Then they killed him.
Entering through the barracks, they stayed invisible. The barracks held two rows of twin beds neatly made, but no rogues.
“Don't like this,” Ram said.
Axel silently agreed but kept moving, using the blueprints on Sutton's handheld as a guide.
“Shit, smell that?” Key snarled.
Axel did. Witch blood, but it was dying blood. He turned to the door on his right.
“Private room,” Sutton said. “They used to be exam rooms.”
“They're using them to kill the witches they dragged from the cages.” If he opened that door and the witches weren't dead yet, the blood smell would be overpowering. He had to make a decision. “Sutton, you and Key check ahead, make sure it's clear to the surgery room.”
They moved on.
Axel knew Phoenix and Ram were standing next to him, although he couldn't see them. “I'll go in first.” He reached for the door, but it was pulled open before he touched it.
“Let's hit the clubs and …”
Phoenix materialized and jammed his knife into the throat of the speaker.
The rogue gurgled, his brown eyes filled with fear.
“What the …” The second one whipped out his knife.
Ram sliced straight into the rogue's heart and twisted.
Axel moved past the dying rogues into the room. Two exam tables held dead witches. One had short red hair and a scattering of freckles, splattered with blood. The other had been a chunky brunette. Now they were naked, drained of blood, with gaping cuts all over their bodies. The desecration of these two women infuriated him.
“Nothing we can do for them now.”
Ram was right. Axel nodded and turned away. They pulled the door shut behind them.
The next private room had three butchered witches. The rogues who had murdered them were already gone. Axel closed that door, his pulse pounding in his ears. Phoenix and Ram were doing okay since the blood was dead or dying. Or their anger kept the bloodlust at bay.
They moved down the hall when a voice said, “Found the control room.”
Axel stopped at Sutton's voice. They were all invisible but Sutton must have heard or smelled them. “Go on.”
“I checked the cameras. Joe and Carla are on the tables. Morgan's on a chair. Four guards in the room, more guards in the kennel room that opens into the surgery.”
“Trap. Knew that.”
“One more thing,” Key said.
Axel waited.
“Your dad's body is in the conference room. I believe that Reed made his stand there in front of an audience and left the body as a message to anyone who thought to take power from him.”
His father murdered in his own masterpiece of a compound. Fitting. Axel wasted no pity or grief on him. Three people who deserved his protection were in trouble. Two of those were people Darcy loved and he couldn't bear her pain if they died.
And it was time to make their stand. Show the world the Wing Slayer was back and the Wing Slayer Hunters would kick rogue ass in his name. “Let's go.”
Going to the door, Axel opened it enough for them to watch for a second and get the lay of the room. The guards were so fixed on Reed they weren't paying attention to the fact that the door had opened slightly.
Reed had dragged Morgan up by the arm with his left hand, while holding his knife in his right. She had blood running from her mouth, her eyes were wide with horror.
“Don't hurt Joe! He didn't touch me!” Morgan said.
“Can you blame him? Who would want to touch you? You're a crazy-ass cutter.” He laughed at his own joke.
“I'm not!” Her face turned red. “I'm not! I didn't …” Her body bowed with pain.
Reed smiled. “Forget what you were saying, sweetie?”
Morgan curled forward, as if trying to get into the fetal position. Then she slammed her fist up under Reed's jaw, knocking his head back.
“Morgan, no!” Joe roared at the same time. He thrashed on the table, snapping one of the restraints.
Axel took advantage of the distraction and burst into the room, his men at his back. They couldn't hold the shield that made them appear invisible and fight at the same time, so they dropped it as they entered.
Reed threw Morgan into the wall and whirled. “Get them!”
The rogues rushed them with several more pouring out from the kennel room where they'd been hiding.
Axel turned right, avoiding the oncoming rogues, and swiftly killed the two who had been standing guard at Joe's and Carla's feet. Then he turned back.
Phoenix and Key worked back to back, killing with brutal swiftness. Key took a slice to his left arm, whipped around, and killed his attacker.
Sutton worked his way around, killed the two guards at Carla's head, then turned his back to her, crouching to take anyone who came near her.
Ram fought off a swarm of rogues that were protecting Reed. He got close to the man when a shot rang out, dropping Ram to the ground.
Axel saw it happen, and watched as Eric Reed turned the gun on him. “Where's Darcy?”
Darcy. Furious, Axel leapt up into the air, unfurling his wings. His left wing slammed two rogues into the ground. His wingspan took up half the space in the room. Axel caught a handful of Reed's shirt, lifting him into the air with powerful pumps of his wings. The rogues started climbing tables trying to rescue their leader.
Reed roared his rage, swinging his gun around and firing.
The bullet went through Axel's arm and pissed him off more. In a lightning-quick strike, he buried his knife in the bastard's heart and threw him at the rogues.
He landed, ignoring the blood pouring from his arm. Key, Phoenix, and Sutton were taking care of the rest of the rogues. Axel dropped to his knee by Ram. The bullet had torn through his rib cage, maybe nicked his heart. Goddamnit. He'd die if they didn't get the bleeding stopped. He ripped off what was left of his shirt and pressed it on the wound. Too much blood.
Hold on, Axel, I'm coming. I won't let Ram die.
Darcy! She was in his head.
At the same time, he felt a new threat. Rising from Ram's side, Axel turned to the opened doors of the surgery.
Quinn Young stood there. Tall as Axel, with brown hair and black eyes, he took in the scene, then looked at Axel with calm curiosity. “Where is Darcy? It's sad, pathetic really, that one witch can bring down so many men.”
Darcy, do not come. Don't get near this place. It's too dangerous. She was with him, he knew she heard him.
She didn't answer.
Young crossed his arms over his chest, his short-sleeved golf shirt revealing the black Immortal Death Dagger that lived in the burn mark on his right forearm. “Nice wings, by the way. Do you enjoying serving a witch? Being turned into an animal?”
Axel just needed to figure out how to get past that dagger on Young's arm and strike him in the heart. Crossing his arms had looked casual enough, but Axel knew he was protecting his heart with the Immortal Death Dagger.
His men were behind him with Ram, who would die if they didn't get him out of there and to help. Shit. “Darcy sends her regrets but she's not interested in meeting with you.”
“She'll show.” Young walked into the room and looked up at the camera. “You know why, Locke? Power. And if she doesn't get her witch ass over here, I'm going to kill her power source. You.” He dropped his arms and turned.
Axel brought up his arm for a death strike with his hawk-embossed knife.
Instantly, the smell of burned skin grew, and the black knife burst from the flesh of Young's forearm and rocketed toward Axel's chest.
Axel hit the floor, rolled over two dead rogues, and leaped to his feet.
Shit. The Death Dagger had already returned to Young's hand. He controlled it enough to call it back to him without touching it, meaning he had some high-stakes demon magic. Keeping his own knife in his hand, he considered how to win against that Death Dagger. Young was stalling, toying with them, using them t
o draw Darcy to him.
“We have the witch!” A voice called out in triumph.
Two young rogues dragged Darcy into the room. She had three wounds; a knife cut to her bare right arm, one to her left thigh through her jeans, and a slice through her black T-shirt that pierced her side. Her eyes shone with pain and determination. Her right fist was tightly closed—was it cut, or was she holding something? She glanced at Joe, and the remaining restraints snapped open.
She had her powers! Axel felt them vibrate in his intestines as she released Joe's restraints.
“Darcy!” Joe used his elbow and one unbroken hand to get to his feet.
She ignored her cousin. Standing up to her full height, both the rogues holding her slid to the ground as if drugged. “Guess I'm late for the family reunion.”
“How did you kill them? You're an earth witch.” Young's voice pinged with irritation.
“I didn't. I used a sleep charm I learned from my mother. Remember that sleep charm?”
“Darcy,” Axel warned in a low voice. Why was she baiting Young? She knew he had the Immortal Death Dagger, she'd seen him kill her mother to get it. He glanced at Phoenix and inclined his head to the two sleeping rogues.
Phoenix moved in a blur, killing both of the hunters.
Darcy didn't even flinch, and that's when Axel grasped what she was doing. She couldn't kill with her powers, but he and his men were very capable of killing. Fierce pride in her warred with fear and anger. She'd let herself get captured to find him. With his body between Darcy and Young, he said through their mind link, Run Darcy, it's too dangerous.
I have a plan. Trust me.
Darcy …
Young said, “So you're clever, but you're still an earth witch. I learned not to be played by witches. Cleverness won't win against real power.”
She tilted her head and answered, “Here I am. Come and get me.”
Young smiled and in the time it took him to smile, he blew by Axel and got behind Darcy. By the time Axel tracked him, Young was already throwing his arm around Darcy's neck. Then he shoved the Death Dagger against the bleeding wound on her side.
Darcy screamed, her face going white, her witch-shimmer turning gray. She pounded at Young's arm with her still closed fist.
An obscene slurping sound filled the room.
The Dagger was sucking her blood! Feeding the demon that owned it. They could see it growing fat and glistening with her blood.
Axel's heart stuttered then kicked into born-to-kill predator mode. He growled deep in his throat, while the screech of his hawk bounced in the room. He pumped his wings, propelling himself into the air. He landed and struck in a blinding flash, slashing bone-deep into the arm that held the Dagger against Darcy.
“Axel, no!” Darcy cried.
Too late. The Dagger ripped off of her wound with a sickening wet sound and disappeared.
Where the fuck did it go?
Pain exploded in Axel's chest, knocking him back and slamming him to the cement floor. Stunned, he lifted his head and looked down.
The Immortal Death Dagger was embedded in his heart. Buried to its glistening black hilt.
A shock of white-hot agony boiled through him. The effort of breathing became a struggle. He felt blood running down his chest and onto the floor. His vision started to darken … and he saw the wings of death coming for him.
He struggled to push death back, desperate to protect Darcy with his last breath.
Darcy felt Axel's pain and shock like it was her own. Red hot, then icy cold as his life bled away. His love though, his love wrapped around her and kept her anchored to her powers. His love made her strong, strong enough to fight the evil of her father.
“Immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be,” Quinn laughed. His arm was still around her neck.
Phoenix, Key, and Sutton let out roars of fury and rushed toward Axel.
The Dagger rose from Axel's heart with a wet pop and swung at the hunters, forcing them back. Three against one, they fought the Death Dagger. Joe had Carla on the floor by Morgan, protecting them despite a crushed hand and various other injuries.
While Young gloated and tormented, talking about the real power of demons, Darcy whispered, “Pure in its whiteness, born of the earth, consecrated by the sea, feared by the dark, embraced by the light, salt rise and circle your protection.” She tossed the salt she had clenched in her fist, while mentally forming the circle of protection around the room, running the line between Young and herself.
Young's arm was shoved off her neck, his entire body pushed back several inches. He bellowed in rage, lunged for her, then bounced back off an invisible barrier.
The Death Dagger was pushed outside the circle.
“What the fuck did you do! I have the dark powers, you can't do this! You can't trick me with your witchcraft! Not this time!” Young bashed into the barrier over and over.
She ignored him, dropping to the ground by Axel. Terror clawed at her heart and mind. She could feel him separating from her, feel his soul being torn from hers. She grabbed his knife from his limp hand and sliced her palm.
Key moved up next to her. “Darcy …”
“Shut up. I won't let him die!” Axel had no shirt on, so she slapped her bleeding palm to the stab wound. Her chakras were wide open and weeping with her. “Please,” she begged the Ancestors. “Save him.”
Carla, wearing a too-large shirt, dropped to her knees and added her power and light.
Darcy touched her necklace with her free hand. “Wing Slayer, hear me, I give your hunter blood, I beg you to give him breath.”
Light bloomed where her hand lay on Axel, bright against the bronze of his skin mixed with the scarlet of his blood.
His eyes opened, the clear and fierce green she loved.
“Thank you,” she told the Ancestors and Wing Slayer.
He sucked in a breath then snarled at her, “You won't be thanking them when I throttle you, witch. You risked your life coming here!”
She smiled, feeling his life force grow strong and the connection between them sizzle. “And I saved yours.” She kept her hand on Axel giving him as much blood as he needed. “Phoenix, bring Ram over here. Gently.”
Carla put her arm around Darcy's shoulders. “I'll help.”
Phoenix and Key gently carried Ram.
“Where's Sutton?” Axel asked, moving her hand from his healed wound and holding it while sitting up.
Phoenix said, “He went to oversee the cleanup.” He glanced at Carla, then added, “He ripped his shirt off and threw it at Carla to cover herself, then left. He was in a bad way. Sweating bullets. The curse had him by the balls.” They both set Ram down.
Key ripped the bloody shirt away from Ram's chest. The hunter was unconscious and his breathing was shallow.
Darcy took her hand from Axel's hold, “Go over there by Joe, get some space.” From Carla's blood. Key and Phoenix appeared in control, but she and Carla were going to use magic. While the hunters didn't seem to feel Darcy's too much now that her soul had bound with Axel's, they would feel Carla's magic.
They nodded and moved back.
Swiftly, she cut her other hand. This time, she winced at the hot streak of pain.
“Stop that!” Axel snapped, clearly coming back to his full strength.
Laying her hand on Ram, she called for the light of the Ancestors. The power rushed down to collide with her low magic then poured out of her hand with her blood.
Axel put his hands on her waist, settling behind her and next to Carla. “Need my blood?”
“Just your strength. Your blood is already mixed with mine from healing you.”
Ram's pain slammed into her, knocking her back. Axel's arms caught her while Carla let go of her shoulder and quickly grabbed her wrist and kept it anchored on Ram's wound.
“Give me the pain, Darcy. Now,” Axel demanded.
She felt her energy obey him, the pain moving through her to him.
“Darcy.” Ram opene
d his eyes and looked up at her. “What are you doing here?”
She smiled down at him. “Pissing off Axel.”
“Thank you. For healing me and pissing off Axel.”
“He's fine,” Axel growled behind her.
But Darcy heard the sheer relief and gratitude under his gruffness.
An icy foul wind with the stench of burned skin blew through the circle. “This isn't over, Darcy MacAlister. Your mother tried to run, too. I found her and by As-modeus's Death Dagger, I'll find you.”
Darcy whipped her head around in time to see Quinn Young's eyes blaze red fire. The Immortal Death Dagger was back on his arm and it was cauterizing the wound from Axel's knife.
Bile rose in her throat.
“I'll find you!” He turned away and vanished.
Clean air returned.
Axel pulled Darcy closer to him. “Exactly what did you do?”
“I set a circle to keep demons out. He wears the mark of the demon, Asmodeus. It was a risk, but I had a vision and I knew …” She shuddered. “I can't lose you. I won't. I'll find you every damned time you need me.”
Axel wrapped his arms tightly around her, making her feel safe and secure once more. “I'll always need you.”
She leaned into his strength, feeling the hard ridges of his muscles covered the heat of his skin. And the touch of his hawk brushing her mind and her body. It was incredible to be valued for her power and ability, then allowed the luxury of needing comfort.
“Darcy!”
She lifted her head and turned toward Joe's wretched cry.
“Morgan's bleeding. She's losing the baby!”
SUNDAY EVENING: DAY AFTER THE DEATH MARK
“I've missed you, Mom.” Darcy touched the headstone that she had magically conjured for the woman who had raised her, loved her, and taught her an important lesson. The headstone had her name, date of birth and death, and her true legacy:
Love is the Real Magic.
BLOOD MAGIC Page 32