Demon Untamed (44 page)

A part of him realized his lungs should be scorching with fatigue, yet he felt nothing but the urgency to keep going. He was close.
Just a little farther
.

He came to a dark area and paused. Thick rock encased him in a large chamber. Several passageways branched off from the main room of his asteroid lair, each leading to a very different destination, equal in darkness, and each more ominous than the last.

As he approached the center of the room and surveyed his options, light refracted through one of the entrances, offering a clear view of endless fields bathed in warmth.

He knew he would find nothing but peace beyond that threshold, but something made him hesitate, an odd sensation against his lips.

He fisted the pendant around his neck. In a flurry, the room flooded with vibrant hues of violet bleeding with red. It took him a moment to realize where the windstorm originated from; it poured from a passage to his left.

When he gazed into the vortex of color that faded into the darkest blackness, it was not fear that clutched him. It was clarity.

He was not meant to go quietly into death. The ultimate sacrifice was not his final mission. Destiny called him.

He still had a purpose.

Chapter 38

Not surprising, Anya was the first to spot Sonya as she descended the stairs into the great hall. After reaching the bottom, she meandered through the crowd, crossing the large, ornate room toward the table where she, Sebastian, Nadua, and Marik were seated. They all greeted her with pitying glances, concealed by plastered smiles.

Under normal circumstances, the assorted dishes of food gathered at the center of the table would’ve enticed her. As it was, she only filled a plate to appease the others and keep from being nagged. She proceeded to pick at the items blindly chosen and imagined the grub was delicious, if only her taste buds weren’t as numb as the rest of her.

Around the room, Faieara danced to the beat of the music performed by a lively band. The singer’s voice was enthralling as she spouted the tale of a lonely patch of flowers, squatting in the shadows at the base of a tree. Sonya sensed there was an underlying meaning to her tune.

After a moment of watching the blurred, faceless crowd, Sonya began to recognize some of the individuals. Azule was there, smiling and laughing, surrounded by a small pack of his guild. Anya had mentioned that they’d decided to move to the village and help rebuild as well as to seek out Ru. The bastard had betrayed Kyra and Cale, practically handing them to the Kayadon for a two day torture-fest. Ina had been captured, however, and claimed not to have known of the plot perpetrated by her mate.

Ina now resided in the dungeon alongside two fully healed Kayadon—the one from the cliff and another that had been found within the palace. Sonya had heard through Anya they were repentant for their actions and had even offered to serve the Faieara, swearing allegiance to Kyra as queen. Thankfully no one was ready to trust them just yet. If Sonya had her way, they’d be relieved of their heads directly.

Anya nudged her and then motioned for her to continue eating. She must have been staring off into space. She did that a lot lately.

Another familiar face caught her attention. Ivan raised his glass at her from across the room. He and his men looked to be getting acquainted with a fawning group of females. Their smiles were radiant as the men animatedly regaled stories of battle.

Ivan sent her a questioning look, subtly asking about his friend. Sonya shook her head. Ivan frowned. The room blurred from a wave of billowing tears. She quickly blinked them away.

“Ivan’s fleet was a godsend,” Sebastian announced, following her line of sight.

“Oh?” Sonya replied. It was an effort just to keep that tiny word from shaking its way out of her.

“Aye. Not that the others were any less integral. According to reports, the Kayadon had been expecting a rebellion. Had been preparing for it, in fact. They had seers of their own, I suppose, and they might have even caught a few of our ships on radar. But they hadn’t been expecting the sheer force of our defenses.” Sebastian grinned smugly. “Albeit late, the arrival of Ivan’s fleet took the Kayadon by surprise and confused their efforts.”

Marik guffawed. “They didn’t know their asses from their elbows.”

Sonya forced a smile and scanned the crowd. “I don’t see the dragons.”

“They took their fallen back to their planet,” Sebastian replied. “Aidan went with them.”

Sonya fumbled with a hard chunk of food on her plate. She recalled Aidan coming to check on her and Ethan, offering positive thoughts and saying how glad he was to have met them both. She hadn’t realized it was a goodbye. She also hadn’t realized how attached she had become, and it hurt to think she might never see the dragon again.

The room erupted in lively cheers. Sonya turned to see Kyra and Cale enter through a large archway, the Earthling and Rex not far behind.

Sebastian groaned and rolled his eyes. “Cale is going to be impossible to deal with now. I don’t give a fuck about all this royal crap, and I am sure as hell not calling him
Your Majesty
.”

Sonya actually cracked a genuine smile at that. Since Cale was Kyra’s chosen, he had been inaugurated alongside her. Sonya had missed the entire affair, but Anya had detailed it out for her later. There had been vows and everything.

Her smile lasted until Cale and Kyra neared. Confusion twisted her features, just as her heartbeat stuttered.

They are mated!

Sebastian and Marik gaped at them as well.

“How is it possible?” Marik breathed.

Cale offered an arrogant smile and placed his arm around Kyra. “My little mate is remarkable. That’s how.” Then he delved into a tale about how their mother had discovered a drug that induced matebonds, even against a demon’s will. It had been used on Cale because Mother wanted Velicia in the family. He’d only learned of the plot recently when he’d approached Nadua to help him look into his past.

Sonya would have been horrified at this new bit of information if she wasn’t fighting off a sick, selfish wave of jealousy. She tried to tamp it down and rationalize her way out of it, telling herself she only felt fury growing because of Ethan’s condition, but then Cale’s next words snapped something inside her.

“Kyra healed me when she healed Ginn and that other Kayadon.”

“You mean Ethan healed you,” she hissed, shooting to her feet and knocking her chair back in the process.  “And now he can’t heal himself.”

Cale appeared to be momentarily stunned. Then he averted his gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck. Tension exploded into thick silence. She could tell they were all scrounging for something to say, some way to comfort her, but she was on the verge of losing it. Great…now guilt over her outburst mixed with the grief that had already settled in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t Cale’s fault, or even Kyra’s.

Sonya pushed away from the table and mumbled, “I’m sorry,” before rushing from the room. She needed to remove herself before she sullied everyone’s good mood. They deserved to be happy and to celebrate. Hell, Cale should be screaming his joy from the towers. He’d been gifted with a second chance. Sonya could only wish to be so lucky.

She pushed open the heavy wood door to Ethan’s room and froze. Icy dread vaulted up her spine.

The bed was empty! 

“Ethan?” she croaked.

Oh gods, why had she left him alone?

The adjacent washroom door that she’d left open was now closed. Pulse pounding, she crossed the room and flung the door wide.

Unmitigated relief surged, and she almost crumbled to her knees.

Ethan stood looking into the mirror, a pair of sheers in his hand as he clipped the last of his long hair short. Severed white-blond tendrils lay along the counter top and at his feet.

Her entry made him jump. Warily, he turned to her.

Unable to temper her emotions, she threw herself into his arms and burst into incoherent sobs as she tried to ask if he was alright. He stood frozen for a moment, and then slipped his arms around her. Her crippling elation was complete, and she gripped him for support.

Ethan threaded his fingers through the hair at her nape. “I woke, and you weren’t here. I assumed…” He paused. “I feared you…” His voice sounded scratchy and unused, with a hint of sorrow.

She lifted her head to gaze at him, brows furrowed. “What? That I had died?”

He shook his head, closing his eyes as if pained. “No. Not that.”

She frowned. “That I didn’t care?”

He grimaced.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” she assured, alarmed that he’d come to that conclusion. “Waiting for you to come back to me was the hardest thing I’d ever endured. I have never felt such dread. I was afraid I’d never be able to tell you how much you mean to me.”

Ethan’s mouth parted slightly as he studied her expression. “And how is that?”

She leaned in to capture his lips with hers. He responded instantly, molding his mouth against hers. His warmth chased away a fraction of her anxiety.

“You set my heart on fire,” she rasped.

“And you command my very soul,” he countered in an equally husky tone. He bent to kiss her again, breathing her in as she did the same.

She tightened her arms around his neck, and he recoiled slightly. “Are you still hurt?” She yanked herself away, but Ethan stayed her, his palms splayed across her back.

“Just a little sore,” he said. “My magic is still replenishing. I can vaguely sense the kingdom is in the midst of celebration, but I’m healing the old-fashioned way.”

“You should go back to bed. Oh, and food! I should bring you some food! Are you hungry? And blankets, if you’re cold. Or more fire crystals, perhaps?” She paused at his amused expression.

“Just you. That’s all I want.”

She knew her responding grin probably looked ridiculous and a bit drunken, though she’d had no liquor, but she didn’t care. “Well, you have me. And you’d better believe you’re stuck with me.”

“Good.” He claimed her lips once more, hard and demanding, delving his tongue past her lips. By the time he pulled back, her breath had become labored and liquid desire pooled between her thighs. Then his tone turned rough. “How about we make it official.”

She stilled. “You mean claim you?” Her throat went dry as her body thrilled at the idea.

He nodded, his eyes darkening with lust. She loved the way they did that. The more he wanted her, the darker they’d become. And right now, his irises were nearly black.

She shivered, her fangs making an appearance. His hooded gaze turned rapt as she slid her tongue over one. Then she eased backward, delighted when he followed as though unable to take his eyes from her.

“I think we should get you cleaned up first. You have hair all over you. Why did you cut it anyway?” She crossed to the shower stall and turned the water to a pleasantly warm temperature.

“So as not to resemble someone horrid from your past,” he said from behind.

She jerked her head around, her throat thickening from a wave of emotion. “Oh, Ethan, you didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugged. “It was by far my least painful sacrifice.”

“Speaking of, I forbid you to ever do anything like what you did on that cliff.” She undid the buttons of his white shirt and slid the fabric over his broad shoulders, marveling at his muscular physique.

“Haven’t even made me yours and already making demands?” He smirked.

“I’m serious. You nearly died. Please promise me.”

“How about this?” He unlaced the strings of her bodice. “I promise to never knowingly do something that would take me from you, if you agree to the same.”

She agreed without hesitation, her breath coming in spurts as he freed her of the bodice. Their remaining clothing soon joined the puddles of cloth on the stone floor.

He guided her under the shower spray, his hand caressing its way down her spine and over the swells of her backside. She allowed her fingertips to roam the hard planes of his shoulders and chest, committing every crevice to memory. White-hot desire made attempting to wash a bumbling endeavor.

She gripped his engorged shaft, loving the heavy shudder that ran through him. While stroking him, she leaned in to nibble his earlobe, pulling another rumbling moan from deep in his chest. The sound was like a drug, dulling her mind and yet strengthening her senses. His scent was more acute, his heartbeat like the rush of wind against her eardrums.

Her fangs throbbed, begging to sink into his flesh. It was almost like being on the Edge, but all she wished to contrive was pleasure.

She sank to her knees and took him into her mouth, being careful with her fangs. He let out a guttural moan and, almost as if he couldn’t help himself, thrust into her mouth. But then he stilled and allowed her to slip her tongue over his soft flesh at her leisure. She teased the tip for a moment before drawing him deep.

Foreign oaths escaped him as his body shook from her efforts. “You’re going to make me come if you keep that up,” he warned.