She glared up at him, hand shaking, palm still up and waiting. Triaten dropped the keys into it. She stomped around to the driver’s side, adjusted the seat, knocked it into gear, and sent leaves, dirt and gravel flying as she whipped the jeep in a tight circle and drove down the drive.
Skye walked up to Aiden and Triaten just as the taillights disappeared into the trees.
Aiden’s arm immediately went around Skye’s slumped shoulders. He pulled her into him, wrapping her in a tight embrace, and then kissed the top of her head. “Didn’t go as well as you had hoped?”
Skye flattened her cheek onto Aiden’s chest. She bit her lip, trying to not let the tears restart. “I was so happy to see her and she...” her voice wavered as her head bent down. “She’s so angry at me, Aiden. And I can’t blame her. I did abandon her.”
Aiden kissed her head again as his hand went up and down her back. “Tell me what I can do.”
“Nothing.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to do. What I can even say to her.”
“Do you want me to bring her back, kicking and screaming, if necessary? Or I can send Triaten to do so.”
Skye looked up and her eyes narrowed at Aiden, until she realized he was joking. “Not funny.” But then she turned her head and looked to Triaten. “But I guess I won’t scratch it off the possibility list yet.”
Triaten smirked at the pair. “Man, is it good to have you two back. Even if I am trying to convince your husband to leave again.”
Skye leaned back from Aiden, looking up at him. “Leave? We just got back. You better not have cooked up more torture for me while I was inside. You promised me a day of bed.”
Aiden smirked.
Skye rolled her eyes. “A day of bed, sleeping. A whole day. It was non-negotiable after Master Kieto.”
“Actually, Triaten thinks I need to stop cocooning you.”
Skye wiped a tear away from her lower eyelid as she looked over at Triaten and smiled. “Thank you! I keep telling him the exact same thing. What’s going on?”
“There’s a Malefic that needs to be taken care of. She’s on a semi-private island in the deep Caribbean. It should be an in and out job. And it would be good experience for you, fighting a Malefic.”
Skye looked up at Aiden. “Am I ready for this?”
Aiden pulled his glare away from Triaten, and looked down at his wife, still wrapped in his arms. His grip tightened around her. “Probably, and it’s the logical next step. But I’d rather say no.”
“You would also rather me stay locked up in your bedroom, or in a very tall tower.” Skye looked back at Triaten. “Not that I’m inviting trouble, but when are you going?” she asked.
“In a few hours.”
Skye frowned. “But Shiv...I don't want to leave her again right away. Not that she’ll talk to me.”
“Leave her,” Triaten said. “She just needs to be alone for a while, and we should only be gone for a day. I've gotten to know her over these past weeks while she’s been here waiting for you. And keep in mind she did stay and wait, she wanted to see you that much. She just needs to process whatever you two said, alone, and then she'll be okay.”
Skye broke free of Aiden’s arms and turned fully to Triaten, eyes interrogating. “What do you mean, you've gotten to know her?” She advanced on him. “Triaten, you tell me right now, how well do you know my sister?”
Triaten’s hands went up in defense. “We’ve just spent some time together. I like her. She’s interesting.”
Skye’s hands were on her hips, and she had moved into staring Triaten down. “What kind of time have you two spent together?”
“At the bar, four-wheeling, she’s doing a floor mosaic at the ranch.”
Confusion set on Skye’s face. “A mosaic? What in the world? And her neck — what was that about?”
Triaten took a step back from the barrage. “The mosaic — little square tiles — she’s actually a pretty skilled artist. And the neck — nothing to worry about. She’s fine. Just a misunderstanding at Joe’s and I took care of it. All is well.”
She stepped in at him, finger poking his chest. “Triaten, you’re skirting. You tell me right now if you’ve been sleeping with her.”
Triaten looked over Skye’s head at Aiden for help. Aiden just stood, half-smirk on his face, enjoying the show. No life-line there.
He looked back down at Skye, and ripped the bandage off. “Yes.”
The slap across his face was lightning quick, and hard.
Anger almost immediately under control, Skye stepped back from him. “Triaten — she's human, you can’t —” she interrupted herself, “she is human, isn't she?”
Triaten rubbed his cheek. “Yes, she is. She went swimming in the river, and she was full-out under the water. And no light. No late-in-life transformation. No hidden past. She is human.”
An audible sigh of relief came from Skye as she closed her eyes in thanks.
Her green eyes reflected calm when she opened them again at Triaten. “I’m sorry I slapped you. Although I still think you deserved it, I shouldn’t have done it. It’s just disconcerting that you know so much more about her than I do.”
The calm was almost immediately replaced with intensity as her eyes burnt into him. “But hear me now, Triaten. Really, really hear me when I tell you this. You need to leave her alone. She’s human, and I will not have her put into any jeopardy by the elders. We all know about their twisted views on half-breeds. And you cannot start down a path with Shiv that’s going to end in destruction. You need to end whatever you have going on with her.”
Triaten hedged, and then nodded. It’s what he had been telling himself all along. It’s just that he wasn’t always too keen on listening to himself.
“Promise me.” Skye’s voice was soft.
“I’ll do so.”
{ Chapter 10 }
Aiden and Skye lounged on a rocky patch carved into a hillside, obscured by a quarter mile of palm and Gumbo-limbo trees from the villa. Triaten stood in front of them in the sultry heat of Mustique, watching the drive like a hawk waiting for a mouse.
Skye dug a finger under the sheath strapped above her calf, as itchy sweat pooled under the leather. After flying down and landing at the private Caribbean island in the dark hours of early morning, they had been positioned and waiting for hours, throughout the dawn and into the midday heat. The small island offered a selection of private and rentable villas to rent, but, as befitting the wealth of the island, each villa was extremely private. And privacy was just what they needed.
Aiden looked down at his wife’s head in his lap. In a black tank top and mid-thigh black cargo shorts, she laid on her back, knees bent up, using his leg as a pillow. He would say she was glowing, she would say she was sweaty. It didn’t matter to Aiden; he liked her best this way. And he had already determined he was going to have a hard time not tying her to a tree so that she would stay out of this melee.
His thumb twisted through the high ponytail her auburn hair was pulled into, as he watched her twitch in the heat. Patience had always been Aiden’s friend, so whereas Triaten and Skye were clearly antsy waiting for Genevieve to appear, he managed to take in the beauty that surrounded them from their high vantage. Dramatic cliffs, blinding white strips of sand, azure waters where it was impossible to tell where the blues ended and the greens began, and all of it in every direction.
Camped out on hillside, it was easy to hear, and spot who Genevieve was when she arrived. She had torn up the twisted drive to the villa in a red Lamborghini, kicking the crushed shells of the road high in the air. She skidded to a stop at the entrance to the main residence. A black suv trailed her and parked, and four men, suited, got out after her. They all tromped into the mansion, led by Genevieve, a red-haired, tight-dressed, cleavage-amplified, beauty.
Triaten looked behind him at Skye and Aiden. They were already on their feet.
“You two ready?”
“Yes,” Skye replied, the word strong, but trepidat
ion shone on her face. She looked up Aiden.
He nodded, both to her and Triaten. His jaw had already carved into warrior mode.
The three shuffled their way down the hillside, picking through the trees and spiky brush. They popped out of the flora onto the drive, crunching crushed shells on their way to the front door of the villa.
At a near run to keep up with the long strides of Aiden and Triaten, Skye questioned their approach. “Really? We’re going to be this blatant after hiding in the trees for half the day?”
“Usually, no.” Triaten answered. “But now that we know there are only five to worry about, her connections to DeLisio demand that we at least go in and ask some questions. There may be a way she can keep her life. If she attacks, we have our answer and our mission.”
They were at the door within a minute, and Triaten rang the bell. A maid cracked the door and looked at Triaten.
“Is there a cook, gardener, or other staff here?” Triaten asked in a low voice.
Fear flooded her face, as she shook her head. She had just seen the various swords and daggers strapped to the three bodies in front of her.
“Leave now.”
With a gasp of terror, the stout maid ran past the three and down the winding road. Her short legs shuffled her quickly down the drive and out of view.
Triaten pushed the heavy arched door open. The wide gallery that greeted them, the depth of the house, was empty. At the far end, glass doors were slid open, leading to a covered terrace, where four crisp couches were arranged in a square.
The red-haired beauty stood next to a couch, staring down the gallery at the three in her doorway. She didn’t look frightened.
“Genevieve?” Triaten inquired of her across the expanse.
“Oui.” Her voice easily travelled down the corridor. “DeLisio send you?”
“No.” Triaten replied.
“Please, join me.” She waved her hand at the seating, and then went to a drink cart, grabbing a tray with a decanter and four glasses on it. She moved gracefully with the tray, and set it on the wide square glass table centering the couches. Triaten and Aiden, with Skye in the middle, walked cautiously down the hall, hands on the blades at their waists. They passed by large living areas branching off either side of the hall, cool air breezing out of them, but saw no signs of the four suits that had accompanied Genevieve into the villa.
They paused at the open glass doors.
She smiled and motioned at their blades. “I can only imagine you’re Panthenites, then?”
“Correct.” Triaten answered.
She sighed. “I wondered how long it would be after I told DeLisio to wait on the deal. He called here from a land line, didn’t he?”
Triaten nodded.
“Idiot.” She waved her hand in the air, dismissing the stupidity. “Come, sit.” Her voice wasn’t exactly welcoming, more resigned.
She moved along one of the couches and sat, her back to the group, and leaned forward, pouring herself a healthy glass of brown liquid. She straightened and slid back, lounging on the sofa, bare arm resting atop the cushion. Her red hair hung down the backside of the sofa, contrasting with the white fabric.
The three separated, Triaten on one side and Aiden and Skye on the other, and moved in to the couches, flanking Genevieve. They sat, and Triaten’s eyes motioned at Aiden to look back at the house.
The outside walls adjacent to the glass doors were solid with gleaming blades — swords, daggers, machetes, and knives. The silver lined the walls in an artfully deadly display.
Genevieve took a long sip, savoring the flavor. “Drink?”
Triaten ignored her offer, as he concentrated on looking into her mind. He was greeted only by flashes of silver in her brain. Worthless. “If you know who we are, you know what we are here to request.”
“Tell him to accept the offer? I don’t think so.” Her finger traced the rim of her glass.
“He wants to accept and be done with this land. It is a burden to him and he wants to deal with it no more.” Triaten continued.
“Yes, well, DeLisio is weak. He has no stomach for what must be done in that land. That’s why he has me. He’s smart enough to recognize his fault and fill it.” She leaned forward and refilled her glass, taking the time to eye each of them individually, assessing. “You realize that is the Panthenite problem? You ignore your faults, thinking your good will overcome. And that is where you are wrong.” Her eyes moved to Skye. “Good won’t overcome when you won’t acknowledge the inherent evil within.”
Seeing Aiden tighten, Triaten drew Genevieve’s attention back to him. “I know appealing to you for humanity is useless, so what is it you were hoping to achieve by even sending DeLisio into negotiations?”
She ignored his question. “What are these two, mutes?” She waved her hand at Aiden and Skye.
Aiden stood up, hand over his shoulder, gripping the handle of the sword strapped to his back. Triaten held his hand up to stop him. “What are you hoping to get, Genevieve?”
“Time.” She gave Triaten a sickly sweet smirk. “Time for them. Time for me.” She stood and moved away from Aiden to behind the couch.
At that moment the four suits appeared, two behind Triaten, two behind Aiden and Skye. Each had a gun drawn.
“Premonition.” Triaten muttered to himself as he got to his feet. That’s why he could only see swords clashing in her mind.
“Of course a premonition.” Genevieve smiled at Triaten like she was talking to a small child. “The first time this went down, we got into it right away, and I was losing quite handily against the three of you.”
She walked over to the wall and grabbed a slender sword, handle inlaid with diamonds. She turned back to the scene and addressed her crew. “Don’t bother with the bullets, my dears. They’re Panthenites, and they’ll only draw you into shooting each other.”
As the four lunged to the walls to grab blades, Aiden kicked the middle table away from the house, sending it and the couch it crashed into, off the cliff that loomed just off the end of the terrace. In the large empty space, Skye, Aiden and Triaten, formed a wall with Skye in the middle. Each had their swords drawn, waiting for Genevieve to make her move.
“You four take the males.” Genevieve said casually as she pointed her sword at Skye and kicked off her heels. “I’ll take the girl.”
The four suits attacked in unison, shoving the couches out as they flanked Triaten and Aiden, and immediately drew them outward and away from Skye. Genevieve took the opportunity to gracefully leap onto the couch in front of her. She used the height to her advantage, springing down the middle at Skye, her sword high in first swing.
The clash of metal inches from her forehead sent Skye reeling. She stumbled back, as Genevieve’s blows rained down on her, pushing her toward the cliff and the sea. Legs not able to keep up with the force that sent her torso flying backward, Skye went down, but caught herself with one hand, the other still managing to block Genevieve’s attack.
Sneering, Genevieve pulled upright and took a step back, sword aimed at Skye. She ignored the metal clashing around them. “So, you are the weak one. I wondered. I didn’t see that earlier. But now I can smell it on you.” The contempt deepened in her face, turning beauty into gristly horror. “If I’m going out, at least this part is going to be fun.”
Skye fell flat onto her back and rolled, just escaping Genevieve’s slim blade as it descended and cracked the tile by her head. The miss gave her the breath she needed to find her feet again, before Genevieve could circle around. Glaring at her upright opponent, Genevieve wasted no time, and started low strikes, driving Skye about the terrace once more.
Her feet under her this time, Skye directed the defensive retreat, and her shoulder blades were soon touching Aiden’s back.
The second her body hit his, he yelled, “Down.”
With a wide swipe of his sword, he swung, knocking blades out of both of his attackers’ hands, just as Skye crouched. His body and swing con
tinued in a spin, and Genevieve’s sword flew from her hand with the force of Aiden’s blow. It clattered across the travertine tile.
Genevieve hit the ground, lunging after her sword. She twisted to look up at Skye as she grabbed the hilt. Aiden’s attention had already reverted back on his two assailants, and he followed them as they scrambled to the walls of blades.
“Clever,” Genevieve spat out at Skye.
Skye moved in on the redhead, still on the ground. She had the point of her sword locked on Genevieve’s heart, and her eyes trained on the slim blade. So it was a surprise when Skye’s feet were swept out from under her. Skye hit the ground hard on her butt, but managed to hold her sword high and start an attack before she even made it to her knees. She didn’t let Genevieve get fully to her feet and out of her range.
Skye swirled her sword around Genevieve’s, as both got to their feet, and managed to drive to the hilt and slice through flesh on the hand of the Malefic. The diamond sword clattered to the ground as a shriek of pain escaped Genevieve.
With a vicious growl, Genevieve ran at Skye, tackling her at the waist and ramming her off the terrace. They hit the ground brutally, Skye underneath. The breath knocked out of her, it took a moment for Skye to realize her sword had been knocked out of her hand at impact. She looked desperately around, only to see the cliff it had fallen off of, only inches above her head.
Struggling, they rolled on the thin strip of green grass that led to the edge of the cliff, Panthenite and Malefic both scrapping for the dagger strapped to Skye’s calf.
Skye was cagey, but Genevieve easily overpowered her and yanked the dagger from the sheath, slicing deep into Skye’s thigh as the short blade flung upward. The roll stopped, and Skye ended up on the bottom once more, except now her head was hanging off the edge of the cliff.
Genevieve had Skye’s throat in one hand, dagger raised in the other. Skye’s eyes stayed on the dagger, even as she clawed Genevieve’s arm, trying to free her windpipe from being crushed.
The clash of steel on the terrace ceased, and Genevieve glanced over her shoulder. All four of her men were lumps on the ground.
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