by Kay, Sharon
Kai remained silent. Even though his days as a slave had ended years ago, he knew there was still a price on his head. Maybe this Lash was familiar with it. Maybe not. But he wasn’t taking any chances.
The demon’s eyes narrowed. “Your name.”
Instead of answering, Kai glared at him. “How about your name, asshole? What’s a Lash demon doing leading a group of Serus around?”
The other Lash uttered a curse. “Flog him,” he snapped to the guards. “I don’t tolerate insolence in my prisoners.”
Brooke gasped as the Serus demons jerked Kai forward and led him to a tree. They weren’t really going to do this, were they? One of the creatures reached for his shirt, but Kai barked something in another language and removed it himself. Fear twisted her stomach as the gray-skinned demons grabbed his hands and tied them to the withered silver trunk.
“Do you wish her flogged as well, sir?” one of the Serus demons asked the leader.
“No,” he said, turning to her. “I’d prefer her clean and unblemished tonight.” He reached out and touched her hair, lifting a lock and then letting it slide through his fingers. Her stomach turned with revulsion.
He leaned closer and inhaled deeply. “Just what kind of fae are you? Your smell is unique.”
“Lord Cale!” one of the guards interrupted. “I apologize, sir. The Lash, sir. He has a scar.”
At least Brooke knew their captor’s name now. Cale’s eyes lingered on her skin as he spoke to his demon. “A scar? You bother me for a scar? He probably fought a Viper at some point.” His fingers trailed down her arm. Brooke fought to suppress a shudder.
“Um…it’s, ah, unique. A unique scar, sir. Rather like a…a brand.” The demon’s eyes darted from Cale to the ground.
Cale turned to glare at the Serus demon, who shifted his weight. “A brand,” he said flatly. “Come, little fae. Let’s see what kind of trouble your companion has been in.” He grabbed her arm and hauled her toward Kai.
Brooke hated seeing Kai restrained like this. More than fear for herself, she felt indignant at him being treated like an animal. He was so strong and proud. She clenched her fists, wanted him to fight, to get free. But his orders were to keep her safe. And he couldn’t do that if he injured himself in a reckless struggle.
Cale stopped a few feet from Kai, staring at the twin vertical slashes that ran down his left shoulder blade. His mouth opened and closed before spreading into a nasty grin. “What’s this, demon?” His voice dripped with taunting menace. He walked closer to the tree so that Kai could see him. “Care to tell us who marked you?”
Kai’s brown eyes took on an amber glow and he growled low in his throat. Brooke inched closer to him. From this proximity she saw that the rope around his wrists glowed with a faint, pale blue light. A low hum, almost like a buzz, reached her ears. Is the rope doing that?
“I asked you a question, demon,” Cale said, meeting Kai’s glare. “But I already know the answer. Only one family of demon marks their slaves this way. I’ve had the pleasure of a guided tour of the compound.”
Brooke’s heart stuttered. Slave?
“The slaves that bear this mark fight in the arena at Stroehm,” Cale drawled. “They don’t leave. They live or die in that ring. They never escape.” He folded his arms over his broad chest and smirked. “With one exception.”
Unease flared in Brooke’s gut at the gleam in Cale’s eye. He threw back his head and laughed.
“One! In centuries of existence, only one gladiator has ever escaped from that compound. And he has never been found. Can you imagine the bounty on his head?” Cale paced in front of Kai, leering. “It’s quite large, considering that Drant was killed the same night this particular slave escaped. But I’d guess you already know that. Don’t you, Kai?”
Kai bellowed a curse and thrashed at his restraints. Cale only chuckled. The other demons around them muttered in surprise, staring at Kai.
“And who do I happen to scoop up on a random patrol?” Cale continued his pacing, a wide grin on his face. “Kai. Legendary Lash fighter. Escaped slave. Alleged murderer.”
Brooke’s skin crawled with dread. This is about to get much worse.
Cale stopped in front of Kai. “Drant’s son, Draven, runs the compound now. He’ll be most pleased to see you. I believe he has something special planned for you. He figured you’d slip up and get captured one day, even if it took centuries.” He looked at Brooke. “And you, too, little fae. Draven loves to spend time with his thralls.”
This time Brooke couldn’t hold back her shiver as bile rose in her throat.
“Tie her to the tree with him,” Cale barked to his guards. “Draven will want their skin fresh and unmarked when he sees them tomorrow.” He turned to Kai and sneered. “You’ve got all night to remember your time in that arena, demon. We’ll go there in the morning.”
One of the guards took her hands and bound them together with a length of the weird blue rope, then secured the end to the tree, leaving six feet slack. Kai’s eyes flashed, never leaving Cale as the other demon strode back to his tent.
Jumbled emotions bounced around like pinballs in her mind. She had no idea how they were going to get out of this mess. Worry weighed in her belly at the thought of one captor turning them over to another—one who evidently wanted to kill Kai. But overriding everything was a wave of sorrow for whatever Kai had endured. She closed the distance between them, her bound hands reaching for his.
“Kai,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what?” he asked, his tone sharp.
“I had no idea you were a…that you had to fight—”
“That’s because I never told you.” He cut her off with a glare, his dark eyes shining amber ice, but not before she saw them flicker with raw emotion.
“No one should live like that.”
“It was a long time ago.” He glanced away from her, studying the silvery-gray tree trunks surrounding them.
Brooke ached to comfort him, but his words and posture told her he didn’t want any. “What now?” she asked.
“You should get some rest. We have a long walk ahead of us.”
“What about you?”
“Lucky for me, I slept last night.”
She narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding back her frustration. He’s making me drag every word out of him again. But how could she be frustrated with him in light of Cale’s revelation? She doubted Kai wanted to remember that time in his life. Keeping her tone neutral, she raised her wrists. “What’s going on with this rope? It’s glowing and…humming.”
“Magically enhanced. Can’t burn through it, can’t cut it. Can’t be untied by those whom it binds. At least the spell on it doesn’t cause burns on our skin.”
Oh. The rope had seemed like a flimsy restraint at first. Now, she studied the glowing, humming coils with renewed dread. Nothing is exactly as it seems. But if it didn’t burn them? She’d take good news wherever she could get it.
Kai had told her they were outnumbered, that he didn’t want her to use her ability. Apparently now, he didn’t want to talk at all. Feeling totally useless, she decided to take his advice and try to sleep. If that’s even possible.
Brooke backed up to the tree trunk before sliding down to the ground. Leaning against the gray wood, she counted four guards assigned to them. Four of them, for only two of us? Then she remembered the demons’ astonished whispers when they learned Kai’s identity. She knew he was a tough fighter, but apparently his reputation on Torth was more fierce than she could have imagined.
And yet here they were, helpless as kittens. She looked up at his proud, stony countenance as he examined the camp. He was so strong. Every bulging muscle in his body was honed to perfect fighting skill. Years—no—decades of work as one of Arawn’s Watchers had made him an elite warrior capable of taking on the most heinous creatures. It must be killing him to be treated like this, to be the prisoner instead of the captor.
She knew part
of the reason was the duty he felt toward her. Duty…was that what she was to him? Her eyes drank in his powerful shoulders and thick biceps, which were nearly as big as her thighs. She had clutched those muscles for dear life when he’d pinned her beneath him the other night, devouring her mouth with the hunger of a starving man.
A hot flush shot to her core at the fiery memories of his hard body pressed against her, caressing her, stoking her need on a primal level. She’d melted willingly to his demanding kiss, craving the exploration of his hands. The heat between them ignited so quickly it scared her. She knew she’d insulted him by shoving him away, and then twisted the dagger by telling him it was a mistake. He’d probably never want to try that again. And that was what she wanted. Wasn’t it?
CHAPTER 9
IDLY RUBBING THE DULL PEWTER sphere at his neck, Cale grinned in the solitude of his tent. He didn’t know whether to thank luck or fate that the rogue Lash slave was tied up in his camp. By delivering him to Draven tomorrow, he would not only gain significant wealth, but he would earn the prestige of capturing Kai. For nearly two centuries, Kai had been the grand prize of bounty hunters across the realm.
Cale couldn’t care less where Kai had been hiding and certainly hadn’t been looking for him. While others had conducted search after fruitless search, Kai’s swift disappearance helped his reputation grow to mythic proportions. Slaves across the realm regarded the blasted Lash demon as their hero. No trace of him existed on Torth. Many believed him just a legend.
Cale snorted. Legends were worthless unless they were exploited. His own interests lay in money and power, not chasing after old stories.
Those exact interests had landed him in this ashy part of the realm. He wouldn’t be here if not for the rich promises he’d secured from a blond vampire named Elegia. Brilliant, though possibly insane, her plan would exponentially increase his dominion on Torth.
That promise came with a price, which he was paying in advance. Forced to search remote corners of Torth for the creatures she demanded, he worked with the Serus demons in order to hide his activity from Arawn. But finding Kai made his work in this hellhole worth it. Elegia would just have to deal with receiving two fewer bodies in his next delivery to her. Crazy bitch and her experiments. No payment she could give him would match the price on Kai’s head.
Brooke woke slowly as neat black diagonal lines came into focus, mere inches from her eyes. Soft fabric under her cheek…cotton. Why did she have a black pillow? The center of her back felt like a heating pad was parked on it. She blinked, taking in unfamiliar oceans of gray beyond the blue. She gasped and sat up too quickly, her head pounding.
The dizziness created a riot behind her eyes, and she would’ve fallen back down on her face. The warmth left her back and shifted to her shoulder, and she realized Kai’s bound hands were steadying her. And her pillow? Her cheeks grew warm. She’d been sleeping with her head in his lap.
“Slow down, Sprite.” His hand moved to rub small circles on her lower back. “We’ve got a few minutes. They’re just starting to break camp.”
Camp. A lead balloon settled in her stomach as memories of yesterday’s events rushed back to her. She looked around and noticed the Serus demons gathering their supplies. She grimaced. They weren’t pleasant to look at. Gray skin, wispy white hair, huge eyes that were coal black, no whites showing at all. She shuddered and looked back to Kai.
Thoughts of other demons evaporated like fog as her eyes took in his bare chest. Thick slabs of muscled pecs covered in golden skin, his nipples the color of toffee. He settled back against the silver trunk, making the steel bands of his abdomen flex in sensuous lines. She remembered him removing his shirt before being tied to the tree. Of course he wouldn’t have been able to put it back on if his hands were tied. His meltingly warm brown eyes gazed back at her. Was she still in a sleep-fog? He seemed almost relaxed.
“Did you sleep?” she asked, her voice rough from slumber as well as her wayward thoughts.
He shook his head. “Didn’t need to.”
She searched his face, waiting for him to say more. When he didn’t, she asked, “What are we going to do? We’ve been here all night. We were only supposed to be gone a few hours.”
He glanced away. “I know.”
“Will Gunnar and the others come looking for us? Nicole will be freaking out.” Brooke fought to keep the panic out of her voice.
“I don’t know.”
“Why wouldn’t they? They knew where we were going. And Rilan can open a portal any time.”
“They may come.” Kai raked his roped hands through his hair. “Hell, they could be on their way now. But until they make an appearance, we need to work as though we’re on our own.”
“On our own means being prisoners!”
“We’ll get out of this. I promise.” His bound hands covered hers.
The attempt to be reassuring didn’t work. Fighting the dread crawling over her skin, she resolved to do her part. Walking around in fear was not something she was used to. Kai didn’t want her to use her gift and give away her identity, but if an opportunity came along, she would take it.
“So, what now?” she asked.
His expression darkened. “It looks like we’re going to Stroehm.”
The sunny chill of morning lingered as dawn broke over Chicago. Alone in the kitchen after a fitful night, Nicole cradled a cup of espresso between her hands and willed the warmth to spread through her body. It wasn’t working. Brooke and Kai hadn’t returned.
On top of that, the rest of the men had been out all night fighting Neshi demons. She’d tossed and turned as periodic bursts of adrenaline pulsed through the mating bond from Gunnar. He’d sent her sweet reassurances that he was okay, but she still felt like she was right there with him. Lying alone in their big bed had been scant comfort.
Bouncing her heels on the rungs of the bar stool as she waited for the three Lash demons to return, Nicole’s anxiety was tempered with a warm current of love. They’re on their way home. The bond conducted their emotions like electricity. She could also feel the pull of his safe presence drawing near.
At the growl of the Escalade’s engine, she darted to the door and ran outside. Throwing herself into her mate’s arms, she squeezed him as hard as she could.
Like Rhys and Brenin, Gunnar was covered in blood. It didn’t bother her. She’d seen him like this before and knew he’d been in worse shape. He held her firmly, her feet dangling off the ground as he buried his face in her hair.
You’re okay? she asked in his mind. But she already knew the answer. Her mate’s emotions were palpable to her.
Excellent, now that I’m holding you.
She let out a sigh of relief as he put her down. I love you, she thought.
And I love you.
A deliberate cough from Rhys brought her attention to the others. “All right, cut the mushy mind stuff,” he drawled. “Don’t you want to know how many of those fuckers we killed?”
She turned to the dark-haired demon. “I do. But…but Brooke and Kai didn’t come back.” Her voice broke on the last word.
Rhys and Brenin cursed loudly as Gunnar folded her into his arms. “Never underestimate Kai,” he said. “I’m sure there’s a good reason they didn’t return.”
“But remember how much trouble we ran into when we were there?” Images flashed through her mind in rapid-fire succession. Different predatory demons, some with wings, some with venomous fangs, some with poison arrows. All bent on killing whoever they wanted. She shuddered.
“Kai has gotten out of near-impossible situations. And he knows that area better than anyone I’ve met.”
Nicole swallowed a lump in her throat, emotion trampling any hope of stringing words togerther. “Okay.” She pressed tighter against Gunnar, aching for his warmth to fight the chilling fear in her soul.
“We’ll talk to Arawn about Brooke and Kai, and about these Neshis, too. Two of them escaped.” A rumble of frustration reached both her ear
s and her mind as Gunnar’s hands tightened at her waist. “Bastards dove into the river while we were each fighting two of their kin. We couldn’t track their scent in the water, and they could be anywhere by now. We’re going to need reinforcements.”
“Oh my God.” She’d hoped that Brooke’s encounter with the Neshi demon had been an isolated event. But if more of the hideous orange creatures lurked around the city? Unease prowled down her spine. Not only were the city’s residents in danger, but Brooke might be, too. And Gunnar, Brenin, and Rhys wouldn’t be able to pop over to Torth to find her. Not yet, anyway.
Gunnar rubbed her back. “We’ll get Arawn to put someone on Brooke’s trail ASAP.”
“Tell him to send Mathias,” Brenin said. He leaned against the SUV, arms folded across his chest.
Her eyes darted to the blond fighter. “Who’s Mathias?”
“He’s our Hunter. He’s the best,” Gunnar answered.
“Hunter? What does that mean?” Nicole scrunched her nose.
“Among the Lash race, he’s our top tracker. He can find anyone, anywhere, whether they want to be found or not.”
“Are you sure he could find them, even if they…if they’re…”
Gunnar tilted her head up and gazed down into her eyes. “Don’t think that way, love.”
Nicole nodded, drawing strength from her mate. She felt a surge of confidence entwined with Gunnar’s thoughts of this demon named Mathias. It settled over her like a cozy blanket.
“I heard he’s never failed to locate a mark. And he’s five hundred years old,” Brenin said.
“That dude’s got serious skills, Nic,” Rhys added.
“Thanks, guys.” She managed a weak smile at their efforts to alleviate her fears. Rhys, Brenin, and Kai had become the brothers she never had, and she knew they’d do anything for her and her sisters. She examined their disheveled state. “You need to get cleaned up.”
“Agreed,” Brenin said, striding toward the back door. He gently squeezed her arm as he passed. “Brooke’s one tough cookie.”
