Ryker tunnelled his fingers through his tousled black hair and grimaced. “I will get into trouble for this, since I am not meant to leave this castle, but my brother is in a bad place right now and he needs to see you. He needs to know that you love him.”
“So, you’ll help me? I can’t get near him. There’s some sort of spell… but if I can find the witch… or maybe you can find Tegan and tell him I’m there.”
Ryker shook his head, his expression pained. “I cannot enter the battlefield. The king and his heir cannot be on it at the same time. I want to help, but I will not place the kingdom at risk. We will try to find the witch.”
She understood that, even as she wanted to rail at him and convince him to say screw the rules. Maybe they could find another demon who could relay a message to Tegan for them, calling him back to whatever safe place he had been when she had called him. She shook her head at that. Even if she did get a message to Tegan, he wouldn’t be able to see her, not without her finding the witch and getting her to break the spell.
“Fine. We’ll do it your way.” She held her hands out to Ryker.
He took them and darkness yawned below him.
When it receded, shouts rang around her, footsteps rushing past her, and she stared at the busy courtyard of the pale grey stone building, marvelling at the huge mountains that rose to her right and the endless green that rolled to her left, and the infinite blue sky.
The elf kingdom.
She had never been here before, and it awed her, but she wasn’t here to sightsee.
Maybe later, when she had Tegan back in her arms.
Men hurried around her and Ryker broke away from her to grab a trio who had black horns like him. He spoke with them, concern filling his eyes as they answered him. It lingered as he glanced at her, his brow furrowing, and finished speaking with his men.
When he came to her, he took her arm and led her up stone steps, onto the battlement. He pointed to the distance, where the sky was dimmer, almost grey, as if a thunderstorm loomed there.
“Tegan is there.” Ryker turned to her, a flicker of regret in his eyes. “According to the warriors, the only witch on our side is there also… something about having to aid her mate.”
Suki looked at that grim horizon, at the darkness that swathed the grass there, a black swarm that she realised wasn’t rock as she had presumed.
It was people.
A war that was raging right now.
A war her mate was fighting in.
Nerves threatened to rise as Ryker released her and moved away a step, that regret lingering in his eyes, telling her what he couldn’t bring himself to say.
She had to do this alone.
Suki sucked down a deep breath and mustered her strength.
She had never been in a war before, she had always preferred to run away from a fight than towards one, but Tegan was out there. He needed her. If it would help him survive this war, then she would fight by his side.
Her battle plan was sound.
Find the witch.
Undo the spell.
Tell Tegan everything.
Spend the rest of her life with the man she loved.
CHAPTER 36
Gods, Tegan had missed this.
The clang of blades clashing around him. The heavy reverberation as his own broadsword met the steel of his opponent. The agonised bellow and the victorious roar. The beauty of war.
He grinned and charged forwards, beating his black wings to swiftly cover the pockets of ground that opened in the midst of the fray. The scent of the churned earth mingled with the coppery tang of blood in the air, driving him on as his instincts as a warrior seized hold of him.
He dropped into a teleport as several demons from different realms rushed him and fell out of the air above them as they looked around, trying to guess where he would reappear. On a flash of fangs, he sliced the head clean off the demon on the right, one with the golden-brown horns of the Sixth Realm, landed and pivoted on his heel to block the blade of a second demon from those lands.
The male’s golden eyes narrowed on him as he shoved forwards, attempting to drive Tegan back and gain the advantage.
Tegan grinned and pushed forwards too, pressing his hand to the flat of his blade to counter the male as he tried to exert more strength, a vain effort on his part. Tegan was stronger, larger, and deep in the grip of his fury, rage stoked by battle and the excitement that gripped him, had him chasing down one foe after the other without rest, much to the chagrin of his escorts.
The group of demons from the Royal Legion caught up with him and clashed with the other enemies that had arrived as Tegan gave a mighty shove against his broadsword and knocked his enemy back. He slashed with his sword and grinned wider as the male disappeared, swiftly dropping into a black abyss.
A better opponent.
So far, none of them had been much of a challenge. He had cut his way through more than three dozen enemies, and although some of them had managed to land faint blows on him that had drawn blood, none had come close to beating him.
His sharp senses issued a warning and he spun on his heel, leaned back as he spread his wings and watched the blade as it cut through the air just above his stomach. He planted his left hand against the dirt for balance as he twisted and kicked with his right leg, catching the male in his arm. The sword went flying, tumbling through the air to land with a soft thud and a scream.
The male made the mistake of looking in the direction it had gone to see who it had struck.
Tegan launched his left leg up as he pushed into the air, smashed it into the side of the male’s head and took him down, twisting at the same time so he landed on top of him. He slashed his claws across the demon’s throat and kicked off, ignoring the hollers of his men as he charted a course ahead of him, seeking a stronger opponent.
The throng opened up ahead of him, the end of the forces of his side just a few metres from him now.
Soon he would lead the battle.
He grinned at the thought and teleported, landing beyond the male at the front of his side.
Before him, an entire army swarmed the lands, waiting.
For him?
His grin widened.
How sweet of them.
He gripped his broadsword in both hands and roared as his muscles expanded, his black wings flared, and his horns curled.
He met two of them head on, demons from the Seventh Realm. They spread their dark grey wings, their blue-grey horns flaring as they pounded towards him across the churned earth, long blades aimed at him.
Blood sprayed over Tegan’s chest as he cut the first male down, driving him on as he tasted it and scented the fear of the other male. He turned on a growl and swept his broadsword up, the silver blade a blur as it sliced through the air. The male blocked it with his own blade and parried, sweeping his sword around in a circle in an attempt to disarm him.
Tegan snarled and sidestepped, thrust forwards and forced the male to break off. The tip of his blade nicked the male’s arm and crimson streamed down it. He dodged the male’s next blow, beat his wings and shot backwards, luring the male forwards, away from the rest of the demons as they charged his side.
Three more joined the battle against him and he relished it as he danced with them, blocking and parrying, landing blows designed to slow them down. A slice through a calf here. A slash across a sword arm there. He battered the ones behind him with his wings, stopping their attempts to reach him.
Two of his men finally caught up with him, disgruntled looks on their faces as they breathed hard and began to fight, tackling the ones he had injured. He left them to it, focusing on taking down more of them. He wanted to fight five on one. He wanted the odds stacked against him. He craved the high of victory that came from such a battle.
Tegan spotted another incoming wave of demons and cut his way towards them, hacking and slashing at any who were foolish enough to stand in his way. His heart thundered, adrenaline pouring through his ve
ins as he blocked and stabbed, slashed and sliced his foes. Those he didn’t kill, his men dealt with as he pushed onwards, deeper into the dragon’s forces.
He could see the tents now, the camp erected by the dragon for his men.
They were close.
Soon, the real war would begin.
He grinned at that.
Roared.
All around him, he sensed the enemy stiffen, smelled their fear as their courage wavered.
They were right to fear him.
Death had come for them on black wings this day.
He clashed with a large demon male, one who had been taken by rage just as he had been. The demon’s golden-brown horns curled through his long chestnut hair, his amber leathery wings spread wide as he shoved forwards, forcing Tegan back.
Another worthy foe.
Tegan placed his right foot behind him, bracing himself, so the male could no longer move him. He twisted his blade and slashed upwards, aiming high. The male aimed low and Tegan adjusted his attack, bringing his sword down hard on the male’s blade, sending it slamming into the earth. The male snarled and bared fangs, golden light flashing in his eyes as he swung his fist.
It caught Tegan hard in his jaw, sent his mind reeling and him staggering to his left. He shook off the blow and kicked backwards, evading the attack the male levelled at him while he was recovering.
The bastard dragon had been saving his stronger forces for the rear guard.
He meant to weaken Tegan’s side by using sheer numbers to inflict injuries and deaths, and then he was going to send out his strongest fighters.
A sound plan.
But Tegan wouldn’t let him carry it out.
He roared and attacked, landing several blows as he clashed with the male, some with his blade and some with his claws. The male blocked his sword and Tegan lashed out with his claws, slicing through the demon’s forearm to spill blood down it. The demon snarled as Tegan backed off a step and came at him again. The male brought his sword up, but Tegan blocked it, struck the blade so hard with his own that the demon struggled to keep hold of it as blood slicked his hand.
Tegan didn’t relent. He struck again, forcing the male to drop his blade, twisted his broadsword and brought it back up, slicing clean through his chest. The male looked down, panic and fear lighting his eyes as he stared at the blood flowing from him.
Tegan wished him a swift death.
The male fell and Tegan watched the light fade from his eyes.
He lifted his head.
Locked eyes with an enormous demon of the Sixth Realm as the male leaped over his fallen comrade on an agonised roar.
Pain erupted in Tegan’s chest.
Everything went quiet.
Everything slowed.
Tegan sank to his knees and looked down at his chest, at the silver broadsword sticking out of it.
He roared in agony as the male grabbed the hilt and pulled it free, yanking him forward with it and sending fire and ice rushing through him.
The demon hefted the blade and spun on his heel, aiming it at his neck.
Two thoughts hit him at once.
He would never see Suki again.
Death had come for him this day.
CHAPTER 37
Suki’s first thought on finally spotting Tegan on the battlefield?
Her demon was hot!
He cut a brutal path through his enemies, his broadsword a flashing silver arc as he ducked and slashed, felling his opponents with ease. A group of demons from his realm tried to keep up with him, dispatching any poor soul that Tegan left wounded in his wake in his charge to remain at the front of his side.
A side that were storming forwards to meet a force far larger than theirs was.
Her second thought?
The man she loved was in danger.
She had tried to find the witch, but picking her out in the throng of men had been impossible. The only woman she had managed to spot was a black-haired huntress who had been working in breathtaking unison with a huge russet-haired demon.
So she had settled on trying to find Tegan to lure him away from the fight.
She had picked her perch well, a rocky outcrop high on the mountainside above the battle, one that had allowed her to easily scan the fray for demons of the Second Realm.
Tegan hadn’t been difficult to spot.
He towered above the others, his black wings enormous and his horns huge as he fought, the rage he felt echoing in her own blood as she watched him with ever increasing fear.
He had reached the frontline of his side and he hadn’t stopped.
He charged forwards, headlong into the enemy.
Reckless demon.
She had been afraid for what felt like forever, teleporting around the battlefield, seeking the witch. Now she felt strangely calm as she rose to her feet and drew down a deep breath.
Tegan needed her.
She had to at least try to reach him, to test the limits of the spell and see whether she could get within earshot of him. She couldn’t let him fight alone, not even when he obviously wanted to do just that, kept leaving his men behind to surge ahead of them and tackle multiple foes on his own.
She focused on him, her short fangs and claws extending as she drew her courage up from the pit of her stomach and clung to it.
And teleported.
She landed in the middle of the battle over eighty feet from him, shrieked and ducked as her senses screamed at her, narrowly missing the blade that cut above her head and sank into the male it had been intended for as she kicked off into another teleport.
This one had her landing among friendlies, a group of Second Realm demons and some seriously hot elves who all looked at her in astonishment. She disappeared again before they could utter a word, making another attempt to reach Tegan.
Perhaps if she bombarded the spell rapidly enough it would fail.
She kept teleporting, getting dizzy as her fuel tank drained, what little energy she had left from being with Tegan rapidly flowing from her. Every time she landed, she was a little closer to him.
She focused on him again and teleported, a blade slicing through the point where she had been, and landed even closer.
Within forty foot now.
Someone roared. A shiver bolted down her spine and fear flared.
She would know that roar anywhere.
Tegan.
She teleported again, landing in a clearing this time.
Her heart stopped.
Tegan was on his knees just fifty feet from her.
A sword sticking out of his chest.
Numbness swept through her as a huge demon landed in front of him, gripped the blade and pulled it free of his chest.
The whole world fell silent around her.
No.
Blood poured down Tegan’s chest, pumping heavily from the wound, one that had been right in the centre.
Over his heart.
The demon lifted his blade, taking aim.
Tegan blankly looked at his foe.
Acceptance and regret on his handsome face.
“No!” Suki shrieked as tingles rushed over her arms and down her spine.
She teleported, putting every last drop of her energy into it, fighting the damned spell that was keeping her from her mate.
From the man she loved.
She crashed out of it right next to him, her fear rising as she realised it was because he was bleeding out, the spell that had been placed on him flowing out of him together with his life.
She turned on a pinhead and shoved her hands against the arm of the demon as he brought it around, stopping him from slicing Tegan’s head off.
The demon snarled at her.
Suki hissed and leaped on him, wrapped her arms and legs around him as he staggered backwards.
And kissed him.
Energy flowed into her. Life.
A gift she would give to her mate once this bastard was dead. He would pay with his life for what he h
ad done, attempting to take Tegan from her. She had never wanted to kill anyone through feeding, but good gods, she wanted to kill this man.
She kissed him deeper as he struggled, his movements slowing as the rate of his energy pouring into her increased. Dizziness swept through her, power welling in every fibre of her being as her fuel gauge went right past the white line, shattering the needle.
As the flow of energy dropped to a trickle, she nimbly leaped away from him to land on her feet beside him as he crumpled to his knees. She glared at him as he fell to the ground, hissed and levelled a hard kick at his head once he was down.
Dead.
She turned and froze.
“Tegan.”
She hurried to him where he lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood, wrapped her arms around him and teleported him back to the garrison.
The rush of activity in the courtyard ground to a halt.
“I need help!” She looked around at all the faces of the elves and the demons, desperation gripping her as they all stared at her, shock shining in their eyes. “Fucking help me!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, hot against her skin, and splashed onto Tegan as she looked down at him. His heart beat weakly in her ears, ripping at her strength, tearing pieces of her soul away to leave her cold inside.
A woman stopped near her, a pretty brunette wearing a T-shirt and jeans that were caked with blood.
“Let’s get him inside.” The woman signalled to the men and three elves marched forwards, setting aside their weapons. Suki clung to Tegan when they tried to move him and he groaned, his face twisting in a grimace, and more blood oozed from the wound in the centre of his chest. She hissed at the elves. The woman crouched beside her, placed her hand on her shoulder, and smiled in that way only doctors could. “I’m Olivia. I’m a medic here. We have to move him and get him stable.”
Suki nodded shakily, but refused to let the elves take him from her. When they lifted Tegan, she remained holding on to him, helping them carry his dead weight into the infirmary. The beds that had been laid out inside the garrison’s lower floor were full, several elves and demons tending to those who occupied them.
Seduced by a Demon King Page 37