Edge of the Darkness (Hell on Earth Book 4)

by Brenda K. Davies

  “What’s the Asharún?” Aisling asked.

  “You would know it more as the River Styx,” Hawk said.

  “That’s the name the humans who glimpsed the Asharún through the veils gave it,” Shax said.

  “Did Carion or any of the other ferrymen make it out?” I inquired.

  “All of the ferrymen are still on the river,” the nymph replied.

  “Good.”

  The ferrymen weren’t fighters, they simply did their job of carrying demons across the river, but they were loyal to Kobal.

  “What about the tahanusi?” Hawk asked. “Are they still in the river?”

  “What is that?” Wren asked.

  “Sea creatures that live in the Asharún,” Corson said.

  “More like sea monsters,” Hawk said.

  I had to agree. The tahanusi were frightening creatures with black scales, a round mouth full of sharp teeth, and pitiless green eyes. Their tail was like that of the rattlesnakes on Earth. I’d dealt with rattlesnakes and the tahanusi; I didn’t like either of them.

  “The tahanusi also live,” the nymph said. “And there are still wraiths trapped within the Asharún’s red waters.”

  “I’d hoped never to see those hideous things again,” Hawk muttered.

  “We’ll stay away from the river,” Corson said.

  “I’ll get your drinks,” the nymph said.

  She hurried away with a flick of her dress that revealed her ass. Aisling and Wren stared daggers at Hawk and Corson, but neither of them was paying attention to the nymph. Sitting in the corner, with two nymphs on each of his thigh bones, Lix lifted a mug in the air toward us.

  “That is one happy skellein,” Corson said.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Calabar stiffen before breaking into a smile while the rest of the room became eerily silent. The hush that descended over the room ended when Caim snapped his wings shut.

  I didn’t have to look up to know Wrath had entered; I felt his presence in the marrow of my bones, but I still turned my head to find him standing in the doorway, surveying the room. When his eyes landed on me, the strength of the rage and desire slamming into me rattled my composure, but I somehow managed to keep my face impassive.

  My Chosen, my fate, and my death had arrived, and he was wearing my sword.

  Chapter Eight

  Wrath

  My eyes settled on Bale, sitting at a table with some of her paliton cohorts. I recognized some from the battle the angels lost at the wall and from our encounter at the minotaur’s cave. Like us, their numbers had dwindled drastically.

  Unlike us, their powers hadn’t grown since we last met. Being free of the seal, feeding on healthier wraiths, and using our abilities on a more regular basis had allowed them to flourish. I would never try to take on the army at the wall, but I would continue to pick away at their numbers until I killed the varcolac.

  However, destroying the varcolac was a problem for later. My problem now was the beautiful, redheaded temptress staring at me with a mask of indifference that irritated me more than when she plunged her sword through my stomach. At least then I’d known I rattled her; now, I seemed no different to her than any of the other demons in this place.

  But I was different, and we both knew it.

  A hush descended over the room as everyone within it froze. The only sound was the crackling of the fire and the black angel’s wings closing. Since arriving on Earth, I’d taken the time to learn everything I could from other demons and the fallen angels about the varcolac, palitons, Lucifer, the traitorous black angel, and the golden one.

  The black angel fell from the sky with Lucifer, but he turned against him and joined the palitons’ side. Before the rest of the fallen perished at the wall, we agreed to work with them to take out the varcolac.

  It was the biggest mistake we made after coming to Earth. They were in too much of a rush to avenge Lucifer and destroy our enemies. They were far too confident in their ability to do so, considering the palitons killed their most powerful brother and leader.

  They, and some of my fellow horsemen, didn’t heed my advice that it was too soon and we should learn more about the palitons’ capabilities. They paid for their arrogance by rushing the wall too early. I smiled as I watched them burn.

  It was only a fluke when we stumbled across Bale and the palitons in the minotaur’s cave. Lust, Pestilence, and I went there to seek the minotaur’s help in trapping our enemy, only to discover the beast had already trapped some of them.

  They’d survived the beast and were coming out of the cave as we tried to enter. It was supposed to be a simple mission, that was why only the three of us went, but it was anything but simple.

  Bale proved to be the bigger surprise in the minotaur’s maze. I should have been there to save my brethren from the palitons, but they died while I was discovering the wonder of my Chosen’s kiss. I didn’t miss Pestilence or Lust, but I did miss their powers.

  A couple of the demons in the room shifted their attention to the doorway behind me, and I turned as the golden angel approached. The thunderous expression on his face had me reaching for my sword before the rustle of calamut leaves overhead stilled my hand.

  Raphael scowled as he strode past, but he didn’t try to attack us. His fallen brother said something to the nymphs, who slid out of the booth and edged toward the shadows. The golden angel slid onto the booth across from his brother and turned to watch us.

  I was sure the golden angel could tear the calamuts apart, but not without destroying a whole lot of bystanders, and that had to go against his angelic ways. No, in this land of nymphs and killer trees, he was as bound to peace as us.

  Normally, not being able to fight would irritate me. I loved a good fight, and when I was annoyed, things tended to get a lot more interesting. However, when my eyes met Bale’s green ones, I smiled.

  There she was, my Chosen, the woman who’d stabbed me and who was glaring at me like she would gladly stab me again. I had no doubt she planned to try to kill me the first chance she got.

  This was going to be so much fun.

  Bale

  “Don’t,” Corson said and rested his hand over Wren’s when her talons extended. “The calamuts will kill us.”

  “What do we do?” Aisling asked.

  “Nothing,” I said. “In Hell, the Forest of Prurience was a neutral zone. On Earth, the nymphs and calamuts have made this their neutral zone too.”

  “So we sit here and drink with them?” Wren asked.

  “Yes. We’ll wait for them to leave, and then we’ll follow them,” Corson said.

  My hands fisted on my thighs as Death and Wrath strode toward Calabar. Strapped to Wrath’s back, the handle of my sword glinted in the dim light. I suspected he was keeping my sword in pristine condition for when he used it against me.

  Prick. I gritted my teeth as I strained to keep my temper under control. The calamuts are watching.

  Calabar waved to them and said something to the lower-level demon, who rose and walked away. Wrath’s large, powerful body moved with fluid grace as he leaned an elbow against the bar while speaking with Calabar.

  My gaze lingered on his firm ass, emphasized by the black, form-fitting pants he wore. The man was pure sex, and if he weren’t one of my greatest enemies, I would gladly allow myself the opportunity to learn what he could do with that body.

  I could never experience him, but I couldn’t help picturing those powerful hands caressing me, his chiseled body against mine again, and the firm press of his lips as he claimed my mouth.

  Our kiss had heated me far more than any other encounter I ever had with a man, and it was my first. Demons didn’t kiss; we got in, we got off, and we got out. It was simple, and both parties left satisfied. The few humans I was with did try to kiss me; it was awkward as I avoided having their lips on mine.

  I’d never wanted to kiss another. Now, I craved this monster’s kiss again.

  And he was a monster. He and his fellow
horsemen wreaked havoc wherever they went. They sought to sow mayhem and death everywhere. They were everything I despised, and no matter how much I yearned for this demon, I would not allow anything more to happen between us.

  Humans were a stupid, foolish bunch who opened a gateway and released Hell on Earth, but they deserved peace. We all did. And the horsemen would do everything in their power to make sure that didn’t happen.

  It took a lot more willpower than I was willing to admit to tear my gaze away from Wrath. I focused on the wall across from me as I took a couple of deep breaths.

  It’s a good thing he’s here.

  One group would have to leave first, and when it happened, we could finish this outside of the calamuts. After the battle earlier, I’d hoped for some time to relax, but if it meant the end of all the fighting, I would slaughter everything in my way.

  Once I killed my Chosen, I would eventually die myself, but I was determined to see this through until the end, no matter what it took. We would kill Death and Wrath, and then we would hunt down and destroy War and Pride.

  The nymph returned with our drinks; her hand trembled as she set them on the table. “Just so you know,” she whispered, “I was informed Pride and War are in a couple of the back rooms with some other nymphs.”

  “You welcome them here?” Aisling asked.

  The nymph blinked at her as if she didn’t understand the question. “We welcome everyone here.”

  Aisling looked a little offended by this, but Hawk rested his hand over hers and squeezed it. “Think of it as Switzerland; they’re neutral.”

  The nymph smiled at him. “I’m not sure what Switzerland is, but we are neutral.”

  “Are the back rooms on the other side of the building?” I asked.

  The nymph gulped and glanced warily around the room before leaning closer. “The calamuts are all through this place.”

  “We are not going to cause any problems here,” I assured her. “I have no intention of being destroyed by a calamut.”

  “There is much fun to be found in those rooms; you are free to visit them if you would like.” The nymph glanced between Hawk and Aisling. “I can have someone take you there.”

  Hawk looked tempted, and as a canagh demon, he probably was, but he replied, “Some other time.”

  “Suit yourself, but there are rooms designed for great pleasure back there,” the nymph said before she turned and practically bounced away.

  Only nymphs could be so happy in this hostile environment, and as the room returned to life, the petite demons danced from table to table. Their laughter filled the air as they replenished drinks, crawled onto demons’ and humans’ laps, and led some of the patrons from the room into the shadows of the hall.

  Across the room, Lix wasn’t as jovial as he sipped his mjéod and rested his hand on a nymph’s waist. Caim and Raphael remained unmoving in their booth; neither of them acknowledged the nymphs sitting with them.

  The angels’ relationship remained somewhat adversarial, but they looked more alike than different, and for the first time since meeting them, I would consider them brothers. They held their hands clasped on the table in the same way and kept their eyes focused on the horsemen.

  When a couple of the nymphs sashayed up to Wrath, I snatched my mug of mjéod off the table. I stared at the wall while I sipped my drink, but from the corner of my eye, I saw the two women running their hands down his arms and chest. When one of them squeezed his ass, I almost smashed my mug down. I’d use the broken pieces to stab the nymph.

  Such an action would only get me drawn and quartered by a tree. So, instead, I glared at the wall while he smiled at the pretty, lush demons made for sex.

  Let them have him. And when they tire him out, it will make him easier to kill.

  Except, that thought was not as pleasing as it should have been.

  Chapter Nine

  Bale

  After about an hour, Lix rose and, holding the hand of a nymph, left the room. I didn’t think he was leaving to have fun with the nymph but was going to find out where Pride and War were. However, he didn’t say anything to us as he left.

  Caim and Raphael hadn’t moved, and the nymphs had abandoned them to find more exciting prospects elsewhere. None of the humans or other demons who arrived with us had left the room, and though no one made a move, the tension ratcheted up.

  “We should leave before Pride and War reemerge,” Magnus said. He and Amalia had joined us at the table half an hour ago. “We can set up an ambush for them somewhere.”

  “And what if they don’t leave the forest that way?” I asked.

  “We can’t stay here forever,” Corson said. “If we leave now, Wrath and Death might follow us; we can take them out before Pride and War join them.”

  My hands clenched my mug. Wrath had to die, but it would be me who ended him. I couldn’t tolerate the idea of someone else doing it. It was ridiculous, but I was the one who had to kill my Chosen.

  “And if they don’t follow us?” I asked.

  No one had an answer for that.

  “We’ve spent too much time hunting them to lose them now,” I said.

  “How long are we willing to stay here?” Magnus asked.

  “As long as it takes,” I said.

  The demon of illusions and I glowered at each other across the table. I finally had Wrath in my view again; I was not going to let him go. But, as much as I hated to admit it, Magnus had a point. We couldn’t stay here forever, and a standoff could last days, if not weeks or months.

  If the river Asharún was nearby, then there were wraiths to feed on in the forest, and I’d already seen the nymphs bringing out some human food. The nymphs wanted everyone here to enjoy themselves; they would have every luxury necessary to keep the travelers who arrived here happy.

  “We need a place to sleep,” Hawk said. “The humans look like they’re about to drop.”

  “Separating isn’t the best idea,” Shax said.

  “Maybe someone should have told Lix that,” Corson replied.

  “He’s going to find Pride and War,” I said.

  “I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Aisling murmured.

  “He won’t.” I glanced at the branches overhead. “And if he does, we’ll all know it.”

  At the bar, Calabar released a bark of laughter before rising and taking the hand of a nymph. He twirled her around as he led her out of the room. Wrath said something to Death and rose from his stool.

  I held my breath as two nymphs danced over to him; whatever he said caused them to giggle and sheepishly duck their heads. Then they both turned to Death. I kept my face expressionless, but revulsion coursed through me when the nymphs pressed closer to Death. They had no qualms about who they bedded, but Death was a bit nasty, even for nymphs.

  Lifting his mug, Wrath turned away from the bar and smiled as he glided toward us. I glanced around to see who he could be walking toward besides us, but there was no one else around. It took all I had not to shove my way out of the booth and run when I realized he wasn’t detouring.

  My heart bashed my ribs as I met his pitiless black eyes again. The faintest hint of a smile curved his mouth. Please don’t tell them what you are to me.

  “What the fuck?” Corson muttered under his breath.

  With a deft flick of his wrist, Wrath grabbed a chair from a nearby table, turned it around so the back of it faced our table, and set it down. With mesmerizing grace, he straddled the chair almost as soon as it hit the ground. He set his mug down and folded his arms on the back of the chair before meeting the eyes of everyone at the table. His gaze settled on me.

  I kept my face completely blank, but the rising bubble of anger building inside me pushed aside some of my panic. He was playing with us… with me, and he was enjoying every second of it.

  “Hello, fellow Hell creatures,” Wrath greeted with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Funny running into you here.”

  I had to give him credit; my Cho
sen had a set of balls the size of his horse… or he was entirely insane. Either way, I hated that I found his arrogance attractive. No, I found it more than attractive; if he’d been anyone else, we wouldn’t have made it into one of those back rooms before I shredded the clothes from his body and took him.

  “What brings you here?” Corson asked.

  “The same as you, I’m sure,” Wrath said. “I’m looking for a bit of entertainment, and the nymphs provide it.”

  I set my mug down and placed my hands on my thighs beneath the table. My fingers bit into my flesh as I dug them into my skin. Somehow, I managed to keep my face impassive while I seethed inside.

  I couldn’t count the number of times I’d considered using someone else to take out my sexual frustration on, but I knew it would never work. However, this bastard was using nymphs the entire time I suffered.

  I was going to enjoy killing him more than I’d anticipated.

  “And how are you doing on this fair night?” Wrath asked as he focused on me.

  No one at the table spoke as they looked between him and me. His fathomless black eyes continued to glitter with amusement as he lifted his mug and took a drink while watching me over the rim.

  When he finished, he set it on the table. “Not talking to me?”

  I didn’t reply, and he shrugged before grasping the back of the chair and leaning away from the table to survey the room. His eyes lingered on Caim and Raphael, who stared at him with blank expressions that were somehow more terrifying than their scowls.

  “Yin and yang over there look like they’re a lot of fun,” Wrath said.

  “How about leaving the forest so you can find out how much fun they are,” Corson suggested.

  The cocky smile Wrath gave him both infuriated and fascinated me. We were on opposite sides of the war that had lasted millennia, yet in many ways, he was my ideal mate. He was arrogant, powerful, and unwilling to back down from anyone. I respected and admired all those things.