Call of the Siren (27 page)

But then he forcibly shook himself out of it. That was just his father talking, and for some fucking crazy reason, he’d listened to it all these years. He might be the youngest, but he wasn’t the weakest link. He would only be that if he gave into the fears Mammon had beaten into him throughout his childhood.

“Not this time,” he muttered. Not this freaking time.

He was going to make a stand against the monster who’d raised him…if it was the last thing he did. And considering that Mammon had managed to absorb untold abilities through Belpheg’s succubi, Dagan didn’t kid himself. It probably
would
be the last thing he did. Demons were never stronger than their parents after all…nature’s way of saying “Fuck you,” to demon offspring.

Raising the sword in his hand, he ran toward his father with a loud battle cry. To his immense satisfaction, an expression of surprise—maybe even the slightest bit of alarm—wound through Mammon’s face. He held up his empty hand, however, and an instant later, a sword formed where nothing had been.

Holy shit.

Looked like dear old dad had absorbed the magical skills of a dwarf somewhere along the line. The ability to attract metal objects and instantaneously form them into powerful weapons was certainly nothing to scoff at. He couldn’t help but wonder whether Mammon had called the metal to him from the neighboring, ore-rich mountains, or whether he’d simply divested some unlucky man on the field of his weaponry. He didn’t have much time to ponder that, however, because a moment later Mammon was practically in front of him, his arm raised high to deliver a punishing blow.

Letting out a grunt, Dagan did a quick roll, barely dodging the slice of Mammon’s sword. He pushed to his feet and whirled around with his sword, but Mammon turned, swinging his newly forged weapon to block Dagan’s blow.

“Damn,” Dagan cursed as he stumbled back. His arm ached where it had absorbed the impact of Mammon’s hit. He needed to step up his game. One second sooner, and his sword would have struck.

Mammon pushed him back with a gravelly laugh. “Your skills have certainly improved since I saw you last.”

Figured. The first time in years his father had said anything to him, and it was a snide comment on his fighting ability.

“No thanks to you,” he managed.

Mammon swung at him with another blow, and he barely managed to counter it.

“I’m surprised you’re here at all,” Mammon said conversationally. “I figured you’d be hidden somewhere with your tail between your legs, like you were in Egypt.”

“Bite me,” Dagan growled, slicing his sword around in a move that Mammon easily countered.

The only reason he hadn’t initially joined his brothers in Egypt, the only reason he hadn’t been tortured by Mammon alongside them, was because Keegan had asked him to keep Brynn safe. It was something that ate at him, but at the same time he was proud he’d respected Keegan’s wishes.

“You know nothing of honor,” Dagan spat at the man he was ashamed to call his father.

Mammon gave a hard laugh at that. “And you do?”

“More than you could have ever taught me. I learned from the most honorable men I know.” He leaped to the side to avoid Mammon’s thrust. “My brothers.”

His true fathers, in every sense of the word.

Mammon jabbed the sword toward his throat, and Dagan ducked to avoid the blow. Whirling around, he managed a hit to Mammon’s right shoulder. Mammon grunted and pulled away, and the sword made a sick
slurping
sound as it slid from his flesh.

Oh shit, I hit him.

He could hardly believe it. Sure, it wasn’t a death blow by any means, but he’d actually managed a hit.

Feeling suddenly reenergized, he charged Mammon once more. Mammon parried and then swung around unexpectedly, hitting a glancing blow along Dagan’s forearm. Hissing, Dagan pulled back and engaged him again.

He lost track of how long they fought, but to his surprise, with the exception of a few nicks from Mammon’s sword, he was managing to hold his own. His father, it seemed, had truly aged during his time in prison.

But then Mammon did the unexpected. He dropped his sword to the ground.

Dagan’s gaze instinctively followed the weapon. It was only when he saw the glint of metal out of the corner of his eye that he paid attention to Mammon’s hands.

His father had summoned a pair of jagged daggers, and they arced toward his neck in what would surely be a killing blow.

“Dagan!” Lina screamed from her spot across the field.

Acting on pure adrenaline, he let his sword fall to the ground. He caught Mammon’s hands at the last moment, grunting with the effort to tug them further apart.

“You’ve gotten stronger,” Mammon gasped.

But not quite strong enough, it seemed.

Their heads were close together, their hands locked in battle. One way or another, this was going to end here and now.

Taking a breath, Dagan did the one thing he’d never before dared to do. He met his father’s eyes.

Shock stilled them for a moment. Though he’d known it superficially, he’d never before taken the time to actually examine his father’s features. To see just how similar they appeared on the surface. Same eyes, same nose, even the same height.

But so very different on the inside.

“Why are you doing this?” he spat at Mammon. “What can you possibly hope to gain, other than living out the rest of your life as Belpheg’s bitch?”

From the way Mammon’s pupils dilated and his jaw slackened just a fraction, it was clear Dagan had struck a chord. Apparently his father wasn’t as stupid as he’d thought. Mammon had questioned Belpheg’s game plan, had wondered over his final position in it.

“Better to die a free man than to live as a prisoner,” Mammon finally said.

“Even if it destroys everyone and everything you’ve ever known?”

Mammon snorted, and much to Dagan’s surprise, loosened his grip.

Acting on impulse, Dagan wrested one of the daggers away from Mammon. He sliced it toward Mammon’s neck, but his father grasped his wrist at the last moment, stopping him right before the sharp blade connected with the tender flesh.

As if he realized the precariousness of their position, Mammon’s nostrils flared, and his pupils grew larger. “I’ve never known anything worth fighting for, other than ultimate power. I’ve never known love.”

Dagan stilled at those terse words, so completely unexpected coming from Mammon’s mouth. Love? His father didn’t even begin to understand the concept.

“That’s because you’ve never given it,” he said. That was the most important thing Dagan had learned from his brothers. “It would have been as simple as that, Dad. As simple as that.”

Mammon’s eyes went wide with shock. Whether from Dagan’s words or his inadvertent use of the word “dad,” he’d never know, because a moment later, Mammon tightened his grip on the dagger he held to Dagan’s neck and shoved inward with all his might.

Oh, shit.

Using his last bit of strength, Dagan stopped Mammon’s dagger before it could dig too deeply. It was only when he felt his own weapon connect that he realized his father had simultaneously loosened his grip on Dagan’s other wrist.

Letting out a startled grunt, Dagan turned his gaze to the dagger in his hand. Too late to do anything other than watch as the sharp instrument sliced almost entirely through Mammon’s neck.

Whuh…

Wide-eyed, he locked eyes with his father. Absorbed the expression on Mammon’s face. It was almost…accepting. Resigned-looking.

“Why?” he managed to choke out.

Because there was no mistaking it. Mammon had given up control of the dagger. Had let this happen.

“Why?” he repeated again.

Mammon opened his mouth, but nothing came out other than a garbled stream of blood. A moment later, his father’s body collapsed to the ground, and his head lobbed to the side in an oozing ribbon of gore.

Shock reverberated throughout Dagan’s body as he gazed down at his father. His mind refused to process what he knew to be true. That his father—the bane of his existence, the man he hated most in the world—was dead. And that he’d so much as
allowed
Dagan to kill him.

“Dagan!”

Keegan’s alarmed cry cut through Dagan’s stupor, and he looked up just in time to see one of Belpheg’s incubi headed toward him. Something that looked like a lightning rod was aimed straight at his heart.

Lifting the dagger still hanging limply from his hand, Dagan let out an instinctive battle cry and leaped for the man.

He’d survived Mammon.

Nothing
was going to stop him now.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Amara raced to Lina’s side as she engaged the incubus who’d come to a stop in front of her. He took one look at her and sneered, clearly dubious of her fighting ability.

Adopting her very best angelic smile, Lina taunted him. “Wanna play?”

Before he could respond, Amara slapped her hands on the demon’s chest, activating her ability to burn. The demon yelled in pain, his eyes going wide.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Lina jumped him and sliced one of her daggers across his neck, detaching his head from his body. It rolled harmlessly to the side. His headless corpse dropped to the ground, depositing her deftly onto her feet.

Gasping for air, she surveyed the scene around her. Much to her surprise, the field was starting to look free of their enemies. Solara and the other succubi stood beside piles of disassembled corpses. Since they were no longer continuing to reform, Lina guessed Brynn had figured out Belpheg had turned the zombies against them and used her magic to deactivate them.

The others seemed to have taken most of the incubi down. Keegan and Ronin stood back-to-back, fighting off two of them, while Taeg remained in air form to keep the incubi from hitting either of his brothers with their magical bolts of energy or whatever other powers they might have.

Where’s Dagan?

The panic she’d felt since the moment she saw Dagan and his father locked in battle receded when she noticed him dispatching the third and final incubus. At his feet was Mammon’s decapitated body.

What?

“Oh my fucking gods. He did it!”

Dagan had actually defeated his father, the bastard who’d made all their lives a living hell. Part of her couldn’t even believe it!

Amara followed her gaze, and a bubble of shocked laughter escaped her lips. It only lasted for a moment, though, before she tapped Lina on the shoulder. “Belpheg!”

Lina whirled to see the imposing figure of the dark fae standing in front of Rage and the incubus who’d stepped out of the circle.

Both men knelt on the ground, their wrists manacled into the dirt with what appeared to be coils of lightning. Belpheg trailed lazy circles with his fingers, which resulted in strips of flesh being flayed from both the men’s faces and bodies. From the way they screamed and writhed, it must be pure agony. All the more because they wouldn’t die from it. No, they’d simply suffer in endless torment until he decided to end their misery by beheading them.

“Let’s go.” Lina flew toward Belpheg, noting with immense satisfaction that the other members of her party had dispatched their enemies and were also headed toward the dark fae.

Oh, she didn’t kid herself. He was so strong he might be able to kill them all with one simple flick of his wrist. But they weren’t going to abandon anyone who’d helped them.

Not even a brother they hadn’t known existed, or an incubus stranger with questionable ethics.

“Tenos,” Keegan yelled the moment they converged behind Belpheg.

Tenos murmured something incomprehensible, and the air around them hissed with static. Taking note of it, Belpheg abandoned his torture of the two men and turned to face them. Without the slightest bit of concern on his face, he moved his wrist.

A bolt of electricity sizzled from his hand, but it merged with whatever force field Tenos had managed to raise, causing Lina no more than a shuddering twitch when a single bolt of energy ran through her body.

Nice.

She glanced at Tenos with newfound appreciation. That he’d even managed to raise a barrier to hold back a fraction of the dark fae’s power was beyond impressive, especially considering he only had the moon to pull magic from, while in contrast, Belpheg’s entire body reverberated with power.

Frowning, Belpheg focused his attention on the moon elf.

A crackle of lightning burst through the air, rending the force field Tenos had set into place and striking him directly in the chest. Tenos howled and dropped to his knees. His back bowed in agony.

“No!” Keegan lifted his sword and tried to rush Belpheg, but the dark fae waved his hand, and Keegan bounced back as if he’d hit a massive rubber ball.

Lina’s chest wound tight as she watched Tenos’ skin began to sizzle and boil.

Oh gods.

Her stomach threatened to heave at the gruesome sight. Just when she would have turned away, something moved in the corner of her vision.

Rage.

The man had managed to rise to his feet and pick up a dagger from the ground. Though he swayed like he was going to pass out at any moment, and strips of his skin were still flayed from his chest and face, he staggered forward and leaped onto Belpheg’s back. He jabbed the dagger toward Belpheg’s neck.

He missed.

The dagger slid into the area directly above Belpheg’s clavicle, rendering a non-deadly blow.

Belpheg yelled, the sound more enraged than pained. He whirled around, bucking Rage off, and the wounded vampire landed in a limp heap several feet away.

“Solara,
now
,” Keegan growled.

Solara lifted her hand and a stream of energy shot from it, striking Belpheg square in the back. He bellowed and whirled to face them, but when he raised his arm to whip a crackle of lightning in their direction, Solara’s energy field countered it.

Holy shit, the dark fae was growing weaker before their very eyes! It appeared breaking the circle had done more than save the Council. It had weakened him.

“What—no,” Belpheg gasped, gazing in horror at his twitching fingers.

As one, they rushed toward him.

Lina lifted her daggers, but just as she neared Belpheg, he held up his other hand.

She came to a slamming halt, then flew backward, landing on her back with a flesh-numbing
thump
.

“Aw, shit,” she groaned as she sat up.

“You okay?” Dagan panted from where he’d landed beside her. Of the two of them, he recovered first, jumping up and holding out his hand.

“Yeah.” Chest heaving, she took Dagan’s hand and scrambled to her feet.

Belpheg erupted into husky laughter. His eyes traveled over each and every one of them. “Did you really think you could rise against me? Make me feel pain? Don’t you know how powerful I am? More powerful than every one of you.”

“Maybe,” Lina replied, unable to help herself. She exchanged a quick glance with Dagan. “But we have one thing you don’t.”

“Oh?” One of his brows lifted imperiously. “And what could that possibly be?”

“Each other,” Dagan said.

That was their silent cue to act.

One of Amara’s succubus friends—Brianna—lifted a hand, and suddenly Belpheg’s veins began to glow a fiery red.

His eyes widened, and he lifted his hands to stare at the swollen blood vessels, murmuring, “Stronger than I expected…”

“That’s right, asshole,” Brianna snarled.

A glimmer of something that almost looked like fear sparked in his eyes, and he flicked his hand in her direction. When a lightning bolt of energy smacked into her, she went flying across the field, landing twenty feet away in a pile of sizzling flesh.

“No,” Amara screamed.

Belpheg let out a hoarse chuckle. “You really think you can stop me? You’re nothing but insects to me.”

His fingers aimed at Amara, and another punishing stream of electricity struck her in the stomach. Like her friend, she shot back a good distance, and her body slammed hard into the ground.

“
No
!” Ronin dropped his sword and flew toward her.

“You son of a bitch,” Solara screamed, her eyes going wild. A strike of power flew from her, catching Belpheg in the chest.

“
Oof
.” He clutched his heart and stumbled back…just as Rage rose to his feet and raced toward him, his dagger gripped in his outstretched hand.

The weapon slid into Belpheg’s back.

“Argh!” Belpheg shuddered, his face contorting in pain, and a thin trickle of blood dribbled from his mouth.

Oh shit, he
can
feel pain. He can bleed.

Which meant he could die.

“Go!” Dagan shouted.

As one, they surged forward, and time seemed to move into hyper speed.

Lina’s dagger connected with Belpheg’s side, just as Dagan’s and Keegan’s swords slid into the flesh of his stomach. At the same time two of Amara’s friends—who’d morphed into disturbing, distorted versions of a panther and a wolf shifter—struck at his torso and upper thigh, drawing back with chunks of flesh.

Belpheg gargled, stumbling backward. He looked down in horror, and for one long moment, Lina feared he would simply slide the weapons out of his body, heal his ragged flesh, and hit them with another super blast of energy.

Instead, he slowly collapsed to his knees.

“You can’t…” He gulped once, his glazed eyes lifting to where they stood as one united front. “No. I cannot die. Not before I exact my revenge. Not yet.”

Lina let out a satisfied snort. “Guess again, asshole.”

Without wasting another moment, she slid her second dagger in a steady arc. Her aim was true, her blade still wicked-sharp. It sliced straight through Belpheg’s neck.

Take that, jack.

With no small amount of satisfaction. Lina stepped back to observe her handiwork. But what she’d expected to see—a rolling head—didn’t happen.

“What the hell?”

She gave Dagan a puzzled glance.

Even though her weapon had gone through the other side, his head remained firmly on his shoulders. Did this guy never die?

The dark fae’s jaw slackened, and his eyes grew wide as saucers, but he continued to blink at them.

She shifted uneasily, her heart pumping as she watched Belpheg with baited breath. Perhaps he was even more powerful than they suspected. Maybe he
couldn’t
be killed.

“Huh,” Rage said, his eyes sparkling with undisguised curiosity. He stepped behind Belpheg and placed his hand on the dark fae’s shoulder, giving an experimental push.

For one heart-stopping moment, nothing happened. But then, as if slowly coming unglued, his head tilted to the side and fell right off his neck. It dropped to the ground with a sickening
thump
. His body remained kneeling, however, and his fingers twitched and a steady stream of blood oozed from the headless stump.

“Holy shit,” Dagan gasped. He reached out and blindly clutched her hand. “This fucker can’t even die the normal way.”

Lina squeezed his hand, soaking in the reassurance it gave her. “Do you think he’s really dead?”

Keegan moved toward the head and gave it a kick. It went rolling across the ground before coming to a harmless stop.

“Yup. He’s dead.”

The tightness constricting Lina’s heart eased a fraction. After all that had happened, after all they’d sacrificed, it seemed so hard to believe. But it was over.

They had won.