Lord of Life (The Dragon Demigods Book 4) Read online

  Lord of Life

  Book 4: Dragon Demigods

  Charlene Hartnady

  Copyright © July 2020 by Charlene Hartnady

  Cover Art by Melody Simmons

  Copy Edited by KR

  Edited by [email protected]

  Produced in South Africa

  [email protected]

  Lord of Life is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  About the Author

  Also by Charlene Hartnady

  Excerpt of Hunger Awakened

  1

  Morgan

  I hear Andy grind his teeth. “I don’t like this,” he whispers, eyes moving up and down the alley. His voice is barely audible. His hand is on his gun, which is holstered at his side.

  “My intel is good,” I assure him. “They abandoned this location yesterday. We need more information on where they’re headed. We can get a team together, track them, and exterminate them before they hurt any more people. That means going in now,” I whisper as well, even though I don’t have to. Call it a habit. You can’t be too careful.

  Andy swallows thickly, his eyes on the door. “I would prefer it if we brought in a team now. What if they’re still in there?” My partner is one of the bravest men I know, and yet I understand his apprehension. Back to ‘no such thing as being too careful’. Andy is probably right about waiting, just to be sure…but that would mean losing them.

  No!

  Forget it.

  “They’ve left.” I’m repeating myself, which normally irritates me. I do it anyway. “Calling in a team would mean waiting days for everyone to assemble. You want to catch this herd, don’t you?”

  “We could put eyes on this location for a day or two and proceed from there.”

  “May as well wait for a team then…I’m going in.” I know I’m being a jerk, but I can’t help it. “I trust her. You stay here if you want to.”

  “You don’t really know her,” he half growls.

  “I trust my gut.” I raise my brows. Lilith and I are tight. I didn’t have any girlfriends growing up. I always found myself hanging out with the guys. It’s been really nice to finally meet a woman I connect with. “She’s good people.”

  “There is no such thing as a good harpy,” he mutters, shaking his head.

  “The only good harpy is a dead harpy,” I say. “How many harpies have you actually met?”

  He narrows his eyes. “You know the answer to that.” He sighs. “My grandfather ran into a harpy once. Said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.”

  I roll my eyes. Men!

  “Said he couldn’t get her out of his mind for months.”

  “What happened to her then?”

  “He had to kill her, or he would have been a goner. He said—”

  I can’t help the laugh that’s pulled from me. This story is getting more and more far-fetched by the second. “Frank could tell a story, alright.”

  “They weren’t all stories.” Andy looks put out.

  “I know that, but come on, there is not much known about the species. They can’t all be bad.” What am I saying? “They aren’t all bad.”

  “Some of them are fucking evil as a collective, and you know that.” He points at the door. “Some of them are born bad…most of them,” he corrects.

  “I don’t like generalizing. Besides, Lilith is really nice. You met her. You liked her. You…” I’m smirking at this point.

  Andy rolls his eyes. “She’s hot,” he groans. “Fine, I’ll say that much. It’s hard not to like…all that…to be taken in. It’s almost freakish how I see her, and…my mind is blown.”

  I roll my eyes again. Always the same.

  His eyes get this faraway look. “I’ve met her a few times now and…” He shrugs, shaking his head. He still looked undecided. “She’s a harpy,” he finally pushes out. “When I’m not around her, and I can think straight…” He pauses. “I don’t know. There’s something off about her. You can’t trust a harpy.”

  “More generalization. Her sex appeal doesn’t work on me, and I like her just fine. I’ve known her for a couple of months, and I still like her. I trust her.”

  “Are you sure you trust her because you’re trusting your gut, or is it because you want to believe her so that we can catch this herd?” He points at the warehouse.

  “It’s not that.” My mind works through the possibility. “I mean, I really want to get eyes on this herd. I really want us to take them down, but I trust Lilith. She told me they left, and I believe her.” I shrug.

  “Why didn’t she tell you they were here in the first place?” He looks skeptical.

  “She only heard about them leaving this morning. She called me immediately. I called you straight after, and here we are. I trust her,” I say for the millionth time.

  His eyes move to mine for a second, and I watch as his shoulders relax. He gives me a nod. “Okay, I’ve known you for years. We’ve been partners for two of those years—”

  “Three,” I correct him. “It’ll be three years next month.”

  He smiles. “Time flies. I trust you, and I’ll follow you in there. Let’s do this thing.”

  “Hey,” I turn back to lock eyes with his, my hand is on the door handle, “Lilith may have mentioned that she’s interested in you.” I wink at him.

  I see interest flare in his eyes. He schools the emotion. “She’s your friend.” He shakes his head. “I’m not going there.”

  I snort. “I don’t mind.”

  “We’ll talk about it later. I’m sure there must be a rule against us dating the enemy.”

  “I know I have a rule. I guess I sort of broke it by being friends with Lilith so…”

  He narrows his eyes. “Let’s first find out where these fuckers are headed.”

  I nod before turning back to the warehouse entrance. Just as Lilith said it would be, the door is unlocked. We walk into the abandoned building. I carefully close the door behind us.

  I squint into the shadows. Neither of us moves or breathes. We are met with complete silence. I roll my eyes at myself. Of course it’s empty. I push out a breath. We’re so damned paranoid. After everything we’ve seen, who wouldn’t be?

  Andy pulls in a deep breath through his nose. I smell it too. It’s unmistakable. He draws his gun. I leave mine in the holster. I trust Lilith. I’ve never made friends with someone so quickly. So easily. When I found out who she was – what she was – I pulled back. I notified the high
er power within our organization. I told them I had it under control. I did. I still do. She might be a harpy, but she’s my friend. She’s no angel, but she’s definitely not evil.

  Andy signals that he’s going to circle around the outer perimeter. He still has his gun drawn. He’s being cautious.

  I nod once, tempted to draw my own weapon as well. I don’t. They left yesterday. This warehouse is empty. We’re looking for clues. That’s all. Lilith is well connected. She knows things. I trust her.

  I stop for a second. I watch Andy’s retreating back. I’m tempted to call out to him. It’s not too late to withdraw. To call a team. To draw my weapon.

  My paranoia is ridiculous. I need to get a grip. I shake it off and keep walking. The smell is getting worse. The musty scent of animals. I smell excrement and urine. I smell…grass and a coppery scent.

  All is quiet. If they were here, we would hear them. It’s not like a herd of these things would be silent. Especially since they have no idea we are here. What am I saying? This abandoned warehouse is just that…abandoned. It’s no longer housing—

  “What have we here?” his voice is silky. His face is attractive. Looks can be deceiving, and I’m not talking about the centaur who just stepped into my path. He’s tall. In his human form and completely naked.

  Lilith lied.

  She lied!

  Is it possible that she made a mistake? No! She outright lied! She was adamant that they had gone. Centaurs are nomadic. They wreak too much havoc to stay in one place too long. They also operate in a herd, so it’s unlikely this one is alone. This feels like a trap. If the herd is still here, we’re as good as dead, or worse. There’s always worse.

  I need to shout out. I need to warn Andy. Maybe he can make it out. I pray he’ll make it out.

  “You look shocked.” He smiles, looking innocent. I know otherwise. “Did you think we were gone?” He winks at me.

  Lilith lied!

  I should be able to pull my gun before he reaches me. I get my hand around the butt of my Glock when I’m grabbed from behind.

  I yell and kick back as hard as I can. I throw a reverse headbutt that hits home with a crunch. The grip holds firm, and my hand is pulled from my gun before I can draw.

  The grinning fucker in front of me advances. Instead of fighting the hold on my arms, I use it to lift my body from the ground and to kick, using both my feet. My boots connect with his chest. He staggers back a few steps, and then he’s advancing again.

  I’m screaming like a banshee. I’m praying that Andy will leave. I know deep down that it’s highly unlikely. I would never leave him either. I’m hoping that this herd isn’t too big. Maybe it’s just the two of them. Maybe we can take them.

  I manage to pull one arm free. I reach for my gun when the centaur behind me knocks me off my feet with a hard blow to the side of my head. My ears are ringing. My vision goes in and out of focus. I feel a pulling on my side. I hear the blood rushing through my veins. I’m moaning loudly. I can’t stop. The world feels like it’s tilted to the side. I can’t get up. I’m breathing hard through the moans.

  That’s when I see them. Four more. Four. Holy crap! It’s a small herd, but I’m dead anyway. We’re dead if Andy tries to help me. The dizziness is subsiding. I sit up and reach for my gun. It’s gone.

  Fuck!

  “Your human toys won’t save you,” one of them says. A woman. There are two women and four men. This doesn’t make me feel any better. The women are almost as muscled as the men. Just as tall. They have large breasts and long hair. They’re also twice as vicious as their male counterparts.

  One of the women shifts into centaur form, her body morphing into that of a large, powerful horse. Her torso from her waist up juts upwards from the base of where the horse’s neck would have been. Her hair is long and flows down her back. Her face is beautiful. Her eyes are cruel and hard. They are focused on me.

  I’m fucked!

  She snorts, sounding very much like a horse. “The human is tiny. I hope the other one is more substantial. It would be nice to have a proper meal before we head out.”

  Other one?

  Other one!

  I taste bile as I struggle to my feet. They know about Andy. The small glimmer of hope I was harboring fades away to dust. Disappointment floods me. This is irrefutable proof that Lilith set us up. I’m an idiot. This is all my fault.

  “Not everything is about food, Gaia,” one of the men says. A shiver runs down my spine when I see how he is looking at me.

  “Not everything is about sex, Dru. Let’s get the answers we need first. Then we can play with our food, at least,” she licks her lips; her teeth are sharp, “until they break.” I can’t see them, but I know her molars are blunt for grinding grass and hay. Centaurs are strange creatures. They eat both grass and raw meat. The fresher, the better. They’re partial to humans. I shudder.

  I’m trying not to panic. It’s not working. “Run, Andy. Run!” I scream as loud as I can. I know what these creatures are capable of. What chaos and carnage they can wreak. I’m about to become a statistic.

  “Stop that, human,” the female centaur, Gaia, says. “You’re hurting my ears.”

  “Your little friend,” the other woman centaur says, “Andy. I am sure he will have been captured by now.” She lifts her head, looking left and right. Her pointed ears twitch.

  My heart lurches in my chest. There are more of them. At least one, and he or she is stalking Andy right now.

  No!

  “Run!” I yell. “Please…go! Run, Andy! Leave me…just—” I shout as loud as I can.

  “Enough!” one of the men interrupts. He closes the distance between us in two or three strides, grabbing me by the arm.

  His penis is erect, and he’s smirking at me. “I say we play while we question her.” His eyes drift down to my breasts. He yanks at my jacket, tearing it and my shirt underneath wide open. I’m wearing a sports bra. He looks duly disappointed. Fucker!

  I knee him in the groin while he’s looking at my chest. He wasn’t expecting that either. He’s probably used to women screaming and begging. Not me!

  His eyes widen, and he groans, doubling over. I slam my boot down on his foot and punch him in the face. He staggers back, laughing. A trickle of blood drips from his mouth. He touches a hand to his lip and looks down at the blood. He laughs again. “How wonderful, a feisty one. We’re in for a treat. I think we need to fuck it into submission first.”

  “Stay away from me,” I shout.

  “No, Spiro!” Gaia shakes her head. “You might hurt her.”

  “I’ll be careful.” I watch in horror as he palms his hard member, looking at me with both hate and lust. “I promise to stay in my human form. Besides, it’s not her mouth that will take a hammering. She’ll be able to talk just fine.”

  My eyes widen. I might be sorely tempted to beg them to kill me before long. I still have the gun in my ankle holster. I vow to take at least one of them down. Maybe even two. I’m mostly praying that Andy heard me. I’m praying even more that he listens.

  “Why does he get to go first?” one of the others says. “I found her. I should get to mount her first.”

  “You can have her after me.” Spiro is grinning, his eyes on me. He glances at Gaia. “After Thine, she should tell us everything we need to know in return for a quick death. Otherwise, we’ll give her to Dru. I think you get the picture, human. You need to be a good girl and talk. We want to know more about the Order. About the identities of others of your kind. Give us three names and locations right now, and we’ll let you go.”

  “You’ll let me walk out of here?” It will never happen. I wasn’t born yesterday.

  “Yes.” He nods. “It’s the first and only offer I’m making you.”

  There is a loud crash. It’s followed by a yell which sounds like Andy. Then a shout that doesn’t sound anything like Andy. Then all is eerily silent. We all listen for a good ten seconds. Silence.

  The centaur i
n front of me smirks. “Your friend has just been captured. What do you say, human?” He lifts his brows. “Easy or hard?” He fists his cock. At least, I think that’s what he’s doing. I don’t look down. I keep my eyes on his. They have us both now. Andy. My heart feels like a lead block in my chest.

  I’m sorry.

  I’m so sorry.

  My eyes prick with tears, but I blink them away. I’m going to kill this SOB. If he’s the only one who goes down, so be it. This one is going to die. “I’ve never been one to take the easy route.” It probably isn’t the right time to have a smart mouth, but to hell with it.

  “I was hoping you would say that.” He grabs the waistband of my pants.

  I kick him hard in the shin. He grunts. I kick again, but he blocks me with his own leg. Then he pulls. The top button flies off my pants. I try to hit him, but he is turning me around. I can feel his heat behind me. His erection is digging into my back.

  No!

  Hell no!

  I elbow him. I kick backward. I scream and writhe. I can’t break free. One of his arms is snaked around my waist. His hold is vicelike. He has my zipper down and is pulling my pants down as well. I’m trying to hold onto them with one hand while fighting him with the other. He grunts when my elbow makes contact, but otherwise, it’s as if he is made of stone. My arm hurts. I’m struggling to breathe. This is going to happen. He’s going to rape me. They all will. They’ll question me between bouts. Then they’ll eat me. They’ll tear me limb from limb. There will be very little of me left when this is over. Andy will be raped too. His fate will be worse than mine since the women will use him as well. They’ve been known to start eating their victims before they’re finished with them. They’re bastards. Evil bastards!