Fate's Kiss

by Elysabeth Grace

  “Do you intend to stab me, life mate?”

  “Only if you give me a reason. You do realize these types of visitations work best when you give me warning, or at least not awaken me from much needed sleep.”

  “If you hadn’t acted so precipitously and abandoned my bed, my life mate might not require days to heal wounds that shouldn’t exist, denying me the pleasures of her body.”

  Anne pulled herself upright and scooted against the headboard. A small globe suddenly ignited and the entire bed was illuminated. Gabriel was lying on the right side of her bed, his long muscular legs extended and crossed at the ankles. Arrogance studded his expression as he folded his arms against his chest.

  “What the hell?”

  Anne’s laughter sang through the muzzle of a large dog who squatted on his lap. When his fingers reached up to grab the animal by the throat, she quickly resumed her natural shape. The satisfaction she felt outweighed the discomfort she endured while shifting. She tried to smother her giggles before giving up. The surprise on Gabriel’s face was priceless.

  “Next time, use the door,” she gasped as she struggled to catch her breath.

  He lifted her off him and positioned her next to him. “Revenge, life mate.”

  She shrugged and peered at him. The man was beautiful, and disconcerting. “What brings you here, my lord? Besides an inability to do without my company.”

  He seized one of her pillows and shoved it behind his back. “We need to talk about this attack on you and why your pain nearly brought me to my knees and I couldn’t stop it.”

  “We are mated. You shared my pain because I wasn’t able to close off my mind.” She frowned. “I was caught off guard. It won’t happen again.”

  “Good,” Gabriel said. “I enjoy fucking you, Anne, which I’m not able to do at the moment. A fact that leaves me inconsolable.”

  She winced at his crudeness but held her tongue. Not today, Demon. A sweet smiled on her lips, she replied, “Shall I convey your sentiments to those who come for my life? I’m certain they will turn tail and flee once they discover your pleasures are disrupted by their attacks on me.”

  He swore and she laughed. “What are you afraid of, Demon?” Her finger tapped her bottom lip. “Have you come to hold some affection for me and fear for my safety? If that is your worry, don’t. I’m capable of protecting myself.”

  “If that were true you would not be recovering from several deadly knife wounds. Since we’re bound to death, I’d prefer to have you when and where I will without drama or injury.”

  “What happened was mischance,” Anne said angrily. “Had you not dragged me to Alenesby, the attack wouldn’t have happened. As to your lust, there are no assurances. What I can state is that I much prefer your cold bed to death and I’ll do all in my power to remain as I am. Alive.”

  She arched an eyebrow to give her next words, a lie, emphasis. “I don’t particularly like you and would rather feel your indifference. Sadly, Fate has left me little choice in the matter.”

  Gabriel’s burst of laughter sent delicious shivers down her spine and straight to her vagina. Lilith help her if he smiled. The heat coiling between her thighs couldn’t withstand the assault. He turned to face her. Her body stiffened when he cupped her chin and tilted her head so their gazes met. He held it for what seemed an eternity before a wicked gleam brightened his vivid blue eyes.

  “Indifference?” He leaned forward and brushed his mouth across hers. “I doubt I will ever be indifferent to you.”

  Anne abruptly jerked away from his hand when his mouth left hers and fangs suddenly appeared. She scrambled away from him, wincing at the pain that shot through her with sudden movement. Malicious laughter echoed beneath the canopy. An iron grip halted her flight.

  “What became of your acceptance of our bond, life mate?”

  His fingers gripped her wrist and she squeezed her eyelids. Breathe, Anne. Slow your heart and breathe. Finally, she opened her eyes and stared at him.

  “This is who I am,” he said as he retracted his canines. “I am undead. I have one purpose in life. To destroy the filth that sired me. That is why I haven’t taken a wife or a mistress. Not only would that be nuisance but she would become a sacrifice to my revenge. Do you grasp what I’m saying, sweet Anne? I would sacrifice you to see him dead. No human is safe from me, not even you.”

  She jerked her wrist from his fingers, climbed off the bed, and walked over to the fireplace. “Very few people would call me human, so your attempts to create fear fall short.” She whipped around. “Again, my lord, what are you afraid of?”

  Gabriel’s body stiffened when she returned to the bed and placed her palm against his chest. She felt the slow liquid beat of his pulse against her skin.

  “What are you afraid of, Demon?” she murmured as she leaned over and kissed his chin. “Does loving me frighten you? Do you fear I’m the one to capture your nonexistent heart? You do not frighten me, Gabriel.”

  Her hands clasped the back of his neck and drew his mouth to hers. Her lips brushed his mouth before her tongue pushed its way between his pressed lips. She licked the inside of his mouth, collecting the wetness the way an urn catches rain water. Her exploration left her unquenched, as if the few drops only deepened her thirst. He tasted of brandy and spice. The spicy taste was his essence and she absorbed it on her tongue and into her memory.

  When his tongue began to move inside her mouth, she opened to him. Their tongues danced across each other, unfettered twirls and twists that sent their hearts racing. Only the need for air forced her to pull away from a kiss as decadent as the sweet chocolate drink she loved as a child.

  Tiny pants punctuated her thoughts as she silently asked, will you join your mind with mine, Gabriel? I would have you discover the exquisite taste of your kisses.

  She felt the slight shudder ripple through him before he closed himself to her. His face was unreadable and, despite the erection tenting his breeches, he shook his head.

  Anne closed her eyes for a second and then opened them. “What is the hour?”

  “Ten o’clock in the morning. Come, my cock needs to visit your sweet puss.”

  She rose and walked over to a sofa and sat. Patting the space next to her, she waited until he joined her. “I need your help.”

  “You are already in my debt, Mistress Holland,” he drawled. With a dramatic sigh, he took her hand. “Do hurry and tell me, so I can crawl between your tempting thighs.”

  “The night I was injured . . .”

  “Attacked.”

  Anne rolled her eyes. “Attacked. That night, three sisters, witches, arrived at Holland’s League. They’re very young, the oldest can’t be more than twelve.”

  Gabriel laced his fingers with hers. “More witches for the demon king’s breeding pen. Have you considered that he’s driving them to you, especially after the debacle with Betsy.”

  “What do you mean? Betsy was a demon’s pawn.”

  “I’m not so certain, Anne,” he said. “She managed to infiltrate Holland’s League despite the safeguards you’ve set.”

  “But how? In the two years Holland’s League has existed no demon has every crossed its threshold. How did she fool us?”

  “I intend to find out,” Gabriel said. “She was a hybrid, but what kind I have no idea. She was able to conceal her demon blood from you and the witches.”

  He rose and walked over to the bed, leaning against the post. “Holland’s League has drawn me like a moth to a flame for nearly two months. I sensed the power residing in this house, although I had no idea what kind. When demons and the undead began sniffing around the brothel, I was puzzled and I do hate puzzles.”

  Gabriel’s voice hardened. “The night of the auction, I felt a demon’s touch. It proved to be Betsy’s. Like so many of Mephistopheles’ minions, she was ignorant of my nature.”

  Anne’s voice was barely a whisper when she asked, “Did she suffer?”

  “No, kindhearted Anne, she did
not suffer.”

  His voice was devoid of all emotions and she shivered. Perhaps not sharing his mind was for the best. She struggled daily with the guilt of killing a living creature, even a demon. Each life she took to save her own was another weight added to her conscience. She peered at Gabriel’s face. The icy indifference etched there said he had no such conflict. She tried to imagine what it would be like to live with a man without a conscience, an implacable killer.

  “I don’t think you can,” he said. “And before you ask, I didn’t enter your thoughts. You wear your disgust on your face.”

  “What was I thinking?” she demanded, taken aback by the accuracy of his words.

  “You wonder if you can live with a creature like me. A creature driven by an insatiable lust for blood. A being who will do anything to survive until the one who sired him dies by his hand.”

  “What will stop you, Demon? When do you become tired of this existence?”

  He smiled. “The day Mephistopheles is dead.”

  Anne changed the subject. “If you are to achieve your goal and I’m to protect the women of Holland’s League, we need to plan.”

  “Come to bed with me,” Gabriel said. Anne gave him a look of disdain and he chuckled. “I much prefer to have my cock buried deep inside you while I’m concocting plans.”

  “And I much prefer we sit here and devise our plans,” she countered. “Is there a way you can determine whether the girls are like Betsy?”

  “Without taking their blood, probably not,” he replied. “Also, while not as comfortable as the bed, that couch is a serviceable substitute for the bed.”

  He stared at Anne’s determined face. Pushing himself away from the bed, Gabriel sighed. “I’m sadly disappointed in your lack of receptiveness, life mate. Come, get dressed and let’s go unravel your little conundrum.”

  Anne hid her glee as she strolled behind the dressing screen and opened her wardrobe. Taking out a simple gown, she dressed then cleansed her face and her teeth. She decided not to worry about her hair. It could wait until her daily bath.

  “Are you finished?”

  She came round the screen. “So impatient, life mate.” Walking to the door, she glanced at Demon. “Shall we?”

  17

  Mumbling about interruptions, Gabriel trailed Anne down the candlelit passage to the rear of the house. As they neared what seemed to be a solid wall, the sounds of Bella’s angry voice and the anguished screams of someone in extreme pain sent Anne racing to the wall. She slapped her palm against it. A door appeared and she turned the handle and flung the door wide open. Gabriel moved swiftly to guard her as his gaze swept the room

  Randall, the stable boy, lay curled on the floor, his fingers clutching his head. Bloody sweat beaded on his forehead before dripping to the wood. The boy’s body jerked wildly. Each time his limbs contorted in pain, his anguished screams crawled across Gabriel’s flesh. The boy was clearly in agony.

  Anne went to where Randall writhed and dropped to her knees. Her eyelids half shuttered, she ran her hand over the boy’s twitching shoulder. His frantic movements slowed but didn’t stop. When his back bowed and his body came off the floor, Gabriel’s hard gaze shot to the three girls huddled on a bed.

  Sparks shot from their hands and struck the boy’s thrashing body. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light exploded in the room and Gabriel slipped into Anne’s thoughts. Before he could question her, she shifted. He watched in awe the transformation of individual cells and molecules. What was familiarly human suddenly became non-human. Anne’s blood was darker, nearly black. Her organs increased in size to accommodate whatever changes were taking place within her body. He wasn’t prepared for the change once it was complete and jerked from Anne’s mind when he found himself inside a dragon.

  Gabriel stepped away from his life mate when she breathed fire. This was no illusion. Anne had become a living, breathing dragon. Despite the number of times he’d engaged her as Anne Holland, this moment brought him face to face with the depths of his life mate’s power.

  The dragon extended her body and stood on her hind legs. She turned and winked at him, tawny eyes alight with recognition and humor. Her smooth underbelly was the color of polished silver while its scales were a striking green and blue. She flared translucent wings before she stomped over to the bed. Gabriel positioned himself to watch, wanting to protect his life mate. The dragon’s eyes locked on the sisters before she reared back her head and growled.

  Gabriel’s fangs pushed against the inside of his mouth when the older girl directed her attack at Anne. Sparks flew from the girl’s fingers, slamming into the dragon’s body. The girl’s pained cry sounded when the bedcovers suddenly burst into flames. The youngest sister thrust her hand in the flames and jerked it back when it burst into flames, her screams drowning out the anguished cries of the injured boy. The older sister ended her attack on the dragon, grabbed her sisters’ hands and pulled them from the burning bed, their terrified gazes on the dragon.

  “Enough Anne, I suspect they are sufficiently cowed. I doubt they will attack again.”

  The dragon walked over to the boy and nudged him, a low growl rumbling from her scaled body. She hovered for several minutes, her piercing hazel eyes partially shuttered as she stared at him. Anne’s second metamorphosis held everyone but Gabriel in stunned silence. He strode over to her and laid a hand on her trembling shoulder once she was returned to her human form. She began to calm beneath his touch. When her eyes sought his, he nodded. “We will discuss this unusual talent of yours later.”

  “I thought you might have questions,” she said with a faint smile.

  Her indignant gaze settled on the three sisters. “I give you shelter and this is how you repay me. Before I return you to the streets, explain yourselves.”

  The oldest girl, Miranda, scuttled off the bed. She stood defiantly before Anne. “He is demon-cursed.”

  Bella moved to Anne’s side and spoke softly to her. Anne glanced at the fingers gingerly holding Bella’s wrist and her rage spiked. In Tahaggart, she told Bella to go see about her injuries. Once Bella left the room, Anne stared at Miranda. “Randall is no more demon than I am.”

  “Then what are you?” Miranda demanded. “No witch can changed into an animal. What I witnessed was no illusion. You became a dragon. What are you?”

  “It doesn’t matter what she is,” Gabriel intruded coldly. “What matters is whether you live or not.”

  Miranda’s gaze abruptly shifted to him and a sharp gasp escaped her lips. Her fingers gestured to her sisters and all three went to their knees and bowed their heads.

  “You are the one our liege sired and our sister spoke of,” Miranda murmured reverently. “We are your servants.”

  “Hero worship is so tedious,” Gabriel declared before he waved his hand.

  The three sisters suddenly collapsed. Their bodies rose and floated to the bed, landing with a loud thud. Anne’s faint gasp brought his gaze to her bewildered face. “I wasn’t about to kneel and pick them up.”

  He pressed his thumb to Miranda’s temple. “Would you care to join me, life mate?”

  Anne stepped onto the path he created for her to enter his awareness. His mind was so orderly, scarily so, and she hesitated in awe. He grinned at her. I shall have to train you to bring order to the chaos in your mind, shape-changer. It will make your revenge so much more efficient and effective.

  “I prefer the wild beauty of chaos to the sterility of order.”

  Gabriel shrugged and lifted the girl’s slender wrist. His fangs descended. Anne flinched but didn’t avert her gaze when his teeth pierced her vein. He took a small amount of blood before his tongue slid across the wound. He did the same to each sister.

  “They aren’t witches,” he stated. “Their blood is the same as Betsy’s, demonic and another species I don’t recognize.”

  Anne took a deep breath and slowly released it. “If they are sisters to Betsy Ishtar fathered them and their mother was a
Fallen angel.”

  “How do you know this?” he asked.

  “Ishtar made certain I knew Betsy’s lineage and ability before we fought. These demons are more skilled in creating illusions.” Anne clenched her fingers. “Their ability to conceal their demonic blood is frightening. I had no idea it was possible. Let’s hope these are the last of their kind.”

  Gabriel said. “What do you want to do with them? Although, I don’t believe you have much choice.”

  “Will you translocate Randall to Malcolm?”

  When the boy’s body disappeared, Anne walked to the door. She looked back at the three demons on the bed. “They are yours to dispose, life mate.”

  Anne walked over to her desk and opened the drawer. For several long minutes she stared inside before she finally removed the diary her mother had given into her keeping. Keep this safe, Anne. For your daughter and all daughters of Saria.

  Anne fingered the leather binding worn smooth from use and age. After a brief hesitation, she slid one finger beneath the book's ornate silver clasp. Her fingers shook as she opened the cover and the faint scent of frangipane drifted upward. A desiccated blossom, perfect in form, lay between two thin sheets of paper.

  The elegant script slashed across the pale ivory sheet was familiar to her, as was the name. Amina bint Daoud. Anne smiled, her ancestress. The Tamahaq whose gifts she possessed. She inhaled before gently turning the delicate page.

  Daughter of Saria: I am Amina, daughter of Askia Daoud, ruler of Timbuktu and his Tahaggart-speaking wife Saria. I am Amina, child of the Sahara. I am Amina, sister to Asiya and we are daughters to the first Tamahaq Lilith. I am Amina, life mate to Michael Drake. I am Amina, mother to Francisco, the Dragon's son. I am the water that gives you life in the desert. I am Tamahaq. I leave you this gift, my daughter, so you know who you are. Tamahaq. So your daughters will know they too are daughters of Saria, they are Tamahaq.