by Boone Brux
Never once had she desired any of the filthy beasts that littered the throne room. Even her vengeance against Luc was born of anger, not lust. There had only been one man, until now, who had stirred her blood. She’d risked so much for him, saved him from a fate worse than death. But he was lost to her now and it hurt too much to think about him.
Rell stood, pushing away the memories of what could never be and the yearning she felt for Icarus.
“Where is your sister?”
She gasped, desire evaporating. Of all the things she’d expected him to say, asking about her sister wasn’t one of them.
The smile he gave her was a cross between amusement and a predator cornering its prey. “You kept her here.” He sauntered toward the largest pool. “Raised her from a child.”
Rell eased from the rock and folded her wings behind her. “How do you know this?”
“I know many things that go on in the Shadow World.” He skirted the edge of the pool and stopped to crouch, dragging his talons through the steaming water. “Once she bathed here.”
“But, she never mentioned the encounter.”
Swirls of water eddied around his hand. “I believe I frightened her.”
“Why did you leave her…” Rell searched for the right word. “Unharmed?”
Icarus stood, the amusement draining from his face. “Why did you summon me?”
This was the reason all demons feared him above any other, even Vile. Like a coiled snake, Icarus seemed to wait for his chance to attack. Always poised to take down his enemy, even when none existed. She discarded her question and focused on her mission.
“I offer you a proposal.”
His eyes narrowed. Another way Icarus differed from Vile. Where the king would mock with wide-eyed surprise, Icarus approached with suspicion.
“Speak.”
Rell swallowed hard and forced herself to hold his gaze. “I know you helped the Bringer escape.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Not a proposal.” The velvety purr of his voice licked at her, reawakening her sensual need. “Is it to be blackmail then?”
“No.” She shook her head slowly. “I care not that you helped him.” Her mind scrambled for a common thread to bind them. “I would have helped him myself if it would have foiled Sha-hera’s plans.”
His face relaxed back to its inscrutable beauty. “I’m listening.”
“The Bringer woman still lives.”
Icarus went still. “Impossible.”
“Not impossible. My sister has seen her.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. She appeared dead when you—” She searched for a better description, something less accusatory about the time Icarus had carried Rhys Blackwell and his woman out of harm’s reach. “When I last saw her with the male Bringer.”
Icarus paced along the edge of the pool as if contemplating her words. “You’re sure of this?”
“Yes.” Rell dared a few steps toward him. “And there’s another.” He stopped pacing and looked at her. “Another full-blood. A man.”
“Besides Rhys Blackwell?”
She nodded. The silence in the cavern stretched, growing louder as they stared at each other across the green, bubbling water.
“Why do you tell me this?”
Why was she telling him this? What did she truly know about his reasons for helping the Bringer? Too late to retreat, she decided to follow her hunch. She relaxed her stance and locked her hands behind her back in hopes of appearing confident.
“You want the throne and I wish to help you.”
His bark of laughter ricocheted off the walls, causing Rell to jump.
“You are most direct.”
She shrugged, maintaining her air of confidence. “I am observant.”
His smile faded. “Maybe too observant.”
“Perhaps.” The threat was not lost on her. She shrugged again. “But not in this matter.” With slow, measured steps she sauntered toward him. “I can help you.”
His eyes followed her. “At what cost?”
She stopped a few feet from him. “There’s no cost when what we want is the same.” She took a step closer. “You seem to need a full-blood and I want to rid myself of one.”
“Why?”
Anger erupted, rolling through her before she could contain it. She stepped away, fisting her hands. “Because this is his fault.” She held out her arms, indicating her demon form. “He betrayed my family and stole my future.”
“A woman scorned.” Icarus tilted his head, assessing her. “I think you loved him, yes?”
She lifted her chin and lowered her arms, not wanting to admit how Luc’s actions had betrayed her trust. “I was naïve.”
“And now?”
“Now…I will have my revenge.”
An expression Rell couldn’t identify passed across Icarus’s face. Sympathy? Understanding? Compassion? These attributes were as foreign to the Prince of the Shadow World as wings on pigs.
She tensed as he glided toward her. His knuckles gently grazed her upper arm, admiringly, as if savoring the feel.
“You’re different.” He grasped her arm and drew her toward him. “Not cold like the others.”
Shivers of pleasure rippled across Rell’s skin. The iron velvet of Icarus’s body molded with hers and she was helpless to do more than stare into his eyes, watching as gold swirled to silver and back to gold. His gaze caressed her face, searching for something. He ran the back of his hand along her cheek like a blind man trying to identify a familiar object.
“Touching you stirs…” He paused.
“Stirs what?” she prodded, needing so much to hear his declaration of desire—his longing meant only for her.
“Memories where I have none.” His words caressed her.
She furrowed her brow, confused by his words. He lowered his hand back to her arm, his eyes refocusing to their penetrating stare.
“We will work well together, I think.” One arm wrapped around her back and held her tightly against him. “I accept your proposal.”
Of their own accord, her arms inched around his waist. She watched and waited as he slowly lowered his head. His breath brushed her lips. So close. She stretched up, offering herself to him.
“But know this,” he whispered. His mouth captured hers in a searing kiss, his rough tongue sweeping inside to stroke hers.
The bones in her body seemed to melt. Luc had kissed her when she was a young woman, but the memory paled in comparison to the demon’s branding.
As quickly as he’d launched his sensual attack, he pulled back and stared at her. “If you betray me, I will kill your sister.”
Her breath came in pants, all words failing her, not because of his threat but because of his effect on her. She nodded and then lifted her chin, asking for another kiss. A knowing and somewhat amused smile crept across his lips, but he gave her what she wanted.
Again he lowered his mouth to hers, this time more slowly as if savoring and teasing her at the same time. It had been so long since somebody had held and gently kissed her. She pushed the memories from the past away and concentrated on the feel of Icarus.
His knuckles brushed along the sensitive skin of her neck, shoulder, and across the swell of her breast. The light pressure of his talons scraped across her leather harness, sending sparks of desire through her nipples. He cupped her breast, eliciting a small moan from her. Icarus deepened his kiss. She tugged him more tightly to her. His warmth seemed to drive away the darkness that threatened to swallow her.
She ran her hands up his lower back to stroke the powerful wings folded against him. The evidence of his desire pushed against his black leather breeches, stiffening against her stomach, his kiss becoming more demanding. Heat coursed through her body and the need to be closer, to rub against him, overwhelmed her. She gripped the thick edges of his wings, wrapped a leg around his thigh and pressed herself to him. He groaned, his hand traveling down to cup her rear end. No space existed be
tween them, but still she wanted more.
Without warning, Icarus broke their kiss. He stared at her, his breathing labored.
Her voice sounded weak and desperate. “What is wrong?”
“You.” He eased her hands from around his waist. “I can’t think clearly when you are…touching me.”
She didn’t disagree. The intensity between them had been like nothing she’d ever felt, but neither was she sorry for what they had shared. For several glorious moments she had felt human.
“There is much at stake for both of us.” He stepped around her.
She followed his movements, somewhat surprised by his apparent lack of control. Perhaps she had more leverage with the demon than she thought.
Icarus stopped a few yards away, straightened and turned to face her again. “Until this is over and I have what I want, I will not let myself be distracted.”
Rell raised her eyebrows in question “And afterward?”
A predatory smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he didn’t reply.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Luc stared across the ink-black water. How much time had passed—an hour, two hours? He glanced toward the door, willing Ravyn to come out.
“She your woman?”
He’d been so lost in self-loathing he’d forgotten the whore was still there. She sat on a crate, one arm resting in her lap while the other hand plucked at the frayed end of her dirty skirt.
“Who?”
The woman flicked her head toward the cabin door.
“No. Just an acquaintance.” He turned and leaned his hip against the ship’s railing. “Why?”
“Don’t know.” She shrugged and continued picking at the hem of her skirt. “You didn’t accept my offer this morning. Wondered if it was because of her. You don’t exactly seem like the faithful type, but in the forest I got the impression she was your woman.”
“She’s not.” He glanced out across the water again. “Far from it.”
The woman harrumphed.
He straightened, his gaze snapping back to the whore. “Why are you still here?”
“I don’t want to leave until I know your friend is all right.” She looked at him, her face pinching into a sour expression. “Feel like this mess is my fault. I should have been more careful around Pascal. He has eyes everywhere. There ain’t nothing that happens on the docks that he don’t know about and that Shillings…” She shook her head. “He’s one nasty piece of work. Do just about anything for Pascal.”
“None of this is your fault.” Luc sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, then lowered them. “It’s mine.” When would he stop ruining Jade and Esmeralda’s life? “It’s always my fault.”
“I find there are usually no extremes in relationships, even friendship. One is not always right or never wrong. I doubt things are always your fault.” She shrugged. “But I could be wrong.”
“You are,” he bit out. “And we are not in a relationship.”
The whore gave a nod that said less about agreeing with him and more about knowing something he obviously didn’t.
“She hates me.” He picked at a worn strand of rope that lay draped over the side of the ship. “For good reason.”
Her eyebrows lifted but she didn’t look at him.
“You don’t believe me?”
She smirked and looked up. “Who am I to question your story? All I know is what I thought I saw.” She shrugged again. “The heart wants what the heart wants.” She let go of the worn hem, stood and stretched, arching her back. “I find there ain’t no use fightin’ it.”
“Rubbish.”
She didn’t argue with him. An awkward silence grew between them, her words chipping away at what little calm he maintained. It was nonsense to think Jade harbored anything but hatred for him. Complete foolishness.
He crossed his arms and glared at her. “You’re very blunt.”
The woman gave a quiet laugh. “So I’ve been told.”
“Not surprising,” he mumbled.
He found the whore to be a complete puzzle. Willing to sell her body to make a living, but wouldn’t accept charity, intelligent, with a rough kindness that grew out of hard times. He lowered his arms and relaxed his stiff stance. “What’s your name?”
She bit her bottom lip as if contemplating whether to lie. After a few seconds she said, “Delphina.”
“Pretty name.”
“It’s the one beautiful thing my mother gave me before selling me to a pleasure house.”
Words momentarily escaped him. He was well acquainted with the seedy side of life. Had been facedown in it more times than he cared to remember. But to come face-to-face with the stark rawness of what happened to the innocents rallied a sense of morality and honor he didn’t know still existed within him.
In an effort to lighten the mood, he changed the subject. “Thank you for your help tonight—after the thieves fled.”
Delphina smoothed one hand down the front of her skirt, not meeting his gaze. “I didn’t do anything. Like I said, I caused more trouble than I’m worth.”
Her words echoed the same thoughts he had about himself. He fumbled with the frayed end of the rope, plucking apart the threads. Her unwillingness to accept praise was understandable. Each day was a struggle to live, with few kind words and even fewer offers of freely given help. There was no reason she should believe him to be sincere.
“You helped lead us out of the forest and probably saved Jade’s life.”
She lifted her gaze and gave him a hard stare.
“I’m fairly certain those men didn’t give you a choice,” he continued before she could protest.
“You’re very understanding.” She walked toward him and stopped a few feet away. One arm cradled the other and she eased a hip against the rail. “There’s something different about you. I’ve seen a fair bit of earth magic in my day, but what you did was like nothing I’ve seen before.”
Luc contemplated lying to her, but knew she’d see through his deception. “What do you think you saw?”
She cocked her head, slanting him a suspicious look. “You’d just say I was mad if I told you, so I think I’ll keep my ideas to myself.” She winked at him. “Till I know for sure.”
The door to the cabin opened before he could reply. Ravyn stepped out, holding a bloody rag, and closed the door behind her. Dark stains spattered the front of her green leathers and bluish circles pooled under her eyes.
“How is she?” he said.
“Alive.” The stiff set of her shoulders told him her mood hadn’t lightened. “Sleeping.”
Luc sighed. “Can I see her?”
“No.” He flinched from her sharp tone but she ignored him, cutting her gaze to Delphina. Ravyn smiled. “I guess I have you to thank for saving my friends.”
Delphina blushed under the praise. “Weren’t nothin’.”
“Well, I disagree. These two have a penchant for getting in trouble. They were quite lucky to have your help.”
Luc pinched his lips together. Even Ravyn knew this situation was his fault, and she was angry with him. Arguing wouldn’t help.
She turned her attention to the rag, scrubbing it against her knuckles in an effort to clean off the blood. “So what really happened?”
“We were attacked by thieves. Jade took an arrow.” Luc kept his answer short, trying not to inadvertently betray Jade and Esmeralda by providing too many details. He pointed to Delphina. “She helped us find our way out of the forest.”
Ravyn arched an eyebrow, still not looking at him. “Were you lost?”
“No, my lady,” Delphina piped in. “He set fire to the forest with that blasting thing he does. Took out a couple of ruffians.”
Ravyn’s head snapped up. “Blasting?”
Luc set his jaw against her censuring tone.
“I saw what I saw.” Delphina waved a hand in the air. “You may think me mad, but you won’t be changing my mind.”
“I had no intention of trying.�
�� Ravyn tossed the rag onto a barrel and looked at him. When Luc opened his mouth to explain she held up a hand, effectively cutting him off. “No lies and no half-truths, Luc.”
“I’d met…” He motioned toward Delphina. “Her earlier in the day.”
Ravyn propped her hands on her hips and pinned him with a questioning stare. It was amazing how she could trumpet her disapproval with a single look. He ground his teeth together.
Delphina came to his defense. “Not like that, my lady. He gave me two gold liats and told me to go home and feed my children.”
Ravyn’s expression softened.
“I was going to do his bidding,” the woman continued, “but Pascal and his lot seen my transaction with his lordship. They thought him an easy mark.”
Ravyn nodded, letting her arms relax at her side. “Then what happened?”
“Pascal tracked him to the bar.” The woman gave Luc an apologetic smile. “You weren’t very difficult to find.”
“I see.” Ravyn stepped toward Delphina, putting Luc on alert. Her eyes leveled on the woman’s arm. “And I assume he threatened to hurt you if you didn’t help him?”
Luc recognized the subtle way Ravyn blocked Delphina’s path. It was a position he’d found himself cornered in far too many times—usually when Ravyn wanted something.
“Pascal used her as a bargaining tool,” he said. “If I gave him my purse he wouldn’t kill her.”
“He sounds like a wonderful man.” Inches separated her and the whore. “May I examine your arm?”
Delphina flinched, her eyes darting from her arm back to Ravyn’s face.
“I promise I won’t hurt you,” Ravyn said.
Hesitantly, Delphina extended her arm. Ravyn encircled the woman’s hand between hers. At first contact Delphina jumped, but she didn’t pull away.
Luc shifted, unsure if he should stop or help Ravyn. Was she planning on healing Delphina out where prying eyes might be watching? He knew Ravyn’s healing abilities had grown since she’d come into her full powers, but he also knew her to be a bit careless. Rhys’s demand that they keep the Bringers’ existence a secret didn’t appear to be something she planned on heeding.