1. Jax

Chapter 1

Jax

FOUR MONTHS LATER

A hot spray of blood coated Jax's skin, the droplets obscene against his bare arms. His knuckles ached from how hard he'd connected them to the Skull's cheek, but he knew the pain wouldn't last. Neither would the cuts or bruises he'd received only twenty-four hours prior. He was built to destroy, and a healing ability better than any other Breed was one of the better side-effects of his curse.

Well, if you could call anything from his curse a perk. Increased strength, durability, and healing sounded cool. Except that after one-hundred years he was to be dragged down to Hell to be a fallen angel's personal bitch. Unless he found a mate.

Good thing he'd found her, even if he couldn't have her just yet.

There was a muffled sound, one caught by the thick tape of the man currently bound to a metal hook in the centre of the Vault's basement. It wasn't a sound of pain, even as Jax's knuckles connected to the side of his head once more. It was more like the sound of air escaping, a natural thing his prey had no control of.

The thwack echoed around the surrounding concrete, and Jax savoured the burst of heat as more blood sprayed on him. He knew it was strange to anchor himself to something so morbid, but he needed to feel something – anything. It reminded him that he existed. That he had a purpose, even if it was to beat the shit out of someone no longer human.

Metal on metal screeched, the chain scraping against the hook. Jax had hung the man high enough that his toes only brushed the floor. It put all his weight on his wrists and shoulders, both of which were currently dislocated.

"This is a waste of time. We should be out hunting rather than playing with one of Gideon's toys," Kace grunted. "He's not going to tell us shit."

His brother paced like a trapped animal, rage pricking at the beast that shared Jax's soul. It was itchy, his beast surging to the forefront to steal sight through his eyes. It gave everything a slightly more detailed edge, to the point even the dust in the air glistened.

Jax tried to reel his beast back slightly. It didn't work, but as they were in agreement that they must remain the man, he was confident he wouldn't accidentally shift… Probably.

Although, if the guy hanging wasn't scared by three large men with sharp knives and blunt knuckles, maybe he'd piss himself at Jax's more terrifying shape.

KILL? his beast growled.

Jax wasn't sure if it was the same with his brothers, but when his beast actually formed clear, coherent words rather than just a feeling, he liked to be unnecessarily loud.

EAT ?

Kace whipped his head toward him, a slight metallic sheen across his irises.

"I'm not going to kill and eat him," Jax said with a sigh, his brother clearly having picked up on his beast's thoughts. He shouldn't have heard anything, Jax's mental shields are usually like steel. Except he hadn't slept in almost five days.

"You're projecting," Kace said, his own beast on edge. He felt everything to the extreme, a man who craved violence and blood like oxygen – impulsive. Jax was the opposite, someone who felt very little – numb. He didn't care for anything but his brothers, and if it wasn't for them, he'd have given up on simply existing long ago.

EAT? The growl rumbled between his ears. WE EAT NOW?

No, Jax replied, knowing his facial expression didn't portray his frustration. We're not going to eat him.

Claws prickled beneath his fingertips, but his beast retreated with a huff.

"Be nice to watch someone else be chewed on for a change," Lucifer said, picking at the black nail varnish on his fingers. He stood by the stairs, having not participated in any of the torturing. Apparently he was wearing a new T-shirt, and didn't want to get blood on it.

Jax clicked his neck. "We all know you'll be jealous."

"What? It's nice to be wanted." Lucifer smirked, but remained where he was.

They'd only been in the basement for a few hours, after leaving the man in his own shit and piss for close to twelve. But he had neither said a single thing, nor had he flinched. Not when Kace removed every fingernail from his hands and his feet, or when Jax pinned his kneecaps with carefully placed blades.

Jax ripped off the tape, the glue taking some of the skin with it. "We're going to try this once more," he said, keeping his tone glacial. "Where can we find Gideon?"

No response, not that he really expected anything. But it was still vexing, especially when there was intelligence in the man's eyes – an awareness of his surroundings.

Jax didn't bother using his knuckles this time, instead breaking the blade off in the left knee. There was a crack as the bone gave before the metal did, the surrounding flesh squelching.

No response.

"He doesn't stink like the others," Kace said, cocking his head. "His scent doesn't set my beast off."

"Bullshit," Lucifer chuckled. "Your beast's a fucking lunat – "

"Enough." Jax didn't know why he'd allowed either of them to join his interrogation. They were a pain in his arse.

"Seems Gideon's made them stronger," Lucy added, unaffected by Jax's brashness. "The Lessers don't seem to be deteriorating as quickly."

Jax pressed the knife deeper into the man's left knee. He knew personally that it hurt like fuck, but there was still no response.

The Lessers, crudely nicknamed as Skulls due to the glamour they usually wore, were disposable soldiers, bodies poisoned with the same magic that created Daemons. Their bodies couldn't handle the magic, and would usually deteriorate until they were nothing but empty shells that collapsed beneath their own weight.

Except the Skull that swung from the chain seemed much stronger than the men they usually fought. Jax couldn't feel any remnant of the human, or Breed he once was. Nothing but a dark, oily aura that was a weakened version of his master's.

"Seems the rumours from Sy's network are true," Lucy said, clicking his tongue. "Gideon's Undead are taking over the city."

The Skull turned his gaze towards Lucifer, and then held them there.

"He's not going to tell us anything about his master." Lucy pressed his palm against the Skull's head. "His aura's in dissonance."

Kace stopped his pacing. "And that means?"

With a crack, Lucifer broke the Skull's neck. "It means his aura's no longer aligned with his soul. He doesn't feel anything. No pain. No emotions. Nothing. You can't rot a soul if it's not connected."

"Explains why he didn't shrink back when I brought out the big knives," Kace mused. "Or when I threatened to cut his dick off."

Lucy shrugged. "Maybe it's Gideon's fancy new cup? There's a reason he fought so hard for it, and making his soldiers strong enough to last more than a week sounds like something he'd want to do. Jax, what do you think?"

"It's a chalice, not a fucking fancy cup." Jax shook his head. Gideon had recently obtained the ancient celestrial artefact, and the Guardians were trying to figure out why. "And how the fuck am I supposed to know?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Lucy rolled his eyes dramatically. "I just assumed the only celestrial on the team knew something of importance."

"Arsehole." Jax wiped his bloody palm down his T-shirt, knowing he was actually one hundred percent druid. Just with some celestrial-born benefits, thanks to his mother. "I'm working on the chalice."

"Waste of time," Kace grunted. "We already know Gideon has the cup. We should be planning on how to take him out."

Jax called for patience from the Fates, not that the three women whom his Breed revered as gods ever did anything for him. "We're not confident what the chalice does, and until we figure that out, we can't ignore it."

It's been months since Gideon stole and used the chalice, and they were no closer to figuring out its importance. When not watching his mate, or out hunting, Jax spent the majority of his time researching. Fortunately, being unable to sleep left him with a lot of spare time on his hands. Unfortunately, there wasn't much literature on a chalice stolen from Aetherna.

"It's known as the cup of souls," he said, watching the dead Skull swing gently.

Lucy pouted. "Thought you just said it wasn't a cup?"

Jax ignored him. "Luce, did you say his soul wasn't connected?"

"Do I get a bonus point if I say yes?"

‘I'm going to kill him,' Jax muttered in his own head, this time purposely pushing it out so Kace could hear.

Kace smirked. ‘We can make it look like an accident.'

"You know it's rude to talk about someone when they're here." Lucy crossed his arms with a dramatic huff. "I said you can't rot a soul if it's not connected."

Jax pressed his hand against the Skull, testing a theory. "And why does the Rite fail so often?"

Lucifer's red eyes glowed at the mention of the ceremony that turned a druid into a Daemon. "The soul untethers before the magic can take hold, resulting in death."

"Exactly," Jax said, stretching his chi out to feel along the remnants of the Skull's aura. "Gideon pumps his soldiers full of his personal magic, but as they're not druids, they can't ascend into Daemons. They only become Lessers."

"And Lessers' souls rot from the black magic," Kace added with a grunt. "But this particular Skull doesn't stink of the same decay."

"That's because his soul isn't disconnected. It's bound." Jax nodded, which was about as much excitement as he could portray. "Luce is right, it's his chi that's been detached so the magic couldn't corrupt his soul as fast as usual."

Kace turned towards the Skull. "What does this mean?"

"It means Gideon's figured out how to create a sustainable army," Lucifer said. "Using the magic cup."

Jax yanked on the chain, watching the Skull fall to the concrete with a satisfying crack. "It means if we don't figure out how to destroy the king of Daemons soon, we're all fucked."