“I have good reason to believe she’s coming in this direction right now,” Seamus said. He glanced around him. They stood on the threshold of a wide living room with brown leather couches and a beige carpet. There was a heavy stone fireplace with a decorative wooden mantelpiece topped with an assortment of ornaments. Further ahead, a double door opened into a hall with photographs of the park’s wildlife.
“Is she in trouble?” Nathaniel asked.
“No, but she is under surveillance. At what time is the portal meant to be activated?”
Nathanial glanced at his watch. “In ten minutes.”
“What’s the frequency?”
“Every two hours.”
Seamus frowned. He ran his fingers through his hair. That meant that Kaila was planning to cross the portal in the next few minutes.
“I need to hide, now. Kaila is going to arrive shortly. You have not seen me. I will remain hidden until she crosses over. Do you understand? It is of the utmost importance, Nathaniel.”
“Yes, sir. Of course.”
Seamus grasped the man’s elbow.
“Show me to the portal room.”
The heavy knock on the door stopped him in his tracks.
“There’s no time. See to her.”
Nathaniel pointed to the hallway directly ahead and Seamus bounded in that direction. He slipped into the first room he found open. The kitchen. Drawing himself deep within the shadows, he waited. His heart beat against his throat. Kaila’s voice traveled across the space as she greeted Nathaniel and bid him to allow her use of the portal. His fingers itched to go to her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and hold her as he begged her to trust in him. Seamus shut his eyes. He couldn’t entertain those types of thoughts now. He focused on his breathing. Inhale. Exhale.
Nathaniel and Kaila walked past the kitchen, their voices drifting off into silence. Inhale. Exhale. He trained his ears on the sounds around him. Keys jingled. A door creaked. Seamus abandoned his hiding spot and moved forward. Kaila’s perfume lingered in the air. He could practically touch her. He shook his head and pushed through an ajar door. A bare light bulb illuminated a steep staircase. He held his breath. Silence. He crawled down the stairs. The stench of mold and dust tickled his nose. A cool draft made the hairs on his arms stand. The reverberating chime of a bell filled the air. The portal was being activated. Seamus jumped the last few steps and rushed across the basement. At the back, a partially open door allowed violet rays to filter out. He skidded to a stop in front of it. The wood was warm to the touch. He could sense the energy within, yet everything was silent. He couldn’t waste any more time. He burst through. The room was little more than the size of a closet. Nathaniel waved at him.
“I was going to go look for you. She just went through.”
He pointed to the back of the tiny space where a shimmering vortex danced with a crisscross of purplish-blue light.
“Thank you, Nathaniel. You have done well.”
Without breaking his stride, Seamus stepped through the portal. His insides stretched and contracted as if someone pulled at his limbs in all directions. The sensation passed as quickly as it began. He stepped onto solid ground, and out of habit, moved to the right to allow any other travelers to come through. His training kicked in and he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword while swooping the area with his gaze. His eyes quickly adjusted to the bright light of the Hall of Portals. The place teemed with travelers. He didn’t see Kaila anywhere.
Still standing to the side, Seamus searched the crowd for her. She couldn’t have gone far.
The Hall of Portals was a large domed building of over 67,000 square meters with tunnels opening up every few feet. Heavy, iron-wrought chandeliers hung from the ceiling, but at the moment, sunlight still shone from outside through the large arch-like quarter-paned windows. Seamus glanced at the giant brass clock hanging from the center of the room, above the main door. Its mechanism, composed of an assortment of gears and wheels, rotated rhythmically, ticking away the seconds of time. It was two minutes to six o’clock. Soon the sound of the heavy bell would chime across the building, indicating the opening of portals.
Made entirely from solid gray marble and stone, the place boasted more than one hundred exits. Each one led to an array of destinations which would activate depending on the time. Created centuries before, it was the center of communication between worlds. Due to the amount of energy and magic required to make the portals function, and as a safety precaution, Spell Casters had deemed it necessary to have all the portals in one location and divided the building into three parts. Exits toward Earth were located on the East Wing. On the West Wing, one could travel to other worlds. Finally, the South Wing was only open for military purposes. The portals in that area all led to the Sin’s lairs.
Dread settled in his stomach. Seamus swallowed drily.
“Dear God, I hope I’m wrong,” he mumbled.
Each step he took in the direction of the South Wing weighed over him like a sack of heavy bricks. Surely, Kaila knew better than to attempt to enter a Sin’s lair. He had to be mistaken. Yet, all the clues pointed in that one direction. Kaila had been investigating Sloth. She had asked questions about the portals and she had prepared a traveling pack.
There she was.
She walked confidently toward the South tunnel, reaching into her backpack as she did. What was she doing? The clock’s bell rang out. Seamus lunged forward as stragglers rushed to make it to their exits. He lost sight of Kaila for an instant.
“Out of the way,” Seamus barked, pushing past a traveler.
She reappeared a few feet before him. Seamus swerved to the left, barely avoiding crashing against a slow-moving couple. His breath swooshed out of his lungs. Kaila held something in her hands, but he couldn’t make out what it was. A blaze sparked. He recognized the object. His eyes widened. She tossed the bomb on the floor. Blue smoke rose into the air. Someone screamed. The metallic ring of weapons being drawn echoed throughout the hall.
He set off at a run toward the South gate. People rushed to escape the unknown attack, pushing against him. Smoke got into his eyes, watering them. He blinked back tears. Kaila had thrown the Hall of Portals into chaos.
She crossed through the South portal. The guards that should have been at either side of the shimmering vortex were nowhere in sight. Seamus followed her. He gritted his teeth at the pull of the energies on his body. He stumbled into his destination.
“Fuck.”
Two guards lay on the floor. He kneeled next to one of them, pressing his fingers to the pulse on his neck. He was alive, but unconscious. God knew what Kaila had used to throw these men into such deep sleep.
Anger simmered beneath his flesh. Cold sweat trickled down his back. This had gone too far. An enemy had never escaped him. He would not allow his mate to be the first to outrun him. The time had come to capture Kaila and shake some sense into her. Her behavior would get her banned from their world for good. He could not allow that. He already had to cope with the fact she hated him and didn’t want to be with him. If she were exiled from Virtue Island, he might never see her again. His heart contracted painfully. His vision swam. It wouldn’t happen.
Seamus drew his sword and began the descent into the bowls of the South Wing. As the oldest part of the Hall of Portals, it still resembled the ancient fort it had once been. The air was cool down here and he thought in passing that he didn’t envy the Guardians sent to keep watch over the Sin portals. Torch light flickered across the granite blocks, distorting his shadow. A sour sweat-smell permeated the air, as if a stream ran nearby. Flames crackled.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Seamus reached the bottom. The stairway opened into a long corridor with high roofs and thick columns. Seven arched doorways, one hundred men in width and two hundred men in height, opened every few feet. On the stone, inscribed in the ancient language, was the name of each Sin lord.
Entering a Sin’s domain was not a walk in the park. It was da
ngerous. Deadly. One never knew what one could find once he or she crossed through to the other side. Every battle against a Sin lord was carefully planned. The Sins always had unpleasant surprises waiting for them. Kaila was being careless. He gripped his sword so tightly, the hilt dug into his skin.
Seamus hurried toward Sloth’s gate. The nerve in his temple throbbed at the sight before him.
“Fuck, babe.”
The Guardians meant to keep watch over the Sin’s portal were out cold. Seamus wet his lips. A mixture of pride and anger coursed through him. Whatever Kaila was using, he’d have to know. It was clearly effective to throw down even the strongest men. He’d also spank her ass raw. He’d had it. When he got her out of there, she wasn’t going anywhere without him. He didn’t care if she hated him. He was never leaving her out of his sight again. Seamus readied his sword. But first, he had to get her out of Sloth’s lair. Seamus sprinted toward the shimmering vortex.
Chapter Five
Kaila took in a deep breath. She leaned against the gray stone wall and tried to catch her breath. Damn. She wiped at the beads of sweat gathering at the tips of her bangs and dripping over her eyes. An unpleasant gurgle drew near and she flattened herself against the stone.
The creature’s webbed feet clapped against the flagstone. Fear slithered down her back. It was close. She raised her knife. The demon made another unpleasant sound.
Now.
Kaila stepped out of the shadows and sunk the weapon deep into the Inferum’s gut. Its eyes widened, its mouth forming an almost perfect circle.
“Surprise,” she said.
She twisted the blade, conscious the jagged teeth at the edge were not only cutting into the beast’s innards, but also ripping them apart. The demon let out a strangled cry. It raised its bony arms in a last attempt to fight for its life, but it was a goner. Kaila pulled out her dagger, blood and gore toppling to the floor instants before the demon itself fell. She plastered herself against the wall again, listening for more sounds of pursuit. Nothing but silence. She cautiously continued down the dimly lit hall.
Getting into Sloth’s lair had not been an easy task. She’d had to do things she was not proud of, and there would be hell to pay once she got back, but it would all be worth it if she could save her sister.
A gentle draft cooled her skin and she shivered. Sloth’s home reminded her of an abandoned castle with its stone blocks and dim lighting. Her heart drummed loudly in her ears. Kaila tightened her hold on the hilt of her blade. There were no doors at either side of the long passage, nor any visible nooks for guards and other unsavory creatures to hide. She frowned. Was this what Sin considered protection? Granted, they were strong, powerful, and dangerous, but seriously, a few demons and some eerily lit halls wouldn’t detain even the most cowardly human. Still, some measure of her was frightened and that was a good thing. Fear kept her on her toes. Without fear, there was no sense of self-preservation.
She picked up her pace, but continued listening for any out-of-place sounds. Nothing, except for the occasional crackle of a flame on a sconce. She spotted the giant doors looming over the hall. Maybe Sloth’s security was lax because whatever was through these doors was enough to scare anyone. She hurried forth, coming to stand directly in front of them. She stared. The Sin Lord was just like his siblings. The giant doors depicted images of a world of decay, destroyed by human’s laziness or—she cocked her head—their obsession with work.
She dropped her backpack with provisions on the floor and moved closer to the curious design on the right. Men and women dressed in business attire stood in single file lines, empty sockets staring at piles of gold. She snorted. No doubt, Greed had helped design this door. Her gaze drew downward. She started. The men and women staring at the precious metal were standing over a pile of bodies. She grimaced at the grotesque sight. Women, men, and children, bent and twisted below the workers. She moved closer, her hand flying to her mouth as she realized the outline of their figures formed phrases.
Help. Listen to me. I love you. Why are you ignoring me? Work is not everything. I’m leaving. You don’t care about me.
On and on, the words repeated themselves, claiming the workers for attention which never came. They had fallen prisoners to Sloth’s malevolent plan. Work until you drop. Don’t dedicate your time to others. Forget leisure. Keep working. Kaila shuddered and moved away. Her glance fell on another design. It resembled Munch’s Scream, but worse. Thousands of people were screaming in despair. Yet, there was something more. She took another step back. The image became bigger. There weren’t many men, only one, his stare vacant and dead. She stumbled backward as realization hit her of what it represented. Men’s inner voice screaming inside and dead to the world outside. Almost like Melisa. The need to get her sister out of there turned even more urgent. Kaila reached for the iron-wrought pommel.
“Going anywhere, babe?”
She froze. The hair on the back of her neck stood. She recognized that voice. Sexy, deep, with an exaggerated drawl. She’d heard it countless times in her thirty-four years.
“You didn’t think you’d be able to run past me, did you, babe?”
She clenched her jaw. Damn Guardian. What the hell was he doing here? She dropped her hand to her side and squared her shoulders.
“Babe?”
How many times had she told Seamus not to call her that, and yet he insisted?
“You gonna stand there all day, seething?” He paused. She could almost hear the grin in his voice as he drawled out the endearment. “Babe.”
“How long have you been here, Guardian?” Kaila asked.
His soft chuckle had pinpricks of desire coursing through her flesh and prompted her to close her hands into tight fists. Damn him.
“Long enough to see you sweat it for a bit.”
“You could’ve helped.” How was it possible for someone to be so irritable and so desirable at the same time?
“Would you’ve let me?” Seamus asked.
“No, definitely not.”
“Then what are you whining about, babe? Besides, you’re a perfectly capable fighter. We both know that.”
Kaila bit the inside of her cheek. She would keep calm. She would not send Seamus to hell and back. He was simply doing his job. She had known all along that once she entered this dimension, the Guardians would approach her. She didn’t belong here and they did. This was their territory. However, she’d hoped it could have been any of the others. Of course, with her luck and his personal mission to make her life impossible, it just had to be Seamus.
“So, what do you want?” Kaila asked.
“Well, I noticed you were enthralled with Sloth’s pretty door and was wondering what exactly you’re doing here. It’s fine art, but nothing humans”—he stressed the last word— “can’t do just as well.”
And there was the jab indicating she should be on Earth and not here. Kaila sighed.
“I’m on a mission that’s none of your fucking business.”
His rich laughter caused her chest to constrict. Memories of the time they’d spent together screamed at her for attention. She ground her teeth. She would not succumb to them. That was all a thing of the past. She refused to be Seamus’s mate.
“Well, baby girl, technically, you’re about to enter my domain, not to mention Sloth’s there, and you can’t. Aslan is also mightily concerned. You know the rules, Kaila, babe. HGs aren’t supposed to be here. You’ve created quite the pandemonium to get in here. Why?”
“Fuck the rules. The Sins do it all the time,” she countered, purposely ignoring his question.
“Yeah, but that’s why they’re evil and we’re the good guys, no?” he said, his voice coming from above.
Kaila resisted looking up to follow his movements. Seamus landed in front of her, fluttering his massive, black wings and causing her hair to slide over her eyes.
“You’re such a dick,” she murmured.
“Heard that, babe.” His fingers brushed against h
ers as he helped her. Something akin to a soft current traveled up her arm. Hastily, she took a step back.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me ‘babe’?” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he stared at her. He’d folded his wings behind his back, but as usual, he was dressed in little more than leather trousers and the belt around his chest to keep his precious sword tucked in place. His short, black hair gleamed with streaks of blue in the dim light of the hall.
“Not enough times, babe. I keep forgetting.”
She slapped his hand away as he attempted to touch her again.
“Plus, you know it turns me on to see you mad.”
“Fuck you, Seamus.”
“Whenever you want, babe. I’ve got all eternity to wait for you,” he said.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she slapped his hand again and attempted to dodge him, but he gripped her arm and pulled her back. He leaned over her menacingly. She placed her hand on his chest to try to keep him at bay. She refused to think about his warm and soft skin and how she wanted to sink into his embrace.
“You can’t go in there, Kaila. I was not joking earlier.”
She dug her nails into his flesh. No one told her what she could and could not do. Especially him.
“Neither was I. I’m going in and you can’t stop me.”
“Kaila.”
His tone turned icy. She scowled and pushed him hard. An ordinary human man would have fallen. Seamus didn’t even budge. He arched an eyebrow, clearly not impressed.
“Oh, my God.” She pushed him again, and this time he moved, albeit he didn’t release her.
“Seamus, let me go. I know you’re a prick, but—”
The mirth in his eyes vanished, replaced by annoyance. He set his lips into a determined thin line she knew too well. He wasn’t going to let her go voluntarily. Fuck. She hadn’t come this far to have Seamus stop her.
“I’ll hurt you if you don’t let me go,” she warned.
Seamus's Mate Page 3
