by Tigris Eden
Then, Jesminda was gone.
~ ~ ~
Now they had to deal with Enri and his monsterific breakdown. He was some sort of dragon, bat, and man mixed together. And he was enraged. Gregor shifted into some man-beast. Bigger than the twins could morph into. His brothers, following his lead, did the same as they changed into their forms. Draven sent Jes ahead, and D had done the same with Jo, hoping Draven’s mate was with her. This was why he worked fucking transportation, because immortals were ill-tempered and highly unpredictable.
He and the rest of the team had followed, but somewhere along the way they’d been turned around. Now it was just him, Mouth, NuNu, and Jacobi. At least he had his boys. But he was concerned about Jesminda, and especially Jo. Now you’re developing feelings? He wasn’t completely unemotional. He just wasn’t emotionally available.
“You think the girls are okay?” NuNu asked.
“Yeah, Jesminda can handle herself. She’s got Jo.” Hell, he hoped she had Jorunn.
“Where are we?” Mouth complained. Being the youngest of the four, he was far too excited for shit to go down. The kid didn’t know it was better if shit didn’t go down.
“Some passageway. It’s like a maze down here,” Jacobi answered.
That’s exactly what it was. A maze.
“You three stay close, remember what Gregor said. He couldn’t guarantee your safety.”
“Fuck those monks,” Mouth spat. “It’s not like we’re thieves or something. People see us and they automatically think they need to hide the sacramental wine. Bunk all that shit.”
“Mouth, respect the warning.”
Leaving his sister with Adam had been the right choice, after all. The Vampiri had just better keep his hands to himself and his fangs in check.
“Man, this shit is foul. This job was supposed to be in and out. Quick and painless. Now we’re stuck here in a fortress, inside a goddamned maze somewhere below the earth. This shit is whacked. I could be home getting my manhood serviced by a hoodrat. Instead, I’m in hell,” Mouth complained.
“Shut up, man,” NuNu hissed, bumping the other male with his shoulder.
Something brushed past Dietrich, and it wasn’t the wind. It was something that reeked of death. A woman with silver skin stepped from the darkness. Her eyes a purple red as she smiled demurely.
“What the fuck,” Mouth whispered. He was just as surprised as the rest of them. This wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all.
“I shall service your manhood, my lord,” the woman taunted, grabbing hold of her tits, pulling seductively on her nipples. She was standing directly in front of Mouth, who was obviously dazzled by her feminine wiles. Her eyes were hungry and her mouth opened to show a row of sharp teeth as she dropped to her knees in front of her target. Dietrich and Jacobi were the first to react as they moved forward, only to be stopped by some invisible force field. The woman on her knees in front of Mouth, looked towards Dietrich as he tried to get past the shield. Hopeless as it was, he still tried. She winked at him right before going back to Mouth and unfastening his pants. Mouth stood motionless while the silver-skinned woman pulled his erection free and sucked him. Dietrich couldn’t watch. He tried focusing his attention on getting past whatever it was that was holding him and the others back. NuNu was yelling; his voice going hoarse as he screamed to get Mouth’s attention. But he went unheard. They were fucked, so very fucked.
It was too late. The silver woman stood, opened her mouth, and took one whole half of Mouth’s neck, in a single bite. His blood dripped from her lips as she turned towards Jacobi and motioned him forward. Mouth’s body listed to the side as red fluid continued to spurt from his neck, his eyes no longer holding any spark of life. There was no fear in his eyes, nothing at all, as he finally dropped to his knees and fell face forward into the dirt. His life’s essence continued to ooze from his torn throat, soaking the floor.
NuNu was still raging against the shield that kept them from getting to their fallen companion. Jacobi was saying something to NuNu, but D couldn’t make it out with all the noise in his head. The woman had been there one moment and gone the next. And now the shield was gone. All that was in front of him was Mouth’s lifeless body. Slowly, the other man’s corpse began to deteriorate until there was nothing left.
Dietrich wasn’t expecting to feel the enormous amount of loss currently battering at his chest. Fuck, it hurt. It wasn’t like the mouthy Tavarious and he were the best of buddies, but he’d known the male from the time he could walk and talk. His father had been the one to help Dietrich get set up with the Unit.
Keep moving.
They started moving forward, their brother in arms gone, but never forgotten. The bitch would pay, he’d make sure of it.
Dietrich was really starting to worry about Jo. Even though she had safe passage, he was still concerned. Did she make it out? Was she safe? The entire network of passages was dark, and although he could see, there was also dead space. Voids. Areas in the dark that inhabited bad, violent memories. Echoes of death lingered, leaving remnants that held agonizing pulses of forgotten memories that lashed out at anyone if they lingered in an area long enough. He didn’t want Jo dealing with that.
A breeze hit the back of his neck, and Dietrich directed the others in that direction. It had to be the way back to the surface. The closer they got to the air, the cooler it became until finally they made their way into the gardens. Dietrich looked around, searching for any signs of Jo and the others. On the far side of the court, he could see Jesminda and Draven. But there was no sign of Jorunn.
~ ~ ~
“Lady Jorunna,” a female voice whispered into the darkness.
“I bet you she likes Jo. Try Jo. Lady Jo,” another voice whispered.
Her name continued to be whispered, until it became a chorus of many. Jesminda told herself to stay in the dark corner until she came back. But staying in the corner was a sure way to get caught, or worse, dead. She was about to take a step forward, but hesitated. She heard the heavy breathing of someone approaching.
“Don’t go that way, stupid. He’s out there. The Black Prince searches for you. Step back,” a voice suggested.
Step back? There was nothing behind her but a stone wall.
“Trust us, my lady.”
The breathing was getting closer, and with it came intense heat.
“Hurry, now, before he sees you.”
Jo stepped back, but it wasn’t quick enough. A long silver talon reached into the dark corner along with a bright flash of blue fire. The talon sliced into her side and the fire licked her left leg. Something behind her came through the rock wall. Hands. They were hands, and they pulled, until she slipped through to the other side. It was like a barrier of some sort. One moment she was in the dark, the next she was in some sort of cave with lit torches. Her side wasn’t cut too deep, but it stung, and her leg, well, she wouldn’t need to shave the hair that had started to grow there anytime soon.
“What just happened?” Jo breathed, looking around.
“You’re safe,” came a voice from behind her. Jo turned and came face to face with three women. All with shiny black hair and eyes, that at a closer look, changed color. Just like hers. They each had similar markings as her, as well. The three women were dressed in peculiar clothing. Some sort of silver-plated chest armor and leather shorts. They were also carrying weapons. One held a sword, the other a bow and arrow, and the shortest of the three, a staff.
“Lady Jorunna, if you will follow us,” the one holding the sword gestured ahead of her.
“She’s hurt. Hold on a second,” another female hissed. She was holding a bow and arrow. She dug into a small pack at her hip and came out with some sort of cloth. “Here, this will take care of the cut and the burn on your leg.”
Jo took the cloth and wiped at her side. When she moved the cloth away from the cut, she noticed that it had already started to heal. She did the same with her leg, and the sting of the burn was now only a slight wa
rmth to her skin.
“Thank you,” Jo breathed.
“Sure thing.”
“Who are you? Where did you come from?” Jo questioned.
The tallest of the three, who held the sword, bowed before speaking.
“I’m Arcane, these are my sisters, Ryn, and Taea.” The other two bowed, as well. She didn’t know who was who because they all looked alike except for height. She was pretty sure there were black horns peeking through the shortest one’s hair. “We are from Fion. Please come, I will send Ryn for your friends,” Arcane said.
What choice did she have? They’d basically saved her from Enri. She was with her people so she was at least safe for now. Jo followed behind the two women as Ryn, the one with the bow and arrow, stayed behind.
“Is she going to be all right?” Jo inquired, worried.
“Ryn is one of the best archers in our realm. No one will get past her arrows.” This came from Taea, she was the one holding the staff.
They walked down a steep staircase, until they came to a large wall made completely of quartz. It took up the entire cavern. At the top were carved markings similar to her own. They glowed as Arcane touched the stone. The quartz shimmered and began to liquefy into something like gel, or a wall of gooey stuff, and the three of them stepped through. On the other side, was a vibrant world alive and animated with creatures and people she’d never seen before. There were three horse-like creatures like the one she’d seen in the mirror down in the crypt. Only they looked a bit tamer and more approachable. Taea and Arcane approached them. All three, magnificent in size.
“You will take Ryn’s Runon. Can you ride?”
“No, I can’t.”
She’d never ridden a horse before. Or anything remotely like it.
“No matter. Tione will be gentle with you.” The Runon stepped forward and dipped its leg so that it was kneeling in front of her. A little scared, but more excited, she rubbed its silvery white mane of hair and slowly pulled herself up onto its back. When she felt settled, Tione stood.
“Tione, we will take it slow with Lady Jorunna.” Arcane looked down to her own Runon and whispered in its ears.
“Take us to Arouni, Dorn.”
~ ~ ~
“Jesminda, I thought you said you left her right here?” Dietrich growled in anger. Nothing was as it should be. Jesminda’s excuse for leaving Jo was stupid, considering her mate was a huge ass Lycan.
“I know I did,” Jes burst out, clearly just as upset. She kept staring at the empty corner as if Jorunn would miraculously appear.
They were down to a five-man team. Jo was nowhere in sight. The Brothers Grimm were off chasing Enri, and NuNu was still pissed about losing Mouth. Dietrich felt responsible for it all. Somewhere in his cloak and dagger routine he’d developed an annoying ass conscience. He should have explained things to Draven after Dravaggio had fled the scene. He should have talked it out then. Draven would have understood his dilemma, and maybe Jorunn, if she had known, would have helped him too. She was nice and caring. Fuck, maybe. She would have said no. You did the right thing. Okay, so maybe he didn’t have a stable conscience. No, she’s a good girl. Up to this point, she had shown him nothing but kindness and the willingness to see where things would go with them. But he already knew the answer to that. Nowhere. It was one of the reasons he didn’t want to dick her around. He’d actually been serious when he told her he wanted to remain friends. There was a dark part of him that longed for her. Some instinctual, baser compulsion, called to him and urged him to claim Jorunn. Protect her from all things he deemed a threat. He just couldn’t. She can be more than just your friend. His new and improved conscience whispered. He needed to shut down emotional Dietrich and return to asshole Dietrich.
There was a loud roar from above. Something was going on in the courtyard. Had Enri found Jo? Not willing to waste any more time in the now vacant corner Jorunn was thought to be at, Dietrich made his way back to the gardens.
“Let’s do this quietly. Whoever that is, isn’t happy,” Draven said, holding his side. He’d been injured by one of those silver women, the same type that had taken Mouth’s life. Jes had been able to stop her before she took a chunk out of her mate’s neck, but it was still no excuse for her to have left Jorunn behind. Draven was a big motherfucker. He could have handled himself, and he was one of the ones that had safe passage. It was Jacobi and NuNu who needed to be concerned about their lives.
When they made it back to the courtyard, Gregor and his brothers were standing back to back, looking up at the sky. Their robes were gone, their chests bare and blood-splattered with long gashes.
“You guys need some help?” Draven asked. He was in no condition to fight, and still the fool wanted to jump into the fray, all Rambo and shit.
“We got this, you all need to stand back. Z has gone to get the chains.”
“Chains! Fucking chains can’t hold him!” Jes shouted over what sounded like a large gust of wind. She stepped forward, yanking her hair into a ponytail. Obviously, chick was about to go hard as a motherfucker on Enri. Her eyes flickered between honey-brown and black before she managed to morph into her Zea form. Zea—who was really Jes—was a bad bitch. She was a stone-cold killer extraordinaire. “I can’t stand here and do nothing. I was so mean to Jo, and because I left her, that asshole Enri probably snacked on her.”
“You better hope he didn’t, or you will be answering to me.”
She flipped Dietrich the bird before going to stand next to the brothers. There was a clap of thunder above them, and a gust of wind rushed through the courtyard as black clouds blocked out the sun high above the open area.
“He’s here,” Liam said, looking to the black sky.
D didn’t see anything but darkness and black clouds. Like a cloying mist, it clung to the tops of the monastery, rushing forward in fat, black, angry puffs. Riding the blackness was lightning and thunder. The clouds moved like none Dietrich had ever seen before. They surrounded the courtyard, but every now and then there was a glimpse of light. The lightning looked like veins, or an extension of its puppeteer, yet nothing held it together.
The veil moved up the sides of the walls, covering the entire monastery in darkness. D looked up and noticed something in the heart of the storm. It was Enri. His form, still just as massive. The atmospheric phenomenon gathered around him and rushed forward and back, creating gusts of heavy wind as he descended down, swooping in like a large bird of prey.
When he landed, his massive wings arched high, reaching almost to the top of the spire atop the monastery. Lightning skittered against the darkness. The gusts of wind and the storm-like atmosphere, had all come from Enri’s wings. He was the master puppeteer, and the clouds weren’t that at all. It had been his wings the entire time.
“Get ready!” Gregor yelled out to his brothers. Jes still stood with them as they prepared for combat. Dietrich and the others weren’t just going to stand there,. As he looked to each team member, he could see they all had the same thought. Draven, although hurt, was standing behind Jesminda, a few feet back. NuNu and Jacobi had taken up positions on opposite sides of the courtyard, and he was standing off to the side, just in case the bastard tried to get past the group in the middle.
Something raced past out of the corner of Dietrich’s eye. It was a flash of black hair and lithe body. The woman also held a bow and silver arrows. She made her way behind the Fallen, and Z came at Enri from the front, holding large silver chains. The little woman behind Enri leapt high atop one of the buildings. Gregor and his brothers, along with Jes, stood their ground as Enri approached. Dietrich wanted to put the fucker on his ass, or better yet, introduce him to pain. Up close and personal like.
“Someone give me their gun,” D said to anyone who was listening. A gun was thrust into his free hand, and he raised both weapons, walking into Enri’s line of sight. “Hey, bitch!”
Enri focused on Dietrich. His form changed back into something more resembling a man as he approached
, his large wings billowing behind him.
“Dietrich, where is my intended?”
Was the douche serious? The only thing that didn’t make him shoot right away was that he now knew Enri was looking for Jorunn just like they were.
“Fuck you, I’m not telling you shit,” D raised his guns, emptying the clips. The time for talk was long gone as he reloaded and shot the Fallen some more. Enri barely flinched, but it was enough time to give bow girl a chance to shoot six arrows into Enri’s wings that were still flapping behind him like some over the top trench coat. The shots were strategic. One arrow became six, and they branched out to pierce his wings, pinning him to the ground.
“What the fuck is this!” Enri shouted. The bow and arrow chick bounded from her perch on the ledge, landed on her feet, and looked over to Z.
“Toss the chains over to Caelian now before the arrows come out of the ground. They will only hold him for so long.”
The chain Z brought was tossed to Caelian. The male moved faster than Dietrich could track, as he wove his way around Enri’s body. The chains were wrapped around his wrists and ankles, bringing the Fallen to his knees as Caelian pulled tighter. Enri bucked and tried to free himself, but it seemed to only make it worse as the chains dug deeper into his skin. Enri roared as his flesh smoked in the places where the chain touched. It burned all the way down to his bones.
“Pull it tighter,” Gregor yelled over Enri’s cries of pain. The Fallen’s bones began to pop as his wings drew into his shoulder blades. His vertebrae sliced through skin, protruding through his back, sharp like horns. Two more points appeared at his shoulders, as sweat covered the Fallen’s entire body.
Dietrich wasn’t one to back away from a fight, no matter the odds, and he really liked these. He walked up to the chained Fallen and introduced Enri’s face to his knee. Maybe even more than once.
“You about done?” the female with the bow and arrows asked. The brothers approached, as did the others.
He wasn’t done by a long shot, but he didn’t need or want an audience either. So he stopped.
