Unnaturals (54 page)

`Sister,' Bemeon said.

Mason heard the foul sense of glee in the god's tone and dug his fingers into the sand. Gaia gripped them, holding him true.

`Brother.' Darla ran a hand through Mason's hair. `Your plan seems to have worked after all, this time.'

`Yes,' he whispered.

Mason glanced up at the god, who almost drooling, eyes on Darla.

`Has Hunter fallen?' She pulled Mason's hair so he was forced to look up at her. Liquid green eyes stared back. Her fine red lips moved. `Or have you corrupted him?'

`Neither.' Bemeon clapped his hands. `Hunter needed little persuasion to see the truth of my words. Stand, Hunter.'

Mason stood, smiling and watching Bemeon's eyes glittering.

`Kneeling was hard for him, but otherwise it is he who has brokered a treaty with me.' Bemeon looked from him to his sister. Mason felt his groin burn with blood, his hardness visible. `You're the first prize we will share. You may break her, Hunter.'

`He will kill you the first chance he gets,' Darla said, flinching as Mason pulled her in.

He cupped a firm breast and pressed himself against her. She was beautiful. Naked. Bemeon moaned. Mason glanced to him, curling his lip.

`Maybe. But first I will break you.' He dug sharp nails into her breast until her sweet blood seeped out. Bemeon stepped closer. `Together we will fuck you until you can stand it no more. Then I will peel the skin from your flesh, slowly, so it takes an eternity to heal.'

`You? Hunter, you will take me first? Promise?' she said.

`You want Hunter to do this?'

`Oh, dear brother,' she said, reaching down to Mason's hardness, manipulating him until her sex just touched his shaft. `You have no idea how much I have wanted to be violated by Hunter. To have him fuck me in front of everyone so there can be no doubt I am his whore.'

Her voice was hoarse and Mason struggled to control himself. Her touch, her heat, made him burn hotter. She ran her hand ran across his chest, nails rippling over his scales. `For so long I have played your games, and then you gave me the chance I craved. I could trigger the creation of a Hunter so strong that he could threaten you. So strong that he can be my lover and rid me of you.'

`You—' Bemeon choked.

Her fingers sunk into Mason's chest, but he felt no pain.

`You wanted this? He... No!'

Darla leant into Mason, kissing him deeply, continuing to force her hand into his chest. Bemeon's human form wavered.

Mason didn't resist the kiss, wrapping her in his arms as she retrieved the dagger she had planted in his chest days before.

`Fuck me, Hunter!' She wrapped herself around him, her sex moving against the head of his shaft. `Do it!' she whispered.

He obeyed. Darla bit into his shoulder as he held her, joined as lovers for all to see, the dagger concealed between their bodies.

`NO!' Bemeon rushed at them, grabbing Darla's neck with one hand, the other on Mason's shoulder, trying to prise them apart. His face was twisted with no trace of humanity left.

`Leave me alone, brother!' Darla screamed, pushing him away and writhing against Mason. `I want him so much!'

Mason struggled to stay in control by focusing on Bemeon. He refused to give Darla access to his seed, no matter how powerful her touch. He bit his lip until he bled as Darla thrust herself down on him again.

`See brother. This is what you wanted. Me fucking like a whore before you.' She whooped and grinned at Mason. `Throw me onto the sand and fuck me hard, Hunter. Show my poor brother how to make me howl in pleasure.'

`Stop it.' Bemeon stood, trembling. `You're mine.' He sounded like a spoilt little brother.

`Not so,' Darla panted, pressing herself onto Mason. `I'm free now, thanks to you. And Hunter is mine.'

`You can't,' he snarled, holding out his hand to show the balls of white energy. `Stop, Hunter. I will kill them if you don't.'

`Oh, please.' Darla swiped the balls from him, sending them to the seawall. `You're going to have to fight him now, brother.'

Mason tore his eyes away from the balls of energy to Bemeon, standing shocked as Darla continued to enjoy her ride. He licked his lips. He knew he could not last much longer.

Bemeon blinked at him. `Fight it is, then.'

`Oh, one more thing,' Darla said stopping suddenly. Mason struggled to remain upright. `A kiss for you, brother,' she purred. `A kiss as you go to battle, like the old days.'

`Sister,' Bemeon moaned, joining them.

She leaned across, kissing him like a lover, his hands on her breasts. Mason moved, holding her up, ready to move when the dagger came into play.

`Yes, I—' Bemeon gurgled.

Darla slipped off Mason, her dagger against the blood gushing out of Bemeon's chest.

`Goodbye, my brother,' she said, stepping back. She looked at Mason as Bemeon struggled to pull the dagger free. `I have done all I can. The rest is up to you.'

He nodded, trying to cool the lust she had awakened, as he searched for his rage.

`Keep your head clear, human.'

Bemeon coughed up blood.

Darla's touch had tested him but as his hardness faded, the anger built.

`The deal is off, little god.' Mason flexed, letting his full Hunter form grow, wings snapped out, talons extended.

`As much as I enjoyed Darla's touch, you never understood. You will never succeed here and, while humans
will
try to kill my people, we will survive.'

`She has failed.' Bemeon coughed and Darla's dagger fell to be swallowed by the sand. `I live and you prattle while I grow stronger.'

`Point.' Mason drove both killing spines into Bemeon's chest, levering against the god.

`Fool, I cannot die by your hand here.' Bemeon snapped a spine. `You will fail!'

`So you keep saying!' Mason smashed a fist into Bemeon's face, crushing bones and flesh.

`Ha!' Flesh healed and bones snapped back into place. Mason ripped his killing spine free as the other regrew. He had to drive the god back toward the portal. Bemeon rippled and stepped forward, unharmed.

`
Take from him what he desires so much.
'

His daughter's words echoed in him as the god began to grow again, tentacles reforming. Mason glanced at the seawall. They would not beat Bemeon here. Force wouldn't save his family. Only sacrifice would.

`
Daughter. Penelope. My dearest girl, take care of our family.
'

His mind closed off before he heard a reply. He saw Renee moving along the seawall and knew he had to move before she reached him.

`Bemeon, enough!' He lashed out with a wing, driving a talon deep into flesh. Darla's.

Bemeon howled.

Mason twisted and blood sprayed across him. The goddess screamed.

The god shook and stumbled. `No! Stop!'

Mason looked up at Bemeon. `Make me.' He lunged forward

as Bemeon met him, back in his human shape, hand reaching for his throat.

`Let her go!' Bemeon clawed at his face as Mason pulled Darla in behind him, writhing on the talon buried deep in her chest.

`No, both of you will perish.' He staggered. Bemeon's fingers thrust through his scaled armour into his neck.

`No!' Energy poured from Bemeon to his sister. `Let her go. She will let herself die.'

Mason drove a killing spine into the god once again. This time he wailed in agony. `That's the idea, you little fuck. With you both gone we will be free of your games.' Mason shoved Bemeon back, dragging Darla behind him. The god staggered.

`You will all be undone with us gone. Our energy gives you power.'

Mason shoved him again. The god moved back as Darla gurgled on his talon, her blood scent strong. Bemeon reached for Darla, energy flowing, saving her.

`I don't care,' Mason muttered as Bemeon leant past him to Darla. `Time to die.' He sprang forward, driving his shoulder into Bemeon, lifting him clear off the sand.

The god realised his mistake too late.

Mason ignored the hands tearing at him as the portal swallowed them in its cold embrace.

Wilson staggered under the combined wave of despair from his siblings. But theirs had been silent, unlike Renee's, which tore apart the silence that had fallen.

Motion rippled through Bemeon's army, sweeping towards Wilson as their god fell back into the portal.

Sally appeared beside him, pistols drawn. `Here they come again.'

He watched his mother stagger past to Nikki.

`Is Mum all right, Sal?'

Nikki embraced Ruth. Both looked terrible.

Wilson couldn't think about what his father had done, or if he would ever see him again. Danger was still real. And close.

`Think so. Something tried to kill them, but then it stopped.' Sally fired.

Blood and bone sprayed the area. He had to pull himself out of it and focus. Thanks to Sally, one of Bemeon's creatures lay dead on the seawall.

`Kill them all!' Renee roared before leaping into the chaos to tear flesh and bone as Huntress.

Wilson called his fire as Wolves surged towards her, and towards Ralph, who had leapt to her side.

`We make our stand with you,' Lilly growled as she positioned herself beside him. `Eleanor is still weak. Nikki and Ruth are recovering slowly. It's up to us.'

Darkells flashed by, leaping into the fray with the Wolves.

Sally fired at a Twisted goblin-like creature trying to sneak past, shattering its head. Wilson didn't speak, holding his fire ready. Lilly unleashed Sonik at a huge creature clambering up the seawall. It quivered under her sound assault, then exploded into black gore.

`Mason went into that thing. What's going to happen now?' Sally asked.

`We fight until there are no more monsters,' he muttered, targeting the enemy with his fire. Bemeon's creatures no longer formed a solid line of attack so he was forced to aim as if he held a firearm.

Gunfire broke out further up the seawall. Fund soldiers had re-joined the battle. Many had paired with Darkells, fighting side by side.

`Eleanor will have to close the portal soon. If he doesn't return.' Lilly's voice was low as she edged closer to him. `Be ready for that possibility, Wil. The longer the portal is open…'

Wilson flinched. Blood covered his arm. He touched his cheek. More blood greeted his fingers.

`Lilly!' Sally pushed past. A scream cut through him from behind. He spun round. The refugees who had made it through the portal — Scarla's kin — had been huddled against the ATV but now two figures lay on the asphalt, blood everywhere.

A young scaled girl with half her face blown away lay at their feet. Another twitched nearby, dying. A tall scaled woman stood in front of the remaining refugees, face clouded in anger. Black energy swirled around her.

`Are the humans our enemy, Son of Mason? They did this!' she growled, turning to face the crowd. People moved back.

Wilson followed her lead, looking into the crowd. Some carried bats and golf clubs. He saw at least two pistols. He looked away, back to Lilly.

Muscles contracted. Bones creaked in his hands. Lilly's blue eyes stared up at him and he felt the heat begin to surge through him.

`She's been shot!' Sally yelled at him, her hands covered in blood, pressing down on Lilly's chest. `Wil! She's been shot in the back.'

Claws raked rock behind him, but he couldn't look away from Lilly.

Fire flared. He set it free, alive, obeying his will. It sought out any of Bemeon's army to reach the seawall. Explosions sounded behind him. Black blood and gore splattered around him as he watched the light flicker in Lilly's eyes.

`Why would they do this?' Sally sobbed. Lilly's blood was bright on her pale hands. `We're fighting to save them.' She looked away, towards the bright flashing lights now sweeping the area. `We're not the monsters!' Sally yelled, her words fading in his mind.

He heard muffled voices, frightened sounds, people yelling. The scaled woman's voice howled back in anger.

Another shot rang out. Voices became shrill with fear. Scarla's kin were being targeted. His arm burnt. Pain melted away.

The image of Lilly's eyes burnt into his mind as he looked up.

Fire raged. He had never understood his father's anger.

The need for revenge.

Until now.

 

Sally struggled to breathe. Lilly's blood was hot on her skin. She couldn't look at Lilly, dying under her hands. Shot in the back, her chest ripped open. This was an enemy Sally had not expected — her own race, humans.

Wil's face had hardened into a mask of rage. Cold fingers clawed inside her. Her Wilson had disappeared. Rage, hot and ugly, stood there. Fire roared.

Realisation struck her like a blow. He loved Lilly.

Lilly clutched her arm. `Stop him.'

Sally clamped down on her urge to scream as bright blood gurgled from Lilly's mouth. `Don't let him do this. I can't, let him go down that path. Not because of me. You can save him. He loves you. Stop him.' Lilly's body relaxed. Her eyes stared, unseeing, at the blue sky.

Air rippled as Wilson made a sound no human could. Beyond the flashing lights Sally could make out a mass of people. Some had brought weapons, that much was clear. She became aware of a new smell, burning and pungent. Asphalt had begun to melt around them.

Wilson would kill everything that stood beyond the lights, just like Sally knew his father would if loved ones were threatened. Right at this moment Wilson didn't care but she knew that later, when her Wilson was back with her, he would regret it. She left Lilly and reached out to him. Her hand, stained with Lilly's blood, passed unharmed through the furnace engulfing him. `Lilly doesn't want this.'

His face didn't change. Raging black eyes stared at the humans. Wilson would kill them all. Sally found herself wondering if they really deserved to live. If they hurt Wil, what would she do?

`Whoa, people!'

A figure stepped between her and the lights. His bald head was a giveaway. She remembered him from the warehouse, standing surrounded by Wolves with Mason. Pete. The police officer. He'd never hidden his fear, but he hadn't fled. He'd stayed to help. Sally hoped he'd able to help now. There had to be some way to defuse the explosion roiling in Wilson.