Wingless And Damned (The Damned Series) Read online

  When I look around, I see Alexander and I are the only two in the field. I realize this is part of the strategy and force myself not to look back for the others.

  Just as the calmness seeps into my very soul, I feel a tremendous shaking in the ground, like an earthquake is approaching us.

  “Prepare my Love!”

  Life seems to be moving at a sluggish pace in front of me. The air starts to distort as I see Alexander with thick blood and other gore covering his astounding black muzzle. When I look at where all the blood is coming from, I am affronted by the sight of many Strigoi lying in a heap at his feet, the majority of them ripped to pieces as the apparently lucky ones are only disemboweled. As I finally tear my gaze from the carnage at his feet, I notice I have a pretty nasty pile in front of me also. Trying to look for faces and failing, I see they have all been mangled beyond repair. When I pick up my feet, I notice the blood has pooled up over my new black boots. Standing in a thick puddle of blood of my own damn creation! Did I do this? Was this the not being in control as Alexander spoke of? I will have to deal with this at a later time.

  I again feel electricity in the air but instead of seeing a bloody pile of savages at my feet, I see a wondrous flash of lightning illuminate the beautiful night sky. In that flash of light, I am able to see the other Neuri coming out of the woods at the backs of the remaining Strigoi minions.

  As I circle around with Alexander, we put our backs against each other as we prepare to meet with the Neuri warriors coming from the surrounding tree line.

  Finally feeling we are prepared for the remainder of the battle to commence, I see the sky starting to lighten with streaks of picturesque pinks and purples as the beginnings of dawn quickly approaches.

  The Strigoi seem to feel the approaching dawn as they take to the sky at alarming speeds I have never before witnessed.

  Alexander quickly turns me around to face him, when our gazes meet, we are no longer beasts. Seeing concern written all over his ruggedly handsome features, I can’t help but pull my eyes away from his seemingly sympathetic eyes only to realize quickly I can’t hide in my own head. Oh yeah, I forgot I’m pissed at him for not teaching me how to shield my internal battles from him. It’s as if his scrutiny peers into my very soul every time he looks me in the eyes. Knowing I lost control tonight even in the middle of battle seems to be even less reassuring to me as I thought it would be.

  Alexander breaks my concentration by using our connection only to comfort me. “I am here, my love. I will help you gain control of this new beast we have become. I will love you until the end of days my dearest Lea.”

  Feeling elated as I walk hand in hand with Alex. Looking down I notice my black pants, black shirt and my new combat boots are all covered in the gore that has become the Strigoi army we ripped to pieces. Sloshing in my new wet boots I feel this new anger consuming me as I realize my toes are squishing in fucking blood. The closer to the village we get this overwhelming anguish radiates through me, to my very being. By the time I realize these aren’t my emotions, digging deeper they aren’t Alexander’s either; just as I am scratching at his emotions I feel a wall thud between our connection. Suddenly I am alone again with my darkest thoughts, what the hell is that? Starting to have problems putting one foot in front of the other I feel a splatter as if rain is falling, when I glance skyward there is not a cloud in the sky. Staggering one more time before my eyes focus on an object high in the trees, I place my hand on the wetness on my face and am met with a crimson smear that seems to be coming from the objects in the trees. When my eyes grasp the nature of the object high in the branches I drop to my knees knowing this is one of ours but I am not sure who. Hanging in the trees above our heads is an arm from someone in the Neuri tribe. I quickly stumble to my feet in an attempt to run, looking around quickly I notice Alex is nowhere to be found. The panic sets in as I realize I am utterly alone, there is a body of someone in the trees, and I don’t know where my fucking mate is. The faster my feet rush me across the foliage on the forest floor I start getting a stronger smell of a sickingly sweet aroma as I move further onto the path. Each step I take I am met with more splattering from above, knowing what I am going to see when I glance skyward I chance it and am struck by more horror seeing the trees lining the path I am on leading to the village is strewn with every body part you can imagine, its fresh, within ten minutes fresh. The sweet smell accosts my nostrils and I breathe deep knowing I shouldn’t but for some reason I can’t stop myself. Not now! I don’t have time to deal with this shit again! Get control of yourself, you have been neck fucking deep in blood for the past two days control it!

  Suddenly I drop feeling as if my chest is in a vice grip, with a torment that is so consuming that my blood feels like hot lava pulsing through my veins. My soul feels a wrath it has never been touched with. Trying to catch my breath and failing miserably as I start gasping at the precious air that is eluding me, I flail on the forest floor for the precious oxygen I am just now slowly being able to drink in. Pulling myself together as quickly as possible I start feeling Alexander’s presence in a stained sorrow on my soul. I get to my feet for the second time in the last five minutes, and rush the rest of the way up the path keeping my eyes to the ground; the air thickens around the crowd that is circled around something in the center.

  Pushing my way through the sorrowful people my eyes are quickly drawn to my mate on his knees in front of a stake in the ground with a head on it. Feeling this utter fear, I rush to his side. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach is empathized when I see Luke’s broken, severed head on the top of the stake. When I distinguish the damage done to his face I notice his ears are missing, eyes have been removed, and his tongue has be pulled from his bleeding mouth when he was still alive. The knowledge of who did this is burning its way through my head and not knowing how to make a wall to block Alexander he glares at me in understanding. Rubbing his back telling him how sorry I am this happened Gaius pushes himself through the crowd forcefully yelling for Alexander. Alexander looks up at his younger brother with a hatred that has seeped into him, Gaius reaches down and grabs his brother by the shoulders and pulls him to him, patting him on the back while they walk in their own silence while still knowing what each other are thinking. Before walking away Alexander turns to the crowd, with a roaring voice,

  “Don’t just stand there! You stand there as if your tears that fall upon the blood of my youngest brother are going to change anything! Gather up every fucking piece of my little brother so we can bury him whole at nightfall!”

  When he is done addressing the Neuri tribes people he takes off his thick black leather trench coat and places it over his brothers head. Placing his hand on his brothers head tenderly, and leaning over so only he can hear, he whispers something to the lifeless remnants of his baby brother. Turning he looks at me with eyes so dreary from the pain he is in and turns to his only living brother and walks off without even a backwards glance at the rest of us.

  Still standing in sheer shock staring at the once vibrant, handsome young man that’s head is now on a stake in front of us, I feel a gentle hand brush my back in a comforting motion. Knowing the smell and the feel of the hand I turn quickly and throw my arms around Zari’s neck, she squeezes me lightly and hums a Fae lullaby into my ear to calm me as my lungs start burning and the tears sting my eyes. Zari leans back brushes the hair from my face with concern, but when our eyes meet I see the horror written all over her face. Disturbed by the look Zari is giving me I start rubbing my face only to feel the same features I have recently been blessed with, other than the features my tears are the only thing new. When I pull my moist hands back from my wet cheeks I notice they are stained in crimson, not just a few streaks of crimson, my whole damn hand is cover in blood. Zari slowly guides me towards our cabin in the far back corner against the mountain, soothing noises are coming from Zari whether she realizes it or not just her presence is a comfort to me.

  Zari and I walk in troubled s
ilence into the cabin and hear Alex and Gaius in the suite talking loudly about Luke being gone. Silence all of the sudden breaks through the rooms and captures both Zari and I. Directing me to the sofa she rushes to the sink to wet a wash cloth and brings it back to me to wipe my face as to not cause any more alarm then already raised by Luke’s death. Silently I mouth the words, “I’m sorry” to her as she brushes her hand down my left cheek in a quiet companionship. The double doors open to the suite and Gaius steps into the sitting room, eyes wild in a silent distraught fury he moves across the room as he stares at Zari in an unspoken understanding as he turns left and leaves quickly slamming the door on his hasty exit. Alex steps into the room and makes eye contact with me as Zari stammers for the right words but manages,

  “I’m going to step out while you two talk about what transpired this evening. Alexander I’m sorry you know the pain of losing a sibling, we will get them, every last one of them!” Zari exits hastily after she finishes talking; Alex stares into the fire to the right of me. I quietly contemplate what I need to say to him to make him feel better. But I am still left with the stark reality of how I am ever going to make him feel better after losing his little brother. I just cross the distance of the sitting room to Alexander’s side to wrap myself around him as much as humanly possible. Melting into his strong broad body I feel him melt right back into me, when I glance up he is staring at me kind of like Zari did the only difference is he has an alarmed look as he clears his throat he asks,

  “Have you been hurt? You have blood all over your face?”

  Pulling back I stammer as he looks me over, “umm, no I’m not hurt I was crying. Apparently when I cry, I cry blood I think.” Stepping back another step Alex rushes to the mirror on the wall behind the sofa and looks at his face but has a questionable look in the reflection. I interrupt the silence by saying, “I see no blood on your face, have you cried blood?” Alex responds by shaking his head yes and replying, “I don’t even want to pretend I know what is going on, but we will figure out what is going on with you my love. Right now there is more pressing matters like what do you mean by who did this. How do you know?” Shaking my head no I close the gap between us and respond, “I’m not sure but the Greeks used the mutilations like those on people they wanted to walk blind, deaf, and mute through the underworld. Maybe that’s a clue to who these monsters are.”