by Ciara Graves
I waited for the pain to hit me, but instead, my rage continued to build. I wanted him dead for what he did to my brother and my people, it was true.
That, however, was not guiding my anger now.
His holding Mercy was going to make my demon rage explode.
Mercy was right. His words did nothing to me, not anymore. He had no power over me. I thought he might, but now, in the same room with him, I was able to study his face, his eyes.
There was a fear in those depths, a fear I hadn’t noticed the last time I faced him down.
He was still talking, but I wasn’t listening.
The two nefaries beside me had taken my weapons. Not my claws, though. As my rage continued to grow, pulsing just beneath the surface, my claws elongated, as did my fangs.
I focused on Mercy, telling her without words what to do. I worried for a split second she wasn’t going to fully trust me.
She blinked slowly, letting me know she understood.
I let my shoulders relax and hung my head, then shook it, hoping Lucas would think his torment was working.
The nefaries wore daggers at their hips.
I had to time it right. Mercy’s weapons had been tossed to the side of the room. If she could get to them, she could take out the dark fae and leave Lucas for me. Just had to time it right.
Mercy gasped. I growled at the sight of more blood spilling down her neck.
Lucas maneuvered the sword. The blade was pressed against Mercy’s shoulder, now, too.
She laughed at him, and he slashed, cutting through her shirt, clear to her skin.
My hands clenched into fists against the stones.
“My, you are a stoic one. That will soon change,” Lucas mused. His grip in her hair loosened so he could hold her by her nape instead.
Mercy’s eyes met mine. I blinked.
Fire burst to life in her hands and she brought them up to grab the blade of the sword.
Lucas yelled as he attempted to cut her hands, but the fire protected her.
The nefaries each took a half-step forward to help him.
I slashed at them with my claws. They stumbled as I rose and kicked the knees out of the one on my right, then grabbed the dagger of the one on my left. I threw it across the room.
Mercy ducked and rolled out of the way.
The dagger slammed into Lucas’ shoulder. He flew back into the wall.
Mercy bolted for her weapons as the nefaries called on their shadows.
I had no sword, but I didn’t need one. I bull-rushed Lucas and grabbed his wrist with his weapon.
He raised it to attack, but I slammed it into the wall. After two hits, his grip loosened. The sword clattered to the floor.
I headbutted him then tossed him aside, relishing his grunt of pain.
Mercy reached her weapons. Her sword unfolded as she summoned fire to her other hand.
We’d switched out her usual sword for one of iron.
Darkness closed in around her, but she sliced through it easily. She could handle herself.
I shifted my attention to Lucas.
He threw his cloak aside and found his footing.
“You will not defeat me,” he uttered, yanking the dagger from his shoulder.
I checked my watch as I stalked closer. Ten minutes. I had less than ten minutes to kill Lucas, grab Mercy, and get the hell out of this place.
I raised my hands, readying for his attack.
Fire formed in his free hand and he smirked. As if that would be enough to scare me away.
I’d faced down far worse than him these last few months. A little fire wasn’t going to do anything except piss me off.
A pained shout came from behind me. It wasn’t Mercy. That was all that mattered to me.
I didn’t look, but Lucas did.
That’s when I made my move. I rushed him, slashing at his face with my claws. I cut through skin.
He sputtered curses, releasing his fire to strike me.
I dodged out of the way, only letting it brush by my arm. I slashed at him again, cutting through his shirt, into flesh. Blood spilled from his wounds.
He was older, weaker. I was far stronger than I had been all those years ago.
The fear in his eyes grew as he realized it.
He came at me with his dagger in one hand and a sword of pure fire in his other.
I ducked and dove out of the way of his strikes. I needed a weapon.
“Rafael!”
Mercy tossed me two daggers.
I caught them and turned back around in time to cross them in front of my face, catching Lucas’s dagger and sword.
He shoved against me, driving me back until my weight became too much for him. He pushed harder. I headbutted him. He staggered back. I spun around, kicking him in the chest.
Mercy cursed.
A body was thrown through the air.
Not hers.
A nefari crashed into the far doors and didn’t get up again. The fighting quieted. The nefaries were dead.
Lucas abandoned his dagger and a second flame sword appeared in his right hand. “You will not kill me. Not here. I won’t have it!”
He lunged with those blades.
I parried every attack with the daggers.
Mercy charged in, ready to stab him in the back when fire exploded from his body.
Mercy and I were thrown away from him. Her
head hit the wall and she slumped over.
I rolled a couple of times, fell off the stone platform, and landed hard on the stones. I gasped, the air knocked from my lungs.
“Mercy,” I tried to call out.
She hadn’t moved. Blood smeared the stones behind her.
My claws dug lines into the stone as I pushed myself to all fours, glaring at Lucas.
All my rage rushed forward at the sight of the woman I loved. Now, possibly dead. I couldn’t tell if she was breathing or not. She was unmoving.
Fire swarmed around Lucas, but that was not going to stop me.
I’d broken through Envy’s power. I could break through his.
I walked toward that fire. Lucas held his hands out and the flames grew, lashing out at me.
The fire struck, but I hardly felt it through my demon rage. My clothes were singed, but I still kept moving.
I bared my fangs, snarling like a wild beast. Crossing my arms, I forced my way through the wall of fire. The heat surrounded me.
Lucas’s insane laughter echoed around the room.
“You will burn to death before you ever reach me,” he shouted. “Is this how you wish to die?”
He was only a yard ahead of me.
The fire intensified.
I roared as the flames tried to eat away at my skin.
Only they didn’t.
I frowned, holding out my arms. A faint shimmer covered my skin and the fire no longer reached me.
Lucas’s laughter died. “You have no magic,” he snapped. “What are you doing? That’s impossible.”
Mercy. This was her magic. I couldn’t see her through the wall of fire, but this had to be her. She was alive and awake.
I stormed through the fire until Lucas was in my grasp. I closed my hand around his throat, digging my claws into his skin.
He gasped, pleading for his life as his blood covered my hand.
I lifted him off his feet, bellowing in his face. The shimmer covering my skin fell away.
Then Mercy was there, pressing a dagger into my hand.
Flames burned in her eyes as she took a step back. “Finish this, Rafael.”
Lucas shook his head.
As though I would ever show him mercy.
I lifted him higher, then rammed the dagger up, under his ribs, straight into his heart. His body stiffened, then went limp. I tossed him aside.
He lay there, dead. At the same spot where Antonio had bled out and died.
My rage was dampened as Mercy grunted and sagged forward. She’d used too much magic. Her grip on my arm
was weak.
“Have to hurry,” she mumbled. “Less than five minutes.”
Running back through the entire mansion would take too long. I sat her down, rushed to the bombs we had left, and set one at the base of the outside wall.
I took her to the far corner and covered her with my body, then braced for the explosion.
It took the entire wall with it.
Stones smashed into my back. Mercy was unharmed, thankfully. I scooped her up and ran to the opening.
“Ready?”
She buried her face against my chest with a curse. “You’re freaking crazy.”
I managed a laugh then jumped out of the second story opening and landed in the courtyard, barely able to stay on my feet.
I set Mercy down, but she was wobbly. There was no way could she make it to the portal on her own.
I had her climb onto my back and as we trudged through the dead bodies littering the courtyard until we came across Damian and Bowen. They were alive, supporting each other and waiting by the front gate.
“About damned time,” Damian snapped. “We’re out of time. Let’s go.”
He gave us a quick once-over.
I nodded.
He spat on the ground, cursing Lucas, then turned and ran as fast as he could, with Bowen limping beside him.
Mercy clung to my shoulders as I took off, my demon rage giving me speed. It wasn’t going to last much longer, though.
The portal was in sight.
As were Shep, Sycamore, and Iris. They were all shouting for us to get our asses moving.
Bowen shoved Shep and Iris in, ahead of him.
Then he pushed Damian.
I yelled at Sycamore to go as the ground shook and the first of the explosions went off.
I jumped for the portal while the remainder of the bombs were triggered.
We made it through.
I spun around in time to see Sector 2 go up in a bright, white fireball.
Then the portal closed, and it was over.
Sector 2 was gone.
Lucas was dead.
Mercy and I were alive.
I set her down. She was weak. We were both hurt, but we’d lived.
The back room was crowded with our little fighting group. Everyone except for two people seemed to have made it back. Nor looked pissed when he came toward me.
“Jeremy and Cole didn’t make it,” he snapped.
I patted him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“You killed Lucas?”
“He’s dead. Officially this time . And,” I said as I dug around in my pocket for the papers, “I have these.”
Nor took the papers, a bit singed, but otherwise readable.
He clapped me on the back and said he’d get them to Sycamore.
Mercy and I pushed our way through the crowd of donors that spilled out into the main bar and onto the streets of the Underground. Curious and confused bystanders filled the area, asking what the hell was going on.
Not once did I let go of Mercy’s hand as we wound our way through them all.
“We did it,” she said in disbelief. “I can’t believe we did it.”
Neither could I.
Now, the fun was really going to start.
It was going to be the first of many long ass nights to come.
I kissed the top of Mercy’s head and we set to work, helping those we just saved from certain death.
Chapter 17
Rafael
Sector 2 was a burning a crater. No one would ever reside there again.
The explosives left behind by Rufus ensured that.
All hybrids, reapers—or anyone else working for Shuval—that hadn’t made it out, were dead now.
And so was Lucas.
Thanks to Mercy, Lucas was dead officially. His blood covered my clothes and my hands.
I needed to get home and shower, but the Underground was a mess, what with all the rescued ones we’d brought here.
Nor had been on the phone since we came back.
Sycamore was busy preparing the evidence linking Quin to all activities within Sector 2. The bastard wouldn’t be free for long.
Mercy stood with a group of rescued donors, talking to them quietly. They all appeared to be in shock. They’d been about to die. Now they were going to live.
Mercy pointed them to Iris who was figuring out how to get them to a safe location. None of them could go home, not until Shuval was caught.
We had no way of knowing if she had their names, who they were, or why she’d chosen them. These people ending up in the hands of the bad guys again was the last thing any of us wanted.
Mercy came toward me. I pulled her into my arms, holding her against me.
“I’m not sure when we’ll be able to go,” she sighed. “I’m so damned tired.”
“I’m not sure how we’re still standing.”
“How much do you think this stunt will piss off Shuval?”
We had no way of knowing how big Shuval’s fighting force was. This could be what pushed her toward starting the war early, before she even charged all the ley lines. She had so many factions on her side, while half the country didn’t even realize they were about to be dragged into a more violent war than the last one with the dragonborn.
I cupped Mercy’s face and kissed her.
This war was becoming too damned real, too fast.
Wesley’s words of warning came back to me. How if Mercy and I didn’t stick together, she’d die. We both would. Mercy grabbed my shirt and stood on her toes.
Loud whistling came from behind us. We broke apart to find Horace and Damian walking our way.
“Get a room you two,” Horace teased with a wink.
Damian didn’t look as amused. “Mercy, Rafael, come with me. Nor needs to talk to us.”
“How bad is it?”
Damian’s scowl deepened.
Horace’s smile faltered.
“The Feds have some questions. A lot of questions, actually.”
“And?” Mercy urged. “What else?”
“It sounds like they’re going to call in the Hunters.”
I felt my demon rage building up. “No, they can’t. Those jackasses don’t care who a dragonborn is. They’ll take anyone with dragonborn blood, and we’ll never see them again.”
“I know, but we need their help. As of now, they don’t know the full situation. They know nothing about Mercy or the other dragonborn that are trying to stop Shuval,” Damian explained. “And they won’t. At least, not until we’re able to strike a deal with them. For now, though, Mercy, I want you to keep your head down. Stay out of sight.”
Mercy nodded, to my surprise.
She turned to me. “Get the shocked look off your face. I’m not an idiot. Standing against the Hunters won’t do anyone any good.” She turned to Damian. “And Sycamore? What’s his plan with the Gathered?”
“He’s going to speak with the Feds, show them what he found in Sector 2. If Franklin Monroe was alive, we’d bring him in as a witness, but since Rufus offed him, that’s no longer an option. You two should get out of here. Go home and get some rest while you can.”
“What? No, we can stick around and help,” Mercy insisted, but Damian was already turning her around and shoving us both toward the entrance to the Underground.
“Go. We’ve got it. You’ll thank me tomorrow.”
Mercy gave in.
Together, we left the madness that had become the Underground behind.
She rested her head against my arm as we walked into the night, passing people who had no idea we’d just destroyed an entire sector.
There were still two more out there filled with people about to be sacrificed. Three more artifacts needed to be located, and there was still the mystery of trying to figure out what Shuval was plotting as far as the time table was concerned.
When we reached the apartment, Mercy ended up in the shower, letting the hot water wash the blood from her body.
She ex
ited the bathroom a long while later, wrapped in a towel, her hair up with black chopsticks.
I took a while longer, scrubbing hard at the specks of blood I kept thinking I could see on my hands.
If my brother’s soul hadn’t been at rest yet, it would be now. Lucas was dead. Sector 2 was gone.
As soon as we figured out where Shuval was, we’d do the exact same to her.
We’d make Shuval hurt. We’d make her bleed. We weren’t going down without one hell of a fight.
By the time I stepped out of the shower, I had expected to find Mercy passed out on the couch, which was why when I saw her tugging her boots on, I froze.
“Where are you going?”
“Hey, Gigi just called,” she said as she grabbed her jacket. “Onyx is on her way to the shop with some news.”
“Now?”
“Yeah. Look, sit here, relax. I’ll text you if it’s anything crazy.”
“Mercy,” I argued. “I should come with you.”
“It might not be anything. No point in both of us being utterly exhausted tomorrow.” She patted my cheek and made for the door.
I caught her hand.
“Rafael, seriously, I’ll be fine. Just going to Gigi’s.”
“Are you sure you should be going out now?”
“I’ll be back before you know it.”
She kissed me again.
I fisted my hands in her jacket, and guided her into the nearest wall, taking my time as I nuzzled her neck and she wrapped her arms around me.
“Stay. See what she wants tomorrow. I think we’ve earned a night off.”
She nipped my bottom lip. “We’ll get a night off, I promise, but I have to see what she found out. It could be important.”
“This is important.”
“Oh, I know it is, don’t you worry about that.” She grabbed my horns and kissed me. Then she was pulling away and was at the front door, laughing as I stalked toward her, growling. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t wait up.”
Then she was out the door and gone.
I considered throwing clothes on and going after her, but she’d just get pissed.
I put on jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed a beer, plopped down on the couch, but couldn’t shake the feeling that I shouldn’t have let Mercy go alone.
