by Lynn Carmer
Women attacked, perfectly blending into the scenery, but the minute they neared, he pulsed white light from his skin, singeing them wherever they touched. A line of warriors against the back wall raised wooden sticks in union. He heard Caprice yell, “No!”
Again they try to stop me, try to keep her from me.
Lightning arched from his palm and incinerated the wood in their hands.
The leader strode forward, swinging her arms and a wall of water formed to his left. Energy pulsed through him. He readied for the attack. She moved her hands, yet the wall of water remained. It hadn’t moved.
Caprice strode forward with her hands raised in the air, looking as if she might drop at any second. She looked strained, as if fighting an internal battle. Or external? Was she somehow stemming the tide of water?
She spoke quietly to the one in charge, and eventually The First dropped her hands, the water mimicking her actions, fading back into the lake. Arun advanced, and the warriors dropped away as he neared.
Caprice stumbled toward him, unsteady on her feet with a smile on her face—a smile! “Arun, it’s all right. I have worked everything out. I—”
Her words faded as thoughts flew through his mind, whirling as frantically as the energy that flowed through him. Smiling? Why? Had she made a deal with these women? Were they going to help her leave him?
I will not allow it.
Storming forward, he grabbed Caprice’s arm, pulling her against his chest. The fervor inside ignited; his vision was gone then popped back into place.
Her smile started to fade. “Oh dear gods,” she whispered. “He’s losing control. Get back, get back!”
“No worries, I’ll take care of this.” Cameo ran her hands against her body, touching herself, gliding greedy palms against her lower stomach.
Arun raised a hand, readying to blast her out of the room. He remembered that voice, that terrible voice that made him do things…
“No! Don’t. Don’t hurt her!” Caprice flung herself on him, her hands tight around his neck and her feet dangling from the high perch. “Cameo, stop! I told you I’d take care of this. Do you blame him for being upset after what you did to him? He doesn’t understand. Arun, look at me.”
With the use of his name, he shook his head and tried to focus. Something was wrong, the drugs were affecting his mind. He couldn’t focus, just needed to get out.
“They are my family. They won’t hurt me.”
The volume of the redhead’s voice increased, muffling Caprice’s words. She hadn’t stopped singing. His other palm flew up. Have to get Caprice out!
Caprice sprung around, reached one hand toward the lake, closed her fist and then flung her arm toward the singing woman. A ball of water launched forward and flew inside Cameo’s mouth. She choked, gagging as she coughed out the water, doubling over from the effort.
With a hand against her throat, Cameo wheezed, “Stop doing that! You are really starting to make me mad. I haven’t even used my really deadly voice yet, but if you keep it up,” she pointed a soggy finger toward Arun, “he’s going to get it.”
Warbled sounds hurt his ears, the energy started to turn within without an outlet, scorching and burning his organs, muscle bone.
The First spoke. “Caprice, I ask that you stay. This is your home now. You need only say the word.” Her eyes raked over him and Arun lifted his lip in a snarl.
He didn’t let her answer, couldn’t bear to hear the words, I want to stay. No! Grabbing her around the waist, he hoisted Caprice over his shoulder and ran. The power cushioned his feet, protecting him, giving him valuable energy to make it out the exit.
Never slowing, he threw back a hand and lightning arched from his palm. The power rested and flowed, getting stronger and stronger. With one burst he’d crumbled one side of the courtyard. A giant tree rumbled and started to fall, the weight of the crash reverberating through the jungle. Not enough. I will make them pay! Take the whole place down. He came to an abrupt stop. He readjusted Caprice to ready for a powerful blow. With palms raised, he watched the spikes of white lightning gather and launch forward.
“Arun! Look at me. Don’t do this. You will destroy an ancient place. You will never forgive yourself if…”
Her words faded, his only focus was protecting Caprice. Just as he readied to destroy the courtyard, unable to stop, Caprice bit his back. Hard. Her teeth sinking deep. He arched in pain, and it sent the deadly current high into the sky, miles away from the warrior women.
“What are you doing?” Caprice pounded on his back.
He didn’t answer; he was lost to the rush of power.
Caprice reached back and rubbed her fingers through his hair. He relished the feel of her touch, needing an anchor, but he still let loose with bolt after bolt of electricity. But still the bolts missed their mark. Her fingers closed and yanked, nearly pulling the hair from his head. When he didn’t slow, she did it again. “What is the matter with you? You’re out of control!”
Fury rode him hard. Must escape, now. Can’t live without her need her. Feeling his way down her body while keeping his gaze on the courtyard, Arun ripped a layer from her dress and bound her hands in front of her. She didn’t fight him. No time must save must save… who? Caprice? Mother Cay? Who is— He had to clear his mind! Focus. Focus on what’s in front of you. Caprice.
“Arun, please. You don’t have to do this.” Tears tracked down her face.
War cries rang out just behind him. Damn these women to all nine hells. He picked up Caprice and raced for the Bicullis. The sun was just now rising in the sky, the familiar swirls at the edge of the glistening lake. “You will not stay here. You belong to me!”
Caprice went still, now only dead weight in his arms. The back of his neck tingled, he felt the warriors behind him, gaining ground. He pounded through the jungle, the Bicullis so close. With a roar, he jumped through the shimmering portal, thinking of home, the hot sun, the vivid sky that stretched as far as the eye could see. As he entered, pain exploded in his back. He knew that pain—the women had launched a dart and this time he didn’t think it was meant to put him to sleep.
Chapter 25
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Hot, hot, hot! The heat enveloped her, searing her skin. The pain of hitting the rocky ground was nothing compared to the blare of this, this… place. Which circle of hell had the Bicullis sent them to? Mobs of men, women and children paced, crying out, some keening softly, many bent on their knees, praying. They were cordoned off far from the Bicullis, a long expanse of rock between them and the portal. She saw nothing but brown and an occasional green plant pushing through the dirt. Nothing but mountain, rocks and, heat.
Arun. Crazed Arun. She had to tell him, help him snap out of the fog of fury. Rising on one elbow at an awkward angle, she spun around and saw him, face down in the ground. Knocked out, again. “Arun! Oh gods, wake up, please.” She reached for him and stopped midway when a creeping shadow inched over her, blissfully blocking her from the full power of the sun.
Three hulking men, all bare-chested and in different shades of bronze, loomed over her. All were as handsome as Arun, one leaner than the other, and the third was a little shorter, but looked twice as wide. Despite their differences, they shared one glaring trait: varying shades of brown eyes that sat below jet-black eyebrows.
Oh dear gods. Now I have to deal with three of them?
“Hello, gorgeous! I have to say I’ve wanted to knock my brother out many a time, but I never quite succeeded. How did you manage it?” the tall blond drawled.
Which one was he? Too soon to tell. “I didn’t.”
The thinner of the two was still a huge man, with long, lean muscle defining his chest. His stomach was so defined she could play chess on it. He shot his brother a dirty look and said. “Stop flirting. We have no time.” Then piercing her with eyes that were lighter than Arun’s, more like amber, he said, “Tell us where you came from.”
Caprice gasped when she glanced above him and saw the da
rk gray and black clouds dominating the sky. Not one bit of blue was visible, yet it still remained suffocatingly hot.
“He dead?” The wide one who was a wall of muscle asked, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
The appeared impassive, but his eyes jumped with a dark fire. Not one hint of brown speckled the midnight black of his eyes.
“He’s fine, Ives. His chest is moving up and down. We have to find out if it’s safe to travel back through the Bicullis. From my calculation, we only have a few minutes left, before it closes for another twelve hours. We may not have that long.” The thin one said, running a hand through soft brown hair.
The ground shook, as if on cue, and a massive stream of light-gray ash spewed into the air.
“They knocked him out again, damn them! Why does no one listen to me?” Caprice muttered to herself. Feeling around his neck, she felt the dart lodged in the back of his neck and pulled it free. Sighing, she prayed they’d only put him to sleep.
“They? They who?” The blond asked.
War cries lilted through the air as women flooded the portal, appearing then blending perfectly into their surroundings, becoming tan, brown and gray to adapt to their environment. Again, they were virtually invisible, only ghostly shadows, impossible to track as they moved. “They, them. They are… They are my family, but they’re upset with Arun right now. If I could just get everyone to calm themselves and listen to me, I could resolve this issue.”
Arun’s eyes popped open, and white coated his eyes. His skinned glowed an eerie, egg-white, nothing like the golden glow from the cell. White eyes. He’s blind again. Electricity sparked as he clenched his hands. “The energy… So much power… Fighting the poison… Don’t want to release it… Might hurt… people,” he muttered.
Fury rode Caprice hard, anger toward the Hamazakaran, her father, the prince, Arun, everyone in her life who claimed they cared for her. But despite the anger, she’d never been so grateful to see her giant’s stubborn eyes open, even if they lacked the brown color she craved.
“Are my brothers here?”
The three brothers grabbed swords half the length of their bodies, and crowded around Caprice and Arun. “We are here, My King.”
“Fisk, take Caprice. Keep her safe. Don’t… let her… go. They come to take what’s mine. They are… the deadliest, dirtiest fighters you’ll ever meet. Cover your ears.” Arun spat out and lumbered to his feet, the glow increasing. His breathing was erratic, and he didn’t seem to hear the anarchy around him. He looked to be centering himself, fighting an internal battle. “I will not succumb!”
The big blond grabbed her by the arm, not bothering to untie her hands.
So the one with the killer dimples and blond hair was Fisk? Maybe she could make him understand. “Listen to me. I can fix this—” Caprice tugged as he grabbed her by the arm.
The First and Cameo ran through the Bicullis next, followed by ten or so women with those deadly wooden sticks. In a few more seconds the darts were going to start flying and they’d all be in trouble.
“Holy hells… look at her.” Fisk sounded awed. His eyes were firmly fixed on the approaching women, one woman in particular. “I have never seen hair the color of the sun.”
“Let me go! I have to get to Arun.” No answer came; Fisk’s eyes were too busy tracking his mystery woman, so she tried to get his attention. “I can help you with the Bicullis; I read your father’s journal.”
His eyes snapped back to hers at the mention of his father. “If you want to talk Bicullis, you’re barking up the wrong brother. I don’t care where it leads us, as long as it’s away from here. Can’t be any worse than a volcano, right?”
You won’t say that after you meet my father.
As Fisk dragged her along, Caprice had a better view of the lake of lava that inched toward a city. No, not a city, a kingdom, made of white marble and flowing gold. The opulence alone made her gasp. It was beautiful, a treasure, and it was about to be decimated.
“So you are deliberately ignorant. Perfect!” To think she’d wasted her time trying to reason with this ice-block. The decision was made. She didn’t like him, not one bit. She dug in her heels; he never slowed, didn’t even seem to notice. She searched around and saw not a drop of water in this cursed place. Approaching a colorful tent, he drew back the material.
“No time to talk, I’ve got a date to make with a luscious redhead.”
“Get me back to Arun, right now.”
“No can do.”
“Listen to me, you stupid snow-ape. If he dies, it will be your fault. Are you prepared for that? Or is his death what you’ve been after all along? From what I read, you are next in line to the throne.” The ice was back, if only in her tone. She spoke to him as if he were the Pre-Dom, hoping to cut quick, trying to find a weakness.
He released her arm. In seconds, his ruggedly handsome face held fury, the dimples having vanished. “Now who said anything about my brother dying?” His voice was whisper soft, deadly intent dripping from each word.
“He has been drugged, multiple times. He is also battling the fervor and trying to kill my blood thirsty family. What do you think that means. Of course, he is in danger of dying.”
As he opened his mouth to answer, his legs went out from under him. Shadows swirled, delivering kicks, slaps, but nothing lethal. Springing to his feet, Fisk grabbed his sword and swung in a wild circle. “What the …?”
The women warriors had found their target. Thank the gods!
“Don’t kill him! Just keep him busy!” she called out to the Hamazakaran as she sprinted back toward Arun. “Fisk? I have decided I do not like you in the least, so I shouldn’t waste my breath with a warning, but I will tell you this: the shadow warriors beating you to a pulp are women, and they are all sisters to the beautiful redhead you want to get to know.”
He bellowed, but he was too preoccupied to stop Caprice, blocking shoves and kicks, mostly aimed at his crotch.
Caprice’s strength seeped quickly, her body not able to endure this exposure to the heat. She may be half Hamazakaran, but she was also Glissante, needing the frigid cold. It was part of who she was, and now she was dying here, drained slowly of strength.
Caprice passed the groups of people that milled nervously, watching the progression of fiery lava. More warrior women, these in plain sight, circled the long expanse of rocky sand that lay between the people and the portal. Smack in the middle of the melee stood the three brothers, two standing with swords, and Arun with nothing but his bare palms.
Even in pain, he looks magnificent. Stumbling toward him, ready to take down Brant and Ives if she had to, Caprice approached from behind. The First materialized by her side. “Are you all right, niece?”
“The name’s Caprice. Why did you shoot him again?”
“He tried to destroy our sacred meeting place.”
“I know that, but he thought you kidnapped me. How long does he have?”
“Rest easy, niece. We administered the same sleep potion as before.”
Thank the gods.
“But I must admit, he may still perish. Being hit with two doses so close together, it’s unheard of. He should still be asleep from the initial dart.” The wizened warrior’s eyes tracked the surrounding area. Caprice knew her aunt could pinpoint the exact location of each of the Hamazakaran.
“I told you I needed a little time to explain.” They slowed now, because Caprice could no longer run, she didn’t have the strength.
“Yes, but you did not say he would bind you before you had a chance to explain. Do you truly want this man? Do you want to have a mate who imposes his will upon you, a mate lacking in self control?” Grabbing a small knife from her thigh, her aunt cut the binds around her wrists.
I get to choose? Since when? “I haven’t chosen anything. I am a slave to my past, my father, the Glissante… I’ve never lived with choices. So far I’ve just tried to survive.” She rested her palm against her forehead, the heat muddling her
brain. Have to get to Arun.
“I will simplify things for you. You choose him or not. Nothing is more important than that one decision. We act depending on your choice. Another member of my family will not be taken against her will.” Falling back, RyAhn joined the rest of the warrior’s circling the men.
“Arun.” She stated simply, ready to drop. He looked like a madman, glowing so bright a white she thought he might explode. He wouldn’t release the energy that pounded through him because it kept him alive, the only antidote to the poison flowing through his veins. But at what cost? He stood to the side of his brothers, his hands flung out, his head dropping forward against his chest.
The other two circled in front of Arun, swords in hand. “Stay back, lady. What the hell did you do to him? He’s as bright as a torch! You’re not getting near him.” Brant looked around, watching his people, the women, and the Bicullis. Ives stood stock still, his eyes never leaving Caprice.
If I don’t act now, Arun will hurt himself or one of the women that have come through the Bicullis to help me. “Cameo!” Caprice shouted across the sand. “Could you do me a favor and sing these two a nice lullaby? But don’t hurt them.”
“Sure thing, where do you want them?” Cameo pulled down the leather straps that held her lush breasts in place, causing the men’s eyes to bulge out of their sockets. Caprice heard Fisk roar in the background.
“Is there any way you can do that with your clothes on?”
“Of course I can, but where’s the fun in that? All right, all right. You don’t look so good right now, Icy. I won’t argue. But remember, you asked for this. I’d better not get a water slap.” Lifting her hands, she sang into the heavens the most gorgeous melody Caprice ever heard. Focusing in on the brothers, Cameo ran her hands across her stomach, as if the sound of her own voice excited her.
The song was lilting, delicate, promising peace and tranquility, safety. Walk away…walk away from your brother… Shaking her head, Caprice realized the power of Cameo’s voice had started to work on her. The pull was nothing compared to what it did to the men, but it was still strong. The look in Ives’s eyes as he was forced to walk away from Arun almost broke her heart. He looked as if he’d suffered much and valued control. “I’m sorry, Ives. Please trust I would never hurt your brother—Arun, that is. Fisk, on the other hand, is an arrogant fool.”