Sentinal's Tear (Book #1 in Requiem Series) [formally titled Lacrimosa]

Chapter 32

Aydan

Nesy disappears as I fall. Safe. But for how long? I have no idea what Azza plans for her, but I can guess. And I can't let him succeed.

The Beast growls, reminding me of my loyalty and gnawing away at my insides. He demands attention. I want to ignore him, overrule that aspect of me.

Impossible. He's too entrenched in my soul.

Azza's claws dig into my arm, pulling me to my feet. The sounds of war—metal on metal layered over the screams of the injured—pound in my ears. Instinct forces me to reengage, raise my sword. My arm trembles as the muscle tears from the strain. It's too much and my arm falls, unable to hold the weight of my weapon.

Angels and demons attack with one purpose. My death.

Should I acquiesce? It would be so easy now.

Azza answers for me, pushing me through the throng, perhaps to my end. Dark and murky shadows block the sun, throwing the courtyard into darkness. In the center of the eclipse, a portal. Azza pushes me through it and I fade into nothing.

Moments pass. Maybe longer. The swirling darkness erases all meaning of time. Something cold and hard shoves me forward. My knees grate across smooth wood as I slam into a floor.

I remember Azza and Nesy in vivid detail. The way he drove his knife into her. The silver color of her blood.

Vengeance clouds my judgment. I jump to my feet, my weapon in hand. The pain shoots up my arm as I engage my master.

Too long I've waited to exact my revenge.

Too long I've dreamed of his death.

He will pay for every ounce of agony and torment I posses, for every lost moment with Nesy. I point the sword at his cold heart.

"Put that away," Azza snarls.

"You attacked Nesy."

"And yet she lives. Do you want to make sure she stays that way? Or would you prefer I kill you first and have some fun with her before she dies?" Azza's fingers tap the hilt of his sword. His eyes narrow, pinning me. "Decide."

My heart clenches. I can't defeat him. Not until I receive the marks. It will be too late then—for either of us. Rage stiffens my body and I withdraw.

For now.

"I thought you'd see it my way."

For the first time, I notice my familiar surroundings. The strange way the light plays off the stained glass windows. The echo of Azza's footsteps on the floor. The musty scent of the air.

He's brought me to the club.

Azza walks to the bar and digs his hands into the counter. "It is time for you to take your oath. Tonight."

My rage boils over. "No," I bark. "No more. I won't follow you."

Azza turns. "Did I say you had a choice?"

The weight of his stare crushes the air from the room.

"We have waited four hundred years for this. Four hundred years to find a Seer worthy of you. You will not waste this chance because of your misguided feeling for that Sentinal."

"And if I refuse?"

Azza is at my side in seconds. His foul stench curdles my stomach. "You will take your vows or I will feed you to the dark creatures myself."

His threat feeds my rage. And my fear. All I can think about is Nesy. What will he do to her if I refuse, if I end this now?

"If you die, Aydan, Nesy dies. If you try to join her, she dies. If she kills you, she dies. If—"

"You'll kill her if I don't do what you want. I get it." My mind whirls, trying to figure a way out.

"Good. You are taking your oath tonight. You'll drink the soul of the Seer, taste her blood, bear the marks. Under the sculpture of Mikayel, we will mock him and show all of Celestium who really holds the power." Azza's voice echoes through the empty club.

Torment circles around me, ignored. I've no time to wallow. No time to feel. "When I do this, will you guarantee Nesy's safety? Promise me you won't hurt her? Corrupt her?"

"You are in no position to bargain with me, boy. But, to show you how reasonable I can be, I will guarantee that I will not kill her."

"That isn't the same." What's he planning?

"That is my only offer. Take your oath as you have vowed to do, and I will not kill your lover."

I have to move, figure out the meaning behind his words. It's a trap, I know it is. But I have no choice.

Azza flashes pictures through my thoughts.

Nesy dying at Azza's hands

—I'll kill you first.

Dark creatures ending my life

—not before I hurt you, Azza. Remember that.

The Beast again reminds me of my oath, the bind that locks me to my master, whether I want it or not.

Refuse the Beast, refuse Azza, and Nesy dies a certain death. Finish this, take my oath and bear the marks, and maybe there will be a way to keep her safe. One chance at ending this.

Maybe.

"Okay. Fine. I'll do it." The words stick in my throat as I choke on every syllable. The Beast awakens, as it will for an eternity.

An ominous glint flecks in Azza's eyes. "I knew you would," he hisses. "To start, you must feed. You are far too weak to go into battle. The Sentinals have alerted Mikayel by now. He will come and make his stand. He was never one to resist a fight.

"So I will brand you. And tempt him." A smile curls his lips.

Chills ripple across my skin as I taste my acrid rage. Mikayel will come. He'll end this. End me.

Perfect.

"Tonight we will crush the Sentinals once and for all." Azza grows manic with every word.

"You promised Nesy wouldn't be hurt."

"I promised I would not hurt her."

His threat lingers in the air. "I will not let anyone hurt her. Not now. Not ever."

"And you cannot break your vows," Azza snaps. "But to ensure your loyalty, and guarantee your power, you will seal our deal with a blood oath."

"What? I've never had to—"

"You've never crossed me before. There is no trust between us now, not since you've decided that your love for a Sentinal means more than your vow to me. You will take a blood oath and bind yourself to your word or there is no deal and I will end Nesy's existence now."

Every muscle contracts with rage. My ragged breath feels like sandpaper against my throat. "Who?"

"You must make amends for the one you refused."

"Lori," I whisper.

"Yes. The Seer." A sadistic smile forms on Azza's face, moving from his lips to his eyes. "First you will taste her blood. Then you will drink her soul."