CHAPTER 14

Pain exploded as Rune snapped his head to one side. The Ra'Voshnik surfaced in a rush, bleeding through his gaze. She wants us,it purred, the creature's excitement thrumming through his mind. It urged him to pin her beneath him, certain she would offer him her throat once he asserted dominance over her. The violence of her actions only fed into its desires.

Be silent. Rune dragged the Ra'Voshnik into the recesses of his mind, as the fiery minx swung the candlestick. Rune caught it by its base, ripping it from her hands and throwing it behind him. The metal clattered as it tumbled down the hall.

The hot-tempered harpy broke through his shield with little effort as waves of unharnessed power radiated off her. He searched her body for another piece of jewelry that would display her shard, while dodging her inept attempts to strike him. When he found her bare, he demanded, "What game are you playing? Where is your shard?"

"Kill me!" She hit at him blindly, following him each time he stepped out of reach. New tears fell from her red, puffy eyes. Seeing her like this twisted something unfamiliar in his chest. The Ra'Voshnik echoed the sentiment, wanting to take her in his arms and comfort her.

Rune ignored the urgings. She toyed with him during their dreams. Her Familiar lover attacked him. And now she incessantly wailed to join her lover in death. If he wanted the petite blonde dead, he would have liberated her head from her body.

"Kill me!" She shrieked, flailing at him.

Rune phased partially, becoming incorporeal as her fist passed through him. It was painfully evident his so-called mate received no combat training. She lacked any evidence of being raised within a dark court.

She could be from a lesser family. It occurred rarely, but she may even have been born in a day-blood court. So many details were wrong. The rags she wore screamed peasant. Her hair was an unkept tangled mess. This unsophisticated female could not possibly be what fate chose for him.

Darkness, if this was some elaborate hoax contrived for the Familiar King's amusement, Rune would have several choice words for him. Catching her wrists in one hand, he grated, "Calm yourself. I know you carry a shard of Darkness. What court do you belong to?"

"I don't have a shard!" She raised her knee.

Her movements were no match for his reflexes, and Rune caught it before she could land the debilitating blow. "That was unkind of you."

His minx straightened her leg, struggling against his hold. When she couldn't break free, she stood on her toes, leaning up as far as she could. "Kill me before I kill you!"

She promptly bit down on his hand with enough force to draw blood. The Ra'Voshnik snapped his hold.Pin her and take her throat. Show her who will master her.

This is not foreplay. She is not trying to fuck you.It growled in disagreement and whispered through his mind, growing aroused.

Rune released her, pulling his hand away from her mouth.

"Kill me!" She sobbed, swinging and scratching at him. "What are you waiting for?"

Rune cursed in High Tongue, avoiding her attacks. The minx would end up hurting herself at this rate. He whipped a lash of power at her mind. A mental attack meant to knock her unconscious. When she remained upright, he blinked before striking again harder.

He couldn't touch her mind or cut himself free of her mental tether earlier in the day. While concerning, he had more pressing issues at hand. He would have snapped her neck and waited for her to regenerate if she were immortal. He couldn't be certain she'd aged into her immortality. A risk he wouldn't take with his life in the balance.

Rune phased behind her and moved in a blur, sliding his arm beneath her chin. He tucked her windpipe in the crook of his elbow and gripped his bicep, pushing her head forward with his other hand. He squeezed as she struggled, clawing at him.

Her nails raked over the material of his jacket as the moments ticked by. She would be unconscious soon. Rune narrowed his eyes at the sound of cloth tearing and sucked in a breath as razor-sharp claws dug into his forearm.

Rune held fast, counting his heartbeats.

One.

She raked her claws across his arm. By the white-hot lick of pain that followed, he was sure she'd cut to bone.

Two.

Her struggles slowed, growing sluggish.

Three.

Pain tore through his chest as his arms were forced apart. She fell to her hands and knees, a pair of iridescent reptilian wings sweeping around her. They ripped through her robe and his suit, leaving deep gouges across his chest.

She stood and lunged at him, swiping at him with her claws.

Rune leapt back narrowly avoiding her swing. "Calm yourself, harpy."

His words didn't reach the woman. She kept going.

He reached for Sadi's mind.I need your assistance. Wrap yourself in a sight shield.

Rune felt Sadi phase into Hell a moment later.What are you doing?

Distracting her. Can you slip beneath her shields and knock her unconscious?Rune recalled the candle holder and tossed it to the minx. "Care for another swing?"

She caught it and bared her teeth running toward him. Rune dodged her blows as she struck the gray stone wall. Black swirling mist exploded, raining dust and pebbles over her.

Rune's mouth went slack at the decent-sized hole she left in his wall, one she seemingly didn't notice. Perhaps returning her toy was a poor decision. He phased, avoiding her next swing.

I can't get past her shields.Sadi's panicked voice called through his mind.

Before he decided his next move the harpy swayed on her feet. Her wings darkened until they became swirling black mist holding the shape of her wings. It thinned and dissipated, fading from sight. Rune narrowed his eyes at her transformation and lurched forward to catch her as she fell.

Revulsion etched over her dainty features as she glared up at him. A snake coiled ready to strike. "What did you do to me?"

What did he do to her?A bitter grin spread over his lips.She poached him with her lover and played offended.Rune lifted her into his arms and phased to the room adjoining his. The spiteful creature in his arms clawed to consciousness, returning his gaze with her own seething glare. "I did nothing to you."

Her lids slid closed even as she demanded in a hushed whisper, "Kill me."

Rune cradled her to his chest as her breaths became deep and even. It made him feel mad that he found touching her pleasing. He even had an errant urge to brush the hair from her face and tuck her under the blankets. Rune exhaled. This wasn't fate. This was a spell. One geared to cause him to feel affection to the very thing that would kill him. This was a brilliant spell, he decided.

He brushed his mind against hers, determined to break the tie binding them and be done with her. Rune cursed in High Tongue. The same damned mental shielding barricaded her mind— As she slept. He gently lowered her to the bed, hating he pulled the blankets over her before he'd made a conscious decision to do so.

Thinning his lips, Rune forcibly dragged himself from his captive.

"You're injured." Sadi splayed her hands over his chest.

Heat spread over the wound tingling as his flesh knit together. When his court was whole, Sadi served as their healer, seeing to their wounds and injuries after wars and skirmishes.

"I am well." Rune remained still as Sadi moved her hands lower, mending one arm then the other.

"She attacked you." Not a question. Sadi fingered the tattered remains of his suit. A fierceness crossing her features, a glimmering promise of violence reflected in her midnight eyes.

Rune shrugged, "She believes I killed her lover."

"I'm going to kill her lover in front of her," Sadi said, turning toward the bed and stopping short. After a moment she approached the sleeping minx, leaning in close and poking her cheek. Rune canted his head as she inhaled deeply over the minx's mouth.

Sadi straightened, turned to Rune, and asked, "Why does she have my face?"

By the sound of it, she was deeply offended that she and the minx could be twins. "I do not know." Rune kept the laughter from his voice lest he invite Familiar steel between his ribs. "I am unable to breach her mental defenses. Is it Familiar magic?"

Sadi moved to the peasant's bedside and pushed her hair to one side, before turning to Rune. "You won't win her by letting her believe you killed her lover."

"I have no want for a female that toys with men for sport."

"Rune, she's yours," she said.