by Brenda Trim
Hayden’s heart raced in his chest and sweat beaded on his brow. “Ok. That doesn’t mean he’s here dealing. We need to approach him with caution.”
Evzen made a noise between a growl and a snort. The normally rigid male had relaxed substantially since meeting Braelynn. Gone were the long flowing robes embroidered with moons and stars. Hayden almost missed the way his friend dressed, but he still wore the pointy shoes, so there were still pieces there. “Or we could escort him outside and demand he take us to Sterling. I can see a dark red glow around his pockets. It matches the look of Angel’s Kiss.”
Hayden was on his feet and stomping across the noisy bar. A couple humans stopped and looked his way, but for the most part he was ignored until he grabbed the male’s arm.
Evzen and Braelynn were right behind him. Their sudden approach startled the humans. Several of them stood up and got in between the new arrival and them. It was enough of a distraction that the sorcerer managed to get out of Hayden’s grasp.
Hayden was chasing him out the front door while Evzen tried to explain the situation to the humans. The cool night air slapped into Hayden, clearing away the worst of the stench. The sorcerer was in the nearby trees and out of sight faster than Hayden anticipated.
Allowing his cheetah to come to the fore, he poured on the speed and raced through the cars then into the trees. Hayden clawed a small sapling and launched himself into the air.
Hurried steps echoed behind him as he landed on the sorcerer with a loud growl. His body was entangled with the sorcerer and they both slammed into the ground with enough force to throw up tufts of dirt and leaves.
“Hayden.” Evzen’s voice was frantic behind him. “Are you okay?”
Hayden shoved an elbow into the back of the dealer’s head and lifted his torso with the other. “I’m good. Got the motherfucker.”
Hayden got to his knees and to his feet. The sorcerer tried to scramble away. Dumbass was stupid as fuck if he thought he was going anywhere. “Not so fast, dickhead. We’re going to have a chat.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” The sorcerer spat into the dirt.
Evzen joined them along with Braelynn who stood a few feet back. “You will answer to me. Or I will make you.” The sorcerer paled and started shaking when Evzen stepped into the light. As the Guild Master of the sorcerers he could make his subjects obey with one word.
The sorcerer lifted his hands into the air. “I don’t know anything about Sterling.”
“Think about this before you continue lying. You sold drugs to my shifters and now they’re missing. Start talking and maybe you’ll see sunshine again.”
Evzen called his staff to his hand and lifted it a few feet above the ground. When he lowered it and it struck the dirt and leaves, a ripple of energy rolled out in waves. “Start talking now.”
The male in Hayden’s grip was shaking so hard, his teeth were clacking. “I don’t know anything. I swear.”
Hayden turned to Evzen. “Make him talk. I’m calling Zander and arranging a transfer to a realm custody in Seattle.” Evzen nodded and cast a binding spell on the sorcerer.
Hayden walked a few feet away and pulled out his phone to call Zander. “Och, Hayden. What can I do for you?”
Hayden ran a hand through his hair. “Evzen and I are in Richmond and we captured an Angel’s Kiss dealer. Can you arrange transport from Evzen’s house to the realm jail on the East side? It’ll make it easier for us to get information from him if he’s closer to home.”
“Shite. Does he have a lead on Sterling?”
Hayden shook his head side to side. “He’s denying any knowledge right now, but I suspect Sterling could be in the area. I doubt he would give his dealers much of a leash with the attention we have on his operations.”
“I’m in New York with Dante but will have Kyran make the arrangements. Keep me posted.”
“Will do.” Hayden ended the call before Zander could issue a warning. He relayed the information to Evzen and stood over the sorcerer trying to intimidate him into talking. His bear replaced his cheetah and his muscles grew in size. He was about a foot taller and fur sprouted along his arms.
The sorcerer whimpered and paled then crawled away from him. He couldn’t go far. Evzen’s spell stopped his ability to move more than three feet. If he managed to find Sterling, he would remove a major danger to his kind. He needed that win. With all the new babies they faced enough and didn’t need to add to it.
Hayden wished he had more in his life but honestly, he couldn’t handle anything else at the moment. A mate would be one more thing to worry about. No thanks. His plate was full. Although, his chest ached as he watched Braelynn go up and wrap her arm around Evzen in support as he dealt with one of his sorcerers.
Chapter 17
Chloe’s body reacted before her mind fully registered the blade coming toward her side. She jerked back and flopped around like she was having a grand mal seizure to avoid the cut that seemed inevitable. A hard hand clamped down on her shoulder. Her scream echoed throughout the room.
She bit her lower lip to keep from feeding the sickening glee her agony fed the archdemon. How the fuck had she landed back in this asshole’s hands? She was better than this. Twice now this vile being managed to get his paws on her.
She’d blame it on the fact that Dante had completely distracted her, but she had only met Dante because she’d escaped this Daeva demon the first time he’d kidnapped and tried to kill her.
Although she was bleeding from more wounds than she cared to think about because she’d been caught up in her thoughts about the sexy Cambion Lord. Dante was powerful and had a demonic side…literally, but he was also protective and caring. Her heart had been a dead organ in her chest, beating for no one for thousands of years before he walked into her life.
His presence in her life was like a bolt of lightning. He struck her out of the blue and went right for her heart and soul. He burned through her like a wildfire, incinerating every brick she’d placed around that part of her that shattered all those millennia ago.
Dante was too much and as was common for her, she ran away when shit got real. She never should have gone back and allowed him to get closer. It only broke more of her barriers down, leaving her exposed and raw. That’s how the archdemon managed to catch her off guard.
Dante wasn’t to blame for ending up in her current situation. She was the only one responsible. Dante had never given her any indication that he’d treat her like a piece of unwanted trash when he got tired of her. He’d vowed to protect her no matter what she chose and put himself and his friends on the line time after time in an attempt to keep her safe. It was her fear that drove her away.
Pain lanced through her thoughts, forcing her out of her head. Metal sliced through the skin on her right side. A groan was all she let out as she struggled to catch her breath. The beautiful Daeva demon was snarling and hovering an inch above her face. The face of evil shouldn’t be so good looking.
Her cambion was far better looking with the sexiest smile. The corners of her mouth lifted when she pictured Dante looking down at her, covered in sweat and breathing heavy. That only enraged the demon torturing her more.
The demon screeched and reared back then punched her where he’d just cut her side open. Her breath left her at the same time black dots spotted her vision. Automatically, her body curled in on itself, trying to protect her core.
A fist slammed into the table close to her head. She bounced as the impact made her body jump on the platform. She swore she heard the wood creak beneath her. Any fucking second now she knew the thing would break, just like her body, under the demon’s blows. His fists didn’t slow as they landed on her body next.
Enough! You can’t let this fucker win. Fight! Chloe shook herself and tried to disconnect the message her nerves were sending her brain. It was that communication that forced her body to feel every single slice and blow. Unfortunately, while she was good at staying under the radar, she was shit at c
ontrolling these small pathways.
The Daeva turned away from her and snarled something. Chloe sucked in a breath, wincing when it hurt more than it should. There was immense pressure in her chest, and she was nauseous and dizzy.
Shifting her position, she tried to see if there was anyone else in the room with the demon. Shadows along the floor made her think there was a smaller being with them, but she couldn’t be sure. Her vision was blurry and going black around the edges.
He hadn’t taken her back to the same basement as before. The floors were stained concrete, but there weren’t any shelves like the last place. There were at least three tables, although she couldn’t see any of them at the moment. She thought there were some old wood crates in the far corner. She hadn’t gotten a good look earlier to know for sure.
She expected to see the jars, candles, and black crystals like before. Her head was already spinning, and she’d broken one of her legs by the time the demon had shoved her down here, so they might be somewhere in one of the shadowed recesses. She’d been in a fight for dominance against the Daeva. To make matters worse, her weapon of Light, not that it lit on fire anymore, refused to come to her when she called it.
No doubt it had finally been confiscated by whatever higher power ruled her existence. There was no telling if it was God or Lucifer. She wanted to deny it could be the Devil, but it was never a good idea to underestimate him.
The Daeva shifted his stance and pointed in the corner of the ceiling. Chloe followed his arm and a scream slipped out of her when she saw the group of spider demons clinging to the roof. At first all she saw was a cluster of countless legs amidst sticky white webs. Hair stuck out every which way from skinny, black appendages bent at 90-degree angles. It wasn’t until the multifaceted eyes blinked that she was able to spot the bodies buried within the mass.
The sight of them shouldn’t surprise her. No way would any archdemon act on his own. They all needed to have a posse feed their egos while they worked. They were all narcissistic beings that needed recognition and praise for even the littlest accomplishment. If not, they walked around boasting about what they’d done until someone stopped and told them how great they were.
Her first order of business would be to take out his audience. It would throw him off to not have his actions watched and praised. Perhaps long enough for Dante to find her and kill the Daeva. Because once she made a move she wasn’t going to last very long. She was bleeding and weak. She doubted he’d pause long enough for her to heal.
The Daeva spun to a table set up above Chloe’s head. Feet shuffled across the floor and arguing started up. With a groan, she shifted to see what was going on. Clearly there were more demons than the spiders hanging from the ceiling. White hot agony shot through her. The only thing she heard was her pounding heart and heaving breaths.
The discomfort receded slowly. Her eyes came back online first. She had to blink several times to clear her vision. She barely stifled her gasp. The last thing she wanted was to draw his attention back to her.
The Daeva was hunched over a human male. The demon’s arm was lifted over one of the man’s tattooed arms. Silver glinted as the blade was lowered. With several grunts, the Daeva sawed at the shoulder joint until the appendage fell away from the rest of the body.
The victim’s eyes were closed, and he didn’t so much as flinch. Chloe couldn’t tell if he was dead or if he’d passed out. Not that it mattered. Her eyes widened as the Daeva took the arm and pointed the bloody end to the cement floor and started drawing.
He weaved and swayed as he moved it across the ground. It reminded her of a dancer. With the hellhounds and scavenger demons feasting on entrails as his backup. This was more of a macabre scene with blood, guts and gore as the set.
Chanting started in the back of the room. Chloe hurt too much to move her head and look for the source. Zander and Dante had been right. The archdemon in front of her was drawing Dark runes on the floor.
Energy built within the room. It burned at first then settled over her like a lead blanket. She couldn’t breathe. The pressure in her chest had increased to painful levels, so it could be from that. It was hard to tell.
Chloe took a shuddering breath which came out in a white puff as the cold settled around her. There were nine different levels to Hell and not all of them fit the human notion that fires burned everywhere in the Underworld. Some of them were biting cold. What was clear to her in that moment was this demon was opening a portal that would allow all manner of his kind to cross through.
She couldn’t allow that to happen. Chloe forced her legs to swing to the side of the table. Agony shot through her stalling her progress. Panting, she braced her hands on the edge of the platform. That got the Daeva’s attention.
One of his eyebrows shot up as he gave her a pointed look. “Going somewhere, Angel?”
Breathe. Chloe forced the air through gritted teeth and narrowed her eyes. “Depends on your intentions.”
A laugh that sounded more like dried leaves rustling in a breeze echoed throughout the room. “I intend on using you to become Lucifer’s second in command.”
Chloe’s head was shaking from side to side. “No fucking way. I refuse to be a part of anything that allows that asshole more freedoms. He got what he deserved when he betrayed us all those years ago.”
The Daeva smiled. It chilled her to her bones. “You have no choice in the matter. You’ve cut yourself off from your kind and made no allegiances to mine. There is no one to come and save you.”
Chloe’s heart skipped several beats with his words. He was right. Her choices had exiled her from Heaven, and she never aligned with Lucifer. She was all alone. Her shoulders lifted and fell while she staunched the emotions that threatened to take her under.
Chloe pushed down and lifted her butt off the table. Her limbs were shaking so hard her torso looked like a leaf barely hanging on a branch. Claws clamped around her biceps and pulled when she was about to jump down. Her back hit the wood and her breath whooshed out of her.
Scavenge demons stood on the backs of hellhounds. They had no lips, so their expression was a perpetual snarl with sharp teeth dripping saliva. The corner of her mind catalogued their skin had gone from pale brown to a dark, chocolate. At least they were well fed at the moment.
Thank fuck they weren’t hungry. She had bigger fish to fry. Footsteps sounded like a death knell as the Daeva crossed to her side. He tossed the arm toward three eviscerated bodies.
He still clutched a knife in one hand. The red glint in the bright fluorescent overhead lights was almost worse than if the thing was shining brightly. “This is going to hurt.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “You’re as cliché as they come. I’m no stranger to pain, or haven’t you noticed.” Stop antagonizing the demon! That was advice she really should follow. Too bad her snarky mouth refused to shut the hell up.
He stopped next to the table and ran the blade down her stomach. Her shirt parted under the sharp device and a red line of blood bloomed on her skin. Her bra went with it and her breasts were exposed.
She didn’t like the way the Daeva looked at her licking his lips. “You haven’t experienced anything close to pain. I would know if you had. Roll her over.” The last was barked at the scavenger demons.
Flexing every muscle, she jerked and wiggled, trying to evade their hands. Somehow, they’d multiplied from two to six and all twelve hands were clawing her skin. Then one side of her body left the table and cool air surrounded her.
Her torso was tugged from behind. Her back bowed and her shirt was torn the rest of the way from her body. “Get off me,” she shouted. Her demands were ignored and her face was shoved into the wood.
Clawed hands remained on her calves and her arms while two of the scavenger demons moved to the head of the table. Chloe kept her focus on the archdemon. Stomach roiling, she braced herself for what was to come.
Agony unlike anything she’d ever felt made her black out. Her back hurt like a moth
erfucker when she came back to. It was impossible to focus on anything but the pain. How long was I out?
One shoulder lifted with the hand that pulled on something beneath the skin. Chloe choked and coughed up blood. Turning her head, she tried to see what the demon was doing. He had his hand inside a gaping wound where her wing slits used to be. A white tendon lifted when he pulled.
Bile rose in her throat. She would have thrown up if she had anything in her stomach. “Where are your fucking wings? I need your powerful essence. It will bring my Lord and Master to this realm.”
Something sharp scratched over the bone. He moved from that wound and sliced through the flesh on the other side of her body. It pissed her off that the archdemon was right about what she’d experienced. This gave torture a new meaning.
She wasn’t going to survive what he was doing to her. For more years than she could admit, she’d kept her distance from everyone and everything. Her friends were mere acquaintances. Ultimately, she had no one.
Except Dante! Why had she pushed him away and denied their mating? She could have had someone to love and cherish her. Instead, she was going to be tortured without every experiencing true love.
Closing her eyes, tears streamed down her cheeks. Part of her anguish was from the pain while the other was from what she was going to miss out on. Don’t give up, little evergreen. Fight for me.
Okay, now she was losing her shit, hearing Dante’s voice. Opening herself up, she embraced the bond she felt with Dante the day she woke up on his couch. Her chest heated and some of her agony lifted. He loved her. That’s what he’d proven to her time and again during their short time together.
Where she once believed his forced mating was a burden, she now envied it. He fell in love instantly, before his mind could conjure excuses and put up roadblocks between them. It was so simple for him. Nothing else mattered but her. Her chest swelled and a warm embrace surrounded her.
Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed. The blade lifted from her back for a second before the demon snarled and his hand grabbed hold of muscles and tendons. Forcing her mind back to Dante, she allowed herself to choose him. He was the future she wanted if she lived through this.