No, he was bad. Slowly, he reached out. Let me help you. All right? His fingers lightly pried at hers, opening them up. The bloody remain fell from her grasp, and he caught it with his free hand, tossing it over his shoulder, away from her. Now, isnt that better?
Thankfully, his action didnt send her into another rage. She merely released a deep breath.
Whats your name? he asked.
Wh-what?
Still moving at an unhurried pace, he brushed a strand of hair from her face and hooked it behind her ear. She leaned into his touch, even nuzzled her cheek against his palm. He allowed the caress to linger, savoring the softness of her skin when deep down he recognized the thin ledge of danger he walked. To encourage his attraction, to crave more of her, was to condemn her to utter misery as hed done Darla. But he didnt pull away, even when she gripped his wrist and guided his hand through the silkiness of her hair, clearly wanting to be petted. He massaged her scalp. She practically purred.
Sabin couldnt recall a time hed been sotender with a woman, not even with Darla. Much as hed cared for her, hed placed more importance on victory than on her well-being. But at that moment, something about this girl drew him. She was just so lost and alone, feelings he knew well. He wanted to hug her.
See? Youre already craving more. Frowning, he forced his arm to fall to his side.
A slight cry of despair escaped her, and maintaining what little distance there was between them became even harder. How could this needy creature have so savagely slain the human? Didnt seem possible, and he wouldnt have believed it had the story simply been relayed to him. Hed had to see it. Not that there had been much to see, given how quickly shed moved.
Perhaps, like him, like his friends, she was captive to a dark force inside her. Perhaps she was helpless to stop it from treating her body as a puppet. The moment those thoughts struck him, he knew hed guessed correctly. The way her eyes had changed colorthe horror shed exuded when she had realized what shed done
When Maddox slid into one of his demons violent rages, the same changes overtook him. She couldnt help what she was and probably hated herself for it, the little darling.
Whats your name, red?
Her lips edged into a frown, a mimic of his. Name?
Yes. Name. What youre called.
She blinked. What Im called. The shallow rasp in her voice was fading, leaving a dawning awareness. What Imoh. Gwendolyn. Gwen. Yes, thats my name.
Gwendolyn. Gwen. A lovely name for a lovely girl.
Traces of color were returning to her face, and she blinked again, this time dragging her attention to him. She offered him a hesitant smile, one that spoke of welcome, relief and hope. Youre Sabin.
Exactly how sensitive were her ears? Yes.
You didnt hurt me. Even when I There was wonder in her voice, wonder tinged with regret.
No, I didnt hurt you. He wanted to add, Nor will I, but he wasnt sure that was true. In his single-minded quest to defeat the Hunters, hed lost a good man, a great friend. Hed healed from countless near-fatal injuries and had buried several slain lovers. If necessary, he would sacrifice this little bird to the cause as well, whether he desired her or not.
Unless you soften, Doubt suddenly piped up.
I wont. It was a vow, because he refused to believe otherwise. And it was a reinforcement of what hed already known: he wasnt an honorable man. He would use her.
Gwens gaze skittered past him, and her smile vanished. Where are your men? They were right here. I didntIdid I
No, you didnt hurt them. Theyre just outside the chamber, I swear it.
Her shoulders sagged as a sigh of relief escaped her. Thank you. She seemed to be speaking to herself. Ioh, heavens.
She had just spotted the Hunter shed slain, he realized.
She paled again. Hehes missingall that bloodhow could I
Sabin purposely leaned to the side, blocking her view and consuming her entire line of vision. Are you thirsty? Hungry?
Those unusual eyes swung to him, now lit with wild interest. You have food? Real food?
Every muscle in his body tightened at the sight of that interest. There was an almost euphoric edge to it. She could be toying with him, pretending to be excited by what he offered in order to relax his guard for an easier escape. Must you be like your demon and doubt everyone and everything?
I have energy bars, he said. Not sure they can be classified as food, but theyll keep you strong. Not that she needed any more strength.
Her lashes drifted closed, and she sighed dreamily. Energy bars sound divine. I havent eaten in over a year, but Ive imagined it. Over and over again. Chocolate and cakes, ice cream and peanut butter.
A whole year without a crumb? They gave you nothing?
Those dark lashes lifted. She didnt nod or reply in the affirmative, but then, she didnt have to. The truth was there in her now-grim expression.
As soon as he finished interrogating the Hunters, every single one hed found in these catacombs was going to die. By his hand. Hed take his time with the kills, too, enjoy every slash, every drop of blood spilled. This girl was a Harpy, spawn of Lucifer as Gideon had said, but even she did not deserve the gnawing torture of starvation. How did you survive? I know youre immortal, but even immortals need sustenance to remain strong.
They put something in the ventilation system, a special chemical to keep us alive and docile.
Didnt fully work on you, I take it?
No. Her little pink tongue slashed over her lips hungrily. You mentioned energy bars?
Well have to leave this chamber to get them. Can you do that? Or rather, would she do it? He doubted he could force her to do anything she didnt want to without ending up cut and broken, maybe dead. He wondered how the Hunters had trapped her. How they had gotten her here and lived to tell the tale.
A slight hesitation. Then, Yes. I can.
Once again moving slowly, Sabin clutched her arm and helped her to her feet. She swayed. No, he realized, she snuggled up next to him, seeking closer contact with his body. He stiffened, poised to pull awaykeep her at a distance, have to keep her at a distancewhen she sighed, her breath trekking through the slashes in his shirt and onto his chest.
Now his eyes closed in ecstasy. He even wound an arm around her waist, urging her closer. Utterly trusting, she rested her head in the hollow of his neck.
Ive dreamed about this, too, she whispered. So warm. So strong.
He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, felt Doubt prowling the corridors of his mind, rattling the bars, desperate to escape, to obliterate Gwens ease with him.
Too much faith, the demon said, as if that were some sort of disease.
The perfect amount, if Sabin were being honest with himself. He liked that a woman was looking at him as if he were a prince of light rather than a king of darkness, someone she needed to run screaming from. He liked that shed allowed him to soothe her torment.
Foolish of her, though, he had to admit. Sabin was no ones hero. He was their worst enemy.
Let me talk to her! the demon demanded, a child denied a favorite treat.
Quiet. Causing Gwen to doubt him could very well rouse the feral Harpy, placing his men in danger. That, Sabin would not allow. They were too important to him, too necessary.
Distance, as hed realized before, was needed. He dropped his arms and stepped away. No touching. The words were a croak, harsher than hed intended and she blanched. Now come. Lets get out of here.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE WOMAN WAS GOING TO KILL HIM, and not because she was stronger and more vicious than he was. Which, if he thought about it, she was. Hed never ripped a mans throat out with his teeth, and he was damned impressed that Gwen had. Shed made the Lords of the Underworld look like marshmallows.
Two full days had passed since Sabin and his crew had rescued her from the pyramid. The only time shed seemed content was at her first glimpse of the sun. Since then, she had not relaxed. Or eaten. The energy bars shed so wanted, she had merely gazed at with utter longing before shaking her head and turning away. She hadnt even showered in the portable stall hed had Lucien fetch her.
She didnt trust them, didnt want to risk poisoning or the vulnerability of unconsciousness or nakedness, and that was understandable. But damn it, he was seething with the need to force her to do those things. For her own good. Without the shit that had been pumped into her cell, she had to be feeling every bit of her starvation. She had to be exhausted and dirty as she wasfrom the past two days, as well as her confinement, which was strange because the other women had been cleanshe couldnt possibly be comfortable. Forcing her, however, was not an option. He liked his trachea where it was.
Only thing shed taken from him was clothing. His clothing. A camouflage tee and military fatigues. They bagged on her, even though shed rolled the arms, waist and legs, but there wasnt a female whod ever looked better. With that wild fall of strawberry curlsthose take-me-to-bed lipsshe was utter perfection. And knowing the material she wore had once touched his body
I need to end my self-imposed celibacy. Soon.
The moment he returned to Buda, thats what hed do. Find a willing woman who wanted only a good time and, well, show her a good time. No one would get hurt because he wouldnt be sticking around. But maybe then his head would clear and hed figure out how to deal with Gwen.
Something else that bothered him was the way Gwen had planted herself in the corner and watched him no matter who entered his tent. Him. As if he were the biggest threat to her now. Hed snapped at her that day in the cavern, yeah, telling her not to touch him, but hed also ensured that she remained on her feet on the trek through the desert to set up camp. Hed stayed with her, guarded her while the other warriors went back to the pyramid to search for anything they might have missed the first go-round. Did he really deserve the death glares?
Maybe
Shut up, Doubt! I dont need your opinions.
Dont know why you care what she thinks. Youve never been good for women, now have you? Funny that I now need to remind you about Darla.
Crouched on the sandy floor, Sabin closed the lid of his weapon case with a forceful snap, locked it and turned to the bag of food hed had Paris bring him.
Darla, Darla, Darla, the demon sang.
Like I said, you can shut the hell up, you dirty piece of shit. Ive had all of you I can take.
Gwen, still in the far corner, jerked as though hed screamed. But I didnt say anything.
Hed lived among mortals for a long time and had trained himself to converse with Doubt inside his head. That hed forgotten his training now, in the presence of this skittish yet deadly womanmortifying.
I wasnt speaking to you, he muttered.
Paler than usual, she drew her arms around her middle. Then to whom were you speaking? Were alone.
He didnt answer. Couldnt. Not without lying. Since Doubts inability to lie had long ago spread to Sabin, he had to stick to the truth, evade, or hed be sleeping for the next few days.
Thankfully, Gwen didnt press the issue. I want to go home, she said softly.
I know.
Yesterday, Paris had questioned all the freed women about their confinement. Theyd indeed been kidnapped, raped, impregnated and told their babies would be taken from them and trained to be defenders against evil. Afterward, Lucien had flashed all but Gwenwho had told Paris nothingto their families, who would hopefully hide them from Hunters in the peace and comfort that had been denied them during their captivity.
Gwen had asked to be taken to a deserted stretch of ice in Alaska, of all places. Lucien had reached out to take her hand, despite her failure to cooperate, and Sabin had stepped between them.
Like I said in the cavern, she stays with me, hed said.
Gwen had gasped. No! I want to go.
Sorry. Not gonna happen. Hed refused to face her, afraid hed cave and release her despite the fact that her strength, speed and savagery could win him this war, thereby saving his friends.
By gods, hed dreamed of an end, a victorious end, for too many years to count; he couldnt put Gwens needs and wants before that victory.
Too badly did he want Galen, the person he hated most in this world, defeated and imprisoned.
Galen, the once forgotten Lord, was the very man who had convinced the warriors to help steal and open Pandoras box. He was also the man who had secretly planned to kill them all, then capture the demons theyd freed, becoming a hero in the eyes of the gods. But things hadnt worked out as the bastard hoped, and hed been cursed to house a demonHoperight alongside the other warriors.
If only that had been the end of things. But as further punishment, theyd all been kicked out of the heavens. Galen, still determined to destroy the men whod called him friend, had quickly assembled an army of outraged mortals, the Hunters, and this endless blood feud had erupted. A feud that only intensified with every year that passed. If Gwen could aid Sabin in even the smallest way, she was too valuable to release. She, however, thought differently.
Please, she had begged. Please.
Ill take you home one day, but not now, hed told her. You could be useful to us, to our cause.
I dont want to help with any cause. I just want to go home.
Sorry. Like I said, its not gonna happen any time soon.
Bastard, shed muttered. Then shed frozen, as if she hadnt meant to say that aloud and now thought he would launch forward and beat her. When he didnt, shed calmed a bit. So Ive traded one captor for another, is that it? You promised you wouldnt harm me. Soft, so soft. Even sadly resigned, and that hadhurt him. Just let me go. Please.
Obviously, the girl was afraid. Of him, his friends. Of herself and her deadly abilities. Otherwise, she would have tried to ditch him or bargained for her release. But not once had she done so. Did she fear what they would do to her if they caught her? Or what she would do to them?
Or, as Doubt liked to whisper in the dark of night, did she have more sinister plans? Was she Bait, a very convincing trap laid by the Hunters? A trap meant to ruin him?
Not possible, he retorted every time. Such timidity couldnt be faked. The trembling, the refusal even to eat. Which meant her fears, whatever they were, were real. And the more time she spent with him, the more those fears and doubts would grow. They would become all that she knew, all that she thought about. She would question every word out of her mouth, every word out of his mouth. She would question every action.
Sabin sighed. Others here were already questioning his actions, and not because of his demon. At her plea, Luciens expression had hardeneda rare thing, for Lucien was always careful to contain his emotions. After ordering Paris to guard her, hed whisked Sabin to the home theyd rented in Cairo, where they could talk away from the others. Away from Gwen.
A ten-minute argument had ensued. And because flashing always sickened him, causing his stomach to churn, he hadnt been at his best.
Shes dangerous, Lucien had begun.
Shes strong.
Shes a killer.
Hello, so are we. Only difference is, shes better at it than we are.
Lucien frowned. How do you know? Youve only seen her kill one man.
And yet you would ban her from our home for that very killingdespite the fact that it was our enemy she killed. Look, Hunters know our faces. Theyre always on the lookout for us. But the only ones who knew her are now dead or locked up. Shes our Trojan horse. Our own version of Bait. Theyll welcome her and shell slaughter them.
Or us, Lucien had muttered, but Sabin could tell he was considering the point. She just seems sofainthearted.
I know.
Around you, that will only get worse.
Again, I know, he growled.
Then how can you think to use her as a soldier?
Believe me, Ive weighed the pros and cons. Fainthearted or not, spirit broken down by me or not, she has an innate ability to destroy. We can harness that for our own benefit.
Sabin
Shes coming with us, and thats that. Shes mine. He hadnt wanted to claim her, not that way. He didnt need another responsibility. Especially a beautiful, apprehensive female he could never hope to possess. But it had been the only way. Lucien, Maddox and Reyes had brought females into their home, therefore they could not deny entrance to his.
He shouldnt have done that to her, should have just let her go for both their sakes. But as hed reminded himself already, hed placed his war with the Hunters above everything else, even his best friend, Baden, keeper of Distrust. Now dead, gone forever. He could make no exceptions for Gwen. She was coming to Budapest, like it or not.
First, though, he was going to feed her.
Crouching a few feet in front of her, putting them at eye level, Sabin began unwrapping Twinkies and unsealing Lunchables. He poked a straw in a juice box. Gods, he missed the home-cooked meals Ashlyn prepared and the gourmet cuisine Anya borrowed from Budas five-star restaurants.
Have you ever been inside an airplane? he asked her.
Wh-what do you care? She lifted her chin, yellow fire snapping in her eyes. But that hot gaze wasnt on him. It was on the food he was spreading on the paper plate beside him.
A show of spirit. He liked it. Definitely preferred it over the stoic acceptance shed displayed earlier. I dont. I simply want to ensure youre not going to Shit. How could he phrase this without reminding her of what shed done to the Hunter?
Attack you out of fear, she finished for him, cheeks heating with embarrassment. Unlike you, I dont lie. You take me on a plane that isnt headed to Alaska and theres a very good chance youll meet mydarker half. The last words were choked.
His eyes slitted dangerously, his mind caught on the beginning of her speech. He wadded up the plastic wrappers scattered around him and shoved them into the cloth trash bag. What do you mean, unlike me? Ive never lied to you. That he was still conscious proved it.
You said you meant me no harm.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. And I didnt. Dont.
Keeping me here is harming me. You said youd free me.
I did free you. From the pyramid. He shrugged, sheepish. And as long as youre uninjured physically, I consider you unharmed. A sigh slipped from him. Is it really so bad, being around me?
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
Ouch. Doesnt matter. Youre gonna have to get used to me. The two of us will be spending a lot of time together.
But why? You said I could be useful; I havent forgotten that. What I dont understand is what you think I can do.
Why not tell her everything? he thought. It could soften her toward him and his cause. Or it could frighten her even more and finally send her running. Would he be able to stop her?
Not knowing what he wanted of her had to be torture, though, and shed suffered enough. Ill supply you with any piece of information you want, he said. If you eat.
No. II cant.
Sabin lifted the plate, circled it around. She followed every movement as though entranced. Sure that he had her attention, he lifted one of the Twinkies and bit into half.
Cant, she said again, though she sounded exactly as she looked: entranced.
He swallowed before licking away any remaining cream. See. Still alive. No poison.
Hesitantly, as though she simply couldnt help herself any longer, Gwen reached out. Sabin placed the dessert in her hand, and she immediately snatched it to her chest. Several minutes ticked by in silence, and she did nothing but eye him warily.
So this food is payment for listening to you? she asked.
No. He would not allow her to think bribery was acceptable. I just want you healthy.
Oh, she said, clearly disappointed.
Why disappointment?
Doubt nearly danced with the urge to crawl out of Sabins head and into Gwens. Much longer, and hed lose his hold. One wrong suggestion from the demon, however, and Sabin knew she would throw the tiny morsel to the ground.
Eat it, he projected. Please eat it. It wasnt the most nutritious of snacks, but at this point he would have been happy if shed eaten a pile of sand.
Finally, she lifted the golden cake and tentatively nibbled on the edge. Those long, dark lashes closed, and a tiny smile appeared. Absolute ecstasy radiated from herthe kind that usually arrived on the heels of an orgasm.
His body reacted instantly, every muscle hardening. His heartbeat picked up speed; his palms itched to touch. My gods, shes lovely. Quite possibly the most exquisite thing hed ever beheld, all carnal pleasure and blissful decadence.
The rest of the cake was inside her mouth a second later, her cheeks puffing with its mass. As she chewed, she reached out, silently commanding him to give her another. He did so without hesitation.
Shall I take half? he asked before letting go.
Black began to swirl in her eyes, obliterating gold.
Maybe not. He raised his hands, palms out, and she stuffed the second cake into her mouth. The black faded, the gold returning. Crumbs fell from the corner of her lips.
Thirsty? He held up the juice box.
Again she reached out, fingers waving him to hurry.
Within seconds, every drop of juice was gone.
Slow down, or youll make yourself sick.
Just like that, the black returned to her irises. At least it didnt bleed into the whites as it had moments before shed slain the Hunter. Sabin pushed the plate to her, and she polished off the rest of the food.
When she finished, she settled back into the tent, that contented smile making another appearance. Rich pink painted her cheeks. And before his eyes, her body filled out. Her breasts overflowed. Her waist and hips flared perfectly, sinfully. His cock, still hard and aching, twitched in response.
Stop. Now. His erection would probably terrify her, so he remained in the crouch, his knees together, his chest hunched.
What if she liked it? What if she asked you to close the distance and kiss her? Touch her?
Zip it.
But then Gwen began to pale. Her smile fell, becoming a frown.
Whats wrong? he asked.
Without a word, she jerked up the bottom tent flap, leaned outside and retched, heaving, every drop and crumb leaving her. Sighing, he pushed to his feet and gathered a rag. After soaking it with the contents of a water bottle, he shoved it into her fingers. She eased the rest of the way into the tent and wiped her mouth with a trembling hand.
Knew better, she mumbled, returning to her former position. Arms locked around her legs, holding them to her chest.
Knew better than to eat too quickly? Well, yeah. Cause hed warned her.
Sabin cleared his throat and decided to feed her again once her stomach had settled. For now, they could finish their conversation. After all, shed lived up to her side of the bargain. She had eaten.
You asked what I needed you to do. Well, I need your help finding and killing the men responsible for yourtreatment. Tread carefully. Dont rouse her dark side with painful memories. But there was no way around it. The others, they told us what had been done. The fertility drugs, the rapes. How there were other women once locked in those cages. Women who were raped as well, their babies taken away from them. A few seemed to think this has been going on for years already.
Gwens back was pressed against the sand-colored tent flaps, yet she tried to scoot backward, as though she needed to escape from his words and the images they evoked.
Sabin himself had cringed, hearing the stories. He might be half demon, but he had never done anything as terrible as what had been done to the women in that cavern.
Those men are vile, he said. They need to be destroyed.
Yes. One of her arms fell from her legs, and she drew little circles in the dirt beside her hip. But Iwasnt. The words were so softly spoken, he had to strain to hear them.
You werent, what? Raped?
Nibbling on her bottom lipa nervous habit of hers?she shook her head. He was too afraid to open my cage, so he left me alone. Physically, at least. Hetook the others in front of me. There was guilt in her tone.
Ah. She felt responsible.
Sabin felt only relief. The thought of this fae-like creature being held down, her legs pried apart while she cried and begged for mercy, mercy that would never have been givenHe anchored his hands on his thighs, his nails elongating into claws and cutting past fatigues.
When he returned to Budapest, the Hunters in his dungeon would suffer untold agonies, he thought for the thousandth time. Hed tortured men before, considered it a necessary part of war, but this time he would truly enjoy it.
Why did he keep you, then, if he was afraid of you?
Because he hadnt given up hope that the right drugs would make me biddable.
Blood beaded where claw met skin. Shed lived in terror, he was sure, of that very thing happening. You can avenge yourself, Gwen. You can avenge the other women. I can help you.
Her lashes lifted, the sand she played with clearly forgotten, and then those amber orbs were probing all the way to his soul. So can you. Avenge us, I mean. Obviously those men did something to you. You came here to fight them, didnt you?
Yes, they did something to me and mine, and yes, I came here to fight them. That doesnt mean I can destroy them on my own. Otherwise, he would have done so by now.
What did they do to you?
They murdered my best friend. And they hope to murder everyone else I hold dear, all because they believe the lies of their leader. Ive been trying to obliterate them for centuries, he admitted. The fact that the Hunters continued to thrive was like a dagger in his side. But I kill one, and five more take his place.
When she didnt blink at the word centuries, he realized she knew he, too, was immortal. But did she know what he was?
No way shes guessed. Like most every other woman in your life, she would despise what you are. How could she not? And look at her now. So sweet, so gentle. No evidence of hatred. Yet. The last emerged in a singsong.
Doubt. His constant companion. His cross to bear.
How do I know you arent one of them? she demanded. How do I know this isnt simply another way to try and gain my cooperation? Ill help you fight your enemy and youll rape me. Ill get pregnant, and youll steal the child from me.
Doubts. Courtesy of his demon?
Before he could think up a reply, she added tightly, I watched you fight those men. You hurt them, claim to hate them, but you didnt kill them. You let them live. That isnt the action of a warrior who wants to annihilate his enemy.
As she spoke, an idea sprouted. A way to prove himself. And if wed killed them, you would have been convinced of our hate for them?