by Teri Gilbert
Alec watched as they crept down the marble hallway, weapons drawn, then he turned and headed in the other direction. He knew he should go with them, but he had to find Eleni first. Once he had her safely with him, he’d join them in destroying the man who’d stolen so much from the world.
Stephanos’s words accompanied him as he made his way down the corridor. He’d said Eleni was the Trojan Horse. That made sense, in a way. She alone had penetrated the enemy’s defenses in order to destroy him.
Alec racked his brain as he headed toward Eleni’s room. What happened in the myth? Did the ruse succeed? Or were the Trojans defeated?
Eleni strode toward her bedroom door, letter opener at her side, refusing to take another glance at Mallaki’s lifeless body. Nausea bubbled in her stomach. She’d taken a man’s life tonight, and to get out of there safely, she’d likely have to take more. However, next time she’d try using her power first before shedding more blood.
She tugged open the door and stared in disbelief at Zander, who lay on the floor, blood blossoming from a wound on his shoulder. Her power wouldn’t be needed on him. She frowned. From what Mallaki had said, Zander should have been standing guard. Had Mallaki lost his temper and punished Zander again, but said he was there anyway, so she’d feel trapped? Well, she couldn’t wait for Zander to regain consciousness to find out, and judging from the rise and fall of the young man’s chest, he wouldn’t die from his injury.
Lifting the hem of her gown, she prepared to sprint down the hall. A shuffling noise from somewhere behind her grew louder. She spun, letter opener raised.
“I hope you don’t intend to use that on me.”
Her breathing suspended, and she felt like her knees would give out from under her.
Alec. He was alive, standing there just a few yards away.
The impossible had happened.
The dead had returned to life.
Again.
An unexpected surge of emotion caught Alec off guard as Eleni, looking like some sort of spirit in her filmy gown, raced toward him. All thoughts of the battle ahead vanished.
He jogged the last couple of steps and caught her as she leapt into his arms. He buried his head in her hair, inhaling her floral scent, finding strength in her warmth. Swallowing past the constriction in his throat, he reluctantly set her down.
She gingerly touched his cheeks and the corners of his mouth, a look of wonder on her face. “You’re really all right?”
Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded, then cleared his throat and took a step back to study her. Her hair went every which way, and her dress had been torn in several places, but the thing that made him want to cringe was the blast of color across her bodice. Mouth dry, throat tight, he lifted the blood-stained fabric between shaking fingers. “Are you hurt?”
“The blood is Mallaki’s. What about Stephanos? The others?”
“They all survived. What do you mean Mallaki’s?”
“I killed him when he tried to rape me.”
Relief warred with disbelief. “Are you sure he’s dead?”
She glanced down at the blood and made a face. “Yes, I’m sure. I had to do it, Alec. He had to be stopped.”
But how could someone so slight overpower a man like Mallaki, especially if he were intent on rape?
“I-I—” Her eyes fluttered closed for a second. When she opened them, he saw how glassy-eyed and feverish she looked.
He pressed a hand to her forehead. “You’re sick.”
“Yes, yes I am. I’ve consumed too much Siac. It’s making me crazy.” She glanced around with a frantic expression. “Heal me the only way you can, Alec. Make love to me.”
“Eleni, we have to join the others. We’ll have time for this later.”
“I’m sick. I want to help you, but I need you to make love to me, so I don’t get worse.” She kissed him firmly, desperately. “Please, Alec, I need you.”
Her hands fumbled with his belt buckle.
The mere sound of the clasp coming undone inflamed him. “Here?” He scanned the hall. True, there was no one to be seen, but still.
She gave a frustrated sigh.
He remembered Naia and Litsa had ducked into a vacant room to satisfy their Siac-induced lust.
“Yes.” Eleni followed his gaze to a nearby suite, took his hand, and dragged him there. She locked the door behind her, then spun and planted her back against the marble surface. “I need you to make love to me.” She reached beneath her nightgown and with a few wiggling motions, tugged the thong down her curvy legs, over her frost-tipped toenails, and let it drop to the floor. She met his gaze. “I love you, Alec.”
He cupped her face with trembling fingers, then lowered his mouth to hers.
“No.” Her eyes remained frantic. “There isn’t time for that.”
Her reckless behavior was making him crazy. What was she doing? They had to join the fight. But suddenly he couldn’t think. Adrenaline, fear, and relief came together in a surge of need. Blood flowed away from his brain, rushing lower and filling him to the point of bursting. He had to help the others, but Eleni came first. If she said she needed him to make love to her, then he believed her.
On some level, he knew they shouldn’t, but the feel of her...He ran his hands over her shoulders, down her breasts, to her waist. Eleni was all right. All the worry, the anxiety for her safety transformed into burning desire. Besides, he wouldn’t need much time. Judging from Eleni’s actions, neither did she.
Eleni gripped his hand, and shoved it beneath her gown, then upward, skimming the silky flesh of her inner thighs, then higher, until the fabric bunched at her waist and her heated moisture licked his fingers.
An unwanted groan issued from somewhere at the back of his throat. He entered her in one swift motion. She whimpered and clung to him as he took her, up against the door, legs curled around his waist. He felt her tiny contractions pulse around him, then increased his pace, hearing the slap of her bare hips against the marble as he drove her toward the brink.
Suddenly she convulsed, dropping her head forward onto his shoulder and hugging him close to her.
Gripping her hips, he plunged again. “Eleni.” He could hear his love for her in the way he’d said her name as he gave himself over to her.
The sound of footsteps in the hall brought him back to reality. “Eleni, adjust your clothing. We should get moving. They could have found Mallaki’s body. The alarm could sound at any moment.”
When the footsteps passed and the ensuing silence continued, he gestured for Eleni to remain still, then checked the hall. All clear. He motioned her toward him and clasped her hand, was now cool to the touch.
Alec tugged on her hand and spoke in a hushed whisper. “Mallaki’s dead. That will make him a martyr. We have to hurry.”
Chapter 35
Eleni increased her pace, bare feet pattering lightly on the cool stone, and managed to keep up with Alec. With each motion, she could feel the sticky dampness between her legs. Fingers of heat rose from her breasts to her cheeks. She’d acted with such intense wantonness, what must Alec think?
A strange mixture of sounds caught her attention. It reminded her of a pleasant cocktail party that rapidly deteriorated into a crescendo of insults. Within seconds, the thuds and grunts of punches being thrown and bodies slamming against one another reverberated in the hall.
Alec shoved past her and tucked her behind him. “Go.”
“I’m not leaving.” She would not be out of Alec’s sight again.
“I can’t be worried about you and still do my job.”
A wild cry split the air.
Eleni darted past Alec, then planted her hands on her hips and shot him a look to let him know she wasn’t going to budge.
“All right, dammit. Then stay out of the way.” Anger flashed in his eyes, and he ground his teeth in frustration.
A small measure of satisfaction flowed through her. Now all she had to do was prove to Alec she could hold her own.
/> He motioned for her to stay put, then crept into the rotunda while she inched forward. When she reached the corner, she peered around the edge of the corridor into the spacious room. Nothing could have prepared her for this.
An Arnold Schwarzenegger of a man was engaged in what looked like a wrestling match with one of Mallaki’s bodyguards. Both men had their feet planted slightly back from their interlocked bodies. In a violent game of Twister, one man’s arm locked around the other’s waist, while his opponent’s arm grasped him beneath his knee. Their faces were red, and veins bulged in their necks and arms. Eleni found it difficult to discern where one man started and the other ended.
On the opposite side of the room, a thin, muscular woman carrying a spear was kicking some serious butt against two men. The spear was a blur and Eleni heard muffled thumps as the shaft hit home twice. One of the men, face white and pained, yelled “bitch” and charged her, while the other clutched his crotch and dropped to his knees.
A brief smile played across Eleni’s lips. You go, girl.
She glanced down at her nightgown and her bare feet, toenails painted frosty white from her time with Naia and Litsa. Alec was right. She was more of a hindrance than help in this situation.
“You.”
Eleni swiveled, and a sharp pain swept across her brow.
Charissa stood a few feet away wearing the same dress from the party the night before. She clutched her remaining sandal in one hand, while the other hand balled into a tight fist. Charissa drew back the arm holding the second sandal.
Eleni dodged to the side, and the sandal flew overhead.
Before she could straighten, Charissa charged, catching her middle, tumbling them both out of the sheltered corridor and into the rotunda.
Talon-like fingers raked her hair. Eleni bobbed her head, making her miss, only to have Charissa’s nails score her exposed shoulder, leaving a fiery trail Eleni knew would resemble a feline scratch. On her second lunge, Charissa managed to grab hold of a fistful of hair, and yanked. Hard. Eleni bit her tongue as pain radiated down her scalp and upper spine. She would not cry out, no matter the tears that sprang to her eyes. Alec’s attention had to stay focused on the task at hand, not on her.
Eleni curled her hand into a fist and swung. Pain shot across the bridge of her knuckles. She gave an elated cry as she made contact with Charissa’s model-perfect cheekbone.
Charissa’s shocked expression slowly turned into one of fury. “How dare you.”
Anger distorted Charissa’s mouth as she jutted her head toward the sound of the fighting, which grew louder and closer with every passing moment. “You’re the cause of all this.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Eleni spotted Alec engaged in a fight with someone nearly twice his size.
Charissa took a step closer. “I warned Mallaki you were smart, but he wouldn’t listen.” Her voice shook, and she raised a fist, the uppercut coming dangerously close to Eleni’s jaw. “All this could have been mine, but he chose you.”
“And now he’s dead.”
That stopped Charissa in her tracks. “You lie.”
Eleni gestured toward the dried blood staining her nightgown. “It’s not mine.”
“You bitch.” Red faced and shaking in total fury, Charissa charged again. “You’ve ruined everything.”
This time Eleni was ready. She darted to her left and felt a swoosh of cold air near her head as Charissa failed to make contact. She raised her head as Charissa’s momentum carried her forward.
Horror knotted Eleni’s stomach. Her cousin careened out of control toward the plate-glass windows. “Charissa.” She lunged toward her cousin and managed to grab a hold of her dress. A loud renting sound filled the air as the whisper-thin fabric gave way, dropping Eleni face first to the floor.
Charissa gave a little squeak as her shoulder struck the window.
Eleni raised her head.
Already weakened by an end-to-end jagged crack, the window gave way, showering shards of glass in every direction.
Charissa flailed her arms, trying desperately to regain her balance. Their eyes locked for one brief moment before Charissa toppled over the side with a wild cry.
Heart slamming against her chest, Eleni dashed to the shattered window, a piece of Charissa’s dress still clutched between her fingers.
Her cousin lay sprawled on the sharp rocks below. Eleni turned away, stomach lurching. When the nausea passed, she squared her shoulders. Charissa had gotten what she’d deserved. She had to get to Alec. Her chest tightened when she spotted him, still engaged in a battle with one of Mallaki’s men. Alec stumbled to the side, took a fist to his stomach. He seemed exhausted.
She had to do something to help. They hadn’t made it to the magnifier, which appeared to be unguarded. She sprinted in that direction.
If Mallaki and his people were able to use it for their own devices, why couldn’t she?
Chapter 36
Alec ducked, then struck out again, fist tightened into a knot. Nothing but air. He’d missed the jaw of his target, another WWF ‘roid boy, by several inches. Instead, he struck a muscular ridge along his opponent’s broad chest.
Damn, that hurt. He’d be a sore puppy come tomorrow. If he made it that long.
The man cracked a smile, then brushed Alec’s hand away as if it were no more than a pesky fly.
Alec didn’t care. At this point, his goal was to stay alive and destroy the amplifier. He had no illusions he’d be walking away pain-free.
Alec sidestepped the meaty fist flying toward him, and got in a quick jab to the man’s kidney. Mr. WWF stumbled and doubled over with a grunt.
Alec clamped his hands together and thumped him on the back. The man went down on one knee, then glared up at him. The look in this guy’s eyes said he was a dead man.
“You’ll pay for that.” He rose and swung to the right.
Alec fell for the oldest trick in the book, and lurched in the opposite direction.
Game over.
All he could do was watch as large knuckles came hurling toward him. Instinct closed his eyes at the last moment.
But the punch never landed. When he was fairly certain it wasn’t going to, Alec cracked open his eyes. The man took a few stumbling steps backward, then shook his head from side to side, as if dazed.
He crashed to the floor, striking his head with an audible thud on the hard marble surface, then went still.
“Jules?” Alec scoured the area in front of him, looking for anything out of the ordinary. There was no one else it could be, unless someone on Mallaki’s team had switched sides.
Jules materialized in front of him, hat in hand. Blood spattered the front of his shirt. His knuckles were pretty messed up, and a jagged cut ran the length of his forearm, from elbow to wrist. He held his hat in hand and wore a triumphant grin.
Alec inclined his head. “Nice hook.”
“Anytime.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Now watch my back, so I can keep you in the game.” Alec immediately got to the task of mending Jules’s more serious injuries first, then focused on the smaller ones.
Jules ran a thumb over his repaired knuckles. “Thanks.”
“How’s everyone else?”
“Kicking ass. But Adara could use a little healing. So could Quinn, though he’d smash me in the mouth for suggesting it.”
“I’ll take care of it. Have you seen Stephanos or Adrian?”
“They’re on the north side, keeping the others out. So far, for being outnumbered, we’re holding our own.”
“Could be with their leader dead, they aren’t all that motivated.”
“Mallaki’s dead? How?”
“Eleni. Come on.” He clapped Jules on the back. “Let’s destroy the amplifier and get the hell out of here.”
They turned in unison to find six of Mallaki’s men blocking their way.
Lifting the hem of her dress, Eleni sped across the cold floor to the control panel and flicked a switch
. She’d trained herself not to overuse her power, but now she willed her gift forward. She could feel the prickle of energy gathering in the pit of her stomach. This could work. She would make it work.
Blocking out the sounds of the battle surrounding her, Eleni concentrated on what she would do, what she would say, allowing the strange power to build inside her. When she felt it was enough, she headed to Mallaki’s podium, cleared her throat once to test the system, then spoke directly into the microphone.
“I want you to listen carefully.” The words seemed to echo strangely in her ears. Magnification due to the amplifier, or something else?
“Dorian Mallaki’s people—the time has come to stop fighting. Lay down your arms.”
At Eleni’s words, the man directly in front of Alec dropped his weapon and stood there, lips slightly ajar.
Alec stared in disbelief. Was that drool sliding down the corner of his mouth?
“What are you waiting for?” Adrian’s voice carried from halfway across the room.
Alec hesitated. He couldn’t very well kill an unarmed man, could he? Then he saw it, a glimmer of life returning to the man’s dull gaze. Alec stepped to his opponent’s side, then thumped him on the back of the neck. The man’s eyes rolled into his head, and he folded to the floor.
Jules administered a similar blow to the man directly in front of him. They continued around the room and made quick work of the remaining men in their general vicinity.
Eleni repeated her directive several times, but each was increasingly less effective. More and more of Mallaki’s men and women resumed fighting. Eleni had given them a much-needed break, but they were running out of time. How long could they continue like this?
“Well, well. You’re much smarter than I gave you credit for.”
Eleni’s blood chilled at the familiar voice. It couldn’t be. She slowly turned. Icy prickles traveled up and down her spine as her eyes confirmed the impossible.
