Passion Untamed (Feral Warriors #3)(21)

"The Mage have opened the blade," Paenther hissed. With the power Paenther had helped raise. Goddess help them all.

"Don't get your tail in a knot, B.P. The blade isn't open. Not entirely. We only managed to soften it enough to eke out a few of the wraith Daemons. The worker bees of the Daemon world. They're basically mindless feeding machines without Satanan here to control them, but it's amazing, isn't it?" His voice rose with excitement.

Paenther stared in fascinated horror at the creature of dark legend, a monster the Ferals had fought to keep from the Earth for thousands of years.

And failed.

"With the power you raise with the little witch, we'll free an entire army." Vhyper chuckled. "You've found your calling, B.P."

The words swirled in Paenther's mind until he had to swallow to keep the bile from rising in his throat. He had to stop this. He had to find a way to keep from freeing more of these things.

But his horrified gaze wouldn't turn away from the creature. Oddly, though the people were clearly agitated by the sight of all the blood, none of them were reacting to the Daemon itself. They didn't seem to see him.

Ah, goddess. Of course they couldn't see him. Just as humans couldn't see the draden.

One of the men looked up at the faces peering down at him. "What's going on here? What in the hell do you people want?"

"They won't be able to see him until he attacks them," Vhyper said, his voice sharp with anticipation.

The creature stopped in front of one of the women, lifted a single clawed finger, and ripped open her cheek down to the bone.

With a scream, the woman stumbled back, her eyes widening until they filled her face as she finally saw the creature who'd attacked her. Her scream turned to one of terror as she tripped and fell back onto the floor. Crying and whimpering, she scuttled back from a monster more hideous than any nightmare.

"He'll leave her like that," Vhyper murmured, as if to himself. "They feed on fear and pain. He'll make sure they all see him before he plays with them."

"How can you know this?"

"You've been out of it a while, B.P. We've already fed two of these fiends."

The blood. No wonder.

As one of the men rushed to the woman's side, the Daemon circled him, then turned his body horizontal in the air and bit through the man's hand, tearing it from his body.

A guttural scream rose from the man's throat.

Humans. They didn't regenerate lost limbs or missing body parts. His forehead burned with fury at the rank destruction. Needless, vile...

Paenther took deep breaths through his nose as Vhyper's words echoed in his ears. With the power you raise with the little witch, we'll free an entire army. Every night the blood and sex, his body used to free more of this evil.

He couldn't let this happen. With a growl, he struggled to free himself until his body with slick with sweat and his muscles straining. He could not let this happen.

But no matter how hard he tried to free himself, the chains held him fast. Just as the cage held the humans below. He tried to look away from the carnage, but couldn't. All four humans were screaming now. All were bloodied, searching for a way out. But there was no escape.

The Daemon sank his claws into the arm of one of the men, holding him fast. As the man pummeled him with his free fist, the Daemon pulled a strip of flesh from his skull, hair and all. Blood poured down the screaming man's face.

"What are you going to do with these things, Vhyper? Capture human after human to feed them? You must know you can't control them. You'll never contain them once they're free."

Vhyper grinned. "Who wants to contain them?"

Paenther forced his gaze elsewhere, sickened by the thought of these monsters set loose on the general population. All around the glassed walls, Mage watched with avid, excited expressions.

Except one. Huddled against the wall, not six yards away, was Skye, dressed and showered. Her hand covered her mouth, tears ran down pale, pale cheeks as she watched the horror unfold in front of her.

Was this another false display of emotion for his benefit? Or had she honestly not known what use Birik intended to make of the power they'd raised?

A growl rumbled low in his throat. It didn't matter. If he ever got his hands on the vile, traitorous witch...

He'd kill her.

Skye turned from the glass enclosure and fled down the cavern passage, falling to her knees and vomiting onto the rock. After the ritual, she'd fled to the woods and only now returned. She hadn't known...

Dear Mother, dear Mother, dear Mother.

What had they done?

She'd overheard Vhyper tell Paenther they were to do this every night. Free more of these...things. This is what Birik had been trying to raise the power for ever since Vhyper brought him the blade. Never had she dreamed her gift could be used for such evil.

Skye collapsed against the wall, her head back, tears streaming down her cheeks.

In so many ways, Birik used her. But not for this.

Please, Mother. Not for this.

She pressed her freezing palm to her clammy forehead, her chest heaving with agitation.

She didn't have a choice. She never had a choice.

But Paenther's voice rang in her head, mocking her. Goading her. We all have choices, Skye.

She cradled her head, covering her ears, but the warrior's voice, deep inside her head, wouldn't be silent.