by Brenda Trim
HELLBOUND WARRIOR
Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
Copyright © 2016 by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
eISBN: 9781634525985
Editor: Amanda Fitzpatrick
Cover Art by Patricia Schmitt (Pickyme)
*****
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writers’ imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the authors.
Dedication
With heartfelt gratitude, we want to thank our readers. So many have reached out and connected with us and we appreciate it more than you know. This wonderful and exciting journey has brought new people into our lives that we now consider friends. You’ve embraced our Dark Warriors, as well as, the two of us, and our lives are now richer because of you!
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
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
Rogue Warrior Excerpt
Authors’ Note
Other Works by Authors
CHAPTER ONE
“This is your last chance to back oot,” the Vampire King offered Rhys. Rhys was no an idiot and backing out wasn’t an option. The Triskele Amulet had been stolen by that piece of shit, Kadir, and Lucifer was on the verge of being released from his frozen prison in the Ninth Circle of Hell. So, unless Rhys wanted his home to be turned into the devil’s playground, he was going.
“This is more dangerous than anything you’ve ever done. Shite, I doona think anyone in the history of the Tehrex Realm has had a more treacherous mission,” Zander continued, locking eyes with Rhys. The concern was clear in Zander’s blue gaze, but it wasn’t because the leader of the Dark Warriors didn’t believe in Rhys. It was because he didn’t want to lose a member of their family.
The Vampire King had recruited Rhys to join the Dark Warriors a little over a century ago, after Rhys had escaped his father’s clutches. Rhys had never wanted to go back to the Underworld where his father had tried to rear him like a proper cambion.
Rhys’ father supported the idea of releasing the inner beast, giving it free rein. When Rhys had defied his father, he was cast into the dungeons, forcing his demon to the surface. And, that wasn’t the worst part. Instead of throwing willing, or unwilling, females as his victims, his father had thrown males in the dungeon as his bedfellows.
Many cambions enjoyed sex with both species, but Rhys wasn’t sexually attracted to men. It disgusted him to have sex with the males, but he had to do what was necessary. Otherwise, his rational mind would’ve been lost to him forever. Ultimately, he had forced himself on the males countless times and the memories still had bile rising in his throat.
Eventually, he had escaped, leaving that world behind, but he loathed his father and didn’t know what might happen if he saw him again. He could only hope to slip through his father’s realm and avoid that confrontation.
Shoving those darkest memories back into his steel-lined box, Rhys wondered what Zander had seen in him all those years ago to give him a place in his most trusted circle. When they first met, Rhys was had been a wreck. He had never been at a lower point in his life. Zander was the only being that knew about Rhys’ suffering when he had been with dear-old-dad and still the male had believed in him. No way was he going to fail when so much was riding on his success.
Rhys found a home and family within Zeum’s walls and would do anything to protect those he loved, even if it meant returning to the one place he swore to never go again. Rhys was a Dark Warrior now, not a low-life demon and his fellow warriors and their mates accepted Rhys for who and that meant more to him than anything.
Rhys rubbed his chin and let his breath out in a long hiss before responding, “Fuck no, I’m not sure, but I’m the only one who can go.” He wished they could send a legion of warriors on the mission, it would certainly make Rhys feel better about their chances, but the fact was that only those with demon blood could pass through the veil.
“I would never send Dante alone. After the Rowan sisters locate the cave, we need to find out if there is another warrior in the area that would be willing to go, as well. Preferably a female that can keep our demons fed,” Rhys finished. Rhys liked Dante, but he had no desire to have sex with the Lord of all cambions. The thought alone had the locks on his steel-lined box rattling in the back of his mind.
He supposed he could go to some of the females he had spent time with when he lived there in order to feed his demon. Surely, there were still some that held enough affection for him to keep his presence secret from his father. He couldn’t go without sex for long so when they passed through his father’s territory, this would become a much bigger issue. Without sex to calm and placate his inner beast, their mission would become secondary to seeking sexual gratification. His stomach turned. He hated the lengths to which his inner beast would go in order to have his carnal needs met.
Zander ran a hand through his shoulder-length black hair. “Shite, I hadna thought of your demon’s needs. That complicates matters. I still think we need to send every cambion warrior who’s ever been to Hell. Three seems like an insignificant number when faced with the multitudes you will encounter.” Zander was wearing a path in the rug with his pacing.
The Vampire King continued, “You will be on Lucifer’s turf, and more than likely he already has the amulet. We should operate under the assumption that he has been freed from Lake Crocytus and is searching for a way to get to earth.” Zander’s Scottish accent became thicker when he was agitated and right now he was on the brink of violence. His Fated Mate, Elsie, was pregnant, and, if worrying about them wasn’t enough, he also had an entire realm relying on him to keep them safe.
Rhys smiled wryly at Zander. He dreaded the idea of doing this without having his closest friends at his back, especially Gerrick. Fuck, the more he considered it, the more he realized that it was going to be odd not having him there now. He and Gerrick had been patrolling and fighting together for nearly a century. He knew what to expect from Gerrick and they fought seamlessly together. Gerrick was newly mated and Rhys could see how mating had softened the male, but he was still the most ruthless warrior ever born.
He scanned the media room and looked at each of the Dark Warriors.
Even if it were possible for them to get through the portal, Rhys wouldn’t want any of them to go. They were his only family and he would die to protect them.
“We have no way of knowing where Lucifer currently is, but the last thing we need is to send a bunch of pissed off cambions into Hell. Not only will it do nothing to help us face and pass the trials of each circle, but it will also paint a target on our backs. Traveling in small
numbers means that we can slip through virtually unnoticed,” Rhys added.
Zander sighed and shook his head. Yeah, Rhys could relate, he was already exhausted and he hadn’t even started yet. He was so over the shit with the demons and skirm. They’d been fighting to protect the humans and realm for centuries, but lately it seemed as if things had compounded with them on the losing side of this war.
Ever since Elsie’s first husband had been murdered the demons had been taking more and more chances. They had been turning skirm without care, kidnapping human and supernatural females, and bringing lesser demons through the veil to earth in droves.
Never before had the archdemons taken such chances. In the past, they hadn’t wanted to add the humans to their list of enemies. The supernatural population was miniscule compared to the human one. The demons couldn’t take the risk of the humans hunting and eradicating them. At least, not until Lucifer was able to obliterate the veil and lead his countless hoards through.
It chapped Rhys’ ass that Lucifer’s efforts had finally paid off, and the archdemons had been able to confiscate the Triskele Amulet. Zander and his family had kept the amulet safe for eons until Kadir’s claws had literally been held to Elsie’s pregnant belly, threatening the heir to the Vampire throne, and Zander had been forced to give up the amulet to save them both.
Now, it fell to Rhys and Dante to retrieve the necklace before Lucifer put it to use. Nothing like having the fate of the world on your shoulders, Rhys mused, refusing to contemplate their chances of success. The odds were against them, but they had to try. Rhys grabbed his collar and tugged, the pressure of the task at hand suffocating him.
Rolling his shoulders to dissipate some of the tension, he realized he’d been on edge for weeks, and it had only gotten worse. Not only was he facing the impossible, he was unable to stop thinking about the angry angels who’d cornered him weeks before, accusing him of kidnapping their sister.
The idea was fucking ridiculous. Rhys loved females and enjoyed their soft bodies as often as possible, but he’d never resort to holding one captive just to meet his base needs. He wasn’t a total bastard. And, it infuriated him that those haughty angels had asserted that she was connected to him.
No, he hadn’t been able to get Illianna off his mind. He hadn’t ever met the female and her brothers had never described her to him, but in his mind, the image of a tall, voluptuous female with flowing blond hair, gold wings and striking silver eyes haunted him.
His inner beast shifted restlessly, reminding him that it had been two days since he’d had sex. Too much had been going on. Not that that excused his oversight. He knew better than to go so long. If he wasn’t with a female soon, he’d become a creature of nightmares, using his ability to create illusion and manipulate minds to lull prey into having sex with him, or worse, he’d rape anyone, or anything.
He would need to feed his beast before he left or there would be nothing he could do to stop his demon nature from taking over when he crossed into Hell. He recalled all too well how much more power his beast had in that realm. Most days he didn’t give it a second thought and pursued females and sex freely, but he was about to venture into Hell and would face unending temptation, so it weighed heavily on him.
He had his father to thank for passing on the incubus demon genes that never let him rest. He loved sex and adored females, but Rhys had always been different than most cambions, thanks to his mother’s human genes.
A small hand on his forearm brought him out of his thoughts. Shaking himself, he hadn’t realized he’d completely checked out of the conversation until Elsie touched him, a sad smile on her lovely face. “Here, take this key…for luck. Something tells me that you’re going to need it.” He accepted the key and looked down to see he was holding a car key. How was this going to help him?
Suddenly, she hugged him tight, a wet sheen to her eyes. She had hugged him many times before, but this felt very different. It struck him that she believed this was the last time she’d see him. The thought nearly felled him. He liked his life at Zeum, and wasn’t ready to give it up.
No words could express how much he hated leaving, knowing he might not return. Choking on emotion, he returned her embrace and fell back on his humor. It was his way of dealing with everything in life. Somehow, everything was better when you were laughing or smiling.
“Thanks, sweetcheeks. I’ll be cruising the streets of Dys in style. Now, we need to find a way to get the Jag through the portal,” he announced to the room. “There are a few female djinn that I could impress with this ride,” he chuckled.
Elsie pulled out of his arms and smacked his shoulder. “This isn’t a laughing matter. I saw that you will need it.”
Everyone in the room snapped to attention. Rhys glanced around and noticed that each of the Dark Warrior’s, as well as, their mates and several council members had all frozen at the Vampire Queen’s words, concern clear on their faces.
Elsie’s premonitions were usually attached to death and destruction. He couldn’t recall a premonition of hers that hadn’t involved doom and gloom, and suddenly, Rhys wanted to leave the room. He didn’t want the details of his demise. It would only make it harder to do what he needed to do.
Before he could tell her to keep the information to herself, Zander interrupted, “What did you see? I canna believe I havena seen anything aboot this. For months now, we’ve been sharing the visions.”
Elsie crossed to her mate and placed her palm on his chest, rubbing circles over his heart. “Relax, I didn’t see much and it was so different from other visions I’ve had. I saw Rhys standing in front of a huge black door and no way to get through. It was nighttime and some creature was screeching in the background and then the key to my car was hovering in the vision and I knew that he needed it.”
Rhys rubbed his chin and contemplated what she’d said. He wasn’t familiar with a black door in the Underworld, but then he had never traveled to the inner circles of Hell, either. Pocketing the key, he knew better than to question Elsie’s logic or premonitions. “Now that that’s settled, all that’s left is to locate the cave and get that binding spell so we keep Lucifer in his prison world. You ready, witches?” Rhys quipped, turning to the Rowan sisters.
Pema, the oldest of the triplets, smiled widely. He’d shared many passionate nights with the sisters, and had even been disciplined for his time with them. On one particular occasion, he missed several nights of patrolling because the triplets had his undivided attention and Zander had been furious. He had gladly paid the price of a month in the dungeons for the pleasure they’d brought him. They were fantastic females and his demon had enjoyed their company. It was too bad that they were all mated now, because he could take one, or all, of them to his room and feed.
The Rowan sisters hadn’t been immune to the changes that had been sweeping through the Tehrex Realm the past year. If anything, they’d been through the most drastic changes. At only twenty-eight years old, they were newly mated and had recently been crowned the High Priestesses, overseeing all witches.
“We’re ready to begin. I think it’s best if you remain in the far corner, Elsie. We have no idea what accessing this kind of power will unleash or tap into and we don’t want to risk the baby. And, we need the sofas moved out of the way, please” Pema began, motioning across the room.
The instant Pema mentioned a possible risk to the baby, Zander quickly grasped his mate’s arm, pulling her out of range. Elsie objected as Zander led her to the far corner and took a stance in front of her while Gerrick and Jace moved one sofa and Bhric and Kyran moved another.
Rhys loved the feisty vampire queen. She’d been the best thing to happen to the compound. And, it was obvious how much she meant to every Dark Warrior as they all crossed to Rhys’ side. Together, they created a layered barrier of flesh between the witches and Elsie and Zander. No one would take any risks with the female or the miracle she carried.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. Get out of the way, you
guys. I highly doubt anything will happen to me all the way over here with Zander in front of me. I want to see what’s going on,” the queen demanded, trying to look around walls of muscle.
“’Tis no’ happening, a ghra. No one’s moving. You’re lucky I doona drag you oot of the room altogether,” Zander countered, no compromise in his tone.
“I see Mr. Bossy Pants is back. Good thing supernatural pregnancies are faster, otherwise, this could become a problem,” Elsie teased, standing on her tiptoes and placing a gentle kiss to his lips. Rhys noticed the way some of the tension left Zander’s shoulders. This was how it was between Fated Mates, a profound connection that inflamed and centered all at once.
“Place your candles to north and east, Suvi, and put yours to the south and west, Isis,” Pema instructed, ignoring the byplay between the King and Queen and focusing on their task.
While her sisters did as instructed, Pema placed a large, silver bowl of water on the coffee table that acted as their makeshift altar. The room went completely silent as the witches quickly set the stage for their spell.
“You guys doing this sky-clad?” Rhys asked on a chuckle.
“Fucking Rhys,” the room erupted collectively.
“What?” Everyone was always saying that and he didn’t understand why. He was only asking if they were going to perform their ceremony accessing the most power possible. Not to mention, he had no problem seeing three beautiful females naked.
Shaking their heads, the witches proceeded to pull incense from their bag. Rhys detected hints of lotus, jasmine and hyacinth. Thinking back, he thought his mother had told him the flowers were connected to water, which was the one medium that was used in location spells.
For the first time since the attack during Gerrick’s mating ceremony, hope surged through him. This could work. His anticipation rose as the sisters joined hands and their mates placed their hands on their shoulders. He could feel the energy from their collective magic fill the room. Their power staggered him, making him grateful the sisters were on the side of the Goddess. The power those females wielded would be a devastating weapon in evil’s hands.