“Gabe!” She choked out his name, trying to get to her knees, but her legs and arms were too weak to hold her up. She collapsed, unable to do anything but watch the man she loved descend into a madness that would destroy them all.
The sheva destiny commanded that she kill him, but she didn’t really care what destiny wanted her to do. She’d been given so little in her life, so little human connection, so little emotional support to keep her going. There was no way in hell she was going to kill the man who’d showed her what it felt like to be truly loved.
Gabe. Even as she called out to him, she felt the weakness of her voice, and knew that she’d never reach him that way. She didn’t have the strength even to hold a psychic connection across the frenetic vibrations of his rogue mind. So instead she opened her heart to him. She poured her love for him into their connection, flooding the fragile filaments with all the warmth, all the love, all the passion she’d stored so deeply inside her soul for so long. She gave him the anguish of a lifetime of having to have sex with demons she hated. She showed him her sleepless nights, wondering how she would spend eternity in the hell that her life had become. She shared with him her fear over what would happen if she ever lost Sophie, the one friend who kept her going, and how that fear had eased when she’d met him.
She offered him all the vulnerability, the softness, the fragility that she had kept buried so deeply her whole life. She gave it to him, and offered it into his safekeeping. She tore down the shields that had kept her safe. She let him see the truth of what she was, a warrior who hid the softness of her heart behind a dozen weapons in black leather.
He hesitated, a hitch in his gait in his pursuit of Vlad.
Maria didn’t take her eyes off him. She just kept pouring her love out to him. She let him feel her pain, both in her heart and in her body. She showed him the poison coursing through her veins. She invited him into her searing agony as it ate away at each healthy cell. She showed him that unless he came back to her, she would die of both the broken body and a shattered heart. She let herself stop being strong for the first time in her life, and turned herself over to the safekeeping of the man destined to be her strength. Allowing herself to be weak was by far the most difficult thing she had ever done in her life, but at the same time she’d never felt so liberated as she had in that moment.
She relaxed, and finally allowed herself to be who she truly was: strong, vulnerable, and utterly in love with the man who loved her for who she was.
Gabe suddenly whirled around and faced her. The red faded from his eyes, and her heart leapt as they became brown again. A deep, vibrant joy filled her, a joy that was woven with love, hope, and everything that made life worth living. Love had broken through the fate that was supposed to take him. Not daggers. Not violence. Not sex. Just love, the most powerful weapon of all. His voice filled her mind, and his healing energy flooded her, making her lungs expand with sudden fierceness. You stay alive for me, sweetheart. You got that?
Welcome back, Gabe. Take me away from this, okay?
He blew her a kiss, and then spun back to Vlad. The two warriors exchanged glances, and then, as a unit, they raced toward Lucien and Damon. With a victorious battle cry, they leapt into the fray, both warriors moving faster than she’d ever seen. Vlad flicked his hand, and Lucien flew back against the wall, pinned there as Damon and Gabe attacked the demon before he could break free. They were holding him in place, but he wasn’t weakening. If they tried to make a break for the entrance, Lucien would come after them. They needed more strength.
Desperate, she looked over at Sophie. “Can you help them?”
“Can’t.” Sophie was drenched in sweat, and her whole body was shaking. “I can’t hold this much longer. In another minute we’re all going to be trapped in here. You have to do it.”
“Me?” Maria’s first response was negative. She needed sex in order to heal. But as she looked back at the battle, her heart filled as she saw the three warriors fighting side by side against an enemy that no one had ever dared take on before. How could she lie here and let them lose, just because she hadn’t had sex? Surely there was more to her than that, wasn’t there?
There had to be. Gabe had already broken one rule by staying sane when they had sex. Why couldn’t she break other ones? For heaven’s sake, this was demon poison, and she was half demon, right? Why couldn’t she take that demon toxin and use it? The moment she thought it, rightness poured through her, and she knew it would work. She’d spent her life hating that she was a demon, despising and fearing that side of her, but two of the three warriors fighting Lucien had demon blood running through their veins, and that hadn’t stopped them from being heroes.
She took a deep breath, and opened her mind to her demon side. The moment she did so, power roared through her. The demon toxin that had been poisoning her suddenly pulsed with power that flowed into every cell.
She leapt to her feet, stunned by how strong she felt. She reached behind her back and pulled out the dagger that she used for healing, the one that had sliced her palm so many times so she could heal. It was a dagger of power, of love, of goodness…everything that Lucien wasn’t.
Clenching the dagger in her fist, she walked into the middle of the cavern, standing behind the wall of warriors. “Lucien!” she shouted.
The demon king’s eyes met hers. They were twisted and black, consumed with a vile hatred of them all. For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel violated by facing down a demon. She didn’t feel lust. She just felt steady, strong, and powerful. “This is for all the women I’ve had to heal because of you.” She pressed a kiss to the flat of the blade, a kiss not of sex, but of love, of kindness, of gentleness, all the things she’d never been allowed to be, all the things that Gabe brought into her life. “Let this be your poison.” Then, she hurled the blade, with pinpoint accuracy and blinding speed.
It reached Lucien just as he began to react, but it was too late for him, much, much too late. The small, gleaming blade plunged into his head, right between his eyes. For a split second, there was no reaction, then gold smoke began to rise from his head, pouring out of it like a geyser unleashed after centuries of inactivity. He screamed, his head rolling back in agony as the gold steam continued to pour out of his forehead.
Love was poisoning him, and it was beautiful. Gabe. Stop.
Two simple words, whispered silently into the mind of a powerful warrior, and it was enough. Gabe halted mid-blow, his hook sword in his hand. He held up his hand, and Damon and Vlad stopped as well.
“Let him go, Vlad,” she said.
Vlad didn’t hesitate. In a show of absolute faith, he lowered his hand. Lucien crashed to the ground, still screaming and writhing as the gold smoke continued to pour from his head. He didn’t go after the warriors. He didn’t go after the women. He was too consumed by his pain to do anything but fight for his own survival.
Gabe looked over at her, and grinned. “Nice job, Maria.”
She grinned. “Back at ya, big guy.”
“We have to go,” Sophie shouted. “I can’t hold it open any longer! It’s closing!” As she spoke, she jerked her hands out of the floor of the cavern and lurched to her feet. “Now!”
Damon shifted instantly into dragon form, Gabe and Vlad leaping on his back even as he took shape. Damon tore across the cavern, and Maria held up her hand as he sped by. Gabe caught her wrist, his hand secure and strong around her as they raced past, pulling her easily up in front of him. Vlad caught Sophie at the same moment, hauling her in front of him as Damon hurtled past. The rocks started shifting, falling down around them as Damon raced through the tunnel.
Maria and the others bent low, hanging on tight as Damon careened around corners, his wings ripping out walls as he shot through it. “Faster!” Sophie yelled. “It’s closing!”
Up ahead, Maria could see the opening of the cave…and it was shrinking. “We’re never going to get there—”
Suddenly, Gabe’s teammates appeared in
the opening, using their bodies to hold up the rock that was trying to close. Quinn appeared first, slamming his hands into the ceiling, his feet braced in the rubble. Then Ryland leapt in beside him, bracing his shoulders against the wall as his boots dug into the ground, sliding as he fought against the sheer force of the earth. Suddenly, others joined them. Ian Fitzgerald. Rohan, in his black hooded robe. Behind them, Maria could see the other warriors still fighting, trying to protect the opening from the demon guards.
The mountain screamed in protest, pressing down against them, trying to smash the warriors who were fighting back, willing to sacrifice themselves for their teammate, and three strangers they didn’t even know. Tears filled her eyes at the show of loyalty, how all these people had come together to fight for one goal, to fight a single enemy.
“Hurry!” Quinn yelled, his feet sliding as the mountain continued to press down on them. But even the ceiling was coming down now. It was too much.
“Kane!” Gabe shouted. “Come get us!”
Kane appeared in the doorway. His shoulder was bloodied, and his left arm was hanging limply by his side. Maria had only a split second to register his presence, and then he was gone, vanishing literally into thin air.
A millisecond later, he appeared in front of her, astride Damon’s neck. Then, her body felt like it was being torn into a million pieces, and the world felt like it was falling away. She locked her arms desperately around Gabe’s waist, fighting against the nausea as the world seemed to vanish completely.
Then, suddenly, she was reforming outside the entrance of the temple, still on Damon’s back as her brother and the rest of his riders became corporeal again. Around them, battle was raging, screams of demons, the shouts of the Order.
But before the others could leap onto Damon’s back to escape, she saw a man, a demon, rise from the masses of demons, shoulders above the rest, his eyes boring right down onto hers.
Rikker.
Chapter 41
“Rikker.” Maria’s whisper of horror made Sophie look up. She froze when she saw Rikker standing on a rock in the middle of the battle, watching her.
She gripped Gabe, and he followed her glance, swearing. “Who the hell’s that?”
“Rikker.”
The demon held up his hand, and instantly, the demons stopped fighting.
Showing surreal discipline, the moment the demons stopped, the entire Order did as well. They were bloodied and beaten, but their weapons were clenched tight in their fists, their bodies ready for more.
“On one knee.” Rikker’s voice bellowed across the battlefield, and Sophie tensed as all the demons around them went down on one knee, as far as she could see.
Gabe swore under his breath, his hand tight around the handle of his weapon, but he made no move either. Every Calydon waited, the only sound the heavy breathing as they fought to get their breath back. Apollo stood still, awaiting a command from his rider.
Rikker raised his arms. “Salute Maria Souvaine. She has defeated the demon king,” he announced. “She is our new queen.”
Maria tensed, tightening her grip on the dagger. “Don’t believe them,” she whispered to Gabe. “It’s a trick.”
Then Rikker himself went down on one knee, bowing his head. “We pledge our allegiance to the new queen,” he said, his voice resonating across the battlefield so loudly that no one could miss it. “There will be peace in the demon kingdom for a fortnight, at which time a challenge may be issued.”
“Oh, God,” Sophie whispered. “It’s legit. He’s following protocol. You defeated Lucien. You really are the queen.”
Rikker bowed his head, and the entire demon army did the same.
Maria stared at the army of demons all on their knees around her. The only ones still standing were the Order members, who still had their weapons out, prepared to fight if necessary. She couldn’t believe it, but it was true. She was the queen. Somehow, she’d become the top of the food chain in a hell that had marginalized her, and all females, since the beginning of time.
Adrenaline rushed through her, and she suddenly grinned. “Hot damn,” she whispered. “This is awesome.” She raised her voice. “Sophie, Damon, and the entire Order of the Blade are my special guests,” she announced. “They are under my protection, and the protection of the entire demon kingdom. None of them are to be harmed.” She paused. “Every female in this kingdom is to be considered free to make her own choices, to leave whenever she wants.”
Rikker’s eyes flashed, but every demon, including him, murmured assent.
God, it was surreal.
Sophie looked back at her, a look of equal shock on her face. “Okay, so this feels weird, doesn’t it?”
Maria grinned. “Totally. Girl power, right? Should I order them to start belly dancing or something?”
Sophie didn’t smile. “What happens in two weeks? When your position can be challenged?”
Determination flooded Maria. “I’ll fight them off. You remember the legacy of the half-demon princess? It’s me, Sophie. I’m the queen that the legacy was about. It’s my job to be here and fight—” But even as she said the words, she felt Gabe’s arms tighten around her waist.
Gabe. He wouldn’t stay. He had a mission to defend. An oath to uphold. She closed her eyes, sudden grief washing over her. You’re going to leave, aren’t you? she asked him.
No.
She twisted around in his arms and looked at him. “What?”
His face was deadly serious, but his eyes were soft. “I love you, Maria. I came back for you. That’s my mission. You’re my mission. You’ve given me perspective. I’ll stay here with you and rule the demon world with you, if that’s what you want.”
Tears suddenly filled her eyes, and Maria’s heart swelled. “You’d stay here for me?”
“Every day of my life.” He caught her chin with his fingers. I love you, Maria. There is no end to that. Do you understand?
She nodded, and suddenly, she didn’t want to be a demon queen. She didn’t want to fight daily battles to keep demons from killing each other. She wanted to be with Gabe, in the earth realm, fighting to protect an already good place. She wanted more…but how could she leave? There was no way—
“Permission to approach?” Rikker called out, his voice taut.
Maria turned back to him, and nodded. “Permission granted.”
The demon army parted, and Rikker jumped off the rock and strode toward them. The Calydons moved tightly around Maria, protecting her, making her heart tighten again. As Gabe’s sheva, they’d accepted her as one of their own, affording her the same protections as they’d give their own teammates, even though she was half-demon, derived of the very things that they’d fought against for centuries.
Rikker came to a stop in front of her, looking up at her, still on Damon’s back. “A word with you and Sophie.”
Maria glanced at Sophie, who nodded.
In unison, the two women slid to the ground, and Maria had to hide a smile at how quickly Gabe and Vlad moved in behind them, crowding their women’s backs. Damon shifted back into human form, and the other Order members formed a tight circle around them, creating a physical shield between the group and the demon army.
Rikker glanced at Gabe and Vlad, and the others. “Just the women.”
“No.” Vlad and Gabe spoke in unison, and Sophie and Maria exchanged amused smiles.
“They’re with us,” Maria said. “They stay.”
Rikker narrowed his eyes, but acknowledged her command with a silent nod. “The others need to move the perimeter back.”
Maria raised her brows at Gabe. He ground his jaw, but nodded at the rest of the Order. Quinn held up his hand, and the Order enlarged the circle, stepping back and forcing the demon army away. When they were a good twenty-yards away, Rikker turned toward them. His gaze settled on Sophie, and for a split second, Maria saw an agonizing expression of sadness and loss cross his face. She jerked back in surprise, and heard Sophie suck in her breath. Had Rik
ker loved Sophie all this time? It seemed impossible, and yet the expression in his eyes was so raw and visceral that there was no way to fake it.
He pried his gaze off Sophie and looked at Maria. “I have a deal to offer you,” he said, his voice so low that she had to strain to hear it.
Maria frowned. “What kind of deal?”
“The only one of you who can leave the demon realm is Sophie. Everyone else, including Vlad, has enough demon blood that they won’t get across. Everyone is stuck here for eternity.”
Maria’s heart fell, and she closed her eyes for a moment. She didn’t want to believe his words, but she knew the truth too well. She and Damon had tried for centuries to get out, and they never could. The Order had come here to help them, and now they were trapped? “My fault,” she whispered, looking at Gabe. I’m so sorry.
He met her gaze, his face gentle. Everything we do is our choice. We knew it was a possibility. No regrets. Ever.
“There is a possible solution,” Rikker said.
Maria frowned. “What is it?”
Rikker looked over his shoulder at the demons, and then put his hand over a metal pendant around his throat. He jerked it off, breaking the chain, then flicked a latch to open it. The gold opened, revealing a small, black stone.
“Oh, my God.” Sophie sucked in her breath. “Oh, my God.”
Maria looked sharply at her friend. “What is it?”
“It’s the stone with the curse. He found it.” Sophie’s face was ashen. “You’ve had it all this time.”
Maria tensed, and around her, the entire Order did the same. Every one of them knew what would happen if the barrier between the worlds was broken, and the demons were unleashed into the earth realm.
“I did.” Rikker looked at Sophie. “You never knew. It was so close to you all this time, but you never knew. It was damned difficult to conceal it from you. You’re very good.”
Hunt the Darkness (Order of the Blade Book 11) Page 36
