by Kay, Sharon
And…fog.
A switch flipped in her mind. She pushed aside the pain and horror of Draven’s cruel hands, knowing she had only seconds. One chance. Her energy built and hummed in her blood as she focused on the pale mist. Draven turned back to her, rage distorting his face.
Shimmering water droplets separated from the fog. Perfect. Round. Poison. Now.
Brooke snatched the liquid with her mind and rushed the lethal surge toward the white-eyed man. Acid rain drenched Draven’s mage, falling in a veil of liquid death.
The mage screamed in agony, the toxins searing his flesh. His skin hissed with black smoke. Collapsing on the ground, he jerked and seized.
Draven howled in that unfamiliar language, slamming her shoulders down. Her head bounced against the dirt. Every drop of energy gone, she struggled against her blurring vision.
The wavering air barrier gave way, lifting and dissipating, as did the remnants of the Serus’ misty breath.
Kai’s roar of unbridled fury shook the earth beneath her.
He flew toward her, his eyes shining like stars, blending with his skin and hair into a blur of gold and muscle.
“Kai!” Her scream pierced the air as relief flooded her muscles. He’s here.
His face radiated savagery as another unholy bellow rent the air, pinching her eardrums. The guards snapped to attention. Two big gray demons lunged for him, each grabbing one of Kai’s arms. He never slowed his pace, yanking them off their feet to drag in his wake.
Two flashes, two pops, two clouds of smoke, and the demons were nothing more than smoldering remains on the ground. Mathias. The dark-haired demon turned and moved away from Kai to fling more demonfire around the gruesome circle. Howls carried on the wind, along with the clang of metal on metal.
Kai charged forward. Draven snarled a command to the demons holding her down. They leapt up, swords raised, and darted to Kai.
Draven cursed and stood. He jerked her to her feet. Before she could draw a breath, he pressed a blade to her throat as he held her in front of him.
A ball of demonfire from Kai’s palm flashed to the nearest demon, who dodged to the side faster than Brooke thought possible. The second fiend drew close enough to slice Kai’s bicep wide open. Red gushed. So much blood.
Kai shouted something in another language and unleashed a flurry of blows on the creature. He moved in blurs of speed and light, a demon dervish. Kai and his opponent distilled down to flashes of silver and red. Kai’s sword. His blood. The demon’s blood.
Its head flew, landing near her with a thud.
The first demon threw a knife that lodged deep in Kai’s thigh. He roared as black smoke rose from the wound. Oh God, what the hell is that?
Kai tore the knife from his leg with a snarl and hurled it at the demon, hitting it between the eyes. The creature stumbled, giving Kai enough time to finish it off with demonfire.
Covered in blood, he stalked toward her and Draven. “Let her go,” he snarled.
“Surrender to me and I will.”
A shout burst from the other side of the clearing and cut off with a thud. Silence reigned.
“All your men are gone, demon. You lose. Let her go.” Kai’s voice was low and full of menace.
Brooke’s body jerked to the side as Draven wheeled her around.
Bodies lay on the ground in various twisted shapes. Some smoked. The three elves huddled together. Mathias stood near them, still as stone, focused on Brooke, Kai, and Draven.
Draven turned back to Kai. “I will kill her,” he hissed. “She’s just a whore.”
Kai clenched his teeth and didn’t take his eyes off Draven.
“Oh, does she mean something to you? Only whores would spread their legs for you, murderer.” Draven pressed the tip of the knife into Brooke’s neck.
Kai’s gaze flared bright amber. Blood dripped from his arm, running in thin rivers of red through his fingers. He dropped his sword.
Brooke gasped. What is he doing? “No, Kai!” she cried. The blade pressed harder, sharper, stinging her skin.
Kai raised his hands, palms up.
Draven laughed, high pitched and insane. He didn’t let go of Brooke. “I think I’ll bring her along, to make sure you behave.”
A growl rumbled from Kai’s throat. “That’s not part of the deal.”
“The deal just changed, Lash.”
“You wanted me. You can have me. Let her fucking go!”
Brooke’s thoughts spun. Her stomach churned. She couldn’t let Kai do this. Draven would kill him. Why is he doing this? She couldn’t bear the thought of him back in that dungeon, being tortured. Not again.
Her blood raced in her veins, stirred by anger. Her strong, proud Lash would never be bound. Never be enslaved. Never again.
She slumped in Draven’s arms, pretending that her muscles went limp. She moved a little, as if she was fighting for consciousness, mindful of the blade at her throat. Her weight sagged against Draven’s body.
Kai’s gaze snapped to her, and as she met those amber eyes, she willed him to understand her thoughts.
Fight.
Draven jostled her, his knife sawing against her neck. “Fucking slut can’t handle a little fun? She won’t last long in my—”
Thunk.
Draven’s body stiffened. The world stilled.
A gurgle rippled from his mouth. As one, she and Draven fell forward.
She gasped as the blade bit into her skin when they landed. Pinned between his weight and the ground, she struggled to get free. Tears streamed from her eyes. Her neck was on fire.
Suddenly the weight was shoved from her back. The awful pressure at her neck abated. Air rushed over her bare skin, making her shiver.
She felt herself lifted. Wrapped in warmth. Her lungs eased as she gulped air, and the whirling in her head slowed. Reflexes made her jerk in terror, but Kai’s voice at her ear was like a gentle rain after a drought. Healing and life-giving.
“Sprite.” His voice broke as he stroked her hair.
She exhaled a sharp breath, her body shaking, as the tears flowed faster down her cheeks.
Kai pulled back to study her, eyes radiating concern. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “Not bad.”
He tilted her chin up and frowned at her neck. “Messy, but not deep. Did he…”
“No,” she whispered.
“He’s dead, Sprite.”
Dead? Her eyes dropped to the lifeless body near her feet. An arrow protruded from the side of Draven’s neck.
Her eyes flew back to Kai’s, and she felt her jaw drop. “How—”
“Hang on a sec.” Kai released her and stalked over to Mathias, who remained near the elves. One of them trembled, clutching his bow like a lifeline.
Kai pulled his brawny arm back and slammed his fist into Mathias’ jaw.
Mathias absorbed the blow, taking a step back. “What the fuck?” he snarled, rubbing his face.
“You motherfucking bastard! That arrow landed inches from her head! You had no right to make that call. You didn’t know if he could make that shot.” Kai glared at the terror-struck elf.
“Shit, man. Yeah, I did.”
Kai stood motionless, poised to hit Mathias again.
“Calm the fuck down, Kai. I may not know these three personally,” Mathias said. “But last century I spent a decade in their village. I know their families. They have the best archery skills of any species I’ve ever seen. In my five hundred years.” Ice dripped from his last words.
Kai raked a hand through his grimy hair. He cleared his throat. “Shit.”
Mathias’ gaze softened a fraction. “I know better than to risk a Solsti. Or your female.”
Kai nodded and moved forward to clasp Mathias’ arm above the elbow. The Hunter returned the gesture. The two males thumped each other on the back.
Kai stepped toward the elves and inclined his head. “I’m in your debt.”
The three elves ignored him and stared a
t Brooke. “Solsti?” they breathed as one, eyes huge.
“Solsti.” Mathias nodded.
The elves dropped to their knees, murmuring, “My lady.”
Brooke opened her mouth and then closed it. What do I say to that? She swallowed, her limbs trembling as the adrenaline fled her veins. “Kai?” she whispered.
In a heartbeat, he stood before her and folded her into his arms. “Shh, it’s okay, baby,” he murmured. “I’ve got you. He’ll never touch you again.”
She melted into his strength. Her muscles shook like Jello, but her body sucked in his warmth like a drug. Mathias called her Kai’s female. God help her, but those words sounded perfect. He had saved her life again, and she had gotten them safely away from Draven’s prison.
Her throat went dry and her muscles shook harder as emotion rocketed through her. I need him.
Jumbled words tried to shove their way out of her mouth, none of them linking to form a successful sentence. “I couldn’t… He…”
“Shh, Brooke.” Kai tilted his head, peering at her face. “We can talk later. Your cheek…”
Images of the fight fast-forwarded through her mind. Her eyes dropped to his arm. His very bloody arm. “You’re hurt, too.” She grabbed his elbow and pulled it close, then wished she hadn’t. Her stomach churned at the layers of torn muscle and the flash of white deep inside. “I…I can see the bone! Kai, this is bad! Really bad.”
“I’ve had worse,” he shrugged.
“You have it worse, right now, my friend.” Mathias voice rumbled next to them. He pointed to Kai’s leg where the blade had plunged in.
Brooke’s stomach threatened to heave again. The wound no longer smoked, but the area around it was black and ashy.
Kai winced as if just remembering it. “Fucking mage’s poison.”
“We need to treat that, like five minutes ago,” Mathias said. “There’s medical supplies at the safe house. We need to get back.”
“You wanna take care of them first?” Kai jerked his head toward the elves.
“On it.” Mathias strode back to the threesome.
“What do you mean, ‘take care of them’”? Brooke asked. “He won’t hurt them, will he?”
“Naw. He’s just gonna scrub their memories.”
“What?” Her jaw dropped in shock. “Memories again? How many of you can do that?”
“Very few. You just happened to meet two who have the ability in two days.”
“But why? The elves are on our side.”
“I know, Sprite. But Cale is still out there. Archery skills are one thing. But seeing a brother tortured is something else entirely.” Kai shook his head. “As long as those three know about us—and about you—they’re a liability. They can search for their brothers, but it’s better if they don’t remember us.”
She frowned. Poor Jason. “Does it hurt?”
“No.”
“Can Mathias restore the memories, when this is over?”
“Yes.” Kai trailed his hands down her arms, tangling his fingers with hers. “Would that make you feel better?”
“Yeah. I understand, but this just doesn’t seem fair.”
Kai grimaced. “The definition of fair is mutable, Brooke.”
Mathias walked over to join them. “They’re zoned out for the next five minutes. Let’s move before we meet any more friends.”
CHAPTER 22
THE HOUR-LONG WALK TO THE safe house couldn’t go fast enough. With every step, Kai got closer to cutting off his damn leg just to stop the pain. He didn’t want Brooke to know it felt like a hive of Torth’s infamous fire bees had taken up residence in his thigh. But as they began the slow climb to the entrance of the safe house, he let out a soft curse.
Her gray eyes flashed with concern. “We’re almost there. You can do this.”
Shit. He didn’t want to look like a pansy in front of her. Then again, she’d seen him after Draven’s men had turned his body into ground beef, and she was still here. Well, where the hell would she go? We’re in a fucking wasteland. He shook his head to clear it.
Mage poison was nasty. Every mage created his own special blend, so you had no idea exactly what the effects would be. It could involve anything from withering limbs to a three-day coma. Thanks to his many assignments on Earth, this was his first, and hopefully last, exposure.
They reached the ledge and slipped into the rocky corridor. He gritted his teeth and only now allowed himself to limp. Brooke slid her arm around his waist, and a burst of lilac scent wafted up to him. He inhaled, soaking in her essence. She was better than medicine. She soothed his soul.
Stumbling into the living area, he collapsed onto the leather couch.
“Get his pants off,” Mathias barked as he opened a door in the hallway.
Brooke’s slender fingers made quick work of Kai’s belt and zipper. He lifted his hips to make it easier for her to start tugging his pants down, his vision blurring from the pain. On a sharp exhale, he dropped his weight back down.
“Sorry.” Her voice was soft, her face pinched.
“S’okay.” It really wasn’t okay, but there was no need to make her feel worse about it. He sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she didn’t have to repeat the process with his boxer briefs, since the gash was lower down on his thigh.
She peeled his pants back slowly, stopping when she got to the wound, and leaned in to peer at it. A strand of hair fell forward to tickle his groin. Damn. In any other situation, his cock would be standing up to greet her.
“It’s, um, stuck. The fabric is stuck to you,” she whispered. “What should I do?”
The cotton had adhered to the mix of blood and poison. Great.
“It has to come off,” Mathias said, coming up behind her. “Better to do it fast.”
“Maybe you should do it,” she said in a trembling voice. She scooted farther down the couch, making room for Mathias.
“Ready, man?” Mathias dark form loomed, blocking the fire bulbs overhead.
“Do it,” Kai gritted.
Kai roared in agony as Mathias ripped his pants from the wound. A good twelve inches of black shit covered his thigh, making his skin crusty and bumpy. The puncture welled dark red with fresh blood.
“Now for the fun part.” Mathias grimaced. He dropped a towel across Kai’s groin, then unscrewed the top from a small brown glass bottle. A dropper attached to the lid glistened with clear liquid. “This is gonna sting.” He squeezed three drops into the wound.
Kai arched off the couch and bellowed every curse he knew, and some newly made-up ones as well. His leg felt like it was being filleted with a jagged rusty knife and stomped on by an army. He dug his fingers into his good leg and ground his teeth so hard he thought they’d crack.
“It’s supposed to hurt for a few minutes. Breathe through it,” Mathias said.
Fuck. This was worse than—
“Shh.” Brooke knelt on the floor next to the couch and stroked his hair. She kissed his forehead. “You’ll feel better soon.” Her scent curled around the rampant pain, buffering him. Then the room filled with the sweet siren song of her voice, her soprano so pure it caught his heart in a buoyant aria.
Hell if he could make out any of the words through the splintering riot in his head, but he prayed she wouldn’t stop. Gentle warmth flowed through every nerve ending in his body, caressing him, calming him, bringing him down from that precipice of poison fire. With her garrison of stanzas and notes, Brooke locked his agony away.
His ragged breaths slowed, and one by one his muscles relaxed. He looked into her gray eyes and could have drowned in the affection glowing there. Affection? What exactly does she feel for me? He reached for her hand and clasped it tightly. Her scent, her touch, her voice worked together to give him a reserve of strength. He tested his leg. Squeezing his quadricep, he prepared for the worst and felt…only a dull ache.
He let out the breath he’d been holding. As she finished the last line of the song, her eyes flicked to his
wound before returning to his face. The relief that shone there mirrored what his body felt.
I love you.
His heart sang the words that his voice couldn’t form. He reached for a lock of her hair and tugged gently, bringing her face close. As her soft lips met his, his blood fired anew with possessive joy. She was his other half. His mate. Mine.
The sound of Mathias clearing his throat yanked Kai out of his reverie. “Dude, you got no pants on, so I’m gonna get lost. First aid kit’s right here. Your leg still looks like shit, but the worst part is over. You can clean it now. Your arm, too. But we’re staying tight for the rest of today and tonight, to make sure you’re good to go. Both of you.”
Heavy footfalls thudded into the hallway and a door clicked shut. Shit. Brooke had been attacked and terrified. Her cheek played the role of Draven’s punching bag, and he had been too much of a nancy to treat her first. What the hell did he know about being a mate?
He sat up fast and the room spun in a lazy circle. The couch cushions became his life preserver. He clutched them in a white-knuckled grip.
“Hey, there’s no rush,” Brooke whispered. She looked at his injured arm, her brows knitting together. “I don’t see bone anymore.”
Kai bit back the urge to tell her where she was going to see another bone pretty soon. Right now, he had to take care of her. “Let me see your face.”
She sat next to him as he inspected her. “It doesn’t hurt that much.”
“It’s already healing.” He grabbed an anti-bacterial wipe from the kit and dabbed at the ragged cut. Next he unwrapped a pair of sterile tweezers and removed a tiny pebble that had been ground into it. She flinched.
“Sorry, Sprite. We gotta get all this out.”
“I know. I’m just being a baby. That knife wound is much worse.”
He set down the tweezers and took her hands. “Brooke, you were so brave today. When that magic barrier came down and I saw that fucker with his hands all over you…I was gonna rip him apart. Starting with his dick. Then setting each limb on fire.”
She stared at him, tears shining in her eyes.
