In the Beginning... (65 page)

“Please, this pitifully simple plan of yours
is nothing compared to the maneuvers I once orchestrated.” Rathan
had been a general in his father’s demonic army until the uprising
back in Galveston in 1900. He’d been a displaced king since then.
“We are stopping a car, and taking two women hostage. What is so
difficult about that?”

“These are not human women.”

“Dardaptoan. Still weak compared to my
kind.” The women were of the Dardaptos race, an ancient race that
had inspired the silly human legends of vampires. Barely stronger
than humans, the Dardaptoan women were some of the weakest in the
Kind. But the Dardaptoan males, they were a worthy foe for either
Lupoiux or Demon.

It was the male family members of these
women that were the true targets of vengeance.

Two weeks earlier, Rand’s family home was
invaded, and four of his female relatives taken by Dardaptoan
males. His relatives were defenseless human women in their
twenties. They’d not stood a chance against the Dardaptoan king and
his three advisers. Rand’s two sisters were among them, and since
the Dardaptoans fed on humans, there was no hope to get them back.
Rathan mourned the four women more than he’d thought he could.
They’d made him a part of their family so easily.

“So we will meet up in three days, then?”
Rand paced in a small circle, the move so canine that Rathan
smirked again. Lupoiux werewolves were so animalistic it was a
wonder they were considered civilized at all.

“At the retreat, yes.” The plan was
decidedly simple. They each would take one of the women, abandon
the car, and hike in different directions. They would meet atop
Taniss Mountain with their captives three days hence. In the
meantime, Rathan was free to do whatever he wished with his
captive. That was what he was truly looking forward to.

Rathan was Incubus, a sub-species of demons
who fed from two sources--women’s sexual fantasies, or sex with
women. It had been a while since he’d been given free rein to
feast.

Rathan didn’t feed from the women located on
Taniss Estate. They were all servants of Rand’s human family, or
they were that family and he had made a promise to his friend a
decade earlier to never eat from his family. He could occasionally
brush against the Taniss women in fantasies, but not full-fledged
dine.

He suddenly felt starved. “Come on, let’s do
this then.”

“Good luck, my friend.” Rand flashed into
woven form, then lifted his auburn muzzle to the moon. A long,
undulant howl split the air before the werewolf raced toward the
highway.

Kindara rested as the miles passed. Her head
hurt from the strain of the last two weeks and her daughter had
insisted on driving. Kindara hadn’t the strength to argue with the
stubborn child. Plus, Jierra was excited to be taking her first
trip away from Dardano and had wanted to drive. How could any
mother have said no?

This trip could potentially provide so much
for the Dardaptoan people that Kindara felt the anxiety close in
once again. Her people needed better medical care. They needed
antibiotics, sedatives, pain relievers, fever reducers, all of it.
For such an advanced species, they’d been unable to create even the
most rudimentary medications. Human medications just didn’t work on
the Dardaptoans.

Kindara was her tribe’s chief healer, and
the burden rested on her shoulders. A week earlier that fact had
become even more abundantly clear when her sister-in-law had been
attacked by Lupoiux wolves. With no antibiotics it had been grim.
Only the fact that Josey was a recently converted human who still
possessed human antibodies in her blood had made a difference; had
she been born Dardaptoan she probably would have died.

Kindara couldn’t let that happen to her
brother. She’d lost her own Rajni, her own mate Iavius, almost
twenty-nine years earlier. She’d not want anyone--especially her
family members--to experience that pain. She and Jierra were making
the two hundred mile drive to Denver to speak with an ancient witch
about a possible strain of antibiotics the Dardaptoans might be
able to use.

Her daughter hummed along to a human song
playing on the radio, her fingers drumming the wheel. Kindara
smiled. This girl was her life, the only reason she’d gotten past
her Rajni’s death was Jierra.

She’d been a squalling infant when Kindara’s
brother had placed the newly orphaned Jierra in her arms two years
after Iavius’s death. The child’s parents--cousins of
Kindara’s--had been killed by the same vicious monster who’d taken
Iavius. As the female head of the family, Kindara was responsible
for finding homes for any orphans. She’d found one for Jierra the
instant she’d touched her. This was her child, and always would
be.

“You have horrible taste in music.”

“No, I have younger taste in music. Who was
the most popular composer in your youth?” Jierra laughed after she
asked. “Beethoven.”

“I preferred Mozart. I heard him play once.
It was spectacular.”

“You look pretty good for your age,
then.”

“Don’t I, though? You’d better watch the
road.”

“There’s no one around for miles, Mother.”
Jierra increased the speed.

“No wild animals, then?” Kindara asked as a
howl split the night air.

“That sounded a little creepy.” Jierra
tapped the break seconds before a large dark shape darted in front
of the car.

Jierra jerked the wheel, sending the car
into a swerve that had Kindara grasping the handle and uttering a
short prayer. Finally, the car stopped and both women dragged in
cleansing breaths.

“Are you ok, Ji?” Kindara put one hand on
her daughter’s shoulder. Jierra had never driven a car more than
ten miles in any one direction, had never been on a highway after
dark. Had probably never seen an animal on the road besides a cat
or dog. “It happens; animals dart out all the time.”

Jierra flipped on the interior light, and
Kindara scanned her daughter’s face. Jierra’s eyes, deep amber,
were wide and her chin trembled. Her bottom lip was tucked under
her top teeth and she swallowed repeatedly. Kindara pushed a lock
of strawberry blonde hair out of Jierra’s eyes, the gesture meant
to be soothing.

“I don’t want to drive anymore.”

“Ok.” Kindara opened her door and slid from
the car. She’d feel better driving now, anyway. She heard the other
door open just as a man stepped out of the shadows.

Kindara reflexively went into a defensive
pose. “Ji! Back in the car, now!”

Her daughter knew not to question, but
Jierra issued a short scream that had Kindara’s veins filling with
ice. The man in front of her laughed as he stepped closer.

From what Kindara could see in the darkness,
he was tall and strong. Equally as tall as her brother, Cormac, who
stood six-foot-seven. Equally as strong.

At five-foot-nine, Kindara knew she was
facing a fight.

He didn’t smell human. He didn’t smell
Dardaptoan, either. What he smelled, was evil.

****

The woman he faced was glorious, and he
didn’t need his night eyes to see it. She was below average height
for a Dardaptoan woman and slim. Pale hair surrounded a delicate
face like a halo, making her appear almost angelic in the
traditional white tunic of female Dardaptoan royalty. He laughed
again. Fitting, then, that she be taken by a demon.

She must have taken his laugh for
inattention for she sprang at him, hands raised to strike. It was
pitifully easy to deflect her. He didn’t want to hurt her, and
though he sensed she was an experienced fighter it would be easy
for him to do.

He grabbed both wrists and forced her over
the hood of the car before using his body weight to subdue her. He
cursed when sharp fangs pierced his shoulder. He twisted, harder
than he intended. Her head banged into the hood of the car. She
stilled for a moment and he wrapped the rope he’d tucked in a
pocket around her wrist.

“Jierra! Run!” She screamed even as she
fought him. “Go! Now!”

“She can’t,” Rathan told her. “The Lupoiux
wolf has her.”

Her struggles were more desperate now and
Rathan fought to catch her other hand.

“Going to play with your toy all day?”
Rand’s voice came from the other side of the car. Rathan cursed
again when he realized the wolf had had much less difficulty with
his own captive.

“Just having a bit of fun with her.” Rathan
ran one hand over the horns on his head, picking up a trace amount
of the
Mesmus
that his kind used to control difficult prey.
He covered the woman’s mouth with that hand, ensuring she got a
strong dose of the chemical. He leaned close to whisper the command
to sleep in her ear.

Her slim body went slack beneath him and he
lay atop her for a moment, relishing the feel of feminine flesh
pressed against him. He would enjoy feasting on this one. He
straightened, then pulled her over one shoulder, one hand rising to
cup a sweetly curved backside.

Rand circled the front of the women’s car,
his own burden in a similar position. Only she was awake. Rathan
got an impression of a pretty female with delicate features and
large eyes. Terrified eyes. “In three, then.”

“Yes.” Rathan nodded. “See you then.”

****

Rathan hiked for several hours, the woman’s
weight no real burden. He’d shifted her some time before, wrapping
her long legs around his waist and arranging her golden head on his
shoulder. She slept on, her soft breath kissing his neck with even
rhythm.

When the sun rose he began searching for a
suitable place for the two of them to spend the day. Demons
preferred the night hours, so they would sleep during the day and
continue walking the next night.

He found the spot he was looking for, a cave
that would be difficult for anyone tracking his captive to find.
And he didn’t fool himself, the Dardaptoan king would be searching
for one such as this. Would want her back. Most males would just
simply want her.

He wasn’t giving her back; at least, not
anytime soon.

He laid her on the cave’s smooth stone
floor, tucking her knees to her chest and rolling her to one side
to prevent her from resting on her bound hands. He whispered
reinforcement to his earlier command. She’d slumber until he
returned, whenever that was.

It took him less than an hour to find what
he wanted and he waved his hand to bind the pine needles together
with a small spell. He dabbled very little in the black arts common
to witches, but those he used were practical.

He’d need a soft bed for his captive,
especially if he was to spend part of the day hours feasting upon
her. He returned to her quickly, casting another small spell to
command the pine bedding to trail behind him. Just outside the cave
entrance were enough soft weeds for him to do one more thing.
Another spell had the grasses weaving together in a blanket. The
cave would be around fifty degrees and he knew that would be too
cold for his Dardaptoan prisoner. Dardaptoan women lacked the
ability to handle colder temperatures, so he must be cautious.

He flashed a beam of hell-light from his
fingers, setting the orb to floating around the small cave. It
allowed him to see his captive fully for the first time. She was as
he’d left. He knelt beside her, barely aware of the bedding and
blanket hovering just behind him. His fingers trailed over her
exposed cheek, then ghosted over the softness of her lips. He
wanted a taste…