Personal Warriors: Book 3 in the Personal Demons series

by Rachel A. Collett

  “And confessed all this within her diary.”

  She picked at a lock of her own hair, examining the ends. “We’re not sure how accurate her records are, but it’s all we have. She only used them when she felt there was no other alternative, and after a time, she was able to resist them altogether. The demons inside were trapped for years.”

  I shuddered, remembering the nearly hollowed shells of the Fallen that had emerged. “And by then, there wasn’t much left,” I finished.

  “She should have gone to Fiona,” Darius said gruffly, expressing my own sentiments.

  “And what would the great White Witch have done?” Bailey asked with a meaningful look. “She’s been known to put to death any witch that caused too much trouble. For Gayle, that confession would’ve been suicide.”

  I shook my head, annoyed and suddenly tired. “Very well. Thank you for the information. I’ll make sure to share this with the others.”

  But before I could escape to my tent, Bailey grabbed my arm. I halted my steps, shooting a reproachful glare her direction. A warning.

  She held up her hands as if in surrender. “Listen, I know we didn’t start on the right foot and that you don’t like me, but I’m hoping we can try again.”

  A memory flashed. It was something Jonathan had once requested at the very beginning, before I had even known who I was. It softened my response.

  “And how would you suggest we do that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t really know, but I’d like to try. For the sake of my coven—your wards.”

  I heaved a heavy sigh. “We can try.”

  “That’s all I ask.” She smiled, backing away slowly. “I’ll leave you both now.” She nodded to my mate, then gave me a private wink before turning away. “Tell my husband I said hi.”

  I growled, annoyed. “He’s not your husband!” But she only smiled and waved farewell.

  Darius cleared his throat, tugging on my hand to get my attention. “You’ll need to get used to her and to her kind.”

  “I don’t mind her kind. Fiona was right: witches are pretty amazing.”

  “Then why are you so hostile to her, and why do you mind that she calls Jonathan her husband?” His hands moved to my hips, his thumbs gently grazing my growing abdomen.

  I smiled at his attention. “I don’t, really. It’s just… she’s just…” I waved my hand in the air, batting away an imaginary fly. “Annoying.”

  He spun me to him, my back against his chest. Together we looked over the expanse of our small world. Contentment swelled within my heart. But could I have it? This peace?

  “Is it really over?” I asked in a hushed voice.

  “What do you mean?”

  I peered over to where the sanctuary veil danced like a glistening wave in the sun. To mark the border for the mortals, a new archway was under construction. Great stone blocks sat waiting to be placed. Already the words God be with you were inscribed on the stones designated to be the centermost arches. In the distance, my family and friends ate and laughed, sharing in a bond I was now part of.

  I took a deep breath. “The war against The Three. Annie’s campaign. The betrayal in our sanctuary. No one’s trying to kill me—”

  “All that is over… for now, but that—”

  “I know,” I said, interrupting the forthcoming warning. I understood the calling I had accepted, what was expected of me, and what could come because of this choice, but it didn’t seem so bad anymore. Things were different. I wasn’t as vulnerable, and I had Darius. “It feels so strange and wonderful that this is my life now.”

  He enveloped me in his arms. His breath tickled my ear, eliciting a smile. “But you are mine now. Anyone that tries to get to you will have to get through me. For us, this is just the beginning.”

  I spun in his embrace, giving him my full attention. I wrapped my arms around his neck, fingering the hair at the nape of his neck.

  “Technically, you are mine.”

  He laughed, and my heart sped into overdrive. “Am I, really?” He placed a finger under my chin, lifting my gaze to his. His warm breath danced over my mouth. “Are you sure about that?” His lips parted, his eyes lowering.

  My cheeks flushed beneath his notice. The air hitched in my lungs. I tried to look away but failed. I inhaled the scent that was wholly Darius, his closeness making it impossible to think. I had no other choice but to place my hands on the hard muscles of his chest.

  He gently kissed my forehead. His lips brushed against the line of my brow.

  “Look what I can do to you with just a touch of my hand,” he murmured against my skin. His words thrilled me. Fingers trailed the line of my neck to my collarbone. I gripped his biceps to keep from falling. A flood of sensations rushed. “I break through your defenses every time. Are you sure…”

  I covered his mouth, shaking my head, a little too zealously. “You are mine, Darius. But I am equally yours.” In fact, no one had ever loved him more than me.

  He bent down, lowering his face to mine. His honey-colored eyes devoured me. “Prove it.”

  I laughed as he scooped me into his arms. He kissed me, infusing every nerve with his energy. My arms snaked behind his neck, securing him to me.

  The others didn’t notice—didn’t notice, or didn’t care as we fumbled toward our private tent, falling within its canvas doorway and into our own personal world.

  Epilogue

  A heavy light burned my eyes. My vision blurred. Fear in the form of sweat trickled down the line of my neck. A strange, almost familiar smell caught my senses, and it made me sick. Confused, I pushed out with my powers, searching, but my connection was muddled. I couldn’t sense anything beyond my own distress.

  A loud bang caused me to inhale a sharp breath. Frantically, I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand, forcing my sight. Laith shouted commands to a space suddenly full of commotion. Muffled shrieks and growls echoed somewhere nearby.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Darius said from next to me. His face came into focus and momentary relief swept over me. I looked to our connected hands. His was warm and firm in my tight grasp, but his tan skin stood out in stark contrast to my paled fingers. Despite my angst, I appreciated how stunning he looked in dress pants and tie.

  “We’re running out of time,” Violet said, and my insides jumped. She stood behind me, so quiet I hadn’t sensed her yet. She moved to my side. Taking my other hand in hers, she massaged my fingers and arm.

  “This room is protected. It’s a small barrier, but it should work.”

  “Your prayers aren’t working, Guardian. This isn’t sacred space. They’ll wear it down. They’ll be able to get in.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked, my voice like sandpaper. I pressed out again, this time catching only glimpses of harried images and thoughts.

  “If you’re trying to read my mind, you might find it a little difficult,” Darius said. “Your energy is being directed elsewhere.”

  “What do you—”

  “Your water broke,” Fiona said matter-of-factly.

  A groan bubbled from my lips as I looked down at my long, peach-colored dress gathered to my knees, now wet with a substance I’d rather not think about.

  Humiliation reddened my face. My aunt stood next to her mate, down by my legs. My humiliation grew in leaps when I registered my feet propped onto two separate stacks of books.

  What in the hell?

  “Just tell me if I’m dying already,” I groaned, through my rising panic.

  Darius kissed the inside of my wrist. “Of course not.”

  “No one’s going to die,” Cedric said. He wore a white button-down dress shirt, undone at the top and tucked into blue dress pants. His sandy-blond hair was even more disheveled then normal.

  My insides disagreed. They seized, my stomach contracting angrily. Pressure built in my lower extremities, and I had the distinct feeling I was going to combust. I muffled a cry of pain.

  The door lurched with a loud
bang.

  “Darius, can’t you silence your woman?” Jonathan flashed across the room, slamming his weight against the door and whatever was trying to force its way in.

  “Demon, I will kill you myself,” Darius said beneath his breath.

  Suddenly, the commotion stopped.

  “Darius?” I squeezed his hand, pleading for an explanation.

  My Guardian smiled tensely. “I had just come back to the building with a truck to get you home. We were about to leave, but you froze. You looked like you were having a vision but then you just sort of… fainted.”

  “And then we were under attack,” Cedric said. My attention snapped to the Healer’s weapon on the table next to his hand. His eyes nervously slid to the door. “I think they’ve gone.”

  “Wait, who’s attacking? And am I on a desk?”

  “Ray’s colleague’s desk, in fact,” Cedric answered.

  Now I recognized the smell.

  We were in a college laboratory, very similar to others I had attended during my student years at ASU. Dark, woodgrain cabinets stood opposite me, topped with black-speckled counters and a metal sink in the center. Shelves lined the surrounding walls, filled with countless books, magazines, and folders. Desks littered the room, pushed away from my table, some being used as a weight against the main doors. A window looked out into the branches of treetops and lamp lights. We were on the second floor.

  “Good thing he didn’t show, or this might be really awkward,” Ray said. Amusement inlaid his tone. “You chose an interesting time to go into labor.”

  “And an even worse time to have a vision,” Fiona added.

  My brows pinched together as everything mentally slid into place. “I did have a vision. At least, it started out as one, but there was… nothing there.” My breathing shallowed as pain grew within.

  I worked through the contraction, forcing myself to replay the evening to keep focus, resetting the lapse in my brain.

  We had come with Ray—moving the sanctuary to Arizona to attend one of the famous professor’s lectures. It was a special affair to honor his contributions to the field of history, and I was eager to get dressed up, out of my less attractive pregnancy clothes. Afterward, Ray wanted us to meet a colleague that had flown in for the event with copies of ancient texts he knew Dr. Stevens would like to see. Ray was excited and wanted to match them to our own records, but the associate was a no-show.

  “We need to move her,” Cedric said, interrupting my thoughts. “Laith, have you figured a way out of here?”

  “He’s not back yet. Pay attention to what you’re doing!” Cheryl’s voice was annoyed, her shoulders pressed against an empty wall. Her features were pale, but when our eyes connected she tried to smile—and failed. Fear emanated from her soul.

  “It doesn’t matter even if he does,” Fiona said, looking beneath my dress. “She’s not going anywhere. She’s fully effaced and dilated to a ten.”

  “How is that possible?” Cedric asked. His eyes were closed, his hand resting on top of my abdomen. “Her contractions just started.”

  “Actually, they started right after Ray’s lecture began,” I breathed.

  “What?” Elisa said from clear across the room. “You’ve been in labor for over three hours?”

  Despite the tenseness of the situation, she perched on a comfy office chair. Her belly bulged against a long, black dress, but even then, she looked stunning.

  I grimaced when the next wave of contractions hit. “I didn’t want to ruin Ray’s special night. I thought we’d have more time,” I said through clenched teeth.

  Cedric chuckled, looking beneath the hem of my dress. “That figures.”

  A thought came to me, a connection, to a familiar presence. Someone knew we were coming and had been there, waiting for us. I shared my suspicion. “Don’t you think it’s interesting that one of Ray’s friends wants to give him some ancient documents, then… never shows?”

  “You think it was a set up?” Elisa asked. “By who?”

  You know who, Jonathan said, linking to me.

  It took a moment before I fully comprehended. I ground out the name. “Natalya.”

  Darius’s brows furrowed. “What?”

  A far-off shriek echoed through the building.

  My fingers twitched to feel the comforting rubber molded grip of my father’s knife. “It’s the Annihilator. She’s back.”

  Violet’s hand froze against my forehead. “If it’s her, she’s not her… usual self.”

  “And she’s not alone. They’re looking for another way in,” Laith said, entering through a door in the back of the laboratory. I caught a glimpse of a connecting classroom before he barred access. He pushed a large metal filing cabinet in front. “We might be able to make a run for it if we hurry.”

  Elisa met her mate, taking his hands in hers. “We’re not running anywhere. Not until this baby is here.” She cast a nervous glance my direction.

  Laith froze in place as he took in the sight of me.

  I ignored him the best I could. “So, we fight. We’ve beaten her before. Kind of.”

  Jonathan appeared next to me. His black eyes stared into mine. “What are you going to do? Throw your knives at her from that desk and in that position?” he asked with a gesture.

  “This is so not appropriate,” I said through clenched teeth, trying to maneuver my dress farther toward my ankles.

  He almost laughed. “Do you think I’ve never seen a baby being born? I’ve even delivered a few.”

  “We don’t know how many are with her. I’ve set up more defenses, but they won’t be enough to hold them,” Laith said.

  “Told you,” Violet said, rolling her eyes.

  I grimaced as another contraction swelled. Fiona inched up my dress. “The safest, and really, the only plan we have available is to wait until this baby comes.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off. “We’ll fight, Ava, when we absolutely have to, but right now, you have to push.”

  “Everyone, get into position,” Laith commanded.

  I took a shallow breath and bore down, squeezing Darius’s hand until I could feel the bones of his fingers. He grunted but remained steady through my abuse. “It’s going to be okay,” he repeated, although I was unsure whether he believed his own words.

  This one lasted longer. I panted as the pressure increased.

  “You’re doing good,” Cedric said as he watched the progress of the baby.

  The baby.

  Tears sprang to my eyes when what once was a wonderful possibility became my reality.

  I was having a baby.

  A feral growl echoed from the hallway and into the cavernous room. At the same time, a bang rattled the second door behind. My name vibrated through the space. A shudder traveled down my spine.

  “Split up,” Laith said.

  Violet ran with Jonathan to the second door. Laith and Cheryl held the other, but Cheryl looked so little next to the Herald. I growled through my frustration. I was supposed to protect her. It was my job to protect her.

  My breath caught as my insides contracted again. I could feel movement from within, the pain hitting sharply.

  I squeezed Darius’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere. Go. Help Cheryl.”

  Hesitantly, he released me. His features shifted into stone, transforming into my immortal Guardian.

  “You, too,” Elisa said, rushing to my side. She shoved Cedric from his place at my feet. “Only one is needed here, Fiona. I know what to do.”

  Together the Healers sprinted toward the others. They stacked desks against both entryways, adding their weight to the load.

  And the room was under attack.

  Bang after bang, the doors rattled as if Fallen took turns ramming them. The air rumbled like thunder. I covered my ears to the sound as my family braced against a growing evil. With each repeated blow, the doors threatened to give way.

  Darius stood sentinel between whatever was trying to break i
n and me, knives drawn.

  “Push, Ava.” Elisa grabbed my hand and squeezed. “The only way you can help them is by having this baby. Push.”

  I concentrated on Darius—my core, my world—until something else caught my attention.

  A soft yellow glow grew from outside. The smell of smoke assaulted my senses. I gasped, pointing to where flames rose, devouring the outside trees.

  But I was too late.

  Glass shattered. Something large and ragged rocketed through the window. Cheryl screamed.

  Black shadows swooped from the sky, solidifying into ghostly forms within the room.

  Darius was a blur in motion, hacking through the first wave of lessers, but more came. The noise beyond the door increased.

  Elisa held out a knife with one hand, holding her ground as both protector and nurse.

  I dropped my head back and gritted my teeth, forcing another push. It was no use. “Help them.” I pled, calling to my angel. “Help them.”

  There was no doubt in my mind that when I opened my eyes, Aaron would be there, ready to aid the ones I loved most.

  But I was wrong. It wasn’t Aaron.

  “Who are you?” Elisa asked, her voice wary. An ethereal woman with remarkably long, black hair and chocolate skin watched me from above. Her face was breathtaking, her eyes dark brown.

  “I am Gabrielle.” Her voice was soft. Child-like.

  “Okay…” My lungs seized. After a moment my breath leaked in a high-pitched groan. “The Annihil—Natalya is out there.”

  The heavenly visitor observed with wide-eyed interest. “I know. She’s here to stop the birth.”

  I reached for the knife strapped to my thigh. Natalya would die before touching my child.

  Gabrielle put out a hand to stop me. Her touch zinged through me, warming my soul. She turned to Elisa. “I can’t destroy her, but I can slow her and her forces down… with help.”