They only stopped for a split second to assess the scene before they stormed the living room. Graven grabbed me and pulled me behind him, shielding both Patience and myself.
Axel stood to his feet faster than I could have imagined him being able to move. "What is your business in my home?" he demanded.
The man standing closest to us, the shorter one with his ears pierced, held up his hand bow, I didn't know much about bows or hand bows, but it did not need to be loaded, that was clear.
"You want to know what I am here for? I'll tell you what I'm here for." He used his free hand and grabbed his package between his legs. "I'm here for your wife, old man."
Axel lunged at him. He didn't stand a chance. The guy with the earrings stretched his arm out in front of him and pulled the trigger on the bow. The loud smacking noise hit my ears before I watched Axel's body go flying back.
"How about you sit down, pops. I am here for what I have tracked."
Patience started to run to him, but Graven threw his long strong arm out in front of her holding her back behind him.
"Graven, old friend. What brings you here? I hope you are not thinking about collecting the bounty on the keeper you have stashed behind your back. She is ours."
"She most certainly is not!" I tried to push past Graven. His stance was strong and so were his arms. He lowered his stance and I knew it was only a matter of seconds before he shifted.
"Eh, eh, eh... careful Graven. You are outnumbered. Looks like you have a little something extra for us besides the old lady." The taller one with the blade ran his tongue over his top teeth at me. I was beyond disgusted and unimpressed.
"Your weapons are no match for me, Michael," Graven reminded them.
"That might be so, beast, but by the time you try to hold one of us off I will have cut the throat of one of those women," Michael threatened.
Something grabbed my attention out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head slightly and saw Graven's astral gargoyle body next to me. "When I move forward I want you to grab Patience and move back away from them as quickly as you can. I will be with you. You needn't worry about these two jackals."
Graven bent his knees and as he put one foot forward he shifted as he pushed into a lunge toward the man with the blade. Graven's head collided with Michael's chest throwing the man back into the bookshelf. The bookshelf and all of the many knickknacks fell on top of him. Graven got back onto his feet, as Michael lay beneath the pile of books and broken figurines.
I pulled Patience back trying to get her out of reach. Axel lay on the floor just in front of his chair. He was holding the small dart that was protruding out of his chest. "Patience, please stay back. You must live on."
I saw the guy with the bow open the back of it and load a new dart. I say dart, but it looked more like a long bullet with metal fletching's than a long arrow from a traditional sized bow. He cocked it into place and held it up in our direction.
Graven unfurled his stone like wings as he dove in front of Patience and me, blocking the shot from making contact with one of us. He dove on top of the brother wielding the hand bow, forcing the two of them to the ground.
Graven wasted no time; his moves were calculated and ferocious. He got up pulling the man to his feet. "You made a grave mistake coming here, George, and threatening what matters most to me." He grabbed George's right shoulder and dug his claws into the side of his neck.
Graven's right paw like hand grabbed a hold of the base of George's head just under the right ear. He pulled the man's head away from his shoulder separating it at the neck, tearing his body like a piece of paper. The archer's chest cavity opened and blood fired out in all directions.
The dark crimson liquid sprayed all over Graven and the furniture. A loud growl escaped Graven's throat as he released the limp body.
My eyes went wide at the reality of what Graven was capable of. I saw him fight Anton, but these men were no match for what Graven was capable of.
My eyes had been so locked in on Graven and my ears were ringing from Patience's constant screaming behind me that I failed to notice that the Basset brother with the knife had gotten up and was only half a step away from me. My body and my emotions were charged to the max, but he caught a hold of my arm before I could release that energy into the room or more importantly into him.
He grabbed me and pulled me into his body. He held me in front of him as a shield. My back pressed against his chest. I could feel his heart beat pounding against me. His left arm wrapped tightly across my chest so his right fist was free to lodge under my chin. I felt the cold metal blade threatening to pierce the fragile skin on my throat.
Graven turned his head in our direction. The grey skin on his face was stained red. Blood dripped from his nose and chin. I could feel Graven's vibrations both in front of me and behind me. His emotions and rage were so heightened it was hard to feel anything else.
"I warned you, Graven. You could not defeat us both without paying the price of losing one of these women to my blade." I felt his knife start to cut into the flesh of my neck. "Let me take the old lady and I will let you have the young one back. Ziona is waiting for the story teller dead or alive. I intend on collecting my bounty."
"I have a better idea, how about I rip your heart out of your chest and feed it to you?" Graven's response sounded more like a plan than a threat or suggestion.
"You can try, but even if you succeed, you will not take my life before I take hers." This guy called Graven old friend earlier, perhaps they didn't know each other quite as well as he thought.
I heard Graven's voice in my ear, "Kasha, please stay calm and don't move until I remove this filth from your body."
I nodded my head the slightest bit acknowledging what he asked of me, careful not to move in a way that created more pressure from the knife at my throat.
"I will give you one last chance to unhand her. If you harm Kasha I will not kill you, I will let you live to suffer at the hands of The Taker, for she is what he desires most."
Michael's muscles twitched in his body. Uncertainty plagued his actions just enough to distract him.
Just before Graven set his body in motion I felt Michael's body separate from my own enough that I blasted him in the stomach with my elbow and stomped on his foot before I dove out of the way of Graven's wrath.
I landed on the floor and Patience ran over to help me up. I saw Graven's astral projection holding Michael back with an arm around the neck. Graven walked up in front of him and put his left hand on Michael's right shoulder.
"This is Kasha, how convenient. I was supposed to let the old man know that I would be taking Patience to meet the same end that Kasha's mother will face if she does not give them what they want." He started to laugh.
Graven looked over at me and there was no hiding my response to his comment about my mother. I got to my feet and gently pushed Patience in the direction of her husband.
"What is it you speak of my mother?" I demanded. With each step I took, as I got closer to him my rage built and the pain of every year I had spent without my mother rushed through my veins.
My brows knotted together and my lips pursed tight. I pushed a loud breath out of my nose as the muscles in my jaw tightened. The sensations of tingling had escalated to what felt like bursts of fire poking at my skin.
"Kasha, remember your light." I faintly heard Patience call to me. "Don't let them dull your radiance."
Graven put his free hand up in front of me both trying to stop me and offer his hand to comfort and ease my response. I placed my hand on his and let a portion of my energy seep into him. I was afraid it would hurt him, but he took it with ease.
"You know you want me, Kasha, come and have taste of the dark side." Again Michael ran his tongue across his teeth in a less than seductive manner.
"I think not!" Graven said as he plunged his fist into Michael's chest. He retrieved the man's heart and shoved it into his mouth.
"Wow! What the hell is going on in
here?" We all turned toward the foyer to see Kaden standing there gauging the scene. "I guess I'm a little late for this party."
I heard a loud thump and knew it was Michael's body falling to the ground. I turned back and Graven stood shirtless in front of the dead body. He was covered in blood.
I looked back over my other shoulder and saw Patience cradling Axel's head. She was sniffling and her tears were falling down on her husband's face as she kissed his brow over and over.
The scene around me was straight out of a horror flick. I considered running to Graven, but he lifted his chin in the direction of my friends, the people that were the closest thing I had to family.
Kaden walked into the living room, "How about we get you cleaned up, brother. You can't be leaving here looking like that." He got closer to Graven and they turned the corner to the kitchen. "You are a bloody mess, how's about you fill me in on what happened."
I knelt down beside Axel and Patience. "Is he going to be ok?"
"It depends on your definition of ok," Patience said looking up at me. "He isn't going to make it, but he will be ok. He just won't be living in this body anymore."
I looked down at him and noticed that the veins on his neck were darkening. "Can I do anything for him?"
"No dear, he was shot with a poisoned arrow. Even if there were a way, there isn't any time. He doesn't have much more than a few minutes left."
"I'll never forget you or your kindness." I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.
"Nor I you, Kasha. Don't forget to give that bookshelf a good home." He coughed and held his chest. His face scrunched up and I assumed he was in more pain than he was letting on.
"Ok, I will do my best." I stood up and put my hand on Patience's shoulder and gave her a gentle rub. "I will let you two be alone."
I had no choice but to go into the kitchen. It was a good thing that Patience and Axel lived on the outskirts of town. I can't even begin to think about what would have happened if we were in the middle of a suburban neighborhood.
Graven had his back to me and was washing up in the kitchen sink. His brother was leaning against the wall next to him with his hands in his pockets and one foot up behind him.
I had a hard time reading the expression on his face, but being around him even in the midst of this horrific chaos, I found myself aroused with desire for him. Graven turned around to look at me. With both of their eyes on me, my stomach was flipping over so fast I thought I was going to toss it.
I got a sudden wave of heat that flushed my skin. I started to wave my hand in front of my face as if it would work to cool me off.
"Kasha, are you ok?" Graven dried his half bloody hands off on a hand towel and rushed to my side. He took me under the elbow and ushered me over to the old wooden table. "Maybe you should sit, I will get you a glass of water."
"How about I get that water for her, brother? Your hands are a little less than sanitary right now." Kaden grabbed a glass from the shelf and poured some spring water from the water cooler that I never noticed in the back corner of the room.
"How are they?" Graven asked.
"I don't know. Axel has been poisoned and he doesn't have long. What are we going to do with Patience?" I asked him as I ran my hands over the top of my head.
Had my hair not have still been pulled back into braids from the night before I might have been ripping it out of my head. I knew I should have been more angry or more sad that Axel was dying in the next room over. Perhaps even appalled at what I witnessed Graven do to those men, but all I felt was an emptiness in my chest. I was sadly numb to the whole thing.
Kaden brought the glass of water over to me and placed it on the table before he took the seat across from me.
His eyes had a certain kind of twinkle to them. That was one thing he had in common with his brother except Kaden's eyes were green. "Did I not warn you about coming here? I told Graven that those dumb asses were on their way here." His hands were stretched out on the table in front of him, not quite so far out to suggest an invitation, but I felt like he wanted to reach out to me. The thought and moment was broken at the sound of Graven's voice.
"Kaden, when you texted me we were already here. How did you know how to find this place?" Graven gave him a sideways look.
"I always have my ways," Kaden said as he sat back in the chair bringing his hands to his lap.
"That you do, Kaden. You always have your ways of getting yourself mixed up in the wrong shit."
"You might be right, brother." Kaden stretched out his long legs in front of him and leaned further back in the chair tipping it just off the ground. "I will be staying in town the rest of the week. I got myself a room at the hotel you are shacked up at. Maybe we can all grab a cup of coffee." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and my heart dropped into my belly.
"That's convenient. I hope you have a meeting set up with Maritza about what she needs you to do. Is that new boy starting to promote the new club or is he in Sedona?" Graven asked Kaden.
I wasn't really sure how he could think about work at a time like this, but perhaps it was his way of coping.
"Yeah he is here and working. I am meeting him later tonight. I don't mean to cut out on you, but it looks like you guys have your hands full here." His chair scratched across the old floor as he pushed it back to get up. "Don't forget to text the cleaners... They are going to have to burn this place down. You made quite a mess in there."
"Hey, before you go, have we met before, I mean before the other day at Graven's home?" The question flew out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
Kaden turned his head as he was walking out of the kitchen, "Not officially, I Know, I have a familiar face. I get that a lot." and he kept on walking.
"What was that all about?" Graven walked over to the table.
"I don't know, he just looks so familiar to me. Maybe, it's just my imagination," I said before taking a sip of the water.
"That's what concerns me." Graven went back to the sink to finish cleaning up. "I will call Maritza and have her take Patience to my cousin. They will take good care of her. Mayson and his clan will protect her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
WE SNUGGLED INTO THE FRESHLY made bed. Another day had passed that felt like it lasted a lifetime. I was sad for Patience and hoped that Axel was in a better place. I held onto Graven's arm that was wrapped over the top of me and closed my eyes. I imagined Axel and Gram hanging out together watching over us.
It didn't take long for my eyes to become so heavy that I could no longer will them open if I tried. The darkness behind my eyelids began to brighten to a white light. I was aware of the fact that I had fallen asleep and wondered where my dreams were.
The past few nights I slept so solid that I woke with no recollection of having any. Maybe it was because I wasn't so desperate for an escape from my reality. Life was nowhere near ok, but I was no longer alone, I found myself with a man that I quite possibly was born to love.
"Hey?" Although his voice always sounded like an invitation to share his bed, his comment was mix of a greeting and a question.
I turned in his direction. "Kaden," I said as the scene around me began to fade into focus. We were standing in the middle of the field where we shared a picnic in a previous dream.
"I have missed you, Kasha. I have longed for a glimpse of your bright blue eyes shining on me." He stepped in closer to me.
My heart fluttered and he took my hands and lifted them to his lips depositing soft pecks upon the back of each hand. His lips were soft and I remembered how good they felt when I sucked them into my mouth when they were covered in whipped cream, that was a good dream.
His eyes flashed back and forth between seductive desire, sorrow and regret. The emotions flaring off of him confused me and made me realize that my heart belonged to another.
There was a pain that started to snake its way around my belly. I felt it snap its fangs into my gut, releasing a poison that burned at the blood leadin
g to my heart.
I tried to fight it, the harder I tried to will away the pain, the hotter it burned. I looked around at the circle of trees surrounding us, their color started to fade away as if they were drying up and dying. I looked to Kaden.
"What's happening? Why is this happening?"
"I'm sorry Kasha, I have to go..." Before I could say another word he vanished from my sight. The trees around me started to catch on fire and the inferno of pain was enclosing on me as it ripped my insides apart.
"Kaden.... Kaden, where are you? Kaden!"
I felt a tightening around my biceps as my body rocked back and forth. I could hear my name being called in the distance over and over again.
"Kaden..." I continued to call out as my eyes bolted open wide with fear. I found myself in the arms of Kaden's brother.
The pain I felt snaking around my stomach in my dream now coiled up into a hard ball in the center of my belly. My heart was racing and I could feel the sweat dripping down my back.
"I think you were having a nightmare." Graven's eyes were dark and I felt my heart skip a beat knowing that he just heard me calling out the name of his brother as I woke from my slumber.
"There was fire everywhere," I said, because it was true. It was the only part of the dream that I knew was true.
"Are you ok? Do you want me to get you a glass of water?" Graven asked.
"No, thank you." I wiped at my brow and was embarrassed at not only my talking in my sleep, but the fact that I was soaked. "I think I just need a cold shower." I started to get out of the bed when Graven grabbed my hand to prevent me from walking away.
"I think we need to talk." His voice was too clam.
"Ok." I could feel the heat rising from my insides afraid of what he was going to say or ask me.
"First off, I want to tell you that no matter what you say I won't be mad at you, but it is important that you are honest with me. I don't want to violate your privacy by asking you about your dreams, but I have no choice."
Betrayed: Breaking the Darkness Series Book Two Page 23
