by Kay, Sharon
“And Kai can be a vicious bastard.” Rhys kicked a small stone and followed Brenin.
“There’s nothing we can do until we speak to Arawn.” Gunnar’s strong fingers stroked her nape. “He’ll make sure Brooke and Kai are located.”
I’m just scared. She studied his blue eyes, noting the absence of any fear. She narrowed her eyes. Wait. Why aren’t you?
He wrapped a brawny arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the house. You don’t know Mathias. One time he located a sea witch who’d been living ten miles below the ocean for a hundred years. He lowered his head to her ear and whispered, “I know you’re worried, love. And I know waiting sucks. Nicole…”
She gazed into the azure glow of his eyes, waiting for his unfinished thought.
He stopped and turned her to face him. “Kai was captured when he was young. Spent almost a year as a gladiator slave. He was forced to fight for his life every time he entered the arena.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “I had no idea.”
“He doesn’t like to talk about it. But when Rhys said he was a vicious bastard, he’s right. He’s faced every demon imaginable, and won. Kai would give up his life before he’d let anything happen to Brooke.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” A chill crawled over her skin, reaching deep. Even the billowing wave of Gunnar’s certainty couldn’t mitigate it completely.
“They’ll be okay, love. We’ll get them back.”
She let him lead her into the house, let his reassurance drape her in feathery comfort. Okay, she thought. Let’s call Arawn right now.
Do I get a five minute shower first?
No. At his quirked eyebrow, she continued, shower later.
He took her hand and led her up the stairs to Rilan’s room. “I’ll happily talk to my liege, covered in Neshi blood, if it’ll help find Brooke five mniutes sooner.” He kissed the back of her hand. “We need Rilan’s spells for this. Arawn’s on Torth, and our phones don’t work between the realms.”
“Someone needs to fix that,” she muttered.
“Agreed.” Reaching the Elder’s open door, Gunnar knocked on the frame.
“Come in.” Rilan sat hunched over a massive tome, and he turned around when they stepped into his study. Warm brown eyes taking in Gunnar’s disheveled state, the Elder and her warrior spoke in unison.
“We need to talk to Arawn.”
CHAPTER 10
SURROUNDED BY SERUS DEMONS, BROOKE and Kai trekked through the barren landscape. She guessed it was mid-afternoon, though it was hard to tell without seeing the sun’s passage across the sky. Clouds obscured it, except for a pale splotch peeking through once in a while.
They had left the forest of silvery, ghostly trees far behind. The terrain was punctuated by the occasional boulder or bush, everything washed in shades of gray. Gravel and scrubby grass covered the ground and nearby sloping hills. She couldn’t sense any water, save for the fluid flowing inside living things.
Kai marched several feet behind her, ringed by three guards, his hands still bound with the magic rope. She ventured a glance over her shoulder a few times, drawing reassurance from the winks he gave her. She walked with a demon at each side but, thankfully, Cale hadn’t seen fit to have weapons drawn on them as they moved across the ashy ground.
They moved through occasional tendrils of filmy fog, and in between the mists she noticed more trees. She hadn’t thought it was possible for trees to get more eerie than those they had seen earlier, but these looked downright haunted. Clumps of gray, hole-ridden leaves grew at random spots along the trunks. Gnarled branches stretched toward the sky like arms begging for nourishment. The species resembled a cross between an oak and a maple, with the bark hanging off in strips.
A breeze blew through the tepid air. She crinkled her nose and peered ahead at a darkness looming on the horizon. As they drew closer, she saw a stone wall stretching a hundred feet on either side of a heavy wooden gate. Two guards stood in front of it and ten more stood atop the wall.
Cale, who had led the journey, strode forward to speak with the guards. Brooke couldn’t hear what they were saying, but a few minutes later the gate opened and their entire group passed through the entrance.
Brooke stared at the gray expanse before her. The stone wall encompassed half a dozen buildings huddled together in the center of the complex, every surface colored in the same range of drab hues they’d just walked through. It was nothing like Nicole’s tales of lush, verdant forest and rivers sparkling with rainbow sprites. What she wouldn’t give to be where her sister had visited instead of this colorless wasteland.
She inhaled, taking in the scents of dirt, garbage, and unwashed bodies. A faint sensation of power flitted through her and her body drew strength from it. Water. Somewhere nearby its presence beckoned, though it was subdued enough that she couldn’t see it or hear it. Her nerves calmed and she fought the smile of relief that threatened to spread across her face. She would find the source.
Kai had worked his way next to her as they filtered through the open gate. Turning to him, her newfound relief disappeared. His mouth was set in an angry line. She’d never seen him look so grim. Uh-oh. Kai wasn’t supposed to look like that.
“Kai?” she whispered.
He didn’t look at her. Instead, his eyes were fixed on a group emerging from the nearest stone building. “Things might get worse before they get better, Sprite.”
She followed his gaze to the handful of figures approaching. In front strode a man with beady red eyes and stringy dull-brown hair. It hung in a shaggy mane around his face and shoulders. He was tall, but not as big as Kai. Red eyes fixed on Kai, his jaw clenched as he moved closer.
Stopping a few feet in front of them, he barked, “Show me the scar.”
The Serus guards jerked Kai around to face away from the red-eyed man. Or is he a demon? He took one look at Kai’s marked shoulder blade and threw back his head. A peal of evil laughter burst from his throat, echoing off the stone wall, filling the dismal space with malice.
He grabbed Kai’s arm and turned him sharply. “One hundred seventy years ago, you sealed your fate when you killed my father. I’ve had lots of time to invent new devices for my interrogation room. New ways to make you regret that night.” An ugly sneer pulled his lips upward. “Other slaves have felt their effects, but it’s you they’re intended for. I knew your luck wouldn’t hold out. I relish delivering vengeance in my father’s name.” His eyes narrowed and a venomous grin twisted his pale face.
This must be Draven. Brooke didn’t want to think about his “devices” or plans. She needed to find that water source and get them out of here.
His crimson gaze slid to her and he stepped closer. “And you…” Beady eyes traveled down the length of her body and back up. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
A snarl escaped Kai’s mouth.
The man’s grin spread. He released her chin, only to circle his hand around her throat. He splayed his fingers wide and dragged them down the center of her torso, lingering over the swell of her breasts before settling at the waistband of her jeans.
He leaned in close enough for her to spot several crooked teeth. “You’re a pretty thing,” he whispered, his hot breath tickling her ear.
She shuddered and tried to jerk back, but his hand at her waist kept her in place. Her breath came in short gasps as she turned away, desperate to put space between them.
He pressed closer, pushing his nose into her hair. “You smell so fucking sweet.”
She squeezed her eyes shut as her stomach churned in revulsion.
Kai’s snarl turned feral. “Get your hands off her. Now.”
Draven turned, dragging his nose along her ear and cheek. “You like this one, hmm? I’ll make sure your bonds are extra tight while I take her. I wouldn’t want you to miss that.” He removed his hand and stalked away. “I have a fight to watch. Put them in a cell.”
Brooke’s eyes flew open and sh
e exhaled sharply. She swiped a hand across her face in disgust, rubbing at the skin Draven had nuzzled. Unable to keep her shoulders from trembling, she turned to Kai.
“Fucking bastard. You okay?” His face was twisted in anger, brown eyes flaring with amber light.
She let out another harsh breath and willed her nausea to stop. The last thing she wanted was for Draven or his men to see just how badly he’d shaken her. “Yeah,” she said in a small voice. “I will be.”
“I’m sorry, Sprite. That goddamn, cock-sucking motherfu—”
One of the compound guards barked an order. The Serus demons handed Brooke and Kai’s magic rope restraints over to Draven’s men, who led them toward one of the stone buildings.
They crossed the open space and came to another heavily guarded door. Brooke’s eyes adjusted quickly to the dark interior, since the outdoors hadn’t been very bright. A chill fluttered over her skin, but it wasn’t from fear. Her power recognized its life-source. The sensation of water grew stronger as they moved deeper into the compound.
The demons guided them down a stone-walled corridor punctuated with torches. Brooke’s mind flashed to her younger sister, Gin, and her affinity with fire. She could take a spark from any of these torches and turn it into a fireball. Destroy this entire shithole. Too bad Gin wanted nothing to do with her talent.
Brooke shook her head to clear her thoughts. Gin wasn’t the one being held prisoner. But she’d raise hell if she knew about this. Brooke peered up at the ceiling, also made of stone and highlighted with archways every twenty feet. Mournful wails called from farther down, hopeless voices that pierced her with dread. The clang of metal on metal echoed, then scraped. It was followed by another clang-scrape. She tried to block out its repetition, not wanting to know what was happening with that.
They passed several doorways covered with rusted bars, and from one of them a spindly hand reached out. She stifled a yelp. Holy shit, this is an honest-to-goodness dungeon!
The only thing keeping her from screaming was Kai’s strong figure in front of her. She focused on his muscular back as they continued into the depths of the dungeon, forcing herself to take deep breaths. They stopped at a wide wooden door. It was open, and Brooke got a quick glance at a heavy beam propped against the stone wall. One of the guards shoved her into the dark space, his hand wrapped around her arm.
A small cry escaped her lips and she reached for Kai, only to see him dragged to the back of the cell. Four guards pushed him down to the stone floor. One of them spoke in a language she didn’t understand, and the magic rope untied itself.
What the—? Before she could even process that oddity, the guards swiftly clamped his hands and feet into iron cuffs bolted to the stone.
When the guards appeared certain that Kai was adequately restrained, they turned to Brooke. One reached for her hands, while the first maintained his grip on her arm. As if I’d run. Where would I go? She wouldn’t abandon Kai. Their history didn’t matter now. They’d come this far together. They’d find a way out. Together.
A burly demon produced a device that looked like a pair of handcuffs. Oh no. Her skin prickled with dread and she tried to yank her hands away, but the guards’ grip was strong. The large demon slid her hands through the black metal circles and she felt a cold flare of power as they instantly tightened to fit her wrists. Fighting her growing fear, she tensed as another guard crouched at her side.
Pressure surrounded one of her ankles as the guard snapped a metal band in place. A chain attached the ankle restraint to the stone wall behind her. The guard gave the chain a tug, let out a satisfied grunt, and filed out with the rest of the guards. The door closed with a solid boom, and seconds later Brooke heard a thud. She guessed that would be the wooden beam dropping into place. Kai let out a series of foul curses in English and Demonish.
Torchlight filtered through the small barred window in their cell door. Feet shuffled, and then quiet loomed. Without the special night vision that Lash demons had, she could only see Kai as a shadowy form. The manacles in the floor had short chains, allowing him to sit but not stand.
She backed up slowly, waiting for her heels to bump the wall behind her. When she reached it, she slid down to sit on the floor and rested her bound hands in her lap. This is bad. She was about to ask Kai what his grand plans for escape were, when his deep voice resonated within the cell.
“I’m sorry, Brooke.” His tone radiated anger, frustration, and regret.
“This isn’t your fault.” She was scared, sure. But she wasn’t mad at him.
“It sure as hell isn’t yours.”
She let out a small sigh. “Kai, this isn’t the time to play the blame game. We need to get out of here.”
He snorted in the dim light. “That’s gonna be a problem.”
“But you did it once before. That’s what Cale said.”
“I had inside help.”
“There has to be a way you can do it again.”
“In case you forgot, I haven’t been here for one hundred seventy years.”
She glared at him, knowing he could see her expression clearly. “Well, aren’t you a grumpy old man.”
He huffed out an exasperated breath. “You want me to start calling you Baby Sprite?”
“No, I want you to tell me about when you were here before. Tell me how you got out.”
Silence filled the small space. Brooke leaned her head against the cool stone behind her and wished like mad that Kai would talk to her. She refused to believe they were going to die here. Faint clangs and scrapes drifted in through the tiny square window, and water dripped somewhere nearby.
Water! Why had the sensation of her element disappeared? “Kai! There’s water in here! I hear it dripping. I can do something to help.” Excitement grew in her voice.
“Think again.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t call demonfire or bust these.” He rattled his chains. “You can’t use your power. These cells have dampening spells.”
Brooke opened her mouth in surprise, then closed it. That’s why she hadn’t felt her element humming in her blood after they’d entered the cell. She took a deep breath, willing her rising panic to subside. She needed Kai to talk to her, to push away the fear in her mind. He was one of the strongest men she’d ever known, and she was putting her faith in him.
“Who helped you before?” she asked.
He snorted. “You’re a persistent thing.” Chains scraped the floor as he shifted to a different position. “It was one of the guards. He was retuning a favor I did for him.”
“But you were a prisoner here.” She couldn’t make her mouth utter the word slave in reference to Kai. “What could you do for him?”
“Drant didn’t allow his guards to rough up the slaves. He saved that for himself. One day a Neshi was brought in to fight. Turned out he had killed the sister of this guard, Garrod.”
Brooke sucked in a breath, guessing where the story was headed.
“Garrod couldn’t touch the bastard. When it came time to face the Neshi in the arena, he made me a deal. Kill the thing slowly and painfully, and he’d help me escape.” Kai’s voice ended on a hollow note.
Faint outside sounds filled the cell as Kai fell silent. Sitting there, both of them in chains, Brooke’s stomach stirred uneasily. She hated to imagine this proud, lethal demon forced to bargain for his freedom. Forced to fight for his life for the entertainment of others.
Bitterness filled her heart at the thought of his torment. She guessed the memories had probably roared back to life as soon as they walked into the compound. Are they ever far from his mind? She wished she knew.
“So, did he just sneak you out the front gate?” she prompted gently.
He turned to her, his eyes glowing a soft honey color in the darkness. “No. He got me to Drant’s suite. I went in and killed him. Then I had to make my way out alone.”
“Where did you go?”
“I found a place to hide. I grew up around h
ere, so I knew how to cover my tracks. The next day, I made my way to Arawn.”
“What did he think of you killing Drant? By taking you in, he was effectively harboring a…” She stopped, unable to speak her thoughts.
“A murderer?” Kai finished for her. He snorted. “There was no love between Arawn and Drant. Arawn felt I’d done a service for the realm. I trained with him, then spent most of my time on Earth.”
“What happened to Garrod?”
“I never found out. He was probably killed for his treason. Several other guards saw him walking with me that night.”
Her limbs felt heavy with the weight of his ordeal. She leaned forward impulsively, wanting to touch him, but the tug of her chain brought her back.
“I’m sorry, Kai.”
“Don’t apologize. You wanted to know.” His voice held a hard edge.
“And I’m glad you told me. I’m not sorry I know more about you. I’m sorry for what you had to go through.” She had the feeling there was a lot more that he hadn’t told her, but she had pushed enough for now.
“I don’t want your pity.”
“I don’t pity you! I’m angry that these things happened to you. No one should have to go throu—” She gasped as the loud scrape of wood echoed into the cell. Grunting voices rumbled, metal clanked against metal, and the door heaved open.
Four large guards filed in and moved toward Kai. Unlocking his restraints, they hauled him up and shoved him toward the door.
She surged to her feet. “Kai!” Her blood chilled.
He turned to look back at her, his eyes flashing amber, but one of the guards cuffed the back of his head and pushed him. Another guard took a step toward her, snarling something in a language she didn’t understand. She blinked but held her ground, trying to peer around him. Maybe there’s water in the corridor.
He took another step closer, blocking her view. “Stay, female.” His voice was rough with an accent she couldn’t place.
She clenched her fists in frustration. Shifting to her toes, she caught a glimpse of Kai’s blond hair disappearing through the doorway. Shit, shit, shit.
