Emblazed (7 page)

I was yanked upright, and then slapped.
Damn it, who the fuck did these people think they were that they could just go around
slapping me?

An arm closed around my neck as my back pressed against a larger, firm body. My eyes
surveyed my surroundings, and I was shocked to find that the room that had just held
piles of scorched bodies was returned to its former, pristine condition.

Where was Jace?
“Jace?! Jace, where are you?!!” I screamed as I struggled against whoever held me,
thinking it was Hades. I turned my head to look at him, and was met with an unfamiliar
face. I could instantly tell he was a God because of the power that radiated from
him.

I was furious, irritated, and I needed to find Jace.
I don’t have time for this shit
. I had no clue whether Jace had been captured, or if he was dead.
Has Hades found a way to permanently sever our bond?
Is that why I can’t sense Jace anymore?
Tears returned to my eyes at the thought, and I swiped them away before I angrily
addressed my captor, “Who the fuck are you?”

He chuckled, and I hated that I enjoyed the luscious sound. He had messy hair the
color of caramel, and deep, blue eyes. To say he was handsome would be an understatement
given his flawless, tanned skin and defined muscles, but I wanted nothing more than
to get away from him. “Hades said you had a mouth on you,” he commented as he pulled
me towards the back of the room.

I struggled more. I tried to call my power, but I was still drained from my previous
use of Akasha. Without Jace, I didn’t know how long it would take to restore my Elements,
especially since we had never been apart for this long.

“You’ll only arouse me more if you fight,” the unnamed God said as he pressed his
erection against me.

I squirmed, trying to remove the unwanted pressure against my back. “Who are you?
Where are you taking me?” I yelled.

He put his mouth next to my ear, grazing my earlobe with his teeth before responding,
“I am Hermes. Hades has granted me permission to fuck you, given you have not broken
down yet. He thinks this might do the trick, especially with your flame out of the
picture.”

Come again?
“So, you’re just going to rape me for no reason?” I shrieked as I pounded my fists
against the arm holding me.

His other arm came around to grab both my wrists and pin them to my chest. Fear captured
me, burrowing deep into my being at the thought of being raped, of violating Jace,
and of having our love tainted by the monster holding me.

“It doesn’t have to be rape. You don’t have to fight me. It can be enjoyable for the
both of us. You can have a taste of what it’s like to be with a God, and I can have
a taste of the One. I can feel your power—it’s intoxicating,” he growled lustfully.

He pushed me with his body through a door and down a hall. I called out to Jace, hoping
he was still alive.
Jace? Baby, where are you? Please be alive.

Brielle? Oh, thank Gods! I’ve been trying to reach you, but you never answered me.
Where are you? Are you hurt?

What are you talking about? I just saw you! Hades had you brought in and you wouldn’t
talk to or look at me. Then, my nightmare came to life and demons attacked you. You
… you looked dead!

What? I just entered the castle. I haven’t even found you yet.

He looked just like you. I thought … I thought I lost you.

Well, it wasn’t me. I could hear your screams during everything. I tried calling out
to you, but I guess you couldn’t hear me. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what Hades did,
but it sounds like he used some kind of magic on you to make you see things that weren’t
really there.

That fucking bastard.
He was trying to break me to the point where I would surrender my powers. He knew
I would do anything to save Jace, even forsake the rest of the world. I guessed he
hadn’t factored in my Akasha returning and foiling his plans.

Where are you? I don’t know where anything is in this castle.

Before I could respond, Hermes shoved me into a room. It was completely dark, but
he pushed me back until my legs hit the side of a bed. He spun me around, still gripping
my wrists as he pushed me down on the bed and covered my body with his.

Oh, Gods, Jace. Hermes has me in some bedroom. He … he said he’s going to rape me.

A loud, almost inhuman roar sounded in my head. I began to feel Jace’s emotions again,
and I contributed it to the fact that we were now in the same building. Jace was beyond
furious, even more so than when we had been tortured by the Elders on the island.
His rage, fear, and determination amplified my own, and I fought Hermes with all I
had, trying to buy time until Jace arrived or my powers were restored.

Hermes pinned my arms above my head while straddling me, his weight bearing down on
my body. He smelled my neck before dragging his tongue along my jaw line. “Gods, you
taste so sweet. Your power is delicious.”

I struggled underneath him, trying to pull my arms free of his ironclad grasp. I bucked
my hips, but he was so much heavier than me that it only further enticed him. “I like
it when you fight me. It will make my victory over you that much more satisfying.”

I spat in his face before headbutting him. My head pulsed more profoundly with pain,
but I succeeded in drawing blood from his nose. He instinctively reached for it with
both hands, thus freeing my arms.

Scrambling off the bed, I dashed for the door, but as soon as my hand gripped the
handle, my legs were swept out from under me. I soared through the air before smashing
into the wall and landing on the bed again. Hermes was on me as soon as I landed,
but I kicked and punched him with all my might.

He laughed as he ripped my shirt down the middle and tossed it aside, leaving me only
in my bra. His eyes widened at the sight of my full breasts, and he licked his lips
as he brought his mouth down upon my chest.

I slapped his face over and over, but that only intensified his efforts. He held me
to him, burying his face in my breasts as I squirmed and tried to push him off me.
Tears stung my eyes as my attempts to escape were unsuccessful, my freedom dangled
over my head and just out of reach.

He fumbled with my jeans as he continued to ravage me, unmercifully biting and sucking
on my breasts.

No … no, this is not going to happen! My powers aren’t fully restored, but fuck this.
I am not going to be raped by some power-hungry God who thinks he can take whatever
he pleases.

I put my hands on his neck before igniting my hands in flame. His skin sizzled as
my fire burned him, and he let out an excruciating roar before leaping off me.

I jumped off the bed, not even caring that I left my shirt behind. I needed to get
out of there as soon as possible. I ran for the door, but something caught my ankle,
sending me to face-plant on the floor. My head screamed in agony from another blow,
and I felt blood rush from my nose. My jeans were pulled down, and I kicked my legs,
striking Hermes in the face with my foot.

Then, all of a sudden, my body was frozen in place. The only thing that I could move
was my head. No matter how hard I tried, the rest of my body would not budge.

Hermes sneered, “I’m done playing around with you. I didn’t want you to lay there
like a dead fish, but you left me no choice.”

Oh, Gods.
He was going to rape me, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it, since he held me
with his magic.
I’m so sorry, Jace,
I apologized as Hermes removed my pants before once again covering me with his body.

“Now, I can take my time and enjoy every last inch of you.”

His hands roamed over my body, closely followed by his mouth. Even though he was so
handsome, his touch revolted me. I fought the vomit that threatened to rise, but combined
with my withdrawals, it was no use. I turned my head to the side and heaved on the
floor.

Hermes didn’t even notice, since he was so engrossed in defiling me. I should have
vomited on him—that would’ve gotten his attention. I had to do something, but I didn’t
know what; I couldn’t move.

Jace’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I’m coming, mi amante. I’m almost there. Don’t give up.

I wouldn’t give up. I would get out of this for Jace, for me. I concentrated on my
power, seeing if I could access it, even though I was immobilized. I felt it flicker
within me, and I knew my Elements were my only hope of getting free.

Hermes ripped my bra off, unveiling my breasts. I felt tears sliding down my temples
as he took my nipple in his mouth.

I concentrated on using ice, since I figured it would spread quickly over his body
while drawing little attention.

Still consumed in my breast, I felt one of Hermes arms brushing against my hand as
his other trailed down my stomach and entered my underwear. I cringed internally as
his fingers stroked my sex, feeling totally violated and dirty. His touch was nothing
compared to Jace’s.

His actions increased my urgency, and I pushed with all that I had to bring forth
my ice. I could feel the cold in my hand, and then it spread rapidly onto his arm.

He remained oblivious, still too engrossed in violating me as it continued to spread
up his arm. He finally noticed as the frost crept up his neck, but it was too late.

“What the fu—” he started, but my ice had already covered half his face, including
his mouth, and he failed to complete his sentence.

Once he was completely covered, my movement slowly returned in violent spasms. My
body continued to jerk as I shakily stood. I searched for my clothes, but my jeans
were trapped under Hermes frozen legs. I managed to find my bra and put it back on,
despite the fact that both straps were broken. My shirt was in no better condition,
and I slipped it around me like a vest, knowing that Jace would flip shit when he
saw me. Once I was somewhat clothed, I rushed out of the room, never looking back.

“He’s going to rape me. He’s going to rape me.”
Brielle’s words replayed over and over in my mind, fueling my all-consuming rage.
I was going to kill that motherfucker for even touching Brielle. I raced through so
many different hallways, busting through various doors, only to find empty rooms or
demons torturing people.

I felt bad for the poor souls, but I had to find Brielle—nothing else mattered. I
didn’t even know if the others still followed me, and I didn’t care.

The castle was huge, and I feared that I wouldn’t rescue Brielle in time. Her emotions
clawed at me, almost suffocating me with their intensity. I knew such an experience
would scar her deeply for a long time, maybe even permanently.

The hallway connected to another, and I wondered how many rooms were in Hades’ castle.
At the rate I was going, I would never find Brielle in time. I felt that I was getting
closer to her, but being apart for so long had obscured our bond to the point where
I couldn’t place her exact location.

I needed to stop and concentrate, focus on what I felt from Brielle. I had been running
around unfocused and frantic, with no clue how to find her besides busting down doors
and scouring the place. I had been in such a crazed frenzy to get to her ever since
her screams sounded in my head that pausing for a moment might help.

I stopped and took a deep breath before closing my eyes and picturing Brielle. “Where
are you, baby?” I thought aloud.

I played her voice in my head as I thought about her face, and how our connection
felt at its strongest. I concentrated on how her heartbeat sounded, her smell, and
every other little detail that made Brielle who she was. I immersed myself in our
connection, and, after several moments, I finally pinpointed her location.
There.

I took off running down the hallway towards where I felt Brielle. The corridor I was
in ended in a large room filled with demons, the same one Brielle had shown me in
my mind earlier. Their deformed heads all turned in my direction as they bore their
fangs and extended their talons in preparation for a fight.

Bring it, bitches.
I threw my hands to my sides, engulfing them in flames. I hurtled fireballs at the
demons as they rushed towards me, and I knew there were too many for me to fight off
alone. Too bad, I never backed down from a fight.

“Couldn’t wait to get started, huh?” Zane’s voice sounded from behind me.

He, Kimber, and Kiera ran to me, breathing heavily, and we all readied to take on
the hellish monsters together.

Some took to the air, their large, black wings spreading widely as they flew above
us, swooping down periodically to scratch at us or throw a punch. Kimber shot water
from her hands like a fire hose, thrusting several demons back into the far wall from
the force. Kiera juggled some of the creatures in the air, laughing as she forced
them to collide into one another before throwing them into the chandeliers overhead.
Zane summoned thick vines to burst through the floor and wrap around the winged beasts,
squeezing them until their bones audibly broke and they went limp. Turning to me,
he joked, “I’ve wanted to do that since Brielle mentioned it.”