Chapter Twenty-Eight

Zion’s Pov

“How long did you think, you could get away with it, all the planning and your efforts to keep everything a secret, like she wouldn’t notice what you were up to. You really didn’t think it through huh Zion.” Cas said sitting on a tree stump across from me.

She had me tied up to a tree, my hands were cuffed, and I had a collar around my neck that kept releasing wolfsbane and hemlock in the form of a mist. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since she kidnapped me, but dawn was breaking now, and I knew we would be moving soon.

“And what would you have done to protect the ones you love Cas? Huh, would you give them up without a fight to serve some deranged goddess revenge.” I retorted as I watched her put the campfire out and pack up her supplies. She stopped shuffling around when I finished my sentenced and dropped what she had in her hands and began to walk towards me.

“You mean like when Agatha was forced to accept a position on your stupid brigade! You know I begged her to bring me with her, but she refused. She said she wanted to protect me.” She yelled tears seeping from her glowing eyes. She grabbed me by my shoulders and stood me up. Her grip tightened as she spoke again.

“I had to give her up to go fight for a bunch of strangers that got her killed. All because the Goddess Neoma gave you all a title, and everyone else a command to answer the call of a bunch of pussies that couldn’t fight their own battles.” She cried, and I sighed in relief as she let go of her grip on me.

“She was my friend Cas! I tried to bring her back, I really did but I couldn’t. She was killed by the Legion Cas, not us. By the same Goddess you are serving now!” I yelled at her, but she continued to weep and gather her belongings.

She came and untied me from the tree and pushed me to start walking. We had been walking ever sense I woke up when she first took me. Staying off main roads was her way to evade my mate, who were surely searching for me by now.

After about a mile of the silent walk I decided to try to talk her out of whatever plan she had for me with Hella. I remember the agony I went through when I lost Iliam. She didn’t have the darkness I clung to that got me through it. This was a pained, and scorned wolf that needed help, and Hella had taken advantage of her.

“So, you lost your lover, and you murdered mine? And now what? You’re going to help her take my child? She is a child Cas. An innocent child, and you would have Taliah bound to a life they didn’t choose.” I said trying to plead with her own innocence and humanity. The way she wept for Agatha let me know she still had it left in her.

“Isn’t that the way it is for us all? Isn’t that what “Fate” is. You got him back didn’t you, by promising that same child. Now I have a chance to do what you failed to and bring her back. It just so happens that it’s at your expense, not that I mind anyway” She explained.

“What of Leo? My brother! Your mate! Or have you forgotten about him while you were plotting to ruin us all.” I said, she stopped in her tracks and took a long deep breath before she turned around to face me.

“I made a promise Zion. That I would bring her back. My heart always belonged to Agatha, I would have rejected him as soon as I found him just like she did with Iliam.” She confessed.

“He will bathe in your blood for this Cassandra , mate or not. You can stop this now, its not to late.” I begged her. I saw her body shiver at the thought of him catching her, but she turned around and continued to walk and pull me along.

After another few miles, my collar made a beeping sound and she turned and grabbed it to check it. Her eyes met mine as we both came to the realization that the collar had ran out of juice.

She gave a devious grin “Not much further now.” She said, assuring me of my demise.

We walked about another mile further, and I could smell the demon stench getting stronger. Not just that but Mi was moving around now and that was a good sign. If I was going to make a move it would have to be now.

‘Can you hear me.’ I said through the mate link and was relieved at the voices that lifted through my head.

‘Try and stall’ Iliam ordered.

‘We’re close.’ Ethar assured.

I stopped in my tracks and startled Cas, she snapped her head around as I halted.

I smirked as I saw her try and yank the rope she was dragging me with. “Last chance Cassandra, I won’t ask again. Denounce your goddess and you might live.” I warned when she dropped the rope and pulled a silver dagger from her belt.

I tugged at the collar, and it broke off. I saw her fumble with a cellphone in her other hand and lunged forward to take it. I hadn’t fed in a while, so my speed wasn’t much, but it was quick enough to get to the phone without her stabbing me. I dropped the device in the dirt and smashed it with my foot. She swung her dagger, but I jumped back. She came a again trying immobilize me, one slice of that blade and I wouldn’t be able to put up much more of fight. I had something she didn’t though, and with me so close to a Legion strong hold there was tons of magic to draw from.

‘Blood, dust and earth, lend me the weapon. Creation!’ I chanted. In one fluid motion I let my fangs protrude and bit the side of my hand. With the blood flowing I grabbed a had full of dirt and blew it out toward the woman in front of me.

Cassandra cocked her head to the side and almost laughed. Her expression quickly changed to horror as she watched the once handful of dirt turn to daggers, that extended to full length swords, then took the chape of spears, headed in her direction. I had to close my own eyes as they made contact. When I opened them, I was even a little disgusted at the sight of her impaled on three spears. One straight through her throat, one in her thigh, and the other in her shoulder. I had never used the spell before but was glad to know I could muster it in my weakened state.

I could hear paws on the ground coming from the direction ahead. I hadn’t noticed I could see the tower of a desecrated old mansion behind the trees. I felt Ilima’s had snake around my waist, and I smiled. Ethar’s breath on my neck was comforting me as we heard the hounds gain speed as they closed in.

I got a whiff of Leo’s scent behind me, and my head whipped in his direction. I watched him walk directly past Cassandra, not even sparing her a glance as he walked up, rolling up his sleeves and taking his place beside me.

“What do you want to do Sister?” he said looking up at the tower in front of us. The stench of the Dogs were only a few yards away now.

I felt my eyes flicker black as I answered. The darkness tingled through my veins.

“Burn it all down.” I said with a smirk creeping up on my lips.

He got down on his hands and knees. He placed his palms on the earth and dug his fingers in the grass. I placed my hand on his shoulder so he can draw on my energy.

‘Fire from the old ones, the winged beasts. Lend me the Flame. Incinerate!’ We chanted in unison.

I watched the earth in front of us ripple in flames. Even from the distance we stood from the mansion, I could smell the burning of flesh. I could hear the screams of our enemies as they were consumed by the flames. My eyes burned brightly as I watched tower fall into fire and smoke.

“Sweet music.” Leo chuckled as he stood and placed his arm around the necks of his brothers. We all stood and watched the destruction.

We heard gasping and coughing from behind us. Cassandra was trying to breath again as her throat tried to heal around my spear. Leo walked over to her and starred down.

"We can take care of it Leo. You don’t have to do it." Iliam said walking over next to him, looking down.

Leo crouched down and pulled the spear from her throat. Her blood sprayed him in the face as it left her wound.

"Oh, but I want to." He responded as he threw the spare away. He touched the blood on his face with his hands and licked his fingers clean. Leo leaned down near her head. Iliam turned to look at me with worry written on his face, before turning his attention back to my brother.

I had already warned her. My brother was the sweetest when he wanted to be. However, he was a sadistic fuck when it came to us, his family. She was about to witness it for herself now.

"I have tasted your blood before my love. I’m going to enjoy it one last time as I drain it from you. I will make you pay for coming after mine." He whispered. He pulled the other spears out and threw Cas's slack body over his shoulder. He turned to face us with a bloody grin on his face. I could tell he was waiting to take his revenge, he wanted to savor it.

"Alright then, shall we." He said before turning and walking toward the road, and we followed.