The Darkest Secret

Great. The boyfriend wasn’t even here, but the challenge had been heard, accepted and must now be met.

«Pull over,» he told William for the second time that night.

«Why? There’s no store.»

Kaia flicked Strider another glance and grinned. «Now there’s the demon warrior I’ve come to know and love. He wants to set a trap, Willie, and we’re going to help him.»

«Nope. I’m getting out and doing this solo,» Strider announced. William had people of his own to kill, and Strider didn’t want to spend any more time with Kaia than necessary.

Her grin remained in place, though the edges darkened with an emotion he couldn’t name. «Oh, really? Well, I seem to recall you telling me I’m worse than a stomach virus, and I think it’s time I proved that. I’m challenging you to let me help you, Strider. I’m challenging you to hurt the bastard more than I do, and I’m challenging you to kill more of his men than I do.»

Fuck! he thought, even as his demon started jumping around again. Nervous, excited. Okay, mostly nervous.

Win, win, win. Please, win.

Suddenly hating Kaia with every fiber of his being, Strider gave her a stiff nod. Game on, then. «When this is over,» he said softly, «I will make you pay.»

«I know,» she replied, and her tone was oddly subdued. «Believe me, I know.»

Chapter Nineteen

Though two days of walking and monotony had passed since they’d left their cave, and all Amun had been able to do was think and guard Haidee the few times he’d allowed her to stop and rest, he hadn’t come to grips with what he’d once done to her. Or what had driven her to hate him and his friends, hate that led her to aid in Baden’s destruction. No matter how good Amun’s intentions had been, he’d still flung her right into an attacker’s blade.

Gods. The blood pouring from her…the agony in her expression…

His friends only remembered bits and pieces of their time in ancient Greece. They knew they’d burned, pillaged and destroyed, but not specifics. Like who and what. Amun, however, recalled every detail. Or rather, Secrets wouldn’t allow him to forget. Mysteries of that nature weren’t ever allowed to remain unsolved, even within himself.

Very clearly Amun remembered the rage he’d felt as he had followed the Hunters to the nobleman’s home. They’d had a particularly violent battle earlier that morning, before the Hunters had cut their losses and retreated. Having none of that, Amun and the others had followed them. The warriors had been sliced, diced and bleeding, and they’d been determined to annihilate those responsible.

What he hadn’t pieced together then — the information lost in the tangle of everything else — but what he determined now, was that they’d been herded, purposely led into that house. Not by the Hunters, but by the «he» who pulled their strings. Not the robed being Haidee had seen, but the «he» the Hunters had mentioned when they’d spotted the creature. «He» had known a demon would be there. «He» had wanted everyone inside that room to be slaughtered. Even his own people.

Galen, even then? Or the man who had «rescued» little Haidee and taught her to blame the Lords for her parents’ deaths? The Bad Man? Amun might never know, and really, just then, he didn’t care. No one’s actions had been as despicable as his own.

He didn’t deserve the woman behind him, the woman trudging without complaint through cavern after cavern simply to save him. He was responsible for the danger she now found herself in. He might be the cause of her next death.

A death she feared with every ounce of her being. Terror had filled those pearl-gray eyes when she’d spoken of her rebirths. Terror and residual pain, as if even speaking of the events had lanced her with an agony few in the world could even understand. She deserved peace and happiness, a family to cherish her.

Everything she’d ever loved had been taken from her. While his mind had been merged with hers, he’d sensed thousands of hidden memories — the memories she thought had been wiped. They were buried deep, secrets even from herself. His demon had reacted rapturously and now viewed her head as the Holy Grail. Secrets wanted back inside. Amun wanted back on top of her strong little body.

But he wouldn’t touch her again, wouldn’t deepen the already sizzling awareness between them. Because… damn it! He hated this line of thought, but he didn’t allow himself to back away from it. This was part of his penance. He wouldn’t touch her again because he was going to give her back to Micah.

Amun’s fingers tightened around the blade hilts he held in both hands, and red dots flickered through his vision. Haidee wouldn’t come to hate herself for being with Micah, a Hunter. She wouldn’t wallow in guilt she shouldn’t feel. She wouldn’t lose the life she’d managed to build for herself.

With Amun, she would come to hate herself. How could she not? Giving herself to a Lord had to top her list of Things Never To Do. She would wallow in guilt, berating herself for choosing the very evil she’d fought against for so long. And she would lose the life she’d built. No way she could be with him and not cut ties with his enemy.

She must have sensed, or heard, the direction of his thoughts because she sighed, her cool breath wafting down his back. He’d removed his shirt, the heat too much, sweat constantly trickling over his flesh. If Haidee hadn’t been with him, that wonderfully cool breeze wafting from her, enveloping him, he might have actually burst into flames.

«Can we talk now?» she said. «About what happened?»

Amun was willing to do anything she wanted. Except that. If he told her of his guilt, his regret, she would do everything in her power to ease him. No matter what she did, she would only increase his guilt, because she would be acting against her nature. The woman could nurse a grudge as stubbornly as his friends. Except with Amun. Him, she wanted to forgive. Him, she wanted to absolve. Him, she wanted to…love. He’d sensed the need inside her.

Because of the blood bond they shared?

«Amun?»

No.

«So stubborn,» she said, tsking under her tongue. «Fine. Let’s talk about something else, then.»

No.

«Please.»

As strong as he was, he was helpless against that word. Very well. What do you wish to discuss?

«You know some of my secrets, but I don’t know any of yours. Will you tell me something that no one else knows about you?»

Had his friends heard that question, they would have rolled their eyes and snorted, certain Haidee was playing Bait, trying to learn everything she could about him to share with the Hunters. And they would have shaken Amun had they realized he planned to answer anyway. That he actually trusted her.

Her, the only person in the world his demon couldn’t read automatically. Her, the only person in the world who could read him.

Point me in the right direction. What type of secret would you like?

She inhaled sharply, as if she hadn’t expected him to respond. Then she expelled the breath with a torturous slowness that caused the sweat on his back to freeze. Rather than numb him, that ice reminded him of her touch, and his shaft twitched in anticipation.

Perhaps you should increase the distance between us, he said. He wouldn’t turn around, wouldn’t look at her to see how she took his request. Just in case you trip. You don’t want to slam into me, do you?

«If I trip, I need to be closer to you. You’d prevent a face-plant.»