by Reus, Katie
“What’s his name?” Aurora asked.
“Ozias,” Zephyr and Mikael said at the same time.
King nodded and Mikael continued. They all talked, with Mikael going over everything he knew, Zephyr offering input, and then the others asking questions as they came up with a plan.
Avery knew it was a good thing she had called for backup, because it sounded like it was going to be a bloodbath at the cemetery. She couldn’t fight the chills snaking through her because her brothers were human and they didn’t even have spelled pendants to protect them. They would be defenseless.
She’d always known she was weaker than her supernatural friends, but in that moment she felt truly mortal, truly helpless. It terrified her. She hated that saving them would be up to others—even if she trusted those others.
As everyone continued talking, Mikael squeezed her shoulders once and motioned that they should walk inside. Instead of stopping in the kitchen, they hurried up the stairs until they were in his bedroom.
“I know you have a lot of questions,” he said as he sat her on the edge of the bed. “Doors, or portals, to Hell realms can be difficult to open. They require dragon blood or sacrifice or powerful spells. Some don’t need to be opened at all because of what is behind them. Some are simply places to escape to, places where supernaturals choose to exist instead of here. There are many, many creatures that should never, ever cross into this realm.”
She nodded as she digested his words. “Okay, so if this Ozias has the ability to open any of them, he could potentially create another apocalyptic situation on earth is what you’re saying?”
“Exactly. But it will not be like this. It will be literal hell on earth.”
She closed her eyes, rubbed her hands over them. “So what happens when you show up without this key?”
“I will convince him I have it. At least temporarily. He knows how much I care for you.”
She jerked slightly. “How can he know?”
Mikael paused. “He just does.”
Okay, that was super helpful. She wasn’t going to push, however, because it didn’t matter right now. “So…what is the plan exactly?”
“If my brothers and I take him on, we’ll be able to get your brothers back.”
“Do you think he’ll actually bring my brothers to the cemetery?”
“I don’t know. But it should be easy enough to break those he’s turned. A little torture and someone will talk. The real plan is to capture some of his people and find out more information. He won’t kill your brothers, not until he gets what he wants.”
She blinked in surprise at the casual way he spoke about torture.
His gaze was hard. “This is who I am, Avery. I don’t want there to ever be any doubt in your mind. I will torture and kill and do whatever it takes to get your brothers back. I will do anything for you. Anything.”
She reached her hands up and to her surprise he actually flinched as if he expected… Well, she wasn’t sure. She cupped his cheeks. “I know exactly who you are, Mikael.” She brushed her lips over his in a more or less chaste kiss, just needing to touch him. He was the male who was going to save her brothers.
He tugged her so that she was sitting in his lap, wrapped his arms around her and simply held her tight as he buried his face in her neck. She held on to him for dear life, needing this anchor, needing him.
“I’m going to give you something,” he whispered against her ear, so low she could barely hear him. “It’s the key.”
She jerked in his lap, but he held tight.
“I will tell no one that you have it. Not even my brothers. And if asked, I will say I do not have it in my possession, which will not be a lie. I trust you more than anyone. You’ll keep it safe.”
She leaned back to look at him, floored by his trust in her. “I could give it to him, trade it for my brothers,” she whispered.
“I don’t think you will. I don’t think you would put the rest of the world in that much danger. Even for them.”
He was right. She would do anything for her brothers but… She couldn’t sign a death sentence for countless others in exchange. They wouldn’t want that and she wouldn’t want that either if she was in their situation. No, they would simply have to rescue her brothers. That was all there was to it. But the truth was…if it came down to her brothers, or Mikael or Mikael’s brothers, she would do anything to save those males. “You think too highly of me, I’m afraid. I will do anything to save them. You as well, if it came down to it,” she added.
His dragon flashed in his eyes once, stayed there. Watching. Waiting. Then Mikael was back. “You can’t come with me,” he continued.
She knew that even as she hated it. “I hate being so weak.”
His dragon flared in his eyes again, fiery hot. “You’re not weak. You are the strongest female I know.” He kissed her again, and this time there was nothing chaste about it as he teased his tongue against hers.
She jerked back when she felt the earth start to shake. “You felt that, right?” If he hadn’t, she was pretty sure she was losing her mind.
In response, he sighed and brushed his lips against hers before standing, pulling her with him. Then he lifted a leather cord hanging around his neck—that she hadn’t even seen until that moment—and slipped it over her head.
She looked down at it and lifted up the heavy piece on the end of it. “What is this?” Whatever was attached to the cord was covered by a piece of leather. It was stitched in place so she couldn’t open it without pulling the threads free.
“The key.” His voice was so quiet. “Don’t take the cover off. If you do, everyone will be able to see it. It’s bright. But if you need to, simply pull on this thread and it opens easily.”
It was also warm, she realized as she felt the heat through the cover.
“It has a mild spell on it. No one will see the cord around your neck unless you lift it off.”
She tucked it under her shirt right next to her spelled pendant, the warmth of it making her very aware of the kind of power she had hanging around her neck.
It was terrifying.
And she hated that Mikael was going to put himself in danger for her, her brothers, even though she would expect nothing less from him. She tried to put a cap on her worry for him, but it was impossible.
Stepping forward, she pulled him into a tight hug, holding him close as he held her back. She didn’t want to let him go. Not now, not ever.
Chapter 28
Standing in the front yard of Aurora and her crew’s mansion, Mikael looked down at Avery. He didn’t like leaving her.
She had her arms wrapped around herself and bit her bottom lip as she stared back up at him. “Be safe,” she whispered.
“I’m a dragon,” he reminded her. And nothing would stop him from coming back and claiming her. Nothing at all.
“And if fighting and battles depended solely on your ego, you would win against the entire world within two seconds flat.” Her tone was dry, but her lips quirked up ever so slightly.
He grinned. “So true.”
Her smile grew and he savored it, as always. Making her smile and laugh could become his only mission in life. But he didn’t have time to waste so he reached for her, pulled her close. As she hugged him back, he buried his face against her hair even as he threaded his fingers through it, cupped the back of her head and inhaled deep.
“You stay safe,” he demanded, as if he could will it to happen.
He hated leaving her, but he knew she was in more than capable hands. Aurora and her crew were all warriors. And he’d seen them in battle—they were fierce fighters. Not to mention she had the Magic Man’s pendant protecting her. Still, he did not like the thought of being away from her at all. She was his, and as soon as this was over and he brought her brothers home safely, he was claiming her for good. If she would have him.
“I…” She cleared her throat and looked at the others who were waiting for him. “We’re going to finish
what we started in your bed,” she whispered, but even if she thought it was low enough, he guaranteed the others heard her words.
He was glad they’d heard. His heart and body belonged to her. Everyone should know it.
“We will,” he said simply. They would definitely finish what they had started. And he never planned on stopping.
He kissed her swiftly, a hard claiming of her mouth. Then he forced himself to stride away, to meet the others, to not look back. He could not look back at her. If he did, his resolve might falter.
As he reached the others, he was surprised to find Axel standing there, arms crossed over his massive chest, watching him. “What are you doing?” The lion might annoy him but Mikael wanted him here watching after Avery.
“I’m coming with you. I love those kids.”
Anthony and Riel weren’t exactly kids but… Okay, they more or less were. At least by supernatural standards. Maybe even human standards, considering how immature her brothers were. He nodded once at the lion. Then he looked at his brothers, who were clearly ready to go.
He was too. They’d opted to drive out of the city and park at a distance from the cemetery and then fly in. King had already sent a couple scouts ahead to the cemetery and they’d been keeping an eye on it all day. No unusual activity. But sunset would be in an hour and he wanted to get there before that happened.
“We need to make one stop on the way. I need to see the Magic Man before we head out of town,” Mikael said.
No one questioned him, though Zephyr did raise an eyebrow, likely curious who this Magic Man was. It didn’t matter.
The drive to meet him was short, with little traffic, mainly because humans were not driving nowadays. He jumped from the van, the others staying put, and as he reached the carved wooden doors, they opened.
Malcolm, one of Thurman’s nephews, stepped out with a small round box. He handed it to Mikael. “My uncle said you were coming by for these. They are what you need,” Malcolm said.
Mikael knew he shouldn’t be surprised, but nonetheless, Thurman was very clearly a gifted seer. “Tell your uncle thank you. I know I told him before that I owe him a debt. Please convey that I am now in his debt for life. Whatever he needs, just ask.”
The young man nodded once. “Good luck.”
Tucking the box into his front pocket without even looking inside—because he trusted that what he needed was there—he hurried back to the van.
Prima gunned the engine and for a brief moment he wondered who the hell had thought it was a good idea to let her drive. Then his head slammed against the side of the rear passenger door as she took a sharp turn as if they were being chased by hounds of Hell.
“Someone else is driving on the way back,” Cas muttered.
Yes, indeed. Because they would come back from this. With all of them against Ozias, they would succeed. They would save her brothers and he could return to his Avery.
Chapter 29
“I thought you were bringing them to the meeting,” Lindsey said to Magnus, keeping her tone neutral.
He shook his head, dismissing her completely as he worked on…something. He was mixing random ingredients together in a bowl, and had been quiet as he worked. He hadn’t told her to leave, however, so she was watching what he did and trying to remember everything. She’d learned at a young age that knowledge was power. She’d also learned that people only respected power and money—and that so much of the money in the world was passed down within families so the rich stayed rich.
It was why she’d married into money—to a fool who’d planned to leave her everything. Until The Fall happened.
“Should I kill the brothers, then?” she asked. If he wasn’t taking them, she hoped she got to kill Anthony and Riel. Maybe she shouldn’t feel so gleeful, but after she’d married their father they’d cut him out of their lives. Which had made her life that much more difficult.
All of her ex-husband’s attention and neediness had been directed at her. She’d married him thinking she’d get the country club life—but most of his friends had cut him out too. She’d made an error in her calculation. And the rage that lived inside her, always simmering right underneath the surface, needed an outlet. Killing Anthony and Riel would hurt Avery too.
He didn’t bother to look at her. “They are my bargaining chip. Do you really think killing them would be a wise choice?” The way he asked made it sound like he thought she was brain-dead.
She swallowed hard, fighting back her anger. “No. Just trying to understand what you’re doing.” She hated that she couldn’t manipulate Magnus. Maybe it was time to cut her losses and leave.
“You are too young and your brain is too small to understand much of anything,” he said dismissively.
Anger swelled inside her like a tsunami, but she bit down hard. She hated how much he dismissed her, how he seemed to think she and all the others he had created were beneath him. Nothing. Yet he still needed them for whatever his plan was—and he didn’t tell any of them much. So far he’d created thirty vampires who all lived at this homestead in the country with him. Thirty that she knew of anyway. And he’d had to kill a few, ones who had been stupid and killed humans, fed on them until they had no blood left to give. Fools.
She knew they were going to some cemetery with him once the sun set to face off with a bunch of dragons. He’d given her something to drink before, something that let her walk in the sunlight for a brief time, but when she’d asked him about it, he’d told her that he couldn’t create the potion for all of them. He’d simply wanted her to kidnap Avery—though Lindsey had planned to make her bleed first—and bring her back. He’d been too careful to go into the city, however, worried that others would sense his power. So he’d sent Lindsey. She’d foolishly thought it was because he’d started to trust her. Now she knew better. She wanted to leave now, before the fighting started later.
He’d told Mikael to come alone but obviously the dragon shifter wasn’t going to. That male would definitely bring his brothers. Maybe others too. She knew that much.
Lindsey didn’t even want to go at all, couldn’t see how it would be anything but a bloodbath if it came down to a bunch of dragons and young vampires. It wasn’t like she was trained or very old.
Annnndd that was when it hit her.
Maybe that was the whole point… Maybe she and all the others were merely cannon fodder. They were the front line Magnus would send ahead to slow the fighting.
Because they were all expendable to him.
Oh God, she was so stupid. How could she not have seen this before? “Should I stay behind and watch the brothers?” she asked casually.
“I have someone coming to pick them up and transport them elsewhere. Some humans will be watching them for me.” He sliced his palm and added some of his own blood to the mix of whatever that green concoction was. Then he continued stirring. Whatever was in the pot smelled like dirty socks combined with onions and gunpowder.
“Okay,” she said, biting back every ounce of emotion inside her. “Should I bring any extra weapons or anything?”
He sighed and she knew she had annoyed him at this point. “Yes. Tell everyone to gear up. Bring any weapon you think will be beneficial. We leave in ten minutes.”
She was going to gear up all right, but there was no way in hell she was going to fight a bunch of dragons and end up ash for him. He’d offered her immortality. She would have that.
And she was going to enjoy a lot more years to come. Unlike some of the other members of what she was now realizing was quickly turning into a cult, she didn’t worship him. He’d given her a gift and she wasn’t going to squander it.
She couldn’t just leave though, not when it was still daylight out. She would have to bide her time, be smart about things. No, she was going to use the cover of night and the destruction of battle to make her escape. She had no idea where she was going after this, but it certainly wasn’t going to be sticking around to die for another male who cared nothing
about her.
Chapter 30
Mikael circled above the cemetery, looking for Ozias and trying to catch his scent. His brother and Arthur and Prima were above him and would be acting as backup but he would be the one to meet with the traitorous male.
Ozias had no doubt tracked the key to New Orleans. It must be why the male was here. Mikael could hide its existence for the most part; it was spelled to look like an inert object, but it constantly put off a pulse of low-grade magic. At least now he knew it was in safe hands. And the truth was, if something happened to him and Avery needed to trade it for her brothers’ lives… So be it.
He was not like her; he would trade it for her life in a heartbeat. And he didn’t care what that said about him. He understood the concept of the greater good and for the most part he agreed with it. Except when it came to her. Avery was his greater good. Avery was everything.
The scent of Ozias, evil, ancient and putrid, drifted on the air. The male had arrived.
Keeping his camouflage in place, Mikael glided downward, scanning the cemetery.
Ten minutes ago he’d checked in with King’s people and they had spotted a cluster of vampires coming from various directions, descending on the cemetery en masse.
The place was out in the country, a rural area that looked as if it hadn’t been touched in months. The grass was wild and overgrown, and from the air he couldn’t see many indentations in the grass, so this place wasn’t well-traveled.
Which was likely why Ozias had picked it. He wouldn’t have picked somewhere in the city where all supernaturals pledged allegiance to King and his group of leaders.
It was also unlikely that the male knew Mikael was, if not friends with King, at least friendly. He didn’t think Ozias would be expecting Mikael to bring more backup than his brothers.
As he descended, it was like an invisible cloak or wall dropped, revealing ten vampires lined up behind their master, who was standing tall on a gravestone.