Forbidden: Broken

Chapter 11

What she found when she opened her eye was a thousand times worse than Hell on a particularly busy day.

Hundreds of Irin's, sais in hands, slicing, ripping, cutting into living flash. How had she kept her sanity? But then again, maybe she hadn't.

There she was, gutting a human woman who screamed in agony. There she was, riding a demon, thrusting her blade into his stomach in time with her strokes. And again, carving out the still beating heart of an angel. Madness.

She had to find the real Irin. The one she heard scream in denial of what was happening in her mind. Not the one who groaned in pleasure.

Bati imagined the real one to be hiding somewhere in here, seeking escape from the horror. When she came across one Irin fighting another, it took her a moment to realize what this meant.

The angel was a fighter in every sense of the word.

They went at each other, equally matched, each hell bent on destroying the other. This was a fight for her broken soul.

Bati watched, spellbound, at the ability of the destroyer of her race. How was it that any of them still lived?

They dodged and struck, parried and deflected.

They were identical. The clothing they wore, the weapons they used were mirror image. Gold covered their legs to right above the knees. Short white dresses were protected across the chest by golden armor and gold wrapped around the wrists and forearms of each woman. This was their heavenly wardrobe. Twins. Except for one thing. The scars that ran up from the leg plates to disappear under the white fabric.

This was the Irin that needed to win.

"Irin, you are not alone." Bati whispered into the chaotic mind.

The scarred woman stiffened at the intrusion. The other took a swipe at her during the ever so brief pause and she leapt back, a quarter of a second too late. Red bloomed from the cut on her waist.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Irin's voice filled the air.

"I have come to help. My name is Batibat and I am the demoness of nightmares."

"That figures." She kicked the evil one in the stomach and it flew back. She jumped after it, only to be shoved to the side by a well-placed foot to the gut. She came up with a snarl. "Come to join the fun? You will have to wait your turn. I got a list of these bitches a mile long."

Bati smiled at her determination.

"No, Irin. I haven't come to fight. Elathan and Sitri know I am here and Elathan let me know in no uncertain terms what will happen if I mess up."

Irin grunted as she took a kick to her cut on her waist. "Yeah, well, my experience with his sword has been less than stellar. He couldn't get it up if someone dangled a bound bleeding angel in front of him. I think you are pretty safe."

Bati laughed. A sound that surprised them both.

Irin took a second to glance around to find who she had been speaking to.

Frowning, she went back to her battle. Of course the demoness would be dead sexy. Had she and Elathan ever..., she cut the thought off. More important things to worry about.

"How are you going to help me?" Irin spun as she gripped the others arm and threw her over her shoulder. As the evil Irin hit the ground, the good one planted her foot on its throat. She dropped to her knee, plunging the sai into the head of herself. "Holy shit." She spun toward Bati, surprise on her face. "I did it. I killed the damn thing."