Caine was angry as hell. His angels had been unable to deal with Surcy and her demons. He wished, yet again, that the stupid Fate hadn’t thrown herself into the Soul Destroyer to protect some useless human. Right now, he could use her guidance.
He had the remaining Immortals under his power in places the angel and her demons could never find. He had a choice. Destroy the Immortals’ souls to ensure he would remain in power and never be overthrown, or kill the Immortals still under his control, have them reborn, and start all over again, breaking them down to take their magic.
He froze in his pace. Or, he could take the druid's necklace, find the Immortals stolen from him, and finish breaking them. Because even though I’ve invaded Surcy’s mind, magic has blocked out enough of the sanctuary’s location that I’m unable to find it. Those bastard druids and their powers…
Once he got them, he could make them pay… and finally take their powers. The Fate had told him the best way to crack the Immortals, and he knew they were so close.
Could he really throw all his hard work away now?
Only if I truly fear Surcy and her demons.
His nails tapped on the arm of his throne. No, it was time to stop fearing the Fate’s warnings. He feared no one. He needed to find the druid and take his necklace. He needed to find the location of the sanctuary, and he needed to capture all of the Immortals, once and for all.
And take their power. Then, and only then, could he be certain to remain sole ruler forever.
Without paying much attention, he tossed one soul after another into the demon realm. None of the white wisps shone too brightly, and none looked human enough to be useful.
And then, one soul flashed into the room, blinding in its power.
Climbing to his feet, he pushed the other souls away and drew it to him. When the creature met his eyes, he realized it had been a demon.
For one second, he almost tossed it into the demon-realm, but he froze when he realized. This wasn’t just any demon, it was one of Surcy’s, the very druid he had been seeking.
“Well, well, what do we have here?”
Mark neither flinched nor looked worried. “Hello, Caine.”
Interesting.
“After everything, why are you here? How did you die?"
Mark said nothing.
Caine smiled. “No matter. With you gone, your necklace is no longer protected. Finding it should be easy without your power hiding it. Once I have the necklace, the Immortals will finally be mine.”
The demon looked sad. “Is power really worth all of this?”
His teeth gritted together. “Only someone who has never tasted power would say something so foolish. Now, say goodbye, Mark. You won't be coming back. Your soul will never be reborn again.” He pointed to the Soul Destroyer. “Enjoy your fate.”
The demon didn’t scream or try to escape. He simply lowered his head as if he had accepted his fate.
Which Caine found utterly annoying.
Flicking the druid into the Soul Destroyer, he waited for his screams. But Mark’s soul simply hovered above the black pit.
Caine frowned and tried again and again and again, but the demon remained.
“What is this?”
Mark lifted his head from where he was suspended in air. "How the hell should I know?"
Turning, Caine shouted for his guard. “Bring my witch!”
The angel leapt into action, racing from the room. Within minutes, he’d returned with the young woman slung over his shoulder. He tossed her to the ground and the prisoner groaned and lay on her side, filthy and stinking of the prisons.
Caine gritted his teeth together. “Why won’t this soul be destroyed?”
The witch lifted a hand, her weak, trembling arm at odds with her great power.
“There’s a spell that prevents him from leaving this world.”
Caine felt his rage swell. Who in all the realms would dare to defy him in such a way?
“Who?” he asked, the question hanging in the air.
“The Demon of Sacrifice,” she whispered.
His jaw clenched. That was yet another soul he should have destroyed. She’d become too powerful, and apparently, foolish.
Looking at his guard, he glared. “Bring her to me.”
Then, glancing back at Mark, he nearly lost all control. The idea of someone having the audacity to defy his plans and stop his punishment… but then he froze as an idea hit him.
Destroying Mark’s soul was a delicious punishment, but perhaps there was a better one, a punishment that might even lead him to the Immortals even faster.
Settling back into his throne, he waved Mark’s soul toward him and smiled.
For the first time, the druid looked nervous.
He should be.
Chapter 4
Surcy and her demons stood at the edge of a large farm surrounded by woods. It reminded her of somewhere, but she couldn’t quite place where. The sunlight bathed the entire place in a glow that warmed it like a painting, but something lingered underneath the beauty and peace of the place, a bad scent she couldn’t quite place.
Mark’s note had said that the farmer of these lands was an Immortal, but he believed himself to be nothing but a human. She didn't know whether this man had somehow managed to avoid Caine and his angels, but she was planning for trouble.
And she was sure she was right.
“So, what’s the plan?” Daniel asked.
“We get him, fast.” She tried to take a step forward, but Tristan grabbed her shoulder.
Staring back at him in confusion, she frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“This can’t be like the other times. We have to move faster—“
“I just said that!”
He held up a hand, and she closed her mouth. “We can’t explain why we’re here. We just need to grab him and go for the next Immortal.”
“We have to bring him to the sanctuary first though—“
“There isn’t time.”
Her stomach twisted. “But if we get caught, we lose all of them.”
“And if we aren’t fast enough, we lose all of them anyway.”
After a second, Daniel sighed. “I’m with Tristan. If we could teleport into the sanctuary, that’d be one thing, but we’re going to have to spend hours walking back and forth beyond the barrier. That's time we don’t have.”
Surcy didn’t like it, but their logic was sound. Every second they wasted was dangerous. Caine could decide with the flick of his wrist to destroy the souls of any Immortals in his control, and then all would be lost forever.
“Fine, let’s go.”
They started across the field, her hands itching to call for her soul-blade, to not enter an unknown territory weaponless, but she forced herself to just keep walking. To hope for the best.
Suddenly, two children darted out of the corn field, laughing. A boy and girl that had the same dark hair and dark eyes. They had to be twins.
The girl’s gaze slowly moved to them, and the laughter died on her face. She grabbed her brother’s arm, the boy looked at them, and then they were tearing through the field away from them.
“What do we do?” Daniel asked. “Chase them?”
Tristan’s deep voice came, soft and certain. “Never chase children. There is nothing more fierce than a parent who thinks his child is in danger."
They continued forward, and seconds later, a farmer emerged from the cornfield. He gripped a pitchfork in one hand, like a stereotype. But other than that, he wasn’t what she expected. For one, he seemed young, perhaps in his forties, with dark hair and a muscular body. And something in his stance—it screamed that he was ready for a fight.
“This isn’t good,” Daniel whispered.
“Just stay calm,” Tristan said, his gaze locked on the man ahead of him.
They continued forward until they were about fifteen feet from him, then they stopped, trying their hardest to look non-threatening. The farmer’s gaze ran over each of the
m for a minute, and she saw his jaw lock.
“What can I do for you three?”
“We have need of your help.” Tristan’s words were carefully chosen and screaming of caution.
“What sort of help?”
In the field behind him, white-winged angels appeared. Surcy took a step back, her fingers itching to call her blade. The six angels were dressed in the clothes of hard-working farmers, and their glamours made them appear human.
Are they working for the farmer?
She racked her brain, trying to figure out why. With each Immortal they had found, Caine had trapped them in their own personal hell. He planned to break them down slowly until he could finally steal their powers and become the most powerful being in existence.
So what hell were these angels creating for the farmer by working for him?
Tristan didn’t react to the angels, never moving his eyes from the farmer. “Our car broke down on the road.”
Some of the suspicion died from the farmer's tanned-face. “What’s wrong with it?”
“The battery.”
He regarded the three of them for a few more seconds. “I can jump you; just give me a minute to get my car.”
One of the angels came up behind the farmer and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Clarence, we’ll stay here and keep an eye on the wife and kids.”
The farmer nodded. “Thanks.”
She clenched her fists. Clarence might not understand what the angel meant, but she and her demons knew. The angels were threatening them. If they took off with Clarence, his wife and kids would pay.
Now what?
“Actually,” Surcy rushed out. “I’m feeling a bit overheated from the sun and walking so far. Would you mind if I get a glass of water?”
The farmer stared at her.
Think, Surcy, think!
She forced a smile. “Some women get morning sickness. Not me! I stay sick all day.”
His gaze moved to her belly and he relaxed a little bit more. “My wife was the same way. Come on, then, I’m sure she’d be glad for the company.”
The angel walked beside the farmer, explaining to him some problem with the chickens. She and her demons followed slowly behind, tense as they felt the other angels sliding through the cornfield, keeping pace with them. Their odds were a hell of a lot worse without Mark.
Before, we had a chance against all these angels, but now? Not at all.
Her eyes stung, and she was glad she didn’t have to talk, because she thought she’d start crying if she did, which was stupid as hell. She was supposed to be alert and ready for anything, but instead, her mind kept slipping back to Mark.
If she couldn’t focus, she might make a mistake. She couldn’t make a single mistake, not with the stakes this high.
By the time they walked past the broken down farm equipment and fenced-in animals, she was feeling less emotional, but even more nervous. Glancing behind her, she saw the angels glaring near the farm equipment.
Creepy fuckers.
The farmer went into the house and came back out a minute later, a woman and two children behind him. His wife was tall and thin, with long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. She wore a smart-looking blouse and ironed slacks. When her gaze met Surcy’s, she smiled.
“Welcome, I’m Beth. You want to join me inside for coffee while the boys jump-start your car?”
“Surcy,” Daniel was suddenly at Surcy’s side, his grip tight on her arm. “We shouldn’t split up.”
I know I agreed this would be fast, just in and out, but I can’t leave this woman and her children behind. I just can’t. I’m sorry.
She plastered on a smile. “Let go and act normal.”
He released her arm, but she could sense his frustration.
“That sounds just perfect!” She moved up the porch, nodding at the farmer, and coming to stand beside his wife.
“We’ll see you soon!” she called, waving to her demons.
Both men looked like they’d swallowed glass, but Tristan nodded in a casual way she knew was forced.
The farmer and her demons squeezed into his truck together, and Surcy looked back at them as she followed the woman into her house. Five angels used a glamour to conceal themselves, stretched their wings, and took off into the air. But a few angels remained, staring directly at her, a challenge in their gazes.
Swallowing hard, she closed the door behind her. Now what?
Chapter 5
In the kitchen, Surcy sat at the little table. The house could only be described as a disaster. Toys and clothes were thrown everywhere, yogurt dripped off one wall, and pencils were stuck in the ceiling. Surcy glanced around the kitchen and out into the living room in shock.
“No kids yet?” Beth asked, smiling.
Surcy felt her cheeks blush and looked at the two little ones who had dragged coloring books onto the cluttered table beside her. “No, not yet.”
“But Clarence said you were pregnant.”
Surcy nodded.
“Then, just you wait, all this chaos… it’s perfectly normal.”
Something twisted in her heart. Being an angel meant she’d never have children, and she’d never had any in her human life either. For the first time, that seemed strangely sad.
“I never thought I’d have children,” Surcy admitted softly, her gaze constantly sliding around the house, looking for danger.
The woman laughed, putting ground coffee beans into a fancy looking coffee-maker. “Why not?”
Surcy shrugged. “I guess… I thought I wouldn’t have the chance.”
Beth nodded, as if that made perfect sense. “It was kind of an adjustment for me. I work in marketing, so I didn’t want to give up the money, the perks, or my freedom.”
“But it was all worth it.”
The woman laughed. “Well, it isn’t easy. In fact, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Her gaze slid over the chaos again. Is this really what being a parent is all about?
The little girl rose from her seat and carried a picture to her mom. “I drew our family.”
The mom knelt down and swooned over the messy drawing. Which pretty much made Surcy’s heart melt.
And then the girl pointed out some of the people tucked away in the field. “And those are the bad men.”
Her mom stiffened. “Sunshine, we’ve talked about this…”
“They bring death and destruction everywhere they go.” The girl’s voice held absolute certainty.
The boy rose from his seat and moved to the window. A little potted plant was brown and bent in the shadows of the windowsill. He grabbed the pot and looked at Surcy, holding her gaze. She frowned as he touched the little leaf very deliberately, and suddenly, the plant rose tall and green.
Whoa!
“Forest!” His mother’s voice sounded panicked.
The woman hurried over and plucked the plant out of his hand, setting it on the windowsill. The boy didn’t look the least bit concerned. Instead, he was watching Surcy closely. His mother? She whirled on Surcy, pulling the boy closer, panic in her gaze.
Just calm her down. “Uh, sorry, what did you guys say? I was kind of lost in my own thoughts.”
The mother’s shoulders relaxed. “It’s just… Forest and his sister are special. And, it’s hard to parent children who are… unique.”
Surcy nodded. “I can’t even imagine.”
“And the bad men make sure nothing gets better around here,” the girl said.
Her mother started to say something, but Surcy cut her off. “Who are the bad men?”
“The farmers daddy hired,” she explained. “They’re here to hurt us.”
Beth laughed awkwardly. “Kids have such wild imaginations.”
Fuck it.
“Actually, I think she’s right.”
The mom froze. “Wh—what do you mean?”
Just do it!
“The men I came here wi
th… we’re not here about a car. We’re here because all of you are in danger. Your husband is special. Powerful. And apparently, your kids have some of his powers too.”
“No,” Beth interrupted. “He isn’t like them.”
“He is. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
Silence enveloped them.
“We’re here to take you all someplace safe. Some place they can’t hurt you.”
The woman shook her head. “This is our home.”
“I don’t know why Caine hasn’t ordered them to kill all of you yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”
The woman pulled her children closer. “I don’t know who you are, but I think you need to go.”
“She’s telling the truth,” the boy said. “Caine probably wanted to see if Sunshine and I had powers too, which is why we’ve been so careful around them. But now that the demons have come, the angels won’t risk losing us.”
The mom looked pale. “Honey, who is Caine?"
He glanced up slowly. “He’s the man who kills daddy over and over again.”
She looked like she was going to be sick. “And the demons?”
“The men she came with,” he said, pointing to Surcy.
“Stop,” the mother said. “None of this can be true.”
Surcy rose slowly. “My men and your husband are going to reach the road any minute, and once they do, there’s going to be a fight. The angels they left behind, the bad men, they’re going to attack us.”
“Mommy, I know you’re scared, but you don’t need to be,” Sunshine told her mom.
Surcy moved closer. She needed to take their hands. She needed to teleport them free.
The mother took a step back, clinging to her children.
And then, the door was kicked down, the sound like lightning cracking through the silence. The mom looked to the door. The white-winged angels held out their flaming blue soul-blades.
Surcy leapt forward, grabbed the kids, and willed herself to teleport them all away. She heard the sound of a sword whizzing past, and then someone screaming, before the sound was torn away. Teleporting was harder with so many people, and she was working to erase their teleportation path at the same time. By the time they appeared near the road, she was breathing hard.
Rebel Loss: An Angel Reverse Harem Romance (Mates of the Realms: Immortals Book 3) Page 2
