Immortal Rapture: Immortal Heart (23 page)

Marie sighed
, and Holly pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as they followed Ardea into the chambers. Esperanza smiled at the group as they entered.

“It took you long enough… our
lord is hungry and looking forward to some entertainment.”

The guards behind them each grabbed one of their arms, dragging Marie and Holly forward.

“Tie them up,” Darion said excitedly.

Marie truly understood the saying fight or flight, and right
now, she was going to fight with all she had to keep them from forcing her hands into the cuffs that hung from a chain on the unforgiving stone wall. The guard holding her growled, slammed her back against the wall and thrust his knee to her stomach to stop her thrashing. Both her shoulders popped as he wrenched her arms up and squeezed the cuffs closed on her wrists. As soon as he let go and moved to bind her feet, her knee lifted and caught his face dead on. She smiled briefly as blood poured from his broken nose.

“She’s like a
wildcat,” Darion mused. “I like it.”

The guard stood as blood trailed over his sneering lips
. With one solid movement, the back of his hand connected with the side of her face, effectively stopping her struggle as she was knocked out cold.

“
Well, that wasn’t good.” Darion sighed before looking to Holly. “I wondered when I would see you again.”

Holly glared
, and Darion smiled.

“Now that one you can hit for good measure.”

A fist connected with Holly’s stomach, doubling her over before her wrists were bound to the wall and she hung limply, trying to catch her breath.

Esperanza sat in her chair next to the
bed, watching the scene unfold, a cruel sneer playing over lips.

“Where is Jaeb?” Darion demanded.

Esperanza arched a brow at Darion. “I didn’t invite him to this party… You know he has a weak stomach.”

Darion smiled. “These two are the perfect subjects to help strengthen his constitution.” He looked to the guard Marie had kneed. “Go get him.”

The guard dipped his chin and hurried out of the door.

Darion then summoned Ardea to his side. He trailed a finger down her pretty face
, then cupped her chin and yanked her to him, tipping her face back. “You are so quiet, child.”

“I’m sorry, My Lord. What can I do to please you?”

“Until the brunette wakes, we’ll focus on the blonde.”

Ardea’s brows pinched. “What do you wish for me to do, My Lord?”

He yanked her toward a tall cabinet and flung open the doors. “Your choice of toys.”

Ardea’s eyes widened as she looked upon the toys; canes, whips, electric collars, crops, paddles
, and even an array of knives. No, they weren’t toys; there was no way they could be called anything other than weapons. She couldn’t see how pleasure could be reaped by any of them.

“Choose one
,” Darion ordered low into her ear.

Ardea bit her lip, her gaze drifting to Holly
, who had yet to lift her head, but her eyes peered through her golden curls to meet Ardea’s. She sighed and reached into the cabinet, and reluctantly removed a cane from the cabinet.

“Nice choice
,” Darion purred as he moved back to the bed, pulling Esperanza from her chair as he passed. “Come watch the show with me, my mate.”

Jaeb entered the room and waited by the door.
             

Darion lifted his gaze. “Assist Ardea, I believe there is far too much clothing covering our guest’s bodies for her toy of choice to be effective.”

Esperanza arched a brow. “You are feeling better.”

Darion’s lips twisted as he looked to Esperanza. “I told you I needed to feed from my true mate… However, I am getting hungry.”

Esperanza sighed. “That’s why I brought you these gifts,” she said, gesturing towards Holly and Marie. “So, don’t just watch Ardea and Jaeb play with them… get your fill as well.”

Holly’s gaze lifted to her mother. She never would have believed such
callousness could exist had she not been raised by the vicious woman before her. She wanted to believe that her memories were tainted by the immature emotions of a child. She supposed it was a foolish thought and a self-indulgent belief. Esperanza was a vile woman who had allowed her mate to kill her own daughter. She threatened her son with his child. There was clearly no line Esperanza wouldn’t cross. Holly’s lids slid closed as the feminine-looking male nymph shimmied her dress down her body, leaving her barely covered in her bra and panties.

Ardea stepped close and whispered to Holly. “I’m sorry… he wants to hear you cry
. Please, don’t try to be strong right now.”

Ardea stepped back, and brought the rattan cane to Holly’s smooth, fair skin. She ran the reed down her side before pulling the cane back,
just to return it to her flesh in a swoosh of air in a stinging bite against her side. Holly kept quiet, ignoring the warning. Ardea sighed as the cane made contact with Holly’s skin again, this time a little harder. Holly lifted her gaze over Ardea’s head. She found her mother’s eyes and held them as Ardea continued to punish her once-unblemished skin.

****

Uriah paced the hall as he waited for the others to get squared away. He wasn’t sure what was taking them so damn long, but each wasted minute sealed Marie and Holly’s fate. Uriah knew that two beautiful women wouldn’t last long dangled before Darion. He wouldn’t be able to resist the bait and based off what Zander had to say about the Dark Lord, none of it boded well. He spun and his fist connected with the stone wall. Shaking out his hand, he pulled his arm back and sighed.

“Broken knuckles aren’t going to help you, Uriah.”

Uriah turned to see Izzy, standing in warrior garb. Black pants, black boots, a long-sleeve black top, and her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. It was a much different look for her. She looked fierce though. “I didn’t hear you coming, Iz.”

She took his hand, inspecting it briefly before healing it. “Marie is going to be fine. We’re going to get her and Holly back
. Once they are safe, we’re going to teach the Dark a lesson.”

Uriah pursed his lips. “He’s an incubus.”

Izzy nodded. “I know, and still I believe that Marie and Holly will both be fine. We will get them back before any lasting damage is done.”

Uriah smiled and nodded. “Are we ready then?”

“We are. The others are strapped down with weapons and waiting in the courtyard.”

“Let’s go then
,” Uriah said as he ushered her down the hall and out of the castle.

Izzy moved to Bain
. He lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist, as he lifted them into the sky. The others followed suit, taking to the night sky. Jake hitched a ride with Kale, while Juliette watched from the ground with Kat at her side.

“Shall we, Katarina?” Juliette smiled and gestured towards the castle.

“You should call me Kat. Everyone else does.”

“
All right, Kat, let’s go see that beautiful little girl of Bain’s, while I try to pry that baby from Darnel’s arms.”

Kat laughed, but it held little actual humor.

“They’ll be fine,” Juliette reassured as she headed for the castle entrance.

“Did you see something?”

“Afraid not… there is something about that castle and what it does to a seer’s magic when they aren’t within its walls. Everything appears blurry.”

“So, your confidence is placed in what, exactly?”

Juliette smiled. “It’s placed in the fierce warriors who just took flight. My bet will always be on them.”

Kat nodded
—where was her faith in her true mate? Fear of loss was a common thread among them all. Some just handled it better than others. With a deep breath, she set off with Juliette to find Kyra and Makiah.

Bain hit the ground swinging. Izzy was out of his arms and he’d pulled his sword, decapitating the first Dark Fae that was within reach. Izzy began flinging people from her path with one hand and shooting off fireballs with the other.

Kale smiled as he set Jake down
. It warmed his heart to see Izzy throwing fire around like it was something she’d done all her life.

“Follow her,” Kale ordered Jake, as he moved closer to Bain.

They would keep the guards outside from following the others inside the castle.

Uriah hit the ground running, uprooting anything that he could move.

“Duck,” Cree hollered at Izzy and Jake, who both turned and ducked as a statue of Darion flew past them. It slammed against the thick front doors of the castle, shattering them into dangerous projectiles. Izzy lifted her hands, pushing Uriah’s magic against the shards to protect her and Jake from being impaled.

She arched a brow and caught Uriah’s gaze as his eyes widened. “Sorry. You good?” he called out.

“Yep, let’s go.”

“Watch it, Uriah
,” Cree warned as he ran past him.

Lothar landed next to them
, leaping over the statue, with Cree hot on his heels. Jake lifted Izzy over it as Uriah leapt to follow Lothar and Cree. The guards were just as thick in the castle as they were outside.

“Go,” Cree roared
. With a twisted smile on his face he produced a sword and began slicing through the flesh of the Dark Fae who dared to get to close.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Izzy hollered as she hesitated to follow Jake, Lothar
, and Uriah.

“Positive, I’ve never felt better. Now go
,” Cree ordered.

The guards kept coming and Cree kept swinging his sword, arcing out and thrusting forwards as he felt a breath of life fill his heart and soul. His anger and pain
released with each parry and thrust of his weapon. He truly felt he had purpose for the first time since losing Rowan.

****

Lightning began flashing and cracking above them. Kale and Bain both looked to the sky where Makyle hovered high above, creating the dark clouds that rolled over the castle. With flicks of his fingers, he sent strategic strikes of lightning to the ground. Kale and Bain both shielded their faces as one of the guards before them was hit and exploded into red mist. Bain and Kale grinned before jumping back into the fight.

“Did you know he could do that?” Kale called over the thunderous
storm, a stream of fire flying from his hand and taking out a couple of descending vampires. Turning them to ash where they stood.

“Nope, I sure didn’t
,” Bain responded, his sword arching out and slicing through the air in a beautiful and dangerous dance.

****

Marie held back a whimper as the male who had joined them while she was knocked out brought the leather straps of a whip to her tender flesh. Holly had passed out a while back
. Marie bit her lip and thanked God that they had given the poor thing a break. Marie had heard people say that blood had no scent. Those people were fucking idiots. The sharp scent of copper that was Holly’s dripping blood was officially burned into her senses.

“Enough.” Darion stood from the bed. Esperanza rose as well and moved back to the bedside chair.

“Bring the wildcat to the bed. Let’s see if we can find where her fire went.”

Jaeb dipped his chin and reached for the cuffs, releasing Marie. She collapsed, falling over his shoulder.
He was silent as he passed Darion and deposited her on the bed.

“Tie her up.”

Marie tried to fight, but each move of her body and legs radiated pain through her every nerve. A tear slipped past her lashes as Jaeb bound her wrists in leather straps.

A loud crash caught all of their attention. Darion arched a brow, stopping the removal of his pants.
Two of his guards left the room, leaving two to keep him safe. Darion reluctantly buttoned his pants back up and waited to hear word of what was happening. The room was lit by a new blue glow as lightning began flashing outside. He and Esperanza exchanged curious glances. Marie arched to look out the large window. Another flash lit the sky, causing a smile to spread over her lips. She chuckled softly and relaxed against the bed.

“What are you laughing about?” Esperanza demanded.

“You’re getting your wish. I hope he kills you.”

Esperanza growled and reached down to clasp her hand over Marie’s throat. “What are you talking about?”

Marie choked out a response. “You’ll soon see, you worthless bitch.”

One of the guards returned, closing the door and latching the lock behind him. “We need to go, My Lord.”

“What’s going on out there?”

The guards eyes shifted to Holly and then to Marie. “The warriors are here.”

“I have a castle full of guards and you mean to tell me that you wish for me to hide from five measly warriors?”