by RB Austin
Table of Contents
FALLEN DEATH
Acknowledgements
Glossary of Trihune characters and words
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Epilogue
FALLEN DEATH
The Trihune Series - Book 3
RB AUSTIN
SOUL MATE PUBLISHING
New York
FALLEN DEATH
Copyright©2016
RB AUSTIN
Cover Design by Melody A. Pond
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Published in the United States of America by
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Macedon, New York, 14502
ISBN: 978-1-68291-163-1
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To all those in need,
We cannot get rid of our demons.
They’ve made us who we are, shaped our lives.
Peace can only be found once we accept their presence.
Acknowledgements
Big thank you to Michelle for the inside look at the Baptist community. Hearts and kisses!
Dr. Ken, your teachings stuck with me, more so than nine years of Catholic school classes.
Cheryl C., Kathy, Tim, and Pam, you’re all made of awesomesauce! I can’t believe you still answer my emails.
Dawn: Best. Beta. Reader. Ever.
Cheryl Y., you believed in me even before one word was written. Thank you just isn’t enough. How about a hundred roses? Or puppies? Chocolate?
Glossary of Trihune characters and words
ach Brother.
adohn Term of respect, means lord of the house or ruler.
Ares A Woyr from the north region.
bahshrett A Trihune’s true equal, the other half of their soul.
Behnshma Supernatural beings created by the Sonh to be protectors to the Followers. There are seven Behnshma Septs, or divisions, around the earth.
Benjamin A Behnshma from Sept Seven Alaska. He has the ability to astral project.
Caderyn A Behnshma leader of Sept One Oregon. He has the ability to read minds and erase long-term memories.
choghen A human clergyman.
Drew A Behnshma from Sept Seven Alaska. He has the ability of psychometry.
ebhed A servant employed by Trihune members.
Enyo A Woyr from the north region.
Fallen Dead beings created by Apollyon. They consume souls in order to survive.
Followers Humans.
Gabriel A Behnshma from Sept One Oregon. His attractiveness is considered his ability.
John A Behnshma leader of Sept Two Greenland. He has the ability to sense others’ powers.
Lars A Behnshma from Sept Four Norway. Fights with knives, always hits his mark.
Lucas A Behnshma from Sept One Oregon. He is an empath.
nheqeba Female.
Sarid A Behnshma from Sept One Oregon. Houses a demon called the Other.
Seymon A Behnshma from Sept Three Russia. Does not discuss his ability.
Shaydes Supernatural beings created by the Holyspiryt. Shaydes guard the gate between the heavens and the underworld.
Trinyty Comprised of the Fathyr, the Sonh, and the Holyspiryt. Created by the Creator to be His guardians and confidants. With the Creator, they are one, sharing his innermost thoughts, and He theirs.
Trihune Comprised of Behnshmas, Woyrs, and Shaydes. Created by the Trinyty to be the true sacred defenders of the Creator and His Followers.
Woyrs Supernatural beings created by the Fathyr. Woyrs appear human but show their true form when near Apollyon or his Fallen.
Zachariah A Behnshma from Sept Four Norway. Fights with a rapier sword.
When one who has traded sides is shown, the end has begun.
Danger.
Trials.
Trust in one another.
Do not break apart.
Together you are stronger.
It is time for separation to end.
For forces in like to join.
Gather your brothers.
Gather those born from the Fathyr.
Some will die.
Some will be lost.
In the end, all will be saved.
This was why you were created.
The Creator has given you the power to serve Him.
Do not fail.
Do not disappoint.
A map has been foretold.
Its key long lost.
Find the key.
Find the way.
Find the truth and triumph.
“For most their world is a road filled with difficulty, mine is a potholed-path overrun with death.” —Sarid
“Trust is a four letter word. It should never be spoken, and definitely never, ever considered.” —Asjhone
>
Chapter 1
Hurt. Kill. Maim. The demon ran through the trees surrounding the HQ.
Don’t. Don’t do it. Sarid’s warnings did little except to make the demon laugh. It was in charge now. Until it grew tired, Sarid had no possibility of taking control back.
Hurt. Kill. Maim. Break their bones.
It knew how to get off the property undetected, too. Why hadn’t Sarid warned Cade?
Because he’d been protecting his achs.
Death, destruction, and chaos were the demon’s objectives when it was free. It would do whatever necessary to get what it wanted. Like mowing down those in its way.
His brothers meant well, but they were alive because Sarid used his last bit of power to run away from the HQ. Today had been harder. Seeing Apollyon on the live feed had given the Other a burst of strength it’d never shown before. Sarid had barely managed to escape with all lives intact.
Hurt. Kill. Maim. Wrap my hand around their necks. The demon didn’t like to be trapped. Most especially, trapped inside Sarid’s body.
Sarid wasn’t happy about the arrangement either, but after three hundred years he’d managed to come to terms with it.
No one liked a whiner.
Hurt. Kill. Maim. Squeeze until their heads pop off.
Kill then maim? Did the Other even listen to what it was saying?
The demon paused. Hurt. Maim. Kill. Rejoice in their screams of fear.
Great. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything.
The demon was at the southeast corner of the property now. A twenty-foot high, steel-encased, brick fence surrounded the estate and was monitored twenty-four hours a day. Motion detectors had been placed throughout the land, including the top of the wall. So far, it’d managed to avoid the sensors in its current path.
Not so difficult to do, since Sarid was the one who had created and installed the HQ’s security measures.
In one leap it cleared the fence. The demon laughed. The sound was more like a coughing bark. Hurt. Maim. Kill.
The Other’s face was skeletal. No muscles or skin. A scarlet film covered its eye sockets, giving everything in sight a reddish hue. It was able to see greater and farther than Sarid in his human-like Behn form.
Hearing was better, too. The demon was miles from the HQ, but could still hear the other Behns and the Woyrs shouting search and find orders.
The Other had purposely tripped a few motion detectors in front of the HQ before doubling back. The demon wouldn’t be found unless it wanted to.
And Sarid would do everything in his power, weak as he was at the moment, to prevent capture.
A hard, impenetrable membrane—cross between rhino skin and alligator scales—covered its body. Underneath that, thick muscle. The Other’s arms were long. When it dropped to all fours, it could reach a speed of one-eighty per hour.
At the end of each finger was a long, thick nail; sharper than Sarid’s favorite ivory-handled daggers. With one swipe, and without trying, the demon could cleave through skin, muscle, and bone.
Hurt. Maim. Kill. I’ll bathe in their blood.
On purpose, the woods were denser around the HQ. A human Follower would have to be extremely determined, and have hours to kill, to move through the thick brush.
It was no problem for the demon. Especially since it wasn’t really working in stealth mode. By the time a noise registered, it was more than a mile away.
Hurt. Maim. Kill. Hurt. Broken bones. Kill. Screams. Maim. Blood. Hurt. Maim. Kill.
Yes, he should’ve told his Sept One boss how easy it was for the Other to avoid detection.
Save his brothers? Or save human Followers? Either scenario was unbearable. How many more innocent deaths could he take on his conscience?
The demon laughed, moving faster through the forest.
Sarid gasped. He knew where the demon was headed.
It wasn’t normal for the Other to seek out crowds. It liked to stay hidden. The forests offered stray hikers, lost Followers, and animals. Sarid always prayed for the latter.
Self-preservation was the demon’s motto. A century had passed since the last manhunt for a ten-foot monstrous beast with a skull head.
Weapons improved since then.
But, again, today was different. The Other wasn’t running from public eye.
It headed straight toward the middle of downtown Astoria.
Chapter 2
Asjhone Williams walked out of the locker rooms at Astoria Memorial. Head down, she attached her RN badge to the front pocket of her scrubs.
“Whoa.” Two large—male—hands clutched her shoulders.
She stiffened, head jerking up, heart jolting. Her gaze landed on a white coat, unable to hide the evidence of strong arms and wide shoulders, then lifted to meet the amused eyes of Dr. Jones.
Asjhone tried to dislodge herself from the doctor’s hold. He squeezed her shoulders once before letting go.
“Sorry, Dr. Jones.” She stepped back, hid her shaking hands behind her back.
“Kaal, remember?” Bedroom sexy, that’s how Monique described his voice. Although, the fellow nurse could reference most anything to sex.
She ignored the way her heart still pounded out of control. “Of course. How’s the ER this morning?”
His smile showed off perfect, straight white teeth. Okay, so, he was eye-candy.
But looks weren’t everything.
“Quiet so far.” His gaze ran up and down her length. It was a quick sweep. More hey-I’m-interested and less I’m-a-total-sleaze-ball.
She folded her arms over her chest, resisted the urge to move farther away.
“So, Asjhone, I’m glad you bumped into me.” He winked, chuckled. “You haven’t given an answer about next Friday.”
“Oh. Um, next Friday?” Her palms grew damp.
“Tickets. To see Cats. In Portland.” His perfect smile faltered before notching up three degrees. He stepped closer, laid a hand on her shoulder, leaned in. “Dinner’s included.” His breath brushed across her cheek making her cringe.
She leaned back.
His smile dropped.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Jones.”
“Kaal.”
“My son’s sitter can only watch him during the day.”
Kaal’s features tightened then smoothed away. He flashed another smile. “My sister can watch him. She loves kids. Has a handful of her own.”
She shifted, took another tiny, unnoticeable step away. “Well, the thing is, I’m actually more of a dog person.”
His eyebrows furrowed for a second before he tilted his head back and laughed. “You’re adorable. Don’t like the theater, huh? How about—” Beep! Dr. Jones pulled a black pager from its case on his belt buckle. He glanced at it. Sighed. “To be continued,” he told her and squeezed her shoulder once more before striding away.
Asjhone closed her eyes. Allowed one shudder to rack her body. She shook out her hands. Inhaled deep. Then squared her shoulders, straightened her back, and headed toward the ER.
She ignored the adrenaline still coursing through her body, telling her flight was the only feasible response to the situation.
Chapter 3
Somewhere in the distance a child laughed.
Sarid inhaled sharply. No. Dear Creator. Anyone else. Please. He struggled against the restraints trapping him inside his own body. The ones that normally held the demon captive.
Another high peal of delight. More than one. Less than two miles away.
Don’t do it. Stop. Turn back. He pleaded with the Other.
The demon didn’t listen. It never did. Master will see. He will be proud.
Sarid punched his invisible cage. Again. And, again.
The demon laughed and
turned toward the children. Hurt. Maim. Kill.
Chapter 4
At the hub of the ER, Asjhone stopped in front of the u-shaped counter. Three smaller desks sat behind it.
“Then he went down on me right in the bathroom. It was intense. The music was so loud the walls were thumping.” A throaty laugh. “Good thing, though. I came so hard, I screamed.”
Ugh. Asjhone wished she could take a play from her son and cover her ears.
Monique, with her bright red lips and long dark hair that she never tied back, leaned against the counter. Tynice sat at one of the desks typing. She met Asjhone’s gaze, rolled her eyes.
Asjhone raised her eyebrows in agreement.
Tony and Erika stood behind the counter, staring at Monique with mixed expressions of shock and awe.
“Asjhone,” Monique said. “Arriving a little late, aren’t you? You missed shift change.” She smirked. “Did you finally get some?”
“Tony.” Asjhone didn’t even glance in Monique’s direction. “Can you tell me what I missed?”
“Sure,” he answered with an easy smile. “In T-3: male, thirty-five, chest pain, waiting on lab results, Dr. J’s attending. T-13: female, seven, high fever, severe stomach pain, waiting on flu test, Dr. B. T-7: female, multiple bruises, left arm fractured in two spots. Said fell down flight of stairs. Suspected DV. Dr. J’s trying to get her to accept help. T-21: male, iodine and latex allergy . . .”
When Tony finished, Asjhone thanked him and headed toward T-3. Tynice fell in step with her.
“Did you finish A Lover’s Vow yet?”
“Almost,” Asjhone said. “I read a good portion last night.”