Page 25 of A Spark Of Revenge

“I forgot how fucking annoying you are!” he wheezes, body curling in on us as he tries to regain the breath I just knocked out of him.

“And I forgot how fucking rude the Regalis brothers are. You all need to be kicked in the nuts more often!” I snarl in response, beating at his chest while trying to knee him in the balls again. Valen laughs, dipping down and punching Razar hard in the shoulder, breaking the Demon's grip on me enough to yank me out of his hold. The sudden movement makes me dizzy, and I sway on my feet, Valen's arm darting out and wrapping around me as his mirthful expression darkens into worry.

“Are you injured?” Shouts and footsteps rushing down the hall toward Razar's broken door stop any reply on my lips as Valen tenses. “Meyer, you know how I was saying there was some more information you needed to know before the Beastia attacked the castle?” he asks in a rough, hurried whisper. I frown and nod as Razar chokes on a laugh, pressing himself up to his knees as two furious men descend on the tiny room. Valen curses and shoves me behind him, turning to face the Demons who converge on us.

They are both wearing Umbra fighting leathers, the black clothes pristine, telling me they had changed after the fight outside. Thankfully, Nox has a shirt on, but it's so damn tight it does nothing to hide the rippling muscle underneath. Creed's dark curly hair appears damp, like he just bathed, making me instantly jealous. I know I smell awful, but I’ve been ignoring that fact since there is nothing I can do about it right now. But what I wouldn't give for a shower right now. I would even take an ice-cold one in the Regalis bathing chamber—anything to wash off the smell of stress, sweat, and filth.

“Valen!” Creed whispers, bright green eyes glassy as he leaps at him, arms wrapping around his neck so tight I think he might strangle him. I gape in surprise when Valen chuckles and wraps Creed into a big hug instead of shoving him away.

“What the hell?” I whisper, stepping back in shock as Lennox glares at Valen and then Creed before his dark eyes fall on me. I shake my head as Nox glares, striding toward me with murder in his eyes. “No! Nox, I swear I will fucking kick you in the balls again if you touch me!” I snap, stumbling back a few more steps, desperate to keep some distance between us, but it's no use.

A big hand encircles my wrists, yanking them up above my head and pinning them to the wall above me as Lennox presses his chest and legs firmly against me to prevent what I just threatened. I squirm in his hold, wishing I had something to stab him with as his chest rises and falls with ragged breaths and eyes burning with rage.

“Little Demon,” he snarls, pressing me hard into the wall, making my aching body scream in pain. “You. Threw. A. Knife. At. My. Face!” he bellows, frustration clear in his voice as his free hand slides up my side, his fingers digging into my ribs.

Flinching at how fucking loudly he just yelled, I snarl back, “You deserved it!” Which makes him frown and pull back the slightest amount. Frustrated, I look away from him, my arms trembling and making me grit my teeth in annoyance. The muscles are sore and tired, but I’m sure Lennox will only see it as a weakness, and I’m so fucking sick of looking weak in front of him.

“Meyer?” he asks softly, familiar magic drifting over my skin, making me physically sag into Lennox’s strong hold.

“Garthelaun!” Valen yells, shoving at Creed, trying to break free of his hug but not succeeding. Lennox’s body tenses as Valen suddenly starts speaking in some sort of language I can't understand. It's nothing I have ever heard before, full of harsh sounds and growls. Lennox grumbles something back in the same language before shaking his head, his eyes never leaving my face.

“My name is Lennox on this side of the veil, Valen. And you will speak in English so Meyer can understand,” Nox snaps, making my Dream Walker’s mouth gape open in surprise, and I dart a confused look at Valen and then Nox, who presses his knee between my legs, probably trying to piss me off more, but screw that! I won't give him the reaction he’s looking for. At this point, he can do whatever the hell he wants.

Nox’s magic is slowly wrapping around me, making my sore muscles relax for the first time in days. I shudder in his grasp, my fingers going numb above my head as I glare at the man pinning me to the wall. “Why are you not fighting me?” Nox asks, his head tilting to the side, voice so soft I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who can hear him, but before he can answer, his green eyes blow wide, and a rumble leaves his chest. “You’re injured,” he snarls, dropping my wrists and letting my hands fall to my sides as he scoops me off my feet and glares at Valen as he moves me over to the big bed at the center of the room.

“Why the fuck is she injured, brother?” Nox snaps. I look over to Creed, but it's not Creed Nox is looking at… it's Valen.

TWELVE

Razar

Guilt fills Valen's eyes, and I shake my head as I curse under my breath, brushing off my clothes as I get to my feet. It's been years since someone has managed to bring me to the ground during a fight, and now it's happened twice in a matter of a few days; first by that annoying girl and now by my brother.

Admittedly, I don't mind the scuffle with Valen. In fact, I’ve longed for someone to give me a good fight ever since Archer's death. Nox won't, simply because he knows he doesn't need to fight me to get his way, and Creed still feels too guilty to fight back. I try to shift discreetly on my feet, unwilling to let my brothers notice how fucking sore my balls are right now, while I glare at the girl Nox is now flipping the fuck out over. His anger melted the instant he realized little Pup was injured, and now he's practically growling at Valen, demanding answers for the cause of her pain. Honestly, he doesn't have to look much further than the people in this room. Credence always says I am the socially and emotionally stunted of the bunch, yet I’m fairly positive we are the cause of Meyer's pain, physical and emotional. And I doubt any of my hard-headed brothers have realized that yet.

I hum in thought at that. The girl may drive me mad, but with the way my brothers are panting after her, I seriously doubt she’s going anywhere anytime soon. Perhaps I can teach her how to control all those pesky emotions, so I don't have to deal with them. I shiver at the reminder of the pain she projected when I tossed the silly pillow in her face and roll my eyes in exasperation.

A damned pillow… full of feathers… injured her enough that I could feel her pain! It’s pathetic, really. Not even the mortal Hunters in this realm are that fragile. Maybe I should just put her out of her misery now and save my brothers the inevitable heartache when she dies. The fact she’s still alive confounds me. I honestly thought I may have broken her when she didn't get back up. I wasn't sure if I was ecstatic at the prospect, or worried about whether Lennox was going to send me to an early grave.

What I hadn't expected was the rush of pain that wasn't from Pup on my bed… but from me. Something I hadn't felt since Archer was killed—something I swore I would never allow myself to feel again. This, of course, confirmed to me that the girl’s damn emotions are contagious, and I need to keep as much distance from her as physically possible.

The air is tense in my room, and I smile, relaxing a little at the apparent discomfort Valen has caused by showing up out of the blue. Something that actually makes our lives easier since we were unsure where Valen’s physical body was being held, or how to reconnect his mental and physical forms that Axford had split in order to control him.

We knew the Umbra Hunters were holding our brother, and we had hoped to find enough blood sources in the church that the Umbra Hunters were using to hold the humans. But since he’s somehow here without us saving his ass, I’m going to assume he was in that church, and our little Pup over there found him while she was hiding from us last night. She also managed to do the impossible by reconnecting Valen's mental and physical forms, something Lennox was planning on calling Orcus’ for his help, since the three of us don’t hold enough magic to do it ourselves.

It also explains how the devil Meyer disappeared without a damn trace. I bet if I go back there and actively search out my brother's magic, I will be able to find it. The fact I hadn't scented it immediately means he was only using a small amount and was probably trying to cover his tracks. A small gasp leaves Meyer's lips; the breathy sound makes my chest constrict, and I instantly hate her even more.

Why in the seven rings of Hell is this girl so fucking distracting? I glare at her, taking in her small nose and too big eyes. Her pale blonde hair washes out her already light-colored skin, and she has a tiny freckle on her right cheek, ruining the appearance of a flawless complexion. Currently, her hair looks like it hasn't been brushed or washed in a long time, and her cheeks are flushed, the bright red color making it look like she's about to cry or scream. If I had to place a bet, it would be on the latter. Pup has some serious anger issues.

“Meyer,” Valen rasps as Nox gently places the girl down on my bed. Creed lets go of Valen, surprising me when he rushes to Meyer's side, worry clear on his young face. Shit, this is worse than I thought if Creed is willingly letting go of Valen to go to Meyer. The amount of love and concern pouring from Credence is sickening, and from the way Valen now looks at him—frustration and jealousy clear as day on his face—I’m guessing our little family unit is about to implode.

“Brother? You’re a Demon?” she whispers, mouth agape as her gaze flicks from Nox to Valen, then to Creed. Meyer's face is one of shock and hurt, and Valen looks like he’s about to be sick, and I scoff. See, this is why you don't lie or let anyone close to you. Emotions are only something a person can use against you. Letting someone into your life in any capacity is like giving them a small part of your soul and entrusting them not to hurt it. Why would anyone ever risk such a thing?

Creed ignores everyone as he sits next to Meyer, his fingers moving to brush over a bruised cheek. She immediately jerks away from him, mouth pulled into a feral snarl, and I have to hold back the delighted smile that wants to break free. If I didn't know better, I would say Pup is about to bite Creed's fingers off. I almost hope she does, that would be great entertainment. Creed lets his hand fall, hurt filling his features as she continues to glare at him. The anger and resentment I feel coming from her is much easier to bear than the hurt and inner turmoil from only moments ago.

“Adopted brother,” Valen corrects, earning a glare from Nox and Creed, which he ignores. “Technically, Nox is the only blood heir of Orcus Darakh; the rest of us are adopted, but have taken on the Darakh royal name and are considered his true sons,” he explains slowly, trying to ensure the girl understands. When his eyes flick to Creed and Nox, meeting their angry stares, he scoffs. “What? I'm only trying to give her all the information she needs in order to trust me. I told her I would earn it, and that's precisely what I will do. It’s not my fault I’m related to the men who pissed her off. You can figure your problems out on your own.”

“You lied!” Meyer snaps, anger moving away from Creed and landing solely on Valen.

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