He could see the line Pazuzu made, taking his bloode into himself, adding it to the rich life he’d already stolen from Kaia. Orion’s fury built, knowing how much his mate endured.
But the evil reaching toward him came not from Pazuzu, but from the shadow now made flesh. From Pazuzu’s sire. Hanbi—the king of all evil.
He had no idea where his kin had gone, but now he could see them, both Varu and Khent in Hanbi’s giant hands, being crushed to death, like Orion’s heart. And there, Kraft trying to bite into the demon and having no luck. Hell, from the demon god’s laughter, he thought Kraft might just be tickling it.
Mormo’s words came back to him.“Do not give it what it wants or it wins. But you may be able to bargain with Pazuzu.”
The real threat then, was Hanbi. Not his son.
Orion called upon the storm deep inside him, warned his mate to hold tight, where he’d do his best to protect her, and let himself open all the way up.
Before Pazuzu could touch the power inside him, the lightning, a blessing from several water deities Orion had annoyingly been pledged to at birth thanks to Alecta—Mother of the Vrykolakas—shot down and spread along his bloode into the creatures of darkness and evil holding him fast.
Hanbi roared and struggled as Varu, Khent, and Kraft took advantage of his temporary paralysis to ravage him. Black blood that oozed as if alive welled along Pazuzu’s body while divine rains whipped the demon god, the king of all evil, alongside the vampires who worshipped no one but themselves.
He felt Kimbazi, the Congo goddess of sea storms. Nephthys, Egyptian goddess of rivers and the night. Poseidon and Aegaeon, Greek gods of the sea and storms. And even Freyr, a mighty god of the Norse pantheon, of rain and life. Together, they and Orion seized the evil trying to take hold of the world.
Kaia hugged him, awash in love and protection, and smothered the taint of evil still trying to break free.
You’re almost there,Pazuzu said, his voice faint though he held on to Orion through bloode and blood—his and Kaia’s.
Orion had to ask now.I offer you a bargain.
Orion, no,Kaia cried.Don’t.
Your terms?Pazuzu said.Hurry, vampire. I cannot hold for much longer.
You wish for life. I offer you mine if you save the others and sever the tie to your sire.
But yours is not whole. And I cannot, as it’s tied to new life, which I am bound to protect.
Orion felt Kaia’s fear for him, knew his own confusion. and then he felt it. A small spark deep inside, a tiny meow in question.What the hell?He struggled to hold on, feeling his grasp on Pazuzu slipping, Hanbi regaining a bit of power, siphoned from the idiot gods offering the help he hadn’t asked for.
“Meow.”Shadow rubbed his fur along Orion’s bloode, the connection forged of affection and magic that shouldn’t exist yet did. Not real yet real anyway.
He’s tied to my magic.Kaia gasped and asked the kitten,Do I know you?
The cat purred and put a psychic paw on Orion’s mind through to the demon wanting a bargain.
A life, yes,Pazuzu agreed.It is done. Well thought, vryko. We will meet again.
Then the world imploded.
Hanbi screamed in rage as the gods tore him apart alongside the vampires continuing to bleed him out. Having been made flesh, he couldn’t hide in the shadows, and as the wind blew the clouds apart, moonlight speared the evil until it burned away and the rains washed it back into the earth and out to sea, cleansing them all with the purity of a powerful new White Sea Witch.
Kaia blinked at him. “Orion?”
He grinned. “We kicked its ass.”
Sadly, he passed out before he could explain, even to himself, what the hell had just happened.
* * *
Sabine laughedas she hid in Belyy Zamok in her plush bedroom in a secret bolt hole, watching through a mirror pond as her zombies and minions made short work of Will and his idiot friends. Such weakness. How had she ever thought she’d make something viable with that man? His morality had skewed so far from hers that they’d never been able to breach the distance between them.
But one thing he had done. He’d helped her create an incredibly powerful daughter, one a little too powerful, to be honest.
Well, now she was Pazuzu’s problem.
