Dark Promise

by Patti Larsen

  I felt for Ahbi's presence, my demon's, joined it with the fire magic of my witchcraft for good measure and gathered a glowing ball of it, forming before me. Qesay's eyes flew wide, gasps making the rounds of her people as I turned to her and offered it up.

  “For all,” I said before focusing on the center of the power, even as I realized I had no idea what I was doing.

  You do, my vampire sent. Think of them as your coven. Share your power, leader.

  Right. Though I wasn't linked with them directly. So my job was a little harder. I reached out with my mind and found every single demon in the village, touching the tiny cores of magic they held inside. So small, so frail. That was about to change. Even my demon didn't protest at that point as I doubled my gift, feeling some of Ram's join me and, with a soft exhale, pushed the power outward to fill each of the villagers.

  Qesay staggered, knuckles pink on her staff, but when she recovered she beamed at me, a gap showing missing front teeth. She fell to her knees, weeping, laughing, hugging herself and gazing up at me with adoration. I leaned down and took her hands, pulling her upright and handing her the staff.

  “You're welcome,” I said, feeling not at all diminished despite the fact I expected to, as the magic around me hummed happily in its new homes.

  ***

  Chapter Eight

  I'd never felt like a rock star before. But the adoration and sudden need of each and every soul in the village to come and touch me, fall at my feet in sobbing joy, was about as close as I could imagine. It wasn't until Qesay chased them off I was able to join Ram and Ahmose in their examination of the transport.

  “You just wasted your power on them, you know.” Ahmose's clear disdain made me feel I'd done the right thing even more.

  “Mine to share,” I shot back before turning on Ram, temper prickling. “Well?”

  He straightened from peering over the rounded lip, a small console fading into the surrounding hull. “Well.” He shrugged. “Nicely done.”

  “Whatever.” I wasn't in the mood for platitudes. “Will it run?” I didn't like the idea of having to carry it with magic, or ourselves for that matter, any distance.

  “I can fix it,” he said, though dubiously. “There's enough residual power left in the console I should be able to get it running long enough to access sunlight.”

  “Solar powered?” How odd.

  “Not exactly.” He chuckled, leaned against the hull, grinning at me. “Forgive me, Princess. I keep forgetting you weren't raised on Demonicon. Fire magic. The ship should soak up enough heat to reactivate the core of fire magic. Then it's just a matter of giving it enough to wake the core. It should then begin to absorb what it needs to our next destination.”

  “Ostrogotho.” I faced him down though Ahbi's power twisted suddenly in my gut in protest.

  “Milanseme,” Ram said. “We have a meeting we're probably already too late for.”

  “I don't recall agreeing to any meetings.” What, stubborn? Me?

  “We could knock you over the head and toss you in the back again,” Ram said.

  “Correction.” I held up one finger, power sizzling down its length. “You could try to knock me out and toss me in the back. While dying. Slowly and painfully.”

  Ram shrugged. “Can you fly one of these, Princess?”

  Oh. My. Swearword. His tone and the whole Princess thing was getting on my last nerve. “I can learn,” I said.

  “I'm sure.” He stepped back. “Off you go, then.”

  The worst was Ahmose's smirk. The. Worst. He was lucky I didn't send him back in pieces to the city we'd left.

  “Just fix it,” I snapped, hating how easily Ram pushed my buttons.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” he said before turning his back on me.

  Oooh. Creeporama.

  I found a place to perch on a wobbling stack of something I didn't want to investigate closely, arms once more crossed over my chest, face set in a frown. I was going to give myself premature wrinkles at this rate.

  Ahmose grumbled about the filth while both Ram and I ignored him. I found myself instead focusing on the rather shapely back end of the demon bent over the side of the transport, his shirt discarded, pants hanging low on his lean hips. A deep cleft ran between his shoulder blades, slight points of his demon's spine shoving against the skin, tracing a lovely valley down to his waist, disappearing under the fabric. Broad shoulders, gleaming with perspiration, flexed, muscular arms showing perfect definition as he used magic and sheer strength to lift the transport free and float it into the middle of the alley.

  Yum.

  No, not yum. Stop it.

  But...

  Sigh.

  I shifted my focus to the narrow hull, several large dents and one rather gaping hole in the side not adding to my optimism. But Ram grinned at me, turning so his muscular chest caught the light of the suns, bare and shapely, a thin line of black hair beginning at his sternum, tracing a line into his pants...

  “Should be fine,” he said as my gaze jerked from his waist to his eyes. Was that laughter?

  Oh hell no.

  “Better be,” I said. Grumpy, yup, yup. “Just hurry up.”

  Ram bowed, winked. Flexed his chest.

  Creepzilla.

  I lurched to my feet and spun on my heel, marching to the end of the short alley, my back to them both. My demon might have been a traitor, oogling some guy who, admittedly, was rather attractive. Or would have been if he hadn't kidnapped me. But I wasn't about to fall for his charms, no way, no how.

  The heat of the suns was finally starting to affect me, breaking through the surface of my water shield. I could only imagine how hot it was for the boys, but I chose heartless over helping. Forget it. They could fend for themselves. Since this was their fault.

  Syd. I meeped a little cry of nerves as Sassafras's voice reached me, faint but there.

  I glanced over my shoulder, but neither Ahmose nor Ram were looking my way. Ducking around the end of the building for some privacy, I reached out to my demon cat with something akin to desperation.

  Sass! I almost sobbed with relief to feel him in my head, though it was only now I understood how much strain I'd been under and that the silver Persian somehow meant rescue to me.

  Syd, where are you? I could feel him pacing, tail twitching, though for some reason our connection was weak and only showed me flashing images of him.

  I was kidnapped. I ran him through the scenario quickly, wrapping it up with my best guess at our location.

  Sassy sighed when I finished. Despite his unconventional means, he sent, this Rameranselot's reasoning is probably sound.

  Um, what?

  You were attacked in your cell, correct? I agreed as Sass went on. Then your life is in danger.

  How do I know he didn't set up the little show for my benefit? Anger bubbled, new resentment rising.

  Because your kidnappers killed the three Guards, Sass sent. And are now to be executed themselves.

  Wait a second. Despite the growing heat, I felt myself go cold. They were alive when I was drugged.

  Then either your two friends killed them after you were unconscious, Sassy sent, or someone else killed them.

  Sass, I sent. There's more. I filled him in on Ahbi's geas while Sass grumbled softly.

  Your father told me about this, he sent. Let me feel.

  I opened to Sass, and despite the weak connection, I felt it when he first touched on Ahbi's power and then the geas.

  Why hasn't Dad tried to reach me? I bit my lower lip, feeling it tremble as anger gave way to desperation. How had I ended up in this disaster again?

  He tried, Sass sent. Meira's with me and she tried. I've been trying for hours. But I've only now broken through.

  Through what? I pushed harder, trying to strengthen the connection, feeling something in the way. Something that felt much like the wall between me and the veil.

  I don't know, he sent. But at least I've finally found you.

 
; The trial? I didn't have to ask.

  The evidence my mother and others have brought is damning, Syd, he sent. I won't lie to you. But if we can get you back here, let the tribunal feel the geas, they will know you didn't steal Ahbi's power, but were given it willingly.

  As soon as he spoke, my demon grandmother's magic protested. With a kick in the guts so hard I doubled over with a grunt of pain.

  Syd! Sassy's panic tightened our link, if only for a moment. What happened?

  Ahbi doesn't seem to agree with your plan, I sent. Not even a little.

  He fell silent so long I worried I'd lost him. I feared as much, he sent at last. The bossy old bitch. Funny how he spoke with such affection despite his words. How long do you have before you have to move on?

  Now that we were talking about it, I could feel the pull of the geas building inside me, the thrum of the dark promise I had no choice in making. Not sure. A while.

  I'll come to you, he sent. I could feel him moving. At least then I'll be able to stay in touch with your father.

  No, Sass. As much as I wanted him with me, if he was the only one I could reach through this weird blockage, I needed him with Dad. My escape route, if I was ever able to break the geas. Just cover for me. The anger I'd felt returned, but I realized then all of my irritation and frustration had nothing really to do with Ram or Ahmose or being kidnapped. I have to find Ameline.

  You're certain it's her? Sassafras's magic flickered as the connection weakened.

  I am. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I stared with hatred at the horizon, knowing she was out there, somewhere. I have no idea how she did it, but she's here, Sass. And she killed my grandmother. How much of my anger was mine and how much was Ahbi's? I didn't know. Or care. Revenge it was.

  I could feel Sass's hesitation, but he finally hugged me with his mind. Be careful, he sent. And stay in close touch. A little pause. You can trust this Ram, Syd?

  I have no idea, I sent. But I don't have much choice.

  He sadly broke contact while I sagged back against the side of the building, almost falling as the wobbly wall gave way. Ram appeared just as I staggered forward to prevent the catastrophic collapse of a villager's house. He caught me, pulling me upright.

  Amber eyes studied me a moment. Did he know I had been talking to Sass? Was he or those he worked for the cause of the blockage keeping me from talking to my father or using the veil? And could I trust him?

  Those questions swam around inside my head like starving sharks while Ram released me with a little smile.

  “I fixed it, Princess,” he said. “Time to go.”

  ***

  Chapter Nine

  I followed Ram around the corner, unsurprised to find Ahmose standing between us and it.

  “This transport is only big enough for two,” he said, power crackling around him. “Which takes us back to my original idea, Ram.”

  “I suppose it does,” Ram said, tone casual though his body was tense, shoulders pulling against his shirt as he stepped in front of me. “But somehow I don't think the princess will go willingly.”

  I shoved him aside, glaring at Ahmose as my own magic swelled. I let it all out, filling the filthy alley with the full power I had in my possession. Green Sidhe magic pooled along the ground, white vampire energy misting around me even as the family magic of the Hayle coven formed a small tornado at my back while fire crackled and my vision turned amber.

  Ahmose paled, fell back a step. “Ram, do something.”

  “I plan on it,” Ram said. Turned to me. “Unless you'd like to take care of it?”

  “My pleasure.” I didn't give Ahmose a moment to realize what we were talking about before I formed a multi-colored whip of magic and slashed him with it.

  Ahmose fell back, landing on his civilized behind, scrambling to escape only to have Ram's magic form a wall behind him. I cracked my whip again, the air snapping with its speed, sparks falling over the fallen demon as Ram approached him, stopping only when he stood over the terrified Ahmose.

  “There's only room for two,” he said. “And you're off the list.”

  I felt what Ram was doing, pulled my own magic back as the demon stripped his fellow. But before I could stop him, cry out, not wishing such emptiness as I'd seen in Sassy's victim, Raneen, Ram pulled back, eyes blazing, power crackling over him while Ahmose sagged.

  “You'll be executed for this,” Ahmose said, voice a wheeze of exhaustion.

  Ram laughed, deep and rumbling. “If you think this is the only thing I've done worthy of execution, you somehow missed the whole kidnapping a princess thing.” Ram looked up and winked at me. I could feel the demon in him pulsing, eager, but the madness that took me when I drained Cypherion, the same madness Dad suffered when Ahbi forced him to fight and defeat Vandelarius, wasn't present. Which was a good thing. I didn't know, even with my advanced power, if I would have been able to control or contain Ram if that were the case.

  Qesay appeared at the end of the alley, took one look at Ahmose and nodded quickly.

  “Guards,” she said, pointing to the east. How she knew who we were running from or that we were running at all I didn't know, but Ram grinned and kissed her cheek while she pinched his behind and smiled at me.

  Qesay summoned a few of her people while Ram turned to the transport and touched the hull. All the power he'd taken from Ahmose flowed into the ship, returning Ram to his regular strength. He leaned back with a shake of his head and a rueful grin.

  “I hope you appreciate this, Princess,” he said.

  “It's your hide you're saving.” I was already climbing in the back, knowing it was crazy to trust him, but Ahbi's insistence at the thought of being caught and taken back to Ostrogotho drove me to act. “Now fly this thing already.”

  The hull hummed under me, seat forming to cup my body as Ram slid in the front, the console rising to his touch. I waved at Qesay while Pasht and two other men bound the weakly protesting Ahmose as the transport shuddered, bubble of shielding forming around us.

  “They'll find you!” Ahmose's weak cry made it through. “I told them where you were going.”

  “Idiot.” Ram's hands clutched the controls. “He's a spy after all.”

  I clung to his waist, so close he pressed fully against me, as the transport rose above the little village. A quick look to the right revealed three large vehicles heading our way.

  “Hang on,” Ram said, before banking sharply and goosing the power.

  Whether the slim, small hull made it more apparent or I'd never really gone this fast before, it didn't matter. We whipped through the sky as though thrown by a catapult, the village left far behind before I could even turn to look back. Ram swerved as I was turning around again, almost giving me whiplash.

  “Watch it!” I squeezed his waist in protest.

  “So you want to be caught?” Ram laughed, the sound filling the cabin. “I'll just slow down and let them reach us then.” He finished with another swerve and I almost rewarded him with the bile in my stomach.

  I bit back a response, but only because my eyes settled on the giant waterfall up ahead. I'd seen it before, on the little tour Ahbi gave us. We'd plunged through the beautiful mists, down through the clouds of moisture into the cavernous rent the water carved into the earth, frothing as pink as Kool Aid. And while my previous experience with this place had been breathtaking in its beauty, this one was proving to be more so.

  For the wrong reasons.

  “Are you insane?” I jabbed Ram in the ribs as he dove directly for the water, terror rising and taking my breath.

  “Just trust me, Princess,” he grunted, whole body tense, veins standing out on his corded neck and forearms as he battled the rising mist. The transport suddenly dropped fifty feet before rising quickly again, the entire hull vibrating from the pressure. The thermals and temperature changes in the air had to be immense. And while someone like Ahbi, with all the power of Demonicon at her disposal, handled it easily, I realized Ram
didn't have her ability.

  My magic joined his, forming a seamless bond as I reinforced the shielding and offered him better control. Our ride steadied immediately, smoothing out from the bucking, my insides slowly settling. I barely had time to wince and squeeze my eyes to slits before we passed through the thundering fall of water. The ship shuddered from the downpour as I held my breath for the inevitable impact with solid rock.

  To my surprise, we emerged in a large cavern, tinted red from the water falling behind us. Ram slowly spun the transport and settled us on the ground, letting the shielding drop.

  I recommend we both ward ourselves from being detected. His mental voice was barely loud enough for me to hear over the sound of the falls as he leaped out of the ship and stared at the water. I immediately shielded, pouring on the layers of defenses I'd perfected years ago, adding to them to block out Ahbi's power from those who sought us.

  Ram quivered. They're coming.

  I joined him, the falling water mesmerizing. His shields were strong, but not strong enough. I reached out to him, expanded mine, let witch and Sidhe, vampire and demon magic flow over him, finally drawing on the deepest part of me, my maji power, creating a seal no Guard would be able to break.

  Ram turned and stared at me, his first flash of awe quickly masked by a grin. This will do, he sent.

  Better, I sent back. It's all I've got.

  We both felt the pressure on our joint shield, three minds joined together, searching, sniffing. But they passed over us as quickly as they landed, skipping away. I held my breath and the energy hiding us until Ram finally saluted the falls.

  We have an appointment. He gestured to the ship. And thanks to you, we just might make it after all.

  I wasn't sure that was good news, but I followed him to the transport anyway, feeling the pull of Ahbi's geas weaken. As long as Ram was going the right way, the way I needed to go, I'd play along and be a good girl. But the moment our paths diverged, I was so dumping his ass.