Page 68 of Ruin

I turned and shot the Weres behind me, but my bullets missed. My eyes widened at the speed these Weres moved. And then it dawned on me. They were all servants of Satan—by choice. Some in this shit hole of a prison really had deserved to be there, and it seemed they were the ones who had jumped at the chance of an eternity creating chaos and pain.

I heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being drawn. I spun and dipped sideways, but it was too late. The blade hit me in the shoulder.

“Fuck!” I roared as they attacked from both sides. I shot my weapon over and over, but they moved too quickly. My silver bullets hit them in their torso, which didn’t even slow them down.

My beast thrashed to burst free and rip our enemy apart but I held him back. Ember had run from me. I knew her well enough to realise she had done it to try and keep me and our shifters away from the rift—to protect us; and the only way to reach her was in my human form, so I hid my true power and fought as a man, kicking my nearest attacker in the chest before slamming my fist into another, followed by my elbow. Over and over I used my body to inflict damage, pulling on enough power to grow my claws and rip into their chests. I staggered when a blow came to the back of my head. Shaking off the pain and fogginess, I turned and let loose a barrage of punches, but each move I made only made me bleed more. I wanted to rip the blade from my shoulder but I had no time. Another blow to my head sent me to my knees. I roared as my attacker slammed something into my skull. Pain exploded and bright lights flashed across my vision. My beast clawed at my insides, trying his best to escape, but still I held him back. I didn’t let him out even when my head was whacked again and a rivulet of warm sticky blood dripped down my neck, soaking into my t-shirt.

I swayed on my knees, following Santa’s progress as he prowled closer. With a snarl he lifted his foot and slammed his heel into the knife blade. Agony exploded through my chest and arm. I roared and it took everything in me not to shift. I landed on my back, heaving breaths that became harder and harder to take. I swallowed down the pain as my body tried to heal around the knife blade. Prime snarled and pushed his will against mine, but I was the alpha, the one in command of our band of souls; no matter how powerful he, or the Hell-beast was, it was my body and my mind that controlled them all.

Santa loomed over me. I snarled up at his burning eyes, fighting my need to rip his head off. He huffed a laugh and in a swift and vicious move, kicked me in the head. This time I didn’t fight the wave of darkness that washed over me.

Chapter 22

Ember

My heart beatpainfully under my ribs. Oh, gods! I’d left my mate to come and fight a small army of demons—alone. My hands trembled, but there was no way I’d put Connor or anyone else in danger if I could help it. Carefully, I pushed my shoulder into the swing doors at the bottom of the stairwell. It swung open with a creak. I cursed. No way they didn’t hear that. The corridor beyond was dark. I stepped through and shut the doors. The breath I blew out didn’t do much to calm my nerves. Light flared around me as I sealed the doors with a blast of heat.

I tilted my head. People and wolves rushed down the stairs.Sorry, guys…I jumped back when Kawan leapt at the doors, rattling them with his big body.

“Please stop.” I lifted my eyes and met Kawan’s as he howled at me. “I don’t want you hurt,” I whispered. He cocked his head, narrowed his eyes and launched himself at the door again. “I’m sorry,” I said, and turned away. They’d leave when they realised there was no getting through those doors.

Connor wasn’t with them. My belly squeezed as I pictured my mate’s stunning face—and how angry he’d be with me right now. Well, I made a vow to protect what was mine too, especially those I loved. And, gods, I loved him so much it hurt. Doherty had taken my parents from me. He had taken Lyss. He’d ruined Rawson. And then, because that wasn’t enough, he’d taken Connor from me. Four fucking years I believed my mate dead. And just when I thought I finally had Connor back, Berith took him from me. Never again—I’d make sure of that.

I curled my fingers into fists before stretching them out, claws pushing through my nails. Yeah, I was out for blood and no one would stop me from burning this evil place and everything in it to ash.

Taking a breath, I turned to face my enemies. The Weres stood eerily still and silent. Behind them were the guards. Fire pushed against my control, and beads of sweat ran from under my flaming hair. I cracked my neck, certain now that no matter his power, I had been right to keep Connor away from here. I could feel the evil permeating the air. Connor was trapped here before. I couldn’t chance it. He was my world. He had been from the moment I stared into his nordic blue eyes when I was a girl. I wouldn’t survive losing him again.

Berith’s voice echoed in the dark hallway. “So nice to see you again,Firecracker.I knew you’d come. It’s like trying to keep a bee away from the nectar it craves. You think you’ve come here to destroy my little doorway to Hell, but in truth Hell calls to you, to your phoenix. The power from my world, where you belong, feeds your own. That beautiful creature made of the sun's hottest rays and Hell’s most savage flames, craves to be freed, and you cannot deny her forever.”

“Bullshit,” I snapped, my voice steady despite the growing fear that he was right. Fire was thrashing against me and I was beginning to think I might lose control of her. “My phoenix does not belong to Hell, or to you; she’s mine. And yeah, I am here to destroyyou, not just your doorway.”

“We shall see.” His tone was smug and full of a knowledge that sent goosebumps across my skin. “But even if you succeed, it will not stop the demons who are now free in this world, nor will it seal the other rifts on this mortal plane. You are too late to prevent the war that is coming. My master will bring it to its knees, and rain destruction down upon these pathetic mortals who believe their race invincible. This world, and all of its souls will be his before he moves onto the next. All we need is your firebird back in her rightful place, chained to the gates of Hell so that once again my lord can bring Hell to Earth; then you, little wolf, will belong to me. Are you ready to be fucked by a true beast? One who hasn’t been weakened by his dependence on a mortal for his existence?”

My heart missed a few beats at his demonic chuckle before racing along at a hundred miles an hour. No way was I going to become his fuck toy while my phoenix opened the gates of Hell. But destroying the rift was my goal. I wouldn’t run from him, no matter how powerful he was. Not willing to show him my fear, I smirked and without hesitation sent a wall of flames hurtling into the first wave of Weres that launched themselves towards me.

My chest ached. The poor souls trapped inside the Weres screamed as they were sent back to Hell. They'd been condemned—by me.

Berith chuckled. “I can taste your pain, she-wolf. Satan’s balls, I’m looking forward to drinking your anguish and fear, girl. Bring her to me,” he barked out in a voice no longer remotely human. It was all demon. “So long as her heart still beats when she kneels at my feet, you can do as much damage to that mortal body as you wish.” The eyes of his guards flashed a deep, hungry red. I swallowed hard and watched them fan out in a precise, coordinated fashion.

These were not only demons, but highly trained soldiers, and with the strength and healing capabilities of a demon, stopping them would be damn hard. “Shit!” My whispered curse was heard by no one else. Without wasting any more time, my enemy shot a barrage of silver bullets towards me. I threw out a shield and winced everytime one of them slammed into my flaming wall of protection. It was like being stung by a swarm of bees.

Behind me the doors rattled. The seal I’d burned on the doors still kept my friends out and away from danger. I wouldn’t let them get hurt trying to protect me, not even if it meant me ending up as Satan’s prisoner.

Taking a breath and hoping that my energy held out, I pushed more energy into my flames. The stunning tattoo that Walker had marked me with heated beneath my fae armour, even Som’s roses seemed to burn. With a mere thought, I directed that fae power to merge with Fire’s.

I burned a hole in the chests of the first three. Their bodies fell to the ground but they started to regenerate immediately. Holy Mother Wolf, they had to be powerful to regenerate so quickly! I kicked one in the face on the way past and jumped over another before landing and ducking underneath the next Were’s attack. I grinned and shot fire into the closest guard’s face, incinerating his head. His body thudded to the ground, his gun clattering to the floor.

Regenerate from that, sucker!

Again and again, I attacked, holding my shield against their bullets. My limbs started to shake, but I ignored my tired body, and kept fighting, trying to conserve my energy. My heart clenched as I realised this was a coordinated attack. They were deliberately weakening me. Damn, I should have known better!

I attacked a guard on my left, but stupidly left myself vulnerable. A fist smashed into my jaw from the right. It rocked me, but I didn’t stop, merely lit my body on fire and spun, slamming my heel into one guard’s chest before I drove the fae dagger I held through his chest plate. It was almost ridiculous how easily that fae weapon penetrated their body armour.

I fought, kicking, punching, stabbing and incinerating my way down the corridor until the door to the warden’s office came into view through the darkness. Ash and blood covered me; my own and my enemies. My breath came in heavy pants and my limbs shook, but I couldn't stop. I had to get into that room. No more demons would be released into this world from this evil place. To conserve my energy, I let my shield go and concentrated on fighting.

My fist slammed into another guard. His grunt was loud as I followed that strike with an elbow to his abdomen, right below his armour plate. His knees buckled—but before I could get in another strike, agony sliced along my upper back. I screamed, but didn’t stop fighting. Twisting on my knees, I drove an uppercut into my attacker’s groin. He cried out but swung the knife blade back cutting me across the top on my chest.

Motherfucker!

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