Shite! This can’t be good. Dreading the sudden turn of events, he rose gently with Mara in his arms to face whatever hell-storm was coming for them. He kept one arm on her waist while he braced himself.
In spite of the continued cannon fire, the dragons circled above, spewing fire down at them that Bart and William deflected. Fierce waves rocked against the ship.
A screeching shriek came out from beneath the waves, letting him know that the Carian Gate wasn’t the one that had broken. Nay, something far, far worse had happened.
There were three major gates that led to Gehyne, or Azmodea as it was originally known. The land most of his crew would call hell. One was located in the desert. One in Jerusalem.
The third in the sea.
Because of the evil they held back from the world—because mankind could never protect themselves from the vile creatures who called that place home—the portals had been set and locked so that they couldn’t be broken.
Or so they thought.
And to secure them even more, no one had ever known their exact locations.
Until now.
That was what was coming up from below.
Devyl cursed as he understood what was happening. Through Paden and Cameron, they had access to Michael’s blood. With it, the Cimmerian forces would have had the means to open any portal in any realm. Even those most sacred, secured gates.
And to think, I handed it to the futtocking bastards.…
If the world ended, he was the moron to blame.
Worse, the Sea Witch was currently taking on water and listing to port. The boards creaked around them, letting him know that she was in mortal danger. Afraid for Mara, who wouldn’t be able to stand much more assault, he turned toward her. “Separate yourself.”
“What?”
“You heard me, woman. For once in your stubborn life, do as I say and be about it quickly. Pull out of the ship completely. Let the bastards have it before they use it to destroy you.”
To his utter amazement, she did so without any further argument. Which told him exactly how much pain she was in and holding back from him.
And he knew the moment she pulled her consciousness from the wood. Color returned to her cheeks as her strength flooded back into her body.
Grateful that at least one of them was recovering from this searing assault, he kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”
“What are you planning to do?”
His gaze went past her, to the very visage of all futtocking hell realms that was rising from the sea and headed straight for them. Mara hadn’t seen it yet, and for that he was truly grateful.
So he gave her a cocky grin. “Best you not be asking me questions that have answers guaranteed to upset you, me blodwen.”
“Meaning?”
“Duel!”
Mara’s cheeks paled again as she heard Vine’s low growl.
The ship tilted more, sending half the crew to the edge and some over, into the water.
“Enough of this.” Devyl felt his eyes change over as he summoned up every last bit of his powers and did the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do.
But drastic times called for drastic measures. If Vine wanted a battle, let it be on solid ground where they couldn’t drown his men.
Stepping around Mara, he sent a blast toward Vine and hated that he missed her as she ducked it. “Och now, Vine, you always wanted to be me queen.” He gave her a cold smile. “See you in Alfheim, if you dare it.”
And with that, he ruptured the very membrane of the human world and opened the door that was guaranteed to get him into all manner of shite later.
