Chapter Six

 

Katie emerged from the shadow world with her heart pounding. Ully’s lab was a disaster, with glass covering the floor and counters flipped on end. The door was closed but lopsided in its frame while half the lights overhead were burnt out. She heard no signs of demons fighting from outside the room.

“Ully?” she called, picking her way through the broken glass and fallen instruments. A sound came from the back of the large room, and she made her way there. A small door-- possibly leading to a bathroom or closet-- was closed and blocked by one of Ully’s science toys the size of a copy machine. The sound came from behind it, as if someone were trying to open the door.

Hesitating only a moment, she shoved the machine. It screeched across the floor a few inches. With a deep breath, she shoved again, enough for the door to crack open.

“Ully, is that you?” she called, ready to run if a demon tried to lunge at her.

“Katie!” Ully sounded relieved. “I'm stuck in here!”

"Are you ok, Ully?" she asked, surprised.

"Alive. Did you bring Rhyn?”

“It’s just me.” Ully sighed in disappointment, and she rolled her eyes. “I can leave you in there!”

“It’s probably safer,” he agreed.

“You’re worse than some damsel in distress. Aren’t you supposed to be protecting the weak, puny human?”

He said nothing but pushed at the door. She shoved the machine again until the space was wide enough for him to squeeze through. The scientist’s glasses were missing, his expression growing sorrowful as he looked around at his destroyed lab.

“I brought you something to cheer you up,” she said and dug the vial of blood out of her pocket. “I found it on Sasha.”

“You sure it was Sasha?”

“Pretty sure.”

“Let me see something,” he said, striding to where his desk was. He pushed the wreckage around and dug his notebook out of the mess. Katie watched as he walked through the lab, collecting undestroyed pieces of equipment and tools. One counter was still standing next to the refrigerator tucked in a corner, and he swept the broken glass from the top to create a little work space. She looked around the area where his desk had been and spotted a perfume bottle similar to the one he'd give her before.

“What do you think is wrong with it?” she asked as she bent to retrieve the bottle. Demon was scribbled on the side. She sniffed at it and sneezed at the familiar skunk scent before shoving it in her pocket.

“I don’t think anything is wrong with it, but I want to make sure,” he explained.

“Good thing Sasha washed up on shore at the Sanctuary or the demons would have this one,” she said. “I guess it wouldn’t matter if you succeeded in altering it like Kris said.”

“Altering it?”

“Did you get hit on the head or something? Kris told you to make a toxic version he could trade back to the demons.”

“I do have a headache,” he said, distracted. “You say Sasha washed up somewhere?”

“Really weird, Ully. I don’t know what he’s doing. The women at the Sanctuary said they pulled him out of the water, and he looks awful.”

“Which Sanctuary?”

She looked up at the uncharacteristic demand. Ully appeared to be prepping his tools for whatever tests he wanted to run. The vial sat on the counter next to his notebook, and she watched him pick up a syringe. She’d never noticed how long his nails were or the sinewy strength in his forearms. Suddenly, she wondered just how well demons could shapeshift and why they’d lock Ully in the closet instead of killing him.

“I’m feeling really sick, Ully. Do you have any food?” she asked. She sagged against a counter, hoping he believed her. She reached for the perfume in her pocket. For once, she hoped Ully's oddball experiment didn’t let her down.

“Sure,” he said, the dark note in his voice gone. “This won’t take long. I should have something in the fridge and then we can go get some real food.”

Having spent many afternoons with him in the lab, she knew he kept only serums and instruments in the refrigerator. He made his way to the appliance, and she darted for the vial, snatching it off the counter then running through the mess to the door. The demon that was Ully gave a half-bark, half-roar before he smashed through the lab toward her. He snatched one arm and she sprayed him with the perfume.

The demon coughed and batted at his face.

Thank you, Ully, thank you!

Uncertain whether or not the battle still waged between demons and Immortals, she braced herself to be attacked as she flew past every doorway towards the back stairwell. Bodies blocked her descent to the basements where the warriors were, and she struck off down a narrow corridor that dead-ended in another set of stairs leading to a door hanging from one hinge.

She heard no signs of the demon pursing but trotted down the stairs, hoping to find another way into the dungeons where the Immortal warriors lived. It took all her strength to shove the hefty door wide enough for her to enter the dark chamber beyond that was lit by a single torch.

It looked like a crypt. The altar in the center was empty while seven statues kept watch over it. The air was heavy and her attention was drawn to the life-like statues. The tallest looked a great deal like Andre, the deceased Immortal she’d met a short time before he was killed. The second looked like Kris might’ve in his younger days, when his face still glowed with hope. Sasha’s wore a genuine smile. She vaguely recognized the other three and knelt beside the statue of Rhyn, who was no older than Toby had been the day before.

Even at such a young age, Rhyn’s features were troubled and somber, as if he knew what kind of a life awaited him. She sat back with a frown, unable to feel anything but pity for the half-demon child who knew no acceptance anywhere in life. She touched her stomach with a flutter of panic. The idea of bringing a new life into such a horrific world made her feel sick. No child of hers would end up like Rhyn-- tormented, rejected, and abused!

“What’re you doing here?”

She whipped around to see Kris standing in the doorway, holding the door open as if debating whether to enter.

“Is that really you?” she asked suspiciously. She rose to keep the altar between them.

“What kind of stupid question is that?”

“Tell me something only you and I would know,” she ordered.

“I slept with your sister.”

“God, Kris, did you have to go there?”

“You delusional or do you have a reason to think I’m someone else?” he asked and entered fully.

“I ran into someone I thought was Ully in the lab. Turned out to be a demon. I didn’t know they could shapeshift into someone else’s form.”

“Only a very few of them can assume the form of another human. Demons are born with predetermined forms that are unique to the demon. A few can assume forms, but they’re rare,” he said. “You say there was one in Ully’s lab?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll have to scrub this place from top to bottom to make sure no one else pops up somewhere they shouldn’t be. Like you being here.”

“I was more concerned with hiding than with where I went,” she said, agitated by his accusing look. “What is this place?”

“It was our father’s crypt, until yesterday, when Sasha stole our father’s body.”

Her gaze went to the altar, and she shivered. The Council That Was Seven had been immortalized safeguarding their father in death. It was creepy. Who kept a dead man on a shrine in the basement?

“The statues are beautiful,” she managed. “It’s hard to imagine Rhyn as a child.”

“He was cast out of the Immortal world fairly young. None of us know-- or care-- where he went, except Andre, who saw something in him that-- to this day-- never materialized.”

Her face grew red at his easy dismissal of his youngest brother. Her gaze settled on the statue of Rhyn, whose large eyes held an ominous look too old for his chubby little face.

“How can you be like this, Kris?” she asked, unable to stop the angry words. “You take great precautions to safeguard Toby, and yet, you rejected your own brother?”

“Someone like you could never understand.”

“You’re right, Kris, I can’t understand how you could turn your back on the person who needed you most and justify it with your shortsighted arrogance. I pray to God Hannah doesn’t choose you as a mate!”

“I believe she already has,” he said, irritation in his voice. “Rhyn was a lost cause from the beginning. Our own father wanted him dead. I’m sworn to protect Toby, and I’ve done my duty in protecting Sasha, who is also my brother, according to the Code and the oaths I swore to my father and the Council!”

“You chose the wrong side, Kris. If you had half a brain, you’d have helped Rhyn and killed Sasha.”

“I do what I am obligated to do, and that’s all that should concern you,” he said through gritted teeth. “I won’t have some stupid mortal telling me how to do things!”

With all the insults and arrogance, she couldn’t take her mind off the statue of Rhyn and her sister being at the mercy of such a man.

“I’m going to tell you a secret someone told me, Kris,” she said, facing him. “Do you know why Rhyn killed Lilith?”

He stared at her.

“Yes, I know the story,” she said. “It was revealed to me by someone you trust when I was at the Sanctuary a few weeks ago. Lilith was trying to destroy the Council. She was a plant by the Dark One who lured you and probably the rest of your brothers into bed. Rhyn killed her to protect you, Kris. You owe him your life. He’s the most flawed of anyone I’ve ever met, but he’s a more honorable man than you’ll ever be!”

He crossed the distance between them in three strides and slapped her hard. Pain flared through her. She touched the blood that bubbled at the side of her mouth.

“Get the fuck out of here,” he hissed.

She reached into her pocket and withdrew the vial, shoving it at him.

“I may be a stupid mortal, but I know right from wrong,” she said in a trembling voice. “Sasha’s at the Caribbean Sanctuary. Go rescue him again, so he can kill more of the Immortals, like those you sacrificed to protect him the first time!”

She fled, her ears ringing and cheek burning from his strike. She’d never understand a man like Kris, who saw the world only in black and white! The image of baby Rhyn and Kris’s words distracted her as she hurried through the hall back to the stairs. She couldn’t imagine what he’d been through: thrown out at such an age with a father who wanted him dead and brothers who hated him. He wasn’t the kind to pity himself. She doubted he saw anything wrong with the treatment he was accustomed to.

Soon enough, nothing would matter, not when Gabriel came for her.

For the first time since arriving over three weeks ago, she missed her cavernous chamber. She wondered if twelve-year-old boys played with stuffed animals. Toby had tons of them in his small bedchamber off hers. She found herself ascending the servants’ stairwell at a run, in case the Ully-demon was still stalking her, until she reached her floor, which appeared blessedly free of any signs of battle and death. She pushed her door open and scanned the room before entering and closing it fast.

She’d never liked her room, but she found some comfort in its familiarity. One of Toby’s stuffed animals had fallen to the floor when she carried him to the basement before the demon attacks. She retrieved it and hugged it, not at all certain what the new Toby would and wouldn’t want that the old Toby had loved. The bag she’d started to pack still gaped open, half-full on the trunk at the base of her bed.

“Hey.”

She turned at the familiar voice, pleased and surprised to see Megan, the Immortal warrior who befriended her and showed her around when she arrived to the castle several weeks before. Megan’s dark eyes were glowing though her clothing was covered in blood.

“You shouldn’t be alone up here yet,” Megan warned. “Bad guys in the castle still. We’re sweeping the castle now.”

“So it’s over?”

“Mostly. The Council sent in their warriors to help Kris. We lost quite a few of our friends,” she said with a frown. “Defeated the demons, except for a few hiding out here.”

“I’m so sorry, Megan,” she said softly.

“It’s what we train for. Doesn’t make it easier but …” Megan shrugged. “C’mon. We cleared out the basements. You can stay in your old room.”

“I’d like that,” Katie said. “Let me grab a few more things.” She packed hurriedly and grabbed another of Toby’s stuffed animals before meeting the female warrior in the hallway. Megan spoke with a gentle British lilt, and her dark eyes took in everything as they walked.

“How many are lost?” Katie asked as they walked.

“About half of Kris’s warriors. Not sure about the others. Your mate can fight like a monster. Never seen anything like that before. He was shapeshifting like a maniac and just tearing demons’ heads off. He kept up at it all night.”

“I imagine.” She suspected she knew what made Rhyn fight like a demon. For once, it wasn’t his half-demon blood.

“He brought the Council back together,” Megan said in a whisper. “At least, that’s what some of Ancient Erik’s warriors said. Ancient Kris would never admit to that.”

“What do you mean, brought the Council together?”

“They split before the demon battle, and Rhyn rounded up all the brothers. The guy I spoke to said he beat the ever-living shit out of them all at once, until they agreed to come back and do what Kris says.”

A laugh bubbled up. Katie tried to suppress it, not wanting to offend her friend, but it escaped. Megan looked at her curiously.

“Sorry. I guess I can see him doing that,” she explained. She doubted it happened as the rumor mill said, but if Rhyn of all people had brought the Council together … She was impressed. He’d saved the Immortals that shunned him. She was pleased by the news, despite knowing none of his brothers remotely deserved to be saved.

“They went hunting for Sasha,” Megan added. “I hope they find him.”

Katie said nothing. She wanted to return to the Sanctuary, though not before she found out what happened to Ully. They descended to the warrior’s barracks level of the basements. For the first time in three weeks, she felt safe and relieved as she looked around the tiny room that had been hers when she first arrived. The barracks area was heavily guarded, but she was struck by the lack of activity in the part of the castle that normally hummed with life.

“You know where everything is,” Megan said at the doorway. “I gotta keep looking for demons or any other Immortal survivors.”

“Have you seen Ully by chance?” Katie asked.

“Not yet. We’re trying to get a handle on who went to which Sanctuary and where else Immortals scattered to. We should know by nightfall.”

“Thanks.”

Megan closed the door behind her, and Katie sank down onto the bed.

 

* * *

Rhyn finished his task of clearing Kris’s floor of dead bodies. He tossed the last one out the window. Kris was glaring up at him, he knew without looking. But he wasn’t about to walk up and down the stairwell or traipse through the shadow world a million times to accomplish the same goal.

A pyre had been built in the middle of the cobblestone courtyard to burn the bodies of the demons before nightfall, when they’d come back alive. He wiped his bloodied hands on his shirt and trotted down the hall. He’d sensed Katie’s appearance in the castle a short time ago and had avoided going directly to her, for fear he wasn’t quite ready to say what he needed to. With nothing left to occupy him, he strode to the familiar room where they’d shared the fateful night weeks before. Katie looked up from her spot seated on the bed as he entered, her face troubled.

“You’re a mess,” she said in disapproval. He glanced down to see how bad his clothing looked. It was soaked through and dried with blood and his exposed skin was tinted red.

“Rough night,” he said, sitting on the bed across from her. “Really rough night.”

“So I hear.”

They gazed at each other for a long, quiet minute.

“This room has a lot of memories,” she spoke at last and looked around.

“Yeah,” he agreed, glance going to her stomach. He’d never had a thought more foreign than that of what grew within her.

“Not all good,” she said and crossed her arms self-consciously. “Megan said you brought the Council together.”

“They just needed a little encouragement,” he said with a shrug.

“It was a very good thing for you to do.”

“Sometimes I get things right.”

“You’re a better person than I am. I would’ve let them all go down in flames for how they treated you,” she said.

The awkward quiet fell again. He didn’t want her storming out as usual when he said something wrong.

“Is it a boy or a girl?” he asked at last.

“You don’t know anything about this do, you?”

“I assume one day it hatches.”

“Hatches?” she echoed, astonished.

“Demons hatch.”

“I’m not a demon!”

“It’ll be a boy.”

“It could be a girl.”

“It can’t be. Girls can’t fight and they just make life really difficult,” he snapped. He’d never felt like panicking in his life but in that moment, he almost did. He stood and paced.

“Look, I’ll make this easy on you,” she said. “I’ll go live with Hannah, out of your hair, and you can run around killing things and beating up your brothers. We’ll both be … happy.”

“We’ll see,” he said. His thoughts went to his father’s crypt.

“We’ll see what?”

“I’m thinking,” he growled. “You still intend to leave me. I still don’t want to lose you, but all I do is cause you trouble.” She looked down, and he noticed for the first time one of her cheeks was red. “What happened to your cheek?”

“Nothing. Just pissing people off today. Did you hear I found Sasha?” She hurried to change the subject. “Rather, he magically appeared at the Sanctuary.”

“He happen to be carrying a clear coffin?”

“No, but he had the vial of blood. I brought it to Kris.”

That explains her cheek, he thought darkly, not caring one bit about Sasha or the vial. Katie couldn’t stay with her sister if her sister chose Kris, or she’d be subjected to the same treatment he was. His gaze went to her neck, his resolve solidifying at the sight of her exhausted features and red cheek. He had one chance to make a safe life for her and their … hatchling. He found himself wishing again that Andre was alive. Instead, he found himself mulling over the advice from another brother.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as he paced.

“Maybe you’re right. We should split,” he forced himself to say. “Sasha told me how to break our mating. I think you have a better chance of being accepted by the Immortals if you’re not my mate.”

She looked surprised. “Rhyn, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying, I release you of our bond.”

“You what?”

“I don’t know exactly how to do it, but from this day forward, I’ll no longer claim you as my mate. You should be safe now.”

He couldn’t read the look on her face. Her emotions were flying and intense. He started to leave, and she stood.

“Rhyn, wait!” she said. “I didn’t want to leave you because of the Immortals or any of that. There’s something else I need to-- ”

“Katie, if I do this, I know you’ll survive. If I stay with you, I don’t know if you will. And now there’s the hatchling to think about,” he said. “I’d rather lose you as my mate than lose you forever. So, it’s done. I’ll always take care of you both, but I won’t endanger you anymore.”

With regret heavy in his stomach, he left. She didn’t try to stop him. He strode through the halls and stairwells until he broke free of the castle. He would go to the Sanctuary and bring Sasha back to Kris. He’d serve on the Council and force it to stay together. He’d rebuild the Immortal empire and use his half-demon skills to protect them all. He’d sacrifice himself to the balance of good and evil by taking on the enforcer role Andre’s death had left open.

Most importantly, he’d protect Katie by building a world that was safe for her and watching over her from a distance. Kris had sworn to protect her if Rhyn un-mated her. If Kris were willing to protect a twisted bastard like Sasha because of a stupid oath, he’d do the same for Katie. Maybe then, she’d know peace. No one would hurt her or hunt her just to get to him. He’d find a way to deal with the loss that ate a hole through his body. What mattered was that she was safe, and he no longer caused her pain.

Rage pounded through his body and he threw himself into the air, relishing the pain the shapeshifting brought.

 

* * *

“We found something while scouting the forest.” The Immortal on the other side of his door was too excited to wait until he entered to shout the news.

“Come in,” Kris ordered from his spot at the conference table. It was otherwise empty, and he’d escaped for a break from the death burning in the courtyards and any interaction with others, especially a certain mortal who’d managed to reopen an old wound. He looked up as the scout entered. Snow had begun to fall again and clung to the scout’s clothing. “What is it?”

“Darkyn’s preparing for another attack in the forest.”

“How many demons?”

“More than we have Immortals.”

Kris rose to find his brothers.

“Kris,” the scout continued. “There’s something else. The demons are heading to the mortal village. We heard them say they have orders to kill everyone.”

Kris was silent, surprised at Darkyn’s audacity. Immortals and demons fought among themselves, for mortals were too weak and temporary to bother with. It was an understanding as old as the Dark One, who had stopped his demons once before when they launched attacks on humans. While Kris would love to sacrifice a certain infuriating mortal to further his cause, he wouldn’t even sacrifice her, let alone allow Darkyn’s to wipe out a village. Any bleed over of their battle into the mortal world was unacceptable.

He strode into the hall, calling, “Kiki!”

His brother poked his head from the burnt-out remains of Kris’s own chamber.

“Scout, tell him. I’m going to find my brothers.”

The scout bobbed his head. Kris opened a portal to the Indian Ocean Sanctuary, where Erik had gone to seek out Ully. The vial was in his pocket, and he strode into the Sanctuary, eyes roving for Erik or Ully.

The largest of the Sanctuaries, it was packed with the majority of the Immortals who had been present in the castle. His eyes took in the different people as he sought out Hannah before realizing she had likely gone to the Caribbean with her sister. Katie’s words stung despite his attempt to ignore them. Someone had lied to her about Lilith, who had died defenseless and alone. Andre never approved of Lilith, either, but he’d never accused her of evil. An unbound Immortal’s mate had no protection from demon or Immortal Code. He’d learned this the hard way when Andre refused to do more than send Rhyn to Hell for killing Lilith. Had she been his mate, Andre would’ve made Rhyn dead-dead.

Kris wasn’t about to lose Hannah the same way. While Lilith’s tattoo-- and therefore, her bond to him-- had never fully materialized, he’d find a way to ensure Hannah’s did.

Frustrated at not finding either of the men he sought, he created a portal to the Caribbean Sanctuary and emerged outside the walls. He beat on the door then entered unbidden. A small woman in a brown robe rushed to remind him of the rules.

“I know, good lady,” he said. “I will not be here long. By chance, have you seen-- ”

“Kris?”

He looked up at the sweet voice, his anger melting at the sight of Hannah’s pretty face. She smiled uncertainly. He excused himself to cross to her. She appeared healthy, and her blue eyes were bright.

“I am glad to see you well,” he said. “Did Toby make it safely?”

“Yes, of course. Katherine brought us here.”

“I see. I gave orders that everyone was to rendezvous elsewhere, but I am happy you’re safe.”

“I have something to show you,” she said and took his hand, pulling him toward the guest rooms lining the small courtyard.

“Hannah, I must-- ”

“It’ll be quick.”

He allowed her to pull him into her small room and close the door behind him. He waited while she rolled up her sleeve in excitement, then displayed the blood-red tattoo there. Inside an intricate pattern of Immortal writing was the word K R I S. His throat tightened at the sight of something he’d waited his whole life to see. No matter what lies Katie had been told, he couldn’t believe what was said about Lilith. The evidence Lilith wasn’t meant for him was clear. Immortals only had one shot at their mates, and Andre had tried to warn him Lilith was not his intended. His dead-dead brother was right, or Hannah wouldn’t bear Kris’s name.

He caressed the tattoo with a thumb and smiled, feeling genuine happiness for the first time since Andre’s death. Hannah’s face glowed, and she threw her arms around him. He held her close and breathed in her scent.

“Katherine was gone before I could show her. She’ll be so thrilled to welcome you to our family!” she exclaimed.

Kris knew the opposite to be true but said nothing, enjoying the moment of peace. There was a tap at the door. He pulled loose from her to answer it, not surprised to see another of the convent members there, probably to tell him the same thing the first did.

“Master Kris,” the woman said, “we have your brother, Sasha, here. He’s in a deep sleep, but his presence here is causing much unease among us.”

“Hannah, I promise to come back soon. I must handle this,” he said, turning back to give his mate a kiss on the cheek.

“You’ll return today?” she asked hopefully. “Or can we go back to the castle?”

“I have to make sure the demons are gone before you come back,” he said. “I will visit again soon, my Hannah.”

She beamed another brilliant smile, and it took all his willpower to leave her to see one of his least favorite people. He rejoined the awaiting convent member in the courtyard outside Hannah's room and trailed her through the Sanctuary. A familiar shape in the dark corner of the cafeteria caught his attention as he passed, and he paused to raise a hand in greeting.

“Gabriel?”

The death dealer emerged. He looked … different, though Kris couldn’t pinpoint why. His eyes were colder, his face more somber. At Tamer’s height and built like a tank, there had never been anything soft about Death’s assassin, but he seemed more distant than usual.

“You here for me?” He gave the typical greeting.

“No,” Gabriel said.

“For Sasha maybe?”

“No.”

“It would ease a lot of my issues if you were,” Kris admitted. “Walk with me. You’re here to watch over Toby, as usual?”

“Of sorts.”

Kris gave him a sidelong look. Gabriel had been a friend to all the Council members, though he suspected the assassin favored Rhyn the most.

“I hadn’t seen you in a couple of days. Demons attacked us after Sasha did something with our father’s body. I don’t know what he intended. He was safe at the castle,” Kris said as they walked.

“People are often victims of their own natures.”

“Do you ever find it difficult to follow the Code when it seems so wrong to do so?”

“Not until recently.”

Gabriel’s ominous words made Kris uneasy. The assassin had been an even greater stickler to the Code than he was. Kris had come close to breaking the Immortal rules or his own oaths to his father. To his knowledge, Gabriel never had, and the assassin was not one who would ever allow emotion to cloud his decisions.

“I guess there comes a time where even the best of us are tempted,” he reasoned.

“Unfortunately, it seems that way. A good man once told me sometimes all the choices we have are bad.”

“Wise words from a wise man,” Kris said. They reached Sasha’s room, and the convent member pushed the door open to reveal Sasha’s torn-up body. “What I can’t figure out is why he came here.”

“His name isn’t on my list. He doesn’t have a contract out on him yet,” Gabriel said.

Kris took in his mutilated brother’s body. He thought of what the Council wanted him to do and of what Sasha had done. Killing in cold blood was forbidden. He’d have to figure out what to do with the wounded man. He could buy an assassination, but part of him preferred the idea of handling family matters within the family.

“When he’s well enough, we’ll move him,” he told the anxious woman in brown. She frowned in response. “I’ll post two Immortal guards to ensure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

She nodded, relief on her face, and he turned away from his injured brother. He’d send someone to take Hannah to a different sanctuary, unwilling to risk his newfound mate to one as unpredictable as Sasha.

For her sake, he had to find a way to live with Katie, or their differences would turn into a family feud. He couldn’t bring himself to include Rhyn in the picture and hoped Katie came to her senses one day and dumped the half-demon before the worst happened, and she ended up extending the bloodline of the loose cannon that was her mate.

“How long are you here for, Gabe?” he asked.

“As long as it takes.”

“You’re here on business.”

“I am.”

“Good luck to you,” Kris said. “You’d have my eternal gratitude if you could find a place for Rhyn in the underworld.”

“Not here for him.”

“Maybe next time. I’m returning to the castle. I’ll send Immortals to watch over Sasha.”

His thoughts on preventing demons from killing innocent humans, he missed the resentful look that crossed Gabriel’s face.

 

* * *

“You will find him and bring the vial or the girl to me, or I will spend eternity tormenting you!”

Darkyn’s angry words echoed in Jade’s mind. His body was bloodied from Darkyn’s whip. The cold early winter wind dried the tears on his face and made his cheeks stiff. Limping, Jade returned to the site where he’d killed Sasha. Sasha’s blood was hidden beneath fresh snowfall. He stopped to lean against a tree to rest, unable to shake his own surprise at discovering Sasha wasn’t dead.

He’d chopped him to pieces; he shouldn’t have survived! And the vial never should’ve found its way back here!

It was Katie again. His fury rose once more. She’d been the reason Kris turned his back on him, and she’d been the one to bring the vial to the demon she thought was Ully. If he found her, he might find the vial.

His mind foggy with pain, Jade began to humor thoughts he’d previously rejected. They appeared more reasonable in his current state. If he killed her, Kris would finally see the folly of his ways. He’d have to deliver the vial to Darkyn first. Maybe there was a chance he could leave Hell and come back to Kris. After all, Kris hadn’t died in the attack, and Jade could blame it all on Sasha.

A new idea struck, and he looked down at his bloodied body. He would go to Kris and tell him just that-- that Sasha had done this all, and he, Jade, had tried to help but been nearly killed by the demons!

It would work. It must work! Darkyn was too cruel a master to betray.

Jade shook his head, feeling as if madness born of desperation were creeping into his mind with the pain. He straightened and limped toward the castle. No one challenged him, for the Immortals had no idea what he’d done. He passed through them tensely, many of them as bloody or bruised as he was. He saw only warriors on the main floor of the castle and ascended with increasing pain to the floor where Kris would be.

Kris’s chamber was a burnt-out hull, and he lingered for a moment, regret in his belly. He’d spent many wonderful nights in the now crispy bed. He went next door to the conference room and opened it.

Kris looked up, surprise crossing his face. Kiki, the Ancient from Asia, sat beside Kris at the small conference table and looked him over with a frown. Jade’s words stuck in his throat at the sight of Kris’s beautiful emerald eyes. Emerald was the color of Kris thinking, and Jade’s favorite hue.

“My god, Jade, where have you been?” Kris managed at last, standing.

“I needed some space,” Jade replied. “When I came back, the demons were attacking. I chased them into the forest and ended up surrounded. Barely made it back.”

“We lost half of Kris’s warriors and quite a few of mine,” Kiki said. “You’re a lucky man.”

“Kiki, can you leave us alone?” Kris asked. Kiki obeyed and left, closing the door behind him. Jade’s heart started to soar. His one love wanted to be alone with him!

“I would hug you in greeting, but I’m down to one of my last sets of clothing,” Kris said somewhat ruefully. He moved to the edge of the table nearest Jade and crossed his arms as he leaned against it. “You need a healer, my friend.”

“I’ve seen better days,” Jade agreed. “I am sorry I wasn’t here when you needed me.”

“We survived. Barely. Waiting to see what Darkyn intends by sending his remaining warriors to the human village.”

“He would do that?”

“Seems that way. Kiki’s men are at the village now to protect it.”

Jade was quiet, struck by the importance of such a move. Darkyn had said nothing of this to him! It was one thing for the demons and Immortals to fight, but to attack the innocent humans was madness. He would never go so far.

“I am happy to see you. I was worried,” Kris said in a soft voice. Jade’s pulse leapt at the words. “A lot has changed in so short a time. The Council is working together for once, and Sasha tricked us into thinking he was returning to the Council, disappeared and washed up at the Caribbean Sanctuary. Our father’s body was stolen.”

“I saw Sasha take the body into the forest,” Jade said carefully. “He was shouting at the demons. Said he’d done what they told him and given them you and the castle so they’d leave him alone.”

Kris’s gaze darkened, and he stood, pacing to the window. He stared into the dark night, watching the snow fall.

“I guess they changed their mind. They slashed him up good, but he’s still alive,” Kris said. “I wonder how they got him away from the coffin. He should’ve known to stay put.”

“I don’t know. He did say something about the Sanctuary,” Jade said, seeking some lie to keep Kris’s suspicions from turning to him. “It’s all I heard. I was fighting the demons.”

“In any case, I’m pleased to see you again, my friend,” Kris said. He seemed to shake his dark mood, and Jade relaxed. “I have more good news for you.”

“We need good news!”

“I found my mate.”

Jade drew a sharp breath. “Katie?”

“No, her sister. There were two Ancient’s mates born into her family. I discovered this when her sister arrived here.”

Jade saw his chance of returning to his ex-lover’s side disappear. The pain returned, and he realized he hadn’t noticed its temporary reprieve until it clutched his chest again. His thoughts turned to Katie. He’d give anything for the vial and the feel of her blood on his hands! She’d brought him nothing but pain, and now her family had taken Kris from him. His whole life was in shambles because of her.

“You need some rest and a shower. The guest room is open. Please, go take care of yourself,” Kris said, not unkindly.

Jade couldn’t bring himself to ask about the vial for fear of giving himself away. His battered body felt heavy, and his emotions grew chaotic. He stared at the ground in front of him, heartsick.

“Is Katie all right?” he forced himself to ask. “Was she pleased to know her sister was joining our … family?”

“Not exactly. She and her mate have become even larger thorns in my side. I’m sending her back to the Sanctuary in the morning.”

Jade looked up again, interested as much in the sudden anger in Kris’s voice as he was in the knowledge that Katie was in the castle.

“But, that’s for a different time,” Kris said with a small smile. “Go and rest.”

“Thank you, I will.” His voice sounded mechanical to his own ears. Jade opened the door to leave when Kris’s voice stopped him.

“Jade, you know I’ll always care about you.”

“It’s too late for that,” he said and walked out. He went to the guestroom next door and closed the door. The chamber seemed … foreign to him. It would be his last night with the Immortals, for no one would forgive him once he followed through with the plans forming in his mind.

 

Kris waited until the guest bedroom door closed before he motioned to one of the Immortals posted on either end of the hallway. With a sinking heart, he realized he’d lost the Jade who’d been his friend and lover for a few hundred years. Something was drastically altered about his friend, and the thin collar around his neck told Kris everything he needed to know. What he didn’t know was what happened to his other lieutenant, Iliana. If Sasha was telling the truth, the chances of her being alive weren’t good.

“Post six guards in this hallway. No one leaves this floor unless it’s me. Understood?”

The Immortal nodded and trotted away to gather more. Kris waited until five Immortals were present in the hall before he retreated to his conference room. Once more, he caught himself thinking of Andre and missing his brother’s-- and best friend’s-- guidance.

Andre was dead-dead. He had to do what Andre would have done.

Kris crossed to his burnt-out bedchamber and dug through a trunk in the closet. He withdrew a dagger he’d purposely buried there, never intending to follow in the footsteps of Andre’s enforcer role. It was the dagger used to kill Rhyn’s mother, and the same one Andre would’ve used to kill Sasha for breaking his sacred oaths and trying to kill his brothers.

It was the same one he’d use to kill Jade and Sasha.

Kris closed his eyes. He didn’t want this role. It wasn’t in his nature. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, this was a role for Rhyn, who had brought the Council back. He gave his youngest brother no credit for understanding either the importance of the Council or the good intentions behind bringing the Council back together, but Rhyn knew how to use brute violence when it was needed.

“You going hunting?”

He whirled to face the man of whom he thought.

“For me?” Rhyn asked with a cunning smile. “You’re the best Immortal warrior there is. It’d be an honor to kill you.”

“Believe it or not, I was thinking of killing someone else,” Kris replied, rising. He tucked the dagger into his belt and shoved Rhyn out of his way as he exited the closet.

“It’s gotta be Sasha.”

Kris said nothing.

“I came to tell you something else.”

“I take it more bad news?” Kris said. “It’s my day for that shit.”

“I think you’ll take this as good news, knowing how much you like to see me suffer.”

“Then tell all.”

“I let Katie go.”

Kris turned, surprised. “I didn’t think you were smart enough.”

“It’s the only way to keep you and the other Immortals from treating her like shit.”

“You really did this?”

“I did.”

“So you’re going back to Hell?”

“No, brother, sorry to disappoint you,” Rhyn said dryly. “I’m staying here. With you and the Council. It’s where I’m supposed to be, isn’t it?”

“I don’t understand,” Kris said with a frown. “You’re leaving her but staying here.”

“I’m going to make sure you and the Council do what it must to protect her and everyone else like her.”

Kris looked at his condemned brother anew, not sure how to take Rhyn’s newfound intent and resolve. Rhyn’s gaze fell to the dagger Andre had carried.

“You don’t have the heart or stomach for what that entails.”

Kris’s face felt warm, but he knew Rhyn was right for once.

“Andre and I were more alike than you know,” Rhyn added.

“You were nothing alike. What he did was for the good of Immortals and humans alike,” Kris said.

“Right, because killing in cold blood isn’t something a Council member does.”

“It’s not something I do,” Kris retorted.

“I will. Whomever you want, and whomever you don’t want, I won’t.”

“You’ll take orders from me?”

“On this. On everything else, probably not. But, I’ll keep the Council together to protect Katie and our hatchling.”

Kris stared at him. “Humans don’t hatch,” he whispered, not sure what else to say.

“I don’t give a shit how it works.”

“Dear god, Rhyn!” he said and shook his head. Now he understood Rhyn’s powerful motivator, and he was both impressed and horrified.

“And she wants to become a nun at a Sanctuary,” Rhyn added. “Good place for her, Toby, and the hatchling. I only ask one thing of you, Kris, in exchange for doing your dirty work.”

“I’m all ears at this point.”

“You take care of her like you said you would after the Council meeting. No more of the shitty treatment you’ve been giving her. She’s no longer my mate. Treat her like she’s the sister of your mate.”

Kris hesitated. He’d never had a conversation with Rhyn where the two of them didn’t behave like testosterone-plagued teenagers. He didn’t want to agree to Rhyn’s terms, but the side of him willing to take in a creature like Sasha emerged again. At the end of the day, he’d try to do what was right. If Katie wanted to go to the convent, he’d be the last to argue with her. It’d keep her out of his hair, safe, and the powerful force that was Rhyn working for him.

“We have a deal,” he said. He withdrew the sheathed dagger and tossed it to Rhyn. “I still can’t believe … I shouldn’t be surprised. You fuck up everything.”

“I know,” Rhyn said, unaffected. “Who do I kill first?”

 

* * *

Katie stood in the back doorway to the castle, hoping Rhyn returned soon. Snow fell from the sky to be either burned by the pyre or to cover the red mess that was the rest of the park. Immortals lined the perimeter of the park shoulder to shoulder and roved the interior of the castle. Kris had assigned her a babysitter and ordered her to spray herself down with the skunk spray so she wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention.

Something tickled her neck, and she looked down to see the first of the letters of her tattoo flutter to the ground. They fell delicately one by one, like feathers. She grabbed at one of them, then let it fall. It was what needed to happen. He had to let her go, but the sense of yearning and pain was too strong for her to sleep.

She sank down with her back to the door, not caring about the cold day or the snow that seeped through her clothes to chill her. She stared at the blood-colored letters as the snow buried them. She’d tried opening a portal soon after Rhyn left to return to the Sanctuary but failed. Though there was a wall of Immortals between her and the forest, she felt the demon watching her, waiting for its opening, now that she was no longer protected. Again she found herself hoping Gabriel took her soon.

Darkyn. He wasn’t like the other demons. None of them had gotten into her head.

“You’re like bait out here.” Kris’s voice made her tense. “Go to your chamber. I’ll have you taken back to the Sanctuary tomorrow.”

“I want to go back today,” she replied.

“Not until I find Ully and test the vial you brought me. If it’s not the immunity blood, then Ully will need you here in his lab.”

She rolled her eyes, once again a test subject to the great overlord of the Immortals. She rose and shook out the chill.

“Besides, you should be resting,” he said with a forced note of kindness. She looked up at him questioningly. To her surprise, he walked with her toward the stairs. “I understand you want to go to the convent.”

“Rhyn told you?”

“He told me many things, such as he’d let you go.”

“Convent would be nice,” she whispered. Her chest was clenched so tight, she felt physical pain. “Safe place for us.”

“I’ll arrange it as soon as I can.”

“Thanks, Kris.” She left him at the base of the stairs and ascended alone. It was as it should be. Rhyn wasn’t coming back for her, yet her heart felt as if it’d fall out of her chest. She hadn’t been certain about the kind of life she’d have with him, but she was certain she didn’t want a life without him. At least she wouldn’t be around long enough to find out.

She entered the chilly chamber. Her Immortal guard poked his head in every corner and door and looked under the bed before he left her in peace.

How she hated this room!

Her suitcase was on the trunk. Tears rose as she realized she was about to leave for good. She didn’t want to sleep for fear of the demon from her nightmares-- or Gabriel-- coming for her. Dragging a blanket to the warm fire in the hearth, she wrapped herself in it and sat.

She dozed and awoke to the sound of something bumping her door. The fire was lower but still burning. She hadn’t slept too long. The bump sounded again, as if someone ran into it. Frowning, she rose to see if her Immortal guard was nodding off at his post. As she neared the door, she heard the sounds of scuffling.

Her heart slowed, and she stepped back, imagining the Immortal fighting off some demon that had stayed hidden until dark. Before she could search the room for something to use as a weapon or run, the door wrenched open.

Jade stood before her, blood spattered across his otherwise clean clothes. She gasped, not expecting Kris’s traitorous lieutenant but knowing his presence was an awful omen. His bloodied knife was out at his side, his dark gaze blazing.

“I will ask you this once,” he said. “Where is the vial the demons seek?”

“Good God, Jade, are you working with them?”

He strode to her and snatched her arm, squeezing until it hurt.

“I don’t know!” she cried. “I gave it to Kris!”

His face mottled with anger, he released her with a curse and paced. She noticed his limp.

“What happened to you, Jade?” she whispered.

“Shut up! Everything that’s gone wrong has been because of you!” he returned. “If you hadn’t appeared, Kris …” He stopped suddenly. “Where’s your mating tattoo? Is Rhyn dead?”

“Not hardly,” she said and turned away. “Sounds like he did the same to me as Kris did to you.”

Jade was silent. She wondered if Kris would check on her then dismissed the idea he’d seek her out for any reason. Her guards changed every eight hours, and this one would’ve started his shift at midnight. Two hours ago, according to the clock on the mantle. If she called for Rhyn, he wouldn’t come. Desolation absorbed her into her thoughts, until Jade spoke again.

“Demons. They’ll take more than your soul.”

She looked at him to see the haunted look that crossed his face.

Rhyn.

Jade was lost in his thoughts for a few minutes, staring without seeing. Rhyn didn’t come. Crushed, she realized she had six hours to keep Jade busy in the hopes he didn’t kill her. By the wild look in his eyes, she doubted she’d make it one. Jade shook his head, as if tormented by his own thoughts.

“I can ask him for it,” she ventured.

“Like I’d trust you.”

“If it’s what you came for, then what choice do you have?”

“I’ve got you if I can’t get the vial,” Jade said. “Darkyn said-- ”

“Darkyn?”

“You know him?”

“Only from my nightmares. He’s been tracking me for weeks.”

“So you’ll take him from me, too, will you?”

“I’ve never taken anyone from you!” she said, baffled. Fury she didn’t understand crossed his face. He raised the knife, lowered it, raised, lowered. His gaze burned into her, and she held her breath, awaiting his decision of whether or not to leave her alive.

“I’ve crossed that line,” he muttered to himself and moved forward. He snatched her arm and sheathed his knife. Hauling her to the bed, he shook out a pillow from its case and draped the case over her head like a hood.

“What line?” she asked.

“The one where I kill innocents to get what I want.”

He opened a portal so fast, the shadow world sucked her breath out. He dragged her through it, and she dug her heels in. It was worthless-- he was too strong. She pulled off the hood just as they emerged in a place she’d never thought she’d see again. The black fortress and dark skies made her heart drop to her feet. There was no Rhyn to rescue her this time. She was going to die.

He made his way through the fortress to a bedroom and slammed the door behind them. She stood in the middle of the chamber, quaking and praying he wasn’t the sadistic bastard Sasha was.

Jade ignored her and crossed to a trunk in the corner. She watched in horror as he pulled out a crumpled woman’s body, even more shocked to realize she recognized the woman’s face when Jade set her on the bed. She had been one of Kris’s lieutenants, Iliana. The woman’s hair was red with blood, and her face clammy, but she appeared to be alive.

“What’re you doing, Jade?” she whispered, inching closer.

“It is called a proof of life,” he said and withdrew a knife. “Darkyn wants you alive, if I can’t get the vial. Kris will need to be convinced to turn it over to me.”

He lifted Iliana’s hand, and Katie realized what he intended.

“Jade, no!”