was trimmed in silver … silver that appeared to be stained by blood, the ancient god had shaved his head smooth to show off a wealth of dark, tawny skin. Symbols were tattooed down the center of his skull, culminating into a sharp point right between his eyes. His right eye was ringed with black and from the bottom of it was another set of symbols that went down his cheek to his chin.
The only color on his body was a splash of a bright green shirt he wore beneath the black coat. A vibrant green that matched the same color as his one single eye. While the other was a deep, dark brown.
A deeply unnerving and unexpected contrast.
With a terrifying ease, the god ripped off his manacles to free him.
Aeron started to fight, until he saw that Kaziel was with him. “Kaz?”
Aye. We’ve come to take you home.
“We?”
Rhibyn stepped out of the shadows. Aeron was even more stunned by his presence here. “I don’t understand.”
Verlyn laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “My sons have bought your freedom. Remember what you owe them and treat them accordingly.”
“Your sons?”
“Daraxerxes and Malphas.”
Aeron choked on the last two names he’d ever expected to hear from the mouth of this powerful, primal god. Honestly, a part of him had thought Nick would have to be one of the sons. That would have made much more sense.
But them?
Why hadn’t Caleb or Xev ever mentioned the fact their father was Verlyn?
Now those were some bragging rights.
Quickly, Verlyn led him from his cell.
In the dark hallway, he paused to look back at Rhibyn. “Where’s this Zavid?”
“In the arena.”
Verlyn cursed. “Of course he is.” He clenched his teeth before he spoke again. “We’ll have to move fast while Noir is incapacitated and Azura distracted by her errand. That at least works in our favor. But the minute they’re not, you’ll have to run for it. Zavid or no Zavid. Understood?”
They nodded.
With that, he led them toward the arena. It was where Noir sent the souls of those he cared least about to be entertainment for the others. All manner of violence was practiced here. Gladiatorial blood sports being the most common.
Aeron had no idea which poor soul might be the hellhound they sought. Not until he heard the chanting that came from the current fight where a dark-haired man wearing only a pair of ragged jeans was battling a demon. The man was ferocious and fought with the heart of a Fomorian.
He lifted the demon up, tossed him over his shoulder, and came down with a vicious pile driver so jarring, Aeron winced in sympathetic pain.
Even though they had yet to meet, he knew instinctively that this was the one Nick had saved.
Glancing at his companions, he jerked his chin toward that fierce combatant and spoke to them for confirmation. “Zavid?”
They nodded.
Oh, goodie. He was going to be a fun one to wrangle.
“So how do we do this?”
“Well, we have to wait for…” Verlyn’s voice trailed off as Zavid ripped the still-beating heart from the demon’s chest. “Never mind.”
Aeron passed an impressed look to his friends. “I like him already.”
Vawn snorted irritably. “You would, like.”
“Och now, with you. There was a time you would have, too.” Aeron cocked his head back. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Long story, that. Not in a mood for it. Buy me a firkin of ale and we’ll talk, now, in a minute.”
“All right, then. Plan to hold you to that, and a full firkin, it is. Two actually. One for each hand.”
Verlyn made a face at their rapid-fire conversation. “At what point do you people start speaking English?”
Vawn snorted. “Fancy that one, eh? What with the accent he has on him. Can’t understand a single word he says half the time.”
Aeron made a peculiar noise. “Just wait ’til you get around the Malachai’s friends, Bubba and Mark. There’s an accent for you, what’ll make both ears bleed. And your noggin ache.”
Suddenly, one of the demons turned toward them.
Too late, Aeron remembered he wasn’t supposed to be out and about. Sadly, that particular demon hadn’t forgotten it.
Before they could move, the demon cried out an alarm to his friends to attack them.
CHAPTER 15
Nick slowly entered Menyara’s small duplex, just in case there was a trap waiting. Which there was, but luckily it was her normal one that she had set to keep out the unfriendlies they normally had to fight.
The walls lit up at his presence, activating the protection spells. Since he