Pain seized her at the thought. She picked up a water goblet to slake her thirst. She drank greedily. Her throat hurt as emotions bubbled and threatened to explode. Exhaustion reached for her. She lay across the bed and closed her eyes and tried not to think about what might lie ahead for her. No matter which direction she took in her mind, it all led to a bad ending. Then her father’s voice came to her in her thoughts.
Ketera, you’re a strong woman just like your mother was. No matter what happens in your life there is always a way out. Use your instincts. Feel and you will understand the best way to proceed. Don’t allow disappointment or other people to derail your dreams. Reach for what you want. Live the life you’ve wanted no matter what happens. Survive, Ketera. No matter what, you have to survive to get the truth out. The people of Magonia have to know the truth.
Then it came to her.
Father had said these words to her when he’d sent her a message by courier before she’d sailed on the ship. He’d known that he wouldn’t make it out of prison. Tears filled her eyes. She drew in a shaky breath and buried her face in her hands. Sobs racked her as grief tore her to pieces.
Her father would die, if he wasn’t dead already. Dane had already—
Her sobs came harder now, her body shaking as she allowed the feelings to pour forth. Being strong had been her goal, but she couldn’t hold back. Before long she’d discover her fate.
Survive, Ketera. No matter what, you have to survive to get the truth out. The people of Magonia have to know the truth.
Right now she didn’t care if Magonia never learned the truth.
Footsteps at the tent entrance caused her to bolt into a sitting position. A woman entered the tent holding a platter of food. With long, straight, dark hair, creamy-white skin and a gentle expression in her blue eyes, the small woman had an ethereal air. Wearing a tunic and pants that looked far too large for her, the woman moved toward Ketera with a smile. Ketera instantly recognized the serving girl from Minilos’ tavern.
“Samhala?” Ketera asked in surprise.
Samhala placed the platter on a stand near the bed. “You must eat and keep up your strength.”
“I’m not hungry.” Because she didn’t trust anyone in the camp, Ketera sat up and swung her feet off the bed.
The woman sat on the bed next to her. “You must eat.”
Ketera swallowed hard around the lump in her throat and tried to shove aside overwhelming emotion to no avail. “Were you taken prisoner during the raid on the castle?”
Samhala didn’t answer the question. “Eating will give you strength for whatever comes next.”
Perplexed and frustrated, Ketera bit out her next words. “Why should I? My father will die because I can’t rescue him, and the man I love is dead. What more is there to live for?”
Even as the words came out of her mouth, she didn’t believe them. Didn’t believe that her father could die or that Dane was already dead. A tiny part of her couldn’t stand it, couldn’t process it in any way shape or form, and the grief was so excruciating she didn’t know if it would ever extinguish.
When Ketera looked up, the other woman’s eyes had gone from welcoming to sad. Very sad.
“I’m so very sorry to hear it. I—” Another emotion flickered over her face. “I wish I could take it all back.”
Confused, Ketera peered at her. “Take what back?”
“I’m the reason your lover is dead.”
Ketera’s confusion increased. “How?”
Samhala left the bed and walked slowly around the room. She rubbed the small of her back, as if it might hurt. “I betrayed everything that I am a short time back, and yet I would do it all again.” Samhala turned her gaze back to Ketera. “I overheard Minilos talking to Finius about your plan to return to Magonia. I told Drakus. I’ve been spying for him for a long time. I worked in Minilos’ tavern up until the siege.”
Hatred would be too strong a word for what Ketera felt, but not far off. She stood and took two steps toward the smaller, thinner woman. “You were a spy?”
“Yes. I justified it for a long time.” Samhala’s eyes had gone vacant, and unless it was Ketera’s imagination, the woman seemed as steeped in grief as she was. “You see, my Daryk One was taken prisoner by Drakus six months ago when Drakus tried to convince him to spy at the castle.”
Ketera listened, her heart sympathetic to the woman’s turmoil. “Kidnapped. Where is he now?”
“Held at another camp. My love tried to get away and they… They injured his legs so he couldn’t move. Whenever he tries to escape, they break his legs. When he recovers, they break them again.”
“Oh god Magon.”
Samhala’s gaze snapped to hers. “You are Magonian?”
What was the point in hiding it? “Yes.”
She nodded. “I have nothing against Magonians. And as you know, neither does Drakus.”
Ketera snorted. “Of course he does. He wants to steal Magonian women and rape them.”
Samhala shook her head. “Yes, but if Drakus were the ruler of all Dragonia, Magonians would be welcome to immigrate here, and Dragonians could immigrate to Magonia. How is that a bad thing?”
Ketera’s moved toward the woman, her irritation rising. “Regardless of his desire to bring the two sides together, he is going about it the wrong way. And he kidnapped your mate and forced you to spy.” She blinked. “Wait. Did you spy willingly? Before your mate was kidnapped?”
Samhala shook her head. “No. They contacted me after they kidnapped my mate. They told me what they’d do to him if I didn’t spy for them. I had no choice.”
“Break his legs?”
“They might do other things to him, kill him with poison from Magonia or perhaps cut his head off.”
Ketera winced. “I knew about the poison. I never…I guess I didn’t think about how a Daryk One could be killed. Not once I knew how they healed.”
Samhala nodded. “I’ve done a lot of things in the last six months for my mate. Things I wish I could take back. Because I don’t think they’re going to let him go. Ever. They’re using him, keeping me on a string. The thread grows thinner ever day.”
Ketera could see the pain in the other woman’s eyes, felt it right to the core, mixing with her own agony. “Why are you telling me this?”
Samhala turned sad eyes her way. Tears shimmered on Samhala’s lashes. “So if I have to betray you again, you’ll understand.”
That stopped Ketera from speaking for quite a few moments. Finally she found her voice. “You haven’t tried to escape?”
“I wouldn’t. Not without my Daryk One.”
Ketera understood that love, and with all her heart wished Dane were there. She’d tell him how much she loved him. “What’s his name?”
“Yavna.”
“A very strong name.”
“Very.” Samhala turned and headed to the tent flap. “If you want to stay alive, you’ll have to do whatever Drakus wants, you know.”
Ketera opened her mouth to deny it, but Samhala left without waiting for a response. Ketera wondered why she didn’t hate the woman for her betrayal to Grimnald Castle and for helping this terrible situation to form in the first place. No matter what she did, she couldn’t summon the fierce dislike. Instead she felt nothing at all. Fatigue settled in and soon after she drifted into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares. Odd creatures she’d never seen before floated through her dreams, their cries calling to her, screaming, fleeing toward her from the wild tangle of foliage. She couldn’t move, paralyzed by her overwhelming fear and grief. The dreams tangled together in a noxious soup until she didn’t know either a beginning or an end.
Ketera awakened some time later and heard rain drumming on the tent. How long had she been asleep? She couldn’t say, but she could tell it had turned to evening and darkness settled on the land. A cool breeze fluttered the tent flap and the welcome wind brushed over her flushed skin. She wanted to bathe, but no one had offered her the opportunity. Per
haps they wouldn’t. The day had stretched on, and she hadn’t seen another soul. She heard people outside, the calls of men at work and wondered if they would pull up stakes and move the camp.
Not long afterward, she heard the tent flaps move again. She ignored them. A shadow fell over her and she sat bolt upright with a gasp.
Samhala stood above her, a knife in her hand.
* * * * *
Dane didn’t know which frightened him more. The fact his legs were shaky after running for what seemed hours through the jungle, or the fact the camp was heavily guarded. He sank down next to a cluster of trees that afforded him coverage. No one could see him on this slight incline, but he could survey the entire area from this point. The clearing was circled here and there by rogue Daryk Ones. The camp had been carved out of one of the few places in this jungle that could be used for such a thing. Dozens of tents, most of them big enough to accommodate five Daryk Ones, lined up along a nearby river. One large tent, the largest he’d seen, dominated the south side.
Drakus’ tent no doubt. Bastard would expect such commodious provisions for himself while the rest of his men lived in far less.
Dragon dung. How the hells was he going to penetrate this perimeter? Even the night couldn’t cloak a man walking into such a well-protected camp. He sighed and contemplated an idea that had turned around in his head for the entire night. Without a planned attack with several dozen men to take the camp, Dane couldn’t expect to get far. Certainly he could attack and take out a few men on his own. Perhaps more than a few. In the end, he’d still be captured and if the mood struck the rogues he fought against, they might decide to execute him on the spot. That would leave his mate defenseless.
No. Ketera would never be defenseless, but at the very least he wanted to be with her one more time. Touch her. Taste her lips. Know that she was unharmed. If he had to, he would beg Drakus to keep her safe. To never harm her. He sighed. By the god Draconus, he never wanted to do this. The desire to fight raged high inside him, but there were too many rogues against him.
With that realization, he stepped out of the bush and headed directly for the enemy camp. He made certain to keep his weapons stowed, his hands at his sides and fists open. He didn’t want anyone to think he planned to attack. Less than fifty yards later three Daryk Ones came out of the bush. He’d never seen these men before—they weren’t familiar to him.
“Stop!” one called out to him.
All three rogues kept some distance between them, and he knew they planned to block him from the camp. He stopped.
They approached, swords at the ready. All he could hope was that they didn’t plan to cut his head off right there and then. If they had orders to kill, he’d fight to stay alive, but the odds were damn high against him. His muscles twitched with the desire to save his own life, to attack first. The other men paused, their eyes boiling red. In the dark, with his eyes glowing as red as theirs, it was easy to see their hard expressions mixed with curiosity.
“You risk much, Daryk One,” the rogue to his left said.
“Are you the one they call Charger?” the one to his right said, and took a step forward.
Dane nodded. “I am.”
“What are your intentions?” the rogue in the middle asked.
Dane held his hands palms up in surrender. “I am here to speak to Drakus Fina.”
All three men looked surprised and didn’t try to hide it. Finally the middle rogue nodded. “Come with us.”
Dane expected them to fight him, and when they gave in to his idea with ease, he wondered if perhaps this had been the right thing to do. As they walked into camp, the few men standing about watched him, flanked at the sides and in back by their compatriots. A few men sharpened their swords while others ate or shined their breast plates. He watched them with caution. Some allowed their eyes to burn red, others didn’t bother. Their complacency, their acceptance of him, did more than surprise him, it flabbergasted him.
The large tent loomed in front of Dane and he wondered what the next few minutes would bring. In those moments his life felt on a precipice, the balance shaken, his desire to fight all but drained. For the first time in his life he wanted peace. After so many years—all his life—he needed quiet. He was tired of fighting. So damn tired.
But for Ketera he would fight.
He would fight until his body was raw. Broken. Destroyed. She was worth every sacrifice.
In front of the tent three rogues took up position. Dane’s heart hammered, and he took a deep breath.
From the darkness, around the side of the tent, Drakus stepped out.
Chapter Nineteen
Drakus looked much as he ever had, their family resemblance evident. Dane wished they didn’t share a mother’s blood, but they did. They seemed two sides of a coin and that couldn’t be changed.
Dane nodded in acknowledgement. “Drakus.”
“Dane. Welcome to my camp.” Drakus gestured to the three guards who watched Dane’s every move. “Begone. Six of you are too many.”
“Are you sure?” Dane asked with sarcasm. “I could maim and maybe kill all three of your other guards.”
“You could.” Drakus smiled. “But you won’t. I have something you want.”
Dane couldn’t deny the truth. “Where is Ketera?”
“She is well.”
Dane’s anxiety and anger turned to a full boil. “I swear to Draconus, if you’ve harmed her—”
“Enough.” Drakus gestured, the hand signal abrupt. “I would never harm her. At least not until I’m finished with her.”
Dane snorted in disgust. “Finished with her? You mean to take her against her will, make her your slave and concubine. Then you’ll feed her to one of your dragons. I know how you think.”
His half brother laughed. “You know me too well, brother. But, if she gives herself to me willingly and bears me a child, there is no reason to make a sacrifice of her. She could prove useful to me as a breeder for the people. To replenish our diminishing land. If she chooses to defy me, then I shall feed her to the dragon. The people will demand it.”
“That is full of shite, Drakus, and you know it.” Dane pointed at his brother, using his index finger to stab point after point. “It’s your will and twisted need for power that demands it.”
Throughout Dane’s angry sentences, Drakus had remained calm-looking. He folded his arms. “The people of this land are imbeciles, my brother. Without people like me, they will crumble to their own violent impulses and eventually destroy the land.” He lowered his arms and took two steps forward. “They need you and me to show them how it should be.”
Dane grunted. “Plain shite, Drakus, and you know it.”
Drakus smiled and nodded. “You, my brother. I would give you this chance to join with me. If you vow to renounce Grimnald Castle and become a part of my group, we can rule this land together.”
Dane hadn’t expected this. His mind spun in a thousand directions with disbelief his first emotion. “You’re asking me to rule jointly with you?”
“Yes. Consider it my first gesture of brotherly love. With our two minds ruling this country, there is nothing we couldn’t do.”
More anger built inside Dane, but he kept a maintained composure. “You think I would renounce my integrity to join you merely because you are my half brother?”
“I considered it as a possibility. I thought I would offer it to you. Of course if you refuse the consequences will be severe.”
“How severe?”
“You will die and your beautiful mate will be sacrificed to the dragon. Or, perhaps if I am feeling the need for entertainment, I will feed her to the dragon and make you watch.”
Dane’s mind raced as his stomach roiled at the ugly image. Dane’s fists clenched. The one subtle movement caused the three guards near the tent entrance to move forward almost as one.
Drakus held his hand up. “Halt. Dane is understandably angry.”
Dane’s breathing quickened. “And if
I join you on this ridiculous quest, you’ll still take my mate?”
Silence stayed supreme, and Drakus’ face said he pondered the answer. “She is your true mate. That I can see. I would let you have her as long as you remained loyal to our cause.”
Dane’s lips curled. “You believing in true mates? Difficult to imagine.”
“Not difficult. Just not important. You would be allowed to get her with child. Fuck her as much and as often as you willed it. If you did not get her with child within a month, I would fuck her. My seed is apparently more fertile than yours.”
Dane’s mouth dried up at the thought of this man laying one hand on her. Instead his mind turned to one certainty. One objective he would certainly accomplish. He would fuck her repeatedly, giving her more pleasure than she’d ever imagined until they had a child. Dane’s primal needs roared into existence, filling him body and soul. “She is mine. You will not touch her. Ever.”
Drakus’ eyebrows lifted. “Why is she so special? You have copulated with dozens of women over the years. Not a one has borne a child. It is unlikely that a few times bedding you would make the difference necessary to bring about a child.”
“Watch me.” Dane wanted to curse until his throat was raw. “As far as other women, I have always taken precautions. There are ways.”
Drakus smiled, his eyes brightened from within by cold amusement. “Coitus interruptus? A skin over your cock?”
“What difference does it make?”
Drakus shook his head. “It doesn’t.”
Silence fell down upon them, and Dane felt what seemed like a hundred eyes staring at them and listening to the discussion. Jungle sounds crept in—creatures called, insects buzzed, the wind rustled. The jungle’s thick smell filled his nose.
Dane couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you this way, Drakus? Have you ever considered the answer? Was your life so unworthy as a child that you felt you needed to change the path of everyone on this planet?”
Daryk Hunter Page 23
