Eternal Flame Page 14

  Her spine went rigid when she heard someone enter the room. Wanting to sneak a peek, she peered through slits. Of course, he looked nothing like a demon. Who the hell created these immortals? A horny goddess who hadn’t been laid in centuries?

  Similar to the vampires, he stood over six feet tall. His raven hair had been pulled back with a leather tie, and his body was solid muscle and sinew. Pale golden eyes reminded her of a cat.

  Aidyn spoke first. “Baal, I am glad you agreed to this assignment.”

  Baal gave a slight bow. “My condolences on the death of your mother. Queen Daria was a remarkable woman. She served as a staunch ally in the fight against the slave trades. My people are grateful for any help you can give us.”

  Aidyn slapped Baal on the back. “You’ve nothing to fear, my man. We will continue to assist you in this endeavor.”

  Aidyn turned toward Cassie. “Cassie, this is Baal.”

  He gave a slight bow, a twinkle in his eye. “So you’re Marcus’s mate. My friend is an extremely lucky man.”

  Her cheeks grew hot. “Thank you.”

  “You have been briefed about where we are going?”

  “Yes, but do you really think this will work?” She knew the plan. Both Gwen and Aidyn believed she could create a telepathic link with Marcus even though she wasn’t a telepath. She had doubts but would try anything. She only hoped that her heart didn’t get broken in the process. Aidyn might be wrong. What if Marcus was happy with Eliza? She tried to convince herself she didn’t care. And you’re a big fat liar too.

  Baal shrugged his broad shoulders. “Who knows, but we will try. Are you ready?”

  She grabbed the backpack with her supplies. “It’s now or never.”

  Baal took her hand then looked at Seth. “While you’re cute and all, I don’t swing that way. No hand-holding, so take my arm.”

  Cassie furrowed her brows. “He can go through the portal on his own, right?”

  “No portals for me, doll. I can flash us right out of this realm and into yours.” He gave a head nod in Seth’s direction. “Damn vampires gotta carry an amulet with them every time they want to leave home. Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

  Her body tingled with a thousand tiny pinpricks, and the room faded away to total blackness. She wondered if she would ever become accustom to this kind of travel.

  * * * *

  Marcus opened his eyes then quickly slammed them shut. His retinas burned like they’d been sandblasted. Damn it! Again he tried, this time more slowly. First he peered through lashes. When the pain subsided, he opened them a bit more until, what felt like an eternity later, they opened completely.

  The room was small and bare, with no furniture except for the bed he lay on. The only lamp hung over his head and flickered like a moth caught in a bug light. Upon closer inspection, he realized he was surrounded by rock. I’m in a damn cave?

  He tried to sit up but found his arms chained to the wall. What the hell happened? His brain recalled Eliza and silver bands. Sure enough, when he looked up at his wrists, he saw the glint of silver. Okay, so he hadn't imagined it, but Eliza was dead.

  “Well, lover, I see you’re finally awake.”

  He strained to follow the voice. When he focused in on the beautiful woman, he found Eliza staring back at him. All cleaned up, her golden strands shimmered in the light. Her skin looked as if she'd washed with the morning dew. Skin-tight jeans and a yellow T-shirt that showed off her bra-less breasts covered her body. Her strawberry nipples pressed into the fabric, looking as if they were trying to make an escape. Fuck, I’m in trouble.

  “How is it you’re alive?” he asked.

  “Marcus, Marcus, my unfaithful mate,” her voice sang out like an angel as she approached the bed. She reached up and ran a red nail down his cheek. “I will tell you my secrets in due time, but first, I have other plans for you. You are my mate, and I will forgive your indiscretions once you bind us together.” She squeezed his cock through his jeans, and he sucked in a breath, waiting for a reaction, but nothing happened. Slowly, he exhaled. Eliza was no longer his true mate. Cassie had been given that position.

  “Look, I thought you were gone. We had to kill all the women that day.” Gods, had they somehow been wrong? Could they have been saved? His stomach rolled and threatened to spill its contents at the thought of such a horrific mistake. No, there had to be another explanation.

  Eliza unsnapped her jeans and pulled them past her rounded hips. Once they were to her ankles, she stepped out of them then crawled up on the bed and straddled his lap. She grabbed the end of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it to the floor. She began to knead her breasts and rub against his cock. The only thing between them was his jeans and her red lace panties.

  “The only thing that’s dead, Marcus, is the innocent little girl you left behind.” She narrowed her gaze. “And it seems your cock as well.” She pushed aside her panties and dipped a finger inside, letting out a moan as she worked in and out. “I have spent three hundred years without a man because of you. The only pleasure is what I give myself.” She moved her finger faster and pinched her nipple with her free hand. Her moans became louder and her breaths more shallow until she screamed out in pleasure. When she regained her composure, she slid up his chest and wiped her juices over his lips. Gods, she tasted sweet but not as sweet as Cassie, never that good. Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you can keep it together.

  “Your body’s on fire right now. Don’t fight it. Just think how wonderful you would feel sliding your cock deep inside me. Be warned, I will make your body crave mine until you beg me to mate with you. And beg me, you will.” She slid her body off of his and walked from the room, her round, firm ass taunting to be touched as she made her exit.

  * * * *

  Cassie had left with Seth and Baal only a few hours ago and now made a quick mental check of her faculties. I must have a brain tumor. It was the only logical explanation she could come up with for why she stood in the wilds of Romania with a vampire and a demon.

  She shifted her backpack, thankful she was healthy and fit. They currently made their way along an old abandoned mining road. The plan: to trek as far into the forest as they could before sundown then make camp for the night. She knew the camp was only for her benefit. These two men had excellent night vision and the stamina of a teenager. She, on the other hand, would have to rest.

  “So doll, what do you do in the human world to fritter away your day?” Baal asked.

  She laughed, glad the demon had come along. At least, he was someone to talk to. “I work as a nurse at a children’s hospital. What does a demon do to pass the time?” Not sure, she actually wanted to know.

  He raised a brow then flashed a white smile. “You’re a brave girl for asking. I actually own a casino in Las Vegas. I prefer the nightlife. You know—good food, wine and women, not necessarily in that order.”

  She rolled her eyes. Baal looked more like he should be one of the strippers, no doubt his body would put them all to shame. “A casino, huh? It sounds fascinating. So tell me more about these slave trades.”

  He continued to walk ahead, not looking at her. “My species is the most powerful of the demons. Ironic, isn’t it, that we are also the most captured. Our abilities are sought by other immortals. Often we are used as sex slaves, our services purchased by unsuspecting humans or other immortals.” He waggled his brows. “We are excellent lovers.”

  Color rose in her cheeks, so she stopped, pulled out her water bottle, and took a swig. “That’s terrible. I mean: that they use your people for slavery.”

  There was sadness in his eyes. “Yes, my sister was kidnapped five years ago. She was only sixteen at the time. I have never given up searching for her.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I pray that you find her.”

  He smiled. “Thank you. You should also pray for those who took her. When I find Lileta, her captor’s death will be slow and painful.”

  She had no d
oubt this man was capable of unspeakable acts.

  Seth slid in next to her. “Do you need a break, Cassie?”

  Baal slapped his thigh and gave a snort. “Whoa, he speaks.”

  She touched her chest. These were the first words Seth had spoken since they left Vandeldor. “Uh no, I’m fine but thanks for asking.”

  “Very well then,” he replied and continued walking.

  She returned her bottle to the side of her hip and turned to Baal. “Is he always this quiet?”

  “'Fraid so, doll. Didn’t anyone tell you about his abilities?”

  Her head shook. “No. What ability is that?”

  He moved closer and lowered his voice. Not that it mattered. Cassie understood vampires had exceptional hearing. “When he drinks blood, he acquires the memories of his meal. Normally, he can purge them from his system, but since the curse, he has been unable to do so. Those memories have been with him for three hundred years. Can you imagine?”

  Her jaw dropped. “No wonder he walks around like a black cloud hangs over him.” She couldn’t conceive what it must be like. Part of her gained a new respect for the quiet man.

  “Makes me wonder how much longer he can cope.” He shook his head. “It’s a pity, the fucking curse Drayos placed on them.” He looked Cassie in the eyes. “Maybe they’ll all get lucky and find their mates. I think it will be their only salvation.”

  She furrowed her brows. “I don’t understand. If they are warriors, then why would their gods allow this to happen?”

  “Who knows why the gods make the decisions they do. It is what it is, and we are left to deal with the mess. Zarek pulls the interference card, says it’s not good for evolution. Bastard!”

  “Why are you whispering?”

  His brows shot up to his hairline. “Really? I don’t want the prick knowing I’m talking about him. He just might show up.”

  She gave a mental shudder, Zarek didn’t sound like anyone she wanted to meet anytime soon. “But, isn’t he your god also?” I’m so confused by these ‘gods’ they keep referring to.

  “Yes, doll, doesn’t mean I have to worship the ground he walks on.”

  “Oh.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Marcus’s thoughts wandered back to Cassie. He should have stayed away from her but had been weak. The connection between them was stronger than he ever imagined, much stronger than the match with Eliza. He wondered why Zarek decided to choose a human over one of his own kind.

  He certainly didn’t deserve a woman like Cassie and feared he would be overcome by the curse, his soul possessed by pure evil. He’d become nothing more than a blood junkie, taking for the unadulterated pleasure like a heroin addict.

  Time passed at a snail’s pace, only indicated by Eliza entering the room to torture him with her sexual exploits. So far he’d been able to put his mind on other matters, keeping his body’s reaction to her a non-issue. How much longer he could do that, he didn’t know. He prayed for as long as necessary. His skin was now hyper sensitive to touch, and his cock ached for release. The term blue balls held a whole new meaning. Something he wouldn’t wish on even his worst enemy.

  He scanned the room, looked for anything to aid him in escaping this hell hole. He found nothing.

  Then there was the hunger, he couldn’t remember the last time he had food or blood. His belly ached. Every time Eliza entered the room, he thought of tasting her, in more ways than one. Maybe I should just mate with her and be done with it. Part of him felt he owed her. Hell, he did owe her. There was no question about it. However, visions of Cassie would dance through his mind. He wouldn’t give up on them.

  He tried again to free his wrists from the shackles and failed. There was no escape, weakness plagued him. The door opened, and Eliza entered for another round of pleasure. His fangs dropped at the sight of her, if she got close enough, he’d drain her.

  “Marcus, darling. I feel your hunger,” she cooed while she climbed on top of him. “We must really do something about that.” Her fangs extended and she bit into her wrist, letting droplets of precious blood splatter onto his stomach. “Oh silly me, I am such a klutz. Hmmm, the smell of blood has made me hungry. Maria!”

  A young girl appeared in the doorway. He guessed her to be no more than eighteen. She wore a peach-colored bra and matching thong, the color complemented her olive skin. “Yes, my lady?”

  “Come closer, Maria.”

  The girl obeyed and moved toward the bed. Was Eliza actually going to let him feast on the girl? He licked his lips in anticipation. His belly rumbled, begging to be filled. Once Maria stood beside the bed, Eliza reached up and moved the girl's raven locks away from her neck.

  “Doesn’t she look lovely, Marcus?” Eliza slipped Maria’s bra straps past her shoulders and exposed her firm, round breasts. “Maria, I’m hungry.”

  The girl moved to sit on the edge of the bed, facing Marcus. Eliza caressed the girl’s breasts, causing her to moan softly. Sonuvabitch. She really is going to do this in front of him, again!

  “You want her, don’t you?”

  Yes, yes, he did. In that instant, his cock grew stiff, and his stomach growled. Shit! Why now? Why did he become aroused for this young girl and not for Eliza? Damn his body for betraying him.

  “Marcus, you are aroused for her.” Of course, she would notice, sitting on his lap. Her eyes turned into molten lava as she leaned over and sank her fangs into the girl’s neck.

  Maria gasped while Eliza drank and continued to massage the girl’s breasts. Marcus inhaled the coppery scent, his gaze fixed on the blood that trickled down her neck. The girl continued to moan in pleasure until she screamed out in ecstasy. Eliza should have stopped but didn’t, she took deeper pulls.

  “Eliza, what the fuck are you doing? Stop!” He fought against his restraints to no avail. He heard Maria’s heart slowing, her breaths became shallow. Eliza was killing her. Again he pulled, tried to focus all his energy on freeing himself. The restraints held. Helpless, I’m fucking helpless to stop her. Zarek! Where the fuck are you?

  Eliza took one last draw of blood then released Maria to fall into a heap on the floor. He looked at the innocent girl, and his vision glazed over. If he could have reached Eliza at that moment, he would have killed her again. “You bitch! We are guardians, sworn to protect.”

  She licked the remaining blood from her lips as she moved off of him. “You are a guardian, not I.” She walked toward the door and called out to someone standing outside. A demon entered, grabbed Maria by the arm, and dragged her from the room. Marcus would kill him too for disrespecting the poor girl.

  “What the fuck are you?”

  She picked at her red fingernails. “Really, darling, you’re so moody.” She sighed, her hands dropping to her side. “You chose to be a warrior rather than a husband. You left me to wait rather than bond with me.”

  He stared at her in disbelief. “I am a warrior, and I thought you were too young. I didn’t want to saddle you with a husband and possible children at such a young age.”

  She sneered. “Thanks to your lack of attention, I gave my heart to another. Yes, I loved Drayos, and I intend to avenge his death. You will suffer for what you did to me.” She wrapped her fingers around his chin and squeezed. Her nails bit into his flesh, sending warm liquid running down his chin. “As far as the girl you killed that day? It was Drayos’s magic, he used another and made her look like me."

  He watched her leave the room, vowing under his breath that one way or another she would pay. He had once loved the woman, but now he was filled with hatred. So much hatred, bile burned his throat. How could someone so innocent turn so ugly? No, she wanted to blame him for what happened, but her heart had been turned black long ago. He knew guilt should plague him. No doubt Drayos turned her against her own people. However, he refused to feel it.

  He had to find a way to free himself then slaughter her. He thought of Aidyn. The man had suffered enough. How would he react to the knowledge his siste
r lived? He would be happy beyond belief, but when he learned who she truly was, it would crush him. No, he would kill the bitch before his friend ever learned the truth. Somehow, he had to hide this from him.

  * * * *

  Seth decided to make camp near a small lake located off the abandoned logging road. Cassie sat on a fallen tree near the water’s edge. She pulled off the hiking boots and placed her tired, aching feet into the water. Her face turned up toward the sky as a sigh escaped, and she swore there was a hiss when her feet hit the water.

  “May I take your backpack for you?”

  She jumped, surprised by Seth's soundless approach from behind. So eager to get her boots off, she'd forgotten she even wore a pack.

  “Thank you. That would be wonderful.” She reached for the clip and undid the cinch around her waist. Seth helped pull the pack down her arms and off her back. She was in excellent shape, but the day's hiking had worn her out.

  He gave her a sidelong glance. “You need to come up by the fire, Cassie. It is not safe down here.”

  She looked behind her. Baal already had a fire going and stood with a sword perched over his shoulder. Her posture went rigid. Something wasn’t right. “What’s going on, Seth?”

  “Draki passed through here, probably two days ago.”

  “Is that bad?” What a stupid question, of course it is. She was well aware of the possibility a conflict between the vampires and dragons could break out anytime.

  “I would rather not cross paths with them.” Seth glanced up at the darkening sky as if searching for something. “No doubt if they are in the area, there is a good chance Odage is as well.” He leveled his eyes on her. “It is very dangerous here. You need to try and make contact with Marcus tonight.”

  “Okay.” She didn’t want to tell him yet. She’d been trying, without success.

  She grabbed her boots and followed Seth to camp. Hungry and tired, her feet tangled beneath her, almost sending her headfirst to the ground. If not for Seth grabbing her arm, she would have done a nosedive in the dirt.