by Layna Snow
Something in his tone must have come across, because Malyk swallowed and nodded.
“Dismissed.”
With that, everyone left, or almost everyone. Gage stayed behind.
When the other man walked up to Axel, he sighed, rolling his shoulders. “Why are you really doing this?” Gage asked, leaning against the table.
Axel had met Gage the year after he had Fallen. Gage had been summoned from Hell by a brother whose sister was killed by a Hidden. Gage killed the rabid Wolf-Shifter easily, but soon realized that there was no one policing the Hidden. He too made it his mission to track down these powerful beings and hold them accountable for their actions.
Since they met, they were close, and only Gage was allowed to argue with him. At least that was how he used to be.
Maybe he was growing soft.
“It needs to be done. I didn’t start this group so that we could investigate and sit idle while bad things were happening. We aren’t here just to clean up messes afterwards. We need to be proactive.”
Every bad Hidden that he had killed, another took its place. It was never-ending. There needed to be more warriors. They needed to get the people higher up.
“We’re doing a lot to bring the fuckers down. We have people patrolling at night, and teams on missions. This just started 10 years ago. Nothing is fixed overnight.”
Axel nodded, stretching his back a little as he regarded his friend. All this deep talk was uncomfortable, but they never held back with each other.
“Are you telling me that you think this is a bad idea?” If Gage said it wouldn’t work well, then Axel wouldn’t do it. He trusted his friend.
“No, it is fine. Actually, it is the next step. All the other plants we’ve been trying to put in there have failed. It seems only right that one of us seven should go. But I don’t think it should be you. At least, I don’t think it has to be you. Let me go.” He argued.
To be honest, Axel had thought about this before. But he ruled it out. Gage was more force than deceitful. He wouldn’t be able to pull it off.
“I can see your horror. And sure, I would suck. What about one of the people we have on hold? What about Thane or Adrian? They owe us favors still.”
They did but… “I haven’t been able to get them in the last 24 hours. And before that Adrian told me to shove my offers. Remember?”
Gage nodded. “You went into the field months ago, too. This isn’t just about this one job.”
No, it wasn’t.
He had started this group with the purpose of being helpful. Of making a difference. Axel was a Warrior Angel, and was born to fight.
He couldn’t watch from a distance. He couldn’t just sit back and allow others to handle everything. “I need to be doing something.”
“So, you’re going.”
Axel nodded. “I will start undercover, apply after a few weeks, and see if they take the bait. Eden will provide me with a deep cover with good backstopping.” The fake identity needed to hold up to close scrutiny. That meant that the invented background had to look realistic and perfect!
From there, he’d be on his own.
Mostly.
14
Shit-toaster!
If he ever had to stay silent that long again, he’d shoot himself. Sin wanted to talk, to curse and to express himself. And he had a damn right to do just that!
But no, Thane, master of all that is holy, wanted him quiet while they trained Phie. Not that they trained her very much. Hell, all they did was try to work on her reflexes a little. There was no point showing her anything huge until she could react with it quickly enough.
And really, Sin wasn’t going to complain. It meant that he could touch her a whole hell of a lot! So, he couldn’t grope her like he wanted to, or play with her pretty clit, he still got to get his paws on her delicate skin. And boy was it ever soft! He could get off just touching her.
Maybe that’s what he’d do next. They could go back to their cave and he could tie her to the bed and just rub on her. Then maybe he’d finally get in her. It was his turn, damn it!
Okay, so he should have been focusing on what was going on outside the cave, not about the torrid, delicious details going on inside his head, but who could resist? Certainly not him.
He never denied himself anything! But this time he should have, because just after they left the practice area, just as they turned the corner, he almost walked into a pair of Plate Faces.
Obviously, those weren’t their real names, but their heads were round on the top, and thin, only to narrow down into thinner jaws. They were tall, skinny and slightly green. Which is probably where American’s got the concept of their aliens.
It also doesn’t help that they talked in clicking noises. At least it sounded like clicks to Sin, although he was created with the ability to know all the languages that had existed at the time. Even Demon ones.
If only they taught him AEL or ASE or whatever it was that Phie used!
The Demon closest held out his hands, his three long thin fingers spread out in a sign of surrender. Adrian knew better though, and pulled out his knives, keeping himself in front of Sophie.
The last thing he needed was for it to touch her. Plate Demons were considered High Demons, but they weren’t really that dangerous. They didn’t bite or anything, but their fingertips contained a chemical that induced hallucination and seizers. It made it so that the Demons could run away, but it also left a person in some deep shit.
He clicked back a response, telling the fucker to back away. It should know that it was outnumbered and out skilled. They didn’t tend to attack things bigger than they were. And although it was seven feet tall, it was scrawny.
The second being took a few hesitant steps backwards before turning and fleeing. Another thing those tall thin bodies were good for was running. And he was sure that he wouldn’t see that fucker again.
Unfortunately the one closest wasn’t so accommodating, and hell, he didn’t expect it to be. They were Demons for fuck’s sake.
Why were they so close to Sin and Thane’s cave? High Demons usually stayed back in Inner Hell. They were smarter, more collective. More like people.
This Demon was here for a reason.
And it focused its huge black eyes over Sin’s shoulder and bared his sharp yellowed teeth at Sophie.
Oh hell no!
Sin didn’t even look back as he heard her suck in a breath. He knew that Thane would be putting her behind him, protecting her. He didn’t need to look to know that his partner would do everything he could to keep her from harm.
The walls were to close together in this section of tunnel. Too small for Thane to use his big sword.
No, Sin didn’t even think, just reached out with his right arm, his hand tightening on the knife, and plunged it directly into the Demon’s belly. The thing didn’t even react, just stood there unmoving as green ooze and other nasty bits came out of him.
Just the fact that he still looked in Phie’s direction was enough to push Sin a little farther. Sure, he was being overprotective. But she was his—theirs—and he wasn’t going to let this fucker scare her! He hadn’t even gotten inside her yet!
Which had to be the reason for all this possessive bullshit.
Either way, Sin held onto that burning feeling in his chest, filled up on it and allowed it to bathe him as he twisted the curved blade, using it to fuck up the Demons insides. And when it was completely sideways, he pulled it out again, taking some of Plate Face’s main organs with him.
“You are not going to touch one hair on her gorgeous head,” he responded in its language as it crumpled to the floor.
“I will not. They will.” The fucker said. And as if it was some kind of damn signal, hundreds of Furry Demons came pouring around the corner.
The beasts were huge, with four legs and two massive arms with huge claws. They had big eyes, and cute faces but Sin knew they were hella dangerous. They might look like things people dressed up as at ki
nky parties, but these things weren’t your average stuffed animals.
They were fucking mean!
Fuck-bucket! Sin thought, kicking the Plate Demon’s body away from himself as he pushed forward. The other one must have gone for help. At least now he’d get a real battle!
Sin slashed at the one closest to him, hitting the being in the arm. It lashed out with its other paw, the huge appendage narrowly missing Sin’s face.
He didn’t wait, didn’t regain his balance, simply kicked out, getting it in its ‘crotch’. The area wasn’t where it normally would be, instead it was under its arms. He knew this and in one kick felled the fucker.
Sin smiled as it went down, running the outer curve of his knife along its neck as it went down.
He felt lighter, freer as energy pumped through his body. The delight of a kill working its way through him.
The next Furry took less time, as his movements grew quicker, punching the third in its face.
He ducked a swipe, managing to dance out of the way before sliding his knife into the hairy back.
He didn’t look but felt the blood pump along his hand, warm and thick, as he twisted the blade, kicking another being as it attacked.
These things had so many legs which made it almost impossible to knock one down, but it didn’t matter, the momentum pushed it back a little, into another.
The problem with curved blades was that they were hell to get out of a body, and he started to go down with the fucker he had stabbed, but he just followed the momentum, pulling himself away from a swinging club-like paw.
Once down he kicked away from the cock-strainer, pulling his knife from its flesh with a beautiful sucking sound.
The force pushed him across the ground on his back and sent him under another Demon.
He wasted no time carving up its underside, taking its legs out as he went, pushing himself out of the way of the falling Demon.
He could feel the sticky blood covering everything, smell the sulfuric scent in the air and he hummed with delight.
His muscles moved fluidly as he cut up one, then the next, holding onto hair and fleshy bodies to pull himself up and through the group.
He laughed as he got one in its huge eyeball, and heard it scream as it ran right into his other sword.
“How you like me now, motherfucker?” he called, and stepped over its body to launch himself on the back of another. This one reeled backward, smacking Sin into the rough, uneven wall.
It knocked the breath out of him, cut up his back and he was sure snapped some of his ribs.
The pain was horrible.
It was wonderful!
Sin let it wash over him like sharp talons before he changed his hold on the Demon’s neck, allowing him access to slit its throat.
As it went down, Sin pushed off the wall. His breathing accelerated. Each breath caused agony to shift through his body. And still he smiled.
Fuck, he was such a masochist, but the feeling proved he was alive.
It proved he felt something! And he loved it!
Sin swirled and ripped open the torso of the Furry beside him, the one that was advancing from the other end of the hallway. He gutted it, watching as intestine-like organs fell out. They squished, and plopped onto the floor as the being cried out shrilly. Music to my fucking ears!
He felt satisfaction, a twisted magnificent feeling that buoyed his spirits.
It was a high like no other and he felt like he could never live it down.
It was why he fought, why he did this. He didn’t give a fuck about protecting Humans or about the balance of good and evil. He didn’t care if Demons took over the world. Hell, it’d be preferable.
It sure as shit would be more fun.
He could just imagine, brothels on every street corner and bondage clubs all over the place. Things wouldn’t be run on power and fake charity. They would be out in the open for the world to see. The blood and booze that would flow through the streets would be magnificent.
However, he knew that Thane couldn’t live in a place like that and, like it or not, he sort of liked the holy bastard.
Sin turned in a circle, looking for his next fight. He savored the sight of the carnage before him and smiled as he saw the destruction that he caused. Oh, sweet heaven, he loved what he did.
But as he looked towards Thane, he noticed something. Or, he noticed a lack of something.
Where there had once been a luscious ready-to-sex-up woman, there was now bodies of other Plate Faces. And where the fuck did those come from?
“What the hell?” He shouted, coming forward. He ignored the dead bodies he was stepping on, focusing simply on the panic that took over.
Death stood, pressing a smirking Plate Face to the wall, his thin throat getting swallowed up in the black man’s grip.
Thanatos glared, actually glared, down to the Demon. And if Sin wasn’t so pissed himself, he’d be shocked.
This was the most emotion the big man had shown since he stopped screaming after he Fell.
“Where the fuck is Sophie?” Sin demanded, finally making it to the being’s side. He asked in English and then again in the clicking language.
“We tell not.” The shit-freezer, dick-faced, ass-wipe said, his large eyes glassy with pain.
Sin wanted to deck the bastard, wanted to punch Thane too! He was supposed to protect her! He was supposed to make sure that nothing happened. Instead he had… what? Run into the fight and left her be taken?
He was going to have to kick Thane’s ass for this! How could she be gone before he even got to have sex with her?
He felt a clawing feeling, something mean and desperate. He had no freaking clue what it was but he was sure going to do something about it.
“Listen here you fuck-wit. You will tell us what we want, or we will take you apart slowly!” Sure, some of it wasn’t clicks, but the message was the same. And he would carry it out!
His voice echoed off the hard stones around him, through the empty tunnels. He wanted to shout, to run, to do something to get her back NOW before something could happen to her.
“Put it in the practice room. We will get this information.” He said, hearing determination in his own voice. He would do whatever it took, including using the rope that he had hoped to use with her on this gross being. It was basically sacrilegious but he’d do it.
Apparently Thane felt the same way because the behemoth lifted the scrawny Demon by the neck and carried him into the room that they had been in previously. The room that they were training Phie in.
If only you taught her something useful. The voice in his head mocked, feeding on his guilt and unhappiness.
It was like acid, festering and building, bringing his anger and fear along until it was a big knot of pain taking up most of the space inside.
But for some reason, he didn’t want it. Why, you liked that feeling before.
It didn’t matter if this was different. He was not going to think about it. He needed answers first.
Then he could analyze the shit out of himself if he wanted to.
Once Thane was inside, Sin followed him, pushing the stone back into place over the door. It wasn’t the most restrictive thing, wasn’t the most foolproof but he dared for someone to come in. At least then he’d get to do something about the growing restlessness.
Getting the rope that he had left there not too long ago, Sin advanced on the Demon. “Tell us and we won’t dismember you.” There was no words for ‘take you apart’ or ‘wish you could finally kiss your ass goodbye while we rip you a new one’ so he’d stick to general terms.
Although maybe he should have gotten creative, because the being didn’t seem to care. He just slumped into the wall as they started tying him up like thanksgiving’s turkey.
And just like a turkey, they were going to shove something up its ass and roast him until his juices started flowing. He preferred if those juices were the greenish blood of its kind, but tears would be acceptable too. Hell, who
knew if Plate Faces had tear ducts.
Sin planned to wring him until there was nothing left but answers, then he would take his time as he cut away its flesh so it would die slowly. Yepp, that’d show the fucker to hold out when they questioned it!
Sin wasn’t going to warn, wasn’t going to posture or threaten anymore. The thing had no caring, and really, he didn’t expect any less.
These low-violent shit-faces were messengers of Hell, and they only gave the information to whom they were supposed to give it to. But, he wasn’t above trying. This part of Hell branched into too many corridors to follow.
They needed some information to go on.
Sin wiped one of his blades on the idiot’s skin. He wanted to be slow and methodological but he had no time.
And you are too impatient!
Oh sure, he was impatient. He didn’t have to wait for things, but this instance he wished he had the time!
He put that knife away only to use second one to cut the thing’s arm. The Demon hissed, but didn’t say anything. Not that he expected him to. He was just warming up.
This wasn’t his strong suit, torture, but he liked it as much as the next sadistic freak.
With its hands and feet hogtied, it was difficult to get to some of the best parts—the fingers and toes—but he could start somewhere else maybe.
Sin dropped his curved knife and pulled out a thin straight double edged blade. He mostly had it for when he went into the real world. They didn’t like exposed knives there.
Now, he used it to insert into the Demon’s side, using the flat of the blade to work its way under the skin, but not too deep. It wouldn’t do to kill it, not when they needed information.
The monster cried out, but didn’t say anything as he shifted the knife down, making the opening larger. He’d seen it on a cooking show once, it was how they put butter under the skin of turkeys. The thanksgiving reference really had inspired him!
