Five minutes later the plane was wheels up and Declan said good-bye to the Big Easy. Cale advised him to relax, catch a few zzzzz’s, but there was no way in hell that was going to happen. He was wound tighter than a crackhead scrambling for a fix.
Declan sighed and tried to turn his brain off, yet he couldn’t stop thinking of Ana. He was all twisted up inside, his emotions running the gamut of anger, need, despair, and if he was honest, hatred. Christ, to have the power she held.
Ana had made it more than clear she wasn’t interested in him. The sex had been beyond anything he’d imagined but he wanted to be more than fuck buddies. That was never going to happen. It was time he buried all thoughts of her and dealt with the reality of his here and now.
He was falling down the rabbit hole back to Hell where he’d have to deal with Lilith. Then there were the three teenagers who might or might not signal a coming apocalypse, and a bunch of others not accounted for.
Not exactly a Hallmark movie of the week.
If he wasn’t careful it would be an epic disaster.
The plane landed three hours later on a desolate airstrip out in the middle of nowhere. The night was chilled, the moon low, and the quiet that greeted his ears disconcerting.
Declan walked toward a large SUV parked several feet away and turned in a full circle. He couldn’t see beyond the ridge of darkness that blanketed the perimeter, and that made him nervous. He held his hands loose at his sides and watched as Cale exited the plane.
The tall Seraph strode his way and nodded behind him at the driver who waited patiently.
“Where the hell are we?” Declan said. “This place feels different to me, and in my world different ain’t always good. In fact it very rarely is.”
Cale paused at the side of the truck and glanced around. “Relax, we didn’t land on Mars. We’re actually pretty close to the Canadian-American border.”
Declan grunted in answer.
“This entire area isn’t so much different as it is special,” Cale murmured.
“Special, huh?” Declan followed Cale into the vehicle. “I don’t like special. I prefer normal, boring. Anything but otherworld would be just fucking wonderful right about now.”
The truck roared into the night, its twin beams of lights illuminating a road that ran between heavily forested areas on either side. Though the moon was out, the darkness that clung to the trees seemed impenetrable. Declan felt caged in and didn’t like it.
He kept his fingers loose, at the ready. The driver was human, which surprised Declan. He was young, maybe early twenties, and had the heavy guitars of Metallica cranked, “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
How fucking appropriate.
Declan was on a collision course to an end that was totally unclear. The sad, lonely bell of death might be ringing for him before the week was over. He sat back, closed his eyes, and let the hard rocking tunes energize his soul.
Ten minutes later the truck came to an abrupt halt and Declan sat up and looked out the window. They were parked in front of a large, rambling building, obviously a bar. Above the main doors a neon sign illuminated in red, THE DEVIL’S GATE. There were a couple of bikes parked out front, impressive Harleys from the looks of it, as well as an array of SUVs and beat-up cars.
This was interesting.
He hopped from the truck and stopped in his tracks. Heavy magick permeated the area. It clung to everything, rode the wind, and settled in his lungs as he inhaled the cool night air. It was different from anything he’d felt before. At first he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what was different and then it hit him. The magick was organic. It was not something produced by a sorcerer’s hands.
Declan glanced at Cale in surprise. “What is this place?”
Cale walked past him. “The Devil’s Gate is located in a small town called The Pines.” The Seraph paused at the top of the stairs and waited for Declan to follow suit. “It’s not a place you’ll find on any map.”
“Not even Google? I find that hard to believe.” His words were laced with sarcasm.
Cale ignored Declan’s smart-ass comment. “The magick that protects us is ancient and does not take kindly to intruders.”
Declan didn’t know what to say to that so he strode past the warrior and pushed open the door. He was hit by loud music, the smell of booze, fried foods, and an overload of otherworld beings that immediately set him on edge.
The room was low, long, and wide. The setup sucked for a bar with entertainment. The acoustics were not great and yet the heavy beat coming from the stage did the trick. The place was rocking.
Along the right a bar ran the length of the room, and at the moment it was packed. There were humans, shifters, vampires, and he sensed the subtle aroma of demon in the air.
Several shapes could be seen in the corners; the light that clung to their shoulders told Declan they were from the higher realm. He’d never seen such an eclectic gathering. Instead of the place making him feel relaxed, his gut tightened and he pulled hard on the magick within.
Cale walked in behind him and paused as a tall brunette appeared from the shadows.