by ML Guida
Natasa laughed and slipped her fingers around his upper arm, lightly scratching him. “Oooh, it’s been so long. Too long.” She blew in his ear. “I love how your red eyes burn with passion for me. How your tongue worships me and how my tongue will worship you—starting with your toes, ankles, legs, and your magnificent cock. I can hardly wait to feel you inside me again.”
He shuddered, and she laughed. He curled his toes into the rocky terrain to keep from jumping out of his husk.
Natasa wrapped a lock of Zuto’s hair around her long finger. “My lord, if this task is completed,” she said, her voice too confident. “My reward shall be—”
“I’ll give you control of the Caribbean Seas and all the islands.”
Zuto wanted to break her finger in half. How the hell would he escape the bitch?
Natasa yanked her finger, tearing strands of his hair. He winced and had to press his arms to his sides to keep from back handing the Jezebel.
She ran her hand down his back. “Not the world?”
Don’t kill her.
“I am the ruler of the world. Don’t dare to challenge me, wench. You’ve not the power. I am your master.”
The ground beneath their feet rumbled, and both Zuto and Natasa stumbled. Zuto tried to right himself, but he slid around, his arms waving in the air. Damn Natasa! He wanted to put his fingers around her throat and squeeze and squeeze until her cheeks turned as red as her hair.
“Enough.” Maketabori’s thundering voice overshadowed the crashing rocks and blasting volcanoes.
The grumbling ceased, and Zuto flung his hair out of his face. ’Twas Natasa’s damn fault.
“If you fail, Natasa,” Maketabori said. “You’ll be banished to a demon hole for centuries.”
Natasa’s eyes widened. “Yes, my lord.”
For the first time, hope glistened within Zuto. He suppressed a smile. His lord had given him a way out—mistakes could be made and laid at her feet. But first he would discover Maketabori’s secret.
Maketabori sat on his throne and gestured at Zuto. “Natasa will remain with you until I have Captain Knight and his daughter at my mercy. Do not fail me.”
He waved his hand, and Zuto was back on his island, but this time, he wasn’t the only demon.
“Ah, it’s beautiful.” Natasa walked along the beach. Her small footprints marred his beautiful white sand. “Where are your slaves?”
“I don’t possess any slaves.”
She whirled around. “You have grown soft. Where are Captain Palmer and the little witch?”
“I am not soft, Natasa. Palmer’s reckless and fails to follow my instructions.”
She took off a slipper, dipped a toe into a rolling wave, and splashed water into his face.“Maybe you utter poor instructions.”
He wiped the stinging salt from his eyes. “I don’t utter poor instructions.”
“If you didn’t, I would not be here.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now where are those slaves?”
He refused to allow her to hurt his people. The natives and the crew of the Fiery Damsel were his. Only he could punish his people, and he’d never let a demon whore hurt them. “Palmer and his crew are not slaves,” he said. “They’re docked on the other side of the island.”
“’Tis why you fail, Zuto. Slaves live in fear and will do anything to avoid pain and please their masters.”
He clamped his jaw tight to keep from arguing. He would not fail again, and he didn’t need her meddling.
She drew her fingers up his naked chest. “Now, take me to them.”
“Fine.” Zuto shuddered at her touch. He clasped her hand and shoved it away. She only laughed.
He had wanted her once, had desired to bury himself inside her, but she was cold, her heart black. He craved something more than indulging in her womanly secrets. But their affair had ended long, long ago.
He stomped down the beach, longing to jump into the ocean and get her sickly sweet scent off him. She wound her arm around his, and her nearness and intimate touch sent aversion pulsating to every nerve. His fingers itched to grab her hair, then shove her into the rolling tide and drown her. But instead, he balled his fists and kept his arms clamped to his side.
Besides, she was one of Maketabori’s favorites. A torturer. A spy. A traitor. He needed to learn to endure her touch or lose the opportunity to discover what Maketabori was hiding. Natasa liked gossip and when she indulged in love making, she lost all inhibition.
Chapter Four
William took a breath and inhaled sweet lavender. Was he lying in a soft field of flowers? His eyes fluttered open, and he was surprised to stare up at a lass. He was lying on her curled up legs. She was slumped up against the wall, her dress stained with blood. Bloody hell, was she hurt?
He rolled to the side and winced. Stitches pulled in his upper back, and soreness riddled through his body as if every muscle had been stretched, strained, and twisted. A memory of the lass pulling an arrow out of his back tugged at him, and he groaned. ’Twas not her blood staining the front of her dress. ’Twas his.
He shivered and rubbed his arms to warm his bare flesh.
Damnation.
A blue-green dragon tattoo adorned the middle of his chest. Red eyes glittered, and its mouth curled into a snarl, revealing sharp, jagged teeth. Dark green wings spread across his nipples while the body ran along his sternum and the tail hung past his belly button. He ran his shaking hand over his chest, expecting to feel scales, but his fingers glided over smooth skin. Was this what he looked like when he was the dragon? Curse Zuto.
The lass smiled down at him, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her beautiful violet eyes. Last night, she hadn’t looked on him with fear, but with concern. He folded his arms across his chest, not wanting her to see the abomination.
“Bonjour,” she said.
Dark, blue-black hair framed her heart-shaped face. He had the urge to run his fingers through the thick strands and feel the softness.
“Good morning.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling well, thank you. I’m sorry about your dress.”
She chuckled. Blood caked her delicate hands. Her bodice outlined her curvy body. He shifted and sat up. He crossed his ankles and covered his erect cock, praying she hadn’t seen it. Kane, Ronan, Doc, and Sean all slept around a glowing fire. They still must be groggy from feeding on human blood last night.
The dreary dampness of the cave coated William’s skin. Wind blew, and the fire flickered. But the warmth flowing onto his body failed to penetrate the chill seeping into his bones. He shivered and rubbed his arms again. He wasn’t groggy. No, eating a terrified horse hadn’t made him groggy. Just full.
Her brows furrowed. “What is on your chest?”
“Nothing.” Heat rushed over his cheeks. “Blood.”
“Let me see.”
She reached over him, and her body pressed against his chest, pushing him slightly. Pain stabbed into his back, and he hissed.
“Are you still hurt?”
“No,” he lied.
“Fine, do not show me.” She reached past him. “I am only getting my satchel.” She handed it to him. “Here, take it. I brought some of my brother’s clothes.” Her gaze flickered over him, and she blushed. “They may be a little small for you, but they should fit.” She glanced over her shoulder. “There is a little stream further in the cave. I will wash up while you change.”
He nodded. “Aye.”
She clasped his arm. “Can you dress yourself?”
He wrenched away. “Go wash.”
She stood and hurried to the back.
His arm tingled where she’d touched him, but he didn’t want her help. He was a seasoned warrior, not a sickly whelp who needed a nursemaid, even a beautiful one.
Ignoring the pain in his back, he struggled to stand and leaned against the cave. The cold froze his fingers, and he fumbled while slipping into the pair of trousers. Grand. The trousers fit too
snug around his waist and were about three inches too small. But at least they covered his erection. He closed his eyes, trying to fight back the pain in his back.
“Here.”
William opened his eyes. Kane handed him the blue shirt that Mariah had brought him.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“Hard to sleep without Hannah.” Kane nodded. “Interesting tattoo. It looks like you when—”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” William grumbled. He tried to slip his arm into the sleeve and hissed.
“Let me help you.” Kane yanked the sleeve up William’s arm, and the material ripped.
“Christ.” Couldn’t one damn thing go right?
Kane pulled it off. “’Tis too small.” He picked up the boots and frowned. “These won’t fit either.”
William rolled his eyes. “Aye.”
Kane draped the shirt over William’s shoulders. “You’re shivering.” Distress filled his emerald eyes. “Just wear it to keep the chill off.” He scanned the cave. “Where’s the lass?”
William tilted his head. “Washing up. Why?”
“Ronan said Lark told him about his sister while on the Fiery Damsel. The lass is Lark’s sister. According to him, she’s powerful enough to break the spell. We need her.”
More trouble. Trouble they couldn’t afford. “What spell?”
“To free Lark. She’s the key to break the vampire curse and yours.”
Another lass was not going to risk her life for him. His wife, Sharon, had paid the price. “No. We’ve already one lass on board, Kane. And you want another?”
“Superstitious, brother?”
“Aye. And you should be to.”
“I think Hannah has proven herself not to be curse once or twice. Even you have to admit this.”
William avoided Kane’s accusatory eyes and refused to admit the truth. Hannah’s powers had helped them defeat Palmer, but she wasn’t a witch. Not only was Kane bringing another lass on board the bloody ship, but a witch? “We’ve been lucky so far, Kane. But another female?”
“We do not have many choices, but bring another lass a board the Phoenix. Without the lass, we’ll not break the curse. Last night, Ronan said—”
“I heard what Ronan said last night,” William grumbled.
“You do? You remember what happens when you’re a dragon?”
“Aye. You mean to have people gawk at me as if I was something straight out of hell, including you.”
“I was not gawking at you. I’ve just never seen a real live dragon before. I wasn’t expecting it.”
“And you think I was?”
Kane stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “You’re not something straight out of hell, William. No more than we are.”
William snorted. Kane could think all he wanted. The townspeople would differ. He was a dragon, powerful enough to destroy their town and gobble ten or more people at once. He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He had breathed fire, and it hadn’t burned his throat. ’Twas like exhaling warm air. But what he couldn’t get over was that he had actually flown. ’Twas the only ability that Kane possessed as a vampire that William ever envied. Now that he had the same ability, he had to admit, he liked flying—the air rustling around him, stretching out his wings. Freedom.
“Would you rather have been transformed into a vampire?”
William jumped and opened his eyes. Kane leaned against the wall, staring at him earnestly as if he wanted William to say that being cursed as a vampire was better than being cursed as a dragon. William frowned and pondered the two choices. Each were predators, each ungodly, each condemned. “Hell, I don’t know. I honestly don’t.”
“Did it hurt to change?”
“’Twas like being stretched on the rack, then having someone sticking their hand inside me, ripping out bones and muscles.”
“Hopefully, it will become easier.”
“Easier?”
“The first time I changed into a vampire…bloody hell, ’twas painful. The sun sizzled our skin. Everything we ate turned to ash in our mouths. Weeks went by. Our parched throats turned bloody, skin hung off our emaciated bodies. Then the Spanish Galleon came upon us.” His voice faltered as if he had drifted back in time. “When I clashed swords with that sailor and nicked his neck, the sweet smell of blood stroked my vampire powers, powers I couldn’t control. The poor bastard.” He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The next time the full moon rose, I was surprised by how fast I transformed.” He dropped his hand and kicked a rock on the cave floor. “Almost too quickly. Blood satisfied the curse, sealed our fates. Now when we transform, we feel the thirst but ’tis not painful, and we’ve learned to feed without draining our human host.”
“Grand.”
“If you want to beat the curse, then we need the lass. Ronan said—”
“Do you think I’m deaf? I heard you the first time, Kane. Ronan can go to the devil. The lass is not coming with us. ’Tis bad enough you’re putting Hannah at risk. You almost got her killed the last time we faced Palmer. She should be safe back in London, not on board a pirate ship where a demon is determined to kill her. You should be thinking of her safety, not your own lust.”
Kane knotted his eyebrows, and his eyes were hard, his gaze steady and unblinking. “She’s safe enough.”
William snorted at Kane’s watch-yourself glare, not caring if his words cut Kane. He would have sent Hannah back to England, far away from this nightmare, no matter how much he wanted her. But Hannah hadn’t chosen him, she’d chosen Kane.
“I do not have anything to say about this?” Mariah asked.
Kane and William turned, and Mariah stood with her now clean hands on her hips. William didn’t know how much she’d overhead and opened his mouth to reprimand her for acting like a spy but shut it. With her tilted chin and fierce glare, she was going to walk into danger like Sharon and Hannah. Sharon had lost her life, and Hannah was in danger of losing hers. He’d be damned if he’d let Mariah make the same mistake.
Mariah pressed her lips together. “You underestimate my power, oui?”
William and Kane glanced at each other. Warning bells clanged in William’s ears. “You can’t defeat a demon.”
“Do you not listen? Grand-mère has the gift of sight. She has seen the demon and knows his plans. He wants to transform Lark into a warlock. I am the only one who can stop him.”
Was the lass delusional? “Lass, your grand-mère is daft if she thinks you can defeat a demon. Zuto has your brother under control, and he’s a prisoner. And Palmer would like nothing better than a female slave.”
Mariah folded her arms across her chest. “I can take care of myself.”
William wanted to shake her. She had no idea what waited for her out on the open seas.
“I will not leave my brother to be tortured and brutalized,” she said.
“You’re not coming with us, and that’s final.”
She marched to William, and he couldn’t help but admire her fierce determination. “You are not my lord and master.” She turned to Kane. “Well, Capitaine?”
Ronan stretched his arms over his head and arched his back. “What’s going on?”
Mariah’s mouth dropped open, and a glimpse of desire flashed in her eyes, then vanished. William cringed. Of course, she’d be interested in Ronan. Most lasses swooned over him. Why did he care if they courted? He’d just met the lass. But bloody hell, he did care.
“William does not think I am strong enough to defeat a demon.”
Ronan’s brows furrowed. “’Tis not true. Without you, we’ll fail.”
“You’re a bleedin’ eejit, Ronan,” William said. “You’re going to put the lass in danger. Do you want her to end up like her brother?”
“I will not abandon my brother. Not when I can help.”
William’s throat tightened at her small voice. He wished he could convince her to stay here, out of sight. But if she was bent on comi
ng on this nightmare voyage, then she needed to know what monsters waited for her. “You could suffer the same fate, Mariah. The magic possessing Lark is dark, straight from hell. You can’t help him. You must stay here.”
“Then you condemn my brother to die.”
William stood toe-to-toe with her, his full height dwarfing her petite form. In his most menacing voice, he said, “You’ll stay here where you’ll be safe.”
“No.” She pushed William.
He fell backward, but easily righted himself. He was surprised at her strength. Not that she could topple him over, but she was no weak female, either.
“I will follow, you if I have to,” she said.
Doc stumbled to his feet. “Lass, stop. You done hurt him.”
“Like bloody hell she has,” William grumbled.
“Mon Dieu! Then tell him I am not a prisoner.”
“You’re not coming with us,” William said.
“Capt’n, William’s wrong,” Ronan insisted. “Lark said she can help. Give the lass a chance.”
William studied Ronan. Of course, Ronan would take the lass’s side. On board the Fiery Damsel, the stories Lark had told Ronan of Mariah kept Ronan alive. He had been determined to find Mariah, save Lark, and meet the woman of his dreams. William should stand aside and let Ronan court her, but he couldn’t deny he was attracted to the lass and couldn’t pass up the chance to test her charms.
“Capitaine?” Mariah asked. “If Lark changes into a warlock, you will remain a vampire and your brother a dragon. The choice is yours.”
“Welcome to the crew, lass,” Kane said.
“Damn you, Kane,” William grumbled. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“Oui, he does,” Mariah said. “We are wasting time. We need to move now.”
She was hiding something. William grabbed her arm. “Why?”
“Because before we set sail, we need to visit my Grand-mère.”