Someone knocked at the door as soon as the words left his mouth. The innkeeper silently set two plates of steaming food on the small table. A barmaid appeared a second later with mugs of ale and followed her boss out of the room.
Arden reached for hers and gulped half the contents. The cool liquid soothed her dry throat, warmed her belly.
“Slow down with the ale. I don’t need a drunk Soulbearer.” She peered at Dev from over the mug. “Sorry, but I haven’t had anything to eat or drink all day.”
“That’s my fault. I should have forced you to eat something earlier today. It won’t happen again. Now, eat before your food gets cold.”
She cut a small slice of meat and popped it in her mouth. The juices coated her tongue with flavor, and she sighed. “This is so good.”
Dev tossed a sliver of meat to the wolf. “I’ve had better.”
“It’s the best meal I’ve had in months.” She reached for a chunk of bread to sop up the gravy.
“Who’s Lord Yessling?”
The bread stopped inches away from her mouth. He wasn’t threatening to sell her to him already, was he? “He’s a local nobleman.”
He cocked a brow and waited for her to continue.
She dropped the bread. “He likes women and tends to go through them quickly. Most of the farmers around here know they can fetch quite a few loras by selling their daughters to him, especially if they’re pretty.”
“And what happens to these girls?”
“They’re put to ‘work,’ is the politest way to say it. Sometimes they come back.
Sometimes they don’t.”
“How do you know so much about him?”
“Why are you asking?” When he didn’t answer her question, she added, “Hal always threatened to sell me to him because I looked so different from most of the girls around here.” He frowned but didn’t say anything else for the rest of the meal. When their plates were empty, he stood and ran his hand along the door. Blue light peeked out from the gaps.
“What are you doing?”
He repeated the same action with the lone window. “Sealing the room.” Arden rolled her eyes and flopped down on the bed. “I promise I won’t try to run away.”
“It’s not to keep you in—it’s to keep others out.” He stared through the window at the town below for a few seconds, probably searching for the supposed necromancer who was chasing them.
“And I thought I was paranoid.”
“It’s my duty to be paranoid,” he replied with a grimace. “I am your protector, after all.”
“Well, I’m going to get some sleep. I’m exhausted after the long day.” She looked over at Cinder and patted the mattress next to her. The wolf jumped on the bed.
“What are you doing to my wolf?”
She laughed and stretched out next to the warm mass of fur. “Spoiling him. You know, there’s a bit more room on the other side of him, if you want to sleep in the bed.” The mattress sank as he sat down on the edge. “I thought you were worried about me taking advantage of you?”
“There’s a wolf between us. I think I’m safe.”
As she drifted off to sleep, she heard him whisper, “Don’t get used to this.” Chapter 6
The darkness in Dev’s dreams parted, letting a beam of light fall on Arden. She stretched in the bed as if waking up. The silk sheets slid through her fingers, caressed her bare skin. His mouth went dry as he watched in the darkness, memorizing the curves of her body.
The light brightened, casting his shadow on her. She sat up and backed away, the sheet clutched to her chest as though she was embarrassed to be caught naked. “Who’s there?” His skin flamed, but his tongue refused to form his name. I shouldn’t be staring at her. He turned away.
“Don’t speak, then, Dev. Just come closer. ”
His heart pounded. He wasn’t quite sure what he heard in her voice—fear, anger, lust—but his stomach tied in knots. He crept toward her with apprehension tempering his steps. The innocent girl from earlier had vanished, leaving a vixen in her place.
“I know what you want, what you desire, and I’m willing to give it you.” He stuck to the shadows, hiding his face from her so she couldn’t read his emotions. The light shimmered off her hair, and her pale skin shown like moonlight. Desire coursed through his body as he lowered onto the edge of the bed. His fingers itched to touch her, to see if her skin felt as silky as the sheets around her, but he balled them into his fists . Even if this is a dream, I will not cross the line.
She chuckled and crawled next to him, leaving the sheet behind. “Is that what you want?” Her hair draped over his shoulder, burning deep gold. He reached up to brush it out of his face. So soft, he realized with a shock. Softer than he could possibly imagine.
She traced the lines of his back, working her way to his chest, and he realized with a start that he was a naked as her. Her touch started out light, more like a whisper at first, before massaging his weary muscles. The firm globes of her breasts pressed against him, teasing him, coaxing him to turned around and cup them in his hands. His mouth watered as he imagined how sweet those tiny pink nipples would taste, how she would moan in pleasure as he took her into his mouth.
He caught her hand and threaded his fingers through it, forcing it to the bed. “Trouble, there’s no need to do this.”
“You’re lying. I can see that you want me.”
By Jussip, a woman had never tempted him like this before. If she continued, he might just throw her to the mattress and ease the throbbing in his dick.
“Relax, and let me show you pleasure like you’ve never known.” Her lips brushed against his ear, and he moaned. The fire in his veins intensified. He tried to pull away, scared he would burn from his desire. Soulbearers had tried his patience in the past, but this made them all look like innocents.
“You can’t hurt me unless you deny me what we both want. Please, Dev, give yourself to me.”
The temptation became too much to bear as she nibbled at the corner of his mouth. He seized control of the seduction, completely covering her lips with his own. Her arms snaked along his neck, pulling his head closer to her. He didn’t want this kiss to end. His tongue traced the outline of her lips, and she opened them. Slow and sensual, he explored her mouth, coaxed her to do the same with his. The sweet scent of her skin nearly overwhelmed her, but he noticed she no longer smelled like roses and fresh bread.
She was the one who ended the kiss, breath coming quick as she gasped for air. “You taste like honey and apples.”
It’s just a dream, he told himself. I would never kiss her if I were awake. I would never let my guard down. But in his dreams, he allowed himself the indulgence he could never enjoy when he was awake.
Her hand wriggled free from his and travelled lower, coming dangerously close to the part of his flesh that longed for her touch.
“You don’t have to tell me what you want,” she said. “I already know.”
“Do you?”
His mouth silenced her before she had a chance to speak. He pressed his body against hers as the kiss deepened, lowering her onto the mattress. His hands roamed over her skin, along the flat planes of her stomach and over the soft curves of her buttocks.
She lifted her hips, allowing him access to the part of her that was now slick with desire.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”
She met his gaze, the wicked smile on her face telling him she knew exactly how much power she had over him at that moment. Her greenish-gold eyes burned with such intensity, he threatened to melt under the heat of their stare.
His brows drew together. Aren’t Trouble’s eyes blue?
He released her and backed away, desperately trying to ignore the cold sweat that beaded on his skin. Something is wrong about this. Very wrong.
His body jerked, and his lover vanished.
Chapter 7
Dev’s eyes jerked open and he stared in
to the darkened room.
“So close, and yet you resisted,” a familiar voice said next to him.
His hands balled into fists. He didn’t need to turn his head to know its source. Loku already had tormented him enough times in the past.
“Dev, you disappoint me.”
Anger flooded his veins, almost making him forget about the aching hard-on that remained from his dream. “Why? Because I didn’t fall for your little trick?”
“No, because you deny yourself pleasure when you can so easily grasp it.” Dev took a deep breath before he rolled his head to the side and looked at Trouble. Just as he had figured, she lay perfectly still, staring at him with bright yellow-gold eyes that never blinked. “Let go of her.”
The chaos god laughed. “And miss out on a new way of tormenting you? Never!” The eyes flickered to Dev’s groin. “I see my little dream got you more worked up than I’d first thought.”
Dev bunched the covers over the evidence of his desire, hoping it would conceal it, but Trouble’s features morphed into a smirk.
“It’s going to be so easy for me to gain her trust, especially with you treating her like she’s a flea on your back. You should feel the power she possesses. As soon as I tasted it in that run-down little inn, I knew she had to become my next Soulbearer.” His fingers dug into his palm. So help him, he refused to see Trouble follow in the same path as Robb. His words came out in a low, even growl. “Let her go right now.”
“Or you’ll what? Slip your hands under her tunic? Or better yet, into her pants? I know exactly what you were dreaming, Dev, because I put it there.”
“Why you sick son of a—” Dev stopped short, his fist raised in the air, and looked into the horrified blue eyes of Trouble.
***
Arden had no idea why she was pulled from a sound sleep, but she awoke to see her so-called protector on the verge of striking her.
She did the only thing she could think of doing at that moment—she screamed.
Cinder shot up and wedged himself between them, knocking Dev out of the bed. He landed with a loud thump on the floor.
She wrapped her arms around her furry hero and held on to him for dear life. Her racing pulse began to slow, but her lungs still sucked in air as quickly as they could. Sweet Lady Moon, what had she just witnessed?
“Trouble, are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine, no thanks to you.” What else could she say?
She cast a side glance at him. He stayed on the floor. Pain tightened his features, but he refused to look at her.
“Why were you trying to punch me?”
He pulled himself into a seated position and ran his hand through his hair. His pupils stretched the green in his eyes into thin emerald rings, and his chest heaved up and down. “It’s complicated.”
Loku’s laughter filled her mind as she shrank farther away from Dev.
“I was curious at first when I discovered that Dev was dreaming of doing naughty things to you, but now that I see how worked up he got from our conversation, I’d say it was worth it.”
She grabbed her pillow and wanted to rip the feathers out of it. “Loku, you bastard! How dare you use me like that? ”
“Oh, come now, I’m sure you would have enjoyed it if he acted out his fantasies.” His words produced a hum throughout her body. Images of Dev’s dream flashed through her mind, of them lying naked in a bed, his lips trailing along her throat. Her mouth went dry and her breasts grew heavy as she imagined what they would feel like in his hands.
“You are a lusty wench after all. And more importantly, it looks like you almost had Dev persuaded to neglect his duty for one night. He has quite the tent pole in his pants.” More laughter reverberated through her mind.
She hurled the pillow at the opposite side of the room.
“Trouble, what’s wrong?”
Her cheeks flamed. Had Dev really been as aroused as Loku said? And if so, how did he manage to keep his hands to himself when she was sleeping mere inches away from him? “I’m sorry I screamed like that,” she whispered.
“Let’s face it. You’re just like your mother.”
Rage burned inside her stomach, making her forget every second of pleasure she had experienced moments before. “Shut up, Loku!”
“Ah, so he’s tormenting you now.”
“Loku was the cause of all this? Was that why you looked so angry?” She hugged Cinder even tighter and buried her face into his warm fur.
“He took control of my dreams and…” His voice broke.
He didn’t need to finish. She already had a good idea what kind of dreams Loku had given him.
“I should have expected something like this from him. I think he gets some kind of thrill from tormenting me.”
“How right he is.” Loku chuckled like a devious child. “At least I woke you up before he struck you. ”
“Loku, I have half a mind to slit my throat in front of Dev just so you’ll have no other option but to take him as your Soulbearer.”
“But think of all the fun we’ll miss out on. He’ll never thrill you like I can.”
“You’re determined to drive me insane, aren’t you? Just like all the others.”
“No, my sweet Soulbearer. I have other plans for you.” She ran her hands through Cinder’s fur. The solid warmth under them reminded her that this was real, and that thought comforted her. “I’m sorry, Dev. I don’t know how I let him gain control of me like that.”
A bitter sound that resembled one note of laughter burst from him. “Loku is tricky. He’ll weasel his way into your mind and seek out your deepest desires. Then he’ll use them to seduce you into surrendering your free will to him.”
“I guess I should be happy Cinder woke up when he did.”
“Yeah, me too,” he muttered.
The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something in the atmosphere changed, and an icy prickle of dread crawled down her spine. The scent of rotting meat assaulted her nose.
“Dev, do you smell that?”
He sniffed the air. “No, I don’t smell any—” His words broke off, and his body stiffened.
“Trouble, get your boots on now.”
“What?”
“I said, now.”
His fierce tone made her jump. She obeyed without asking any more questions. Whatever she sensed unnerved him, too.
Chapter 8
For once, she’s listening and not giving me any sass about it. Dev paused from strapping a dagger to his thigh to watch Trouble. Her pinched face spoke volumes. She sensed the danger, too, but he doubted she knew what it was.
He pulled a slim blade out of his boot. “Here, take this.” Her eyes widened. “I don’t know how to use a weapon.”
“I figured as much, but I want you to at least have something in case we can’t avoid the undead.”
“Undead?” she squeaked.
Great. She’s certainly living up to her name. Getting her out of this alive might be more than I bargained for.
Satisfied he had an adequate arsenal attached to his body, he armed himself with a short sword and lowered the ward on the door. “Stay close to me, and don’t speak until I tell you to.” He opened the door and peeked out into the dark hallway. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to spring into attack if necessary. Silence greeted him. After checking both ways for any shadows, he stepped out of the room and motioned for Trouble to follow him. The wolf padded silently ahead, scouting out the back staircase.
Much to her credit, she knew how to sneak out of a building without being heard. That was one thing he didn’t have to teach her. But based on the awkward way she gripped the knife, she’d be more likely to stab herself than anything else. He paused in the kitchen long enough to adjust the handle and give her a brief, wordless demonstration on how to use it.
The aura of dark magic almost threatened to smother him by the time they made it to the stable. He saddled his horse and pulled her up behind him.
At firs
t glance, the streets looked deserted, but he knew better than to trust his eyes. The necromancer had to be close by to cause the twisting in his gut that made him want to double over. He nudged the horse forward, aiming for stealth rather than speed.
A shadow slithered out of the corner of his eye, and he barely had to time tell Trouble to duck before an arrow sailed over their heads. So much for avoiding a confrontation. He dug his heels into the horse’s side.
Another arrow shrieked past him, bathing his cheek in an icy breeze. He veered the horse down a side street toward an open field. Normally, he would have preferred having a wide area to fight, but the three arrows that sank into the side wall of the last building in town reminded him that he’d be a prime target. He pulled on the reins, turning the horse sharply to the left and back toward the main road to Boznac.
Five pairs of glowing red eyes stared back at him from the shadows of the building, the stench of undead filling his nostrils. Trouble’s arm squeezed his waist, easing his own terror and reminding him of his duty. She was his only priority. He urged the horse to run faster as a volley of arrows danced around them.
Strangely enough, no more arrows followed. He listened for the sounds of more hooves but only heard the ones beneath him. Unease knotted his shoulders. It was almost too easy to escape.
The horse’s sides heaved from carrying the weight of both of them during the wild gallop, and he was forced to slow down before he killed the beast. An empty plain dotted with boulders stretched out in front of them under the light of the three moons.
Trouble loosened her grip around his waist. “Do you think we lost them?” His skin still crawled, but he wanted to test her ability to sense dark magic. “What do you think?”
“I can still smell them.”
“What do they smell like?”
She shifted behind him. “Like something even vultures refuse to eat.” He bit back a laugh. “Do you sense anything else?”
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