Demon Warriors 4: Takeo (3 page)

Takeo’s eyes were mere slits, promising death to anyone who came near them. They were swollen as well. Kamiko wanted to cry for whatever the warrior had endured, but now was not the time. Now was the time to get Takeo somewhere safe so he could heal his wounds.

“Mine!” Takeo growled again.

Panahasi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Takeo, he’s human. You can’t—”

“Mine!” Takeo shouted.

“Takeo—” Panahasi started again.

“I don’t mind being his,” Kamiko said quickly. “If he wants me, he can have me.” Please want me, Kamiko added silently in his head.

“Kamiko, you don’t know what you’re saying,” Panahasi said.

“Sure I do.” He hoped.

He really had no clue, but he knew that leaving Takeo’s side wasn’t an option. The man had become the center of his universe, and Kamiko would try to fight anyone who even thought of taking him away from the warrior.

“If Takeo takes you, he will keep you.”
Oh gods, yes, please.

Kamiko gulped. “Okay.”

“If he sleeps with you and you turn out to be his mate, do you have any idea what it means to be the mate of a demon warrior?”

“No, but—”

The rest of Kamiko’s words were cut off by another low growl coming from Takeo. Kamiko readied himself to try and calm Takeo and keep him from attacking Panahasi when he noticed that Takeo wasn’t looking at the demon leader anymore. He was staring off into another dark corner of the room. Even Panahasi had started growling, turning to face the same corner.

Kamiko was suddenly set on the floor and pushed behind Takeo, the larger man taking a defensive stance over the top of him, much like Panahasi had moments before Takeo appeared. Kamiko swallowed hard when a cold, harsh laugh came from the darkened corner. He shivered as a cold, slick chill raced up his spine.

He couldn’t see anything, but even he knew that the laughter was evil. The sudden cold in the room was a huge clue. Kamiko was surprised icicles didn’t appear from the curtains. Kamiko started shaking as fear speared through him.

This wasn’t good.

“I wondered who was going to come for him, Constantine,” Panahasi said in a low and deadly voice. Kamiko looked over at the leader. How could he be speaking so calmly when everything in Kamiko screamed for them to run?

His eyes snapped back to the evil voice when he saw movement.

A man, a very large and sinister-looking man, stepped into the room, his eyes locked on Kamiko. Never in Kamiko’s life had he seen eyes so evil, so void of emotion.

They chilled him down to the bone.

Not even when he was kidnapped and brought to America to be used as a sex slave had he seen eyes so empty. His kidnapper’s eyes had been filled with lust and greed, but this man’s eyes told Kamiko that his death would be slow and torturous if the man ever got his hands on Kamiko.

Kamiko’s fingers curled around Takeo’s arm, holding on tightly as he averted his eyes. There was no way he could continue to watch the stranger watch him. He was going to have nightmares about those eyes. He just knew it.

Breathe…just breathe. Takeo needs you to be strong right now.

“I guess I’m late for the party,” Constantine stated in a flat voice.

“Too bad. He would have been fun to torture. I can feel how pure his soul is. It would have been delicious.” Kamiko inhaled swiftly at the man’s words.

His soul?

This man stole souls?

How?

A cry fell from Kamiko’s lips when he felt like his body was being twisted in half. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but Constantine’s hand was twisting the air in front of him. Pain shot through his body as he fought the invisible hand.

Constantine had to be doing this.

There was no other explanation.

“Get him out of here!” Panahasi commanded as he threw his hand out, some strange swirling thing appearing behind them. Kamiko gazed at it, mesmerized at the patterns and colors as they twisted together like a strange and bizarre black hole. How could it hang suspended in midair like that?

His head snapped around when Takeo grabbed him around the waist and started walking backward, taking them closer to the swirling…thing.

“Run, run, run, as fast as you can.” Constantine’s singsongy voice crackled through the air. “I will find him again.” Kamiko wasn’t sure if the stranger was speaking of him or Takeo.

Just the thought of Takeo being tortured again ignited his anger. He flipped the man off right before Takeo fell backward into the swirly thing, taking Kamiko with him.

“Breathe,” Takeo said gently as his hand ran the course of Kamiko’s back. “Breathe, little flower.” Kamiko took in small gulps of air as he opened his eyes slowly.

Takeo had never in his life been that terrified when he saw Kamiko writhing around in pain. As badly as he wanted to kill Constantine, the need to remove his small friend from the situation took precedence.

“How do you feel?”

Kamiko nodded, still looking a little green. Traveling through the shadows always made neophytes a little nauseous, but traveling through a portal gave even Takeo a queasy stomach. It wasn’t his favorite mode of transportation.

With Kamiko still wrapped tightly in his arms, Takeo walked over to his couch and sat down, feeling like he could finally relax. He had never been so glad to see his apartment. He wasn’t sure how long he had been gone, but it felt good coming home.

“Where are we?” Kamiko asked as he looked around.

“My home.”

“In the demon realm?”

“Yes,” Takeo answered. He settled back, running his hand over Kamiko’s back as he smiled down at him. “I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long.”

His eyes widened in surprise when Kamiko smacked his chest.

Never before had the man taken such a bold move. “What was that for?”

“For making me think you were dead,” Kamiko replied heatedly, his bottom lip poking out.

“But I wasn’t dead.”

“How did I know that?” Kamiko asked as he stared up at Takeo with his big doe eyes. Takeo felt his cock thickening and knew he needed to get Kamiko off of his lap. The small man was just his friend and had never given any signs that he wanted more. Although he had declared to Panahasi that he wished to stay with Takeo, to be his, many things were said in a terrifying situation. Did the man mean it?

Did he really want to be Takeo’s?

Takeo wanted more, so much more. He wanted forever with the small man. “I’m sorry I worried you.” And he was. Even though he had been kidnapped and tortured, Takeo was sorry he had worried the man. He knew his heart was no longer his when Kamiko’s feelings came before his very own.

Good gods, I’ve fallen hard.

“May I explore?” Kamiko asked as he pulled away from Takeo, taking the warmth with him. Takeo was loath to let him go, but released the small man as he nodded. He had stolen a pair of jogging pants from a clothesline, and it was the only thing he was wearing.

His cock was already tenting, and he didn’t want Kamiko to see the evidence of his arousal.

“You will be here for some time. This will be your home, so explore.” He hated that Kamiko was caught up in all this bullshit. For years he had tried his best to keep Kamiko sheltered and away from the demon realm.

So much for that effort.

Takeo sighed as he pushed away from the couch, heading into his bedroom to dress properly as Kamiko busied himself with his exploration. He needed to let the other warriors know he was back, but Takeo had a feeling that Panahasi had taken care of that.

Takeo opened his closet, extracting a pair of pants and a button-down shirt. He needed a shower. Now that he was back in his apartment, Takeo could feel his wounds healing. The apartment building that the warriors resided in had magical spells protecting it, stopping anyone from just walking in. There was no entranceway into the building. It was only accessible through the shadows, and only a warrior could access them.

The building had another perk as well. As long as the warriors resided there, their powers renewed. They drew their strength from the brick and mortar.

He stepped under the spray of the shower, letting the heated water pound into his sore muscles. He wasn’t sure how long he had been gone, but it felt like years of grime was crawling on his skin. Takeo scrubbed, noticing the marks on his wrists fading, but not disappearing. He turned his hand over, wondering why the scars remained. Being inside the building should have completely healed him. This was odd.

“Takeo?”

Takeo jumped. Fuck, Kamiko had scared the shit out of him.

What the hell was the guy doing in the bathroom? “Yes?”

“There is someone here to see you.” Without thinking, Takeo jumped from the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he rushed to the living room.

He rolled his eyes when he saw Wayland standing there with a curious look on his face.

“What?” he snapped and then sighed. It wasn’t Wayland’s fault that his defenses were up. After what had happened to him, Takeo was on edge.

“Hi to you, too, jackass.” Wayland grinned. “Glad to see you haven’t changed much.”

“Hold on,” Takeo said as he walked past Kamiko, who was staring at him strangely. He walked into his bedroom, tossing the towel aside, grabbing his clothes, and pulling them on. Next he walked into the bathroom and shut the shower off.

Not even one moment’s peace.

Barefooted, Takeo met Wayland in the kitchen as he steeped some tea.

“So, where have you been?” Wayland asked as he took a seat at the table.

That was a very good question. Takeo had escaped, but he hadn’t figured out where he was. He knew it was the human realm, but that was it. He hadn’t been in his right frame of mind once he escaped.

Thoughts of Kamiko’s safety had driven him to find a shadow and find his friend.

“The human realm,” he answered as he poured a cup of tea for himself and Wayland.

Takeo made a third cup when he remembered his houseguest. As he set the teakettle back on the stove, a sharp pain shot through his skull, making Takeo grip the counter tightly. He tried to breathe through the pain, but it was hard. His skull felt like it was being split in half, and then a memory surfaced. It was a memory of his captivity.

A memory he didn’t remember.

“Takeo?”

Takeo heard Kamiko’s voice, but the memory seized hold of him and made him watch as he hung there, suspended in midair, a needle being injected into his foot. As the vision played out, a low throb began to pulse in his foot as the needle slid out of his skin.

His breathing became labored as Takeo looked down at his bare feet, but he didn’t see any markings. He wasn’t even sure if the memory was real. The pain was.

“Takeo?”

He spun around to see Kamiko and Wayland staring at him.

“I…uh.”

Wayland frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Takeo looked at his feet again. The skin was unblemished, but the memory had been so real. Takeo wondered if he was losing his mind, if he could trust his memories at this point. Maybe he was more fucked up than he thought.

“Nothing.” Takeo couldn’t confess something so horrible when he didn’t know if it came strictly from his nightmares or if there was truth in the memories in his head. “I’m just tired.” Takeo knew Wayland didn’t buy his words when he looked up and Wayland was just staring at him. Takeo shrugged. What else could he do? He wasn’t ready to discuss what had happened to him.

Hell, he wasn’t even sure he knew what happened.

“Drink your tea.”

Wayland arched an eyebrow but took his cup and carried it to the small table just off of the kitchen. Takeo was grateful the man didn’t say anything. Besides the fact that he didn’t want Kamiko to know too much, he didn’t want to explain his nightmare to everyone. He knew he would have to as soon as Panahasi came back. But he could wait. It would give him time to gather his thoughts.

Takeo sat down across from Wayland. He hid his smirk behind his teacup when Kamiko quickly skirted past Wayland, making sure they didn’t touch, then scurried over to sit down next to Takeo.

“Have you two introduced yourselves?” he asked as he looked between the two men, noting the scowls on both their faces.

It was almost comical. Kamiko looked like he wanted to rip Wayland’s entrails out and dance on them as he glared across the table. Wayland looked disgruntled as if he couldn’t quite figure out why there was a human in the demon realm. Humans did live there, a handful, but to bring one here when times were in chaos wasn’t the smartest move a man could make.

When both men shook their heads, Takeo sighed deeply. He could feel a headache building at the base of his skull. “Kamiko, this is one of my friends, Wayland. We work together. Wayland, this Kamiko.

He’s a friend.”

If Wayland’s eyebrow arched any more at those words, it would have skimmed right off his face. Takeo felt a growl start in his chest.

He didn’t like to be questioned, even if it was just a brow rising. Ever since he escaped Baku, Takeo took his position as a warrior seriously.

To be questioned rankled his nerves. “Panahasi knows he’s here.”

“Yeah, but why is he here?”

“’Cause that guy was freaky,” Kamiko snapped. “I’d pretty much prefer being anywhere he isn’t.”

Takeo groaned. He knew what was coming, and he had been trying to avoid it for just a few more minutes.

“What guy?” Wayland asked.

Takeo could feel his pulse begin to throb in his temple as he glared at Wayland. Kamiko had seen enough already. He didn’t need to know the details. But he knew the only way to end this conversation quickly was to answer Wayland.

“Constantine,” Takeo answered for Kamiko. “He went after Kamiko.”

“Constantine!” Wayland shouted as he jumped to his feet.

“Constantine Malone?”

Takeo nodded.

Wayland rubbed his hand down over his face. “Fuck me running.” Takeo chuckled. Wayland had a way with words.

“Is that even possible?” Kamiko asked.

Takeo glanced over at Kamiko. “Is what possible?”

“To fuck while running?” Kamiko shrugged. “I mean, I can imagine the logistics of it, but realistically, is it possible? What would happen if you tripped? You could break something really important or…or…” Kamiko shuddered. “I’m not sure I want to even imagine it.”