Chapter 7
Guardian Compound, Earth Realm
Uri stood before Drake, barely keeping a mental hold on Havoc. He owed Gregoire for the warning about Havoc remembering dragon scent. Even in Uri’s energy-weakened state, he’d managed to keep the animal from attacking Drake as they stepped into the dragon’s office.
“You controlled him, and I don’t feel evil from the bastard, but I’m still not fucking happy,” Drake ground out.
His massive leader eyed the beast with flashing emerald eyes. The seven-foot-tall dragon son of Aphrodite was still fuming as he said, “I still can’t fucking believe you brought a hellhound into the human Realm… And you will have your ass-kicking as soon as you’ve rested up. You look like shit.” Drake pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’s your responsibility. Make sure he’s not a fucking menace. Now, what’d you get from the prisoner?”
Uri rolled his neck. Memory extraction on asshole possessed always made Uri sick, if not the memories themselves, then the tainted taste of their blood. He wished there was a better option, but if he used touch, the asshole demons fought off the mental invasion to the point of nearly destroying their human host’s mind. It was in no way worth the mountainous headache he’d get. So blood memories it was, no matter how much he hated it.
Being the only Aletheia within the Guardian ranks sucked at times like these. No fucked-up pun intended.
At least the Guardian curse was only for pain, not discomfort. They were safe with paper cuts, injections, smacks to the back of the head… and the quick strike of fangs to a wrist.
“Nothing useful. I couldn’t find anything in his memories about seeing the syringe. He’d just joined the others about an hour before coming to find me. Eyebrow Ring seemed to know where to go, but no one told Tank Top anything.” Tank Top had only been possessed a day or so ago, but his memories were sick as shit. The human was just as bad as the demon. The images of what the bastard liked to do to kids nearly made Uri lose the contents of his stomach. Then the rage hit until he was nearly vibrating with it. He’d come close to killing the bastard and dealing with the consequences.
Exhaustion was setting in as he added, “I let Havoc feed from him… the piece of shit is dead, which was more than deserved. But someone will need to do cleanup in holding, and I’m too damn tired to deal with it.”
“Fine. Take that hound to Sirena for her to check him out before you go.”
Uri didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly turned and commanded the animal out into the hallway.
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at Havoc. The pup was sniffing under every door they passed, tail held high.
His mouth quirked as he remembered Tank Top’s screams when Uri had brought in Havoc and let the beast have at him.
The agonized screams of the possessed and the demon both, though piercing, had been sweet music to Uri’s soul. Then, too soon, the possessed died and the demon’s essence was released back to Hell.
As wound up and energized as Havoc was after he’d fed, Uri was amazed he’d been able to keep a mental hold on him in Drake’s office.
After going into battle together, added with what happened in holding, Havoc had cemented himself in Uri’s life. The animal was under his protection now.
Uri and Havoc finally made it to Sirena’s wing, and at his knock came a melodic, “Enter.”
Sirena’s office housed too much monster movie memorabilia for any one space; the black furniture and shelves were covered in slasher movie masks, like the Freddie Krueger with claws showcased in glass.
“One second, I just have to finish this.” She was frantically clicking at the keyboard and didn’t even glance up as he entered with Havoc at his heels.
“I just want to get the last notes on my research.” She favored a very fifties appearance nowadays, sometimes innocent, other times not. Today she wore horn-rimmed glasses, even though her sight was perfect. They suited her delicate features and bright violet eyes, and brought to mind sexy librarian thoughts.
As beautiful as the three female Guardians were, he couldn’t help but think of them as siblings. They had all been through too much, seen too much together, most having lived through Apollo’s breeding labs. Back then they’d acted more like the animals they had been treated like for so long.
All their bonds had solidified after becoming Guardians. Their telepathic links alone made them a family of sorts. Those links and their shared duties bound them closer than any blood.
But some scars of the past ran deeper than others.
Sirena might be lethal, as much a warrior as the rest of them, but her ability to find mates and do all the science/doctor crap proved the most beneficial to the Immortal races as a whole. Her calling gave her a stronger purpose, but that meant she worked nearly as much as Drake.
She was born of a rare Siren mother, and her abilities with a body’s cells, being able to morph them, made her brutal in combat. It also made her incomparable in detecting the DNA markers of elemental Mageia to see which ones were potentially compatible mates for an Immortal.
For centuries she’d been luring Mageias from Earth to Tetartos. Going to that Realm was a one-way ticket for any being except a Guardian, which meant Tetartos now had fairly large covens, some with centuries-old family lines.
Finally, the frantic typing stopped. He slowly rotated his neck. Damn, he was beat.
“Is this Havoc? Oh, what a beautiful little boy you are.” She looked over the desk, with glittering violet eyes framed by golden brows. Her cooing had Uri shaking his head. She could apparently use that Siren’s voice to sway any being, and it looked like hellhounds weren’t immune.
Havoc wagged his bobtail along with most of his back end, and his ears lowered back as he wiggled toward Sirena. She came out from behind the desk, and he began rubbing his whole body against her leg.
He’d never seen the animal act like this. It was honestly… fucking embarrassing. She kept speaking to Havoc in the same tone. It was ridiculous. She was making his hellhound a total pussy. It was obvious the beast would be thrilled to be with Sirena while he recharged.
He was too damned depleted. He sent the animal thoughts that he’d be leaving, but would be back.
Behave, he sent through their bond before watching Havoc cock his head before turning back to nudge Sirena’s hand so that she would pet him.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I’ve got to recharge and hit the house for a damned shower. Drake said you’d want to do tests on Havoc. Just call if you need me.”
“We’ll be fine. I’ll lull him to sleep for some of the more invasive tests. I can’t wait! He’s amazing… and you’re right. I don’t get any evil from him,” she said, practically beaming with excitement.
Uri sighed at her exuberance and then hauled his exhausted ass out of there. As he headed down the hall, the hair on his neck prickled.
Gods, he hoped he could at least get refueled before whatever was coming next.