Chapter Twenty-Eight

 

Malachi and his group fell through the portal. He had no idea where they were, only that it had taken them the better part of an hour to collect enough people to mount a successful rescue attempt. He didn’t know where they were going, or who they would be up against, but he hadn’t cared. Fingers of terror tried to push through his forced calm. He didn’t it. It felt as though the universe was telling him his time was running out.

Looking around, he saw they’d been deposited in front of a large mansion. The windows were ablaze with light. It was an estate, he surmised as he took in the outbuildings.

“Any idea where we are?” he asked his group.

“Looks like Connecticut, t-frére,” Fallon murmured as he rubbed a hand over his short hair.

Izzy sighed at the incubus, then wiped a hand over her chin. “Me want,” she cooed, earning herself a jab in the ribs from Saga.

Malachi ignored their antics. “Is she in there?” he asked Shikoba.

His female’s sister closed her eyes, concentrating on the retractable sword that had become their divining tool. “Yes, she’s inside somewhere.”

Malachi’s eyes touched on each one of the people with him. “I don’t know whose house this is, or what we can expect inside. I won’t ask any of you to come with me. This is my mission, my mate I’m going after. It has nothing to do with Council, or glory.”

Saga rolled her eyes. “Will you be quiet already? I’m ready to kick some ass!”

A chorus of “huzzahs” followed her statement. Malachi found himself grinning fiercely at the ones following him. “I’ll never forget this.” When Izzy rolled her hand at him, telling him to talk faster, he laughed. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

They oozed across the lawn, a dozen Veilerians and one little Shadow Fairy. The front door was unlocked; there was no ward on the house. Malachi found it strange, but wasn’t about to question their luck.

Using hand signals, he separated the group in the foyer. The first half slipped off to the right, while he took his group to the left. The house was definitely museum quality, judging by the furniture and portraits on the walls. Who lived here? he wondered as they swept the bottom floor.

They found no one until they entered the back of the house. Chattering voices behind one of the doors had him squeezing against the wall. The smell of food wafted through the crack under the door. They’d found the kitchen and it was probably filled with the cooking staff.

He shook his head at Shikoba, pointing to the small cupboard across from the kitchen door. She glared at him, but hid as he silently commanded. Once she was hidden away, he nodded to the rest.

Throwing open the door, his fighters swarmed into the room. Six imps were preparing what looked like a feast. They all screeched when the door flew open, dropping everything in their hands once they saw Malachi’s menacing group.

His warriors quickly tied up the staff. Malachi was lucky enough to have a warmage in his group. The mage cast a spell over the subdued servants, sending them into a deep sleep.

A soft whistle came from the corridor. Recognizing it as Saga’s, he signaled back for her to enter.

The Amazon sauntered in, counting the six imps in custody. She smirked. “We got eight,” she boasted softly.

Rolling his eyes, Malachi stood up from his crouch. “The first floor is secure?”

She nodded. “As secure as a dryad in a tr-″

A gunshot cut off her words.

Ice cold fear gripped him. His heart stopped, his breath hitched in his chest. Lani! He wasn’t sure if he roared the words, or if he screamed them in his mind, but he was out of the kitchen and racing for the stairs before the echo from the shot fell silent.

*****

Lani grunted as the gun was knocked out of her hand. Luther moved so quickly she’d barely gotten the shot off before he was on her. Whirling, she planted her foot in his stomach.

He staggered, but didn’t back off. He swung one large hand, catching her across the face. Lani flew back into the wall, bouncing off with a shrill cry. Bloodlust roared through her body, demanding appeasement. She launched herself at Luther in a flurry of punches and kicks.

He hissed as she crushed his nose with an upward jab, but retaliated with another punishing blow to her jaw. She shook her head to clear the stars just in time to duck the backswing aimed for her temple. Her only advantage was her size and speed, as Luther had her on strength and reach. Using that to her benefit, she swooped in to rain blows on his torso.

Kicking out with all her strength, she slammed her heel into his knee. A loud crunch and his scream of pain was her reward. She wasn’t given a chance to enjoy it, as he swung out with a crushing blow to her chin.

She had a sensation of flying, before she hit the ground. Groaning, she struggled to her knees. Peering out of swollen eyes, she saw Luther was crawling towards her, hatred and retribution written all over his face.

“I’m going to kill you,” he hissed, spittle flying out of his mouth. “I would have laid the world at your feet, Shade. All you had to do was submit to me, but you didn’t. Now you’re going to be begging me for death by the time I’m finished with you, you little bitch!”

Groping for the wall, Lani stood. Blood pounded through her ears. Her eyesight was blurry, her breathing labored, but she wasn’t ready to give in. She’d fight until she died if she had to.

She palmed one of her knives. He swept his good leg at her feet, knocking them together. She tumbled to the ground and before she caught her breath, he was on her.

Large, brutal hands latched onto her throat, squeezing. She gasped, fighting for breath, but her hands were busy. She stabbed him, slashed him over and over again until they were both coated in his blood, but Luther seemed not to feel her pathetic attempts to save herself.

“We’re going to die together, my sweet,” he breathed into her face, an almost peaceful look in his eyes. “Forever. You and I.”

Lani wanted to scream that she’d rather burn in every circle of the nine Hells, but she had no breath left. Spots danced in front of her eyes, lending her death at Luther’s hands an otherworldly appearance. She stabbed him again, wringing a grunt from his mouth as her knife found a sensitive spot.

Sudden peace filled her, curling her lips as she drifted into the darkness. This time though, she wasn’t afraid of it. She’d fulfilled her promise to avenge herself and protect her sister.

A loud boom echoed around the room and the bruising pressure on her neck relaxed, though she still suffocated as a heavy weight crushed her chest. She cracked her eyes open.

The black spots faded, to be replaced by a face she loved. Malachi stood over her, his lips moving. A nimbus of light seemed to surround him. She smiled up at him. He was here, she thought with a weary sigh. He was safe.

Malachi screamed at Lani to wake up. He’d thrown bastard off her, not caring about anything but getting to his female. She was covered in blood and bruises. Her face was void of all color beneath the mask of blood she wore.

“Gods, Lani!” he shouted again, checking her over for life threatening wounds. Finding none, he cradled her in his arms. “Baby, please wake up, please.” He pleaded with her, stroking his hands over her hair.

If he hadn’t paused to order Saga and the others to watch the first floor, he would’ve been here in time. Instead, he’d walked in just as she was being choked to death.

His first step had encountered a gun, a Dämon-Fluch, with one shot remaining. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he’d aimed the gun at the bastard’s head, pulling the trigger. The resulting blast had left a lot of gore, but more importantly, a very dead demon lord. Now he just needed to get his female to breathe.

“Move, Malachi,” Saga said in her sternest, most commanding voice.

Without realizing, he obeyed, settling Lani on the floor with great gentleness. Saga bent over her, taking her vitals.

Shuffling feet brought his head around. His group stood in the doorway, looking worried and uneasy. “Is the first floor secure?” he asked for lack of anything else to say.

Izzy nodded, her eyes still on Lani. “Locked tight.”

“She’ll make it,” Saga said in a calm voice. “She got the shit beat out of her, but she’ll recover.” She looked at the demon. “Who the fuck is that?”

Malachi took Lani’s hand in his. It was so cold. He began to gently chafe the skin, trying to warm her up. “I think that’s Luther,” he admitted.

They heard someone running down the hall. It was one of the GE’s. “There’s someone coming,” the male said in great gasps. “I saw them on the drive.”

Malachi swore, looking down at his female. “How many?”

The male gulped for air. “At least fifty.”

“We can’t fight them,” he said almost sadly.

Deciding quickly, he gathered Lani into his arms. “Get everyone together, we’re leaving now.”

He walked from the room, his love a light burden in his arms. She stirred slightly. “Burn…” she moaned.

“Sh, love. I’m taking you home, don’t worry,” he soothed her even as he carried her to the highest point of the house.

“No,” she croaked, her voice ruined from those hands around her throat. “Burn. House.”

Surprise made him nearly stumble. “What?”

“Prison. Burn. It.”

He paused. Had this been her prison? “Someone feel like going pyro? My mate wants to burn this place down,” he added with a wide grin. He’d destroy it gladly.

“What about the captives?” Izzy asked.

Malachi cursed. “I’ll release them.” He ran a hand through his hair, thinking furiously. “The mage stays here, call the portal and get everyone out,” he ordered.

Reluctantly, he handed Lani over to Saga. Shikoba stood next to the Amazon, her eyes wide. “Take care of her if I don’t come back. Swear to me,” he told the fairy in a low, urgent voice. “Tell her I love her.”

Shikoba nodded jerkily, her gaze drifting between him and Lani.

Straightening his shoulders, Malachi looked at the two warmages in the group. “Which one of you is coming with me?”

Izzy bounced on the balls of her feet looking like an overgrown puppy on crack. “I have a lighter and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“A lighter?” Malachi asked skeptically.

Reaching in one of the bags she carried, she pulled out a flamethrower. “Yeah, I couldn’t pack the big one cause Miss Prissy Ass, Saga, here didn’t want to carry it. This should do the job though,” she said with a big grin.

“Let’s get to it.” He stood back to let Izzy pass. He looked back at Lani in Saga’s arms. Her eyes were half-open, glittering at him from across the attic space. He looked up to meet Saga’s eyes. “Get her out of here. We’ll get out another way.”

With one last look at Lani, Malachi swung around, heading for the lower levels of the house. He’d honor Lani’s request, and hopefully make it out before the force coming up the drive made it to the house.

He raced downstairs, his heart leaping to his throat. The servants they’d rounded up when they raided the house were tied together. He probably had Saga to thank for that. She tended to think ahead when others were falling apart around her. The group of servants were awake, their eyes frantic and fearful.

“Get the hell out of here, we’re torching the place,” he growled as he cut the last line.

The imps, too scared to ask after their master, tore out of the house as fast as they could. Malachi looked around. He didn’t want to leave anyone here to die in the blaze.

Izzy met him in the foyer, looking like some kind of whacked out mishmash of Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 and Hannibal from The A-Team, complete with a fat cigar dangling from her mouth which she spoke around. The flamethrower was strapped to her back and she held the gun in an easy grip.

“It’s just us and that big ass army coming up the road,” she chirped with a bright smile.

“What?” Malachi shouted.

Peering through one of the curtains, Malachi felt the blood drain away from his own face as he saw the leader of the incoming forces.             

It had been nearly three hundred years since he’d last seen his mentor, but there was no mistaking the male he’d nearly worshipped. Steele still had the bearing of a king, though his face was more deeply lined than it had been. His shock of white hair swayed over his head in a merry dance as the wind whipped around him and his men.

The emblem on Steele’s tunic caught Malachi’s gaze. It was a red hawk on a field of white. In the hawk’s claws was a small veil. It was an emblem he’d seen many times before when he’d received correspondence from the higher ranking officials in the Eturian army.

He’d known, he’d seen the paper evidence, but it was nothing compared to seeing his mentor in the flesh. Malachi’s fingers dug into the wood casing around the window. He wanted to run out there and rip Steele’s throat out with his bare hands.

“Can I burn it now?” Izzy whined.

Malachi whirled around. “Start the fucking fire here, and get upstairs!”

Izzy bounced and pulled the trigger on the thrower. She wiggled her hips and sang, “The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire! We don’t need no water, let the motherfucker burn, burn motherfucker, burn!” She moved around the first floor like a gardener watering plants instead of a half-crazy Amazon burning down a house.

Malachi started through the back of the house with Izzy on his heels. Steele was a fire elemental and could contain this fire if he got here in time. Pausing in the kitchen, Malachi waited for Izzy to run past.

The fire was crackling merrily in the rest of the house. They didn’t have much time before it reached the kitchen, so he pushed Izzy out the door and flipped on gas stove before he ran for it.

He was just at the back door when the explosion threw him forward into the courtyard, his body engulfed in pain. Izzy grunted as he landed on top of her, their limbs tangled as heat roared over their heads.

“Oh God, Rosetta is going to kill me for not letting her do this,” Izzy moaned as she heaved Malachi off of her. “She’s been trying to figure out ways to get you on top of her for years.”

Coughing with tears streaming down his eyes, Malachi wanted to tell her to shut up, but couldn’t find the breath. Smoke scorched his lungs and throat while his diaphragm ached from where he’d slammed into her pointy elbow.

Sprawled on his back with the fire lighting the night sky, he fought the urge to pass out. They needed to get away from the smoke and the heat, but mostly he and Izzy needed to be out of sight before Steele and his army showed up. And they would do that, just as soon as he got his breath back.

“C’mon,” Izzy grunted, getting to her feet. She swayed. “I wish the girls could’ve seen that, well except for the part where I burned on my ass on the fucking flamethrower.” Leaning over, she grabbed one of Malachi’s hands pulling him up until he was sitting. “Why don’t they show how much that shit hurts in the movies?” she continued to complain as she struggled to get him to his feet.

Her arms came around his back and that’s when the real pain hit. His back was burned, her touch causing what little air he had left to hiss from his mouth.

“Ew, that’s not good,” she mused as she moved her hands to his waist. “Your back feels like barbecued hamburger. You want me to carry you?”

Malachi glared at her. “Let. Me. Catch. Breath.”

“Okay, sure, we’ll just sit here and wait for those other guys to show up. I don’t think they’ll mind that we blew up one of their generals’ houses or anything,” Izzy told him, her voice like a whip. “We don’t have time for you to be manly. You have to preserve some energy to call a portal, remember?”

He hated it. Gods knew, he hated having to lean on anyone and it would kill him to be seen as weak, but in this moment Izzy was right.

She must’ve seen his reluctant agreement because she hefted him over her shoulders in a fireman’s carry. Malachi groaned as the burns across his back and legs stretched at the move, but she didn’t pause. They were off, heading away from the fire, towards cleaner, fresher air.

Gulping air, he felt some of the fatigue pass as he became more aware of his surroundings. He could hear the fire roaring in the distance along with the shouts of Steele’s people. It would only be a matter of minutes before the Overlord had the fire out and his men scouring the countryside for the culprits. They needed to get out of here, now.

Izzy obviously realized the same because she stopped as soon as they hit thicket of trees and bushes on the edge of Luther’s property. She let him slip off her shoulders, panting from carrying his weight. Malachi wanted to apologize for being weak back there, but from the lively look in her eyes, she was having the time of her life.

Turning away from the insane Amazon, he checked the progress of the fire. He’d promised Lani he’d burn the house down and the flames were greedily licking through the manse, but as he watched they died. Steele.

He wanted to confront his former mentor, the true traitor of The Veil, but that was suicide. He had confirmation of Steele’s connection to the Eturians now. He was an eye witness. That would have to do, both for his redemption and to help the Council put a plan into motion.

Closing his eyes, he searched the last dregs of his strength for enough power to call a portal. He pushed the power outwards and the portal glowed weakly.

“I won’t be able to control us inside,” he warned Izzy as he stumbled to it.

She grinned back at him. “Good! It feels like a rollercoaster and they won’t let me back in Six Flags,” she shouted as they fell into the whirlpool of power.