bedeviled & beyond 04 - bedeviled & belittled (27 page)

I ducked as another sword drove toward me and, missing me, plunged into the dead guard’s chest instead. Spinning around, I kicked out at my next victim and sent him sprawling. He bounced on the floor once and skidded toward Dialle, landing against Dialle’s leather encased calf.

Dialle glanced down and sent a pinpoint power arrow into the guard’s head, killing him instantly.

Can you tell me which tower you’re in?

A tall one, Astra.

If I plunged my knife a little too forcefully into my next victim, I think you’ll understand. Fighting for calm, I gritted my teeth and said.
Darma, we’re fighting off a large number of Nerul’s guards trying to get to you. It isn’t fun and it isn’t easy. I swear, if you don’t get more helpful really quickly I’m going to pop out of this castle and leave you here. Spending eternity with you is probably a worse punishment for Nerul than death anyway.

Brief silence followed my threat, wherein Darma was no doubt trying to decide if she could get one more jab in before I blew. Apparently deciding it wasn’t worth the risk she finally said,
All right, Astra. Don’t get your bra in a twist. I know I’m on the top floor of whatever tower I’m in. We climbed to the top of the stairs when he brought me here. The room I’ m in is very opulent, more so than the rest of the tower was. So maybe it’s the tower where he has his rooms. I don’t know. The last time I looked there were two guards on the door and two at the stairs. That’s all I know, I swear.

Fine. We’ll get there as soon as we can.

He’s coming, Astra and he has blood in his eye. I have to go! Hurry!

I quickly finished off the guard I was fighting and turned to Dialle. “Darma’s in trouble, we have to find her fast!

He sliced his sword across two guards’ throats in one smooth swipe and shot a power arrow into a third. “Where is she?”

I looked around, happy to see that some of his men had joined us. I’d let them finish the fight while we went to get Darma. “She’s at the top of one of the towers. We need to split up and search every tower. How many are there?”

Dialle cocked an eyebrow. “I counted ten as we flew in.”

“Good lord.”

“I understand Aphrodite finds towers sexy.”

Sighing, I looked around. “That woman finds earthworms sexy.”

“Well worms and snakes could be considered phallic...”

“Bleurgh!”

I spotted Slayer and my aunt fighting down the hall. “I’ll take a couple of towers and I’ll send Slayer and Myra to search a couple each. Will you take a couple too?”

He nodded and I shuffled my mental drawers to tell Myra and Slayer what I wanted them to do. Then I grabbed Dialle’s hand and we ran toward the center of the castle, where I knew there must be a central space that fed all the tower staircases.

Away from battle, the lust magic in the castle started to work on me. My skin became so sensitized I could feel the soft fabric of my clothing shifting against it, and every nerve ending expanded with expectation. My nostrils flared under a musky scent that I recognized as lust. The heated air throbbed against my skin like a giant vibrator, creating an answering pulse in my pleasure core. My nipples hardened and my panties grew damp. I found myself staring at Dialle’s delectable ass as we ran. My mind started to cloud under the magic, my feet faltered and I finally stopped, overwhelmed.

I leaned against a wall, breathless.

Dialle stopped too and looked at me. I was both relieved and alarmed to see an answering passion in his beautiful eyes. He reached for my hand and pulled me into a dimly lit alcove.

“Astra.” He cupped my chin in one, large hand and stepped closer, until he was standing a fraction of an inch from my face, his heated aura pulsing against mine. As I inhaled his indescribable musk, the world receded to the background. The sounds and cries of battle were a distant clash, muted to almost nothing as his heartbeat sped up to match mine.

His scent swept over me, infusing me with such longing that my knees went weak. His black gaze swirled with a hunger to match mine. Dialle lowered his head and covered my mouth with his own, his hot tongue striking out to slide between my lips, lightning quick, and then retreating. “Can you feel it, Astra?”

I moaned and my mind went blank as my body roared to life. I immediately forgot what I was supposed to be doing. I knew there was something. But for the life of me...

When I spoke, my voice was husky and breathless. “Feel what?”

He nibbled my bottom lip, following it up with a lingering swipe of his tongue. “Lust. It’s everywhere. I find everything in this place exciting...sensual.”

I gulped. “Battle lust.” I croaked out. “It’s just the adrenaline rush from battle.”

“Nay.” He took my hand and slid it down his chest, over his flat belly and lower, to the spot where his sexy, leather pants bulged enticingly. “’Tis lust, Astra...for you. Do you know how sexy you look when you fight?”

I couldn’t help myself, my hand started moving over the hard flesh, rubbing it in sensual strokes that made his breath quicken and his eyes roll closed. “I need...” I gulped hard because I didn’t know what I needed exactly. I needed him for sure, but I also needed to do something. Something much less sexy than what I was currently doing. If only I could remember what it was.

Dialle’s talented fingers slid into my pants, easily breeching the soft fabric and plunging between the wet folds of my happy place.

My mind melted. I dragged him closer, claiming his lips in a savage kiss, and gave myself up to the sensations he was creating with his hot fingers. I was home. Dialle was giving me what I needed, what I craved, what I couldn’t live without.

He was all I needed. I didn’t need anyone else to make me happy...

Anyone else?

Just like that the mood died. Like a bucket of ice over my head, memory returned and I knew what it was I needed to do. I pushed him away with a sound of regret. “Stop! I can’t do this now.”

He groaned and leaned toward me, placing his hot, soft lips against my throat. “Make love with me, Astra. I need you.”

I shoved against his chest, panicking under a new wave of mind-clogging lust. “I have to get Darma. Then we’ll play. I promise.” I sent him one last, smoldering look and ran.

I ran hard and fast, running from myself as much as from him.

Cursing my sister, I entered the circular hallway that fed all of the tower stairwells. Without thinking I dived into the nearest stairwell and flew up the stairs, my mind swirling with a single thought—get my sister and then find Dialle.

I didn’t slow until I reached the top, realizing that, if I did, my body would have time to recoup and recharge. I knew as soon as I surged out of the stairwell that it wasn’t the right one. There were no guards. But I searched the rooms at the top of that tower anyway, just to make sure.

Finding nothing, I ran back down the stairs.

Back in the circular hallway, I plunged into the next stairwell. A few minutes later, with the same result, I ran back down the stairs. By that time my heart was pounding so hard I thought I might pass out and I could barely breathe. But still I ran. I was terrified to stop running.

Astra! Finally! I thought you guys would never get here.

I stopped in the middle of the third staircase.
What do you mean? Who found you?

You didn’t send him?

I bent double, gasping for breath.
Darma! Answer my question!

Emo. Emo’s here. And he has the jerk pinned. He’s going to kill him.

“Shit!” I started running again, completely panicked. My mind kept replaying Emo’s expression the last time I saw him. He was on the edge of embracing his devil completely. If he killed Nerul he would be lost to me forever.
Darma, listen to me, you have to stop him. Whatever you do, don’t let him kill Nerul.

Are you crazy?

No! I’m not. If Emo kills Nerul he’ll be lost. He’s fighting his devil right now and killing Nerul with anger will send him over.

Darma sighed. I could picture her crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at me, shaking her head in disgust.
It’s very complex in your world, Astra.

Despite everything I barked out a laugh.
Tell me about it.

Okay. I’ll see what I can do. But hurry.

Groaning, I ran harder. As I neared the top of the stairs I heard voices. Relieved, that I seemed to have found the right tower, I cloaked myself in a power bubble and ran faster. I didn’t have time for stealth, so I opted for a full-on frontal attack.

The two guards at the top of the stairs turned as I thundered toward them and brandished their swords. Seeing them armed only with swords, I didn’t even slow as I dropped my shield and swung my arm, slicing both of their heads off with a power arrow and leaping over the bodies as they tumbled noisily down the stairs.

The guards at the doors looked surprised, but were no better equipped for my arrival than their headless buddies. A heartbeat later I was stepping over their bodies to yank the golden doors wide.

The tableau that awaited me when I opened the doors would have been funny if I weren’t so terrified for Emo. Dressed in a flowing, sleeveless white gown that plunged low between her pale breasts and puddled around her feet, Darma stood next to a huge bed with a large figurine in one hand and a lamp in the other.

Across the room, Emo had Nerul pinned against the wall at the end of a sword, blood dripping down his throat from the razor sharp tip of the weapon. Rather than looking frightened, Nerul’s dark eyes sparked with humor.

Emo looked pissed. “I’m glad you’re here, Astra. Now you can tell your sister that I’m not the enemy. She nearly beheaded me with that last urn.”

He was surrounded by broken glass and debris and one cheek was bleeding from a large cut.

I looked beyond the anger and saw that he was suffering from his Settling. I could tell it was getting harder for him to hold his devil in check. He held himself rigidly, as if he were fighting for control. That, and the frantic flickering of his eyes told me he was in a bad way.

It was a good sign, however, that he hadn’t finished Nerul off.

“Partner. You don’t want to do this.”

His face softened as he glanced my way, but his arm didn’t waver. “I’m doing this for you, Astra.” His voice caught on the words and it broke my heart.

I stepped closer, watching him closely for a reaction. “Don’t do it for me. I don’t want you to kill that smoldering hunk of dark world turd. It will send you over the edge and he’s just not worth it. I touched the cross around my neck and called my aunt.
Myra! Get up here, I need your help. We’ve got Nerul.

Emo shook his dark head and increased the pressure on the sword. Blood ran more quickly from Nerul’s neck, but the randy royal’s expression never changed. He obviously didn’t believe Emo would kill him.

I wished I could believe that.

I tried a different tack.

“Step away and let me take care of Nerul, Emo. It isn’t your place. He hurt me and my family, not you.”

Myra!

Hold your thong, Astra. I’m coming.

I knew my friend and partner well. And I could tell when he had set his mind to something and didn’t intend to be dissuaded. I flicked a glance at Darma.
Fling something to distract him. I’m going to try to sneak up on him.

Darma nodded and lifted both arms, throwing the figurine and cocking her arm to follow it up with the small, crystal lamp. Praying Myra would arrive in time, I pulled my power forward and space shifted to a spot just behind Emo. Returning to the visual plane, I had to immediately duck as the lamp whizzed through the space where my head had been.

Emo swore and shifted sideways to avoid the lamp. “Damn it, Darma!”

The air next to us had begun shimmering just as I reached around him and slammed my arm up under his, dislodging the sword, and wrapping him in a power-induced hug to hold him there. The razor sharp metal flew out of his hand and sailed through the air. I heard a squeak of alarm behind me but didn’t turn. Emo pulled his own power forward, obviously intending to break my hold so he could get to Nerul. I tapped into my daemon hickey to overpower him, encasing him in a restrictive bubble.

Nerul grinned at me and lifted a hand, giving me a little finger wave. He started to shimmer just as Myra popped into the room. “Myra now!”

Before Nerul could shift away, Myra reached over and clamped a hand on his shoulder. White light speared from her hand and Nerul paled, his back stiffening in pain. After a moment, he dropped to his knees from the infusion of white magic. Nothing takes the starch out of a devil like an angel’s light magic. With her other hand, Myra forged silver manacles and clamped them onto his wrists and ankles.

Emo was in a complete rage. He threw himself against the bubble with a curse, his black eyes swirling with red and orange. “Let me out, Astra! What the hell are you doing to me?”

The air changed again and Dialle was suddenly there, quickly followed by Torre. Dialle glanced at Nerul and then Emo. “It looks like you have things under control, my love.” He reached out and ran a heated palm down my arm. “Are you all right?” He must have seen the pain in my eyes for entrapping my best friend. The way Emo glared at me I wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive me.

I nodded, moisture stinging my eyes. “He was going to turn completely to his devil.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince myself or Dialle. We watched Emo fling himself against the magical restriction I’d encased him in, screaming in rage. He was nearly frothing at the mouth. “I did what I had to do,” I murmured, trying to reassure myself.

Glancing at Emo, Myra lifted a golden eyebrow in question. “He’s going to need celestial intervention, Astra.”

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes but I nodded. Sniffing, I reached to pull the chain from my waist. “I’m doing this for your own good, partner.”

He saw the golden chain and realized what I was about to do. “No, Astra! Don’t do this to me!”