by C. A. Worley
Evelyn recoiled so fast she fell to her bottom. She instinctively threw up her hands, reinforcing the magical barrier between the forest and the clearing.
Though her torso rose and fell with the deep breaths she was sucking in, she did not fear he would truly harm her. He’d surprised her, was all. Evelyn simply hadn’t been prepared for his abrupt change in demeanor. It wasn’t everyday a large demon pounced in her direction.
Marrok’s gaze dropped to her chest, transfixed for a moment before he comprehended what he was doing. He refused to ogle the teenager, and snapped his focus back to her face.
“Who hurt you?” His voice came out far more gravelly than normal, traces of his power escaping without his permission.
All demons spoke in low tones. Severe emotions tightened their bodies to the point even their vocals were affected.
Demons who went rogue, who committed horrific acts in order to gain power, always spoke in this way. It was how his uncle had sounded right before Marrok killed him.
He knew his eyes were black. He was dangerously close to either breaking through the barrier or compelling Evelyn to lower it so he could reach her. He also knew both were terrible ideas.
Marrok couldn’t help that he wanted to comfort her, to assure himself she was alright. Instinct was driving him to protect, to destroy any threat to her. He may not be able to properly claim Evelyn, but he’d be damned if he allowed another to harm his mate and get away with it.
At his sides, his thumbs rubbed against his fingertips. His hands itched to feel her fragile skin, to take away her pain. Maybe if he had the name of her assailant he could focus on him instead. Make a plan. Invade the male’s dreams. Remove his heart. Avenge her, his demon hissed.
He needed a name, and an image of the culprit’s visage. “Answer me, Evelyn.”
“What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing.” Everything. Things in the Southland had only gotten worse. The weight he’d been carrying for decades, the one he used to be able to easily shoulder, was becoming a burden.
Worse, his mate had apparently been attacked and he hadn’t been here to protect her. She was supposed to be safe in Gwydion. Elementals were a peaceful people, not known for attacking innocents.
For the first time in two years, Marrok felt his inner demon push forcefully against his mind, demanding he do his duty to Evelyn. The band of tension, the one pressing in on him since the night he’d chosen to walk away from his mate, tightened.
He hadn’t chosen to gandeste, to decisively break into the dream of another. Only the most powerful of demons could manage it. Even then it wasn’t an exact science. There could be both physical and mental tolls to pay for such exertions. Yet, his saatus seemed to have done it with ease, repetitively drawing him to her in sleep.
Marrok knew he’d taken a huge gamble trying to deny the mating bond, or, at the very least, prolong it as long as possible. He should know better than to foolishly believe he could outplay the powers of the universe.
If Evelyn hadn’t been the one who summoned him, then other forces were at work. Fate introduced them over a decade ago. He’d been forced to return just two years past. Ignoring the third calling was asking for trouble from the Goddess.
Marrok was tired. So tired he was close to making a decision he might regret. Was it so bad to want to protect his mate?
As one half of his mind focused on things out of his control, the other half took in the damage done to Evelyn. Now that her face was in full view, he also noticed she was lacking an eyebrow. The skin where it used to be was pink, as though it had been scorched away.
She’d been struck and burned? His hands formed fists, wondering what other injuries she’d endured. What sort of monster put his brutal hands on his female?
“Last chance before I tear through your shield.”
She laughed, the musical notes both attracting and inciting him. The little minx actually had the gall to laugh at The King of Sundari? His carefully constructed control slipped until it was hanging by a thread. He would tend to her whether she wanted it or not.
“Have it your way.” Marrok opened his mental flow of energies and directed them towards the barrier.
Evelyn watched in awe as white and silver threads of light shot out from Marrok’s eyes. They hit her shield with such force, she was sure the light would reflect back to him. Instead, the elements making up her barricade absorbed his energies.
Marrok had expected to tear through the barrier easily, or at the very least, chip it away. Astonished, neither occurred. He marveled at how much stronger her protective magics were than the last time he’d felt them. Not only that, they seemed to grab ahold of his stream of power and siphon it greedily.
His mate’s demon iris glowed, somehow connecting them without touching. Marrok slowed the flow, afraid cutting it off abruptly would do damage to one of them.
Evelyn gasped as Marrok’s power was channeled into her, spreading through every cell in her body. Euphoria swamped her system. She wasn’t even in direct contact with the wall of mixed magics, yet somehow, she could feel what he was doing.
“Damnit!” he cursed, reining in his assault until it stopped completely. He wouldn’t have attacked the shield if he’d known the power would fuse with his mate.
Evelyn stood on shaky legs, feeling more energized than she had in years. She wiggled her fingers in front of her face. “You should bottle this up and sell it in the market.”
Marrok watched in awe as she marveled over the power coursing through her veins. An elemental absorbing a demon’s magics was usually a death sentence. Evelyn acted like it tickled.
His saatus was strong. Formidable. Able to take his power and contain it within her body, a feat few could have managed.
A piece of Marrok swelled with pride, celebrating the fact Fate had created a mate for him who possessed remarkable abilities. Claim her, his demon hissed. Stop punishing us and take her.
He ignored it. The female was only seventeen or eighteen at the most. He would not complete the saatus bond with one so young.
Evelyn giggled. She looked like she was drunk—on his powers. It would be so easy to compel her now his essence coursed through her limbs. It would also violate something between them. Instead of bending her to his will, he decided on a different approach.
“Lower your shield. I only want to check your injuries, moj draga.”
Evelyn chewed the inside of her mouth, focusing more on the endearment and what it might mean. Moj was the word for my in the old language. She didn’t know what draga meant, but he’d claimed her as his something. Her face flushed and she looked away.
Nervously, she considered his request. The barrier was always up. Since the day Brennen first invaded her dreams, she’d kept it in place. She didn’t know if others would be able to enter as Brennen had, so she’d never considered dropping her protection.
What would Marrok do if she lowered it? There was only one way to find out.
Chapter 4
Evelyn slid the elements apart, allowing enough space for Marrok to pass through. His lips separated, seemingly surprised she acquiesced.
Marrok stepped across and the wall of magic closed behind him. Immediately, her aroma assaulted his senses. Images of a desert garden in a summer storm came to mind. Her scent embodied what she was—a precious rose in the path of a fast-approaching tempest.
He was thankful he could detect the traces of youth, reminding him she was still too young for the likes of him.
He moved close and Evelyn’s spine straightened, wondering what he intended. He lifted his hand towards her, hesitating briefly. Gently, oh so gently, his fingers clasped her chin, tilting it up and to the side.
Tiny zaps of power shocked his skin, far too faint to rouse the urge to mate. Something deep within Marrok clicked, like a lock being turned. His spirit settled and his demon hummed in satisfaction. His mind cleared and he felt … peace.
He inhaled sharply. Touch was the catalyst for
the mating frenzy, forcing a pair to physically join and complete the bond. Either the dreamworld or the fact she hadn’t reached full adulthood prevented the frenzy. He suspected it was both.
The feel of her soft skin didn’t provoke his libido. Instead, it soothed his spirit, lulling his demon into a calm contentedness.
Goddess above, how he’d missed the serenity he once held in his soul. This is what a saatus did for a demon—settled his spirit and, thus, cleared his mind.
Marrok had been losing bits of himself for years, right along with his brethren. Sometimes his thought process muddied and he couldn’t see past the haze for a moment. It wasn’t as severe as what the rogues experienced, but it was there.
The haze always cleared, but the older he got, the greater his risk became. The longer a demon lived, the more likely madness would ensue.
Power-hungry demons succumbed to the illness much earlier in life. There were twisted ways to increase one’s magics. The price a demon paid for committing such atrocities was to risk his or her sanity.
Only mated pairs seemed to be immune to turning rogue. Bonding to Evelyn would keep him sane. But at what cost to her?
The image of lustrous midnight hair and a seductive smile flashed across his mind. His jaw clenched.
He’d been through one mating before, to a female who wasn’t his saatus. He’d barely survived it, emotionally at least. Judging by his reaction to the marks upon Evelyn’s face, he knew it would be far worse if his true mate suffered a similar fate.
His fear reaffirmed his vow to never love another. Marrok shook his head, dissolving the contemplation. There was a lot of space between love and companionship. Maybe the Goddess gifted him with Evelyn to anchor his demon soul. He didn’t have to fall in love with her.
The bond linked two souls—making the subsequent relationship work was up to the couple. Of course, a mated pair was always drawn to one another, would always protect one another. There was comfort in knowing he did not have to walk through eternity alone.
Marrok fixated on the beauty in his hand, pondering the possibility of an intimate relationship, of once again having someone to share his life. Fate picked Evelyn for a reason. Only time would reveal why she was deemed to be his match.
It was too late for him to pick any other course. Too late for them both. For better or for worse, he had to come to terms with his destiny. He would never come out the victor against it.
His eyes roamed the right side of her head, from nose to temple to brow. He marked every broken blood vessel, every point of swelling, every scrape. With his opposite hand, as lightly as he could, he placed his palm upon her injured cheek.
Evelyn’s mouth pressed tight. Her skin was tender. The place he was touching quickly heated. She waited for the pain that didn’t come. Energies flowed out of her and she closed her eyes, sighing contentedly.
After a few seconds, he lifted his palm away. The thumb of the hand still holding her chin lightly brushed across her bottom lip and her eyes popped open.
Marrok let go and took a small step back. Evelyn blinked, assessing. It was gone. The discomfort, the hurt, all gone.
“You healed me?”
“Not quite.”
“What did you do?”
“I took away your pain and siphoned some of the magic you absorbed.”
Evelyn lifted her hand and patted the side of her face. “It’s still swollen.”
“I’m not a healer. As I said, I took away your pain.”
“How?”
“Does it matter?”
“To me, it does. Please, I’d like to know. If it’s something that can be replicated, I’d very much like to know how. Such a power could be very useful to others. I could help the midwives, or … people who are suffering.”
Marrok’s look softened. Not only was she powerful, she was compassionate. Unfortunately, she would not be able to reproduce the power with anyone other than him.
“I pulled your pain out and absorbed it into my body.”
“That’s amazing. Is it possible for me to do that?”
“I’m sorry, but no,” he lied. Technically, a saatus could, but only with his or her mate. It was abhorrent to him to even consider allowing her to feel his pain.
Her eyes moved to his cheek. “Does it hurt you? Like it did me?”
A heartbeat passed. Two.
“Yes. Enough that I’m surprised you were handling it so well.”
“I am not weak.”
“I didn’t say you were. You took quite an impact, as well as a burn?” his chin lifted towards her brow.
Her lopsided grin hit him square in the chest.
“Noticed the missing eyebrow, did you? Any chance you know how to grow it back? Immediately?”
Marrok shook his head.
“Well, that’s unfortunate.”
“Who did this to you, Evelyn?”
Her nose crinkled. “Well, it was actually two separate incidents.”
“You were attacked not once, but twice?” he seethed.
“Well, no. I wasn’t attacked, exactly. I appreciate your concern, but it’s not what you think. My sister, Eden, took the eyebrow in retaliation for me using my powers when we were sparring—”
“Your father allows you and your sister to fight?”
“Understatement of the century. He makes us. And it’s sisters, plural. All three of us receive training.”
Marrok crossed his arms, scowling. “Why in the Goddess’ name would the King of Gwydion force his daughters into combat?”
“Why wouldn’t he? He’d never let us grow up to be vulnerable. I, for one, am thankful I know how to protect myself with more than just the elements I command. Especially considering my family’s history. Father thinks we have targets painted on our backs simply because of who birthed us.”
Evelyn’s tone was level, her speech came out as a matter of fact. Marrok could guess it had been ingrained in her and her sisters since their mother’s murder.
He scratched his head, thinking King Edward may be onto something. If Marrok had a daughter, he would not want her to feel defenseless. At the thought of progeny, his claws scratched his chest.
“Wait, how do you know who my father is?”
His gaze moved over her shoulder to the manor house. “The royal residence is behind you. I was here once, long ago. I’ve also met your father a number of times at the Temple of Sanctus Femina. He brags about his daughters, Eden, Evelyn, and Nora.”
“Oh.”
“And this?” his knuckle grazed her temple, gliding along her enflamed skin.
Evelyn folded her lips over her teeth, a tad embarrassed. She didn’t want to come across as the clumsy female she’d always been. Not with Marrok.
“I can pull the memory from your mind, but I’d prefer it if you told me.”
“And what King Marrok wants, King Marrok gets?”
His eyes crinkled and one shoulder lifted. “Usually. Not always.”
Evelyn liked the way he responded, almost playfully. During their sparse encounters, he was always so focused and severe. She hadn’t expected his candid jest.
She released the tension from her lips and said, “I did it.”
“You did it.”
She looked away. “Basically.”
“Explain.”
Evelyn met his glare and lifted an eyebrow, the one still attached.
“Please,” he amended, wanting her to volunteer so he didn’t have to pull it from her mind.
“I fell.”
“Onto your face?”
“Basically.”
The heavens help him, she was beyond vexing. He reached deep for patience and waited her out. She must have felt his annoyance because she started talking.
“I was at the stream, not far into the woods over there,” she pointed. “There’s a set of boulders in one of the bends that I like to climb. I go there to meditate sometimes. Do you meditate?”
“No.”
“Hmm. Well, I was o
n top of the boulder. Jasper was sitting with me.”
“Jasper?” Marrok’s pupils expanded just as the inherently masculine name slid off his tongue in repugnance.
“He’s a male from town, one who recently joined my father’s army. I’ve known him since I was very young. We’re … friends.”
She waited for the amber to return to his irises. It didn’t.
“Continue.”
“Right. Well, we were chatting and he leaned towards me—”
“Leaned?” he growled.
“Um, yes. Really, it happened so fast I’m not completely sure how I managed to tip backwards like that. One second his face was moving towards mine and the next my face was crashing onto one of the smaller boulders below me.”
Marrok took a step towards her, their fronts a breath apart. “He meant to kiss you?”
“I think so.”
“No lies, Evelyn. I can feel even a half-truth grate upon my skin.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“How inconvenient for others. They must talk in riddles around you. Is this just you or can all demons do this?”
“Evelyn.”
“Alright, alright. Yes, I believe he meant to plant his mouth upon mine.”
His eyes bled completely black, covering even the whites. Evelyn swallowed. Marrok didn’t like the thought of Jasper kissing her. Her body grew tingly all over. She felt his jealousy, innately knew that was what he was experiencing.
“Where might I find this Jasper?”
“That, I will not tell you.”
“You are but a child, Evelyn. This male should not be attempting you. His actions caused you harm and I will seek retribution.”
Her excited tingling quickly turned cold.
“I am not a child. I am a half year past eighteen now. Old enough to marry. Old enough for … other things.”
The black shrunk, making him look less demonic. Amber burned bright along the edges of his still-large pupils. So bright, she wondered if it reflected upon her skin.
“Just what do you know of other things?” his voice rasped, seizing her with its power.
Instinctually, she arched towards him. “I—”