The Darkest Whisper

Maybe see more of that butterfly tattoo that stretched along his ribs and disappeared into the waist of his pants.

“Now it’s my turn to question you,” he said from the bathroom doorway. He propped a shoulder against the frame. “Why haven’t you run? Or tried to, at least. I know you said you didn’t want to face the unknown out in that desert. That, on some level, I get. But then you discovered our dirty little demon secret and still you stayed. Even said you’d help me.”

Good question. She had considered bolting for the woods the moment the plane landed, then again when the SUV had stopped. Then those human females had raced from the fortress, throwing themselves at their men, clearly madly, deeply in love, and she’d paused. The demon warriors had been gentle with them, caring. Utterly reverent, as though they were prized.

That, more than anything, had made her reevaluate her perception of demons.

These men were the complete opposite of what she’d expected, honorable in their own right (so far) and almost kind. They seemed to want to protect her. Better, they didn’t gaze at her with disappointment, blatantly wishing she were stronger, braver, more violent.

It’s the angel in her, her mother would tsk every time Gwen refused to hurt an innocent. I knew better than to sleep with him. Her sisters would come to her defense, loving her as fiercely as they did, but she knew they, too, considered her feeble. The truth always shone brightly in their eyes.

Had he known her, her father would have been proud of her, she thought defensively. Surely he would have applauded such benevolence.

“Well?” Sabin prompted.

“I could answer you the way you’ve been answering me,” she said now, raising her chin. I’m strong. I can stand up for myself. “Why haven’t I run from you? Because. That’s why.” There. Take a little of your own medicine.

Sabin ran his tongue over his teeth. “I’m not amused.”

“Well, neither am I!” That’s it. That’s the way.

“Darling, talk to me.”

The way he said the endearment…like a caress, a fantasy and a curse all rolled into a chocolate éclair. Stolen, of course. “I feel safe with you,” she finally admitted. Why she had opted for the truth, she didn’t know. “Okay?”

He scoffed, surprising her. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t even know me. But if you really are that foolish, why did you want your own room? Why question me like this?”

Heat burned in her cheeks. She was foolish. “Why does it seem like you’re trying to talk me out of staying when I’m here at your request? Do you want me to run or something?”

A single, clipped shake of his head.

“Then can you at least pretend to be nice? Consistently?”

“No.”

Again, he didn’t hesitate. That was really starting to annoy her. “Fine. But tell me why you’re nice one minute and cruel the next.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, as if he was grinding his teeth together. “I’m no good for you. Trusting me will only bring you pain.”

And he didn’t want to bring her pain? “Why do you say that?”

No reply.

“Because of your demon?” she persisted. “What demon do you carry?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he growled.

So again, no answer. There was no answer that would make sense, anyway. Except, perhaps, that he was lying and he really did want to bring her pain because he was a demon and that’s what demons did. Yet he couldn’t be truly evil. He genuinely loved his friends. That much was obvious every time he looked at them.

“Tell me again what you think I can do for you,” she said, just to remind him that he did indeed want something from her and she didn’t have to help him if she didn’t want to. “Tell me why you want to keep me around.”

For once he seemed happy to respond. “To kill my enemy, the Hunters.”

A laugh bubbled from her. “And you honestly believe I can do something like that? Purposely,” she added quickly, not needing another reminder of what she’d unintentionally done inside that cavern.

His dark gaze leveled on her, piercing with the sharpness of a blade. “Under the right conditions, I think you can do just about anything.”

Right conditions. Aka fearing for her life, aka pissed as hell. He’d do it, too. Place her in danger or anger her to the point of total loss of self. Anything to win his war. “What happened to teaching me control?”

“I said I’d try. Not that I’d succeed.”

Never had there been a better reason to try and escape him. He was far more dangerous than she’d thought. But she couldn’t leave now, when she’d only just realized that part of her did want to help him. Not to kill, she wanted no part of the actual fighting, but she didn’t like that there were men like Chris out there, perhaps preying on other immortal females. If she could play some small role in stopping them, wasn’t it her obligation to do so?

“You don’t fear for your life?” she asked. “If I give in to the Harpy, you might not live to gloat about the Hunters I’ve slain. Even immortals can be killed under the right conditions.”

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take. Like I told you, they killed my best friend, Baden, the keeper of Distrust. He was a great man, undeserving of the death they delivered.”

“What kind of death was that?” After what they’d done to her fellow captives, she could only imagine.

“They sent a female to seduce him, and in the middle of the act they ambushed him and cut off his head. But if you want a more recent reason, the Hunters blame me and my brethren for every disease contracted, every loved one’s death, every lie uttered, every violent act committed. They have tortured humans I was stupid enough to care for and they will do anything to bury me. Anything. Destroy anyone or thing, all while calling me evil.”

“Oh,” was all she could think to say.

“Yeah. Oh. Still think you won’t be able to help me?”

SABIN WAS UTTERLY RIVETED by the lovely girl in front of him. All that strawberry hair tumbling down her arms, spilling into her lap. Those golden eyes flecked with shimmery silver and shining brightly. That rosy color burning in those round cheeks.

More than her appearance, he liked this newfound spirit. Despite his earlier grumblings to the contrary. Strength was damn sexy. Especially strength that didn’t come naturally. Though she was timid by nature, afraid of him, this house, even her own shadow, she was sitting calmly on his bed, questioning him, head high, refusing to back down. She was truly a remarkable creature.

If she’s not the world’s greatest actress, that is. Doubt.

Sabin growled. Gwen wasn’t an actress. She’d been imprisoned and tortured by Hunters; she wasn’t helping them. You’re irritating me with your suspicions.

Maybe I’m keeping you and your friends alive. Better to be on guard than dead. After all, Danika came here under the guise of rescue while she was, in fact, feeding the Hunters information.

Sabin swallowed.

Let me at the Harpy! I’ll break her and get the truth.

He pictured Reyes and Danika as they were now. Happy, in love. Proof that bad intentions could morph into good. You’ll zip it. That’s what you’ll do. As for him…

He glanced at Gwen, knowing—beyond a doubt—that he wasn’t destined to have a fairy-tale ending like Reyes. Watching a man cut himself, a woman could get over. Losing all sense of self-respect, she could not. Gwen was already too close to that point.

What else had shaped her into the girl she was? Or rather, woman. She was older than both Ashlyn and Danika, after all.

He was curious about her, every little detail of her life. Family, friends, lovers. And she was curious about him, too, a discovery he liked more than he should have. Way more than he should have, actually. He’d wanted to