Mitry and Weni (19 page)

Krysta shrugged. “I can’t really explain it. Call it gut instinct, intuition, whatever you like but I know we need to do this.”

“How do you propose we get in there without being detected and getting ourselves killed or worse, possessed?” Men asked as he lifted Lavinia from her seat, plonked her on his lap, and hugged her tight.

Krysta glanced over at Nina and Lavinia, meeting both women’s gazes one at a time. “You’ve both been dragged into hell, what did it feel like?”

“Oily, black, evil sludge. The stench of sulfur was so predominant it was difficult to breathe.” Lavinia shivered.

Nina nodded. “She’s right. That was scary shit. I don’t know if I want to go back there.”

“Do you want to have to fight the shadow demons for the rest of your life?” Krysta asked. “Do you want to remain a target for Apep?”

“Now, hang on a minute,” Pen grumbled. “That’s not fair. You don’t know for certain that us going to hell is going to make a difference.”

“Actually I do.”

“How?” En snapped.

Mit stood, leaned his hands on the table, and glared at Pen and En. “Don’t talk to my mate like that.”

Krysta held in her smirk and caressed Mit’s arm. “Sit down, big guy. They’re only voicing what everyone else is thinking. If I was in all of your shoes I’d be asking the hard questions, too.”

She sighed internally with relief when Mit sank back into his chair.

“Subject change.” Nina put her hand up to get everyone’s attention and turned her gaze to Krysta. “Can I ask you a question?”

Krysta nodded.

“Have you got the eye of Ra on your chest, or the falcon on your back?”

She shook her head.

“She has that angel mark,” Wen said.

“I do?” Krysta raised an eyebrow.

Wen nodded.

“How come your dad didn’t mark you like he marked us?” Nina questioned with a puzzled expression on her face.

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him when you see him,” she answered.

Zara snorted. “The only time he’s been here was when I was going through the transformation. I was the first and my mates were going crazy with worry.”

“We all were,” Pen said. “None of us knew what to expect. We thought you were dying.”

Zara nodded before winking at Krysta.

“Maybe Krysta doesn’t need her father’s mark on her body because she has his blood running through her veins,” Wen suggested.

Krysta had wondered why she didn’t have the marks on her body like all the others but Wen’s suggestion made sense. Why would she need such a thing when she had her father’s DNA? “We need to get back on track. You three have the ability to blow the shadow demons into ash and after the confrontation with the demonic and Apep, I know I can do the same. Obviously you’re more powerful when you’re linked physically. Hopefully that power will be compounded when all four of us join hands.”

“You don’t know if what you’re proposing will work,” En said.

“Not for certain. No.”

“Why should we let you take our mates into danger?” Pen asked angrily. “We’ve only just found each other. We want to live a long happy life with, Nina. Have children with her.”

“Do you want your child to grow up knowing that they will probably be targeted by Apep and the demonic?” Krysta asked.

“You know the answer to that,” Pen replied petulantly.

“She’s right,” Set said with a sigh.

“She is?” Zara asked as she stared at Set.

“Yes. I know you think I’m arrogant and controlling most of the time, but we can’t continue to live like this. The demonic are more active than ever and there is no way in hell I want any child of mine growing up in danger.”

“I thought you said they couldn’t hurt children?” Lavinia asked.

“That’s still true as far as I know, but what if Apep finds a way to start targeting kids? Are you going to be able to live with your consciences if that happens?” Sab asked.

Krysta was grateful that Set and Sab were going in to bat for her. She gave a slight nod of her head to show them her appreciation.

“What do you have in mind?” Paser asked.

“We go in and target Apep.”

“What about the shadow demons?” Zara asked.

“Apep is the key,” Krysta said. She wasn’t sure how she knew that but she was ninety-nine percent certain she was right. If they could weaken Apep she had a feeling the shadow demons would fall.

She only hoped she wasn’t leading her mates and new friends to their own deaths.

“Are you sure this is the only way?” Mit asked.

Krysta swallowed down the uncertainty that threatened to take hold and nodded her head. Wen moved in behind her, hugging her against his broad, muscular chest. Mit sighed and threaded his fingers through his hair, the action he’d repeated countless times until the strands of dark brown stood on end every which way.

“Krysta, you don’t have your sword,” Zara called out from across the room.

Everyone was currently gathering weapons, readying for the hopeful final confrontation. She’d been so intent on making sure her mates had everything they needed, she’d forgotten about herself. How could she do that when she was leading her men and the others into such danger?

“I was just making sure my guys had all their knives and stuff,” she said as she walked to the brackets on the wall and grabbed the slightly glowing golden scimitar. Zara smirked and winked, letting her know that she knew she'd just lied. She tried to smile back but she was too nervous to do anything more than grimace.

Zara took the last step between them until their shoulders were touching and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “I’d trust you with my life. Believe in yourself like we believe in you. We all knew that there would be a confrontation and I have a feeling we’re going to win.”

“At what cost?” Krysta whispered back.

“Trust in us but most of all trust in your father. He wouldn’t let you or any of us go in if we were going to die.”

“She’s right,” Mit said as he came up beside her. “Ra may not know everything but you can bet your ass he won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I’m not worried about me.” She swallowed around the lump of emotion constricting her throat.

“Honey, we’ve got your back and we know you have ours.” Wen bent down, nuzzled her neck, and then kissed the skin beneath her ear, making her shiver with desire. “Close those beautiful green eyes and take a few deep breaths. As you exhale let the tension seep away.”

Krysta did as he suggested and when she opened her eyes she noticed Zara had moved away. In fact all the other sentinels were hugging and kissing their mates. As she looked at each trio, determination filled her heart. She moved to the side and turned so she could meet Mit’s and Wen’s gazes. “I love you both so much. Thank you for being here for me.”

Mit lunged forward, snagged her around the waist, and pulled her into his body. He lowered his head and kissed her passionately, but there was a wealth of emotion with each slide of his lips over hers, each touch of his tongue. Tears burned her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his waist, but she didn’t let them fall.

The moment Mit released her Wen was there. His strong muscular arms enveloped her in his warmth, protection, and love. He kissed her passionately and she felt his love through their bond. She made sure she sent them her love back before they reluctantly separated and headed for the door. They all walked silently down the corridor and entered Ra’s temple.

“Let’s do this,” Set said in a calm commanding voice.

Krysta nodded and took the first step toward the very center of the room, right beneath the peak of the glass pyramid. Zara, Nina, and Lavinia joined her. She reached back to the sword in the sheath on her back, checking one last time the weapon was secure, and ran her hands down the outside leg of her cargo pants where she’d sequestered small golden blades. She was more than ready to get this done.

She reached out for Lavinia’s hand and the other women followed suit until they formed a circle, hands clasping one another’s. The men moved up behind them, placing their hands on their respective mate’s shoulders.

“Okay, think back to when the demon shadows had you, that thick, oily, evil sludge and the stench of sulfur that made you feel hot and cold inside. The way all your hope fled as the hopelessness took over. Can you feel it?” Krysta asked the other women.

“Yes,” they answered simultaneously.

“Good. Lock onto it and follow it to the source.” Krysta shivered when the evil seemed to permeate her body right to her very core but she didn’t let herself fear. The only emotion she wanted to feel and shove toward the others was a confident, determined resolve. It didn’t matter how her body felt as that evil sludge washed over her skin, making it crawl or feel tainted. Nor that she was already having difficulty breathing as if her lungs were filling with the noxious gas, replacing the oxygen in her organs. She didn’t care what happened to her body. All she cared about was keeping her mind strong.

Krysta’s knees wobbled as they teleported into the bowels of hell and while her head was swimming with aftereffects she didn’t give into it. Her eyes snapped open and she released her clasp on Zara’s and Lavinia’s hands before reaching for her sword and pulling it out of the sheath it had been secured in. The others did the same and they all turned to face the shadows coming toward them.

She was surprised she and the other women were glowing slightly, the light emanating from them enough to illuminate the dark, moist cavern they were in. The stench or sulfur, rotting flesh, and evil nearly made her gag but she swallowed as she moved forward to meet the twenty or so demonic coming her way.

Krysta slashed her scimitar left and right, up and down, smiling with satisfaction when the evil shadows shrieked in pain and exploded into ash. When no more shadows came at her, she turned to glance around and noticed that the others were doing the same. Where had they gone? Did she and the others have the demonic running scared? God, she hoped so.

The moment she saw the dark fissure in the cavern wall she felt a tugging sensation and knew that was the way to go. “This way,” she called and moved quickly toward the opening, her mates and the other sentinels following closely.

The passageway had two directions. Up or down. Krysta didn’t hesitate and started on the downward path deeper into the bowels of hell.

Distant shrieking assaulted her ears, making them hurt, but she pushed the pain away and moved faster. There was a sense of urgency that wouldn’t be ignored and she hoped that she and the others weren’t too late. Surely Apep wouldn’t run from the protection of his evil cohorts? No. She mentally shook her head. He was planning something and if they didn’t hurry they could end up locked in the deep, dark bowels of earth for all time.

She had no idea how she knew the things popping into her head were fact but she didn’t have time to question it.

“Here they come,” she called out so the others would hear her.

The moment the rock walls widened, Mit and Wen came up on either side of her and just in the nick of time. Shadow demons poured out of the walls, the ceiling, and from each end of the tunnel.

Her mates shifted further away from her so they could fight without hurting each other and they all began to swing their swords.

Krysta had no idea how many demonic she killed and though her arm was tiring she didn’t stop. The sweat that beaded on her forehead wasn’t just because of the constant motion, but because it was as hot as hell down there—pun intended.

At times she swore she could feel flames licking at the walls around her and leaping at her skin but there was no red or orange glow to prove she was right. Again it didn’t really matter.

When she saw the congregation of demons standing in front of the opening to another room or cave at the end of the tunnel, she knew they were heading in the right direction. Krysta drew a deep breath, swinging her arm left and right as her sword slashed through demon after demon.

When she felt a presence behind her, she spun around and dispatched the evil shadow creeping up on her. The scimitar in her hand grew heavy but there was no way she was giving in. Both arms were in constant motion, one holding her sword and the other a golden dagger. She was panting by the time the demons protecting the door thinned out and was about to slash through the first line when she heard a scream from behind. The moment of distraction cost her.

The agony of having her back split open by the demonic nearly brought her to her knees, but at the last second she was able to lock them in place and without conscious thought swept her arm out to the side. She’d just hit five demons at once and their earsplitting shrieks drowned out any other sound as they died.

“Krysta, you need blood,” Mit yelled above the din, but she barely heard him.

She shook her head because there wasn’t time. Wen and Mit took out the next row of demonic protecting the door while she took out the ones seeping out of the rock ceiling, protecting their backs.

She wasn’t the only one with injuries. The deep throbbing in her side was coming from Mit and the one on her thigh was Wen’s injury. She had no doubt that every single one of them had wounds of their own, but they would have to be dealt with later.