Demon Slave (29 page)

He put distance between them. “Good night.
I’ll see you in the morning,” he said coolly.

“
What? But I thought you
would want to...you know.”

His eyes were shadowed and she couldn’t read
them. “You have no idea how badly I want to.” He glanced away. “But
you wouldn’t be thinking of me.”

With that, he was gone. The door closed
heavily behind him.

Left to do nothing but mull over everything
that had happened, Nadua’s emotions flared out of control. She was
overcome with sorrow for her lost time with Cyrus. Fear over her
unsure future with Marik. Worry for her people, both the Faieara
and the Cyrellians, as well as for Ava. Bitterness for being left
alone, not only by Cyrus, but by Fineas, and her own father and
mother. Finally, guilt, for thinking badly of any of them, when
they were only doing what they could to help her.

In the hallowed pit of her stomach, she felt
she’d lost control over every aspect of her life. After years of
holding it together, Nadua curled up on the bed and cried herself
unconscious.

Sometime during that blissful oblivion, a
vision came on the edge of sleep.

Once more, Marik crouched in the arena, the
same brutality befalling him. This time, Nadua witnessed the
aftermath. With the bleachers empty and the blood turning brown
with age, Marik’s eyes finally dimmed to their natural green,
marred by horror at the sight of the dead woman left behind.
Cradling her broken body in his arms, his bellow echoed off the
cold walls.

How could I? How could I?

It took her a moment to realize she was
hearing his thoughts.

How could I do this?

Marik thought he was responsible for the
woman’s fate? Did he believe that of all of them?

* * *

“
Did you sleep well?” Cyrus
called from below when he spotted Nadua on the balcony. He was
enjoying a morning meal alone.

“
I did,” she lied, heading
down the stairs to join him. “Does no one else eat with
you?”

“
They usually
do.”

Ah, until she had come. These Cyrellians
really did fear she’d lead the Kayadon here. Or maybe it was the
demon presence that kept them away.

“
Have you seen
Marik?”

She had checked his room, but he hadn’t been
in it.

“
I believe he went out
early this morning.”

“
Out? Why?”

“
I’m not in the habit of
stopping demons for a chat when they look like they’re on a
mission. How did you meet him, anyway?”

Nadua told him the story, leaving out the
embarrassing intimate moments, and subsequent biting.

“
I’m glad you survived all
that. I’ll get some new furs made up for you. I recall how
important they are to your comfort.

“
You keep
edisdons?”

“
There are some that roam
free near here. They’ve come to trust us.”

“
That would be wonderful,
thank you.”

He called to someone behind her. “Oh,
Lidian, come here please.”

Lidian approached with a large smile on her
face. At seeing Nadua, recognition flared and she bowed. “Your
Highness. How are you this day?”

“
I’m good. How are
you?”

“
Just fine.”

“
Are you Lidian, daughter
of Rin?”

“
I am, Your
Highness.”

Nadua felt a small amount of tension leave
her shoulders. “Your parents are very worried about you.”

“
I can believe it. I was so
frightened when the rebels took me and I remember my father had
fought them. Is he well?”

“
I believe so.” She tilted
her head. “Why haven’t you contacted them?”

Her cheeks darkened. “I am afraid they would
demand I come home. I...” She trailed off, too embarrassed to
say.

Nadua grinned. “You have a crush.”

Lidian put her hands behind her back and
gave a shy shrug.

“
Well, that’s fine with me,
but you should send a message to your parents. It’s not nice to
leave them to worry. How would you like it if they disappeared, and
then didn’t write to tell you they were okay?”

Lidian frowned and slowly nodded. “I will,
Your Highness.”

When the girl scurried away, Cyrus said,
“You sounded very motherly.”

“
I’ve been raising Ava
since she was two.”

“
I wish I could have been
there for her birth. How is she?”

“
She’s brilliant. Sweet.
Tougher than you could imagine.” Nadua grinned. “She could use you
there, you know, once I’m gone. Her only family are those vapid
aunts of hers.”

“
You mean my
sisters?”

“
Sorry, your vapid
sisters.”

They both laughed.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted
Marik watching them. He stood across the room. Snowflakes were
still melting in his hair. Again, she couldn’t read his
expression.

Cyrus craned his head to see what she was
looking at, and as he did, Marik started up the stairs toward his
room.

In a low voice, Cyrus asked, “Do you want to
tell me what’s going on between the two of you?”

The last thing she wanted was to speak with
Cyrus about her very strange, very complicated relationship with
Marik. She shook her head.

“
Well, just so you know, I
like him.”

“
You do?” She replied with
more skepticism in her voice than she had intended.

“
Yes. From what you’ve told
me, he’s done everything he can to protect you. He inadvertently
brought you back to me so I can say a proper goodbye this time.
That alone earns him my gratitude, even if I am a bit
jealous.”

“
Jealous? Of
what?”

Cyrus went silent for a long moment. “You
both get to go have a real adventure, while I’m stuck on this cold
planet.”

“
You like the
cold.”

He met her eyes and his demeanor became
serious. “Not always.”

It was she who looked away first.

Marik was busy pacing the room when a knock
sounded. The enticing feminine scent told him it would be Nadua
standing on the other side.

Reluctantly, he let her in.

“
Are you okay?” she
asked.

“
Splendid.”

“
Where did you
go?”

“
Hunting
edisdons.”

“
Oh. Well, no need. Cyrus
said—”

“
I know, I overheard. He
will be providing for you.”

That was the reason he was pacing the room
like a caged animal. His mate was in need of something and it
wasn’t he who could supply it for her. Cyrus gave her a bed,
beautiful clotting, expensive jewelry—which she was still
wearing!

He tried not to eye it with anger. That, and
the fact that she laughed with him, spoke to him with an ease and
familiarity that was not affected by three hundred years apart.

Cyrus had said he loved her, and she
obviously returned the sentiment.

“
Something’s bothering
you.”

“
Aye,” he
growled.

“
Well. Will you talk to
me?”

“
It involves a topic you’re
not fond of. So, no.”

She was quiet for a little while. “Then I
have something I need to speak with you about. It’s regarding your
past.”

Marik went tense. “I’ve nothing to say about
that.”

“
Well, I do. You asked me
about my gift, but I didn’t get a chance to tell you about
it.”

Marik stopped pacing and, for some reason, a
thick choking tension bubbled in his stomach.

“
I inherited part of my
father’s gift for seeing the future. But lately I think I’ve been
getting glimpses of the past.”

The tension turned into a heavy sick feeling
that clawed at his insides.

“
My past?” His tone was
sharpened with an edge of hopelessness.

“
I believe so, but I’d like
to verify some things with you if you don’t mind. So I can be
sure.”

“
What did you
see?”

“
I witness you
in...um...something that looked like a coliseum—”

“
No!” Marik’s world
collapsed. Had she seen what he’d done? What he couldn’t stop
himself from doing? No wonder she was so repulsed by the idea of
being stuck as his mate

Marik laughed at himself for thinking that,
just maybe, she had come to him to declare an inkling of feeling
for him.

How delusional I
am
.

Her voice was ringing in his ear. Marik
realized he was on his knees, face buried in his hands. She was
asking him to look at her. Never again would he soil her beauty
with his gaze. She deserved so much better.

“
Marik! Look at me,
please.”

He raised his gaze, but didn’t meet her
eyes.

“
Please don’t do this to
yourself. It wasn’t your fault.”

Of course it was his fault. If he had
trained harder when he was a youth, he could have controlled
himself. He could have mastered the Edge, and restrained himself
from hurting anyone. Perhaps he could have even saved his sister
and kept them both from being slaves in the first place. If only he
had been stronger.

“
Those women’s deaths
weren’t—”

“
Enough,” he bellowed. “Get
out!”

“
No. I need you to
understand.”

Marik pushed her toward the door.

“
Marik, stop.”

“
I don’t want to see you
again until we leave this planet. We’ll find your Serakians and
break this bond.” He shut the door on her astounded
expression.

* * *

“
My Queen.” Wren bowed,
just outside Ava’s door. She greeted him with a smile and,
together, they made their way down the hall.

After a short distance, Ava commented, “That
sounds so different now.”

“
What does?”

“
When you call me ‘My
Queen’.”

“
But I have always called
you that.”

Ava shrugged. “Yet your tone has changed.
And you are more serious around me now.”

Wren went quiet.

Exiting the east wing, they strolled over a
bridge that connected it to the west, headed to the first council
meeting since Ava’s arresting declaration.

The air was sweet, as it always was after a
heavy storm. She stopped to lean against the low wall, not wanting
to admit she was nervous.

“
I suppose I am more
serious, My Queen. I have taken the ancient oaths. My only duty now
is to protect you.”

Ava recalled the day. Each member of the
guard and representatives from the noble houses had knelt before
her, swearing allegiance to the House of Dion and chanted the old
oaths. But there was something different in Wren that day, and had
been ever since. His words had been so strong she’d almost felt
them in the air.

“
But I liked it when you
would tease me.”

“
It is not appropriate for
a guard to tease a queen.”

She wanted to protest, but he was right. She
was entering a new phase in her life. Her charge was the management
and preservation of an entire kingdom. The whims of a child were no
longer her luxury.

Her eyes traveled the edge of the land,
where white hills met frosty skies. A sharp glint out of place
caught her eye. “Wren? What is that?”

“
Looks like a couple,” he
replied.

From her distance, she could see that the
larger of the two had dark hair, and the smaller was covered in an
equally dark cloak. Her heart spiked and all she could do was suck
in an excited breath.

“
My Queen,” Wren warned,
reading her thoughts.

“
But who else would cover
themselves in a cloak like that? And the male is not of our kind.”
She sprinted back the way they came.

Wren was directly behind her. As they made
their way to the palace entrance, he yelled for every guard they
passed to follow.

“
What’s going on?” Tamir
was at their side.

“
There are strangers on the
hill outside the palace,” Wren answered.

Ava rushed through the elaborate archway,
her light blue gown flaring out as she stepped foot on the packed
snowy ground of the courtyard.