by Leah Silver
Ike leaned in close to me, his breath sending goose bumps all over my neck. “I don’t think they can. That seems to be how they got in this mess in the first place.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t had a lot of time to form a plan, not worrying about you like I was. It’s clear they need help, but I’m not sure how to accomplish that.”
“Can I tell you something, Ike?” I stepped back from him to clear my head a bit. “I left a few slaves behind when I rescued Oscar.”
Ike’s amused eyes cut to Oscar. “She rescued you?”
“Not unlike what’s happening here, so just puff out your chest a little further there, wolfie,” Oscar drawled.
“They were clearly very abused by the super race. They were lesser species of the ones controlling the plague.”
“What?” Ike interjected. “There are more of them?”
I nodded. “Complete with a social hierarchy, just like any other race of creatures.” I paused as studied the pack. Social hierarchy indeed. “Thing is, I couldn’t save them. If I wanted to have any hope of helping them, I needed to keep my eyes on our goal. End the enemy, then they will be free. That’s what we need to do here. End the enemy, set them free.” I jabbed a finger toward Julia’s pack to emphasize my point.
“But there’s more here than just slaves. There’s a portal.”
“A what?” Great. I was zero percent interested in opening any doors to Pandora’s who knew what.
“You’ll just have to see it for yourself.” He held out a hand for me, expecting me to take it. He’d expected me to bend to his will. That we would stay here and help these wolves. It wasn’t something I was willing to commit to. But Ike, I’d already committed myself to him. Had he reciprocated?
“Ike, I need to know. Where is your loyalty?”
He took my other hand in his and looked deep into my eyes. “With you. The moment I laid eyes on you, it was only you. You are my beginning and my end. I’m afraid, whether you like it or not, I’m yours.”
I glanced over his shoulder where Julie crossed her arms over her chest, a sour expression on her face. “And her?”
“She is misguided.”
“A safe way to say…”
He sighed heavily. “I don’t want to hurt her, but I will if she forces me.”
“I don’t mind doing it for you,” I offered, with probably a little too much glee.
“Merry. Jealousy doesn’t suit you.” He honest to the Mother scolded me. So, obviously, I played the part and stuck out my bottom lip.
“You never let me have any fun.”
He leaned in close, and then nipped at my pushed-out lip. “I promise you, I’ll let you have all the fun when this is over.”
“My promises for when this is over are stacking up. I’m ready for some fun now,” I breathed when he touched my forehead with his.
“I know, love.” He kissed me before pulling away. “I know.” He stared into my eyes, as if telling me that yes, he really did know. Were his balls getting as blue as mine? Well, if I had balls, they would be. “Come, there are things to show you.”
He took my hand. Oscar watched us go, quite pleased with himself by the look on his smug face. “You coming, stony?” I asked when we walked past.
“Yes. Just like to walk behind you. It’s a nice view.”
I waggled my hips a bit as Ike lead me into the old home. What greeted me there was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
He didn’t stop in the living room. We continued through the well-kept country-style home. When he threw open the basement door with one hand, I peered down into the darkness. An eerie feeling crept over me. It felt like an unseen demon was standing in front of me, breathing fire over my skin.
“Holy—”
Ike cut me off. “I assure you, there’s nothing holy about what’s down there.”
Whatever you do, don’t disturb the demon
Ike went first into the basement. Oscar followed behind me.
“It wasn’t easy getting Julie to show me this.”
“Oh, yeah? What’d you do, waggle your ass at her?” I couldn’t help the spiteful undertone that came through. Or maybe I didn’t want to.
“No,” Ike said, a little indignantly. “I offered her freedom.”
“What? You’ve already made promises to her?” I yelled it, and Ike whipped around.
“Shh.” He put two hands on me to try and calm me, but the damage was done. A beastly growl rumbled the rickety wooden steps we occupied, and I peered around the wall, looking for what could be making that noise, knowing it was another damned demon.
“They’re keeping a demon down here?” I asked. “Why?”
“It’s a guardian of sorts.”
“Guardian of the…portal?”
“Yes. But don’t disturb the demon,” Ike urged.
“Sounds like it’s a bit too late for that,” Oscar said when the growl turned into a full-on roar.
“Cranky beast, eh?” I asked. I pushed past the boys, coming face to face with the ugliest demon I’d ever seen. Horns hooked out from above its ears, if they could be called that. They were little more than tiny holes in the side of its head. Anyway, those horns drove right into the poor thing’s nostrils. How it even breathed was beyond me, but it made the growling and snorting all that much louder.
At the sight of him, my thirst kicked in. I licked my lips. “This will be fun.”
“No, you can’t kill it. If you do, they’ll know. They’ll come here.” Ike put a hand on my arm, holding me back a bit.
“They?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the big blue beast.
“The super race,” Ike filled in.
I stood up and finally took my eyes off the demon. He wasn’t an intelligent beast. In fact, he seemed like someone’s pet. Why would they trust such an important portal to a beast like that?
“And how is that possible?”
“He has a track on him.”
“And why have they guarded this door to the unknown, likely straight to their hive?” I asked, thinking out loud. “Especially with a mindless beast such as this?”
“Because he’s a bit poisonous. If he bites you, or even drools on you, you die. No race is immune to him. He’s deadly to us all. Even the werewolves who keep him here.”
“And who told you that? Julie?” I said in complete disbelief. As I thought about it, though, it made sense. All demons came with their own bag of tricks. Even the mindless ones, I supposed.
“Don’t get any closer to him. Please, Merry.” Ike was literally begging me.
“I’d prefer you kept your begging to the bedroom, wolf,” I said, kicking a rather large stick in the direction of the demon. He went after it gladly, leaving an open route to the door. “Not much on being fierce, huh?” I asked, keeping an eye on the demon while I made my way closer to the door. My thirst unquenched. I swallowed as I made my way around, catching whiff after whiff of the beast. He didn’t smell all that poisonous to me.
“So where does the portal go?” I asked, not sure Ike even knew the answer to that.
It didn’t really matter since he didn’t have a chance to offer one. Just as I was making my way close enough to touch the portal, someone came tumbling through. The person was tangled up in their cloak. The same color cloak as…
“Ed?” I screeched, knowing logically it couldn’t be. But my heart sang a different song as he rolled into the beast, leaving them both sputtering and grumbling. “Ed,” I called more urgently as he scrambled away from the beast, who was now screaming angrily at having been disturbed.
Pulling out two daggers, I raced to Ed’s side, slashing at the beast. I caught him on the hindquarters, realizing he resembled a big blue pig. I smacked my lips again. He’d be good eating. After all, who didn’t like a bit of bacon?
He squawked, the sound piercing my ears. I couldn’t help but cover them as I shooed Ed away from the creature.
“What is t
hat?” Ed asked.
“Not your favorite kitten,” I said. I tried to get him as far away as the small basement would allow. The pig demon charged at us, snorting and growling the whole way, stomping the ground with deep blue hooves.
Ike was at our side in an instant with a glowing grey whip that he cracked next to him. The beast eyed him warily, halting and pawing at the ground.
“Ike, what in Bael’s name is that?” I asked, feeling absolutely repulsed by it. I could tell just by being in the same room with it, the whip was pure unadulterated evil.
“It’s what they use to control it,” he explained.
“You shouldn’t be handling it,” I said, hoping he’d toss it aside. But he didn’t. His grip grew tighter on it as the beast backed away.
“And let the thing take you both out? I don’t think so,” Ike said. Oscar had changed into his stone form, and he stood next to Ike ready for action. Three of my four men were back together. Was this real?
Ed smoothed his cloak, caught me staring at him, and immediately stopped what he was doing. “Hey, gorgeous. You’re a sight for sore eyes.” He looked…war worn. His beard and his white hair had a grey hue to them. As if he’d been climbing around in a dusty place. He had some caked-on blood on his face, above his eyebrow, and on his left hand as well.
“Where were you?” I asked when he closed the distance between us. He had a very distinct odor to him, and it reminded me of how Oscar smelled when I found him. And how Sara had smelled while she’d been sick. “Ed?” I held him at arm’s length, frantically searching for black spots.
“It doesn’t matter where I’ve been. Only that we’re together now.” He tried to lean down and kiss me, but I pushed him away.
“Where’d you get that, some historical romance novel?” I mimicked him, “It matters not where I have been, lover, only that I’m back in your arms.” I put the back of my hand to my forehead and feigned a swoon.
He smirked but maintained his hold on me, clinging to me like I might disappear right in front of him.
“Hate to break up your reunion, but the demon…” Ike said.
“You’ve got him, haven’t you?” I said, closing what little space was left between Ed and me. A visible arc of electricity connected our noses. It traveled straight to my nipples, making me shudder with pleasure. “I’ve missed you,” I whispered, low and seductively.
Something set the demon off. I wasn’t even sure what it was. All I saw was a blue streak out of the corner of my eye going for Ike. The whip cracked, but it wouldn’t be enough. In a split second of vampire speed, I pushed Ed away from me, putting myself between Ike and the demon, my knives drawn. I held them crossed in front of me, and the beast walked right into my trap.
I ducked down. When his neck was in position, I sliced both blades right across, nearly decapitating him. Nearly. I raised up and sank my teeth into his back, draining him for good measure. I swallowed hard before sitting back on my ass, quite pleased with myself.
“Demons’ breath. Why did you do that?” Ike asked, panic stricken.
“Or you’re welcome, but whatever.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand as I stood up, my blood singing with the strength of the demon. Sounds. I could hear sounds coming from somewhere. Thundering footsteps. I turned to the portal.
“Someone’s coming.” My eyes darted to Ed. “Where does that portal go?”
“Nowhere good,” he said. He stood in front of it and held up his arms, chanting as the thundering grew louder. Oscar and Ike came to my sides, Ike in his wolf form now, ready for a fight.
A big grey beast of a man appeared inside the portal, but he didn’t step through the way Ed did. Well, to be fair, Ed had rather ungracefully tumbled through. This one stood there as if he’d been back and forth thousands of times. He glared at Ed with the same green eyes I’d seen in the slaves who’d been working on Oscar. Except these were slightly less snake like, and a bit more…normal. Whatever that meant in our world. But this guy was a heck of a lot meatier than the slaves. Everything about him exuded power and authority. Where Sam was meek and followed orders, this guy gave them. I could tell.
Ed ignored it all, his chanting not missing a beat. Slowly, I started to see pale wisps of light pass over the portal, creating a thin barrier between Ed and the creature as he drew close enough to touch Ed. Although, by the look in the creature’s eyes, he didn’t want to simply touch him. Strangle him more like it.
“This isn’t over, wizard,” the beast said, his voice startlingly loud. The boom of it rattled the entire basement, and a small stone fell from the ceiling.
“For now, I believe it is, warden,” Ed said, finally making eye contact with the creature.
He snarled and banged a single fist against the barrier Ed created. He flinched, but the barrier didn’t even crack. The thump the warden’s fist made echoed through the room, and I swear it bounced around my head a few times before he pointed at Ed.
“I’ll be back,” the warden promised.
“I’m sure you will,” Ed said.
The creature rescinded back into the depths of the portal while the demon’s body disintegrated without its lifeblood. We were left alone in the basement as the rush of what had just happened washed over me.
I needed sex…or to kill something. And since I had three mates right there, it seemed like sex was the appropriate option. Ed sagged in front of the barrier, and I put my hand on his shoulder.
“Perhaps I can make it better?” I offered, grabbing the hem of my tank top and pulling it over my head. I was annoyingly armed to the teeth, but Ed said nothing as he slid his hand around my now bare waist.
“Yes. I believe you can.” He yanked me to him. The electricity from his hand zinged through my hips down between my legs, making me want to jump him. I reached up and undid the straps on my back holsters, letting the blades fall to the ground, silently apologizing to them for such rough treatment. A girl had to do what a girl had to do, after all.
Oscar cleared his throat while Ike looked on longingly. “We’ll just leave you to it.” He pulled on Ike’s shoulder, but Ike resisted, heat blazing in his eyes. “Come on. We’ll have our turn.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Ike, knowing he saw the lust I felt for them all. “Yes, you will,” I promised. Reluctantly, he left with Oscar, and Ed and I were alone in the basement.
“A bit cold down here, don’t you think?” Ed said. With the snap of his fingers, the basement melted away. We were in a lush green forest with a beautiful waterfall stirring the water in a pond nearby.
“How did you…”
“It’s just an illusion. But if I make your brain believe it, your body will.” A blanket of green moss appeared beneath my feet. He waved a hand over me, rendering me completely naked.
“And that?”
“That’s real. Your clothes and weapons will be returned to you at the end of our time together.”
I sauntered over to him. He was still frustratingly dressed. “So never, in other words.”
A low laugh escaped him. “Ideally, yes.”
“You seem to be overdressed. Perhaps I should help you remedy that.”
“I could just…” He lifted his hand to snap his clothing away, but I stopped him.
“Call me old fashioned, but I do enjoy this part.”
He raised an eyebrow, biting into his bottom lip. “Well, then, far be it for me to deprive a lady of a small joy.”
I snorted. “I ain’t no lady.”
“And I’m grateful for that.” He wrapped himself around me, his hands very busy against my back. Eventually, he slid his rough palms to my ass.
“You’re making it difficult for me to undress you.”
“Oh, right. That.” Reluctantly, he let me go, and I undid the silver fastener of his cloak. It pooled at his feet, smelling of demon, and…wherever he’d been with that warden.
I pulled at the leather strings tying the top of his white shirt together. Then my hands were under it, f
ingers dancing along his ribs as I pulled the shirt over his head.
He was thinner than the other men, but still well chiseled with pale, smooth skin just waiting for my body to be pressed against it. I swallowed hard. Yes. He would do nicely.
I pulled at the leather ties on his pants next. They fell easily to his feet, as did his very modern underwear. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but after not seeing a single button or zipper on him, I’d expected something more…period appropriate.
“What?” he asked.
“Why the regular manties?”
“Manties?”
“Yeah. Underwear.”
He chuckled. “Because they’re more comfortable.”
“I see. And these old-timey clothes…are they comfortable, too?”
“I prefer them, yes. Plus, they make it easy for you to get inside them.” He waggled an eyebrow, and a smile pulled at the side of his mouth, very nearly concealed by his white beard, which was still covered in grey soot from wherever he’d been.
We both stood naked, with about a foot of air between us. But he smelled of his misadventures, so I said, “Why don’t we go for a dip in the pool?”
“Sure,” Ed replied, surprisingly willing considering I assumed the pool would be rather chilly.
In an instant steam, started to rise from it. Surprised, I stared.
“Why not have a hot spring at our disposal?” he said with a smirk.
Having a wizard in my coven was awesome. I eased my way in, savoring the warmth of the water as it climbed up my bare legs to the very naked juncture between my legs, all the way up to my nipples. Ed watched me as I dunked my head and came up, slicking my hair back as sexily as I could, making sure to arch my back and give him the best possible view of my breasts.
He stalled on one of the rocks, his mouth practically hanging open.
“Hey there, slack jaw. This wasn’t supposed to be a solo venture. Although, I suppose it could be if that’s what you want.” Seductively, I ran my fingers over a nipple, teasing it to attention.
He blinked as he stared, certain parts of him coming to attention. All at once, he dove in the water. I sucked in a breath, knowing how shallow the pool was. But he stayed near the surface and popped up right in front of me. Just like a man, he crashed into a perfectly romantic scene. I half expected him to spit water at me when he appeared like a wet puppy with a goofy smile on his face.