Angel of Retribution Ch. 17-Epilogue

"But I thought he met Davariel after you and Luke were born?" Seth interjected.

"You're right. Drakken was set up. They blood-starved him. He's still there. I know where they have him hidden. As for Remuel, he's the dragon that escaped dragon space and ate the vampire queen. He's looking for you." Devon looked pointedly at Remi. "As for Zakreel, Zak's father, he was an escort at Heaven's Pearly Gates until about ten years ago when he disappeared. Rumor has it that he was abducted by a group of Arborian mages."

Zak stood, eyes wide. "Y-you mean he might still be alive?"

"He's definitely alive. The mages are collecting Davariel's disciples in hopes of performing a mirrored ritual."

"Mirrored ritual?" Remi scrunched his face in confusion.

"They sacrifice the disciples and offer the blood up to the mirrored image of the portal to the realm of shadows. The magic is supposed to work backwards, bring Davariel's other out."

"Other?" Seth voiced the same question Remi was thinking.

"His evil other. Davariel's complete opposite."

Remi felt a cold chill sweep over him. "What the hell do they want with his other."

Devon's brows rose. "Isn't that obvious."

Remi rolled his eyes. "Yeah-yeah. Open the portals of Hell. What a fucking obsession."

"What about my father?"

They all turned toward Seth. His eyes were wide, expectant...hopeful, his lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile. And then Remi saw all that hopeful joy go out like candlelight in space.

"Seth, your father lived for about three hundred years or so. He died of old age a few months ago."

Seth bowed his head and nodded.

Remi rubbed the weird ache in his chest and fought the urge to embrace him. Zak reached over and pulled Seth into a hug.

"Hey, Tiger. We'll find where he's buried and go there. Okay?"

Seth shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I was just curious, that's all."

***

Rowie couldn't get Remi out of her mind. She tried communicating with Seth again, even tried linking to all of them telepathically, but all of the commotion for the show didn't let her concentrate enough.

Backstage, Rowie's personal assistants fixed her hair, applied her makeup and layered her clothing over her.

Ashtar performed first. Rowie practiced her vocalization, memorized the various points onstage she needed to be positioned at during various portions of the show. The encore was Death of an Angel where she'd finish offering a black rose to her brother as he performed his solo on a pedestal that took him to Heaven. A romantic representation of the vampire's mortal lover dying and leaving her alone in the world... except it was her brother and he really wasn't dying.

She saw Zak perform on the monitors in her backstage room and smiled with pride. He looked stunning standing with his long legs spread, upper torso bare, holding the power guitar in his arms. Zak's fingers flew over the gleaming chords, little sparks of fire shooting out at times. His golden tresses billowed out around him taking her breath away.

The crowd roared at the finale seconds before a knock came at her door.

"Midnight Rose, five minutes."

Rowie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The sound of shattering glass had her snapping them open again.

The bottles of makeup and perfumes on her vanity were scattered all over the floor as the vanity itself toppled over. A muscular male body scrambled to hold up the mirror as it crashed onto him. He was naked, blood-red hair spilling down to his ass in a silken mass. For a split second, she thought it was Remi and her heart soared, but the absence of tattoos had her reaching for her sword. Belatedly she realized she was unarmed.

"Bloody hell," the male cursed with a slight brogue accent as the mirror finished toppling over, shattering into tiny pieces. He looked over his shoulder and it was like looking at Remi. Bright green-gold eyes regarded her with a frown as he turned and stood slowly. His nostrils flared and a look of shock crossed his features.

"Bloody moons of Venushti, Drakken! Did you go and get yourself a sex change, man?"

Rowie's mouth dropped open in outrage. "I'm not Drakken, you oaf! Who the hell are you, and why do you have my Remi's face?"

The man continued to regard her with an unsure frown as he took a step toward her. Rowie let her gaze sweep over him. He was a bit taller than Remi, and more buff. His thick, pin-straight hair was the same rich shade of fresh blood, but it all fell below his waist.

His nostrils flared and a smile grew on his face. "You're pregnant." He chuckled. "My boy has been busy, I see."

"You're boy?"

He grew solemn now. "Where is he?"

"Remi?"

He frowned stepping closer. "My name is Remuel, not Remi."

Rowie took a step back, shaking her head. "No. Your son... his name is Remien Fyre."

"Fyre?" Remuel grimaced. "I told that crazy female my last name is Freyraraei-Yre."

Rowie tried not to smirk. "Guess Fyre was easier to spell... and pronounce."

Remuel kept coming closer. Rowie would have kept retreating, not liking the predatory look he had in his eyes... and she was really loath to kicking her new father-in-law in the nuts just meeting him and all. The back of her lounging couch kept her from going any further. He came up right against her. She felt the heat of his bare flesh through the layers of black lace and tulle that made up her frothy gown.

His hand came up and one finger traced a gentle line down the curve of her cheek. He looked so much like Remi it was hard not to go up on tiptoe and...

Rowie drew herself up short. What the Hell was wrong with her. "Alright, Romeo," she said placing her palms on his hot flesh to push him back, "time to back off."

Unfortunately, it was like trying to move a concrete wall. "You're so pretty," he murmured with a husky voice, "like your da."

Rowie arched her brow at that comment. Was Remi's dad actually telling her he thought her dad was... pretty?

"Yup. Just like dad." She nodded pressing him back a little harder. "How about you not put wrinkles in my gown."

Someone knocked on her door again. "Midnight Rose, you're up."

Her eyes widened. "Guess that's my cue, big guy."

He stepped back and she eased out from in front of him. Before she got very far, he gripped her hand and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. "We'll meet again, Midnight Rose."

"Uh... yeah, sure." She smiled and continued to back away. Daddy was just as hot and flirtatious as his son, and she needed to put a little space between herself and him. The man didn't look a day over thirty and was drop-dead gorgeous.

At least I know my baby's gonna age real nice... if Remi ever gets changed back, that is.

He just stood there, smiling as she slipped out the door. Navar was just about to enter her dressing room when she slammed the door behind her back blowing out a breath of relief.

"Ah, my love, you look stunning," Navar enthused, offering her his arm.

As they made their way to the stage area, Rowie began wondering if maybe she should have summoned Devon to see Remuel. Surely, he'd want to speak to the weredragon that had protected his father over three hundred years ago.

But, what about Remi. When that weredragon got a look at what had been done to his baby boy, there was no telling how he was going to react. Remuel might go into a frenzy—be as hotheaded as his son.

There was no more time to pounder the situation. Rowie found herself center stage before... her eyes rose to take in the enormous bowl-shaped arena around her. The crescendo of cheers was deafening and she saw no end to the millions—maybe billions—of beings present. Everything went dark except for a lone spotlight on her, and the soft melody of the first song began.

At first, she felt something akin to terror, but as the show progressed, and she saw how much the multitude adored her, she grew more confident.

The last song almost made her wish it wasn't over. Only their encore song, Death of an Angel, was left. At least in two day cycles she would get to perform again. The tour was a year long.

Her heart squeezed as she looked off to the stage sidelines. Too bad her Remi couldn't be there to share this moment with her. Perhaps later. She had hope Devon would find a way to turn him back to his human form.

A commotion to her left drew her attention. Some of the security guards were pulling a strange being back from the edge of the stage. Rafael hugged his hand as two of the stage techs rushed to him.

Rowie sang the last chorus of the song, and when the lights dimmed, she sprinted in the direction her brother had been escorted to.

"What happened," she blurted?

Blood dripped from Rafael's hand.

"I've told you a million times not to let them touch you," Navar ranted at her brother.

"I'll be fine," he panted. "Just need a moment."

Rowie took his hand in hers. The skin of his palm was shredded.

Out in the arena, the beings in attendance had worked themselves into a frenzy. The letters A-O-R were being chanted with insistence.

"They will tear this place apart if we don't do the encore," Navar bemoaned.

"Go on, Rowie. Gabe can handle himself alone for now," Rafael urged.

The techs escorted her back out onto the blackened stage. Total darkness engulfed her, as well as the frenzied shouts of the audience.

Rowie bowed her head and a blue beam of light came on over her. The crowd went wild.

The soft melodic notes of Death of an Angel began, and with it the memory of how she felt a few weeks ago when she thought she'd lost her Remi forever. Her hand went to her belly. Now, she carried his babies inside her.

"Oh God," she whispered forgetting the microphone dots on her face. Her whispered sob carried over the speakers and the crowd went silent.

Rowie drew in a deep breath and remembered the hopeless torment she felt. Her voice held the soulful torment of her loss, her love. Tears streamed down her cheeks, crystal clear and warm. As the ending of the song drew near, she pulled the single black rose from her bodice and kissed it reverently. The blaze of the solo began behind her. Immediately she realized it wasn't Rafael playing. The cry of the power guitar was so moving, so passionate... and suddenly the crowd grew rowdy again. The beings were giving a standing ovation and the song hadn't even finished yet.

Rowie turned, lifting the rose to the rising pedestal and then froze in shock.

Golden light bathed him as he twisted his body to the melody his fingers played on the power guitar. Flames lit the tips of his fingers and the carefully placed air vents had his hair flowing around his head like living fire.

"Remi!"

The lights should have gone out after the last blazing chord was struck, but the golden light remained on him. He was grinning down at her, his bare chest heaving from his spectacular performance. The roar of the audience made her ears hurt. Remi's dragon wings popped out from his back, and then he was gliding down to her.

She waited for him, arms, and heart wide open.

"Baby," she sighed when he wrapped her in his heat.

His mouth crushed hers, the velvet of his tongue sweeping in and claiming her fully. Rowie's hands stroked his flesh, tangled in the silk of his hair, relearned the shape of his sweet ass. She thought the crowd couldn't get any louder, but they did. The longer Remi kissed her, the louder they grew, until she feared they'd riot.

Finally, Remi released her lips. "I love you," he growled against her lips, the sound carrying over the speakers.

"Love you too, baby."

Remi blinked, looking out into the audience. "There's a fuck load of off-worlders here."

The crowd roared and cheered.

Remi grinned. "Do they know I got you pregnant?"

Rowie winced. The crowd stirred up louder, cheering their approval. She could almost hear Navar hitting the floor in a dead faint. "Guess they do now."

"Think they'd mind we went somewhere else now to fu-"

Rowie gasped and covered his mouth before he could finish.

She felt his power wrap around her and the arena melted away to another dressing room backstage.

Again, he kissed her, with desperation this time. His fingers fumbled with the closures to her leather bodice.

"God, Rowie, how do I get this off you?"

She giggled and untangled her arms from around his neck. "There's a button right here. The whole thing is magnetized."

Rowie pushed the button on the collar around her throat and the whole dress fell apart in two halves.

"Oh yeah," he moaned, and dove for her breasts.

Rowie bit her lower lip, pushing them out further for his sweet torment. His tongue lapped one globe first, and then the other, the metal stud making her toes curl as it dragged over her aching nipples.

"Mmm, yeah," he growled. "Daddy's sweet titties. Have I ever told you, you have the sweetest tits."

She grinned, recalling all too well his first words to her—and the slap she gave him for being such a foul-mouthed pervert.

"You talk too much. Shut up and fuck me already."

Before she could utter another word, Remi had her up on the wall, wrapping her legs around his waist as he freed his cock from his black leather pants.

"As my lady commands," he said with a lascivious smile.

His thick length bob out from its prison, and she admired the magnificence of it for only a second.

"Oh yeah," he moaned as it maneuvered itself at her dripping entrance She felt swollen with need.

Rowie screamed with pleasure when he shoved the full length of his erection into her.

"Oh, God, yes!"

"You like that, baby," he growled, rolling his hips between her spread legs. "Tell me you love it when I fuck you."

"Yes, Remi, yes," she howled. "Fuck me harder."

"Yes, mistress. Your pleasure is mine."

His words alone did it for her. The orgasm that had been building deep in her gut exploded. She arched against his sinewy, beautiful body, and came hard, screaming in rapture. His prick continued to stab into her, deep, brutal. Rowie could hear his pants near her ear as he buried his face in her neck, and then, with snarled "I'm gonna cum", she felt his dragon's seed fill her in hot spurts. Beneath her fingers, his body was taut and a deep inhuman growl rumbled in his chest.

Sweat poured down their bodies, and she could still feel the tremors of her ebbing orgasm deep in her pussy, as well as the throb of Remi's pulse in his still engorged cock. His legs began to shake.

Rowie gripped his hair with her fists as they both slid to the floor, panting.

"God, I missed that," she panted against his cheek.

"I missed you," he breathed, taking her mouth again.

As they kissed deeply, someone pounded on the door. They both turned to stare at Zak duck his head in. Zak's face went scarlet, but he still grinned, his dimples creasing his cheeks adorably.

Remi snarled at him, "Can't you see we're in the middle of fucking?"

Uh... yeah, man. I know." Zak scratched his head, a mischievous twinkle in his sapphire eyes. "So does the entire arena, by the way."

As if to prove his point, a thunderous roar sounded from out in the corridor.

Rowie gasped touching her face. The microphone dots!

Remi blinked at Rowie just before a devilish smirk lit his features. That grin made her uneasy. "Well close the door, bro, and let them finish enjoying the show. I am far from done," Remi purred, his still hard dick sweeping lazy circles inside her.

"Remiii," Rowie cried out as another orgasm shot through her.

Epilogue

Rowie swung at him with everything she had. Zak kicked out at her, but she disappeared. He anticipated her move, and spun around, barely dodging the tip of her sword as he slashed toward her neck. Had she not reared back, he would have successfully beheaded her. Instead of looking scared, she grinned at him, making his cock ache. Feeling guilty, he swung out at her with his boot. That time her eyes widened, but she ducked just in time to avoid her teeth being knocked in.

Zak whimpered. She'd been a spectacular lay once upon a time, but now...

He cast a sidelong glance at the sidelines where the real Rowie straddled Remien Fyre... doing what they always did when she had some free time from the tour—sucking face.

An electric jolt caught him by surprise, making him gasp.

He stared in shock at the sword traversing his gut.

"Beat you again, Blondie," holo-Rowie grinned.

Zak threw his sword down with an angry clang. "I suck at this," he whispered to no one in particular.

Despair clutched his chest as he gazed at Devon who had a very pregnant Angel sitting between his spread legs, his hands caressing her belly.

"You got distracted," Devon began.

"Yeah-yeah, I..." Zak wiped the sweat from his brow and sauntered over to the bench where he'd left his towel. "I know."

"Geez," Remi snickered. "You can't even beat holo-Rowie?"

Remi grunted in pain and Zak looked up to see him scowling at Rowie and rubbing his abdomen. "What was that for?"

"For being tactless," she replied.

Zak sighed, picking up his towel, and walked out of the training room. He wasn't usually such a pathetic fighter. He just... felt so alone.

Halfway down the corridor he teleported into his hygiene room, tidied himself up and then teleported down into the hangar.

He'd go to Heaven's Pearly Gates, get shit-faced, and then lose himself in about a dozen or so hookers. Fuck until he passed out was the usual norm... or set Alpha 7's fire alarms off. He wondered if Rowie was spending the night aboard their space station so he could blame Remi for setting off the alarms as usual.

As he rounded his Viper, he spotted Seth laid out on the floor by his.

"Not again," Zak sighed. The kid could just not hold his liquor. Zak stooped down to pick him up. "Alright, lightweight. Let's get you to your room before Annie sees you and paddles your barely legal ass."

Zak wrinkled his nose as the smell of alcohol and sex hit his nose. Ever since they'd returned from their mission on Vildminoria, Seth had become more of a male whore than Zak—and that was saying allot. When Seth was sober, he just walked around like a soulless zombie. Not even Remi's taunts fazed him anymore.

"We make a fine pair, don't we," Zak murmured as he hauled Seth up.

A flash of fire announced Remi's arrival.

"Oh-my-God," Rowie blurted. "What's wrong with him?"

She ran to Zak's side and bent, trying to see Seth's face. Zak did his best to hold him up, but the kid was as limp as an old ragdoll.

Remi chuckled. "He's fubar, baby."

She looked at him in confusion. "Fubar?"

Remi gripped a handful of Seth's platinum locks and pulled his head up. Zak grimaced.

Seth's nose was red, and a line of drool oozed from the corner of his lip. His eyelashes fluttered a bit, but he remained unconscious.

Remi snickered. "Yeah. Fucked up beyond all reality."

"Oh, Remi," she chastised frowning into his laughing face.

"Don't worry," he began, taking Seth from Zak's arms. "I got this." He wiggled his fingers at Zak and Rowie. "Stand back," he grinned, "really far back. This might get messy."

"Shit," Zak hissed pulling Rowie away as he backed up.

Her eyes went round. "Remi, what are you going to do to him?"

The worry in Rowie's voice reflected exactly what Zak felt. Whatever the red dragon was planning, it couldn't be good.

Remi began to twirl his hand around in a circular motion. Before them, an enormous globe of water appeared. It shimmied and rolled as if alive.

Rowie gasped. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Nothing," Remi grinned wider, "yet."

His dragon's wings ripped through his shirt and he hauled Seth up twenty feet into the air. His hands, which were over Seth's stomach, began to glow.