Hunted by a Jaguar

by Felicity Heaton

  She clutched the dagger.

  “I do hope you were not planning to betray me, Iolanthe.”

  A shiver went down her spine.

  Bleu spun on his heel to face her, his clothing disappearing and his armour sweeping over his body, covering him from neck to toe and transforming his fingers into long serrated claws. A black blade appeared in his grip. He teleported another silver sword to him and tossed it to Kyter.

  Kyter caught it and narrowed his golden gaze on the owner of the voice behind her.

  She calmly rose onto her feet, turning as she did so, her own armour covering her fingers and changing them into deadly talons. She was out of time. He had come for her personally. She should have known she wouldn’t be able to fool him. He was always watching her. She lifted her eyes.

  Her heart lodged in her throat.

  Fernandez stood at the entrance of the ruined temple, his vivid red eyes locked on her and his two favourite assassins at his back—the sorcerer and the one who possessed god powers. The dark-haired male stood to the left of Fernandez, dressed head to toe in black, his pale blue eyes fixed on her. She shuddered under his cold and hungry scrutiny, every instinct she possessed telling her to move back a step, towards Kyter and her brother.

  The red eyes of Fernandez held her immobile though. She had only met him the once, when the dark-haired assassin had captured her and brought her before him so he could demand she locate the way of summoning Barafnir.

  She had felt the power in Fernandez then and the evil, but she hadn’t realised what he was. He had hidden it from her, but he wasn’t hiding it today. He stood before her in his true form, no doubt using it to issue a warning to her, one that cautioned her not to fight him.

  Darkness clung to him, writhing like mist over the heavy black armour that moulded to his seven-foot frame, mimicking the muscles concealed beneath. His clawed black gloves gripped the hilt of the huge obsidian sword he held point down in front of him. The horned helm of his armour flared back from above his nose, covering his silver-grey hair.

  He looked like a vampire with his elliptical pupils stretched thin in the centre of his crimson irises, but he was infinitely more dangerous. A deadly foe she stood no chance against.

  Fernandez advanced a step, his eyes narrowing, and the shadows shifted, rising to sweep over the part of him that had frozen her feet in place and chilled her blood.

  Black wings.

  Their enormous feathered forms arched from his back to a point two feet above the top of his head and almost brushed the ground at his feet. Only one species in Hell had such wings, and it was one she had hoped she would never cross paths with let alone swords.

  A fallen angel.

  Only one species in Hell was more powerful than a fallen angel.

  Kyter roared and shot past her, heading straight for Fernandez.

  A demon of the Devil’s domain.

  CHAPTER 25

  Iolanthe burst into action the second her brother passed her, sweeping his hand down the length of his black blade at the same time, transforming it into a long spear. She teleported the dagger from her palm and replaced it with her short black sword.

  Ahead of her, Kyter clashed hard with Fernandez, slamming his right shoulder into the fallen angel’s armoured stomach and driving him backwards off the edge of the circular black stone base of the temple. Fernandez’s eyes flashed vivid red, glowing like hot embers, and her heart leaped in her chest as he shot his left hand out, wrapped it around Kyter’s throat, and hurled him across the temple. Kyter grunted as he crashed into the remains of the altar, shattering the ancient stone, and collapsed onto the floor.

  Iolanthe hissed, her pointed ears flaring back against the sides of her head and her violet eyes pinned on Fernandez.

  He would pay for hurting her mate.

  She ran at him as Bleu took on the sorcerer, nimbly teleporting whenever the fair-haired male launched a spell at him. Her brother was faster than she remembered, impressing her as he evaded every spell the male cast and closed in on him, forcing the sorcerer to fight hand to hand. Bleu’s black spear was a blur as he attacked, slashing and thrusting, driving the sorcerer away from his companions.

  Fernandez spread his black wings and threw his left hand forwards, towards Kyter.

  Iolanthe feared the worst and looked back at her mate, only to realise that nothing had happened. It hadn’t been an attack.

  It had been an order.

  The dark-haired male beside Fernandez pressed one hand to his chest, bowed his head, and then disappeared, moving so swiftly that her eyes couldn’t track him.

  “Kyter.” She skidded as she changed direction, turning away from Fernandez and towards her male.

  Kyter shoved onto his feet and reached for his fallen weapon. Not quick enough.

  The dark-haired male appeared before him, one hand wrapped around the hilt of the katana sheathed at his side. He drew the weapon. A swift silver arc cut through the darkness, a deadly blur aimed straight at Kyter’s neck.

  Iolanthe teleported, her heart thundering against her breast, and appeared between Kyter and the male. She leaned back as she brought her arm up, the black scales of her armour rapidly flowing from the twin bands around her wrist to cover it, and flinched as the blade struck her forearm a split second after her armour had reached that point.

  The force of the blow sent pain lancing through her arm even though her armour stopped the blade from cutting into her and drove her backwards into Kyter. He grabbed her waist to steady her and growled into her ear, the feral snarl directed at the male pressing forwards with the attack.

  Her armour burned where the silver blade pressed into it, searing her skin beneath the black scales. Panic rushed through her and she shoved forwards with her arm, knocking the blade away from her before it could do serious damage. Her armour was only weak against the same metal. Or it should have been. It wasn’t possible that his blade could cut through it, but it had felt as if it had been on the verge of doing so.

  She growled and brought her left arm up, her own black blade cutting swiftly through the air towards the male. His pale blue eyes flashed and he spun with his sword and blocked her blow. Kyter ducked around her and lunged with his sword, thrusting it straight towards the male’s head.

  The dark-haired male grunted and dove to one side, narrowly avoiding the blade. He rolled onto his feet but Kyter was there, spinning on his heel as he launched a high sweeping kick at the male. It caught him hard in the temple and sent him crashing onto the black stone floor.

  Bleu snarled, catching her attention, and she wished she hadn’t looked as he flew backwards through the air towards her, a white blast of energy exploding from his chest. She kicked off, launching into the air, slammed into him and wrapped her arms around him as she teleported.

  The darkness evaporated as she landed and she set Bleu down on his feet. He huffed, tossed her a black look that left her in no doubt that he wasn’t impressed that he had just been saved by his little sister, and then teleported, throwing himself back into the fray.

  Kyter ducked beneath the silver arc of the dark-haired male’s sword, dropping to one knee and launching his other leg out. He slammed his foot hard into the male’s ankles, knocking him off balance. The male fumbled an attack, lashing out with his katana. Kyter rolled onto his back, pressed his hands into the stones above his shoulders, and flipped onto his feet, evading the blow as it harmlessly swept beneath him.

  He landed in a crouch, pinned his sights on Fernandez, and roared again as he rushed the fallen angel.

  Iolanthe joined him, unable to allow him to fight alone. He had demon blood in his veins but she wasn’t sure he was strong enough to take Fernandez down.

  Her heart stopped as Bleu shot past her and hit the largest stone of the altar so hard that it exploded, raining black fragments down on the area around the temple.

  He hissed, flashing his fangs, and pulled himself onto his feet. His legs gave out beneath him and she screamed as
the sorcerer blasted him again, pinning him to a column, and the dark-haired male attacked.

  Kyter landed a blow on Fernandez, splitting the fallen angel’s lip and sending him staggering backwards.

  She had to help her brother.

  Iolanthe teleported and landed on the dark-haired male’s back. She wrapped her legs around his head, fell backwards and twisted as she planted her hands onto the floor, using her bodyweight and all of her strength to flip the male over her and slam him into the ground. He grunted on impact and she sat on his back, grabbed him by his hair and smashed his face against the black stone.

  A hot blast struck her in her back and sent her flying into Bleu just as he found his feet. He grabbed her and fell backwards with her, toppling over the column. She landed on top of him and he wheezed, his face screwing up in pain.

  “Have you put on weight?” he rasped in the elf tongue and she had half a mind to hit him.

  She teleported off him instead and went after the sorcerer who had struck her with the spell.

  The second she appeared, pain lanced her side. She cried out and clutched her left hip, expecting to find it wet with blood.

  It wasn’t.

  Because it wasn’t her pain.

  “Kyter,” she hollered and lifted her eyes to find him.

  He stood with his back to her, both hands clutching Fernandez’s black broadsword where it skewered his side. Her stomach somersaulted and she threw her hands forwards, using all of her strength to create a blast of telekinesis powerful enough to send the fallen angel flying. The blade pulled free of Kyter’s side and he staggered forwards a few steps, growling and snarling, fur rippling across his shoulders.

  Fernandez spread his black wings, halting his ascent, and swept his blade through the air.

  He pointed it at Bleu.

  Bleu bellowed in agony that chilled her blood in her veins and fell silent.

  She turned slowly, afraid of what she would see, and her heart didn’t slow even when she saw her brother lying on the black floor of the temple, his eyes closed and his stomach shifting with each slow breath. He was out cold but he was alive.

  She wasn’t sure how long he would remain that way if she didn’t do something though.

  The dark-haired male stood over Bleu, his katana raised above his head and poised to strike.

  His icy blue eyes slid to her, a sadistic glimmer of pleasure in them.

  Kyter was gravely injured and Bleu was unconscious. She had to do something now to turn the tide in their favour or they were all going to die. They weren’t strong enough to defeat Fernandez and his men.

  Her heart steadied.

  They weren’t, but someone was.

  If she could summon him, she could command him to fight Fernandez and kill him and his men.

  The dark-haired male looked to his master. Fernandez started to nod.

  “Wait!” Iolanthe dropped her blade.

  The metallic ring of it hitting the ground seemed to freeze everyone in place. She swallowed hard and drew in a fortifying breath.

  Fernandez’s crimson eyes slid to her and he landed a short distance from Kyter where he kneeled just beyond the edge of the circle engraved on the black stone floor, clutching his bleeding side.

  Iolanthe called the dagger to her and held it out to Fernandez.

  “This is what you wanted. I believe it is the item you seek, but I have not been able to verify it. That is why we came here. I needed to ensure it was the item and not another clue.”

  Fernandez furled his black feathered wings against his back and eyed it with interest. “Will it summon the demon?”

  “It will summon a demon. I cannot be certain it will be Barafnir as you desire.” She held the dagger out towards him, refusing to let her hand shake and betray her nerves.

  The fallen angel lowered his sword and held it out beside him. The fair-haired sorcerer hurried forwards and took it from him, carefully cradling it and bowing his head. Fernandez motioned with his hand. Behind her, the dark-haired male huffed and sheathed his weapon.

  She went to approach Fernandez but he halted her with a cold glare.

  “Summon this demon. If it is the one I hired you to locate, I will allow you all to live.” He looked from her to behind her and then down at Kyter. “If it is not, we shall start by taking one of the males with us back to the guild, where he shall be our honoured guest, and you will decide which it will be.”

  Iolanthe had the feeling that honoured guest was a sick way of saying that either her brother or Kyter was destined to be tortured violently and ceaselessly until she found the right artefact, and she would have to live with the knowledge she had put them there.

  Her stomach rebelled at the thought and her hand shook against the dagger.

  “Come, Iolanthe. Summon this demon… or perhaps you need an incentive already?” Fernandez took a step towards Kyter.

  Her heart jerked and she rushed out, “No. I will do it. Just… leave him be.”

  Kyter growled and clutched his side, blood spilling from between his fingers, his pain echoing on her body. He looked back at her, his golden eyes imploring her to be careful. She nodded, turned her back to him, and stared at the dagger.

  This had to work.

  This was the temple.

  She frowned.

  The dagger was the key?

  When she had been looking for it, speaking to the demons, they had referred to it as the key of Barafnir. But if it was the key, where was the lock it fitted and the gate it opened?

  She looked around her, her gaze straying to Bleu where he lay sprawled at the dark-haired male’s feet, breathing shallowly, a black and purple bruise discolouring his right temple and cheek. Anger curled through her veins, heat that burned and set her blood on fire. The male would pay for harming her brother. Fernandez would pay for harming Kyter.

  She edged closer to the altar to check it and check Bleu at the same time. The blow to the head was the only injury he had sustained. The dark-haired male’s eyes tracked her, intense and focused, sending a cold shiver through her. She curled her lip at him and he smiled, as if the sliver of attention she had given him had been tender or affectionate and not laced with hatred.

  Iolanthe moved away from him, loath to leave her brother near the male while he was vulnerable, but unable to stay near him. There was something wrong with the dark-haired assassin, something that deeply disturbed her. It was more than the fact he had made her the focus of his demented obsession since they had first met. It had to do with his power. It was darkness, the sort that an elf could fall into if they weren’t careful, becoming a twisted creature and losing all of their purity and goodness. Turned towards evil, never to come back.

  She looked at the circle engraved on the black stone floor, searching it again. No cracks where a dagger could fit. No clear instruction on how to use it. She felt Fernandez’s eyes on her, his focus intensifying. He was losing patience.

  A muffled grunt coming from behind her made her look back at her brother. He frowned and slowly raised a hand to his head, a groan escaping him. Relief swept through her but fear drove it down again. Kyter’s pain was growing worse. If she could get near him, she could teleport a medicine for him to take.

  “Let me heal him,” she said with a glance at Kyter and Fernandez shook his head. She wouldn’t give up. She took a step towards him, her fists clenched at her sides, and stared hard at Fernandez, feeling as if she was facing the Devil himself as his countenance darkened dangerously. “Please. I cannot focus… not while he is in pain.”

  “You care about this one,” Fernandez murmured and looked down at Kyter and then back at her. “He means something to you.”

  The master assassin held his hand out towards her and the dagger shot from her palm and into his. He closed his fingers around it and grabbed Kyter, yanking him around to face her and tearing a pained cry from him. He fisted Kyter’s sandy hair from behind him and pressed one edge of the dagger against the front of her mate’s th
roat.

  Her stomach lurched and she held her hands out, desperate to stop Fernandez but afraid that any move she made would see him carrying out his threat.

  “I believe you might focus better now, not worse. Prove me right, Iolanthe, or this male you care so much about will be nothing but a sack of bones and blood.” Fernandez stooped behind Kyter and tipped the blade up, forcing his head up with it.

  Kyter tensed and growled through his fangs.

  Rage burned through her, her blood becoming wildfire in her veins, an inferno that awakened a fierce need to recall her blade to her hand and cut Fernandez down with it.

  She drew in a deep breath and Kyter’s golden eyes widened. He had read her intention.

  “No.” Kyter grabbed Fernandez’s hand and the dagger and tried to break past it as her black sword reappeared in her grip.

  The dagger nicked his throat, painting a thin red line across the right side, a bare inch above where she had bitten him.

  A bead of his blood rolled down the blade to the tip.

  Black light burst from it and a shockwave exploded across the temple, knocking her backwards and hurling Kyter forwards, onto the engraved circle. He pressed his bloodied palm into the black stones to keep himself from hitting it face-first, ending up on all fours in the centre of the triangle.

  Ribbons of shadows swirled like tendrils from his hand and curled around him, and he shoved up onto his knees and arched backwards, his face to the black sky of Hell as he roared.

  Iolanthe clutched her side, screaming as fire blazed through it, tears streaming down her face.

  Fernandez stared dazedly at the dagger in his hand and then at Kyter, and then behind her as the swirls of black smoke blasted past her. She looked over her shoulder at the altar and her eyes widened as the darkness gathered there, filling the space between the two columns at the back of the temple, beyond the broken dais.

  Her heart lodged in her throat as the darkness rippled and the pain in her side faded before disappearing completely.