by T. S. Ryder
Pan swallowed. “Daye’s old lair. Finley’s right. This is a trap.”
“A trap.” Carlos nodded. It was a trap with a double-edged sword. If he did nothing, Belinda would die. If he went after her, he would most likely die. There wasn’t enough time to wait for his men. He’d sent for them shortly after Pan started his interrogation, but he wasn’t going to wait for them to arrive and then go after Daye. Grimly, he turned to Finley. “I’m going to need a bike.”
“There’s two in the garage you can have. I assume you’re following him into battle again?”
Pan nodded.
Finley sighed. “And I will radio your men and tell them where to go. Hurry. Every moment you spend here—”
Carlos didn’t need her to finish that sentence. He turned on his heel and raced down the corridor, his heart in his throat. Hang on, Belinda. I’m coming.
***
Belinda sat in the corner farthest from the door. The cell she’d been shoved into was dark and damp. There was a red glow that came through the barred window at the top of the wooden door but it did little more than increase her fear. She could barely see the outline of her own hand, let alone what else was in this cell with her.
She’d figured out what was going on the moment that the other bounty hunters handed her over to demons. Her head still ached from where they had hit her but it hadn’t stopped her from fighting back. Or at least, trying to.
Now her arms wrapped tight around her middle as her stomach churned. How long would it be before Daye came for her? Was it going to be a spectacle or would it be quick? Would Belinda have a chance to fight back?
I’ll make my own chance.
The red light blinked out and the door opened. Belinda scrambled to her feet and lashed out blindly as demons entered. From the sounds, there were at least three of them. Belinda’s first managed to collide with a soft, squishy stomach before her arms were pinned to her sides and she was dragged from the cell. The light gradually brightened as she dragged her down the corridor.
Finally, she was brought to a large room dripping with crystals and gold. Belinda stared around in awe before her gaze settled on the white-skinned woman sitting on a golden throne. Her dress was a rich red velvet, the same color as her ruby lips.
“Greetings, little human.”
Belinda glared at her. She didn’t need introductions to know that this was Daye.
The demoness smiled, a harsh light in her eye. “You certainly aren’t what I expected. I thought that Carlos’ lover would be a raving beauty, like the ones he’s chosen in the past. But you? You’re just a skinny little girl. I see no reason why a man such as Carlos would be excited by someone like you . . . And what is it about him that made you turn against your bounty’s oath, child?”
Belinda didn’t reply. It didn’t stop her from thinking about it, though. She hadn’t known he was her mark when she had technically betrayed her oath. And afterward? Well, she had been reluctant from the start to take the mission, and once she saw how kind and generous he was . . . how handsome . . . how much he didn’t want to hurt her even though she was still going to kill him . . .
“C-Carlos could give me more than The Guild ever could.”
Her heart pounded, throat dry. She had been fighting the word ever since it was first brought up in her mind but now, staring at this demon, she had to admit it to herself. Love. The deep feelings she had whenever she was with Carlos . . . The warmth in her chest, feeling giddy when he was near her, the feeling of being hugged from the inside out when he smiled at her . . . It was all love.
Would she ever be able to tell him that?
Daye still stared at her and Belinda forced her mind back to the current situation. There was no iron in sight, nothing to take on the demon-fae with except her bare knuckles. Better than nothing, perhaps but still wouldn’t do much at all.
“I wanted Carlos’ wealth and power,” Belinda continued, her voice strengthening. “I was tired of having to constantly be in danger. I wanted an easy life.”
“An easy life?” Daye slapped her knees and laughed. “More like a hard death, little girl.”
“I’m not a little girl.”
Daye’s smirk widened. “That child inside of you will kill you. And I’m not meaning because of anything I am going to do. Humans are too weak to bear fae young. Oh, you’ll live long enough to give it life, but then it will steal yours. It will suck the life from your bones and you’ll die a slow, agonizing death. Carlos knows this. He doesn’t care about anything except that child.”
A chill ran down Belinda’s spine. She had wondered if he cared more about the baby than her. And it wasn’t like they had known each other for very long. How well did she know him? And if—
Wait. Belinda frowned. There were several women in the guild that had married fae. One of them even had a vampire husband. They had all had to undergo a lot of treatments in order to be pregnant by their husbands, but all had had healthy normal pregnancies and births. How had she forgotten that? This pregnancy was unexpected but no more dangerous than if Carlos had been a human.
Daye narrowed her eyes. “Carlos cares about nobody but himself.”
The taste of something rotten drifted over Belinda’s tongue. She gasped as she stumbled back from the demon. “You’re trying to put a spell on me? Why? What do you have to gain from me hating Carlos?”
Daye narrowed her eyes for a moment before sitting back on her throne. “Interesting.”
Belinda wrapped her arms around her stomach, shaking as her fear was replaced by anger. How dare this demon try to take what little comfort she had in her life away from her? The beast was evil, there was no denying that.
“You’re already going to kill me.” Belinda’s hands clenched into fists. “Why torture me?”
“Torture? No, I was going to make this easier on you. A willing sacrifice is more powerful than one that isn’t willing, and it would have spared you some pain. Oh, well. Carlos and his little pet are on their way now, and I will have to work quickly if he’s going to find your dead body still warm.”
Still warm. It would destroy him. As Daye strode towards her, she prepared herself to fight. She even managed to land a blow in before the demon grabbed her wrist. Instantly, it was as though all strength left her body. Her muscles unwound and she slumped to the floor. Daye smiled and lifted her up into her arms before carrying her from the room.
Belinda’s eyes slid closed and when they opened, she was in hell. Or at least, that was what it seemed like to her. The walls were glowing red like the coals of a fire. The air was so thick she could hardly breathe, the scent of sulfur clogging her lungs. Sweat coated her body. The roar of fire surrounded her, and from the corners of her eyes, she saw flames leaping and dancing around her.
Daye stood over her, a hand pressed to Belinda’s abdomen. Her skin gleamed with an orange hue in the fires. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and a harsh voice ripped from her throat as she started chanting.
The fire around them burned hotter.
Something twisted painfully inside of Belinda. Her stomach churned. A pressure started to build up inside of her. It pressed against her spine and stretched her skin as if she had gorged herself at a Chinese buffet. Tears sprang to her eyes and her back bowed as spikes of pain shot through her. She couldn’t stop herself from crying out. Her arms and legs felt useless. She couldn’t lift them to fight back, couldn’t even wiggle her fingers.
Daye grasped her shirt and tore it in half. Her stomach, which had been flat when she had been pulled from the cell, had a distinctive bulge to it. As Belinda stared down in horror, she saw her stomach ripple and grow bigger. Pain ripped through her again.
“Stop,” she managed to gasp out.
Daye laughed as she stroked Belinda’s stomach as it grew larger. “Stop? Why would I do that, little one? Death cannot be unwritten. Carlos took my boys from me and I cannot have them back. But I can have a new child. A new son. Thank you so much for carrying it fo
r me.”
Now that the demon wasn’t touching her, she could fight. Belinda thrashed from side to side, desperately trying to free herself from the bindings that held her. A wave of white-hot pain blinded her and she screamed, unable to stop herself.
“I will take Carlos’ son as my own,” Daye continued, shouting over Belinda’s screams. “I will take him now and leave your mutilated body for your lover to find. And when this child, my son, is grown, he will kill his father and I will have my sweet revenge.”
No!
Belinda couldn’t get the word out. Her body was being torn apart and all she could do was scream.
Chapter Ten
After Daye’s first defeat, Carlos had a tunnel dug into Daye’s fortress. It was deep under a mountain with only one entrance – that she knew of. The side tunnel, the one Carlos had put in in case he ever needed to lay siege to this place again, was open. It was so narrow that he and Pan had to go through in single file and, at some points, even crawl, but they made their way quickly enough to the throne room.
It was utterly deserted. The two of them crouched just inside the tunnel, staring down from the shadows. The last time he was here, Carlos had to walk over the bodies of dozens of fae: vampire, demon, many others. Now, the only sign that anybody had been there was the fire crackling in a central pit.
“Look.” Pan gestured, his voice low. “Empty clothes. Daye must have consumed the bounty hunters that brought Belinda to her.”
“And her demons. She’s banking on her own power rather than an army.”
A scream pierced the air. Carlos’ heart stopped. Belinda. It was Belinda’s voice. He made to throw himself from their hiding spot, to rush through the corridors until he found her and pulled her from Daye’s clutches. Pan’s hand shot out, stopping him.
“Let go!”
“Think.” Pan grasped both of his shoulders and pressed him into the wall. “Carlos, if Daye knows we’re here, we can’t just go rushing blindly in there. She’ll kill Belinda and then us. We have to have a plan.”
Pan was right, of course. Carlos sagged for a moment. He was right –but when Belinda screamed again, he didn’t care. It was a trap – of course it was – but Carlos had defeated the demon before. And if he waited? Daye could be consuming Belinda even now. He couldn’t waste time thinking when his love was in danger.
He shoved Pan away and leaped from the high spot. He hit the floor with a grunt and rolled several times before coming to a stop. There, he leaped to his feet and pulled his ax from where it was strapped to his back. Belinda’s screams still rang in his ears and he took only a moment to determine where it was coming from before rushing off. There was a soft thud behind him and then Pan was by his side, twin daggers in his hands. Carlos grinned and ran with another burst of speed.
They found Daye deep in her fortress, in a room with molten walls. A dozen demons crouched around her where she stood, arms raised, head thrown back. Laughter rang from her throat, almost louder than Belinda’s screams. Her stomach was distended, rippling with movement – as though there was a monster inside of her trying to break free. Carlos didn’t spare any time thinking about what Daye was doing, what she was after.
With a shout, he charged into the room. His ax sliced cleanly through the neck of a demon as it jumped to its feet. Pan stabbed two of them at once.
“Stop!” Daye called out.
Her demons retreated back from the two of them. Their eyes glowed and their lips curled back. Carlos made to follow them, intending to kill them all, but Belinda’s screams cut out abruptly. She whimpered in pain but the rippling in her stomach ceased. Pan grabbed Carlos’ arm and he stopped. His gaze remained locked on Daye even though he desperately wanted to run to Belinda and gather her into his arms.
“It seems my plan must be adjusted,” Daye cooed. “The child is ready. I will take it anyway, but you, my dear Carlos . . . You can die with your lover.”
A blade flashed in her hand. Carlos let out a strangled shout and threw himself forward. His ax cut through the air and a demon’s head. He hurled the body at Daye; it struck her chest, making her stumble back. The knife in her hand snapped off as it stabbed into the stone table Belinda was bound to. She let out a cry, but Carlos focused on what he needed to do.
Pan jumped into the fray beside him, quickly drawing the demons to him. It left Carlos’ path to Daye clear. He charged the demoness as she summoned a blade of fire. When his ax struck it, the blow reverberated up his arms. Daye shoved at him, making him stumble back, but he didn’t slow. He swung the ax again, this time aiming at Daye’s neck. She jumped away from him and danced closer, her fiery blade stabbing toward his heart. He used his blade to deflect it, then hurled himself forward. His forehead smashed into her face. A satisfying crack rang out.
“Carlos . . . ” Belinda’s voice was weak.
“Hold on!” he shouted to her.
Daye’s foot slipped and Carlos pressed his advantage. He growled low in his throat as he blocked the sword again and used the handle of his ax to smash into Daye’s already broken nose.
Daye let loose a howl. She dropped her sword and grabbed the ax’s handle. Carlos jerked as she swung him around. He hit the wall hard and had to drop at once. His ax buried itself into the molten wall. Lava began to drip down the blade. Daye pulled it free again and brought it down toward his head. He was just able to roll free.
Behind Daye, Pan slit the throat of the last demon. His daggers flashed in his hands as he turned to where Carlos fought his enemy.
The king dodged another blow and gestured toward Belinda. Pan looked conflicted for a moment before dodging forward and cutting her free. Belinda whimpered, but Daye didn’t turn around. She came at Carlos again. He struck her hand aside and lunged. His teeth sunk deep into the demon’s arm and she withdrew with a howl. The ax clattered to the floor.
“I will kill you!”
Pan disappeared down the corridor, Belinda in his arms.
Daye screeched and grabbed the back of Carlos’ head. She made to throw him into the wall, but he buckled his body. His boots immediately began to burn as he braced himself against the wall, but the leverage allowed him to push both himself and Daye back. She stumbled and fell. Carlos rolled away from her and kicked her in the face.
The two of them faced off, one against the other. Daye’s glance flickered to the empty table and she snarled. Carlos grinned.
“I won’t let you win,” Daye panted. “Not again. Not after you killed all my boys. I will destroy you, I swear it.”
“You see, that’s why you can’t win.” Carlos sidestepped a punch and spun towards the table. He grabbed the broken blade and dodged close to Daye again. The blade cut into his palms as he thrust it into her, angled upwards under her ribs. “I’m fighting for far more than revenge.”
Daye’s eyes widened. Her fingers grasped at his throat. But when he twisted the blade, her eyes went blank and her body slackened. She dropped. Two ragged breaths, and then nothing. Carlos leaned against the sacrificial table, panting as he fought to catch his breath. Then he picked up his ax again and left the room.
He turned back once to hurl his weapon into the wall; the magic barrier split and lava poured from the wound; it consumed Daye’s body and the rest of the demons, thick smoke billowing as the corpses burned away.
It was over.
***
“Carlos,” Belinda begged as Pan laid her down on the floor. The blinding pain had gone but she knew something was wrong still. She didn’t need to see the panic in his violet eyes to know that.
“He’s coming,” Pan promised. He squeezed her hand. “See? He’s here.”
Carlos dropped to his knees beside her. She had seen no fear in him when he had fought against the demon but here, now, panic was all she saw. Her spine felt like it was being bent in half and her stomach felt like it was going to rip in half at any moment. A thousand words crossed her mind but she didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t let our baby
die,” she gasped out finally. “Please. Don’t let him die.”
“I won’t. I won’t let either of you die.” Carlos’ hands pressed to either side of her face as he kissed her. “I promise. You aren’t going to die.”
She found his hand and clung to it. Everything was starting to get fuzzy and dark at the edges, but she pushed it aside. Her chest was tight now, her heart pounding. Her fingers curled into his shirt as she fought to tell him everything else he needed to know.
“Pan?” Carlos looked at his manservant. “Your magic, it can—”
“It can’t undo this amount of damage.” Belinda became aware that Pan’s long fingers were probing her body. He made an angry noise in his throat. “This child has to be born. We don’t have time. Her body can’t take the strain.”
“Save our baby,” she begged. “Even if it kills me, save our baby.”
Pan’s face loomed over hers. He pulled at her skin, checking her eyes and gums. “You aren’t going to die. But you’ll have to drink Carlos’ blood. It’s the only way to save you.”
“The baby,” she whispered.
Carlos’ face replaced Pan’s. “You have to be strong for the baby.”
He drew a knife across his wrist and held it to her lips. His blood tasted like nothing. She swallowed but her whole body felt like it was acting on its own. She wasn’t even sure that there was anything going down her throat. The fuzziness grew worse until she couldn’t see either of their faces. Just blurs where she knew the men were.
“I love you,” Carlos whispered in her ear. “Hang in there, Belinda. I love you. I won’t let you die.”
Everything went black.
“No!” Carlos pressed his bleeding wrist harder to Belinda’s mouth as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. “Stay with me! Belinda, stay with me. Please. Please don’t leave me.”
“Carlos, the baby is still growing.”
Carlos ignored Pan. He slashed his wrist again, deeper, to make the blood flow more thickly. Belinda still swallowed it down. Though her eyes were half-closed and she didn’t move, she still swallowed. An instinctive response when presented with vampire blood?