by JL Madore
The howl of the wind was joined by the grunt of bodies and the familiar clang of metal. The oval racetrack didn’t offer any cover. It was flat, clear, and reminded him of the ancient battlegrounds of olde. With such a close melee and with his brothers in the mix, he sheathed his guns and reached for his dagger. Right, Cassi had that.
Okay, he’d have to salvage a weapon from the chaos.
One of the only nice thing about fighting Daemons was that very few of them had graduated to using guns. Hunting and stalking under the veil of secrecy for millennia had conditioned most of them to prefer hand-to-hand combat and non-mechanical weaponry. Which kept things sporting.
Kyrian’s beast searched the scuffle. The twins were teeing off on five Dimme on the left. Brennus and some of Cassi’s men had a cluster of Shedim rebels on the right. Hark had taken a perch on the clubhouse roof and was picking attackers off with his crossbow, and Zander and Dougal were back to back, taking on everyone else.
Where the hell was Cass—ah, there she was.
Kyrian got his dancing shoes on and—Cassi took a solid right hook to the cheek.
A red veil covered Kyrian’s vision as his beast took over. Gunning it like an out-of-control eighteen-wheeler, he hit the wall of attackers like a British bulldog player on PCP. He pommeled faces, grappled a scythe and a dagger free from the crowd, and made his way closer to his female.
Cassie spun in a roundhouse and caught her bitch sister square in the side of the head.
“Yeah, she did!” he shouted, his adrenaline pumping. “Kick her ass, baby.”
There were two halves of him, the warrior, who appreciated his mate’s fighting skills and the lethal, insane half that didn’t want her anywhere on this battleground. Unfortunately, it was that insane half of him controlling the joystick at the moment.
Kyrian pummeled the shit out of the bastard in front of him, his attention firmly on the leather clad, girl-on-girl action thirty feet away. Both females were going at it hard-core. All in. If Cassi wasn’t one of the contenders involved, he would have gotten off on the whole scene. As it was, the bonded male in him didn’t find it amusing at all.
A solid uppercut snapped his head back and rattled his molars, as a blur of fists and arms took him to the frozen turf. Whipping back on his ass, a Dimme straddled him as two other fuckers pinned his arms over his head. He blinked up, chest heaving, as the sweet-fire of Heaven’s Grace ignited through his veins. The Dimme raised a red-metaled blade into the air and Kyrian’s focus got razor sharp.
“Hells no, asshole.” Kyrian rocked his hips and swung his legs around the Dimme’s throat. He tightened the thigh necktie at the same time a steel bolt soared through the skull of one of the other two.
“Thanks, Hark.” Rolling to the side, he snapped the neck of the Dimmie and sunk the guy’s dagger through the chest of opponent number three. Back on his feet, he soaked in the energy of his brothers around him. When they all got their groove on, the air actually sang to them. It keyed them up with an indescribable rightness, a sensation of total oneness.
Zander’s wings fanned out and his brother cracked a Shedim in the head. Kyrian got his feet moving again. There really was no need though. Cassi had her sister nailed to the ground.
“Struggle all you want,” Cassi said, hauling frigid oxygen into her heaving lungs. “You’re not getting up unless I let you up.”
“Fuck you,” Emma spat. “I don’t know how you beat me, but you’ll have to let me up sometime. Then we’ll see who’s the better fighter.”
“Such hostility, Emma.”
“My name is Thrash, bitch.”
Cassi shook her head. “Didn’t Father teach you how to hide your crazy and act like a lady? Were you so sure you’d best me in a fight? Stryker spent countless hours, for countless years, teaching me how to protect myself.”
“Really? I heard you were a soft little twit in pretty gowns.”
Cassi laughed. “Devious’ thoughts, no doubt. Well, Devious was blinded by his own ambitions, and look where that got him. I’m sure he misled you on many fronts.”
“Devious was our father’s chosen one. Strong and focused, he should have been by my side as we free the Shedim and Dimme from the oppression both races live under.”
“I have every intention to improve the lives of my people. I simply don’t believe the way to achieve that is to declare war on the Watchers.”
“You have no idea how to lead. Shedim who don’t want to fight are cowards and taint Stryker’s name. They don’t deserve to live under his roof. That castle stands for something in the Darkworld, and you haven’t got the stomach to run it properly.”
That thought struck a chord with Cassi. “I agree.”
“You agree with what?”
“The reputation my father and grandfather built stands for something in the Darkworld—a vision I don’t share. If you want Castle Wandread so badly, it’s yours.”
“Yeah right. What’s the catch?”
“No catch—terms. You and I shall address the Shedim together, right now. We’ll give them a choice: stay at the castle and join the rebellion with you, or come with me to start a new way of life.”
“There is no choice.”
“I assure you, there are a great many Shedim citizens who will follow me for the chance of living peacefully.”
“Ha. You underestimate the violent drive of Shedim.”
“And you overestimate your understanding of them.”
“And the mining rights?”
“I shall take three-quarters of all the current diamond stores and you retain the rest, plus all future harvests.”
“You get half. I’m no less Stryker’s daughter than you are.”
“Fine, then if we’re dividing our father’s assets evenly, half the diamond stores plus half the red-metaled weapons Devious stole from the armory.”
That suggestion seemed to strike a sour note. Emma glared and shook her head. “You keep your three-quarters of the diamonds and I’ll keep the weapons.”
Cassi looked to Dougal who dipped his chin in an almost imperceptible nod. “And, you will give me four days to pack my personal things and help organize the citizens who choose to leave. Do we have an accord?”
Emma narrowed her gaze and, in that moment, Cassi saw just how much of their father she possessed. “I accept your terms. Your time starts now.”
Cassi laughed. “My time starts once the Shedim have been assembled and given their options, and not a moment sooner.”
Emma scoffed. “You’re pathetic. You throw away Styker’s legacy and his dream for his people with no regard.”
Cassi smiled and eased off her hold. “No, little sister. One thing you failed to learn from Stryker is that the future of our people supersedes everything. It’s what he lived and died for. I see a brighter future for Shedim down a different path.”
“The garrison will oversee the transition,” Zander said.
Kyrian winked at her, his mouth turned up at the corners in a sly smile. “We’ll meet you at the castle in one hour, Emma. Wait on the roof until we arrive.”
“What business is it of the Watchers, Greek? From what I hear, she tried to kill you more than once.”
Kyrian smiled and he had never looked more dangerous—engaging in a razor fight sort of way. “Everything about Cassi is my business. Every detail of her life is my concern. She’s mine, you see. My beloved. My mate. My other half. Mess with her and you get me, and the whole Nephilim garrison, ramming brass-knuckled fists downs your throat. Now leave your dead, gather your wounded, and get the fuck off my property.”
Seth couldn’t believe Kyrian had staked his claim on the Mistress of Shedim in front of everyone. The Shedim hunters and soldiers who had been fighting with them looked horrified. Whatever anonymity Kyrian and Cassi’s relationship had, was gone. For better or worse, Cassiane of Wandread was now tied to the Greek and, in turn, to each of them. It made his guts knot. Kyrian, however, seemed to be busting his designer butt
ons.
“Umm, Dougal,” she said. “Please escort the men back to the castle and call everyone into the courtyard. I’ll be there shortly to explain. I have important news.”
Seth had to give the old man creds. He didn’t hesitate or question her or anything. He signaled to the group, and away they went.
Kyrian’s Mark glowed more than Seth had ever seen. He gathered her against his chest and brushed her lips with his. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Cass. You made the right choice. We’ll make it work, I swear. We’ll figure out a way to feed your people, and—”
“Austin already did,” Cassi said, her face lighting up like a Roman candle. “I haven’t even had a chance to tell you but she figured it out and it’s brilliant. She’s brilliant.”
Zander beamed and set a heavy hand on Kyrian’s shoulder. “She is that. I’ve set Austin’s plan in motion. We’ll be up and running and feeding the Shedim, and other consumption species within two to three weeks.”
“What did I miss?” Kyrian asked.
“Not just you, Greek.” Seth waited for someone to spill the beans. “Still feeling outta the loop here, Z.”
Zander rolled his eyes and waved away his words. “It’s Austin’s brainstorm to smooth the road for Kyrian and his mate. I’ll let her tell you. Needless to say, Nephilim and Shedim are now working toward a common goal.”
Kyrian blinked over at both of them. “What goal is that?”
“Your happiness, my brother. Austin’s right. It’s time you and your female get a pass from the hell you’re both living in. This mating shit is hell, granted, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Kyrian and Zander met chest to chest and slapped backs. “Fuck, thank you, Z.”
“Nobody deserves it more, Adolphos.”
Seth blinked fast, glad that the conflict between the two seemed to be at an end. He hated it when Mom and Dad fought.
Kyrian’s expression flashed a moment of true joy before he winced and doubled over. Seth caught him under the arms and eased his brother to the ground. “Greek? What’s doing, my man? What’s wrong.”
“Fuck, Z, it’s starting.” A scream burst from his lips as he curled in on himself, panting. “Cassi, go. I don’t want you to watch this.”
Cassi dropped to her knees and grabbed Kyrian’s arm. “Watch what? Were you wounded in the battle?”
Zander dropped to the other side of Kyrian’s writhing body and drew his dagger. “Seth, escort Cassi into the house and give Austin the all clear.”
Cassi slapped at Seth’s hand as he tried to corral her away from the chaos. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Seth barked out a laugh and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. “Stop fighting, female. I’ve got an easy buck-fifty on you and am following orders. Kyrian will be fine. He just needs a moment to Hulk out without observers. Trust me, I’ve seen this movie before, and you’ll lose your lunch.”
Cassi punched, pummeled, and pounded at his lower back.
“Nice, I haven’t had a massage in ages. A little left. Yeah.” He took her inside the clubhouse and set her down within the kitchen pantry. With one hand, he held her arm and with the other, he swung back the floor to ceiling shelf laden down by foodstuffs. “All clear, cowgirl. Xxan can stand down.”
When the door swung open, he tossed Cassi inside the panic room. Kyrian had completed the construction and outfitting of this room first and points for the Greek for forethought. Safety first and all that. The space had a little sitting area, cabinets with weapons and food, and was wired with monitors to relay what was going down anywhere on the property.
Yep, there on one of the six small screens was Kyrian, writhing in all his gory glory.
Cassi ran over to the screen and brushed a finger over the image. “What’s happening? Why is no one helping him?”
“There’s nothing to be done,” he said.
Xxan must have relayed what was doing because Austin nodded. “He’s transitioning, Cassi. It’s unbelievably painful for them but passes once he and the darkness within unite.”
Seth winced at his brothers kneeling over Kyrian out there in the cold. “Z’s got him. He’s been through it and is the most qualified to take care of—”
Cassi bolted in a blur of ginger hair and tears.
“Shit,” he said. “She’s quick.”
Austin smiled. “Let her go to him. Maybe her voice will help him focus through the pain.”
Seth scrubbed a hand over his hair and jogged after her.
Cassi’s long-legged stride got her back to where they started faster than Seth thought possible. And despite the difference in mass between her and his brothers, she pushed through the wall of testosterone and took her place beside her mate. Z had him lying face down on the frozen ground and Seth barfed in his mouth a little knowing why.
Cassi stroked his cheek. “Kyrian, it’s me. I’m here.”
It might have been pure timing, but he seemed to settle a bit. The crack of bones ended that PDQ. Kyrian screamed. “Fuck, it burns, Z!”
Seth shifted his footing and focused on the lights at the clinic. Man, he wished he was anywhere else but there.
“Almost there,” Zander slid his dagger up the back of Kyrian’s shirt and opened the two halves of fabric. The skin on his back was undulating. It looked like a fucking alien was readying to force its way through his flesh.
Seth cursed and turned away. He cursed again when he saw Austin and Xxan joining the horror show.
Zander sheathed his knife and laid on the frosted ground next to him. Gripping his palm, the Sumerian locked gazes with him. “The next part truly sucks ass, Greek. Retreat into your beast and bear it. Pain with a purpose, isn’t that what humans say, cowgirl?”
Austin blinked down at him. “If he’s giving birth.”
Zander frowned and shrugged. “Whatever, we’re right here with you, my brother.”
Austin sent up her heartfelt thanks when Kyrian passed out. The strangled cries echoing across the open racetrack, thankfully, were swallowed by the bitter wind buffeting the group. She had to hand it to Cassi, the female was holding it together better than she would have if she had witnessed Zander’s transition.
Stetson pulled at her hold. The pup didn’t understand the situation, just that Zander and Kyrian were lying on the ground, so that had to mean they wanted to play, didn’t it? “Xxan, would you mind taking Stetson, please?”
“As you wish, milady.” Her bodyguard bowed his head, his long, purple braid blowing in the wind.
With her hands free, she knelt on the ground beside Zander and squeezed Kyrian’s arm. His ebony wings were through, folded against his body from his shoulders to the backs of his knees. “You did good, sweetie.”
“Yeah, he did.” Zander took the remnants of Kyrian’s shirt and wiped the trickling blood from his hips and ribs with one piece and handed another piece to Cassi to wipe up her tears. “There’s work to be done, Greek. We need you on your feet, soldier. Come on, your female needs to see those green eyes of yours open up before she can relax.”
Cassi let out a burst of laughter and wiped her face. “I doubt I’ll ever relax again. Life with you males is hard on my nerves.”
Austin laughed. “You don’t know the half of it yet.”
“But she will,” Zander said. “We’re a bit of an acquired taste, I’m afraid.”
“As much as I’m enjoying this outdoor face-plant, bonding. I think my cheek is frozen to the ground.”
Zander grabbed Kyrian’s elbow and gestured for Phoenix to get the other side. The two of them hauled Kyrian onto his feet and steadied him while Cassi hugged him and hid her face in his neck. Austin hadn’t realized how tall Cassi was until seeing the two of them together.
“We have a meeting to get to,” Zander said, testing Kyrian’s ability to stand on his own. “You good to travel?”
Kyrian opened his eyes and looked around at the group. His gaze grew glassy a moment before his nostrils flared and he
eased back. His gaze locked on the woman in his arms and his massive wings unfurled. With a ferocity Austin knew well, Kyrian scooped Cassi into his arms and practically ran toward the clubhouse.
A general chuckle of understanding rumbled amongst Zander and his men as they watched the exodus. “You got twenty minutes, max,” Zander called. “Don’t make us come in there to get you. Your beast won’t take it well.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kyrian had won the fucking life lottery. As he and his garrison escorted Cassi back to Castle Wandread to address her subjects, he held his mate close to his hip. She’d chosen him and the laws he stood for over her father and the expectations that she’d bore for so long. Austin and Zander had rallied and swung the balance his way, and he’d never fucking forget it. There were still details to work out, and Danel, Brennus, and maybe a few other of his brothers weren’t too pleased, but their trepidation would ease as they got to know Cassi.
There was time. A lifetime.
“Where have you been?” Emma descended the crumbling stone steps from the rooftop, flanked by five, well-armed Dimme soldiers.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist,” Zander said. “A pressing situation came up and we got delayed. We’re here now, so let’s get this party started.”
Cassi nodded and stepped away from them.
Kyrian wanted to grab her and pull her back. The urge was possessive and dominant. He didn’t want to smother his female but man, how did Zander rein this instinct in?
Badly. He chuckled to himself and vowed to do better.
Cassi strode toward the small dais where Kyrian nearly lost his head not so long ago. Tight on her six, he trailed her more on instinct than decision. It felt as if he was tethered to her and couldn’t allow more than three feet between them. Yeah, that could be a problem.
He settled behind her and to the right, so his dagger hand was free to defend her in the blink of an eye. Zander joined them on stage, while the twins, Brennus, and Bo took crowd control and Hark positioned himself along the roof for sniper support. Looking out upon the courtyard, he couldn’t get over how far they had all come since the night they’d stood there last.
