Chapter 19 – Fallen and Found

Open Doors

Liam’s POV

“Liam,” she breathed, her voice a sweet song of surrender and defiance. “I give you permission to enter.”

“Ah, music to my ears,” I chuckled, a predatory gleam in my eyes. “Your call for chaos is the sweetest melody I’ve ever heard.”

Her words were like a magic key, unlocking the barriers that had kept me out. But I wasn’t content with simply stepping through. Oh no, this ward had irked me, this petty little obstacle that had dared to deny me entry. Now, it was time for payback.

Emerald energy surged from my fingertips, crackling and spitting like a hungry wildfire. I pressed my palm against the shimmering barrier, feeling its magic pulse and writhe beneath my touch. A wicked grin spread across my face as I poured more power into the ward, twisting and contorting it, reveling in its desperate struggle to maintain its integrity.

With a final surge of raw power, I ripped it apart. The barrier shattered with a deafening roar, fragments of light scattering like shattered glass. I stepped through the remnants, my disgust at the demon hunters a palpable force that warped the air around me.

“Well, well, well,” I purred, smoothing down my ruffled clothes. “Looks like someone forgot to lock the door. How careless.”

The stale air, thick with the stench of iron and Kate’s distress, filled my nostrils – an insult that fueled my already burning rage.

There she was, my radiant dove, tied up like a sacrificial lamb, but her eyes still blazed with defiance. Her normally flawless skin was marred by a crimson mark on her cheek, a testament to the cruelty inflicted upon her. My magic thrummed with righteous fury, a promise of retribution for every touch, every bruise, every tear they’d forced from her.

Two sorry excuses for demon hunters stood between us. Marcus, the grizzled relic from our previous skirmish, and a younger one, a twisted doppelganger of Cyrus, but colder, crueler. Their eyes widened in shock as they witnessed my grand entrance, the raw power I had unleashed a stark contrast to the playful facade I had shown before.

The younger hunter, a study in controlled aggression, narrowed his eyes. “A Fae lord,” he observed, a hint of distaste lacing his tone. “This is an unexpected complication. Why are you involving yourself in our affairs? This is a grave error in judgment, Fae,” he warned, his voice a chilling whisper. “We will not tolerate your meddling.”

“Meddling?” I feigned surprise, placing a hand on my chest. “I’m merely here to retrieve what is rightfully mine. And trust me, she is worth far more than your petty squabbles.”

A cold fire ignited in Marcus’s eyes, his face a mask of controlled fury. Clearly not one for idle chatter, he charged, his movements a blur of motion, crossing the space between us with deadly intent.

“Ah, eager as always,” I purred, gracefully evading his clumsy attack. “Did you miss my company?”

As our dance of death began, a whirlwind of flashing steel and raw, untamed magic, their blades bit nothing but air. I whirled around them, a dizzying spectacle of emerald light deflecting their every strike.

“Is that all you’ve got?” I taunted, my voice echoing through the room. “I’ve sparred with squirrels with more coordination.”

But the younger hunter, a predator in human skin, wasn’t so easily deterred. His eyes, cold and calculating, never left Kate’s form even as he fought me, a flicker of twisted cruelty mingling with his rage. He moved with a predatory grace that belied his human form, his strikes precise and brutal. His blade, a wicked curve of blackened steel, hissed through the air, a hair’s breadth from my skin, the scent of iron and malice filling my nostrils.

The room became a kaleidoscope of flashing steel and blinding luminescence. Blades grazed my skin, leaving a trail of searing kisses that only fueled my ecstasy. I twisted and turned, a phantom in their midst, taunting them with my speed and grace. Fools. They thought their trinkets could harm me? They had no idea what they’d unleashed.

But the younger hunter was a formidable foe, his power resonating with a dark, sinister energy that sent shivers down my spine. He fought dirty, his attacks aimed at Kate even as he parried my blows, forcing me to constantly shift and defend. I could feel the strain in my magic, the effort required to maintain my ethereal shield against his relentless onslaught.

“Once I’m done with you, Fae,” he snarled, his voice a low growl, “I’ll have plenty of time to break that little bird of yours. She’ll learn her place, and you’ll be nothing but a forgotten footnote in history.”

His words struck a chord deep within me, igniting a primal fury that eclipsed even my existing rage. I retaliated with a surge of power, my magic lashing out like a whip, coiling around his ankle and sending him sprawling to the ground.

But he was quick, recovering with a roll and springing back to his feet, a feral grin twisting his lips. “Is that the best you can do, Fae?” he taunted. “I’ve faced worse than you.”

“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet,” I hissed, my voice dripping with venom. “You’ve awoken a beast, and you’ll soon regret it.”

Our duel intensified, a whirlwind of emerald and shadow, a symphony of clashing steel and crackling magic. He was a master of his craft, his every move calculated and precise, his dark aura weaving a tapestry of malevolence around him. I matched him blow for blow, my magic a shield and a weapon, but even I could feel the strain. He was a worthy adversary, a true test of my power.

In a flash of movement, Cyrus’s brother feinted towards me, then lashed out with a vicious backhand aimed at Kate. A gasp escaped her lips as the dagger grazed her uninjured cheek, leaving a thin line of blood. A primal roar ripped from my throat, the sound echoing through the room as my magic surged in a blinding wave, forcing him back.

“Liam!” Kate’s voice rang out, her eyes blazing with a fire that mirrored my own. “Get these ropes off me!”

“In a moment, my love,” I gritted out, barely managing to hold back the two hunters as they pressed their attack. “Just a moment…”

The air crackled with magic as I battled the hunters, my movements a storm of light. While their focus was locked on my every move, I subtly sent a tendril of magic towards Kate, silently severing the bonds at her wrists before retracting unnoticed.

Cyrus’s brother lunged again at me, but Kate was ready. A blast of divine energy erupted from her fingertips, slamming into the hunter’s side and sending him flying across the room. He tucked into a roll, absorbing the impact, and sprang back to his feet, a predator ready to strike again.

“Interesting,” Cyrus’s brother remarked dryly as he regained his footing. “You said she was a beginner.”

“She’s a fast learner,” Marcus countered, his voice clipped and devoid of emotion.

Kate, unfazed, focused her attack on Cyrus’s brother, her movements a blur as she drove him back, her fury like a cornered viper. He, however, was a seasoned warrior, his experience evident in every parry and counter. He deflected her blasts of divine energy with ease, his movements a blur of honed reflexes and brute strength. Their fight became a battle of light and shadow, a clash of raging power against honed skill.

For a moment, it seemed Kate might be outmatched. The hunter, sensing her inexperience, pressed his advantage, his blade a hair’s breadth from her throat. A guttural growl escaped my lips as I surged forward, my magic a shield that deflected the attack at the last possible moment.

“One more move towards her,” I hissed, emerald magic sparking in my eyes, “and I’ll show you the true meaning of pain.”

The hunter, momentarily distracted by my intervention, stumbled back, his eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint. But that brief opening was all Kate needed. With a fierce cry, she unleashed another torrent of divine energy, forcing the hunter to raise his arms in defense. In that split second, the dagger he had used to cut Kate’s cheek slipped from his grasp, clattering to the floor.

Before he could recover, Kate’s eyes locked onto the fallen weapon, her jaw set in a grim line of determination. She waited for the perfect moment, poised like a coiled spring. As I parried a blow from Marcus, a flicker of resolve flashed across her face. With a burst of unexpected agility, she dove forward, snatching the dagger from the floor with a swift, desperate motion. I barely had time to register her intention before another blast of raw, feral magic erupted from her, propelling the dagger towards its target with deadly accuracy. It wasn’t a practiced strike, but a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble fueled by adrenaline and fury.

The younger hunter let out a howl of agony as the dagger embedded itself in his flesh, pinning him to the wall like a macabre trophy. His face, once a portrait of smug confidence, was now contorted into a grotesque mask of pain.

A scream tore from his throat as he struggled against the embedded blade. But before he could fully understand what had happened, Kate was upon him, her fist a whip’s crack, lashing out with surprising force. The sickening crack of bone on flesh echoed through the room as her knuckles connected with his jaw, his head snapping to the side with a grotesque crunch.

“That’s for the slap, asshole,” Kate hissed, her voice low and venomous, her eyes blazing with a fire that could melt steel.

My heart swelled with a mix of pride and dark amusement. “Beautiful and deadly,” I sighed, a shiver of anticipation running through me. “You are everything I could have ever dreamed of, and more.”

I caught a glimpse of Kate’s knuckles, scraped and bleeding from the force of her blow. Her hand trembled slightly, but her eyes held a fierce satisfaction that told me the pain was worth it.

But our moment of triumph was short-lived. The door tore open, revealing two more demon hunters. Cyrus, his face pale with horror, and another, a hulking brute with scars that spoke of a life spent in violence. The tide had turned.

I glanced at Kate, a silent question in my eyes. She nodded, her expression grim but determined.

“Well, this has been fun,” I quipped, “but we still have other plans today. Time for a change of scenery, my dear?”

We retreated backwards, our magic a spiral of destruction as we moved towards the corner of the room. The newcomers joined the fray, their blades flashing in the dim light. We were outnumbered, outmatched, and slowly being herded into a corner.

“We need to go,” I whispered to Kate, my hand finding hers, our fingers intertwining.

Cyrus lunged forward, his hand outstretched towards Kate. “Don’t do this!” he pleaded, his voice thick with desperation. “Don’t go with him!”

A flick of my wrist sent a blast of emerald energy slamming into Cyrus’s chest, sending him sprawling backwards with a pained grunt. I raised an eyebrow, my magic crackling around me. “Must I teach you the meaning of ‘no’ again?” I asked, my voice dangerously low. I sighed, turning back to Kate with a flourish. “Shall we leave these mortals to their misery, my queen?”

Kate’s eyes blazed with a cold fury as she surveyed the remaining hunters. “Go to hell,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “You wanted a monster? Well, now you’ve got one.”

A low chuckle rumbled in my chest. “Now that’s my girl,” I said, a dark fire igniting in my eyes. “Don’t hold back on my account.”

A slow, satisfied smile spread across Kate’s face. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. That was certaintly…. therapeutic” she replied, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.

A swirling vortex of emerald light materialized before us, a shimmering gateway to the magical world of the Iele. “Shall we depart, my love?” I asked, extending my hand towards her. “This place is no longer worthy of you.”

As she took my hand and stepped through the portal, I paused to cast one last, lingering look at the demon hunters, their faces a mask of shock and impotent rage. “Until next time, gentlemen,” I said, my voice echoing in the silence. “Sleep well, for your nightmares are just beginning.”

Then, with a final flourish, I followed Kate into the swirling vortex, leaving nothing but silence in our wake. The demon hunters lunged forward, their weapons outstretched, but their blades met only empty air as the portal snapped shut behind us, sealing them away from our newfound sanctuary.