by Anne, Melody
“Oh, my gosh . . . Devon!” Phoenix shouted as she jumped to her feet. In the terror of being stalked, and then the wonder of seeing John, she’d temporarily forgotten about Devon, who had seemed lifeless, lying on the cold ground. She ran up the road, the others trailing behind her. She stopped a few feet from him, terrified he was dead.
She knelt by his side and tentatively caressed his cheek, letting a relieved breath escape when he moved and let out a painful groan. She’d never been happier to hear a sound of agony.
She rested her head affectionately on his chest, probably not the smartest thing to do when she didn’t know what was wrong with him, but he was her friend. She cared about him and if he died because of her, she’d never forgive herself.
His eyes slowly opened and Phoenix lifted her head; they stared at each other for a few soundless moments, joy in her eyes that he was alive and dawning understanding in his. He slowly lifted his hand and stroked her tearful cheek.
“What are you blubbering about?” he croaked, his voice raspy and pained. It was beautiful.
“Not a whole lot, just fighting off assassin demons and thinking my friend was dead,” she retorted. He chuckled, but quickly coughed when the movement sent pain through him. Phoenix instantly felt guilty.
“Where do you hurt?” Phoenix asked, reluctantly sitting up. He groaned and she searched his body for open wounds. She gasped when she looked down at the gash on his side. It was oozing blood and the cut looked deep. She had to consciously breathe in and out so she wouldn’t pass out.
“I think the more appropriate question would be to ask where don’t I hurt,” he said with a wince.
“I’m sorry, Devon, it was all my fault. The creature wanted me, and the rest of you were nothing but pawns,” Phoenix said.
“Here’s a cloth, Phoenix,” Sadie said, placing a cold, wet rag in her hand. Phoenix had forgotten about everyone else while in her bubble with Devon. She took the cloth and ran it over his face, wiping the dirt away, and offering him some cool relief. He sighed in pleasure.
“You have got to quit blaming things on yourself. I was the one who wandered off. I’ve heard about being head over heels for a girl, but have never actually gone spinning through the air for one,” he joked. She couldn’t help herself; she laughed at his ill-timed joke.
“You’ve got to behave. We need to get your wound cleaned up. It’s going to really hurt,” she said apologetically.
“I can handle a little pain,” he said bravely. Someone set the first aid kit next to her, and she slowly lifted his shirt, taking notice of his nicely toned abs. She berated herself for looking, but he was a gorgeous guy. Dawn was approaching, lighting the darkness, making her better able to look him over.
Beads of sweat covered his body from the pain. He was still teasing her, though he had to be suffering.
“Do you think anything’s broken?” she asked as she pulled out a bottle of antiseptic. He tested his limbs and gently moved his neck.
“I don’t think so. It just feels like I jumped from a five-story building. I’ll be okay if we can stop this cut from bleeding,” he said.
“It needs stitches,” she warily told him. She knew how to do basic stitches. She’d hung out with her parents enough to perform a small sew job, but doing it on human skin made her feel lightheaded. She’d do it, but it wasn’t going to be easy. She heard John speaking with their group, who were giving her time to work with Devon, but she tuned them all out. She had to concentrate on only him.
“Lean over here,” he told her. She brought her face close to his, thinking he was having a difficult time speaking. “I think if you’re going to stab me repeatedly after pouring acid on my open wound, I at least deserve a good luck kiss,” he whispered, causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. She stared into his eyes, mesmerized by his husky tone and words. Finally, she shook her head.
“I’ll tell you what. If you can get through this without screaming like a little girl, I’ll give you a quick kiss,” she said with a smile. She felt sure it was a safe thing to say. She knew how much pain she was going to unwillingly cause him. There was no way he’d be able to prevent himself from yelling. Each cry would rip her apart, but he had to be stitched up.
“Deal,” he said with a new light of determination in his eyes.
Phoenix knew she couldn’t waste any more time, so she lifted the bottle of antiseptic, gave him an apologetic look, then poured it over the open wound. Devon’s eyes widened to the point he looked like an owl. His cheeks sucked in and she could tell he was biting the inside of his cheeks, probably creating more wounds, but he didn’t utter anything more than a slight whimper. She was impressed but also hurting for him.
She watched as the wound started pushing out the infection in bubbles of foam. She poured the treatment over the wound several more times, until she was sure it was clean. His stomach quivered, but he still said nothing.
She gently wiped the area clean, relieved to see the bleeding had stopped. She checked around the skin, realizing it was a pretty clean cut. The beast must’ve sliced him with its massive talons. She shuddered at the thought.
“I’m going to sew it now. It shouldn’t be as painful as the cleaner, but it’s not going to be a picnic, either,” she warned as she laced up the thread.
“Do you need help, Phoenix?” Sadie tentatively asked. Phoenix looked up at Sadie’s green face. She was truly a good friend to offer, but she’d pass out if she saw Phoenix place the needle through Devon’s skin, let alone tried to do it herself.
“I’m good with this, Sadie, but can you hunt down some water? He’s sweating buckets and needs to stay hydrated,” Phoenix answered. She wanted to sew his wound together quickly, before she lost her nerve. Sadie ran off to get the water, and Phoenix clutched the needle in her hand.
She took a deep breath and brought the needle down, quickly inserting it into his warm flesh. He gasped, but quickly closed his mouth and gritted his teeth. She moved fast, trying not to draw out the process. It took her fifteen stitches, and his body was dripping with sweat by the time she was finished. She tied off the thread, bandaged the area, and put away the supplies before she looked at his face.
He grimaced at her in an attempt at a smile, then obediently took a sip of water. After a few more sips, a little color returned to his cheeks, to Phoenix’s relief.
“How about that kiss now?” he asked. She looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. She couldn’t believe he was calling her out on that. She thought about refusing, but she actually found she wanted to kiss him. She slowly leaned forward.
She planned on a quick, chaste kiss, but he dug down somewhere and found his last remaining strength. His arm reached up and tugged on her neck, pulling her head down tightly, locking their mouths together. His tongue pressed against her lips, suddenly demanding. She opened to him and quivered from the sensation of his touch.
He lost energy just as quickly as he’d found it, and slumped back with a silly smile on his lips. Phoenix blushed and sat back. She turned to look out at the group, trying to see if anyone had noticed them. She saw six heads quickly whip away as if the trees were of great interest. Great, just great, Phoenix thought. They’d all witnessed her lack of control.
“I’ll have my skin ripped open anytime if that’s my reward,” Devon said. He was fighting to stay awake after his painful ordeal.
“Be good and get some rest. No more hanky-panky for you,” she admonished, but she couldn’t stay firm with him for long. She quickly relented and placed her hand on his forehead and swept his hair back. His eyes closed and a sigh escaped. He fell asleep in seconds. Phoenix sat by his side, not knowing what she was going to do next.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“I don’t like the feel of this. Something’s off,” Jayden said to Cassidy as they walked through the dark forest.
They’d remained in the cave for several days, allowing Jayden time to regain his strength. He was fully rec
harged and healed, and they were finally heading north in the direction of John, Phoenix, and the others. Cassidy had let John know they were coming. Phoenix wasn’t aware of it yet.
Jayden was struggling with what to say to her. From what he’d been through, he didn’t know if it was best for her to be in his life or if he should try to create distance. As long as he loved her, and she was loyal to him, Vyco would continue to hunt her.
“It doesn’t matter, you know,” Cassidy warned. He knew she was talking about Phoenix. She was wrong — he alone was the one in control of his fate. Vyco couldn’t take that from him any longer. He’d made the poor decision to follow Vyco — he wouldn’t allow him to control his destiny, or Phoenix’s purpose either.
“I can convince her I don’t love her — that I want nothing more than friendship,” he said. Just saying the words out loud cut him to the core. Everything inside him fought against ripping their love apart. It was the only pure thing in his life. His steps quickened, needing to be near her.
“You’re a fool, Jayden. Even if you were to fall off the face of the planet, Vyco would still never let her rest — he would continue to hunt her. At this point, it’s a matter of pride. She was able to resist him — and now it’s a matter of his will over hers,” Cassidy warned.
“I didn’t say I was leaving her alone. I just thought if I protected her, without her loving me, she’d be better off,” he said. Cassidy actually had the nerve to laugh at him, and he glared in return. As he said the words, he knew how foolish he was being.
“Yeah, that whole love-from-afar thing really works out. Get over yourself,” Cassidy mocked. He resisted the urge to throw her through the thick trees. The recent time with Vyco hadn’t been good for him. He’d been in the dark too long, and he could feel it seeping into his soul. It was taking great effort to push it out.
“Something’s out here, Cassidy,” Jayden said again, searching the silent woods. It was too quiet, and he knew there were eyes on them.
“I know, I feel it,” Cassidy said absently. He’d thought she hadn’t noticed. They both knew to run would just unleash whatever was out there, so they kept the same pace as they continued their journey. When whatever it was got tired of waiting, it would make a move.
“When will the council step in and destroy Vyco?” Jayden asked.
“Josiah has spoken to them. You know the council doesn’t move quickly in terms of mortal years. It could take ten years before they reach a decision,” Cassidy said with frustration. It was so hard for them to realize that time on Earth and time in the heavens were two different matters. In the heavens, one human year was like a day. There was no beginning or ending of time in the magical world. It was a celestial glory and time was unnecessary. They wouldn’t be thinking about it if it weren’t for the fact that the mortals they loved were at such great risk.
“Has Josiah spoken of the danger the mortals are in?” Jayden asked, though he knew what the answer would be.
“You know their lives don’t matter to the council. The mortals only die a mortal death, and the council doesn’t consider this a top priority just because Josiah does. They have many matters to attend to in the universes. There are uprisings on planets all the time — it’s normal,” she said. They had both felt the same way at one time or another. They’d held mortals in their dying moments, but they knew life waited for them, even after death. It was different, though, when they cared about individual people. It was different because they still remembered their mortal days.
Jayden suddenly stopped and looked to the trees. They were surrounded. He still didn’t know what Vyco had sent after them, but he knew whatever was out there was bad.
“Come out and face us,” Jayden demanded. Cassidy turned, pressing their backs together, giving them a better chance at defense.
Slowly, horrific creatures descended from the trees. They counted ten of the terrors, but both of them heard rustling above, indicating more were soon to follow. Jayden worried as he realized what they were. Vyco had sent in the big guns, and he and Cassidy would be lucky to make it out alive.
“Crap,” Cassidy groaned. “A little help would be nice,” she grumbled, looking upward.
“I don’t think he’s going to risk others for me, so let’s hope he still wants to save you,” Jayden mumbled.
“Jayden, Josiah loves you,” Cassidy countered.
Vyco had sent Orcs. They were immortal, humanoid creatures, so grotesque a human would be frozen in fear. The Orcs were known for their brutality. Their appearance was appalling, with jagged, razor-sharp teeth and rotten flesh. Their revolting smell was indescribable. If the corpses of hell had a scent, Jayden imagined that was it. They also moved fast. They were loyal to Vyco because he gave them plenty of carcasses to consume.
Jayden had once heard that Vyco had created the Orcs from rotting human corpses. He’d never verified the fact. Vyco was secretive about how and where his creatures came from, especially the Orcs.
“Should we try to run?” Cassidy asked, bringing him back to the present.
“It wouldn’t do any good. They’re fast,” Jayden said. He felt a familiar trembling of power in his body as his magic rose to the surface. Light filled them as electricity crackled from their bodies, causing the Orcs to scatter back.
“You don’t want to fight us. Leave — go back to Vyco, and no one has to die,” Jayden’s voice thundered across the forest. Even the power behind his words did nothing to scare the salivating Orcs. They wanted their pound of flesh, and they didn’t care if many of them died in the process of obtaining it. They didn’t have emotions — certainly not fear. They’d been sent on a mission, and they were going to carry it out.
“You’ve displeased our master, Jayden,” one of them sneered, showing his massive teeth.
“He’s playing a game he can’t win. I’m simply a pawn to him, as are you,” Jayden said, careful to keep his voice neutral. He stalled, not knowing what good it would do. The Orcs were done talking.
Faster than he’d seen any other creature move, they converged at once. Their powerful jaws locked open, as they hoped to clamp down on flesh. Their rotting bodies darted around Cassidy and Jayden.
Jayden raised his hand, sending a steady stream of fire through his fingers, his aim deadly accurate as he attacked them one after the other. For every Orc he killed, three more jumped from the trees. He knew Cassidy was fighting too, pressed against his back, but they couldn’t hold them off forever. He couldn’t let her die an eternal death.
Jayden focused on one of the creatures, and another one snuck in, clamping its sharp teeth into his leg. The pain was excruciating as the Orc ripped out a piece of his flesh. Cassidy dropped to her knees and sliced her blade across its neck, decapitating it.
The forest floor grew slick with the Orcs’ blood. The smell of their rotting flesh was nauseating. Their blood was like acid to the moss around the trees. The area quickly turning as black as the creatures’ still hearts.
“I can’t hold them off much longer,” Cassidy shouted. She was brave, strong, and not ready to give up, but he knew she was right.
“Josiah!” he shouted. Jayden was angry. How could their leader desert her — his most loyal follower?
“I’m going to try to get in the air,” Cassidy yelled, as her feet lifted from the ground.
“No . . .” Jayden shouted. He was too late. She flew up and one of the creatures sprang forward and gripped her across the waist. They landed on the ground with an earth-shaking thud, the creature snapping its jaws toward her throat. She was holding it off, but just barely.
Jayden tried to get to her, but he was surrounded. He was doing nothing more than keeping them at bay. He cried out as his anger rose. He stopped shooting fire and held two deadly blades in his palms, slashing through the Orcs, trying to save Cassidy.
Just as Jayden began to believe it was the end, a flash of light appeared in the sky, and a host of people descended, immediately
attacking the Orcs, light flashing from their fingers. Orcs flew through the air as one after another of the horrific creatures were slaughtered.
Jayden ran toward Cassidy, killing the beasts as he made it through the vicious mass. His knife slashed through the air and sliced the head off the Orc trying to kill his sister. He reached down and pulled Cassidy to her feet and quickly examined her.
“I’m fine, let’s finish this,” she said.
With the help of their friends, the Orcs numbers dwindled. The final group of demon spawns realized they couldn’t win and retreated. They didn’t bother chasing them. Jayden turned toward the others, people he’d once fought side by side with for the good of all humanity.
“Josiah hasn’t left you,” one of them said, before they left in a brilliant light.
“I told you he loves you,” Cassidy said.
“I can’t do this right now. It’s all too much and I want to get out of here,” Jayden replied. He questioned the man’s parting words, but he felt warmth in his chest, where darkness was trying to consume him.
Jayden shook his head, trying to clear it. He had to focus — he couldn’t go soft and underestimate his enemy. Vyco held nothing back, and Jayden felt an urgency to reach Phoenix, more than ever before. His eyes glowed as he looked out at the night surrounding him.
At the thought of Vyco, anger consumed him — pulsing through his veins, eating at his very soul. Cassidy stayed silent as they made their way through the forest. Neither of them allowed their power to sink back inside until they knew the danger was over. They were both lost in thought, struggling with feelings they’d never dealt with before.
Jayden struggled with the fight within his soul between light and darkness. The words the man had spoken were music to his ears, yet he was afraid to believe them — but still they pushed the darkness down, inch by inch. Vyco wanted him angry. He wanted Jayden’s soul consumed with bitter hatred and blackness. Jayden had to get back to Phoenix. He needed her pureness — her light.