Isobel: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book Six)

by Brenda Trim

  Rami’s outstretched wings created a barrier between them and the enemy and the smell of bay leaves and spice washed over her. She remembered how before there was a subtle hint of roses and she guessed it had something to do with his new position, as well.

  Regardless of the lethality, the sight was breathtaking. Elsie wanted to reach out and run her hand down one wing to see if the entire thing was metal, or just the tips. She’d touched Illianna’s wings, and knew they were soft as down, but doubted Rami’s would be.

  A weapon of light blazed over Rami’s shoulder, a bright beacon of death to the demons and their minions. Armed, Rami stood sentinel in front of her and Elsie noted that Ramiel’s transformation was complete. Dalton truly was dead, and in his place was a powerful, focused and determined angel. Elsie couldn’t weep over the change because he was what stood between her daughter and the devil himself.

  Her vision was blocked, but she heard the familiar malicious voice, “Vampire King, when are you going to learn? Do you think because you have allied with angels that I can be defeated?” Kadir scoffed. Elsie moved to the side just enough to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

  The fighting had ceased and the warriors had made their way to Zander, flanking his sides. Kadir was about twenty feet away from Zander, his reptilian army hovering behind him.

  “And, when are you going to learn you are nothing except Lucifer’s expendable pawn. A lackey he would just assume sacrifice for his personal agenda. It’s pathetic,” Zander gritted, his Scottish accent laced with venom while his fist squeezed his sword so tightly Elsie could see his bones pushing against the skin of his fingers.

  The demon growled, “I’m tired of these games, vampire. A pawn, you say? We’ll see about that,” the demon boasted and with a wave of his hand, several blasts of power shot towards Zander, colliding with his claymore. Ricocheting, the black magic exploded on contact with the ground, sending dirt and grass into the air.

  Kadir threw back his head and laughed, “Where is my pet Shae. All this violence is turning me on and I’ll need to fuck something when this is over.” A war cry sounded and Gerrick charged the demon only to meet another blast of Kadir’s power. This time his energy met its target, sending Gerrick crumpling to the ground. Elsie heard a piercing scream and knew immediately it was Shae. Quickly glancing to the side, she saw Shae battering against the invisible shield created by the Rowan sisters.

  Terror raced through Elsie when she realized Gerrick wasn’t moving, but before she could do anything, Isobel suddenly disappeared. Panic set it as she nervously scanned the area for any sign of her daughter. Now was not the time for Izzy to play her games.

  Frantic when she didn’t spot her daughter, Elsie leaned forward to Ramiel whispering, “Isobel is gone.”

  Rami’s clenched jaw and stiffening told her that he’d heard her, but he didn’t make a move. Silently cursing, she wanted to scream at him to teleport over to the demon and use his weapon of Light on the bastard and end this ruse.

  Mind racing, she considered her options. Connecting with Zander mentally to alert him to the situation, his response was swift and demanding, telling her to stay put and wait for instruction. He knew her well enough to know she would rush headlong towards the demon.

  Her baby was in danger and she would do whatever it took to keep her safe, even if that meant her own death. Restraint wasn’t her greatest attribute, but the last thing she wanted to do was place Zander, or anyone else, in more danger, so she managed to remain in place behind Rami.

  Trying to think clearly was difficult, but she forced herself to shut out reality and ask herself where Isobel could have gone. Maybe one of her favorite hiding spots in the house, she prayed. She was relieved to note as she continued to scan the area that Jace had made his way to Gerrick’s side and was tending to the warrior’s injuries. It was a small blessing that Kadir seemed uninterested in the pair, keeping his eyes trained on Zander.

  “Where is the amulet? I know you have it. I felt its power moments ago. If you do not hand it over, I will start by killing the stripling boy. He isn’t strong enough to survive my wrath,” Kadir bragged. Elsie’s heart hammered in her chest. He was referring to Donovan, and unfortunately, Kadir was right. The boy might be supernatural, but he was young and vulnerable.

  In the next moment, Isobel appeared in Kadir’s arms and Elsie screamed, lunging towards them. Ramiel grabbed her, holding her back. “No! Isobel, no!” she shouted, struggling against Rami’s tight grip.

  “Well, well, what do we have here? The young vampire heir, I do believe,” Kadir spat and then his eyes widened with recognition. “I feel the amulet’s power, it lies within the child,” he said, shock and awe displayed in his features.

  Zander charged forward only to meet a blast of Dark power that sent him sailing through the air, landing on his backside. Triumphant laughter filled the night as Kadir leered in Elsie’s direction, meeting her gaze.

  “Thank you for spawning this lovely creature. I promise to raise her as my own,” the ugly demon snarled.

  Rami raised his weapon of Light and it flew towards Isobel. Shocking them all, she raised her tiny palm and absorbed the bright white energy from his sword. Then she placed her tiny glowing palm against Kadir’s chest, and, in the next moment, he turned to stone. Rami flew through the air, swooping Isobel into his arms before she tumbled to the ground.

  *****

  Elsie rushed to Zander’s side as he sat up, rubbing his head. The blast of Kadir’s power had left him disoriented and his vision was blurry. “Are you alright?” Elsie asked, helping him to his feet.

  Nodding, he replied, “Aye, I’ll be fine. What the hell just happened?” he asked the angel holding his daughter. It made sense that Isobel had the power to destroy a demon’s soul because she represented the amulet, but what she had just done with the weapon of Light was a mystery.

  “I wish I knew,” Ramiel shrugged. “She linked with me, but called my weapon instead of me. I had nothing to do with it. Apparently, your daughter has the gift of Light, as well.” The angel was clearly as shocked as the rest of them.

  Struggling to shrug off the effects of the Dark magic, Zander scanned the area, making sure additional enemies weren’t coming. He could never let his guard down where the demons were concerned nor did he have time to focus on the broken ribs he could feel.

  To Zander’s relief, the Sheti had retreated back to the water and disappeared below the surface after Kadir’s demise. Shae was helping Gerrick to his feet while the remaining warriors and the others slowly made their way to his side. The ranks were closing around his baby girl, as it should be. Ramiel handed Isobel to Elsie who cradled her against her chest, clinging to their daughter for dear life. Zander understood exactly how Elsie felt at that moment. His heart had stopped in his chest when Isobel had appeared in the demon’s arms.

  “Isobel, don’t ever do that again! You stay away from the demons. They’re very bad. Let Rami do his job and protect you. Do you understand?” Elsie ordered, but it was more a plea than a demand as she covered their daughter in kisses. Zander could feel the panic and fear barreling through his mate, mirroring the same commotion warring inside his body. His fear and panic had yet to fade.

  Their gazes locked, sharing a brief moment of understanding. This was never going to end. Isobel would always be in danger as long as she held the power of the amulet. There was no escaping the target on her back.

  Luckily, Isobel had Ramiel, and Zander knew he’d always be there to protect her. Suddenly, the angel’s past with Elsie didn’t matter. Between Rami and the houseful of warriors, he couldn’t imagine his daughter being any safer. As their group of family and friends huddled together, Zander couldn’t help but be comforted by the amount of power and love that surrounded her.

  “Do you think it’s over? After all, Kadir is gone for good,” Elsie observed, eyes filled with hope.

  Zander wrapped his arms around his mate and daughter and sighed, “Nay, a ghra, Luc
ifer will send another, I’m certain of that. He always does. But, we have some time to prepare and we will be ready.” He glanced out at the warriors and met their nods of agreement.

  “Aye, fucking right we’ll be ready,” Bhric retorted, “because now we have the Demonator!” he barked, winking at Isobel who laughed, clapping with enthusiasm.

  EXCERPT FROM ROGUE WARRIOR, DARK WARRIOR ALLIANCE BOOK 7

  CHAPTER ONE

  Fuck Zander and his damn rules, Santiago thought as he glanced up at Jesaray House. It might be colder than a witch’s tit outside, but he didn’t feel it because his blood was boiling. Zander was losing sight of their goal if he was questioning Santiago about his actions and wanting to punish him for taking a drug dealer off the streets.

  Had he meant to kill the slimy fucker? No, he hadn’t intended for Miguel to die. He’d only wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine, but to think Santi deserved to go to the dungeons because of it was ludicrous. The male’s death proved Santi was serving the best interest of the realm. It could have been the bear shifter dying because assholes like Miguel were pushing that shit on innocents.

  Zander and his fellow Dark Warriors were fucking clueless in this new war against Angel’s Kiss. It was a foreign concept to them that they should be overly worried about a drug crisis. Until Angel’s Kiss, there hadn’t been a substance that had instantly addicted supernaturals. In their minds, drugs were the humans’ problem, but then a ballsy sorcerer or witch came along, and it was a game changer. This was serious and couldn’t be handled by the realm police. They had no fucking clue about how to deal with a situation like this.

  He and Orlando, on the other hand, had been trained by the human police and were very fucking aware how quickly this could become an epidemic that devastated a community. And, speaking of Orlando, he couldn’t believe his partner of two hundred years didn’t have his back. After all they’d been through he expected more from the male.

  Unclenching balled fists, he took a deep breath, trying to relax before going into the log cabin. To say the home was a cabin was a misnomer. It wasn’t as big as Zeum, but it had two wings and over ten bedroom suites. It was very accommodating for a group of burly shifters.

  Quickly crossing the grass and heading up the stairs to a wraparound porch, he knocked on the large glass panel of the front door. Hayden’s first in command, Zeke, answered the door. “Hey, Santi. What’s up?”

  Perhaps they hadn’t heard what just went down at Zeum. “Hey, Zeke, Hayden around?” he asked, entering the home. Where Zeum was opulent and extravagant, Jesaray house was comfortable and intimate and that appealed to the shifter in him. The soft brown leather sofas matched the rustic wood accents. The pieces were oversized and filled the open room. Shit, the coffee table looked like it was one giant plank cut from a tree.

  The large openness gave his animal the space it needed. There were times Santi felt closed in at Zeum and this was more his style. The roaring fire crackled, punctuating his sense of belonging.

  The heavy smell of spices permeating the air reminded him of Elsie and how the Vampire Queen loved cooking various dishes for them. That was one of the things he was going to miss. Then again, whoever Hayden had cooking may compensate because something smelled delicious.

  “I’m here,” barked a raspy reply from the kitchen that was nestled at the other end of the large living room. Hayden put out the cigar he’d been smoking and set his cell phone on the island. It had been forever since Santi had seen Hayden in such an intimate setting. He knew the Omega smoked, but he never did at Zeum out of respect for Zander.

  Hayden stood to greet Santi, his six-six frame a good head taller than him. With his long brown hair and broad build, Santi felt small in comparison. “Sire,” he said in deference and bowed his head.

  “What are you doing here, Reyes?” Hayden clapped him on the shoulder. “I can’t remember the last time you graced us with your presence.” The comment was a reminder of how segregated he’d become since taking his role as a Dark Warrior. Hopefully, that was about to change.

  It had been too long, Santi thought, as he joined Hayden in the kitchen. “I should have come more often, I’ve missed this place.” They held pack meetings in Hayden’s home with most of the shifters in the area attending. Shifters needed more physical contact than other supernaturals, but they also needed more socialization. Santi got plenty of both at Zeum, but there was a void only gathering and running with the pack could fill.

  Zeke grunted in response and went around the island to the stove, lifting the lid from a large pot that was the source of the mouth-watering aroma. Before Hayden could respond, a beautiful female glided into the room and went straight to Zeke’s side. She wasn’t a shifter, but Santi could feel power emanating from her. “Do we have an e’tra guest for dinner? Good ting I cooked enough chicken ta feed your army, Hayden,” the female said in a thick, Cajun accent. Multiple bangles on her slender wrists clinked softly as she wrapped her arm around Zeke’s waist.

  “Santiago was unexpected, my little chicory. This is my mate, Tia, and this is Santiago Reyes, one of the realm’s Dark Warriors,” Zeke introduced, pride shining in his eyes when he looked at his mate.

  “That chicken smells amazing, you can count me in. It’s good to meet you, Tia,” he said shaking her hand, feeling the true depth of her magic. The female was more powerful that Santi would have guessed given her petite size. “I hadn’t heard that you’d found your Fated Mate. Congrats, that’s fantastic. Is he the first in your inner circle?” Santi asked Hayden.

  The powerful Omega was smiling when he responded. “Yes he is. I now understand the transformation that your group has gone through at Zeum. It’s chaotic, but worth it. Now, back to why you’re here,” Hayden redirected, sitting on one of the bar stools at the long counter.

  Santiago joined him, propping his foot on the stool’s rail. “I came to ask for a place in your home. And, some clean clothes if you can spare them.”

  Hayden narrowed his brown eyes, “I would never turn one of my shifters away. You always have a place in this pack. The question is…why do you want to leave Zeum?”

  Santiago briefly told Hayden what had happened with Miguel and Zander’s demand that Santi be punished, resulting in his choice to leave the compound. Hayden listened intently, the tension in the room building with each second that passed. Silence descended after Santi finished his explanation.

  Hayden ran his large hand across his stubbled face and sighed. “This puts me in a helluva situation, Santi. I can’t ignore what you did. That means that I can’t give you a place to stay unless you accept your punishment. Every member of this society must abide by the rules, otherwise, chaos reigns. No one is above the law, not me, not you, not even Zander.”

  Santi couldn’t believe the bullshit he was hearing tonight. What was wrong with everybody? He wasn’t the bad guy. That was the drug dealers and whoever was making the shit. “Sire, do you really think I can spend months in a dungeon? Not only will my wolf go crazy, but I am needed to fight these wars!” Outside, thunder rumbled and lightning struck the yard as static electricity traveled from his shoulders to the tips of his fingers. He was pissed and on the edge of losing control.

  His power to influence the weather hadn’t been out of his control since his transformation from stripling to adult, but here was no reining it in at the moment. He was seething and didn’t understand why everyone around him was wearing blinders.

  “You should have thought of that when you decided to push that needle. But, if you go back and accept the consequences, then I will talk to Zander about allowing your wolf some freedom to exercise.”

  “So you’re telling me that I can’t stay here? That you can’t give me a place to sleep?”

  “My hands are tied,” Hayden replied, lifting his hands in surrender. “You need to consider your actions and stop being unreasonable and selfish.” Hayden sat there, staring at Santi and he knew there would be no changing his Omega’s mind. His
multitude of animals prowled behind his eyes, telling Santi that the he meant business.

  Santiago stood up so fast that the stool fell over and skidded across the floor. “You’re calling me selfish? That’s rich coming from a male whose ego is so fucking inflated that he named the fucking pack house after himself. You can all go to hell,” he snarled, turning on his heel and storming out the front door.

  So much for that brotherhood he was supposed to be guaranteed in a pack. Stomping down the slick steps, he crossed to his Hummer, not bothering to shield himself from the light rain that had begun to fall. He paused as he looked at the soft glow from the windows.

  He no longer belonged at Zeum and didn’t belong with the pack, either. He was a lone wolf now. So be it. He wasn’t giving up on the vows he had taken to protect the innocent. The Goddess was counting on him. He turned the key in the ignition of his vehicle and headed back down the dirt road, unsure of where he was heading.