Edge of the Darkness (Hell on Earth Book 4)

by Brenda K. Davies

  Just when I couldn’t take any more, he finally entered me. I gasped from the sheer wonder of our bodies joining together again.

  He set a languid pace, and though I was frantic for release, I found myself matching it as I caressed his back and memorized every chiseled muscle there. When I gripped his ass, the firmness of it excited me more, and I drew him deeper into me.

  My head fell back, and a primal cry spilled from my lips when I came apart. When Wrath thrust into me again, his body stiffened as his cock pulsed deep inside me. Each of those pulsations kept my orgasm going until I became certain it would never stop.

  When I finally came back to Earth and our bed, I found myself nestled securely in his arms as he lay on his back with me sprawled across his chest. I rested my hand over the pink mark on his flesh, and he clasped my hand in his.

  His breath blew back a strand of my hair as he lowered his mouth to my ear. “I love you, Bale.”

  I went rigid with shock and couldn’t respond. Then I lifted my head and met his black eyes. Apprehension and hope shimmered in their dark depths, but more than that, love radiated from him.

  “I love you too,” I whispered.

  His dimple appeared as his eyes turned a magnificent shade of blue. He laughed and hugged me closer. My laughter rose to meet his as I pondered our future and what we would do when this was over.

  We would live. And we would do it together.

  Chapter Fifty

  Bale

  Six months later

  I tried not to let my nervousness show as we broke over the crest of the hill and the wall came into view. However, I couldn’t stop my fingers from fiddling with Zorn’s mane as the horse ambled down the hill. Around us, a few of the other demons and humans rode too, but most walked.

  Our numbers were still full of the recruits Raphael brought back from the wall. Over the past six months, we only lost a couple of them. We also managed to keep our telepathic demon alive, so Raphael didn’t have to keep flying back and forth to the wall.

  We’d tried to find vehicles for our journey back, but most of them were so rotten they wouldn’t go anywhere, and it was impossible to find gas. So, instead, we walked or rode the few horses we located in the Wilds.

  It had taken almost three weeks to make this journey once we started it, but now that we were here, I didn’t feel any relief over our travel finally coming to an end. I was tenser now than I had been for the past six months.

  We’d spent those months hunting craetons and putting an end to what remained of their rebellion. It had been more battles and fights, more possible death, but now, there was little left for us to do in the Wilds. We would have to continuously monitor them to ensure there were no new uprisings, but we could return to the wall without fear of a new rebellion taking root while we were gone.

  For the first time, I could take a break from the fighting, return to the wall, and sleep without my sword beside me. Leaving the Wilds and the fight behind hadn’t bothered me. Returning to the wall did.

  Six months had passed, but in all that time, I hadn’t seen my king.

  And now it would be impossible to avoid him.

  “Stop,” Wrath said and rested his hands over mine when I twisted Zorn’s mane around my fingers. “It will be okay.”

  “Promise me you won’t try to kill Kobal,” I said.

  “I’ve promised you that a thousand times already.”

  “But I don’t know how you’re going to react once you see him.”

  I worried the sight of Kobal might push him into a rage he couldn’t control. If that happened, Kobal would kill him. My stomach turned over at the possibility, and I closed my eyes against the sickness twisting in my gut.

  His hands squeezed mine. “I will never do anything to hurt you. I’m not sure how I’m going to feel about seeing the varcolac either, but I will not risk your life or us, Bale. I will not try to kill him. I love you too much for that.”

  I melted at his words, but I still couldn’t stop my palms from sweating and my heart from hammering. Like a light going off inside my head, I realized my nervousness had little to do with how Wrath would react to seeing Kobal, and everything to do with how Kobal would react to seeing me.

  Kobal knew the horsemen were dead and Wrath was my Chosen, but I had no idea how he’d taken the news of my joining with a man who was once one of our greatest enemies. I hadn’t abandoned our cause or changed sides, but I had no idea how Kobal felt about me.

  Does he still trust me?

  He must, or else he would have pulled me from the Wilds months ago, or maybe… maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he preferred me out there, away from River and his family.

  Kobal and I had fought together for centuries, he was my king, but he was also my friend and my family, and I didn’t want to lose that. I didn’t want to lose any of them, but if they didn’t want Wrath here, I would leave with my Chosen. They were my family, and they always would be, but he was my Chosen, my love, and my future.

  Realizing I was knotting Zorn’s mane again, I released his hair and placed my hands in my lap. Wrath kept his hands enclosed on mine as we continued down the hill toward the vast field before the wall.

  Wrath stiffened against me when the two fiery blue drakón swept into view and hurtled across the land toward us. “Holy shit,” he murmured.

  “It’s okay,” I assured him. “They won’t attack us.”

  “I’ve been on the other side of a battle with those things; they might remember it.”

  “I’m sure they do. They’re a lot more intelligent and loyal than I ever would have thought before I got to know them better.”

  “I’m going to get down and away from you.”

  “No. They also remember me and know I’m not a threat to River. Besides, River wouldn’t let them attack us.”

  “They might think they have no choice and are protecting her. I’m getting down.”

  “No. If they were going to attack, they would be less likely to do it with me sitting here.”

  It was the truth, but I held my breath as the drakón soared closer. The two gigantic beasts roared as their shadows swept over us before they turned to the side and swept back toward the wall. My breath rushed out of me, and my shoulders slumped a little as Wrath relaxed.

  Now that the drakóns were gone, my attention shifted to the cloud of dust rising on the horizon. A group of vehicles appeared as they crossed the field toward us. They were coming to greet us, and Kobal would be with them. I started fiddling with Zorn’s mane again.

  When the vehicles arrived, we all stopped and dismounted as demons and humans unloaded from the trucks. I spotted Kobal instantly amid the others. It was impossible to miss him as he was taller than those surrounding him and the markings of the varcolac were visible across his chest and arms. However, the child strapped to his chest covered some of those markings.

  His gaze scanned us as he held out a hand to help River from the back of the truck. She jumped down to stand beside him before rising on tiptoe to poke her son’s nose. The child’s laughter drifted on the air to us.

  Then River lifted her younger brother, Bailey, from the truck. She set him on the ground as her other brother, Gage, jumped out of the vehicle to stand beside her. Nadine and Randy followed him. Cuddled in Nadine’s arms was Oliver, the little boy we rescued from the minotaur.

  Wren started laughing when she spotted them and broke free of the crowd to run toward Nadine and Randy. She embraced them, and they hugged her. When he started to squirm, Nadine set Oliver on the ground, and he ran over to stand beside Bailey. The two boys joined hands as they stared at everyone with wide, curious eyes.

  Aisling walked over and knelt before Oliver. She said something to the boy who smiled and hugged her before stepping back to stand with Bailey again. As Aisling rose, her gaze scanned the crowd, and she broke into a grin.

  “Sandy,” she said as she ran toward a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.

  When two more humans ste
pped out of the vehicle Sandy exited, Aisling released a squeal and started running. Hawk, who had been following her, looked a little startled by her strange reaction.

  “Mom! Dad!” Aisling cried as she threw herself into their arms.

  I grinned at the happy reunion while Hawk nervously approached the couple. Lix let out a victorious cry and rushed forward to greet the few other skelleins who were still alive on this side of the world. They all embraced and chattered as they handed Lix a flask.

  My smile faded when I shifted my attention back to Kobal and River. My king’s gaze met and held mine.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Wrath

  I braced myself as the varcolac stared at Bale. I’d meant what I said, I wouldn’t attack or try to kill him despite my feelings toward the man, but if he did something to hurt her, I wasn’t sure how I would react.

  Bale’s nervousness exuded from her, and I despised it. My Chosen was a warrior who never backed down from anything, and I doubted she would back down from her king, but she feared he would turn against her.

  The varcolac broke away from the others and strode toward us. Zorn shifted beside me and released a small snort, but he calmed when I rested my hand on his neck. I wasn’t the only one locked behind that seal for so long.

  “Bale,” the varcolac greeted when he stopped before us.

  “Kobal,” she said, and I was sure I wasn’t the only one who heard the uncertainty in her voice.

  The varcolac’s entirely black eyes shifted to me. Those eyes were unreadable, but the fact he’d carried his child over to us spoke more about his faith in Bale than anything he ever could have said. I hoped she realized that.

  “Wrath,” he greeted. “I assume we aren’t going to have any problems.”

  “We won’t,” I replied.

  He shifted his attention back to Bale. This time, he smiled with genuine affection. “It’s good to see you again.”

  I felt the relief that washed off her before she grinned. “You too.”

  They clasped hands before the varcolac turned his attention to Corson. Leaning against Zorn’s shoulder, I watched the reunion continue. I’d spent the past six months with Bale and the palitons, but it was still strange to see such closeness and happiness between demons.

  This friendship and love between demons was not the way of my world, or at least it wasn’t the way of it before her. But there were many things I didn’t experience before her… like my own happiness.

  And I was happier now, with her, than I’d ever been in my life. I may not remember a good portion of my life, but I knew that was true. I felt it in every fiber of my being. I’d never known true happiness until Bale walked into my life, and now that I had it, I was never going to let it go.

  At times, I still felt like an outsider amongst the palitons, but most of them treated me with respect, and I’d developed friendships with some of them. Caim had become my closest friend, as well as my family.

  If anyone understood what it was like to go from enemy to ally, and the distrust accompanying it, it was Caim. Both of us were trying to find our way in this strange new world of demons who were friends.

  And we’d both fallen for sisters. Months ago, Fiora claimed Caim as her Chosen. Though I’d never seen his marks on her, his eyes never left her when they were in a room together, and he beamed whenever she was around. He may not have marked her, but it was apparent he’d fallen hard for her.

  I knew Bale was afraid he might change his mind or grow bored one day and find another, but I didn’t think that would ever happen. The angel was clearly in love, and even if he didn’t experience the intensity of the Chosen bond, he wasn’t going anywhere without Fiora.

  When the queen approached Bale, my attention shifted to the pretty woman with black hair and eyes the same purple as Raphael’s. She smiled warmly at Bale as they clasped hands before the queen embraced her. Bale hesitated a second before hugging her back.

  “I’m so happy you’re home,” the queen said.

  “I’m happy to be home,” Bale said before stepping away and turning to me. “Wrath, this is River, the queen.”

  “It is nice to meet you,” I said.

  I was surprised to discover I meant it. I may never forgive the varcolac, but his Chosen had nothing to do with my imprisonment. In fact, even if she hadn’t done it willingly, she was the reason I was free.

  “You too,” River said and smiled warmly at me.

  The varcolac returned to her side and rested his hand on her hip. As he drew her closer, he looked from Bale to me. He was taller and more powerful than me, but I didn’t look away from the intensity of his gaze.

  “I kept the seals intact because I believed that was where those imprisoned behind them belonged,” the varcolac said.

  I hadn’t expected the varcolac to acknowledge my imprisonment, or that of the others locked behind the seals. His words caused an unexpected surge of anger to rush through me. I couldn’t hear any justifications for what happened to us.

  Bale’s hand fell on my arm. I would not react violently, and with her by my side, I would keep my temper under control.

  “If I freed those behind the seals, Hell would have fallen, and not because of Lucifer,” the varcolac continued. “However, things are vastly different now. Any seal creature or demon who lives in peace on Earth is free to do so. However, we will destroy any who continue to wage war against us.”

  “You won’t lock them away again?” I asked.

  “I’ve realized it’s far more humane to destroy them than to leave them in that state of unknowing.”

  “You’re right.”

  There were many times when I prayed for death behind that seal, many times I wished for something different than the monotony of our endless existence. Many times when I was certain I would go mad from the boredom, and there were many times when I did go crazy. We all did a time or two.

  Our times in hibernation states were the only way we survived. We could have killed each other while we were there, and there were many times I would have welcomed death, but for some reason, we never discussed ending our existence. No matter how bad it was behind the seal, there was always the tiniest hope we would somehow get free, and I clung to that to get through.

  When that freedom finally arrived, I was determined to exact my revenge on the varcolac and any who stood by his side. Now I stood at his side, with my Chosen, and I wouldn’t do anything to change that.

  “I hope that, one day, you will understand why I did things the way I did,” the varcolac said. “I do not expect your forgiveness, but as long as you don’t bring unnecessary destruction to this plane, you will remain free.”

  I wrapped my arm around Bale’s waist and drew her closer. “I will not cause any problems.”

  “Then, maybe one day, we can be friends.”

  I didn’t think that was likely, but I wouldn’t try to kill him, and I believed he would uphold his promise to let us remain free. The drakón and some púca, and I was sure some other seal creatures, had found a home here, so could I.

  The varcolac turned his queen away and started walking toward the vehicles. “Come on, everyone,” he called over his shoulder. “Erin, River, and Lopan have been planning a big party for you.”

  Others started toward the vehicles, and I grasped Bale’s waist to left her onto Zorn when Raphael froze so suddenly Caim nearly crashed into him. Caim did an odd little sidestep and started to protest, but his words died and his scowl vanished when Raphael’s head tipped back and he looked to the sky.

  Caim looked up too, but after a second, he looked down again. I saw the sorrow in his eyes before he closed them. Fiora gripped his arm and squeezed it. Raphael’s eyes closed, and a look of such rapture descended over his face that I felt a twinge of jealousy.

  “It’s the angels,” Raphael said. “They say the Being has returned to Heaven.”

  “That’s mighty fucking convenient,” Corson muttered as he walked past the golden angel to join Wre
n.

  A snort of laughter escaped me as the varcolac and River turned back to stare at Raphael.

  “The Being is home,” Raphael said with so much longing a twinge of pity tugged at me. “The Being is home, and my brothers and sisters are so happy.” A golden glow enshrouded the angel, and he smiled as he held his palms out beside him. “They say the Being has granted permission for me to return. I can go home.”

  Then Raphael’s head lowered, and he looked at Caim. “They say you can return too, brother.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Bale

  Raphael’s words caused my heart to plummet as I gazed from the wondrous look on Caim’s face to my sister’s devastated expression. Her hand fell limply away from his arm as Caim stepped toward Raphael.

  Caim’s mouth parted, and his hand settled on Raphael’s arm. Fiora wouldn’t look anymore devastated if someone turned her back into a statue. She would probably prefer that.

  No! I inwardly wailed, and my hand twitched as I considered drawing my sword and chopping off Caim’s wings again. He couldn’t leave. He would destroy Fiora if he did, and I couldn’t lose my sister again.

  I didn’t care what I had to do; I wouldn’t allow Caim to leave her here to die from the loss of her Chosen. She’d suffered so much, been locked in a tomb most of her life, and recently found happiness. She deserved better than to be locked into a new tomb of melancholy until she died.

  I started to step forward, but Wrath seized my wrist and halted me. I almost turned and punched him in the face, but the smile breaking across Caim’s face and the joy radiating from his rainbow-hued eyes stopped me.

  Then his smile faded, and he squeezed Raphael’s arm before releasing him. “I cannot return home, brother. I can never again be the angel I once was. I’ve seen too much, and I know too much.” His gaze drifted to Fiora, and his joyful smile returned. “I love too much to return.”