by JP Epperson
We let go of one another, ready to face the demons preparing to pounce on us. They swarmed us, and we went to town, determined to take as many of them with us as we could. We were losing, we were badly hurt, and we were running out of time. Colton was suddenly next to me again. He kissed me forcefully and then closed off his emotions to me. I looked at him, confused, until I saw the bluish glow around his fingers. I knew what he was about to do, and there was no way I was going to let him. He started forming a barrier all around me.
“Don’t fight it, Beauty, it’ll give you just enough time to vanish,” he said, gazing at me intently.
“Like hell,” I answered, and I stabbed him to prove the point. Nothing fatal, just a shallow shoulder wound, which he deserved for trying to send me off like a damsel in distress. He grinned, shaking his head as if he’d known it wouldn’t be that easy.
Out of nowhere, an arrow came whizzing by, straight for my head. Colton turned with super speed and caught it before I even knew what was happening. The fury of someone coming so close to killing me was suddenly written all over his face. I recognized my rage in his expression, and I felt it when he accidentally leaked his emotions. He was being consumed by the same wrath I knew so well. He started to shake with anger, and as I watched, his hands started to glow red.
That was new.
He looked at them, startled, and then aimed them in the air at the demon responsible for the arrow. The demon, and several near him, exploded in a mess of blood and other bodily fluids. Colton jumped, obviously stunned at what he had just done. He’d never had an offensive ability like that before. I didn’t have time to ponder it, though, as the rest of the demons started to close in on us.
They were on the verge of swarming us when all of a sudden, some other explosion occurred on the opposite side of the corridor, causing a commotion. There was an uproar followed by the unquestionable sound of battle. The clings of metal against metal again echoed throughout the passageway, while fireballs lit up the area once more.
As the smoke thinned, I was able to make out four new figures fighting their way toward us.
What was going on?
Chapter Fifteen
As the dust cleared from the explosion and the figures came into focus, I was flabbergasted to see that Liam had come to our rescue. Not only that, but alongside him was Olivia—a little worse for wear, but clearly she was healed and ready to seek her revenge. My jaw dropped when I saw who was behind Liam and Olivia.
“Nicholai?” I murmured, taking in his exquisite face and body. He flashed me a wink and nodded to Colton. Nicholai was our best friend—he still is my best friend—and I think he alone shared my pain and anger at Colton’s fall.
Beside Nicholai stood a surly-looking Talon. He was about the same height as Nicholai—a few inches over six foot—but where Nicholai was long, lean, and sculpted, Talon was massively bulky and muscular—beautiful just did not sum him up. He was perfect—from his military-like buzz cut and perfectly blue eyes to his flawless body. He was built in all the right places. Strong broad shoulders and immense biceps led to chiseled forearms. His impressive chest gave way to a set of ripped abs. His quads and hamstrings were enough to make anyone in the gym weep from jealousy, not to mention his superb glutes. Large tastefully done tattoos littered his body. The most prominent of which, a falcon, resided along his upper back and shoulders. Talon’s gift was extremely unique in that he could take the shape of a falcon at will. It was rumored he could turn into any animal, but I had only ever seen the falcon. I would have kept an ability like that under wraps too, so I never questioned him on it.
I watched Nicholai. His long blond hair pulled tight in a ponytail was swinging all around him as he moved like some kind of fighting monkey. He wielded a machete in each hand like they were a part of him. Sweat glistened on his long and lean bronzed body. He was, as he usually was, shirtless. He proudly paraded around his battle scars for the world to see, daring someone to mention them. He was not arrogant as it may have seemed to others; he was grateful. Each scar was to him a reminder that somehow, by the grace of God, he had endured and survived.
The arrival of backup helped Colton and me scrounge up some new-found strength. The six of us fought, clashing angrily with our adversaries, which were now dropping like flies. Fireballs of every color again lit up the corridor, but this time they were joined with a combination of various otherworldly abilities. It might have been somewhat beautiful—if it were not for the fact that the fireballs hurt like hell. A shard of ice flew past my head and landed in the face of demon trying to get to me. I chanced a look at Nicholai; I knew he was the warrior who wielded the ice ability. He shrugged at me, smiling, and I had to grin. I returned the favor, aiming my left palm at a demon trying to sneak up on him and releasing a sliver of light. He chuckled loudly as he fought and as always, I could not help but to laugh out loud with him even as I was killing my fallen brothers and sisters.
“Use your new ability,” I shouted to Colton, who was sticking solely to his shields and traditional weapons.
“I can’t! I’ve never had an offensive ability like that before—I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Colton answered as he dismembered a big brutish demon.
“Can’t control your abilities, little demon?” Talon taunted. Nicholai, Olivia, and Liam all chuckled while they battled on.
“I guess you really haven’t changed then . . .” Nicholai teased.
“Come here, beast man,” Colton called, winking, “and I’ll show you how little I am.” His voice was playful, and that seemed to only infuriate Talon more.
I was laughing while I weaved in out of demons. Liam and Olivia battled impressively; they were an intriguing team to watch. Every move each of them made complemented the other’s movements. They would go far those two. Watching them, I realized how much they resembled Colton and me. Even now, even after years of not seeing one another, Colton and I still fought as one.
Talon used his bare hands to rip demons apart; as large as he was, you would have expected slower, destructive movements. Yet instead he was graceful with every move he made. Every calculated movement was elegant, almost birdlike. It was as though he spent so much time as a falcon, that he started to think, move, and hunt like one.
Demons were falling quickly. Within a matter of a few minutes, more than half of them lay on the floor lifeless. There were only a handful of them left, and they were simply no match for the six of us. We were finally down to two small groups of demons. Our four rescuers—wow, it felt weird to be the rescued yet again rather than the rescuer—faced nine demons while Colton and I faced four. I watched as Liam, Olivia, Talon, and Nicholai took out their prey like ravenous predators.
When finished, they worked their way through the maze of bodies at a leisurely pace, knowing Colton and I had our end covered. I ran at Colton, who bent slightly forward, placing his hands in front of him—one on top of the other, palms up. I leapt on his hands and he shoved me upwards with perfect precision. I flew up to the ceiling and showered down enough light to make a thunderstorm proud before I landed softly next to Colton.
I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, thankful that we were still standing. Instead of letting go, he spun me toward him and hugged me tightly. His fingertips grazed against my scalp and skin tenderly.
God help me, his touch was still ecstasy.
My skin was instantly covered in chills and my body naturally melted into his. I forgot everything, except how much I still craved his touch. Especially after battle. My adrenaline was pumping and despite my better judgement, I was able to forget all the bad memories. It was, for a moment, as if things were as they used to be. I lifted my head and got lost in his eyes. I leaned in a little more and pressed my lips to his. His body went rigid at first, and then he was ravaging me. He lifted me up with his oh-so-strong arms and I instinctually wrapped my legs around his waist. I ran my fingers through his hair while we ate at each other’s mouth. He held me against the bars of an empty priso
n chamber, clawing at my shirtless back. My heart was racing to speeds that would have been deathly to a human. His heart beat ferociously against my breasts, threatening to burst from his chest. I threw my head back offering myself to him.
Everything and everyone else had disappeared—well, until the sound of someone clearing their throat brought us back to the corridor of prison chambers scattered with the bodies of demons.
A chuckle from Nicholai’s mouth made me grimace. I would have been mortified, but my adrenaline was still pumping strong, plus it was normal for Colton and me to get caught up like that after battle. Something about the rush of near-death experiences made us need to touch one another. It was like that with a lot of us. I knew without looking that Liam and Olivia would be embracing, although probably not as vigorously as us. Colton released me reluctantly.
I pulled him back to me and grabbed his chin forcefully. “Don’t ever try to sacrifice yourself for me like that again.” I shoved him away but was pulled back quickly. I shoved him away again, but before I let him go, I kissed him thoroughly and quieted the defensive reply trying to escape his lips.
I turned to Olivia and grasped her shoulder. “It’s good to see you,” I said, trying not to put her on the spot. She looked as though she was going to thank me but instead shocked me by wrapping her arms around me and squeezing tightly. She then looked utterly dismayed at her behavior and turned and walked back to Liam without a word. I caught Liam’s wide eyes; he and I both suppressed a grin as he made his way to me.
“Perfect timing,” I said, smiling. “Thank you, you’re starting to make a habit of saving my ass.”
He smiled from ear to ear. “Anytime,” he answered, beaming, before he walked over to Colton.
Nicholai was suddenly picking me up in a bear hug. “Good to see you’re still getting into trouble on a regular basis,” he said, putting me back on the ground.
“Whatever do you mean.” I faked indignation as I wrapped his long blonde hair around my head and batted my eyelashes. He laughed loudly and it was contagious—everyone had to laugh with him. Well, everyone except Talon; he seemed to be immune. The laugh lines diminished the pained look permanently etched on Nicholai’s face. He had a partner once. She was his everything. Their story was even more tragic than mine and Colton’s was turning out to be.
Nicholai walked over to Colton. I was nervous, wondering how Nicholai and especially Talon would react to Colton. He was not an angel anymore and though he was trying, there would be many that would reject him until he proved himself—and even some that would reject him indefinitely. For a moment, they just looked at one another, then suddenly they were both grinning. Colton raised his right hand as if he was going to give Nicholai a high-five, but Nicholai instead pulled him in for a hug, saying, “Good to have you back, brother.”
“Good to be back,” Colton answered. “Well, almost back.” There was an apology written in his eyes and only forgiveness written in Nicholai’s.
The clearing of a throat brought my attention back to Talon. Ever serious as he always was, I walked to him and said, “Thank you for coming, old friend.” I didn’t attempt to hug him, pat him on the chest, or even touch him at all. Talon was just not that kind of a guy. He was a loner. Always had been. One of the few warriors to never have a partner, he seemed to relish in the solitude.
“You have done the same for me, Belleeza.” His was a stern voice and while that probably did not seem like much to others, it was practically like a hug from Talon. I nodded in reply. Talon was someone I respected immensely—what was more, he respected me. Not many people had earned that right as far as he was concerned. Somehow, we just seemed to get each other. True I had Colton—well, sort of—and Evange, and even Nicholai, but solitude was something I could truly appreciate.
Colton looked at Talon. I could see the menace in Talon’s eyes as they made eye contact. Colton didn’t see it—or maybe he did see it and just didn’t care. He was stubborn like that. Either way, I knew it would be better if they just did not speak to one another, or even get too close. Talon, at best, tolerated Colton when he was an angel. Now Colton would deserve even less than that in Talon’s eyes. The two of them had never got along when Colton was an angel; now that he had fallen, I knew things could get ugly.
I could hardly believe Evangelina sent Talon with the others. She would have known they would not play well together. Talon didn’t ever like anyone, really, and Colton thought his pretentious attitude was like a spoiled child.
“Thanks for coming to our aid, Talon,” Colton said.
“Do not speak to me, traitor,” Talon boomed, his voice echoing throughout the corridor. “I did not come to your aid, filthy demon. I came only for her. She is a true warrior. You belong on the ground with your new family, coward.” He pointed to the bodies at our feet.
“Is that so?” Colton’s eyes thinned, and his lips pressed tightly into one another. “You think you could take me to the ground? Let us see. You know nothing about me, bird, why don’t you go back to your nest? I know why you came for her—because you stuck your big neck out and got yourself into something too big for you to handle. So she risked her life to come and save your ass and nearly died doing it.”
If I thought Talon looked menacing before, it was nothing compared to what he looked like now. He looked at Colton like he was prey.
“Yes, she came for me. We are warriors—that is what she and I do. And where were you, demon? Where were you when you should have been having her back?”
Oh crap, this is about to get ugly. Battle of the biggest . . . ego.
“It’s none of your concern where I was,” Colton answered acidly.
“Were you on a mission, demon?” Talon taunted. “For whom, our side? Or yours?”
Well that did it—testosterone levels peaked and they were about to go to blows. Colton charged Talon. Talon braced just as Colton’s body impacted him and then they were off. Moving at a blur of a speed, playing a game of whoever did the most damage wins. Liam and Olivia looked almost frightened. Nicholai looked concerned, and I just shrugged my shoulders with indifference. Even our kind get caught up in petty drama. The seven deadly sins are just as deadly for us.
Remembering that we were in some kind of demon lair, I decided to put an end to the fight, even though it was somewhat entertaining. We were still in a potentially hostile environment. I once again reached inside myself for my light, bringing it to both of my palms. I carefully took my aim so as not to cause anything more a cosmetic wound. Colton’s back was to me so he was getting it in the right shoulder, Talon in the left. I took in a deep breath and released my light as I exhaled, nailing them both right where I wanted to. They both jumped into attack mode, looking around for signs of the enemy.
“If you boys are done playing, we have work to do.”
It dawned on them after I spoke that it was my light that had seared their skin. Talon flushed, looking at first embarrassed by his behavior, and then more menacing than his usual self. Colton still eyed Talon as though he had not gotten everything off his chest that he wanted to, but then he looked at me and shrugged apologetically. For whatever reason, the two of them had never gotten along. They just seemed to rub each other the wrong way.
I kind of felt bad for putting Talon on the spot. I never felt guilty about giving people a hard time, but Talon was just not like most people. He was just so, so . . . well, good. Sure, he was somewhat standoffish with people, to the point of borderline rudeness, but I could not fault him for that. I was the same way. He strived to be noble, loyal, and dependable. Although I had not noticed it before, he was almost like the male version of me. We just seemed to understand each other.
Everyone was quickly and quietly collecting their weapons when I started toward the prison cells to find the source of the voice that had warned Colton and me. I spoke, breaking the silence and startling the rest of my team.
“Are you hurt, boy?” I directed my voice toward his prison cell but did not
walk into his line of vision. I was unsure why I felt compelled to stay hidden in the shadows, but my gut was usually right so I listened to it.
“No, I’m fine. Are you hurt?” I was surprised to hear the sincerity of his tone and realized he was actually concerned for our safety more than his own.
“Just a few scuffs and bruises,” I answered.
“You should really get out of here,” the boy said. “They will be back soon, with even more fighters than before.”
I decided it would be best to heed the boy’s warning—but not without him. I was wagering he had a lot of useful information in that observant head of his. I turned toward the others. Although I liked having the extra backup, we were still in top-secret mode. I was about to tell Nicholai and Talon they should go wait for us at my place until I got the clearance to brief them, but Talon beat me to the punch.
“Your loyalty is unmatched, Belleeza,” he said. “Nicholai and I have been briefed on the case. You may speak freely.”
I felt my eyes widen. Colton’s jaw dropped. He exhaled loudly and walked away. He really didn’t like Talon. It could definitely benefit the case to have the extra hands on it, but I was surprised Anselma had so quickly shared the case details with the two newcomers after how hard she’d fought to keep us in the dark.
My face must have given me away because Liam answered my thoughts. “Anselma defied the elders.”
I stared at him in disbelief. This was just . . . unheard of.
