Demon Slave (16 page)

Please be
alright
.

Sebastian guided her back to the shuttle and
it wasn’t long before they were hovering over the planet’s surface.
“We’ll need to wait out the storm. Did you get any feelings about
which way Marik might have gone?”

Freeing herself of the chunky suit, Anya
said, “North, maybe, but I’m not sure.”

He glanced back at her. “Don’t get too
comfortable outside that suit. It’s going back on as soon as we
land.”

“
Uh uh. No, it’s
not.”

* * *

The palace was dark in mood, its people
mourning the loss of the false queen. Tamir tried to match their
temperament, but in private he couldn’t help but let his pleasure
beam.

Emblems of the House of Dion mocked him as
he walked the halls. Soon it would be his house’s name that
decorated the palace.

The true queen would rejoice with him. The
prospect sped his step, as he was on his way to see her now and
receive due praise for his success. How would she thank him?

As the day progressed, the light through the
windows grew dim, and servants began tending lanterns. They bowed
as he passed. He easily ignored them.

Straightening his tunic, Tamir tapped on his
queen’s door. He was greeted by a short-haired servant in a simple
gown.

“
I seek the lady’s
audience,” he announced.

The small woman disappeared, returning
moments later to usher him in.

“
Leave us,” a female voice
commanded.

Offering an obedient bow, the servant girl
rushed away, softly closing the door behind her and leaving Tamir
alone with his lovely mistress.

Stepping farther into the room, he found his
soon-to-be bride resting leisurely at her dressing table fixing her
hair with the help of a large mirror. As always, she looked prim
and elegant. Soft features surrounded piercing eyes. She was the
most beautiful woman he’d ever had the honor to behold.

“
Your Majesty,” he
cooed.

“
Not yet,” she snapped.
“Avaline has yet to choose a successor. Daft child probably hopes
Nadua has survived somehow.”

Tamir remained silent, which only worked to
alarm his mistress. He knew he was being studied when she glanced
at him through the mirror.

She turned to face him, her pitch high.
“Tell me she is dead, Tamir.”

“
There is no doubt that the
demon would have disposed of her.”

“
Would have? You said you
witnessed it.”

“
I said that so the men
would stop searching. Their devotion is gravely
misplaced.”

“
Yes, it is, isn’t it? So,
what did you seen then?”

“
I believe the demon
carried her into the caves.”

His mistress looked thoughtful. “So, it is
possible,” she trailed off.

“
But she was taken by a
demon—”

“
Don’t underestimate her.
She is...wily.”

“
Apologies, my love, I had
planned to do the job myself that very night, and blame it on a
rebel we had captured.”

Or rather, I planned to have Nakul do
it.

Her back went straight. “You idiot,” she
hissed.

“
My lady?”

“
I cannot have the rebels
implicated. How would I justify bringing our people together once I
am queen? It would be impossible, and all my planning would be for
naught. It is a lucky thing indeed that the demon thwarted
you.”

“
I was not
thinking—”

“
Obviously.” She turned her
back. “I want our spies notified of the threat. If she lives, I
want it taken care of quietly. Now get out of my sight.”

The dishonor of his dismissal was grating,
but he bowed respectfully and made his way to the door.

“
And Tamir?” she
called.

“
Yes, my love?”

“
Do not fail me
again.”

Tamir pushed past the servant waiting
outside. The female let out a grunt of pain as she fell into the
wall. The sound of fabric rustling and the door closing indicated
she had swiftly recovered.

His thumping footsteps projected his anger
as the severe words chanted in his mind. She would not speak to him
so when he was king.

* * *

Rex and Nadua had been correct: the storm
quickly turned hazardous. The snow was so thick in the air that
Marik had difficulty seeing through it, and inhaled a little with
each breath, dulling his sense of smell. The volatile wind made the
trees thrash around him, and though it was close to midday, the
black clouds shrouded the harsh landscape in an odd darkness.

He’d spent much of the morning hunting, but
it seemed the weather had driven any useful prey into hiding.
Eventually he’d given up on the prospect of finding food and
focused on gathering kindling for a fire, instead.

Marik returned to the cave with a cache of
wood and was surprised that Rex had not yet returned. Nadua hunched
in a corner, shivering with her knees to her chest. If she was
shaking like this now, how would she fare when night fell? He had
to admit, even he was starting to feel the chill in the air.

He sparked a fire near to where she sat;
she’d wisely chosen a corner that blocked much of the wind.

He would need to make several more trips to
ensure that they didn’t run out of wood. About to demand gratitude
for all he was doing for her, he looked up, but paused after seeing
the misery in her eyes. Had she been crying? His harsh words came
back to him. Was it he who had caused her this grief?

Before his arrival, she had been a queen,
which usually included luxurious living and fawning servants. She
must be feeling the loss now that she was stuck with him, surviving
in a dank cave.

“
Do you need anything?” he
asked, not sure what he could do to cheer her.

Studying the flames, she gave a small shake
of her head.

“
Then I must go back out
for more wood.”

She looked at him then. “You won’t go too
far?”

Was she worried for him, as she had been for
Rex? More likely, she feared what would happen to her if he didn’t
return.

“
There’s plenty of wood
just down the slope. I’ll be quick.” It wasn’t really a lie, but
the good logs, the kind that would burn slowly, were a little
farther out. No need to worry her further, though.

She nodded, but then shivered again although
the flames were now high.

“
Why have you not made use
of your blanket?”

She glanced over at the pile of supplies,
still a mess from when the men had rifled through it. Marik shook
out the blanket, crossed to Nadua, and wrapped it around her.

“
Thanks,” she said,
gripping it tight to her chin.

Feeling there was nothing more he could do,
Marik stepped back into the blizzard. When he came back the second
time to drop off his load, her stark expression was coupled with
exhaustion.

“
Sleep. I will know if
anyone approaches.” Then he noticed a shiny object peaking from
under the blanket. “What do you fear that has you clinging to a
sword like that?”

“
It’s dark, and there are
noises coming from the cracks.”

Marik listened. There were small gaps in the
wall, no bigger than a fist, that could be connected to a thread of
passageways. Each one seemed to moan eerily.

“
Just the wind.”

She nodded but kept hold of the hilt. “Could
be.”

He recalled her initial fear of the caves.
She had said the Cyrellians told stories about them. Probably
legends of monsters and such. Marik opened his senses but found
nothing ominous close by.

“
Look, I just need to make
a few more trips.”

“
Then please hurry. The
storm is getting worse and I don’t need you dying out
there.”

“
Ah, my little Faieara
can’t wait till she can be in her demon’s arms,” he teased, knowing
it would rile her.

“
That is not what I’m
waiting for!”

Her sweet blue eyes flashed with
indignation, and Marik held back a grin. He preferred her angered
over distraught. He could deal with her anger.

After another trip of wood gathering and a
renewed, but failed, attempt to catch dinner, Marik returned to the
cave again. He warmed by the fire and studied Nadua. The sword had
made it to her lap as she held her hands out to the flames.

Marik scented Rex just before he entered,
covered in a thick layer of white, his arms full of pelts. With an
accomplished grin, he dropped the furs near the fire.

Nadua expelled a relieved sigh. When Marik
noticed the smile in her eyes—aimed at Rex—he had to restrain
himself from attacking the other male.

I have kept her safe, kept her warm. And she
smiles for him!

“
We need more wood. Join
me,” Marik barked.

“
But, Rex has been out
there this whole time. Give him a moment to rest and get
warm?”

Rex went tense. Marik gave a smug smile.
Nadua just saved him the trouble of having to order Rex out of the
cave. She didn’t realize she’d just insulted him, by supposing he
wasn’t capable of gathering a little wood.

“
I’ll be fine.” Rex smiled
at Nadua.

After just a few trips, their stock of wood
was a full days’ worth, at least. Utilizing the new pelts, Marik
arranged a pallet for Nadua and himself, leaving enough for Rex to
make his own. Rex was proving to be helpful for the moment, but
Marik would be watching the demon closely.

Releasing her death grip on the sword, Nadua
allowed Marik to place it with their other belongings.

But when he stretched out on the pallet, she
didn’t move to join him. He thought it wise not to push her, though
she looked near passing out.

Cocooned in her blanket, Nadua stared into
the fire as if she could meld with it. She did that a lot. Marik
wondered what was so fascinating about the flames. Then her
eyebrows twitched and he realized she was deep in thought. Oh, how
he wished he could know what was going on behind those pale
eyes.

“
Stare any harder and I do
believe you’ll become one with the flames, luv.”

A hint of amusement lit her irises. “It
helps me to focus on my thoughts.”

“
And what’s on your
mind?”

“
I’ve been thinking about
Tamir.”

Marik remained quiet. The last thing he
wanted was to start arguing with her again.

“
Can you tell me exactly
what he said? I wasn’t really in a...trusting mood when you first
told me.”

He raised a sardonic brow. “And you trust me
now? Even after running from me earlier?”

“
I only ran because...” Her
gaze shifted to Rex, then back to Marik. “Come on...meeting not
one, but two, demons after four hundred years alone on this planet?
It’s a one in a million coincidence. You can’t blame me for being
skeptical.”

“
Alone?”

Nadua looked confused for a moment,
retracing her words. “I didn’t mean alone, I just...I don’t know,
maybe I did. Do you know what it’s like to be without physical
contact for so long that sometimes you thought you’d go mad?”

If she needed physical contact so badly, why
had she still not come to him? He feared the reason was because
he’d been too harsh with her.

“
Yes, I do.” Rex sighed,
answering her.

Nadua turned her compassionate gaze on
him.

Marik knew it, as well, but he wasn’t about
to bring up his past—which rankled him, because his instincts were
telling him to outdo this male in every way, as if they were in
competition for Nadua.

And in a way, they were.

Nadua was a beautiful, sexy, available
woman. But Marik had a taste of her, and he would be the one to
have more. Shaking his head, he worried his thoughts were turning
dangerously possessive.

“
So what were Tamir’s
words, exactly?”

“
I may not recall exactly,
but he mentioned something about the
true
queen
. He and that Naky—”

“
Nakul.”

“
Well, he and Nakul planned
to kill you while you slept, and place blame on the rebel.” Marik
couldn’t help a small growl. “Who, by the way, was happy to
participate. Apparently, he and his clan prefer this true queen as
well.”

Nadua’s brows knit together. “The rebel said
that?”

Marik nodded. “That’s what he told me.”

Nadua looked troubled. Marik had an idea
what she was thinking. If Tamir had the same goal as the rebels,
then Ava was probably not their intended queen.

Which meant Ava was in danger.