wiggled her way out of her pants, despite Ryland’s shadows attempting to
hold them in place. The thin lace panties she wore left very little to the
imagination. I whipped my gaze in Toby and Axel’s direction, ready to
murder them if they so much as glanced her way. Toby was staring purposely
out the far window, a blush staining his cheeks, but Axel…
Axel was staring at Z’s chest intently.
My fangs lowered, seconds from embedding themselves in his neck and
drawing out his blood until he fell at my feet dead, when the assassin’s nose
wrinkled in disgust.
“Don’t see it.” He shook his head vehemently.
“Don’t see what?” Z questioned, not at all ashamed by her near nudity. I
wondered how many times she’d gone out in public like this, how many men
had set their eyes upon her perfect flesh.
But then I decided I didn’t want to know the answers to any of those
questions.
“Don’t see the allure,” Axel answered simply.
Z snorted. “In me?”
“In women.” He crinkled his nose, and then, before any of us could stop
him, leaned forward and squeezed her tits. Surprisingly, Z let him, her eyes
dancing with amusement, even as Killian, of all people, lunged forward and
tried to grab at the former assassin.
Axel glanced from Z’s tempting tits to his cock and then back to her tits
once more.
“Nope.” He released her before Ryland’s shadows could strangle him or
Bash could cast a nasty ass spell. “Not even a twitch.” He rubbed at his
flaccid dick with a manic glint in his eyes. “Axel junior is still fast asleep.”
Bash practically hissed at him, moving forward to wrap his arm around
Z’s waist possessively before pulling her onto his lap. All he needed to do
next was piss on her, and then he would’ve firmly asserted his authority.
I could tell he’d realized his error when Z began to wiggle in his lap. Her
expression was at first annoyed, but then it turned mischievous when he
grunted, his eyes fluttering shut with arousal.
“Stop trying to distract me,” Bash gritted out, grabbing her hips to hold
her still.
Z simply turned to stare at him over her shoulder, and his eyes lowered
from her lips to her chest and then went back to her lips. “I’m not distracting
you. It’s not my fault your cock has a bigger brain than you, Bash-hole.” She
finally pulled herself off his lap, and Bash released a noise of distress, his
hands reaching in her direction as if he wanted to drag her back towards him.
But then his eyes glued themselves to her ass as she lowered at the waist,
moving towards the door of the limo, and all was right in the world.
“I need to pretend to be one of the working girls,” Z explained once she
was far enough away we couldn’t grab her. Toby exited the vehicle, followed
immediately by Axel, but Z lingered, still crouched over.
“Fuck no,” Ryland seethed.
“Not happening, baby,” Bash retorted.
“I’m not asking your permission,” she sniped. “I told you guys about this
rescue mission because we’re a team and I trust you.” Her words filled me
with warmth and bubbles and all of the other light and airy things in this
world. But then coldness replaced the heat and the bubbles popped one by
one. “I don’t need to be protected. I’ve done a damn good job of protecting
myself for years.”
“What if we want to protect you?” Killian asked softly, and when all of us
turned to stare at him, he blushed, running a hand through his red hair. “I-I
me-mean…”
“I know what you mean.” Z threw him a gentle look.
“Z.” So far, Dair had remained silent throughout this entire exchange, but
I could tell he had something important he wanted to say. “We understand
you’re perfectly capable of looking after yourself, but sometimes, it’s okay to
lean on us. It’s okay to rely on other people, because I promise you, we won’t
let you down. We won’t abandon you.” He paused, allowing his words to
sink in, before continuing. “Saying that,” he threw pointed looks in all of our
directions, “we understand that you need to do this mission by yourself.”
“Fuck that,” Bash said with a snort. Ryland seemed to be in agreement as
his shadows writhed and danced like angry, hissing snakes.
Dair cast them frosty glares. “We’re too recognizable. Not only that, but
we’re not trained for combat.” Killian ducked his head sheepishly, Bash
glowered, and I kept my face perfectly blank. Only Ryland sat up straighter
in his seat, jutting his chin up.
“I am,” he insisted, and I recalled somewhat dazedly that his father, the
shadow king, had trained him in sword fighting throughout his childhood.
“And that’s why you should go with,” Dair continued, and this time, Z
was the one who opened her mouth to protest. Dair waved her arguments
away with a simple flick of his golden hand. “It makes the most sense, Z, and
it’s a win-win for all of us. We want to look after you, but we understand that
this isn’t a fight we can help with at the moment. But at the same time,
Ryland is able to have your back in secret.” He nodded towards Ryland, who
immediately pulled the shadows close around his body like an obsidian cloak.
Even though I knew he was there, I couldn’t see him. “This is a fair
compromise.”
“Compromise.” A distant look glazed over Z’s eyes. Her jaw set, and a
hardness marred her features. Her pouty lips pursed slightly before
immediately straightening out. She released a heavy sigh, the muscles in her
shoulders loosening, and relented, albeit reluctantly. “All right. I suppose I
should get used to compromising more.”
“We’re a team,” Dair told her gently.
“A team,” she agreed immediately. She turned to address all of us then,
the movement drawing attention to her impressive chest and the clear view
we had of her tits. I wasn’t the only one who had to fight off a hard-on. “All
right. Ryland, come with me but stay hidden. The rest of you, wait here. I’ll
call you if I need backup.” She leaned towards one of the limo benches and
grabbed a walkie-talkie, tossing it in my direction. I caught it easily and held
it out to Bash. Not because I didn’t want to have a direct line of
communication with Z, but because I knew Bash would freak the fuck out
every second she wasn’t in his line of sight.
He didn’t love easily, but when he did, he loved harder than any man I’d
ever met.
She looked as if she wanted to say something to us, her mouth opening
and a softness thawing the frost in her eyes, but she immediately pressed her
lips together, her cheeks filling with flames.
“I…I’ll see you later,” she stuttered out, all but running out of the vehicle.
“Fucking hell,” Bash murmured, staring intently at the walkie-talkie, as if
he could see Z through it.
But I couldn’t focus on him.
Or anyone else, for that matter.
The second she left, the walls of the limo began to drip red with blood.
Darkness permeated the small spa
ce, and the faces of my brothers twisted and
distorted until I couldn’t recognize them. Killian’s eyes drooped down his
face like ice cream melting on a hot summer day, and his skin blistered and
cracked like hell itself lived beneath his skin. Bash’s head was no longer
connected to his body, but instead, sat next to him, his eyes lifeless and
vacant. Dair had three heads, but each one displayed a different face—one
had his mouth opened in a silent scream, another was grinning maniacally,
and the third was a picture of anguish.
The darkness in my mind once more consumed me.
NINETEEN
Z
W hen that woman, Natalia, mentioned a brothel, I’d expected the
building to be a rundown, desolate shed teeming with scantily-
clad prostitutes. I was right about the scantily-clad part, but
instead of venturing into a shed, I found myself at the back door of a
sprawling mansion.
It was gorgeous, with stone pillars, a wide balcony, and a fountain, but
the beauty of the building only added to my unease and trepidation
Something that held such horror shouldn’t be beautiful.
That made me hate these nightmares even more. Their malevolence was
like a black storm cloud hovering over us all, promising torrents of rain,
white-hot lightning, and booming thunder.
I turned towards Axel and Toby. The old assassin was cackling evilly and
staring up at the mansion as if he were imagining eating all of them for
dinner. Toby, on the other hand, kept flicking his gaze in all directions as if
he couldn’t decide where to focus his attention. His face was screwed up in
fear.
I had to give him credit though—despite the terror twisting up his
features, there was a determined glint in his gaze that increased my respect
for him.
Though I couldn’t see him, I sensed Ryland hovering in the shadows
nearby, his presence settling my fears and soothing my nerves. Anxiety
gnawed at my insides, cutting a hole in my heart like moths chewing through
clothing. I half wanted to dance on the balls of my feet in preparation of the
fight to come, while the rest of me worked to regulate my breathing to
conquer the growing panic.
“Be safe.” I paused to stare intently at both Axel and Toby. To Axel, I
added, “And don’t stab people just to fucking stab people.”
He placed his hand over his chest and staggered back a few steps in
mock-horror. “You wound me, little sister. I thought you liked my stabby
ways.”
“No stabbing,” I told him firmly. I glanced once more at Toby, hoping
my face conveyed everything I couldn’t say out loud.
I’m sorry.
I should’ve stopped her.
I’ll fix this.
But instead of wording any of that, I gestured for them to head towards
the main entrance.
“Go.”
Soon, it was just me…and Ryland.
“Let’s do this,” I told my shadow mate with a bravado I didn’t completely
feel. To be honest, I was a mess. My internal organs were tangled into
hundreds of knots, each one tightening by the second, until I feared I would
topple over.
How could I fight when my body was failing me the way it was? How
could I keep my promise and save these humans?
I wasn’t sure I could, but I sure as fuck would try.
With the skimpy clothing I wore, I wasn’t able to hide any weapons on
my body. That was okay, though. If you were a real assassin, a real killer,
you knew how to use the environment to your own advantage.
I didn’t need weapons to make these bastards pay. Especially with…
My thoughts trailed off as I fingered the necklace a disgruntled Paco had
created for me. It hung just between my breasts, appearing like a part of my
costume. A nice accessory to go with the bra and panty combo I was rocking.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I moved towards the back door.
According to Toby, there were only a few guards posted at the front
entrance. I thought that was moronic on the mages’ part, but Toby explained
it was arrogance. The mages who ran the brothel didn’t believe anyone would
be stupid enough to fight back against them. And why would they think
differently? Humans had been the nightmares’ punching bag for hundreds of
years. For so long, we accepted this mistreatment in relative silence.
But maybe we were another extinct supernatural creature coming back to
life. Maybe we were phoenixes rising from the ashes of our ancestors.
Once I entered the mansion, the smell of stale air, sweat, and cigar smoke
immediately bombarded me. There were very few lights in this section of the
mansion, giving the entire area an eerie, desolate feel. Smoke entered my
nostrils as I moved on silent feet down the hideous floral carpet of the
hallway.
Human woman with dead eyes and haunted expressions stopped to stare
at me as I walked. All of them wore outfits similar to mine or nothing at all.
Bruises covered the majority of their flesh, and that sick feeling inside of me
intensified with every step I took.
I moved towards the end of the hall, where the smoke seemed to be
coming from. This was the only part of the mansion that wasn’t silent. Music
blared from the speakers, a soundtrack to the horrible, depraved sight I was
forced to witness.
It appeared to be a sitting room with a fireplace against the far wall,
were positioned in a semicircle around the room, every cushion currently
occupied.
Human men and women were in a variety of lewd positions as mages
laughed haughtily, smoking on their cigars and chatting amongst themselves.
Directly in front of me, a young human female was bouncing on the cock
of a man significantly older than her with a pudgy belly and a bald, sweaty
head. Another human woman was pawing at her breasts, pinching her nipples
with a vacant look in her eyes. A young man was completely naked and on
his hands and knees while a mage rammed his cock into his ass. A female
mage in a green gown stood over them, sipping on her whisky and eyeing the
human with hungry eyes.
The humans all varied in age and gender, ethnicity and body type, but one
thing remained the same—the dead, empty look in their eyes. It felt like I was
staring into dozens of abysses, falling head over heels like Alice down the
rabbit hole.
My heart cracked in two when I saw a young woman’s body lying naked
and discarded near the roaring fireplace. Even in death, I could see the
resemblance between her and her sister clearly.
This must be Ali, Natalia’s sister.
We couldn’t save her in time.
Was Natalia dead too? Or was she here somewhere, facing unspeakable
horrors, just as her sister had before death claimed her?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
Ryland released a distressed noise from behind me as he witnessed the
horrific sight. I swore my stomach bottomed out, the contents spewing across
the floor as my heart raced a thousand miles a minute.
This world…it was evil. Absolute
ly, undoubtedly evil. Nothing we said
or did could change the fact that the world we lived in was steeped in
shadows and darkness. In bones and thorns. In monsters and beasts.
The more I looked, my stomach a tumultuous mixture of dread and fear,
the more I saw, and the more I realized that we, as a civilization, really were
fucked.
Embodying their sin of sloth, most of the mages weren’t actually doing
any of the work themselves. The woman riding the mage’s cock was being
propelled up and down by wispy strands of green magic. Two women being
fondled had similar green streaks wrapped around their wrists, forcing them
to palm each other’s breasts.
Bile filled me.
As did determination and a rage so white-hot, I feared it would set this
entire room ablaze. Although…maybe that was what needed to happen.
Maybe this room—and the rest of the world—should deteriorate into nothing
but soot and ash, and a new civilization should be reborn.
Before I could take a step into that room of horrors and raise hell, rough
hands clamped down on my arms, pulling me back against a chubby body.
Those same hands moved from my arms to my breasts, squeezing tightly
before clumsily reaching for my nipples.
If this fucker couldn’t even find my nipples, I wondered if he’d ever been
able to find a female’s clit. That was probably why he was here, raping
unwilling females, because nobody would be stupid enough to fuck his
disgusting, disease-ridden cock.
“What’s a pretty thing like you doing hiding away?”
Experience had taught me I had seconds to escape, to fight back. I’d just
made my body go limp, forcing him to hold all one hundred pounds of me,
and lifted my foot to jam it backwards into his knee when the man fell away
from me with a pained grunt that was quickly muffled.
I spun around quickly, making sure to keep a few feet between us. I knew
my limitations, and taking on larger opponents was definitely one of them. It
was why I preferred to use my bow and arrow over short-range weapons.
Humans weren’t allowed to possess guns, so I’d had to get creative with
ways to kill people with my petite body type.
The mage was an average man, albeit weathered with age. His hair was
speckled with white and seemed to be styled into a bowl cut. Either he’d done