Destiny's Wrath (Destiny Series - Book 3) Read online

  “If the universe saw fit to bear a destiny bender, then who am I to try to keep destinies mapped? No more up-hill battles. I have lived many lifetimes. For my crimes against the universe, I will be banished after this life to a distasteful location. My days are already numbered. It’s time to make the most of them, don’t you agree?”

  “No, Samael, I don’t. When you were in Max, you were almost human. After you left, we had long conversations about you. I know it was you who convinced him to talk to me, when all he wanted was to isolate himself from me. It was your urging that allowed us to remain together, because you, too, knew Max and I were destined for each other. Max told me everything, every conversation you two shared, regardless of how disgusting it may have been. We know you are neither good nor evil by yourself: you feed off the emotions of your host. So I tell you now, if the only way you’ll leave Bert is to step into Max, then step into him.”

  I could see the confusion on Bert’s face, the hope shining through clouded eyes. Samael’s voice spoke again, “Why would you put yourself and Max in such danger? Why would you allow yourself to be subjected to that? It doesn’t make any sense?”

  “Because, it’s the right thing to do, for the right reason. Let him go, Samael.”

  “Max, it seems Lauren missed me. Are you of the same mind? Are you welcoming me back to your body?”

  Max let out a deep sigh, “Yes, now let him go.”

  “This isn’t some sort of a trick you two have schemed up, is it? You are simply here to take me home to Ridgeville?”

  “For Pete’s sake, Samael, let Bert go.”

  Without further deliberations, Max stepped up to Bert and put his hands on his shoulder. I could see the pain on both their faces as Samael finally left Bert. Bert’s features were his own again; the relief showed clearly as soon as the process was over. He began speaking a mile a minute, like a child who had been forced to sit quietly for hours being given the opportunity to speak freely.

  “Oh my God, he’s gone. He’s really gone. He’s a demon. You let a demon into your body. Why would you do that? He’s vile. You should have seen what he did to my neighbor.” Bert gripped the folder with photos in his hand shaking them at us. “He destroyed my job. He never let me have control. It was all him. I felt his rage: he wants to destroy everything that is good with the world and people.”

  Max was tuning Bert’s words and warnings out. He spoke very clearly to Samael, out loud, rather than through his thoughts, “You do not have permission to use my body, you may not participate in any of my decisions, do you hear me?”

  Just then Renny’s voice resonated in my head, “What have you done? Show me what has happened.”

  “Renny, Max and I have some things to work out. We’re a little busy right now. I’ll contact you later.”

  “Lauren, you don’t understand. You and Max just achieved Virtue. I need to know what you did. Virtue is one of the five pillars you needed to complete your soul. How did you accomplish this? The Council will be so pleased for you. I’d like to be able to tell them how it happened.”

  “We’ll talk later. We’re all still meeting at the motel at 11 a.m. Right now I need to take care of some things. Just let them know that Max did a completely selfless act. His action could bring nothing but pain on himself, but ultimately saved the world from Samael. I promise I’ll contact you soon.”

  “He saved the world from Samael? How did he accomplish this without our help? I know Max is fond of the Cabinet members; did they assist with this? It cannot wait, Lauren. We need to know how you achieved Virtue.”

  “It’s going to have to wait, Renny. I’ll contact you soon.” I blocked the rest of her communication. I couldn’t afford for us to have a repeat of the last time the Council knew that Samael was inside Max.

  “We don’t have much time. Renny just contacted me. It seems your little invitation to Samael resulted in your ‘badge of Virtue.’ She’s anxious to see the circumstances.” I turned to Bert, “You have your life back, what’s left of it. I need to talk to you privately.”

  Bert and I stepped outside, “I don’t know how to thank you two enough…”

  I cut him off, “You can start by listening to me. Samael made a shambles of your life. He’ll do it again, if you don’t do exactly what I tell you.” Bert’s face lost its color. “You need to accept responsibility for all actions, even if you feel like you weren’t in the driver’s seat. You need to make amends with your neighbor, clean up the mess you made at the police department, and never, I mean never think of Samael again.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever forget him.”

  “That’s the wrong answer. You need to get with Jimmy, tell him the same thing. He can’t let on to anyone that Samael was ever a part of the equation. He cannot think about him or remember any of the conversations he had with him. The only way to destroy Samael and send him spiraling from this earth is to trust that he no longer exists. If you two continue to think of him or harbor fear that he could return to you one day, he will. Do you understand?”

  Bert nodded. “But what if…”

  “There are no buts. If you want your life back - take it back. Max and I are going to get rid of him, but you and Jimmy need to do your part, too. Forget him, don’t think about him, and never, under any circumstances tell anyone about him.”

  “If we do all that, he’ll be gone for good?”

  “Yes, you have to trust that he doesn’t exist. You’re a strong man, and Jimmy’s got a lot of penance to do, but if you two can trust in this outcome – all of humanity will reap the benefits.”

  “Never thinking about him again?”

  “Go to a hypnotist. Go to a priest - whatever it takes. Get the word to Jimmy, no more thoughts, ever.”

  Bert walked back into his house, and Max walked out without saying a word. As we stepped to the car wordlessly, I watched the expressions on Max’s face and knew he was having an internal conversation with Samael. From the looks of it, I was glad not to be included. I knew I needed to have an internal conversation of my own.

  Chapter 23

  “Renny, can you hear me?”

  “Yes. Share the details of Virtue. We are all ecstatic for you!”

  “Soon. We are still on to bring the Council and the Cabinet together this morning, right?”

  “Yes, Lauren, just as you requested.”

  “Great, I’ll see you then.”

  “Wait! Lauren, you have achieved Courage, Passion, Virtue in the span of less than five years! Your souls are nearly complete. Empathy and Trust are the final pillars, and you and Max will have completed your souls!”

  “Thanks for the recap. I get it.”

  “Lauren, assuming you are successful with the last two, you could join the Council. We would be honored to have you.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think so. You said ten members, so basically someone would have to die. Plus, I don’t like the idea of being on a hit squad.”

  “We – are – not - a - hit squad!”

  “Renny, not interested. But I do want to know, once we’re done, what happens?”

  “Happens? You live out the remainder of your life in a calm bliss. Life will not throw challenges at you. When you pass over from this life, you migrate to the eternal.”

  “So this is our last life together?”

  “It may be your last human life, yes. But there is so much more waiting for you. The eternal is what every soul attempts to achieve. Only very few are successful.”

  “Great! So we get these last two pillars, no more demons, telepaths, or anything else supernatural involved in my day-to-day, right?”

  “Lauren, I have come to think of us as friends. I would like to think that even after you achieve your last two pillars, we will still remain close.”

  “Renny, reality check. We are close out of necessity. Max and I have put a plan in motion that will yield fantastic or horrific results. If they’re fantastic, we’ll complete our souls by the end of today. If horrific,
you’ll likely be burying us by the end of the week.”

  “Show me.”

  “At the meeting today, I’ll share all the gory details with both teams. Samael will either be gone or he’ll be running the show.”

  With that statement, I broke communication with Renny and blocked her again. The longer I “spoke” with her, the sooner she would be aware of what I was up to. I was driving. I could see Max was still preoccupied with the barrage of questions, comments, requests that Samael was no doubt blasting him with. After I knew Renny couldn’t hear my thoughts any longer, a plan began to unfurl in my head. I stopped at a convenience store to get something I knew I’d need.

  The rest of the drive I stole several glances at Max: he looked like he was somewhere close to pain. I put the truck in park outside our motel room and asked, “Max, how’s it going?”

  A frustrated look stared back at me, his answer sounded strained, “He’s stronger than he was last time. It’s pretty hard to tune him out.”

  I looked directly into Max’s eyes, but spoke instead to Samael. “Hey, Samael, I need you to take it easy on Max, okay? We’re all going to be one big happy family for the foreseeable future. I’ve got a couple surprises for you today.” I took Max’s hand and cupped my breast with it.

  Max’s eyes widened, “What are you doing?”

  “Oh, ease up, Max. You said, more than anything, Samael really wanted to be intimate with me, right?”

  A feral voice from deep within Max, hissed, “YEEEESSSSSSS!”

  “Samael, you like the way that feels? You want to go inside and have some quality time?”

  Max’s voice responded and his eyes looked as though they were pleading, “Lauren, don’t do this. I’m not going to be able to control him. Don’t flirt with him.”

  I merely got out of the truck, while Max stayed seated. I could see he was having an internal argument with Samael. I walked around to the passenger side of the truck, opened Max’s door, and offered my hand. Again, speaking to Samael rather than Max, “Samael, I’ve missed you, too. Let me show you how badly I’ve missed you.”

  Max’s words were stiff, pained, “Lauren, call Renny. Call her now. Before something really bad happens.”

  “Samael, you wouldn’t let something bad happen to Max, would you? Not when I have something so naughty planned for you.”

  Max’s body erupted from the truck, but I knew it wasn’t Max who swooped me up in his arms and started sprinting for the motel room. We were standing at the door within minutes. Max was no longer strong enough to even interject words. Samael was in control, I could feel it. I could sense his excitement.

  In my most sultry voice, “Samael, tell me what you’re going to do to me. I hear you like to make girls scream. I don’t think you could make me scream. I think you’re just a big softie.”

  Devoid of Max, the eyes staring back at me had changed. Max’s seafoam green with brown specks were gone, replaced by a brilliant sapphire color. Samael spoke, “Lauren, my love, I have waited an eternity to hear those words from you. All those lifetimes I was forced to watch you from afar. Rewsna screwed up and contacted you three years ago, which permitted me to finally seek you out. I do not wish to inflict pain on you. I want your screams to be the passion you feel for me, too.” Samael never set me down; I was still cradled in Max’s arms.

  I slipped the key card in the door, Samael pressed the door open. Without breaking his gaze, I commented, “It’s too bad you are inside Max.”

  “What do you mean? Max is your other half. I would think intercourse with me through Max would be the best of both worlds for you.”

  “You don’t know us very well. Things have changed a great deal in the last six months - since you left us. Did Max not share that with you when you joined him?”

  A sizzling look still emanated from his eyes, but curiosity accompanied the sizzle.

  I continued, “Max and I have an open relationship. We figure this is our last lifetime being human, so we’re making the most of it. The only rule is we don’t share our conquests with the other. With you inside Max, he’ll know exactly what we’ve done.” I held my hand up to his chest, caressing him through Max’s shirt, “Maybe this isn’t such a great idea. I don’t want Max to know how badly I want you. If we’re spending eternity together, he may never forgive me.”

  “I, I can, I can keep him in the dark. I have already put him there. He cannot see anything going on right now. Lauren, you are all I have dreamed of, for longer than you can fathom. You are all I’ve ever wanted! To hear you want me, too, I could never have imagined.”

  “Yeah, but there is still the problem of Max. Hmmm, let me think for a second.” I rolled out from his arms and stepped into the comically small bathroom. I looked at the vanity and said to myself, “This had better work, or we’re both dead.” I slid into my sexiest negligee, dabbed on a drop of cologne, used mouthwash and looked at myself in the mirror. I was worried that Samael would smell a trap, but Max had told me that Samael was obsessed with me. He’d better have been right. An obsessed demon is the only way I’ll be able to fool him.

  I stepped through the doorway in my bare feet and negligee, to see Samael, in Max’s form, lying on the bed. The blue sapphires staring back at me enlarged for a second as he took me in. Nearly breathless, he uttered, “You are - magnificent.”

  I casually walked over to the side of the bed, noting the time on the clock. Just over an hour before the Council and Cabinet members would arrive. I’d need to be downstairs well before they arrived or they wouldn’t be capable of waiting together.

  Doing my best impersonation of bashful, “I don’t know, Samael. Are you sure Max can’t see?”

  Authority beaming through his voice, “Positive. I am in control. He is tucked away for safe keeping. It is just you and I.”

  I reached into my purse, “If he found out that we were ‘enjoying’ each other, he might leave me. We couldn’t have that.” I took out three yards of shiny silver chain and gently placed it on the nightstand. I had stopped at a convenience store during the drive back to the motel and got lucky finding exactly the props I needed for my little “show.”

  Samael’s eyes turned, still the sapphire blue, but different - dangerous. I dug further in my purse and found little silver loops for body piercings. “He once told me that you said having the two of you together would be the best of both worlds for me. You told him that I could have my loving attentive Max during the day, and a demon in the bedroom. Did you really tell him that?”

  Samael’s hands were all over me. He was breathing hard close to my ear, and I knew if this were on video, I could be accepting an Emmy. “Yesssss, I can do very imaginative things with you. I have to confess that in my wildest dreams, I never believed you would allow me to . . . to ask me, to do them. What changed your mind?”

  “Things aren’t always as they seem, Samael. When it looked as though you were truly becoming evil, I worried that your actions might be my fault. I was worried that you had felt my draw to you, that I had denied my attraction to you, and you were taking my rejection out on the world. I don’t want you to do ugly things to the world, Samael. I want you to do them to me.” I began fondling one of the piercing rings in my thumb and index finger, teasing him with it.

  I could see Samael’s arousal. “What sort of things do you wish me to do to you?”

  Still holding the silver loop, “I’ve never had a ‘harness’ installed. I saw the photos of what you put on Cynthia. Bert showed them to me. Very original. No, I think something slightly more imaginative for me. Tell me, do you have any ideas?”

  Samael leapt up from the bed and his hands were all over me. Caressing, kneading, squeezing all parts of me. I knew I had him. I pushed him away, “Wait - I don’t think we should. Not with you inside Max, anyway. How long until you can be back to your old self?”

  “Soon, very soon, my dear.” He didn’t ease up. He was still all hands. Even though I knew it was Samael, he was in Max’s body, s
o mine reacted the way it did every time Max touched me.

  “Samael, I want to. I really want you to show me your darker side. I know I can please you. But . . . not while you’re in Max.” I still had his super-human strength and was able to shove him hard as I took a step back. “You could always put Max back in charge of his body. You could watch.” I picked up the chains and slipped them back in my purse. “He said you really liked it when he and I made love that one time you were inside him.” I was pretty sure that this was the equivalent to throwing a bucket of ice water on him.

  Urgently, Samael yelled, “NO! Lauren, I promise, he’ll never know. He cannot see. I’ll keep him in the dark for days, weeks if you want. I need this, I need you!”

  “Awww, Samael, you don’t need it.” I feigned bashfulness, “You want it. I want it, too, but not with you inside Max. I want it with you, while you’re you. I guess I can tell you: all that time I stalked you, I think I developed some sort of obsession with you.” Pausing for effect, I wanted to reel him in. “Don’t worry, I’ve waited months; I can wait a little longer. I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to be strong enough to be you again.”

  Max took another step back away from me, his body started convulsing, pulsating, his skin stretched in all directions right there in front of me. Pulling and contracting in unnatural ways, his facial expressions distorted, Max let out a blood-curdling scream. I could see Samael was trying to regenerate himself, trying to morph into his previous shape-shifting self before my very eyes. All colors of dark hued lights emanated from Max’s chest - greens, reds, blues; those lights projected into the outline of a man, materializing right in front of me.

  I stood mesmerized for a full five minutes. When the change was done, Max lay lifeless on the bed beside me. I reached over to check his pulse: it was strong but he was immobile. I caressed his face but saw no response. His seafoam green eyes were back to their normal color, but they looked blank, and I saw no response as I looked into them.

  Samael, in the body that I had tried to kill all those months ago, stood in front of me. Tall, slender, blue eyes, light hair, definitely an attractive form if there ever was one; that is, unless you knew he was a demon. With this knowledge, any form he chose was repulsive. He was completely naked, his sapphire blue eyes beaming at me as he took a step in my direction. “I can assure you, Lauren, he is very much alive. The process is hard on the body, but he lives. Now, allow me to make your wildest fantasies come true.”