Blood Father (Blood Curse Series) (11 page)

Kagen’s entire body shook. He could hardly contain his hope. “You know our father, or you
knew
our father?”

Arielle nodded emphatically. “I
know
your father…I know Keitaro.”

Marquis staggered backward; Nathaniel swayed to the side; and Nachari placed an unsteady hand on Kagen’s arm, trying to maintain his own equilibrium. “Don’t lie to us,” the wizard whispered. His voice was thick with desperation.

Arielle shook her head. “I would never do such a thing. By all the ancestors, Keitaro has suffered like no other. He has waited hundreds of years for this day. And yet, he never thought it would come.
I
never thought it would come.”

The words made Kagen ecstatic, and then they made him queasy—
Keitaro has suffered like no other
—but he couldn’t let his mind go there. Not now. Not when they were so close to learning about their father’s whereabouts, perhaps even learning how to rescue him, after 480 years. “Who are you to Keitaro?” Kagen asked, unashamed of the raw emotion that surfaced in his voice.

Arielle’s eyes softened with compassion, and her voice intensified with sincerity. “I am the daughter of his heart.” She spoke proudly. “And he is the father of mine.”

Kagen and Nathaniel traded an intimate glance, in the way that only twins could, and the depth of emotion, their shared relief, was as palpable as the bond between them. Kagen could not believe their good fortune—what were the odds that the first person they met in Mhier would know Keitaro…and be his friend? Surely, the gods were with them.

Nachari took Arielle’s hand in his and squeezed it eagerly. “Tell us. Please. Tell us
everything
.”

Marquis finally gathered his composure. He glanced around the clearing and frowned. “Not here. Not now. We should retreat someplace safe.”

“Of course,” Arielle agreed, albeit reluctantly. “Yes.” She eyed a nearly concealed path just beyond the bank of the swamp, approaching a grove of trees. “The warriors in the Rebel Camp will not be happy to learn that there are new vampires in the land, and Thane’s men”—she shivered as she spoke the name—“well, needless to say, we need to avoid them at all costs.”

“Is there someplace we can go?” Nathaniel asked, hurriedly. It was clear that he was growing impatient.

Arielle glanced over her shoulder absently as if expecting to find someone there. “I suppose we could try to conceal ourselves in the Skeleton Swamps, but that’s—”

“Hell no!” Nachari interrupted. “I’m not going back in there.”

Marquis held up his hand to silence the wizard. “Anywhere else?”

“If we make it to the gorge, there are some very large rocks and boulders.”

“But it’s still not entirely safe?” Nathaniel asked.

Arielle nodded. “No place in Mhier is safe. Well…except…there is a small system of caves at the base of the Mystic Mountains. As far as we know, the lycans have no idea the caves are there. It should be safe
enough
for however long it takes.” She grimaced as she gave it further thought. “But the caves are a good eight hours away.”

Marquis considered her words carefully. “Flying is out,” he said, to no one in particular. “Too risky.”

Kagen knew exactly what the Ancient Master Warrior was referring to—invisibility was always tricky: While most vampires could render themselves invisible, it took a great deal of concentration to hold an additional object in an unseen state for a significant period of time…let alone another person. At best, the Silivasis might be able to cloak their packs and their munitions for a couple of minutes, over a couple of miles. Add Arielle to the mix, and the whole thing was an accident waiting to happen.

Marquis shrugged as if his mind was made up. “I guess we’re walking.”

“That’s fine,” Nachari said. “If it means being safe, it’s better to wait.”

All at once, Arielle began to turn a pale shade of blue. Her eyes grew dim, and her hands began to tremble at her sides. “
Oh gods
,” she muttered, frantically, “but we don’t have much time.”

“What do you mean?” Marquis asked.

“Today is already Wednesday,” Arielle explained. “On Sunday, your father may be killed in the arena.”

Kagen’s heart stopped beating in his chest.
Killed in the arena?
“What does that mean?”

To her credit, Arielle didn’t mince words. “King Thane scheduled a public execution in the arena—he intends to kill his wife while all the realm looks on. Your father is being used as an opening act for the games. He’ll be fighting Cain Armentieres, one of Thane’s alpha generals, but not in a fair match. I just know the king intends to see them both killed before it’s all over.”

Nathaniel sucked in a harsh, ragged breath, and Nachari rocked back on his heels.

Kagen grew eerily calm, yet something inside of him stirred, dangerously.

“How far away is this
arena
?” Marquis barked, practically spitting the last word.

“Two or three days’ travel, if you don’t run into any of Thane’s guards,” Arielle answered. She looked positively ill.

“We can get there much sooner if we have to,” Kagen insisted, no longer addressing the female warrior: Time was too critical, and he and his brothers needed to devise a plan…

Yesterday
.

“But not without a plan,” Marquis said gravely; clearly, they were on the same page. “Not without knowing all that Arielle knows first.” He leveled a brutally honest gaze at his brothers. “We may only have one chance to get this right, and only the gods know what kind of odds we are facing. We need to go to these caves, and we need to get there
now
.”

“We can make it in half the time if we jog…an hour if we run,” Nachari offered.

“Agreed,” Nathaniel said. He shared a knowing glance with Kagen, and his eyes heated with the intensity of his telepathic words:
This woman’s well-being and our father’s are intertwined.
While w
e must keep her safe at all costs
, we
have
much
to learn in a small amount of time
.

Kagen nodded, understanding the unspoken implication: There was no time for niceties.

He turned to face the clearly distraught human and smiled placidly to distract her. “Where are the caves, Arielle?”

She started to answer, but Kagen didn’t wait—he didn’t dare waste a single moment.

He burrowed into her mind and took the information, trying to be as gentle as possible. “I’ve got it,” he told his brothers, and then he met Arielle’s startled expression head-on. “Sleep, little one,” he commanded, and she fell into his arms.

“I’ll take the cache of ammo,” Marquis said gruffly.

“And I’ll take your pack with the blood, venom, and meds,” Nathaniel said. He slid the heavy pack off the warrior’s shoulders, even as Marquis reached down to heft the large chest of ammo and balance it on his back.

“I’ve got everything else,” Nachari chimed in, referring to the excess tents and bedrolls, which he quickly detached from the other packs and tethered to his own.

Kagen transferred Arielle’s bow to his left arm, adjusted his own pack, and hefted the slumbering woman, along with her quiver, over his remaining, dominant shoulder, shifting her into the most comfortable position possible. “I’m ready.”

“Lead the way,” Marquis barked.

And just like that, Kagen Silivasi and his brothers began to jog with their heavy burdens in tow…and then, they began to sprint.

As they became nothing more than a coursing blur, blazing across the landscape, an
impression
of light, sound, and speed, Kagen couldn’t help but think about the sudden turn of events: the incredible good fortune and the imminent, unspeakable threat.

And all the while, Arielle slept…

Peacefully.

Unknowing.

The cornered queen in a high-stakes game of chess.

She was like a captive bird in the healer’s hands, a rare, invaluable treasure, and Kagen Silivasi had no intention of letting the native Mhieridian go.

Arielle struggled to contain her emotions, to conceal her mounting fear, and to process all the vampires had told her,
and done to her
, thus far. On one hand, this was more than she had ever hoped for, the first real opportunity to help Keitaro Silivasi significantly—in fact, a real chance to save him from his endless captivity and torture—but on the other hand, the fearsome creatures had put her to sleep without her permission, carried her to the cave as if she were nothing more than a sack of potatoes, and now, they were asking things of her that left her quaking in her boots.

An offering of her blood, for starters.

She drew the blanket Nachari had given her more tightly around her shoulders, scooted closer to the crackling fire, situated at the cave’s center, for warmth—and just how had the healer started it with his hand, anyhow?—and she tried to quiet her mind. The healer—
K
agen
—had explained that the blood exchange was necessary: The brothers could use it to track her at will if the need arose. In other words, no matter where she went in Mhier, they could find her as long as they had taken her blood.

Arielle wasn’t sure if that fact was reassuring or terrifying. They were Keitaro’s sons, after all, and this gave her more than just a small measure of comfort: Keitaro would not have raised a male without nobility at his core, yet a supernatural creature was a supernatural creature; and Arielle knew all too well what males could do when their power remained unchecked. No parents could ensure that their offspring never made a wrong choice or went down an errant path, no matter how well they were raised.

“Are you okay?” Kagen’s silky voice interrupted her thoughts. He seemed to be the one taking the lead most of the time, and it only made sense, in a way. Considering that both she and Kagen were healers, they had a natural connection, a host of things in common outside of their love for Keitaro.

And that last truth was self-evident, the fact that all of Keitaro’s sons clearly revered him, that they were practically desperate to get him back.

“I’m fine,” she answered meekly, turning her attention back to the vampires’ second enormous request: They wanted to read her memories, every last one, starting from the day she was born. As the healer had explained, there was just too much information in her head to garner it all in a day. There were things that might be important, things that might get overlooked, and there were details that a human might not think to relay—scents, impressions, background information—things that might prove invaluable in a critical moment. And every moment from this point forward was as critical as critical could be. In short, they wanted to know everything there was to know about the lycans, everything there was to know about Mhier, and everything Arielle knew about Keitaro. And they wanted to know it all
right now
.

Since Arielle’s mind was a ripe treasure chest full of more information than they could ever hope to obtain by listening to her stories or her firsthand accounts, they expected her to share the booty, without hesitation.

Arielle sighed, feeling as lost as she was overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, there was a lot more in her mind than memories of the realm and Keitaro: There were feelings about her father, Ryder, the one who had never loved her or claimed her. There were Walker’s embarrassing advances and her own girlish hopes and dreams. She wasn’t sure just how much they could take from her psyche, but she figured if she had once thought it, wished it, or dreamed it, it would surely be there. Open to their perusal.

“Is it the blood…or the memories?” Kagen asked, his soft voice washing over her skin like a gentle ray of sunshine.
Bless the
A
ncient
O
nes
; these vampires were too powerful for their own good. And Kagen, he had a way about him that was especially dangerous, particularly to the female persuasion. The way all that rugged brown hair hung loose about his eyes, the way he modulated his voice to make sure it seeped beneath one’s skin, and the way he flirted, however unintentionally, with his eyes and his gestures, that powerful, masculine frame; all of it was deadly. And Arielle had no doubt that he used
all
his assets on purpose.

“The blood.” She led with the scariest proposition first. “It won’t hurt, right?”

“And even if it did?” Marquis cut in from across the fire. The huge, surly vampire was quickly growing impatient, and although he scared the wits right out of her, Arielle couldn’t help but feel compassion for his situation. After all, Marquis was exactly as Keitaro had described him, and that made his rough demeanor a little easier to take.

“Of course, I would endure pain for Keitaro,” Arielle said, understanding the Ancient Master Warrior’s true question. “I’m just trying to understand—”

Kagen waved his hand through the air to silence her, and then he leveled a heated gaze at Marquis. “You don’t have to answer every question, just because he asks.” He winked at her, and her stomach did an odd little flip.

“Of course she does,” Marquis grumbled. And then, blessedly, he turned his attention back to a map of Mhier and the side-conversation he was having with Nathaniel.

Kagen appraised her thoughtfully. “So if it isn’t the blood, then it’s the memories. The intimate nature of your thoughts.”

Arielle felt abominable.

Selfish.

Beyond reprehensible.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Kagen shrugged and rotated his hands, turning both palms up in a gesture of forbearance. “Feelings aren’t necessarily right or wrong, sweeting. They simply are.” He smiled, a gentle, reassuring grin. “But it’s what we choose to do with them that defines our character.”

She groaned, feeling even worse, and he reached out and took her hand, rotating his thumb in soft but firm caresses over the inside of her wrist. Over her pulse and her median vein.

“Stop,” she whispered in a rush, pulling her hand away. “You’re using your powers to influence me.”

“I am,” Kagen admitted, unapologetically. He leaned in closer and held her gaze in an unblinking stare. “Arielle, you must know that we are trying to approach this situation with as much diplomacy as possible…
for your sake
.” He looked off into the distance before returning to her eyes. “That we don’t wish to cause you pain or discomfort…
or fear
. But that these questions have already been answered.” He sighed, as if the words weighed heavily on his shoulders. “Your permission is a formality, beautiful warrior.
Keitaro is our father
. We would oppose the gods themselves to save him, and we will leave no stone unturned in our attempt. We may only get one try.” He paused to modulate his voice, to try to make it softer. “Tell me then, how can we make the taking of your blood
and your memories
easier on you? Since it really isn’t a question as to whether or not it will happen.”

Marquis looked up from the map, measured the two of them, and then nodded his head in approval. And didn’t that just make Arielle feel like jumping up and running. She chose to muster her courage instead. “Which one of you has the most experience?” she asked, getting straight to the point. “I mean with each one.”

Kagen’s perfectly arched brows shot up, and a sly smile crossed his sultry mouth. “Mmm, well, when it comes to
feeding
, taking blood”—he corrected himself—“we are Vampyr, sweeting, so all of us have a wealth of experience. I assure you, you won’t experience any discomfort. If anything, you may experience a slight euphoria.”

Arielle eyed him sideways and grimaced, clutching the blanket more closely to her chest. That was the last thing she wanted: to experience a
slight
euphoria
while one of Keitaro’s sons had their fangs lodged in her neck. She had no desire to act a fool or a besotted dolt in front of these powerful creatures. She nervously licked her lips and shuddered. “And taking memories?”

“It’s painless, Arielle. We don’t even need to touch you.” He leaned in a little bit closer. “Although, considering that we wish to…procure them all…it would probably be more expedient, easier for the one who takes your blood, to absorb your memories as well, at the same time. Whoever takes them can share them with the others, so you only have to experience it once.”

Arielle nodded with understanding. “And all of you are equal at doing this?”

Kagen appeared to consider her words carefully. “No, not really.” He seemed to be searching for just the right way to explain things. “I am a healer, so I can enter your mind with more precision—and more speed—than most, but Nachari is a wizard. He is not only adept at absorbing one’s thoughts, but he is expertly trained in all matters of the mind, in manipulation. He can retract memories or implant them. He can read the finest nuances of
thought
as well as the soul of the one he is reading, so that his
work
is a masterpiece of both pragmatic skill and intuition. I would say Nachari is our most advanced practitioner.”

The Master Wizard looked up from his lone perch, cattycorner from Kagen and Arielle, and smiled that warm, breathtaking grin of his, and Arielle’s mind was immediately placed at ease. “Nachari then,” she said, deciding to just hurry up and get it over with. “The sooner this is behind us, the sooner you can all begin to ask your many questions.”

“Very well,” Kagen said, rising gracefully from his seat on the cave floor, almost as if his body didn’t rise at all, but unfolded in an upward, fluid motion. “Wizard,” he called, glancing at Nachari and nodding.

Nachari rose with the same graceful ease and poise, and as he padded across the cave, approaching them from behind, his soft gait had the unmistakable stealth of a wildcat about it.

Kagen quickly stepped aside, and Nachari closed the distance, sidling up to Arielle’s back, dropping into an effortless crouch behind her, and immediately encircling her shoulders with one large arm. “Be at ease, sister,” he whispered in her ear, at once imparting her with both peace and tranquility. He tightened his hold on her shoulders and ran the backs of his fingers along the nape of her neck, just below her hairline, as if he had done it a thousand times before.

Despite the fact that she hated to lose control, Arielle felt her lashes flutter, her eyelids grow heavy, and her muscles begin to relax, even as her body sank back against his. “Nachari,” she whispered in alarm, afraid of what was happening.

“Shh,” he whispered dreamily, continuing to stroke her neck. “Lean into me and just…let…go.”

Arielle, indeed, felt euphoric, and he hadn’t even pierced her skin yet. His warm presence, his hypnotic voice—even his powerful stature—somehow commanded submission and coaxed trust. She moaned softly as he drew his fangs along her jugular, and her breathing grew shallow the moment he nicked the outer layer of her skin.

And that’s when Kagen growled.

Not like a brother.

Not like a healer.

Not like a vampire simply clearing his throat—if that’s what vampires did—but like a wild, hungry animal defending a piece of raw meat.

Through the corner of her hooded eyes, Arielle watched as Kagen’s supple lips grew taut and retracted from his gums, as they drew back to expose a lethal set of elongating fangs. His eyes burned suddenly crimson, and his skin seemed to practically glow with ferocity.

Nachari froze in mid-bite.

“Healer?” Marquis’s voice resounded from across the cave. “What are you doing?”

Kagen snarled, and he dropped into a low crouch, almost as if he were about to pounce—
on
Nachari
.

Nathaniel flew to his feet. “Whoa there, Dr. J.
What the hell
?
”

Kagen’s head tilted slowly to the side, and the motion was eerily serpentine in nature. His lips twitched in feral spasms, and he had trouble forming his next word: “
Mine
.
” He spoke in a harsh, guttural rasp.

“Excuse me?” Nathaniel said softly, his tone a measured, even drawl.

Kagen rocked on his heels, the powerful muscles in his thighs flexing with the desire to spring forward, and by the savage look on his face, it was evident that the vampire was beyond reasoning or control.

Nathaniel caught the healer just as he pounced.

He wrapped him up in midair, locked his muscular arms tightly around his chest, and jerked him away from Nachari, just before his fangs could sink home. “Get a hold of yourself, Kagen!” Nathaniel shouted. His voice was no longer gentle.

The tussle that ensued was monstrous to put it mildly.

The vampires somersaulted across the cave. They slammed into an adjacent stony wall, kicking up dirt, rock, and gravel in their wake, and the mountain beneath them began to groan. They snarled, bit, and traded punches, the unholy blows far more violent than any human could have ever endured.

Finally, Marquis stood up, took one hard look at the twins rolling around on the cave floor like feral animals, and barked an imperious command. “Nachari! Back away from Arielle.”

Nachari immediately released her and teleported to the back of the cave, his enigmatic green eyes bulging in their sockets as he watched the scene unfold with horrified shock and disbelief.

“Kagen!” Marquis barked next. “
Look
. He’s gone.
He let her go
.”

The healer looked up, glancing beyond his twin’s shoulder, and he seemed momentarily disoriented and confused, at an utter loss as to what was happening, or what he intended to do next.

“He’s gone,” Marquis repeated, rolling his angry eyes in disgust.

Kagen stumbled to his feet. He stared at the empty space where Nachari had just been, then across the cave at Marquis, as if for confirmation.

“By all means,” the Ancient Master Warrior snarled, “you may be the one to do it.”

Arielle recoiled. She turned on her heels and started to run, not at all sure where she was going.

Nachari looked utterly exasperated as his pleading eyes met hers. “Don’t run, Arielle,” he called after her. “You’ll only make it worse.”

Kagen stepped swiftly to the side, blocking her retreat with his formidable body, and in that rare, pregnant moment, Arielle knew that the instinct that drove him was not hunger or the need to save his father, but a fierce, animalistic need to undo whatever Nachari had done.