Eternal Flame (Guardians, Book One) by Valerie Twombly (20 page)

Her eyes shot darts at him; this wasn’t funny. As a matter of fact, she decided when she got back home she would pay a visit to Dr. Story and beg him to put her in a straitjacket.

Baal shifted. “Oh shit!”

Cassie rushed to his side and caught a view of Seth, his sword drawn. “Oh now what the hell?”

“I felt it to. Did you happen to get a look at them?” Baal asked as he reached for his weapon. He looked at Cassie. “Grab your knife, use it only if you have to. Remember, go for the heart.”

Her heart beat against her chest. The first thought that came to mind: the dragons had found them. Next thing she knew, three men flashed in front of them, but it was what flashed in next that made her stomach hit the ground.

* * * *

Marcus woke and peered through slits. He tried to pull up his memories of what had happened while he worked to force his eyes open. Damn, last thing he recalled was Odage and four Draki grabbing hold of him. He’d been overcome by darkness but remembered being dragged across some rocks. His entire back stung from the gaping holes, gravel now imbedded into his skin. Blood trickled down the side of his cheek from the gash on his head. It didn’t take long to realize he was in deep shit. His wrists and legs bore silver band thanks to Eliza.

While his legs were free, both wrists had a shackle that connected to a chain. When he looked up, he saw the chain ran through a ring embedded into the rocks. They’d given him only enough slack to stand with his arms over his head.
Just fucking great.
At least he could lean against the wall. He was in another cave, but where, he had no clue.

Still trying to shake the cobwebs from his head, he sensed someone approaching. Unable to tell who or what they were, he quietly waited, pretending to be asleep.

“Toss the bucket of ice water on him.”

His muscles constricted when the freezing water hit him square in the face and chest. He trembled, unable to regulate his body temperature. His burning eyes opened, and he tried to focus on the image in front of him. When the fuzziness started to fade, he was greeted with a clear image of his enemy.

“Ah, I see you have finally decided to join us,” Odage said. “Tell me, did you really think you could outsmart me?”

Marcus spit in Odage’s face. “Fuck you.”

One of the guards approached and pulled out a
dirise
, an ancient whip, with twenty-one wing-shaped, stainless steel blades that snaked into a wire-wrapped handle. It totaled forty-two inches of pure hell. He swallowed hard and braced himself for what was to come.

The first lash snaked across his bare chest, causing his fangs to pierce his lip. The second lash tore across his already sliced up back. Searing pain radiated throughout his body, and blood dripped from dozens of wounds. He gritted his teeth but refused to cry out. Odage would gain no satisfaction from him.

Odage’s nostrils flared when he spoke. “You will address me as my liege.”

Marcus coughed, his throat raw. “When hell freezes over.”

A female voice caressed his skin. “Still stubborn as ever,” Eliza said.

Odage threw his head back and laughed. “Hell has only begun for you, vampire. I sense the curse on your soul growing. Soon you will be as evil as I am, but before you turn completely, I will give you one little gift. I will capture your mate and bring her here to you. Then, you can watch as I fuck her.”

Eliza jumped and clapped her hands. “Yes, and when he is done, I will drain her. You can watch her die, just like you watched me die.” Bitterness dripped from her voice. “Only this time, your little bitch won’t be coming back.”

He struggled against his restraints. Darkness coiled in his body like a snake ready to strike. He would do just as Odage said. He would become the evil he feared, but he would take immense pleasure from physically ripping both of their heads from their bodies.

* * * *

“Leave him for now,” Odage commanded as he headed out of the room with Eliza by his side. “Things couldn’t be better. Caleb has arrived, and the dragons have declared war on the vampires.”

Eliza gave a nod of satisfaction. “What about the amulet? Your lord and master is getting impatient.”

“I have Oroumea looking for it as we speak.”

“Ah yes, your new bride. Wise choice bonding with a memory ghoul. I only hope for your sake she finds it soon.”

“My liege!”

Odage turned to find Lileta running toward him. “What is it, my pet?”

“The female has gone into labor.”

A smile curled across his lips. “Excellent, take me to her.”

Odage and Eliza followed the slave down the corridor. Screams echoed through the room. Veronica was strapped down to a bed. Two nurses moved around her while the doctor examined her.

“How much longer?” Odage asked.

The doctor looked up from his examination. “The babe is ready, everything looks good, my liege.”

“Excellent.” He moved closer so he could view the birth of his first-born son. He looked at Veronica, fear swam in her eyes as she screamed out in pain.

“Are you going to sedate her?” Eliza asked.

“No. I want her to feel the pain of this birth,” he spat.

Eliza shuddered. “Even I wouldn’t be so cruel. You will pardon me if I decline tonight’s entertainment.” She turned and left the room.

Odage watched as the first claw poked its way through Veronica’s belly. “Gag her, this bellowing is giving me a headache.”

The nurse complied and stuffed a cloth in Veronica’s mouth. The claw disappeared, and the screaming stopped. Odage looked at the woman, now passed out.
Bitch gets her wish after all.
She would be dead in a matter of seconds and now would never experience it. No matter, his son would soon be entering the world.

The claw pushed back through.

“Yes, that’s it. Come out, my son.”

A second claw pushed in next to the first and in one swift motion sliced the entire belly open. The doctor moved in to remove the child and cut the cord while the nurses cleaned the babe. Seconds later, Odage heard the most beautiful sound, the wailing of his son.

The nurse turned to Odage and handed him the babe. “My liege, your son is perfect.”

He cradled the babe. Sapphire eyes stared back at him. “My son, you and I shall rule the world together. I shall call you Erebos after the primeval god of darkness.” The babe smiled at him as if understanding and liking his new name. Odage bit his wrist and held it to the babe’s mouth, giving him his first taste of life. Soon he would be able to eat raw meat, but until that time, Odage would feed and care for his son, trusting no one else to raise his child.

When Erebos had enough blood, he pulled his lips away and smiled at his father. Odage looked at the nurses who were still cleaning up. “Toss her body outside, the local wildlife will make a quick meal of her.” He headed out of the room and made his way through the narrow tunnels, moving upward in the maze of rooms.

Once he reached the upper level, he called out, “Roman!”

“Yes, my liege?”

“Where is Caleb?”

“I believe he and a few of your men are out conducting a search of the area.”

“Ah good. When he returns, send him to me. I want to introduce the men to my heir.”

Roman gave a bow. “As you wish, my liege.”

Chapter Eighteen

Cassie couldn’t speak. Cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck.
What the hell is that?

The creature stood over seven feet tall. Its muscular legs narrowed to clawed pads, like that of a canine. Its chest protruded, revealing a bony ribcage, and its shoulders tapered into long fingers tipped with pointed nails that dragged the ground. A second pair of grotesque arms jutted from underneath the first set. Shorter in length, but just as menacing. Red almond-shaped eyes stared at her from a large pointed skull, and its mouth, full of razor-sharp teeth, glistened in the noonday sun.

The creature's jet black skin, slick with moisture, made her want to vomit. Memories of earlier thoughts came back to haunt her. She recalled how nothing would surprise her after meeting vampires and demons.
If I weren’t so fucking scared, I’d laugh.

“Wendigo.” Seth whispered.

Is that the name of the man in charge?
Her eyes bored into Seth as if he would hear her mental question.

The one who appeared to be the leader stepped forward. “I want the demon.”

Seth bared his fangs. “You will need to shop elsewhere for your next slave. This demon is mine.”

The man shifted his weight. “Since when do vampires keep slaves? I see no binding ring on his wrist. Therefore, he is mine to take. Look around vampire, you’re outnumbered.”

Her throat burned.
So these are slave traders?
From the looks of it, they were indeed outnumbered. The beast alone could overtake them.
How the hell are we going to get out of this mess?
Her nails dug into her arm. Nope, her eyes were open, and this was a living nightmare.

“Leave the vampire and the girl, and I will go with you, peaceful,” Baal said.

The man scrunched his face, deep in thought. “I don’t know. The girl could prove to be a real good time.” The other two men laughed and elbowed each other. “She might make a nice addition to our harem.”

She forced back tears, couldn’t even begin to imagine the terror they would inflict upon her.
What the hell was I thinking when I volunteered to come out here?
She should have listened to Aidyn and left this morning.
Maybe Seth has called for backup.
Her eyes shifted, hoping for a friendly face. They were alone.

“No deal, Diablo. The girl and vampire unharmed.” Baal cast an evil grin. “Besides, she is Zarek’s mistress. I doubt even you wish to piss off the god.”

Seth looked at Baal. “He speaks the truth, she is a gift to my king. I am responsible for making sure she reaches her destination.”

Wait. What?
This must be some type of ploy, a trick to buy them time.

The man nodded his head. “I don’t want to deal with either of them.” He narrowed his eyes at Baal. “But you, they will not miss. Drop your weapons.” He motioned the beast to step in front of Seth. “If he as much as flinches, kill him.”

The creature moved in front of Seth in one step. Its obsidian-colored body towered over him, and saliva dripped at his feet. Cassie noted Seth’s discomfort at having that thing so close, it matched her own.

Baal dropped his weapons.
No!
Her heart ached. What would they do to him? She’d grown fond of the demon, so much so, she would call him friend. He sacrificed in order to save them. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

One of the men moved forward and placed a silver band around Baal’s wrist. His shoulders sagged, the vibrant life she knew sucked from his body. He turned to her and gave a wink.

“Don’t fret, doll. I’ve survived worse.” The other two men each grabbed an arm, and all three flashed away. The only ones left were the ring leader and the beast.

Bumps rose on her body, and dread coursed over her. Would the man go back on his word to Baal? He spoke something she didn’t understand to the beast then vanished.

Seth swung his sword, but the creature flicked its wrist, flinging the weapon like a tinker toy. It reached out with both hands and sank its claws into Seth’s chest, making a slice from his ribs all the way to his groin. The sound of tearing flesh and breaking bones rang in her ears.

“You will not follow us,” the raspy voice spoke.

A scream escaped her throat when Seth hit the ground and the beast vanished. She ran to him, sure he was dead. “Oh god, Seth!” His eyes focused on her, he opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Frantic, she ripped off her T-shirt. “Can you heal from something like this?” Knowing the vampires to be excellent healers, she still doubted even they could regenerate from this. His entire chest and abdomen lay open, his insides exposed.

“I-I can, but I am too weak to open a gateway to get you home.”

“Then we’ll wait. How long will it take?”

“We have no time.” Her gaze followed his toward the sky.

“Holy shit! Are those what I think?” They circled high above like vultures waiting for their prey to die.

“What the fuck else can go wrong today?” Seriously pissed, she worked faster at covering his wounds, careful to make sure she bound him tight enough to keep his insides from spilling out.

“What do we do? We can’t just sit here and wait for them to come and kill us. I’m in no mood to die today.”

Seth coughed, and blood trickled down his chin. “You must slip away. If you get away from me, they may not find you. Hide in the forest until Aidyn comes for you. It is your only hope.”

“No! I will not leave you here to be murdered.”

“Cassie, your destiny is to save Marcus, not die here with me. Now go!”

As if to bring the point home, a ball of fire exploded a few feet away. She looked up; the dragons circled closer. Their gargantuan bodies blocked the sun, causing shadows to blanket over her.
Think! There has to be a way out.

She looked back at Seth. “If you feed, will you have enough strength to get us out of here?”

He looked at her, perplexed. “Perhaps, but I will not ask you to sacrifice.”

Her brows snapped together,
Stupid vampire.
“Why not? It’s my choice to make.” She offered her wrist.

“Remember, I will take your memories.”

She pulled back. “You mean I will forget everything?”

His body was racked by a coughing fit, precious blood spewed from his mouth. She gently placed a hand behind his back and propped him up so he wouldn’t gag.

When his body finally calmed, he whispered, “No, but I will know everything about you. Every intimate detail.”

She knew what he tried to say. Her darkest secrets would become his. Every detail of those precious moments spent with Marcus would be shared. She wanted to blush, but their lives were in danger.

“Promise you’ll never reveal them?”

He gave her a droll look. “I never drink and tell.”