Virgil [Marius Brothers 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) (15 page)

“Good. I’m proud of you.” He bumped my shoulder and I met his gaze. “I always thought who you were was awesome, Virgil. You’re a good person, a fierce warrior, and a loyal friend who doesn’t do anything halfway. That’s something to be proud of, not hide away from the world and those who love you.”

“I’m starting to see that. Having mates who love me for god only knows what reason helps.”

“Shit,” Rylan hissed, sounding more cat than human. “Someone text home base. We’ve got demons.”

“And lots of them,” Caven agreed. “At least three dozen. I smell humans.” He gasped and looked at Rylan. “You getting that too?”

“Yeah. I’m just not sure what it is.”

“Tell us and we won’t hold it against you if you’re wrong,” Victor growled as we picked up the pace. I saw him and Gabriel pulling out their phones as I did. The plan was if we found anything there were three contact points, Queen Magdalena, Tyler, and Father.

“Blood. Lots of blood,” Caven replied with a shiver. “I can’t even put it into words. But it’s different like not fresh on the ground.”

“Like bottled up or in big containers?” I guessed, trying to figure out what else it could be.

“Holy shit. Yes,” Rylan whispered, his eyes going wide. “I’m scared to think why there are demons, humans, and lots of stored blood in a remote area outside Paris.”

“Could they be farming humans instead of just killing them when they get hungry?” I asked no one in particular, more just stating the theory as it popped into my brain. I think part of me wanted someone to say I was being ridiculous… But no one did.

We hurried it even faster after that. This was going to be bad. I felt it down to my bones.

* * * *

Foma

“I’m shifting,” Rylan hissed as we got past the gates and perimeter of the estate-turned-factory-looking place. Or maybe it was the other way around. I wasn’t really sure. But either way, it was creepy. Damian had been as good with a rifle as his brothers had bragged, taking out guards as he ran, silencer on the gun, so no one would hear the shot. It had been a wise decision to use tranqs though because I had a feeling they wouldn’t have gone down quietly dying.

As we went along we severed heads and moved on as they turned to ash. Now that we were against the building, Rylan would be of more use in cat form. His mate, Ferris, took his clothes and stuffed them in his pack as the rest of us started climbing the side of the building. Rylan took several lines in his teeth and darted up the wall as if he was running on flat, even ground. Shifters never ceased to amaze me.

Moments later they were tied off and a few of us each took one, increasing our speed getting on the roof. When we did, Rylan was in margay form and hissing quietly. We went over to him and I felt the need to vomit at what we saw. Virgil had been right. They were keeping humans like cattle… Cattle they were raping and torturing from the glimpse of what we saw.

“Activate the stone,” Mareo whispered as I was already pulling it out of my pocket. “Yeah, these fuckers all have to die.”

I nodded as I rubbed it with my thumb, thinking of the Queen. There was a glimmer of light, instead of the normal flash, because she was trying to keep the portal quiet but it also meant only one person could come through at a time. Rylan quickly shifted back as people poured out of the portal.

“Can you guys make that jump if we break the glass?” I asked Victor, Virgil, Cyrus, and Gabriel. I didn’t know their capabilities and it was a good two stories down to the main floor.

“Yeah, but it’s not regular glass. It’s bulletproof and light treated so it won’t fry the demons,” Cyrus answered.

“Leave that to me,” Queen Magdalena answered, horror written on her face as she watched what was going on below. “Poor people. What will we do with them? How will we help them?”

“I’m an amplifier,” Virgil said. “Dillon’s gift is to wipe minds and replace memories. I can amplify any gift or powers. So if we work together, it might take us a few days, but we’ll figure out a story and get them back to their lives. For now we bring them back through the portal and get them medical care.”

“Right, that’s where we come in,” Caven told the wolves that had come through. “We can leap right back up. They go down first, start taking out demons, leap down, grab the nearest human, jump right back up, and get back through the portal. That’s it.”

“Same for us,” King Rylan ordered the margays there. “Wolves first as we cover the fae and vampires by shooting the outlying demons if we can. Engage your hypervision.” I watched as the margays spread out around the skylight, pulling out weapons and covering all the back corners.

“It’s like we know what we’re doing,” Victor said as his fangs slid out. He unsheathed his sword and flicked it to glow. I thought it was an ingenious invention when Micah had lent me his. Mareo was using Remus’s and of course, Virgil had his own, a gift from the mates of the brothers before he’d met us. Which really showed the character of the men mated to this family.

“On my count,” Mareo whispered, giving everyone the signal to get ready. I braced for it. I was ready to fight to the death for the cause I saw before me. I would prove my mates proud and be the warrior I was trained to be.

* * * *

Virgil

“Don’t get dead,” Victor growled at us. “That’s an order.”

“Yes, brother,” we snickered. Some things never changed. Centuries of missions with the man and he always said the same thing.

“Same goes for all of you,” Queen Magdalena told all her people. “Any of you die and I will find you in the afterlife to kick your sorry butts for years to come.”

“Yes, my Queen,” they all muttered quietly.

“Three, two, one,” Mareo counted down. The Queen flashed power and shot something into the glass, shattering it straight up and out of our way, making sure it didn’t harm any of us. Victor, Cyrus, and Mareo tied for first to react, jumping right into the building. I followed a split second after them. As I was landing I saw a demon diving for Damian. I kicked out and nailed it in the head before bringing down my ultraviolet sword.

It sliced through the goddamn demon like butter.

“I love these fucking swords,” I yelled.

“Thanks,” Damian called out before stabbing another demon.

“Always.” I found where Mareo and Foma were and moved towards them, the three of us proceeding as a team to work our way out so more warriors could jump down safely. We sliced through demons, dozens upon dozens of them. All while hearing shots firing from above as the margays took out any approaching ones they could that weren’t too close to risk hitting us.

I saw Caven jump down out of the corner of my eye, Tyler and several of the wolves following right after. They grabbed humans and went right back up. When the demons were mostly dead, the margays did the same, grabbing the remaining humans.

The whole battle took less than ten minutes. While the numbers were probably in the demons’ favor, they were sorely outmatched in fighting skills and power. I was just about to kill the last one closest to me when I gasped in shock. I hit him with the hilt of my sword instead of taking his head and watched as he went down. I did it again and he was out cold.

“No!” I yelled to Mareo when he went in to finish him off. “No, this one has to live.”

“What are you talking about, Virgil?” Victor called out as he jogged over. “They all need to die.”

“We need to get samples to Riley,” I answered. “I need to identify this one. Who’s got the camera and is documenting all of this?”

“Rylan!” Victor called out. “We’re ready for you and we need you to start with this demon.”

“Why are we keeping one alive?” Rylan asked us as he jumped back down, camera in his hands, and strap around his neck. “What’s going on?”

“I know this man,” I answered, blinking in shock. “I swear to you that I know this man and he was human. I need pictures to pull his records and Riley will want the same.”

“That’s not possible. You’ve got to be mistaken,” Victor said nervously.

“I hope I am.” I swallowed loudly and looked at him. “But I don’t think I am, brother. I know this man.” I glanced around and saw who I was looking for. “Damian, come here!” He nodded and jogged across the room with his mate, glancing at the demon at my feet quickly before giving me a confused look. “Look at his face. Really look at his face.”

Damian raised an eyebrow at me but did. I saw him start to shake with recognition. “That can’t be.”

“Who is he?” Victor growled.

“You know the ice cream shop in town?” I answered instead. I waited until he nodded. “The owner’s grandson. I’ve seen him behind the counter.”

“When Mother ordered desserts from there for Valentine’s Day, she said the woman was a mess because her grandson had up and left, leaving only a note behind to say he was joining the army,” Damian said. “It’s him. He can’t be more than nineteen.”

“How can he be demon then?” Gabriel whispered in horror. “We need to get him back to Riley. Can the Queen keep him knocked out or something?”

“Yes I can,” she said from behind us.

“Sorry, your highness,” he muttered before shaking his head. “I’m just in shock. I didn’t realize you were right here.”

“As are we all. I will keep him unconscious and get him through the portal. Caven wished me to tell you that all the humans are through as well.”

“Good, okay, then I’m needed on that side to help Dillon,” I said quietly. I backed away from the demon on the ground, still having trouble facing this new reality.

“You were right,” Mareo muttered to me as we each grabbed one of the ropes that had been tied off and dropped down for those of us who couldn’t just jump right back up.

“About?” I asked as we started climbing up.

“That there was a piece of the puzzle still missing,” Foma answered. We reached the top and walked through the portal. I hated that viselike feeling to my chest when I did that.

“Yeah, but I didn’t guess that humans could turn demon,” I replied. “I had no clue that’s what was going on.”

“Wait,
what
?” Father bellowed. Oh shit. I glanced around and realized we’d walked into the ballroom and there were people everywhere who’d just heard what I’d said.

“Shit,” I hissed with feeling.

“Pretty much,” Caven agreed.

We spent the next ten minutes filling everyone in on what we knew. Damian and Gabriel came through the portal followed by the Queen with the demon and Mother confirmed it was who we thought it was. It was a long night of unanswered questions and trying to process how much our world had just changed.

All while trying to heal and figure out what to do with the mess we’d discovered. Caleb scheduled a secret meeting with the King of the Western European region to discuss what we’d found out and show him our proof. Riley, Cyrus, and Loch, with the help of all the trained medics, were able to save the humans we’d found.

Dillon and I used our gifts to erase the humans’ memories and give them plausible explanations for where they’d been and what to tell people once the Queen, Elder Dawson, and Caven had scanned their minds for memories of what had happened. We needed facts about how long they’d been gone, who would be looking for them, and what their lives were like to make the stories work.

After some had new memories, the Queen opened portals and we left where they would be found or could get home on their own without our involvement being discovered.

I felt horrible. I mean, I knew they couldn’t find out about our world but it seemed wrong to lie to them and just leave them with a story to tell their families after the trauma they’d been through. Mareo said that my guilt was understandable but really it was a blessing compared to dealing with the memories of what they’d really experienced.

I felt a little bit better when he put it like that. I just hoped he was right. In the end, we saved them from a fate worse than death and I guess there was comfort to be had in that.

But we were still left with more questions than answers we’d found. And I bet I wasn’t the only one praying we found them before the demons realized we knew their secret and it meant the death of all of us.

Foma

After our mate spent tireless hours helping humans get new memories and home to their lives he was exhausted. He slept for a day straight. And who could blame him? While he was out, Mareo and I borrowed one of Victor’s cars and met Ferris at the house Virgil had bought.

It was perfect. It was so Virgil and us actually that I knew Mareo saw home in the walls of the house just as I did. And it wasn’t just any one thing. It was everything about it, from the layout of the three-bedroom house, to the countertop choices, to the style of the decorating, to the very furniture Virgil had picked.

“It’s better than I could ever have dreamed up our home,” I whispered.

“He’s perfect for us,” Mareo agreed. “Three pieces to one whole.”

“You guys really love him, don’t you?” Ferris asked, smiling widely.

“Yes, we really do,” I answered honestly. “Virgil is special in so many ways and I look forward to spending the rest of my life showing him that every day.”