Kiss of the Betrayer (A Bringer and the Bane Novel)

by Boone Brux

  “Luc?”

  The dragon had clawed a large, shallow hole. Within the depression, he lay curled and unmoving. She crawled through the muddy furrows toward him. Streams of red ran from deep gouges in his back. She stopped, the understanding of what she saw slowly sinking in.

  “Luc?”

  She pushed the black despair away and scrambled the rest of the way to him. His clothes had been shredded. The leather vest he wore hung in pieces from his shoulders. Blood mixed with the puddle of rain he lay in.

  Afraid to move him, she gently brushed long blonde strands of hair from his eyes. “Luc, can you hear me?”

  His chest rose and fell in labored breathing.

  She knelt and lowered her face to his, examining the gashes on his neck. His eyes opened and focused on her. “Thank the Sainted Ones.”

  “That—” His voice grated from his throat.

  Jade leaned closer. “Don’t try to talk.”

  “That was the…” He swallowed.

  She lifted her hand to wipe the rain from his eyes. “Shhh, it’s all right. I’m going to help you.”

  Determined to speak, he swallowed again. “That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Jade’s hand froze an inch above his forehead. “Excuse me?”

  “You…attacking Icarus.” Luc coughed. “Stupid.”

  She blinked several times, not sure if she’d just been insulted. From the irritated look on his face, she had.

  Jade braced her arms on either side of Luc’s body and hovered above him. “I saved your life, jackass.”

  “Saved me?” He wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. “I had things well in hand.”

  “Really? Was that when you were thrashing about like a fish out of water or when Icarus was peeling your flesh like a ripe orange?”

  He pushed to a sitting position, sending Jade scrambling backward in an effort not to touch him. She noticed how his eyes cut to the sky and back to her. Maybe he wasn’t as confident as he pretended.

  “Where is Icarus?” She scanned the sky. “What happened?”

  “I pulled him off of you.” Luc leveled a stare at her. “Whatever you did weakened him, but he was still strong enough to escape.”

  “I think I tried to heal him.” The night’s events began taking hold again and her head spun. “Almost like I didn’t have a choice.”

  Luc rolled to his hands and knees but rose no further. His head hung as if he was mustering the strength to stand. He definitely wasn’t all right.

  “You need healing.” She inched toward him. “Can you walk?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not.” She knelt and wedged her shoulder into his armpit. “I’ll help you into the chapel. We’ll be safe there and I can heal you.”

  “You’re too weak.” He tried to push her away, but she wrapped an arm around his waist.

  Anger drained from Jade. As much as it irritated her to admit it, he’d saved her life. What would have happened to her if Luc hadn’t arrived? Would Rell have handed her over to Icarus? Another thought dawned on her. Had they known Luc would follow her? She pushed away the thoughts of betrayal and her conflicting fear that her sister might be dead.

  It took what strength she had left to raise him to a standing position. Though he didn’t complain, she could tell by the amount of blood covering him that his injuries were quite painful.

  They slipped on the slick grass and stumbled the few yards onto holy ground. Luc motioned for her to stop. His chest heaved from the exertion. Grateful for the respite, she waited. After a minute, he nodded and they continued into the chapel.

  The stone walls dampened the sound of the storm. Jade helped Luc lean against the wall while she bullied the old wooden door shut, dropping the bar to keep it in place. Blessed silence filled the holy chamber, casting a much-needed sense of peace.

  She led him down the center of the church and onto the small rise below the round stained glass window. This had been her sanctuary, a place to hide away from the world of demons. The thought of sharing her private haven with anyone had always set ill with her, but as she helped Luc down to her makeshift pallet, the reality of having him here wasn’t so bad.

  He eased to his side and exhaled, the tension flowing from him. She shifted, not sure what to do to help him get more comfortable. Her hands suddenly felt awkward, so she settled them in her lap and waited, trusting he’d tell her what he needed.

  A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth.

  She raised her eyebrows in question. “What is so funny?”

  “Not funny—ironic.”

  “Fine, what’s so ironic?”

  “You.” He winced and adjusted his position. “First you try to kill me and then you try to save me.”

  Unable to sit still under his scrutiny, she fumbled with the tattered blanket, tucking it around his shoulder and making sure not to meet his eyes. “I must have had a lapse in judgment.”

  “Which time?”

  She couldn’t help but smile back. “Perhaps both times.”

  “Perhaps.” His smile widened and his eyelids drifted shut. “Are you to heal me then?”

  “I’ll try.” She reached to lay her trembling hands on his neck and arm. “But first I need to know.” She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. “Did you kill my sister?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  He didn’t want to open his eyes, but she’d just saved his life. He owed her an answer. When he did, everything he’d expected to see stared back at him; anger, control, and maybe even hope.

  “No, I didn’t kill her. She’s a Bane and I’d need an immortal weapon to vanquish her.”

  Jade’s shoulders sagged with relief. “I was afraid…” Her voice caught and she cleared her throat. “I mean, it looked so—” She glanced at him. “Final.”

  “Yes, it was quite a sight, wasn’t it?” He took a deep breath and exhaled against the burning ache gripping his body. “I don’t know where they go, but the demons always return—unfortunately.”

  Jade smirked. “So…” She picked at a patch of mud on her pants. “You’re a dragon.”

  “It would appear so.” Shooting pains raced across the gashes on his back. He did his best to ignore them, wanting to continue their conversation. It was the first time they’d spoken without hurling insults at each other. “I must admit, I did not plan on transforming, but when I saw Icarus and realized you were in danger…” He shrugged and grimaced. “I changed.”

  “I’m flattered.”

  “Don’t be. It was completely involuntary. I couldn’t control the shift, and once a dragon, I couldn’t control my own limbs.” He curled an arm under him and rested his head. “Quite embarrassing, really.”

  “I don’t know.” She scraped her fingernail back and forth over the dirt. “Your flames were impressive and you didn’t burn down the forest this time.”

  “It’s a start.” He closed his eyes. Silence stretched between them. They seemed to be on good terms for the time being. The last thing he wanted was to push too far and alienate her again. He tabled his questions about Rell. “You were impressive yourself.”

  When Jade didn’t reply he opened his eyes. She was staring at him, a look of pure desperation on her face.

  “Jade?” He rose to a sitting position, ignoring the burn across his neck and back. “What is it?”

  “It was horrible.” Her voice quivered, tears pooling and enlarging her green eyes. “Icarus.”

  “What about him?”

  “How can he live with all that hatred?” Her eyes rounded and she shook her head. “So much despair.” A shiver rippled through her body. “His hopelessness was so dense and vast, I…I can’t describe it.”

  “He’s a Bane.” Luc covered her hand with his. “Demons thrive on the misery of others.”

  He cursed himself the second the words were out, but he didn’t try to cover his thoughtlessness. Perhaps it was better if Jade accepted that Esmeralda was g
one and only a merciless demon remained.

  “I know.” She looked at him. “For some time I’ve realized that my hope of Rell retaining her humanity was in vain.” Her hand clenched under his. “How could she not have told me about our mother? Especially after she’d first been turned.”

  “Fear of being alone.” His head began to spin. He pulled his hand away and lowered himself to the ground, once again resting his head on his arm. “Nobody wants to be forgotten.”

  “She’s my sister. I could never forget her—even now.”

  He gave her an understanding smile but had no words of comfort. As far as he was concerned, Esmeralda had died the night she’d been turned to a Bane. Perhaps it was cold-hearted, but what he’d witnessed tonight confirmed that Jade was no longer safe with her sister.

  There was only one solution for putting Esmeralda to rest, but he doubted Jade would agree. Maybe in time he could convince her that freeing her sister’s soul would be the only peace either one of them would find.

  “Here.” Jade placed her hands on his arm and shoulder. “Lay on your stomach so I can try to heal you.”

  His body rebelled with each movement he made. Every inch of his skin felt as if it had been pummeled with a club. He grimaced and eased to his stomach. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  “Absolutely not.” Jade’s warm hands settled onto his neck and back. “But since I’m all you’ve got, I guess you’ll have to trust me.”

  “Your honesty isn’t comforting me.”

  She gave an unladylike snort.

  Heat spread across his neck and back. Though his body relaxed and his eyes closed, his awareness of Jade did not dim.

  A new scent permeated the small alcove. He inhaled. Like the warm breeze after a summer storm, freshly picked grass and the crisp taste of a mountain stream all rolled into one smell. He turned his head and inhaled again. The sweet aroma was so distinctly Jade.

  He opened his eyes and scanned the interior of the church. There were no furnishings or embellishments beyond the colored glass window. A stone balustrade partially encircled the rise where they rested. Several of the spindles had crumbled and lay in chalky piles below the rise. Dried leaves hugged the crevices where the floor met the wall. Though bare, the chapel harbored a sense of peace. He understood why Jade had chosen it as her sanctuary.

  White light expanded from somewhere above him when she began to chant, illuminating the chapel. Sparks of blue flared and faded like tiny fireflies inside the spreading glow. Ropes of gold and green filtered through the colored glass window and cracks in the door to swirl around the walls of the chapel.

  Snaps of pain pattered across the gashes on his back. The wounds tightened, pulling the skin between his shoulder blades. Whatever she was doing, it appeared to be working. Luc recognized the ancient words. They danced around him like a ribbon of whispers. Unable to resist, he once again closed his eyes and sank into the healing.

  A sensation of floating surrounded him, tipping and turning him head over heels. He stilled the urge to open his eyes, but instead placed his trust in Jade’s abilities.

  Like hot soup on a frigid day, warmth spread from his chest outward in both directions, burning away every ache and cut on his body. His heart beat in unison with her healing words, creating a song of life inside his head.

  Memories of the past flittered through his mind, bringing with them an intensity of emotions as if they were happening again. Some were good: him playing as a boy, being rocked on his mother’s lap, his father smiling at him with a pride not yet tested. The chant dug deep, unearthing memories he’d buried and never wanted to revisit. His throat closed with emotion and he was helpless against the tears that pressed and slipped past his closed lids. All his transgressions laid open to him, raw.

  In his mind, the healing light washed over the heavy visions like an ocean wave, dragging the tainted darkness from it with each pass. The tightness in his chest lessened. He saw the pain in his father’s eyes as he rebelled and the two of them drifted farther apart. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the pain of failure etched on his father’s face, but of the loss of a son. The visions faded, taking the majority of the pain with them. A lightness lifted his heart. He blinked and opened his eyes to stare at the damp stone beneath him.

  He turned his head and looked at Jade. Her body swayed with the rhythm of the chant, her eyes closed. Lit from the healing light, her face glowed, making her look like an ethereal being. She was beautiful—and strong.

  Something beyond respect and obligation rose in him. The little girl he remembered as a child was barely familiar. In her place was a woman, somebody like him.

  She opened her eyes and their gazes locked. Her words slowed, the song dying. The warmth in her hands faded and once again the chapel was dark. She didn’t remove her hands, only continued to look at him.

  Silence stretched between them, his body growing cool again. Finally he stirred, expecting pain but feeling none. She pulled her hands away and he sat up. Her eyes were wide with questioning.

  “I think you did it.” Luc pulled what was left of his leather vest and linen shirt over his head and turned his back toward her. “How does it look?”

  “Flawless.” Her fingers glided across his back where he’d been injured. “I can’t believe it.” With a gentle caress, she stroked the side of his neck. “It was as if my body knew what to do even when I didn’t.”

  “It seems we both need to learn how to control our power so it doesn’t control us.”

  “Very well said.” She brushed her fingertips up his spine and across his right shoulder. Perhaps it was the way her fingers slowed or maybe it was her warm breath on his back, but the mood between them shifted, turning the examination from that of a healer to one of somebody more inquisitive. “You’re so smooth.”

  The statement carried a hint of maidenly curiosity. The awareness her touch provoked surprised him. She ran both palms across his shoulder blades and down the sides of his body. He lowered his chin to his chest and closed his eyes.

  It felt nice to be touched. Each stroke brushed him with compassion and caring. Not empty like the past decade of encounters with other women.

  Until now, he hadn’t realized how much of his life the death of Jade’s family had stolen from him. He prayed there were some happy endings in sight. Jade would reunite with her mother and meet the family she never knew existed. She would be free of her burden of protecting and hiding Esmeralda. Still, there were clouds on the horizon. They would have to deal with Rell, and that would be a heartbreaking prospect for Jade to accept.

  As her palms caressed his biceps, he covered one of her hands with his, stopping its progress. She didn’t move or speak, only waited. Luc turned slightly and looked over his shoulder. Large green eyes met his gaze.

  “Thank you for healing me.”

  She gave him a little smile but said nothing, as if she knew he wasn’t finished speaking.

  “You’re not alone anymore.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “Whatever happens in the future, I won’t abandon or betray you again.”

  There were more things he wanted to say, but fear made him hold his tongue. He wasn’t used to putting his emotions on the line, at least not true emotions. Silver words to women he’d never see again flowed easily from his lips because they meant nothing in the light of day.

  What little he’d just given Jade was far less than she deserved. After a life of serving a demon, she’d earned a peaceful existence. Unfortunately, he doubted that would come any time soon.

  For a few seconds, she focused on his hand covering hers. Then she spoke just two words. “Thank you.”

  They were enough to let him know he’d said what she needed to hear and to sever one of the many cords of guilt that had kept him bound to an empty existence. Tonight she’d healed him in more ways than she’d meant to.

  Their eyes met and her smile grew. Perhaps tonight he’d mended something inside her as well.

  CHAPTER T
HIRTEEN

  Rell perched on the large, flat boulder, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She rocked, keeping her gaze focused on a tiny green leaf rolling back and forth between two intermittent jets of air. Such a bright green gem and so full of life—for the moment. Soon it would wither, as all things did in the Shadow World. She wondered how the leaf had gotten there. Emptiness filled her. Like other things in the demon realm, the leaf didn’t belong here.

  One ragged wing lay against her body while the other slowly reformed from the stub protruding from her back. She grimaced against the ache radiating through her. This was the first time she’d ever been exploded by a Bringer, or fractured, as the Bane called it. Hopefully, it would be the last time. The sensation of reforming again was unpleasant and she had no desire to experience it again.

  The constant hiss of warm air through the vents and the occasional burp of bubbles in the pools filled the strained silence between her and Icarus. He paced at the edge of her periphery, but she didn’t dare look at him. Their ambush had gone horribly awry and she was certain he blamed her for the failure.

  He stopped near a vent and spread his wings. Unable to help herself, Rell cut a glance toward him. The torn membrane of his wings had mended and he now looked no worse for his fight with Luc. He hadn’t spoken since they’d returned to the cavern, only paced as he healed. With a slow pivot, he faced her.

  Rell ceased her rocking and shifted her eyes to stare at the floor near his feet. The last of her frayed nerves threatened to snap. She jumped when his deep voice echoed over the din of the vents.

  “I think that went rather well.”

  Her eyes traveled up his body and settled on his face. He didn’t appear angry.

  Icarus cocked his head. “Don’t you?”

  “I—I’m not sure.” The points of her talons dug into her skin. She concentrated on the pain and pushed her apprehension far enough down to where it wasn’t apparent in her voice. “It seems neither of us got what we wanted.”

  “On the contrary.” He folded his wings and clasped his hands behind his back. With smooth strides he glided toward her. “I got exactly what I wanted.”