?

Taking a risk was my only move.

I flexed all available muscles in my chest, then wiggled around some. Tipping the key upward, bit by bit. Stretching my head all the way forward, I stuck out my tongue. Desperate times. Feeling like a frog, I made a dragging movement, so that I could grab the triangle key with my teeth. Just two more inches...

My teeth clamped on gold.

I tilted to the right finding the key hole, I twisted the key left. Click. I shook off the bangle and used my right hand to free my left, sat up and did the same with my ankles. Wasting no time praising my amazing Houdini act, I drew on my Power, feeling my senses return full-force. Healing, too.

I heard a whimper. A girl was curled behind a pillar. I crouched beside her.

"Jade," I unlocked her Chains quickly. She flinched. "It's okay. It's Cameron, it's me. The ritual wasn't finished."

I pulled her by the wrist ignoring her fumbled words about some disturbance. There was no time. Half-way to the Portal stairs, I stopped. Phillip would never forgive me if I left that Witch behind.

"Stay," Jade looked at me with big eyes and tried telling me about some Thread-thingy coming out of my chest.

I ran to the half-circle of flames and felt myself sway. Maybe the Chains took a bigger toll on me then I'd thought, I wondered rubbing a temple. Waving off smoke, I clutched Serena's shoulder. She made a swing at me. Understandable, under the circumstances. Didn't mean I'd give her a freebie.

I tugged on her shoulder harder than I had to. She winced. Whoops.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving your Witchy-butt." I managed to pull her all the way to the stairs. "You know how that works?" I pointed up into the Portal. Serena nodded. "Then go—Jade take her hand." The Rebels were bringing the house down. The girls went in front of me, they were almost at the top when one of them came in. Fun-fucking-tastic.

Sure I could zoom up, nudge them inside and we'd be long gone. The only downside to that awesome plan was that after we left, the Rebels would have access to a Portal that would take them anywhere on Earth. If they weren't after Nina I wouldn't care. But they were.

That Portal had to go.

"Take her!" I yelled at Serena.

Baby-blue eyes widened, "What about you? You can't stay here!"

More of them filled the room. I looked at Jade. Nina wanted her safe. I looked at Serena. I had no idea what my brother and her could possibly have going on, but the way he'd looked at her... Yeah, he wanted her safe, too. Goddamn it, I hated playing hero so fucking much.

"I'll handle myself. Go." I growled.

Serena shook her head but pulled Jade in. The fifteen year-old screamed that I needed to know—they dove into blue light and Jade's words fell on no ones ears.

Blasting a couple of bolts here and there, I made it to the top. How was I going to get through and destroy the damn thing? Racking my brains did something awfully painful to my chest. I leaned on the archway aware of the strong suction this thing exerted.

Overload it, a deep voice in my head suggested, transfer enough energy and in the last second step in.

Risky. Just my kind of plan.

I braced my palms on either support, calling every electric particle to me, channeling them into the Portal. The light grew brighter. The force pulling me in did too. I kept feeding it more charge. Like giving sugar to a diabetic until their system crashed.

A little more, I asked my Power, pushing carefully. Calibrating the amount so it wouldn't blow up—

A Rebel charged up the stairs.

That building pressure in my chest worsened. My sight dulled. My muscles slacked. My body felt too heavy to stand on its own.

The last thing I felt was a tremendous heat-wave and whiplash.