Had he allowed her to capture him? That seemed like the only explanation that made sense. But why would he have done such a thing?
So many questions and none of them could be answered. Strider made a mental note to call Torin and ask the keeper of Disease to work some computer magic, see what he could dig up. Beyond a doubt, something was going on here.
“You can’t do anything to me, warrior.” In control of herself once more, Juliette smiled that smug smile. “Not without casting blame on Kaia. Everyone will see her as the weak loser she really is.” A dramatic pause before she continued in a singsong voice, “Again.”
Exactly what Kaia had once told him. He had believed her, but had discarded the importance of her feelings in light of his own goals. He still did—life and death trumped bruised emotions every time. But now, he was pissed.
Win, Defeat said on a low snarl.
Strider knew what his demon wanted. My pleasure. Before the games ended, Strider was going to “do anything” to Juliette, without having blame cast on Kaia. Challenge issued, challenge accepted.
That was the very reason he’d needed to stay away from the woman, but he wasn’t sorry he’d approached. He was glad. The bitch would pay for everything she’d said today, as well as everything she’d done in the past.
“We’ll see,” he said with a grin of his own. His list of accepted challenges was adding up. Protecting Kaia from other Harpies—a challenge he’d nearly lost, would have lost, if she hadn’t recovered from her injuries. Because she had, because of his blood, he was still in the running. Acquiring the Paring Rod—a work in progress. And now this, destroying Juliette.
“Yes, we will see,” Juliette replied. “Oh, and warrior. You should know something. If the Rod is stolen from me, or if I’m injured before the games end, Kaia will be killed. My clan is very eager to act.”
Trying to tie his hands, and damn, she was doing a good job. How could he keep Kaia safe from an entire Harpy army? A cold sweat broke out over his skin at the thought.
The singing stopped, at last.
Absolute silence suddenly reigned, as if everyone was too afraid to even breathe for fear the noise would jump-start another tune. But, no. Footsteps echoed, and then Kaia was tugging a chair to the table.
“Strider,” she said tightly.
“Baby doll,” he replied, hoping his fear was masked.
“Thank the gods,” Juliette said, amusement never wavering. “Your singing was terrible. My eardrums needed a break.”
Strider cupped Kaia’s nape and massaged. Steady. “I thought she sounded lovely.”
Kaia’s chin lifted. “Thank you.”
“Seriously, baby doll. I could listen to you for hours more.” But please don’t make me.
Defeat might have whimpered.
“That’s because you’re a man of good taste.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
The imprint her mouth left behind burned deliciously and he barely restrained the urge to reach up and stroke the mark. When she began to pull away, he tightened his grip on her and held her in place. He liked having her nearby. Especially now, with Juliette’s threat ringing in his already suffering ears.
Kaia watched him for a moment, confusion curtaining her delicate features. Then she schooled her expression to reveal only bored expectancy and turned back to her nemeses. He was happy to note Juliette had watched the tender exchange, fury building in her lavender eyes.
“I second the motion. Listening to that was pure pleasure,” Lazarus said, speaking up for only the second time. Before, his voice had been deep, almost unremarkable. Now it was hypnotic. Sexual. “Kaia the…Strongest, isn’t it?”
Strider gripped the hilt of the dagger sheathed at his side. Bye-bye, minute dulling. Hello, renewed, even more powerful hate. Talk to her like that again. I dare you.
Juliette laughed. “Is that what she called herself? The Strongest?”
Twin spots of pink painted Kaia’s cheeks. “And you’re Lazarus the Tampon, aren’t you?” Juliette sputtered.
Lazarus merely blinked. “I had heard that is how you and your sisters speak of me, and for so very long I have wanted to ask why you refer to me as a woman’s hygiene product. Because I made you bleed?”
Now Kaia was the one to sputter. “Just…you…learn to take an insult the right way, damn it!”
He inclined his head in agreement. “I will endeavor to please you, of course.”
Strider and Juliette experienced the same reaction to the bastard’s words. Irritation. As evidenced by the fact that they both jumped to their feet. Her chair skidded out behind her. His remained between his legs. Amun and Sabin drew closer to him. Kaia—still perched in her chair—shoved them backward, clearly intent on being Strider’s shield. And sword.
Lazarus rose, too. “So. This is go time, as the humans say?” No concern had entered his tone.
“This—” Juliette began harshly.
“I’ve been meaning to chat with you about something important, Julie,” Kaia said, cutting her off.
“Juliette.” Lavender eyes darkened to a deep violet. “My name is Juliette the Eradicator. You will address me with the proper respect.”
“Whatever. It’s a shame you can’t fight in the games. One would almost think you accepted the leadership position because you feared competing.”
A gasp of outrage. Black bleeding in that gaze, removing any hint of color. “I accepted the leadership position so that I could finally—”
“No,” Lazarus said with so much force the bar’s walls actually shook. “Enough.”
Finally. A glimpse of his power. And oh, yes. Something was definitely up there.
Juliette paled, cleared her throat. “What I meant to say was that something can be arranged. You want to fight me, we’ll fight. But really, even if you don’t want to, you’ll end up doing so. You challenged me all those years ago, but I was never allowed to respond.”
“Because you were too chicken?”
“First,” the bitch growled, “we had to recover from the damage you caused.”
“Me? What about him?” She jerked her thumb at Lazarus.
“You know the answer to that. He acted only because of your actions. Now zip your mouth and listen. Second, we had to replenish our numbers, so killing another Harpy outside the games was forbidden. Third, your mother would have declared war against my people.” Fury faded, replaced by more of that smug superiority. “But none of those things stand in our way anymore.”
Kaia flinched at the reminder of her mother’s denunciation.
Juliette pulled a necklace from her shirt and fingering the wooden medallion hanging on the chain. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
There was no hiding the trembling of Kaia’s chin as she eyed the medallion. “I’ve seen better.”
That’s my girl. Clearly, seeing the necklace hurt her and Juliette knew why. Now he wanted to know why. Still, that was his baby doll. Always had to have the last word, no matter what. He couldn’t fault her for that, was actually proud of her. Aroused by her.
He’d always thought this aspect of her personality was dangerous to him, and it was—but damn, when she turned it on other people, he wanted to pound on his chest like a Neanderthal. Maybe carry her back to his cave and have his wicked way with her.
Maybe? Ha! He wanted to dominate this female no one else could control. The female who scratched everyone else, but treated him to the tenderest of caresses.
Before Juliette could work up a stinging response, every Harpy in the building, even Kaia, stopped what she was doing and frowned.
“What?” Strider asked, concerned.
No answer was forthcoming. In unison, the females withdrew their cell phones. Kaia read the backlit screen and stiffened.
“The next location has been revealed,” she said, her tone devoid of emotion. “We have twenty-four hours to get there.”
Juliette chuckled. Though she was leader, she’d checked her phone, too. Shouldn’t she already kno
w where they were headed? “Poor Kaia has a very tough decision to make, doesn’t she?” she murmured, and then called, “Let’s move out, team.”
At long last, the Eagleshields and their consorts, Lazarus included, stomped out of the bar. Juliette lingered in the doorway, smiling over at Kaia. “Too bad you won’t be able to hide behind your men this time, huh?” With that, she slipped into the sunlight.
“What’s going on?” Strider demanded, forcing her to face him. Why did Juliette seem to think he couldn’t go?
“We have to leave,” she whispered, agonized.
We. Good. “I’ll get my things.”
“No.” She shook her head, hair gliding over her shoulders, his hands, her gaze never quite meeting his. “We. Meaning me and my sisters. Juliette was right. You and your friends can’t come.”
Like hell. “Why? Where are you—we—going?”
A sigh shuddered from her. “The Odynia. Better known as Hera’s Garden of Goodbyes, since she used the place to get rid of her opposition without ever having to raise a hand against them. Of course, Rhea’s in charge of it now, so I guess she’ll be our hostess there.”
Rhea, the Titan god queen and true leader of the Hunters. Far more dangerous, far more powerful, than Galen could ever hope to be. If Strider attended this portion of the games he’d most likely walk right into a trap. If he stayed behind, Kaia could be hurt, and he’d be unable to reach her and help her heal.
No way in hell, he thought.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE STUPID MAN WOULDN’T stop following her!
Getting away from Strider had been easy. Letting his demon “win” hadn’t. After dropping the Rhea bombshell, Kaia had requested a private moment to talk with him. And by talk, she’d let him assume she meant to kiss him senseless.
They’d stepped outside the bar, the cool air wrapping around her and freezing her already chilled blood. Then, before Strider could utter a word, she’d planted a swift kiss on his gorgeous lips—unfortunately not leaving him senseless—and challenged him to stay put for one hour. Oh, and he had to keep Sabin and Lysander by his side.
The savage fury he had radiated as she collected Bianka and Gwen and walked away…the way he’d tackled Sabin and Lysander when the two tried to follow…the feral way he’d fought them…
She would never forget. She’d almost turned around a thousand times, wanting so badly to beg his forgiveness and plead with him to join her. She’d used his demon against him, something she’d never wanted to do. And to do so after they’d kissed so spectacularly, when they’d finally turned onto the right road, headed in the right direction, gods. Only thoughts of Rhea and the goddess’s vicious nature stopped her. Kaia couldn’t keep her mind on the prize and protect Strider at the same time. Hunters could be lying in wait at the Odynia even then, ready to take his head.
At all costs, she had to protect Strider. She needed him more than she needed air to breathe. And he’d been softening toward her. Wanting more from her. He’d kissed her in full view of everyone. Kissed her down and dirty, like they were about to make love. Like he couldn’t get enough of her. Like she was a drug he’d been denied for too long. Then he’d called her baby doll and petted her like a treasured companion.
She had ruined everything by challenging him rather than talking to him, and the knowledge made her stomach cramp. But there’d been no time to explain or convince him of the merits of her plan. Team Kaia only had twenty-four hours—nineteen now—to reach Rhea’s garden in the heavens, but to do so, they had to first reach the portal the god queen had opened.
With Taliyah and Neeka scouting ahead, Kaia and the rest of her ladies made their way to the wintry wonder-land of Alaska. Alaska, the homeland of the Skyhawks, and the location of the makeshift portal—a location chosen in honor of the first contest winner.
Their destination? A forgotten stretch of land between two specific mountains. They left no footprints, disguised their scents and stayed completely out of sight. Just in case another team thought to hamper their progress.
However, nothing hampered the determined men on their trail.
“We’re going to have to hobble them,” Gwen said, mist forming in front of her face. She hopped from the top of one ice-covered tree to another, strawberry-blond locks blowing behind her.
A suggestion from Gwennie, the nice one. “No,” Kaia said, jumping to a new tree herself, her wings fluttering beneath her white faux fur coat. That would cause Strider to lose and she couldn’t bear the thought of him being laid low, writhing in pain for days, and weakened as a result. It would make him an easy target for Juliette. “The portal will close at 8:01 tomorrow morning. We’ll dive through just before it closes, and then they won’t be able to follow us.”
“That’s risky,” Bianka said from directly behind her. The limb swayed under their combined weight. Slight though it still was. “We might be too late to enter ourselves and we can’t afford to be disqualified from a competition. If we are, we’ll be out for good with no hope of winning third place, much less first prize.”
Damn it. Consorts were supposed to make life easier, not more complicated. Kaia paused, scrubbed a hand down her chilled face, suddenly so weary she just wanted to collapse. She hadn’t slept in days, not really. First she’d been too busy healing, and then she’d been too busy worrying about possible sneak attacks. “Can you think of any other way to pull this off without hurting our men?”
There was a whistle of air, unnatural, causing her ears to twitch. It was a sound Kaia recognized very well, and dread washed through her.
They were about to be ambushed.
“Duck!” she shouted, tugging Bianka down with her. The branch shook, but just over their heads, an arrow embedded in the trunk. The scent of avocado and salt hit her nose and she cringed.
“I broke a goddamn nail!” Gwen shouted, more pissed than Kaia had heard her since her bridezilla days.
Kaia sniffed the air, discovered remnants of sweat and fear. Harpies had not loosed that arrow; humans had. Though she would bet big money Harpies had paid the humans to do so. How else would they have known to use arrowheads carved from the pit of an avocado and dipped in salt rather than bullets? How would they have known that combined, the substances weakened a Harpy’s heart for weeks, no matter where she was hit?
Or, if not hired by Harpies, they’d been hired by Rhea herself, since Kaia and company were friends of the Lords. As one of the humans drew the string on his bow taut, Kaia caught sight of the figure eight tattooed on the inside of his wrist. The symbol of Infinity. The symbol of the Hunters.
With Strider, Sabin and Lysander nearby… Damn it. She didn’t want Strider anywhere near these sick bastards. And maybe that’s why the Hunters had been sent. Either to take out the boys, or to take out the girls dating them.
Not that they’d succeed.
“They were lying in wait, and you know how I hate when people lie in wait,” Bianka growled, dropping her bag of clothes and supplies. There was a puff as the heavy nylon landed in the snow. “Gotta do a little punishing.”
“Yeah.” In quick succession, six more arrows slammed into her tree, each closer than the last. She withdrew two daggers, found her targets, tossed one, then the other. There was a grunt, a scream. “Save me one, will you?” she asked, dropping her bag beside her twin’s.
“Hell, no. It’s your turn to save one for me.”
“Do it anyway and I’ll stop calling you the Heavenly Hills Ho.” Kaia blew her a kiss before dropping…falling…landing in a crouch with only the slightest jarring. Little snowflakes floated around her as she swiftly scanned her surroundings. She counted fifty-three Hunters, most still on the ground, bows cocked and ready.
“You fight dirty, Kye,” Bianka called from just behind her. “But you’ve got yourself a deal.”
She chuckled, happy she wouldn’t have to control herself. More arrows peppered the trees, still far too close for comfort. Her Harpy squawked for release. Kaia didn’t even t
ry to hold the little sweetie back. Her sisters knew what to do, knew how to stay out of harm’s way. Instantly her vision tunneled to black, little dots of red becoming her focus. Body heat.
Her mouth watered for a taste of blood.
These men would hurt Strider if given a chance, and so these men would die. Painfully. She grinned as she unfolded herself, climbing to her feet.
“There, she’s there!” someone shouted.
“I see her!”
A second later, arrows soared toward her. She watched them—six of them, moving so slowly. One by one, she caught them, looked them over and threw them down. They weren’t very fun toys.
“Well, did you see that? Impossible!”
Kaia leapt into action. One blink, and she was in the midst of the humans. She danced through them, claws slashing, fangs ripping. The sweet taste of blood slid down her throat. Soon, screams of pain and pleas for mercy echoed all around her.
Mercy? What was mercy? She knew not the word. The only word she knew was more. She needed more. More screams, more blood. She slashed with more fervor, bit with more enthusiasm. La la la, this was so much fun. Oh, look. She knew other words. So much fun. Bones made the most delightful sound when they broke. And when skin ripped, the most magnificent lullaby was created. Scream, scream, plea. Scream, scream, plea. La la la.
All too soon, the bodies stopped rising. The screams and pleas died. There were no more bones to break, no more skin to tear. No more lullabies. Kaia stilled, frowned. But…but…she wanted more. Why couldn’t she have more?
In, out she breathed—and caught the scent of cinnamon. Cinnamon equaled Strider.
Strider.
Her Strider.
Her sexy, irreverent consort who called her baby doll.
The Harpy squawked and, sated, calmed by Strider, retreated to the back of her mind.
Kaia blinked into focus. She was panting, she realized, sweat coating her skin. No, not sweat. Blood. Blood and…other things.
“Nice to have you back, sister dear,” Bianka said, slapping her on the shoulder in a job well done. “As promised, I pulled one aside and saved him for you.”
The Darkest Surrender (Hqn) Page 24
