Hell's Phoenix (26 page)

Another appeared beside him, built much like Zen, with a slender, athletic frame, and long powerful legs. Shaggy coffee-colored hair offset by eyes the spectacular shade of molasses, framed by ridiculously long, eyelashes, the tips dipped in gold. Honey-tinted skin gave him a sweet and velvety soft complexion. Dressed much the same way as the darker dragon, power leeched from him in an illegal combination of innocence, danger, and sexual appeal.

“I am Kur,” the black-haired dragon spoke in a deeply hypnotic tone. “Leader of the dragons.”

“Madison,” she said, unaffected by the mesmerizing lull of his voice that probably worked as either an aphrodisiac or a weapon, effective and dangerous in both scenarios.

“This is Cael.” He motioned to the molasses-eyed dragon.

Madison glanced at the dragon Kur indicated and Cael went to his knees before her.

“Stand. I do not require that nonsense.”

Cael rose to his feet.

“The immortal must trust you to have given you our calling card.” Kur cocked his head to the side. A flash of something indeterminate glittered in his dark gaze.

“By ‘the immortal’, do you mean Zen?”

“He goes by no name, and I’ve not heard of this Zen.” He offered her a blade, it winked black and fiery. Madison peeped over his shoulder at the many dragons arrested mid-air. As far below as she could see, dragons extinguished the fiery light from below. But she noted the blade coalesced with the same colors as their scales.

“Take it. Dragons are natural-born enemies of angels and I wish to pick Beliel’s bones clean. That makes us allies.” Did it? The only allies she had were those she trusted and trust was a fickle thing in her book. “The blade is made of dragon scales, mine specifically. If you can puncture Beliel’s heart with it, you will kill him. You should know his heart is located on the right instead of the left side of his chest.”

Madison accepted the blade. Snug and comfortable in her palm, the worn grip of the handle vibrated with timeless energy, a slight buzz against her hand.

She twisted the knife from side to side, studying the visible layers in an array of color. The razor-sharp edge was almost a clear glint. Not an expert in weaponry, she held an appreciation for fine-made hardware, and this one most likely had been crafted in the hottest pits of Hell. “It sings with age.”

“Yes. Honed from a scale from my youth.” She met his dark gaze. “They’re sharper when we’re younger.”

Did that make it indestructible? Or just supernatural like her? Either way, the Lynx inside her purred at the gift, cherished it as an extension of herself.

Who could say they had their hands on a blade like this one? Owned something of such power?

“It looks like Petra’s blade.”

“Petralegija?” Kur waited for her to answer. She returned his scrutiny and offered no reply. “It’s similar to the one that bitch possesses.”

What hadn’t Petra told her about the dragons?

Kur reached over his shoulder, withdrew a dragon scale the size of a man’s back and offered it to her. “Nothing will penetrate it. A supernatural blacksmith can hone it into more weapons or indestructible supernatural amulets.”

Without hesitation, she anchored the blade in the waistband of her jeans, took the scale, and walked to Nix. “Give me your back.”

“Why?”

“For once, please don’t argue with me. Just give me your back.”

Cael came to them and took Alessa from Nix’s grasp. “Your friend needs help before she dies.”

She nodded as Nix glared at the golden dragon. She threaded his belt through the buckle and Nix’s attention refocused on her. As her knuckles hit his belly, he squirmed.

“Be still,” she demanded.

“Your touch tickles.”

She glanced up, but the smoldering look in his eyes said it didn’t tickle at all. Her fingers connected with the button of his jeans and he shoved her hands aside.

“Damn it, Mads, I’m not six! I can do it myself.”

“Then handle it and spin around.”

He turned facing away and loosened the waistband of his jeans. “We should be protecting your back, Mads, not mine.”

She yanked up his shirt and fell arrested for a moment by the muscled line of his body. The dragon tattoo blazed across his flesh and she glanced at Kur. Being saved by a dragon had been foretold. Nix had wanted a fair maiden to be involved. He’d gotten what he wanted in the form of Alessa.

Berating herself for ogling him when she believed he loved another woman—her friend who lingered near death!—she slapped her hand on his shoulder and held the material of his shirt there as she stuffed the dragon scale into his jeans.

“I got protection.” Angry at her inability to shove jealousy aside, her voice sounded militaristic. She pulled his shirt down over the scale so no one would see it. “I’m finished. You can tighten your belt now. I have a million-dragon army protecting me. How cool is that?”

Nix faced her, frowning as he adjusted his belt. “Scary, but definitely not cool. Now”—he wiggled, resettled the scale—“let’s go after Micah.”

“We’re not going anywhere; you’re going to earth and saving Alessa.”

“Madison!” He tried to get his hands on her, but she sidestepped him. Eyes narrowing, he glared at her. “Don’t you dare try and send me home without you. I’ll never forgive you if you do.”

Sadness threatened to choke her. This was the final time she’d ever be with Nix. If she could love anyone with all her being again, it would be him. It’d taken her five years to realize that fact.

Stepping closer to him, she lifted her hand and laid her palm against his cheek. He placed his hand over hers and kissed her wrist. She shivered at the wispy contact, while his gaze pleaded with her to let him stay and fight. She dragged her thumb across his bottom lip as she remembered the taste and feel of them on her own. Divine.

“When you’re finished healing Alessa, you can rejoin me to go after Micah.” Lie…and she couldn’t remember ever lying to Nix outright.

In Alessa’s embrace, shielded by her love, maybe one day he would be able to forgive her.

“That look in your eyes is saying goodbye, not we’ll fight together soon. Don’t you say goodbye to me, Mads. Don’t you fucking dare!” His voice grew husky as if emotion clogged his throat.

This is goodbye
. She would go after Micah and that confrontation would diminish her chance of survival. Facing him wasn’t something she could keep putting off. But she wouldn’t say farewell to Nix either, because she simply couldn’t bring herself to utter those words.

“Kur?”

“Yes?”

“I want him returned to Zennyo Ryuo immediately.”

Nix yanked her against him and crushed his lips to hers. Madison kissed him back, putting all her emotion into the embrace.

“Live long and be happy, Phoenix Birmingham.”

“Mads, don’t! Baby, I—”

“None of that, Casanova.” Kur placed his hand to Nix’s forehead and he went limp in the dragon’s arms. Nix’s over-bright eyes indicated he remained coherent of his surroundings. “The lady wants you safe.”

If Nix’s glare could’ve killed, Kur would have been smoldering ash. The dragon held him with ease by some magic wrapped around Nix’s body, while retribution for the supernatural manhandling glowed from Nix’s eyes.

She could feel Kur’s curiosity, but she ignored him and concentrated on Nix. “Forgive me, Nix.”

Before Nix could attempt to utter a response, Kur zapped him out of Hell in red- and black-laced streaks.

“He’ll be okay?” she asked.

“Physically, he’s already earthbound. I cannot speak for his mental capacity.”

Not an answer, but it’d have to suffice.

Cael indicated Alessa. “What about the woman?”

“Take her. The man Kur just returned to earth can heal her.”

“Stay with them both until they’re out of harm’s way,” Kur instructed, as Cael and an unnamed dragon teleported out in the same red and black.

“You executed the correct choice,” the dragon said.

She blinked at him and gulped back the thick knot in her throat. It wouldn’t dislodge. She would’ve never guessed saying goodbye to Nix would be so difficult.

“The Ark of Heaven did not belong in Hell.”

“You saw that about him? When you touched him?”

“Yes.” Kur tossed his hair out of his face. “I saw many things about him, some matters quite remarkable, others fascinating.” She didn’t ask him to elaborate, even though his half-smirk suggested he might wish she would inquire.

Madison slipped her palm beneath the neck of her shirt and touched the covenant marks. “I release Phoenix Ross Birmingham from his covenant.” The marks held steady. What the hell? “
E kaqauja Phoenix Ross Birmingham wkip tej yigalulh,” I release Phoenix Ross Birmingham from his covenant
. She reiterated the words in Xapil and still nothing happened.

Panic rattled her bones. She rubbed the puckered marks tagging her flesh. What was she doing wrong?

“You ingested Phoenix’s messianic magic, binding you to him. Am I correct?” At her nod, he went on. “It’s much different than Micah’s seraph because Phoenix’s is Savior-born.”

“Meaning?”

“You’ve released him, but he hasn’t released you. You’re stuck with that covenant until
he
releases you from it also.”

“What if I don’t make it out of Hell?”

Kur shrugged. “No idea, but my guess is he’s damned along with you.”

Madison rubbed her eyes. “Freaking perfect.”

The dragon chuckled. “We can remedy that by starting with killing a particular King.”

Retribution burned from his expression. Madison’s stomach quivered at the idea. Not in joy as she’d have suspected, but in dread. What a novelty. She didn’t wish to slay her husband.

Chapter Thirty-five

Being birthed from Hell hurt more than Nix expected. He broke through the gates between worlds like a freight train smashing through a fortified concrete wall. Nix collapsed to the soil with moans. Covering his eyes from the sun’s over-bright glare, he rolled across the cool blades of grass as if on fire, hoping it’d tame his sizzling skin.

He’d exited Hell many times with Micah and never experienced this type of reaction.

“You’re okay,” a voice said from beside him. “You’ll acclimate soon.”

Nix didn’t want to acclimate. Not without Mads. Without her, life ceased to have any meaning. It didn’t matter that she’d betrayed him or protected him against his wishes. What did matter was that she remained in Hell alone, to battle an angel
without him
!

She couldn’t fathom the evil of that angel. Or the things he would do to get what he wanted. The things he would do to
her
if he got his hands on her. Fair play was never an option because fairness was for losers. In Micah’s opinion anyway.

If she made it out alive, he wasn’t sure what he’d do first. Blister her backside or crush her in a grateful hug.

Cracking his lids just a fraction, he shielded them with a hand. He could make out a couple of cars, a well-manicured lawn, and a forest of trees in every direction. He attempted to rise, but his limbs shook and refused to support his weight. Defeated and humiliated by his weakness, he dropped to the earth. That’s when he noticed the smoke coming off the arm shading his eyes. The type of smoke that radiated from something warm on a bitter day in the dead of winter.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get your ass up off the ground and do something to help Mads
.

Nix attempted to rise once more and suffered from the same weakness again. A burn stung the covenant marks on his shoulder. Expelling a painful hiss, he managed to dig his hand beneath his shirt and slap his palm over them. They remained, but something about his deal felt different.

Madison released me from the covenant. I’ll freaking kill her
! If that was the case, why hadn’t they disappeared?

He pushed to his knees and the world rotated so violently, he expected to puke as he dropped back down on the cool grass.

“He’s stubborn,” an unidentified dragon said.

“He’s human,” the other dragon, Cael, remarked.

“What’s wrong with me?” Nix forced out between clenched teeth.

“Hell’s released its grip on you, so you’re suffering the withdrawals of its protection.” Cael knelt beside him with Alessa in his arms.

“Alessa,” Nix whispered and tried to touch her, but he was too weak to move more than a few centimeters.

“She needs your help. If you’ll allow me to touch you, I’ll adjust your equilibrium so you can assist her.”

“God, yes!”

Cael settled Alessa on the ground and placed his palm over Nix’s forehead, exactly like when Kur emasculated him. Not more than five seconds and his symmetry returned. Nix scrambled to Alessa and cupped the wounds on her neck. She barely breathed and her heart rate suggested imminent death. He focused and channeled his healing magic into her. On a tiny level he noted a house a hundred yards directly in front of him. The door swung open, revealing Zen and Nix’s family.

His family bolted from the house, Georgie calling his name and his uncle outrunning them all. Zen followed with Amos at his side, but at a much slower pace.

Alessa gasped and blinked as she revived.

Nix peered down at her. “Feel all better, Lucky?” She nodded and he pulled her up into his embrace. In her ear, he said, “Mads remains in Hell.”

“Oh, God, Nix, I’m so sorry. What can we do to get her out?”

“Nothing.” Cael offered Alessa his hand as support.

“Who are you?” Alessa ignored Cael’s hand.

“Madison is on her own,” Georgie said as she approached.

Not if Nix could help it. Rolling to his feet, he spoke not a word to his family as he walked twenty yards away to a bare patch in the grass. Using his heel, he dragged a faint outline of an oval shape into the grass and drew a line from one point to the other point. On one side of the half, he etched out Micah’s sigil and was in the process of writing the word “enter” in Xapil when Zen tugged his foot through Micah’s sigil.

“I won’t allow you to return.” The immortal obviously had a fucking death wish!

“You rake through my design again and we’re going to go to blows.”