The knights had agreed to their terms, had given them sanctuary, and they’d agreed not to harm humans, and to help them out on occasion. An understanding had formed between them, a truce. If tentative.
“I need something to scent.”
Warrick’s voice echoed across the lots as he strode toward them. Lower ranking pack members backed up, getting out of his way as the huge male joined them.
Lazarus pulled Eve’s shirt from the waistband of his jeans where he’d tucked it during the flight, and handed it to Warrick.
The other male put it to his nose and sniffed, drawing her scent in deep, eyes closing. Hellhounds weren’t like other canines; they were created in Hell by Lucifer himself, which meant they had their own powers. Warrick was an alpha, would more than likely run the pack one day, and his powers were stronger than most. He didn’t need to physically follow Eve’s sent. He saw it in his mind, would be able to pinpoint her location from that shirt in moments.
His eyes snapped open, and they were glowing red for several moments before changing back to normal. He pulled his phone from his back pocket, clicked open an app with maps written under it, tapped something out, and zoomed in on a location before holding it up to Lazarus.
“She’s here.”
Every one of Lazarus’s muscles was tensed, ready to take flight. “I owe you.”
With no time to waste, he stood back, making room for the massive span of his unfurling wings. Charcoal and silver flecked feathers glittered in the light, and with each lift and pull he caught the air and lifted off with all the power and speed he could muster, his brothers close behind.
Moving at speed, Lazarus rose above the cloud bank.
Urgency, along with guilt reached up and gripped him by the throat. Now he understood what it would mean to lose her, to lose the person that you loved absolutely.
The emotion defied definition.
I love her.
The realization settled over him like a gentle caress, and for once he didn’t try to fight it. He loved her. How could he not? If he was honest, he’d been hers from the moment he spotted her up that ladder in her little store, despite how hard he tried to deny his feelings.
Tobias had suffered the overwhelming sorrow of losing his mate, and it had changed him, had destroyed a once fierce and loyal warrior. He was lost forever, and though it pained Laz, he had to end this today. His brother didn’t exist anymore. Eve was all that mattered. It was too late for Tobias.
God, Heaven, the fucking uppity angels that resided there, he’d never asked them for anything, not a damn thing, but he prayed now. He prayed for Eve to still be alive. He begged the Fates to keep her safe until he could reach her.
Twenty minutes later he had passed over buildings and skyscrapers and kept going until he flew over large yards and even larger houses. She was close.
“There,” he growled to Chaos who flew at his side.
The house was huge, like the others in the area, with a silver car parked in the driveway. There wasn’t much in the way of security from what he could see, but then Tobias wouldn’t be expecting him. His brother thought he was untouchable.
As much as he wanted to swoop in, kill anything that moved, and take Eve home, he had to play it safe. One wrong move and Tobias would kill her, or worse—because Eve would suffer a million painful deaths at his hands—deliver her to Diemos. If he knew what she was, what she was capable of…
Fuck.
Lazarus circled the outer perimeter several times, pinpointing entry points and guard positions. His best option would be one of the unguarded doors on a second-floor balcony.
“I’m going in,” Laz said to Chaos. “It’s too dangerous for all of us to go in at once. If Tobias knows we’re here, he’ll kill her before I can get to her. Give me time to find her and assess the situation before you follow.”
Chaos’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t try to convince him otherwise because he knew he’d be wasting his breath. “Be careful,” he said.
Laz dipped his chin, and letting his powerful wings do the work, slowed his momentum and landed effortlessly on the closest balcony.
The room beyond was silent, empty, and he easily broke the lock. A thick layer of dust covered the furniture and the room smelled musty. The décor was not Tobias’s usual taste—lace and ruffles adorned the feminine room.
He could feel Eve in the house, which meant Tobias had more than likely found the amulet and she wasn’t wearing it anymore.
He gritted his teeth.
Fuck. Stay focused.
Yeah, he could sense her power loud and clear now.
The buzzing awareness of her grew stronger, spiking suddenly. It turned his veins to ice, abrading his nerves like coarse sandpaper.
Something was wrong.
He had to get to her. Now.
He listened for movement beyond the wooden door that led from the room into the main house. Silence greeted him.
Easing it open, he moved into the hall, the plush carpet muting his footfalls. As he passed the next room, the smell of death, stale and sickly sweet, wafted from under the closed door. A human. More than likely the owner or owners of the house. Another victim in Tobias’s quest for revenge.
The blood on Lazarus’s hands grew thicker by the day in the fallout from his carelessness.
He had to stop this now. Eve would not be the next victim. He shook his head, stopping the thought before it sent rage and fear pulsing through his veins and weakened him.
He cursed under his breath at the sound and smell of more than one demon pounding up the stairs, heading in his direction. Stepping back into the room, he waited for them to get closer.
As soon as they were in striking distance, Lazarus stepped out, removing the head of the first with his short sword, then spun, nailing the second in the heart. Quickly dragging the bodies out of the hall, he removed the second demons head then shut them in the room, concealing them before they could ash out and draw unwanted attention.
Making sure the way was clear, Lazarus headed to the lower level via a rear staircase. The buzz of Eve’s power grew even stronger, drawing him deeper. She was in the basement.
He came to a small landing that turned abruptly. Bingo. Golden light ghosted from the deep recesses.
Lazarus’s every muscle strained to breaking point with the tension it took to make himself move at a slow pace.
Red rage almost blinded him, but he called on every bit of self-control. All that mattered was getting to Eve.
But before he could make it to the basement, more demons, Orthon, were approaching in front and behind him. This time he had nowhere to go.
He pulled his sword free and prepared to fight.
Chapter 25
Eve wanted to scream, the agony pounding through her skull so severe she thought her head would explode.
The demon stood too close, his rancid breath skittering across her cheek.
“Well, demi?” Tobias asked from his position a short distance from her, the amulet she’d worn around her neck dangling from his fingers.
He wanted her to read the creature’s mind, like some screwed-up lie detector for his own entertainment, to confirm yet another loyal servant. For the most part she had lied. All but a few hated his guts. She’d told him his minions loved him, were devoted to only him.
When, in actual fact, they wanted to rip his head off and…well, eat him.
She shuddered at the disgusting thoughts coming from the Orthon standing beside her. His face was only an inch from hers, staring down at her with cold, soulless eyes, all but daring her to tell the truth.
She panted through the pain. “He is loyal to you.”
Once Tobias took the amulet, she’d only been able to maintain her block for a short time; there were just too many of them. Now the strain of having every thought and disgusting image in the room bang around in her brain had become too much and she cried out in agony and frustration.
The demon sneered. Lifting its gray hand,
it ran a yellow nail down the side of her face. Not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a mark beside the bloody scratches she already had. It whispered something to her in a language she didn’t, or at least shouldn’t, understand. But a translator wasn’t necessary because the words filtered into her mind in perfect English.
She would be dessert.
“Don’t touch her.” Tobias kicked the creature, sending him sprawling. “She’s more important than you know. Isn’t that right, Eve?”
The Orthon hissed.
Tobias laughed. “Leave us,” he barked at the demons surrounding them from above. He’d chained her to the wall of a concrete pit in the basement. The creature eyed her as it scrambled from the floor and climbed out. The rest followed in its wake.
Tobias would soon find himself with a full-blown revolt on his hands, and after they’d feasted on him, she would be next, but not before they had used her in other disgusting ways.
Tobias moved toward her, a sneer distorting his beautiful face into something cruel and evil. And like Lazarus, she couldn’t hear his thoughts.
“I can see why Lazarus wanted to keep you around. You’re a very tempting female. How many times did he fuck you, demi?”
Keeping her eyes locked on his, she refused to give him what he wanted and rise to the bait. Instead she pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.
“It doesn’t really matter,” his deep voice echoed in the confined space. “He didn’t mate with you, and that’s all that matters. I kind of wish he had. I would have loved for him to feel your pain, your fear the moment you give up and stop fighting. If I’d had my way, I would have delivered your used and broken body to him and taken pleasure in watching him succumb to his demon.” He rubbed a lock of her hair between his fingers. “But fate has other plans for you. You know what you are, don’t you, Eve?”
Terror made her limbs weak and her heart pound, but she tried to keep her expression blank.
“I may not be able to kill you, but I see I’ll have a lot of fun breaking you.” He cupped her cheek, letting his fingers trail down her face until he gripped her throat.
She had nowhere to go. Her back was hard against the wall of the deep pit. Leaning forward, he caught her mouth in a hard, bruising kiss. He pressed his fingers into her jaw and forced it open, trying to thrust his tongue into her mouth.
Wrenching her head to the side, she loosened his grip and took advantage by biting down hard on his lip.
“Bitch,” he hissed and backhanded her so hard her vision blinked in and out. Her head rang for a few minutes, the force of the blow nearly rendering her unconscious. When Tobias’s face came back into focus, the bastard was grinning. The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth and she blinked back the tears she refused to let fall.
His eyes flashed. “Oh yeah, we’re going to have some fun.” He turned away from her, moved to a small table set up on the other side of the pit, and picked something up.
“What is that? What are you going to do?” she said, terror almost choking her.
He turned to her. In his hands was what looked like a small leather package, brown and worn. He peeled back one side then the other, his black eyes focused on what he was uncovering.
“Help you do what you were born to do,” he said without looking up at her.
Finally, he took something from the center, something yellowing, long and thin and pointed, and dropped the leather to the table.
“What the hell is that?” she choked.
“It’s a bone. A very old and very powerful bone.” He placed it in a crude wooden bowl that looked old as well, and walked toward her. “As long as you’re alive and your blood covers this bone, Diemos will have control over the hell’s gate. He will be able to open and close it at will.” He started breathing heavily. “Can you imagine, sweet Eve, what your Earth will be like then? With demons free to do what they like, more than the knights will ever be able to contain.”
She shook her head. “No…no, please…you can’t…”
Tobias ignored her, placed the bowl on the stone floor, and grabbed her wrist. “Time to take you to your new home. Diemos is eager to meet you.”
He took the short sword, one that looked almost identical to Lazarus’s, from the sheath strapped to his thigh and drew it across her skin without warning or hesitation.
She gasped in pain and watched in horror as Tobias held her arm above the wooden bowl, catching her blood, covering the bone he’d placed inside it.
Crying out, she kicked at it, trying to knock it over, but the chains around her ankles restricted her movements.
Tobias gripped a fistful of hair painfully, holding her still. The bone was soon covered and Tobias leaned in, lapping at her blood, at the open wound in her flesh. She tried to pull away, but he held her too tight.
“You want to stop bleeding, don’t you? It won’t do for you to bleed out and die. That would ruin all our plans,” he said.
Her mind started to shut down, her psyche throwing up walls to protect her sanity.
This can’t be happening. It can’t be real.
She would never see Lazarus again.
One voice, an Orthon’s, rose, cutting though her own thoughts. Its distress penetrated the chaos of her mind and broke past the other voices in the room. Nothing she could put together, though, because its thoughts were far too jumbled.
Then it cut off abruptly, its mind suddenly silent.
More followed.
Their minds screaming, then nothing.
Tobias stood back, and beside her something flashed. A bright light. It was working. Oh God, the gate was opening.
She tried to fight her restraints, but it was no good. Her limbs felt weak from loss of blood and she was close to collapsing.
“They’re coming,” Tobias said, voice filled with excitement.
Her vision dimmed, the colors darkening. Eve blinked several times, positive she was about to pass out. A large shadow had descended over Tobias, half his face eclipsed by darkness. Her eyes were playing tricks on her.
She blinked again, looking up.
Her breath seized in her lungs.
Lazarus stood there, towering over them.
His face was in shadow. She couldn’t see his expression, but the glow from the wall-mounted lights illuminated him from behind like a golden halo.
Tobias came forward, grabbing hold of her biceps, his grip painfully tight.
“Get your hands off her,” Lazarus said, his voice echoing around the confined space, full of fury and promising death and suffering to the male beside her.
Tobias’s black eyes widened briefly before he chuckled darkly. “You found us, then?” He made a tutting sound. “Pity you’re too late. You really should have mated her, Laz, and all this could have been prevented.”
Lazarus hissed.
Tobias leaned in and breathed deeply. “She reeks of you.” He grinned. “I’m glad she’s yours. You have no idea how glad. That I’ll be depriving you of your mate…fuck yeah, it made this so much sweeter.”
“Don’t fucking touch her,” Lazarus said, his disembodied voice bouncing off the brick walls.
The portal beside them that had started as a small spark, a flash of light, was swirling, growing in size.
Tobias laughed then gripped her jaw and lifted a knife, placing it against her face. “You’re too late. It’s done. You’ve lost, and you’ve lost her.”
Eve struggled, and the tears she’d fought blazed a heated trail down her cheeks. Her reaction seemed to excite Tobias more, and he drew the blade slowly across her flesh. She screamed and felt her blood bubble to the surface of her skin. Its warmth ran down her neck and the inside of her shirt.
“Stop,” Lazarus roared.
Tobias leaned in and licked the rivulet from her neck. “Mmm, the taste of power. One of the handmaids’ blood runs through her veins. Diemos has been looking for someone like her for centuries, and it’ll be me who delivers her to him.”
“Do you think he’ll reward you? He’s using you, Tobias,” Lazarus said. “You think he’ll pat you on the back, welcome you into Hell with open arms? You spent as many centuries helping to stop him from reaching his ultimate goal. Once you deliver her, he will turn on you.”
The hell’s gate started pulsing, still growing.
Tobias had stilled at her side. “You’re wrong,” he roared.
“You know I’m not,” Laz said back. “You know it.”
The sound of snarling echoed off the stone walls and filled the basement. Tobias pulled Eve in closer to him. “They’re coming. Do you hear them?”
Light flashed so bright it blinded her for several seconds. Eve blinked, tears streaming down her face, and when she could see again she cried out in horror. Demons were crawling out of the portal.
Lazarus stepped closer.
“Take another step and I’ll take a piece out of her,” Tobias said.
Lazarus growled as demons edged toward him from all directions. He drew his sword a moment before they launched at him.
Eve screamed as he roared and tried to fight them off, but more poured out of the hell’s gate, coming at him, taking their place instantly.
No matter how many he killed, more came.
“Lazarus!” she cried.
Something was wrong.
Tobias leaned in. “You see, a male’s physical strength is irrelevant if he is weak of mind. As I suspected, seeing you bleed has caused his loss of control.”
Please, God, no.
Tobias started working on her chains and had her free in moments, then started pulling her toward the hell’s gate.
“No.” She tried to fight but it was useless.
She cried out, trying to get Lazarus’s attention, and hoped like hell she didn’t distract him from his fight and get him injured even more. But she needed to do something.
His body stiffened, just a fraction, but she knew he’d heard her. She called his name again and he turned to her. Their gazes collided and held. His body went rigid.
Tobias hissed and clapped a hand over her mouth.
Knight's Redemption (Knights of Hell Book 1) Page 24