Araton

by Brenda Trim

  “If this doesn’t pan out, we need to call in the human police force. They already have officers spread throughout the area. It will be far easier than doing a grid search,” Hayden interjected.

  Araton’s throat went dry with the Omega’s suggestion and his heart pounded even harder in his chest. That was the worst idea he’d ever heard. Araton wanted to find Lia more than anything but giving more power for Lucifer to take over was not going to make things easier for them.

  “Humans can’t help in this situation. They’d only be offering themselves up as sacrifices to fuel the archdemon’s spell. We would never reach her in time. I will not risk my mate’s life in this,” Araton blurted. He decided to leave the rest of the reason involving humans was a bad idea. They didn’t have time to argue the matter right now.

  “Araton is right,” Dante agreed.

  Abraxos and Ayil walked in a second later and were filled in on the current situation. By the time they were done being updated, Zander’s phone pinged with an incoming call.

  “Can you send this through the call, Kill? They are Facetiming me and I’d rather everyone see so I doona have to play go between,” Zander asked.

  “Sure thing. One second,” Killian replied as he typed on the keyboard in front of him. A second later an expansive lawn was on the screen.

  “Slate. Are you there?” Zander called out.

  “We’re here. And so are the demons. See that obelisk that’s glowing dark red? It was white when we arrived,” Slate replied.

  “And not glowing,” Luke added. “My skin feels like it’s being stabbed by thousands of man-sized wasps right now.”

  Araton’s stomach churned as he watched the pulsing of the tall building. He noticed countless creatures prowling around the base, but the warriors were too far away for him to get a clear picture. He didn’t need to see more to know they were demons. Not only did Luke’s description of what he was feeling fit perfectly with a demonic presence, Araton could practically feel the evil through the connection.

  “Let’s go,” he demanded and turned to walk out of the room. Abraxos and Ayil were next to him.

  “We need a few minutes to get organized,” Zander informed him. Araton nodded but ignored the orders Zander barked behind him.

  There was a ticking bomb in his mind. Each second was one closer to him losing Lia forever. The power in that building told him there would be no coming back from it for her if they didn’t act fast. If they were indeed too late, Araton would make it his life’s mission to kill every demon he could.

  Getting vengeance for Natalia would be the only thing that kept him going. He didn’t want to live without her, but he refused to leave this life until he avenged her. She deserved at least that from him since he wasn’t able to protect her from the rest.

  Chapter 20

  Araton landed next to the Luke and Slate. His brothers landed right next to him. The two Dark Warriors were huddled near the dock were boats arrived. They faced the street where the others would arrive and had a good view of the property in question.

  The water was behind them and in the distance, he saw trees and what looked like a plantation house complete with at least seven white columns along the front. The balcony on the second floor seemed to have furniture on it, but he couldn’t be sure.

  There was another building and then the focal point. The large obelisk shaped building that was pulsing with a dark red light. The thing was obviously the focal point of the ritual.

  It took him running a mantra on a repeated loop that he couldn’t face the archdemon and its minions through his head to stop him from rushing headlong to save Lia. It helped that he sensed her somewhere close by. He had to believe that if she’d already lost her fight with Lucifer that he wouldn’t sense her at all.

  Scanning what he could see in front of them, he catalogued the line of trees closest to the river. Aside from the three buildings there were a couple of old cannons in the large field, but nothing else.

  The demons didn’t have the advantage on this one. They would instinctively stay away from the river. Running water weakened them. That left the plantation house, the other low building and the tall obelisk.

  “Have you seen any sign of Lia?” Araton asked. Yes, he sensed her, but he needed to know she was okay more than he needed to breathe.

  Slate glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. “Not a sign. But we’ve counted at least three dozen demons coming through a portal next to the tree in front of the house.”

  For several long, agonizing minutes Araton worried he might have made a mistake by not going to Gabriel or even calling on other Warrior Angels for help with this mission. There had never been more on the line than there was at this moment.

  He finally understood why Ayil risked for much for Kennex. For months he’d assumed his brother had lost his mind. Not that Araton hated Kennex or anything. Initially he’d been wary of her and encouraged his brother to take more action against her and her kind, but once it was discovered that she wasn’t aligned with demons he was fine with her. But he hadn’t really comprehended what Ayil had gone through or felt until now.

  The demons roamed restlessly around the lawn in front of the tall spire but didn’t make a move to do anything else. Araton wondered what they were waiting for and nearly took to the air to do a little reconnaissance when Zander and the Dark Warriors pulled up.

  The benefit of cooperating with supernaturals trained in combat was that they got organized and were ready to approach the demons within seconds. Good thing too because Araton couldn’t stay back any longer.

  “Kyran, you and your team approach from the south. I will take the west while Aison and his group come in from the north. Araton if you and your brothers can carry Slate, Aison and Gerrick then fly over to the east then we will all be in place to attack at the same time,” Zander instructed.

  “Sounds good. Let’s go,” Araton replied as he motioned to Gerrick. He wanted the ruthless warrior at his side.

  “Don’t drop me, lay? Shae and I have a date tomorrow night that I don’t want to miss. Izzy’s watching Maddox so it’ll just be us,” Gerrick told him with a smirk.

  Araton chuckled. The sorcerer’s confidence was well placed. He was one of the best fighters Araton had ever met. Gerrick’s skill made risk of injury minimal for him. “I’ll do my best. Thanks for helping,” Araton told everyone.

  There were nods and grunts as he lifted into the air a few feet and then grabbed Gerrick under his arms. It took Araton a moment to stabilize his grip before he took off over the land and to the other side where they would approach the horde.

  Less than a minute later he and Gerrick landed, followed by his brothers, Aison and Slate. The six of them crouched in the trees. They weren’t very far from the gathering demons.

  “Are those people they’re dragging toward the tall building?” Gerrick whispered so low Araton had to lean close to hear the warrior.

  Araton’s gut clenched when he noticed Gerrick was right. He saw at least a dozen men and women in demon clutches. It was impossible to tell from this distance if they were human or supernatural. Or even alive, he realized with a start. All had obvious injuries and were bleeding. At least one had to be dead given the large gash across his abdomen.

  “Yes. We go in now. We can’t allow them to kill all those innocents,” Araton growled. Gerrick nodded while the others looked in the directions the others would attack from.

  Araton didn’t bother waiting for approval. They were there and humans were going to kill them if they hadn’t already. Lifting off, Araton arrowed toward the horde a foot above the ground.

  He called his sword to his hand at the last minute and was able to decapitate at least three demons, one Sheti and two hellhounds, before the others realized they were under attack.

  Gerrick and the others were right behind him and jumped right into battle alongside Araton. It was a challenge to get a good look at the entire scene and Araton couldn’t lift into the air just ye
t.

  Rushing toward a pus demon that was holding a man, he swung his weapon, but the demon ducked out of the way. The fist that connected with his head was surprisingly solid. He guessed it was only the mid-section of the pus monster that was soft and squishy. Or could they solidify parts of their anatomy at will?

  The answer didn’t actually matter. Darting in close, Araton released his sword of light and snatched his dagger from the sheath at his back. With a swift motion, he stabbed through pus and encountered bones. When the demon’s grip on his victim lessened, Araton was relieved to hear the grunt as the guy dropped to the ground.

  Switching his dagger to his other hand, Araton called his sword back to his hand and was slicing through the pus demon’s middle less than a heartbeat later. Dipping down, Araton slashed his flaming sword through the middle and musty, burning flesh gagged him with how close he was to the beast.

  Hands grabbed his wings and pulled him down on the ground. Claws digging into the top of his wings told Araton a demon had latched onto him. Something cracked in his left wing when he was kicked by a rage demon and then stomped on.

  His grip loosened on his sword and it disappeared, but he still had his dagger and he switched it to his dominate hand. Rolling to his right to alleviate the pain on his left side, Araton kicked both feet and swung his right arm in an arch.

  The dagger in his hand plunged into the leg of a rage demon. Araton was pinned with black, acidic blood dripping onto his arm where it sizzled. Gerrick’s shout, drew Araton’s attention along with the demons’ gazes. It gave him the edge he needed. Exploding from the ground, Araton called his Sword of Light to his hand and slashed through necks and torsos.

  One quick glance around told Araton they were surrounded. He couldn’t see the building to his right through the bodies. All he was able to catch was the red light pulsing off the stone of the structure.

  Gerrick fought next to him like a lethal wave. Araton was impressed all over again by his skill. The Dark Warrior never missed a target and little things like claws raking skin didn’t distract him one bit. Araton had no idea how the male went so deep into his fighting, but he wished he’d asked before now.

  Swinging his sword as he turned toward some growling to his right, Araton stepped into the move at the last second and managed to slice the front leg of a hellhound off. Where was Lia? Every now and then he was able to sense her presence and each time it came from the obelisk which was why he kept trying to look in that direction.

  “Abraxos,” Araton called out to his brother. “Find all the injured humans you can and take them out of the immediate area. I think they are planning on using them to power the spell.”

  “On it,” Abraxos replied from behind him.

  Araton tried to make his way toward the location he kept sensing Natalia. He didn’t make it more than five feet when he was no longer able to cut his way through the enemies.

  Two Sheti demons stood in his way, forcing him to pause and eliminate them before he moved on. He contemplated taking to the air, but his injury kept him grounded. Anger threatened to take over his mind, but he refused to fuel the rage demons close by. Lia was being used by the Dark Lord and these vile creatures were keeping him from helping her. The woman he loved was going to lose her life if he didn’t stop this ritual from happening.

  A surge in demonic energy broke something in him the second that thought popped up as if the Dark power read his mind. With a roar, Araton became a whirlwind and slashed through the demons closest to him.

  Black blood burning his arms and face, Araton continued hacking his way toward Natalia. Gerrick remained close by his side, making it easier to reach his destination. After taking out several more beasts, Araton was finally able to catch a glimpse of the stairs at the base of the tall spire.

  Natalia was standing at the top, bent over and screaming in pain. Her head shook from side to side and blood dribbled from her ears. Everything except her receded from his awareness.

  Something solid slammed into him from the side while he was slashing and fighting his way to his mate. He landed on the ground with a thud. Bile rose in his throat as his head bounced on the bloody grass.

  Thank God for training because it kept his sword arm in movement, and he was able to eliminate the Behemoth demon that had knocked him down. Araton was back on unsteady feet a racing heartbeat later.

  Determined to reach her side, Araton had taken one step when he watched a massive Pus demon club the back of Gerrick’s skull, making the warrior go down. “Fuck!” Araton shouted and ran to Gerrick’s aide.

  He could not allow the warrior to be injured or worse. Not only did Gerick have a mate and child that needed him, but the Tehrex Realm couldn’t lose their best warrior. Araton’s flaming sword slashed through the creatures heading toward Gerrick.

  The flames of his sword were faltering after so much demonic blood coated the blade. It needed to be cleaned, but there was no time. Araton called on his angelic essence and added thoughts of Lia to fuel more powerful fire. The weapon blazed orange-red and then green like Natalia’s stunning eyes.

  Jumping to his feet, Gerrick joined him and they fought their way toward Natalia. By the time they reached the stairs the horde was thinning, and he was joined by his brothers, Zander and several other Dark Warriors.

  “I see you’re back, Azazel,” Zander called out to the archdemon standing over Lia. “I thought you learned your lesson, but apparently not.”

  “Time to die, asshole,” Araton growled as he slashed his Sword of Light through the air.

  “You go to Natalia,’ Zander called out to him. “We’ve got this one.”

  Nodding to Zander, Araton hurried up the steps toward Natalia. He made it within five feet of her and fell to his knees as malevolent energy buffeted him from the front. It felt as if razor blades were cutting his skin. One glance down and he saw there were thousands of small cuts all over his body.

  Clenching his fists, he ignored the blood that trickled from the wounds and continued to Natalia’s side. Every step was a monumental effort, but he refused to give up. If this was what she was going through, he couldn’t believe she was still standing. Evil beat at him with every pulse of his heart, trying to burrow its way inside.

  Araton doubted he would have been able to withstand it if he weren’t trying to reach the woman who had become his entire world. Needing to reach her side gave him the strength to take each agonizing step.

  “Hold on, Dove. I’m almost there,” Araton called out. Natalia lifted her head and gazed at him with bright green eyes. She was now squatting with her arms wrapped around her knees and her knuckles white where she was clutching her hands together.

  “I don’t think I can fight this anymore. You have to kill me. I love you, Araton,” she whispered. A tear slid down her cheek and she held his gaze, telling him how serious she was about him ending her life.

  “I will never let you go. I’m going to mate you as soon as I get you out of here. Don’t give up yet, please,” he begged her. “I can’t live without you.”

  “You want to mate me?” Lia asked. The ball of her body relaxed slightly, and her head lifted. It might be wishful thinking on his part, but he swore his words were strengthening her. And, weakening the energy cutting him to shreds.

  “Yes. If you’ll have me. But I need you to keep on fighting,” Araton instructed her. He practically crawled the last few feet and fell at her side. His injured wing was drooping behind him and he was bleeding from multiple cuts. He needed to get them the fuck out of there, but all he could do was pull himself up next to her and wrap his arms around her trembling body.

  A scream echoed behind them as the red light consuming the building behind them disappeared. Araton lifted his head and watched as Zander struck Azazel and then both of his brothers swiped their weapons of light through the archdemon. The angelic flames consumed the demon in an instant.

  “I love you, Dove,” Araton told her and claimed her mouth. As his lips pressed to
hers, Araton poured everything he was feeling into the kiss. Her tongue tangled with his in an intimate dance. As their passion rose, Lia trembled less, and her body unfurled for him.

  Breaking away from him, Lia panted as she met his gaze. “Did you mean what you said?”

  “Yes. I want to spend eternity with you, Dove. Will you mate me?” Araton asked her. With each passing second their bond got stronger and they were further from the edge of losing Lia to Lucifer.

  “Yes! But I want my best friend and my family to be there. Will that be possible?”

  Araton helped Lia to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist. “There’s a reason we keep our existence secret, but you’ve more than earned the right to have those you love by your side,” he told her then turned to see that Abraxos and Ayil joined them at the top of the steps along with Zander and his Dark Warriors. “Is there someplace special you would like to get mated?”

  “Your house in the Garden District would be perfect,” she told him with a smile that turned to shock a second later. “I can’t believe I’m marrying an angel. How did I get so lucky?”

  “I’m the lucky one, Dove,” he informed her then turned to his brothers. “I’m going to take her to Heaven and speak to Raphael and Gabriel. Can you guys put together a mating ceremony for three days from now? That will give Raphael time to make arrangements. I don’t want to wait any longer than that.” Lucifer might be suppressed right now, but he wasn’t gone. He would only be gone when Araton mated Natalia.

  “We can help,” Zander offered. “Or rather my mate and several of the others can.”

  “My mom will want to help, too,” Natalia interjected. Araton released the last of the fear that had driven him and listened as they made plans to connect Lia’s mom and Elsie.

  They almost hadn’t made it in time. God might not be omniscient, but Araton had no doubt that He had helped enough to ensure their success. Sending a silent thank you to His maker, Araton gathered Lia close and teleported them to Heaven.