Frost Fire (Tortured Elements) (8 page)

Drake scoffed. Then he leaned back, sitting on the concrete floor. He had to tuck his legs close to his chest so they didn’t bump into Allai’s knees. Just how big
was
he? She looked him over and scooted back an inch. He was at least six-four, and all that bulk was muscle. He could probably eat her for breakfast. And he most likely wanted to, considering she was human and he was a former Keeper Demon.

“Who says I enjoy Persequors?” Drake asked. “They’re nasty creatures. It’s why Dad had me get bit so many times. Small doses of venom won’t turn you into a Persequor, and if you’re bitten enough, it builds an immunity to large doses.”

It took Allai a moment to realize the meaning of the word ‘Dad’. Rhaize. Rhaize was the one who had put Drake through the immunity process, and it really was no wonder. Only a psychopath like him would allow his son to go through that kind of pain so many times.

“Immunity,” Allai repeated. “So… That’s why you’re not a Persequor now?”

Drake nodded and slowly retracted his claws.

“But you were paralyzed,” Allai said, shaking her head. “You were shaking and everything.”

Drake nodded again, this time more slowly, like he was explaining something to a toddler. “Yeah. The immunity isn’t
true
immunity. It just helps me to resist the change. Silas is stronger than most Persequors, and he gave me a large dose…” He trailed off and shrugged.

It’d been close. Allai stared at Drake, trying to decipher the expression on his face. He’d almost been changed, and almost lost his emotions. But Drake didn’t look like he’d just had a brush with a catastrophe. He looked cool and collected, still lounging on the floor with that little smirk lifting his lips. But then she noticed that his breaths hadn’t stopped their shallow, rapid pace.

“You’re still weak,” Allai said.

Drake growled. But he swallowed it back mid-growl, and said through gritted teeth, “Just a little bit. I’ll be fine in a couple days.”

She nodded. This was getting downright weird. She was just sitting there with Drake Rhaize lounging a foot away from her. It’d almost have been better if he’d pressed his claws to her neck again, because even if it was terrifying, it was natural. And that’s what they were: Natural enemies.

“So…” She trailed off and inched back a little more. Now was the time. She’d talked enough, and now she had to see if it had paid off at all. “Are you going to let me go?”

Drake scoffed, and she wondered if that was his version of a laugh. It sounded kind of close, but not quite. It was too cynical. “Let you go? Do you think I’m crazy, little Nox?”

“I was hoping.”

He shook his head. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“So then what are you going to do with me?” Her voice came out in a whisper, and Allai winced at the weakness of it. She wasn’t supposed to be weak. ‘
Weakness only suits the dead.’
was what Shieldak had always told her.

Drake shrugged and went back to biting his lip. “I don’t really know what I’m going to do. Wait for someone to come down here? Tell them I’ll let you live if I get to go free? I’ll work something out.”

The way he nonchalantly contemplated her fate made Allai stop breathing. But then she forced in a shuddering breath. She couldn’t let him see that he was getting to her.

Then there was a flash of claws, and her vision was once again black.

Allai gasped and tried to see something—anything—through the blackness. She couldn’t. Had she fainted again? Damn it, she couldn’t do that, not here and not now.

Then she felt something soft brush against her forehead, and she realized it wasn’t unconsciousness causing the darkness. It was Drake’s shirt.

She blinked a couple times, trying to decipher what had happened. He must have yanked her up from the ground, and now he had her pressed against his chest, her back to the door. His arm was wrapped around her waist and holding her off the ground. She shrieked, but he just clapped a hand over her mouth, leveraging her jaw up so she couldn’t bite at him.

Drake’s other hand went to her neck, pressing his claws against her fragile skin. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I don’t want to do this, and I swear I’m not going to hurt you. I just need to get out of here, okay? So, please, just be quiet and don’t move.”

She ignored him. Her feet dangled a couple inches off the ground, and she kicked at his legs to make him drop her. He lowered her a little so her feet could barely touch the ground.

The dungeon door opened. She couldn’t see it, but she heard its hinges squeak and footsteps enter the basement dungeon. Then, after a moment, a voice breathed, “Son of a bitch.”

She recognized the voice as Luke’s. Of course. She should have counted that he’d come looking for her. Luke always knew when she got into trouble, like it was some uncanny sixth sense.

“Faroh, go get help,” Luke said, just as quietly. It sounded like he’d turned from her, and Allai could only guess that Luke was talking to the guard. She heard rustling of wings as the young guard sprinted up the steps leading from the dungeon.

“Drake,” Luke said, his voice calm and even. “Let her go.”

He sounded closer. Allai struggled to open her mouth and punched at Drake’s chest. She needed to tell Luke to stay back. Despite being blind, it would be easy for Luke to know that Drake was holding her hostage; with Drake out of his cell, and Allai’s pounding heart pressed against his, it was really the only plausible scenario.

But, even if Luke could figure out the situation, there was no way he could actually
fight
Drake. She thought back to yesterday, to the rain drizzling down on Silas’s corpse and his limp hands clutching his chest. She wouldn’t let that happen to Luke.

Drake snarled, and Allai felt the vibrations of the sound rumble in his chest. She closed her eyes. Her jaw was starting to ache from him clamping it closed. She wished she could bite him, or maybe punch his face. But all she could do was kick at his shins. So she did that, slamming her foot into the middle of his shin again and again. He didn’t even react.

“Allai,” Luke said, sounding a little more panicked. “Don’t upset him.”

How did Luke always know when she was getting herself into trouble? Even in life-threatening situations? She tried to sigh, and then shrieked against Drake’s hand when he blocked it.

“Stay away from me, viper,” Drake snapped, stepping backward. Pressed against him, Allai could feel the raw power of his muscles as they moved. She shivered; Drake was built for destruction. “I’ll kill her if you come any closer,” he warned.

“Okay, okay,” Luke said. “Just… Bloody hell, take a deep breath. Calm down.” His accent became stronger as his panic grew.

Drake came to a halt. “I’ll let her live if you let me go. Just get me out of here, and she’ll be fine.”

“I can’t do that, Drake. I can’t let you go without getting myself killed,” Luke said. “I’d be an accomplice to your escape. So let’s just try to work this out.”

Drake snarled and dug his claws deeper into Allai’s skin. They’d puncture with just a little more pressure. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.

“Let’s start at the beginning.” Luke was starting to regain his cool tone. “How’d you get out of your cell?”

Allai winced at the question. She knew what he was really asking:
Did Allai let you out?
She understood the suspicion, considering all the times she’d tried to convince Luke that Drake had saved her life. But the question still hurt.

“Your idiot guard didn’t lock the door,” Drake spat. “How else could I have gotten out?”

“Alright,” Luke said, his tone wavering toward disbelief. “Then I guess it was our mistake. Sorry for that. If our guard hadn’t done that, we might not be in this situation.”

Allai knew every word wounded Luke. Apologizing to a son of Rhaize? The one who had tried to kill her? He’d probably never regain his self-esteem.

“Look, I don’t want to talk to you,” Drake said. “I just want to go free. So one more time: Let me go, or I’m killing her.”

“I can’t do that,” Luke repeated. “I’d get myself killed. I’d get Allai killed.”

“What?” Drake said.

“I said I can’t let you go.”

“No, what do you mean it would get her killed?”

Luke took a deep breath and then slowly explained, “She’d also be an accomplice to your escape. An unwilling one, but still an accomplice. Most Warriors would get away with that, but not her. Allai’s a Nox. She’d be killed.”

Drake froze. Allai could feel it; his muscles tensing, his breath catching in his throat. Then he said, “Ten minutes. Give me ten minutes alone with her. And then I’ll let her go.”

“Are you kidding me?” Luke said.

“No. I just want ten minutes.”

“Why?” Luke demanded. “So you can kill her without me trying to stop you?”

“It’s your choice,” Drake snapped. “You can leave her with me for a little bit. Or I can kill her right in front of you, right now.”

Allai wanted to scream at Luke to not listen to him, that it was just a bluff. But Drake kept her mouth clamped shut. Then she heard Luke slowly say, “Ten minutes. That’s all. I’ll be right outside the door. If I hear something, or if you try anything, then—”

“Just leave,” Drake snarled.

She heard Luke take a deep breath, and then the dungeon’s door opened. Drake’s hand kept her from screaming at him to come back. The door closed, and they were alone.

This wasn’t what she had wanted. Her heart beat wildly, and she gritted her teeth to hold back tears. She’d just wanted to come say goodbye to him, to get one last look at him before he changed. But now Drake wasn’t changing, and she might be dead in a few moments.

Drake released her. He was more careful than before, making sure her feet were stable on the ground before he let go. Allai stumbled backwards, toward the basement door.

“Stop,” Drake commanded.

She did. What other choice was there?

He crossed his arms and nodded to the ground. “Sit down.”

It was a little relieving to hear the order. Her legs were shaking, and if she didn’t sit soon, she was going to collapse. She lowered to the ground and tucked her knees close to her chest, all the time keeping an eye on Drake.

He walked up to her until only a yard separated them. Another step, and it was only a foot. Then he dropped to the ground so quickly it was almost like he’d collapsed. But he hadn’t. His legs folded gracefully under him, and his back remained straight and upright. He reminded her of Luke’s cat, the way it’d spontaneously nap and just drop into a sleeping position. Only Drake was way less fuzzy and way more deadly.

Drake just stared at her for a moment, tilting his head to the side and watching her. Then he gave a slow, disproving shake of his head. “You know, you’re a truly horrible host. Locking up your guests who just came, killing off the hungry ones—”

“
You
killed Silas!” Allai blurted out. “And, even if I
had
killed him, it would have been the right thing to do.” She realized a second too late Drake’s words were sarcasm. She winced, waiting for whatever revenge he’d take on her for the outburst.

But Drake didn’t even react. He just watched her, his head still tilted to one side and his eyes slowly examining her.

Allai took a deep breath. “You need to let me go. Immediately.”

Drake waved a dismissing hand at her. “It’s just ten minutes, little Nox. More like nine, now. Have some patience.”

“What are you going to do with me?” She tucked her knees a little closer to her chest as she waited for an answer.

Drake shrugged. He tried to make the motion nonchalant, but Allai saw him biting at his lip. “I only have ten minutes. Not much time. So I’m just going to show you some things and ask some questions.”

“I’m not telling you anything about the Sentinel,” Allai blurted. “Go ahead, just kill me. Because I’m not telling you a
word
.”

“You have so much loyalty for the Sentinel,” Drake said quietly. “Even though they’d kill you for something as simple as being used as a hostage. Do you really think that’s fair?”

Life wasn’t fair. Drake of all people should know that. Fairness didn’t matter, what mattered was that her entire life was invested in the Sentinel. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she snapped, “I already told you, I’m not saying anything about the Sentinel.”

He just smirked at that, looking more amused than annoyed. But the expression didn’t last long. He sighed, and a frown tugged at his lips as he moved back into in a crouch, his arms wrapping around his knees. “How are you?” he asked, his voice barely above a murmur. “Does Shieldak take good care of you?”

Allai turned away. She couldn’t look at him anymore. He was too contradictory, too damn
confusing
. Did he want to kill her or save her? Threaten her or protect her?

Maybe she should make a break for it and sprint to the door. He might let her go. He didn’t seem to be showing any anger toward her. And if she made it to the door, then she’d be safe, and Drake would be…

Killed. Shieldak wasn’t going to let him live after this. She turned her neck up toward the ceiling and away from him. Why did it matter to her? She should
want
him dead. But every time she thought of that, of revenge, of him getting what he deserved—she also thought of his eyes. They were the same ones from her past. The ones that had once protected her.

“Why do you care about me?” she demanded.

She couldn’t see his reaction, but she could hear the hesitancy in his voice as he said, “Rescuers are supposed to have some kind of attachment to the people they save… right? And I saved you. Remember?”

She tensed at the way he said it:
“Remember?”
Like he wasn’t referring to the event from just a day ago, but to something that had happened far in the past.

“I know you,” she said. “Not just from…
recently.
But from a while ago.” She stopped there. There was no point in going any further. If he really was the person she remembered, then she didn’t have to say anything more. He’d know.

A moment passed in silence. Then he sighed deeply and stood up. She didn’t take her eyes from the ceiling. But she could see him in the corner of her eye, circling around until he stood behind her. She didn’t flinch when the hot skin of his fingers pressed against her neck. He traced over her scar, his touch gentle and tender.