Dangerous (Courting the Darkness Saga)

by Fuller, Karen

  She nodded then looked to her left. She saw sliding doors that covered nearly the entire space. “What’s behind those doors?”

  “Our closet.”

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek, then snuggled against him. Her voice was laced with laughter. “You put clothes behind a door, but don’t put walls around a bathroom?”

  He smiled. “Yes…I’ve never questioned that logic until now. We can make changes if you wish it.”

  “No, love, what I’ve seen of the room is beautiful. I wouldn’t want to change a thing…at least for now.”

  He hugged her tighter and kissed her forehead.

  She closed her eyes to the feeling of his embrace. “I just felt your heart warm.”

  He tilted her chin up and kissed her lips gently, then looked into her eyes when the kiss broke. “You called me love.”

  “Yes.” She bit her lip, waiting expectantly. “Do you mind?”

  “No, not at all, vixen, I rather enjoy hearing it. Why the change of heart?”

  “I felt what was in your heart when I tasted your blood. I know that you’ve been telling me your feelings all along, but I’ve had bad experiences with the male population. I can trust now that you will never hurt me.”

  “Are you trying to say that you love me?”

  She shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “I know I’ve been obsessed with you from the beginning, which leads me to believe that I probably always have loved you. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I guess I put up a wall to keep from getting hurt, even denying my feelings to myself. I can be a bit stubborn sometimes.”

  He laughed as he hugged her tighter. “I am stubborn as well, so I’m sure we’ll butt heads from time to time. But always remember what is in my heart.”

  She reached up and kissed his check. Humor laced in her voice. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sherry smoothed the bottom of her sweater over her hips, then looked at the closet again, shaking her head. She was a little miffed at Drake at the moment. Every piece of clothing she owned was hung neatly on the rack. The closet, her side, also held an assortment of very nice outfits in her size that she’d never seen before. The questions when and how bothered her more than she thought they should.

  Drake had left the room an hour ago after Sean had knocked on the door, alerting him to something that was going on. He left, giving her a quick peck on the cheek with instructions on where the towels were and to be ready in an hour. He was gone before she could attempt to read his mind. Somehow she felt that was deliberate on his part. She had every intention of getting to the bottom of whatever was going on just as soon as she could find him.

  Finding him, however, in this huge place might prove to be difficult.

  She pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and checked the time. It had been an hour. I guess I’ll have to go find him myself, she thought as she headed for the door. When she reached for the doorknob a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning her head, she stared at the fireplace. The movement came from a small cage on the mantle. Curiosity at what kind of pet Drake would want to keep prompted her to investigate.

  Sherry was about three steps away from the mantel when she realized the cage contained a huge rat. The rat stood on his hind legs with his front paws wrapped around the bars, staring at her with his red beady eyes, his whiskers twitching as if he were irritated. She felt the gooseflesh travel up her arms in revulsion. “Why in the hell would Drake want you for a pet?”

  Who for a pet? she heard from out of nowhere.

  She spun around, startled. “Drake?”

  I’m on my way. Who are you talking to?

  You just took about ten years off my life. Don’t do that.

  He opened the door and stepped inside. She could see his amused expression, which further grated her nerves. He nodded toward the cage. “I see you’ve met our prisoner.”

  The word ‘prisoner’ took her by surprise. “Prisoner?” she glanced at the rat again, then back at Drake. “That’s not a pet?”

  Drake laughed. “Not hardly. That, my love, is Jason Hargrove.”

  “The witch hunter.”

  “Yes.”

  Sherry shook her head, then shuddered in revulsion. “Desiree’s good. I’ll give her that. She told me she had turned him into a rat, but I guess I didn’t take her words quite so literally.”

  “You’re afraid of rats?”

  She scrunched her nose then glared at the hairy beast before she answered. “Not afraid, per se…they’re just disgusting, nasty creatures.” Then she turned back, giving Drake a worried look. “Rats are nocturnal?”

  He nodded once. “Yes.”

  “He can see in the dark.” Drake nodded again. “Oh my God, Drake!” She jabbed her finger at the cage. “He watched us.” She felt the blood rush to burn her cheeks. “He watched me!”

  Drake frowned. “These chambers are large, love. I doubt he has the ability to see that far.”

  She plopped down in a nearby chair and covered her face in her hands. “I don’t believe that.”

  He knelt down and pulled her hands away, then cupped her face in his hands, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “I do, love.”

  She refused to let the subject go. “Well, I’m sure he’s not deaf. Sound carries in a large room like this, and we weren’t quiet by any means.” He shook his head in a placating manner, so she continued quickly. “You also told me many things that I’m sure you would prefer to keep between us, a secret.”

  His jaw clenched in anger at himself when her words sunk in. He stood abruptly, then snatched the cage from the mantel, causing the rat to squeal in terror. “Sean,” he roared. Sherry jumped at the outburst.

  The door flew open, and Sean rushed in. “Sire?”

  Drake shoved the cage at Sean. “Do something with Hargrove.” When Sean took the cage and gave him a questioning look, he continued. “Put him with the rest of the prisoners.”

  Sean bowed. “Yes, sire.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.

  Sherry rose from the chair and approached Drake. She smiled, then caressed her fingers lightly down his cheek and felt him relax under her touch. “Thank you.”

  He pulled her to him and gave her a long leisurely kiss that left her damp and breathless. “No, thank you. You are a true queen, worthy to rule beside me.”

  She smirked. “What did I do to bring that on?”

  “I thought of him as a rat, not as a prisoner. It never crossed my mind that I shouldn’t speak freely in front of him.”

  “Drake, he is just a rat.”

  “Yes, at the moment. But what if something happened and Desiree’s spell was reversed and he escaped?”

  “He would know all our secrets.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Knowing the enemy’s secrets gives you the upper hand.”

  “Spoken like a true leader.”

  “It’s hard to stay mad at you.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and looked into her eyes. “You’re mad at me?”

  “I’m a little put out, yes.”

  She felt him touch her mind. “Ah…you’re wanting to know how and when I retrieved your possessions.”

  “Yes.”

  “You were busy with little Mica. You remember when I called Sean to come get us?” She nodded. “I also left instructions with Sean for Jacob and Tracy to remove your possessions after we left. I knew that you weren’t going back there.”

  She frowned. “That was awfully presumptuous of you. Don’t you think we should have discussed this first?”

  “No, it was no longer safe for you there, love. We both have enemies, and now it seems Caleb’s enemies as well. I couldn’t take the chance that you’d get caught in the crossfire. You belong with me.”

  She pressed her lips in a thin line and glared. “You may be king, but if we’re supposed to be partners, there are certain things that need to be discussed before you just—”

 
He smiled and kissed her forehead, pulling her to him. “Be patient with me, love. I am king, and I am not accustomed to discussing my decisions before acting on them. I’ve been ruling for three hundred years, give or take. It will be an adjustment for me as well, but I will try to remember to consider your feelings when dealing with issues that evolve around us.”

  She relaxed in his arms. “Thank you.”

  “We will be together for eternity. I don’t want to spend the majority of it arguing with you. I’m sure we’ll continue to have our disagreements, but I don’t want to cause unnecessary ones.”

  “Drake, I saw my clothes and jewelry in the closet. Where are the rest of my things?”

  “I had Jacob and Tracey move the rest of your things to our mansion just north of the bayou.”

  “You have a mansion?”

  “We have a mansion.”

  She smiled. “I can’t wait to see it.”

  “Soon. You’ll have to wait a bit longer to see it. I can protect you better here. When this is over I’ll take you there.”

  “As I said before, it’s hard to stay mad at you.”

  “Good. I’ll remind you of that later.”

  There was a knock at the door and she frowned, looking up at Drake. “Why, what’s happening?”

  “Later, love. I have business to attend to, and you need to meet your subjects.”

  She narrowed her eyes and glared, trying to read his mind, but he blocked her. “That’s not fair, Drake. You’re already pissing me off.”

  He opened the door. “In time you’ll understand what I had to do.”

  She glanced up at him again as he ushered her out into the hallway. “Why, what did you do?”

  He let out a long breath as they entered the main throne room. “Only what was necessary for a man in my position to maintain order.”

  A movement to her left caught her attention as two vampires drug a semi-conscious man to a long beam set up with hanging shackles. They secured the man’s wrists and let him hang as his knees buckled from apparent despair. One of the vampires reached up and ripped the shirt from his back. The sound of shredding fabric filled the otherwise quiet room. From the man’s size Sherry was pretty sure he was human and she thought he looked familiar, but didn’t know from where.

  It was obvious that he was about to be punished for some injustice. In alarm Sherry looked at all the sober faces around the room. She saw Mica and Desiree next to the throne. Mica’s expression was resolved and unbending. Desiree was weeping openly, alarming Sherry further. “Drake,” her voice shook. “What’s going on?”

  He led her to her throne next to his, encouraging her to sit. “I’m just maintaining order, love.”

  She searched his eyes, trying to understand. “I don’t understand. Who is he? I can see he’s human, but what did he do? Why is Desiree crying?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  You must remain strong, love. Others are watching. Her bottom lip quivered as she looked around the room. He continued in her mind. He is Mica’s driver, Charles.

  Her gaze snapped back to his. Why, what did he do?

  He failed to follow orders, and left you and Desiree vulnerable to Justin Hargrove.

  She mouthed a silent ‘no’ as the tears trickled down her cheeks.

  I have to, love. Remember who I am. I am king, and I must enforce the consequences for failure to obey direct orders. I won’t kill him, he will live, but neither will I show him leniency.

  Why must Desiree and I witness this?

  It is our way…every eye must witness the punishment and remember. Keep your chin up and shoulders back, love. Others will watch you for signs of weakness. You must not show any weakness, understand? We are warriors, and being strong will earn you their respect. You are my queen now. You are their queen now.

  She let out a quivering breath, wiped the tears from her face and nodded. I understand, and I will try.

  He gave her a trace of a smile before he turned and faced his clan. She watched him stride to the center of the throne room. He held out his right hand and a Cat o’ Nine Tails was placed in his grasp. The whip was long with knots tied into the leather tails. She winced as he flicked the air, testing the whip with a resounding crack.

  “Charles, you are charged with failure to obey a direct order from your master, Mica, as well as your king. Your negligence nearly cost the lives of two of our own. Your punishment is ten lashes. I will administer the first five and your master the last. Do you understand why you’re being punished?”

  Charles openly wept. “Yes, sire, I consider myself fortunate that you didn’t kill me on the spot.”

  “Mark my words, if either of them had died, you would be dead now. And there are no second chances. If it happens again, you will not live long enough to see punishment.”

  Charles’s head bobbed furiously. “Yes, sire, I understand.”

  Drake reared back his arm, letting the whip fly, the knotted ends landing on the poor man’s back.

  Charles cried out, arching his back away from the whip, as the knots tore into his bared flesh, streaking his back in crimson.

  Sherry watched as the whip struck four more times before Drake handed it to Mica. She held her chin up and her gaze steady as Mica finished the deed. The same two vampires approached again and unchained the man, laying his unconscious body face down on the table. They forced him to wake as one of them applied salve to the open wounds; the other opened his vein and encouraged the injured man to drink. To those in attendance she appeared calm and in control, but all the while her stomach churned with revulsion as she watched in horror.

  Drake sat next to her in his throne. I am proud of you. You have held up well.

  She frowned. You gave me no choice.

  He reached over and squeezed her stiff fingers. For that I apologize, love. I couldn’t tell you what was about to happen before we left our room. It was important that you were in attendance, and if I had told you ahead of time I don’t think you would have left the room.

  Probably not.

  Be proud. You have earned the respect of your subjects.

  She glanced around the room before responding, swallowing back the bile in the back of her throat. Fine, whatever, may I go back to our room now?

  Why, what’s wrong?

  Do you think I’d lose their respect if I puked my guts out in front of them?

  He cut his eyes at her. Fine, go back to our room, but try to be discreet about it. Lie down and try to get some rest. I have a few things to finish up here. Later tonight, at midnight to be exact, you will be coroneted as their queen.

  Are you trying to make me feel worse?

  The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. “Go lie down and get some rest, love.”

  She rolled her eyes and smiled back. “Thank you, sire.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  She heaved a final time as her stomach protested to the little that remained. Her knees ached from kneeling in front of the toilet. She rose and wet a washcloth, running it over the back of her neck and across her face. If she never had to watch something like that again it would be too soon.

  Closing the lid, she sat down on the toilet and breathed a sigh of relief. Her stomach had finally quieted. The cell phone in her back pocket vibrated. She fished it out and looked at the screen. It was a number she wasn’t familiar with, leaving her to debate whether or not to even answer it. In the end she gave in and hit the talk button. “Hello?”

  “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to answer the phone, bitch.”

  Sherry frowned and looked at the number on the LCD screen again. She didn’t recognize the number or the voice. “I don’t know who you are asshole, but I’m hanging up now.”

  “Hang up and the whelp dies, bitch.”

  A cold chill ran up her spine. Mica. She didn’t see little Mica or Caleb in the throne room. “Who is this?”

  “You don’t worry about who this is. You just worry about keeping the whelp alive for a time
.”

  “You harm a hair on his head and I’ll—”

  “You’re in no position to threaten us, bitch. In fact, you couldn’t hurt us if you tried. You’ll do as you’re told.”

  “What do you want?”

  “For starters we want you to walk out on the dock behind the building, alone. If you alert the others he’s a dead cat.”

  “You can’t…he’s just a boy.”

  “The clock is ticking, bitch.”

  “They’ll never let me leave alone.”

  “For the whelp’s sake you better be wrong about that. Tic tock tic tock—”

  “No, please.”

  “You have five minutes.” Then the connection cut.

  ***

  Sherry opened the chamber door and peeked around the corner. The hallway was empty. She could hear the meeting still going on in the throne room, so for now the coast was clear. She made a run for it down the hallway toward the rear door into the alleyway. What she was doing petrified her, but she couldn’t let them hurt little Mica. That boy was innocent and held a special place in her heart.

  She opened the door and stepped out into the alleyway into the cool night air. The heavy door swung shut behind her with a resounding click. Out of the shadows five men appeared and surrounded her. Mica was nowhere to be seen. “What have you done with him?”

  The leader stepped forward. He wore a sinister grin and he looked remarkably like a younger version of Caleb except for the cold glint in his eyes and the hard lines around his mouth. He looked to his friends and they all laughed, mocking her. “What’ve I done with whom?”

  Her heart thudded in her chest. “The boy…where’s Mica?”

  “That’s why we want you, bitch. We want to use you as leverage to get the whelp.”

  Fear clutched at her heart. She looked around at her surroundings in desperation and whispered, “By the power of three times three, let him see, let him see.” Then she reached behind her for the doorknob and tried to twist it. Locked. “Shit!”