Bound By Vengeance Read online

  As if sensing his stare, her eyes opened and he was stuck once again by her strikingly vivid turquoise irises. The slowly swirling colors of the luceria around her neck matched perfectly. It was clear now which color she would claim as her title.

  The Turquoise Lady.

  Dakota stared at him in silence. Whether she realized it was dark now, he wasn’t sure. She seemed content to lie here a bit longer, and he couldn’t find the willpower to suggest otherwise.

  “This is it,” she finally said. “Our last chance to find my brother’s killer.”

  He nodded. “We will.”

  She smoothed his hair behind his shoulder, then her hand settled on his skin casually, as if she’d been touching him like that for years. “I’ve wanted this for so long, and now, with your help, I feel like it might actually happen.”

  “I’ll do everything in my power to see that you get what you want.”

  She held up her hand and pale sparks of electricity sparked between her fingers. “So will I. It’s nice to have power for a change.”

  “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “I won’t do anything stupid. I want to live long enough to see my mom and dad happy again. I know they’ll never fully heal—none of us will—but maybe if they know that that thing isn’t roaming the earth, they’ll find some peace.”

  Liam had lived long enough to see many shades of grief, and there were none so dark as a parent mourning the death of a child. He didn’t want her to get her hopes up too high, but at the same time, he couldn’t stand to crush them. “Give them time. They need that more than anything right now.”

  “I will, but I’m also going to give them vengeance.” Her lip turned up at the word and he felt her go cold inside.

  “That’s what you need. Don’t expect it to do for them what it will for you.” Assuming it did any good at all. There was no guarantee it would, but he felt how desperately she needed to hold onto her goal.

  “I know there are no guarantees,” she said, shocking him that she’d heard his thoughts so clearly. “I’m not asking for any. All I need is for you to stick to our bargain.”

  “I will. I’m not backing out on you, not even if I could.”

  She sat up, distancing herself from him. “We should get moving. I’m going to take a quick shower.”

  Liam tentatively poked at her thoughts, but she’d shut herself off, closing up in a way she’d never done before. He wasn’t even aware that she knew such a thing was possible.

  Apparently Dakota was a fast learner.

  She wrapped a sheet around her naked body and headed for the bathroom.

  He let her go. She was still grieving for her brother and missing her parents. She was scared about what would happen tonight, with good reason. And right before she’d pushed him away, he’d sensed some conflicted feelings about what they’d shared earlier. He hoped like hell she wasn’t regretting it.

  Chapter Eight

  Dakota did not have casual sex. Not that she could call what they’d done casual. It had been anything but. She didn’t know Liam enough to be sleeping with him, and yet if he’d followed her into the shower, she was certain she would take him again.

  Her head thumped against the pink tile of the shower wall. Everything was so messed up.

  For so long, all she’d thought about was hunting down that demon, and now that she was closer than ever to doing so, something else occurred to her. What would she do next? What would get her up in the morning? What would she think about while lying awake at night?

  Mom and Dad blamed her. She blamed herself. She could kill that demon fifty times over and that wouldn’t change. Would the rest of her life be spent as one big, long guiltfest?

  She couldn’t stand that. Killing this demon had to make it go away, or she wouldn’t survive.

  But if she didn’t kill the demon, then she’d have something to think about until the next new moon, something to plan for. Something to live for.

  No. That wasn’t fair. Not to Daren or to any of the other people the beast had doubtlessly killed. She had to stay true to herself and do what needed to be done.

  Maybe once the demon was dead, Mom and Dad would come home again, face her again. They could be a family, albeit a broken one. Killing the demon was the only way she could think to make that happen.

  Her mind made up, Dakota showered, dressed and went downstairs to find Liam at the stove, scrambling eggs. His hair was wet and his jaw was cleanly shaven. Tight jeans hugged his thighs, and a snug T-shirt showed off the width of his shoulders.

  The mere sight of him made her body clench with need. Vivid images of his hands on her, of him moving over her flashed in her mind, one after another until she was shaking and weak-kneed.

  He was more man than she could handle. Her reaction to simply seeing again him was proof of that.

  He turned abruptly, a frown of concern wrinkling his brow. “You okay?”

  Dakota slid into a nearby chair rather than give away her weakness. “Fine. Just hungry.”

  Liam stared at her for a moment, and she felt a slight pressure behind her eyes. She didn’t know how she knew, but it was him doing the pushing.

  “You’re still keeping me out,” he said as if it irritated him.

  “You were in me plenty just a few hours ago.”

  His smile was wicked. “Hardly something I’d forget. But I meant up here.” He touched her temple. “You were an open book until you woke up. Now you’re all closed off.”

  “There’s this thing called privacy. You should try it sometime.”

  “That privacy could get us both killed.” He dished up two plates of eggs and slid one in front of her. “I’m not asking for your ATM PIN or anything. But when we go into battle, we’ll be a lot safer if we keep the lines of communication open.”

  Battle. The thought terrified her, making her hands shake until she was unable to pick up her fork.

  Liam covered her hand, his warmth shocking against the cold clamminess of her fingers. “You don’t have to go. Stay here where it’s safe or wait for me at Dabyr. Let me do this for you.”

  She was tempted. It would be so much easier to sit back and let him do all the work. He was good at it. Much better than she could ever be. And the thought of facing those creatures again made her feel weak and helpless, which she hated. “I can’t let you do that. I need to see this through. I need to do this for my parents. For myself.”

  He looked right into her eyes, so confident and steady. There was no shakiness about him, no hesitation or anxiety. “I’ve done this before. I know what it takes to stay alive. Either we do this my way, or you find someone else to help you.”

  “I thought you wanted this. I thought you wanted to kill this demon so that I couldn’t leave you.”

  “I do. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. Except your safety. I’d rather see you alive and well with another man than dead.” His voice was rough and strained, as if uttering the words had cost him something.

  Instinctively, she reached for him, opening the connection she’d clamped shut only a moment ago. He felt worry, fear. But not for his own safety. For hers. He really was more concerned for her than he was for himself.

  Her breathing slowed to match his. Her frantic heartbeat steadied. Confidence flowed into her, stemming from Liam’s belief that she could do what needed to be done.

  No one had ever believed in her the way he did. Not even she had that much faith in herself. He didn’t see her as the family screw-up or as some wounded bird that needed to be saved. To him, she was the savior. It was empowering and humbling all at the same time. And while it lifted her up and made her feel powerful, it was also a huge responsibility.

  “You can do this,” he told her, confidence ringing in his voice.

  She still wasn’t sure, but tied to him like this—borrowing his belief in her—she could almost believe she was some kind of magical goddess.

  “That’s right,” he said, stroking her hand. “K
eep yourself open just like that and your brother’s killer will be dead before sunrise.”

  There wasn’t much time left. Liam could see the swirling colors in his ring slowing and solidifying more with each passing moment. If they didn’t find and kill the demon in the next few hours, his life would end within a few days of Dakota leaving his side.

  Since they’d left the Gerai house, she’d done as he’d asked and kept her mind completely open to him. He could see the luminescent trail to the demon through her eyes. She hadn’t even needed to tell him which way to go—at least not with words.

  Her trust was humbling, but the speed at which the conduit between them was expanding was worrisome. There was no way to tell how far away the demon was, or if they’d even be able to reach it tonight. While his intellect told him to close himself off to help slow the process, his instincts told a different story. Not only did she need him right now to keep her nerves steady, this closeness they shared was like a drug. The more he had, the more he wanted.

  She was so beautiful inside. There was a warmth to her that she hid, a light she tried not to let shine. Maybe her brother’s death had laid a shadow of grief over her, or maybe she’d never let that part of her show. He wasn’t sure, but what he did know was he liked basking in that light and warmth. Snuggled inside her thoughts the way he was felt . . . right.

  She drove away the aching loneliness that had plagued him for as long as he could remember.

  Her hand settled on his thigh as if to give comfort. Even with their impending battle and his life at stake in more ways than one, her touch still had the power to ignite him.

  Memories of their bodies moving together assaulted him, and he had to grip the steering wheel tighter to stop himself from pulling over to taste her one more time.

  Down that path lay his certain death. But what a way to go.

  Dakota cleared her throat and pulled her hand away, shoving her fingers under her thighs. “We are so not doing that,” she said, though the wavering in her voice made it sound more like a question.

  “No. We’re not. Demons to kill.”

  He saw the shudder of fear run through her at the same time he felt it flowing through their link. “Right. Demons.”

  “You’ll be fine. You’re a mighty, magical goddess, remember?”

  Liam cleared a hilltop and through Dakota he could see the trail leading to the south.

  “It’s leading back toward home,” she said.

  “Makes sense the demon would have a nest nearby. The question is how near.”

  “No, the question is how many of these things are living close to my parents’ place.”

  “I’ll make sure the nest is cleared out. We won’t leave any behind.”

  The trail led to an abandoned farmhouse that had collapsed under the strain of age. The stone walls were still standing, but the roof had sagged in and the porch had fallen sideways. Winter dead weeds choked the structure, but there was a clear path of trampled vegetation and earth heading toward the back. The luminescent trail followed that path.

  He parked the truck at the road, positioning it so it would be easy to flee if they needed to get away. He left the keys in the ignition in case she needed to run, and then he turned in his seat. “You can stay here. Get behind the wheel and leave if you’re in danger.”

  She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “No. Magical goddesses don’t cower.”

  “I suppose they don’t.” He took her hand in his. She was so delicate, so vulnerable. He wasn’t sure how his Theronai brothers took women they cared about into battle, but they’d been doing it for years. He had to find a way to do it, as well.

  Liam pulled in a deep breath. “Stay close. If I tell you to do something, do it. Seconds count and there may not be time for questions.”

  She nodded.

  “If things go bad, run. Call for help.” He pulled his cell phone out and showed her the number for Dabyr. Someone was always there to answer the phone and could send help. He set his phone on the dash. “Don’t wait on me. Take the truck and drive. I’ll be fine on my own.”

  “And if you’re not?”

  “I’ll be fine or I’ll be dead. Either way, you can’t help me. Promise me you’ll run.”

  “I’m not a fan of this worst case scenario talk.”

  “I understand, but it’s important that you have a plan just in case. Hesitation is not your friend.”

  “I got it. Let’s just get this over with.”

  Now Liam was the one hesitating. He didn’t want to drag her into danger.

  “I’ll be careful,” she assured him.

  Her words worked, not so much because he believed her, but because she was tied to him close enough that she felt his concern. That meant she was also going to hear him if he needed her to run.

  It was as good as it was going to get, given the situation.

  Liam handed her a long leather coat that had been imbued with protective magic, as well as a clear plastic face shield. “Some fluids the demons produce are poisonous.”

  “And all of them are icky.” She positioned the shield over her face. “Do you have a spare flashlight?”

  “You won’t need it. Channel a bit of my power toward your eyes and you’ll be able to see in the—”

  She reacted faster than he could tell her how to do it. “Whoa. Cool trick.”

  “Stay behind me and keep an eye out behind you. If you see something, let me know.”

  She pulled the too-big coat on and rolled up the sleeves to bare her hands, then positioned her face shield in place. Liam did the same with his.

  They were as ready as they were going to get.

  Liam headed behind the house and found stairs leading down to a cellar. The wooden doors were flung open and mostly rotted away. A heavy stench of musty animals and decaying meat hung in the air.

  Liam drew his sword and headed down the stairs.

  Chapter Nine

  Dakota tried not to be afraid. Tried and failed miserably. Her whole body was shaking, and the only thing keeping her moving now was the memory of Daren being dragged off in the jaws of that demon.

  Tonight she’d get payback and maybe earn the right for forgiveness.

  The stone steps were littered with fur, small bones and dead leaves matted in little clumps. Liam’s broad back was right in front of her, reassuring her with his strength. Touching his mind was easy now, and she did so, seeking out that solid, confident part of him that knew they would come through this alive.

  The faint trail of light became narrower as it seeped down the steps and curved out of sight. She was so focused on where it led that she didn’t see a demon lurching from their left.

  Liam’s body shifted fluidly, putting himself in front of her before she even had time to suck in a breath to scream.

  A clawed, furry paw the size of her hand flew past her head, smacking the wall beside her with a wet thump. She flinched away from the severed appendage. Below, in the darkness, several glowing green points of light winked on. Demon eyes.

  Dakota adjusted her vision the way Liam had told her, peering into the thick, heavy darkness of the cellar. The place lit up as if someone had flipped on a switch. She could see the remnants of wood shelving and shattered canning jars cluttering the floor among the leaves and refuse. The room was large, and off to one side, a rough tunnel about three feet in diameter had been dug into the earth.

  Lying in front of that tunnel was the demon she’d been hunting—the one that had killed her brother. The luminous trail led right to it, clear and unmistakable.

  The demon was wounded. Black blood oozed from its side. A pile of small, young demons were feeding from it, tearing off chunks of flesh as it weakly tried to bat them away.

  Its eyes weren’t glowing the way the other demons’ did. On some level, she knew it was dying. But it wasn’t dead yet, and she was going to have the satisfaction of killing it herself.

  She pulled Liam’s power into her, feeling it fill her up. S
parks gathered between her fingers and lifted her hair from her scalp. She let the charge build, reveling in the anticipation of finally getting to put this creature to death.

  A sudden movement from her left snagged her attention. Liam was over there, fighting off a trio of Synestryn. Confidence radiated out from him, telling her that he didn’t need her help.

  Except he hadn’t yet seen the demon trying to slide up behind him.

  Dakota turned and let the power she’d collected fly out of her, right into the sneaky fucker. Blue-white streaks of light sank into its body, then branched out from its paws, into the ground. The thing let out a hissing screech as its muscles locked up.

  Liam swung his heavy blade in a large arc, and the last demon fighting him fell. She saw his intent to strike at the electrified demon in his thoughts. Immediately, she let go of the power flowing through her so she didn’t electrocute Liam.

  Two long steps to his side and one more slice left the electrified demon in two twitching pieces.

  Dakota stared at it in shock for a moment. She’d helped do that. She’d helped kill a vile creature that was capable of destroying entire families.

  And she wanted to do it again.

  She turned her attention back to the reason she was here—the demon that had murdered her brother. The little demons were no longer feeding from it. The trail of light leading to it was gone. Its eyes were open and fixed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

  The demon was dead and she hadn’t even had the satisfaction of killing it.

  Rage detonated inside of her, forcing a scream of outrage from her lungs. That was her demon to kill. Hers.

  Dakota ripped more power from Liam—more than she’d ever held before. Her body vibrated with the strain of it. Pain shot through her as though someone were trying to tear apart her muscle fibers one at a time. She didn’t care. The pain was nothing compared to her sense of failure and loss. She let the rage coalesce as the power grew within her. Her vision began to shrink, and she knew she’s pushed too far.

  Dakota let go and sent a bolt of lightning slamming into the corpse. It vaporized into black mist, clogging the air with its foulness.