by Anna Hackett
Neve released a breath. She guessed dead people were more effective than a No Trespassing sign.
Finally, a hillock of tumbled rocks appeared. The Solitude Oasis.
There were more bones strung up around the place, and as she and Corsair slowed their morlochs, she spotted an indented white area adjacent to the rocks. She realized it had to be the dried-up remains of the former oasis pool.
Wind howled through the rocks, picking up dust and sand. Several cave entrances loomed in a sinister fashion. The place was eerie as hell.
They dismounted, and Neve pulled her staff off her back. She didn’t like the feel of this place. All around them, more bones lay, dotted on the sand like some sort of macabre artwork.
Movement caught Neve’s eye. Ahead, a woman stepped out of one of the cave entrances. She stood still in the shade, waiting for them.
The desert witch.
She had a curvy body covered in golden skin. Her long, brown hair was matted in long, stringy strands, almost like dreadlocks. Her breasts were covered in what looked like a twisted metal bra, and a brown weave of fabric circled her hips. On her head, she wore an elaborate headdress of bones, and a huge, glowing, orange jewel sat in the center of her chest, just below her breasts.
“Who dares to enter my home?” The witch’s voice was almost musical.
“Corsair of the desert.” Corsair stepped forward. “And this is Neve.”
“We’re after a map,” Neve said. “To Zaabha.”
“We heard you have one,” Corsair added.
The witch’s eyes flashed a bright orange color and she tilted her head, studying them slyly. “And why would I just hand over a map to you?”
“We’ll trade.” Corsair patted the pack on his back. “Money, food—”
The witch waved a hand. “What use do I have for money or food?”
The woman’s sly voice skidded down Neve’s spine. She really hated this.
Silence fell. Corsair didn’t seem worried, he just waited patiently.
“I have the map,” the witch said suddenly. “I’ll give it to you…”
Neve’s heart leaped.
“…if you pass my trial.”
Now, Neve’s belly solidified with pure dread.
“What trial?” Corsair’s fingers curled around his bandolier. It was a casual move, but Neve noticed that it put his hand right near the hilt of his knife.
“This one.” The witch flung her arm forward, a bone flying through the air toward them.
Neve tensed, waiting for the strike, but all of a sudden, the sand around them flew straight up into the air. The wind howled, and they were instantly engulfed by a sandstorm.
She flung her arm up, covering her eyes. The wind tore at her, a loud roar in her ears. She felt the sand blasting against her, stinging her skin.
Arms wrapped around her, and she knew it was Corsair. He pulled her close and yanked her hood up over her head.
“We need to get to one of the caves,” he shouted.
Together, they pushed against the sandstorm. She wasn’t even sure they were headed in the right direction.
On the next step, Neve’s feet sank deeply into the sand. What the fuck? She took another step, and sank to her knees.
“Corsair!”
He was cursing, and she tried to pull herself out of the quicksand, but she was still sinking. The witch’s gleeful chuckle swirled in the wind.
In moments, the sand was up to Neve’s thighs.
“Don’t fight it!” he yelled.
She tried to stay calm, but any movement to free herself just made her sink more. Soon, they were both waist-deep in sand.
She reached out and grabbed Corsair’s hand. His fingers tangled with hers.
The sand reached their necks. Deep amber eyes locked on hers, and her gut cramped. He was a good man who didn’t deserve to die here like this. He’d only been trying to help her.
Neve kicked her legs, fighting the sand. She wouldn’t let Corsair or herself die, because some bitch of a witch wanted to play games with them.
Suddenly, they both dropped down. Neve tried to scream as the sand covered her head and sand filled her mouth.
Then, she was falling through the air. The next instant, she landed on a solid, rock floor, pain flaring in her knees and hip. Ouch. She spat out the sand, coughed, and gulped in some stale air.
Corsair landed heavily beside her with a loud grunt.
Groaning, Neve pushed up on her hands and knees. Around them, trickles of sand still fell from overhead. Corsair rose on one knee, clearly assessing their surroundings.
They were in a cave. The walls were made of jagged, dark rock, and random bones and entire skeletons lay everywhere. In the center of the space sat a dirty pool of water, with some sort of steam rising off it. No, not steam. It was a misty smoke, with an unnatural, faint-green tinge.
There was a body floating in the pool, and it was then Neve spotted several more bodies, pinned to the walls by bone shards.
Gruesome. Someone needed a decorator.
From somewhere, Neve heard moaning. Jesus. Some of them were still alive?
“Welcome to my humble home.” The witch appeared at the end of the cavern, sauntering toward them with a mesmerizing sway of hips. Her gaze locked on Neve. “You will do nicely as additions to my collection.”
Neve pushed to her feet and stood beside Corsair. “Sorry, I’m busy.”
“You can’t have her,” Corsair said.
The witch’s orange gaze narrowed. “I can have whatever and whoever I want.” She lifted a bone and pointed it at Neve.
Corsair stepped in front of her, blocking the witch’s view. “You can’t have her, because she’s mine.”
Damn the man. Neve spotted her staff on the ground and snatched it up. She fought back the bloom of warmth in her chest that sprouted, knowing he wanted to protect her. He clearly needed a reminder that she could look after herself.
Suddenly, the witch flicked her hand. There was a whizz of sound and Neve’s head jerked up.
A wave of bone projectiles rocketed toward them. She didn’t have time to react. Corsair shifted to protect her again, and the projectiles slammed into his body.
Horrified, she watched the force of the darts slam him back against the stone wall. The projectiles had embedded in the stone, pinning him to the wall.
“No!” Neve cried out.
Chapter 8
The pain was excruciating. Corsair gritted his teeth, fighting through the burning in his chest and stomach where the projectiles had torn into him. The drakking spikes had passed right through him, pinning him to the wall.
He saw Neve nearby, her gaze glued to the witch.
The desert woman stepped up beside him, then reached out to almost daintily touch some of his blood. The ends of her fingers were tipped with nails filed to sharp, claw-like points. She lifted her hand and licked off his blood. Flames flickered in her eyes.
He’d underestimated her. Most desert witches were benign hermits, but this one was different.
Whatever species she was, she could manipulate energy. He glanced down, looking at the glowing stone on her chest. He’d thought it was attached to her outfit, but now he saw that it was embedded into her skin. What the hell was it?
She pressed her palm to his gut, and pain exploded through him. It felt like she was pulling his insides out. The stone on her chest glowed, so bright it nearly blinded him.
She threw her head back. “You’re a strong one.”
Horror shifted through him. He’d heard whispers of beings like her. Beings that fed off the energy of other living creatures.
From the side, Neve charged forward, her staff swinging between the witch and Corsair knocking the witch’s hand away with a solid blow. The witch stumbled back, releasing her hold on him.
The woman snarled, and then her mouth curved into a nasty, smug smirk. “Lucky for me, your arrival was most fortuitous. My current offering is dying, and I am in need of a new
one.” Her gaze drifted to the body floating in the water.
Corsair glanced over, and saw the body was now floating on its side. Oh drak, the poor woman was still alive.
Then Neve sucked in a sharp breath. “Dayna.”
What? Corsair blinked through his pain, and took in the waterlogged brown hair and the long limbs. Galen had shown him a picture of the woman, and he could see now that it was Dayna Caplan.
“She was supposed to be at Zaabha,” he said hoarsely.
“How do you think I know the location of the arena?” The witch smiled again. “I often trade there for new offerings.”
“Victims,” he snapped.
The witch shrugged, unconcerned.
“Well, today,” Neve said, “you’re going to be less a couple of victims.” She moved into a fighting stance.
Corsair’s gut tightened. Drak, she was going to get herself killed.
The witch’s gaze narrowed on Neve. “You want the map to Zaabha?” She lifted a hand. A carved stone was nestled in one palm.
Corsair couldn’t make out all the engravings, but there was definitely something etched into it.
“I’ll give it to you.” The desert witch smiled coldly. “All you have to do, is take it and leave.”
He watched as Neve froze, her gaze glued to the stone.
“Go and rescue whoever it is you care about at Zaabha.” The witch’s voice dropped, low and tempting. “If they are still alive in that terrible place. You don’t have time to hesitate.”
Something in Corsair went still. He looked at Neve, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. He swallowed. The map was all she wanted. Her one driving goal was to save her sister.
He wanted to believe that they’d forged a bond over the last few days, but he knew Neve and her sister had a bond forged in the fires of their childhood.
Still, when she stepped forward, lowering her staff, his chest constricted. She reached for the stone.
The witch relinquished the map, and Neve’s hand closed around it. Without a single hesitation, or look at Corsair, she turned and strode out.
He felt a tearing pain inside, like he was being ripped in two. This agony was far worse than the bone spikes sticking into him.
He’d rolled the dice with Neve, and he’d lost.
Now, he was all alone. Long-buried memories peppered him—the sensation of being torn from the only home he knew. The abandonment, the fear, the loneliness.
His head dropped to his chest, the witch’s maniacal laughter echoing off the walls around him.
Outside in the sunshine, Neve tucked the map stone into her pocket.
She needed a plan…to rescue Corsair and Dayna. Think, think, think.
She squeezed her eyes closed. She knew it was a suicide mission, but there was no way in hell she was going to leave the two of them to the witch.
Dragging in a deep breath, she looked up and scanned the sand around her before letting out a frustrated breath. She couldn’t do this alone, but the one time she was ready to ask for help, there was no one around.
A screech echoed from high above, and she glanced up to see Rogue circling overhead. She held out her staff, and the huge shrike landed on it.
“Hey, boy.” She gently stroked his feathers. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him back.”
Rogue ducked his head, rubbing against her hand.
Damn, her desert rogue. Corsair had gone and made her start falling for him. It felt like an actual punch to the gut, and she doubled over. She wasn’t quite ready to use the L word. God, just the thought of it made her throat go dry.
Okay. So, she was falling for the guy. She could do this, but first, she had to save him.
“I’ve got to get them out, Rogue.” She shifted her staff until the desert bird was perched on top of it. Fumbling through her pockets, she found what she needed. She scrawled a quick note, rolled it up, then tied it to Rogue’s leg.
“Go get help, Rogue. Go. Fly fast.” The bird launched itself into the air, and soon was little more than a smudge in the sky.
She took a deep breath, then swung her staff up to her shoulder. She flicked her hood over her head and snuck back into the cave.
I’m so sorry, Ever, but he needs me.
Stealthily, using every ounce of the skills that had been embedded into her over the years, Neve crept into the cave. She crouched behind some rocks, and caught a glimpse of Corsair, still pinned to the wall ahead. She breathed soundlessly through her nose, taking in the blood soaking his clothes. His chin was pressed to his chest, and she wondered if his body was trying to heal around the bone shards stuck inside him.
A quick scan of the cave revealed the witch nearby, standing by a stone bench, mixing horrid-smelling potions. She had several bowls and bottles on the surface, all filled with different colored liquids.
Neve darted out from her hiding spot and moved closer, crouching behind some rocks strewn with bones. Corsair lifted his head, and his gaze met Neve’s.
Something crossed his face, but all Neve could see was the pain. I’m coming, pirate.
Neve took a step forward, and the witch’s head snapped up. Shock crossed her features, then she let out an angry screech.
Not stopping to think, Neve exploded into action, leading with her staff. She hit the woman, driving her back.
The witch lifted a hand, but Neve was already swinging again. The bone in the witch’s hand went flying. Neve whipped her staff around and jammed the end into the woman’s belly, sending her sprawling onto her stone bench. The witch crashed through her potions. Glass vials smashed, falling onto the stone floor.
Neve crouched, holding her staff ready.
The witch rose, hissing. Sand swirled around her.
“Neve.” Corsair’s pain-filled voice. “Watch out behind you.”
His shout made her spin. A collection of bones lying on top of a nearby boulder had begun to rattle, bouncing noisily. As they arrowed in her direction, she ducked and rolled across the floor.
She came up close to the witch. As she slammed her staff once more into the woman, the witch went down. Neve realized that the witch relied on whatever the hell her abilities were, not her physical strength. She wasn’t trained to fight.
Neve lunged again, staff whirling, and this time the witch dropped to the ground, scrambling across the floor.
The woman lifted a hand and flung it toward Neve. More bone projectiles appeared out of nowhere, flying at Neve. She spun away, but one hit her shoulder, and she cried out.
As she stumbled back, she slapped one hand to her shoulder, clutching her staff with the other. Gritting her teeth, she didn’t take her eyes off her opponent.
The witch rose, confident now. “You should have left when I gave you the chance.”
“He’s mine.” Neve’s gaze went past the witch and locked on Corsair’s amber eyes. His eyelids were lowered, and she had no idea how alert he was.
The witch made an angry sound. “He’s mine now.”
“No.” Neve reached up and gripped the bone stuck in her shoulder. Pain flared, but she used it, and yanked out the shard.
The witch grinned and advanced on Corsair.
She wasn’t going to touch him again. Neve glanced at Corsair, and realized she’d risk everything to save her man. She channeled her anger into her attack.
Neve leaped into the air, her hair brushing the ceiling. She aimed for the witch.
Time to get what you deserve. She swung her staff.
The end of her staff smashed directly into the stone in the center of the witch’s chest. The jewel cracked, then shattered.
The desert witch let out a godawful howl. She flew backward, scrabbling at her chest with her clawlike nails, then landed in her dirty pool with a splash.
She landed beside Dayna, setting the human woman’s body rocking gently.
“Jesus.” Neve hurried forward. The witch didn’t move, her body sinking down beneath the surface.
Neve dropped her staff on the floor and jum
ped into the pool. The water was deep, but her toes touched the bottom and she pushed herself up. Dayna was floating facedown beside her, and Neve grabbed the unconscious woman. Kicking hard, she dragged Dayna to the edge of the pool, then heaving, she managed to pull Dayna onto the stone floor. Neve knelt down and pressed a finger to the woman’s neck. She had a pulse. She was alive.
Neve stood, and spun to face Corsair. Now, it was time to help her man.
Chapter 9
Neve had come back. Corsair lifted his head, drowsily feeling his body going into the healing stasis.
She was here, fighting the witch.
He wrenched uselessly against the bones holding him and groaned at the pain.
Then, Neve cupped his face. “Hey, take it easy.”
He glanced past her and watched as the witch disappeared beneath the surface of the pool. “Good…job.”
She grinned at him, then gripped one bone shard. Without warning him, she yanked it out.
“Ahhh!”
“I’m sorry, pirate. Just a couple more.”
More? Swiftly, she yanked the other bones out of his body. When she pulled out the last one, he pitched forward.
But Neve was prepared and caught him, taking nearly all of his weight.
“Easy.” She lowered them both to their knees.
Corsair lifted his head. He raised a shaky hand, cupped her cheek, and yanked her in for a kiss. Long, slow, and thorough.
“Why did you come back?” he asked.
She stilled, and he slid a hand into her hair, forcing her gaze to stay on his.
“Because it was the right thing to do.”
“Is that all?”
Her eyes flashed. “No, damn you. Somehow, you made me feel…made me start…”
“Come on, Neve. You can do it.”
She scowled at him. “You made me start falling in love with you.”
