44. Thea

Chapter 44

Thea

T he mating bond was like fire, burning through her veins until she could feel him everywhere. It swept through, a warmth she couldn't believe she ever denied, only to flicker.

"No!"

She could feel him, like a light against her soul that was dying, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it.

"Please," she begged, tears streaming down her face. "You can't – "

A hand wrapped in her hair, yanking her head back and forcing her hands from Jax's chest.

Gideon sneered above, looking at Jax with disdain. "What a waste."

Thea lurched, his fingers freeing her hair enough for her to collapse forward. She fell against Jax, only to find his eyes glazed, and his chest barely moving. Air bubbles popped from his wound, the blood finally slowing down.

Gideon grabbed her throat, forcing her to her feet. She fought the hold with all her strength, only for him to tighten, cutting off her airway before a snarl echoed .

Thea sucked in a mouthful of air, Gideon relaxing his hold only to pull her against him, a shield against the beast that now stood where Jax once was.

Blood dripped by Thunder's large paws, head dipped and fangs on full display. Jax's wounds were mirrored, his darker fur hiding much of the extensive damage.

Gideon stilled behind her. "Back down, or I'll break her neck."

"He… he doesn't understand," Thea rasped, trying to relax despite the urge to fight. She needed him to concentrate on Thunder, and not her.

Gideon emphasised his grip, forcing out a gasp.

Thunder roared, his tails splitting into distinctive, separate spikes.

Breathe, she thought, trying to calm herself.

"I think he understands enough," Gideon chuckled. "Howl."

Thunder's claws scraped against the floor, retracting in and out as he waited.

"I said howl!"

Thea met Thunder's eyes of silver, seeing nothing of Jax in his gaze. He howled, the sound harrowing and full of pain.

Breathe.

"Hmm." Gideon lifted her higher, his lips brushing against the point of her ear. "I'd kill you, but I'd think keeping you alive will help me control him better."

Thea stretched on her toes, legs shaking with the effort.

"Now, sit!" he barked towards the great beast.

Breathe.

She only had one chance. She had to take it. Praying to her wild magic, she hoped she'd calmed enough for it to respond. For her to recall …

Gideon snarled, his attention on Thunder. "I said – "

His grip loosened, enough for her to throw herself to the side. Fur brushed against her back as she hit the wall, lasting only a second as Gideon's scream filled the air.

There was a flash of red, heat from arcane appearing and launching Thunder back. Thea didn't get to see where he'd landed, Gideon appearing in front of her with Jax's pocket knife stabbed deep into his shoulder. Below it, he was missing his entire arm. It took a moment for him to realise, snarling before grabbing her with his other hand.

Her body jerked, brain taking a second to realise he'd drifted into the main hall.

Yanking the knife from his shoulder, he pulled her against his chest, the blade angled against her face.

Thunder appeared quickly, Gideon's arm held tightly in his jaws. Arcane coated the fur on his front, the bright red with a heart of black flames eating away with every step he took.

"What have I said about not being invited to the party?"

Thea was jerked to the side, Lucifer appearing in one of the doorways with a large, grey beast at his back. He looked terrifying, his skin slightly paler than she remembered, with eyes that glowed. Horns, similar to those on Gideon, separated his dark hair, matching the bat-like wings that pierced from his shoulders.

"Xahen," Gideon snarled. "I'm finding your defiance tiring."

Lucy gestured to Thea, a gun held in his palm. "Hey shit-face. Still being a cunt, I see. Let her go, and we can settle this between us like big boys."

Gideon laughed. "Just as in the Nether, Xahen. You are nothing. Weak. Pathetic. An insect destined to die beneath my boot. "

Lucifer chuckled. "You've been saying that for a millennia, yet I'm still here."

The blade cut into her cheek, the pain sharp. Thunder noticed, going crazy.

"Back off," Gideon growled, moving them slowly toward the pit. He risked a glance over his shoulder, and Thea noticed the chalice on the platform. In that split second, Thunder had creeped closer, Gideon's arm still held in his jaws. He dropped it like an offering, muzzle peeling back with a wolfish grin as the grey beast prowled forward.

"You're not going to shoot," Gideon said, continuing to move them both back. "You know a bullet can't stop me."

Glitter appeared in her peripheral, and Thea carefully angled her head to stop the blade cutting her anymore.

"Nah, I'm not a great shot anyway." Lucifer shrugged, lowering the gun. "But he is."

A pop, Gideon shuddering as a bullet hit the side of his neck. It immediately broke through the other side, breaking into hundreds of little pieces of shrapnel.

Blood spluttered from Gideon's lips, but he didn't go down. It was Titus who'd taken the shot, flanked by Riley, Sythe, and Xander.

"Oi!" Ruhne dropped from above with a wide grin. "My turn." With a wink he brought up his palm, blowing pixie dust straight into Gideon's face.

He snarled, releasing the dagger to rub at his eyes. At the same time, Thunder jumped forward, tails curling around her waist to yank her toward him.

"You really think that will stop me?" Gideon spat, the words grating as the wound on his neck slowly repaired. He laughed, the sound manic. "I am a god!"

Another shot, the bullet hitting him in the ribs. The edge of his body blurred, a second of disbelief passing across his features before he bared his red-stained teeth. He began to rush toward the chalice, only to be tackled to the floor by Lucifer.

Thea pushed at Thunder, the arcane already eaten through several layers of flesh.

"Where the hell have you been?" she screamed at Sythe and Titus when they approached. "I twisted the bead hours ago!"

"Don't look at me!" Ruhne snapped, hovering just above. "It didn't work."

"No, it worked," Titus said, holding up his arm to show the thin silver bracelet on his wrist. She wore the master, hidden on her ankle.

"We had to figure out how to get in here without setting off the wards," Sythe added, holding his hands up when Thunder growled, snapping his jaws in warning. "Easy, big guy. We're just trying to help your girl."

Riley appeared, his grey eyes entirely shifting to silver. "Behave," he barked, kneeling down to grip Thunder's muzzle. With his free hand, he pressed against the arcane on his chest, palming it. "What happened? I can't feel J in there at all."

Thea laughed, the sound on the edge of hysteria. "Oh yeah, he's fine, can't you see? Although, he might need a spa day."

Riley frowned, seemingly unimpressed with her dark humour. "What do you – "

Sythe burst from his skin, his dark beast appearing with a roar. Launching himself, he began tearing the Skull that had aimed a sword at Titus apart.

"Thea, get up," Riley demanded, going to touch her before Thunder snarled. "This was your plan, remember?"

Pop. Pop. Pop.

Titus hit every Skull that got too close .

"Nothing about this was my fucking plan." This was why she never made plans! Scanning the room, she found the lectern had been knocked over, along with the pages. She needed to get closer to grab the –

Thunder pulled her beneath him, flattening himself as arcane soared above. A burst of heat as it passed, crashing into a wall.

"You're still chained to your decision, my friend," Gideon shouted, his arm encased in red flames. Great wings had sprouted from his back, sharp spikes sweeping out to tear along the flank of the grey beast. "Power isn't something we should shy away from."

Lucifer's power was darker, the core black with flecks of red. "We've never been friends."

Gideon shook his head, dark veins pulsating beneath his grey skin. "When I ascend further, I'm going to keep your soul for my enjoyment."

Thea pushed at Thunder, looking over to find the pages had disappeared.

Fuck!

Managing to turn despite being crushed, she found the chalice still on its platform.

Thunder grumbled, keeping her beneath him, but with another shove, he shifted to the side. She knew he wanted to stop her, but she was already sprinting. The room had filled with Skulls, the Guardians fighting along with the beasts to keep them back.

"I don't think so."

The blond-haired Daemon appeared beside her, his smirk smug when he shoved her hard into the pit. Thea fell, feet slipping when she hit the bottom until she slid beneath the surface. Flapping her arms, she kicked up to break back through with a splutter. Barely holding back a scream, she pushed at the bodies, guts, and congealed blood. Roach lay on her back, her eyes pale in death as she floated to the side. Her torso had been cracked open, organs missing and likely swimming around them somewhere.

Swallowing bile, Thea looked up to find Thunder pacing the edge.

"Where's…" The Daemon held the chalice on the opposite side, the stones surrounding the lip a deep red. She remembered them being black with white cracks, which meant something had changed.

His smile slipped, lips opening with a gasp as a fist shot through his ribs from the back. The hand grasped the chalice, yanking back out as the Daemon fell forward into the pit beside her.

Gideon stood, his front and arm covered in blood. His wings were ripped, and arcane marks blistered his face. "Nothing will stop me," he said. "The Fates have foreseen it."

Lucifer appeared behind him, a great shadow armed with flames, but before he could do anything, Gideon disappeared with a grin.

"Fuck!" Lucifer roared, his wings spreading. His shirt had been torn, the flesh beneath seared. Stifling his arcane, he reached down and pulled her out. Thunder was already there, burying his nose against her stomach.

"What happened to obsidian bullets stopping him from drifting?" Riley asked, the black beast that was Sythe prowling forward, chunks of flesh caught in his teeth.

"It worked," Lucifer said, dragging a hand down his face.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Titus grunted, brushing his hand through the smaller, grey beast's fur. She had no idea who it was and was too traumatised to ask.

"He took the chalice." Ruhne sat cross-legged on Sythe's head, his wings pinned straight to his back. "The pages, too."

"If the bullets worked, how did Gideon get away?" Riley snarled.

Lucifer rolled his shoulder, wincing as his wings folded into his back. "Because he was summoned."

Riley stilled, sharing a look with all the Guardians. "Who the fuck is summoning him?"