The Darkest Night

if she's pretending to want you so you'll give her information? What if she's thinking of another man every time you're near and her arousal is for him?.

Roaring, Maddox once more slammed his fist into the wall. More of the stone cracked and crumbled. She wanted him. She did. Do not react. Do not listen to the spirit.

Violence shut its mouth, liking his vehemence, his sense of possession.

'What are you doing, messing up the walls rather than fixing them?'

Maddox heard the familiar voice and spun. Blood dripped from his hands, warm and invigorating.

Aeron stood at the end of the hallway. Light streamed in from the windows, dancing over the man's tough frame. One beam hit directly atop his dark hair, a bright crown that illuminated his decorated skin.

As if it had never been stroked, never been eased, Violence howled to full life. Maddox pointed at his friend and scowled. 'You left her down there.'

'So?' The black demon tattooed on Aeron's neck seemed to blink its red-rimmed eyes, awakening from a deep slumber. Saliva seemed to drip from its sharp-toothed mouth. 'Did she talk?'

'About?'

'Her reasons for being here.'

'No.'

'Let me ask her, then.'

'No!' She was frightened enough. An image of Ashlyn as she'd looked inside that cell flashed through Maddox's mind. Her skin had been paler than the snow outside, the only color streaks of black-brown dirt. She'd been trembling. When that woman trembled, it should be from passion, not fear.

Fight. Fight. Fight! chanted the demon again.

'Where is she now?' Aeron demanded.

'None of your concern. But someone is going to pay for the state I found her in.'

His friend's violet eyes—eyes identical to his, as if the gods had been too tired to create something different—widened in surprise. 'Why? What's she to you?'

'Mine,' was the only answer he had. 'She's mine.'

Aeron ran his tongue over his teeth. 'Don't be foolish. She's Bait.'

'Maybe.' Probably. He stalked forward. Seething… hungry…'At the moment, I don't care.'

The warrior stepped toward him, equally infuriated. 'You should. And you should not have brought her here.'

Maddox knew that, but he wasn't going to apologize. He would do it again, if given the choice.

'Take her back to town and figure out a way to wipe her memory,' Aeron said. 'Otherwise, she'll have to be killed. She's seen and heard too much, and we cannot allow her to report to Hunters.'

They were almost upon each other. Maddox hadn't armed himself this morning, a fact that saved Aeron's miserable hide. He would have thrown a dagger in the man's dead, black heart had he been able. 'I would rather hurt you.'

The demon tattoo stretched its wings, fully awake now, and Aeron grinned slowly. 'We do this, and you'll have to patch up the mess.'

'And you'll have to clean it.'

'Like I care. We going to get started or just talk about it?'

'Oh, yes. We're going to start.' Maddox leapt.

Aeron did, too. They collided in midair.

CHAPTER SIX

Punch. Grunt and duck. Punch.

Maddox landed a hard blow to Aeron's cheek and the man staggered to the side with another grunt. But a second later, Aeron retaliated, lashing out with a strong left across his jaw. Maddox's teeth rattled and blood filled his mouth, the taste metallic but sweet, quenching part of the spirit's thirst.

He was grinning as he kneed Aeron in the stomach. The warrior doubled over, wheezing. More. He needed to inflict more damage. Before Maddox could elbow him in the head, Aeron bolted forward with a savage growl, wrapping his arms around Maddox and tackling him to the ground. They rolled in a bid for dominance. Fists flew; knees knocked. Elbows slammed.

Maddox hissed when Aeron caught him in the mouth again. He lost his smile, the inside of his cheek split. Another trickle of blood slid down his throat.

'This what you wanted?' Aeron barked.

He chop-blocked his friend in the throat, causing the other man to gasp and his skin to quickly color blue. 'Is that what you wanted?' With Aeron struggling to breathe, he threw four more punches, all in the face. Crunch. Eye socket. Crunch. Nose. Crunch. Jaw. Crunch! Temple. No more Violence today, he chanted futilely with each strike. No more Violence.

Are you sure? the spirit beguiled.

Maddox's eyes narrowed as he threw another punch.

Kill him.

'No!' he shouted, only then realizing he hadn't tamed the demon at all. Not even a little. He stilled, panting for air, not knowing what else to do. He couldn't go to Ashlyn like this, hungry for blood and even more on edge than he'd been.

'Oh, yes.' Cut and bruised, Aeron snarled low in his throat and slammed his fist into Maddox's right eye. Pain exploded in his head as the man's rings nicked a vein. His vision was momentarily blackened. Something warm and wet gushed down the slope of his face and finally, finally, the sadistic voice quieted.

Perhaps he needed the spirit beaten into submission. Happy to oblige, he splayed his arms wide, welcoming the next blow.

Aeron did not disappoint. The warrior kicked him in the stomach and Maddox sailed backward. The moment he hit the ground, Aeron was on top of him, strangling him, knees pinning his shoulders. Satisfaction blanketed the man's face, but there were demons in his eyes, ugly demons, tormenting demons, so much more menacing than the tattoo on his neck.

'Want more?' Aeron snarled.

'More.'

Punch. Maddox's head flew to the left. Punch. His head flew to the right. Punch. The cartilage in his nose cracked.

Hit me. Harden Harder! With every blow, the spirit slunk deeper and deeper. Wrath against Violence, he mused, and Violence was cowed. The thought of vanquishing Violence was almost a sexual high. He smiled, thinking this must be how Reyes felt. Happy in pain, desperate for more.

His teeth sliced into his tongue as another blow was delivered. His tongue swelled. Now I won't be able to kiss Ashlyn, he thought.

You don't need to kiss her to fuck her, the demon lashed out, rearing its ugly head just long enough to send a lance of fury through him.

Enough! He wanted to kiss Ashlyn. Wanted her taste in his mouth as she writhed against him. And he would have it. That's all he had thought about while sucking back flames during the endless night.

Another punch.

'Aeron! What are you doing?' Maddox heard Lucien demand from across the hall.

'Giving Maddox what he needs.' Punch.

'Stop.'

'No.' The next blow sank deeper and harder into his temple, rattling his brain.