Kiss of a Demon King (28 page)

44

H
er fucking heart had stopped…she’d almost died.
He’d never forget how he’d felt when he’d heard that first dogged beat as her heart struggled on.

He sat with his back against the headboard, squeezing her in his arms, rocking her as they both sweated from pain. When she moaned, he murmured, “I’m with you, baby. I’m with you.”

Whenever he touched her skin, he felt eviscerating pain, so he continually smoothed his palm over her forehead and face, hoping to draw it from her.

Her bloody coughing had subsided, but he sensed this was in no way over. He was grappling to keep the rage reined in so he could take care of her.

A storm had descended on them, with lightning streaking all around the house, thunder rattling the glass doors. With each lightning bolt, Sabine’s face looked even more deathly pale.

When Cadeon squired Nïx into the bedroom half an hour later, the Valkyrie’s gaze flickered over Rydstrom’s face, as if gauging his sanity. His horns were straight, and he knew his eyes were black, but he was holding on.

“What is going on here?” she asked. “All Cadeon would say is, ‘Have you ever wanted to see a scene from
The Exorcist
in real life?’”

“She’s sick,” Rydstrom said. “She told me it was a poison. You know poisons. Tell me what to do.”

In the darkened room, figments of Sabine’s illusions began flashing in a delirious procession, like words babbled.

Nïx approached the bed, tilting her head. “There’s a blue tinge to her lips.” She turned Sabine’s arm over.

Streaking down the pale skin was a jagged red injury, like a burn. It ran all the way to her palm, where it made an X.

Nïx abruptly dropped her arm, wiping her hand on her pants. “She’s been condemned.”

“Condemned?
What the fuck are you talking about?”

“This is the morsus, the cruelest poison—because it causes inconceivable pain upon the withdrawal. Sabine would have had to take a regular dose of this poison to keep it at bay.”

“Ah, gods, she’d been trying to get back to Omort days ago. I…stopped her.”

“Then he’s the one who has done this to her. It makes sense that he’d use this to control her for all these years.”

“What will happen to her?”

“Have you touched her skin? Did you feel that pain?” When he nodded, she said, “You’re experiencing possibly a percent of what Sabine is. There’s supposed to be no greater agony. It feels like being scalded and stabbed, as if your skin is being pincered from your body. Demon, this will get a thousand times worse. The pain will become so great, it will prove a shock to her body, so intense that her heart will stop.”

“It already
has
!” Inhaling deeply, he tried to calm his tone. “What can I do?”

Nïx shook her head sadly. “Absolutely nothing to help her. The only person who can save her is the one who poisoned her. Rydstrom, you need to prepare yourself. Sabine will have one heart attack after another until…”

“No! No, someone has to be able to help her,” he said, his voice breaking. “Tera, Mariketa—”

“Will only confirm what I’ve said.”

“What about Sabine’s sister—she’s saved her before!”

“Ah, Melanthe, the potential Queen of Persuasion. Healing another is one of the hardest processes to effect. And her power is weak, only manifesting itself in unpredictable fits and spurts.”

Rydstrom rested his forehead against Sabine’s, desperate to take this pain from her. “There has to be
something
I can do for her.” He gazed up at the Valkyrie, unashamed to beseech her. “Nïx, please…”

“There is something you
must
do. Rydstrom, if you care anything about Sabine,” she said, “you will kill her now.”

In between fevered waves of agony, she’d heard Rydstrom speaking to her.

With his voice growing thick, he’d pleaded, “
Cwena, fight this for me.
” He’d threatened, “What am I supposed to do without you? You can’t leave me like this! I’ll follow you to the gods damned grave, Sabine.”

And when another wave had crashed down and she’d thrown back her head and shrieked, he’d roared with his own pain and confusion, clutching her so tightly, until her screams died down….

Sometimes, she heard other voices. The brother was often here. Two females came and went.

Now she perceived Rydstrom sitting beside her on the bed, stroking her hair. But another wave was building…building…And each one was worse than the last.

“Rydstrom…”

“I’m here, Sabine.” He kissed her palm, then rubbed his face into it. “I’m right here.”

“Kill me,”
she begged as residual pain seared through her body. “Please…”

His dark eyes were frantic. “Never!”

“You say…you care about me,” she whispered. “But if you did…you would kill me.”

“I don’t fucking
care
about you! I’m in love with you, Sabine. You told me I needed you,” he said desperately. “I do. Freely, I admit it.” He held her face, seeming to grit his teeth against the pain of the contact. “We’ll fight this together.”

“You…love me?” She’d known, had felt it every minute with him. But to hear him say it…

“Ah, gods,
cwena
. You have my heart. Anything that I possess is yours. Just heal. Just feel no pain.”

“Then let me go.” Damp tendrils of red hair framed Sabine’s pale face. “Please…I’m
begging
you…”

He couldn’t hear these words, couldn’t imagine the pain that would drive her to speak them—

She seized again, her back arching, more blood gurgling from her lips as she screamed again and again. Nïx and Cadeon rushed inside just as her body fell limp.

But her eyes were open.

They were sightless, staring at nothing.

Nïx said, “She takes no breath, demon. She’s gone.”

“No!” Rydstrom roared, clutching Sabine’s shoulders, shaking her.

“Rydstrom!” Cadeon gripped his arm. “She’s gone, brother. She wants you to let her go.”

“Never!” More shaking…
“You come back to me, Sabine!”

Sabine’s lids twitched, her muscles visibly knotting.

She lives.

“No…no more,”
Sabine moaned in despair, realizing she hadn’t died. She gave Rydstrom a look of utter betrayal then fell unconscious in his arms.

“You’ve only saved her until the next wave hits,” Nïx said. “Demon, next time, you must let her go.”

No, there is another way.
“There won’t be a next time.” He narrowed his eyes at the Valkyrie. “You knew this would happen. You knew all those nights ago when you asked me if I could pick one, which would I choose—my kingdom or my queen. And you asked for a reason. I can sacrifice all hope for one to save the other.”

“You answered your kingdom so easily back then. I was amused.”

“Whoa, whoa,” Cadeon said. “What the hell are you two talking about?”

Rydstrom asked Nïx, “How do I get to Tornin tonight?”

“It’s being, uh, taken care of.”

“If you’ve seen all this, then tell me—will she live?”

Nïx gazed at the ceiling, then back. “I don’t know about her. But you might want to have a talk with your successor here and let him know what’s about to happen.”

Rydstrom nodded, accepting death—or worse.

“Yeah, let me know what’s going on!”

“I’m going to Omort for the antidote. The sorcerer will likely kill me this time,” he said matter-of-factly. “Cadeon, you’re my heir. Nïx said this was my last chance to claim my crown. She didn’t say you had no chance.”

“What—the—fuck?”
Cadeon thundered. “No way! No goddamn way!”

“This
will
happen, brother,” Rydstrom snapped. “I wasn’t
asking
you—I was informing you.”

“Okay, then, so we make this a trap,” Cadeon said, plainly wrestling with his temper. “You can’t go there without a battle plan.”

“You told me Groot hit at your mental blocks like a sledgehammer. Omort will demand I open my thoughts to his probes. I have to be utterly free of conspiracy, else I risk her.”

Cadeon ran his hand over his face. “If you do this, you’ll be committing suicide.”

“I understand. If I can save her from this pain…”
Then mine was a life well lived.

“Nïx! Tell Rydstrom this is a suicide mission.”

She sighed. “If he wants to go all Aslan the Lion on us, who are we to stop him?”

“I won’t let you do this!”

“It’s done,” Rydstrom said. “Nïx, tell me how to get to Tornin.”

“The way to get to Tornin is already on her way to New Orleans. And she’s
pissed
.”

45

S
o how are things with Mike Rowe?”
a woman’s voice said.

Consciousness gradually returned to Sabine, and she found herself between waves of pain—in that harrowing lull between remembering agony and anticipating it.

“Mike Rowe? Who exactly are you talking about, Holly?” another female answered.
Is that Nïx speaking? Yes. What is she doing in my dream? Or am I waking?

“The actor?” this Holly said slowly. “From
Dirty Jobs
. Who took out a restraining order against you?”

A pause, then Nïx said, “Ah! Yes, well, Mikey and I broke up after I finally got him to fool around with me.”

“In the week since I saw you last?”

“Yes, last night if I recall correctly,” Nïx said. “He was quite
adroit
for a human, very tempting. But then I had to forget the phone number he pressed on me.”

As if she couldn’t help himself, Holly asked, “Why’s that?”

“I remembered I’m a rake.”

Sabine blinked against her hazy sight and spied Nïx in the sitting area of the bedroom. Sabine squinted at the Valkyrie’s T-shirt. It read,
BORN TO BLOSSOM, BLOOM TO PERISH—G.S.

The other female, this Holly, had glasses and a prim demeanor. She looked to be
folding clothes
?

“Besides,” Nïx said, “I needed to break it off with Mikey, since I’m leaving town.”

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Holly demanded, folding and refolding the same towel. “I still don’t know my way around this world, and you’re taking off—yet again?”

“Cadeon can show you about.”

“Where do you have to go that’s so important you can abandon me?”

“Auntie Nïxie’s taking a TO. I’m heading to Budapest, to investigate this band of immortal warriors,” she explained. “They’re called the
Lords of the Underworld.
If that doesn’t make you want to mate…” She growled and clawed at the air. “Anyway, they’re supposed to be excessively hawt.”

“And by
investigate,
you actually mean
do
.”

Nïx made a scoffing sound. “Holly, how else is one supposed to investigate a male? Really?”

Holly sputtered, but Nïx talked over her. “Just between us—if they can handle what the Nïxanator’s bringing, I might not ever leave….” Her vacant gaze skittered over to the bed, and her eyes widened. “She’s awake.”

Nïx strolled over to the bed with Holly following. “Remember me? Nïx, the Ever-Knowing? And this is my niece, Holly.” Nïx indicated the pretty blonde who gave her a weak wave. “She’s Cadeon’s wife.”

Nïx put a glass of water to her lips, but Sabine turned away to gasp out the words, “Where’s…Rydstrom?”

“We finally peeled him away from you. We’ll be your sitters this eve. Rydstrom, Cadeon, and myriad demons are out searching for your sister, so they can poach her portal.” She laughed abruptly. “I’m sorry, this is not a funny situation, but ‘poach your sister’s portal’ really sounded
raunchy
.”

Holly rolled her eyes.

“He’s bringing Lanthe back here,” Nïx finally continued. “And then he intends to take you to Omort and beg for the antidote.”

Sabine’s heart stuttered—this time from emotion. “He can’t…go through with this!”

Nïx said, “He’s decided to sacrifice himself for you.”

“Omort will kill him this time…will read his mind…discover any of his plans of attack—”

“There won’t be any,” Nïx said quietly. “Rydstrom’s counting this as a one-way trip, sorceress.”

Sabine shook her head sharply. “You can’t let…him do this!”

“You try stopping a nearly seven-foot-tall demon who’s hopelessly in love.”

“Nïx,” Holly murmured, “Sabine needs some clean sheets. They’re dirty with all the blood…blood—” Her hand flew to her mouth, her face paling even more.

“Are you having morning sickness again?” Nïx asked. When Holly darted from the room, she called, “My gods, Holly, way to steal Sabine’s thunder!”

To Sabine, Nïx said, “I’ll be back shortly. Yell if you need anything.” She heard Nïx mumble at the door, “Poach her portal.
So
going on a T-shirt.”

Sabine lay quaking and stunned. Rydstrom planned to sacrifice everything for her.

An idea arose, a plot. Could it work? She had little time before the next wave hit—did she have the strength?

She would find the strength, because if he was going to save her, she was going to protect him. Or at least give him the means to protect himself.

Gritting her teeth, she rolled off the bed, collapsing onto the plush rug. She could hear Holly retching in the guest bathroom and Nïx running water for her. Sabine had no strength to hide herself with illusion, but as long as she could hear them, she’d be clear.

She crawled on her belly from the room, sometimes digging her nails in the carpet to pull herself forward. When she reached the hall at last, it looked interminable, the distance to his study impossible.

So weak…
But she pressed on through the pain. One elbow in front of the other, her legs trailing uselessly behind her.

Ever listening for the Valkyrie,
c
rawling, crawling.
Only her love for that demon kept her going.

She spit up blood, choked back a cough, crept another foot. Just a few more to the study door…then finally inside.

She’d made it to the armory! With effort, she craned her head to gaze up at the combination lock she’d have to reach. From her place on the floor it looked as attainable as the moon.

Rydstrom will die if you don’t do this!

With that thought spurring her, she wobbled to her knees, then began dragging herself unsteadily to her feet.
Have to reach it.
She was about to crumple to the floor.
Can’t…can’t do this.

A shadow loomed behind her. Sabine twisted her head around. She cursed fate to find Nïx standing behind her.

“Did you need something, sorceress? Hmm?” She had blankets thrown over her shoulder and was fiddling with something in her pocket.
A weapon?
“Perhaps a Vicodin?”

Sabine felt like weeping. “What do…you want?”
She’d been so close.

Just as Sabine heard the front door opening, Nïx said, “Rydstrom’s back with your sister.”

He’d already returned? “Nïx, I…need…”

“And he’s about to find you out of bed—”

“Sabine!”
Rydstrom’s voice shook the walls of the mansion.

Sabine’s heart was about to seize again. She collapsed to the floor, dazed.

“Do you want the sword, sorceress? Isn’t that what you came here for?”

Speechless, Sabine gave a weak nod in answer.

Nïx pulled a giant syringe out of her pocket, holding it up. As Sabine stared in astonishment, Nïx blinked at it, as if she didn’t understand where it had come from.

The Valkyrie scratched her head with her free hand. “Ah!” She smiled, her face lit with realization. “I knew that I’d come here tonight to do one of two things: shove this into your heart or to play Wii. And I forgot my Wii!” She shrugged—

Then plunged the syringe directly into Sabine’s chest.

Eyes wild, Sabine sucked in a desperate breath, grasping at the needle jutting from her chest—gaping at Nïx as she busily worked the combination on the armory.

“The adrenaline will keep you conscious for a few more minutes, but not much more.”

Just as fits of energy began flowing through Sabine’s body, Nïx unlocked the armory and whistled in a breath at the sword.