Chapter Thirty Seven

  Blazing agony scraped along my nerves, the pain pulsing in time with every beat of my heart as I came back to consciousness.

  Someone pass the morphine.

  Fuck, my everything burned from my toes to my hair, and when I tried to shift liquid fire poured through my stomach. Dragging an eye open, something heavy caking the outside of it, I took in my surroundings.

  Stone walls loomed all around me, the familiar decorations and staircase snapping everything into place. The door, opening it to the blinding light, and then…

  Snapping upright, my nerves sizzling at the sudden movement, a single frenzied thought cleared my foggy mind. Dimitrius.

  Looking around wildly, panic bubbled in my chest when no flash of blond met my eyes, his familiar form nowhere in sight as dread slid through my veins like an icy river.

  Shit, he must have gone to confront his father.

  Taking stock of my injuries, I looked down and hissed. A cut–and the source of the fiery pain–gaped across my stomach, something pink and fleshy visible underneath my shredded shirt. Biting back a gag at just what was nearly spilling out of me, I looked up the stairs to the door.

  Dimitrius needed help, I couldn’t waste time like this. For all I knew, his father was hurting him or worse-With a hard shake, I stood, ripping away from those thoughts.

  Don’t go there, Julian. You go there, hysterics will follow.

  Standing was easier said than done, though. Muscles shook as if made of jelly, my knees barely holding my weight as I sucked in a breath, agony stealing the air from my lungs as I straightened. Fuck, that hurt.

  Resolutely not looking down at my stomach, I marched for the stairs, ignoring the pain with centuries of experience. None of it mattered. Injury or no, Dimitrius wouldn’t face that psycho without me. I’d drag my corpse up those steps before I let something happen to him while I relaxed back here. Blood dripped steadily to the floor beneath me, but I ignored it.

  Dimitrius, I have to get to Dimitrius.

  The thought became a chant, keeping me going until finally I was up the stairs, the door looming over me now closed again. A glint of metal caught my attention, one of my knives. Snagging it, I sighed in relief. At least I wouldn’t be going in unarmed.

  Bracing my shoulder against the door, I shoved it open.

  Or…I tried to. Instead of going inward, a colossal force shoved against it, sending me flying back down the stairs with pitiless abruptness.

  Motherfucker, really?! I just climbed those, you asshat!

  Rolling to a stop at the bottom, my stomach ripping open further with a flash of molten pain, I forced stiff muscles to swing around and face my attacker. The incubus stood over me, gold energy pouring off him in waves as an arrogant smirk twisted his lips.

  He’d shed his human skin, the giant scaled wings arching above him making for an imposing picture. The glow to his eyes flashed me back to Dimitrius and worry raked claws down my back again. Pushing through the pain, I stood, breaths dragging like glass from my lungs as each puff of air scraped painfully.

  Once on unsteady feet, I snarled. “Where is he?!” I raised my knife, ready to rip out the bastard’s guts at a moment’s notice.

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’d caused my injuries, though the details to how exactly he’d done that were a bit fuzzy. I’d ask Dimitrius when I found him, but for now? I had a raging swamp cunt to dismember.

  Eyeing his wings, so regally perched on his back, I decided. Yup those would be the first things to go. Maybe I’d even bring them back as a present for Isabelle, like a cat bringing its friend a trophy.

  Vicious glee gave me energy, kept my head up high as the incubus hummed, amusement strafing his face. He advanced languidly, like a predator who knew his prey couldn’t run from him.

  “My spawn? He ran. This mission of yours was a suicide one to begin with. Once he saw what I was capable of, he left.”

  For less than half a second, old doubts and fears bubbled to the surface. Would he?

  Then, like a light shining through the murky trauma, Dimitrius’s words came back, illuminating the truth I knew to my soul.

  No matter what you look like, you are Julian–my Julian–and I love you for it.

  The love from back then eased through me, soothing the fear as I sneered up at our enemy. “Bullshit, try again. And this time, at least make it somewhat believable.”

  His eyes widened, a flash of surprise cleaving through his features at how quickly I’d figured it out, before a slow smile curled his lips.

  “Such faith in the boy, impressive. Very well, I killed him. After I threw you from the room, giving you that lovely parting gift on your stomach beforehand, he became blinded with rage. It was pathetically easy; all I needed to do was throw him into the wall. No one can survive being crushed by that many stones.”

  Icy terror rose up to grip my heart in a stranglehold, my eyes flicking behind the smirking asshole as I tried to breathe through the panic welling. No, he was lying, saying things to get under my skin. Dimitrius was stronger than that, smarter too.

  But…if Dimitrius was alright, where was he?

  My distraction cost me, giving him the opening he needed, and in a blink he stood in front of me. I didn’t have a chance to move, his fist landing solidly in my stomach, sinking into the existing injury with pitiless force.

  Everything went white, all noise dulling to the rush of blood in my ears as he used his handhold to pick me up. Gravity dragged me down, the injury opening further as I sank onto the hand in my stomach, his claws shredding my insides.

  Thank God my magic makes me sturdier…

  The incubus smiled, a twisted and cruel parody of his son’s, as he taunted. “Brave little witch who can’t even cast attack magic. How did you think this would go? That you’d be the victor, ending the monster’s reign? You read too many fairy tales.”

  Without another word, he hauled his arm back. I couldn’t brace in time before he threw me through the window. Dimly I registered the sound of shattering glass, but a new wave of pain stole my attention. Glass dug into every bit of exposed skin, grinding painfully as I rolled to a stop outside the castle.

  Once the world stopped spinning, I took stock again. My arm wasn’t moving and I’d never felt more like a pincushion. Eyeing the useless limb, I bit back a curse. The universe had one hell of a grudge match against me some days.

  This was what I got for playing the hero; I knew it’d been a bad idea to sign up for this shit. But as I looked up, trialing my eyes over the incubus merrily strolling toward me, wings arched high as if to mock my place on the ground, fury unlike any I’d felt before blazed to life.

  If the world wanted to make me its martyr, then fine, but I’m taking this asshole down while I was at it. After I finished him, I could look for Dimitrius.

  Hope bolstered me, a plan hatching as I went limp. This fucker was arrogant, it practically oozed off him and I’d use that to my advantage. Closing my eyes, playing the part of whimpering damsel, I turned away as my only working hand gathered the glass shards nearby.

  Alright you mummified son of a bitch, let’s brawl.

  His chuckle came, superiority leaking off it as his hand fisted in my shirt. The glass scraped against me as he hauled me into the air, up over his head until I stared down at him. I loathed the smug smile he wore as he gloated.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Say nighty night, Useless Mage.”

  His other hand rose, claws tensing as he made to end it all. Well, I couldn’t let him do that could I?

  Springing into action while praying it’d be enough, I shoved my hand–glass and all–into his eyes. Pushing the shards as deeply as I could, his screams ringing throughout the yard like music to my ears, I ripped myself out of his hold.

  Blood dripped form my hand, both his and mine. Rolling to my feet, I snapped up my blade and lunged. No mercy and no hesitation. This fucker died today. For the women like Isabelle who’d done nothing to deserve their torture and rape, for the children who’d had their innocence stolen all to be a pawn in his sick game, and for Dimitrius.

  The partner I adored, who’d lived through too much thanks to the heritage this monster passed down. I wouldn’t stop until this fuck was dead.

  Not giving him time to recover, his healing already working on fixing his eyes, I jumped onto his back. The knife bit between his shoulders, my useless arm hanging at my side as I twisted the blade. Shoving both of us to the ground, ignoring the unearthly howls from beneath me, I ripped my hand sideways.

  Vicious satisfaction swelled in my chest as it ripped through the wing joint. Yanking the blade out to shove it between his shoulders again, fingers riddled with glass gripped the scaled appendage.

  “No, don’t-!”

  I didn’t listen to his plea. Planting a foot in his back, I pulled on the limb until a sickening squelch rang out. Ripping the wing clear from his spine, keening screams rang out as I threw it to the side. Plunging the dagger into the other one, I repeated the process, staring down at the two cavities now empty, marring his otherwise flawless skin.

  Putting the dagger’s tip over his heart, his body going slack as his healing couldn’t keep up, I spat. “If you have a god, pray to it.” He writhed, attempting to buck me off, and I sneered. “So be it, go to hell and stay there.”

  My dagger sank through his heart, the form under me going stiff as blood gushed over my fingers. Giving a vicious twist, I smiled when he went limp, his heart stopping against my hand. Pulling the blade out, I stepped back, waiting to make sure it was really over.

  A beat passed, then another. When he didn’t move and his injuries stayed gaping open, I sank to my knees in relief.

  It was over. Finally, over.

  My relief was short lived, a faint voice snapping my head up as it called from inside the castle. “Julian, answer me!”

  Terror strafed Dimitrius’s tone and it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. Hauling myself up on shaking legs–my stomach injury already starting to slowly knit together, thank God–I dropped my dagger next to the corpse and shuffled toward the house, excitement and hope warming me from the inside.

  He was alright! I’d praise the Lord every day and twice on Sunday for that gift.

  Clambering through the window I’d previously been thrown out of, I fell face first onto the granite floor, my blood slicking my shoes as I called. “Dimitrius, where are you?”

  Never had he sounded more relieved. “Up the stairs. I heard the screams, are you alright?!”

  Pausing, I looked down to my various injuries and grunted. “Eh, I’m alive. Headed your way now. Daddy dearest is dead. Like, very dead.”

  The marble steps stained red with my blood, my fingers gripping the banister for dear life as my feet threatened to slide out from under me. Finally, I made it to the top, staggering into the room and sighing when Dimitrius became clear.

  Apparently his dad had only been partly bluffing. A wall was knocked over on Dimitrius, but he’d managed to crawl halfway out from under it. Bruises and what was definitely a broken bone stuck out, but he was alive.

  If he hadn’t been feeding from me regularly though…

  Forcing the thought away, I moved to his side, his face blanching the closer I got.

  “By the gods, you said you were alright!” He sputtered, eyes wide and concern clear as his struggles to get loose picked up a notch. Sparing a glance down at my copious injuries, I shrugged.

  “No, I said I was alive. I didn’t answer whether or not I was alright. Besides, I’ve grown to have a very flexible definition of ‘alright’ so this might fall under it.” His lips pinched in a thin line, eyes narrowing as he scowled.

  “Julian, no.”

  I ignored the scolding tone, using my good hand to grab the piece of wall crushing him with a grunt. “Julian, yes. Now let’s focus on getting you out of this. I’ve done my duty, played the hero, and now it’s time to save the damsel in distress.”

  I paused. “Dude in distress?” Eh, whatever. Before I could start dragging the stone off him, his hands gripped my leg, trying to stop me.

  “No, you must get one of the others. You are too injured. I’m not in lethal danger, have Vlad heal you and-.”

  I snorted, hysterics setting in as I cackled. Dimitrius eyed me, probably wondering what color of straight jacket he’d be buying me, before I finally spoke. “You finally used a contraction, good job!”

  Incredulous eyes stared at me, then he opened his mouth and shouted. “Vladimir! Healing is needed!”

  The unsaid, because Julian is losing her fucking mind, just sent me into another round of laughter. Forcing it down, I turned to him and smiled.

  “I can’t wait until we get home. Fuck, can you believe I’m the slightest bit tired right now? Your old man put up one hell of a fight.” I stopped, a wide smile stretching my lips. “Oh! Guess what, I ripped his wings out as a present to Isabelle. Fucker didn’t get away scot free for what he did to you and the others, I made sure of it.”

  Surprise ghosted across Dimitrius’s face, before something close to a chagrined smile tugged his lips.

  “Be happy I adore you, because that statement would strike terror in me otherwise. Especially paired with that grin…”

  Oh, was I grinning like a loon? Considering I’d lost about a fourth of my blood, got turned into a pin cushion, and managed to kill the big baddie in less than an hour…yeah my mental state probably wasn’t the best.

  Not the worst either.

  Subduing my smile into something less manic, I bent to kiss him. Was it the appropriate time? Nope. Did I care? Also no. I’d damn near lost my life just now, the stomach wound still actively bleeding not looking great either, and I wanted a kiss. So fuck it, I was getting my kiss.

  He stiffened at first, not expecting it, but after a second he eased into it with a sigh. His free arm wiggled out to stroke my cheek and I relished in the contact until he pulled away.

  His eyes trailed over my jaw, before grimacing. “Your face…”

  Only now did the pain register. When the prick had thrown me ass over tea kettle through the window it’d diced my face to ribbons. Adrenaline softened the blow before, but now?

  Hissing as every movement pulled the cuts lining the right side of my head, I joked. “Yeah, its cut up good, isn’t it? Sorry, your partner isn’t going to look as hot, even after Vlad heals it. Scars always stay.”

  Self consciousness didn’t have time to root before he scoffed. “I care not for that. Your beauty comes from within and scars will not detract from that. You are losing too much blood, you need to get Vladimir-.”

  I sighed, cutting him off. “Back to not using contractions? And here I thought we were making progress.” He shot me a baleful look, his rarely seen temper starting to peak out, but before he could chide me about this not being the time for jokes, my favorite half orc necromancer breezed into the room.

  “Apologies, we were just finished-.” He ground to a halt, taking in the scene with open disbelief as Seraphina followed behind him. Elle bounced off her shoulder, racing over to get a better look at me as she snarled.

  “Seriously, you two?! You’re both in tatters, she looks like a failed attempt at dissection, and you didn’t call for us sooner?! We were right outside, for fuck’s sake! And don’t think I don’t see the marks around your mouths. Kissing can wait until you’re not on death’s door!”

  Despite the harsh words, worry oozed from her words and I bit back a smile.

  Aww, she does care.

  Not saying that, I flipped her off. Vlad’s voice stopped me from saying anything though. “Come now, murdering the man who’s caused so much suffering is reason to celebrate, and what better way to do it? If I had a life mate then I would be doing the same.”

  His hand settled on his sister’s shoulder, soothing her ire as he turned to me with a sardonic smile, longing aching deep in his eyes.

  “Don’t mind her, she’s just irate because I won our bet.”

  Sera chipped in irritably. “Only because you have magic that can speed up the aging process and set idiots on fire! I was doing better than you with one on one.”

  Vlad chuckled. “Whatever makes you happy to think.” Before she could say anything else, he looked at me, worry inching forward. “What in the blazes happened to your hands?”

  Looking down my thoroughly fucked up frame, I raised a challenging brow. “You look at this hot mess and the hands are what you notice?” Pausing to gesture to my stomach wound still gaping open, I then threw a wide gesture over the rest of me sarcastically. “How about the wounds on my everything? Though the one on my stomach is pretty gnarly.”

  His brow shot up. “Yes, speaking of that, let’s deal with it. Seeing your intestines is making me uneasy. I can get your lover out of his predicament after that is healed. The rest can wait until we’re on the plane back home.”

  He trailed off, hands hovering over my stomach as magic pulsed to the surface. Blessed relief curled through me when he whispered. “Medicor.”

  Agony dimmed to pain, then to mild irritation, before disappearing entirely. Finally, once I closed, he continued. “Once rumors reach the magical community of what we’ve done here, they’ll be even warier of us.”

  Catching his grimace, I snorted. “I don’t know, I think you raising a ghoul would ruffle more feathers.”

  He hefted the wall of Dimitrius with laughable ease, offering a hand to help the other up as he grunted. “Yes, well let’s not inform them, shall we? I already receive looks as if I’m a time bomb ready to explode. I don’t need that as well.”

  Sera dropped her fake pout to pat his back. “It’s alright, we’re all outcasts here. Who cares if they’re wary of you. Just means they won’t cross you unnecessarily and that’s useful. Have to look at the positives.”

  His lips twisted sardonically. “Yes, I suppose so, and speaking of our lovely ghoul friend, shall we head back? I will of course heal the rest of you on the flight over, Kotenok. But I ask that we make haste. I don’t like leaving her alone right now. While she’s soldiered on admirably, losing a child is devastating and she lost two. As the one who raised her it’s my responsibility to watch over her. I will not fail her in that.”

  Exchanging a long look with Sera, I all but purred. “Lovely, you say? I’ll be sure to tell Isabelle you said that. Nothing like a compliment from a dashing half-orc necromancer to brighten her day.”

  His skin tone made it hard to tell, but I could have sworn he blushed. Before I could look closer, he spun around and moved back toward the entrance. “Cease your flattery and let us be off. If you continue teasing, I won’t heal you.”

  While he sounded serious, I knew he was bluffing. Was he uncomfortable with my poking? Absolutely, but he’d never let me be in pain when he could fix it. His strident morals would never allow it. Still, I stopped teasing him, instead choosing to lean on Dimitrius as we marched past the scattered body parts outside.

  I’d have more opportunities in the future to pick at Vlad, I was sure. Besides, as I all but melted into Dimitrius’s side–his hands hovering worriedly over my various injuries–I’d prefer to be curdled against him than snipping at Vlad.

  On the flight back I watched my patchwork family banter back and forth. This was what I’d always wanted, not perfection, not easy, but something real. And if our little family was made entirely of misfits? Well, all the better.

  Normal was overrated anyway.