Kiss of a Demon King

'As long as you don't cancel the credit card I found in your drawer.'

He inhaled for patience.

'I also had them put a spell on your weapons armory so that it can't be broken into. You know, getting ready for the arrival of The Sword.'

Rydstrom had a sizable stone armory in his study. It had been lockable. Evidently, it was now invulnerable. 'Then my brother is on his way here. Is he safe?'

'Yes, yes, enough with your abject thanks, Rydstrom. I already know my help is priceless, and that you should name your firstborn daughter Nïx. To answer your ques­tion, Cadeon is fine. He claimed that sword at great risk to himself.' She tapped her chin. 'He also wrecked your million dollar Veyron-'

'He did what?' That car had been Rydstrom's pride and joy. There were only three hundred of them in the world, and he'd expressly forbidden Cadeon and Rok from even touching it.

'Actually it was Holly, my niece, who crashed it. Which, naturally, has made her a hero among Valkyrie everywhere. Totaling the demon king's seven-figure ride? She'll never pay cover again-'

'Why did you let Holly go with Cadeon in the first place?'

'Because I'm impish?'

'Did Cadeon . .. give Holly up to Groot?'

'Yep. Cadeon chose bro's before ho's. But Holly, the little trooper, managed to get free all by herself. Don't look so astounded. She is my niece.' Nïx fluffed her hair. 'And then Cadeon rubbed out Groot.'

'So Cadeon and Holly are together, then?'

'Cadeon gave her up to a psychotic murderer. She's not exactly chipper with him. But don't worry. She'll

come around when she finds out he always planned to come back to save her.'

Rydstrom was relieved to hear that, but he was still tense about his own situation. Six days to win Sabine. He'd taken his woman to his home, where she lay naked in his bed. He believed she would receive him tonight.

And he was nervous. I want to make love to her ... to get it right for her.

'You're going to do fine tonight, tiger. Relax.'

He hated that Nïx could read him so easily. 'Are you saying that as a soothsayer?'

Nïx shook her head. 'More as a female who's lived three thousand years. So I have to skedaddle now.'

'Contact me if you hear anything else about Cadeon.'

'B'okay. Will do.' Over her shoulder, she murmured, 'There's a thunderstorm brewing, Rydstrom. A bad one. Better be ready.'

He surveyed the sky. Not a single cloud marred the blue.

37

'Wake the hell up!' Sabine shot up in the bed, blinking around her. 'Is someone here?' she murmured, seeing no one in the luxurious room with her. How long had she been out? It was already dark outside.

'Are you up yet?' a voice said, laying words in Sabine's mind.

'Lanthe?'

'Ah, gods, Abie, I've been searching this city for you!'

Sabine swung her legs over the side of the high bed. 'You're . . . here?'

'I got your message at Tornin and opened a portal here. I've been scouring this place hour after hour.'

'The Vrekeners-'

'Are everywhere. But you have to get back for your dose-now! Where are you?'

'With the demon. In his home.' In our home.

'Can you escape him?'

'Things are different between us,' Sabine admitted. 'We've kind of reached an understanding.'

'Good! I'll make you another portal in six days, and you can return then. But for now, you have to come with me!'

'What has happened?'

'Omort lied-the morsus will hit you a week before you'd thought.'

'He did what?' That bastard! When she faced him again, she would make him meet his nightmares, would show him scenes that even he couldn't bear.

'It's true. He admitted it to me himself. Abie, it's a mess at Tornin. The vampires bailed. The fire demons are squir-relly. And Omort nearly took my power and killed me.'

'Then you can't go back there!'

'I convinced him that you would never accept him if he harmed me. Omort still believes the two of you will wed. Now, find your way out of the house, and follow my voice to the portal. We can't waste any more time.'

'I can't just leave Rydstrom without a word,' Sabine said.

'Are you jesting? As much as I hope it works out for you kids, now is not the time to start confiding in him.'

When Sabine heard the paneled bedroom door creaking open, she quickly cloaked herself in invisibil­ity, then cast an illusion of herself sleeping soundly.

Rydstrom looked in on her, gazing at her sleep­ing form with an unmistakably proud expression. She probed his mind, just a touch.

-My woman . . . in my bed. At last.-

Then his expression changed once more, that line between his brows deepening.

'Oh, my gods, Lanthe. Rydstrom is looking at an illusion of me-and he appears to be ... in love.'

'You saw that look?' Lanthe sounded wistful. 'Did he have his brows drawn with feeling?'

'Yes. And as he walked out of the room, he kind of rubbed his chest a little.' 'Like his heart hurt!'

'I've only ever seen that on TV beforel' Sabine said. 'Lanthe, I have to tell him-about everything.'

'So he can do what exactly?' Lanthe demanded. 'And while you're informing him that you are going to a place he will never let you go, I'll be Vrekener bait.'

If Sabine explained the poison to Rydstrom, he wouldn't likely allow Sabine just to waltz back to Omort. And if she told him that she would probably die if she didn't make it through this portal, he'd insist that he could find help for her here. But there was no one on this plane who could prevent the morsus from striking.

Even knowing this, Sabine bit her lip, torn about what to do. 'Sneaking out of his house seems so wrong.'

'You are without a doubt one hundred percent in love, because it's making you stupid! It's not reasonable even to consider this. You can come back in mere days.' 'I could write him a let-' 'Abie, I just heard wings.'

Sabine was on her feet in a second. 'I'm coming!' She hauled on her boots, then