Purgatorial

Cam's POV

Why were bad guys fans of dank and bloody basements? I couldn't tell life from death in this hell hole. Blood was smeared across walls, red puddles on the gritty floor along with guts. I stopped myself about to step on something fucking similar to a piece of brain. I hopped over it. This was just sick. Coming here alone was stupid... An angered growl came from behind me. Well, I wasn't alone. Phillip was trailing behind me. His condition, for me coming without sharing this little detour with Nina, was that he came with. I got sent a message via-brain from Azazel the Bastard while mid-raiding the hospital's blood supply. Phillip pulled us out of there when my body shut down. For some asshole reason, Cain had Jade. Came as a shock to me, because, oh, I don't know... I thought Jade was safe and sound in New Orleans since another gigantic dickhead Cambion hadn't mentioned her missing from his supernatural-custody? Of course, Azazel could've lied. But Jade was a Psychic. Just a girl with an ability to see connections between souls. She wasn't someone important in the Power scheme of things. So, for Cain and Azazel to even know of her existence meant they probably weren't. Why take Jade? No freaking clue.

"You bring me to the most romantic places, brother." I scoffed. "We're idiots," Phillip whispered.

"Why? You think this is a trap?" I mocked humorlessly, throwing a glance over a shoulder.

"A Fallen tapped into your mind and led us to a stinking remake of the Texas Massacre." His comment was dry. "Do you think he killed them all?"

"Who knows. The guy's a complete nutcase. Letting Vampires drink and kill whoever they want. He's letting Demons out of Hell left and right… It seems random but… it's not. He knows Michael will keep sending Angels in to save human lives. It's all a distraction." I whispered, listening for other heartbeats, voices or steps.

I glanced back at Phill when he let out a soft growl. Frowning in disgust, my brother wiped two blood drops from his left cheek and nose. He scrubbed hard, dodging from under the freshly hung corpse.

"You okay?" he tried hard to shadow the veins crawling under his skin, I still saw.

"Yeah," Phillip shut his eyes, breathing deeply. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." He said with conviction. "It's just… All the blood."

Going to stand beside him, I clapped a hand on his shoulder, "You've been doing fin—" I went quiet and our heads snapped right, eyes focused on what laid behind a plastic curtain.

I pointed at Phillip and then down, meaning: stay. He pursed his lips as I moved forward, close enough to draw back the curtain and walk on over to the other side. I didn't walk very far before a shadow jumped me. Power surged from within and a bolt of electricity shot from my right hand, slamming into the in-coming Demon. The bolt hit the Demon's torso, but it swung its tail around-tail? Catching me off guard. I barely had any time to jump left, only to land on a bloody pool and slip. Shaking my head, my eyes widened as the Demon's mouth snapped open and it swooped down, heading for me. My hands shot forward, gripping the Demon's jaw just before it took a bite off my face.

This thing was a Freeloader. A Beast. The kind of Demon's that never left Hell. Slime flew from the Beast's mouth, landing on my sweater. Just when you thought things couldn't get any more disgusting around this place. The Freeloader nudged its head closer, a bloodcurdling roar coming from its throat. It didn't have eyes, but it could sure hear. Electricity coursed down my arms and as soon as it touched my hands the Freeloader hollered, jerking back. I held its slippery head tightly. My Power relished as I dished it out. The Demon hunched, then buckled, swinging its head side-ways still trying to get free. I upped the charge and its elongated, slim head went from gray to brunt-to-crisp with strawberry sauce all over. Only it wasn't strawberry. I pulled my hands off the dead Demon's noggin, wiping them clean on my jeans. Gotta love megavolt therapy.

"Enjoyed the show?" I asked turning to where I'd left Phillip. "Phillip, what's wrong?" I zoomed up to him faster than he could blink, bending to catch his eye. My brother was gripping his head with wide open eyes. I grabbed his shoulder. "Phillip?" Veins stuck out again. Staying longer.

"There's something... it's... it's calling me..."

"Azazel?" I whispered into his ear. He shook his head. His fingers dug deeper into his scalp. "Hey-stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

"...can't... stop... or I'll lose... control..." Phill panted. A ribbon of blood came crawling from underneath his dark sandy hair. Damn it.

"You know, there's nothing like enslaving Vampires in the afternoon. It's almost as fun as skinning someone before breakfast." I kept a firm hold on my little brother's forearm before glaring beyond the ripped off curtain, where the Freeloader's body was.

About seven feet away from the Demon's body was a metal staircase leading to a platform. I had a hard time believing the person standing up there, arms leaning on the railing, was a psychopath who'd caused our family, Nina and our friends' so much trouble and pain. He was wearing cargo shorts and a red hoodie with big stamped letters reading: NORMAL PEOPLE SCARE ME. One glance at his purple eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

"Cain," I sneered.

"In the flesh," he stated in a chipper tone. When he cocked his head I saw something new on his forehead. Scabs? It was a little hard to tell because a half of the dickhead's face was covered in blood. Some was running between his eyes. He didn't seem to mind. "Speaking of flesh," he pointed a finger where I'd been looking. His knuckles were bloody, too. If he did have Jade... was she still alive? "I'm starting to decompose. I think we can call it that, right? Skin's just peeling itself off. You know, I never got why girls moisturized so much, but now I-" Phillip sunk to his knees. My grip on his arm broke on surprise. "Cam, can you tell your brother to stop being rude? We're having a conversation here."

Cursing under my breath, I crouched, watching Phillip wrap his arms around his midsection. It clicked in my brain and I hated myself from being so damn slow.

"What are you doing to him?"

Cain rested his chin on a fist, "Me? He's the one making this difficult. Vampires have that pesky humanity factor, but most just give up when they feel the excruciating pain. It's why I prefer Demons." Gritting, I got up and sped to the platform, keeping a healthy distance from Cain. Not that I thought it mattered much. The guy could use Magic. "Can't you stop being so predictable?"

I hiked a shoulder, "I don't know. Can you drop dead?" Cain smirked, completely at ease with our proximity. That made one of us.

"That wouldn't be any fun for me. Also, quit being so uptight. If I wanted you dead, I would've killed you already." He did a dramatic hand gesture, motioning at all the dead bodies hanging from hooks like pieces of cold meat. "I've already hit my quota for the day. I know, it's a shock! I have self-control." Not the words I'd use. I could count at least thirty-two hanging bodies, not mentioning some lone body parts. "So, tell me something, turning your brother into a Vampire: accident or planned?"

"I'm not playing games with you. I came here for Jade. Do you have her or did you lure us here for kicks?"

Cain rolled his eyes.

"You hero types are so boring." I was a lot of things. A first rate jackass. Selfish. Loyal. Passionate. A hero? Fuck no. If Nina didn't care about Jade I wouldn't have come. "Whatever. She's right in front of you, tiger." With a finger snap it was like an invisibility cloak dropped and suddenly Jade was hanging from a hook plunged into her left shoulder. Saying she looked worse than when we'd rescued her from Stephan would be this year's understatement. "Magic brings the fun, baby. Invisibility spells. Enslaving spells. Illusions..." he trailed off sweetly, pointing below the rusted platform. Carefully, keeping one eye trained on Cain, I glanced down. Gone was the Freeloader and in its place was a very dead human. "I thought it'd be fun to let him make a run for it. You were taking too long and I was bored."

I looked on. Energy clacked around my fingers. My hands shook with barely concealed anger. I thought I'd killed a Demon, I'd... enjoyed it. Finger nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. Attacking Cain head-on without backup wouldn't be smart. Not when I had people inside this dump counting on me.

"I made you see a Freeloader, right? Just to be sure. Illusion can be tricky sometimes." I stared numbly at Jade. Still unconscious. I was aware of my brother's pain, too. "I think you look sad."

Black eyes pounced Cain's, "You made me kill an innocent person."

"So? Dying is what people do." Cain huffed with an uncaring attitude you just couldn't fake. "Let's do some business, Cam. I need something and you want this bag of meat—" he pointed at Jade. "She hasn't been able to find me a single pair of Twin Flames. And believe me, I've been sending her into the streets day and night. She's been compelled, of course. I'm impatient, though, so I had a Vampire look into her mind. But Psychics have a pesky resistance to mind related abilities and my Vampire only caught flashes. Still, the more my pal searched for any information on Twin Flames... You kept popping up. So," he took a step in my direction, lips curled left. "What do you know about them?"

I exhaled slowly through my nose, schooling my face into a blank canvas.

"I can't help who she thinks about. Maybe she's got a crush on me? Who could blame her." How did he know about Twin Flames? Why? Wheels were turning quickly. Maybe I could make a grab for Jade and—

"Don't lie to me, Cameron." He warned causing my body to tighten. "Or your brother will want to stake his dead-beating heart when I'm done." Cain tilted his head and a raw scream echoed. I stopped myself from rushing to my brother. "I have a tattoo," he patted his left peck, unhinged. "But it's not a random tattoo. It's embedded with a hex I created myself. It gives me control of every Demon and Vampire. Your brother's a Vampire and I know he'd hate to kill someone. I'm sure he'd manage to get over it, though. Unless... I made him kill you."

"He would never do that."

"Wouldn't he? He came close to when he was Nephilim. He's a Vampire now, the virus keeping him alive came from a Demon—Demon blood runs in his veins. Do you have any idea how easy it is to bend a Demon's mind? I wouldn't even call it a mind!" Cain snorted a laugh, scratching at a oozing cut on his neck. The guy's body was starting to wear out because of all the Power. Why wasn't he in pain? "It's harder with Vampires, but I've had a lot of practice. I'm in Phillip's mind right now and he's very, very hungry. And... Oh, he's tasted your blood before. He liked it, too. Blood with Power gives Vampires something close to a sugar rush, you know?"

"Do you ever stop talking..." Damn it.

Heavy hands pinned my arms, gluing them at my sides. Heavy breathing feathered my neck and a sharp prickling rubbed against my vulnerable, exposed skin. I tried shaking Phillip off—what the? I couldn't budge. Cain leaned his hip on the rail, arms crossed and smiling like he knew a juicy secret.

"If I have a good side this isn't how you get on it." I growled softly, slapping on the fearless mask. Underneath it, I was desperately clawing for my Power. It was sluggish. Whatever Magic Cain was working to keep me from batting an eyelash was affecting my Power.

"Drop the act. I can sense your stinking fear through your own brother." Cain boosted. "Just tell me where I can find a pair of Twin Flames. I'll leave you alone. Hell, I'll be in such a good mood I'll let you keep your Power. How's Lucy, by the way? Hating his human existence, I hope."

"I'm supposed to believe you'll let us go? The guy who said villains should kill the heroes when they had the chance?"

"I've hit my quota for today. Thanks for offering—oh! And for quoting me. It makes me feel very appreciated, Camy. But sucking up isn't going to get you loose."

Phillip squeezed me harder. Fuck. There was no way out of this. If Phillip sucked me dry I'd wake up in transition—like he had. I doubt Cain would let it happen. He'd have Phillip drain me and rip off my head. Or he'd have Phill rip out my heart now. A lot of gory scenarios flashed past my eyes and in every one of them, I knew Phillip wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. Plus, I wasn't keen on dying. I couldn't leave Nina. No way. But what was I going to say? Hey, me and my girl are Twin Flames! I didn't have the faintest clue what he wanted with Twin Flames, but I sure as hell didn't think he wanted to invite us to a tea party. Phillip's fangs dragged along the length of my neck before sinking slowly. Inch by inch. Phillip wasn't drinking, he was gnawing at my neck like a lion would a prey. It burned. He pulled out his fangs and started on another spot, biting on the space between my shoulder and neck. Ravaging it. Paralyzed, I couldn't even squirm to get away.

I wasn't a fan.

"This is a little like watching Porn. Like, you know, your biting yourself. It's kinky. Because your twins," Great. Last thing I needed was a picture of Cain jacking off to this.

Phillip bit my neck again—same spot as before. He made the puncture holes bigger and drank a little. I couldn't give myself and Nina up. I didn't know what—Oh man. I'd had shitty ideas before. Phillip and Nina would happily make a mile-long list. But... this idea? It wasn't shitty to me. It was a heaven sent. Because Phill kept drilling holes into my neck and Jade was slowly bleeding on a hook, lacerations across her legs and arms. I wouldn't do this unless there was no other way. Not because of Lucifer. He deserved whatever he got. Etna was family to Nina... But screw that. Screw that Etna was Nina's distant relative, because I wasn't about to sacrifice myself, my brother's sanity and Nina's happiness for them.

"Alright... Alright!" I managed between a groan. It didn't stop Phillip from biting my shoulder, where the Cambion bit me months ago. Simpler times. "Lucifer and Etna. They're Twin Flames." Phillip's teeth slipped out but I still couldn't move.

Cain looked baffled for a second. He bent over laughing his ass off. If I could move, I would've taken this time to thrust my hand into his chest and pull out his black heart.

"Okay. Okay! This... This is just too good. I mean... On the other hand, I should've seen it coming. Hum, maybe not. The reason why people have relationships is strange to me, so." He threw up his hands with a lopsided smile.

"Glad you're happy." I muttered. I didn't feel an ounce of guilt for throwing them under the bus. Maybe it should've scared me, how inhumane it sounded, I didn't care.

"I'm sure you are," Cain cackled sinisterly. "But we're not done yet." I didn't like the way my shoulders tensed when those purple irises sparkled, focusing on one point in the room. On me. "Do you know how volatile my Power is? Nope. My Mom always said sharing was caring, so here: my Power is insatiable for death and destruction. If I didn't have rules about killing I would've killed her fifty times over." He pointed at Jade who was still out like a light, swaying quietly like a broken doll someone forgot to fix. "If I don't kill you right now—any of you—it's because I don't feel like it, not because I can't." Cain flickered out of sight and was all up in my face the next microsecond. A breath escaped me. "This is how easy it would be," his finger poked my nose before he pressed all five fingers into my left chest, digging in. Extra slow. "Feel that?" he said over the wet crunch of my ribs.

I couldn't move anything but my mouth. I wanted to twist away. I couldn't.

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled out, groaning through the burn and fucking hot-and-cold sweats from having someone's hand inside my chest. My breathing came faster, but it didn't feel like I was getting oxygen. I felt his fingers edging closer and closer to my...

"Here it is," Cain's face was void. His voice was satisfied. His fingers stroked my heart. I swear it tried shrinking away when he touched it. "I'm sure you've done this a lot of times. To Vampires, Demons who possessed humans, Fallens... Were you aware of how much power you had over them? How it felt to be on the receiving end? No, I can see it on your face. No one's ever done this to you." Cain got closer, the stench of dried blood on his face kicked up my nausea. "Here's another secret: I've done this to myself. I've reached in and grabbed my heart. I had to. I needed to know how desperate and insignificant someone felt. So that I could fully appreciate the thought of being able to grind someone's heart to bloody chunks." Eye to eye, Cain smiled lazily and flexed his fingers around the beating muscle. I bit back a gasp. I felt my heart trying to pump, but his hand was closed over it, restraining it. "You're too tense, Cameron. Relax. "

Keeping an almost crushing grip, Cain leaned down. I felt something warm and slick along my neck. The multiple bleeding holes Phill left burned on contact, like I'd been doused in gasoline and someone had thrown a match. Bile rushed to my mouth as his fingers traced the cardiac spotty vision, I saw Cain slosh my blood around in his mouth. He didn't spit it out.

"Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Blood just tastes... bland. With a hint of rust." He winked with a half shrug. A yelp whisked past my lips. Cain waved five, bloody digits at me. "See? You're just alive because I'm allowing you to be. Because I'm exercising restraint. Because now I'm closer to getting what I want and maybe you'll still come around and snap back to how you used to be. All cold and ruthless. That side of you is all that's interesting and fun. Who knows." I might be tittering on unconsciousness edge but I had a feeling this guy had a weird obsession with me. Very... worrisome. "You know, most people are grateful when I let them live. You just keep... frowning. Here," he pressed his index finger against my cheek and drew a smile across it, all the way over my lips and my other cheek. "Smiling looks much better and I hear it's healthy, too. Now," he clapped his hands together looking like a yoga instructor at the end of a class, doing a mock bow. "I've had a blast but I've gotta run. Still have things I need to take care of before I fetch your uncle. Namaste." He waved a hand and I wondered, for the first time since Nina got me out of the Cube, if I was still living inside it.

Cain blinked out of existence. I felt my muscles shut down. I wanted not to move, especially because of the damn hole in my...

"What the hell?" Phillip. Phillip was okay. "Cam—" he grabbed me under my armpits and eased me to the floor. A surge of Power broke over me, like a tidal wave hitting a rock. It hurt and healed at the same time. "Shit. What happened?" Phillip got me on my back. His face was scrunched up and he was covering his nose. Idiot. Like that would help him resist the yummy smell.

My brother's blue eyes were transfixed on the gaping hole. I couldn't blame him, he could see my beating heart. Swallowing the lingering urge to puke, I grabbed hold of his hand, breathing in whizzes. Phillip looked five second away from bolting.

"Phill," I managed in a hoarse mutter. "Remember when Dad taught us how to keep our Power in check?" Phillip did a double-take. Either because he was staring too long at blood or because I rarely mentioned our Dad.

"What?" he choked out, then, "Yeah. Yeah. I remember. He said... to focus on a sound. Just choose a sound, focus on it and match your heartbeat to it."

"Okay. Can you listen to Jade's heart? It's steady." Phillip looked up having pinpointed her heartbeat and paled another shade. And the dude was pale these days. "She's in a bad shape... We need to get to Raphael. If he's still with Nina, he can heal her." I winced as I tried sitting. My brother was quiet for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he looked calm. Calm-ish. Like he wouldn't Vamp out and drink Jade and me with a Krazy Straw.

"I'm going to call Serena. Maybe she's still out. There's no way we can get across the city with both of you bloody and hurt." And he couldn't stand to be here much longer. "And then you're going to tell me what the hell happened."