The Ruby Kiss

by Helen Scott Taylor

  Devin waited impatiently, shuffling from foot to foot. The situation must be difficult for him, Nightshade realized, him being the king’s cousin.

  “Taking our side in this disagreement might cause a rift between you and Twister. We’ll understand if you—”

  “No.” Devin sliced a hand through the air. “I can’t condone what Twister’s planning. I’ve never turned a blind eye to injustice, and I won’t start now. Anyway”—he rested a hand on Nightshade’s shoulder—“what sort of a friend would I be if I deserted you?”

  Nightshade swore to himself that one day he would return the favor.

  Devin pushed the door open, and they followed him through. Nightshade would have liked to put an arm around Ruby, but he needed his hands free. The little pop in his ears signaled that they’d left the Bunker’s protective spell. He could now change to shade form if necessary.

  His gaze flew up to the empty throne. Despite the late hour, the Assembly Room was busy, many of the tables occupied with gamblers and drinkers. But there seemed to be no Twister.

  “Maybe he’s gone to bed,” Ruby said, voicing the same thought.

  “No, he’s over there.” Devin nodded toward a table on the far side of the room. “Damn, he looks sloshed. He gets maudlin and unpredictable when he drinks. Go carefully.”

  Twister sat at a table playing cards with three other men. A raven-haired woman with strange sharp features sat on Twister’s lap, her ample breasts bursting out of a loosely laced white top.

  “Ah, my betrothed and her gigolo.” Twister rose to his feet, dumping the woman unceremoniously onto the floor. Nightshade tensed, but he let the insult slide.

  “Why am I locked in?” Ruby asked.

  Twister staggered, grabbing the table for support. “Why d’you wanna leave in the middle of the night?”

  “That’s not the point. You’ve no right to hold me prisoner.”

  Twister swayed. He didn’t look much of a threat, but Nightshade glanced around for the Whips. Sure enough, Twister’s guards lurked in the room’s shadowy corners.

  Devin went to Twister and placed a hand on his arm. “This plan of yours to help your father won’t work. Let the Mistress go. You don’t want Fenrir to harm her.”

  Twister shrugged off Devin’s hand. Lurching backward he accused, “You’re just like your bloody father. You think you have the right to judge everyone. She’s not leaving until she’s changed Fenrir. It’s his only chance to become a man again.”

  “Your father’s lost his humanity, dark king,” Nightshade said softly into the ensuing silence. “Even if Ruby changes him back to human form, he’ll still think like a beast.”

  “You took them to see him?” Twister rounded on Devin. “You had no right. Get out. You’re banned, traitor!”

  “You’re drunk, Twister,” Devin replied.

  “And I’m king in this domain. I’ll do what I like. Go walk your Darkling Road and leave me alone.”

  They were achieving nothing except impromptu entertainment for the motley crowd gathered around them. The Whips had formed a loose circle beyond, each with his weapon unfurled and ready.

  Nightshade glanced at the lofty cavern ceiling, and a breeze brushed his face carrying the fresh scent of mountain air tinged with heather. Extracting Ruby from this situation would be difficult, but he had the option of using his wings if necessary. With a flash of hope, he scanned the outer walls for an opening. In the shadow of the far corner was a doorway.

  Fists raised, Twister lurched drunkenly toward Devin. Ares and Apollo had been quietly hugging Ruby’s legs, but they scampered forward to protect the djinn, yapping.

  Nightshade grabbed Ruby around the waist. Pressing his mouth to her ear he promised, “I’ll come back for the dogs.”

  Ruby frowned, but explanations would have to wait. He intended to take advantage of the canine distraction to get her out.

  Pulling her into his arms, Nightshade bent his legs and beat down with his wings. He rose into the air, anchoring Ruby against him with one arm while keeping the other free to ward off attack. He headed quickly toward the exit, the fresh air tempting him with the scent of escape.

  A whip licked across his jeans-clad leg, stinging but causing no damage. Nightshade’s gaze snapped down to find all six guards giving chase. Ruby screamed and kicked out with a curse. He swung her up into his arms to protect her bare dangling legs. Every muscle in his body ached, especially those powering his wings. He hadn’t realized he was so exhausted.

  He had to use both hands to hold her. Another thirty seconds would see them clear, but these final seconds before escape were the most dangerous, as he would have to dip low to fly through the doorway.

  He waited until the last moment to dive, but his weary muscles didn’t give him the control he expected. What in the Furies was wrong with him? Searing pain bit into his shoulder, and a slithering leather thong tangled around his wings. He tried to shake it off, but with Ruby in his arms he couldn’t maneuver. The ground rushed up toward him. He curled his body around Ruby to protect her.

  The impact drove the air from his lungs, and he gasped as pain screamed through his body. Ruby struggled in his arms. Thank the gods she was all right. Then a sharp pain smashed against his skull and everything went dark.

  * * *

  Chapter Nine

  Ruby pushed aside Nightshade’s arm and clambered off him. Although his body had mostly cushioned her from the impact, her hip and elbow throbbed with pain from striking stone. Gingerly, she kneeled beside his prone form and stroked the hair back from his face.

  “Nightshade,” she hissed, “wake up.”

  He didn’t respond, and her heart jumped all over the place like a manic hamster. She ran her hands over his body, searching for injury. There were no signs of blood or obvious broken bones, but his wings were trapped at a strange angle beneath him and he must be bruised. He might even have internal injuries after falling to the stone floor with her weight on top of him.

  “You Whips will pay for that,” Devin intoned. His voice was dark, intense, and it clawed at her mind. It resonated around the chamber, filling her head with images of torture and torment. It roused a deep, primeval response that shrieked at her to run away. The very air seemed to bleed darkness and fear. Her dogs huddled against her, whimpering and shaking.

  The djinn stood among some upturned chairs, one arm extended, the sharp points of his fingernails glinting like blades. He glowed in the low light, little tendrils of smoke spiraling off his skin. The Whip nearest her had pitched forward onto his face and was writhing on the ground, making animal noises. Ruby looked around to find all the Whips were doing the same, and apart from Twister, everyone else had either fled the room or hidden.

  “Enough, Devin. Stop!” Twister bellowed.

  The echoes of Devin’s words stopped resonating, and he stared trancelike into nothingness for a few seconds. Then he roused himself, hurried to Nightshade’s side, and crouched beside Ruby.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her.

  She nodded, though little aftershocks of terror flickered through her mind. “What did you do to the Whips?” she whispered. “I saw horrible things in my head.” Was this what set Aila’s parents against Devin?

  Devin looked up from examining Nightshade’s scalp. “I would never hurt you, Ruby. Don’t fear me.” But even as he tended Nightshade, little eddies of smoke still rose from his skin.

  The six Whips lay unmoving. “Are they dead?” Ruby whispered. Aila had said Devin was a shadow elemental, a demon. Up until now, that had just been a meaningless classification: He had dark powers she hadn’t ever imagined possible. The responsibility of having such a power must be terrifying. If he lost control, could he hurt those he loved? Could she hurt people with her power? The thought made her stomach clench.

  “No.” Devin’s gaze jumped to her and then slid away. “But they probably wish they were.”

  Ruby’s lips trembled as she glanced at Twister, slouched mor
osely in his chair, dreadlocks hanging over his face.

  Who were the good guys, and who were the bad guys? Were the Seelie and the Unseelie each as bad as the other? The only one here she trusted completely was Nightshade. Ever since he came to her aid at the Gathering he had protected her.

  Devin finished his examination and sat back on his heels. “I’m sorry if I frightened you. I lost my temper. They brought Nightshade down, but that wasn’t enough.” He pointed at the closest Whip. “Once the stalker was on the ground, that joker cracked him over the head with the metal cap on his whip handle.”

  Ruby stared openmouthed at the guard. She hadn’t seen him do that. It sounded as though Devin had good reason to lose his temper.

  Nightshade’s eyes flickered open, and he sucked in a ragged breath. “What in the Furies happened?”

  “They stopped us escaping,” Ruby muttered. She rubbed soothing circles on his chest. “Where do you hurt?”

  He laughed. “Every bloody bone and muscle in my body, woman.”

  She smiled at his familiar scowl. “Glad to hear you’re okay.”

  Squeezing his eyes closed, he lifted a hand to his face. “Not sure what’s the matter. My head hurts and the room’s spinning.”

  “Give yourself a break. You’ve just been whacked on the noggin,” Devin spoke up.

  Fear fluttered through Ruby. “Will he be okay?”

  “He’s got a supremely thick head, so I imagine he will.”

  Nightshade struggled up onto his elbow, and Ruby helped him sit. “We’re bloody well getting out of here now,” he said under his breath.

  She glanced around. The cyclops Boulder was now blocking the exit. “At least Devin’s disabled the six Whips,” she replied.

  Devin stood and ambled toward Twister. The Unseelie king looked disconsolate. “Why did you have to interfere?” he asked.

  For a moment, Devin stared down at the king; then he dropped to his haunches before him with a sigh. “Let the Mistress go. Even if Fenrir allows her close enough to touch him, she’s unlikely to be able to change him back into a man. Even if she can change him back into a man, he’ll still remain a wolf in his heart.”

  Twister glanced at her, his expression bleak. Despite his plans, she felt sorry for him. He wouldn’t have been the first person to demand sacrifices to save a loved one.

  “No,” he said, the single word cutting off her pity like an axe blow. He’d appeared so defeated she’d expected him to back down.

  “Twister,” Devin murmured, the word underlined with a smoky threatening darkness that recaptured the horror he’d created earlier.

  “Stop using that bloody silver tongue of yours to influence me,” the Unseelie king snapped, rising unsteadily to his feet. “I must give this a try.”

  He walked toward her. Nightshade clambered to his feet, grunting in pain. She wished he would rest, but she kept quiet because he would try to protect her no matter what she said.

  “I’ll shift to wolf form, and I want you to try to force me to change back,” Twister commanded, fixing his gaze on Ruby.

  She shook her head wearily. “I can’t do it. I don’t have the skill yet.”

  Nightshade stepped in front of her, holding his side and wincing. “Whether she can perform the change or not is academic. She’s not going anywhere near Fenrir. He’ll rip her to pieces, man. Have some sense!”

  “Try to change me back,” Twister repeated. The air shimmered around him, and his gray wolf form appeared.

  “Keep away from her, dark king.” Nightshade backed up, and Ruby stayed behind him. His wings were torn and bleeding where they’d scraped against the ground.

  “Oh, Nightshade,” she whispered, placing a gentle hand on his side. How would they ever get out of this mess?

  “Don’t, Twister.” Devin’s darkly compelling words fluttered through Ruby, but the gray wolf didn’t pause.

  “Stop him, djinn. I don’t want to have to hurt him,” Nightshade called.

  “You won’t be able to.” Devin disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing a moment later between Nightshade and the wolf. “Shape-shifters in animal form can only be hurt by other shape-shifters. It’s something to do with the energy field around them.”

  “Bloody marvelous,” Nightshade muttered.

  Devin held his ground as the wolf approached. “Give it up, Twister. She’s not going to take part in your experiment.”

  Ruby’s back hit the wall, knocking free a breathy cry of surprise. Nightshade turned to check on her. Swaying, he blinked. “Gods, what’s the matter with me? I’m useless to you like this.”

  Ruby gripped Nightshade’s arms to steady him. Doing so, she came to a decision: “Let me touch Twister’s wolf, and he’ll soon realize I can’t change him. Then he’ll let us go.” She tried for a hopeful smile, though she didn’t really believe Twister was that rational.

  “No. I don’t trust him.” Nightshade repositioned himself in front of her.

  Twister’s lips drew back in a snarl, wolfish eyes flaring gold. Darting around Devin, he jumped at Nightshade. The two wrestled, the wolf’s forepaws on his shoulders while he snapped and growled. Then his jaws closed around Nightshade’s throat. With a gurgle of surprise, Nightshade toppled backward. His wings flared out behind him and broke his fall.

  “Shit. Shit! Get off him!” Ruby shoved and slapped at the wolf’s sleek iron-gray body.

  “Twister, stop!” The angry compulsion in Devin’s voice even knocked Ruby back. She took a few seconds to recover before she launched herself at the wolf again.

  A terrifying wet gurgle issued from Nightshade, and the possibility that he might die sliced through Ruby like broken glass. She grabbed at Twister’s fur, tears in her eyes. Shouting and screaming abuse, she kicked and punched at the wolf, but none of her blows had the slightest effect.

  As her panic rose, Aila’s instructions on how to use her power to change the form of living things ran though her head. The only way she could make him release Nightshade was to turn him into a man. Ruby visualized the wolf’s life force using her artist’s vision. Lines of pattern and color shimmered in the air where the creature had been, and the energy shifted beneath her hands. Suddenly she was on her knees beside Nightshade, Twister sprawled across him in human form with blood around his mouth.

  She launched herself at Twister, screaming as she pummeled his back. Only when Devin hauled her away did she notice the metal decorations on Twister’s jacket had bruised her hands. She sagged in Devin’s grip, trembling with exhaustion, anger, and fear.

  Twister rolled off Nightshade and lay staring at the ceiling with a stunned look on his face. Devin lowered Ruby to her knees beside Nightshade and dropped at her side. Nightshade groaned, his throat a bloody mess of puncture wounds. But he was still alive.

  “You . . . saved . . . me.” He winced after each word.

  “Devin, help. We must clean up Nightshade’s throat.” Devin held up his hand and the pointed nail on his index finger grew to an inch long. “Time for pain relief now, ya sadeeky. No arguments.”

  “Bloody hell!” Ruby lurched away, landing hard on her bottom. “Keep that claw away from us.”

  Devin flashed her a reassuring look. “Don’t worry. I used to be a medic in my mother’s court. It’ll relieve his pain and sedate him.”

  Ruby watched in horrified fascination as he pressed the nail into the side of Nightshade’s neck. Nightshade’s eyelids fell and his body relaxed.

  She cast a murderous glance at Twister, who was still lying on his back looking dazed. “We need something to clean up the wounds. Bites are full of germs.”

  Devin followed her gaze. “Maybe the forced change has affected Twister.”

  “Good,” Ruby growled. She hoped it had wiped his stupid brain.

  A strange rhythmic beating sounded behind her, followed by a thump. Devin looked over her shoulder, and his expression froze. “Ebn el kalb,” he spat.

  Ruby jerked her head around. The breath stalled in
her lungs at the sight of another nightstalker. His facial features were similar to Nightshade’s, but he stood about six inches taller and had the bulk to match. He’d ruined his black hair by bleaching it. Those brassy yellow strands danced around his head as if in a breeze as he paced toward them, his footsteps pounding ominously against the stone.

  He halted ten feet away and fisted studded gauntlets on his hips. His chest was partially covered by a mesh of leather straps with a brass dragon insignia in the center. “Well, well. Either I’ve arrived in the aftermath of a violent and rather interesting four-way sexual encounter, or Twister’s been playing with his food.”

  “Dragon.” Devin rose to his feet. The stillness in the room felt like the calm before a storm.

  At mention of the nightstalker’s name, a jolt of recognition rocked Ruby. This was Nightshade’s father.

  Dragon’s eyebrows rose, and he grinned lasciviously at Devin. “Pleased to see me, are you, smoky? Remember, my offer’s always open if you fancy a little exchange of bodily fluids.” He took a step forward and curled his lip, flashing huge fangs. Tiny wisps of smoke rose from Devin. “You know you want to.”

  His gaze skated over Ruby without interest, settled on Nightshade. “You’re always in a battered heap on the ground, pisky boy. At least when I see you.”

  The nightstalker smiled with cruel amusement. Ruby decided she hated him.

  * * *

  Nightshade had to get to his feet; he refused to lie on the ground like an invalid in front of his father.

  He struggled to sit up. As the tendons pulled in his damaged throat, he had to bite back a groan. Devin’s shot in the neck had helped ease the pain, but he still felt as though a troll had danced on top of him. Ruby took his arm to help him.

  He gained his feet, but the room wavered. A pricking rush of concern washed through him. He’d been beaten up before, but he’d never felt this disoriented and weak. This time, something more serious was wrong. He had to figure out what it was.

  He straightened, pulling away from Ruby’s steadying hand. With his gaze fixed on Dragon, he lifted his chin. “I want to talk to you.”