Damned and Desired (24 page)

The dog lapped at the water, sniffed the food, then vomited.

“Zeus, what did you eat? Something make you sick?”

The dog looked up at him with glassy eyes. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

“Oh my, God. You’ve been poisoned. Valdon. Bastard.” He grabbed a blanket and wrapped Zeus in it, jotted a quick note to Sakari with the address for the emergency vet, scooped Zeus up in his arms and ran out the door.

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Damned and Desired

“It’s okay, Zeus. Going for a ride.” Brad left his door unlocked and placed his dog on the backseat. Getting into the front, he started up the car and raced onto the highway toward the emergency vet clinic.

The dog stirred in the back. Brad tried to glance back in the rearview mirror. Maybe Zeus was coming around. If he got there quickly enough, the vet could save him. He punched the steering wheel and swore.

“Valdon, so help me. If my dog dies, I’ll flay you alive.”

“You think so?” Valdon said from the backseat.

Brad swerved the car, nearly running off the road. He checked the rearview mirror.

Zeus was gone and Valdon was in his place, smiling.

“Keep driving. We’re going on a trip.”

“Where’s my dog?”

“I didn’t do anything to your dog. I let him loose.”

“Where are we going?” A plan had already formed in his head. He was just stalling for a little time.

“My world. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting,” Valdon said with pride and an arrogant tilt to his jaw.

“How so?”

“It unlike anything you’ve seen on Earth.”

Brad slammed on the brakes, stopping abruptly. He reached for the door handle before the car fully halted but Valdon was too fast. His enemy had a tight grip around the back of his neck. His body went numb, spots drifted in his vision and for a moment Brad thought he’d pass out.
Fuck.

“I’m faster and at least five times stronger than you,” Valdon said in a low predatory growl. “I could snap your neck with one hand. Now drive.”

Brad pulled the car back onto the road. His body slowly regained strength and feeling again. “I will kill you,” Brad said.

“Can’t do that, I’m immortal. Can’t fight me since you left your animal skin at your house. I can kill you in an instant.”

Son of a bitch.
He wondered if his leopard form had enough power to destroy Valdon. Gripping the steering wheel, he continued down the road. Brad restrained himself, for now. There was a time to fight and a time to wait. Waiting was the hardest but wisest move sometimes. Anger and adrenaline pumped through his muscles. He wanted to rip Valdon’s heart out. He’d wait it out.

He’d find a way.

* * * * *

135

Kathy Kulig

When Sakari got to Brad’s house she saw Zeus sitting by the front door. The lights were on inside. “Why are you out here?” she asked Zeus as if he could answer. The dog whined, his head bowed down between his shoulders, cowering. “What’s wrong?”

He wasn’t on a leash either. Brad had a fenced-in backyard. He wouldn’t let Zeus loose in the front without tying him. She had a bad feeling. Running inside she called for Brad and found the note. “Taking Zeus to the vet.” It didn’t make sense, Zeus was here. The dog rubbed her thigh. He used to step away from her and bark, now he was begging to be petted. She smiled but her smile faded as she began to worry. Picking up her cell phone she tried Brad’s cell. No answer. Then she tried Haley’s number and also got no answer. She swore and punched the table. Zeus barked.

Then she saw the leopard pelt.

No! Dante’s words came back to haunt her. “It’s started.”

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Damned and Desired

Sakari dropped Zeus off with the cook, then raced down the highway in her rental car with Brad’s leopard pelt, frantically searching for the stand of juniper trees, her landmark for the turnoff. This was the place she had killed her first quarry, a hiker who was hitchhiking with his backpack. He’d said he was heading back to Phoenix. Her carelessness and inexperience as a Drone had caused the young man’s death. His death continued to haunt her. How could she have thought she deserved to live as a mortal?

What would Brad think of her if he knew? Tears flooded her eyes. And now three mortals were being harmed so that her people could be released from a prison of their own creation. These mortals depended on her to rescue them.

The portal’s energy slammed into the car, like a magnet, grabbing hold of the hunk of metal she was driving. She had to grip the steering wheel to keep from running off the road.
It has started.
The thought of Brad being used as part of Tarik’s project twisted at her insides.

If her planned worked, she’d free the Sha Warriors, Brad would be safe and the demoness would probably destroy her. If it didn’t work, Brad would be dead and she’d be on her way to Anartia, trading one exile for another.
Either way he’s lost to me.

She knew this was not the time for regrets or thoughts of what could’ve been.

Pulling over, she parked behind the familiar stand of trees, grabbed the leopard pelt, a crowbar from the trunk and ran toward the portal. A cool desert breeze swept through her hair. She breathed in deeply. The gritty red earth smelled coppery, the mesquite trees like turpentine.

Using her senses and the pendant, she ran toward the vortex. It wasn’t hard, the magnetic pull was so strong it almost lifted her off the ground.

The vibration and pull from the energy field hummed. All her senses were amplified. A breeze blew sand over her skin and each granule sounded like tiny wind chimes as they touched her and knocked together.

Animals scurried across the ground. Insects crawling as far as one hundred yards away, she heard and smelled. The power surrounding the portal had never been this intense. What was Tarik doing to the Sha Warriors? What was happening to Brad right now? Taking a few deep breaths, she tried not to think the worst and focus on what she had to do. Once she got to Anartia, she’d find a way to stop Tarik.

As she approached the entrance, she draped the leopard fur over her arm and gripped the crowbar in one hand, grasping the nebula stone in her right. She stepped forward but an invisible force pushed her back, knocking her to the ground.

137

Kathy Kulig

It took her a minute to catch her breath, gather her things and stand up.
What the
hell happened?

Holding the nebula stone again, she walked, a bit more cautiously into the portal.

Again, instead of drawing her into the portal it thrust her away, preventing her from entering it.

How was she going to get back? She was trapped on Earth. Brad and the other Sha Warriors would be going to Prygos without her. Or they would die without her help.

She paced in front of the portal. Wait. Could this be Gwyllain’s doing?

This all made sense now. The demoness knew Tarik had a special interest in Sakari that went beyond a mere fondness for a servant. Gwyllain was exiling her on Earth. Her stomach twisted in a painful longing. She crumpled to the ground, her head in her hands. She wrapped her arms around the leopard fur. As much as she wanted to stay on Earth, she couldn’t bear the thought of living here without Brad.

Was Dante stranded here too? Or had he returned in time? She stood, facing the portal’s entrance and tried several times to pass through but each time she was thrown back. Finally, she decided to look for Dante. If he was still here, he might know of another way to get back to Anartia. Removing her clothes, she hid them, the leopard skin and crowbar beneath a clump of trees, then shifted into her falcon form. She took flight and headed toward Dante’s apartment.

If Anartia broke free from Earth while she was in flight, would she lose her powers?

That was something she didn’t want to think about while she was a hundred feet in the air.

Under the cover of night, she flew to Dante’s apartment and landed on his balcony.

She peered inside still in falcon form since her night vision was better. His apartment was dark and empty. Another idea struck her. Haley. Dante had grown attached to her.

While he was wrapped up in his immediate tasks, like revenge, he wouldn’t shift his attention to other opportunities, like a relationship. But maybe Haley had sparked some kind of fascination.

Taking wing, she flew to Haley’s place. Sakari couldn’t see in every room. There was a chance she was asleep in her bedroom because she couldn’t see inside. Dante’s car wasn’t in the parking lot. Haley’s car was.

There had to be something she could do. She leapt off the windowsill and soared toward the desert and the portal. Frustrated and defeated, she didn’t know what else to do but return to the portal.

When she arrived she quickly changed into her clothes.

“Where the hell have you been?” Dante asked from behind her. He sounded panicked and angry.

“I couldn’t get through the portal. I went looking for you. We’re trapped.”

Lightning flashed and the ground rumbled and pitched severely enough, she almost fell over. Dante grabbed her arm to balance her.

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Damned and Desired

“Tarik’s project. It’s begun.”

“It’s causing all this?” she asked, referring to the storms and earthquakes.

“Yes.”

“I need to stop it. Tarik has Brad. I think the experiment will kill him.”

“He has Haley too.”

She glared at him. “You bastard.” She dropped the fur and swung at him with the crowbar but Dante caught her arm before it made contact.

“Easy. I didn’t bring them to Anartia. I wouldn’t harm them. I would not harm Haley, ever.” He lowered his head, not looking at her.

Seeing the torment in his eyes, she placed a hand on his arm. “Then who?”

“Zorian. He’s getting his revenge for…an indiscretion of mine. I deserve it but Haley doesn’t. I think Valdon grabbed Brad.”

“How can we get back?” Sakari asked. “Isn’t there another way, another portal?”

“No, all the portals will be blocked at the beginning to prevent a drain of energy.

Hopefully, Tarik will realign them again, otherwise we’re stuck here.”

She ignored him and ran toward the portal and was thrown back on her butt. Dante pulled her to her feet and walked her away from the gateway.

“That was smart,” he said sarcastically. He studied her face and grinned. “You’re in love with the guy.”

She glared at him and didn’t answer.

“Wait for the storm to subside. That means Tarik has begun the next step in his project and the portal should open again.”

“How do you know?” She plopped down on the ground and hugged the fur.

“Because the demoness loves to brag, especially in bed.” Dante sat beside her. “She wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the trip home. She warned me about the portals. It’s so the Drones don’t leave.”

“Earth?”

“No. She has other plans for most of the Drones in the end.”

“What plans?” Lightning streaked across the sky in a spider web pattern and thunder rumbled, shaking the ground but there wasn’t a drop of rain. When would it stop?

“She hasn’t told me everything.”

“If I had listened to Zorian and not let it get personal with Brad, then he might not be in Tarik’s chamber.”

“You don’t know that.”

“What happens if the experiment works and Anartia leaves while we’re here?” She couldn’t endure the idea of Brad going to Prygos and being Gwyllain’s servant for eternity.

139

Kathy Kulig

Dante took a long breath. “We’ll be exiled here. We’ll lose the power from Anartia that gives us immortality. We’ll become mortal and live out normal lives here.”

“I don’t know what I’ll do.” Sakari hadn’t felt this kind of loss since her parents were executed.

“I’ll buy my horse ranch,” Dante said, looking up at the jagged bolts of lightning. “I had the land bought years ago. John Reilly took that away from me. He stole all my dreams.”

Sakari frowned, thinking he lost his mind. “A horse ranch?”

He nodded. “I had planned to start up a horse ranch with my gold claim in the 1800s when John Reilly stole everything from me. Over the years, I’ve made enough money to buy another ranch but I didn’t dare, knowing Reilly still existed. If the man was greedy as a mortal, he’d be even worse as an immortal. I’ve been waiting to kill him and then get the ranch. But now, if Anartia leaves the confines of Earth, I’ll be able to buy my land without fear.”

“That sounds nice,” she said, wondering how she would fit in with this world.

Dante stood, gazing into the sky. “The lightning has eased up. Let’s try the portal again.”

She picked up her belongings and approached the portal’s entrance.

Dante held his hand out in front of it. “It’s open. Follow me.”

At the other side of the portal, Sakari stepped out onto Anartia behind Dante.

Glancing around, she noticed the sea was completely calm. She’d never seen it like this.

The sky was a crystal blue, like the desert on a spring day, the flowers along the heather hill leading up to the temple were vivid pink. Even the temple glowed with a surreal bright white light. Horror she’d never known before struck her. She wrapped her arms around the pelt, holding it tightly.
What is he doing to them?

As she entered the temple she noticed the room was filled with Drones and slaves.

Probably expecting to leave their exile permanently. A movement to her left caught her eye. Gwyllain was manacled to Zorian’s punishment column, naked and writhing in pleasure. Red marks crisscrossed her thighs and breasts where the boltstick or a leather thong had swept across her skin. At a time like this, Gwyllain was indulging in erotic play?

Sakari hid the crowbar beneath the fur as she blended into the crowd around the pool. She headed across the room toward the entrance to the lower chamber. Dante was standing alongside the demoness. She always did love an audience.

“Where are you going, Sakari?” Gwyllain’s voice was firm with an edge of annoyance.

Sakari froze in her steps. “To find Tarik, mistress. I have an offering.”