Vampire's Mate

by Valerie Twombly

  “We’re here.”

  She slowly moved her gaze upward, her vision filling with horror. Marcus, please hurry.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Marcus, Gabriel, and Baal headed straight into the depths of hell and now were surrounded by demons. A scream pierced his ears. To the right, a soul was tied to a blackened tree and body parts were being hacked off. He looked away. He had no sympathy for the damned. Shit happened when you bargained with the devil. Besides, it was Gabriel’s job to save those that were truly innocent, only tricked by greedy demons. His only concern was his mate.

  Gabriel produced two swords and tossed one to Marcus and the other to Baal. “Here, you will need these,” he said, producing another for himself.

  Marcus gave it a thorough inspection, noting that it held an odd gleam. “What’s it made of?”

  “It is the blade of the Xarizith and will serve you well.”

  He was impressed, the blade of ice would indeed cause severe pain to any demon. “Thanks, now lead the way.” He itched to kill something, but more important, he needed his mate, and time was something he didn’t have much of.

  The three men moved past pools of fire and lava. He tried to ignore the screaming, but it grated on his already thin nerves. His lungs burned from the sulfur that hung thick in the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted four demons approaching them.

  “We have company.”

  “Yes, they have been following us for some distance.” Gabriel turned to face him. “I will question them about the human.”

  Marcus’s lips curled into a snarl. “That human has a name, and you will address her as Cassandra.” He swore the next person to disrespect his mate would feel his wrath.

  Baal gave a snort.

  Gabriel’s face showed no emotion, just as it had since he showed up. His eyes merely darkened then he turned to face the demons. “Stop where you are. You will tell me what I wish to know.”

  The demons cackled, their forked tongues flicked out to taste the air. The largest of the four spoke first. “You do not scare us, angel.”

  Marcus sized up the other three. They stood a good foot taller than him and bore horns on their arms and legs, their skin covered in green scales and their eyes glowed red. He decided taking off their heads would prove enjoyable. He raised his sword, and in the blink of an eye, he removed the demon's head.

  “Wrong answer.” He looked at the other three. “Now, who among you cares to answer our questions and live?”

  Baal stood, sword planted in the ground and leaned on it. He looked at his nails. “The vampire here is in a foul mood. I’d play nice if I were you.”

  The other three seemed to have a change of heart. “We play nice.” They sang in unison.

  “Good. Have you seen a human female down here?” Gabriel stuck the point of his sword into the demon closest to him. The green skin burned from the ice, and the demon screamed, jumping backward. “Nooo. But we heard that there are two females making their way here.”

  Marcus moved in, his turn to poke the demon. “Where are they headed? Think carefully before you answer, demon.” He prayed for the information he desperately wanted. He had to find Cassie. He would not fail her.

  “To our massster.”

  “Who is your master?” Gabriel asked.

  “Loooord Lowan.”

  The three men looked at each other.

  “I have never heard of him,” Gabriel said.

  “I sense several more demons approaching,” Baal offered.

  “Yes, they hope to overtake us. It would seem you may get your battle after all, fang boy,” Gabriel mocked.

  Marcus gave Gabriel a mental fuck-off for reading his mind. He hadn’t blocked himself, wanted to stay open for Cassie. So far, that had proved fruitless. “I’ll take up the rear, you deal with these dick wads.” He spun around to face the threat that came up from behind. Oh shit.

  Demons came in droves, and Marcus sliced and hacked off their heads with the blade of Xarizith. When he thought their numbers dwindled, more came. “How are you faring back there, angel boy?”

  “I fare well and you?”

  “I’m managing, but how many do you suppose there are?”

  “Hundreds, I’m sure. We haven’t even seen the meanest of them yet. These are merely minions of the many lords,” Gabriel said.

  “Just fucking great, how much time do we have left?” Marcus asked, shoving the Xarizith into the black heart of a demon, slowing him down enough to whack his head off.

  “Fourteen hours, can you keep up the fight?”

  “With one arm tied behind my back.” Damn, too much time lost already. Will I ever be a good mate? Maybe if he hadn’t failed Eliza, none of them would be in this mess right now. Then again, he wouldn’t have Cassie either. He would give her up if it meant her safety, if only he could go back in time and fix his mistakes.

  “Would you die for her?” Gabriel asked.

  “For Cassie? If it meant she could live, and be safe? Without hesitation.”

  “Interesting,” Gabriel shouted back.

  Marcus sent another head rolling to the ground to reside with the hundreds of others already there. “Wouldn’t you die for a loved one?”

  “I don’t love.”

  Baal and Marcus exchanged glances.

  “So, angel, have you ever had the pleasure of a woman’s body?” Baal asked.

  “Yes, I have sex. I am a man and have desires same as any. I just have no desire to love, what’s the point?

  Warriors.

  Marcus slashed another demon's head, surprised when Argathos made contact. Have you found Cassie?

  She was able to contact me. Eliza is taking Cassie to Lord Lowan, her son.

  Marcus glanced back at Gabriel, fear etched on his face. Eliza had a son with Drayos, and the bastard now had Cassie.

  Do you know where he resides? Gabriel was the one to pose the question.

  No, but the women are in the realm where you are now. However, you’re several hours away from them yet.

  Great and there seemed to be no end in sight, the demons kept coming. The warriors were now back to back. “We need a plan,” Marcus said.

  “I agree.” Gabriel spread his enormous wings and took to the air, tossing Marcus his sword. “Give me a second.”

  “You got it,” he growled and ran into the fray, a sword in each hand, slashing and stabbing and sending demons screaming. His muscles burned. The thought of Cassie with that bitch kept him on his feet.

  “Lowan must be the son of Drayos and Eliza,” Marcus said.

  Baal danced around a demon before slicing his head off. “Half demon and half vampire. What a fucking nightmare he must be.”

  The ground crackled and hissed, the warriors found themselves surrounded by ice, demons frozen in their tracks. Marcus and Baal looked at each other, a grin curling their lips.

  Baal waved his sword in the air. “Whac-a-mole time.”

  Swiftly they moved through the demons, whacking off heads in a double-fisted action. When finally, none stood, they stopped and took a deep breath.

  “Shit, hell really has frozen over.” Marcus shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day.” He looked up at Gabriel who still hovered above. “Why the hell didn’t you do that earlier?”

  “It weakens me.”

  A ferocious roar reverberated through hell’s sky. Marcus looked up. “Holy fuck.”

  The biggest, ugliest demon he’d ever seen floated above them. Its wings were at least twenty feet and moved up and down, sending a dust cloud swirling into the air. Its two heads snapped at Gabriel, showing razor-sharp fangs.

  “Can you get that thing to land?” Gabriel looked pale, but Marcus could only assist from the ground.

  Gabriel barely got out of the way of the demon's enormous tail. The sharp horn that protruded from the end nicked his leg. “The demon is even worse on land. Better to fight him from up here.” He produced another sword, but before he could react, the d
emon whipped its tail again and managed to shred one of Gabriel’s wings, sending him spiraling to the ground. Marcus heard the shattering of bone. The angels other wing stuck out at an odd angle. The warrior of death was out of commission, it was up to Marcus and Baal to finish the beast off.

  The demon landed in front of Marcus, its two heads dripping venom on the ground and causing the ice to snap and hiss. Note to self, stay away from the venom. He raised both ice swords and prepared for battle, while Baal stood to his right.

  He gave a glance at his friend. “How do we defeat this thing?”

  “I haven’t the foggiest.”

  Marcus pursed his lips into a thin line. “It’s your realm. You’re supposed to know these things.”

  “Hey, I’ve never had to fight one until you came along.”

  Gabriel, can you hear me?

  Yes.

  How do we kill it?

  Do not attempt to remove either head, it only grows back and pisses it off more. You must puncture the heart.

  Great, where’s the bastard's heart then?

  Center of the chest.

  His gaze narrowed on the location Gabriel spoke of then he looked at Baal. “Up for some fun?”

  “We only need to watch out for two heads and a tail. Walk in the park.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Marcus caught Gabriel on his feet. A broken wing dragged behind him, but his arms waved in the air. “Over here, you slimy bastard.”

  Just the distraction they needed, now to get the timing right. The demon moved toward Gabriel, his injuries too much for the beast to resist. Yes, that’s it, a little farther.

  When the demon leaned down to devour the angel, Marcus and Baal flashed in front of him, both shoving their blades deep into the beating heart. The beast screamed as ice ran through its veins and crystals formed on the demon's crimson skin. Seconds later, it shattered into a million tiny fragments, raining snow down on their heads.

  Marcus looked back to find Gabriel lying on the ground. Quickly, Marcus moved toward the angel and dropped down beside him. “Will you heal?”

  Gabriel clenched his jaw. “Eventually. I hate it when my wings get clipped.” He tried to sit up, but Marcus pushed him back down.

  “Let me see if I can help you.” He slid his eyes shut as he placed his hands on Gabriel’s chest. His energy searched for internal injuries, and when he found none, he opened his eyes. “Roll over, I need to touch your wings.”

  Gabriel knitted his blond brows together. “No one touches my wings.”

  Baal snorted. “Sensitive fuck, ain’t he?”

  “Stop being a cry baby and roll over,” Marcus said.

  The angel obeyed. With a little help, he managed to roll onto his stomach. Marcus placed a palm on each wing. Sending white light and energy, he concentrated on mending the torn muscles and knitting together broken bones. After several minutes, he opened his eyes and admired his handiwork.

  “Can you move them?” He stepped back so Gabriel could stand.

  Gabriel lifted his wings and extended them to their full glory. He turned to Marcus and tipped his head. “Thank you, it would have taken me weeks to recover from that.”

  “Great, now can we get the hell out of here and find my mate?”

  Her gaze moved upward, the towering castle of bones seemed to go on forever. Skulls of various shapes and sizes formed an archway leading to an entry. She recognized several as being human, the rest were probably demon since many had fangs or full sets of razor-sharp teeth. She'd tried to push her fear aside this entire time, but now it knocked her over like an avalanche. There was no getting around where she was or what might happen to her.

  “My son is anxious to meet you.” Eliza’s voice snapped her out of her stupor. She pushed her shoulders back and raised her chin. She could at least give the appearance of confidence even if she had zilch.

  Eliza pushed open the over-sized, black wooden doors, revealing red marble floors. The combination of reds and burnt oranges seemed fitting considering where they were. She took one small step, trying to slow down her frantic heartbeat as she wondered what sinister being awaited her inside these hideous walls. To her surprise, Eliza turned and untied the rope. Dare she run? She looked behind her into the darkness. The only light came from the burning fires and lava rivers. She’d never make it.

  “Go ahead, run for it. You won’t get far before you’re caught. I’m sure the demons will enjoy torturing you before they return you to Lowan.”

  When Cassie turned back and looked at Eliza, Cassie noticed her lips curled around her fangs and her eyes had turned as black as the sky outside. Scary as the woman looked, Cassie decided it was probably better to take her chances here and wait for help to arrive. She stepped across the threshold then nearly jumped out of her skin when the heavy doors slammed shut behind her. She took in her surroundings. The marble floor stood out against alabaster walls and ceiling. A large mural covered the wall to her right and depicted demons in various sexual acts, as if she hadn’t seen enough already. Chandeliers of gold and crystal hung from the ceiling. Their light danced through the air like glittering diamonds. If she had been anywhere else, she might have appreciated the décor.

  Footsteps echoed on the marble, causing her to shift from one foot to the other. Her throat felt like someone had taken a meat grinder to it then forced her to swallow lighter fluid. She watched as a dark shadow moved closer until it took human form. Still too far away to see his features, but close enough to make out that he wore black pants and a black T-shirt. His exposed skin looked like human flesh.

  Okay, at least he doesn’t appear to have lizard skin.

  One booted foot in front of the other, he stepped closer, now only a few feet away. It was obvious he was built for killing, bigger than any of the other immortals she had met. His biceps so tight they looked like they would shred through his skin at any moment. She looked up when he finally stood directly in front of her. His eyes...they were... black, all black. When she looked into them, her reflection stared back at her. Quickly, she diverted her gaze but not before she noticed the thick scar that ran from his left temple, down his cheek, ending at his top lip. It made his appearance all the more sinister.

  “Welcome to your new home, Cassandra.” His baritone voice chilled her skin even though it was hot in the room.

  She raised her chin. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll decline.”

  He ran a long fingernail down her cheek and across her lips. “Oh but when I show you the pleasures I have in store for you, you will be begging me to stay.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The three warriors had been walking for what seemed like an eternity. Flashing was out of the question since they had no idea where to go exactly, or what they might encounter once they arrived at their destination. The decision was made to go it the old-fashioned way. Unfortunately, this gave Marcus too much time to think about how he'd failed Cassie. Never again. Once she was safely back home, he would bind her to him immediately. Then he would always know where she was, not to mention she would become a guardian and with that came strength. He knew Lucan had taught her some self-defense, he would further her studies. He would see to it that she could kick every warrior’s ass but good.

  “Have you any idea how much farther?” He clenched his jaw so hard he nearly snapped a fang.

  Gabriel shot him an icy look. “No.”

  “I don’t like this, where the hell are all the demons?” He knew they’d been traveling for several hours but had yet to encounter any more demons. Something didn’t feel right. “How much time do I have left?”

  “Vampire, now who is the cry baby? Are we there yet? How much farther?” Gabriel mimicked a small child using a high-pitched whine.

  Marcus stopped in his tracks and got in the angel's face. “Angel or no, I’ll rip those fucking wings right off your back.” He drove home his point by jabbing his index finger into the winged warrior’s chest.

  Gabriel produced his
Xarizith sword and wielded it over his head. “Nothing says I have to wait for you to turn to the darkness before I kill you.”

  That was all it took to push Marcus over the edge. He pulled back his right arm and let loose with all his strength. His fist made contact with the angel's left cheekbone and sent Gabriel sailing backward. Before the angel could shake off the sucker punch, Marcus was on Gabriel, assaulting the angel’s stomach, knocking the winged warrior on his ass.

  “Get up, pretty boy, and fight like a man.”

  Gabriel jumped to his feet, his black wings stretched to their full width. He leaped into the air and flew forward, giving Marcus a swift kick in the chest, sending Marcus to the ground with a heavy thud.

  “You fight dirty, angel!”

  Gabriel landed on top of Marcus and pinned his arms to the ground. “I like to win.”

  Marcus reached out and bit Gabriel in the arm. “So do I.”

  The two warriors continued to roll and punch each other for several minutes. Both were covered in blood from the various cuts received from the other. Marcus was now on top, his dagger in hand and poised at the angel's throat.

  He hesitated, something was off. “Why are we fighting, angel?”

  “Because you attacked me.”

  He pressed the blade into Gabriel’s skin until blood seeped from the wound. “Because you threatened me.” Still, something isn’t right about this. His mind felt like it was shrouded in a black fog. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “No, we are warriors on the same side. We have a mission, but what is it?”

  “I...I cannot remember.” Gabriel pressed his palms to his head as if in pain. “Get off me.”

  Marcus stood and stepped away from the angel, extending his hand to offer assistance. Gabriel accepted and allowed the vampire to help him to his feet. Both men put away their weapons and dusted themselves off.

  “I think we’re lost,” Gabriel said.

  “Are you two ladies done yet?”

  They both looked at the man who stood in front of them, arms crossed over his chest.