Here, now, she thought she might never again be whole without him. As if shed finally found the last piece of a puzzle.
Guilt suddenly swarmed her. She hadnt been the best girlfriend, holding herself back as she had, yet still hed searched for her, still hed challenged a Lord of the Underworld for her. And now, he might die for her.
Oh, baby, she managed to croak past a constricted throat. What did he they? do to you?
She reached out, the shadows hissing as they inched backward, away from her, away from him, as if afraid to be near her. She paid them no heed. As gently as she was able, she slid one of Micahs pulverized hands through the steel cuff that bound him. The amount of blood and the crushed bone allowed for an easy glide and also had her swallowing bile at an astonishing rate.
Could he recover from this? Could anyone?
Thankfully, her touch seemed to calm him rather than hurt him further. The thrashing became less violent, and he eventually relaxed against the mattress. Haidee moved to the other side and freed his other wrist. By the time his ankles were unchained, the slightest hint of a smile curled his lips.
Her chest contracted at the sight of it, both an agony and a blessing. He was damaged, but he was alive. Would he be grateful for that, though? He might never be able to fight again.
Didnt matter. She had to save him.
Biggest problem: she couldnt carry him. He was too heavy. And he certainly couldnt walk. She didnt have a medical degree, but shed bet a fortune that half the bones in his body were broken. Still. She couldnt leave him behind, either.
She studied him more intently, praying for a solution. Instead, what she found had her gasping in outrage. Those bastards! Of all the cruel things theyd done, this was the worst. Theyd branded him. Etched a jagged-winged butterflythe mark of their demonsinto his calf. Just to taunt him.
Ill make them pay, baby. Her hands coiled into tight fists, ready to strike. I swear it.
At the sound of her voice, he shifted, angling toward her. He even tried to reach out, the muscles in his forearm bunching with the strain. The action proved to be too much for him, and the arm hung uselessly. A second later, the thrashing started up again.
Cooing, Haidee eased beside him and smoothed away the hair sticking to his brow, just as she knew he liked. The first moment of contact, she experienced a jolt of undiluted heat. The ice that was her constant companion, a part of who and what she was, cracked. Droplets melted, dripping. Instantly Micah calmed, his sweat drying as if hed absorbed her deepest chill.
Nothing like that had ever happened before, and the sensation disconcerted her. A side effect of what had been done to him, perhaps?
Bastards, she thought again, her molars gnashing together. In this life or the nextand she was always given a nextshe would punish them.
Spiderwebs suddenly wove in front of her eyes, gossamer threads laced with a shot of fatigue. Determined, she swept them away. She couldnt deteriorate. Not now. Micah needed her.
Haidee?
His voice startled her, but she quickly recovered. Im here, baby. Im here.
A soft sigh echoed, a whisper of contentment. The breathy sound stroked hereven though his mouth had never moved and his lips had never parted. Impossible. Right?
Micah? How are you talking to me?
Sweet, sweet, Haidee.
Again, his mouth hadnt moved, but again, shed heard him. And she knew she wasnt imagining his voice. She couldnt be. Shed heard him before ever entering the room.
That could only mean Her eyes widened in astonishment. He was speaking inside her mind. Had been speaking inside her mind the entire time. That was new for them, too, and far more disconcerting than the heat.
How was he doing it? How could the Lords have caused this?
Reason it out later. Im going to look for weapons, okay? Something, anything. Could she even stand? Her muscles were vibrating, her veins filling with sludge. And then Im going to find a way
No! Dont leave. There was a panicked pause. Need you. Please.
I wont leave the room, I swear, not without you, but I have to
No! No, no, no! Babbling now, his body tensing. You have to stay.
Okay, baby, okay. Im here. Ill stay. Soft, gentle, the promise left her before she could consider the consequences. Not that they would matter. She would rather hand herself over to Defeat, gift wrapped on a silver platter, than cause this man any more grief. I wont budge from this spot. Promise.
Need you, he said again, barely audible this time.
Youve got me. Youve always got me. She stretched out, mindful of his injuries, and curled herself around his fragile frame, offering what comfort she could. She knew what it was like to suffer alone. She didnt want that for him. Ever.
Perhaps this was even a blessing in disguise. Micah probably wouldnt survive his wounds if he left the bed anytime soon. And this way, when the demons returnedand they would return, they wouldnt leave her for longshe would be here to fight them, to keep them from hurting him even more.
Yeah, theyd strike back and probably kill her. And yeah, she gagged, thinking of what would happen to her after that death, a fate so much worse than being stabbed, shot, or even burned alive. All of which shed endured before.
Shed told herself she wouldnt consider what happened after she died, but she didnt stop herself this time. Not even when fear swept through her, consuming her, chilling her.
If she managed to kill any of the Lords, they would be eternally lost, but she would be reformed, returned to the age she was now, minus any good memories shed built of this lifetime, consumed only with the bad, with the hate. It was an agonizing process that made her scream and beg and pray for an eternal death of her own.
A process that had taught her to avoid death at all costs. But this timeshe would die willingly, eagerly, taking as many Lords as she could with her. And then, then she could return for the rest of them.
Then she could avenge Micah.
CHAPTER FOUR
AMUN BLINKED OPEN HIS EYES. Or tried to. The action proved difficult, since his lashes felt as if theyd been glued together. And maybe they had been. If one of his friends had punked him, he was going to retaliate. With scissors. He kept tugging and finally managed to separate top from bottom. Immediately his eyeballs burned and watered, every thing around him seemingly smeared with Vaseline.
Worse, the light seeping in from the only window still managed to lance his retinas like blade-tipped lasers. He turned his head away from the reflective glass and studied his surroundings as best he could.
He frownedand damn, that hurt, tugging and splitting multiple cuts on his lips. He was in his own bedroom, butthere was a hole in the wall. A hole that led into the chamber next door. A hole he hadnt made, and to his knowledge, his friends hadnt, either. He liked to think they would have asked his permission before redesigning his room like that.
How was he here, anyway?
Last thing he remembered, hed been deep inside hell, fire crackling all around him as he fought evil spirits and basically got the shit kicked out of both his body and his mind. Demon thoughts and human memories had bombarded him, like bombs going off inside his head, and they
Were still there, he realized, frown deepening. The dark thoughts and memories were still there, but though they were churning, agitated, they remained at a distance, as if afraid to gain his attention. Why?
A feminine moan stroked his ears, shocking him into concentrating.
Amun stiffened, his attention shifting again, this time landing on his mattress. Or what should have been mattress. Beside him was a woman. A very beautiful woman who was curled on her side, facing him, her warm breath caressing him. One of her arms was bent over his stomach, as if she couldnt bear to let him go, with her hand resting over his heart. Monitoring the beat?
That arm was tattooed from wrist to shoulder, completely sleeving her. He saw faceshumaneach one glowing with life and love. Numbers, too. And dates, maybe? Though, if so, some of those dates were from way back. There were also names: Micah, Viola, Skye. And phrases: Darkness always loses to light and You have loved and been loved.
He knew her. Somehow he knew her. How
The answer slid into place. Haidee, the one from his visions, or whatever theyd been. The little girl hed yearned to comfort, and the woman hed longed to touch. She was here.
How was she here?
He lifted his hand to smooth the pale hair plastered on her cheeks, and his muscle went death match on his bone, both aching in protest. Damn. What the hell was wrong with him?
As carefully as he was able, he moved his arm closer to his face, every inch an unsteady milestone, but not stopping until he had a clear look. Seeing the ruined flesh, the knotted muscle, he wanted to curse.
Hed been chained, maybe tortured. By Hunters? Had they tortured the girl, and his friends had rescued her, too?
As rage sparked inside him at the thought of her mistreatment, his gaze returned to her. She hadnt moved, was still sleeping so peacefully. Dark circles marred the delicate tissue under her eyes. There were a few smudges of dirt lining her cheeks and a bruise on the underside of her jaw. Signs of wear and tear, but not torture. The rage muted to a low simmer.
Shes fine. And youll defend her. Or rather, he would defend her until she healed and he had to send her on her way. He wasnt safe to be around anymore. Not for long.
For now, though, shes yours.
Suddenly she jolted upright, her gaze swinging left and right. Who said that? Without waiting for a reply, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She raced to the window.
What was she doing? Haidee, he mentally tsked, you shouldnt be running around like that. You need time to mend.
As if shed heard the thought, she spun around and faced him. Eyes of the sweetest pearl-gray widened as they studied him from top to bottom. Oh, baby. Youre getting better. Thank God!
Baby. Shed called him baby. The first endearment ever to be directed at him, and his ears soaked it up like nectar from the heavens.
I didnt mean to fall asleep. Im so sorry. She tripped back to his side. We have to get out of here. Can you walk?
I dont think so. Both of his femurs were cracked, if not broken entirely. He recognized the heavy ache underneath the muscle. Besides that, he was home. He didnt want to leave.
Okay, okay. Well think of another way, then. Even as she spoke, she scanned the room a second time. I thought Id have to fight them from the bed, but they must not have come back. She offered him a fleeting smile. Fleeting, but like a ray of sunshine all the same. Their mistake.
He blinked. That was the second time shedcorrectlyresponded to something he hadnt spoken aloud. Youhear me?
Yes. I know, I know. Its weird. That gaze never stopped scanning. For weapons? An escape route? I was surprised, too. I dont know how its happening, but Im grateful. If I hadnt heard you from next door, I would have left without you.
No one had ever heard him like that. No one. Hed always been the one to know what others were thinking, and he found he wasuncomfortable with this new development.
How was she doing it? Could she hear everything? All the secrets floating through his head? Could she even hear his whimpering demon? What about the others, the new ones who liked to scream? Or could she only hear what he projected at her?
Can you still not speak? she asked gently.
Test time. He allowed the answer to form in his mind, but he kept a firm mental hold on it.
Can you? she insisted. She reached out and traced a fingertip along the seam of his lips, careful, so careful not to hurt him. The youve-just-reached-the-freezer-section coolness of her skin delighted him.
She hadnt heard, he realized, even as he shivered at her silken touch. Such a surreal moment. She acted as if she knew himliked him. Baby, he thought, dazed all over again.
No. I still cant talk. He pushed the words at her, watching for the minutest reaction.
An angry sigh escaped her, and the corner of her lip curled in disgust. Those bastards. Did they do something to your voice box? Bastards? No. Shed heard that time. Which meant there were limits. Thank the gods. No one, especially such an innocent human, should have to listen to the evil inside his head. No one, especially such a fragile female, could survive its gloom. Even now, Amun wasnt sure he could.
Do you remember what happened? she asked. How you got here?
He shook his head, slow, measured, trying not to open up any more wounds. Problem was, he was utterly covered in abrasions. The smallest action tugged too-tight skin and split scabs.
Okay, then. Her next sigh was sorrowful. Her hand remained on him, as if she couldnt bear to sever contact. Ill tell you what I know.
He nodded to encourage her, winced.
Be still, baby, she said, all concerned mother hen and determined commando. Just listen, okay, and try not to panic. She drew in a deep breath, then slowly released it. The Lords of the Underworld have us. Were in a structure on top of a hill. Their fortress in Buda, maybe? I didnt see any landmarks to verify my suspicions. Though why theyd risk bringing us here, I dont know. Last I heard, this was where they were keeping two of the artifacts. You think theyd want us as far away from those as possible.
The artifacts. There were four, and each was needed to locate, and thereby destroy, Pandoras box, saving him and his friends from certain death. Besides decapitation and other violent demises, that box was the only thing that could separate man from demon, wiping man from existence and unleashing the then-crazed demons on an unsuspecting world. This woman knew two of the artifacts were herethe All-Seeing Eye and the Cage of Compulsionyet she expected the Lords to be upset that Amun, a Lord himself, was near them.
She didnt know he was a Lord, he realized. She thought he was aHunter?
Likeher? All that disgust, all that anger directed at the Lordsthe notion seemed likely. But, if she knew him, why didnt she know whowhathe was? And if she was a Hunter, why would his friends have placed her inside his room?
His gaze skidded to the hole in the wall. Maybe his friends didnt know she was here. But
She thought she knew him, and he definitely recognized her. At least somewhat. He knew her name. Haidee. Could picture her face softened by sleep, so lovely. He knew theyd met somewhere, interacted in some way, but not where or when.
For once, his demon wasnt spewing out answers.
This was so damn confusing, and his weakened condition wasnt helping. Maybe she had tricked him into thinking theyd met, so hed be more inclined to help her. But again, how? Why? The artifacts? Would anyone except a Hunter be after them?
His stomach twisted into little knots. There was only one way to find out the truth about this beautiful woman whose presence alone both muddled and cleared his brain. That way was dangerous, the possible consequences severe.
He didnt want to go that route, but he didnt feel he had any other choice. Normally he could read the thoughts of those around him; so far, hed heard none of hers, despite the fact that she could hear his. Therefore, he needed to deepen the connection between them, push past any mental shields she might possess and peek into her mind, glimpse her memories.
Amun would be careful. He wouldnt let his demon wipe her brain cleanthe biggest complication of all. Secrets liked to play, to steal memories and leave the victims with nothing but static. Amun would pull away the moment the fiend tried to do so. Unless she proved to be a Hunter, of course; then all bets were off.
Gritting his teeth against the pain he knew hed feel, Amun lifted his arms. Gods, the sharp lance, the burn, worse than hed expected. When hed reached high enough, he allowed his hands to fall onto Haidees shoulders.
Stop whatever youre doing, she admonished. Youre hurting yourself.
Just that small action caused him to moan and groan inside his head. Needa moment. Must
Must? What do you need, baby? Tell me, and Ill take care of it.
Baby, again. Shed take care of it, of him, as if she cared. Truly cared. He couldnt soften, no matter how much he liked the way she treated him. Touch yourtemples, he said, guilt suddenly flooding him. Hed just requested her aid for her possible downfall.
Did she have any idea what he could do?
You getting kinky on me? she asked with a chuckle. She probably meant to distract him from his pain. She did, just not the way shed intended. Her jest had his gaze fastening on her lips, imagining the thrust of her tongue inside his mouth.
His body reacted, blood heating, pooling between his legs. Damn it! Justneedtemples.
Okay, okay. Ill help you.
No, she didnt know. Her fingers wrapped around his wrists, so cool, so welcomeso steadyand lifted without any hesitation. No questions about his motives, his intentions. She trusted him absolutely. When his hands reached her temples, she flattened her palms, pushing his closer, providing skin-to-skin contact.
Like this?
Yes. Such faith. Too much. He told himself he was disgusted by that, not delighted. It was a trick to distract him, surely.
Her lashes fluttered closed, and she nibbled on her lush bottom lip. Such straight, white teeth. Once again his body reacted. He wanted those teeth on himlowermoving up and down on his shaft. He wanted her hands reaching out, tugging at his balls. He wanted her tongue flicking over the slit of his erection, tasting.
I need to get laid, he told himself darkly.
The corner of Haidees lips quirked. Do you now? Im invited, I hope, she said with husky entreaty.
Shit. Shed heard. And she wanted to join him. Wanted him deep inside her, rocking them both to satisfaction. Dont think about that now. Hed forget he needed to learn about her and simply drag her on top of him. Besides, she could be lying, purposely distracting him as hed suspected.
I wont if you wont, she said with a warm chuckle.
What?
Think about having sex.
Damn it. He had to stop talking to himself. She heard every unshielded thought.
How did his friends stand him? He constantly read their minds, knew their every privateand mostly pornographiccontemplation. They rarely chastised him, however, and never made him feel like a nuisance. Hed always figured they didnt care. They must have found a way to hide their true feelings from his demon, though. No way they liked his ability.
He owed everyone in this house an apology.
Amun forced his mind to quiet and his own lashes to close. Hed done this a thousand times before, the process as ingrained as breathing. Hed done it for Sabin, his leader. For their cause. He blanked his mind and darkness enveloped him, then he concentrated on his senses. Her skin, cool and soft. Her scent, so earthy. He could hear the rasp of her next exhalationfocused on the chilly breath wafting over himallowed his demon to reach out
Colors exploded, chasing away the black. Suddenly images began to take shape. He saw a sky of the brightest azure, a lush green meadow, untouched by time. A scattering of silver stones. Trees missing their leaves, but with sleek, twisted branches. Two little girls running and laughing, playing chase, both wearing lovely pink linen robes, flaxen curls streaming behind them. Sisters. Both possessed hearts practically bursting with love.
Secrets purred in delight.
The reaction struck Amun as odd. Such an innocent memory, and not what the demon usually favored. Why did the fiend even care about this?
The image suddenly shifted, day replaced by night in an instant, leaving only one of the girls. Older now, her gray eyes sparking with tentative joy, as if she was afraid to hope but couldnt help herself.
Her skin was sun-kissed and glowing with health, her cheeks rosy with vitality. She wore a linen robe of lavender this time, flowers of the same color pinned through her hair. Those curlslike ribbons of the very moonlight surrounding her.
This was a past version of Haidee, Amun realized as a gentle, spice-laden breeze caressed her. She stood at the edge of a veranda, looking down into a dappled, crystalline pond. She bore no tattoos, no streaks of pink in her hair, no piercings; she was innocence and optimism wrapped in an utterly stunning package.
Are you nervous, my sweet? a female voice asked from behind her.
Haidee turned, startled from her reverie. I love when you call me that, she replied sincerely. Especially since you did not like me at first.
No. But that soon changed, did it not?
It did. And yes, yes. Im nervous, but excited, too.
They spoke in Greek. Ancient Greek.
Hed heard the language before, Amun thought, and recently. When? Where?
The scene continued to play on, and Secrets continued to rifle through Haidees memories, dabbling here and there, the girl completely unaware. Then there was a purr, and Amun knew. Answers. His demon had found the answers.
No new images sprang up, not yet, but what the demon learned, Amun learned, too. Always. So, between one heartbeat and the next, he knew that Little Haidee and Sleeping Beauty Haidee were one and the same. They were this woman. And this woman was
Responsible for Badens murder, he realized.
In a flash that lasted no more than a second, Amun saw Baden, hair soaked with blood and plastered to his scalp. Bodiless. He saw HaideeHadieeas shed once been, golden hair streaming down her back, naked, tanned skin luminous in the moonlight despite the hate radiating from her and the crimson-splatter all over her. He saw her friends, Hunters, swarming, battling his friends.
Horror blanketed him. The woman hed lusted after had helped kill his best friend. The woman hed thought to defend had helped snuff out the kindest soul hed ever known. The woman hed cradled at his side had destroyed the one man whod stood between easily broken mortals and feral, foaming-at-the-mouth immortals still consumed by the evil of their new demons. The man whod said, Save the humans, do not hurt them.
Baden had been the first to find himself in the darkness. Baden had been the one to help the others do the same. Baden Baden Amuns chest constricted so painfully, the barest hint of a gasp left him. He hadnt made a single noise as the new demons had ravaged him, over and over again, but now he was helpless to hold the sound inside. Baden. Gone forever, because of this woman.
Each warrior had loved Baden like a brother, and each had felt as if they were his greatest confidant. Thats where the true beauty of the man had lain. His ability to captivate everyone around him. Which had been a miracle, considering the nature of his demon, Distrust.
Now, Amun held one of Badens killers in his hands. Cupped her temples as hed once cupped Badens.
Are you okay? Haidee asked him, all concern and sweetness. Her grip on him tightened.
His horror was followed by a quick burst of confusion. How was this possible? Shed died. Hadnt she? Yes. Yes. She. Had. Died. Hunters had used her as Baitdressed her up like a pretty, helpless doll, sent her knocking on Badens door, begging for help. She had lured him straight into slaughter. The rest of the Lords had arrived just before hed lost his head; theyd attacked. But even if they had arrived a few minutes sooner, they would have been too late. All the pieces of the game had been set.
Amun remembered the blood, the screams. Remembered Strider victoriously lifting Haidees head when the battle had finally ended, and like Baden, shed been without a body. Not even an immortal could recover from that. Otherwise Baden, more alive than anyone hed ever known, would have risen from the grave long ago. Instead, the mans soul was trapped somewhere in the heavens.
The horror intensified to a shattering level. Amun couldnt bear to remember. Not this. Because the longer he wallowed in the past, the more likely he was to lose his tether on the other deep, dark emotion buried inside him. Rage. He would destroy the fortress in a way Maddox, keeper of Violence, never had, ruining their home stone by precious stone.
His hands fell away from Haidee and flopped to his sides. Her past faded, as did his own, and he could only stare at her, this present version, hate blending with his horrorthen completely overshadowing it. Yet even with that earth-shattering hatred flooding him, the lust remained undiminished.
His body simply didnt care what shed done.
The pink tip of her tongue swiped over her mouth, leaving a sheen of moisture. Dust motes sparkled around her, and with the pink streaks in her hair and the haze of his vision, she looked like an X-rated fairy-tale fantasy come to dazzling life. Her shirt hugged her breasts, and her nipples were pearled into decadent peaks. What was that? she breathed, unaware of the change in him.
What do you mean? The question snapped like a whip, lashing out before he could reason what to do, how to proceed.
Thememories. Of me as a child, then as me as an adult, on the veranda.
Shed seen what hed seen, then. That had never happened before, either. And yet, she made no mention of Badenbut then, Amun hadnt truly pictured his friend, had he? No, not true. He had. Thered been a split-second glimpse. She just hadnt noticed, then, the other memories holding her attention captive.
Therefore, she would have no warning, no way to prepare herself for his retaliation. And he would. Retaliate. He needed to punish her, needed to hurt her. So very badly.
Still she didnt seem to notice the darkness of his emotions. Gray eyes wide, she shook her head. Ive never remembered the good parts of my lives. Those memories are always taken from me.
Lives. As in, more than one. Had she been reborn more than once? Was she here to finish the job shed started all those centuries ago? To cause the destruction of everyone he loved?
How had she gotten here? Why hadnt she tried to kill him already? Why did she treat him with such affection? Hed never had to wonder about someones motivation before. He knew the truth, always. Knew what those around him most wanted to hide. This uncertainty was maddening, increasing the depths of his rage.
Answers first, he decided. Except, he had no idea how to urge her in that direction.
Whatever you didhowever you did it Wonder consumed her expression, lighting her up. Thank you. With a shaky hand, she brushed a budding tear from the corner of her eye. Thank you. I knew Id once had a sister, but I hadnt known what she looked like.
And the other vision? Could he trust a single word out of her deceitful mouth?
I have an idea, but Im not sure. Slowly she smiled, a vibrant smile of white teeth and untamed joy. Maybemaybe when were safe we can do this again? I can find out if Im right.
The smile hed seen before, that barest hint of delight, should have warned him of the devastating impact a full-on smile would cause. It hadnt. He sucked in a breath, lost in herand never wanting to be found. The gray of her eyes lightened so much he could see tiny flecks of blue. The rose in her cheeks deepened, his fingers itching to discover if the color warmed her flesh, or if those cheeks were as deliciously chilled as the rest of her.
He couldnt soften, he reminded himself darkly. Couldnt crave her in any way.
What? she asked, suddenly unsure. Shed finally noticed the change in him. Youve never looked at me like that before.
How am I looking at you? Like he wanted to stab her? He would. Soon. For Baden. For the others who still mourned the loss of their friend.
Like Imedible. She leaned down, her breasts rubbing his chest, her breath fanning over his ear. I like it, she whispered.
He could only sit there, wanting desperately to grab her, hold her thereto choke her, he assured himselfbut unable to make his useless body cooperate. Then, as if she hadnt just sent a thousand bolts of white-hot needto choke herthrough him, she straightened, returning them to the business at hand.