Mitry and Weni (15 page)

The glow got brighter still and her back itched near her shoulder blades. She wanted to reach back and try to scratch but she knew she wouldn’t be able to reach the aggravation. Maybe if she was able to get to the doorframe she could scratch her back. She nearly laughed at that. Here she was being wrapped up like a mummy by shadow demons and she was thinking about how to relieve the annoying itch on her back.

“Concentrate,” a loud, booming voice rushed through her mind.

Her heart filled with love and warmth. She took a deep breath and as she released it the image of Mit and Wen filled her imagination. They were so handsome, brawny, and sexy with their bronze skin, ripped muscles, and tall bodies. As she brought them further to the forefront of her mind, she saw Mit’s light blue eyes as he watched her. His dark brown hair was a beautiful contrast to his bronze skin. Her inner gaze flicked to the side and she smiled when she noticed Wen was smiling back at her. His black hair was gleaming with health under the bright fluorescent lights of the room. His green gaze seemed to have an inner glow and his big biceps bulged as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Her mates were absolutely magnificent and she couldn’t imagine her life without them. She wished she’d told them how she felt about them, that she loved them, because if the demons currently holding her won, she may never get the chance. It didn’t matter that they probably knew how she felt about them since they were all bonded and could feel each other’s emotions through that link. She wanted the chance to tell them how she felt face-to-face.

Krysta forced her lids up and gasped at how bright the room was lit up. It hurt her eyes but she forced them to remain open. She looked about to see where it was coming from and gasped when she realized it was coming from her.

She had no idea how she was doing it but didn’t care. One of the shadow demons shrieked and pulled back for a second or two before tightening its hold on her rib cage. Fire streaked into her skin and warm blood dripped down her body to soak into her clothes. Her vision waivered for a second and her mouth opened on a silent scream when she felt an excruciating tug at her chest. When she looked down she saw that one of the shadows had formed a large hand and had it in her body. Her legs shook with pain and her knees nearly buckled but she locked them tight. If she was going to die she would do so with courage. She wouldn’t cower and whimper over her predicament.

Her thoughts once more turned to Wen and Mit. How would they cope if she, their mate, succumbed to the evil? She didn’t want these assholes to win, didn’t want her mates or their friends to have to kill her if she ended up possessed and soulless like countless other humans she’d killed had.

Once more she pictured Mit and Wen in her mind’s eye and again determination surged through her with resolution. She wasn’t going to die. She had too much to live for.

“I’m not scared of you,” Krysta taunted, hoping that Apep was listening. If she could anger him enough and he showed his cowardly self, she might just be able to kill the fucker.

“You will be.” Another surge of power washed over her but this one wasn’t like that last. It was pure evil. The sulfur stench was thick and black, oily and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

The moment she saw him she knew who it was. She was surprised by how handsome he was but she could see the evil in the depth of his bleak gaze.

“Are you in pain?” Apep smirked.

“No more than normal. You’re going to have to do better than that,” Krysta goaded.

“By the time I’ve finished with you, you’ll wish you were dead.”

“Like you?” Krysta smiled.

The roar of fury Apep let out hurt her ears and she chuckled. For a moment Krysta wondered if she’d lost her mind. Who in their right mind would goad demons and their leader?

“Take her,” Apep ordered with a sweep of his hand.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Krysta stated full of confidence, and that warm power washed through her again. Her body glowed brighter as she embraced the love and joy in her heart. The shadow demons screamed in agony and then seemed to explode, turning into ash.

Apep roared with fury, stalking toward her with his large hand outstretched, reaching toward her chest.

Krysta remained where she was, her expression still stoic, and when he was within reach of her she stepped to the side. Her whole body was vibrating with energy and yet she could also feel herself weakening from blood loss, which was a contradiction in itself, but she couldn’t explain it. Her vision dimmed for a moment and that was all Apep needed to make another move. His massive hand wrapped around her throat and the other centered on her chest right above her heart.

“I’m going to enjoy watching you take your last breath. You’re a weak, pathetic human.”

Krysta frowned. She could feel Apep’s fear. His words were to try and weaken her resolve. She smiled at him as she took a deep breath through her nose. She knew it would be her last breath for a while because the snake god was slowly squeezing her throat, cutting off her oxygen.

She kept the smile on her face and then as if by their own accord her arms moved up, her hands wrapping around both of Apep’s wrists. She would have laughed with joy if her throat wasn’t being crushed when he screamed as if in agony. An acrid stench filled her nostrils and when she looked down she saw that her hands were burning him. They were glowing so brightly she had to squint to see.

Krysta tilted her head back until she was looking into his uncertain evil gaze and saw that the side of his face was heavily scarred. That was the moment she remembered Nina and Lavinia telling her how they had injured and escaped the snake god.

She released his wrists, quickly lifted her arms, and stuck her palm on the uninjured side of his face. Apep screamed again and tried to jerk his head back. Krysta used her free hand to grab hold of his hair to hold his face still. The strands began to smolder and the stench of burning hair was so overpowering she would have gagged, but she couldn’t with his hand crushing her throat.

Small flames licked at the dark tendrils and just as she was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, Apep flung her across the room with a yell. Her back slammed into the wall, her head jerked back with a hard bang, and her vision turned black. She gasped for air and drew in what little oxygen she could into her burning lungs.

She coughed and gagged as she rolled to her side gasping for air through her painful throat. After a few precious seconds her lungs stopped burning but the blackness in front of her didn’t recede. She tried to get to her hands and knees but she was hurting too much and was too weak, so she used what little strength she had left in her body and dragged herself across the floor of the living room using her arms.

Luckily she had a fair idea where the door to the apartment was because she was crawling blind. A cry of pain left her mouth when she hit her head on the corner of the coffee table and she collapsed facedown onto the floor.

She heard the door crash open and someone yelled but she was already fading out of consciousness.

She turned her head and gave in with a sigh.

“The shadow demons are here,” Lavinia yelled as she pushed her seat back and stood.

“What? Where?” En stood, grabbed Lavinia’s shoulders, and pulled her into his body.

Wen tuned his body toward the evil but only got a mild sense of them. Krysta still hadn’t come into the kitchen and fear pierced his heart as he spun on his heels and took off in a blur. He didn’t need to look back to know that Mit was right behind him.

The moment he got to their apartment door his heart stuttered. He’d left the door open but now it was closed. He reached for the door handle and nearly sighed with relief when it turned but when he tried to push it open, his knees wobbled. It wouldn’t budge.

He slammed his shoulder against the door but it held fast.

Mit gripped his shoulder as he prepared to ram the door again. “You know that won’t work.”

Wen turned to face his friend and saw the sadness in Mit’s eyes. “I don’t fucking care. Our mate is in there alone, facing god knows what.”

“Calm down, Wen,” Lavinia said in a calm voice but he was too frantic with worry.

He stepped forward and bent down until his nose was nearly touching Lavinia’s. “No! I won’t calm down. Krysta’s in there. She hasn’t even got her sword.”

Men nudged Lavinia aside gently and bared his elongated fangs at Wen. “Don’t you ever yell at my mate again!”

“Calm the fuck down,” Nina yelled, drawing everyone’s attention. It was very rare for her to swear and it was enough to shock Wen out of his panic.

He drew in a deep breath, looking around Menna to Lavinia. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it.” Lavinia held her hands up. “My guys probably would have done the same in your situation.”

“They did,” Zara mumbled but everyone heard her.

“How are we going to help her?” Wen asked the question on the tip of his tongue.

“We can’t,” Nina replied. “You know that we’ve all been tested. I hate it, too, but you just have to be patient.”

“For how long?” Wen yelled.

“For however long it takes.” Set grasped Wen’s shoulder and squeezed, trying to offer him comfort.

Wen shrugged him off. “Fuck that.” He moved to the side of the door, drew his fist back, and punched through the plaster. His fist throbbed when his knuckles connected with the wood frame inside and his knuckles broke, but he ignored the pain. He drew his fist back, dragging chunks of broken Gyprock with him, aimed, and punched again. This time his fist hit the plaster on the other side, and although it went through, he clenched his teeth when it slammed up against a barrier.

He howled with rage because he knew no matter how many times he punched through the wall he wouldn’t be able to get to Krysta to help her. Wen leaned his forehead on the wall beside the hole and drew in a deep ragged breath. He felt so useless. The need to help his mate fight was so frenetic he felt almost rabid. With a sigh of frustration he turned to face Mit and slid down the wall until he landed on his ass on the floor. He wrapped his arms around his drawn-up knees, ignoring the pain in his broken hand and prayed to the gods that Krysta would survive.

How long he, Mit, and his friends sat on the floor in the hallway he had no idea. It could have been minutes, hours, or days. To him it felt as if an eternity passed by.

He glanced at Zara, Nina, and Lavinia when all the women suddenly pushed away from their mates’ arms and rose to their feet.

“It’s gone,” Lavinia whispered.

“What’s gone, baby?” Men asked.

“The stench of evil,” Nina answered.

“Try the door,” Zara ordered as she moved toward it.

“Let me go first, love.” Sab lifted Zara to the side, clasped the door handle, turned it, and pushed the door open.

Wen was on his feet before he even knew he’d moved. He nearly knocked Sab over in his effort to get to Krysta. The acrid stench of sulfur assaulted his nostrils but it was the underlying scent of his mate’s blood that had him gasping with fear. He burst into the room and when he saw Krysta lying on the floor facedown his heart stuttered. He sank to his knees beside her and after a quick check to make sure she had no broken bones he turned her onto her side.

“Shit!” Mit knelt beside him and they carefully turned her onto her back. Tears burned Wen’s eyes when he saw the already healing cuts to her body but from the blood soaking her clothes he knew she’d lost a lot of blood.

He roared when he saw the black-and-blue bruises on her throat and then he bent and placed his ear to her chest to make sure she was breathing. He sighed with relief but cursed when he heard a whistle in her throat each time she inhaled. She had to be in so much pain. Her throat had nearly been crushed.

Mit placed his fingers against Krysta’s pulse point and then met Wen’s gaze. “It’s a little erratic and fast but it’s steady.”

“You need to give her blood,” Men stated.

Wen looked up at his friend. Lavinia was wrapped in Men’s arms but her gaze was on Krysta, and she was crying.

“How are we supposed to do that?” Mit snarled. “She’s not conscious.”

“Maybe you should try and call Ra.”

Wen shook his head and turned back to look at his mate’s face. She was so damn pale and fragile looking, but he knew she was anything but, at least any other time, however, right now she looked like a broken doll. Her red hair was a stark contrast against her white almost translucent skin. He could even see the blue veins in her neck.

“We need to get her into bed.” Mit carefully moved his arms beneath Krysta and although Wen didn’t want to relinquish her, he let his friend stand without fighting him. The sooner they got their mate to bed the sooner she would be cuddled between both of them. He needed her skin against his so he would know beyond a shadow of a doubt she was still alive.

Hopefully after she’d rested and she awoke they would be able to share their blood with her to help her heal faster. Until she opened her eyes, her body was going to have to go through the slow process of healing itself. Wen had never been more thankful that Krysta had agreed to strengthen the mating bond between them. If she hadn’t, she may not be breathing any longer.