Otherworld Soldiers- Rise of the Apocalypse

by Fox Lancet

  “You are with luck that my Lord commands your life, otherwise I would tear you apart with my bare hands!”

  “Like hell you would, I might not like you so much right now, but from the little I’ve learned about you and your little clan, you have more dignity than to murder a defenseless woman.”

  Hunter stared at her without moving.

  “Then I would disillusion you; you and your kind are but creatures of waste and I have no bias in eliminating any one of your kind: man, woman, or child. Of course a challenge is always much preferred, but I realize the only challenge on this plane of existence is in a vast combination of offenders at once.”

  Saliea did not answer for a few moments and finally gave an exasperated sigh. “Fair enough, but I’ll tell you, Hunter, I am more than just the key to Nefarion.” She regarded him from under her brows before glancing down at her feet aimlessly. “At this point, I only want to be returned to him.” She sat silent. Hunter watched her suspiciously, though there was not much to ascertain in her stillness. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke.

  “If that is the case, Saliea, he would expect you to inform me of the recent movements of the enemy. Perhaps if you are as important as you believe yourself to be, you will soon learn our motives and tactics and you will look back on this moment and see your foolishness in retaining the information.”

  Saliea’s eyes returned to him and her tongue tracked over her full bottom lip.

  “You’re right, Hunter. I hope you’ll understand I’m a little disappointed. I thought when you found me that it meant I would see Nefarion again.”

  “I understand this, but know that this does not change my wary methods in detaining you.” Hunter peeled his bloodied shirt off. Saliea blushed and averted her eyes, looking around the room aimlessly.

  “Are they healing yet?” He turned his back in her direction to reveal two entry wounds, one immediately next to his lower spine--the one he had taken for Saliea. Her gaze glided back to him, scrutinizing the two holes. There was no redness or swelling, only dry blood and two tiny holes.

  “Almost, actually.”

  He wheeled back around and she averted her gaze again, finding him too beautifully molded to regard without getting heated. A topless image of Nefarion grew in her thoughts. He was the leader, he must have been more perfect than his subordinates. Saliea ground her teeth. Hunter was already breathtaking; Nefarion would have to be blinding.

  “Excellent. Now proceed in recounting your experience with my Lord and his nemesis.”

  “It would kill you to say please, wouldn’t it?” The corner of Hunter’s mouth slid up and he nodded. Saliea rolled her eyes, something she found herself doing often in Hunter’s presence. “Well, put your shirt back on and I will.” He smiled fully at the statement.

  “Does my visible upper-body cause discomfort for you?” He noted her roving eyes. “I have received many praises for it as well as for my facial appearance.”

  “And you said my arrogance was ridiculous?”

  “It is not arrogance, merely fact.”

  “Oh my god. No, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. It’s just…distracting.” His smile never wavered and he stepped toward her.

  “Would you like to fuck?”

  Saliea’s eyelids expanded. “What?” she exclaimed, her head pushing forward as if she was straining to hear him.

  “Would you like to fuck?”

  “No, no, I heard you. I just can’t believe you asked me that so casually. Do you even know what fucking is?”

  Hunter scowled. “Of course I am aware of its definition. I have fucked many females. Not only is it pleasurable, but it is also thoroughly entertaining. Do you not enjoy it?” Hunter pulled his shirt back on, seeing she was not interested in his offer.

  “Very much, but not with random men I hardly know. And especially not with someone who isn’t human.”

  His eyes puckered at her last assertion.

  “How do you know I am not?”

  “Please. It’s obvious. You can take bullets without collapsing and heal in less than a couple of hours from them. You and Nefarion have impossible strength. And your eyes are a dead giveaway, especially when they glow.”

  Hunter relaxed. “All valid deductions. Point aside, now that my shirt is replaced, you must indulge my repeated request.”

  “Right. Can I just say first that your enemy is pretty nonthreatening. Granted, he did knock me out at one point. He made the mistake of leaving me alone…in ropes…rather than chains.” The statement warranted an otherworldly laugh from the depths of Hunter.

  “Beautiful. Their stupidity is rare, but appreciated. Did he attack Nefarion?”

  “They fought, but I couldn’t see what happened for some reason. I got rather ill once they started fighting. Once I could see again, he had chained Nefarion to a grounded pipe. The moment Kaleb touched me, Nefarion got pretty fucking pissed and broke the pipe from the ground. He didn’t give chase. I’m assuming he realized it would be a wasted effort, seeing they run blindingly fast.”

  Hunter nodded in agreement. “So you escaped Kaleb once he deserted you? He may have done it intentionally. As I said before, their stupidity is rare. It is possible he is tracking you. He may wish for you to lead him back to the Lord.”

  Saliea shook her head. “No, I was alone when I woke and I made sure to stay aware when I left.”

  Hunter stared at her expectantly like she had not finished her thought.

  “What?”

  “How can you be sure? You are human. I have noted that humans do not possess extrasensory abilities.”

  Saliea lifted both her brows at him. “How can I be all human if I can control a portal between two worlds?” Hunter squinted one of his eyes. “I don’t recall having the senses before I met Nefarion. It’s like he woke up something inside me. Besides, Kaleb’s nearness makes me sick. Trust me, he was not near when I woke and left. I was alone. Though, I’m not sure how far this new ability stretches.”

  “Very intriguing. But if he was tracking you, I would have sensed him unless he is able to keep his distance and maintain a visual on us.”

  Saliea scooted down in the bed, resting her head on the pillow, her right wrist above her head in the cuff.

  “Are we done? I’m getting tired.”

  “I suppose. We have plenty of time for any further discussion. I am pacified knowing the Lord is well. Now that I have you, Syler and I need only to find Nefarion and all will be in place.”

  “Right. Would you be a doll and hit the light.”

  Hunter curled a lip at her but flipped the switch off anyway. He pulled up a nearby desk chair and propped his boots on the bed below Saliea’s.

  “Do not try anything clever. What you have seen of me so far is quite polite compared to what I am capable of. I only need you alive, not unharmed.”

  “Fuck you, Hunter.”

  He smiled to the darkness before leaning back and shutting his eyes to rest.

  13

  Found

  Syler crouched fanatically over a slew of loose-leaf papers that he had spread across the cool concrete floor. He pressed the power button on his black phone to light the screen that still showed zero notifications.

  The thought of Hunter’s three-day absence crossed his mind for a fleeting moment. He had sent him several texts and attempted many phone calls to no avail. Pushing the phone aside, he lifted his head slightly to view pages further away, layers of fine black hair frustrating his vision. He shook his head, a sound of mild irritation vibrating in his chest. His attention drew up to analyze the shade of sunlight warming the pasty window panes of the warehouse.

  “Another sunset.” He let the thought of his missing cohort linger this time, entertaining many possible notions in a matter of seconds. The black globes of his eyes flickered back down to his papers. They were pushed together like a giant puzzle, revealing a portrait of the round earth on a flat canvas. Bordering the image were pages of location names and
degrees of latitude and longitude with populations listed from whole countries down to the most remote towns.

  The Demon commander stood from his low position to his six foot-six inch human form. His preternatural eyes remained scanning the numbers from his height, associating them with tiny areas on the large map: memorizing, recognizing. He rested his weight on one foot concealed in a knee-high black boot, four buckles embracing the laces. The soles were thick with silver screws adorning the edges. A heavy chain swayed against the black canvas shorts that canopied his legs just past his knees. The bottom of the chain’s loop swept up just before the hem of the shorts.

  At the moment, he was shirtless, the heat of the summer day teasing sweat from the pores of his sun-deprived skin. Only a handful of times had he ventured out into the daylight hours of the world he currently resided on, finding its sun senselessly bright, and its offered heat an undesirable commodity.

  For the last few hours he had been studying the map with his renowned focus, nothing disturbing his concentration aside from the occasional interrupting thought of Hunter’s current whereabouts and antics.

  Before he had set up with his oversized map, he had been scanning the internet, keeping a close view on the American national news. His main purpose had been to identify the possible vicinity of Nefarion, though he had stumbled across two incriminating articles from the day prior that concluded Hunter’s recent exhibitions. One in which involved the slaying of six officers, the other creating mass destruction and thirty-six deaths on a highway ten miles east an hour before the shooting. Hunter was officially labeled a ‘terrorist’.

  Normally Syler would have been furious at the negative attention except that the article referring to the police-killings mentioned that the perpetrator had fled the scene in the company of a young female and the incident had taken place at the Gothic Theatre.

  Hunter had the key, or at least he had her the evening before.

  No new articles had surfaced regarding his dark-eyed, dark-haired companion since. Hunter may have been neglectfully reckless sometimes, but Syler recognized both events as a simple strategy. Create an epic scene far from an intended target to cause distraction while executing the actual purpose. It was the same strategy Nefarion had deployed in attaining Celest to procure the necessary information from the witch without the enemy disrupting or spying. Obviously there had still been latent trouble in both instances, but only enough that could be dispelled easily.

  He spun towards the humming computer on his desk. Both the chain at his side and dog tags dangling across his hard, muscled chest chimed in a short song. A black sleeveless t-shirt was draped casually over the back of the wheeled desk chair. He did not sit and rather leaned against the desk, his large hand closing around the small mouse to navigate the arrow on the screen.

  Just as Syler was leaning his toned torso over the desk he jerked back upright, his necklace slapping against his chest. Briefly, his gaze sharpened on an empty window pane and in the next instant he was pivoting on a heavy heel. He darted for the stairwell, clearing all the steps in two leaps. As soon as he came to an adept landing at the bottom, he kicked the door open. The hinges exploded from the mantel and the bolt rent from metal. The liberated door crashed to the sidewalk with Syler on foot behind it. His eyes shot down the street menacingly.

  When his eyes fell on the man and the woman strolling toward him half a block away, his muscles softened.

  “What a greeting, Syler. If only you could be so enthusiastic with all of my arrivals,” Hunter called, a smile filling his face. Syler glowered at him.

  “It was only because the presence of the key overpowered yours. I thought I was at the commencement of a pursuit.”

  “Ah, I understand. Well, as you can see, I have everything in order.” Hunter threw his glance toward Saliea.

  “I would not have chosen those precise words, but I understand what you are attempting to convey.”

  “You must have seen the carnage I generated in order to reclaim the key.” Hunter stopped two feet from Syler, the woman’s neck in his strong grip. Syler made no reply as he scrutinized her.

  “This is Saliea, the key. She has already made contact with Nefarion and was taken from him by Kaleb, then she ultimately escaped due to his carelessness.” Syler’s roving eyes darted to Hunter, but still said nothing as he gauged his cohort’s features. His gaze glided back to Saliea, whose face was resigned with a hint of irritation.

  “This is Syler, Saliea. Nefarion’s other second-in-command and my brother-in-arms.” Her skinny black brows shifted slightly. Hunter glanced down at the ruined door. “Is that repairable?” Syler joined Hunter’s gaze.

  “Yes.” He turned away and proceeded back into the stairwell and up the stairs. Hunter led Saliea after him.

  Before Hunter had gone to find Saliea, he had bolted two six-foot chain restraints into the wall next to a support pillar. In the same corner, he had pushed a new white mattress, knowing that she was human and would need to sleep. Not that he was overly concerned with her comfort, he was just unsure as to how long she would be there while they searched for Nefarion.

  Syler stopped in front of his floor map while Hunter directed Saliea to the corner.

  “More cuffs? Hunter, give me a fucking break.”

  Syler glanced over and watched as the key tried without success to wrest against Hunter. Just as he was shifting his gaze back to the floor map, Hunter shouted.

  “What the fuck?” Hunter flung Saliea toward the mattress. His eyes bounced from the laceration on his lower arm to the knife in Saliea’s grasp to the triumphant look on her face. Syler cocked a brow at the sight.

  “You failed to disarm her?”

  Hunter shot a malicious glare over his shoulder at his comrade.

  “She had yet to attack me with any weapons, and seeing she is a human female I did not expect she would be concealing any blades. Perhaps mace, but that was not apparent.” He turned back to Saliea and glowered down at her. “But I will tell you now, I have had enough of this insolent behavior. I am going to dominate and demean you into submission as I should have after you attempted to assault me the first night at the house.”

  Saliea scowled at him until he grabbed her wrist and pried the knife from her hand, tossing it away. It clattered to the concrete and skittered to a crate of ammunition near the far wall. He shoved her onto the mattress and peeled his black t-shirt away. Her eyes popped wide in confusion but she did not question his actions. When he knelt on the mattress beside her and began unhitching his belt, her features bent in rage.

  “Don’t you fucking dare, Hunter. I will fucking castrate you.” Saliea unleashed a powerful kick, missing his center region and landing hard on his thigh. Momentarily distracted from his belt, he growled and snatched her booted ankle. He jerked her toward him while simultaneously sliding a hand up her thigh and under her skirt in an attempt to snag her panties away. Saliea screeched.

  “I belong to Nefarion! You will not touch me!” In a sudden burst of fervor, Saliea slammed a dagger into Hunter’s naked side, one she had covertly relieved from her bra. He roared and removed his violating hand to pull the blade from the flesh below his ribs. Just before he was about to bring the same dagger down on Saliea, Syler grabbed his wrist.

  As the scene had escalated, the power emanating from the key had become distressing in Syler. He was surprised his cohort had not ceased, although he knew Hunter’s rage was toxic, often clouding his senses and judgment.

  “That is quite enough. You will regret your passionate actions, Hunter. She is correct: she is the property of Nefarion. I believe it would be wise to leave her be.”

  Hunter’s eyes were teeming when they landed on Syler.

  “I will have my revenge,” he threatened through clenched teeth.

  “Or she will have hers.” Syler jerked his chin at Saliea. “Look.”

  Hunter’s head swiveled back to Saliea. Her chest was heaving in exertion and her face was still contorted in anger,
gaze locked on Hunter. In the depths of her own black eyes there was a red spark that was not the reflection of Hunter’s. He lowered his arm.

  “Well hello, Demoness,” Hunter purred, the red in his eyes dissipating. Saliea’s eyes twitched to Syler and back to Hunter. The anger melted from her face and vexation appeared in its place. The spark alleviated. A crooked smile formed on Hunter’s mouth.

  “What?” In the moment of her distraction, Hunter snapped both cuffs over her wrists. “Goddamn it, Hunter,” she snarled.

  “Precautions, Saliea, we have had this discussion. I lost you once; I will take no chances this time. You will not be freed until Nefarion commands it.”

  “I cannot wait until that day comes. I will be sure to have him command your torture.” She set her back against the concrete pillar and stared death at Hunter as he stood and climbed back into his shirt, hiding his molded torso from sight with a macabre depiction of dismemberment. A band shirt Saliea recognized instantly.

  Syler smiled at her zeal while his brother walked back to the weapons wall. “You speak as if you believe he would do such things for you.”

  Her eyes snapped to him.

  “Lord Nefarion does nothing for the pleasure of others, only for himself.”

  “My pleasure is his pleasure.”

  Syler puckered his eyes skeptically. “He told you this?”

  “He didn’t have to.”

  “How long were you with him?”

  “A couple of days.”

  “And you believe he enjoys your pleasure?”

  “After experiencing each other’s presence and being separated, I believe he will, yes. Unless it’s all one-sided, which I doubt with the way he shuddered when I touched him and the way he watched me possessively.” Saliea untied her boots and tugged them off.

  “You are very presumptuous.” Syler lifted a brow. “He stares at you in such a way because of the power he will wield with you and he cringes perhaps because he does not enjoy contact with humans. Though, you are not all human, it would seem.”

  “It would seem? How the fuck else would I be capable of controlling a gate between two worlds if I was only human? And I said ‘shudder,’ not ‘cringe,’ there’s a difference.”