Demon Slave (Shadow Quest Book 2)

by Kiersten Fay

  Rex snapped his eyes between Marik and Nadua, brows drawn in confusion. Apprehension shadowed his feature. With his shoulders slumping, he took on a hopeless expression. “But I thought...” Rex raised his head to study Marik’s horns. Incredulous, he continued, “You haven’t come for me?”

  With Rex maintaining his nonthreatening stance against the wall, and the last of the Edge seeping away, Marik was beginning to comprehend. By the looks of him, this demon has been on his own for some time. His clothes were poorly mended and badly stained. His sandy hair, falling unevenly below his shoulders, looked as though it hadn’t been tended to in ages. It wasn’t difficult to guess his story.

  “Was it you who killed that Kaiylemi?”

  Rex nodded.

  Nadua spoke. “Oh, no. You don’t expect me to believe that you don’t know who this is.” She was backing away from them. She’d put up her hood and wrapped her face with the attached scarf so that Marik could only see her eyes. They looked annoyingly suspicious.

  “Nadua.” Marik took a step toward her, still keeping the other demon in his sight. “I promise, I don’t know him.”

  She continued her retreat, looking as though she was ready to run. “It’s just a massive coincidence that we suddenly find another demon? This is just too convenient. What is your game?”

  “This isn’t some silly trick.”

  At the mouth of the cave, Nadua stood against the darkness of early morning. Thick clumps of drifting snow sparkled in the space around her.

  Marik growled, “You can run, but you won’t get far. I’ll just bring you back and keep you tied up for the rest of the duration.”

  “You expect me to trust you when you talk to me like that?”

  Marik didn’t answer. The manner in which he’d woke made him more than irritable, and the renewed fear in Nadua’s eyes had him wanting to lash out.

  When she edged out farther, he yelled in a tone that he’d meant to be pleading, but it came out as more of a demand: “Don’t!”

  Turning on her heels, Nadua took off down the hill. If he had forced her to remove her skins last night, as he wanted to, she never would have made the attempt.

  Note to self.

  Marik turned to Rex who was now slumped on the floor, ignoring them completely. His demeanor screamed despair. “Stay here,” he ordered.

  Rex gave the tiniest of nods without looking up from the ground.

  Marik wasn’t sure if the demon would obey, but he couldn’t worry about that now. He needed to go after Nadua.

  Outside, he spotted her tracks. She’d already disappeared into the dense gnarled trees. Marik plunged through the surprisingly deep snow after her. It must have stormed heavily throughout the night.

  It didn’t take long for Marik to catch up to Nadua, who was plowing ahead of him, buried up to her chest. By her increased speed, she knew he was nearing. Still, he easily closed the space between them.

  He leapt toward her. She let out a squeak when he caught her around the waist. He took her to the ground, turning at the last moment to keep from landing on top of her. Fluffy white flakes covered them both. She squirmed to get away, but Marik rolled her so that she was under him.

  Nadua lifted her head to holler in his face. “Let me go!”

  Through the melee, most of the snow under them had been pushed to the sides, creating a kind of private cocoon.

  “Why are you running?”

  “You’re not being truthful with me!”

  Marik stifled a growl. “Yes, I am!”

  “No, you’re not. I’m still just your prisoner, aren’t I? Let me go! I just want to go home to Ava!”

  “Well, that’s not going to happen! Not now! In fact, you may never see Ava again!”

  Nadua stilled. The look she gave him gouged his heart and ripped him out of his rage. Though it was said out of anger, he knew there was nothing he could do at the moment to take it back.

  Her shock flashed to anger and then morphed into hatred directed at him. It didn’t matter. He only needed to get Nadua to the Marada and then Sebastian and Anya could take her from there. If Nadua didn’t want to go with them after speaking with her sister, fine. She could stay on this floating ice cube for the remainder of her days.

  Surely they could defeat the Kayadon without her. Whatever her gift was, it couldn’t be that influential. Thus far, the chit hadn’t given the slightest hint that she even had any power, besides attracting people who wanted to kill her.

  Inwardly, he cringed, realizing he’d never bothered to ask if she had a gift. And by the stubborn look creeping over her now, she wasn’t about to answer any questions at the moment. He must remember to inquire, after she cooled down a bit.

  He should have been pleased that she didn’t fight when he hiked her over his shoulder and carried her back to the cave, but the relenting dead weight of her body irked him. Inside the cave, he set her down, and tried to avoid her hurt gaze.

  Rex hadn’t moved from his spot on the floor, and didn’t even look up when they entered.

  It crossed Marik’s mind to restrain Nadua, but he couldn’t stand to do that to her. Even though he needed her to stay put, he wouldn’t tie her up and leave her defenseless. Not when there were so many unknown threats around them.

  He turned to Rex. “You’ve been here a long time, haven’t you?”

  Studying the ground, Rex nodded.

  “Were you involved in what they call the Demon War?”

  Rex looked up, displaying a hollow chasm of loss in his dark gray eyes. “Is that what they call it? I remember fighting. I couldn’t say how it escalated so quickly.” He dropped his head. “I was left behind.”

  “Have you been living here, in these caves?”

  Another silent nod.

  Then Nadua chimed in. “You look quite tidy for a cave dweller.”

  Although Marik didn’t appreciate her tone, she did have a point. His clothes and hair were a mess, but the rest of him looked as though he’d washed and shaved this morning. Marik felt his own stubbled chin.

  “I’ve learned how to take care of myself over the years. Whatever I can hunt, I hunt. Whatever I can’t hunt, I steal.”

  That sparked something in Nadua, her eyes going wide. “Steal from whom?”

  “Whomever I can,” he said simply.

  Nadua’s eyes worked back and forth, processing his answer.

  “What is it?” Marik asked.

  Her resulting glare was piercing and he wasn’t sure she would respond to him.

  “There is a legend,” she finally said.

  Marik threw up his hands in exasperation. “Of course there is.”

  Nadua stepped toward Rex, but Marik stayed her with a hand to her elbow and a look of warning. When she ripped away from him, he quickly convinced himself that it didn’t make his heart sink a little. He wanted to pull her against him and demand she forgive him for his harshness, but that would most likely just aggravate her further.

  “You steal from the outer cities, don’t you?” she continued.

  “Sometimes. It’s easier there. Less people.”

  Marik grew hopeful. “So you believe me now that I’ve never met him before?”

  With a coldness that equaled the entire span of Undewla, Nadua said, “Yes.” Her answer wasn’t reassuring.

  Eyes blazing, she turned back to Rex. Her tone was hard. “Have you ever kidnapped anyone?”

  * * *

  Ethan poured drink after drink, chatting with the patrons and accepting a few shots from those who wanted to share their exuberance. Sonya would knock him in his fun-zone if she knew, but he figured it was rude to refuse. At least that’s what he told himself. Besides, it was only a couple of drinks, and he was adding them to the client’s bill.

  The three hundred and fifty years he’d spent drinking as a pirate he had built quite a tolerance for the stuff. Usually his kind could only handle small amounts. But most of the individuals he’d dealt with in his guise as a pirate had insisted o
n discussing business over drinks that would tear the skin from his throat if he wasn’t used to them. Ethan had nearly gotten himself killed the first time he choked after taking a sip. The pirates had not been impressed.

  “Hey, Ethan!” Aidan sat down at the bar.

  He was one of the ship pilots, and a dragon shifter. Ethan had nothing against dragons, but they could be tricky, and were known to have an extremely determined and motivated culture, which is probably why Aidan is one of the best pilots Ethan had ever seen.

  “Hey Aidan, what can I get you?”

  “Whatever. Surprise me.”

  Ethan began filling a large glass with one of his own favorite mixtures. “Did she send you to check on me?”

  Sebastian and Anya had departed for Undewla this morning, and now Sonya was captain.

  Aidan’s silence spoke for him.

  “Go back and tell her I’ve burned the place down, will you?”

  “She definitely doesn’t think much of you, does she?”

  Ethan’s teeth clenched at the statement. “What does it matter? She’s only a demon.”

  Aidan’s eyes widened. “Don’t let her hear you say that. You’ll be eating your own entrails for a week.”

  Aidan finished his drink and asked for another one. He wasn’t much of a talker, which allowed Ethan to simmer in his irritation. If that female thought so little of him, then he thought even less of her.

  Ethan was destined to be a prince, soon to wed one of the king’s daughters. At first he thought it would be princess Analia. She was sweet and kind. But she had chosen a demon, which was only a little insulting since he happened to admire Sebastian as a leader.

  There were two others, however, and the king had promised one of them would be his. So whatever Sonya thought of him was not important, though her attitude toward him was more than aggravating.

  Ethan supposed it didn’t help that he derived enjoyment from egging her on. The twistedness of it wasn’t lost on him. To arouse her anger for fun and then despise her contempt for him was something only a seasoned psychologist could puzzle out.

  Chapter 14

  Nadua ignored the way Marik’s eyebrows rose at her question to Rex. She had never been so angry at someone in her life. Marik’s careless threat about her never seeing Ava again—even though he’d promised—had nearly brought her to tears.

  But if Rex knew where Lidian was, then this horrible trip could be...well, a little less horrible.

  “Well? Have you ever taken anyone? A Cyrellian female, named Lidian?” Nadua prompted, ignoring the hurt that still tore at her.

  It wasn’t from being kept from Ava. No matter what that demon thought, Nadua was going to see her again. What caused the painful ache inside was that she had actually begun to trust Marik, and enjoy his company. She was even starting to get used to her attraction to him.

  Then he’d turned into a lying warden, threatening to take away what she wanted most. The bastard had even flashed his fangs at her!

  Sure, she had run. But for all the gods, where was she going to go?

  “Why would I kidnap one of them?” Rex brought her back to the conversation. He was looking at her as though she were a crossed eyed edisdon with no legs. “Their retched skin burns. What use would I have for a female I can’t touch?” Then he raked his vision down her body. Luckily she was covered up, or she would be displaying a full body blush. “You’re different though, aren’t you?”

  A low, menacing sound rumbled from deep within Marik. He clenched his fists and peeled back his lips to reveal his fangs. His black horns warmed to a glow as he glowered at Rex.

  Nadua took a tentative step back, registering the difference between this Marik and the one who had tackled her in the snow. This Marik frightened her.

  Rex raised his palms and uttered something to Marik in a language she didn’t understand. Whatever he said made Marik go tense. His sharp gaze suddenly focused on her and a mixture of emotions raced across his features, so fast she could hardly read them. Astonishment. Confusion. Maybe even a little fear. And, finally, anger as he seemed to shake himself out of a trance.

  Demeanor returning to normal, Marik gave Rex a short reply in the same language. Rex looked confused as he responded back.

  Irritated at being left out of the conversation, Nadua asked, “What are you saying?”

  “Never mind,” Marik snarled. “We should get moving.”

  Nadua shook her head. “Sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”

  Marik countered, “I remember saying something about kicking and screaming.”

  She jutted her chin. “I may have mistaken your intent, but I thought the goal was to deliver me to my sister alive.” She shrugged. “But if all you need is a body, sans soul, then let’s go.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  She pointed to the churning sky. “This storm is just beginning. My furs only go so far to keep me from freezing to death, and if you take me out there, with no guarantee of shelter, you’ll be carrying my empty shell back to your ship.”

  Rex sat up. “Ship?”

  Ignoring Rex, Marik narrowed his gaze at Nadua, as though weighing the validity of her claim.

  “She’s right,” Rex said. “The storms here rival those of our planet, and that one looks bad. You intend to continue south?”

  Marik offered a tight nod.

  “The next cave system is more than half a day from here, and that’s in good weather. But once you get there, you can travel within the caves, rather than out in the open as you have been.”

  “Within?”

  “Aye. It’s safer than following the mountain’s edge.”

  “How so?”

  “We’re on the cusp of two tribal territories. The one you want to avoid is more hostile and lives”—he pointed into the distance, past the caves entrance—“just that way.” The direction was congruent with where Nadua suspected the rebels compound to be, but the news of a possible second faction of rebels was alarming.

  “And the other?” she asked.

  “The other lives within the caves, far south as well. But they are easily avoided. For many years these caves have been my home. I know them well. I could show you the way, if you like.”

  Marik leaned against the rocky side of the cave, arms crossed. “I’ll consider it.”

  Rex nodded.

  A gust of wind blew into their little crevice. Nadua moved to see a wall of darkness inching toward them from the north. She wrapped her arms around her torso. Unfortunately, the fire that had raged for them last night was no more than a mess of ash. But what was worse, the cave opening was large, and the chamber was not all that deep.

  It was going to get cold.

  Marik came to the realization too. “Rex, what supplies can you provide?”

  Eyes darting side to side, he said, “I-I can provide pelts, such as she wears. I will need to travel back north to get them.”

  “Go, then.”

  “Wait,” Nadua interjected. “Rex, can you make it back here in time?”

  The wind whipped again. The coming storm could quickly grow dangerous, even for a demon. Rex must know that.

  With a slight hesitation, he nodded, which only worked to worry her.

  She felt guilty for jumping to the wrong conclusion so swiftly, and then for snapping at Rex. Everything about him screamed frightened and lonely, from the simple nuance of his movements, to the sadness in his eyes. It spoke to something inside her. Raising Ava must have brought out some sort of protective instinct in her, because she was actually concerned for a demon’s safety.

  * * *

  Nadua stared after Rex long after he’d gone. For whatever reason, that bothered Marik more than the way she continued to scowl at him.

  Turning to him, she snapped, “You do realize he just wants to please you so you’ll take him with you.”

  “I know.” Marik was counting on it. Another demon meant more defense for Nadua. And a possible ally on this strange wo
rld.

  “He’s one of your kind and you don’t care what happens to him?”

  Marik moved toward her. “Do you? You’re very interested in his well-being, though you’ve just met him. I don’t recall you being so concerned for me. In fact, you were ready to have me tortured at the first opportunity.”

  “That was when I thought you were here to hurt my people, and before I knew you.”

  She thought of those barbarians as her people? Marik glared down at her, but she refused to back away from him. “And now that you know me?”

  She took a stubborn moment to answer. Marik realized he was holding his breath. Why should her answer matter to him? He briefly recalled what Rex had said to him, but instantly put it from his mind. It was impossible.

  “Now I know you’re as heartless as the stories suggest.”

  He gnashed his teeth and barked, “Heartless!” His loud tone bounced off the cavern walls. Nadua jumped, but continued to challenge his gaze. “If I were heartless, would I have risked my life to save you? Would I have come looking for you at all? Would I have kept you warm each night—”

  “Oh, you enjoyed that. Believe me, I could tell. Just like you enjoyed nearly forcing me to—”

  “Oh, aye, I enjoyed it.”

  Immensely.

  “And I’ll enjoy it when you come to me tonight as well. As for forcing? Perhaps next time you should respond as someone who is being forced, rather than kissing me as needy as you had.”

  When no sound came out of her gaping jaw, Marik turned and headed for the opening.

  “Where are you going?”

  “If I’m not mistaken, we will need fresh wood for the fire. And when I get back, maybe I’ll have the heart to let you near it.”

  * * *

  Anya trudged through the snow in the ridiculous outfit Bastian had forced her to wear. He refused to let her out of the shuttle until she put it on, though she had a decent cloak with her. She felt like some kind of snow monster in the thick rubbery ensemble, with a tiny built in heating mechanism.