by Aliya DalRae
Chapter Fifty-Seven
“M
artin, aishiteru.”
Martin watched in horror as the dagger’s blade disappeared into Merlin’s abdomen. At this point, his throat was raw as he continued to scream at Merlin, to beg him to stop this madness. When the last glint of steel disappeared, his throat closed up making any further objections impossible.
His lover looked up at him as he adjusted his grip, those black eyes of his filled with sadness, pleading with him, but for what? For understanding? There was no way he would ever understand any of this. Not Takeshi’s madness, nor Merlin’s willingness to bend to it. How could he take away everything that they’d only just embraced?
Merlin shook his head and closed his eyes, obviously resigned to this ridiculous course of action. Martin was so focused on him, that it took a moment for him to realize that Takeshi’s hold on him had loosened. The blade no longer touched his throat, and the steely grip on his neck had vanished completely.
Martin had to stop this, had to get to Merlin before it was too late. Allon was a decent enough doctor, but what were the odds he’d be able to put Merlin’s guts back in his belly after they’d spilled to the ground?
Around him the lights seemed to dim, but he couldn’t worry about that now. If Sasha’s magic failed, Martin would draw upon Viper’s sessions to help him reach Merlin before he did something he couldn’t take back.
And so, he drew upon that training, everything he’d learned from Viper and in his years as a Legion Soldier, and with a fury born from his love, Martin attacked.
His enemy stood close to him still, obviously enraptured by Merlin’s actions a few yards away. Martin rose quickly, up and back, catching the top of his skull on Takeshi’s chin and knocking the Kurai Senshi on his ass. He spun around, ready to obliterate this male who dared go to such lengths to kill the Warrior Martin loved. The guy had made one major mistake in using him to force Merlin’s hand. Martin was not Kurai Senshi, and he’d abandoned his honor a long time ago. Kioshi may have bent to his will, but Martin for damned sure wouldn’t.
As Takeshi gained his feet, they both realized he’d lost his sword. Martin dove for it, just as the Dark Warrior did, but Martin reached it first. He grabbed the hilt and rolled to the side then leaped to his feet as Takeshi pulled a dagger from his belt.
“Give it up, Takeshi. Merlin’s mine. You lost your claim to him a thousand years ago.”
Takeshi snarled at him, lunged with the dagger, but Martin easily knocked it away with the katana. The male drew back, and the two circled each other, looking for weaknesses where none could be found.
“You’re an abomination,” Takeshi bellowed. “Just like him. But I don’t care about you. You’re nothing to me. This business is between Katsuro and me, so drop the sword and walk away.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Martin said, circling, searching for an opening. “This is very much my business. That’s my mate over there. You’re trying to take what’s mine, and I can’t let that happen.”
“His death belongs to me.” Takeshi lunged forward, then back, keeping Martin on his toes.
And then he saw it. The opening he was looking for. “Yeah, well, his life belongs to me.”
Martin leapt at Takeshi and jabbed the sword into the gap in the other male’s armor, just under the arm. Takeshi screamed and when Martin withdrew the sword, the Dark Warrior surged toward him. However, Martin had the advantage. With a swift swing of the long blade, he caught the Kurai Senshi at the throat. He felt the jar of contact but was able to complete the arc of his swing with little resistance.
Takeshi’s body fell to the ground a few feet away, and seconds later, his head rolled to rest at Martin’s feet. The wide eyes and round “O” of the male’s mouth showed his surprise to have met his death at the hands of someone like Martin. Or maybe he was just shocked to die at all. Males like that tended to think they were invincible. Martin knew all too well, they were not.
But Takeshi was no longer his concern. He needed to get to Merlin, to stop him before he completed the ritual.
He ran to where Merlin knelt, his head bowed, eyes closed to the events that had taken place around him. Gently Martin laid his hand on his lover’s to stay any further action.
Merlin opened his eyes, confusion dancing in those dark depths as he realized it was Martin before him.
“Stop,” Martin said. “Please.”
“I cannot. It’s the only way to save you.”
Martin chuckled, from relief and love and so much more. “You don’t need to save me,” he said. “I’ve managed to do that myself.”
Merlin’s eyes widened, then shifted to the edge of the forest, searching. “Takeshi?”
“Gone.” Martin said as he tapped his ear piece “Kyte, send a medic to me. Merlin’s in need of immediate attention.”
“How?” Merlin asked, still confused apparently by the sudden change of events.
“Doesn’t matter. He won’t bother us again, and that’s all we need to worry about as far as the Kurai Senshi go. Looks like our Warriors have eliminated the group around the manse, and by the sounds of things, Viper and Tas have the Soldiers taking care of business over by the barracks. We just need to take care of you.”
He reached for the dagger, the sight of it protruding from Merlin’s flesh making his skin crawl, but Merlin laid a hand on his to stop him.
“It will probably be better if Allon removes it,” he said.
Martin nodded. He still didn’t like it, but Merlin had a point. Then again, he was the genius between them. Instead, he maneuvered himself behind his lover, and helped him to lie back against Martin’s chest. He rested his chin in Merlin’s hair, soaking in the feel of his silky locks against his skin, inhaling the scent of his sweat and his blood.
“Why?” he whispered. “Why would you do this?”
Merlin groaned, but he answered. “Because I love you.”
Martin shook his head. “This isn’t love,” he said, as relieved tears broke through and streamed down his face. “I don’t know what it is… selfless maybe? But if you love me, you can never leave me like this. Die beside me in battle, but never, never, this. Okay?”
Merlin nodded, stretched his legs out in front of him, and rested his weight in Martin’s arms. “Whatever you say.”
“Damn right,” Martin kissed his lover behind his ear, inadvertently brushing his lips over the falling star tattoo, and whispered again, “Damn right.”
~~~~~
S asha slipped between two Soldiers, whispered to one who conveyed her message before taking several steps back. In a wave, each Soldier in turn followed him, giving Sasha the room she needed to carry out Viper’s instructions.
As the fighting continued, she made a circle around the males, dropping one of her devices at each of the four corners—north, south, east and west—and connecting them with her magic as she went. When the circle was completed, she stepped back and waited.
Dark Warriors attacked Viper from all sides. None of that Hollywood fighting where they took turns battling the hero. No, these five went at him all at once, pushing at him, essentially burying him beneath their fists and swords.
Finally, the signal he’d promised her came. Emerald light burst from the middle of the Kurai Senshi, the spark from Viper’s eyes that she shouldn’t have been able to see. Light that should have been absorbed by the five Dark Warriors as they pulled their power from the Shade, by the contacts he wore at the very least, broke through the dim clearing.
Sasha reached for her magic, but before she could step forward and spring the trap, Tas stumbled to her side. The Australian Warrior grabbed her arm, preventing her from reaching the circle.
“What the hell is he doing?”
She shook him off, which shouldn’t have been possible, but the Warrior was battered and weak from the fight. Before he could grab her again, she kneeled down beside the circle she’d laid and with a whispered word, she snapped her fingers.
Fire burst throughout the ring, orange and yellow flames shooting six feet into the air, the blazing wall blocking her view from what transpired within its confines. Her hair lifted as the level of magic she used increased, preventing the flames’ light from being consumed by the Kurai Senshi’s powers.
Shouts broke out within the ring and the confusion Viper had hoped for transpired. Once again, as they had been when the magic lights came on, the remaining Kurai Senshi were blinded, and Viper regained the upper hand.
A few desperate moments passed before Sasha heard Viper’s voice on the other side of the flaming wall.
“Douse it, Sasha.”
She said the words, and the flames fell to smoldering ash as the stars and the moon winked back into existence.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
T oo soon, Merlin and Martin were joined by Mason, Raven and Harrier. Kythryn wandered up a few moments later, still in her liger form, and leaned heavily against Harrier’s leg. Merlin noticed a lot of blood in her fur, and based on the cuts he could see, a fair amount of it was her own.
As though someone flipped a switch, the lights in the heavens as well as the Compound’s remaining lamps, ignited, flooding the area with a warm, golden glow. The Warriors looked a little worse for wear, but they were all alive, and that’s what counted.
Mason knelt beside Merlin and Martin, concern etched in the slightly marred perfection of his face. Even after a battle, his hair was perfect, but the cut on his cheek and the blood on his clothes proved he was, indeed, mortal.
“You okay?” he asked Merlin, but the look he gave the dagger implied he had other things he’d like to say.
Merlin nodded. “Yeah, thanks to Martin.”
Mason looked behind Merlin at the Soldier and held out his hand. Merlin felt Martin’s reluctance to let him go, but you didn’t disrespect the Warlord by leaving him hanging.
Martin gave what was offered a brief shake, then returned his hand to rest on Merlin’s arm.
“Viper says things are under control on his end. They’ve taken a few prisoners, but otherwise the enemy is either dead or deserted.”
Merlin looked up again to assure himself that the moon and the stars had indeed reappeared in the clear night sky.
“Takeshi?” Mason asked, nodding to the broken body littering the ground near the trees.
“Yes,” Martin answered for them both.
Mason’s eyebrow lifted as he considered the Soldier. “Impressive.”
“Yes, he most definitely is.” Merlin laid his hand on Martin’s leg and squeezed. He was growing weak from blood loss, and it was the best he could muster in the moment. He hoped Martin understood how truly in awe of him Merlin was just then.
Raven strolled up, surveying the grounds with a confusing bit of arrogance. “So,” he said. “We just kicked some Kurai Senshi ass.”
Merlin narrowed his eyes, not sure where this was going.
“Guess you’ll be taking back what you said,” Raven continued. “About you being able to beat my beast in a fight?”
Ah, so he was still ruffled about that, was he? Merlin started to laugh, but the dagger in his stomach reminded him this was not the time. “We cheated.”
Raven rolled his eyes to the sky, threw his hands in the air and looked back at Merlin. “You’re kidding, right?”
Merlin played with the pocket flap on Martin’s pants leg as he smiled up at Raven. “We took away the Kurai Senshi’s truest weapon. In a fair fight, your weapons against mine, I would win every time.”
“Bullshit,” Raven said, as the others laughed. “I’m gonna go let the girls out.” He swung about and headed toward the manse, mumbling and shaking his head as he went.
He made it about halfway there when, for the second time that night, the lights went out.
“Well, fuck.” Mason rarely swore, but Merlin agreed with his choice of words. Not only had the heavenly lights snuffed out again, but the remainder of the magically enhanced bulbs, those that hadn’t been shot out by the Dark Warriors, now exploded in a cascading ripple throughout the Compound. There really were no other words for it.
The Warriors reached for their weapons, and Liger Kitty roared by Harrier’s side as Martin’s hold on Merlin tightened. Based on their expressions, the contacts they all wore were still working, because they were obviously seeing what Merlin saw.
Dozens of Kurai Senshi streamed from the forest, silent as the night, dark as the shadows they were dressed to emulate. In seconds, they were surrounded.
Once more at their side, Raven let out a heavy sigh. “Bring it on,” he swore under his breath.
But just as quickly as the lights had blacked out, the night sky lit up, the waning full moon once again bathing the clearing in its yellow glow. One Dark Warrior stepped forward, his hands empty of any weapon, as he strolled toward the heavily armed Legion Warriors as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
Merlin knew him for what he was. This was a Kurai Senshi master, he had no doubt. The only question was, why hadn’t he ordered the attack? The Legion had survived the fifty or so Dark Warriors when they had light on their side, but they were tired and injured. There was no way they’d come out of this alive.
He glanced up at Martin, wishing they had more time, but his lover was focused on the approaching enemy. Perhaps tonight they would die together. Only this time, it would be a truly honorable death.
As the master Kurai Senshi reached the cluster of Legion Warriors, he pulled off his face mask and bowed to the group. “Apologies,” he said, surprising Merlin with his homey southern drawl. “I’m afraid some of my males ignored my wishes and joined with that fella from across the sea. From the looks of things, ya’ll came out of it better than expected.” He was studying Takeshi’s remains as he spoke, toeing the severed head with the tip of his boot. “Nice little trick there, with the lights. Didn’t see that one coming, for sure.”
He scanned the Legion Warriors, scrutinizing each one with obvious approval. His eyes widened when he reached Liger Kitty. She roared at him and would have attacked had Harrier not grabbed the scruff of her neck. She snapped at her mate but settled down again when Harrier patted her head.
The master’s eyes lit on Merlin and Martin and he shook his head, his eyes narrowed in regret. “Katsuro, I presume?”
Merlin nodded as Martin’s one-armed grip on him tightened. His other hand he’d filled with the katana he’d apparently kept nearby.
When Martin spoke, his voice shook with protective rage. “I killed that son of a bitch, and I’ll lop your head off as well if you make one move.”
The male stepped back with his hands in the air. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there, big fella. You got the wrong idea. I only just found out about this cluster fuck or I’d have stopped it before it ever started. Let’s back up a minute as I seem to have forgotten my manners. My name is Jonathon, and I am master of the Kurai Senshi’s Midwest cadre. Takeshi here,” he waved an absent hand at the body, “came to me for help in locating this criminal he’d been chasing for a millennium or so. Of course, since he came from Master Masaru, I felt obliged to open my home and my services to him. That is, until I found out what you were guilty of.” Master Jonathon shook his head in disgust as he scanned the grounds, taking in the extent of loss that had occurred that night, both Legion and Kurai Senshi.
“I took it to the cadre,” he said. “Asked their opinion and whether or not they wanted to help Takeshi. The overwhelming majority said no, so I assumed that was the end of it. I’ve never known my Warriors to go against my orders once they’re given. This time they did. Konrad.”
A slender male skulked to his side, his head bowed as he shook from head to toe. “Seems my trusted servant here was the one who provided communication between my traitorous Dark Warriors and Takeshi over there. I only just found out what he’d done and where fifty or so of my Warriors had disappeared to tonight. I brought my people here to offer assistance… to the Legion. However, it appears you don’
t need it.”
Mason stepped forward then, his hand outstretched. As the Kurai Senshi shook it, Mason introduced himself. “I am the Legion Warlord for this base. With all due respect, you want to tell me how the hell you’ve had an entire cadre of Kurai Senshi within shouting distance without us knowing about it?”
Jonathon hung his head for a moment. When he looked up it was to offer an “aw shucks” smile to the Warlord. He held his palms to the sky and said, “Well, then, I can’t be telling you all our secrets. Now that you know, though, I don’t suppose we could come to some kind of a truce?”
“Are we at war?” Mason asked as the other Warriors formed a semi-circle at his back.
Jonathon chuckled again. “Well, not from my side, but you’ll have to forgive my caution. The Kurai Senshi haven’t exactly been welcomed into the Vampire fold, per se. In fact, if the Primeval had its way, not to mention all the superstitious bastards in the race, well, we’d have been wiped off the face of the earth centuries ago. It’s in our best interest to keep hidden, but now that you know.” He left the thought hanging, but his meaning was clear. Are we friends or would the prejudice between Vampire and Kurai Senshi prevent any kind of peace from existing between them?
Mason glanced at the Dark Warriors surrounding them, then turned back to Master Jonathon. “I’d say we have much to discuss.”
Jonathon smiled that slow easy smile of his and offered a low bow to Mason. His eyes landed on Konrad, then, and the smile slipped from his face. “I’m afraid before we talk, I’ve got some personal business to attend to. I don’t suppose there were any survivors among the Kurai Senshi who attacked ya’ll?”
Mason touched a finger to his ear piece. “Viper, how many prisoners do we have? Five? Can you and Tas bring them to the clearing in front of the manse? As you can see, we have visitors.” He looked back at Jonathon and said, “They’ll be here in a few minutes, although Viper said that a handful escaped into the woods when the lights first came on.”