By the Horns (36 page)

Kassian gripped the steering wheel of the powerboat. He checked the GPS once again, but the coordinates hadn’t changed.

If this was a trap, it was a bloody strange one. Why send him out into the middle of the ocean? He squinted as the red dot grew closer and let out a low chuckle. Yep. That explained it. Why they hadn’t been able to track the Empress. Why there were no records of where to find her.

Because she lived on a bloody cruise ship.

In the middle of the fucking Malacca Strait.

What better place to hide than amongst hundreds of other vessels? Even if they discovered her, she could travel to a different location.

His shoulders tensed as he approached the enormous white vessel. The other Chosen weren’t with him, but they trailed at a close distance. They’d be available if he needed them.

The discus hadn’t mentioned anything about coming alone, but why place the others at risk? Ox and Snake could handle this.

He steered his small boat to the side of the anchored cruise ship and tethered it using a rope from the boat and a metal ring on the side of the ship. Scaling the rungs, he climbed the ladder.

The cruise deck was…empty? Where were the guards?

He frowned and headed toward the large ornate doors. The person who sent the disk might have intended this to be a discreet rescue, but subtle wasn’t Ox’s forte.

The doors resisted as he shoved. He hunkered down, arms splayed on either side of him, shoulders bunched, and strong-armed the heavy steel. Metal scraped on metal as they protested, until he forced them past the point of resistance and they gave way, flinging aside. A whoosh of cool air swept over him. He lifted his head and glared into the enormous chamber.

The figures inside spun toward him. He scanned them, searching for Nat. His gaze landed on her, and he marched straight for her. He would grab her and haul ass outta there. Seemed like a good plan.

His left arm was whipped up, his wrist pinned beside his head. His right followed suit and he jerked his arms forward, but an invisible force secured him. He glanced to his left. The Empress curled her fingers in his direction, wielding her power over him.

Ah, hell.

He gritted his teeth. “Let her go. Trust me, you don’t want to deal with Ox when it doesn’t attain its target.”

The woman smiled, strolling forward. She paused a few inches from him, smoothing her cool hand across his shoulder and down his bicep as if measuring his strength.

“Indeed.” She laughed, flashing him a seductive look, batting dark lashes over her gray eyes. “I will release you in a moment.” She whirled to face Nat. “Say the word, Natalie.”

Oh, fuck. Nat’s features were set in a stoic mask—her game face. Whatever he’d missed here, was bad. He searched the room. Mei? Boar? And that bastard, Zhao.

Mei leaned against a pillar. She blew a puff of air from her lips, displaying the boredom of a teenager. The Mei he knew wouldn’t be bored. He tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn’t look in his direction. Dammit.

“No.” Nat’s refusal jerked his attention back to her.

“No?” The Empress waved one hand toward him. “I’m offering you everything you desire.”

“What do you want with Nat?” He clenched his jaw tighter.

“Well, I would prefer the both of you to join with us, but I will settle for Natalie. She’ll be far more powerful than you one day.”

Rage fired through Ox.
Must find a way to stay. Protect Natalie.
“Why would you want any of the Chosen? I thought Lucy’s uncle didn’t have any use for us.”

“Xiaodan was a crazy fool who believed he could rule the universe.” The Empress scoffed. “He had no concept of the true value of the Chosen.”

Nat tilted her head. “Enough. Leave Kassian out of this. Send him away, and I will do as you request.”

His stomach twisted. Nat had no intention of fighting their way out. “Nat.” He growled in warning. He didn’t like the direction of this conversation. Not one bloody bit.

She regarded him, steadfast determination in her eyes. “You can do with me as you like, but you will not hurt him.”

“Have it your way.” The Empress snapped her fingers and the invisible restraints jerked him backward.

Toward the doors.

Oh, hell no.

“
Argh!
” He struggled against the Empress’s invisible bouncer, twisting his shoulders and trying to plant his feet. “Whatever she says, Nat, you don’t have to do this.” He wrenched his hands around an ornate column, gripping tight. Dust fell from the ceiling where the column joined it. Hell, he’d tear down this whole ship before he’d go quietly.

He dug his feet in, straining against the impenetrable resistance. The burning sensation cutting into him threatened to split him in half. Ox cloaked him, lending the strength to hold on and he managed a step forward.

“I said,
out
!” The Empress thrust her palm up, toward him.

Kassian blasted backward like a hurricane had smacked into him. He landed hard on his back, halfway out the door, head cracking on the ship’s deck.

His ears buzzed over Nat’s shrill cry. “How dare you touch him, you bitch!”

He lifted his head as Nat whipped out Snake’s tail and snapped it around the Empress’s arm. She tugged down, but the Empress held firm, gripping Snake’s tail with her free hand.

The battle became a tug of war—Snake’s tail the rope. The Empress jerked and Nat lurched forward.

Clutching his banged up head, Kassian struggled to his feet.

The Empress dug claw-like nails into Snake’s tail and Nat cried out.

Kassian lunged straight for the Empress, head bowed and arms ready to plow into her.

Zhao leapt from his seat, stepping in front of the Empress, straight into Kassian’s path.

He tackled the motherfucker to the ground and pummeled his face with his fists. Once he’d knocked the bastard out, he glanced up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and caught a glimpse of Mei. She still leaned against the pillar, seemingly disinterested…but then her pinky finger crooked. He whipped his head around and ducked just in time to miss Boar’s fist.

Kassian rolled off Zhao and hopped to his feet. Bowing his head, he charged Boar, slamming him into the rails of the staircase. Across the room, Nat hissed. He wrestled Boar to the ground and spun toward Nat.

Shit. Zhao had pushed to his feet and loomed above her. That was one hell of a fast recovery. The bastard’s arm lit up like he’d wrapped Christmas lights around it and Nat was facing off against Zhao. Alone.

***

Zhao snarled at Nat. “If you can’t fucking handle Snake, you’ll give it back to me.” His arm was lit with an eerie bluish phosphorescence, his irises spiraling to black pits.

Just like her father. Yet Kassian had killed Xing.

Zhao could be killed too.

Snake coiled inside her as though to hide, but she coaxed it to cloak over her. Scales rose on her skin, but then the wisp of Snake’s essence drifted off Nat.

Toward a gloating Zhao.

No! Nat scrambled for control. How was this even possible? Zhao certainly wasn’t a Spirit Thief. She gritted her teeth and chalked it up to Zhao being Snake’s previous host.

C’mon, Snake. You’re not evil. You don’t have to obey him anymore. I won’t let him hurt you ever again.

She fought for Snake, beseeching with every ounce of her heart. Snake floated from her, dragging her hope with it.

Until suddenly, the spirit’s essence snagged, jerking Zhao forward.

She stumbled back a step, grinning.
Yes. Come back to me, Snake.

Warmth spread through Nat’s chest. Almost like the spirit
caressed
her. Her gut tightened in righteous victory. Snake
wasn’t
evil, but it had been abused. What the spirit required more than anything was a gentle hand to guide it along the correct path.

Nat’s
hand.

The warmth spread, heating her veins. She cried out and fell to her knees. Her hand trembled as she steadied herself. Wait. Her nails. They glistened a coppery hue—a physical sign of her bonding with Snake. Energy buzzed through her, igniting her body with strength.

“Fucking Snake.” Zhao’s smirk narrowed into a sneer of bitter loathing. “You may deem it wise to accept the Snake but, I promise, you will regret this.” He snatched for her arm, but Kassian smacked into his side, sending him flying into the wall several feet away.

Kassian scooped her into his arms just as dozens of winged creatures bearing fangs and claws flocked to the Empress’s side, surrounding her like a royal guard.

Some of the beasts had four legs. Others, four arms. Their eyes glowed red or yellow and their half-corporeal forms suggested most of them were caught between worlds—between Earth and
Dìyù
.

Cloaking Ox, Kassian stormed the throng like a bowling ball barreling through an alley full of pins. Knocking them aside, he pivoted to leap over them while they struggled to their feet.

As they broke out onto the deck, a light blinded them. He stumbled and dropped Nat.

Her ass hit the ground and Kassian tripped over her, crashing behind her. She shielded her face with her forearm until the bright luminescence dulled.

An object descended out of the sky.

She backed away, crawling next to Kassian’s legs. He lifted her to her feet and tucked her against his side.

The minions groaned at the blinding light.

She squinted, trying to make out what it was. As it lowered, the luminescence faded into a woman’s figure.

The Matchmaker?

A silver glinting framed her form until it blended into the sky behind her. How the hell had she gotten here? Nat craned her neck to search for a helicopter or even Delun, but nope.

The Empress rushed out of the chamber and whirled to a stop in front of the Matchmaker. “Well, well. I didn’t expect you to handle this yourself.”

The Matchmaker planted a manicured, red-nailed hand on her hip. “When you dared to threaten one of my Lotus, you gave me no choice but to intervene.”

The Matchmaker didn’t spare one glance at Nat or Kassian. Nat took the hint, backing away inch by inch and nudging Kassian to do the same.

No one knew for sure what the Matchmaker was, but judging by how even the Empress flinched and stepped backward, the rumors were true. She was one of the most dangerous beings in existence.

And the Empress had just pissed her off.

“Forgive me.” The Empress straightened her shoulders. “I assumed you were too busy with your little love-matching business to concern yourself in this.”

Nat cringed as steam practically billowed off the Matchmaker. Even the Empress’s minions slunk into the shadows.

Yep, the Matchmaker was a badass.

“We will
not
discuss that here.”

Wait… Discuss what, exactly? Nat frowned and bit her bottom lip.

The Empress waved a placating hand toward Nat. “I have harmed no one. You can ask her yourself. We simply had a discussion.”

The Matchmaker tapped her nails on her hip. “My Lotus are not available for your discussions. Understood?”

The Empress cast a sly smile at Natalie then approached the Matchmaker. “Fine. You can claim her. It matters not.
He
will never let you have them all.” She closed in and the two women circled each other like serpents poised to strike.

Which one was more powerful? The Empress had some nice tricks up her sleeves, but never seemed to get her hands dirty.

Then again, neither did the Matchmaker.

They halted in their stare-down dance. Electricity crackled between the Empress’s fingertips, but the Matchmaker leaned in, seeming unfazed. “It is not time for that yet.”

The Empress tilted her head. “No, I suppose not. It would be so much simpler if you would leave the humans be and join with your own kind. Why do you try so hard to protect them?
Hmm?
There is no redemption for the wicked.” She winked and sashayed back inside the grand room, snapping her fingers for her minions to follow.

Nat opened her mouth to ask what the hell the bitch was talking about, but the Matchmaker snapped, “Natalie, Kassian. Return to Penang.”

“Why don’t you destroy her?” The question shot from Nat’s mouth before she had a chance to stop it.

The Matchmaker faced Nat, a coldness in her eyes Nat had never witnessed. “Do not presume you can fathom what you cannot. Go.”

Yikes. She’d never seen the Matchmaker so ticked off by a simple suggestion. Wouldn’t it solve their problems? Kill the Empress, Zhao, and Boar right here? Stop them right now?

Nat opened her mouth to protest, but Kassian snatched her arm and tugged her away. “She’s right,” he whispered once they strode out of earshot. He guided her into the small boat tethered to the side of the ship.

“She could’ve ended this. Did you see that? How she appeared out of nowhere?” Nat leaned forward. “Among the Lotus, there are rumors about her. What the hell was the Empress talking about, anyway?”

He shrugged and gazed out at the ocean. “There are things at work we have no clue about. If you trust the Matchmaker, you’ll listen to her.”

“Okay, fine.” She huffed and eased into her seat. Their getaway had been too easy. What if the Matchmaker hadn’t shown up? She shivered.

“Hey, come here.” Kassian opened his arms for her to sit on his lap. She climbed onto his legs and snuggled against him. Leaning her head on his chest, she sighed. A close call, but this wasn’t finished yet. Not by a long shot.

“Snake looks good on you.” He lifted a strand of her copper-highlighted hair.

Tension eased from her shoulders, and she slumped. “Thanks. I told you Snake wasn’t evil.”

His smile echoed in his voice. “I’m happy for you.” He planted a kiss on her head and steered the ship back to the dock.

As she hopped out of the boat, a figure appeared in the distance. She squinted. The Matchmaker. How the hell had the woman beaten them back?

Nat’s stomach knotted. This time, there’d be no second chance.

Kassian stepped forward and slid his hand against hers, but she shifted away from him. “I have to go to her.” She resisted stroking his cheek. The more she yearned to touch him, the more she shouldn’t.