Slack-jawed, he grasped the sides of his head as he staggered away from the cave. Nonsensical words I suspected might be the angelic language spilled from his lips as he started hitting the sides of his face.
Then, he turned into his raven form and released a loud caw before taking flight. I had no idea where he was going, but after enduring Lust’s touch, it was probably better if he got away from here.
Hawk ran at Lust, but before he could get close to her, her horse inserted itself between them. Hawk dodged the striking hoof of Lust’s horse, and throwing himself to the ground, he rolled beneath the animal. My breath caught when he came up on the other side of the beast and Lust grasped his ankle.
Hawk jerked at his leg, but she didn’t release him, and the longer she held on, the more sluggish his movements became. He lurched to the side as, with its ears pinned and mouth open, her horse lunged for him.
“No!” I shouted as I sprinted toward them.
The horse seized Hawk’s arm and ripped him off the ground. He spun and launched a punch at the animal, but before it could land, the horse tossed him away like a rag doll. I couldn’t breathe as I watched him flip through the air before hitting the ground. He bounced across the rocky earth and underneath the striking feet of Pestilence’s mount.
“No!” My scream left my throat raw as Pestilence’s horse struck again and again.
Hawk avoided most of the blows and rolled out of the way in time to prevent the horse from crashing onto him, but not in time to keep a hoof from striking down his back and tearing his flesh open. When blood flowed down his back, red filled my vision and fire flowed from my palms.
I dropped the spear before I torched it and stopped running to plant my feet as a wave of fire erupted from my palms. Not even my astonishment overseeing such a thing could bury the fury pulsing through my veins. They’d hurt him!
I’d kill all of them for that!
I couldn’t get at Pestilence without setting Corson on fire, so I unleashed my vengeance on Lust. The blast hit her in the chest and threw her back five feet. Her screams reverberated off the mountains as she slapped at herself to smother the flames devouring her flesh.
When her horse lunged at me, I dodged a hoof that skimmed my forehead and sliced it open. Blood slid into my eye as I ran at Lust and tackled her flaming figure to the ground. She was still screaming as her nails gouged the flesh from my arms, and blood spilled free to sizzle on the flames enveloping her.
The stench of her burning hair and skin filled my nostrils as she rolled on top of me. She wasn’t so pretty now, and when I shattered her perfect nose with my fist, she became even uglier. The punch infuriated her further as her hands flailed at me. Flames still erupted from my palms to fuel the ones consuming her.
Over her shoulder, Hawk appeared and ripped her off me. Fire rolled up his hands, and I cried out when his flesh blistered. When he threw Lust across the ground, she crashed into the mountain beside the cave.
Hawk turned to me and extended his blistered hand. Afraid to burn him; I hesitated to take it. “Aisling—”
He didn’t get to finish speaking as Lust’s horse galloping toward us pulled his attention away from me. I didn’t have a chance to extinguish my fire before Hawk threw himself on top of me and rolled us out of the way. I smothered my flames, but though he didn’t make a sound, I knew I’d burned him before I put the fire out.
No! My moan died away when he stopped rolling. He lay on top of me with his breath tickling my ear as I turned my head into his. My heart ached for the pain I inflicted on him, and I needed a second to savor him and everything he meant to me.
When he walked into my life, I wasn’t ready to be tied down; now, I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I’d never expected to experience the love I felt for him; I was immortal before meeting him, but he was the one who brought me to life.
I wouldn’t lose him.
“I love you,” I breathed.
“I love you too,” he whispered.
He kissed my temple before rolling away. I stared up at the clear blue sky and gathered my dwindling strength before launching to my feet. Wren and Corson had succeeded in pulling Pestilence from his horse. They circled him while he turned to face them. Wren kept her lips clamped together as sweat poured down her face; she looked ready to throw up, but somehow, she kept moving.
The swarming flies were so thick it almost looked as if they were wearing a helmet made up of the creatures as they bounced angrily off their heads. My stomach rolled at the sight of those insects, and saliva filled my mouth; I swallowed to keep from throwing up. Lix had regained his feet and was staggering toward them, but he went down to one knee before pushing himself up again.
Rolling across the ground, Lust succeeded in extinguishing her flames. She didn’t stop until she came up against the rocky mountain. With hands that were more bone than flesh, Lust grasped the rocks and pulled herself up before turning to face us. Badly burnt, she slumped against the rocks while she glowered at us from her one remaining eye.
Lust’s effect on me was gone, but I was done with the horsemen, the minotaur, and Hell. I was finished with these bastards trying to destroy my world, my life, my friends, and Hawk. I recalled Oliver standing in the shadows of the cave, and my rage returned to bury my nausea.
* * *
Hawk
Most of Lust’s influence faded when Aisling torched her, but the lingering effects of Lust’s touch made my skin hypersensitive. Having Aisling beneath me for those brief seconds hadn’t helped, but I was regaining most of my control and could walk again without extreme discomfort.
Lust’s mount trotted toward her, but before it reached her, Aisling released another wave of fire. The flames hit Lust, and she threw up her arms in a useless attempt to protect herself as Aisling pinned her against the wall. Her mount reared back and spun toward Aisling.
Ignoring the blisters on my palms, I hefted the ax and ran at Lust. Unable to move, Lust screamed as Aisling’s fire melted away what remained of her flesh. When I was only feet away, the flames abruptly cut off. I swung the ax down to sever her head from her body.
Thundering hoofbeats pulled my attention away from her rolling head as her mount charged at me. The beast was only five feet away when it burst into a cloud of ash that blew straight into my face as it rained over me.
Releasing the ax, I wiped the debris from my eyes and blinked them open as Pestilence’s horse charged toward Aisling. “Aisling, look out!” I shouted.
She lunged to the side but not in time to avoid the horse clipping her in the back. Knocked off balance, she fell beneath the animal as Corson succeeded in severing Pestilence’s head with his talons. The horse vanished into a cloud of dust.
“Aisling,” I breathed as I ran toward her.
She was pushing herself to her hands and knees when I fell beside her and rested my hand on her back. I gently felt for any broken bones while reassuring myself she was okay.
“I’m fine.” She winced as she gripped my hand and pulled it away from her back before smiling. “They’re dead.”
“They’re dead,” I agreed.
I brushed back a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear before wiping away the smoke and soot streaking her face to expose her pale skin. Her eyes were shadowed and bloodshot from exhaustion and smoke, but they shone with happiness.
“Where’s the other horseman?” Corson asked.
I looked back toward the cave, but there was no sign of the horseman or Bale. The others had stopped fighting each other, so did that mean the other horseman was dead? Or maybe because he was in the fire the effects of his powers weren’t as strong?
“We have to help Bale,” Aisling said.
Before I could stop her, she pushed herself up and staggered to her feet. I rose beside her and gripped her arm when she winced. Her hand went to her ribs as she leaned against me. Pestilence’s horse had done more damage than I realized.
“Are your ribs broken?” I asked as I
wrapped my arm around her waist and she leaned against me.
“No, they’re just bruised.”
“You have to rest.”
“Oliver!” she cried and winced again when she stumbled forward.
I pulled her back and tucked her securely against my side. “You’re going to be fine, but you’re not going to heal if you keep pushing yourself,” I told her. “We’ll find Bale and get Oliver.”
“If Bale is still in the labyrinth, you won’t be able to go into the fire like I can,” she said.
“We’ll figure it out, but you can’t go back into the fire like this either. We have no idea where Wrath or the minotaur are, and you can’t face them wounded. Sit and allow yourself to heal for a few minutes.”
She opened her mouth to argue with me, but then her legs gave out and she sank to the ground as Nadine emerged from the cave with Oliver in her arms. Bruises marred Nadine’s face and arms, but she looked otherwise unharmed. Oliver pulled his thumb from his mouth and smiled at Aisling.
Chapter Forty-Two
Bale
I kept my sword high and my eyes on the fire as I edged toward the exit. I had no idea where Wrath went, but I sensed him stalking me. The flames crackled all around me as they fueled my power, but I suspected they fueled his power too.
A shift in the flames drew my eyes to the left as Wrath strolled from the fire like he was walking through the park. I half expected him to clasp his hands behind his back and start skipping toward me while he whistled, but he smiled as he sauntered like he had all the time in the world.
This bastard had no idea who he was dealing with, and I’d wipe that amused expression off his too handsome face if it was the last thing I did.
The inferno had eaten away his clothes. I refused to admire the breadth of his broad, bare shoulders or how chiseled the muscles of his large, powerful body were. The man was a wall of steel.
In his hand, he held the sword that was strapped to his back when he first entered the maze. Flickering flames filled his orange-red eyes. Fire encircled his sword, and he lifted his hands at his sides to push the flames toward me.
Before I could react, the flames surging toward me whipped my hair back and momentarily blinded me. I didn’t try to see or fight through it as instinct told me to move. Ducking, I threw myself to the ground, but I didn’t roll away like he probably expected. Instead, I went toward him and popped up a few feet away from him.
He leapt back as I swung my sword out. The blade cut through the flames, and the tip skimmed his chest to spill his black blood. Before the blood could trickle too far down his chest, the fire ate it away.
Wrath glanced at his chest before smiling at me. I didn’t know if his presence was fueling my fury or the fact he kept smiling at me, but my temples throbbed, and it took all I had not to swing my sword viciously at him. He wanted me to lose control, because once I did, I would die.
Gritting my teeth, I kept my temper leashed as I lunged at him. He parried fast enough to knock my blade aside, but I didn’t stop pressing him. I was strong and fast, but Wrath was an ancient demon with more power than I possessed. His strength would eventually wear me down, and when it did, he would kill me.
The only advantage I had against him was my agility and speed. If I deflected the head-severing blows he swung at me, I might get the chance to dart past his defenses and injure, if not, kill him.
When he jabbed at my belly, I sucked it in as I arched back enough to keep my intestines from spilling free. With a turn of my wrist, I caught the tip of his sword with my blade and slammed it into the ground.
When he lifted his head, his smile was gone, and his eyes narrowed. I kept his sword pinned to the ground as I punched him in the face. Bone crunched, blood spilled free, and his head snapped back. His hand flew toward his face, but before he grabbed his battered nose, he dropped his palm to smash my wrist aside when I tried to bury my blade in his stomach.
The flames leapt higher when he swung his sword up in a move that would have sliced me from groin to gullet if I didn’t deflect it with my blade. The steel of our swords clashed, and sparks flew from our blades as we pushed each other forward and back while dancing around each other.
Despite his bone-crushing blows and our lethal dance, a smile curved the corners of his thick lips. I would wipe that smile off his face by slicing him open, but every move I made, he countered. Despite my inane hatred for everything this monster represented, I couldn’t deny my grudging respect for his talent with a sword.
As much as I hated to admit it, the way he danced was beautiful. He was almost as fluid as the fire and just as deadly. This horseman knew how to kill, and he thrived on it. But then, he was Wrath; he was born to leave misery in his wake.
My hands and arms ached from his blows as steel kissed steel over and over again as the exertion of our fight started wearing me down. I nearly missed deflecting his next blow before it took my other ear off. When his smile grew, I bit back a scream; this fucker was playing with me.
Our blades kissed against each other and slid down. He twisted mine over and pushed down until I had no choice but to save my wrist from breaking by yielding to him. With my sword pinned to the ground, I launched another punch at his face. He caught my hand before I could break his jaw and jerked me forward.
I tried to yank my hand free of his powerful grasp, but he wouldn’t let go as he pushed me down until my knees smacked off the rock. He pulled his blade away from mine, but before he could kill me with it, I jerked as far back as I could and got my feet out from under me.
I swept my leg against his and knocked his feet out from under him. When he hit the ground on his back, his sword tumbled from his grasp and clattered against the rock as it bounced a few feet away.
The fire parted, and the head of his mount materialized while the rest of its body remained hidden in flames. I expected it to charge at me, but it stayed where it was while its eyes danced with fire. I didn’t know why it chose not to come after me, but I would take this small favor.
With his hold on me broken, I gripped my sword in both hands and rose on my knees to plunge it into Wrath’s belly. I drove it down as he rolled out of the way and reclaimed his sword. The tip of my blade crashed into the rock, and a chunk of stone broke away as sparks shot up.
No!
I’d made a huge mistake and wasn’t prepared to block his blow. Somehow, he’d anticipated it. My heart pounded, and all my senses honed in on him as time slowed. The sound of the fire died away as the whistle of his sword arcing toward my neck became the only noise I heard.
Somehow, I managed to swing my sword up too. I couldn’t deflect his sword, but as his steel pressed against my neck, my blade cut into the skin beneath his ear. A hot trickle of blood crept down my flesh and his blood beaded on the tip of my sword while we knelt, staring at each other.
Cut off his head!
I’d probably lose mine too, but it didn’t matter. I’d fought my whole life to keep things like him from taking over Hell and now Earth. I’d accepted the fact I would perish in a fight and would proudly do so.
But something kept my hand from pushing my sword deeper into his throat and ending the suffering he rained down wherever he went.
The fire faded from his eyes as they became a deep, fathomless black. And then, instead of killing me, he grasped the back of my head and dragged me toward him. I stiffened against whatever he intended but didn’t pull away.
And when his mouth crushed mine, I realized why I hadn’t resisted him… I’d known what he planned all along, and a part of me craved it.
His kiss was rough as it mashed my lips against my teeth, but I didn’t care as my body reacted like lightning struck it. My heart hammered, goose bumps covered my flesh, and my back bowed as desire seared through my veins. It was so wrong, yet it felt so incredibly right.
It wasn’t until I heard the clatter of steel against rock that I realized my blade had fallen from his neck to hit the ground. I couldn’t feel his
sword against my skin anymore. I should break away; I should run. I should kill him now. Instead, my fingers entangled in his thick, black hair as I pulled him closer.
My nipples hardened when his bare chest met mine. Tendrils of pleasure spiraled through my veins while the rigid evidence of his arousal rested against my belly. Then he did the most destructive thing he could to me; he softened the kiss.
My body melted into his as the pressure of his mouth eased, and his tongue teased my lips until they parted. I actually sighed when his tongue touched mine, and I sank deeper into him as our tongues entwined.
I’d been with countless demons in my lengthy life, but I’d never been kissed before or even had the impulse to kiss someone. Demons didn’t kiss; we fucked, and we moved on. Had I been missing something this whole time by not kissing the others?
And when his kiss softened further, I realized I’d missed a whole lot of something. However, no other demon could have given it to me because this man was what I’d been missing.
He was so right against me, and he made my body come alive in a way it never had before. When his grip on my hip eased and his hand slid around to cup my ass, I stopped myself from squirming while I rubbed against his erection. Seeming to feed on our sexual energy, the fire grew around us.
I wanted—no, I needed more.
I needed this man.
My Chosen.
The realization of what he was rocked me enough that my euphoria vanished. No! No! No!
My mind reeled as horror swelled within me. I’d spent my whole life battling monsters who sought to destroy everything in their wake. Now, a cruel twist of fate had made one of them my Chosen. I didn’t rail against the unfairness of it all; life was unfair, and that’s all there was to it, but I would not be taken down by this. I would not give into this.
Kiss of Death: Hell on Earth Series, Book 3 Page 25