by Holly Evans
Kadrix and the others were soon lost to their books as they discussed the inner workings of celestials, or something along those lines. I slipped outside with Lysander. Emotions swirled within me. I needed to clear my head and deal with a few things. We stood outside in the pale sunlight, leaning against the cool stone as we looked around the square. The grand building opposite us bustled with people. I wasn't entirely sure why. Lysander's lips brushed my cheek, his breath hot against my skin.
"I'm scared, Evelyn."
I ran my fingers over his collar, the smooth metal a reminder of his place with me. He leaned into me, his hands on my waist as his strong chest began to press me back against the wall. His breath caught in his throat, lust warred with fear between us as his mouth crept closer to mine.
"I'll keep you safe,” I whispered.
His eyes softened, yet he paused, his lips barely millimeters from mine. The decision was mine. I dug my fingers into his hair and grazed my teeth over his bottom lip. He was a beast. I kissed him tenderly, barely a kiss as our lips caressed each other’s. He was an infernal hound. He kissed me harder, caution slipping away. He was a marrok. I pulled him tight against me. His heart beat against mine, his mouth opened just enough for me to explore with my tongue. Our kiss was fierce. Passionate. Fueled by lust. I pulled back slowly. No, there was more than lust there. His eyes met mine. Far more than lust.
Panic began to thread its way through me. I couldn't do it. It was just the bond. A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth tugged downwards. Pain started to unfurl in his chest. Against my best judgement I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close, breathing in the scent of hot metal and petrichor. Like it or not, he was my hound. His rich blue eyes danced with promises of deep pleasures. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing being bound to him. He relaxed and nuzzled my neck.
“What if it’s my old master, Evelyn?"
I stroked his hair and nuzzled against him. "Then we'll face him together. We dealt with the others, didn't we?"
He took a long deep breath, his muscles flexed and tensed before they relaxed once more.
"We did,” he admitted.
Light kisses fluttered down my jawline. I stole a glance over his shoulder to see a pair of young women watching raptly, passing hushed comments between them.
"I've waited a long time for this,” he murmured.
I kissed his cheek and waited for him to continue.
"Freedom. Love,” he whispered.
A shiver ran down my spine. Panic threatened to well up once more. His tender touches soothed the edges away. I'd sooner take on demons than love.
"Do you deny it, Evelyn?"
A playful smirk sat on his lips, challenging me. I shook my head and looked away. He kissed my temple.
"You have all the time in the world."
His hands slid down to my hips, but he eased away from me, giving me a little breathing room. I was disappointed, but Quin soon snapped my mind back to its proper place.
"Kadrix has figured out how to trap the celestials,” Quin said.
Thirty-Five
Kadrix was scribbling down in one of his many notebooks when we walked in. Lysander kept his arm around my waist; the warmth of his happiness brought a smile to my face. A smile that Elise smirked at.
"Quin said you'd made progress, Kadrix."
The elf looked up at me. "Hm? Oh. The celestials. Yes, yes. I have created a net, to put it in simple terms.” I glared at him. "That will stop him from being able to teleport away."
"And how do we use this net?" I asked.
He blinked and looked at Quin with a look of mild confusion. "You throw it at him..."
I sighed and bit my tongue. He didn't mean to be a condescending asshole, it was just part of who he was. I smiled as sweetly as I could muster.
"Can I see this net?"
He held up a small golden ball. I raised an eyebrow.
"That's a rather odd-looking net."
He pursed his lips and muttered something under his breath. Quin coughed trying to hide laughter. My temper was fraying.
"It's not a net in the traditional sense. It's an energy net. Throw the ball at him, or close to him, and it'll activate,” Quin said.
I gave a small nod. "Now we just need to find him. I assume we can kill celestials in the usual manner?"
Kadrix's mouth dropped open a little, his tongue twisting around some unspoken words before he said, "I have a dagger, an infernal dagger."
His eyes flitted to Lysander.
"What wrong with this dagger?" I asked.
"It's made from the bones of a hellhound…” he said quietly, refusing to look at me or my hound.
Lysander's hand tightened on my waist.
"Such is life,” I said. "And there's only one? Can he be harmed with our usual weapons?"
"Yes, but it'll be far easier with the dagger. Oh yes, only one."
I looked to Quin, trying to decide who would be better with it. He smiled and handed me a delicate black dagger, with a leather hilt.
"It's more your style."
Lysander tensed against me. I stroked the back of his hand trying to soothe him while Quin tucked the dagger away in a sheath for me. We were prepared; we just needed to find the damn thing now.
The others were soon lost in their own worlds again, flitting through books and poking at potions.
I took Lysander to the far side of the workshop and said in quiet tones, "Would you rather I didn't use this dagger?"
He took a long breath. "No. We do what we must. The hound can't be brought back now."
I stroked the side of his face, trying to smooth away the worry that caught around his eyes and tugged at his mouth.
"Do not fear, dear hound, I will keep you safe."
His eyes met mine and he relinquished a smile. "I trust you, mistress."
Quin's phone rang. The colour faded from his face before he tried to calm whomever was on the other end.
"We'll be there in five minutes,” he said, hanging up the phone. To us, he added gravely, "The celestial has another pack hostage.”
I quickly put the infernal dagger around my thigh and we took off out the door. At least the celestial had shown up and saved us from trekking around the city after it.
Felix and a number of his pack were standing at the edge of the short grass by Klarov road. Cars meandered by, entirely oblivious to the situation going on next to them. Stately hotels and homes stood on the far side of the grassy area, no doubt far too expensive for my pocket with their pristine pale facades and proximity to the castle. The celestial stood tall and proud, his broad shoulders pushed back and his muscles relaxed as he held a rather pissed off looking man at his side.
The celestial, with a manic grin and mussed pale blond hair, held strong eye-contact with Felix before he said, "This is your wife's lover, how does it feel that she couldn't stand to be in your bed? You filthy abomination."
Quin had the net; he had the better throwing arm. Lysander remained close at my side as we slowly approached Felix while Quin casually circled around behind the celestial. Elise and Kadrix took up positions on the other side of him. The celestial tore his eyes from Felix and fixed that cold stare on me, his eyes barely darker than arctic ice.
"Another abomination, this is my lucky day."
I sniffed. "I'll have you know that I am rather well-bred."
Quin edged a little closer, his head down and his pace relaxed as though he were taking a casual stroll. The celestial's lips pulled back showing perfect white teeth before he laughed.
"You are a filthy mudblood. You're worse than that mutt there."
He gestured at Felix. I took a few steps closer and looked entirely bored with his bullshit.
"I don't know where you got your information, but you're wrong."
Felix's men began spreading out, closing in around the celestial. His eyes remained fixed on me. His mouth tightened and his head tilted to one side.
"You're n
ot aware of the shame you bring, are you?"
"I suppose that depends on how we define shame, and to whom I'm bringing it."
I took another couple of steps closer. Quin was almost ready.
He tossed aside the man he'd claimed was Felix's wife's lover. The man stumbled but caught himself; dark purple bruises lay around his throat. The celestial took a few steps towards me. Quin was almost there.
"You've even embraced half of your heritage with that infernal beast you proudly flaunt."
Lysander snarled; his fire rippled below the surface. My own threatened to engulf my hands. I forced a smile onto my face and gave a little shrug.
"What can I say, I like predatory men."
One of Felix's men flashed me a smirk. I kept my expression smug and focused on the celestial.
"You could have been so much more, if you'd just have purged that filth from your blood."
I shook my head and sighed melodramatically. "Sweetheart, you really need to get a better informant. You have me all wrong."
He laughed, a wicked hyena cackle that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Quin threw the net. It struck the back of the celestial's calves and exploded in a blinding gold-white light. The celestial shimmered for a moment before he pivoted and glared at Quin.
"Abomination. You dare trap me."
Quin pursed his lips and said, "Really, with the abomination shit again?"
I pulled the dagger. Elise gave a short nod. Felix grinned and raised his hand just enough to catch his men’s eye.
We closed in around the celestial; we had to overwhelm him. He was bred as a warrior, his strength and speed surpassed anything we could hope to achieve, all without the restrictions of his brethren; we needed to work as a team to take him down.
Thirty-Six
The lycans rippled and snarled as they took on their full lycan forms. Lysander shifted into his hound form; we closed in around the celestial, each with weapons brandished. The dagger felt odd in my hand, too warm. My fire flickered and added a tremble to my hands, and I growled. It wasn't the time. The celestial cackled, that manic, mirthless laugh of a madman. Felix's wife reached him first. Her auburn fur highlighted the moss green of her eyes, her muscular form barely smaller than that of the hulking males around her. She snarled something that sounded related to honour; it was hard to understand wolf snarls. The celestial's focus remained fixed on Quin, who was grinning at him. It was always a game to him.
The lycans were on the celestial. They worked as a fierce unit, their strong arms pounding him, sharp claws raking at his flesh. His clothes tore, blood trickled over his pale skin, and yet he still laughed. The largest of the lycans was tossed like a ragdoll some fifteen or more feet; Felix’s wife was close behind him. Lysander remained at my side while Elise danced around the celestial, her silver blades twirling in her hands while she looked for her opening. Felix bit the celestial's calf and received a kick to the head for his trouble; he fell back with a sharp yelp. It was down to us.
"I will rid this world of the filthy impurities."
"Are you still on about that bullshit?" Quin taunted back.
The celestial took a long leaping stride and was on Quin. We descended on him. I barely noticed as I jumped over the prone form of a lycan; my twin was in danger. I thrust the dagger deep into the celestial's back just as Quin cried out. Lysander jumped onto the celestial's back and dug his claws into his muscular shoulders before he snapped at his throat. My hound flew backwards when the celestial tore him off. I felt the shock of pain. The dagger slipped out of my hands; the bastard had moved too quickly. Elise slashed at his stomach with her daggers while Kadrix threw some powder in his face. Quin was disorientated, but sitting up. Lysander groaned, but remained on the ground. The bastard would pay.
He laughed again, his gaze fixing on me once more. His tongue flicked over his lips as his hands balled into fists. Kadrix threw a delicate knife at his temple; the celestial batted it out of thin air as if it was nothing. The lycans were stirring and preparing for the next round. I glanced to Elise, hoping to see the dagger. It was still in his back; he paid it no attention. Had Kadrix been wrong?
Thirty-Seven
“Stop denying yourself, Evelyn,” Kadrix shouted at me.
I ducked under the celestial’s swing and glared at the elf while trying to get behind the celestial to retrieve the dagger. Elise was near me, her daggers blurs as she slashed at the celestial, trying to keep him occupied. Kadrix joined the fight, spinning and dancing, drawing the celestial’s eye towards him and Elise. I pulled the dagger free of his back and drove my foot into the back of his knee. He barely faltered. Elise cried out when he tossed her aside. Lysander was getting to his feet; the lycans were circling around us, waiting for their moment. The dagger shivered in my hand; once more, my fire rippled and threatened to consume my hands. I breathed deep and tried to push it aside; it wasn’t the time.
“Evelyn! You stupid girl, embrace the fire,” Kadrix shouted from the celestial’s shoulders while he hacked at its face with his knives.
He was soon flat on his back, groaning some twenty feet away; the lycans leapt on the celestial as one unit. It was a chaotic heap of fur, claws, and vicious snarls. The fire became unbearable, I couldn’t control it any longer. It engulfed my hands. The dagger consumed it, leaving nothing more than a faint flicker along the dark blade. A lycan flew over my head; another collided with me, sending me sprawling on the hard earth. I was growing tired of the celestial's shit.
Once more Lysander was at my side; his teeth were bared, and fire replaced his coarse fur. The time for games was over. Kadrix huffed and groaned on the floor, Quin glanced between him and the celestial. It was a moment of weakness we couldn't afford. I couldn't get there quickly enough. The celestial's fist collided with Quin's face with a sickening crunch. He foot connected with my twin's ribs just as I came level with the celestial. Fury filled my veins. Any semblance of control I had before vanished. The dagger swirled with blue flames in my hand, an extension of me.
"Abomination," the celestial snarled with his foot raised over Quin's throat.
Lysander sank his teeth deep into the celestial's thigh, causing him to yowl and step back, giving Quin room to crawl away. Elise was a whirling dervish of blades. Blood coated the celestial's abdomen and chest. Kadrix coughed and shouted my name and some curses once more. My moment came. The celestial tried to pull away from Elise's onslaught to kick at Lysander, who clung on, his teeth deep into the heavy muscle of the celestial's thigh. I dove forward and hacked at the celestial's ribs; he screamed, a satisfying sound of pure agony. It pushed me on. Determined to avenge the injuries of my family. I jumped, my foot finding purchase on the celestial's bent knee. I clutched the dagger in both hands and buried it the bastard's eye. Fire consumed him. Elise jumped back as he became a tower of blue flames, a screaming inferno.
There was nothing left after a few seconds. He was gone.
I dropped the dagger and ran to Quin. His breathing was ragged, but a smile remained plastered on his face.
"I knew you could do it, Evie,” he coughed.
I stroked his hair and tried to choke back the tears; he was a bloody mess. Elise knelt next to him.
"Check on Lysander, I'll help Quin." Kadrix said.
I didn't want to leave him.
"Evie,” Elise said firmly.
The lycans were all shifting back to their human forms and gathering around Felix. Lysander's shift lacked his usual grace; pain filtered through my mind. It cut through the numbness. I had no idea if it was mine or his. Strong arms wrapped around me. I didn't know what I was any more. Soft lips brushed against my forehead.
"It's over, Evelyn."
Fingers stroked my hair; the familiar warmth of happiness trickled in around the edge of the pain. I took a deep breath and looked around. The lycans were battered and bruised, but all seemed to be standing. Kadrix knelt next to Quin, holding his hand and stroking his hair; I hadn't known the elf was c
apable of such tenderness.
“I should have embraced the fire sooner,” I whispered.
Lysander nuzzled against my neck, his pain trickling around my thoughts. I cupped his face in mine and kissed him softly.
“How badly are you hurt?”
He gave me a crooked smile and a small shrug. “I’ve had worse injuries.”
The lycans growled and yipped at each other, drawing my attention to them. Felix was fussing over his wife while she preened and smiled.
"What did the celestial mean when he called you an abomination?" I asked Felix.
He pulled away from his wife, who had been nibbling down his throat. His eyes flicked around his pack, all of whom lowered their eyes and showed submission.
"My father was a hellhound,” he growled.
I raised an eyebrow; I hadn't thought that possible.
"I gained none of the hound abilities."
"You're strong and fierce,” his wife said with pride.
"And you?" Felix asked.
Lysander held me against his chest, his hand trailed down my back keeping me focused and grounded.
"I am no abomination,” I said.
"He only targeted mixed-breeds," Felix pushed.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"The nymph was part changeling, the witch had some elf in him. And you?"
"I am not a mixed breed,” I snapped.
"And yet you collared a hound and use his fire."
My blades were in my hands. I took two steps before Lysander's arms were around my waist, holding me firm.
Felix held his hands up. "Thank you for your help, hunter."
With that he and his pack walked away.
"I am not an abomination,” I growled to myself.
Lysander kissed my temple. "Let us check on Quin, Evelyn."
I sighed softly and turned to see if Elise had finished her work; she seemed to be unscathed. Quin sat up and smiled. Kadrix kissed him passionately and said something too quiet for me to hear. It was over. I took a deep breath and relaxed. It was over.
