“And when they fail to find a mate, what then?”
“A good family will provide for their spinster daughters. Otherwise they become whores.”
Kiera had no family to protect her. She would do well to become his mistress. He would provide for her, care for her, and bed her whenever he felt the need for a woman’s company. It would be a better life than the one her mother led. He had thought to take a human slave for his personal use, but a mongrel would suit his needs even better. He didn’t want to share her with the rest of the Halloran fine, so he had to find a way to extricate her from Diermont.
Suddenly small weights dropped onto his head and tangled in his hair. Modez pulled them away and their fuzzy, squirming bodies wriggled in his hands. One of the suckers sank its tiny fangs into his hand. He wrenched it away and threw it to the ground, but the fang remained lodged into his hand like a splinter. Romanese spiders. The tarantula-like spiders were poisonous and deadly, although they weren’t fatal to hybrids.
“Fucking spiders!” Seamus pointed to a man-shaped mass of the creatures. The warriors scattered them with their swords. The man underneath the pile of spiders was dead. “That was Georgeus.”
Modez didn’t recognize the man because his face was swollen and purple, but he vaguely recognized the name. Gorgeous Georgeus was one of the human gladiators that had been enthralled and forced into Diermont’s army. Now he was dead.
Modez turned his head when he saw the recognizable flash of a laser gun blast. Rocks slid in the tunnel once again. One of the hybrid warriors standing a few feet in front of him was suddenly missing his head. The headless corpse fell to the ground as the hybrids scurried, trying to find the shooter. Romans weren’t supposed to possess laser guns. They weren’t supposed to know such technology existed. That was why they armed themselves with swords instead of the more powerful laser guns, even though they had a stock pile of them in their native Asstrumnian city. He chased the shooter into a side tunnel. Using his hybrid abilities, he mentally launched a boulder into the air, hurling it at the shooter. It made contact, pinning the shooter against the wall of the tunnel. The other warriors reached the site before he did. When they removed the boulder, they saw that the shooter was dead. Modez was shocked to see that it had been a young female.
“I didn’t realize the Romans had a female army.” Seamus watched as one of the hybrids confiscated the laser gun.
“It concerns me more that she possessed advanced technology. How did she come to have one of our laser guns?” Modez entered the chamber and paid little attention to the dead human once he saw what else the chamber held. A hybrid was suspended upside down over a vat. Part of his skull was missing and brain matter and blood dripped into the bucket. “A torture chamber, you think?”
Seamus walked up to the hybrid. The chained victim opened one eye and gasped, “Help me.”
The fucker was still alive. How was that possible? Modez tried not to show his horror. He suspected the male didn’t have long to live. “What happened to you?”
“They’re experimenting on hybrids. Trying to steal our powers.” The poor victim’s voice was raspy. “They used a witch. Tried to make her fill an amulet with our essence.”
“Who did this to you?”
“Maximus,” he croaked.
“Lucine Maximus?”
“No, not her. The younger one. But she didn’t want to do it. The mistress forced her.”
It wasn’t Lucine Maximus but the younger one. A different Maximus? “Can you give me her name?”
“Don’t remember. She’s a Maximus and a witch, but not a good witch. She couldn’t do what the mistress wanted. The mistress was angry with her.”
“What else can you tell us about her?”
“She didn’t want to hurt us.”
Seamus bandaged the man’s head while Modez talked to him. They hadn’t moved him yet because they didn’t think he would survive the move. “Who ordered the experiments? Was it Lucine?”
“No. The name was Agrippa.”
Seamus finished tying the bandage around the man’s head. “Agrippa. I’ve heard the name before. Must be one of Lucine’s partners.” He unchained the hybrid and Modez helped lay the victim on the ground. As they had feared, the hybrid passed away, the injuries too severe for him to be saved. They were fortunate he lived long enough to describe what had happened to him. They hadn’t had a chance to learn the man’s name. It was too sad.
Half an hour later, they continued their trek through the dark tunnel. It eventually opened into a chamber that was lit by a single torch. The shadows flickered off the walls and there appeared to be a single door embedded inside one of the walls.
There was a loud bang followed by creaking sounds and the floor collapsed under Modez’s feet. Hybrids screamed in confusion as they fell into the pit below. Modez hit the ground hard and rolled. He got to his feet and saw that many of his comrades had been shot with arrows that were no doubt poisoned. They had fallen into a trap. He opened up a portal and dragged the nearest fallen hybrid through it. He could do nothing for the others.
Modez collapsed on the floor when he arrived back at the villa. The hybrid in his arms was Adonis. He left him on the floor and got to his feet. Diermont and Torin had made it back safely. “What the fuck happened back there?”
Diermont’s eyes were red with rage. “We have a traitor in our midst. It was a trap.”
Portals were opening and more hybrids were coming through, but Seamus, Visant, and Bloodfanger were still missing. “Who would do this?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps one of our new recruits. Like Adonis.”
Modez pulled the arrow out of Adonis and noted the green tinged tip. “He was hit with a poison arrow. It’s not him.”
“We don’t know the identity of the traitor, but we will discover him and he will be made to face justice.”
Modez was stunned. Someone had led them to a trap and he wanted to know the reason. Who would do such a thing, and why? It was clear the enemy had been lying in wait for them with poison arrows ready. The poison that the hybrids were vulnerable to was very rare and extremely costly. Once applied to the arrows, it became useless if not used within a day. “Where is Seamus?”
Diermont looked around the room. “Damnation, if they have taken the Lord of Red Isles captive I will be pissed.”
It became clear as time passed that Seamus wasn’t coming through the portal. He was tempted to return to that place to rescue his friend, but he knew it would only result in his capture. They were defenseless against that particular type of poison. By the end of the night, they had counted their losses. Thirty hybrids were missing.
* * *
Kiera felt sore in various places, especially between her legs. She shouldn’t want to be touched there again, at least not so soon. But the heat was making her crave sex and she looked forward to Modez’s next visit. The insatiable male would be ready to breed her again. She wondered if Elsa saw this much action from him when he was at the palace. Somehow, she doubted it. She knew she needed to leave the villa, but it would have to wait until after her heat. It would be too dangerous to remain in her own keeping when the heat robbed her of every shred of judgment. Modez would take care of her when she wasn’t capable of rational thought. She had finally accepted his authority over her. But he was far too controlling for her to put up with it forever.
She had been barred from Cabrian and Cassia’s room while it had been searched. She knew they had confiscated her wormwort. She feared they had found the key as well. She didn’t have access to her own possessions any longer. Modez and Cabrian had taken her belongings. Now when she needed something to wear, she had to go directly to one of them for it. She felt like a slave. She was a serf and it wasn’t much better than slavery.
Kiera heard shouting and knew that something peculiar had happened. Warriors were scurrying about like chickens with their heads cut off, yelling at each other and making threats. She walked inside the atrium and observed heal
ers tending to the injured. Several of the warriors were unconscious. She stood out of the way and tried to make out what the warriors were saying to each other, but much of it didn’t make sense. She caught the eye of the second in command, Torin. “What’s happening?”
“We thought we had found Lucine’s new laboratory, but we were lured into a trap. They shot at us with poisoned arrows. We were defenseless.”
“Who didn’t make it back?” She knew from the grim looks on their faces that they had suffered casualties.
Torin’s face darkened with anger. He spat out a few names before saying he needed to consult with the prince. One of the names made her stomach drop. Seamus McLeod, the Lord of Red Isles, was missing. Kiera scanned the room. Her eyes fell on Modez. His bare chest gleamed with sweat, and like the other warriors, much of his body was covered in dust and grime. Even his thick, black hair was gritty. It was powdered with dust and debris. She felt a sharp sense of relief that he wasn’t among the missing. She convinced herself it was nothing more than satisfaction that her preferred source of blood remained available to her. It wasn’t that she cared for the warrior lord.
Now that she thought about it, why had Modez been with the warriors? Diermont had confined him to guard duty at the villa and he hadn’t been on a raid since he was collared. Oh, she had a bad feeling about this. When he passed by her again, she noticed he no longer wore the slave collar. Dread filled her when she realized she was too late. He had the proof he sought. At least he was too busy with the current fiasco to deal with her right now, but she knew he would get around to it eventually. She needed to make herself scarce. Preferably, it would be best to leave the villa altogether.
Kiera saw Druscilla talking to Lasair Halloran like they were best buddies. Lasair was one of Diermont’s nieces and Kiera felt the claws of envy take hold of her. Lasair had the blood of royalty running through her veins. Her place in the hybrid hierarchy was secure and she would be given only the best opportunities.
Kiera approached the two ladies and noticed Druscilla stiffen. She searched for something to say. “Can you believe what happened?”
“It is horrid,” Druscilla said with a shudder. “They took the Lord of Red Isles.”
“I am so sorry,” Kiera said to Lasair, remembering that Lasair was Seamus’ temporary mate. It looked like their mating test would be cut short.
“Thank you for your concern, Sirva Kiera.”
Sirva Kiera. Servant. Not Lady Kiera. She had really sunk to the lowest of depths to be referred to by that label. Lasair had spoken with a kind, gentle tone and had not meant it as an insult. Kiera wanted to say something hateful to the woman in response, but she held her tongue. She wouldn’t act like a person with no class or breeding. That was what they expected of her and she wasn’t going to give it to them. Kiera looked away from the great lady and noticed a familiar form on the ground. She eyed Druscilla. “Adonis is on the floor.”
Druscilla’s expression was flat. “I know.”
Adonis must have been felled by a poison arrow. He wouldn’t be in any state to participate in the mating tests with Druscilla. “I’m sorry, Dru.”
“The prince cancelled our mating test prematurely. It wasn’t working.” Druscilla’s face filled with bitterness. “He wanted a human woman and I may as well have been a man for all he cared.”
“Perhaps another will be substituted for Adonis.”
“I doubt it. We lost too many of our warriors. There’s no eligible males left. Unless you count Lord Halloran, but even when given his choice of females, he declined the offer.”
“Lord Halloran already has a mate.” Lasair pointed to a black haired beauty standing at Snotti’s side. “There she is. The Lady Gwyneth. She is here with her son, little Modez.”
Kiera’s mouth fell open in shock. “I didn’t know he was mated and I sure didn’t know he had a kid.”
“Their relationship has been rocky, but now Gwyneth is back in his life and she isn’t going to let him get away this time. She braved the dronusfly swarms to come to his side.”
“That’s so romantic,” Druscilla breathed.
Kiera felt something akin to jealousy. “Lord Halloran is mated,” she said flatly as if saying it aloud would convince her of the reality of it. She couldn’t believe it. She avoided males that were already claimed by another female. She hadn’t seen any sign that he belonged to a woman. He didn’t sport any marks or tattoos upon his flesh and she had seen him naked. She should have seen the marks.
Druscilla took her hands in hers. “I’ve been worried about you, Kiera. We all know that you serve the prince directly, which is highly unusual for a female.”
Lasair frowned. “I’ve heard the rumors about my uncle’s activities in the dungeons. I know he takes girls down there and does things to them.”
“What kind of things?” Kiera was aware of the rumors, but she wondered if Lasair knew anything factual.
“He’s a sadist and he has needs that Snotti cannot fill. Dark sexual needs.”
That was what Kiera was afraid of. She had no wish to be the prince’s plaything in his playground of terror. “I haven’t been asked to do anything sexual.”
“That’s a relief. You may want to leave the prince’s service before it comes to that,” Lasair said. “If you run and evade capture for a year, you will earn your freedom.”
“I have considered doing just that.” Kiera knew her chances of succeeding depended on whether or not Diermont sent trackers after her. She needed him to lose interest in her first so he wouldn’t care to search for her.
“I know it must be difficult for you to serve the Halloran’s, especially as Lord Halloran has made his disdain for you more than clear.” Lasair’s face filled with sympathy. “He’s a hard male. Once he decides he dislikes a person, he’s not of a mind to change it.”
“Why does he dislike you so much?” Druscilla asked. “I see him watch you sometimes with a cross expression.”
“He thinks I’m disobedient.” Kiera blushed as she remembered how he preferred to discipline her. He would bite her and suck her blood while he pumped his shaft inside her body.
“Lord Halloran dislikes all the ladies at court. His experience with Gwyneth made him bitter, but now that she has returned, I hope his cold heart will mend.”
“What did she do to make him bitter?” Kiera was curious and she wasn’t going to hide it.
“She left him for another male, but he at least was a king which made it understandable to many. Now that the king is dead, Gwyneth has decided that she wants her first mate back. It is only a matter of time till she wins his affection.”
Kiera felt sick inside knowing there was another woman in his life, one that had shared a mating bond with him. She hoped he wouldn’t take her back since the woman didn’t have a loyal bone in her body. But he would accept her. No male rejected their mate. The drive to claim her, impregnate her during the next Mating Period would be impossible to resist.
She watched as Gwyneth tried to console Modez and she felt a tiny thrill when he pushed her away from him. Curious, she drifted toward the couple, wanting to overhear their conversation. From the look on the lord’s face, he wasn’t delighted to see his former mate. Kiera heard him clearly telling Gwyneth to get lost, but the woman clung to his arm like a dog with a bone. She couldn’t hear the woman’s response, but she could tell she was wailing. Kiera took a few steps toward them, and before she knew it, she was in Modez’s direct line of sight. His eyes met hers and she noticed the irritation in them. She was glad he wasn’t going to jump into bed with the female, especially since she thought of him as hers. Hers to infuriate. To annoy. To use during her heat.
When Modez’s eyes lit on hers, a devilish gleam made Kiera stop in her tracks. His smile was too self-assured and cocky. Her eyes slid past his face to linger on his bare throat. The slave collar was missing and she assumed he had found the key sewn into the lining of her satchel. She bit her lip and stared at the floor, suddenly wi
shing she could vanish in the crowd. It was too late. He had seen her and would surely talk to her. A strong, tanned hand grabbed her arm and she knew without looking that it was Modez. He steered her through the crowd and she had no choice but to go with him.
“What are you doing with that girl, Modez?” Gwyneth asked.
“It’s none of your business, woman, but if you must know she is my servant.”
“Your leman, you mean?”
Modez stopped to fix her with a hard glare. “She’s not my whore. She’s in the service of the prince and is under my authority.”
“She is a female. Snotti should direct her in her tasks, not you.”
“It’s none of your concern, Gwyneth. Why do you care what I do with the serfs?”
“I apologize, my lord. If you need to slake your masculine needs on the servants, I will not interfere.”
Modez’s response was an expletive. He pulled Kiera with him as he walked with a record setting pace away from his mate. Soon they were at the end of a darkened hallway, alone.
Modez backed her up to the wall. “You may have noticed I’ve been unleashed. Are you not thrilled for me?”
“It’s wonderful, my lord.” Wonderful for him, but not so much for her.
Modez pulled a key out of his trouser pocket and held it in the air. “Does this look familiar?”
Kiera gulped. “It’s a key. I’ve seen many of these lying about the villa.”
“It goes to the slave collar, but you already know that.” He fingered a lock of her wavy, dark hair as he leaned into her body. “This key was found in your satchel. Enough of the lies. Confess. Explain yourself.”
“Fine.” Damnation. What could she say now that he had the friggin key? She may as well get this conversation over with. “I admit that I took your blood on two occasions. I enjoyed every minute of it.” Kiera looked directly into his eyes without flinching and licked her lips. “I was thirsty. I wanted it so I took it. And you tasted unbelievably good. I may have taken too much…”
Vampire Enslavement (Lords of Bondage) Page 30