Dark Prince Ch. 05

"There's something different about you."

Angel's eyes narrowed. There was something different about him. Light was blazing around him like the corona of a sun. His eyes widened and he looked down at himself, then back at her. "What are you looking at, Angel?"

"There's like this fire all around you."

Seth paled. "What color is it?"

Angel tilted her head, squinting at him. "It's a white-gold."

Zak popped in and Angel gasped at the psychedelic colors she saw shooting off him. "Wow!"

Zak looked from her to Seth, his blue eyes curious. "What?"

"Tell me what you see, Angel."

I can't even begin to describe the colors. They're like a bright... but oily swirl."

Zak blushed scarlet. "Is she... is she..." He crossed his arms over his chest as if he were naked, which he was from the waist up.

"She is," Seth finished for him.

"I'm what?"

"You can see our aura's."

Lucien stepped in and Angel felt her face heat up.

He ruffled Seth's hair and stood near him. "What's going on? I heard voices."

"Angel can see auras. She sees mine and Zak's filthy one."

"Hey, I resent that. Not my fault I've been unlucky in love. When I find the right girl, I'll settle."

"In the meanwhile, you're settling yourself between every accommodating pair of thighs."

Zak glared at Seth. "I have needs. I require lot's of affection." At Seth's snort, he scowled. "Just wait till you get a taste of it. You'll probably be worse than me and Luke put together."

"I know how to practice self control, like Remien."

Both Zak and Lucien stared at Seth open mouthed.

"What?" he said, his brows furrowed. "Just because I finally found one redeeming quality in the conceited prick doesn't mean anything."

Lucien chuckled. "Alright, you bozos, let's get some rest."

He put his hands on Seth's shoulders and steered him out of the room.

"Geez, Lucien, I'm not a kid anymore," Seth protested.

"Bed," Lucien ordered again, giving him a swat to his backside. Zak didn't see it, but Both Seth and Angel stared at Lucien in shock.

Lucien pointed to the corridor with a scowl and Seth scampered out.

Lucien turned and looked at Angel. The sad look in his eyes pulled at her heart. When he finally turned to leave, she called him before she could stop herself.

He turned slowly back to her, and then approached her. He didn't stop until he was a pace away.

The soft, white, drawstring pants he wore were similar to the ones she'd seen Zak and Seth wearing, except Lucien's sported an impressive erection she hadn't noticed before since he was standing behind Seth.

Angel's face flushed.

"It's only a cock, Angel. Every man has one." She gasped when he undid the ties to his pants and lowered them to let his prick spring out. "Tell me, Angel... does it look like his too."

Lucien's flesh was mottled with scars, burn marks, whip marks, teeth marks. She covered her mouth, her eyes watering at the hurt he'd been inflicted with. "Who did this to you?"

"My step-father and the members of his cult. He was into devil worship. I was always the sacrificial lamb... over and over."

And she'd gone and broken his heart on top of everything.

He reached down and touched a finger to the glistening drop that shimmered at his tip, stroking it lightly down his shaft. Angel swallowed. He gripped his pants and pulled them back over his straining cock. His eyes gazed into Angel's. "Maybe in the next lifetime you'll be for me."

With that, he turned and strode out, leaving her alone with her tears. How could she find happiness with Devon when she knew Lucien would be hurting?

"Why do things have to be so complicated?"

The sound of an unholy roar and shattering glass had her jumping with a start. She stood frozen where she was, her heart racing.

"Angel?"

Zak came dashing back into the room.

"What..." she began, but stopped when she heard Lucien yelling in the corridor.

"Devon? Devon, damn-it, open up!"

Angel ran as fast as she could. Lucien was pounding on the round door to Devon's quarters, but it remained immobile.

"Stand back," he snarled through clenched teeth, raising his arms, fire gathering in his fists.

He hurled the flame at the door, and it dented with a loud explosion. Three more attempts, along with Zak and Seth's help, sent the door flying in, billowing smoke.

There was no one inside. Shattered glass was strewn everywhere in his bedroom along with spatters of some black liquid on the floor.

Angel dipped her finger in one droplet on the floor and was seized by a vision.

She saw Devon struggling, being pulled by a horde of devils into a glowing cave on a frozen planet.

"They took him," she cried out. "The devils took Devon."

"Get Remien and Rowie," Lucien ordered.

Immediately Zak vanished, but after a few seconds, he popped back, his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock.

"What? What? What?" Seth shook him. "Are they gone too?"

"N-no, man."

"Why didn't you tell them to come?" Lucien snarled, frustrated.

Zak shook his head, his eyes still bulging out of his head. "Oh, they're coming."

Seth frowned, not understanding, and then paled. "They're coming as in—they're on their way?"

"No, dude... as in—they're fucking each other's brains out and coming."

Seth slapped his hand over his face as Lucien cursed. "We don't have time for this! If they manage to turn Devon completely... well you all heard what he said. He's going to open the gates of Hell!"

"Damn. He's wasn't being delusional when he said he was Davariel's son." Seth shivered. "Fucking creepy stuff!"

"He's our brother," Zak protested.

"If he turns, we have no choice but to kill him," Seth said in a flat tone.

"Don't you dare hurt him," Angel hissed.

"No one will harm him unless he's too far gone. Angel," Lucien gave her an imploring look. "We can't just stand by and let him destroy all creation. Besides, once the reapers find out the dark prince has risen again, they'll tear him limb from limb. It's better if one of us does it. Quick and merciful. He would want it that way."

The minute he crossed over, they seized him. Devon fought the devils, thrashing in their hold, trying to summon his divine sword. He shouldn't have listened to Samael's lies. He shouldn't have crossed over into this realm.

But Angel needed him. She'd crossed over blinded by her lust thrall. He had to save her.

The biting cold penetrated his flesh like daggers. They dragged him through snow that was a yellowish-grey color. The scent of sulfur made him want to gag. Overhead, roiling angry clouds, the color of blood and ash, choked the sky. Between the devils swarming him, he caught glimpses of an enormous mountain, its tip glowing with fire. Volcano.

Devon bucked, feeling the tingle of the sword's power at his back. If only he could get one of his hand's loose.

Angel, baby, hold on—he projected his thoughts to her. His anxiety increased ten-fold when she didn't answer.

They took him kicking and cursing into a tunnel. The dim reddish light of the outside died out completely, leaving him in total blackness, except for the glowing yellow eyes of the creatures crawling all over him. He felt heat emanating from below. Hell? Were they dragging him to Hell? The deeper they descended the more lakes of fire and lava he began to see. It was the same place from his nightmares. Had they pulled his Angel here as well? She was probably terrified.

"Where is she?" he yelled out.

They only laughed, angering him more. The tunnel widened out to a cathedral-like chamber. Columns rose from the ground to arch into the stalactite-riddled ceiling. More devils hung upside-down from within the niches and crevices in the ceiling, watching with grinning faces. Devon twisted, trying to wrestle himself from the swarms' grip, but they hauled him to two columns, and tied his arms stretched out to either side of him.

He used his powers to undo the ties, then let out a string of scathing curses when the black ropes only tightened, almost cutting the circulation to his hands. He cringed when the smaller devils sniffed and licked at his flesh. Furious, he gathered his power and hurled it out in a blaze of white fire. All the devils exclaimed in glee, growing, to his horror, to twice their size. He felt their fangs scraping against his skin, but a warning growl from the largest of the devils had them ceasing their threats to bite. Nevertheless, they proceeded to rip his breeches from him, their claws ripping his flesh in the process. Devon hissed, but the stinging eased and the wounds closed without a mark. The devils stared in fascination.

"Amazing," they snickered. "Let's see what else we can tear off and watch heal.

Devon gasped when one of them reached for his cock, the icy claws closing over his sensitive flesh.

"Enough!"

To his relief, the green hued devil holding his cock relinquished it with an angry snarl. Panting from fear and anger, Devon sent the being that saved him from being castrated a contemptuous glare

Like his Dominatio, the human-like entity looked androgynous. It walked with fluid grace toward Devon, chestnut brown hair falling in delicate waves to ankles, loose white robes flowing over a slim body.

The creature smelled sweet, like flowers. Aquamarine eyes looked Devon over with unmasked lust, its lips opening on a sigh of awe.

"Your blood is almost pure." The creature smiled, then turned and spoke in a strange tongue to the devils around him.

They scattered.

The creature turned back to Devon. "It won't be long now."

Devon frowned. "Long for what?"

The entity just smiled, walking slowly around him. Delicate fingers stroked his back, caressed his hair.

"So beautiful," he heard the being sigh.

"Fuck you," Devon spat.

The being walked around to Devon's front, pressing a decidedly male body to his, cock to cock. "It will be the other way around, my prince, I assure you. I had your father plenty of times. I'm anxious to see if your ass will be as sweet."

Devon remembered what Samael had said about his father being continuously raped after setting his mother free to save her. His blood boiled. "I'll kill you first!"

The being's tinkling laughter grated against Devon's ears. "Fool. You can't kill an immortal angel. Only reapers have that ability."

An angel?

Screams, roars, and snarls had Devon snapping his head to the left. He tensed when a literal ball of devils tumbled into the chamber. They were all fighting against a large grey devil, biting, clawing and whipping at him with their tails. He fought impressively, managing to tear over a dozen of his assailants to shreds. A few times, he tried to make his way to Devon, killing hatred in his glowing red eyes, but the other devils overwhelmed him.

The fallen angel moved away, letting Devon see how the devils tore pieces of the large devil's flesh. He cringed when he saw them tear off an arm. Still the creature fought. He finally lost his balance and fell. They covered him in an instant.

Devon's stomach turned at the sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh. By the time they were through with the big, grey devil, all that remained were his massive wings. They twitched and flapped pathetically, long writhing black tentacles hanging from the primary bones.

The fallen angel approached him again, as well as the devils involved in the dismemberment.

If their intention had been to intimidate him, it had worked. Would they tear him to pieces too? What would it happen to Angel?

It was as if he'd summoned her with his thoughts. They brought her, thrashing and screaming.

"Devon!"

"Baby," he whispered, straining at his bonds.

They began to pull her limbs, making her shriek louder.

His mind snapped, the darkness suppressed for so long awakened... with a vengeance.

He roared, his body igniting with uncontrolled power. Pieces from the vaulted ceiling crumbled. His thrashing made more blood pour down his arms. The columns creaked and started to crumble also.

Pain blazed on his back, digging into his flesh, burrowing into his spine, until it bloomed in his skull, like a crown of thorns. His voice grew thicker, more like a beast. He tasted blood in his mouth and felt when his canines elongated into sharp fangs.

Everything turned crimson, his vision distorting, the painful fire coursing through his veins feeding his thirst... for blood.

The ties that bound his wrists dissolved milliseconds before the columns turned to dust. Kneeling before him, the devils cowered, reaching out their claws, and begging for mercy.

Devon clenched his fists and turned with a snarl to see what was clinging to his back. Wings. The wings torn off the grey devil. He flexed them, feeling them as part of his body now. Turning again, he roared, the sound shaking the ground, daring anyone to challenge him... their master... the dark prince... no memory of how he came to be or why he was here.

Angel's eyes snapped open. Beyond the glass of Lucien's viper was the vast expanse of space. She could feel the presence of the other angels in her mind, all as stunned as her.

Devon's essence vanished. What did it mean? She would have panicked thinking that maybe he'd been killed if the certainty of others of his having turned completely hadn't overwhelmed her.

It's too late—Seth's voice whispered in her mind.

She concentrated harder and began hearing them more clearly than whispers.

"Fuck that," Remien retorted tightly. "Let's get the Utuduodian Master Guardians to snag him in a suspended animation ball until we can figure out what to do with him."

"How interesting that you should think of that half-assed way of fixing things. Already had experience setting up that particular scenario?"

"Fuck-you, Seth!"

"Geez, you two," Zak chimed in, sounding exasperated, "knock it off already."

"Where the hell were we heading?" Rowie asked. "I don't think I recognize this part of the galaxy."

"Megdoluc," Lucien answered.

Angel stiffened. She sat before him, his thighs cradling her hips and her back pressed to his chest. His hands, that had been resting at his sides, came up to curl around her shoulders.

"That's where one of the main portals of Hell is."

She could feel Lucien's warm breath against her ear. His lips pressed against her temple. "I know," he sighed. "Lucifer will be set free."

She shivered, fear choking her.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Angel. You're mine now."

Her eyes widened. Even if Devon died, she would never give herself to anyone else. She knew her heart would die along with him.

Something approached them, a small starship, vampires inside, Rowie's recognition of them. "Gabriel, Rafael."

She felt the surprise and apprehension of the others. Rowie associated with full vamps?

"We can't pass into the Faerie realm unless another magical creature sees us through. Megdoluc is within the Faerie realm," she informed, her voice defensive.

"I don't fucking trust vamps," Seth seethed.

"I trust Rowie," Remien spat in a tone that assured this was good enough for him.

"We're wasting time," Zak added. "I feel reapers nearby. If they caught the change Devon's essence gave, they're probably on their way to Megdoluc right now. There's no saving him if they get to him first."

A hatch opened up underneath the starship and the Vipers moved into it.

It wasn't what Angel expected the starship of vampires to look like. The pale silver of the walls within the small hanger had a pearly sheen and numerous round sconces lit the area with a soft glow.

Rowie led them through a door, as if she already knew her way around. They followed her through a wide corridor, the same pale grey as the hangar, only the floor was white instead of a charcoal grey. The elevator they rode took them to the helm of the starship. There they were met by two very handsome males. Their skin was pale, eyes as black as pitch with shoulder-length curls framing their pretty faces. Angel blinked. They looked very much like Rowie, their pixie-like features smiling a warm welcome.

Rowie rushed into their arms, hugging and kissing each one on their cheeks. Remien stiffened and scowled.

Rowie turned, grinning sheepishly, "They're my brothers."

"Vamps were one of the main species that tried to take over during the war... I heard." Seth's eyes were two chips of ice.

The older looking vampire smiled wider, his fangs gleaming in the soft glow of white light in the helm. "Yeah, I heard that too. Fucked up shit, huh?"

"Most of your species was set free though," the younger one added, not smiling as much as his brother, his eyes going over Seth with disdain. "were-tigers make for great sex slaves."

"Meanwhile, at this point Devon's probably learning how to open mirrored portals and our whole point for getting to Megdoluc will be moot," Zak prodded, running a frustrated hand through his golden tresses.

"Zak's right," Lucien spoke now. "Can you get us to the demon planet or not?"

"Can do," the older looking vamp replied. "Of course, we'll get there allot faster if you guys use that voodoo that you do."

Angel wasn't as experience as the others, so she remained where she was as they walked to the front of the oblong helm. Glass encircled the entire room, above control consoles lined with comfortable dark blue chairs. Alpha 7's angels stood an arms' length away from each other, facing the glass shield. Lucien stood in the middle, flanked by Seth and Zak. Remien stood to Zak's right and Rowie to Seth's left. Annie had stayed behind to guard the space station that had been pulled out its orbit in the Edenian solar system.

Angel felt the sizzle of power pour over and around her. Knowing what was coming, she sat in the nearest chair and closed her eyes. No need to see the stars melt into liquid around her again. The sensation still made her feel like throwing up.

She saw their destination in their minds, a glowing blue nebula with millions of sparkling stars within. Beyond the gauzy wall of the nebula border, the stars came into sharper focus. Two stars circled each other, one a red giant, the other a smaller white dwarf. Between the two was a cloudy smudge that turned into a sickly-looking planet. No land could be seen through the dense layer of thick dust that covered the atmosphere.

She heard a whisper, a soft sigh that breathed against her neck, giving her shivers. Her feet moved, easing to the back of the helm, to the elevator. The silver doors closed around her and the elevator cabin moved.

Angel.

She closed her eyes and tried to feel for Devon, but stopped short when she felt the presence of the others, still distracted with maneuvering the starship into orbit around Megdoluc. The elevator stopped once again in the hangar.

Her eyes looked the Vipers over, wondering if she could manipulate one of them to bring her down to the planet's surface.

Angel.

Eyes wide in fear, she looked around. A few of the lighting sconces flickered and turned off, submerging one corner of the hangar in total darkness. Golden eyes peered at her from the black shadows.

Angel.

Moving her hand to summon the divine sword she'd stored away at her side, she jumped when strong fingers closed around her wrist.

Lucien stared down at her, his face emotionless. The others were climbing into their Vipers.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I..." Angel turned to look back, but the lights had come back on revealing an empty space in the hangar. "It's nothing."

"The vampires are coming with us. Maybe you should stay here."

Angel scowled. "What?"

"The planet's atmosphere is poisonous for humanoids. The winds down there are blowing at six hundred and sixty plus miles and..."