by Kay, Sharon
She sat across from him, eyes wide with concern as she studied him. She opened her mouth, but he shook his head and jerked a chained hand toward the door.
A metallic jangle echoed in the small space as the key clicked in the lock. The door opened, allowing a thin slice of torchlight to sidle across the stone floor.
A petite figure in a black hooded robe crept in. Glancing back and forth between him and Brooke, the figure made its way over to him. A tiny hand pushed back the hood.
Kai peered up at a delicate, feminine face. Porcelain skin made her wide dark eyes even more striking as they assessed his bonds. Something about her tugged at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t place where he had seen her.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Garnet,” she replied. “My name is Garnet.” She crouched swiftly next to him, metal flashing in her hand.
Shit. What was her game? He tensed and studied her face, wondering if she was some kind of mage, wondering if her weapon was doused in magic. The metal rattled and clinked. His eyes snapped to her hand. Not a blade. She clutched a ring of keys.
With swift precision she flipped through them, testing one key and then another until she unlocked the manacles on his wrists.
“Do I know you, Garnet?” he asked, as she moved to free his ankles.
She looked up and held his gaze. “You helped me, Kai. The night you killed Drant.”
Kai felt his jaw go slack and his brows knit together. The night he killed Drant…Understanding slashed through his muddled thoughts. “You were his thrall,” he said softly.
“I would’ve been at the mercy of any of the guards, with that awful collar Drant put on me.” She shuddered. “Hardly anyone here dares to show an ounce of decency. Now, I’m returning the favor.” With a clatter, the last manacle fell open on the stone floor.
“You’re still here?” Kai asked, disbelief in his voice. “One hundred seventy years of this? Are you still a…does Draven—”
“I work in the kitchen now. Draven wanted his own harem when he took over. All new females. I begged him not to kill me, to give me a chance to cook. Working in the kitchen also gives me access to certain herbs that may cause guards to become unusually sleepy.” Garnet inclined her head toward the door.
“You have to come with us.” Kai’s muscles protested as he stood to his full height, unrestrained, for the first time in days.
“I cannot, demon. I have nowhere to go, and I have a son. He’s a slave here, too. Draven would kill him if I went missing.” She moved across the cell to unlock Brooke’s ankle restraint.
“You risk much, Garnet,” Kai said.
“No one deserves to be here. You are fair and just, Kai. You showed kindness to me when you had no need to, and I will be forever grateful. I won’t sit idly by and allow Draven to carry out his depraved plans for you.” She looked into Brooke’s face. “And you, child. I survived as a pleasure thrall, but not every female can withstand Draven’s abuse. If I can save even one woman from a similar fate, then that is enough.”
Garnet grasped Brooke’s bound hands and peered at them. “Oh no.”
“What do you mean, ‘oh no’?” Brooke asked in a low, tense voice.
“These manacles have no lock and no key. They are ensorcelled. They can only be removed by the one who cast the spell, or by a more powerful sorcerer.”
Kai let out a string of curses in Demonish. They were so close to escape, he could taste freedom.
“Well, I don’t feel like waiting around to see if a sorcerer decides to stop by,” Brooke said. “I can walk, at least. Kai, you’re completely free. Let’s go.”
“I’m sorry, child,” Garnet said.
Brooke bent down to grab the skin of water. “We’re in your debt, Garnet. I hate leaving you here. We won’t forget you or your child. We’ll come back for you.”
Garnet’s mouth turned upward in a sad smile and she handed him a disposable gem phone. “You may need this. All your things have been burned. These gems are the same ones the guards use when they go out looking for fresh slaves. You must go now.” She turned and hastened to the door. “Go that way.” She pointed right. “The second passage on the right will lead to an old delivery tunnel that opens near the river. It’s never guarded. Hardly anyone remembers it. It was used when the river was much higher, before the drought.”
She raised her hood, obscuring her face. “Be safe, warrior,” she said, before melting into the shadows of the dark corridor.
Kai and Brooke stepped out into the hall, and his lungs rejoiced at the untainted air. His blood hummed as his cells whirred into action, knitting broken bones and torn tendons back together. Before them sprawled the two guards, sound asleep on the floor. Kai crouched next to them, eyes scanning their equipment, and plucked two daggers from the nearest guard’s waist.
He winked and handed one to Brooke. “Put this in your boot.”
They picked their way over the guards’ burly bodies and hurried in the direction Garnet had indicated. His body ached, but the knowledge that he was away from the dampening spell helped him push through the splintering pain. Brooke slid her bound hands around one of his, but he needed her closer. He tugged his hand free and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her flush against his side.
Gods, her warmth felt incredible. Her skin effused her natural lilac fragrance and…something else. Excitement and energy. She looked up at him with a gleam of pure delight in her eyes as they reached the second tunnel.
“I can feel the river, Kai!” She ducked into the inky darkness, nearly sliding out of his grasp.
The buzz flowing from her body perked him up even more than the spell-free air. Grinning, he tightened his hold on her waist and entered the tunnel with her.
Power surged through Brooke’s body. She felt like she had springs in her feet. Her blood danced in her veins. Maybe it was just the change of going from that cell, with its dampening spell, to fresh air uncorrupted by magic. Or maybe it was the taste of freedom. She wasn’t sure, but she knew the closer they got to the river, the stronger she became. Only Kai’s still-healing body kept her from a full-blown sprint.
With no torchlight in the little-used tunnel, she couldn’t see a thing in front of her, but visions of his battered body flashed before her eyes. She pushed them to the back of her mind and pressed into him as they made their way through the passage. She didn’t worry about tripping, since the floor was smooth. It was probably stone, like the rest of this place, and worn down by centuries of use.
Even if it wasn’t, there was no way she’d fall. Not with Kai’s strong arm clasping her tightly. Renewed fury simmered in her chest at the memory of what Draven had done to him. A blue streak of curses formed in her mind, but right now she had one priority. Getting the hell out of here. “Feeling any better?”
“More awesome with every step,” he answered, but his voice held a hint of strain. His eyes gave off a soft amber glow, and she let him guide her deeper into the yawning blackness.
She frowned and slowed. “I don’t want to be the first nurse who kills her patient by making him run with broken bones.”
“It’ll take more than that to kill me, Sprite.”
She smiled but kept silent, letting the river beckon to her. Excitement rose within her as her talent sang through her veins. Side by side, they hurried through the dark, and then a tiny prick of light shone from far ahead.
“Look!” she said.
“Thank the gods,” he muttered. “I need to get you out of—”
A crash echoed in the darkness behind them. Brooke looked at Kai, horror accelerating her heart rate. No! We’re so close to freedom.
“We have to hurry!” she said. “Can you run?”
“Not yet, but I can walk real fast,” he grunted.
His fast walk turned out to be a good match for her jogging speed, as they made their way to the light. Clanks and shouts reverberated behind her, making her lungs tighten with dread.
She jogged faster
as the gray light took the form of an opening. “There it is!” she yelled.
Kai broke into a jog, too, pulling her along to the tunnel mouth. She could see it now, a huge archway cut into the stone. They were twenty feet away…ten…two…they skidded to a halt and stared out into the gray, cloudy sky.
And looked down. Way down. There was a river below them, true. It raged violently around rocks, the currents crashing and creating white patches of foam. It surged downstream as if it was being pursued by a hellish enemy. Brooke had never seen a river move so swiftly.
But it wasn’t the river’s speed that stopped them. Panic threatened to squeeze her heart as she gazed an endless distance down into the eddies. It had to be a hundred foot drop. The rock wall from which the entrance had been carved was sheer and smooth. Climbing down would be impossible.
She turned to Kai. “What do we do?”
He peered at the cliff above them. “Maybe we can climb up.”
“You’re in no shape to climb.”
The clang of metal sounded from deep within the tunnel.
“That’s beside the point,” he muttered. “We’re not going back in there.”
Brooke looked down at the swirling current. It was beautiful, and so powerful. On some level she couldn’t explain, she felt a kinship to it. She gasped as a jolt of energy blasted through her body.
“What is it?” Kai asked.
Brooke stared into his chocolate brown eyes, her skin too tight, her power leaping inside her. “We jump.”
Kai’s jaw dropped. He closed his mouth and shook his head. “Uh, no. No, we won’t.”
She reached for his hand and squeezed hard. “I can do this.”
“No. It’s too far. From up here, hitting the surface would be enough to knock us out. And there’s no way we’d survive those rocks.”
“Yes, we will.” She stepped closer to him, raising her arms and settling her bound wrists behind his neck. “The water will catch us. I can manipulate it.”
He looked down at her, his eyes flashing with a mix of emotions. “Sprite, I might be able to heal, but you…I don’t know if you will. I can’t risk it. You’re a Solsti. You’re too important.”
“Yes, Kai, I am a Solsti. The one who commands water.”
A shout, followed by a loud boom, came from the tunnel.
Brooke pressed her body against his. “Put your arms around me and hold on. We’re out of time.”
“Gods help us,” he muttered, but he wrapped his brawny arms around her waist. To her shock, he lowered his head and pressed a swift kiss to her lips.
She sucked in a surprised breath. “What—”
“For luck,” he said. A twinkle lit his eyes before they turned deadly serious. “On your count.”
They inched closer to the stone rim. The river surged in her mind, its raw power building, waiting for her. Her body vibrated as she spoke. “One… two… three!”
As one, they leapt out into the dingy gray sky.
For a split second, the terror of falling shot through her. This was like the portal, but much worse, since their destination could kill them. The sheer cliff flew by in a blur as they plummeted straight down.
Kai squeezed her and she looked up into his face. “C’mon, Sprite,” he urged.
Brooke reached out to the river. Her body jerked as she connected with its unbridled strength. She had never been plugged into so much power. It felt exhilarating. Amazing. This is what I was born to do. She closed her eyes and commanded the current to slow.
The wind rushed around her ears, her hair whipping above her. She plucked one of the swirling waves and forced it to expand, rising higher above the sharp rocks.
Electricity prickled her skin as the river responded. Filled her with its acquiescence. Yes!
Kai grunted, and she opened her eyes to see him peering down. She moved the wave into position directly below them. The racing water roared in her ears, waiting for her.
She clung to Kai as they fell faster, hurtling toward the river’s raw and deadly force. The current coiled beneath them, a dynamic, potent power at her bidding. The fresh water scent infused her nose as they dropped closer.
She drew in a breath and closed her mouth, preparing for impact. Kai clutched her as they plunged feet first into the cold river. The water broke their speed as their bodies arrowed through the surface, but they sank deep. The icy liquid cocoon shocked her as it closed over her head. Huge gray rocks loomed like jagged sentries all around them.
A swirling current halted their descent. It swathed them, a ribbon of water-within-water that guided them on a clear path up from the depths. With a push from the wave, they broke through into the drab gray air.
She gasped. Held chest-high in the watery embrace, she commanded the current to carry them around the rocks. She increased its speed, rushing faster than before. They spun in a circle as the river swept them downstream at a furious pace.
Brooke threw back her head, eyes closed, and let out a whoop. The river’s power billowed within her, mingled with her own. The brute, viscous force had been harnessed. By me. Her talent and her potential collided, filling her with a buzzing high. She would’ve pumped her fists if not for the damn handcuffs.
She laughed in delight. Water soaked her hair and splashed her face, the drops clinging to her skin. It pulsed beneath her feet as the wave churned, providing a welcoming ledge to stand on.
She opened her eyes to find Kai staring down at her, his lashes wet and spiky, his dark eyes radiating awe. And…heat. Squeezing her arms on either side of his neck, she said, “I did it!”
“You sure did.” His voice was rough. “Does it break your concentration to talk?”
She frowned. “I don’t think so. Guess I better not chance it. Although, I can just tell another wave to scoop us up if we go under.”
“And in the meantime, we better hope we don’t hit a rock.” He gave a quick shake of his head. “How about you just concentrate for now. How long can you keep this up?”
She knew on an instinctive level that the river wouldn’t allow them to smash into any rocks, that it was their ally, but she didn’t know how to explain it to him. “I don’t know how long, exactly. The river is doing most of the work. But I’ll tell you when I start to get tired.”
He held her tighter as they moved away from Stroehm’s stony cliff, and she let her arms rest limply on his shoulders. Wondering how they were going to remove the ensorcelled manacles, she dropped her head against his wet pectoral muscle. He’d been shirtless for days, ever since Cale’s men prepared to whip him. She wasn’t objecting, but she wished the circumstances were different.
They rode their wave downstream for miles through the dead forest, quietly locked in each other’s arms. Brooke had never felt so safe, so protected, and so full of raw power at the same time. Kai’s warm mouth brushed the top of her head, planting a kiss.
“This is far enough, Sprite. We’ll be able to find shelter in this area tonight.”
Brooke commanded the current to slow, and the wave to bring them to the bank. With a gentle push, the churning swell beneath them dissolved as their feet touched the muddy bottom. Kai gently removed her hands from their perch at his nape, bringing her arms down in front of her. Her hands tingled as blood rushed back into her fingers.
He wrapped an arm around her waist as they climbed the low slope of the riverbank.
“I bet Draven’s men will assume we died when we fell, but we still have to be careful. We need to keep moving. Are you okay?” Kai asked.
She nodded. “Are you?”
“Yeah,” he said, rubbing a hand over his chest. His brows knit together. “That was fast, even for me. Not that I’m complaining.”
“Maybe the cold water helped.”
“Maybe.” He gazed at her with a curious intensity. “Or maybe it was you.”
“Me?” she squeaked. “I’m not a healer!” Her heart slammed into her ribs, racing under the weight of his molten stare.
He extended a finger, using the back of one knuckle to trace a line down her cheek. He looked like he was working something out in his mind, but she couldn’t form enough coherent words to ask him about it. Shivers swept down her neck and arms. She sucked in a short breath as his eyes took on a dark honey glow.
He rested his hand on her shoulder, a twinkle replacing the heat in his eyes. “But you are my personal nurse. Let’s find you a safe place to take care of me.” He trailed his hand down her arm to grasp her hands and tugged her away from the river.
Her mind filled with all the different ways she could ‘take care’ of him. I must still be on an adrenaline high. Shaking off the fluttering sensations in her belly, she forced herself to focus.
The river cut a wide path through a thick forest. It contained the same silvery-gray, barren trees they had seen before. But interspersed throughout them were green healthy pines and deciduous trees. She spotted several oaks, maples, and elms.
“How come there are living trees here?” she asked.
“It’s because of the river. The drought in this area has been going on for decades, but this is one of the biggest rivers on Torth. It’s not going to dry up any time soon.”
“Hmm.” She mulled that over. No wonder she felt such a surge of power when she manipulated the fast-moving water.
Kai led her into a thick grove of oaks and pulled out the gem phone from Garnet. He shook it, sending water droplets arching away from them. “Good thing these don’t need batteries. I gotta call headquarters.”
If their situation weren’t so serious, she’d have giggled at the thought of another Demon Central here on Torth. Probably Arawn’s base of operations. She put a hand on Kai’s arm. “The guys there can communicate with Earth, right? Tell them to let Nicole and the others know that we’re okay.”
He snorted and punched in a number. “Except for losing all our shit and you being in spelled cuffs.” Raking a hand through his damp hair, he paced a path between two trunks, his deep voice rumbling at whoever had answered his call.
