Neither did Marek. It felt as if they had all been playing, not treating this as if it was a game, but not taking it entirely seriously. Daemons were weaker than they were, and could be defeated. They had proven that with the illusionist and the valkyrie, and the incubus and succubus, and had almost taken down the wraith too. The power of a daemon was no match for them, not if they worked together.
But the power of a Hellspawn?
And a breed that used harnessed souls to feed its strength?
One that drew power from death?
That wasn’t good.
For all they knew, they had been feeding the Hellspawn by killing the daemons, making it stronger, a formidable foe that was going to prove a challenge.
And what if it didn’t stop there?
What if more than Hellspawn were involved in this?
“We have a lead to go on,” Keras said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Look into this breed. I will help with whatever information I can give you. I met one once, so we have that to our advantage.”
“We’ll be on guard at the gates.” Daimon looked at Megan and Ares. “You be extra careful.”
Ares nodded. “You know me. I’m always careful.”
Valen snorted at that. “We’ll get Calindria’s soul back. One way or another. We’ll turn over every damned rock until we find where the wraith is hiding.”
“I’ll scout any locations with you, places he might have been.” Esher stepped out from behind Valen.
“I’ll help.” Caterina didn’t shrink back when everyone looked at her. She stood by Marek’s side, her chin tipped up and resolve in her hazel eyes. “He took me to a different mansion. A lot of daemons were there. It’ll be a good place to start. And I’ll try to get through to Guillem too and see what he knows. I think he’ll start talking to me soon. I just need a little more time.”
Everyone murmured in agreement.
The hope that had been leaching from him grew again, filling his heart as he looked at his brothers and they all started talking, discussing what they would do next, forming a plan.
Working together to face this rising threat.
Marek ushered Caterina over to them where they formed a wall, shoulder to shoulder.
As his brothers included her in the conversation, and Megan, Aiko and Eva joined in, Marek looked off to his left, over her head to the opened screens and the garden beyond it.
The sky turned crimson, smoke billowing across it, but no shrieks reached his ears and some of the buildings he could see were no longer crumbling and in ruins.
The otherworld was stable, possibly even improved.
They had taken a knock by losing Calindria’s gate, but sealing it and taking out the illusionist had reversed some of the damage done in the otherworld.
He slipped his arm around Caterina’s shoulders and tucked her against his side as he turned back to his brothers, and smiled as she wrapped her arm around his waist.
The stakes were getting higher, but whatever the enemy was going to throw at them, they could take it.
Their team was growing stronger as the enemy’s grew weaker.
He looked at Caterina.
She was part of this fight now, like Megan, Eva, and Aiko, and he knew that like them, she wouldn’t be sitting on the side lines during this war.
She would be right there in the thick of it.
Fighting at his side.
Watching his back as he watched hers.
Together, they would make it through whatever fate had to throw at them.
Because there was no one in his world more perfect for him.
And no one he loved more.
Caterina lifted her head and looked up at him, her hazel eyes meeting his, reflecting the love that beat in his heart.
A heart that beat for her.
She smiled, tiptoed and whispered against his mouth.
“You think too loud.”
She brushed her lips across his in a brief kiss.
“Or maybe that’s my thoughts echoing in your head.”
The black looks his brothers levelled on him said the thoughts in her head were nothing but wicked.
Marek wrapped her in his arms.
And stepped.
Because he was damned if he was going to let her near his brothers, or let his brothers near her when she was projecting her feelings. The darker part of him growled as he claimed her mouth in a fierce kiss.
She was his and his alone.
And he was hers.
Forever.
The End
* * *
The Guardians of Hades series returns on July 28th with Calistos: Pre-order your copy now
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About the Author
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author who writes passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!
If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole, Donna Grant and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, her best-selling Her Angel romance series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm romance series or any of her stand alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful and passionate, then try her London Vampires romance series. Or if you like hot-blooded alpha heroes who will let nothing stand in the way of them claiming their destined woman then try her Eternal Mates series. It’s packed with sexy heroes in a world populated by elves, vampires, fae, demons, shifters, and more. If sexy Greek gods with incredible powers battling to save our world and their home in the Underworld are more your thing, then be sure to step into the world of Guardians of Hades.
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Also by Felicity Heaton
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Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince
Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat
Book 7: Taken by a Dragon
Book 8: Marked by an Assassin
Book 9: Possessed by a Dark Warrior
Book 10: Awakened by a Demoness
Book 11: Haunted by the King of Death
Book 12: Turned by a Tiger
Book 13: Tamed by a Tiger
Book 14: Treasured by a Tiger
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Book 15: Unchained by a Forbidden Love
Book 16: Avenged by an Angel
Book 17: Seduced by a Demon King
Stories in the Cougar Creek Mates romance series
Book 1: Claimed by her Cougar
Book 2: Captured by her Cougar
Book 3: Courted by her Cougar
Book 4: Craved by her Cougar
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Book 1: Covet
Book 2: Crave
Book 3: Seduce
Book 4: Enslave
Book 5: Bewitch
Book 6: Unleash
Stories in the Guardians of Hades romance series
Book 1: Ares
Book 2: Valen
Book 3: Esher
Book 4: Marek – Coming May 2020
Book 5: Calistos – Coming July 2020
Book 6: Daimon – Coming Fall 2020
Book 7: Keras – Coming Fall 2020
Stories in the Her Angel: Bound Warriors romance series
Book 1: Dark Angel
Book 2: Fallen Angel
Book 3: Warrior Angel
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Stories in the Her Angel: Eternal Warriors romance series
Book 1: Her Guardian Angel
Book 2: Her Demonic Angel
Book 3: Her Wicked Angel
Book 4: Her Avenging Angel
Book 5: Her Sinful Angel
Stories in the Vampires Realm romance series
Book 1: Prophecy: Child of Light
Book 2: Prophecy: Caelestis & Aurorea
Book 3: Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising
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Book 3.5: Reunion
Book 4: Seventh Circle
Book 5: Winter's Kiss
Book 6: Hunter's Moon
Book 7: Masquerade
Book 8: Hunger
Books 1-3 are also available in one anthology ebook: Prophecy Trilogy
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Book 1: In Heat
Book 2: In Heat: Mating Call
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Copyright © 2020 Felicity Heaton
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
The right of Felicity Heaton to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First printed May 2020
First Edition
Layout and design by Felicity Heaton
All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover by Felicity Heaton
Marek: Guardians of Hades Series Book 4 Page 39