Kiss of the Betrayer (A Bringer and the Bane Novel) (3 page)

A single word hissed from him. “Why?”

“Because we need you.” Ravyn’s voice quivered slightly.

“But are we not friends?”

“Yes, Luc.” The sweetest smile pulled at Ravyn’s mouth. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. “The best of friends.”

Before he could reply, she straightened and brought the dagger down, plunging it into his chest, burying it deep. The blade bit into his skin and burned a path to his heart. Searing heat spread across his chest as blackness closed around his vision.

One word slipped from Luc’s lips before darkness claimed him. “Betrayer.”

C
HAPTER
T
HREE

A light scraping and a heavy whoosh sounded behind Jade. She didn’t turn, knowing all too well who was there.

“Where is he?” Rell said.

Jade pointed to the rocking vessel. “On the ship, drunk—again.”

Two hollow steps thumped against the wooden pier, closing the distance between her and Rell. “Are you surprised?”

Jade looked over her shoulder at the demon. Rell’s yellow eyes peered through the dark. Her sister was petite, like she had been as a human, but as a demon she had a temper to rival any titan.

“No.” She shook her head. “Nothing he does surprises me anymore.” Her gaze scanned the dock area, making sure no late night tavern-goers stumbled close to her hiding spot behind a stack of crates. “Why are you here? You might be seen.”

“Never fear, little sister. I’m very careful.” The demon folded her leathery green wings behind her and reclined against a wooden box. “Besides, it’s safer here than near Vile.”

“Why?” Jade turned back to the ship, irritated by the demon’s intrusion. Her sister demanded so much of her attention. At times, it seemed her whole purpose in life was to serve Rell.

“He’s angry—very angry.”

Jade shuddered at the thought of the Demon King. She’d seen him once when she was eight years old. Though Rell had ordered her never to leave the hot pool cavern where they hid in the Shadow World, curiosity had gotten the better of her. One day, when her sister had left to hunt for food, Jade had crept from the cave and down the forbidden corridor to the Bane hive. Heavy footsteps had thundered along the passage, giving her a few panicked seconds warning of a demon’s approach. She’d slipped into a narrow gap in the rock wall and backed into the shadows. Even today that memory made her blood run cold.

From Rell’s description, she’d recognized the Demon King immediately. Vile had stopped, halted by another demon’s call. His massive body had filled her view, his webbed wings soaring beyond her sight. At first she’d thought his blue skin was marbled with black. But then he’d turned, exposing his wide chest to her, and she realized the marbling was an intricate pattern of symbols she didn’t recognize.

After Vile’s footfalls had faded, she’d rushed from her hiding place. Too afraid the king or another demon would find her, she’d sprinted back to her cavern. Never again did she venture beyond the hot pools where she felt safe and never did she confess her disobedience to Rell.

She pulled herself from her childhood memory. “Why is Vile angry?”

“The Blackwell Bringer. It seems he’s a full-blood, in possession of all his Shield powers.”

Jade spun to face her sister. “What happened?”

Rell laughed. “Oh, Jade. You should have seen him. He was glorious, shifting in a blink of an eye to a dragon, breathing fire and all.”

“Shhh.” Jade put her finger to her lip but recognized the dreamy expression flittering across Rell’s face. Even as a human, her sister had been prone to dramatics. “Somebody will hear you.”

“The way he wrapped his body around the woman.” Rell wound her arms around her torso, heedless of Jade’s warning. “Protecting her.”

Dread pulled at Jade. “What woman?”

“The female Bringer. The woman you pretended to be friends with.”

The desire to contradict her sister’s assumption that her friendship with Ravyn was a ruse nearly slipped out, but she bit her tongue. Let Rell believe what she wanted. It made no difference. In the end, the only important thing was keeping her sister rooted in the land of the living. Each time Rell spoke of love or their childhood, she seemed almost human again.

“His face.” Rell’s yellow eyes swirled with green. “You should have seen his expression when he thought the Bringer woman was dead.” She curled her talons into a fist and placed it against her heart. “Such love. Such anguish.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I could almost taste it.”

“Ravyn was hurt?” A pang of concern shot through Jade.

“Not hurt—dead.”

Jade shook her head. “But I saw her tonight. She looked unharmed.”

“Really?” The dreamy look melted from Rell’s face. “How can this be? I saw her drive a blade into her heart and fall into death’s sleep.”

“Well…” Jade crossed her arms again, trying to fit the conflicting information together. “She’s not dead.”

“I’m beginning to understand.” Rell tapped her chin with a talon. “During one of Vile’s rants he let slip about an immortal weapon. It seems your Bringer friends have more surprises up their sleeves than we originally thought.”

“How did Rhys find the Shadow World?” Jade asked. “Especially the entrance leading to the throne room. Isn’t that opening hidden unless you know where to look?”

Rell gave her a fanged smile. “He had help.”

Jade furrowed her brow. “What kind of help?”

“Bane help.”

“You?”

Her sister laughed. “Hardly. No, the demon who helped Blackwell had a lot to lose.” She paused. “Or gain.”

Jade thought for a second. What demon was brave enough to foil Vile’s plans? Only a few Bane came to mind. Most of the demons were minions and not capable of doing much beyond the bidding of their king.

“Sha-hera?”

Rell smirked. “No. Though that bitch definitely has designs on the throne.”

“If not Sha-hera…” Jade trailed off.
No, it’s not possible.
The name barely topped a whisper. “Icarus?”

A smile spread across her sister’s mouth, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling in the dark. “I daresay the good son is tired of being under his father’s thumb.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“I saw him. He didn’t know I was there. If he had, I wouldn’t be standing here now.” Rell crossed her arms and nodded. “But I saw him help the Bringer escape.”

Vile was horrifying, but Icarus defied description. He was beautiful in an unworldly way. Where most demons were reprehensible, Icarus’s allure was intoxicating and deadly. Once, when Jade had been a teenager, she’d encountered Icarus. He’d come upon her as she bathed in the hot pools in the Shadow World. She’d thought he’d kill her, or at the very least steal her soul, but he’d only watched, crouched at the edge of the water, silent.

How long he stayed, she couldn’t say. To her, the experience had lasted hours. The memory of that day still filled her with fear.

“Much has happened since I left the ship,” Jade said. Her gaze leveled back on the glowing windows of the captain’s quarters. She thought about Luc. “And many things have stayed the same.”

The demon tilted her head. “You sound disappointed. You’re not having doubts are you?” She laid a hand on Jade’s shoulder. “He must pay for what he has done to our family—for what he has brought upon me.”

Jade wasn’t so sure anymore, but instead of voicing her opinion, she simply nodded, knowing it would be enough to placate Rell.

A cry erupted from the ship. Jade pivoted and crept to the edge of the crates to peek around the corner. “I’m going to try to find out what is happening.”

“Have a care, sister.”

Jade looked over her shoulder and nodded. She needed to stay hidden because when she killed Luc, she wanted no connection to him. Without another word, she crouched and darted to a group of wooden barrels. When no shout of discovery went up, she raced to the gangway and tiptoed along it, silently easing onto the wooden deck.

Low voices floated through the door of the captain’s cabin, but she couldn’t make out what they were discussing. What she needed was to see what was happening inside the cabin. Besides peering through the crack in the door, the window at the side of the ship was the only other option.

She skirted piles of rope, barrels, and the large hole in the center of the deck, making sure to walk lightly and keep the clip of her heels quiet. From what she could tell, none of the ship’s crew was aboard. Though this was not unheard of, the fact still put her on alert. Shipping was a cutthroat business, and it was a foolish owner who left assets unguarded.

Jade climbed onto the roof of the captain’s cabin and lowered herself to lie on her stomach, hanging her head over the edge. If she could inch her torso lower, she should be able to get a clear view into the cabin.

She bent her elbows, ready to push forward, when the door beneath her banged open. Panic swept through her. Her grip slipped, causing her to drop to her elbows with a dull thud.

“Who’s there?”

It was a male voice, one she didn’t recognize. Probably the man she’d seen with Rhys Blackwell earlier this evening.

Footsteps thundered on the deck, pushing her into action. Jade jumped to her feet and with four long strides, leapt from her hiding place onto the rope ladder leading to the crow’s nest. Her grasp slipped and the rope bit into her palm, leaving a stinging trail. She clawed at the rungs, finally gaining a hold. Her intent had been to slide to the ground and make her escape in the direction she’d come, but he was instantly below her, as if he’d deduced her intent.

With no route for escape, she began to climb, picking her way up the unsteady weave of rope. Sweat ran down her neck despite the cool evening and her stomach lurched to her throat. A small whimper squeezed through her lips. With each foot she ascended, it became more difficult to release the ladder.

Don’t look down. Don’t look down.

The ladder swayed under the weight of the man when he launched himself onto the ropes, dislodging Jade’s foothold. Her legs swung wildly, searching for a solid perch. She glanced down to see him maneuvering along the woven mass as efficiently as a spider traverses its web.

She looked upward. The crow’s nest hovered four feet above her now, though she didn’t know what she would do once she got there. She cursed her shortsightedness for not braving a leap into the inky black water instead of taking this dead-end path.

Finally, her fingers touched wood and she slapped her hand through the small opening of the crow’s nest. It took all her strength to pull her nearly paralyzed body through the narrow gap. Tremors vibrated up her legs as she worked herself into an unsteady stance. Flashes of heat and nausea washed over her. The black water stretched out in front of the ship and blended with the night sky. There was only one escape.

Gritting her teeth, she shoved her arms in the air. The words lodged in her throat, refusing to be spoken until she heard the man’s heavy breathing directly below her.

“Rell!”

Silence greeted her, but the prickles of heat told her the demon was close. She closed her eyes.
Come on, sister. If there was ever a time to not let me down, it’s now.

The bite grew and Jade swallowed hard against the pain. A hand slapped the floor of the crow’s nest near her foot. Her eyes sprang open and she stomped on the searching fingers, eliciting a colorful string of curses from her pursuer. His hand disappeared from sight. Time was nearly out.

“Rell!”

The familiar down-stroke of air sounded behind her at the same time a large hand snaked out and grabbed her ankle, knocking her off balance. She screamed and slammed against the curving wall, catching herself before she toppled over the side. The dark shadow ghosted across Jade’s periphery and again she jammed her arms in the air. Her ankle jerked out from under her the same instant sharp talons wrapped around her wrist.

For a second Jade hung in the air, suspended between the demon and the man below her. Whether from the strength of Rell’s grip or the shock of seeing a Demon Bane, the man’s hold slipped free and Jade found herself floating out over the Sea of Alba.

“Rell!”

The man’s voice broke through Jade’s fear. The stroke of the large green wings faltered. Jade craned her neck to see him. Was this somebody Rell knew or was it his attempt to draw them back? He stood watching their escape from the lookout, but he made no further effort to capture her.

Movement below them drew Jade’s attention. Ravyn and Rhys raced from the cabin, their gazes searching the deck of the ship until tracking upward to the man.

Rell gave several powerful pulls of her wings, sending them out of range of hearing and into the cover of the night. Jade tried not to dwell on the fact that nothing but her sister’s strength kept her from plummeting to her death. They skirted the shore, avoiding the populated areas and the possibility of being seen. Cool, salty air buffeted Jade’s face and the din of the city faded to the rhythmic lapping of the waves. The tight grip around her wrists and the position from which she dangled made Jade’s arms ache. She flexed her fingers, trying to ward off the encroaching numbness.

Once well past the sprawl of the city, Rell banked right to fly inland. They circled low over a clearing in the trees. With unusual gentleness, she dropped Jade from only a few feet up and landed beside her.

Jade’s legs trembled, threatening to give out. She plopped onto the damp grass and stuck her head between her knees. Deep breaths eased the sick feeling working its way up her throat and after a minute of thanking the Sainted Ones for her escape, she looked up.

Rell stood quietly, her wings folded behind her back and her gaze focused on a spot near the small stone chapel several yards away. The whirring of the katydids hummed low, a familiar and comforting sound. The terror of the evening’s events melted from Jade, replaced by the awareness of her sister’s silence. If not for the protective way Rell held herself, arms wrapped around her torso, Jade would have thought she was merely contemplating tonight’s excitement. She thought back to the man on the boat.