I knew that when I woke in the morning, I’d collect a pile of moonstones. A single pile of rocks is all that’s left when we die. They are useful in dispelling the darkness from reaching toward the moon-touched tower and village.
Torrin continued touching me, running his hand over my arm to dispel the chill of the dead. His body against mine was like a fire, burning my skin until it itched from thawing.
“Sleep. You’re safe now,” he whispered into my ear.
Chapter Nine
By morning, the storm trailing us had finally caught up. Stepping from the tent with a heavy heart, I watched the others as they did the same, escaping the hold of the men to see who we’d lost during the night. We all flicked our gazes over each other with uneasiness and worry. My throat constricted, and my chest tightened while I counted heads, searching faces, and then paused.
“What the hell?” Amo asked, her green eyes searching the faces once more while her finger counted those present.
“Everyone is here and alive,” I muttered, sliding my attention around the camp until a small pile of moonstones caught my eye. I moved toward it, crouching to run my fingers over the smooth surface of a stone. “They are small, so this is from someone younger than us.”
“That makes little sense,” Tabitha grunted, scratching the back of her head while smothering a yawn.
From the look of her hair and disheveled clothing, it was apparent she’d spent most of the night in the throes of passion. Sometimes I seriously hated myself for the vow I’d taken, but I owed the girls I lost at least that much. I’d messed up. I’d lowered my guard and had focused on my needs instead of those who depended on me to keep my head straight and on the mission.
I picked up the stones, holding them to my nose before the frown deepened as pale eyes locked with mine. Sliding my attention to something safer, I shook my head.
“No idea who it was or why they would be this close to us. They were within the Darklands, which means someone sent them,” I stated, and Amo pursed her swollen lips.
I scanned my team of women and rolled my eyes as a groan expelled from my lips. I was the only one who hadn’t succumbed to the debauchery of my baser needs. Holding out my hand, I offered the moonstones to the obscenely virile male who had saved my biscuit last night. He accepted the stones, holding them in his hand.
“You’re right. They were young, and probably unclaimed by the Order of the Moon,” he rumbled huskily. “Most likely on the brink of puberty, judging by the lack of stones left in death.”
Stones.
Left.
It pissed me off that even in death, we would still be left to work for the Order, not that I’d ever audibly complained about it. No, because that would be considered treason, and they would execute my entire team.
“So, last night,” Amo started, and I blinked at her, shaking my head.
“I don’t want to know that you all got laid and that my kitty didn’t get creamed.”
“Well, I mean, that wasn’t where I was going with it, but you’re close enough to the time where you could forgive yourself, asshole.”
I peered up into pale green eyes and nodded. “I could, but I owe them the entire four years,” I argued.
“You didn’t even like Sarah. She was a total weak link and a bitch to boot,” Tabitha returned, and I moved my attention to Torrin, who noted every word.
“I took a vow of punishment. I intend to honor it no matter how much my kitty wants his cream,” I stated, realizing my error the moment it had slipped from my tongue. “Whoever he may be when I finally release myself from the oath.”
“There are more stones further from camp,” a warrior stated, striding toward us, his midnight-blue eyes lifting to mine, then sliding to Torrin’s with unease. “There are several piles of them, unfortunately. I’m guessing the wraiths fed gluttonously last night, which means they should be sated for now.”
“How is that possible?” I countered, watching the men’s faces shut down all emotion. “Nothing? Just going to let us assume the worst?” I asked, watching the anger sizzling in Torrin’s stare.
I shouldered past him, moving toward the horses while my team stood around watching me. Once I reached Chivalry, I nuzzled his neck, brushing my hands against his flank while he neighed loudly, tossing his mane around. He offered comfort from the turmoil in my mind.
Why would there be moon-touched people here? And why would they be stupid enough to be out in the darkness as the moon rose? The day was iffy enough for the moon-touched people, but add in the darkness of night, and you could count on the monsters unleashing to feed.
That’s what happened in the Badlands. It was why the moon-touched stayed far away from this place. Not to mention, we’d been banned from entering it. Sure, we were still close enough to the border that the moon-touched could have slipped in and lived among the cliffs, but they would have had no chance of remaining alive if they’d lingered here that long.
I felt Torrin behind me but ignored him as he saddled his horse. I bristled, not being able to understand what had befallen the others. I knew wraiths had consumed them, but why were they here, and had they followed us? Had the Order of the Moon sent someone to spy on us to ensure we finished our mission? It was possible. It would be stupid on their part, especially without warning us first.
“I need to go figure out why other moon-touched were here last night.” I turned to find Torrin inches away from me.
“No, you don’t,” he argued, handing me his cloak. “Put this on and cover up your fucking hair.”
“Why?”
“Because I fucking said to put it on, woman,” he demanded, daring me to challenge him.
“Put it on your fucking self, asshole,” I muttered, turning back to Chivalry.
Torrin grabbed me from behind, yanked my arms behind my back, and shoved me against his horse’s flank. I yelped as he held me there, sliding his mouth across the back of my neck as he whispered.
“If you want to be rough-handled by pissing me off, it’s one thing…” Torrin growled, and neighing sounded behind us. I turned, watching him shake his arm violently to remove Chivalry’s teeth from his forearm. Smiling at his anger, I winked at my horse before concealing it as Torrin turned back toward me.
I clucked my tongue, and Chivalry released Torrin, his anger palpable in the air. He crackled with it, and yet he didn’t strike my horse. Instead, his hand lowered, pinching my ass, and I gasped and ground my teeth together.
“You need to get your fucking horse under control,” Torrin seethed, his teeth skimming against my throat. “He’s as wild and unpredictable as his rider.”
“He better be; I trained him myself,” I muttered. “You done yet? I’m getting a little more horse than I want, and mine is probably about to attack yours for having his scent on me.”
“Put this cloak on, now. You don’t want to be visible when we pass the nightwalkers or the others that will fight to suck that light from the marrow of your worthless bones. I never agreed to protect you. The choice is yours,” Torrin snapped, tossing his heavy cloak toward me.
I turned, staring at the others who waited to see what I did. They wore their cloaks. Mine was the only one lost to the river’s rushing current. I pushed my arms through the sleeves to pull it up over my hair.
Torrin watched me in silence, but there was something ravenous in his stare. He pulled me closer by his cloak, pushing my hair into the hood before he leaned over, dragging his lips over mine while everyone watched. I moaned, then slapped his cheek in embarrassment as the girls groaned.
“This is why her kitty never gets fed. She’s never getting laid like this,” Amo grunted, and the others agreed, much to my chagrin.
“One day, someone is going to make it scream, and she’s going to end up tying him to a bed and never letting him up from it,” Tabitha snorted, scowling.
I blushed, hating the heat that burned my face while they talked about my pathet
ic, obsolete love life. Even before I’d taken the vow, it’d lacked fire and everything else. I’d always been the last one to end up with whatever male they’d left free for the night. Amo said it was my resting bitch face, that it made me unapproachable. Tabitha said it was the angry vibes I gave out, and that I was defensive about who I let get close to me.
I was thin and lacked the luscious curves that men craved. I wasn’t outgoing and didn’t enjoy being boisterous like the others. I was always on guard because if I wasn’t, people died. My demeanor was shielded, having never met someone who hadn’t wanted something from me. My eyes were almost always narrowing on people while I determined if they were friend or foe. I simply didn’t have the inner beauty others held. They were light, and I bordered on the shadows.
I waited for Torrin to give the order to mount, but he didn’t. Instead, he lifted me without warning onto his horse. I grasped for the mane, frowning when he mounted behind me. The sky rumbled, and we both looked up as rain began falling.
Torrin’s deep exhale told me he wasn’t looking forward to riding without the heavy cloak to guard against the elements. I turned, unclasping and removing the cloak, then handing it to him. Grunting, he accepted it, wrapping it around him and me while he pulled me back against his body, which dwarfed mine, enveloping me in his warmth.
“We will ride until we reach the Darklands,” he said against my ear, causing me to shiver from the heated breath that fanned the shell of my ear. “If you grow chilled, let me know.”
“You’re very hot,” I stated and felt his lips curling into a smile against my ear. “You know what I meant,” I amended as the horse started forward, and his arm tightened to hold me.
“You burn hot too, Moonflower,” he whispered thickly, and I swallowed.
I let my body relax against him, listening to the world around us while we traveled. I was further south than I’d ever been. The passing countryside, while barren, was eerily beautiful.
The rain pelted down on us, drenching us through the cloak until we were both miserable from the chilled air. Hours moved by, and the countryside turned from barren land to rolling hillsides. Large waterfalls crashed over the cliffs, filling huge glowing pools of water that exposed light from the earth below it.
The deeper we went into the Darklands, the lighter it became. The landscape was strangely changing, and I hadn’t expected it to be pretty. I turned as something flew above us, and my eyes widened as a large, colorful bird squealed loudly, dropping from the sky to fly beside us. Chivalry reared back, bucking in warning, but the bird ignored him, landing on his back.
Torrin clicked his tongue and held out his hand as the large bird leaped from Chivalry’s back to Torrin’s arm, where I noticed the vanguard where the bird could perch. Torrin’s arm released me to unroll a length of leather parchment from the bird’s leg. My eyes scanned the message.
Stop playing with your cock and get back here. Your newest conquest is driving me crazy with her need to be ravished all night long. I think she prefers the pain to the pleasure, asshole. You wanted this courtesan; get your dick back here to satisfy the needy bitch. ~Signed, Your not so happy, King. P.S. Don’t hit that moon-pie pussy without me, asshole.
Torrin snorted, crumpling the message up before he reached into the saddlebag and then leaned forward. My eyes studied the bird before dropping to his reply.
Keep her there and try spanking her. She purrs when you make her ass red. Karina also adores being taken from behind, hard and fast. Pull her hair, asshole. She’s there for a reason. You’re going to like Alexandria. She’s wild and sucks a mean cock. ~Signed, Went to get the bitches you sent me to get, asshole.
I swallowed past the anger burning in my throat. Torrin was rumored to be over five hundred years old, yet he replied to the king like a tavern boy trying to land free pussy for the night. He rolled the scrap of leather up and secured it to the bird’s leg, lifting his arm as it took flight. It flapped large, colorful wings to gain altitude before it shot through the sky above us. He pulled me back, and I allowed it, pretending not to know what he’d just written. Most people didn’t know the Night King’s ancient language, but I’d been taught several languages for my position.
Torrin had purposely been using it to exclude us from their plans, but I’d understood every word he’d said, every order he’d given his men. I’d been privy to everything they’d discussed without him ever knowing. I could play dumb for as long as I needed since it helped me learn their plan without playing my hand.
The lights of a town came into view, and I exhaled. I was more than ready to unfold from the horse and stretch out my aching limbs. Plus, we were all drenched from the constant rainfall that didn’t seem to let up anytime soon.
“We’ll stop for the night here,” Torrin announced in a language I could understand, turning to one man, who moved in beside him. “Go check out the inn. Make sure none of the nightwalkers are visible. If they are, send them away under the king’s orders. Anyone else within the tavern needs to be aware to hold their tongues in the presence of our current company.”
I did a double blink, turning toward one of the men, who observed me. His lips pulled back from his gums, and serrated teeth became visible before he nodded to Torrin, heading off to do as he’d been ordered. My heart slowed, and I used my senses to scour the town as far as my sight would reach.
Within the shadows were several nightwalkers, who were moon-touched creatures that had turned to the darkness, allowing it to slither into their souls, expelling the light. Bloody hell. They were ravenous beings, starving for the light they’d once held and given up. Torrin was walking us in like dinner to a starving village of turned beings.
Chapter Ten
The inn was clean, with creatures that seemed normal, or as close to it as you could expect this deep into their territory. This one didn’t have people itching to touch us, but then Torrin and his men weren’t allowing them anywhere near us, either. Ale was brought to the table by his men the moment we’d taken our seats. A boisterous singer with a stringed instrument was singing a lusty tune as she flirted shamelessly with the men. Peering into the shadows, I studied a few of the patrons watching us with hunger burning within their gazes.
Nightwalkers.
I shivered, dispelling the chill that clung to my skin while I sipped the ale. A barmaid had shown me to a room with Torrin, where he’d allowed me to change. He thought, by standing watch over me, it would prevent me from escaping him. My dress was short, but then I hadn’t had time to wash the lightweight leggings I usually wore. I’d asked Torrin for soap and water, only to be told that I could do my laundry once we reached the palace in the next few days.
My bare legs seemed to have gone unnoticed as the rest of my team appeared in matching outfits. Torrin pushed me into the corner of the table against the wall, and my girls piled in around me. He tapped his fingers on the table as some men bowed at the waist, holding a hand out for the girls to join them in a dance.
I smiled, watching Amo bypass one warrior for another who had a darker complexion and was covered in tattoos and markings. His emerald eyes slid over her with a hunger he didn’t bother to hide. Silently, I watched as they began dancing to the song. Others joined them until only Torrin, and I remained at the table. I’d had four cups of ale before Amo returned to the table, holding out her hand for me.
I looked at Torrin, and before he could protest, Amo yanked me from the table and pulled me onto the dance floor with her. Her arms wrapped around me, and I stiffened, laughing as she slowly kissed my ear.
“I’m not hitting on you, promise. However, I’ll get your kitty going if it means finally being able to talk without ears hearing us,” she chuckled, causing my eyes to sparkle with mirth. “There are nightwalkers everywhere, and I am pretty sure that the warrior who spent three hours eating my pussy last night was one of them.”
“The entire town is filled with them, too,” I muttered, resting my chin on her
shoulder, and my eyes locked with Torrin’s as he watched us through a narrowing glare. “They have Landon, which means we have to continue to play along until we can either determine his location or get eyes on him. I also saw the Book of the Dead in Torrin’s memory, which means they may know where the Sacred Library is hidden.”
A warrior pressed against my back while another slid his arms around Amo. I turned, and the violet gaze that held mine took my breath away. He spun me around without warning as the music changed, becoming a fast, frenzied song that had him moving us around to the sexy beat. His body was hard lines of sinewy muscle, and his scent was exotic.
“I’m Roland, woman,” he said huskily.
“I’m Lexia, not woman,” I returned, allowing him to spin us around the dance floor before his hand left mine, forcing my knee to bend as he brought it up against his hip. He dipped me back slowly while his hand slid over my exposed thigh.
“It’s nice to get you away from my captain, finally. You seem unfazed by his attempts to seduce you,” Roland continued, righting me as he watched my face for any signs that he might have entranced me.
“I don’t think anyone could be unfazed by Torrin, ever,” I grunted, pushing Roland away from me as the song ended. “If you’ll excuse me, my girls are about to let loose, and I intend to do the same.”
I joined the girls, danced to the song’s beat as it ramped up in tempo to a jig, one we had danced to a million times before. I settled between them, moving my feet while they followed my lead. We danced until the song ended, and then a new one began, a slower, sultrier song that had us swaying our bodies seductively, making our blood heat with need.
I searched for Torrin, finding him studying how my body moved to the stringed instruments that lured us in, holding us prisoner. The song flowed through us like lava pouring from a mountain peak. I slid my hands down my body, watching as heat pooled in his icy stare, sending more warmth to my core with the look of hunger burning in his.
I smiled impishly, knowing that my moves were igniting a fervor within him that burned violently. Lifting my hands back up my body, I closed my eyes, spinning to the beat while I pushed my fingers through my hair, remembering how Torrin’s hand felt in it. A throbbing pain started in my belly, pulsing with the need that had remained dormant until he’d made my body come to life with his touch.
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