He frowned and took another massive bite of his steak. “So,” he said while chewing. “When we find them, then we start a war?”
She nodded.
He chewed for a long minute, then swallowed. “Okay then. I ordered us some clothes. How about we enjoy this food until they get here?”
For a minute she almost said no. Her demons needed her. They must have thought she’d completely abandoned them. Which I kind of did. What if they were in trouble? What if they needed her?
But then, her stomach growled so loudly that the incubus raised a brow.
She sighed, wrapped the sheet around her body, and sat down on the other chair at the table. I won’t be any use to anyone starving... and naked.
“Dig in,” he said with a smile. “I’m watching this weird human show where I think the woman chooses between the men she wants. I’m assuming the losers are killed?”
Surcy laughed at his assumption. “No, human games aren’t nearly as bloody now.”
He looked disappointed. “Oh well, at least the clothes are skimpier.”
She ate across from him, watching his excitement at the show, even at the commercials. Caine never ceased to amaze her with his evil. How could he even think to create a room in which the God of Sin, a incubus, could never stop having sex? It was like creating his own personal hell.
The Immortal finished his steak and reached for the lobster with his bare hands. “You never told me your name.”
“Surcy,” she answered, watching him pull out the lobster meat with enthusiasm.
“Surcy,” he repeated. “Surcy the fallen angel.”
“I’m not fallen,” she told him.
He smiled. “Not when the Immortals come back into power. No, then you’ll just be an angel again. Restored to your former glory.” His gaze moved to her shoulders. “And you’ll get those back too.”
The scars on her shoulder blades prickled. Is that really what would happen? She’d never thought about her own place in the world if they won this war, just how it’d change everything for the better.
“I know who you are, but I don't know your name either."
He smiled again, butter smeared on his lips. “Zagan.”
“Zagan?” Her gaze ran over the muscled man.
“It’s a family name,” he said, with a grin.
She watched him for a while longer while eating the most delicious mashed potatoes, a chocolate cake, and bacon bruschetta. When her stomach finally said enough, she leaned back in her chair and stretched.
His gaze snapped back to her, and the hunger in his eyes shocked her.
“I imagine after all you’ve been through, you never want to have sex again.” Her words came out nervous and rushed.
His eyes darkened. “I’m the God of Sin and a incubus. Without sex, I’d wither away to nothing. But next time, it’ll be by my choice. Maybe even with a woman who sees me as more than just a big dick. Maybe one who sees me the way you see your demons.”
She was shocked by the anger and passion in his eyes. This Immortal might act cool and casual, but he was simmering with rage under his calm exterior.
A knock sounded at the door.
Zagan rose, and for the first time, she saw that he was naked. His massive cock hard and erect as he went to open the hotel room door. A minute later, a woman giggled.
A pretty blonde and the god entered the room a second later, her carrying two garment bags. He immediately took them from her and slung them on his chair.
His gaze moved to Surcy. “I think this pretty little lady might suck me off. Want to join us? Or would you prefer a shower?”
Swallowing hard, she rose from her seat, clinging to the sheet. “I think I’ll take a shower.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, and the woman immediately knelt before him. Her smaller hands curled around his shaft, and then she took him deep. For a second, Surcy couldn’t look away. She watched them, him digging his hand into the back of her hair, her moaning around him.
I miss my demons.
The realization hit her like a brick. She scuttled away and took a long, cold shower. When she got back home, she’d find time to make love to her men again. She’d steal a tiny moment of pleasure before the war truly began.
Chapter Twelve
Surcy stood beside the God of Sin, staring at the remains of the Immortal’s house. It was burnt to the ground, leaving even the earth blackened. But mixed into it all was a shimmering blue substance she’d never seen before.
Walking forward, crunching on the burnt wood and ash, she reached down and touched it, pulling her fingers back to stare at the shimmering substance. Something wasn’t adding up in her mind. What had happened here?
Are my demons okay? Her heart raced. She’d thought saving this Immortal would be easier than the God of Sin. Mark’s description had made it sound so anyway. So why is this home destroyed?
“Fuck, I didn’t know Caine had made any archangels. I thought he’d simply destroyed the ones loyal to us.”
Surcy whirled on him. “What’s an archangel?”
“Something you don’t want to meet.”
Zagan walked around the charred remains of the house and stopped near the back. Lifting his hand, palm down, he closed his eyes. Something inside of her warmed, like she was standing too close to a crackling fire. But for some reason, she just drew closer to the Immortal, like a moth to a flame.
His eyes opened, and for one moment his irises were red.
She stiffened, and the color faded away.
He blinked several times, and his jaw tensed. “Surcy, I need you to stay calm.”
“Calm?”
“Yes, calm. An archangel was here. The most powerful creature an Immortal can make. They have far more freewill than normal angels. White-winged angels are like trusted soldiers. Dark-winged angels are like warriors who haven’t quite proved themselves. But archangels? They have powers beyond your imagination.” He took a deep breath and moved closer to her. “You know the blue flames on your sword are angel-fire, something specifically created to defeat demons. It’s hotter and more destructive than normal fire, even though angels are immune to it.”
Her heart was racing. “What are you trying to tell me?”
“Archangels have the power to control this fire at will. And this place—it was burnt down by angel magic.”
“We need to hurry,” she rushed out. “Daniel and Tristan must have faced this being. We need to find them and help them, before it can hurt them.”
He grimaced. “I’m afraid we’re too late.”
“No.”
He looked down at the charred remains of the house. “Two souls were lost in this house. A gargoyle, and a fire-mage, two beings that I feel were strongly connected to you.”
Her head spun, and she crumpled to her knees.
His hands were gripping her arms in an instant. “I’m sorry, Surcy. I am. But the Immortals didn’t die here. I can sense where they’ve gone. We need to find them, before the archangel can.”
“They’re dead,” she whispered.
A second later, she was swept up into his strong arms. “I’m going to start walking. We’re going to find the others of my kind. You have a short time to process this, and then you need to pull it together. Your lover’s souls will be before Caine soon. If you have any chance of saving them, you have to push away the pain and keep going.”
She looked up at the evening sky. In this part of the world, night would be falling soon. The clouds here were heavy, dashed with the slightest bit of grey. It was just another place in the world that meant nothing to her, not without her demons.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she imagined Mark, Tristan, and Daniel. They’d all died. They died for this cause. She had to fight past the gnawing feeling in her belly that told her everything she cared about was gone. She had to push back the thoughts that were screaming that this was her fault. It’d been a risk to go after an Immortal alone and leave them to handle this one, but she’d tho
ught she was the only one taking a risk.
Now she knew she’d been wrong.
“If you’d have been there, you’d have died too,” the incubus said, as if reading her thoughts.
“I—“ the word came, choked out. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Everything happens for a reason, Surcy. We’re all just pawns in Fate’s games.”
Her hand clenched in the front of his silk shirt. “So, you’re saying we have no choice?”
He shook his head, hurrying quickly down the sidewalk. “The Fates see the future. Even they try to stop it sometimes. There are things we can do, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that your demons would have died today... in any future that might lead to the Immortals reuniting.”
A tear ran down her cheek, clinging to her chin. “I never wanted this for them.”
His dark eyes locked onto hers. “And we never wanted this for you, but you and your demons were always meant to suffer in this war, to pay a hefty price.”
“How do you—?”
“Quiet,” he hissed, sliding into an alley.
She felt his heart racing under her hand. “What is it?”
“Angels... everywhere.”
He leaned slightly forward, and they both stared. Sure enough, angels walked among the humans, an angel for every two humans. There were so many that Surcy could only stare. She had no idea there were even this many in the army.
“This is bad,” she whispered.
He shook his head and grinned. “No, this is good. It means they haven’t found the Immortals yet.”
That’s true. “Any idea where they would have gone?”
He glanced down at her. “I think you can answer that question better than I can.”
“No—“ she froze. “Maybe.”
In an instant, she teleported them.
“Fuck,” Zagan muttered, collapsing onto his knees.
She slid from his grip on the roof of the building she’d first teleported the farmer and her demons onto. If the Immortals were alone, she’d think this is where they’d go.
In the skies, she spotted the dark shapes that meant angels flew overhead. “We need to be careful,” she whispered.
Zagan rubbed his head and stood. “Fucking warn me next time you’re going to do that.”
Then, she started walking around the roof. They weren’t anywhere easily spotted, but if they saw the angels, they wouldn’t be. She moved to where the massive air conditioning units and vents cluttered one end of the roof. Zagan followed closely behind. Everywhere she looked was empty. And then, she spotted the little metal closet. The spot beside the lock had been kicked in.
Taking a deep breath, she inched toward it, grabbed the edge of the door, and pulled it open. The farmer was clutching a woman in his arms, stuffed in front of a space filled with wires and buttons. He held a metal pole out in front of him, ready to swing.
His eyes widened when he spotted her and he dropped the pole. “Thank God, it’s you.”
She could sense the angels flying closer, to the point that it was hard to breathe. There were now three Immortals and only one of her, and enemies everywhere. She had no chance of protecting these people in her care.
Zagan leaned in. “Hey guys, how’s this life treating you? I know that last one sucked, and the one before that, and, ” he laughed, “well, you get the picture.”
We don’t have time for this. Not if we want to live.
Surcy didn’t wait for their answers. She grabbed onto them and teleported away.
They hit the ground outside of the sanctuary.
“Fucking hell!” Zagan shouted. “Didn’t I just say not to do that? Angels always love that shit, and it’s annoying. It gives me a damn headache.”
She laughed, even though the sound was painful. “We just escaped an army of angels. Let’s be glad. And let’s hurry and reach the others. We have a war to fight.”
Zagan shot her a dirty glance, but reached a hand down to help the woman up.
Her cheeks turned red. “I’m Nichole.”
He raised a brow. “No, you’re the Goddess of Life, and you and I have always had a lot of fun together.”
She visibly swallowed. “Have we?”
He flashed her his dimples. “And we’ll have fun in this life too.”
The farmer climbed to his feet, and Surcy led them through the barrier to the lands surrounding the sanctuary. A shiver ran down her spine as the power made goose bumps rise on her arms. The shield around this place had been reinforced by the druids since she left.
Good.
“Are my wife and kids here?” Clarence asked at her side.
Oh no. She took a deep breath. “Your kids are. And they’re safe.”
“And my wife?” There was a little more intensity to the question.
“She—she was stabbed by one of the angels. I dropped her off at a hospital.”
His voice shook. “Is she okay?”
Heart in her throat, she raised her eyes to meet his. “I don’t know. I had to leave before I could find out.”
“You need to go see,” he said.
She shook her head. “We can’t. There’s a war to fight.”
“I don’t care!”
Zagan and the woman froze beside them.
“Something wrong?” Zagan asked.
“My wife’s hurt, and she’s saying we can’t go and check on her.”
Zagan shrugged. “A marriage between an Immortal and a human is always short. It’s better to focus on protecting the afterlife of all of humanity rather than one woman.”
Clarence glared at the man. “Would you say that if she were your wife?”
Tension sung between them.
Zagan’s gaze slid between them. “Let’s get to the sanctuary and then we’ll decide what to do.”
They started walking again. After a moment, Clarence followed, looking angry. The woman dropped back to keep pace with him, and Surcy tried to tune out her whispers.
“We’ll get them in the water,” Zagan said. “They’ll get back their memories, and their powers, and he’ll remember what’s important.”
“I hope so,” Surcy said, but deep in her heart she wasn’t sure.
Love was a powerful thing. And this war? She might just give it all up to be back with her demons.
Unfortunately for her, she didn’t have that choice.
They continued trekking through the woods, but in her mind, she was far away, in the arms of three demons who made her smile. Who made her feel safe.
And who she might have lost forever.
Chapter Thirteen
The sanctuary was complete chaos, filled with people talking, laughing, and moving about. Surcy watched as the Immortals they had rescued earlier dunked the new ones into the pool to awaken their memories and their powers.
The God of Sin fucked a druid woman in one corner. None of them could see what was happening, but all of them could hear her shouts of pleasure.
Zagan had winked at Surcy beforehand. “I think she deserves a little happiness after serving us so faithfully,” he said as he led her over behind a tree.
Now, it sounded like he was determined to give it to her. Hard and long.
Which is pretty damn awkward...
The other Immortals seemed to all be doing their own thing, a few practicing their magic. Others ate and relaxed. And some of them needed healing and they were being tended to by the druids, who all seemed happy in their service.
And Surcy? She was sitting on a pedestal carved of stone, staring at it all numbly.
She and her demons had talked about this moment for so long. This was their goal, the thing they imagined might be impossible. Now, they’d actually accomplished it. All the Immortals were safe. They had the ability to destroy Caine and restore the balance of the realms.
But her demons weren’t at her side.
Of all the futures she imagined, this was not one of them. Losing her demons hadn’t felt possible.
; The God of Summer, a shifter who could turn into a golden dragon, met her gaze. He moved confidently across the great sanctuary, that was enclosed by a massive dome covered in plants. He wore a simple white shirt and jeans. His skin and hair were both golden, and his eyes were immensely powerful.
Kneeling down in front of her, he cocked his head, and studied her. She was amazed by how strong he appeared, how muscular and healthy. It was almost unimaginable that just a short time ago he was a chained dragon, with grey, lifeless scales and holes in his wings.
They’d saved him. She’d imagined he was powerful beneath all his wounds. But now, she could see what he was meant to be, and it amazed her.
“You’re heartbroken," he said, his voice deep and rough.
It was hard to swallow. “Yes.”
“Then let me ease your fears. If we are restored to power, we should be able to save your demons.”
Every muscle in her body tensed. “What if Caine destroys their souls?”
A guarded look came over his face. “The Soul Destroyer is not what everyone believes.”
She waited.
“It is simply... another realm.”
She slid closer to him, heart racing. “So, they can be saved?”
“If they survive. The Soul Destroyer was not given that name lightly. Within that realm is the darkest, most horrible place in existence. It is filled with souls deemed too dangerous to be reborn. They don’t have to survive just going there. They need to survive within the realm.”
Her chest swelled. “They’re strong. They can do that.”
The slightest smile twisted his lips. “They are. Your demons are unlike any I’ve met before. But then, I’ve never known demons to fall in love with an angel, or an angel to fall in love with them. Caine... he’s created a world of chaos. One which we must fix.”
“Surcy?”
She startled, looking up to meet Mark’s father’s eyes.
“Yes?”
“May I speak with you for just a moment?”
She nodded, then turned back to the dragon-shifter. “Thank you.”
“Any of us would have shared that knowledge with you.”
She smiled. That didn't matter. He was the one who had taken the time to tell her. “Not for the knowledge, for the hope.”
Mates of the Realms: The Complete Collection: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Box Set Page 61
