by Lexi Ostrow
Seraphina lowered her wrist, as if to give it to him, but stopped. His eyes glazed over, and he stood up for the first time since she had entered. She watched as he struggled to get to his feet, his body thin and weak, and guilt struck her again. Did what she was doing make her as bad as the Alliance?
She shook her head and forced the thought away as she watched Kellan take another step closer. She took a step backwards, putting herself just out of reach, and he growled low.
“Ye canna be afraid of me.” Mirth danced in his eyes.
Anger shot through her at the insinuation that she could possibly be afraid of anything, let alone an emaciated human. Her mistake would have been fatal had Kellan been at full strength. His hand latched around her wrist, and he tugged her towards him. She was taken off guard and stumbled, causing her body to crush and mold against his.
“Aye, lass, I dinnea ken ye could resist.” His mouth pressed lightly against hers as the last word left his mouth.
She screamed into the kiss but did not pull back immediately. She felt Kellan’s prick rise betwixt them. Disgust filled her mind, but she couldn’t seem to pull away from his kiss. When he sighed deeply, her tongue slipped into his mouth. Appalling them both and ending whatever it was that was occurring.
Kellan stared at her with a smirk on his lips as she clawed at her lips with her fingers and spat at the ground. Her eyes flashed fire as she stared at him. The back of her hand connected with the side of his head, and he stumbled to the side, but his grin did not leave.
“Ye ken, I had heard a rumor. That tha blood tie works both ways.”
She snarled and kicked him in the stomach with her foot, causing her as much pain as him. Not physically but emotionally. As he curled into a ball to absorb the impact of the blow, she finally saw something other than a bloodthirsty hunter. Kellan was a human, a male that, had he been a demon, she would have been attracted to. That she could even have those emotions and thoughts meant she was in over her head.
He wasn’t incorrect. Whilst he had her blood running through him, she was keenly attuned to him. It was why she had spent so many eves with Neal and various other demons. She could sense his pain, his hunger. The thought sunk in, and relief poured through her, mixing with the desire Kellan had stirred. She grabbed Kellan by the shoulders as she leaned down to him and placed her lips on his.
Lust blossomed like a Hell Flower deep inside her belly, and she groaned. His tongue slipped into her mouth and gently stroked over hers. A flash of white shot behind her eyes as the most intense sensation she had ever felt since sharing blood with Demetrious rocked through her. Gasping for air, she pulled back. They were both panting rather hard, and their labored breathing seemed to echo off the stone walls. Tiny prickles of sensation crawled all over her body as her eyes locked with his.
Finally, after she had caught her breath, she stood up and walked to the door. With her hand on the knob, she didn’t turn to look at Kellan—there was no need to. “Yes, the connection has a slight tendency to work both ways. Which means, for the time being, I do find you sensually pleasing, but like that kiss, it will end.”
She stepped through the archway and slammed the door hard behind her. Her heart was pounding away in her chest. She hadn’t lied, she finally realized the attraction was due to the blood link, and she actually owed Kellan a debt of thanks for it. Which just meant she would kill him quickly when it was finally time.
Her body simmered with heat and desire from the kiss, whether she liked it or not. Grabbing up the hem of the blue dress, so she didn’t have blood and dirt on it, she began to walk to her chamber.
“Neal!” The Ice Demon’s name was a shout into the dungeons, but she knew her screams could be heard throughout Hell, and he would be waiting to sate her body and erase Kellan.
Fourteen
The ink-dipped quill jerked across the parchment, and Jacob let out a vile curse. Things on the boat had been tense since the attack a week before. Telling the sailors had been a far cry easier than he would have imagined. He supposed having been attacked firsthand would do that for an explanation, no matter how wild it was.
With the sailors aware, they had been able to triple up watches and not hide themselves as much. It had taken a solid day to convince them to continue to sail the ship to Hell. There were not enough air stores in the submersible for all five hunters for the length of the journey left. When he’d asked Philippe what would happen to the men when they returned home with the secret, the Frenchman’s face had gone so dark he didn’t need to speak the answer.
They would die for their secret.
For the better part of a week, Jacob had been steeled away in the somewhat destroyed chamber that he and Philippe had taken over from McKenna and Felicia. Nights were oft wet if it rained, but the bed was still preferred to the tied up cots the sailors slept on. His soul purpose had been to seek a way to save the lives of the men onboard this ship. It hadn’t seemed fair that the Alliance would go to such great risks to protect the city, to protect the world, and then kill thirty men for something that could not have been helped.
Three days back, he had sought out McKenna. He had hoped her youth and naïveté to Alliance hunts would have put her easily on his side. She had merely pointed out that they were from different worlds and not just the societal kind. In hers, their primary order from the Royals was to protect the secret to prevent a riot. Which had meant, he needed to appeal to his father before they returned home.
Carefully, he placed the tip back on the parchment and prayed the ship stayed steady. His father did not tolerate messes, but there wasn’t much Jacob could do on a ship out to sea.
A feminine laugh trickled in via the completely exposed cabin roof. His teeth ground together instantly. McKenna was laughing and enjoying herself. She hadn’t even spoken to him, except to step in during an altercation betwixt himself and Felicia. To hear her gayness and having the knowledge she was in the presence of another man irked him to his core. He might not be able to offer her anything, but it didn’t take away the annoyance he felt. He had feelings for a woman he couldn’t be with, and he’d been raised to accept that. He didn’t want to anymore.
“Really? Well, I should say that sounds like quite a tall tale, Henry.” McKenna laughed again.
Jacob’s hand squeezed the quill so tightly, he snapped the hollow, flimsy feather tube and growled. Pushing back the chair, he stormed to the door and threw it open. As he had suspected, McKenna sat on a driftwood bench surrounded by not one, but three sailors—all of which were leering at her as if she were a whore to be bought and used.
“Get away from her. This instant,” Jacob roared through the small hold space.
Without hesitation, the three men leapt off the bench and scurried away. McKenna’s eyes were ablaze with anger, and he didn’t give a damn.
“Who are you to order men about when I wish to share my presence with them?” she demanded as she rose and walked the small distance towards him.
He felt his hands clench in anger and tried his best to calm his tone. If he’d learned one thing with this lady, it was that using his rank to get her to behave a certain way never worked in his favor. A slow smile spread across his face.
“I think I’d be the man that bedded you. Bedded and deflowered you,” his voice was low, sultry.
He was ready for the possible slap. As McKenna brought her hand up to swing at him, he reached out and grabbed it, tugging her against him. Immediately, she softened and leaned into him. He kissed the top of her head.
“You cannot make me believe you hate me, McKenna. In fact, I think it is quite the opposite really. I believe you are as enamored by me as I am by you.”
She looked at up him, and the need shining out of her eyes opened a floodgate on all the repressed lust he’d felt since bedding her. He wanted to kiss her, but he wanted to see what she would do if she would run or press on.
“I think that admitting something of that nature is improper,” her voice shook s
lightly.
He barked out a laugh and smiled. “I think we are past proper in our discord. I have seen you naked, have suckled your breast in betwixt my lips and kissed you in a region unthinkable. There is nothing proper about our relationship, including that you can kick my arse, so why wish for commonplace now?”
She did quite possibly the most unexpected thing just then. She laughed. Her laughter was different from moments prior, less calculated and more of a true chuckle. McKenna put her hand on his chest and gently pushed them apart.
“This is going to sound quite mad, but I am rather fond of how jealousy sleeps within you when it comes to me. I think I like knowing an eligible royal is tied up on me.”
He growled low, but the playful look in her eyes stole any of his anger over her amusement. “I should think most women would. And yet, my heart seems to have chosen you to fixate upon. So I have a proposition for you, Lady McKenna.”
She flushed and shook her head. “I am no Lady, but this proposition should be rather intriguing. I would like to hear it.”
He smiled. “Ah, but to be with me, you are a Lady. If you are sincere that your reputation does not hinder your thoughts or actions, be with me. Allow me to have these few weeks with a female I covet. When the mission ends, we will part as we have done once before in our lives and have these memories to remember our time together.”
For the first time on the journey, McKenna was quiet. He watched as she rolled her lower lip betwixt her teeth, contemplating his offer. It did nothing to help his resolve, and Jacob felt his prick grow heavy. Blood rushed to it as he thought of McKenna gently chewing on his lip as he pumped into her tight body.
“I want to Jacob, more than you can possibly understand. I have dreamt about lying with you since I was barely seven and ten years of age. I have never desired another man, and I have lain awake at night, recalling the feel of your body sinking and sliding in and out of mine the other eve. I just—”
She broke off as the buzzchime of a communicator came from her wrist. Hastily, she pulled up the white cotton sleeve of her tunic and pulled a knob out. The devices still fascinated Jacob and now was no different.
“Why in the bloody Hell isn’t Felicia answering her fucking communicator?” Lucius’s voice roared from out of the device.
McKenna’s face paled, and they exchanged a look. There should be no reason in midday that Felicia wasn’t responding unless she simply wasn’t wearing it, as they had not been using it.
“What’s wrong Lucius?” Jacob grabbed McKenna’s wrist to talk into the device, not that he knew if it was needed.
“What’s wrong is I’m being attacked. The windows, they went pitch black, and something is thrashing me about! I need help, I can’t get the air chambers open, whatever is on top of me is blocking the blasted holes!”
Bile churned in his gut. Lucius was their strongest weapon in any fight because of his demonic background. Not to mention, the submersible was the only way to the depths of the ocean they needed to descend too.
“Can you get out?” McKenna asked, panic infusing her words.
“No, I can’t bloody get out!” Lucius shouted at them, and a crash followed his words. “Hurry up and get whatever it is off of me, or none of us will make it out of this mission alive.”
The power went dead, and McKenna was already rushing towards the door to the deck. He stopped in his tracks at the sight in front of him. Chills broke out over his body, and his breathing seemed to stop for a moment. Giant, pinkish tentacles were protruding from the water. No less than a bushel of them appeared to be swaying about in the air. An Akkorokamui had Lucius, he was certain of it. No one was moving, they all simply stared at the giant creature, likely uncertain of how an octopus had grown so large or thinking upon the myth of the Kraken.
“Bloody hell, we need Felicia and Philippe,” McKenna said even as her hand went to her hip to grab her gun.
“Ask and shall you receive,” Felicia said sarcastically as she and Philippe walked up. “It sounded too quiet. Now we know why.”
“It’s worse than it looks. That Akkorokamui has Lucius, it’s wrapped itself around the submersible,” he said.
“Baise! Then Seraphina has somehow discovered our vessel. There is no other reason one would be so far from its native waters. It was summoned here.” Philippe cursed again.
“If we fire at it, it’s likely to collapse on top of the submersible,” Felicia said coldly.
“You didn’t hear his voice, Felicia. We have to get it off,” McKenna said, all but begging the older woman to agree.
Whilst they spoke amongst themselves, a sound began to grow out in the distance. It was the most wondrous thing Jacob had ever heard. He squinted and turned in a circle, but could not locate the beautiful sound. It was a woman’s song, he could tell that much. Yet, he knew that had to be impossible, as McKenna and Felicia were the only two women on board.
“Il est si beau,” Philippe said, rather mesmerized from beside Jacob.
The humming grew louder and louder, and the melody soon had an accompanying harmony. It was as if an Angel had come amongst them. Jacob could hear nothing but the hummed song. I have to find her. She might need protection. She might need me. His feet shuffled from the stern of the boat towards the starboard side. His eyes darted side to side in search of the beautiful maiden who must be singing, but he could find nothing.
“Come to us, come help us.” The song ended, but the pleading feminine voice was just as lovely.
He heard men shout things, but he couldn’t care. The only thing that mattered was saving the women before they could come to harm. Women. There had to be more than one, it would explain the variances in the songs. Yet, he could see nothing, save for the enormous tentacles that seemed to be fully above the water now, and aimed slightly at their ship.
The helpless women. The thought flashed in his mind, and suddenly, he heard his name in the same sensual, beautiful voice that had just asked for help. He looked for the source of the damsel and froze when he saw a handful of women, appearing to float in the water alongside the ship. No less than sixteen stunningly beautiful women looked upon the ship, fear in their eyes, and yet, they were the most attractive creatures he had ever seen. Their hair varied in colored, but one with golden blonde hair piled atop her head and eyes bluer than McKenna stared at him from her place in the water.
“Come with us, Jacob. Come save us. This creature, it holds part of us below the waves. Please, come and save us,” the lyrical voice called to him, and his feet moved closer to the side of the ship.
He felt the pocket watch in the breast pocket of his waistcoat going off. He couldn’t remember what it meant, and the sensation was beginning to drive him mad. Hastily, he tore the coat off and dropped it on the deck as he put his hands on the rail of the ship and determined if climbing over and jumping in was the most efficient way to reach the woman calling out for his and only his help. Jacob pushed down on the wood rail to make sure it was as sturdy as it looked and hoisted himself up to stand on it.
He couldn’t swim. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear the warning, Yet, his eyes locked with the beautiful blue eyes of the maiden, and it didn’t matter. He simply needed to save her, his life did not matter.
The ship rocked suddenly, and he was launched back onto the deck. His eyes widened as a tentacle rose off the boat deck and slammed back down again. A strange cracking sensation occurred from behind him, but it was the women shouting in front of him that had his attention.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Philippe picking himself up and getting ready to jump off the side of the boat to save the women as well. He couldn’t allow the Frenchman to better him, not at something else. Jacob scrambled to his feet and didn’t see the suctioned tentacle driving towards him. It slammed him head first, into the deck.
Pain tore through his body, but all he could hear was the singing. All he could feel was the need to save the women trapped in the water with the demon.
>
McKenna shouted at Jacob for the third time and stared, horrified, when as he didn’t get up immediately after the tentacle knocked him arse over toes. She had barely dodged an errant tentacle herself. The boat made a terrible cracking sound, and another tentacle came down and wrapped around it. Without thought, she grabbed her goggles from her pocket and secured them over her face, preparing to use her weapon.
All the men were slowly, but surely, throwing themselves into the water, chasing after demons. There couldn’t be more than eleven left.
“What do we do?” she screamed over the sound of breaking wood and singing Sirens.
“Get Jacob and Philippe away from the demons. The sailors are not our concern, and specifically, they are not your mission.”
McKenna’s stomach sank at the words. Felicia was correct, and the sailors would die to keep their secrets safe anyway. It just felt terrible to sit back and watch a demon attack claim so many lives. What was even eerier was the absolute silence. Shouts, gasps and orders should be flying about the deck, but the Sirens had taken care of that. Instead, all that McKenna could hear was a sweet song, and the snap of wood each time the Akkorokamui attacked the ship. One more strike and she feared it would split in half and sink to the sea floor.
The sea!
McKenna grabbed the dial on her communicator just as a splash broke through the singing. More and more men jumped to their deaths, and the Sirens song grew quieter, as each female secured a prey and dragged them to their watery death.
Felicia darted past, and McKenna watched as the hunter tackled Philippe to the floor. They were a tangle of arms and limbs, but Philippe was slowly standing upright again. Felicia was a spitfire, but she was still a small woman compared to the imposing top hunter. Felicia’s grunts were audible, as were Philippe’s curses in French.
If Lucius was not all right, her plan would not work. “Lucius, Lucius can you hear me?”