Janrae Frank - [Lycan Blood 02] - Fireborn Law

by Fireborn Law [lit]

  "And Kynyr?"

  "His wounds weren't as serious to start with ... they're all in his leg. Devil's Silver is nasty stuff."

  Claw's eyes narrowed. "You know an awful damn lot for someone your age."

  "I'm older than I look." Pandeena gathered her things and moved to the other side of the bed to work on Finn.

  "How old?"

  "None of your damned business."

  Erskine chuckled. "Never ask a bitch her age."

  Claw turned on his heels and walked out. Erskine lingered. "You look like you could use a drink. Could I buy you one when you're finished?"

  "No."

  * * * *

  As he put his hand on the knob, Claw heard Cahira singing, weaving her spell words to focus her gifts. He hesitated, uncertain of his welcome despite the fact that she had sent for him. Easing the door open, he stood two steps over the threshold and watched Cahira working on Kynyr as he had with Pandeena and Ramsey. Todd sat on the opposite side of the bed, holding his grandson's hand and bathing his face with a wet cloth.

  "Come on, boy," Todd said in that slow, steady voice of his. "Come on. You're not dying on us. You hear me?"

  Claw sucked in a breath and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. He had half-hoped for four years ever since first laying eyes on Kynyr that the handsome young wolf would turn out to be his great-grandson. The resemblance to his murdered son was uncanny. Kynyr even had Tarrant's easy self-confidence. Having Kynyr in his employ was like having his son back again. Todd has dashed all of that two months ago when he unequivocally stated that he had sired Kynyr's bastard father, Branduff, on Cahira.

  Kynyr moaned, shifting restlessly, his head moving back and forth. "No, Finn. Keep going keep going. Fiiiiiinn!"

  Claw moved closer to the bed on Todd's side. "Kynyr?"

  "He can't hear you." Todd glanced up as Claw stopped beside him. "Kynyr doesn't even know we're here."

  "Fever?"

  "Yes. The poison's eating him up inside."

  "At least they accounted for several of them."

  "No." Todd shook his head. "I did."

  "Killing was always what you did best, Todd."

  "Be quiet or get out!" Cahira snapped.

  Todd stood up and tossed the wet cloth at Claw. "You and Cahira need to talk. I'm going to check on Kady. Make sure the cubs haven't overwhelmed her."

  Claw studied the wall for a moment, threw the cloth into the basin of water, and picked one of the arrowheads out of the dish Cahira had been tossing them into. "Swallowtails. Wicked looking thing. Ought to see if Ranoul can make something nastier that we can give them some payback with."

  Cahira brandished a scalpel at Claw. "Hold his hand. He doesn't thrash as much if someone's holding him. Kynyr's not conscious, but touch still registers."

  Claw settled into the chair vacated by Todd and grasped Kynyr's hand, patting and squeezing it. The old chieftain studied the young wolf's suffering face. He tensed, seeing the resemblance to his dead son so strongly that it flashed memories through him. Once more he saw his twin sons, Logan and Tarrant executed in rites of mortgiefan while he watched unable to do anything, his wife Aisha held hostage to his cooperation.

  "Todd's a bloody liar! Kynyr's mine."

  Cahira's lips curled back into a silent snarl. She Mended the deepest parts of the wound, cut away the blackened flesh, and applied Pandeena's odd salve to it. Then she glared across Kynyr at Claw. "There's a curse on your house."

  "Yah and I've heard twenty different versions of it. Weems' Curse they call it. Bullshit, Cahira. All bullshit. There is no bloody curse."

  "Isn't there? Where's your brother? Where's your sons? Darmyk can't inherit. He's sa'necari. One of those monsters that destroyed your family. The Redhands are a dying breed. You're the last. They'll put some other family on the throne after you're gone."

  "Is that why you sent for me? To shove this bloody curse in my face?"

  Cahira stiffened. "The law says that the chieftain must be sent for when his guardsmyn are wounded or dead. I've kept the letter of the law. Now get the hell out of my home."

  The chieftain retreated to the hallway and leaned against the wall, breathing hard. The tightness and shooting pains in his chest were back with a vengeance. He took the bottle of foxglove extract from his pouch, popped it open, and took a swallow of it. Baroucha had told him to measure it carefully, but most of the time Claw never bothered to. His doses were erratic. Sometimes he forgot them. He should have told Aisha about it, but Claw had not wanted to worry her.

  "Claw?"

  He glanced up as he slipped the bottle back into his pouch and saw Todd standing by the stairs. "I'm leaving. Your bloody wife told me to."

  "We need to talk."

  "I'm leaving."

  Todd gave Claw a long, searching look. "About Cullen. Come upstairs with me."

  The big lycan started up the stairs without waiting for the chieftain's reply. Claw pushed away from the wall and followed. By the time he reached the third floor, the chieftain was panting and the chest pains had worsened. He stumbled on the last step and nearly fell on the landing. Todd caught Claw's arm and steadied him. "Are you alright?"

  He guided Claw down the hallway to a large room divided by a mat on one side and mirrored the entire length of it. Racks of practice weapons stood in the corner nearest the door and at the far end sat a square table with four chairs and a cabinet behind it.

  Claw settled into a chair and Todd brought a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from the cabinet. "Whiskey?"

  "Yeah."

  Todd poured. "What's wrong with you? That bottle"

  Claw glared at him. "Tell me about Cullen."

  "Show me the bottle."

  Claw took the bottle out and set it beside the whiskey. "You tell anyone and I'll run you both out of town."

  Todd read the label. "Heart trouble? How long?"

  "Couple a months. Thought I had it hidden, but a week ago my damned son-in-law caught me having one of those spells."

  "Cahira should have a look at you."

  "She won't do it."

  "I could talk to her."

  "Forget it. Tell me about Cullen."

  "Are you still looking for his family?"

  "Law says I have to. A year and a day."

  "I can tell you where to find his son. But I want your word you won't share that with anyone."

  "You have it."

  "It's Cooley. He's Cullen Diomedes Blackwood, jr."

  "Why all the secrecy?"

  "We think that Cullen's murderers are looking for him. When he made that ride to Wolffgard two months ago, some myn chased him down the road. Cooley gave Larkspur her head and she outran them."

  "Good horse, that one."

  "Ayup."

  "What do you want me to do?"

  "Quietly transfer Cullen's assets to Cooley. We'll set up a trust for him until he's of age."

  "Consider it done."

  * * * *

  Kady tried to ignore Gorgarty. The way that he stared at her, undressing her with his eyes, made her skin crawl. She looked about the shop for something to do, and saw the cases of jars and bottles sitting between the two ladders that Rory and Cooley had been using earlier. Reading the labels, she matched them up with those on the shelves and put them away.

  "I saw them moving yer stuff in as we turned the corner." Gorgarty followed her, folded his arms atop one cabinet, and leaned across it. "What are ya doing here?"

  "Working." Kady stiffened. "I work here now."

  "On yer back or standing up?"

  "Leave me alone. I'm working."

  "If ya say so." Gorgarty shrugged, his eyes resting on her rump. "Cullen ever give it to ya up the ass?"

  "That's none of your business." Kady returned to the crates of supplies and took out a small bottle. It had the name written on it in three languages, only one of which Kady recognized. The late priest, Tempest Anstey, had taught Kady her letters. Although she was not a good reader, Kady co
uld sound out most words and this one surprised her: Amphereon. Normally Amphereon was blue. Apothecaries and healers color-coded drugs with natural food coloring. This was white. The purest, most expensive form there was of it which the addicts called White Fire. She had heard it discussed many times working in her father's tavern. Cahira must have an outstanding supplier to get her hands on it. Kady turned about, trying to decide where to put it and spotted a locked cabinet. She went to the back, sat the drug on the table which Cahira used for a counter, and started looking for the key. Kady would be glad when Cooley and Rory got back to help her learn where things were.

  "What ya got there?" Gorgarty sauntered along in her wake and picked up the bottle. He squinted at the label as if trying to read it. Gorgarty popped the stopper out and sniffed it. "Wheeew! Amphereon. Bitch, that stuff will really stiffen the bone. Wanna see mine?"

  Kady snatched the bottle out of his hand and realized that the stopper was not there. "Give me that!" She grabbed his hand, trying to peel his thick fingers open.

  Gorgarty laughed at her, clenching his fist around the stopper. "Let me nuzzle yer teats and ya can have it."

  "Please don't do this to me. It's my first day. They've got wounded upstairs. Please."

  "Pretty Boy Maguire took it in the ass." Gorgarty chuckled, shrugged Kady off, and went around behind the table after her. "Wish I'd been there to see it."

  Kady glanced about frantically for a place to flee to. Gorgarty had cut her off from the door to the hallway. She spied the door to the backroom, and retreated through it.

  He followed her. "Good place. Ya want to do it on the sofa? The floor? Or up against the wall. Ya were doing it standing up when yer da caught ya."

  "Get out of here!"

  Kady realized that she was shaking, and shoved the bottle onto a shelf so that she would not spill it. There was only one door and she would have to get past Gorgarty to reach it. She darted to Cahira's worktable and put that between her and the guardsmon.

  The table pressed against a cabinet that blocked the end off, completing an L-shape with the wall behind her. She was trapped.

  Gorgarty glanced at the area. "Ya sure ya want to do it there? Not much space."

  "Touch me and I'll scream."

  "Scream." Gorgarty shrugged. "No one helps a whore."

  "I'm not a whore." Kady backed up as he came around the side and started toward her, opening his pants. "Kynyr"

  "Oughta be dead soon." Gorgarty loosed a sour laugh. "Guess Todd'll be slipping ya the bone soon. If ya like geezer bones"

  "Shut up." She slapped his face.

  "Like it rough, Kady? Is that it?" Gorgarty grabbed her wrist and twisted it, sending a sharp pain up her arm. "I got no problem with that."

  "Let go." She jerked her arm, trying to free it, finally repeating the futile effort with the bottle top, and attempting to pry his fingers loose from her wrist.

  "How rough ya want it, Kady?" Gorgarty grinned, seized her golden hair, and yanked her head around. His fetid breath and dirty teeth made Kady's stomach roil as Gorgarty brought his face close to hers. He covered her lips with his own, forcing them apart.

  Kady set her jaw and clenched her teeth together.

  "Open them."

  Kady's eyes glittered with the desperation of a cornered animal and she kept her mouth closed. She shook her head.

  Gorgarty slammed his fist into her solar plexus, knocking the air out of her. "Play nice."

  Kady sobbed for breath, a freshet of tears dampening her cheeks. What little fight she had had to begin with evaporated. Between Cullen's death and her father turning on her, Kady Wiggins had been gradually losing her sense of self for several weeks. She knew it full well, but saw no way to recover it. The spark of hope that Cahira had given her mere hours ago faded and died like a blown out candle.

  He shoved her against the wall, rubbing his pelvis along her body. "Ya'll like me. I'm not a runt like Cullen. Once you've had me inside you, Kady, you won't want anyone else."

  "I don't want you." Her voice cracked and her head moved listlessly, as if trying not to think about what was happening to her. Ever since word had gotten out about her losing her virginity to Cullen Blackwood, the males had been getting more and more insistent with her. Her father had stopped protecting her, writing her off as a slut after having her virginity checked by Baroucha, the midwife. Kady felt helpless and abandoned. She knew that if she screamed, her reputation would condemn her. No one would believe that she had not come on to Gorgarty and then changed her mind.

  "Course ya do. I seen the way ya been looking at me. Everyone has. They keep telling me ya want me."

  "Please stop." Fear made her legs weak. "Don't do this."

  Gorgarty squeezed her breasts. "No one's gonna catch us back here, if that's what ya're afraid of." He mouthed her nipple and blew a hot breath through the fabric, moistening the cloth. "Not like when you did it with Cullen in the alley."

  Kady tensed as he rubbed his big body over hers, making humping motions with his cock against her loins. She could not think and words deserted her, reducing her protests to simplistic repetitions. "I don't want you. Please don't do this."

  "I do it good. Ya're gonna like this." He fumbled with the lacings on her bodice, lifted one of her pale breasts out, and gave it a perfunctory squeeze. "Nice."

  Resignation crept into her voice and she turned her face away from his, surrendering to despair. Resistance had gained her nothing in the past except rougher handling. "Get it over with."

  "I knew ya wanted me." Gorgarty rolled her skirt up and tucked the end into her sagging half-open bodice. He lifted his engorged member out. "I get it in and ya'll know what I mean."

  Her gaze flicked across his cock, drawn to the sight out of dread, her lower lip trembling. Blue veins stood out in Gorgarty's thick pinkish spear and the uncircumcised tip had an odd bend in it. A giggle laced with hysteria escaped her. "Cullen was bigger."

  "Hah! Right."

  Kady sobbed as he shoved his hand into her small clothes. "I hate you."

  "Not for long." Gorgarty slipped his fingers between the lips of her vagina, and poked them inside her. "That's real sweet." He shifted her small clothes down more to get them out of his way, grabbed his yard, and pushed into her with a grunt. "Don't that feel good? Ya tell me if that don't feel good."

  Her stomach soured. A silent chant formed in her mind. It'll be over soon. It'll be over soon. Don't fight and maybe he won't hurt me again. Just let him do it let him do it.

  The fullness inside her felt like a nightmarish intrusion. She resisted an urge to let her bladder go and pee on him, certain that he would kill her if she did. Cullen's considerate love-making seemed so distant at that moment. Kady burst into soft weeping. "I'd rather have a blade in my gut."

  "Liar. I'm giving ya the best fuck ya ever had." Gorgarty punctuated his words with grunts as he thrust in and out of her. "Ya got the tightest little cunt I ever been in."

  Kady's sobbing worsened.

  "I'll buy ya a drink and we can do it again."

  "You're raping me."

  "Can't rape the willing. Oh. Oh, there it goes." Gorgarty spurted, filling her with his milky seed. "Now, wasn't that fun, Kady? Wasn't that fun?" He pulled his flaccid, spent member out and kissed her on the nose. "I'll be back around when I get off duty. We'll have a drink at the Striped Dog and do it in a bed."

  A trace of courage seeped into Kady as she pulled her bodice up. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I hate you. I begged you not to. You're an ugly, nasty gutterfucker. If I'd had a blade, I would have stuck you."

  Gorgarty chuckled, lacing his pants closed. "I'll be by around six. Wear something nice."

  "I hate you. I hate you."

  "Scum," said a weary voice behind Gorgarty.

  Strong hands seized the guardsmon by the collar and the seat of his pants, jerking him backwards. Gorgarty flailed at the cabinets.

  "Break something, and I'll break you." Todd Sinclair hauled Gorgarty o
ut from behind the cabinets, and then propelled him toward the door.

  Freed, Kady sank to her knees and huddled against the cabinets, Gorgarty's thick, milky cum soaking her small clothes and skirts. "I hate you, Gorgarty."

  "She wanted it."

  "You raped her." Todd's voice held not the slightest trace of emotion, just an eerie stillness to his words.

  "Ya can't rape a slut."

  "You're banned from this place."

  "I'm a guardsmon!" Gorgarty twisted in Todd's grasp, tearing the neck of his tunic as they reached the front room. "I'll bust ya up, old mon."

  Todd raised his knee between Gorgarty's legs, a short calculated strike. Gorgarty shrieked. The aging Battle Master released the younger guardsmon's clothing, grabbed his wrist, and stepped in with the simplest of hip throws, laying Gorgarty out on the floor. His foot came down on the guardsmon's neck and rested there in quiet threat. "You're trash. Complain to the lawgiver and see how far you get. If Kady wants to press charges, I'll support her."

  "She's just a cheap slut." Gorgarty sobbed for breath, clutching his balls. "Ask anyone."

  "What'd he do?" Erskine leaned against the door frame at the edge of the hallway.

  "Raped Kady Wiggins in my backroom." Todd moved aside, watching Erskine warily.

  "Ya can't rape a slut! Tell him, Erskine!" Gorgarty threw a worried look at his companion. "Ya can't rape a slut. She wanted me to do it."

  Erskine shook his head with a shrug. "Not my problem, Gorgarty."

  Seeing that Erskine had no intention of intervening, Todd kicked Gorgarty in the side. "Touch her again and I'll feed you your balls. You saw those bodies in the street?"

  "Yah."

  "I did that. Don't mess with me and mine. Understood?"

  Something in Todd's calm manner got through to Gorgarty in ways that yelling obscenities would not have. He hesitated, looking again to his companion for help that was not forthcoming. "Yah, I got it."

  "Get him out of here."

  Erskine jerked Gorgarty to his feet and shoved him through the door. Gorgarty recovered his attitude as soon they were out of Todd's sight.