Vindicta (The Liquidator Wars Book 1)

by Kindra Sowder

  It didn’t take long before a wave of pulse-pounding pleasure rocked them both and Brynn’s body pulsated around him. Drawing him deeper. He shuddered against her as he nipped at her collarbone. They came together, and he cradled her there, but it wasn’t long enough before he pulled back and looked her in the eyes, pushing strands of soaked blonde and red hair from her face. He opened his mouth and said three words she hadn’t expected to hear from a man.

  “I love you,” he panted.

  She planted a chaste kiss on his lips and answered, “I love you.”

  ***

  The House of Electi was utter chaos as everyone searched the mansion for both Creed and Brynn, having no indication they would both take off after the revelation that Gwenyth had given herself to a traitor.

  Gwenyth sat in the living room curled up in blankets and watched the hustle and bustle, Calyx shouting orders as second in command.

  “Where the Hell is she? She can’t have just disappeared! Find them!” she yelled once more as she came into the living room and stared at Gwenyth. She placed her hands on her hips. “Are you certain she didn’t speak a word to you? She didn’t mention taking off?”

  Gwenyth nodded her head and gripped pulled the blanket around her even tighter, feeling the chill of Calyx’s hard gaze move over her flesh.

  “No, Calyx, she didn’t speak a word. She just sat there in silence and stared at the wall. Then she got up and left. I am sorry.”

  Calyx sighed and let her shoulders sag, moving to sit beside the younger Daughter of Electi.

  “No, it is I who am sorry, Gwenyth.”

  “For what?”

  “Not being able to see that he was a traitor before all of this happened,” she said as she waved her hand around to indicate that she was talking about the past week’s events. “If I had paid more attention I could have stopped him before he did this to you.”

  “No one knew Calyx. Please don’t blame yourself,” she said as she reached out toward Calyx, interrupted from the gesture by Bayn and Terran coming into the room like raging bulls.

  “She is nowhere, Calyx. Is it time to call Natalia?”

  Calyx nodded and stood, “Yes, bring the Oracle. We don’t have time to waste.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, there was a loud sound as the front doors of the mansion groaned open, those that had one been running about in search of their leader stopping in their tracks, frozen in place. Bayn and Terran turned toward the sound, but Gwenyth couldn’t see anything. She stood, dropped her blanket to the floor and walked around the two large men. What she spotted in the threshold of the doorway made her gasp, her hand rising to her lips to stifle the sound.

  Brynn and Creed stood there, surrounded in moonlight like an apparition.

  “Is it her?” Calyx asked as she came to stand beside Gwenyth, placing protective hands on her thin shoulders. “Oh my God, Brynn?”

  Gwenyth looked on in shock as her sister, and the Chimera stood in the doorway, Brynn took a step forward and a scent that was unmistakable moved through the air. Musk, lilies, and sex wafted toward her nostrils, and she knew it had happened. Her sister had been mated with the Liquidator, and everyone knew it. There was no denying it.

  “What the fuck did you do to her, Liquidator?” Bayn growled as he took a protective step forward, the rage in him causing the scent of soot and fire to clash with Brynn’s own scent.

  “Nothing she didn’t want, vampire,” Creed barked back.

  Bayn bucked up toward the large male, possession, and a territorial urge caused both of them to ripple with anger and pent up energy.

  “Enough!” Brynn shouted. She looked at Bayn with so much rage the room went cold. “We will discuss this at another time. Do you understand me?”

  Gwenyth watched in silence as Bayn’s eyes filled with jealous rage, but he nodded and did as her older sister asked without question. He took a few steps back from Creed and leaned against the wall.

  “Now,” Brynn started as she straightened and pushed her hair away from her face and off of her shoulders, “I know where that bastard is headed. Who will come with me to see that justice is dealt?”

  ***

  As exhausted as they all were from the battle they knew their Warrior Queen Brynn was not waiting for Ryder Perkins to get any further away. Wearily they all quickly showered and changed their soiled clothing to fresh battle attire, drank blood to renew and refresh their immortal bodies, and gathered in the Grand Hall before the East door.

  Brynn came bursting across the room from the freight elevator, her long hair flowing behind her, followed by a resolute looking Calyx.

  “Brynn!” Tarren said stepping so that he was in front of her, and unzipping the diagonal zipper that went from shoulder to his pectoral that he’d had sewn specifically in his sweater so that Brynn could feed from him easily. “Do you need to feed? I am, as always, at your service!”

  Brynn looked at him but seemed to look past him.

  “Thank you I already have, Tarren,” she said brusquely. For a moment color shone high on her cheekbones as she remembered the same offer just minutes beforehand from Creed--that had been the offer that she could not refuse. Not only did she desire for her formidable skills to be at their best, but also she found that his blood had amazing effects on her in other ways.

  Their private exchange a few minutes earlier had had but one witness: Calyx. Calyx understood the necessity of using every advantage available to them to protect their kingdom and their people. She had turned her back at Brynn’s request, as Brynn had sunk her fangs for the second time into the hollow of Creed’s throat.

  It was more than a mere feeding, and both of them knew it. Creed had pushed his immense erection against her as she fed, and she had fed ferociously, the points of her nipples hard as diamonds. The arousal she felt feeding on this giant of a male creature was as incredible as it was inexplicable.

  Just as she had finished feeding she reached down for a moment and captured the immense crown of his cock between her dainty thumb and index fingers as they exchanged a look so smoldering that the air between them crackled with static electricity.

  Then Brynn was all hard edges and battle driven, focused on the only thing that mattered above all else.

  Revenge.

  Tarren nodded his head at Brynn’s rebuff, confused. His confusion was immediately replaced by the fury of realizing that the hostage Creed had replaced him.

  By a mongrel angel. A fucking angel.

  Brynn had one of the Elite Guard unfold a map and spread it on the flagstones.

  “I am almost sure he is headed to Crimayne,” Brynn told them, “And since he has a head start we will need to head him off somehow before he ever reaches their mansion…”

  Everyone present was silent, studying the map. No one wanted to tell Brynn that they had almost zero chance of heading Ryder off at that point. A journey to Crimayne might take a few hours, but he had s good enough start so that even if he ran, rather than flying all the way he could easily elude their Tracking Party.

  Calyx spoke up in answer to their baffled expressions.

  “I know of a portal that will take us to Canyon Run, the part of the mountain on the opposite side of their stead. From there we can lie in wait for him and bide our time. I also feel that we are expected. Natalia tells me that the Liquidators have their own Seers and Oracles, and one is a particularly nasty Wraith. We will have to be careful as we travel through town because they might know we are coming and send a War party of their own to head us off.”

  Calyx looked at Brynn, her expression filled with concern.

  “I think you should stay behind and let the rest of us take care of Ryder, Brynn. I am afraid for you although I cannot tell you why. If I promise to bring you his severed head will you stay here?”

  Brynn started to reject Calyx’s plea outright but softened her tone when she saw the fear in Calyx’s eyes.

  “My Warrior Sister, you know I cannot,” she answered,
“The honor of House of Electi rests on what we do next. We must prevail. Now that the traitor has been flushed from our midst we must hunt him down and kill him like the animal he is.”

  “Anyway,” she continued, “I have a bargaining chip.”

  As if on cue the freight elevator came to life, resting at last on the East side of the sub-basement floor with a metallic groan. Everyone’s attention was riveted as the massive freight doors slowly opened.

  Standing in the doorway of the industrial elevator, his muscles rippling through his black t-shirt and his long leather coat blowing in the slight breeze was Creed.

  Everyone watched him as he strode forward, his air of confidence unmistakable. He made a commanding figure with his stature, his delineated muscles, and his noble bearing.

  Tarren scowled darkly, his eyes flashing under hooded lids, though he said nothing. Bayn had a different reaction entirely.

  The most recent event hit him hard. He was aware that Creed had claimed the only female he had ever loved, and the anguish that ripped through his heart at that relived moment of recognition was the most painful sensation he had ever experienced. Unlike the battle wounds he had endured, as deep as some of them were.

  The recent recognition that another male had claimed Brynn was the deepest cut of all.

  “Stop staring, all of you,” Brynn said mockingly. “How oddly you are behaving. Stop playing statues and get ready to head out. We will be riding to the portal in the Electi’s designated vehicles so that we can save our energy. Creed and I will take the lead and Tarren and Bayn, you can bring up the rear.”

  Everyone nodded, and then exited. A half circle of the finest cars on the property were parked outside, and as they climbed inside several of the Electi Royal Guard joined them. The sun had nearly set, and a silver crescent of a moon was becoming visible against the deepening azure background of the evening sky.

  Brynn’s hair shone silver also in the light of the moon and stars. As she sat behind the wheel with her window open, she appeared more beautiful than ever.

  Even Calyx was startled by Brynn’s appearance, but then she knew.

  Brynn, Warrior Queen, and Daughter of the Electi had at last found love.

  ***

  They rode hard to the West, and then the East for a bit as the moon climbed higher in the sky. At last, Calyx sent Brynn a text message, signaling them to turn onto a back road and they sped down it with due haste. They all found themselves in a tree ringed clearing, parking in front of what seemed to be a tunnel formed of the branches of long dead trees, leaning inward toward each other from opposite sides to create what appeared to be an entrance of some sort.

  Calyx slipped out of her car and slid out into the cool night air, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She began humming, a pleasant and somewhat monotonous sound that increased in volume. The rest of the group exited their vehicles and stood silently, assuming Calyx was calling upon some ancient magic of the Fae Folk.

  She was.

  Fireflies began to gather around the entrance of the tunnel before them, the soft glow of their twinkling lights increasing in brightness around the dark entrance until it was clearly visible.

  Calyx seemed to be in her element. She turned around to the others excitedly.

  “They don’t come unless the portal is stable,” she said, smiling, “So we can be sure that it is. We should end up on the back side of Crimayne when we reach the other side, making a nice short cut, saving us hours, and enabling us to catch that despicable Ryder before he even reaches the Liquidator King Uictore!”

  Tarren chose that moment to get a dig in at Creed.

  “So, son of Uictore, King of the Liquidators--how does it feel to be home again?” he asked, a snide tone in his voice.

  “Not my favorite, actually,” Creed answered him, looking straight ahead at the entrance to the portal, where a faint glimmer of light coming from way back in the darkness was becoming brighter and closer. “And this has not been my home since I was little more than a child, you asshole.”

  Tarren moved toward Creed, his fists clenched, aching to connect his massive fist with Creeds too handsome face, but to his chagrin, Brynn placed herself immediately between them.

  “Tarren,” she said coldly, staring him down, “You forget yourself. As long as I have accepted Creed and vouchsafed for him, you must treat him with respect. I will tolerate nothing less. Do we understand each other?”

  Tarren lowered his fist but though it remained against his side his fingers were still twitching.

  Nevertheless, he bowed his head in deference to his Ruler.

  “It shall be as you say, Brynn, Daughter of the Electi,” he expressed in an even tone he could barely manage.

  Inwardly Brynn fumed. What she really wanted to do was have Tarren bend over and kick him in the ass hard. Just when she needed the Twins to be playing their A game they were both being assholes.

  Overhead a shadow passed over them briefly and Calyx, who rarely cursed said,

  “Fuck!”

  To Brynn’s questioning look she quickly explained.

  “I think that was Ryder passing over us just now. I know he didn’t see us because of the overhang of the trees above us, but I am fairly sure it was him.”

  “Fine!” Brynn said, pulling her favorite sword out of its sheath and unbuckling her utility belt that held an array of weapons and letting it fall to the ground. “I am going after him! He will never live to reach Crimayne!”

  Without another word she took off, moving upward at a high velocity, her war cries drifting back down to them. Tarren and Bayne immediately followed suit.

  The only ones remaining of the Royal Entourage, Calyx, and Creed, eyeballed each other warily.

  “Why aren’t you joining her?” Creed asked Calyx, a twinkle in his eye.

  “I am staying to guard you,” Calyx said, amused. “I still distrust you Creed, even though Brynn vouches for you. Why aren’t you following her?”

  Creed chuckled.

  “Because Brynn has got this! By the time I could get up there. If I could get up there, my flying skills are a bit rusty. She will have already done the deed.”

  As if on cue, hearing the rushing sound above them of an object plummeting to earth, both Creed and Calyx stepped back from where they had been standing.

  Almost immediately an object hit the ground between them.

  It was Ryder’s severed head.

  His body soon followed. Calyx cast her eyes upward, but not seeing Brynn yet, she busied herself checking the pockets of Ryder’s blood saturated over jacket while Creed watched.

  He saw her dart a hand inside Ryder’s tunic, to an inside pocket, and he saw her smile, her eyes gleaming as she retrieved a folded white kerchief.

  “They shall not have you Gwenyth,” he heard her murmur, “They shall not have you, oh Daughter of the Electi.”

  Calyx placed the kerchief tenderly into the suede bag at her waist, patting it for good measure.

  When she looked up again, her eyes met Creeds.

  “I’m sure there is a story in there somewhere,” he remarked, gesturing at the drawstring bag at Calyx’ waist.

  “Yes, there is,” Calyx assured him, “But not one you’ll hear from my lips, Liquidator. Brynn may tell it to you, that is her privilege if she so desires, but I don’t trust you.”

  Creed frowned, holding his hands out in a placating gesture.

  “Have I offended you in some way that I can help?” Creed asked, “I cannot help my lineage, though I imagine you spit on Chimeras when you come across them. I cannot help that three different rivers of blood course through these veins of mine, but I assure you that I would protect Brynn’s immortal body with my own, even if it costs me everything. Calyx, I know you can tell if I am lying. Surely you know I speak the truth.”

  Calyx stared at him for what seemed an eternity and then replied in a voice deeper than the one she usually used.

  “It is not her body that I fear you will bring
to harm, Mongrel,” she answered, seeming to look past him, “But rather her heart.”

  At that moment Brynn returned, Bayn and Tarren at her heels smiling.

  “You should have seen our Warrior Queen!” Tarren said smiling. There was nothing he loved more than seeing Brynn ace a kill, “One stroke! He never got a word out!

  “Ended!” Bayn chimed in, “Magnificent!”

  Brynn, ignoring the accolades trotted over to where Ryder’s head lay face up, a shocked expression on the face. She picked him up by the hair and held his head facing her at eye level.

  “I have ended your perfidy,” she said, talking to him as if he could still hear her, “And now they will sing a different song when I display your severed head on a spike from my balcony. They will sing of the crows feasting on your eyes and lying tongue. And I, Brynn, daughter of the Electi, will sing the loudest.”

  After an awkward moment’s silence, her crimson eyes flashed a sapphire blue in the darkness, and she blushed with embarrassment as her companions watched her with wide eyes.

  “And we will meet his master.”

  ***

  It was not far from Crimayne. Brynn and her band had headed Ryder off just in time. Her deep satisfaction at removing his despicable head from his shoulders had reenergized her, and she couldn’t wait to meet Uictore, ‘The Vanquisher,' face to face.

  As they got within several yards, Creed caught up with Brynn to depart what he considered vital information.

  “I don’t think a frontal assault is our best choice Daughter of the Electi, although I know you have no fear. But I believe we can spare some casualties by using the element of surprise.”

  “Isn’t showing up completely unexpected enough of a surprise?” she retorted impatiently, “If you have a suggestion, state it quickly because I am still thirsty for Liquidator blood!”

  “This way!” Creed said immediately, motioning to the others.

  Crimayne was oddly built, both for a mansion or any other massive structure. Modeled after Predjamski Grad, a Slovenian castle whose name literally meant “Castle in front of a cave, it was protected on the back side by the mountain it was butted up against. The huge mansion continued into the cavernous opening into the mountain.