The Warlord

by Gena Showalter

  The harpy gently wiggled around, doing her best not to jostle him. Clearly, she intended to study the regrown alevala at her leisure.

  He would never let her see it.

  He maneuvered her over his chest, pinning her against him. “Do you need to feed?” How eager he sounded. The desire was so new. So unexpected. Shameful? He didn’t know anymore. To cede a piece of his soul, strengthening an enemy while weakening himself... Only a fool would do such a thing.

  But he still wanted to do it. Roc yearned to nourish her. He alone would keep her sated. In every way.

  “Why?” she asked. “Do you want to feed me?” She undulated against him, getting more comfortable and driving him mad. “The boner between your legs says yes.”

  “I don’t want you eyeing my people with a mental fork and knife today.” Truth, in part.

  She held her breath. “I get to see your people?”

  “You do. There’s something I must do on the wall.” Last night, Roux returned from the Hall of Secrets. He’d been an incoherent mess, and Roc made the call to keep Ian in the dungeon, putting Roux outside with Halo.

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” Taliyah bounded up and tugged on his arm, dragging him to his feet. Pale hair tangled around an exquisite face lit with excitement. “Come on! We have a defense to mount? Soldiers to rally? Whatever! This is the most eventful day we’ve had.”

  This shouldn’t surprise him. She enjoyed the intricacies of war, another fascinating facet of her personality he lo—liked.

  He swiped up a dagger and marched into the shower stall to properly start his day.

  When he finished, Taliyah took his place and he removed the metal. Just as before, she fought him when he appeared with her metal.

  “I’m not going to run from you,” she snapped.

  “I know. Because I won’t let you.” He dropped everything but the cuffs. They’d start with those. “Come here.”

  “No.” She prepared for battle.

  He almost couldn’t bring himself to mount an attack. The more he performed this act, prohibiting her freedoms, the faster the glow in her eyes dimmed. The more her shoulders slumped in disappointment when they interacted.

  How could he hurt one like her? The woman who refused to surrender, no matter the odds stacked against her. Taliyah did nothing halfway and played games with him when drunk. As a phantom, she was the essence of death...yet she lived her life in ways he never dreamed possible. His snarpy had a thousand different moods he could never predict. She was a temptress. A warrior. A brat. An ice queen. A student. An assassin. The General. A goddess who twisted him into more and more knots. He liked each facet of her personality in different ways. Enjoyed each. She excited and tormented him. She taunted, defied, amused and confused him.

  She reminded him that life beckoned outside of war.

  The newest clash raged, all business, unlike yesterday’s skirmish with wandering hands. As he snapped the last piece of metal in place, he left smears of stardust on her skin.

  He liked seeing it there. He wanted to spread more.

  He hated himself. Because he knew. In that moment, he knew. The stardust was genuine. He produced it for Taliyah because she was his gravita. The very reason Erebus had targeted her.

  Roc’s guilt surged with new life. My fault. Maybe she’d told the truth, and she didn’t work with or for the male. Unlike Erebus, a known liar, Taliyah delivered hard truths with a sharp edge. But what did her innocence change?

  “I must speak with one of my men inside the tower,” he explained. “You’ll be surrounded by trinite.”

  She glared at him. “I’ve been surrounded by trinite before, and I did just fine. Remember happy-shower time?”

  He missed her good mood as much as a limb. “You were surrounded by poles, not walls.”

  “And I’ll still be just fine.” She stood in front of him, winded but defiant. “Let’s go to work.”

  The pink tank with matching shorts he’d selected today turned his warrior harpy into a young twentysomething ready for a day of fun in the sun. Golden light had left its mark, leaving her with a rosy glow and more of those adorable freckles.

  The crack in his chest widened, a painful and unwelcome sensation as he drew Taliyah against him. He flashed her to the guard tower on the north side of the wall.

  “Okay. Yeah,” she said, swaying. “I get it now. There’s a weird crackle of energy in the air. But guess what? I’m fine, as predicted.”

  Despite the reappearance of the sun, yesterday’s storm had ushered in a cold front. Without thought, Roc spun his snarpy around, so that she faced his men, and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the wind that poured in through the open windows. Her backside cradled the erection currently being strangled behind his zipper. Desire remained a fire in his blood.

  “Commander?”

  He slid his gaze to Roux and Halo, who stood at the window, once deep in conversation, now silent, watching him with astonishment.

  He lifted his chin, saying nothing.

  “Nice digs.” Taliyah shifted this way and that, examining the trinite more intently. “I would’ve gone with something a little more intimidating, but to each his own, right?”

  Roc told himself not to do what he was about to do, but the words left him anyway. “Taliyah, this is Halo and Roux.”

  Introductions were an honor he’d never bestowed upon another bride. His men graduated from astonishment, appearing shell-shocked.

  “Aren’t they supposed to bow or something?” she asked. “I’m their queen.”

  The corners of his mouth quirked before he had the presence of mind to blank his expression. “Explain what you learned in the Hall of Secrets,” he ordered Roux.

  “Time-out.” Taliyah created a T with her hands. “What’s the Hall of Secrets? You never explained.”

  He nuzzled his cheek against hers. “Our home realm, Nova, draws and collects whispers from other worlds. They are stored in a hallway of our palace. We have only to sift through them.” He nodded to Roux. “Go on.”

  The male had recovered significantly from his trials. Though red-rimmed irises and strain added lines to his face, he had a steady gaze. “I heard whispers from a woman. She never mentioned her name, but she has a higher voice than your bride. Animated, even. As far from monotone as possible. She told someone she’s more than a harpy-snake, and she cannot accept him as consort until he knows the truth about her origins, that she’s also a phantom.”

  “So there’s a second harpy-snake and phantom able to communicate with intelligence.” Did she operate independent of Erebus, as well?

  Tension stole through Taliyah. Did she suspect the identity of the other female? Did they share a connection? They must.

  “And?” he prompted Roux, impatient for more information. “Did the woman say anything else?”

  “Nothing that mattered.” Roux’s gaze dipped to Taliyah. “The woman who vanished during our invasion is this second phantom, I’m certain of it. I believe she possessed me, though I’m unsure how. I don’t even know how she exited without my knowledge. But she must have. Her emotions no longer muddle my own.”

  No movement from Taliyah during his speech. No emotion, either. Oh, yes. She knew the identity of the second phantom.

  “Did she feed on you?” he asked.

  Roux shook his head. “She did not.”

  His snarpy had once mentioned the atrocities committed against her people, courtesy of Erebus and his brother. Roc had thought nothing of it because the twins had slaughtered countless species. What if they’d somehow altered the DNA of some of the survivors? But...

  Taliyah hadn’t been part of the original slaughter. She’d claimed to read about the event in history books. Had the altered DNA caused phantom...births? Was such a thing even possible?

  There was so much he didn’t k
now.

  Had the other woman exited Roux and spoken with Taliyah at any point? “Be on the lookout for the second phantom. She might return.” When Taliyah braced, he added, “Don’t kill her. Contain her for questioning.” When her posture softened, he put his lips above her ear. “Is there something you’d like to say to me, snarpy?”

  “Plenty,” she snipped, as if he hadn’t granted her a great boon, providing safety to a phantom. “I don’t think you’ll like any of my chosen words.”

  “You know about this second phantom.”

  “Yep.” She didn’t endeavor to deny it.

  “And you’ll tell me nothing?”

  “Bingo.”

  Halo blinked at him, as if he’d never heard Roc make a request rather than a demand for information from a person of lesser rank. He’d definitely never heard Roc accept a denial.

  What would it take to win Taliyah’s loyalty? To induce her to offer it, of her own free will?

  Not planning her murder, for starters.

  He worked his jaw. “I’ll learn all your secrets, one way or another.”

  “I could make her talk without killing her,” Roux stated. He peered at the snarpy, as if he was already imagining her guts spread out on his table of torture. “She has answers about the other one, and I want to know what they are.”

  Protective instincts pitched and swelled. He barely wielded the wherewithal to remain silent. Torture Taliyah, dimming the light in her eyes and the fight in her heart for good? Never.

  Never? “I will handle my wife,” he intoned, making it clear the subject wasn’t to be broached again.

  Both males jerked, as if they’d been gut-punched.

  “Wife?” Halo spread his arms. “You mean the bride. Or the phantom.”

  Wife. A term he’d never allowed himself to use with the others. He’d preferred the term bride because his marriages never developed past the wedding.

  “Look,” she said, “let me save you all some trouble. You can remove every limb and organ and I won’t talk. Kudos to anyone who can make me cheer their efforts, though.”

  How proud she was. A perfect queen, unwilling to be cowed by anyone. “No one will be removing your limbs or organs.”

  “Too bad. I was really looking forward to making fun of your torture.” She used air quotes, then extracted herself from Roc’s embrace to skip to a window, where she leaned out to examine the realm beyond. “I’ve never seen Harpina from this angle or filled with this many males. Not outside of Harpy Gras.”

  The sight of her bent over the ledge, wearing only those tiny scraps of pink... He scrubbed a hand down his face. Not strong enough to resist.

  He closed the distance, coming up behind her and bracing his hands beside hers. At this angle, his body molded to hers, all but engulfing her smaller form.

  “How’d you recruit so many different species?” she asked.

  He looked out. Men crowded the area below, standing in formation. Shifters of every kind. Berserkers. Banshees. This particular contingent of soldiers awaited a command to attack, should one need to be issued.

  “My soldiers come from worlds we’ve conquered,” he explained, “as well as those who thought to try and conquer us.”

  She whipped around, remaining in the space between his arms and glaring up at him. “If you’re planning to enlist harpies—”

  He snorted. “As if I would dare. I can’t even control the one under my direct command.”

  “Okay. All right. I guess I won’t decapitate you right here and now, before your men can stop me.” Pure, sensual grace and languid carnality, she traced a finger down his sternum. “By the way, your alevala stopped moving again.”

  He glanced down, and sure enough, the images resembled any other tattoo. All because he caged the snarpy in his arms, and she seemed content to stay put?

  When would she need to feed? When could he pleasure her again?

  Perhaps he’d made a mistake, not bringing her to climax these past two nights. Soon, her beautiful life would be cut short. Didn’t she deserve to indulge every desire beforehand?

  Remembering the two warlords standing behind him, listening to every word, Roc called, “Meeting adjourned.”

  He flashed Taliyah to the garden, next to the altar.

  She groaned. “Not this again.”

  “No, not this again.” He couldn’t bring himself to work. Instead, he sat on his bench and pulled her into his lap. “Let’s talk.”

  * * *

  Taliyah had fought low-level panic ever since Roux’s shocking announcement. Roc now knew about Blythe. He might go searching for her.

  She scrambled to her feet, not an easy feat when you were straddling a man. As soon as she achieved success, he resettled her against him.

  She didn’t want him searching for Blythe. Or anyone! For all Taliyah knew, there was a third harpy-snake-phantom. Another secret daughter from Erebus’s line. A sister she’d never met, and someone she wanted to save.

  At least Roc hadn’t ordered the other phantom’s death.

  “Let me go,” she insisted. “You have stuff to do, and so do I.”

  His brows furrowed. “What stuff must you do?”

  “Lots of things. Train without my ring. Catalog the identities of the sleeping harpies. Study. And that’s just the start of my list!” There was so much she didn’t know about phantoms, Astra and Erebus. Maybe she’d find a book in the library titled How to Bypass Stupid Trinite Posts. Maybe?

  Never accept a picture of defeat.

  “We can do those things later.” The cold air should have chilled her, but his heat engulfed her. He traced his fingers up the ridges of her spine. “Right now, we stay here and talk.”

  Stubborn warlord. She did want to talk with him, to tell him what worried her and analyze the problems and solutions together. He could help; she knew he could. He knew more about phantoms and Erebus than she did. She’d read stories, but Roc had lived them.

  If Blythe had possessed Roux and had exited him outside of Harpina, where was she? Why hadn’t she returned for Isla? Unless she’d already found and stashed the girl away? But why not alert Taliyah to her presence?

  Either the phantom wasn’t Blythe, or something had prevented her dear sister from reaching out.

  Why am I happy to see you?

  Roux’s words replayed in her head. Okay, so the phantom was definitely Blythe, and Blythe had definitely possessed the Astra. But how had she escaped him? What if she hadn’t?

  Taliyah’s eyes widened. Could her sister be trapped in there, buried so deep Roux no longer sensed her?

  The questions almost tripped from her tongue. Say nothing! Roc was the source of her panic in the first place. Frustrated, she griped, “We only ever do things you want to do. When is it my turn?”

  He nuzzled her with his beard, just as he’d done in the tower. “That depends on what you want to do. I offered conversation.”

  “And I turned it down. Twice.” Despite herself, arousal swelled. With him, arousal always swelled. He knew just how to touch her...

  The pleasure they’d shared before... She longed for more. But, for two days, he’d barely touched her. Resisting the urge to initiate contact had proved challenging.

  Be the one who caved? No. So, the satisfaction she’d grown to adore had remained at bay.

  Now he stared at her lips, as if he imagined kissing her. “I can scent how much you want me, snarpy. I...want to be on your team, but I can’t give you false hope. I—” He quieted. His head canted to the side, his gaze going far away.

  A telepathic conversation ensued, and it definitely wasn’t a good one. More and more aggression pulsed from him.

  Did he say he wants to be on my team? “What is it?” she asked, focusing on war rather than emotions. She scanned the garden, expecting to discover an invading army.


  From unguarded, sensual, and sexy beyond imagining, to the stone-faced Commander, Roc transformed before her eyes. He stood abruptly, setting her on her feet. “A phantom army has appeared at the wall. The soldiers are embodied, in formation, unmoving and silent. Which means they have orders to do nothing until an appointed time or event.”

  She really hated her father right now. “So what’s the plan? Fight them?” Yeah. He itched for a fight, didn’t he? “Remove the metal, and I’ll help.”

  He blinked in surprise. “I—No.” A shake of his head for emphasis. “I’ll lock you in the bedroom. Posts will ensure no phantoms are able to enter.”

  Anger sprouted fast and sure. “Hey! You can’t just change your rules whenever it suits you. We stay together, remember?”

  He turned stubborn. “I can, and I have. This is for your safety.”

  Her safety? Taliyah scowled at him. “You’ll leave me weakened while an enemy attacks?”

  He flinched. But did he relent? No. “I’m sorry, Taya, but this is the way it must be.”

  “Liar.” How dare he Taya her at a time like this. “This isn’t the way it must be. This is the way you want it to be. No one can force you to do anything you don’t want to do, remember? Well, I’ve had enough. Before this, I dealt with you fairly because I understood your motives. Were the situation reversed, I would do the same thing, only better. But this... You’ve gone too far!”

  Torment stamped his face, but she didn’t care. “The risk is too great,” he said, as stubborn as ever.

  “That’s right,” she replied with a bitter undertone. “You’ve got to protect your investment. Never mind that the enemy might breach your posts and attack while I’m unable to properly defend myself.”

  “Taya—”

  “No! Don’t tell me they can’t breach the walls. They’ve already entered the palace without your knowledge on multiple occasions. So, no,” she repeated. “Any man who kisses me then puts me in unnecessary danger isn’t worth my time.”

  “I—”

  The temperature dropped from chilly to arctic in a blink. Despite Roc’s furnace-like temperature, Taliyah’s next exhalation crystallized in front of her face.