Eric gestured. “Think about it. If he hadn’t turned evil and left the boys, I’d never have brought Mitch into their lives. If he hadn’t done that then tried to kill Mitch, the demons would not be here today. If he hadn’t come and told us that someone had put a hit out on Mitch and the boys, we wouldn’t have closed ranks around them, or gone and saved Tagh at guild headquarters. Everything happens for a reason and the demons think that somehow fate messed with Gabe—who in the beginning had loved being with Claude and Isiah—to set this whole clusterfuck in motion.”
As the words tumbled out of his mouth, the logic of it all started to make more sense. Gabriel really had been manipulated into doing what he did. Of that, Eric had no doubt. Eric worried fate wasn’t done messing with them. The demons were right in their need to prepare for what was coming their way.
“Dav, I don’t think the worst has come at us yet. I think we need to fort up and take measures to keep everyone safe. This house is great, but it’s vulnerable. We need a stronger defense.”
“What do you mean?” Daven frowned.
“We’re going to have people coming in who are going to be messed up, both physically and mentally. We need to set people in place to deal with them and help them through what’s to come. I also think we need to get a better security system, or find a more defensible place to live. Maybe the demons have it right by hiding their dens underground. The demons think they’ve found Jory and I pray with everything in me that it’s true. So much time has passed and lately he has gone silent. I’m afraid for him.”
Daven nodded and said, “I wonder why Jory sought you out.”
“I don’t know, but I promised him help, and I won’t stop trying until that promise has been fulfilled.”
Eric was only musing out loud, but he knew for sure Daven listened and was taking it all in. Maybe if he got Daven thinking about more important things, he wouldn’t be so hard on Gabriel. Well, one can only hope.
“What if we moved the whole operation to beneath guild headquarters?” Daven prompted.
“I don’t think that would work. I think we need somewhere more isolated, so when the shit hits the fan, there won’t be any innocent people used as cannon fodder. How will we find a place like that?”
“We use Simon’s residence.”
Eric jumped when Tagh spoke nearby. He hadn’t even realized his mate had entered the room.
“He lives outside the city in an old stone mansion. I remember him once telling me it used to be a monastery. The walls are made twice as thick as normal. It even has its own well.”
“I think we should get Simon here and talk about how we’re going to do this,” Daven said as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
Their lives were about to get overhauled once again. This time, Eric hoped it was for the better. He wanted everyone to feel safe. He didn’t like seeing the fear in everyone’s eyes as they all tried to be brave in front of one another.
He knew how scared he felt—he could only imagine what the others were feeling.
Chapter Sixteen
With every day that passed, despair filled Jory as Eric didn’t come. He’d began to believe he’d imagined the whole thing. The more despondent he became, the more his cellmates seemed to perk up. They were now the ones keeping him together. His mood swings were all over the place, and yet his friends still held him tightly.
“Eric will come for you.” Dimi patted his arm and continued, “You have to trust in yourself and him. Maybe this place is really hard to find.”
Jory didn’t want to admit that part of his bad mood had to do with Henry not being around. Part of him felt happy his friend had heeded his warning, yet the other part missed having Henry around to talk with. At least Rico hadn’t come near Nadal again.
“I know. I had a hazy dream about him last night. I think his people might be coming for us soon. I can’t tell if the dreams are real anymore.”
“They have to be. You still glow.” Dimi stated it as fact.
A grain of hope settled in his chest. The time had come to push away the uncertainty and get ready. His skin itched—something big was headed their way. In his dreams last night, a man had stood behind Eric, talking to him. He’d been comforting Eric. A jealous streak had soared through Jory while he’d watched the pair. Right before the scene had faded away, the man had turned and stared right at Jory. “I’m coming for you, mate. I need you to hold on.”
The only problem he could foresee was that Jory wasn’t sure he had the strength to do that. Both the masters and the guards had become even more brutal in their treatment of everyone. Less and less food was being supplied and he and his fellow captives were being sold at a greater rate. Sometimes two or three times a day. They were basically being fucked to death.
As he did every time he dreamed, Jory woke and shared it with his cellmates. He hoped help arrived sooner rather than later. It had been months since he’d started dreaming about Eric Meyers. Hopefully, the end was near.
“All I really want is a bath. A bath where I’m not expected to have my ass reamed later. I always thought men were the pigs, but I can tell you I’ve had some pretty sick and twisted women pay for my time. If I never have sex again, it would be too soon,” Dimi said with finality.
Aileen chuckled. “I can’t wait to have sex because I want to. I think I’m right up there with the twisted women. I had one woman who might have been very beautifully dressed, yet her tastes in bed were really depraved. She liked dishing out pain, and lots of it. I swear I have scars that will never go away.”
Soon, the whole cell sat around talking about the fucked-up clients they’d had during their time there. Leon hated the master the most. The way the others spoke about the guy, it seemed like they thought the master was one person. Could Jory be the only one to have seen them both in the same room at the same time?
“You do realize the master has a twin? There are two of them.”
The silence that followed his statement seemed a little eerie as they all stared at him. Rena broke it by asking, “How do you know there’s two of them?”
“How do you think I know? They both used me at the same time, though when I was with them, I always got the feeling they would rather I wasn’t. If you ask me, I think they’re in love with each other.” Jory told them his theory.
“Like incest?” Trent asked.
Jory nodded. “One time, they gave me something to drink that made me all woozy. I lay on the mattress half-asleep while they were going at it on the bed beside me. I don’t know who fucked who, but they were definitely both getting off. They fucked for hours and all the while I lay there and watched. Mind you, I also pretended to be out of it so they didn’t hurt me for seeing their secret.”
Aileen stared right at Jory. “Actually, now that you mention it, one time Max took me into the room and gave me a drink that almost knocked me out. I lay on my stomach and facing away from him, but I swear someone else came into the room with us. Sex happened, but at the time all I was thinking thank fuck it wasn’t me. Nevertheless, the person with Max totally enjoyed themselves. I thought maybe he was having an affair with one of the guards and didn’t want anyone to know about it. Max fucking his twin makes a lot more sense. What better way to hide the fact than by pretending to be with one of us?”
“I wonder which one of them takes it up the ass?” Trent snorted.
Rena giggled. “Maybe they switch—could explain why they go at it all night long. I’ve thought I’ve seen the master walking funny a few times. A good hard fuck would to that to a man.”
As crude as the conversation got, Jory loved seeing his friends being able to laugh about something. If taking the piss out of the master did that, then so be it.
“Could you imagine having sex with someone who looks like you? It would be weird. Creepy even,” Aileen said.
Nadal answered, “Maybe they are the ones from the prophecy. You know, the twins that look so much alike no one can tell them apart.” He shook his head
. “No, wait, that can’t be right. They have to be two strangers who could be mistaken for twins. Are you sure they’re really brothers?”
“Yeah, I am. When they had me, Max took me to the room, then Ernie came in. He sounded upset that Max wanted to sleep with me. Max said something about it being wrong for him to sleep with his own brother. Next thing I know the drugs in my system were kicking my ass, and they were tearing each other’s clothes off. At one stage one of them started sucking on my dick while getting his ass eaten out by his brother. I had a mouth on my cock, fingers in my ass, and through it all I pretend to sleep. I don’t know who fucked me, but at the same time he got fucked by the other. The rest of the night, they left me alone and fucked each other.”
Jory hated being used and abused by people who thought they were better than him. Too many times they had left him battered and broken. At least with the twins, they had used him minimally, considering they were more interested in each other.
One day, his body would belong to him and him alone. All he had to figure out what the guy with Eric had meant when he’d called him ‘mate’.
Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when the master stepped into the room with Rico at his side. Both looked pissed and it didn’t help that Aileen giggled. Jory stepped in front of her to block her from their view.
“Jory, come here.” The master pointed to a spot on the floor in front of him.
Finding bravery he’d never known he possessed, Jory inhaled deeply. “No.”
“No? What do you mean no? You don’t get a choice in who uses your ass,” the master, who Jory thought might be Max, snarled.
Jory shook his head. “If it’s going to be you, will your brother be joining us? If you want to fuck him, why do you even need me in the room?”
Fury filled the master’s face before he flew across the room and slapped Jory hard. Jory tasted blood and knew Max had split his lip, and still it didn’t shut him up.
“Do you like it when you’re buried balls-deep inside his ass? Do you like watching your cum dribble from his body? The last time I watched you fuck, I didn’t see you use any condoms. I thought humans always used them.”
Jory doubled over in pain when Max punched him in the stomach. “Shut the fuck up. You don’t know what you’re talking about, you stupid little whore.”
“I’m only a whore because you forced me to be one,” he gasped when Max punched him again.
Max turned to Rico. “Take this fucker out and teach him a lesson. I think the main room will suffice. I want them all to see what happens when they think they are as good as us.”
As they dragged Jory from the room, he chuckled. It almost sounded demented. “You seem tense, Maxie. Maybe Ernie can help you relieve a little of that tension. I’m pretty sure my room is free.”
“You just don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?” Rico growled while he dragged Jory out of the cell and down the hall.
This time, instead of heading toward his assigned room, Rico led him in the opposite direction. The other guards on duty followed closely behind. Jory knew no matter what happened, today he would be badly hurt. Maybe if he pissed Rico off enough, he’d take it that step too far and kill him. At least then Jory world be free.
“What are you afraid of, that I will spill all your deep dark secrets? That I will tell the rest of the guards how you like getting your cock sucked by a guy? How you enjoy coming in his mouth before you beat the crap out of him? Do you like seeing your cock sliding in and out of their mouths, while trying to imagine what their ass would feel like wrapped around your nice, hard cock? Does your wife give you as good of a blow job as a guy? I bet—”
Jory found himself sprawling across the floor as Rico hurled him. He didn’t even have time to get up before Rico had kicked him hard in the side. Time seemed to morph into a swirl of pain. He thought maybe he still yelled taunts at Rico and the others, but in reality, he was more than likely screaming in pain.
He caught glimpses of the other prisoners standing at the glass walls of their cells, some openly crying while others appeared numb. This was real. This happened when a person stood up for himself. As bad as his beating was, he hoped it gave his fellow prisoners some small measure of reprieve, but most of all, gave them some hope that things could change if they were willing to stand up for one another. More than likely, his punishment would scare them all into behaving and doing exactly what they were told.
Between all the blows raining down over him, Jory thought he saw glimpses of Eric and the other man who had markings down one half of his face. The man who called him ‘mate’. Jory hung on to that thought as he prayed his saviors would come for him soon. Rico was a smart cookie who stopped the others from doing any major damage.
“You think you’ve found a way to get you out of here, do you?” Another solid kick landed against his spine. “Death is too good for you. Your only worth in life is how many times your ass can be sold, you fucking little whore. Where’s the boss’ son now? I guess the boss didn’t like finding out that his son had made friends among you degenerates. Henry boy no longer has his daddy’s favor.”
Pain of another kind flooded Jory. He didn’t want to think about Henry getting into trouble with his father. Gideon Bane was a cruel and vicious man. Jory didn’t get to say anything as a hard blow to his head sent him falling into darkness.
Chapter Seventeen
Tagh stood inside the tree line and focused his attention on the decrepit building standing before them. The stone walls seemed to be crumbling in places, while in others, plant life had taken over the two-story structure. The place smelt wrong. They had brought both demon clans with them and Eric still wasn’t happy about being left behind. Tagh just knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate if he was always worrying about Eric getting hurt. Now they’d bonded, Tagh didn’t think he could survive anything happening to his mate.
Something about the oppressive building called to him. A thrum had started inside him and he could only liken it to how he’d been when he’d first met Eric. Like he’d found a piece of himself. It was both confusing and exciting all at the same time.
“I know that look. What’s going on inside your head?”
He turned and studied Lara for a moment before he answered, “Inside is something that belongs to me.”
“You think it’s more warriors?” she inquired.
Tagh shook his head. “I’m sure we’ll find more warriors, but this is something different. Something is calling to me.”
“Calling to you like a mate?”
By the wariness of her words, Tagh believed Lara knew more about this than she’d told him. “Tell me what you know, Lara, and make it fast. I don’t like surprises.”
“After I told Simon about Eric’s dreams, he came to see me last night. He’s taken it upon himself to dig deeper into the Draconian heritage. If Eric is a regent, then you may very well be a sentinel.” She was hedging and Tagh didn’t like it one bit.
“What does that even mean?”
Sighing deeply, she explained, “A sentinel is the strongest of all the warriors. They are a breed all of their own. To keep them grounded and sane, they will have two mates. A regent to guide them and the heart that keeps them together.”
“Why are you just telling me this now?” Tagh demanded. His very core demanded he charge in there and seek that which called to him. His heart hurt with the knowledge that he had another mate who right now might be suffering at the hands of his captors.
“Murtagh, we haven’t had time to scratch ourselves, let alone sit down and have heart to hearts.”
Okay, maybe she told the truth, but… “Why didn’t Simon come straight to me and Eric with his thoughts?”
“He worried about how Eric would take knowing he had to share you. Especially after how long it took him to get comfortable being with you. Honestly, I thought I had more time to break it to you both,” Lara answered.
“Don’t keep secrets from me anymore. There ne
eds to be honesty,” Tagh growled and started moving forward.
“Where the hell are you going now?” Lara demanded.
He stopped and pointedly glared at her. “I’m going to find what’s mine, then I’m taking him home to Eric.”
“How do you know it’s a him?”
Is she trying to make me lose my temper? “I do not sleep with females. My fated mates would need to be male.”
Lara shook her head. “There’s something off about this whole situation. Where are the guards, and the staff? Shouldn’t we be seeing some sort of activity?”
“Maybe they’re all inside.” Tagh retorted.
“I still think it’s weird, but we came here to do a job. So, I say, let’s get to it.” Lara said.
Tagh gave her one final glare before he turned and ran toward the covered archway at the side of the house. His whole body felt like a freaking magnet, drawn toward the unknown. Lara’s words filled his mind, and Tagh hoped like hell the person he searched for turned out to be male. The strange thing was, he wasn’t worried about how Eric would take finding out there would be a new member of their family. Tagh had long ago figured out that Eric was probably one of the toughest people he knew. Eric would take this in his stride and make them a stronger family unit. His mate had the capacity in his heart to care for and love many people. Adding one more to their family shouldn’t be a problem.
“Wait up, damn you. We’re supposed to go in in pairs, not one of us run off with his own agenda,” Lara snapped as she caught up to him.
“Lara, whoever is calling to me is terrified. I don’t have time to wait.”
Tagh took off again and quickly rounded the side of the building, heading to the service door they had found on the plans for the house. Luckily for them, Orion had hacked into the city council mainframe and found what they needed in the archives. Apparently, this house had once been government-owned. Humans ran it, and they’d better have a damn good reason why they were treating these beings without the respect they deserved.
All That Shimmers Page 11