by A C Wilds
Before I can object, he holds up his hand. “Torque is not the most loved, and I need to ensure he’s okay. The club and this damn realm can burn for all I care. My king comes first.”
Nox nods, and the bubble pops. We follow Mammon into the office. Everything is the same since the last time I was here. A wooden desk against one wall and a comfy couch on the opposite wall. It serves a purpose, nothing more. There is nothing here to make it homey. I’m not reminded of Torque in any of it.
Crouching behind the desk, Mammon uses his magic to access the safe. A faint glow comes from his palm, and the door swings open. The magic hits the air, and I inhale deeply. It’s intoxicating.
Mammon places the orb in a satchel hanging from the wall, then throws it over his shoulder. I didn’t notice my arms are outstretched until he bumps into them on the way to the door.
“You must control the power within you. It will ruin you,” Nox whispers in my ear. His hands brace my upper arms, shaking me to gather my attention.
I could fall so easily into that power. My eyes glow silver, and the want makes my mouth salivate. To change worlds. Live free from those who once oppressed me. To control.
“Anima. Stop it. It will not end well. I don’t want to knock you out.”
A growl ripples through me as I rush the door. My smoke slides out, ready to steal, take over.
A sigh comes from behind me. Just before I reach the door, a force hits me so hard it knocks me to my knees. I swing my gaze toward Nox.
The last thing I see is his eyes glowing with the same silver.
Three
ANIMA
A pounding headache wakes me from a dreamless sleep. I’m confused for a moment before I remember what happened. Nox knocked me out.
The need to own the orb has left me, but the feeling didn’t. The power I could possess. The very thought of it coursing through me sends a shiver down my spine.
“How do you feel?” Uriel asks from the doorway.
I throw the blankets off my legs, then land my feet on the cold stone floor. Not a good idea. A thousand hammers try to break out of my skull.
“I’m assuming the headache is because of daddy dearest?” I grumble, trying to stand. Again, not the best idea.
Uriel catches me before I faceplant onto the ground. He helps me get back into the bed, pulling the blankets up to my neck.
“You’re going to have the headache for at least another couple of hours. He used a lot of magic to get you to stay sedated. You’re one tough woman.”
I smile at the compliment. I’ve never been easy to control. It has frustrated a lot of my tutors and trainers.
“Drink this. It will help the pounding.” Nox appears and holds out a steaming mug of something that smells delicious. Honey and apples.
“You’re a dick. I would have snapped out of it. I’m able to take care of myself.”
Uriel laughs and pats my leg. “I’ll leave you two to argue. I don’t want to be in the middle of this.” He kisses Nox on the cheek before exiting. I guess they’ve made up.
“You were on the edge of losing control. The only way to stop the power lust was to knock you out. I’ve seen it before. Demons consumed by holy magic. It doesn’t end well.”
“I’m not just a demon, or have you forgotten?”
I’m being petty, but I don’t want anyone taking liberties with my powers. For this to work, we need to build trust. So far, he’s shown none of that.
“Anima. Believe that I know what’s best for now.”
“It’s too late for parental rules. I’m a big girl. Or have you forgotten I kill demons for a living?”
He grumbles and turns to leave. I think I hear him say stubborn, but I can’t be sure. I swallow down the rest of the tea and lay back in bed. Might as well sleep while I can. I don’t foresee too much rest in my future.
I wake up a few hours later with a clear head. I hear arguing in the kitchen. Grabbing a robe off the bed, I make my way inside to investigate what the fuss is about.
“It’s not working,” Mammon screams. “This is all your fault.”
He points to Nox as if he’s the one who stabbed Torque with the poison knife. They divide the room, Nox and Uriel on one side and Mammon and Caymn on the other.
“Boys, let’s calm down. There’s no reason to fight. Scur is the one to blame. He stabbed him.”
They turn to me, all anger now directed in my direction. Tough room.
“If he doesn’t live, I’m blaming you.” Mammon points his finger in my direction.
I brush it off with a smirk as I make my way to the coffee I smell brewing. I don’t know how long I’ve been out, but I’m starving and in need of some magic brew.
“Your threats are pointless. You’re in the Darklands, and you have no power here. If you’d like me to remind you, keep acting like a petulant child. I want to test out some of these powers. Or I can just give you to Namir to play with.”
At the mention of my familiar, Namir walks through the back door and sits at my feet. His gigantic size takes up most of the kitchen. He bumps his head on my shoulder, causing me to spill most of the coffee on the floor.
“I was drinking that.” I scowl at him, but I can’t hold it for long. He purrs, and the vibrations calm me down instantly.
“The white tyger,” Camyn whispers, backing up with wide eyes.
At the mention of his name, Namir shows a bit of fang. Caymn’s look is priceless. A cross between pure fear and defeat. There’s nothing much that can take down my tyger.
“He’s your familiar?” Mammon questions, finally calming down from being his judgey self.
“Yes. He saved me once we entered the Bloodlands.” I scratch Namir behind the ears, causing him to lean down and push into me. I push back, walking over to refill my cup. I need an entire pot to deal with all the maleness in the room.
A gasp comes from the hall, and I turn to see the vampire. She’s tall and thin. Blonde hair cascades down her back. Blue eyes stare at Namir like he’s the worst thing she’s ever seen. I hate her instantly.
“Vita, this is Anima,” Mammon introduces us. She rakes her gaze up and down my body before landing on my face.
“Pleasure,” she says. The disdain in her voice has my hackles rising. This bitch will not live long if she keeps this up.
“Have you fed Torque?” Uriel asks, trying to defuse the tension in the room.
“Yes. He’s not suckling, but that’s to be expected. His life force is so low. I don’t know what you did to him, but he’s barely hanging on,” she spits, sauntering over to an empty chair as if it’s a throne.
A low sound comes out of my mouth, and I try hard not to chuck the coffee at her head. It would be bad to kill the vampire before Torque is healed.
“Do you think more of my magic will help? Or if I use the orb? It worked when I saved Mammon,” I say, turning to Uriel. My voice is hopeful, but his face is not.
“I don’t know. I’ve never healed a demon before. Our magic rarely works on them. But you’re a tri-bred. It may help.”
“She’s not to touch him. He’s mine to look after. She’s the one who put him in this state. Stay away,” Vita spits.
The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and my scalp tingles. I place the cup on the counter. My smoke comes out in tendrils, engulfing my hands in seconds. Sigils light up, and if I could see them, I know my eyes would be bright with their silver.
“Anima,” Nox says, trying to stand in front of me, but I blast him away. My magic pins him to the ground. Caymn and Mammon are next, my smoke holding them against the wall. Uriel snickers behind me, wanting to see the show.
“Get up from the chair. When I end you, I want you to be on your feet.”
“You can’t kill me. I’m the only thing helping Torque.”
My smoke snaps out to wrap around her throat. I lift her from the chair, holding her in front of me. My sigils glow brighter and snake down my smoke. They light up the smoke, making it purple. It becom
es solid, and she chokes.
“As much as I’d love to see this continue, please let go of the vampire.”
I spin around to find Torque gripping the doorframe. His skin is ashen, and his eyes sunken in. A tremble comes from his hands. I rush over and grab onto his waist before he falls to the floor.
“Stupid demon. Should have stayed in bed,” I say, with a smile.
“I couldn’t let you kill her. She’s a valuable blood source,” he retorts, returning my smile. Even half-dead, he makes my body light up.
I snort and lead him into the other room. When I suck the power back into myself, I hear the two demons fall to the floor. They both grumble obscenities, but I now turn all my attention toward Torque. I didn’t know how much I missed him until they almost took him from me.
Once he’s back on the bed, I sit at his legs and brush a lock of hair off his face. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was poisoned and brought back to life.” He closes his eyes for a moment, wincing in pain.
“I don’t know if my magic made it worse or not.” I can’t meet his eyes. If I’m the reason he was out for so long, I don’t think I could forgive myself.
He grabs my hand, then presses it to his lips. “You are not the reason. I don’t think I would have held out so long without your healing. Vita was just the food I needed.”
His candor takes me back. I thought they considered vampires sacred. I’d love to find out what happened, but now isn’t the time. Getting him back to health is.
“Nox demanded we bring the orb. I’m not sure if that was the right thing to do. I don’t exactly know why.”
“He wants you to train with it. It’s what I would do. You have to get better control of your powers. What you did out there was impressive, holding three demons and a vampire. You controlled that room, but you also almost killed them. That wasn’t your intention.”
He’s right; I wanted them to stay where they were, not end their lives. Well, maybe Vita. I’d like to take her out. She doesn’t deserve Torque.
Being around the orb is doing something to me. My magic feels changed in a way that scares and excites me at the same time. It’s a variable we can’t afford to have.
“I don’t know where we go from here, Torque. There is so much that needs to happen before we take on Rahna. I’m not sure having Nox’s power will be enough.”
“This isn’t the place for us to create a stronghold. If I know my brother, he will not stop until we are all dead. He’s threatened for the first time in thirty years, and he’s not one to back down from a fight.”
I lace my hands through his fingers. I want so much to give in to this bond. I’d love to wrap up with his arms around me for a night, sharing something I’ve never given another, my heart.
It’s a fantasy. It could never work between us. Some things aren’t meant to be, and mating with Torque is one.
“Why do you reject it?” he asks, sitting up a little more. I reach around him to adjust his pillows to be more comfortable.
“Reject what?” I reply, trying not to let him see my face. I don’t need the answer to appear.
“The mating bond.” He pulls me closer. I try to resist, but he’s firm. Our noses touch, and my breath quicken. I can’t bear to kiss him again.
“How… how did you know?” I ask, my mouth suddenly dry. It wasn’t strong enough to feel after the kiss.
“When you healed me. You’re a part of me, Anima. There is no going back for us. I yearn for you. I want you in any way I can get you.”
I close my eyes for a beat, wanting nothing more than to give in. All my years alone, and now I have a family and a mate. It’s more than I thought I’d be able to have in this lifetime. But it can’t be. I belong in the Mortal Realm, and when we’re done here, the Bloods will need their king.
“We can’t do this, Torque.” He pulls my face toward him before I can open my eyes, pressing his lips onto mine. The world stops.
A rush of energy comes over to me, and my body scoots forward before I can even think about what I’m doing. This kiss will destroy me.
He cups my chin with his left hand, threading the right through my hair. His touch is gentle but possessive. It won’t be easy to let him go.
His lips glide over mine, and his tongue comes out to ask for entrance. I give it to him. If I succumb, I might as well do it right. It will be the last time. Something I can take with me.
It’s a gentle submission, but when he groans, I can’t help slipping my hands up his arms and grabbing his shoulders. He shudders from my touch, and heat pools in my core. This is dangerous, yet I want it all.
I inhale his scent of brimstone and whiskey. It’s alive and raw, reminding me of our first battle when he overcame me. Laughing at me because I used my smoke on him.
“I want you, little witch,” he purrs. “Spend this day with me.”
I pull back from the kiss, but his hands hold me firm, both going to my neck and stilling my movements.
“We can’t. It won’t end well for us. Our goal is to stop Rahna. The mating—it’s not something we can fall into.”
He smirks at my words. “You are so pessimistic. Who says we can’t do both? Nothing is stopping us from being together.”
“We come from two different worlds. I vowed a long time ago to protect the humans. Whether she has betrayed that, I don’t go against my word.”
“I’m still not seeing the problem. I go where you go.”
He releases my neck but grabs both hands, pressing them to his chest. “You are here, Anima. There is no way I’m letting you walk away.”
His words chill me. I want to give in, but I can’t. The pain would be too great.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, pulling my hands free and walking from the door.
This time, he lets me go.
Four
TORQUE
When she walks out, my bones turn icy. She’s the fire within me now. Making her mine won’t be easy, but she’s worth it.
“How are you feeling?” Vita says, sauntering into the room.
She’s as I remember her. It’s been a decade since I banished her. Her cruelty and jealously were becoming a problem. No one owns me.
“I appreciate your donation, but you can go now. I will restore my reserves.” I flick my hand at her, but she doesn’t move.
“We’re in the Demon Realm, Torque. There’s nowhere for me to go. They’ll kill me, and wouldn’t that suck for you?” She sneers, coming closer. A ruthless female with more to gain than lose.
“I’ll have Caymn take you back. You don’t belong here or with me. What happened all those years ago is proof of that.”
I’ve never let it go—her betrayal. Humans do despicable things to get ahead, but Vita’s actions almost cost me my men and club. There is nothing I’d like more than to end her.
“I’m staying. You need more blood. It’s not like she can give it to you.” Her words are spit with fire.
“She may not give me blood, but you forget where we are. This is not the Mortal Realm. The same rules do not apply. I’m not a slave to the blood in this place. The Realm refills my magic.”
Gritting her teeth, she leaves me, defeated. It was a mistake making her my vampire. I didn’t have one for years. And then Vita came along. She wasn’t my mate, but she showed qualities befitting an old lady. She fought skillfully, and she was ruthless when she needed to be.
I was mistaken to trust her. A fool. I vowed never to make another vampire after her. I’ve gotten by on blood sources and enthralls. Now, I’ll have my land and Anima even if she doesn’t accept it yet.
I climb out of bed, too wired to rest. All that’s happened with Scur makes me anxious. This will not be the last time we see him. If I know my brother, he has plans to attack and this cottage isn’t a fortress we can defend.
Getting dressed in a fresh pair of clothes, I hobble back into the kitchen. Mammon and Caymn sit at the table, a cup of coffee in front of each.
&nb
sp; “Pres, nice to see you awake,” Caymn says with a beaming smile. My head of security is one of the most loyal demons I’ve ever had serve under me.
“What are you two doing here? I remember specifically telling you each to stay in the Mortal Realm.”
“Nox and Anima came for Vita. Nox wouldn’t leave without the orb. I didn’t want to hand it over,” Mammon explains. Smart demon.
“Do you still have it in your possession?”
Nodding, he pats the satchel at his side. “The power this thing emits is making my toes curl. It tastes like pennies.”
“The satchel protects most of the power leaking out. What you’re feeling is residual raw magic.” I hold out my hand for the sack, and he passes it to me over the table.
“Where did Anima go?” I ask. She needs to have possession of the orb before a demon gets their hands on it.
“Training with Nox in the back. He says her power is bursting. I underestimated the witch. Her magic is almost as wide as the orb. Raw magic like that is dangerous,” Mammon murmurs.
“With a bit of practice, she’ll be able to change worlds. It scares and excites me at the same time.” My confession holds weight as I walk out the back of the house.
Once I place my bare feet on the earth, a sigh of relief comes over me. The Realm is answering my call. I would be stronger in the Bloodlands, but this will have to do. I’m not ready to face my brother.
Welcome back, my king.
My face turns to the sky as I see Ari swoop down. She joins me on the grass. Her beak nips at my outstretched hand. I’ve missed her all these years.
Anything to report?
I can see nothing from here. There is a ward placed on the property, but it won’t hold him off for long. She is leaking too much power to stay hidden.
She’s powerful.
I can’t help but smile at the thought of my mate. Not only is she beautiful and fierce, but she’s also one of the most powerful beings I’ve ever met.
Yes, and with the tyger, she will be unstoppable. We’ve gotten to know each other. Their bond is solid, and she will make a suitable match.