by Susan Hayes
For a moment Keri was truly confused. “Where’s what?”
Cora’s expression grew darker, “The medallion that was fastened to the top of the bedpost. Where is it?”
Her mouth suddenly felt like it was stuffed with cotton. “Medallion? I don’t know what you mean. The bed came just like you see it.”
Cora sighed. “It really does you no good to lie to me. I can still sense him you know. Oh, he’s gone now, but he hasn’t been gone very long.” Dark eyes locked on Keri’s and seemed to see right into her soul. “We were together far too long for me not to know the taste of his energy, and he left it all over you.”
“I don’t know w-what you’re talking about.” Keri stammered.
“Liar.” Cora’s voice was glacier cold. “When he bedded you, did he make you feel like you were the only woman in the world? Did you scream out his name and beg him to take you again? I am sure you did. They all did. I watched him so many times, with so many women. He was very good at making them feel special and then making them scream.”
“No.”
“Lying again? You really shouldn’t bother. You aren’t very good at deception”
Cora crossed the room and stroked Keri’s cheek, a sensuous caresses that made Keri cringe, but when she tried to look away, she found herself paralyzed, unable to move.
He seduced you and got you to free him, didn’t he?” Cora’s voice was low and sultry, the words sliding into Keri’s brain and holding her attention captive. “He was always so good with the ladies, charming them into doing anything he wanted. And oh, the things he did to them. Some of them were never the same.” The sorceress shook her head sadly. “So charming, and so dangerous. I kept him locked up to keep women like you safe.”
“No, you kept him a prisoner so you could toy with him, use him.” Keri snapped back. A vision of a pair of heavy metal doors slamming shut filled her mind and suddenly Cora’s words were only words, no longer enthralling her.
The dark haired sorceress laughed at her. “Oh ho! The kitten has claws, how amusing. Did he even notice you were gifted little sister? Or was he too busy feeding on your pleasure to realize what you are?”
Keri took a step back, confused. “What are you talking about now?”
“You, of course, don’t you know what you are?” Cora laughed harder. “You don’t, do you? You don’t know and he didn't notice. I’d of thought he was smarter than that. I wonder how you managed to free him if neither of you—” She shrugged. “That’s a puzzle for another time.”
Cora lifted her voice and called for the two men. “Now, since you are resistant to my charms little sister, we have two choices remaining. Either you tell me where that medallion is, or I have my boys convince you to. “
A pair of massive hands curled around Keri’s upper arms, holding her in an iron grip. “I really, really think you should tell me now. Alistair was the first daemon I captured, but he wasn’t the last. Archer and his brother aren’t incubi though, they feed on pain, not pleasure.”
The grip on Keri’s arms tightened and she knew she’d have bruises where his fingers were biting into her flesh. “I’m not telling you anything. I owe him that much.”
“Very well, have it your way.” Cora shrugged. “But believe me, he’s not worth what is about to happen to you.” She stepped back and began to chant, and suddenly Keri could hear nothing at all, despite the fact Cora’s lips were still moving.
One of the daemons stepped in front of her, she wasn’t sure which one but she did notice that he was no longer hiding what he was. His eyes were now red with black irises and there were crimson horns curling back over his head. He leered at her, flashing a mouthful of sharp teeth. He reached out for her with a clawed hand and shredded her shirt as he tore it from her body, leaving her dressed in nothing but tattered shreds of cloth from the waist up.
Keri screamed in terror, but even as she felt the air leaving her lungs the silence remained. She screamed again and she could see the daemon in front of her laughing, but she still couldn’t hear a thing. Another spell, well, so much for screaming for help.
With terrible clarity she realized what the price for Alistair’s freedom would be. I’m going to die, and it’s going to hurt. She closed her eyes and prayed to whatever powers were listening that Alistair was safe, and wherever he was, he’d found a way to completely free himself from Cora’s magic. If she’d only told him right away, maybe things would have been different. But she hadn’t, and he was gone, and there was no way she would betray his trust again. Cora had already stolen too much of his life, Keri was going to make sure he lived the rest of it in peace.
She felt talons on her skin, five sharp points resting just above her bare breast, holding there for just a moment before sinking in deep. Even past the pain she could feel her own blood well up and trickle down her skin as she screamed again, twisting away from the hurt he was inflicting.
Behind her the other one shifted slightly and she felt something sharp tear into her shoulder. She knew without looking he’d bitten her, and she choked back another silent scream of pain as black and red spots began to dance behind her eyelids.
*****
Alistair shifted a few seconds before his family, letting them focus on his energy to ensure they would be able to follow him to the right place, the deck just outside Keri’s bedroom. The moment he arrived he could feel his skin itch with the presence of magic; Cora was already here. Part of his mind registered the partially dismantled bed and he felt his heart twist as he realized in his rage at her betrayal he’d left Keri to face his worst enemy all alone. He broke into a run as the others materialized around him.
When he reached the limit of his former prison he hesitated, some part of him still expecting to meet the barrier that had always held him back. Then he heard his father’s footsteps behind him and kept going. Things were different this time, everything was different. When he rounded the corner into the living room he came to a skidding halt as his senses registered the scene in front of him.
“Keri!” He roared her name and felt a surge of power behind it, shattering the silence spell that cloaked the room.
Keri hung on the talons of a Daemon, her blood bright against the terrible pallor of her skin. When she heard Alistair’s voice he saw her struggle to lift her head, her pretty eyes dull with pain and shock as she finally saw him. “No!” She croaked, her voice so raw and hoarse it made his heart ache for her. “I wanted you to be safe!”
“Oh how sweet, you came back for your pet.” Cora purred from her spot on the couch. “And here I thought I was going to have to leave here empty handed.”
“Let, her go!” Alistair’s voice was a low growl of fury as he glowered at the two young daemons holding Keri.
One of them drew back his teeth and snarled. Alistair’s rage burned hot and he roared in fury. They had made his Keri bleed and suffer. They were going to die. He charged the one whose hands were covered in her blood, hitting him hard enough he felt ribs break as he sent the younger daemon flying across the room.
He followed his prey across the room, hauling him up from the floor and shaking him like a terrier would a rat. “You serve that bitch? Then die a traitor to your race.” He raged at the terrified daemon that scratched and scrabbled at the hand locked around his throat. Alistair kept squeezing, depriving the other daemon of air until he stopped fighting and slumped to the floor. Without hesitation Alistair stepped over him, reached down and snapped his neck before tossing the body away with disdain. There was a crunch, and the corpse of the second daemon landed on the coffee table nearby, crushing it. He glanced up and met the eyes of his father who greeted him with teeth bared in a savage smile.
“Now we deal with her.” Anoch growled and pointed to Cora, screaming and fighting a golden haired daemon that had her backed into a corner.
When they approached the others in the room gave way, and the blonde daemon grinned over his shoulder as he saw them arriv
e. “She doesn’t seem to want to see you again brother.”
“It would appear not Malyk, despite her coming all this way to find me.” Alistair greeted his half brother as he yanked the still screaming Cora to the centre of the room.
*****
Keri saw Alistair and her heart had shattered. He was supposed to be safe! This was her penance for lying to him, why was he here? The hold on her arms suddenly loosened and she staggered forward, barely able to stand on her own without the daemon’s grip keeping her upright.
From behind her she heard a booming voice snarl something in a language she didn’t understand, and then she was falling, crashing to the floor as the room spun around her and everything went black.
When she came back to her senses Keri didn’t know exactly what was happening, but she knew enough to get out of the way. She crawled towards the nearest corner as her living room seemed to fill with people, all of them angry and growling. She heard raised voices and a whimper of pain, then the crunch of wood giving way. There goes the coffee table, part of her noted with an inward sigh of resignation. She kept crawling until she found herself huddled against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest as she desperately scanned the room, looking for Alistair.
She spotted him at last, his anger a nearly tangible thing as he stood in the center of a circle of daemons of all descriptions. Beside him was another daemon whose similar appearance and aura of power marked him as Alistair’s sire. Between them stood Cora, her arms pinned to her sides by Alistair’s firm grip. Cora’s eyes were wide with fear as she stared around her, her entire demeanor cloaked in misery and defeat.
Keri felt a gentle touch to her shoulder and startled, flinching away from the contact out of instinct.
“It’s alright child, I will not harm you.” A voice as soft as summer rain soothed her and she turned to find the source, coming face to face with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her hair was as pale as moonlight, and her eyes were a familiar shade of golden brown. “You are the one who freed my son, yes?”
Keri nodded, unsure what to even say when faced with an angel.
“I’m Molla, mother to Alistair and mate to Anoch.” She nodded to the two standing together in the circle. “You were hurt trying to protect him from her?”
“I wouldn’t tell her where he was.” Keri whispered, wincing at the discomfort even that soft sound caused. “He should have stayed away, she’s too dangerous.”
Molla made a small sound of comfort and carefully draped a shawl of pale silk over Keri’s shoulders and the shredded remains of her clothes. “For Alistair alone, it would be too dangerous. But my son is not alone, he has family who love him and have tried to find him for a long time. We would still be looking if it weren’t for you.” She leaned in and pressed a motherly kiss to Keri’s cheek, the warmth of it spreading throughout her body. As the warmth faded, the pain did too.
Keri’s hands flew to the wounds on her chest, amazed to find them healed over. “Thank you!”
“You were hurt protecting my son, the least I could do was heal you of that pain. Now watch, and you will see you need never fear the sorceress again.”
Keri’s attention returned Cora, and she realized that Anoch was speaking.
“...and in that you have been found guilty of imprisoning a Prince of the House of Anoch, practicing enchantments against the citizens of the plane of Daemos, and generally being a an utter bitch; I hereby strip you of all your stolen years and banish your soul to the void between the planes to drift for eternity.”
Alistair grinned as he stepped into Cora’s line of vision. “The first hundred years are the worst, after that, it gets easier.”
Cora screamed and fell to her knees, a babble of words falling from her mouth as she begged for forgiveness, for mercy, for a chance to make amends. But then her voice cracked and her words became a keening wail. As the others watched she aged, so rapidly it seemed she was shrinking down on herself, within a matter of seconds her body crumbled away to dust, leaving only her jewels and clothing behind.
“And that’s the end of that.” Anoch announced and gripped his son by the shoulder. “She is gone, never to touch one of mine again!” The room filled with cheers of approval.
“The party begins in an hour, where we shall welcome my son home properly.” A louder cheer this time, and then the room went quickly silent as the crowd vanished one by one, returning to their own plane.
Soon there were only five of them left in the room, Alistair, Malyk, his parents and Keri. Anoch crossed the room and helped his mate to her feet before offering a massive hand to Keri.
“You have returned my son to me, for that you have my thanks.” He smiled down at Keri with an expression she had seen on Alistair’s face often enough the similarity hurt. She knew that smile, and she also knew Alistair would never look at her that way again.
“I should have done more.” She murmured as she stood up slowly, her free hand gripping the shawl to keep herself decently covered.
“Perhaps.” Anoch glanced over to where he son stood alone, his back to the rest of them. “That is not for me to judge though.”
Keri blinked as a blonde daemon stepped into her line of vision and smiled at her, his eyes the same pale golden brown as Molla’s. “I am Malyk. Thank you for bringing our brother back to us. What you have done will not be forgotten.”
Keri looked up at Malyk and smiled faintly, doing her best to ignore the lump in her throat and the ache in her heart. “I am glad he’s going home at last.”
Malyk frowned and glanced to his brother, than back to Keri. “I see.” Sadness gleamed in his eyes for a moment and then he stepped away. “I will take my leave. Be well Keri.”
Before she could answer Malyk he was gone, and Molla’s voice chimed softly from behind her.
“Hold still a moment.”
Keri felt the touch of metal at the back of her neck, and then a strange tingle passed through her body and a weight settled around her throat. When her fingers reached up she realized she was now wearing Cora’s gold torque.
“Consider that a thank you gift.” Molla stepped back to Keri’s side and adjusted the necklace so that the two ends sat just over her collar bone. “It cannot be removed by mortal hands, so I hope you like it.” Her voice fluted with laughter as she met Anoch’s surprised gaze. “I know mate, but there is a reason, you will have to trust me.”
Anoch just laughed and took Molla’s hand. “Very well, but later you are going to explain to me your reasons.” They both returned to Alistair and said a brief goodbye, and then they were gone, leaving the two of them alone.
The moment they left Alistair turned his back to her and stared out the window. “I’m glad my mother healed you. It was never my intention that you be hurt. I didn’t consider what she would do if she realized you had freed me. Whatever else there is between us Keri, I would never wish you harm.” His shoulders were tense and he held himself rigid as he stood with his hands fisted at his sides, his face still turned away from her.
“I didn’t think of it either, not until she point blank asked me where the medallion was and told me she knew you hadn’t been gone long.” Keri took a step towards him and stopped, wishing he’d turn around, wanting to see his face. “I’m glad you are free.” She finally whispered, fighting back tears.
“I want you to take her jewelry, not just the torque my parents gave to you, all of it. It will pay for any damages done to your home. And buy you a new bed.”
“A new bed?” She asked, confused again.
“Two of my kin were assigned to destroy it before leaving. You’ll need a new one. Try to find something without an enchantment on it this time.”
“Thanks, I’ll try.” Keri heard the faintest note of humor in his voice and took courage enough from that to cross the room, coming to stand at his side.
“I’ll miss you.” Her heart slammed and leapt in her throat as she whispered her confess
ion.
He glanced down at her, his anger and guilt clearly visible as he took in the blood on her newly healed skin, the marks still pink where they showed beneath the sheer material of his mother’s shawl.
He looked away again, his jaw tightening. “I know you’ll miss me. You wanted to keep me a prisoner, clearly you enjoyed my company.”
Keri cringed at his words, knowing she deserved them. She saw the set of his jaw and knew he couldn’t forgive her, not after what she’d done. Her heart broke as she realized he was going to leave her, just like everyone else did. She mustered the last of her courage and lifted her gaze to his face. “I know you can’t forgive me, but I am sorry for what I did. You should go home to your family, they’re all waiting for you.” She turned away and started walking, willing herself not to cry until he was gone. She glanced back to look at him one last time, but the room was empty. “Good bye Alistair.” She whispered and then finally let herself cry.
***
CHAPTER 11
It had been three weeks since Alistair had left and she was constantly haunted by the memories of their brief time together. The deck, the bedroom, even the bathroom conjured up images of them together; laughing, loving and enjoying each other. How could someone make such a hole in my heart after only a few days? She asked herself that question over and over again, but she already knew the answer. She loved him. She loved him and she’d lost him, and if anyone tried to tell her that it was better than to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all she was going to hit them upside the head with a very heavy brick.
She’d stopped sleeping in her bedroom after the first night, the king sized mattress felt too large, and even with it sitting on the floor she couldn’t stop seeing the carved columns of Alistair’s bed rising up around her. She’d tried sleeping on the couch for another week, but now she was barely sleeping at all. Her nightmares had gotten worse, until every time she closed her eyes she was back on that beach, running. It was easier to push herself to the point of exhaustion, then collapse for a few hours until the dream woke her and she started the cycle again.
