GUARDIAN DEMON | BL ✔

CHAPTER 81

"What the fuck just happened??" Jun looked back into the mouth of the cave as a loud explosion sounded from within the darkness. The boy looked at Etta standing beside him who said, "Stay with the ship," before heading back into the cave.

"What do I do with him?" Jun hollered after the woman as he gestured to the unconscious Ryiak lying on the ground.

"Whatever you want. Throw him off the side of the mountain for all I care." Etta's answer was short as she picked up speed and left Jun to man the ship that had landed just outside the mouth of the cave. Jun had arrived outside the cave to find the empty ship sitting on the ground and was about to use it to go retrieve help when Ryiak came running out of the cave with Etta chasing him. The two had banded together to incapacitate Ryiak when the cave began to shake and a loud explosion sounded from within.

Etta ran into the main room of the cave to find bodies strewn across the floor. Most of them were missing heads, but the ones that were all intact remained motionless. The only person who was not unconscious was a black-haired man who was holding an unconscious man in his lap. But Etta walked past the two and made her way toward the platform to reach what had caught her attention the moment she entered the cave.

Reaching out her hand, Etta carefully brushed her fingers over the golden soul crypt. Looking through the glowing crypt, Etta could make out the forms of two men. Sounds of cracking caused the female to take a step back from the crypt as it reacted to her touch and began to open. Larger cracks ran through the hard surface of the crypt until it broke open and shattered to the ground. Coughing alerted Etta to one of the men regaining consciousness, and she watched as Devyn propped himself up on his hands and knees as he caught his breath.

"Denzyl!" After opening his eyes and seeing the unconscious avex beneath him, Devyn immediately placed his fingers against Denzyl's neck and checked for a pulse. Noticing the woman standing behind him, Denzyl asked, "What happened?" as he lifted Denzyl's head and laid it in his lap

"I came in to find that out," Etta answered as she turned to look around the cave. The man toward the entrance to the room was still holding the unconscious star in his arms, and other than them, there was no sign of life.

"Denzyl!" Devyn's efforts to wake the avex became more and more frantic the longer Denzyl remained unresponsive. Desperate to wake the demon, Devyn lifted his hand and prepared to perform a love slap across the avex's face, but a hand around his wrist stopped Devyn from hitting his love. "Oh, thank god," Devyn exclaimed in relief when Denzyl opened his eyes.

"I'm alright, love." Those three words from Denzyl opened the stream of emotions Devyn had been holding in from the moment his mark began to smoke back on the ship, and big tears fell from the human's emerald orbs. "I thought I was going to lose you," Devyn cried as Denzyl sat up and brought the human into his arms.

"I know, I'm sorry love." Denzyl hated hearing Devyn cry, but he was relieved he was crying in his arms instead of over his body. Looking to the ground, Denzyl saw the golden shards that were scattered across the floor of the cave and remembered a split second when both his and Devyn's marks activated and worked together to create the soul crypt that saved both their lives.

Denzyl kept Devyn in his arms and comforted his love as Etta walked the perimeter of the cave and assessed the situation as best she could. Confirming the seven elders and the remainder of the horde had been eliminated, Etta came to kneel beside the two bodies that were not far from Denzyl and Devyn. "Monir..."

Etta's quiet word brought Denzyl's attention to the form on the ground not too far from him, and his heart dropped. His mother was busy keeping Klein from hurting either him or Devyn and was not able to protect herself from the star's blast. Denzyl's eyes moistened at the thought that there was no one who could protect his mother, and he choked on tears as he realized his mother had given her life to protect him. Turning Devyn's face into his neck, Denzyl closed his eyes and mourned for his mother.

Closing the monir's still lids, Etta bowed her head in respect before standing back to her feet. Turning to Denzyl, Etta asked. "What do you want to do?" The question was directed toward the avex, but everyone conscious heard it, and each had their own answers. The clan was no more; the only survivors were Klein's followers who had stayed guard at the village, the prisoners in the underground holding area, and those at the cave.

Denzyl looked up at Etta before rising to his feet while helping Devyn stand. The moment Devyn stood, his vision grew blurry, and his head swooned. Denzyl caught Devyn as his knees buckled, his hand going to the human's back to support him. Wet warmth met Denzyl's fingers, and he drew his hand away to find them coated in blood. Recalling Klein injuring Devyn before the human had covered him, Denzyl immediately scooped Devyn into his arms.

Walking past Etta, Denzyl went up to Kilo and asked, "Can you carry him?" while looking at the unconscious star in the angel's arms. Kilo confirmed Denzyl's question by standing with Castyr in his arms. "Let's get them treated."

Nodding in agreement, Kilo followed Denzyl out of the cave. Jun released a breath of relief when he saw the demon and angel walking toward him with their loves in their arms. "Can you fly the ship?" Denzyl asked the young demon as the five approached the hovercraft.

"I can," Jun replied as the five boarded. "Where is the other one?" Jun inquired as he took the captain's seat and began prepping the craft for take-off. Denzyl narrowed his brows at the boy's question. "What other one?"

"Wasn't there a woman with you?" Jun clarified as he turned on the craft and checked its settings. "Oh..." Denzyl sounded in response as he gently lay Devyn in one of the chairs. "Etta."

"Yeah, Etta. Isn't she coming?"

Denzyl looked out the hatch of the craft to check the mouth of the cave to see Etta emerge from the darkness with the monir in her arms. She had removed her jacket and laid it over Ilya's still face. Walking up the ramp, Etta said, "I couldn't leave her, and I figured you weren't going to either," as she walked past Denzyl and set the monir on one of the benches that lined the wall of the craft.

"Thank you," Denzyl said with a bow of his head.

"We can lay her to rest after we make sure your..." Etta hesitated as she looked at the two men who were caring for their loves. One was human, and the other was definitely not. Not exactly sure how to address the two injured ones, Etta ended, "your mates are alright."

"Will the village still be covered in the fog?" Kilo inquired as he situated Castyr in the other chair.

Denzyl had been unaware the fog had rolled in until the angel mentioned it, but being accustomed to the fog's nature, Denzyl was able to answer. "The haze usually lasts for a few days. If it had rolled in some time before you arrived, it should be cleared up by now. If not, we will need your help retrieving the medical supplies."

Kilo nodded in agreement. It should not be a problem to retrieve the supplies. He was not as vulnerable when it came to being affected by the haze. However, fending off the remaining soldiers while gathering the supplies was another matter. But it was one he would have to deal with when they arrived at the village.