Chapter 28
“My Anna,” Tavis whispered.
“Yes. She’s Voltar’s daughter.”
Voltar was the one who raped Anna’s mother. Anna, beautiful Anna was half demon. Not any demon, but the one who’d killed Liam and his father. It couldn’t be.
“That must be the darkness I sensed in Anna,” Bree said.
“Anna and Voltar are working together?” Sorcha asked.
“No,” Tristol said. “But when he finds out she’s his daughter it won’t stop him from killing her.”
“How do you know Anna is his daughter?” Tavis asked. There had to be a mistake. Demons were evil and vile, not kind and caring.
“I make it my business to know what the rest of the League is up to,” Tristol said.
“You’ll lead us to Voltar and we’ll kill him?” Faelan said.
“That’s the gist of it,” Tristol said. “We all win.”
“Until you slaughter us,” Tavis said. “Or lock us up in your dungeon and torture us.”
“As I’m sure you’re aware, my dungeon is missing,” Tristol said, his eyes reddening slightly.
“I bet you have another one,” Ronan said. “What’s to say after Voltar is dead you don’t kill the rest of us?”
“There could be a hundred vampires waiting outside to slaughter us,” Niall said.
“On my honor. I came alone. And I came to help.”
“Your honor?” Tavis said.
“My honor,” Tristol said. “As you’ve seen, I can move faster than you.” He looked at Shay and Bree. “Most of you, that is. The two of you are quite remarkable.”
“Assuming we agree to this,” Tavis said, “what do we do next?”
“We go hunting and bring Anna home,” Tristol said.
“Be careful with her,” Tavis said. “She’s carrying my bairn.”
Tristol’s dark eyes narrowed to slits. “Your bairn?”
“Aye. And I’ll kill anything that harms a hair on her head. I don’t care whose daughter she is.”
* * *
AmI the only one freaking out?” Brodie asked. “This is Tristol, the ancient demon, or ancient vampire, whatever the bloody hell he is. And now we find out Anna is Voltar’s daughter.”
“We’re all freaked out,” Ronan said.
“Maybe he’s lying,” Brodie said. “Then again, it might explain why she can do the things she does.” He frowned. “Do you think she can shift?”
“She’s not a demon. I don’t care what her father is. She’s a woman,” Tavis said, despite his earlier words. “And a warrior.”
Brodie held up his hands. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult her. Anna’s awesome. But you have to admit it’s a shock. I’ve never heard of any such thing. A warrior and a demon.”
It was a shock. Tavis had never trusted beauty. He’d avoided beautiful women for fear that they might be a demon in disguise. Just when he’d let his guard down and let a beautiful woman steal his heart, she turned out to be half demon. Daughter of an ancient demon. The very one who’d killed Liam and his father. But she was Anna. And did it really matter who her parents were? Wasn’t it the heart that made the warrior? One thing he knew—Voltar was going to die today.
Tristol had gone back to keep an eye on Voltar and Anna while the warriors gathered weapons and communications devices for the battle. They would meet Tristol in the woods behind the castle. Several warriors were remaining to make sure the castle was secure, in case Voltar—or Tristol—was luring them into a trap. More warriors from Maine and Pennsylvania were coming to help, but they wouldn’t arrive for two hours.
“Bring that big rifle you showed me earlier,” Tavis said, rubbing his battle marks, which were itching so badly they burned.
“The assault weapon?” Brodie asked. “Got it right here.”
“Bring everything we have,” Niall said. “We don’t know how many demons he’ll have with him.”
“Do you think Tristol is telling the truth about helping us?” Tomas asked.
“He could have killed us in the chapel if he’d wanted to,” Shane said. “Ripped us all to shreds.”
“And still could,” Brodie said.
“What choice do we have?” Sorcha asked. “He knows where we are, says he knows each of us personally, and he isn’t constrained by the whole holy ground thing. Hell, we have to let him help. Or help him. I’ll gladly help get rid of Voltar.”
“No one can do it except me,” Tavis said. He had been tempted to sneak off and go on ahead to find Anna, but he would need help. Voltar wouldn’t be alone. If Tristol wanted Voltar dead more than he wanted Anna and Tavis for his breeding program, that was good enough for now. Later, they would settle the score. He would still make Tristol regret what he’d done to Anna. To him.
“The Council thinks you both were assigned,” Sorcha said.
Another reason they needed to hurry. God knew what she might try. “I know what Michael said.”
“Maybe that was before you defied him and went into the time vault,” Sorcha said.
“He’s not reassigned. Anna’s mistaken. I’m not letting her kill him.”
“She’d be killing her own father,” Sorcha said. “You’re still in love with her? Even knowing what she is?”
“And what if I am? Do you have anything to say about it?” Tavis asked.
Sorcha raised a brow. “Not a thing. Other than best wishes. Invite me to the wedding and all that.”
Tavis tucked another collapsed sword onto his belt, and Faelan helped him adjust the mic and earpiece which would allow him to communicate with the others from a distance. It was bloody astounding.
“Are you sure you want to wear a kilt?” Faelan asked. He lowered his voice. “We’re not just fighting alongside men now. In our day it didn’t matter if a kilt stayed down or not.”
“I don’t care what my kilt shows. I’m more comfortable fighting in it, and I can’t make a mistake. They’ve all seen it anyway.”
“Whatever floats your boat.”
“What’s that mean?”
Faelan frowned. “It’s something Ronan says. I need to check on Bree. I’m afraid she’ll do something barmy.”
“You don’t have to go with me,” Tavis said. “I know you’re worried about Bree and the bairn.”
“I do have to go. It’s my fault you’re in this mess.”
“I chose to follow you,” Tavis said.
“You’re my brother. I won’t lose you. The others will keep an eye on Bree and Shay.”
“You don’t think they’ll try something stupid, do you?” Cody asked with a worried frown. He had pistols on each side of his belt, as well as a dagger.
“Someone call and make sure Bree and Shay don’t get any ideas about following us,” Faelan said.
Brodie took out his cellphone. “I’ll do it. But I would feel better if they tagged along. They’re the ones who seem to be equipped to fight vampires.”
“We’re not fighting vampires,” Duncan said. “We’re fighting alongside a vampire, to rescue a warrior who’s part demon. What’s the world coming to?”
“Sean says Shay and Bree don’t show signs of trying to escape,” Brodie reported. “Coira, Ewan, Laura, Nina, and Matilda are with them, as well as warriors outside. I’m not sure Matilda’s helping. I could hear her in the background asking if Tristol gives interviews.”
“I don’t trust him,” Tavis said. “Bloody vampire.”
“He’s all we’ve got right now,” Duncan said. “Let’s get rid of Voltar, then we’ll figure out what to do about Tristol.”
“I want him dead,” Tavis said.
“Get in line,” Ronan said. In addition to daggers and those fancy swords, he had a bow slung over his shoulder.
“Someone needs to keep an eye on him and make sure it’s not a trap,” Tavis said.
“Sorcha, you take the first watch,” Duncan said.
“You take it, cousin. I want to fight,” she said.
“They’re cousins?” Tavis whispered to Faelan.
“Not really, or so distant it doesn’t count.”
“You’ll get to fight,” Duncan said. “I’ll take the second watch.”
“Are you going to try to suspend him?” Ronan asked.
“I’m undecided,” Tavis said. “But either way, we need to make sure Tristol doesn’t see what happens. The last thing we need him knowing is how talismans and time vaults work.”
“He probably knows already,” Brodie said.
“If everyone’s mic’ed up, let’s go,” Duncan said.
Tristol waited for them in the woods. Tavis put aside his hatred and focused on Anna, on what Tristol could do to help. “Did you see her?”
Tristol nodded his dark head. “She’s alive, and very angry. He’s holding her in a cave. I’m sure he would have already killed her, but he’s hoping to lure you there.”
“Let’s go then,” Tavis said. “And everyone stay clear of Voltar. That goes for you as well, Tristol.”
“Be warned,” Tristol said. “He’s set traps. There are demons hiding in trees and underground.”
“Can you point them out?” Ronan asked tightly. “I’ll use my bow to clear the way.”
Tristol agreed, and they started off. Faelan and Cody stayed with Tavis. If he needed help with Voltar, warriors who had destroyed ancient demons were less likely to be fatally injured.
They found Anna’s phone in the woods. Tavis was angry that he’d missed her call. According to Faelan, Tavis’s cellphone had been set on something called vibrate mode. He should have paid more attention when Duncan was explaining how the bloody thing worked.
“We’re close,” Tristol said. “There, up in that tree. He’s the lookout.” The demon hadn’t spotted them yet. Their eyesight wasn’t as good as a warrior’s.
“I got him. We don’t want to alert Voltar with gunshots.” Ronan slipped his bow off his shoulder and nocked an arrow. He raised the bow, drew back and let the arrow go. It was a good hit. The demon fell from the tree and hit the leaves below. “One down.”
“The next one is hiding behind that outcropping of rock,” Tristol said. “He’s strong. I’m not sure an arrow will bring him down.”
“Can’t you just zoom up there and rip out his throat?” Niall asked.
“I’d rather not,” Tristol said.
“But you could,” Brodie said.
“I could.”
Brodie gave Tristol a wary glance and stepped back. The vampire demon smiled, and something about his expression unleashed a memory from Tavis’s past.
“Shite. You’re the one who told Ian and me where to find Druan’s sorcerer,” Tavis said.
“I’d hoped you wouldn’t remember,” Tristol said. “But you realize now that I’ve helped your clan more than you knew.”
“You’re saying Tristol helped save our lives even then?” Faelan said.
Tavis was disturbed by the memory. He wanted to hate Tristol for what he’d done to him and Anna. “I’m sure it suited his purpose.”
Ronan frowned at Tristol. “I remember something too.”
“Doesn’t look pleasant,” Tristol said, studying Ronan silently.
Ronan’s face was hard. “It isn’t.”
“The cave is there.” Tristol pointed to an area where the trees grew thicker. “He’ll have many demons guarding her.”
Declan, Marcas, Brodie, Sorcha, Duncan, and Niall split off to approach the cave from different directions. Ronan, Lachlan, Shane, Cody, and Faelan stayed with Tavis. Tristol went ahead doing his mist thing.
“That’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen,” Lachlan said, watching the black mist vanish in the sky.
Instead of killing the demon that waited behind the rock, Ronan wounded him with an arrow so they could question him.
“Where’s Anna?” Tavis asked, holding a dagger to the demon’s throat.
“She’s with Voltar.”
“Where?” Faelan asked. “What’s he planning?”
“A sacrifice,” the demon said.
“He’s going to sacrifice his own daughter to get me?” Tavis asked.
“Daughter?” The demon laughed. “Voltar doesn’t have a daughter. He hates females.”
“I hope you’re right,” Tavis said, before he drove his dagger into the demon’s chest.
They spaced themselves out and continued their advance. “I’ve got four demons,” Ronan said over the earpiece.”
They worked toward him and saw the demons waiting on the ground near the trees. Ronan took out one with an arrow, and then the warriors crept up on the other three.
They were closing in on the cave. It was well-hidden, with the opening disguised behind a large rock. “Looks like he’s slumming it until he gets another penthouse,” Ronan said.
“Did you know this cave was here?” Tavis asked.
Ronan shook his head. “We haven’t had possession of the castle long enough to do much exploration yet. Let’s go in, but quietly, or we’ll be sitting ducks.”
Lights were strapped to their weapons showing the way as they crept through the dark cave looking for signs of Anna and Voltar. The cave was large, and they had gone a good distance when two demons leapt out at them. Tavis took one down while Faelan got the other.
Tavis heard a deep growl, and Voltar appeared in his natural form. He towered over the other demons that flanked him. There were eight of them with thick gray skin and yellow eyes, but Voltar was even more hideous, a monstrosity with sharp teeth and claws. This thing was Anna’s father? Disgust and doubt started to creep in, but Tavis refused to let it take hold. Anna was pure. She was good and strong. She was beautiful inside and out. Nothing like this creature.
“Where is Anna?” he asked.
“She’s close by,” Voltar said.
Tavis lowered his sword. “I’ll trade, me for her.”
“No,” Faelan said, moving beside him.
Tavis stepped closer to Voltar. “Me for her,” he repeated.
“I will take that deal. Bring Anna to me,” Voltar said to his demons.
“Don’t do this, Tavis,” Faelan whispered, his desperation showing in his face. “We can save her. We will take out the others while you get Voltar.”
Tavis shook his head. “I have to get her to safety first.”
“Bloody fool.”
“You’d do the same if it were Bree,” Tavis said.
Faelan grunted but didn’t disagree.
“Tavis!” Anna yelled from deeper inside the cave. “Don’t come any closer. It’s a trap. Kill Voltar—” her words were cut off.
“Anna!” Tavis swung his sword, but Voltar turned and ran as his demons advanced on Tavis. These didn’t need swords or fancy guns. Claws and teeth would do the job. And it was clear Tavis was their target. The other warriors were too close for Tavis to use his talisman, so they battled with swords. Tavis preferred them anyway. He engaged the first demon, and immediately the other warriors were beside him, each singling out a demon. Tavis dispatched his demon and turned to the next, but Sorcha got to him first, removing his head with a battle cry as loud as any man. Brodie drove his sword up through one demon’s heart so hard the blow lifted the demon off his feet a second before he disappeared. Brodie might be a prankster, but he was a hell of a warrior. They all were. Lachlan leapt clear of a demon trying to grab him. He raised his sword, but before he could strike, Cody threw his knife and stabbed it through the eye.
“Show-off,” Lachlan said, turning to help Marcas.
When the last demon had been killed, the warriors went after Voltar. Faelan and Cody were sticking close to Tavis. They reached a narrow section, and suddenly the walls came alive with hisses and growls as demons appeared from nowhere. Three of them came at Tavis. He drove his sword into the closest demon. It disappeared and the second one attacked. He took its head. The third swung a thick arm with sharp claws that just missed his neck. It came at him again, teeth gnashing. Tavis heard a roar, and the tip of a sword broke through the demon’s chest. The creature vanished, and Tavis saw Faelan withdraw the sword, his face fierce.
“Thanks, brother. That was just in time,” Tavis said. If this had been just any battle, he would have enjoyed it. He and Faelan had fought many battles together. But Anna’s life depended on this one. A minute later, Tavis saw her. She was trapped by four demons, each holding an arm or leg. If she struggled, Tavis knew they would rip her apart.
“Tavis, get out!” Anna yelled.
Tavis’s heart was thundering in his chest. He couldn’t use the talisman with Anna there. If he attacked, the demons would kill her. There was a sound like the wind, and the air grew black. Tristol momentarily materialized and the four demons dropped like flies. There was an angry roar, and Voltar rushed out of the shadows. Tristol grabbed Anna and swept her away as Voltar lunged at them. Tavis reached for his talisman to destroy Voltar when something slammed him from behind. He hit the cave floor. He looked up and saw more of Voltar’s horde had surrounded them. These resembled their master. He had saved his best for last.
Tavis killed them as fast as he could swing his sword, but it was nowhere near as fast as Shane. The other warriors were fighting just as hard. Niall slammed one demon into the wall. When it staggered to its feet, Cody took off its head. Duncan and Sorcha had teamed up, as had Ronan and Declan, moving so quickly it was hard to tell which was which.
“Voltar followed Anna and Tristol,” Marcas called out.
“I’m going after them.” As soon as Tavis emerged from the cave, Voltar was waiting. Tavis ducked as Voltar struck with his claws. If the demon had been a little shorter, the swipe would have caught Tavis’s head. Close call.
Tavis drove his sword into Voltar’s thigh, pulled the weapon free, and rolled clear. He attacked again, catching Voltar’s stomach. Thick flesh opened, and he glimpsed demon guts. The smell was sickening. Tavis sank his sword into Voltar’s chest. It missed his heart, but the demon cried out and fell.
“Here,” Faelan burst out of the cave and threw something at Tavis. Shackles.
Tavis snapped one on Voltar’s wrist and quickly jumped away to avoid the demon’s claws. Voltar staggered to his feet, preventing Tavis from securing the second shackle. The first had slowed him down, but Tavis needed to secure both arms and feet. He still couldn’t use the talisman since he didn’t know Tristol and Anna’s location. He wouldn’t endanger Anna, and if his talisman struck Tristol—even accidentally—Tavis could die. He had come too far to let that happen. And besides, he wanted to suspend the demon.
“Look out for his claws,” Cody warned.
Tavis was easing toward the angry demon when a rock flew past his head, striking Voltar right between the eyes, just like David and Goliath. Voltar stumbled, and Tavis darted in and attached the second shackle. When he glanced back, the other warriors were clapping Niall on the back.
“You got him,” Faelan said.
Niall shrugged. “He’s weak now; figured it wouldn’t hurt me too much.”
“The other demons?” Tavis asked, stepping away from Voltar for a moment.
“All dead but one,” Duncan said. “He got away.”
“Try to find Anna and Tristol. I still don’t trust him. I’ll take care of Voltar.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Faelan said.
Brodie’s eyes widened. “You’d better hurry. Your demon’s getting away.”
Tavis turned. Voltar was trying to run, more of a lumbering gait, a testament to the demon’s power that he could still move. “Damn.” They chased Voltar and caught him a hundred yards away. “Go on,” Tavis said to the others. “We’ve got him now.” And to be sure, he summoned another pair of shackles and put them on the demon’s feet.
Voltar looked at them with fury in his eyes, but under the paralyzing effect of the shackles, all he could do was put one foot in front of the other. He couldn’t even speak.
“You killed our father,” Faelan said. “And our brother when he was just a child.”
“And you raped Anna’s mother.” Tavis didn’t allow himself to think long on the fact that if Voltar hadn’t, Anna wouldn’t be here. “You’ll pay,” Tavis said.
“Not today.” A demon stalked toward them, holding a box in his hand. He raised it, and light flashed out fast as a bullet.
Tavis felt like he’d been struck by lightning. He fell to the ground, unable to move anything but his eyes. Faelan lay beside him, suffering the same fate. He threw Tavis a frantic look as the demon went over to Voltar. He started to work at the shackles. Tavis didn’t know if he could remove them or not, but either way, unless there was a miracle, he and Faelan were dead.
“Voltar.” Anna’s voice boomed as she stepped out of the trees.
Tavis couldn’t speak to warn her about the stun gun. He tried to signal her with his eyes. It didn’t matter. Anna didn’t let him get close enough. She raised a gun with a huge barrel and shot the demon between the eyes. He vanished, leaving only Voltar.
Anna hurried over to Tavis and Faelan. “Are you okay?”
He couldn’t answer, but enough feeling was coming back to his body that he was able to move his head.
“I love you.” She dropped down beside him and kissed his lips. Just past Anna’s shoulder, Tavis saw Voltar rolling over, and he realized what he was doing. Trying to reach the stun gun. He was only a few inches away now. Tavis tried to motion with his eyes and head. He didn’t know if Voltar could do any good with the thing since his hands were shackled behind his back, but he didn’t want to find out.
Faelan had also seen what Voltar was up to and was trying to motion a warning. Voltar had the stun gun in his shackled hands. He rolled to the side so that it was pointing at Anna. Tavis had some movement in his foot. He kicked Anna’s leg, hoping to knock her clear. She started to fall and Tristol streaked in and moved her out of the way.
“That’s not nice, Voltar. Trying to kill your own daughter,” Tristol said.
Voltar looked confused.
“You don’t remember her mother. She was a warrior. You raped her in the back of a little bar.”
Voltar’s eyes widened, and he stared at Anna.
“Your half-human daughter, and a warrior at that,” Tristol hissed. “So much for your pure race.”
Tavis wished Tristol would just kill the demon but knew he wouldn’t. Tavis motioned for Tristol to get Anna to safety. For the second time, Tristol grabbed her and vanished.
Voltar still had the stun gun in his hands. He didn’t speak. It was clearly taking all his effort to hold it in the awkward position, but his eyes were filled with hatred. He looked at Tavis, and then turned the stun gun toward Faelan. Tavis struggled to get up. He didn’t know if another hit would kill Faelan or just knock him out.
Again, he didn’t get a chance to find out. A noise that sounded like a herd of elephants came trampling through the woods. Matilda burst out of the woods holding the cat. “Attack,” she said, and flung it at Voltar.
The cat leapt at Voltar and midway through the air shifted into a man wearing a long white robe as white as his hair. He landed on his feet as graceful as a deer and knocked the stun gun from Voltar’s hand.
“Oh my God!” Matilda said and sat down on the ground.
Tavis would have been speechless, even if he could have spoken. From the limited view he had in his incapacitated state he saw the stunned expressions of the others.
Anna gaped at the man. “Who’s he?”
“He’s the cat,” Matilda said.
“Old Elmer,” Cody said, staring. “Bloody hell.”
The other warriors arrived, and in the confusion, Old Elmer disappeared. Tavis and Faelan needed help to stand, but with Anna supporting him, Tavis summoned a time vault, and he and Anna and Faelan put Voltar inside. The demon’s eyes flashed with hatred.
“I could have destroyed you,” Tavis said, “but that would have been too easy. You’re going to wake again to face Judgment, and before you’re destroyed for good, you’ll remember that your daughter is a powerful warrior, and she’s carrying a child who will be a powerful warrior.”
Faelan leaned over the time vault. “This is for Liam and my father, a parting gift.” He stuck Voltar’s stun gun to the demon’s forehead and pressed the button. Voltar’s eyes bulged.
“Go to Hell, Voltar.” Tavis slammed the lid.