by Karen Kelley
“Not a chance. You’re my ticket to more wealth than I could ever spend in one lifetime. I’m finally going to have everything I want.”
“All you’re going to get is a jail cell and a long prison term.”
The woman only laughed.
Darcy leaned against the backseat. “He will find me, you know,” she said calmly and with enough confidence that she knew the woman was at least a little worried.
“I’ll let you in on a few things,” Excoria told her. “Before this night is over, Prince Surlock will be captured, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”
Darcy was suddenly very cold, even though the inside of the car was warm and stuffy. Surlock captured? She didn’t even want to think about it. The woman turned onto the main road, but she didn’t head toward town as Darcy had hoped.
“Why are you doing this?”
“I want wealth. I don’t care about causes. It’s nothing to me.”
Darcy thought she might faint. She quickly took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Causes?”
“Your lover is going to be exchanged for my leader. At least, that’s the plan. We could’ve gotten a king’s ransom for him, but no, they want to free Zerod. Why, I don’t know. The guy is totally crazy. He scares the hell out of me.”
Terrorists. Oh, God, terrorists didn’t care who they killed. That must have been the reason Surlock was wandering the woods without clothes or any kind of identity. He must have escaped them.
Then she’d clobbered him. Lord, he’d been through a lot. She frowned. Then why take her? “But why did you kidnap me?”
“Bait. You’ll lure him into our trap.”
She couldn’t let that happen. Not when she had leverage of her own. “My parents are rich,” she said. “They would pay you a lot of money if you returned me safely to them.” Darcy met Excoria’s eyes in the rearview mirror and saw the calculating gleam. This might just work. “By tomorrow, you could be long gone. No one would ever find you. A new identity. You could have the life you’ve dreamed about.”
The woman’s thoughtful expression turned angry. “Quit messing with my head. You probably think I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but I’m not that dumb. You might have money, but you’re just an impure. The lowest of the low have more status than you.”
There she went with that “impure” stuff again. “Who cares if I’m a virgin or not? It’s not like I’m going to be a nun or anything.”
Excoria laughed. “You think that’s what it means?”
Now she was confused. If Excoria wasn’t talking about virginity, then what was she talking about?
But she didn’t have a chance to ask as Excoria pulled down a bumpy dirt road. Darcy figured the woman was crazy. After all, Excoria planned to kidnap Surlock. Darcy would not want to be in her shoes when she did because she was pretty sure he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The humming in her ears intensified. She reached up, massaging them. Excoria chuckled. Bitch.
“Problems?”
“Whatever you put in my drink, and I know you put something in it, has made the humming in my ears worse.”
Her laughter only grew louder. It didn’t mix well with the humming and Darcy could feel a headache coming on. At least the bumping down the road had stopped. They were in front of a large abandoned warehouse. Darcy was pretty sure no one had used it in a long time. Most of the windows were broken out.
“Don’t try anything,” Excoria said as she cut off the engine, and climbed out.
“It’s not likely I could overpower you, so why try? I’m still tipsy from the drink and this horrible humming is making my head pound.”
“You still haven’t figured it out, have you?” She opened the back door and motioned Darcy to get out.
No, and she didn’t care if she ever did. Her first priority was escaping, and she knew she could take this scrawny bitch. Her self-defense classes were about to come in very handy.
As she scooted out, she moaned, holding her head. When she was standing, she slammed her elbow into Excoria’s face, connecting with her nose. The other girl screamed. Darcy didn’t waste any time, but took off running back down the road. She would cut across the pasture as soon as she rounded the corner.
The main road wasn’t that far. She could jog to it. Except her jog was more of a stumble and weave, but she had one thing going for her—determination! Surely whomever she flagged down would have a cell phone so that she could call the police. Everyone had a cell phone nowadays.
She had almost reached the corner when she heard a high-pitched sound, and then something slammed into the middle of her back. She gasped for her next breath, stumbled and fell to her knees. It was all she could do to take a breath.
No, this couldn’t be happening. She had to get to Surlock. She had to warn him before they took him. She began to crawl, but every time she moved, excruciating pain stabbed her. Now she couldn’t even feel her legs. Had Excoria shot her? Was Darcy dying?
She heard Excoria’s laughter as if it was coming from a long way off. Then a foot shoved Darcy onto her back. She cried out as pain set her body on fire.
Excoria squatted beside Darcy, shaking her head. In her hand was a gun. So this was it. She would take her last breath lying in the middle of a dusty dirt road and Surlock would never know she had fallen in love with him.
Love?
A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and slid down her cheek. Yeah, she loved him.
Her gaze moved to Excoria. “Bitch.”
Excoria laughed. “You’re a fighter. I don’t see many impures who are. Good thing you’re so weak from the drink or you might have broken my nose. Then I would’ve been really mad.”
“If you kill me, Surlock will make sure your death is slow and painful.”
Excoria’s humor died a quick death. “You aren’t dead yet. Only temporarily paralyzed. If you’re lucky, it will knock you out.”
She wasn’t dying? Relief washed over her. There was still a chance.
“Dying will come later, but not until we don’t need you anymore. Now I have to get you to your cage.”
She grabbed Darcy’s ankles and began dragging her toward the warehouse. If being dragged down the road didn’t hurt so much, Darcy might have laughed that Excoria had to exert herself.
Once they were in the warehouse, Excoria dragged her inside a cage. There were two of them. One for her, and one for Surlock. The humming in her ears grew louder. As if she didn’t have enough to deal with.
She hurt all over and her hair was matted with dirt and twigs. She sniffed. She wanted to kill this bitch, but she couldn’t move. Whatever Excoria had shot her with had almost completely paralyzed her. She could only glare at the other woman as she fought the drug weaving its way through her body.
Excoria slammed the door, then locked it, her chest heaving from the exertion. She glared at Darcy. “That should keep you nice and safe while I go back to the party.” She ran a hand over her hair, then smoothed her stupid alien costume. “How do I look? Presentable, I hope.” She smirked.
“You look like a moron,” Darcy said, glad she could at least form words.
Anger flared in the other woman’s eyes, but just as quickly dissolved. “But I’m free and you’re locked in a dirty old cage. Oh, and don’t bother screaming. No one will hear you.”
“If Surlock doesn’t kill you, I will.”
Excoria stretched her arms out. “Come on, kill me then. What? Can’t move? That’s a shame. I’ll tell Surlock you said hello.” She waltzed out of the warehouse. The car started a few minutes later. Darcy listened as she drove away.
Now would be a good time to come up with a plan to escape. She tried to move her arm, but only managed to wiggle her fingers. That was a start. Maybe the drug was wearing off.
“Help!” So what if no one could hear her, and she sounded more like a dying goat than a human. Screaming made her feel better. “Help!” Her voice echoed in the hollowness of the room.
<
br /> Silence.
This wasn’t fair.
But at least something good had come from it all. She knew who Surlock was now. Correction, Prince Surlock. Unless Excoria was totally crazy and didn’t even know who she was.
The humming in Darcy’s ears worsened. She was totally screwed.
CHAPTER 23
Surlock had been searching for Darcy almost two hours and still hadn’t located her. Panic seared through him.
Peter had laughed and said they were probably both searching for each other and not crossing paths. Surlock could see his point. There were twice as many people at the party now. There was barely room to breathe.
Surlock headed for the French doors, planning to use the band’s microphone to call out to Darcy. Just as he stepped outside, a man wearing a red cape and horns approached. He grabbed Surlock’s arm.
Surlock frowned, and the man released him.
“Are you Surlock?”
“Yes.” Surlock looked at him. Could this man know him? Surlock didn’t recognize him. He was of average height with dark hair. Something about him seemed familiar, though.
“Darcy sent me to find you. Said you were dressed like a wolf.” His voice shook as if he were nervous or scared.
“What’s the matter? Where is she?”
“She fell. I told her I would get you. I think her ankle is broken.”
“Take me to her.” What had she been doing that she would fall? Probably trying to find him. He should never have let her out of his sight, but there had been so many people jostling him, he’d let go of her arm and the next thing he knew, she’d been swallowed by the crowd.
He followed the man down the steps toward the side of the house. No wonder she had fallen. There was no light here, and as they continued, no people. Surlock began to get suspicious. He grabbed the man’s arm.
“Where did you say she was?”
“Just on the other side of those bushes.”
Someone moaned.
“Darcy!”
“Surlock,” came a muffled response.
Relief flooded through him that Darcy could respond. He hurried around the bush and saw her lying on the ground, her back to him, softly crying.
“Where are you hurt?”
She turned over. Surlock saw it wasn’t Darcy at all. “What is this?” he growled.
“Your worst nightmare.” The man behind him laughed. Surlock whirled around, and saw the gun. It didn’t matter. He roared, and charged the man. The man fired, hitting Surlock in the chest.
The roaring in his ears was back, but he couldn’t stop it this time as his legs buckled and he went to the ground. “Darcy,” he managed to say.
“She’ll be dead before you come to. Sorry, but you know as well as I that impures are an abomination.”
Surlock’s head pounded as the world around him went dark. No, Darcy wasn’t going to die. He wouldn’t let that happen. But right now, he knew there wasn’t anything he could do. The humming slowed, then stopped, and he didn’t hear anything else.
“Is he breathing?” Excoria asked. By the gods, Nivla would have her head if Surlock died, even though she wasn’t the one who’d shot him. Nivla couldn’t very well kill his own son.
“He’s breathing,” Ekon said. “I knew it would take a lot to keep the prince knocked out. He’s a big man.”
She looked down at Prince Surlock. Not bad looking, either. There was a lot of naked flesh showing. What would it feel like to run her hands over his muscles and pretend for a moment that he lusted after her as she had lusted after him through the years?
“Let’s get him on the cart. It’s going to take us a while just to get him to the car.”
And Excoria was pretty sure she would be doing most of the work. Ekon wasn’t going to exert himself too much.
They rolled Prince Surlock onto a cart with wheels. The prince was definitely big, but she did enjoy touching him. His body was hard and muscled.
He was also very heavy as Ekon pulled one end of the cart and she pushed the other. They were both breathing hard by the time they got to the car. Surlock was still out. She was thankful for that. She hadn’t liked the look in his eyes when he’d realized she wasn’t Darcy. How she wished to be Darcy for a brief moment and have him look at her with desire.
But no, she hadn’t been good enough for the prince on New Symtaria. He’d sneered at her advances. But who was sneering now?
They got him inside the car. She climbed into the driver’s side again. Ekon didn’t like to drive, so that chore was also left to her. Not that she really minded. She just let him think she did.
It wasn’t far to the warehouse. Once they were there, they used another cart to haul Surlock inside, putting him in the cage next to the woman’s. The drug had almost worn off the impure. She was sitting up, leaning against the bars of the cage. When she saw Surlock, she tried to move. It apparently took too much effort, and she gave up.
“Surlock,” she said.
Ekon curled his lip. “Quiet, impure! You will not say the prince’s name. You are unworthy.”
“Screw you!” Darcy spat.
Excoria hid her smile. She would have enjoyed telling Ekon that, but didn’t have the courage. When Ekon took a menacing step toward the impure, she grabbed his arm.
“Leave her. She’s not worth your time.”
He took a deep breath. “You’re right. Nivla will be here soon.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Nivla? Will the exchange take place so soon?” Her stomach curled. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. She knew he would come sooner or later, but she preferred later. Much later.
“There’s been a change of plans.” He looked at her with all the innocence of a rattlesnake. “Didn’t I tell you?”
“No, I guess you forgot.”
There was a whirring outside. Dread filled Excoria. Nivla was here. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what was about to happen.
Ekon went to meet his father after the craft landed. Excoria hurried in his wake. The craft’s door was opening. Three high warriors came out first. Then Nivla appeared, standing at the threshold. She was pretty sure he did it for effect. She rolled her eyes, then quickly bowed her head.
“Ekon, you have been successful?”
“Yes, Father.”
“I didn’t doubt you would be. After all, you’re my son.” His forehead wrinkled. “Why are you dressed like this?”
“I’m in costume, Father. So I could blend in at the party.”
“Very wise.” His lip curled in disdain when his gaze moved to Excoria.
She raised her chin. Could she help it if this was all she had to wear? She’d asked for funds and had only been laughed at.
They breezed past her without a word. She fumed silently as she followed.
“This is the impure?” Nivla asked as he glanced in Darcy’s direction.
“Yes.”
He stared at her for a long time. Excoria knew exactly what was on his mind. The slit up Darcy’s dress had ripped and most of her legs were exposed. Nivla licked his lips as if he would like to join the impure inside her cage, but then he must have decided he didn’t have time. He turned to the other cage.
“Ah, Prince Surlock.” He clapped his son on the back. “You have done well, my son.”
Excoria cleared her throat. Really, did he actually think his imbecile son had done everything by himself? Not hardly, and she wasn’t about to let Ekon steal all the glory.
“Excoria, did you want something?” Nivla asked.
“I helped,” she whined. That hadn’t come out like she had planned. “I mean to say that I was the one who kept an eye on Prince Surlock, and I lured the girl here.”
“You mean the impure?” He scoffed. “I wouldn’t think she would be a problem.”
“Well, she wasn’t.”
“Then it’s settled. We’re taking the prince to Rovertia to make the exchange for our Great Leader. You will stay here and dispose of the impure.�
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“And then what?”
He waved his hand as though she was a bothersome gnat buzzing around his face. “Then you will continue as before, hunting other impures.”
“But—”
Nivla squared his shoulders while his son smirked. “You have a problem with my orders?”
She bowed her head, placing the back of her hand against her forehead. “No, Great Leader.”
“Good.” He turned to his men. “Load the prince on the craft. It’s time we leave.”
They were none too gentle with the prince as they carried him to the craft. Excoria stepped outside and watched them take off. There went her dreams of riches. They wouldn’t even bother to mention her part in the prince’s capture. All of the credit for this mission would go to Nivla and his son. She was nothing to them, so nothing in the way of wealth or honors would come her way.
She picked up a rock and threw it as hard as she could at the departing craft. Not that it would even come close to its mark, but it made her feel a little better. If there was any way she could get revenge, she would!
Now she had to dispose of the impure. And worse, she still hadn’t eaten, and she was starving.
She stomped back inside the warehouse. The woman eyed her warily.
“I have to kill you,” Excoria told her. “If I don’t, someone else will. Then they would come after me.” She shrugged. “You know how it is.”
Excoria opened the door and stepped inside. The girl tried to move away, but the drug hadn’t worn off completely. Excoria knew from experience it would leave her incapacitated for several more hours. Excoria wasn’t sure if that made her job more difficult or not. She hated watching the impures struggle as they attempted to escape. They were like worms on the floor, wiggling and squirming.
She really, really hated this part.
“I can’t die,” Darcy said, her voice bleak with denial.
“Everyone has to die,” Excoria said. “It’s a fact of life. You’ll just be leaving a little sooner than you’d planned.”
“But I haven’t lived my dream,” she murmured.
