Vanquished

by Vivi Anna

  She started to turn away, when Hades grabbed her wrist. He pulled her closer and leaned down to her mouth, pressing his lips to hers. The kiss was hesitant and unsure at first and then turned eager and hungry. When they broke apart, Hades kissed the tip of her nose, then up to her brow, resting his head against hers.

  “I won’t let you turn into one of them.”

  “I know. I expect you to do the right thing when the time comes.”

  Hades leaned back, keeping his hand cupped around her neck. Unable to speak, he looked down at her in the eyes and nodded. He sat back up and disengaged the brake. He pushed on the accelerator and propelled them forward, feeling just as barren as the ground that they moved past.

  He had consented to her request, but he was unsure if he could actually go through with it. The thought of killing Kat made his stomach turn and his heart ache.

  “How far to the city do you think?” Kat asked.

  Hades stared ahead at the horizon where dark jagged peaks jutted toward the sky. Peaks he assumed could be nothing but city scrapers. “Thirty clicks till the limits, I think. Then another ten clicks in to ground zero.”

  Kat yawned. “Do you mind if I close my eyes for awhile?”

  “No, I’ll wake you if there’s any problem.”

  “Wake me in a bit, so I can take over driving.”

  “It’s all right. I’ve got it handled.”

  “I said wake me…”

  Hades laughed and put his hand up in defense. “Okay, okay. I’ll wake you. Damn it, woman, you’re stubborn.”

  Kat nodded curtly then rotated in her seat to rest her head on the cushion, but not before Hades caught the lift of her mouth in a smile.

  He could feel Kat pulling away from him. He had witnessed vulnerability in her, and she was now trying desperately to cover it up, hide it away, pretend it did not exist. As he clenched his hands, he could still remember how her skin and hair felt under his touch. How her body had moved and writhed underneath his. How she moaned his name into his ear.

  He hoped he would have that pleasure one more time before they met their end. With the city looming up ahead, Hades was certain that this was the place where they would all succumb.

  * * *

  Dark. All encompassing. The smell of copper lingered in the thick stagnant air.

  A glaring spotlight flashed on. Kat couldn’t shield her eyes as her hands were bound and she hung from thick iron chains bolted into the high ceiling. She blinked rapidly against the glaring light, trying to focus on her surroundings.

  She glanced down at herself and saw that she was completely naked. She struggled against her restraints but it only swung her around. As she turned, she noticed other bodies hanging from the roof. They formed a semi-circle around her. Most chains held motionless forms with blood dried and congealed on their cooling flesh. Another chain held a woman. She was still awake and aware, even as blood dripped over her hairless form and down to pool underneath her webbed feet.

  Kat stopped moving. Before her stood a man with long dark hair and a disarming smile, complete with two long pointed fangs protruding from his gums. He was ethereally beautiful. His face was sculpted with high cheeks and strong jaw. His black eyes glowed in the dark, like those of a cat or a wolf. He was dressed in a long flowing robe and nothing else but a short clinging wrap that hung low on his hips and barely covered him.

  His pale body was long and lithe. His muscles quivered as he moved closer to Kat.

  “Katarina, my love.”

  Kat wanted to scream out. To curse him, but her voice froze in her throat. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

  He chuckled, and the deep throaty sound caressed her body. She cringed as her flesh betrayed her and quivered under the touch.

  He moved even closer to her. She could feel his hot breath against her breasts as he spoke. Her nipples pebbled tightly, growing achy with want.

  “This is a dream remember? Anything and everything can happen. Even things you did not know you wanted.”

  He reached up and trailed a finger over her flesh. His nails were long and they cut into her skin. Kat held her breath as the sharp pain seared her.

  Kat opened her mouth to cry out, but no sound came.

  He sighed. “You are more exquisite than Hades ever dreamed.”

  What did he mean, Hades’ dream? Was Baruch invading his nightly images too?

  Kat wanted to move her legs. To kick out at him. But they would not move at her command. They hung uselessly beneath her.

  He leered wolfishly as his eyes traveled lower to her sex. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to her belly. He trailed his tongue over his flesh, intentionally scraping his fangs.

  Kat sucked in a deep breath as he neared her center. She could feel his teeth grazing over the sensitive skin just above her mound. He wanted her to know how easy it would be for him to sink them into her flesh. Even as shivers vibrated up and down her spine, she felt a tingle of lust deep in her belly.

  “Delicious.”

  Kat closed her eyes against the onslaught of licentious thoughts. All she could imagine in her mind were his teeth scraping against her clit. Lolling it between his lips and sucking it into his mouth. Sucking on it fast and hard.

  “Come my servants and grant me the feast I so desire.”

  Kat opened her eyes to see Damian and Darquiel step out of the dark and stand beside him. They grinned up at her as they each grabbed a leg and pulled her apart.

  He licked his lips as he gazed down at her. He trailed one finger down her slit to her opening. He pushed his finger in and twirled it around feeling every inch of her inside.

  Kat’s breath pushed out as ripples of intense pleasure swelled over her entire body. She almost orgasmed from his penetrating touches.

  He slipped his finger out, brought it to his mouth and licked it clean. He leaned forward and buried his face into her sex. He lapped at her slit. His tongue circled her clit. He sucked it into his mouth.

  Kat tried to scream out as she came. But her moan did not resound.

  “Anyone else for a taste. I could feast all night on her.”

  Damian shook his head. “I’ve already had the pleasure.”

  Darquiel grinned. “I’d love a taste, Baruch.”

  Baruch moved aside and let Darquiel slide into his place. She placed her thumbs on either side of Kat’s inner lips and spread them even farther apart. She leaned forward and stuck her tongue into Kat.

  Kat tried to kick and writhe away from Darquiel’s invading tongue. But she couldn’t, nor could she fight the extreme pleasure that crested over her. Another orgasm began to mount deep in her belly as she felt another set of fingers slide into her.

  Darquiel lifted her head and gazed longingly up at Kat. Lust glistened on her lips.

  “Oh God, she tastes just like oranges.”

  “Kat!”

  Kat startled awake as Hades shook her arm. She sat up and took in a gulping breath.

  “Are you all right?”

  She shook her head. “What?”

  “Did you have a nightmare?”

  Kat diverted her gaze. “No.”

  She could never tell him what she dreamed…what she felt, while under the seduction of the Dark Dweller. One thing was certain though, Baruch was intensely aware of her presence, and he definitely knew they were on their way into the city. Most likely was waiting for them.

  “Did you want an orange?”

  The offer raised her head and she stared at him to see if he was toying with her. She shook her head, knowing he couldn’t possibly have been privy to her dream, and glanced out over the desert. The smell still penetrated her nose.

  “I would love a piece.”

  Kat swung around and glared at Darquiel. She was sitting up in her seat a knowing expression on her pale face.

  Hades handed her a piece. She put it in her mouth and let her lashes flutter to her cheeks savoring the juices. She opened her eyes and stared right at Kat. “I love t
hat succulent flavor, don’t you?”

  Hades frowned at Darquiel’s expression. “What’s with you? You look almost happy.”

  “I had the most delicious dream…”

  Kat was about to jump the seat and pound her fists into Darquiel’s face, when Hades gasps stilled her. “What the hell is that?”

  Kat turned to where Hades pointed. In the blue sky, black churning clouds rolled across the horizon like a cattle stampede kicking up dust behind their stomping hooves. The clouds moved fast and fluidly blacking out the sky like billowing smoke from a raging fire.

  “Storm clouds,” Kat stated, mesmerized by the rolling mass.

  “Yeah, but what kind of storm?” Hades asked.

  A gust of cold wind blew fiercely at them, causing the roof on the transport to rattle in fear.

  “I was in a rainstorm once when I was a child. The wind blew up just like this,” Kat recounted as she watched the progression of the clouds. It was almost on top of them.

  “You know what, I remember that storm. But what I don’t remember is that sickly green color in the center of those clouds,” Hades said.

  Amidst the black and gray sweeps, an almost green luminance glowed from within. It wasn’t a pretty leaf green, but the color Kat remembered from when her dog had once threw up after eating too much grass. Kat’s own gorge rose as she watched the clouds cover the sky above them.

  The sun disappeared behind the cover, and the temperature instantly dropped. The cold wind swirled around them, lifting Kat’s hair in a dark dance around her face. She shivered as the chilling air surrounding her. “Damn, it’s cold.”

  Hades shivered. “I never thought I’d see a cold day in this hell, but damn those clouds do not look inviting.”

  Kat studied the swirling mass of green and black, a feeling of apprehension creeping across her skin. “No, they certainly don’t.”

  “We’re almost at the limits. Hopefully, whatever is about to burst will hold off until we can reach that outcropping of buildings,” Hades said.

  Kat’s eyes went to the horizon. Two small crumbled piles of cement and rock loomed ahead. Doorways, openings into half-constructed concrete slabs and brick, were the only thing left pronouncing them as buildings. But still a place where they could hold off the ever-increasing wind.

  A long bolt of lightning cracked across the sky, startling everyone inside the transport. With a roar of thunder, the cart shook side to side, jerking Damian awake. “What the fuck was that?”

  “Storm,” Kat said.

  “I thought it was God coming to strike me down.”

  Kat glanced over her shoulder at him. “I wouldn’t count that out.”

  Rain erupted from the sky pouring icy piercing droplets onto the ground. Kat thought it felt like tiny steel balls hitting her skin in rapid succession. If the rain had fallen straight down, the roof on the transport would have protected them. Because the wind still blew, the sheets of rain pelted them as they drove forward to the safety of the destroyed buildings.

  “Can this thing go any faster?” Damian complained. “I can walk faster than this.”

  Kat motioned with a nod. “Be my guest. But remember, lightning always strikes the tallest thing out there.”

  Damian jumped out of the cart. His head came about a foot above the roof. He ran along side the transport and jumped back in. “I see your point.”

  “But won’t we all die in this cart? It’s the tallest thing out here?” Darquiel asked.

  “No,” Hades explained. “I read somewhere that the rubber in the tires grounds the electricity from the lightning.”

  “Ah, right. Whatever that means,” Damian said.

  “It means dumb ass that we all stay in the cart.” Kat turned and glared at him.

  “Fine by me, as long as I’m safe,” Damian commented.

  Another bolt of electricity cracked across the sky. Kat jumped as the thunder boomed overhead. She remembered the rainstorm of her childhood, but it was not nearly as violent as this. She recalled counting the seconds between lightning and thunder determining the proximity of the storm like her mother had taught her. According to the tale, the storm was right on top of them and they could not out run it.

  Kat jerked as something hard hit the outside of her arm. She glanced down at her hand and noticed a coin sized red mark on her skin. Just as she was going to touch it, something else hit her arm. A small grayish-white rock hit her across the bicep and then landed on the floor of the cart. She bent down and picked it up, finding it cold and sticky in her hand. It was not a rock, but a round piece of ice.

  She held it out for Hades to inspect. “This came from the sky.”

  “It’s hail. We’re driving right into a hailstorm.”

  With that, the clouds opened up and unleashed their ruin. In a violent barrage, small pellets of ice rained down on them.

  Kat watched in shock as the storm raged around them. She knew that they would encounter various obstacles on their treasure hunt. Nothing in life was free. But to have the earth itself rage against them stunned Kat. She had faced many opponents in her lifetime, but nothing could prepare her for the onslaught of Mother Nature.

  She was the toughest bitch Kat had ever come across.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Damian and Darquiel squeezed into the center of the backseat, desperately trying to avoid the splattering of hailstones. The roof on the transport protected them from the sharpest torrent of hail, but still some pellets managed to bounce their way in and smack against their bodies.

  “Holy shit, this is unreal!” Damian yelled over the roar of the falling hail as it battered the metal on the vehicle.

  Kat watched in rapt fascination as the ice fell from the sky. She watched it rebound off the hard packed earth and shatter into tiny frozen shards. They soon melted from the heat beneath the barren dirt. Everywhere she observed, little puddles formed then evaporated to where they were forged to begin with. She had read about storms such as these. In the past, before the war, there were many types of weather. Now there were two, hot and cold. This seemed like a combination of both. A rare and unexpected occurrence.

  She almost found herself smiling at its deliverance. Maybe the Earth was changing again, this time bringing back order to the chaos.

  Hades looked at her, worry furrowing his brow. “I think they’re getting bigger.”

  “What?”

  He held out his hand. A chunk of ice the size of a date rested in his palm.

  “Shit.”

  “Yup, that’s about it.” He tossed the hailstone onto the ground. “We could be in a whole lot of trouble soon.”

  “What can we do?” Damian asked.

  “Nothing. Except try and not get hit.” Hades laughed.

  “I’m glad you’re having such a good time.” Kat glowered at him.

  “You know me, babe.”

  Kat shook her head. The man was incorrigible, but she couldn’t help feel her lips twitch at his obvious glee.

  A resounding clink sounded above them. Kat flinched and looked up. The metal roof had a sizable dimple in it. She watched in horror as three more dents appeared above. From the width and depth of the impression, Kat thought the stone had to be at least the size of a small orange.

  “We’re definitely in trouble.”

  Hades glanced up, and then pulled the steering wheel sharply to the right. A solid ball of ice smashed into the front seat, right between him and Kat. Pieces of ice shattered onto their pants. He picked up a chunk and popped it into his mouth. He grinned around it, and offered one to Kat.

  She shook her head. “You have no idea what hazardous chemicals could be in that.”

  “Damn girl, let loose a little. We’re in a tiny cart with a flimsy piece of shit metal covering our heads, driving across barren wastelands that no man can survive, with ice the size of baseballs falling from the black sky. Now I don’t think it can get any more absurd than this. So, put this in your mouth and suck on it. We can’t live for eve
r anyway.”

  Kat smiled and shook her head. She took the offered piece, popped it in the mouth and sucked on it.

  “Kind of like a popsicle. Ever had a popsicle as a kid?”

  “No…”

  Damian stuck his hand out between them pointing to the front of the cart. “Watch out!”

  Hades tilted his head up just in time to swerve right around a head-sized chunk of ice that exploded onto the ground in front of them.

  But he turned too sharp.

  “Hang on!”

  The cart began to tip. Kat grabbed onto the metal poles holding the roof up. She could feel herself slide down toward Hades who desperately tried to keep the transport upright but failed with each moment. Finally, it fell over onto its side. Kat’s ass ended up positioned on top of Hades shoulder, just hanging above his face.

  She could feel his body shaking. Glancing down at him, she saw that he was laughing.

  “Honey, if you wanted to sit on my face, you could’ve just asked.”

  Kat growled and kicked him in the ribs. He grunted but didn’t stop laughing. Hail continued to fall, hitting Kat on the top of the head. Fortunately, there were only small sized and not the enormous skull-basher that had caused them to flip.

  “I’m glad you two are having fun. Could we fix this right now, because I’m getting a headache from these ice rocks,” Damian stated.

  Kat glanced over at him. He had pieces of ice stuck in his hair, and rivulets of water running down his face.

  “Are you hurt?”

  He shook his head.

  “How ‘bout your friend?”

  “I think my leg is broken. It went under the cart when we tipped,” Darquiel murmured, barely audible over the clamor of the hail and wind.

  Kat climbed out of the cart with Damian. Hades followed, a giddy smile still on his weathered face.

  “Could you stop grinning like a fool and help us lift the cart.”

  Hades grabbed hold of the cart and tilted it back onto its wheels. “Sorry, doll, I’m just having too much fun, you’re quite the wild date, Hell Kat.”

  Kat glared at him, but soon her mouth twitched and she couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up from her gut. She doubled over unable to contain the hysterics that erupted from inside. Her side began to ache from her shaking laughter, and tears ran down her face.