Horrified, he leapt up and away from her as if she were the devil's handmaiden come to claim him. He swayed as a wave of dizziness hit him, wincing as a sharp pain lanced through his temples. He stumbled to the pitcher of water in the corner and sipped. When he felt more steadied, he glared over at Teira. 'Where did you hear that name?'
She was trembling as she sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. 'You said while you sleep.'
'Don't ever say her name again. Not ever. Understand?'
'I am sorry. I never mean to upset you. I simply-'
The door opened.
Dirt flung in every direction as three men stalked inside. One carried a small table, one a chair and the third a platter of food. Soon a fourth man joined them, cradling a semiautomatic in his hands. He pointed the gun at Alex and grinned, daring him to move. Their arrival meant he'd have his drugs, so he was incapable of fear.
Teira's trembling increased. Every day these same men brought him food, a simple meal of bread, cheese and water. Every day they escorted Teira from the room, leaving him to eat alone. And every day she fought them, scratching and screaming. Alex had always assumed her resistance was an act, that they were taking her away to find out what she'd learned from him that day, but as he looked at her, really looked at her this time, he saw the signs of true terror. Her already pale skin became pallid, revealing the faint trace of veins beneath. Her eyes became impossibly round, and she pressed her lips together-to keep from whimpering?
The table was placed in front of Alex. Hands now free, the guard who'd been holding it strode to Teira and clasped her firmly by the forearm. She didn't protest as he wrenched her to her feet. She merely gazed over at Alex, silently pleading with him to help her.
'Time for you to be by yourself for a while, sweetheart,' the man told her.
Whether she worked for or against these people, Alex realized her fear was real. 'Leave her alone,' he said. He latched on to her other arm, making her the rope in a vicious tug of war.
One of the guards scowled and stalked to him. Something was slammed into Alex's temple. His vision blurred. His knees buckled, and he went down. Hard. Teira cried out, tried to reach him, and Alex watched in growing horror as she was slapped across the face. Her head whipped to the side, and he caught the sight of blood on her lip.
Fury consumed him. Hot, blinding fury, giving him strength where he should have had none. With a roar, he sprang up and tackled Teira's tormentor. All three men flew at him, and he found himself subdued and pinned, helpless once again.
'Alex,' Teira cried.
Get up , his mind screamed. Help her . As he pushed to his feet, someone grabbed his arm. He experienced a sharp sting as a needle was shoved into his vein. Familiar warmth invaded him, calming, relaxing. The ache in his bones faded. His dry mouth flooded with moisture. When he was released, he sank to the ground, the will to fight completely deserting him.
Teira was dragged away.
He closed his eyes and let his mind float away to nothingness. Footsteps echoed in his ears, tapering to quiet as the rest of the men vacated the room. A new set of footsteps suddenly sounded, these coming closer and closer to him.
'Enjoying the woman, are you?' a man asked, his voice familiar.
Alex fought past the fog webbing his brain and blinked up. Hazel eyes peered down at him, the same hazel eyes that belonged to his boss, Jason Graves. Jason wore an aura of self-importance that was almost palpable. He also wore a dragon medallion around his neck.
Alex's eyes narrowed. He'd never considered the man a friend, but he'd been a dependable employer for the four years he'd worked for him. Betrayal washed over Alex, bitter and biting, as he realized just what this meant.
He'd suspected this, but having actual evidence still managed to shock him. I never should have stolen the medallion , he thought.
'I'm nothing if not hospitable,' Jason said. His eyes gleamed bright with smug superiority.
Shards of his fury renewed, sparking past the complacency of the drugs. If only his body had the strength to act. 'What are you doing to Teira?' He shuddered at the answer that leapt into his mind, certain now that she wasn't working with anyone, but was merely trying to survive. Just as he was.
'Nothing she doesn't enjoy, I assure you.'
'Bring her back,' he growled. 'Now.'
'First, you and I are going to have a tête-à-tête.'
The extent of his helplessness shone as brightly as a neon sign. He closed his eyes. 'What is it exactly that you want from me, Jason?'
'Call me Master,' his boss said. 'Everyone here does.' He claimed the chair that had been set in front of the table and removed the lid from the platter of food.
The scent of spicy meat and fresh fruits wafted in the air, making Alex's mouth water. This wasn't the bread and cheese he'd expected. But then, the meal wasn't for him. How long since he'd last eaten anything that smelled so divine? he wondered. Then he laughed. What did he care? 'How about I call you Bastard instead?' he said.
'Do it and I will have you strangled with your own intestines,' Jason said easily, almost happily. 'Afterward, I'll have the same done to Teira.'
'Master it is, then.' Bastard . Wincing, he pulled himself to a sitting position and crossed his arms over his chest.
Jason swirled his fork in what looked to be pasta and said, 'You have been stubborn, Alex, holding out on us.'
A prickle of unease worked through him, and he fought to remain expressionless. 'What do you mean?'
'Your sister, Grace.' Casually Jason bit into his food. He closed his eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the taste. 'The picture you have of her on your desk is of a ten-year-old girl.'
Alex's unease quickly mutated into terror, and the cold air seeped all the way into his marrow. 'So what,' he said, striving for nonchalance.
'A voluptuous, very mature Grace was found looking for you in the jungle. She's pretty, your sister.' Jason licked creamy white sauce from the fork.
Alex tried to spring up, tried to wrap his hands around Jason's neck. His body refused to cooperate, however, and in midair, he simply collapsed back into a heap on the floor. 'Where is she?' he panted. 'Did you hurt her? Did you do anything to her?'
'Of course not.' Jason's tone actually held an element of affront. 'What kind of man do you think I am?'
'You really don't want me to answer that, do you?' He scrubbed a hand down his face. 'Where is she?'
'Don't worry. We let her fly back to New York. She's safe-for the moment. We left her an e-mail from you, saying you were okay, and for her sake, I hope she's content with that.'
His jaw clenched. 'Leave her the hell alone.'
'That depends on you, doesn't it?' Jason placed his elbows on the table and leaned toward him. 'Where's my medallion, Alex?' he asked, his voice growing harder, harsher.
'I told your men, I lost it. I don't know where it is.'
'I think that's a lie,' Jason said smoothly. He held a pineapple slice between his fingers and sunk his teeth into it, causing the juices to run down his chin. He dabbed at the wetness with his napkin, mimicking a proper Southern gentleman-the kind of man he'd often teased Alex of being.
'What do you want it for, anyway? You already have a new one.'
'I want them all.'
'Why? They aren't crafted from gold or silver. They're crafted from metal filigree. They're a worthless decoration, nothing more.'
They both knew he lied.
Jason shrugged. 'They offer the wearer power beyond comprehension, though we haven't yet learned how to harness that power. In time,' he said with confidence. 'In time. They also open every door in this palace, offering a banquet of riches. You could have been a part of this… I would have asked for your help eventually, but you chose to work against me.'
'You think you can just blithely steal from these people and walk away unscathed?' He snorted. 'They are
