The Darkest Craving

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

DISASTER LAUGHED WITH diabolical glee. Laughed harder than he’d laughed when Kane had been tied down, raped, beaten and humiliated. All because Tink had collapsed to the floor, her body contorting into the most painful positions, her features screwing up tight. Moan after moan escaped her. The kind he’d only ever heard in battle, after the last sword had been swung, the only enemy left standing finally defeated.

Red wheeled away from her, the horns on his head shrinking...vanishing. “What’s happened to me? I’m so weak, and yet...yet...”

Black dropped to his knees, his wings snapping into his back and vanishing.

“Weak yet...at peace.”

Green stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock, the scales falling from his skin.

The cloak of mist surrounding them split at the sides, like a veil torn asunder. Suddenly Kane could see William, Synda and White, and when the three spotted the remnants of the battle scene, they stood in unison, chairs skidding backward.

“I told her not to do it,” William said, hands going up in a display of innocence.

“Are you ready to leave now?” Synda asked, studying her nails. “I’ve been waiting forever.”

White nodded with satisfaction—until she saw the state of her brothers. Angry eyes locked on Tink’s writhing body. “What did she do?”

Ignoring everyone, Kane rushed over to Tink and scooped her up in his arms. Her presence barely registered, she was so light, but her scent was there, sweet and strong, wonderfully familiar, and he found comfort in it. He had her close. She would be okay. He would make sure she was okay.

“She draws other people’s abilities inside herself.” The secret was out now. He needed answers. “What’d she get from your boys?” he demanded of William. “They’re not demons.”

There was a heavy pause, then a shrug. “No, they’re not, but as you know, they carry the essence of war, famine and death. She’s probably swarming with all three.”

His heart slammed against his ribs. “Get the princess to the palace.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but raced from the bar. The sun had dimmed, casting an eerie sort of darkness over the land. How long had he been fighting? The princess’s carriage was gone, probably driving around the area to keep people from knowing exactly where the princess was and what she was doing. Taking the time to look for it wasn’t an option.

People now littered the sidewalks. Men in suits. Women in fancy dresses. Every eye found him and remained locked on him. Hands brushed against him, pulled at his clothing.

“Come home with me,” a woman said.

“I want to have your baby,” another intoned. “Please, Lord Kane!”

He shoved his way through the crowd. He had to get Tink to the palace as quickly as possible. Had to summon the best physician in the realm. And he wasn’t moving fast enough, he thought, his jaw locked in irritation and frustration. He scanned the area. There was a carriage winding down the street at a slow pace—slow, but unencumbered.

Kane picked up speed. Though Tink was cradled in his arms, her head tucked securely in the hollow of his neck, her arms and legs flopped with the force of his motions. Finally he caught up to the carriage and jumped through the opening in the side.

Two females were seated inside; they gasped at his sudden appearance. Both women wore the same type of ruffled, lacy gown as Synda, taking up too much space, so he knew they were part of the upper class.

“Either watch over the girl while I take over the driving, or get out of the vehicle,” he said. “But you should know that if you harm her, I’ll kill you.”

The two leaned toward him, pressing against him. “You’re Lord Kane! I’ve been so desperate to meet you.”

“Say you’ll come to my party tonight,” the other pleaded.

They weren’t going to cooperate. Fine. He grabbed the female closest to him and “helped” her out of the vehicle. She rolled on the ground, screaming in shock and anger, dust flying all around her.

He turned to the other girl and reached.

She blew him a kiss and jumped.

Casting a final glance to Tink—nothing had changed; she was in the same condition—Kane swung out the door, holding on to the roof. He had to kick up his leg to crawl to the top of the vehicle, then slide down to the driver’s seat. The scent of animal and sweat immediately assaulted him.

The driver jolted, startled by his sudden presence, and tried to seize a weapon. Kane kicked him off the ledge and confiscated the reins. He whipped at the horses, and the carriage picked up speed. Once Tink was healed, he would leave this land, he thought. From the beginning, she’d been right. He couldn’t help her. If not for him, she wouldn’t be in this situation. He’d only made things worse for her.

In fact, he’d made things worse for everyone.

Once Disaster was taken care of, he would come back for her.

While he was gone, a man might come along and fall in love with her. A man worthy of her, good for her. That man would move heaven and earth to save her; he would do whatever she needed done. Wage war on her family. Yes. Romance her. Absolutely. Delight her, thrill her. Definitely. Sweep her away to another land, somewhere safe. The two would marry, and they would make love, have the children Tink was too afraid to have now, and she would be happy. Finally, blissfully happy.

Yes, one day.

And then I’ll kill the male for daring to take what’s mine.

The horses suddenly whinnied and stopped, raising their front legs and kicking in protest.

“Whoa, whoa,” Kane said. When they settled, he saw the blonde from the forest—Petra—standing in the road, her hands anchored on her hips.

“You shot me, and I assure you I’ll have my vengeance. But we’ll deal with that later,” she announced. “Right now, I want the girl.”

Get in line, female. “Too bad. She’s mine.”

Little golden flames exploded in her eyes. “Why don’t we bargain? You give her to me now. I’ll enslave her in the way of my people, and consider us even, then I’ll give her back in a few thousand years. How’s that?”

Kane would die first. “I hurt you once. Don’t make me do it again.”

She chuckled with genuine amusement. “I’d love to see you try, warrior. You won’t catch me by surprise a second time.”

Mine, Disaster said.

Kane snapped the reins, forcing the horses to plow ahead. The girl had to jump out of the way to avoid impact, but she waited until the very last second, grabbing onto the back wheel to be dragged along. Dust sprayed the air, probably choking her.

Silly girl. What did she think she would accomplish—

Tendrils of smoke wafted to his nose, and he coughed. Stiffening, he glanced back. The Phoenix had fallen away from the carriage, but she’d left one of the wheels engulfed by flames. That. Quickly. He grabbed the dagger hidden in his boot and cut the horses loose. As the carriage teetered to one side, Kane scrambled toward the doorway...teetered more wildly...and fell through the center door as the entire vehicle slammed into the ground.

Impact was brutal, but he managed to wrap his arms around Tink and absorb most of the shock. And when the carriage finally settled, smoke forming an impenetrable cloud, he realized Tink had gone quiet. Too quiet.

Extreme heat licked at him as he pressed two fingers into the pulse at her neck. A faint thump, thump greeted him, and he could have wailed with relief. Coughing, he lifted her and draped her limp body through the door frame. He pulled himself out, gaze scanning as he hefted her over his shoulder. Through the thickening smoke he saw the Phoenix racing toward them, her body a living flame, fully engulfed, just like the wheel—no, the whole bottom half of the carriage now—and crackling with menace.

He expected to see her fellow warriors, but there were none. He made a split-second decision.

He had to kill her, if only for a little while. As with all Phoenix, she would die and her body would burn to ash. But there was a very real possibility she would rise again, more powerful than before.

Whatever. Kane threw the blade still clutched in his hand, and it soared toward her, flipping end over end. She jumped up and to the side, attempting to move out of harm’s way, but the dagger he’d taken from the Fae king possessed an ability she hadn’t anticipated, switching course and following her, amazing him. As high as she was, the blade found a home in her belly, rather than her spinal cord.

She grunted, hit the ground without any grace.

He tossed a second dagger, but didn’t stick around to make sure it succeeded where the first one had failed. He hopped to the ground, ran off the road and into the forest with Tink bouncing on his shoulder. He tried to be gentle, but gentle wasn’t possible. Thick trees surrounded him, but he pushed through the leaves and limbs, determined and angry and already planning his next move.

“I’ll take care of the Phoenix,” he vowed to Tink. While he might not be able to do much for her before he left Séduire, he could do that.

He found tracks created by the palace guard, the imprint of their boots giving them away. They’d clearly stopped and checked out all the singed places where the Phoenix had burned a bush or a plant or a patch of grass. But what he didn’t see were imprints of more than one Phoenix. Only the girl.

Could she be on her own? Simply making it seem like others were with her?

That...made sense, he realized. She had to think an army of Phoenix would intimidate the Fae, make them more likely to give up Tink to save their land from war.

Not on my watch. He burst from the shield of the forest, turned a corner and made it to the cobbled path that led to the palace. Of course, the first person Kane spotted was Leopold, leading a contingent of armed guards out the front doors.

“You’re going to pay,” the prince vowed.

“You can try to hurt me later,” Kane replied, never slowing.

Blue eyes fell on Tink and flared with concern, the rage completely obliterated. “What happened? What did you do to her?” The prince waved the guards away. The moment Kane was within reach, he snapped, “Give her to me.”

“Get out of my way!” There was enough crazed fury in Kane’s tone to startle the man. Wisely, the prince backed off. Kane barreled past him, past the double doors, and shouted, “I want a doctor sent to my room. Now!”

Leopold rushed to his side, keeping pace. “She absorbed the abilities of someone, didn’t she? No, no need to deny it. I know her. She did. I also know one of our doctors wouldn’t be able to help her. Not with something like that. Take her to my room and I’ll—”

Kane ignored him, stomping up the steps and into his own bedroom. He kicked the fancy, impractical cover away and eased her atop the mattress. She was still too quiet.

His hand trembled as he smoothed the hair from her face. Beads of sweat dotted her brow, causing several of the strands to stick. Her cheeks were fever-bright.

The prince approached the other side of the bed. “I could have you arrested for what you did to me, and what you allowed to happen to the princess’s blood slave.”

“I plan to leave as soon as she’s healed. If you want me to spend my remaining days here wedding Synda, killing your father, taking over the kingdom and ordering your torture, you’ll threaten me again.” Actually, that wasn’t a bad plan. It was quick and easy and effective—but it meant being with someone other than Tink. “If not, you’ll shut your mouth.”

The prince shut his mouth.

Kane hated that a doctor couldn’t help her, hated that only time would heal this woman who’d snuck past his defenses—if there was even a cure. But he hated the feeling of helplessness more, of doing nothing but waiting for her to awaken...or die.