Ties That Bind: The Bellum Sisters 3 (paranormal erotic romance)

by Grey, T. A.

  “Are you sure that's what you really want, Telal?”

  “Yeah, I'm fucking sure. I didn't stutter did I?” Lily flinched at the anger in Telal's voice.

  “But all of your years of hard work.” Kearnyn paused. “And you’re certain?”

  “For the last and final time, Kearnyn. I'm done with it. Done. Finished. Fucking over it. Now get out of here.”

  Footsteps came towards her and Lily had the urge to flatten herself against the wall to try to hide. Kearnyn strode towards her, a grim look on his face. He shook his head at her and left. Slowly, she made her way into the room. She heard a loud crash and flinched but she made herself continue into the room in case he was hurt.

  Telal heard her steps and his gaze swung to hers. Lily almost backed up a step. He looked positively livid, feral. His hands were fisted, shoulders bunched hard, his eyes sharp and breathing hard. Her eyes left his to see a lamp crushed against the floor from where he'd thrown it.

  “Are you okay, honey?” she asked softly. Even with the juice inside her, she felt nervous, her stomach doing somersaults and cautioning her.

  He looked away from her and she watched him try to get control over himself. After a minute his breathing slowed and after another his hands and shoulders relaxed. He turned to her, the look in his eyes now dark with something else. He crooked a finger at her.

  “Come here.”

  Lily knew that look in his eyes. He wanted her. She swallowed over her suddenly parched throat. “We need to talk.” Still, she went to him. He pulled her against him and her body responded with a feminine sigh.

  “The last thing I want to do is talk.” Strong hands ran up and down her back in soothing caresses.

  His lips sought hers out but she pushed her head to the side. “Please, it's important.”

  He sighed in disgust and stalked away from her. “Please, enlighten me Lily.” He poured himself a rather tall glass of alcohol from a pitcher and started drinking it as he leaned against the wall with a one hip, his eyes watching her.

  “What do you plan to do about the rift?”

  One eyebrow lift. “To do? What is there to do, Lily?” His angry words bit at her.

  “Are you going to try to compromise with Alrik to get it open?” she asked with exceeding patience.

  He smiled at her like she was a little child. “No, Lily. Alrik made his intentions quite clear. I believe you were present for part of it were you not? Maybe you just don't recall?”

  She glared at him, her own ire rising. “Yeah, smart ass, I remember. So what? You're just giving up then? Giving up on helping your people who are suffering under a ruthless king?”

  His grip tightened around the glass. “That's exactly what I'm going to do. It's none of my business anymore. I no longer have a brother.”

  She blanched at the raw, painful look in his eyes. She was walking to him before she realized it and wrapping her arms around his waist.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice tight.

  “Hugging you.”

  He made a disgusted sound, but after a minute, one of his arms came around her shoulders. It was a loose hug, but it still counted in her book. Pulling away, she looked up at him.

  “You can't stop your plans.”

  “Why not?” He gave her another sarcastic grin.

  “Because my mother's in there.”

  His face flared with real surprise. “What on earth are you talking about now, Lily?”

  “I saw my mother. The one that's been missing for most of my life. The one that disappeared without a trace. Papa searched for her until his dying day and never found her. Now I know why.” She cursed herself for not drinking more of that potion because tears filled her eyes and her heart squeezed painfully tight in her chest.

  “I know about your mother,” he said distractedly, his gaze focused elsewhere as he thought.

  “What do you know?” He moved away from her and she hated that he wanted to put space between them.

  “Frank contacted me to help find her. I hired professionals and did everything I could, but no one found anything.”

  “When was this?” she asked, her voice raw.

  He didn't meet her gaze. “Almost twenty-nine years ago, I suppose. It was right after it happened. What do you mean you saw her? Tell me everything and do not miss a detail.”

  Lily told him about being thrown in that awful dirty prison cell, then meeting the woman next to her. She told him how she was a succubus and how they were keeping her alive by...feeding her. She might have broken down at this point but the juice kept her from feeling the brunt of the pain.

  “How certain are you?” he asked in a hesitant voice.

  “Certain enough. She has Willow's eyes and said her name was Mary Bellum.”

  “I see.”

  Lily took a seat in a leather chair. “So what do you think?”

  He shrugged. “It may be her, but it might not be.”

  “Will you help me get her out of there?” She knew it was her mother, just knew.

  He laughed this time. “And just how do you suppose we do that? March in there and request her freedom from my broth—from Alrik?”

  She didn't like the snide tone in his voice. “I don't know what to do, but I have to do something. If anyone can think of something it's you.”

  “Of course. Well, sorry to tell you, Lily, but I'm not going back there. It's done. Over. Gone. I'm leaving it alone. I'm going on with my life.”

  Lily stood in a rush. “What? Why? You've spent years planning this. How can you abandon it now just because of one problem?”

  He laughed a cruel sound. “Just one problem? My brother became a tainted demon possessed by darkness. You saw him. That is not natural. God only knows how powerful his magic is. Even if I wanted to take over the rift do you know what that would mean?”

  She squirmed under his scrutiny. “Not really,” she admitted.

  “If he doesn't agree to my proposal, which he won't, then that means I have to fight him—to the death—to get the throne.”

  Her eyes flew wide. No wonder he didn't want to go through with it. She understood now. He'd have to kill his own brother...or be killed.

  “I don't even know if I could beat him. The darkness around him is attributed to dark magic. You know, the kind that hurts people.”

  Gritting her teeth at his tone, she barely refrained from flipping him the bird. “I know what dark magic is.” Asshole, she added silently.

  “How would you feel if it was your mother trapped in there?” As soon as she said the words, she regretted it. Not because the words were cruel but because she'd seen his mother and his reaction to her. Trying to draw sympathy from him via his mother was about as likely as him saying he loved her.

  Yup, his boisterous laughter proved her right.

  “I’d feel relieved, excited. Justice would be served.” His eyes softened at her angry look and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry, I'm an ass.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Well, yeah, you are. And it's okay.”

  “Listen, give me some time to think about it. Maybe I can work something out.”

  This time she went into his arms and pulled his head down for a kiss. He quickly took the kiss further, his tongue sliding deep, his hands crushing her to him.

  A terrible sound started blaring through the room or maybe it was the entire building. It sounded like a rad alarm on a military base. Telal tensed instantly.

  “Stay here,” he ordered and ran into the bedroom. She followed after him.

  “What's going on? What the hell is that?”

  He didn't meet her eyes as he grabbed a pair of guns from another secret panel in the wall along with several knives that he deftly attacked to his body with holsters.

  “We're being attacked.”

  Lily's mind struggled to process that information. “Who'd attack here? This place is like a fortress.”

  “I don't know, but they must be good.”

  Her s
tomach tightened. “Why do you say that?”

  He quickly pulled on a pair of black military boots. “Because that alarm only goes off if a guard pushes it in need of help on the main floor. That means they've already breached through.” He stood. “Stay here. I'm locking the door. Do not leave. Do you understand me, Lily?” He grabbed her by the arms. Too stunned to say anything she simply nodded like a fool.

  He took off, the sound of the door closing after him like a hollow thump.

  * * *

  Telal raced to the main floor, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. He felt like an ass for leaving Lily alone, but he had to. Maybe he should have lied about the alarm but he just wasn't the type to say something to make someone feel better.

  He reached the bottom of the staircase and plastered himself against the door. A gargled sound in the hallway made his muscles tighten with adrenaline. He knew that sound and one of his men just died. Tapping into his powers, he turned himself invisible and palmed a blade made specifically for cutting. It didn't take a lot of pressure for it to break skin. Peering out the small window, comfortable knowing he stayed hidden, he saw a flash of movement.

  Who the fuck was doing this?

  He knew he'd lose some element of surprise opening the door, but it had to be done. He opened it and quickly stepped through. The blur that had passed was a man—not a man, he realized—a demon. He didn't stop to process why or how a demon got here, because the demon turned at the sound of the door. Though he was invisible the demon’s vibrant blue gaze seemed to land right on him.

  Telal kept his steps completely silent as he stalked up to the demon. The demon's gaze didn't follow him but his grip on his two swords tightened. Telal walked within three feet of him. All he'd have to do was shove that sword forward and it'd pierce his side. But the demon didn't hear him. Telal ducked past him and, in a quick move, sliced the demon's throat. The demon dropped to the ground, rolling on his back to look up at him. Telal watched the demon's eyes gloss over with death then moved on down the hall.

  Bodies of his guards littered the floor like a war zone, the stench of death and blood rotting the air. Telal hurried past them, his magic couldn't keep him invisible forever. It sapped him of magic and eventually it'd sap his strength as well.

  A commotion sounded in an office down the hall. Telal ran for it, darting inside. Fuck. He found Kearnyn in the throes of a deadly battle, sword to sword, grimace to grimace. He was barely keeping up with the demon. The demon suddenly backed up, disengaging their clashing steel, then spinning around sweeping his blade in an arc. Kearnyn jumped back but not enough and the blade cut a deep neat line across his stomach. Telal charged the demon, hitting him in the side and taking him down to the floor. The sword fell from his grasp and he planned his knife through the demon's neck with a wet, bone-crushing sound. The demon bucked under him then stilled.

  “Are you okay?” he panted, turning to Kearnyn. The vampire was pale but he nodded grimly.

  “As fine as can be. Who are these demons?”

  “I counted five.” That left three more.

  “Stay here.” Telal closed the door and had to lose the invisibility as the magical energy steadily sapped his powers. He had a feeling he'd need them. These demons weren't like anything he'd ever seen before.

  Taking the stairs four at a time, he climbed up to the top floor—his office. Inside the hall was ominously quiet, his door, ajar. Telal pulled the gun from his shoulder holster and kept his blade in his other hand. He reached the office door and peered inside. No lights were on. Demons didn't see better in the night like vampires could. If they'd meant to find him sleeping in his bed as they stealthily made their way inside then they were going to be quite disappointed.

  Blood pounding hard, he slid past the door without touching it. A demon with bright yellow hair turned to him in an instant and with a flip of his wrist let a throwing dagger fly. Telal had only a second to dodge it, but the blade still landed in his upper shoulder. At least that was better than his heart, he thought. The muscles in his arm instantly went lax and the blade he held dropped uselessly to the floor.

  The demon didn't stop but let fly a barrage of daggers. They whizzed through the air at him like sleek bullets. Telal ran across the room and leaped over the couch, huddling behind it. Without looking, he pointed the gun over the couch and started firing. The shots sounded obscenely loud in the small space like little explosions going off. Four bullets later and he heard a loud thud. Taking a moment, he pulled the blade out of his arm and tried to flex his fingers—they barely twitched in response. Fucking great.

  “Groolana has'in trume?” Who are you? he asked in demonic.

  Suddenly a voice came from right behind him. “Trumei toch.” Your death.

  A sharp blade was shoved deep into his back. Telal choked in pain as every cell in his body screamed at the intrusion. He looked down for a moment to see the blade sticking out through his stomach. And then he sucked in a deep breath and let his powers fly. The demon soared back from him, his back slamming in a crushing blow against the wall. Telal reached behind him, hesitated, and then slowly pulled the blade out of his back. Sweat dripped down his face, his teeth gnawed hard on his lips as tendons, muscles, and God knows what else tore in its path. Finally, the blade gave way and he dropped it to the floor.

  Panting, bleeding pints down his leg, he stood just as the demon did. They squared off. Raising his gun, he fired. The demon dodged each bullet with incredible speed, swiftly darting left, right, then down. He tugged four little sharp blades from his belt and threw them at once. Telal dropped to his knees but not before one of them embedded in his chest. At once he felt the change. The tip of that blade had been poisoned. He knew this poison too, had watched it made in the rift by special craftsman. This poison was designed to drain magic from a demon.

  Telal felt his body weakening and not just his magical energy. His vision started to darken, his muscles relaxed and felt loose, weak. With one last burst of adrenaline, he dropped the gun, held his fingers out, palms to the ground and chanted. It sickened him both mentally and physically.

  Using black magic left a dirty feeling in him for a long time. It was unnatural what he was doing. But it was necessary right now. He couldn't beat this demon. The demon pulled his second sword from his back and charged at him only to slam into an invisible barrier. The demon's eyes flared then he started chanting back. Telal spoke louder, his keeping the barrier up as the demon's dark words fought to bring it down. The demon took a step into the barrier, then another and Telal backed up. His shirt dampened with sweat, his entire body burned with hot searing pain from the poison and wound. He wanted to just give up and let the demon end his life, but Lily was out there. He couldn't leave her alone.

  Using every ounce of power inside him, he channeled the darkest magic he could. Black wisps shot from his fingertips like smoke undulating in the air then slowly crawled through the air to the demon. The demon's words stumbled and real fear filled his glowing eyes. Sweat dripped into Telal's eyes, burning his pupils but still he continued to chant, to coax the black energy to do his bidding.

  The wisps floated smoothly through the crumbling invisible barrier and then attacked at the demon. A blood-curling scream escaped from the demon as the dark wisps slid around the demon's neck and chest and covered his face until his body disappeared beneath the squirming mass. The scream stopped suddenly. The wisps forced themselves into the demon's body. Telal could only imagine the excruciating pain boiling inside him as the death energy ate him with sharp teeth, draining away his life one painful bite at a time. The demon's eyes glazed over, his skin faded to a sickly gray, and then he collapsed to the ground with the slithering energy crawling inside him.

  Telal stopped channeling the energy and the wisps swiveled out of his body and faded into the air like a poof of smoke. Telal stumbled as he made his way back down the hall to the stairwell. His vision didn't stay still. His body trembled hard from the poison and his entire body
felt like it needed a gallon of water to rehydrate it. The only thought he had as he started back down the stairs was—there's still one more.

  * * *

  Lily flew at the door, jamming her shoulder into it. Whoever was on the other side grunted then the door slammed open, catching her chest and sending her flying back. Her shoulder nailed the wall and an explosion of pain took up residence in her shoulder socket. She had only a moment to see that, indeed, it wasn't Telal before the man, no, demon, grabbed her hair in a violent grip and started to drag her out of the bathroom.

  Instant pain flared as her scalp pulled and strands of hair tore and snapped. She fumbled, trying to walk backwards and pressed down on the hand tearing out her hair, while still keeping the knife in her grasp. The task wasn't easy.

  “Who are you?” she gritted out.

  The demon had dark green hair cut short in spikes around his head with very pale—almost white—skin and he didn't answer. They reached the bedroom door and Lily wrapped her legs around the frame then tightened her grip on the knife and stabbed at the hand holding her hair. The demon shouted as he released her.

  Adrenaline pumping furiously in her blood, Lily darted for the bathroom with a hysterical cry. She threw the bathroom door closed behind her with a sharp snap only to have it burst off the frame in slabs of broken wood as the demon charged at it.

  Screams tore from her throat as the demon charged again at the door, tearing it almost completely off the frame. He glared at her with raging fury that left her gasping in fear. He took one long step through the door then his bloodied fist from where she'd cut him curled into a fist and uppercut her in the gut. All the air wheezed out of her stomach and sharp pain throbbed. Lily fell to the floor desperately trying to suck in air; the knife fell to the floor as she held her stomach.

  A large foot came into view and kicked the knife across the bathroom floor. Lily didn't even care. Her mind was screaming at her to breathe. When the demon grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her once again, she fell forward onto her stomach and he started dragging her across the floor. Her feet locked on either side of the bathroom door with a tight grip, stalling the demon's progress. He let out a fierce growl that made the hair at the back of her neck stand on end.