by Maya Nicole
"What do you-" Before I could finish, the vacant jumped to its feet, its eyes glowing red.
The vacant ran toward us and I backed up, but Raphael just stood there, looking bored. He unsheathed his sword, and in a smooth slice, took the man's head before it got to me.
"Now, are you done testing out your powers on something you know nothing about, or are we going to stand here and behead these things all day?" He wiped his sword on the man's shirt and then sheathed it.
I stared down at the headless body. I didn't understand why it didn't work. It should have given him light, not taken it away and turned him into a real vacant.
Raphael wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Maybe it's like my power. It won't work on someone too far gone."
"But he wasn't too far gone! Nico came back from it." I let him lead me back to the carriage where Amari and Nico were waiting with crossed arms.
I didn't say a word as I climbed in the back. I didn't know where Val had gone or what he was up to, but hundreds of vacants standing in the middle of the forest didn't give me the warm and fuzzies.
The line of vacants was wide, and it took us about fifteen minutes to travel far enough to get around them. Val was nowhere to be seen, but he had to have come across them since he had run off in their direction.
"What do you think he's doing?" I tapped my lip and leaned against the side of the carriage. Kage was still sleeping.
Amari turned his head from his place on the front bench. "Maybe he changed direction and never even came across them. Besides emit that black smoke, what do you think the scepter does?"
Picard squeaked and then climbed Raphael's leg and torso before jumping from his shoulder to Nico's. He spoke a mile a minute into his ear. Nico handed Amari the reins and then turned in the seat to face us.
"Picard says that the scepter's magic is tied to its creator. The few times Carson left it unattended, which was seldom, Picard examined it. He said he felt like darkness was trying to take him over. He thinks Val is going to finish what Carson started."
"What?" Amari's voice nearly raised an octave as his head snapped to Nico.
Picard spoke again, and Nico listened intently. "He thinks if we destroy the scepter, it will break the hold on the vacants."
I put my head in my hands. "And what about Val?"
"If what Picard says is true, Val isn't going to let us destroy it without a fight." Nico cursed and sped up the horses.
Amari paled and slowly turned forward again without a word.
Damn it. What have you done, Val?
Chapter 18
Samara
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was woken up by laughter and shouting. I had a blanket thrown over me and was lying with my head on Kage's chest, his arms wrapped around me.
He smiled when our eyes met. "You were moaning in your sleep."
I groaned and buried my face in his chest, a laugh shaking me. "Where are we?"
"Ran into part of the army on their way to us. They said the rest will be here tomorrow." He yawned and sat up, taking me with him. "I need to clean something."
"Here in the camp?" I looked around at the canvas tents and campfires. "Is that going to be enough energy for you?"
"It should be. You gave me some while you slept."
"Fuck. I wish I knew how it worked." I looked at my hands for the hundredth time in the past few days, thinking they held the answers. "Why couldn't my father have told me how it worked before passing it to me and then vanishing?"
"Maybe he wanted you to figure it out for yourself."
"A lot of good that's doing. I don't even feel that much different." I held my palm out. "Grow a flower." I stared hard at it and nothing happened. "See. Nothing."
Kage kissed my temple and scooted to the edge, sliding to his feet. He held onto the back of the carriage and stretched. "Maybe you have to believe, or have enough of a reason. Maybe you really didn't want a flower to grow in your hand."
"For fuck's sake with that believing bullshit again. So, if I just believe I can grow a damn tree, it'll just appear out of thin air? Yeah, right."
"Um, Sammy." Kage's eyes widened as he looked past me. "I think you just did."
"Kage, I'm not in the mood for-" I turned and saw a tree taller than any I'd ever seen. Its leaves were as green as Amari's eyes and its trunk was wrapped in brown. "How?"
The noise from the camp decreased as they realized a giant tree that hadn't been there before was now reaching toward the sky like a beacon pointing to me.
"Impressive." Raphael came out of nowhere and gave me his hand to help me from the carriage. "What else do you think you can grow? Maybe some fun herbs?"
He pulled me toward him and I swatted his chest. "I'm not growing shit for you to smoke." He looked surprised. I pulled away and looked down at his crotch. "Maybe I can grow something a little bit bigger though."
"You didn't just say that to me." He threw out his bottom lip. "Now he's going to have an inferiority complex and not want to come out to play anymore."
I stood on my tippy toes and put my mouth to his ear. "Don't worry, there's nothing inferior about him." I reached between us and gave his dick a squeeze before walking toward the campsite to find Amari and Nico.
I was met with raised cups of beer and bows of the head, which made me feel both awkward and proud. I hadn't done anything besides make a big mess even bigger.
Amari and Nico were sitting with a group of the biggest and baddest of the shifters on our side. All of their eyes fell on me as I entered their circle and sat on Nico's lap.
"Gentlemen."
"Queen Samara. We were just discussing our plan for tomorrow." I gestured for the man, who was one of the leaders, to continue.
"The fastest and nimblest shifters will take the front line in order to infiltrate their front line more efficiently. The big cats and the smaller shifters will be key in taking out their assets they will most likely protect at the back."
"That includes you and Amari?" I frowned at Nico and he nodded.
"We'll then have our tanks be next, the bears, rhinos, giants, and so on." He continued detailing the plans, but I had tuned him out, instead focusing on Nico and then Amari.
Amari didn't look my way, but his jaw was pulsing as he stared straight ahead. Was he thinking about Val?
"Did you hear that, my queen?" My attention snapped back to the man. "You'll be standing by with the angel, who will guard you, and then when the vampire is spotted, you'll destroy the scepter."
What he wasn't saying was that I might also have to destroy Val in the process.
"I have an idea." Raphael was lying next to me in a fancy tent that seemed out of place in a camp preparing for battle. It even had furniture, which seemed overkill to me.
"What's that?" I had been carving a bar of soap into the shape of a skull. I didn't even know how the soldiers had known to bring soap for me, but someone had paid attention.
"We can hop on over to Earth, I can fly us back to my place, and we can have pizza and a shower." He was twirling my hair around one of his fingers.
I put my knife and soap to the side and turned, his hand falling to my calf. "We can't leave here."
"Why not? We can be back in an hour. No one will know. We'll tell Picard, in case anyone comes looking for us." He rubbed his thumb along my calf and I shut my eyes.
"It hardly seems like the time to be sneaking off to eat pizza and have sex."
"I didn't say anything about sex." He chuckled and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me down to him. "Come on. You've been carving that damn skull for hours and you're starting to get wrinkles from pinching your face."
"You're definitely not getting any sex." I tried rolling away, but he pulled me closer and rubbed his stubble on my neck. "Raphael."
"Hmm?" He threw a leg over me and I stopped trying to get away. "Is it a yes?"
"Only an hour?"
He let me go and jumped up, a grin on his face. "Picard,
my man! If those three assholes come looking for us, tell them Sammy had to pee and I took her to find a suitable bush."
Picard was lying on a plush pillow, and he lifted his arm in a wave without moving or opening his eyes.
Raphael pulled me to my feet, and as soon as they were firmly planted, he took us to Earth and immediately had us airborne. We were flying over nothing but land as we flew faster than a hell serpent. It made me dizzy to have my eyes open, so I shut them.
We landed in his backyard and I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's really freaky."
"You'll get used to it." He slid open his back door and let me enter first. "Now, should we shower first and order pizza after, or order pizza and shower while we wait?"
"Isn't the shower going to take a while?" I raised my eyebrows and he flicked on a light.
"I thought you said no sex. Besides, The Raphinator is feeling a little sad because you called him small. Nico also called him small. Are you trying to tell me he's small?" Raphael's eyes glistened and his lips twitched at the corners.
"Do I even want to know why Nico called-" I looked down at his crotch which was already ready to go. "The Raphinator, small?"
"We were talking about butt sex."
I snorted and leaned against the table, crossing my arms. "Tell me more."
"We don't kiss and tell." He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "The Raphinator only has eyes for you."
He pulled out his phone and moved his finger over the surface. "I'll order extras for the guys."
"How thoughtful of you." I pushed off the table and he pulled me back toward him.
"Where do you think you're going?" He kicked a chair out of the way and caged me in against the table. "You're my appetizer."
"Is that so?" I put my hands on his chest and trailed them down to his pants. "Maybe I want you as an appetizer."
His lips met mine in a soft kiss that quickly turned more heated as I unbuttoned his pants and pulled out his cock. It was already primed for me, the head heated and a bead of pre-cum at the tip.
He wasn't small by any means, and I squeezed my legs together, thinking of it buried deep inside. Before we got that far, I wanted a taste of him.
"Sammy." His breaths were already coming in pants as I pushed him back and against the counter, lowering to my knees. "You don't have to... oh, fuuuuck."
I grabbed him at the root and swirled my tongue around the head of his cock. I sucked it into my mouth, running my tongue along the vein underneath. His hands went to my hair and pulled the hair tie loose.
I cupped his balls as I kissed under his shaft, gently sucking on the soft velvety skin. He fisted my hair and groaned as I pulled away and looked up at him.
"Ever been deep throated by a demon before?" I ran my thumb over the head and he shut his eyes. "Good. I'll be your first."
I took him all the way to the back of my throat, squeezing him at the root with a slight twist as I pulled back. I did it again and his hands left my hair to grip the countertop behind him.
A string of curses and groans left him as I hummed lightly while taking him deep again and again. His hips began moving with me as his cock pulsed in my mouth, ready to explode.
"Fuck, I'm going to-" I sucked him hard and he shouted my name, his hot cum hitting the back of my throat.
I released him and stared up at him, his face red and his eyes closed. He looked so vulnerable and sexy all strung out from an orgasm.
I kissed my way up his body, pulling his shirt off as I went. He was completely naked and looked glorious.
He threaded his fingers through my hair as his tongue explored my mouth, and then he scooped me up. I squealed and wrapped my arms around his neck before our lips met again.
Somehow he made it up the stairs and to his bed without bumping into anything and threw me on it. He towered over me and then lowered between my legs.
"I'm going to make love to you in my bed, is that okay?" His brown eyes burned a lighter brown as he looked down into mine.
I was at a loss for words. He always surprised me with the way he could be so gentle. He could have bent me over the kitchen table and taken me hard, but instead he wanted me in his bed.
"Raph." I touched his cheek and he shut his eyes.
"I'm scared." He kept his eyes shut and I ran my thumb across his bottom lip. "What if things go horribly wrong tomorrow? I can't watch you fall apart again."
"We've lived a long time, Raphael. If tomorrow one of us, or all of us, doesn’t make it... we had long lives."
He opened his eyes and they searched mine. "Archangels are difficult to kill. I'll be alone."
I put my hand over his chest. "No, you won't. I'll always be right here."
He put his forehead against mine and we laid there in silence for a few minutes before he lowered his lips to my neck, his hands sliding under my top.
His thumb found my nipples and circled them before he pulled my shirt off. He kissed every inch of my breasts before taking a nipple in his mouth, a hand tweaking the other nipple.
I moved my hips up to meet his and moaned, feeling his erection against my core. "I need you inside me."
He kissed his way down to my pants and slid them down and off. "I don't think I tell you enough how beautiful you are." His hands slid back up my legs and he hooked his fingers around the edge of my panties and pulled them slowly down, never taking his eyes off me.
A lump got caught in my throat and I shut my eyes, willing it away. I was the luckiest woman to have them in my life and be bonded to them heart and soul. I couldn't lose them.
"Hey." His lips brushed over my cheeks as he settled between my legs. "It's just us tonight. No vacants. No fighting. Just us."
I opened my eyes as he slid inside me and lowered his lips back to my breasts. I arched up as the long strokes of his thrusts and his tongue on my nipples lit me up from inside.
It had become so normal for our light to intertwine now that I barely even noticed that it lit the entire room. With every thrust of his hips, I lifted mine to meet his, his pelvic bone hitting my clit and causing an ache to build.
My legs wrapped tighter around him as he thrust harder, our breaths becoming shorter and heavier as both of our orgasms built.
He kissed me as he thrust a final time, spilling inside me as our orgasms hit. He brushed the hair out of my eyes and kissed me gently.
"I love you." I put my fingers against his lips and he kissed them. "I also love The Raphinator."
He chuckled and rolled off me. "He loves you too." He rubbed his hands over his face.
The doorbell rang and he sat up. "Shit, I forgot about the pizza. Why don't you hop in the shower and I'll be back in a minute."
He hopped up and grabbed a pair of sweatpants that were thrown on a chair in the corner. I watched as his ass disappeared under them. He really did have a glorious ass, and I was lucky to call it mine.
I sat in the center of a field of green grass, the sun shining down and warming my skin. The sky was bluer than Val's eyes, and a gentle breeze gently blew tendrils of hair around my face. This was what peace felt like.
Five figures approached to my right, casting shadows in front of them. I turned and watched as their bodies and faces became clearer, and a warmness filled my chest.
Nico.
Val.
Amari.
Kage.
Raphael.
I stood as they came to a stop in front of me, standing shoulder to shoulder in a curving arc around me.
“Peanut, do you know why we're here?” Nico's brown eyes sliced me straight down the middle. This wasn't a friendly visit.
Kage stepped forward and took my hand. “To win this fight, you'll need strength."
My brows drew together as our hands fused together, his melting into mine. He stepped forward and disappeared. I gasped as he filled a piece of me I hadn't known was missing.
A tendril, like a ribbon, from Raphael moved forward and hit my chest. "You will need h
eart." He disappeared and my hands went to my chest.
"You will need soul." Nico placed his hand over mine on my chest and I fell to my knees as he vanished.
Amari knelt next to me and placed a hand on the side of my head. "You'll need intelligence."
Tears streamed down my face as Val stood over me. "Samara." He scooped me up and kissed my cheek. "You'll need sacrifice."
I gasped and sat up, looking around the tent. They were all still there, minus Val. I put my hand over my rapidly beating heart and tried to calm down.
I slid out from between Raphael and Amari and tiptoed to the tent flap. Picard lifted his head and his eyes met mine. An understanding passed between us and he nodded before laying his head back down and shutting his eyes.
It was nearly morning and the camp was quiet, the fire smoldering and a few guards milling about keeping watch. The air was oddly cool against my skin, a reminder that Inferna was changing. Whether the change was for better or worse was still up in the air.
Spread out around the tent was the same green grass I saw in my dream. I sat down in a small patch of it behind the tent and looked out at the trees and sky. What would it be like to see nothing but green and blue as far as the eye could see, instead of darkness?
Amari sat down next to me and put his head on my shoulder. "What are you doing up?"
"I had a nightmare." I didn't take my eyes off the tree line, where I felt eyes staring back at me. Was Val out there somewhere?
"He's been out there all night." He wrapped an arm around me. "I can smell him." He frowned and looked out at the trees.
I looked out into the dark trees where Val was. "I have to destroy the scepter, but what if he won't let me?"
"Then you'll have to destroy him too." He took my hand. "It's okay, Sammy."
I didn't want it to be okay. I wanted Val back the way he was.
Chapter 19
Samara
