Demon Retribution (Shadow Quest Book 3) (30 page)

“Yup.”

“No offense, but why do you care what Rex
does with Zoey? You have your sights set on her next?”

Through gritted teeth, Cale muttered, “Why
does the term ‘no offense’ always precede something offensive?
Better yet, did you really intend not to offend me, or was that
your goal?”

She frowned, not answering.

They rounded a corner, and he halted so
suddenly she ran into him, nearly losing her balance.

“A little warning, please.”

He grabbed her by the wrist, both righting
her and acting as a warning of its own. “Well?” he demanded.

She met his gaze with icy coolness. “Yeah, I
was hoping you’d take offense.”

“Why?”

Because you hurt me, she wanted to scream.
Instead, she ground out, “Let—Go—Of—Me.”

Releasing her, he strolled to a nearby door,
raised a fist, and pounded against the metal. They waited in
awkward silence till the hatch slid open and a shirtless Rex
appeared.

“Is Zoey in there?” Cale’s voice was full of
malice. Whether it was because of their spat or a true concern for
Zoey, Kyra was unsure.

“Cale?” Zo questioned from inside. She was
dressed in a long shirt and nothing else.

“You alright?” Cale ground out.

“Uh, yeah. What are you guys doing?”

Focusing on Rex, Cale morphed into pure
aggression. Rex lifted his chin in response. Kyra was about to step
between them when Cale finally spoke, his words dripping with
hostility. “You harm her, and I will feed you your own intestine
after I’ve ripped it from your gut.”

Rex’s lips thinned, but he was otherwise
undaunted. “Noted.”

“Very well.” Cale turned to leave.

Kyra’s jaw dropped. She was left glaring at
the door as it closed. “That’s it?”

Cale responded in a softer tone, “She’s not
a child. She’ll be fine.”

“I realize that, but…” Kyra rushed to catch
him.

“You’re afraid Rex will turn out to be an
asshole like me?”

Whatever she’d been about to say floundered
in her throat. “I don’t think you’re an asshole.”

He offered her a dubious look.

“At least, not all the time,” she qualified
and found herself smiling. “You’re a sporadic asshole.” At that,
she thought she saw his lips curl ever so slightly. “I thought that
was actually very sweet, what you just did. You really do care for
Zo?”

He was quiet for a long while, and she
assumed the conversation was over. Perhaps that was for the best.
Her muscles screamed with exhaustion and more arguing would just
drain her further.

Then he replied, “Not just Zo.”

Her step halted, and he slowed, giving her a
rare venerable expression before he schooled his features.

“I don’t know what happened between us
before,” he confessed. “It was like nothing…It was…” He trailed
off.

“Incredible,” she finished with a sigh.

His features twisted into a sexy grin, and
she realized she’d just given a steroid boost to his ego.

“I just didn’t know what to make of it,” he
added. “Still don’t.”

“So, you ran.”

He shrugged.

As apologies go, it wasn’t great, but it was
at least an explanation she could understand. A bit of her anger
drained away. She hadn’t been paying attention to which direction
they walked, but somehow they’d made it to her room. A part of her
was tempted to invite him in, but she decided against it.

“Goodnight, then. Thank you for your help
with my sisters, and Zo.”

Cale was about to protest, but the evidence
of her exhaustion showed. Though she seemed a little less vexed and
might not check him if he guided her into the room to take her for
the second time tonight.

His gaze dipped to her breasts, and he grew
stiff at the prospect. With exaggeration, she cleared her throat,
giving him a censured look.

Bollocks
.

He leaned toward her anyway, slowly, so she
knew exactly what he intended. As if she couldn’t help it, her head
tilted for him, and he laid a soft kiss on her lips.

“Sweet dreams, Kyra,” he said, in a tone
meant for the bedroom. She shivered, and he couldn’t keep from
smirking— especially when her eyes narrowed, as he knew they
would.

To his disappointment, she disappeared
behind the door. Meanwhile he’d given himself a raging cockstand
that needed tending to.

As he headed for his room, a familiar voice
stopped him. “You too, Calic?” Jade purred. “I’m beginning to
wonder if there’s something more going on with those Faieara that
they have all the demons on this ship wrapped around their little
fingers.”

“I don’t catch your meaning,” he muttered,
for some reason irritated by her presence. Yet something in her
words tugged at him. He continued his stride, hoping to leave her
behind, but she shadowed him.

“Well, first Sebastian,
then Marik, and now both you
and
Sonya? It just seems strange, don’t you
agree?”

“It’s not like that with…Wait, Sonya?”

“Yeah, she’d getting all cozy with Ethan.
Just like you with that new girl. Why haven’t you ever kissed me
like that, hmm?” She pouted. “It makes a girl feel a little
undervalued.”

“Sonya and Ethan?” Cale replied, ignoring
the rest of her comment. He hadn’t paid much attention to Sonya
these last few days, but surely she wouldn’t…with Ethan?

“Mm-hmm.” Her lips quirked into a
mischievous smile, but Cale hardly noticed as he was already headed
in the opposite direction.

Kyra awoke to a soft knocking at her door.
Her gaze went to Zoey’s bed, which looked as though it hadn’t even
been slept in.

Dragging herself from under the warm cocoon
of covers, she shuffled to the door. A bright-eyed Sonya stood on
the other side with Portia beside her.

“I thought we could all grab some breakfast
and get to know each other.” Sonya’s cheerfulness was sickeningly
contagious.

Kyra dug a fist into her eye, sweeping away
the sleep. “I’m going to need a minute.”

“Of course, we’ll wait.” Sonya sauntered to
the couch and flopped down. Portia followed suit.

Slipping into the changing room, Kyra
rummaged through the small cache of outfits and found a simple tan
dress. Then she searched for something to cover her bare shoulders
and came up empty. In the bathroom, she washed her face and teeth
and pulled her hair in a messy ponytail to get it out of the
way.

As if on cue, her tummy grumbled, and she
stepped back into the main room. “Ready.”

“Where’s Zoey?” Sonya asked.

Kyra snorted. “Guess.”

“Ah. Just us then.”

The salon was packed with crew members.
Almost instantly, Kyra realized that something was amiss. Most
everyone looked irritated or famished. Anya pushed through a set of
doors, carrying a tray of food. After delivering the plates to a
set of tables, she spotted Kyra and approached with a wave.

“Why is it so busy in here?” Sonya
inquired.

“Marik had to step away for a minute.
Something about a meeting in the training room.”

“A meeting?” Sonya replied. “Who’s cooking
then?”

Anya grimaced. “Myself and Nadua.” A loud
crash emanated from the galley, followed by a string of curses.
“Oh, I think she burnt herself again.” Anya rushed away, promising
to return with something edible.

Sonya’s brow wrinkled in thought, but she
said nothing. Long moments later, Anya emerged with a tray of
steaming bowls for them. The contents didn’t look quite right. It
was then that Kyra realized she would never again taste a Philly
Cheesesteak, and her shoulders slumped.

Without taking a bite, Sonya blurted,
“What’s the meeting about?” There was an edge to her voice that
caught Kyra’s attention.

Anya’s head tilted to one side. “I thought
you would have known about it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because when Bastian and Cale came to get
Marik, I heard your name mentioned.”

“My name?”

“Yeah, and Ethan’s. I figured…” Anya trailed
off as color leached from Sonya’s face. “What is it?”

“I will kill them.” Sonya bolted out of her
seat.

Before trailing her, Portia said, “This
should prove to be entertaining.”

Kyra met Anya’s stunned gaze and then raced
after the other two. Sonya was long gone, but it was easy to catch
Portia. When they reached the training room, Kyra nearly stumbled
into Sonya, standing motionless in the door frame. Past her, the
demons had Ethan surrounded, looking ready to pounce. Ethan’s heavy
breathing alarmed Kyra. All four males had a calculating gleam in
their eyes. What was happening here?

Without warning, Cale swung his leg out in
graceful high kick. Ethan’s back bowed, dodging the blow. At the
same time, Marik rushed forward with a swipe of his fist. Kyra
covered her mouth, expecting to see Ethan tumble to the ground, but
he dodged again in another smooth maneuver. Sebastian attempted to
catch him off guard with a combination of moves, none of which hit
their mark, and Cale struck out again. Ethan evaded with swift
expertise, and Kyra’s heartbeat eased.

The movements became so fast it was hard to
keep up, but each strike missed Ethan.

Watching Cale made something in her gut
twist. He was gorgeous in his fighting stance with his shirt
bundled in the corner of the room. The muscles on his chest gleamed
with a light sheen. Unconsciously, she licked her lips.

As if sensing her, Cale’s gaze darted her
way. For a breath, hunger replaced his expression and a thrill
spurred through her.

Sonya clenched her fists, her irises
darkening to a deep red that was reminiscent of Cale on the
Edge.

Kyra took a tentative step back, pulling
Portia along with her. The males finally noticed them and their
gazes fixed on Sonya.

“
What do you think you are
doing?” Sonya snarled.

“Look at you,” Sebastian muttered. “It’s
true, isn’t it?”

Kyra observed that fangs peeked out from the
corners of Sonya’s mouth.

“No!” Sonya countered. “It’s none of your
business.”

“Of course it’s our business. We look out
for you.”

“I resent that! I can take care of myself.
And I don’t appreciate you trying to scare away the only guy who’s
ever had the guts to sleep with me.”

At that, the room fell silent. Kyra wondered
if she should leave. This didn’t seem like something she should be
listening to, but she couldn’t make her feet move.

The demons shared a look.

“What?” Sebastian barked.

“You heard me. You scare away any guy who
merely looks at me. And don’t tell me it’s not on purpose.”

“Of course it’s on purpose,” Sebastian said
matter-of-factly. “But we never thought we actually succeeded.”

“Yeah,” Cale added. “We just figured you
were really discreet.”

Sonya rocked back on her feet, and Ethan
came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. In that
moment, something passed silently between him and the other males.
Kyra couldn’t fathom what it was, but Sonya bristled.

“You’re approving?” she scoffed. “You think
I’m going to claim him?”

“You’re not?” Cale replied, incredulous.

“Why? So I can end up like you?”

He stilled. Then his lips peeled back and
his eyes narrowed dangerously. Sebastian placed a hand on his
shoulder in an attempt to calm him, but Cale didn’t respond—merely
continued to glare at his sister.

In a proud tone, Sebastian said, “You’re
lucky to have a male that can take on three demons and walk away
without a scratch. He’s one slippery son of a bitch.”

“I don’t want that and neither does he.”
Sonya gestured wildly at Kyra. “Why would he, when he’s supposed to
marry a princess.”

“What?” The word squeaked out on a breath.
She looked to Ethan, feeling dizzy. His lips pressed together.

Sonya noted her shock and explained, “Your
father made a deal with him. You’re supposed to be married when
this is over.” The demoness didn’t sound disdainful or jealous,
just accepting.

Kyra sank to the floor. A heavy tension fell
over the room as all eyes turned to her. She glanced up, seeking
one pair in particular. He looked…uncaring.

“I have a theory about all this,” Cale
declared. The coldness in his tone was like a slash to her heart.
“What are the odds that Sebastian and Marik find their mates so
conveniently? And now Sonya…with a pirate?”

Sonya opened her mouth to protest, but
Sebastian cut her off. “What are you saying?”

“Our kind may be unnaturally attracted to
Faieara.”

“I
love
my mate.” Sebastian
growled.

“As do I,” Marik hissed, both giving Cale a
look of warning.

“That may be true, but it doesn’t change the
facts. Think about it.”

“What about you, Cale?” Sebastian
challenged. “You were never attracted to Anya.”

“Not like you were.”

Kyra heard a deep menacing rumble, but her
eyes were frozen to the mat.

“Beat the shit out of me later, Bastian.
Marik, what about Rex? Rex and Nadua?”

Silence followed the question before Marik
replied, “If he was attracted to Nadua, he was wise enough not to
tell me about it.”

Kyra’s insides churned violently, like a
storm readying to unleash a thunderous devastation. She silently
begged Cale not to proceed with this train of thought, because she
knew what he would say next.

“I want her like I wanted…” He trailed off.
“But it’s not real. It can’t be.”

Her throat burned as she swallowed back
tears.

“I’m mated and cannot possibly…I cannot
truly be as attracted to her as I seem to be. I cannot want her at
all.”

No one said anything.

Kyra felt like shrinking into the floor, so
small a crack would swallow her up. Her legs managed to lift her
off the ground, and she made it out the door before she even
realized it.