Demon Untamed (Shadow Quest Book 4)

by Kiersten Fay

  No doubt sensing her struggle, Ethan eased up behind her, clasping his arms around her torso. She leaned into him, loving that his gift could so easily tell him what she needed.

  Ivan grumbled, “Lun feist, you ever tire of this one, you just let me know. I may just be able to quench that fire.”

  Sonya gave him a rueful smile. “You couldn’t handle me.”

  Ethan laughed. “Might be amusing to watch him try. Ivan’s ego could use a swift kick in the balls.”

  She turned in his arms. “Are you suggesting I’ve kicked your ego in the balls?”

  “Repeatedly.” Ethan’s grin widened. “And with relish, I imagine.”

  She stifled a guilty expression. “Well, you continued to ask for it.”

  “I’ll be sure to evaluate my requests in the future.”

  “Ugh, tell me you are not about to let him kiss you, lun feist. And with me standing right here?”

  Ethan tightened his grip around her. “Go flirt with someone else’s female.”

  “Do you send me to my death to cull the competition?”

  “Merely to silence you.”

  “I’m not one for suicide. These demons hold the same fire as she, but none as sweet. For hers, I would die.”

  When it looked as though Ethan was losing patience with his friend, Sonya angled his face toward her and brought her lips against his. He offered a soft groan of approval before deepening the kiss.

  Ivan grunted out a sound of protest, though his words were droll. “Cannot watch this betrayal. My heart weeps, lun feist.”

  It was possible he left then, but Sonya was too immersed in Ethan that she didn’t care either way.

  Vaguely, she mused that it should have been strange to be kissing Ethan with Sebastian, or even Marik, so close, but nothing felt more natural. And the other’s disregarded them as though they’d been openly affectionate from the start.

  It was only when Marik called out that the food was ready that they pulled apart. One glance at Ethan’s heated expression told her he wasn’t hungry for food. As a debate raged in her mind, Ethan smirked.

  “Mind your balls,” she warned as she dragged him toward the fire.

  His responding frown made her laugh.

  Chapter 33

  Sebastian burst into the room, rousing Sonya and Ethan from a dead slumber. Her first instinct was to protect Ethan, and tendrils of the Edge began to creep through her.

  Ethan displayed a more rational presence of mind. “What’s wrong?” he asked Sebastian.

  “Cale and Kyra have gone missing. Get dressed and meet us outside.” Then he left as quickly as he’d entered.

  Sonya cursed as she scrambled for her clothes. Moments later, she and Ethan joined the others outside. As she disembarked, she overheard Aidan speaking with Sebastian, Marik, Rex, and Tristan near the ramp. “The dragons are nearly here. And many others are just behind them. Without the Serakian to shield their crafts, the Kayadon will see them coming too far in advance.”

  “I’ve sent Zoey to retrieve Portia,” Sebastian replied coolly. “She will have to do what she can without her kin.”

  Farther into the field, Nadua consoled Anya, both of them looking sick with worry.

  “Where were they last seen?” Sonya asked.

  Anya raised her hand. “They told me Ru had directed them to a secluded area yesterday where Kyra could practice her magic far from the ship. That was the last I had seen of them. I assumed they had returned, and I had just missed seeing them.” Guilt riddled her voice.

  “Then we should begin with Ru,” Sebastian replied, placing a reassuring palm on his mate’s shoulder.

  Anya lifted her head. “It’s possible the day became late, and they stayed the night at the guild.” She finished with a tight smile.

  “Let us hope so,” he said.

  Zoey rushed from the ship, gasping as though she’d run the entire length. “Sebastian,” she called. “Portia is…well, I don’t know how to explain it exactly. Her room is like a black hole or something. I don’t know what to make of it.”

  Multiple curses rang out.

  “Aidan,” Sebastian said. “Return to the control room and see about delaying out allies.” When Aidan obliged, Sebastian lowered his head and muttered under his breath, “This war may very well be upon us before we’re ready.”

  Unconsciously, Sonya’s hand reached for Ethan’s. He took it and pulled her close. Sebastian’s words resonated with her own sense of intuition, and she feared chaos near.

  “We cannot wait for the witch to be done with her magic,” Sebastian continued. “Ethan, Rex, and Anya, you three come with me to fetch Ru. The rest of you, begin searching, but do not stray too far from the ship. I’ll not have the rest of you go missing as well. We will return shortly.”

  Releasing Ethan’s hand was like ripping a piece of her soul free. She was torn between wanting to stay with Ethan and wanting to find her brother. Ethan gave her a steadfast look, filled with everything that did not require words. They were both strong fighters, both capable of taking care of themselves without the other. Still, their separation would be brief and nothing could stop them from reuniting.

  As she watched the party march into the thicket, she turned to her group and assumed command.

  * * *

  Ethan hurried behind Sebastian, who rushed ahead with long strides while Anya clung tightly to his back. A part of Ethan resented that Sebastian had separated him from Sonya while keeping his own mate close, but then he reminded himself that he and Sonya were not mated.

  Sonya still hadn’t even broached the subject.

  He shook his mind clear. None of that mattered now, not while the future queen was potentially in danger. He’d held onto the slim hope that Anya was correct, and Kyra and Cale had holed up at the guild overnight, but somehow he knew it was just a fantasy. Cale would never be so reckless with Kyra as to keep her out past dusk. Not if he cared for her even half as much as Ethan did Sonya.

  His theory was confirmed when they greeted Siella at her post. “I’ve not seen them,” she announced.

  “What of Ina and Ru?” Ethan asked.

  “Ru hasn’t returned from his hunting trip yesterday.” Siella turned thoughtful. “I’ve not seen Ina in a while either. Why? Is something the matter?”

  “Yes,” he declared. “Kyra and Cale appear to be missing.”

  Siella gasped, “Missing?”

  Sebastian added gruffly, “We’ve come to believe Ru might be privy to their last whereabouts. We must speak with him.”

  Siella called for Azule the same way she had the day before. When he appeared, she quickly relayed the new.

  Azule’s gaze slipped to Ethan. “It’s not rare for Ru to hunt far from the guild and wind up spending the night in the woods. Ina went in search of him this morning.”

  “Alone?”

  “She assured me that she knew where to find him. She seemed not the slightest bit worried, so I had no reason to question her.”

  “Do you know where Ru might have sent Kyra and Cale,” Sebastian asked.

  “I’ve no idea. There are too many places in these woods where one could lose themselves, but I will gather some men to help in the search.”

  * * *

  Nadua had climbed high in the trees to see if she could better assess their surroundings, while Marik paced near the base, glancing up with an irritating amount of impatience.

  Sonya wanted to scream, “At least you’re near your mate.” But she held her tongue, knowing her surliness would not help the situation. She was tempted to have Tristan fly around in his dragon form, but that would be like sending up a flag that read, “Attention all Kayadon, please won’t you come kill us.”

  Each of them was equipped with a sword as well as an energy gun that could either debilitate or dispatch an enemy, depending on the chosen setting. Sonya prayed they wouldn’t require the use of either. Nadua also carried her customary bow with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back.


  After the little Faieara shimmied down the tee, she pointed into the distance “There’s a string of open meadows that way. Aside from that, I see nothing but treetops and mountains.”

  “Then we’ll head that way,” Sonya said. “We don’t have one of those glowing witch rocks, so I suggest we mark our way.” She unsheathed her sword, ready to slash into the bark of a nearby tree, but thought better of it. It wouldn’t be only them who could follow such a path back to the ship. Instead, she retrieved a nearby stone and placed it atop a protruding root where it was obvious it didn’t belong. That way, they could remove the evidence when they returned.

  As they wound through the maze of roots and foliage, they took turns placing a rock in a visible yet awkward location. The hike was lengthy, with obstacles formed by time: tall stones to climb over and thick trees at every turn.

  And flowers!

  Oversized flowers everywhere, practically dripping from the sky.

  Sonya didn’t have anything against the obtrusive things, but today their vivid bright colors and sweet fragrance seemed too cheerful for her mood. More than once she swiped her blade out to sever the head of a particularly offensive blossom.

  Each time she did this, Tristan would shoot her a perplexed look, but otherwise made no comment.

  The first meadow they reached was empty save for a few creatures that scurried away as soon as Sonya emerged from the tree line. The second was not a meadow at all but a crude grave of an old stone foundation. The skeletal ruin was nearly swallowed by encroaching vines, as if the forest was determined to reclaim its land. Busted bricks littered the ground, covered in moss and peeking through tall grass. A single arch doorway and a partial wall stood sentinel, overlooking a slope of turf clipped by the encompassing forest, and yet looked ready to crumble at the first gust of wind.

  Sonya glanced at Nadua for an explanation of what this place might have been, but stopped short when she saw sorrow in the female’s eyes. Sonya followed her gaze to where burn marks scorched part of a deteriorating wall.

  “Someone’s home,” Nadua said simply, and then steeled herself before moving on.

  Tristan bent over the mark. “Does no’ appear to be a natural fire. Too localized.”

  Sonya and Marik exchanged a glance, both of them troubled by the same thought. Nothing else in their surroundings showed evidence of burning. No tree was scarred by fire. It was entirely possible this was the result of a Kayadon attack, the ones who’d lived here either killed or captured.

  They headed back into the cover of the forest. Sonya kept her ears open for any sound that might lead them to their quarry. It wasn’t safe to yell out their names as she wanted to, but there was something that bothered her far greater. “If they had gone this way, Marik or I should have caught their scent by now. They could be in the complete opposite direction.”

  Nadua’s shoulders slumped. “Should we head back then and start anew?”

  “Maybe the others have returned with direction from Ru,” Marik suggested.

  Sonya nodded. This search was already starting to feel like scouring the universe for a particular rock the size of a fingernail. Just as she turned, a low growl sounded from a short distance away. They all paused before glancing at Nadua.

  “I’ve never heard that before,” she said as she drew an arrow from her quiver.

  Marik and Tristan unsheathed their swords, and Sonya palmed her gun. Another growl rumbled toward them, louder this time, but it was difficult to tell the exact direction it had come from. Sonya motioned the others into a tight group, their backs to each other.

  Several yips mixed in the air with other, more threatening animal sounds.

  “I count five distinct calls,” Sonya announced. “Maybe six.” The scent from the other beings wafted over them.

  Tristan jerked his head in several directions. “Whatever they are, they’ve surrounded us.”

  Sonya sensed the impending attack and tightened her grip on the butt of the gun, scanning for any sign of movement. Her gaze landed on a pair of eyes so black they looked devoid of soul. The beast growled low, zeroing in on her, and she returned the deadened stare with one doused in red.

  The creature took a step forward, pushing through the foliage. A long snout filled with sharp teeth slick with saliva came into view. Another menacing step forward encouraged a second beast to reveal itself. The skin around their bodies was tight and sunken in between the bones.

  Three more creatures emerged into the open behind them, eyeing Marik and Nadua. Sonya knew what they faced. The drawings in the book had offered a fairly detailed image, only falling short where the smell was concerned.

  The growls turned into guttural barks from all creatures but the one staring her down. Its fierce body was coiled, ready to spring at her throat.

  Sonya smiled at the challenge. “Come and get me, you demented little bugger.” Then she fired off several shots.

  The creature leapt out of the way, and the energy blasts slammed into a thick trunk several meters away. Before she could adjust her aim, the creature bounced off the surface of a nearby boulder and launched itself at her, teeth bared.

  She raised her arm to block the attack and hissed when the creature’s jaw locked onto her forearm, slick dagger-sharp fangs sinking into her flesh. The action knocked the gun from her hand.

  In the back of her mind, she registered that the other beasts had initiated attacks of their own. Marik’s blade sliced at one just as Nadua’s arrow penetrated the body of a second. Tristan was contending with two at once.

  Sonya kicked her knee up, catching the beast in its hard, bony chest. It let out a sound of pain but did not relinquish its hold. With her free arm, she unsheathed her sword and ran it through the beast’s body, twisting the blade as she did so. It let out a howl, releasing her arm and falling to the ground.

  She heaved her sword up, slicing the creature’s rib cage, past the neck, and then directly through the skull. The two halves pulled in opposite directions, spurting black blood as the carcass fell apart.

  She dove for her gun. Her body hit the ground as her hand closed around the weapon. Rolling to her back, caught the blur of another creature leaping for her. She pulled the trigger. The beast’s head exploded into gory shrapnel. The remains plopped down just inches away.

  Then all was quiet.

  “Holly hell those things were fast,” Marik bit out. “Are you alright?”

  Sonya almost answered, but it was Nadua that he’d addressed.

  Nadua responded with a nod and then glanced at Sonya on the ground, zeroing in on her bloody arm. “Sonya, you’re hurt!”

  “I’m good.” Sonya pushed to her feet, ignoring Tristan’s outstretched arm. After a moment of tense, silent waiting, she decided that there were no more creatures preparing to attack. Moreover, no Kayadon had appeared. Which seemed kind of strange.

  As if reading her mind, Marik asked, “Do you think there are Kayadon about?”

  “It’s possible, but I think they would have joined in the fight.” A heavy desire to mete out vengeance raged through her, but she tamped it down. There was one thing she wanted more than to seek out and destroy any Kayadon. “We need to get back to the ship and make sure the others have not been attacked as well.”

  * * *

  “The day comes to an end,” Azule announced sullenly as they made their way back toward Marada with a handful of his followers behind them. After trekking back and forth so many times between the ship and the guild, Ethan had nearly committed the path to memory.

  Sebastian had returned to the ship hours ago to conduct his own search and check if the others had found success, while Ethan had joined Azule and his group.

  The ship came into view, blurry at first as the barrier gave way. Outside the ship, Sebastian stood next to Sonya, her back to Ethan as she pointed at something to her right.

  Azule placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, claiming his attention. “We will begin anew in the morning. If Ru or Ina return this
night, I will question them immediately.”

  Something in Azule’s expression told Ethan he wasn’t confident they would ever see Ru or Ina again. Whether the other male suspected the two had perpetrated a betrayal or had instead, been captured—as they all feared Cale and Kyra had been—Ethan wasn’t sure. But for their sake, it would be better if they’d been captured.

  Ethan thanked Azule again and said goodbye before watching the group vanish into the forest. As he turned to approach the ship, he took note of the expression on Sebastian’s face. Sebastian glanced past Sonya, meeting his gaze and causing Sonya to turn as well. Seeing him transformed her features from a demon prepared to rage to unmitigated relief.

  He countered that with a smile, but frowned when her bloodied arm caught his attention. He rushed forward just as she did the same. “What happened?” he demanded, hardly recognizing his own voice.

  She threw her good arm around his neck, her body solidly pressed against him, effectively keeping him from examining her wound. “I was so worried for you!” she practically sobbed. The distress in her tone took him aback.

  The thought of her in danger sliced right through to his heart. Though he burned to heal her immediately, he could only tighten their embrace.

  “Tell me what happened,” he repeated, stroking his hand over her hair and struggling to keep his own emotions in check.

  She recounted her attack. Yet it was only after she groused over him splitting off on his own—no matter that he’d been with a large group—that she allowed him to heal her.

  When every slash in her silky skin was knit back together, he brought her palm up and kissed the inside of her wrist where much of the damage had been wrought. “Like I said, you’re stuck with me. And that’s no promise, vietta. It’s an outright threat.”

  She let out a sparkling laugh, then became serious. “I take it that Ru wasn’t able to help?”

  “He’s gone actually,” Ethan replied. “Along with his mate.”