One Apocalypse (The Dark Side Book 4)

by Kristy Cunning

  It only seems to fuel him as he reaches up, grabbing handfuls of my ass again, and suddenly starts spreading me…

  My breath leaves in a surprised rush, and I break the kiss, lazily keeping my lips pressed to Ezekiel’s, as something slick and blunt bumps against my ass.

  Swallowing thickly, my nails dig into Ezekiel’s shoulders, as someone slowly starts pushing in from behind, easing into me as Ezekiel holds still. His lips descend, kissing along the side of my neck, as one of his hands moves up to fist in my hair, roughly angling my head so he can have more access to my throat.

  My breath catches again when the horseman behind me fits himself all the way inside me, groaning as his hands dig into my hips as though he’s fighting to keep his composure.

  It’s Gage. I can tell now by the way he’s desperately holding onto me while trying to savor the moment. It’s the way he’s touched me ever since our shared confession.

  Leaning my head back, I reach one arm up, finding soft hair, and pull Gage down until his lips connect with mine.

  “I need you right now,” he whispers across my lips, his hips moving.

  A startled sound escapes me, mostly because I forgot what it was like to have two of them inside me at once. I don’t know how I forgot. It’s as though they’re shoving all my nerves into the thin wall separating them, dragging across each highly sensitive spot as they slowly begin working me into adjusting to their invasion.

  Releasing Gage, I return my attention to Ezekiel, feeling half drunk or drugged and hungry for more.

  He meets me, our lips bumping before he begins devouring me. They both start moving, and I become the toy that’s pressed between them. I probably shouldn’t enjoy it as much as I do…but I’m hell spawn.

  I can get away with anything because I can simply blame it on that.

  They work me like they’ve prepared for every move I’ll make, and my first orgasm tears out of me with so much force that I whimper and struggle not to go limp, sensations exploding across my skin like a fire spreading atop gasoline.

  Ezekiel growls against my lips, breaking the kiss as they both grow more aggressive. I’m the one to bury my face in his neck this time, muffling my sounds, until noise from the right almost distracts me.

  I glance over to find Kai casually sipping from the jar of alcohol, eyes riveted, as our gazes lock. He continues sipping his drink, as Ezekiel and Gage own my body in flawless unity.

  The next orgasm that hits sets fire to my veins instead of my skin, shooting throughout me, almost making me feel like a second life has just been injected into me.

  My nails cut into Ezekiel’s skin, and I quickly release him, even as my entire body quakes, agonized by too much pleasure so quickly, yet desperately seeking even more, like the masochist I must be.

  I spot Jude in the corner, idly twirling the scythe in its bo-staff form, as he stares on with barely disguised hunger in his eyes as he tries not to act so interested. His gaze heats when Ezekiel rips open my dress. He wastes no time cupping one of my freshly freed breasts, his thumb toying with my nipple.

  I’m forced to look away from Kai and Jude when my next crest happens so abruptly and so powerfully that it forces my eyes shut.

  My back bows, my nails dig in again, and I even bite down on Ezekiel’s shoulder, only partially managing to muffle the cry that is torn from my throat.

  This one wrings out every ounce of sensation I have left all at once in a jarring, unrelenting wave of what can only be called pleasure/anguish magic.

  Gage stills against my back, his body swaying as he finishes inside me. Ezekiel’s hips move faster, getting more aggressive. The second Gage pulls out of me, it’s relief and misery, because I never want to stop, but I also can’t keep going like this.

  Ezekiel flips me, coming down on top of me, and his mouth desperately seeks mine as his thrusts get almost punishing.

  The embodiment of war wordlessly confessed his love just before ravaging my body like it’s a battlefield. Seems fitting.

  This time, the orgasm is fortunately less powerful and intense, but it still curls my toes and puts my entire body through a shiver, as I cling to him, needing as close as possible.

  He groans against my lips, abruptly breaking the kiss so he can press his face to my shoulder, as his hips stagger, his rhythm growing erratic. When his hips give one last jerk, and a guttural sound climbs up his throat, he collapses to me, panting heavily, as my eyes roll back in my head and I go completely limp.

  Chapter 4

  KAI

  “You fucking broke her,” I note, staring at Paca as a stupid grin curves her lips even in her sleep.

  I hate them for making her feel so damn good that she passed out smiling.

  Ezekiel kisses the side of her throat, rolling his hips as he drags out his moment in the spotlight. Fucker will be her favorite like Gage was. Hell, Gage even got to join in.

  “This is starting to get unfair,” Jude points out in a dry tone.

  Gage smirks as he finishes cleaning himself up, and he tucks himself back into his pants as he comes to take a seat, snatching the liquor from me.

  He gets the girl and the booze? Jude’s right, this shit’s unfair.

  “All you have to do is seduce her a little, and she’ll be yours. You just choose to play your fucking head games,” Gage states, shooting a cocky look toward Jude. “Keep being an abrasive ass, and it’s only going to feel more and more unfair.”

  “I’m apparently Death. Am I supposed to be flowery and romantic?” Jude asks in a sour tone, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the thought.

  “He does treat her better than the other girls we’ve actually dated,” I tell Gage, even though my gaze has moved back to Ezekiel, who is still cleaning himself and Paca up.

  “If you’re done, then wake her up so I can—”

  “Let her fucking rest,” Jude snaps, interrupting me.

  Avoiding an argument, since he’s testier than usual, I drop back down to my seat.

  “We can’t say the love stuff, and she can’t say it until she feels it from us,” I murmur, running a hand over my mouth.

  Lamar told us this, but I didn’t understand it until now. She easily knew what Ezekiel felt.

  She has no empathy, but still felt what they couldn’t voice. How?

  I’m almost frustrated by the time Ezekiel finally lifts off her, and he gently lifts her limp body, putting her up higher on the bed until she’s settled comfortably in the middle.

  “We need to return the Black Heart soon,” Gage says as he lies down next to her, pulling one of her arms across his chest as he gets comfortable.

  He touches her like she’s his, and he doesn’t really seem to care anymore where we stand on things. Not that it matters. Clearly we’re all sticking with her. It became obvious after Lake “killed” her that this infuriating little hell-spawn had already woven herself into our lives more thoroughly than we could have imagined.

  Jude kicks my foot, and I blink over at him, as he gives me an incredulous look.

  “What’s your problem? You’ve been spaced out for fifteen minutes and missed our entire conversation,” he says, brow crinkling as he studies me.

  Clearing my throat, I sit up better, cracking my neck to the side.

  Gage and Ezekiel are studying me too.

  Shit. I don’t even know when Ezekiel sat down so close. I really have been spaced out.

  “We’re going to the Black Heart?” I guess.

  None of them say anything. They continue to simply stare.

  “Sometimes, I have thoughts that go through my fucking mind, and you guys seem less important than myself. Get over it already,” I grind out, not liking how transparent I feel under their scrutiny.

  Ezekiel smirks and looks away like he has some sort of secret. I’m already sick of his smug face.

  There’s a knock at the door, and Jude goes to open it, as Gage finally gets off the bed.

  Lamar is standing in the doorway, a tight smile on
his lips.

  “Don’t let her out of your sight. Two of Hell’s worst were in here the last time we came back. Can you put a spell on this room or something to keep them out?”

  “Locking the door is just as effective. It’s a barrier spell in itself. She’d have had to let them in,” he tells us, not acting like his usual bored or sarcastic self.

  “Something happen?” I ask him.

  He cuts his eyes toward Paca and then back to us. “I’ve been preparing a show for Hell, per Paca’s orders,” he tells us, clucking his tongue like this is annoying for him.

  “What show?” Jude asks as his brow furrows.

  “I suppose ‘showdown’ would be a more accurate terminology, considering she plans to take on all of her siblings in battle,” he tells us.

  Ezekiel drops the booze he’s holding, and the glass shatters to the ground as the booze quickly evaporates into the steaming air once it’s no longer encased in the magic shield the jar provides.

  “What?” Jude asks very loudly, as he waves away the steam caused by the liquor.

  “She purposely gave them an imbalance, because she’s a sneaky bitch that way, while setting this up for fun. She’s starting to feel more and more like the Paca I know, minus the power she hasn’t regained. She underestimates her siblings.”

  Jude scrubs both hands over his face. “I can’t deal with this right now. I’ll be in the Black Heart. Come and find me when you get done,” he snaps as he stalks out.

  Ezekiel looks as though he’s ready to tear some arms and legs off. His jaw tics as he also stands, and he follows Jude out in the same angry fashion.

  “There’s nothing we can do about this, is there?” I ask Lamar, as I clench and unclench my fists.

  “Nothing but prepare her for the tricks they’ll use. I haven’t ever personally seen the Gemini Twins in combat. However, do you remember those two Purgatory monsters that took all of you to bring them down?” he asks us.

  I nod slowly, already hating where he’s going with this.

  “They have no problem taking down thirty of those beasts in under ten minutes. They hold the second-place record,” he tells us tightly.

  “Who holds first place?” Gage asks him, running a hand over his jaw as his knee bounces with nervous tension I can feel vibrating off him.

  “The old Paca who knew every single thing there was to know about her balance and her power,” Lamar states flatly. “That Paca could have turned Rafael to dust. I’ve seen her fight now, and I lived by her side when she fought then. She’ll be left in a broken heap, because Cain, Lilith, nor the twins will hold back. She’ll be lucky to get through Hera and Manella in her shape. They’ve seen her fight Rafael, and they know her weaknesses, her strengths, and her extreme lack of stamina too well.”

  Glancing back at Paca, who still has that stupid smile on her face, I exhale harshly. Why would the old Paca go through all of this to send back a weaker replacement of herself?

  Was she simply that deranged and willing to gamble on something this bizarre?

  “Unlike Rafael, they won’t be so imbalanced and maddened if they fight her without her fighting back. She won’t land her one-punch knockout on them,” he adds with a grim tone. “She’ll just waste the last of her energy with that attack plan, and she’ll become their punching bag until they grow tired or bored with the whole charade.”

  He clears his throat again, almost as though he’s apprehensive to continue.

  “What else?” Gage grinds out.

  “She plans to fight them all in one day, which means she’ll be wounded, out of stamina, and a weak puppet by the time she reaches her most difficult siblings. They surely won’t kill her, but they’ll leave her wishing she was dead. Don’t be fooled by the familial ties. At the end of the day, they’re all ruthless in battle.”

  “She’s too stubborn for her own fucking good,” I grumble.

  Gage stands abruptly, throwing a vase against the wall. It shatters, and glass rains down as Paca sleeps right through it. He runs a hand through his hair in frustration and shoulders by Lamar as he strides out with as much fury as the other two.

  Lamar turns his attention to me, staring as though he expects me to know a way around this.

  We’ve learned we have no fucking say over what she does down here. It’s become more and more abundantly clear. She outranks us.

  It’s maddening.

  “When is this showdown? We’re going to need to mentally prepare for this, since I’m guessing interference won’t be possible.”

  He nods slowly. “In three days,” he tells me. “The Gemini Twins were terrifyingly excited. Cain was almost just as eager. Hera started sharpening her nails with a worrisome smile. Manella will likely concede the win after a few lashings. As Sloth, he doesn’t get as much enjoyment out of fighting. While Hera may get in some hard licks, she knows Paca will have to conserve energy for the rest, and won’t be able to retaliate at full force. It’ll allow her to go all-out without fear. However, Lilith will be the first one to make her truly crumble to her knees. Don’t let her sin fool you. Envy is a force to be reckoned with.”

  Just earlier we were betting on Paca to win in a battle between those two. Lamar has crushed that dream, and now dread is inching up my spine.

  Scrubbing a hand over my face, I mentally try to conjure any sort of plan to force the stubborn girl to listen. Only one comes to mind. Something tells me it’s not going to work.

  “Watch after her until we return,” I tell him as I stand and head out.

  I pull out my own navigator when I reach the wall of illusion, and I step through it, ending up in the middle of a firestorm.

  Heat blazes against me, and the screams of the tortured echo through my ears as the fire parts for me, clearing a path.

  I stumble upon Jude as he finishes hacking a man-eating plant to pieces, breathing heavily as his eyes presumably scour the land for anything else he can kill right now.

  He slings his scythe toward me, the blade stopping an inch from my neck, as he rolls his eyes.

  “It’s a really stupid fucking idea to sneak up on me right now,” he growls as he twirls the scythe away from me, his gaze searching the land once again.

  “I have only one plan. It’ll probably fail. But the worst that can happen is that we end up with Paca between us,” I tell him.

  He eyes me like he’s curious, and I turn, dropping my sai from my wrist. It turns into the triton as I sling it out, stabbing it through the middle of a zombie, red-eyed grizzly that collapses in a shriveled up heap, turning to dust before our eyes.

  “If it doesn’t work, we’ll need a backup plan to break into whatever arena she’ll be fighting in,” I tell him.

  He sighs in frustration as he spins, quickly beheading both heads of the two-headed lizard beast that I never even heard creep up on us.

  “She’s going to drive us all insane with her reckless, irrational reasoning at some point. Remember I warned everyone from the very beginning that she was as treacherous as they came,” he bites out.

  “Well, it’s too late now. Besides, would you really go back and do things differently, knowing we’d never have her, we’d never have learned our purpose, and we’d never have understood what happened to make us this way?” I volley in a dry tone.

  The scene around us changes, the black sea suddenly swallowing us up. I immediately start kicking to the surface of the bubbling, boiling water that burns even my resistant skin.

  I was built to withstand Hell’s Black Heart, just like all of us. A natural defense to this hostile branch of Hell is something we didn’t have in our past life. I don’t need the memories to know that.

  I still have the nightmares.

  Jude swims off quickly, predictably refusing to answer, as he leaps onto the back of some sea monster that looks like it has a punched vagina for a face.

  Leaving him to fight the wet, punched vagina-face monster, I turn and swim back toward the exit. Fuck sea monsters.


  I’d rather sleep in bed with Paca, since I never fully rested up from our last visit. This place drains us while we’re here, but it fuels us once we’ve regained our strength.

  We need to find something to fuel Paca’s strength the same way.

  As it stands, the only thing I’ve ever seen make her stronger is the four of us.

  She can fucking have me.

  Chapter 5

  PACA

  “You’re out of your mind. Do you have any idea how powerful your siblings are? No, you don’t. You threw out a blind challenge, having zero to no information, and then just arrogantly, stupidly believe you can take them all on. This isn’t like facing a bunch of low-level inhabitants, Paca. These are the other six deadly sins.”

  “Lust has me quaking in my boots,” I drawl, flipping through my journal, ignoring Jude’s long-winded tirade that seems never-ending. “I’m not particularly worried about Pride, Greed, Gluttony, or Envy, and I’m especially not concerned with Sloth.”

  One day they’ll learn to quit leaving me out, and then I’ll stop making decisions without them. They punish me when I do the same thing. It’s only fair if I punish them right back.

  “Caesar and Pico combine Greed and Pride. That makes them even more prideful and greedier than you—”

  “I’m not greedy at all,” I state in interruption to Kai, even as I frown. “Who’s Caesar and Pico?”

  They both glare at me. “The fucking Gemini Twins, Paca. Your brothers. Their names.”

  “Learn something new every day,” I quip, smiling over at them.

  Mystery solved. I finally know their names.

  “Take this at least a little damn seriously!” Jude snaps like he’s on the verge of blowing the top of his head clean off to let the steam roll out.

  “Maybe you should take things a little less seriously. I’m starting to worry about you,” I note, which only seems to provoke him into a tantrum, as he turns and punches the air a few times, cursing under his breath.