Blood and Reign (Blood and Ruin Series Book 3)

Rielle sighs, frowning at Soren before taking my arm and helping me out of the room. I’m basically healed, so I don’t know whether this is for me or so she can get away from Soren quicker.

He follows us anyway, so I guess her little plan didn’t work.

I walk out into a long hall. The walls are cream and brown, with paintings of stunning scenery along them. The floor is a dark wooden mahogany and the accessories and decor splashed around the place make it feel warm and welcoming.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“My home.” Rielle laughs at my expression. “Not what you were expecting?”

“Are we still in Hell? The room we were in…” looked nothing like this. The walls literally sparkled, and it was white. Every square foot of it. Comparing the two is like night and day.

“The walls and floor are specifically designed to aid healing. There are special crystals embedded in them that speed up the process. The rest of the house is normal.”

I pass a large statue of a demon and angel, the wings of each slicing through the other, and start to question whether Rielle understands the definition of normal.

“But we’re still in Hell?” I ask just to be sure. This place looked nothing like the Hell we’ve been traveling through.

She nods again, laughing. I catch Soren as he smiles at her. He quickly covers it, glancing around as she answers me. “We’re close to the Infernal City. You’ve only seen a small part of it. There’s so much more to it than fiery pits and ashes.”

“That’s because I showed her all my shortcuts.” Soren smirks, giving her a side glance as if waiting on her reaction.

Rielle whips her head to him, a snarl on her face. “Shortcuts that you created.”

Soren shrugs, unfazed by her temper. “Why go the long way, when you can get to your destination in half the time?”

Rielle’s grip tightens on me, and she grits her teeth at him. “Because there are rules for a reason. Because if we don’t follow them, then the imbalance will—”

“Again, with your rules…” Soren groans. “Stop worrying so much and loosen up a little. You might enjoy yourself for once.”

Rielle swiftly turns back around and moves us down a wide staircase, ignoring Soren as he chuckles behind us.

But I’m too interested in what they said to drop it so quick. As soon as we’re downstairs, I turn to Soren.

“What shortcuts?”

Rielle sighs as Soren’s smirk grows. He looks at me as he answers. “If you know where to look and what to sense for, it’s like taking a straight walk through the park.”

Yeah, except it’s Hell…

I narrow my eyes on him remembering our first conversation in the cave. “I guess you weren’t lying when you said you were the best to get us through the realms, considering you literally created the path through them.”

Soren smirks. “My skills come in many forms. Just ask Rielle.”

Rielle murmurs something about insufferable men as she tries to ignore him, but all it does is make his smile grow.

“What would have happened if we didn’t have those shortcuts?” I really did feel like we walked right into each realm. The worlds just… shifted around us.

“It would’ve taken you a lot longer to get through each realm and you would’ve run into a lot meaner-looking demons than the ones you met.”

“Sounds like fun.”

I whip around just as Jax comes from the side of the staircase. He rushes forward and pulls me into a tight hug.

“Fuck, I missed you.” Jax breathes me in, holding me tighter as if he never wants to let go.

I grip him just as tight, feeling the same.

“Kiarra!” Luka comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around us both.

Jax pulls back a bit, just as Luka does the same. “Told you I’d find her.”

“Never doubted you for a minute, brother.” Jax and Luka share a smile before looking at me.

“Where are the rest of the guys?”

“Right here.” Axel comes around the staircase, a smile on his face when he sees me. It’s soft, not his usual alphahole smile. He rushes toward me, just as quick as Jax did and twirls me around.

“Hey. Stop hogging our mate. I found her first.” Jax frowns at Axel.

Soren rolls his eyes. “Technically, we were on our way to you.”

Jax gives Soren a bland look. “You still here, old man?”

Soren glances behind him before looking at Jax with a mock confused expression. “I don’t know who you’re talking to. The only old person here is Rielle and she’d prefer you call her mature. Think of her like a fine wine or… aged cheese depending on the day.” Soren winks at Rielle just as her twitch reappears .

Jax narrows his eyes on him, but his lips tilt up, giving himself away. “You’re just lucky you brought our mate to us.”

“Well, after you threatened to gut me, rip my soul to shreds and feed what’s left of me to the demons, I thought it would be in my best interest to carry out your… request.”

Jax nods like it’s an acceptable answer. He opens his mouth to reply when Rion and Kai show up.

“Siren.” Rion pulls me from Axel, earning a glare from him, but he barely notices, his entire focus on me as he pulls me closer.

I glance over Rion’s shoulder to find Kai standing close by with his fists clenched by his side, his entire body stiff. Just as Rion pulls back, Rielle steps up beside me.

“Let’s take this to the lounge. Kiarra should still be resting.” Rielle gives me a worried look, but I feel fine. More than fine. Especially now that all my guys are all safe.

I don’t get a chance to voice my opinion before Kai steps forward and sweeps me off my feet and moves in the direction they came.

“I can walk,” I tell him, attempting a glare, but he cuts me a look. His dark eyes full of pain and anger.

“You died. You don’t get a say in how overprotective we are right now.”

“It’s not like I wanted to die,” I mumble, more to myself than him. But still, I let him have his way. If it was the other way around, I’d be all over him, too.

“No, but it doesn’t change the fact that you did. Just let us take care of you.” I nod, leaning into him and letting his presence soothe every part of me.

We take a couple of sharp turns before we come to a large lounge, the decor of brown and creams similar to the rest of the house. There’s a large fireplace with a brown ornate design of roses in the middle, and a small library to the left.

Kai sits down in the middle of the large cream sofa set with the guys taking the seats around us. I go to move to the seat beside him when he stops me. I look up at him and he shakes his head.

“Not yet…” Kai’s grip tightens as his voice cracks. “Just… not yet.”

My breath hitches at the look of complete devastation spreading across his face. I nod, leaning into him and try to console him with my warmth.

Silence drags on as they all stare at me as if I’ll disappear any second. Soren and Rielle walk into the room making them swing their gazes to them. But most of their focus is on Rielle.

Jax glances at me before looking back at her, his frown growing the longer he stares. “It’s weird… right?”

“You can say that again,” Axel mumbles, staring at her.

Jax opens his mouth, but Axel cuts him a glare. “Don’t say it again.”

Jax rolls his eyes at him before glaring at Rielle. “Whatever. No matter who she looks like, we can’t trust her.”

Axel nods, easily agreeing with him. “She’s the one who placed us in those trials.”

Everything inside me freezes and stops as I whip my head toward Rielle. “You’re the one who created the trials?” The one who put us through misery and more suffering.

Like she can see the pain and anger written across my face, she gives me a sad look. One that’s full of pity.

And I fucking hate it.

“The core did most of the work, but yes, I manipulated it to help you all.”

“Help us?” I give her an incredulous look. “How does mental torture and fighting off demons help us?”

Rielle frowns. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m even sorrier you all had to live through what you did. But it was the best I could do with the time we had. In order to strengthen your bond, you had to let go of your doubts and fears.”

Kai leans forward, a hard-set to his jaw. “There was nothing wrong with our bond to begin with.”

Rielle’s shoulders drop with a sigh, a pained expression in her eyes as she looks at us. “Not in the normal sense no, but as individuals, you were holding a piece of yourselves back because you were unable to move past those doubts and fears. You all went through something traumatic that inflicted a wound so deep it marked each of your souls.”

The room grows silent as Rielle’s words hit us hard. I watch each of the guys as a range of emotions flicker across their faces.

Were we really holding back because of our pasts? I didn’t feel like we were, not after all the progress we’ve made. But we all went through some messed up shit. Maybe it affected us more than we thought.

“Are you… okay?” I glance around at each one of them, catching a couple of winces and pissed off looks. Mostly thrown in Soren’s and Rielle’s direction.

Jax sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face. “No, I’m not okay.”

Everyone turns to Jax, as if waiting for the snappy comeback or joke but there is none, his face drenched in sadness as he looks at me. “You fucking died. You stopped breathing and you wouldn’t heal…”

He shakes his head, sighing. “It was one of my worst fucking nightmares and it came true. I never want to live through something like that again.”

I reach out and grab his hand. He holds onto it like a lifeline, squeezing it tight. I watch the guys as they share the same devastated look full of agony.

“None of us do,” Kai whispers, his grip on me tightening as he dips his head and places a kiss on my shoulder.

I open my mouth to apologize but Luka shakes his head stopping me. “We love you, Kiarra. More than anything. And without you, none of us exist. None of us want to. We know you’re strong, powerful, but by taking care of yourself you’ll be taking care of us too.”

I swallow past the unshed tears threatening to fall at their confessions as they rip my heart open while also mending it anew.

Before I say something cringy or sappy, I nod agreeing with them. “Once you all do the same.” I once thought they were all dead and it was worse than hell. I’d never want to put them through that, not if I could stop it.

“Deal.” Rion smiles as the others nod in agreement.

A sense of relief fills the air as everyone starts to relax.

Jax slaps Luka on the back. “Also, we’re actually triplets now.”

I glance between them. “What?”

The guys chuckle, already in on the joke as I frown at them, trying to figure it out. Luka bumps my shoulder. “Let’s just say my wolf and I have finally come to terms with how to get along with each other.”

I smile as the relief and happiness across his face spreads through my chest. I melt further into Kai’s embrace.

“This little reunion will have to be put on hold for now. Zillah came with news for Kiarra. We need to get everyone up to speed before we start moving.”

“Who the fuck is Zillah?” Axel growls moving toward Rielle when I give him a look.

“The shadow beast.”

“Oh.” He sits his ass back down and gives Rielle a look as if to say, ‘you can continue.’

Rielle’s right eye twitches, making Soren chuckle. He quickly covers it by clearing his throat.

Rielle sighs. “Although the Underworld is safe. King got what he wanted. The connection tethering him to Kiarra is finally broken, and he is now powerful enough to do what he wants.”

Rielle pauses to give the guys a look. “Not anything like your bond.”

Axel gives Rielle a look of disgust. “We fucking know that.”

She nods continuing. “With the core’s energy diminished and King much stronger, the imbalance is too big to go unnoticed now. It will have been felt in every corner of the world and will only get worse. Soon there will be everything from wars to famines. Negativity will have more of an impact on choice with more and more people suffering and getting sick. It will spread like a disease and infect the masses until there’s nothing but darkness walking this world and every other.”

“Why can’t someone else fucking do it for a change?” Axel shoots her a venomous look.

Rielle spears him with a glare. “Do you have any idea of how powerful you all are?”

Jax groans, cutting off her little lecture. “Why is it always about power? I’m fucking over this shit. I just want to go to a sunny island somewhere with my mate.” He glances around at the guys. “You guys can come too.”

“Gee, thanks.” Luka gives him a deadpan look, making Jax smile.

“Let’s shelve the sunny vacation for when we destroy King,” I tell them, actually looking forward to it.

The guy’s smiles turn savage as they all veer to me.

Jax leans around Luka. “I’ll rub sunscreen on you if you rub my—” Luka pushes him back to his spot, making him chuckle.

Rielle clears her throat, pinning us all with a glare.

Soren moves to lean against the wall, unbothered by our less than innocent conversation, probably well used to us by now. “I’d listen to her if I were you. She has a mean streak, a mile long.”

Rielle whips her head around to him, but he glances down at his fingers, ignoring her completely. I catch the slight tilt to his lips, though, and I’m sure Rielle does too.

As much as I love seeing my guys and how normal this all feels, it’s time to get down to business.

I lean forward, unintentionally pressing further into Kai making him groan. I smirk at him before turning to Rielle. “What’s the plan?”

Rielle nods, her stiff body relaxing slightly. “We need to fix the imbalance that started nineteen years ago.”

Meaning, we need to destroy King as soon as possible.

“I’m sorry, but you need to be the one to fix it, Kiarra.” Rielle gives me a look full of guilt and sadness, as if she wishes there was another way.

The atmosphere swiftly changes as the guys grow tense once again, aiming their hostility at Rielle. Axel jumps up before I get a chance to explain, clenching his fists by his side. “She’s not fucking sacrificing herself for you or anyone.”

I go to move to him, the look in his eyes telling me he’s close to burning her to nothing but ashes when Kai’s grip tightens on me and Luka and Rion move closer to my sides.

Jax moves to the edge of his seat, staring Rielle down as if he’s already imagining gutting her.

“You think I give a shit about the world ending? Fuck. That. The only people I care about are the five people in this room. The rest of you can flame up and fucking disappear.”

Soren stands straight, frowning at him as if hurt. “Five? I thought we were friends?” He sniffs looking over at the small library. “I guess it was all one-sided.”

Jax’s mouth twitches as he tries to keep his pissed off look in place.

Rielle gives them all an exhausted look, her patience paper thin by now. “I don’t doubt it. But I’m not talking about Kiarra sacrificing herself to fix the imbalance.”

The guys freeze.

Kai narrows his eyes on her. “Then who–”

“King.” Rielle looks at me as I glance around at my guys.

“Apparently he was a Guardian.”

“What the fuck?” Axel frowns as the others all wear shocked expressions.

Jax is the first to shake it off, narrowing his eyes on Rielle. “Is that going to be something we need to worry about with you? You come across as the crazy type.”

Rielle looks at him like she wants to smite him, while Soren quickly nods his head behind her looking straight at Jax as his mouth silently words, ‘she is.’

As if she can see in the back of her head, she whips around to look at him, but he’s already changed his expression and shakes his head at Jax while looking disappointed in him.

I bite my lip to stop the laugh threatening to escape as she turns back to us. But as soon as she does, Soren’s eyes grow wide as he nods his head once more.

Rielle ignores Jax’s question to continue. “King was never supposed to escape the Underworld. He was always meant to be absorbed for his sins. But when you were created, King saw his chance and clung to that power long enough to break free from the Underworld.” I nod, knowing all this from when King revealed it, but the guys still didn’t know, and it was better coming from her than me.

She looks to me, her eyes softening. “Kiarra is… special.” I shift on Kai feeling uncomfortable at the way she looks at me, especially because it’s so similar to the look my mom gave me and she’s the spitting image of her.

Jax looks are her like she’s stupid. “We already know that.”

Rielle shakes her head. “You really don’t. When Erebus created the Underworld to keep a balance between worlds, he sacrificed himself to sustain it. But it’s not just his essence he left behind. He is the Underworld, and his energy, his power is the core.”

I frown, looking up at her. “What does that mean?”

She glances at me, searching for something on my face before continuing. “You’re not just born from some essence left behind; you’re born from him. You’re more powerful than us all, Kiarra, and you’ve barely tipped the surface of your potential.”

Soren moves beside Rielle. “What she’s trying to tell you is that you might as well have been born from the primordial being himself. There will never be anyone like you.”

I honestly don’t know what to say to that. So much has happened and been revealed that I don’t know whether to be shocked or horrified.

“Well… unless she gets knocked up. Then there’ll be lots of mini-Kiarras running around.” Everyone turns to look at Jax.

“What? It’s the truth.” As always, it breaks the tension in the room. But I’m not ready for that conversation yet.

“I’m not having kids anytime soon,” I tell them, making sure I get to that island and many more before settling down.

Jax shrugs. “Practice makes perfect, and we’ll have plenty of time to practice… Once that fucker is gone.” He winks at me.

Rielle ignores him. “Because of the bond between you all… technically, that makes you all the closest thing to Gods that exist.”

Jax chuckles. “So, Soren was right? We are actually Gods?”

Soren narrows his eyes on Jax. “Of course, I was right.”

I give Jax a look. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Which head?” Jax smirks before trailing his eyes down my slip of a dress. His eyes darkening the longer he stares.

“Did I mention how fucking beautiful you are right now? If it wasn’t for mom and dad over there, you’d already be laid out on that sofa while I—”

“Can we stay focused, please? As beautiful as your mate is, the world is in danger.”

Jax looks at Rielle like she’s stupid. “And I just told you I couldn’t give a shit. Let it burn.”

Rielle looks at Jax like she doesn’t understand a word he’s saying. “You’re more powerful than most in the Underworld. If you wanted to rule it, you have the power to do so.”

She gives Soren a tired look. “I hear the position is open.”

Oh, yeah, the Lords are dead. But I was definitely not interested in taking over their position.

As if Jax can hear my thoughts, he looks to Rielle with a serious look on his face. “It’s not the type of job I’m looking for. My needs are much better met when I have the undivided attention of my mate. And running the Underworld seems like a lot of effort, so I’ll have to decline, but thanks for the offer.”

He smiles, all innocent, before winking at me. Rielle looks at him like she doesn’t know how to reply.

Soren nudges her. “Yes, they’re always like that. No, don’t try to make any sense of it, especially that one.” He points to Jax. “It’s better to just let it go.”

Lost in his own thoughts for a bit, Luka looks at Rielle. “The demons are destroying the mortal world, but they come from here. Can’t you just… I don’t know… call them back?”

Rielle nods like this is an acceptable question. “We’ve been trying to, but they’re not listening to the summons. We investigated further and found that King has created some concoction that enables him to command the demons that consume it.”

It didn’t surprise me. King created a special vial to slow down my healing ability, all so he could extend his… feeding on me.

I catch Kai and Rion sharing a knowing look. “What is it?”

Kai and Rion look at me, the rest of the guys glancing at us.

“The facilities we found you in after King tried to kill us.” Rion hesitates as if afraid to mention them, while the others tense up.

“What facility?” Rielle frowns, looking to Soren for an answer, but he’s just as confused.

I clear my throat and look at her. “King was doing experiments in them. Experiments on demons to allow him to control them.”

“Experiments on demons…” Her frown deepens as she waits for me to expand. Instead, I smile and shake my head not wanting to go into what happened in that place.

Wait. My eyes widen as I realize this was just another part of his plan. The facilities another measure to help him win this fight.

I look at Kai and he nods, confirming my thoughts while Jax answers them. “Damn. Just when I think we have him nailed down, another thing pops up.”

And while he’s three steps ahead of us, we’re all scrambling behind trying to catch up.

“The real question is, how do we end this?” I ask. There has to be a way to catch up and finish this once and for all.

Rielle lets the conversation on the facility drop for now. She gives me a look, telling me she’d like to know more later, before she rolls her shoulders back and clasps her hands looking to each of the guys with mock confidence.

“Kiarra will need to take back the power King stole. And to do that, she’s going to have to pull it into her, just like she did the core.”

The words are only out of her mouth when all hell breaks loose.