The Hunted (Guild of Assassins Book 1) (3 page)

The cut came swift, savage and unexpected. Leigh took only a step toward Beatrice as the sword whipped past her and sliced deep into the demon’s biceps. He didn’t make a sound, didn’t even flinch at what must have been brutal pain.

Blood flowed down his arm in thin crimson line, dripping at his feet. In that moment, rage engulfed her unlike any she had known before. The need to inflict equal harm on the cold, pale woman before her powered her to take another step closer, fisting her hands so tight her fingernails bit into her palms.

A warning hand on her arm snapped her attention to the demon. This close, she noted the dark red swirling within the brown of his eyes, as if glowing with an inner fire. Eyes, which were strangely compelling, and not even close to being human.

“Do not act rashly, female. It is done. First blood for my offense has been taken.”

“I am not appeased,” Leigh snarled back, turning her furious glare back on the assassin.

Beatrice arched a brow at Leigh, a challenge in her gaze, and gave her a cold, superior smirk.

“Enough!” The Polariate cut in, her tone sharp with exasperation. “Aegis Beatrice, you have your first blood. It is time to commence with the hunt.”

The crowd fell silent as the Polariate explained the rules. “Leigh of the Druidic Order, the hunters will give you an hour’s head start. Be aware of this and gain as much distance as possible. I strongly suggest you find an appropriate place you can defend. If you survive until dawn tomorrow, you and the demon will go free. He then will be yours to do with as you will. If you are caught, it is death for both of you, and I can promise you it will not be an easy death. You will be given no weapons, and both of you shall be collared to inhibit the use of magic. You have only your own ingenuity to see you through. Do you, Leigh of the Druidic Order, accept these terms?”

Dear goddess above! How was she to protect herself from slaughter if she had nothing to defend herself with?

She stole a glance at the demon, his wound tended to by Beatrice with rough hands she spread a thick ointment over the cut before wrapping a bandage tight over the wound. Her dislike for the task was etched in the thin line of her mouth, her eyes filled with cold hatred. Leigh’s gaze few to the Polariate, and for a brief second, she could see a flash of emotion darken those frigid blue eyes. Regret for her? She gave herself a mental shake, it had to a trick of the light. The Polariate held no feelings that Leigh could discern. Appearing as cold and emotionless as a marble statue.

Leigh took a deep calming breath, willing her heartbeat to stop racing and muscles to relax. She needed to think, not react with fear and anger. Her mind cleared, turning over any options available to her. Could the demon be motivated enough to protect the two of them? Did she trust him to do that? A resounding “hell no” echoed in her brain.

She opened her mouth to rescind her previous decision, knowing there was little chance of their survival. To hell with what was right and wrong. After all, it was hard to act upon the injustices of the demon race if she was dead.

Opening her mouth to refute the terms, her voice rang in the silence of the arena. “Yes, I do.” She blinked, shocked to the very marrow of her bones at her acquiesce, and snapped her mouth shut tight.

Two assassins entered with collars and made quick work of attaching them. In less than a second of the metal touching her skin, Leigh’s knees wobbled, her magic leaking out of her like a sieve, leaving her weak and disoriented. She felt hollowed out, an empty shell.

How was she to survive a full day without her magic?

They untied the demon from the post, and he stumbled forward to stand at her side, apparently feeling the effects of the collar as well. His jaw tightened in grim determination, and his eyes flared a vivid red for the briefest of moments before dimming to a dark chocolate brown. Her stomach knotted with the realization he was as powerless as she was.

Real fear clawed her insides as the full impact of her actions came into clear focus. She’d just sentenced them both to death, not salvation.

~*~

A single gunshot reverberated in the air, sending the crowd into a wild frenzy, shouting insults and taunts as he grabbed a dazed Leigh’s hand. The wooden doors at the far side of the arena opened, and they ran for it. Tugging the female along, he kept a punishing pace, not letting up until they were well out of the city and into the thick growth of the forest.

She stumbled on a clump of grass, and if not for his quick action, she would have fallen on her face. “Wait, I have to rest.” She gasped the words, her breasts rising and falling with each labored breath.

“No time. Move your ass. I can’t carry you.”

Her eyes, the color of new summer grass narrowed on him, her lips tightening in a thin line of defiance. “I will not go another step until I see to your wound and stop the bleeding” She gazed pointedly at the bloody bandage wound over his biceps. “You’re leaving them a trail to easily track us by.”

Yeah, all right, he could see the logic in that. “I’m sorry I didn’t pick up a med kit as we left the city, but I was a bit busy trying to put as much distance as possible between the hunters and us.” His tone was thick with sarcasm.

“Save it, big guy. I’m not going one step farther without tending to that wound so suck it up and deal.”

Without a word, she bent and, with a grunt of approval, picked up a rock with a sharp, jagged corner and cut into the hem of her shirt. Tearing a long strip of the fabric, she left a delectable expanse of flat, smooth belly exposed. He had a hard time focusing, wanting only to smooth his hands over that tantalizing skin and then to continue on, to trace the curve of her waist to her rounded hips.

A fiery pain shooting down his arm as she removed his bandage brought him out of such thoughts. He watched her as she gave a delicate shudder. He knew the cut was deep and needed stitches since his magic to heal himself was bound. Even with an antibiotic, it likely wouldn’t hold off an infection.

She bound the material tight around his biceps and knotted it. Standing back, she gave a short nod. “It will do for now, but we need to find some fresh water and herbs to keep it from infection. I do wish we had a med kit. At least that way I could sew it shut and be sure to keep worse contamination from happening.”

He grabbed her hand, noticing for the first time how small it was in his much larger one. “Later for that. The small pack of ointment they gave me will have to suffice. For now, we have no time to spare. We must find a safe place to avoid capture.”

He set a brisk pace, pushing ever deeper into the dense forest and up a steep incline. Despite the punishing trek, he couldn’t help the admiration from growing inside him for the druid. Though he could hear her breath coming in gasping pants, she kept up with his punishing speed, never uttering one complaint.

Sweat streamed down his face, stinging as it dripped into his eyes. His muscles burned as they made their way higher and higher up the mountain. The trees and bush gave way to rocks, brush, boulders and the occasional pine tree, and as the sun steadily sank lower, he spied the open mouth of a cave. He picked up the sound of rushing water nearby too. Just what he was looking for.

Or so he hoped.

Without a word, he made his way toward the water and nearly groaned out loud as the small waterfall came into view. With a strangled cry, Leigh staggered toward the shallow pool and dropped to her stomach. She seemed to drink as much as she could from her cupped hands. Dropping beside her, he followed suit, drinking deep and relishing the coolness as it flowed down his parched throat.

Only after drinking his fill did he rise to his feet, ignoring his aching muscles and the dull throb from his wound. A cursory glance showed it had started bleeding once again, staining the pale blue cotton fabric.

“I need to hunt for some herbs for that,” she said.

“I’ll be fine for a while longer. Let’s find shelter before it gets too dark.”

“I saw a cave up a bit.”

He smiled, glad to know she took in her surroundings. “Yes, that’s where we’re headed. Just a bit more climbing, and we’ll be there. Ready?”

She nodded as she stood and grimaced. “I thought I would be in better shape than this.”

A low deep chuckle burst from his mouth, and he stilled with surprise. It had been so long since he’d laughed. The sound of it was alien to his ears. He didn’t think he was capable of it anymore.

She flashed him a smile, and his breath caught in his throat. He’d found her beautiful before, but when she smiled, she transcended mere beauty. Her eyes sparked with a green fire, and dimples played at the corners of her lush and kissable mouth. He grew hard as images of that mouth on him flashed in his mind, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t push those erotic images away.

The fact she was human and the enemy seemed to have no effect on his reaction. His hand moved without conscious thought, fingers brushing lightly over her soft cheek before catching a stray lock of her hair. His rubbed the softness of her silken tresses between his fingers, relishing the sensation as he took a step closer. Her body heat wrapped around him, setting every molecule in his body to quiver with a primal need. Her vanilla scent swirled and teased his senses, urging him to want to taste, to explore.

To claim.

He captured her lips in a soft exploratory kiss. She angled her head and moved closer, pressing her body flush against his, wrapping her arms around him tightly. The hard nubs of her nipples pressed into his chest, through the thin layers of clothes between them. Her mouth opened on a sigh, and her tongue stroked softly over his. She rubbed her core against his turgid cock, and a groan filled the air. Hers? His? Both? He didn’t care.

He ran his hands down her back, to the smallness of her waist and then lower, to the firm swell of her round ass. Cupping her in his hands, he pulled her tighter against him and deepened the kiss.

She eagerly met him with a fire of her own, branding him with her passion. The friction of her rubbing against his throbbing cock nearly drove him out of his mind, suddenly needing her as much as his next breath. Her scent in his lungs, her soul twined with his.

She is the enemy.

A small part of his brain, where his sanity still dwelled, screamed at him, a constant echo reverberating between his ears, an insistent drone bashing through his lust-addled brain. Slowly, he pulled away, his breathing coming out harsh as if he’d run for miles. He took a step back, then another, putting much-needed space between them. His body ached. Hell, even his horns throbbed, instinct warring with intellect. His mind was a battle zone of desire and caution, and logic won out.

This time.

Barely.

She stared at him with confusion in her green eyes, lips moist and swollen from their mutual passion. Never had he beheld a more tempting siren. Her beauty blinded him, her body urging him forward, to cover her with his own. To take and protect. She stood to his shoulder, tall for a human but not for his kind. And it was that unbidden thought which held him from her.

She was human, and he was not. She was the enemy, and sooner or later, she, too, would betray him.

His dark gaze held no warmth as he glared at her. Gone was the passionate man who’d enticed her to lose herself in him. His kiss still tingled on her lips, his addictive taste of cinnamon and cloves still on her tongue.

Why had he stopped? Had he found her so lacking he couldn’t stand another moment touching her?

Her cheeks burned with acute embarrassment. She’d met his kiss with a hunger she never experienced before, would have given him her body without hesitation. Perhaps he truly found her repugnant but felt as if he had no say in what happened to him. The thought filled her with horror. Was the Guild of Isis, and her mother in particular, so heartless as to force him into sex?

Oh gods, and she was no better, throwing herself at him as she had.

“I am sorry for my behavior,” she said. “It will not happen again. I promise you.”

He scowled at her as if she were a bug to be squashed beneath his heel. “Why would you apologize for things you take freely?”

His accusation held a vicious sting, his words striking her hard. Anger ignited, flaring bright and hot, burning her embarrassment into dust. She refused to be lumped into the same mold as others who had abused him.

“I have never taken from another without consent,” she said, “and will not do so now.” She turned her back on him, needing to get away from his hateful stare.

She headed in the direction of the cave, painfully aware he was behind her all the way. She refused to turn back, to acknowledge him in any way. Instead, she turned her focus on finding herbs to heal his wound, picking sprigs of sage, lavender, and feverfew to aid in his healing and to keep his wound from becoming infected.

The problems before them circled in her mind like vultures. The most important issue at the moment was the need for a safe place to plan strategy or they wouldn’t survive the night, let alone the dawn.

They climbed in silence the rest of the way. They reached the mouth of the cave as the sun became a fiery disk on the horizon. The opening stood out, a black maw ready to devour the unwary, the absence of light absolute. She peered in, trying to find any shapes hidden in the stygian darkness.

Taren brushed his hand against hers. The touch sending a blaze of heat through her blood stream. She stepped back, wrapping her arms around her waist in a protective gesture. She’d suffered one rejection, and she would be damned if she set herself up for another.

“I will stay here and take watch. You go on ahead,” she said, determined to have as little to do with him as possible.

“I can’t let you stay here unprotected. We stand a better chance together than apart. Take my hand, and I’ll guide you.”

“Can you see in the dark without magic?”

“As a matter of fact, I can. It’s a physical attribute not from any power base.”

Damn. Of course, he could.

Huffing out a breath, she shoved her hand at him with all the manners of a petulant child. “Fine, then go on, I’ll just grab onto the back of your shirt. No touching needed.”

She narrowed her eyes, ready to lay into him for the half-strangled laugh he choked out, but before she could utter one syllable, he grabbed her hand and pulled her deeper into the cave with slow, steady steps. She tried not to react to the closeness of his body, his masculine scent of sandalwood or the warmth and strength of his hand clasping hers. She tried not to remember the touch of those hands on her body, the heat of his lips as they’d brushed hers or the hard length of him as she’d rubbed against him.

Damn, what was it about this guy? Never had she been so attracted to a man—any man—but then she kept forgetting. He was not a man but a demon. Perhaps he excreted some kind of pheromone which made him irresistible to others. Sure, it had been a few years since she’d been with a man but still…

She stumbled over a rock and nearly face-planted for a second time that day, but once again, he was there to catch her. He set her back on her feet with quick, jerky movements, as if her touch burned him. Yeah, very complementary. She could almost feel his disgust at being this close to her, and it set her on edge. She ground her teeth in an effort not to snap at him.

She took a deep breath, burying the hurt his actions stirred in her, refusing to look deeper as to why it mattered. That way led to heartbreak.

“Leave me here,” she said. “I can’t go anywhere obviously. That way, you don’t have to keep touching me since it’s quite obvious you can’t stand to be near me. I promise, if we survive this, you can have your freedom and never have to see me again. In fact, I release you from your beholden vow to me now.”

Their forward progress halted so quickly she nearly stumbled yet again. “It is not that I can’t stand being near you. Humans are the enemy. You have made that point painfully clear to our race. And to release me from my vow takes a little bit more than just saying you release me. I can only tell you that both thought and action must be of pure intent. You must
want
to remove the vow.”

“Well, I may be human, but we are not
all
assholes. If you tell me the words, I will be more than happy to release you.”

“That remains to be seen. For now, I think I see light up ahead. We need only go a bit farther.”

“Fine, then forward we go.” She sighed, suddenly too exhausted to argue.

True to his word, in a matter of minutes the shadows lightened enough for her to see the walls of a large cavern. Stalagmites rose like jagged teeth from the sandy floor. The air was heavy with humidity, and the scent of minerals and moist earth filled her with longing. Unable to connect with the earth, feel the power of it move within her, left her hollow, and the pain hit her hard. She bit her lower lip hard to keep from crying out. Never had she experienced anything as wretched as this…this separation of self.

She gave a mental shake. Giving into the depression was a sure way to get herself killed, so she pushed it deep down and caged it.

High above them, the cave opened to a star-filled sky. Silvery light from the full moon spilled over the cavern, bathing it in a soft silver glow. Steam and heat caressed her chilled flesh, and she shivered, not noticing until that moment how chilled the cave was. A hot spring lay in the center below the open sky, enticing her to sink into its soothing depths and ease the aches of her over-taxed body.

“We will stay here for a while,” he said. “Rest while you can.”

“Where are you going?” She winced at the sound of panic in her voice. Fortunately, he seemed to not notice.

“I am scouting around the mouth of the cave to see how close the hunters are to us and to hide the entrance from view.”

Leigh nodded, wanting to kick herself for not thinking of doing just that earlier.

As he turned from her and disappeared the way they’d come, his words were a faint whisper of sound that carried through the air. “You’re a temptation I may not be strong enough to resist.”

~*~

Taren cursed the twisted sense of humor his gods had played on him. The one female he wanted more than his next breath, and he could never claim her. Oh, how they must be laughing.

He needed to focus on the needs of the moment, not on the sexual pull between them. And at the moment, he needed to forage for food, hide their trail and cover the entrance so as not to alert their hunters to their exact location. From his position this high on the mountain, he could view the forest below.

His keen eyesight allowed him to track the stealthy movements of the hunters by the movement in the foliage. Counting four in all, he was surprised at their low numbers. Surely they couldn’t be that confident of their success? He seriously doubted it. His gut told him there were many more than four tracking them. A sense of urgency knotted his gut. He needed to be about his work and formulate his strategy.

He threw himself into his tasks, obscuring their progress past the waterfall and laying a false trail away from the mountain. Once satisfied, he set to foraging for edible roots and berries. He pulled his shirt off to hold his horde and then made his way back up to their cave, taking care to hide the entrance with brambles and foliage he uprooted and placed in front of the opening. Satisfied no one would see the opening from the outside he let his thoughts turn toward the temptress who waited for him.

Stopping at the entrance to the cavern, he tensed as a wave of desire hit him with the force of a semi. Her long hair shimmered in the silver rays of the moon, a silken curtain of dark silk spilled over her shoulders, obscuring her face from his view. He’d give up his horns to have her naked and welcoming him into his arms. Very dangerous thinking for one of his kind.

Would she be his destruction or salvation?