Inevitable Darkness

by Cassandra Lawson

  “Mitchell,” he called out in a ragged voice.

  Mitchell lifted his head momentarily before letting it drop to the ground.

  Ian raced toward them and dropped to his knees on Mitchell’s other side. “Christ! There shouldn’t be this much blood. The knife isn’t in that deep.”

  “Get it out,” Mitchell pleaded.

  “Hold on just a little longer,” Ian coaxed. “We need to get something to help stop the bleeding when we remove it.”

  “Dark magic,” Mitchell wheezed. “It burns.”

  Abram saw the drain on Mitchell as he stripped out of his shirt. “We’ll have to use this to put pressure on the wound until we can get more help.”

  “We could just be making it worse,” Ian argued as he stroked Mitchell’s hair.

  “He says the magic is burning,” Abram insisted. “If we leave the blade in there, we may be allowing the magic to spread. I say we take the blade out.”

  Ian nodded and gripped the hilt. “I’ll pull it out, and then you apply pressure.”

  Abram nodded, and when Ian pulled the knife out, he immediately put his shirt over the wound. Mitchell’s blood sizzled against his skin, and he almost cried out as it burned his flesh. Black tendrils of smoke floated up from the wound.

  Mitchell’s gaze locked with his, and Abram could see his agony. “I love you. Don’t ever forget that you aren’t a monster.”

  Abram swallowed hard as tears fell down his cheeks. “Stop talking like you’re going to die. I love you too much to let you go.”

  “You don’t always get to decide,” Mitchell whispered as he trembled.

  “Hang on,” Ian pleaded. “You’re a fighter.”

  “I’m losing,” Mitchell rasped out.

  Chapter 81

  Mitchell hated the tears in Abram’s eyes. Ian was behind him, and Mitchell knew without seeing him that Ian was suffering, too. He didn’t want to leave either of them, but he could already feel the dark magic stealing his life.

  “No!” the woman he suspected to be his mother raced forward. “What have I done? I came to save you.”

  “You’re my mother?” Mitchell asked as he looked into her tear-filled eyes. “You seem so familiar, but I know we haven’t met.”

  “Not since the day of your birth,” she whispered. “I hated letting you go, but it was the only way to hide you from the Fae and from Terigin. Did your human parents love you? Did they treat you well?”

  Mitchell smiled. “They were amazing, and Ian took care of me after they died. Thank you for saving my friends.”

  “I won’t let you die,” she promised even as he felt his last breath was near. She got to her feet and shouted. “Arawn! Come to me now!”

  Through his hazy vision, Mitchell watched as the Fae responsible for dark souls after death appeared before them. Arawn immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Queen Orelani. How may I serve you?”

  “Save my son,” she ordered him as she pointed toward Mitchell.

  Arawn’s eyes widened with recognition as they landed on Mitchell. At the same time, Mitchell saw the regret in Arawn’s eyes. “I can’t. He’s got too much demon blood in him. You know I can’t save demons. I have no authority over their souls.”

  “There has to be a way!” Orelani shouted. “Don’t tell me there’s not a way. You are an expert at finding loopholes in the rules. Find a loophole!”

  Arawn considered his options before nodding. “There is one way. If the blade plunges into the heart of another, I can draw the magic out of your son and into that person.”

  “No,” Mitchell wheezed. “No one will die in my place.”

  “I’ll do it,” Abram stated. Mitchell wanted to scream that he couldn’t, but the pain exploded throughout his body, robbing him of the ability to speak. He couldn’t lose Abram.

  Chapter 82

  Arawn stepped closer. “Your soul is still dark. Not as dark as it once was, but if you do this, it will be mine. Are you prepared to make that sacrifice? This has to be of your free-will, or all it will do is kill you both.”

  Abram didn’t feel even a second of hesitation. “I’ll do anything for Mitchell.” Not waiting for anyone to argue about his decision, and knowing Mitchell was almost out of time, Abram plunged the demon’s knife into his own heart. As a vampire, he should have died instantly, but the demon magic delayed it for what seemed like hours, though it was probably only seconds.

  Fire raced through every part of his body as he watched the black magic ooze from Mitchell before slamming into him. Abram dropped to the ground and screamed. He felt like his insides were being torn apart just before he felt nothing.

  Standing beside his own body, Abram watched as Mitchell called out his name and pulled Abram’s head onto his lap. He reached out as if he could still touch Mitchell and offer him comfort.

  “He can’t see, hear, or feel you,” Arawn told him.

  Looking over, he found the Fae watching him. They both seemed to have stepped out of that reality. “He’ll be okay, right?”

  Arawn nodded. “The effects of the spell transferred to you. I’ve never understood love like this. You’re willing to risk it all to save him.”

  Abram looked over at the man he loved one last time. “So, what now? I guess you have to destroy my soul, right?”

  Arawn laughed and shook his head. “That would be fun, but you redeemed yourself by offering up your very existence to save Mitchell. I can’t destroy your soul now.”

  “So, where do I go?” Abram asked. Since he’d never bought into any of the afterlife stories, he had no clue what to expect.

  “You go exactly where you belong,” Arawn replied before kneeling beside Abram’s body. He yanked the knife out and placed a hand on the wound.

  Abram gasped as the fire raced through him again. He felt himself being tugged back into his body as pain engulfed him. His mouth opened on a silent scream before he took in several gasping breaths of air.

  “Abram!” Mitchell shouted with joy as he continued to cradle his head on his lap. “You’re alive.”

  Arawn bowed once to Orelani before disappearing.

  “What the hell just happened?” Vexx asked as she dropped to her knees beside Mitchell and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “Arawn couldn’t save Mitchell because of his demon side,” Orelani explained. “He had no such restriction with the vampire.”

  “Abram,” Mitchell corrected her softly. “His name is Abram.”

  Orelani flashed him a smile before looking at Abram. “You have my gratitude, Abram.” Her attention returned to Mitchell. “I wish I could stay, but I’ve already broken a lot of rules by coming here. Even queens have to follow the rules. You should be safe now.”

  “Other demons are looking for us,” Kishara argued as she approached them.

  Orelani gave her a patient smile. “I requested a little help on that end.”

  Kishara started to open her mouth to ask more, but it just dropped open and hung there. When Abram looked to his side to see what had caught her attention, his mouth dropped open, too. The guy approaching them was beautiful with long golden hair and a creepy black crown on his head.

  Orelani offered the newcomer a slight incline of her head. “Satan.”

  Abram wasn’t convinced Satan’s presence was a good thing, even if Orelani seemed fine with it.

  “Queen Orelani,” Satan replied in a bored tone. “Your request is unexpected.”

  “But not unreasonable, considering my people have done you a great service today,” Orelani replied. “The people I’m asking you to protect have also done you a great service.”

  Satan chuckled as his eyes moved between Mitchell and Kish. “I’m not inclined to grant your request to ignore the existence of two powerful demons, but I am impressed. You both helped end a rebellion. You and your friends risked your own lives.”

  “We did it because we value our freedom,” Kish replied.

  “And the lives of those we love,”
Mitchell added.

  Satan nodded. “The Fae are casting a spell to keep you safe from their kind, and it should also work to hide you from demons. I’m adding a layer of protection to that. Nearly all the demons who attacked you are dead. Those who aren’t will be soon, and I’ll make sure the blame for any energy pulses is placed on them. Stay out of trouble, and I don’t expect you’ll need to deal with any other demons.”

  “You’re not going to try to use us as weapons?” Kish asked tentatively.

  Satan’s response was a bark of laughter. “I don’t want anyone to know this day ever happened.” His eyes landed on Terigin’s lifeless body. “He was one of my most trusted advisers—a friend. No one will ever know he deceived me. From this moment forward, you are banned from Hell.”

  Without another word, he opened a portal and disappeared.

  “Banned from Hell?” Abram asked. “Did he just say that like it’s a bad thing?”

  “Maybe it is from his perspective,” Mitchell replied before looking over at Orelani. “Thank you. Will I see you again?”

  She gave him a sad smile and shook her head. “I wish we could spend more time together, but this is the only way to keep you safe.”

  Orelani opened a portal and stepped inside. The portal immediately closed behind her.

  “That was the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Abram muttered.

  “Which part?” Mitchell asked. “Meeting Satan? Meeting a Fae queen? Dying? Being brought back from the dead?”

  “All of it,” Abram admitted with a laugh.

  Ian shook his head and looked across at Abram. “You just had to make me like you, didn’t you?”

  “Does this mean I can call you Dad?” Abram asked with a grin. The pain was finally letting up, and while he still felt a little off after his return from the dead, he was starting to feel more like himself.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Ian warned.

  Jase reached out a hand to help Abram to his feet as Mitchell stood. Kish quickly joined them.

  “So, this is what it feels like to fight with the good guys,” Kish mused. “I think I’ll stick around and do this more often.”

  “Where’s Legion?” Mitchell asked her.

  She shrugged and smiled at him. “He left, but who cares? I have all the family I need.”

  Abram groaned, “Too sappy, Kish. Much too sappy.”

  Mitchell laughed and reached out to pull Abram closer for a quick kiss. “So, what now?”

  “You move to Treasure Island. Jase and Vexx have a dozen annoying brats. Kish has her sister move here so they can both drive the witches crazy,” Abram suggested with a shrug. “I don’t give a fuck what happens next as long as we’re together.”

  Epilogue

  Five years later

  “Can we bring you anything back?” Mitchell asked.

  “Nothing for me. Just don’t piss anyone off in Fangri-La,” Abram warned.

  “Would I do that?” Mitchell asked with a smile.

  “Every chance you get,” Abram replied with a grin before pulling Mitchell close for a lingering kiss that almost made him forget their reason for meeting in the clearing. When Abram ended the kiss, he took a step back. “Don’t stay in Fangri-La too long.”

  “You know I can never stay away from you for long,” Mitchell murmured before he turned toward Vexx and Winter. Both were pregnant with boys due in a few months. This was Winter’s second child with Cord, and Vexx’s fifth with Jase. She already had two sets of twins.

  A lot had changed since their battle with the demons. Among those changes were their frequent visits to Fangri-La. While it remained the vampire capital, other preternatural species also sat on the council. He, Vexx, and Winter were all on the new council and were required to attend monthly meetings. Max had taken his place as head shapeshifter on the council in Fangri-La, allowing Eleanor to keep her position.

  Kishara had tried getting Moon to live with her and the witches, but Moon was happier with the cougars. As for Kish, though she visited Moon often, she had chosen to stay with Rowan. He’d officially become her mate in the last year, after a very long courtship. They were happy, and Kish finally had a home where she felt loved and accepted. The witches all adored her, bitchiness and all.

  “Let’s go, Mitchell,” Vexx called out. “I want to argue with the council about their plans to allow more shapeshifters from Canada to cross the border.”

  He chuckled. “Uh oh. What did Jase do this time?”

  Vexx and Jase were very much in love, but they still had their spats. He got the impression they both enjoyed them.

  “He invited Lucida to visit so she can meet the youngest kittens,” Vexx replied with a frown.

  Despite her complaints, Vexx’s relationship with her aunt had improved, and Lucida visited them every few months. She usually stayed until Vexx was ready to send her away. Motherhood had made Vexx a lot more responsible, so the witch’s impulsive ways drove her up the wall.

  “How about you?” Mitchell asked since Winter was too quiet.

  “I heard that several members of the vampire council insinuated that the mage don’t have much power,” Winter replied. “I’m going to make it snow in Fangri-La. It will be a first for them in July, if I’m not mistaken.”

  Mitchell grinned. “All right. Let’s go have some fun with the uptight vampires.”

  For a long time, Mitchell had feared his magic and doubted himself. As they opened the portal, he reveled in his power and the life he’d built. He no longer felt defined by any single side of himself. He was more than just the vampire, the demon, the Fae.

  Looking over his shoulder, he flashed one last smile at the man who’d helped him find balance. Yes, life had definitely changed—for the better.

  Author’s Note

  Dear Readers,

  Thank you for all of your patience as I worked to find a suitable end to the Moon Virus series. For those of you who want more in this series, there will be a new young adult series set in the Moon Virus world coming out next summer.

  About the Author

  Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Cassandra Lawson first discovered her love of writing at a young age. A few early typing classes in middle school planted the seeds of a young author, who enjoyed learning to type through her exploration of storytelling. Head over heels for a good happily ever after, she has dedicated her career to creating dynamic, entertaining, and spicy, romance novels. Ranging from the paranormal to contemporary settings, Cassandra Lawson breathes life into the many different ways people experience love. A hard-working mom, she spends her days writing and homeschooling her children. A lover of music, good food, and a great book, Cassandra remains a resident of the Bay Area, basking in the culture and all the inspiration it affords.