by Boone Brux
“But Luc got away.”
“Because I let him.” Icarus examined his talons, flicking bits of debris from them. “Now they will come to us.”
Rell released her legs and let them slide forward to dangle over the rock’s edge. “Come to us?”
“Your Bringer is young and impetuous. He doesn’t possess the patience to outmaneuver me.” The demon lowered his arms and looked at her. “What he wants most in the world is to be a hero and make things right.” Icarus tilted his head toward her. “You are the force that will draw him to us.”
“Me?” She leaned forward, resting her hands against the rock. “He cares nothing for me.”
“You’re wrong. He does care about you, but…” He leaned a hip against the boulder, his body brushing her arm. “He cares about your sister more.”
His words hit her like a punch in the stomach. She stared at her knees and tapped her heels against the stone in a steady rhythm. The movement was meant to keep her from reacting, an emotionless reflex that let the denial and angry truths tumble in her mind. She’d lost her sister tonight and her world seemed to be unraveling. There was nothing she could do about it.
“I still don’t understand.” She gestured to the surrounding cave. “Why he would come here?”
Icarus said nothing, but the answer was reflected in his eyes.
“He wants to kill me.” There was no question in her statement. She knew the words were true the second they left her mouth. “They have an immortal weapon.”
“Yes.” Icarus’s voice was soft but steady. “In his mind, the only way to give you and him any peace is to release your soul.”
Rell stood and paced a short path to the closest wall. “And Jade?”
“She is the wild card. I’m unsure where her loyalties lie.”
“My guess is with the Bringers.” She stared at the glistening streams of water trickling down the wall, wondering how best to broach the subject they’d yet to discuss—the fact that she too was a Bringer. “Jade has been brought to power and…she knows I lied about our mother. Why would she remain loyal to me now?”
“Your sister is still mostly human and humans are weak. At the critical moment it is the rare few who can do what needs to be done. We must play to her sympathies.”
Rell turned and wrapped her arms around her torso to ward off the stark reality of what Icarus proposed. Things would never be the same between her and Jade, but to manipulate her so ruthlessly would certainly destroy any chance she might have of winning back her sister’s trust.
The memory of Jade’s touch gripped her. The white light had burned through her, clearing some of the black web that kept her trapped inside the demon body. It was as if the white cleansing had finally given her the ability to put words to the constant battle that raged inside her. Despite the moist heat from the burbling pools and vents, a shiver ran through Rell’s body.
With measured steps, Icarus circled the largest pool and stopped before her. “You appear distraught.”
She flinched, his words drawing her from her memories. How much could she ask him and how much would he confide to her? It wasn’t as if they were friends, merely two demons with a common cause. The saying No harm in asking didn’t hold true in this situation.
Rell lowered her arms and focused on the vapors dancing above the burbling pool in the center of the cave. “How do you manage the darkness?”
He pressed the smooth curve of his talon under her chin, making her look up at him. “I don’t understand what you are asking.”
She swallowed hard and ran her hand up her arm. With curled talons, she scraped downward against her skin. “At times I want to peel the very flesh from my body. It’s as if I’m trapped inside a black web that I can’t get free from.”
Icarus released her. She resisted the urge to rub where his talon had pressed. Without answering her, he turned and walked to the edge of the pool. Silence stretched between them but she didn’t move, didn’t try to fill the void. He was the only one who could give her the answer she sought.
He knelt and dipped his hand into the water. The small splash seemed exceptionally loud. Green light from the pool shimmered against his black skin, creating a glow around his body. Though beautiful on the outside, there was no doubt that it would be a mistake to believe his beauty penetrated deeper than his skin.
He lifted his hand and let the water slide from his palm through his fingers. Droplets pattered across the surface. “It is different for every Bane.” He continued the mesmerizing action. “I’ve known others like you.”
Rell furrowed her brow. “Like me?”
“Others who found it difficult to embrace the…” His talons hovered inches above the pool. Fat drops collected at their tips, growing round until they could no longer cling to the points. With a quiver, the watery gems fell to once again meld with the pool.
After several seconds, he lifted his head and looked at her. “Darkness, as you called it.”
“What happened to them?”
“Some eventually succumbed to the Bane way and embraced their life as a demon.” He stroked the water again. “Others sought out the Bringers and their immortal weapons, believing it better to be free of their demon form than trapped within it.”
He had left something unsaid. She encouraged him to continue. “And the others?”
Icarus stood. “Disappeared.”
Rell shook her head. “What do you mean, disappeared?”
His shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. “Disappeared, vanished, never seen again.”
“Where did they go?” She took a step toward him, pushing the sparks of possibility and hope away. “Did you find them?”
“No.” He dragged out the word as if recognizing her too-anxious tone. “It’s a mystery I’ve yet to solve.”
“Do you think…” She swallowed and inched forward to stand across the pool from him. “They were Bringers?”
She held his golden gaze. Her desire for an answer far outweighed the intimidation his piercing stare caused. A jettison of air erupted from the nearest vent, causing Rell to flinch.
After several seconds, Icarus gave her a single nod.
Possibilities careened through her mind and the question tumbled from her. “Do you believe that’s what made them different than the other Bane?”
He stood and wiped his hand across his torso. The water glistened on the cut planes of his abdomen. “You’re very astute.”
As he approached her, she commanded her body not to retreat. She wanted more answers and he seemed willing to oblige. How far could she push him? “Were you a Bringer once?”
His bark of laughter split the air. He stopped inches from her. “Me, a Bringer?”
“You’re unlike the other Bane, even from your own father. Your mind is your own, not like the puppets that swarm around Vile. You think beyond your next meal or victim. You’re intelligent and clever. And you’re…”
She bit her lip, having already said too much. Icarus moved in, crowding her body and forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.
“I’m what?”
Rell swallowed hard, trying to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. Her words came out raspy. “Beautiful and warm.”
The smooth black curve of his talon lightly grazed her cheek and circled under her chin to keep her head tilted and her eyes on him. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“Yes.”
His expression and voice softened. “Never has anybody dared to say that to me before.”
Though unsure, he didn’t appear to be angry.
“They probably feared you’d rip their head off.”
The corner of his top lip curved into a smile. “Perhaps I would have, depending on who had said it.”
Awareness of his body made her want to lean into him. She raised her hands and placed them on the sculpted planes of his chest. “What about me? Will you rip my head off?”
He snaked an arm around her waist to pull her closer. His smile widened. “That
would be a horrible waste.”
As she stared into his eyes, the telltale yellow of the Banes faded to a pale gray, making him look almost human. Breath caught in her throat. “Then what will you do?”
With more emotion than the first time he’d kissed her, his lips captured hers. She opened to him, thirsting for somebody else’s strength. So often she was alone, even when she had been with Jade. Her sister couldn’t understand the darkness she battled every hour of her miserable demon life. Though he hadn’t said as much, she knew Icarus understood. Maybe she was a first for him as well. The first demon not to cower. The first to recognize he was different. The first willing to give the same connection and warmth he surely must crave.
His lips were searching but not brutal. His embrace cradled but didn’t crush. She slid her arms around his neck and stroked the long black hair that spilled down his back. The silky strands threaded through her fingers, begging her to gently caress his back as she stroked him. Muscles rippled under her touch, quivering with each pass of her hand.
After several minutes of glorious contact, he broke the kiss. The deep timbre of his voice reverberated against her chest.
“There are many things I’d like to do with you.”
Rell noticed he’d thankfully said with and not to. A minor phrasing that could mean the difference between pleasure and pain. “But?”
He traced the curve of her face with the point of his talon. “But we must prepare.” His gaze lingered on her, his expression almost wistful. “Your sister and the Bringer will be here soon.”
Cold, hard reality sliced into their intimate moment. She let her hands glide down his body to hang loosely at her side, and stepped away. The line had been drawn. She and Jade stood on opposite sides. Would she lose her sister forever?
Icarus strode to the arched doorway and turned to look at her.
Rell drew back her shoulders and followed him. “Yes, we must prepare.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The carved oak door may as well have been a fortress. Jade stood beside Luc as still as stone, offering no objection or encouragement. This should be a happy reunion, but the uncertainty of Jacob’s reaction kept Luc on edge. Would his father think he was purging himself of responsibility for the violence of that night so many years ago?
He took a deep breath and rapped on the door.
Though the wood was thick, his father’s voice penetrated the barrier. “Enter.”
“Stay here.” Luc didn’t look at Jade or wait for her agreement.
The sturdy hinges groaned. He didn’t shut the door behind him, wanting her to hear their conversation and gauge the mood.
“Luc.” Jacob stood. “What a pleasant surprise.” He stepped around the desk and pulled his son into a one-armed hug. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
For once, he seemed to be in his father’s good graces. That position could change in an instant, depending on what debauchery Luc had gotten himself into.
“I needed to speak with you.”
“Sounds serious.” Jacob indicated that he should take a seat.
Luc remained standing. “It is, but happy as well—I hope.”
His father returned to his chair and eased against the seatback, folding his hands over his still-flat stomach. “I’m intrigued.”
A hundred times Luc had played this scene in his mind. Not only did he need to reveal that Jade still lived, but also that he was now at full power. His father had always been supportive of Rhys’s efforts, but when faced with his own son being more powerful, would he continue to be steadfast? “There’s somebody I want you to meet.”
Jacob cocked a brow. “A woman?”
His voice sounded hopeful. He knew it was his father’s greatest desire to have him wed and settled into domestic bliss.
“Yes.” Luc didn’t elaborate. When he introduced Jade, no explanation would be needed.
His father leaned to the side, looking around him. “Is she invisible?”
“Sometimes,” Luc said cryptically. The fact that Jade had followed him for months without his knowledge still grated on him a bit. “But today she waits beyond the door.”
“Don’t be rude, boy. Show the poor girl in.”
His heartbeat quickened, sending a fluttering feeling through his chest and stomach. So long had he hoped for a way to regain his father’s good opinion. With everything he had learned over the past few days about Jade and Rell, the man who had orchestrated the card game, and the immortal daggers, surely the new information would help put their turbulent past behind them. It seemed fitting that their new beginning should start with Jade.
Large, green eyes greeted him when he stepped into the shadowed hallway. She reminded him of a deer with her blazing stare, giving the impression she would bolt at any moment. He held out his hand, silently offering her his support. She took it.
Luc entered first, pulling her behind him. Jacob rocked forward in the chair, his eyes narrowing when she stepped around Luc.
They stopped a few feet in front of the desk. Out of protective instinct, Luc wrapped an arm around Jade’s waist and was surprised when she covered his hand with hers and smiled up at him. A surge of pleasure spread through him. Besides Ravyn, he had never developed anything other than a sexual relationship with a woman. But he and Jade had history and a common cause. He respected her—and she was very beautiful.
He glanced away, overcome by the revelation that he cared for her more than he’d realized.
Before Luc could make an introduction, Jade spoke. “Hello, Lord Le Daun.” She gave a quick curtsy. “It’s been a long time.”
Jacob’s brow furrowed, as if trying to place the face.
“Father,” Luc said. “You remember Jade Kendal, don’t you?”
The older man slowly stood. His eyes bore into her as if trying to reconcile the impossible. “But…” He drifted around the desk, keeping a hand on the edge for support, his head shaking in denial. “But you’re dead.”
She took a step toward him, slipping out of Luc’s hold. “Not dead, Lord Le Daun, just missing.”
His gaze darted from her to Luc and back, seeking more of an explanation.
“It’s as she says, father.”
The confused expression melted and his eyes rounded, softening and growing moist. Jacob launched himself at Jade, scooping her up into a tight bear hug. Tears coated his voice. “I can scarce believe you’re real.”
Jade grunted and laughed, but made no attempt to dislodge herself from the man. A knot pushed against Luc’s throat. It wasn’t just his father who gained from the reunion. A bright smile, one he’d not seen since Jade was a child, spread across her face.
“I assure you I am real.” She grunted again as Jacob hugged her tighter. “And unable to breathe.”
“Oh, my girl…” Instead of releasing her, he set Jade on her feet and clutched her by the shoulders. “Seeing you again has made me the happiest man in the world.” He lowered his hands and sobered a bit. “And what of your sister, Esmeralda?”
Jade’s smile faltered.
“Why don’t we sit, Father.” Luc placed his hand on Jade’s back and guided her to a chair. “I have more to tell you and a favor to ask.”
They took their seats in front of the desk facing Jacob. He settled back in his chair. Lines creased his forehead, making it obvious he thought Esmeralda dead.
Unable to see his father’s pain, Luc said, “Esmeralda is not dead.”
Relief eased his pinched brow. “Thank the Sainted Ones.”
“I doubt that would help,” Luc said. He glanced at Jade and she gave him a reassuring nod. “Father, Esmeralda is a Demon Bane.”
Jacob’s mouth opened and closed several times before forming coherent words. “A Bane? But how?”
That one simple question encompassed a hundred other questions. How was she turned? Why wasn’t Jade made a Bane? Where had she been all these years?
“My memories are vague from that night. I was only six, and had be
en asleep.” Jade’s gaze shifted to her fingers toying with the lace of her tunic. “Esmeralda shook me awake, ordering me to be silent.” She swallowed hard. “I remember men shouting and the smell of smoke. We raced out the back of the house and hid in the woods for what seemed like forever. Esmeralda kept me clutched to her, blocking out as much noise as possible and not allowing me to lift my head from the thicket that concealed us. She didn’t release me until the screams faded and the flames from our house burned to smoldering coals.”
Jade looked at Jacob, but her eyes seemed distant. “She ordered me to stay hidden until she returned.” Her eyes shifted to peer directly at Jacob. “That was the last time I saw Esmeralda as a human or my father alive.”
“Did the Bane kill Bowen?” Jacob’s voice cracked, betraying the emotion his expression did not reveal. “Were they waiting for you?”
Jade pressed her lips together and slowly shook her head. “I don’t know. Neither does my sister. She said there was only one demon searching through the ashes, but when she turned and tried to run, he captured her. Esmeralda didn’t cry out because she didn’t want me to reveal myself by trying to help her.”
Luc covered her hand with his. “She protected you.”
She stared at their connected hands and then looked at him. “Yes, and after she was changed, she came back for me. I owe her so much for that.”
“But what about Willa?” Jacob asked. “Where was she when all this was going on?”
“I’ve always believed that she was in the house—that she died fighting next to my father. That’s what my sister led me to believe.” She detached her fingers from Luc’s and sat forward. “Obviously I was mistaken, since I recently found out she’s alive and remarried—but I plan on finding out exactly what happened when I see her.”
Jacob’s eyes rounded and he shook his head, as if trying to drink in everything Jade had just told him. “I’m almost afraid to ask how you two met after all these years.”
Luc decided to take the lead with telling the rest of their story. He unfolded the tale, reliving Jade’s attempt to kill him, his encounter with Rell, and Icarus’s attack. Details of how Ravyn had brought him to full power were tempered, leaving out his night of drunken debauchery. Jacob said nothing, only listened as he always did before forming an opinion.