Born of the Night (23 page)

She swallowed the knot in her throat as he turned to deliver a succession of fast, angry

blows to the bag.

Kiara watched his hands pound into the rough canvas. "I'm sorry for my reaction, but

what did you expect?"

His hand flew into the bag with a heavy thud that caused the chains suspending it from

the ceiling to rattle. "I don't expect a damned thing from you. Just take your prissy," he pounded the bag, "spoiled," another forceful blow, "ass out of my sight before I show you just what Nemesis
is
capable of."

Kiara's common sense told her to leave, that he was too angry to talk to, but she couldn't.

Before she could rethink her actions, she crossed the room and pushed him away from the

bag. He gave her an astonished look. The bag swung in an arc between them.

"You are going to talk to me!"

Nykyrian snorted. "Or what? Don't think for one minute you can do anything to me

someone else hasn't done already."

Kiara lowered her gaze from his face as pain consumed her, wanting some way to break

through his overdeveloped defenses. Then she saw his knuckles. She gasped at the blood

dripping from his hands.

"What did you do?" she asked, crossing the distance between them to take his bleeding, swollen knuckles into her own hands.

"It doesn't hurt," he mumbled, trying to pull them away.

Kiara held on tightly. With a fierce frown she studied his eyes and there she saw his

agony. He closed his eyes and pulled away.

"Nykyrian, talk to me, please. I swear I'll listen. I know you aren't capable of tearing

someone apart."

Instead of the soothing effect she expected, her words angered him more. He spun on her

with a snarl, pushing her back against the wall, his light eyes raging with emotions she

couldn't decipher. Kiara gulped in fear, her whole body shaking.

"Do you really think I couldn't tear someone into pieces?" he ground out in rage. "I was trained to tear men apart so fast that they had the opportunity to see whatever organ I

ripped out of them before they hit the floor dead!" His arms, braced on either side of her, tensed. "Have you ever held a beating heart in your hand? Felt the warm, sticky blood

slide between your fingers while it pulsed."

Tears rolled down Kiara's cheeks. He had to have a soul, she had seen him do too many

things that contradicted such brutality. "I asked you once if you enjoyed killing." She took a deep breath. "Do you?" He looked away from her.

For a moment, she didn't think he would answer, then he shook his head. "I hated it," he whispered, pushing himself away from her. "Every damned minute of it."

A glimmer of hope shot through her. "You haven't assassinated anyone since you left the

League, have you?" He rubbed his right biceps, his hand hesitating over the League

tattoo. "No."

Satisfaction tore through her and left her trembling. Kiara hesitated, remembering the news reports. "Then where has your reputation come from?" He looked at her, a tiny

smile on his lips. "Jayne." A ripple of shock jolted through Kiara. "Jayne?" she repeated.

He nodded. "An ex-Hyshian assassin. She does the killing and I take the blame. It keeps

her safe. The only crime she's wanted for is smuggling and espionage."

A knot formed in Kiara's throat as she considered his words. "So she's free to kill, and if you're caught, they'll execute you for something you're not guilty of."

He shook his head. "Not hardly. I've committed enough assassinations while working for

the League to warrant all the death contracts signed on my life."

"But those were legal assassinations."

He scoffed. "Legal, but far more corrupt and immoral than anything Jayne has done."

Kiara digested his words, her heart pounding for him.

He leaned against the wall, watching her with hooded eyes. "I don't care if you turn me

in, but I want you to swear to me you'll never betray Hauk, Rachol, Darling, or Jayne."

Kiara sniffed back her tears. "I would never betray any of you."

Nykyrian nodded. He started to push himself away from the wall, but Kiara caught him

with her hand. There were so many other missing pieces in his puzzle she had to know

the answers to. "Why does Aksel hate you so much?"

Nykyrian took her hand from his chest and played with her fingers, sending a chill up her

arm. It surprised her when he bothered to answer her plea. "He was angry at the

Commander for adopting me. Since he couldn't take it out on the Commander, he turned

his malice on me."

"Didn't Huwin ever try to stop it?"

Nykyrian shook his head. "He didn't want a son, he already had Aksel and Arast. What he

wanted was a legend to stand out in the League's archives. He wanted his surname to

inspire terror into anyone who heard it."

"Is that why Aksel changed his last name?"

Pain flashed behind his eyes for a brief moment, then was gone. "No, Aksel did that so no one would think he was related to a hybrid
giakon.
"

Kiara ran her hand over the scar along his collarbone. "So much pain," she whispered, watching the chill bumps spring up beneath her fingers.

He looked down at her with agony-filled eyes that brought an ache to her chest. Nykyrian

took her hands and turned them upward. "In your palms, I have placed my life, my

secrets," he whispered, his breath falling against her cheek, tingling her skin. "I give you freedom to leave me at any time. I'm not easy to love, I know. All I ask is that you always

keep your silence, if not for me, then for the families of the others you'd destroy."

Tears fell uncontrollably down her cheeks, dripping from her chin. "I could never hurt

you," she said, cupping his face in her hands.

His lips covered hers. The taste of her salty tears burned her lips as he kissed her

passionately. Kiara welcomed the feel of his warm mouth, the hunger of his need for her.

She clutched him to her, needing the feel of his body.

Kiara ran her hands over the hard, muscled flesh of his ribs. To her shock, Nykyrian

laughed. She stilled her hands and looked up at his face. "Was that a laugh?" she gasped.

A smile curved his lips. "I think I'm ticklish," he said in amazement.

Devilishly, Kiara ran her hands back over his ribs. His rich, throaty laughter filled her

ears with its melody and her heart with happiness. She kept tickling him, delighting in the

way he squirmed.

"Mercy," he cried at last.

"Okay," she said and kissed his cheek.

He pulled her to him, his eyes serious. "Don't ever leave me," he said in a ragged voice that tore through her.

"I will never leave you," she promised with all the love coursing through her body.

In one deft movement, he pulled her dress from her body and lowered her to the floor.

Kiara welcomed the feel of his skin against hers. She caressed the hard tendons of his

back, wanting to keep him with her forever.

A loud whistle rent the air. Nykyrian looked up with a jerk.

"What is it?" she asked breathlessly.

"The link," he said, worry heavy in his voice.

Kiara pulled her dress to her and watched him sprint out of the room. Donning her

clothes, she went after him. Nykyrian sat on the couch, his back to her.

"Darling just stumbled into my flat." Kiara recognized Rachol's voice. "He's in bad shape.

I can defend myself against Aksel, but if they come here while I've got Darling, they'll

tear him apart."

Kiara placed a comforting hand on Nykyrian's shoulder. He looked at her with a tender

smile. "Bring Darling here," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"It's the only place where he'll be safe while he heals."

"All right. We'll be there shortly."

Nykyrian switched the link off and tossed it back on the low table. He rubbed his hands

over his face, a deep grimace lining his features.

"What is it?" Kiara asked, brushing her fingers through his hair.

"Arturo has beaten Darling up again. I should have torn
him
into pieces."

Kiara knelt on the floor and placed her chin on his shoulder. "Will Darling be all right?"

"I hope so," he whispered, rubbing the arm she had wrapped around his neck.

Kiara placed a kiss on his bare shoulder. "Are you always plagued with so many

problems?"

He gave a short laugh. "All things considered, it's been a slow week." He pulled her around the arm of the couch and sat her in his lap. "What have you done to me, woman?

If Rachol hears me laugh, he really will have a fit."

She brushed a strand of his hair over his shoulder. "Let him get used to it. I like the sound of your laughter too much to let you hide it."

He kissed her tenderly.

Pulling away, he studied her eyes. "Luckily the walls upstairs are sound proof. I don't

think a guest will be too much of a burden."

His devilish smile brought heat to her cheeks. Before she could respond, he stood her on

her feet and went to retrieve his shirt. Kiara wasn't sure what she made of this new

Nykyrian. But she decided she definitely liked him.

* * *

They ended up in the viewing room, waiting on Rachol and Darling to arrive. Kiara was stunned when Nykyrian laid his head in her lap and stretched out across the couch. She

played with his soft hair as they sat quietly in the dark, watching the flickering images.

Kiara had what she wanted. He trusted her. A lump constricted her throat as she looked

down at him. His long eyelashes fluttered. She pulled his hair away from his neck to see

the short, baby hairs curling around his nape. Using her fingernails, she gently brushed

them. Chills formed on his neck and he closed his eyes with a sigh. With her fingertip,

she traced the line of his cheek and lips. Turning, he opened his eyes to meet hers. The

love inside the light green eyes scorched her.

He reached his hand out and brought her head down to his to receive his impassioned

kiss. Kiara moaned, her body igniting at his touch. His arms tensed.

Rachol's engines thundered in the bay.

"Remember this position for future reference," Nykyrian whispered against her lips, his warm breath causing chills to spread down her body.

He stood and she wanted to curse in frustration. Gathering her tumultuous emotions,

Kiara followed him to the door. They waited several minutes before the door finally

opened. Kiara gasped.

Rachol supported Darling by his shoulder. Darling was slumped heavily against Rachol's

side, unable to walk without assistance. Darling's face, bloodied and bruised, could barely

be recognized. His left arm dangled in an awkward position and Kiara realized it was

broken.

Nykyrian cursed, then swung Darling up in his arms. Rachol ran ahead to the viewing

room. Kiara followed behind them, her heart twisting at the sight of Darling's beaten

condition.

Rachol had pulled the bed out of the couch by the time they got there. "Let me pull up the sheet," he mumbled.

"To hell with the sheet," Nykyrian snarled. "I'll buy a new couch if I have to."

Rachol nodded, then met Kiara's eyes. The hostility in his gaze made her take a step back.

Oblivious to the hate-filled look, Nykyrian laid Darling down. Rachol broke eye contact

with her to tend to Darling. Kiara stood in the doorway, the lorinas curling around her

legs, her limbs trembling in fear and sympathy.

She frowned as she saw for the first time why Darling kept his hair over the left side of

his face. A deep, white scar traveled down his face from hairline to chin. Kiara couldn't

imagine what had happened to him to leave such a vicious scar.

Her throat tightened at the amount of blood covering him. Never in her life had she seen

anyone so abused. She glanced at Nykyrian, his jaw stiff, and wondered how many times

he had been beaten into a similar condition.

"I'm going to kill Arturo," Nykyrian ground out between clenched teeth.

Darling reached out and touched Nykyrian's arm. "Leave him alone," he whispered

through his swollen lips.

Kiara sobbed, imagining how much pain Darling must be in. She couldn't believe he was

still conscious.

Rachol injected painkiller into Darling's arm, then moved to set the break. Kiara stared,

wondering why Darling didn't cry out or grimace. He just lay there so quiet and still. He

didn't look real. Yet she knew he was still conscious by his open eyes that stared at the

ceiling.

Nykyrian looked up at her. He crossed the floor, took her by the elbow, and led her out of

the room. "I think it would be best if you went upstairs and waited for me."

Kiara nodded. "Is he going to be all right?"

Nykyrian brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "He'll be fine," he said before giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

Kiara started up the stairs, then paused. "Nykyrian?" She waited until he turned around to look at her. "I hope you do get revenge on Arturo." And with that, she headed to the bedroom.

Almost an hour later, Nykyrian joined her in the bed. Without a word, he pulled her into

his arms and held her close, his face buried in her neck. His warm breath caressed her

nape through her hair.

Kiara wished for the words to make him feel better, to ease some of the tenseness in his

muscles which surrounded her.

"How's he doing?" she asked in a small whisper.

Nykyrian sighed and pulled back from her neck. He stroked her bare arm with his hand.

"He's asleep. He'll be fine, all things considered."

Kiara bit her lip, her throat tight. "Do you know what I've been thinking about while I lay here?"