Forged of Fire (27 page)

“Not today.” He breathed out, his voice submitting the now raging inferno under his subtle command. Its power descended into a mist as quickly as it had risen and wafted away, into nothing. The ancient Latin words of his forefathers rolled off his tongue as he stared into the challenging sun. “I am the center of all energy. I hold power and glory in my sway. My will disperses dark clouds as easily as it creates them. I have been chosen to tame the fates. I am the undying fire. I am Draco…”
And today, is not your day to destroy me.
He mentally added as he turned back to face the presence that had moved behind him.

“I sent the immortals back to the estate.” Stefen landed with unquestioning grace beside Ash. “The other benders are still combing the city, but I think it’s time to call them back.” His voice trailed off. “Where would they have taken her?”

Ash stared past him over the dew kissed grass. “To the monster himself.”

“Fuck!” Stefen cursed. “I can’t enter there. Only those with the element of fire or an Original can penetrate the gates.”

“I need to go alone, anyway,” Ash said. “It is me he is after.” He turned. “I’m the one he wants to punish.”

“You’re not going alone!” Stefen grabbed his arm. “That’s a suicide mission. Besides, even if he gets you back you know he won’t let Kielyn go.”

“You don’t know him!” Ash jerked his arm free. “He will let her go if I give myself entirely over to him. If I promise to love him back.”

“Look Ash, I know the sick fuck has this weird obsession with you but you can’t count on that, besides your acting skills suck.” Stefen said. “There is no way you could convince him of that and he most likely wants you because he can’t have you anyway.” He waved an agitated arm. “The asshole’s a sadist! He only wants you back to torture you because that tortures him!”

“I don’t care to stand here and discuss the love-hate affinity Dante has with me,” Ash snapped. “I just want Kielyn safe and out of that place! If I pledge my life to him without the worry of me trying to escape again…” His hands balled into fist at his sides. Could he really go back there? He would rather die, but there was no way that he would allow Kielyn to suffer one second of what he had been forced to live through! “He can do whatever he wants to me as long as he sets her free.”

“He is right.” Both males snapped their heads around to see Alaric standing behind him, bathed in the sun’s light. “But, it needs to be more thought out than you just showing up at his castle entrance and asking for a swap out.”

Ash was honestly glad to see the Angel King. He was man enough to realize when he was in over his head. “What do you suggest?”

“Brother, there is no way Ash can go in alone.” Stefen interrupted.

“He won’t go in alone,” Alaric said flatly “He will go in with Marsala, Bane, Marcus, Skyler and Dax who are all presently awaiting your return at the estate.”

“They are here?” Ash said in half disbelief before shaking his head no. “I won’t allow them to risk their own lives. They all know what a nightmare that place is. I won’t ask them to go back there just for me.”

“While I respect your ego, it’s not just for you.” Alaric walked past them towards the castle. “It’s for your unborn child remember.”

“What’s the plan?” Stefen asked as he walked to catch up with his brother.

Ash had no choice but to join them. He needed their help to save Kielyn. Future heir aside, all that mattered to Ash was Kielyn. “Yes, please, share this grand plan for as best I can tell by your math, we are still about sixteen thousand immortals too few. And there is no way I am letting Marsala go in there!”

“You will have to fight her over that Ash,” Alaric said. “She was the one who came up with the plan.”

Of course she was!
“Was her plan to just waltz in like we had never left? Because you know Dante has the entire perimeter locked down expecting us!”

“According to Skyler’s informant on the inside, Dante does not even know of his new guest. Zander snuck into the castle in the middle of the night carrying a female.” Alaric never broke stride. “Guess where he took her?” Ash felt fire begin to heat in his palms just thinking of the fucker touching her. “It’s not at all where I would have guessed,” Alaric continued. “He did not take her to the dungeons, or to his father to show off his prize.” The Angel King paused. “Don’t panic for it is a good thing.” He looked at Ash. “He took her to his private chambers.”

“How on bloody earth is that a good thing!” Ash snapped.

“I said to not panic.” Alaric narrowed his eyes. “It means that the little whelp, Zander, is finally growing a pair and standing up to his father. You see, we were also informed Dante is making Zander and Katara fight to the death next week in honor of some special guest.” Alaric tilted his head. “Now, who do you suppose Dante cares enough about to kill one of his children in front of them?”

“Are you telling me they had this planned out all along?” Ash felt sick to his stomach.

“Dante must have thought to have captured you by then,” Stefen spoke up. “Zander must have taken Kielyn without orders in some attempt to sabotage his father’s plans. But what would he hope to accomplish by risking so much in going solo?”

“I have studied this family for centuries,” Alaric said. “Dante originally took your mother because he wanted a Dragon offspring. Ultimate power in Hell. He got your half-sister, Katara, who is no Dragon, but without a doubt one of the most dangerous of them all. Zander will most likely lose in this fight and he is smart enough to know it. Which is why he took Kielyn, either to try or win back his father’s affection or to use her against him.”

“How could he use Kielyn against Dante when it is Ash he wants…” Stefen started to pace and froze. “She is the bait.” He glanced at Ash. “To either lure you in to win over his father or…”

“My guess is to kill you,” Alaric interjected. “To take away his father’s greatest wish.” He looked at them both. “Now we just have to decide which one we want to target before we go in, father or son.”

“Neither.” Ash said after a long pause. “We target my sister…”

****

Kielyn woke with a start as if someone had snapped their fingers and flipped on a light. Her focus zeroed in on the fingers that had quite literally, snapped her awake. Beyond the hand was a pleased and grinning face of a somewhat handsome man.
The man that had attacked me at the cemetery
. She leapt out of the bed and across the room. Her eyes searching for exits. “Before you try and escape I think you should know that I am the least dangerous of any problems you would run into outside of this room.” The male continued to watch her from the bed. “I think we got off to a bad start and for that I apologize. I am Zander.”

Kielyn knew she needed to keep him talking as she did a mental check list of her body’s current state. She was sore but her senses only recalled one male making her that way and it was not the one currently in the room with her. Zander had not raped her. Yet… However, she was in the same article of clothing she had fallen asleep in at the castle, an oversized tee-shirt and panties. While not the best wardrobe option to be kidnapped in, at least she was unencumbered.

She could sense the atmosphere was different too. The elevation was way off. “Why should I trust you?” She asked placing her hands behind her as if to rest on the walls.
Warm.
But not heated by an electrical force. The temp in the air was being cooled by a manufactured source and working hard to do so based on the moisture that beaded on her fingertips when she withdrew her hands from the surface. “You tried to beat me to death the last time we met.”

He laughed. “Had I wanted you dead I would have killed you, Kielyn. I merely wanted to teach you a lesson for biting me.”

“I’m about over lessons.” Kielyn breathed in the air, humid and heavy, but unlike even the worst New Orleans summer. Something with her equilibrium was off too. Yet, at the same time, she felt more grounded.

Kielyn had little time to ponder if that anchoring feeling she was experiencing would be a strength or a curse when Zander rose. “You are not really in a position to have a say.” He stared at her.

Keep him talking
. “That day in the cemetery…” Her mind raced. “You were right.”

Zander tilted his head. “Right about what?”

Kielyn pushed past her revulsion. “You were right when you said that I liked it…When you entered my dreams.”

Before she knew what was happening his hand was at her throat. “Don’t lie to me!”

“I’m not.” She resisted with all her might not too tense under his grip. “It was exciting. Like an adventure into a world I was curious about. I always wanted to know more when I woke.”

He grinned. “What more did you want to know?”

It was a leap of faith. Either he was baiting her or his male ego was indeed curious. She might as well flip a coin as to which for she could read nothing off this demented fuck. She took a risk and gently placed her palm on his chest. “I wanted to feel the end.” She dared to look up into his eyes. “I guess you could say…” She paused. “I was curious what it would feel like, if the dreams were made real.”

She swallowed and the action caused the hold at her neck to tighten. Seconds grew into minutes. It seemed that he remained unfazed before a slow flame began to light in his dark eyes. He lowered his mouth until it hovered just over hers. “Prove it.”

Before she could over think it, Kielyn pressed up and into his lips. Zander did not return the kiss as her tongue penetrated his mouth. She ran a hand up his chest trying not to shake. She started to break the kiss, but he claimed her mouth back, furiously kissing Kielyn in return while his hand continued to hold her in place by the throat. His body pressed hard into hers, pinning Kielyn against the wall. She felt a tear spring to her eye as his free hand came up to cup her breast. Could she literally sell her soul to the devil? No, not her soul, but she could sacrifice her body if it meant gaining a moment to escape. If he let down his guard, she could make the move.

He dropped the hand at her breast and began to tug at the button of his pants.
God no!
She pleaded silently. “I’m going to show you what a real fuck is like, baby.” He promised. “And when I’m done you will have zero doubt who your new master is.” Kielyn shut her eyes as he kicked her legs apart, reached under her tee-shirt and hooked his fingers around the edges of her panties.

A sudden and loud knock made him freeze, his eyes darting towards the bedroom door. Utter stillness. The only evidence of their current encounter was the sound his rapid breathing and the pounding of Kielyn’s heart. The dramatic pause gave her a glimmer of hope.
Why?
Why did he seem caught off guard? Was he not the damn
Prince?
Surely a curt dismissal would send any servant running. On that thought, what servant would be pounding on his door? She might have only been a Queen for a few days but Kielyn had learned that much. The shifting situation was akin to a pendulum swinging now in the opposite direction and it gave her an advantage. Zander did not want anyone to know she was here. “Are you expecting someone?”

His eyes snapped back to hers. “If you want to live, keep quiet and don’t move!” Zander pushed off the wall and strode towards the door. “I’m busy!” He called out to the unknown intruder.

Kielyn felt a thin breeze coming from her left. She ventured a quick glance while his back was to her. Around a corner. The outside intruding air was coming from around that corner. “Open the door Zander!” A female demanded from the hallway.

Kielyn looked back to Zander just as he turned back to her and lifted a warning finger to his lips and opened the door just a fraction. “I said I am busy!”

“I don’t care…” The feminine voice argued back but Kielyn did not stick around to hear the rest. Without hesitation, she was around the corner and out the bathroom window.

She descended what had to be six stories with nary a misstep as her feet connected with the uneven terrain and she took off at a dead run, racing into the dark. The heavy sensation Kielyn had first experienced in Zander’s room regarding this strange new atmosphere did nothing to slow her down. If anything, it seemed to make her faster. Kielyn scaled a large stone wall and charged up a steep hill. She had to get a better lay of the land now that she was some distance from where she had just escaped.