Inevitable Darkness

by Cassandra Lawson

  “Forty-three hours and twelve minutes,” Serenity replied.

  “That’s oddly specific,” Mitchell mused.

  “I could be off by a few hours,” she admitted. “It just sounded better when I added the twelve minutes part.”

  “How do you know when they’ll be here?” Vexx asked. “Even if you’re off by a few hours, that’s still impressive.”

  “I caught images of it as I moved through a portal,” Serenity explained. “When I stopped, I was able to pick up the time and get a sense of how long the battle had been going on.”

  “How were we doing?” Zane asked.

  Mitchell saw the answer in Serenity’s eyes. “That good?” he asked with a wry smile.

  “That’s part of the reason I’ve decided to stay for the fight,” Serenity admitted. “In the scene I passed, I wasn’t there. Legion seems to think that scene is what would happen if I don’t give you advice on how to fight the demons. He thinks it will be enough to tip the scales in your favor, but I’m not so sure.”

  “Legion won’t let you fight alone, will he?” Mitchell asked.

  Kish’s eyes widened. “You’re trying to manipulate a demon who’s so bad that he’s being punished?”

  “Legion won’t let anything happen to me,” Serenity replied confidently.

  Kish snorted. “Whatever you say. Zane is right. We should get to work now.”

  Chapter 75

  “We’ve located the female demon!” Arzalina announced as she approached. In the human realm, her skin was so pale and thin he could see the veins beneath the surface. The human world didn’t suit her.

  “And my bastard son?” he demanded.

  “His power is muted,” she explained. “I believe he’s with her, but I can’t make any guarantees. I’ve tried tracking the Fae side of him, but the Fae are hard to trace by their magic.”

  “Did I ask for a lesson on tracking?” he snarled. “Satan is already wondering where I’ve been. My guards were ordered to bring me to him as soon as I return to Hell.”

  “That can’t be good.” Arzalina didn’t sound the least bit concerned.

  “You should be more worried about Satan finding out what I’m up to,” he warned. “If I go down, it won’t be long until Satan learns of your treachery.”

  “Relax,” Aglinon said as he approached. “Satan knows nothing. He’s used to having you at his beck and call. You’re his little lapdog. It just irritates him when you don’t come running the second he calls for you.”

  With as hard as he was grinding his teeth, Terigin was amazed they didn’t crack. Killing his brother would be easy, and no one would miss the bastard, but Terigin decided to wait in case he needed his help in retrieving the halflings—not that he expected much resistance. They might be powerful, but they were still no match for full-demons. The half-breeds had no training on how to control their magic. It would be as easy as catching a fly with no wings.

  “Her mother was a hot piece of ass.” Aglinon had continued talking while Terigin tried to get his rage under control. “It’s too bad all those jaguars are dead. I’d love to play with another one. Shapeshifters are a lot of fun in bed.”

  “Are you really thinking about sex at a time like this?” Terigin asked as calmly as he could manage. “We’re closing in on the weapons we need to defeat Satan, and you’re worried about getting laid?”

  “She’s not the only halfling who can drain power,” his brother grumbled.

  “But she’s the only one we have any hopes of locating,” Terigin reminded him.

  “He’s right,” Arzalina agreed. “The others are all either in hiding for fear of being destroyed, or they’re loyal to Satan.”

  “Show me where they are,” he told Arzalina as he approached the wall covered with various maps.

  Arzalina pointed to a spot. “Right here. They’re staying at a witch coven. That made it harder to trace them. I kept getting small pulses of power, but they never lasted long enough for me to trace them all the way to the source, so I’ve had to move in slowly.”

  “Witches,” Aglinon said with a shudder of disgust. “I wouldn’t fuck one of them with my worst enemy’s dick.”

  Terigin wanted to snap at his brother for bringing the conversation back to sex, but he agreed with his point about witches.

  “We’ll have to get them to leave the coven land,” Terigin said as he considered the situation.

  “How are we going to do that?” his brother asked.

  “One of them leaves the coven land on his own,” Arzalina reminded him. “All we have to do is wait close to where he usually walks. When he leaves, we can use him to lure Kishara out.”

  “Good thinking,” Terigin praised before turning to Aglinon. “Gather fighters.”

  “Fighters?” his brother asked. “You said it would be easy to take them, so why do we need fighters?”

  “Why should we take any chances?” Terigin asked. “Especially when there are witches close by.”

  His brother looked like he was about to argue, but then he smiled. “Fine, I’ll go get the fighters. It’s better than sitting around here and doing nothing.”

  What his brother meant was that he wanted to fuck someone on his way to gather fighters. Terigin said nothing until after his brother was out of the room. “How he survived this long, I’ll never know.”

  Arzalina flashed him a sly smile. “He may not make it back to Hell. Who knows what could happen while we’re collecting the halflings?”

  Terigin chuckled. “I like the way you think.”

  Chapter 76

  Different emotions warred within Mitchell as they prepared for the battle. Part of him hated that they even needed to fight while the other reveled in the thought of a bloody battle. He felt a twinge of shame at his excitement. People would die; there was a significant risk to those he loved. Yet, he still longed for a good fight. That wasn’t uncommon among vampires.

  “How are you holding up?” Abram asked as they made their way to the place they’d chosen to confront the demons.

  “I don’t know,” Mitchell lied.

  “How about if I guess what you’re feeling?” Abram asked.

  “Go ahead,” Mitchell told him.

  “You’re excited about killing demons, but you don’t like feeling that way,” Abram accurately deduced.

  “That about sums it up,” Mitchell agreed. “I’m also worried about everyone getting hurt.”

  “I sure hope Serenity’s right about Legion lending us a hand,” Abram added. “We could use some more back-up.”

  Mitchell nodded. “It would be nice, but I’m not holding my breath. Serenity isn’t sure he can even get here without her. She says it’s happened before because of the bond between them, but who knows? At least, Serenity taught us how to kill demons.” He still couldn’t believe Legion hadn’t mentioned that you needed to either decapitate a demon or stab them in the left eye to kill them.

  Abram stopped walking and used his hand on Mitchell’s shoulder to turn him so they were facing each other. He slipped an arm around Mitchell’s lower back and leaned in until their lips barely touched. “I love you,” he uttered before brushing his lips against Mitchell’s. “I also have complete faith in you. We’re going to win.”

  Mitchell’s hand tangled in Abram’s hair as he pulled him closer and kissed him. It was a far too brief kiss, but they didn’t have time for more. He released Abram’s hair and took a step back. When he looked over, he found Ian watching them.

  Ian still wasn’t comfortable with their relationship, but he was trying. He stepped toward them and reached out a hand to Abram.

  Abram eyed his hand before taking it. “I won’t let anything happen to him,” he assured Ian.

  Ian let out a short bark of laughter. “I think we’re both more likely to have Mitchell save our asses, but I still appreciate the sentiment.”

  Without another word, Ian started walking again.

  “I think he’s starting to like me,” Abra
m remarked.

  Mitchell shook his head. “I wouldn’t go that far, but he isn’t fantasizing about killing you. That’s progress.”

  Abram nodded, and they continued walking toward the clearing where the battle would take place. When they arrived, Kish and Vexx moved to Mitchell’s side. Zane also moved closer.

  “This is the tricky part,” Mitchell murmured.

  “Not that tricky,” Kish said with a sly smile.

  The moment Mitchell felt her hand wrap around his forearm, red-hot magic flowed along his skin. Just when it felt like it would burn him alive, Vexx took his other arm, and the fire eased. Mitchell sensed the waves of his and Kish’s magic pulsing through the air, sending out power like a beacon.

  Just when he felt his magic getting out of control, Zane pressed his wrist to Mitchell’s lips. He bit down, and the shifter blood hit his system hard, helping him contain his demon power. As he was about to thank Zane, a voice came from behind them.

  “Now, this is interesting.”

  Chapter 77

  Vexx spun at the sound of the rumbling male voice close behind her, and her eyes widened in surprise. The guards at their back all had their weapons pointed at the newcomers.

  About a dozen demons stood behind them. She knew they were demons both by the power radiating from them and by their appearance. The man with the irritating smirk on his face had to be Mitchell’s father. He could have passed as Mitchell’s twin.

  “You’ve surprised me, halflings,” Mitchell’s father remarked as he studied Mitchell and Kish.

  Another demon stepped forward, raking Kishara’s body with his lecherous gaze. “You look a lot like your mother.”

  Kish responded in a cold tone. “Lucky me.”

  “Allow me to introduce myself,” Mitchell’s father began as he met Mitchell’s gaze. He didn’t spare the rest of them even a glance. “I’m Terigin, your sire. I’ve come to bring you home. You’ll be rewarded greatly as one of my warriors.” His gaze moved to Kish, and he gestured to the demon beside him. “This is your father, Aglinon. I’ve been looking for you for many months. You’re a powerful female.”

  “A powerful female?” Kish asked in a measured tone. “I am powerful regardless of my gender.”

  “And we have no intention of going anywhere with you,” Mitchell added in a cold tone.

  Vexx kept her hand on Mitchell’s arm to help him channel his magic. As the demon energy flowed out of him, she felt his Fae magic flare. They’d always seemed like one energy before, but now she could sense the difference. Jase was at her side in lynx form. She was the only shapeshifter still in human form. Zane had shifted right after feeding Mitchell. As much as she preferred to fight in her cougar form, her primary responsibility was helping Mitchell channel his power if it got out of control.

  “You can either come with us, or we’ll slaughter every one of these people,” Terigin snarled.

  “We’ll never help you,” Kish replied. “I’ve been used enough. I’d rather die than be a weapon again.”

  Terigin shrugged. “So be it.” He turned toward the other demons. “Kill them all!”

  Several more demons emerged from the woods to join the fight. Kish’s power flowed out of her so hot and fast, Vexx nearly fell to her knees.

  She released Mitchell’s arm to drop into a defensive pose as the other shifters surrounded her. Zane lunged at a demon approaching them. As soon as the demon hit the ground, Ian drove a knife through the demon’s left eye.

  Her eyes locked with Terigin’s and she saw his rage as he realized they weren’t going to be as easy to kill as he’d expected. Terigin lashed out with dark energy that knocked Vexx and those directly around her to the ground. Her confidence was momentarily shaken as she realized how powerful the demon was, but she quickly shook off her doubts. They wouldn’t allow the demons to win.

  Chapter 78

  Mitchell gasped when the blast of magic hit him, filling his lungs with fire, and stealing his breath. Abram rushed to his side to help him remain on his feet as the blood pounded in his ears. All around him, he heard the sounds of battle, heard Kish’s shouts and Abram’s concern. It all seemed far in the distance.

  “Why fight me?” Terigin asked from much closer than he’d been only moments ago.

  “Because you’re scum who needs to die,” Mitchell ground out before taking a swing at Terigin.

  His fist connected with Terigin’s cheek, sending him flying back just before Terigin sent a wave of magic directly at him. Abram knocked him to the side, and the power slammed into him.

  “No!” Mitchell screamed as he crawled toward Abram.

  “Last chance, you little bastard,” Terigin warned as he pulled a knife and moved in closer to Mitchell. “All you have to do to save yourself and your friends is give in. Swear your allegiance to me, and I’ll let them all live. You like the vampire, right? I’ll even bring him with us as a pet.”

  Mitchell said nothing as he waited for Terigin to get closer. When Terigin leaned over him, Mitchell kicked out, sending the knife flying and Terigin stumbling back. He jumped to his feet and kicked Terigin in the side of the head.

  Terigin’s eyes bled to red as he sent another bolt of power at Mitchell. This time, Mitchell didn’t fight the heat, allowing it to travel through him, energizing him. Instead of fighting back with magic he couldn’t control, Mitchell hit Terigin with a jab followed by an uppercut. Terigin might be skilled when it came to wielding demon power, but he wasn’t used to hand-to-hand combat.

  Terigin tried using two more magical attacks, and each one Mitchell pulled into his body. The more demon energy he consumed, the more the world around him slowed down. The others appeared to barely move as he fought Terigin. Glancing around, he saw Kish fighting off two demons while Legion fought Aglinon. Serenity had been right about Legion joining the fight. The vampires and shapeshifters outnumbered the demons, but they were still struggling to get the upper-hand.

  When Terigin sent his next blast of magic at Mitchell, it sliced through his arm like a knife. He’d obviously figured out his other attacks weren’t working and tried something new.

  Mitchell cried out, and the world slowed around him. As he collapsed to the ground, all he heard was the taunting echo of Terigin’s laughter. Terigin crouched over him, knife in hand. He gripped Mitchell’s hair and tugged until their eyes locked. “Time to die.”

  “Get your hands off of my son!”

  Chapter 79

  Mitchell didn’t recognize the woman who’d spoken. She lashed out at Terigin with magic that felt familiar though he knew they’d never met.

  Terigin fell back and snarled at the newcomer. She was beautiful, nearly six feet tall with long, dark purple hair and lilac eyes.

  “You.” That one word spoken by Terigin held pure hatred. They knew each other, and as the woman’s words sank in, Mitchell suddenly realized she had to be his mother.

  “Yes, it’s me,” she replied. Several Fae stood by her side while others joined the fight, helping the vampires and shapeshifters.

  All Mitchell could do was stare at the people responsible for his birth until a hand reached out. Looking up, Mitchell felt relief wash over him as Abram offered to help him to his feet.

  “You’re okay,” he breathed out.

  Abram shrugged. “Only the good die young.”

  There was no time to do what he really wanted, which was to pull Abram into his arms and tell him how much he loved him. The demons who’d stopped fighting when the Fae arrived came out of their temporary stupor, and the fight resumed.

  Mitchell squared off with a short demon who moved so fast he was little more than a blur. The demon landed several blows before Mitchell tapped into Terigin’s power, the power he’d absorbed. Like before, the scene around him slowed until the demon seemed to move at an average speed. This demon was still a skilled fighter, landing two blows for every one of Mitchell’s.

  Serenity caught Mitchell’s arm and pulled him into a portal that let ou
t directly behind the demon. “Like this!” she instructed before swinging the tree branch she held at the head of another approaching demon.

  Mitchell grinned as the demon he fought turned and struck out at him again. Opening a portal, Mitchell moved just to the demon’s side, landing a roundhouse kick that caught the demon in the chin and knocked him to the ground. He wouldn’t be able to open too many portals without depleting his energy. Mitchell pulled a knife, hoping to get close enough to stab the demon in the eye, but the demon rolled and sprang to his feet before Mitchell could make his move. They circled each other, each looking for a chance to strike. Mitchell didn’t move to stab him when the demon gave an opening, seeing it for the trick it was. Instead, he dropped and kicked the demon’s legs out from under him.

  When the demon fell onto his back, Mitchell immediately lunged, stabbing the demon in the eye. The demon howled in pain as he tried to remove the knife. Mitchell held it in place until the demon stopped moving. Before he could get to his feet, someone landed on his back, stabbing him between the shoulder blades.

  Chapter 80

  Abram caught the demon on Mitchell’s back by the scruff of his scrawny neck and pulled him away. His fist connected with the demon’s face. Rage bubbled inside of him after seeing the demon stab Mitchell in the back.

  “Fucking coward,” Abram snarled. He wanted to tear the demon apart with his bare hands, but he wasn’t foolish enough to believe he’d succeed. The demon was faster and stronger. He had the upper-hand for a short time because he’d surprised the demon. Slamming the bastard’s back against a tree, Abram plunged a knife into his eye and grinned when the demon howled and struggled in his grasp.

  When the demon finally stopped moving, he turned and rushed to Mitchell’s side. The fight was almost over as the Fae dealt with the outnumbered demons. Dropping to his knees beside Mitchell, he rolled him to his side.