Page 11 of Resurrection (Daemons & Lumens #2)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Andras

I stalked through the manor, glaring at anyone who attempted to speak to me.

Many of the guards I knew, having been forced to grow up in this terrible place.

Our fathers each had five personal guards who existed solely to protect them.

Those fifteen or so men had been with The Obscuritas for years.

They were almost as cruel and unfeeling as our fathers.

Tony, one of my father’s favorites, accompanied me back to The Towne House in Boston to retrieve Typhon’s relic.

Seraphina may not have known what she took, but I did.

After she was taken from me, I was finally able to break into her safe.

There wasn’t much of importance, besides the relic.

If only I had known Typhon wasn’t bound by them sooner, this could’ve played out differently.

It’s no wonder Typhon was the first to be taken out.

Our fathers needed to neutralize the one Prince they couldn’t bring to heel.

And with Seraphina within their grasp, he wouldn’t dare attack them.

We were outmaneuvered here, and we all knew it.

We took my father’s private plane, and the entire excursion took approximately five hours. Tony attempted to speak to me several times, but eventually gave up when I ignored him. He had a thing for Michaela. Seraphina was going to murder this one when she had the chance.

My dark angel was at the forefront of my thoughts every minute I was away. Not knowing what my father would do to her while I was gone made my skin crawl. She was strong, the strongest woman I’d ever met, but he was ruthless. And the whole of his wrath was focused on her.

When we returned, Tony informed me Seraphina was with my father and they would both see me at dinner.

This was deeply unsettling, but his guards blocked entry to the entire floor.

They weren’t in his rooms, but in the room he kept Tabitha.

I hadn’t seen it, but I was certain it was something out of a nightmare.

Laszlo treated Tibby like she was an insect he couldn’t wait to smash.

My fury at the woman dissipated as soon as I discovered how deeply Laszlo controlled her mind.

She was a shell of herself. My own mind was wracked with guilt over it.

How had I missed that? I let the girl into my home, studied her, looked into her background, and still didn’t realized how fucked the situation was.

If I couldn’t see Seraphina before dinner, I would at least visit Typhon and Levi.

Devon had his own cell down here as well, but I wasn’t as keen to visit him.

I knew my father put him in an impossible position, but I was still so angry with Devon for falling for our fathers’ mind games in the first place.

He should’ve come to me. I could have made him see sense.

Or tried, at least. His failures only added to my own.

Devon wouldn’t have been so susceptible to their mind control if we stayed in touch.

After his father died, he pulled away and I let him go.

That was a mistake. Many years ago, the four of us were something fierce.

Our bond was strong, making our power even stronger.

We were a force to be reckoned with, and in that time the plans to overthrow our fathers emerged.

Without Devon, the plans changed and everything became so much more difficult.

The two guards standing before the door leading to the cells where my brothers were being held were new. I stared them down, and their eyes flicked back and forth uneasily.

“I need to speak with the prisoners.” My voice was sharp and threatening. I could sound like my father when it was necessary.

They hesitated for only a moment before unlocking the door and letting me pass.

I descended into the darkness, only for motion-sensor lights to pop on as I arrived at the base of the stairs.

Levi’s cell was closest, and I walked to him quickly.

He was lounging on the concrete bench at the back of the cell, leaning against the wall.

They weren’t much bigger than a small bedroom, with even less amenities.

“Comfortable?” I quipped.

Levi looked over at me with a lazy smile. “It’s practically five star.” He stood, coming to the bars, and we clasped hands, his eyes searching mine. “You’re looking dapper, Andras. Pleasant afternoon?”

I rolled my eyes. “I went to Boston and retrieved Typhon’s relic. They have them all now.”

“Fucking hell,” Ty snarled from his cell across the room. “Where’s our girl?”

I shook my head with a frown. “I am not sure. I think she is in Tabitha’s room. With my father.”

Ty growled, his eyes darkening. “I need to get the fuck out of here so I can murder that motherfucker.”

“Good luck with that,” Devon mumbled from his own cell.

Ty slammed his forearms against the bars, his muscles bulging. “This is your fault, you little shit.”

Devon jumped to his feet. “And what exactly have you done to help, asshole?”

“Stop it. Both of you,” I snapped at them. “This won’t help us or her.”

Devon slumped back against the wall, his head drooping. He was hurting, and it killed me that we couldn’t all come together to save our woman. Ty growled, his anger still raging. Without even his gym as an outlet, my volatile brother was going to come apart at the seams soon.

We all stiffened at the sound of someone coming down the stairs. When the figure descended enough for me to see them, I resisted the urge to sneer. Darren Radnor. What the fuck was he doing down here?

“Father,” Ty growled. “I’m itching for a fight. Why not let me out so we can spar like old times?”

Darren smirked, the act unlike his usual dangerous smile. “Maybe another time, boy.”

My eyebrows shot up, and Ty looked at him curiously. Darren Radnor never called Typhon “boy.”

The next moment, Darren snapped his fingers and the lights flickered before going out.

“I have a very limited amount of time, and I am taking a risk here. Try to keep up.” His voice startled me in the pitch-black room.

“What the fuck?” Ty growled.

The next moment, the lights came back on and standing before us was a goddamn monster. A true daemon. I jumped back, prepared to fight. My brothers all stood, rattling the bars of their cells in outrage.

“Who are you?” I demanded, and the daemon’s glowing eyes turned to me.

He was close to seven feet tall, with black feathered wings and horns protruding from his dark hair. His feet were that of a beast’s, with sharp claws on his fingers to match. He snarled, and the glint of sharp canines caught my eye.

He took a step toward me, and my brothers cried out in alarm, but something about him wasn’t exactly threatening.

I cocked my head at him. “Where is Darren Radnor?”

The daemon stared at me for a moment before answering. “He is dead.”

“Bullshit,” Ty snarled.

The daemon growled back, and the sound was a bit more intimidating. “I found him assaulting Michaela. I tore him into pieces. He is dead.”

Several seconds of silence passed before Typhon let out a low chuckle. His smile was dark and depraved. “Good.”

The daemon nodded. “I am Morax. And I need your help to save them both.”

I assumed he was speaking of Seraphina and her sister. When he spoke of her, the daemon softened. He had some connection to her.

Devon spoke up next. “How can we help, locked down here?”

The daemon eyed him before speaking. “You will be let out. The Kings plan to have you all at dinner this evening. They’re putting on a show… Seraphina will see her sister for the first time. It will not go well.”

Levi slammed his fists against the bars. “Did you hurt her sister?”

The daemon snarled, and his skin shone red as his eyes glowed a darker shade of gold. “Never. She is my mate. I would die before causing her harm.”

That little revelation was less shocking, after his reaction, but still curious.

“I will repeat Devon’s question, how can we help?”

Morax turned back to me. “The ritual your fathers have planned for Seraphina. It needs to happen as planned.”

“Why the fuck would we do that?” Ty growled.

Levi frowned. “Are you asking us to let Seraphina die?”

Morax shook his head. “No, she won’t die. My brother has seen to that. He has tainted their power, and when the ritual is completed, your relics will be destroyed and we can escape.”

“Why not fight them then?” I asked curiously. “If we are free and able, we can take them out.”

Morax shook his head. “No. It is not time. I cannot say more than that, but you have to trust me.”

My trust was shared with very few people, and three of them were locked in cells. Trust would be difficult. But I did believe him. Hurting Seraphina would hurt Michaela, and if he was truly mated, as he said, to her, he wouldn’t risk that.

“Can you save my sister?” Devon whispered, his voice low and hopeful.

Morax frowned and crossed his arms, tattooed biceps straining at the movement.

He truly was a beast. Even with our abilities and wings, my brothers and I could not shift into daemons.

I was a little envious. This is what my father sought, a true transformation.

And Seraphina’s sacrifice was supposedly going to make that happen.

“I cannot reach her mind. But we should bring her, when we escape,” he offered, his voice kinder than it had been thus far. “Given some time, I may be able to help her. Or one of my kind that is more gifted with healing.”

Devon nodded, his expression determined. “I will make sure she comes with us.”

Morax studied Devon for a moment, a flash of emotion crossing his face. “Devon Parrish. Several months ago, Michaela and I saw something. A message recorded in secret by your father.”

The room went deathly quiet. Devon’s eyes bored into the daemon’s, and we waited for him to continue.

“He said to tell you he loved you. And that he was sorry.” Morax turned from Devon, his face kinder.

No friend of my father’s would offer this kindness, and I decided then that I would trust the daemon. And in our current state, it might be the only option. “Alright—”

Before I could continue, a loud boom sounded, shaking the walls and rattling the windows.

“What the fuck was that?” Levi voiced the question first.

Morax stared up at the ceiling, as if he could see or hear what we could not. “We are out of time. I must go.”

Screaming sounded through the manor and seared into my mind. The others began shouting. We all knew that voice.

“Seraphina!” Ty roared, rattling the bars of his cell and trying to force his power to obey him. But we were weakened when our fathers had our damn relics.

Morax turned for the stairs. He flicked his fingers, and the lights shut off and on once more. He was hidden again, and Darren Radnor stood in the daemon’s place.

“Trust no one. Not even your own eyes. You have each other, that is it.” Morax mumbled the words and stormed up the stairs.

I was eager to follow him and find our girl.

She was in pain. More pain than I could handle standing idly by.

And yet we had to be smart. I needed my brothers out of these damn cells, and we had to be there for the ritual.

If we were to trust the daemon, our own inner monsters needed to slumber a little longer.

“I will see you soon, brothers,” I stated, eyeing each of them.

Devon looked more like himself. His green eyes were fierce, and there was something of the man I knew many years ago staring back at me.