The noise from the bedroom became louder as he reached the door. Jaden eased it open a crack and peered inside. Naga lay on a massive, ornately carved bed, surrounded by five naked concubines. Jaden froze. Five women! He wanted to kill Naga, but not the concubines. Yet if he attacked Naga and left even one of the women alive, they’d sound the alarm before he’d managed to destroy the amulet.
Jaden’s mind raced, trying to find the answer to his dilemma, as he watched Naga and his women. The man was even more loathsome undressed than he was clad in his rich robes. His chest was sunken, his belly rounded, and Senshu had been so right about his cock. Jaden grinned. It was not even as long as his little finger.
In contrast, the women surrounding Naga were all young and beautiful. Judging by their giggles and tinkling laughter, they’d consumed a great deal of wine. Used goblets stood on the bedside table, along with an empty jug lying on its side. One concubine held a glass goblet to Naga’s lips. As he gulped it down, the red wine soaked his moustache and dribbled down his weak chin onto his chest. Naga leaned back and smiled as another concubine licked the scarlet trails off his pasty flesh.
One concubine didn’t appear quite as eager as the rest. Slim and slight, with huge doe-brown eyes, she couldn’t be more than sixteen. As Naga reached for her, she gave a nervous whimper. Ignoring her obvious fear and the tears sliding down her pale cheeks, he caressed her naked body. When she tried to pull away from him, Naga frowned and issued a curt command. The other concubines grabbed her and forced her flat on the mattress. Each took hold of a wrist or ankle, spread-eagling the poor girl on the bed so she was defenseless and vulnerable. Naga raked his nails over the helpless girl’s belly, leaving angry red wheals on her pale skin. Jaden wanted to do something to help her, but it was impossible. He had no choice but to stand in silence and watch the poor girl suffer the unwanted attentions of the mage.
His only chance of success was to stay hidden until Naga dismissed his concubines, or they fell asleep. Most likely Naga wouldn’t let them stay all night. He needed to conserve his strength for the ceremony the following evening. Jaden had his keitan tucked in his boot. If he surprised Naga, he could use the magical power of the keitan to disable him enough to take the amulet. Then he’d slit the bastard’s throat.
Still fighting the urge to intervene, he watched Naga roughly probe between the helpless girl’s legs. She uttered a shrill scream and tried to struggle, but one of the concubines slapped her face and told her not to be so foolish, and that she must do as her lord wished.
Unconcerned by her reluctance, Naga cruelly probed her sex. Her limbs thrashed so hard, one of the women holding her lost her grip. Then the poor girl screamed again, the noise so loud and piercing it would surely have woken the dead. It certainly woke Lord Naga’s guards!
The fates were not on his side tonight. Jaden turned to see three guards burst into the far antechamber. Drawing his dagger, he slipped away from the door. The guards didn’t spot him as two of the men ran straight across the room and barged unbidden into Lord Naga’s bedchamber. Jaden pressed himself against the wall, not moving a muscle, almost certain he couldn’t be seen in the darkness as the third guard paused at the doorway to the bedchamber and scanned the room.
Jaden held his breath. The guard looked straight at him, then moved on. Jaden stayed frozen in the darkness as the soldier prowled the large chamber. Jaden lost sight of the man in the gloom, but he could hear heavy breathing and the occasional irritated grunt as the man barged into various pieces of furniture. Jaden had expected to hear Naga rebuking the soldiers for their overzealous behavior. He strained his ears, horrified when he heard the mage order the men to hold down the struggling girl. Pitying the poor creature, Jaden edged toward the far doorway. He froze again as another guard, holding a shielded lantern, entered the adjoining anteroom. The man pulled the shutters of the arched window, then closed and bolted them securely—cutting off his best means of escape.
Behind him in the gloom, he could hear the other soldier moving closer to him. Then, as the man holding the lantern went to leave, the light spilling from the lantern must have briefly illuminated Jaden’s dark outline. The soldier gave a shout of alarm and rushed straight at Jaden. Sidestepping, Jaden grabbed the soldier’s arm and drew his dagger across the man’s throat in one smooth, merciless movement. With a faint gurgling sound, the soldier slumped to the floor, his blood spilling across the carpet.
Jaden sprang through the doorway as the other guard dropped his lantern and drew his sword. He lunged at Jaden. Jaden twisted to avoid the blow, but in his haste he misjudged. The guard managed to swing his arm ’round enough for his blade cut into Jaden’s side. Jaden scarcely felt the pain as he shoved his dagger between the man’s ribs. Blood spurted over his hand as the soldier fell, not uttering a sound.
Jaden ran to the door that led to the corridor. As he shoved it open, he sensed rather than saw the guard to his right. Turning, he slammed the side of his hand hard against the man’s throat. His windpipe crushed, the guard slid to the floor. Jaden sprinted along the wide corridor toward the staircase. He rounded a bend in the corridor and skidded to a halt. A group of guards, swords drawn at the ready, were climbing the staircase. In a moment or so they wouldn’t fail to see him.
He ran back a few paces and grabbed the handle of the door leading to Senshu’s quarters. Luckily for him it wasn’t locked. He darted inside and eased it shut behind him. At first glance her quarters appeared empty, so he crept across the room and peered into her bedchamber. The bed was rumpled, as if it had been slept in, but she was nowhere to be seen. A faint breeze drifted in through the window disturbing the filmy curtains. Carried with it was the scent of jasmine from the garden below. It was a three-story climb down from here but, hampered by his wounded side, it would be a far safer descent than if he’d tried to make it down to the balcony again.
The wound didn’t pain him, but there were a few telltale red drips on the floor by his feet. There was no more blood on the floor as far as he could see. He’d no wish to leave a trail for the soldiers to follow. Jaden grabbed a small linen towel and mopped up the blood, then folded it and stuffed it over the wound, hoping his doublet would keep it in place.
Senshu’s keitan lay on her bedside table. No doubt she often used that on his friend, so perhaps she wasn’t with Tarn tonight. Where else would she be? He swung ’round. Faint noises came from behind the closed door of Tarn’s cell. Moans of pain? He gritted his teeth and forced himself to ignore the sounds, although he would have liked nothing better than to help Tarn and punish Senshu for hurting his friend. One way or another, this torment would be over for Tarn by the end of tomorrow evening.
He swore under his breath, hearing running feet and agitated shouts in the corridor outside Senshu’s chambers. No doubt the guards would soon want to search these rooms. He grabbed Senshu’s keitan and pushed it down the front of his leather doublet as he moved to the window. He slid his legs over the window ledge. A huge statue of a dragon loomed only a short distance below him. The climb down was relatively easy from there on.
Nerya couldn’t sleep. She sat in bed, ears pricked for the slightest sound, anxious for Jaden to return. When he’d told her what he planned to do, she’d thought it was reckless, but what other choice did he have? Getting Sarin out of the dungeon, freeing Tarn from Senshu’s clutches and then rescuing Brion and fleeing from the citadel all at the same time would be a virtual impossibility. If Naga was killed, the place would be in chaos. No one would suspect the Dai’Shi-en of such a terrible crime, so they would at least have a chance of escape.
Jaden had been gone for what seemed like ages. Had he managed to kill Naga and steal the amulet? For all she knew, Jaden might have slipped while attempting to climb that wretched tower and his broken, lifeless body might be lying in the ravine. Or Lord Naga’s guards might have captured or killed him. Nerya sighed. She was letting her imagination run riot. Jaden would be fine. “Please don’t let him die,” she still m
uttered to herself.
When she heard a distant clanging, she jumped from the bed, ran to the window and pushed open the shutters. On the other side of the citadel, a bell rang. Was it an alarm?
Chilly, she grabbed the first garment she laid eyes upon—Jaden’s long, velvet coat, which he’d left draped across a chair. It was too big for her, but she slid her arms into the sleeves anyway and pulled it around her as she hurried to the door and jerked it open. There was no sign of movement outside. The corridor was empty, filled only with sinister shadows from the flickering torches affixed to the walls. Retreating to the safety of her room, she shut the door, picked up Jaden’s sword and sat in the high-backed chair to await his return.
It seemed like an age, but it was probably only a few moments. The alarm bell continued clanging, but this part of the citadel remained deathly silent. Then, all of a sudden, she heard a faint scuffling sound. She sprang to her feet and held the sword defensively in front of her as the door opened.
“Jaden!” He stepped into the room and slid the bolt into place. She ran to him, almost tripping over the velvet bunched round her feet. “I feared the worst.”
“I’m fine. Careful…” He took the sword from her hand and laid it on a low chest. “If you’re planning to fight in future, I suggest you wear something a little more sensible.”
“I wasn’t planning to fight, I just felt safer holding the sword.” The arms of the robe hung over her hands and, as she moved, the front fell fully open. “I wasn’t about to put on one of those stupid dresses. You know I loathe them.”
“I think you should consider fighting naked.” He grinned as he sat on the bed and eased off his boots, then set his keitan aside. “It would definitely distract your opponents.”
She wasn’t in the mood for his teasing. “I heard the bell. I presume it was an alarm?” He looked fine, as far as she could see. “What happened?”
“I didn’t get the amulet.” He frowned. “Let alone find a chance to kill Naga. He was in bed with five of his concubines. I was still deciding what to do when one of them, who was new and appeared very unwilling, screamed when he touched her. Before I knew what was happening, his guards rushed in.”
“Did they see you?”
“Any that might have are dead.”
“Then we must give thanks for that.”
Jaden pulled off his doublet. Beneath it he’d concealed another keitan, which he casually tossed on the bedside table.
“You’re hurt.”
She winced as Jaden peeled the blood-soaked linen pad away from his skin. “It’s nothing, only a slight flesh wound.” He was covered in blood, but there was no sign of a gaping wound. It had closed already, leaving a thin raised red scab.
Nerya hurried to the washstand and dabbed a cloth in the water. Trying to be as gentle as possible, she wiped away the blood. It healed so fast parts of the scab dropped off, leaving just a livid red line. She blinked. The scar disappeared before her eyes. His unique abilities had strengthened since he’d entered Usaka.
“So no one knows the intruder was you?”
“No.” He smiled grimly as he reached for the fastening of his breeches. “At least I managed that.”
“Let me.” She shrugged off the robe and kneeled to undo the lacing of the tight garment. Jaden stood. She eased the leather down his powerful thighs, bending to slide the breeches off over his ankles.
He reached for her, pulling her to her feet. “We need to discuss what happens next.”
“I think…” She jumped at the sudden loud knocking on the door of his chamber.
“Damn, I supposed we should have expected this.” Jaden grabbed his robe and slipped it on, while Nerya pushed the blood-soaked cloth under the bed, along with his damaged doublet. All the time, the relentless banging on the door continued. Jaden picked up his sword and moved to unbolt the door. “What,” he growled as he wrenched it open.
“Dai’Shi-en, I’m sorry to disturb you,” someone outside the door said. “We have instructions to search all the rooms in the citadel.”
“What’s wrong?” Jaden asked. “Was that an alarm bell I heard?”
“Yes, my lord. An intruder broke into Lord Naga’s quarters.”
“Ye gods!” Jaden pulled the door open wide. “Was he hurt?”
“No, my lord.” Jaden hadn’t bothered to fasten his robe, and the guards paused in the doorway, seeming somewhat perturbed by the sight of a virtually naked Dai’Shi-en.
“You’d better come in.”
One guard took a faltering step into the room. His eyes widened as he spotted Nerya lying on the bed. She’d arranged herself so that the thin sheet only partially covered one breast and her groin, leaving the rest of her body exposed.
“I’m sorry.” The man’s face reddened. “I’ve interrupted you, Dai’Shi-en.”
“Somewhat,” Jaden snapped.
“Forgive me.” Bowing, the man backed out of the room.
Jaden shut and bolted the door, then glanced over at Nerya. “A nice move.” He put down his sword. “I’m sure that soldier will have some interesting dreams tonight.”
“I trust he’ll enjoy them,” she replied with a sensual smile as Jaden returned to the bed. He shrugged off the robe and slid into bed beside her. “Why two keitans?”
“They’re extremely difficult to get hold of, and I have use for another.” Jaden pulled her toward him and kissed her until she was breathless with need. “I want you now,” he whispered, stroking her breasts.
“Now?” She reached down and caressed Jaden’s cock while one of his hands stole between her legs.
“Nerya.” He gave a soft growl when he felt how wet she was. “I love you.”
I love you? Did she hear him say that? Her heart leapt. They were the words she’d never expected to hear from him, let alone while he wore his dragon amulet. “I love you too, Jaden,” she replied, finding it simpler to voice her thoughts aloud than she’d expected. “So very much.”
“Not an easy thing for a warrior to say,” he whispered against her hair.
“Not easy at all, but I mean it.” She’d wrestled with her feelings long and hard. It was difficult for her to ignore what she’d been taught all her life. Since she’d left Freygard, she’d been forced to face the truth. Jaden wasn’t a slave. He never had been. “You were a captive in my land, but I should never have thought of you as my slave. I’ve learned that life isn’t black or white as I once thought, and no land is perfect.”
“I am your slave when it comes to my heart.”
“As I am to yours,” she murmured, filled with so much emotion for this man, her heart felt as if it might burst. When she returned to Freygard she’d do all she could to make changes, ensure the situation was better for all its inhabitants, and in time find a way to make her land work without slavery. “If only life were different and we were away from this terrible place.”
Jaden kissed her with such passion, it took her breath away. “We are together, my sweet. That’s all that matters.”
Danger surrounded them, but here, with him, she felt safe.
As she surrendered to his sweet kisses, he slipped his knee between her thighs, nudging them open. She sighed with pleasure as his shaft slid smoothly inside her. Jaden began to thrust into her, being far gentler with her than he’d ever been before. It was love that spurred him onward now, not lust. She twined her legs around his hips, relieved he’d at last vanquished the dark power of the Dragon Lords which had once threatened to draw him away from her. He was her Jaden again, even when the amulet encircled his neck.
Nerya kissed him, weaving her tongue sensually around his as he fucked her with long smooth strokes. Soon his thrusts became harder and faster and even more frenetic. She dug her fingers into his back, urging him onwards as the pleasure rose inside, washing away all her fear and apprehension. Her climax was upon her before she even knew it. She gave a soft gasp as the powerful sensations flooded her body, while at the exact same time, Jaden came, h
is body shuddering atop hers.
Senshu threw two pillows on the floor, tossed her bedclothes aside and stood. Grimacing at her reflection in the mirror, she ran a hand through her tangled hair. She’d slept badly, there were dark smudges under her eyes and she was in the foulest of moods. Why shouldn’t she be after what had happened last night? She’d been enjoying herself with Tarn when she’d heard the alarm bell. At first she hadn’t bothered to take any notice. Then Lord Naga’s personal guards had hammered on her door, demanding to be let inside. They’d been scouring the citadel, searching for an intruder who’d broken into Lord Naga’s private quarters and killed at least two of their comrades. She wanted to slam the door in their face, but she knew they’d break down the door if she did so. She’d been forced to let them inside.
She’d refused to let the guards into Tarn’s cell. They’d insolently shoved her aside and stormed into the room. She’d been clad in only a thin silk robe and when they’d caught sight of Tarn hanging there, chained and helpless, she’d seen the scathing smirks on their faces. She’d almost felt embarrassed at being discovered in this position.
Only Lord Naga knew what went on between her and her pets. It should stay that way, but soldiers gossiped. No doubt soon everyone in the citadel would know what was going on in her private quarters. That didn’t please her at all.
She’d been even more furious when, after they’d left, she’d heard them outside her door making crude remarks to their comrades about what they’d just witnessed. They might have been enjoying themselves, but not for much longer, she’d vowed. She would have at least one of them beheaded, and the others would be whipped and banished from Usaka for their actions. No guard in the citadel would disrespect her again.
While she’d been tossing and turning all night, a niggling suspicion had entered her mind. The intruder might well have been Jaden. Who else could it have been? If she was correct, then she had every right to be angry with him. Why hadn’t he confided in her and told her what he’d planned? She’d thought he trusted her, but it appeared not. Nevertheless, if it was him, she was relieved he hadn’t been caught.
Savage Kingdom Page 26
