by Janelle Peel
“Yes.”
She rubbed her chin in contemplation, “We don’t even know if she can control it. Did time stop everywhere, or just in the courtyard? Can she freeze it indefinitely, or will the drain on her magic be too much? Can she even do it again?”
Pressing my face to the oak, I answered, “I believe she can. Anything she’s ever tried with magic, she can replicate at the drop of a hat. As to the rest, those are all unknowns.”
A few moments of silence passed before I leveraged myself up, “I need to call Blaze.”
“Yes, you do. I’m off to bed. This has been, um,” she shrugged, “taxing.”
I smiled, “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”
After she left, I dialed Blaze.
The call immediately went to voicemail. Odd. Was he out of range? Wrinkling my nose, I tried Rowe.
“Hey, Sora.”
“Rowe, hi. Is Blaze with you?”
“No. I’m with Jackson. He, Viv, Nat, and Kane just left to go after Bex.”
Fuck. I was going to have to either wait, or figure it out on my own. Hesitantly, I whispered, “How… how is he?”
Her voice lowered, “Not good. He, uh, looks like a corpse, Sora. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”
I’d been too afraid to check before, but now was the time. Delving into my connection with all those joined to our Clutch, I quickly located his strand. Normally a vibrant silver, dull grey almost completely covered his cord. The remaining bits held a yellowish milky tint similar to pus.
“Sora? You still there?” Rowe questioned worriedly.
Snapping out of the revolting sight, my stomach flipped, “Yes. I’m here. He’s still alive.”
Her relieved breath whispered through the speaker, “Oh, thank the Goddess.”
“Indeed.” Projecting an average tone, I continued, “Can you have Blaze call me when he gets back, please?” There was no need to info dump on her. She already had enough to worry about.
“Sure,” she chirped.
Ending the call, I decided to contact the All Mother. Hopefully, She would have some answers.
Kai
Baring his teeth, he bit out, “No one controls me.”
A fine tremor racked the robed Angel, “The Ruler of Hell can, and he will. You see, you’ve brought him the perfect bait.”
“Bait? What did you bring, Kai?” Bex asked, furrowing her brow.
Michael floated back a few paces, “I can see it, Kai… and so will Lucian. Do not let your pride blind you.” Fading into the darkness, his whisper echoed down the hall, “She will die.”
“Wait!” Bex called. “Come back!” Growling in frustration, she took two steps to follow.
“Bex, don’t.”
Irritation shone in her irises like crushed ice as she rounded on him, “Why not? We need some fucking answers. This shit,” she waved in the direction the Angel had gone, “is fucking in insane.”
“No,” he muttered. “We need to think this through.”
“No?” Bracing both hands on her leather clad hips, she sneered, “Really? Excuse me, Prince Kai. Care to explain that?”
“Not really,” he murmured, thrown by the entire ordeal. His Father was a Demon, and not just any Demon, but the Ruler of Hell. That was the memory he recalled. Repulsion and denial warred for equal ground inside his mind, but the truth was there for all to see. He’d obtained a Demon form with incredible ease, and very little guidance from Bex. If Michael was right, and anyone harmed her…
A possessive rumble began deep inside his chest.
“Okay,” she snarked. “While you’re busy thinking, I’m going to get my Uncle back.” Turning on her heel, she stormed toward the door.
Calling to his power, a wall of fire rose to meet her.
Taking a deep breath, she glowered, “Let me pass.”
“I can’t. We need to be smart about this. If what Michael said is true-”
The sound of rushing water met his ears as it began trickling from cracks within the stone walls.
“Kai,” she warned. “I don’t care what he said. My Uncle is here, and I will bring him home.”
As the liquid pooled along the floor in her direction, it left him dry on his own tiny island. She knew her magic would harm him, and was intentionally diverting the flow. The revelation caused his hold on the flames to loosen.
“Bex,” he pleaded, extinguishing them entirely. “Please.”
A loud roar rent the air; shaking the slate panels with a reverberating boom.
“Uncle!” Bex screamed, tugging frantically on one golden ring. “Kai! Help me!”
Lillin
The tight grip on my neck fell away as Mel bellowed in fury.
Dropping to my knees, I choked down greedy gulps of air as his bound form blurred. The collar glowed a molten red as the smell of grilled meat and scorched hair met my nose. He cried out in agony as the band stretched to accommodate his added girth. With a loud crack, it fell to the polished floor.
Holy fuck! He’d done it!
“Impossible!” Lucian shouted, taking a step back.
His hoof clattered against the ground; drawing a viscous snarl from the massive chocolate Wolf who stood in Mel’s stead. Golden, his eyes sparkled with rage.
Lucian’s mouth closed with click. Lowering his head like a bull readying to charge, the scarlet veins coloring his black skin pulsed malevolently.
The doors slammed open as Bex raced to the Mel’s side. Digging her fingers into his ruff, she murmured words too low for me to hear.
Tipping his head, smoke rolled from the King’s mouth. Grinning, his gaze snapped back to the entryway.
“Hello, Father,” Kai hissed, strolling toward the Ruler of Hell without a care in the world.
“Son,” he purred, gesturing with one claw. “Come. Let us dispatch these creatures and discuss your new role.”
Kai’s tail whipped behind his back in a shooing motion, “Of courssse. It’sss why I’ve come.”
Bex moved to my side. Tucking my hunger away, I took her offered hand.
Mel prowled in front of us. Bracing his legs, he took up a protective stance.
As we slowly backed away, Lucian tracked our progress. Flaring his nostrils, he ground out, “They must die.”
“Mussst they?” Kai drawled, coming to a stop near the beast’s knee. Within a blink, he changed into the form of a man. His loafers tapped past the King as he eyed the throne. Big enough to seat the Ruler of Hell no matter which form he chose, ten Kai’s could lie on its gilded surface with room to spare. Waving, he continued, “They are of no consequence. Is this mine?”
Mirroring his son, Lucian shifted into his human shape. A calculating gleam twinkled in eyes as he clasped his hands together, “Yes.”
Kai bounced up the steps like a child. Lifting one hand, flames broke out along his skin, “I don’t like it.” Lowering his palm, the throne heated. Liquid gold ran in small streams down its tall legs before pooling onto the floor with a sizzle of steam.
Lucian watched; completely transfixed as his son began to reshape the metal.
“Almost there,” Bex whispered, tugging me past the exit.
Mel quietly began his retreat.
Caught up in the spectacle, I barely noticed our movement until she gripped my chin, “Which way?”
“Left,” I answered on autopilot. Was it really going to be so easy? How long could Kai hold our Father’s attention?
Deep laughter boomed from the throne room, “You won’t get far, Lillin. As a boon to my Son, I’ll grant you safe passage to the rim. After that, you’re on your own.”
The doors slammed closed with a clang.
Viv
Nat flew high overhead with Kane as her passenger.
I tried not to stare as Blaze and I zipped across the uneven rock with Vampiric speed. Her body undulated with each flap of her thin, silver and gold scaled wings. The sight was so mesmerizing, more than once I’d had to increase my pace to catch up with
them.
“We’re almost there,” Blaze rumbled.
“And? What? Are we just go to drop down like Jackson and Mel?” I dodged the sharp point of ingenious rock, “Or are we going to wait? Tell me,” my tone lowered as my agitation increased, “your wise plan, Master.”
If he noticed my snark he didn’t mention it. Gravely, he answered, “We proceed with extreme caution.”
Skidding across the uneven plane, I halted, “Are you fucking kidding me? That’s the grand plan? Don’t you fucking care?”
His momentum carried him over 300 feet away before he turned in a wide circuit. Flashing back, his eyes dilated to black in impatience, “You want to save him? Your love? Your Mate?” His thick chest bumped into mine, “Then do as you’re told. Jackson has been with me for over one thousand years. Don’t think for one moment I wouldn’t take his place.”
A vision of him wasting away while Sora screamed at his side slid through my mind. Lila would be devastated. She would lose not one, but two of the most important people in her young life. I was being an absolute asshole. Steeling my resolve, I nodded, “I’m with you.”
His mask slipped into one of agreement, “Good. Stay close, and listen well. You’ve not seen what a Master,” he emphasized the word with a growl, “can do.”
Nat hovered midair, kicking her legs as she stayed afloat.
Asena’s question flitted through my brain, ‘Are we going?’
“Yes,” Blaze answered, turning on the heel of one large shitkicker.
Her voice was definitely going to take some getting used to, I muttered internally. While I was happy Nat had finally Mated, the addition of Asena was a shocker. Not only that, but her mind projection was intense. Could she read my thoughts, even now?
‘When you think them so loudly, it’s hard not to listen in,’ she replied.
Rolling my eyes at the sci fi movie my life had become, I increased my stride.
Chapter 13
Sora
I’d been trying to reach the All Mother for nearly half an hour and I was getting sick of the silence.
Why wasn’t She answering? I needed Her guidance.
The clomp of boots in the hall drew my attention as Mason rounded the corner.
Trim in black fatigues, the hollows of his severe cheeks shone with exhaustion. As lead Protector, his duties pulled him in multiple directions. Lowering his chin, he questioned, “Mistress?”
His rigid stance spoke volumes. Something was wrong. “What is it, Mason?”
Running a hand through the short lengths of his military haircut, he fidgeted, “There’s something you need to see.”
Instantly on alert, I checked the ward. Its pleasant hum buzzed through my core. My brow furrowed, “Where?”
Without meeting my eyes, he gestured the way he’d come, “The courtyard.”
Thoughts rolling, we flashed across the house. As we reached the indoor pool, he snagged my wrist, “I don’t know what she is. Be careful.”
Confused by his warning, I nodded. My bare feet slapped against the marbled floor as I made my way to the grass.
Covering my rear, he followed.
Stars twinkled overhead as we approached the lone woman sitting on a stone bench. Clad in denim capris with a white tank exposing her navel, she waited patiently.
“Who are you?” I called, taking in the rest of her appearance.
Soft, rounded cheekbones lead to a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her upturned nose. Hair the color of honey, it fell in a cascade of ringlets down the length of her back. Sky blue, her gaze found mine as the scent of fresh baked cookies carried on the breeze. No, pie. Cake, maybe? My nose went crazy as it continued to change from one delicious aroma to another.
Quietly, she answered, “Are you the Mistress?”
I froze. Her voice was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever heard. Similar to the strum of a harp, the melodic sound left me entranced.
“Sora?” Mason whispered worriedly, gripping my elbow.
His touch brought me back to the moment. What the hell was that? Reaching toward my flames, I held them on standby, “Who wants to know?”
Slowly, she rose, but her bare feet did not touch the ground. Hovering a few inches over the concrete path, she dipped her chin, “I am Gazardiel, and I believe we have some business to discuss.”
Kai
Focusing on the task at hand, he felt a pinch of disappointment. She’d left him on his own. Pushing the foreign emotion away, he inspected his handiwork.
Where a single throne sat before, two smaller identical versions resided. Snaking golden vines complete with leaves, wrapped around every inch of the oversized chairs. Thorns jutted out at random intervals, giving them a dangerous but necessary appeal. There was so much material left over, he bid his power to wrap every inch of the long dais as well.
Lucian touched his shoulder, “Well done. Your power is magnificent. Now, there is a small matter we must discuss. The female Wolf, this Bex. Do you wish to keep her?”
He growled, “No. She is of no consequence.”
Tapping the toe of one shiny dress shoe, the King shook his head, “She means something to you.” Inhaling, the edge of his iris pulsed with a scarlet glow, “The ache you’re trying to hide, I can smell it. Its sweet fragrance calls to me, my Son.”
Irritated by his transparency, he scoffed, “I have no need of her.”
One black brow rose as he barked a guttural sound. It echoed off the walls before a strange chittering answered. Nodding his head in satisfaction, he grinned, “She will return.”
Bewildered, he asked, “Who?”
Lucian strolled up the steps. Pursing his lips, he seemed to debate which chair was his. Shrugging one shoulder, he settled into the closest one. Fingering a sharp barb, he answered, “Your Wolf.”
Kai stilled, “Why? You gave them safe passage.”
“No, I gave Lillin safe passage. If you do not want her, simply say so.” His tongue slipped out to wet his lips, “It has been too long since I have explored the flesh of an unsullied.”
Instinctively, flames broke out along his arms. Baring his teeth, he growled, “She is MINE!”
Smirking in satisfaction, his horns punched through the skin of his forehead. Tar dribbled from their bases before running down his cheeks, “No.”
The air heated as his fire took on a life of its own. Red and orange, they danced across his skin, “If you touch her-”
The King laughed, “What? What will you do?”
Magma poured from the crevices inside the walls as his anger reached a fever pitch. Snarling, his magic burst forth with a scream of fury. The shockwave incinerated the gold lining the floor with a hissed crackle.
Lucian sneered, “You’ll have to do better than that. Your Mother’s magic is useless against me.” Curling his fingers, he threw his arms wide in invitation, “I will have her. She will scream my name and beg for mercy.”
Pulling more lava from every orifice he could find, he hurled it toward the Demon before him. It slammed into Lucian with a thunderclap. Smoke rent the air, nearly blinding him with its density. The acrid fumes choked his throat as he searched for his prey.
Without warning, a severe pain lanced his chest. Looking down for the source, he found Lucian’s hand buried inside torso.
Cackling maniacally, his teeth elongated, “You’ve grown, but know this. I will rule the world. The Sundering is almost here, and you’re either with me, or against.” Pulling back his arm with a wet sucking sound, he fingered the blood staining his claws, “You can keep her if you choose to fall in line. If not, I will tear her apart while you watch.”
Bex
“Move, Lillin!” I screamed, getting a mouthful of hair as I bumped into her back. It was so dark I couldn’t see a damned thing. We’d reached the Fracture, but failed to figure out how we were going to get up the sheer walls to the rim.
Chittering sounded as a something sharp whizzed by my head.
&nbs
p; Lillin shrieked, “Why are they attacking!”
I screamed back, “Your Father fucking LIED!”
“Bex!” A voice called.
I froze, “Viv?”
“We’re coming down!”
Gripping Mel’s ruff, I pulled him and Lillin back against the igneous rock, “Hurry!”
Screeching sounded as a shower of sparks rained down from above. Air whispered past my face before a bellow of fire scorched the hall we’d just exited.
Nat! Oh, thank the Goddess!
Iridescent gold and silver, the scales lining her throat lit again as she prepared another bolt.
Blaze dropped down with a dull thud. His fangs lengthened to points as he plucked a lesser from the wall and ripped it in two with a hideous crunch. Pure black, his gaze met mine as he grabbed another, “GO!”
“Take the rope!” Viv screamed as another burst of fire blazed from Nat’s maw.
Mel shifted in the blink of an eye. Taking the material at Lillin’s shoulder, he urged her to climb.
Kane leapt from Nat’s back, “We’ll hold them off!”
Indecision warred within my thoughts. I couldn’t leave him.
More Demons rushed toward us.
Calling to my well, frost coated my skin. Gritting my teeth, I ran through the inferno.
Sora
Crossing my arms, I quipped, “What could we possibly have to discuss, and how the fuck did you get passed my ward?”
Without missing a beat, she answered, “You’ve been seeking your deity?”
How the hell could she know that?
Tipping her head to the side, she nodded encouragingly, “Your Goddess has spoken with my God.”
I blinked. What?
Her sky blue eyes flashed to midnight in irritation, “You wish to know the role your child plays in the Sundering?”
Mason tensed at my back, “Say the word, Mistress.”
So far, the floating being before us had shone no hostility. “Wait,” I muttered from the corner of my mouth. Taking a deep breath, I struggled for calm, “What do you know of Lila?”
