“Before you get too hands on,” she warned, “you are to hold him while I torture her. You may molest him, but do not harm him.”
A wicked glint danced in his eyes as four of his arms wound around Endiscott’s chest, yanking him back. Damha’s legs spun silk around Endiscott’s ankles.
Endiscott twisted and turned trying to break free, screaming, “Jayde, run!”
Jayde looked up, finding Damha holding Endiscott. “It’s a dream. He can’t come to this realm. Fight, Scotty. Imagine a weapon of your choice.”
A great axe formed in his hands, the blade glowing bright.
Without hesitating, Jayde leapt off the bed and dove for Saressa as shards of rock grew from her hands. She slammed them into Saressa’s body, pinning her to the ground.
The pain was real, pulling at her concentration, nearly sending her back to consciousness. She struggled through it, bursting into flames that leapt at the Paineater.
She froze mid-air as Jayde disappeared and reformed behind Damha, slicing through his spider legs with a glowing sword. Damha pushed Endiscott down, climbing on top of him as he yanked his pants down.
Endiscott screamed in a panic, trying to crawl away. Horror went through Saressa as she realized this violation was what finally sent Endiscott running. Worst of all, it was with a creature that inspired fear.
Damha held Endiscott down with one powerful hand, the other gripping his engorged length, ready to penetrate Endiscott.
Jayde’s cry of fury jolted Saressa into action, charging forward to pull Damha out of the dream.
A knife pierced Saressa’s belly and was jerked up, toward her heart.
Saressa woke screaming, blood soaking her gown. Damha crawled through her window, an evil smile forming on his lips. “My darling witch. Why have you been using me for revenge?”
Running her hands over the wound, Saressa squeezed her eyes tight. Her abdomen sealed immediately. Thankfully the curse couldn’t penetrate reality, though the injury was real.
“I looked forward to mending the wound. Though I can still lap up the blood before I fuck you senseless.”
Her breath came in great gasps. She hadn’t recovered from the fear Damha would push Endiscott further away. Taking Jayde’s life was bound to hurt him, but it couldn’t be avoided. The bitch needed to die before she could fulfill her destiny. Beyond Jayde’s death, she wanted to avoid as much traumatization as she could.
Stroking his length, Damha climbed up on the bed and tore her gown from her body. “I plan to enjoy my feast before claiming you.”
All she could see when she blinked her eyes was Damha ready to force himself on Endiscott.
She blew past him in a hiss of steam and locked his legs in cuffs before he could move. “Oh no, I don’t think so. You took advantage of the dream. You weren’t supposed to really be there.”
“Oh, but you called me. Of course I was going to show. I’ve been waiting for you ever since I learned your bond to the nymph had snapped. You and I are the perfect match. Why can’t you see that?”
“Unlike you, I have boundaries I won’t cross.”
He laughed coldly. “Don’t be so sure of that. Your heart is as cold and black as mine.”
Chapter 31
Scotty thrashed as Jayde sat up out of a dead sleep. She grabbed his face, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, hoping to wake him and purge the nightmare from his head.
She felt his consciousness rise up, then he scrambled off the bed, falling on his ass as he pushed himself to the wall, ragged screams still leaving his lips.
Jayde slid to the floor and crawled toward him. “Scotty, look at me. Right into my eyes. I need you to come back to me. It was just a dream.”
“How can she hate me so much?” he cried. “What have I ever done for her to tear my dignity away once more?”
“Your dignity is intact. It was a nightmare, nothing more. One controlled by Saressa.”
He nodded, tears falling as he covered his face with his hands in shame. “She sent him. Ordered him to—”
“I don’t believe that was her intention. She tried to stop him, but I was more concerned with ending the dream.”
He groaned. “She sent him. Whatever her purpose, she did this.”
“Yes, that is true, and I don’t—not for a second—want you to consider forgiving her. But take comfort in the fact she wanted me to suffer, not you.”
His hands wrapped around her ribs and he pulled her into his lap, enclosing her in his arms. “That’s no comfort, my love. You are everything. I can’t allow her to touch you.”
“Nor can I allow her to tear you away from me. We’ll find a way to finish her.” She kissed his lips, a soft gesture.
“Can you show me how to block her from my dreams?”
She nodded. “I can, but it will take practice from you. With the bond snapped, you should be able to put mental blocks up, and most of the time they last through sleep.”
“Teach me.”
“First, I have to ask something. I hadn’t thought of this since your first weeks under her control. Did she continue to torture me in your dreams when I stopped trying to find you there?”
His eyes rounded, his chest heaved. “You were in my dreams back then?”
“Yes. Dreamwalking was one of the first skills I took. I never truly believed you loved her. Not until you left me in our hut.”
“Why did you stop?”
“First, answer my question.”
“She tormented my dreams until our bond was broken. I’m not sure if she visited me herself, or if I was so used to her, I dreamt of her anyway.”
“I stopped because I saw you falling apart after the first few weeks. I would come, and things between us were good, until she worked her way into your head. I saw the torment as you watched her torture me and knew she would never stop. She was more powerful in dreams then, before I learned to better control them, but I was afraid if I came back, she would punish you.”
“She never stopped. It became a test. One I could never pass to her satisfaction.”
“I’m going to kill that fucking bitch.”
“I love you,” he whispered.
“Come, let’s shower, and I’ll teach you to block others from your head. A warning though, I’m told a bond will let me through regardless of how well you block.”
“I don’t mind you in my head, Jayde. I like you there.” He stood, holding her against his chest. “Shower, then I need to hold you before sleeping. Hopefully you can lock my head up tight to keep her out.”
His whole body trembled. Any last doubts about their standing were officially drowned. He was terrified, and she planned to change that.
* * * *
Later, after Jayde taught him how to put up mental blocks, he held her until she fell asleep. Echoes of the dream still haunted him, though he knew it was a nightmare induced by a psychotic bitch.
With the lingering effects, the memories from his years of pure torment swirled through him. It all came back, leaving him feeling tainted, unclean, broken.
With tears in his eyes he climbed from the bed and headed to the living room. He pulled on a pair of sweats before shutting the door. He needed space before he cracked and fell to pieces. Jayde wanted to help, but there was nothing she could do.
Talking didn’t make it better. He’d tried, but then he closed up, holding it all in. Over a century had passed. During that time he shoved it all into the darkest corners of his mind and walled it off. Even when he was dreaming about Saressa, he didn’t suffer from those dreaded days.
Bound, gagged, unable to fight as she let her pets do whatever they pleased to him. Humiliated, mortified, disgusted with himself, and all participants.
Scotty slid down the wall and hugged his knees to his chest. He hated feeling like a victim. He thought he was over it until Damha brought it all back.
The Arachnian had never been allowed to touch him. Saressa threatened it on occasion, but she never made good on the threat.<
br />
A soft knock on the door startled him. He climbed to his feet and wiped at his face. Through the window, he found Lonny standing there holding a small velvet pouch.
Rubbing at his forehead, he opened the door. “Hey Lonny. Isn’t it early for you?”
Lonny’s brow pinched, then he offered a smile, holding up the sack. “I promised to bring you something, but I had trouble finding it. It’s been in storage for so damned long I couldn’t remember where I hid it.”
“Thanks?” He gave him a crooked grin, unsure what to say.
Lonny placed the package in his hand and nodded. “Open it.”
He pulled the bag open. There sat a thick platinum band with a diamond surrounded by opals. The ring he was supposed to pick up the day he planned to propose.
“Lonny!” His eyes widened as he looked up at his oldest friend. “You picked it up?”
“You two were meant for one another. Of course I picked it up. Saressa couldn’t last. I knew you and Jayde would find your way back to each other.”
Scotty hugged Lonny. “Thank you. Shit, I’m not sure she’ll accept now. We’re good, but after I freaked this morning, I don’t know if that will last.”
“That why you look torn up?”
A bitter laugh escaped. “Yeah. The bitch was in my head. Brought Damha with her. He—fuck, it was bad.”
“What were you doing in the dream before the interruption?”
“Making love to Jayde.”
“Yeah, that sick fuck would gladly take over and twist that around on you. Sorry man, but it was in a dream, and you’re not there now.”
“He didn’t even manage to really get started. Jayde ended it. She fought Saressa while I—I froze. I couldn’t fight when he wound me in silk and tried to mount me.”
“So you worry Jayde isn’t going to see you as a man?”
Scotty nodded, his heart wrenching.
“Dude, you can’t think like that. She’s seen more than her share of victims over the years. The woman is more compassionate than anyone has a right to be. She loves you, and if you’ve told her anything from your past, she understands shit like that dream. Maybe talking to her would help.”
“Talking to you never helped.”
“Sure it did. You would relax for a time after. Your connection to Jayde will likely have the added benefit of allowing her to feel what you’re feeling and help you overcome.”
“Maybe. I thought I was over it though. I thought—”
“You don’t get over shit like that, and you never truly dealt with it. Even when you talked to me, it was only because I dragged that shit out of you and forced you to tell me what was causing your night terrors.”
Nodding, he looked down at the ring and back at Lonny. “Thank you for this.”
“You going to be at work later?”
He nodded. “Planning on it. Jayde wants to talk to Kellan.” He didn’t like it, and wanted to tell her not to go, but that wasn’t fair. She thought she would be able to get more information about Saressa if it were only the two of them. Scotty couldn’t argue with her logic. He hoped Kellan was as trustworthy as Jayde believed.
“Alone?”
“They’re friends.”
“And were lovers. I don’t like it.”
“Fuck, neither do I. What am I supposed to say though? He trusts her. He has no reason to trust me. He may have vital information, so I’ll suck it up.”
Lonny slapped him on the back. “Well, it’s early. I want to do a couple things before work, so I’ll see you when you come in.”
“Later. And thanks. Truly.”
“Don’t mention it.” He slipped through the door, leaving Scotty alone.
Looking at the small pouch, Scotty smiled. Jayde had helped him lock himself down. She didn’t look at him with pity, instead giving him full support. His doubt was the direct cause of Saressa’s games.
With a sigh, he went back to the bedroom. It was time to wake her and take her to breakfast. Later, once he knew for sure they were going to be safe, he would propose—finally.
Chapter 32
Kellan stood in the shadows, watching Endiscott kiss Jayde like he might never see her again. Of course, Jayde returned his passion.
His heart ached. My mother’s fault, he reminded himself. Didn’t ease the longing. Jayde had been honest from the beginning. She didn’t share his romantic feelings. But it took her re-finding her mate for him to realize they never stood a chance.
Jayde finally stepped away from Endiscott. They were in front of Ward Tower Security. She smiled back at her mate before starting across the street. Looking over her shoulder, she waved goodbye, and Endiscott blew a kiss.
Kellan had never imagined Jayde could be the girly love-sick type. It looked good on her, even if it slayed him.
Forcing a pleasant expression, he stepped into the sunlight. “Sure you want to be away from him?”
A frown tugged at her lips and she glanced at the ground with a sigh. “Why are we playing this game? You knew all along we weren’t going to be a couple. Why be a jerk now that I’m finally happy?”
He mentally kicked himself. The question came out wrong. “It was an honest one. I may not like him much, but that’s my ego. I’m not saying choose me. You’re happy and I wouldn’t change that for the world. That particular question wasn’t a jab.”
“Sure sounded like one.”
“Fine, I apologize.”
“And no, I don’t mind being away from him for a few hours. He has work, and I have someone I’m supposed to heal today. I’m dreading it though. I haven’t told Scotty yet.”
His brow wrinkled. “Why not?”
“Because Mathis hurt himself in some stupid stunt for a photo shoot, and doesn’t want to deal with the hospital.”
“Have you been with them?” Because if she slept with Mathis, Paavo was involved as well. The two did everything, and everyone, together. Only reason he could think of why she might want to avoid telling her mate.
She folded her arms across her chest. “No! They’re friends, and they don’t fuck everyone.”
Kellan couldn’t help laughing. “Why don’t you want to tell Endiscott then?”
She groaned. “Because I don’t want him to think anything is going on. It’s not. Never has and never will. Still, I remember the few times he saw me directly after healing someone. He’s never liked it.”
“But that’s who you are, and I bet he understands. Same way you can forgive him for being with my mother.”
She drew in a sharp breath, her eyes narrowed at him. “I don’t know. He used to beg me not to heal anyone.”
“Used to? That’s not fair, Jayde. He seems pretty willing to prove he would do anything for you.”
“Look, I’ll tell him once I’m fine. He has to work and I didn’t want to worry him. That makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Kellan shook his head. “Honesty is best.”
“And you were so honest with me,” she grumbled.
“Maybe that’s why we didn’t work out.”
“Or maybe because I was already bound to another man,” she fired back.
Her words stung, but truth usually hurt. “Sorry.”
“Stop being an ass and you won’t have to apologize so damn much.”
He started down the alley and opened a portal.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere quiet and away from prying ears. Don’t worry, it’s within this realm. I wouldn’t take you back to Faerie.”
She nodded. “Not sure I’ll ever be ready to go back.”
“Same here.” The thought of going home left him queasy. Scratch that. Faerie hadn’t been his home since he stepped onto Earth. “You know,” Kellan looked over, “I wish I had a different upbringing. My mother didn’t give me much of one.”
“Stick around. Seems Isa is willing to accept you.” She nudged him. “She also grew up without real parents.”
“And Preston introduced me to my half-si
ster. She survived Aeremaius as a father and turned out pretty amazing. So, there’s hope for me.”
Jayde took a deep breath and gave the portal a dubious look. “You take me somewhere I don’t want to be and you’re in deep shit.”
“It’s somewhere safe, away from water and prying dragons. No matter if Isa trusts the bastard, I don’t.” They stepped through the portal and into an upscale Vegas casino penthouse.
Jayde snorted. “High roller now?”
He shrugged. “Had to blow off steam the other night. Went to an underground fight ring here. Yes, I won.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why are you worried about the dragon?”
“He met with Saressa. I witnessed it. He told her where we’d all be on Thursday. I don’t know about you, but that seems bad.”
“Chances are Isa told him to. How else was she going to know where to find us all?”
“Shit, maybe.” He hadn’t really considered how they would make sure Saressa knew. “Still, sounded like he wanted to be out of Isa’s control.”
Jayde walked toward the window and stared out. “What were his exact words?”
Kellan leaned against the glass next to Jayde. “She asked, ‘Do you want to be free?’ He answered, ‘What do you think?’”
She turned toward him with a smile and crossed her arms over her chest. “He can’t lie. And he didn’t say yes. Your mother assumed.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t like it.”
“Talk to me. Tell me what you know. My appointment with Mathis is in an hour.”
“You’d best tell Endiscott about that.”
“I plan to. Broken bones are nothing. Mine snap back into place in seconds. It’s toxins that do me in for days.”
Kellan sighed, not liking her healing any better than Endiscott. He hated to admit they might have a few things in common.
Changing Destiny Page 17
