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

by Boone Brux

  Jade leaned against him, resting her chin on his shoulder and glanced back. Delphina and Jacob were helping Luc to his feet, and Siban and Ravyn crouched beside Esmeralda’s body. The breath caught in Jade’s throat. Would they be able to save her sister?

  “Rhys.” Her heartbeat quickened. “Rhys, please stop.”

  He halted and turned to watch Ravyn and Siban. Willa’s hand gently caressed Jade’s arms as they watched Siban lift and cradle Esmeralda to him, his cheek resting lightly against her forehead. He looked up, their eyes meeting. Without breaking eye contact, he strode past them and into the house.

  Rhys told her and Luc that they had been missing for more than a week. The time had seemed much longer when they were being held captive, but now safe within the manor, the experience faded to surreal memories that she wasn’t yet ready to examine. Even with Ravyn’s healing, exhaustion quickly claimed Jade and once her head hit the pillow, she slept hard. No dreams, no nightmares, just body-healing oblivion.

  When she finally awoke, long shadows stretched across the floor of her chamber and the muted light of the afternoon sun filled her room.

  “Thought you were going to sleep the whole day away.”

  She turned her head. Luc lounged beside her bed, looking decidedly better than the last time she’d seen him. Fresh from a bath, damp tendrils of hair hung around his face. His feet were propped up on the mattress and crossed at the ankle in a relaxed pose.

  She wondered how long he had been sitting there. “Have you been watching me sleep?”

  He held up his index finger and thumb. “Only for a while.”

  A dimple dotted his cheek and she was instantly struck with the desire to kiss it. “I hope I didn’t snore or drool.”

  He held up his fingers again. “Just a little.”

  She gave a little grunt, hoping he was teasing her. She burrowed deeper in the blankets in an attempt to hide the tinge of heat creeping across her cheeks. “Where is everybody?”

  “Gathered in the great room. Dinner is in an hour if you’re hungry.”

  She sighed and rolled to her side, propping her head on her hand. “What did you tell them?”

  “Everything.” He leaned forward and tilted his head as if trying to gauge her well-being, as if more than a little concerned about her. “Well, everything I could remember.”

  She held his gaze, the mood between them shifting. That was probably inevitable considering what they have been through. There was something intensely personal about facing death with someone. The deep connection that had formed erased everything she thought she knew about him. In its place now sat the man before her, someone who had risked his life to do the right thing.

  He gave a strained smile. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “It’s strange, isn’t it?” She picked at a thread on the duvet.

  “What?”

  “How things have worked out. A few weeks ago I tried to kill you. Now I…” She let the statement hang.

  He cocked a brow. “Don’t hate me?”

  That far understated what she felt for him. But how would he react if she told him that somewhere between the night at the chapel and now, she’d fallen in love with him? If he didn’t feel the same way, it wouldn’t be fair to burden him with yet another Kendal woman’s affection and the guilt of not returning it this time.

  She attempted a nonchalant smile. “More than don’t hate you.”

  He slid a little farther forward in the chair. “Would you go as far as saying you like me?”

  The way he was looking at her made her mouth go dry. She rolled to her back, but continued to gaze at him. Her words came out more serious than she’d intended. “Very much.”

  Her heart raced when he knelt beside the bed, coming eye to eye with her, and laid his arms on the mattress. He inched his hand toward her until his fingers touched her arm. With the lightest touch he caressed her wrist with a delicate swirling motion. “I’m glad to know you don’t hate me.” His finger trailed a path along her arm, over her bare shoulder and up her neck, laying a thin line of heat along its course. The blue of his iris darkened and his thumb strummed her cheek. “Very glad.”

  This felt right, him touching her, looking at her with desire, not malice, and her wanting more. She turned her face and kissed his fingers. His eyes watched her every move. In a daring move she nipped at their tips, making sure to add the gentle brush of her tongue. The words she longed to say still wouldn’t come, but she needed him to know she was open to them as a couple. “Me as well.”

  Her heart fluttered when he leaned in and lowered his mouth to hers. Their lips touched and her breath caught, her eyes closing against the onslaught of desire that washed over her. Only faintly did she register the bed bowing beneath her until Luc’s body blanketed hers. His weight was the most glorious thing she’d ever felt. Heavy, pressing, hot.

  On instinct she opened her mouth. Luc’s tongue slowly swept along her lower lip, his teeth gently tugging before covering her mouth fully. He deepened the kiss, swirling his tongue against hers. Sandalwood and mint teased her nose and the faint hint of wine tingled along her tongue.

  Her arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer. There were too many blankets. She needed to be closer. His hand followed the contours of her body and cupped her breast through the thin shift, drawing his thumb across her nipple. She gasped against his mouth and arched into his hand. Nothing had ever felt so amazing, so sinful, so right. The rigid line of his erection pressed between her legs and she struggled to open for him, needing to feel his skin against hers.

  A knock at the door jolted her from her building desire. With a frantic shove, she pushed against his chest, using her legs for leverage. Still caught up in the passion, Luc rolled off her and tumbled over the side of the bed. A loud grunt erupted from the floor.

  “Sorry,” she whispered.

  The knock came again. He sat up with a scowl and climbed back into the chair. Trying to hide his erection, he folded his hands in his lap. She grabbed a square decorative pillow and tossed it to him, and then turned toward the door. “Come in.”

  Willa opened the door a crack and peeked in. The sight of her mother’s smiling face filled Jade with happiness. So much had happened, some of the memories blurry. It soothed her to know that her mother had not been a hallucination her exhausted mind had played on her.

  Seeing Luc, Willa opened the door wider and came in. “I just wanted to check on you.”

  Jade stretched, putting on a convincing show of having just awakened. “I’m feeling much better.” She patted her stomach. “And hungry.”

  “Good.” Her mother clapped her hands. “Let’s get you dressed. Dinner is almost ready.”

  Luc stood and tossed the pillow on the bed, all traces of his previous affliction gone. “I will meet you ladies downstairs.” He walked to the door. “We have a lot to talk about.”

  The door clicked shut and Jade looked at her mother. Before her courage left her she asked the question that had been burning inside her. “Where were you the night of the attack?” She swallowed the resentment that surfaced with surprising speed. “Why weren’t you at the house to help us?”

  Willa sat on the edge of the bed but made no attempt to touch Jade. She took a deep breath. “That night, after you’d been put to bed, Timothy McCarty showed up at our house in a frightful panic. His wife was in labor and he’d left her to come fetch me.” She toyed with the hemmed edge of her tunic. “There was no reason for me not to go since your father was home. It was a difficult birth and Sarah McCarty didn’t deliver until late the next afternoon, but by that time…” Her voice fell to a whisper. “I searched frantically for you, but I know now your sister had already taken you away.”

  Jade nodded, not mentioning the fact that Esmeralda had known all the time that Willa was alive. She reached out and covered her mother’s hand. “It’s all right. You couldn’t have known.”

  “I think I went mad for a while.” She peered
at Jade in a way that felt like sharing a secret. Perhaps her mother had never admitted this to even herself. “I clawed through the ashes until my hands blistered, and when I didn’t find you near the house I began searching farther away.” She shook her head. “I didn’t eat. Didn’t sleep. I didn’t know how close to the edge of insanity I’d come until Orvis found me.”

  “Orvis?”

  Her mother’s face transformed, softening with the glow of love. “Orvis Giles, my savior. I stumbled upon his inn, asking about you and your sister.” She smiled and squeezed Jade’s hand. “He’s a kind man, Jade. I’ll always love your father but Orvis breathed life back into me.”

  The words hurt. It was difficult to understand how anybody could replace her father. He had been bigger than life. “And your children?”

  “And the children.” She gave Jade’s hand a little shake. “Your brothers and sisters. Ten of them.”

  Jade blinked several times. “All yours?”

  “All mine now. Orvis was a widower and five oldest were from that marriage. The five youngest are your half brothers and sisters.” She paused. “How do you feel about that?”

  Several seconds passed as Jade dissected her feelings. How did she feel about having an entirely new family to get to know? “I’m happy you had somebody to help you and I’m happy to finally have a family, even if it’s not with Father.”

  Willa’s smile turned sad. “I know it’s a lot to take in, Jade, and I’d never force you to accept Orvis and the children, but I’m so happy you’re willing to try.” She took a deep breath. “Now the only unfinished business I need to deal with is your sister.”

  Dread wound its way back into Jade’s good mood. Neither Icarus nor Rell would leave things as they were and if Sha-hera had meddled, as Jade was sure she had, they could expect Rell at any time, and more than likely with the Bane following close behind

  “It will all work out.” Jade hugged her mother. “But now we need to prepare.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Luc watched Jade pace in front of the hearth, wanting to tell her to sit down. The plan had been for everybody to act normally, go about their business as if they weren’t expecting a Bane attack, but that idea had quickly gone by the wayside. The tension seemed to be taking its toll on Jade.

  She stopped and scrubbed at her arms. “She’s out there. I can feel her.”

  “Are you certain it’s not another demon?” Ravyn asked, slipping a bolt into her crossbow.

  “Yes, I’ve been with Rell long enough to know her irritating bite.” She walked to the window and peered out. “What is she doing out there?”

  “Waiting,” Luc said.

  She paced back to where he stood. “For what?”

  “Until she’s ready to confront you.” He stood and took her shoulders in his hands. “Are you ready?”

  Jade held his gaze for several seconds. “I have to be.”

  They’d spent the day preparing the manor for the impending attack. Jacob had insisted that Delphina move the children to the inner chamber, where there were no windows. Using the instructions Ravyn had deciphered from the tomes, she’d warded the door. After that, she and Jade had cycled through the manor, weaving protection at any opening big enough to allow in the Bane.

  Willa called forth her earth magic and cast protective spells around the grounds. Unfortunately, the manor spread for hundreds of acres. Even the gardens surrounding the manor were too big to fully ward. Many spots would not keep out the Bane.

  Luc and his father had scoured the outbuildings, scavenging items they would need to construct an effective prison for Rell. After hours of discussing the connection between Esmeralda’s lifeless body and her demon form, Ravyn had convinced them that with the help of other Redeemers, there was a possibility they could transfer Esmeralda’s soul back into her Bringer body. Both Jade and Willa had only needed to hear this idea once before joining in on the preparations.

  To construct a prison strong enough to hold a Bane was a daunting task. Though Luc could estimate Rell’s strength, having fought her, he didn’t know the full spectrum of her powers. In the end, they rigged an old bird cage–style brig, salvaged from one of Jacob’s ships, to hang from the ceiling in the middle of the drying house. Jade and Ravyn had left the cage unwarded. Once inside, the only way for Rell to get free would be for somebody to carry her out. In that same vein, the only way to get her into the cage was for somebody to carry her in. Luc doubted one of them could do the job on his own.

  “It will work,” he said, holding Jade’s gaze. It didn’t matter if he believed that or not. She was ready to jump out of her skin at the slightest noise. “Trust us.”

  “It has to work.” The last word rasped out.

  He wanted to take her into his arms, but with everybody around, he didn’t know how she would react. He opened his mouth, but a shout from the front of the manor cut him off.

  “Give me back my body.”

  Everyone jumped to their feet. Delphina ushered the children into the room and shut the door. With no magical powers to draw on, they would be the most vulnerable. Willa would be next, but hopefully being Rell’s mother would stay the demon’s hand against her.

  “I know you have it!” Anger laced Rell’s words. “Sha-hera told me.”

  “Of course she did.” Luc strode toward the front door and flung it open.

  Rell waited on the stretch of grass beyond the cobblestone drive, her wings flared. A faint path had been worn on the lawn where she had prowled back and forth. She stopped and glared at him. When Rhys, Ravyn, and Jade joined him, her bravado faltered, but it was Willa who stopped the demon in her tracks.

  They needed to draw Rell closer, lure her within the range of their trap. If she sensed it was a trick, they would lose the element of surprise. Now everything was up to Jade and Willa.

  Willa stepped toward the demon. “Hello, Esmeralda.”

  “Mother?” Rell took a step forward, but stopped. “Why are you here?”

  “For us.” Jade moved to stand beside Willa. “So we can be a family again.”

  Rell shook her head. “Not us, you and her.”

  “No, Esmeralda.” Willa kept her voice even, using Rell’s name to draw her in. “I love you both.”

  The demon sneered. “You love this?” Rell held her arms out to display her demon form. “Everything Father used to fight against?”

  “It’s not your fault,” Jade said. “We can help you.”

  For the first time since Rell had barreled into his life, Luc saw real yearning to be accepted. “How—by freeing my soul?”

  “Yes, but not by sending you through the Veil.” Jade and Willa took another step toward her. “Your body lives.”

  Willa opened her arms. “Let us heal you and make you a Bringer again.”

  Rell drifted forward. Only four more feet and she would be where they needed her to be.

  “That’s not possible.” Three more feet. “And I will never be the daughter you lost.”

  “I don’t need you to be the daughter I lost. I need you to be the woman you can be—without the darkness.”

  Two feet. Luc glanced into the tree, where Siban waited, ready. He’d volunteered to take first shift after dinner and Luc had worried about how he would react when he saw a Bane. Not a few short months ago, Siban had refused to leave Alba Haven. Now here he was confronting the very creatures who had held him captive for nearly two years. Luc could not possibly comprehend the intractability it took for Siban not to slide into insanity, but he did grasp the strength the man possessed.

  The Tell stared at the demon, unmoving, as if ready to pounce. Luc glanced away, not wanting to draw attention to the tree and praying that Siban stuck to the plan.

  One foot. Rell stopped.

  “And if this does not work?” the demon asked.

  Neither Jade nor Willa were ready for that question. Their second of hesitation was all Rell needed to know that one way or another, she would be rid of her demon for
m. She crouched, preparing to launch. In a blur of movement, Siban tossed the net over Rell.

  The Bane’s screeches pierced the night. Luc and Rhys leapt from the steps and tackled her as she thrashed about under the thick tangled webbing. Her clawing talons gouged at the men’s arms, but they managed to roll the net more tightly around her and finally pin her arms under the mass of rope.

  With Rhys at her feet and Luc at the head, they hefted the net like a game bag and carried Rell toward the outbuilding. Her body convulsed and thrashed like a large fish out of water. The net slipped from Luc’s hands, his fingers clutching painfully at the net before Rell hit the ground, her curses spitting at them like venom from a sand cobra. He repositioned her body and secured a more firm finger hold before continuing toward the outbuilding.

  Jacob ran ahead and opened the door. “You’ll need to get her out of the net first.”

  “Easier said than done,” Rhys grunted when Rell gave a particularly firm kick.

  “Watch out for her horns,” Luc said over Rell’s screams. “Father, we need manacles.”

  Jacob ducked into the outbuilding while he and Rhys lowered her squirming body to the ground.

  “Roll her over so she’s face down.” Luc straddled her and turned to Jade. “I need you to cut the rope just enough for me to get the shackles around her wrists.”

  Jacob returned, dragging two thick sets of chains and manacles. Ravyn moved to stand on the other side of Luc and reached for the bonds. Working as a team, Jade cut a small hole in the layers of net near Rell’s hands while Luc immobilized her arms. Once finished, Ravyn took Jade’s place and snapped the restraints around the demon’s wrists.

  “Now her feet.” He motioned with his head toward Rhys. “Do the same thing.”

  Within minutes, Rell had been efficiently restrained and the net removed. To be on the safe side, Luc wrapped several lengths of rope around her chest to prevent her wings from opening. She now sat on the ground, silent and glaring.

  Luc crouched in front of her, careful to not get within striking distance. She was still dangerous even though she was bound. “I am going to pick you up and carry you into this building. Inside is a cage where you will be housed until we can attempt to heal your human form.”