Dreams of a Dark Warrior

THIRTY

Hours later, Declan conceded defeat with Slaine. But only temporarily. Though the demon despised Carrow the witch for luring him into the Order’s clutches, Slaine still wanted her, even believed she was his mate.

I’ll use that. Threaten the life of a male’s woman, and he would do anything, say anything.

Pitiable, he told himself, even as he feared what he’d do if someone had a blade at Regin’s throat.

Out in the corridor, he again noticed that Dixon wouldn’t meet his eyes, even turned to avoid him. Farther along, he came upon a smirking Fegley, rapping his nightstick against his palm.

Vincente was nowhere to be found, though he’d obviously needed to talk to him. Disquiet settled over Declan as he strode to his quarters.

Back at his console, he pulled up Regin’s cell. She was curled up on the bottom bunk, her back to the camera. Her fey cell mate was pacing.

A knock sounded at his door. After a short pause, Webb entered. “Better luck next time with Slaine, son.” His tone was odd, his expression almost … guilty.

Now Webb was acting strange? Gotta cut back on the medicine. Paranoia had him by the throat.

“I need to take the vampire’s ring off-island for more study,” Webb said. “And transfer a prisoner as well. Unfortunately, I must leave tonight before the storm hits.”

Declan was only half-listening, keeping the monitor in the corner of his vision. Was Regin’s skin dim? “The ring’s in my safe.”

“I’ve collected it already.”

“Which prisoner are you transferring?”

Just as Webb said, “The one you’re no doubt watching,” Regin turned on the bed—revealing a line of staples below the hem of her shirt.

Vivisection.

The room spun. “What … the Valkyrie was …”

“Examined? Yes, while you were resting today. I’d hoped to have her shipped out before you finished with the demon.” Then he exhaled. “You and those monitors. Never could hide anything from you. Well, not much, anyway.”

Declan shot to his feet. “No. She wasn’t scheduled,” he said slowly. “Some other creature was.”

“I decided to have her examined before her transfer.”

Sagging against the console, Declan rewound the feed of the O/R to this morning. Regin had just awakened strapped to the operating table.

He could do nothing but watch in horror, his heartbeat roaring in his ears, his mind threatening to break once and for all.

This had been done by Declan’s order hundreds of times before, but he’d never truly understood. …

As they’d begun slicing her skin open—without anesthesia—she’d shrieked, her body twisting in the restraints. Tears had leaked from her stunned eyes. Again and again, thunder had boomed, shaking the camera.

She’d felt everything.

When they’d cracked open her rib cage, Declan clutched the edge of the console, crushing the wood to splinters. Never had he felt so sickened. Not even the night his entire family had been murdered.

Once Regin had grown insensible, just before speech became impossible, she’d begged Chase to stop it.

And Fegley had told her, “Who do you think ordered this done to you? You didn’t think that he’d retaliate against you?”

That lying son of a bitch! I will bash his skull!

With a roar of fury, Declan turned to Webb. “Why the fuck would you do this? Why?” he bellowed, not recognizing his own voice. She cried for me to save her. …

In a faltering tone, Webb answered, “Now, just calm yourself.”

He fears me. He should.

“This is one of thousands of examinations. Why would you care about a detrus who sought to kill you?”

No, she stopped me before I could kiss her.

“She’s got you bewitched. Tonight I’m moving her from the island, so you can throw off this spell. I’ll fix it, just like I fixed the last one.” Webb ran his hand over his face, looking much older than his years. “Then you can return to life as you knew it. To a life of purpose and service.”

Declan felt a murderous rage, and confusion following on the heels of it. Because he wanted to kill the man he’d looked upon as a father.

“You want to harm me right now, don’t you, son? After all I’ve done for you? Can’t you see that this is an enchantment?”

It wasn’t. Unless Regin got to me when I was just a boy. He’d been waiting all his life … “Answer me! Why would you do this to her?”

“We have to uncover their weaknesses. The Valkyrie could prove more dangerous to the Order than any other faction. Hell, that glowing one wants you dead even now. Play the feed where she talks to her witch friend.”

Though he could imagine what she’d said, Declan did. As the guards dragged her past the witch’s cell, Regin’s skin had been ashen, her legs trailing limply. He could see the grisly staples climbing above the collar of her shirt and down her flat belly.

Bile rose in his throat.

“Carrow … is that y-you?” She’d coughed blood. “Can’t s-see.”

Carrow leapt to the glass. “I’m here!”

“Kill him, witch! Curse Chase. He ordered this. He is Aidan the Fierce. T-tell my sisters.”

Declan shoved his fist against his mouth.

Regin had been right to trick him, had been smart to do everything in her power to escape. What should I have done? Calmly awaited my torture? She’d known this was in store for her.

And I didn’t protect her.

“Son?” Webb began backing away—because, Declan dimly realized, he was stalking closer.

“I understand what you must be feeling.” Webb stumbled up to the next level of Declan’s room. “But this is manageable. Maybe it’s time for you to know what you’re battling, so you can comprehend why you feel this unnatural pull to her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Son, you’re … you’re a berserker.”

“You bloody knew. For how long?”

“We knew you were different from the beginning. You killed two Neoptera with a bat when you were just seventeen years old. Dixon only recently put it all together after she studied the immortal berserker. Though you’re still mortal, you share key markers with him.”

Might have been swinging, but I’ve still gone down. Declan was of their world. “But if you knew I was different …” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing. “It was you who sent Dixon to help me camouflage my symptoms.”

When Webb didn’t deny it, Declan said, “Did you tell her to keep me high, so you could control me, so I’d continue to be a good little soldier?”

“It’s not like that, son. She suggested an … enhanced medical regimen, and I agreed. You seemed more satisfied.”

“Even though you saw what I went through to get clean the first time! Why not tell me, and let me figure out how to deal with it?”

“I was protecting you. You already had more obstacles to overcome than any other man I’ve ever known. I thought this knowledge would break you.”

It might have, before Regin. Declan’s brows drew together. Their kind— He stopped himself. No, my kind have one mate.

All his life, he’d wondered what he yearned for, obsessing over it every minute of the day, sickened with the need to find it. He’d nearly lost his mind. Declan flexed the hand he’d used to punch the tile in his shower earlier.

At last, he could stop wondering. Regin was … his. To possess, to protect. He swung a lowering glance at Webb. The man before him had hurt Declan’s woman. Had removed her from his reach, possibly forever. “You had to suspect that the Valkyrie is mine. Still you did this to her?”

“Now, wait just a minute! You told me that you’d beaten your obsession. I believe you called her a detrus whore. How was I to read your mind?”

“Bullshite! Then why hide this from me? Why send me off the island? I wasn’t supposed to be back for days!”

“The Valkyrie are a real threat. That subject is the key to developing a weapon to fight them—a device that disrupts a Valkyrie’s energy supply. There’s potential, but we need to test it on her again.”

“That subject?” Declan lunged forward, his hand shooting out to wrap around Webb’s throat. “That subject is my woman!” How Regin cried for me …

Webb’s eyes went wide with fear. He tried to talk, but Declan tightened his grip.

I loved this man like a father?

Suddenly the power surged, the lights wavering. My bloody installation doesn’t have power surges.

Webb’s radio sounded: “Commander, our security nets are picking up some strange interference. We thought it was more of the Valkyrie’s lightning, but this is different. …”

More of her lightning. The bolts that Regin had given off with each mutilation. And I slept through it all, high in my room while Dixon cut on her.

By this man’s order. Punish him. He squeezed harder.

The radio blared again: “Commander Webb? Something is approaching.”

Declan felt that ominous pressure strengthening, as if the air had grown leaden. But his mind was bent on slaughtering this man. “She’s mine. You don’t touch what’s mine. You will not take her from here. I’ll protect her with my life.”

Regin hadn’t been separating Declan from his purpose. She is my purpose.

“Commander, we need an authorization from you or Magister Chase to go to code red—”

“RIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!” some being shrieked, a sound as he’d never heard.

Lothaire’s words about the gold band flashed in Declan’s mind: “She’s coming. She’s going to want it back.” He’d described an unimaginable evil descending upon them. …

This new threat diverted some of Declan’s rage. Webb might just make it out of this office alive.

With the last of his control, Declan eased his grip. The man staggered back, wheezing in breath and rubbing his neck.

Declan called in the code, then said to Webb, “Get out of my sight. Take the helicopter and leave here. Now. Before I finish what I started.”

Just as an alarm began to wail, the lights wavered again, then failed altogether. No backup electricity fired, no emergency lights. The alarm faded to silence.

Darkness. The only sounds came from the gale intensifying outside.

Impossible. Some force had taken out all his many redundant systems.

Still rubbing his throat, Webb hastened to the emergency exit. “I’ll go. But remember—you have a target on your back. Every creature in here wants you dead.”

That’s why I’ll keep them in their fuckin’ cages. Declan met his gaze. From the man’s expression, he figured his eyes were flickering. “If I see your face again, I’ll end you.”

“After I saved your life? I was a father to you for twenty years.”

“Which is why you’re still alive—”

Three crashing booms sounded in succession; the corridor bulkheads had descended, sealing the wards. Both he and Webb knew what that meant. There’d been a breach in at least one of the cells.

The deployment of those bulkheads triggered an hour-long self-destruct sequence, one that could only be overridden by an officer—after the facility had been secured.

Without the override, incendiary bombs would detonate all over the island, wiping this place off the map.

Webb asked, “Can you secure the facility?”

He had to try. With any cell breach, the installation was considered hot, a quarantine situation. There was no evacuation of personnel. If he failed, everyone would die in the bomb blasts.

Declan set his watch as he rushed to his armory. He donned a plated tactical vest, then shrugged into his dual holster with its pair of Glocks. After strapping on his sword belt, he grabbed two MK 17 assault rifles, packing armor-piercing rounds.

He turned toward the door, ready for battle.

Just before Declan left, Webb said, “If you radio me before the sequence ends, I’ll override remotely. Good luck, son.”

Declan’s shoulders stiffened, and he didn’t look back. “I’m no’ your son.”