Pride

by H. C. Brown

  Shocked by his outburst, Lailii took a step backward. The man’s eyes filled with hate. Instinctively, she gathered her magyck around her, fear making her fingers crackle with white power. “I have not bewitched Dallin. Nor could I do any such thing. I am not a witch, sire.” She placed a hand protectively over her belly. “This cub is Dallin’s. I was a virgin when Dallin bit me.”

  “Ha! Magyck can do many things and fool many people, and you are a Spellweaver.” The king scowled. “I believe you are a demon in the guise of a foundling.” He glared at her hands. “Your magyck cannot protect you in Knight Watch Castle. I am the law here, and I will deal with your fate when Dallin returns. This estrangement will have broken your hold on him. I will make sure this never happens again. Get back to your room before I have you burned at the stake.”

  Lailii pressed her hand to her mouth and fled back to her room. Not fifteen minutes later, two guards arrived with a smithy. The old blacksmith held two bands of silver and an expression of distaste. Using all her power, Lailii cast a spell to protect her cub. A warm glow infused her belly, creating an impenetrable barrier against harm. She stood motionless and allowed the smithy to band her wrists with silver. The white metal burned into her skin, cutting off her magyck. With a cry of distress, she stumbled into a chair. Such cruelty, in fact, the king was no better than the Butcher.

  “Gather her things together. The king has ordered her to the dungeon.” One of the guards barked at Peter. “We will be back to collect her in half an hour.”

  “My lady.” Peter knelt beside the chair. “Prince Zane and Kaden arrived home this morning. They know of the love Prince Dallin has for you. I was privy to the phone conversation. I will speak to them on your behalf. They will contact Prince Dallin and inform him of this disaster.”

  Lailii touched his young face. “Thank you. At least you believe me.”

  “I believe you too.” Jessie bustled around collecting clothes. “The king knows nothing about you to make such a decision. Dear Lady, silvering went out in the Dark Ages. What is the man thinking?”

  Lailii stared into space. Dallin, Stryker where are you?

  * * * *

  Banin Mountain

  Dallin cloaked and moved closer to the fissure. The evil-smelling gas pouring from the deep crevice told him mutants used this Gate. He peered into the swirling mist and met a pair of red, glowing eyes. Heart thumping, he pulled away and jumped back to his camp. The adrenalin rush did little to stop the bone-deep weariness from two weeks of battle. He needed to go home; the separation pain from being away from his mate had become intolerable, his concentration fuzzy. Straightening his shoulders, he uncloaked and walked toward Stryker and Cruz. “Demon, I have no doubt. I can feel dark magyck surging around the fissure.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It is bigger than the last Gate. I am not sure we can melt enough rock to seal it.”

  “We could cover it with some mesh. It would be easy enough to fix it into the rock. Nothing will get through a silver barrier.” Cruz met Dallin’s gaze. “Call uncle and tell him what we need.”

  With a shrug, Dallin pulled out his Ocular phone. The king answered immediately. Dallin cleared his throat. “We have a problem. We need a barrier made of silver. I will send a couple of men back with the specifications. How is Lailii?”

  “She is well and sends her love.” The king’s hologram smiled. “Do you have a message for her?”

  “Yes, the same message as always, that we love her. Tell her we will be home soon.”

  Dallin shut the phone and pushed it into his pocket. “It will be necessary for me to go back and measure the damn Gate.” He grabbed at a nearby tree branch and snapped it off. “Help me strip the leaves off. I will lay it across the fissure to measure the width. The height is easily as tall as I am, so say six foot five.”

  “You put yourself in danger every time you go there alone.” Stryker stripped leaves from the branch. “At least let me watch from the rocks.”

  “You cannot watch me when I am invisible.” Dallin grinned. “Do not worry. As soon as we seal this Gate, we are leaving. I need to bed my mate.”

  “Our mate.” Stryker gave Dallin a crooked smile.

  With the stick in one hand, Dallin cloaked and returned to the fissure. The air around him grew cold, and icy tendrils of fog swirled around his feet. Heart bouncing against his ribs, he moved closer and extended the branch across the gaping maw. A force hit him hard in the chest. He dropped the stick. Another blast lifted him high into the air and flung him toward the ground. He lay on his back, stunned by the impact. Freezing mist closed in around him. He fought for air. Invisibility deserted him, and the world folded to blackness.

  Chapter Nine

  Underworld

  Passio grinned. At last, a pawn to use in negotiations with the king of Knight Watch. He gazed down at the body of Crown Prince Dallin. The king would trade a lowly Spellweaver for his Pride’s heir. The damn king had stuck his nose into his business long enough. How dare he tamper with his Gates? What harm did he do to the man? In truth, he did the realms a service by taking those who chose to serve him. His mutants only fed on the weak, so no harm done. Surely the Pride king understood the law of the jungle—the survival of the fittest?

  He ran a finger across Dallin’s lips. On the other hand, this fine specimen would make a delicious addition to his bed. Passio laughed. “I cannot lose.”

  Passio motioned to his guards to revive Dallin. He stood in front of the naked man, and his sex grew hard. He understood the prince enjoyed males. He had watched him with Stryker. Soon, the sweet prince would be begging for his cock.

  “What the fuck?” Dallin opened his eyes and struggled against the guards. “Where am I?”

  Passio ran his flogger down Dallin’s chest, across his flat stomach, and down to his impressive dick. He licked his lips. “You are in the Underworld. Do not try to use magyck because such an action brings extreme pain.” He tapped the leather flogger on Dallin’s flaccid shaft. “You are an attractive man. I would like you on all fours, begging me to fuck you.”

  Dallin shook his head. If this was a demon, it was not what he expected. The sickly sweet scent of violets surrounded a young man with gentle features. Fair hair tumbled down his back. Not large and intimidating but small and effeminate, he dressed in blue silk and lace. The eyes changed from black to red. Dallin lifted his aching head and met the demon’s gaze. “It is not gonna happen. Who the fuck, are you? Why have you kidnapped me?”

  “I could make it happen. Many chose my bed over my rack. My name is Lord Passio.” The demon inclined his head. “You are here as a trade for Lailii of the Tark.”

  Lady’s blood. Dallin drew himself up to his full height. “Lailii belongs to me, given to me as life mate by the Lady. She did not send me to rescue Lailii, just to let you bring her to this hellhole. Am I assuming you plan to go head-to-head with the Lady over my mate?”

  “The Lady abandoned her daughter to the mortal world. It was Her choice to make her earthbound. The Spellweaver carries white magyck from the goddess. I need her magyck to walk on the earth. I am sick of the constriction of this place. How can I feed with any dignity with the ten minutes I am allowed above ground?”

  What on earth was this idiot saying? Dallin shrugged, and the movement made his captors crush him in a death grip. “She is a simple Spellweaver, nothing more.”

  “She is immortal, you fool.” Passio ran the flogger through his fingers. “She will provide an eternity of power for me. I have everything she needs to regenerate her powers. Music, art, and in the future, my love… She will love me. They all love me eventually.”

  Dallin chuckled. “You are the fool. If she were an immortal, she would not have needed my help to escape the Butcher. She would have used her goddess magyck. It is laughable to think you really believe she would give up her powers to a demon. And, in case you do not understand about Pride mates, Lailii is incapable of loving any other now that she is mated to Stryker and me.”
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  “My bite will fade the connection to you. My lover, Kaos, will feed from her as well. Soon, she will crave only our touch.” Passio shook his head slowly. “Your faith in the Lady is commendable. I loved Her once. Where do you think demons come from, Dallin? We are all gods who fell out of favor with the Great One. He created the Underworld to hold his brother, Baltor. The fool thought he could rule the realms. His crime and we all suffer the same punishment. We feed on mutants but crave the sweet blood of the innocent.”

  Dallin snorted. “I was not born yesterday. I know demons created the Vampire myth to cover their feeding frenzy in our worlds.”

  His stomach churned; the demon’s smell confused his senses. He trusted in the Lady, he knew the love his mate held for him. There was no way Lailii would fall for this person. Demons were liars; everyone knew that—right? Thank the gods Stryker was above ground; he would make sure this bastard never got his hands on her.

  “I see you are beginning to understand.” Passio moved closer and pinched Dallin’s nipples.

  Growling deep in his chest, Dallin stared at the demon, his cat rising to the surface, ready to morph. “She will never love you.”

  “My guards will break your spine before you shift.” The demon grinned. “I need you alive but paralyzed is just as good.” Passio bent his head close to Dallin’s face. “Perhaps I will keep you here after all. I can always take Cruz for a trade. He is the spare, is he not? It would be amusing to know that you are watching me feed on Lailii. Can you imagine seeing her spread her legs for Kaos and me until you grow old and die? Knowing you can never have her…never have any female. Of course, at first she will believe you and Stryker are here with her.”

  “How stupid do you think she is?”

  The next instant, Stryker stood before him, grinning like a monkey. Dallin took a deep breath; the disgusting scent of violets remained. This was not Stryker, just a facsimile. Gods, the demon could morph into anyone he desired.

  “She will believe anything I wish.” Passio chuckled softly. “When Kaos and I bite her, she will be in ecstasy. She will give herself willingly to us.”

  The knot in Dallin’s stomach increased. He tried to jump. Pain, sharp and vicious, slammed into his head. His knees buckled. With a groan, he lifted his chin. “So when my uncle refuses the trade, will you force me to become one of your Army of Lost Souls?”

  “No, they are mutants, Dallin, although I am not surprised a mere mortal could not distinguish the difference.” Passio chuckled. “My castle is for demi-gods. Mutants are held in limbo to rise up when and where I command. You would become my special prisoner.”

  Dallin coughed, and then spat in the demon’s face. The guards wrenched his arms back. Pain shot into his spine. The sight of his spittle dripping off Passio’s chin was worth the discomfort.

  “Take him away.” Passio waved his hand.

  The guards dragged him down a passageway. From the windows, Dallin stared out at an impressive fortress set against a forbidding sky. They passed a row of doors, walked through a small vestibule, and along another corridor. They met no one. The entire building was eerily silent. The polished wood floors echoed with the sound of their footfalls. The guards’ extraordinary strength surprised Dallin. Their grips around his arms cut off the blood supply. If they were all this strong, he had little chance of overpowering them.

  They entered a long hall—no, a ballroom with a crystal chandelier. Graphic paintings depicting scenes of brutality lined one wall. To the right, a Gate took up the entire façade. The flashing scenes of a variety of familiar realms displayed on the silver screen caught Dallin’s attention. Another wall held an impressive display of swords. A door swung open as they approached. The guards pushed him forward, and he stared down a flight of damp stairs. A rush of warm, putrid air hit him in the face. Without warning, a blow between the shoulders sent the breath rushing from his lungs. Dallin toppled and fell down the steps, hitting the filthy flagstones with a thud. He rolled to his feet and gazed down a line of cages. The dungeon stank of death. Men beaten and broken moaned in despair, their thin bodies chained to the grimy walls. There was no escape.

  Lailii’s face flashed across his mind. He balled his hands into fists. That damn demon would never take her away from him. She belonged to him, and he would fight to his last breath to save her from this place. Surely, his uncle would not think to exchange her for him? Then again, Stryker would take her away to safety at the first sign of danger. All he needed to do was to escape this dungeon and get to the Gate without Passio noticing. Yeah right.

  The guards walked down the stairs behind him, their boots clattering on the wooden steps. Dallin glanced around for an escape route. There was no other way out. With no windows and only one door, the demon had sealed the dungeon from the outside like a huge, concrete coffin. Water dripped down the bloodstained walls, mixing with a river of piss and shit. There was no doubt this was hell. He turned to face the guards, ready to fight. They were gigantic and wore black body armor. He would not stand a chance against them. A pang of fear hit him. They wore leather helmets, but no eyes returned his gaze through the slits, only the black holes of empty eye sockets.

  A blow to the side of the head sent him to the floor. Blood spilled into his mouth. Dallin grasped one of the guard’s feet and tipped the brute over. The man crashed to the floor, sending up a spray of putrid water. A massive hand curled in Dallin’s hair, lifting him with ease. Pain sheared through his chest from a boot in the ribs. Gasping for air, he staggered to his feet, fists raised. A cage door creaked open, and one of the men flung him inside. He hit the floor like a rag doll. The door slammed shut behind him, the sound reverberating around the dungeon. Men screamed in terror. Without a sound, the guards turned away and vanished in a puff of swirling black smoke.

  Dallin rolled onto all fours and spat the blood from his mouth. He dragged his broken body up and tested the door and bars for weakness. The cells on either side of him were empty. Across the walkway, a beaten and bloody man lifted his head and moaned with despair. Dallin glanced around the cell. Better than the other cages, this one had a small cot with a blanket, a table containing a jug of water, and a plate of bread and cheese. The floor, covered with clean straw, was a stark contrast to the other cells. At least Passio intended to keep him alive. Dallin ground his teeth and shuddered in disgust. He would go out fighting if that bastard believed he would become his sex slave. He sat on the edge of the bed and dropped his head in his hands. Dear Lady, you said I had the ability to fight demons. Now tell me, how the hell am I going to get out of this mess?

  * * * *

  Banin Mountain

  Stryker followed Cruz toward the fissure, the men fanning out around them, searching the area. “The stick is there between the rocks. Dallin cannot be far away.”

  “He must be unconscious, or he would answer his phone.” Cruz frowned. “He usually loses the ability to cloak if he is knocked out. It is a conscious action. I do not think he is here. I hope he did not get sucked through the damn Gate.”

  Rubbing his chin, Stryker gazed around. A flat spot in the long grass caught his attention. He walked toward it, noticing the sun reflecting on something. He fell to his knees and searched the undergrowth. His fingers found Dallin’s amulet. Blood pounded in his ears. Deep, agonizing loss slammed into him. He wavered on his knees. Choking down grief, he swallowed hard and held the chain high. “Gods, Cruz, take a look at this. Dallin must be dead. He vowed he would never remove this after our joining.”

  “He is not fucking dead.” Cruz bunched his fists on his hips. “He is the Lady’s Champion. Do you think She sent us to get Lailii, and then allowed him to die? Get a grip, man.” He shook his head. “My guess is the demons dragged him into the Underworld.”

  Stryker got to his feet. He placed the chain over his head and tucked it into his shirt. He wished he had Cruz’s faith. In his heart, he feared Dallin was dead. “Do you think the Lady would let that happen? I do not think so. He must
be here somewhere. I have to find him.”

  “What you have to do is get back to Knight Watch Castle.” Cruz met Stryker’s gaze. “Go to the Lady’s grotto and beg for Her help.” He growled. “Do not give me a load of shit about not being worthy to enter the grotto, either. You are Dallin’s mate, he is in trouble, and we need the Lady’s help.”

  With a grunt, Stryker turned toward the lines of flybikes at the edge of the clearing. He stopped and turned to Cruz. “Are you going to keep searching?”

  “I am going to call my uncle and update him on the situation.” Cruz frowned. “I will leave men here whatever his decision. Go.”

  * * * *

  Vane Castle

  Lailii sat on the edge of the cot and stared into the faces of Dallin’s brothers. Both were appalled at their uncle for confining her in the dungeon but could not go against the king’s orders. They could only make her comfortable until Dallin returned. Zane, the youngest at eighteen years old, crouched at her feet, trying unsuccessfully to remove the silver from her wrists. She sighed. “They were sealed with a spell. I believe only the smithy can remove them.” Lailii met Kaden’s gaze. “Are my mates returning home?”

  “I cannot contact Dallin. He may be having trouble with his phone so close to a demon Gate. And this is not something I wish to discuss with Cruz or my father. He would expect Dallin to deal with problems in his own realm.” Kaden pushed a lock of black hair off his face. “I will leave immediately and apprise Dallin personally of the situation.” He took Lailii’s hand. “My uncle has become unstable in his old age. Try not to worry. Zane will stay by your side until your mates return. I will order a cot for him to sleep in here.” He turned to Zane. “Do not leave her side. The door to this cell remains open at all times. I have ordered extra food. I will be back as soon as possible. If you have trouble with the guards, use your zap.”