The Warlord (Rise of the Warlords 1)

Two more names left. Up next? Bianka, another sister. Roc took the lovely brunette from a warrior with gold wings. This male lunged at him, grazing his cheek with a sword of fire as he vanished.

One female to go. The mother, Tabitha. She fought him through the flash itself. By the time he landed in the master bedroom, she had three daggers embedded in his shoulder. He plucked the weapons free and pointed to Taliyah. “Fix her.”

All of the sisters congregated on the bed, cheering encouragements at Taliyah. Neeka commanded, “I said louder!”

“Come on, T-bag!”

“You can do this!”

“Don’t be a slacker. Fight harder!”

“Lie next to her, Astra,” the oracle instructed. “Warm her. Stardust her. Give her the works. Remind her what she’s fighting for.”

Hisses sounded and claws were bared as he shouldered past her family and gathered Taliyah into his arms. He didn’t care, and he didn’t withdraw. He willed his body to produce more heat for her.

“I didn’t say to stop cheering, did I?” Neeka boomed, a true dictator. “You know General Taliyah performs best when she’s being praised for her efforts. Or am I the only one who has foreseen this?”

New cheers erupted, filling the air as Roc’s heat warmed Taliyah’s chilled skin. As stardust singed his palms, he stroked her face, her throat and collarbone. Her arms. Under her T-shirt. If he could reach it, he touched it.

“Come on, Taya.” He kissed the shell of her ear. “Every harpy in this room wants to kill me. Only you should have this privilege, yes? You did promise me at our first meeting.”

A light moan parted her lips, and the crowd instantly quieted down. She tried to open her eyes, her lids parting slightly, but the effort proved unsuccessful.

Relief and panic colliding, he drew her face toward his neck. He didn’t need her lucid right now; he just needed her feeding. “Drink me, Taya. Drink all you need.” Words he hoped to say to her every day for centuries to come.

She stirred a little more, wiggling against him. Breath snagged as he waited...a stroke of her tongue.

“Yes, love. Yes.”

Fitting her lips against his skin, she fed at last.

35

Roc peered down at the goddess stretched out beside him. And she was a goddess. The granddaughter of Chaos. The daughter of Erebus. The only female in existence who possessed the strength and cunning to challenge the Commander of the Astra and win, claiming him as her very own.

She had fed, her skin glowing with power once more. Stretching her arms overhead, with eyelids flittering open, she graced him with a soft, intimate smile—until she noticed the other harpies occupying the bed.

“How long have you been boning the enemy, General Hussy?” the one named Kaia asked.

Her eyes flared, and she muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Well, why not go with it? Neeka! You owe me answers.”

“Deal with your friend in a minute.” Blythe returned her hate-filled gaze to Roc. “I’m going to ruin your man, Roux. He killed my consort, and I’ll not stop until he pays.”

Was stubbornness woven into the Skyhawk DNA? “I’m sorry for your loss, but I will not let my warlord be punished for defending himself during battle.”

—Commander?—Halo didn’t wait for permission to continue. —The phantoms have awoken, and they’re speaking. Intelligently! They demand a meeting with Taliyah.—

Roc marveled. Her light had healed the phantoms Erebus made? —The phantoms will have to wait. She’s recovering.—

—They don’t strike me as the patient types.—

—Handle them anyway.—

Taliyah sat up and threw a pillow at her sisters. “You guys suck. Get out so I can speak with my consort. When I’m done, I want to have that chat with Neeka. Then I’ll deal with the rest of you and explain everything that’s happened.”

Boos erupted.

“Guys,” Gwen said, dead serious. “You’d better do what General Horny orders or else she’ll give you a stern talking-to.”

Or not dead serious.

Snickers abounded, the harpies remaining in the bed.

—Commander?—This request came from Silver, and he didn’t bother waiting for permission to continue, either. —A group of males known as the Lords of the Underworld and some Hell kings are at the wall, insisting on an audience with you. At least, that is my assumption since they’re attempting to tear down our wall piece by piece.—

—Is Hades among them? No, don’t answer that.—Roc would deal with him soon enough. —Tell the Lords and the kings I’m sending their wives back to them.—As soon as possible.

“Get out, and go visit my phantoms,” Taliyah insisted. “They could use some friendly faces. I can feel them now. They’re going to be all right. I healed them, and I think I might have even...branded them.” She rubbed the scar on her nape. “I’m not really sure how. I didn’t use an iron.”

“You did brand them. Mystically,” Neeka explained with a wide grin. “The symbol I burned into your nape is your own. And I’m so proud of...myself for making it possible.”