The Darkest Pleasure

'They were probably alerted, might even have watched the battle,' Lucien said. 'I imagine they're coming here.'

Reyes hunched over, trying to catch his breath. 'Is the fortress secure?'

'Yes.'

'Take us back, then,' Reyes said. 'All of us. Me last.'

Lucien nodded, began to mist a second later, when Reyes grabbed his arm, stopping him. 'How is Sabin?'

'Better. He'll recover.'

Good. Lucien disappeared completely then. Reyes couldn't allow the Hunters to see what was going on, so he used the last of his strength to disable the wires. As he worked, he heard several of the women screaming and knew Lucien had just materialized in front of them. He wanted Danika unafraid, but he wanted her safe more.

Several minutes later, Lucien reappeared. 'You're the last. Ready?'

He gave a single nod. It was all he could manage.

Lucien touched his arm. Next thing Reyes knew, he was standing inside his bedroom in the fortress. His knees gave out again and he collapsed on the edge of his bed, remaining upright by clutching the nearest post. 'Where are the women?'

'Locked next door. I will help you deal with them, I just need…the souls are calling to me.' Lucien disappeared. When he returned a long while later, he reeked of sulfur. Reyes, who hadn't moved an inch, wasn't surprised the Hunters' final resting place was hell.

Reyes's head lolled forward, chin hitting his chest heavily. 'Listen. I need you to go to Aeron's cell.'

'Why?'

'Please. Take your phone and call me when you get there. If I had the strength, I would go myself.'

Expression confused, Lucien once more disappeared. In a heartbeat of time, Reyes's phone was ringing. He flipped it open, fingers fumbling, and barked a quick, 'You there?'

'Yes,' Lucien said.

In the background, beyond his door, Reyes could hear mumbling. He would have given his left arm—literally —to walk to it and press his ear to the wood. But in the end, he didn't have to. He could hear Danika soothe her family, her voice gentle yet determined. A grin curled the corners of his lips. My little soldier.

He had to see her.

The overwhelming need gave him strength, a surging heat that swarmed through him and lifted him to his feet. One unsteady foot in front of the other and he was flipping the door's lock and winding his fingers around the knob.

'Reyes, are you there?'

Lucien.

'I'm here. Listen, last night Danika told me about a dream she'd had,' he whispered so the women wouldn't hear him. 'In it, she visited hell. Heard and saw the demons there, heard and saw their victims. But Lucien, I don't think it was a dream.'

Crackling static. Reception in the dungeon was spotty at best. 'I don't understand.'

'When I'm…with her, I'm somehow propelled out of my body and into the heavens. I think she's a portal into the hereafter.'

'Are you sure? Perhaps you—'

'I'm sure. Last time, an angel actually spoke to me.'

'Dear gods.'

'I know.'

'But what does this have to do with Aeron?'

'Not Aeron. His friend.'

'The little demon?' Shock rang in Lucien's voice. 'Reyes, break this down for me as though I were a child. Why?'

'Do you remember the Hunter Danika killed? Well, she saw him in hell and a demon was questioning him, demanding to know about the All-Seeing Eye.'

There was more crackling static, tense and heavy. 'The repercussions of this could be devastating.'

Reyes knew that well. 'Ask the demon why his friends would want information on Danika.'

Bars rattled. Dark curses arose. Both so loud they managed to blast through the weakened phone signal. Lucien sighed. 'I only see Aeron.'

'Damn. Try to draw him out. I'll compose myself and be there in a moment.' He closed the cell and once more pushed it into his pocket—or rather, missed his pocket. The phone clanked to the ground. Scowling, he bent over and swiped it up. He swayed as he straightened, but managed to slide it in place and enter the women's bedroom without falling.

All four were on the bed and clamped their lips together as they turned to gape at him. Three of them paled. He was still covered in blood, he realized, and probably looked every bit the monster they imagined him to be. He'd been shot. A lot. Stabbed, too. His clothing was tattered, his wounds still seeping. Still, his hungry gaze sought Danika.

'Reyes!' She grinned when their gazes met, but that grin quickly faded. 'You're hurt!' She moved from her family, rushing toward him…soon so close he could smell her stormy fragrance.

Heart pounding in his chest, he shut the door in her face. Turned the lock.

He heard her gasp. Her fists banged against the wood. 'Reyes!' she growled.

He'd seen her, knew she was unharmed. It was time to walk away from her. For good. Last night she'd wanted to hurt him during sex. Had been eager to do so. Being gentle hadn't stopped the dark cravings as he'd hoped. And even though he hadn't allowed her to hurt him, his demon must have affected her already, propelling her toward the life Reyes had endured for too long. Pain, always pain.

What if she wanted to hurt her family next? She'd fought so diligently to save them. He wouldn't jeopardize that.

'Reyes! Let me out.'

'Dani,' the grandmother called unexpectedly. 'Leave him be.'

The pounding continued.

Reyes ran a fingertip along the wood. Then, slowly, he stepped away from the door. Only when he reached the end of the hallway did he pivot. Some of the home's furnishings were missing, he realized as he limped. A few tables, all of the knickknacks Ashlyn had added. There was no blood on the walls, so the warriors must have been hard at work, cleaning. Thankfully, he didn't see any of the warriors in question. He wasn't sure how he would have reacted if they'd asked him about Danika.

Danika, Pain suddenly shouted.

'Hush,' he replied.

But the more distance he put between him and Danika, the more the demon growled inside his mind.

Danika, Pain shouted again.

'I'm riddled with bullet holes. What more do you want?' Reyes growled back.

Her.

'Why?' She was the epitome of pleasure. 'She is not for us.'

Mine.

'No!' Down the stairs he pounded, his steps long and furious, eating up the distance to the dungeon. He found Lucien in front of Aeron's cell, gripping the bars, silent.

Reyes stopped beside him and looked into the holding. Aeron was still chained to the wall, his eyes bright red, his fangs long and sharp. His nails were elongated into claws. The demon, Legion, slithered around his neck, down his arms and then across his ankles.

'It is able to flash,' Lucien said. 'It popped itself into the middle of the cell and now is refusing to talk to me.'

'I talk,' the demon said.

'Then tell me where you went.'

'Hell.'