Gods & Monsters: The Gods & Monsters Trilogy Book 1 Read online

  He groaned and spanked her butt. “Knock it off, Jane. You’re killing me.”

  She laughed and kissed his chest. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who can kill the Angel of Death.”

  “I’m sure you could find a way, Sweet Jane. Your tits pressing against me almost had me falling to my knees.”

  She laughed with him until she finally took a deep breath and calmed down. “I love you.”

  “And I love you,” he said, softly. “Now go to sleep. When you get up, you’re getting fed.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. Her dreams became her memories once again. Only this time, the dark figure beside her had a face, and he smiled in a way she knew was only for her. He was Death, and she, his Sweet Jane.

  THE STAIR RAIL CREAKED BEFORE IT SPLINTERED under David’s hands. He loosened his grip but kept his eyes closed. Since he’d left that room, he’d been trying to listen in. He needed answers, and he hoped something would slip through the sound barrier. But there was nothing. As soon as he’d shut the door, Jane’s cries sounded for only a second before there was absolute silence.

  For five minutes, David had stood there. He didn’t know what he was waiting for; clearly, Jane didn’t want or need him anymore. His heart felt like it had been ripped right out of his chest.

  “David,” Arthur called from below.

  He opened his eyes and saw Arthur staring up at him from the ground floor. David straightened and walked downstairs. He knew his brother-in-law was reading his thoughts, and he didn’t care to hide them. He doubted Arthur could make sense of them anyway; there were so many. David walked past him, not in the mood to explain anything, and entered the living room where Gawain sat with Gareth.

  The younger knight lay on the sofa with his eyes closed, looking like hell. David paused and met Gawain’s worried gaze before glancing at the empty glass next to Gareth’s hand. David sighed and shook his head. So much had happened, he’d nearly forgotten Gareth nearly died because of Jane.

  David sat in a chair next to them, leaned back, and tilted his head to stare at the ceiling. His mind wouldn’t rest. Jane was in love with Death. She didn’t even have to say the words. The way she looked at the angel said enough.

  “David, is Jane all right?” Arthur asked.

  He didn’t respond right away and continued to stare up at the ceiling. His thoughts were bitter as he pondered the simple question. She was more than all right. She was being pampered by the Angel of Death.

  “David, how is she?” Gawain asked this time.

  They moved to the edge of their seats. Perhaps readying themselves to run upstairs, but David finally responded. “She’s fine. She is with Death.”

  “Dear God, David,” Arthur whispered. “Did you kill her?”

  David immediately shook his head back and forth. “No, I did not kill her.” I couldn’t even if I tried, he thought. “She’s not dead. Death is simply with her.”

  “David, you’re not making sense,” said Arthur. “Why can’t I hear her thoughts or even her heartbeat?”

  He looked Arthur in the eye. “I mean, she is with Death, the angel. I do not know what he is, exactly, but she’s not dead. The bastard is creating a sound barrier so we cannot hear them because she wants to be alone with him. Apparently, they know each other. She didn’t want me with her anymore.”

  Arthur leaned back in his chair while Gawain stared at David like he’d lost his mind.

  “David, are you sure?” Gawain asked. “Is there really someone in the room with her?”

  “Yes, I’m sure!” he snapped. “I sat there while some entity inside Jane took over and fed from me. I sat there while she took off her shirt and healed her wounds right before my fucking eyes! I fucking sat there while she ordered me to fuck her and then threatened that if I didn’t, I’d never see my Jane again. Then, out of nowhere, some bastard appears and tells Jane to come to him. I had to sit there and watch him shove his tongue down her throat while she held me down with an invisible force.” He was yelling and breathing heavily now. It took several, controlled, even breaths to calm himself down. He kept trying to picture Jane’s face, how he’d seen her in his dreams. It morphed now with her more sinister version, but he was able to focus on the smile he had caught glimpses of and calmed his anger.

  David let out a breath. “He did something to her when he kissed her. It drained all the power away from it. He brought Jane back. He was saving the real her. She knows him.”

  Gareth had woken up during David’s rant, and they all watched him in silence.

  After a few minutes of just staring, Arthur finally spoke. “David, I’m sorry.”

  “Save it.” David balled his fist, wanting to fight someone.

  “Brother, I know that’s not the right thing to say, but I am.” Arthur looked up at the ceiling. “Is she safe with him?”

  David nodded. His gut told him that Death wasn’t there to harm her.

  “You said Death.” Arthur looked back at him. “Do you mean the angel Azrael?”

  David shrugged. “I didn’t ask him his name. She just called him Death. His power is immeasurable. He would not tell me how they knew one another, only that they met a long time ago.” He glared at Arthur. “Did you not see him in her past? Did she ever think of him?”

  Arthur shook his head. “No. I would have told you if there was someone like him in her mind. She is very open with her thoughts, so I don’t know how she could have hidden something like that. Though, there were many times I hit areas of her mind that I could not enter.”

  David sighed. “Do you think she was keeping him from us? It’s not like I would think she was insane for saying she knew an angel. Surely she would realize we accept their existence. Why lie?”

  “Jane’s not the type to lie,” said Gawain.

  They glared at one another for a moment before David looked away and nodded. He knew Gawain felt a brotherly attachment to Jane. No matter what sort of evil she performed, Gawain would defend her.

  David didn’t see his Jane as evil either; he loved her with or without the darkness.

  “I know that she does not like to lie,” he said, looking back to Arthur after Gawain relaxed. “You are certain you never saw him? She looked at him with so much trust and the tender way he talked to her—” David groaned. “They act like they’re a couple. He called her Sweet Jane, and she practically melted in his arms. Why the fuck does this shit keep happening?”

  “David, calm down,” Arthur said. “We understand this is very hard for you, but let’s talk about this. If she called him Death, I think we are dealing with The Death. We all know she nearly died several times in her life. For some reason, he must have spared her. He must have returned when she was injured. Are you sure he won’t hurt her, David?”

  David closed his eyes and nodded. “No matter how much I would like to rip him apart for what he did with her, I am certain he will not harm her. He was completely devoted to her; they were devoted to each other. No, he won’t hurt her.”

  Arthur turned to Gareth. “How are you feeling?”

  Gareth gave Arthur a thumbs up. “She got me good, but I will be fine.” He then smiled at David. “Chin up, brother. She definitely wanted your blood over mine.”

  David shook his head, smiling a little, but his heart was aching. If she wanted him, she would have at least let him hold her. Anything but brush him off.

  Gawain rested his elbows on his knees. “Did he say anything else?”

  “Yes,” David said. “He said whatever that was, it is a part of her. It has always been there, apparently, and cannot be removed without killing her. He can only drain her energy, but I believe he needs to get close enough to touch her. I have a feeling he is uncertain of her power over him. The abilities she displayed are controlled completely by the entity. From what I understood, it is the source of her power, not Jane. He suggested keeping her happy and fed. He thought training her to harness her abilities might help if the entity comes forward again.”


  Gawain looked away from David and asked Arthur, “What do we do now?”

  Arthur leaned back in his chair. “All we can do is wait. We’ll figure out how to train her and keep her fed.” Arthur paused and looked back at him. “David, why do you think she does not want you?”

  David cut his gaze over to him. “I tried talking to her and comforting her, but she would only cry and cling onto him. She begged him not to leave her, and any attempt I made to speak to her, she would look away. I get that she is ashamed of what she did, and I tried to tell her I wasn’t mad—that no one was mad, but she only wanted him. Maybe she’s upset that I was willing to give that thing what it wanted. Maybe she’s afraid of me. All I’ve done is fail her so far, maybe she sees that he’s more capable of keeping her safe.”

  Arthur sighed. “I’m sure she still wants you, but there is obviously more to their history than we can imagine. I think she also knows you would do anything for her. I know what you were willing to do, and I understand where you were coming from. It was a difficult decision I wish you never had to face, but I do not see how you had any other option. She was too strong.”

  “I don’t understand why I was paired with her if I cannot even protect her. How can she want me after this?”

  “She was trapped by that thing,” Arthur said. “I heard her during that tiny moment she begged you to help; she was terrified, but she knew you’d do anything you could.

  “As far as their relationship, I can only speculate from what you’ve told me. Death is an extremely powerful being. Out of all the realms, none are said to be more powerful than him. You should not be ashamed because you could not match his strength. No one can beat Death. Even we immortals will fall to him when it is our time. So don’t compare your strength or abilities to his. And I do not think she knowingly hid their relationship from us. You are her soul mate, David. Nothing can change that.”

  Arthur’s comforting tone did little for David.

  He let out a bitter laugh. “Wait until you see them. They are completely in love with each other. She nearly glowed in his presence.”

  Arthur shook his head, ignoring his bitterness. “Give her time—she’ll come back to you. She’s going through more than any of us have ever had to consider. She deserves a chance to come to terms with her new life. Whatever it is that she has with Death is not up to any of us to judge. Put yourself in her shoes for one minute. Everyone she has ever loved has either hurt or left her in some way. If they truly know each other from long ago, imagine how this must feel for her to be reunited with him. Would you blame her for wanting to hold on to him when she suddenly has him back? She lost everything, David. It must feel like a piece of her has returned.”

  David sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “She has me. I’ve waited for her, too.”

  “You are not the one who lost everything you ever loved,” Arthur said. “She has reunited with someone she likely needed for a very long time—perhaps it is the same for him. Do not let bitterness overcome you.”

  Tristan let out a slow breath and gazed down at the brunette woman curled up on the dirty ground. The bloody tinge in her eyes was an all too common sight now.

  “Please find them,” she whispered.

  Tristan knelt beside the woman. “Find who?” he asked, wiping his blood-soaked hand on his pants before taking the woman’s trembling hand in his. Her dirty, brown hair and soiled, ripped clothing proved she had been through hell.

  “My daughter and son,” she said, crying.

  “Shh…” Tristan caressed her hand. “Tell me your name.”

  Bors had a sad look on his face when Geraint pulled open the shed door so Percivale, Lamorak, Gaheris, and Galahad could enter.

  When they took in the battered woman, they all paused. Her arms had bite marks and ripped flesh across them. Her pants were covered in dirt and shredded from the nails of the undead trying to rip into her.

  Tristan looked down at the woman and pulled off his mask. She let out a small gasp, but he hushed her again and stroked her hair in a comforting manner.

  “My name’s Kristi… but please.” She whimpered. “My babies. Her name is Chloe. My little girl—her name is Chloe.”

  “Okay,” Tristan said.

  She shook her head. “And Brian, my baby boy. He’s my baby. They might have gone to find my brother.”

  Tristan nodded as Bors held up a torn bag of canned goods, no doubt the precious food she’d sacrificed her life for to feed her children. “We will find them,” Tristan said. “Do not worry now. It is almost over.”

  “Are you angels?” She broke into a coughing fit after her question.

  Tristan helped her roll on her side to spit out bloody mucus.

  Lamorak pulled out a bottle of water and squatted next to him. “Drink this, sweetheart.” He held the bottle to her chapped but bloody lips. Her mouth opened, but she could only take a small amount.

  “Your angels will come for you soon.” Tristan wiped a droplet of infected blood from her lips. “And I believe our comrade, Gareth, came across your daughter. He took her to her uncle. I think they said his name was Mark.” The way relief filled her gaze suggested they possibly had the right family. “We supplied them with rations a few days ago. A little boy was with them. They are safe.”

  She sobbed, nodding her thanks while her tears continued to slide down her cheeks and settle in her hair. Eventually, her breaths became more frantic. Tristan held her hand the entire time, staring down into her frightened brown eyes until she started to convulse from her fever.

  Lamorak and Bors helped him hold her steady so she wouldn’t bash herself up too badly, then finally, she stopped.

  Lamorak and the others sighed before some of them started to exit the decrepit shack she’d taken shelter inside.

  Bors pulled out his knife, but Tristan reached up for it. “Are you sure?” Bors asked.

  Tristan nodded, receiving a pat on his shoulder from Lamorak.

  “Sweet dreams, Kristi.” Tristan stabbed her through the temple so that her body would not reanimate. Pulling the knife free, he handed it back to Bors.

  “We received word that Gareth is awake,” Lamorak told him as Geraint started to cover Kristi’s body. “He is doing well.”

  “Good,” Tristan said as he stood. He took the small bag containing canned beans and spam. “I think we should take this to her children.”

  “Is Jane okay?” asked Bors.

  Lamorak looked over at him and shrugged. “She’s alive. David is a mess.”

  They all started to make their way out of the vomit filled room and out into the open yard, littered with more than fifty infected, lifeless humans.

  “Don’t burn them with her,” Tristan ordered, looking at Gaheris.

  “We were not planning on it,” Gaheris said. “We will burn her alone.”

  Tristan nodded, handing the bag back to Bors and addressed Lamorak again. “Do you know what happened?”

  Percivale was the one to answer. “We heard David yelling with Arthur about Jane having an entity inside her.”

  “Well, that was obvious.” Gaheris snorted. “She practically ripped my brother’s fucking throat out while creating a force field. None of our kind can do that sort of thing. I knew something wasn’t right with her.”

  Tristan shook his head. “Let’s not judge her. We know very little about her, only that she is David’s mate. I think we all expected her to be something different than any of us. Let’s not jump to conclusions and turn our backs on her before she’s even had the chance to explain.”

  “An angel came to her,” Percivale added.

  “Which one?” asked Tristan.

  “All I heard was that Jane had called him Death, and she already knew him.”

  “What?” They all asked.

  Lamorak nodded. “The Angel of Death is at our camp. With her. We don’t believe he is any harm to Jane or the others right now. From what we heard, he was gentle with her. I don’t think w
e need to rush over and aid them. Although, he is with David’s Jane. I imagine that makes him a threat as far as David is concerned. We will just wait until they call for help.”

  “Shit.” Tristan looked around the shed that they had exited and over to the pile of zombies they had slaughtered. He took a step, squishing a severed hand under his boot. “We need to do another round before we go back. I also want to drop these items off for that woman’s children. I am almost certain she was speaking of the same home that Gareth took supplies to the other night.”

  “What are we going to do about David and Jane?” Lamorak asked.

  “I think we should give David time to cool off,” said Tristan. “I’m sure this is hard for him. He’s not used to being helpless. The fact he probably was not able to help Jane himself is going to piss him off. We will help him with the angel if he needs us.”

  They all nodded and looked ahead to where he now focused. He held his hand out toward the pile of rotting corpses and soon produced a bright orange and red flame.

  His eyes burned with just as much spark when he turned his hand to the broken shed door. In seconds, the entire building became engulfed in a raging inferno. The smell didn’t seem to bother them, but the immense heat did cause the other knights to step back.

  For a moment, they watched the fire grow and crack before Tristan turned his back on the collapsing framework of the shed. The others followed his lead, leaving another victim of the plague to pass onto the next world.

  LEATHER AND THE MOST INTOXICATING COLOGNE Jane had ever smelled greeted her as she stirred awake. She knew Death was with her and kept her eyes closed, not ready for this moment to end.

  All her happy memories of them together were there. She merely had to reach out to touch them, and they’d open a whole new part of her life. She remembered how it had been without those memories; it’d been impossible to forget how alone she’d felt. Now, though, every smile, laugh, and sweet moment with him was there within her grasp. Every single second with him made the sorrow she’d always had more tolerable. All because he’d been by her side through it all.