The Darkest Touch

by Gena Showalter

  She'd been rejected all of her life. First by her parents. Then by her husband. Then by Hades. A barrel of whiskey? Torin would have paid the ultimate price: his life.

  There were still a thousand reasons they should break up, and only one to stay together. But that one reason triumphed all others: she's mine. I love her.

  I do. I love her.

  He could not reject her again.

  He'd made a mistake. One he would rectify.

  He moved in front of her and clasped her hands. Peering down at her, earnest and fighting desperation, he said, "I'm sorry I tried to break up with you. I'm sorry I told the others about the brimstone. I'm sorry for every time I made you sick. But if you can forgive me, and I'm begging you to forgive me, if you give me that chance you just promised me, and I'm begging you to give me that chance, I will stay and do my best to make you glad you did. Not because you can find my lost friends, or the box, but because I'm lost without you."

  At first she gave no reaction.

  "Please, Keeley."

  Tears welled in her eyes, trickled down her cheeks.

  His chest clenched as he wiped them away with a trembling finger. "Don't do that, princess. I want to make you happy, not sad."

  "I am happy," she said. "You broke me, but then you put me back together."

  A dangerous admission, revealing just how much power he had over her. But then, she owned him. All that he had was hers. "I know I'm a project in need of major work," he said.

  "Yes, but I like you anyway."

  "And you're willing?"

  "I am."

  Thank God. He drew her against his chest, let her feel the riotous beat of his heart. "Do you forgive me?"

  She released a shuddering breath. "Yes. I do. But don't hurt me again, Torin. Please."

  Another please.

  He squeezed her tighter. He knew she'd meant don't hurt me...emotionally, but he was who he was and part of him heard don't hurt me...physically.

  The only honest reply he could give her? "Your heart is safe with me."

  Now she squeezed him tighter. "Tell me a secret, then. Something no one else knows. Prove you're serious about this. About me. Like for like, after all. You told your friends a secret about me."

  A secret... His friends had seen him at his best and at his worst and knew everything about him...except one thing. Something that made shame and guilt, as reliable of companions as Disease, prick at him. Telling Keeley wasn't wise. But denying her when he was forced to deny her so much already wasn't even an option.

  He locked one arm around her neck, his shirt and the large collar of her dress protecting her skin, then wrapped the other around her waist. It was an intractable hold. She'd have to hear him out fully before he'd let her get away. Not that he would ever let her get away. It was decided. They were in this thing, right or wrong.

  "There was a girl," he said.

  She stiffened against him.

  He fought a grin. Wants me to herself--same way I want her. "I did the whole candy-and-flowers thing with her."

  "I like candy and flowers," she admitted softly.

  Candy and flowers, coming up.

  "Although," she said, her fingers drumming against his chest. "You gave me the zoo and the chess pieces, and those are way better gifts."

  Technically she'd stolen the chess pieces. But that was his bad, not hers. He should have handed them over right away. Let her always see the best in me. "Everyone thinks I went after her because of my attraction to her. I sometimes convince myself of that. Makes it easier to deal with the fact that I touched her skin-to-skin, and a few days later, a plague killed thousands."

  She rubbed her hand over his racing heart. "But the truth is..."

  "I did it because I was angry. Every day I watched my brothers touch anyone and everyone they wanted. Fight anyone and everyone they wanted. Always I was left behind. This particular day, they'd just come home from a battle with the Hunters--do you know who they are?"

  A tremor moved through her. "Yes. An army of humans once led by Rhea and Galen, your enemies."

  "Exactly. My friends were covered in blood and high on victory. I was resentful. And there she was, standing outside the window of my hut. This beautiful girl. Mid-twenties. Widowed. A full life ahead of her. She wanted me. I knew it every time I dared go into town and our paths crossed. And that night I thought, why not? I deserved something good in my life and so did she--and to her, I was something good."

  Keeley kissed where her hand had rubbed. "You do deserve good. You are good."

  She might not think so when she heard the rest. "I was going to sleep with her. Planned on it. Thought to send her out with a bang. Make her come, then kill her before the disease could spread. Yeah. I'm a real winner."

  "So you have a few flaws," she said. "Everyone does."

  "But my history with women is poor," he continued. "Before the demon possession, I was too rough with them. Could never get past second base. And this time, soon after putting my hands on this girl's face, I regretted what I'd done, what I was going to do, and I left her. Left her to die. And she did. All of her family joined her."

  He waited, tense and impatient, for Keeley's verdict.

  "Say something," he croaked.

  "What you did was terrible, yes. There's no getting around that. But we've all done something terrible, warrior. Who am I to cast stones? And you have lived with the guilt every day since, haven't you?"

  A statement, not a question, but he replied anyway. "Yes."

  "Don't you think you've done enough penitence, then?" she asked. "You went centuries without touching anyone else, all while carrying the guilt and sorrow and anguish. You aren't the man you used to be."

  So not the words or reaction he'd expected from her. But then, this was Keeley. His sweetest surprise. "Maybe," was all he could bring himself to say. "Why don't you get some sleep. Nothing bad will happen this time, you have my word."

  "I'm not tired."

  "We've got a big day tomorrow."

  "Why? What's going on?"

  "We find my friends."

  "Hooray," she said. "But I'm still not tired."

  She had to be, considering Anya had interrupted her much-needed rest. "Tired or not, I want you to sleep. We're a couple, yes?" He didn't give her a chance to deny it, but picked her up and threw her on the bed. "We do crap together."

  "Crap? Really? That's how you phrase it?"

  "Like sleep."

  "I'd rather organize our closet," she said. "Or steam-clean the floors."

  "Too bad. You once told me you'd obey me in bed. Well, you're in bed."

  "Fine. I'll sleep," she grumbled, "but I won't like it."

  His grin was slow as he tightened his gloves. "Let's see if I can change your mind...."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  SIGN ME UP for another nap ASAP. Keeley had become a fan for life. Sleeping with Torin's scent in her nose, his heat cocooning her and his arms wrapped around her...there was nothing better.

  Well, except for making out with him.

  She woke up refreshed and revitalized, ready to conquer the world...and realized the need for Torin was an ache without end. If Hades had been a flame, Torin was a fire. The more he gave her, the more she wanted. And now that they'd decided to make a go of things for real...I gots to have all of him.

  Torin, however, did not wake up refreshed and revitalized, aching for her, and didn't seem to want any part of her. He cleaned up and dressed, emotionally distant, her sweet lover of the night replaced by someone cold as ice who liked to snap orders at her.

  Get dressed. Hurry.

  No. No more gowns. Wear sweatpants.

  Eat your breakfast. And by the way, I need you to use the artifacts to search for one more person. A boy.

  Did he regret his decision to stay with her?

  No, no, of course not. She was an amazing catch.

  An amazing catch with secrets.

  Her stomach twisted into a thousand painful kn
ots. We've started fresh. I have to tell him about Galen. And I will, just as soon as the right moment arrives. But as the next few minutes passed, all of their moments consisted of longing glances paired with narrowed glances, and gloved caresses paired with muttered curses, then small talk, and it was hard to fit "By the way, I really like your greatest enemy and want to invite him to the family Christmas party" between "Tell me what's wrong" and "What do you mean, nothing's wrong?"

  I trust him. If he says he's fine, he's fine. His attitude, and whatever drove it, had nothing to do with their blooming romance.

  "Let's go," he said.

  Keeley had to run down the hall to keep up with him. The time to find his friends had arrived at last. And maybe that was the problem, she thought. Did he think she would screw this up?

  He barked orders at some of the warriors. Do this. Do that. His tone was far harsher with them than it had ever been with her, and she took a strange kind of comfort from that.

  Tension was tempered by hope as both the males and females did as they were told.

  Paris appeared at her side and kept pace beside her. "When can we schedule that chat?"

  "Soonish," Keeley said.

  "Great. I'll take that to mean the moment you finish the search and rescue." He branched away.

  As she passed Anya, the woman ran a finger across her neck.

  Death threat? Keeley yawned.

  Torin backtracked to glare at the goddess. "Never again." Fury smoldered beneath the surface of his skin. Always Keeley had feared her own temper, but maybe she would have been better served fearing his. Just then, he looked capable of the worst kind of violence.

  What would he do?

  Perhaps a better question: what wouldn't he do?

  Was it bad that she shivered in anticipation?

  "She's mine," he snarled, "and I will kill to protect every hair on her head. Understand?"

  A bolt of awareness. A zing of joy.

  "She could be lying to you about needing the artifacts, you know," Anya said, crossing her arms. "Just trying to steal them from us."

  "She's not." He looked to Keeley, his eyes blazing with a fierce, carnal hunger he wasn't allowing his body to project. "I trust her. More than that, I put her first. In all things."

  A shiver more intense than the last. "Thank you," Keeley said softly, her heart seeming to beat for him and him alone. She turned to the goddess. "And thank you for the much-needed trim. As you can see, I've never looked better."

  "I do give a good haircut." Anya stiffened as Lucien materialized at her side. "Oh, and because I've been told to do this or else...the Cage of Compulsion is yours. Majesty. I pass my ownership to you."

  "I'll consider it a gift for honoring you with my presence." As Torin pulled her away, she whispered, "Can I hurt her just a little?"

  "Please don't. For some reason, Lucien likes her." He rounded a corner, stopped in front of an open door, and motioned for Keeley to pass him.

  She flounced inside the room, purposely brushing her shoulder against his chest. He sucked in a breath.

  Play with fire. Always get burned.

  Play with Torin. Always get results.

  The room was midsized and bare except for a rusty cage large enough to hold a crouching adult, a glass case containing the Paring Rod, and Reyes and Danika. Keeley walked around the cage, tracing a fingertip over the top edge. It was cold and solid, made from a metal that would never bend, no matter how much pressure was applied. Tingles shot up her arms.

  She turned her attention to the Rod. It had a long, semi-thick shaft with a bulbous head made of glass, a sea of colors swirling inside, glowing brightly. Probably the world's best phallic symbol.

  Reyes stepped in front of Danika before Keeley could study her, the All-seeing Eye. "My female has seen into your past. An evil like yours can never be redeemed."

  "Well, you would know, wouldn't you?" she said, reminding him of his own crimes and pretending not to hurt. "By the way, I could move you aside without any real effort."

  "Try," he said simply. "I've got this." He waved an arm scarred by brimstone.

  "And I've got this. A pimp-slap of truth. Get out of my way or I won't find your friends."

  He bent down, putting them nose to nose. Opened his mouth to blast her something fierce, most likely.

  Torin moved in the warrior's path, forcing him to back away. "She's my honored guest and she's here to help us, Reyes. Remember that. She's not going to harm Danika. But I will harm you if you threaten her again."

  "And you know I'll like it." Reyes glared at him for a tense moment before he held up his hands in surrender. "But all right. Do what needs doing."

  Planned to. "Where's the Cloak of Invisibility?"

  "Here." Reyes pulled a small gray square from his pocket.

  Keeley claimed it, looked Danika over--small, fragile girl--and motioned to the Cage. "You must climb inside it."

  The plug was pulled on the girl's composure, a tremor rocking her on her feet. "But why?"

  Enough! "If you want to find your friends, you'll do what I say, when I say. Without argument."

  "But..."

  "That sounds like an argument." Keeley gave a sharp clap of her hands. "Do we want to do a little rescuing today or just chat? Either way, my time is money."

  Danika looked to Reyes, who nodded stiffly. She walked over, but before she climbed inside, looked up at Keeley and said, "Thank you. For all you're doing to help us."

  A lump grew in Keeley's throat--what was this? Emotion? Over well-deserved praise? My delightful haughty outer shell has deteriorated that much?

  She slammed the door shut with more force than she'd intended, and at the ominous clank, Danika yelped.

  "A little background for my audience," Keeley said. "I'm the owner of the Cage. While Danika is trapped inside it, no one will be able to remove her but me. Blah, blah."

  "If you hurt her..." Reyes began.

  "Haven't we covered this already? I won't." But the process sure would. Keeley returned to the case and removed the Rod.

  "Careful with that," Torin said.

  She gave him the universal look for are you kidding me?

  "The last two women to touch that Rod vanished without a trace," he explained.

  "That's because they didn't know how to use it properly." She carried the artifact to the Cage and fit the end over the hole in the center of the lid. "Move to the side," she commanded Danika and, after the girl had obeyed, pushed the shaft all the way to the bottom, anchoring it like a flag.

  "Did you know it could do that?" Torin muttered to Reyes.

  "No."

  "We're obviously idiots."

  If you only knew the half of it, darling. "Charming, how would you feel if I went for the Morning Star first? With it, we could save all the others in a blink."

  "Yes. Do it."

  "Morning Star?" Reyes asked.

  She ignored him, saying, "Fit your hands around the Rod," to Danika. "And don't remove them until I've returned and given permission." She didn't have to end with If you fail to obey me, you will leave me trapped inside another realm and angry, because once a command was given, the occupant of the Cage was forced to do it.

  Slowly the girl reached out.

  "By the way," Keeley added. "This might not be the most pleasant experience--for you. My...apologies."

  Danika curled her fingers around the shaft and screamed.

  Reyes stepped toward her, but once again Torin moved into his path. The warrior sidestepped him, but Torin followed, remaining a constant block.

  "Now," Keeley said to the girl. "Close your eyes and picture the Morning Star."

  The girl closed her eyes but said, "I don't know what that is."

  "Just think the words. Morning Star. Morning Star."

  Several minutes ticked by in silence, nothing happening. Tensions grew. Were the artifacts broken?

  "I don't understand," Keeley said. "Picture Cameo."

  The second Danika comp
lied, the top of the Rod switched on, making a mockery of its earlier glow. Bright colors shot out in every direction, filling the entire room. Definitely not broken. Just in front of the Cage, those colors sucked together, forming a picture of an exquisite dark-haired female being dragged up a flight of stairs by...humans? She didn't fight them, but then, she couldn't; she was unconscious, her head cracking against every new step and leaving a smear of blood.

  "Cameo," Torin gasped.

  "How do we get to her?" Reyes demanded.

  Easy. "You step through the portal. You'll be transported to the midst of the very scene you see." As she spoke, she unfolded the Cloak of Invisibility until what had started as a tiny square had grown to size "circus tent."

  "I'll go," Torin said.

  Reyes gave a clipped shake of his head. "You can't. You can't touch her."

  Her warrior spat a blistering curse. "Left behind again? No!"

  "You know that's for the--"

  Torin spoke over him with a harried, "What I know is that I don't like Keeley doing this. I know I pushed her into it, but I'm worried about her. I don't want her going through. I don't want anyone but me going through. If someone ends up hurt..."

  Misguided, but sweet. She'd promised to rescue Cameo, so she would be the one to do this.

  In the bag, baby. As they continued to argue, Keeley fit the Cloak over her shoulders and moved toward the portal.

  Torin, somehow aware of her every move without seeming to focus on her, snapped, "What are you doing, princess? Don't you dare--"

  "Be back soon!" With a flick of her wrist, she draped the material over her head and vanished from view.

  "Get back here right this--"

  She stepped through the portal, cutting off his tirade. Since the Cloak was the one and only ticket through, he would be unable to follow her.

  He'll thank me later.

  The scent of sulfur and rot immediately assaulted her nose, and she gagged. Okay. Had to be in one of the realms in the underworld, but there were too many to choose from. The one ruled by Lucifer. The one ruled by Hades. Oh, and she couldn't forget the thousands ruled by fallen angels, as well as Nephilim. At least the Cloak masked her in every way, the humans dragging Cameo unable to scent Keeley or even hear her.

  As the group trudged upward, they muttered about the things they wanted to do to the girl...things their leader--whoever he was--had forbidden them to do. Dark, terrible things. An avalanche of anger dropped through Keeley.