The Darkest Secret

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“BEFORE WE GET STARTED, let’s see what we’ve got to work with,” Haidee told Amun after she disinfected her mouth. Twice. She ducked her head as she walked away from him so that she wouldn’t have to see his expression.

He’d had his hands on her the entire time. Did he regret it? She’d vomited in front of him. Did he find that amusing? She had responded to him, goose bumps breaking out over her skin. Did he feel smug?

He offered no reply, and she experienced a wave of hurt. A wave she ignored because it was stupid. He wasn’t her boyfriend, wasn’t a tame pet dog, and was merely using her, the enemy, to stay calm.

Still. Would a “that’s smart” or “are you okay?” have been amiss? After all, she had agreed to venture into hell with him. Was actively trying to reach the fiery pit for him.

And because of that, she was alone with him, she thought, suddenly dazed by the way things had worked out. She was completely, utterly alone with the demon-possessed immortal who set her body on fire. The demon-possessed immortal who would probably try to kill her after they found a way to free him from the evil that plagued him. The demon-possessed immortal she should despise, did despise, but couldn’t convince herself to hurt, even in the smallest way.

The demon-possessed immortal she still craved.

Frowning, she crouched in front of the backpack the angel had given them. Her hand shook with the force of her nervousness as she unzipped and parted the folds. What she saw, or rather, what she didn’t see, had her sputtering.

“It’s empty!”

Pounding footsteps resounded, then Amun was crouched beside her, grabbing the pack and searching inside. She heard his growl whisper through her mind, low and rumbling.

He scrubbed a hand down his face, the rough action leaving his forehead red and scraped. The angel wanted us to fail, then. He…lied. I can’t believe he lied.

“Well,” she replied, chin lifting, jutting stubbornly. “We won’t fail.” They’d survived too much already.

No. We won’t.

Their gazes locked together in a suspended moment of agreement and awareness. At least, she thought awareness was the other surprise battering between them. It was for her. She saw the strength in every line and curve of his face, the determination glittering in his eyes, the need parting those soft lips. Only he never reached out, never touched her. In the shower, he’d promised her he wouldn’t, and he was obviously—tragically—a man of his word.

Silent now, Amun pushed to his feet and turned away from her, shattering the tranquility of the moment.

Haidee straightened, and her trembling increased. He’d known who she was before their shower, yet still he’d treated her with care. He’d held her, caressed her, he’d even gotten hard simply being near her. He’d peered at her lips with utter longing, as if he couldn’t exist another moment without lapping at her tongue.

What had changed since then?

The fact that she’d mentioned breaking up with Micah? Well, a man who truly desired her would have been overjoyed by her suggestion. Yet Amun had stomped away from her and hadn’t lowered his guard since.

Men! She would never understand them.

Come, he said, starting forward without looking back. I want to leave this area. We’ve been here too long for my peace of mind.

They were in hell, or near enough. She doubted she’d know peace ever again.

“I’m right behind you.” As she followed him through the yawning opening of the cavern, she anchored the backpack’s straps on her shoulders. No reason to toss it, and a thousand reasons to keep it. They could store rocks inside, even bones, and use each as weapons. If they lucked out and found berries or nuts, they could store the food for later. Still. That damn angel! He must be a demon in disguise, tricking them the way he had. And if she ever encountered the bastard again, she would probably knife him.

In fact, for what seemed an eternity, she distracted herself by considering all the ways she would torture him. A knee to the groin, an elbow to the cheek. A hard kick to the skull. When that began to bore her, she switched her mental target to Amun. But soon that, too, lost appeal as she and Amun trekked through the underground tunnel, the scenery unchanging. Only the growing soreness in her muscles and the constant ache in her booted feet indicated the passage of time. The leather of those boots was well-worn but not fitted to her arches, and blisters quickly formed on her tendons.

She endured without complaint for a little while longer, but really, she hated the suffocating silence between them, every second laced with tension. If they were going to work together, which they needed to do if they hoped to succeed in freeing Amun, she had to break through whatever was angering him.

So she asked the first question that popped into her head. “Do you have a girlfriend?” The moment the words were spoken, fury raced through her. The thought of this man belonging to someone else…kissing someone else…his intense arousal focused on someone else…

No, he said, and she relaxed.

Haidee nearly reached out and petted him as a reward. She kept her arms at her sides, though, as they rounded a narrow corner, the walls thinning yet again, practically scraping at her. He might rebuke her, and she’d rather endure the silence than that.

Did you ever kiss Strider? The question lashed from him, surprising her, and if his tone had been tangible, she suspected she would have been cut to the bone. Or…do more?

“No! Never.” She might have abandoned her vengeance quest with Amun, but the same courtesy did not extend to his friends. Them, she still wanted to kill. Amun, she just wanted to kiss again. Soon. Maybe. Definitely. Except—

Damn it! She’d left the toothbrush and toothpaste back in the cave. Next time she and Amun did a little hooking up, she wanted to taste—argh. If he had his way, they were never going to hook up again. She glared at his back, considered raking him with her nails. To him, she wasn’t worth the risk. Any risk.

Part of her admired that. His friends were important to him. Momentary pleasure was not.

Some of the tension left him. Was that what had been bothering him? she wondered. The thought of her with Strider? She stopped glaring at his back, and again considered petting him. If he didn’t like the idea of her lip-locking his friend, she had to mean a little something to him. Right?

The other part of her really admired that. He could overlook his (justified) prejudice in favor of desire for her and only her.

All right, then, he said, pacified.

“So what gave you that stupid idea that I’d made out with the keeper of Defeat?” She’d meant to ask gently and certainly hadn’t meant to use the word stupid, but then she’d remembered Amun’s snotty attitude the past few hours and her irritation had taken over, speaking for her.

You spent some time with him. Alone. You were desperate to be free of him.

Irritation morphed into anger. “I’m a lot of things, Amun, but I would never use my body to get what I wanted. Even freedom.”

There was a beat more of silence, then, You did with Baden.

Oh. Yeah. He was right, and there was nothing she could say to defend herself.

Back then, she’d been so filled with hate and fury that she would have done anything, anything, to destroy one of the Lords. And she had. She had stripped in front of Baden, as if she’d wanted to bed him in thanks for his escort home. And as he’d looked her over, distracted, she had signaled for the waiting Hunters.

“I learn from my mistakes,” she said softly. Helping to kill the warrior hadn’t been the mistake, but she did regret the way she’d gone about it. She’d lied to Strider about feeling nothing. She even regretted the pain her actions had caused the man in front of her, which was one of the reasons she had willingly placed herself in danger.

A confusing realization. That meant she more than wanted him; that meant she cared for him. Why did she care for him? She didn’t know him, not really. She was attracted to him, yes. She’d already admitted that, over and over again. She was somehow linked to him, yes. She couldn’t stop thinking about his mouth on hers, then between her legs, yes, that too. Oops. That was part of her attraction to him. Anyway. None of that required caring. Yet she had done everything in her power to stay with him. Be with him. Spend time with him. Aid him.

She sighed.

What?

He hadn’t turned around to ask, and her gaze ate up the strong expanse of his back. Without her emotions in the way, she was able to truly see him. Such dark skin, so many layers of muscle. He had no scars now, and his only tattoo was the butterfly. Which she couldn’t see at the moment; it must have returned to his leg. She marveled at the thought of a living tattoo, slipping and sliding from one corner of his body to the other, then shook her head and told herself to concentrate.

He was talking to her now. She didn’t want to lose this opportunity.

“I dreamed about you before I met you,” she confessed. “But I didn’t know who—” or what, she mentally added “—you were. That’s why I began dating Micah. I thought…”

Amun’s shoulder blades pressed together in a jerky motion as he straightened. You thought he was me?

“Yes. And before you start insulting my intelligence, remember that you guys look a lot alike.”

So how do you now know you dreamed of me rather than him?

Because of the way Amun made her feel. Connected, aware. Alive. Burning from the inside out when she’d only ever known cold. To confess the truth was to make herself vulnerable—more than she already was. To confess was to give him power over her—more than he already had.

“I just do,” was all she said. “If I hadn’t calmed you, would you have killed me when you found out who I was?” She tried to maintain an impassive tone, but the tremble in the words gave her away.

There was a terrible pause that crystallized the oxygen in her lungs. Then, Yes.

At least he was honest, but wow, that hurt. You would have killed him if you hadn’t dreamed of him, she reminded herself. True. That failed to ease her hurt, though. He’d kissed her, damn it. Intimately. A little loyalty would have been nice.

Illogical.

Distracted as she was, she tripped over a stone and stumbled forward. She had to anchor her hands on Amun’s waist to steady herself. Instant, amazing heat. As always. He didn’t pause, but he did stiffen.

Stay alert, Haidee. He spat her name like it was a curse.

Maybe it was. “I’m trying. Amun. We’ve been walking for a long time and don’t seem to be getting anywhere. I’m tired, hungry, and oh, yeah, I’m also saving your ass. Propping me up when I fall without complaining is the least you can do to repay me.” Even as she scolded him, she vowed to do a better job. She straightened, severing contact—mourning the loss, again as always—and studied her newest surroundings.

They had maneuvered into a type of hallway, the blood-splattered walls tall but not broad. The floor tilted, sending them deeper underground with every step. Dust layered the warm air, and in the distance she thought she heard a steady drip, drip.

You’re right, he said. I’m…sorry.

The apology was gritted, like the words tasted foul. Didn’t matter. She’d take it. Anything was better than nothing. Just ask her stomach.

“Do you know where you’re going?” she asked, her voice echoing around them.

No. A clipped tone, and, if she wasn’t mistaken, a roundabout command for silence. Then he surprised her by adding, All I know is that hell is down, so that’s the direction we’re heading.

A chimp could have told her that, but she kept her mouth closed as they stepped through another opening. Another cavern. The walls stretched, allowing easier, freer motions. Finally, they were getting somewhere. And shockingly, there was thick, dewy foliage sprouting from the rocks. Nice, she thought, until something hissed at her. She yelped, twisting to discover the source.

A pair of narrowed red eyes glowed from the round head of a snake, forked tongue dancing over sharp, dripping fangs. She opened her mouth to scream, but a tide of dizziness slammed through her and only a moan escaped.

Somehow she remained on her feet. “N-nice snakey snake,” she whispered, palms rising to proclaim her innocence.

The creature launched at her neck. Not nice. Her reflexes were too slow to save her.

Amun’s thick, corded arm whipped out, fingers wrapping just below that open, waiting mouth, wrist twisting, snapping head from scaled body. When he opened his fist, the reptile floated lifelessly to the ground.

“Th-thank you,” she rasped. The dizziness hadn’t left her, and now her heart felt distorted in her chest, a smashed organ hammering against her spine rather than her ribs.

Welcome. Now I’ve saved your ass. His gaze never shifted to her, nor did he massage her neck in comfort, as she suddenly craved.

“We’re not even close to even, big boy.”

I didn’t say we were. Let’s keep moving. I don’t like this area.

They started forward again, and this time, Haidee kept one hand wrapped around the waist of his pants, afraid to let go. He didn’t chastise her, and she was grateful. She hated snakes. Hated, hated, hated. Maybe because a Hydrophis Belcheri had killed her once, its poison spurting acid straight into her veins, making her writhe and beg for mercy she had never found. Not even in death.

“Hurry,” she said. “I don’t like this area, either.”

Then you’re really not going to like what my demon just told me.

“Oh, God. What?”

We’ve just entered the Realm of Snakes, Amun said grimly.

Sweet heaven above. “Please tell me the Realm of Snakes refers to the sweet little garden variety, and that we’ll only encounter one or two of them.”

The Realm of Snakes refers to the sweet little garden variety, and we’ll only encounter one or two of them.

Though she knew he was lying, his dry baritone caused her lips to twitch and some of her fear to fade. “Good, that’s good. So what else did Secrets tell you?” Fingers crossed she didn’t have a panic attack after his next words.

That we shouldn’t look directly into their eyes because they can hypnotize us into believing we actually want them to bite us.

The fear returned full-force, but at least the dizziness now made sense. Hypnosis. Shit. Control was one of her most prized possessions. Too well did she know the horror of being without a choice. For days, weeks, whatever, she’d been Strider’s prisoner, allowed to do only what he wanted her to do. Before that, every time she’d died, losing pieces of her memories when she finally returned to life, she had known only consuming hate and a driving need to destroy. And long before that, she’d been a puppet of the evil one, then the Bad Man, then the Greeks who had enslaved her.

“I’m not sure I can do this,” she whispered.

Just pretend the snakes are demon-possessed warriors. I’m sure you’ll do fine.

Ouch. He’d struck more sharply than the snake. Tears momentarily burned her eyes, but she blinked them back. No weakness. Especially when she deserved such a stinging remark. Once, she might have even been proud to hear it. Once, but not today.

“And why don’t you pretend they’re innocent humans?” she said softly. He, too, deserved to be cut down, and she couldn’t let herself forget.

Another bout of silence thickened the air between them. Until he sighed and admitted, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry. Again.

The second apology, offered far more poignantly than the first, was so unexpected she was shocked—and softened. “I’m sorry, too. And I understand why you did,” she admitted. “I took something from you. Something you loved.”

Yes. And we took something from you?

“Yes.”

He waited for her to elaborate, but she never did. She’d already told him she wouldn’t discuss the past with him, and she’d meant it. There was nothing he could say to ease the hurt, and a million things he could say to increase it.

I won’t let anything happen to you while we’re here, Haidee. You have my word.

Again he shocked her. Silly thing was, she believed him, and not just because he needed her. He may not like her, but he’d taken responsibility for her welfare. No matter the circumstances, his responsibilities were clearly important to him.

Something else to like about him.

The deeper they walked, the more lush the vines became, until there was no gap between leaf and limb, tree and cave wall. There was only mile after mile of what seemed to be a tranquil forest.

How many snakes lurked nearby? Waiting? Hungry?

Oh, God. Bile, rising again…

Soon steam was wafting from the leafy greens, limiting their range of vision. She inhaled deeply, scented sulfur and something else, something sweet. The conflicting aromas left her gagging and swaying with another bout of dizziness. Was she being hypnotized again and just didn’t know it?

“Help,” she managed to whisper, hating that she was already losing control of herself. Her knees were knocking, about to give out. “Amun.”

In the next instant, he had turned, his arm winding around her waist and holding her up. What’s wrong?

Her lashes fluttered shut, suddenly too heavy for her to keep open. “Don’t know. Head…spinning…” He was so still against her, she couldn’t even feel his heartbeat or the rise and fall of his chest. Couldn’t feel his heat, that amazing heat.

There’s ambrosia in the air, a substance very harmful to humans, but you aren’t…

“Human. Yes. I am.”

I don’t understand. You died. Now you’re alive. You can’t be human.

The dizziness intensified, pulling her under a dark, dark wave. No matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t swim to the top. “Amun…”

Haidee. Listen to my voice. Stay with me.

“Can’t,” she wanted to tell him. No sound emerged.

If you pass out, I’ll strip you and touch you again. Do you hear me? I’ll view it as an invitation to take you.

Before she could tell him the invitation wouldn’t have an expiration date, that his “consequences” were not a threat but a delightful prospect, the darkness swallowed her completely.

DAMN THIS. Amun hefted Haidee over his shoulder, barely registering her slight weight. He did, however, register the fact that her breasts were smashed into his back. Because of her unusually cool body temperature, her nipples were already pebbled.

She’d been behind him for what seemed an eternity, touching him fleetingly yet awakening every nerve ending he possessed. Despite the danger, he’d almost stopped a dozen times, desperate to taste her again, to hear her moan his name. His, and no other.

When she’d confessed that she had only dated that bastard Micah because she’d mistaken him for Amun, she’d almost found herself pressed against the cave wall, her jeans and panties ripped away, his shaft pounding its way home. Control had been maintained through a wish and a prayer only.

Confounding baggage. How was he supposed to callously use her and work her from his system when she treated him with such…sweetness? When she responded to his barbs with hurt rather than venom?

Secrets still couldn’t read her mind, but the demon had begun to sense the absolute conviction in her every word. She believed everything she said. Of course, the demon also retreated every time Haidee touched him. The coolness that so delighted Amun terrified his companion. All of his companions. Since leaving the fortress, the other demons had yet to try to influence him in any way. Why?

Damn this, he thought again, striding forward. Didn’t matter why. He needed this woman.

A little dizzy himself, he shouldered his way through the foliage. He’d whisk Haidee to safety if it killed him. And it just might. If he was affected by the ambrosia in the air, how much damage would the substance do to her?

Through Maddox, Amun had learned that humans simply couldn’t tolerate ambrosia, a drug meant only for immortals. They were better off being injected with tainted heroin. Haidee hadn’t ingested the substance, had only breathed in the fumes, so Amun told himself she would be okay.

Was she human, though? She truly believed she was and could very well be, despite the fact that she’d risen from the dead. But surely she was more than she realized. That unnatural coolness, her mental connection to Amun, the way she corralled his demons, each bespoke something beyond mortality.

Still. To be safe, he wanted to get her out of this forest as quickly as possible. All he had to do was find the entrance to the next realm. Which, if he wasn’t mistaken, would be the Realm of Shadows. So far, all he could see were trees. Trees, trees, trees. They surrounded him so completely they were like a second layer of clothing.

Soon he was panting from exertion. His dizziness increased, and he tightened his hold on Haidee. They didn’t touch skin to skin, merely cloth to cloth. Perhaps if he slid his hands up the hem of her pants and gripped her thigh properly, her temperature would stave off the dizziness the same way it staved off the demons.

Follow your own advice and stay alert. No touching the girl. A single touch, and he’d become lost to the lust again.

Branches slapped at him, slicing his cheeks. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. The action must have roused Secrets. Instantly agitated, the demon prowled through his skull, hatred for this place welling up.

Voices suddenly wafted to Amun’s ears.

Come closer, warrior…

Welcome to our home…

We won’t hurt you…much…

Thoughts soon followed, filling his mind.

They’ll taste so good.

Maybe she’ll scream just the way I like…

The snakes were closing in, ready to strike. To kill. He couldn’t fight them with Haidee dangling so precariously over his shoulder. She would take the brunt of the action, her body acting as his shield, and that he wouldn’t allow.

Not knowing what else to do, he stopped and eased her to the ground—no sudden movements—then fit the backpack she still carried around her neck, shielding the sensitive area as best he could. As he slowly, so slowly straightened, he withdrew two of his blades, metal whistling against leather.

That must have been the starting bell for the snakes.

Dozens of crimson eyes leveled on him… Fangs flashed bright white.

He tensed.

The snakes launched forward.