Tacorian: Ascension, #15

By Hayden West

I am a Domination.

Changes have arrived to the world, both the human one and ours. Flying is my solace from the evil I witness daily. I meet him and everything is turned around. How is it possible for one man to make me question so much? Why does the thought of flying with him forever, make me happy as the thtough of not, fill me with dread…and anger.

For once in my life, I want something for myself. Him. And I will have him.

I am…

Tacorian

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hayden West
• Release date: Jan 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393410508

Book preview

Chapter One

The carnage before him didn’t matter. He didn’t see it as he walked through toward the body of the dead Virtue. Eyes locked on his destination, Tacorian, scowled as he moved.

This hadn’t been done during the battle. He knew it and hadn’t any doubt the others would when they arrived. In fact, he was fairly certain that this hadn’t even been on the field while they’d fought demons. But had been brought after.

No way a dead body of their own kind would have been ignored during a fight. Especially when it looked like this. The Virtue had been drained of his blood and from where he stood, over it, appeared that the organs had been removed.

He wasn’t going to touch anything.

The sky shimmered and suddenly he was no longer alone. They settled beside him, four of the new arrivals wrapping the dead body in their ceremonial cloth and preparing to take him back to their Temple, so they could honor Baak and his passing.

Two others stood by him and he waited for either of them to speak. One was Elexus, a Power, and the other was Gezi, a Domination.

And you didn’t see him at all during the battle? Gezi gestured to their left where the bodies lay, ignored, of the fallen demons.

Not once. It was after the fact, when I was walking through, his gauntlet caught my eye. He wondered what had happened to him that he could stand on the edge of a battlefield like this and not be affected. When had that happened?

No new scent of sulphur or anything to indicate the arrival of more demons? Elexus pushed a hand through his dark hair.

No. I mean, the field smells anyway but nothing that would have been a beacon to me. I only saw the flash of sun against the gauntlet. He crossed his arms. This tells me that someone deliberately brought him here for me to find. Or someone, one of us, to find. They are getting bolder.

And more blatant that they are one of us. Or of our kind. Gezi’s tone hardened as a scowl drug down his lips.

Agreed. Elexus responded with a singular word. His displeasure over this was very in your face and unable to be missed.

Without a word between them, all three took to the sky and flew over the rest of the battlefield before winging higher and vanishing into the sky. They flew in silence back to their place and landed as one. With shared looks, they all walked to the main meeting place and pushed in the room. Others were already gathered, faces somber with the news of having lost yet another of their kind in such a brutal attack.

Have we learned anything? Elexus asked.

Tacorian found himself holding his breath as he waited for the response.

Just that Tacorian was right, his organs had been removed. Even his brain. Brandr’s tone never wavered as he gave that pronouncement. And all the blood drained from his body.

Voices exploded around the table as they all started talking at once.

That would have taken a long time.

They all fell silent and focused on the human mate to Rao, a Serpahim. Felix was his name and as Tacorian watched the dark haired man, he knew others weren’t happy these humans had been allowed among them. Personally, he didn’t care, if they could help, he would accept it.

Look, Felix continued. I know I’m not one of your kind, but bleeding a creature is the same whether it’s an animal or one of your kind. From what I saw of the body, he wasn’t slit like one to bleed out quick, like we do to animals when we’re dressing them. He had minimal cuts, enough to pull out the organs. But even that was done with skill. He paused. Considerable skill.

Tacorian shifted his wings and waited for the blood red feathers to settle back into place as he turned his gaze to the man who was a Fish and Game warden. Are you saying a human did this?

Not at all. In fact, I quite doubt it. What I am saying is, that I also don’t think it was a demon.

Despite the fact that many had that thought, and he knew they did, hearing someone actually voice it out loud was a different story.

Meaning? This came from Agi who had mated to another human.

"Just that from what I’ve seen, these demons aren’t exactly known for their patience, so the