HeroUnleased (14 page)

That got her attention. “Drain our powers? How?”

“If we’re exposed to this element, it starts to deplete our
powers within seconds. It leaches our strength and leaves us weak and
nauseous.”

“Sounds like you’ve had personal experience,” Dhavin noted.

“I have. Kristos discovered the element by accident when he
went into a pit to rescue Brett. In its natural form, the effect happens fairly
quickly, however when the molybdenite is re-formed into a chain, the thickness
of the links affects how long it takes to drain us completely.”

Her intuition picked up a vibe she didn’t like. “How do you
know so much about the side effects?”

“I’ve done some experimenting.”

“Some? How much?” A red flush graced his cheeks and his lips
tightened. “You wrapped yourself in these chains, didn’t you? You drained your
powers?”

He nodded.

“What did this mineral do to you? What can it do to us?”

“Prolonged exposure results in flulike symptoms. After about
eight hours of exposure you will succumb to the darkness.”

“Meaning what?”

“I was unconscious for three days.”

“Lucian! You shouldn’t have risked your life that way.”

“Kristos wasn’t going to volunteer, and that exercise gave
us powerful knowledge.”

“You could have died.”

“But I didn’t.”

“We’ll need another,” Dhavin interjected. “Someone who can
hold on to this chain without draining their powers. Is there anyone we can
trust with the knowledge of who we are? What about one of Brett’s deputies?”

“My friend, Jorges. If he’s up to the task,” Amaryllis
suggested. “He’s my most trusted confidant, and he’s already met Bale. He’ll
understand.”

“General?”

“I agree. Since Bale is having difficulty siphoning
emotions, let’s make sure we project as many of our own as loudly as possible.
In the confusion we can hide the presence of Amaryllis’ friend.”

“That’s it then.” She clapped her hands together. “We lure
Bale to meet us, wrap him in this chain and end him.”

“In a rudimentary sense, yes. But it won’t be that simple.
We must prepare for any possibility.”

“Then let’s not dally.” She stripped off Lucian’s shirt and
handed it to him before reaching for her own. “We can strategize in the car.”

“
We’ll
strategize in the car,” Lucian corrected. “You
will stay out of the way somewhere safe.”

She was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. Lucian may
think her fragile, but before the night was over, he’d have no doubt she was as
willing and able to fight for their future as he.

Chapter Nine

At five a.m. The Cavern was at its most quiet. The last
patron had long gone home, the flashing lights were dark and a yawning silence
replaced the pounding bass of dance music. Without the energy of a few hundred
bodies engaging in their secret desires, one might think the vast interior
would feel cold and vacant, yet the electric hum of heightened adrenaline
filled every nook and cranny until the building pulsed like a living, breathing
entity.

Amaryllis stood in the darkness under the stairs and ignored
the sensation of fire ants crawling over her skin. Lucian was pissed at her and
his family and doing a terrible job of controlling his anger. As if she wanted
to spend her evening facing down a killer. Her husband’s unwillingness to put
her in danger was understandable, however not even he could argue with Dhavin’s
logic and Kristos’ support.

She resisted the urge to look up into the catwalk where
Jorges waited with thirty pounds of molybdenite chain. Thankfully her friend
had been incredibly open-minded about her origins and their current situation
when she confided her secret upon their return to the city.

“You’re a real princess. From one of Saturn’s moons,” he had
repeated slowly after she told him her entire story. “And the reason your hair
is now black is because you’ve bound your emotions to this guy.” He pointed to
Lucian. “The same man you wanted castrated three nights ago.”

She grinned as her husband shot her an affronted frown.
“Yes.”

Jorges had looked at the quartet surrounding him then burst
out laughing. He immediately groaned and pressed a hand to the bandage covering
the stitches at his side. “Why am I not surprised? Oh this whole bonded-mate
thing, yeah, shocked on that front, but you being a royal of a race of aliens,
no, not surprised at all.”

And that was why she loved Jorges.

Did she hate involving him in such a dangerous scheme? To
the point she was ready to vomit, but he was the unknown who might swing the
battle in their favor. Even with the odds being three-to-one, they understood
the prudence of being prepared for anything.

Kristos strode through the front door of the club with sword
in hand. From under his cowl his pale-green eyes flashed with anticipation.
“He’s coming.”

Amaryllis flattened her back against the wall. Just because
Bale was coming didn’t mean it would be through the front door.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” a gravelly voice boomed across
the hardwood floor, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. “What a
pleasure it is to be in your company again. For this little while anyway. Come
on. Let’s not be shy. You were the ones to issue such a charming invitation.
Step out where I can see you.”

“You first,” Lucian called out. “Or are you a coward?”

“This from a man who hides behind a woman,” came the
scorn-filled remark before thick fingers slid around her throat.

Before she could gasp, she was dragged onto the middle of
the dance floor. Despite the bruising pressure crushing her airway, she fought,
not like a pampered princess but like a street brawler, kicking at his legs and
digging her elbows into a solid wall of muscle. She reached behind her and dug
her fingernails into the soft tissue of his face. The move freed her from
Bale’s grip for all of two seconds. He caught her by the back of the shirt,
spun her around and hauled her against his chest. Their eyes met and he froze
with a soft gasp falling from his lips.

His gaze raced over her hair and face. His eyes glittered so
blackly, her frightened reflection stared back at her.

“You’re mated,” Bale murmured. A crack formed in the
barricade he held on his emotions and Amaryllis tasted the sourness of his
jealousy. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through her midnight tresses.
The jealousy turned to wonder before his lips twisted into a bittersweet smile.

Amaryllis couldn’t breathe, but it wasn’t fear that stopped
her lungs. The man before her was trapped in another time, in another place he
missed so much, his sadness banded around her chest. The fist clutching her
shirt slackened and his hand began a gentle massage along her spine. She had no
delusions that it was affection for her that gentled his demeanor. Bale was
lost in a memory so profound, it brought tears to her eyes.

“Tell me about her,” she asked softly.

Fire flickered in his eyes that he quickly banked. The black
depths turned empty and soulless. “It’s a pity you don’t get to enjoy your
bonding.”

“Why do you want me dead, Bale? What wrong have I caused you
to come all this way to kill me?”

“It’s not personal, Princess. However, unless you’ve bonded
with a human, it may be now. Where is your mate? Who’s the lucky man who gets
to watch you die?”

“I’m here.” Lucian stepped into the light. “Let her go,
Bale. Your fight is with me.”

“No,” she said. “His fight is with himself. I doubt
Hamerkind offered you a fortune to come here. What are you really after, Bale?”

“Your mate owes me. His cowardice cost me everything.”

“Or was it yours?”

His hand came up and swung, but she didn’t flinch. A soft
breeze caressed her cheek as Lucian stopped the open-palm slap mere millimeters
from her face. She held Bale’s hot gaze and looked right into his soul.

Kristos came up behind Bale while Dhavin rushed from the
right. At the sound of their footsteps, Bale roared and traced across the room.
He withdrew a pistol from his waistband and fired to his right then his left as
the
Llanos
dodged the bullets.

Amaryllis stood steady, fully confident that no harm would
come to her at Bale’s hands.

The brothers on the other hand were completely fair game.
Their images were nothing more than blurs of black and gray as they traced
around Bale, who avoided their flying fists with a series of bends and twists.

Lucian charged with his sword raised and a battle cry on his
lips. His swing caught the arm of Bale’s jacket, tearing the fabric as the
sharp tip sliced toward his hand, catching the butt of the gun and knocking it
out of Bale’s grasp. Kristos attacked from the opposite side, every punch aimed
to drive Bale to the spot where Jorges could drop the molybdenite on his head.

Bale leapt into the air, flipping over Dhavin, who
approached from the rear, and used him as a shield to block the deft swings
from the
Llanos
’ swords.

Amaryllis was the eye in the center of the storm. A dead
calm that built with each grunt and crack of fist against bone. With the
clarity born of her station, she saw each man, not in their physical bodies
that grappled head over feet in a mix of finely honed skills and moves born of
desperation, but down to their spirit.

Dhavin fought for his princess. When Lucian was kicked back
against the bar, Dhavin ensured he stayed between her and danger. He was ready
to lay down his life, not because it was his job but because he was her friend.

Kristos battled for his wife and the life they built
together.

Lucian also fought for his family and the mate who held his
hearts, and the brother he felt deserved more happiness than he.

And Bale…

Bale fought because it was all he had. He fought demons born
from the guilt over his past actions.

Four men who all fought for the same reason.

Love.

“Stop!” she shouted in a voice so powerful, the walls
quaked.

The
Llanos
froze mid-swing. She took the second of
opportunity and raced between them to tackle Bale to the floor.

“Now, Jorges!” She jumped off a dazed Bale moments before he
was hit in the chest by a ball of thick-linked chain.

The brothers seized Bale’s flailing arms and legs while
Dhavin wrapped the chain around his body.

“Brilliant move, Amaryllis,” Kristos wheezed, bracing his
hands on his knees.

Lucian lifted his sword. The light glinted off the sharp
blade. “This ends now.”

“No.” Amaryllis stepped up to their captive. She tilted her
head to the right then to the left as she considered the comatose assassin.
“Death is not what he needs.”

“Yes it is,” Lucian argued.

“No. It isn’t. Take him to my room.”

“Amaryllis, not more than two minutes ago this man tried to
kill you.”

“No, he tried to kill you.” She held up an imperious hand.
“This is The Cavern and all who come to The Cavern get what they need. Take him
to my room.”

Kristos looked back and forth between them, clearly torn
between his commander and his princess. She arched a brow at his hesitation.
“Kristosllanos?”

He bowed at the waist. “Your Highness.” He bent and lifted a
weak Bale in his arms as if he were a small babe.

Lucian stepped before her as she moved to follow. “
Akita
,
that male made a threat against the throne. The punishment is death.”

“That male is running from his mistakes in the past. He
needs compassion, not revenge, Lucian. You of all people should be able to
empathize since you’re so much alike.”

He backed away with wide eyes and his skin paled. “We are
nothing alike.”

“You both are running from the guilt of events you didn’t
cause. You have to forgive yourself before you can move forward.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

Amaryllis turned toward her friend. “Dhavin?”

His chest rose with his indrawn breath. “I’m sorry.”

He turned and landed a roundhouse kick to Lucian’s chest
that sent him soaring into the brick wall. Plaster rained from the ceiling and
a crack ran up the concrete wall.

Dhavin retrieved a backup length of chain and secured it
around Lucian who stared at them in disbelief.

“Why?”

She stood over him and settled her palm against his cheek.
“You’re in The Cavern. Within these walls you will always receive what you
need.”

* * * * *

Dhavin was a dead man, and his wife was going to get her ass
paddled until it burned hotter than the sun.

The drugging effects of the molybdenite were finally wearing
off, little good that did him. His eyes felt full of grit and his limbs ached
as if he relocated Mt. Rainier rock by rock. Keeping him on his feet was a
thick rope that snaked up each leg and around his torso, continuing up his arms
to where he was secured to two floor-to-ceiling beams. The only part of him
left exposed was his naked cock, which hung half erect from his pelvis. His vision
blurred in and out until he focused on a trio of burning candles set on a low
table across the room. A few blinks more brought the rest of the room into
view. There were about a hundred candles in different sizes clustered around
the space decorated solely for sinful activities. If he thought the cottage was
a den of vice, it was vanilla compared to this place.

Rich, red drapes hung in elegant swags from the ceiling,
cradling the warm mahogany furnishings in their velvet grasp. The elegant décor
softened the harsh line of whips and floggers lining the wall and the bold
lines of restraining chairs and Saint Andrew’s crosses.

Under different circumstances Lucian might have given free
rein to the call of the seductive surroundings and willingly allowed Amaryllis
to tie him up however she pleased. Now all he felt was the cold terror of
uncertainty as it constricted around his chest tighter than the rope.

What devious plan was his princess conjuring? Clever girl
chose his cage well. Once his strength returned, it would be no problem to yank
the rope from its moorings, but then he would take the beams with it, bringing
the roof down upon their heads. She didn’t want him to interfere with Bale’s
punishment. Understood. But why restrain him in such a fashion?

A deep groan drew his attention to the right and his pulse
jumped with the implications.

Naked men displayed spread-eagle appeared to be Amaryllis’
preferred choice of decoration, he noted as he spotted Bale. The other man was
also suspended at the wrist between two beams, but he knelt on the ground with
his knees spread far apart. A thin chain of molybdenite was wrapped around each
arm from wrist to shoulder and again down each leg. Unlike Lucian, his cock was
bound against his belly by a metal codpiece. A black scarf covered his eyes and
his even breathing made it difficult for Lucian to tell if he was unconscious
or playing possum. Bale’s mind was quiet, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t
plotting a hundred scenarios of escape.

The door opened and both men flinched at the sharp sound.
Amaryllis entered. A vision of erotic perfection that made his mouth go dry and
his head spin from the blood rushing to his bobbing cock. She wore a white gown
in a gossamer fabric so sheer it highlighted her pink nipples. The gown was
belted around her waist with a wide satin band that made her waist look tiny
and her hips and bust round and sumptuous. With her dark hair and swirling
lavender eyes, she was a goddess as she floated to stand before him.

She laid her hand against his cheek and brushed her thumb
over his lips.

“What are you up to, my little witch?”

Her smile sent a chill down his spine. “Ensuring our
freedom,” she whispered and swept away in a cloud of silken gauze.

Without the warmth of her touch, he shivered and snapped his
teeth together to keep them from chattering. Each step she took toward Bale
made Lucian’s hands tighten around the rope and his hearts beat so hard, they
felt ready to leap out of his throat. The look she shot over her shoulder
warned him not to make a sound or interrupt in any way.

When he opened his mouth, she lifted a finger. With a firm
shake of her head she mouthed the word, “No.”

He bared his teeth but kept silent.

“Balellanos. How are you feeling?” she asked as she untied
the sash covering his eyes.

A bitter taste filled Lucian’s mouth. In Bale’s weakened
state his defenses were compromised. Visually he didn’t even blink, yet his
disgust at Amaryllis’ use of his warrior name repulsed him so greatly, it
reached across the room to slap Lucian in the face.