Scion's Surrender Page 5

  Irena met his gentle kisses as he moved within her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him deeper penetration. His heart raced in time with hers and he lost himself in the feel of them together. She groaned and he held her hip, driving into her, quickening the rhythm until she tensed, so close now.

  “More,” she whispered, and he obliged, pumping faster. He wanted more too. More connection, more acceptance.

  Her body clenched around him as she orgasmed, but kept his thrusts steady. She arched and he buried his face in her throat, concentrating on her emotions—warm and strong—suffusing every inch of his body. She loved him too.

  She’d given him a second chance.

  “Chago.” Her voice caught. He murmured soothingly, letting her know he was right there. She didn’t need to be afraid. They were both falling.

  They both had both fallen.

  She would catch him just as he would catch her, and Irena would be his reason to go on.

  For that, he loved her more than words could say.

  Chago thrust deeper, seeking his own climax. She kissed him again and he closed his eyes as he came hard, wave after wave of pleasure coursing through him, until at last, he relaxed onto the bed beside her, rolling slightly so he didn’t crush her beneath his weight.

  Their mingled breath panted in the quiet room.

  She sighed, turning onto her side to kiss him.

  Irena didn’t have to worry about him. With her love, he was invincible. She gave him the strength to face any temptation, the strength to find the evidence he needed and defeat the Nephilim once and for all.

  Chago stroked the damp hair from her forehead and she chuckled. He loved that sweet sound, loved how relaxed things were between them now. Irena looked at him with eyes full of the love.

  She’d made her decision.

  She’d chosen to be with him.

  Now he had a decision to make as well. Once this was over, he wanted to be the man she needed, not the sullen isolated loner he’d grown into over the last century. He wanted to be fun, carefree, strong and sure—so she’d never doubt her love for him. He wanted forever with her. He’d do whatever was necessary to make that happen.

  Even if it meant sacrificing his immortality.

  6

  The next morning, Irena stepped from the shower and dried off. Chago was in the guest room, lounging in his boxers on the double bed, sin personified. She wrapped the towel around herself, then cracked open the bathroom door to glance across the hall. His warm caramel gaze rested on her and she smiled. If he kept looking at her like that, she might have to demand an encore of last night’s performance.

  With a mischievous grin, she opened her towel a smidge, teasing him with her nakedness, but still mindful they were not alone in the apartment. He straightened on the end of the bed and she quickly left the bathroom for the guest room, shutting the door behind her and swaying her hips just enough so his attention snapped there. Last night had been wonderful, long lazy spells of making love and feeling connected in the most intimate way.

  She wanted to feel that way forever.

  His gaze roamed her body, gradually working up to her eyes. She stopped in front of him and let the towel slip to the floor. Irena stepped between Chago’s knees and swept her fingers through his damp curls. His pupils widened as she stroked the strong line of his jaw, the shadow of stubble scratching her fingertips. She tilted his head back and kissed him, long and slow, savoring the minty taste of toothpaste on his tongue.

  A quick glance at the tent in his boxers made it clear her entrance had the desired effect. She ran her fingers over the outline of his hard cock and he groaned, closing his eyes. Irena pushed him back on the bed and climbed astride him. His hands settled on her knees then traced up her thighs, his touch so light it tickled. A shiver danced through her.

  She explored his body, trying to decide what to do first. The look in his eyes said he was hers to use as she pleased and her birthmark seared hot with power. Perhaps it was time she lived out another of her fantasies.

  Irena climbed off him to tug off his boxers. She grabbed a condom from his bag then sat astride him again. The sight of his gorgeous cock, the tip glistening and ready, made her insides quiver with lust.

  Kneeling, she put the condom on him, pausing to stroke his aching flesh and make sure he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Then she straddled his hips and swallowed hard. She’d never topped anyone before but dreamed about being the aggressor in bed. She took him in hand, slowly lowering her body down until his cock was completely inside her. Chago groaned. This position allowed her to see his expressions clearly as she rode him to her own pleasure. Irena moved tentatively as first, finding her rhythm. His hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs flicking her stiff nipples. Her clit rubbed against his body each time she took him fully inside her.

  Soon, she was lost in sensation. Chago held her hips now, guiding her. Her desperation rose, not just for orgasm, but to know he would come back to her after visiting Hell.

  She loved him too much to lose him.

  He cupped the back of her head and she bent to kiss him hard, rolling her hips, grinding against him. She took hold of his upper arms and met his heated gaze. His muscles tensed beneath her touch, strong and taut. The delicious feel of withdrawing off him almost all the way before sinking back down again made her moan.

  Irena was the one in control. This was her victory. Her birthmark flared white-hot and she cried out in triumph. “More.”

  He nipped at her throat, meeting her thrust for thrust, faster and faster, until she couldn’t take any more. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as she climaxed. He thrust into her a few more times, trembling as he came as well, his legs shaking and his toes curling. Hazy warmth spread through her veins.

  As the waves of ecstasy ebbed, Irena collapsed atop him, boneless, their bodies still connected because she didn’t want to lose him yet. His heart hammered beneath her ear and his breath fanned warm against the top of her head.

  “Irena,” he whispered, his voice labored. “I will come back.”

  Eventually, he got up to use the restroom, and she closed her eyes, opening them only when he returned and crawled in behind her to take her in his arms again. He kissed her shoulder, resting his lips there.

  She couldn’t lose him.

  Fear and unease still niggled inside her. Not fear of Hell or Lucifer, but fear of what was happening between them. It was so much, so fast. She saw the same concern in his eyes. She stroked his cheek, holding his gaze, wanting to comfort him. His breathing settled along with hers, and he held her close, his fingers tracing lazy circles over her birthmark.

  He was so handsome, her Scion. She looked deep into his eyes, seeing affection, tenderness, love. So much love. It was strange to have such a strong warrior be so vulnerable. She wanted to reassure him. She was ready to surrender too.

  “Chago.” One of them had to take the leap, and he needed to hear it now, to give him the strength to come back again. “I love you.”

  He smiled and kissed her, soft and sweet.

  “I love you too,” Chago said, his tone full of the emotion.

  7

  Later that afternoon, Chago and Kagan stood on the rooftop of the building, ready to begin their descent into Hell. They’d both dressed all in black and were fully armed for a fight.

  Kagan touched Chago’s shoulder and murmured words in ancient Enochian, the language of the angels. When he opened his eyes again, their locale was much different.

  What had once been clean concrete and brick was now scorched by fire and twisted with destruction. Buildings crumbled beneath a sky billowing orange-black smog. Rusted cars lay strewn across the landscape like children’s toys. The flat barren, wasteland appeared devoid of life, yet invisible eyes seemed to watch them from all directions. Sulfur burned Chago’s lungs and stung his throat.

  “This way,” Kagan said.

  They walked into a broad expanse of windswept, bone-dry t
undra.

  Something sharp grazed Chago’s calf and he tensed, wary trepidation gnawing his gut as he searched the area. A black-tipped claw disappeared underground and blood trickled down his leg from a deep scratch. Scowling, he trudged onward.

  A dilapidated metal archway appeared in the distance. The half-lit neon sign across the top flickered and buzzed. Most of the letters were burnt out and part of the sign hung loose, dangling precariously in the gale-force breeze. With each step, brick walls soared up on either side of them, barring their escape and giving them no choice but to pass beneath the sputtering arch. Dread stung like a jellyfish. The wonky marquee’s few operational letters popped and hissed to life, spelling out the name of their nightmare destination.

  HADES

  They passed beneath the sign and it shorted out, sending a shower of sparks in all directions. The two warriors darted between the raining fire and into a jagged, craggy opening in the rock wall ahead. Chago focused on Irena’s love. He admired her courage in telling him at last and owed her infinite thanks for giving him the strength and resolve to face what lay ahead.

  “I commend your desire to seek justice,” Kagan said as they trudged over the rocky terrain. “Many would have forgotten their past by now.”

  “I owe it to those men.” Chago avoided the sharp boulders jutting from ground and stared at the glowing orange line cleaving the earth between them. The high walls had darkened to sooty black, now covered in glowing occult symbols and vulgar words. “Only then will I be free of my obligation and win back my tarnished honor. Only then can I start a new future with Irena.”

  The fiery line in the earth brightened and thickened, becoming a deep cavern .

  Kagan stood at the precipice. “This is it.”

  Before Chago could respond, he leapt off the edge and disappeared down the gorge. After a silent prayer to Divinity, Chago followed, pulse racing with the fast descent, until finally he landed hard on broken bedrock.

  Chago stumbled, and Kagan caught his arm to steady him. Flames licked all around them and the nape of his neck prickled with the stare of unseen eyes, but it was just as well. The echoing cackles and whispers of demons was bad enough. He didn’t need to see their ugly faces too.

  “You didn’t seem shocked about my idea of a Nephilim conspiracy,” Chago said, curious. “Is there more going on?”

  “I had a run-in with one last year, in Chicago.” Kagan led him toward an area away from the fiery furnace of the pit. “The man Mira summoned me to avenge was actually a half-breed named Argus.”

  “She dated a half-breed?” Chago frowned. “Did she not know what he was?”

  “She saw only what he wanted her to see. They can cloak themselves as well as we can.” Kagan’s tone tightened with fury. “But the bastard’s dreadful nature surfaced and he struck her. She ended up in the hospital. Thankfully, there was no permanent damage done. But the beating prompted her to tap into her Seal’s power and seek revenge. That’s when she called to me.”

  “Did this Argus know of Mira’s Seal?” Chago followed Kagan across the uneven charred ground, coughing. The choking air here was thick with brimstone and the putrid stench of decay. “You think they are planning something?”

  “That’s what I’m here to find out.” Kagan frowned. “You have your mission, I have mine, brother.”

  If the Nephilim attempted to kill one of the Seal hosts to unleash the Apocalypse, then their evil went far beyond the destruction of his men on the battlefield. He’d relish annihilating each and every one of the unholy abominations. “Perhaps our missions will converge at last.”

  Kagan smiled. “About time.”

  “Agreed.” All the Scion brethren got along well together, but their duties rarely coincided, each having a separate missions to guard and protect in different places around the world. Banding together, after all these eons, would be a joy indeed.

  The heat abated as they moved away from the pit, but the sharp acid tang in the air worsened. He wondered how Kagan had endured his long confinement at the hands of Lucifer. His brother’s sour expression said he still carried scars from his torture. Chago sympathized. He knew such pain first hand, relived it each time he returned to the barren fields where the Nephilim had shredded his flesh and flayed his spirit. Those memories only steeled his resolve to end this.

  Dark laughter erupted, coming from all directions at once, the guttural sound reeking with challenge and hatred.

  Lucifer.

  He did his best to shut out the sound, but it slithered around him anyway.

  I can give you the vengeance you seek, Scion.

  No. He would not be tempted. He was here for justice. The prince of darkness would happily help him obliterate multitudes of Nephilim, but such slaughter would come at too high a price. He wanted vindication, not retribution.

  I will give you Irena’s heart. Forever.

  Chago clenched fists, battling the hope those words conjured. To grant Irena immortality would mean everything, but he could not entrust something as precious as his beloved’s eternal soul to anyone but Divinity. She waited for him in the earthly realm and he would not disappoint her.

  She’d given him strength, loyalty, love.

  Compared to that, Lucifer had nothing to offer.

  “Ignore him.” Kagan led him to a wide shallow pool.

  Bright light danced off the liquid’s glassy surface, casting a golden glow. Chago saw images flickering past, not unlike their screens in Heaven, swirling and changing constantly. Hell’s own earthly monitoring system.

  “This also accesses the Hades Libraries.” Kagan crouched beside the pool “Touch the surface and you will see what you desire.”

  Chago dipped his finger into the liquid and the surface shimmered. He leaned forward, eager to see more about the Nephilim and their plans. Instead, images of Irena and Mira back in Chicago appeared. They were sharing wine on the rooftop of the apartment.

  “That’s very nice, brother,” Kagan snorted. “But it won’t get us what we need.”

  “I’m aware of that.” Chago gave him an irritated look. “My concentration wavered.”

  “Yes. It’s difficult. They are human, we are immortal. We can choose to live in the earthly realms and love them, but eventually they will die.”

  “There’s another way. You know of what I speak.”

  “You’ll petition Divinity to grant immortality to Irena?”

  Lucifer laughed again. The flames around them belched and crackled.

  Now was not the time to think of such things. Once this sinister business was concluded, Chago let Irena make the decision. It was too soon to discuss seeking her immortality or surrendering his own, not with justice in the balance.

  “Focus, brother.” Kagan waved his hand over the liquid again. “Our women are a distraction.”

  Reluctantly, Chago fixed his thoughts on the Nephilim, the night of his torture, the long-ago whispered words he’d heard of their conversations while he’d been half out of his mind from pain. He touched the surface of the pool again and this time an office building appeared. No, not office. A lab. The plaza outside was dark and quiet, not a vehicle or person in sight. Then a white box truck pulled up near the entrance and two pale men in gray suits emerged.

  “Nephilim.” Kagan whispered.

  Chago studied the half-breeds’ eerily pale complexions and flat gray eyes, both characteristic of their kind. The pair walked around the back of the truck and slid open the door. Inside there had to have been at least a hundred body bags. They began removing them and carrying them inside the building. A second truck pulled up and more Nephilim exited.

  “Not good.” Kagan’s voice was sharp with unease. “This goes far beyond your war and my vengeance.”

  “Does it involve the Seals or something else?” Either way, the Nephilim had somehow infiltrated Divinity’s realms, or they had someone on the inside, making their activities invisible in the heavenly realms. Chago’s mind raced. “One of the archang
els must be in league with them. It’s the only thing that makes sense. They’re the only other heavenly beings besides the Scion who know the identity of the Seal hosts and they could cloak an intruders entrance into the Empyrean Vaults and libraries. Otherwise, the Scion would know.”

  “Agreed. But who?”

  The door of the lab opened and the guilty party walked out, his gold-tipped white wings furled tightly to his back against his black business suit.

  Ruman, one of the archangels sent to help Adam and Eve resist the original sin.

  Seemed he’d fallen for a bit of temptation himself these days.

  The archangel motioned to the Nephilim near the second truck and they hurried forward. In the shadows, hiding behind some bushes, lurked a redheaded woman in a lab coat, spying on them.

  “Isn’t that Wyck’s Seal host?” Chago pointed to the woman. Wyck was a fellow Scion warrior, though gadgets and books were his preferred weapons.

  Kagan scowled at the image of the redhead. “Is she involved with the half-breeds and Ruman?”

  “Good question.” Chago straightened. “We need to find out.”

  “I’ll report this to Divinity.” Kagan cast his hand over the pool again, erasing the images. “You return to Chicago and wait with the women for my return. Since this involves his Seal host , Wyck will want to know as well. Once I receive new orders, we can assess the evidence and discover what Ruman and these Nephilim are doing.”

  Chago crossed his arms. “Or I could go with you.”

  “You’ve been through enough at the hands of these bastards, brother.” Kagan looked at him thoughtfully. “Take care of Irena and Mira. They should not be unprotected now.”

  Much as he hated to admit it, Kagan was right. Ruman would have access to the location of all the Seal hosts. It would be easy for him to pick them off one by one. The thought of that bastard finding Irena and Mira, alone and unguarded, sent him into a rage.

  He would protect them and keep them safe from harm.

  He would not fail in this mission.