Zauran (21 page)

His brother Sveta watches Božena constantly, his eyes dark and hungry. He reminds me of Seithe. He seems to barely conceal the danger lurking beneath his calm exterior.

*

Zauran and Jowendrhan:

The two work in tandem. They are like the left and right hands clapping together, mirroring each other.

These demons are far more than even the supernatural men ever understood. I'm an archangel, I remember them, I remember when we worked as one, all of us simply an extension of divine will.

We manifested like a rainbow. The parts can be unified, but never separated to the point of breaking apart. We became fractured through the prism of dimensions and purpose, but still we remain joined.

Seeing Jowendrhan and Zauran destroyed so they barely live, I know it's time to step in.

“
That's enough Amazarak.”

I know he goes by the name Zarak, but I remember his full name and just how powerful his sorcery is. Half the torment visiting Zauran is inflicted in his mind. He believes so many things have delivered his body with pain, but it was all just a lucid illusion.

One he will never forget.

Zarak turns to me, his smile wide and welcoming, stepping forward and folding me in a bear hug with a bracing thump to my ribcage.

“
Brother,” he roars. “You came down from Biqa?”

I nod, stepping back, enjoying the camaraderie of my own kind. “Yes. It seems the spawn have misbehaved like naughty children the second I leave. I apologize, Zarak.”

“
They have no clue, still.” He laughs loud enough to tremble the walls of loose rock.

“
It's enough. It's time for me to take over. You dealt them their lesson, now I must become the voice of responsibility and reason.”

He nods, looking through the wall to where our brother stands over Jowendrhan. He's smiling at us, his eyes flashing recognition in their inky depths.

I nod his way, “Greetings in love Kasdeja.”

We call him Akae most of the time. He and Michael have a long and glorious history, because he is the only demon to know the hidden name. Michael trusted him enough to reveal it to him, and after that Kasdeja swore an oath to it. The oath is known as Akae. Calling him Akae is a mark of respect from those inside the inner circle, the few of us who know the truth.

“
Venix! What brings you here brother?” Akae says through the cave wall as if it's not there.

I indicate the man bleeding all over his feet, “Him. It's time for me to mop up the mess. You two need to get back to your posts.”

He dusts his hands loudly together as if satisfied.

Then he turns and vanishes into a shadow, and I become aware that Zarak joined him in the exit.

Drawing my palms together, I bring the men together before me, removing the dream placed on their minds.

Chapter 19

Zauran
:

Darkness fades to brilliant white, my veins unclog, and the air becomes brisk and invigorating.

Relief floods my traumatized body, soothing my mind. I move to wipe the hair poking at my eyes when I realize I'm still bound.

Twisting, I'm shackled to someone where we sit on the hard floor spine to spine, shoulder to shoulder, tied wrist to wrist.

Looking forward, my ankles are still weighed down with thick chain. Staring about, I tentatively run my tongue around my mouth, inspecting broken teeth and swelling, but it's all magically vanished.

Movement catches my attention and I writhe to look, meeting silver eyes in an all too familiar face.

“
Venix?” I ask, coughing against the drought in my throat, my eyes stinging with the effort.

He smiles, stepping forward in angelic glory. “Zauran, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon.”

Sagging against the deadweight at my back, I survey Venix. I'm dead tired and feel as if my very soul has been punished.

“
It has,” Venix nods.

Arching an eyebrow, I struggle to form a response around the sandy grit in my mouth. “Venix, what the hell is going on?”

Instantly a deep puffy chair appears and he sits down on it directly in front of me, a good distance away.

Relaxing back, he links his fingers, and says, “You and Zaria is why this happened Zauran. I led her to you, gave you my power, and you abused both.”

“
I didn't–.”

“
You did. Without her permission or prior knowledge you decided to seed yourself in her as a mark of ownership. That is against the law, Zauran. Now you choose, either you die, or your spawn die.”

“
Whose laws? I keep hearing about these fucking laws!”

He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees to pierce white fiery eyes at me. “You want to be a leader, then you learn the language. I left you the information but you were too lazy to put in the effort to decipher what it said. The law is clear and concise Zauran. Women are not playthings to be owned and marked, or to bear children for your ego. Women give life, they bleed spiritual energy into the child they carry, they form an entire miracle in their womb, and this process is a gift and a curse for women. What you did was unforgivable.”

How the hell can he know? It only happened last night for fuck's sake.

“
I'm an angel, Zauran, I know everything I need to know when I need to know it. And it wasn't last night. You've been here for five days.”

“
What?”

He relaxes back again, inspecting his nails as if we're on a beach in Bali. “Listen up, I'm only saying this once.”

Venix's jaw tightens and the glare he gives me is resolute.

“
Zauran, Zaria is Slakax. She
is
light. She is light made flesh and bone.” He leans closer, dropping his voice as if sharing a secret, “Do you have any idea how many of them are hiding in women? They were very
very
clever indeed.”

Standing abruptly, clasping his hands behind his back, he begins to pace, “It makes sense Zauran. I was here for so long I was blinded by the earth and its darkness. I forgot the first lesson. In the beginning women were indeed made of light. That light was sent down to save mankind from darkness, but instead the darkness swallowed the light and pretended it wasn't there.”

He halts, snapping to face me with eyes so bright they illuminate the entire cavern. “Zauran! Look at the wars, look at the rape and violence. Look at the trafficking and subjugation, do you know why? Because they are light and the darkness is terrified of freedom. It dimmed each and every light so it was barely a spark. Too weak to catch flame to kindle, it withered.”

He takes five steps up to me and hammers his fist into my jaw. My head explodes with instant throbbing, the room wavering as if viewed through turbulent water.

“
Zauran,” he sneers low and cruel, it's threatening. Gripping my hair he yanks my head back and forcefully clears my vision to be blinded with his eyes. “Zaria was my light you sadistic little shit. I love her! And I'm not the only one. Slakax are protected by the Most High. They are pure even though they suffer great emotional loss, they
are still
light. You held in your arms the most precious commodity in creation, and you let your ego defile her!”

“
I didn't know. I..”

Fuck! Zaria is Slakax? But they don't even exist! They died out eons ago.

Thrusting my head so it cracks against the one behind me, he stands, prowling away and then turning as if to face off with me.

“
They did not die out. They went into hiding, and they hid in the one place we'd never look. The human body.” Releasing a heavy breath, he gracefully sits down on his chair again and adopts a conversational tone. “Zauran choose. You've had your punishment for breaking Spirit's law. You die, or your babies die. Pick one.”

“
What kind of choice is that?” I say to the heavenly bouncer.

“
Exactly!” He pounces out of his chair to wag a finger in my face. “See! When the shoe's on the other foot then suddenly you're all pro life.” He leans in and shouts in my eyes, “YOURS!”

“
What the hell, Venix! Give me a fucking break. I didn't know she was Slaka–”

I'm cut short with another almighty strike to my face, bombing my cheekbone with immediate agony.

“
Don't pretend you didn't know! Enough sages have come and gone for every last one of you to know that love means loving others AS YOURSELF! You don't do to someone else what you wouldn't want done to
yourself
. Zaria would have to seriously love you,
and
forgive you, to not die herself in this pregnancy.”

Stepping away he thumps the head behind mine so hard it bangs into my own, “And it's even worse for Božena. She's halfway dead thanks to this disgraceful excuse for a man!”

He struts back into my line of sight, really getting into the gesticulations of anger, “You two are pathetic little worms!” He points an accusing finger at me again, “And you! Fucking hypocrite that you are, you are neuri, you are supposed to protect the innocent from tyranny. We should have called you Caesar!”

“
Who the hell is behind me?”

“
Jowendrhan,” he roars, so loud, I immediately go deaf.

Pick one
, he says telepathically, so I can hear him.

Me. I'll die. She's done nothing wrong, Zaria shouldn't have to suffer for my sins.

*

Zaria
:

I'm annoyed with Phoebe.

Ryan took us to see all the blood left behind and explained to her it's because of us, and until the perpetrator is found, or at least identified, we're safer in his stronghold.

Unable to call to Seithe, Phoebe sent him an email, and here we are like one big happy dysfunctional family, stuck in Ryan's prison while Zauran is tortured, or dead.

Božena is experiencing the weirdest pregnancy in history, already looking ready to pop, but deathly pale with dark rings under her eyes. And I have to admit I'm seeing a whole new side to Sveta.

He stays with her constantly, holding her hand, getting her what she needs when she needs it, waiting on her hand and foot.

I would say he's smitten, completely.

I've been watching Aisyx closely and he seems more taken with Phoebe than Božena.

This leaves me alone, a lot, with Ryan never far off.

He watches me, endlessly.

*

Zarak
:

We have a job to do, and we're doing it.

Pravus is how we keep tabs on the comings and goings of the paranormal creatures littering this facetious planet.

I nudge Akae when the two brothers get out of Darise's vehicle, sprinting our way.

“
This should be good,” I smile to my brother, both of us adopting the disguise of black eyes and hair.

Seithe reaches us first, not even acknowledging us when he bursts through the red doors and disappears inside.

“
Well hello to you too, squirt,” I mumble as Darise reaches the bottom of the stairs, gasping.

Idiot. He's mortal now, it's time he started working out and staying fit. In ten years he'll be fat and stinky.

“
Have you guys seen Zauran? Or Jowendrhan? Or Phoebe and Zaria?” he says, obviously out of breath.

I look over his head to Akae.
Zaria and Phoebe are missing?

Yessir. They're with Ryan. It's okay, we have eyes on them,
he answers mentally.

It's fantastic that these two ex-vampyre can no longer tap into supernatural conversations.

How do I tell him we've seen Zauran and Jowendrhan, because we were the ones disciplining their asses for disgrace.

Akae answers, “Not for a while.”

He's being vague. Good good.

Darise nods, running in after Seithe.

Well this should be good.

Looking at Akae, I ask,
These two will start a war because of the Slakax women.

He breaks out a huge grin, “Men are idiots. I swear they use women as an excuse to have war.”

“
Should we tell them?” I ask, relaxing back against the doorframe, adjusting the hem of my t-shirt.

“
Nope. They wanted to be mortal, well now they know how it feels. Let them sweat it out.”

“
How compassionate of you,” I say, grinning myself now.

“
Zarak, Darise messed up, and Phoebe has fulfilled her role in Seithe's life. Those two boys have become so human they think love can't change, or grow. They think these women are theirs. It's impossible to own love. It's impossible to cage or box it. Let them bump their heads. They've put those women through enough, filling them with fear instead of light and love. Their lesson to learn brother, their lesson to learn. And it's way overdue.”