by R C Knight
The demons growled as they charged him together, one from each side. They ran at him without any focus, their arms flailing, waiting to make contact with anything. Liam sighed with disappointment as he dodged their attack, allowing them to run into each other. “This is just pathetic,” he muttered as the demons fell to the ground. “Alright.” He sighed as he stepped back from the group. “I’ll give you a few minutes to come up with a strategy and try again.”
The demons sneered at him as they regrouped, mumbling amongst themselves. “You better make it good!” Liam shouted over them. “Little shits like you are a waste of my time. I hope this isn’t all Atlanta has to offer.”
“You will regret fighting us, human.” One of the demons spat.
“I highly doubt that.” Liam taunted as he held his arms out, waiting for them to attack. “I’ll wait just like this. Show me your best.”
All three demons charged at once, Liam waited patiently as they approached. Once they were a few feet in front of him, one of the demons leapt into the air, landing behind him. “Nice try.” He sighed as he threw his left arm back, stabbing the demon in the stomach. He pulled his dagger to the side, ripping his abdomen open. The demon screamed as he fell to the ground, his insides falling out of him.
The other two continued their charge from the front. Liam allowed one of them to make contact, its talons tearing across his chest as he stabbed the other demon through the throat. He turned towards the remaining demon, blood running down his chest. “Looks like it’s just you and me now.” He smiled as he ripped his dagger from the other demon’s throat, a black wisp floating into the air as its body disintegrated. He squared his stance while twirling his daggers in each hand. The demon’s eyes filled with fear. A whimper escaped his lips as he turned to flee.
“Oh, come on!” Liam exclaimed as the demon ran. With a weary sigh, he threw his dagger. It landed squarely in the demon’s back, causing it to fall forward onto its knees. Liam came up behind the demon and pulled his dagger from its back. “You’re no fun,” he muttered as he grabbed the demon’s head and pulled it against his chest. “I was really hoping to find a challenge tonight… Oh well.” He sighed as he slit the demon’s throat, its body disintegrating from his grasp as the black wisp floated into the night sky.
Liam glanced back behind him, one demon was left, his intestines spilled on the ground around him. It was whimpering softly as it tried to put itself back together. “Now this is just sad.” Liam slowly walked back to the demon, its pathetic whimpers annoying him. The demon’s red eyes filled with fear as it looked up at him.
“Please.” The demon’s voice shook as he spoke. “Don’t kill me. I can help you. I can give you whatever you want.” It spoke quickly, its words running into each other. “Just don’t kill me.”
“You can’t give me what I’m looking for.” Liam grunted as he knelt next to the demon, its black blood seeping into his pants. “Honestly, this whole begging thing is just sad and pathetic.”
“Anything,” the demon continued. “Just please… please don’t kill me.”
Liam sighed wearily as he plunged his dagger into the demon’s skull. I need a real fight. This shit isn’t making me feel better, he thought as he stood up and looked around the empty street. Guess I should get back. He sighed as he wiped his daggers on his bloodied pants. A sharp pain shot across his chest as his adrenaline began to wear off. He glanced down, grimacing as he watched his blood trickling down his chest. His shirt hung in tatters from his shoulders.
He turned and headed down the street, away from his little skirmish. The moonlight shone brightly off the white stone of the hotel. He entered the building and headed straight for the marble staircase and towards his room. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he opened the door, his body ached, begging for rest.
“What the fuck?” he shouted as his eyes landed on Cyrus’s naked ass, thrusting deep into the brunette under him. Cyrus paused as he glanced over at Liam, his hazel eyes shining brightly. The brunette followed his gaze, her blue eyes sparkling with lust.
“There’s room for one more,” she responded, her voice dripping with lust.
“I’ll pass,” Liam muttered as Cyrus resumed his thrusting, the brunette’s moans filled the silence. Liam sighed as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. He turned and entered the bathroom, closing the door quickly behind him. The muffled moans continued as he turned on the sink and grabbed a hand towel, setting it in the warm water. He tore off what remained of his shirt, tossing it onto the ground.
He stared at himself in the mirror, three gashes streaked across his chest. The blood had already begun to dry, caking itself into his skin. He winced as he ran his hand along one of the gashes. Let’s get this shit over with. He sighed wearily as he picked up the washcloth and began to scrub the blood off his chest, his eyes watering from the pain. Fuck this, he thought as he dropped the bloody cloth onto the counter. He turned and reached into the shower, turning on the water. He unfastened the sheaths for his daggers and gently laid them on the counter. He kicked off his boots and pulled off his pants, letting them fall to the floor.
He stepped into the shower, the ice-cold water sending shivers up his spine. He reached for the dial, cranking up the heat. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as the water warmed up, his body relaxing, the tension leaving his shoulders. He let the water run down his chest, scrubbing the last of the blood away. He ran his hand along the gashes, thankfully they weren’t deep enough to require stitches, but they sure hurt like a bitch. He quickly finished the shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist.
The moaning had stopped, so Liam slowly opened the bathroom door. The brunette had her clothes on and was heading towards the door. “Maybe next time.” She winked at him as she walked by and left. Liam looked over at Cyrus, he was pulling his shirt back on.
“What the fuck happened to you?” he asked, his eyes lingering on the gashes across Liam’s chest.
“Just another demon fight,” he muttered as he walked towards his bed and picked up his satchel from the floor. He quickly opened it and pulled out a fresh set of clothing. “Nothing to worry about.” He continued as he dropped his towel and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts.
Cyrus sighed wearily as he sat down on his bed. “I know tracking and killing demons has been a stress relief for you since Jackson died... but you’ve got to take care of yourself.”
“I’m fine.” He sighed as he plopped down onto the bed, throwing his arm over his eyes. “When are we going back to Safe Place? We’ve already stayed an extra five days.”
“Alex said the shipment will be ready tomorrow morning.”
“Good,” Liam muttered as he rolled onto his side, exhaustion taking over. “I’ve had enough of Atlanta.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Earth
Aria sighed wearily as the doors to the hotel opened for them. The old woman smiled at her and Bishop as they entered. “Your friends are at the bar. They asked that you meet them there.”
“Alright,” she responded as she glanced up at Bishop, his face absent of any emotion. They headed down the hall and turned towards the bar. They could hear the commotion from the bar, incomprehensible shouts echoed down the hall. “They must be celebrating.” They entered the bar, Ryder was sitting at the bar, watching the commotion, his face filled with worry. Zane, Cain, and Abel were drinking with Dominick, their faces alit with triumph.
“You bring pride to tribe!” Dominick exclaimed as he clapped his hand on Zane’s back. “Tonight, we drink, we fuck!”
“Maybe we will.” Zane chuckled, his eyes meeting hers as they made their way towards the bar. A small smile formed on her face as she blushed. Ryder stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder.
“We need to talk,” he demanded as he narrowed his eyes at Zane. “Now.”
“Uh…” She looked at the group, confusion filling her mind. “Alright.” She allowed Ryder to lead her away from the group. They found an
empty spot at the end of the bar. She quietly sat down, her eyes searching Ryder’s face. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice filled with confusion.
“We have to end this mission. It’s become too dangerous.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Zane died today.”
Aria laughed as she glanced over at the others. “Clearly he didn’t.” She looked back at Ryder, his face filled with sincerity. “You must have been mistaken.”
“I saw it, Aria. Clear as day. Cain and Abel can verify it.”
“But.” She looked over at the group and examined Zane. He was laughing as they celebrated. His blue-hazel eyes constantly glancing over towards her. “He looks fine.”
“I don’t know what brought him back. Maybe it’s some unknown power that Nephilim have. Or maybe.” He paused as he ran his hand through his hair. “Maybe it’s the corruption.”
“Whatever it was,” she responded softly. “We should be thankful. I don’t think we could finish this mission without him.”
“Aria.” He looked into her eyes, his eyes pleading with her. “He is too powerful now. His corruption is going to consume him.”
“Look at him, Ryder.” She sighed as she gestured towards their group. “Does that look like a human consumed by corruption? No. It doesn’t.” She continued matter-of-factly. “If his corruption had taken over, he would be killing everything in his sight. Especially with this red mist. So, please explain what exactly happened at the Colosseum. Maybe it’s some Nephilim thing we don’t know about.”
Ryder sighed as he watched Zane joking with Cain. He was definitely acting like a normal human. In fact, it seemed as if he had more control now than he did before. “Alright,” he sighed as he looked back at Aria. “They fought this demon, a Kybus they called it. Anyway, it had these massive blades instead of arms and it used those blades to slice Zane apart. His chest was sliced open, all of his organs were exposed. It had sliced into his legs and severed his arteries. I watched as he bled out and died. But after that…” He paused, trying to make sense of what he had seen. “I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I could’ve swore I saw black flames coming from his wounds.”
“Ryder,” Aria’s voice filled with concern. “That is not possible. Nobody can wield fire magick.”
“I know,” he responded with irritation. “After he came back to life, he burned the Kybus. All that was left was a pile of ashes.”
“Well.” She shifted uncomfortably on her chair. “Whatever it was, and I’m not saying it was fire or corruption, it did exactly what we needed. And he only attacked the enemy. He is in complete control of his actions.”
“But what if he loses control? I don’t think we’d be able to stop him. We need to get Michael involved.”
“No,” she responded sternly. “We cannot tell him about this. He would kill Zane and pull us back to Heaven. We have gone too far to go back now.”
“But –”
“No.” She interrupted as she gently grabbed his hand. “There is no debate on this. You should give him more credit. He’s had the most control out of all the humans here. Him growing stronger is good for us. I’m still weak, I can barely manage my magick, and I can’t control its strength. We need him. And I need you to see that.” She leaned forward and softly kissed his lips. “Now, I hope you aren’t still harboring jealousy towards him. Especially after last night.” She smiled as he chuckled softly.
“No jealousy here. Does that make you feel better?”
“Yes,” she responded as she kissed him again. “Now, can we go back to our friends and enjoy the party?”
“One more thing,” he continued. “Whatever that power was, it’s unnatural. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel that something bad will happen to him if he keeps using it.”
“Then we’ll have to tell him to never use it again,” Aria responded as she stood up and grabbed his hand. “Now come on, I want a drink.” Ryder sighed wearily as he followed her back to the group.
“Ya’ll done flirting?” Zane asked as they returned, his eyes lingering on her face. “I want to celebrate before I go risk my life again.”
“Maybe you should go to the Red Room and find a whore,” Bishop muttered from his seat at the bar. “After all, Keira isn’t here to fuck you.”
Cain choked on his beer as he laughed, the beer spraying those near him. “The only person he wants his dick in besides Keira is standing right here.” He chuckled as he glanced at Aria. Aria sighed as she squeezed Ryder’s hand with reassurance.
Zane swiftly smacked the back of Cain’s head and then rested his hand on his shoulder. Cain winced as Zane’s grip intensified, as if he was trying to break his bones. “What the hell? It was just a joke,” Cain complained as he shrugged his shoulders, trying to release Zane’s grip.
“Guess even the mighty Cain can get cucked.” Abel laughed, smiling from ear to ear.
“Shut the fuck up,” Cain growled.
“The monster trio, at each other’s throats as normal.” Bishop sighed as he took a swig of his beer. “You’ll probably get us all killed while fighting over who has the bigger dick.”
“Glad you joined the party, you little shit.” Zane smiled as he sat down next to Bishop.
“I’m just trying to make sure all us normal people live through this fuck fest,” Bishop muttered as he narrowed his eyes at Zane, the muscles along his jaw twitching. “Not that any of that matters to you, the mighty Zane. No, you just want to fuck and prove how powerful you are. Don’t worry though, I’ll make sure some of your little pawns make it through so they can die for you somewhere else.”
“Damnit Bishop,” Zane countered with frustration. “We should have sent you to the damn ships to clear your head.”
“Oh yea. That’s the perfect plan. Whenever someone disagrees with you, just send them away so they can’t destroy your image.”
“Oh, for fucks sack.” Zane looked over at Aria and Ryder. “Can you make sure he gets through this in one piece? I don’t need any more of my friends dying,” he grunted. With a sigh he downed the last of his beer and left the room.
Chapter Forty-Four
Earth
Zane made his way to the Red Room, his mind filled with rage and jealousy. Sure, he was happy for Aria and Ryder, but it still killed him to see them together. And what the fuck was up with Bishop? He sighed as he pushed the door open. It smelled of sex and booze, and he loved it. His heavy footfalls seemed to echo through the room. The patrons stopped and stared, whispers of “Awá” filtered through the room. He went straight to the counter at the back of the room and smiled at the woman behind the counter. She blushed as she ran her eyes over his body.
“What can I do for you?” she asked, her voice low and husky. He placed a few gold coins on the counter, keeping his eyes locked on hers.
“The best sub you have,” he replied hoarsely. She giggled as she grabbed the coins and unlocked a drawer, placing the coins inside. She pulled out a brass key and slid it across the counter to him.
“Room four.” She smiled as she twirled her hair with her finger. “Annalise will be with you in a moment.” Zane nodded as he grabbed the key and left the small room. He went down the narrow hallway, walking past the bar towards the rooms. He stopped in front of the door with the number four plastered on it. He quickly unlocked it and stepped into the small room.
A king size bed was centered on the far wall, it had an elegant canopy, the beams were thick and delicately carved. Some chains, rope, and black cloths were neatly stacked on the small table next to the bed. A couple of chains had been hooked to the wall as well. Zane smiled as he walked over to the table, running his hands along the rope. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as his eyes fell on another table, lined with various whips and switches. “This will be fun,” he muttered as his eyes darkened.
The door to the room opened, a woman with dark brown hair entered the room. She wore a see-through gown, her bronzed skin shining through it.
She smiled up at him, her frame tiny compared to his. She reached behind her neck and untied the gown, allowing it to fall to the floor. “What’s the safe word?” she asked, her voice soft and innocent.
“Black.” His voice was rough as he laid his hands on her shoulders and gently led her to the bed.
“Yes, sir.”
He pushed her onto the bed and grabbed the rope from the table. He quickly tied each ankle up to her thigh. Then he placed her feet together, forcing her legs to fall open. “Don’t move,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
He smiled darkly as his eyes landed on her pussy. He removed his pants and knelt onto the bed, his eyes roaming her body. She stared up at him, her brown eyes filled with trust. He ran his hand up her stomach, feeling her shiver beneath his touch.
He massaged her breasts, relishing in her cry of pain when he pinched her nipples. Her soft, pink lips curved into a smile as she looked up at him, begging for more. He stood up and returned to the table, eyeing the various whips. He grabbed a leather flogger, testing the weight of it in his hand. He whipped it across her chest, the loud thud as it hit her skin filling the room. Her back arched from the pain, but her eyes begged him for more. He hit her again, watching as her skin began to turn red. She smiled up at him. “You want more?”
“Yes, sir.”
He grabbed her and quickly flipped her onto her stomach, placing her legs beneath her so her ass was in the air. He proceeded to whip her; soft moans of pleasure escaped her lips. Zane’s body reacted to her moans, his cock hardening with anticipation. He laid the flogger on the bed as he positioned himself behind her. With a low growl, he grabbed her ass with both hands and thrust deep inside her pussy.