by V L Moon
“Sleeping peacefully, but I’m sure she’ll be wide awake when we return.” He turned his attention to Saul. “The Nephilim look pretty impressive spread out around the gala. It was smart thinking to make them so visible.”
“I’ve heard a few murmurs and grumbles, but for the most part, the vampires are getting used to their presence.”
“They’d better. Arial has more and more of them getting in contact with him every day. The news of our training program is making the rounds. The Nephilim want to prove their worth and their loyalty. We may have to start a rotation to accommodate them all.”
“Or, we could make the rounds of the enclaves.”
“That may be the best option. I don’t want chaos at our enclave; not with Destahny here. If we split up, we can cover more enclaves at one time.”
Laziel tugged on his arm. “We can talk business anytime, my Azarian. I want to dance.”
“My mate calls; you two enjoy your night.”
Turning into Laziel’s embrace, Malachi scanned the crowd before meeting his angel’s eyes. “I told you the Dolce was a good choice. You look magnificent tonight.”
“It chafes. I’d rather be naked.”
Malachi chuckled. His angel’s audacity always amused him. “I’d rather you were naked and we were somewhere other than here. Unfortunately, duty calls.” Malachi’s eyes drifted around the room again.
“You getting any weird vibes? Any stray thoughts about treason or dissent?”
Laziel frowned. “Nothing more than the usual.”
“I don’t trust Darklon. My gut’s practically screaming at me. The bastard has to know he’s been replaced. Someone will still be feeding him information. His narcissism won’t let him stay away from this event. Kimberly’s mating, Roman’s here and he’s being replaced; it’s too much temptation.”
“But, he has Vischeral.”
Malachi bit back a growl. “He does, but he can’t gloat about it. He’s been too quiet.”
“You’re tensing up, and your eyes are starting to glow crimson,” Laziel protested. “Just dance with me, my vampire. Let the others see you relaxed. It will calm them.” Moving in closer, Laziel pressed his body against Malachi. Thighs rubbed together. Chests bumped. Heat scorched through Malachi’s blood. His fangs dropped lower and longer.
“You looking to get bit in front of this crowd?”
The corner of Laziel’s mouth tilted up, and then his chin lifted. “I dare you, Batman.”
Malachi’s nostrils flared; his eyes narrowed. “Playing dangerous are you?”
“My opponent is dangerous, just the way I want him.”
~*~*~*~
“I could get in trouble for letting you in here.” The nervous vampire’s head swung back and forth, scanning the empty corridor. “The King specifically said no outsiders were allowed.”
“Darling, I told you. I forgot my invitation.”
“They have a list at the front door. You could have checked in with them.”
Onoskelis’ smile didn’t waver as she stepped closer to the young vampire guard. “Malachi brought me the invitation himself. It was a last minute addition.” Brushing her breasts against the male’s arm, she glanced up at him through her eyelashes. “We don’t want to disappoint the king now do we? He really wanted to see me in this dress.”
Suspicion dawned in the male’s eyes. His hand dropped to the gun holstered under his arm. “Mistress, I think you should leave.”
Onoskelis shook her head and glared in disdain at the vampire body collapsed at her feet. His head dangled from Darklon’s clawed grip. “Would have been easier on him to just open the door.” She stepped over the fallen body and waited impatiently for Darklon to trigger the opening mechanism.
“Are you sure that shit Lucifer gave you will mask my presence? If that angel identifies us, he’ll get nasty.” Darklon’s sniveling got on her nerves. He’d gotten worse since he’d brought that vampire back to his home. She had thought Bourne’s presence would have steadied the former Elder.
“I’m not worried about that Seraphim,” she sniffed although that wasn’t entirely true. But her anger far outweighed her fear. The bastard Seraphim had taken her wings. Lucifer had promised to help her seek her vengeance.
“Then you’re a fool.”
Onoskelis snarled and struck out at the vampire. Darklon caught her wrist and yanked her hard against his body. “Careful, bitch. I’m your ticket into this party. And, you had best heed my words. Laziel is dangerous. To us and to your desire to take over this Earth.”
“I’ve handled one such as him before. I ruined Rhys’ world, crippled him.”
“Yet, he is here tonight basking in the limelight as their new Elder. You did nothing but destroy your own son. These males are not the Nephilim you torture and dominate. They surpass your power especially now that Laziel has stripped you of your wings. With Laziel and Rhys on the same team, we have to be smarter than ever.”
Onoskelis snatched away from him and straightened her dress. There was brilliance in Darklon’s madness. She knew firsthand the strength of Laziel’s power. Letting her temper overpower logic wasn’t the smartest move.
“I see your point,” she admitted grudgingly. “Just open the damn door. We’re too conspicuous out here.”
Darklon fiddled with the latch for several more seconds before the door swung wide. Onoskelis slipped into the empty hallway. The vampire stepped in behind her and closed the door. She was waiting for his direction when a familiar scent caught her attention. The Nephilim emerged from the shadows at a jog. A sword hung at his hip and his wings were tucked tight into his back. But, it was the clothing that caught and held her attention. The male was wearing the same royal uniform as the vampire they’d just slain.
“Maixe-al?” Venom dripped from each syllable.
The traitorous fighter skidded to a stop. She waited for the fear to envelope his scent, watched his face to see the terror bleed into his eyes. Except, the male squared his shoulders and drew his sword.
“How dare you draw a weapon on me,” she spat. “I am your Queen.”
“Not anymore, you aren’t. I’ve sworn my allegiance to Arial and Malachi. It will be my greatest honor to give them your head on a silver platter.”
“You’ll never get that chance.” Darklon’s ripped the bastard’s throat out and licked his claws clean.
“You vampires are disgusting,” she sneered. “Get rid of that before someone else comes along.” Leaving Darklon to deal with the trash, Onoskelis picked a direction and set out. The dull roar of music and conversation soon reached her ears. Her pace quickened.
“You can’t just walk through the middle of the enclave.” Darklon appeared at her side and grasped her elbow. “There’s a shortcut to the ballroom.”
He led her through several empty offices and meeting rooms. A few times, they ducked behind curtains or into shadows to avoid the vampires not attending the gala. Finally, Darklon stopped moving and cursed.
“What? What’s the matter?”
“See for yourself.” Darklon shoved her in front of him. Lights from the ballroom spilled through evenly spaced arch ways to light small pools around the hall. Vampires wandered in and out of the large room talking and laughing together. They were of little concern to her. Instead, she focused on the guards stationed at each entrance. Beside each vampire, a faithless Nephilim stood wearing the same royal uniform as Maixe-al. She had been betrayed. Fury washed through her like a tsunami wave.
“Now, we know where all of your warriors have gone. They weren’t killed in battle; they deserted you.” Wicked glee danced in Darklon’s voice. “Does Lucifer know you can’t control your little ragtag army?” The bastard vampire nearly choked on his delight.
“You laugh?” She raged. “That usurper king is gaining ground. He’s allowed Nephilim into the enclave, and your stupid, mindless vampires have accepted it. What’s next? Vampire-Nephilim children to play with his mongrel daughter? That bastard will
not use my own army against me. I will find that little bitch daughter of his and make an example of her.”
Onoskelis surged forward headed straight for the nearest Nephilim guard. Darklon caught her around the waist, all of his earlier mirth gone. “You can’t go charging in there. We are outnumbered.”
“They must pay for their betrayal.” Her limbs shook with the strength of her fury. “Right here, right now. All of them.”
~*~*~*~
Chapter Sixty-Five
~*~*~*~
Standing on the fringes, he watched the ebb and flow of the vampires. None of them matched Vischeral’s virility and commanding presence. None except the vampire king. Denali was everything he’d been told to expect. It was no surprise to learn the dangerous vampire was the only living being Vischeral called friend.
His gaze flicked to Laziel, and on to Arial and Bastian. Powerful allies to have in his search for Vischeral although their combined strength had done little to locate Copi’s partner. Frustration gnawed through his patience. He didn’t want to be at the party; he wanted to be out hunting.
The piercing weight of a hard stare tickled the patch of skin between his shoulder blades. Copi shifted and met Roman’s direct look. The male’s knuckles tightened on the champagne flute in his hand. He took a step in Copi’s direction, but Tobias immediately slipped an arm around the vampire’s waist and drew him back to his side.
Vischeral’s son. Copi had met with him and Denali on several occasions to discuss the search for Vischeral, and every fucking time, that face, the profile, the scent, they all combined to punch Copi right in the gut. Even worse, the tug of Roman’s blood within his own veins nearly drove Copi mad with the need to feed. His stomach always felt hollow; his throat burned.
He had avoided the blood bank until he’d nearly bitten Roman. If Denali hadn’t horse-collared him, he’d have taken the male’s throat out. His weakness had not earned him any points with the tawny Beta wolf or the vampire king. After that fiasco, Denali threatened to force feed him if he didn’t avail himself of the blood on demand. He’d had little choice but to learn to control his hunger.
With his body back under his control, Copi worked to forge a bond with the young vampire and his wolf mate. Roman took full advantage. The male never ran out of questions about his father. Copi answered what he could, but there were centuries missing in Vischeral’s life for both of them. The glare he’d received was because he’d refused to meet Roman’s mother. Copi still wasn’t sure where he fit into the vampire and wolf world. He didn’t want to establish a relationship Vischeral didn’t want.
Shifting his attention to Jorn Chamberlin and his younger son, Copi studied the way the Summus shielded his son while keeping an eagle eye on the party attendees. The older Chamberlin had given him some reassurances about his wolf nature. He often felt the male’s presence in his mind. It wasn’t an invasion, more a comforting hand on his shoulder to hold him steady.
He was about to cross the dance floor to stand with Khadlyn and his father when his cop instincts reared up. His eyes narrowed. His heightened senses expanded. A stronger tug in his veins had him scanning the crowd. He was moving before he realized it. He recognized the pull. It was Vischeral; yet, it wasn’t. At the edge of the crowd, he spied the bastard.
“You, motherfucker!” Copi blurred across the room. Inside his head, the wolf howled. Copi attacked with a vicious roar. His fingers locked around Darklon’s neck. Blinded by rage, Copi squeezed the male’s throat until his eyes started to bulge. He felt the strength of Jorn’s mind increase; the Summus stamped down his wolf’s need to rip and tear at the flesh of the male in his grip.
“Where is he?” Copi shook the male so hard he threatened to snap his neck.
“He’s mine, and I assure you I’ll kill him before I let you have him,” Darklon gasped through gritted teeth.
Copi snarled showing the lethal length of his sharp white fangs and lunged toward Darklon’s throat just as the ground beneath them started to shake.
~*~*~*~
“Duty calls, Batman.” Laziel paused just long enough to place a tender kiss to Lachi’s lips. He turned as a feral roar tore through the room, breaking through the noise of the joyful celebrations. Placing a hand to Lachi’s abdomen, Laziel watched as the arc of Arial’s wings rose over the shoulders of their guests. The warrior angel sailed toward them. The scent of sulphur followed as Bastian morphed into his true form. Vampires scattered out of harm’s way, leaving the floor empty of guests. Except two, one of which was being held by the throat.
Chaos ensued when a cloud of odorous yellow smoke boiled up from the cleared dance floor. Misshapen arms and heads burrowed through the rock and tile. Distracted by the sudden appearance of new enemies, Copi lost his grip on the struggling male. Darklon’s taloned fingers scored his flesh drawing ribbons of blood.
While Copi cursed, Darklon crawled away on hands and knees before gaining his feet. “Count yourself lucky, whelp; I was aiming for your throat.” Darklon spat, and then ran toward the thick cloud of smoke billowing from the ground. He dove in and disappeared from sight.
Laziel smirked at Onoskelis through the smoke when the doors burst open to reveal an army of vampires and Nephilim. They poured into the room and positioned themselves before Malachi, weapons drawn, ready to fight. The towering form of Jorn’s white wolf padded through the room, closely flanked by both of his sons, Tobias and Khad. They came to rest at Malachi’s sides. Roman and Saul took up positions with Kimberly tucked safely behind Saul. Onoskelis shrieked in anger at the sight of her army betraying her rule. Laziel ignored her piercing shrieks and turned his attention to his male. Through the gift of their bond, Laziel eased his male’s natural urge to fight.
“We guard this door with our lives. Whoever falls, we guard what’s ours.”
Lachi’s resonating growl was answer enough.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Sixty-Six
~*~*~*~
The call to arms sang through his veins. Rhys shifted to his true form before the first tendrils of Hell’s noxious air rippled across the vampire ballroom. His Arial, well versed in all things demonic, jumped into action to protect the vampire king. Rhys took up a position at the front of the assembling army, facing the portal into his father’s stomping grounds.
He wasn’t surprised when Raym crawled up from the pit. Rumors had run rife through his father’s minions after the arioch demon had been cast back to Hell by Laziel. Tales of the opulence of Malachi’s court wetted the appetites of the demons of greed and avarice. Raym’s greatest pleasure was stripping kings, emperors and other monarchs of their material wealth. The Earl of Hell had assumed a mostly humanoid form if you discounted the colossal crow’s wings on his back and the viciously clawed crow’s feet. His black pupil less eyes raked the cowering vampires.
It was the nasty demon of bloodshed and death who next sprang from the yawning pit that set off Rhys’ internal alarms. Caassimolar’s bloodthirsty influence had induced hundreds of humans to commit murder, some of them mass murder. He was one of Lucifer’s most violent minions. With him loose in the midst of ultimate predators, the night took a dangerous curve. When Caass’s cadre of closest fighters followed him out, Rhys roared a challenge drawing every demon eye to him.
The two demon lords snarled. Rhys answered and strode forward. He didn’t doubt Laziel’s ability to handle a couple of hellions, but the angel’s focus would be on protecting his vampire and his daughter. Arial was more than capable of kicking demon ass, but the Nephilim and royal vampire guard weren’t prepared to take on two of Lucifer’s most powerful. Rhys stopped before the pair of evil spawn, crossed his arms over his chest and let his own leathery wings flare wide blocking out Denali and his personal guard.
“You are not needed here.”
“We were summoned.” Raym answered even as his gaze calculated the value of the art and paintings decorating the ballroom.
“Kill them,” Onoskelis screeched.
&
nbsp; Rhys flung out a hand. The squawking bitch flew backwards and crashed into the wall. Her fingers clawed at her throat; her face went purple. Satisfaction tasted damn good as he watched Arial’s mother dying before his eyes and by his hand.
“Caass, take one more step and I will consider it a threat against what is mine.” Rhys turned the full force of his flaming gaze upon the other male. “Both of you take note. What you see here, this place, these people, these belongings; they are mine.”
Behind him, Laziel growled. He heard Arial’s voice, low and rumbling, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off of the two demons.
“She promised me gold,” Raym snarled.
“And me, blooded souls.” Caass glared at Onoskelis.
“She lied. There is nothing for you here. Go back to Hell while you still can.”
“You stand against us? Your brothers?”
Rhys bared enormous fangs. “I have never been your brother. Leave here and take your legionnaires with you.”
The thump of wings heralded Arial’s landing at his side. Raym’s wings retracted. The demon hunched into himself. The two had faced off numerous times at the Gates of Hell. Raym had never managed to defeat the Heavenly warrior.
“Good to see you again, Raym. You were missing a few body parts the last time I saw you.” The demon lord hissed and slunk back toward the smoking portal. “That’s a good boy, now take Caass with you.”
While the two weighed their options, a piercing scream sounded from the corridor. Blood’s sweet aroma sizzled in Rhys’ nostrils. Nephilim fighters loyal to Onoskelis spilled into the ballroom from all sides. The royal guard surged to meet them. Civilian vampires scattered.
Rhys focused his power and smote the hell spawn, sending them tumbling back through the portal. The incantation fell from his lips and the portal sealed, but most of the legionnaires were still Earth side. They drew weapons and charged Malachi’s guard. Rhys swung around to find Onoskelis had disappeared into the bedlam.