~ EIGHT ~

Demetri watched Jax and Rowdy closely. They were actually pretty damn good at fitting in with a group of local rogue wolves. The tainted vampires kept their distance. Mary didn’t even seem to notice them.

When Zack Savage entered the club, Demetri knew Emily was in trouble. She was the only reason he would show up.

What’s going on, Zack?

 I tracked Emily to the backdoor. Is she in here?

No. I haven’t seen her for a few days. Demetri tried to reach for her, merge with her, but something powerful was preventing him from connecting with her.

While Rowdy observed from a distance, Jax moved closer to Demetri as if letting him know he had his back. Realizing Zack was also aware of Jax’s intention, Demetri motioned for the wolf to stand down. Zack could easily, quickly kill a wolf.

Zack walked toward Demetri. “Where is Emily?”

Demetri looked at the tainted vampires surrounding Zack. “You’re all idiots. You know damn well you’re picking a fight you cannot win.”

One extremely ignorant vampire named Al, stood in front of Zack and laughed. “It’s about time the backstabbing whore gets what’s coming to her.”

Since the little puke wasn’t even close to a worthy opponent, Zack didn’t take his gaze from Demetri as he snapped the creatures neck and incinerated its remains with a wave of his hand. The rest of the vampires backed away, snarling and hissing, but none dared to make any attempt to attack Zack.

“You know it’s not unusual for her to go off on her own for short periods.” Demetri took a few steps toward him.

“She’s in trouble, and I can’t figure out where the hell she is.”

Another vampire turned to Demetri. “Mary will be mad as hell of you allow him to come in here and cause trouble.”

“Well then,” Demetri replied, “throw him out on his ass.”

“But…”

“Do it, now,” Demetri commanded, using a powerful compulsion to force his obedience.

The vampire burst into flames when it lunged for Zack.  “Damn it, Demetri. No games. Not now.”

Maintaining a non-threatening stance, Demetri shook his head and frowned. “I don’t blame you for dispatching either of the maggots, but they might’ve known something. Let me handle them.”

When Demetri looked away from him to focus on the vampires, Zack charged him, knocking him off his feet, the impact of their bodies colliding together was powerful enough to break their bones and send them tumbling in opposite directions.

Zack got to his feet. “One last time, Demetri, where the fuck is she?”

“Do you want to waste time fighting or do you want to find her?” Demetri lifted his lip, baring his teeth. “I would love to hand your ass to you right now, but I can’t do that and figure out what the fuck is going on. You decide, Zack. But I warn you, with her life in jeopardy, I will end it quickly.”

Zack nodded, agreeing to a truce, but Demetri knew it wouldn’t last. For the moment, he was Zack’s best chance of finding her. He also knew her unwillingness to rely on him had been pure torture for Zack. Her willingness to turn to him rather than him enraged Zack.

Demetri started to walk around and study the vampires. He went from one area to the next, searching for a clue as to which one knew something. “Where is Emily?” Every single vampire stared at him, but none answered. “Damnit, you all know that I really hate having to touch you.” Reaching out with blurring speed, he grabbed one by the throat and lifted it a few feet. “What do you know?”

“I…I…” Thrashing wildly, the vampire tried to pry Demetri’s hand from his throat.

He dropped him. “Where?”

“I don’t know.” He tried to scoot away.

Demetri knelt and gripped the vampire’s head between his palms. “Is that your final answer?”

“I don’t know anything.”

“That’s too bad for you.” He squeezed the vampire’s head until he crushed its skull. Standing upright, he lifted and looked at his hands, covered in blood and brain matter. “Damn this shit stinks.”

He turned his attention to his next victim, pinning the vampire with nothing more than his stare. “What about you? Do you have any meaningful information to share with me?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

Trembling in fear, the vampire dropped to his knees and nodded.

Looking down at him, Demetri shrugged. “You know I’m going to have to end your miserable existence now, right?”

“I don’t know anything?”

“Yes,” Demetri nodded. “I know. We’ve established that already.” He tossed a table over and broke a leg off it and shoved it through the top of the vampire’s head all the way through his body.

“Stop it!” Mary entered the club.

“They’re going to take turns dying until one decides to speak up.” Demetri took hold of another vampire and slammed his head against the floor. “Talk.”

“Screw you,” the vampire hissed.

He punched his fist through the vampire’s chest, grabbed his heart, ripped the tainted organ out and shoved it down his throat.

“We’re not going through this again. I’m tired of you tearing up my club, Demetri. If your precious little girl is hurt, it’s because you failed to keep track of her.” Mary walked up from behind to stand at Demetri’s side.

Demetri ripped the head from another vampire. “What did you do?” he growled, turning to face her.

“Me? I didn’t do a damn thing.”

“She’s off limits.”

“You know better than anyone that nothing, no one is off limits to me.”

Demetri felt Emily reach out to him, but the connection was faint. I have her. We need to go now. He shared the image of a field near an abandoned factory with Zack.

****

Once they were outside the club, Demetri grabbed Zack’s arm. “No matter what happens don’t try to shift to her. You won’t make it. She is surrounded by a web of spells designed to hide her.”

Fear. Rage. Absolute terror was driving him insane. Zack’s first urge would’ve been to shift to her if he knew where the hell to go, but he knew Demetri was right.

 Side by side, Demetri and Zack took to the sky. Lightning exploded all around them, violently crisscrossing the sky, as they simultaneously shifted into their dragon forms. He expanded his mind to reach hers, but he couldn’t penetrate the barrier used by another demon to hide her.

Can you see her? Can you see what the hell is going on, Demetri?

No. She sent the image of the field to me because she knew I would recognize the location. The other demon is powerful. Just stay with me. When we get to them, get her as far away from the area as possible and I’ll deal with him.

They traveled several miles at an incredible speed, ripping the atmosphere apart, fueling a massive storm. The instant they reached the field, they dove together, their bodies crumbling the ground, creating a crater.

“Get her!” Demetri charged the other demon.

Zack went to Emily and held his hand out to her. “Let’s go, Emily. We need to get out of here.”

“No!” She screamed, pointing at something behind him. “He’s killing Demetri!”

When Zack turned, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Demetri was on his knees, struggling to get to his feet. It was clear by the wounds covering his entire body that he was already gravely injured. He didn’t stand a chance. He looked at Emily, deciding to grab her and go.

“No.” She bared her teeth, her eyes glowing. “We can’t let him die.”

She turned to run, but he caught her arm. “Stay here. If you try to get near the other demon, I will drag you away and leave Demetri to die. And I don’t give a damn if you ever forgive me.”

“I’ll stay back.” She nodded. “Go.”

Zack turned away from her and, using preternatural speed, rushed toward the other demon. He slammed into him hard. They tumbled together. By the time they stopped, Zack had the bastard on his back. He wrapped his hands around his throat and squeezed with all his strength.

Demetri got to his feet. Damn it, Zack. What the hell is your problem? Leave me to deal with him and get Emily the hell out of here.

The other demon managed to get free and shoved Zack away from him. Fuck off, Demetri. You know damn well she’ll never forgive me if I let you die.

Blood pouring from his chest, Demetri dropped to his knees. She’ll die if you don’t leave. You can’t defeat him. He will kill you, and then he will kill her.

I don’t plan to let the son of a bitch get the best of me. Zack charged, reaching for the most savage side of him, knowing he had to win or Emily would die. The other demon vanished, shifting away before Zack reached him. “Damn it.”

****

Emily sprinted across the field to Demetri and dropped to her knees. “Oh, god, Demetri. You’re bleeding bad. What can I do to help you?”

“I’m okay.” Clenching his jaw, he got from his knees to his feet. He wanted to get her away from the area before the rogue demon returned. “I want you to go with Zack.” She got under his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist as if she could support his weight.

“Forget it. I’m not leaving you here. He’ll kill you if he comes back.”

“It’s okay, I am not staying here. You need to leave with Zack.”

“No,” she protested. “Let me help you.” She looked at Zack. “Tell him that we can help him.”

“You will be helping me if you leave with Zack.”

“If you need help, you’ll let me know, right?” Zack said in an effort to ease Emily’s fear.

“He needs help now. Can’t you heal him?”

Demetri shook his head. “It looks worse than it is, Emily. I will be fine.” He looked at Zack. “I will let you know if I run into any more trouble.” He knew Zack didn’t want anything to do with helping him. “Thank you, Zack.”

“I love you, Demetri.” Emily wrapped both arms around Demetri and hugged him. “Be safe.”

“I will. Stay close to Zack.” Demetri knew Zack hated the fact that she would listen to him, but he didn’t care. He wanted to make sure she stayed with Zack. “The demon who came after you today is very dangerous.”

Demetri watched them shift away together. He stayed for a few minutes, making sure no trace of their path was left for the rogue demon to follow. Using the last bit of his strength he shifted.

He needed to let Adam Vlacic know he was dealing with a demon more powerful than he’d ever encountered. He shifted to Mia’s Boutique, knowing Joseph would show up. He materialized, dropping to his knees in the back alley behind the building.

Within a matter of seconds, Mia opened the back door and closed it behind her. “What are you doing here?”

He got to his feet. Her eyes widened, as she reached for him. “You’re bleeding.”

He held his hand up and took a step back to prevent her from touching him. “I’m fine. Don’t get to close. I’m too weak to protect myself from Joseph right now.”

“What happened?”

“I got my ass handed to me. I need to talk to Joseph.”

“Showing up here is a great way to get his attention. Are you going to tell me what happened?”

“Not out here.”

Mia nodded, indicating that she understood he wanted to ensure they weren’t overheard. “I am sure you already know Joseph is on his way. I can’t invite you in until he gets here.”

“Can’t? I thought Joseph would never get you properly trained. When did you learn to listen and obey? Lately I miss all the good things.”

“You were more interesting when you just forced your way inside.”

He smiled, knowing she was inviting him to do it. “The last time took its toll on me. Joseph’s safeguards are surprisingly impressive for such a young demon. I’m in bad shape.”

“For a second, I thought you were being respectful.”

“Me?” Demetri leaned against the dumpster to keep from falling. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“I really hate to disappoint you, but I don’t have a bad opinion of you anymore.” She frowned. “Why haven’t you healed yourself?”

“It’s a bit worse than it looks.”

“I’m not going to lie, it looks really damn bad. Do you want to sit down?”

“At this point, I would not be able to get back up.” The ground rumbled, lightning lit up the sky, and thunder echoed in the distance. “It looks like Joseph is pissed off.

“You look different.”

Demetri laughed. “It probably has something to do with blood loss.”

“It’s more.”

“I am just tired.” He was shocked by his confession.

“Don’t give up. I know it doesn’t change anything, but I am truly sorry, Demetri. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I would do anything to help you.”

“I know. And I won’t. She’s alive. I can’t abandon her. Thank you, Mia.”

Joseph materialized between Demetri and Mia. “You know damn well I don’t want you showing up here.”

“I know.” Demetri struggled to remain upright. “I…”

“I don’t want to hear excuses from you. I want you to get the hell away from here.”

“Knock it off.” Mia grabbed Joseph’s arm. “Stop it. He’s injured. It’s bad. He didn’t come here looking for a fight. Something is wrong. He needs help. He needs to talk to us.”

“I don’t care why he’s here.” He turned to Demetri. “You need to leave.”

“Stop it.  Let him come inside. He needs to talk to us.”

“About?” Joseph glared at Demetri.

“Not out here.”

“You aren’t stepping foot in this place.”

“Let him come in,” Mia said.

“No. I would have to remove the safeguards keeping his ass out. I won’t do it.”

“He’s right. He’s protecting you.” Demetri turned to leave but he stumbled and fell to his knees.

“Help him.”

“I’m fine,” Demetri said, as he stood up and turned to face them.

“What the hell happen to you?” Joseph managed to get his arm around Demetri before he fell again.

“I ran into a sharp object.”

“You have more than one wound,” Mia pointed out.

“I ran into several sharp objects. I am a very clumsy slow learner.”

Mia opened the door. “Help him inside.”

Joseph easily managed to keep Demetri from ending up on the ground as they walked. “No fucking around once you’re inside.”

Mia jabbed Joseph. “Don’t say fucking. You know I don’t like it.”

Joseph help Demetri sit on a crate. “You might as well let me take a look at your wounds.” With a wave of his hand, Joseph removed Demetri’s shirt.

Mia gasped. “How the hell is he still breathing?”

“Beats the hell out of me.” Joseph began to impart healing energy into him. “This is bad. What the hell happened to you?”

“Is it fully secure in here?” Demetri asked.

“You know it is.”

“What do you know about Overlords?” Demetri asked.

“We killed them off a thousand years ago.”

“Apparently not since I just had my ass kicked by one.”

“No.”

“They are Evolved. Adam’s mate is in serious danger. I am pretty damn sure I just encountered their leader.”

“The one who believes he’s a god.”

“Not a god. He believes he is God.”

“It can’t be Erebus, can it? You killed him.”

“Me?” Demetri shook his head. “It took ten of us to kill him. We lost one.”

“Your twin.”

“Caspian sacrificed his life to save our asses.”

“I sure as hell hope it wasn’t Erebus.”

“Who’s Erebus?” Mia interrupted. “Is he a demon?”

“Yes.” Joseph nodded.

Demetri looked at her. “He’s a thirty-thousand-year-old blood thirsty psychopath with limitless power.”

“What do you think, Demetri? Was it Erebus?” Joseph asked.

 “I’m not sure. He was able to hide his identity from me, but I know he was an Overlord.”

“You’re sure?”

“How the hell else do you think I ended up like this? I should’ve recognized something. He was too good at hiding himself. I know I’ve encountered him before. I should have recognized something other than he kicked my ass.”

“How did you run across him?” Joseph asked.

“He decided to go after Emily.” Demetri glanced at Mia. “She’s fine. She’s with Zack. The damn girl wouldn’t leave with Zack when I had him focused on me. She forced Zack to save my ass.”

“I bet that made Zack happy,” Joseph laughed.

“Not at all.” 

“Your shoulder is out of place.” Joseph lifted Demetri’s left arm and, very painfully, manipulated and yanked it back into place. “He has a blood bond with Adam’s mate.”

“Does Adam know?” Demetri asked.

Joseph nodded. “He encountered him through her.”

“I knew Adam encountered him, but I didn’t know it was through her. He didn’t tell me about her having a blood bond with the demon. She’s in terrible danger. Anyone around her is in danger. I can’t believe I wasn’t able to positively identify him.”

“He was able to mask his identity from Adam as well. Adam was focused on Hanna and you were focused on making sure Emily didn’t get killed. Show me. Maybe I’ll be able to recognize him.”

Demetri tried to share the encounter with Joseph, but a spell shielded the memory.

“Where and when?”

“Thirty minutes ago, and just over ten miles south from here.”

“I’ll check it out.” Joseph’s image shimmered and disappeared.

Demetri looked at Mia. “He fell for my evil plan to get you alone in here.”

She laughed. “Finally, I get the old Demetri back. You know it would be tons of fun to scare the hell out of him.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“We could play a little hide and seek with him.”

****

Joseph dropped straight into a black void. He didn’t see anything. He couldn’t even detect the slightest trace of magic. He shifted back to the boutique right behind Mia.

“He’s behind me, isn’t he?” she asked.

Demetri nodded. “Sorry.”

“We’ll get him next time.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Joseph said.

Mia frowned. “You’re no fun.”

“Don’t you remember how rude he has been to you in the past?”

“Stop trying to stir up trouble. Did you figure anything out?” she asked.

“I ended up in a void.”

Joseph looked at Demetri. “If he is interested in Emily we could use her to draw him out.”

“No,” Demetri said. “Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous. You wouldn’t use Mia as bait. No demon with any honor would ever dangle a woman in front of this demon.”

“Not even to find Sara?” Joseph asked.

Demetri glared at Joseph. “If I risk Emily’s life to save Sara, I wouldn’t deserve to breathe the same air Sara breathes. She would hate me.”

“You don’t really want him to use Emily to catch the other demon.” Mia shook his head. “What are you trying to do?”

 “I have made many mistakes in the past. Before I met Sara, I would’ve risk another’s life to get what I wanted.” Demetri stood up. “I can’t be as I was before I met Sara. I am sure having Mia by your side has altered your way of thinking in certain matters.”

Joseph crossed his arms over his chest. “I know what I would do to get her back if I lost her.”

Demetri nodded. “I left Emily with Zack. He’ll stick close to her. He knows the demon will likely come after her again without us dangling her in front of him.”

“Is she doing okay?” Mia asked.

Demetri faced Mia. “She’s doing better every day. She’s still confused.”

“I know she wouldn’t have made it if you hadn’t stepped in to help her. She’s lucky to have you.”

“No. I am the lucky one. She’s an amazing young woman.” He paused. “Frustrating as hell. But she is amazing.”

“I wish she would come around here,” Mia said.

“She will soon. She has actually been spending a little more time with Zack.”

“Is he doing better?” Joseph asked.

“Much. He’s learning. It’s hard for him. He doesn’t trust himself. But let me tell you, he’s just as strong, maybe stronger. Definitely fiercer. His fighting is pretty damn remarkable.”

“Are you saying the vampire blood made him stronger?” Joseph asked.

“No. I think it brings out his true nature. He’s more beast than man when he fights.”

“His father was like that.”

“Zack always fought his darker nature. His mother had a huge influence on him. She was incredibly gentle,” Demetri said.

“I remember. She was the exact opposite of his father.”

Demetri looked at Joseph. “Six months from now I will no longer be around.”

“At all?” Mia asked

“How do you know?” Joseph asked.

“A few attempted trips to the future.”

“Voids? Maybe the voids are being used to make you believe your end is near.”

“I am tired,” Demetri admitted, shaking his head.

“You can’t give up.” Mia sounded panicked.

“You are far too strong to take the easy way out,” Joseph said. “Who else knows?”

“No one. And you’ll keep your mouth shut. I only want you to know so you can kill Mary if she survives my death. I don’t intend to allow it, but I don’t want to kill her too soon.”

“Because killing Mary will kill Sara. For as long as Sara is alive you have hope.”

“No.” He shook his head slowly. “All I have is fear.”