Demon Warriors 4: Takeo

by Lynn Hagen

  Chapter Two

  Kamiko inhaled swiftly and sat up, his eyes instantly scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. The air was displaced and slightly cold. He knew someone was there. He hoped it was Takeo. It seemed like ages since the demon had come to visit him.

  Kamiko missed the tall warrior and felt like a hole was forming where his heart should be with every day that passed without Takeo.

  “Who’s there?” he whispered softly. He knew someone was there.

  Takeo had shown him how to tell if someone was watching from the shadows, to know the signs. He was in no way surprised when a figure stepped away from the shadows. “Panahasi?”

  “Hello, Kamiko.”

  Kamiko started to smile when a sudden dreadful thought entered his mind. He pressed his hand against the ache that appeared in his chest. Takeo hadn’t been to see him in two months. Maybe there was a reason.

  Maybe…

  “Takeo?”

  “I am sorry, little one.”

  “No!” Kamiko gasped almost breathlessly as the hole in his heart grew by leaps and bounds.

  “I fear that your association with Takeo has placed your life in danger,” Panahasi continued as if Kamiko wasn’t sitting there on his bed dying a thousand deaths inside. “I’ve come to take you to a safe place.”

  “I–I–I can’t.” Kamiko doubted he could move even if he wanted to. His entire body felt like it was shattering into a million little pieces. He didn’t care about his safety. What was there to care about if Takeo was dead? He’d rather be dead right along with Takeo. At least then, they would be together. “Please, I—” Kamiko didn’t know what he was pleading for. His entire world had come to a screeching halt with five little words. His mind was in an agony-filled fog, Panahasi’s words bouncing around inside his brain over and over again. Nothing else seemed to register. Nothing else seemed to matter.

  Only Takeo had mattered and now Takeo was gone.

  Kamiko blinked when someone shouted his name and shook him.

  Panahasi had a concerned look on his face as he stood over Kamiko.

  “What?”

  “Have you ever had sex with Takeo?” Kamiko’s face flushed. “No.” But not from lack of desire. Kamiko wanted Takeo unlike anyone else he had ever wanted. He was just never brave enough to make his desires known to the big handsome warrior. Takeo had been visiting Kamiko for a few years now, keeping him company, talking as friends should, but he had never been brave enough to tell the handsome warrior that he was falling in love with him. Now he would never get that chance. It felt as though the hole in Kamiko’s heart had finally overtaken him as he looked up at Panahasi.

  His words seemed to pacify Panahasi in some manner. The man nodded and stepped away. “We need to go, Kamiko.”

  “Why?” There didn’t seem to be any reason to leave now. The man he loved more than his own life was gone. Kamiko wanted to ball up and wither away. Life without Takeo equaled no life at all.

  “Your life is in danger.”

  Kamiko shrugged. Who the hell cared? He was already dying inside. His body just hadn’t caught up with the death of his soul.

  “Kamiko, are you listening to me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we need to go.”

  “Why?”

  Panahasi sighed deeply. “Because your life is in danger. And I owe it to Takeo to keep you safe.”

  “He’s gone.” Kamiko hiccupped through a small sob, wishing he was already with Takeo. “What does it matter now?”

  “No, little one.” Panahasi was instantly at Kamiko’s side. “Takeo isn’t gone. He’s missing.”

  “What?” Kamiko’s eyes snapped up to meet Panahasi’s. “He’s not dead?”

  “No.”

  With one single word, Kamiko’s heart started beating again, the hole slowly closing up. “Is that why he hasn’t come to see me?”

  “Yes. He went missing about two months ago. I’m sorry, but I have been unable to locate him.”

  “But he’s alive?” Kamiko had to hold on to that belief. His very sanity depended on the belief that Takeo was alive.

  “I believe so, yes.”

  “Then where—ahh!” Kamiko screamed when Panahasi suddenly yanked him over the side of the bed and pushed him to the floor. He sat up and started to ask what in the hell was going on when he saw a figure come flying out of the shadows. The face was demonic, twisted, and snarling. It was a sight that nightmares were made of.

  Panahasi hovered over the top of Kamiko.

  “Mine,” the other shadow growled into the darkness of Kamiko’s room. It was low, lethal, and carried a possessiveness that would make the meekest of men cower.

  Kamiko blinked. Even as rough and uneven as it was, he would recognize that voice anywhere. It haunted his dreams and every waking hour. He pushed at Panahasi, trying to climb over the top of the bed. “Takeo!”

  “Takeo?”

  Panahasi’s grip on Kamiko’s arm lessened just enough for Kamiko to slip away from the large demon. He scooted back then jumped to his feet and raced across the room and into Takeo’s arms.

  Takeo took just a moment to sniff at his neck then pushed Kamiko behind him.

  “Mine,” Takeo growled again.

  Kamiko’s heart started to hammer in his chest at the tension in Takeo’s voice. Had he ever seen the demon warrior so angry before, so demonic looking? And at Panahasi? Kamiko laid his hand on Takeo’s back, trying to soothe the beast that had somehow been released.

  “Takeo?” he said softly. It was only as his hand slid down the man’s sweat-slickened back that Kamiko noticed the wounds marring Takeo’s body. They were in various stages of healing. Most were pink, puckered lines that were slightly elevated from the rest of his back. “Oh my gods, Takeo. What happened to you?”

  “Kamiko?”

  Kamiko looked up to see Panahasi standing several feet away. His body was stiff as if he was readying himself for battle. “What?”

  “Move away from Takeo very slowly.”

  “Wha—no!” Kamiko finally had Takeo back, and he was injured.

  Kamiko wasn’t going anywhere. As fierce and commanding as Panahasi’s presence was, not even the leader of the demon warriors was going to make him leave Takeo’s side. “Takeo is injured. He needs help.”

  “That’s why I’m telling you to back away from him, Kamiko.

  He’s not in his right mind. He’s been wounded, and from the looks of it, for quite some time. He’s dangerous. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Takeo won’t hurt me.”

  “Are you sure of that?”

  “Yes.” Kamiko answered without hesitation. If Kamiko knew anything, he knew that Takeo would never hurt him. He couldn’t promise the other man wouldn’t be hurt, though. Takeo was looking at Panahasi like he wanted to rip the man limb from limb. “You might want to go, though.”

  “I’m afraid that is impossible, little one,” Panahasi said. “I cannot leave you or Takeo here unguarded. Even though he has returned to us, it is still not safe.”

  “Well, I’m not leaving him.”

  “Then you must convince Takeo that I mean neither of you any harm.”

  Kamiko’s eyes narrowed. How did he know that? What did he actually know about the demon leader? They had never even been formally introduced. Panahasi had simply shown up to reassure Zeus that Takeo meant no harm when visiting Kamiko. Beyond that, Kamiko knew next to nothing about the man.

  Kamiko shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Kamiko!”

  Takeo growled at Panahasi’s shout. Despite his misgivings about Panahasi, Kamiko knew that Takeo needed help. Another fight wouldn’t do him any good. Besides, Kamiko wasn’t sure Takeo could beat Panahasi in a fight. At this point, as wounded as Takeo was, Kamiko wasn’t sure the man could even beat him in a fight—and he didn’t know how to fight.

  “Takeo,” Kamiko whispered softly as he inched his way closer to the injured warrior. He slo
wly slid his hands over the man, trying not to brush against any of his wounds. “We need to get you fixed up, Takeo.”

  Takeo’s arm snaked around Kamiko’s waist and pulled him into the curve of his larger body. Kamiko felt like a rag doll, but he felt safe and protected, too. He couldn’t bring himself to protest, not when it felt so good to finally be in the demon’s strong arms—a place he had only dreamt of being.

  “Takeo, please.” Kamiko stroked his hands over Takeo’s naked shoulders then up to his face. “You need help, Takeo. We need help.

  Think. Who can we trust? Where will we be safe?”

  Takeo’s brows furrowed, but he never took his eyes off of Panahasi, as if doing so would put them in danger. He seemed to be trying to fight his way back from whatever hell he was in. Kamiko just hoped Takeo was able to do so before something happened. He wasn’t strong enough to keep anyone safe if Takeo became violent.

  Takeo’s eyes were mere slits, promising death to anyone who came near them. They were swollen as well. Kamiko wanted to cry for whatever the warrior had endured, but now was not the time. Now was the time to get Takeo somewhere safe so he could heal his wounds.

  “Mine!” Takeo growled again.

  Panahasi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Takeo, he’s human. You can’t—”

  “Mine!” Takeo shouted.

  “Takeo—” Panahasi started again.

  “I don’t mind being his,” Kamiko said quickly. “If he wants me, he can have me.” Please want me, Kamiko added silently in his head.

  “Kamiko, you don’t know what you’re saying,” Panahasi said.

  “Sure I do.” He hoped.

  He really had no clue, but he knew that leaving Takeo’s side wasn’t an option. The man had become the center of his universe, and Kamiko would try to fight anyone who even thought of taking him away from the warrior.

  “If Takeo takes you, he will keep you.” Oh gods, yes, please.

  Kamiko gulped. “Okay.”

  “If he sleeps with you and you turn out to be his mate, do you have any idea what it means to be the mate of a demon warrior?”

  “No, but—”

  The rest of Kamiko’s words were cut off by another low growl coming from Takeo. Kamiko readied himself to try and calm Takeo and keep him from attacking Panahasi when he noticed that Takeo wasn’t looking at the demon leader anymore. He was staring off into another dark corner of the room. Even Panahasi had started growling, turning to face the same corner.

  Kamiko was suddenly set on the floor and pushed behind Takeo, the larger man taking a defensive stance over the top of him, much like Panahasi had moments before Takeo appeared. Kamiko swallowed hard when a cold, harsh laugh came from the darkened corner. He shivered as a cold, slick chill raced up his spine.

  He couldn’t see anything, but even he knew that the laughter was evil. The sudden cold in the room was a huge clue. Kamiko was surprised icicles didn’t appear from the curtains. Kamiko started shaking as fear speared through him.

  This wasn’t good.

  “I wondered who was going to come for him, Constantine,” Panahasi said in a low and deadly voice. Kamiko looked over at the leader. How could he be speaking so calmly when everything in Kamiko screamed for them to run?

  His eyes snapped back to the evil voice when he saw movement.

  A man, a very large and sinister-looking man, stepped into the room, his eyes locked on Kamiko. Never in Kamiko’s life had he seen eyes so evil, so void of emotion.

  They chilled him down to the bone.

  Not even when he was kidnapped and brought to America to be used as a sex slave had he seen eyes so empty. His kidnapper’s eyes had been filled with lust and greed, but this man’s eyes told Kamiko that his death would be slow and torturous if the man ever got his hands on Kamiko.

  Kamiko’s fingers curled around Takeo’s arm, holding on tightly as he averted his eyes. There was no way he could continue to watch the stranger watch him. He was going to have nightmares about those eyes. He just knew it.

  Breathe…just breathe. Takeo needs you to be strong right now.

  “I guess I’m late for the party,” Constantine stated in a flat voice.

  “Too bad. He would have been fun to torture. I can feel how pure his soul is. It would have been delicious.” Kamiko inhaled swiftly at the man’s words.

  His soul?

  This man stole souls?

  How?

  A cry fell from Kamiko’s lips when he felt like his body was being twisted in half. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but Constantine’s hand was twisting the air in front of him. Pain shot through his body as he fought the invisible hand.

  Constantine had to be doing this.

  There was no other explanation.

  “Get him out of here!” Panahasi commanded as he threw his hand out, some strange swirling thing appearing behind them. Kamiko gazed at it, mesmerized at the patterns and colors as they twisted together like a strange and bizarre black hole. How could it hang suspended in midair like that?

  His head snapped around when Takeo grabbed him around the waist and started walking backward, taking them closer to the swirling…thing.

  “Run, run, run, as fast as you can.” Constantine’s singsongy voice crackled through the air. “I will find him again.” Kamiko wasn’t sure if the stranger was speaking of him or Takeo.

  Just the thought of Takeo being tortured again ignited his anger. He flipped the man off right before Takeo fell backward into the swirly thing, taking Kamiko with him.

  Chapter Three

  “Breathe,” Takeo said gently as his hand ran the course of Kamiko’s back. “Breathe, little flower.” Kamiko took in small gulps of air as he opened his eyes slowly.

  Takeo had never in his life been that terrified when he saw Kamiko writhing around in pain. As badly as he wanted to kill Constantine, the need to remove his small friend from the situation took precedence.

  “How do you feel?”

  Kamiko nodded, still looking a little green. Traveling through the shadows always made neophytes a little nauseous, but traveling through a portal gave even Takeo a queasy stomach. It wasn’t his favorite mode of transportation.

  With Kamiko still wrapped tightly in his arms, Takeo walked over to his couch and sat down, feeling like he could finally relax. He had never been so glad to see his apartment. He wasn’t sure how long he had been gone, but it felt good coming home.

  “Where are we?” Kamiko asked as he looked around.

  “My home.”

  “In the demon realm?”

  “Yes,” Takeo answered. He settled back, running his hand over Kamiko’s back as he smiled down at him. “I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long.”

  His eyes widened in surprise when Kamiko smacked his chest.

  Never before had the man taken such a bold move. “What was that for?”

  “For making me think you were dead,” Kamiko replied heatedly, his bottom lip poking out.

  “But I wasn’t dead.”

  “How did I know that?” Kamiko asked as he stared up at Takeo with his big doe eyes. Takeo felt his cock thickening and knew he needed to get Kamiko off of his lap. The small man was just his friend and had never given any signs that he wanted more. Although he had declared to Panahasi that he wished to stay with Takeo, to be his, many things were said in a terrifying situation. Did the man mean it?

  Did he really want to be Takeo’s?

  Takeo wanted more, so much more. He wanted forever with the small man. “I’m sorry I worried you.” And he was. Even though he had been kidnapped and tortured, Takeo was sorry he had worried the man. He knew his heart was no longer his when Kamiko’s feelings came before his very own.

  Good gods, I’ve fallen hard.

  “May I explore?” Kamiko asked as he pulled away from Takeo, taking the warmth with him. Takeo was loath to let him go, but released the small man as he nodded. He had stolen a pair of jogging pants from a clothesli
ne, and it was the only thing he was wearing.

  His cock was already tenting, and he didn’t want Kamiko to see the evidence of his arousal.

  “You will be here for some time. This will be your home, so explore.” He hated that Kamiko was caught up in all this bullshit. For years he had tried his best to keep Kamiko sheltered and away from the demon realm.

  So much for that effort.

  Takeo sighed as he pushed away from the couch, heading into his bedroom to dress properly as Kamiko busied himself with his exploration. He needed to let the other warriors know he was back, but Takeo had a feeling that Panahasi had taken care of that.

  Takeo opened his closet, extracting a pair of pants and a button-down shirt. He needed a shower. Now that he was back in his apartment, Takeo could feel his wounds healing. The apartment building that the warriors resided in had magical spells protecting it, stopping anyone from just walking in. There was no entranceway into the building. It was only accessible through the shadows, and only a warrior could access them.

  The building had another perk as well. As long as the warriors resided there, their powers renewed. They drew their strength from the brick and mortar.

  He stepped under the spray of the shower, letting the heated water pound into his sore muscles. He wasn’t sure how long he had been gone, but it felt like years of grime was crawling on his skin. Takeo scrubbed, noticing the marks on his wrists fading, but not disappearing. He turned his hand over, wondering why the scars remained. Being inside the building should have completely healed him. This was odd.

  “Takeo?”

  Takeo jumped. Fuck, Kamiko had scared the shit out of him.

  What the hell was the guy doing in the bathroom? “Yes?”

  “There is someone here to see you.” Without thinking, Takeo jumped from the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he rushed to the living room.

  He rolled his eyes when he saw Wayland standing there with a curious look on his face.

  “What?” he snapped and then sighed. It wasn’t Wayland’s fault that his defenses were up. After what had happened to him, Takeo was on edge.

  “Hi to you, too, jackass.” Wayland grinned. “Glad to see you haven’t changed much.”