“Yet you’d still ask her to sacrifice this last life she has, instead of free her after nearly a millennium of service to you and the council? Let her go...let her live in peace until she dies of old age?”
Marcus halted. Gripped the railing so fiercely the wood cracked. His shoulders were tense, every inch of him radiating his own angst.
Glancing at Kage, he said, “I would grant it. Gladly. She has done more than we ever expected, more than we had the right to ask of her. As have you. Your suffering alone… It was a part of the bargain we all struck but no less traumatic than what she constantly faces. Perhaps even more so because her horrific memories are erased until reclaimed. Yours never abate. You live day in and day out with the torment.”
“I agreed to this. We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about Taelyn. Release her from this charge, Marcus,” he implored. “Let us go somewhere far away. Laoghaire won’t engage her if there are no stakes, no human lives to conquer. She can—”
“No, Kage.” His friend turned to him and said, “She could never accept that fate. Nor could you. To simply walk away when Davian has become the first demon to overthrow the government and set a revolution in motion. Neither of you could live a peaceful, content existence knowing you didn’t try to stop this movement.”
Kage raked a hand through his hair. Marcus was right, of course. Fucking dead-on, which pissed Kage off.
He shook his head and glowered. Was just about to let loose a litany of black words when something pinged his leg.
His gaze dropped to his shin, then the redwood deck where a tiny plastic lime-green arrow with a rubber suction cup on the tip lay.
“Gotcha!”
His eyes lifted and landed on a small boy with pale skin and a mop of unruly, fat blond curls.
Kage grinned. “Good aim.”
“I’m sorry about that,” came a female voice.
Kage snatched the arrow and returned it to the boy as his neighbor, Lisa Tolleson, swooped in to collect her son.
“He was feeling cooped up,” she explained. I let him onto the deck but he apparently went in search of his father.”
“He’s hunting,” the kid, no more than five or six, said.
“It’s Bryce, right?” Kage asked.
Lisa’s son nodded. “Yep.”
Lisa told Kage, “The wolves have been spotted. Cam gathered a few others and went to check it out.”
“Then I’ll follow.”
“No.” This from Marcus. “Stay with Taelyn until she’s awake. I’ll go.”
“Thanks.” To Lisa, Kage said, “Back inside, both of you. Wait for Cam to return before you venture out again.”
“Of course.”
Everyone dispersed and Kage went into the cabin. He washed up and then cooked breakfast and started coffee as Taelyn slowly came around, padding barefoot from the bedroom.
“I feel like a zombie,” she quietly announced.
“You kind of look one, too.”
“How would you know? They actually do exist?”
“Are you surprised?”
She harrumphed as she plopped down at the table and dug in. “No, actually. Which is really scary.”
“You were never a fan. On the plus side, they’re less of a nuisance than any other demon. Unless you’re right under their nose or fingertips, they haven’t a clue you exist.”
“Why can’t we be fighting them?”
“Very few can be bothered to rise from their graves. Lazy lots.” Across from her, he turned a chair around and straddled it. Drummed his fingers on the table and said, “I have news.”
“Oh, joy. I bet it’s something along the lines of hey, babe, you’re in mortal danger.”
He chuckled, though it was strained. “You never have been a morning person.”
“Sorry. So much gloom and doom these days.”
“And wolves.”
Her gaze snapped up from her omelet.
Kage said, “Cam and the others are out hunting them.”
She shoved her chair back. “Then why the hell are we sitting down to breakfast?”
“Because Marcus is here to help. He’s a council member. So sit. Eat. You’re going to need your strength. The wolves aren’t the bad news.”
She eyed him curiously. Suspiciously. “That sounds ominous.”
“It always is.” He reached for the pot of coffee. Poured. Sipped. Then told her, “Your day of reckoning is right around the corner. There’s a demon whose sights are set on that target you pinned to your chest. And he’s going to put everything you’ve ever known—whether you remember it or not—to the test.”
“Thanks for spoiling my appetite.”
“Just keeping it real.”
He grinned. What the hell else was he going to do? Providing a little levity was the best way to calm her. And she was going to need it.
He let her eat, then explained, “When something wicked this way comes, you have to be prepared for it. I’ll be with you. Which makes it advantageous that Marcus has joined us. He’ll work with the others who are out on patrols. We can trust him to keep people safe while you take on Laoghaire.”
“That’s his name?”
“Yes. And I assure you, he will be a mammoth of a demon. His size is meant to intimidate you and his aim is always true.”
She set aside her coffee cup and asked, “Then how the hell will I defeat him? I don’t possess the skills from the past, Kage. This is all still new to me and—”
“You didn’t have trouble with the wolf or the vampire, Taelyn. No, they’re not as powerful as this demon, but you did slay them.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked pensive. “You have so much faith in me. The last thing I want is to disappoint you. Or Liam. I don’t want my final stand to be some ridiculous imitation of what I’m reportedly capable of.”
“First,” he said as he flattened his palms on the wooden surface before him, “you’re no imitation. You’re the real deal, love. Second, your son and your husband would never—could never—be disappointed in you. And third…this might be your final stand, sweetheart, but before you die, you will slay this demon. It’s what you do. It’s your destiny. And you always fulfill it.”
She stood and walked out of the room.
Kage stared after her.
And wondered if perhaps taking her far away from here before Laoghaire arrived wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
CHAPTER TEN
The rainclouds had yet to open up and offer their deluge.
That was the positive side of things.
The evening’s plan was for Taelyn and Kage to make a sweep of the eastern woods while Marcus and his men scoured the western portion—the parties to meet at the base of the mountains in the north.
Even before they set out, she felt the palpable tension of imminent danger. It lingered so thick in the air that it made a mockery of the late-summer humidity. The menacing ambience settled in her bones and put her on edge. As if she really needed the additional stress when she was freaking out over all she didn’t know when it came to slaying the mother of all demons.
She’d had a conversation with Marcus earlier. Privately. And though she wouldn’t have been able to pick the man out of a lineup because she couldn’t recall ever seeing him before, she’d begged him to provide any assistance possible to unleash her memories.
He’d told her, with deep regret in his voice, that he couldn’t help her.
So what the fuck was she supposed to do when this monstrosity called Laoghaire challenged her?
As she and Kage started their patrol, he said, “The cities are burning. Marcus recounted the current state of affairs and the destruction is widespread.”
“But Liam…?”
“He’s at Camp Pendleton and they’ve kept the area secure. There was an infiltration of demons. It was defeated.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Hopefully all of the demon factions trying to take over the military bases are too small an
d ill-equipped to succeed.”
“These first couple of weeks are critical to the enemy’s offense. So far, the defense is standing its ground.”
“I almost want to send you away, Kage. To be with Liam. Protect him, not me.”
“Our son is well trained. As are those he fights with.”
They left the clearing of the main point of entry to the cabins and headed east. She said, “Regardless, it makes more sense for you to be there to keep him safe. I’m going to die and we both know it. Nothing martyr-ish about it, I’m stating a fact. My history repeats itself. So—”
“Gotcha!”
Taelyn felt a slight flick against the back of her right thigh. She whirled around and there stood little Bryce with his toy bow in hand, the arrow he’d shot lying on the ground at her feet.
Her gaze lifted to Kage.
His jaw clenched.
Taelyn knelt before the boy and handed his arrow to him. “You’re very good at this.”
“My daddy taught me.”
“I’m sure he’s proud of you. But I bet your mommy’s worried about where you’ve wandered off to.”
“She’s cooking dinner.”
“Aren’t you hungry?” Taelyn asked.
“Well, yeah. But I saw you leave and I wanted to know where you were going.”
Kage swooped in and lifted the child into his arms. “We’re talking a walk and we’ll be back soon. You should eat, and then we’ll visit you.”
“Promise?” he asked, his big brown eyes widening further.
The mere sight of him in Kage’s arms tugged at Taelyn’s heartstrings. Kage was probably an amazing father—and she had absolutely no knowledge or recollection of it.
Pushing that aside, she said to Kage, “Take him back to his cabin. I’ll wait here.”
“I don’t leave your side, remember?”
She smiled. “I’m practically in public view and not going anywhere. Make it quick.”
“Two minutes. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“I thought you trusted me to fend for myself.”
“I do. Of course. I just don’t like to think of you having to fend for yourself.” He kissed her cheek. Then hurried off.
She watched him go, the smile still on her face.
So maybe she was doomed in the long run. For the time being, she had something pretty incredible to hold on to. Kage was astounding unto himself. But the way he spoke so confidently of their son convinced Taelyn that Liam was as strong as his father. As determined to defeat demons. And that provided infinite peace because she suspected he’d also be as conscientious and safety-minded as Kage when it came to this war.
She could live with that.
What she really couldn’t live with was more rain.
The roar of thunder overhead seemed to open up the heavens and the fat drops started to fall.
“Goddamn it,” she muttered as the rain pelted her skin and stuck to her eyelashes. “A girl needs to see, you know?”
“Sometimes it’s best if she doesn’t.”
The voice behind her was a familiar one.
Taelyn whirled around. Her stomach flipped. Her jaw dropped.
“Hello, Taelyn.”
“Oh, God!” Her arms spread wide. “Vander!”
She all but launched herself at him and he gave her a brief, tight squeeze.
She stepped back and eyed him from head to toe. All six-foot-seven-inches of him.
“Thank God you’re okay,” she exclaimed. “At the same time…what the hell are you doing here? Oh, fuck! You saw the house—the shop. All your antiques that were on consignment. Shit. I’m so sorry.” She rushed on, saying, “I can totally explain. Well…not totally. You won’t believe half of it. But I have insurance and can compensate your losses. If there’s even an insurance company left after all of this. Damn!”
She clamped her hand over her mouth. Then whipped it away and said, “I have so much to tell you. I don’t even know where to start.”
Vander shook his head. “You shouldn’t be out here, Taelyn.”
“Yeah, more explaining to do about that.”
“No, really,” he said as his hand slipped to the opposite side of his waist and he swiftly unsheathed a sword. “You really shouldn’t be out here. Especially not all alone. No bodyguard this evening?”
She gaped.
Vander snickered. “When you need him most…where is Kage Deville?”
“I—you—I—” She glared at Vander, her mind reeling. “How do you know about Kage? And what are you doing with that sword?”
“It’s very simple, Taelyn. I had the chance to save you. But now I have to kill you.”
“Are you insane?” she demanded. “Do you have any idea what the hell is going—”
“Yes, I know what the hell is going on. More than you can possibly imagine. See, you and I were going to have our own slice of the world served up on a silver platter. I had it all planned out, all arranged. My job was to take care of the biggest threat to Davian and, in return, he’d grant me stewardship of a North American region once he reigned over the continent.”
Her stomach plummeted to somewhere around her knees. “What are you talking about?”
“Davian never said I had to kill you. Neutralize you was the general notion. Keep you from fulfilling your destiny, which is slaying the most powerful demon of Davian’s army. That’s me, by the way.”
That aside, she murmured, “Neutralize me?”
“Yes. He harbors some sympathy for you humans, despite his charge to lead a revolution. As for me, I took one look at you when assigned my mission and the strategy fell perfectly into place.”
“You’re Laoghaire?” she asked, her brow furrowing.
“Yes.”
“The demon who’s supposed to kill me?”
“Yes. Though…that plan fell by the wayside once I got to know you. As I said.”
Taelyn’s eyes squeezed shut for a moment, against the rain and from her extreme confusion. “And you weren’t really in Russia or traipsing about the States trying to find vases?”
“Hardly. I had troops to assemble.”
“This is just…such bullshit.”
Vander—Laoghaire—said, “That’s a one-sided sentiment. The fact is, I broke the enchantment on you. I kept your memories from you. So that even when Kage came for you and the sword, you couldn’t remember who you really were. I trusted you to remain faithful to me, but you didn’t, Taelyn. You ended up with him, anyway. As you always do.”
“Of course I ended up with. I’m married to him. I’m bound to him in any lifetime. If you’d done more research on me, you would have realized that, Vander. How, exactly, did you break the council’s spell?”
“With my ring on your finger.” He gave her a triumphant sneer. “It’s enchanted as well. Powerful enough to hold your past at bay.”
“Yet not powerful enough to keep me from Kage’s arms.”
Laoghaire all but growled. “You’ll both regret that deception. You could have had everything your heart desired with me. Once this war is over, I intended for us to live a very comfortable life. But now…you have to die, Taelyn. The demon king Davian will accept nothing less at this point.”
“Not tonight,” she said. “I’ve been resurrected for the very last time because of you. And I won’t let my existence fade into oblivion so quickly.”
She unsheathed her own sword.
Laoghaire’s gaze narrowed. “You’d be so foolish as to fight me, when you have no idea of your past as a demon slayer?”
“I know plenty about my past. The most pertinent details. The ones that remind me why I became a slayer—to protect humans. And why I was the most powerful of slayers. So powerful that demon kings send their favored killers to end my life. I also know,” she said as she stepped toward him, “that I always win.”
“Not this time.”
“Especially this time,” she assured him. “Because betrayal cuts deep. You betrayed me, Vander. You ma
de me trust you. I let you into my life, my business, my home, my heart. And what the fuck did you do? You placed a goddamn promise ring on my finger that was meant to contain my true self so that I could be exactly what you wanted and nothing more. So that I would want only what you meagerly had to offer.”
“I told you we could have it all—it just required patience.”
“And shackles.” She raised her weapon. “Real men don’t play that game.”
“Ah, you’re referring to Kage. Your true love? Or the man you constantly torture? Because you constantly die. And he doesn’t.”
Taelyn gripped her sword and advanced further, closing the gap between her and Vander. She couldn’t in a million years fathom taking him on. He was a mountain of a man, born of champion gladiators. He was also a demon.
But there was one absolute truth she could hold fast to. She’d sworn that upon each resurrection, she’d fight any threat against mortal beings.
There was no loophole in the verbal contract between her and the council that freed her from her charge if or when the enchantment was broken. She’d been resurrected a year ago and that meant only one thing—she had to slay this demon.
“I seriously hate to do this, Vander,” she warned, “because I really did like you when I thought you were human. But tonight, well…you have to die.”
He laughed. That deep, rumbling chuckle that had always warmed her. Now, it turned her insides to ice.
He said, “Kage has really built up your confidence. But you can’t defeat me, Taelyn. You would have been much better off remaining oblivious. In the end, you can blame him for bringing you into the light. Because I was more than willing to keep you safely by my side, untouched by all of this.”
“That’s not who I am, Vander. I’m no puppet. You can’t pull my strings.”
“So be it.”
He struck the first blow. A solid one that sent her sailing backward when his blade clashed with hers.
Taelyn landed on her backside in a pile of wet leaves, but she kept her sword in hand. She got to her feet as he closed in on her. In the distance, she heard the howling of the wolves. And the approach of her bodyguard.
“Bad news for you,” she told Vander. “Kage can rip the throats from your wolves before you can even blink your eyes.”
BodyGuard (Butterscotch Martini Shots Book 2) Page 25