The Demon King Davian (Deadly Attraction Book 1) Read online

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

  She only 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 bank of the river, hearing the pounding of horse hooves behind her. Jade knew they didn’t belong to the Demon King or his general, but to the poltergeist that hunted her.

  “Davian!” she called out—in hopes he was near 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 the beast’s legs connected with her back, slamming her face-first to the snow-covered earth and knocking the wind from her. White-hot agony lanced through her body, making it impossible to haul herself up. Sprawled on the ground, she tried to concentrate on breathing. Urged herself to crawl away.

  Fire erupted beside her, igniting the trees and appearing to reach all the way up to the inky sky. The stallion drew back on his hind legs again. Jade had no time—nor the strength—to react. The horse came down hard, making contact with her left wrist and hand, crushing the bones.

  The sound of her suffering reverberated all around her as she wailed. The excruciating pain shot through 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 snow, with more flakes falling on her as she gasped for even the thinnest slice of air. Her eyelids squeezed shut and she willed herself to begin the healing process, but the raw sensations held her hostage so that she couldn’t focus on anything other than the crippling shockwaves.

  Above the pulse ringing in her ears, she heard the thundering approach of another rider and the neigh of his horse, followed by the unsheathing of swords and the clanging of metal. She no longer possessed the ability to open her eyes and see who had come to her rescue. Instead, she put her faith in whoever it was and willed herself to rise above the pain and repair her spine so she could pull in a full breath without it feeling as though everything inside of her had shattered into a million jagged shards.

  The sword fight continued for some time, and then she heard a blade bang against a boulder and an animal’s shrill whinny, though it wasn’t the same sound she’d heard minutes before.

  Not the same horse.

  It was the wraith’s beast that was injured.

  Moments later, someone fell to his knees beside her.

  “Jade.” It was the Demon King, obviously the victor as the defeated wraith on the horse rode off.

  Mustering the vigor to open her eyes for the king, though only capable of half-mast, she peered up at Davian, grateful to see him. Unfortunately, his tormented gaze made her heart hurt—as traumatizing as all the other sensations.

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

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

  “He wasn’t intent on killing her,” Davian deduced. “Just injuring her enough to draw me out. To—” He shook his head as rage flared in his eyes. “To bait me.”

  “Yes. He must have realized your interest in Jade when we began our surveillance, perhaps thinking we knew he tracked her and were protecting her from the onset.”

  “Damn it!” Davian’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 autumn 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 and gentle care, she let out another cry and her body shook violently.

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

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

  Davian stared down at her. She couldn’t nod; could do no more than blink—and pray he was able to decipher her code.

  “All right,” he murmured. And handed her over to Morgan.

  Davian climbed onto the Arabian’s back. The general delicately passed Jade to him and Davian 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 was unable to slow it with the sharp stabs and throbbing she felt. And the biting cold.

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

  Trying. She couldn’t even utter the word.

  Davian jerked on the reins and his Arabian took off, galloping through the snow, crossing the arched bridge and then speedily navigating the thick forest before ascending the steep hill that led to the ridge on which the castle sat.

  Jade’s lids dipped slightly as she and Davian entered the kingdom through the enormous gates of the castle’s courtyard, though she did everything she could to stay alert. Morgan was right behind them and he helped her down so Davian could dismount. Then she was in the king’s arms again and he carried her inside, the general at his heels.

  “Have the vampires leave the castle until further notice,” Davian instructed. “She’s wary of them. And send patrols along the village perimeter in the event the fire wraith returns.”

  “My Lord,” came Morgan’s clipped acquiescence and he peeled off to do as bade.

  Jade snuggled against the king’s wide chest, heat oozing from his physical exertion and possibly his worry over her. His internal temperature defied the inclement weather and was a tremendous comfort to her.

  He took her deeper into the elaborate mansion. The pain in her hand and wrist was still horrendous, but her spine felt better.

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

  With a swift kick to the double doors, causing them to fly open, he surged 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,” Davian 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, “Spend the night elsewhere, Sheena.”

  She sniffed the air, picking up Jade’s scent, then glared at him. “You think I can’t handle myself with a human?” Her indignation was amplified by her elegant British accent.

  “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, your Majesty, 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, with such haste and stealth it made Jade’s eyes cross. Sheena threw open another set of double doors and they entered a bedroom that was larger than Jade’s entire cottage and the property surrounding it. Davian set her gently on the humungous bed, keeping the cloak tucked around her body. Moving away from her for only a few moments, Jade’s savior stoked the fire until it glowed bright and warmed her.

  Meanwhile, the vampire retreated to a sunken area with a marble floor that likely led to the bathroom.

  Davian returned to her side and sat gingerly on the edge of the mattress, despite his size. �
�What can I do to help?”

  Through clenched teeth as she tried to keep the horror from her voice because of his tormented look, she ground out, “Set the bones.”

  He blew a sharp breath. “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 for me.”

  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 view 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 Davian’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,” Davian was quick to stop her, though he didn’t explain Jade’s need to absorb the blood to help the process along.

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

  Looking befuddled, Sheena slipped to the side. Davian took the spot she’d vacated. He stared into Jade’s eyes, though she felt as though hers rolled in the 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 repair yourself.”

  The vampire gasped. “A human who can heal as we do?”

  Davian 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. That’ll slow your progress.”

  “She needs a pain reliever,” Sheena suggested.

  “And we have none,” he hissed, his tension getting the best of him. “Since we have no need.”

  “Not true.” Sheena moved away, only to reappear in a matter of seconds. She offered Jade a glass of tawny liquid. “Scotch from his Royal Highness’s private stock. Guaranteed to soothe. He’s been self-medicating of late. I’ve seen the positive effects.”

  “Thanks, Sheena,” he all but growled.

  Somehow, Jade managed a shaky half-smile. “Serves you right for invading my dream.”

  “You liked that dream,” he reminded her.

  He helped her sit up as Sheena held the glass to her lips and Jade sipped. They took their time, letting her muscle through the burn down to her stomach. After which, her gulps became deeper and when she’d polished off the alcohol, the inferno dulled. Everything dulled, including the throbbing in her hand and wrist.

  “Much better,” she said on a long breath. “Nice trick.”

  Sheena swept from the room and Davian tenderly reached for Jade’s hand.

  “Just try to push everything into position,” she directed. “The bones should retract and begin melding together.”

  “Should?” he asked with a lifted brow.

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

  He groaned. “I could be torturing you for no good reason?”

  Had she the strength to lift her good hand, she would have brushed the lock of obsidian hair from his forehead and tried to smooth away the worry lines above his nose.

  “You’ve been torturing me since you made love to me in an erotic vision. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. Or that it was a one-time deal.”

  “Jade…”

  “Do it,” she insisted once more. “Please.”

  He didn’t hesitate a moment longer. He clasped her hand with his large one and then used the other to shift the protruding bones. She screamed bloody murder. Davian didn’t let up, doing exactly as she’d requested.

  When he was apparently satisfied with the placement, he sprang from the mattress and washed his hands in the basin Sheena had supplied, then dried them. He snatched the decanter of brandy his assistant had left behind. He refilled the glass and turned back to Jade, thrusting it toward her.

  “No,” she said, her voice weak. “I had just enough to help me center on the healing.”

  Though exhaustion crept around her consciousness. So too did the allure of an escape from the nearly debilitating slivers of pain shredding every inch of her.

  Davian took large drinks from the tumbler—evidently needing that self-medicating again, given the agony she was in—before depositing it on the nightstand. He dragged a chair over and sat alongside her.

  “What else can I do?”

  “Nothing. I’m not going to be able to stay awake. I won’t heal much while I’m asleep, but resting will return some of my energy, so I can continue when I wake up.”

  His gaze slid to her hand. “The blood flow has already slowed and it’s soaking into your skin.” He skimmed two fingers over her temple. “Are you warm enough?”

  “Yes.”

  He bent his head and kissed her softly. “If I could take all this misery away, I would.”

  She attempted another smile. No go. Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. “Don’t try to read my mind. It’ll hurt you more.”

  “I’m not the one you should be concerned about.”

  “Take a look in a mirror,” she muttered. “I know I look horrific, but so do you. Or, rather…haunted. Don’t attempt to project anything I feel onto yourself to minimize it for me, Davian. Promise me you won’t try.”

  “It’s my fault you’re injured,” he said. “And there I was the other day, telling you I didn’t want your friend Michael to hurt you again. I’ve gone and done it myself.”

  “You’re not to blame.”

  “Yes, I am,” he whispered. His lips grazed her cheek, then her jaw. “I didn’t keep you safe.”

  “I didn’t let you.”

  He sighed. “This castle isn’t the home you love. I understand why you insisted on staying there, not here. But until you’re healed, please sleep in my bed.”

  Honestly, there was no place she’d rather be while she recovered. Especially not alone and suffering in her cottage. But an unnerving thought flitted through her nearly numb brain. “The slayers will look for me. They’ll see the tracks and the blood in the snow and come to the castle for me. They’ll want to take me back.”

  “Not until you’re well,” he murmured, his breath teasing her neck, soothing her. “Just get better. I’ll deal with everything else.”

  Her eyelids closed once more and she couldn’t help but give into the drowsiness that consumed her. As she’d done earlier, she had to place her faith in the Demon King and believe no one would harm her while she was in his care. And hope she was right about her healing process—that it wouldn’t come to a grinding halt while she slept.

  If so, she’d never wake up.

  All hell would break loose for the slayers, Michael, the villagers…and the Demon King.

  Chapter Seven

  Davian felt sick to his stomach. Not a common occurrence for an immortal of any species and most certainly not him. His gut contracted so tight his abs were sore. And deep in his damned heart and soul, an unfamiliar sensation taunted him. The human sleeping restlessly in his bed unleashed emotions within him so potent, he wondered if lust had become an extreme understatement for the feelings he had for Jade.

  He kept the fire roaring in the hearth, and the natural rosy color returned to her lips. Her cheeks glowed with a similar tint. She’d lost whatever shoes she’d been wearing during the attack, if she’d had a chance to slip into them at all. He pulled the turned-down duvet from its folded position at the foot of the bed and carefully covered her with it.

  The temptation to slip into her mind was difficult to resist, despite her request—one he actually hadn’t vowed to honor. Returning to his bedside chair, he brushed strands of hair from her face, gently so as not to disturb her. Possibly, in her slumber, her thoughts might be more serene. If he could further calm them so she could regain her str
ength, it was worth pushing past his own despair over her distressed state in order to assist her.

  He took another sip of brandy and relaxed in his chair. Closing his eyes, he concentrated his thoughts solely on Jade. That was how he could invade her subconscious mind.

  Envisioning himself lying next to her, his arm around her as she slept, he stroked her hair and whispered, “You’re safe here. With me.”

  She snuggled closer to him. The misery she experienced pulsed within him now as well. Brutalizing him further because he didn’t want her to ever suffer the way she currently did.

  “I’ll take care of you.” His fingers swept over her cheek. “Just lie here with me. Sleep and heal.”

  Davian continued to hold her and smooth his fingers over her hair in his mental image, enduring the pain. Attempting to buffer hers, if at all possible.

  He had no idea how much time passed. Sheena returned and unobtrusively informed him the sun had risen, then said nothing more. The heavy window coverings made it possible for her to roam the castle during the day. They were pulled back at night to reveal the shimmering moonlight and stars.

  Sheena moved quietly about the room. Davian’s eyes remained closed, his thoughts on Jade, but he could still hear his efficient assistant in the background.

  Only when Jade eventually stirred, later in the evening, did Davian open his eyes. During Sheena’s visit, she’d left fresh towels, a satin robe and slippers on the bench that ran the width of the intricately designed, four-poster bed. He knew she wasn’t far away, no doubt in her own sanctuary on the opposite side of his study, awaiting any command he might give.

  He gravitated from his seat to the edge of the mattress, cautious not to jostle Jade.

  Her eyelids fluttered and she gazed up at him. “What do I smell?” she asked in a hoarse voice, likely a result of her screams and dry throat, since she hadn’t had anything to drink in over twenty-four hours.

  But Sheena had thought of that as well. A crystal pitcher sat on the nightstand, along with a bowl of chicken broth.

  “You’re hungry, then?” he asked as he reached for a glass and poured water for her.