by Becca Van
All of a sudden the demon lunged forward, grabbing the smallest woman by her wrist and tugging her into his bigger body.
Set drew his sickle shaped sword or scimitar and ran toward the women and demon. Sab and the others followed. When he reached the demon-possessed human, he wrenched the guy away from the woman as Sab, Menna and Pen grabbed the women, lifted them into their arms, and hurried away.
Set released the demon and although the shadow tried to place a hand on his chest to get at his soul, he moved too fast for it to get a hold of him. The body the demon had taken over was sluggish and the skin tone was a sickly pale blue color which reminded him of a dead body. He was just glad the demonic hadn’t had the chance to steal enough souls to give it the energy to give him a good fight. If that had been the case Set could have found himself dragged into the underworld before he could blink.
He lifted his sword and with one swing sliced the head from the body. Set watched dispassionately as it fell to the ground, waiting for the shadow to emerge. He didn’t have long to wait. Seconds later a dark shadow rose from the dead human and before it had appeared fully he sliced his sword through it.
Eerie shrieks and moans assailed his sensitive ears as the shadow demon writhed in agony and slowly faded to nothing.
“Good job, Set.” En squeezed his shoulder.
“Did Sab and the others block the women’s memories?” Set asked as he glanced about for the others.
En nodded and was about to reply but no words were necessary when Sab, Pen and Men appeared in front of him.
“The demon didn’t hurt that girl?” Set asked.
“Other than a few bruises and scratches on her wrist, no,” Sab answered.
“There’s something not right about this situation.” Set frowned and turned on his heel, heading back toward the town of Price.
“What do you mean?” Paser asked.
“It was too easy.”
Wen looked at Set over his shoulder. “It was. The demonic aren’t usually so careless until they’re at full strength.”
“What the hell is Apep up to?” Mit asked with a sigh.
“I think he’s building an army,” Pen suggested.
“Surely there would have been more activity if he was. People would be reporting their loved ones missing but there’s only been one or two here and there.” Set reached over, putting his sword back in the sheath strapped to his back.
“No more than usual,” En confirmed.
“Then how the hell is Apep going to create his army if the demonic aren’t stealing souls from the innocent?” Men asked.
“I don’t know, but he’s up to something and I don’t like it.”
* * * *
Zara was having the time of her life. She couldn’t believe she could bench press five hundred pounds without straining her muscles. She’d tried every piece of equipment in the gym and did whatever it was with the ease of an elite athlete. No, even better than that. What she really wanted to test was hand to hand fighting.
She was currently standing in front of the large mirror on the wall and going through the moves of some sort of martial arts. There were pictures and descriptions of each move pinned to the wall beside the mirror and she spent the last couple of hours doing each one over and over until they began to feel natural. By the time she was done she was filled with a confidence she’d never had before. Her muscles were pleasantly tired from hours of working out and testing her body, but she wasn’t exhausted like she would have been if she hadn’t been made immortal, and she wasn’t covered in sweat or breathing heavily.
Zara decided she’d had enough for now and sat on the floor so she could cool her body down slowly as she stretched. When she was finished she rose and headed toward the kitchen. She had a feeling the guys would be hungry when they got home and decided to cook them a big breakfast with all the works. Plus, she was thirsty and needed a drink.
After she’d guzzled down a glass of water she set the bacon and eggs on the counter and mixed up a large batch of pancake batter, then set the table. She wasn’t sure what time the sentinels would be back and decided to hold off on cooking because she didn’t want anything to spoil.
Zara jumped when she heard a bang in the distance and crept into the hallway. She listened intently but when she didn’t hear any more noise took a step back toward the kitchen. Another bang came from the vicinity of the entrance and although she was nervous, she wasn’t scared. Set and Sab had told her that no one but them could get into their home.
She kept moving until she was standing in front of the door and jumped when another series of bangs hit the steel door. There was a speaker to one side of the entrance, which Zara activated. She didn’t say anything but listened, hoping whoever was there would speak or leave, but she couldn’t leave some poor soul outside if they were in trouble.
The entrance to the bunker was disguised as a beach house where any deliveries were taken. The front room was the only real room in the house, and no human had ever been beyond that point. The long hallway at the back off the house led to the underwater bunker, which had another set of doors that could be closed off if necessary for safety reasons. Set and Sab added her DNA to the security system before they left, but she wasn't sure she should open the door.
“Hello?” a female voice whispered. Bang, bang, bang. The woman’s fist hit the door, the sound reverberating down the long corridor. “Please? Someone help me.”
Zara bit her lip in indecision. Set and Sab had told her to stay inside where she would be safe but she couldn’t leave the woman out there if she was in trouble. She sucked in a breath and then opened the door.
The woman fell across the threshold and onto the floor. She was covered in bruises and blood. Zara knelt down and gently turned her onto her side in case she got sick. She brushed the dark hair from her face and swore when she saw there was a blue tint to her skin. It looked like the woman was barely breathing and starting to turn blue.
Zara wondered if she should call 9-1-1 or start CPR on her but made the choice when the woman’s chest stopped rising and falling. She quickly turned her over onto her back, tipped her head back to open her airways, pinched her nose, and pulled her chin down to open her mouth. After checking there was no foreign matter in the woman’s mouth or throat, she covered her mouth with her own and breathed into her.
She knew she’d made a mistake and been had the moment hands clutched hold of her head in a punishing grip. Zara planted her hands on the woman’s shoulders and tried to pull back but she seemed to have inhuman strength. A cry of pain emitted from her mouth when sharp fingernails dug into her scalp and although she wrapped her hands around the crazy woman’s wrists and tried to pull the woman’s hands from her head, she couldn’t get her to budge.
Zara jerked when a slimy disgusting tongue slid into her mouth and she gagged as she tried to turn her head to the side. The muscles in her neck wrenched, sending shards of pain shooting into her head and down her spine, but it was the pain in her chest that scared the bejesus out of her.
Zara opened her eyes and stared into the soulless blue ones of the woman she’d tried to help and knew she was in deep shit. What she saw in that gaze made her shake and shiver with fear and she wondered if she would come out of this alive or whole.
Little by little she could feel her spirit being drawn from her body and darkness began to close in.
The image of Set and Sab popped into her head, their eyes had been so full of love when they’d made love to her and her heart stuttered before slamming against the wall of her chest. Anger began to build. She’d only just found men who loved her unconditionally and she loved them so much in return, she didn’t want to die or be the underworld demon ruler’s puppet.
Zara let the adrenaline flow through her blood and compounded her anger until she felt as if she was in a full blown rage. She wasn’t giving up without a fight. If she was going out then it would be in a blaze of glory.
* * * *
Sab st
umbled and almost went to his knees when he felt agony pierce his chest. A roar of fury and fear left his mouth and he turned to look at Set. His friend had a hand on his chest and his face had gone pale.
“Zara!” Set shouted and then took off.
The speed Sab and Set ran at was exceptionally fast. Faster than they’d ever pushed themselves before. They had to travel approximately seventy five miles to get back to the base and although they’d come by van, they didn’t have time to go back to the vehicle. Not with Zara in danger and when it was faster to travel this way by foot.
“Teleport!” Set ordered, hoping like hell he and Sab wouldn't be too disorientated to be able to save their mate. He cursed when they came up short and began to run again. He and the others were going to have to start using this skill more often so they could become more proficient at it. Hopefully the effects of teleporting would lesson.
“What’s going on?” Pen asked as he and the others caught up with Sab and Set.
“I think this was a set-up, meant to keep us busy while one of the demonic got to our woman.”
“Fuck!” Mit nodded and the team of sentinels ran like they’d never run before.
Sab prayed to Ra and any other god willing to listen to keep Zara safe. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that if he lost her now, after just finding her, he wouldn’t be able to go on. She had become his world and he would do absolutely anything to save her.
Even give his own life.
* * * *
Zara could feel her spirit slowing draining away, but she didn’t stop fighting. She embraced the anger racing through her body but she also tried to keep her mind in the game. She moved her hands to the woman’s throat and squeezed so hard she felt the woman’s trachea and esophagus give way.
She managed to get a knee to the floor and pushed her body up and off the possessed woman’s, shifted her other knee and pressed it against her chest. The demon inside the female roared with pain and anger but Zara held her ground as much as she could, using all of her newfound strength. When the woman’s eyes rolled back in her head and her hands fell away from Zara’s hair and head to flop to the floor, she eased her hold on her throat, but wasn’t stupid enough to leave her unrestrained.
Now that she felt the danger had passed her body began to react. Her frame began to tremble and tears welled in her eyes and although she wished Set and Sab were here to hold her, she was still all alone. She didn’t even realize she was hyperventilating until dark spots formed before her eyes, but when she did she held her breath for a few moments before exhaling slowly. The darkness receded but she was still shaking and her teeth were chattering. Cold had permeated her frame to the bone and all she wanted to do was have a hot shower and curl up in bed, but first she had to find a way to tie this crazy bitch up.
Zara slowly and carefully removed her knee from the female’s chest, watching her intently just in case she was playing at being unconscious. When she remained still on the floor, Zara sighed with relief and rose to her feet, before hurrying toward the kitchen. She needed to find something to use to restrain the woman and hope that the bitch didn’t escape the bindings and come at her again before her mates and the other sentinels got back.
She rummaged through cupboards and when she didn’t find anything she searched the drawers. She nearly shouted in triumph when she found a bunch of zip ties. Zara grabbed them and a knife for protection just in case and headed back to the prone demon-possessed woman.
The moment she was close enough to see the floor near the entrance Zara froze and then she glanced about, fear spiking in her body again. The demonic bitch was gone but Zara had a feeling she hadn’t gone far. Even though the lights were on there were too many shadows for her to see clearly and too many places to hide. There were numerous doors off of the hallway and all of them were closed. Zara didn’t want to risk going into one of those rooms only to be jumped and end up demon fodder. She decided that maybe she would have a better chance of surviving this by going outside. At least she would have more places to run to and hopefully she’d be able to find a hiding place. She didn’t think a locked door would be much of a deterrent to the demon, especially since Zara had had a taste of the fucker’s strength.
Keeping alert with the knife gripped tightly in her right hand and the zip ties in her left, Zara backed toward the open door and kept her glance moving, watching for a glimpse of the demon or movement in the shadows.
She’d just stepped over the threshold and outside when she felt a frission of cold race up her spine. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she slowly turned to face the threat. What she saw in front of her had her mouth gaping open in terror and her knees trembled so much she didn’t think she would be able to remain standing for much longer.
There were about ten wispy-like shadows floating in the air and then as one they surrounded her. She glanced to her right when she saw movement and saw the demon-possessed bitch moving toward her. When the woman moved her arm, and Zara saw the evil bitch had a knife, she gulped. She hadn't even realized she'd dropped the knife as she'd frozen in terror.
* * * *
Set’s legs were burning from moving so fast for so long. What should have taken them just over an hour to travel, took them just less than a quarter of that time, thanks to teleporting some of the way. He’d never been so scared in his life than when he’d felt that god-awful excruciating pain in his chest, and it hadn’t been the pain that had scared him. It was where the source of pain was coming from.
The moment he saw the copse of trees and then the beach house on the edge of the lake, hiding the entrance to the compound, he and Sab slowed down. He needed to use his head and not go off half-cocked, which could put Zara in more danger or end up getting her killed.
He moved up behind the last tree before the clearing and his heart stopped. She was surrounded by shadow demons, and a demon-possessed human was walking slowly toward her with a knife in her hand. He wished he could call on Ra, but the sun god had never manifested at night time. It was up to him, Sab, and the other sentinels to save his mate. Thankfully, there was something wrong with the human's body because it was moving as if in slow motion.
Set gave the others hand signals and waited until they were in position. He glanced at Sab and saw the same look of determination on his friend’s face that was probably on his. With a nod, he reached back, withdrew his sword, and walked toward his mate.
Half the shadow demonic broke off from the group and floated toward him and Sab. Set stopped and loosened his muscles in preparation of the fight to come. The first demon to get close to him opened its mouth, emitting a high pitched eerie cry which hurt his ears, but he blocked it as best he could. When he saw the other demonic move toward his mate he roared with rage. Sab’s war cry joined his and they began slashing through the shadows while the rest of the sentinels hurried toward Zara.
He and Sab swung without cessation and before he knew it the shadows who’d turned to fight them were no longer. The other sentinels had surrounded the other demons but none of them had taken the chance to slash at them.
Those fucking demonic had encased their mate in their shadows and if any of them tried to kill them they would end up hurting and maybe even killing Zara. They couldn’t take the chance. Her body was weeping blood from cuts where the demonic had been holding her.
The instant his gaze locked with Zara’s and he saw the terror in her eyes, his anger erupted until he began to shake with rage.
“Take me and let her go,” Set stepped toward the shadows and Zara, praying the demonic would take him up on his offer so his mate would be safe.
“Set, no!” Zara yelled.
“I can’t let them have you, baby.” Set pushed all the love he felt for his mate into the link between them and toward her.
Her eyes softened and she stared at him and then Sab with her heart in her eyes. The love that shone from her gaze was so pure and true it made his heart hurt.
Just as the possessed h
uman grabbed hold of Zara's hair, tugging her head back at an unnatural angle, and placed the knife blade to his mate's throat, Set began to move.
And then the most amazing thing happened.
The glow of love in Zara’s eyes seemed to shine out and started to flow over her body until she was covered in pure white light.
The shadow demons screamed. As if silently screaming, the possessed human's mouth gaped open. Then there was a loud explosion. The demon-possessed woman and the shadow demons disintegrated into ashes. Although the light had burst up and out and covered him and the other sentinels, Set was amazed that none of them were harmed. The light faded and he had to blink a few times to adjust to the darkness. When he was able to see, his heart stopped for a second and then he was on the move.
Set threw himself to his knees, aware of Sab doing the same and he reached for Zara. She was prone on the ground and even though she wasn’t conscious he was relieved to see that she was breathing. He tore open one of the rips in her shirt and was amazed to see the cuts which had been on her body were gone. Her skin was unmarred, except for the drying blood. No scars had been left to blemish her perfect skin.
“Man, that was fucking awesome,” Wen whispered in an awe filled voice.
“Is she all right?” Pen asked as he came up behind Sab.
“I’m not sure.” Set lifted Zara into his arms and then stood. “We need to get her back inside.”
“Do you want me to call Ra?” En asked.
“I don't know if he can come to us during the dark hours. He never has before. Perhaps you could check her out first.” Set hurried inside and didn’t stop until he was in the rooms he shared with Sab.
Sab hurried to the bed, pulled the covers back and Set gently lowered Zara to the mattress. He and Sab removed her shoes and then waited anxiously while En looked their mate over.