The Enemy's Kiss

by Zandria Munson

His eyes dipped over her again “You have been wounded,” he said in a low voice.

  “It’s nothing,” she lied even as another sharp pain shot down her leg.

  “There are medications at the estate. We can treat it there,” he told her as he pulled the bow from his shoulder and began to disable it.

  Daniela blinked. What the hell was he talking about? He’d gotten what he wanted and it didn’t seem as if he intended to turn her in to the police. There was absolutely no reason for her to remain with him.

  “I’ve shown you what you wanted to see. I’d like to go now,” she said with more confidence than she felt. “Oh, and I need my phone back.”

  Nicholas’s hand paused on the crossbow and he looked up at her. Emerald eyes flashed. “Dawn is nearly upon us,” he said. “I intend to be back at the estate before the sun rises. I do not have the patience or the time to spare.” He motioned toward the main entry door with his crossbow.

  As she’d done so many times that night, Daniela swallowed her comment. She hated to admit it, but there was something about Nicholas Drakon that made her insides quiver. It was like a sordid mixture of anger and intense attraction. She’d never been immediately drawn to anyone before, most especially someone of the opposite sex. It was a pity he was such a nuisance to be around. And it seemed she would have to endure even more of his less-than-winning disposition.

  Trying to ignore the pain in her leg, she headed toward the main exit. Nicholas extended a hand to assist her, but she shoved it away. She didn’t need his help.

  Chapter 4

  Nicholas shoved through the door of the estate’s kitchen. He was in a foul mood. Not only had Daniela nearly gotten them both killed, but for the price of learning very little about the location of the missing rune. And to top it all off, they’d not managed to escape a sudden storm and were presently soaking wet.

  Daniela’s knees buckled just as they entered the room and he caught her before she touched the floor. She was no doubt weakened by the fair amount of blood she’d lost.

  “Sit,” he instructed as he guided her into the room.

  Daniela complied, seating herself at the polished mahogany table that sat in the center of the kitchen. Matching countertops and cupboards lined one side of the room and a small couch sat near the rear wall.

  Nicholas headed for a cupboard and returned with a wooden box and a bottle of brandy. He looked at the blood-soaked rag that she’d used as a makeshift tourniquet. The bleeding had stopped. Carefully, she released the knot that secured it into place and bit down on her bottom lip, but remained silent. Nicholas could tell that although she hid it well she was in much pain.

  He placed the box on the table and opened the lid. It contained medicinal items from a modern first aid kit and a few that were similar to those used in the 1900s. He went to the sink and returned with a bowl of water.

  “I will need to clean your wound and the bullet must be extracted. Remove your pants,” he told her.

  Her attention snapped to him. “I don’t think so,” she told him flatly.

  His eyes narrowed on her. The wound was bound to become infected if it wasn’t tended to, and he needed her alive and well. He was sure that she would be contacted the following night once she didn’t show up with the second rune. His plan was simple. He would have her admit to encountering trouble, but state that she’d managed to steal the rune anyway. As the monastery would no longer be deemed a safe haven and the delivery of the item would already be late, he would have her offer to deliver the stone to the source itself. “Remove your pants or I will remove them for you,” he warned.

  Their eyes locked, hers relaying a fierce defiance. He could see her weighing her options. It was futile to defy him for it was he who determined her fate. Her jaw hardened and he knew that she’d come to this very conclusion.

  With a dark scowl that made her sleek brows pucker, she used the table for support and pushed to her feet. She stared up at him, her head barely level with his chin. When he remained as he was she let out an exasperated sigh that made her ample chest rise temptingly.

  “Can you at least give me some privacy?” she asked.

  Nicholas pondered the humor of her request. She could certainly be amusing in all her tartness. To think that he would turn his back on her a second time was foolish.

  “I assure you, you have nothing I have not seen before.” He brought his arms up to cross over his chest. “Proceed.”

  If possible, her eyes grew even more venomous. “You arrogant son of a bitch,” she gritted out as she jerked the single button at her waistband open.

  “Spoken like a true criminal deviant,” he countered.

  He watched as she yanked the zipper down, revealing a surprisingly lacy thong. What he’d originally thought was white turned out to be a soft pink. There was even a little bow fastened to the band. His gaze trailed to her face as she pushed the left leg carefully over her injury. It seemed there lay some softness beneath her calloused exterior after all.

  With her pants rolled to her knees she eased back into the chair. Nicholas assumed it was her pride that prevented her from trying to conceal the beautiful curve of her hips and thighs. She sat still even as he kneeled before her and removed a packet of gauze from the kit then began swabbing at the blood that had dried about the point of entry.

  “You would do well to take a drink of that brandy,” he suggested.

  Daniela shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ll need all my wits about me in case you try something.”

  His gaze slid to her face. “If it was my intent to try something, no measure of wit would save you, be assured.”

  She was silent, no doubt absorbing his words. “Funny,” she said at last. “For someone with so much money you certainly weren’t taught very many manners.”

  He snorted. “Scolded by a woman who makes her living stealing from others. How I have fallen,” he scoffed.

  His humor wasn’t taken well and her eyes narrowed on him. “Why are you holding me here? To torture me with your sarcasm?” she asked.

  He studied her for a moment, noting the way her damp hair had curled about her face and shoulders. “You have not served your full purpose yet,” he told her. “You are my only hope of finding the rune and the one who hired you to steal it. Until I do, you will remain here.”

  “I believe that’s called kidnapping.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Perhaps it is, but you are hardly in the position to alert the authorities, are you?” Without waiting for her response, he dipped a fresh wad of gauze into the bowl and moved lower on her thigh. He noted another small bullet hole. It could’ve been an exit wound, but it was curiously small. He would have to be certain. He removed a small pair of forceps from the kit.

  “This will hurt, but I will be done with it as quickly as I can.”

  “Just get it over with,” she snapped.

  Nicholas watched her curiously. He’d been thoroughly impressed by her fighting skill and her courage. She had a hard strength about her that wasn’t ordinarily seen in women of the modern era. This, coupled with her beautiful face and form made her quite desirable. But this was business. His family’s future was at stake and he would have no dealings with the one who was partially responsible for bringing it down upon them. Not that she would permit it anyway. The woman was a shrew.

  Taking the forceps he began to gently fish around the anterior wound. Her grip tightened on the edge of the chair and she looked away, but refrained from crying out. Having done this sort of thing many times before over the centuries, Nicholas quickly discerned that the bullet had indeed exited her body.

  “You were quite fortunate,” he told her.

  He wiped the area a second time then removed a small pouch from the box. He opened it and the aroma of dried leaves poured out.

  “What’s that
?” Daniela asked suspiciously.

  “It’s called kava,” he informed. “The plant is dried and has been used as a topical anesthetic for centuries.”

  Pinching a small portion out of the bag, he applied it to her wound then proceeded to place a bandage about her thigh. His fingers grazed her skin a few times and he was hard-pressed to ignore how extremely soft she felt. Her body was perfect; ripe and smooth. He found himself wishing that they’d met under different circumstances. He would’ve had her splayed naked on his bed without a second thought.

  Standing, he quickly pushed the thoughts from his mind. There was much at hand he had yet to deal with. His father would be arriving at the estate shortly. The matter of the missing rune would be discussed and he would have to somehow reveal to him the activities of the night and his failure to learn more.

  He marched toward the stainless-steel faucet and washed his hands. Then he moved to a cupboard and pulled a woven quilt from it and tossed it onto the back of the sofa in the corner. “You would be wise to rest. You will need your strength for we have another long night ahead.”

  He stood there for a few more seconds, his eyes draping her once again. She said nothing, only sat there watching him as if he’d brought the plague himself. He didn’t consider his actions wrong, far from it. He was loyal to his family and would do whatever it took to reinstate the peace that they’d fought so long to obtain. And if that meant holding a deviant and sharp-tongued vixen against her will, then so be it. In fact, the experience might just be good for her. There were a few lessons she needed to learn in obedience. Quietly, he stalked toward the door and left the room, turning the lock in the keyhole.

  * * *

  Daniela waited until the sound of Nicholas’s footsteps disappeared down the hall. She pushed herself up quickly and carefully slipped her pants back up, wincing slightly at the subsiding pain in her leg. The dried leaves he’d added to her dressing were certainly working quickly. She hadn’t been too keen on having him help her, but now she was glad that she had. If she intended to escape she would need every bit of her speed and agility working for her. She snatched up the pouch of leaves from the first aid kit and stuffed it into her pocket. There was no telling how long the anesthesia would be effective. And if she intended to find the second rune before the day ended, the last thing she could afford was the distraction of pain.

  Reaching into her shirt, she found the cold metal that was pressed against her left breast. It was the key to Nicholas’s motorcycle. Upon entering the kitchen she’d deliberately stumbled against him and had deftly picked his pocket. And when he’d reached into the cupboard for the first aid kit, she’d quickly hidden it. She hadn’t been bold enough to attempt retrieving her phone from his back pocket for he would’ve surely guessed her intentions.

  She limped toward the door and slipped two hairpins from her hair. If there was one thing Nicholas had forgotten it was that she was a thief. He’d stripped her of her gadgets and retrieved his pocket knife, but she was innovative. A mere door couldn’t confine her. Straightening the pins, she stuck them into the old-fashioned lock system. She’d never picked a lock quite this antique before, and it proved to be more than a challenge. Nevertheless, after several tries she heard a soft click.

  Slowly, she turned the handle and peered out into the hall. She was free! She eased into the hall, listening for any sounds beneath the abated rainfall and was met with silence. She closed the door of the kitchen and made her way down the hallway, hoping to encounter a rear exit. She noted the wet boot prints on the tiled floor and knew that this was the way Nicholas had come.

  Halfway down the hall another passage branched off to the right and so did the wet boot prints. She could see a set of double doors that were closed, but light seeped from beneath and the distinct sound of voices could be heard. Daniela paused. She was torn between the desire to leave and to learn more about the man who’d disrupted her life in only a few short hours. In the end her curiosity got the better of her and she moved forward.

  Chapter 5

  Nicholas leaned against the mantelpiece of the large fireplace, a tumbler of brandy in his hand. He studied the occupants of the elegant sitting room. Present were his parents, his older brother Simion, their cousin Andrew and the six elders of their clan.

  Garbed in a burgundy brocade jacket, Lord Victor Drakon adjusted the ruffles at his wrist. “For centuries the secret of the runes has remained sacred within our clan. It confuses me how any among us would choose to rekindle an ancient and evil spirit that had nearly ushered us into extinction.”

  The many years of his life had done nothing to dissipate the force and vigor of Lord Victor’s character. He remained the strong leader who had brought his clan through the dark ages. Nicholas had learned many lessons from his father and he held him in the highest regard.

  Simion spoke. “It must be one of us, for few know of the runes. The question is why now? Why after the curse has been broken?”

  “And why in secrecy,” Nicholas added. “Every decision made within our clan has always been a mutual effort.”

  Lord Victor reclined against the high back of his chair. “The motive is unclear, but that is the least of our concerns. If my brother and his followers are awakened, we would be helpless to contain them.”

  Ciprian, an elder who’d fought in the great Cetatean war joined the debate. “But if the Rune of Cythe is safely hidden we should have no reason to worry. One is useless without the other.”

  “Not quite,” said Lord Victor. “If the missing stone is damaged or even tampered with it can initiate the awakening. This will only result in an undeterminable and most undesirable conclusion as the process will never be completed. Not without its sister stone.”

  Lady Amelia, Nicholas’s mother, spoke then. “And what of the sorceress who cast the spell, Victor? The Ananovians have been dabbling in methods to achieve immortality for years. Can we not seek her help?” Garbed in a vintage evening gown, she was the image of grace and beauty; a woman devoted to her fold.

  Lord Drakon shook his head. “Agatha is long dead. She was traditional and cared not to see this world to its end. We have no choice but to move the rune to a second location.”

  Andrew expressed his concern. “Victor, is this wise? The rune is safe. Move it now and you could jeopardize that.”

  Andrew and his family were the direct descendants of Lord Victor’s cousin Demetrius, who had been spared the curse of the gargoyle as he’d been in another village during the time it was cast. Demetrius had led a normal life while assisting his damned kin in any way possible. His subsequent generations had taken up his staff, maintaining their loyalty even to the very hour the curse was broken.

  “It is a chance we will have to take,” Lord Victor told him. “If this thief or those who hired her learn the location of the rune, all will be lost.”

  At the mention of the thief, Nicholas suffered a moment of guilt. Strangely, he hadn’t felt compelled to reveal Daniela’s presence at the estate. And what was even more shocking was his motive. He was protecting her. Although more than a year had passed since the curse had been broken, there were still those among his clan who had yet to embrace the subtleties of humanity. If discovered, Daniela would be subjected to more than a grueling interrogation. Selfishly, he’d decided to retain the responsibility of learning everything she knew for himself.

  “My lord,” came the voice of one who’d thus far remained silent. “I fail to comprehend why all this effort is being placed on assuring your brother’s continued imprisonment.”

  All eyes turned to the one called Stefan, who, as one of the older members of their clan, rivaled Victor in both age and wisdom. He was a recluse however, and it was his habit to oppose anything that would bring change. Those who knew a little more of him understood that his recessive nature was usually mistaken for arrogance. He rarely attended any gat
herings, and if he did make the effort he kept to himself. In fact, he was the only member of their clan who had been absent the night the curse had been broken.

  “How can we be sure that they, like us, have not become human?” Stefan continued. “It would be only fair to give them the chance at life as we have been given.”

  His comment fueled a series of whispers that quickly filled the room. Lord Victor raised a hand, propelling the occupants once again into silence. “You are correct, but we must also consider the possibility that because their souls are confined, they have remained unchanged. Sorcery is a complicated vector and we cannot facilitate the process of awakening them upon mere speculation.”

  “And so we should leave them to suffer for all eternity while we walk free? It is hardly fair that there are members of our clan who are unable to enjoy humanity. If they have been exempt then there must be another way to break the curse.”

  Lord Victor’s countenance grew hard. Nicholas knew his father well; he listened to reason, but in the end expected his word to be final.

  “And what do you propose?” Lord Victor asked. “That we scramble about for a solution while my brother and his followers tear through this country, destroying everything in their wake? Do you not think that I have considered everything you have just said? Unfortunately, something must be sacrificed in this situation.”

  Nicholas agreed wholeheartedly with his father’s decision. They couldn’t risk setting loose an opposition that as humans, they were no longer able to control. He knew that it wasn’t an easy decision for his father as Gabriel was his own brother, but such were the burdens of a leader.

  Already, Lord Victor had gone against the advice of the witch Agatha. She’d instructed him to destroy the statues—Gabriel and his followers turned permanently to stone—since she’d seen no hope for redemption in them. But Lord Victor hadn’t been able to bring himself to do so. Instead, he’d ordered that the dungeon of Fagara Castle be sealed shut with a thick wall of stone. As time had passed the castle had been reduced to ruin, but the twelve statues remained sealed within the darkness. No, Lord Victor wouldn’t bend to his emotion a second time. The safety of his people and of others had to be placed above his own sentiment.