by Brenda Trim
Lorne was shocked at the massive opening. The space was about twenty feet wide by thirty feet deep, and there were tables everywhere. Several long wooden slabs held bottles, jars, and bowls.
“Are those eyeballs?” Legette whispered.
Lorne followed his gaze and shuddered. “Sure looks like it. And, this is frosting,” he stated as he stared at a large bowl filled with the sugary topping. “Looks like he built an oven over there. Maybe Cyril likes to bake in his spare time,” Lorne joked.
“Yeah. Eye-filled cakeballs. Sounds delicious,” Legette mocked. “Do you see any hiding spots?”
There were two large boulders, and Lorne quickly made his way to the closest rock. He jumped behind it, holding his weapons at the ready. Legette did the same then called out, “Nothing here. Coast is clear,” and glanced toward the two kings.
The second Angus and Zander crossed the threshold, Lorne realized it was a mistake. Giant spider-like creatures swarmed from the ceiling. They had six legs and multiple eyes covering their heads. Lorne couldn’t see a mouth or fangs like typical spiders found on Khoth.
Slashing out, he quickly killed several and stomped on others. Thankfully, they were easy to eradicate. “Are these some of his latest creations? Is that what he’s been doing down here?”
“These are no’ creatures of Khoth, but I doona know if Cyril created them,” Angus offered then let out a wail. Lorne cursed when he saw a spider on Angus’s arm. There was a needle protruding from one of its legs, and the needle was buried in the king’s forearm. His veins immediately turned black around the puncture wound. Angus’s knife instantly stabbed the creature, instantly killing it.
“These fuckers came out of nowhere. My guess is they belong to Cyril,” Legette said through gritted teeth. Lorne saw a gaping wound on the male and assumed Legette was bitten, as well.
“No doubt. Blast your fire. It will clear any hiding up there,” Lorne suggested.
Zander retreated to the entrance of the cavern and prevented any from escaping while the three of them let out streams of fire. When Lorne’s fire engulfed a nearby table, Lorne stopped. They needed to inspect every item and search for clues as to what Cyril was planning next.
“Are these dragon runes?” Zander asked as he held up a piece of paper from a table close to the entrance.
“Aye. It’s our rune for Tuya. I’d bet from his position under the sacred site he was looking for a way to interrupt the ceremony,” Angus suggested as he bent and examined the contents of the table. “I wouldna pick anything up. No telling what traps are ready to blow us to bits. We need to get the shaman in here.”
“You should bring the Rowan sisters to Khoth,” Zander suggested. “I know you have technology connected to your wards in the city, but I bet they can offer more protections for homes against creatures like these. When they combine their strength, it’s the most powerful magic I’ve ever seen.”
“It couldn’t hurt,” Legette agreed. “Our early warning system will do us no good if these fuckers can infiltrate homes and go on a killing spree.”
“Aye. I will send for them. Cyril won’t know what hit him when he gets a taste of our backlash,” Angus muttered, but his focus remained on the sheet of paper with one of their runes on it.
Zander stomped a stray spider as it tried to escape the flames. “I like how you think, my friend. You should’ve seen the wrath they dealt Lady Angelica? It was fucking brilliant.”
“That vile female deserved to die,” Angus muttered absently as he continued to survey the scene. Crossing to a back wall, Angus let out some dragon smoke and drew the rune for an explosion. “You might want to duck. I’m missing an important clue here, and I’m going to blow shit up until I find it.”
Lorne barely covered his head before a loud boom sounded through the area. Rocks rained down, and the ground trembled.
“Shite, Angus. You might want to reinforce the ceiling, so it doesna collapse on us,” Zander barked as he dusted off his shoulder and shook the dirt from his hair.
Angus chuckled at the sight of the Vampire King covered in debris. “I’ll put less force behind it next time.” The king repeated his magic in several other places until feathers and fluff were flying along with rock.
“Looks like we discovered where the fucker’s hiding,” Legette muttered as he looked around.
“Too bad there’s no dead body,” Lorne surmised. He’d give anything to see Cyril dead and buried. “I’ll send for the shaman and gather a team to clear this shit out.”
While Lorne was relieved they found Cyril’s base of operations; his gut told him this was far from over.
* * *
Chapter 14
“That was the best-roasted torc and zarid root I’ve ever eaten,” Cambree muttered as she patted her full stomach. “Thank you so much for bringing me here,” she stated and glanced around the fancy restaurant.
“I’m glad you enjoyed the meal. For me, the best part of the night was staring into your beautiful brown eyes, sweet Cambree,” Damien replied with a slight smile. It sent butterflies fluttering in her full belly.
Cambree adjusted her position on the plush seat. His dark gaze made her squirm. “So, I’ve got a personal question,” she hedged, needing a distraction.
“Ask me anything,” Damien replied and reached over to caress her hand.
The fluttering in her stomach traveled lower, and Cambree clenched her thighs together. The newfound sensations wracking her body were disconcerting, yet exciting. It brought Lorne to mind, and what the sexy knight did to her body.
Stop thinking about him! You’re not ever going to be together, she chastised.
Cambree focused on Damien instead. “Alright. I sense you’re not a shifter, and you’re not a Fire Demon, either. Are you a Light Demon?”
He chuckled. “No, but that’s a good guess.”
Cambree shook her head and smiled. She’d been trying to figure out what he was since the day they met. Honestly, Light Demon was unlikely given Damien didn’t glow. All Light Demons she knew had a subtle luminescence quality about them.
“Okay, I give up. What are you?”
Damien stood up and flashed a smile Cambree bet made all the females melt. He was a gorgeous male, indeed. And, he repeatedly proved to her that he wasn’t like the other jerks she’d dated.
“Eventually,” he answered then quickly added, “Are you ready to go to my place for that movie?” he announced and offered his hand.
Cambree glanced over at Finn, sitting at the adjacent table. The male appeared to be asleep, and she shook her head then turned back to Damien. She was ready for the next step. Cambree wanted to think of someone other than Lorne for a change. She had nothing else to compare to the explosive kiss she shared with the knight, and it was driving her mad. She needed to forget about Lorne. Cambree wanted her male to adore her, and Damien showed her nothing but respect and admiration.
His motives were clear. He wasn’t dating Cambree because she could give him dragonettes. He was attracted to her. And, he could hold interesting conversations which was appealing. He seemed financially secure and enjoyed spoiling her. Now, it was time to see if he could make her toes curl.
Accepting his hand, Cambree stood, and Damien pulled her close to his side. Instantly, her heart raced, and sweat broke along her spine. She wondered if he could feel her clammy palms. He made no move to take advantage, but her mind and body reacted as if he were the attacker in the alley.
Stop being so paranoid! she told her overwrought nerves. Damien is a true gentleman.
Damien took a step back, and Cambree breathed a sigh of relief. He could tell she was uneasy, and he was giving her space. Again, she couldn’t ask for more.
Cambree shook Finn’s shoulder. The knight blinked several times and rubbed his face. “Cambree? Where are we? What’s going on?” he asked and hopped to his feet.
Damien placed his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “We finished dinner. You must be burning the wick at both ends. Y
ou fell asleep,” he explained.
Finn stumbled when Damien let go of his shoulder. Guilt washed through Cambree as she thought of why Finn was so exhausted. It was her fault the male looked like he was about to pass out. If she could protect herself, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. Granted, she was working on it, but Cambree knew she wasn’t ready to be without a knight at her side.
It felt awful to need Finn, but the trauma from Cambree’s attack was still a raw wound. Her breath constricted if a male looked at her too long. Finn recently put a male in a headlock for trying to hug her. Admittedly, the male claimed all he wanted was a hug, but he’d come at her with pursed lips.
“Damien wants to take me to his place for a movie,” Cambree added.
Finn blinked several more times then started walking toward the door. It was bizarre behavior for the knight; Cam thought as she followed her bodyguard toward the exit. He must be overworked. They had a code during her dates. Certain eye or hand signals so he’d know she was uncomfortable. He didn’t even glance her way to see how she felt about going to Damien’s house. She concluded that he trusted Damien.
As they stepped outside, the night air cooled Cambree’s sweaty brow, making her shiver. Damien stopped next to her and put his hands in his pockets then rocked back on his heels.
“Let’s skip the movie tonight. The evening is too nice to waste indoors,” Damien suggested.
Cambree felt like an idiot. The male must have sensed her apprehension and didn’t want to push her for more. He truly was one of the good males. “That would be fantastic,” she answered and grabbed his hand, hoping to show she was just as interested in him. “A walk sounds perfect after that big meal.”
They started down the street, and Cambree noticed Finn wasn’t following them. Perhaps she should call it a night and go home so Finn could get some rest. “You know what? I think I’ll take a rain check on the walk. Finn looks like he’s about to drop.”
Damien waved his hand in the air. “Nonsense,” he tsked. “A short walk will be good for you. And, I know this great little alcove on the beach. The moon shines off the water and paints an image you must see.”
Cambree was shaking her head before he finished speaking. She loved the beach and wanted to see what he was describing, but she would not drag a tired Finn around the city. That was cruel. He did enough for her and sacrificed so much to guard her.
“I can’t. Perhaps tomorrow night.” She stepped toward Finn, and Damien grabbed her upper arm.
Her stomach lurched, and lessons from class flashed through her mind. Damien wasn’t making any moves to hurt her, but she instantly recalled Blaine’s advice. In a pinch, squeeze the crap out of his balls.
“Please wait. I’m having such a good time with you, and I don’t want it to end. You’re a unique female and a breath of fresh air in my otherwise stale life,” Damien murmured and ran a finger across her cheek.
Cambree’s nerves instantly settled. There was no danger here, and she needed to stop looking for trouble. Not every male wanted to hurt her. “Let me check with Finn. He seems beyond tired. If he wants to leave, we’ll have to do this another night,” she explained.
Damien shook his head and scrunched his face up. “You don’t need him. I will protect you always. You’re safe with me, sweet Cambree. Let’s send Finn home, and go for that walk.”
Wait? Go without her security? She’d never done that before. Granted, Damien was a large male, and looked like he could take on the most aggressive dragon, but could she trust him explicitly? What if she went into heat? She recalled the night before during training class. Cambree experienced unexplained arousal, and her body tingled uncontrollably. She didn’t know how she’d react if another urge erupted.
“I can’t go without Finn. He needs to agree, or I’m not going,” she insisted. Damien shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t bother him, but she could see the irritation in the set of his mouth.
“Of course. I’m sure he’ll agree. It’s his obligation,” Damien replied, and Cambree felt a pang of guilt. Damien had a point. Finn would never deny her request.
A couple walked past them, and the male paused as his nostrils flared. He immediately met Cambree’s gaze. She held her breath, waiting to see what the male would do next. She checked her internal temperature, but everything felt normal. She wasn’t the slightest bit aroused, so she should be in the clear. Suddenly, the male glanced around as if confused then kept walking. Cambree exhaled, relieved that the incident was over.
“I see what you mean,” Damien muttered. “Does stuff like that happen to you often?”
“Ever since I became a Tuya. Surely, you’ve noticed it before now?” she asked then realized she hadn’t been approached by many males when she was out with Damien. Perhaps that was one reason she liked him as much as she did. He warded off the proles.
“I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. But, that’s because my eyes are always on you, love.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Does that line usually work?” If she were honest, it was working on her, too.
“I suppose,” Damien coaxed. “It’s been a while since a female caught my attention,” he admitted, and she flushed. The heat in his dark eyes sent a different kind of shiver through Cambree’s body.
“Hey, Finn,” she muttered, her gaze fixed on Damien. “We’re going to walk to the beach. Are you okay staying out a little longer?” Cambree asked her guard.
“Sounds good to me,” he responded. “I’m up for whatever. Where are we going?” he asked and Cambree thought she heard him yawn.
“Trinity Beach,” Damien divulged and twined their fingers. It felt nice, and Cambree smiled as they headed down the street. She could hear Finn’s boots behind them, but she felt like it was just her and Damien on an evening stroll.
They were at the edge of the city where large apartment buildings and restaurants replaced the high-rise corporate business structures. They were far enough away from the market that there was no lingering ash on the buildings, either.
Cam glanced down the next alley, and her dragon stirred when she spotted trees instead of more buildings. Getting away from the concrete jungle would be nice. She hadn’t spent nearly enough time in the air or forest over the past months, and it was taking its toll. She needed to release her inner beast, and fly off some steam.
“So, if you aren’t going to tell me what you are, will you at least tell me if you were born here?”
Damien cocked his head and looked sideways at her with a dazzling smile on his face. “You’re tenacious, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea,” she muttered. That was probably her best trait. Giving up wasn’t in her vocabulary.
“No, I wasn’t born here, but I’ve considered Khoth my home for a very long time, and have no plans on leaving,” he offered.
“Give me one hint as to what you are,” she begged as they cleared the last building. She didn’t know why she persisted, but she had to at least discover his species. Damien was so different than any male she’d met before.
Suddenly, Cambree smelled the salt of the ocean and felt moisture in the air. The trees thinned, and sand replaced groundcover. Her dragon rustled in her chest, itching for a flight over the water.
“Oh, it’s stunning. How does the moon reflect off the water like that?” Her eyes drank in the purple glow and smiled at Damien. He was right. This should be on everyone’s list to see. “How have I never seen this before?”
Kicking off her sandals, she sank her toes into the soft ground. The particles were still warm from the sun. It reminded her of the days she spent at the beach as a young dragonette. She loved the water, and unlike many land dragons, she enjoyed swimming with the sea dragons.
“I may have forgotten to bring wine, but I didn’t forget you have a sweet tooth, love,” Damien murmured as he approached her with a cupcake in his hand. Where in the heck had he hidden that? It had fluffy pink frosting that stood a good five inches off the overs
ized cake. She inhaled and smelled sherulla.
“You could fit that in your pocket but not a bottle of pequino?” she teased with a laugh as she accepted the treat from him. After swiping her finger through the icing, she licked it clean and enjoyed the sweet, fruity cream. “Gods, this is delicious. Finn, you’re going to want some of this,” she declared and glanced sideways.
Finn was sprawled on the sand and didn’t answer her question. Cambree danced toward the knight. When she was about to break the cupcake in half, Damien stopped her.
“I didn’t make that for him. That’s special just for you, my sweet Cambree.”
Cambree looked at the cake in her hand. Aside from the finger mark along the top, it was perfect. Never in a million years would she have guessed that this male made it.
“No one besides my parents have ever made me anything. That’s probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”
“Your enjoyment is all the thanks I need,” he murmured and kissed her cheek. “Now, take a real taste.”
That was your second kiss, Cambree thought. And, she wanted another before the date was over. On the lips.
She gently peeled back the paper and took a bite of the desert. “Mmmm. This is delicious and so moist. What’s your secret?”
“If I told you that it wouldn’t be a secret anymore,” Damien divulged and ran his thumb over the corner of her mouth.
Cambree noticed frosting on his thumb and giggled, but then he placed the tip in his mouth, licking the treat. Cambree’s stomach flipped and rolled at the sight. His lips looked so inviting, and his hypnotic eyes held her in place.
Damien muttered something she didn’t understand then closed the distance between them. She tilted her head to look up at him, but her neck suddenly lost its strength, and her head lolled to the side. Everything went fuzzy for a moment, and Cambree thought she might faint. Damien’s arms wrapped around her waist supporting her weight. Cambree tried to lift her head again, but couldn’t. What was wrong with her? She’d never had such a harsh reaction to sugar before.