Licking dry lips, I focus on my surroundings. Everything keeps sliding in and out of darkness. Stringing thoughts together is like holding onto smoke. It feels like hours have passed. They were here…the men. My thoughts tumble in confusion. They took something from me. Something precious.

Moving my arms, I discover they’ve been bound behind my back. Handcuffs. I can tell by the way they dig into my skin. Someone certainly has a hard-on for having me restrained.

As the fog dissipates from my mind, I notice I’m sitting buck naked in a metal chair. Florescent lights flicker above as I inspect the grey walls of the interrogation room. It has the whole criminal minds vibe or some other cop show.

My stomach is flat. No sign I was pregnant is evident except the healed angry scar as proof my child ever existed. They healed me or did my body heal itself? An image of the priest who’d slit me open flashes through my head and the cry of my daughter as she was ripped from the comfort of my womb too soon.

I can’t contain my rage. Do they think they’ve tamed me? Made me compliant and docile? Hollowed out my will? My tears are spent. I will not weep or wail. They have yet to see the monster I can become. The one who will swallow them raw. I’ve forgotten who I am for too long. I am judge, jury, and fucking executioner. A weapon the Devil himself sought out. An assassin whose prowess is whispered in fear.

I spare the two way mirror a sideways glance. Are they watching me now? Smug in their minds, thinking they have won?

A door opens and shuts with a creak and I know that I am no longer alone. With effort, I raise my chin, glaring through my dirty matted hair at my captor.

“Where is she? Where’s my baby?” I demand hoarsely.

“She’s in safe hands, babe.”

Disbelief fills my pained eyes. Ethan. Standing over me, he watches with a nasty grin.

He’s still alive? I thought I skinned him alive. Fuck, it must have been his partner Kelly. Is he Markaz? Lucifer’s last renegade general?

“Markaz?”

“He’s eager to meet you after we’re done,” he assures me.

The force of the blow ploughing into my jaw rocks me back in the seat. Blood fills my mouth. Another punch to my face and I see stars. I feel the tenderness above my eye forming into bruises. Senses reeling for a split second, I’m quick to regain my equilibrium.

“Is this your idea of torture or foreplay?” I sneer. “A four-year-old could hit harder than you.”

This isn’t my first rodeo. If he thinks he’s going to scare me he’s in for a surprise. Letting people underestimate me always makes my job easier. Fists clenching, Ethan’s expression twists in fury. It looks like I poked a sensitive nerve. Pain erupts through my stomach as he slams into me again. Fingers tangle in my hair, yanking me up as I double over.

“What’s the matter, babe? Does that hurt?” It’s a raspy taunt against my ear. “It’s a shame you heal so quickly now. It would have been more fun to watch you bleed still all sliced open from the ceremony.”

“That all you got, you prissy little prick?” I jibe back.

Hate burns in his steadfast gaze. “You’ll be begging for mercy after we’re done with you. Angel heritage or not we’ll see how much damage it takes before that ability to mend yourself fails you.”

I have no doubt this son of a bitch will pass my time here by daydreaming up new ways to make my life miserable. Before that ever happens, I’ll get free and he’ll be dead. Just the thought of gutting him sends a thrill through my veins.

Lips tilting up, I give him a dazzling blood splattered smile. “You’ll be the one pleading in the end.”

Sliding a smooth wooden handle out of a pocket from his jeans, he flips the short blade open.

“Your genes might make you immortal, but even you can die.” Admiring the metal, he twists it in his fingers, bringing it to my chest. “Cutting out the heart or removing the head are the easiest ways.”

Lips splitting in a sick grin, he slices it through my flesh. The bite of the knife makes me jerk as he uses me as a canvas, cutting a line down between my breasts. Gritting my teeth, I swallow the pain refusing to show weakness. Trickling down, the darkening blood pools by my groin.

“Are you jealous the Hell spawn that birthed you didn’t give you that trait? It has to sting like a bitch that you weren’t born immortal. I bet the demons look down on you like the piece of garbage that you are.”

My taunt sends his eyes narrowing. Bringing the knife to my throat, the sharp tip of the metal presses against my skin. He wants to do it. I can see it on his face.

“You’re not worthy of what you were born with. Of what runs through your veins,” he hisses near my ear. “If I play my cards right I’ll be blessed with immortality before the sun rises tomorrow then we’ll see just how tough you really are.”

“Enough.” Low, authoritative, the familiar voice snaps my attention to the figure coming through the open door. I knew in my soul it was coming. Had sensed there was something wrong from the last time we were together, but still it leaves me reeling.

“You’re not Nathan.”

The face I know better than my own stares back. Pale blonde hair shaggy, his handsome features have filled out over the last months and are no longer gaunt. Nate’s lips crack into a smile, but even I can see now how it doesn’t quite fit right on his mouth. One long finger taps the side of his head.

“This noggin was empty long before I made it my home. It didn’t take much to cut the soul free. Fritz managed to ambush me months ago and destroyed my original body. Luckily for me I already had a connection to this host through the blood that runs through his veins. Then it was a matter of biding my time while I grew stronger.” He makes a scoffing sound. “It was pathetic having to listen to you drone on every time you came to visit. I thought I’d die of boredom.”

His confession sends me into a freefall of despair and aching. Any hope that this was some kind of doppelganger is dying a painful death. My brother is gone. Withered away, sucked dry by this evil parasite.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I mutter, turmoil clear.

“So Lucifer kept you in the dark. I guess that’s not surprising. He thinks every move out before he makes it. Every calculated detail no matter how unhinged or demented it is, is thoroughly considered and thought out.” He inches closer, gaze fixed on my face. “I’m your father.”

Shock is hard to conceal, and I see the slight curve of his lips as he savours mine.

“Bullshit. He told me the bastard who’d fathered me was dead.”

“And you believed him so easily?”

He’s right. I’ve been a fucking fool. From the start I should’ve taken nothing at face value where the king of Hell was concerned.

“You’ve all been manipulating me for your own means.”

“Do you think you’re the first offspring I’ve had?” Markaz’s chuckle is malevolent. “I’ve been trying for centuries to breed the perfect weapon. So many disappointments had to be terminated when I realised they were imperfect. But then I found your mother. I never tried mating an angel-human hybrid before. A nephilim and an archangel’s brat, at that. You’ve topped my expectations.”

I don’t want to listen to anything he has to say. They’ve all betrayed me. It will be the last opportunity they ever have. Shifting my weight, I flex my limbs, waking up stiff muscles.

“Where’s my daughter?”

With slow deliberate steps, he circles the chair as he studies me.

“She will be far more powerful than even you. Hell and Earth will fall to me, and then soon after, Heaven.”

He thinks he has everything perfectly planned out. I’m going to love bursting his egotistical bubble.

“You’re insane.”

Fingertips trail over the curve of my bare shoulder, following the curve of my exposed breast.

“A family trait. I’ve been primed and ready to seize control. All I needed was someone like you.”

A commotion interrupts us. A large male strides in, dragging a girl by her long black hair behind him. The way he handles her is brutal and impersonal.

“Cass?”

How the fuck did they take her from Lucifer’s protection? An echo of Raziel’s voice shouting that the fortress had been breached filters through my memories. She must’ve been snatched then. Tensing, I’m relieved they haven’t stripped her too, although her clothes are torn in places. As she’s dumped on the floor, Markaz wraps his hand around her chin, jerking it up.

“Do you think you can wash away the stains of your sins with your tears?” He clucks his tongue.

Blinking up at him with damp cheeks, she cowers, frightened.

Struggling against the bite of my metal bonds, I try to get to them.

“Leave her the fuck alone. Come pick on someone your own size.”

If they touch her, I’ll kill every last one of them. Scratch that, they’re already dead men walking. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll bring them down while bleeding out if I have to.

Markaz lifts one blonde eyebrow. “Grown attached to this one, have you? I guess that’s only natural as she’s your half-sister. Her mother was easy to seduce and impregnate just like all the sluts I’ve fucked over time.”

Sister? I can’t stop my eyes jumping to hers. Was this what she wanted to tell me? The truth she needed so desperately get off her chest? Did Raziel and Lucifer know?

“What are you going to do? Kill us?” I ask, pushing aside the jumble of questions.

“Oh no, I have a better use for my whore daughters. I need to regenerate my bloodline now that it’s been severed by Raziel murdering my other offspring. The purer the blood the better the link I can maintain. Unfortunately, your will has been too strong to break through,” he confesses with a sigh of frustration. “And I would not risk madness in Cassandra’s pretty little head, so my bastard son’s form will have to suffice until more are created. Take them each to a cell. Make sure you groom them well so they’re both ready for when I come to breed them.”

Ethan, who’s been silent up until now, grabs a hold of Cassandra’s arm. With a rough jolt, he forces her up onto shaking legs.

“Don’t you touch her.”

The snarl leaves me before I can think better of it. Every instinct soars to protect a sister I never knew I had.

“What are you going to do about it?” Ethan laughs, cupping a handful of Cassandra’s breast. “This one’s a virgin with nice tight holes to play with. I’m going to have fun breaking her in.”

A tiny squeak issues from her lips as he pinches her nipple viciously.

“Mavi!” Her desperate cry of pleading makes me grind my teeth in powerlessness as she’s taken from the room.

I know I need to bide my time. Someone will make a mistake and when they do I’ll fuck them all up. Cruel hands clutch my arms, driving me up onto my feet. Battling down the urge to claw and bite, I bow my head conserving energy.

“So obedient,” Markaz mocks softly. “The Devil thought you were unbreakable but look at you now. Nothing more than a slut and a disappointment.”

How wrong he is. I’m more dangerous than I’ve ever been before. So much more to fight for. Biting my tongue so I don’t spew exactly what I want to do to him once I get my claws on him, I continue to stare at the floor.

“Take her away.” He tells his minion with disgust.

I’m marched from the room, my handcuffs resting against my spine, clinking together with the rapid pace.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to have a little fun?” I tease, giving him a wink. “After Ethan’s sloppy attempt at foreplay I need a real man to show me a good time.”

The interest is there. Lust, bright and shining, in his demonic eyes. If I play this right it will be like taking candy from a baby.

Thrust into a cell, the space smells of decay and death. A fist connects savagely with my cheek. Pain sears through the area leaving a ringing in my ears. Legs folding, my knees hit the concrete, sending agony jarring up to my hips.

“Don’t get too comfortable. Someone will be in to see you soon.” My jailor leers.

Looping chains around my wrists, they’re threaded through a metal hoop attached to the dirty ground. Tapering the length, the demon fastens and locks it into place. My ankles are next. Wrenching my legs apart, he bolts them into restraints cleverly fixed to the floor. In this position I’m trapped on hands and knees with nowhere to go. He doesn’t try to touch me, his footsteps ebbing as he leaves.

I sit there for what feels like hours. Staring into space in the dark. Cass is at the mercy of these males. Images taunt me behind my closed eyelids. My feverish mind wild with the nightmare she will be going through. Rape, torture. A single bullet to the head or a knife to the throat would be quicker and more painless. I know Markaz is willing to do anything to expand his lineage. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.

The clink of the cell door opening is an ominous sound. Attention flicking up, my concentration hones in on the good-looking male blocking the light from the hallway. Another demon. I know this one’s breed well. They feed on fear. The screams of their victims only make them stronger.

“I’ve been tasked with the job of making you an obedient whore. To break you down. Make you crave any male’s cock like it’s cocaine. We want you so addicted your pussy weeps for joy the moment you see one. Fuck, the moment we enter the room.” With deliberate movements, he strips off his shirt revealing a hard-packed muscular frame. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be submissive and ready for another round of breeding. We’ll have fun betting how quickly our Master can get you knocked up.”

Unbuckling his jeans, he drops them and his boxers all in one go. Cock bobbing free, it’s stiff and ready. Precum seeps from the tip, glistening in the light. He lets his glamour fall. The flesh of his chest ripples, revealing two rows of hooks protruding from his skin, running in a line below each of his nipples down to his belly button. White, gleaming, they’re made of bone. Barbed, sharp, I know they will pierce me with a frightening ease.

Circling around, he drops down to his knees.

Stiffening, I flinch the second I sense him draw closer. A scream, raw and brutal, escapes my throat as his hooks puncture through my back, locking us together. The sensation of wetness trickles down, distracting me. Blood. My blood.

His chin rests comfortably on my shoulder, his hot breath against my ear. “I’m going to fuck you like a filthy animal. Take your hot cunt from behind and I’m not going to make it pleasant.”

A tongue slides over the rim of my ear, making me shudder in revulsion. Screwing my eyes shut, I try to block out what I know is coming.

They want to clip my wings.

What they don’t realise is that I cut them free myself, one bloodied feather at a time, long ago.

He thinks he can break me.

I’ve been broken longer than I can remember. It’s made me stronger.

I’ve walked through the fires of hell.

Been burned by the Devil himself.

Once I am free I will leave a bloodbath in my wake.

I will seek revenge.

I will be my own savoir.

Nothing in Heaven, Hell, or Earth will stop me.

They will never keep me from my child. By any means necessary, I will keep my promise to protect her.

Lips clamp down on the side of my neck. Teeth nipping and sucking furiously at my skin, marking, bruising. Biting down, the sting of fangs pierce my flesh. Groaning, he presses his front tighter to my back, his excited cock wedged between my arse cheeks. I can sense him readying himself. Preparing to violate me.

Music.

It started out of nowhere, lapping into my pain filled mind.

I no longer hear it. I am the notes. The primal melody is the beat of my heart and the blood rushing through my veins. It resonates from every pore. A symphony of light and dark perfectly entwined. Sublimely balanced.

The sound of flesh sizzling and the smell of it burning fill the air. Behind me, the demon’s surprised agonising screams gives me joy. Did he really think me so weak? Prey? His struggles of escape are futile. Power binds us in an unbreakable grip.

Leaning back into him, I keep myself firmly in place, revelling in the bittersweet agony it invokes. Heat pulses over my flushed skin. Righteous, wrathful, it sears right down to the bone.

The demon’s shrieks grow hoarse. His fight waning. They soon become faint sobs before ceasing all together.

Metal shatters from around my ankles and wrists. Sliding easily free, clanking to the floor. Red veiling my vision, his corpse thuds behind me with a squelch as I shake it off. I rise with an unearthly grace. Music still cocooning me in such a lullaby, it makes me want to dance and sway.

Resolve hardens me, reminding me of my goal. Seek revenge and save what’s left of my fragmented family. Glancing over my shoulder at the pulpy mess, I survey it with delicious satisfaction. Still bubbling and boiling, it continues to cave in before turning to thick grey ash.

Death is coming for them all and she will be wearing a smile on her blood splattered face when she does. I won’t stop until I have taken every last one of them down.