“Heven, shit, calm down.” Large warm hands grabbed my shoulders and I stilled. Through blurred eyes I made out Riley sitting on the edge of the bed. I hurled myself into his arms and sobbed.
His body was rigid, but his arms closed around me, holding me tightly against his chest. He didn’t say anything and I was glad because the sound of his voice would remind me he wasn’t Sam. I wanted Sam. After a while of crying, Riley pulled me back, but didn’t let go and stared down at me.
“What’s going on?”
I wiped my face with the back of my hand. “I’m so sorry. You didn’t need to see that.”
“No you don’t,” he growled when I tried to pull away. “Tell me.”
“Remember how I told you about the Dream Walker?”
He nodded. “You mean Beetlejuice?”
I burst out laughing. Then I sucked in a breath, sorry for the moment of joy. Riley’s usually icy gaze softened for an instant, and I looked away. “Beelzebub, Prince of Demons, Lord of Flies.” I explained, then muttered, “He has like fifty titles.”
“Yeah, I know who he is. Beetlejuice is just so much more fun to say.”
“Stop.”
“Stop?”
“Trying to cheer me up.”
“Who says I’m trying to cheer you up?” He dropped his hands from my shoulders and let them fall to the mattress between us.
“You should’ve seen how bad he looked.” I felt my lower lip quiver and I buried my face in my hands.
“Beelzebub?”
“No. Sam.”
“You saw Sam?”
“I think the Dream Walker pulled me back into hell while I was sleeping.”
“He’s back?” Riley asked, getting up from the bed to prowl around the room.
“I didn’t see him.” I frowned. “But I wouldn’t have been down there if he wasn’t back.”
“Tell me about Sam.”
“He eats rats,” I murmured.
“What?”
“He didn’t want me to know…”
Riley leaned down in my face. “Make some sense already,” he growled.
“How’d you get in here?” I asked abruptly.
“The window.” He motioned his head toward the open window.
My stomach tightened. That’s how Sam usually got in. “What time is it?”
“Six a.m.”
“Crap.” I stood. “I have to do the barn chores. I’m late.”
“In a minute. You were telling me about Sam.”
“It was so horrible,” I whispered and launched into the tale of what happened and how I failed to get him out.
“Blaming yourself? What a martyr,” he said sarcastically.
“I took away his only means of feeding himself. He can’t turn and he can’t eat rats as a human. He’s going to starve.”
“He’s not and he could eat rats as a human if he really wanted to.” Riley smirked.
I glared at him.
He sighed dramatically. “He’s not going to starve.”
“You’re right. Since you’re here, we can leave to get him.” I stood up and wiped my eyes one last time. Then I grabbed a change of clothes out of my dresser. “I’ll meet you in the orchard in an hour, no forty-five minutes. I have to feed the horses and do some stuff in the barn.” Since Sam had been gone, I took over all his chores.
“I’ll help you.” Riley offered.
“I can handle it.”
“The faster you get done, the faster you can train.” He pointed out.
I nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
He stood and went to the window.
“Riley?”
He turned.
“Thanks. And I’m sorry about earlier.”
“Feel free to pay me back anytime.”
I snorted. “I’ll see you outside in five minutes.”
I thought he might say something more, but he must have decided against it. Without another word, he left.
Sam
The amulet was still too close and I couldn’t shift. My body shook so hard with need it hurt, but I ignored it. This was my one chance to be free. I lurched up off the floor and took off down the dungeon hallway.
But then I stopped.
And turned back.
I stopped in front of Kimber’s cell and grabbed hold of the bars that confined her.
From the darkness, she whispered, “Just go; don’t waste your time on me.”
Behind me Beelzebub roared and jumped to his feet.
“I’ll come back for you,” I vowed and took off running again.
Beelzebub began raging and ripped down one of the torches that lined the black granite walls. He launched it at me and his aim was true. It hit me in the center of the back. I was fireproof so fire wasn’t a good weapon to use against me. However, the sheer force of the hit made me stumble and singed what little clothing I was wearing.
I fell to one knee, my kneecap taking the brunt of my fall, and I twisted off it and got to my feet, favoring my uninjured leg. I would heal, but down here it wouldn’t be fast enough.
“You run like a coward!” Beelzebub screamed.
I ignored the barb meant to enrage me. I was no coward, but I wasn’t stupid either. I knew I was dehydrated, half-starved and exhausted from being so close to that damn amulet. And because I couldn’t shift, running was my only option.
I made it to the dungeon door, flinging it open and starting up the stairs. That’s when a heavy length of chain lashed out and wrapped around me, yanking me backward. I fell onto my back as he pulled me closer, dragging me across the uneven ground. I grabbed a fistful of the chain and yanked back, pulling Beelzebub off balance.
But it wasn’t enough.
When I was closer, he let go of the chain, picked up the torch he hit me with earlier and raised it above his head. I rolled and shot to my feet as he swung. He didn’t get me in the head like he planned—I was too fast, but he did hit me. Right in the ribs… The ones that were already broken.
Black dots swam before my eyes and I swayed a little on my feet. I heard his vile laugh and I knew I’d lost.
Seconds later, I was tossed right back into my cage.
Heven
I was grateful for Riley’s help with the morning chores because I was pretty much useless. I couldn’t concentrate. I was too worried about Sam and the man who was down in hell with Sam. I tried to tell myself that, for once, Sam being trapped behind that force field was a good thing. That man couldn’t hurt Sam because he couldn’t get to him. Still, my heart raced with anxiety and I kept feeling this sense of urgency. I was missing something. Something I shouldn’t be. I did my best to calm myself, not wanting Sam to pick up on my feelings.