by G. K. DeRosa
“He’s everything!” I shouted back.
“It’s not working,” he hissed at the shadow in the darkness.
“Well keep trying until it does,” the man answered.
Remy peered down at me, his unearthly eyes boring into me. “Let’s see how your demon responds. Demonae venite.”
I could feel her surging to the surface, pushing my consciousness down. I fought her for as long as I could, but I was so tired. As the darkness seeped into the corners of my vision, I welcomed the release.
“Azara, Azara?” The deep, silky tone warmed my chilly bones and yanked me from my memories’ icy grip. “Are you all right?”
I blinked and met those silver irises that had accompanied me every night of my imprisonment, of the torture. My head spun. I’d only just started to remember the horrors and already I wanted to forget. “Talon Firestarter,” I murmured. “I’ll never forget.”
His figure blurred, and my lids began to droop.
“Logan, what’s wrong with her?” Talon’s frantic voice sent a pang through my gut.
“Here, let me help.” Hayden. A smile curled my lips at the smooth sound of the angel’s voice. Or at least I thought I was smiling.
Delicious heat zipped through my veins as another warm body cocooned my frosty one, chasing the chill away. The familiar scent of winter and pinecones filled my nostrils, and I curled into the comforting presence.
My lids slowly lost the battle, and I succumbed to the darkness once again.
The murmurs of hushed voices dragged me back from the river of tranquil oblivion. Despite the heaviness weighing down my lids, the familiar deep baritone caressed my skin, drawing me back to the present. As my brain flickered to life and my senses sharpened, I focused on his words.
“She’s not ready, Logan. We can’t take her back there. You should’ve seen her when we were at Thax’s castle.” He huffed out a breath. “Whatever they did to her for all those months broke her in a way we’ll never understand. Bringing her down there might set back the progress she’s already made.”
“I agree with you. But good luck trying to tell her she’s not going.”
I popped up as anger ignited in my core, waking my demon. “What do you mean I’m not going?”
Talon released a frustrated sigh and dragged his hands over his face.
“You see?” Logan pointed at me, a wry grin curling his lips.
I scanned the warden’s office which had emptied out since my last bout of consciousness. “Where’d everyone go? And what happened?”
Logan sauntered over and folded onto the couch beside me. “We were hoping you could tell us. You were here and then you weren’t. Did you have another flashback?”
I nodded, chewing on my lower lip. “I remembered something…” The vile taste of the potion coated my tongue, and I swallowed hard to keep down the nausea clawing up my throat. “From when I was Thax’s prisoner.”
Talon’s gaze shot to mine, a storm brewing beneath the tranquil silver surface. A deep growl reverberated in his throat, shaking his chest and broad shoulders. He muttered a slew of curses as he rose and marched the length of the couch. “That’s exactly why you shouldn’t go, Azara,” he finally announced. “I don’t want you anywhere near that place. You’re not ready to relive that torment.”
“You’re wrong. Killing Thax will finally allow me to move on.”
He shook his head, and a deep line furrowed his brows. “You’re wrong. Killing your cousin won’t solve anything. Revenge only numbs the pain for a time, but it won’t help you heal. Not really.”
I turned to Logan and gave him my best pout. From my limited experience with the stubborn dragon, the warden was my best bet at this point. “Please, Logan. I have to go. I can open the portal, get us in and out quickly. I know the castle, and I’m the one Thax wants anyway. I’m the only logical choice.”
“Dash can portal us in and wait in the tunnels until we’re ready to go,” Talon interjected.
“What if you run into trouble, and you can’t make it all the way back to the tunnels?”
“Then we bring him in with us.”
I reached for the warden’s hand and squeezed. “Logan, come on. I’m fine, I swear. I can do this—I need to do this.”
He tossed his head from side to side. “I don’t know, Azara. I’ve done nothing but put you in harm’s way since you arrived at Darkblood. I think Talon’s right, and you should sit this one out.”
I leapt up, red hot anger coursing through my veins. My she-demon surged to the surface, and her dark powers bubbled up. They skimmed over my skin, and my demon’s mark ignited. “Just try and make me stay,” I hissed.
Logan rose slowly, his eyes on me as he moved toward his desk. I wrapped my arms across my chest and scowled.
“This is for your own good, Azara. We’re only trying to protect you.” Talon lifted his hands in surrender as he crept toward me.
I spun and directed the full brunt of my anger on the approaching dragon. “You said you loved me, but you lied. If you knew me at all, you’d know how important this is. How much I need to do this.”
Talon’s expression hardened as he moved closer, his eyes darting between Logan and me. “I do love you. Which is why I have to do this.”
A glint of silver flew across the corner of my eye, and Talon’s hand shot up to grab it. Before my brain could process what was happening, he slapped the metal handcuffs on my wrists. All the energy siphoned from my core, and my shoulders sagged forward like a puppet cut from its strings.
“No!” I cried as I rammed into Talon with my shoulder. With my hands bound in front of me, I was useless. My magic was gone. I was nothing more than an empty vessel.
Talon gripped my shoulders and forced my eyes to his. “I’m sorry, Azara, but this is for the best. By tomorrow, this will all be over and you’ll be safe. You’ll finally be able to move forward.”
“But I’ll hate you for this. You promised you’d let me kill Thax. Liar!”
His intense gaze dropped to the floor between us, and his hands fell away. As he walked toward the door, he whispered over his shoulder, “I hope you’ll understand one day and be able to forgive me.” The door slammed behind him, shattering every last bit of hope.
Killing the dark lord was the only thing I had left and now, Talon had taken that away from me. I had nothing.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I paced the length of my cell like a caged tiger, fury fueling my march. How dare they go without me? I glared at my manacled wrists and cursed Talon. If he hadn’t put the idea in Logan’s head, I would’ve been on my way to the human world to put an end to my miserable cousin’s life.
Had they left yet?
Talon hadn’t returned to our cell all day, but Hayden had been back for a few hours before disappearing again just a little while ago. I tried to pump the angel for information on the operation, but he’d frozen me out. My fingers clenched into tight fists hanging uselessly in front of me. This was my mission. I deserved to be the one to suck the life out of Thax’s traitorous body. He’d cost me everything.
The sound of approaching footsteps sent me darting to the door. I pressed my nose to the glass to make out my late-night visitor. When the shadow came to view, I stepped back from the entrance and muttered a string of curses.
Vander swept his wrist over the scanner, and the door whooshed open.
Dammit. I did not need this right now. Or maybe, he was my ticket out of here. “I hope you’ve got the keys to these bad boys.” I raised my cuffed hands and plastered a smile on my face.
“Nope, sorry.” He kept his eyes to the ground, and a pang of guilt crashed over me. Did he know my demon had taken over the night of moon fest? I knew Vander had genuine feelings for me and despite everything, I thought I did too. “I’ve been released from SIA purgatory for babysitting duties.”
“Seriously?” I shot him a glare.
“Yup. Talon came and got me himself.”
“You r
eally got in trouble for uh—the other night?” My eyes chased to the floor, focusing on a snaking crack along the concrete.
“I behaved unprofessionally when I should’ve been protecting my mark.”
“But wait, the SIA doesn’t even know I’m here.”
“It was imposed by my team leader,” he muttered.
“I’m really sorry, Vander. I don’t really remember much from that night—or any nights these days.”
He shrugged, a shy smile tilting up the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, Talon told me. It’s probably best that way.”
I toed at the interesting crack on the floor, ignoring the five-ton elephant in the room. We’d had a major make out session, and I couldn’t even remember it. How messed up was that?
He inched closer, and I made the mistake of lifting my gaze to his. Warm hazel irises sent another pang of guilt through my chest. “This doesn’t have to be awkward,” he finally said. “I know things are really complicated for you right now, and I didn’t mean to make them worse. I never should’ve--”
I nodded, chewing on the inside of my cheek to keep my jaw busy. I didn’t want to say something stupid.
“Anyway, I’m glad Talon called me in so we could finally clear the air. I’m not his favorite person right now, and I’m okay with not being yours either. I wanted to apologize too. I didn’t mean to take advantage of you while you were drinking—”
My hand flew up to cut him off. From what I remembered before everything went demon black, it had been my lusty she-demon who’d started things. “Please don’t apologize. Let’s just pretend it never happened.”
A hint of sadness streaked through his expressive irises, and I regretted my poor choice of words, but it was the truth. I just wanted to forget everything from the past few months, which was ironic since I couldn’t remember most of it.
A weak smile returned to Vander’s face, and he folded down onto my bed. “So… want to play a boardgame or something?”
Crap. For a second I’d been so distracted, I’d completely forgotten about breaking out of here. Was that why Talon had sent Vander? He thought he could keep me busy and forget all about the mission? Sneaky bastard!
I stared at Vander’s silver cuff. It was exactly what I needed to break out of my cell. Then I just needed to sneak into Logan’s office for the key to my magic-siphoning shackles. Once they were off, I was home free.
Should I just come clean? Maybe he’d help willingly, and I wouldn’t have to knock him out. I already felt guilty enough around him. I steeled my nerves and spat it out. “Vander, I need your help getting out of here.”
His eyes widened and he whipped his head back and forth, spilling tendrils of dirty blonde hair over his forehead. “I can’t, Azara. Talon already hates me. He’d never forgive me if I let you out and something happened.”
“Then come with me. You can make sure nothing bad happens.” I sat beside him and leaned in, pressing my boobs to his chest. I was so bad. But there was nothing I wouldn’t do to get to Thax’s castle tonight.
He let out a strangled breath. “I can’t.”
“Please, Vander. I’ll do anything. You don’t understand what Thax did to me. He and Remy tortured me for months. The horrible nightmares have started now that my memories are coming back. I need to be the one to kill him, and only you can help me do that.” I cupped his cheek, stroking his stubbly beard. “Once it’s over, I can finally get on with my life. I can start over and maybe even find happiness again.”
Guilt ate at my insides as he stared longingly at me. I was going to hell for this.
“Azara, Talon is my brother. I already screwed him over. I’m not sure he’ll ever forgive me and if I do this, it’s only another nail in my coffin.”
“Ugh!” I leapt off my bed and snarled. “I’m sorry, Vander. I really am, but you left me no choice.” Bending down, I grabbed the dagger under my bed and smashed the hilt into the side of his head.
His eyes widened for a second before his body crumpled to the ground. “I really am sorry,” I whispered. As I yanked his hulking form toward the scanner, I cursed myself for knocking him out so far away from the door. Stretching his arm out, I waved his wrist at the sleek device, and my cell swished open.
“I’m coming for you, Thax.”
My stomach churned as I darted down the dark passageway. The odor of muddy earth and dampness filled my nostrils and memories of my escape from Thax’s other subterranean fortress swam across my mind. What if he captures me again?
We won’t let that happen. Ever. My she-demon’s voice echoed in my mind. Now freed from my magic-restraining handcuffs, she lingered just below the surface. I didn’t mind right now. I needed her close by in case things got dicey.
My heart pounded in tune with the slap of my boots on the hard-packed earth the closer I got. According to the map I’d found in Logan’s office, the door to the basement-slash-dungeon torture chamber was right around the corner.
Cold sweat dribbled down my spine as I reached for the metal door at the end of the passageway. You can do this, Azara. My fingers closed around the handle, and I jerked it open. Peering through the crack, I scanned the dark corridor. I’d been here too. Tortured within these very walls. Maybe the oracle had been right after all, Thax. I’m coming for you.
I crept through the doorway and extinguished the magical light I’d conjured. I’d have to rely on my enhanced demon sight for the remainder of the journey. I visualized the castle’s blueprint and turned to the right. If I knew Talon, he’d go straight for the throne room.
What about Delacroix? How would he come into play? He’d definitely be the wild card of the mission. I picked up my pace at the thought of the hellus demon. I couldn’t let him get to Thax before I did.
The lower-level corridors were quiet—too quiet. The sound of my thundering heart echoed across my eardrums as I reached the stairs. Where were all the guards? I huddled in the murky stairwell, straining to hear. Memories of the last time I was here flitted across my mind, but I shoved them back. No time for reminiscing now, Azara.
I raced up the steps and scanned the silent halls. If the guys were here, where the hells were they? I waited for the clash of weapons, screams, beastly growls—anything. Something was wrong.
Where are you, Talon? The question danced across my mind, the words floating around my subconscious. From my peripheral vision, the glow of my demon’s mark caught my eye. Deep purple lit up my skin, and the tattoo pulsed with energy.
Azara, is that you? Talon’s deep voice boomed across my head, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Oh my gods, how are you in my head?
The same way you’re in mine. A loaded pause froze me in my tracks. Then his voice resounded once again. Wait a second. Where are you?
First floor in the stairwell. Thax’s underground castle, Vatican City.
Damn it, Azara! His shout bounced around my skull like a ping pong ball. Stay right where you are. I’m coming to get you.
I can go to you. I think I remember this castle too.
No. He growled. Stay put.
“Over-protective irritating dragon,” I muttered to myself and took a step back into the dark stairwell. At least he hadn’t threatened to kill me for coming. That was definite progress.
Chapter Twenty-Three
No joke, five seconds later the faint scuffle of footsteps reached my hiding spot in the shadowed alcove. I poked my head out and smacked into a wall—nope, Talon’s unrelenting chest.
“What the hell are you doing here? Are you completely out of your mind?” he hissed, his murderous glare throwing daggers. Maybe I’d spoken too soon.
“I told you I wasn’t sitting this one out,” I hissed right back, jabbing my finger into his torso.
He scanned the dim stairwell and frowned. “Where’s Vander?”
“Don’t be mad at him. It wasn’t his fault.”
“Where is he?”
“I knocked him out when he refused to come with me.�
�
The hint of a smile lifted the corner of his lip, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I should send your sneaky demon ass straight back to your cell.”
I rose to my tiptoes and seared him with my steeliest glare. “Just try it.”
He blew out an exasperated breath and wrapped his thick fingers around mine. Jerking me forward, he muttered a slew of curses before searing his gaze on me. “So help me, Azara, if you do anything stupid, I’ll leave you here with Thax and never look back.”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “You wouldn’t.”
“There were a lot of things I never thought I’d do until I met you.” He yanked me down the corridor, fury radiating from his broad shoulders in toxic waves.
We sped through the desolate castle in silence, the thrashing of my racing heart my only company. “Why is it so quiet?” I finally whispered.
“I don’t know. But it can’t be good.”
Talon turned the bend and pulled me into a murky nook. He ticked his head at the far corner, and a hidden door took shape from the shadows. It was made of the same slate stone as the castle walls and barely visible. He tugged me the remaining distance and motioned me through the doorway.
I nearly tripped over the narkin demon splayed across the floor. Son of a biscuit! I pitched forward before an arm wrapped around my torso to steady me. I craned my neck back and glared at my savior. “A little warning would’ve been nice.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t let you fall flat on your face.”
“Well, if it isn’t our mischievous little pumpkin.” Hayden threw me a grin from across the small room. Dallas and Logan stood on either side of him, and Delacroix appeared from a shadowy recess. Seeing the four of them together was so weird.
Now that my eyes had adjusted to the lighting, they landed on the dozens of black-uniformed narkin bodies strewn across the stone floor.
“You don’t think Thax is going to notice half of his guards are missing?”