Demon Untamed (Shadow Quest Book 4)

by Kiersten Fay

  Kyra noted her reaction. “What’s the matter?”

  “Has someone been teaching you guys Demonish?”

  Kyra shook her head. “No. Why?”

  Sonya glanced back at Zoey. Cale must have taught the girl a few easy phrases. If so, Sonya expected the Earthling had no real idea what she might be saying, which was dangerous, considering the source. No doubt she’d start sputtering stuff like, “My top is too tight. Won’t you help me take it off?” or “I have a surprise for you in my pants.”

  Yeah, that sounded exactly like something Cale would do.

  To Kyra, Sonya demanded, “Ask her who taught her to say that.”

  “No need,” Zoey replied, startling both Sonya and Kyra. “I understood you perfectly, and no one taught me to say anything in…whatever it is you called it.”

  Her diction was perfect, with inflections specific to Sonya’s old village.

  Sonya growled. “Stop fucking with me. You’re speaking it right now.”

  Kyra shook her head, looking even more confused than Sonya. “No, she’s speaking English.”

  “No, she’s not.” Sonya glanced around the room, seeking Cale’s smug face. She was now convinced that he’d had sent them in to screw with her.

  Kyra and Zoey shared a confounded look.

  Irritated by the game, Sonya called Ethan from the back.

  He emerged a few moments later, greeting them with a smile. “Ladies.”

  “Ethan, do you speak any Demonish?” Sonya bit out.

  “A little bit. Why?”

  She turned to Zoey. “Speak, girl.”

  Zoey leaned back, gaping. “What am I, a dog?”

  Sonya faced Ethan expectantly. “Well? Did you understand what she said?”

  “Well, yeah, but that’s because she’s speaking Denaloid.” Ethan quirked a brow at Zoey. “For what possible reason would you have to learn that language?”

  Zoey’s jaw dropped. “It’s English. You’re all speaking it.”

  Kyra gasped, her eyes widening. She looked at Zoey. “I think we should ask Portia about that spell she put on you. I suspect when you speak, people will hear it in their most common language. In turn, you’ll hear them in yours.”

  Ethan turned back toward the storeroom, muttering, “The Serakian, huh? Well, that’s convenient.”

  Sonya agreed. The little witch turned out to be useful after all. She realized she had yet to meet Portia. Perhaps she would seek her out a bit later.

  “Hey.” Sonya gave Zoey a sly smile. “If Cale comes in, do me a favor and mess with him a little.”

  Chapter 23

  Sebastian surveyed the bridge, calculating the number of crewmen he would have to replace after their arrival at Uli Rings. Engineering, security, and navigation. In a few days, the entire ship would feel hollowed out and empty.

  Luckily, the core duties could be handled by Aidan, Cale, and himself. Rex, too. He was turning out to be a valuable acquisition. Before he’d been stranded on Undewla, the demon had worked with a crew, much like their own, and knew his way around a ship.

  “Aidan,” Sebastian called. “How many responses have we received from those transmissions we sent out?”

  “Only a handful,” Aidan replied. “But several of them are promising. A legion of incubi has already set out toward Evlon, according to their last communication. If we stay on schedule, they’ll arrive a few days after us.”

  The stop at Uli Rings would be a short one. There Sebastian would put the word out that the ship was hiring mercenaries and any other battle ready individuals. After that, they’d meet with the Dragons of Legura, and then head off toward Evlon.

  Aidan continued. “Another transmission from the Zerker mentioned possible aid, but I got the feeling they were divided on the matter.”

  “Let us hope they get un-divided.” According to records, the Zerker race was an exponentially fierce, battle-hardened people, maybe even more so than the demons. “What of your clan? Have they responded?”

  Aidan let out a heavy breath. “Yeah,” he said flatly. “They’re not interested.” He assumed an air of indifference, though Sebastian knew he must be fuming. A clan he had once gone to great lengths to honor had too easily turned its back on him, and this last rejection was clearly a final slap in the face. Sebastian could relate. His own—once beloved—family had, in a sense, done the same.

  “Perhaps the Legura clan will have more scruples, eh?”

  The corners of Aidan’s lips hitched upward at the snub. “We’ll see.”

  The door whooshed open and Cale entered, a gleaming note in his eyes. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and his expression mischievous. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  * * *

  The weight of Ethan’s impending doom bore down on him as he entered his room and kicked off his boots. He felt drained from the long day. And tomorrow would be even longer, unless the demons came for him tonight while he slept. But he doubted that. He imagined they would want him fully awake when they attacked, for amusement purposes.

  Should’ve been more careful.

  Earlier, he’d palmed Sonya’s succulent backside while Cale and the others had sat just across the bar, completely oblivious. To Ethan’s surprise, she had responded positively, slithering the tip of her tail to tease his crotch.

  Then, Jade, who wasn’t even meant to take a shift tonight, had stepped behind the bar and caught sight of their actions. Sonya had offered Jade a dangerous look that, for anyone else, would have been a clear warning to keep their mouths shut.

  Ethan supposed he should have gone after Jade when he’d initially read her intent, but for some reason, he allowed her to carry out her destructive mission. He imagined it was because he was tired of hiding his affection behind closed doors. Unfortunately, Sonya felt differently. She’d prefer to keep the liaison veiled from everyone until its inevitable end.

  Nonetheless, it was too late. Thanks to Jade’s big mouth and vindictive personality, their secret had probably already reached the ears of one of Sonya’s kin.

  He’d considered warning Sonya about what could potentially be a messy revelation, but he feared she would preemptively end things between them, as well as what she might do to Jade. Besides, there was a chance he’d be able to deal with the situation in a discreet manner. Sonya wouldn’t even have to know about it, if he played his cards right.

  First thing in the morning, he would approach Sebastian and Cale. If he went to them now, and found the news had put them in a rage, there’d be no talking to them.

  He sighed. Even if they had a little time to assimilate the information, there probably would still be no talking to them, but it would be a relief to get everything out in the open. He just hoped he’d survived the wrath that followed.

  For now, he intended to spend the night away from Sonya. If her brothers came looking for him tonight and discovered him in her bed, even his magic would not spare him their fury.

  He shrugged out of his shirt and relaxed on the cold mattress, letting his muscles sink in and trying not to feel deprived of Sonya’s warm heat next to him.

  In an attempt to distract his mind, he wondered how Kyra was getting along with the book. He’d lent it to her shortly after her arrival so she could look it over. With no new information being revealed, it was of little use to him. He closed his eyes, worried what that meant.

  Was this the end of his service?

  The sisters were finally gathered, safe aboard Marada. The demons had volunteered to take over the next few steps—rallying allies and supporters to the cause—and the ship was on its way to Evlon with only a few stops at various space cities between here and there. What was left for him to do?

  Fight, he supposed. And then possibly die in the process. The king’s last words before sending him off planet repeated in his head. He could still feel the regal hand clamped on his shoulder as he’d said, “If you survive to carry out your mission, you will be made a prince among our people.”
The declaration had brought such honor to him, the like of which he’d never felt since.

  From that point on, he had struggled to be worthy of his future bride. As a pirate, he must have been one of the most merciful to be sure, though he spread rumors to the contrary. A pirate needed his reputation, after all. Fear defeated opponents just as easily as warmongering or severing heads from bodies.

  But it was the if in the king’s statement that had haunted him over the years, spreading doubt through him like a virus. Which was why, aside from honing his gift, he’d spent years studying every manner of weaponry and combat.

  The king’s visions were never certain, and there was neither a guarantee Ethan would survive the insurgent, nor that any of them would be triumphant in the attempt.

  But if they did succeed…

  He thought of Kyra as his wife, the only unmated princess and the future queen of their people. He searched the depths of his soul for the pride he’d once felt for such an outcome, finding hollowness in its stead. Yet it was more than he had hoped for, wasn’t it?

  Then why had he not thought of that the moment Kyra stepped foot on the ship? Or, for that matter, informed her of the king’s promise and initiated the courtship? He should have been ecstatic…doting on her and winning her affections.

  However, when he imagined marrying her, excitement was not what settled in his gut. The weight of all his efforts, a lifetime of struggle, of fighting, with more still to come pressed down on him. Exhaustion plastered his body to the mattress, and his musings transformed into a foggy mist as his body gave over to sleep.

  The sensation of others in the room woke him. Two sets of fire-red eyes glowered down at him.

  “Get dressed, pirate.” Cale’s tone was as menacing as he’d probably intended. “We’re going to have ourselves a little chat in the training room.”

  Right. Because that’s the ideal location for a rational conversation.

  Ethan blinked groggily and rubbed a hand down his face. So much for thinking they would want him awake. At least they hadn’t yanked him out of bed and started whaling on him. After scanning them, he found less rage than expected.

  He planted his feet on the floor and took a moment to stretch his muscles before making his way to his clothing compartment across the room.

  While he rummaged for a shirt, Sebastian said, “I get the feeling you know what this is about.”

  Ethan turned back and quirked a cocky grin. “I’m surprised it took you so long to figure out what was going on. I thought demons were supposed to be intelligent.”

  They frowned, expressions turning dark. Cale spit out a colorful curse before taking an aggressive step in Ethan’s direction. Sebastian barred an arm across Cale’s chest. “Don’t cripple him just yet. Marik wants a piece.”

  “Three on one?” Ethan retrieved a thin white shirt and slipped it over his head.

  Cale’s lips spread into a menacing smile. “Any last words?”

  “Yeah. Don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

  Both demons let out a guffaw.

  Cale slapped him hard on the back. “This is going to be fun,” he said before escorting him from the room by the back of the neck.

  Marik awaited them in the training room with his arms crossed and his lips set in a grim line.

  Ethan ignored the deadly stare as he crossed to the other side of the mat and prepared for the onslaught. The demons shared a look as they lined up in front of him. He suspected his calm demeanor baffled them. Most likely they were used to seeing males in this situation cower under their threatening gazes.

  “Before we begin…” Sebastian hesitated, seeming at a loss for words. Finally, he said, “You and Sonya?”

  It was a simple question with all the hidden layers of complication. Ethan responded with an overly exaggerated shrug. “What can I say? I’m irresistible.”

  Cale snorted and cracked his knuckles.

  “But she hates you,” Sebastian continued, somewhat unfazed by Ethan’s cavalier attitude.

  Ethan knew he shouldn’t have responded with his next words, but his mind was still a bit foggy from sleep. Or maybe he was just unable to resist. With a sly grin, he muttered, “Not all of me.”

  There was a brief paused as the demons processed his response.

  Then they attacked as one. Cale’s claws swiped out while Sebastian’s knuckles sought Ethan’s face, and Marik lunged for his entire body. With the three of them coming so fast, Ethan was unable to dodge them all. Marik gouged his shoulder into Ethan’s gut, taking him to the ground.

  Air exploded from his lungs. As he sucked in a burning breath, Marik wrapped thick arms around him from behind and pulled him upright into a suffocating cage of muscle. Taking advantage, Sebastian cracked Ethan along the jaw. His mind dimmed from the force. Then Marik shoved him toward Cale, who introduced a hard knee to his gut.

  Ethan slumped to all fours, grabbing his stomach and gagging for air. When he was able to speak, it came out as a haggard wheeze, “Well, I deserved that.”

  The demons glared at him, posed for another beat down, but they allowed him time enough to stand.

  Marik commented, his tone detached from any discernible emotion, “I just can’t believe Sonya would even be remotely interested in you.”

  Ethan steeled himself for the next assault, this one from Cale alone. He twisted his body away from the demon’s powerful right hook, then ducked the vigorous high kick that came afterward. “And why’s that?” he asked.

  Sebastian rushed him. Ethan gleaned the intention and allowed Sebastian to catch him against his wide shoulder, preparing to heave Ethan over his back. Mid-air, Ethan contorted his body to land on his feet with perfect grace.

  Sebastian looked momentarily surprised. “Well, we all dislike pretty much everything to do with pirates, but she’s fanatic about it. Actually, I thought she’d end up killing you, not…” Sebastian shuddered, no doubt despising the images his train of thought brought forth.

  Ethan now stood at the center of all three demons as they circled like a well-organized pack. He opened his senses to detect the next move.

  Cale added, “The two of you together is the most unlikely development any of us could have imagined.” He smiled. “A rare bit of fun, though. We don’t often figure out who our baby sister is sneaking around with.”

  That gave Ethan pause, and he straightened his spine. “Sneaking around with?”

  Do they not know?

  His own question distracted him enough that Cale managed to get in another powerful jab to his jaw followed by a solid elbow to his temple. Ethan growled, mostly at his own carelessness, as the room spun.

  “Sorry it has to end this way,” Cale remarked, not sounding at all remorseful.

  Ethan laughed. “You won’t kill me.” Just as Cale had said, they only wanted to have a bit of fun with him.

  “What makes you think that?” Cale huffed.

  “You’d miss me too much.”

  That encouraged a round of deep chuckles from all of them.

  “Cale,” Marik called across the mat, “he might just have a bigger ego than you.”

  “Only room for one as remarkable as I on this ship,” Cale replied.

  Another set of attacks from all three had Ethan pulling out his best defensive maneuvers. Damn they were fast, but he managed to stay ahead of them…barely. Luckily, they were becoming easier to read.

  “One question,” Sebastian said, looking impressed with Ethan’s moves. “I still don’t really believe it. How did you get past Sonya’s defenses? She was not shy about expressing her extreme dislike for you. I had to force her to promise not to kick you off the ship while we searched for Marik, and still I figured she would wind up ending your life, one way or the other.”

  “Oh, she still hates me, I’m sure, but she could no more destroy me than you could destroy Anya.”

  The demons stilled. Sebastian looked completely taken aback, Marik appeared disbelieving, while, oddly, Cale’s s
hock seemed to border on devastation.

  Cale cleaned his features of all emotion but for a deep frown. “What do you mean by that?”

  Whatever Sonya’s reasons were for concealing the truth from her kin, they were bound to find out eventually.

  Ethan shrugged. “Tell you what. If any of you can land another hit, I’ll tell you.”

  “Too easy,” Cale hissed. He shot forward, but Ethan was prepared and ducked out of the way. Cale stumbled, appearing confounded. Ethan thought he heard Cale mutter, “It can’t be true,” but didn’t think he was talking about missing his target.

  The other two sprang into action, coming at Ethan with all their speed. Now that he’d had time to study their moves, and the specific intent behind each one, it was easy to steer clear of the pulverization zone. The demons snarled with annoyance, but after a while, their frustration abated, and they began to see this as a game, rather than an execution.

  * * *

  All morning, Sonya felt off kilter. Normally she woke early enough to share a quick shower with Ethan before shoving him out the door, afraid one of her brothers might catch him leaving her room. But he’d decided to sleep in his own quarters last night, claiming he was tired.

  She’d told him it was fine, but a bit of disappointment had crept into her voice. He’d managed to assuage some of it with a demanding kiss that had her squirming with carnal need.

  His mocking grin told her that had been his intention.

  Bastard.

  Thankfully, after utilizing a few of her old tactics, the madness of her lust ebbed, allotting her at least a few hours of sleep.

  She took a bit more care with her appearance the next morning, partly to flaunt what Ethan had missed all night. Well, mostly to flaunt it.

  She dressed in an elegant purple and black bodice with brass buckle fastenings, a short dark skirt, and killer fuck-me boots. Next she styled part of her hair in an intricate braid, intertwining a bit of purple ribbon, while leaving the rest to hang in onyx waves down her shoulders and back.

  Once satisfied, she traversed the long hallway of the ship’s living quarters, coming to stop in front of the witchling’s room. She gave a soft knock against the metal barrier and waited. A moment later, the door whooshed open, revealing the small Serakian on the other side.