The Unforgiven (10 page)

* * * *

Naami hid behind a stack of hay, praying this plan didn’t fall apart now. She needed to stall Hatch long enough for everyone to be where there were supposed to be. Hatch stalked around the barn, clearly enraged and shouting her name.

“There you are,” he growled upon finding her. “Why are you hiding?”

“I’m a queen, not a warrior.” She feigned her fear.

“Get your ass out here.” He glanced at Sandra hanging there and scowled. “Who forked her?”

“Who do you think?”

“Fuck,” Hatch grumbled while staring at Sandra. “I liked her.”

“Sorry, I tried to stop Flame, but you know what she’s like.”

“Women.” He sighed then shrugged. “What the hell happened to Von? I thought the blood-bond was broken. I can’t find the prick anywhere.”

“It
is
broken.” She held out her palm where the cut she made on the way to the barn had begun to clot. “Did you really expect him to hang around and let you kill him?” Naami took a deep calming breath, trying to steal a glimpse around.

“You seem on edge.” Hatch followed her line of vision. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, why? All this killing, it’s not my thing. And I wasn’t fond of cutting my hand and letting that sexual beast drink my blood. Your race is very primitive.”

He took her hand and inspected it. “Where’s the knife?”

Naami thought fast. “Flame took it. Did you expect me to stop her, too?”

“No…I guess not. I’ll catch up with her in time now that Von is on the run. You did your job. C’mon, let’s go back to the house.”

“Uh…what about her?” She nodded toward Sandra.

Hatch sighed again. “Ah hell, I’ll get the men to clean up this mess.” He began leading her from the barn. “I need to get moving if I want to track Flame before she initiates another blood-bond. She could be anywhere by now, probably heading back home to look for Von.”

“I doubt that.” Raef swooped into the barn like a modern-day Zorro dressed in white.

Naami felt her heart race just at the sight of him, but she knew he was off limits. If she wanted her throne back, she had to stay away from Flame’s intended one. Still, he looked every bit the hero while coming to her rescue.

Hatch swung around, his eyes wide with shock. “What the fuck?”

“Sorry, old boy,” Raef said with a smug grin. “You’re not getting this one, either.”

Naami ran to him. “Just in time.” She breathed a sigh of relief.

He grabbed her waist. “Did the plan work? Did Flame get away?”

“Yes.”

Hatch made a move in their direction, but she wrapped herself around Raef and took off with him before Hatch could stop them. Raef smelled irresistible as they soared through the virtual darkness that spanned the gap between worlds. She longed to lay with him again and conceive his child once more. If only she could find a way. He held her tightly while traveling immortal style back to their world where everything almost made sense and laws kept people in place.

Flame had been crazy thinking she could have a future with Twilight’s spawn. Naami didn’t blame her for trying—the man was downright gorgeous and oozed sexual charisma unlike any man she’d ever seen. Bedding him didn’t seem like a bad idea. Her thoughts began to churn. Then reality set in again. Flame’s second lover had made his position quite clear—he truly could not be seduced.

Von moved around in the thick mist that had blanketed the island of Nekkar, using his supernatural manner to zip from place to place in search of Flame. The territory spanned a vast area and seemed never ending. No signs of life lurked anywhere thus far. He ignored the burning pit, refusing to think that Hatch or one of his minions would consider throwing Flame into that hell. Hatch’s agenda felt clouded. Von couldn’t sort the bastard’s intentions.

Naami was an entirely different story. The nutcase had gone from A to Z in record time. He’d met a lot of women, but none had come close to exhibiting as many personalities as the insane queen. Her intent was so twisted he couldn’t even grasp it.

A large building loomed in the distance, finally something besides trees, ash, and muck. He raced inside and saw that it had been used as a makeshift stable. An empty stall with fresh hay and water meant only one thing—Flame had found Paloma and made her escape. The scent of his woman lingered in the air.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, kicking a bucket across the floor. Glancing around, he noticed Sandra’s body stuck to the opposite wall of the barn. “Damn…who the hell did her in?” He walked over to inspect the killer’s method.
No daggers. Someone else did
the
deed. Who?
Not that it mattered. He didn’t care about this woman. She’d played a large part in Flame’s suffering. He knew Flame had enough restraint to use a more tactical manner of destroying enemy than gouging them with a pitchfork.

Flame, where are you right now?
The reality of their situation settled over him, gripping his heart with icy fingers.
Have you reached the wall yet? Is Raef there with you? Do you really believe I am dead? Baby, you’ve got to know this is a trap. You have to hear me reaching out to you. If you accept a blood-bond with Raef, then ours will truly be broken. Don’t let them get to you.
For the first time in his long hellish existence, he felt lost.

The one woman who’d made him feel again was gone and none of his supernatural talents could find the place she’d be. Only her sisterhood knew of the mystical wall between worlds that they’d compelled the horse to find. He leaned against the wall, locked in contemplation. There had to be a way to reach her.
Can our blood-bond enable telepathic communication from one world to another?

Raef had been able to speak to him from the spirit realm, but Raef had been dead before doing that. Had he been able to speak directly to Flame, Von had no doubt the man would have gone the direct route instead of using him. The chance of reaching her through their minds was slim. Even so, at this point, hope was all he had to go on. If he lost Flame to Raef this way, he couldn’t bear it. She had no idea of the manipulation at play here. Her secret society of women was the most cunning enemy he’d seen. Nobody had ever deceived the Twilight Realm until now.

The sound of grumbling voices jarred him from his meditative state. He looked up to see Hatch and some of his crew entering the building.

“You’re a little late,” he said with a smirk. “Your girlfriend checked out.”

Hatch’s head jerked toward him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“You really
are
stupid.” Von shook his head. “Did you actually buy all that female drama?”

Hatch nodded toward his soldiers. They advanced on Von. With just a look, Von stopped the fiends in their tracks, killing them by burning their souls with the power of his mind. Their immortal bodies erupted into flames and disintegrated instantly.

“What do ya say, Hatch? In the mood to take me on tonight?”

Hatch backed off. “The blood-bond isn’t broken. You’re still channeling from her.”

In one sudden move, Von stood over Hatch, clutching his throat with one hand. “You made this mess by stealing that horse,” he growled through clenched teeth. “Why? What were you really after?”

“Fl-flame,” he squeaked. “Naami told me she could break the blood-bond. The horse was…bait.” He winced and tried to swallow. “Wh-what would I want with an ancient serum? I’m the master—”

“So you know what the horse can do?”

Hatch gave a quick nod. “It was the-the one full proof way…” He twisted his neck for air. “To get Flame here where w-we could break the bond.”

“You thought Naami’s sisterhood potion could work on me? Your strongest creation?”

“Yeah.” He coughed, gasping for air. “It…it worked on…me.”

Von released him with a hard shove, flinging him to the dirt floor. “Pathetic asshole.” He drove a boot into his side. “I warned you. Flame belongs to me. I cannot be seduced, compelled, or tricked into doing anything I don’t want to do, not anymore.”

“Maybe not.” Hatch stared up, visibly shaken. “But your love for the prodigy has always been your one weakness and now she’s gone. Once she accepts Raef and severs your bond to her, your ass is mine.”

“
If
she breaks our bond, your world will be crushed by her nation. She carries the combined power of both worlds. As soon as she receives her gift, she’ll destroy you.” Von smashed a knee against his chest, pinning him to the floor. “And when she comes back for revenge…I’ll be right beside her.” He pushed to his feet, glaring through narrowed eyes. “I’m only getting started—I won’t back out.”

Having the answers he needed, Von compelled himself into the void of darkness to travel the mystical waves of energy between worlds in search of Flame, hoping to get close enough and reestablish a connection. Nothing would dissuade him from trying as long as her life flowed in his veins.

Mon Coeur…don’t you give up on me. We’re only getting started.

* * * *

Flame slid from Paloma’s back once they’d arrived on what looked like a deserted island. The mare grazed nearby on tufts of tropical grass. She’d gone from the dark underworld of Twilight to a sublime sunny paradise at inconceivable speed. Fortunately, she hadn’t experienced travel sickness and wondered why.

If the blood-bond is broken, why aren’t my powers weakening? Maybe it takes time for his blood to leave my system.
She couldn’t bear the thought of losing that connection.

The image of his knife in Naami’s hands flashed through her mind. She reached behind her and withdrew Von’s fierce weapon. They’d destroyed quite a few ancients together with this blade and her daggers. Sun beat down on her, delivering intense heat. She unzipped her cropped leather jacket and lay back on the sandy ground.

If only Von and I had stayed together in that shadowy world, our powers would not have been
separated.
Twilight had taken the upper hand once again. Stealing Paloma was indeed a shrewd tactic to lure her into their realm.

Self-doubt filled her. She wondered if fleeing with her horse was the right thing to do.
Maybe I gave in too quickly.
Still, if Von could’ve found a way to her, he would have. The blood—
his blood
—on the knife seemed very conclusive that something went terribly wrong. Nobody could take his knife from him unless that person had more power, this she knew. Somehow, Hatch must’ve found a loophole and overpowered Von long enough to kill him. No other logical explanation existed.

But our bond, our love, defies logic.
She wasn’t ready to give up hope.

Naami’s presence on Nekkar still left Flame feeling stunned. The former queen had plummeted over the edge and turned to darkness after her banishment from the village. The thought of Naami utilizing her seductive wiles on Von enraged her.
Did she seduce him?
She recalled what Von had said regarding that matter, that he could not be seduced.
Then where is he? If Naami found a way to get over on Von by using the experimental fragrance, I’ll kill her.

Flame failed to grasp how the two people she hated most had managed to defeat Von. If not for the bloody knife, she’d not have believed a word from Naami’s mouth. Yet here it was, still solidly before her—the hard evidence that Von had been killed. Her heart refused to believe what her eyes tried not to see.

Clearly, Von had been right about Paloma. Nobody seemed to have wanted her. The lovely immortal horse was merely the bait Twilight needed to draw Flame into their new trap.
Will the deception ever end?
Either way, she couldn’t ignore the risk imposed upon her mother’s rare horse. No doubt, the evil realm would’ve destroyed Paloma if Flame had turned away. They had her back against the wall and played their hand to the fullest extent. She sighed.

Turning her head, she gazed at the lovely mare, exuberant with beauty and grace. Her flaxen mane and tail billowed in the ocean breeze. Sunlight brought out the high sheen of her golden coat. The trip through the void from darkness to light while riding Paloma had been terrifying without Von. Never had she traveled the immortal way without him. Loneliness enveloped her heart. Without a clue about the location of the so-called Flaming Wall, she simply lay there sinking into the depths of sorrow.

Memories of Von played through her mind like a movie. The night he’d held her in a dark room after she’d suffered a brutal beating, she hadn’t believed him when he’d promised to help her. Their uncanny encounters on the road during her ride out to LA—he looked irresistible even then, dressed in a leather trench coat with that long hair down his back—not a woman in the place could take her eyes off him. He was every bit the dangerously handsome rebel rider.

The hot seduction scene on the beach when he was the indomitable Satellite made her ache for his touch right now. Even after she’d killed him, he returned to help her win the war, helped her take out Coop’s army of creepers, and stood strong at her side as she daggered her own father.

The vision of them fighting together, slaying the evil fiends with synchronized teamwork made her realize how right they were for each other even when she’d refused to believe it. Despite everything she’d put him through, he loved her. Von had never given up.

I can’t give up either. He found a way to come back before…he can do it again.

The ghosts, the fights, the heated arguments and verbal shots at each other, all of it deluged her tormented mind. Yet in the midst of their impassioned battle of wills, the most amazing element of all had developed between them—the unbelievably sensual and erotic blood-bonds. Nothing had ever felt more real.

Tears slid down the sides of her face. Demons of her past raged inside. Surrendering her daughter to the Lioness, a ten-year stint of hellish marriage to Aiden, almost half a year engaged to Hatch—she’d laugh if she didn’t feel so utterly pathetic.
I am the worst judge of character that ever lived.
Her thoughts shifted to Raef, another disaster. Her love for him got him killed, but not before her former queen seduced him, all right under her unsuspecting nose.
How could I be so naïve?

She recalled the grief all too well, waiting and praying over Raef’s body for a miracle that never came. Von showing up afterward, helping her carry on—he’d saved her on more than one occasion.
And I couldn’t even save him once!
Flame bit her quivering lip, determined not to lose it this time. There was no one here to pick up the pieces this time.

Why isn’t he here? He travels at the speed of light. He’s more powerful than ever. If he were able to come, he’d be with me.
That fact and the knife in her hand were her stumbling block.

Glancing at her hand, she traced the scar of their bond with a finger, then stared at the bite marks on her wrist, running a fingertip over the healing wounds.
I love you so much, baby. I’ve never loved anyone like this.

Suddenly, searing pain struck her neck. She looked down to find the sapphire burning her skin. With a hard tug, she yanked the chain from her neck and flung it away. Paloma reared up then pawed the earth, shaking her head vehemently. Rustling in the bush startled Flame. She leapt to her feet and quickly zipped her jacket. With both hands ready on her daggers, she waited in tense anticipation.

“You’re going to need this, babe.” He picked the necklace off the ground.

“Raef! How did you get here?”

“I’m immortal now, love, I can travel anywhere.”

“This place is supposed to be hidden.”

“I had no trouble finding it, not sure why.”

“Why are you here?”

“Not the greeting I hoped for.” He stared with furrowed brows. “After I dropped Naami off at the village, I came to help you.”

Flame stepped back. “You rescued Naami from the Twilight Realm?”

“She went in as a distraction so you could find Paloma. Didn’t anyone inform you?”

“I was out of touch after my last meeting with the Lioness.”

“I see.” Disappointment hung on his voice.

“I thought only Von could find the evil realm’s nest. How did you and Naami get in?”

“After Naami was cast from the village, she approached me and offered to help. She expressed her remorse over betraying you and said she wanted to make things right. I think she’s trying to redeem herself and get back into the sisterhood. She seduced Hatch into taking her to his realm. I followed them.”

“The Supreme Lioness knows of this?”

“I assume she does. I haven’t met with her since she returned me to the mortal world. She handed me over to the council to be ordained. Once that was complete, they informed me of your success, then asked me to leave the village. They told me I was to come here and help you transition.”

“This doesn’t make sense. I was told that only Paloma knew the way to the Flaming Wall.”

“Maybe
this
helped.” He held out his hand. “They gave me this and said it would lead me to you.”

Flame stared at the ring on his left hand, astounded that the stone and the setting matched her necklace perfectly. He offered her the sapphire, still attached to the broken chain.

“They didn’t tell me about
this
,” she muttered.

“Looks like a matching set.” He moved closer and placed the neckpiece in her hand, then gently closed her fingers around it. “We are meant to be, angel.”

“We?” She gasped. “I’m bound to Von!”

“Naami told me that Von was killed by the Twilight Master before you fled Nekkar.”

“Do you believe her?”

“I didn’t see Von anywhere on the island and I haven’t seen him in the void. Surely, if the man were still alive, he’d have found you. He never had trouble finding you before.” Raef sounded sincere.

“I just can’t accept it.” The scar on her palm began to sting, forcing her to glance down at it. “I
feel
him…I still feel him channeling from me. He might be trying to come back.”

“Baby, you can’t let yourself go there again. Allow your destiny to happen. Maybe you can try to forgive your former queen. She seems genuinely sorry and she’s trying very hard to get back into the good graces of your high ruler. I have no connection to her now. You and I can make a fresh start.”

“The only proof I have that she
might
be telling the truth is this knife.” She grabbed Von’s bloodstained knife and flashed it before Raef. “And…the fact that Von would have come to me as you said. His absence is disturbing.”

“Regardless of Naami’s questionable character, she did find a way into the evil realm, tricked Hatch and kept him distracted long enough for you to save the horse and escape. I think that says something.” Raef took another step toward her. “We devised a plan and as far as I know, she stayed on course.”

“It’s not that I’m not glad you made it back. You didn’t deserve to die.” Flame sighed. “But a lot happened after you died. I can’t change that.”

“I know, babe, but I believe we can find our way back to each other. I never stopped loving you.” His eyes searched hers. “The question is…did you stop loving me?”

She stared into his liquid blue eyes for several moments, then shook her head. “I don’t like what you did but no…I never stopped loving you.”

He closed the gap between them and slid his arms around her waist. “I don’t expect you to stop loving Von. He saved you when I couldn’t. I’m here now. I know you don’t approve of how I made my return, but you gotta admit it’s a hell of a lot better than coming back as a Satellite.”

Looking up, she let out a short light laugh. “I guess.”

“Angel,” he murmured with a longing sigh. “Will you at least give me a hug? I’ve missed you, girl.”

Though her heart still belonged to Von, she relented to Raef’s request. He drew her close. She laid her head against his bare chest. His scent had changed from sweetly alluring to daringly sensual. Memories of their love floated over her in a mystical haze. Something felt different. She pulled back.

“You
have
changed.”

“Yeah…getting killed does that to a person.” He didn’t release her. “I’ve been through hell—literally.”

Her gaze moved over the now longer, silky blond layers of his hair, then his tanned arms and chest. Desire for him swept through her, taking her by surprise. “I really did miss you.”

He lowered his head until their lips were dangerously close. “Show me.”

A rush of mixed emotion deluged her. “I’ve loved you since the day we met,” she said in a very soft tone. The urge to kiss him grew very strong. “I can’t deny the truth. But whatever happens between us on this island, don’t forget that I’ve given myself to Von in every way.”

“I took you away from Hatch and you were engaged to him,” he said in a voice drenched in confidence. “I have no fear of Von either.”

The longing for comfort called to her. Roots of her upbringing reared their ugly head as survival mode kicked into high gear. The Supreme Lioness’s words reverberated in her head.
We are a nation of women, built by women, governed by women and free of male tyranny.
This sets us apart from others and frees us to utilize men as we wish if our intent is to protect and enhance our breed. You still allow mortal law to oppress your power, child.

Flame struggled with her conflicting emotions.
Naami truly embraced this statement to the letter of the law. Perhaps she did deserve to be queen of such a nation. What about young Phoebe? Does anyone care how she will feel? Or has the young queen also been brainwashed? Brainwashed!
The word resonated in Flame’s soul. Friction rose inside as she became torn between the warrior and the woman.

“No!” She pushed Raef away. “I’m not like them anymore. I’ve become my own person.”

Raef did not seem daunted. He snagged her waist and tugged her close. “Then maybe you’ll prefer the new me.”

His arms swept up her back and he took a firm grip of her hair. His mouth covered hers in a sweltering kiss that dazed her. Before she gained the presence of mind to react, his tongue filled her mouth as he slid one hand to the small of her back. His touch burned on her bare skin, stirring an ache of desire. She wondered how he’d acquired this astounding level of persuasion. Sucking in a sharp breath, all she could smell was his inviting aura. When he eased back several intense minutes later, she stared up at him, speechless.

“Now let’s go find that Flaming Wall.” He led her by the hand over to Paloma. “Show her the sapphire.”

As if commanded by another’s will, she obeyed and held out the Mirari Tear for the horse to see before tucking it into a zipped pocket of her jacket. Paloma shook her head and snorted, then walked off into the dense foliage. Flame cast a peculiar glance at Raef as they followed the mare.
Someone’s been schooling him,
she thought. Yet the knowledge did not help break the spell he’d cast. His kiss lingered on her lips. She touched them with an index finger then looked at him again. He grinned but held his thoughts, which seemed odd to her.
I can’t read him at all!