But Kieron is gone, and from the looks of things, he’s not coming back to me anytime soon, if ever. So, hunt kill and destroy it is.
Love can shove it.
~~~
I lean forward, wrapping my arms tightly around Diablo’s neck as he tears through the forest at lightning speed. His silky mane flies back in the wind, mixing perfectly with my own hair. I don’t know what’s racing faster, his powerful legs or my apprehensive heart. When we near the Portal to Thiberoux, I wrap my hand around my Boumeaux and prepare to utter the silent words granting me passage.
“LUCKY! STOP!” The firm command rings loudly through the night, even over the sound of Diablo’s pounding hooves.
“Stop,” I whisper to Diablo. He immediately slows to a prancing trot, and we turn around to see Bones standing a few feet away.
His thick bronze hair is disheveled, his chocolate eyes deep as the night sky. He obviously has just shifted, and stands nude and proud…as exquisite and flawless a specimen as was ever created. Even though I’ve seen Bones in his natural state countless times, I always admire the pure beauty of his form. There is something almost godlike in the symmetry of his perfection. Yet, I know he is anything but perfect…and it is these flaws that make me want him. And the fact that I can never have him, really have him, makes me want him all the more.
You always want what you can’t have...
“Bones? What’re you doing here?” I jump off Diablo’s back and into Bones’ arms. He embraces me in the way only he can. Strong, yet gentle.
“I’ve been waiting for you. I—”
“What’s going on?” I pull away to meet his concerned gaze. I’ve been friends with Bones nearly my whole life, and meet up with him almost every night on my way to Demon Bar. But always inside Thiberoux, usually near the River of Kings. He’s never stopped me outside before.
He lets out a low whistle, and it’s only then I realize we’re not alone. Several figures I recognize as Bones’ hellhound buddies emerge from the shadows. A demon named Micah throws a pair of pants at Bones.
“Cover up, dude. You’re making the rest of us look bad.” Micah, a hellhound like Bones, has golden white hair that flows gently to his shoulders, and is wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a cocky grin. Standing beside him is another hellhound, Alik, a silent, muscular, ebony-skinned demion. Just behind them is Khalil, a younger version of Adonis with the body of an Olympic athlete. All physically perfect in their human form, and wearing only jeans, they look like a group of male models getting ready to pose for an Abercrombie & Fitch commercial. Not the wicked predators that Sapie nightmares are made of.
I find it odd they are all dressed, but then I realize it’s probably because we are still in the mortal world. In Dryndara they don’t seem to care much what they look like when they shift into their human forms. Hellhounds care nothing about nudity the way humans do.
But my pleasure at being greeted by four sexy creatures is quickly replaced by unbridled fury. I fix a furious glare on Alik and Khalil and shout, “What the hell happened to you guys last night? Why wasn’t anyone guarding the bridge?”
Alik steps forward, his dark face clouded with shame. “I don’t know what happened…one minute I was standing there, on post…the next, I was hundreds of miles away without knowing where I was or how I got there. I returned as soon as I could, and saw—”
“Lucky, we have an idea of who did it and why,” Bones interrupts, buttoning his pants.
My eyes narrow as I shift my gaze back to him. “Who? And why are we talking about this out here and not at Demon Bar?”
Alik moves closer and takes a quick, suspicious look around. “We needed to meet you somewhere safe. The demons who attacked are very angry…and at a few of you guys in particular,” he says pointedly, glancing back and forth between Bones and me.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Once I figured out where I was,” Alik continues, “I had to cut through the Lakast’s land to return here to Dryndara. On my way, I crossed paths with one of their hellhounds who asked why I was in their territory. I explained what happened, assuming he’d think I was lying. I thought I was a goner for sure. But it turns out we knew each other back in the day. Pretty wild coincidence, I must say. I sure dodged a bullet—”
“Just get to the point,” I snap impatiently. Bones rests a calming hand on my shoulder, and Alik grimaces.
“When I told him I was from Dryndara, he told me there was going to be an attack. Apparently, our enemies had gone to the Lakasts to ask for their support in a full-fledged annihilation of our tribe…”
I gasp. “But why? Who’d want to fight us?”
Bones gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze before sliding his hand down my arm to wrap it around mine. Usually this would turn my insides into butter, but right now my stomach feels like it’s been replaced with fire rocks from the river.
“Lucky,” he says quietly, “it was the Hlbafa. They found out what we did. We killed five of their hellhounds. They found out and declared war.”
I stare at him in shock. “What…h-how…w-what?” I stammer.
Bones drops his gaze. “Guess they followed my trail of blood, and someone was able to catch your scent. Lucky…”
“What?” I ask when he doesn’t continue.
He sighs and squeezes my hand tighter. “Lucky, I’m so sorry. But they’ve already tracked Kieron…they got him.”
Chapter 6. Lucky
I stare at Bones, unable to speak…to breathe. “Say that again,” I finally whisper, my body numb.
This can’t be right. Kieron can’t be dead. Not him. Not now. Now that I know how much I need him…
Bones wraps his arms around me, but even his warmth doesn’t stop the ice flowing through my veins. “I’m so sorry, Luck—”
The numbness inside me suddenly becomes a fiery rage. I push Bones away and storm over to Alik, who takes a few surprised steps back. He doesn’t have time to react as I charge up on him and pin him against a tree with all my strength. My blood is on fire, and I wrap my hands around his thick neck, digging my fingernails into his flesh. He tries to pry me off, but in his human form, he is no match for my demonic fury.
“This is your fault! You did this!” I shout, slamming his body against the massive tree trunk. With a sickening crack the mighty oak snaps in two, causing the others to scatter to safety. Khalil makes a move toward us, but Bones restrains him. Alik opens his charcoal eyes wide and flails his arms helplessly. I spin him around and shake him again, digging my fingers deeper into his throat until a trickle of blood runs down his neck.
“Tell me everything. Now,” I hiss through clenched jaws. Alik moves his mouth, but no sound comes out. He looks like a fish gasping for air, but I am unmoved.
“Uh, Lucky, he can’t speak when you’re choking him like that.” Micah’s golden eyes are amused as he comes to stand beside Alik. I glare briefly in his direction before loosening my chokehold on Alik’s throat…making a mental note to bitch-slap the hell out of Micah very soon.
Alik coughs several times, but I keep my hands gripped near the base of his neck, my eyes boring into his skull. “Tell me what happened. Every little detail. Tell me everything you know.”
Bones’ gentle hand presses on my shoulder again but I shrug him away, never taking my eyes off Alik.
“Lucky, none of this is his fault. You have no reason to be mad at him.” Bones’ voice is right by my ear.
I seethe inwardly for another long moment before releasing my grip on Alik and turning away. Micah snickers from the shadows, observing us as if he’s watching a sitcom play out on the TV. I charge toward him, but this time Bones is too fast. He wraps his arms around me fiercely, holding me tight.
“Let me go!” I twist and turn, trying to wrench free from his viselike grip.
“Lucky, it doesn’t do any good for you to start attacking us. We’re all in this together and we’re all on the same side.” Bones’ voice is soft, but commanding.
I kick and squirm a few moments longer before finally relenting. I don’t want to waste my precious energy fighting him.
“Fine. But if Micah doesn’t wipe that stupid smile off his pretty face, I’ll do it for him.”
Bones lets out an exasperated sigh. “Micah, don’t antagonize her. She’s upset enough as it is.”
Micah snickers. “Yeah, I see that. You having your Sapie girl time of the month or something?”
That does it.
I break free from Bones’ grip and fly at Micah, knocking him to the ground. I manage to get two good punches in before I’m forcefully lifted off him and carried, kicking and screaming, several yards away.
“Go!” Bones shouts at the others. “Give us some space. I’ll take care of this.” He unceremoniously dumps me on a patch of dewy grass. I sit up and glare in Micah’s direction.
Micah bounces to his feet and rubs his jaw. His amber eyes narrow into hateful slits as he brushes off his jeans. “Good idea, Bones. Why don’t you go put a leash on that Sapie bitch of yours? We got enough problems without her—”
“GO!” Bones roars, kneeling beside me on the grass. Micah, Alik, and Khalil retreat into the shadows, but I can still hear Micah’s complaining voice for several irritating minutes.
When they’re finally gone, Bones looks down on me with affectionate concern. “Lucky, love. What’s gotten into you? Why are you attacking them? It’s not their fault—”
“I can’t believe he’s dead,” I whisper, staring vacantly into the fields. I don’t know when the tears started to stream down my face, nor do I care. “I just can’t believe it. Not him. Not before we had a chance to—”
“Lucky, who said he was dead?” Bones asks, tilting my head towards his and running his fingers over my cheeks. “Alik said he was being held hostage. He’s not dead, at least not as of last night—”
I focus my eyes on him, barely able to believe the words coming from his mouth. “You mean…you mean…he’s alive?”
Bones nods, gently wrapping me in a cocoon. “That’s what Alik told us. If you would’ve let him speak instead of trying to kill him—”
I jump to my feet. “What did he say? Are you sure he’s not lying?”
Bones rises to his full height. “Why don’t you ask him yourself? Perhaps a bit nicer this time…”
I sigh and shrug in agreement. Bones lets out a short whistle and immediately the three guys reappear. “You put that crazy bitch in check?” Micah asks as he smugly swaggers forward. This time, I don’t have to react. Phasing instantly into a hellhound, Bones gives a ferocious growl and is on top of Micah faster than I can blink. Pinned beneath Bones’ knife-like claws, Micah’s face is a mask of terror…Bones can end him in less than a second, and he knows it. When Bones opens his razor-sharp jaws inches from Micah’s neck, and the venomous saliva drips onto his fragile skin, Micah holds up his hands in defeat.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, dude. I didn’t mean it. Don’t be so touchy.”
Bones lets out an angry bark right in his face, then slowly inches away. He shifts back, then kicks at the shredded jeans on the ground and gives Micah a final warning. “Never speak to her, or of her, like that ever again. If you do, it’ll be the last words that ever leave your mouth. Am I understood?”
Micah brushes his ivory locks behind a bronzed shoulder and glares. “Whatever, dude. Didn’t know you were both so sensitive.”
Part of me wishes Bones would just kill Micah and get it over with, but I’m more concerned with getting information from Alik. Will he tell me what I need to know after what I did to him?
Fortunately, Bones takes matters into his own hands. “Tell her everything,” he orders Alik.
Alik takes a cautious step forward, glancing back and forth between Bones and me. I muster up a half smile to show him I’m not angry anymore, and he has nothing to worry about. Alik gives me a wary look and takes a deep breath.
“Okay, where was I? I’ll just start over if that’s all right with you,” he says.
I nod curtly, biting my lip.
“Last night, as I told you, I was at my post at Kings Bridge. I thought I heard something, so I went to check it out. I got no more than a few feet when I landed on my back, as if I’d been dropped or thrown or shot out of a cannon somewhere. I wasn’t in Dryndara anymore, but was still in Thiberoux. It was the craziest thing. I didn’t know where I was exactly…”
Silent until now, Khalil, the oldest, and perhaps the wisest of us all, steps forward. “I believe whoever attacked him had a demon-witch working with them. Only they have the power to do something like that.”
“Yeah, well, like I said. At first I didn’t know where I was,” Alik continues. “So I started running, not knowing where I was running to. Before too long, I met up with a sentry who told me I was in Anthandu.”
“But that’s like five hundred miles from here! How is that even possible for you to be there in less than a second?” It’s not really my main concern at the moment, but I’ve never heard of such a phenomenon, so I can’t help but wonder if I can trust the words coming from Alik’s mouth.
“It takes a great deal of magical demonic power to do something like that, especially to creatures such as us. We aren’t the pliable playthings Sapies are,” Khalil interjects.
“Okay, so some bitch witch sends you to Never Never land. Then what? How did you find out about Kieron?” I feel dizzy, but electrified at the same time. As long as he’s not dead…If he’s still alive then there’s hope…
Alik makes himself comfortable on the fallen tree stump, still eyeing me with caution. “The sentry I met in Anthandu was kind enough to let me leave. From there I crossed over to the Lakast’s lands and ran across one of their leaders, a warrior-demon named Callux. I knew him from many, many years ago, before I came to stay in Dryndara. We fought together against the Light-angels the Comrean Wars.”
“He remembered you from three thousand years ago?” I ask, hoping there is a point to this.
He nods. “Like it was yesterday. Anyhow, he tells me where I am, and also that a band of Hlbafa had been through there not long before. They’d come to ask for reinforcements. They wanted to attack from one side, and have the Lakasts attack from the other. But of course the Lakasts refused, as they have no desire to fight their allies, and the Hlbafa’s problems were none of their concern.”
I can’t take it anymore. “Kieron. What did he say about Kieron?”
“Well, he didn’t mention him by name. But when Callux asked why they were invading Dryndara, they told him it was because they’d discovered their most prized hellhounds had been ambushed and killed. Blood and scents led them right back to Dryndara. They’d sent a shape-shifting spy in to track where the trail led and who the scents belonged to, and they figured out it was the three of you. I guess they got lucky and the spy picked up Kieron’s trail not long after. A team tracked and captured him when he was just outside Dryndara’s borders, ready to cross back over.”
My heart sinks into my gut, and I steady myself against Bones.
“What makes you think he’s still alive?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper. I can’t imagine Kieron not putting up a vicious fight. He’d rather die than be held captive.
“The Hlbafa told Callux they were keeping him as a prisoner. They only plan on killing the two of you, and whoever else gets in their way…Guess they just want Kieron as a hostage for fun. A sort of trophy. ”
Prisoner. Hostage. Trophy.
An ache permeates my body. I can’t even begin to imagine the cruel torture Kieron is being subjected to at the hands of the Hlbafa at this very moment. The unspeakable suffering he’s being forced to endure for their sadistic amusement.
“We have to find him! We have to save him!” I choke out desperately.
Beside me Bones stiffens, and Alik shifts his eyes away. Khalil looks taken aback by my suggestion and stares at me in shock. Micah just laughs.
“You got a mouse in your pocket, sweetheart? Who is thi
s ‘we’ you speak of?” Micah chuckles. It takes every ounce of my self-restraint not to lunge at him again and throw him through a boulder.
I turn to Bones. “We have to save him,” I repeat, with more force this time. Bones avoids my gaze, but Khalil steps forward.
“Impossible,” he says. “There is no way you can save him. It would take an army—”
“Then we raise an army—”
Micah’s loud guffaw cuts through the night. “You can’t be serious. Why would anyone care about rescuing your little half-blood boy-toy? He’s not even one of us!”
Bones and I both turn to him with deadly glares. But Micah shrugs, unfazed. “I can see my common sense isn’t wanted here. Bones, if you ever decide to ditch the crazy, let me know. I think I’m better off on my own if the Hlbafa are after the two of you. See ya.” And with that he instantly phases into an enormous white hellhound, lets out a snarling growl in our direction, and takes off running.
Good riddance assface.
I take a deep breath and turn to the others. “Will you help us?”
“Now wait a minute, Lucky. I never agreed to go after him—” Bones starts, holding one hand up.
“But he saved you. He saved your life that night! You would’ve died if it weren’t for him!”
“Well, now, that’s not exactly true. I was pretty bad off, I admit. But I wouldn’t have died. None of those hellhounds were pure demon. I would’ve recovered from my injuries eventually. Kieron just helped speed it along.”
“But—”
“—and it’s not exactly as if he was doing it to save me. He only did it to win favor with you.”
“But—”
“But nothing, Lucky. We have enough to worry about with the Hlbafa hunting party hot on our trail. The last thing we need to do is walk into the lion’s den waving around fresh meat.”
“So what are you saying? Are you saying you won’t help him?”
“I’m saying we have plenty of our own problems to worry about right now, and we don’t need to be looking for more.”
Forgetting about the others, I stare at Bones. It’s like I’ve never seen him before…like he’s some stranger. He’s never not stood by my side. He’s my strongest supporter and staunchest ally. I can’t save Kieron alone. There’s no way.