The Warlord (Rise of the Warlords 1)

A thrum of aggression brushed his skin. Roc spun, catching a phantom by the throat. Where had she come from?

Her milky eyes were set in solid-black sockets. Graying lips formed a wide O as she sucked at the air between them. She clawed at his arm, desperate to reach him.

Why didn’t Erebus send more like her, his usual MO? While the Astra were strong enough to block ten, twenty, fifty phantoms from feeding at a time, they couldn’t block an entire horde.

Blood poured from his wounds, and her suction cup of a mouth suckled faster. Disgusting. Was this the fate awaiting Taliyah, if she went without nourishment?

There was so much he didn’t know about her. Did she operate alone, or did she have help? Roc tensed. Were there others like her?

Did any serve in Roc’s army? It was...possible.

—Did you see this phantom enter the throne room?—He threw the question at Halo.

—I did not. I got busy performing a sweep of the palace, on the hunt for others.—

How had this fiend managed to hide from them both?

Roc stabbed the phantom in the temple, then waited, on alert. Minutes passed. No other phantoms appeared.

—She seems to be the last,—Halo informed him, broadcasting the information to everyone at once. —I’ll keep a closer watch.—

Silver spoke up. —I believe the group entered through an unframed window in the north tower.—

The windows were Ian’s job.

With gravel in his voice, his brother admitted, —I was too busy repairing Taliyah’s traps to finish framing the windows.—

Taliyah’s purpose all along?

—Remain in the dungeon. I’ll summon Vasili.—The Midnight Sun had never learned to interact well with others, not even his Astra brothers. Usually, Roc left him in the duplicate realm, where the survivors of the conquered realm always slept. —He’ll ensure every exit is completely covered by morning.—

Roc turned his awareness to the duplicate realm.

—Vasili, come here and finish the palace fortifications.—

The response came immediately, barely a grunt. In Vasili Speak, that was an enthusiastic assent.

To the group, Roc confessed, —Erebus mentioned the Blade of Destiny—

The other Astra didn’t hurl accusations, as Roc deserved. If he’d better guarded his Amazon bride, Erebus would have been unable to sleep with her, winning the blade. But Roc’s men went into war mode, discussing something they’d pondered before. How did you form a defense against someone who knew every move you’d make?

Had the male turned Taliyah because she was Roc’s gravita?

Will rip off his head and tear out each of his organs.

The blame for Taliyah’s condition might rest at Roc’s door...

He resisted the urge to return to her. No going back until he’d crafted a viable plan and built up an unshakable resistance against her appeal. His fault or not, her fate was sealed.

Roc fired off commands. —Halo, call the soldiers together. Silver, read their minds en masse. We might have traitors in our midst.—

If anyone had aided Taliyah and Erebus, Roc had...questions.

22

Taliyah hated Roc, but she missed him, too. She missed his warmth. His intensity. His hard stare and those roaming hands. Mostly, she missed the excitement he incited. For two days, he’d held her dissatisfaction at bay. Now? The sensation proved as relentless as ever.

Her hunger didn’t help. Must eat. Soon. She kept eyeing her wrist, wondering how her own spirit might taste. Amazing? She’d taste amazing, wouldn’t she?

A demented laugh caught her attention. Her own?

The day wasn’t a total wash, thankfully. She’d come up with a rock-solid plan: get free by any means necessary, then figure everything else out. Okay, maybe not so rock solid. At least she’d gained intel into Roc’s fighting habits.

During their miniskirmish, she’d witnessed one of his many abilities in action. The way he’d flashed those poles around her in a blink, trapping her within, told her he had an invisible arsenal at his disposal; he had only to flash it in.

No wonder he tossed his weapons so haphazardly. He could acquire more with only a thought. She’d bet the same was true for his men.

When she gained the strength, she would mount an escape. Although, honestly, she believed Roc would return sooner or later. He would remember the blessing mattered more than his bride’s species. Guaranteed he would glue himself to her side to stop her from meeting with Erebus.

Forget Roc for a sec. The ring presented a major problem. Your crutches became your enemy’s best weapons against you. She’d done herself a huge disservice by relying on a piece of jewelry for the sake of her sanity. At crunch time, she’d had to take a time-out to scream.

Now, when she should be fighting for her life, she needed to use days she didn’t have to train against the screams.

No one would use those screams against her again. Next time, she would be prepared.

“Taliyah! Psst!”

The whisper-yell penetrated her ravenous haze, and she swung her attention to the harpies. Since Ian’s arrival, the girls had avoided speaking with her. They’d only murmured among themselves, recounting history lessons about Erebus and his phantoms.