Coming out on the other side of the portal, Desiree scanned their surroundings. The Underworld appeared quiet and on lockdown, meaning the portals were closed. They were back in time. “How far back did we go?”
“A few seconds after Samoan dies, it’ll take a bit for the energy to reach Kahn down here.” Mathew raced ahead toward the large, dark castle looming over the Underworld landscape. It was a lot larger than the one she and the others had rescued Teddy-Bear from. The one that had blown up.
“So Khan has two castles?”
“The one he held the hounds in was his home until Samoan wanted a bigger one, away from the center of demonland.” Mathew glanced at Desiree from over his shoulder. A smirk lifted one side of his mouth. “Khan is here. I can sense him.”
Great. It was time the demon lord faced his destiny. “Then let’s do this.”
The hounds shook, and a blast of soft white and blue light expanded around them, leaving two huge hellhounds. They growled, and Teddy said, “Bear and I will distract the Regal guards while you two get inside.”
Desiree nodded and followed Mathew through a side entrance. It didn’t take them long to find Khan. He was in the throne room with his back to them. “I’ve been waiting for you two.”
Shit. Cold dread froze her soul and placed a death grip on her heart. He’d known they were coming to kill him. Which meant he was ready, and most likely planned to kill them first.
Not if Desiree had anything to say about it.
He’d taken her mate. She wanted him back!
She charged at the demon, catching him off guard. Khan recovered from his surprise quickly and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Kicking her feet, she grabbed his wrist. “You’ll never stop them from killing Samoan.”
Khan’s eyes turned pitch-black, and his nostrils flared. Ah, he didn’t know that little bit of info from the future yet. Interesting. That meant he’d lied about knowing that they were coming.
Desiree opened her Porter gift and allowed it to flow through her hands. The power wrapped around Khan’s arm and moved to his shoulder then chest until it reached the center of his breastbone. A darker version of her power traveled up the demon’s legs and met hers.
Khan roared. His grip on her slipped, and she was able to grab his hand before falling to the ground. She needed to touch him to strip his soul. Apparently, Mathew didn’t.
“We can’t kill him until the Dark Sinew appears.” They needed the stone so no one else could use it against them.
Mathew gave a short nod while fixing his gaze on Khan.
Just then, Teddy and Bear plowed into the throne room, the double doors flying off their hinges and making the entrance wider. Stone crumbled and rolled to the middle of the room. Bear spoke first. “We need to move. Demons are going insane out there.”
Without glanced back at them out of risk losing focus on Khan, Desiree asked, “Can’t you hold them off?”
Teddy shook his large head. “Not much longer.”
Through the connection she had with Khan’s soul, she felt the moment he became aware that Samoan was dead. Much like her link to Lex had cut off, so did Khan’s to Samoan. The demon lord roared his pain and loss. However, the instant he called on his power to blast out of the Underworld, Mathew jerked his soul from his body and blew it up.
A black, dust-like cloud hung in the air for a brief moment before falling to the ground. Khan’s body dissolved into the stone floor of the castle’s throne room. In its place was the Dark Sinew. Desiree picked it up and slid it into her pocket.
Mathew stumbled to her. She caught him and fell to her knees, hugging him close. His power was depleted. She glanced to the hounds, who had merged together once more and shrunk to the size of a large Rottweiler with two heads.
As one, they said, “Let’s go home.”
She was about to ask how, but a portal opened. Glancing at the hounds, she noticed that the Sinew glowed brighter than before. They’d used the power within the stone to open a gate back home. Thank you, goddess.
Relief, joy, and a dark power that only a Death Demon possessed rushed through her as she stepped through the portal and into the front yard of the Divinity House. Her gaze met Lex’s, and she wanted to cry in joy.
Lex glanced to Mathew and frowned. He was there in a flash, taking Matt from her arms. “What happened?”
“He used up a lot of power killing Khan.”
Her mate snapped his gaze back to hers. “What? How? And where the hell were you guys? One moment you were here, and the next, you weren’t.”
“I’ll explain inside.” She leaned against Lex, her own exhaustion seeping into her.
Zach, Lydia, Khloe, and Jagger moved closer to them. Khloe motioned to the house. “You can put him in the spare room next to Lydia’s. I’ll set up the video feed.”
She jogged up the steps.
Desiree and the others followed. Once inside, Desiree sat on the sofa and the hounds curled up on the floor at her feet. Lydia moved to the stairs. “I’m going to check on Mathew.”
Even though Desiree could sense that her son wasn’t hurt physically, she was grateful for the healer’s concern. “Thank you.”
A few minutes later, everyone assembled around the TV where they were video-conferencing with Noah and a red-eyed Kalissa clinging to Ayden, a tissue in one hand. Before they’d started the feed, Desiree told them what had happened.
They had died.
Desiree shuddered, unable to shake the sadness the vision of all of her new friends and family falling at the hands of Kahn and his demons had caused.
Ayden had teleported to be with his pregnant mate right after hearing the news. Most likely, he had felt her distress, or at least realized that Kalissa believed he and her sister were dead.
Oh, man, what a fucking mess.
Reaching inside her jeans pocket, Desiree pulled out the Dark Sinew. “What do we do with this?”
Before Noah could answer, Hecate materialized in the center of the living room. Teddy-Bear stood at attention, their heads held high. The goddess held out her hand. “I’ll take it.”
Desiree handed the stone to her. Instead of taking it right away, Hecate cupped Desiree’s hand. “What you and your son did for the Divinities can never be repaid. I thank you for your part in ending this war.”
The inside of Desiree’s wrist burned, but she forced herself not to jerk her arm away. She knew what was happening even before the link to the other Divinities formed. Hecate had inducted her into her small army of kick-ass demi-gods.
“This war may be over, but I’ll still need you all to protect magickin and humans. And to keep the Earthside demons in line.” Hecate took the dark stone and faced Teddy-Bear.
Taking the Sinew in one hand, she placed the dark one in the same palm, the two stones touching. She closed her fist around them and squeezed. After she’d muttered a few words in Latin, multi-colored light shone from between her fingers. Then it stopped.
When Hecate opened her hand, there was one larger stone in her palm. She slipped it from around the hounds’ necks and placed it around her own. “I guess you two would like to stay?”
They nodded and said at the same time, “Yes, Mom. They kind of grew on us.”
Hecate laughed. “Very well.” She faced the TV and talked to Noah. “The Dark Divine are no longer controlled by the Sinew, dark or otherwise. They are, however, under my protection, as is all magickin. They no longer need to keep hidden.”
Noah offered a warm smile. “I will pass on the word.”
Scanning the room, Hecate smiled. “Take care, my children.” Then she dematerialized.
Desiree sank into the sofa. Her eyes drifted shut a moment before a warm hand cupped her cheek. Opening her lids, she met Lex’s stare. He raised his brows and said, “Let’s get Mathew and go home.”
“Where is home?”
“Your home in the Oceanway Coven.”
Love filled her heart.
No more running.
No more lies.
She was going home. With her son and mate.
Framing Lex’s face in her hands, she kissed him, allowing her lips to linger on his longer than she’d intended. She pulled back to stare into his chocolate gaze with its rivers of red. “I love you.”
Instantly, he lifted her off the couch and crushed his mouth to hers. “I love you, too.”
“Let’s go home.”
The End
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