Deadly Attraction Read online

  Darien announced, “We’ve deduced it’s a rogue demon hunting Jade, not one from my kingdom. My general and I will see that whatever stalks her is tracked and removed from the village. I’ve asked her to remain in her cottage and I suggest no one visits her, lest either of you,” he said to Michael and Lisette, “find yourselves in jeopardy. I’m sure Jade would have difficulty reconciling any tragedy brought on by this unfortunate incident.”

  She nodded.

  Walker said, “Tanner and I will come by the cottage on a regular basis.”

  “Very good,” Darien told them. “Morgan and I will cover the woods surrounding her house and the riverbank. You ought to keep a close eye on the village itself. I’ll restrict my demons from crossing the perimeter, so if you see anything suspicious, you’ll know it won’t be from my alliance and you have my permission to take action.”

  The gravity of the situation made Jade’s stomach coil. She spared another glance at Darien, whose face was a mask of hard angles, revealing nothing.

  Heavy footsteps on the stone floor drew her attention. A tall, blond-haired man strode toward them.

  Darien explained, “This is my general. He’ll see that Jade makes it home safely.”

  The newcomer nodded at her and she said, “Thank you. I appreciate the help.”

  Michael looked agitated and opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly assured him, “It’ll be fine. They’ll find their demon and that’ll put everyone’s minds at ease.”

  “But why is it stalking you?” he asked.

  Jade couldn’t help but smile, wanting to alleviate some of the pressure, even if her own nerves wouldn’t settle. “I’m sure the king and his general will discover that quickly enough. Don’t worry about me. I have castle and slayer protection. I’m probably the most guarded human in thirty-five years.”

  Lisette said, “Then do as they say. You tend to have a stubborn side. This isn’t one of those times it should prevail.”

  “I understand.” She gave her friend a hug. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she added, “Damn, Lisette. I made a small mess at your library and didn’t get a chance to clean it up.”

  She’d bled on the floor. Not something she wanted to say in front of everyone.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Don’t make anything of it,” Jade was quick to warn her. “I’m obviously fully intact.”

  This caused the older woman’s brow to dip and caught the interest of the others as well.

  Darien intervened before anyone could question her. “We should be going.”

  He turned abruptly and she followed, with Morgan and the slayers bringing up the rear.

  She learned the general wasn’t a man of many words. He uttered not a one on the way to her cottage.

  As she slid off the bare back of his cinnamon-colored horse, she said, “I’ll stay inside and wait for someone to tell me the danger has passed.”

  He gave a sharp nod of his head. Clearly, something about her disturbed him. Likely the fact she was a mere mortal he had to look after.

  “Well. Again, thank you for…everything.” She headed toward the front door, but Morgan finally spoke, making her draw up short.

  “He might be immortal, but he’d still put his own existence on the line for you.”

  She whirled around. “Excuse me?”

  “Darien.”

  She knew whom he’d meant. “Why?”

  “Because,” he said in a measured tone, “not all demons are evil.”

  Then he signaled to his horse and they took off in a flash, leaving snow flying in their wake.

  Jade stared after them, the breath leaving her body on a hard rush of air.

  Not all humans are good. Not all demons are evil.

  Her mother’s motto. She had no time to consider the unexpected reiteration as a chill forced her thoughts back to the situation at hand—and the perilous predicament she’d inadvertently found herself in. She rushed inside the cottage, securing the door behind her.

  Captivity didn’t suit her well, but she had so much to mull over that two days passed as though in a few hours. Jade didn’t sleep a lot, her mind too preoccupied with the bizarre events of late. On occasion, she found it tempting to nap, just to see if Darien would keep his word about staying out of her dreams. Unfortunately, she found it depressing that he made good on his promise.

  Her life had never been particularly full and satisfying since her parents’ deaths, but somehow, being in Darien’s presence—whether in real life or by way of a fantasy—she’d felt the hollow cracks and crevices seal. Being alone in her cottage, however, tore them wide open again.

  Loneliness was not a foreign feeling for Jade. She’d lived in the small house by herself since she was eleven. There was no child protective legal system or orphanage in the post-war days, so no one had whisked her away to a different shelter against her will.

  Yes, the adults of the village had urged her to stay with them and their families. But she’d had no desire to leave her home and all the memories she’d collected in her childhood. She felt closer to her parents here and she cherished the quaint cottage.

  Above all else, she found a degree of strength in knowing she’d practically raised herself and possessed the spirit and determination to be accountable for her own actions and needs. Well, most of them, anyway. One elusive longing could not be sated by anyone other than the Demon King.

  She sighed as she tossed another log on the fire, which had dimmed as she’d pondered her life. Admittedly, she enjoyed her friendships and she loved reading about civilization before the wars. But she’d always felt something was missing. Several somethings, actually. Her place in the new world. A significant connection to someone.

  As much as she adored Michael, she couldn’t deny he was not the man for her. Not after the fantasy she’d shared with Darien.

  Yet the demon wasn’t a viable option for a companion either, and he proved he felt the same way by steering clear of her. It was the slayers who checked on her and gave status reports. Not the king. Not even his general.

  Darien’s glowing eyes and supreme physique—not to mention his scorching-hot kisses and deep, soul-stirring thrusts into her body—would not leave her mind, though. A truly disconcerting scenario to find herself in.

  She poked at the fire with little enthusiasm. The log was much too big. She’d all but snuffed out the flame. As thick streams of smoke ribboned in the hearth, the snapping of branches out back sent fear down her spine.

  Her gaze flashed to the tall windows that overlooked the river. But only for a moment. The log in her fireplace suddenly burst into a raging blaze that caused the abundant flames to lick the outer edges of the stone hearth.

  Jade let out a small cry of shock before she lunged for the pot of water she kept in the corner for fire emergencies. Gripping the ceramic container, she dumped the liquid on the inferno, instantly extinguishing it.

  Her heart thundered in her chest. Losing her cottage was her biggest fear of all, for with it, the tangible reminder of her life with her parents would incinerate as well.

  She was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when a movement out of the corner of her eye snagged her attention. She turned toward the windows at the back of the house and, suddenly, a horrific apparition appeared before her eyes—a wraith draped in a cloak as dark as the night, but with the edges of it lit with flames, burning all around him.

  A fire wraith? She’d only heard about them from her father—no one else had conceded they existed, not even the slayers.

  His sockets blazed where there should have been eyes. When he opened his mouth and fire spewed forth, she let out a loud scream. Panic and terror seized her very soul, but she managed to propel herself into action.

  “Not my house!” she cried out. Then she bolted for the front door.

  She wore gray drawstring pants, a knit sweater and her slippers. The biting air nearly froze her to the core of her being, but she was desperate to pull
the wraith from the close proximity of her home so he didn’t burn it to the ground. She raced along the edge of the river, hearing the pounding of horse hooves behind her. Jade knew they didn’t belong to the Demon King or his general.

  “Darien!” she screamed his name—in hopes he was close by—just as the horse and its ghostly rider descended upon her.

  She stole a glance over her shoulder. The animal reared. Jade screamed again. Then one of his legs connected with her back, slamming her face-first to the snow-covered earth and knocking the wind from her. Pain lanced through her body, making it impossible to haul herself up. Sprawled on the ground, she tried to concentrate on breathing and rising above the sheer agony so she could attempt to crawl away.

  Fire erupted beside her, igniting the trees. Then the stallion drew up on his hind legs again. Jade had no time—nor the strength—to react. The beast came down hard, one of his hooves making contact with her left wrist and hand, crushing the bones.

  The sound of her suffering echoed all around her as she wailed. The sharp throbbing radiated throughout every inch of her, stealing her breath and plunging her mind into a dark abyss so that she couldn’t think or force herself to move.

  She lay in the thick bank, with more flakes falling on her as she gasped for even the tiniest bit of air. Her eyelids squeezed shut and she willed herself to begin the healing process, but the sensations gripping her were excruciating.

  Above the pulse ringing in her ears, she heard the thundering approach of another rider, followed by the unsheathing of swords and the clanging of metal. She didn’t have the wherewithal to open her eyes and see who had come to her rescue. Instead, she put her faith in whoever it was and tried to focus on repairing her spine so she could pull in a full breath without it feeling as though everything inside of her had shattered.

  The fight ensued for some time, and then she heard a sword bang against a boulder and an animal’s shrill whinny, though it wasn’t the same sound she’d heard in the past. Not the same horse. It wasn’t Darien’s Arabian that was injured.

  Moments later, someone fell to his knees beside her. She knew it was the Demon King, obviously the victor as the defeated wraith on the horse rode off.

  Mustering the vigor to open her eyes, though only to half-mast, she peered up at him, grateful to see him, though his tormented gaze made her heart hurt. An additional physical pain almost impossible to bear.

  “Don’t move. Don’t speak.” He quickly slipped out of his cloak and draped it over her body.

  Another rider joined him. Morgan said, “It was a fire wraith. You have his sword now and his horse is wounded. But he’ll come back with a new weapon and a new steed.”

  “He wasn’t interested in killing her,” Darien said. “Just hurting her enough to draw me out. To…” He shook his head as rage flashed in his eyes. “Bait me.”

  “Yes. He must have realized your interest in Jade when we started following her, perhaps thinking we knew he tracked her and were protecting her from the beginning.”

  “Damn it!” Darien’s fist clenched, then released. He swept his fingers over Jade’s cheek where tears and melted snowflakes left it wet and frigid from the crisp air. “We have to get her to the castle.”

  He gingerly rolled her onto her back and scooped her up in his arms, then stood in a fluid movement. Despite his grace, she let out another cry as heat seared her from head to toe, the pain pulsing violently through her.

  “Sorry,” he whispered in a tight voice. “Just hang on.”

  “Let me take her while you mount,” Morgan said.

  Darien stared down at her, his eyes holding a tortured look.

  She nodded, finding it difficult to speak.

  He handed her over and climbed onto the Arabian’s back. Morgan carefully passed her to him and Darien was strong and big enough to whisk her upward and cradle her against his body as she huddled in his lap. His heat was a welcomed relief, though her teeth still chattered. Her breath came in shallow pants because she couldn’t slow it with the sheer agony she felt and the gripping cold.

  With one arm around her and the other hand seizing the reins, he said, “Your lips are turning blue and you’re trembling. Stay conscious so you can heal.”

  “Trying.”

  He jerked on the reins and his Arabian took off, galloping through the snow, crossing the wooden bridge a mile down the way and then speedily navigating the woods before ascending the steep hill that led to the ridge on which the castle sat.

  Jade’s lids dipped again as they passed through the enormous gates of the castle’s courtyard, though she did everything she could to keep them open. Morgan was right behind them and helped her down so Darien could dismount. Then she was in his arms again and he carried her inside, the general at his heels.

  “Get the vampires out of the castle,” Darien instructed. “She’s afraid of them. And send patrols along the village perimeter in the event the fire wraith returns.”

  “My Lord,” came Morgan’s clipped acquiescence.

  Jade snuggled against the king’s wide chest as he took her deeper into the elaborate mansion. The pain in her hand and wrist was still raw, but her spine felt better.

  Despite her being in his arms, he was able to take the staircase two steps at a time. His long stride had them crossing the landing and rushing down a wide corridor so quickly, she barely had time to take in her surroundings.

  He burst into an enormous room that looked to be a study.

  “My Lord?” a woman’s voice called out in surprise.

  Jade flinched. He had a wife? A girlfriend? A bedmate?

  “Don’t worry,” Darien said, as though he’d read her thoughts. She wondered if he had. “Sheena is my assistant. She’s a vampire, but she won’t harm you.” He turned his head and said to the woman who suddenly appeared at his side and matched his pace, “Leave the castle, Sheena.”

  She sniffed, then glared at him. “You think I can’t handle myself with a human?”

  “She’s bleeding. Badly. Bones protruding from the skin.”

  “I’ll get water and towels.”

  “Sheena,” he said in apparent warning.

  “If you doubt my loyalty to you, you may as well sever my employment now.”

  He sighed. “I don’t doubt you. I just don’t want to push you past your comfort zone. I can manage.”

  “Hmm. We’ll see about that.”

  The redhead flashed ahead of them, so quick it made Jade’s eyes cross. She threw open a set of double doors and they entered a bedroom that was larger than Jade’s entire cottage. Darien set her gently on the humungous bed, keeping the cloak around her.

  Sheena disappeared into a sunken area with a marble floor that likely led to the bathroom. Moving away from her for only a few moments, Jade’s savior stoked the fire until it blazed bright and warmed her.

  Returning to her side and sitting carefully on the edge of the mattress, he asked, “What can I do to help?”

  Through clenched teeth as she tried to keep the pain from her voice because of his tormented look, she managed to say, “Set the bones.”

  He blew out a harsh breath and his eyes burned with his own agony. “That’ll hurt like hell.”

  “Yes,” she said, her tone strained. “But I can’t do it on my own. I can’t get past the pain I’m feeling right now to inflict more. I need you to do it.”

  He jumped to his feet and paced alongside the bed. Sheena returned, placing a bowl of water and towels on the nightstand. Then she pulled back the cloak.

  “Oh dear.” She visually inspected the mangled hand.

  Jade didn’t have to see the appendage to know how disastrous the sight was. In addition to feeling it, she could see the evidence of the damage in the vampire’s eyes. And in Darien’s.

  “Please,” she pleaded with him. “Compound fractures won’t heal properly unless they’re in place. Just do it.”

  “Shall I clean the wound first?” Sheena asked.

  “No,”
Darien was quick to ward her off, though he didn’t explain Jade’s need to absorb the blood to help the process along.

  “If I can make this work,” she said, “I’ll heal before I bleed to death.”

  Looking befuddled, Sheena slipped away. Darien took the spot she’d vacated. He stared into her eyes, though she felt as though hers rolled in their sockets. She had difficulty focusing on him.

  He said, “You told me you have to be able to rise above the pain in order to quickly repair yourself.”

  The vampire pulled in a sharp breath. “A human who can heal as we do?”

  Darien nodded. “She’s gifted. But,” he added as his gaze returned to Jade, “when I do this, you might not be able to stay conscious. You’ll slow the process.”

  “She needs a pain reliever,” Sheena said.

  “And we have none,” he ground out.

  “Wrong.” She moved away, only to reappear in a matter of seconds. She offered Jade a glass of tawny-colored liquid. “It’s from his private stock. Guaranteed to soothe. He’s been self-medicating a lot lately, I’ve seen the positive effects.”

  “Thanks, Sheena,” he all but growled.

  Somehow, Jade found the ability to smile. “Serves you right for invading my dream.”

  “You liked that dream,” he reminded her.

  He helped her sit up as Sheena carefully held the glass to her lips and Jade sipped. They took their time, letting her muscle through the burning sensation in her stomach, which, after her gulps became deeper and she’d drained the glass, dulled. Everything dulled, including the throbbing radiating from her hand and wrist.

  “That’s so much better,” she said on a long breath. “Nice trick.” Sheena swept from the room and Darien tenderly reached for her hand. “Just try to push everything into position. The bones should retract and meld together.”

  “Should?” he asked with a lifted brow.

  “I don’t break bones as a rule. This is still new to me.”