Hellbound Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book Five) (26 page)

“The souls you saved. I felt your signature when they entered my domain,” Rath explained. She hadn’t performed her angelic duties in far too long and hadn’t considered that an angel of salvation like Rath would recognize her signature. It should have occurred to her. Redemption was their job and souls being redeemed from Hell would have garnered attention.

“I didn’t stop and think, but made my way here immediately. I should have brought your brothers, but I didn’t want to take the time to track them down. I feared for your safety,” Rath admitted, his expression softening.

Rhys puffed his chest and it connected with her shoulder, sending that familiar awareness through her body. Her heartrate increased and her skin dampened with sweat. His proximity always had this effect on her, but it was embarrassing knowing Rath could sense it, as well.

“She’s safe with me. You’re not needed here,” Rhys informed Rath.

“You can’t protect her like I can. You, who is ruled by your base needs. How can you ensure her safety when you are busy with the next female to fulfill your incubus blood? She will be recaptured and tortured even more. Do you know how painful it is to have your wings removed? Let me fill you in, it’s like losing all your limbs at once. She has suffered enough,” Rath declared.

“I have kept her safe and will continue to do so,” Rhys spat, leaning across her body, trying to reach Rath. She took a step into Rhys, separating them a bit more. “And, there will never be another female for me, so that isn’t a concern,” Rhys growled at the angel.

Rath ignored Rhys and looked to her. “I can take you out of here, Illianna. Come with me,” he implored.

Illianna was torn. She wanted nothing more than to escape the Underworld and truly be free, but Rhys and his colleagues had been the ones to help her. In return, she had promised to assist them on their mission for the Goddess. Could they do this without her? Part of her felt like she had been nothing but a burden to them thus far.

“I need you, Illianna. Stay and help us,” Rhys pleaded. “I told you I would do everything in my power to ensure you make it back to Heaven and I meant it.”

“Your powers pale in comparison to mine,” Rath boasted, puffing his toga-covered chest with authority.

“You have no real powers in this domain,” Rhys accused, lifting his arm and holding out his hand. Illianna could see Rath’s forearm start to tremble as he held tightly to his weapon. Moments later, the blade flew from his grasp and into Rhys’ hand.

“She is safe with me,” Rhys promised.

Illianna was awed by Rhys’ control over his anger. She felt his rage, as well as, his fear and knew that the need for him to commit violence was burning through his system like wildfire.

Rhys impressed her with his restraint, not to mention, that he was handling a weapon of Light without incinerating. The very power behind the blade should have turned him to ash, but he stood tall and confident, even a little cocky.

“Rath, your sword doesn’t harm him. They aren’t the bad guys. They’re actually on a mission for the Goddess Morrigan to stop Lucifer from being released and I promised to help them. I can’t go back on my word. I won’t. If I do that means the demons have managed to take everything from me,” she stated, sharing her decision. She had to admit that she wanted to stay with Rhys and see this through. She didn’t think she could choose to mate with him, but she wanted to see him succeed and share in that victory.

Rath lowered his head and sighed defeat, his large wings ruffling. “At least let me help you. I can give you your wings back,” he offered, meeting her gaze.

Her heart stopped beating for several seconds. She hadn’t felt the weight of her wings for longer than she could recall and wanted it more than anything, but she had to be smart. It would paint a bigger target on their backs and make the rest of the journey more dangerous.

“Let him give them back to you,” Rhys whispered into her ear. “I can feel how much it hurts without them. We will deal with the repercussions. You need to be whole again.”

It touched her deeply that he understood her so well. He could have told her it was too dangerous, but he didn’t. With his support, she honestly believed she could take on anything and triumph. That was a terrifying thought for her. She never imagined she would rely on a demon for so much.

Looking to Rath she nodded, “Do it.”

Rath placed his palms on her shoulders and she felt the icy-heat of his energy travel to her back where it pooled and bubbled. Within moments, she felt her muscles strain as bone grew and tendons expanded. She shuddered against the pain, closing her eyes and dropping to her knees as regrowth wracked her body. It was a pain she welcomed as she became whole with every new fiber and feather that formed.

As the stubs expanded, her shirt ripped to shreds and fell to the dirt. She didn’t bother covering herself, but focused on the sense of completion she was gifted with each new plume.

“Holy shit,” Kellen blurted when she stood, flaring her wings. She knew what they were seeing. Gold wings that expanded ten feet on either side of her body. They shimmered in sunlight and had the strength to carry her weight ten-fold.

When she felt the weight of her hair on her head, she reached up to touch her golden locks. Silky-smooth and flowing over her shoulders and down her back. She was whole again. Strength and power dumped into her system with the return of her angelic blessings. As newfound confidence and determination raced through her veins, Rath’s voice grabbed her attention.

“Illianna, you don’t belong here. I’m begging, come with me?” Rath pleaded, trying again to get her to go home. It was obvious he hated the idea of leaving her in the Underworld.

“No, I’m needed here for now, but tell my brothers I plan to be home soon and if I’m not to come swooping in with the troops,” she replied.

“Take care of her, cambion,” Rath ordered before disappearing.

Rhys ran a hand over her wing, drawing her attention. She looked over her shoulder and matched his smile.

“Now, we’re ready to take on Lucifer,” she quipped, confident she could take on a legion of hellhounds.

“You bet your sweet ass we are, Angel,” Rhys replied, placing a hard kiss to her lips.

Rhys was reeling from what he had just seen. He’d had a moment of panic when Rath appeared, in all his silver glory, confident Illianna would go with him. The relief at her decision to stay was immense and immediately followed by the most spectacular sight he’d ever seen.

Illianna getting her wings back.

When her pain reached him through their bond, he’d nearly ripped Rath’s wings from his back. Rage sparked as bones popped and her wings grew and expanded, but it was Illianna’s excitement that stayed his hand. The transformation was similar to human’s skewed portrayal of shifting, but that wasn’t what he was accustomed to in the Tehrex Realm.

From his experience with shifters, it wasn’t painful at all and happened in a flash of Goddess-blessed magic. So as he watched and listened to Illianna suffer, he prayed for her God to intervene and take the pain away. She had been through enough and didn’t deserve more torture.

He held her hand and sent all the strength he could muster as she went through her transformation. If possible, he would’ve gladly bore the brunt of her burden. Luckily, the change was short-lived. Now, she stood before him, looking over her shoulders with the grandest smile he’d ever seen.

Her hair ruffled in the breeze created by her flapping wings. Her short strands of hair had lengthened along with her wings. The blonde locks were now halfway down her back. They were as golden as her wings and lay like a silken waterfall over one shoulder.

He couldn’t believe that, at one time, he had seen her as plain. She was magnanimous in all her splendor. He had seen hints of that before, but now that she was complete, her glory was undeniable.

She stood tall and proud before their group and that was when he noticed her top had shredded, revealing bare breasts. Breasts that had grown larger with the transformation, full and pert for all to appreciate. And, his friends were appreciating them more than he could tolerate.

Pulling the last shirt from his pack, he cut slits along the fabric before he maneuvered the top over her head. Pulling the cloth around the base of her wings, he tied the two pieces together under her arm. She laughed as she looked down. Her midriff was bare, but her breasts were covered and that was all he cared about.

Grabbing her hands, he brought one to his lips, kissing the back. “I’m not sure why you stayed, but I’m so glad you did. Seeing you now, it’s clear you belong in the heavens,” he admitted to her.

She placed a finger over his lips, stalling his next words. “We can talk about that later. Right now we need to get moving. Like you’ve told me, Lucifer could be escaping as we speak,” she cut him off with a flap of her wings that sent charcoal dust flying.

“The Eighth Circle is this way,” Dante interjected from a few feet away.

Rhys gave her a quick kiss, surprised at the punch of strength he continued to receive from the simple interaction. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was even stronger now with the additional powers garnered from her wings. Suddenly, he felt like they had a chance at beating Lucifer. With the Goddess and his heavenly mate, Hell didn’t stand a chance against their small group.

“What can you tell us about this next circle?” he asked Dante as they followed behind the Cambion Lord. Illianna’s wings were in constant motion and he wondered if she was reacquainting herself with the feel of them.

“Buer is the leader of the realm, and, from what I recall reading, he has five goat legs and the head of a lion. No torso or body of any kind. All I can picture is a head with these legs sticking out in every direction. I know it sounds ridiculous, but we shouldn’t assume that as weakness,” Dante informed them as they walked.

Rhys knew better than to underestimate any being in the Underworld. There was a reason Buer was the leader and should be taken seriously.

“Wouldn’t think of it. What kinds of souls are trapped here?” he asked. Dante’s response was cut off as they crossed through the veil. The familiar sensation of being torn asunder and covered in flames was brief but disconcerting. Momentarily panicking, he glanced over to see what the flames might do to Illianna’s wings. Her jaw was clenched tight and her face was a mask of concentration, but she was still whole. He felt her relief as they passed safely into the Eighth Circle.

“This realm is inhabited by the fraudulent. I have no idea what else to expect or how we will be tested,” Dante answered as soon as they successfully crossed through.

“This is going to be the most challenging circle. We are going to need to work even closer together,” Illianna interjected, surprising him. She was fully committed and saw them as a team. The thought gave him a small measure of hope even if the return of her wings made his heart bleed. He couldn’t ignore the inevitability that once the mission was over she would return to Heaven.

He couldn’t help but notice her stride was strong and sure. With her wings, she was confident and ready to face anything. She glowed with her power and it awed him all over again.

“Why do you say that? I think we’ve kicked ass so far,” Kellen blurted, enthusiasm clear in his tone. He picked up a large stone and chucked it, huffing with the force he used.

Rhys watched the rock sail over a cliff up ahead as Illianna responded, “You are cambions. Your life is about deceiving others to feed your inner demons. In the last circle, you and Dante had to manipulate those females in order to heal. You then took it further and roped them into helping us get past the minotaur,” she told Kellen. Rhys silently cursed as he considered her response.

She was right about cambions and that didn’t bode well for them. At least she wasn’t judging them like she had previously done. She was merely stating facts about how cambion lifestyles.

“We are honest with the partners we choose,” Dante defended. “We never hide what we want from them.”

“But, you never really tell them that you’re taking part of their life force through the sexual encounter to feed your own and that, in and of itself, is fraudulent. If those females knew you had taken part of their chi, they would’ve denied you. They wouldn’t want to be weakened in anyway.”

“Fuck,” Kellen blurted as they halted at the top of the cliff. “You’re right. I never thought about it like that because any weakness we cause is only temporary. So now what? We can’t change who we are,” Kellen muttered as reality set in.

“You should have left with the silver angel,” Dante added. “Now, you’ve tied your fate to ours.”

“Wait a minute, don’t fucking give up now! We go forward and meet each challenge head-on. The Goddess wouldn’t have gotten us this far just so we could fail in the home stretch,” Rhys interjected, slamming the brakes on the negativity. He refused to believe the Goddess would bail on them at this point. “We just need to find a way to beat this circle.”

The four of them stood on the edge of the cliff and silence fell over their group as they overlooked the scene below. The cliff descended directly into the Ninth Circle. It was so far below that even with his keen eyesight he could only make out movement, but saw enough to know there were countless demons below them. But first, they needed to get past those that lined the walls of the cliffs.