by Mina Carter
Ryland stared at her, disgust boiling through him.
"But first, my dear slave, you will take care of one little matter for the queen."
The queen again? What queen? Desdria was the ruler of the nether-realm, never subordinating herself to anyone. Who the hell was she talking about?
"There is a little matter of some Order of the Blade members causing a ruckus outside." She smiled, an expression of such merciless cruelty that his blood ran cold. "Go to the entrance and kill them all. When you finish, you will return to the dungeons, where you will take your human form, lock yourself in my private set of chains, and then await a visit from your master." She dragged one of her claws down his front, tearing open a chasm leaking with acid and poison. He ground his jaw, not taking his eyes off hers as she opened a path down to way below his waist, to the parts of him that belonged to Catherine, not her. He didn't move, refusing to be cowed as she jammed extra deep in his testicles, then pulled her claw out of him, leaving him intact...but barely. It was a bitterly familiar promise of what would be coming later. She was filth and waste, and it filled him with her putrid taint.
No, he snarled silently, conjuring up an image of Catherine's blue eyes in his mind. He locked his mind onto that bright azure, drawing her goodness into him, struggling to hold onto that light in the onslaught of such darkness.
Desdria stepped back, his blood dripping from her claw. "Go," she commanded. "Kill them all, and then return. Now!"
Disgust at his own weakness spewed through him as he obediently stepped past her to the top of the temple steps. His wings unfurled, stretching fifty feet in either direction as he began to flap them, stirring up the ashes of so many long dead.
Desdria did not even have to tell him again. Her control of him was complete as he launched himself into the air, sweeping forward with that same intense speed he'd always had, careening through the nether-realm.
Once again, he was the beast. The hunter. The slaughterer of innocents.
Only this time, he was on his way to kill his own team. Dante's legacy. The very entity he had dedicated his life to protecting.
They would stand no chance against him. He would destroy them all within seconds.
As he hurtled toward his destiny, disbelieving fury roared through Ryland for how badly he'd failed. Catherine was in the hands of the Dark Lord. He was about to murder his team. Dante's soul remained in Simon's hands. Catherine's daughter was dead.
All Ryland needed to do to change things was to resist the compulsion to obey Desdria's command.
That was all.
And he couldn't fucking do it.
He was the same as he'd been hundreds of years ago. The exact same.
As he flew over one of the faerie villages that had sheltered him as a boy, and saw that it was dark and abandoned, Ryland realized finally that Dante, the man he'd revered for so long, had made a mistake, and that mistake had been believing in Ryland.
But as he streaked toward the great entrance, a fierce anger began to build inside him. Maybe he couldn't stop himself from killing his team or letting Simon take Catherine or prostituting himself as Desdria's submissive. But there was one thing that Simon and Desdria could not control, and had never been able to control.
His thoughts, the same ones he'd used to reach out to Catherine.
Even as his wings hurtled him toward his prey, even as his claws elongated in anticipation of ripping apart his team, even as his mouth salivated at the idea of fresh meat, Ryland drew his attention inward, and reached out over his blood bond to the one man who had always stood by him.
Thano. I'm coming out to kill you, and I'm in dragon form. He ground his jaw, then gave them the information that would end all chances of him saving Catherine or Dante, but would give his team a chance to live. Strike a single blow in the eye of the dragon painted on my chest. It will kill me instantly. Do not hesitate. He paused, and then added one last request, relinquishing his claim on the one woman who gave his life meaning. Catherine is your sheva. Follow the blood bond to her and rescue her. Please.
There was no reply from Thano as Ryland continued his ascent toward the entrance. He knew that he hadn't been able to connect with Thano from the depths of the nether-realm, but was he close enough to the surface now for him to hear him? As the light from the outdoors began to illuminate the interior, Ryland could only hope that his teammate had heard him.
If not, carnage would ensue, and there would be no one left alive to save his woman. Do not hesitate, he told Thano. Kill me, immediately.
He burst out of the nether-realm into the open. The first thing he saw was Thano in the middle of the clearing, stretched out on his back, Apollo standing over him, his body torn and bloody as massive asper cats attacked. The rest of the clearing was pure carnage, as Zach and the hooded Order members were fighting for their lives against a herd of asper cats, one of the most deadly creatures ever to transition from the nether-realm to the earth-realm.
No one was ready for him.
There was no one to strike him down.
It was over.
* * *
"Catherine. You will wake up now."
The rough voice pressed at her mind, urging her into consciousness. She recognized the voice of Simon, and bile churned through her. She became aware of his hands stroking her skin, of his fingers on her belly, circling lower and lower. Disgust roiled through her, deepened by intense hatred for the bastard who had killed her daughter...and enslaved Ryland.
Fragmented memories broke through her mind. Ryland being chained to the wall. Shattering his limbs and his neck. The way he'd sprawled there, suffering. Broken. The beast he had summoned...something flickered in her mind, an image of a massive monster delivering her into Simon's hands. She groaned, tears falling for what they both had become.
Ryland was lost to the demon he carried on his chest.
Lucy was dead.
More death. More damage. All because of the man running his hands down her body. Suddenly, staying alive didn't matter. Preserving her soul was pointless. There was nothing to save. Her daughter was gone. Ryland was trapped. The only way to free him was for this bastard to die.
Truly die.
In the way only she could do.
Ignoring Simon's demands that she wake up, Catherine focused her energy inward. She summoned the very darkest part of who she was, calling it from the deepest recesses of her soul. It filled her like a great, lurking shadow swallowing every flicker of light as it swept through her.
Simon swore. "What the fuck are you doing?" He shoved her hard, and she landed on the floor, on her bloodied hands and knees.
She looked up, focusing her gaze on his putrid face. "You aren't a Dark Lord," she said, her voice laced with death. "You're just another pawn who is no match for the angel of death."
His eyes widened, and he raised his palm at her, white sparks flickering off his hand. "Don't fuck with me, angel."
"It's too late for you, Simon." She harnessed all the love she'd once had for him and converted it into hate, the kind of vile hatred that made her kind so deadly.
"Hey!" He hit her with a burst of white light, knocking her backwards. "You listen to me, angel. The well-being of Ryland depends on your obedience. You do what I want, or he suffers. Got it?"
Catherine sat back on her tailbone, brought her knees up toward her chest and crossed her ankles. She braced the tips of her fingers on the ground beside her hips, and lowered her head, studying him through hooded lashes. More death flowed through her, turning her skin into an ominous shade of grayish-blue and purple. "And what is it that you want me to do, Simon?" She spat the question, even as she continued to build her energy. She knew it would kill her. Taking another soul would crumble what was left of hers, but it was worth it to free Ryland. To destroy Simon. To end the bastard's existence so that he never hurt anyone again.
Greed lit his eyes. "When Ryland finishes killing the Order that's outside the entrance to the nether-realm, you will k
ill each of their souls, ending with Dante. You will make it impossible for their immortality to ever bring them back. We need them cleared out so that the queen can emerge from where she has been for the last five thousand years. Understand?"
She lowered her head still further. "Oh," she said, her voice throaty. "I understand completely."
Simon grinned. "I knew you would come around." His eyes traveled over her body. "You are still my wife, Catherine. I forgot exactly how hot you are. You've gotten fit after the baby weight."
Dark, dark anger built inside her. "Touch me, Simon," she breathed. "Touch me like you used to." Her skin was burning now, saturated in death. "Touch me."
Anticipation and lust gleamed in his eyes, and he moved toward her. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes."
Nausea churned in her belly as he reached for her, and she immediately turned her thoughts to Ryland, imagining it was his hands reaching for her, that it was his body coming to merge with hers. Ryland. This is for you. Use freedom well.
Simon crouched before her and grabbed the front of her shirt. He yanked her to him, and Catherine summoned Ryland to her heart as Simon's mouth closed down on hers.
His lips touched hers. For a split second, he went rigid.
And then he started screaming.
* * *
Thano! Ryland bellowed his teammate's name as he tucked his wings and dive-bombed toward the clearing, straight at the one man he'd actually almost considered a friend. He was out of the nether-realm now. Could he connect with him?
Desperately, he reached out with his mind and felt a pulse of energy from Thano. Yes! Ryland thrust all of his healing energy into the kid, and felt Thano grasp desperately onto his offering. Hope exploded through him as he opened his mind to Thano's, showing him how to kill him. Do it, Thano. Don't hesitate. It's the only way to save your woman. You're Catherine's only chance.
Zach whirled around, shading his eyes to watch Ryland's approach. "Holy shit," he yelled. "What the hell is that?"
The other Order members spun around, and there was a litany of shouted curses as Ryland bore down on them. An asper cat leapt onto the back of one of the cloaked Order members, and then they all spun away, fighting for their lives, with no time to study the mutant beast coming for them. His soul screamed in agony as he watched his team being destroyed. These were his men! They were his charges! He had to protect them! Not kill them!
But he couldn't stop himself, streaking right toward Thano to take him out first. Bile and disgust poured through him, at his pathetic weakness of being unable to stop himself. Thano!
Apollo was protecting the younger warrior, keeping the asper cats away from him, but even the horse would be no match for Balthazar.
He was less than a hundred yards away. Thano! Kill me you stupid bastard. Now!
Thano's eyes opened, and Ryland met his gaze. Hope leapt through him at the sight of those lucid eyes.
Seventy-five yards.
Dude, she's your woman. Save her yourself. I'm sorta busy here. Thano was still lying on his back, his body bloodied and broken, death circling him in a filthy aura.
Fifty yards away. You have one shot, Thano. Right in the eye. It is the only way to stop me. Do it.
In Thano's right hand was his halberd, but his grip was loose and relaxed, not ready for throwing. Who will piss everyone off if you're dead? No one else is as bitter and miserable as you are. We'd all be too happy and cheerful without you around. Nah, I'm not going to kill you.
Forty yards.
Ryland's claws elongated and he raised his front legs preparing to tear Thano apart. Panic assaulted him, and he fought to stop, but he just flew harder. Visions thrust through his mind of his team being torn asunder and ripped to shreds, of the Order being decimated. His spirit screamed in outrage, and he tried to divert his flight, but his wings just tucked tighter, increasing his speed. Catherine will die if you don't stop me. Someone has to save her. I can't do it. You have to do it. Please, Thano, save her. For me. Please.
Twenty yards until impact. Shit, Ryland. Since when do you ask so nice? You almost sound like a guy in love.
Strike me down! Five yards. Swearing, Ryland opened his blood bond with Catherine, summoning her sheva connection to Thano, calling Thano's weapons the very way she had done it. Thano's halberd leapt out of his hand and hurled through the air, right at Ryland.
"No!" Thano roared in protest just as Ryland landed on him, his claws primed to tear his friend apart, but instead of the feel of soft flesh giving way, unbelievable pain ricocheted through him as Thano's halberd lanced his chest. A direct hit.
Death was his. Catherine, he gasped as he rolled onto his side, his claws still reaching lethally for Thano as he fell beside him. This is for you.
* * *
Ryland! His roar of anguish tore through Catherine, ripping her out of her trance. She screamed as his pain lanced her chest and she hunched over, holding her heart. Simon collapsed beside her, moaning in agony, his skin mottled and gray.
The room began to spin, and heat rose from her body, flooding Simon's dungeon like the fires of hell themselves had been unleashed. Ryland's soul seemed to fly into her body, wrapping itself around her. She could suddenly feel his every breath, his every thought, the beat of his heart, and the anguish of his soul. It was as if he had become a part of her, his spirit so entangled with hers that nothing could ever separate them.
Elation flooded her. A feeling of hope and liberation, as if the great angel of life herself had bathed Catherine in the beauty of her soul. The beautiful symphony of a thousand church bells filled her mind, and a feeling of absolute peace and rightness swelled within her, chasing away all the death, all the darkness, all the damage of her soul, leaving nothing behind but Ryland, the beauty of his soul, and the intensity of her emotions for him.
She gasped as she fought for breath, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the emotions trying to consume her, by the depth of her need for Ryland. Her forearms began to burn with the most intense pain she'd ever experienced, and she yanked her sleeve back in time to see Thano's halberd finish forming on her arm. It flashed once, and then settled.
The bond was complete. She belonged to Ryland. Forever. Forever. He'd finished the last stage, his half of the death stage— Oh, no! Catherine lunged to her feet, her heart racing. For him to satisfy the death stage, it meant he had either killed someone to save her life…or that he had offered his own life to save hers. Dear God, please let it be the first one! Ryland!
She suddenly became aware of the piercing pain in her chest again. She pressed her hands to her heart, focusing her mind on it. To her horror, she felt Ryland's spirit entangled with the injury. In pain. Grief. Agony. Death was swirling through him, looking for a place to settle. She realized that she was feeling Ryland's pain, Ryland's death... Oh, no. He had taken a death blow!
Ryland! She broke for the door. She just reached the threshold when Simon's hand closed around her ankle. He jerked her hard, and she fell, her head smashing into the wall as she hit. He began to drag her backwards, away from freedom, away from Ryland, and into hell.
Ryland! She screamed his name even as Simon hauled her toward him. Ryland!
A faint pulse of energy filled her mind, then a whispered plea from the man she loved. Cat?
Don't die! She screamed her command, barely aware of Simon throwing her on the floor and binding her arms and legs. She thrust all her energy into her connection with Ryland. I need you!
A myriad of emotions flowed from Ryland, but the most powerful one was a tremendous sense of shame and failure. Thano will take care of you.
For God's sake, shut up, you idiot! I want you! You're the only one! She gasped in pain as Simon wrenched her arm behind her back.
It's too late, Cat. I'm dying. It's as it should be. My sacrifice to you— He grunted, and sudden fury exploded from him. Son of a bitch! They're going down!
What? Who? Tell me what's happening!
Asper cats. They're killing my team. Shit
! Energy flickered through him, and she knew he was trying to get up to help them. The intensity of his need to help his team was so powerful it was almost blinding... No, it was blinding. A golden light so bright that it seemed to be setting her on fire. Her breath caught as it filled her, and suddenly she knew. She knew. The golden light that Ryland had been seeking from other angels was actually within himself.
He was the one with the angel power.
He was the angel.
And from the intensity of his reaction to the Order being destroyed, she knew that he didn't have to look any further to find the third angel in the Order's trinity. Ryland was their guardian angel. It was him. And it always had been.
Ryland's shock filled her as he read her thoughts. What the fuck are you talking about? I'm not an angel—
You don't have time to deny it. Catherine focused on him, offering him all the knowledge she had of what they both were. Your calling as an angel is stronger than any other force, she said. Stronger than mortal death, the call of the beast, or the power of the slave cuffs. You can save them, Ryland. You can rescue your team. It's your job. It's what you were created to do. You're the one they've been waiting for. You!
Chapter Seventeen
AN ANGEL? CATHERINE thought he was the angel? Unreal. Un-fucking-real.
He was no angel. He was a monster. Always had been. Always would be.
Denial roared through Ryland as he lay on his side, his life bleeding from his body. His chest was heaving with the effort of breathing, and black blood was oozing from all of his pores, leaking out between his scales. Even in the shadows of death, the form of his beast did not leave him. He'd heard that death always claimed a being in its true form, which meant that he was a monster, not a man.
A beast until the end.
Beside him lay Thano, his body broken and mangled from the cats. The only reason that Thano was alive was because Apollo was still fighting to save him, but Thano couldn't move any more than Ryland could. As they lay there, Ryland swung a weary claw at Thano, trying to fulfill Desdria's orders even as he lay dying. His claw raked across Thano's thigh, and the other warrior flinched. "Shit, Ry. Cut the crap already."