Broken Heart 06 Come Hell or High Water by Michele Bardsley Page B
Authors: Michele Bardsley
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Probably.
"The talisman is old," said Connor. "Something Durga made."
Surprised, I stared at him. "That's why the hunters had it?"
"Self-appointed guardians of Durga's medallion," he scoffed. "They took it after she was banned and tried to hide it."
"How'd you get it?"
"He was meant to find the talisman," said Jennifer proudly. "Astria said so."
That didn't exactly answer the "how." "Let me guess. You took off with their treasure, then made them think you were other places. Oh, say, about a month ago?"
"Aye."
"And Lilith wants it because... ?"
"It's what Durga used to bind her to hell," offered Jennifer. "Which is ironic... Isn't that right, Connor?"
One corner of his mouth lifted into a grin. "Definitely, little sister." He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. "The only way for Lilith to make any trips to the earthly plane was to be called to it by worshipers. Back in the day, all the gods and goddesses had human followers.
"One particular cult grew very strong. Its female followers practiced blood rituals, and the occasional orgy, o' course." Here, he filtered me a smoky look, but I didn't fall for it. Much.
"Of course," I said dryly.
"Lilith rewarded the head priestess by granting her demon powers. Then she gave her a demon slave. But then the temple was ransacked and destroyed, and her priestesses and worshipers were killed. All but the one she'd blessed - if you want to call it that. She would've died, too, but Ruadan the First found her."
The red light burst around the dog (er, dogs) and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw the little girl again. She twirled around, then stopped, her blue eyes snaring mine. "Durga turned from her demon goddess and gave her loyalty to the vampire who'd saved her. Lilith wasn't thrilled, and she... Well, Connor says she threw a big temper tantrum."
"A lot of people died in those wars, including many vampires," said Connor.
I could barely imagine what it had been like back in the ancient days of civilization. Throughout history, humans fought all the time for territory. Why not paranormals, too? How many times had we fended off the baddies from Broken Heart? It seemed it was the nature of sentient beings to either conquer or protect.
"Were you there?" I asked Connor.
He nodded toward his sister. " ' Twas before we existed."
"I'm only four hundred years old," offered Jennifer.
"Verra young for a demon."
She pouted. "You're only seven hundred years older, Con!"
"The talisman?" I interrupted in order to forgo a sibling argument. Then I thought, Connor's eleven hundred years old? Holy crap.
"Durga made the talisman. Actually, all the Ancients helped her create it," said Connor. "They needed powerful magic to make it work. They bound Lilith to hell."
Patsy had sent a demon to hell, the favorite pet of Durga, an asshole named Andharka. Patsy had some powerful juju; the demon would never come back to the earthly plane unless she compelled him personally. So, if Lilith had been bound to the Pit, and apparently with a lot more oomph, why could she leave it?
"She just put on a quite a show for someone who can't get out of hell," I pointed out.
"What she did in Broken Heart required a hefty blood sacrifice." Connor grimaced. "We're not talking goats, either."
"Oh, my God," I said, horror washing through me. "She's killing humans."
Chapter 14
"Her new worshipers are making sacrifices to her," Jennifer corrected. She looked at her brother, her Cupid's-bow mouth downturned. "Connor says it's wrong to kill innocents."
"It is," I said. "Very wrong. In fact, you should err on the side of caution and not kill anyone. Or anything. Living, that is."
She blinked up at me, her blue eyes guileless. "You can't kill something that's already dead," she said, "or something that's never been alive."
"Well, then you know exactly what I mean."
She turned her gaze to Connor, who shrugged. I loosed my hand from his grip and went to sit on the couch. Connor followed, sitting
"The talisman is old," said Connor. "Something Durga made."
Surprised, I stared at him. "That's why the hunters had it?"
"Self-appointed guardians of Durga's medallion," he scoffed. "They took it after she was banned and tried to hide it."
"How'd you get it?"
"He was meant to find the talisman," said Jennifer proudly. "Astria said so."
That didn't exactly answer the "how." "Let me guess. You took off with their treasure, then made them think you were other places. Oh, say, about a month ago?"
"Aye."
"And Lilith wants it because... ?"
"It's what Durga used to bind her to hell," offered Jennifer. "Which is ironic... Isn't that right, Connor?"
One corner of his mouth lifted into a grin. "Definitely, little sister." He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. "The only way for Lilith to make any trips to the earthly plane was to be called to it by worshipers. Back in the day, all the gods and goddesses had human followers.
"One particular cult grew very strong. Its female followers practiced blood rituals, and the occasional orgy, o' course." Here, he filtered me a smoky look, but I didn't fall for it. Much.
"Of course," I said dryly.
"Lilith rewarded the head priestess by granting her demon powers. Then she gave her a demon slave. But then the temple was ransacked and destroyed, and her priestesses and worshipers were killed. All but the one she'd blessed - if you want to call it that. She would've died, too, but Ruadan the First found her."
The red light burst around the dog (er, dogs) and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw the little girl again. She twirled around, then stopped, her blue eyes snaring mine. "Durga turned from her demon goddess and gave her loyalty to the vampire who'd saved her. Lilith wasn't thrilled, and she... Well, Connor says she threw a big temper tantrum."
"A lot of people died in those wars, including many vampires," said Connor.
I could barely imagine what it had been like back in the ancient days of civilization. Throughout history, humans fought all the time for territory. Why not paranormals, too? How many times had we fended off the baddies from Broken Heart? It seemed it was the nature of sentient beings to either conquer or protect.
"Were you there?" I asked Connor.
He nodded toward his sister. " ' Twas before we existed."
"I'm only four hundred years old," offered Jennifer.
"Verra young for a demon."
She pouted. "You're only seven hundred years older, Con!"
"The talisman?" I interrupted in order to forgo a sibling argument. Then I thought, Connor's eleven hundred years old? Holy crap.
"Durga made the talisman. Actually, all the Ancients helped her create it," said Connor. "They needed powerful magic to make it work. They bound Lilith to hell."
Patsy had sent a demon to hell, the favorite pet of Durga, an asshole named Andharka. Patsy had some powerful juju; the demon would never come back to the earthly plane unless she compelled him personally. So, if Lilith had been bound to the Pit, and apparently with a lot more oomph, why could she leave it?
"She just put on a quite a show for someone who can't get out of hell," I pointed out.
"What she did in Broken Heart required a hefty blood sacrifice." Connor grimaced. "We're not talking goats, either."
"Oh, my God," I said, horror washing through me. "She's killing humans."
Chapter 14
"Her new worshipers are making sacrifices to her," Jennifer corrected. She looked at her brother, her Cupid's-bow mouth downturned. "Connor says it's wrong to kill innocents."
"It is," I said. "Very wrong. In fact, you should err on the side of caution and not kill anyone. Or anything. Living, that is."
She blinked up at me, her blue eyes guileless. "You can't kill something that's already dead," she said, "or something that's never been alive."
"Well, then you know exactly what I mean."
She turned her gaze to Connor, who shrugged. I loosed my hand from his grip and went to sit on the couch. Connor followed, sitting
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