by Lexi Ostrow
“Will you not wake?” His voice boomed, covering over the sizzle and crack of the flaming vessel he’d destroyed.
It wouldn’t do him any good to harm the demon whilst he was unconscious; he preferred to hear the traitors scream. Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and listened for the thread of life that beat within the demon. Luckily, he hadn’t killed the man outright when he’d used his tail to slam him into the ground. His life force was strong, and he was jealous that the powers of other demons could not be absorbed by the Dragoniari. Creating nightmares would be most delightful.
Breathing in deeply through his nose he focused on a gift he’d stolen from an elder, Loralitina. She had the ability to see into a soul, to know what lived within the heartbeat of a creature.
A woman’s face quickly formed—blonde with honey-colored eyes and a beautiful smile. He was aware that her for what she was the moment she appeared, the demon’s mate. Demons did not prize lovers that they were not mated too. As he continued to stare into the man’s soul, the image shifted, showing two young children and then finally, a picture of him surrounded by others with pitch black eyes.
“Interesting,” he breathed, pulling back to stand at his full height. A demon rarely held so many dearly. A family would be protected, but the image of other demons was something he could prey upon.
The man had worked side-by-side with Seraphina, and she had left him. Which meant either he would try to return, or a group of Angels would track them once more and he would fight again. However, there a third option, the demon willing telling him where the bitch hid. He’d been abandoned, and it shouldn’t be terribly difficult to make him speak.
Taking aim at the patch of snow slightly below the demon’s hand he exhaled out a stream of flames. Despite the cold earth covering they held, dancing and flickering with the gift of the Dragoniari.
A groan pulled from the still unmoving form near the fire.
“I know you are awake. Your groan was telling.”
The man did not move, not even the slightest tense of a muscle.
“Do not think to play with me, foolish demon. You must know of my kind, must know of me.”
Still nothing.
“If you think to attack, you might well abandon such a plan. If you do not open your eyes and engage with me, I will simply stomp on you.”
Eyelids flicked open to reveal the soulless black stare. Nightmare Demons were the only lesser demons that had such a stare, and there remained only one.
“So, that’s what you are,” he chuckled. “You must be Lucius. My how many times I’d heard your name over the years. I am not surprised to see you are still a slave to the Angel.”
Lucius sat up and leaned down, grasping at something in his boot. A knife bounced painlessly off his thick scales, and the blade bent beyond repair. For his part, Lucius did not look shocked, merely annoyed.
“I destroyed my kind. Yours were murdered by Seraphina, and yet you work with her . . . for her perhaps.”
“Think what you wish. I will give you nothing.”
“Interesting, that you would protect a woman who so quickly abandoned you to save herself.”
A chord had been struck with Nightmare Demon based on the way he jerked backwards, eyes drawn almost shut.
“I hate that bitch, no matter who she is now. I will not endanger those that have become my family.” His eyes closed, and he slumped into the snow, seeking to use his skills no doubt.
“You cannot access my mind unless I let you enter. That will not happen.” He dropped to all fours, placing his front feet on the ground on either side of the Nightmare Demon. “My fight is not with you, though I would love to understand this bond you have with humans.”
“Aye, so you’d like me to tell you where to find Seraphina? That your battle is with her, and you’ll happily leave myself, and others like me, out of the skirmish?” He rose, tugging at his suit as if he were fixing his appearance as he ranted.
“I seek to destroy the woman who took so many lifetimes from me. I will never find the almost-immortality I had from destroying my kind. She took that from me, capturing me for Lucifer and forcing me to feast on my life force if I wanted to live. All I seek at this time is her location.”
“I hardly think I’ll help a beast that murdered his entire race for power.” He tugged at his bowtie, straitening it. “Very well then. I have learned to embrace a hunter’s death, even if I find death deplorable.”
Laughter bubbled up, spilling out echoing in the vast, snowy land around them. The man had most certainly been fixing his appearance. He was vain and expected death, which meant he would not see it anytime soon.
“You think I will kill you if you do not give up what I want?” A tiny flame burst free as he snorted. “There are worse things than death, and if I can keep you alive, sooner or later someone will rescue you.”
“I’m a lowly Nightmare Demon. They will not come for me.”
“I do not believe a word of that. You have a human mate. A set of offspring. Someone will come.” He sat back on his haunches, still keeping his front feet trapping Lucius from fleeing.
“They know nothing of the people I was with.” Lucius spat, eyes flaming with anger.
“I disagree with that statement. I know little of the Alliance of Silver and Steam from a rather infuriated Stranglehold Demon, but I know of it. Your family is likely as tightly involved as you are.”
“Kill me.”
“I think not. In fact, with the power I saw, a silver bolt and streams of light, I would assume they can find you rather rapidly. I will simply wait it out with you by my side.”
Lucius’ jaw dropped open. “You’re going to make me some sort of guest and expect me to wait and lure my mates and colleagues to their deaths? I believe being locked away has addled your mind.”
“I never called you my guest. Tell me, Nightmare Demon, would you give me her location if I spared the humans in your party? Your mate and kin?”
Lucius spat at the flames still dancing away.
“Kill me.”
Fury rolled through him at the defiance of such a pathetically weak demon. He lashed out with his left front foot, slashing his claws across the demon's chest. Fabric tore, but blood did not spring forth.
“I can think of worse things than death. Nightmare Demons have fears . . . desires . . . and dreams. I will find them and either grant them in exchange for information or destroy them.”
Rearing up on his hind legs he scooped Lucius up in one of his feet, closing his talons and creating a prison for the man. Pushing off the ground, Dieargog flapped his leathery wings and took to the skies. He wound find a cave and make certain the demon lead him to Seraphina, one way or another.
Lucius shouted at him, angry words that would have been much louder, had he not flown with the demon under his body. All he heard was a strange cry on the wind as snow began to fall.
“Layel, Nathaniel, can you flash?” Odette breathed, pinching the brim of her nose. “It has been less than three minutes, he might still be all right.”
Hugo didn’t breathe as he waited for a response.
“We cannot. Even if we could, there would be no way to return, and then there would be two of us lost.” Layel responded solemnly, allowing his wings to flop towards the ground in defeat.
“Call someone, immediately,” Odette demanded.
“He is not lost!” Kellan exploded, his voice echoing off the stone walls and tearing through the calm, erupting the room into chaos.
The Irishman visibly shook with rage and if Hugo wasn’t mistaken, seemed to distance himself from his wife just a hair. Kellan’s eyes were narrowed as he looked around the room, pushing up from the carpeted floor.
“Someone go to him, now!” The final word boomed through the space.
“I will go,” Seraphina’s words were hardly above a whisper.
One moment, the Queen of Hell had laid on the floor, her red hair and brown skirts fanned out beneath her, and the n
ext she was gone. The room fell utterly silent, whether because of her absence or in spite of it. Turning, he found Clara looking at the ground. He had a damned good feeling she felt guilty as hell, even though she hadn’t caused this.
You did.
Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to force out the thought of Lucius lying dead on the snow-covered ground. All he saw were a pair of dead, black eyes staring at him, utterly unmoving.
“They are gone,” Seraphina gasped, scarcely managing to maintain her balance.
“Ye willnae do that again.” Kellan scolded as he allowed his wife to lean on him, the expression in his eyes belittling the authoritative tone in his words.
“Someone bring Eliza here,” Odette’s order was spoken low, her eyes stony and her hands balled into fists at her side.
“I’ll go,” Greyston stepped into the fray in the center of the room. “Felicia will be with her, and we all know if my wife doesn’t find out she’ll have all our heads for keeping secrets.”
The sound of footsteps was the only noise in the room until the soft click of a closing door singled Greyston had left.
Bile rose in Hugo’s stomach. The silence was doing nothing save for slamming the row betwixt their party and Dieargog over and over in his mind. He’d been so singularly focused on Clara he had not the time to see how the others had fared.
“Report,” Odette demanded, raising her gaze directly to her father.
“We were found with less than a day’s journey to the entrance.” Layel shifted his gaze to Seraphina. “It would seem dissention runs deeper than any knew. There are traitors in Hell that are content to sell Seraphina to the Dragoniari. Our location was given away. I’m sorry to say his claws made short work of the metal ship, practically ripping the top off with us still inside.”
“And you utilized the escape plan?” Odette spoke, this time to Philippe.
“Oui. Thinking of an airstrike likely saved us all. As did the communication device Eliza installed that ran throughout the ship.”
“Good. The weapons that were to be created? And the ship? It is salvageable? Is a trip to the area even safe despite Seraphina not spying sight of them?”
“Amazingly, Clara leapt at the demon and fired without fail. I do not believe such a small blast injured it, but she and Hugo created a weapon that we can certainly use.” Again, Philippe reported, just as a dutiful soldier would. “The ship is destroyed. Whether Dieargog blasted it down with his fire or the attack dropped it to the Earth, it is no more.”
Odette nodded, clearly mentally retaining each detail. “What of his power?”
“Far mightier than anything I’ve ever seen.” Thomas injected, looking rather embarrassed.
Odette shot him a look, likely warning him to not interrupt an official report. “Father, how long before we can erect a force and strike again?”
The slight click of a door interrupted the conversation and drew all heads towards it. Hugo felt a wash of illness pass over him as Eliza and Felicia entered, both women appearing to be utterly unaware of what had occurred. Felicia’s hand was intertwined with Greyston’s, and Eliza practically beamed when she entered. Hugo watched as her eyes searched the room, and joy slowly shifted to concern.
“Where is Lucius? Is he hurt? Is he with Nicolette being healed?”
Hugo closed his eyes, not wanting to see Eliza’s expression when someone delivered the blow.
“We do not know where he is . . . or how he is.” Odette’s words were stony as if she was emotionless to the less.
“Lost how?” Eliza’s words sounded tight, panic creeping up but not consuming her.
“The beast attacked us,” Seraphina cooed. “A battle line was formed, and when it became apparent I alone could not destroy him, evacuation began. Lucius was so far away . . . so fucking far, that fool.” Seraphina’s voice trembled. “It wasn’t on purpose, Eliza. I swear to you. I tried to go back for him. They weren’t there.”
The cry of despair that tore through the room also speared him to his soul. One, sharp sound and then all was deadly quiet once again.
Daring to peek his eyes open, he saw Eliza on the floor in a heap, soundless sobs wracked through her body, causing the elegant skirt of her dress to shake. Felicia was by her side, fire burning in her gaze as she did her best to comfort the inventor.
His breath caught in his chest as he grasped what the woman was going through. He had been mated to Clara for hardly a month’s cycle, and when he’d seen her lying in the snow, it had only been his scientist-mind that had stopped him from trying to deal damage to Dieargog for his assault on her. He loved his mate, despite them hardly knowing one another. Eliza had known and loved her husband for over a decade. To lose him, even in such an uncertain way, might be more than she could handle. More than she could recover from.
“When will we bring him home?” Eliza’s voice was loud, but her face was still facing the floor.
“As soon as we can recruit more Angels. Possible Illusion Demons as well. We will need to appear to be a force strong enough to deal with such a beast. Three days’ time at the most.” Odette took a knee in front of Eliza. “We will get him back. We retrieved Kellan from the depths of Hell. There is nothing that will get in our way.”
“I no longer have the scale,” Seraphina spoke, drawing all eyes, including Eliza’s, to her. “Whilst we fought it fell from my pocket, and he torched it. Lucius attempted to salvage it and was sent flying. That is how we found ourselves too far apart to reach one another to escape.”
“How will we find him?” Eliza asked, voice shaking with the tears she had yet to shed. “When? Will a few more Angels truly be enough? Will Illusion Demons even be willing to help against a beast all demons fear?” There was a destructive bite to her words. “We will need something far more impressive than a simple scale to seek it out and magic to distract it.”
“Eliza, please –” Odette started.
“Do not tell me to ‘please’ anything, Odette. Lucius has been defending the Alliance since before demons were even truly allowed amongst us. He has risked his life on every rescue mission and in every dangerous battle. We will not leap half-arsed into this. My husband will be brought home, and it will be done without rushing. If he were dead, Seraphina would have surely seen his body.” She shook her head firmly. “Lucius is a prisoner, and that means he is alive.”
“What do you propose we do?” Clara finally spoke up, walking from his side to stand next to her mentor and friend. “Tell me what needs to be done, and I will do it.”
“You will not charge off half-cocked once again,” Nathaniel and Layel spoke simultaneously.
Hugo wouldn’t say it allowed, but he was rather glad the pair of Angels had said it. He’d not known how she’d come to be meters deep in snow with fires blazing around her, but he saying he hadn’t liked it would have been the understatement of the year.
“What exactly are you proposing?” Odette asked, leaning against Philippe.
“The giant metal bird, the wings were successfully attached last week. It can be modified to have the appearance of a Dragoniari. A device can be placed inside to ensure that it can breathe fire. It will only accommodate two, and both will need to know how to pilot it.” She looked around the room, staring each and every one of them in the eye before standing up. “You find the Angels, the Illusion Demons and the fucking demon. I will make certain my device is ready. I will bring my husband home and kill the beast that dared to take him from me.”
“I would like to pilot it,” he stepped forward as he spoke. “It is my invention that brought us to this impasse. I am a scientist and will be easily able to comprehend the details of the flying creation. I caused this, no matter what you all say I know you think it. And you are correct. Let me do something good.”
“No,” Odette spoke before Eliza could. “Your invention created one fine mess, that is for sure. However, you were able to create a new source of power for our airship, help generate a
nother source of weaponry that might aid us against different foes, and have given us the start of a way to provide electricity to the world in the name of Britain. You owe us nothing.”
“I insist.” Hugo clenched his hands into fists. He turned to Eliza, seeing the pain glittering in her eyes was like a knife to his gut. “I would be honored to seek out the danger in this mission. Lucius would kill us all if he saw you flying into the battle. Let me do it. Let me make amends even if Odette feels I have none to make.”
“I wish to be the second person.” Clara rose from the floor, standing beside him again. “A hunter and an inventor, and someone with a burden to bear in all of this would make for the perfect second person.”
“They will go.” Eliza looked to Odette. “It is my husband missing, and I have faith in them. They are both skilled and willing. If they do not go, I can promise you I will.”
“As will I,” Kellan growled.
Defeat crossed over the Guildmaster’s face. “Kellan, I cannot let you go. You are the force that keeps Seraphina in the light. Should anything happen to you . . . well, I dare not think it as we saw what happened the last time she lost a love.”
“Were I not too tired I would remind you that I have my wings aging, with action and not mere words.” Seraphina hissed.
“My apologies. Your loyalty is not in question. I simply fear you could destroy the world trying to avenge your mate. You all likely could. What I share with Philippe is without question the strongest bond I will ever know, and I am aware it pales in comparison to what mates feel.”
Had they not been in such a delicate moment, Hugo might have questioned how Philippe appeared so youthful if he was not mated to Odette. He’d simply assumed they were.
“It is done. Hugo and Clara will use the device to kill Dieargog once he is found.” She looked to Seraphina. “Use those loyal to you. Have them ferret out the traitors and seek to find Dieargog.” To Eliza, she questioned, “When can your beast be ready?”
“I do not know.” Eliza ground the words out. “I should like to say less than a moon cycle. I will need to teach Hugo to captain the vessel and make certain all of its components work. This can only be done at night, in the farmlands. Focus on finding my husband, and I will make certain the machine is ready to complete the task.”