Binding Ties

by Shannon K. Butcher

  “You tricked me. That isn’t fair.”

  “File a complaint with my supervisor.”

  “Fine. It’s your turn again.”

  She turned and captured his gaze. He truly couldn’t ever remember seeing a more beautiful woman. Even Athanasian women were average compared to her, and they were utterly stunning.

  Then she asked, “How do I kill you?”

  “Why would you want to do that?”

  She shook her head. “My answer first. Then yours.”

  “I bleed much the same as any other creature. Or you can cut off my head. Just don’t try sunlight, unless you want to die right along with me.” Giving her that knowledge had been easier than he would have thought. He wasn’t sure if it was because he trusted her, or if it was because he’d given it within the context of a game. Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

  He pointed to a wooded patch containing a row of trees with purple paint marking their trunks, along with several prominent No Trespassing signs. “Park here. I’ll text Joseph and tell him that we’ve arrived.”

  “It doesn’t look like anything,” she said.

  “That’s rather the point. The people who live back in these woods don’t want to be found.” He sent Joseph the text, telling him they were waiting for him at the entrance to the Slayer settlement.

  When he was done, he said, “Now answer my question. Why do you want to kill me?”

  “Because you’re interfering with my work and slowing me down. You have no idea how . . . upsetting that can be for a woman like me. If I thought I could just ask you nicely to stop following me, I would, but something tells me that the only way you’ll stop is if you’re dead.”

  “Your assessment of the situation is accurate.”

  She nodded and reached under her seat. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”

  Ronan didn’t see her next move coming. One second she was sitting beside him, playing their little game. In the next, she had a heavy flashlight in her hand. She smashed it into the side of his head with a numbing impact. The blow was so hard, his head hit the glass, shattering it.

  Warning bells went off in his mind, clanging about his impending doom. Sadly, he was too stunned to do more than make note of them as he fell unconscious.

  Chapter 36

  Justice hated breaking open such a pretty head, but she had no choice.

  The fates giveth, and the fates taketh away.

  She had no idea why they were so fickle, driving her to save his life one moment and demanding that she smash his head the next, but she’d learned long ago that there was no point in fighting it. Every time she did, she suffered.

  Before the smell of his blood could draw any nasty monsters, she used a roll of duct tape in her ready bag and bandaged him up so well, it was going to take him days to cut through all the layers, and even more to get the adhesive out of his luxurious hair. No way were demons smelling anything through that.

  Then she went around to his side of the car and eased him onto the ground. The demon in the trunk came out next, and it was all she could do not to puke as she made contact with its rubbery, cold skin.

  Once her cargo was unloaded, she got back into her rental car and headed north, at the urging of the fates.

  She had no idea what was up there waiting for her, but it really didn’t matter. One direction was the same as another.

  Every journey ended in suck.

  * * *

  Lyka was so stunned by Joseph offering to let her go, she hadn’t thought of a single thing to say to him for the past thirty minutes. She kept running over the conversation again in her mind as they hiked back to the road to meet Ronan. His timely text had saved her from saying something she’d regret, but only because she’d started thinking about what was on the other end of this hike.

  A demon awaited her—one she was going to have to touch.

  She shuddered just thinking about it.

  “Everything is going to be fine,” said Joseph.

  She’d been so focused on the task ahead and his proclamation that she was free that she hadn’t been able to juggle keeping her mental shields up, too. But now that she was thinking about it, she could feel his warm presence hovering in her mind, keeping tabs on her without being intrusive.

  She wasn’t sure how he managed the delicate balance, but it was something she was going to have to watch out for if she ever needed some privacy.

  Right now, there were too many things spinning in her head for her to worry about that.

  “What about the treaty?” she asked. “I’m supposed to be acting as your hostage to ensure that my brother upholds his end of the deal.”

  Joseph hiked a few paces in front of her, giving her a lovely view of his broad shoulders. He shrugged as he walked. “I’ll release him from that part of the treaty. I don’t need a hostage anymore. I trust him to do what’s right.”

  “And us?” she asked. “You Theronai are all about your bonds. You’re going to just let me walk away without a fight?”

  “There’s nothing I want more than for us to be the kind of partners we were meant to be, but I made a promise to you. If you want to leave, you can. In time, your abilities will grow and you’ll be able to channel my power from a distance.”

  “And your vow to protect me? How will you uphold that if we’re not together?”

  He went quiet in a way that told her she wasn’t going to like his answer.

  “Spill it, Joseph. I have a right to know how you’re going to manage this feat.”

  “You’ve backed me into a corner, Lyka. I promised to lead my people for twenty years. I promised to give you your freedom if you bound yourself to one of us—which you did. Then I promised to protect your life with my own as any Theronai worth his salt would. How do I do all those at once?”

  He couldn’t. Not unless she stayed with him at Dabyr. The problem was, he would be compelled to honor all of those promises. If he didn’t, the magic binding him to his word would begin acting on him in negative ways. It might be little, annoying things at first, but eventually he would be driven to do what he promised he would. He would have no choice.

  “Do you have a plan?” she asked.

  “I do.”

  “And it is?”

  “Every time you leave Dabyr, it will be with an escort of my choosing. Most likely a contingent of Theronai and Sanguinar. Slayers, too, if Andreas will assign some to your security detail.”

  Lyka stopped dead in her tracks. “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “I demanded my freedom from Dabyr so that I’d be free of it, not so you’d send it along with me.”

  “It’s the only way to ensure your safety. I may not always be able to go with you, but I can protect your life with the power that comes with my position.”

  “It’s not what I want, Joseph.”

  “It’s not what I want, either. I guess that means it’s a fair compromise.”

  Frustration tightened her skin. She stormed off, slashing the brush as she went.

  There was no question at all that he’d do what he said. The problem was, she’d pushed him back into this neat little corner that had also trapped her, too.

  “And if you’re thinking about trying to slip away from your protection,” he said, “don’t. Every one of my men would give his life for yours or for mine. Irritating the piss out of you by sticking by your side won’t even make them break a sweat.”

  Lovely. At least at Dabyr, she had the privacy of her suite. With an entourage of armed men following her, she’d never get even a moment alone.

  Lyka was just about to turn around and force Joseph to promise not to do that to her when she cleared the trees.

  One of those human-looking demons was lying by the road, bound so tightly with duct tape that it looked like a silver caterpill
ar as it wormed its way toward Ronan’s unconscious body. He was also bound with tape, but only around his head.

  From behind her, she heard the sound of steel on steel as Joseph drew his sword and charged.

  “Don’t kill it!” she yelled, rushing to grab his arm before he could ruin their chance at using the demon to find Eric.

  Rather than slice it in two, Joseph kicked the demon away with his boot. Then he crouched beside the Sanguinar and felt for a pulse.

  Ronan groaned and his eyes fluttered. Silver light spilled out, casting long shadows along the ground. “Justice.”

  “Yes,” said Joseph, clasping the man’s shoulder. “We will find justice for what was done to you. Hang tight.”

  “No,” said Ronan before he conked out again.

  Joseph got on his phone. “Nicholas, Ronan is hurt. We have no wheels. Send the chopper to my phone’s location.” He hung up and looked at Lyka. “Do whatever it is you’re going to do with that demon so I can kill it.”

  She nodded and hurried to comply before he quit indulging her experiment and did what he’d been born to do: kill demons.

  The creature had not been cowed by the kick Joseph had given it. It had already started inching its way back toward Ronan and the easy prey he provided.

  Whoever had captured it had tied a gag in its mouth. The red fabric was dark and wet with saliva as it tried to chew its way through. Patches of wiry black fur splotched its face, reminding her of a spotted dog. Long claws at the tips of its fingers barely peeked out between layers of tape. It was trying to scratch its way free, and, given enough time, it probably would succeed.

  The idea of touching the thing was repulsive, but she had no choice. The only time her gift had ever worked with a demon had been when it had come in physical contact with her. Being close wasn’t going to cut it. As horrible as the idea was, she didn’t doubt for a second that whatever Eric and the young were going through was much, much worse.

  Lyka planted a knee on the thing’s chest. It lunged for her, bowing awkwardly in an effort to bite her. She increased the pressure and held one of her daggers against its cheek, right under its eye. It looked past her to where Joseph stood. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that his sword was drawn and ready for use, poised right above the demon’s groin.

  “If you don’t move your weapon, all I’m going to feel this creature want is your sword away from its balls.”

  Joseph backed off, but only a couple of inches.

  Lyka pulled in a deep breath and put her hand on its pale, greasy, furred forehead.

  Instantly, she felt its desire to feed, to kill, to rip flesh and bone apart and lap up blood before it could soak into the earth. The feeling was so strong and so real, her stomach growled with the need to feed on human and Sentinel flesh.

  Sickened by the sensation, she pulled away and breathed through her nose so she wouldn’t vomit.

  Behind the gag, the demon’s mouth widened in a smile. It knew it had upset her.

  “This is a waste of time,” said Joseph. “All it wants is to kill.”

  “If you don’t like it, stay out of my head while I do this.”

  “Not a chance in hell, kitten. You’re not going into that pile of filth without backup.”

  For some reason, that reassured her and eased her nerves. Knowing he was there was going to make this easier the second time around.

  She hoped.

  Lyka braced herself and laid her hand on the demon again. This time, she was ready for the horrible hunger and need for blood. She let all of that pass over her, digging deeper into what the thing really wanted.

  She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for or how to draw from it what she needed to know, so she tried forming a mental picture of Eric and showing it to him.

  The instant it touched her thoughts, she felt a dark stain spread through her. Something wild and vicious took root, growing so fast, she was certain it would take over her entire world.

  She didn’t know how to fight it. There was no defense against something so sick and tainted. It seeped through the cracks in her mind, twisting her as it went.

  “Not my woman,” she heard Joseph growl.

  A warm light suffused her, burning away the filth. She opened herself up to it, blasting away every mental barrier she’d erected. She needed Joseph inside her mind—needed his warmth and goodness to drive away the evil that had invaded.

  The luceria hummed around her neck, growing hotter with every passing second. Tingling sparks of power showered down over her skin in a visual display. Everywhere the sparks touched the demon, its skin burned and blistered.

  The thing howled in pain and retreated from the bright glow of Joseph hovering in her mind like some kind of avenging angel waiting to strike. It cowered in fear.

  That’s when Lyka charged.

  She shoved her way into the demon’s thoughts, digging deeper for what she needed to know. Eric and the young had been taken for a reason. They hadn’t been killed like so many others. They’d been kept alive, and this creature had to know why. Its reaction to Eric’s face had been far too strong for it not to have seen her brother.

  Lyka’s head began throbbing. Sweat trickled down her body. She felt Joseph’s bright fury protecting her, but he was quickly losing patience. She had to work fast.

  Not knowing what else to do, she found the trickle of power flowing into her and pulled on it. Maybe if she had more juice, she could find what she needed to know.

  Then again, maybe she’d just burn this demon’s brain to mush and lose her chance altogether.

  As soon as she called on Joseph’s power, it leapt to do her bidding. She felt it fill her, strengthen her, warm her. She was surrounded by it, filled with it. He had so much strength, and it was all hers for the taking.

  She grabbed the demon’s face in her hands and showed him the image of Eric again.

  This time, Joseph’s power amplified the vision, giving the demon no choice but to let her see its reaction.

  It knew Eric. He was to be protected. Kept safe.

  Why?

  She shoved the question into the demon’s head. It flinched, but there was an image of a beautiful woman blazing in its memory. She had long, black hair, pale skin, and the kind of body that would make men kill just to be near her. Surrounding this woman was a feeling of reverence, obedience.

  She was the demon’s queen. She was the one who wanted Eric.

  Where is she?

  There was no response, only the picture of cave walls and the shared warmth of its fellow demons piled together in sleep.

  Joseph’s words came out through clenched teeth. “You need to stop now, Lyka. I can’t hold back its poison much longer.”

  Poison?

  “It’s trying to infect your mind. Can’t you feel it?”

  She had, but now Joseph was holding that at bay, and from the strain in his tone, it wasn’t easy.

  Still, she couldn’t stop yet. She still didn’t have the information she needed.

  Lyka pushed harder, digging deeper into the thing’s thoughts. Its desire to please its queen washed over her, nearly knocking her out of its head with sheer force. She held on to her position, clinging tightly to the ground she’d gained.

  What do you want? she demanded.

  The image of that beautiful woman filled Lyka’s head again, along with a low, almost worshipful hum.

  This demon didn’t just want to please its queen; it wanted her. Wanted to possess her, fuck her, consume her flesh and blood.

  Lyka shivered in revulsion and tried not to let her disgust wash over her. Some of it clung, but she managed to shed enough of it to concentrate.

  I can give her to you, she whispered to the demon’s mind. Take me to her and she will be yours.

  The creature didn’t believe her, so she drew m
ore of Joseph’s power into herself and pushed harder. The mental compulsion wormed its way into the demon’s mind and found fertile ground. She urged it to grow, to consume his every waking thought.

  Take me to her and she will be yours. I swear.

  “No!” shouted Joseph.

  She didn’t understand what had upset him until she felt the weight of her vow to this creature crash down on her. She’d been so swept up in winning the war waging in its mind that she’d forgotten to guard her words. The vow she’d made was binding. Unbreakable. She would now be compelled to uphold her end of the bargain.

  What had started as a lie to gain this demon’s cooperation had now become an imperative. She had no idea how she would manage it, but she had to find some way to deliver a powerful Synestryn queen into the hands of a demon who wanted to eat her.

  Chapter 37

  Joseph tried to rip Lyka out of the demon’s thoughts, but he was too late. She’d made her promise and was now bound by it.

  How could he have been so reckless? He should have sensed her intention before she acted. He should have stopped her. Protected her.

  All he could do now was damage control.

  He physically lifted her away from the demon, breaking her connection to it. She fought against him, but he used brute force to control her flailing limbs.

  Because he’d stayed tied to her mind, he could still feel the taint of the demon sliding around in her, causing her to experience an artificial cascade of fear and anger.

  Her arms were pinned at her sides, and she tried to claw at his thighs to free herself. Her fingernails had started lengthening into claws, and in a few more seconds, she was going to be ripping through a lot more than just denim.

  “Calm the fuck down, Lyka.” He gave her a squeeze to emphasize his order and to rob her of just enough air to weaken her. She was incredibly strong, and it took every bit of power he could muster to keep her under control.

  He did his best to stroke across her thoughts and calm her mind. She was a total wreck upstairs, thanks to that rabid taint the demon had infected her with.