by Rosalie Redd
He moved closer and gripped her hands, the skin on skin contact like a drug to him. “Mauree.”
Grinding his teeth, he fought his inner beast who wanted to do exactly what she wanted. “Tell me…where is Jakar’s hideout.” There was no way he’d tell her Ram was still alive. He could play this game just as well.
Her eyes bore into his. “Let me out, and I’ll tell you.” The warmth of her breath teased the skin on his clean-shaven face.
“Tell me, and I’ll let you out.” What he’d do with her then, he wasn’t sure, but his beast had ideas.
She closed her eyes, parted her lips, and whispered. “Too bad you’re nothing like Noeh.”
The mention of the king’s name brought reality rushing back with a wallop. He pushed away from the cell. Raw energy burned through his veins, hot and fast. She’d been after Noeh for centuries, and they were all lucky Noeh hadn’t selected Mauree as queen.
“Nice try.” His ragged breaths were loud in the empty corridor. “You’re fortunate the king hasn’t authorized torture to drag the information out of you.”
She stepped back into the darkness of her cell. Moistness made her eyes sparkle in the meager light. She grabbed the book, riffling the pages with the edge of her finger.
“Find anything in these precious books of yours, yet?” She goaded him, but he wouldn’t talk to her about his failure to find any guidance on how to prosecute her. King Noeh wanted to sentence her to death. Unless Tanen could find anything in the scriptures that said otherwise, she would die. Not that he cared about Mauree, per se, but he was responsible for upholding the laws. It wouldn’t look good if someone found the law later and realized he’d made a mistake by sentencing her to death. A bead of sweat rolled down his back.
“Give me the book.” He held out his hand. Because of his love for books, he wouldn’t let her continue to damage the old text.
It slipped through her fingers. The ancient tome landed on its back with a thud. “Oops. So sorry.” An eerie giggle eased from her throat.
“This is a waste of my time.” He turned and headed back the way he’d come.
“Wait! Please…don’t go.” The pleading in her voice almost broke him.
He stopped. His breathing and the small sobs coming from her cell were the only sounds in the Strong room. Craya! He’d regret this, he was sure.
He returned to her. The lines around her eyes softened. Her pert nose and full lips reminded him she was still a beauty.
“Mauree. Your trial date will be in three days. You will stand before the council for treason, kidnapping, and attempted murder.” He studied her, waiting for her reaction.
She remained passive. Her gaze traveled over his body and back to his eyes. An alluring smile formed on her lips. His skin crawled, and he took a step back. She was a seductress, and he was in her crosshairs.
“Tanen.” His name rolled off her tongue, sending a strange mixture of delight and disgust along his arms. “You want me, I can tell. Come in here. No one has to know. I would—”
“Stop. Right. There.” What did she think? That he was stupid enough to open the cell door? He sniffed the air, exaggerating the movements. “You could use a bath. Maybe I’ll send Bet. Then, again, maybe not.”
Her mouth pursed, the bitterness and anger returning in the lines on her face. “You do that. Think about me taking a bath, Tanen. Be gentle. Don’t hurt yourself when you come in your own hand.”
Her taunting laughter followed him all the way back to his room.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Where is it?” Aramie pushed the wet ferns out of the way, searching for her precious missing barrette. She held her breath, holding in a sob. If she let the wail escape, the tears would start, and she couldn’t let that happen. Not here, not in front of Demir. Water from the damp foliage splashed against her face, creating the tears she didn’t want to shed.
The familiar scene started again, the one that played over and over in her mind. She couldn’t stop it even if she’d tried, so she let the memory consume her.
“Gran’ma, I’m home.” Warm air assailed Aramie as she stepped into their makeshift home. The small shelter they’d built over the summer kept the sun out during the day, but the stifling heat remained long into the night and made living here difficult.
“Aramie, did you bring home a kill? We’re out of meat again.” Her mother strolled into the room, the smell of her recent coupling oozing from her pores.
“Chantre, come back to bed.” Her lover’s voice boomed from the adjacent room.
Aramie winced. The male was the latest in a long string of step-fathers, none of which she’d liked. With a glare that could scrape fat from a hide, her mother’s gaze travelled over Aramie’s small frame. The older female shrugged and disappeared to be with her latest mate.
“Aramie, where’s Sidea?” Gran’ma wiped her hands on her apron. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and lines creased her cheeks. She’d reached the age where youth had let go of its hold. Time was short for her gran’ma, but as a child, Aramie had no clue how little time she had left with the one woman who loved her.
“Out back. She’s coming.” Aramie ran into her gran’ma’s arms. The warmth of her embrace was like a salve for Aramie’s rough childhood.
Gran’ma pulled back and looked into Aramie’s eyes. Her round face twisted into a devilish smile, and her eyes flashed with amusement. “Aramie, I have something for you.” She rummaged around in her pockets and pulled out her closed fists, palms down. “Pick one.”
Aramie’s chest constricted, and she clapped her hands. She glanced from one hand to the other and pointed to the one that had a small mole on the back.
A soft chuckle emanated from the older female and she opened her palm to reveal a bright red barrette, carved in the shape of a strawberry. “Take it, sweetheart. I made it for you.”
Aramie picked up the beautiful barrette. She held it to her chest then hugged her gran’ma with all her strength.
“Let me put it in for you.”
Aramie handed her gift back to the female she loved more than anyone. Gran’ma placed the jewelry in her hair and leaned back. She scrutinized her work. “That ought to keep the hair out of your eyes.”
“I love you, Gran’ma.” Aramie hugged her again, squeezing the older female tight.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
That was the last memory Aramie had of her gran’ma. She’d passed away that day while they’d all slumbered. Her soul had returned home to Lemuria, and she’d left Aramie in her mother’s care.
Aramie’s heart pounded. Adrenaline surged through her veins. To lose Gran’ma’s gift was to lose the one happy part of her youth. Her hands shook with the need to find the precious piece of jewelry. The plants, the trees, the moss, all painted the forest in different shades of green. Finding the red barrette should be easy.
She paced where Demir had tackled her. The trampled ferns and bent saplings were evidence of their previous encounter. An image of his body pressed against hers vied for attention in her mind. She pushed the bittersweet memory aside. A knot formed in her stomach as grief over the loss of her gran’ma’s barrette overrode all other thoughts.
No sign of her barrette anywhere. The weight bore down on her. She plunged her hands into the broken ferns at her feet. The wet foliage slipped through her fingers before her grip took hold, sending a pungent earthy smell into the air. She pulled. The roots resisted her efforts, but not for long. Dirt clods clung to the long strands, as if unwilling to let go of their prize. The destruction eased the ache in her heart, but didn’t uncover her treasure. She ripped, again, and again, flinging the underbrush into the air.
“Aramie, stop.” Demir’s hand on her shoulder made her jump. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
A jolt raced through her body. She whipped around to face him.
The red barrette, her most cherished possession, lay atop his outstretched palm.
The ball in her gut rele
ased its tension. She exhaled, and looked into Demir’s eyes.
“Where did you find it?”
“Close by. It must’ve fallen out of your hair when—” He stilled.
His gaze roamed her face, stopping for a brief moment at her lips, before returning to her eyes. “Let me put it in for you.” His statement was half question, half demand, and bounced against the memory of her gran’ma.
Gran’ma had loved her, and Aramie had trusted her Gran’ma without question. Demir? She didn’t know on either count.
“I’ll do it.” She reached for the barrette, and he closed it in his palm.
The yellow slits of his eyes burned with smoldering desire. The tip of one fang protruded over his plump bottom lip in a shielded display of authority. His body shook, and his jaw flexed with controlled tension. He closed his eyelids, and inhaled.
She held her breath and took a step back.
He opened his eyes. His pupils had returned to their normal chocolate brown. He uncurled his fingers and tossed the barrette into the air. “Take it.”
She caught her favorite jewelry in her palm. The familiar wood against her skin warmed her heart. As she clipped the barrette into her hair, a feeling of wholeness and peace crept into her heart. She had her gran’ma back, or at least her parting gift.
Demir glanced at the ground. The shadows from the trees grew longer in the moonlight. Sunrise wasn’t far away. “We must return to the Keep.”
She inhaled, her pulse rising. “No…not yet.”
By going against his command, she’d challenged him. A sour taste formed in the back of her throat, and she steeled herself for the repercussions.
Demir’s nostrils flared and his eyes flashed yellow, but he didn’t respond.
Downwind, the trees rustled. Hissssss.
Gossum.
Several yards away, Ram dropped from the limbs of a pine tree. The tip of his tongue snaked from between his lips. His mouth turned up at the corner. Bright, serrated teeth gleamed in the darkness.
One by one, three other Gossum dropped from the trees.
Aramie crouched, muscles coiled as she prepared for the upcoming fight. They’d found Ram after all.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Demir tensed and moved in front of Aramie. Blood pounded at his temple, as he eyed his enemy. Four Gossum stood among the trees, their black orbs glittering from the remaining rays of the moon. Two circled around, enclosing Demir and Aramie into a confined space.
“My, my. Fancy meeting you here.” Ram shifted to the side, to gain a better view of Aramie. “Well, if it isn’t the young gal from the pretty blue pool. By the way, your stench was easy to track from downwind.”
“You killed my sister!” Aramie pushed against Demir, trying to get to their enemy.
Demir wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her backside against him. “Wait. Be smart.”
He didn’t want her emotions to cloud her judgment. She’d always been cool, calculating. To see her this way sent a jab of fear under his skin. It raced along his nerves, fueling his anxiety.
The Gossum compressed the circle, inching closer.
A piercing, guttural laugh filled the air. “She went down easy, as shall you.” Ram’s long tongue whipped out of his mouth, the sharp tip cracking in the calm night. His spittle flew through the air. A drop landed on Demir’s boot.
Demir growled and curled his lip. With his free hand, he unclipped a throwing star from his belt. The smooth metal of his once-hated, now-favorite weapon caressed his palm.
“Sweet thing that she was, she gave us a parting gift.” Ram glanced at one of his comrades and nodded.
Cracking and popping sounds filled the air. The ugly creature transformed, its body contorting into something grotesque, yet familiar. Smooth, hairless skin covered the shape of a Panthera. Dark eyes shone from its head. Serrated teeth gleamed in the moonlight. The beast panted, the guttural grunts reminiscent of its Gossum origins.
Demir held his breath. No. This couldn’t be, but the evidence before him couldn’t be denied.
“Sidea—”
Aramie’s soft whisper broke Demir out of his trance. He launched his throwing star, piercing the creature’s eyeball in one swift move. The Gossum fell to the ground, black goo coating the underbrush.
Battle screams pierced the air.
Aramie’s fur grazed across Demir’s arm as she leapt to battle one of the Gossum.
Ram crouched, the muscles bulging under his filthy jeans. He launched himself, changing into a hideous version of a panther.
Demir transformed and met Ram head-on. Claws scraped down his forearm. Throbbing pain raced into his shoulder, but he didn’t stop. He used the ache to drive him. They tumbled to the ground, rolling over and over the ferns and small boulders that pebbled the ground.
Demir’s back hit a tree trunk. He failed to take in air. Spots clouded his vision, but he used the power in his hind legs to kick out. His nails dug into tissue and he ripped, shredding the tender flesh. Blood splashed on his fur.
Ram skidded away, the injury forming a line on his chest, next to a long pink scar.
Where was Aramie? He glanced to his left, in the direction she’d gone, but he didn’t see her. A cold chill raised his hackles.
As Demir stood, he caught sight of the remaining Gossum heading his way. The creature leapt before Demir could fight back. The animal knocked him down, tearing into his shoulder with his knife-like claws. A new agony raced along his nerves. He head-butted the faux cat.
The sound of their skulls colliding reverberated through the trees. The animal lost its grip. Demir used his strength to flip the creature over, gaining the advantage. He was about to slit its throat when a heavy load descended on his back.
The weight of his adversary pinned him between the two males. A tongue snapped next to his face, the spur dangerously close to his ear. Before he could retaliate, serrated teeth pierced the skin on the back of his shoulder. Intense pain radiated through his arm, across his back, and into his skull. His mind blanked at everything but the agony.
A growl pierced the night air.
The weight lifted from his body, the freedom a welcome relief. The creature still pinned underneath him struggled to gain a purchase. Using his remaining strength, Demir slashed the creature’s throat with his claw. The animal heaved one last breath and disintegrated.
“Demir!” Aramie’s hand traced across his back. Her soft touch set off little bombs of agony from the venom racing through his system.
Somehow, he managed to change into his human form. Warmth radiated from the bite, pulsing with each heartbeat. He’d been bitten before, but the pain had never been like this. A Gossum bite could be lethal, good thing Aramie had removed the threat.
Aramie. She had a cut on her cheek and blood stained her shirt, but otherwise, she appeared fine. His stomach rolled at the thought of her injured. “You ok?”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” Her voice broke, and she coughed.
He rose to one knee. “Where’s Ram?”
“Fled…the coward.” Aramie jutted her chin.
He inhaled and warmth filtered into his lungs. Despite the pain in his shoulder and back, a strange sense of pride filled him. This female standing before him was a fine warrior. She’d make a formidable mate, one that wouldn’t bow down to him, one that would make him toe the line. Maybe that was what he needed—a strong, powerful female.
Cupping his face with his hand, he rubbed his eyes. As he stood, little white dots expanded in his vision, nearly dropping him once again.
Soft, strong fingers gripped his forearm, steadying him. She placed one of his arms over her shoulder. The scent of strawberries tickled his nose. He moaned in delight.
“Rin. Open a portal.” She steadied him, and they walked toward a small boulder situated next to one of the larger evergreen trees. She eased him onto the stone. “Here, sit.”
He needed to clear the fog from his mind. Trouble was, there was o
nly one thing on his mind—Aramie.
“Damn!” She paced in front of him, her well-muscled legs and firm bottom attracting his attention like a beacon. He traced his gaze up her body, stopping for a moment to enjoy the firmness of her breasts until he reached her face. The smoothness of her skin taunted him, and he longed to capture those soft lips with his own. The features of her face blurred and tiny white dots formed in his vision.
Snap. Snap. Long, sensuous, feminine fingers drew away from his face.
“Demir. Wake up.” She shook his shoulder, sending a new bout of pain through his body. Had he fallen asleep? Was he hallucinating?
She cupped his cheeks in her palms, forcing him to meet her gaze. “The portal won’t open. We have to find shelter.” She glanced upward. “The sun will be up soon. Can you walk?”
He looked into the brightening sky. The light blue was something he’d only seen a few times in his life. He smiled, mesmerized by its beauty. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his cat screamed.
Chapter Thirty
Aramie’s fingers stung from the force of her blow. She’d struck her Pride leader, but she’d had no choice. He needed to rouse out of his daze.
Demir shook his head. He massaged his cheek, and his brows furrowed. With a quick glance, he focused on her, his eyes burning with contempt. “You hit me.”
“At least you’re aware of it.” She peered at the lightening sky. Dread’s cold fingers skated over her arms. “Can you walk? We have to find shelter.”
He stood, but he couldn’t maintain his balance. His body slumped onto the stone.
With great effort, he pushed himself to a standing position. He wavered, but remained upright. “Why do we need shelter? Didn’t you call for a portal?”
“I sent Rin a mental request. The portal won’t open. He didn’t know why.”
He scanned their surroundings, focusing Aramie’s attention back to the world around them. A robin chirped its morning call. A squirrel ran up the trunk of a nearby tree, its tail flipping back and forth. The forest creatures woke around them. Aramie’s restless legs ached to move, for her to run, and find some kind of shelter before it was too late.
