Wicked Waves: Solsti Prophecy #2

by Kay, Sharon

  Cale stopped next to a huge leafy oak. So close. He could almost feel the tension rolling off the other demon. Standing still as the gray boulders that covered the landscape, he waited.

  A breeze started and stopped, rustling only the highest leaves in the trees. Cale would wait all day if he had to. He rarely found prey that was a challenge to track. Kai may be a pain in his ass, but the hunter inside him reveled in this chase. And then there was the bounty.

  Fifty yards ahead of him, the bushes shook and a tall figure emerged. A figure with dark hair, not blond. What the fuck?

  “Raniero?” Cale didn’t know what pissed him off more, that the quarry wasn’t Kai, or that his own merc had found him first. And hell, that was why Raniero was the best.

  “I didn’t expect to find you here, my lord.” The huge, scarred demon’s voice held respect that didn’t reach his eyes. Raniero was the only one of his employees bold enough to meet his gaze. Cale allowed it, because of the hollowness reflected there. An emptiness he himself had created a century ago.

  Raniero’s eyes roamed the Serus demons before returning to Cale. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. Cale didn’t miss the flicker of surprise that Raniero quickly masked.

  He strode close to his merc. “Your job is to follow my orders. Find Kai. And if you breathe one word of my traveling companions to Arawn, I will kill the one you hold so dear.”

  Raniero’s eyes hardened. He reeked of a female. Probably one of his many conquests. Cale could always use that little tidbit against him, too. Remind his daughter that she was just one of many.

  “Perhaps you should track him with me.” Cale took a step closer to Raniero. This wasn’t a request. The female’s scent rolling off his merc’s skin tickled his nose. It was familiar and yet not, as if he recognized a paragraph in a book he’d never read.

  “I work better alone.” Raniero’s words were curt.

  Cale rubbed his jaw and focused on the demon before him. “That may be what you prefer, but soon we’ll part ways. Our terms are almost complete.”

  “And I have never failed you.”

  “True.” Cale studied his trained killer. Wariness tingled in his veins. That sweet female scent wafted in the air, taunting his mind. He’d smelled it before, but something about it was different now… A new flare of heat warmed the amulet at his chest, reminding him of why Raniero worked for him in the first place. Wait…

  “You’re staying wi—” His head whipped around at a crash in the trees to his right.

  His ten Serus guards, the ones who had made the wide circle, dragged a female into view. She struggled against their hold, but she was a tiny thing. Evidently a feisty one, too. One of the guards bled from a fresh cut on his cheek.

  Dark hair flew when she tossed her head. No fucking way.

  His eyes narrowed as he took in his daughter for the first time in a hundred years. A growl rose in his throat. He spun to stare at Raneiro, whose olive skin had turned unnaturally pale. The merc’s dark gaze was locked on the girl.

  Cale stalked toward Ashina, fury heating his blood, fists clenched. “You were banished.”

  Fear flickered in her green eyes before she schooled her features into a brave mask.

  “You were also instructed to never set eyes on him again.” Cale stopped in front of her, towering over her slender frame. The guards gripped her arms tight.

  Ashina remained silent, defiance shining in her eyes.

  Cale’s arm trembled, his fist aching to connect with her face. “You remember our deal, girl? You remember what happens if either of you defy me?” His voice grew loud, rage pouring into it.

  The air pressure shifted behind him and cold metal pricked his neck.

  “Touch her and die,” Raniero hissed, his voice low and full of menace.

  Cale turned, not caring that the movement pushed his flesh against the merc’s sword. “And you’ll be next. Have you looked around?”

  The Serus demons encircled them, poised for his command. Raniero’s eyes were stone as he stared back at Cale.

  “You’re outnumbered, demon. Kill me, and both of you will take a nice long poisoned breath. Or my men might dismember you first. You’d probably prefer that. Do you know what Serus toxins do to your lungs?”

  “I’ve killed hundreds of your enemies over the decades.” Raniero kept his voice cold and calm.

  Cale recognized that calm. His merc’s tactical mind controlled his actions. And that’s exactly what made him the best. He didn’t let emotion get in the way. But this time, the one thing that mattered to him hung in the balance.

  Cale smirked. “You just couldn’t wait, could you? What’s a few more months? I’m sure you could find another whore to fuck while you waited.”

  A tiny muscle ticked in Raniero’s jaw. “Your daughter has never been a whore.”

  “You made her into one, demon. Or did you forget? Fucking her in the trees, like an animal?”

  “Let her go!” Raniero roared, the air vibrating with rage, his control gone.

  Cale smiled. He enjoyed getting under the other demon’s skin. “You still work for me, Raniero. You’re on the job. You swore to adhere to my terms. And you just violated them.”

  In a blur of movement, Cale ducked and twisted. Raniero’s sword stung as it scraped his skin, but the superficial cut was worth it. He grabbed Ashina.

  Pinning her against his chest, Cale barked a command to his top Serus. The gray-skinned demon exhaled a cloud of poison and blasted it at Raniero’s face.

  The merc dropped to avoid the toxic mist. He didn’t succeed.

  Choking gasps escaped Raniero’s mouth. Cale knew instantly the merc had breathed only a small amount, but even a slight puff of Serus toxin was excruciating. Raniero rose, still holding his sword. That was a credit to the man’s strength in battle. Cale would regret cutting this business relationship.

  Drawing a dagger from his hip with one hand, Cale yanked Ashina’s head back. He pressed the blade to her throat. Who knew how long these two had been together, but it was time for it to end. “You know what happens if you violate my terms.”

  “No!” A vicious snarl tore from Raniero’s mouth.

  A brave effort. Cale didn’t miss the irregular sawing of his breath, or the way Raniero’s eyes took a split second longer to focus.

  “But lucky for you, I’m flexible,” Cale continued. “Listen to me, demon. I’m ordering you to finish the job. Kill Kai. And I’ll let her live.”

  CHAPTER 25

  BROOKE STUMBLED THROUGH THE SMOKY haze of her dreamscape. Images shifted before her eyes, flicking from black and white to color like a television set about to die. Trees loomed ghostly gray. Vivid green. Back to gray.

  Shouts carried across the forest. Dread seized her legs, rooting her to the ground. Where was Kai?

  Figures darted around the edges of her vision, blurred shapes that gave no indication of friend or foe. She swiveled to her right, drawn by a force she couldn’t name. Kai was there. That direction. She just knew it.

  Her feet loosened from the earth’s grip and she ran, following the invisible tug on her soul. She hurtled through brush. Branches slapped her face and stung her hands, but she propelled forward. He needs me. The urgent feeling squeezed her lungs, growing stronger.

  She ran around an enormous dead oak and froze. Her mouth dropped open to scream, but no sound came out.

  Blood poured from a wound in Kai’s shoulder and one arm hung limp. He struggled against the hold of a demon whose eyes flared bright as stars. Dark wavy hair fell about his shoulders. The pale silver of a fine scar decorated the side of his face. And he held a blade to Kai’s throat.

  The metal glowed and pulsed with an eerie blue light. Magic. The demon tightened his grip on Kai’s chest. He drew his weapon hand back. Brought it forward with blinding speed—

  “No!” Brooke screamed. She lunged for Kai. His brown eyes met hers and his mouth formed words she couldn’t discern, snatched away by the wind.
<
br />   He and the demon disappeared.

  She landed in a heap on the forest floor. Anguish tore through her heart. “Kai!”

  Something grabbed her. No! Have to find him. I don’t have time for this. She stood and whirled. Raised her knee and connected with muscle.

  Her body jostled and a soft oof echoed in her ear. The arms around her tightened.

  “Brooke. Wake up. I’ve got you.”

  Kai. She’d found him. “Are you okay?” she shrieked. She pushed back from him, peering at his arm. “You need bandages. Right now.”

  Warm hands smoothed her back. “Sprite. I’m fine. You had another dream.”

  Her reality snapped like a rubber band. “Dream?” She clutched his shoulders. Her surroundings registered. Bed. Safe house. Kai had never left her side.

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “More like a nightmare.”

  A nightmare? Unbidden tears flowed, her heart still caught in a web of subconscious emotion. “He was going to kill you,” she whispered. “I was so scared. I was trying to get to you.” Sobs shook her body. She buried her damp face in his chest.

  “Shh. No one’s going to kill me.” He cocooned her in warmth, letting her ride out the adrenaline and fear.

  She cried until she had no tears left. Each gentle stroke of his fingers on her spine soothed her. A huge shuddering sigh escaped her lungs as her muscles unclenched, but a healthy dose of apprehension filled her gut. And she couldn’t ignore it.

  “Rosa said my dreams are foreshadowing. That means someone is going to try to kill you. Right?”

  “If I had a dollar for every creature who’s tried to kill me, I could buy a realm.”

  She frowned. “This was so real. He had a knife, or dagger, and it was magic. It glowed. He held it up to your—” Her voice caught in her throat. She couldn’t say the words.

  “Brooke.” Kai shifted back enough to cup her chin and tilt it up. “Look at me.”

  She obeyed, losing herself in his warm brown eyes and the husky timbre of his voice.

  “I survived Drant’s arena. I had no choice. I fought for my life every time I entered that ring. And I survived the abuse he doled out later, in his torture room. He took pains to make sure I didn’t get cocky.”

  He stroked her hair. So gentle. After being treated with hatred and looked upon as an animal, he could’ve turned into a heartless killer. How had he retained his honor?

  His mother. A new wave of sadness rolled through her at his loss. One strong, brave female had influenced him with her love. Provided the roots for her child to grow into a worthy male. Gave him the noble heart of the warrior he’d become.

  And the man I need.

  “I’m a survivor. So are you. I did what I needed to, even if it meant swallowing my pride and fighting dirty.” His hand left her back, trailing around her hip to lace his fingers with hers. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “No one’s going to kill me.”

  You’re not invincible. But how she wanted to believe he was. “I know you lived through hell,” she whispered. “And I know how strong you are. The dream was just so real. I really thought you were…gone.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, baby.”

  His eyes took on a soft amber glow and her heart flipped at his words. She couldn’t explain how, but she knew they held more than one meaning. A frisson of joy shot all the way to her toes and back. Emotions radiated from him, embracing her as solidly as his arms did. As he gazed at her in the dark room, a bone-deep connection warmed the air around them.

  Her earlier thought echoed in her head. I need him. And more than that, she wanted him. And he felt the same.

  She didn’t know how she knew it. But the very essence of her being yearned for him. She belonged to him. His voice sounded in her head, clear as a bell. You’re mine.

  Her sleep-addled, dream-fogged brain must be more tired than she realized. Pushing aside the last tendrils of fear, she snuggled against him and drifted back to the blackness, engulfed by feelings of love. His heart beat a slow, steady rhythm at her ear, lulling her. Mine.

  Brooke picked her way through the trees, following Mathias’ footsteps. He moved like a silent panther, while she crashed through the scrubby brush like a freight train.

  Kai brought up the rear, just as stealthy as his comrade. She wouldn’t have known he was there, except for the curious new feeling in her heart that all but announced his nearness. As sure as she could see her right hand, she knew he hovered several feet back.

  Too bad her warm thoughts were drowned out by warnings of dread. The images of her dream stayed with her, no matter how hard she worked to push them away. Her suggestion to abort their search for Cale had gone over like a brick. Both Kai and Mathias insisted on tracking down the rogue Lash before he kidnapped anyone else.

  Mathias extended a hand in a silent command to stop. Kai came up behind her, one arm wrapping around her waist as they waited for their friend’s report.

  Mathias shook his head. “Large group of Serus. Thirty or more. And three Lash.”

  “Three?” Kai tightened his grip on her. “Who’s he got with him?”

  “One is female, and one is…” Mathias’ brows knitted. “A Watcher. Name’s Raniero.”

  “A Watcher’s with Cale?” Kai scowled. “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Don’t speak too soon,” Mathias said. “Several elves are with them, too.”

  “Jason’s brothers.” Hope flared in Brooke’s heart.

  Kai shook his head. “Three Lash. One’s a Watcher. They’re potentially all armed. A shitload of Serus. And we may or may not get help from elf archers who probably don’t have their bows.” He glanced ahead. “What do you suggest for this clusterfuck, old man?”

  “That’s the last time you call me that,” Mathias muttered. “We need to get closer. See if they’re injured, get a look at their weapons. Thing is, when we get within eyesight, we’ll also be within their scent range.”

  “Got it.” Kai’s other hand flexed on his holster, which held two short swords strapped across his back.

  “What should I do?” Brooke asked.

  “Don’t leave our side, for starters.” A smile twitched across Kai’s mouth, but his stare was pensive.

  “What if this turns ugly?” The smoky chaos of her dream weighed heavily

  on her mind.

  “You have your dagger. And you know how to incapacitate a Serus.” Kai rubbed circles on her lower back, a sweet comfort that she welcomed but did little to ease her agitation.

  She stared at him, fear making her thoughts trip end over end. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “I’ll be okay, Sprite. Don’t forget, I’ve got this old m—” He grinned at Mathias. “This old bastard on my side.”

  Mathias rolled his eyes and grunted. “Let’s go. They’re a half mile away.”

  Kai held her hand and walked beside her on the path. His warmth and strength flowed into her skin. She sensed his confidence and drew from it, forcing her fears aside. He can do this. He lived through hell and escaped.

  Something else flared through their new connection. Energy. Bright and vibrant, dancing around her insides the way the sparks had danced across her skin when they’d first touched. Does he feel it too?

  They walked up a small hill. Mathias signaled for them to stop and crouch before they reached the top. Crawling forward between the two males, she peered through dense green shrubs into a chaotic scene.

  Cale. She’d never forget the delighted gleam of malice in his eyes when he’d first captured them. His towering blond frame stood out in sharp relief against the ebony-haired female in his grasp. He held a knife to her throat.

  The woman’s terror-filled gaze darted from the ground to the third Lash demon. He stood with his back to Brooke. Dark brown wavy hair cascaded past his massive shoulders and he held a sword. From Cale’s angry expression, she guessed the words they exchanged weren’t friendly.

  She looked to Kai,
who glanced at her before looking over her head to Mathias and mouthing, What the fuck?

  Brooke turned to Mathias.

  He shrugged and mouthed, Cale?

  Kai nodded.

  A wind ruffled the leaves in front of them. A foreboding chill shot down her spine.

  Cale and the dark-haired demon stopped arguing. In the same beat, they both turned in the direction of Brooke’s little group. Cale’s face held a death glare. And the other demon—

  Brooke sucked in a breath. No, no, no. She’d seen that face before. She grabbed Kai’s arm. “That’s him! The demon from my dream. He’s going to try to kill you!”

  “The hell he will. That’s Raniero,” Mathias said through gritted teeth.

  “Fucking shit,” Kai cursed. “What’s he doing with Cale? Did Arawn send him? And how’d he find Cale before you?”

  Mathias swore and leapt to his feet. “Doesn’t matter now.”

  Kai followed suit and dragged her up next to him.

  Cale’s mouth moved in a command she couldn’t make out. His dark eyes sparked with rage.

  Twenty Serus charged them, their heavy feet thudding on the spindly gray grass.

  Mathias flung a throwing star at the nearest one, which howled as the metal pierced its eye. It fell to the ground clutching its sizzling face. Smoke drifted from between its fingers, filling the air with the scent of burned flesh.

  “Dipped in Viper venom. Nice.” Both swords drawn, Kai blocked Brooke from the onslaught of gray demons. He thrust at one, slicing its bicep open before darting back. The demon snarled as blood spurted from its arm.

  Mathias grunted behind her. Another thud shook the forest floor. “That’s two!” he yelled. “Did you axe that maggot yet, boy?”

  “Fuck you, old man. Keep throwing shit while you can. Arthritis is next.” Kai glowered over his shoulder.

  Ignoring their ridiculous male banter, Brooke’s eyes darted among the Serus. Dread barreled through her as she stood between the two Lash. Kai and Mathais worked fast, but there were so many Serus. None had belched their toxic clouds. What are they waiting for?