Black Rayne Silent Screams

by Yvonne Nicolas

  the demon tongue and shuddered with the need to erupt. The distant release

  swirled at her core, threatening to break free.

  Grinding her teeth, she bucked against him to speed his agonizing pace, and

  right when she was about to come, he retracted his hand.

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  Anger drove her actions when she spun around and swung at him. He

  dodged her strike, grabbed her hand and pushed her back on the bed. She spat and

  kicked at his chest. Guffawing, he pinned her legs to the bed and waved his hand

  across his jeans. His belt buckle unfastened, his button loosened and his pants

  zipped down, giving way to his pale, erect length.

  Smiling with malice down at her, he grabbed her ankles, pushed her legs

  back to her shoulders and entered her back end with angry force. Her walls

  squeezed tightly around him. She released a wailing moan and he howled with her.

  “Mm…yes, my love! I love it when you moan like the demon whore you are!”

  He drew out then rammed back in again. “You will help me find my Lord"s Queen.”

  Deeper, he jutted into her. He moaned loudly when her body gave way and her

  cream shot from her core. “You will…help me find…this so called…demon slayer.”

  His nails sunk into her thigh, ripping a gurgling scream from her as she spewed yet

  again. “You will…”

  His body began to convulse. He increased his pace, going faster and faster,

  probing deeper inside of her with each surge. Snarling and slobbering, he tried to

  will back the orgasm causing his cock to throb frantically within the portal of her

  body.

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  She reached out, grabbed his shirt, ripped it off him then dragged her sharp

  nails down his torso, searing his flesh. His eyes rolled back. A deep cry expelled

  from his gut and his burning seed erupted deep inside of her.

  Level Seven.

  Lucius could hear the screams and smell the burning flesh of the tormented

  souls on the stratums above him. He dragged his eyes open to foul darkness.

  Adjusted, his demonic sight raked over the layer of hell, known as the belly of the

  beast. The walls around him seeped blood and clots of flesh. The scent stirred him

  from his weakened state and awakened his hunger.

  Harpies scattered about, devoured entrails and remains, which showered

  from the levels above.

  This was his prison, a prison he"d soon be free from.

  Glowing eyes along with ghouls and growls from the shadows approached

  him.

  Rhanzas, demons with flesh and limbs absorbed from the torn souls of the

  underworld, a ghastly sight, even for his eyes. They were the scavengers of hell,

  hungry for his blood and his meal ticket out of here.

  Groaning, he attempted to spread his wings, but the stone barrier

  surrounding his body, prevented him from doing so.

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  “Soon mother,” he promised beneath his breath.

  He knew not how long he"d been incarcerated within his prison, but he did

  know his Queen was evolving. She waited for him, and needed him. Briefly, he

  closed his eyes. He could feel her soul and her core begging to be filled.

  A rumbling growl shook his chest. “We will be united soon, my love.”

  “You are awake, Luciusss?” hissed a serpentine creature, slithering toward

  him, its body composed of human limbs. “Aahh, I have waited a millennium for

  thissss.”

  “Master commanded us to devour you upon your awakening.” Using the

  mangled human arms as legs, another creature eased toward him, its belly made of

  bloody entrails. “This will be enjoyable for us.”

  “Then what are you waiting for? Come and get me,” Lucius dared with a

  smile.

  Fangs out, they charged him.

  Digging his talons into the fleshy floor, Lucius expanded the small amount

  of his energy until the stone barrier cracked around him. The creatures drew

  closer.

  Roaring, he strained his last bit of force to free his arms. He caught two

  howling demons in mid lung and smashed their heads together. A mixture of

  human and demon blood splattered his face.

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  Blood hunger wrenched his gut and lengthened his fangs. Without pause, he

  stretched his jaws wide and took chunks out of both the bodies, then bellowed out

  in blood-curdling laughter as the remaining stone crumbled to his feet.

  Shock stamped on their faces, the demons halted.

  His sinew and libido heightened with each bite. It wasn"t his greatest meal,

  but it would do. He looked up at the blood soaked ceiling.

  “I"m coming, my love.”

  With flesh and blood dangling from his fangs, he unfurled his leathery

  wings and glared upon the mass of Rhanzas appointed to destroy him. Their shrieks

  and howls expelled their fear, feeding his dark energy, a delicacy he"d been

  deprived of for far too long.

  Snarling, he took another bite of the limp form clasped in his hand. “What"s

  wrong? Isn"t anyone hungry anymore?”

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  Chapter Seventeen

  Shrine Keepers

  A light tap sounded at the door.

  Father Shannon lifted his head from where it rested on the bible. “Not now.”

  He"d been locked in his office for hours contemplating whether or not to

  take the long journey to Demetri"s mansion. His friend had been disingenuous, had

  not confided his connection with the half-breed. Why in the world would he keep

  such an important fact from him?

  “Father Shannon—”

  “I said not now, Sister Agnes. Please.”

  He"d given his word he wouldn"t impart his newly acquired knowledge to

  Demetri, but the more he thought about it…

  “But Father, it"s a very important phone call,” she demurred with urgency.

  Leaning back in the chair, he sighed heavily. “Sister…” He made an effort to

  hide the vexation in his tone, but failed. “They"re always important.”

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  Everyone who called him had a life-altering emergency that needed his

  immediate attention, but his mind was too distracted to focus on someone in need

  of a simple prayer.

  “Could you please just take down their information and I will call them

  back.”

  “But Father, they"re calling from Japan.”

  Nearly knocking everything from his desk, he shot out of his chair and ran

  to the door. He swung it open a lot harder than he meant to. The door handle

  punched a small dent into the wall.

  Ignoring Sister Agnes"s startled reaction, he stepped through the entrance.

  “Japan? Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “Yes, quite certain Father. It"s Captain Andre Dawson from a

  Sector Twelve.” It sounded more like she was asking a question then passing on

  information.

  He rushed past her and headed down the hall toward the phone. “Why

  didn"t you transfer the call?” he grumbled, glancing at her over his shoulder.

  She followed quickly behind him. “He didn"t call the church line. He called

  your cell phone, and you know how bad the service is on the west end of the

  church.”

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  First order of business when the contract was up, change his cell phone

  provider. It was increasingly irritating to be forced to run to the other side
of the

  building just to take a call on his cell phone.

  He hurried into the room and retrieved the small device. “Hello, hello.”

  “Father Shannon?” responded a deep voice from the other end.

  “Yes, yes this is Father Shannon.”

  “Sir, this is Captain Andre Dawson of Sector Twelve. I was told by Father

  Hamiway to contact you after retrieving Lady Bird.”

  Lady Bird? He wasn"t knowledgeable in the codes used by the special sectors

  of the arms forces, but he was pretty sure Lady Bird was a code for something of

  great importance. Perhaps this was what Father Hamiway tried to tell him before

  their connection was severed.

  “Where are you now?”

  “In Tokyo. My team and I are staying on the out skirts of the city with a

  family of shrine keepers until transportation is secured.”

  Several urgent questions whirled about in his brain, but there was no time.

  And beyond that, the important information Captain Dawson had shouldn"t be

  discussed over the phone lines.

  “Can you link with me?”

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  “Negative sir. I"m only able to link with those around me. I don"t have the

  ability to link with anyone from afar.”

  Father Shannon couldn"t help but smile. He sensed the young man"s

  remarkable strength through the phone as he spoke. Captain Dawson had no idea

  what he was capable of and had not fully explored the true strength of his gift.

  “You are stronger than you give yourself credit for, Andausian. Do not doubt

  the gift God has bestowed upon you.” He paused and readied his mind for the long

  distance mental link. “I know this is a lot to ask of you, but we cannot continue

  this conversation over the phone. I need you to open your psyche so I may find and

  link with you.”

  After a moment"s pause, the young soldier replied, “Yes sir.”

  Steel hung up the phone then turned and looked at Spade, who gave him a

  quizzical stare.

  “What"s the word, Cap?” Spade asked, lazily shuffling a deck of cards.

  “Uh, he wants to link with me.”

  “You can"t do that…” Spade darted his eyes to Quest then back to Steel. “Can

  you?”

  Shrugging his shoulders, Steel brushed his fingers over his cornrows. “I

  guess we"ll find out. He told me to open my lines so he can find me.”

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  “Wait, hold the phone, buey. We don"t know this guy like that. And we"re

  right smack dab in the middle of a demonios war zone. We can"t afford to just trust

  anybody.”

  “True that,” Spade mumbled, giving Quest a fist pound.

  “And you"re talking about opening your mind to this guy? Don"t you know

  how dangerous that is?” Quest planted his butt to the floor and rustled his hair.

  “You know what they say, an open mind is el diablo"s playground.”

  “That"s absurd,” Jade interjected without looking from the window she"d

  been staring blindly out of for hours. “He"s a priest for God"s sake. Father

  Hamiway wouldn"t have told you to contact him if he wasn"t trustworthy. We

  shouldn"t even be discussing this. Just open your lines, Steel.”

  Jade hadn"t said a word since she"d woken up, and that was well over six

  hours ago. So to hear her finally speak up about anything was a big deal. Father

  Hamiway"s death had taken a heavy toll on her emotions, so they all treaded very

  lightly around her.

  “Alright, I"ll open up, but only if you link in with me, Jade.”

  She agreed with the slight nod of her head, but kept her eyes fixed out the

  window. If someone or something from the outside tried to slip into his open lines,

  she"d be able to detect it. That gave him a sense of security.

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  Taking in a deep breath, Steel closed his eyes and a second later, Father

  Shannon said his name. “Yes Father,” he replied in excitement, astounded he"d

  actually linked with someone clear across the Pacific Ocean.

  “Like I said, do not doubt the gift God has bestowed upon you. There is so much more to

  your power than you know. I pray you"ll become aware of that before the end. Now tell me

  Captain, what happened at the temple in Osaka?”

  “We were attacked by a countless number of demons. They seem to be a different breed

  from the ones we"re used to battling. We found the method of killing them, but they just kept

  coming.”

  “Did your whole team come out unharmed?”

  “Negative sir. We all came out, but I wouldn"t say unharmed. These demons gave us a

  pretty bad beating, especially the women. We"re not sure what their goal is, but whatever it is,

  they"re extremely determined.”

  “Well thank God you all came out alive.”

  There was a brief pause. “I understand that the absence of my brother"s spiritual

  pressure means he"s no longer with us.”

  “Affirmative sir,” Steel sighed.

  “Is Niomi with you?”

  “Yes sir.”

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  “Is, is she holding up —”

  “I"m fine, Father,” Jade assured him softly, breaking into the conversation.

  Steel rolled his eyes in her direction. Fine? She was anything but that.

  “In order to heal the pain, you must acknowledge it first, my child. We will pray together

  once you arrive.”

  “Yes Father,” Jade whispered, lowering her head and slumping against the

  window pane.

  “Tell me about Lady Bird. What is it?”

  “Sacred Packages. An amulet, which is in Jade"s possession and the others are two spiritual

  swords for the Dragon Queen. And before you ask, we have no idea who she is.”

  “So that"s what he was trying to tell me before the demons attacked. I assume the demons

  know you have those items in your possession.”

  Steel swallowed hard. “Yes sir, they know.”

  “When are the military going to send for you and the team?”

  “We were told forty-eight hours at the most.”

  “No! That"s too long!” His groan of frustration radiated through the connection.

  “Within that time the demons would have found you and your team.”

  “Uh, they"ve already found us, sir. They"re currently regrouping beyond the prayer barrier

  set by the shrine keepers.”

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  “And they"re saying forty-eight hours! You"re sitting ducks!”

  Steel snorted in amusement. “Yes sir. I believe that"s the phrase to best define our

  current situation.”

  Another groan filled Steel"s mind. “I don"t understand! There is a government base

  right there in Japan! Why forty-eight hours?”

  “Oh sir, I thought you knew. This mission is not sanctioned by the government. They don"t

  even know we"re here. Well, perhaps they do now since we made a pretty noisy exit in Osaka. Our

  connections back at base are trying to get here as soon as possible, but to swipe a bird under the

  radar is a bit difficult. That"s why we are at a standstill until they arrive.”

  “That won"t do! I"m going to make a call to the ministry"s armed forces. I have got to get

  you and your soldiers here sooner. You said the women in your team are pretty badly injured. Are

  they in good enough condition to travel within four to six hours?”

  “We"re always in good enough condition, Father,” Jade attested. “No worries about us.


  This is what we do.”

  Steel glinted at Jade"s back with a smile, feeling a dose of pride engulf his

  heart. “If you can make it happen, Father, we"ll be ready.”

  “Good. Give me about fifteen minutes and I will contact you with your new travel

  arrangements.”

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  Copper slid her eyes open and was instantly overcome with dizziness.

  Wincing, she pressed her palm to her forehead. She withstood the whirling

  sensation and shifted her eyes around to check out the unfamiliar surroundings.

  The modern Asian furniture in the small space indicated she was still in

  Japan.

  Dim light shone through the small window and faintly illuminated the

  room. How long had she been out of it?

  In the midst of her disorientation, an odd feeling consumed her; a massive

  pressure from someone"s spiritual energy. It couldn"t be anyone on the team,

  because she didn"t recognize the force and it didn"t fuse with her own. Who was

  emanating such powerful energy?

  The painful tingling sensation, radiating from her abdomen, reminded her of

  what had happened and who caused the pain. Fucking demons!

  She attempted to push up to a sitting position, only to find her body was

  strapped to the bed. “Bloody hell?”

  The fusuma door slid open and Blaze appeared. “Hey sleepy head.”

  Right away she noticed Blaze"s right shoulder and arm was wrapped up

  with an elastic bandage. “You all right?”

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  “Am I all right?” Smiling, she brushed her long, inky hair from her shoulder.

  “I should be asking you that.”

  Copper attempted to take in a deep breath, but it only caused her more pain.

  She grimaced when her stomach muscles contracted.

  “Can"t even breathe,” she grumbled, clenching her teeth.

  “Yeah, it"s going to be like that for a little while.” Blaze slid down into the

  chair next to the bed. “Me, you and Jade are at the mercy of the shrine keeper"s

  husband. He"s a healer. The man expended his own soul"s energy just to save our

  lives.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. The demons did us in pretty bad. Internal bleeding, I think. Still