Sloth (The Damning Book 4)

by Katie May

  wiggled her way out of her pants, despite Ryland’s shadows attempting to

  hold them in place. The thin lace panties she wore left very little to the

  imagination. I whipped my gaze in Toby and Axel’s direction, ready to

  murder them if they so much as glanced her way. Toby was staring purposely

  out the far window, a blush staining his cheeks, but Axel…

  Axel was staring at Z’s chest intently.

  My fangs lowered, seconds from embedding themselves in his neck and

  drawing out his blood until he fell at my feet dead, when the assassin’s nose

  wrinkled in disgust.

  “Don’t see it.” He shook his head vehemently.

  “Don’t see what?” Z questioned, not at all ashamed by her near nudity. I

  wondered how many times she’d gone out in public like this, how many men

  had set their eyes upon her perfect flesh.

  But then I decided I didn’t want to know the answers to any of those

  questions.

  “Don’t see the allure,” Axel answered simply.

  Z snorted. “In me?”

  “In women.” He crinkled his nose, and then, before any of us could stop

  him, leaned forward and squeezed her tits. Surprisingly, Z let him, her eyes

  dancing with amusement, even as Killian, of all people, lunged forward and

  tried to grab at the former assassin.

  Axel glanced from Z’s tempting tits to his cock and then back to her tits

  once more.

  “Nope.” He released her before Ryland’s shadows could strangle him or

  Bash could cast a nasty ass spell. “Not even a twitch.” He rubbed at his

  flaccid dick with a manic glint in his eyes. “Axel junior is still fast asleep.”

  Bash practically hissed at him, moving forward to wrap his arm around

  Z’s waist possessively before pulling her onto his lap. All he needed to do

  next was piss on her, and then he would’ve firmly asserted his authority.

  I could tell he’d realized his error when Z began to wiggle in his lap. Her

  expression was at first annoyed, but then it turned mischievous when he

  grunted, his eyes fluttering shut with arousal.

  “Stop trying to distract me,” Bash gritted out, grabbing her hips to hold

  her still.

  Z simply turned to stare at him over her shoulder, and his eyes lowered

  from her lips to her chest and then went back to her lips. “I’m not distracting

  you. It’s not my fault your cock has a bigger brain than you, Bash-hole.” She

  finally pulled herself off his lap, and Bash released a noise of distress, his

  hands reaching in her direction as if he wanted to drag her back towards him.

  But then his eyes glued themselves to her ass as she lowered at the waist,

  moving towards the door of the limo, and all was right in the world.

  “I need to pretend to be one of the working girls,” Z explained once she

  was far enough away we couldn’t grab her. Toby exited the vehicle, followed

  immediately by Axel, but Z lingered, still crouched over.

  “Fuck no,” Ryland seethed.

  “Not happening, baby,” Bash retorted.

  “I’m not asking your permission,” she sniped. “I told you guys about this

  rescue mission because we’re a team and I trust you.” Her words filled me

  with warmth and bubbles and all of the other light and airy things in this

  world. But then coldness replaced the heat and the bubbles popped one by

  one. “I don’t need to be protected. I’ve done a damn good job of protecting

  myself for years.”

  “What if we want to protect you?” Killian asked softly, and when all of us

  turned to stare at him, he blushed, running a hand through his red hair. “I-I

  me-mean…”

  “I know what you mean.” Z threw him a gentle look.

  “Z.” So far, Dair had remained silent throughout this entire exchange, but

  I could tell he had something important he wanted to say. “We understand

  you’re perfectly capable of looking after yourself, but sometimes, it’s okay to

  lean on us. It’s okay to rely on other people, because I promise you, we won’t

  let you down. We won’t abandon you.” He paused, allowing his words to

  sink in, before continuing. “Saying that,” he threw pointed looks in all of our

  directions, “we understand that you need to do this mission by yourself.”

  “Fuck that,” Bash said with a snort. Ryland seemed to be in agreement as

  his shadows writhed and danced like angry, hissing snakes.

  Dair cast them frosty glares. “We’re too recognizable. Not only that, but

  we’re not trained for combat.” Killian ducked his head sheepishly, Bash

  glowered, and I kept my face perfectly blank. Only Ryland sat up straighter

  in his seat, jutting his chin up.

  “I am,” he insisted, and I recalled somewhat dazedly that his father, the

  shadow king, had trained him in sword fighting throughout his childhood.

  “And that’s why you should go with,” Dair continued, and this time, Z

  was the one who opened her mouth to protest. Dair waved her arguments

  away with a simple flick of his golden hand. “It makes the most sense, Z, and

  it’s a win-win for all of us. We want to look after you, but we understand that

  this isn’t a fight we can help with at the moment. But at the same time,

  Ryland is able to have your back in secret.” He nodded towards Ryland, who

  immediately pulled the shadows close around his body like an obsidian cloak.

  Even though I knew he was there, I couldn’t see him. “This is a fair

  compromise.”

  “Compromise.” A distant look glazed over Z’s eyes. Her jaw set, and a

  hardness marred her features. Her pouty lips pursed slightly before

  immediately straightening out. She released a heavy sigh, the muscles in her

  shoulders loosening, and relented, albeit reluctantly. “All right. I suppose I

  should get used to compromising more.”

  “We’re a team,” Dair told her gently.

  “A team,” she agreed immediately. She turned to address all of us then,

  the movement drawing attention to her impressive chest and the clear view

  we had of her tits. I wasn’t the only one who had to fight off a hard-on. “All

  right. Ryland, come with me but stay hidden. The rest of you, wait here. I’ll

  call you if I need backup.” She leaned towards one of the limo benches and

  grabbed a walkie-talkie, tossing it in my direction. I caught it easily and held

  it out to Bash. Not because I didn’t want to have a direct line of

  communication with Z, but because I knew Bash would freak the fuck out

  every second she wasn’t in his line of sight.

  He didn’t love easily, but when he did, he loved harder than any man I’d

  ever met.

  She looked as if she wanted to say something to us, her mouth opening

  and a softness thawing the frost in her eyes, but she immediately pressed her

  lips together, her cheeks filling with flames.

  “I…I’ll see you later,” she stuttered out, all but running out of the vehicle.

  “Fucking hell,” Bash murmured, staring intently at the walkie-talkie, as if

  he could see Z through it.

  But I couldn’t focus on him.

  Or anyone else, for that matter.

  The second she left, the walls of the limo began to drip red with blood.

  Darkness permeated the small spa
ce, and the faces of my brothers twisted and

  distorted until I couldn’t recognize them. Killian’s eyes drooped down his

  face like ice cream melting on a hot summer day, and his skin blistered and

  cracked like hell itself lived beneath his skin. Bash’s head was no longer

  connected to his body, but instead, sat next to him, his eyes lifeless and

  vacant. Dair had three heads, but each one displayed a different face—one

  had his mouth opened in a silent scream, another was grinning maniacally,

  and the third was a picture of anguish.

  The darkness in my mind once more consumed me.

  NINETEEN

  Z

  W hen that woman, Natalia, mentioned a brothel, I’d expected the

  building to be a rundown, desolate shed teeming with scantily-

  clad prostitutes. I was right about the scantily-clad part, but

  instead of venturing into a shed, I found myself at the back door of a

  sprawling mansion.

  It was gorgeous, with stone pillars, a wide balcony, and a fountain, but

  the beauty of the building only added to my unease and trepidation

  Something that held such horror shouldn’t be beautiful.

  That made me hate these nightmares even more. Their malevolence was

  like a black storm cloud hovering over us all, promising torrents of rain,

  white-hot lightning, and booming thunder.

  I turned towards Axel and Toby. The old assassin was cackling evilly and

  staring up at the mansion as if he were imagining eating all of them for

  dinner. Toby, on the other hand, kept flicking his gaze in all directions as if

  he couldn’t decide where to focus his attention. His face was screwed up in

  fear.

  I had to give him credit though—despite the terror twisting up his

  features, there was a determined glint in his gaze that increased my respect

  for him.

  Though I couldn’t see him, I sensed Ryland hovering in the shadows

  nearby, his presence settling my fears and soothing my nerves. Anxiety

  gnawed at my insides, cutting a hole in my heart like moths chewing through

  clothing. I half wanted to dance on the balls of my feet in preparation of the

  fight to come, while the rest of me worked to regulate my breathing to

  conquer the growing panic.

  “Be safe.” I paused to stare intently at both Axel and Toby. To Axel, I

  added, “And don’t stab people just to fucking stab people.”

  He placed his hand over his chest and staggered back a few steps in

  mock-horror. “You wound me, little sister. I thought you liked my stabby

  ways.”

  “No stabbing,” I told him firmly. I glanced once more at Toby, hoping

  my face conveyed everything I couldn’t say out loud.

  I’m sorry.

  I should’ve stopped her.

  I’ll fix this.

  But instead of wording any of that, I gestured for them to head towards

  the main entrance.

  “Go.”

  Soon, it was just me…and Ryland.

  “Let’s do this,” I told my shadow mate with a bravado I didn’t completely

  feel. To be honest, I was a mess. My internal organs were tangled into

  hundreds of knots, each one tightening by the second, until I feared I would

  topple over.

  How could I fight when my body was failing me the way it was? How

  could I keep my promise and save these humans?

  I wasn’t sure I could, but I sure as fuck would try.

  With the skimpy clothing I wore, I wasn’t able to hide any weapons on

  my body. That was okay, though. If you were a real assassin, a real killer,

  you knew how to use the environment to your own advantage.

  I didn’t need weapons to make these bastards pay. Especially with…

  My thoughts trailed off as I fingered the necklace a disgruntled Paco had

  created for me. It hung just between my breasts, appearing like a part of my

  costume. A nice accessory to go with the bra and panty combo I was rocking.

  Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I moved towards the back door.

  According to Toby, there were only a few guards posted at the front

  entrance. I thought that was moronic on the mages’ part, but Toby explained

  it was arrogance. The mages who ran the brothel didn’t believe anyone would

  be stupid enough to fight back against them. And why would they think

  differently? Humans had been the nightmares’ punching bag for hundreds of

  years. For so long, we accepted this mistreatment in relative silence.

  But maybe we were another extinct supernatural creature coming back to

  life. Maybe we were phoenixes rising from the ashes of our ancestors.

  Once I entered the mansion, the smell of stale air, sweat, and cigar smoke

  immediately bombarded me. There were very few lights in this section of the

  mansion, giving the entire area an eerie, desolate feel. Smoke entered my

  nostrils as I moved on silent feet down the hideous floral carpet of the

  hallway.

  Human woman with dead eyes and haunted expressions stopped to stare

  at me as I walked. All of them wore outfits similar to mine or nothing at all.

  Bruises covered the majority of their flesh, and that sick feeling inside of me

  intensified with every step I took.

  I moved towards the end of the hall, where the smoke seemed to be

  coming from. This was the only part of the mansion that wasn’t silent. Music

  blared from the speakers, a soundtrack to the horrible, depraved sight I was

  forced to witness.

  It appeared to be a sitting room with a fireplace against the far wall,

  intricate woodworking, and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Couches

  were positioned in a semicircle around the room, every cushion currently

  occupied.

  Human men and women were in a variety of lewd positions as mages

  laughed haughtily, smoking on their cigars and chatting amongst themselves.

  Directly in front of me, a young human female was bouncing on the cock

  of a man significantly older than her with a pudgy belly and a bald, sweaty

  head. Another human woman was pawing at her breasts, pinching her nipples

  with a vacant look in her eyes. A young man was completely naked and on

  his hands and knees while a mage rammed his cock into his ass. A female

  mage in a green gown stood over them, sipping on her whisky and eyeing the

  human with hungry eyes.

  The humans all varied in age and gender, ethnicity and body type, but one

  thing remained the same—the dead, empty look in their eyes. It felt like I was

  staring into dozens of abysses, falling head over heels like Alice down the

  rabbit hole.

  My heart cracked in two when I saw a young woman’s body lying naked

  and discarded near the roaring fireplace. Even in death, I could see the

  resemblance between her and her sister clearly.

  This must be Ali, Natalia’s sister.

  We couldn’t save her in time.

  Was Natalia dead too? Or was she here somewhere, facing unspeakable

  horrors, just as her sister had before death claimed her?

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

  Ryland released a distressed noise from behind me as he witnessed the

  horrific sight. I swore my stomach bottomed out, the contents spewing across

  the floor as my heart raced a thousand miles a minute.

  This world…it was evil. Absolute
ly, undoubtedly evil. Nothing we said

  or did could change the fact that the world we lived in was steeped in

  shadows and darkness. In bones and thorns. In monsters and beasts.

  The more I looked, my stomach a tumultuous mixture of dread and fear,

  the more I saw, and the more I realized that we, as a civilization, really were

  fucked.

  Embodying their sin of sloth, most of the mages weren’t actually doing

  any of the work themselves. The woman riding the mage’s cock was being

  propelled up and down by wispy strands of green magic. Two women being

  fondled had similar green streaks wrapped around their wrists, forcing them

  to palm each other’s breasts.

  Bile filled me.

  As did determination and a rage so white-hot, I feared it would set this

  entire room ablaze. Although…maybe that was what needed to happen.

  Maybe this room—and the rest of the world—should deteriorate into nothing

  but soot and ash, and a new civilization should be reborn.

  Before I could take a step into that room of horrors and raise hell, rough

  hands clamped down on my arms, pulling me back against a chubby body.

  Those same hands moved from my arms to my breasts, squeezing tightly

  before clumsily reaching for my nipples.

  If this fucker couldn’t even find my nipples, I wondered if he’d ever been

  able to find a female’s clit. That was probably why he was here, raping

  unwilling females, because nobody would be stupid enough to fuck his

  disgusting, disease-ridden cock.

  “What’s a pretty thing like you doing hiding away?”

  Experience had taught me I had seconds to escape, to fight back. I’d just

  made my body go limp, forcing him to hold all one hundred pounds of me,

  and lifted my foot to jam it backwards into his knee when the man fell away

  from me with a pained grunt that was quickly muffled.

  I spun around quickly, making sure to keep a few feet between us. I knew

  my limitations, and taking on larger opponents was definitely one of them. It

  was why I preferred to use my bow and arrow over short-range weapons.

  Humans weren’t allowed to possess guns, so I’d had to get creative with

  ways to kill people with my petite body type.

  The mage was an average man, albeit weathered with age. His hair was

  speckled with white and seemed to be styled into a bowl cut. Either he’d done