Tainted Kiss

by Sharon Kay

  What the fuck?

  There were so many reasons that was a bad idea, he could go on and on. There were so many reasons he was wrong for her, and for any female.

  He stalked to the stairs and scaled them two at a time, emerging in the marble-floored rotunda. Ana sat at the enormous desk, typing on her tablet and talking on the phone. She ended the call as soon as she spotted him.

  “Hello, sir.” She stood, tablet in hand. “We’re an hour past our normal daily briefing. Shall I walk with you or do you want to go over things here?”

  “Walk,” Arawn grunted. The last thing he wanted to do was stand still. He needed to go for a run, spar with his brawniest warriors, lift a shit ton of weight, anything to get Ria’s blue eyes and soft skin out of his head. He paused to let Ana catch up to him. “Ria woke up.”

  Her brown eyes widened. “Really? That’s wonderful! How is she?”

  “Ashina says she’s good. Just needs to strengthen her muscles from laying around for so long.”

  “Oh, that makes my day. I’ll go and see her tonight.” Ana joined him. “Where are you headed?”

  “Workout room.” He started down one of the hallways that branched out from the rotunda like spokes.

  Ana began rattling off issues, mostly small and, in his mind, trivial. But as the leader, he had to deal with them. His name was on the door.

  “…we’re seeing a ramp up in preparations for the annual alignment of Drea’s Tears and the moons.”

  Arawn shook his head. “Fuck, already?”

  “Yes, a full month in advance.” Ana’s shoes click-clacked on the hard floor next to him.

  One of Torth’s most famous constellations was a chain of five stars known as Drea’s Tears. Each year, it moved into a position in the sky that placed it beneath the realm’s two moons. When this happened, various creatures gathered in cemeteries around the realm to watch for any clues to the location of a long-hidden sword.

  All this craziness stemmed from half of a message carved on a tomb:

  When the moons weep, when the dead have gone to rest.

  Verdak, the Ghazsul demon who was building the tomb, disappeared before the full message could be inscribed. And it was his sword that the fanatical hordes hoped to find.

  According to popular legend, in the hands of one of his bloodline, it would secrete a deadly poison. For anyone else it was simply a sword.

  Arawn held open a door to a different stairway and waited for Ana to go through. “Peaceful so far?”

  “Yes. Lots of camps and tents set up—but no crime, fighting, or black magic noted to date.”

  “Good. Keep me posted.” He turned down a hall that would take him to the workout room. He should review emails. But hell if he could calm his body down any way other than physically.

  He was a warrior. Not a diplomat.

  They reached the steel doors of the training room and he rested his hand on the cool metal. “Anything else?”

  “One last thing…” She tapped her screen. “The spell group has been going through the grimoires recovered from Elegia’s facilities, as you know…”

  Arawn nodded. They’d found several spell books in their sweeps. No way would he let any books of magic sit around to be taken by anyone other than his people. If it was information they already knew, fine. If it was new, it’d make them more prepared in a duel of spells.

  “One has a message written in the margins, and Fife wanted to make note of it.”

  “What is it?”

  “The message reads ‘Renata holds the key’ and, let’s see, he says it was written in a book taken from a group of Ghazsuls.”

  “Renata holds the key?” Arawn frowned. “No clue what that could mean. Have Fife check the rest of the books, see if there are any more messages.”

  “Sure thing, sir.”

  Arawn pushed through the door as his way of saying goodbye. The retreating click of Ana’s heels told him she got the message. Arawn wasn’t much for idle chit chat.

  Except, he’d never run out of things to say to Ria.

  He scowled and headed to a treadmill. A nice fifty-mile run should warm him up, then he’d move through the rest of the equipment. And any Lash who walked in would become his unwitting sparring partner.

  He stripped off his T-shirt and stomped up on the nearest machine, setting it at a fifteen percent incline and a fast pace. His feet pounded a steady rhythm as the miles sped by.

  Fucking Verdak and the yearly craziness that erupted over his supposed sword. He’d disappeared thousands of years ago and no one even knew if the sword really existed. If it did, he’d hidden it in a damn good place. And thank the gods for that. Arawn’s fingertips tingled like they always did whenever he gave the legend more than a nanosecond of thought.

  Because blood recognized blood.

  There were two topics Arawn never discussed. One was the mate he’d lost. The other was the fact that he, the leader of elite warriors who fought for good, was descended from the very demon who’d created one of the most powerful and destructive weapons ever seen.

  No one knew about his lineage.

  No one ever would.

  “Fresh air feels so good.” Ria drew a deep breath and reached for another scone. It was warm enough to wear short sleeves as she and Gin ate breakfast on one of the upper balconies of Watcher HQ.

  “You’ve said that every day for a week,” Gin teased.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know.” Ria sipped her orange juice. “There’s just no comparison to sunshine and breezes.” She’d insisted on spending as much time outside as possible, taking long walks to build her strength back up. But breakfast up here with Gin was the highlight of her day.

  Gin typed on a data pad. “These things are so much faster here than on Earth,” she murmured. “Let’s hear it for ley lines, bringing me all kinds of demonic news in seconds.”

  The supernatural realms drew their power from ley lines that crisscrossed the land. Earth had them too, but they were much weaker. Thanks to the heavy currents of magic zipping through them, Torth had cell phones and every type of machine that Earth had.

  “I want to work out today.” Ria relaxed back into her lounger and watched white fluffy clouds drift lazily across the sky. “It’s been a week and I feel fine.”

  Gin shrugged. “I’m sure Ashina will let you, especially if you start out light.” Her eyes widened as she looked at her screen. “You guys have auctions here?”

  “Yeah. Big fancy ones too, like Sotheby’s,” Ria answered. “You need to spend more time here.”

  “Looks like there was a major one last night. Some statue sold for ten million…GB? What’s GB?”

  “Gold bars. That’s our currency. And the smaller gold coins.” Ria watched an ant crawl across the flagstone balcony floor. “Some species have additional coins they use amongst their clans or groups.”

  “That’s so weird.”

  “What?”

  “The auction. It’s so…Earth-like. I guess I would have thought demons would hoard gold, or just fight and take what they wanted.”

  Ria balled up her napkin and threw it at her friend. “Not all demons are barbarians, you know.”

  Gin ducked and giggled. “Sorry, I know. I couldn’t resist. But look at this. It’s so beautiful.” She handed the data pad to Ria.

  “Oh, that’s Renata,” Ria said, taking the tablet. “Yeah, she was supposed to be gorgeous.”

  “Who’s Renata?” Gin scrunched her nose.

  “There’s an old story that she was a plant pixie who mated a Ghazsul demon, and—”

  “Whoa.” Gin held up a hand. “Ghazsuls are the scary red ones, right?”

  Ria nodded. “Yup. Bad ass fighters, bullies, greedy, all around trouble.”

  “And a pixie would be a small, gentle creature, correct?”

  Ria could guess where this was going. “And you wonder how the two of them ended up together?”

  “Um, yeah. That kind of match doesn’t happen often, does it?�
�

  “No. Supposedly Renata wasn’t cut out for growing flowers or crops, and wanted more from life. Power, money, whatever. She was ambitious. And she met this Ghazsul named Verdak, and they mated. Crazy but true.”

  “And what happened?”

  “He commissioned this statue to be made of her. It’s life-size. Wonder who bought it…” Ria scrolled through the paragraphs. “A Ghazsul demon named Thane. Hmm, doesn’t ring any bells.” She handed the device back to Gin.

  “So, are Renata and Verdak still alive?”

  “No. She was killed in a clan skirmish, and he went nuts after that and got super paranoid. He disappeared and is presumed dead, but no body was ever found.”

  Gin frowned. “What’s so special about this statue, then?”

  “Don’t know.” Ria shrugged. “Unless Thane is a fan of Verdak. He does have sort of a cult following.”

  Gin arched a brow. “Oh, this oughtta be good.”

  “It’s nuts, that’s what it is.” Ria gathered her hair into a bunch over one shoulder. “Supposedly Verdak had a special sword that produced a poison.”

  Gin’s green eyes went wide. “You did not just say a poison sword.”

  “Yep.” Ria stifled a snort at her friend’s reaction.

  Gin gaped at her, then rubbed a hand across her forehead. “I swear, every new thing I learn about this place makes my head want to explode. Tell me how a blade can make a poison.”

  “According to the legend, Renata embedded one seed from the nightshade plant into the hilt, along with several drops of Verdak’s blood. Through her innate pixie skills, she enabled the seed to live forever, nourished by his blood. A mage used a spell to preserve the blood, and make the sword recognize whenever Verdak or one of his kin wielded it. When they do, the nightshade is activated and the blade becomes coated with its poison. It’s called the Atropa sword.”

  “Wow.” Gin’s mouth formed an O. “That’s intense. Nightshade poison causes convulsions, hallucinations, increased heart rate… And that name. Atropa…” she paused and frowned into her coffee, then looked up with her eyes alight. “I know. The scientific name for nightshade is Atropa belladonna.”

  “Good one, Einstein. I knew that extra botany class would help you one day. Bet you never thought it would be like this.” Ria smirked.

  “So where’s the sword now?”

  “No one knows. Actually, a lot of people don’t believe it exists. But every year, the die-hard weapons geeks search for it.”

  “How do they know where to look?”

  “Verdak was in the process of building a tomb for himself and Renata when he disappeared. He started to have the builders carve a message in the stone, but no one knows what it was supposed to mean. And because of his paranoia, he only gave the builders a few words at a time. Then he went missing and the tomb—and the message—were never completed.”

  “So the people who want to find the sword think this unfinished message is a clue?” Gin asked.

  “Yep. No one has had any luck yet.” Ria stretched her arms over her head. “I don’t know if I believe it.”

  Gin shook her head. “When it comes to this place, anything goes. Science flies out the window, replaced by magic.” She made air quotes with her fingers as she drew out the last word. “That’s a crazy story.”

  “Welcome to Torth.” Ria leaned back and closed her eyes, savoring the moment. Full belly, the sun warm on her skin, chatting with her best friend. Every day she got stronger and the healers thought she was recovering quickly, but she couldn’t shake the sense that she was doing a warm-up lap for something big. She’d survived a deadly toxin. Her sights were now set on getting back into Watcher rotation and figuring out what the heck was going on with her and Arawn.

  She and Gin sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. A two-headed hummingbird darted past them on its way to a feeder that Gin had insisted be installed. It alighted and drank, alternating its two long pointed beaks.

  “So…” Gin toyed with a lock of her dark hair, inspecting the ends. “Arawn was in your room a lot while you were unconscious.”

  “So I hear.” Ria’s body heated at the thought of him so close, so touchable, so focused on her.

  “You gotta give me more than that.” Gin turned to Ria, eyes full of curiosity. “Was something going on between you two?”

  “No.” I wish. “I was with you at college, remember?” Ria’s most recent assignment was to be Gin’s undercover bodyguard as she wrapped up her master’s degree.

  “Yeah, but you guys are so old, I wondered if maybe something happened in the past. You know, before you came to my school.”

  Ria sat silently and watched the hummingbird drink its fill and fly away. “Nothing ever happened,” she said softly.

  “Oh, if you could see the look on your face…” Gin sat up straight on her lounger. “Spill it.”

  Ria sighed. “You can’t tell anyone.”

  Gin made an X across her chest. “I won’t.” Then she frowned. “But you know I can’t mask my emotions from Mathias.”

  “I know, just try to block out thoughts about me, okay?” Ria knew that mated couples could project thoughts when they were close by each other.

  “Okay. I’ll try,” Gin said. “I’m still working on the whole mind connection thing, but I’ll do my best.”

  Ria pulled a curl out from her hair and let it spring back. “Thing is, I can’t ever really get him out of my mind,” she said. “No matter if I’m in a relationship or not, it’s the same feeling year after year. He’s so intense. So freaking hot…I can’t help being hyper-aware of him. And it’s not just physical.”

  “How long have you known each other?”

  “Centuries. I joined the Watchers as soon as I could after Mathias did. And Arawn’s been the leader since before we were born.”

  “I would think that’s weird, but I know you guys don’t age like humans do,” Gin said. “So all this time…no kiss, no dates?”

  “Dates.” Ria giggled. “I don’t think Arawn’s ever had a date.”

  Gin frowned. “So you’ve been pining away in secret all this time? That doesn’t sound like you. You’re such a go-getter.”

  “I know.” Ria closed her eyes briefly. “The thing is, he had a mate long ago, and she died. No one knows the story and he doesn’t talk about it.”

  “Oh my gosh, that’s awful,” Gin said. “Does the mate bond continue in death?”

  “No. Death is the one thing that breaks the bond. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. But I don’t know how he feels about whatever happened, or about their bond, or if he still loves her …”

  Gin rubbed a hand over her sternum. “If that bond was severed…my god, I’m not sure I could survive it. It’s like Mathias and I are part of each other.”

  “Yeah, that’s what most mated pairs say. So, you can tell why I haven’t pushed. I’ve never known the power of the bond, let alone the loss of it. And his mate lock is still there, even though it’s faded. It’s like a reminder that I need to watch myself. ”

  “Geez,” Gin whispered. “That’s heavy stuff.”

  “That, and the fact that I’m his subordinate. That could be awkward and weird. He could be accused of favoring me if I got a promotion. Crap like that.” Ria blew out a breath. “So that’s how I feel. And why he was in my room so much? I have no clue. I chickened out before I could ask him why.”

  “But he did confirm that he was there? A lot?”

  “Yes. He said it was peaceful and quiet.”

  “Hmm.” Gin’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Seems like he could find peace and quiet wherever he wanted. He’s the boss, after all.”

  Unexpected giddiness fluttered in Ria’s belly. “True.”

  “And he has a million other things to do, right?”

  “Yeah.” Ria took another drink of juice.

  “So, that’s your way in,” Gin said. “Tell him you were surprised that the only quiet spot he could find just happened to b
e at your bedside. But surprised in a good way.”

  “Look at you, Little Miss Logical.” Ria grinned.

  “You know it.” Gin stood and dusted crumbs off her jeans. “I always have a plan. Now let’s walk off all those calories we just ate.”

  C

  HAPTER 4

  HOURS LATER, RIA TOSSED AND turned in her bed. Though she loved her room here in HQ, the soft sheets and myriad of pillows in her king size bed did nothing to put her in a restful mood. All she could think of was Arawn.

  Her body heated every time she recalled waking up to his head bowed over their joined hands. His soft tone and quiet words were unlike any she’d ever heard from him. Grumpy orders and yelling were his usual speech patterns.

  What had he said? Words teased the edges of her memory, but none would fully form, no matter how hard she tried. But somehow she knew they were for her. Only her.

  His hair had been softer than she imagined and gods, she wanted to touch it again. Run her hands through it while she kissed those sensual lips and pressed up against his hard muscles. She bit her lip against the sudden ache low in her belly.

  But his faded mate lock loomed in her mind like a warning. Would he welcome that kind of attention from her? After all, she still didn’t know why he’d sought out time at her bedside.

  Ria flung off her duvet, both in irritation and in hormone overdrive. Sleep was out of the question.

  Lash demons didn’t need as much sleep as humans did. And since she’d slept for a whole month, she felt like she could stay up for days. Ashina had cautioned her to take it easy at first, and try to rest every day. But Ria’s whole body was antsy, ready to jump into an assignment. She hadn’t been cleared for sparring yet, and that was driving her nuts.

  She changed into a sports bra and workout tank, pulled on yoga pants, and left her room, bound for the training room. A workout was exactly what she needed to clear her mind and tire out her body.

  Arawn had installed an Olympic size pool, a firing range, indoor sparring rings, rooms for martial arts and weapons practice, and an enormous gym with treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, free weights, and resistance machines. And since Gin had arrived, she’d requested yoga mats and rollers as well as Pilates rings and resistance bands.