by Brenda Trim
Izzy was counting on him to rescue her. He refused to fail her. Ramiel gripped his sword tightly and focused on Isobel. Getting his first full look at her, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, as well as, her gaunt face. His heart clenched as he realized the adorable toddler he loved looked more like a weary adult. This experience had aged her soul decades, and that was the worst offense yet.
“He’s not your present, Lucy,” Zakara spat. “You must be rusty to have missed my mark on him. Not surprising, given you keep company with these Behemoths. My intelligence is lowering by the second.”
Lucifer narrowed his eyes, and a nearby tree ignited in black flames. A wave of his hand and countless rocks flew toward Zakara who stood her ground, glaring at the Lord of the Underworld.
Ramiel jumped forward only to have a massive gray arm go across his chest, stopping him in his tracks. The rocks suddenly stopped mid-flight, remaining poised in the air.
“Interesting,” Lucifer murmured as he glanced from Ramiel to Zakara. “What’s yours is mine, little bird. Or have you forgotten your pledge to me?”
Without hesitation, Ramiel swung his sword and sliced through flesh, muscle, and bone. It was like cutting a tree down with a spoon. Every millimeter made Ramiel weaker as black blood drenched his blade.
Panting, Rami kicked the demon, and its upper body tumbled while its lower torso and legs remained upright, a much bloodier version of Izzy’s statues. This rescue had not gone as planned. He hoped to grab Izzy and rush back to the cave before the demons caught them.
All at once, the rocks surged to life and spread out from their trajectory. Several thudded into demon flesh, making them howl. Zakara ducked behind a body and used it to shield herself. Ramiel growled as dozens of rocks headed their way and slammed into his body. Agony tore through him when some hit his injured wings. The tiny shout of Isobel drew his head around, and he yelled when he saw her clutching her arm and crying.
A long scratch marred her left arm and blood welled between her fingers. Rami stumbled her way, ignoring the hiss that sounded with each step. He was done having his blood cleanse the soil. It didn’t belong in this evil place.
“Still throwing temper tantrums, I see. And, I’ve changed my mind about that pledge I made. I found something far more entertaining,” Zakara announced as she made her way out from behind the demon.
A ripple pulsed through the area. Ramiel had no idea what it was, but he sensed it was connected to Kara’s declaration and defiance. Whatever happened pained Lucifer and pissed off the demons.
Several Behemoths closed in on them, but he noted they kept their distance from Izzy. The line of statues behind her was a vivid reminder not to risk proximity. Ramiel swung his sword but didn’t have the strength to remove the weapon from the demon’s flesh.
“Help me, Rami! I wanna go home,” Izzy shouted.
“You don’t get to change your mind, bitch. I will make you suffer for eternity! No one turns on me. I have the power to make you pay in ways you can’t fathom,” Lucifer bellowed at Zakara.
Kara suddenly cried out as smoke poured off her skin and clothes. Her flesh bubbled, and Ramiel was in motion before he blinked. Jumping over large boulders, Rami ducked under grabbing fists, barely avoiding razor-sharp claws.
Twisting around, he hooked a demon’s arm and grabbed its forearm. Holding the appendage outward, Rami used the claws to rake across another’s abdomen. Black blood poured from the wound and Ramiel grimaced, shoving his sword through the legs of the demon closest to him. Zakara kicked into gear and evaded several demons while Lucifer shouted orders to his minions.
“Get to Izzy,” Rami shouted to Kara when he saw that she could maneuver closest to her. “Izzy, run to Zakara. She will help you.”
Ramiel had never asked Zakara to save Izzy. He always assumed he would be the one to rescue her. Now, he’d gladly sacrifice himself if it meant both could get free. Neither Zakara nor Izzy deserved to be in this appalling, demon-infested realm.
“Take her and go Salsa,” he ordered.
Zakara’s head snapped around, her eyes wide. Izzy was running toward Kara, who stood next to the lake. There was no apparent path between them and the trail up the cliff. Ramiel needed to draw the demons and keep them busy while his girls escaped.
“No way. I’m not leaving this place without you!” Kara shouted angrily. “You dragged me down here and made me care about you, you bastard. You do not get to leave me now!”
“I’ll be right behind you,” he lied. There was no way for him to get out of this. There were too many demons surrounding him.
“We can all get out, Rami. C’mon. I want some ice cream,” Izzy begged. She’d been strong up until this moment. There had been no crying. Now, tears streamed down her face and hit the ground as she reached Zakara. Flowers bloomed where her tears landed. “I can feel mommy and daddy now. I can get them to come help us.”
“No!” Ramiel shouted. They would send every Dark Warrior they could through the portal to try, and reach her, but it would be too late and they’d lose good men in the process. “They have to protect the kids on Earth. Zakara will get you out of here, won’t you, Salsa?”
“No!” Kara cried out as she stopped next to Izzy. The demons skidded to a stop and wheeled their arms, so they didn’t touch Isobel.
Ramiel shoved a demon out of the way as rocks rained down near him. An eerie howl echoed through the area. Lesser demons climbed down the side of the cliffs, answering Lucifer’s call. This shit-show of a situation couldn’t get worse.
Cutting and punching, he made his way toward Kara and Izzy. Something hit him in the back and sent him sprawling. A glance over his shoulder revealed a massive hellhound. Claws burned as they dug into his injured wings. Rolling, he ignored the agony and sliced the hound’s head from its shoulders.
Black blood splattered his face and bare chest, leaving tiny burns on his skin. Using his weapon, he levered himself to his feet and continued fighting. “Do you have your weapons? The trail isn’t safe,” he asked Kara.
The area was crawling with lesser and higher-level demons. And from the screech, the Geryon was going to join the fray. Just what they fucking needed. Ramiel was almost to Zakara and Izzy when a hellhound slammed into Kara and knocked her over. Izzy went down with her, too.
Time froze in the next instant.
Izzy’s tiny hand landed on the ice, and every demon in the Underworld stopped moving. The ice instantly melted and Izzy would have fallen into the water if Zakara hadn’t caught her around the waist. Ramiel barely registered Kara pulling Izzy into her arms when an explosion of power knocked him on his ass.
Landing with a crunch, Rami lay there stunned as he watched Lucifer explode from the water. The demon hovered above the lake, his massive black wings flared, and his head thrown back.
The sight was beautiful and terrifying. The bliss on the demon’s features was unmistakable.
No realm was safe with him free of his prison. Ramiel crawled to his feet and rushed to Zakara and Izzy. She immediately left Kara’s side and jumped into his arms. Rami winced, but Izzy didn’t pause in wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt her soothing, healing energy start to take some of the pain away from his wings.
He’d risked everything, and was willing to give his life for Isobel and Zakara, but none of them would see Earth again. He had no doubt they’d be tortured in horrendous ways for centuries to come.
Holding Izzy close, he murmured, “I’m so sorry, Princess.”
“Ready to rethink your position, Zakara?” Lucifer asked. His voice surrounded them and echoed off the mountain. He sneered, knowing there was no one to stop him now.
Ramiel pulled the serum from his pocket and held the bottle in his hand. This attempt was their last hope. He refused to allow Lucifer true freedom. He would save Earth even if he couldn’t save them.
“Jump in the lake,” Kara whispered while she flipped Lucifer the bird. “The pure of heart can escape this realm through th
e water.”
“You’re coming with us,” Ramiel insisted. Perhaps the Goddess or Fate hadn’t turned their backs on them, after all.
“Try and stop me, Virgin,” Zakara said with a slight smile. Rami chanced a quick kiss on her lips and met her gaze. One tear slipped from the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek.
“You and I aren’t done, yet,” he declared, in case she thought he had no further use for her now that they were leaving the Underworld.
“Center of your universe, remember?” she replied.
Ramiel smiled and gripped the small bottle in his palm. Time to go, he thought.
Before he could draw his arm back, Izzy laid her hand on the vial and said, “This isn’t enough.”
His face fell as understanding dawned. The spell wouldn’t work. He knew all along it was a long shot.
Just as he was about to drop the potion, soft pink light radiated down Izzy’s arm. His hand heated as the light got brighter and brighter. It expanded until it enveloped the three of them.
Lucifer laughed and taunted them. “Your little light show means nothing, little girl. You have freed me, and I have a promise to keep. My first visit will be to your parent’s house.”
Izzy shook in his arms, and her lips trembled, but she didn’t stop. Right as the pain reached unbearable levels, it blinked out of existence.
“Throw it,” Izzy ordered.
Without hesitation, Ramiel drew back his arm and threw the potion with all his might. He watched the glowing pink glass as it traveled then shattered against Lucifer’s chest.
Bullseye! The color spread to cover his entire body, including his wings. It froze the demon mid-air. He was a macabre sculpture hovering above them. With visible effort, Lucifer moved, and the pink shield cracked, falling in shards to the ground. Every piece that pierced a demon turned them to stone which caused mass chaos as Behemoth demons scattered in a blind attempt to get away from the deadly missiles.
Lucifer contorted and bellowed his rage. Ramiel was transfixed until Zakara grabbed hold of his arm. “Time to go, Virgin.” He nodded and grabbed her hand then took a step toward the lake.
“On three,” he told Izzy and Kara. “One, Two…”
“I love you, Ramiel. You’re the most incredible male I’ve ever met,” Zakara confessed. He glanced over and watched her tears spill right before she pulled him and Izzy into the water.
And then everything went dark.
* * *
Chapter Eighteen
Cailyn sat down on the soft cushions with a sigh. Another night without her mate and she was ready to scream bloody murder. Izzy was still gone, and Jace was once again at the hospital for some emergency or another. She should go to bed, but she was tired of hiding out in her room.
Her foot bounced as she picked up the remote and clicked through the stations. It had been years since she’d watched much television and she didn’t find that she missed it all that much. She took up reading after Jace got her a tablet. Sadly, her reading app was getting more action than she was.
She reconsidered heading to her room to finish the latest romance about a dragon king and his mate. The author was surprisingly good and not all that far from reality. Made Cailyn wonder if Nate was hooking up with humans and telling tales.
Rolling her head on her shoulders, she tried to relieve the tension. Skipping past a medical drama on the television, she clicked to the travel channel and watched a show about the best barbeque in Memphis.
Barbeque was one of the foods Elsie hadn’t mastered. Mainly because it required smoking meat over long periods of time and her sister enjoyed creating masterpieces in the kitchen. Those ribs looked damn tasty, Cailyn thought and her mouth watered. One of the guys could man the grill while Elsie made the side dishes. Reaching for her phone, she almost texted Jace to ask if he’d pick up some ribs on the way home then she remembered he wasn’t going to be there for hours.
Ignoring the tension pulling her shoulders tight, Cailyn jumped up and began rearranging the magazines on the coffee table before she crossed to the bar in the corner of the media room. She poured herself a glass of merlot from their stone wine dispenser and walked back to the sofa.
Cailyn tried again to get into the show. She polished off her wine then texted Elsie, asking her sister to join her. It was quiet in the house, and they could have some sister time.
It had been a long time since they’d spent time just the two of them and Elsie needed that right now. When Cailyn looked back on their lives, she never would have imagined they’d end up mated to paranormal men with her sister being the Vampire Queen.
“Hey, beautiful,” Cade said as he entered the media room and plopped onto the other end of the couch from where Cailyn sat. “Ooooh barbeque. I love grilled meat. We need to cook out more often.”
Cailyn chuckled. “I was just thinking the same thing. I’m going to have Nate order some ribs.”
“And some brisket. There’s nothing better than a good brisket smoked with a dry rub,” Cade commented as his eyes took on a dreamy look. He was a good-looking male and always available. Why couldn’t she have mated someone that wasn’t a doctor?
“Are you a potato salad or cole slaw guy?” she asked.
“Hmmm. Both, but coleslaw is a must on a brisket sandwich. And, traditional slaw. None of this fancy stuff,” he said as he pointed to the television where they were making a salad with ginger, garlic, and chili paste.
“Are you kidding? That looks fantastic. It reminds me of one Elsie makes,” Cailyn said.
“And, that is perfect with her Vietnamese burgers, but those flavors don’t go with barbeque. The sauces are vastly different.”
Cailyn reached up and rubbed her neck. Knots the size of softballs were compressing her shoulders and making it difficult to concentrate. The wine helped a little, but not nearly enough.
“We could make a brisket with a dry rub of Asian ingredients. I know Elsie uses Anise in the burgers. I bet it would be yummy with a rub of those same spices,” Cailyn suggested, thinking of the flavors. Just remembering it made her mouth water and her tummy rumble.
“There’s no reason to mess with a good thing. Brisket should have paprika, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and spices like that. Here,” Cade said as he sat up and turned to her. “Let me help with that.”
Cailyn jumped when he reached for her shoulders. She felt uneasy about another man touching her, but she could ignore it for a good shoulder rub. Something had to get rid of those knots before they became a permanent part of her. The pain was shooting through her skull, making it throb.
“Good thing you’re a big, strong vampire. It’s going to take all your muscles to work through these. I swear, they’re made of titanium,” Cailyn replied as she swiveled on the cushion, turning her back to him.
She had a moment of doubt where her gut clenched. They’d shared a couple of intimate moments and shouldn’t have. Not that she’d cheated on Jace, but the thought had been there, and that was not okay in her book.
Cade was just a sweet friend, keeping her company and offering to alleviate her discomfort. Right?
Strong fingers kneaded her flesh, making her grimace with pain. “Did I hurt you?” he murmured, his voice far closer than it should be.
“Yes, but no,” Cailyn responded and scooted a bit forward. “Working through these beasts is going to hurt, but I know that I’ll feel better afterward.”
“Damn female. You’re carrying the weight of the world on these shoulders. There’s no need to do that. We’re here to help, you know,” Cade declared, working magic with his hands. Her head dropped forward, so her chin hit her chest. “I don’t think anyone realizes how much you take on and handle because you’re so quiet. I mean, we all know that Mack is killing skirm and demons left and right. And the rest have their clear roles and jobs, but not you. You cover all the bases. Wherever there’s a hole or need, you’re there, fixing it. Who’s taking care of your needs?” he uttered as his hands trailed to he
r back.
His words brought tears to her eyes. No one ever noticed how much work she did around the compound. She never cared that she was overlooked and underappreciated until Jace became the worst offender. Jace had been attentive and supportive until he became overworked.
A loud, war cry echoed throughout the room, startling Cailyn, but before she could lift her head to see what was happening, Cade’s hands ripped from her shoulders, and she heard a crash.
“Jace!” she shouted when she lifted her head and saw him panting above Cade. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Mine,” he snarled, flashing his teeth at Cade. Jace didn’t have fangs, but there was no mistaking the threat in his tone.
“Dude, you need to chill. I was helping her. She’s in pain,” Cade explained, but Cailyn could tell Jace wasn’t listening.
“You don’t touch what’s mine,” Jace growled.
“Cailyn isn’t a toy you can bring out and play with when you have time. She’s a brilliant female that happens to be funny, sexy and—” Cade’s words were cut off by Jace’s fist slamming into the side of his face. Cade’s head snapped back, and a ferocious growl left his throat.
“You’d better watch yourself, bro. I’m helping your mate because she’s in pain while you’re too busy to give a fuck. She deserves so much better than you. You don’t even appreciate what you have!” Cade divulged and shoved Jace.
In the next blink, Jace called his staff to his hand. That never meant anything good.
“Oh, you wanna fight dirty? I like dirty,” Cade threatened as his fangs descended.
“No!” she screamed, jumping between the two men. “Don’t do this.”
“I will kill anyone that touches my mate,” Jace spat as he jumped up on the coffee table, kicking her wine glass and sending glass shattering against the wall.
Cailyn had never seen this side of Jace. Yes, she’d seen him fight, but this was completely different. An unknown force possessed him and would kill Cade, a fellow Dark Warrior, for touching her. It was absurd. They weren’t doing anything wrong. She wasn’t cheating. Liar, her mind chided.