Condemned

by Cari Silverwood

  “But... he’s dead. Leave it.” The sky above was so pretty, so blue.

  “He is. But that is what triggered me. I always do my job, unlike you.”

  His boot kicked her ribs and she heard the thud, rolled one way then back again.

  “You know how I like to give people a chance?” The fair-haired mauleon spilled ampoules on the ground to J’kai’s left and they sparkled among the grass. “There. Your antidote. Lots of it. Get it in you and you’ll survive.”

  “Fuck. You.” Her vision was blurring.

  “Fifteen minutes left until you die? Maybe.” Arx walked above her and she felt him pull her upward until she was propped at a higher angle. “Meantime, you’re in a spot where you can watch my activities. I’m going down there.” He pointed to the farm. “Again.”

  “Leave them!”

  “No, no. You missed your chance. I will kill one of her lovers, not sure which male as of yet. Hurt the others, but let them live.” He turned to her and smiled. “Then I will kill the girl. Farewell.” His salute was swift, and she watched him jog away downslope. He vanished but reappeared riding a florse and, yes, heading for the farm.

  “Fuck you.” Tears leaked from her eyes.

  Death would erase her, but he’d made sure her last minutes would be an agony of regret, sorrow, and anger. Mostly regret.

  Avalon’s last moments would be equally as bad for she’d have watched her lover die, and know she was next. It was how Arx worked; he toyed, he tortured, and it was not for the money.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  They sat on the steps of the farmhouse verandah to listen to Takk. His tale was short and sweet. Golden really, even if he knew little.

  “The letter was from someone I know at court. Normally, I’d say who, but I can’t. Avalon, your uncle killed himself. I can’t imagine that being a trauma to you.”

  She shook her head. The bastard was gone.

  “Or should I say, maybe he did. Either way he’s dead and secrets were spilled as a result. Conspiracies to do with the war. There wasn’t a lot of exact information in the letter, but powerful people have resigned, killed themselves, or been removed from positions of power. Bad things have happened to bad people.” He smiled. “We have come out on top. Someone in power at the king’s court likes us. So,” he slapped his knees, “it’s done.” He rose to his feet and walked into the farmhouse. “I’ve something to fetch.”

  “Fookin’ amazing.” Kondio put his head down and ran his hands over the back. “Good times ahead for our family.”

  “Yes.” Timin agreed, and... Nibbles ran up onto his shoulder.

  Speechless, Avalon pointed. “Uhhh.”

  “This?” He smiled widely. “I bet I was the only one who noticed we had two of them since the crash site?”

  “Wow.” She smiled back, glad Timin had his helper still. On the hard ride here, he’d suffered a seizure and barely kept himself in the saddle. “How could you tell? They were never together.”

  “Golden eyes, this one. The other, its eyes were a reddish gold.”

  Red sounded a little evil. She decided she preferred Nibbles.

  “Would you look at that!” Timin pointed past her toward the yard gate. “Omage priests. What are they doing here?”

  Five of them were walking in line down the road in the same direction ARBO had gone. Which might be connected? “I think they’re following the bots?” she ventured. “Not us. They lost interest in me, remember?”

  “That high priest did let them go. I heard in town that Omage is all excited about that prophecy of theirs. The end of the world is coming. As if the bots have something to do with it.” Zo slid across the step to sit beside her. “They did seem happy to lose you.”

  “Fate again, Zo?” she murmured.

  “I’d say so. Though I don’t hold with it being the end of the world. I have too many things left to do. To you.” He stirred the hair on her nape with his hand and claws.

  “Good.” She smiled gently and he smiled back. Her heart was ready to burst today. So much happiness.

  * * *

  Arx had left his fancy helmet and his florse behind, and his two aides. He preferred to see and use his hands without restriction. An animal was always an unknown, it disturbed the aim. The grass whispered against his legs as he walked. To either side sunlight burned a path of brightness across the waving seed heads.

  Almost there. He could see their small figures. Like dolls at this distance, and they were oblivious, shielded in their happiness from harm. Or so they thought.

  He had the righteous arm today.

  He had been chosen to do this and he would prevail.

  Which would he kill?

  Who would he harm?

  The girl of course would die.

  He danced his fingertips down the hilts of the poisoned daggers in their sheaths beneath his uniform coat.

  Expertly made, perfectly balanced, they cut the air as they ran through it, unerringly true.

  * * *

  “It’s time!” Takk stood in the doorway, his hands full of packages. The gift wrapping on some was familiar.

  “It’s time for us to give Avalon her gifts.”

  They sat her at the top of the steps and one after the other they came to her.

  Carefully, with reverence, she unwrapped them and they bestowed them on her.

  Timin’s gift was a sheer white dress with gold embroidery. He undressed her first. When he slipped the garment over her head, it fell to her ankles in a silken wave. She kissed him and he stepped back.

  * * *

  Her chest was hurting so much, weighed down, leaden. Soon she’d be gone. So useless.

  A noise made J’kai kink her eyes sideways.

  “Raid-en?” she blurted in a choked whisper. The tall mauleon sprinted to her, his red and white-striped hair a novelty she would bless forever.

  “Yes. I saw that one down there leave you, thought it odd. I followed you because I was afraid.” His brow was lined with that fear. “What’s wrong?” He kneeled beside her. “Tell me!”

  “Pois-on. Those ampoules. Need. Them.” She begged with her eyes because her voice had finally gone.

  “How many?” He grabbed two and jabbed them into her leg where they injected as he squeezed.

  The antidote wasn’t quite as quick as the poison, but she managed a, “Two. More. Please.”

  Life surged into her muscles and she spat, turned to look past Raiden to the farm where a fake soldier stalked his prey.

  Her one chance was in the burrow.

  “I’ll live.” But she might not have the strength to save them. Her legs could move, a little.

  * * *

  Zo’s gift was a black collar with golden hearts studded around the circumference, and a larger heart dangling at the front. He locked it onto her neck and kissed her on the lips, then backed away, as if he’d not just given her a gift that clearly said she was owned by him... them.

  She touched the collar. Two months ago she’d have been revolted by such a thing. Now it brought tears to her eyes.

  Kondio’s gift was a set of golden clamps joined by silver chain. Mischievously, he had her lift her dress, and she was of course naked beneath. The first clamps pinched onto her nipples then he led the chain downward and fastened the third clamp to the hood of her clit beside the ring.

  His kiss was harder, more arousing, and she was sure all of them found the spectacle of her gasping quite amusing. She’d cursed a little at the pain but wore his gift beneath the dress.

  Takk approached her last.

  Arx kept the same pace. The line of trees hid him intermittently and the grass came up to mid-thigh. No hurry when they would see him as the king’s officer. They were ogling the female anyway. They’d let him close with them, and his daggers would be in their flesh before they could gasp. Amateurs. He loosened the first dagger. The last tree shadowed him. Once past this tree, he’d round it and reach the gate into the yard.

  “I know yo
ur gifts.” She smirked at Takk. “Blue and Pink?”

  “No. I purchased something else since then.” He took the last three steps in one stride to tower over her and place the final package in her hands. “Open it.”

  Inside a simple white box closed with a gold ribbon was a long heavy silver chain. There was a handle at one end and a clasp at the other.

  “Your leash, girl.” With his mouth near her ear, stirring her skin with his breath, he let the rest of the leash fall while he fastened the clasp end to her collar. Then he stepped away holding the handle. The leash swung between them.

  “What say you, is this minx ours?” They each murmured a yes. “I see you accepting our gifts like a queen on a throne. Kneel for us, Avalon.” Slowly he walked backward. “Crawl for me.”

  Her hesitation was one of admiration for his gall and also a willing excitement. He knew what he’d done to her at the temple and how she’d loved it.

  Sedately, she went to her knees and she followed him, crawling down each step on all fours. At the bottom, she waited on her knees as they gathered around her.

  J’kai blinked and drew a shaky deep breath, watching the long barrel waver from left to right then in tiny circles as she sighted on the moving target: Arx. This would’ve been a difficult shot if she was healthy. Half paralyzed and with a wounded hand, this could go either way.

  Raiden wouldn’t master her sniper rifle with the dart rounds. The wind dragged them more than bullets. They lifted or flew sideways at gusts.

  Had to be her.

  She licked her lips, inhaled again, let it out slowly, squeezed the trigger, and watched the dart fly.

  The dart smacked into the back of Arx’s head and punched it forward. Poison drained into his brain. He dropped into the long grass and spent his last seconds face down, watching an ant haul a seed along in the dirt. The dark arrived and shut him down.

  Raiden packed up all her equipment and threw the bag over his shoulder. He headed down the back of the hill cradling J’kai in his arms.

  “You did well,” he said. “I understand why this happened now, but oh boy, do we need to have a talk before I’m going to fall in love with you again.”

  “Again?” she squeaked.

  “Like that idea?”

  “Yes. Very much.” She let out a sigh and decided being carried was okay for a retired assassin.

  She’d done good. That made her smile.

  Takk went to one knee before Avalon, rolling the leash into his hand and pulling it taut. Though gentle, he dragged her closer.

  “Timin clothed you. Zo claimed you with the collar. Kondio, the dirty mauleon that he is, teased you.” Through the thin cloth, he took one of her nipples and the clamp between his finger and thumb.

  She wet her lips and stared down at his hand, feeling herself moisten elsewhere. His claw slid out and added its own sharpness to the feel of the clamp, pricking into her breast. If this was seduction, it was working perfectly. She squirmed in place.

  His eyes surveyed hers.

  This day, this moment, was one of great significance and it needed words from her, a vow from her. She knew what she wanted to say and looked at each of them in turn, ending with her Takk.

  “There is nothing I would not do for you, my kings.” Then, because he hadn’t said what his gift did to her, she asked him, her rasping tone betraying her rising arousal. “And your gift?”

  “Mine? I have made you ours. My leash is to keep you in place, to tie you up, to help us pin you down while we fuck you. If we so wish to. Ours to do with as we will.”

  As always, his wicked fanged smile messed with her mind. If they didn’t do what he’d said soon, she would be begging. Likely, he would get her to beg anyway.

  Oh, yes.

  The shiver that ran through her was one of beauty and completion, for this was where she belonged, with her four mauleons.

  “Time for bed,” Zo growled, and he scooped her up, leash running from Takk’s hand. “Time for all of us to try out all our toys, including you.” He kissed her as he walked up the steps and into their house, his boots thudding on the floor, and her other males added to the cacophony.

  “A stampede of mauleons,” she said, finding it amusing.

  The bedroom door loomed closer. She’d never have thought this would be her future.

  Then they all climbed into bed and lived happily ever after?

  Yes, oh, yes.

  She reached and put her finger to his mouth, pressing on his lower lip, marveling when Zo opened and drew her fingertip inside, the hot, sucking sensation arousing her instantly.

  “Here we are.”

  She turned to see the sea of mattresses, pillows, and quilts that currently created a temporary bed that filled most of the room. The big square window was open; the plum-red curtains tied back.

  To her shock, Zo tossed her high into the air, sending her scarlet tresses flying and she screamed in delight as she rose in an arc then began to fall. Zo was laughing. Timin had launched himself into the air too and was falling beside her. Grinning, Takk folded his arms and was pretending to be stern, though the corner of his mouth was up-tilting.

  Kon was standing on the bed ocean, his arms opening and looking as if he was thinking of catching her. Better late than never.

  She whooped as she bounced off the bed.

  So much better to make love, not war.

  The End

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  More Stormy Night Books by Cari Silverwood

  Ruled

  Calli’s father was king of this city. Drake has taken it now, and soon the little human princess will kneel at his feet and surrender not only her throne but her beautiful virgin body as well.

  Though she does her best to hide her helpless arousal as the huge, battle-hardened beast tears her clothing to shreds and then spanks her soundly for daring to defy him, it isn’t long before Calli’s need has grown so intense that she can only beg for Drake to ravage her hard and thoroughly.

  She will reign at his side, yet as Drake fits her with the leash and collar she is to wear as he claims her publicly as his mate, Calli is left in no doubt that she will be well and truly ruled.

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  About Cari Silverwood

  Cari Silverwood is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling writer of kinky darkness or sometimes of dark kinkiness, depending on her moods and the amount of time she’s spent staring into the night. When others are writing bad men doing bad things, you may find her writing good men who accidentally on purpose fall into the abyss and come out with their morals twisted in knots.

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