Maven Warrior: Dark Warrior Alliance Book 20

by Brenda Trim

  Killian smiled at her and was out of the pool in a flash and at her side. “What’s wrong?” So much for being able to hide how she was feeling.

  “Just a little queasy. Nothing major. I brought drinks,” Teagan told everyone as she held up the tray.

  Kissing her lightly on the lips, Killian took the tray from her, and she went back to the kitchen. The next couple of hours were brutally long as she hung out, drank a margarita, and played in the water with Killian. It was nearly impossible to ignore the urge to grab her phone and call the archdemon. No way was she going to report this information in Zander and Elsie’s house.

  She may have no choice now that she’d heard the information, but she refused to betray them so openly. After leaving the house, Teagan called the archdemon while she drove home.

  Her heart and mind rebelled, but there was nothing she could do. With her head hanging low, she unlocked her door and entered her house without paying much attention.

  It wasn’t until the smell of rotten eggs registered that her heart began racing and she turned to run back out her door. She only managed to make it three feet when a guy jumped in front of her and bared his fangs.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” crooned the archdemon that made her betray Killian and her new friends.

  “No…nowhere. What are you doing here?”

  Crocell flipped her greasy black hair over her shoulder while watching her every move. Teagan stood stock still. “I’m here to collect my insurance.”

  Before Teagan could scream, blue arms wrapped around her waist and the world went black.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Where the fuck is she?” Killian barked. He knew Teagan was fighting the directive to call and report to Crocell. It was impressive that his mate was able to resist as long as she did.

  “Try to calm doon,” Zander encouraged. “I know precisely how difficult that is to do when you are worried for your mate’s safety, but shite goes sideways when you doona keep your head straight.”

  “The demon was definitely here,” Abraxos interjected from his spot in Teagan’s apartment. “She teleported and took Teagan with her.”

  “How do we find her?” Killian demanded. “It’s not like I can do an internet search and find any properties or shell companies the demon owns.”

  Hayden placed a hand on Killian’s shoulder, holding him in place and offering support. With his best friends behind him, he was bound to find his mate. “I have my entire force scouring the area for any hint of her scent. There’s no way Crocell has been able to mask it yet. All we need is the barest hint, and we will have her.”

  “You can help,” Zander said, shocking him.

  His head swiveled back to the Vampire King, unable to see how he could help the situation. “What do you mean?”

  “When Elsie was missing, I used our bond to help locate her in that cave. You have no’ ingested Teagan’s blood, but you have a bond and can direct the search.”

  Nodding, Killian realized Zander was right. “Yeah. The bond. What do I do? Concentrate on our connection, or what?”

  “That’s exactly what you do. It should give you a sense of direction. Tell us anything you can as you focus on her,” Zander encouraged.

  Needing to be away from the demon stench, Killian headed out the front door and walked down the sidewalk. Luckily, Kari wasn’t around because he had no desire to explain that her best friend was kidnapped by an archdemon. Footsteps told him Hayden and Zander were right behind him. No doubt Evzen, too, but he didn’t wear boots, so he wasn’t as easy to hear.

  Stopping by his car, Killian focused on the bond flowing from him to Teagan. What direction was it heading now? Initially, all he could think about was whether or not she was being injured. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he lost her.

  Smashing his fist through the passenger window of his SUV, he cursed when he didn’t sense anything but his rising panic. Shaking the blood off his knuckles, he thought about Teagan’s smile and the sparkle in her eye when she teased him. His heart slowed, and his breathing evened out.

  With her glowing face firmly in his mind, he felt a tug in the direction of downtown. Turning, he tried to send feelers out toward Suvi who was east of downtown on the other side of Lake Washington, but the tug ended. There was nothing when he imagined going north of their location, but it did when he thought about going south.

  “I think she’s somewhere west of the lake and south of us. Maybe near downtown.”

  Hayden tapped the phone already in his hand, and his fingers flew over the keyboard. “I’ve got my lieutenants focusing between here and SeaTac. Let’s head that way. We should have her location in no time.”

  “I have to get back to Zeum,” Zander indicated as he nodded to the horizon where it was beginning to lighten with the light of a new day. “Keep me posted.”

  “Will do,” Killian replied then he, Hayden, and Evzen piled into his vehicle. He started the engine and pulled into traffic. “Do you think she could be in Kadir’s old lair?”

  “I think that’s entirely possible. I can’t decide if that would be brilliant or stupid,” Hayden divulged.

  “What are we going to do when we locate her?” Evzen asked from the back seat.

  Killian glimpsed the Guild Master in the rearview mirror. “What the hell do you mean? We’re storming in and getting her out of there,” he barked. Evzen held up his hands, but Killian looked away from his friend. He was on the verge of pulling over and pounding the male into the ground.

  “Think about it for a second. We need to proceed with caution. We’ve already set a trap for later tonight. If we go in there, we might as well call the whole thing off. No way will she show up,” Evzen explained.

  Killian gripped the steering wheel so tight the metal groaned. “What do you recommend?” he managed to grit out.

  “Once we locate her, we wait. As soon as Crocell leaves, we get your mate. The likelihood of Teagan getting hurt in this scenario is far lower than if we simply barge in,” Evzen expressed.

  “I don’t know if I can do that,” Killian admitted. “I know what you’re saying is true, but I can’t stand to think Crocell might be torturing Teagan, or worse.”

  “I’ll hold you back if that’s what you want,” Hayden told him. “Or, I can break the door and clear your path.”

  Killian ground his teeth together. “Right now, I’m going to focus on finding her, but don’t let me act rashly. I don’t want to be the reason Crocell kills Teagan.”

  “Don’t forget that your mate is far more useful to Crocell alive. The demon won’t want to risk losing her informant when Teagan just gave her a juicy tidbit about Izzy. She will keep her alive until she has the princess in her hands,” Evzen added from the backseat.

  The tight knot in Killian’s chest eased as he realized his friend was right. Feeling helpless, all Killian could do at the moment was send love through their bond to Teagan.

  I’m coming for you, he sent telepathically, unsure if she could hear him or not. After the mating ceremony, they could mentally communicate, but he’d heard of some Fated Mates accessing the ability beforehand. He prayed he and Teagan were one of those couples.

  Rolling over, Teagan groaned when her head hit something hard. Where the hell was she? The last thing she recalled was the archdemon snatching her, and the world going black.

  Cracking one eye, she noticed she was inside a cage of some kind. The cage was inside a house, and she was surrounded by skirm. She recalled Killian telling her about the fanged beings created by an archdemon. Based on the single-pane, wood-framed windows and the nicks and dings in the hardwood floors, she guessed the home was about a hundred years ago old.

  She must’ve made a noise because one of the young men waltzed over to the cage. “Crocell, she’s awake,” he called out.

  Teagan shrank back against the bars, wanting to be far away from the evil that permeated the entire house. What did they want with her? She had no other information. Sh
e automatically cringed as she heard footsteps move above her and down the stairs.

  A second later, the demon came into view. Teagan couldn’t tell if her tattered black clothes were actually clothes or something else. Her stomach churned when she considered what it might be.

  “Took you long enough to wake up,” Crocell rasped. “Now, did you tell me everything you know about Isobel’s return?” Teagan recognized the demon’s tone as the one she used when compelling her.

  For a second, she panicked that her necklace might have been removed when she passed out. Without lifting her hand to feel for the crystal, Teagan shifted her shoulder and was relieved when it moved across her chest. “I told you everything I know.”

  “How did you get the information?”

  “I overheard them talking when I was outside the room. They didn’t know I was there.”

  “Is this a trap, or are they actually bringing the child home?”

  “No one mentioned a trap. They’re having a baby shower for her aunt. They don’t want Izzy to miss the celebration,” Teagan told her honestly. She couldn’t be sure it wasn’t a trap. They’d mentioned setting one for the demon before, but they had no idea she overheard what they said, so she assumed Izzy was coming home.

  Crocell smiled, revealing black teeth. “Soon, I will have my sister by my side. We will free Lucifer and be his second in command here on Earth where a banquet awaits us all.”

  Teagan wanted to roll her eyes. Why was it that the bad guys wanted world domination? She supposed it was because they were evil. Only an evil person wanted power over everyone on Earth with the freedom to do anything they wanted. Even if that meant they killed countless people.

  “Why am I here?”

  “You are here because I want you here,” the archdemon sneered at her.

  “We’re hungry. Can we drain her?” the demon kid asked, making her heart race in her chest. Shit, she was going to die in this cage.

  Teagan recalled more of what Killian said regarding skirm. Their sole focus was to do the demon’s bidding and drink human blood. That was it.

  “No, you cannot drain her…yet. I need to discover how I can get past the protections around Zeum. I want to eliminate the Dark Warriors and their offspring.”

  “When will you let me go home?” Teagan asked. She wanted to live more than anything. Something told her the demon was not going to set her free at the end of all this. Teagan’s heart broke, and he had to stifle a sob when she considered she would never see Killian again.

  Life had always been unfair to her, but this topped everything she’d ever been through. For the first time in her life, she had someone that loved her unconditionally and had her back no matter what. Now, she was going to lose it all. Killian would be devastated when he lost her. That knowledge twisted a knife deep in her chest, making a whimper leave her lips.

  Crocell opened her mouth and the sound of dried leaves crunching underfoot echoed around the room. It took Teagan a minute to realize she was laughing. “Don’t look so sad. You’ll be home in time to watch the Vampire Queen mourn her mate and daughter.”

  Teagan watched the archdemon walk away and wondered where Killian was at that moment. No doubt he was scouring the entire city for her. He would save her, but would he make it before these minions drained her?

  She had faith that the warriors would kill Crocell, but when their master didn’t return, she would become the skirms’ meal. Killian had an obligation to help take Crocell out, and Teagan wanted that more than anything.

  She loved him and would love him no matter what. At that moment, something surged within her bond to Killian. The sensation was so overwhelming that she gasped. The kids in the room looked over at her, and she clamped her mouth shut then closed her eyes as she relished the feel of his love. He was coming for her.

  Parked a block away, Killian waited for night to fall. They had a homeless human watching the house where Teagan was imprisoned. They couldn’t risk the demon detecting them, so they were keeping their distance until the right moment. Unfortunately, that moment was taking too fucking long, and Killian was out of his mind with worry.

  “Not long now,” Evzen reassured him as he leaned against the side of the car. They were standing on a sidewalk waiting for Hayden to return.

  Killian gulped the energy drink they got from a corner market. “Let’s head over now,” Killian ordered, unable to stand still any longer. “Hayden can catch up when he’s done.”

  “You ready to kill some skirm?”

  Killian pushed off the car and headed down the street, tossing the can in a garbage container a couple of feet away. “More than fucking ready. I’m still shocked Crocell doesn’t have any lower demons in the house with them.”

  “She could still bring some in, but my guess is she didn’t want them around a resource like Teagan.”

  Killian called his staff to his hand and slowed his pace at the next corner. Hayden jogged up to them a second later. Stepping back on the sidewalk, he made sure his body was hidden from any passersby before he cast a concealment shroud around him.

  “You want to get in on this?” he asked Hayden.

  “I don’t want to be the fucktard that tips them off, so yeah. As soon as we have Teagan, we’re heading right to Gas Works.”

  “Yes, we are,” Killian agreed. “I want to make Crocell pay for what she did to my mate.”

  It was late afternoon, and the sun was almost down. Killian didn’t know how he was going to wait another couple of hours. “Do you feel that?” he blurted a second later when he felt a surge in energy.

  They took off, running down the opposite side of the street. Killian kept his staff in his hand in case they encountered a horde of demons.

  “Is she teleporting demons in?” Evzen asked, then spat, “Dammit, I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.”

  “Hold up,” Hayden cautioned as they were a house away from the one where Teagan was held. There were thick curtains on the windows, but the flash of black lights through the cracks was unmistakable.

  “Where is your team?” Killian whispered.

  “Two blocks over. They will be here as soon as the sun sets. I don’t think she’s teleporting demons in. I think she’s teleporting out.”

  “But, her skirm will burn in the sun if they go to the park now,” Killian said with a shake of his head. It didn’t make sense to him. Hayden was right. His skin wasn’t prickling any more than it had been a moment ago, so she wasn’t adding to her forces there.

  “Perhaps she’s going early to ensure it’s not a trap. There is plenty of shade in that rusted metal structure. Good thing our warriors and angels have been hiding for hours already,” Evzen muttered.

  All of a sudden, the million stings he felt all over his body nearly disappeared. His head snapped up and turned to Evzen then Hayden. “She’s gone. She left. Let’s get Teagan.”

  “I’ll get my lieutenants here right away,” Hayden replied.

  Killian started walking and called back to the Omega, “Yeah. You do that. I’m going in right now.”

  “Fuck,” Hayden cursed. Without looking back, Killian crossed the street and held his staff out in front of his body.

  As he climbed the steps, he called out a bomb spell and threw it at the front door. A skirm rushed past and toward the closing portal. “What the––” the male shouted then the sun did the hard work for Killian as the minion burst into flames and rapidly became ash.

  Killian was swinging his staff as he entered. There was a room to the right, and he heard a feminine scream. He’d never heard Teagan shout from fear, but he knew it was her.

  In his eagerness to get to her, Killian missed the skirm in the corner of the room. The punch to the back of the head rung Killian’s clock and made him curse while Teagan cried out from the cage she was huddled inside.

  Shoving his staff back, he swiveled and kicked the minion in the gut. Another came up behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck. He lost hold of his st
aff, and it dropped to the floor. Killian didn’t have time to lose focus long enough to restore his staff in the pocket realm he created for it.

  Lifting his legs, he tried to throw his body over the skirm but ended up falling on his head. Luckily, he managed to avoid cracking his skull. With his hands on the floor, he pushed down and then launched his body over a skirm. When he sailed over, he wrapped his legs around its throat and twisted.

  He heard Hayden and Evzen battling their own minions. With one down, Killian bent down and snatched the sgian dubh from his ankle and thrust it into the chest of the one on the floor. “It’s okay, Dimples,” he reassured his mate when the skirm burst into flames and became ash.

  A butcher knife sailed through the air toward Teagan. Killian jumped, throwing his body in front of the blade. It embedded in his chest, making him fall to the ground with a grunt.

  “No, Killian!” Teagan screamed.

  Rolling to his knees, Killian feigned that he was more injured and smiled as his head hung when the skirm started talking shit and approaching him. Killian struck before the minion managed to land a blow.

  He pulled the knife out and continued fighting until all the skirm were nothing but ash. Chest heaving, Killian picked up his staff and crossed to the cage.

  “Are you okay?” Teagan asked as tears streamed down her face.

  Teagan slammed his staff on the lock and broke it in one stroke. “I’m fine. The blade wasn’t silver. I’ll heal soon enough,” he reassured her and glanced to the wound. It sealed shut, and the blood stopped flowing from the injury. “How are you? Were you hurt?”

  Shoving the door open, she crawled out and jumped into his arms. “You came for me.”

  Killian held her close and nodded to his friends. “I will always come for you. Now, I’m taking you to someone that can take you to Zeum while I go kick some demon ass.”

  Teagan kissed him hard and fast, then broke away panting as she cradled his face. “Make them pay. That bitch threatened kids.”