Wood exploded, shrapnel flying all over. Kaerys vanished. A deadly storm flew inside. Dagan. His eyes flaming like the sun latched on to them and burned with fury as they lowered to her torn clothes. “You will beg for mercy forthis.”
* * *
“Still, you threaten me?”The Fallen yanked Shae to his front, using her as a personal shield. He bellowed in a strange language. Several demons and demoniis rushed inside like a plague of rats, scuttling over thefloor.
Stupid bastards. In one fell swoop, Dagan held them all immobile with his mind. He cut a quick look at Shae. Just her smile, and he breathedagain.
A shift in the air and Kaerys appeared. She glared at him. “Did you really think, I’d ever forgive you for humiliating me by mating with this lowly mortal? I won’t be laughed at in thepantheon.”
No, he wasn’t really surprised to see her here, used to her vindictive ways. He flung her aside with his mind, but she stayed put. Damn female must have used a shielding spell, not only on this place but on herself and Aza, as well. Except, he had help. Shae was right. With Samael’s power still roiling in him, and since none could evade Death, he’d finally managed to crack the outsideprotection.
Kaerys probably had no idea he’d powered up on his mate’s blood. He ignoredher.
Aza sneered. “I’ve waited a long time forthis.”
Dagan lifted a brow. “To die? Then it’s your luckyday.”
“You still have no idea who I am, do you? And you can’t kill me.” Aza twisted Shae’s hands harder, and shewinced.
He was so going to rip the bastard’s nuts off and shove them down histhroat.
Through the open door, in the gloomy room beyond, Dagan spied the bed with the ropes tied to the posts. Another image from a year ago flickered through his mind.A female tied to a bed, a dark-haired Fallen pumping into her…as she died.Club Illudo! No wonder the fucker felt so familiar. Only his hair was blondnow.
Dagan eyed the sadistic bastard. Didn’t bother with a threat when death was hisend.
Aza snorted and shook his head. “Here I have you at my mercy where not even your feeble group of Guardians can penetrate the spell the goddess has cast, and you think you’re more powerful? I will have my revenge on you.” A sword appeared in his hand. “Then I’ll have her. Oh, the things I’m going to do to her before I fuckher—”
Aza shoved Shae aside and lunged, his sword arching toward Dagan. “Shae, leave!” heyelled.
“Can’t, the shieldingspell!”
Shit! He ducked the blow and stumbled over a steel pipe. That was far too close to his face for comfort. Evading another swing of the blade, Dagan smashed his fist into Aza’s face, sending him flying back. Shae cried out. Dagan spun around as her wings unfurled in a furious flutter of burnished red, and she stumbled. Dammit, she wasn’t used to herwings.
Fear riding him hard, Dagan grabbed a broken steel pipe from the ground and plunged it straight through Aza’s belly, embedding it into the wall behind him. “You should have taken my offer of Purgatory at Club Illudo. Now, you’ll wish fordeath.”
The Fallen gurgled, his jaw dropping open insurprise.
Dagan pivoted sharply. Kaerys had snatched one of Shae’s wings and was yanking on it. Feathers tore free and floated to theground.
“No, you fucking don’t!” Snatching Aza’s dropped sword, Dagan went after the wretched female. He’d stake her right next to her accomplice before killingher.
“No!” Shae flashed out her hand, stopping him, her eyes stormy and wet with tears of pain. “She’smine.”
With a cry of rage, she twisted free and dove for Kaerys. The weight of her appendages giving her the momentum she needed, Shae slammed the goddess into the wall, grabbed her upper arms, and then they both rose several feet into the air. Kaerys’ eyes suddenly widened in terror. “Let go—letgo!”
“You want mercy? Did you show my mate any?” Shae spat, her body glowing, a glimmering halo surrounding her. “This is for what you did to him, for the millennia ofhumiliation!”
“Noooo!”
A bright light enclosed them, and Dagan knew what would happen next as he’d discovered on the blood-drenched grounds of her home near Stone Ridge. He’d seen it withSamael.
“An angel,” Aza moaned. “She’s mine—mine!” He tugged at thepipe.
Dagan ignored the crazy fuck. Kaerys’ body trembled, the white glow seeping into her, revealing a skeletal form. Then, her emaciated body vanished in a smoky haze. It would probably take her weeks, months to regenerate from this brutal encounter, if she were that lucky. But he doubted she’d ever be at full strengthagain.
Shae wavered, her wings fluttering in agitation as if forgetting their momentum. Dagan grabbed her before she fell and hurt herself. “I have you,baby.”
Carefully, he brought her down and lowered her to the floor, easing her onto hislap.
