The Legends of Regia Box Set: The Complete Series. Books 1-7

by Tenaya Jayne

  She held still as he moved toward her, never for a second breaking his ruby gaze from hers. His long elf fingers reached out and took her hand, bringing it smoothly to his lips. Sparks and snaps erupted on her skin where his lips touched. Hot and cold moved up through her hand to her wrist, all the way up her arm, till the sensation entered her chest and burrowed into her heart. Another jolt shot through her stomach.

  "At last I've found you," he said. "My love, my destiny."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Did you not feel the shiver and pull of the bond? I did. The second our eyes met, I felt it. You're my mate."

  Netriet's head swam as though she were sick or hallucinating. "What's your name?"

  He kissed her hand once again and smiled. "Baal. And yours?"

  "Netriet," she half squeaked.

  "Come with me," he whispered. The resonance of his voice was the fabric of seduction, and he wrapped it around her like silk.

  He took her hand and led her away. It was like being caught in the tide. He pulled her from everything. She floated away from the Fair without a backward glance or thought. Powerless against this devastating gravity. A portal opened and swallowed them both. She hardly noticed. She held Baal's hand. The hot and cold sensation continued to slide seemingly from his palm into hers. Her mind rolled. Mate. She had a destined life mate. And he was an elf.

  She watched his profile as they stepped out of the portal. The sunlight glided along the shafts of his ebony hair, teasing out glimmers of blue. He moved with the fluid grace of a predator shadow. Was this how it was for everyone when they found their mates? Like an instant addiction? The flow of sensation from his flesh into hers took ahold of her DNA. It was like a strange, cold light, incased in smoke, traveling though her, sparking and snagging on her joints. It caressed and entered her cells and finally pooled in her lower abdomen, where it moved, arousing her in a totally off and wrong way.

  He continued to pull her along, and she followed without looking where they were going. She only looked at him. He was the tide. She went where he led.

  She had the feeling they were going underground. The sound of rock sliding against rock, and the sun was gone. All was dark for a moment. Then his eyes were on hers, and his lips were on hers. She drowned. He was a dark current, an abyss of night, and he pulled her under. The shadow filled her extremities, straining to touch him. The caress of the shadow promised an unknown pleasure. Baal's lips promised an unknown pleasure, and Netriet was caught between the two.

  Give in, Netriet. Just give in.

  Baal pressed, the shadow pressed, and she could hardly breathe. Her mind stretched up, like the hand of the drowning, reaching for any hope of rescue. Merick.

  There is no Merick, my sweet. There is only Baal. Baal is the world now.

  The last of her oxygen expelled from her lungs. Baal was in her mouth, the shadow was in her mouth. There was nowhere to go. No salvation. He was the tide.

  ****

  Netriet was sure someone had driven a spike into her head. Unfamiliar sounds and smells surrounded her. She listened, unwilling to chance opening her eyes yet. She rolled to her side; the softness of fur caressed her bare skin. For one terrible second, she feared she was back in Philippe's bed, covered by a werewolf pelt. But nothing around her smelled of wolf.

  She groaned as another spike drove into her head alongside the first. What had happened? Obviously, she'd been sleeping. She didn't remember falling asleep. The touch of the fur along her body made her more than aware she was naked. When did she remove her clothes? She couldn't remember. She was crashing inside herself. Her body stung and craved. It was like hunger, a very singular hunger that had nothing to do with food or blood. She needed the heat and the cold back.

  She gasped, her eyes shooting open as a hand ran up her hip and onto her back. The light was dim and softly blue, but it still stabbed needles of pain into her eyes. She looked into deep red eyes, and flashes of memory came back to her like the fragmented remnants of a dream. Her cheeks burned at what she remembered. Pain, pleasure, and depravity. What had he done to her?

  She was in bed with a stranger. She'd never done such a thing before. Humiliation swamped her. She had to get away from him. She had to get back to…where? He was her mate. She knew nothing but his name, but he was hers. And whatever had happened between them was all right. It was all right, she soothed herself. It was all right. The deed was done…now she just needed to get to know him. He was her future.

  Baal, her life mate. She was mated to a Rune-dy. She reached up, a little self-consciously, and touched his face. He half flinched, then he smiled. She studied him. He's hideous, and he's gorgeous. His features were sharp, angular, and unique. He was striking and sexual, but yet so odd. Somehow beautiful and exotic in his ugliness.

  "So, my love, how do you feel today?" he asked.

  She shivered just as she had the first time she'd heard his voice. "Used," she admitted honestly.

  He laughed quietly. "I hope so. I admit I feel that way myself. You've got some interesting appetites."

  Netriet grimaced and groaned. "I'm sorry. I really don't remember much of what we did."

  He looked concerned. "Do you have memory problems?"

  "Uh…sometimes," She had to tell him everything. She wished they had talked before diving into bed. Perhaps the pull of the bond was too strong for him to wait.

  "We have much to learn about each other," he said. "Perhaps you'd care to get dressed before we share our histories? I don't want you to get cold."

  She nodded. He rolled away from her. She watched him, mesmerized by the way he moved as he pulled on simple clothes. His movements made no sound at all. Netriet looked around for her clothes. It was the first she was seeing of her surroundings. It had been so dark before; all she had seen were his eyes.

  The place looked like a cave. Everything was grey stone, even the bed she lay on was a solid stone slab draped with furs. She ran her hand over the fur, certain she had no idea what kind of creature it came from. She only knew it was not werewolf. Strange light came from the far corners of the huge, dome-like room. A table set with books and scary looking instruments dominated one side, surrounded by shelves of trinkets, glass, and stone jars. Odd-colored light emanated from some of the jars. A faint vibration, like music, came from one.

  Not that she knew much about the Rune-dy, but she certainly had never heard about one having a life mate. It seemed wrong. She shook herself, realizing it was just her ignorance. She knew most of the rumors about them were just that, rumors, meant to create fear. At least she sincerely hoped so. Still, what did it say about her? That destiny would pair her with him?

  Her mind twisted back to Merick, and she wanted to cry.

  Stop that right this second! You must never think about him again. It’s unfaithful.

  Netriet looked back at Baal, ashamed of her errant thoughts. She was confused. Was there something wrong with their bond? It seemed weak to her, fragmented. The fault must be with her. She was broken, possessed with an evil entity. Surely that was the reason she questioned, the reason her heart hesitated. He gazed at her steadily, his look teasing out a shiver on her skin.

  She couldn't deny he excited her. He was dangerous. Warning emanated all around him. He wasn't warm or comfortable, all sharp edges. Beautiful sharp edges.

  Netriet spotted her clothes on the floor a few paces away. "Would you hand me my clothes, please?"

  He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. "No."

  She took a deep breath, braced herself, and stood. The fur fell away as her feet touched the cold stone floor. Okay, intimacy here we come. Nothing to be self-conscious about, she thought. The thought almost settled before she heard his sharp intake of breath. Looking at the ground, she forced herself to look up at him, watching at her. She feared she'd see pity in his eyes, but what was there was far worse. Distaste.

  His eyes roamed slowly over her naked frame, stopping on each black scar that marked her ivory skin. T
ears spilled slowly from her eyes. Not even her life mate found her beautiful. She quickly made to cover herself, but he was faster.

  Baal got up and grabbed her clothes from her hand. "You misunderstand me, Netriet. You don't need to hide yourself from me."

  "You think I'm ugly."

  "In a way, yes. But it's probably not what you think. Come here." He took her by the hand and led her across the room. The flat gray of the stone on the wall shimmered when he touched it and became as reflective as a mirror. "Look closely at yourself," he commanded. "What do you think is ugly?"

  "My scars, my eye."

  "Wrong." He ran his index finger along the length of her longest scar, on her shoulder. "This is your beauty, your power. You have an elemental strength inside you, if only you wouldn't fight it. It's here." He pointed to where her arm used to be connected to the rest of her. "This is what's ugly. I hate imbalance, Netriet."

  She looked down. "I'm sorry there's nothing I can do to fix that."

  He tilted her chin up with one long finger, forcing her to look at her reflection again. "I can."

  She looked at him in the mirror. He was serious.

  "How?"

  "I am a Rune-dy. I have access to technology and medicines from many worlds. I can give you a new arm, superior to the one you lost. Would you like that? Would you let me?"

  "Will it hurt?"

  "I'm sure it will, yes. Terribly."

  "Can I think about it?"

  He smiled and took a step back from her. "Of course."

  She turned from her reflection. "Can I have my clothes back?"

  He handed them back to her and watched her struggle to get into them. Again, he looked at her with distaste and shook his head. He ran his finger along the seam of her shirt where Renee had altered it for her. "I hope you won't think too long about a new arm… This is embarrassing."

  Netriet flinched. Was he cruel, or just too honest?

  "Come, sit with me." He took her hand. "Let's begin to get to know one another."

  ****

  Gone. Netriet was gone. He'd lost her. He'd come so close, only to have her slip through his fingers. The pain staggered Merick. He couldn't breathe. Was she hurt? Was she cold? Was she alive? Had she run away from him?

  All of his investigating since her disappearance left him with one eyewitness who had seen her leave with someone, through a portal, and Renee recounting her last conversation with Netriet. He'd almost throttled the old woman when she told him about spilling to Netriet about Geanna and how Netriet had taken the news. He told Martia what he'd found out and then sought solitude.

  Sitting alone on his cot with his head in his hands, the weight of failure slowly cranked a vise on his heart. The screams of his children and mate as they died filled his head. The smell of their flesh as it burned seemed to choke him. He felt the phantoms of the blades that stopped him from saving them. Then they faded away, and all that was in his head was Netriet. He couldn't change the damnable past, but he didn't have to sit here and do nothing. He’d sworn an oath to her.

  Save me…Save me…

  Strength flowed up his spine as he stood. He'd find her. No matter what.

  Chapter Ten

  "What's back here?"

  "Don't go in there!" Baal shouted, making Netriet jump back from the door.

  "Why?"

  "You're not ready for what's in there, sweetheart." He softened his tone. "You're too innocent, still. A little while longer with me, and no one will think of you as innocent. But for the time being, stay out of there."

  Netriet sighed, trying not to be angry, and went back to sitting on the stone bed and looking at the strange book he'd given her to read. As far as she could tell, they'd been cloistered together in Baal's odd abode for two straight days. It wasn't what she would call a honeymoon period. Since she'd arrived here with him and their initial consummation, he had hardly touched her again. She knew a great deal about him now and a little about what he did as a Rune-dy. In turn, she had spilled her guts to him, everything she could remember. He listened attentively but grew agitated at the things she couldn't remember. When she had talked herself out, he went to his desk and began pouring over books and making notes furiously.

  She looked over at him. He was screwing around with some liquid mixture in vials. She was bored.

  He looked up at her and smiled. "Sorry. I'm about finished with this. Then I'll have to take my results in to work."

  "Can I come with you?" she asked hopefully.

  He laughed. "No, you can't. Trust me, you don't want to. Menjel would put you on his table and dissect you, literally. And since Rahaxeris is gone, he's doing all kinds of things, off the books, so to speak."

  Netriet shuddered.

  "Yes. That is the proper response, my love."

  "Rahaxeris is the high priest, right?"

  "That's right."

  "And he's Forest's father?" she asked.

  "Right again."

  "Is he bad like Menjel?"

  "Bad?" Baal arched one sharp eyebrow. He put everything down, his movements deliberate. He moved toward her as if she were his prey.

  She stood, her heart instantly beating hard and fast.

  "Is he bad?" His voice had turned to silk as he lowered his face an inch from hers. "So naïve," he whispered. "Everything is about power. Rahaxeris has the most, so he is our leader."

  He put his hands on her, and her skin lit up under his long, elegant, terrible fingers. He rubbed along the length of the scar on her neck with his index finger, over and over, like a cool breath. Goosebumps rose on her skin as her nerve endings became hypersensitive. Netriet gasped at the sensation. That one touch from his finger was more sexual than anything she'd yet experienced. What was he doing to her? The shadow purred and throbbed under his touch.

  "We are all bad, Netriet. If it were about that, I would be the leader, because of all the Rune-dy…"

  He kissed her mouth, and her knees gave.

  "…none is as bad as me, baby."

  Her whole body pulsed. The shadow rushing through her raged for more of him. She lay back on the stone bed. He looked down at her, his face going blank.

  "Later…" He turned and walked back to his desk. "I have to go in to work now. Stay here. Don't leave."

  Embarrassed, she scrambled to her feet. "Why do I have to stay here? I want to go see my friends and tell them I'm okay and I've found my life mate."

  He sighed. "I'm trying to protect you. Why don't you write your friends a letter instead?"

  "I guess I could, but I don't want to stay here by myself. I'll be lonely and bored."

  He came back and pecked her lightly on the mouth. "Stay here. Once you leave the cave, you'll be shut out until I come back. I'm quite sure if you walked out you wouldn't know your way around where we are. Just read the book I gave you. You'll start to understand the process of what I have to do to give you a new arm." He caught her chin and lifted her gaze. "When I get back, I'll have a surprise for you."

  Netriet watched him leave. For a long time, she just stood still, looking at the rock wall that had opened and then closed behind him. She was caught in her own bemusement, like an animal in a trap. What did she really feel? The tears began to build deep inside, the pressure and moisture slicked over by a layer of rage. She took a deep breath, trying to stop the shaking in her shoulders. It was like being in the Lair again as Philippe's pet. She was stuck and out of control of her own life.

  Baal didn't know how leaving her alone like this would make her feel. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done it. He loved her. She was his mate; he had no choice in loving her. But how could a sick animal like him know how to love?

  Her mouth fell open at her own train of thought. How could she think such a thing about her own mate? She was filled with the urge to run headlong at the rock wall and see if it would let her through. What did she care if she could get back in or not? Maybe she didn't want to leave it all. She just wanted the choice. Having no choice made her a pris
oner.

  Resolved to try to leave, regardless of the consequences that came after, she took a step forward. The shadow surged up and slammed her in the stomach like a vicious punch. Netriet doubled over, trying to breathe. The shadow rose up her chest and shoved her backward. She stumbled and landed on the bed. She gasped for air and clutched at her belly as pain vibrated through her. The shadow stretched out, reaching, and sliding throughout her whole body until there wasn't a place she couldn't feel it.

  Then as abruptly as the assault started, it stopped. Then the shadow began a different kind of assault. The pain was replaced by a peaceful warmth. It assailed her with euphoria, relaxation, and bliss.

  You're in love. You're in love.

  "Shut up," Netriet said, unable to put much conviction into her voice. Negativity was proving difficult under the waves of peace the shadow was forcing on her. "Maybe you're in love. I'm not so sure."

  Don't be stupid. You need to accept there is no you and me. We are one. I'm not going anywhere. If you stop fighting against it, we could merge. Become whole. Then there would be no divide. You wouldn't speak aloud when there's no one there to hear.

  The shadow hit her with a surge of love. Netriet felt her heart expand. Maybe she was right. Baal said the darkness was her power, her beauty. Destiny knew better than she did. Didn't it? What did it matter if she gave in? Baal said power was everything. The shadow certainly gave her power, she thought, remembering her abnormal strength when she had attacked Syblee.

  That's right, my sweet. That power could be yours all the time. No one could stop you. You could do anything you wanted.

  "I don't know. I'll think about it."

  Of course you will. You'll think about it, and you'll think about Baal. You're in love.

  Everything the shadow was making her feel rolled through her again. "Yes. I'm in love," she whispered, "I'm in love."