Longed-For Hunger (15 page)
Authors: Marisa Chenery
belongings during the day. The last things left to pack were her books. Those, she wanted to do herself. The move was an excellent opportunity to thin them out a bit. She’d been working for about an hour when the apartment door suddenly slammed open. Nyx jumped to her feet as a strange man walked inside. With a sweeping motion of his hand, the door shut behind him.
He stalked closer. “I’m so glad to see you’re still alone. My plan would have fallen apart if Denger had showed up before I could get to you. I had to wait to make sure he was indeed out hunting my undead.”
Nyx got up and tried to make a run for the bathroom, the only room in the apartment she could lock herself into, but the man was on her before she’d taken more than a couple steps.
“Who are you?” she asked, trying not to let the fear she felt sound in her voice. The man’s blue eyes turned a glowing red. “I’m insulted. I thought Denger would have told you all about me since you’re his mate. I can smell him all over you.”
Nyx’s fear shot through the roof. This had to be Mot, the last of Apep’s demons. Knowing there would be no getting away from the demon, she called out through her bond with her mate.
Denger! I need help. Now. One of Apep’s demons has me.
Denger answered her back within seconds.
Are you still at the loft? Has he hurt you?
Yes, I’m at the loft, and no, he hasn’t hurt me. He knows we’re mates. I think he wants to
use me to get to you.
Try to stay calm. We’re going to flash to you. Where exactly are you in the apartment?
In the living room.
Hold tight, Nyx. We’re coming.
Thinking to keep the demon distracted enough that Denger and the rest of the warriors could take him by surprise, she said, “You have to be Mot.” She may have gotten the drop on Denger when he’d come up behind her in the parking lot but she didn’t think she’d be able to do the same with this demon. 115
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“So you do know what I am,” he said with smile that held no warmth. “But sadly, you have the wrong name. I’m Sek.”
“I thought you were dead,” she said. When Denger had told her about the demons, he’d told her that Ra’s Chosen had destroyed the demon named Sek when he’d tried to take Desiree and Blythe captive.
“Well, you thought wrong.” He then frowned as he gazed at her mouth intently. His hand shot out and grabbed her bottom jaw painfully. “What is this?” He jabbed a thumb under her upper lip and pushed it upward. “Fangs? You have fangs.” Sek drew in a deep breath. “And you no longer smell like a mortal. Ra has been a busy sun god, I see. Apep would love to have the immortal soul of the mate to one of Ra’s warriors.”
As Sek yanked her closer and opened his mouth to sink a large set of fangs into her throat, Nyx found herself ripped out of the demon’s grasp and shoved behind Denger’s much larger body. She looked around and saw the five other warriors stood surrounding Sek.
Peeking around Denger, Nyx watched a look of rage descend over Sek’s face just as a large sword appeared in his hand. In response, there was a loud hiss as all of Ra’s Chosen unsheathed the swords at their backs. Their
khopeshes
caught the light along their bronze blades. Sek’s was similar in shape, only his was steel. Denger pushed Nyx away from his back. “Don’t get too close.” He then turned to look at each of the warriors. “He’s mine.”
Sek laughed. “You owe me, warrior, for staking me out for the sun. I’ve wanted a piece of you ever since.”
“I want to know how you survived, demon,” Denger said as he circled Sek with the other warriors backing up to give him space.
“Apep told Mot where to find me. My master wouldn’t leave me to perish in the sun. He needs me.”
“Then I’ll have to make sure you’re dead this time.”
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With a snarl, Denger went on the attack. Sek moved to block his strike. The sound of their swords hitting rang through the apartment. Nyx barely felt Takan put his arm around her as she watched Denger and the demon fight. Denger moved with a skill and grace that left her breathless. She then gasped when Sek got a lucky hit. His sword sliced through the front of Denger’s shirt leaving a line of red behind. Takan held her tighter. “Don’t worry. Denger will win. We don’t call him the ultimate killing machine for nothing.”
As the fight continued, Nyx squeezed her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms, to stop herself from whimpering with fear for Denger. She couldn’t lose him like this. She’d only just found him.
When she thought she couldn’t stand to watch anymore, Denger let out a roar, his sword slashing out so fast the blade was a blur. Sek bellowed as cut after cut appeared on his body. Snarling with fury, he went on the attack. With one swipe of Denger’s sword across the demon’s neck, deep enough to separate it from Sek’s body, the fight was over.
Nyx covered her mouth with her hand as she watched Sek’s body turn to dust. Unlike when she’d seen Denger take out the undead, the demon’s body didn’t decompose first. It just went to dust.
Breathing hard, Denger turned to her and opened his arms. A small whimper bubbled out of her throat when she threw herself into them. Holding him tight, she buried her face into his wide chest.
“It’s over, Nyx,” he said, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “It’s over. Sek is no more.”
Mehen spoke up. “And with Sek’s demise, we’re finally one step closer to ridding the mortal realm of Apep’s taint. I’d say the tide is definitely turning to our favor. Apep will have felt this loss.”
Nyx pulled back and looked up at Denger. “Take me home.”
“Look to your mate,” Mehen said. “We’ll take care of the cleanup here.”
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Denger nodded, then flashed them to their headquarters.
Alone, Nyx kissed the slash mark across Denger’s chest. “Does it hurt?”
“No,” he said huskily. “And it’s nothing that a bit of my mate’s blood and some loving won’t heal.”
Smiling, Nyx took him by the hand and led him to the bed. She got him to sit on the edge of it before she stepped between his legs and bent her head to the side. “Then come take what you need, mate.”
Then Nyx spent the rest of the night taking care of her mate only the way she could. 118
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Mot sank to the floor holding his head. Blood gushed out of his nose and ears as Apep’s roars of rage clawed at his brain. He knew what had angered the demon god so—Sek was dead. Mot had felt it the instant Sek’s life had been ended, just as Apep had. And it didn’t take much thought on his part to figure out it had to have been Ra’s Chosen who had killed him. Mot had known Sek’s plans to use Denger’s mate against him. Mot had thought it was foolish at best. Hadn’t Sek learned from his earlier attempt to take another warrior’s mate? He wouldn’t have survived that encounter if not for Mot and Apep.
Finally when Apep grew silent, Mot picked himself up. He could still feel the demon god’s presence in his head. He waited for him to speak.
I want Ra’s warriors destroyed. Too long have they interfered with my plans. Send your
army of undead warriors out to wipe them out of existence.
“It will be too early, master. I need more undead warriors before I send them against Ra’s Chosen.” Mot then clutched his head and bit back a scream of agony.
Your time is running out, Mot. I want this done.
“It shall be done as you say, master. I’ll work harder to get them ready.”
You’d better or you’ll face the same fate as Sek, but at my hand.
Once Apep’s presence faded, Mot wiped the blood from his nose. Sek’s death was a huge setback. He hadn’t told Apep, but all of Sek’s undead warriors had perished along with him. The tie to master and undead warrior were too strong to survive one without the other.
Cursing Ra’s Chosen, Mot left his lair. He had some undead warriors to create.
* * * * *
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Akori sat in the back of The Oasis, the bar where Ra’s Chosen sometimes liked to have a few drinks and unwind after a night of hunting. He pounded back a shot of Scotch then chased it down with a large swallow of beer. Catching the eye of his waitress, he motioned for her to bring another round of drinks. He was going to get shitfaced drunk then pass out in his bed. Draining the almost full bottle of beer in three swallows, he thumped it down on the table just as his waitress set another one and a shot of Scotch in front of him.
Before she left, he pushed some cash into her hand. “You might as well bring the bottle of Scotch and a couple more beers.”
She gave him a strange look, but nodded. Akori watched her move off in the direction of the bar. He’d have to watch it. She’d be cutting him off soon if he wasn’t careful. Unlike mortals, it took a shitload of alcohol for one of Ra’s Chosen to get as drunk as Akori wanted to be. He probably would have been better off buying his own booze and taking it back to the headquarters. But the only problem with that was the others would notice. Living with that many people in such close quarters, nothing got missed.
Downing the Scotch, he thought over what had brought him to drinking himself silly. Why did it have to be him? Why did his blood hunger have to increase? Why couldn’t it have been Kysen or Takan? Akori
did
not
want a mate. Ever. Ra may have thought he was doing him a favor by decreeing he would have one but Akori thought otherwise.
After the waitress returned with a bottle of Scotch, Akori opened it, and forgoing the shot glass she’d brought with it, he chugged it. If he was lucky, he’d drink himself into a deep enough stupor that he could ignore the change in his blood hunger. He wasn’t about to calmly accept his fate. Decree or no god decree, Akori was going to stay a free man whether Ra liked it or not.
The End
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About the Author
Marisa Chenery was always a lover of books, but after reading her first historical romance novel she found herself hooked. Having inherited a love for the written word, she soon started writing her own novels.
After trying her hand at writing historicals, she now writes paranormals. Marisa lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and four children. She would love to hear from you, so drop her an email.
Marisa welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email
address on her author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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