Disloyal Souls: Immortal Brotherhood (Edge Book 8)

by Jamie Magee

  Dagen’s cold stare moved to the thin air. “No, because I watched a cold-blooded witch slay my female all because she was pissed the dark god she summoned came for me instead of her.” Dagen ticked his head to the side. “She deserves agony. I’ll deliver it. I vow it.”

  Chapter Three

  Sitting on his throne in Church, Talon had never felt more naked to the vile rules of existence. Kill or be killed. Rise or fall. Win or lose.

  Anyone could claim they were somewhere in the middle of those things, peacefully residing, but they would be lying to themselves. Just because you choose not to fight doesn’t mean you are not in a natural war of existence.

  Time and again boundaries would come a little too close together for Talon’s comfort, close enough it was hard to see which was right and wrong in the now and in the later. They have never been fucking on top of each other before, and not when he was this unsteady on his feet.

  He wasn’t sure if half the shit he was feeling was where he stood, or where Saige and Scorpio stood. In reality, he was standing in, and Toril was a stranger to him. Then again, she was claimed by one of his best men, making her family by their law.

  In reality, Saige was a female that had ditched him long ago and made it a sport to cause him to hate her actions. Not so much her, he was sure that was impossible. She was the twin sister of a woman he had conquered the world with. A woman he had seen stand more powerful than the sun, and fall into his arms tear stricken as fragile as a child. Who Reveca really is was lost behind the pages of history, in between her moments of lows and highs. In the place where she goes when she is all alone fighting her personal demons as wisely as she saw fit.

  In the reality that Scorpio, and in some way Saige, was trying to pull him into, Toril held an even greater importance. A soul tethered them all—a visionary needed to guide the universe through the changes war would bring.

  As devout as Saige was to her faith, this was a test Talon wasn’t so sure she’d pass. Even if she could read what was written about her end, and it told Saige to step aside and let Toril take the vengeance that was hers, how could Saige allow it?

  She couldn’t. He knew she couldn’t. All this time, Saige had been grooming the only defense she could come up with, him. Only Saige could turn a sacrifice into a weapon, no one else would have the stomach for it. No one Talon knew at least.

  “You know where we stand with this, where does it leave you?” Talon asked Scorpio.

  “I can’t say.”

  “Can’t, or won’t?”

  “Both. I have no idea how this will end, only that I will stop at nothing to fight for Toril. To fight for the eternities we deserve to spend together.”

  Talon leaned forward prepared to warn him that the Sons were the least of his worries when it came to defending Reveca, King and his legions would destroy him, but he never had the chance.

  “Trouble. Trouble, boss!” Knight said through Talon’s phone.

  By the time Talon made it to his feet. Knight was busting through the door with Steele, Echo, Thames, Rush, and nearly all the patched guys right behind them.

  Every one of them did a double then triple take as they passed Saige. As embarrassed as she was, she kept her head high and politely stared back at the warriors as they came in. It was the scent of a claim Talon had left on her, the glow on her skin that was giving them all a mind fuck. One that would have to wait, they had bigger issues.

  “Come on with it,” Talon said as his stare flicked to the wall music was still humming from. It may have sounded like a party, but the sense of danger had kicked in for all of those in the lounge. Talon could hear the whispers of concern, it sounded like crickets and bullfrogs calling out across a fog laced night.

  “Talley has been off his game all fucking day long,” Rush said. “He told me he was riding out to check on a few things. After the law left, I went looking for him. I figured a few shakedowns of the street captains would help,” he shook his head silently telling himself to get to the point. “The fucking dead are everywhere, the Rogue dead.”

  “Rogue’s?” Talon repeated.

  By the time the question hit the air, Knight already had the cameras the Sons had around the city up on the big screen.

  “Watch,” he said as one by one men Talon knew he had put to death walked off ships that had recently docked. Mortals were looking at them like they were street actors amazed by how authentic their wounds and clothes were.

  “That’s not even the real problem,” Knight said. Focusing on a camera in an old Devil’s Den bar, one the Sons had taken over but never went to out of spite.

  Old street captains, far more modern than the haunts at the docks were sitting with Talley. Talley wasn’t tied down or held at gunpoint, but anyone could see he wasn’t there because he wanted to be.

  “These goons are going and getting those ancients,” Knight said.

  “What the fuck are they going to do with em?” Talon asked.

  “I don’t know, but the dead have a death count of seven— five were junkies, the other two tourists. None of them provoked, they were just in the way. We’re going to get heat for this. They are wearing our colors, all of them have our emblem on them.”

  “I need coordinates, everyone rides,” Talon said.

  “Are you insane?” Saige shouted sounding so much like her sister when she did that it stilled the bustle of all the Sons. “Since when do you ever charge into a battlefield without any recon or plan at all?”

  “Since the dead started killing,” Talon spat back, a cold warning was in his dark stare. Even Reveca knew better than to outright belittle him before the men.

  “I told you the dead were rising hours ago.”

  “Did you tell me this?” Talon said pointing to the screen.

  “A bit distracted,” she seethed.

  The Sons all adjusted their weight and tried to look anywhere but at the fucked up fight about to go down. Someone had switched the playbook and forgot to pass out copies, that was for damn sure.

  “You don’t even know if what you’re looking at is real,” Saige argued.

  “Are you so stuck in an ageless era that you do not understand technology? This is a camera, pointed at the streets of our city. Those are fucking dead people!”

  “And Akan holds the grimoire of illusions.”

  “What?” Talon bit out.

  “He stole it from Zale, or rather Zale stole it from the family, and now Akan has it. Either way, the power in the words are from Neptune which is not only ripe in the skies tonight but dancing with Uranus.”

  Talon’s look said it all, and his look was well matched with those of rest of the room. All but Scorpio who was following along just fine. Where he stood with the crisis, he wasn’t so sure.

  “Surprises. The unexpected. What you never see coming,” Saige explained.

  “You just went through all that to give me some kind of tarot card reading or some shit?”

  “All what,” Saige said flabbergasted. “Akan not only has a powerful grimoire the stars are also alighted to enhance it. Do you not see? Talley and Mia were targeted long ago for a specific reason. Every plan Zale ever had he had ten to back them up. You never know if you have won or lost when it comes to the likes of him and none of you took the time to understand what happened when you brought Talley back.”

  “Oh, hold up,” Talon said seconds before any Son made the slightest move. Fuck. He was reacting to their emotions, not reactions. He was going to have to balance this new insight of his better, and quickly. “We didn’t bring Talley back, We saved my daughter, and my granddaughter. Something you, of all people, should respect. Do we get what happened to him? No, don’t have a fucking clue. But I will promise you that he is done being a puppet in witch-fucked games.”

  “He is a primordial,” Saige said as her pale stare that was growing paler by the second flicked to Scorpio. “The first of his kind. His power is untested and only grows stronger with his age and experience.” She mov
ed her gaze across the room. “Right now, Talley is at the weakest he will ever be.” No one liked her accusation, but she didn’t care. “For Akan to ever have a chance at controlling Talley or Mia, the essence of the dead, he has to act now. The universe aligning as it has gives him no choice but to believe his time for action has arrived.”

  Talon slowly stepped up to his witch sensing her on every level. She was scared. Terrified that no one, especially her, would be able to see through the confusion in the air, and once it was clear she would be left holding the hand of the greedy demon called regret. That bastard wanted your past, present, and future and would likely get it once it rooted itself beside life changing mistakes.

  “I can not sit here and chance losing Talley to the enemy once more. I can’t watch blameless people in this city fall victim or worse yet, allow the media spread terror across the globe. There will be nothing left to fight over if I do.”

  “And if it’s not real?”

  Talon leaned in close, and just by her ear he whispered, “Your fear tells me it is.”

  When she trembled, his hand moved to the small of her back. The move only made her stiffen and shake more.

  “I want fifty riders to show at Talley’s side. Rush, you lead. Everyone else, we are following the dead into the swamps, divide and come at them from all sides.” When Talon felt Scorpio’s cold stare, he met it. “You want to add something there?”

  Vote or no vote, Talon’s men were listening to him. Still, Talon’s honor to the Club’s laws all but pulled the question from him.

  “No, we’re good.”

  Talon nodded his head, and his men took off, Scorpio was in the mix. Saige reached for Talon’s arm when he went to leave. “You don’t care that he agreed so easily?”

  “Why would Scorpio disagree with a sound plan to hush this shit up?”

  Saige’s stare implored him to think past the obvious.

  “Look,” he said letting out a stressed breath that should’ve chilled him but didn’t. “You gave me no choice but to promise to save Reveca from whatever shit she gets herself into. I can’t save who doesn’t want to be saved. I told you that from day one.”

  “But you have,” Saige argued.

  Talon’s smirk never quite hit his lips as he leaned forward. “Because she wanted me to. Right now, I’m the last one she wants to save her.” He slowly moved his gaze across Saige’s beautiful image, more sure than ever before that she looked nothing like her twin outside or in. “I don’t get what you or Scorpio are saying about this Throng. Shit like that takes time to digest and to be honest, I’m still choking down the last round of bullshit life gave me. But I know I feel you. I know you’re scared. And I know you think I can help it. I can’t.” He made a step toward the door then looked back. “I’ve never seen Reveca as dark as she was at your place last night. Someone is going to have to go deep to get to her. I’m not pushing you to King for spite. I send you to him because it’s what you need.”

  The words stung as Talon said them, each one a stab to his heart. How many females could he send to that Dark Angel? Two evidently. His sardonic grin reflected the inner thought that simply said at least you used words with this female, not actions. He dropped his head knowing no matter the risk or pain, he could never step out on Saige; not after feeling what he had felt today. She’d made a fatal mistake— she let him feel love. Real, unconditional, worth every sacrifice, love.

  Talon ducked his head then took the broad steps needed to get down the hall to his men. He hoped, like with every other female he had crossed in his life, that the steps he took would give him air; the power to put it all out of his mind so he could handle what had to be handled.

  It didn’t work. He could still feel Saige right there in his chest.

  The lot sounded like a violent thunderstorm descending on earth, one thundering motor after another roared as riders left in packs. Talon’s hoard was the last to leave, they had the shortest drive to the swamps, to the heart of where this hell was going to go down.

  Talon fired his bike to life and was easing forward ready to charge onward when he halted everyone. It was Saige’s panic that had stopped him. Talon looked at the door of the lounge seconds before she appeared there. When she stopped short and only stared at him he knew the panic had nothing to do with any new intel, it was his absence, not knowing how it would all end. She’d looked at him the same way when he rode out to the battle that stole his mortal life.

  Talon woke weeks later with her holding his head in her lap crying as she prayed to the magic of Neptune to bring him back. Swearing to her faith that she would purify him one day, somehow. He never knew what she meant; even today he wasn’t so sure. Talon simply lifted his head and took her lips. It was one of their rare and beautiful moments that found itself buried under millions of tainted ones.

  Asking anyone to go into battle with him was never easy for Talon. It was one of the aspects that made him a great leader. Instead of demanding his legions fight, he stated he was fighting and welcomed who chose to follow. To him, it promised victory when he did it his way. Men told to die for a cause are far weaker than men lusting to fight for a cause.

  He’d like to think he could, or could not, allow Saige onto the battlefield he was charging onto now, but he was no fool, she’d come if she wanted to be there. It stroked his ire that she chose this one to yearn for, the one he was walking blindly into, not the millions that he had planned every detail of.

  It was more than how well this battle was planned, more than the history between them or the stakes that had been raised that flared doubt and pause in Talon’s thoughts in those short, mere seconds. Talon’s invite to Saige would easily promise her misery, at the very least the destruction of his family. Reveca would seem cold to any woman Talon took as his own, it was her nature.

  Chilling would be an understatement when it came to Saige. Talon’s public statement of affection alone would cause Reveca to be nuclear. When she discovered how deep the roots between him and Saige were, there was no doubt where her temper would take her.

  Wasn’t that how it had always been? Suffer this, hide that, all for the greater plan. Talon had lived ages, but he had never lived for himself, not truly. With all the shit stirring in the air one thing was clear, it was time to live like it was his last day. It was time to make every moment matter before the day came that nothing would matter any longer.

  One public statement is all it would take to change the course his life was on now.

  A statement that was akin to crowning a queen in his world.

  So be it.

  It was time for the final bets to be called and for him to lay his hand down for the world to see. He stood and balanced his bike, and then ticked his head. As he waited, he realized it was one of the most terrifying moments of his long life. Rejection, public rejection had never had a greater chance to exist.

  Saige’s eyes grew wide as she blushed with a girlish shyness, then she took off, vanishing, only to appear at his side.

  Talon felt the others, patched in core members, staring him down. He felt the apprehension in their emotions. They knew how dangerous his offer was to the way of life they had always known. Talon didn’t give a fuck. They faded into nothing as Saige consumed all his senses.

  Wordlessly, Saige lifted her leg then straddled the bike behind Talon. When he sat down, even though he could hear her chanting that same fucking spell, and feel her trembling, he grinned. His ride had never felt more right, more balanced.

  As they said in the old days, “It was a good day to die. What will be is done.”

  ***

  It was easy to vanish in the heat of the commotion, not that Scorpio was hiding shit from anyone. Fuck, his secrets would make the average Joe yawn next to Talons.

  Talon and Saige.

  How in the fuck did he miss that? That shit had to be old between them. Old enough for Talon to have already figured out how to balance his emotions by the time Scorpio came ‘round.


  How in they hell were they touching? There wasn’t a single rumble from the sky when they did. It was one of the thousands of answers Scorpio wanted while sitting in that room but he would be damned if he looked like a fool for asking them. For all he fucking knew, it was Toril that taught Saige a trick or spell that allowed Saige to touch Talon. It was right up her alley to do such a thing.

  Toril’s mother was the queen of the phrase ‘when you give him what he wants, he’ll be gone.’ It was no question Toril doubted where Scorpio’s heart was over the years.

  How could she not, the first time she ever found him with a soul reach he was balls deep inside his once virgin bride. Talk about warped first impressions. As erotic as theirs was, Toril should not be in a position to use sex as a weapon.

  Maybe she hadn’t. Fuck, he didn’t know.

  What he did know was life had never been shorter and how blue his balls were was a fight that could wait. What he needed to figure out was where his son was and what the hell he had been up to. Too much had shifted at once and in that mix, Dagen had faded.

  In a beat, Scorpio had manifested clicks away at his place in the swamp, hidden behind a carefully crafted illusion spell. One step inside what looked like ordinary swampland to anyone else and he found the home he had raised and tutored his son in over the years. At least it was the home he raised him in once they came to this continent. Dust was far from a child at that point, but when raising immortals, it is not the age that states independence, it’s the knowledge.

  Across the front room floor was a massive pentagram, every point had a burning candle. Runes were painted on the floor and the walls. All but the bookshelves that were protected behind spells was overturned. The furniture was on its sides, the paintings dangling from the walls, the smell of sage was rich in the air.

  “That bad, huh?” Scorpio asked Dust when he spotted him leaning against the wall with one knee pulled up, slowly pulling in a deep drag of a cigarette.

  Dust lifted a shoulder. “Only a few demons came through. I handled it.”