“I’m so sorry. I pray that you find her.”
He smiled. “Thank you. You should also pray for those who took her. When I find Lileta, her captor’s death will be slow and painful.”
She had no doubt this man was capable of unspeakable acts.
Seth slid in next to her. “Do you need a break, Cassie?”
Baal slapped his thigh and gave a snort. “Whoa, he speaks.”
She touched her chest. These were the first words Seth had spoken since they left Vandeldor. “Uh no, I’m fine but thanks for asking.”
“Very well then,” he replied and continued walking.
She returned her bottle to the side of her hip and turned to Baal. “Is he always this quiet?”
“'Fraid so, doll. Didn’t anyone tell you about his abilities?”
She shook her head. “No. What ability is that?”
He moved closer and lowered his voice. Not that it mattered. Cassie understood vampires had exceptional hearing. “When he drinks blood, he acquires the memories of his meal. Normally, he can purge them from his system, but since the curse, he has been unable to do so. Those memories have been with him for three hundred years. Can you imagine?”
She couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping open. “No wonder he walks around like a black cloud hangs over him.” There was no way to conceive what it must be like. Part of her gained a new respect for the quiet man.
“Makes me wonder how much longer he can cope.” Baal shook his head. “It’s a pity, the fucking curse Drayos placed on them.” He looked Cassie in the eyes. “Maybe they’ll all get lucky and find their mates. I think it will be their only salvation.”
She furrowed her brows. “I don’t understand. If they are warriors, then why would their gods allow this to happen?”
“Who knows why the gods make the decisions they do. It is what it is, and we are left to deal with the mess. Zarek pulls the interference card, says it’s not good for evolution. Bastard!”
“Why are you whispering?”
His brows shot up to his hairline. “Really? I don’t want the prick knowing I’m talking about him. He just might show up.”
She gave a mental shudder, Zarek didn’t sound like anyone she wanted to meet anytime soon. “But, isn’t he your god also?” I’m so confused by these ‘gods’ they keep referring to.
“Yes, doll, doesn’t mean I have to worship the ground he walks on.”
“Oh.”
Chapter Sixteen
Marcus’s thoughts wandered back to Cassie. He should have stayed away from her but had been weak. The connection between them was stronger than he ever imagined, much stronger than the match with Eliza. He wondered why Zarek decided to choose a human over one of his own kind. He certainly didn’t deserve a woman like Cassie and feared he would be overcome by the curse, his soul possessed by pure evil. He’d become nothing more than a blood junkie, taking for the unadulterated pleasure like a heroin addict.
Time passed at a snail’s pace, only indicated by Eliza entering the room to torture him with her sexual exploits. So far, he’d been able to put his mind on other matters, keeping his body’s reaction to her a non-issue. How much longer he could do that, he didn’t know. He prayed for as long as necessary. His skin was now hyper sensitive to touch, and his cock ached for release. The term blue balls held a whole new meaning. Something he wouldn’t wish on even his worst enemy.
He scanned the room, looked for anything to aid him in escaping this hell hole. He found nothing. Then there was the hunger, he couldn’t remember the last time he had food or blood. His belly ached. Every time Eliza entered the room, he thought of tasting her, in more ways than one. Maybe I should just mate with her and be done with it. Part of him felt he owed her. Hell, he did owe her. There was no question about it. However, visions of Cassie would dance through his mind. He wouldn’t give up on them.
He tried again to free his wrists from the shackles and failed. There was no escape, weakness plagued him. The door opened, and Eliza entered for another round of pleasure. His fangs dropped at the sight of her, if she got close enough, he’d drain her.
“Marcus, darling. I feel your hunger,” she cooed while she climbed on top of him. “We must really do something about that.” Her fangs extended and she bit into her wrist, letting droplets of precious blood splatter onto his stomach. “Oh silly me, I am such a klutz. Hmmm, the smell of blood has made me hungry. Maria!”
A young girl appeared in the doorway. He guessed her to be no more than eighteen. She wore a peach-colored bra and matching thong, the color complemented her olive skin. “Yes, my lady?”
“Come closer, Maria.”
The girl obeyed and moved toward the bed. Was Eliza actually going to let him feast on the girl? He licked his lips in anticipation. His belly rumbled, begging to be filled. Once Maria stood beside the bed, Eliza reached up and moved the girl's raven locks away from her neck.
“Doesn’t she look lovely, Marcus?” Eliza slipped Maria’s bra straps past her shoulders and exposed her firm, round breasts. “Maria, I’m hungry.”
The girl moved to sit on the edge of the bed, facing Marcus. Eliza caressed the girl’s breasts, causing her to moan softly. Son of a bitch. She really was going to do this in front of him, again!
“You want her, don’t you?”
Yes, yes, he did. In that instant, his cock grew stiff, and his stomach growled. Shit! Why now? Why did he become aroused for this young girl and not for Eliza? Damn his body for betraying him.
“Marcus, you are aroused for her.” Of course, she would notice, sitting on his lap. Her eyes turned into molten lava as she leaned over and sank her fangs into the girl’s neck.
Maria gasped while Eliza drank and continued to massage the girl’s breasts. Marcus inhaled the coppery scent, his gaze fixed on the blood that trickled down her neck. The girl continued to moan in pleasure until she screamed out in ecstasy. Eliza should have stopped but didn’t, she took deeper pulls.
“Eliza, what the fuck are you doing? Stop!” He fought against his restraints to no avail. He heard Maria’s heart slowing, her breaths became shallow. Eliza was killing her. Again, he pulled, tried to focus all his energy on freeing himself. The restraints held. Helpless, I’m fucking helpless to stop her. Zarek! Where the fuck are you?
Eliza took one last draw of blood then released Maria to fall into a heap on the floor. He looked at the innocent girl, and his vision glazed over. If he could have reached Eliza at that moment, he would have killed her again. “You bitch! We are guardians, sworn to protect.”
She licked the remaining blood from her lips as she moved off of him. “You are a guardian, not I.” She walked toward the door and called to someone standing outside. A demon entered, grabbed Maria by the arm, and dragged her from the room. Marcus would kill him too for disrespecting the poor girl.
“What the fuck are you?”
She picked at her red fingernails. “Really, darling, you’re so moody.” She sighed, her hands dropping to her side. “You chose to be a warrior rather than a husband. You left me to wait rather than bond with me.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “I am a warrior, and I thought you were too young. I didn’t want to saddle you with a husband and possible children at such a young age.”
She sneered. “Thanks to your lack of attention, I gave my heart to another. Yes, I loved Drayos, and I intend to avenge his death. You will suffer for what you did to me.” She wrapped her fingers around his chin and squeezed. Her nails bit into his flesh, sending warm liquid running down his chin. “As far as the girl you killed that day? It was Drayos’s magic, he used another and made her look like me."
He watched her leave the room, vowing under his breath that one way or another she would pay. He had once loved the woman, but now he was filled with hatred. So much hatred, bile burned his throat. How could someone so innocent turn so ugly? No, she wanted to blame him for what happened, but her heart had been turned black long ago. He knew guilt should pl
ague him. No doubt Drayos turned her against her own people. However, he refused to feel it. He had to find a way to free himself then slaughter her. He thought of Aidyn. The man had suffered enough. How would he react to the knowledge his sister lived? He would be happy beyond belief, but when he learned who she truly was, it would crush him. No, he would kill the bitch before his friend ever learned the truth. Somehow, he had to hide this from his friend.
Seth decided to make camp near a small lake located off the abandoned logging road. Cassie sat on a fallen tree near the water’s edge and pulled off the hiking boots. Her feet were tired and aching, so she dipped them into the water. With her face turned up toward the sky she swore there was a hiss when her feet hit the water.
“May I take your backpack for you?”
She jumped, surprised by Seth's soundless approach from behind. So eager to get her boots off, she'd forgotten she even wore a pack. “Thanks. That would be wonderful.” She reached for the clip and undid the cinch around her waist. Seth helped pull the pack down her arms and off her. She was in excellent shape, but the day's hiking had worn her out.
He gave her a sidelong glance. “You need to come up by the fire, Cassie. It is not safe down here.”
She looked behind her. Baal already had a fire going and stood with a sword perched over his shoulder. Her posture went rigid. Something wasn’t right. “What’s going on, Seth?”
“Draki passed through here, probably two days ago.”
“Is that bad?” What a stupid question, of course it was. She was well aware of the possibility a conflict between the vampires and dragons could break out anytime.
“I would rather not cross paths with them.” Seth glanced up at the darkening sky as if searching for something. “No doubt if they are in the area, there is a good chance Odage is as well.” He leveled his eyes on her. “It is very dangerous here. You need to try and make contact with Marcus tonight.”
“Okay.” She didn’t want to tell him yet. She’d been trying, without success, ever since they arrived. She grabbed her boots and followed Seth to camp. Hungry and tired, her feet tangled beneath her, almost sending her headfirst to the ground. If not for Seth grabbing her arm, she would have done a nosedive in the dirt.
A faint smile crossed her lips. “Thanks. Again.”
He tipped his head then escorted her to the fire. She took a seat on her sleeping bag, glad to be on her ass instead of her feet. Upon reaching into her backpack, she pulled out a bottle of water and a chicken pesto MRE. She frowned, hoping the container of food didn’t taste like cardboard.
“Where’s Baal?” she asked.
Seth looked up from poking the fire. “Hunting.”
“I’m probably going to regret this, but what do demons eat exactly?”
He replied in his usual monotone voice. “Raw meat.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What about you, did you bring your bag of blood?” She knew he was able to eat food but needed blood to keep his strength.
He stopped poking at the fire but kept his eyes on the ground. “No, it must be fresh. I thought Marcus explained that to you.” He must have sensed her fear. “Do not worry. I ate well before we left. I will be good for a week or more.”
Cassie gave a sigh of relief. Thank god. “So tell me more about the slave trades. How do they capture such powerful demons?” She and Baal had never finished their conversation on the subject, and she was curious about it.
He continued to poke at the fire, never making eye contact with her. “They place a band of silver on them. It weakens them considerably. They are then placed on the auction block for sale.”
“So why can’t they just remove the silver band?”
“It has magic placed on it. The only one who can remove it is the owner or another Kothar whose magic is powerful.” Seth rose and walked over to Cassie. He knelt down beside her and handed her what looked like a bracelet. “This is the silver band. It is our weakness, as well. Keep this safe and use it if needed.”
She looked at the bracelet, running her fingers over its polished surface. “What’s this mean?” She referred to the scrollwork covering the surface. It looked like some sort of hieroglyphics.
“A Kothar demon made this piece. The scrollwork is the spell cast over it. Once you place this on a vampire’s wrist, he or she will not be able to remove it. Only another Kothar can do so.”
“What will it do to the vampire if I use it?”
“It will weaken him enough to save your life.”
She bit her bottom lip. “I’m confused. Why would a Kothar do something to hurt his own people? And second, why do I need it?”
Seth got up and walked back to his seat. “History has shown people will often sell their own, demons are no different. As for you, we do not know what has happened to Marcus. If he loses to the curse, you may be in danger.”
Baal walked back into camp, sat down and stretched his long legs out as he reclined back on a log.
She took in the view through her lashes. His muscular legs were covered with dark jeans. He wore leather biker boots and a black fitted T-shirt. She almost wished she felt something for the handsome demon, but the most she could do was admire his looks. He didn’t evoke the feeling of safety and comfort that Marcus did. She flipped back the sleeping bag she sat on and crawled inside. Her eyes slid shut and she tried once more to reach Marcus.
Cassie?
Marcus, is that you? A soft caress touched her cheek.
You must go back, love. It’s too dangerous here.
Where are you? Are you hurt?
Do not worry over me, go back. He leaned down and kissed her. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to dance with hers.
“I’ve missed you,” she moaned.
Si itov wux, my sweetness.
His hands brushed her nipples, she gasped. “I need you. I...”
“Cassie.”
What the hell? Marcus was fading. She reached for him and cried out, “No!”
“Cassie.”
“What?” she yelled, realizing she was being shaken. She opened her eyes to find Seth bent over her.
“Are you all right? You were talking in your sleep.”
Sleep? She’d been sleeping? Then that meant it was only a dream, he didn’t actually talk to her or touch her.
“I am sorry, but Aidyn is here to speak with us.”
She looked around, tried to get her bearings. Still in her sleeping bag and the fire now cold. The sun peeked out over the horizon. Seth, Baal, and Aidyn stood looking at her. She dropped her face into her hands. Oh god, how much did they hear? She had to be blushing but crawled out of her sleeping bag, grabbed a change of clothes, her toiletry bag and a towel then headed toward the lake. She wanted nothing more than to drown herself and avoid any embarrassing questions. For now, she’d settle with cleaning up and brushing her teeth.
Sensing someone behind her, she stopped in her tracks and whirled around to find Baal following her. Placing a hand on her hip, she glared at him. “Why are you following me?”
He threw up his hands in surrender. “Sheesh, a little grouchy in the morning, are we?”
Guilt shook her. She hadn’t meant to be such a snit, but her head still reeled from earlier. “Sorry, I just need some alone time.”
He smiled. “I understand. I’ll have some coffee ready, how would that be?”
“I would love some, thanks. I won’t be long.” She hurried the rest of the way to the lake, making sure she was out of view before pulling off her clothes. After the dream she'd had, an ice-cold dip was exactly what she needed. She was still unsure of what had happened. It had seemed so real. She would swear Marcus had been there with her. I really am losing my mind.
She dove in, letting the cool water caress her heated body. She contemplated staying under but knew there was no use in hiding. With a sigh, she swam back to shore, and grabbing some shampoo, she quickly washed her hair. Maybe being clean would help her sense of humor. After toweling off, she dressed th
en brushed her teeth. Her stomach growled, reminding her she was hungry, so she gathered her things and headed back to camp. The aroma of rich coffee made her mouth water. Baal greeted her with a smile and a steaming cup.
She smiled back at him. “Thanks, and sorry for being a grouch.”
His eyes twinkled. “No worries, doll. I’d be a little testy too if I had to leave such a wet dream.”
Her jaw dropped. “Is nothing sacred around you people?” she whispered, hoping Aidyn and Seth wouldn’t hear. They seemed to be caught up in their own conversation anyway.
“Not really, but you’ll get used to it. You need to practice putting up those mental blocks.”
She scrunched her brows. “I would have thought to be safe in my sleep.”
“Cassie.”
She turned toward Aidyn’s voice, making a mental note to continue this conversation with Baal at a later time. “Aidyn, why do I feel like you’re here to bring bad news?”
He tilted his head. “You are very astute, little one. I’m afraid the dragons have declared war on us. We must get you to safety.”
“I don’t understand. You want me to leave?”
“Yes, Cassie, it’s not safe for you to be here. If you are found here with us, it could mean your death.”
“But what about Marcus? I thought I was here to find him.” Panic started in the pit of her stomach and moved up to the back of her throat. She had to find him. She could not leave him.
“You are now my first concern.” He lowered his eyes. “I promised him.”
“No! You can’t do that to him. I refuse to go. I want to continue the search.”
Aidyn crossed his arms over his chest. “You have no choice. You will be taken through the gateway as soon as you’re packed up.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. How could he give up on his friend so quickly? She would not. “You can send me home, but you can’t stop me from coming back here and searching on my own. I will come back here, I promise you that.”
His features softened. “I see you have finally come to your senses. Very well, I will give you three more days, but that is all. I can’t spare any more warriors to guard you, and I need these two back at home. Good luck. I, more than anyone, hope you find him.”
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