Reaper's Dark Kiss (12 page)

“Was that a down payment?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. He kissed her cheek, ran his gaze down her body in a slow way that made Sky sure he was seeing way past her clothes. “I’ll collect the balance later.”

Sky’s nipples went stiff. She cleared her throat. “So…a long time?”

“Night Crypt’s been around since the time the underground trains started,” Julian said but didn’t offer any more.

They were walking again, and even though Sky’s body was all but throbbing with desire, she knew Julian had sidetracked her. “What does your brother want?” she asked softly.

“I’m not losing you, Sky,” he said, his voice slow, deliberate. “Doesn’t matter what my brother says. Remember that.”

She squeezed his hand tight a moment, then let go. They rounded a curve that ended in a tall wooden door. Beside her, Sky felt Julian grow even tenser as the door opened on soundless hinges.

Julian said to Harli, “Stay out here.” Then he took Sky’s hand.

As they entered, candles came to light. Once they were inside, the man behind the desk looked up, and the door shut behind them. “I’m Marek,” he said, coming to his feet and extending a hand, “ruler of the Western Shadow World Empire.”

His handshake was self-assured without being arrogant. Marek wore a black mock turtleneck sweater and tailored gray wool trousers. His black hair was pulled back into a ponytail held by a leather ring at his nape. He was tall, well-muscled, and he moved with the honed grace of a fighting man. He had the same kill streak as his brother. Maybe it ran in the family.

They were in a roughly circular cavern with a ceiling not more than eight feet high. The walls and floor were black stone. Candles stood in cast-iron candelabras on outcroppings that jutted from the walls. The desk was made of cherrywood planks, weathered with age.

“Please,” Marek said, indicating one of two straight-backed wooden chairs in front of his desk.

With a quick look at Julian, who remained standing, Sky sat on the edge of a cushioned seat. Julian moved behind the chair, slightly to Sky’s left.

“Welcome to our family, SkyLynne.” Marek’s voice was smooth with the ease of years of talking and getting his way. “I regret our first meeting is under such difficult circumstances.” He turned his gaze on Julian. “Kraeyl was here.”

Julian shifted closer to Sky, who had the strange feeling he’d somehow grown bigger, harder, unimaginably stronger. “I saw Vandar tonight. He’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”

“No, brother,” Marek said, taking a seat behind his desk. “It is
my
good fortune that he will live to see another moonrise.”

Sky saw the obvious effort it took for Julian to hold his temper in check. “Sky isn’t part of the contract.”

“What contract?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Julian said. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“You’re familiar with the old Roman Empire?” Marek asked Sky, his deep hazel- eyed gaze settling on her.

“Enough not to sound like an idiot,” Sky said. “CCR—conquer, colonize, rule.”

An approving smile crossed Marek’s face. “Well said. The Shadow World Empire is similar. We have quadrants. Perhaps you could say we are CCS—conquer, colonize, subdivide.”

Thoughts filled Sky’s mind. The Shadow World Empire was like the Roman Empire. Revenants were Shades who had been mortal once. Remnants were Shades who had never been mortal. The Dominion was in rebellion against the Empire. And how did she suddenly know all that?

“Stop,” Julian said. “You’re using Influence.”

“Did you just put thoughts in my head?” Sky asked Marek.

“In a manner of speaking,” Marek said. “I made it simple for you to use your knowledge of the Roman Empire to understand the Shadow World.”

“The whole way you live is about to change.”
Right. “There’s dissension,” Sky said, sifting through the new thoughts gathered in her head. “Not everybody wants the same agenda?”

“Our ‘agenda’ as you call it is the Creed.” He pressed his palms to the desk and spread his fingers. “If all of the empire is my two hands, you may think of Dominion vampires as my smallest finger on my left hand.”

“Connected, but not in line with what the hands want,” Sky said.

“We give the Dominion contracts in a quadrant.” Sky knew from Julian’s voice that he’d lost patience with Marek’s history lecture. “After a century, the contract expires, and they can negotiate a new one.”

“During the time of the contract,” Marek picked up smoothly, “they may claim mortals as blood slaves for a period of five years at a time.”

“And Vandar’s leader of the Dominion?” Sky asked.

“Yes,” Marek said. “He believes he has a better way of living in the Sun World.”

“And he wants me because my blood is some kind of gold, right?”

“I said you don’t have to worry about it.” Julian turned to his brother. “You said no. I’m saying no. Why are we still talking about it?”

“I’ve signed the contract binder,” Marek said quietly.

Julian flung himself into the other chair. Sky got that feeling again, as if something were just under his skin, something big and incredibly strong, the ultimate warrior. “How could you do that with the bodies stacking up in the park, Marek?”

“We have no proof, brother.” Marek rose to his feet and slid his hands into his trousers pockets. He paced the narrow space between his desk and the wall behind it. “Kraeyl made poorly veiled threats before the council that the Dominion War would be repeated if the Moon Treaty that ended them was not honored. They approved the contract. I had to make a decision.”

“The bodies in the park?” Sky said, struggling to keep up. “This Vandar guy is the Fang Killer?”

“Correct,” Marek said and gave Sky a politician’s charming smile. “But as king, I must turn my efforts to avoiding a second Shadow World civil war.”

“I don’t care what you signed,” Julian said. “Sky’s not going with Vandar.”

“Unfortunately, brother,” Marek said, “I have no choice in the matter.”

A terrifying sound came from Julian, a growl that made Sky think of an enraged wolf, ears laid back, looking for a soft place to sink in teeth and rip out flesh.

Chapter Seventeen

“Julian?” Sky couldn’t get her voice much above a whisper. “You’re really scaring me.” She took a quick breath. “Plus, you’re not making me think you know a way to stop me going on the Vandar Gold Exchange.”

In an instant, Julian was down on one knee, beside her, caressing her cheek, kissing her forehead. “You’re not going on any exchange,” he said. “I’m taking you home.”

This was why Sky was so in love with Julian. The look on his face said he’d go through the fires of hell before he let her go with Vandar. She stroked fingers gently through his hair, catching his gaze with hers, and oh God, didn’t she just want to melt when he was this close?

“Take her where you will,” Marek said in a quiet voice. “Tomorrow, at noon, by the terms of the contract, SkyLynne must be turned over to Vandar, or we will be at war with the Dominion.”

Julian was on his feet in a second. He rounded on his brother, hands curled into fists. “You know I can’t let that happen.”

They both looked at the door as if someone had knocked. “What does he want?” Julian said.

“He has been researching the matter.” Marek raised his voice and said, “Enter, Seeker.”

A man dressed in a black robe that reminded Sky of a priest’s cassock pushed the door open. “I came as soon as I found something, my lord,” he said to Marek and laid a scroll on his desk.

Julian let out a frustrated sigh but said nothing.

“You have my gratitude, Seeker Dagon,” Marek said in ritual tones. “We are grateful for the light you bring. What does the scroll say?”

“Nothing useful,” Julian grumbled.

Sky recognized the long-suffering patience of a priest as Seeker Dagon turned to Julian and said, “You have the right to seek intercession, my lord.”

Julian made a sour face. “Oracle? All he does is talk in riddles.”

“Your light is always of service,” Marek said. “Go and be welcome to return.”

Seeker Dagon slipped out.

Julian waited until the door shut before he said, “I’m taking Sky home. Let Vandar come to Montana and try to take her.”

“Must I repeat the law to you, brother? If you leave with SkyLynne with the intent to break the contract,” Marek said, “you will break the law. A known lawbreaker cannot be bonded. SkyLynne will go to Vandar by default.”

“He’ll have a hard time claiming her with my blade running through his left eye,” Julian said.

His voice was so savage, Sky didn’t dare protest being talked about like a takeout pizza.

Julian turned in a half circle, running a hand through his hair. Then he went unnaturally still. His chest stopped rising and falling. No part of him moved. It was as though he’d gone to a place inside himself, a crossroads where the decision he made would change his life forever.

Marek stood as still as his brother. Sky realized she wasn’t breathing, and forced herself to take in air.

As suddenly as he’d gone, Julian was back. There was grim certainty in his eyes, a soldier who’d decided to walk into battle, whatever the cost. He got down on one knee again, bringing him eye level with Sky. “You have to come with me. That’s how Oracle works. But I can’t force you. You have to consent.” He glanced at Marek. “In front of a witness.”

Like she’d just sit around and wait for things to get better? “Where you go, I’ll be there,” Sky said. “All the way.”

Rising to his feet, Julian faced his brother across his desk in stuttering candlelight, obviously waiting for Marek to say something.

“Duly witnessed,” Marek said. “The one-day grace period before the contract goes into effect has begun.” He plucked the Seeker’s scroll from his desk and handed it to Julian. “Take this. There are rules for consulting Oracle.”

“And none of them make sense.” Julian took the scroll without a thank-you and swept Sky toward the door ahead of him.

Marek came around his desk, took Sky’s hand, and kissed the back. “I’m sorry to first meet you in such grim times,” he said.

Before Sky could react, Marek turned to Julian. A look passed between them that told Sky all the yelling didn’t matter. This was brother to brother. “You are not only SkyLynne’s last hope; you are heir to my empire. Have a care with both.”

“I won’t start a war unless I have to,” Julian said.

After Marek closed the door behind them and they were moving down the narrow stone corridor, Harli said, “I owe you my life.” He spoke with a flat, almost frightening finality. “Tell me what I have to do to help you.”

Julian gave him the scroll. “Read through this for me. Later, I want you to tell me and Sky how many fires we have to dance through to get Oracle to see us.”

Harli’s face lit up. “Yeah, Julian. I’ll be in the library.” He took off at a quick walk.

As they moved farther down the corridor, the torches were replaced with fat candles in deep niches in the stone walls. They moved through firelit tunnels in silence for a while, Sky thinking furiously. “In Marek’s…” She stopped, unsure what to call the place where they’d met Julian’s brother. “Is that his office?”

“Audience chamber.” Julian stopped. A part of the wall before them pulled up into the roof, revealing an archway that opened into a pitch-black tunnel. “Stay there a minute,” Julian said and went inside. He was back in a second with a candle.

“Where are we?” Sky asked, taking his hand.

“Back door.”

She followed him into a featureless tunnel. “In Marek’s audience chamber, you sounded like you knew the rules for Oracle. Why send Harli to go research?”

“Because if he thinks he’s helping me, he won’t be thinking of a way to go after Vandar and get dead.” The tunnel took a sharp turn, then ended beside the wardrobe in Julian’s room. Behind them, the door sealed in place almost silently. “You should get some rest,” Julian said. “It’s late in the afternoon.”

Sky settled into a chair. The emerald cushion molded to her body. Her feet didn’t touch the ground. “Family’s family. I let you and Marek talk about me like I was a package for delivery. I didn’t say a word. I want answers, Julian. No more bullshit.”

He sank into the chair opposite her and leaned forward, hands between his legs. “Where do you want me to start?”

* * * *

Julian told her almost everything. It was forbidden for him to tell Sky about the haeze until she consented to be his.

When he’d finished, Sky said, “CJ told me he wouldn’t check up on you.”

“Your brother’s a warrior. He made you a promise, but keeping you from harm comes first in his mind.”

Troubled, Sky leaned close to Julian, elbows on her knees, face on her palms. “How do we find Oracle?”

“We need help,” Julian said. “But we can’t go anywhere until nightfall.” He wanted to carry Sky to his bed. She needed to rest. But if he did that, she’d be as mad at him as she would be at her brother. “Why don’t you lie down awhile? We have a long night ahead of us.”

She eyed his bed. “Do you sleep?”

“Not much,” Julian said.

“I’m not staying here alone.” She looked around with a shudder. “Feels too much like a dungeon in Dracula’s castle.”

“I’ll be right here.” He stood and offered her his hand. “Watching over you.”

Taking off his shirt, Julian had told himself he’d lie with Sky until she fell asleep, and then he’d go to his desk and answer scrolls. But now, feeling her warm body curled up beside him, her head resting on his chest, her soft breath caressing his bare skin, his beast came wide awake.

He stopped running his fingers down Sky’s back. But he couldn’t stop breathing in her scent. It would be good to sink his fangs into her and drink, then take her, then drink again. But he couldn’t do that without marking her. He wanted Sky too badly to stop himself.

His beast growled, urging Julian on.

Mine.

Protect her.

Mark her.

The haeze possessed him. His beast seduced him. His mind filled with thoughts of Sky naked, moving under him, her hips rising and falling.

One strong tug, and Sky would be free of her jeans. Julian would strip so fast, she wouldn’t know anything until she felt him naked on top of her, sliding into her and…