He roared and stumbled back, covering his face, his pants around his ankles and his cock hanging out of his briefs. He kicked the ground, swearing loudly. Michael just laughed the whole time.
Richard rolled to his knees, slowly getting back to his feet. He looked more like a rabid beast in that moment, blood and spit dripping from his face. He walked to her and back-handed her face so hard her head jerked to the side. She went limp in the restraints. Richard panted and laughed with manic joy.
“Mine, you’re mine.” His hand pulled her panties from her body and he stepped between her legs, one hand rubbing his cock back to hardness.
His triumph was short lived. An explosion of whirling blue flame erupted from the air no more the four feet from him. His eyes stared in terrified awe as the flames parted with a pair of huge mottled blue wings revealing the form of a massive demon.
Tanus lowered Layla and Annabelle to the ground, his gaze locked on the motherfucker that stood between them and a beaten and bleeding Lexi. He heard Layla gasp.
Richard let out a small pathetic laugh, like that of a broken child, as he stumbled back from the half-naked woman. Pointing at the demon he began to laugh his mind fractured into hysterics.
“A demon, a fucking demon!” He stumbled in the snow, falling to his knees. His eyes went wide when they found Annabelle. “There she is! There is my little girl! I’ve come to take you home An, errr, ba… baby! You are going to make me rich! You know that! You will heal sooo many people. Only the right ones! Then I will breed you! Maybe I will put a baby in you first, just to be sure!”
Tanus curled his lip in disgust. Richard was out of his mind crazy. He began crawling toward Annabelle. She cried out and hid behind her mother, and that was the last straw. Tanus saw red, the fire in his soul roaring to life. He turned his gaze on the mortal. There would be no cleansing of this soul, Wrath was going to burn him to ash. He stepped between the pathetic meat sack and his family. He opened his wings, flames rushing over his flesh. The human looked up at him and tears rolled down his blood-stained cheeks—a moment of clarity in his fractured mind.
“Kill me. Please, kill me.” His voice was a whimpered plea.
“With pleasure.” Tanus’ cold tone chilled the air. The smile on the mortal’s face was thankful bliss. Fire gathered at the tips of his wings, black mingled with blue fire.
“TANUS! NO!” Layla’s voice snapped him out of the rage in a second. He turned his head back to look at her.
“You are joking, right?” He couldn’t understand her. Richard had been about to rape her sister, and she wanted him to stop? She moved toward him and touched his back, her eyes locking on his. His wings dropped a little, the flames dying down.
“Not like this, Tanus, please?” Her eyes implored him and he sighed, tucking his wings up on his back.
“If you wish it. I am not sure Lexi will be so understanding.”
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
He turned to see Michael walking toward them through the snow. “Bravo, Wrath. What a show. Good entry, nice landing. Too bad about the ending, bit of a letdown. I expected flames, rage. Where’s the fury? I’m disappointed.” Tanus moved, shielding Layla from Michael’s gaze, his chest heaving, keeping every sense locked on Michael. The human, Richard, was bent over, a sobbing shell in the snow.
“So, it appears the Seer of Beasts has managed to calm your inner rage. How sweet. A love story for the ages. Deserves to go in a fucking romance novel.” Michael dropped his hands to his sides, his calm demeanor gone in a second. “I’m done playing, Sin of Wrath. I’m tired of the games with these miserable humans. I’m sick of fighting for ground against those who should be fighting WITH me!”
“How can you stand it?” Michael’s voice echoed in the valley. He panted hard before composing himself, running his hand down his suit. He let out a breath slowly. “This world is plagued by imperfection and decadent overindulgence. All they do is eat, eat, eat! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Join me, Wrath. Together we can cleanse the world of this filth.” He gestured to the whimpering Richard who was now rocking back and forth drooling on himself.
“Go fuck yourself, Michael.” Tanus felt Layla’s hand tighten against his back, her head to his wings. He would never leave her, she was his life.
Michael shrugged and sighed. “Oh well, worth a try.” Michael lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. Richard’s body suddenly burst into flames, his screams of agony ripping through the air.
Layla gasped, pressing her face against his back. “Oh, god.” Annabelle had a death grip on his leg the whole time, her eyes wide, staring at the angel and the unspeakable act he’d just performed.
“Well, well, there she is. Annabelle, isn’t it? First of the new generation of Seers. We’re going to have so much fun together!” Tanus didn’t know what was more disturbing, the fact Michael was smiling at the five-year-old like an old friend, or the fact he was acting like a big kid himself.
“You… stay away… from her.” The broken voice came from behind him. Lexi lifted her head, focusing on Michael with narrowed eyes. Tanus could see her body had already started healing the wounds. He thanked the gods for her fast healing ability; already her face was looking better. The fact she was naked from the waist down didn’t seem to bother her at all—at least she gave that impression, but he knew better.
Michael turned his head back to Lexi, his eyes losing that easy edge he used with the child. “Silence, Seer, your part in this is done. Chamuel, see Lexi to her new accommodations.”
Tanus watched a brown-haired angel, who had up until this point been silent, move away from an unconscious man. He nodded and began walking toward Lexi as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Don’t touch my sister!” Layla straightened her back and moved from behind Tanus.
Tanus could feel the energy in the air building. His eyes focused on the figure of the unconscious male near the truck whose hands were tied to the truck’s grate. With his head drooped forward, he barely seemed to be breathing. He knew right away this was Asmodeus. What was wrong with him? His energy level was so low, barely moving at a snail’s pace inside his body. It almost looked like the same energy pattern when Annabelle had been close to death, when her own life force could not make it to her brain because of the blockage at the base of her skull. Fury boiled in his gut. His brother looked dead, and the bastard angels were just dismissing him as if he were no threat.
Come on, brother, wake up. I know you’re in there. Fight this thing. Tanus reached for him with his mind. They had to have some kind of link, they shared a heart.
Tanus assessed the situation before him; it did not look good. Lexi was incapacitated with an advancing angel coming toward her. Asmodeus was out cold with no sign that he was coming to any time soon. Layla was shaking so hard he could see her physically trying to hold herself still, and poor Annabelle had tightened her death grip on his leg. He needed this to end, and quickly. He would not allow his family to suffer any longer.
“You’re all so noble, you Seers. Always protecting the things you love. But I fear you are in a difficult predicament, my dear Layla. Who will you protect? Your twin sister? Your demon lover? Or your sweet firstborn daughter?” Michael looked like a kid in a candy store. He rubbed his hands together with abject glee. “So exciting! Who will you pick?”
“That’s enough, Michael.” Tanus turned, kneeling and whispering something to Annabelle. She nodded slowly and let him go. Straightening, he turned to face the angel walking toward him through the snow, each step he took melting the ground around him.
“Tanus.” Layla’s voice was barely a whisper. He turned back so he could see her and smiled.
“I love you, Layla. No matter what happens, you gave me that ability.”
Michael made a disgusted sound. “You are truly and utterly pathetic. I keep hoping you will show me some evidence that you are not as woefully pitiful as you seem. Yet every time you disappoint me.”
“I live to disappoint you
, Michael,” Tanus flexed his claws out. Last time he faced down this angel he ended up bleeding out, on his knees on the floor of a cave in Tartarus. He had underestimated this man, and he had paid for it. He would not make that mistake again. Right now Michael did not have his wings out—he had a chance, and he only needed one.
“Evidently.” Michael curled his lip and scowled. “Come then, Sin of Wrath. Do try and put up more of a fight this time, won’t you?”
Tanus growled low. No, dammit, he would not let his fury swamp him! That was his mistake last time, he’d run in head first, he hadn’t thought it through. He didn’t read his target, he just attacked, and ended up paying the price for his impatience. Layla was his talisman, she was his protection from that raging torrent inside his soul—this battle would go very differently.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“Come then, Sin of Wrath. Do try and put up more of a fight this time, won’t you?” Deus groaned low. What was that? His brother? Someone mentioned Tanus? He was here? Why couldn’t he move? What the hell? Okay fingers, fingers he could move, good start. Deus took stock of his body. He wasn’t paralyzed, he could still feel his feet, so what the fuck was going on? That had been Michael’s voice; the buzzards were here. Lexi!
Move, dammit! He was stuck in his own head, his body ignored his commands. Sonofabitch! He could hear someone fighting, low growls and fists making contact with flesh. The scent of demon blood reached his nose. He knew that scent—Tanus was bleeding, but below that he scented older blood, Lexi’s blood. No, no it couldn’t be, she couldn’t be hurt. One second she had been calling him a monster then he had just passed out. No, that wasn’t right, there had been a bright flash of light and searing pain, then darkness.
Lexi. He had to get to her. Concentrating all his energy on forcing his body to move, his head began to pound. He felt something at the base of his neck like a spike of energy preventing the commands from reaching his limbs. Screw this shit! Ignoring the pain building like pressure behind his eyes, he pushed against the blockage. It felt like something shattered in his head and the power shifted. He felt his arms twitch. Hell yeah!
Building the energy once again, he put everything he had behind it. Lexi might hate him for what he had done, but if not for him feeding earlier he would not have this power to break out of this “prison” the Malakhim now held him in. Roaring inside his head, Deus threw all his power at the wall of energy that pulsed and tingled at the base of his neck. It felt like his neck cracked, and suddenly the pressure left his head and he could move.
Opening his eyes, he lifted his head and found himself tied to a, what the fuck? A damn truck? Did Michael have no class? He pulled on the cable ties that held him, snapping them easily. His eyes scanned the drive. Joy lit his heart as he saw Tanus, in full demon form, stalking Michael. As happy as he was about seeing his brother again, and of course, even happier he was not some salivating man-beast, his eyes looked for one person. When he found Lexi and the state of her body his world ground to a halt.
Bruises marred her skin, along with dried blood, but the fact she was naked from the waist down woke something dark and primal in his gut. Someone had dared touch her, force themselves on her? If the motherfucker wasn’t dead already, he was going to fucking kill him. An angel was walking toward her. He knew this angel, it was Chamuel. He was casually making his way over to her bound form, stopping to watch the battle between his leader and Tanus. Deus’ eyes moved to the second female and the small child she held tightly at her legs. That must be Layla and her daughter. He would see to them soon; Lexi was his priority right now.
Chamuel flicked his wings out and turned toward Lexi again, “You know, Seer, you’re lucky that demon showed up when he did. Michael fully intended to let that human finish what he started.” Lexi hissed at him. That’s right, you show the bastard, Lexi.
“I don’t give a fuck. One day I’m going to kill you and him for what you’ve done here.” She had such venom in her voice it brought a small smile to his lips.
The bastard angel laughed at her, and Deus wanted to kill him for it. “You can try, little Seer, I might actually give you a weapon and let you, just for some entertainment.”
Keeping out of his line of sight, and with Michael busily engaged fighting Tanus, there was no better time. Lust moved like a shadow, totally silent. He needed a blade, something. Then he felt a solid object in his hand. He lifted his hand and tilted his head, a black obsidian dagger with a bone hilt now sat in his fist. He didn’t have time to wonder where it came from. His mind focused on his lust for revenge. This was a new feeling for him; he had always avoided embracing any other form of his Sin but for the lust for sex and desire. This need was a whole new animal.
In two more steps, he was behind Chamuel, his eyes meeting Lexi’s over the angel’s shoulder. Her eyes went wide for a second, but that second was all the angel needed. He was still too slow—Lust struck fast, bringing the blade up in a swift arc against the angel’s back. In truth, he had not expected the blade to cut as well as it did, it was as if it cut on another level. It severed flesh and bone as easily as if it were air.
The wing of the angel fell useless to the snow-covered ground, the wound instantly cauterizing with the hiss of boiling black blood. To say the angel screamed would be an understatement—it was the sort of scream that made the blood curdle, it was so filled with pain and sorrow. Lust didn’t move. He watched as the angel helplessly fell to the ground, reaching for his useless appendage. His agonized wail and stream of tears didn’t move the Sin of Lust in the least. In an explosion of blinding light, the angel vanished, both he and his dismembered wing returning to the ether.
Tanus panted hard. This was not going well. Holding back his full fury meant he was not fighting with everything he could. But it also meant he was not taking nearly half the wounds he would have by now.
“Where is that fire, Wrath? Where is the RAGE?” Michael moved to advance on him, a sick smile on his lips, his knuckles covered in red blood, his face a myriad of bloodied bruises. The ear-piercing scream and forlorn agonized wail had Michael turning, his mouth dropping as he saw the scene between the Sin of Lust and his brother.
Tanus paid no attention to what was going on, he took his chance. Beating his wings hard and fast he launched himself at the back of the angel. Now he called on the flame within him, the hellfire burning in his soul. He would burn Michael into dust and take himself along if need be.
A split second before Tanus landed his blow, something moved over the form of the angel. It was as if there were two beings. No, that was impossible. Whatever that thing was, it had given Michael enough warning to turn his attention back to the fight. Whirling around, the wall of insane vicious ferocity that hit Tanus was almost physical. Michael didn’t even lift his hands as spears of angelic light impaling the demon’s form.
He hit the ground, the air rushing from his lungs. What the fuck? He had timed it, watched for the opening. The distraction was a bonus—how had Michael seen him coming? What was that he has seen under Michael’s skin, that second being that second face? What was that?
“Tanus!” Somewhere he heard his name. Coughing, he tasted blood in his mouth. Layla. He was not going to die here, not like this. Rolling, he got to his knees and lifted his head as Michael knelt and ripped his head back. The rage writhing in Michael’s eyes was palpable. Tanus could taste it on the air. Fear gripped him, remembering the last time he’d seen Michael like this. Layla, run.
Michael closed his eyes briefly before his voice ground out, “This scene looks familiar, now where have I seen this before? Oh yes, this is how you looked last time, before I made you my bitch.” Michael turned his head to where Lust was helping Lexi down from her restraints. “Time I made use of you, my hound.”
Michael grasped his face and threw open the doors of rage. With no barriers, he had no way of stopping the tsunami of fury that Michael began to pour into him. He closed his eyes, trying to battle back against the torrent, bu
t it swept over him, drowning him, filling his mouth, dragging him down, silencing his cries. All of Michael’s bitterness and animosity, his vehement hatred of mortality saturated his soul. Michael pushed the demon away and Wrath fell to the ground, his back arching, the flames arcing, spluttering out, and then flashing to life again. He gripped his head, his roar shaking the mountain.
“No!” Layla couldn’t do anything. What use was she? She just stood there like a damn weak heroine that needed rescuing in one of those stupid romance movies. The man she loved was being tortured once again by the same being he had just managed to recover from—and she was just fucking standing there.
Tears burned her eyes, her nose stinging. Blinking, she looked down at Annabelle. Her daughter hadn’t said a word, she just stared at the man she called Father as he ripped at his head, roaring on the floor. She had missed this part in the cave. Layla couldn’t read her at all. Kneeling she made Annabelle look at her. She could not sit by and leave him in the darkness, her heart couldn’t take it.
“Baby, listen to me. I need to go help him, okay? I can’t leave him in pain.” Her daughter’s eyes turned to her. Layla gasped. Annabelle’s eyes were swirling softly. She had seen that before. Ilianna.
“It will be okay, Mommy. Daddy will be okay.” Layla grabbed her in a huge bear hug, kissing her quickly.
She had seen the other demon cut the wing from that angel. He had been emotionless the whole time, but he had taken her sister from the area, and for that she would owe him forever. Whatever it was between Lexi and that demon, it was clear that Lexi must trust him on some level, or she would never have let him see her in this vulnerable state.
Layla didn’t want to leave her daughter, but Tanus—he needed her. God, she was torn. Run with her child? Or save the man she loved?
“Stay here, Annabelle, do not move from this spot.” She had no choice, she couldn’t watch him descend back into madness, not when she could stop it. Walking toward the Archangel Michael as he circled around the writhing demon, she stopped near him. “Michael! Stop it!”
Wrath's Patience (Seven Deadly Sins Book 3) Page 31