02 Awaken-The Soulkeepers Read Online Free PDF

his demon had already started the process of consuming him from the inside.
    “Talk to me, Vaughn,” Dante ordered. He used his demon, Persuasion, to tap into Vaughn’s subconscious. “Tell me what to do.”
As if he could do anything
. The sight of his friend slowly dying before his eyes was gut-wrenching. Dante took full blame, again. Well, perhaps he would share the blame with Wolfgang this time; after all, Wolf had tried to Take the pastor’s soul too soon. He had succumbed to the nature of his demon, Impatience, and ruined everything. But Dante knew he could’ve stopped Wolfgang. He could’ve controlled the situation if he hadn’t been so devastated by Sophia. Her failure to remember their past life had shocked him. The way he saw it, two possibilities were at work: She’d had help keeping the memories at bay, or she had remembered and still refused him, an idea he couldn’t take seriously. No, someone in the spirit world must be helping her, and in his book, that just wasn’t playing fair.
    Vaughn’s head stirred as he tried to lift it. The task seemed a great effort, and he gave up, letting it fall forward again. “I’m done,” he whispered hoarsely. “They’re letting me fade. It’s over.”
    “No!” Dante jerked against his chains. “Lord Brutus will not let that happen. He has always liked you. It’s me he hates now. Trust me, you will be released soon.”
    Vaughn scoffed, and Dante grimaced. Okay, perhaps “trust me” was a poor choice of words. It was Vaughn’s trust in Dante that had gotten them into their current situation. But he wouldn’t let Vaughn give up. Not yet.
    Dante glanced around, looking for a distraction, something to change the subject or make small talk. Anything to divert Vaughn from the unbearable weakness he must be feeling. Demonic fading was particularly agonizing for most Demon Knights but Vaughn had described his experience as slowly growing numb, inch by inch. His muscles couldnot ache. His stomach could not growl with hunger. Nothing was allowed to make him uncomfortable. Vaughn would cease to feel anything and eventually collapse.
    Dante failed to find a distraction because they were alone in this part of the Death Bunker, not even Wolfgang or Santiago to argue with.
    And then footsteps scraped along the stone hallway. A key was thrust into the lock, turned, and the outer door opened. Skaw, the Demon of Torture walked in.
    Skaw was a retired soul seeker who found the work of chasing lost souls too exhausting. He’d been relegated to the Death Bunker, where he preferred to punish stationary targets. Skaw loved his work and always wore a sadistic smile.
    Dante stiffened and eyed the 6’7 albino in a black robe. More specifically, he stared at the coiled whip at Skaw’s side. It glowed with fire and hummed with dark energy.
    Two attendants scurried in behind Skaw. They were twins who had been stripped of most of their skin centuries ago. Hideous creatures, they barely reached four feet tall and were covered with patches of red, raw muscles. Their organs and veins were visible, and here and there a bone poked through. Each had a crop of black hair protruding from the top of their gray skulls. They sloshed when they walked and were always losing organs. Plus, they reeked.
    The twins crept forward, nervously fumbling with the key to Dante’s cell. Vaughn struggled to lift his head. “Why don’t you send Thing One and Thing Two over here tonight? I’ve been a bad boy. Could use a good spanking.” He laughed but it turned into a coughing fit. Skaw stared through the bars with greedy eyes.
    “Believe me, Demon Knight, there is nothing I’d like more than to beat you senseless, but since you would enjoy it too much, I’ll give your share to your friend.”
    The twins chittered with approval and then slid open the door to Dante’s cell. Dante bared his teeth and snarled at them. They twitched and bumped into each other in fear. One dropped an organ, and they