Wicked Waves: Solsti Prophecy #2

by Kay, Sharon

  She hoped he was right. Brooke didn’t want to think about the previous dream she’d had about the blond-haired creature.

  His warm hand moved from her rear to her hip and up to her hands. “Remember what we get to do today?”

  Have sex again? Brooke squeezed her eyes shut, wondering why she couldn’t get her mind off his body. “Um, no,” she mumbled into his pectoral muscle. She felt heat in her cheeks and was glad he couldn’t see her blush.

  His fingers tapped her handcuffs. “We’ll see Rosa and get these off.”

  Brooke’s relief at the prospect of having her hands free was tempered with apprehension about meeting the witch. She didn’t know why. Maybe because she’s three thousand years old and has more power in her little finger than I have in my whole body. But Nicole had said the witch was the picture of hospitality.

  God, her sister must be going insane with worry. Brooke didn’t even know what day it was. Time lost meaning in Draven’s dungeon. She nibbled her lower lip and frowned.

  “Brooke?”

  “I’m fine,” she said, relishing one more minute of his warm body holding her. She needed to shove her jumbled thoughts aside and focus on today’s goal. Find Rosa and try not to get captured or killed. That should keep them busy enough.

  She wiggled away from him, trying to put enough space between them so that she could push up to a sitting position. Out of habit, she looked around for her clothes. And couldn’t see a thing.

  She sighed. “I can’t see where my clothes are.”

  “I can.” Kai’s voice was husky as he traced a pattern across the tops of her feet. He hadn’t moved from his position on the ground. She could barely make out the shape of his body facing her.

  “Guess you’re gonna have to help me get dressed.”

  “Never done that before.”

  “Done what?” She tilted her head to one side.

  “Helped a woman get into her clothes.”

  She huffed out a sarcastic breath. “Whatever. There’s a first time for everything.”

  The air in the cave shifted and a rush of heat betrayed his presence in front of her, hands on either side of her face. “There sure is, Sprite.” He brushed his lips across hers once, sending an arrow of heat to her core.

  Her lips parted and she leaned toward him, eager for another taste of his delicious mouth. His hands moved down to stroke her neck with his thumbs, eliciting a soft sigh from her. But he kept his pace slow, rubbing his nose with hers and then pressing another feather-soft kiss to her lips.

  Her lower lip tingled like she was plugged into a socket. Needing a harder, deeper kiss, she bit his lip. He groaned and nipped her back, his hands gripping her shoulders before sliding his tongue inside her mouth.

  She moaned in relief at the slick pressure. Too soon, he broke away.

  “You’re a tortuous little vixen.”

  “You like it.” She loved the smile dancing in the soft honey glow of his eyes.

  “Hell, yeah.” One hand dropped to tap her bottom. “And I’m gonna like it a whole lot more…later on. For now, we have to keep moving. We don’t know if we’re being followed.”

  She swallowed. He was right. What was I thinking? Oh, wait—I wasn’t using my brain at all. Not after that teasing little kiss. “So help me get dressed already.”

  He helped her into her panties and jeans, then her socks and boots. A scraping sound echoed around the small space as he pushed the rock away, allowing a sliver of gray light to stream into the cave. Darkness returned briefly as he squeezed through to the outside.

  After a minute, he called, “C’mon, Sprite. All clear.”

  She wiggled and squirmed her way out of the cave, blinking even though the sun hid behind gray clouds. Making a quick detour into a clump of bushes to relieve her bladder, Brooke stopped and yanked at her jeans button. It popped open and the zipper slid halfway down. She shifted her weight in frustration as she awkwardly shoved at her pants with her bound hands. Damn it! If she managed to get them pulled back up, there was no way she’d be able to do the button and zipper. She would have to ask Kai for help again.

  A few minutes later, she emerged from the greenery with her jeans gaping. Kai folded his arms over his chest, mirth shining in his eyes.

  “Forget something, Sprite?”

  “Go ahead and laugh. Stupid magical handcuffs,” she muttered.

  He strode over to her, chuckling. “This makes two times I’ve helped you into your clothes.” His fingers found her side belt loops and gave a little tug, his thumbs grazing her skin as he trailed them around to the button and closed it. The air crackled between them when he dragged those sinful fingers down her fly to the zipper tab.

  Her breath hitched at the warmth of his hands, even through the denim. She swallowed hard. Her eyes locked on his bare pectoral muscles, and it took every ounce of strength not to lick his golden skin and push her hips into him.

  He lowered his head until his lips brushed her ear, slowly closing her zipper, notch by notch. “And only one time I got you out of them. That’s gonna change, Brooke.” He took her lobe between his teeth and scraped across her delicate skin. “Soon.”

  Her whole body shivered and she couldn’t suppress a gasp at the heated promise in his tone. She gazed up into those gorgeous brown eyes. Yes, please.

  “Ready?” He grinned at her.

  She nodded. Could I be any more flustered?

  “Let’s go.” He kept a hand at her back, one finger tucked into her belt loop, as he guided her down the slope.

  The terrain was made up of rolling hills strewn with boulders and small rocks. Pebbles the size of gravel littered the ground. The same mix of trees towered around them, gray scattered throughout the green. Small bushes cropped up here and there. A rough semblance of a trail cut through the scene, and Kai led her toward it.

  “How far away is Rosa’s place?” Brooke asked.

  “A few miles.” Kai stopped to grab a clump of berries from a bush. In the light of day, they looked like blueberries. Their taste was a mix of blueberry and cranberry, and her mouth watered at the memory. As if reading her thoughts, Kai reached over and fed her one.

  “Nicole met Rosa in a forest that was so pretty, she said it looked enchanted. Obviously not this place.” Brooke looked around. “It’s convenient that she’s so close when we need her.”

  “From what I’ve heard of Rosa, she moves around a lot. Goes wherever she wants. All I know is, the coordinates from HQ say she’s in this forest.”

  “She has coordinates?”

  “She has them if she wants to. And since she does, she’s expecting us.”

  Brooke opened her mouth to ask him what that meant, but froze as she caught a sudden motion up ahead. Kai spotted it too. He made no move to hide. Thank goodness he grabbed those daggers from the guards.

  Kai drew a deep breath. “It’s an elf. Afraid and alone. There’s a chance it could be armed, so stay close.”

  They walked farther along the path, and Kai stopped near a large boulder. “Come out, elf. Your scent betrays you.”

  Leaves rustled in the shrubs on the far side of the boulder, then Brooke found herself looking at one of the smallest adults she had ever seen. He stood about four feet tall, with orange-red hair and pointed ears. He wore a dirty gray button-down shirt, brown pants, and brown boots. A slight breeze kicked up, bringing the scent of pine to her nose.

  The elf gawked at Kai, trembling. “I-I mean no harm, demon,” he stammered.

  “What is your business here, elf?” Kai asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “We were looking for food. The drought—”

  “We?” Kai’s voice took on an ominous edge.

  “My brothers and I. But they were t-taken. By a group of Serus demons.”

  Brooke’s eyes shot to Kai’s face.

  He glanced at her and then back at the elf, his face expressionless. “How long ago?”

  “Two days. We were foraging and we knew this are
a had berries. The drought is so bad, you know, we have almost nothing to eat… Anyway, I strayed away from the rest. Then I heard shouts and…and swords clashing…” The elf dropped forlorn eyes to the dirt.

  “Go on,” Kai said. Not brusque, but not gentle either, he was all business. Brooke wondered how many times he’d done this.

  “Th-there were so many Serus. My brothers tried to fight.” The elf paused again and took a deep breath. “There was a Lash demon there, too. He yelled at the rest to keep my brothers alive.

  “I tried to follow the group. But I’ve never been a very good tracker, and I guess the Serus demons knew. I thought they were going to grab me, so I ran. I didn’t even know where I was going, I just…ran.”

  Keeping his arms crossed over his chest, Kai rocked back on his heels and studied the diminutive male. “That’s a disturbing story, elf,” he said.

  The creature nodded. “Yes. But I’m not done looking. I’ll do a better job of hiding my trail, and I’ll find them.”

  “You’d best be wary before tangling with a Lash and Serus demons,” Kai warned.

  “I’ll be careful.” With that, the elf backed away.

  “Not so fast.” In a flash of movement, Kai grabbed the elf by his shirt collar and lifted him off the ground. “You’re coming with us.”

  “What? No, I have to find my brothers!”

  “You can still look for them, just not right now.” Kai turned to Brooke. “We can’t let him run around when Cale or Draven’s men could find him. Not when they may be looking for us. If they question him, I don’t know if he’d be able to keep his trap shut. Especially if they use his brothers for leverage.”

  She nodded. She hadn’t planned on an extra traveling companion, but his reasoning made perfect sense.

  Kai set the elf down. “You walk in front of us. Don’t even think about running,” he growled.

  The elf jumped. “Got it.”

  They resumed walking along the graveled, packed-dirt trail. Brooke worried that the elf’s little legs would slow them down, but he managed to maintain a brisk pace. He shot a worried glance over his shoulder now and then, but kept quiet. The landscape remained the same as they marched up and down the slopes. This forest is endless.

  After an hour, they found several small boulders and stopped to rest. Brooke clasped her hands together and stretched them high over her head. She arched her back and made a contented noise as her tired muscles flexed. Lowering her arms, she caught Kai’s carnal stare.

  She held his gaze and tilted her head. He looked like he wanted to devour her. Butterflies zoomed around in her belly, and she couldn’t suppress a smile. Not breaking eye contact, he stood and stalked over to her. The heat rolling off his body made her cheeks burn as he loomed close. Grabbing her upper arms, he pulled her up and leaned in close enough so his lips brushed her ear.

  “I’m going to do wicked things to you when these goddamn cuffs are off.” His words came out as part whisper, part growl.

  A jolt of fire shot into every fiber of her being. She sucked in a breath, about to tell him that she was on board with whatever he wanted, when the elf shrieked.

  “I smell them! My brothers!” He jumped off his rock and looked ready to bolt.

  Kai moved in a blur, grasping his arm. “Quiet!”

  The elf went silent. Kai inhaled deeply, then tugged on the elf’s elbow. “This way. But the scents are old.”

  Brooke followed them off the path and into the thick trees. After about twenty yards, they came to a flat clearing. Not as big as the one where the Serus demons had held her and Kai that first night. Under her feet, the scrubby grass lay flat and the dirt held dozens of footprints. The fragrance of pine, as well as smoke and the reek of garbage, lingered in the air.

  “This was one of their camps,” Kai said. “But not the one they left this morning.”

  Instructing Brooke and the elf to stay put at the edge of the clearing, Kai inspected the site. He walked back to them, shaking his head. “They didn’t leave anything behind. And they could be miles from here by now.”

  The elf looked crestfallen. “My brothers.” He hung his head.

  Brooke knew how it felt to need your siblings. “I’m sorry, elf,” she said. It felt weird to address him by his species, though Kai hadn’t seemed to mind. Of course not, he grew up here. “What’s your name?”

  “Jason.” The elf met her eyes, caution etched on his face.

  “I’m Brooke.”

  Kai scowled. “That’s enough. We need to get to Rosa.”

  “R-Rosa? The w-witch?” Jason stammered.

  “Yes, Rosa the witch. She’s as old and powerful as you’ve heard. And if you don’t keep quiet she might zap you.”

  Jason scurried in front of them as they made their way back to the path.

  “You were kind of harsh with him,” Brooke said.

  Kai shot her a glare, eyes narrowed. “We have no idea who he is. He could be a spy.”

  “He doesn’t seem competent enough.”

  “Maybe he’s a good actor.”

  “How long are we going to keep him?” Brooke stepped over a gnarled root.

  “Until we get to Rosa’s. She can scrub his memory and send him back to his home.”

  “Scrub his memory?” Brooke repeated.

  They reached the trail, following a few yards behind Jason. Kai rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s better all around if he doesn’t remember meeting us.”

  “If he’s not going to remember us, what’s the harm in talking to him?”

  Kai frowned.

  “He doesn’t know what happened to his family. He feels guilty and scared. I’m going to chat with him.” She jogged a few steps to catch up to the elf. “Hey, Jason.”

  The elf looked surprised to see her drawing near. He turned, his eyes darting to Kai before coming back to her. “My lady,” he said softly.

  “You can just call me Brooke.”

  “All right. Your name is beautiful.”

  “Thank you. I know what it feels like to miss people you’re close to,” she said. “Can you tell me about your brothers?”

  Brooke talked with Jason for the next hour, learning about his brothers’ fondness for practical jokes and their superior archery skills. They trudged through the unchanging landscape until Kai called for them to stop.

  “We’re almost there,” he said. “She’s just through those trees.”

  They moved off the path toward a group of sugar maples. Leafy branches met overhead, and they crept deeper into a grove where the trees grew close together. Thick shrubs clustered around the trunks, their spindly branches snapping against Brooke’s legs. She didn’t complain, seeing as Jason was having even more difficulty navigating the mess.

  They pushed through another clump of greenery to stand on a separate, narrow dirt trail. She blinked. Where did this come from, and why couldn’t it have been connected to the main path? More trees and bushes grew wild on either side. Her eyes followed the earthen walkway, which led a hundred yards into the sea of green and gray. At the end stood a small one-story clapboard house.

  Its wooden boards were the same silver-gray color of the dead trees. A small porch sprouted from the front, the steps worn enough that they bowed in the middle. Paned windows with white curtains flanked a sturdy-looking door.

  “Go on. She’s gotta know we’re here.” Kai’s deep voice tickled her ear.

  Brooke glanced over her shoulder at him. He gave her one of his dazzling smiles and ran his hand down her back. Then she turned to Jason, who stood trembling in front of her.

  “How about I go first,” she murmured, and stepped around the elf. Before her nerves got the best of her, she marched the length of the narrow trail and up the sagging steps.

  CHAPTER 17

  ABOUT TO KNOCK ON THE wooden front door, bound hands raised in front of her, Brooke hesitated. Am I supposed to knock? Is there some kind of witch-visiting etiquette?

  The door opened, rendering her q
uestions moot, and Brooke took an instinctive step back. A petite woman walked onto the porch, piercing her with brilliant turquoise eyes. Those eyes flicked past her and the witch chuckled.

  “I have the right number of guests, but the wrong mix of species,” she said in a soothing and melodious voice. She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall, and Brooke was struck by her shimmery silver hair. Not gray, not salt-and-pepper, it shone like a new dime. She didn’t seem at all surprised to see three strangers at her door. Brooke had no idea what to make of Rosa’s comment, so she introduced herself.

  “I’m Brooke.” Out of habit she started to extend a hand. She halted, wrists in front of her, eyes dropping to the cool dark metal. “Um…”

  Rosa’s gaze zeroed in on the cuffs. “Oh, for heaven’s sake! How long have you been trudging around with these things on?”

  “Awhile. I’m not sure how many days it’s been.”

  “My dear child.” Rosa shook her head and reached for Brooke’s hands. She closed her eyes and rubbed her thumb on the black metal, and within seconds the circular bands opened wide and clattered to the wood beneath her feet.

  Brooke exhaled sharply and spread her arms. “Oh, thank you so much!” She wanted to hug Rosa but didn’t know if that was appropriate.

  Rosa grabbed Brooke’s hands and squeezed them. “You’re welcome, child.” The witch tilted her head. “Such a charming name, Brooke. You bear a slight resemblance to your sister.” She turned to Kai, who stood at the base of the steps. “Hello, Watcher.”

  “It’s an honor to meet you.” He inclined his head.

  “And who is this?” Rosa asked, her gaze settling on Jason, who stood frozen on the middle step.

  “We found him on the way here,” Kai said. “He told us he’s searching for his brothers, who were captured by a band of Serus demons. Once he saw us, he became a liability.”

  “So you brought him to me? If I wanted a pet, I’d simply conjure one.”

  “With all due respect, witch, I didn’t think it wise to let him run around the forest. There’s a chance we’re being pursued. We discovered the remains of an enemy camp a few miles back.”