CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“Come then, Sin of Wrath. Do try and put up more of a fight this time, won’t you?” Deus groaned low. What was that? His brother? Someone mentioned Tanus? He was here? Why couldn’t he move? What the hell? Okay fingers, fingers he could move, good start. Deus took stock of his body. He wasn’t paralyzed, he could still feel his feet, so what the fuck was going on? That had been Michael’s voice; the buzzards were here. Lexi!
Move, dammit! He was stuck in his own head, his body ignored his commands. Sonofabitch! He could hear someone fighting, low growls and fists making contact with flesh. The scent of demon blood reached his nose. He knew that scent—Tanus was bleeding, but below that he scented older blood, Lexi’s blood. No, no it couldn’t be, she couldn’t be hurt. One second she had been calling him a monster then he had just passed out. No, that wasn’t right, there had been a bright flash of light and searing pain, then darkness.
Lexi. He had to get to her. Concentrating all his energy on forcing his body to move, his head began to pound. He felt something at the base of his neck like a spike of energy preventing the commands from reaching his limbs. Screw this shit! Ignoring the pain building like pressure behind his eyes, he pushed against the blockage. It felt like something shattered in his head and the power shifted. He felt his arms twitch. Hell yeah!
Building the energy once again, he put everything he had behind it. Lexi might hate him for what he had done, but if not for him feeding earlier he would not have this power to break out of this “prison” the Malakhim now held him in. Roaring inside his head, Deus threw all his power at the wall of energy that pulsed and tingled at the base of his neck. It felt like his neck cracked, and suddenly the pressure left his head and he could move.
Opening his eyes, he lifted his head and found himself tied to a, what the fuck? A damn truck? Did Michael have no class? He pulled on the cable ties that held him, snapping them easily. His eyes scanned the drive. Joy lit his heart as he saw Tanus, in full demon form, stalking Michael. As happy as he was about seeing his brother again, and of course, even happier he was not some salivating man-beast, his eyes looked for one person. When he found Lexi and the state of her body his world ground to a halt.
Bruises marred her skin, along with dried blood, but the fact she was naked from the waist down woke something dark and primal in his gut. Someone had dared touch her, force themselves on her? If the motherfucker wasn’t dead already, he was going to fucking kill him. An angel was walking toward her. He knew this angel, it was Chamuel. He was casually making his way over to her bound form, stopping to watch the battle between his leader and Tanus. Deus’ eyes moved to the second female and the small child she held tightly at her legs. That must be Layla and her daughter. He would see to them soon; Lexi was his priority right now.
Chamuel flicked his wings out and turned toward Lexi again, “You know, Seer, you’re lucky that demon showed up when he did. Michael fully intended to let that human finish what he started.” Lexi hissed at him. That’s right, you show the bastard, Lexi.
“I don’t give a fuck. One day I’m going to kill you and him for what you’ve done here.” She had such venom in her voice it brought a small smile to his lips.
The bastard angel laughed at her, and Deus wanted to kill him for it. “You can try, little Seer, I might actually give you a weapon and let you, just for some entertainment.”
Keeping out of his line of sight, and with Michael busily engaged fighting Tanus, there was no better time. Lust moved like a shadow, totally silent. He needed a blade, something. Then he felt a solid object in his hand. He lifted his hand and tilted his head, a black obsidian dagger with a bone hilt now sat in his fist. He didn’t have time to wonder where it came from. His mind focused on his lust for revenge. This was a new feeling for him; he had always avoided embracing any other form of his Sin but for the lust for sex and desire. This need was a whole new animal.
In two more steps, he was behind Chamuel, his eyes meeting Lexi’s over the angel’s shoulder. Her eyes went wide for a second, but that second was all the angel needed. He was still too slow—Lust struck fast, bringing the blade up in a swift arc against the angel’s back. In truth, he had not expected the blade to cut as well as it did, it was as if it cut on another level. It severed flesh and bone as easily as if it were air.
The wing of the angel fell useless to the snow-covered ground, the wound instantly cauterizing with the hiss of boiling black blood. To say the angel screamed would be an understatement—it was the sort of scream that made the blood curdle, it was so filled with pain and sorrow. Lust didn’t move. He watched as the angel helplessly fell to the ground, reaching for his useless appendage. His agonized wail and stream of tears didn’t move the Sin of Lust in the least. In an explosion of blinding light, the angel vanished, both he and his dismembered wing returning to the ether.
Tanus panted hard. This was not going well. Holding back his full fury meant he was not fighting with everything he could. But it also meant he was not taking nearly half the wounds he would have by now.
“Where is that fire, Wrath? Where is the RAGE?” Michael moved to advance on him, a sick smile on his lips, his knuckles covered in red blood, his face a myriad of bloodied bruises. The ear-piercing scream and forlorn agonized wail had Michael turning, his mouth dropping as he saw the scene between the Sin of Lust and his brother.
Tanus paid no attention to what was going on, he took his chance. Beating his wings hard and fast he launched himself at the back of the angel. Now he called on the flame within him, the hellfire burning in his soul. He would burn Michael into dust and take himself along if need be.
A split second before Tanus landed his blow, something moved over the form of the angel. It was as if there were two beings. No, that was impossible. Whatever that thing was, it had given Michael enough warning to turn his attention back to the fight. Whirling around, the wall of insane vicious ferocity that hit Tanus was almost physical. Michael didn’t even lift his hands as spears of angelic light impaling the demon’s form.
He hit the ground, the air rushing from his lungs. What the fuck? He had timed it, watched for the opening. The distraction was a bonus—how had Michael seen him coming? What was that he has seen under Michael’s skin, that second being that second face? What was that?
“Tanus!” Somewhere he heard his name. Coughing, he tasted blood in his mouth. Layla. He was not going to die here, not like this. Rolling, he got to his knees and lifted his head as Michael knelt and ripped his head back. The rage writhing in Michael’s eyes was palpable. Tanus could taste it on the air. Fear gripped him, remembering the last time he’d seen Michael like this. Layla, run.
Michael closed his eyes briefly before his voice ground out, “This scene looks familiar, now where have I seen this before? Oh yes, this is how you looked last time, before I made you my bitch.” Michael turned his head to where Lust was helping Lexi down from her restraints. “Time I made use of you, my hound.”
Michael grasped his face and threw open the doors of rage. With no barriers, he had no way of stopping the tsunami of fury that Michael began to pour into him. He closed his eyes, trying to battle back against the torrent, but it swept over him, drowning him, filling his mouth, dragging him down, silencing his cries. All of Michael’s bitterness and animosity, his vehement hatred of mortality saturated his soul. Michael pushed the demon away and Wrath fell to the ground, his back arching, the flames arcing, spluttering out, and then flashing to life again. He gripped his head, his roar shaking the mountain.
“No!” Layla couldn’t do anything. What use was she? She just stood there like a damn weak heroine that needed rescuing in one of those stupid romance movies. The man she loved was being tortured once again by the same being he had just managed to recover from—and she was just fucking standing there.
Tears burned her eyes, her nose stinging. Blinking, she looked down at Annabelle. Her daughter hadn’t said a word, she just stared at the man she called Father as he ripped at his head, roaring on the floor. She had missed this part in the cave. Layla couldn’t read her at all. Kneeling she made Annabelle look at her. She could not sit by and leave him in the darkness, her heart couldn’t take it.
“Baby, listen to me. I need to go help him, okay? I can’t leave him in pain.” Her daughter’s eyes turned to her. Layla gasped. Annabelle’s eyes were swirling softly. She had seen that before. Ilianna.
“It will be okay, Mommy. Daddy will be okay.” Layla grabbed her in a huge bear hug, kissing her quickly.
She had seen the other demon cut the wing from that angel. He had been emotionless the whole time, but he had taken her sister from the area, and for that she would owe him forever. Whatever it was between Lexi and that demon, it was clear that Lexi must trust him on some level, or she would never have let him see her in this vulnerable state.
Layla didn’t want to leave her daughter, but Tanus—he needed her. God, she was torn. Run with her child? Or save the man she loved?
“Stay here, Annabelle, do not move from this spot.” She had no choice, she couldn’t watch him descend back into madness, not when she could stop it. Walking toward the Archangel Michael as he circled around the writhing demon, she stopped near him. “Michael! Stop it!”
Michael lifted his head and locked his copper gaze on her. He smirked. “Layla, come to save your demon lover? You can try, I’m not sure how receptive he will be, mind you.”
Layla stared him down, even though she was shaking inside. He was the most terrifying creature she had ever seen, and she had faced down almost every mythical creature in existence. There was nothing good in him—how could someone live this way? He seemed to enjoy hurting people, actually got pleasure from it. The light in his eyes only came when he watched someone else in agony.
“Who was it that hurt you so badly, that you feel the need to carve that pain into everyone else, Michael?” If not for the fact he blinked twice she would have believed he didn’t react at all to the question. But he had; clearly, he had been taken aback.
“What on earth makes you, a mortal, think you know anything about me?” His voice cut cruel and deep. Slowly, he began walking toward her. Fear crawled through her belly, but she held her ground. As long as his attention was on her, he was not torturing her demon.
“Nothing, but you weren’t born this way. Nothing is born evil, Michael. So something made you this way. I just wondered what it was.” Do not throw up, do not throw up. Her skin was crawling just having him this close—she could sense the darkness under his skin.
Michael reached for her, a malevolent smile spreading on his lips. Suddenly his hand stopped and he frowned. Looking down her body, his eyes narrowed. Then he let out a soft laugh, which grew into a bellow. His hand moved to his stomach and he sucked in a deep breath. He locked his gaze on Layla, and she suddenly got the feeling his entire plan had just shifted and she had become the center of his world.
“This. Is. Just. Fantastic! To think I had narrowed my world to one child. How small of me! You, Layla Thorne, have given me the greatest gift imaginable! Come with me now, I wouldn’t like to risk any harm to the precious lives that now grow within you.” He offered his hand to her and Layla stumbled back, pressing a hand to her stomach.
No, it was impossible, she couldn’t be? Could she? Her mind started running a mile a minute. Were humans and demons even compatible? Was that even the right word for it? Of course it freaking wasn’t, they weren’t laptops! Okay, panic later, like much later. The man she loved was in torment, and the psychopathic angel had got it into his brain he was going to steal her child, scratch that, children! No way in hell!
“Layla, don’t make this difficult now.” He reached for her and she twisted away. Running, she slid in the snow, coming to rest beside Tanus. He was silent, at least, sweat glistening on his blue skin.
“Tanus, get up. Please, Wolfman.”
“I’m afraid that will do you no good. He is lost in his Sin right now. And trust me, to him it might as well be the best drug in the world. He doesn’t want to come back.”
“Sonofabitch. You don’t understand anything, do you? About the human soul, about love? Love is a powerful thing—it tames rage, tempers hate, and soothes the soul. As long as I’m with him, he will never be lost.” She placed her hands on his chest, calling to the Source, that power buried deep within the earth. She found the energy flowing through her easily.
“Now, now, none of that, Seer of Beasts.”
Layla cried out suddenly, falling back. Her hand went to her shoulder. She looked down to see blood pouring from a circular wound. Where had that come from? Her eyes moved to Michael as he dropped his hand. Layla sobbed softly, covering the wound, blood seeping from between her fingers. “You won’t die from that, just enough to stop you from summoning any animal friends to help you. Shall we go? He will wake up soon, and he might be a bit insane when he does. I do hope your sister and Lust ran away far enough, he might be hungry. What the…” Michael looked down at his leg where a little five-year-old was kicking him and punching him with her fists.
“You leave my mommy alone! Evil, evil man. Stay away from my daddy, too!” Annabelle’s face was blotchy red from crying. She sobbed the whole time she kicked him. Michael stared at her and reached down, picking her up by the front of her jacket.
“Okay, everyone is together, time to go. Ow, you little brat!” Michael dropped her as her teeth sank hard into his hand.
“Run, Annabelle!” The child didn’t need to be told twice, she took off. Michael looked at the Seer, lifted his hand, and this time she saw it. A shaft of light gathered at his fingertips.
Layla didn’t know if she screamed or not. She was pretty sure she did. One second her daughter was running, and the next she was face down in the snow not moving. Layla’s world stopped. The pristine snow turned dark with blood as the small child whimpered softly, her soft voice calling for her.
“Oh, my aim was off. No matter, I only have to wait five months and I will have two more. Even better, they will have demon blood in their veins. Much more…” Michael stopped talking and confusion marred his elation. “Sturdy.” Layla locked her eyes on him as his eyes darted about. He looked agitated, and she knew why. He was trying to find the source of the growing power around them, and was totally overlooking her. Big mistake.
“Deus, stop! Please wait!” The demon holding her looked down at her face, his eyes flat, but he listened and stopped walking. He had not put her down since releasing her from the bindings.
“We have to go back, now. Something’s happened.” Lexi rubbed her chest over her heart. Something really, really bad had happened. She felt tears building in her eyes for no reason, her heart felt like it had broken in two. The hairs on her arms were standing on end. The very air around them seemed to have turned into a super-charged magnetic field.
“I will not.” The demon continued to walk. His shirt covered her lower body. Lexi didn’t know what had happened to him, but he wasn’t the same demon she had seen before. Had she done this to him? Is this something the angels had done? Dammit, she couldn’t just let him carry her off like some caveman.
“Deus?” He ignored her and continued. Wait, maybe. Maybe this wasn’t Deus. Everyone talked as if the demons were both the Sin and themselves, as if they were two beings. Could it be? “Lust?”
Dark purple eyes darted to her, widening a little. “Lexi.”
Okay, great. Or not. Deus was a lot easier to deal with; how did one deal with a Sin?
“I need to go back, now. Listen to me, my sister needs me. Please. Something terrible has happened. I need to be with my twin.” There was definitely a difference in the eyes. Lust, the Sin’s eyes were darker, more like a royal purple, whereas Deus’ eyes were much lighter, sparkling amethyst.
“No.” The pain grew in her chest and she sobbed. She needed to get to Layla, now. He growled and tightened his grip while she struggled in his arms. Finally, he let her go, clearly with the intention of adjusting his grip to pick her back up again. Lexi whirled around, cracking him hard across the face with her hand, the sound echoing in the forest. The Sin of Lust blinked and touched his cheek, then looked at her in utter and bewildered confusion.
“I do not like pain.” It was clear this was his first time “out,” so to speak. So where was Deus?
“Suck it up, buttercup. Either take me back now! Or go the hell back to wherever it is you live inside Deus, because I much prefer him over you!” The air was getting thick around her, and she was starting to tremble. I’m coming, Layla, hold on.
The demon grabbed her wrist, his voice a low growl. “He could not protect you. I can.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck if he stood by and watched. If Deus can get me to my sister, I want him.” The Sin shook his head, blinking. He stumbled back, putting his hand to his temple.
“No! He is weak!” Okay, so now we’re getting somewhere.
“I want Deus.” I’m sorry, Lust. You saved me, you drove that angel away. I will thank you later, I swear, but you can’t be reasoned with, and I need someone who can. “I. Want. Deus.”
“Lexi.” He said her name as if it were a prayer. She felt guilty, but this was more important right now. He held both his hands to his head, and she watched the eyes change from that deep purple to sparkling crystal.
Deus panted a little and leaned back against a tree, a frown on his face. “How did we get…”
“We don’t have time, Deus, I will explain later, I swear. Please, take me to the cabin, my cabin, right now. Please!”
He blinked and nodded, offering her his hand. “Anything you wish, Lexi. Mind telling me why you’re half naked?”