The lykoses were guided to the elevator and released. I didn’t know how they planned to scale the sheer cliff and didn’t ask. They were simply happy to be rid of us, and the feeling was quite mutual.
Before departing, the black lykos met my eyes. Do you not wish for our names?
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter who you are. No one deserves to be murdered for sport. It’s barbaric.”
He dipped his head all the way to the ground. The lykos will not forget your mercy.
I nodded stiffly back. I was too tired to be anything but honest. “If you were serious about your offer of an alliance, then so am I. I will work on the king.”
He bowed his massive, furry head, and I headed back to my rooms with the rest of the men.
“Well, that was fun!”
Bair was in a jovial mood, helping himself to my food as we all fell into various chairs around the room. I glanced at the unfamiliar draken, who was ogling me from across the room. They were all in their human forms, the better to traverse the passageways and lounge together comfortably. As a human, the new draken’s hair was a light ashy brown. He was shorter in stature, but taller than me. His eyes were a dark brown like mine.
“I don’t think we’ve met.”
He whirled around. “Trego, miss.”
I smiled. “Nice to meet you, Trego. Thank you for your support.”
I offered my hand, and he clasped it a little roughly. He pulled on my arm suddenly and I lost my balance, tumbling into his chest. His hands gripped the base of my neck and jerked my face upwards as he tried to kiss me. My dagger was buried in his side a moment later, and he staggered backward, releasing me as he held his stomach with both arms.
Ronan wiggled a mocking finger at him. “No one touches her without her permission, you jack wagon.”
Trego flushed in embarrassment, pulling my knife free with a grunt. He bowed his head and offered the knife back to me. I wiped the blade off on his leg and slammed it back into my sheath, snarling at him. Kieran rolled his eyes and picked up a large leg of meat, biting down.
“Benedict is not pleased with D’Arcy,” Kieran muttered.
I snorted, moving to sit beside him and ignoring Trego. “I imagine that’s an understatement.”
I eyed the food. Perhaps in a little while when my nerves had settled, I could eat. For now, I changed tactics, placing one hand lightly on Kieran’s leg. “Elder Gelf told me that D’Arcy has changed since you’ve all been under this mountain.”
Sabien sighed but nodded. “My father has been overcompensating ever since his brother, King Fane, was killed.”
My brow furrowed as I thought. “That would be Benedict’s father as well then?”
Kieran put down his food, wiping his hands. “Have you heard the story?”
I shook my head mutely even as the other drakens gathered around Kieran, drawn like moths to the flame.
He huffed at them. “You have all heard this story hundreds of times.”
Sabien waved his hand dismissively. “You’re a great storyteller.”
Kieran chuckled and settled further into his chair.
“I suppose I will tell it, then.” He thought for a moment, and then took us to another world.
Kieran said that the leaves had been wet with morning dew and the air crisp as fall began to make its presence known. The team of eight drakens scouted carefully through the path in the forest, keeping each other in eyesight. At the head was King Fane, his obsidian scales glinting in the morning sun as he followed the scent trail. They had one chance to get this right, to surprise the band of vampyres and rescue the female they held captive, the pregnant female.
He held his hand up, and each draken went deadly still. A twig snapped in the distance.
D’Arcy leaned in, clearly nervous. “Fane, perhaps we should—”
“Silence!” Fane hissed, shooting his brother a frustrated glance. There was another snap and then another. Then nothing. “Dara, how much further?”
The female warrior had refused to remain behind with the others, not when her friend was being held captive. Fane had thought about forbidding her but knew she would simply disobey. Another sword was always welcome, in the end.
“We should come upon them in about one hundred paces, according to D’Arcy.” She shot him a side glance, and the younger draken huffed.
“My intel is accurate—’ Dara whispered harshly.
“Shut it, both of you,” Fane ordered, dropping lower to the ground. The other drakens followed suit, and then it was clear: someone or something was crashing through the woods, directly towards them. “To the trees!”
It was standard procedure for draken warriors; trees provided natural cover, and the perfect springboard for them to launch an aerial assault, which was any draken’s strongest attack.
Unfortunately, the trees were already full. A horde of vampyres descended from the upper leaves, hidden until the signal was given. They roared into action at a high-pitched whistle, cutting down the shocked drakens with ease.
“Get to the air!” Fane shouted, leaping from his tree and dodging the vampyre that reached for him.
The trees were thick and getting through their branches was difficult. Whoever had planned this attack knew how to fight a draken. As Fane struggled to find open air, it became apparent they wouldn’t be able to get through the foliage to the sky.
“Down to me!” he called.
Only three other drakens made it to his side: Robin, Dara, and his cousin, Jesper. They stood back-to-back, whirling in a circle with wings and claws spread wide. Twelve lykoses surrounded them as ten vampyres descended from the trees, three of them throwing a dead draken to the ground. Pain seized Fane’s heart as their heads cracked against the earth, and he closed his eyes.
A sudden scream split the air, vibrating in Fane’s skull as his instincts howled at him to respond to female draken’s distress call. Dara bellowed in rage and launched herself at the closest lykos. Two were dead instantly as she severed their spines, but she quickly disappeared under a mountain of claws and fur as the rest descended on her. Fane tried to get to her, but two vampyres blocked him, fangs flashing.
“This is the mighty king of the drakens? Not so mighty now!”
One of them leapt on his back, pinning his wings down as he scrambled to flip around so that he could claw his attacker’s face off. His hands found the short throwing stars at his hip, coated in sizzling dark magic. He dug them as deep as he could into the vampyre on his back, who shrieked in pain and let go. He tugged them back and let them fly in quick succession, burying one in each remaining vampyre. One poisoned star wasn’t enough to kill them, but it would certainly slow them down. Able to maneuver, he drew his sword and ran through three of the lykoses on Dara. He clawed and bit his way through the writhing mass of flesh, scooping her up and holding her against his chest.
“Hang on, I’ve got you.”
Her teeth clamped down on his forearm, drinking deeply to heal the mess of her throat and stomach. He clenched his teeth as her hands clutched at her abdomen, vainly trying to keep her intestines inside her body. Fane glanced up and with sinking horror realized they were the only two standing. The horde converged on him, advancing with slow steps and wicked grins. The urge to let out a distress call was strong, and he suppressed it. If he did, the other drakens would give away their hideaway, and they would come in a misguided attempt to save him. More of them would die, and there were already too few left.
“I’m sorry, I should have stayed behind,” Dara babbled, blood spouting from her mouth as she coughed. “Now she’s the only one left.”
Rhyfel was close; he felt it in his blood. His heart broke as he realized he would die less than a hundred paces from her. He closed his eyes, murmuring an apology as another agonized scream split the air. As much as he wanted to save her, he prayed his people ignored her distress call. It was a tactic; they wanted the drakens to give up their location, to come crashing out of safety and follow their instincts to their deaths.
Fane dropped Dara to the ground, her eyes lifeless and staring straight ahead. He focused inwards, jerking as a strong source of black magic came from the direction of the scream. He smiled. His fangs bared. With a flick of his hand, his dagger was in his fingers, making quick and precise marks along Dara’s skin.
“Quick! Kill him!”
Fane thrust the dagger across his own throat a split second before the vampyre was on him, spraying him with the last of his life’s blood. Dark magick coalesced and leapt from his body, disintegrating the vampyre that held him on its way to join the gathering storm above the draken being tortured a hundred paces away.
Everyone was dead. Everyone except the one draken who had hidden in a tree.
“Of course, D’Arcy survived, the little coward!” The venom in my voice surprised even me, but the other drakens grinned in amusement.
“Well, in fairness to him, he was unconscious, and someone had to report back on what had happened.” Bair calmly skinned an orange with his claw, his eyes shining oddly.
“You don’t think he should have helped your father, or fought back?” I questioned, my
head tilting to the side.
Bair shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.”
Kieran’s story had effectively killed the mood even though we’d asked him for it. The others continued to eat quietly while Bair gestured for me to come closer. I sighed and went over. I had wanted to seek him out, after all.
“Remember my offer?” It was clear he hadn’t stopped thinking about it. He read the distaste on my face, and quickly added on. “I’ll tell you more about D’Arcy, and why you’re right not to trust him.”
I cursed inwardly. He had me there. “Fine. Come with me.”
We stood and made our way towards my private rooms, my hand in his. My smile was more of a grimace, but I kept my grip on him tight.
“Don’t mind us, keep enjoying yourselves,” I encouraged even though I felt like smacking the smirk from Bair’s face. Kieran and Ronan eyed me warily, but I shook my head at them. They returned to their meal, their faces tight with disapproval.
“Stick around and maybe you’ll be next,” Bair joked to the room, and I punched him in his stomach. He doubled over coughing, the other drakens laughing. I waltzed into my room, and he was forced to follow behind, clutching his abdomen. Once the door was closed, he whirled on me. “Listen—’
“No, you listen!” My knife was in his face, my eyes flashing. “No one touches me without my permission. Got it?” I tilted the blade, my eyes roving over his body.
“Fine,” he said sullenly, his shoulders drooping. “But the deal’s off unless I get something from you. I don’t appreciate being humiliated.” His eyes had that odd shine to them again, and I made a sound of disgust in my throat and he said, “It’s your choice, but I wanted to talk to you more about the lykoses and D’Arcy.”
I glared at him, sitting down stiffly on the bench in front of my bed. “You’re more like your uncle than your brother after all.”
A slow smile curled across his features. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I was tempted to tell him not to, but I let him think what he wanted. Something was rotten with D’Arcy, and Bair was acting like he knew what it was. I needed him on my side. He was the missing link between D’Arcy and Benedict. If I had to act a little distastefully to get what I needed, then that’s what I would do. Not all heroic actions were done with swords and bold words, after all.
I sat back passively on the bench, jerking as he withdrew a coil of rope from his waist.
He scoffed. “You think I’m going to let you stab me like Benedict or Trego? I don’t think so. Let me tie you up or I’m leaving.”
My palms grew moist, but I allowed him to tie my wrists behind my back and empty my sheaths, throwing my daggers across the room.
“One sound from me and the others will be here, preparing your skins for my next dress,” I reminded him.
Bair snorted, running a finger down the contour of my chest, and then up to trace my lips. He leaned in close, and images of D’Arcy and Benedict flashed before me. I cringed when he sniffed me.
“I think you’ll be screaming another way,” he taunted, pushing me back on the bench, and bending down to meet me. He slid into his draken form, his fangs grazing the side of my cheek. I inhaled sharply, and he smirked against my ear.
“I think you like me,” he said.
Not the total truth, but I could work with it; he might underestimate me.
“Maybe,” I admitted, “but you are not my mate. Try it, and I swear to the gods Benedict will be here faster than you could cum.”
I didn’t expect the smack to my face. The stinging pain caught me off guard as I turned my head with the force of the blow, my hair hanging down over my face. I started giggling uncontrollably. Some men’s egos were so fragile, it was laughable. He grabbed my jaw with his clawed hand, squeezing hard.
The edges of his claws dug into the soft skin near my jawline. “I could rip your head from your body before you could even scream.”
“You whisper those same sweet nothings to all the females you tie down and threaten? Oh right, there are no others so maybe you should be more polite.”
His body collided against mine, and I was unable to do anything as he thrust against me, twitching in disgust as he wetly kissed my neck. “I could make you feel things Benedict never could, if you let me.”
If only he knew. I pulled against the rope, but it was too tight. “Kindly go fuck all of the way off, take a break, then continue to fuck off even further.”
He grabbed the front of my tunic, ripping the neckline.
“It’s ridiculous the amount of clothing draken males destroy,” I remarked coolly.
His rage was simmering, bubbling just beneath the surface.
“Let’s take this outside, shall we?” he asked while I wriggled in discomfort.
“Cut the rope, and I’ll go willingly with you.”
Something shifted in his eyes, and to my surprise he ripped through the rope on my feet with his claws. I didn’t have time to respond as we disappeared, his grip on my upper arm tight. My arms stayed tied behind my back as I stumbled against him.
“Human eyes are bad, aren’t they?” he said viciously, and I longed for my daggers.
I took a deep breath. I needed to stay calm and deescalate the situation. I couldn’t win this way, unarmed and far away from the others. “Sorry, I’m a bit edgy.”
He exhaled through his nose but was much gentler as he guided me toward the source of light up ahead. We were in a dark passageway, but the scent of the air made me think we were close to the outside. The light up ahead confirmed it.
“I’m not sure who knows about this cave. It overlooks the entire cliff. It’s a great view at sunrise.” It was clear he was trying to impress me with the number of times he’d snuck out.
I wondered how I could get him to release my hands. The mouth of the cave must have faced east, because the most magnificent view greeted us as we approached the edge, the sun bathing us in its warmth. I could see for miles down the expanse of forest in front of us, seemingly untouched by the war and those involved in it. “Wow.”
Bair grumbled beside me.
“And just think; all this world out here, and we’re stuck in there.” He gave a petulant glance back to the mountain, and I frowned.
“Surely there’s a reason. Does it have to do with the protection Rhyfel cast?”
He jerked next to me, surprised. “Benedict wasn’t the one who told you that.”
I watched him mutely, and he continued his diatribe.
“He’s good at that: telling you just enough to make you feel special while withholding the most important parts of the truth. I’d know,” he said bitterly. I opened my mouth, but he talked over me. “He sneaks out of the mountain secretly all the time. Obviously, he had to do it to get you, but he goes at least once a month. I’ve watched him.”
He sat down on the edge of the cave, and I warily joined him.
“I tried to follow him off the mountain, but the enchantment wouldn’t let me. It makes sense, I guess. How else would he find the lost daughter if he can’t leave? But that’s fine, I found out what was going on regardless. Sometimes he doesn’t leave. He just flies to another part of the mountain. I can follow him there easily, and I saw who he meets with.”
Bair was warming up to his grand tale, and I played along. “Who does he meet with?”
He eyed me speculatively, licking his fangs as he took in my hands still tied behind my back and my empty sheaths. He was a coward.
“How badly do you want to know?” he asked.
I forced myself to relax and give him a cool smile. He sat down and yanked me into his lap, facing out towards the edge of the cliff. His hands skimmed underneath the remains of my dress, caressing my stomach and smoothing over my ribs. I forced my body to stay relaxed.
“Let’s find out, shall we?” he murmured.
His nose and lips nudged at the junction between my shoulders and I tensed. His hands moved higher to my breasts, and it took all my mental energy not to headbutt him or jerk away. Instead, I focused on grinding into him, making him think I wanted him as much as he wanted me.
“Tell me who Benedict meets with, and I’ll give you a . . . reward.”
I held my bound wrists up in front of me while giving him a sultry pout. He grinned lazily and gripped both my wrists with one hand. He severed the rope with his teeth and shoved my hands on his crotch. I forced myself to move my palm up and down his length even as I leaned into his ear.
I gave his cock a firm squeeze, and he groaned. “Who does he meet with?”
“Severn,” he grunted. My confusion deflated him, and he scoffed. “You really are a stupid human, aren’t you?”
My grip on him tightened but I said nothing, continuing to stroke him. His posture relaxed and he closed his eyes. My lips hovered over his neck, just close enough for him to feel the heat from my breath. “I would be so thankful if you told me who he was.”
Bair hummed to himself, his hands grasping my bottom and pushing me roughly against him. “Only the second-in-command to the demon overlord himself, his most trusted lieutenant.”
I tried to appear suitably awed by this information. I slithered my chest against his, and he couldn’t help but continue to show off.
“Want to know what he said?”
“Yes,” I replied, sticking a vacant yet adoring smile on my face, my lips almost on his. Bair puffed his chest out and continued.
“I heard him tell Benedict that the ‘deal would be in the best interests of everyone, and he shouldn’t worry so much.’ ”
“What was the deal?” I asked breathily.
Bair flashed his fangs at me. “I was getting to that!”
I blinked and lowered my eyes.
“It was simple. Benedict would be allowed to take a human woman into the mountains to breed drakens, and in return he vowed never to let anyone leave. If new drakens were born, the Overlord promised not to massacre them.”
I gasped, unable to help it. “That’s not a deal at all!”
Bair’s eyes were wild, nodding frantically. “You see then? It’s fruitless to fight it. The Overlord will find us, and when he does, we will be wiped out! But not you! You don’t have to be! You will come with me, won’t you?”
I froze, dumbfounded as he grasped both of my hands with his. “They’re going to come soon, within the coming months, no doubt. I refuse to sit here and die, but I can escape with you! Come with me, the Overlord has promised to break the curse, and let me leave the mountain—’
My mind raced as I prayed my ears were deceiving me. “Bair, what have you done?”
He pulled me to him, snarling against my face.
“I talked to Severn myself after Benedict left, what did you think? Severn told me everything! Crullfed picked you specifically to give to Benedict. He even ensured you’d be out in the stables crying over something since I told Crullfed my brother never could abide by crying females. Crullfed sees how weak you are, but—but you don’t have to die. . . . ” He fumbled as he clumsily stroked my cheek. “You’re beautiful even if you’re just a human!”
I was in shock. I couldn’t think of anything to say.
Bair kept going, the words pouring from his mouth.
“Severn has promised that once Benedict is dead, I will be the draken king, and you could stay as my queen! You’d like that, wouldn’t you? The other drakens will be sold as exotic pets. Can you imagine how much someone might pay for a pet that was immortal? If there is a draken king and the lost daughter is hidden, the protection stays! Isn’t it brilliant? We can live forever! Or at least, I will. I’ll make sure you’re treated well for whatever length of time you live, of course.”
He leaned down to kiss me and for a moment, I let him. His lips were wet and foreign against mine, kissing me clumsily and without the purpose of Kieran or even D’Arcy.
“Wait, how would you get the drakens off the mountain?” I demanded, trying to put some distance between us as I pushed on his chest. “They can’t be ‘exotic pets’ if they’re cursed to stay here.”
It sounded ridiculous just coming out of my mouth, but I had to know more. If there was a way to leave the mountain, then I’d do what I had to get the information. My hand drifted lower, resting lightly on a telling bulge in his pants.
“You found out something, didn’t you?” I whispered into his ear. Bair nodded, likely not even aware he was doing so. I had to cajole him further, to reveal more.
I forced my right arm around his neck, my other hand fumbling until I felt it, a second hard bulge hanging from his waist; his sword. When his tongue jammed itself against my teeth, I shoved down my revulsion and opened my mouth, pushing my body harder against his. He moaned, and my fingers slipped the short sword from his scabbard. He had his eyes closed, so I was able to silently lift the blade and set it behind me with him none the wiser. I waited for him to break the kiss, every second agonizing. He was rough and uncaring, unconcerned with how I didn’t seem to enjoy it at all. So unlike, and yet so like, his brother.
I’d threatened him with his own blade once this was done. Then he’d tell me everything he knew.
I found my voice, throwing my hand behind me to subtly grip the sword. “Tell me what you learned. Was it truly enough to condemn the rest of your brothers?”
He blanched, and I realized I’d shown my hand too quickly.
“Benedict condemned us, and he’s the one keeping us trapped! I owe him nothing!” Bair roared back.
I stumbled backward, spreading my body to further cover the sword. His sudden desperation didn’t make sense, unless . . . unless? “You told the Overlord where the drakens are, didn’t you? Severn didn’t know until you crawled to him like a dog, offering whatever information you could to save your own sorry ass! Benedict wouldn’t be that stupid. If he met someone here, it was to throw them off the scent!”
Bair advanced on me, his fangs flashing. I held my ground. I couldn’t let him see the sword.
“That’s not true!” he roared. “Severn already knew! He had to have known, otherwise . . . otherwise—”
I growled, vibrating with rage. “Otherwise, you were the one to betray your entire species. And you said I was stupid!”
My voice was nasty, my body shaking. Bair was momentarily lost like someone who had memorized the wrong map and suddenly found themselves surrounded by the enemy. If only he knew! My hand found the sword’s hilt, gripping it securely.
He stuttered a bit. “But D’Arcy said—’
“What did D’Arcy say?”
Bair froze. “You won’t be joining me. You didn’t mean any of it, did you?”
I rolled my eyes.
“No, I won’t be joining you because you’re a coward and a bastard to ever think of betraying your people!”
He sneered, lunging for me. “You won’t live long enough to tell anyone.”
I grabbed the sword and thrust blindly, but it was too heavy for me to wield effectively, and Bair easily dodged my blows. He had a strong hand around my throat before I could raise the weapon again, his claws tapping lightly on my skin.
“D’Arcy’s right. You must be a spy. Don’t even think of calling for help, not until I’m ready for Benedict to find your ravaged body. I’ll tell everyone you betrayed us and that when I found out, you tossed yourself over the side of the cliff in shame! I’m sure Kieran at least will mourn you.”
I tried to hold onto the sword, but he squeezed harder, and black dots appeared at the edges of my vision. The sword clattered to the ground, and I realized with a pang no one was coming to save me. Hell, no one even knew where I was. Kieran and Ronan probably still thought I was in the bedroom.
“Just go to sleep, it will all be better when you wake up,” Bair’s voice was patronizing, and the anger that surged through my veins filled me with renewed strength.
If there was anything I hated, it was a cocky asshole. My foot came up and kicked him hard in his crotch, and he went down screeching. Grabbing the sword, I screamed as loudly as I could, my own eardrums throbbing with pain as it reverberated in the small space of the cave.
“You fucking bitch!”
He lunged again, but I was ready, taking the few tips Kieran and Ronan had taught me and using them the best that I could. He went for my throat again, but I aimed a kick at his head, slashing out with the sword in a short, controlled blow when he moved to deflect my leg. I caught him on the undersides of his arms, and he shrieked in pain.
We both turned as a thundering sound came from the tunnels.
He took the opportunity, grabbed my head, and bashed it into the ground. “Benedict! She’s trying to kill me!”
Panic and anger flooded my system, but it was hard to move as I was seeing double of everything. If Bair got to the drakens first, would they believe him over me? I didn’t want to find out. I threw the sword with all the strength I told muster, even knowing it wouldn’t fly like a knife. By some miracle it hit home, embedding itself in Bair’s back. He dropped like a stone, and I stumbled over to him. I yanked the blade out and that’s when he struck, catching the side of my face with his claws and raking them down my neck. I screamed. My voice laced with pain. His elbow came up and slammed on the top of my head, and I struggled to stay conscious.
As he shakily stood over me, I pressed my hand down on my face, trying to stem the blood flow. His wound had already stopped bleeding. I watched his eyes unconsciously follow the flow of my blood down my chest, and I nearly laughed at the sense of power that I discovered there. I still had him.
“Wouldn’t you like to try it before he gets here?” I panted, holding my blood-soaked fingers out to him. “The others say that it tastes exquisite. . . . ”
Bair went rigid, and I made my eyes wide and innocent.
I gave him a sultry look, one hand on my bleeding face, the other reaching for the fallen sword in the dirt. “You can even bite me, and I’ll let you drink as much as you want.”
The idiot leaned in closer, and my arm with the sword went around his neck, hovering at the juncture between his head and his spine. He knew I was a backstabbing bitch, but his draken instincts were stronger, making him weak, and less aware of his surroundings.
His lips hovered above mine, his tongue flicking out to taste my blood. That’s when I struck. As hard as I could, I brought the sword down across the back of his neck, his mouth frozen in a surprised ‘O’ as I severed tendons and hit bone. He flopped uselessly over me, blood pouring down his back and staining my front. I pushed him off with a shove, shaking as I gathered the sword and wiped it on my pants. Bair reached out to me, his eyes frozen in a look of betrayal, which I thought was rich. His blood continued to pool around his body, leaving too quickly for him to heal.
I tried to drop the sword, but I was shaking too much. Dripping with his blood, I turned around and found myself face-to-face with Benedict.
