The Darkest Whisper (24 page)

“After hours and hours of nonstop sex, you guys
can't share a stall?” one of them called. Sometimes, when he couldn't see the twins, it was hard to tell which was speaking.

“Maybe there'll be another marathon if they try and share,” another teased.

They cackled.

“Did she put you in a coma? Has she been hiding you all this time to keep you from being shamed?” Taliyah had spoken this time; he recognized that cold timbre, which never failed to make him shudder.

She knew the truth, he realized. He wondered yet again if sleeping like that was against Harpy protocol. “What if she did?” he found himself saying.

Bianka and Kaia twittered. “Go little sis,” one of them said.

Sabin kicked the door shut and jumped into the shower, moving quickly, afraid the females would burst in on Gwen and question her before he could. But they were exactly as he'd left them when he emerged, eating and laughing.

Taliyah, the only one not smiling, nodded at him. In gratitude?

He took a quick detour through the kitchen—someone had shopped, thank the gods—and rounded up a bag of chips, a brownie, a granola bar, an apple and a bottle of water. Loaded down, he entered his bedroom, shut the door with a backward kick, and found Gwen seated on the edge of the bed. She wore a pair of sweat shorts and a bright blue T-shirt, both of which she'd picked for herself in town the other day, her hair wet and dripping from a knot atop her head.

Doubt peeked from the shadowed corner in Sabin's mind, but decided not to risk incurring the Harpy's wrath and hid again.

Forcing his expression to remain neutral, he settled into the chair he'd occupied for far too long already. He balanced the tray on his stomach.

“We need to talk,” she said, gazing at the food with longing. “About what happened in the forest…”

Before she could venture down that path, he told her how long she'd been out, how he'd guarded her, how no one had seen her neck, no one knew what she'd really been doing and how everyone assumed they'd been going at it like animals.

“There is a God,” she said on a relieved breath.

Or gods. But whatever. Any other woman would have been horrified, he thought, fighting a grin. Still more proof that she was the only woman for him. “Now you're going to answer some questions for me.”

She gulped, eyes luminous in the sunlight that streamed through a gap in the dark, heavy curtains. “All right.”

“Why can you only eat stolen food?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I'm not supposed to discuss it.”

“I think we're beyond that point.”

“I guess we are,” she said grudgingly. “Why do you want to know?”

“So I can understand.” He popped open the brownie and bit into the end. “You've trusted me with your body. You've trusted me to guard you while you sleep. You've even trusted me with your weakness. Now trust me with your secrets.”

Up and down her chest moved, her breath emerging shallow and raspy. Her stomach rumbled, and she rubbed it without looking away from him. Or rather, the food. “I—I—okay. Yes.” She licked her lips. “Will you pay me?”

“Pay you? How much and for what?”

“Just say yes!” It was snarled.

“Yes?”

She licked her lips again, words tumbling from her. “The gods despise Harpies and consider us an abomination since we were the spawn of a prince of darkness. Long ago, they hoped to bring about our ruin in a manner that would not reflect poorly on them. A way that would seem as if we'd destroyed ourselves. So they cursed us in secret, stating that never again could we enjoy a meal freely given to us or one we had prepared ourselves. We sicken terribly if we disregard the curse; some even die. It only takes once to learn that lesson. As you saw for yourself at the camp in Egypt.

“Anyway, the first of my kind learned through trial and error that they could still eat, but only what they'd stolen or what was given to them in payment. The gods didn't succeed in destroying us, just making our lives difficult. So pay me. I gave you the answer you wanted, now you owe me.”

Her demand for payment suddenly made sense. And hadn't Anya mentioned something about eating what they earned? Gods, he had to smarten up and listen better. “For the secret.” He tossed the brownie at her and she caught it with a too-quick flick of her wrist. The dessert was consumed a second later. This was yet another similarity they shared, he reflected. Both their lives had been affected by a curse.

“You should have told me I could pay you with food,” he chided. “I could have been feeding you all along.”

“I didn't know you well enough to share the fundamentals of my race. And as my sisters say, knowledge is power. You didn't need more power over me.”

He'd often said the same thing, though he thought he
did
need more power over her. “But now you do?” he
asked softly, foolishly pleased with her. “Know me, that is?”

Her cheeks burned bright red. “Well, now I know you
better.
”

Fair enough. Sabin dangled the bag of chips from pinched fingers. “Tell me who you didn't want to see you, what you didn't want them to see.”

“My sisters. I didn't want them to see me sleeping.”

So that
had
been the reason. “Wait. Tell me how you rested with your chicken, and then you'll get these.”

“Sabin. Chips!”

“You haven't answered to my satisfaction.”

“I never rested with a chick—Oh, you mean Tyson. For a long time, I didn't. Didn't rest, I mean. Does that count? Did I earn the chips?” She reached out, fingers waving eagerly.

He held firm. “How long were you with him?”

“Six months.”

Six. Months. He gritted his teeth, not liking the thought of her with anyone that long. “You remained awake for all that time?”

“No. At first, I let him think I had insomnia. I'd stay up all night. But when the fatigue would get to be too much, I would call in sick at work and sleep in the trees. That's the only location we're supposed to sleep, since it's nearly impossible to be seen or reached. But as the months passed, I thought, why not rest with this man I trusted? So I started sleeping in bed with him. And before you ask, not sleeping around other people wasn't a command or curse of the gods, but a safety measure every Harpy is taught from birth.”

He didn't recall her sisters leaving at night to head for the forest, but as silently as they moved, they certainly could have. “Why?”

She pushed out a frustrated breath. “Our wings can be bound while we sleep, as proven by my time in captivity. Now give. Me. The. Chips.”

He tossed the bag.

Plastic ripped and orange-stained chips sprayed. Gwen popped one in her mouth, closed her eyes and moaned. Sabin had to swallow a moan of his own.

“Do you want to earn the apple?”

The tip of her tongue emerged, swiping over her lips. “Yes. Please.”

“Tell me your thoughts about me. About what we did in the forest. And don't lie. I'm only paying for the truth.”

She hesitated.

Why didn't she want him to know?
What
didn't she want him to know? A minute ticked by in silence, and he feared she would simply content herself with the food she already had. Then she surprised him.

“I like you. More than I should. I'm attracted to you and want to be with you. When I'm not with you, I'm thinking about you. It's stupid. I'm stupid. But I love the way I feel when I'm with you. When your demon's quiet, I don't feel ashamed or forgettable or scared. I feel worthy, desired and protected.”

Sabin tossed the apple at her and she caught it, her gaze avoiding him. “I feel the same about you,” he admitted gruffly.

“You do?” Her eyes snapped to him, bright with hope.

“I do.”

Slowly she grinned, but that grin soon fell away and her shoulders slumped. She bit into the apple, chewed, swallowed.

“Tell me what you're thinking,” he said.

“I don't know if we can make anything work. You once said you could betray the woman you loved if it
meant winning a battle. Not that I think you love me. I just, well, if you were to be with someone else, I would kill her. Then you.” There at the end, there had been steel in her tone. Steel sharpened to a razor point.

“I won't. I wouldn't. I don't think I can.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “You're the only thing I can think about anymore. I doubt I could even fake it with someone else.”

“But for how long will that last?” she asked softly, rolling the apple in her palms.

Forever, he suspected, guilt filling him. He'd already devoted more time to her than he should have. He hadn't studied the names on Cronus's scrolls or done anything to find the two remaining artifacts. He hadn't been searching for Galen.

For so many years, he'd placed the war with the Hunters above everything else—and demanded the same from his men. Distractions hadn't been tolerated. They'd given him everything he'd asked for, and more. How could he, as their leader, now give himself fully to Gwen?

So, rather than answer her, he pushed to his feet, said, “I've neglected my duties to watch over you and now have a lot to do,” and left her. If he hoped to keep her, he had a lot of shit to figure out first.

A
ND
I
WANTED TO BE A SOLDIER
?
Gwen wondered for the thousandth time after another grueling session. She was panting, sweaty and bruised as she flopped atop Sabin's bed.

The last few days, Sabin had divided his time between his duties—whatever those were—and her training. She'd just spent the past few hours getting the crap beaten out of her. Again. He gave no quarter, showed no mercy. It sucked!

“You're stronger, aren't you?” he said, as if he could read her thoughts.

“Yes.” And she was.

“I won't apologize. You know you can take a punch now.”

“And dish out my own,” she said smugly, recalling how she'd sent the muscled warrior flying into the trees, gasping for breath, only an hour ago. She also knew when to duck and when to attack.

“You just have to learn how to summon your Harpy faster. Good things happen when you do.” He sat at the edge of the bed, cupped a hand around the base of her neck and drew her toward him. “Now drink.”

As she sank her teeth into his artery, her cheeks heated at the reminder of the way she'd taken him in the forest. Then her eyelids drifted shut and she simply enjoyed the taste of this man.

He lifted her to his lap without breaking contact, and she immediately spread her legs, welcoming him against her body. He rubbed his erection between her thighs. She moaned at the bliss, the decadence. But when she tangled her fingers in his hair, withdrawing her teeth to lick and nip at him, he flung her back on the mattress, stood to shaky legs and strode toward the door.

“Time for round two,” he said. “I'll meet you outside.” He disappeared around the corner.

“You're really starting to piss me off,” she called.

No reply.

She almost screeched in frustration. Twice before, he'd done this to her. Trained with her, brought her to his room to heal her injuries with that delicious blood, got her hot and ready, and then abandoned her for his “duties” or more training. Why? Since their little chat, he hadn't made love to her again. Again, why?

They'd declared their feelings for each other. Hadn't they? She knew she wanted him, however she could get him, for however long she could have him. No use denying that anymore. If they didn't last, at least she'd tried. And of course, it would be his fault so she'd have no regrets.

The thought of blaming him for any future discord caused her frustration to fade; she grinned. And the thought of a future with him had her sighing dreamily as she curled into a pillow. He was the kind of man every Harpy craved. Powerful, a little wild, a lot wicked. He could kill an enemy without guilt. He wasn't afraid of hard work. He could be ruthless, without mercy, yet he was tender with her.

The only question was, would he put Gwen before his war?

Wait. Two questions: Did she want him to?

With another sigh, she rose and headed back outside. The sun was high and warm as she searched for Sabin. The moment she saw him, she experienced a wave of pride.
Mine
. He was hunched over two daggers, sharpening them to razor points.

No reason to practice with fakes
, he'd told her. Tomorrow, they planned to work with guns. Golden light caressed his bare chest, deepening his tan. Sweat beaded over his muscles, making them gleam—and her mouth water. The puncture wounds were already healing on his neck; she wished they'd remain forever, her brand on him.

I've had all that strength over me, inside me.

She wanted it again. Soon. The nights were the most difficult of all. He wouldn't enter the bedroom until close to morning—it didn't take his demon to make her wonder where he'd been, what he'd been doing—and then he would crawl in beside her, though he refused to touch her. She would feel his heat, hear his soft inhalations, and she would ache all over. Then she would fall asleep before she could do anything about it.

Tonight, if he continued to resist her, she would take matters into her own hands. Literally. He'd tangled with her Harpy once and survived; he could damn well do it again.

“Damn it,” Ashlyn, wife to the keeper of Violence, said. It was surprising, hearing the gentle woman curse. “Not again!”

As usual, Ashlyn and Danika sat on the sidelines to cheer for her. They also liked to boo when Sabin knocked her down. Though she hadn't spent a lot of time with them, she already adored them. They were open and honest, kind and witty, and had somehow, despite everything, managed to make a relationship work with a Lord
of the Underworld. Gwen planned to get the lowdown from them as to how they'd achieved such a feat, but hadn't yet had the time.

Currently, they were a bit distracted, playing some kind of game with Anya, Bianka and Kaia—who also liked to witness her sessions. Ashlyn and Danika had welcomed her sisters with open arms, claiming the fortress needed a little more estrogen to balance out the testosterone.

“It's my turn to roll,” Bianka said in a mock growl. “So you can back off my dice or have your fingers removed. Your choice.”

Maddox was inside, or he would have challenged her sister, Gwen knew. Game or not, he didn't like anyone threatening his woman.

The warrior called Kane stood off to the side, watching the women with a half smile on his face, his hazel eyes bright. He was out in the open, not leaning against a tree, not shaded by branches. And yet, even as Gwen watched, a twig snapped from the far black oak and hurtled straight into him, slapping him across the face.

He and a few of the others had apparently stayed behind to read scrolls Cronus, the god king, had given them—was that one of Sabin's duties?—while the rest of the men had traipsed off to Chicago on a mission to “kick Hunter ass.” Odd that she missed them.

“—concentrating?” A hard weight slammed into her stomach, shoving her to her ass.

Sabin was on top of her a second later, glaring, the daggers just above her shoulders. “We've talked about allowing your mind to wander.”

As her lungs were in the process of seizing, it took her a moment to form a reply. “We hadn't…started yet.”

Do you really think you're…strong enough for this?

Doubt's voice drifted through her head, but the demon had sounded reluctant, afraid even to make itself known. It really was terrified of her, as Sabin had said. A sense of power accompanied the knowledge.

“I'm sorry for using the demon against you, but I want to train you against it, as well. And do you think a Hunter is going to ask your permission to begin and then wait until you nod?”

Good point. Perhaps it was time for her to make a point of her own. “First, your demon is like a tame little house cat now. Second…” Since her arms were free, she fisted her hands and slammed both into his temples. He grunted in surprise, cradling his head as he fell backward. She didn't waste any time. She kicked him in the chest so hard his ribs cracked.

The Harpy laughed.
More!

For once, hearing that voice didn't terrify her, and she blinked in surprise. Was she…could she be…embracing her darker side?

“Go, Gwennie!” Kaia called.

“Kick him while he's down!” Bianka shouted.

He was still clutching the daggers as he blinked, trying to clear his vision. Gwen jumped to her feet, wings springing free in her back. Thankfully they were so small, they didn't rip her shirt away. Moving faster than anyone could possibly see, she raced behind him and wrapped her fingers around his wrists.

There wasn't time for him to resist.

Before he realized where she was and what she was doing, she had the sharp tips of the knives resting on his shoulders. A bead of blood formed around each one.

A moment passed in stunned silence.

“Okay. You've officially kicked my ass.” Some men
would have been humiliated by that, but there was pride in Sabin's tone.

Joy burst through her. Just like that, faster than a blink, she'd done it. She'd really done it. Winning a fight, no matter her opponent, was something she'd never thought to do, something she'd considered an impossibility. Yet she'd just defeated a freaking Lord of the Underworld, one of the most capable warriors in this world and any other. Gods trembled at the mere mention of their names.

Well, if they didn't, they should.

“Next time we fight, though, I want you to let your Harpy completely free,” he said.

She nodded reluctantly. Letting the Harpy come out for lovemaking was one thing; battling was quite another.

“Just think about what you will soon be doing to the Hunters,” Kaia said with awe. “Baby girl, I've never seen moves like yours.”

“Mother would be proud.” Taliyah strode beside her and slapped her on the back. “
If
we knew where she was, she might even welcome you back into her fold.”

Gwen could have danced. She'd always been the anomaly, the weak link, the mistake. With one sweet victory, she finally felt like she was one of them. Like she was worthy.

Silent, Sabin reached up and plucked the daggers from her now shaky hands. What thoughts were tumbling through his mind?

“Good job.” Ashlyn rubbed her rounded belly. “I'm truly impressed.”

Grinning, Danika clapped. “Sabin, you should be embarrassed. You were brought down in less than a minute.”

“And by a girl.” But Kaia's amusement quickly faded. “Okay, now that the training is winding down, I have a
question. When are we going to see some action?” She anchored her hands on her hips. “We're bored. We've been bored. And we've been on damn good behavior, waiting.”

“Yeah. Hunters hurt baby sis, so now they need to pay,” Bianka said.

“Soon,” Sabin told them. “I swear it.”

That scared Gwen a little. Not enough to change the course she'd set for herself, though.

“But at the moment, I'm going to spend some time with the woman of the hour. Alone.” No one protested as Sabin ushered Gwen to a private alcove, where he'd already stashed a cooler. He motioned for her to sit inside a cool circle of shade. “Do you need more blood?”

“No.” Seriously, what was he thinking? He was polite, but more distant than ever. Clearly “alone time” didn't require nudity and a bed. How disappointing. “I'm okay. Operating at full strength, even.” To prove it, she too remained standing.

“Good. Much as I want to give it to you, I want to see how you recover from minor wounds without it.”

“I'm not wounded, minor or otherwise.”

“Really.” His pointed gaze dropped to her arm.

She looked down and saw the bloody grooves in her forearm. “Oh.” Wow. Getting shot must have inured her to the pain of other injuries.

“Let me know the moment it's gone.”

Always the trainer. She liked that about him. Everything was a lesson meant to strengthen her, prepare her for what could happen. It really showed how much he cared, because he didn't do it for everyone. Only her, actually.

Now that she thought about it, he only reacted with violence when someone threatened her. Kaia and Bianka
had verbally insulted and physically assaulted his friends on several occasions, and he'd grinned, even joined in the teasing. But the moment her sisters turned their teasing her way, Sabin's mood darkened. He never hesitated to shove them away, either. Really shove. To him, men and women were equal in every way and deserved the same treatment, something else she admired about him.

“Sit,” he urged again. “I need to talk to you.”

“Fine.”

When she'd obeyed, he held up an ice-cold, dripping bottle of water. “If you want to earn it, you'll tell me what happens to a Harpy when she takes a consort. Tell me how long she has the consort, and what's expected of him.”

Was he…could he be…thinking about signing on for the job? Her eyes were wide as he plopped a few feet in front of her and stretched out.

“Well?”

“Consorts are forever,” she croaked, “and very rare. A Harpy is a free spirit, but every so often one will encounter a male who…delights her. That's the best word I can think of to describe the obsession. His smell and touch become drugs to her. His voice soothes her fury as nothing else is able, almost as if it strokes her feathers. As to what's expected of him, I don't know. I've never met a Harpy with a consort.”

He arched a brow. “You've never had one? A consort, I mean. And if you dare say chicken man…”

“No, no consort.” Tyson had
not
delighted her Harpy, that was for sure. She waved her fingers at the water. “I earned it.” The bottle was soaring through the air a second later. Cold liquid splashed her arms when she caught it. In seconds, she had the contents drained.

“Do Harpies have to obey their consorts?”

A laugh bubbled from her. “No. Do you honestly think a Harpy has to obey anyone?”