by Sharon Kay
“Going through this will feel a little disorienting. It’s kind of like falling, but not actually harmful,” Gunnar said. She nodded wordlessly and moved closer to him, letting his powerful hands grip her smaller ones.
Gunnar gave Rilan one last glance and was rewarded with an impatient, “Go, son.” He took a breath and pulled Nicole into the pulsing entrance.
CHAPTER 7
GUNNAR HELD ON to Nicole as they spun through the portal. It was a feeling he could never quite get used to, having his stomach and heart hovering about a foot above his head. Of course, clasping her close had the added benefit of rekindling the sparks from the previous night. Part of him wished the ride could go on longer. His head swam with heated memories of her velvety skin, firm breasts, and nipples tightly puckered under his fingertips.
He never intended for things to go that far last night. When he learned of the altercation with the gang members and the Skell demons, he was infuriated, so much that he wasn’t sure if a rational conversation with her was possible. But when she apologized, her emerald eyes full of contrition, his anger dissolved in a heartbeat. In its place came a burst of relief that she was unharmed. The need to kiss her and touch her had overwhelmed his senses.
With a thud onto soft earth, they landed on their feet in the middle of a dense forest. Nicole wobbled and dug her fingers into his T-shirt. His arms instinctively tightened around her slender frame until she took a deep, steadying breath. Stepping back, he looked her over. “You okay?”
“Yes. That was…exactly the way you described it. My insides were up here.” She waved a hand above her head and grinned. “So this is an enchanted forest, huh?”
“Yeah, but there’s not a lot to smile about. There are a lot of things out here besides us.”
The canopy didn’t allow much light to filter down to the carpet of pine needles, creating a lush dimness that pulsed with life. Chirping and buzzing sounds filled the air, punctuated by the rustle of leaves and the occasional squawk of a disgruntled bird.
Gunnar guided Nicole to a trail framed by tall trees and thick brush. They were surrounded by a mix of towering redwoods and conifers identical to their counterparts on Earth, along with the occasional mystical tree. Most of them contained wood nymphs, which were relatively harmless unless their tree came under attack.
Small wildflowers, in shades of palest pink to lush red, peppered the bushes on the forest floor. As far as Torthian forests went, this one didn’t contain a majority of dangerous flora, but it was always wise to be cautious. As for the fauna, he hoped they wouldn’t run into many of them, even if they were friendly. Forest creatures tended to be as gossipy as old women, and he didn’t want any of them speculating about Nicole’s heritage.
She walked ahead of him as they climbed a small hill, her peachy scent lingering in the air behind her. He had a hard time dragging his eyes away from her sweet, perky ass, clad in yet another pair of tight jeans. He gazed at the way her waist flared into slim hips, long legs tapering to tiny ankles hidden by her sturdy hiking boots. Her close-fitting green T-shirt matched her eyes, and she’d pulled her shiny blond hair up into a ponytail. Turning, she caught his stare. A smile twitched across her soft lips as she stopped and waited for him.
She took a swig of water from her bottle and pointed to a worn track that branched off to their left. “Do we keep climbing, or take that path?”
“Keep climbing.” He watched her throat move as she swallowed, remembering the feel of her silky skin under his mouth.
“This place is beautiful. Did you grow up near here?”
Her question doused his heated thoughts with reality. Even though he was well aware of the dangers hidden beneath the verdant beauty, he would have jumped at the chance to spend his early years here, instead of the gritty urban area where he had lived during most of his youth.
“No.”
She shot him a glance, but didn’t push for more. They continued for a minute more when she sucked in a breath and put her hand on his forearm. Pausing, he didn’t sense any danger. He looked at her, eyebrows raised.
She pointed to a tree branch in front of them. “What is that?” she whispered in a horrified breath.
He followed her direction to a blue jay perched on the branch. “Surely you’ve seen blue jays before?”
“But it has…two heads.”
“Welcome to Torth,” he chuckled
She shook her head as if to clear it. “Oookay. Two-headed bird, check. Never thought I’d see that.”
They walked for another hour, with Nicole pointing out everything new to her. He answered her questions, but he didn’t want to get too chatty. The woods could hide many enemies and he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Walking behind her when the path narrowed again, he made a mental note to teach her to step more stealthily. He knew she wasn’t trying to be noisy, and he had seen her move quietly in the city neighborhoods, but Torth was literally a whole new world. Most of its residents had enhanced senses like him. He frowned as she clambered over a tree that had fallen across the path.
A prickle at the back of his neck flooded him with foreboding, and in the same instant he heard the faintest rustle of leaves behind him. Nicole sensed the change in air pressure and whirled, wide-eyed, to face him.
“Get down!” he hissed as he vaulted toward her, easily clearing the fallen tree and pulling her to the soft dirt beside him. No sooner had they hit the ground when, with a soft thud, an arrow lodged in the bark in front of their heads. A sickly sweet smell emanated from the tree as the bark foamed and sizzled softly.
“Shit. Vipers.” Gunnar cursed. Vipers were almost the worst things they could encounter out here. Their reptilian heads sat atop bodies that resembled the human form, but were covered in green scaly skin. Nicole was about to get a crash course in just how dangerous the forests could be.
Chancing a quick look over the log, he spotted the nearest Viper and hurled a fireball at it. The demonfire hit it square in its chest, incinerating it.
“One down,” he said to Nicole. “I saw at least two more back there. You stay here.”
She started to protest, but he ignored her as he rolled toward the cover of the dense shrubs that lined the path. Another arrow zinged past his ear. The poison in their arrows was the same toxin that dripped from their fangs; it wouldn’t kill the stronger supernaturals, but it would incapacitate them for a while. Weaker ones wouldn’t survive a direct hit. He didn’t know how badly Nicole would be affected and didn’t plan to find out.
From his vantage point, he saw the other two Vipers. They stood on his side of the path. One stalked toward him, and the other stared at the log which kept Nicole concealed. Tossing a fireball at the far one, Gunnar unsheathed his sword and charged toward the nearer one. He was the faster opponent, and his blade opened a long gash in the creature’s thigh before he darted to the side.
The scaly green Viper swiveled to pin him with slitted snake eyes as it hissed in fury. Its head reared back, and Gunnar knew it was about to spit its venomous saliva at him. He dodged to one side, then ran at the beast to spear it under its rib cage. It howled, staggered, and turned toward him, but Gunnar was already raising his sword.
Before he could land the killing blow, an arrow flew past his raised arms, grazing his bicep. He cursed loudly. The wound was superficial but the poison was going to make his skin hurt like hell for a while, and for the first few minutes it could slow his reflexes. He broke off as he saw two more arrows fly past him, then dive straight into the ground. At the same time, a familiar burst of energy filled the air.
Nicole.
“I said stay down!” he roared at her, not taking his eyes off the injured Viper in front of him. It was determined but struggling, its reflexes sluggish as it charged. Gunnar lifted his sword and this time quickly severed its scaly head from its equally scaly body.
He turned to Nicole, still behind the log but standing in plain view of the third Viper. Shit. He spotted two more snake-heads movi
ng through the trees, undoubtedly attracted by the commotion. Double shit.
He could fight the Vipers hand to hand, but their archery added a wrinkle that he didn’t need. He also worried about Nicole trying to be a hero. Then the nearest one lunged for him.
Gunnar raised his sword arm to block the blow, but the poison made him move just a fraction slower, and the Viper’s blade nicked his chest. It was another light wound, and it only stoked his fury higher. He let his rage build, drawing strength from it. He pushed forward savagely, landing blow after blow. More arrows flew, and he realized Nicole, who hadn’t listened to him at all, guided the arrows toward the Viper. Could they be harmed by their own poison?
The beast howled as the arrows pierced its neck. Not a death blow, but enough to slow it down. Gunnar drew his sword up, slicing the Viper’s belly open. It bellowed as it fell to the ground, and Gunnar severed its head with a fierce slash.
Nicole shrieked as he turned to locate the two remaining Vipers, one of which barreled toward her. The last one, its eyes locked on Gunnar, nocked an arrow. Son of a bitch. He jumped and rolled in her direction, grabbing the ankle of the Viper near her. It crashed down on top of him, but he kept rolling until he was on top of the thing. Mindful of its dripping fangs, he reached for one of the daggers strapped along his body and plunged it into the Viper’s neck.
He was about to order Nicole to stay back when a ball of demonfire erupted from behind the last Viper and blasted it to pieces. “Nice of you to keep them occupied for me, brother!” called a familiar voice.
“Showing up at the end of the party as usual, Raniero!” Gunnar shouted to his long-time friend. The other Lash demon’s duties were similar to Gunnar’s, but they kept him busy on Torth. The two had patrolled and fought together for decades before Gunnar had taken on the responsibilities of monitoring Earth cities. He climbed off the motionless but still very much living Viper. “You can finish this one off for me, since you’re here.”
“With pleasure.” Raniero tossed a fireball at it and ended its sorry life. The demon pulled back his long dark hair, which had come loose from its tie. Because of their dark hair and their similar body size, many thought he and Gunnar were blood brothers. On closer examination though, Raniero had more of the look of a conquistador, with his dark eyes and olive skin. He never lacked for female companionship, despite the thin scar that ran down the side of his face. He had earned it in a fight with Vipers, their toxin preventing it from healing properly.
Gunnar turned to Nicole. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” She scanned him from head to toe. “But you are.”
“Superficial cuts,” he shrugged, as Raniero walked over and eyed his arm. The puckered, raw skin had turned an ugly shade of red.
“That’s gonna sting,” the other demon remarked dryly.
“Says the Watcher who missed most of the action.”
“I wouldn’t want you to lose a chance to smoke as many Vipers as possible. You must miss them on Earth.” His eyes slid over to Nicole.
Gunnar scowled. He loved a good brawl with any nasty creature, but there were a few that he’d only tangle with if his options were down to zero. He kept his eyes on his friend as he spoke. “Nicole, this ugly SOB is Raniero.”
“It seems my comrade has forgotten his manners,” Raniero said in mock affront. He reached for Nicole’s hand and, with a glance at Gunnar’s glare, stopped short of kissing it. He inclined his head slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nicole.”
She smiled. “You showed up just in time.”
Gunnar was about to retort that he had the situation under control but, in truth, he was glad to see his old friend. “It’s good to see you, man.”
“This bastard has saved my ass more times than I can count,” Raniero said to Nicole. “You’ll be safe with him.” Hands on his hips, he turned to Gunnar. “What brings you to Torth? When I heard the sounds of the fight back there, you were the last person I expected to find.”
“We’re going to see Rosa,” Gunnar answered.
“Rosa? Then you must have encountered a mystery that Rilan can’t solve.”
Gunnar nodded. “Nicole found something during a fight with some Skells.”
Raniero snorted. “Those things are the rats of our world, and that’s an insult to rats. But…you’re working with the fae now?”
“She’s not fae.”
Nicole drew up her shoulders as Raniero regarded her expectantly. “Rilan says I’m a Solsti.”
The olive skinned demon blinked. “They’re a myth.” He glanced at Gunnar and then back to her.
“Apparently, they were a myth.” She held his gaze.
The other demon paused. “Ah, the arrows. That was you, no? I thought you were using some form of telekinesis.”
She shook her head. “I was moving the air currents.”
“I’ll be damned.” His dark eyes flashed with respect. “Well, Solsti, Rosa will certainly be interested in you, if not in the mystery you’re bringing to her. Perhaps she was alive when the last Solsti existed.”
“On that note, we should keep moving.” Gunnar inclined his head toward the path.
“But what about your injuries?” Nicole protested.
“You won’t make it to Rosa’s before nightfall,” Raniero said. “You’ll need a place to stay tonight. These woods are even more dangerous than when you were here last.”
“No shit,” Gunnar grunted.
“And,” the other demon continued, “If you rest that arm, it will be back to full strength by morning. Alas, I cannot accompany you all the way to Rosa’s domain. I can, however, bring you to a safe house.”
Because the area that Raniero and the Torthian Lash demons monitored was so vast, they had several safe hideouts scattered throughout the area. When on wide patrols, it wasn’t uncommon for them to find themselves too far out to return to the main house before dark. Even though the Lash were among the fiercest of demons, Arawn’s Watchers usually patrolled in small groups, while some of the uglier nocturnal species that they watched tended to move in hordes. The hideouts weren’t fancy, but they were safe and well-warded against detection.
“How far?” Gunnar asked.
“A couple hours’ walk.”
Gunnar nodded his agreement, but Nicole shook her head and put her hand on his chest. “You don’t look like you should walk anywhere for the next two hours. Look at you!”
He couldn’t help but allow a smile to tug at his lips. “Yes, look at me.” He pulled up his ruined T-shirt to show her the cut from the Viper. Although crusty with dried blood, all that remained was a thin, nearly-healed red line.
Her mouth opened, then closed. She frowned at the mark and traced it gingerly with her fingertips. It was his turn to suck in a breath at the sensation of her warm fingers on his skin. She let her hand linger at his chest for an instant longer than she needed to, and raised her green, heated eyes to his. The tip of his cock tingled. Gods above, he wanted her soft hands all over his body.
Misreading his expression, she pulled her hand away and took a step back. “Does it hurt?”
“No,” he said through gritted teeth.
“But how–”
“Accelerated healing.” He yanked down his shirt. “Most supernatural creatures have it. You might, as well.” He was furious at her for getting involved with the Vipers. At the same time he felt warmed by her worry over his wounds. With the exception of his fellow Lash, he couldn’t recall anyone looking at him with such care and concern. He stepped closer to her and reached to smooth a lock of blond hair that had come loose from her ponytail. Gentling his voice, he said, “And I’m in no hurry to find out. You should have stayed down on the ground, not joined in the fight.”
Nicole blinked, then looked past him to Raniero and blushed furiously. “I was just trying to help,” she muttered.
Raniero cleared his throat and started back up the path. “If you’re ready, then,” he murmured, “Follow me.”
Sunlig
ht streamed into the room as Kai awoke to a quiet house. He was still royally pissed off about losing the Skell last night, but he would be able to think it through more clearly today. At least now he had a general direction.
His stomach let out a ravenous growl. He didn’t need to eat every day, but he’d let it go too long. He almost never got to the point where he felt hungry. Rolling out of bed naked, he pulled on a pair of jeans and didn’t bother with the top button. He headed down the stairs to the kitchen. The sounds of drawers opening drifted toward his ears as he rounded the corner, and when he reached the doorway, he stilled.
A woman peered into one of the lower cabinets. She had a sweet, round ass that was literally tilted up in the air as she bent down to retrieve a pan. Thick chestnut hair fell below her shoulders in waves. As she straightened, he noted her small waist, and saw she was rather tall for a female. His eyes travelled down her long legs and back up to her curvy hips. Damn. The unslaked lust from last night roared back to him, sending blood flowing to his groin.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll take some sausage and eggs. Black coffee, too.”
She gasped and whirled to face him. Holy hell, she was gorgeous. Pale gray eyes stared at him as her mouth opened and then closed. That mouth had lush red lips that instantly gave him ideas about what she could do with it on various parts of his body. Full breasts pushed against the fabric of her fitted, sleeveless top. Her face was heart-shaped, her skin like porcelain. Faint pink flushed her cheeks as her gaze lingered on his bare torso and low-hanging jeans. She opened her mouth again. “I…I’m not–”
“C’mon, baby. Kai’s getting hungry.” He moved a step closer.
She froze. Her expression changed from flustered confusion to cool assessment in a heartbeat. She raised her eyebrows. “You have two hands,” she said sarcastically.
