Tangled Sin (A Dark Realm Novel) (31 page)

They took form close to the mossy waters of the bayou. Saia swallowed the bile rushing to her throat at the raw odor of peat and decay. “Can you sense Zayn?”

“Yeah.” Riley studied the thick undergrowth surrounding them. “Stay close to me, Saia.”

She nodded, shuddering at the ominous sensation sliding through her. Evil trolled close. She reached into her coat pocket for the scimitar, reassured when she touched the cool blade.

Gifted with an ability
and
she had Wrath’s scimitar—cool!

The thicket parted, and her grim-faced family emerged from the bushes. Noah and Rohan did a quick perusal of her, didn't say anything.

Liz hugged her. “You okay?”

“I'm fine. Zayn?” she asked them.

“We don’t know yet, Saia,” Liz answered. “There’s an abandoned wooden building just past those trees.” She pointed over her shoulder. “And too many blood-demons.”

Riley stared in the direction of the shack. “We have to draw them outside. It’s the only way—”

All holy hell broke loose. As if a hive had exploded, red-eyed demons poured out from the trees. A cacophony filled the bayou.

Riley flashed Saia to the trees edging the clearing. “Stay here.”

A sword appearing in his hand, he flew into the horde. The dissonance of weapons clashing, savage growls and shrieks resonated in the quiet. Saia tried to keep track of her family.

Noah and Rohan fought with a viciousness she’d never seen before.

Steel throwing stars flew in the air, lodging in the chests of the demons, who shimmered and vanished, pulled back to their world in death. Weapons clashed, punches were thrown, and kicks landed.

Airborne, demons bounced off trees, using their otherworldly abilities, but her brothers were ready, their daggers flashing.

Rohan evaded a flying demon and skewered him in the heart. Another caught him in the belly. Snarling, he whipped around and sliced the demon across the carotid.

She realized Ikaria fought close to her, probably to keep her hide safe. And here she was, waiting, doing nothing like some weak little girl. The need to help grew. Saia snatched the scimitar from her coat pocket and palmed the hilt of the curved blade.

“Well, then, Wrath, let’s see how true your weapon is.” She glanced around, then stepped into the melee. A demon flashed, grabbed her in a chokehold. Cursing, Saia head-butted the fiend. Freed, she whipped around, her dagger slicing. The demon snarled, a trail of blood streaking his arm where she’d cut him. He leaped for her and stumbled, then just crumpled and disintegrated along with his bemused look.

She laughed in exhilaration. It worked.

Several more demons charged her. Oh, crap.

“Noah, get the others and leave!” Riley yelled his warning as he yanked her from the chaos. The moment her brothers had vanished into the trees, Riley hauled her against his chest. “Close your mind, Saia. Imagine steel shields. Now!”

At the urgent order, she pictured steel shutters rolling over her thoughts. Eyes shut, she held on tight. The vicious snarls and clanging swords built to a fever pitch.

Her eyes snapped open, and
déjà vu
surrounded her all over again. Exactly like the images Wrath had shown her of Riley as a young boy when he’d accidently let loose his new power. Like before, the demons turned on each other. Filled with loathing, they fought, going for the kill.

“Come on.” Riley tugged her hand. “They’re as good as dead.”

Saia swallowed and glanced over her shoulder as she followed him. Blood flowed, saturating the ground. Her stomach churned. “You stirred their hatred for each other.”

He gave her a sharp look then shook his head. “Of course. Wrath.”

Riley flashed with her to the front of a large, run-down, wooden lodge and met the others there. Shrieks and grunts filled the air.

“There’s more of them.”

“With Ayperos, there is always more,” he muttered darkly. “This is just a distraction, to see how strong we are, but we must get Zayn first.”

Her brothers charged through the doorless entrance, followed by Liz and Ikaria. Saia stepped through with Riley at her back. Parts of the roof had fallen down, letting in sunlight. Carefully, they cut across the rickety floorboards scattered with moldy, wooden debris and through another entrance. Saia stumbled to a halt.

Zayn took on five mean, red-eyed demons. His shirt sported several rips. Blood dripped from a gash in his cheek, another in his neck. He shot them a smirk. “About time—” He smashed his fist into one’s belly. “Those yahoos laid a trap for Riley, thought to grab Saia—” He jumped back from a slashing blade. “Like I would let that happen.”

Saia grabbed Ikaria’s hand in relief.

Rohan joined the ruckus, fighting alongside his twin. “I thought you were a goner, bro.”

“Takes more than these shitheads to end me,” Zayn grunted. “Smelled the one at the house, knew what he was when I opened the front door.” He pivoted, landed a vicious kick, sending the demon stumbling, then sneered at Noah. “Just because I have no interest in SNS, doesn't mean I don’t know what goes on out there—but damn, that felt way good.”

“Excellent,” Noah said, flanking Liz. He folded his arms over his chest and watched the twins battle the blood-demons. “I expect your ass in SNS every alternate day, starting tomorrow.”

“I guess they don’t need my help,” Riley murmured, stroking Saia’s back.

She patted his chest. “Why spoil their fun. It’s time they had a new interest instead of women.”

***

Riley smiled at Saia’s droll words, but was damn grateful Zayn had come through alive. He still had to find and annihilate Ayperos. He’d been tracking him, but the bastard’s vibe had disappeared the moment Riley had used the one power his old man had bound after that disastrous incident when he’d wiped out that village at six. Seemed inheriting a part of Sin had also snapped the binding.

The moment the twins demolished the last demon, Saia barreled into her brothers and hugged Zayn. Then she swatted him in the chest. “You scared the heck out of me!”

“Don’t ya know? I'm invincible.” He grinned. “I’m fine, Sai, really. Hey, Aria, you owe me a kiss,” he yelled, wriggling his eyebrows. “I know you cheated on our game of chess when I was gone.”

“Hardly,” she said, smiling. “But I'm glad you are all right.”

Rohan glanced at Ikaria, then shoved his elbow in Zayn’s side. “Really? Even with danger surrounding us?”

Zayn winked at Ikaria. “All the more reason to do so.”

His senses humming in warning, Riley scanned again and picked up a faint malicious vibration. Ayperos.

He had to get Saia and her family out of here before he dealt with the bastard. He crossed to Saia, who was examining the bite wounds on Zayn’s neck and grasped her hand. “We need to leave, now.”

“There’s more,” Noah said, eyes narrowing. “I feel them.”

“Yeah. But this fight is mine. An old score to settle.” At Noah’s quirked brow, he said, “My foster brother. He killed my adoptive parents.” He omitted the part that Ayperos had had Saia abducted. He didn't want her family with him when he dealt with the asshole.

They headed outside into the wan sunlight and swampy air. The brothers and Liz disappeared between the trees.

“Saia?” Riley drew her close. “Go back to the mansion with Ikaria and remain indoors until I come for you.”

Worry darkened her eyes. “Okay. But don’t let Ayperos get away.”

“I won't.” Tenderly, he stroked her cheek. “Be safe for me.”

“Ditto.” She yanked him down by his tattered tee and kissed him hard. He breathed in her scent. She released him. Her smile wavered then firmed before she hurried over to where Ikaria waited near the trees to flash them.

“Well now, brother. I didn't expect you to make this so easy.”

Riley pivoted.

Ayperos smirked from across the clearing, resting one foot on a fallen tree trunk, still wearing the gray and black uniform of Wrath’s soldiers. His clothes were a little frayed, but immaculate. His dark gaze vacant.

Four blood-demons twitched nervously at his side. Assholes probably needed a blood fix since Zayn had escaped.

So easy to let loose an inkling of his ability. They’d kill each other and save him the effort, but he sensed Noah, Liz, and the twins farther down the swamp but still too close. They would get caught in the maelstrom of his power and turn on each other—

Saia!
He spun around. She stared back at him with panicked eyes. A blood-demon had her trapped against him. Another held a blade at Ikaria’s throat and pushed her away from Saia.

“I’ll admit, you made taking your mate a little difficult in this world with you or that demoness always around. Should have had her at the citadel after I sent the wyverns to distract you—yes, got that idea when those monsters killed your sire’s mate.” He smirked, a six-foot, doubled-head spear appearing in his hand. “Come, fight me, brother. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

He flashed with his weapon. Riley evaded the attack, didn't engage. Clashing weapons would only bring Saia’s family back.

“Still the weakling.” Ayperos sneered. “I’d planned to make you suffer by killing your mate in the citadel. Except,
she
rushed to help
you
,”—a snorting laugh—“and Wrath beat me to it. He got hold of your human and disappeared with her.”

So, Riley had read his father wrong. He’d kept Saia safe.

“Then I thought she had to have family, let’s start with them. Pity her brother escaped. No matter, you're here now.” Ayperos leaped into the air and released his spear with deadly aim. Riley flashed several feet back, but the weapon pierced his side. His mouth tightened.

“Too easy…” Ayperos grinned and summoned his weapon back. The thing tore free from Riley’s flesh. Pain ripped through him.

Ayperos’s sly gaze shifted to Saia. “Should I start my fun here before I end this? She looks quite fuckable. Maybe I’ll take her in front of you. Leave you with memories to take into your afterlife.”

Not by a twitch did Riley show the rage fueling him or the urge to peel Ayperos’s skin off his loathsome bones. He tried to find a chink in the protection spell Ayperos had doused himself with. But the incantation held tight around him like a black aura, just as impenetrable.

“Your fight is with me. Let them go.”

“You know what I want.” Ayperos planted his weapon in the ground, his dark eyes held an insidious gleam. “Wrath will embrace me, as it should be.
Me
. I was there first for centuries before you crawled into his life and pushed me away. For him to accept me again, you cannot be, and that Sin is mine, too. You are in my way. It is time, Réomer. You or her? My blood-demons are really thirsty since her kin bolted.”

As if to prove the sway he held, Ayperos nodded. Saia’s scream punched the air as the demon sank his fangs into her neck. She fought back and the fucker locked her arms down with his.

“Do we stand here chatting while he drains your mate?” Ayperos drawled.

Anger battering at his skull, Riley realized they’d kill her if he moved. He shoved harder into Ayperos’s mind. There, a flickering of red in the black aura. He tore through the crack, broke through whatever force of protective power the bastard had surrounded himself with.

Ayperos stumbled in surprise.

Vengeance and his mate’s pain fueling him, Riley leaped. His fist connected to Ayperos’s jaw with the impact of a sledgehammer. Bones shattered. Ayperos reeled backward, blood dripping from his mouth.

“I'm not that easy to kill,
brother.
You will never get close to my mate or have my Sin. And you certainly aren’t Wrath’s progeny.”

Ayperos snarled. Swiping at the blood from his broken jaw, he flew through the air. Riley evaded. Pivoting with a flying kick, he kicked the spear away from Ayperos and shattered his wrist. He let his power roll through him, wanted the asshole to see just whom he was dealing with. “You're too late. I'm all that you want—I am Wrath. You will
never
have what is mine.”

Black talons emerged, pushing through his nail beds like blades slicing through his fingertips. At the faint sounds of fighting behind him, he scanned. Ikaria had killed the demons. He glanced at Saia. Despite her bleeding neck, she smiled at him, the fallen demon at her feet disintegrating. She’d killed the thing? Godsdamn, he was so bloody proud of her.

“Delusions still?” Ayperos taunted. “You will never become—”

Riley’s hand flashed. Sheer shock crossed Ayperos’s face. A gurgling gasp filled the morning air.

His talons dripping red, Riley stepped back. Ayperos fell to his knees, his head rolled to the ground. Blood gushed. The astonished expression remained until Riley waved his hand over the body and preternatural flames engulfed him. He didn't want this bastard having the choice of rebirth and a new life, only to hunt him again later.

A ripple of dark power shot out of Ayperos like a detonating bomb. Trees exploded, crashed into each other. Branches splintered and flew like missiles.