Chapter Ten
Crouched in position behind the trunk of a thick tree, Gideon slowly scanned the surrounding area. He could see the early colors of dusk stretching their way across the thinly clouded sky. Malakai Baamel had made it clear on multiple occasions that they were to be completely alert in the tiny strip of woodland at the northern border. Although the mystery within the man's tone had caused Gideon a bit of skepticism, he had also chosen to ignore him and focus instead on contacting Faolan. His brother's response had been reassuring...however it did seem Faolan would not be joining him anytime soon. Of course, Gideon had left out the detail of him traveling with the Kankul soldier...or else he was sure his brother would have reached him immediately.
Glancing to his left, he shot a withering look at Malakai before following the man's gaze to the current interest of both their thoughts: the tiny strip of woodland.
"Have you gotten anything yet?" Gideon asked in a low voice.
"No. I can't seem to make contact with Deorci's energy at all. It would seem he's quite some distance away." Malakai then blew out a whistle. "He's done a good job at covering his ass... For now.”
"So what now? Sunrise is a good couple hours away. I do remember you mentioning—"
"Yeah, yeah. I remember," he gave, tone thoroughly mocking. "Right now, we move forward--and only forward--through the woods. Speed would be a good suggestion as well."
Gideon raised a skeptical brow. "Why forward?"
Malakai cracked a devilish grin. "It's procedure."
Moving into a small walk, Gideon pierced the man with his glare, confident he had not missed the fury in his eyes. "Don't be trying anything stupid, Kankul."
Swiftly gathering back his wits, Gideon scanned the entrance to the woodland one more time before breaking into the dense cave of trees. It was quiet. Too quiet, as a matter of a fact. He could feel Malakai's energy bearing down on his back like a burden. Fear was not an emotion that was bred in the hearts of Marujan nobility. Whoever acquired it, did so on their own. What he felt at the moment was not fear at all but the urge to defend himself against some unknown being. An unknown being that seemed rather close.
"What exactly are in these woods?" His gaze moved around calmly, trying to locate the beginning of any possible attack.
"Maybe a couple wild cats but they aren't prevalent this time of year. What you should be worried about are a traps set by the Vahlsing rebels."
"Who?" Gideon spun around to face him, his eyes blazing with anger. He'd thought the man would have disclosed such information before he'd entered the damn woods. But he quickly reminded himself that Malakai Baamel was no friend.
"The Vahlsing rebels," he answered in a dull and almost bored tone. "You might want to look out for them as well."
To say he was angry was the lowest of understatements in Gideon's regard. He was mad, blood already boiling and heated fumes of fury emanating from his body. For a brief moment, he pictured himself snapping Malakai's neck like a toothpick and then thoroughly enjoying his plan of feeding him to the previously mentioned wildcats!! But he was not that cool. In fact, he felt nobly hot-headed, his mana peaking as he slammed himself into his enemy, knocking Malakai straight into the trunk of a nearby tree.
The ground vibrated for a few seconds, birds on their nighttime perches scattering across the slowly brightening sky. But the anger burning within him didn't do much else but haze his vision for a while, distracting him from the jaw-breaking punch Malakai delivered only a couple seconds later. Damn, if it weren't for his ability to heal himself almost instantly, that blow would have done some serious damage. But serious damage was what he had intended on doing.....until an arrow came out of nowhere, piercing through his arm and successfully sending him off balance.
Catching a glance at the smirk on Malakai's face, Gideon yanked the weapon harshly from his flesh. But when he attempted at deforming that smug look with a sharp slam of his fist, he only sensed all feeling dissolving from his arm....and not long after, his entire body. The last thing he saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was the approach of several booted legs.....and the hem of a silvery dress.
* * *
Soft feathery light kisses brushed across his jaw, tickling the side of his neck and inching lower...much lower. The gentle caress woke him gently, eyes blinking open slowly. For a brief moment, he saw the blurry appearance of a slender blonde bent over him. Blinking fiercely now, Gideon groaned deeply, "Esyth?"
And then his vision cleared crystal, disappointing his hope. Whoever this woman was, she was not Esyth. Beautiful, she was. But no one could replace the woman who had made him feel like such a love sick fool....and called him just that too.
"Is that her name?" the strange woman asked, a smile spreading across an alabaster face. "You've been muttering for some woman in your sleep?"
Ignoring the woman now, Gideon looked around to see that he was housed in a small cosy bedroom, lowly lit by a burning lamp. "Where am I?"
Slightly frowning, she eased off the bed, standing akimbo and glaring down at him. "Well... A thank you would sound more welcoming. You're lucky Daddy hadn't had you killed for trespassing."
Staring at her for a long thoughtful moment, Gideon cracked his signature smile. "Ah. The Vahlsing rebels. Well, do pass on my sincerest gratitude to your 'Daddy'," he said in a sarcastic voice. "As for now, I must excuse myself. I must be on my way."
She actually looked shocked. "You can't. Your friend requested you get enough rest to gather your senses. "
"That man is no friend of mine!" Blast it! How could he have forgotten about Malakai Baamel? Gideon was then convinced the man had set him up in the woods.
She fanned a dismissing hand at him. "Oh, well either way you can't leave just yet." Her bright hazel eyes glittered with mischief. "I personally do not know the man but he does appear to be a good friend of Daddy's." Now she jumped back on to the bed, an eager smile plastered on her face. "But neither of that matters! I was promised a night with you."
"What?" Gideon could feel the vein popping in his forehead. The chit must be crazy! Looking her over swiftly, he swallowed down the urge to give into his impulses. The soft swells of her breasts straining lusciously against the sheer of a white nightgown that was not making his decision any easier to make as it only ended mid-thigh, revealing creamy firm thighs desperate for his touch. Lifting his gaze to her face, her cheeks blushed hotly, knowing, all too well, his intentions. But what was she? Seventeen? He was surprised her father would have promised his own daughter a night with a complete stranger. A voice in his head told him to reject the girl's invitation but he had done well with ignoring his conscience over the years.
"Well, are you just going to stand there and stare at me all night...or are you going to do something?"
She was a mouthy one, Gideon had quickly gathered. So, he decided he had better give her what she wanted before she drove him to utter madness. At least, he'd enjoy teaching her the lesson.
Knitting his fingers beneath his head above the soft pillows, Gideon regarded her amusedly and sighed deeply. "I'm entirely at your expense, sweetheart."
For a moment, she looked surprised and she just stood there staring down at him with wide cat eyes. Gideon took the time to study her deeply for a while. Again...he could not leave out the fact that she was beautiful; a dainty oval face, small plump lips and straight waist-long hair to best keep a man's company. Hell, she was the best definition of a wood minx, and for the time he decided to remove his thoughts from Esyth—however hard it was and he could not understand why—and revel in the temptress' advances. He had to try.
"Well, don't you at least want to know my name?"
"Not if you don't think it's important..."
A slow smile spread across her lips and within the next second she jumped on the bed again, gaze flickering over his sheet-covered body. She then flashed a glance behind her at the door and then giggled nervously. "We don't have all night, you know," she murmured, hands yanking g
iddily at sheets and clothes until Gideon was stripped of all. The girl then nudged him on his now healed right arm. "I heard Daddy mentioning that you were 'a man with extraordinary abilities'," she chuckled, licking her lips as she stared down at his already hardening manhood. "I don't know what he means...but I sure hope it has something to do with this." And she ran a finger along the length of his cock.
Gideon sucked in a breath and pinned her with a fiery glare, the mana coursing through his veins heightening...and his eyes flooding red. He then grabbed her before she could let out the expected scream, slammed a palm over her mouth and held her down against the bed with his weight. "You're playing with fire, Mia."
A small slender hand reached up and gently withdrew his hand. Strangely, Gideon abided. Mia smiled. "So you do know my name?"
"You talk a lot for someone who's eager to be fucked."
"And you waste a lot of time for someone who's eager to...fuck."
He needn't more invitation than that. Reaching a hand between them, Gideon grasped the waist of very thin panties and ripped them apart. Never breaking eye contact with the sex-craved vixen, he then grabbed one leg, eased it over his shoulder and pressed her even further into the mattress. Mia released a shallow gasp...her eyes swimming in desire...as he plunged hot and deep inside her.
"Damn, you feel good!" Gideon released a deep groan as he withdrew slowly and then slammed hard inside her again.
Watery half-closed eyes stared up at him as he satisfied his lusting. And then she smiled and Gideon found himself with the undying urge to make those welled up tears fall. He didn't know why—and perhaps it was selfish of him--but he wanted to. Maybe he'd been wrong about trying to forget about the circumstances surrounding Esyth, and the pain igniting in his soul at the moment only sprung to anger. The nearest victim was Mia...and he decided full-on to find quick release.
The rate of his thrusts increased, the force accompanied with them heightening. Mia's soft moans now came out in breathy squeals and whimpers, but the guilt he knew he should have felt never came. Gideon sucked in a sharp breath, withdrawing his cock right to the tip and then thrust deep once again. This time her scream rang out loud and clear in his ears, salty moisture sliding over her cheeks. For a moment, he elevated himself up on his palms and stared down at her. She was a victim...purely innocent of this punishment but he didn't care. Esyth was somewhere out there...and damn it, he would find her.
The second he rolled off Mia, the door came busting in and in walked a large muscular fellow in leather who yelled, "Get your stinking hands off her!" .....and Malakai Baamel.
Frankly, Gideon didn't give a damn about the man. If he wanted to fight, he surely would oblige. What he did care about, however, was the smirk on Malakai's face and the pain sketched across the girl's features.
The man then averted his dark glare to his daughter and shouted, "Get out of here, Mia!"
Casting Gideon a swift glance, she grabbed up the sheets around her and immediately scurried from the room. She hadn't look at all terrified.....just embarrassed. Malakai took the honors of sliding the bolt on the door and then taking his seat on a stool nearby.
Rolling his eyes and cursing lowly, Gideon eased off the bed and yanked on his jeans. It wasn't until a grin split through the tense air—and he was zipping up his pants—that he turned around. The man came towards him chuckling and holding out a hand. "You don't scare easily, do you boy?"
Gideon just looked at the man and then regarded Malakai. "You set me up."
"You wound me, Maruj," Malakai chortled.
"I'll take pleasure in ripping your guts out and feeding them to you, you fucking asshole."
Malakai chuckled and got to his feet. "As much as that sounds wonderful...I don't think you will." He stepped forward and dropped a hand on the other man's shoulder. "This is Abel Macintosh...and he's got some information you'd be very interested in."
Gideon stared at the man. Abel Macintosh. He knew that name. He knew it all too well. He'd heard tales of the man since he was a boy, tales that had on many a nights served as the flame to countless nightmares. But now that they were standing face to face, Gideon was somewhat bewildered. Abel Macintosh did not appear as foreboding as he had thought he would. Yes, he was a huge muscular man. But his countenance was neither that of a man who had fought many battles...or singlehandedly slain hundreds of men. Instead, his features represented a man who had abandoned all that; a man who had become a slave to family life.
He certainly did not look like the man who, centuries ago, had once fought alongside Deorci.
Chapter Eleven
Reluctantly refusing a shot of whiskey, Gideon leaned forward, waiting. Directly ahead of him sat Abel Macintosh, the infamous madman-turned-daddy gulping down his own drink and kindly taking Gideon's previously refused glass as well. At the far end of the room, Malakai stood firmly in an audacious manner as if he owned the damn place. The mere presence of the two men both disgusted and angered him beyond belief. They were enemies...heartless monsters who had aided in the destruction of his people. The fact that Gideon found himself relying on them represented the total irony of the situation...and just how fucked up all moral behavior, he had learnt as a boy, actually was.
"What is the valuable information that you have?" Gideon said, eyeing both men, and staying alert for any unexpected attack.
Abel shot a sideway glance at Malakai and then averted his gaze to Gideon. The expression he wore was completely passive. "I hear you've faced Deorci twice in your lifetime."
"Twice too many. Third time won't be a charm. Not for him anyway..."
"So revenge drives you?"
Gideon scowled deeply. "That and the sweet stench of Kankul bloodshed."
"I see." Abel returned a knowing glance to Makakai and sighed. "Then I won't waste any time trying to heighten your opinion of me. Let's get right to it, shall we?"
"Gladly."
"Then I hope you don't feign surprise when I say your girl might just be dead."
For a moment, they just sat there staring at each other; Abel's eyes calm and unwavering, and Gideon's stormy and narrowed. Malakai turned his back--oddly finding sudden interest in the tiny ceramic carvings sitting on a wooden mantelpiece.
"I don't believe that."
Abel leaned back in the cushioned chair, eyes now serious. "I left Deorci many centuries ago...shortly after that attack. You know—"
"You insult me by thinking I'd ever forget!" Gideon spat, the memories of the day returning all too quickly. The heartache, he could never forget; and his losses, immeasurable...and the unjust bloodshed of his people leaving a scar on his soul for eternity.
The man cleared his throat, eyes closing for just a couple seconds before he continued. "Well... After that battle, we had withdrawn home, some of us with stolen women. Your women." Gideon growled at his words. "Anyways, a good fortnight or so later, Deorci had become somewhat distant and I'd found the reason to his weirdness in the hands of a woman. She had been hidden off in his chambers."
Gideon leaned forward, his attention now thoroughly gained. Hearing of Deorci's attraction to a woman was no diamond discovery. But what woman could possibly have managed to bring the devil himself out of his dark comfort zone?
"Who?"
"At first glimpse, I'd known instantly she wasn't one of us. But I'd introduced myself one night long after supper...just to confirm it."
Gideon waited patiently. Somehow he knew what Abel Macintosh was about to say but was afraid of the response anyway. He hoped the man would prove him wrong. "What is it?"
"She was Marujan. A willing Marujan..."
Frowning, Gideon got to his feet and paced the room slowly. A willing Marujan woman in the hands of the Kankul ruler? Not only was the revelation alarming...but it was incredulous as well. He could not—not ever—see the logical romantic joining of a Marujan and Kankul! It was simply despicable and unheard of. Well, until now. Turning back to face Abel Macintosh, he swallowed deeply and asked, "What
did she look like?"
Abel stood as well and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "All I can say is the wench was a darn pretty one. Didn't look much different from the others." He took a large gulp. "But she did have the mane of a blazing wild filly."
"How so?"
Abel glanced at Malakai, who was now moving forward. "Long thick hair. The reddest I'd ever seen."
Something stilled within Gideon. He knew many Marujan redheads. Hell, they weren't that scarce back at the kingdom. But none of them with hair as red as... "Sienna…" he muttered to himself.
"Who?" This time it was Malakai who spoke.
Gideon turned from the men a while, trying to gather his thoughts. Sienna. He could not believe it but it was...believable. As far as he knew, Sienna had been disowned by her father and left Maruj just a few weeks before the Kankul attack. Who knows what she had done in those many days. But something still was not adding up. For all he knew, Sienna had already been in the Hub by that time. Still frowning, he turned to face Abel again. "Are you sure about the description?"
The man arced a sarcastic brow at him. "I'm not losing my memory, if that's what you're asking."
Letting out a deep breath, Gideon eyed Malakai. "You must have seen her that night at the Hub."
"That may be... But it also could be someone else."
He shook his head, pinching his nose absently. "No. It's her. I know it." Then his mind wandered a bit, his thoughts gathering into a web-like fog. And then it cleared. Gideon's head flew up immediately, gaze colliding with Malakai's. "She has motive."
"I'm listening."
Gideon stared blankly into space for a while and then retook his seat. Abel sat as well, leaving Malakai in his stance.
"Her affair with my brother had just been revealed. She was angry. She was disowned by her father." Gideon looked up. "Maybe her anger had blinded her judgment. She could easily have plotted against my people with Deorci." For a moment, he just sat there staring at his hands, bewildered. And then the severity of his words came dawning on him. Jumping to his feet, he ran an agitated hand through his hair. "It would have been the perfect plan... Damn it!"
Gideon [The Marujan Brothers Series] Book Two Page 7
