Claimed

by K. H. Kate

  "Did he see us?"

  "He certainly did." Lex assured. Damn it. How was it possible?

  "We are astral projecting, Lex. He shouldn't have seen us."

  "Maybe the witch changed something." Without warning, Lex was in front of me when Byron started walking faster to reach where we were. As a vampire, I expected him to walk a little faster than that but I guessed this place had its charms.

  "Oh, fresh air." He moaned as if he wasn't here a minute ago. "Do you do magic now, little Deshayes? This place has been showing me bodies after bodies for months. This is the first time I am inhaling something other than rotten blood."

  What?

  Lex had the same thoughts. "What the hell that's supposed to mean?"

  "It means I have searched the whole Sparkas and I have never been able to find this place. She did something...who are you? The last time it was Mikhail or that deadbeat boyfriend, whatever. You change men every day?"

  Byron must have not seen it coming just like I didn't. Cause he was thrown away a good foot from us when Lex punched him in the throat. "Don't come near her or talk about her that way if you still want to keep your little fangs enact."

  Instead of retaliating, Byron let out a cough. "Funny, looks like I got the wrong Deshayes."

  "That you did." I said for the first time. "You look uncomfortable. Perhaps, you are in dire need of blood?"

  I heard Lex murmur in my ears. "What are you doing?"

  "Baiting." I thought in my mind before raising my voice. "If you give us some answers, maybe we could give you some blood."

  He looked me up and down with a smirk. "Now why would I do that? Your sister made sure I was locked up here, dying each day in insufferable pain. Even if you promise me blood, I don't think Reaper blood is suitable for me. Tried it once, never trying it again."

  "What about the blood of a Volkios?"

  "You drive a hard bargain but I need more. Get me out of this place."

  "Deal." Lex spoke up before I could scold him. What the hell was he planning? First of all, we were astral projecting and second of all, Allegra along with 5132 would kill us if we somehow manage to bring him back.

  Byron nodded. "Deal. Now ask away."

  "Sage and Demos used to talk. Did he ever tell you about what?" I asked, anxious to know what Demos's real plan was. Did he plan to use me somehow? Betray me? I could have found anything to be acceptable but what I heard him say.

  "Oh, it's about that? Demos had a vision of bringing every Hell together."

  No.

  It wasn't possible.

  "That means war with the devil. He knows that!" The Demos I knew was happy with what he had. He could never go against the devil knowing all the consequences to follow. Even when Allegra said that I refused to believe it. It was absurd and very unlike...Demos.

  "Trust me, he knows that. He just doesn't want to stay as the Demon King anymore, he wants to be the King of Hell. Which starts with the demise of the witches. As long as they are alive, he can't be successful in his quest."

  God, no.

  This couldn't be happening.

  "How do we know that you are telling the truth?" Lex took over, seeing the look on my face. "You were a traitor."

  "Let me do a truth spell first." I offered, quickly murmuring the words. "Ertj ki dhk lo pa na fre."

  Byron looked offended. "Oh, but what do I have to lose? I am already in my personal Hell. Why do you think Sage suddenly had all the right resources? He brought a contract from Demos. I can show you proof if you want to."

  He was telling the truth. Even then trusting him would be foolish but what choice did we have?

  So we followed him as he led us deeper into the woods once again. His hiding spots must be good cause every time there was a zombie-like creature after us, he got us to safety. It almost got to the point where Lex started swearing.

  "Fucking Sparkas and its fucking tricks. They all should be after you, why the hell are they coming after us?"

  "I don't make the rules, mate." Byron rasped behind us.

  "Well, it's entirely unpleasing that-" Lex paused suddenly with a curse. I stopped to see what the commotion was when I felt the pain. There was intense pain in my neck but it wasn't me who was hurt.

  It was him.

  Lex.

  I didn't even remember screaming when he fell on his knees. I only stared at Byron behind him, a hint of blood on his lips. Seeing that I had my eyes on him, he smirked. "You two were never going to help me get out of here, do you!?"

  "I-I, why him-"

  I didn't expect him to run at normal speed for a vampire to grab my throat. Not until I remembered Lex giving him the blood we had with us. Damn it, Lex. Why wasn't he moving?

  "Astral projecting, smart but my Hell is different than yours. Whatever I do to you here, your real body feels everything that's happening, like right now he has a broken neck and you'll have the same fate."

  No-

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  If I wasn't so sure that I had lost it before, the predicament I was in should have been a warning sign.

  Someone was clutching my throat in a tight grip, cutting off my air supply. I thrust my hands out to grab whoever was above me but they pinned my wrists to a shackle which I didn't even notice being there before.

  "Did you really think you can escape your destiny?" The person holding me whispered against my ears. I couldn't see who it was as they had a mask on but I could swear on my grave that the voice was a woman's.

  Little soul? No, this woman's voice was deeper.

  "Destiny my ass! I'm going to kill you once I break free from these shackles." I hissed, more annoyed at the fact that I could not figure out who this woman was.

  "You can never learn, can you? Very well. For now, see your future play out." The woman let out a giggle where I was forced to see someone else drag my wife to throw her in front of me. Fuck, I was hallucinating. I had to be.

  "Look at him, sweetheart." The woman goaded. "Don't you think he deserves punishment for what he did to you?"

  No. No!

  Anyone but her!

  Emie looked up from the ground, meeting my gaze with hatred. "You had your chance but you let Demos take me."

  In a second, there was a knife in her hand, courtesy of the masked woman. I tried to scream but nothing came out of my mouth. Without warning, she pressed the knife on her neck, cutting, deepening it more as the seconds went by.

  Why was she doing this?

  Please stop!

  "You didn't keep your promise." My head whipped around at the new voice. Zedkiel. Before I could sigh in relief, my old master ripped his own heart out.

  What the-

  A scream tore from my lips. I pushed against the shackles like a crazy madman but it didn't break. What the fuck was happening right now!? Lana and Mikhail both stared at me in pain. "You betrayed us."

  "Your recklessness destroyed us." Turning around, I was horrified to see all the Volkios gathering around to set Allegra on fire. Her scream filled my ears no matter how much I tried to block it out.

  This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

  "You let them take me back to Hell." This time it was Zach who was in chains, taken away by the hellhounds.

  "You let us fall. Now, it's your turn."

  Then I was free-falling with nothing to hold on to.

  I jolted in my bed, a scream barely escaping from my mouth. What the hell was that about and why was I here? I remembered getting my neck snapped by a crazy vampire so why on earth...

  "Who died?" An annoying voice smugly asked just as I was preparing myself to seek therapy. Looking around, I found Zed hogging one of my chairs, looking like he made himself comfortable there for quite a long time. Well, I will be dammed.

  "Am I still dreaming?"

  "You dream about me?" He let out a holler, making me scoff. My master could be so childish at times.

  "Surprisingly it was more of a nightmare. With lots of death and betrayal." I didn't miss t
he loss of smile on his face. He looked more serious now. Good. I had questions.

  "Please tell me it was more of an emotional death."

  "Yeah..." I trailed off, wondering if I should talk about it or not. This was the worst dream I had in a while and it would definitely make him worry. Shit, Emie. "Forget it. How am I even here? Where's Emie?"

  He sighed. "She's safe. Lana had to physically go there to bring you two back. Valentine helped...after she threatened to curse his bloodline."

  Oh damn.

  "And, Byron?"

  "Chopped to pieces." So, we were safe. No sooner than I thought that I heard people arguing from the next room. One voice I recognized but another I didn't have to. The anger in my heart was enough to let me know who it was. Now, that's strange. Ever since Emie came back, I had only seen them happy together.

  "Why are they fighting?"

  "Oh, that?" He paused to listen more just as I did. "Lana used black magic and you know how much Emie regrets using that. She's lecturing on the cons right now."

  "And that's why I love being a single child."

  "As if I didn't have to practically raise you." He coughed, making me smile. There was a time I almost wished that he was my family instead of what I got. A mother who died in childbirth and a father who didn't deserve to be one.

  "Yeah, you did a damn good job on it. Now, who let you out of your cage? I haven't seen you in a while." I retorted, rolling out of my bed.

  He narrowed his eyes. "Hey! I raised you with chivalry. What happened to that?"

  "It died the moment my little soul went flying to Hell with our dear frenemy." I snorted at the glare he threw me. Could anyone even blame me for my bad mood? Emie, my little soul, practically admitted where we went wrong and what would I know?

  It's me.

  "And-" I started ranting only to notice I couldn't take a foot outside. Dammit! Zed's lips turned into a smirk like he just got the goddamn prize for freezing me.

  "What happened when I was gone? Jeez, your shadows are practically dying to get out."

  "Seriously?" I rolled my eyes, not sure what pissed me off more. The fact that I just had my fears played against me in a nightmare or I couldn't move and punch Zed in the face for acting like a child.

  "There's no way you will ever open your mouth to talk about your problems. So, if you don't tell me, I'll be your worst-"

  I cut him off, scoffing. "Nightmare? Yeah, I was already having one."

  "I was going to say friend but that tends to work too." Now he was really annoying me.

  "I'm pissed off."

  His eyebrow raised higher. "I can see that from miles. Might want to tell me why?"

  I didn't want to. Hell, it only proved that she didn't deserve a dark creature like me. But then again, Zed was my friend. The only friend I could talk shit to and not look insane while at it. I cleared my throat, ready to throw bullshit. "Even if I did talk about my problems, you wouldn't understand."

  "Been there, done that." He chuckled much to my shock. "I loved Keisha, Lex. If someone understands your problem more than anyone, that's me."

  It was just so rare of him to ever talk about his involvement with Keisha that his sudden joke made me somehow uneasy. After Keisha was gone, he never made his move on any other woman ever again. Sure he had bedded women once in a while but emotions? That dreaded feeling of love?

  No, he ran from it as if his life depended on it.

  "I was just kidding." He sighed when I didn't exactly have the reaction he was hoping for.

  "Yeah well..." I trailed off. "We talked but it went nowhere."

  There.

  I said it.

  "And you did nothing to I don't know, get her to know the real you? The one who was so pathetically in love that he threw himself in a makeshift Hell without thinking." I almost laughed at him. Get her to know the real me? The real me scared her, it made her want to run away.

  For good.

  To stop thinking about her every goddamn minute. No, I could never do that.

  "You think I didn't try? She wants to be my friend, Zedkiel, friend. And, I used to laugh at the humans for acting miserable for the very same reason. Karma got me good."

  His eyes widened. "No shit! Well...I just hoped everything will be alright when I was gone."

  Now that he mentioned that...

  "Where were you, by the way?" I asked like I wasn't so interested in that but I was. My dear master was not someone who just left everything to do his own thing when we needed him. Even Allegra was starting to doubt him which pissed me to no end but still, where was he hiding for so long?

  "Me?" He laughed. Caught, I thought with a grin. "I was just here and there."

  "Would that be the library perhaps?" I pushed for more but he was quick enough to pull me out of his hold without warning. If that wasn't suspicious, I didn't know what was.

  He shrugged, already starting to back off. "Among other places." Before he could actually leave though, I stopped him with one question.

  "Do you know anything about the prophecy?"

  "Master, you summoned meee?" Cone asked, bowing his head. Now that he had a name, calling him an 'it' was starting to sound a little ridiculous. Even Zed thought so who left in a hurry with that question floating in the air.

  He had no answer.

  And if Allegra still had any cute ideas in her head that's far from the truth, I was sure that my master was in trouble.

  "I have a simple job for you." I gave him the papers I had gathered from the Coven members during the time I was too busy trying to get away from Emie.

  "Keep these papers safe. And find the names of the people I've crossed with a red pen, these are the people who are the best candidate for rituals involving the rebellion. I want you to keep them safe for the time being."

  "Consider it done but masterrr, I've news for youuuu." Cone suddenly drawled out.

  "What is it?"

  "The demons were looking for someone who escaped with the Deshayessss girl. They think the witches have her. She is an important piece in a war against the Devillll. If they don't find her soon, they will prepare a war between the witches and demons anywayyyy."

  I had to shake my head in disbelief. "Remind me again, how soon is that?"

  "In a month or twooo." Cone answered, not even looking at me.

  Oh, for devil's sake!

  "So..." How was I even supposed to formulate my answer? "You're telling me that demons are starting a war anyway?"

  "Yessss, my masterrrr." Cone said it like that was the common answer, smiling happily.

  "OK, Cone. We're going to find these people before the ritual. It's time I fucking stop this."

  He nodded and together, we left to find the ritual place. Two hours later, I returned tired and bruised. The demon was a great help but we just missed them for a second. There was still fresh blood on the ground when we found them. Every single one I suspected was found with a location spell. Every one of them was in one spot. Those pets of Emie were clever, I would give them that. They were using random places but by now I was starting to see a connection between them.

  "The next one is going to be near the cemetery." Allegra looked at me weirdly but I couldn't stop. "Look at the map and connect the dots. You will find a pentagram."

  I watched her connect all the places where we found the bodies and just as I thought, only one dot was needed to finish the shape of a pentagram. She looked up, surprise in her eyes. "How did I not catch that? After what I heard about Demos, I should have been more careful."

  I shrugged, happy to stop at least one ritual. "Now you do. We will just have to figure out the rest."

  "You look like hell man, no offense." Mikhail commented to which I waved it off. I didn't blame him. He came here with a bullet lodged in his arm only to help me instead. I hated it. I hated not knowing. I always had a plan, always was one step ahead of everyone. And I took damn pride in it.

  So how was it possible that I was not able to catch those su
ckers?

  "None taken. Fuck! I should've caught them."

  "But why are they so eager to start a war now?" Lana asked with a frown. It was my turn to snort.

  "They've started a war already when she went to Hell, Lana. According to my pet, Emie and that Demos dick weren't the only ones who left Hell that night."

  "You think Emie is protecting someone?" Allegra asked with curiosity. That thought crossed my mind but I was dreading the fact. If Emie did that...Allegra could just as easily make sure that Emie's life was in jeopardy.

  "She should have been in Hell but we found her in the Limbo. Why?" Lana added, looking at her beloved. I swallowed the burning rage at everyone's curiosity. She wouldn't lie to us, would she?

  No, she couldn't.

  "Your sister would never lie, Lana, don't forget that. But for now, you twin, need to be careful." I pointed at Lana who rolled her eyes. Fine, die, why should I care? Next, I turned to face Mikhail. "And when the hell that sister of yours is coming?"

  He scratched his neck in answer. "Zach called last night, they hit a rough patch on the way but they are coming."

  "I think you two should go, I need to have a talk with Darkness here." Allegra suddenly exclaimed making Lana and Mikhail look at each other. Both didn't look like wanted to leave me alone with her but one nod of mine had them scoot away. Only when they left that, I met her gaze, showing her just how irritated I was. If she wanted my soul again, I was going to lock her in a dungeon.

  "What is it?"

  "You heard what your pet said. He did a blood oath, he can't lie to you. Didn't you find it a little odd that we don't..." I grimaced, already knowing what she was going to say. "Know anything about it?"

  "If you mean to tell me that she's a liar, you're wrong." If anyone was a liar, it was me.

  "Look, my members are already not happy with Emie. Most of them hate the Reapers. Especially after knowing that her waking up people from the graves started this cycle of death...So if she knows something we don't-" I groaned in exasperation.