The Devil's Highway (Journeyman Book 4)

by Golden Czermak

  “Mine is Botis,” the demon replied cordially, before his red eyes flared, “and it shall be the very last name you ever hear!”

  Halvar’s sapphire eyes widened and he advanced, letting loose an incredible shout as he stepped forward. Rearing back his fist at the same time, he slammed it hard into the snowy ground and an immense plume of white powder rose high into the the sky. As the rubble settled, Halvar searched for the body of the little insect he had swatted; there was no sign of him.

  Just then a voice boomed from above.

  “Looking for someone?” Botis said, plunging toward Halvar’s lowered head.

  The giant looked up, just in time to see the end of a halberd as it struck him between the eyes. The blade rebounded with a ringing jangle, managing to leave the tiniest crack out of which fell the smallest chink of ice.

  “Dammit!” Botis exclaimed, expecting the battle to have ended. Leaping again like a cricket, he landed on the giant’s shoulder.

  There he split his blade right down the middle and held the two sharp points aloft as Halvar’s hand came crashing down. There was a piercing whine, followed by a brittle crack, and the blades emerged white hot from the other side.

  Botis pulled the blades wider apart, melting the wound as Halvar recoiled from the pain. As if cursed by an internal flame, his hand continued dissolving until it was nothing more than vapor.

  Reforming his blade as one, Botis launched it toward Halvar’s face once more, striking the same spot he had hit earlier, which splintered as the blade ricocheted off.

  Summoning it back into his waiting hand as it fell, Botis staggered as an irate shrug sent him tumbling those many feet down to the ground.

  Mercifully, the thick snow cushioned his fall, the armor absorbing the rest of the impact.

  “You are one annoying little insect,” Halvar said as he brought his foot down, met by an inferno of hellfire that didn't slow him down.

  Botis rolled out of the way just in time and using the ensuing explosion of snow as cover, once again leapt skyward. Separating the blades, he held them out at this sides. Spinning himself around like a deadly propeller, the searing blades hacked and slashed into Halvar’s icy flesh as Botis rose up from the giant’s ankle all the way to his calf.

  The crisscrossed carnage of melting ice threatened to give way, Botis doing his best to help it along. As he descended, he flung the combined halberd one last time at the space between Halvar’s eyes. This time there was no rebound and the tip connected, sinking in to the welcoming sound of splintering crystal.

  Halvar struggled to maintain balance as his face collapsed on itself, his ruined body breaking into thousands of shards as it hit the ground with an immense crash.

  Victorious and with a chance, Botis called for his weapon, fleeing toward the southeast without a word. Thunder roared behind him and quickly the trio of frost giants were upon him.

  Botis prepared for battle, but was scooped up by an immense hand. Thinking that he was about to be crushed out of existence, surprise found when the giant just held him firmly, sprinting across the landscape with the other two close behind.

  “What are you doing? Where are you taking me?” Botis demanded, realizing they were still journeying in the same general direction he wanted.

  “You wished to speak with the King did you not?” the giant said. “That is where we are taking you: to him. Your arrival has raised questions that need answers and as such, there is much for him to hear.”

  Botis remained anxious, but breathed a sigh of relief – hidden by the secrecy of his helm.

  “Indeed as I told the departed Halvar, the King is whom I wish to speak to.” Botis fell to silence thereafter – fortune favoring the bold and no doubt seeing the King if these were his foot soldiers would require all of the boldness he could muster.

  As they ran, the snow began to fall once again, the towering beings that ferried a demon with them disappearing into the ever growing white.

  THE MORNING SUN peeked its way in through dirty windows, Gage squinting through the smattering of grime from the comfort of his own bed. Aboard the Odyssey, he should have felt comfy beneath the sheets, but just like the ship – still undergoing repairs from the attack, along with a few upgrades while the crew were scrambling around and beneath her decks – Gage was wrecked. The signs were becoming obvious, too, the latest example being last night's sleep. It was restless at first, but then transformed into one of those deep affairs that seemed to do nothing but foster a migraine.

  Gage rubbed his temples before stretching out an arm to the nightstand. He gave his phone a couple of quick taps and the sounds of When a Man Loves a Woman began playing through its tiny speaker.

  “Look at you being all romantic,” Ady said softly as she moved a soothing hand around his large shoulder. Its gentle touch helped to alleviate some of his pent up stress. However, he found that other parts were now straining just as badly, damn near begging for attention… and relief. “What have you done with the real Gage Crosse?”

  “Haha. Still here, though I love being full of surprises,” he whispered just as quietly, staying put so she could continue exploring his body.

  “You’re just the king of tease, aren’t you?” Adrienne asked while shifting her hand across his chest rather than down below. As she did, her fingers grazed the amulet and three scars that tore vertically along his right pec. Gage had told her the story of how he received those gashes from a werewolf during his escape along the highways from Denver to Houston, after she was lost to the darkness of death.

  Saddened, her eyes dipped until she was looking over his back. There were more scars there and she had been present for them, at least the bloody aftermath. That would always stick with her – how he took those lashings on her behalf – and it was obvious that his love for her knew no bounds, even those that kept the worlds apart. Knowing what they both knew now, it was strange they had not admitted their feelings much earlier, since they felt like they had known each other forever.

  Though it was just as sad, that brought a slight smile back to her lips. Pressing them against his warm skin, she kissed him ever so briefly as her hand continued exploring. She navigated up his neck then across his face, ending up at the top of his head within that tangled mess of black hair.

  “This mop is downright crazy,” Adrienne said, twirling a few locks in her fingers in an attempt to neaten it up. She was unsuccessful.

  “That’s because I don’t use that girly shampoo ya do,” Gage said mockingly as he flipped over to look at her.

  “The tea tree and mint one?” she asked, withholding a laugh. “Oh please… God almighty, I’ve caught you using that shampoo many times.”

  “No… I haven’t, darlin’,” he denied entirely with cocked eyebrow.

  She rolled her eyes, gently tugging at the strands. “Oh that’s right, how silly of me. How could I forget that I bought the brand with the magically emptying bottles. The longer they sit the emptier they become.”

  “Damn right. Ya should look at swapping brands,” Gage said, receiving a nice little smack on his shoulder.

  “Nope. Not going to do it since I think it’s your favorite.”

  “Hmmm. Methinks ya may be right,” he replied. “When it’s in your hair, though, since I don’t use it.”

  She let out the giggle she’d been holding in. “So you like my girly hair?”

  “Sure do,” he said at once, giving her a stare which stirred her spine all the way down to her toes. “I happen like… no love all of your girly things.”

  “Well then, why don’t you show me how?” she urged.

  He didn’t make a verbal reply, instead shifting the look that was burning her up inside down to her breasts. Reaching out his hands, he grabbed hold of her nipples, teasing them delicately between his fingers.

  Adrienne let out a short moan, which only drove him to do more.

  He shifted positions in order to give himself more room downstairs, his shaft growing to much for th
e former angle.

  Ady could feel it pressing against her, the entire thing large enough to make her wet just thinking about it.

  He began to run his fingers from her nipples across her breasts, sliding them up and down the sides of her figure. Her wetness flourished; his touch so gentle yet strong.

  Leaning in as he continued skimming her body, he kissed the side of her neck, getting a whiff of that amazing shampoo. His soft beard rubbed against her skin as a thank you, and she exhaled deeply. From her neck he ventured up to an ear, which caught his hot breath like a sail. Oh how Adrienne could have crossed the oceans.

  Unable to wait any longer, she grabbed hold of his hands and guided them down. One of them worked off her delicate panties while the other ended up even lower. There, he discovered that she was eagerly awaiting him and when she writhed, he invited himself in with a single finger, then two as his kissing grew hotter and heavier.

  Her arms struggled to wrap themselves around his incredibly wide back though once in position, fingernails dug in for the ride.

  Gage used his free hand to pull on her hair, giving more access to her neck as he continued kissing passionately, his other hand now three fingers in and going hard.

  Long he went at her and it felt great. Now greedy, she pulled him in closer, rubbing herself against him – wanting something more filling than fingers inside.

  He agreed and she could feel all his slippery anticipation. He moved his hand out of the way and worked himself in – gently at first so she could accommodate his girth but soon picking up the pace with a rhythm that rivaled his former handiwork.

  Faster and faster he ground his dick into her and the faster her breathing became. If the heaviness of her breath meant anything at all, things must have been exquisite.

  Suddenly he slowed to savor her warm grip, tight on his naked skin, caressing his entire length with each glorious stroke. Pressure began to build and swiftly his shaft felt tighter, the head of his cock so sensitive as he drove it back and forth.

  Gage couldn't hold it any longer, his climactic release filling Adrienne as he continued to churn. Beads of sweat formed and the unrestrained moans that came out of them both confirmed everything was right.

  “Gage,” Adrienne said panting, clenching herself around him. “Since you're held captive – oh God, I'm going to be sore for days – I just wanted to let you know that I truly do love you.”

  Gage didn’t respond with words, instead delivering a generous throb that sent her eyes rolling into the back of her head one more time.

  “That's what ya do to me, gorgeous,” he said, at last withdrawing. “You're my brightest star and I plan to be around for a long time to come.”

  IT HAD BEEN two days since the team returned to New York, whisked across the wide Atlantic Ocean by means of nothing more than a rickety bubble. Anywhere other than the Order such a thing would be outlandish, if not impossible, but for Marcus and the rest of the team, it was a reality. As was time itself, racing by at an incredible pace, but with everyone so loaded with exhaustion it was hard to separate the individual days.

  Marcus was in a drab but sterile hospital room, rubbing the back of his neck while sitting in a very uncomfortable chair. He had been there since they arrived the other day, a dull pain from the trip accompanying him that would not go away. He resorted to popping a standard pain pill without any water, trying to alleviate the discomfort. He might have trekked to his office or even the labs to pick up some things that might have been more effective, but since Joey was laid up in the hospital bed, Marcus felt a great need to be at his side. An array of monitors and tubes were connected to and into various parts of Joey’s body and as Henry would describe things, it all looked quite barbaric, yet inside Marcus knew that his partner was in the hands of some of the best of the best.

  A gentle knock – Shave and a Haircut no less – came on the door and Marcus looked up at once.

  “Come on in, Gage,” he said, followed by a rough hack as it opened.

  To his surprise it was Adrienne who entered first, looking sprightly and fresh, though Gage’s hair and green eyes were peeking around the corner. “Are you coming down with something, Marcus?” she asked, hearing the tail end of his nasty cough. “That didn’t sound too good.”

  Making her way over to the side Marcus was sitting on, she gave him a quick pat on the back before taking a seat in the second chair beside him. Reaching out across the blankets, she set her hand inside of Joey’s, nearly brought to tears when she saw his three remaining fingers poking out from the gauze.

  “Nah, I was just trying some manlier methods of taking pills,” he replied with a tickle clinging to his throat. Asking for a bottle of water that was sitting on a nearby tray, he cracked it open and found the ensuing gulp of glacial water tasted no different than what came out of the tap. Regardless, it helped to get rid of the –annoying sensation. “I’m trying anything at this point to ease this pain in the neck I got from that pain in the ass method of travel. If we ever happen to be slung back in time, remind me to pay a visit to Cortés – yes I looked up who invented that archaic means of travel – and give that jerk a piece of my mind, or my foot, for ever thinking that was remotely a good idea. I mean, I would have thought the point was to keep water off you, not subject you to a new form of waterboarding.”

  Gage came in, drawing Marcus’ attention so Adrienne didn't have to reply. He was quick to notice how disheveled Marcus was – from his unkempt hair all the way down his normally wrinkle-free clothes.

  “Hey Marcus,” he said, finishing off a handful of bright, tart candy. He stepped into the bathroom, flipping on the light which also activated an annoyingly loud fan. There he casually checked out a pimple that had shown up on the tip of his nose, fiddling with it before raising his voice. “Dammit I feel like I’m in my teens again. Marcus… ah there we go, gah that's a big ‘un! Ya need to take some time for yourself and chill. You're looking really tired, brother.”

  “I know but…”

  “No ‘buts’ broski…” Gage rebuked as he came out of the bathroom. “We’ll be on the road again by the morning, so ya really need take a load off and prepare for that mentally as well as physically. That means no paperwork, no research, no nothin’. Ady and I can watch over J for the time being; we’re both used to that role.”

  Marcus looked at him through those tired blue eyes, craving rest, but they soon drifted over Joey’s way. “I can't just leave him, and we're off again? So soon?”

  “I know that it's a quick turnaround,” Adrienne said, eyeing a copy of this month’s Cloaks and Daggers; her favorite line of blades was on the cover. “But we have our guy back now and Dajjal isn't going to stop trying to get all of the Solomon Six while we relax. He may actually strengthen his activity now that we've given him a bit of heartburn and that worries me to no end.”

  Marcus couldn't argue with that, though a part of him wanted to. Adrienne's reassuring smile was swift to take away that urge.

  “Yeah he doesn’t like us having four of his treasures for sure,” Gage quantified. “So much that he yelled at me about it just before he snagged J. That makes these last two items hot commodities – just like the next must-have gizmo at Christmas. From the latest reports we’ve received from out west, it seems like our best friend’s already stirring the pot along the Devil’s Highway, close to the mountain.”

  “Are they reliable, those reports?” Marcus asked suspiciously, leaning forward and placing his arms on his knees. “All things considered, not sure I trust the paperwork or its contents as far as I can fling it anymore with all this deception making rounds. Hell, did you hear about that recent mission in Alabama? Looks like someone high in the Order was trying to get those squads killed off and out of the way.”

  “Yeah, sure did; zombies of all things. Well, I should hope these reports are accurate. They’re coming from Kyle and his reconnaissance team,” Gage said, putting a big dent in Marcus’ doubt. “Seth would be out there too, but he
had to return home and take care of some business with… how did he put it, Ady? ‘A bastard dragon and his crew’ coming into his territory.”

  “As the shifter world turns,” Marcus replied with a smirk.

  “No kidding, right?” Gage noticed that Adrienne had a distinctive look of daydreaming on her face; he guessed that she was probably thinking about dragons again. “Seriously though, now that we have reliable eyes and ears in place, Dajjal’s movements and other Noctis activities are so much easier to monitor, . I'm pretty floored by how much is and has been going on in that area.”

  Marcus glowered. “Of course now that we know about it, he’s sure to abandon that spot.”

  “Which isn’t a bad thing,” said Gage. “Meaning we have him uncomfortable.”

  “Which like a viper means he just may strike.”

  “And we’ll be ready for him.”

  “I suppose you're right, Gage. You know that I'll have to catch up on all this,” Marcus replied before receiving callous looks from both Gage and Adrienne at the same time. “But… I guess that can wait until after I take some rest.”

  “You better,” Adrienne ordered, picking up the magazine and rifling through the first couple pages. All ads.

  Marcus nodded then stood, stretching out his arms. Turning, he approached the window and rested one hand against the sill while the other pressed gingerly on the glass. The city beyond looked tranquil, supposedly like he was supposed to feel by relaxing, yet unseen within her buildings and on her streets, activity was ceaseless like his thoughts. “Given you all won’t let me stay, I guess I'm going to head back to the Odyssey,” he said calmly. “You two take good care of Joey for me?”

  “Ya know we will man,” Gage said reassuringly. “And no… ya can’t check on the status of the upgrades either. Get. Some. Rest. We’ll be heading to the Peak tomorrow morning, bright and early. It’ll be from the ship, so stay put there and I’ll swing by your quarters when ready.”