What did he have to look forward to? Their talk? Or, as that parting look had hinted at, another kiss?
Melting...
“What about me?” Synda asked, squirming in her seat. “What should I do?”
Kane flicked her an impatient glance. “You’ll behave for the first time in your life. After the fight, I might do the world a favor and put you over my knee to spank the poor judgment right out of you. I guess we’ll find out together.”
Red sprang into the princess’s eyes, her expression hardening. “Say something like that again, and I’ll cut out your tongue while you’re sleeping.”
No longer peering at her, Kane reached out blindly and patted her on top of the head. “I’d probably be scared if you actually knew how to keep your promises.”
A rumble rose from Synda’s chest, and spewed out her mouth, the sound more animal than Fae. Josephina had heard the sound before—right before the princess had set the stable on fire.
“Kane!” William snapped. “Sometime today.”
“No, wait.” The moisture in Josephina’s mouth dried as she held up her gloved hands and wiggled her fingers to gain his attention. “Don’t be so hasty to count me out. I could...you know.”
“No.” He turned to her, adamant. “None of that.”
“But—”
Once again he got in her face. Only this time, he wasn’t gentle about it. “Don’t push on this. I will never willingly put you in harm’s way. Plus, I don’t know what you’d end up with.”
Their powers, he meant. “Whatever I take, it’ll be temporary.” More than that, the men might do what Kane had refused to do: kill her.
She would die. Finally. Never again would she have to deal with her father or the queen or her brother or her sister. There would be no more whippings, no more shunnings, no more punishments of any kind. But...but...
I don’t want to die.
The realization shocked her to her bones. Knowing the bliss of Kane’s kiss, she only wanted more. Like, his hands on her bare skin next time, touching her...everywhere. Like, his voice in her ear, whispering all the things he planned to do to her. Like, his body delivering on every single promise. She wanted...
Everything he had to give.
“I want you safe,” he said. “Whatever the cost.”
Melting faster...
He straightened and faced the men. “Everyone clear on the rules?”
“We’ve been clear for hours now.” From the blond.
“Definitely.” From the dark-haired one. “You should have stayed in hell. You would’ve had an easier life—and death.”
A nod from the bald one.
Kane grinned without a shred of humor. “I can’t wait to prove you wrong.”
“Ding, ding,” William said.
And just like that, the battle was on. The males converged on each other, becoming a tangle of fists and legs and weapons.
Synda cheered, “Go, Kane, go!” as if the two hadn’t almost come to blows seconds before.
White snapped her teeth at the girl. “You should cheer for my brothers. You just had sex with two of them in the bathroom.”
“Oh, that. It meant nothing.”
Josephina cringed, knowing she would be punished for this transgression, as well. But okay, all right, she would deal. Right now, Kane was more important—and he’d just vanished from her sight, a black cloud appearing and surrounding the men. Her hand covered her mouth to silence her cry of dismay. Grunts and groans and the click of metal against metal filled the air. Her blood chilled. What was happening in there?
She pushed to shaky legs, took a step forward.
“I wouldn’t do that.” William joined the women at the table. He grabbed one of White’s grapes and tossed the little fruit in his mouth.
“Do what?” Josephina croaked, unable to pull her attention away from the battle.
“Whatever you’re planning. The boys will attack anyone inside their force field, and Kane will punish them for it. They may not survive, and like I told Kane, a part of me wants them to survive.”
That “force field” raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck. It possessed some sort of electrical charge, attempting to pull the energy out of her the way she often pulled the energy out of others.
Was it draining Kane?
“Let her join,” White said. “She’ll die, and I’ll have an open playing field.”
“You wouldn’t have an open playing field if you were the last woman on earth,” Josephina snapped.
“An open playing field?” William growled. “I thought you wanted Kane dead.”
“I did.”
“And now?”
“Supposedly Kane is my destined mate, and my destined mate has no business lusting after another woman.”
“You said you cared nothing about destiny,” William roared.
Josephina didn’t hear White’s reply, didn’t care to; she was too busy marching forward. Whether Kane realized it or not, he needed her. He could take those men, but she doubted he could take the cloud. Look how easily he’d fallen when pitted against her.
When she reached the darkened dome, she removed her gloves and reached out. Lightning jolted through her, startling her. Her bones throbbed, and her blood fizzed, but she pushed through. The darkness soon cleared, and she realized she was standing in the midst of a raging battle. Blood was splattered across the floor. And Kane’s opponents...they’d become monsters.
One had horns. Or rather, what should have been horns. They were shredded and bleeding.
One had wings. Or rather, what used to be wings. They were misshapen and bleeding.
One had scales. Or rather, what were probably scales. They were ripped out in patches and bleeding.
All had fangs and claws.
What...how...
Kane stood in place, wielding two daggers with perfect precision. He contorted his body left and right, forward and backward, avoiding impact with his enemies. He was...winning, despite the cloud and...and...despite the fact that the floor was cracking beneath his feet?
The demon was acting up again. Why? So he’d lose?
Oh, yes. Defeat would be considered a disaster, after all.
Thank goodness Kane knew what he was doing. When his feet caught on one of the cracks, he tilted forward, going with it, rolling into the motion, allowing his weapons to slash against his opponents with more force.
Relief speared her. She backed away.
He must have sensed her, though, because his gaze found her across the distance. His eyes widened, and a roar split his lips. He gave up his offensive stance to stalk toward her. A mistake. One of the monsters nailed him in the chin, a brutal slash of claws, slicing his skin and leaving himbleeding.
Josephina didn’t think about her next actions. She launched into motion, throwing herself into the monster closest to her. He went down with a moan the moment she touched him. A shocking amount of strength poured through her, more than her little body had ever had to hold, but she twisted to reach the second one...the third one...
On the heels of the strength came darkness, such terrible darkness. Worse than what had come with Kane. Then silence. Josephina stumbled. What’s happening?She was falling...falling... No, no, no! I’m back inside the Never-ending.
A
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TORIN, KEEPER OF Disease, paced the floor of the room where he’d last seen Cameo. Days had passed since she’d vanished, leaving all of the artifacts behind, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened here. Her gaze had locked with Maddox’s. She had reached out. Then, she had been gone, with no trace of her remaining. Where was she? What had happened?
The other warriors had come and gone, inspecting the room before stalking out to hunt down anyone who might know how to save a woman Torin loved with all of his heart. Not as a lover, though they had once tried to go that route, but as his best friend.