by Caleb Zane
“We are.” Kaiden wasn’t sure where this was going and wanted it done as fast as possible. He really didn’t like the man and couldn’t get past his former interactions with Desiree.
“I lived there for a brief period and could be of assistance.”
It took all Kaiden’s power to not groan or show disappointment. The last thing he wanted was to travel with this man.
Kaiden walked over to Desiree and put his arms around her waist and his hand on her ass. He wanted to let Johnny know she was with him, that she loved him and he her.
Desiree gave him a surprised look and tilted her head.
“I see,” Kaiden said.
“I can help,” Johnny said.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Ai said. The Asian woman ran over and was on Kaiden’s other side. “We could use more people since this has to be an ambush.”
“Very well,” Kaiden said.
This was going to make the trip even harder and longer. Being stuck in a car with Johnny and knowing he fucked one of his lovers angered Kaiden. He knew it was stupid and childish to be upset, to be angry over it. Desiree had chosen Kaiden, and he had chosen her. Why he was affected by Johnny in this way Kaiden didn’t know, but he hated the man.
The demon stepped out of the car. “I’m Satel.”
With purple skin and horns, the demons stood six inches taller than Kaiden and was just as muscular as Johnny. Orlas oogled the demon and drooled.
“Hello,” Kaiden said.
Zaphkiel was hovering in the air behind Kaiden now. “Satel,” the fallen angel said.
The demon smirked. “Zaphkiel. Been a while.”
“Not long enough,” Zaphkiel said. “Can we trust you?”
The demon nodded. “You know I don’t have any loyalty to Lilith.”
“I do,” Muriel said, “but you worship Lucifer.”
“And,” Satel said, “and last time I checked, Lucifer was still an angel.”
Zaphkiel nodded. “A bad one. Worse than me.”
Satel laughed. “If you say so, but I follow him. Lilith is bad news and needs to be dealt with.”
“She does,” Muriel said.
“Guess that is settled,” Desiree said. “Let’s get on the road before it’s too late to travel.”
The vehicle that Johnny brought was a large SUV and could hold eight people. It was much nicer than the car the minotaur ruined. Johnny took his place behind the wheel and drove until it was nearly dark.
That night, they sat around a small fire and cooked up some chicken that Johnny had brought with him. It was a nice change from the dried meat they had been eating. Kaiden wanted to like the man but was having trouble getting over his disgust.
Johnny was a slightly lower level than Kaiden.
“Johnny.” Kaiden eyed him. “What is your magic?”
The man smirked. “My magic is related to my body. I can change my size. Grow or shrink.”
“All of you?”
Johnny nodded. “Yeah.”
That sounded pretty cool and useful. Kaiden wished his magic was like that. Not that having fire or being faster and stronger than normal was bad. Plus, from what Zaphkiel said Kaiden was going to gain more and more magic and that he would unlock more than the regular human.
Kaiden was waiting for that to happen. It would be nice to have that occur before they had to go Hell. Going there before he unlocked his full potential would be bad. It would be terrible for Kaiden.
Muriel was out on patrol of the area, and the rest sat with them.
“Satel,” Orlas said. “How was your part of Hell?”
The demon laughed. “You know full well how bad Hell was.”
“I just want our human friends to know what they are getting themselves into.”
Kaiden was all ears for this.
“Hot,” Satel said.
Both the demons laughed.
Suddenly, Muriel appeared, and she wasn’t alone. She had a human with her, one Kaiden knew. Standing next to her was his old friend Lincoln. He had reached level twenty and left Kathill.
“I found this human sneaking around our camp,” Muriel said.
Kaiden jumped to his feet. “Lincoln!”
A smile the size of the grand canyon formed on Kaiden’s face. Seeing his old friend was beyond great. Kaiden had wanted to visit him in Kathill, but he hadn’t had the chance, and it wouldn’t have mattered. He was already out and in the demon land.
“Kaiden,” Lincoln said. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Kaiden hugged him.
“I see he wasn’t lying when he said you knew you,” Muriel said.
Kaiden let him go. “No. Lincoln was my best friend in Kathill. We did everything together. Well, almost.”
Zaphkiel walked over. “He looks vaguely familiar.”
Lincoln nodded. “I was at the ceremony when Kaiden bonded you.”
That day felt like several lifetimes ago, and yet it wasn’t. In reality, it wasn’t that long ago. However, so much had happened since then. All the death and fighting, the Holy Grail, Pauline, the fights after that…
Kaiden turned to the others. They were staring at him with their jaws dropped. Ai, Ziva, and Desiree had a look of shock on their faces.
“Everyone, this is Lincoln.” Kaiden finished the introductions.
Ziva was the first one to approach. “Kaiden has failed to mention you,” she said, giving Kaiden the stink eye.
“I’m sure he was super busy,” Lincoln said. “He is the Chosen One.”
Ziva nodded. “Yet, he is my soulmate. One would think he would share everything.”
Kaiden mouthed, “I’m sorry.” He hoped she wouldn’t be too mad.
Kaiden pulled Lincoln over to the side so they could talk alone. His friend was beyond surprised to learn that Kaiden was in love with Ai, Ziva, and Desiree.
“You really are with them all?” Lincoln asked, incredulous.
“I am,” Kaiden said. “I never thought I’d have a harem, but I love them all. No way I could pick just one, and they love me. They love each other.”
Lincoln whistled. “And I thought the demons here were strange. You take the cake.”
Kaiden shrugged. “Whatever.”
“No matter. I want to help.”
Kaiden was glad to hear it. He missed his old friend. It was clear that being here had changed him, yet underneath it all was the man he knew, the one he had gotten into trouble within Kathill, the one who had pestered him to reach level twenty.
It was going to be great. Having Lincoln was going to make it easier to deal with Johnny and Satel and with the ambush they were walking into.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The next day, they all rode in the SUV.
Ziva turned to Lincoln. “Where is your bond?”
Lincoln was uneasy and didn’t appear to answer. “She didn’t want to join the fight, but when I learned that Kaiden was the Chosen One. My best friend, I had to join.”
“You left your bond?” Johnny asked.
Lincoln nodded. “I did.”
“How is that possible?” Desiree asked. “I didn't think that was able to happen.”
“I don’t know,” Lincoln said. “We fought about it. She refused to join. She was all behind Lilith and the war so I left.”
Kaiden wasn’t sure what to make of it but didn’t care. His friend was with them. That was all that mattered. Kaiden was going to do all he could to make sure that he didn’t lose his friend again. Lincoln was a great man and didn’t deserve to be bonded to a demon. Not that it was a bad thing to be bonded to a demon, but one who backed Lilith had to be terrible.
They were getting close to Lostvale and the activity.
“What are you doing?” Lincoln asked.
Without hesitation, Kaiden filled in his friend of the plan.
“That sounds like a good one,” Lincoln said, though he sounded a bit hesitant. “Are you really going to kill her bond?”
Kaiden nodded.
Lincoln didn’t appear to like that at all, but he didn’t vocalize anything.
When they stopped for lunch, Ai pulled Kaiden to the side.
“You can’t tell him everything like that,” she said. It was clear that she wasn’t pleased with Kaiden.
“Why not?” Kaiden really didn’t understand her disgust with him telling Lincoln the plan.
“He has no bond.” Ai appeared to be completely floored by that. “His story doesn’t make sense.”
Kaiden took in a deep breath. “I know you don’t trust him, but you don’t know him like I do.”
Ai closed her eyes, and her lips moved in a silent prayer. “I know you were friends in Kathill. He was a great guy then, but we need to know who he bonded and why she isn’t here. That is really important.”
Kaiden didn’t want to hear it. His anger was rising. Never in his time here had he thought he would be angry with any of his lovers. Never. And now he had been jealous of a man who had sex with one, and another was making his angry by questioning his friend's loyalty.
“Why is that so important?” Kaiden asked. He was having trouble wrapping his head around it. He didn’t see how who Lincoln was bonded to mattered.
“He could be bonded to any demon,” Ai said.
“It's not like he’s bonded to Lilith,” Kaiden said.
Ai was silent, and that spoke volumes.
“You don’t believe that,” Kaiden said.
“We can’t prove he isn’t,” she said. “We have no clue, and that means we have to be careful.”
Kaiden knew deep down she was looking out for Kaiden. Not for her or the war but for him. She knew that if Lincoln was bonded to Lilith, it would destroy Kaiden. It would hurt so damn much because it would mean Lincoln would need to die. That was the best way to kill Lilith, and then they could travel to Hell to take her out for good.
Ai leaned in, hugged him, and gave Kaiden a kiss on the cheek. “You know I love you,” she said. “I’m just trying to make sure we don’t get screwed over.”
Kaiden nodded. Words were lost for him, and he wasn’t sure what to do or say. He just wanted to have his lovers and his best friend and end the war. Was that too much to ask?
It must be.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Desiree drove as the approached the city of Lostvale. In her time in the demon land, she has never been here. She had spent most of her time with Pauline in Houndpoint or roaming near the wall but never crossing over.
Thinking of Houndpoint again brought back memories of Johnny. The two had spent time together in the bed, but it had been more than that. Desiree didn’t love him, but he was a good man and at one time had been a close friend.
She thought of the night when they had nearly been caught out late by one of the patrols. Johnny had to grow to several stories tall, put her through a window, and then hold on and shrink. It had been fucking hilarious seeing him do that.
“Do you remember that one night,” Desiree said, “when you had to shrink to an ant?”
Johnny groaned. “That sucked. Going that small is painful, though later that night had been fun.” He winked, but Kaiden didn’t see it. Desiree was thankful for that.
Houndpoint had been where she had spent a lot of time with Johnny, but since then, Desiree had traveled a lot and into Ashya of all places. That had been a crazy trip, and she would never forget it.
Back in her natural environment, Desiree still felt uneasy. The arrive of Lincoln had been too easy and convenient.
Ai and Desiree had talked about it, and they were sure the guy was bonded to someone important and had been sent to spy on them. Orlas agreed with Desiree.
“Stop here for the night,” Johnny said. “We can sneak into the city in the morning.”
“That sounds like a great plan,” Kaiden said.
The only good thing about Lincoln arriving was that Kaiden’s animosity toward Johnny had gone away. Desiree didn’t understand why Kaiden appeared to hate Johnny. He was in her past, and Desiree had no desire to be with him. She loved Kaiden, Ai, and Ziva. Johnny was little more than a fuck buddy. He might have a giant penis and was talented in bed, but he was a once and done kind of guy.
Not like Kaiden who could go multiple times in a session. That was one of the many things Desiree loved about Kaiden. Kaiden was strong, talented, and powerful. He was selfless. He was so many things that Desiree wished she was but wasn't.
They got out of the SUV. Desiree kept glancing at Lincoln. She hadn’t used her powers on him yet. She had been trying to avoid doing that, out of privacy for Kaiden and his friend.
Johnny was next to her, and it made Desiree even more glad she hadn’t used her ability to check out Lincoln. As much as she distrusted the guy, she knew Kaiden felt the same way about Johnny. Even so, Kaiden was willing to let Johnny join them. She needed to let Lincoln, too. She just wasn’t sure how long Kaiden’s friend would be here for. If he was going to betray them, he would slip up. Then Kaiden would have to see the truth.
“Hey,” Johnny said. “This is some crazy shit.”
Desiree laughed. “Isn’t that the way it always goes?”
“Pretty much,” he said. “Reminds me of when we first meet, and you were fresh meat out of Kathill.”
Desiree cringed. “I don’t want to think about that.”
Johnny smirked. “It hadn’t been that bad.”
Actually, it really had been. She had nearly pissed herself when she had been surrounded by a horde of demons. When Johnny had arrived, he had calmed her down. He’d been her first friend in the demon land. Really, her only true friend. Sure, they had fucked, but he had been more than that. The others who had come after him had been the ones who were just a fuck.
“I really don’t want the others to know about that,” Desiree whispered.
Johnny nodded, turning serious for once. “If you insist, but we’re all are the same. I reacted just like you did when a group surrounded me.”
Desiree smiled. “Johnny trying to make me feel better. Who are you and what have you done with the man I know?”
They both laughed.
Ai approached. “Have you scanned him yet?” she asked Desiree.
Desiree shook her head. “Not yet. I will.”
“Good.”
The two really wanted to be wrong and hoped Lincoln was here to help. Everything just added up to him being a spy. It was all too much for him to randomly appear and be alone just as they were getting close to the ambush.
Lilith had to be near, and Desiree was sure Lincoln was bonded to her. Lilith had bonded to a person after Kaiden left, and Lincoln had bonded after Kaiden left. Lindsey and Charlie had been nervous about it to the point of scaring Desiree and the others. The two had known it would upset Kaiden, and they were scared of him.
Ai walked away from Desiree and went about setting up the camp. All of them did, and Desiree joined in. She wanted to make sure no one realized she was using her powers on Lincoln. Not Kaiden, not Ziva, or any of the angels. The demons were behind her, and Desiree couldn’t hide it from them even if she wanted to.
With this many people here, it didn’t take long to set up the camp. Lincoln was doing his best to avoid Desiree and Johnny. The demons he nearly ran away from, and that was yet another red flag for Desiree.
It was all adding up to him being a traitor. He was going to betray them. Desiree wasn’t going to let that happen. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
Lincoln was the key to them ending this war, and Desiree knew it.
Without the magic, if she had seen him under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have given him a second look. He was beyond ordinary. That too was a sign he was up to something. Never in all her time being bonded to Orlas had Desiree ever seen such a regular Joe bonded to a demon.
Reaching out to her magic and looking at the man, she scanned him. He was level twenty-two with almost no real powers at all, but he radiated power almost to the level Kaiden did.
&nb
sp; Never in her time had she seen anything like this. Lincoln was a conflicting set of powers. He was weak, yet his bond was intense. That had to be it.
Orlas appeared next to her and scanned him too. None of them had really checked out Lincoln before because he was Kaiden’s friend, and they had been trying to give him a benefit of the doubt.
“You,” Orlas hissed. “You bonded her.”
Lincoln looked at the pair. “Bonded who?”
“Lilith,” Orlas said. The demon was intense and scared. “He’s bonded to her. I can sense her in him.”
The camp was up in arms. Everyone was there, staring at Lincoln. The man stood there with a shocked face, doing his best to pretend he wasn’t.
“I can sense the power in her,” Desiree said. “Not from him. He’s weak. Nothing. But never in my time have I sensed a more powerful demon bonded to a person.”
Kaiden placed himself between Lincoln and everyone else. “That doesn’t mean it’s Lilith.”
Orlas hissed. “She can’t sense Lilith, but I can.”
Zaphkiel held Orlas back. The demon was furious and ready to strike. Desiree didn’t blame her demon and wished Zaphkiel would let her attack. Only Zaphkiel had the power to keep her in place. The fallen angel was special like that. Orlas was shaking with rage.
“Let me kill that vile human.” Orlas wriggled against Zaphkiel but was unable to move since he was being held. The fallen angel was struggling to keep Orlas secured. “He needs to die. He’s the key. He’s the one we’ve been waiting for.”
Kaiden stared at his friend with a look of confusion. He was lost. Desiree felt bad for him and hoped he would see what they saw.
“Is it true?” Kaiden asked.
Lincoln held up his arms and pleaded with Kaiden. “No. I’m bonded to a demon but not to her. My demon is powerful. She is one of her lieutenants, nothing more.”
Kaiden turned to Desiree. “Can that be the case?”
After scanning him long and hard, she shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“How can you be sure?”
Apparently, her love didn’t want to believe it or else he wouldn’t believe it.
“Kaiden,” Ai said. “Remember our talk.”
