Angel of Retribution Ch. 12-16

I'll come back, Iliel. You'll see. Little by little, I'll grow used to you and then everything will be alright.

It's okay if you don't... Rowie. I'll remember your touch and kiss for the rest of my life.

She almost ran back, but felt something nudging her away. Devon. His essence swirled around her, ocean breeze and tempest. It gave her the strength to move away. Her commander's power pulled her forward, back to the stairway.

***

Remi's arms ached. Liara and Marinia had his wrists cuffed and chained to a hook on their ceiling. They'd refused to give him more clothing until he promised to take his serum shots as prescribed by Doc. Typically, he would have lied and made the promise, only Liara had cast a truth spell on him that made him blurt out the truth every time he opened his mouth.

Since he wasn't ready to voluntarily take his shots, the vampires had chosen to ignore him and engage in working off the arousal they'd developed during Iliel's performance.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" Liara purred from across the room.

Remi bit his lips, watching as Marinia licked and sucked between her legs.

"You're both hot," he replied through clenched teeth.

Marinia looked up, her lips glistening with Liara's nectar. "But seeing us together like this doesn't arouse you?"

Remi groaned and bit his lips, fighting the urge to answer.

"Perhaps the serum has rendered him impotent?"

"Like Hell," Remi roared. "Girl on girl is any horny man's dream, but I won't betray—" He clamped his teeth with a growl.

He couldn't let them arouse him. He couldn't betray Rowie; didn't want to.

Liara stood and walked around him, her fingers caressing his flesh. He shivered when she traced the lines of the dragon tattoo on his back. Her fingers combed through his hair, just before scrapping her nails over the tribals on his biceps.

"You're all inked up and pierced." Liara came to a complete stop in front of him and took his half-erect cock in her hand, her thumb rubbing the Prince Albert piercing on the tip. "You must love pain."

Remi closed his eyes and began to count. When that didn't work, he began mentally reciting programming formulas to rework Alpha 7's com-unit data boards.

"Do you, sexy? Do you love pain?"

"Oh, God yes," Remi roared, and then grimaced.

Shit.

Liara's fingernails raked across his abs, making his insides quiver. "How exciting, because I love dishing it out."

She ran her fangs over his pectoral, right over where Rowie had marked him for the first time.

"No! Don't mark me. You can't. That would break my bond with Rowie."

"Really?" Liara walked behind him again, her fingers caressing his ass. "That's a shame, because I really wanted to blood bond with you. Of course," she breathed into his ear from behind, "there are always other fun things we can do. Isn't that right, Marinia?"

The other vampire only giggled moments before the kiss of a lash landed on his rump.

Remi cried out, going up on his toes. Again, Liara whipped him, the exquisite burn echoing through his balls and up his shaft. The third lash had his erection straining against his belly, dripping with precum.

"No more, please," Remi begged. "Fuck. You're going to make me cum."

Marinia appeared kneeling before him, her eyes riveted to his cock.

She licked her lips and gripped him.

"No! You can't. Rowie will kill me."

"Serves her right for denying you," Liara argued. "You're like a sex god, Remien Fyre. Any woman stupid enough not to cherish that doesn't deserve to have you."

Another lash across his back had him gritting his teeth, feeling his orgasm boil in his balls. He couldn't take one more lash. One more and he'd either cum all over Marinia's face or... he gulped, watching her eye his rod like a fat kid with a treat... or down her throat.

Marinia opened her mouth as Liara chuckled behind him.

Remi let his head drop back, "Rowie, baby, forgive me... please."

"Like Hell I will!"

The scream still echoed around the chamber, bouncing off the walls even as the door almost shattered against the wall.

Remi turned to stare into Rowie's snarling visage. Her fangs were at their full length and her eyes had developed a red ring around the black.

Remi grimaced—Ooh... she is pissed now. "Baby, it's not what you think."

"Don't baby me, Remien Fyre. As for you two," she seethed, stabbing her finger in the direction of the two female vampires, "Get. Out."

Liara and Marinia made a hasty retreat. Just before closing the door, Liara blew him a kiss, making him cringe when Rowie growled deeper.

His woman looked like she was ready to tear him a new asshole. Remi's balls tightened under his throbbing dick. Oh, yeah, baby,—he licked his lips in anticipation—let me have it.

"So it's not what it looks like, huh?" she hissed through clenched teeth, her black eyes glittery with jealous rage.

Remi wanted to smile at her show of possession. "No, Row. Not at all."

"Shut up." Her teeth snapped inches from his nose, fists clenched at her sides. "To me it looks like you're hard and ready to cum any second. Deny it."

Remi strained forward, anxious to kiss her, let any part of his body rub against her, but she kept herself just out of reach. "I can't, Row," he groaned in frustration. "Liara got me so horny I'm ready to go off right now."

He closed his eyes with a whimper—Oh, God. Shut me up. Strike me mute.

A childish giggle had him snapping his eyes open and whipping his head around.

"What the Hell are you looking for?" she yelled.

He jerked his gaze back to her. "I just thought I heard... never mind."

She caught her lip between her teeth, her eyes welling up. "You said you hadn't been with anyone else since meeting me." Her breath hitched, making his chest ache. "Where you lying to me, Remi?"

"It was the truth when I said it... back then..." Remi bit his lips. Rowie's gasped, her lips parting as her eyes widened, blinking rapidly.

"Weeell—"Remi cringed, feeling the words trying to break free.

"Tell me the truth, damn-it!"

"I made love with Angel and Devon," he blurted, and then hung his head in shame.

"What?" It was just a whisper, but he heard the hurt laced through it.

He looked up, his brows drawn together. "I had to find you, Rowie. Devon wouldn't tell me where you were no matter how much I begged and cried. I knew that because of the link he has with Angel I'd be able to peek into his mind through her."

Rowie slapped him with a hiss.

Remi let his hair cover his face, disgrace welling up in his chest. He deserved that and more.

"You used her? You fucked and..."

"No," Remi roared making her jump back. "I did not fuck and use Angel." He closed his eyes in misery, "I love her... and Devon... and Zak, Seth and Annie. It would hurt me to never see them again." He felt the beginnings of tears prickling his eyes. "They're the only family I have left." Again he strained forward, the fire in his chest burning hotter with the need to make her understand what he felt for her. "But I would walk away from them just to be with you. Without you I might as well be dead, Rowie, because I can't live without you. I love you." He closed his eyes, terrified she'd laugh at him, or worse, sneer in disgust.

She was silent.

Slowly he opened his eyes and saw the trails of blood running from her eyes. He sucked in his breath. "Rowie?"

"I don't believe you," she whispered.

"Baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying blood?"

She spun on her heel and fled the room.

"Rowie. Rowie," Remi shouted, tugging at his restraints, but they held fast. Obviously designed for the superior strength of a vampire, he was trapped there until someone set him free. Hours would pass before he could go after Rowie again.

Remi cursed roundly. He tried to search for her telepathically, but she was blocking him off.

He yelled until his throat went raw. The cuffs cut into his skin, making him bleed as he struggled in vain to free himself. He even tried to use his powers, but it seemed Liara had spelled the goddamned things too.

"Oh, Hell. Why the fuck didn't I listen to Seth and learn how to perform counter-spells. Fuck low magic. Damn and fuck—"

Giggling had him ceasing his struggles. He tossed his head side to side, but couldn't see anything. Fluttering, like wings, sounded around him and the swell of power radiating around the chamber made his legs shake. Remi held his breath, his eyes darting around the niches in the high vaulted ceilings of the room. The feel of little fingers sifting through his hair gave him goose bumps.

"Pwitty," a baby's voice tinkled behind him, its sweet laugh like little bells.

The sudden release of Remi's hands had him falling to his knees. His palms hit the floor, making him cry out. Remi cradled his tingling arms against his chest, groaning at the unpleasant sensation. He almost wished Devon hadn't fixed his sense of touch.

Remi became aware of a set of chubby toes wiggling on the floor in front of him. He stared at them from beneath the fall of his hair, and, after taking a gulp, decided to follow the pudgy ankles up to the face of the Dominatio from earlier that night.

The cherub grinned, grabbing handfuls of Remi's red locks and tossing them with a shriek of glee. "Pwitty," it repeated.

Remi could still not tell if the cute thing was male or female.

"Well, I'll be damned. I've got a Dominatio with a lisp."

The cherub frowned and shook its head. "Wemien not dammet."

Remi arched a brow. "If you say so, buddy," he replied straightening and running a hand through his mussed mane. Belatedly he remembered his nudity and cupped his hands over his dick, feeling his face go scarlet. Oopsie.

"Wemien nawdie. Get pow-pow," the cherub said, pink lower lip protruding.

Remi's face heated up more. Had the little cherub been witness to his sexual depravities? "Hey, well you naughty too for peek-a-boo," Remi countered.

The cherub hid its giggle behind dimpled hands.

"A voyeur Dominatio with a lisp. This gets more interesting."

The cherub stopped laughing, regarding Remi with huge eyes tilting its head to the side. Tiny hands reached out and caressed Remi's cheeks. "You have pure heart.," was what Remi could make out from--You haf poor hot.

"Some may not agree with you," Remi argued, "But I appreciate your vote of confidence."

"Angos figh togetha."

"Angels fight together?" Remi repeated unsure.

The blood of the virgin will be spilled by the Angel of destruction. You must fight together to stop him from setting Light and Fire free.

Light and Fire?

"Lu-see-fa."

Remi felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Lucifer.

The cherub held out his hands in offering, and as Remi watched, the sword from his nightmares appeared in the Dominatios hands.

Remi sucked in his breath. "It's real? But... I don't deserve this." His eyes snapped back up to the cherub. "I'm hardly as powerful as Seth, never mind Devon." Remi grimaced. "Crap, I can't believe I just admitted that out loud."

"Take. Wemien's dwagen sowad."

Remi reached for the blade with a trembling hand. The emerald eye of the dragon glinted at him. When he finally wrapped his fingers around the golden hilt, the blade came to life, glowing blue fire.

He'd watched Devon and Seth summon and sheath their divine swords, hear the whisper of the angelic tongue they used to call the blade to them.

Holding the blade before his face, the words whispered through his mind, and the blade blazed a brighter blue before fading away in front of him. Remi still felt its presence, the energy it emanated awaiting his call to materialize again. The cherub had also disappeared.

Seth barreled into the room, eyes round. "Where's Zak? Tell me you've seen him."

Remi gaped. "How the fuck should I know? You left me here with the two psycho vixens from Hell. Shit, Seth. What the Hell happened?"

Seth turned and ran back out. Remi sprinted after him, tearing one of the scarlet drapes from an arched window in the corridor to wrap around his bare loins.

"Seth, damn-it. What happened?"

"Lights went out, and Zak disappeared."

"Mirrors," Remi blurted out. "Are there any mirrors in the ballroom?"

They were racing down the stairway now. Even though Remi was shorter than Seth, he was quickly catching up. Seth jumped down whole flights of stairs and Remi began sprinting over the railings to pass him.

"In all the fuss over you not taking the serum, he forgot to take his."

Remi heard the accusation in Seth's tone. "I thought one dose lasted two days. That's why we were dosing every twelve hours."

"Your dragon metabolism overrides the effects of the serum." They arrived at the ballroom doors. Seth's fists opened and closed at his sides, his eyes darting all around. "You're both going to have to dose every six hours." He puffed out a breath, raking his fingers through his hair. "Hell, where is he?"

"That's stupid. With the tour and the schedule Zak will never be able to keep up."

Seth scowled at Remi. "If we don't find him it won't matter."

Remi closed his eyes and let his power bloom out.

Seth gripped his arm. "No! We can't use our powers—"

"To hell with everything," Remi snapped. "I'm not losing my brother."

"We found him!"

Remi's head snapped toward the sound of one of the Teus brothers' calling out.

Oni waved them over to a narrow stairwell, forty paces from the ballroom doors.

Seth and Remi sprinted toward him. A narrow doorway was tucked beneath the stairway. Curving steps took them to an underground passage. The scent of dank, ancient stone wrapped around them like a corpses fingers. Remi looked around, taking in the torches lighting the way down, the cobwebs and roughly hewn stone walls and had visions of crypts and skeletons.

"Geez," Remi snorted, "Who decorated this place? Dracula?"

Oni glanced over his shoulder, never missing a step on the narrow stairwell, "How'd you know?"

Remi gaped. He'd been kidding. Fuck me.

Oni's chuckle made him wonder if the bassist was pulling his chain.

The corridor widened at the bottom of the stairs and they made their way toward brighter light glowing at the end.

"This passage takes us to just under the stage. There are trap doors and secret passageways to the backstage area. One of the doors must've sprung open, and Zak fell."

More pounding feet sounded behind them. Draco and Iusi sped by them blurting a quick, "Got the blood packs."

Remi frowned. "Blood packs?"

Oni glanced back at Remi and Seth, picking up a little speed as well. "Um, there were some groupies watching him and they followed him down here. They realized he wasn't really vampire and sucked him dry."

"Shit," Remi and Seth cried in unison, darting past Oni.

When they pushed and shoved passed the horde of onlookers, they came upon Zak sprawled on the ground in Rowie's arms. She was glowing, her arms wrapped around him with her face buried in his neck.

For a moment, Remi thought she was finishing him off and roared, "What the fuck are you doing to him?"

Her head snapped up making him halt his sprint toward her. Hurt. Rowie stared at Remi as if he'd just slapped her, and suddenly he was running to fall to his knees to beg for forgiveness.

Navar jumped in his path. "Stay away from my star," The vampire snarled.

"Your star has my half dead guitarist in her arms. Now back off," Remi roared.

Seth gripped his arm. "It's okay. Gabe and Rafe are giving him blood packs." And Rafe just gave him a double dose of the serum. Calm down—Seth added telepathically.

Twelve Vildminorian Master Guardians made their way into the underground stage area. Dante and Niall headed the entourage.

"The party is over. We want everyone to return to their rooms as of now. The off-worlders are being escorted to their space vessels as we speak." Dante snarled through bared fangs, his eyes glowing in the dimly lit chamber. "This entire thing has been a fiasco. The paparazzi and intergalactic media are having a picnic with this. Tomorrow most of you will be off with your damned tour. Take your damned scandals away from Vildminoria. We don't need to remake a bad name for ourselves."

"Oh stuff it, Dante," Navar snapped making the Master Guardian hiss. He turned with a flourish and gripped Rowie's arm. "Let's get you back to your rooms and safe."

Remi shook Seth's grip off and yanked Navar's hand from Rowie's arm. "Don't touch her, she's mine."

Navar hissed, his hand shooting out to seize Remi by the throat.

"Enough," Rowie snapped, coming between them when Remi grabbed Navar's embroidered jacket with a growl.

Smoke filled the air and Remi realized that it was coming from him. His body was fighting the effects of the serum, trying to ignite.

"What the devil are you?" Navar's eyes flicked over him with a sneer.

Seth stepped in, pulling Remi back. "He was pyrokenetic before being changed. He can sometimes still manipulate fire, especially when he's angry."

Remi looked at Rowie, about to beg her to stay and listen to him, but she turned her face away... as if she couldn't stand the sight of him.

"Row," he began but Seth shook him.

"Help me with Zak," the weretigri whispered. "Come-on, Rem. Keep it together just a little while longer. Later you can see her."

"Don't count on it," Navar hissed through clenched teeth following Rowie out to the corridor.

Remi jerked against Seth with a snarl, but the feel of Zak's hand on his forearm stopped him.

Zak's eyes glowed once again with the effects of the serum although his face was still ashen. He swayed unsteadily between Draco and Gabriel who held him around his waist trying to keep him up.

"I-I...saw..." Zak closed his eyes, his head lolling forward.

Remi swept the heavy fall of waving hair to look into Zak's face. "What'd you see, bro?"

Zak opened his eyes again and swallowed. "I think it was Devon's father." His knees buckled and Remi wrapped his hands around his waist, feeling terror punch him in his gut. "Blonde hair with the wings of a devil."

Chapter Fourteen

Remi stared out the porthole window of the star cruiser. Beyond the window, the all-encompassing black of space was alive with stars blazing in a brilliant display. Seth's reflection in the glass showed him still pacing behind Remi.

They'd put Zak in a med unit remotely linked to Alpha 7. Doc had Zak in stasis, analyzing his DNA and the effects the serum had on it. Remi had also begrudgingly relinquished a sample of his own blood.

"It can't be," Seth mumbled. "Davariel was pushed into the realm of shadows. He's as good as dead. It's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible."

Remi turned his head to look at Liara. She leaned against the counter in the far corner of the lounge with a wine goblet in one hand and her other arm around Marina's waist. Her blonde lover rested her head against her breast, eyes closed as Liara caressed the curve of her hip.

In the other corner, Amaranth eyed Seth, her face expressionless.

Remi's eyes narrowed on the raven-winged reaper. She really didn't look at all cyborg. He'd been worried Seth would catch on and refuse to mate with her, but so far, the weretigri seemed oblivious that the thing was a computer run body.

...Unless she wasn't cyborg at all. Could the Playmates Company have sent him an actual fallen reaper?

The reaper's silvery eyes slanted sideways to Remi, giving him the creeps. She looked and acted damn real. When she'd chased him on Vildminoria, he'd almost forgotten he was paying for her to fuck Seth. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't capable of killing with her divine sword... if she were a real, non-computer programmed reaper that is.