by Kay, Sharon
Brooke didn’t push for an answer. Hell, it didn’t take a genius to know they were screwed. She was probably regretting this little excursion for the millionth time.
They laid on the floor for a while, the eerie quiet of the prison punctuated by an occasional shout. Kai guessed an hour had passed. Her breathing was deep and regular, but she wasn’t sleeping.
Brooke shifted and sighed, then asked the one question he had hoped to avoid discussing.
“How did you end up here the first time?”
His muscles went still and he closed his eyes. Searing memories flashed against his closed lids. He wanted to forget that day, forget that entire year. Hell, why not paint the rest of that miserable picture? He had nothing to lose. She couldn’t have a very high opinion of him now, anyway.
“I was out foraging and got picked up by Drant’s men.” There, that wasn’t so hard.
But of course, she had more questions.
“You lived this close to him?”
“No, home was closer to where we found the hells bells. But all this terrain is the same. Desolate, shitty.”
“Did his men usually patrol around the area?”
“You mean, was I dumb enough to know that and get caught?”
“No! Not at all!” Her voice filled with worried indignation. She sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Ah, shit. No, I’m sorry.” He reached for her hands. “I may as well tell you. You’re already seeing me at my worst.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her with a gentle hushing sound.
“Yes, Drant’s men patrolled this area. They went everywhere. He was always looking for new slaves. Fresh meat. His guards worked in big groups and small ones, depending on where they were searching. They tried to be discreet. Not everyone approved of the arena fights.
“I was ambushed by a small group of demons. Every time I think back to that day…” A growl of frustration escaped his throat. “I missed the signs. I should have known I was being followed.”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty.”
He snorted. “Hindsight is shit. At least, in this case. I landed here, in the slave quarters. I had no choice but to fight whatever walked or crawled into the ring.”
“How long were you here?”
“Almost a year.”
“What about your family? Did they look for you?”
He stared up at the ceiling as raw memories pulled him back to his teen years. He couldn’t stop the crack in his voice as he said, “Didn’t have any.”
Her thumb slid slowly back and forth across the back of his hand, and her voice dropped to a petal-soft whisper. “What happened to them?”
The words stuck in his throat. He knew that of all people, Brooke would understand. She had buried two sets of parents and a sister. He pressed her slender hands between his, drawing strength to talk about the only woman he had ever loved.
“It was always just me and my mom. I don’t know who my father is. He was never around. I think he took off after learning my mom was pregnant.
“She…she taught me everything. How to hunt, find water, and follow tracks, as well as cover our own. She was a tough fighter, and showed me all her tricks. Told me the old legends, and made sure I knew Demonish and English. She’d never been to Earth, but she told me what little she knew of it.
“One year we had an awful drought. The land was even more dry than what you saw yesterday, if you can imagine that. We had to search farther out for food. All the creatures did. New species moved in, ones we never saw before.”
Pausing, he met her eyes in the dark. He drew a deep breath, hating every word of his story, but trusting her enough to keep talking. She watched him, attentive and patient, her gaze full of a knowing sadness.
“There was a snake. It had two heads, and its body was as thick as a tree trunk. It must have traveled a hundred miles, because those things only live in the far southern regions.” He shook his head and huffed out a breath. His eyes dropped to the manacles at his wrist before flicking back up to her face. “It was the last thing we expected. It moved ten feet in the blink of an eye. One minute we were following squirrel tracks, and the next, my mom was down.”
Brooke sucked in a breath.
“The venom is deadly. Worse than Viper venom. There’s no antidote. I killed the snake, but…”
“Kai, I’m so sorry.”
“I was fifteen, and I was on my own. I stayed in our home. I hunted. I did what I had to do to survive. And then, a few years later, Drant’s men found me.”
She gazed at him as if she wanted to memorize his face. “Do you still miss her?”
He nodded, shoulders sagging. His loss weighed heavily, draining the wavering strength he fought to regain.
“I miss my parents, too.” She squeezed his hands, still twined with hers. “But you’ll always have your memories. She lives on in your heart. And she sounds like an amazing woman. Strong, courageous, smart.”
“She was.” Just like you. He dared not voice his thought. They might be attempting a fresh start, but he didn’t want to overdo it. Brooke’s compassion knocked him on his ass. She had lived through her own shit and still retained a fighter’s mind, refusing to crumble under her losses. He ached to draw her into his arms. But even if his muscles hadn’t been shredded by Draven’s devices, his chains prevented him from getting any closer.
“Thank you for telling me,” she murmured.
“You know all my dark secrets now,” he said. “You’re probably ready to kick my ass to the curb when we get out of here.”
“Nah. I need you to get back home.” She tugged her fingers out of his grasp and reached for the waterskin. “Time for more water.”
“Yes, Nurse Brooke.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Just don’t ask me to shove a dislocated shoulder back into place. Here.” She trickled a thin stream of water into his mouth.
“More,” he said when she stopped.
“Just a little.” She obliged, then took a sip for herself. She set the skin down and turned to him. “You should try to rest. I know you didn’t sleep last night, and you need to heal.”
“That sounds awesome. You should sleep, too.” He closed his eyes, his limbs heavy. As long as he didn’t make sudden movements, his injuries had become dull throbs instead of searing fires. Fucking spell. He should have been back to full health by now.
Spilling his shit to Brooke had been both liberating and scary as hell. And doing it in their current situation, well—she had every reason to dislike him. But she didn’t seem to. He drew her scent deep into his lungs and thanked the gods that their paths had crossed.
When they got out of here, he vowed to make full use of that fresh start. He would show her that he didn’t usually fuck things up, and he would make her see he was worthy of her.
CHAPTER 12
NICOLE PADDED BAREFOOT ACROSS THE smooth wooden floors of the great room. She sat at the bank of three computers and couldn’t suppress a grin at the screen savers. Flying toasters. Those were popular what, fifteen years ago? Rhys, the resident tech expert, thought it was hilarious and refused to let anyone change it.
Lamps on the computer desk, as well as on each end table, lent the room a cheery glow to combat the moonless night. She shook the mouse and the toasters poofed into cyberspace. After clicking the flashing Skype icon, Gin’s profile popped up. “Gin Bonham is calling you.”
She clicked on ‘answer with video’ and her youngest sister’s face looked back at her.
“You’re late. And don’t tell me you were with Gunnar.” Gin said Gunnar’s name in a sing-song voice, her hands clasped together under her chin.
Nicole grinned back at green eyes that matched her own. “Okay, I won’t.”
“Where’s Brooke?”
Nicole’s grin faded. “She’s not here.”
“Um, duh. She working late again?”
Icy tendrils of dread uncurled along Nicole’s arms. Sh
e’d drawn as much strength from Gunnar as she knew how, but nothing could shake the feeling that something was way off. She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No.”
“Don’t tell me she’s on a date.”
“Ah…” Nicole considered the palpable tension between Brooke and Kai for all of two seconds, then shook her head. “Nope.”
Gin’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”
Nicole swallowed, preparing for the full-body explosion that was about to launch through the screen. “She and one of the guys went to the demon realm, and they were supposed to be back by now.”
“What? Where?” Gin shrieked. Her eyes rounded wide. “And what do you mean, ‘supposed to be’?”
“They left for a short trip on Saturday. It should have been only a few hours.”
Gin blinked several times. “Saturday. That was two days ago. You’re just telling me now? What the hell?”
“I’m sorry.” Nicole’s shoulders sagged. “I was hoping they’d be back, or that we would’ve heard something by now.”
“Is anyone looking for them? Can’t your demon guys transport themselves anywhere they need to go?”
“They can’t leave Chicago. They have problems here that they need to deal with, like, yesterday.” Nicole grimaced and counted down in her mind. Seconds left until Gin drops the F bomb. Three, two, one—
“On whose fucked up priority list does ‘finding our sister’ fall below city problems?” Green fire smoldered in Gin’s eyes, and her voice brimmed with agitation.
To say Gin was unimpressed with her new knowledge of the demon realm was an understatement. She found the black mate lock in Nicole’s hair ridiculous. She had met the guys via Skype, but not in person. And coaxing her to visit Demon Central was like trying to entice a pit bull with potato salad.
“I hate every second of this, too.” Nicole shoved a hand through her blond hair. “I want her back more than anything. But Kai, the guy she’s with, is a mean fighter. He’d never let anything hurt her.”
Gin folded her arms and let out a string of curses.
“Since the other guys here can’t get away, they sent another Lash demon to look for them. He’s supposed to be the best.”
Her sister huffed out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes. “One guy? To search a whole country? Are you kidding me? Do they even have the internet in Fairy-Land?”
“They have something like it, I think,” Nicole said. “But Gin, this guy is a master tracker. He’s located every mark in, like, five hundred years.”
That earned her another screech. “Oh, this is rich. How old is this guy? Some senior-citizen demon is supposed to find her. And did you say ‘mark’? Is he some kind of assassin? Goddamn it, Nic! What the hell?”
Nicole glared at her sister. “You done?”
“No—”
“No one forced Brooke to go, Virginia. She’s an adult. And she wants to learn more about her abilities.” Nicole spoke slowly, her tone laced with equal parts vexation and worry. She never threw out her sister’s detested full name unless the situation had the potential to go nuclear.
Gin’s head dropped back, eyes roaming over something off camera. “Shit.” She let out a growl of angry frustration and rubbed her temple. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”
Nicole softened her tone. “I’m scared, too.”
“What does Gunnar say?”
“He has complete faith in this tracker. This guy is the best of the best. He’ll find Brooke.” He has to. “Gunnar and the rest of the group have been fighting these disgusting orange demons every night. They’re all over the city. For each one the guys kill, another one shows up later.” Nicole shuddered, choosing to leave out the fact that Brooke had almost been dinner for one of them. “They had to call in reinforcements.”
“So that’s it? We sit and wait?”
Nicole’s gaze shifted to the huge windows flanking the fireplace. Somewhere in the inky darkness, her mate and his Watcher brethren slayed one beast after another, not resting until dawn. She looked back at her sister. “Yeah, I guess. I can’t go by myself. It’s too dangerous.”
“I hate feeling helpless,” Gin murmured.
“Wanna pop over there with me?”
Every drop of color drained from Gin’s porcelain complexion. “You’re joking, right?”
“Would you? For Brooke?”
Gin’s voice dropped to a shaky whisper, all shouting and bravado gone. “You know I can’t do what you guys do.”
Nicole held her sister’s green gaze through the screen. “You’d be able to if you’d try.”
Gin looked ready to throw up. “I…”
“Never mind,” Nicole said. “I know how you feel. And I know you haven’t tried to use your talent in…years?”
“It’s not a talent. It’s a curse.”
And there’s the root of the problem. Nicole wasn’t about to start the blessing / curse debate right now. They’d had it a thousand times over the past decade, and even more often in the last four months. “Look, I know it’s hard to explain, but I can feel Gunnar’s confidence in this tracker demon. We’ll get her back.”
Gin nodded, still sporting a grayish tinge.
“Hey, can you come up here this weekend? Keep me company? And Brooke might bake that egg casserole you love, she’d be so happy to see you.”
“If she’s back by then,” Gin muttered, shaking her mane of dark hair. “I don’t know if I can get away. Midterms are coming up. I’ll let you know.”
Gin was downstate, wrapping up her master’s degree at the University of Illinois. She taught undergrads when she wasn’t slaving away on her dissertation. To completely pack her schedule, she also taught ballroom dance and step aerobics at the student gym.
“Okay, chica. And if I hear even a whisper about Brooke, I’ll let you know.”
“You better. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Nicole closed the program and stared at the screen with her arms folded. Gin’s stubborn refusal to work with her ability screamed like a tornado siren in her head. But right now, it had to take a backseat to finding Brooke.
She sighed. Winged creatures were susceptible to her ability. But Neshi demons didn’t have wings. They were great swimmers and their skin resisted fire. We need the earth to open up and swallow those things.
Her gaze turned back to the dark windows as her mind bounced from question to familiar question. Where is the fourth Solsti? Who is she? Does she know about us? Does she know about herself? Words echoed in her mind from the day she’d met Rilan, when he’d stated emphatically that all four Solsti existed: I do not sense an incomplete circle.
“She’s out there, somewhere,” she murmured, rubbing her temple.
“Who are you talking to, nihja?”
She swiveled the chair in the direction of Rilan’s voice. “Myself, I guess. Were your ears burning? I was just thinking about you.”
“Burning ears.” Rilan shook his head of wavy brown hair. “Human dialog has some strange expressions.”
“Have you heard anything?” Nicole couldn’t keep the hope out of her voice, though she knew the Elder would tell her as soon as he got any messages from Torth.
“Not yet.” Rilan sat on the leather couch and gestured for her to join him. “I know you’re worried sick. I thought we could try something that would distract you, and may become a weapon for you one day.”
Nicole stood up, a tiny smile threatening to burst through her fear. “Are you gonna teach me spells?”
“First, you need to learn some Demonish basics, but yes. I have no idea if a Solsti can cast a Demonish spell, and there’s only one way to find out.” His eyes twinkled warmly.
She settled cross-legged on the huge sectional sofa and took a deep breath. Determination beat a steady tempo in her chest, putting a chokehold on her worry. For right now, she’d listen. She’d learn. She’d memorize the tongue-tangling words that the males spoke. Any advantage she could carve out would only h
elp her and her sisters. “Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER 13
KAI’S EYES SNAPPED OPEN IN the dark. The floor was rough and cool under his bare back. He tried to sit up. Nausea crashed over him, and his muscles and ribs screamed in protest. Bad idea. He lay down on the stone, thankful his stomach was empty.
Despite the pain, the throbbing in his chest and legs told him his body had healed a little. For that to happen, he guessed several hours must have passed. Maybe ten or twelve. There was no way to know for sure in this shithole.
Brooke had moved away as they slept. She lay facing him, curled on her side, close to the wall anchoring her chain. It couldn’t have been comfortable for her to lay stretched out on her stomach, the way she had earlier. But he wouldn’t have traded her nearness for anything. Ah, hell. Guilt plagued him. He wanted her close, but she was in this mess because of him.
A warning prickle of dread crawled over his skin. They were about to have company.
“Brooke!” he called, wanting to wake her before whatever was coming through that door made its sure-to-be-ugly appearance. She sighed, but didn’t open her eyes.
“C’mon, Sprite, wake—” Metal scraped in the lock and the wooden door groaned as it shoved over the uneven floor. It gaped open, revealing six guards. And in the front of the group stood Draven.
He sauntered into the cell and pinned his beady red gaze on Kai. “I can’t wait to kill you, demon,” he snarled. “But I want as many spectators as possible to see you die.”
Kai heard a sharp intake of breath from across the cell as Brooke sat up.
Draven swiveled to look at her. “And you’ll get to watch. Tomorrow night. The crowd will be standing-room-only. But don’t worry. My viewing box in the stands has plenty of room. You’ll have the best seat in the house. On my lap.” His thin lips curled into a leer. “Or maybe between my knees.”
“Fuck you!” Kai shouted.
“Oh, I intend to fuck her. Over and over,” Draven said. “I’m still deciding if I should keep you alive to watch.”
“Touch her and I’ll kill you,” Kai growled.