Bright yellow flames coiled around Valteri’s legs. He flinched at the blistering heat that scorched his flesh. As he struggled against the ropes that bound him securely to a stake, he realized that they weren’t true flames, but rather the desperate, vicious arms of demons holding him there.
He fought against them as hard as he could, yet their grip never wavered, never lessened.
Even hotter than the fire, their breath singed his cheeks and burned his lungs. He struggled to free himself from their grip, but it was useless.
The demons were relentless.
They wrapped their arms about his chest and neck, clawing at him. Pulling him down through the hot coals and into a stifling cavern. Raw sulfur glistened on the walls, the stench of it clinging to his nostrils.
Screams and howls filled his ears. He heard thousands of souls crying out for mercy. And even more laughing at their misery.
All his youth, Valteri had listened to the priests and monks warn others about the cries of the damned.
Those warnings paled in comparison to the reality surrounding him. Nothing on earth was equal to the soul-chilling anguish those screams betrayed.
“Valteri?”
His heart pounding, he turned toward the soft, soothing voice that reached out to him through the heat and misery.
Ariel floated above a bloodred sea.
The pale gossamer dress barely concealed her luscious curves. Her white hair blew around her shoulders, brushing against his face and bare chest in a tender caress that stole the air from his lungs.
His body burned anew as he hungered for her in a way he’d never hungered for any woman.
He tried to reach for her, but his arms refused to obey. She floated toward him, a light, gentle smile curving her lips. Hands softer than down touched his face and slid over his stubbled cheek.
Valteri closed his eyes against the power of that touch, and he stood helpless before her. Pleasure the likes of which he’d never known coursed through him.
He needed her more than he’d ever needed anything. He knew that now, yet he no longer felt the desire to curse his weakness. Nay, he wanted to shout with relief and release.
Still, he couldn’t move.
Feather-like lips touched his. Drawing her closer, he held on to her for the sake of his soul. He deepened their kiss so that he drank of all her kindness until everything else faded away. All the horrifying sounds and pungent smells.
It all was gone.
He knew nothing more than the feel of the woman before him.
Then suddenly, his arms were empty.
She was gone.
“Valteri!”
He opened his eyes to see a group of Saxons pulling her away from him. Pain racked his body.
“You’ll not have her!” The old Saxon lord ran down into another cavern, while he dragged her behind him.
Ariel shrieked and tried to pull away, but the Saxon held fast to her.
An overwhelming emptiness consumed Valteri. Fury blinded him. No one would take his Ariel! He’d rather die than live another moment without her by his side.
He ran after them, intent on killing the bastard.
But more demons ran between them, separating them.
Gold wings sprang out of Ariel’s back and an ethereal glow highlighted her entire body.
Suddenly, that glow blinded all of them.
“She doesn’t belong here.”
The creatures around him hissed those words.
“But you do!”
Valteri scowled at them. “Get away from me!” He tried to knock them away. “Ariel!”
She ignored his call.
Furious, he tried to get her attention. But instead he came face-to-face with a man with eyes like his.
One brown and one green.
Stunned and confused, he stared at the stranger. Yet there was something eerily familiar about him. With long dark hair, the man was even in height with him. “Who are you?”
Al-Baraka. The demons whispered the name that meant “broker.”
Katadykari—the damned.
“We are all demon born.”
Valteri turned to find an orange-fleshed demon behind him. But this one wasn’t attacking.
“But it’s up to you whether or not you’re damned.” With those words, Al-Baraka turned and unsheathed his sword so that he could help to fight off the demons after Valteri. “Go! Never come here again!”
Flames burst all around as the orange demon kicked him.
“Valteri?”
Out of nowhere, gentle hands stroked his cheek with a warm softness he could scarcely comprehend.
Opening his eyes, he stared up into the tender blue gaze of his wife.
His wife. He swallowed at the thought. For once the title didn’t fill him with dread. Nay, it was more like a caress.
A slow smile spread across her lips and her eyes softened even more, bringing a raging fire to his loins. Though a thousand aches pounded through his body, not even they could detract from the need he felt for her.
“Good evening, milord,” she whispered, rising from his bed with a gentle grace.
Valteri reached for her arm. He didn’t want her to leave. Not after his nightmare.
He’d almost lost her to demons.
“Are you all right?”
He nodded, not quite trusting his voice. Reluctantly, he forced himself to let go.
Smiling, she rose and went to pour a cup of wine, then brought it to him. He stared at her graceful movements and had to squelch the urge to pull her into his arms.
As much as he wanted to claim her, he was too ill for such at the moment.
That thought summoned an image of people taunting her, but he banished it.
He wasn’t a coward. He’d never been one.
Last night, he’d almost died and left her.
How stupid he’d been to think that would be the answer. But this world was filled with all kinds of monsters.
She needed protection, and how could he leave her to anyone else to protect?
Never again would he allow his fears to rule him.
He had fought for a brother he barely tolerated.
Fought for coin he didn’t care about.
Only a fool would refuse to fight for the woman who’d claimed his heart.
He knew that now.
No one would keep them apart.
Not even him or his stupidity.
And he’d crack the bones of the first person to ever bring the blush of shame to her cheeks. If he had to kill every person in this valley to keep her safe, then by hell he’d gladly do it.
She helped him up and tilted the cup to his lips.
The warm, spicy wine sated his thirst, but did nothing to appease the hunger in his loins.
No sooner had she removed the cup from his lips than he gently took her hand and pulled her close.
Closer still until he could kiss her sweet, parted lips and breathe in the rich, heady scent of her rose bath oil. She smiled against his lips. Delight shot through his entire body. His wife would never deny him. Never cringe at his touch.
Not his precious Ariel.
After a moment, she pulled away and gave a short laugh. “Milord, you must be careful lest you pull the stitches from your side.”
Valteri followed her gaze to his bare ribs, and saw the neat, even stitches that closed a wound. The thought of Eve being created from Adam’s rib came to his mind, and he grimaced. Though he was every bit as cursed as Adam, he could only hope that his mate would never be forced to bear the brunt of his own sin.
“How long have I slept?”
“Through the day and well into the night.”
He frowned. “A full day?”
“Aye.” She pulled a wooden platter of food from the chest and brought it over to him. “You have raged with a fever since mid-morning.”
Then it truly had all been a dream.
Yet it’d seemed so real. So very real.
Valteri took a slice of cheese from the platter and carefully ate the sharp tangy bit. His head pounded needles of pain that darkened his sight, and as he wiped at his damp forehead, he noted the healing wounds there as well.
“How are you feeling?” Ariel refilled his cup.
He marveled at her beauty and the fact that she’d come to him when he had needed her most. “Like my horse trampled upon me.”
Her sweet laugh rang in his ears. “I do believe the correct way of riding is on a horse’s back, not under his belly.”
Her eyes twinkled as she sat next to him. “Care to tell me what happened?”
Valteri swallowed his food, his mind focusing on the night before. He remembered the streak and the wolf, but everything else was jumbled. “Something frightened my steed and he threw me.”
She cocked a finely arched brow. “Threw you, milord?”
Her teasing voice lightened his heart and he rubbed his hand over her arm, delighting in the feel of her soft dress, a dress that hid even softer skin that he longed to sample with his lips. “Aye, milady. And I’m most ’shamed to admit that ’twas not the first time I have fallen from the saddle.”
She tilted her head, her demure smile lighting coals in his belly. “But surely the first time since your childhood?”
Her light mood was infectious and he reached out to finger her cheek. “Most certainly.”
She laughed and touched his hand, sending another wave of heat through him. Ariel glanced to his forehead and her smile faded.
“Ariel?” he asked, concerned over the sudden absence of her mirth.
A smile returned to her lips, but its hollowness did nothing to alleviate his worry. She shook her head and pulled his hand from her cheek. “’Tis nothing. Just a passing thought.”
He set his food aside and took her cold, trembling hand in both of his. “What is it?”
She moved away from him to stand before the open window. The confusion and pain on her face brought an ache to his own chest. Valteri longed for a way to soothe her, but was uncertain what to do.
Her silence rang in his ears. Had she already been mocked by his people? Did she regret ever having signed the agreement for marriage?
A thousand such thoughts raced through his mind as he waited impatiently for her answer.
She drew a deep breath, but still refused to face him. “Before you awoke, you spoke of demons and…” She paused, her frown darkening. Shaking her head, she drew another deep breath. “Forget it. ’Tis foolishness.”
“What is foolish?”
Ariel took a step forward and stood at the foot of his bed. “When I found you, I heard a voice whisper that I must watch you die.”
A chill crept along his spine. “Watch me die?”
Her distress reached out to him and he longed to soothe her fear. “Well, maybe not you.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “But it said ‘watch him die.’ The voice sounded so evil, so cold that I wondered if it might be the devil himself whispering it to me.”
Valteri held his hand out to her, his chest tight. “Ariel, come to me.”
She walked forward and took his hand, her own like ice inside his palm.
“’Twas nothing more than your fear speaking. There are no demons who stalk this earth, seeking victims. Our greatest enemy is ourselves. You’ve said it yourself. People often choose the rod that beats them.”
Her gaze lightened and a smile curved her lips. “I told you ’twas foolish.”
“There’s nothing about you foolish. Other than wanting to spend time in my boorish company.” He pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. “You were worried, ’tis more than understandable and more than appreciated.”
Ariel nodded, but inside, she found it hard to believe him. No matter how many times she’d told herself the words meant nothing, a tiny voice in her heart kept reminding her of them and telling her to listen well, as that could very well be a real memory.
What if it was?
Just as that voice that kept urging her to run?
But how could she? All she wanted was to stay with her lord, bear his children, and grow old by his side.
His warm breath fell against her cheek, his muscled chest was strong against her side. Aye, this was what she wanted, all she’d ever want.
Should she leave, she knew she’d never again feel safe or happy.
For now, her only real memories consisted of him and the one she had of her brother, Shadow.
He leaned his head back into his pillows and tensed as if another wave of pain cut through him. Guilty that she clung to him when he needed his rest, Ariel rose and retrieved his platter from the floor. Placing it on the table, she felt his gaze upon her like a tender touch that caressed her heart.
She turned around to see his gentle eyes and the adoration that shone brightly in his unique gaze. At this moment, she wondered how she could ever fear he might not want her, and yet his words about leaving echoed in her mind like a quiet thief sent to steal her safety, her happiness. She offered him a smile, but couldn’t quite shake her fears.
“Where are your brothers?”
Ariel cringed over a query she’d been dreading. “Well … that’s an interesting question.”
“How so?”
“Last I saw, they were fighting to see which of them would have the honor of beating Belial.”
He cocked a smile at her. “I knew I liked them for a reason.”
She tsked at him.
Valteri pulled her back into his arms. She smiled as a wave of happiness rushed through her.
He might not say he wanted her, but his actions spoke loudly enough. She laid her head on his chest, careful not to tug any of the stitches, and closed her eyes. His heart thumped beneath her cheek, delighting her with its healthy song.
As she lay there in soothing silence, it surprised her that he didn’t try to leave and take his bed elsewhere, as he had done since their marriage. Though his wounds must surely plague him, they were not so severe that he couldn’t leave should he choose to do so. Indeed, his current wounds were slight compared to the deep, horrifying scars that lined his back and wrists. Scars that had stolen her breath when she’d first seen them.
“Milord?” she whispered.
“Aye?”
“Where all did you go last evening?”
He stroked her hair, his hand pausing for a moment on her cheek as he played with stray strands that tingled against her face. “I needed time to think, time to plan.”
She sensed his sadness almost as much as if it beat inside her own heart. “You’re still planning to leave?”
When he didn’t speak, she looked up at him. By the sadness hovering in his eyes, she knew exactly what he’d been planning.
And that thought tore through her with waves of resounding pain that crashed against her heart until she feared they would tear the organ asunder.
Emptiness filled her and she tried to imagine living without him, but all she could see were years of circular misery stretching out before her. Years of longing for someone who refused to stay. “When are you leaving?”
He winced. “Damn me for it. I can’t.”
Shock riveted her. “What?”
He let out a disgusted breath. “I won’t leave you unprotected.”
Tears filled her eyes. But before she could say or do anything, a knock sounded on the door.
Wace pushed the door open. His gaze lightened as he noted his lord’s improved condition. “I brought fresh wine and food.” He placed the tray next to the platter on the table before the fire then approached the bed with a reluctance that brought an ache to Ariel’s chest.
She gave a quick squeeze on his right shoulder to offer him courage and nodded for him to speak.
Even though Wace kept his spine straight, she could feel the tremors that shook him. Had she known the inadvertent terror she’d cause the poor lad, she’d have never insisted on his help.
The youth cleared his throat and bravely lifted his chin as if he faced the worst horror imaginable. “I didn’t mean to leave milady unattended to seek help for you, milord. I pray that you can forgive me.”
Though Valteri’s face and tone were stern, she saw the twinkle in his eyes. “Aye, she could have been harmed, boy.”
Wace gulped and nodded. “I know, milord.”
Valteri met her gaze. It was her fault, she knew. She only hoped Valteri would continue to hold to the gentle scolding in his gaze and not turn toward anything more sinister.
He looked back at his squire. “But then my dearest lady is rather impossible to argue against. I have a feeling that had you not returned to seek help as she asked, the three of us would still be up on that hill trying to decide who should go and who should stay.”
A smile broke across Wace’s lips. “Then you’re not angry at me?”
Valteri shook his head. “Nay, I owe you my life, lad. How could I fault such noble actions? Besides, I have yet to ever win an argument with her, either.”
Wace smiled.
“But,” Valteri said, and immediately Wace’s expression sobered. “In the future I would have you seek others when dealing with milady’s requests. Though you should always obey her, I would not have her harmed, no matter what argument she may give. I trust her safety to you, and I’d be much sorrowed to have that bond of trust broken.”
“Aye, milord.” Wace clapped his fist to his shoulder and gave a sharp bow.
She wanted to say something to ease the sting of Valteri’s words, but any argument she gave would undermine his authority. Pressing her lips together, she forced herself to silence.
“May I take my leave, milord?”
Valteri nodded.
With one last curt bow, Wace made a quick exit.
Even so, she noticed the lightness of his step. The boy was happy again.
Like her.
Ariel shook her head and smiled. Well, maybe the chastisement hadn’t been so terribly bad after all.
No doubt his dread of the encounter had been far worse than the actual experience.
She turned back toward Valteri and saw the paleness of his cheeks.
He was tired and needed his rest. The voice she’d heard meant nothing. He wouldn’t perish from his wounds.
Here, he was safe, and in little time he’d heal and be just as he was. Only better, because now she was going to make him grateful that he’d decided to stay.
As she moved away, he stopped her. “I would have you join me.”
Ariel nodded. Returning the platter to the table, she doused the candle, removed her kirtle, and joined him in the bed.
He wrapped his strong arms about her, drawing her closer to his warm, fevered body. She trembled at the foreign sensation of his heat against her bare flesh. Not since the night he’d taken her innocence had he held her in such a manner, and she found the reality far better than her weak memory.
Indeed, she burned from the desire his touch wrought. She longed to roll over and bring his body back into hers, to ease the throbbing ache inside her to have him. Her stomach pitched and tightened from the weight of her desire, but she reminded herself that she must remain still. His wounds were far too fresh for him to carry out her fondest desire.
“Ariel?”
“Aye?”
“Why do you weep?”
“I’m merely happy to have you home and in one piece.” Grateful that he was giving them a chance.
He rolled her onto her back and kissed away the dampness on her cheeks. “I would never have you shed a single tear on my behalf,” he whispered, his voice bringing a flood of joy to her breast. “I would never willingly cause you pain.”
His lips covered hers and she reveled in the taste of warrior, the taste of wine on his tongue. Chills shot the length of her.
Valteri slid his body against hers and she moaned from the pleasure of his weight. It seemed like an eternity since he’d held her. She ran her hand over the strange circular scar on his chest that seemed so out of place with the others.…
As if one of the monks had used a branding iron on him. She wanted to ask about it, but knew that the memory of that wound would only give him pain.
He nipped at her throat with his teeth and pulled back with a groan. “Would that my body belonged to me this night.” He let out a wistful sigh. “Methinks I should see that horse gelded for his actions.”
She laughed at his words. “There’s always the morrow, Valteri. Take heart. I have no plans to leave.”
And now, neither did he.
Yet even so, she had a bad feeling that something evil was coming for both of them.