Page 35 of Ruin

“Shit, he’s getting stronger,” Alex said, standing next to me and Stone, who seemed ready to jump in front of me if Berith escaped. Owen stepped up to my other side but I couldn’t look at any of them; my whole being was centred on Berith and my mate.

Zander looked at me, and for a moment his face morphed back into the strong-jawed and handsome guard that I knew. “Tell my brother I love him, and not to blame our mother; none of this is her fault.”

“No.” I shouted, dread filling my heart. “Don’t, Zander!Please. Don’t do it!”

His smile was small and sad, his own body flickering between human and demon. “I have no choice. There is always payment for using a gift of God. It is sending me to Hell.” His eyes met mine. “Destroy the rift before Berith can get more soldiers through. Tell Connor it’s the fireplace.”

And before I could shift and use Prime to stop him, Zander opened his wings and propelled himself at Berith. The Halo fell from Connor’s chest, its light fading even as it reached for Zander. Berith lowered his huge horned head, ready to stand his ground, but Zander’s momentum was too great. He hit Berith in the stomach with his horns and sent them both into the Halo’s fading light. The Halo flared, and an explosion of power knocked us all from our feet. Stone roared, throwing his shield towards Connor. It deflected the power of the blast outwards blowing out the side of the cabin.

My head smacked on the floor and for a moment I couldn’t think past the pain and the ringing in my ears. Ignoring my body’s need to lay still, I forced Prime and Mea to lend me some of their power and stumbled to my feet. On instinct I pushed Fire against Stone’s shield and burned straight through it. Alex and Stone were still scrambling up off the floor when I reached Connor’s side. Noise erupted around us, voices yelling and shouting. I ignored them all. Connor was deathly still, his chest not moving, a circular burn in the center of it. With shaking hands, I cupped his face. “Please, baby, wake up.” Was he gone? “Alex? Alex? Tell me he’s going to wake up…”

Alex knelt next to me, tucking the Halo into his shirt out of sight. “I...I’m sorry, Ember. I don’t know how it works. Zander...he knew. He told me it would get rid of the demon in Connor’s body, and that he would be taken in payment, but nothing more.”

A sob broke from my chest. “No. No. He has to come back to me...he has to…” My heart squeezed as tears dripped off my chin. I stared down at Connor’s waxen skin. My worst nightmare had come true. Connor was really gone. Feeling my heart shatter, I fell across Connor’s damaged chest and sobbed; even Mea and Prime couldn’t reach me.

Chapter 11

Connor

I gritted my teeth.I wouldnotfucking scream. Not here, not now, not ever. I staggered under the weight of my chains, chains that burned my skin, over and over again. Bracing myself, I forced my knees straight. There was no end in sight for me. This was it. My soul was stuck here in this strange existence. This must be the outer reaches of Hell. I stared at the wall of bones and rotting flesh that disappeared into the distance; a never ending barrier between here and the land of the living. The gates opposite me were made of some kind of black wood, carved with the agonised faces of men and monsters. The gates didn’t open so much as shimmer when a soul was cast into Hell.

There was an anguished scream as one fell through the huge gate, landing at the feet of the Were who stood opposite me. He snarled, his once amber eyes swallowed whole by the demon that now controlled his body. Dagnar, my brother, had been turned into a Hellhound. Berith had healed D’s half-shifted flesh and bone, only to house a demon in his half-shifted form. My brother was my guard, a cruel twist of Berith’s meant to hurt me even more. I looked up. I knew Berith had ordered his hounds to chain me here, staring at this gate for a reason. I didn’t know what that reason was but I did know it had something to do with Ember.

I snarled.The gates of Hell.They were so huge there was no top to them, they disappeared into the swirling darkness of the sky above. On either side of the gates, huge waterfalls of blood rained down, falling into deep pools that ran into the burning river that surrounded the island of bones I was chained upon. More Hellhounds guarded the gates, and they were merciless. Souls were given form here; a flesh and blood body that could be broken over and over. They had one chance to get on the ferry boat which would take them across the burning river to their destination in Hell—if they refused, or tried to get back to the gates, these soldiers of Hell would rip their limbs off one by one until they begged to be allowed on the boat. The few who never begged had their heads ripped from their bodies before being cast into the burning river of fire that flowed around us. Moments later their bones fused with those under my feet. There was no escape from this fucking awful slice of Hell—except through those gates.

Thirst raged in my body and it never abated, neither did the hunger, or the lust that burned low in my belly. It was as if the screams and agony of the souls here were trying to take me to whatever realm of Hell they’d been assigned.

I studied the Were who had once been my friend...my blood brother. A scar still marred his face, and the hole in his chest that Stone had inflicted had healed raggedly. I knew Dagnar’s soul was stuck inside his Were body alongside that damned demon, but I had no idea how to reach him.

My knees sagged under the weight of my chains, the silver links scoring my skin, again. A low growl of pain escaped my clenched jaw. Yeah, guilt was a bitch, but I deserved all that pain, and more. So many souls had died at my hands, or because of me; I deserved to be here.

I forced myself to stay on my feet. If I bowed under the weight of my sins, I would be dragged down into the fiery flow of the river. I pressed my lips into a straight line, and my nostrils flared as I sucked in a sulphurous breath. I would not break, andshewas my reason. Somehow, I’d find a way back to her; to my salvation. I didn’t know why, but I did know that Berith wanted Ember, and he had taken my body, using me as a suit of flesh, blood and bones to get to her. Deliberately I exhaled, trying to calm my fury and fear, hoping that Ember wouldn’t be fooled by him. The thought of him using her, of him touching her in any way, made me want to claw my way through those gates—except...my wolf was gone, lost to me. I couldn’t claw my way through anything now.

My eyes burned, but I blinked against the hot wind, snarling in disgust at the stench of rot that was carried on it. I swallowed against my dry throat, wondering how long I’d been here. Time was non-existent in this place.

A gust of wind rocked me and I stumbled and fell to my knees. The chains rattled as link by link they slithered into the molten river, hissing as each one disappeared under the surface. I had to get up. I couldn’t let Berith win. He’d taken everything from me, but that burning desire in my gut to fight for Ember. The need to take my life back had only flared hotter in this world of suffering. Yelling under the weight of the chain, I pulled one knee up and put my foot flat on the white dust that covered the island of bones. Snaking my arms around the thick links, I tensed my muscles and pulled. Beads of sweat ran down my forehead and temples, dripping from my chin. Using my thighs and my back, I roared and pushed up against the weight of my sins and stood tall.

Grey and amber flashed through the eyes of the Were who had been my brother. I grinned. “That’s right D, you fight that fucker! Don’t you let him win. Ever. I’ll find a way out for us.”

The demon chuckled as D lost his fight and disappeared, but that little sign my brother was still in there, somewhere, only made me more determined to find a way back, to get us both out of here, even if it was just to free his wolf and human souls. He didn’t deserve this for an eternity, none of my kind did.

I snarled at the demon. “Come on, you ugly bastard. Come and get me…” If I could goad him into coming closer maybe I could grab his weapon and somehow get out of the chains. Just as the demon took one step towards me the gates began to vibrate and shimmer.

“Damn.” My chance had just disappeared. Two bodies came hurtling through the gates and thudded to the ground, sending dust into the air as they rolled across the bones. One was huge, and as ugly as sin.

Berith!

He rolled to his feet, huge wings exploding from his back. Without so much as a pause, he launched himself at the other guy. The other demon spun away and landed near me. Black horns curled around the side of his head, and his red eyes bored into mine right before his wings snapped out and he launched upwards, away from Berith.

“Zander?”

Shadow danced around him, hiding him the closer to the dark clouds he got. Berith followed, his furious roar rattling the bones under my feet. Moments later a figure came hurtling down. Zander’s face came into view, his jaw set and his eyes focused on me. No, not me…the chains. He yelled as the wind flayed his skin until his cheekbones and jaw were visible.

Berith swooped down, closing in on Zander.

“Come on, Zander! Do it!” My voice was hoarse, my throat too dry to shout loudly, but Zander heard me. Just before Berith could reach him, Zander roared and dove. He slammed his fists against the chain and it snapped. I struggled from under its weight just as I felt a force tugging at me, dragging me towards the gate.

Zander rolled to a halt, his clawed hands and wrists broken beyond comprehension, shattered bones sticking through the torn and bleeding flesh.

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