Page 15 of Forsaken Dream
Chapter Seven
Angelo
Something sharp poked my back and I could barely feel my legs from the knees down. Keeping my eyes closed, I assessed my body and all the fading aches and pains where I’d been hit or sliced open. Last thing I remembered was a horde of rogue shades swarming me at the outskirts of the small town that was my destination. The feral, bloodthirsty things raked their talons and teeth over me as I fought them while thanking the fates for sending me on this quest. This town might be small, but it must have been infested with these creatures. That was probably my path: to save the humans living there before the shades turned the place into a ghost town. One more confirmation to never question the fates, although I had to flee the battle when their numbers tripled. I’d have to scout the area before I cleaned the pests out of this part of the world.
None of that explained where I was, what that tantalizing scent that was teasing my nostrils despite the stench of congealed blood I could still feel on parts of me, or the hum of voices too low for me to decipher coming from nearby. As far as I was aware, shades couldn’t pass through portals angels opened, so there was no way I was captured by the scum I had been fighting. Unless I ended up in a nest of another of their groups. Racking my brain, I still couldn’t grasp the memory of where I dropped after I closed the portal behind me. A vague picture of lavender silk and sparkling grey jewels prodded at me, but it dissipated before I could take hold of it. The hum of voices became clearer and I couldn’t stay still any longer. Cracking an eyelid open, I scanned the room I found myself in.
Soft peach walls encompassed a cozy room full of books and frames holding two faces I couldn’t see from where I was lying. Dark brown furniture sat around a low table that was pushed to the side. White lacy curtains were pulled closed over the window across from the sofa I was occupying. The sharp poking in my back must be from the springs of the old thing struggling to hold my weight. Everything looked very feminine, tasteful despite being worn out.
My ears perked when a female voice raised above the hum.
“You cannot be serious!” The beautiful sound made me swing my legs to the side as I lifted on the sofa. “I don’t need you, or your help.” What followed had me on my feet striding across the room and into the one across the hall.
“You refuse us but allow the damn feathered fuck to sleep on your couch?” A deep growl had me balling my fists as I stepped into a brightly lit kitchen.
“Who I allow or don’t allow in my home is my business. If that was all you have to say, we are done here. Get out.” The female jumped from the chair she was sitting on, shooting a pointed finger at me while not turning my way.
Two pairs of eyes, one amber and the other yellow, locked on me, but I pushed them aside to deal with later. The female had her back turned and couldn’t see me standing in the room with them, her arm thrown behind her like an arrow pointing the way. It gave me the opportunity to truly look at her. Hourglass figure, all soft curves and smooth skin that was stiff in agitation, but what had my attention the most was the lavender hair spilling over her shoulders. Her bare feet poked under the light pants she wore, which did a poor job of hiding the globes of her ass. My gut clenched when the flesh there bounced from her movement, the blood-covered pants I had on straining from my erection. What in the Heaven was happening here?
My startled gaze swung to the two males sitting at the long table where the three of them were conversing before the female decided to show them the door. The larger of the two was poised as if ready to pounce on me and kill me where I stood. The other one, however, raked a hand through his long black hair, smirking at me as if he knew something I didn’t. That was when I noticed the markings branded on his flesh in black ink. Demonic runes swirled over his skin from wrist to shoulder, turning my blood into molten lava.
“Demon.” The snarl hissed from my lips before I could stop it.
The female spun around, her wide, fearful eyes zeroing in on me. Jeweled orbs sparkled on her ethereal face, reflecting the glaring light from the kitchen.
“Well, at least we are not the only ones who fucked up.” The demon elbowed the large male next to him, snickering when he glanced at the female. “The feathered fiend can join the club in the doghouse.”
Anger burned through me when I called on my sword and power but got nothing in return. Somehow the demon and his friend were blocking my ability to slay them where they sat at the table. My weight shifted to the balls of my feet, my entire being preparing to attack when a jolt of fire skittered across my skin. Jerking back, my gaze swung to the female, who was glaring at me instead of the two who were smirking now.
“You don’t get to waltz in here and start a fight in my kitchen,” she snapped at me, her full lips thinning in frustration. “Since you are heathy enough to want to wrestle, you can get the hell out of my home along with them. You are welcome, by the way, for cleaning you up and making sure you heal. Get off my land and fight to your heart’s content.” My mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. “Out!”
The two males vaulted to their feet, and like chastened younglings, they hurried to do her bidding. Still dumbfounded from the feisty female, I didn’t blink an eye when the demon took my upper arm and tugged me along with them. My feet moved, but I stared over my shoulder because I was unable to take my eyes off of her. It wasn’t the two males preventing me to call on my power and sword. It was the female. As I was dragged out of her home, I could still feel her magic searing my skin from her fury. What kind of creature was she to be able to nullify the powers of an Archangel?
Uneasiness gnawed at my gut.
Shock and probably blood loss had me reeling long enough that we were almost to the middle of an orchard before I came to my senses. Wrenching my arm from the hold the demon had on it, I stopped dead in my tracks. The two males took a step away from me, wisely not giving me their backs. Everything in me screamed to go back to the female, but I fought it like I’d never fought anything before. What sorcery was this?
“Before you start swinging fists like the dumb fuck here”—The demon jabbed a thumb at his friend—“calm down and look closely at what you feel for the female. And just for the record, I wouldn’t be caught dead with this motherfucker if the both of us didn’t feel the same about her.”
Taken aback that a demon would try to have a conversation instead of going for my throat, I did as he asked, still keeping an eye on both of them. The larger of the two was the bigger threat, but for some reason he looked more confused than murderous, which the latter is what I’d seen since I saw him. Staring at me, he kept clenching and unclenching his fists, but his eyebrows were pulled low on his forehead with a bewildered expression.
“I feel nothing.” All three of us knew it was a lie.
“Right.” The demon chuckled with no humor. “We feel the same nothing, too. That’s why we are all fucked.”
“I need to go back to apologize.” The large male grumbled as if he was talking to himself.
“You need to stay where you fucking are, you dumb fuck.” Snarling, the demon stiffened. “You did enough damage for one night. That’s Tyler, dumb as the rock he turns himself into.” Amber eyes glowing, he fixed them on my face. “I’m Vaser, and the lovely spitfire in that house over there is Echo.”
“You know the female?” As if that was the most important thing in this mess. I couldn’t help the tightness in my chest when my gaze darted at the house, which was now barely visible from the trees.
“As much as you know her thanks to Hulk over there,” Vaser muttered in agitation.
“I’m Tyler,” The large male hurled at him and despite the situation, a bark of laughter burst from me.
“It’s a fiction character the mortals love to watch.” Face twisting in a grimace, Vaser yanked on his hair. “How the fuck are we going to fix this, huh?”
“I am not leaving.” Tyler folded both arms across his chest stubbornly, and some of my wariness disappeared. What was going on here?
