by Maya Nicole
Amari and Val noticed and frowned as Raphael kissed my forehead before sitting next to me.
"Where were you?"
He had not been in the house. Kage had said he hadn't spotted him since he checked in on us the night before.
"Heaven. Last healing session. Now I'm officially on vacation until an epidemic or pandemic breaks out." He took a drink of his water and smacked his lips in satisfaction. "Such good water."
"What happened last night?" I felt well-rested, but couldn't be sure that I hadn't gone to the storm.
Raphael shrugged. "The storm just kind of stopped as soon as you fell asleep. I was hiding us though. I don't know if that had anything to do with it."
"What do you mean, hiding us?"
He looked across the table with uncertainty. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to reveal his secrets in front of Amari and Val. "Angels can sense the light in each other. I figured since the lightning has to do with giving and taking light magic, that hiding us might stop it."
Hiding from it the rest of my life wasn't the answer, but it was nice for once not to have succumbed to the pull and to know that Raphael could shield me from it.
Kage appeared in the seat on the other side of me, and Val stood as if he was going to lunge across the table and wring his neck. Amari grabbed his arm and yanked him to sit back down.
"Estas muerto. You're dead, brownie."
Kage snorted and picked up his fork when a servant placed a plate in front of him. He just moved the food around the plate though.
I was glad he was growing more comfortable around us; enough to terrorize Val. I was on board with that. Val deserved it.
"¿Por qué hablas español?" Raphael smiled politely to the servant as she set down his food. "That's a language from Earth."
Val's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed. "My family has spoken Spanish since we came to be, which was fairly early on in Inferna's history."
Raphael tapped his fork against his bottom lip in thought. "Interesting."
"How do you know Spanish, cabrón?" Val brought his glass of blood to his lips, and as he did, he glared over at Kage.
I shifted in my seat thinking about watching Val bite into Kage. I should have been appalled at the thought of it; instead it gave me a little thrill. I doubted Kage would ever let Val drink from him.
"I speak all of Earth's languages. Interesting you speak Spanish slang." Raphael took a bite of eggs and moaned. "Fuck, these are fantastic. I don't even want to know what they are."
"Not as good as pizza." I picked at my breakfast.
Kage put his hand on my thigh and squeezed. He left it there as we ate the rest of breakfast in silence. I had a hard time focusing on eating as his thumb swiped back and forth.
Once we were finished, the table was cleared, and Val returned from his office with a map. There were several markings on it, and I leaned forward to see as he began to speak.
"Amari and I stayed up late last night waiting for our contacts to get back to us on any word of Taylor's whereabouts. We thought he would be going toward the castle, as that was what we assumed he was building an army for." Val pointed to a circle. "He's headed toward the other edge of Inferna."
"What's in that direction?" Raphael stood and leaned against the back of his chair, his forearms crossed on the back.
"A few villages." Amari frowned at the map. "A lot of shifters moved that way with Lilith's arrival. Your gypsies are that way too aren't they?"
I didn't even want to think about that.
"He c-could be headed that way to make more v-v-vacants." All eyes went to Kage. He looked at me as he spoke. "We need an army to stand against him."
Val snorted. "And how do you suggest we build an army when we have the Infernal Council set against us?"
What he really meant was they were set against me. There were more important things to worry about than if the stuffy old council members were going to hunt me down.
Amari tapped the map with his newly formed hand. I couldn't believe his arm was back and it was functioning properly. If I hadn't seen the missing limb with my own eyes, I would have never believed it.
An idea came to me and I stood abruptly. "I think I might be able to help Nico." I started toward the hallway where the door to the basement was located, but Raphael grabbed my elbow.
"And just what is this idea you have?" He cocked an eyebrow and let my arm go once I turned toward him. "If I couldn't heal Nico, what makes you think you can help him?"
I pointed to Amari's arm. "That. Right there."
"She has a point." Amari lifted his arm and examined it. It seemed to be his new favorite thing to do.
If I could somehow counteract Amari's gargoyle curse enough for him to sleep, and grow him a new arm, maybe I could give Nico back the light that was taken from him.
I considered my next move. I was fairly certain that the four men in front of me weren't going to let me go to the basement by myself or let me get near Nico.
"I don't feel comfortable with you getting close to him." Raphael's eyebrows pulled together.
I was surprised he cared enough. He didn't need to protect me, especially after our conversation the night before. Yet he was still here. "Do you have a gag and restraints so we can tie him up?" I looked between Val and Amari.
Val was kinky back when we were younger. He was probably even more so now. When you lived for as long as we did, you'd give anything a try.
Like having multiple men.
Raphael made a noise in the back of his throat. I couldn't tell if it was an uncomfortable noise or an incredulous one. "You have to be kidding me."
"Why a gag?" Val asked, a smile playing on his lips.
I frowned. "He was snapping his teeth yesterday. I don't want him to bite me."
"They have quite a few s-s-sex toys," Kage said softly.
Val clenched his jaw, and Raphael grinned. There would be no secrets when it came to Kage.
"They? Are you two together?" Raphael looked at the two of them and they smiled at each other. He was a little slow when it came to anyone but me. I was surprised he hadn't noticed when we were at his house on Earth. He moved his eyes to me. "Jesus, woman. You got yourself quite the set-up, don't you?"
My face warmed and I felt the urge to hide my face in my hands. He was amused, and I really didn't need him to feel amused by me. Especially when Nico was downstairs tied to a bed post.
I followed Val up the stairs with Raphael close behind. He was like my shadow. I didn't know how I felt about it. I knew he didn't trust the others, but following me around when I was with them was a little much for someone that wasn't mine.
I could see his point in following me with Val. I doubted Val would hurt me, but I also never imagined my own brother would become some evil entity.
"That damn brownie went through all of our stuff. I'm not sure we can trust him." Val went into his closet, which was empty because all the clothes were on the bedroom floor in piles or glued to the ceiling.
He opened up a cabinet and my eyes widened. So many questions went through my head. Who was the one that like to be tied up? Did they want to tie me up?
"I'm curious… Which one of you is the bottom?" Raphael leaned against the doorframe with a cocky smirk on his face. "My guess is you are."
Val pulled out restraints and a ball gag. "It's none of your business what I do in the bedroom."
"I think it is. Your woman prefers to sleep in my bed at the moment."
I didn't need them to get into a pissing match with each other. I grabbed the supplies out of Val's hands and walked out of the closet.
We stood in front of the door of the room Nico was in. Silence met us. Amari put his ear against the door and then shook his head. My frown deepened.
Raphael came to stand to one side of me and Kage on the other. Raphael was always there, offering his support. He was a perplexing angel.
Amari cracked open the door and looked inside. He rubbed the back of his neck and
then entered. My heart was beating wildly. What if it was too late? What if it didn't work?
The four men went in before me and left me standing in the doorway. We had discussed the best way to go about this. They decided I needed to stay back until they got him secured.
I grabbed onto the door frame as I took in the room. It was destroyed and the bedding was shredded, with blood covering some of it. Nico was crouched by the corner of the bed and stared straight forward, unblinking. His eyes were solid black and his skin was pale. Time was running out for him.
Kage made the first move to secure Nico to the bed. The longer he spent around us, the more confident he became.
Four against one made tethering him to the four bed posts easier than I had hoped. He was splayed out with his hands and feet secured to the railings. He fought against them, but stopped struggling when he went nowhere. He went still besides the snapping of his teeth. Raphael shoved the gag in his mouth and secured it behind his head.
I leaned against the wall and shut my eyes. If this didn't work, I was going to have to kill him myself. I couldn't let him remain an empty shell of himself.
Hands touched my cheeks and I opened my eyes to meet Kage's. "Are you ready?"
I moved toward the bed. None of them looked happy with what I was about to do. The plan was simple really, Raphael would put me to sleep and we would wait.
I climbed on the bed and finished ripping Nico's shirt open, which was already in shreds. He had cuts and scrapes all over his body from his own nails. I took a deep breath and removed my own shirt, not caring about my nudity. The more contact I had with Nico, the better.
I lay down next to him and snuggled up against his chest. He growled through the gag and strained against the restraints.
"I'm ready." My voice was barely a whisper. I didn't trust myself to say anything else with what I was feeling.
A warm hand touch my back and Raphael's energy poured into me. It was a warm tingling sensation. "We'll be right here the whole time, okay?"
I nodded. I was already feeling heavy with sleep. I hoped when I woke, I'd have my best friend back.
Chapter 5
Nico
Darkness surrounded me. It was like I was in a room that had been painted the blackest of black. Not an ounce of light was visible where I was.
When I first woke in the darkness, I had spiraled into a panic attack. The weight of the darkness was cloying and I had wanted to rip my hair out.
After what felt like days, I had calmed enough to crawl to the wall. It was impossible to stand, the darkness creating a sensation of being on unsteady feet. The room was circular and I wasn't sure how big it was.
What had happened? I didn't remember anything past being grabbed by the vacants.
Fucking Taylor.
Fucking Reve.
I didn't personally know either of Sammy's brothers, but I wanted to kick both of their asses. Reve for leaving Inferna to the power-hungry demons, and Taylor for whatever the hell he did to end up toying with vacants.
I yanked on my hair.
Fucking hell serpents. Was I a vacant?
It had to be a nightmare of epic proportions. Right? I must have eaten a spoiled nut.
I closed my eyes to stop them from straining to see in the darkness and slipped back asleep.
We trotted along the outer edge of Inferna, looking for the perfect spot to set up a new camp. The last campsite had been great for several years until a bloat of hippopotamus shifters decided to make the pond we were near theirs.
There was no sharing space with a hippo. They preferred their shifted form and getting in their way meant game over.
We stopped in a small clearing that one of the eagle shifters had scouted out. It wasn't far from a stream that collected in a small pool of water. It gave privacy for bathing and other activities.
As an added benefit, it wasn't big enough to get a second glance from a hippo.
I was glad for the change the move brought. The old camp had too many memories attached to it. Bad memories.
"A nut for your thoughts?" Sammy laughed at her joke as we stopped on the edge of the new campsite. "This place looks like it has never been touched."
It seemed every time we moved, we pushed farther and farther out from where most of the villages and the castle were located. No one quite knew where Inferna ended. It just went on forever.
I once considered just riding off to see for myself, but even I had my limits.
"A much-needed fresh start." I hopped off my horse and tied him to a tree next to where Sammy had already tethered Buttercup.
Excitement filled the area as our band of misfits arrived and took in the perfect site to set up a makeshift village.
"So..." Sammy stepped beside me and we started unloading one of the carriages. "I was wondering if you wanted to share a tent."
I stopped with a trunk in my hands and then slowly set it down. I turned toward her and smoothed my beard. "I'm not ready."
It had been years since I lost my mate and unborn child, but I wasn't ready to move on, no matter how much I loved the woman standing right in front of me.
She worked her plump bottom lip between her teeth and set a wooden box on top of the trunk. She didn't look at me and reached back into the carriage. Before she could grab something else, I took her arm.
"How about a few nights a week you can sleep in my tent to start? You have to promise me something though." I had a hard time saying no to her. She was my best friend and had been there for Becca and for me.
Even when I was a complete and utter wreck for years.
She perked up immediately and her eyes met mine, happiness shining in their gray depths. Fuck, she had beautiful eyes.
"What?"
I searched her eyes, trying to feel her out. I was positive she felt the same way about me. The only difference was, she was ready to make a move and I wasn't.
I sometimes caught her staring at me when she thought I wasn't aware. Especially when we were bathing together.
"Don't tempt me." She snorted at my request, and I narrowed my eyes. "I mean it, Peanut. I'm not ready and I know how you are."
"And how am I, Nico?" A smirk spread across her face, daring me to continue.
"When you want something bad enough, you don't stop until you get it."
My eyelids felt like they had bricks attached to them as I pried them open. A warm body was pressed against mine. My jaw ached and I tried to spit out what was shoved inside it.
I turned my head, seeing a head of purple hair fanning across my chest and shoulder. My arms were bound and spread wide, as well as my feet.
I was so fucking confused. I didn't remember her tying me up and stuffing a gag in my mouth. I would never be down for that. She, on the other hand, was a different story.
My eyes scanned the room. Amari stood at the door, arms crossed over his chest. He was stone but as his green eyes met mine, he turned back to normal and walked toward the bed.
He eyed me wearily. "He's awake."
Raphael, Kage, and Val stood from where I assumed they had been sleeping on the floor. Why were they all in here? Had we had a sex party?
"Let me check to make sure." Raphael climbed onto the bed and put his hands on my chest. Warmth filled me, and I hated to admit it, but whatever he had just done was comforting. "He's weak, but his soul isn't encased in the dark shell anymore. I thought you said vacants were made from taking their light?"
They moved to unbind me and pulled the gag from my mouth. I wrapped an arm around Sammy, who was still sleeping on my chest.
"What the fuck happened?" My voice came out strangled and scratchy from lack of water. I reached my other freehand up and rubbed at my throat.
"You were vacant." Kage stood at the end of the bed and cocked his head slightly. "She really is light."
That was twice he'd said that. "But how is this possible?"
"Her," Raphael said, sitting on the bed on the other side of her with his knee bent. He
reached forward and pushed her hair behind her ear.
I looked down at her sleeping on my chest and frowned. "She brought me back from being a vacant?" I studied her face which looked peaceful. "That's impossible."
I looked to each of the men around the bed. Then my eyes fell to Amari's arm. My eyes widened, and he nodded at me without me even having asked the question.
This was bad. This was very, very bad. It was one thing for me and Amari to know that she happened to do something with the light energy she got. But for Val and the angel to know? I was pretty sure the angel was trustworthy, but Val should have been lying without a head somewhere.
"This doesn't leave this room." I looked right in his direction as I spoke. "There's no telling what this new information and her new abilities will have an impact on."
Sammy stirred against my chest, her fingers flexing on my skin. Her eyes fluttered open, and they met mine, taking a moment before they widened, realizing I was awake.
"Nico!" She propped herself up and hovered over me, touching my face with her fingers. A sigh escaped me, and I leaned into her touch.
"I should check Samara over and make sure she's okay."
Dammit, couldn't Raphael give us a moment?
"I'll go get you some food and water." Kage left the room.
Sammy sat up and turned toward Raphael. I watched them with piqued curiosity. Was she developing feelings for him too? Who was next? Kage?
The thought of sharing her with four other men made my heart clench, and I gripped the sheets next to me. Val noticed my move and a small smile tugged at his lips. I glared at him and growled.
Sammy looked over her shoulder and shook her head.
"You need to put on a shirt." I looked right at her naked breasts, out for all to see. Despite my request, no one moved to give her a shirt.
Raphael brought his hands to her cheeks and they began to glow brightly. I wasn't sure what he was doing to her, but she didn't seem to mind. He made a humming noise and his hands glowed brighter.
Sammy gasped and I tried to sit up, but I was too weak.
"What are you doing to her, angel?" Amari took a step forward and reached out to grab him but Sammy shook her head.
