By the Horns (18 page)

Nat.

She wasn’t alone. In her hand, she gripped her fan. Her lethal weapon. She raised the fan above her head, poised to strike. Beside her, a man knelt. Kassian squinted to view the man’s identity, but it blurred beyond recognition. He cried out for her to stop but, in her eyes, he didn’t perceive Nat. Coppery eyes glinted at him instead.
Snake.

Her lips curved as she slashed the fan’s blade across the man’s neck. Bright red splattered her face and body.

Kassian jolted out of his meditation. “Fuck.” He rubbed his eyes to erase the image, but it remained. Burned into the back of his brain. What did it mean? That Nat would kill someone?

Even worse, it seemed Nat had enjoyed the killing. Had fucking loved it.

How? How could Nat do such a thing with…joy?

He gave his head a violent shake. Who was the man? Price? Nat had behaved like she wanted him dead, but she might still have feelings for him. She hadn’t argued about bringing Price along with them. Did she still care for the man or did she hope to toss him overboard? The hell if Kassian knew which.

Another question nagged at his brain. In his vision, Snake had been in command. Apprehension slid up his spine, icy cold. Why would Nat allow Snake to take control and murder someone? Unless…

Snake would seize her. All of her.

Fuck, no. Giving Nat the Snake wasn’t just a bad idea, it might be damning too.

Not on my watch
. He inhaled and exhaled. This vision hadn’t yet come to pass. Ox had shown it to him to prevent the execution from happening. Kassian would teach Nat control—how to snap Snake back inside its cage.

He’d protect her and, dammit, he’d protect Horse too. So long as Price was Chosen, Kassian owed him his loyalty. His vision wasn’t proof enough to bring to Sheng or the Matchmaker…yet. If Snake made so much as one false step, Kassian wouldn’t hesitate to turn the spirit in.

Kassian rose, stretched out the stiffness in his limbs, and sought the man. He found Price in a lime green, plastic lounge chair on the port side. He reclined in his swimming trunks, soaking up the sun’s rays. His two fox spirits occupied chairs on either side of him, mimicking his sunbathing in their skimpy bikinis.

“We have to talk.”

Price tipped up half of his shades to peer at Kassian with one blue eye. “Is this about my ass?”

“Huh? No, it’s—”

“Because I was never as furry as Nat implied. Besides, my lady friends like it smooth, right girls?” They giggled in response, and Price added, “Everywhere, if you know what I mean.” He winked at them.

“
Ugh
, thanks for the mental image even bleach won’t erase from my brain.”

“You’re welcome.” Price flipped down his shades. “Didn’t realize you swing both ways, but that’s cool.”

What the hell was with everyone assuming he was into men? Kassian rolled his eyes. “No, what I meant was—”

“Oh. Hey, man. It won’t happen again.”

Kassian tensed. “What won’t?”

“Uh, well in that case, nothing.”

Kassian crossed his arms and glared down at the dumbass.

Price slid his shades to the top of his head. “I may have suggested to your, ah, fiancée, that she bunk with me instead.”

Kassian glowered, but Price held up his hand, one finger bent at an abnormal angle. “Yep, yep. I got the memo. Nat sure has a funny way of clarifying things.”

“Let me pop that back in for you.” Ignoring Price’s protest, he snatched the man’s pinky and jammed it back into the joint. To his credit, Price just gritted his teeth.

“She has a mind of her own.” Kassian paused to search for the words. “You should stay away from her, and not only because you’d like all of your digits intact.” He jerked his chin toward the man’s crotch, then rubbed at the back of his neck. “She’s still learning to control Snake, and ah, well, we don’t really know what the spirit is capable of.”

Price barked a laugh. “Nat may be many things, mate, but a cold-blooded killer isn’t one of them. Oh, she talks a big talk, but she’d never pull the trigger. Not on me.” He leaned back and chuckled.

Kassian wasn’t convinced. “What if the Matchmaker told her to?”

Price folded his hands behind his head. “She hasn’t and she won’t.”

Crossing his arms, Kassian frowned at the man’s confidence. His vision had been clear. Nat would kill someone. If the Matchmaker didn’t seek
Price’s
death, then whose?

“What if…Snake ordered the hit?”

An even louder snort of laughter erupted from Price. “I appreciate the concern, but that wouldn’t ever happen, either. Horse met Snake without even a hint of animosity between the spirits. Besides, Snake’s not strong enough to do it.” He waved off the threat. “Nat will get the hang of controlling it soon.”

Kassian frowned. Had Nat talked to Price about Snake? He huffed, clenching his fists. If she had, then she might be having doubts she hadn’t expressed to him… His conviction steeled. His visions weren’t wrong, not when they were this strong. Nat was going to kill someone and Snake was going to make her do it.

The question remaining was…

Who?

Chapter 15

Kassian stormed into the cabin. A whirlwind of anxiety clung to him—a deep furrow marred his forehead, his shoulders bunched, and the veins in his forearms popped as though he clenched his fists. Nat paused with her hairbrush halfway through her hair, her legs dangling over the side of the top bunk. He didn’t glance her way as he stepped into the adjoining bathroom.

The spray of the shower sputtered a minute later. She continued brushing her hair until he strode back into the room, pacing.

“Okay, what?” From her perch, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, hands cupping her chin.

He raked his fingers through his still-damp hair. The locks spiked stiffly. He cast her an accusatory glare. “You can’t control the Snake, can you?”

Whoa. She reared back. Which hurt more—the jab to her pride or the disappointment confirmed by his pinched brows?

“I’m learning, sure.” She had no counter for his claim, but like Price had assured, she hadn’t hosted the Snake that long. Why the censure?

“I don’t like this.” He blew out his breath. “When we reach Penang, I think you should give up Snake.”

“What the hell? No way!” She leapt off the bunk and landed, her finger jabbing his hard pecs. “I assumed we were over this.”

“So did I, but…”

She dropped her hand to her side. This was new. “What happened?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced sideways at her, those greenish-brown depths appearing haunted. “Snake’s going to make you do something, Nat. Something terrible.”

The concern in his frown made her decide to play along. “Why would you say that? Hey.” She nudged his shoulder. “I’m not going to morph into Zhao. Snake is a warrior spirit, just like Ox.”

“No, it isn’t.” He cupped her cheek in his large hand. “Ox warned me.”

“How?”

“Ox shows me things. Like visions.” He cast her a sideways glance as if assessing whether she’d deem him crazy.

She’d witnessed too much to ever discount the unusual. “Fine. Even if I believed you, someone has to host Snake. Lucy can’t take him back.” She exhaled and sought the right words. “You assume I’m not strong enough, but I am. I need this. I need this chance.”

“A chance at what? To do what?” When she didn’t answer, he sighed. “I guess this leaves us at an impasse.”

She slid her hand onto his shoulder. “No, it doesn’t. Teach me.” She swallowed the bitterness of confession. “I was a bit cocky before. Maybe I could use some help.”

His lips quirked as he regarded her. “Is your pride feeling the burn?”

“Ha ha. No, but you will.” He chuckled; she elbowed him in the gut.

His laughter passed his lips with an “
oomph!
” He clutched his side and toppled to the ground. From the tiled floor, he peered at her. “I’ll help you on one condition. If I’m not satisfied by the time we reach Penang, you’ll consider stepping aside.”

Damn him for adding a clause. She hated them. “Agreed.” She straddled him and bent her face to his. “Tell me, what do I have to do to satisfy you?”

Fluidly, he snared his leg around her waist and flipped them over, his hand cushioning her head.

She grunted as his heavy weight pinned her to the floor. “Hey!”

“I thought Lotus never lowered their defenses?” He eased onto his knees and gloated above her.

She narrowed her eyes and heaved in a full breath. Oh, she was going to pay him back for that.

He extended a hand to her. She crab-crawled backward, sneering at his hand. “I’m not that dumb.”

He wriggled his fingers. “You’re not just a Lotus anymore. You’re a Chosen and that means trusting me.”

“First you attack me, then you expect me to trust you?” She snorted. “That’s some screwed up logic.”

She hitched her chin, but his fingers continued to beckon her.

“That’s precisely the lesson. You expect everyone to turn on you and, eventually, they will. I have your back. So do the others. Have faith in us.”

She blinked. How did he read her so well? No matter how many masks she put on, he saw through each one.

Relying on someone else to fight with her, to fight
for
her, wasn’t an ability she’d ever mastered.

“I don’t know how.” She whispered the admission.

He closed the distance between them, grasped her wrist, and lifted her to her feet. Holding her hand, he rested it against his chest. “I know. We’ll work on it together. One step at a time.” His heartbeats drummed beneath her fingertips, fast. Was he going to kiss her? She lifted her lashes, but he cleared his throat and released her.

“You have to be able to cloak Snake at a moment’s notice, despite any distractions.” He morphed into instructor mode and she shoved down her disappointment. “It has to be second nature.”

To demonstrate, he flashed Ox’s cloaking over himself. The image focused and faded in the blink of an eye.

“Holy hell, that was fast.” She licked her lips. Instructor Kassian was
hot
. “What else?”

He snared her arm and hooked it around his neck, drawing their bodies close. “Learn Snake’s strengths and weaknesses, and be able to demonstrate what they are.”

“Okay. Anything else, professor?”

He smoothed his thumb along her bottom lip. “I want you to stop wearing masks. When you’re with me, you’ll be yourself. Mission or no mission, what happens between us won’t be an act.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Her throat constricted. “Of course it’s an act. I’m a Lotus, and you…you’ve taken vows. This isn’t real.”

He tilted her chin up. “It’s real to me. I don’t say shit I don’t mean. I don’t do anything I don’t want to. And I sure as hell don’t break vows unless…”

Her pulse drummed in her ears. Hearing the end of his sentence probably wasn’t the best thing. She damn sure wanted to though. “Unless what?” Hell, her traitorous tongue had to go and ask.

His answer was a shake of his head. Kassian backed away from her, rolling his shoulders. He groaned as he flexed the right one.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just tweaked it from fending off those fox spirits.”

“I hate them.”

He chuckled. “I’m not so fond of them either, but they seem pretty attached to Price.”

“Doesn’t it strike you as odd? Fox spirits don’t stick with humans. They feed on them until there’s nothing left, and then they move on.”

“I’m not sure there is anything normal about Price.” He laughed, but winced as he rotated his shoulder a second time.

“Okay, big boy. Stop being such a wuss and lie down on my bunk.”

“Why?” His eyes darkened as though lusty images had popped into his brain.

“In your dreams, asshole. I was going to give you a massage. Now I’m not so sure.”

“You give massages?” A slow, sensual grin curved his lips, his mind still clearly in the gutter.

She shoved him toward her bunk. “Yep. Spent quite a bit of time in Thailand, working undercover in a spa.” Both his thick eyebrows shot up. “Not that kind of massage parlor, you jackass.” She slapped his butt as he hauled himself upward. Geez, the man had a dirty mind. His three years of celibacy must qualify him for some kind of sainthood.

“Hey!” He flicked away her hand. “You’re the one who claimed to be a seductress.”

She notched her chin higher. “I am, but not for you, buddy.”

“
O-o-oh
. Here comes the trash talk.”

She rose on her tiptoes. “Baby, you wouldn’t be able to keep up. Now, take off your clothes.”

***

Kassian swallowed hard at Nat’s request. Well, command really. No question about it. Things were heated between them, and the further they took this foreplay, the more difficult it became to draw those lines.

And not cross them.

Damn, he wanted to cross them.

“Stomach or back?” He cleared his throat. His voice had come out far too fucking husky.

“Stomach, please.”

Well, at least that would conceal his eagerness. The image of Nat’s hands roaming his body left him hard and ready. The bedframe creaked as he shucked his clothes and plopped onto his stomach, trying to find a comfortable position for his hard-on. He ended up shifting his dick downward and to the side.