by Tia Didmon
“It’s recent. We have to help her. She says she’s been having pain all day. That’s why she called the healer to the house earlier.”
The man looked fearful, looking to the driver of the van. “What if the king...”
The driver smacked his partner. “Shut up! Vorek will know what to do. We are almost there. The healer will attend her in a few minutes.”
Kiki leaned down, appearing to comfort her friend. “We are close to the warehouse that Draven met Jessica. Who is Vorek?”
Laura shook her head.
She sat up. “Will Louis...”
The guard spun. “Louis is a false leader. Vorek is the true prince.”
Kiki rubbed Laura’s back. “Looks like they are having some family drama. This could work to our advantage. Let’s hope that Santon is with Louis instead of Vorek.”
Laura continued to moan as Kiki helped her from the van. She took a quick glance around, noticing the similarities to the warehouse she had met Jessica and Draven. While they weren’t identical. They had similar layouts and had the appropriate amount of rust. They had to be close. The driver led them down an updated corridor to a small room. Chad stood up when they entered.
“Laura!” He ran to her.
Kiki felt the air crackle around them as his power entered the queen.
He covered his surprise at finding nothing wrong. “Let’s get her to the chair.”
When the men left, Kiki checked the door. “Where are they keeping the women?”
“There are only three here. Two are pregnant and dying, the third is in a coma.”
Laura dropped her pretense of being in pain “Can you help them?”
Chad rubbed his eyes. “Their union was forced. The women are human so the baby’s souls are... damaged. Maybe the king could save the children. Bridge the gap between human and demon, but under these circumstances... I don’t know. This issue goes beyond human medicine.”
Laura nodded sadly. “I understand. What about the one in a coma?”
“It’s Hannah,” Chad whispered.
Laura stood. “What?”
Kiki looked between them “Carina’s best friend, Hannah?”
Chad nodded. “She is also the seer of our people.”
“What happened to her?” Kiki asked.
“She has no physical injuries. She appears to be in stasis,” he said.
Laura pursed her lips. “Was she... raped?”
Chad shook her head. “Raping her in this condition would have no purpose. The Ladon want babies not sex.”
“How long has she been in stasis?”
“Judging by the sunken nature of her skin. I would say hundreds of years.”
“How is that possible?”
“She has slowed down her bodily functions to the brink of death.”
Kiki raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know demons did that.”
He shook his head. “This is not a skill inherent in our race. I had no idea she could do this or how she learned this technique.”
“Maybe she saw...”
Chad looked away. “I can’t imagine the pain her gift brought her.”
“Yeah. How she allowed this to happen is beyond me,” Kiki said.
He growled. It was the first time she had seen any form of anger from him. “Do not judge her. She would have walked through a living volcano for Carina. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her.”
She looked away ashamed. “I get it.”
Chad cleared his throat. “How did they get to you? Valen and Jordane must be frantic.”
Kiki moved in front of Laura. “We volunteered.”
His face went white. “You what?”
She crossed her arms. “We know what we’re doing.” She prayed it was the truth. It was the first time in her life she was relying on someone else to come to her aide and she had bet hers and Laura’s life on it.
Chad rubbed his eyes before meeting Kiki’s. “How could you let this happen?”
Kiki shrugged. “She threatened to put her sleeping whammy on me. I told her I would Tazer her first but then she explained why I couldn’t do that.”
“She is untouchable,” Chad said.
Laura huffed. “I am not.”
Chad took Laura’s hand. “Do you understand the magnitude of what you’ve done?”
Laura looked down ashamed. “Valen will understand when I explain why.”
“He might but the king will not. He may view this as a betrayal. It could be catastrophic for everyone.”
Laura shook her head. “The king combines Valen and Dante’s demon...”
“Valen’s demon has the true power Laura. When you accepted Valen, you accepted this part of him. He is unlike any other. Only he can command all others to do his bidding. That includes Dante. Only you are immune to the king’s power.”
Kiki startled. “Laura is immune to the king’s power. How can that be?”
Chad’s eyes remained on Laura. “He bonded with her. She is the only living creature he cannot control. She is a part of him. Trying to use his power on her would be like using it on himself.”
“Damn Laura,” Kiki said.
Laura pulled her hand from Chad’s grasp. “It isn’t like that. Valen would never...”
Chad grasped Laura’s shoulders. “You still do not understand. Mother Nature could not control the king. That’s why the princes were born. Valen can destroy his brother but not while he has a soul. Not while he has you.”
“Valen would never hurt Dante.”
“Without you, he is not Valen. His soul would follow you in death. The king would be a soulless monster with unimaginable power.”
Kiki blew out a long breath. “That’s scary.”
Tears formed in Laura’s eyes. “I need you right now...”
“I appreciate the sentiment but if I die another healer will be born. He or she will have the power that you and the demon species need to continue. There is only one of you. Do you understand what I am saying to you?”
“I understand,” she whispered.
“Good. If we make it out of here...”
Kiki rattled the bars on the cell. “We will. I swallowed a tracker.”
Chad shook his head. “They will scan you for it.”
“They already did. Kat engineered it with a protective coating. It's undetectable until my stomach acid erodes the outer shell enough to activate it.”
He glanced at the door. “They scan regularly. They will be back in an hour.”
Kiki shrugged. “As soon as it’s activated the king and all the warriors will descend on this place like the plague. It will come on-line soon.”
He looked around. “They will rip this place apart. The security is not what I expected.”
“I think Louis is a little more high-tech than Vorek.” She shifted her stance. “How much trouble am I in?”
Chad looked her over. “As a warrior your mandate is to protect the queen at all costs but I doubt Jordane will see it that way.”
Laura shook her head. “This is all on me. I would have come without her. Jordane will know she did this for me.”
“Do you think any of the excuses you come up with, will matter to Valen or Jordane? They love you and you risked yourselves to save a man with the power to heal himself in almost any situation.”
“But Chad...” Laura stammered.
He shook his head. “No, Laura. You and Kiki are a hundred times more important than me. There’s also the fact that the Ladon want me for my skills. I wasn’t in any danger of being hurt.”
Kiki rubbed her eyes. “So big trouble. Got it.”
She was assessing the integrity of the cell when he entered. His features reminded her of Draven. Though handsome his dark eyes held a cold intensity that had her backing away from the bars. His eyes roamed her body before he spoke.
“Hello, Maria. My name is Vorek. I admit I was curious as to the turmoil surrounding you.” He sneered. “I don’t see any reason for the concern. You are a bug
. A daughter of a whore...
She folded her arms. “Just tell Santon to get in here. If he wants to insult me, he can do it himself or is he too much of a pussy to face his father’s...”
The door to the holding area swung open. Santon rushed in with a red face. “You are nothing. My father eventually died because of the wounds you inflicted on him. Do not refer to yourself as his wife. He should never have married you!”
Kiki felt Laura’s hand on her shoulder. It was all the support she needed to face the monster from her past. “I was going to say killer. He had no right to touch me. Put his hands on me. He got what he deserved. I’d do it again given the chance.”
Santon reached for her through the bars. Vorek pulled him away.
“Remember our deal, Santon. You work for me now. If you touch her before she fulfills your contract with us. You die.”
Santon’s eyes were pure vengeance. He stepped away from the holding cell but his eyes remained on Kiki. There was no way he’d be sticking to that arrangement. As soon as Vorek turned his back, Kiki was dead. He turned to the alarm when the siren went off.
“What is going on?” Vorek asked.
Santon’s eyes bored into Kiki. “It appears we are under attack.”
Vorek pointed at the guards that had brought them in. “Did you scan them?”
The guards nodded. “Yes. Right before we arrived on site. There was nothing.”
Kiki smiled. “I think my boyfriend would like to interrupt this dance.”
There was a loud unearthly roar. It shook the building, causing Laura and Kiki to crouch down for balance.
She looked at Laura. “I think we pissed off the king.”
Vorek’s eyes went white before he ran down the hallway. “Santon, stay here. Guards, come with me.”
The Ladon guards ran after their leader as Santon grabbed the key from the wall. “I thought he would never leave. We have some unfinished business.”
Kiki held her arms out to shield Laura. “Leave Laura out of this.”
Santon shrugged. “Come out of the cell and the blond whore can remain inside until I am done with you.”
She had one foot outside the cell when Santon hit her. Pain splintered her cheek. Instinct told her to get up but Santon was locking the cell and she wanted that barrier for Laura. She forced her warrior form to remain hidden, calming the beast within, reminding it that Laura’s life was paramount. The pain would fuel her fight. Her retribution for a childhood lost.
He was laughing when she flipped to her feet. The sneer died on his face when her eyes began to glow.
“What are you? Your father called you a demon but we believed him insane.”
“I wasn’t a demon then. It took his and your father’s cruelty to make me what I am.”
“A monster,” he spat.
She nodded. “To some.”
He rushed her. She used her warrior’s strength to snap his arm back breaking it in one motion. He screamed before he grabbed his weapon. “Demon whore! You can’t live through a bullet in the face.”
The air wavered behind Santon. “Perhaps, but I’m not the one who will die today.”
Jordane materialized behind Santon. His hands glowed as he brought them to the terrified man’s neck. “Tell me where the abducted women are? Julie Fuentes and the other women.”
Santon’s eyes bulged. Smoke rose from his burning skin. “Louis has them. Stop. Please stop!”
“For the pain you caused my mate. I sentence you to death.”
Santon screamed as his hair burst into flames. He slumped to the floor when Jordane released his charred form. His eyes were ablaze with a green fire when they came to rest on Kiki.
Chad ran to the bars. “Jordane, release us. I need to get to the women.”
Jordane melted the lock as the king entered the holding area. His power rolled off him in waves. The warrior within Kiki shrank back. Not wanting to oppose the most powerful creature in existence.
The king ripped the cell door off its hinges, having to duck his head to enter. His eyes blazed red as they fell on Laura. “Chad, see to the women in the adjacent room. They are both in labor.”
Chad ran off with a concerned look.
Jordane pulled Kiki to his side as the king stepped up to Laura. “You have made an unforgivable mistake.”
Laura put her hands on his stomach. “Don’t be mad.”
The king growled. “That is impossible. You put the entire world at risk with your actions.” The cell vibrated against the power emanating from the king.
Jordane calmed his warrior. His tone was low, guttural. “We should get the women to safety. This discussion can wait.”
The king looked at his warrior for a long time before his form receded, leaving Valen in his place. Valen’s demon was still present with red angry eyes but without the suffocating power of the king. Jordane resumed his human form.
Laura put her arms around Valen. “I’m...”
Valen pulled out of her grasp. “There’s nothing you can say that justify your actions.”
Her eyes flashed fire before she looked away.
Valen touched his temple. “Still you block me?”
Laura gave him an unforgiving stare. “Until you are reasonable... yes.”
Kiki saw Valen’s form ripple. She had to admire Laura. There wasn’t a person on earth who wouldn’t fear the king, yet Laura stared him down with total defiance. No wonder she hadn’t stood a chance against Laura. She had a kind heart, and a will made of titanium.
Valen’s anger permeated the air but it was that of the first-born prince. Not the suffocating power of the king. “Let’s go.”
Laura shook her head. “Not without Hannah.”
“She is here?” Valen asked.
Laura nodded without looking at her husband. “They said the seer is still unresponsive. She must be close.”
Chad yelled.
They ran down the hall and into a nightmare. Chad had blood on his hands and held a small bundle in a red soaked cloth. Two women were laying on metal tables with open wounds at their stomachs.
Chad was on the verge of tears. “The women are both dead. I extracted this child but it hovers on death.”
“Will he live?” Jordane asked.
“These women carried female children but both would have died. This child lives because I am sustaining her as we speak.”
Valen looked in awe at the baby. “Can you keep her alive?”
Chad looked down at the sleeping baby. “I need Dante’s blood and the power of the king. Then maybe. Her organs aren’t fully formed and there are other issues but I can sustain her for now.”
Kiki looked at the sleeping face. “I thought the Ladon only had males”
“They only had live males but these women were not demon. They are human hybrids,” Chad said.
Laura touched the child’s face. “Where is Hannah?”
“She is in the next room.”
Laura looked at her husband. “You should carry her home. She would want that.”
Valen ran to the next room with Kiki and Jordane behind him. She watched as he touched the aged face of his mother’s best friend. Her sunken features held a beauty thought lost.
Chad came into the room. “I can’t wake her Valen. I tried. She knows what she is doing.”
Valen looked her over. “What is she doing?”
“She has put her body in a trance. Slowed her bodily functions to the brink of death.”
“I heard her.”
“Her mind is asleep. She may have thought you a dream. A memory from her past.”
Valen slipped his arms under the frail body. “We are going home.”
Jordane’s anger was a living flame. His eye lit the interior of the van. Though his warriors kept their eyes downcast in respect, allowing him to get himself under control. His mate. His newest warrior. His failure, sat beside him in silence. Her eyes were on him, waiting for him to pass judgment. When he looked at her fire raced through
his veins. Visible streaks of lava traced his veins.
Tovan looked up, drawing his attention. “You should give your mate a chance to explain her actions. It is a warrior’s right.”
Jordane’s eyes met his brothers. “What explanation will appease the king? He could have... would have destroyed everything.”
“She does not know. Cannot understand what the king is. What he is capable of,” Tovan said.
Kiki cleared her throat. “I didn’t understand but I do now. I’d never let Laura do anything like that again but I doubt Valen will let her out of his sight when he learns the truth.”
Jordane growled. “There is more to this treachery?”
Her eyes glowed. She felt her form bulk out, her warrior facing down its leader. “I asked Chad about a warrior’s role with royalty. With Laura. He said she’s the most powerful, being alive that’s why she is the queen. I did not realize until today what her true power is. She holds the king in one hand and us in the other. She chose me as her warrior, I must, I will always protect her under any circumstance. If that is wrong then I cannot be a warrior under your roof.”
The warriors turned to their leader. His face was a mix of pain and pride. He shook his head. “She chose you?”
Kiki nodded. “Yes. She’s my best friend and will always choose me. She is also your queen. Tell me I should have let her go, because you know what her power is. Even though I threatened to Tazer her, I think she could put me to sleep before I could get to her.”
“You must protect her. As a warrior you made the right choice but as my mate...”
Kiki touched his shoulder. “I understand what I put you through but you have to remember one thing. The demon race can survive my death. They cannot survive Laura’s.”
Jordane put his head down, shame was a bitter pill but his mate had reminded him why he had become a warrior in the first place. To protect the people he loved. How could he condemn Kiki for doing what he had once done himself? Put his own life above the one brother he had left. He pulled her to him. Her warrior receded, sensing the change in his mood. “Will you always make my life so turbulent?”
Kiki wrapped her arms around his neck. “I will certainly try.”