He let his fangs pop out. Yes, the naked girl was right. He could feel it now. Bronwyn glowed for him, a sweet golden aura around her body. It made her stand out. He looked up, his every vampire sense open now. Kaja glowed, too, and damn him if Gillian didn’t glow.
“Roan is right about you, Gilly.”
Gillian frowned. “Roan can be right all he likes, it won’t help him.”
And then Bronwyn’s left wrist was right at his mouth. Shim couldn’t help it. He brought it to his mouth and bit down. When the blood hit his tongue, he knew the true sweetness of life.
He sucked and dragged her pure blood into his body, health flowing into him. Power encompassing him. More than just blood filled him. She invaded his veins, her life, her heart, her spirit. They all soared inside him.
She was shaking by the time he let go, but she straightened up quickly. She rolled her sleeve back down. She’d obviously felt the connection, too.
Shim stood, feeling his strength like the sweetest drug. He grabbed Bronwyn’s hand and pulled her to him. Her face fell.
“And now you’re going to shove me off to the side, aren’t you, Shim?”
He shook his head. Gods, but he loved the feel of her so close to him. “I’m going to kiss my wife before we go and save Lach. Just be careful, love. I don’t want to lose you.”
Finally, he’d managed to say something she didn’t have a comeback to. He brushed his lips against her and turned.
Lach was in trouble.
* * * *
The hag wouldn’t stop. Lach skewered her soldiers. The minute he felt death descend on the fallen, Lach brought his power to grip them and reanimate their bodies. The dead rose and fought against their former brethren.
But the hag had other plans.
Lach hissed as a searing pain hit his chest. He felt a squeezing sensation as though someone had reached right through his skin and bone and caught his heart in their hand.
He fell to his knees, Roan sliding down beside him. “Your Highness, we should think about retreating. She’s got a heavy shield around her. She’s letting the soldiers die, but we can’t get to her. I’ve tried sonics on her three times now and they bounce off. Two of my men are down because the bounce back hit them. One’s dead and the other is out cold.”
Roan’s words hit his ears, but they sounded distant.
You can’t win, Death Lord.
The hag’s voice seemed to be the only thing he could hear. It filled his ears, crowding out everything else.
Your power is too close to mine, and I’ve been using mine for far longer. I’ll let these sheep die in my place. I’ll focus on you. You’re the important one here. Tell me where Bronwyn Finn is.
Fuck all. Lach hit his head on the hard dirt. She was inside his mind. He could feel her there, picking through his memories. Cold prickles caught in his mind, the hag plucking from here and there.
Staring down at his brother’s body and knowing he was gone. Shim was gone. Bron was gone. Lach’s worst nightmare. He was half a man and alone in all the planes. He couldn’t stand it. His power flared for the first time.
Standing over a woman, her lovely body spread out for his pleasure. He’d tied the knots perfectly, loving the deep concentration it had required. Bondage was a dance between three partners, and he loved the rhythm. But not the woman. He couldn’t give her what she wanted because he’d given his soul to one woman when he was just a child. She held his soul, his heart. It was only logical that she owned his cock, too. Lach turned away, knowing his desires would have to burn through him. There was no relief here.
Listening to his father talk to his advisors. Humiliation was a rolling wave as they spoke about the fragile princes. Shim was weak in body and they worried Lach’s mind wasn’t strong. Lach didn’t try to defend himself. It wouldn’t make a difference. They wouldn’t listen. If only they would bond, the king bemoaned.
I am bound. I am bound. I am bound.
And yet he was alone.
The hag continued her tour of his brain, seeking knowledge. He felt her satisfaction that he was bound to Bronwyn. It was something she could use, but where was the bitch? The question pounded through him.
Where is Bronwyn?
Each time she asked, his heart squeezed tighter. The hag was everywhere, in every cell of his being, crawling across every inch of his skin. He could smell the rank scent of the hag filling his nose and the clammy touch of her hand on his head.
This was what she wanted to do to Bronwyn. He could see it plainly. The hag wanted Bronwyn for much more than just a quick execution. She wanted to take her time with Bronwyn. She was curious. Bronwyn had survived when she shouldn’t have. The hag wanted to know why, and when she figured it out she would find a way to make that power her own.