Marked By Hades (Entangled Embrace)

by Monroe, Reese

  “Justin, please. I don’t know who Agares is.” She eyed Sadie. “I’ve never seen this woman before. I swear it.”

  “Liar.” Sadie’s eyes flashed red. “You’re Dyre. You helped me find the scroll to end Aggie. Helped me out of his lair in Hades.”

  Yvonne shook her head and hugged her stomach. She still wore Justin’s leather jacket. Hell, he could still feel her body beneath his, smell her intoxicating lavender scent. Even more baffling, he was in France and still felt his Mate’s Mark calling to him.

  His mind swam with questions. He had no answers, and Yvonne claimed ignorance. He only knew that Sadie had been held for over three months, drugged, and that she was saying this woman had been part of it.

  Was a demon.

  He almost puked. This…demon…had catapulted him into pleasure harder and faster than any other woman he’d ever been with. They hadn’t even had sex, and he’d felt sated beyond measure without even touching her flesh.

  But he didn’t sense that she was a demon, and neither did Theo. What the hell was going on?

  Justin motioned for Theo, Sadie, and Halena to follow him. They made their way down the narrow hallway and through the door at the end of the makeshift dungeon.

  The heavy door slammed shut.

  “Connard. How dare you bring a demon to my sanctuary.” Halena shoved him. “You and your flings. Can’t keep it in your pants long enough to know who you’re doing it with?”

  “Enough, Halena,” Theo said.

  “No, Theo. This is my home. How could he—”

  “She tripped no demon warnings in either of us.” Theo eyed Halena. “And yours aren’t flaring, either. How do you explain that?”

  “She’s demon, Theo. At least in that cave she was a black-eyed demon, but now, she has green eyes. Wait, she’d said her human name was Yvonne.” Sadie paced and looked at her watch. “Shit. We have to go if we want to try to catch this convoy.”

  “She’s secure, right?” Theo asked Halena.

  “Of course. No one can break out of that space, but I don’t want her here alone.”

  “I’ll stay,” Justin said. “She’s my responsibility.”

  “No. We need you with us. She’ll stay here on lockdown. Halena, do you have a trusted human who can watch her?”

  “No.”

  “Then we have no choice but to leave her.” Theo stomped forward to the stairwell that led upstairs. “We’ll figure out what is going on when we get back.”

  Justin caught up to Theo. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

  “You couldn’t have.” Theo let out a long breath. “I believe her when she says she’s never seen my Mate and doesn’t know anything about Aggie.”

  “But…”

  “It doesn’t mean she isn’t part of their plans, though. They could have done something to her. Cast a spell.” Theo looked to Halena. “Get word to Beckett, and see what they can dig up on spells or something like this.”

  “How did she get out of Hades if she doesn’t even remember who she is?” Sadie asked.

  “She couldn’t get out of Hades before—that was why she was shacked up with Aggie. He was a high-level demon and could make that happen for her,” Theo said.

  Justin tensed at the thought of Yvonne sleeping with Aggie, working with him to kill Theo and Sadie. His stomach churned.

  “Maybe once we get the Thata and bring it to her, that’ll jog some memories.” Theo grabbed Sadie’s hand. “Come on, love.” He glanced at Justin and Halena. “We leave in five minutes.”

  They stomped up the stairs, leaving Justin and Halena alone. She opened her mouth to speak and Justin said, “Not now. Just go.”

  He stole back into the holding area.

  “Justin. What’s happening? Those people are crazy.”

  “I’m sorry. You’ll have to stay in there until we return.”

  “No!” She reached through the bars, but he dodged before she made contact with him. “Justin. Don’t leave me here.”

  How could she be a demon? In bed—literally—with Aggie? What if those damn demons found a way to trick him into thinking she was his Mate? He’d felt everything associated with an Ahavah receiving her Mark, yet she wasn’t marked. And to make matters worse, he felt so strongly toward her, had even wished she were his Mate.

  It felt as if someone kicked him in the gut.

  “Justin.”

  “Save it.” He turned and stomped away from the only woman he’d actually ever considered caring about.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Son of a bitch.” Yvonne kicked the bars again, then pulled on them. Even with her strength, they refused to budge. And she’d know, she’d spent the last several hours trying both.

  She flopped to the dirty floor and leaned against the wall. Justin’s jacket buffered the cold, jagged brick at her back but did nothing to warm her heart.

  She should have left him in that hotel. Should have listened to her instinct. But when he’d touched her, she’d lost her ability to resist him. “I’m so stupid.”

  A stealthy spider dared make its way across the concrete floor in her direction. She pulled off her glove and reached for the tiny thing. It skittered toward her. One thin leg touched the tip of her middle finger, and a second later the creature was gone. Not even enough ash left to bother brushing away.

  She sagged against the hard wall. No plants had survived her touch, and the spider’s death proved she couldn’t touch animals, either.

  Pulling on her glove, she fought the stinging tears rising to the surface at the stark realization: she was walking death.

  A distant door creaked, and she hopped to her feet. Maybe Justin was back, and they could straighten things out. He’d been the only one she’d even considered confiding in. He could help her; she knew it.

  The door that led into the holding area flew open, and Sadie stormed in. “You!” Her voice ricocheted off the concrete walls.

  Sadie jammed a key into the metal door caging Yvonne in and kicked it open. In a flash, the crazed woman was on her.

  “Don’t touch her skin,” Halena yelled.

  A piercing pain exploded through Yvonne’s shoulder. She looked down to see a long, silver blade wedged in her flesh.

  Sadie’d driven it in with so much force that the point went into the brick wall. “They took him. They took my Theo.”

  Halena filed into the cell behind Sadie, and Yvonne strained to the side to see if Justin was coming in. But only the open cell door loomed.

  “You’re going to talk, or I’m going to fillet you.” Sadie growled and twisted the blade. Agony plowed through Yvonne. She let out a roar and slammed her fist into Sadie’s elbow.

  She didn’t move.

  Seemed Sadie had strength as well.

  “What do they want with Theo? What part are you playing in all of this?”

  “Where’s Justin?” Yvonne asked. For some reason, it didn’t matter that a blade stabbed through her bone and flesh, fixing her to a brick wall. All of a sudden she had a sense of dread, and not for her own survival but for Justin’s.

  Sadie paused, then twisted some more.

  “It’s not wise to get between a mated pair, demon.” Halena smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. She, too, was dressed in black fatigues. Something black was splattered on her cheek and caked her fiery hair. It was like tar…or dried blood?

  Now that Yvonne got her wits about her, she realized Sadie was covered in it as well.

  “Sadie already has strength, but when enraged over her Mate’s abduction…”

  “I don’t know anything!” Yvonne yelled. She pushed again and finally separated herself from Sadie and the wall.

  Tearing off Justin’s jacket and her long gloves, she bared as much skin as possible so she could fry these chicks if needed. She had to get out of this place—had to find Justin.

  “Holy shit.” Halena froze, eyes wide.

  Sadie’s gaze landed on Yvonne’s shoulder. “You’re marked.”

&nbs
p; “Ahavah,” Halena whispered.

  Yvonne kept her stance but noticed the obvious relaxing of Sadie’s attack posture. “You’re—but—how’s this possible?” She glanced at Halena.

  “How the hell am I supposed to know?”

  “You’re the eight-century-old Gatekeeper. I’m only freaking seven months into this effed-up world.” Sadie holstered her weapon.

  “I wouldn’t do that,” Halena said. “She’s demon.”

  “She bleeds red, not demon black blood, and she’s marked. That makes her Shomrei.” Sadie’s eyes flashed. “I get no sense from her either way. Only confusion and…rage…are roaring through her thoughts.”

  “Stop talking about me like I’m not here. I’m not a fucking demon!” Yvonne straightened, her jaw clenching so tight a headache sprawled up the base of her skull. If these bitches didn’t tell her where Justin was, she was going to kill them.

  Whoa! Where’d that thought come from?

  “Where’s Justin?” she asked.

  “Oh, my gosh.” Sadie’s hand went to her mouth. “You’re Justin’s, aren’t you?”

  “Merde,” Halena said. “Merde. Merde. Merde!”

  Was that jealousy she saw flash across Halena’s face? Did she want Justin? Why was she keeping her from Justin?

  “Tell me where he is. Right now!”

  “Got the shit beat out of him, demon,” Halena said as she drew her dagger from her thigh holster. “I healed him as much as I can, but I’m not his Gatekeeper or his Mate, so the healing isn’t thorough.” She glanced at Sadie, then back to Yvonne. “But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you touch him!”

  Halena charged. Sadie screamed.

  Yvonne swung her fist, but Halena ducked and thrashed Yvonne’s side. The Gatekeeper spun, knocking out Yvonne’s legs, and buried a dagger in her stomach. “Reverto ut Abyssus.”

  Yvonne screamed so loud her throat burned as if fire had come out. She reached for Halena’s hands, ready to fry her, but the woman jumped out of range, taking the blade with her.

  Sadie gasped. “Shit, Halena.”

  “She’s not dust. Doesn’t bleed black. Vaporizes what she touches. What the hell are you?”

  Anger stormed through Yvonne, and she hardly remembered getting to her feet, but when she regained awareness over her actions, she was charging Halena. “Where is he?”

  Fire surged up her side from the shoulder where Sadie had stabbed her. If they didn’t tell her where Justin was, she’d kill them both. Rage vibrated through her, and her vision went dark around the edges. Hate stormed around her heart, squeezing it until she didn’t think it was beating anymore. The darkness inside she’d always wondered about blasted out in her fear for Justin. In her anger toward these two bitches keeping her from him.

  “If there really is a Great One, you two had better start praying for his help.” Yvonne lunged.

  …

  “Justin.” Someone shook his shoulder, stirring him from darkness.

  And then the residual pain registered. His side. His leg. His thigh. Images of demons slashing his body roared through him, and he let out a groan.

  “Oh. God. Justin.”

  Hands patted his side, then brushed the hair off his forehead. “What happened?”

  Was that Yvonne’s voice? His chest warmed, and a line of heat streamed to his neck and pulsed. Burned.

  He swallowed hard, flinching at the coppery taste of blood on his tongue. Halena had healed his wounds as best she could, but without Theo here to really heal him and no Mate…he had to finish recovering on his own. And that took time…and energy…and sleep.

  A warm cloth covered his shoulder, right where a demon had taken a bite out of him. Was Theo here?

  No, he’d been taken, snatched by the hordes of demons waiting for them when they’d arrived.

  Justin pried his eyelids open by sheer might. Yvonne’s nearly emerald eyes peered down at him. Purple bruises littered her face and blood dribbled from her cracked lips.

  He sat up with a roar.

  She jumped back, holding her throat. His jacket was covered with dust, a rip in her leather pants exposed pale flesh, but he didn’t see a wound.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Demons. Brutal fight.” He collapsed onto the bed again. The dim room came more into focus, and he realized he was at Halena’s. Framed landscapes decorated the walls. Yvonne leaned over him, regarding him with wide eyes.

  Wait. She was… “Demon.”

  “Justin. No. I’m not. She— I—”

  “It’s true, Justin. She’s not a demon.” Sadie limped in, holding her side and out of breath. “Damn you’re fast, girl.”

  “Bullshit. I say she still is and just found a way around my vanquish,” Halena said as she strutted through the doorway.

  Justin roared to his feet and rammed into Halena. “You did not try to vanquish Yvonne.” He clutched her throat and squeezed.

  “Stand down, Justin.” Sadie grasped his wrist. “Justin!”

  He released his hold on the infuriating Gatekeeper and fell forward, coughing.

  “I am never taking a Mate. Ever. I don’t care what anyone or The Great One says about it,” Halena said. “It makes you insane!”

  Lightning cracked outside, and rain pelted the window across the room. He reached out to steady himself against the tilting world, but two hands grabbed him instead.

  Gloved hands, of course. The black fingers contrasted against his pale skin like night and day. Pretty much like what Yvonne and Justin were.

  Demon and Shomrei. Shit. Was she really a demon?

  Yvonne guided him to the bed and settled him down.

  “You’re hurt,” he whispered at the sight of blood on her cheek. Wait, demon blood was black, and her blood wasn’t. “How?”

  “Your Gatekeeper friends got a little blade-happy.”

  Justin growled in their direction.

  “If that’s not proof enough, I don’t know what is.” Sadie shook her head. “Theo’s not here…to finish healing you.” Her voice hitched. “So rest. You need to heal so we can find my Theo—” Tears burst from her eyes, and she turned and ran out of the room.

  Theo’d been taken by a band of demons. The damned creatures had been waiting for the Shomrei gang as if they’d known to expect them at that exact time. “Damn it! It was a fucking trap!”

  Justin glared at Yvonne, who sat on the edge of the bed, gloved hand holding his. Had she fed the demons information somehow? A telepathic connection of sorts? He pulled his hand from hers and scooted to the side.

  God, he hurt everywhere. He would have sworn every bone was broken in his body, and despite Halena’s healing, he still ached. But when he’d heard Halena had tried to vanquish Yvonne, he’d roared to life…as if she were his Mate.

  No! The demons had to have cast a spell or curse of some sort to make this possible. It had to be. He rolled over and closed his eyes.

  He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard shuffling in the room. He turned to his side to see Sadie walking in.

  “Here.” Sadie, eyes puffy, held a tray with food and a couple of bottles of water.

  His focus bobbed from Yvonne, who still sat on the edge of his bed, to Sadie and back. “What’s happened between you guys?”

  “She kicked the ever-loving hell out of Halena. You should have seen it.” Sadie offered a half smile and cupped her now-healed cheek. “Got me a few good ones, too.”

  He grunted.

  “Show him.” Sadie thumbed toward Yvonne. “Take off the jacket.”

  He returned his focus to Yvonne.

  She glanced at Sadie, who nodded. “Go on.”

  Yvonne pulled the jacket back and let it slide to the floor.

  Justin’s heart quivered within his chest. A fiery tingle stormed to his neck and pulsed. Her tight leather tank went taut as she heaved in a breath.

  Black hair cascaded over her shoulder to mid-biceps. Sadie smiled, but Yvonne just kept breathing
heavy.

  She turned, exposing her bare shoulder.

  Justin almost choked at the sight of the Ahavah Mark. His Mark. She, this demon—or former demon—was his Mate.

  No.

  Great One?

  Silence.

  “Justin,” Yvonne whispered. “I—”

  “Get out.” He turned away from her. This wasn’t possible. It had to be a trick. The demons had done something to her…to him. He couldn’t trust this.

  “Justin,” Sadie said. “It’s okay. I—”

  “Get out!”

  “Yvonne, give me a minute. Steer clear of Halena, but just give me a minute with him, okay?”

  He heard shuffling, followed by a door clicking shut, but he didn’t have to look, he felt her leave. Felt her sadness. Her fear. Her…anger.

  “Look. I know you never wanted a Mate.” The bed sagged behind him. “Never believed in them at least. But it’s true, Justin. She’s your Mate.”

  “No.”

  “I know you feel something for her.” She smacked his shoulder. “You can’t go against The Great One.”

  “I can, and I will. I will not be bound to her.” He grunted through a throb in his side. “She may not be demon now, but she held you captive for three months, Sadie. She tried to kill Theo—and me, by the way—by keeping you from him. She helped Aggie. How could you—”

  “Remember when I was in that cave with her? I don’t know if I ever told you this. Maybe I only told Theo.” She cleared her throat. “But I sensed something in her. That we could have been friends under different circumstances.”

  “Friends?” Justin huffed. As much as he adored Sadie, she was young. Only eighteen and newly thrown into the Shomrei world. She was clueless.

  “No. I’m not, Justin. Remember who my parents are.” She wagged her forefinger at him. “And who my Mate is. I can hear whispers of thoughts, remember?”

  He huffed again.

  “I’d joked about Dyre and me being friends in different circumstances, but I remember the sense I got from her. She just wanted to be with anyone who would have her. And that was Aggie. She talked of going to earth with him to enjoy being with people. Touching them. Just being with them.” She smiled. “Hell, I get that sense now from her thoughts. Though her only thought is of being with you. But that longing to belong to someone, something. That’s real.”