Wrath's Patience (Seven Deadly Sins Book 3)

by R. A. Pollard

  Michael lifted his head and locked his copper gaze on her. He smirked. “Layla, come to save your demon lover? You can try, I’m not sure how receptive he will be, mind you.”

  Layla stared him down, even though she was shaking inside. He was the most terrifying creature she had ever seen, and she had faced down almost every mythical creature in existence. There was nothing good in him—how could someone live this way? He seemed to enjoy hurting people, actually got pleasure from it. The light in his eyes only came when he watched someone else in agony.

  “Who was it that hurt you so badly, that you feel the need to carve that pain into everyone else, Michael?” If not for the fact he blinked twice she would have believed he didn’t react at all to the question. But he had; clearly, he had been taken aback.

  “What on earth makes you, a mortal, think you know anything about me?” His voice cut cruel and deep. Slowly, he began walking toward her. Fear crawled through her belly, but she held her ground. As long as his attention was on her, he was not torturing her demon.

  “Nothing, but you weren’t born this way. Nothing is born evil, Michael. So something made you this way. I just wondered what it was.” Do not throw up, do not throw up. Her skin was crawling just having him this close—she could sense the darkness under his skin.

  Michael reached for her, a malevolent smile spreading on his lips. Suddenly his hand stopped and he frowned. Looking down her body, his eyes narrowed. Then he let out a soft laugh, which grew into a bellow. His hand moved to his stomach and he sucked in a deep breath. He locked his gaze on Layla, and she suddenly got the feeling his entire plan had just shifted and she had become the center of his world.

  “This. Is. Just. Fantastic! To think I had narrowed my world to one child. How small of me! You, Layla Thorne, have given me the greatest gift imaginable! Come with me now, I wouldn’t like to risk any harm to the precious lives that now grow within you.” He offered his hand to her and Layla stumbled back, pressing a hand to her stomach.

  No, it was impossible, she couldn’t be? Could she? Her mind started running a mile a minute. Were humans and demons even compatible? Was that even the right word for it? Of course it freaking wasn’t, they weren’t laptops! Okay, panic later, like much later. The man she loved was in torment, and the psychopathic angel had got it into his brain he was going to steal her child, scratch that, children! No way in hell!

  “Layla, don’t make this difficult now.” He reached for her and she twisted away. Running, she slid in the snow, coming to rest beside Tanus. He was silent, at least, sweat glistening on his blue skin.

  “Tanus, get up. Please, Wolfman.”

  “I’m afraid that will do you no good. He is lost in his Sin right now. And trust me, to him it might as well be the best drug in the world. He doesn’t want to come back.”

  “Sonofabitch. You don’t understand anything, do you? About the human soul, about love? Love is a powerful thing—it tames rage, tempers hate, and soothes the soul. As long as I’m with him, he will never be lost.” She placed her hands on his chest, calling to the Source, that power buried deep within the earth. She found the energy flowing through her easily.

  “Now, now, none of that, Seer of Beasts.”

  Layla cried out suddenly, falling back. Her hand went to her shoulder. She looked down to see blood pouring from a circular wound. Where had that come from? Her eyes moved to Michael as he dropped his hand. Layla sobbed softly, covering the wound, blood seeping from between her fingers. “You won’t die from that, just enough to stop you from summoning any animal friends to help you. Shall we go? He will wake up soon, and he might be a bit insane when he does. I do hope your sister and Lust ran away far enough, he might be hungry. What the…” Michael looked down at his leg where a little five-year-old was kicking him and punching him with her fists.

  “You leave my mommy alone! Evil, evil man. Stay away from my daddy, too!” Annabelle’s face was blotchy red from crying. She sobbed the whole time she kicked him. Michael stared at her and reached down, picking her up by the front of her jacket.

  “Okay, everyone is together, time to go. Ow, you little brat!” Michael dropped her as her teeth sank hard into his hand.

  “Run, Annabelle!” The child didn’t need to be told twice, she took off. Michael looked at the Seer, lifted his hand, and this time she saw it. A shaft of light gathered at his fingertips.

  Layla didn’t know if she screamed or not. She was pretty sure she did. One second her daughter was running, and the next she was face down in the snow not moving. Layla’s world stopped. The pristine snow turned dark with blood as the small child whimpered softly, her soft voice calling for her.

  “Oh, my aim was off. No matter, I only have to wait five months and I will have two more. Even better, they will have demon blood in their veins. Much more…” Michael stopped talking and confusion marred his elation. “Sturdy.” Layla locked her eyes on him as his eyes darted about. He looked agitated, and she knew why. He was trying to find the source of the growing power around them, and was totally overlooking her. Big mistake.

  “Deus, stop! Please wait!” The demon holding her looked down at her face, his eyes flat, but he listened and stopped walking. He had not put her down since releasing her from the bindings.

  “We have to go back, now. Something’s happened.” Lexi rubbed her chest over her heart. Something really, really bad had happened. She felt tears building in her eyes for no reason, her heart felt like it had broken in two. The hairs on her arms were standing on end. The very air around them seemed to have turned into a super-charged magnetic field.

  “I will not.” The demon continued to walk. His shirt covered her lower body. Lexi didn’t know what had happened to him, but he wasn’t the same demon she had seen before. Had she done this to him? Is this something the angels had done? Dammit, she couldn’t just let him carry her off like some caveman.

  “Deus?” He ignored her and continued. Wait, maybe. Maybe this wasn’t Deus. Everyone talked as if the demons were both the Sin and themselves, as if they were two beings. Could it be? “Lust?”

  Dark purple eyes darted to her, widening a little. “Lexi.”

  Okay, great. Or not. Deus was a lot easier to deal with; how did one deal with a Sin?

  “I need to go back, now. Listen to me, my sister needs me. Please. Something terrible has happened. I need to be with my twin.” There was definitely a difference in the eyes. Lust, the Sin’s eyes were darker, more like a royal purple, whereas Deus’ eyes were much lighter, sparkling amethyst.

  “No.” The pain grew in her chest and she sobbed. She needed to get to Layla, now. He growled and tightened his grip while she struggled in his arms. Finally, he let her go, clearly with the intention of adjusting his grip to pick her back up again. Lexi whirled around, cracking him hard across the face with her hand, the sound echoing in the forest. The Sin of Lust blinked and touched his cheek, then looked at her in utter and bewildered confusion.

  “I do not like pain.” It was clear this was his first time “out,” so to speak. So where was Deus?

  “Suck it up, buttercup. Either take me back now! Or go the hell back to wherever it is you live inside Deus, because I much prefer him over you!” The air was getting thick around her, and she was starting to tremble. I’m coming, Layla, hold on.

  The demon grabbed her wrist, his voice a low growl. “He could not protect you. I can.”

  “I don’t give a flying fuck if he stood by and watched. If Deus can get me to my sister, I want him.” The Sin shook his head, blinking. He stumbled back, putting his hand to his temple.

  “No! He is weak!” Okay, so now we’re getting somewhere.

  “I want Deus.” I’m sorry, Lust. You saved me, you drove that angel away. I will thank you later, I swear, but you can’t be reasoned with, and I need someone who can. “I. Want. Deus.”

  “Lexi.” He said her name as if it were a prayer. She felt guilty, but this was more important right now. He held both his hands
to his head, and she watched the eyes change from that deep purple to sparkling crystal.

  Deus panted a little and leaned back against a tree, a frown on his face. “How did we get…”

  “We don’t have time, Deus, I will explain later, I swear. Please, take me to the cabin, my cabin, right now. Please!”

  He blinked and nodded, offering her his hand. “Anything you wish, Lexi. Mind telling me why you’re half naked?”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Layla had never felt fury so cold before. The world came to a standstill around her. Time halted her endless trek forward, the wind and snow in a standstill as if pictured in a photo. The whole earth seemed to go silent. All she could hear was her own rushing blood. Even the angel’s words had been lost to her. The sight of her daughter lying in the snow seemed unreal, the blood overly bright against the snow with the sun shining down on it. It was surreal that the second worst moment of her life should be under sunny skies. All around her the ground felt on fire, the trees pulsed with life, each beat of her heart matching the rhythm of the earth.

  Her eyes went down to Tanus. She could see his life force. He was desperately fighting against the pull of his own Sin. Despite everything the angel said. The demon had built a thin barrier around his soul, but bit by bit Wrath was eating away at him. He had but moments before he was consumed, and she knew he would be lost to her forever this time.

  She didn’t need to call the Source this time, it was already in her, saturating her cells, her very breath. She was Layla but not Layla, she was more. Lifting her hand, she called to him—her Wolfman, her hound, her demon of Wrath.

  “Come to me, Wrath, son of Hades…” Somewhere deep inside, she was vaguely aware she was talking, but it was not her voice. The sorrow of loss swamped her so powerfully, Layla withdrew. Let the power have its way, it didn’t matter. “Hound, I call you. You are mine, I have claimed you, it is done.”

  The ground moved, a shaft of brilliant light piercing right through his body from the earth, spearing through his heart. Veins of white threaded from the light covering his convulsing body, spreading faster until they marbled perfectly with the royal blue of his demon hide. The radiance vanished. Tanus sucked in a breath, the veining sinking under his skin, glowing the whole time. With a roar, he arched his body, emitting that same glow. It grew brighter until his whole form was bathed in it. The light encompassed the air around him, then retreated back under his skin. But now his form was that of a huge phosphorescent blue and white hound. Flames of azure blue and pearlescent white flickered over its body as it panted, nudging its huge head under the outstretched hand of its mistress.

  Time began to move again. The leaves on the trees began to rustle in the wind. It whipped around her body, caressing her cheek. Soon it began to lift the snow around their forms as she stroked over the head of her beast. Sparks of power jumped in the air around her. Slowly, the Seer of Nature straightened. Time for Michael to die.

  Michael blinked. Time-slip? That was impossible. He could not get stuck in time manipulation. It was he who controlled time. He turned, quickly coming face-to-face with Layla, but, wait, that couldn’t be her. He looked around for the demon. What the fuck? Beside this woman stood a huge hound wrapped in flame. How had she broken through the madness?

  “Well, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Michael was not stupid, this was not some simple power trip. He backed up a step. Layla lifted her gaze to him.

  Her eyes looked like crystal blue glass. His heart stuttered. Grabbing it, he winced, a low growl emanating from his chest. Not now, you little bastard, I’m not done with you yet. He slammed the door closed on his heart, summoning his wings. His eyes focused on the Seer, trying to avoid looking directly at those eerie eyes of hers.

  “That was unexpected. So, what now, Se—” He was cut short by an arc of light straight out of the sky. The boom of thunder that followed it shook the very mountain. It threw Michael from his feet, leaving his body smoking on the ground, the snow melting around him. He lay unmoving for a moment before groaning and rolling to his front, sliding to his knees.

  He coughed out a laugh and shook himself all over before getting to his feet and turning to face her. “I grossly underestimated you, didn’t I, Layla? Foolish of me. You are truly magnificent.” He could not believe how lucky he was. Before him stood a Seer with the power to control the aspects of nature. He could not even describe the tingle down his spine when he thought about the things he could do with someone like her. The fact she carried the first of a new Seer bloodline in her womb—Hell, he was willing to wait until those little demon-kin were born to open the box.

  “I don’t wish to hurt you, Seer. But I will do so. I will, of course, try to prevent as little damage to your stomach area as possible.” He flicked out his wing. Oh, he was going to enjoy this. All he had to do was strike down that demon and knock her off her feet, open a doorway, and he would be home free. Once she was in his realm she would have no access to the power she was tapping into right now.

  He watched her eyes narrow on him. The slowly rotating snow began to speed up around her body. A bolt of light struck out at him. Michael rolled to the side, just managing to miss being hit again. By the time he righted himself, the wind was raging around her. Mixed with ice and flashing light— the female within looked more like the goddess, Hera of the Earth, than a mortal Seer. Her eyes shone, glowing from within, her hair lifting around her. The hound stood beside her, his flames mingling with the ice and wind.

  Michael felt more than a bit of trepidation, and a hint of fear tightened his heart. For just a second he wondered if he might actually lose to this woman and her blasted demon hound.

  The shadows of the cabin receded, allowing the forms of Asmodeus and Lexi to step from within. Lexi did not have time to think about the fact that she had just passed through shadows and emerged back at her home. With Asmodeus’ shirt wrapped around her waist like a skirt, she took off at a run, the cold snow numbing her bare feet. She ignored everything but getting to her sister.

  Skidding to a halt, her eyes went wide. Her sister was surrounded by a swirling tornado of wind and lightning, and Michael was attempting to dodge the strikes.

  “Oh god, Layla…” Lexi covered her mouth. That wasn’t her sister, that thing was the damn power that always hovered just on the edge of her sister’s control. The power that her sister hated to tap into because of how strong it was. Something had happened, something terrible, or Layla would never have allowed it to take over.

  Deus stopped beside her, his mouth open. “Holy crap. That’s your sister?”

  “No, not entirely. That’s something else. It’s complicated. I’m assuming by the fact he is beside her, that hound is your brother. Something awful has happened, no way could this happen otherwise.”

  Lexi looked around frantically. Where was Annabelle? Layla would never freak out like this with Ann—Lexi felt all the blood drain from her body. The last hour of her life meant nothing in that second. The bright pink snow jacket of her niece stood out like a beacon in the snow. No, it couldn’t. She couldn’t be…

  Lexi broke into a run, leaving the demon far behind. She felt like she was in a nightmare. The faster she ran, the farther away that little pink jacket seemed to be. Her niece wasn’t moving, she wasn’t making a sound, nothing. Lexi didn’t pray, she didn’t believe in God, or any of that crap. But in that moment, she prayed to whatever god would listen to a fucked-up person like her.

  The numbness in her legs was long forgotten as she skidded down in the snow by her niece. Rolling her over, Lexi looked frantically for a wound. Annabelle’s eyes were closed, her face and lips blue. Her pink jacket was torn on the shoulder, and she had a hole in her upper chest that had stopped bleeding. She was breathing, but they were small breaths, barely registering.

  “Belle? Come on, sweetie.” Lexi rubbed her chest roughly, her eyes moving to the battle ensuing between her twin and the angel. The hound was circling around, but Mi
chael was too quick, and spun with his wings out, the feathers glinting in the sunlight as if made of metal. The yelp of a beast and the flash of red blood over snow indicated that, yes, they were some kind of weapon.

  “Lexi?” Deus jogged up beside her, his eyes moving from the fight to her and the child. “Is she alive?”

  “Barely, I’m going to heal her. You need to wake your brother out of whatever trance Layla has him under. If we don’t pull her back from this thing, I don’t know what will happen to her. Deus, I can’t lose her.”

  “I don’t know if I will be able to get through to him. He doesn’t look like himself—in any form I have ever seen him in. I will do what I can. Heal your niece, leave Tanus and the angel to me. I might act like a buffoon, but I can hold my own.” He winked at her, flashing her one of his bright smiles. Lexi shook her head, rolling her eyes. He was such a fool. She opened her mouth to tell him she didn’t think he was a buffoon, but stopped as he moved toward the battle. She had more important things to worry about right now than his ego.

  Cradling Annabelle in her arms, Lexi ran toward the woods. Her breath was misting on the air, her own skin turning blue now. Maybe clothing would have been a good idea. Laying Annabelle down, Lexi knelt beside her, brushing the child’s damp hair back. She closed her eyes and called on that pulsing well of scorching light that rotated inside her. To her the wellspring of her power always looked like the sun sending out flares blasting from its writhing surface. Grabbing one of those flares, she sent it down her arms into the cool body laying before her.

  She could see the wound light up in Annabelle’s tiny body, and she sent all her energy to try and repair it. Lexi reached for the ravaged hole, soothing the pain, a soft whimper coming from her throat. Lexi put her hand to her own chest, feeling her own skin splitting open, the blood spilling between her fingers. The wound on her niece’s chest sealed, the skin smoothing out, her face beginning to color, and her lips turning pink. Her eyes fluttered, and slowly they opened, bright light blue staring up at her.