Kiss of a Demon King

'If we do this, will you let me go?' she asked desper­ately. 'Then take me, claim me, do whatever you have to, but just release me.'

'You must bear my bite.'

'Then, yes! Do it!'

'You know what you have to say, sorceress.'

'You want me to beg, demon? I will! I beg y-'

'No!' He shoved his hand over her mouth. He didn't want this. Didn't want her to break. When she grew quiet, he removed it.

'Th-that's what you wanted, isn't it?' she asked.

'Yes . . .no!' He eased off her, sitting on the edge of the bed, pinching his forehead. Just think.

'Then what?' she cried, writhing in her chains.

He rose, pacing. Think . . .

'What do you want me to do, demon? What do you want?'

'I don't know'.' he bellowed, putting his fist through the wall. 'I want you to feel something. For me.' And then he was above her again, clutching her nape. 'Because you're clawing my bloody heart from my chest!'

'I do feel something for you, demon. Take me, mark me as your own. Forever. '

Words from a dream. He couldn't decipher the sub­texts, couldn't foresee what trickery this was. Her silken tongue was telling him exactly what he wanted to hear, the sorceress soothing the beast inside him.

'But then you have to let me go. I will return to you!'

Can't think . . . nothing irrevocable ... He rose once more, then staggered to the bathroom. Inside, he rested his forehead and palms against the wall, digging in his claws as he grappled for control-

He heard the unmistakable sound of Cadeon's old truck in the drive. With a curse, Rydstrom slung on some jeans, then went to head him off before his brother could use a key.

When Rydstrom cracked open the side door, his mind was seized on Sabine, but he vaguely noted Cadeon appeared ... tired.

'Rydstrom?' Cadeon bit out incredulously.

He could only imagine what he looked like. He wore no shirt or shoes and had been buttoning up his jeans. Cadeon's gaze flickered over his clenched jaw, his shoulders bunched with tension, and the thin lines of blood running down his chest and across his cheek.

'Are you going to make me stand out here? Open the door.'

Rydstrom glanced back into the house. That dream. She'd been about to take it away from him. He could hate her for that.

'You're worrying me, man. Let me in, and tell me what happened. The last I heard was that you'd been captured by Sabine.'

When Rydstrom didn't answer, Cadeon said, 'You were taken to Tornin, weren't you? Did you fight Omort to escape?'

Rydstrom finally shook his head.

'Then how the hell did you get free? No one escapes Tornin.'

'I had an ace in my pocket,' he said, his voice rough. What will I have to do to make her want to stay?

'You don't sound good. Are you all right?'

'I will be.' Rydstrom looked back over his shoulder again. 'Soon.'

'I got the sword.' Cadeon offered it to him. 'Killed Groot, too.'

Rydstrom accepted the weapon, barely sparing it a glance. She'd been running from me. After making me believe she wanted to be with me.

Cadeon was baffled, saying slowly, 'That's the sword that will defeat Omort'

'We go to war in the spring. Be ready.'

'That's all you've got to say? So much for abject gratitude, or even a pat on the back.' Cadeon's tone grew louder with each word. 'If you knew what I went through to get to that goddamned thing, what I put my female through . . . Oh, and for the record, your Vey-ron's missing, and it's never fucking coming home-'

'/s someone out there?' Sabine cried. 'Oh, gods, help me!' She rattled the chains. 'I'm being held against my

will!'

'Is that Sabine?' Cadeon bit out. 'Was she your ace?'

'Please help me!'

Rydstrom peered at him hard, daring Cadeon to do something.

Clearly striving for a casual tone, Cadeon said, 'So, you've got an evil sorceress chained up in your bed, then?'

Rydstrom knew what his brother believed. 'She's mine,' he seethed. 'I'll do whatever the fuck I want to her. And it's nothing that wasn't done to me,' he snapped, recalling the humiliation she'd subjected him to. The memories burned worse, because he'd intended to be so good to her, had planned to completely forgive her for her treatment of him. His fists clenched.

'Hey, hey, no need to slug me, brother. To each his own, yeah?' But he was studying Rydstrom.

'Once I'm done with her, I'll contact you.'

As he closed the door, he barely heard Cadeon mutter, 'Fuckall, does this mean I'm no longer the bad brother . . . ?'

Before Rydstrom locked the sword in the armory, he took it to the bedroom to show Sabine his prize. 'This is the sword that will kill Omort.'

It glinted in the light, and her eyes followed its every movement as he checked the weapon's balance, swing­ ing it in a circle by his side.

'Soon, I'll return to Tornin for his head. Would you like that? How does the idea of your brother's death make you feel?'

'Like I'm hearing a weather report for a town I don't live in.'

'I almost want you to have loyalty to him.'

'Don't you understand? You'll never get close enough to use that weapon on him. He rarely leaves Tornin. He has guards and mystickal traps surrounding him at all times. Damn you, Rydstrom!' Her wrists were bleeding. 'Let me go!'

He'turned from her and left the room. As he headed to his study, he gazed down at the sword-the most remarkable one Rydstrom had ever beheld. The weapon felt like an extension of his arm.

This was all he'd wanted, and he'd barely spared a glance at it. His brother had risked his life to claim this for him, and Rydstrom hadn't said a word of thanks.

Just now, Cadeon had looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

I think I have.

39

She sagged with relief. 'Lanthe, where are you?' Her sister's voice had come to her once before when Sabine had screamed for help, but then it had faded again.

Dimly Sabine heard, 'Dodging really big birds. What happened to you?'

'The demon caught me and chained me to his bed.'

'He did what? As soon as I lose these assholes, I'm com-ing after the demon.'