Bewitching Jolene (Book 3) Jacobs Broken Mercenaries

chapter 25

Elliot

This better fucking work, guaranteed, were breaking a few oaths and I couldn’t care less. The blowback from Lucifer couldn’t be any worse than what’s already in progress. I get into position, there’s no time to comfort Jolene. I put every effort into saving her.

Having the fate of the world rest in a young woman’s hands who could care less about the outcome doesn’t sit well with me. Yet, here we are. Jolene stares back at Lucifer and they exchange several looks in the next few minutes as I listen to Celeste chant in a foreign language. The moment she stops chanting, Jolene freezes, and her neck cranks back as she looks to the sky. She begins chanting, the words sound forced, and as sharp as a blade. I'm silenced along with everyone else, including Celest. As far as I know, this wasn’t part of the plan.

A chill sweeps across my skin, and I shiver. Not even two seconds later Jacob does the same, then Wrath and lastly Celest. Layers of voices pour from Jolene and her mouth widens abnormally wide. I try to go to her, to stop whatever is happening, but some unseen force has a lock on body. Sweat pours down my forehead as I fight for control. Jolene's chants stop. Her head swivels to me at an abnormal angle. The blacks of her eyes eat up the white and her lips stretch over layers of pointed razor-sharp teeth as she smiles, It’s terrifying.

lucifer gets up his bonds falling to the ground. He grabs Jolene by the throat through the fire and carries her away. Inside, I'm screaming, but my body is stoic. Lucifer carries the struggling Jolene to... Jace? The moment he pulls the ring from Jace's finger, Jace collapses to the ground and Jolene, or whatever is inside her, becomes still. I watch attentively as he slips the ring on his finger. Celest walks toward them. And I'm pleading with her to make him stop. I’m trying to shove the words inside her head. If she hears me, she pays no attention. Jolene seems to be in a trance. Lucifer lays Jolene down opposite of Jace. He brushes her hair from her face and rights her clothing as if she's precious to him.

I watch raptly by the scene, terrified of the outcome and beyond confused. Celest sits between them and begins chanting. The words and sounds are different. Lucifer stands before them and spreads his arms. This goes on for minutes. I watch my heart in my throat as they both lay lifeless on the ground. Jolene begins to shake. It looks like she's seizing, and the bastard doesn’t move to help her. If she dies, I'll kill him. I vow it to the gods. The chanting gets louder and faster. Jolene stops convulsing and her head lolls to the side. Jace begins to seize I hold my breath; my eyes burn as I force them open, afraid to blink. The smell of sulfur intensifies. I squint my eyes, trying to focus on what I think I'm seeing. Tendrils of smoke begin to roll from Lucifer’s body. Celest is chanting so fast the words roll into one jumbled mess. I don’t even hear her take a breath. Her nose and eyes begin to bleed. Jace's body stops convulsing, and he begins to smoke, too.

My eyes flash to Jolene as I focus intently, but don’t see a wisp. Lucifer and Jace burst into flames simultaneously, and Celest stops chanting. She moves away, taking Jolene with her. Their bodies begin to sink into the ground. I swallow hard; I have no idea what this means, I can't puzzle together what's happened. Celest disappears, and the hold on me evaporates.

I run to Jolene and check her pulse, its strong and steady. Only then do I breathe a sigh of relief and wipe the sweat from my brow with shaking hands.

“What the fuck happened?” Jacob’s shocked voice mirrors my own as I ask;

“This wasn’t the plan?”

He looks at me like I'm addled.

“Of course not.”

“Jace! Where's Jace!?” Tally screams in desperation, shredding at the ground where Jace disappeared into a pile of ash beneath the earth. Jacob pulls at her, but she fights back, pulling away. Her cries are hard to stomach. Though his loss is a tragedy, I didn’t realize they were so close.

“What the fuck was that? When I find that bitch Celest I'm going to beat her within an inch of her life, then do it again and again.” this comes from a growling Rosa. I for one second her idea.

“Slow down, we don’t know if she was part of this or not.” Jacob warns.

“Oh, come on, she left. Innocent people stay, guilty people leave the scene of their crimes.” Amanda says this with pure conviction.

I believe Wrath, Jacob and I are wondering the same thing, as we all stare at lucifers embodied print in the earth. Is he really gone? And if so, what does that mean? The biggest question on my mind is if Jolene is cured? Did they eradicate sloth?

“I don’t know about you guys, but I really don’t feel like sticking around here. To say the place gives me the creeps is putting it mildly.” Jacob nods to Grayson in agreement, but I’m fairly certain for him it’s more of a safety precaution...

We all settle in, not one of us talks much to the other. I sit in the chair at my desk staring at Jolene in her coma like state. Every second that passes puts me more on edge. I begin to worry shell never wake up but try to have patience. Jacob thinks shell be fine. Even he can't say whether or not he thinks it worked. The sun peeks through the clouds, lighting the room.

“Did it work?”

“Jolene!” I jump up, rushing to her side.

“How do you feel?”

She groans and tries to sit up while rubbing her temples.

“Tired.”

I chuckle, placing a kiss on her head.

“You scared me, I thought I lost you a few times.”

She mumbles an apology and feels around her neck like it's sore. I'm about to explain everything when there's a knock at the door. Jolene groans with annoyance, laying back in the pillows. I open the door, surprised to see Mathilda before I can object; she pushes her way in.

“I came as soon as I heard the good news. I knew you could do it, honey.”

Joleen moves so fast my eyes have a hard time following. She has Mathilda by the throat as her skin flares a bright red.