The Nymph King

'Have they any allies with them?'

'No. They come alone.'

'Darius leads them?'

'Yes.'

Valerian nodded. He and Darius had fought once before, and though Valerian had injured the hulking beast, the end had been a draw, with neither man able to completely conquer the other. 'I want our best men on the parapet and a group of soldiers strategically placed in the surrounding forest. I want the dragons' every move tracked. I want to know if they send flyers onto the roof.'

'And if they do?'

'Cut them down.' All dragons had wings that allowed them to soar through the air. They were also fire- breathers and if they weren't stopped quickly, they could decimate everything in their path. The nymphs' greatest strength lay in their power to seduce. Even men were not immune and could be caught in their spell, slaves to their will. More than that, the nymphs' passion spilled into every area of their lives. Not just sexual passion, but fury.

The dragons would not fall prey to their charms, which meant they would have to rely on their wits, sword skill and potent fury. At least the palace, which had been made for dragons, was fire resistant.

'Do you want traps set?' Broderick asked.

He considered the idea. 'No. Let the dragons reach us without incident. They'll be less likely to rush in to attack, and we can launch a surprise assault of our own in the coming darkness.'

Broderick rushed to convey all he'd been ordered.

In the dining hall, Valerian strode to the wall of windows and gazed out. Empty streets greeted him. The citizens who lived in the Outer City must have spied the dragons and run home, fearing for their lives.

War had finally arrived.

Valerian spun on his heel and strode to the arena. Broderick was busy instructing the men. As they received orders, they raced to obey. 'May the gods go with you,' he told those who passed him.

'And you, my king,' he heard uttered numerous times.

Those without assignments formed a line and eyed him expectantly. He paced in front of them, saying, 'I want you to circle around the Outer City undetected and remain behind the dragons. I want them flanked by nymphs on every side.'

They nodded in unison.

'When you receive my signal, close in on them and let them know you are there. Now go.'

Hurried footsteps echoed as the men rushed to obey. Valerian found himself alone. Gripping his sword hilt, he stood there a moment, his thoughts drifting inexorably to Shaye. Had she not been here, he most likely would have led a section of his army into the outskirts of the city and attacked the dragons there. As it was, he wanted all of his forces surrounding the palace. Close at hand. A circle of protection.

All he had to do now was await the dragons' arrival. And kill, of course. Kill each and every one of his enemies.

CHAPTER 21

SHAYE STUDIED the other women locked inside the cell. Of course, they were the same ones who'd been locked inside the hobby room with her. They didn't seem to mind the current situation, and were, in fact, chatting amicably with each other.

How could they possibly be from the same planet as her? God, what a nightmare. Was Brenna here? Shaye really needed an ally. Someone to share her worries with, someone to keep her calm. 'Brenna,' she called.

The girl shouldered her way through the thick crowd. 'Here.'

'Thank God.' Shaye pulled her into the nearest corner. 'How are you? Did Shivawn punish you for trying to escape?'

'Escape,' the one called Tiffany groaned. She leaned against one of the side bars. 'Please tell me you two aren't going to try to escape again. At least, not right now. Don't you know you're supposed to wait until everyone is sleeping, then run? That's how all the movies do it.'

'I still don't understand why you'd want to escape Valerian.' The dark-haired girl who'd left Valerian's room that first night stepped toward them, unabashedly joining the conversation. 'He's amazing.'

Yes, he was, Shaye thought, her hands fisting at her sides as jealousy speared her.

'I still dream about him,' the woman added, sighing dreamily. 'Does he ever speak of me? I'm Kathleen, by the way.'

Shaye's teeth gnashed together as images of Valerian and Kathleen—naked and straining—consumed her mind. This jealousy thing was new to her, and she didn't exactly know how to deal with it. 'No. He hasn't mentioned you.'

'Oh.' Kathleen's shoulders sagged with disappointment. 'Hopefully he'll tire of you soon. I really, really, really want him back.'

'What makes you think he'll tire of me at all?' she snapped. She hated that she possessed that fear herself. How long would Valerian remain interested in her? How long until his eye began to rove in search of someone else? Someone sweeter and more biddable?

Kathleen shrugged. 'You tried to escape him. I can't see that such behavior will appeal to him for long. I give you a week, two at most.'

Shaye stepped forward, hands clenched, ready to strike. Brenna grabbed her arm, a silent command to stop. 'No tools to patch Kathleen,' her friend said hoarsely.

Expelling a deep breath, Shaye turned away from the bitch in question. She wanted out of this cell, away from these women. She wanted to go home, to be alone—except the thought left her with a hollow ache in her chest.

The group began chatting about the arrival of a new nymph, one more handsome than any of the others, including Valerian. Apparently this nymph liked to ask questions and could bring women to climax with only a look. After a while Shaye tuned out the prattle. Fury seethed like a ticking bomb in her blood, detonation assured.

If she stayed here, this was the life she would have. She would be trapped in a cell every time war threatened. One day, she would be forgotten by Valerian, just another of his conquests. And all the while, she would crave him because he'd awakened desires that she'd thought buried.

What would she do when he got tired of her? He'd said he wouldn't, but he could not predict the future. Another woman might one day catch his eye. He was a nymph, after all, and that was par for the course.

I can't let him dump me.

Everyone she'd ever come to love had either abandoned her or disappointed her. No one stuck around. No one wanted to work at relationships. She knew that. She also knew that if she didn't love, then she didn't hurt when everything crumbled.

Yet here she was, falling for Valerian and giving him more of herself than she'd ever given another.

Her first instincts had been right. She needed to leave him.

Determined, she faced Brenna. 'This is our best chance for escape,' she whispered. The ache that had sprouted in her chest just a little while ago intensified dramatically. Ignoring it, she leaned forward and curled her fingers around the bars. 'Are you with me?'

Indecision played over Brenna's features. She nibbled on her bottom lip and wrung her hands together. Finally she nodded, the action hesitant.

The bars were thick and blue, bright, about the width of a baseball bat, and hot to the touch. Not enough to blister, but enough to burn. She rattled them, or tried to at least. They didn't move.

'Do you know how Valerian turned the bars to mist?' As she spoke, she attempted to shake them again.

Brenna shook her head.

Shaye replayed the goodbye kiss Valerian had given her through her mind. His lips had met hers and he'd