The devil's Pact - S01 E376

Story 5 days ago

The devil's Pact - S01 E376

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 376

"Are you okay, Mark?" Mary's thought suddenly intruded as the assassin and fell to the floor in a heap of grasping limbs.

"Busy! I thought back.

*Oh God, Mark! Be carefull+

The man was on top of me, his dagger slamming down at my face. I grabbed his wrist with my right hand, halting his blow. We strained against each other. I threw an awkward punch at his face with my left hand and he blocked it. I heaved, and rolled him onto his back. He landed hard and the knife skittered away from him. I drew back my fist and punched him as hard as I could in the face.

My fist landed on his brow, I almost screamed in pain as I broke two of the knuckles on my right hand on his skull. The man blinked, looking stunned and trying to shake off the blow, while blood poured from a cut in his eyebrow. I grabbed the knife with my left hand and placed it at his throat.

"Who are you!" I demanded.

"A patriot," he spat back. "Kill me, Tyrant. You will learn nothing from me!"

"How are you ignoring my commands?"

He spat in my face, stinging my eyes. Anger flashed through me like a firestorm and for a moment I started to press the knife into his throat before I stopped myself. You need him alive, I reminded myself. Adrenaline pounded through me, making it hard to think straight. This man tried to kill me and every instinct made me want to drive the dagger home in retribution. I took in a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain in my wrenched knee and broken knuckles, and calmed myself down.

There was an explosion at the door, wooden splinters raining. followed by my shouting soldiers. They froze in surprise and snapped to attention.

"My Lord," the sergeant saluted in surprise.

"Take him," I ordered, rolling off the man.

As the soldiers grabbed the assassin, I closed my eyes and concentrated on healing my broken knuckles and wrenched knee. The pain melted away as the bones reknit and torn ligaments mended. I stood up, dismissing my armor, and it fell off me in golden sparkles. The prisoner was bound with plastic cuffs and the soldiers were searching him roughly.

*I'm safe, Mary, I sent.

What were you thinking! Mary demanded. I just watched you on the news, flying like a comet at the man who tried to kill you! We have bodyguards and soldiers for shit like that! I about had a heart- attack watching your idiocy!*

I felt sheepish. Sorry, Mare. I thought it would be good PR. You know, Gods shouldn't run from danger.

Good PR? Good fucking PR? I could feel an almost hysterical incredulity through the sending. You idiot! You're too important to risk on goddamn foolishness like that.*

I let the insult slide; she was just scared. "Watch out, Mare. This guy looked like a regular Thrall, but he ignored my orders.*

Unease filled her sending, Sam gets back tonight. I'm flying down to D.C. with her as soon as her plane lands.*

"What about the UN?"

The UN can go fuck itself, Mark! Her fear and concern poured through the sending. I need to see that you're all right. In person. I can always fly back to New York tomorrow in time.

Okay, Mare. Love you.

*I love you too, even if you can be pigheadedly stupid sometimes. Good PRI

Shella Robbins, New York City

"Pasaq!" I shouted and stabbed my bronze knife into the air and slowly drew open a portal into the Shadows.

I was in an apartment looking down at the Waldorf-Astoria, the owner sleeping peacefully on his bed. On the news, they were showing Baxter getting dragged out, captured by Mark.

I cursed, the Tyrant was far more powerful than Noel had reckoned. How had he deflected the bullet? The news clearly showed that the first shot caught the bastard off-guard.

it would destroy her heart. She would be dead before a cardiothoracic surgeon could even have a chance to save her.

Ten years in the CIA had taught me a few things.

I was surprisingly calm as I moved through the Shadows. I was going to die. It was unavoidable. Once I stepped out, I would have a few seconds to plunge my knife into her back before all those soldiers and sluts they called bodyguards would react and gun me down. It would be worth it. I would have killed one of the Tyrants.

Sometimes the mission is so important, so vital, to your Country's freedom that you have to give up your life. A lesson I learned at the Farm during my training. I had spent years in backwater hellholes to protect my Country, so there was no way in hell I could stand back and watch the Tyrants destroy it. I was prepared to die to keep it free.

Moving through the Shadows was different. Distances didn't measure directly. After taking a few steps, I could see Mary through the mists when I concentrated. I thrust my dagger into the vell that separated the mortal world and the afterlife, and started to carve my portal. It was faster to create on this side, somehow easier to return to the mortal world than to enter the spiritual. I drew the portal rapidly, my heart beating faster and faster. Three sides down, my knife sliding upwards to complete the doorway.

I was going to die with Mary's blood on my blade.

A cold hand grabbed me and yanked me backwards face-to-face with a blonde, naked woman. She stared fiercely into my eyes; hers were blue and filled with an icy fury. "You will not touch our Mistress," she hissed. Anger filled her voice, a terrible, cold rage that I had never felt in the living.

Our? I glanced around as I struggled in her cold grip only to see more women. Maybe a dozen of them, surrounding me. Shit! I stabbed my bronze knife at the blonde's chest, aiming for her heart. I would need to kill her quickly if I had any chance against the rest. The blade bounced off her breast, the tip slightly bent. The blonde didn't even seen to notice the blow.

"You should not have come here, mortal," the blonde told me. She had Scandinavian cheekbones and she reminded me of a Valkyrie -beautiful, implacable, deadly.

Her other hand lashed out, grabbing my throat, and squeezed. I struggled in vain as cold fingers choked off my air. No! I couldn't die! Not without stabbing that Mary in the fucking heart! I could not fall and let that bitch live!

I tried to saw through the fingers about my throat with the bronze blade, while my booted feet lashed at her legs. My toe cracked against her shin, and my knife didn't even seem to irritate the skin of her fingers. My vision fuzzed, everything going black around me as my lungs burned for oxygen.