DarykHunter (9 page)

From the darkness, the sounds of a call to prayer warbled in the night. She’d read in the texts her father had found that Dragonian townships had a center of worship, a chapel to the god Draconus. Every eight hours a call to prayer would wail above the township and remind those most faithful to stop and reflect on the goodness of Draconus. She’d yet to see what this god was supposed to look like. Perhaps they didn’t allow the deity to have a form, just as Magonians refused to depict their god.

Curious to get a slightly better angle so she could see the huge moons better, she stepped around the corner of the building.

A dark figure sprang at her. An arm grabbed her about the waist, slinging her into an alleyway. With crushing force, the man jammed her against a wall. Her breath caught, seized by the pressure of the man’s body against hers and pain spearing through her ribs. At first she thought the hard grip might be Dane, but the man’s nasty breath instantly proved it wasn’t, and the brutal grip on her arms hurt. Fear sliced like a knife through her.

Instinct brought her knee up into the man’s groin. The man yowled and ducked into a ball of pain. She poured on the strength and tore away from her attacker. With a growl the man reached for her, caught the sleeve of her tunic. It ripped but held, and his other arm corralled her waist. He slapped her across the face, and a cry escaped her as her ears rang and pain sliced her cheek as if a beener bug had stabbed her. Crude words spilled from his lips that she didn’t understand.

“Bitch! Don’t defy me!” His raspy voice growled in her ear.

She tried to knee him again, her hands coming up to gouge his eyes. He jerked his head back. A second later her head thunked against the wall behind her and a flash of white penetrated her skull like a needle. Pain staggered her. By the god, he had to have split her skull. Regret came too late. Perhaps she shouldn’t have left Dane. Weakness made pudding of her limbs, and as her knees buckled, the man tossed her over his shoulder. She tried pounding on his back but couldn’t muster strength to do more than gurgle in outrage.

“Let me go,” she managed to cry out. “You milksop!”

He slapped her ass, a guttural laugh echoing in the knight. “Be still, bitch. Your eagerness is encouraging, but we have all night.”

She wriggled, but the pain in her head sent her into a twilight where only voices penetrated her mind.

“What you go there, Bantu?” A man’s raspy voice echoed nearby. “Can I get me some?”

“Back off, Tweed. She’s not your kind. Got me a rare find.”

As the man called Bantu ran with her into the night, Tweed ran alongside. “Truly? Can I have a bit of her?”

“She’s going to be my bitch. At least until I get tired of her.” He laughed, and the rough sound swam through her head as she bounced along on his shoulder.

She wanted to scream for help, cry out for Dane. But her throat wouldn’t work. Breed for the disgusting man? She would die first.

Her last thought before darkness ate her up was,
Magon save me.
What have I done?

* * * * *

Minilos grinned widely. “She is a fiery one, no? They say she looked as timid and cool as a virgin when you kissed her. But the way she faced the dragon, she must be hot and tasty.” Minilos rubbed his hands together.

Searing jealousy screamed through Dane’s mind, and he growled, “Don’t ever speak of her in that way again.” Heated anger spilled through Dane. He pointed at Minilos. “She’s mine.”

Minilos’ stunned expression turned to understanding. “Ah, I get it now. Sorry, my friend. She’s to be your mate for real, isn’t she?”

Trembling inside with a bizarre rage, Dane slammed back the rest of his drink and didn’t answer the question.

“Be careful, Dane. You’ll scare the poor girl with that look. You can’t have her for your mate if she refuses you sexually.”

Once more Dane gave his friend a hostile look. “Thank you. I know that.”

If it had been any other woman they talked about, Dane easily could have spilled to his friend the details of the seduction. He wouldn’t have felt embarrassed to tell Minilos how Ketera had screamed in orgasm when he’d tasted her sweet pussy with his tongue or used his fingers to fuck her tight channel.

Telling his old friend how beautiful she’d been while ecstasy rushed through her body—

No.

It did not feel right.

“If you don’t mate with her within a few days, she’ll refuse you forever.”

“I know that,” Dane gritted out between his teeth.

“But you can’t frighten her into doing it—”

“I know, damn it.” He leaned over until he was in Minilos’ face. “You think I’d even dream of hurting her in any way?” Dane jammed one hand through his hair. “Maybe she isn’t really my mate. Perhaps it’s just been too long since I had a woman.”

Minilos’ eyes appeared calm and his gaze solid with understanding. “A Daryk One isn’t like everyone else in Dragonia. You’ve trained all your life to recognize evil, brigands and other outlaws. To sense when you’re needed. You can scent your mate, but more than that, you can feel her in your soul.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the advice. When was the last time you even lay with a woman?” Dane asked.

Over the din of the hornpipe, Minilos’ eyes shined with memory. “Not since old Tessala left me. You know, I don’t understand this mate thing.”

“Join the crowd.”

“Then why did you say she is yours? No man says that unless—”

“Shut up and let us talk business.”

No, Minilos wouldn’t understand. There were a few Daryk Ones, like Minilos, who never found a woman they connected with on a level this profound. They had sex, they may even have sincere affection with a woman, but nothing as life-altering and gut-wrenching as the burn that seemed to eat away at Dane’s control. Maybe he did need to find a woman to slake his lust before he seduced pretty Ketera. Before he understood what to do with her. Suddenly, the thought of taking another woman…any woman other than Ketera felt repugnant. Almost nauseating.

Ah, hells.

Dane shoved away his troubled feelings and concentrated on the task at hand. Dane asked Minilos to stay mum, demanding the man speak of Ketera’s need to return to Magonia to no one. When Minilos asked why she would want to go into that forsaken desert land, Dane explained that her father had become a prisoner based on opposing beliefs. Minilos took his word and said he’d make the arrangements for them to sail in two days.

Dane’s eyes narrowed as he searched the crowd for Ketera, a crawling suspicion inside him. “Where is Ketera? It shouldn’t have taken her that long.”

He left the table without another word to Minilos, his heartbeat pounding, anger and worry mixed together. If the little wench dared leave without him—

She couldn’t have. A woman, once mated, would always feel a staggering pull toward her man. If she was young and hadn’t been bedded by her mate, the pull should be so harsh she couldn’t leave the building without him.

Unless, because she was Magonian, the pull wasn’t harsh. Wasn’t there at all.

What if he was the one ensnared?

He stormed toward the back area, pushing past a few patrons before he crashed through the opening to the ladies’ facility. “Ketera!”

No sign of her. Damn the little wench to the high seas and the hells.

Full-blown fury was matched only by the skewering loathing he had for himself for not realizing Ketera planned to run yet again. Draconus, he’d been a lust-filled fool. Somewhere inside another horrible feeling gathered. He longed for her still, he ached for her with a soul-binding desire that sealed his fate.

“Dane?” A commanding male voice alerted Dane someone was behind him. Again he whirled, dirk at hand.

Anger and caution flooded him as he recognized fellow Daryk One Rayder Tyrus. Rayder strode toward him. He hadn’t seen nor spoken to Rayder in the year the man had turned rogue. The same height as Dane, Rayder was lean but still powerful. His dark hair fell around his shoulders, always looking messy. A few days of beard lent a piratical appearance to his face. Dane’s defenses came up. Rayder had once been his friend. Now he was in league with Drakus and a slave trader himself. What the hells was he doing here? Dane kept his hand on his dagger, muscles tensed.

“Minilos says you’ve got trouble,” Rayder said. “Can I help?”

“Maybe I should just kill you now and have done with it.” Dane glared. “Are you here to spy for Drakus?”

Rayder grunted. “I’m not in Drakus’ camp for war but for money. I wouldn’t fight you.”

“You’re a fuckin’ traitor to your people. Never would have thought you could do it, Rayder.” Dane growled. “Bah, I don’t have time for this. I need to find my woman.”

Rayder’s dark brows went upward. “You got woman dilemmas again?”

“Yep. And this time she’s a handful.”

Rayder smiled, a hint of worry in his eyes. “Sounds like the best kind of trouble. Found some trouble of my own just the other day when I took the
Beast
to sea during the storm.” Before Dane could reply, Rayder continued. “Rescued a woman from the sea.”

Dane’s head snapped around as he gave his fellow warrior a hard stare. “Did she say she was from Magonia?”

Rayder’s mouth tightened to a hard line, his eyes as dark as the eyes of the deadly rarelian reptile. “How did—”

“Never mind. It’s a long story.” Dane’s mind whirled as he headed back to the main room, Rayder in tow.

Rayder jogged after him. “How did you know she was from Magonia?”

“Can’t talk now. It’s complicated.”

Rayder called out as Dane left the building. “It always is.”

Dane charged from the tavern into the night, dagger in hand and sword at his waist, his heart pounding with a fear he didn’t remember feeling before this night. Before he’d met his sprite.

Ketera was his mate, whether he liked it or not. He would find her, and she would be his.

Now Dane knew, without a doubt, he was in a world of trouble.

Chapter Five

Dane glanced this way and that, looking through the darkness in hopes of seeing Ketera anywhere. His throat about closed at the thought of her alone in the dark alleyways and dusty streets of the Grimnald township. Stupid girl. What had she been thinking?

Girl. No, she was not a girl, but a full grown young woman with fire in her heart and eyes, and enough power over him to twist his gut into a thousand knots at the thought of anything happening to her.

A moment later Rayder’s tall form jogged toward him, and Dane cursed. “Dragon dung. What are you doing here? I told you I would take care of this.”

“Minilos explained you’re looking for your mate and might need assistance. If she’s been grabbed by slavers, I might be able to help.” Rayder held his hands out in supplication. “Besides I know how the drek think. For old times’ sake, let me help.”

Placing his hands on his hips, Dane ground out his words. “Right now I don’t have the fucking time to deal with you. But I swear to Draconus if you’ve ordered her kidnapping our old friendship won’t mean dragon dung. I’ll cut your heart out.”

The Daryk One didn’t look fazed. “Fair enough.”

That’s when Dane saw a strip of cloth from the long-sleeved tunic she’d worn to the tavern lying near an alleyway. He lunged for the evidence and his stomach dropped.

“Fuck.” Dane glared at Rayder. “She’s been taken. She hasn’t run away.”

Rayder didn’t seem disconcerted by his old friend’s deadly glare. “It may not be slavers, but we need to hurry.” He clapped Dane on the back. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

“Shut up.” Dane started running. “We don’t have any time to lose.”

“Never thought you’d go under, Dane.”

“What the hells are you talking about?”

“You know what I speak of.” Rayder’s voice held sarcasm. “Finding a mate, much less falling for one.”

Dane gritted words through his teeth, not wanting to admit anything out loud. “I’m watching after an innocent woman.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that? A Daryk One doesn’t go after a woman unless he’s mated to her.”

“Maybe you don’t.” Dane wanted to kick his fellow warrior’s ass as they checked each alleyway, used Daryk Warrior tracking skills. “Did you forget you’re a Daryk One? Sworn to protect the innocent and helpless against harm? Or have you been a fucking slave trader for so long you don’t remember your roots?”

Dane didn’t see the man’s reaction, but heard the strong grunt of derision. “You don’t know shite about what I’ve done for the last year.”

Sharp anger rose inside Dane, shoving aside his worry for one increment. “I know that you left the Daryk Ones and haven’t been seen since. We thought you’d perished. Then rumors abounded that you’re a pirate and slave trader on the
Beast
.”

Rayder didn’t confirm or deny. “Shall we put that aside for now? Time is wasting.”

Despite his vow to remain calm, for the first time in his thirty years, Dane didn’t know how to feel other than an all-consuming desire to find Ketera.

“I swear to the god, if she’s been hurt…” His throat went tight, the rage growing.

“I have a plan. When we find who has taken her, we’ll need to make them think you and I are true enemies.”

“We aren’t?”

Rayder shrugged, a smile touching his lips. “Not this day. If I tell you that I’m going to fight you for her, play along. We’ll use it as a distraction.”

Dane narrowed his eyes. “Don’t get any ideas about taking her for real.”

Rayder nodded. “I wouldn’t dare. Rest easy. We’ll find her, old friend. We’ll find her.”

* * * * *

“There now, little girl, wake up.”

The gravelly voice made her want to burrow under the covers. Peeved and aching in every joint, she opened her eyes. She wasn’t under covers and she trembled with cold. Her head ached.

And found her wrists and ankles tied to a bed. She glanced around quickly, squinting into the semidark room lit only by a white pillar candle in one corner. Shadows danced off the stone walls. Impressions started to bombard her foggy mind. Dampness. Cold. An eerie feeling she couldn’t place and didn’t want to understand. Sequestered in a small room, Ketera felt swallowed by the stone walls, the drooping blood-red drapes on two medium-sized windows near one side of the room. Where was she? Her head throbbed with questions, the pounding in her temples only drowned by the ache in her limbs, neck and back. What was she doing here?