When Silver Moons Rise (Lost Immortals Saga #2) (11 page)

“She’s my property. A special one too,” Zeke says and grabs the seraphinite stone hanging on my necklace, lifting it so Seth can see the proof. “We’re going to have a little fun with her. Then, I’m going to bleed her dry. You’re welcome to join us if you like. But she’s still mine.”

Seth smiles and casually lifts his body away from the wall. “Desperation isn’t my thing. Never had to force a girl to have sex with me before. Guess somebody like you can’t understand how that works, right?” 

Zeke hauls off and slams his fist into a couple of crates sitting beside him. “Get lost, Alton. You and your played out gang of black-winged, Tainted scum don’t have authority around these parts anymore. Isn’t that right boys? We all know about your little brother. Remember him? He’s the one who kicked your ass and took your power.” Laughter sounds among all three guys, but there’s still a restrained feel to it now.

At once, the wind begins to blow harder, and the temperature rises to a blistering level. I turn my head to keep from getting dirt in my eyes. These guys have no idea what they’re in for ticking Seth off like that. I hope their fighting technique packs as much punch as Zeke’s mouth.

“Take him! Bust his skinny ass up!” Zeke shouts to his two sidekicks. Shoving me to the ground, my captor and his friend pull a couple of knives out of their pockets and start flipping the blades around like assassins.

Slowly, Seth extends his arms out to the sides, a vicious grin spreading across his face. “Yes, do take me. Please. I’m waiting with open arms.” The men charge toward Seth who does nothing but stand there and wait.

I watch, unable to move, waiting to see what cruel thing Seth has planned inside that insane mind of his.

The men charge and somehow wind up slamming into Seth’s hands, their heads jerking back just the tiniest bit. And I hear a sickening crack. For the longest moment, no one moves. The only noise is created by the few people who still move along the streets outside the alley. Both guys crumple to the ground, their lifeless eyes staring up at the sky, their heads being held at odd angles. I gasp and cover my mouth. Seth broke their necks? And he did it without even looking away from Zeke.

He stalks toward us, the crazed grin that never goes away still plastered across his lips. Zeke braces himself. I can feel his fear. Too bad for him, because I’m pretty sure Seth can sense it too. He swings a clumsy fist at Seth, striking him across the chin.

Seth barely flinches. Instead, he says, “That the best you got?” And then he slams his hand up against Zeke’s neck, the same way he did with Muriel and me when he tried to break my bond with Faris. And still, he has yet to glance my way. It’s like I don’t even exist right now. He’s completely focused on Zeke.

“Understand something, right now. Are you listening?” Seth says and yanks him by the neck.

“Yeah, man. Yes, I hear you!” he chokes out.

He moves his face within inches of Zeke’s; the same way he did to me just before Seth arrived on the scene. “I…despise…rapists. Understand? I can’t hear you,” Seth spits through his gritted teeth.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, man. Don’t! Ju—just don’t kill me. I won’t touch her. I promise!” Zeke is almost in tears.

“But I’m kind. Merciful even. You get a choice: your eye or the family maker. One of them you don’t need. Choose wisely.” 

Oh my… I so don’t want to stick around to see this.

“What?” Zeke squeaks. He starts to tremble.

“Choose,” Seth urges, his body shaking. I would bet money that his shiver is probably more of a reaction to anger than fear.

I inch backward. Okay, so yeah, Zeke and his crew (what’s left of them, anyway) are rapists and murderers. But Seth is one of the Tainted. I don’t want to stick around and watch Zeke lose whatever body part he’s being forced to choose between. People are staying away from the alley; but every so often, I catch one of the women passing a nervous glance in my direction.

I move closer to the opening of the alley, grab my bag, hop to my feet, and take off running while Seth handles Zeke. One problem though—I have no idea where to go. The day is winding down, and the streets are almost empty now.

How many women have been terrorized by Zeke and his crew? How many angel-bloods has his gang tortured? As I trot through the streets, I feel less pity for them than I did when I first realized Seth’s plans for my would-be attacker.

Seth actually saved my life. A Tainted saving one of the Seraphim’s ancestors makes no sense. According to Father, we hate each other. The last time we met up, he tried to slice me up with a weird weapon that reminded me of an octopus.

And what’s he doing in this place, anyway?

I don’t even think I want to know. Instead, I move onward, seeking someplace I can feel safe.

Chapter Twelve

The Dim City (Chela)

I race through the dusty streets and focus on running toward an old apartment building sitting beside the remains of a subway station. I travel inside these places that Father has only ever shown me in pictures. This world outside my city amazes me, even as I’m being pursued by my greatest enemy.

I run through the doorway and head up the stairs leading up to the next level. Sure, the shabby stairway could collapse under my weight; but I have to risk it.

As soon as I head into the first empty room on the right, I go airborne. My head slams on the floor and my backpack and sword scatter. Panic consumes me, forcing my body to react through the fear. I’m pretty certain of what or rather who just back slapped me. I find myself trapped like an animal. And sometimes when you’re backed into a dark and ugly corner, you learn more about yourself than you realize is possible as you fight your way out of the shade.

I hop right up, turn around, and swing at him with all the anger and rage I’ve kept pent up inside me these past few months. Seth has come prepared, though. He ducks and gives me a wide grin as though we’re playing a game of tag instead of trying to figure out the best way to kill one another.

“Not this time, Lotus,” he says.

“Do. Not. Call. Me. That,” I say between gritted teeth.

Faris is somewhere being tortured, while Seth gets to be free. There’s something seriously wrong with that picture.

The look on his face turns deadly. “Come on, seraph. Give it your best shot.” He raises his left eyebrow and motions for me to come at him again.

Why did he go and challenge me that way? I can’t resist. I take the offer.

Charging at Seth, I scream through my teeth and raise my hand to strike. He catches me by the neck and slams me down on the floor, reminding me of the night at the clothing bank when he did the same thing to me. I’m too hyped up to feel any pain. “You want some of me?” he says through shaky breaths as he uses strong hands to press down on my windpipe. “Then you’ve got to work for it.” The heat inside me—my sleeping power that touching Jalen somehow reignited—surges through my body.

I reach up and latch onto Seth’s head, positioning my thumbs over his eyes, and push into them as hard as I can. He growls and releases my neck. While he’s massaging his eyes, I wiggle my way out from under him and throw myself on to his back.

Okay, so maybe this isn’t such a smart thing to be doing. Too late, I realize just how stupid this move really is. He shoves backward with me still on his back. We collide with the wall behind us, and I catch most of the hit. Pain surges through me; but I refuse to let go of the choke hold I have on his neck.

“Really, Seth? A human girl could do more damage than that,” I whisper furiously in his ear while wrapping my arm tighter around his neck. He could singe me to a crisp if he wanted to. But he won’t do that for some reason. Call me rebellious, or maybe just plain crazy. Either way, I want him to feel some of my pain…and Faris’s.

He reaches behind his head, grabbing at various parts of my body. I know I have a very small advantage right now; but I don’t know how I feel about killing someone. Faris let him go. He couldn’t kill his own brother.

But can I? I’m sure I can. It should be easy for me

When did I become so hard?

Seth stumbles. I’m at a crossroad. With my strength, I could probably kill him, this person who murdered Muriel and caused Faris’s banishment from the Order of the Demon Slayers. I can’t deny he saved my life, though. How do I kiss the hand that saved me and then chop it off after I’m done?

As though he senses my hesitation, he shoves toward the wall behind us again. This time, I feel a force similar to a wind moving us backwards. Squeezing my eyes shut, I brace myself. I collide with the wall and drop to the floor. The force rocks my body all the way to the bones. My arms loosen, but I’m not ready to give up. I grab the lumps on his back, the ones hidden by his black jacket, and squeeze with all my strength. Something that sounds kind of like a roar bellows out of his mouth.

At once, Seth spins around, slams me against the wall, and pins my arms up over my head. “Stop! Now.” My wrists are crushed together. I’m pretty sure the bones will break if he continues applying pressure this way. Even though I’m in pain, I refuse to move my gaze away from his. We stand there staring at one another for the longest time, our chests heaving, and our breaths coming in raging gasps. His wild, shaggy hair hangs over his eyes; hiding them and making him seem even more deadly as he glares at me. “Are we calm, now?” he says in measured words.

I grunt and attempt to move. He squeezes my wrists harder, and to his pleasure I do cry out this time. “You better let go of me, or I swear, I’ll...”

He waves his free hand and glares at me with a wild look in his black-blue eyes. “You hate me. I realize that now. Point made. But I’ll keep you pinned to this wall all night if I have to.”

“Good. Then you won’t get your throat slashed tonight while you’re sleeping,” I snap back. His face crumples, and I wonder if he’s about to cry. I couldn’t be more wrong. That’s not what he’s doing. The idiot is laughing at me. “This isn’t funny,” I say, my body shivering from rage.

He glances up at me, and I see something else besides humor in his face. “I’m not laughing because I find this humorous, Lotus
.
Fooling myself this way, keeps me from ripping your head off. That’s what I really want to do, if you must know. I’m going to let you go now. I’ve had enough foreplay for one day. Feel free to tie me up if you like. I’m tired and need sleep. But I’m warning you. Do not touch my back again.”

I don’t trust him, this guy who belongs among the Royal Family, Faris’s brother. The shock of what I learned back in Oceania still burns inside me. I don’t understand how someone as vile and vicious as Seth Alton could be in the same group as Faris Toulan, let alone a blood relation.

With hesitation, he releases me. I immediately put my fists up. He glances at me, his face deceptively handsome, his features still bearing an amused expression. “Lotus, put your fists away. You look ridiculous,” he says, scoffing.

“Not a chance. You fooled me once. I won’t let it happen again,” I say. He walks across the room, slumps to the floor, and lifts his hands up, covering his face. This action takes me by surprise. I take in his appearance again. His clothes are torn and his face is covered in dirt and filth. This guy sitting on the floor in front of me is so different from the person Faris allowed to escape a few months ago.

Outside the building, hoots and hollers sound out in the deserted streets. Night has fallen. Father always told my brother and me about how the most vicious criminals like to travel at night in these places. I worry about the missing door to the room we sit inside. My options stink. I have rapists patrolling the streets and a Tainted who probably intends to kill me at some point as my company.

“If you’re going to try and kill me again, here’s your chance. Otherwise, I’ll rest up and kick your scrawny ass,” he says without moving his hands away from his face.

“What are you doing here?” I hiss, my chest heaving. He moves his hands down to the floor and gives me a tired, but bored look.

“Sit down and rest. You look ridiculous standing up there like that,” he scoffs. I lower my fists. He’s right. I do feel a bit stupid because he hasn’t made a move, yet. In fact, he acts as though my presence bores him more than anything else. I unclench my fists and keep my gaze locked on Seth. He closes his eyes and sighs deeply. A small part of me is ticked off because he doesn’t seem to be threatened by me at all.

Suddenly, he opens his eyes, gives me a hard look, and says, “Why are you just standing there? Sit down.”

I cross my arms and purse my lips. He’s not my Thoughtmaster anymore. The bossing-Chela-around days are over for Seth Alton. “No. You don’t have any authority over me anymore. I don’t have to do what you say.”

He sucks his teeth, grumbles, and closes his eyes again. “Suit yourself. When your legs go numb and fall off, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He scoots over to an old mattress that looks like about a hundred dogs have slept on it.

“You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?” I ask again.

“I’m on a mission. Like you,” he says and props his head on his hands. “You can tie me up if you have to. Maybe use your magic chain hidden there inside your bag. Do anything. I just want to get some sleep.” He lifts his hands, holding them out for me to secure. I wonder how he knew that I brought Mabry’s binding rope, the one he used to trap Camden Atrauser when they fought in Oceania. He sighs and rolls his eyes. “Do take your time, Lotus.”

Okay, so hearing him call me by that name motivates me. I do want to tie him up, because I don’t trust falling asleep with him there in the room. And I’m too exhausted to try and stay awake. Mabry’s rope contains a type of magic that binds the person held inside it. I’m so glad the alchemist gave it to me that day when he came to see Father. It’s like he somehow knew I wasn’t going to just sit back and let Faris suffer. I can see why Mabry holds such a well-respected position among the Caducean demon slayers.

I walk over to Seth. He sits up, giving me easy access to his body. I bend down, wrap the twine around his body a few times, and tighten the rope, yanking it hard so he has to grunt. I pull him toward me, stare straight into his eyes, and say, “It’s not fair that you get to be the one who goes free. You’re Tainted, a murderer. You deserve to suffer.”