Desire After Dark: Lords of Pleasure (19 page)

“Promise me you’ll continue as you have. Please?”

He stared at her, prepared to refuse. But it seemed so important to her, how could he? “Fine. I promise.”

“Good. How about visiting the market? Are you hungry?”

“I could eat an ogre,” he teased, breaking the tension.

“Yuck. You wouldn’t want one, trust me. Too stringy.”

She grabbed his hand and in short order he found himself standing in the middle of a busy open marketplace. On either side of a dirt lane that hardly qualified as a street, vendor booths displayed bolts of colorful cloth, handmade jewelry, toys, and furniture. There was even a burly man in one stall striking white-hot iron, shaping a horseshoe. As promised, there was food as well, the variety of wonderful smells endless, making his stomach growl.

It was odd to note there wasn’t an automobile in sight—just the occasional oxen or horse and wagon. He’d gotten so used to technology, it was weird to stand in a place that seemed totally devoid of it.

“This is like some throwback to medieval Europe,” he said in amazement. “I didn’t know places like this still existed.”

“They do if you know where to go.”

He followed her through the crowded market, and enjoyed stopping when she wanted to show him some fascinating item or another. He wanted to buy a pretty pair of earrings and matching necklace for her, and he was faintly embarrassed not to have any money on him, not the strange currency they used, anyway. Kass just smiled and gave him a kiss and ended up purchasing them for herself because he liked them, which made him feel better.

Finally they stopped at a booth selling some sort of savory-looking meat on a stick that was smothered in what smelled like a sweet honey barbecue sauce. Kass bought two of them and handed one to him.

“Take a bite—you’ll love it.”

He did, and moaned aloud at the rich taste. “Damn, that’s great. What is it?”

“Roasted troll.”

Coughing, he looked around frantically for a garbage can. But he turned back to Kass when she started laughing hysterically.

“You should see your face!” Another fit of giggles and she shook her head. “Gods, outsiders are gullible. Relax, it’s just a game hen that’s similar to quail in your world.”

“Oh.” With difficulty, he swallowed the piece he’d nearly choked on, and gave her a wan smile. “You’re forgiven. But turnabout will be fair play when you come home with me to meet my brothers.”

The oddest shadow flashed across her face, there and gone so fast he wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it. She rallied quickly, giving him a wink. “I’d expect no less from a crafty vampire.”

Afterward, they spent the afternoon nibbling on this and
that, browsing the wares while sipping wine. Now there was a concept more places should get behind, in his opinion—wine
while
shopping outdoors on a gorgeous day.

All in all, their adventure was a success, and he couldn’t recall the last time he’d had so much fun in a female’s company—the good, carefree, innocent sort of fun that didn’t involve sex and that felt very much like they were becoming a couple. Slowly forging their way, just getting to know each other.

He liked what he saw. Kass was smart, funny, bright. Definitely a good companion.

Yes, he was falling, Hard.

His heart light, he was following Kass as she picked through the crowd. He was a mere two steps behind her as they passed an alley between two buildings. If he hadn’t been so preoccupied, he might’ve processed the noise to his left a lot faster.

Suddenly he was jerked sideways, nearly off his feet, and dragged into the dark recesses of the alley. Before he could yell, a rough smelly cloth was clamped over his nose and mouth. The stench was horrible, making his eyes water. A cough rattled his lungs, but that made it worse.

The dank corridor blurred in front of his face, and his legs turned to jelly. His head spun, and his knees buckled, unable to support his weight any longer. He had been drugged, he realized, in a crystallized second of panic.

But he couldn’t fight off his attackers. His limbs went completely lax, and the darkness narrowed his vision until there was nothing.

“Pretty. His lordship will pay out the ass for this one,” a deep voice growled in satisfaction.

Then he faded into the abyss.

Kass smiled, enjoying her trip out with Luc more than she had anything in a long time. In spite of everything, she’d managed to forget the heartbreak that loomed ahead and focus on her vampire. The man was more like a little boy, examining every single item and exclaiming over it.

“Hey, want to look at those?” She pointed to a stall of sweets. Silence met her question. “Luc?”

She turned around, and he wasn’t there.

At first, she wasn’t too alarmed. He’d probably stopped to look at something else and she’d gotten ahead of him. She backtracked some, searching the vendors they’d just passed, but still no Luc.

A sense of dread squeezed her lungs. He wouldn’t have wandered off, and she was positive he’d be here with her right now if he could be.

Something had happened.

Becoming frantic, she looked everywhere, to no avail. At last her attention fell on an alley they’d walked past just a few minutes ago, and hope soared. If he’d been accosted he might still be there. She might find him injured, but wounds would heal.

But when she rushed down the dirty corridor, the space was empty. There was nothing but a white cloth lying on the ground about halfway down. White. When everything else was filthy.

Jogging over, she bent to examine the scrap. Yes, it was far too clean to have been here for any length of time. Picking it up gingerly between two fingers, she lifted the thing and gave it a sniff.

The material smelled faintly of Luc—and oil of belladonna.
In pure form, the plant’s extract was lethal to all but the gods. In broken-down form, such as the oil, it was very similar to what the humans called chloroform.

With the cloth pressed over a victim’s nose and mouth, the stuff would knock him out—or worse, if the thugs weren’t careful.

Luc had been drugged and abducted. For what purpose, she could only guess.

The truth fired her blood with anger. Dropping the cloth, she bolted to her feet and delivered a kick to the side of the nearest building, blasting a hole right through the brick.

Then she screamed her rage to the gods.

Who, just to keep their perfect record of uselessness, were not listening.

K
ass stomped through the palace, threw down her sword, yanked off her protective vest and flung it hard. The armor went skidding across the foyer and slammed into the wall, knocking out a chunk of plaster. Two days Luc had been missing. Two days!

Three servants scurried after her, picking up abandoned weapons and clearing up the mess, but she kept going.

“Fuckers!” she yelled. “Assholes! All of them!”

She was going to kill someone. She just needed the right target. Wisely, even Millicent moved out of her way.

Upstairs, she paced the length of the corridor and back. The bay of windows in the sitting area drew her eye, and she ended up walking over to them. The sun was setting, and she gazed over the pool area where Luc had fed from and fucked Maya….

Now her jealousy seemed so petty. Someone had stolen her mate with Hades knew what evil intentions in mind. Her gut cramped to think what he’d suffered in the forty-eight hours
he’d been missing. He was alone, an exotic creature in a strange world.

Any number of awful beings would love to use him. For sex. Or worse—food. And they wouldn’t stop with taking a little blood.

A sob burst from her throat, and strong arms wrapped around her from behind.

“Mistress?”

She spun around and buried her face in Taryn’s chest, trying to take comfort in his palm smoothing her back. “Where is he? Who’s taken him?”

“We’ll find him, I promise.”

Taryn had insisted on being included in the search for Luc, though it wasn’t his duty. Selfishly, she’d kept him here, at her side.

“I know.” Pulling away, she studied his serious face. He wore an expression she’d never seen before—or perhaps hadn’t taken time to notice.

Taryn’s eyes held a solid determination. His back was straight, his hair tied at the nape of his neck to emphasize his features. And in direct countermand to her orders, he also wore the clothing of the guard, snug black breeches and a black long-sleeved shirt. His booted feet were braced apart, shoulders squared. He looked confident.

He looked, she realized, no longer like a lost waif, and certainly anything but a slave. He was a
man
—a strong man with purpose that she’d denied.

“Punish me if you must, but I have to go. I can’t remain here one more second, lounging like a pampered house cat when you’re in pain.”

She stared at him in amazement. “When did you grow up, and grow into your own?” she murmured.

“It wasn’t overnight,” he said gently, brushing her hair from her eyes tenderly. “You taught me to be strong. What were those lessons for, if you refuse to let me prove myself?”

Had she not been paying attention to his needs? It appeared not. And now he stood in front of her, willing her to see what she hadn’t before.

“Are you…” She cleared her throat, willing back fresh tears. “Are you leaving me for good, Taryn?”

“Never, mistress,” he said, grasping one of her hands in both of his. He raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I’m only asking for a chance to be more.”

Hurt speared her. “I didn’t give you that chance when I rescued you from a life of poverty and hunger? Of constant fear, selling yourself for money? I slit a man’s throat and took you away from all of that.”

“You did, my goddess.” His brown eyes begged her to understand. “And that’s what you’ll always be to me. A goddess who doesn’t get half the credit she deserves for being a strong, passionate protector. You call me ‘slave,’ but you’ve always been a friend to me, and I’ll never forget that.”

The tears spilled.
Dammit.

“But?”

“I need to fly. To be the man I was meant to be,” he said earnestly. “I want to serve in your guard, to be of more use to you than just in your bed. Not that I don’t treasure those times, and I’ll always be here when you need me, but—”

“I understand,” she said. And it was the truth.

“You’ve had me practicing with the men for ages, and I have
a knack for fighting. You’ve seen my skills with the sword. Hell, I nearly bested you! I can hold my own.” It was so important to him that she
see
.

“You can do much more than hold your own, Taryn.” She gave him a watery smile.
Let him go to make his way, Kass. If you don’t, he’ll be lost when you die.
“You’re going to make a fine guardsman.”

For a moment he appeared stunned. Then he laughed and scooped her into his arms, swinging her around. Eventually he let her slide down his body, setting her on the floor carefully. “I’m going to make you proud. I’m going to help find your mate and bring him home.”

She stared at him. “How did you know?”

“That he’s your mate?” He shook his head. “I know you better than anyone, including those selfish sisters of yours. I’d have to be blind and deaf not to notice that you two are completely crazy for each other.”

“You constantly amaze me.”

“I’ll find him, mistress. Believe that.” Curling a finger under her chin, he kissed her with slow passion, not like a slave who’d ask for a kiss but like a
man
would take it.

With a half smile, he released her and started down the corridor.

“Taryn?”

He halted, then gazed at her over his shoulder. “Yes, mistress?”

“My name is Kassandra,” she whispered.

A smile curved his sexy lips. “That it is. Kassandra,” he murmured.

And then he was gone.