Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark 11)

She set the case on his console. Inside, he'd find two weeks' worth of vials and syringes, a convenient doping kit. "Chase, what you're injecting should knock out a horse. It's going to start affecting your mind, with potential y permanent complications."

He'd long suspected that at some point, she'd begun to add an opiate to the mix, increasing it gradually.

Now he felt certain of it. "Then I must be building up a tolerance, because it's not working."

When capturing the vampire and even the Valkyrie, he'd suffered that familiar rage, and with it had come the customary physical symptoms.

Thought left his brain, while his heart felt like it would explode. His muscles twitched and swel ed as if they couldn't handle all the blood pumping to them. He would experience a marked surge in strength and speed, yet afterward, he would be nearly feeble with exhaustion.

Dixon squinted behind her glasses. "If I hadn't tested you myself, I'd swear you were one of them."

"I am no bloody detrus."

She flinched at the coarse term.

"And you did test me, finding nothing, " he reminded her. Though he did heal faster than most, his cells were still vulnerable to contagion and death. His skin scarred. His broken bones mended with calcium remodeling; an immortal's bone would set as if never broken.

Of course, he'd felt no need to tell her that he possessed animal-like senses, could see in the dark or hear a whisper from half a klick away. "Dixon, you're the one who came to me with the idea of injections.

Now you're pul ing back?"

"I need to do new workups on you, run more tests," she said. "Then we could finally get to the bottom of this."

His attention was back on the Valkyrie. "No more tests. You've subjects enough." Besides, he feared he knew why his strength was burgeoning.

Blood that wasn't my own ...

"If we could find the root cause," she said, "then we wouldn't have to systemical y suppress everything."

They'd gone over this before. In addition to deadening his abilities, his doses suppressed his emotions and any appetites, whether for food-or for sex.

She couldn't seem to believe that he was ecstatic about that particular side effect.

"Chase, we have been friends for a decade."

Of a sort. I use you. She was his source, his dealer, providing him a bimonthly stash.

From one drug to the next. Just a couple of quid's worth, I'm beggin'. He shoved away the stray thought.

She leaned against the console-in front of the screen. "You're a male in your prime. Don't you ...miss it?"

No. No, he didn't. Even if he didn't suffer that punishing anxiety with each sexual encounter, his body had been ruined.

"Listen, Chase, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Can it not wait until tomorrow?" Had the Valkyrie stirred?

"It will only take a second. It's important to me. To us," she added significantly.

To us? He cast her a menacing look, the message clear- you do not want to f**k with me tonight.

She blanched. "We c-can talk later, then, of course. I'll let you get some rest." She almost laid her hand on his shoulder, but a chil ing glare made her recoil, backing to the door. "And I'll have additional vials prepped for now, if you want to start doubling up. Just til I can formulate the stronger doses for you."

Be quick about it. "Very good, Doctor."

As the door closed behind her, he realized Dixon would not be easily dissuaded. The daft bitch thought she was in love with him. How could she want a man she innately feared?

He exhaled with irritation. Damn it, he just wanted to watch his monitor, to see his new capture-

The Valkyrie was rousing.

Because her deadly cel mate was kicking her.

Chapter FIVE

Where am I?" Regin mumbled groggily, fighting to wake. Was somebody kicking her hip? "Who are you? Why's it dark in here?"

"Take the bag off your head, you tosser," a female said in a British accent.

Bag. Abduction. Not a dream. "Don't kick me again," Regin warned.

The next time a boot connected with her hip, her hands shot out to seize it, twisting until the owner went spinning to the ground. The move had Regin wincing from the pain in her side, but she swiftly snatched the bag off her head as she labored to stand.

Her eyes darted around. I'm in a cell? So this was the Order's facility?

A black-haired female was bounding back to her feet, her purplish eyes narrowed. She wore tight club shorts, a leather halter, fishnet stockings with ripped holes, and the stiletto boots Regin had already been acquainted with.

"I recognize you," Regin said. "Yeah, you're Natalya the Shadow. Dark fey assassin." She remembered the female's onyx-colored lips and claws. Her poisonous claws. Rumor had it that her very blood was black.

"And you're the glowing Valkyrie."

They'd had a contentious relationship in the past. Regin and her sisters used to snicker and call Natalya the Kil er Fairy. Until she'd flung poisoned knives at them. Now Regin defensively reached for her swords-"No swords for you." Natalya swept back her mane of stick-straight jet hair and began stalking around her, claws bared.

"And no daggers to throw for you."

As they circled each other, Regin flared her own claws as she tried to get her bearings.

Within this smallcel , there were two sets of bunks, a toilet, and a sink. Three of the wal s were made of solid metal, while the front was a wal of thick glass. In the corner was a second inmate, a young male, maybe late teens. Don't know what kind. He was knocking his head against the metal wal , his eyes glazed.

Down a long corridor were even more cells.

Attention back to Natalya. "Aren't you s'posed to be dead?" Regin asked as they each assessed the other for weaknesses. Natalya's gaze flickered over the remnants of her wound, Regin's over the weird collar Natalya wore.

Regin reached up to her neck. What the- I do too? She yanked on the metal band, but couldn't break it. "Not dead," Natalya said. "Just put on involuntary hiatus."

"So are we fighting again, or do you always kick people in greeting?"

"Your m.o. is to attack first and ask questions later. Mine is the same. Seems to me that we don't have that luxury if we're going to escape this place." She lowered her hands. "I think we might need to join forces."

Normal y the fey and Valkyrie all ied. But Natalya was a dark fey-half fey overlord, half demon slave.

"I'll agree to a truce, but I'll escape this place with or without your help," Regin said, lowering her hands as well.